Interpretation of Drama
For this paper, you’re going to write about Angels in America, by Tony Kushner, a wonderful example of classical ideas applied to contemporary settings.
The play makes an argument for the dignity and humanity of people who were not granted dignity and humanity in their own times.
In 2020,it is easy to say that we have moved beyond the prejudice and oppression the LGBTQ communities experienced in the past becausewe have made tremendous progress since the times in which the play is set. Yet, we are by no means living in a world of equality.There is still much work to be done regardingmany different communities. There is always an “other,” a group or groups of people that are feared or hated.
As the syllabus states, “discussions about the ethics and realities of other times and cultures help us to understand and address the ethics and realities of our own time and culture.”
Coincidentally, that’s also the topic of this paper. Use Angels in America to make an argument about how what we learn from studying a different time can help us with our own time.
To do this, select two characters from the play to work with. You want to work with the characters together to support your argument.
Note: The danger to avoid is writing a parallel structure - first one character, then the second character.The way you prevent that is with a thesis that needs both characters to develop it.
Using two characters from Angels in America, analyze how “the realities of other times … help us understand … the realities of our own time and culture.”
As we’ve discussed, analysis points to a theme – the big idea behind the scenes.
Just as in the previous paper, this is an explication, a common form of literary analysis. The definition of explicate is:
1. To give a detailed explanation of
2. To develop the implications of : analyze logically
(“explicate”).
This is what you have practiced doing in your Reader Responses. The etymology of explicate, by the way, is Latin; it means to unfold – a perfect definition for a literary exercise.
You do this by selecting specific moments in the texts. Use them to develop and support your argument, your thesis, the main point of the paper that you wish to convince the reader of – the “why does it matter” heart of the matter.
Remember, analysis uses tools. In this class, we’re calling those tools elements. This paper will be much easier to write if you use an element and the vocabulary in the Glossary of the text.The assignment in the previous paper was also to use an element. I didn’t see that in the papers, so make it very clear which element you are using. It also truly makes writing the paper easier.
Please note: this is NOT a research paper; there is no need for outside sources other than the texts we are using in class.
Artists ask questions. Kushner asked many questions – about prejudice, ignorance, loyalty, politics, religion, ambition and betrayal, friendship and marriage. The playwright located his writings within specific communities, yet we continue to read artists because they wrote about universal issues humans still struggle with.
Writing a paper is an opportunity to help you learn what you think about a subject. The goal of this paper is to help you understand how art transcends time and why that matters.
Grade Weight:
Paper Two 15%
Peer Review 10%
Requirements:
04/01/20Rough draft due by 5 p.m. Drafts are 4 pages.
o No late rough drafts are accepted.
04/05/20 Two Peer Reviews due. Peer reviews are assigned to you by Canvas after 5 p.m. on 04/01/20. You are only assigned files to peer review if you submit a rough draft.
04/07/20Final revision due by 5 p.m. Revisions are 5-6 pages.
o Submit revision to Canvas
o Files that can’t be opened won’t receive credit
o Revisions may be handed in up to 48 hours late for 50% credit
Drafts and Revisions follow MLA style:
o Double spaced, 1” margins, Header & Heading
o Standard, serif, size 12 font; Take off after-spacing
o Hardcopies stapled, proofread for error.
Do not email papers to me.
Quotes do not count towards page length.
Please be sure to see me or make an appointment with the Writing Center if you need assistance writing the paper.
Work Cited
"explicate." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 07Sept. 2018.
