Second Textual Analysis Exercise

Choose one of the quotations on the next page and answer all four questions about it in the form of an essay (about 800-1000 words). As a suggested structure, have an introduction that summarizes your interpretation of the passage, a paragraph for each of the four questions, and a conclusion drawing the parts together. DUE 26 APRIL

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Questions

In addition to analyzing carefully the passage you have chosen, you may also make use of information found in the textbooks, lectures, and discussion sections (without quoting extensively from them) to help answer these questions. For more detailed guidance consult the "Textual Analysis Exercise" handout. Central to this assignment, however, will be the situating of the quotation within the larger document.

1. Identify the work from which this quotation has been taken: indicate the work's title, author, time and place of composition, broader historical period, and genre.
2. Summarize in your own words the main point(s) of the passage and describe how it fits into the larger text from which it has been excerpted.
3. Analyze the passage closely. Explain as carefully as you can the meaning of all significant words and how they work together to convey the ideas the author wishes to express. Consider the author's aims, methods, and intended audiences. You may have to refer to other parts of the text in order to explain something in the passage.
4. Relate this passage to its historical period. What in particular does it tell you about the time and place in which it was written? What is the historical significance of this passage? Be specific and base your contentions upon evidence drawn from the text.