Lens and Artifact (Primary Blog Entry ONLY)

What is a Lens and Artifact Analysis?

Look closely at literature, and you may see a new world below the surface. In high school or college, a teacher may ask you to do this by writing a lens essay. A lens essay is a type of comparative paper that analyzes one text through the viewpoints expressed in another. Composing an effective one is difficult even for the most seasoned of writers. However, it is an incredible intellectual exercise through which you will not only improve your writing skills but your critical reading and thinking skills as well.

Here are a few questions to consider when analyzing the content of your focus text: How does the lens text serve to shed light on the second text? Does it criticize it or support it? What is a new or different perspective that you can grapple with by using this lens? Does this new perspective strengthen your own original understanding or does it challenge your ideas?

Your Blog Post Prompt:
First, you are NOT WRITING AN ESSAY! You are simply considering how a lens allows you to play with analysis. This is not intended to be a formal analysis, but merely intellectual exploration.

Your lens is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Now that you have read and analyzed this novel, consider the events on Wednesday, January 6th. How does your understanding of Frankenstein illuminate this historic event? How can you parse these events using Shelley's characters and themes?

Now, here comes the fun part!

All critical thinkers consider multiple facets of an issue. I am asking you to do the same. You may feel that you strongly align with one side of this situation. For this part of the exercise, you must use the same lens to illuminate the opposing viewpoint. What is their Creature? Who is their Victor Frankenstein? Can you make any parallels?

Additionally, you can take this a step further and consider abstract concepts: Capitalism, Fascism, Socialism, Nationalism, Patriotism, Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, your own ideas, YOU NAME IT. This exercise is a good exercise in understanding where people come from. You should practice it all the time.

This is an exercise in critical thinking only. There is no debate here, other than with yourself. This exercise is not intended to change minds, only to understand opposing viewpoints. Remember the key question here: WHY do people believe they things they do?

Good luck!!

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Sunday night 1-10-2020!