Juxtapose two of the readings, consider the question of national identity projected upon the bodies on screen as written about by Gina Marchetti and Anne Cheng. This is a writing assignment based on your reading skill, in which you put into conversation two of the critical essays that we have read for class. You are being asked to demonstrate your understanding of the readings, as well as your ability to situate them vis–vis one another. You would comment upon not only their arguments and examples but also their methodological approaches.
Consider them all carefully. What is the main thesis of each essay? How does one essays thesis relate to that of another? Why do you think a specific argument is particularly effective, or perhaps problematic? What is being articulated about the representation of racial figures, and what is suggested or declared in terms of creating alternative, more empowered/empowering images? In drawing out the major arguments and ideas in the two essays you are examining, offer your own thesis statement regarding your understanding of the essays.
