Study thoughts for the final exam

Students

Here are some thoughts on Little Scarlet leading up to the final. 

Concentrate your studying on Easy. Think about how his life shaped him, and how - because of the riots - life was putting him through even more changes. The issue of race - Easy was a Black man in the world run by white people - hangs over the whole book. The story takes places in the aftermath of the Watts Riots, when many people were so angry and fed up that they showed their frustration and rage in the streets. Things were changing in America, and those riots were part of it.

To start, consider the context that shapes this book. The Watts Riots changed the shape of urban America. Before the time, the oppressive, racist status quo had not been effectively challenged. The Watts Riots were a head-on statement to the world: things must change! The actions that all the characters in the book take were shaped by their reaction to what had just happened: Los Angeles was was in a state of shock; no one knew what would happen next.

The rebellion in Watts marked the beginning of the Black pride movement. It marked a huge step forward for Black people around the country. It was a major in the fight for justice and equality that is still going on today. On a local level, the riots meant that the old ways weren't going to suffice. Until then, the needs of non-white people could be shoved to the side. This approach to justice and equality was not going to work any longer.

The author, Walter Mosley, imagined this story as a way of humanizing the landscape. He didn’t invent characters who always behaved correctly, nor did he write stories where everything works out right for everyone. Instead, he’s tried to write a story in which normal people were suddenly trying to figure out how to act in extraordinary times. One of the things that I like best about this story is that everyone knew that things had to change, but no one really knew what was going to work.  

Easy Rawlins always tried to protect the people who needed to be protected - and in his world, that mainly meant Black people. However, in Little Scarlet, Easy himself was going through some big changes. He tells the reader about his process, about how little by little he was moving into a future that would operate under new rules. Sometimes - as with his friendship with Suggs - he was surprised at himself. 

When you think (or write, if the question calls for it) about Easy, you must consider how much the riots have impacted his sense of himself and the possibilities he sees in the world around him.

What things helped make Easy different from other characters?

a. He was an orphan who was strong enough to survive

b. He served in the army. This allowed him to get out in the world, rather than just leaving him stuck in the world he was raised in. He traveled through Europe (which allowed him to see and be in contact with people who didn’t treat him like white America treated him). He proved himself in combat -  he felt he could stand up against anyone. He killed white people in the war (they were Germans, but still, that took away that sense that all white people would always be above him). And when he came back from the war, he expected to find a world that would treat him differently than the one he left behind. That may have been wrong - he still was treated badly - but his believed he deserved better.

c. He went to work as a janitor and as a private eye, and he was able to buy property. He hid his ownership of the property, but little by little he was becoming prosperous. He never wanted to feel that he didn’t know where his next meal came from.

d. He was determined to protect the two children that came to him and to make sure that the three of them (four, counting Bonnie) would be safe and strong.

e. He was very careful around white people (particularly the police).

f. Although he was self-educated, Easy was well-read and used his brains.

g. He  stood up for Black people when he felt they were being attacked by police or by racist whites. He was particularly fierce when it came to standing up for Black women, as this story shows (Harold was killing Black women who’d slept with white men, which made Easy crazy with anger). 

Why was Easy so hard on Mrs. Ostenberg, Harold’s mother?
Because she was a Black woman who was passing - she looked white, and she refused to admit she was Black. The Watts Riots was the beginning of the Black pride movement. After that week in August ’65, the idea that it was ok to “sneak” into white society by denying Black heritage was looked at as “selling out.” More than that, when it came down to making a choice - forced by the fact that she had a Black son - she sold out her son (and tried to make him believe that Honey May was his mother).

Important chapters in the book. 

I’ve made a few comments about them, but also I’ve grouped them together so that the information won’t be so hard to find.

a. 3-6: these contain Easy’s wonder at how he was dealing with the police - he didn’t really know what how he was going to react, but something inside him had changed.

