2. AGENDA
Exam 2: Terms
Presentation: Introduction to Essay #3
How to write a response to literature
Discussion: Stone Butch Blues
In-class writing: Thesis, outline, and body
paragraphs
4. Essay #3
Stone Butch Blues offers many
ways to read the challenges of
growing to adulthood. Each of the
conflicts Jess and her friends face
speaks to readers differently, and
for this reason, I offer you several
choices. In a thesis driven essay of
1000 to 1500 words, respond to
one of the following prompts. You
need only the primary text for this
essay, but you may use others if
you want to incorporate additional
support. Remember, you can also
draw on your own experiences and
knowledge to discuss, explain, and
analyze your topic.
5. Topic: Choose One
Explore Jess’s coming of age All people are subject to society’s
through moments of both demand for conformity. This, as
we discussed in class, has both
intentional and unintentional
positive and negative outcomes.
passing in Stone Butch Blues. For this essay, trace that demand
Show how these passing for conformity by identifying the
moments shape her into the social pressures that influence
person she ultimately becomes. Jess; explain how the social
Consider both hir experiences pressure to conform contributes
to her growth, development, and
and those of people she ultimate identity.
encounters.
Consider multiple settings and
Think about not only who social groups, for example,
passes, but for whom they home, school, work, bars, and
hospitals.
are passing.
Think about who has power and
Use textual evidence to show how and why that power is
the moments of passing; wielded.
analyze those moments to Use textual evidence to show
prove how they shape, the moments of social pressure;
influence, or change hir. analyze those moments to prove
how they shape, influence, or
change hir.
6. Or one of these
For this essay, explore instances Jess interacts with medical personnel
and methods of resistance to in various ways throughout the novel.
oppressions based on gender For this essay, explore Jess’s
identity development, experience with doctors, nurses,
clinics, hospitals, and psychiatric
socioeconomic structures, race, institutions. Show how her gender
and sex (or combinations of these identity influences the treatment she
markers) in Stone Butch Blues. receives (or doesn’t receive); analyze
Discuss how moments of and explain the effects of her
resistance contribute to Jess’s experiences on her social,
identity development. Consider psychological, and physical
Jess’s masculinity, her working- development. Consider multiple
class status, her Jewish heritage, encounters with health professionals
her female body and expected or visits to healthcare facilities. Think
both about her primary care but also
social role, and her lesbianism (or how she sees others treated.
combinations of these identity
markers) and the moments of Think about the authority of
prejudice, discrimination, medical professionals and how
that authority influences social
violence, or inhumane treatment values.
based on them.
Use textual evidence to show the
Think about how Jess resists encounters with medical
these oppressions. professionals; analyze those
Use textual evidence to show moments to show how Jess
internalizes the experiences.
the moments of oppression;
7. HOW TO WRITE A
RESPONSE TO
LITERATURE
Adapted from a handout from The Writing
Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill
8. Interpretations of fiction are
generally opinions, but not all
opinions are equal.
A good, valid, and interesting interpretation will do
the following:
avoid the obvious (in other words, it won’t argue a
conclusion that most readers could reach on their
own from a general knowledge of the story)
support its main points with strong evidence from the
story
use careful reasoning to explain how that evidence
relates to the main points of the interpretation.
9. Be Familiar with the Text
A good paper begins with the writer having a
solid understanding of the work that he or she
interprets. Being able to have the whole text in
your head when you begin thinking through
ideas will actually allow you to write the paper
more quickly in the long run.
Spend some time just thinking about the story.
Flip back through the book and consider what
interests you about this book—what seemed
strange, new, or important?
10. Explore Potential Topics
Even though you have a list of topics from which
to choose, you must develop your own
interpretation.
Consider how you might approach each topic.
What will your answer to each question show
about the text?
So what? Why will anyone care?
Try this phrase for each prompt: “This book
shows ________________. This is important
because ______________________.
11. Finding an Angle
Think about ways into the text; try
completing this phrase for each prompt
“This book shows ________________.
This is important because
______________________.
12. Select a Topic with Plenty
of Evidence
Narrow down your list of Jot down all the events or
possible topics by elements of the story that
identifying how much have some bearing on the
evidence or how many two topics that seem most
details you could use to promising.
investigate each potential
issue. Don’t launch into a topic
without considering all the
Keep in mind that options first because you
persuasive papers rely on may end up with a topic that
ample evidence and that seemed promising initially
having a lot of details to but that only leads to a dead
choose from can make your end.
paper easier to write.
13. Jot down all the events or elements of the
story that have some bearing on the two
topics that seem most promising.
Topic One: Medical
Personnel Topic Two: Resistance
Mental institution when Resisted Annie Oakley
Jess was young outfit.
Mastectomy Fought with police
Women’s clinic Resisted wearing a
dress to Ro’s funeral
14. Developing a Working
Thesis
Based on the evidence that relates to your
topic—and what you anticipate you might
say about those pieces of evidence—
compose a working thesis. Think about what
you want to show the reader.
15. Thesis Possibility:
This book shows that Jess’s resistance to oppression
based on gender identity development, socioeconomic
structures, race, and sex contributed to Jess’s growth and
development because it made her strong. This is
important because it shows that resistance is not futile,
that resisting oppression liberates people from it.
