Essay #1 asks you to write about your own "roots" or "voice" as it connects to your life and dreams. Obama's book, Dreams from My Father, demonstrates very clearly how you must have a "purpose" for your writing or a theme that you explore. In this book he connect the "events" or incidents of his life with the other "texts"--stories from family, or books (Obama 102-103), or other encounters with incidents or information in his life. Your first essay assignment also asks you to dig into your roots or some time when your "voice" was used or not heard in your life. One example in Obama's book is when he reacts with fear about the time in Indonesia when he learned that black people in America were whitening their skin: "As in a dream, I had no voice for my new found fear" (30).
Read another example of an essay using the concept of voice by author Zadie Smith. She wrote about her own voice and Obama's voice in the New York Review of Books.
it looks like the class schedule has been revised a little...in the calendar document it says seminar #1 for Obama's book will be this Wednesday, but here on this post it looks like it's not until next week. Or I could be totally missing something?
ReplyDeleteSam,
ReplyDeleteThis is because we are "Leaving" class early. YOu can and will have a chance to have a seminar with your group after we leave--in the library--if you choose. No seminar paper is due this week because of work on the essay #1.
Carol Hamilton
sounds like a plan
ReplyDelete