Also, these chapters have his interactions with Marianne. The exchanges they have are a good indicator of how everyday life has been changed by the upheaval. The connection that Easy and Marianne have is one way of looking at what might be possible between Blacks and poor whites, as they begin to cross the racial barriers that divided them before.

b. IMPT.12: this chapter has the scene where Easy sits Ada Masters down and explains how the world works.

c. 7, 8, 26, 27 family

d. 9 The neighborhood talks at Trini’s cafe

e. 13 (More on Easy and Marianne)

f. 15, 26, 33, 38, 39, 45, 49 Suggs chapters - check all of them out, because it shows Easy’s attitudes toward the cops, but also how his relationship with Suggs is progressing. in 26 her tells Suggs that Harold did the murders (and the two of them make a list of the women they think that H has killed)

g. 17 Easy talks with Mouse about women (the author makes sure that he doesn’t allow Easy to treat women badly. 

h. 18 Easy shows how his heart is moved when he observes people being kind to each other (Tina kissed Geneva’s forehead when she’s looking out for her in the Sanatorium) Also, in this chapter Tina tells Easy about how the white man Geneva’s father worked for abused her)

j. 20-21. Easy has his first talk with Peter Rhone: this is impt because it’s all part of the process Easy is going through. He can’t believe a white guy would drive into the ghetto during a riot to save a woman he loved. Also he tells Rhone that he can’t trust the police (a valuable lesson because most whites don’t understand how the cops operate). 

k. 40, 41, 42, 43: these chapters concern easy and Ms. Ostenberg, Harold’s mother. 42 in particular is important because it’s where he talks to Ms. O about her self-hatred at being Black. In 43 Honey May talks about Harold as a child. She is good hearted but all her good intentions helped turn Harold into a murderer.

l. 44-45 Benita’s suicide is discussed here. she goes and stays at Easy’s house

m. 47. In this chapter, Jewelle says something important when Easy tells her about Harold’s desire to kill Black women. “You’d think that people 

would have enough trouble making the rent with all the shooting and burning…”

n. In this chapter things start to get wrapped up -

o. 49 IMPT CHAPTER: this is where Easy realizes he like Suggs

Study Guide: Students 10:30 pm, Sunday

I'm going to go to sleep, but I'm still working on your study guide. I have a morning class and when I get home I'll finish it and post it.

Email me if you have questions (remember that you're working on your final paper).

Mr. Tompkins

P:urdue Owl tells you how write an essay

Students, Purdue Owl is an excellent (and enormous) website that breaks down the task of writing into the many specifics. Here a link that will take you to advice about writing thesis statements. From there you will be able to navigate the rest of the site.Purdue Owl on Thesis Statements and Beyond.

Thesis (even more)

PART 3: WRITING OR REVISING A THESIS STATEMENT TO ALIGN WITH SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS
Every thesis statement has to have supporting arguments, usually three to five of them. You can think of the main ideas in supporting arguments as mini-thesis statements. Consider, for example, the following:
THESIS STATEMENT
• The cafeteria management is doing a good job.
Without supporting arguments, the statement above is simply an opinion. It is also an opinion even with supporting arguments, but it is an opinion with an argument that supports it.
SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS

·       Cafeteria hours accommodate every student’s schedule.

·       The cafeteria offers a variety of main courses at each meal.

·       The cafeteria serves plenty of food that is both healthy and tasty.

·       The cafeteria has been citation free for over two years.

The four statements above offer evidence that cafeteria management is doing a good job. If this were a thesis statement for an assignment, the bulk of the paper would provide evidence for the four supporting arguments. For example, one paragraph might “prove” the cafeteria is open to accommodate every student’s schedule by including the earliest times that students need in the cafeteria, the latest times, and the fact that the cafeteria is open during those times.

Occasionally, students have thought so much about the rights or wrongs of an issue that they write (or at least develop in their minds) closely related supporting arguments before they write a precise thesis statement. For instance, a student might have strong feelings about the imperfections of higher education. Having thought about those imperfections a great deal, he or she might have well reasoned criticisms but lack a thesis. His or her criticisms might be:

·       Far too much writing is required in college.

·       A college degree takes too long to earn.

·       Students should not be required to take so many general education

courses.

