Assignment task:
PROMPT: Either from your own reading or from the list [list omitted], choose a work of fiction [Kindred] in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a character. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze how surroundings affect this character and contribute to an interpretation of the work as a whole.
The following:
- Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible interpretation.
- Provide evidence to support your line of reasoning.
- Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning.
- Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.
Sample Thesis Statements: You may choose one of the below thesis statements OR create one of your own. If you choose to your own, you should still carefully read the below samples to improve your understanding of possible thesis statement structure. Your essay will focus on one character. Feel free to copy, revise, or ignore the sample statement related to your chosen character.
1. A cultural surrounding that promotes unequal power distribution impacts individuals psychologically, causing many of those at the top to lose empathy for those at the bottom. Through the character of Rufus in the novel Kindred, largely set in the Antebellum South, Octavia Butler illustrates how this loss of empathy can cause people to become the worst possible version of themselves.
2. A cultural surrounding that promotes unequal power distribution impacts individuals psychologically, forcing many of those at the bottom to accept what they view as unacceptable. Through the character of Alice in the novel Kindred, largely set in the Antebellum South, Octavia Butler illustrates how this acceptance can cause people to feel as though they are losing themselves.
3. A cultural surrounding that promotes unequal power distribution impacts individuals psychologically, forcing many of those at the bottom to accept what they view as unacceptable. In the novel Kindred, Octavia Butler transports a black woman, Dana, from 1970s Los Angeles to the Antebellum South, illustrating that even an independent person could become subservient under the yoke of slavery.
4. Individuals who have not experienced racism directly might lack an awareness of it happening to others; however, if they are transplanted to a culture in which the racism is severe, the psychological impact could force them to acknowledge their own privilege. In the novel Kindred, Octavia Butler transplants a white man, Kevin, from 1970s Los Angeles to the Antebellum South for five years, resulting in him gaining a better understand of racism in America.