ACADEMIC ARGUMENT TYPES
Just Like “They Say, I Say”- These Too Often
Fall into Templates
DEFINITIONAL APPLICATION
•
Offers a known or unique definition for a term and then applies this definition to key
scenes, themes, and characters
• Postmodernism
• White Noise
• Family
•
Keys
• Great care is spent sketching out definition and supporting it
• Meta-Commentary is used to keep reminding reader of how scenes relate to
definition and what the relevance is.
•
Weekes’ article is essentially this pattern with her economic definition of “white noise” and
Martin’s does this with “techno-sensibility”
CORRECTING MIS-READINGS
•
Notes a popular mis-reading, or highlights an untapped aspect of popular readings and
fills in gaps, offers nuance, and explains the benefit of a new perspective.
•
Keys
• Explores the mis-readings in great detail
• Clearly explains why these mis-readings are a problem or lacking
• Clearly illustrates why the new perspective is important
•
Bonca’s article is essentially this pattern with his claim that most readings of the novel
suggest it is not as postmodern as it may seem.
HISTORICALLY BASED THEORY PROGRESSION
•
Locates the novel in a history of criticism or theory and shows how the novel challenges
what has been said before (or shows how the novel is unique enough that the theory can
not contain it.
•
Keys:
• Deep understanding of the theory involved
• Ability to not completely reject theory, rather show how novel builds upon it
• Bravery/Confidence to engage theory that has stood the test of time
•
Martins’ article is essentially this pattern. She engages Frankfurt School cultural theory
about the utopic/dystopic elements of technology and shows how the novel exists in a
grey area.
THEORIST OR THEORY APPLICATION
•
Takes a popular theorist or theory and directly applies it to the novels themes, characters,
or plot.
• Psychoanalytic Perspective on a Character
• Simulacra and Simulations
• Foucauldian Notions of Power
•
Keys
• Strong grasp on the theory involved
• Finding the balance between explaining enough of the theory to the reader without
letting it dominate your paper
• Explaining how this theory lets us see the novel in ways that we would miss
otherwise
EXTENDED CHARACTER ANALYSIS
•
Looks deeply at one character (or maybe the relationship between two characters) in an
effort to show what makes them tick and what the author is trying to tell us through their
characterization.
•
Keys:
• Having a strong thesis that answers the “so what?” Why do we need to know X about
this character? How does it effect our reading of the novel?
• Deep analysis that goes beyond simply offering examples that fit your thesis
• Treat the character like a character, not as a cipher for a trait or theory
• E.g. don’t lose Heinrich’s humanness in an effort to prove he’s the true poststructuralist representative of the novel
PATTERN RECOGNITION/SUPER DOOPER CLOSE
READING
•
•
Notes a pattern in the novel (of language usage, of stylistic matters, of plot developments, of
pacing, etc.) and performs extremely close reading to determine significance of this pattern.
•
Last semester, a student did a paper on the frequent use of the words “enter” and “insert”
in the novel
•
A look at how short sections are paired with long sections/paragraphs
•
Passages about food
Keys:
•
Finding a significant enough pattern
•
Making clear how that pattern says something about a larger point or significance of the
novel
•
Finding useful research since if the pattern has been written about before, it’s likely not
worth writing about again.