4 dates, 2 of which are dates on which you need to deliver something and
2 are dates by which you need to meet with me to discuss it
Easiest way to set up meetings with me is via Google calendar, but other
ways (e.g., email, just talking to me) also work
Summaries and Quotations
They Say, I Say chapters 2 and 3
Summarize chapter 2 (the chapter on summaries)
Hard to do when your goal is just “summarize” — good
summary really requires that you have some purpose for doing the summary
So suppose you’re writing an “INTD 105 Writing Guide” and
want to include a discussion of pitfalls to avoid when summarizing
Summarize Graff and Birkenstein’s position on what to avoid
A possible summary, based on ideas from students and organization by Prof. Baldwin:
They Say, I Say, the writing text used by many INTD 105 instructors,
emphasizes that summaries connect another author’s views to yours.
Imbalance between those views is thus the root cause of many weak summaries:
a summary must give an accurate account of who the other author is, why they
matter, and what their view is, while also drawing attention to those parts
of that author’s argument that matter for yours. A largely separate
element of summary that nonetheless merits its own subsection in They Say, I
Say is verb selection: avoid generic verbs such as “say” to
describe someone’s statements, and instead favor verbs that more precisely
capture the author’s tone, such as “demand,”
“complain,” at cetera.
In groups, write a paragraph whose first sentence begins “Poe’s
Jupiter is …” and continues with some statement that describes
Jupiter. Flesh out the paragraph with a suitably framed quotation from
“The Gold Bug” that illustrates your point.
Paragraphs:
Poe’s Jupiter is naive due to the fact that he is a free man yet willingly
stays with his former slave owner, Legrand. There are examples of abuse towards
Jupiter throughout the story with Legrand mistreating Jupiter as if he were still
a slave. Poe writes, “If you are afraid, Jup, a great big negro like you, to
take hold of a harmless little dead beetle, why you can carry it up by this
string—but, if you do not take it up with you in some way, I shall be under
the necessity of breaking your head with this shovel,” while Jupiter responds
“always want for to raise fuss wid old nigger.” This shows how Jupiter does
not fight back and accepts what he may view as his ‘role’
Poe’s Jupiter is loyal to Legrand despite him being a free slave. His obedience
is fairly evident; it is especially evident during any dialogue between Legrand and
himself. When Legrand says “Well now, Jupiter, do exactly as I tell you—do
you hear?,” it is easy to see that Jupiter is still in a way his ‘slave’
or servant.
Poe’s Jupiter is portrayed as uneducated. This is shown when Jupiter interrupts
Legrand, “Dey aint no tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a tellin on you.” Prior
to Jupiter’s interruption, Legrand was explaining about the Gold Bug’s
antennae, to which Jupiter misunderstood for actual tin.
Poe’s Jupiter is a portrayed as unintelligent. In Poe’s story, “The
Gold Bug,” Jupiter says, “Dey aint no tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a tellin
on you.” Poe includes this dialogue after Lagrand is describing the antennae
of the bug. Jupiter mishears the word “antennae” as “tin.” This
language-based misunderstanding is representative of how Poe characterizes Jupiter
as uneducated.
Poe’s Jupiter is obedient. In the short story “The Gold Bug” this
is shown by several interactions between his master, Legrand, and himself. One
example of this is when he is climbing up the tree onto a dead branch and he
introduces the idea of dropping the goldbug to carry less weight onto it, “You
infernal scoundrel!” cried Legrand, apparently much relieved, “what do
you mean by telling me such nonsense as that? As sure as you drop that beetle I’ll
break your neck. Look here, Jupiter, do you hear me?” “Yes, massa,
needn’t hollo at poor nigger dat style.” Legrand immediately scolds and
threatens him for his idea and Jupiter shows his obedience. This exemplifies
Poe’s idea of Jupiter’s obedience even if it puts him in harm’s way.
Comments:
Quotations are ideally short phrases in which the author you quote finds
uniquely good words to convey an idea. Anything longer or less uniquely that
author’s can be paraphrased or summarized.
Try to lead into a quotation with a sentence (or sentences) that point out to
the reader exactly what aspects of the quotation you want them to notice.
Follow a quotation with a sentence (or sentences) that explain how that quotation
advances your argument.