TR3.5

Close Reading, Assessment 1 Synthesis

Houjun Liu 2021-09-27 Mon 12:00

1 Close Reading, Assessment 1

1.1 General Information

Due Date Topic Important Documents
Sep 8 by 1pm You will be writing on one of the (non-definitional) texts from our packet: "The I is Never Alone," "The Bird-Dreaming Baobab," or the Elizabeth Bishop "challenge poems" at the end of the packet. The Bird Dreaming Baobab

1.2 Prompt

Choose an aspect of the short story or poem that will enable close reading: a word pattern, a significant image, a literary device, a repeated detail, etc. In your topic sentence and paragraph, answer the following question:

What does this aspect of the text reveal about the story/poem's broader themes?

  • Length: One paragraph, so 250-350 words
  • Paragraph format: MLA style, double-spaced, 12-point font
  • In this paragraph, one of your primary goals is to demonstrate your close reading skills.*Close reading means unpacking the meaning of individual words and phrases.*
  • If you write about a pattern/image/etc. that we discussed in class, you need to go above and beyond class discussion so that I can see your own thinking. 
  • Include page numbers for citations and a works cited entry for your selected story/poem at the end of the essay.

1.3 Claim Synthesis

1.3.1 Development phase – How and So-What

  • The flowers are a symbol of the spirits of (??), and, by proxy, the birdman
    • Evidence
      • He even said so
      • His leaving caused it to turn red
      • His dying/disappearing/escaping caused it to turn white
    • So what, how is this theamatically important?
  • *The Mob-Mentality exhibited by the Portuguese marks a disorder with the wild spirits — of which the Baopap flower is an indicator — and the birdman is the communicator of that spirit.”
    • Evidence
      • He even said so
      • His leaving caused it to turn red
      • His dying/disappearing/escaping caused it to turn white
      • Crushing the spirit underfeet => harm to kid
    • Ok, so what is the CENTRAL LINE OF THEME
  • /The symbol of the flower in the BRB alerts the reader of the danger of the mob-disregard for natural spirits — the flowers being an indicator of that spirit/

1.3.2 Defluff

/The symbol of the flower in the BRB alerts the reader of the danger of the mob-disregard for natural spirits — the flowers being an indicator of that spirit/

The flower is a symbol for the Natural, Wild spirit that the birdman is communicating.

  • He even said so
  • His capture brought color change => "The Spirit is in Flux"
  • Crushing the spirit underfeet brought harm to kid

Warning the readers of the dangers from mob-mentality + selfishness + FOMO + caused bypassing of validation of assumptions.

Pause! Problem: how does one concisely describe Mob-Mentality, Selfishness, and FOMO. => Advocating for own's interests.

*In the Bird-Dreaming Baobadadadbadabap, the author utilises the symbol of the Baopapba's flower as an indicator of the Wild, Natural spirit which the Birdman is a communicator of; through tracking the state of the flowers through the Portugueses' capture of the Birdman, the author warns the reader against the dangers of selfishly advocating for one's own interests.*

  • The Birdman literally said that "The Flowers is Where the Spirits Dwell"
  • During the Birdman's capture, the spirits fell and is in flux => taking on the duty of communicating the pains of the communicator (Birdman) when the communicator is silenced
  • The dying of the child only occurred after the Porchuguese stepped on the flowers