Textual Analysis

User Generated

munatfunbtnat

Writing

Description

Textual Analysis—

In this paper you have free range in how you interpret the texts you choose to write about and the topic you choose, but the structure I want you to use and steps I want you to take to construct the paper are fairly uniform—see this as a guideline to help you.

Step 1: Choose TWO of the following texts from Unit 2 to write about:

Beowulf
Murasaki Shikibu’s Tale of Genji Christine de Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies

Step 2: Choose ONE of the following topics to guide your reading of the texts you chose in step 1:

Feminism Individuality/Autonomy Heroism
or Storytelling

(Keep in mind that these topics can be interpreted in any number of ways—I’m looking for you to explain your own particular focus on the topic in relation to the two texts you choose.)

Step 3: Title your paper—You will title your paper simply using the two texts and the topic you chose. For example:

Autonomy in Beowulf and Murasaki Shikibu’s Tale of Genji

(Note how the title is centered with no bolding or italics, except for the titles of the texts.)

Step 4: Writing the paper itself. As you read, take careful notes on the texts to help you interpret them and find appropriate quotations to support your claims.

See the next page for how to structure your paper. (Note: You can stray from this structure in your analysis, but know that you must have a good reason for doing so, and you may lose points if I find the structure isn’t effective. If you want to give your paper a different structure I highly recommend you email me about it ahead of time for my approval and support.)

The structure of the paper should be the following:

Introduction (1 paragraph/half a page): Explain how your topic is reflected in the two texts you chose, and how this topic can help us understand the texts in relation to each other (compare and/or contrast). (In other words, here you’re introducing the content of the paper by explaining why you chose this topic and these two texts—but remember to keep your language formal, as this is a formal paper!)

Reading of Text 1 (2 paragraphs, about 1 page total or more): In one short paragraph you should briefly summarize the first text you intend to analyze. In a second, longer paragraph you should analyze this text in terms of the topic—this is a much longer, more in-depth explanation of what you introduced in the introduction. Use at least one (no more than two) quote to serve as evidence of what you’re seeing in the text. Make sure all quotes have a citation (page number at the end of the sentence) and are fully explained.

Reading of Text 2 (2 paragraphs, about 1 page total or more): Same as you did with Text 1.

Conclusion (1 paragraph/half a page): Recap, in detail, the comparison you’re making between these texts and then, the most important part, tell your reader what this comparison does for us. Does it help us understand something better? Does it help us understand something curious in one of the texts better? This is called answering the “So what?” question.

When this is all done, your paper should be at least 2.5 pages. The best papers are usually at least 3 pages. Very thoroughly explained papers might reach to the bottom of the fourth page. Please don’t make your paper longer than 4 pages.

A quick note on plagiarism: ANY words you write that are not your own, even if it’s a small phrase you found on the internet, MUST be put into quotation marks and cited. Outside research is not a component of this assignment, so I don’t want you to use outside sources, but in the past people have found it useful to turn to the internet to define the topic they’re using—this definition, unless you put it into your own words, MUST be put into quotation marks and cited. If you put the definition into your own words, you STILL MUST cite the source where you got it with a parenthetical at the end of the sentence (Miriam Webster).

Plagiarism, no matter how minor, will NOT be tolerated in this class. Any and all forms of plagiarism WILL be reported.

