Thesis Analysis

1. Thesis A is weak because it simply states what the paper is on and it does not provide a point to argue on.
2. Thesis A is weak because it states a well known fact and it does not provide anything to build a legit argument on.
3. Thesis B is weak because it is too generalized. It has a point to be argued but it is so broad that it would be difficult to build the argument.
4. Thesis A is weak because it is a simple statement that is nothing more than a summary.
5. Thesis A is weak because it is too lengthy and it brings in personal bias that can distort the reader’s perception of the argument.
O’Brien Thesis:
Although O’Brien’s story “On the Rainy River” can be seen as a direct reflection of the typical emotional turmoil the draftees went through during the Vietnam War, it is also a reflection of the basic need of wanting to be understood by others.
This thesis statement is strong for various reasons. First of all, it brings up two ideas; One that O’Brien’s story is a reflection of his times, and the other that it is a reflection of a basic human need of wanting to be understood. This creates a point on which to build an argument that shows the first one but proves the second one. Secondly this thesis is very specific. It mentions the author, the story, and the timeline along with clearly stating the argument. Lastly, it can be easily supported from the text. Often in the story, O’Brien speaks of his fear that his family will think badly of him. He is constantly worried about what others in society would think. He also speaks of how he appreciated the way the old man did not ask why he had come to his place, how long he would stay, etc. He was also happy at the little gestures of kindness that the old man showed towards him. The old man was accepting him and did not strive to find reasons but simply let it be. This is the evidence that supports the above thesis.

Article citation and credibility

Keogh, J.. "NO BREAK FROM THE ACTION. " Worcester Magazine  25 Feb. 2010: Alt-Press Watch (APW), ProQuest. Web.  25 Oct. 2010.

                This article is a short interview with a Marine who went to Vietnam and he speaks of one of the experiences he had and also about how it was like to come home and people’s reactions to the fact that he was a Vietnam War veteran. I think it will be helpful because helps to show that what O’Brien wrote about is not uncommon.

 Article Credibility Evaluation:

Michelle Ye Hee Lee.  "Help for soldiers, kin coping with effects of service. " Arizona Republic  20  Jul 2010,Arizona Republic, ProQuest. Web.  25 Oct. 2010.

1. “Michelle Ye Hee Lee is a state government reporter at The Arizona Republic, covering elections through December 2010. She graduated from Emory University in May 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in English and International Studies. She has interned at the Chicago Tribune, Creative Loafing in Atlanta and the Pacific Daily News in Guam.” (Michelle). The newspaper she wrote this article for is the Arizona Republic and coincidentally the article is about how an organization called Arizona Coalition for Military Families (ACMF) is doing their best to help soldiers and their families adjust to the stress of being deployed.
2. The article was published July 20, 2010. It is fairly recent and I was only looking for an article that was written about deployed soldiers who were in the Iraq war and this article directly addresses that.
3. The author is making a claim that the ACMF is doing a good thing in helping the military families and it is bringing it to light because the author feels there is a need for the community to pitch in and help support the returning soldiers. The argument flows logically and it uses emotional appeal by telling stories about the stressful situations that soldiers living in Arizona have gone through. The author cites about five sources at the bottom of the article one of which is the V.A, which would have credible information about the mental and physical state of soldiers returning from deployment.
4. The only slightly suspicious thing about this article is that it is talking about an Arizona organization and the paper is based in Arizona and is a big news source for the state. It could be that the paper had printed the article in an attempt to get more subscribers and that the organizations mentioned in the article would also get more monetary support.
Michelle Ye Hee Lee. Bio. http://myhlee5.wordpress.com/about/. 10/24/2010

Mid Semester Check In

Instructor Cline,

            This semester in English has been an interesting and somewhat challenging one for me. Literary analysis is not new to me, but I have wrestled with the assignments because I am not used to having to connect in a personal way to literature that speaks basely about the emotions that most people strive hard to conceal and ignore. It is hard to write about a piece of literature like that and not be challenged personally by what it has to say, whether the feeling invokes something good or bad in you. It requires you to look at yourself and often times it invokes questions of yourself such as “why did I react that way?” or “why do I feel so drawn to this character’s plight?”

            In light of this, I will strive to improve my writing in a way that addresses the issues brought up within the literature in a more personal light rather than analyze it in a purely detached and apathetic light. I have learned also that though it is difficult to express the emotional response that one experiences without using “I” the paper flows better and seems more professional if you avoid the use of “I” or “you” and simply explain the emotional response as one outcome that could result from the reading of the particular piece of literature. This way you do not alienate the reader and you also don’t directly bring to the reader’s attention that this experience is a reaction of the author, who may look at it in a certain way due to his/her own personal biases.

            Therefore, I hope that my papers will steadily improve in these areas and be worthy on an A. I like to think that I am capable of writing good papers and so I will definitely work hard to keep that. I hope that you have enjoyed my papers as well and that the change in my papers will be apparent to you as well.

Sincerely,

Julie Holmes