There is nothing wrong with writing a paper from this approach; that is, writing a thesis statement after you have developed supporting arguments. However, the thesis statement must logically align with all supporting arguments. A thesis statement that “covers” the supporting arguments above might read:

• Reform in higher education should start with some of the most common practices and assumptions.
Other times, students are passionate about a thesis statement and know exactly what they want their supporting arguments to be. They write feverishly and develop their supporting arguments well. Somewhere in the writing process, however, they wander slightly from the thesis statement. Perhaps one or two supporting arguments align well with the thesis statement, but another one goes in a different direction.
Consider the student who believes that cheating in baseball is worse than it is in other sports. His thesis statement reads:
While cheating has become epidemic in most sports, the win-at-all-costs mentality is even more extreme in baseball because baseball players often risk injury to themselves—not just opposing players—so they or their teams can have an advantage.
After reading the student’s thesis statement, the instructor is intrigued. This could be a fairly original argument.
The instructor reads on and is satisfied with the first supporting argument, which is that
batters sometimes intentionally lean in to fastballs so they will be hit by a pitch and consequently be awarded first base. This argument certainly supports the idea that baseball players will risk injury to cheat.
The student’s second argument also makes sense. He explains how base runners risk personal injury when they disregard the rule of sliding straight into a base so they can “take out” a fielder trying to make a play.
While the paper so far is not God’s gift to literature, the instructor is happy that the student has made an original argument and has logically supported his thesis with two supporting points.
Then the instructor reads the third supporting point:
Baseball players also take health risks when they use steroids.
While this statement is certainly true, it does not connect logically to the student’s thesis. Remember, the student is arguing that cheating is worse in baseball. Do you see the alignment problem? Steroid abuse is not a problem that is exclusive to baseball. Since steroids are used by athletes in other sports as well, the student’s third supporting argument actually weakens his overall argument.
The student had a slight glitch in his thought process. He was excited about having a good thesis, and he ran with his idea because the first two supporting arguments came to his mind right away. Unfortunately for the student, the instructor required three supporting arguments for the assignment, and the third did not come as easily. To be sure, it is closely related to the first two, but it is not logical evidence for the thesis the student has written. Consequently, the student is docked a few points because of his third supporting argument.
College writers often make mistakes like the one described above. Luckily, they need not be docked points, for a simple solution is usually only a short revision away. In the example above, the student could have earned a better grade by keeping the same supporting arguments (and probably adding one) and simply revising his thesis statement. Instead of using the thesis statement
While cheating has become epidemic in most sports, the win-at-all-costs mentality is even more extreme in baseball because baseball players often risk injury to themselves—not just opposing players—to give themselves or their teams an advantage,
the student could have revised his thesis to read:
The win-at-all-costs mentality is so pervasive in sports that athletes often risk injury to themselves—not just opposing players—so they or their teams can have an advantage.

With the revised thesis statement, all of the supporting arguments make sense. Of course, the student would want to add a supporting argument or two that revolves around other sports, since the thesis has been revised to address all athletics. The point is that it often takes only a little thought and a little revision to make sure that thesis statements and supporting arguments logically align.

Thesis Extras (How To...)

WRITING THESIS STATEMENTS
Upon successful completion of this lesson, you should be able to:

·       distinguish an arguable thesis from a statement of fact

·       write an arguable thesis statement

·       write a thesis statement and supporting arguments that logically align

·       revise a thesis statement so that it aligns with existing supporting arguments

PART 1: ARGUABLE THESES VERSUS STATEMENTS OF FACT

In Parts 2 and 3 of this lesson, you will explore two different approaches you can use to write a thesis statement. First, however, you must understand the difference between an arguable thesis and a statement of fact.

Your readers—especially your professors—want to read writing that engages them. Consequently, you must write thesis statements that are arguable, not factual.

A statement of fact is a statement that cannot be argued—at least not logically. Students often write statements of fact instead of arguable theses when they are struggling to embrace a topic. Statements of fact seem easy to write about because, well, they are easy to prove. After all, they’re facts. The problem is that most students cannot write engaging papers around statements of fact. Such theses prevent students from demonstrating critical thinking ability and analytical skills, which professors want to see.

Statements of fact are statements of common knowledge; therefore, writing papers about them prevents students from demonstrating important academic abilities. Consider the statements below.

Smoking can cause health problems.
Small cars get better fuel mileage than 4x4 pickup trucks.
On average, people with college degrees earn more money in the workplace. Foul language is common in movies.

If you were to write a paper around any of the above statements, your writing would probably be quite dull because you would be restating facts that the general public already knows.

