20/S1 HMRT 2023 A - Literature and human rights

You will automatically be assigned to a small group for a close-reading activity that is worth 5% of your final grade each novel session. 

Your group will need to choose one passage of the novel that relates to a human rights issue to focus on. It could be as short as one paragraph or as large as several pages. This is not a traditional close reading you would do in a literature course. Your close readings should consist of the following:

• Construct a descriptive thesis about the passage. The thesis statement should not be more than a paragraph. The thesis should explain what the topic of the passage is about and what argument regarding human rights it further illustrates for the reader.  

• Construct an argument about the passage based on your thesis.

• Be sure to analyze the passage carefully.  Make note of the narrative. You should think about this in terms of the following: 
  • Voice -- who is speaking, perspective of the voice, etc.
  • Tone -- is there irony, what emotions are being evoked, etc.
  • Literary devices used  to make point -- metaphors, imagery, etc

• Conclude with offering some possible root causes of as well as solutions to alleviate the human rights violation or concern.  

Each close reading should be between 750-850 words. Divide the work between the group members. 

I have set up a small group wiki for each group to do their work in. Wikis work just like google docs in the sense that you all can collectively edit it. You cannot, however, edit at the same time. You have the freedom to present the wiki in any way you choose. You can include videos, links, images, or it can all be written text.    

When you are finished, and someone has carefully proofed the work, one person from the small group should cut and paste the close reading into the whole class discussion forum for close readings.

You should read each groups close reading and carefully (and constructively) evaluate at least one other group's close reading.