understand and explain possible biases or other influences

understand and explain possible biases or other influences     Aim for 2-3 paragraphs. III. The Theme of the Book Try not to think of theme as you learned in English classes. Here theme is related to the topic or focus of the book. What is the book about? Who? What? When? Where? In a single sentence or 2, identify the theme of the book. Be fully complete. For example, let's say you are reading a biography of President Kennedy and his foreign policy. You might write: In Joe Smith's Kennedy: The Cold War Years, the author examines President John Kennedy's foreign policy actions from 1961 to 1963 with special emphasis on the Cuban Missle Crisis, the Berlin Wall and the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Note that there is no assessment in this statement. It does not reflect whether or not Kennedy was a good president or if mistakes were made, etc. Just identify the theme of the book. Save the rest for the next section. IV. The Thesis of the Book/Paper Also try not to think of a thesis as you learned in English class. Think of a thesis more like a hypothesis like science class. You have a theory or idea based on evidence that you believe to be true. Make sense? For this section, there are two parts: First, you will identify the author's thesis (not YOURS!) about the theme he/she is writing about. Unlike the theme, the thesis will have a conclusion or judgment about the material. Compare this thesis sentence to the sample theme sentence above: According to the author, when handling foreign policy crises, President Kennedy was a strong public leader, but more lucky than skilled at handling the Soviet Union. Okay so can you see the difference? In the theme there is no judgment, no conclusion. In the thesis sentence, we now know what conclusion the author came to about Kennedy. IN the second part of this section, you will put together 3-4 paragraphs of supporting evidence that the author uses to support his/her thesis. You will want to use quotes or paraphrase ideas and evidence from the book, so be sure you can cite page numbers. Keep track as you read and prepare. In this section, you do not have to agree or prove the thesis of the author to be true. You are only identifying the author's work. V. Objective Critique In this section, it is your chance to evaluate the book and the author's thesis, but from an objective point of view. Try to think of yourself as a scholar evaluating the work. Avoid any emotional approach. Use a critical eye. Aim for 3-4 paragraphs. Here are some ways in which you might approach this section: Consider the organization and writing of the book? Is it easy to follow? Who is the audience? How sound is the thesis? Is the evidence thorough? What is missing? How might the author's bias influence the thesis? What lessons can be taken away from this book, if any? and so forth. VI. Subjective Critique In this section, you get to critique the book but from a purely personal point of view. Subjective is about how you feel. It is not something you need evidence to support. Be honest, but also explain your thoughts fully. It is not enough to say, "I loved it!" or "I hated it!" Tell me why. Aim for 1-2 paragraph. VII Bibliography In this section, you will cite all sources you used to work on this assignment. Some possible sources include the material you uncovered about the author or readings about the topic of the book that helped you understand more about what the author is writing about.