Unformatted Attachment Preview

The Tale of Genji Unit 2: The Middle Ages EngL 201: World Lit 1 17th century screen panel painting depicting scenes from The Tale of Genji. The Tale of Genji - Timeline • c. 973-1031 – Lifetime of Murasaki Shikibu • c. 1000 – 1012 – Writing of Tale of Genji (contemporaneous with which other text from this unit?) • 794-1185 – Heian period in Japan Heian-era Japan • Etiquette very important • Rules dictating most aspects of life • Poetry and painting (and aesthetics in general—think about Genji!) very important • Highly refined court society Murasaki Shikibu • Born about 973 into the middle-level aristocracy that supplied provincial governors. • She belonged to the vast and, in some other branches, supremely powerful Fujiwara family, but her given name went unrecorded • Murasaki Shikibu is a nickname: – “Shikibu” refers to a post once held by her father (Bureau of Ceremonial) – “Murasaki” is the name of her tale’s fictional heroine Form of Genji - Novel • The Tale of Genji is considered “The world’s first psychological novel.” What might this mean? How is this novel “psycholgical”? • Not necessarily the first novel ever, but probably the oldest novel still widely recognized today as a masterpiece. • Though not a novel as we’re used to it. The heroine (Murasaki) dies 2/3 of the way through, the hero (Genji) dies shortly after, and the final chapter doesn’t tie up loose ends. • In English translations, usually well over 1000 pages, with over 400 characters A few notes on characters • ”The crown prince” = Suzaku, Genji’s older half-brother • The Kokiden Consort = Suzaku’s mother, of higher standing than Genji’s mother Place of Genji in Japanese culture • This work ranks in Japanese culture as the Homeric epics or the works of Shakespeare do elsewhere. • Within a few decades of its completion it was deemed a classic. • The tale’s popularity made motifs from it perennially prominent in Japanese painting • The story has been turned into movies, plays, dance, modern novels, Kabuki, comic books, musical theater, and opera. (News article on St. Louis-based opera adaptation: http://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlo uis/the-tale-ofgenji/Content?oid=2474122) unsigned, 18th century Tale of Genji (Genji Monogatari) Six-panel screen (above) and detail (right) Kano, Masamitsu, Six-fold screen with scenes from Tale of Genji, mid 18th century A woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige from the series 'Tale of Genji in Fifty-four Chapters’, 1852 Explanation of the Emperor’s Relationships • A major ambition of many ranking gentlemen in the world of The Tale of Genji was to present a daughter to the Emperor or the Heir Apparent. • For this reason the Emperor normally had a range of recognized relationships with women, because he was required to make his prestige relatively widely accessible to the members of the upper aristocracy. • Below his single Empress he had several Consorts (example: the Kokiden Consort) and, lower still, a certain number of Intimates (in our text called “Ladies,” such as Genji’s mother, the lady of the Kiritsubo). These imperial women were not equal. Roles for Women • Wife (marriages arranged—men could have multiple wives) (Tale of the Warden’s wife) • Consort (an official concubine—another way women could improve the social position of their family) (Kokiden consort) • Lady (Lady of the Kiritsubo) • In what ways does this hierarchy affect the plot of Genji? Role of Women in this Story • Famous conversation between Genji, his brother in law, the Warden, and the Junior Secretary on a typology of women: 1172-1175 Role of Women in this Story • Discussion of “types” of women is really a discussion of social class, rank, and relation to power—why might that be? Roles for Women • Not unusual for both men and women to take lovers during this period • Though women secluded in their homes, they had greater control over who they did or didn’t see • Also, for aristocratic women, ample time to write (many of the great works of literature from this time were written by women) Sexism/Feminism • As a modern audience, we may find the culture depicted in Genji as inherently sexist. • The fictional Wife of Bath and the real Christine de Pizan are also telling stories about sexist cultures, but it’s more apparent how they seek to comment on, in some way, sexist attitudes in their own time • Knowing that the author of Genji is female, what are some ways in which this text might be commenting on the sexist social structures of her time? Sexism/Feminism • Detailed views of the inner lives of women • Romantic ideal in Genji • Depiction or representation ≠ approval In today's political environment, disruptions are occurring more frequently. An unsuspecting employer can quickly find itself on the wrong side of a hot-button issue and in the middle of a workplace disruption. Disruptions often become news events and are a favorite tool of labor unions and other protest groups. First, it's important to understand the repercussions of a workplace disruption. For one thing, it can lead to legal problems. It also often leads to lost work time and revenue. And if you respond poorly, it can cost you the trust of your team and harm employee morale and engagement. Here is a six-step model to help companies respond effectively to a workplace disruption: 1. Prepare. Make sure your managers know your corporate guidelines and protocol for responding to a disruption. Also, make sure your managers know and have marked your property lines and have secured schedules, lists and other sensitive documents. 