FINDING AN APPROPRIATE RANGE OF INTERPRETATIONS THESES SHOULD

FINDING AN APPROPRIATE RANGE OF INTERPRETATIONS THESES SHOULD BE CREATIVE AND INTERESTING, BUT SUPPORTABLE BY THE TEXT.

FINDING AN APPROPRIATE RANGE OF INTERPRETATIONS Theses should be creative and interesting, but supportable by the text. One formula to get you started: GENRE TITLE AUTHOR In the short story, play, poem, novel. . . “Girl” Jamaica Kincaid VERB + uses HOW abrasive diction, parallelism, run-on, contradictory commands, gender roles, stream of consciousness. . . + VERB ANALYSIS to show, to illustrate, to critique the difficulty of growing up as a young girl in a society with clashing cultures and gender expectations. the contradictory messages girls are given in a society where the exact thing they are warned against is also the expectation.

“GIRL” BY JAMAICA KINCAID – WHAT’S AN ACCEPTABLE RANGE OF INTERPRETATION? “Girl” presents a social commentary on the impossible expectations and double standards placed on girls while simultaneously warning against self-fulfilling prophecy. #slutshaming “Girl” profiles a mother who loves and wants to protect her daughter, but whose fears get in the way, ultimately overwhelming and exasperating the daughter. “Girl” presents the conflict and anxiety created by the imposition of European values onto established cultures through the seemingly simple but overwhelming and contradictory commands given to young girls. “Girl” profiles the inner monologue of a young woman on the cusp of motherhood recollecting the lessons of her caring but overbearing mother. “Girl” is about an alien trying to understand Caribbean culture through the impersonation of a young girl and the confusion the girl feels as a result of this.

“GIRL” BY JAMAICA KINCAID The passage “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid outlines the rigid framework that is set out for young girls in the past. It demonstrates how even the smallest, most trivial aspects of life must be done right in order to be the right kind of woman in the eyes of society. The author uses the tension of a mother and daughter’s dialogue to point out the overwhelming expectations of being a woman and the clashes of cultures in their society. “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid is a story about an early 20 th century Caribbean girl feeling overwhelmed by the demanding and misogynistic expectations laid upon her by her mother. In the article “Girl” the author conveys the pressure that society puts on young girls. She does this by using short, straight to the point clauses in a very long over run sentence. “Girl” is about how not to be a “slut. ”

APPLICATION: “ORDEAL BY CHEQUE” BY WUTHER CRUE Read “Ordeal by Cheque” in groups of 3 -4 Create a logical and interesting interpretation based on evidence Everything must be logically supported – either by details from the checks, from historical context, or (sparingly) by inference. For example: Supporting detail: Interpretation: Hollywood Hospital – wealthy area Spends $148. 50 at a baby shop in 1903 ($4000 today) A rich guy (Lawrence Exeter) has a son (Lawrence Exeter, Jr. ) Top dollar on a doctor ($12, 000 today) at 1 month $83. 20 ($2100) on toys for a 3 month old Proud to be a father