Tortilla Curtain Literary Analysis Assignment Sheet

Modern Literature – Literary Analysis ^#1

Due dates:

Outline and/or Rough Draft — Monday, December 3rd

Final Draft — Friday, December 7^th, 2012

In order to expand your knowledge of literature and cultivate your ability to critically analyze text, you will create a ‘close reading’ analysis of The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle. This exercise will both extend your interpretation of the novel and also foster your growth in critical thinking overall.

Assignment: Your task in this literary analysis is to develop a thoughtful, relevant thesis, which you will then expand and support throughout an organized essay. You shall use textual evidence to support and articulate your argument.

In order to create a focused close reading, you should choose a particular passage, chapter, or small section which represents a larger, overarching theme of the novel: think part-to-whole.

You may analyze any theme which you consider significant and insightful. However, some particular ideas may include:

·      Immigration and human rights ·      Gender roles ·      Classism ·      Racism and ethnic heritage	·      Family dynamics and structures ·      Fear and security ·      Social privilege ·      Humans’ relationship with the natural environment
…and many more.

Keep in mind, this is not a book report. You should not just summarize a particular passage, but draw some deeper, insightful conclusion regarding the passage. What are the big-picture implications, ideas, and themes that the passage (and, by extension, the book) communicates?

There is no page maximum or minimum; you should use as much writing as is necessary to convey your understanding—to prove that you’re an expert on this theme. If you need a number, though, shoot for five pages.

You must use MLA format. If you have any questions, consult the MLA Handbook, Purdue OWL (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/), or Shane.

Tips for success on this project:

·      Start early. The more time you allow yourself, the better your analysis will be.

·      Ask questions. I’m here to support you throughout this project—you are absolutely welcome to ask for help, to bounce ideas off me, or to just chat.

·      Choose a theme that really stuck out to you; then, find a passage that completely supports your insight. You might struggle if you try to complete the process in the opposite order.

Your paper will be graded by the rubric below.

Rubric:

Literary Analysis: Student develops an insightful, organized close-reading of his/her chosen passage from The Tortilla Curtain. The analysis should be built on a strong thesis and supported with textual evidence. The essay should be in MLA format with minimal grammatical/mechanical errors.
Format                                       (25 pts.)	MLA format, as outlined in the MLA Handbook or online at Purdue OWL.
Thesis                                         (40 pts.)	A thesis should be a strong, focused, and relevant insight/argument.
Organization                             (40 pts.)	An essay should be organized in a logical manner which most clearly and persuasively conveys the argument.
Support                                      (40 pts.)	An essay should include frequent and appropriate textual evidence throughout in order to support the argument.
Grammar and mechanics       (40 pts.)	Grammatical and mechanical errors can distract from the content of a paper if they are too blatant or too frequent. Ask if you have any questions. Don’t rely on Microsoft Word.
Insight                                        (40 pts.)	The most significant function of the essay is to provide unique, compelling insight which helps the reader understand a new side of the studied text.

225 total points possible.

October 31st, 2012

10/31/12

In Class:
Journal: Respond to the following quotes:
“Those who surrender freedom for security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.” 
-Benjamin Franklin

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”
-Helen Keller

Discussion of race as a social construct, including the terms ethnicity, assimilation, ideology, and transparency.

Personal reflection on race:

  - What ‘race’ are you?
   - How often do you consider your race or ethnicity?
   - What physical/biological characteristics do you have that associate you with that race?
   - What non-physical characteristics do you have that associate you with that race?
   - What social advantages or disadvantages can you attribute to your racial/ethnic status in any way?
   - In what ways are you not typical of that race?
Discussion of T.C. Boyle's perspective on race evident in the first 100 pages of The Tortilla Curtain.

Homework:
Read through p. 146 of The Tortilla Curtain.
Read the two articles connected to "The Love of My Life."
Adopt the perspective of either Jeremy or China in "The Love of My Life." Write a letter to your partner from prison.

