Three Traps: On Making a Strong Textual Analysis Argument

Common Pitfalls of Scholars' Close Reading and Textual Analysis Arguments 1-Beyond the Scope of the Text: One of the common traps for young and old scholars is making claims about the text that ultimately go beyond the scope of what we could ever prove with that one text. Examples:  This book shows that black people...

Do I Have a Good Thesis?

Overview of Thesis Statements for a Textual Analysis Paper: The thesis statement is usually found in the introduction, along with an opening or hook, and sometimes a detailed argument road map.  Indeed the most important task of the introduction in an academic paper is to layout your thesis statement.  While you may actually arrive at...

What’s a Logical Fallacy?

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Argumentation

"Argumentation" refers to how well (convincingly) you layout the text-based details and reasoning for your claim and explain the possible stakes of your claim.  The two primary areas I look for when assessing the strength of  your argument are: 1- the clarity and effectiveness of how you organize or layout your argument.   -Do you provide your...