Final Writing Assignment: Research Essay
Research paper due by Friday, May 17 at 11:59 pm
For the final writing assignment, you will write a 1,000 word (minimum word count) essay. You will be asked to cite at least one outside source for your paper. Our Research Module (between Week 10 and Week 11) contains a list of sources you may use for the research paper.
Your research paper should include close readings/analysis of your chosen primary course text and outside research. You will combine your own close readings with outside research of primary or secondary texts related to your chosen text. I will show you examples of successful research papers from the past.
Please use MLA format and 12 Times New Roman font, double-spaced, when submitting your assignment.
Here is my prompt:
5) Choose a research question you’d like to explore on Ingrid Rojas Contreras’s The Man Who Could Move Clouds. Here are some ideas that you might choose to focus on. You might pick one of the following: e) Analyze how Rojas Contreras discusses the differences between “Western” views on history and storytelling vs. how history and storytelling are seen from the perspectives of curanderas and in Ingrid’s family
I attatched the one source provided by the professor, it is an interview with the author.
I also have an EPUB of the book if you need it but it wont let me attatch the file on here so please let me know if you will need me to provide that somehow.
Here are two close readings I did of two passages from the book that may help while writing: The chosen passage from Rojas Contreras’s “The Man Who Could Move Clouds” portrays a significant interaction between the narrator (presumably Ingrid) and her mother, Mami, regarding the narrator’s desire to write about their family’s experiences. In the passage, Mami reacts with anger and fear when the narrator expresses her intention to write about their lives. She is concerned about revealing family secrets, facing judgment from others, and potentially ruining their lives. Despite the narrator’s assurances that she will only write what Mami allows and her plea to understand the importance of sharing their story, Mami refuses to engage, eventually refusing to speak to her daughter altogether.
The passage reads: “When I first tell Mami I want to write about all of this, she is furious. She yells at me, afraid I will reveal the secrets, incite people to judge me, ruin my own life. I assure Mami I will run everything by her, write only what she lets me. I beg her to understand: I have to write about what has happened to me, to her, to us, to all of us, no matter what comes of it. She hangs up. I call her repeatedly. After a while, my father picks up, asks me what I’ve done —my mother says to tell me she will never speak to me again” (Rojas Contreras, p. 19).
This passage serves a crucial role in the surrounding work by highlighting the tension between the narrator’s desire to share their family’s history and Mami’s resistance to opening up about their past. It sheds light on the complex dynamics within the family, including the fear of judgment and the desire to keep secrets hidden. The passage’s importance lies in its exploration of the conflicting perspectives on storytelling and history between the “Western” approach, represented by the narrator’s desire to write and share their experiences, and the more guarded viewpoint of Mami and perhaps the broader cultural context of curanderas. It underscores the challenges and consequences of confronting the past and the power dynamics within familial relationships. In terms of its effects, the passage evokes empathy for the narrator’s desire to explore and understand their family’s history while also highlighting the pain and resistance they face from their loved ones. It invites readers to reflect on the complexities of storytelling, the weight of family secrets, and the potential repercussions of revealing the truth.
Reading about the narrator’s struggle to share her family’s history in “The Man Who Could Move Clouds” resonates deeply with my own experiences growing up in a family where the mantra “what happens in the family stays in the family” was heavily ingrained. Like the narrator’s mother, my parents were staunch believers in maintaining privacy and secrecy surrounding our family matters. Any discussion of our family’s successes, health issues, or internal conflicts was strictly off-limits for public consumption. My parents believed that airing our private affairs would only invite judgment and scrutiny from outsiders, potentially tarnishing our reputation and disrupting the delicate balance of our familial relationships. As a result, I often found myself grappling with conflicting emotions, torn between the desire to share my experiences with others and the fear of betraying my family’s trust. Like the narrator, I understood the importance of storytelling as a means of processing and understanding our shared history, yet I also felt the weight of familial expectations and the need to honor the unspoken code of silence. The passage from “The Man Who Could Move Clouds” serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities inherent in navigating familial dynamics and the struggle to reconcile personal truths with familial expectations. It’s a reflection of the universal tension between individual expression and collective identity, a theme that resonates deeply with my own upbringing and experiences.
The content of the passage is conveyed through a direct and emotionally charged narrative style. The use of first-person perspective allows readers to intimately experience the interaction between the narrator and Mami, feeling the frustration, fear, and desperation emanating from both characters. The form of the passage, characterized by concise and impactful sentences, contributes to the effect of the content by emphasizing the intensity of the exchange and the emotional weight of the situation. The passage is structured in a way that captures the escalating tension and conflict between the narrator and Mami, with each sentence building upon the previous one to heighten the emotional stakes. The repetition of phrases such as “she is furious,” “I assure Mami,” and “I beg her to understand” underscores the narrator’s desperation and the futility of her attempts to persuade her mother. These repeated phrases serve to draw attention to the central themes of communication breakdown, familial discord, and the struggle to reconcile personal expression with familial expectations. Furthermore, the passage’s use of dialogue, particularly Mami’s heated responses, adds authenticity and immediacy to the exchange, allowing readers to vividly imagine the confrontation unfolding in real-time. The abrupt ending of the passage, marked by Mami’s refusal to speak to her daughter, leaves readers with a sense of unresolved tension and foreboding, compelling them to reflect on the implications of this rupture in their relationship. Overall, the stylistic features and word choices in the passage effectively contribute to its impact, reinforcing the emotional intensity of the narrative and highlighting the complexities of familial dynamics and the struggle for individual agency within a cultural context that values secrecy and tradition.
Please dont use what I said exactly becuase some of it is plagarized but its for you to get asmall jist of what I am writing about. Thankyou so much. Also for additional sources, we can use up to however many and I was thikning maybe a source on western storytelling vs curanderas storytelling would be good. even a source on curanderas! its up to you!