In order to make your writing interesting and engaging, you should develop thesis statements that are arguable. Sometimes you will be writing to persuade others to see things your way. Other times you will simply be making an opinionated statement and laying out your case. Whatever the occasion, your thesis statement should state your position on a debatable issue. In other words, when you write a thesis statement, you take a stand about something.

Suppose one of the general topics listed on the previous page interests you. You could still write about it—you might just have to change your approach so that your thesis statement is arguable. Consider:
Statement of fact: Smoking can cause health problems.
Arguable thesis statement: The government should ban smoking altogether.
Statement of fact: Small cars get better fuel mileage than 4x4 pickup trucks. Arguable thesis statement: The government should ban 4x4 pickup trucks except for work-related use.
Statement of fact: On average, people with college degrees earn more money in the workplace.
Arguable thesis statement: A college degree should not be required for the _____ profession.
Statement of fact: Foul language is common in movies.
Arguable thesis statement: The amount of foul language in movies is disproportionate to the amount of foul language in real life.
Any given individual might agree or disagree with some or all of the revised statements above, and the evidence used to support or challenge the statements would be different from writer to writer. The point is that a writer who supported or challenged one of these theses would have to think in order to make his or her case. With a statement of fact, a writer simply puts on paper what has already been established by other people. An arguable thesis, on the other hand, requires a writer to think about which supporting arguments best challenge the other side of the issue. It is this type of thinking that resonates with your professors.

Thesis Extras 1

Exercise 1

The following exercise contains hypothetical thesis statements. On the blank line beside each statement, write “A” if the statement is arguable or “F” if the statement is a statement of fact.

_______1. The amount of financial aid available to students should be proportionate to the earning potential of the career fields for which their majors prepare them.

_______2. Tom Hanks should have won the Best-Actor award for his performance in Castaway. _______

_______3. Frank Sinatra was loved and admired by many people.

_______4. The United States contains citizens of many different ethnicities.

 _______5. Sterling College should make coffee available to students in every building.

_______6. Driving under the influence of alcohol is dangerous.

_______7. Penalties for drinking and driving should be more severe.

_______8. Television networks air a lot of reality shows nowadays.

_______9. The Harry Potter movies are better than the Indiana Jones movies.

_______10. Steroid abuse can lead to serious health problems.

Exercise 2
Each item below contains a general subject and a narrower subject that is derivative of it. Write an arguable thesis statement for each group of words in the column labeled “Narrower Topic.”
General Topic

1.     education

2.     communication

3.     work

4.     dishonesty

5.     community

6.     television

7.     relationships

8.     newspapers

9.     family

10.  criminal justice

Narrower Topic Thesis Statement

distance education ?

the difference in people’s voices ?

paid vacation time ?

cheating in sports ?

volunteerism ?

reality shows ?

fathers and sons ?

college newspapers ?

 eating together ?

treatment of inmates ?

More Exercise
Write two arguable thesis statements, each with at least three supporting arguments. They do not need to be complicated. The important thing is that your thesis and supporting arguments logically align.
Example:
Thesis: Random drug testing should not be allowed in high schools. Supporting Arguments:

1.     It is a violation of privacy.

2.     It wastes taxpayer money because most students know how to “cheat”

on the tests.

3.     It instills unnecessary fear in students and consequently affects their

academic performance in a negative way.

Writing Thesis Statements
10
EXERCISE 5
Listed with the two thesis statements below are possible supporting arguments. Within each group of possible supporting arguments, one (1) does not align logically with the thesis. Circle each supporting argument that does not align.

1.     The media should be as hard on non-players as they are on players when it comes to cheating in baseball.

·       Gamblers do a lot of damage to the game.

·       Fans steal signals from opposing teams and relay them to players and coaches.

·       Non-starting players also steal signals.

·       Groundskeepers have been known to “fix” fields for a home-team advantage.

2.     Kansas is a great place to live.

·       The state has great roads and traffic is seldom congested.

·       Kansas City offers many fun attractions, especially east of State Line Road.

·       It has many community colleges that enhance local economies.

·       Kansans have a rich history of looking out for one another.

EXERCISE 6

Revise the thesis statements in Exercise 5 above so that they “cover” all four of the supporting arguments.