Those of you who meet with me on Wednesdays will begin planning and drafting your textual analysis of Maus today. You will receive a paper copy of the complete assignment in class. The assignment is also posted in Moodle, and I have included an additional copy below.
Anatomy of an Analysis
Here are the elements that you are required to include in your revised analysis of Maus:
- an introduction that includes a description of the panel, tier, or page
- a thesis statement that presents your particular reading or interpretation
- textual evidence, both words and images, that support your interpretation
- a relevant quotation or paraphrase from an authoritative secondary source
- parenthetical citations for both Maus and your secondary source
- a conclusion that revisits the thesis without restating it verbatim
- a title that offers a window into your analysis
- a works cited list with entries for Maus and your secondary source
Note that the requirements above are for your revision. You do not need to integrate an authoritative secondary source into your draft. Later this week, on Thursday or Friday, I will post information on secondary sources, including article excerpts that you may quote or paraphrase in your analysis.
And Keep in Mind as You Plan and Draft . . .
- You are welcome to focus on a single panel or a series of panels in Maus I, but you should not focus on more than one page.
- If your initial plan doesn’t seem to be taking shape, turn away from your draft for a while. Try brainstorming or freewriting in your journal. Don’t concern yourself with spelling and structure; attend to those matters later. The aim of brainstorming and freewriting is to get your ideas on paper as quickly as you can. For more on brainstorming and freewriting, see A Writer’s Reference (6).
- If you write on one panel or series of panels and that doesn’t seem to lead anywhere, turn back to the pages of Maus and try writing on another panel or series of panels.
- I am drafting an analysis along with you and will post my revision for you next week.
- The textual analysis of Maus that I wrote for my students last fall and four students models are available to you now on my blog. My analysis is included in the March 17 blog post; the four student analyses are included in the March 15 post.
Jane Lucas 