November 7th

11/7/12

In Class:
Journal: If Delaney and Kyra from The Tortilla Curtain were voting in Colorado, how would they have voted on Amendment 64?

• Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution concerning marijuana, and, in connection therewith, providing for the regulation of marijuana; permitting a person twenty-one years of age or older to consume or possess limited amounts of marijuana; providing for the licensing of cultivation facilities, product manufacturing facilities, testing facilities, and retail stores; permitting local governments to regulate or prohibit such facilities; requiring the general assembly to enact an excise tax to be levied upon wholesale sales of marijuana; requiring that the first $40 million in revenue raised annually by such tax be credited to the public school capital construction assistance fund; and requiring the general assembly to enact legislation governing the cultivation, processing, and sale of industrial hemp?

Discussion of traditional family models, specifically in regard to gender and The Tortilla Curtain. How do culturally-specific family ideals contrast with our own? And to what extent can we share our beliefs without imposing? Discussed masculinity/femininity displayed by Delaney, Kyra, Cándido, and América.
Lecture on binary opposition in relation to Feminist literary theory, gender roles, and vocality. T.C. Boyle engages in the process of deconstruction (deliberate creation of traditional models followed by the conscious and organized destruction of said models) in order to demonstrate the irrationality and restrictiveness of certain family models. Creation of a circular spectrum, including shades of gray and binaries which are similar in their extreme nature.

Homework:
Catch up on missing work. (Each student was given a list of missing assignments.)
Read through p. 246 of The Tortilla Curtain by Monday.
Write a page of América’s diary by Monday.

November 5th, 2012

11/5/12

In Class:
Journal: When you hear the phrase ‘traditional family,’ what do you picture? What role does each member of the family play?
Discussed family models, including the notion of the 'nuclear family' and stereotypical American life.

Collaborative writing: Exchange the letter you wrote for homework with another student. Respond from the appropriate perspective (i.e., if the letter was written to China, respond as if you were China; if the letter was written to Jeremy, respond as if you were Jeremy). When finished, put both student names at the top and submit for credit.

In groups, students created a family tree for Delaney’s family and Cándido’s family, making notes of each character’s role in the family, gender, and personal characteristics. 
<<-- Example

Independently, each student read the provided introduction to Feminist literary theory and wrote a brief (3-5 sentence) summary of the perspective in his/her own words. Additionally, each student wrote at least one question he/she still had about the theory.

Homework:
Read through p. 200 of The Tortilla Curtain by Wednesday.
Write a page of América’s diary, due Monday, 11/12.

October 29th, 2012

10/29/12

In Class:
Journal: What does it mean to be ‘privileged?’ -->
Discussed privilege and access in terms of socioeconomic advantages including general human needs according to Maslow's hierarchy:

Discussed The Tortilla Curtain, focusing on issues of socioeconomic status, xenophobia, and fear of the unknown.

Homework:
Finish "The Love of My Life" by T.C. Boyle.
Read through p. 100 of The Tortilla Curtain.

Revised Tortilla Curtain Reading Assignments

As I mentioned in class, the reading assignments listed in the syllabus were notated using a different edition of The Tortilla Curtain than you were loaned. The following are the proper assignments for your book:

By the beginning of class on…	read through page…
10/24	30
10/29	65
10/31	100
11/5	146
11/7	200
11/12	246
11/14	265
11/26	366 (end)

October 24th, 2012

10/24/12

In Class:
Journal — What right do Mexican people have to live in the United States? Discussed immigration policies, ranging from amnesty to border protection and self-deportation.
Noted foundational elements of The Tortilla Curtain using this graphic organizer:

The Tortilla Curtain
Setting:			Plot:
Characters:

Seminar discussion of The Tortilla Curtain--Delaney's humanism and detachment, xenophobia and "the Other." Distributed 'Golden Line' worksheets.
Began "The Love of My Life" by T.C. Boyle, a short story corresponding with The Tortilla Curtain.

Homework:
Read through p. 65 of The Tortilla Curtain. Be sure to identify Golden Lines.
Finish "The Love of My Life."