Analysis Assignment; Eng 180-21; Fall 2013: Topic: For this assignment you will be doing a visual analysis

of a picture of your choosing; however, while you do not need to be IN the picture it should have a direct relationship to you in some way. Not all photos will work equally well for our purposes. If it does not, you will find this assignment to be extraordinarily difficult, and your chances of success will diminish remarkably, Im afraid. So, choose wisely. If it helps you may choose to pick two related photos and use whatever relationship you find to help construct your analysis (for example: if you chose a school picture from second grade and another more recent school photo you might analyze how much youve developed as a person and student as well as the obvious physical differences). Once youve chosen your picture, your task will be to make a claim about what that picture says about you. The first step will be to observe the picture closely, picking out as many distinct details as possible and begin the task of tying those details to what you want to say about yourself. Remember, you do not need to know what, exactly, you want to say about yourself in relationship to the picture before you begin to write. Much of what you say might be part of the learning and discovery process the writing process promotes. You may find it useful to ask questions. If it helps, try starting with one or more of these: 1. What does this picture say about who I was when it was taken (if its a photo of you, or one taken when you were present), and has that changed when I think of who I am today? If so, how? 2. Does this photo express how I feel with regard to particular cultural categories (i.e. race, class, gender, sexuality, age, family, freedom, government or politics)? 3. What does this photo, andparticularlywhat I want to say about it, imply about the way I view the world? 4. How is the photo related to my weltanschauung (look it up)? 5. How does the photo express my relationship with myself and/or others? 6. How does this photo make me feel? How can I make my audience experience the level of empathy I need them to understand the significance the photo has for me? This list of questions in by no means exhaustive, it is designed to help you get the brainstorming and writing process going. This might help you to develop your main inquiry question, which will in turn help you to develop a thesis (which till answer your inquiry question). This paper WILL have a clear thesis statement in the introductory paragraph; however, please do not feel pressured to develop your thesis early in the development of the paper. It could come very late, depending on how you construct and deconstruct your own ideas. Since your evidence will come from what you discover about yourself in relation to the photo as you analyze it, it is realistic that you will realize your main argument (what you, in narrow terms, really want your audience to get out of your paper) after youve generated much of the argument itself. Remember, this is an ANALYSIS paper, not a simple observation or basic reading of a

text (the photo is your text). Telling us what the photo displays on the surface will do nothing for the reader he/she cannot do on their own. Yes, you will need to provide plenty of context and will need to describe particular details of the photo when you want your audiences attention to be directed to that/those detail(s) but do not get stuck constructing a summary. Look at what the photo reveals despite itself, perhaps. Finally, you DO need to turn in a copy of the photo with your paper. If you do not have a digital copy, make a hard copy and turn it in to me. Please make sure your name is somewhere on the back of the photo. Length: No fewer than 1,000 words; no more than 1,200 words Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate to your instructor that you have closely read, or watched, and evaluated a pre-approved (by your instructor) media source. You will demonstrate the success of your efforts by reporting, objectively and concisely the point of view and overall content of your chosen text (thesis and key points). Requirements: 1. Present and develop a thesis statement. 2. Do the work of real argument do not simply describe the picture! Do describe parts of the picture when necessary but be sure to explain why they are important to your argument. 3. Though it may sound redundant, provide evidence and examples that support your thesis statement. 4. Employ an effective and logical organizational structure with smooth transitions from one paragraph/argument to the next (though each paragraph will not make up a whole argument and, likewise, an argument may easily consume multiple paragraphs), rhetorical argument and solid introduction and conclusion. 5. Present yourself (the author) as intelligent, reasonable and empathetic. This will aid your rhetorical argument. 6. Produce an informative title that relates to the topic of your paper and, perhaps, your thesis as well. 7. Provide a works cited page using either MLA or Chicago if using quotations. I highly recommend you do. I WILL NOT count errors in citations or on the works cited against your final paper grade, as I amat this stage of the coursesimply encouraging you do so for practice!

The Fine Print: Format: Please include your name, the class and section number (ENG180-21), date, instructors name at the top of the first page. Be sure to include page numbers with your last name in the top right corner of each page. Please use Times New Roman, 12-point font only. Double space your summary and remove extra space between paragraphs. Due: This paper will be due by 11:59 PM Wednesday, September 25th on WO. *Note: You will need to have some form of a rough draft typed and printed for conferences. Remember: Have fun! We are here to learn and get better.