2. Do no harm. A workplace disruption can be emotional. Protestors often count on this as a way to get more publicity for their cause. During a disruption, protestors may try to provoke a company leader. Leaders must learn to remain calm and resist the urge to debate or fight back during a workplace disruption. 3. Secure. The leader's job is to make sure that all employees, customers and the protestors themselves remain safe, while at the same time protecting company property. This means the leader must be prepared to limit access to secure areas of the building. The leader should also know when and how to engage law enforcement. 4. Restore. Once the protestors leave and the building is secure, it is important to restore things as best you can to a normal state. Employees and customers will often be rattled. Talk with them and let them know what you're doing to get things back to business as usual. Again, remain calm and in control. 5. Report. Once things are back to normal, document everything that happened in detail. Get copies of any literature that the protestors distributed. 6. Engage. The most important step in the process—and the one most often overlooked—is to engage with employees and customers after the disruption. Reassure them and continue to remain calm and in control. Let them know how important they are to the organization. Workplace disruptions are never fun. They are designed to be as stressful and emotional as possible. That's why it is important that managers get an opportunity to practice these steps in a simulated experience. Textual Analysis— In this paper you have free range in how you interpret the texts you choose to write about and the topic you choose, but the structure I want you to use and steps I want you to take to construct the paper are fairly uniform—see this as a guideline to help you. Step 1: Choose TWO of the following texts from Unit 2 to write about: Beowulf Murasaki Shikibu’s Tale of Genji Christine de Pizan’s The Book of the City of Ladies Step 2: Choose ONE of the following topics to guide your reading of the texts you chose in step 1: Feminism Individuality/Autonomy Heroism or Storytelling (Keep in mind that these topics can be interpreted in any number of ways—I’m looking for you to explain your own particular focus on the topic in relation to the two texts you choose.) Step 3: Title your paper—You will title your paper simply using the two texts and the topic you chose. For example: Autonomy in Beowulf and Murasaki Shikibu’s Tale of Genji (Note how the title is centered with no bolding or italics, except for the titles of the texts.) Step 4: Writing the paper itself. As you read, take careful notes on the texts to help you interpret them and find appropriate quotations to support your claims. See the next page for how to structure your paper. (Note: You can stray from this structure in your analysis, but know that you must have a good reason for doing so, and you may lose points if I find the structure isn’t effective. If you want to give your paper a different structure I highly recommend you email me about it ahead of time for my approval and support.) The structure of the paper should be the following: Introduction (1 paragraph/half a page): Explain how your topic is reflected in the two texts you chose, and how this topic can help us understand the texts in relation to each other (compare and/or contrast). (In other words, here you’re introducing the content of the paper by explaining why you chose this topic and these two texts—but remember to keep your language formal, as this is a formal paper!) Reading of Text 1 (2 paragraphs, about 1 page total or more): In one short paragraph you should briefly summarize the first text you intend to analyze. In a second, longer paragraph you should analyze this text in terms of the topic—this is a much longer, more in-depth explanation of what you introduced in the introduction. Use at least one (no more than two) quote to serve as evidence of what you’re seeing in the text. Make sure all quotes have a citation (page number at the end of the sentence) and are fully explained. Reading of Text 2 (2 paragraphs, about 1 page total or more): Same as you did with Text 1. Conclusion (1 paragraph/half a page): Recap, in detail, the comparison you’re making between these texts and then, the most important part, tell your reader what this comparison does for us. Does it help us understand something better? Does it help us understand something curious in one of the texts better? This is called answering the “So what?” question. When this is all done, your paper should be at least 2.5 pages. The best papers are usually at least 3 pages. Very thoroughly explained papers might reach to the bottom of the fourth page. Please don’t make your paper longer than 4 pages. A quick note on