Cultural artifact analysis
General description of assignment: You will choose an “artifact” that you believe has had some significant impact on American culture, and you will analyze it. This means that you will “break down” this object and look at how its parts are working together. This doesn’t just mean physical parts; it also means all of the concepts associated with it.
Among other things, consider:
• The history of the object.
• Its parts and uses.
• What makes it recognizable to us, and what sort of role does it play in society?
• What do others have to say about this artifact?
• Why do you think it is important for people to know about this artifact?
• What do you want readers to take away from your analysis?
Examples of cultural artifacts include, but are not limited to: works of art, particular types of automobiles, pieces of technology, certain items of clothing (e.g. Yeezy shoes), iconic toys, musical instruments, etc. Try to be creative.
Requirements:
No fewer than three (3) pages, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font (you may need to adjust your default settings in Word).
At least one (1) credible outside source.
An MLA-style Works Cited page and MLA-style parenthetical citations.
Proper use of the ICE method for all ideas that are not your own.
A thesis that clearly and skillfully articulates your position on the issue.
A proper heading (see the Coastal Writers’ Reference page 45).
A catchy introduction and thought-provoking conclusion, as well as an interesting and relevant title.
Keep direct quotations to a minimum—paraphrase and summarize as often as possible.
Purpose Your rhetorical purpose is lightly argumentative (meaning you will have a thesis statement that you will need to support) but will be primarily analytical in nature. Your purpose is not to judge the object (is it good/bad) but to explain its role in our culture and why it is important to people.
Drafting Your Essay When drafting your introduction and working thesis statement and major points, it’s important to focus on the following:
