Comparing Texts Transcript

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The narrator seems to dislike or maybe is irritated by her grandmother’s religious devotion. As you keep reading the story, pay attention to the difference between the narrator and the grandmother, as you look for clues about what this passage is saying about American identity.

Section 12

00:00:03TEACHER: So the topic you’re writing about is American identity. And your writing prompt asks you to discuss the theme about American identity that’s common to both the poem and the short story. Both narrators in each text explore perceptions of what it means to be American. Let’s take a look at Dwight Okita.

00:00:25Okita’s poem showed us that American identity has more to do with how you experience culture than where your family came from. I could tell this from details in the text such as the speaker describing herself as a typical teen girl, seeing that she dislikes chopsticks, something that we associate with Japanese culture, and telling us that she loves the typical American meal of hot dogs.

00:00:53In Cisneros’s story, she seems to tell us that the narrator’s American identity contrasts with her awful grandmother’s strong Mexican roots. But the Americans judge the narrator based on her looks. That awful granny of hers prays for her American children and grandchildren in a barbaric country, which seems to contrast Michele, Keeks, and Junior’s love of American culture, as we can see, based on their heroes and

00:01:24villains game, which takes its references from popular American culture. Interestingly enough, the American outsiders see Michele, Keeks, and Junior as typical Americans, based on how they look. These children, however, identify a lot more with American culture that Mexican culture. Okita’s narrator thinks of herself as American, not so

00:01:54much Japanese as her friend and the United States government do. Her identity is based on what she likes and her experiences, not so much her heritage. Cisneros’s narrator sees herself as very clearly different from her Mexican grandmother. But others judge her as Mexican based on how she looks.

00:02:19So based on the way that these two texts address American identity, I can determine a possible common theme. Cultural heritage and physical appearance do not determine what it means to be American. Now this is the theme I came up with. But you should work to determine your own theme, based on the details that you gathered from the poem and the short story.

00:02:49Now comes time for that literary analysis thesis statement. The thesis statement is a combination of your writing topic and how you view. Because you’re writing about the topic of American identity, it can be a little confusing. In this case, the topic for your thesis statement is two pieces of literature.

00:03:13Your viewpoint is the common theme that you’ve determined. Your thesis statement establishes the focus, kind of like how binoculars help you focus in on something you’re viewing. It orients and engages your audience to help the readers know what you’re writing about, the same way that a compass would help orient you in an unfamiliar place. Finally, it sets the tone for your writing.

00:03:43Remember the theme that we came up with? Cultural heritage and physical appearance do not determine what it means to be American. If I were to turn this into a thesis statement, I might write, both Okita’s poem and Cisneros’s short story show that cultural heritage and physical appearance do not determine what it means to be American. So I’ve got my two pieces of text in there.

00:04:10And I’ve got what they both say about American identity. The topic is the two works of literature. And the viewpoint is the thesis I determined. Decide on a common theme that you will support as you work to formulate your thesis statement.

Section 14

00:00:02TEACHER: How do you write a literary analysis comparing two works through a central topic? You’re nearly finished with the pre-writing stage of the writing process. You’ve read each text, you’ve found information to show how each of those texts approach the topic of American identity. You organized your information to arrive at a central theme

00:00:24that both works have in common, and you’ve formulated your thesis statement. You’re nearly ready to write. Next you’ll outline and learn how to use technical vocabulary, including terms for literary devices to strengthen your analysis.

Section 15

00:00:03TEACHER: So let’s take a look at how to organize our compare and contrast essay. Remember, a compare and contrast essay tells how two works are alike and how they’re different. A subject-by-subject comparison will work perfectly for today’s assignment. The format consists of a few parts. For a complete essay, we first need to start with the

00:00:27introduction. It tells our reader what they’ll be reading about. And it includes our thesis statement. Next, we’ll move into three body paragraphs. The first body paragraph will discuss the first piece of literature and how it supports your thesis. The second body paragraph will discuss your second piece of literature and how it supports your thesis.

00:00:54These paragraphs set the stage for paragraph three. In paragraph three, you’ll compare and contrast the two pieces of literature. How do they develop your common theme in the same way? What do they have that’s a bit oppositional? A compare and contrast essay should end with your conclusion, which sums up your main points and how they connect to your thesis.

00:01:22The main thing to remember about organizing your essay is that you want your reader to follow your logic. To build body paragraphs, you follow the following series of steps. First, identify the details that develop your themes. Explain how the theme is developed through each detail. And explain the effect of the theme on the overall work. You should relate this back to your thesis statement.

00:01:53Here’s an example of a detail that develops the theme of American identity in Sandra Cisneros’s story. Remember our thesis statement. Both Okita’s poem and Cisneros’s short story show that cultural heritage and physical appearance do not determine what it means to be American. Let’s read the example. In "Mericans," the grandmother prays for family members.

00:02:21The narrator imagines that the grandmother is worried because many of her children and grandchildren live in "that barbaric country with its barbaric ways." This refers to the grandmother’s dislike of the United States, which contrasts with the narrator’s view. Despite her Mexican heritage, the narrator feels a stronger connection to the