16. Write Out a Working Thesis
Try this phrase again: “This book (or
Feinberg) shows ________________.
This is important because
_____________________.
Remember, this will probably change
some as your insights develop into a
more complex idea.
17. Make an extended list of
evidence
Skim back over the story and make
a more comprehensive list of the
details that relate to your point.
As you make your notes keep track
of page numbers so you can quickly
find the passages in your book again
when you need them.
18. Take into account components of
fiction
• Plot: Think of this as the "who did what to whom" part of the story. Stone
Butch Blues is a bildungsroman (this is just a German term for a novel that is
centered around the development of its main characters). Jess’s
development is essential to the plot.
• Point of view: Who is telling the story and what does the narrator know or
not know? Can the reader trust that person to give an objective account, or
does that narrator color the story with his or her own biases and interests?
• Character: This refers to the qualities assigned to the individual figures in
the plot. Consider why the author assigns certain qualities to a character or
characters and how any such qualities might relate to your topic. Consider
symbols associated with characters.
• Setting: This is the environment in which all of the actions take place. What
is the time period, the location, the time of day, the season, the weather, the
type of room or building? What is the general mood, and who is present?
19. Select your evidence
• Once you’ve made your expanded list of evidence,
decide which supporting details are the strongest.
First, select the facts which bear the closest relation to
your thesis statement. Second, choose the pieces of
evidence you’ll be able to say the most about.
Readers tend to be more dazzled with your
interpretations of evidence than with a lot of quotes
from the book.
• Select the details that will allow you to show off your
own reasoning skills and allow you to help the reader
see the story in a way he or she may not have seen it
20. Refine your thesis
Now, go back to your working thesis and refine it
so that it reflects your new understanding of your
topic. This step and the previous step (selecting
evidence) are actually best done at the same
time, since selecting your evidence and defining
the focus of your paper depend upon each other.
Don't forget to consider the scope of your
project: how long is the paper supposed to be,
and what can you reasonably cover in a paper of
that length?
21. Thesis
In Stone Butch Blues, Leslie Feinberg describes
the development of protagonist, Jess Goldberg,
through a series of moments of resistance to a
society that cannot, or will not accept hir. This
book shows that social pressure, oppression,
and violence act not only as forces of
conformity, but also as powerful sources of
agency; they can inspire people to challenge
injustice in pursuit of liberty.
22. Organize your evidence
Once you have a clear thesis you can go back to your
list of selected evidence and group all the similar details
together. The ideas that tie these clusters of evidence
together can then become the claims that you’ll make in
your paper. As you begin thinking about what claims you
can make (i.e. what kinds of conclusion you can come
to) keep in mind that they should not only relate to all the
evidence but also clearly support your thesis. Once
you’re satisfied with the way you’ve grouped your
evidence and with the way that your claims relate to your
thesis, you can begin to consider the most logical way to
organize each of those claims.
23. Interpret your evidence
Avoid the temptation to load your paper with evidence from your
story. Each time you use a specific reference to your story, be
sure to explain the significance of that evidence in your own
words. To get your readers’ interest, you need to draw their
attention to elements of the story that they wouldn’t necessarily
notice or understand on their own. If you are quoting passages
without interpreting them, you’re not demonstrating your
reasoning skills or helping the reader. In most cases, interpreting
your evidence merely involves putting into your paper what is
already in your head. Remember that we, as readers, are lazy—
all of us. We don’t want to have to figure out a writer’s reasoning
for ourselves; we want all the thinking to be done for us in the
paper.
24. Introduction: Directed Summary (We will discuss this next time we meet)
Transition to Thesis Statement (We will discuss this next time we meet)
Thesis Statement
Section A
Body Paragraph 1
Body Paragraph 2
Section B
Body Paragraph 3
Body Paragraph 4
Section C
Body Paragraph 5
Body Paragraph 6
Counterargument (We will discuss this next time we meet)
Conclusion (We will discuss this next time we meet)
25. Thesis: This book shows that social pressure, oppression, and
violence act not only as forces of conformity, but also as powerful
sources of agency; they can inspire people to challenge injustice in
pursuit of liberty.
Section A: Social Pressure is a powerful source of agency that works to inspire
Jess to challenge injustice.
Par 1: Social pressure from the larger social construct that inspires Jess to challenge
injustice.
Par 2: Social pressure from inside of the lesbian community that inspires Jess to
challenge injustice.
Section B: Oppression is a powerful source of agency that works to inspire Jess
to challenge injustice.
Par 3: Gender expression oppression inspires Jess to challenge injustice.
Par 4: Discrimination/oppression at work/hospital/school inspires Jess to challenge
injustice.
Section C: Violence is a powerful source of agency that works to inspire Jess to
challenge injustice.
Par 5: Emotional/Mental Abuse (violence) inspires Jess to challenge injustice
Par 6: Physical Abuse (violence) inspires Jess to challenge injustice.
26. HOMEWORK
• Reading: Begin M Butterfly
• Writing: Finish and post in-class
writing.
• Outline
• Tentative Thesis
• Essay Sections: Section Sentences
• Body paragraphs with topic
sentences and evidence
(quotations) with explanations.
