literary analysis essay, explain how each author develops the common theme. Compare and contrast how the authors develop this theme by referencing specific literary devices and techniques in your response. Thesis: Cisneros's and Otika's stories reveal that America is made up of a blend of cultures as well as its own.Cultural identity has to do with who you, as an individual person, are. Different foods, traditions, clothing, and language can contribute to one's cultural identity. However, some may interpret cultural identity differently. Americans get their cultural identity from many cultures and add their own. Cisneros's"Mericans" and "Otika's Response to Executive Order 9066" reveal that America is made up of a blend of cultures as well as its own.Otika shows how she interprets her own cultural identity and how others identify her. She uses an anecdote to convey her theme. In February 1942, the US President signed Executive order 9066, affectingmany Japanese people in America. She was a student at the time of the executive order and, being
Explanation:
In a subject-by-subject comparative essay, each body paragraph must
present a separate viewpoint of the topic.
support the thesis statement.
rely on few supportive details.
depend on opinion rather than fact.
support the thesis statement.
Read the paragraph from a student's literary essay comparing two different works.
(1) Sandra Cisneros's "Mericans" is about a young American girl of Mexican descent who is struggling to find her own cultural identity. (2) Cisneros illustrates this through a number of images and ideas. (3) For example, the speaker, Micaela, calls her grandmother "awful," and seems to resent the woman's strict views and religious ideals. (4) The speaker also mentions how she and her brother emulate characters from popular American television programs when they play make-believe. (5) Lastly, she describes physically standing outside her family's church, an act that symbolizes the fact that she feels like an outsider to Mexican culture. (6) Although Micaela is of Mexican descent, she seems to feel a stronger connection to the United States.
This paragraph supports the idea that Micaela
wishes her heritage was different because she has difficulty relating to her grandmother.
wants to find her own unique identity that is separate from her brother and her grandmother.
will never accept her Mexican roots because of her feelings toward her grandmother.
identifies with her Mexican heritage in a different way than her grandmother.
**NOT**
wants to find her own unique identity that is separate from her brother and her grandmother.
Read the excerpt from "In Response to Executive Order 9066."
I've packed my galoshes
and three packets of tomato seeds. Denise calls them
love apples. My father says where we're going
they won't grow.
Read the excerpt from "Mericans."
She's so busy taking Junior's picture, she doesn't notice me and Keeks.
"Hey, Michele, Keeks. You guys want gum?"
"But you speak English!"
"Yeah," my brother says, "we're Mericans."
Which of the statements best describes both excerpts?
Okita uses the tomato, a food native to the Americas, to highlight the speaker's American identity, while Cisneros uses the English language to give her characters an American identity.
The writers use bleak imagery to convey the sense of isolation they feel from their respective cultures.
The speaker of Okita's poem feels a sense of loss at the prospect of being moved from her home, while the speaker of Cisneros's short story longs to leave her current location and return to America.
The American identity of both speakers is highly questionable, as they frequently refer to their foreign identities.
**NOT**
The writers use bleak imagery to convey the sense of isolation they feel from their respective cultures