plagiarism: ANY words you write that are not your own, even if it’s a small phrase you found on the internet, MUST be put into quotation marks and cited. Outside research is not a component of this assignment, so I don’t want you to use outside sources, but in the past people have found it useful to turn to the internet to define the topic they’re using—this definition, unless you put it into your own words, MUST be put into quotation marks and cited. If you put the definition into your own words, you STILL MUST cite the source where you got it with a parenthetical at the end of the sentence (Miriam Webster). Plagiarism, no matter how minor, will NOT be tolerated in this class. Any and all forms of plagiarism WILL be reported. About Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji The Tale of Genji (Genji-monogatari) is a classic of Japanese literature. Our textbook introduction to the middle ages doesn't really mention Japan (at least not in the selection I've assigned), so here are a few important notes on the context of this story. -Written in the early 11th century--a thousand years ago!! -Japanese writers at the time produced literature in two literary languages--one vernacular and the other Chinese-style. These differed in themes, rhetoric, and the gender of their authors. Some of the greatest works of Japanese literature were written by women in the vernacular language. -Japanese culture was hugely influenced by Chinese culture, though Japan was never directly colonized by China as parts of Korea and Vietnam were, so Japanese writers were able to build on Chinese examples while asserting their own originality. -Murasaki Shikibu was writing in the Heian Period (794-1185), named after the new (in 794) capital city of Heian-kyō (modern-day Kyoto). -The four centuries of the Heian Period, when Kyoto was the sole political and cultural center of Japan, became in retrospect a cultural golden age. -Heian literature was mostly produced by and for the capital elite. -Works such as The Tale of Genji, while focused on a male hero, provides a remarkable close-up of the everyday lives, pleasures, and anxieties of Heian aristocratic women. Included in the supplementary materials here is a character list from the chapters we're reading. This is taken from the textbook, but I provide it for you here so you can print it out and keep it next to you while you read (and refer to it if you need to for the quiz!) About Beowulf Beowulf is a classic and a must read for every student. Please do not watch the animated film and think you are watching the story that is found in this text. Hollywood has taken artistic license and deviated away from the original text to make the story sell to the general public. That being said, if you do watch the movie, you also need to read the book. The movie actually has a good feel for some of the items found in the text. But, you have to read the book! Please review the geneology chart found in the introductory material in Norton. This comes in handy when trying to figure out all the names and civilizations. Beowulf feels as if it is two stories: one story when he is aiding Hrothgar and another when he has returned home and is king himself. Don't let this fool you. There is a continuity of theme throughout the entire text. As you read, consider how the ideas tie the text into a complete package. Beowulf retold in Legos! This is a very simplified version of Beowulf, but if you've never been introduced to this text before, I suggest you watch it to get an idea about the three major battles that shape the plot before reading the text. (One problem with this short clip is found in from frame 8:03 to 8:15. This clip says that Beowulf ruled the Danes; he did not. He later ruled the Geats.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4B9OSgb8E0 (链接到外部网站。)链接到外 部网站。 Here is a map of Beowulf's world. The point on the map in the circle marked "Heorot" is "Herot" with a different spelling--the great hall that Hrothgar built and that Grendel plagued until Beowulf saved the day. beowulf.jpg Below you'll find the youtube video lectures made by my colleague, Professor Pyra Intihar. THIS IS NOT ME, but is rather another professor here at Lindenwood who took the time and care to make these lectures. This is to help those of you who learn better through lectures, but should be seen as supplement to, not replacement for, the rest of the content in this module. Christianity in Beowulf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obh0vrP1u8w (链接到外部网站。)链接到外 部网站。 Beowulf Boast and Vow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmr93uPhh2c (链接到外部网站。)链接到外 部网站。 The Heroic Ideal in Beowulf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKBVki1pCcM (链接到外部网站。)链接到外 部网站。 Comitatus in Beowulf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaUS1Os6rDU (链接到外部网站。)链接到外 部网站。
Purchase answer to see full attachment
User generated content is uploaded by users for the purposes of learning and should be used following Studypool's honor code & terms of service.

Explanation & Answer

Hi, please see the attached paper. Have ...


Anonymous
Just what I needed. Studypool is a lifesaver!

Studypool
4.7
Trustpilot
4.5
Sitejabber
4.4

Related Tags