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Place and environment in African American literature: by Sara Elkhodiry PECAN IMAGE 2 In A Gathering Of Old Men, Gaines uses natural imagery to portray the relationship the characters feel to their ancestors. In chapter 6, Gaines states. “Then a pecan dropped from that tree in the backyard, fell on the tin roof, and tumbled on the ground,”“You had pecans tall all around you.” The natural image used here are the pecans. In this images, the reader visualizes pecans growing all over the graveyard. There’s a connection between the graveyard and the ancestors as the pecans grow out of the trees that grow from the same soil their ancestors are buried in. The graveyard pecans become the host (a literal embodiment) of Dirty Red’s ancestors. Throughout chapter 6 Dirty Red shares the pecans with everyone around him from the old men to the young children. As Dirty Red eats the pecans, he describes their taste as “good” implying something distinctive about the fruits of the graveyard. By eating the representative body of the Ancestor, Dirty red is empowered as his ancestor’s memories are associated with it. Dirty Red’s sense of agency arises as he feels nostalgic after eating the pecans. His remembrance of his ancestors creates his sense of self as an African American. By eating the pecans, his connection with his ancestors strengthens as he is engulfed with their memories. He shares the pecans with the people around him which creates a sense of unity within them as they all feel nostalgic. MULE ANNOTATED IMAGE In their were watching god, the mule was related to Janie's lack of agency.Upon Janie’s objection to marriage, Nanny explains how the power hierarchy places black women on the bottom as " 'de mule[s] uh de world' " (Hurston 29). The mule represents the way African women are treated in Janie’s society. Furthermore, Nanny uses the mule’s symbol in a way to silence Janie’s voice and to force her to surrender to social standards. In other words, by implementing this marriage, Nanny and the society force Janie to conform to social racial and sexual placement. Janie’s sense of agency is destroyed because of the mule’s attachment to her identity as a woman.

SELF REFLECTION ON CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Sara Elkhodiry
Professor: Uhl
FIQWS, 10108
November, 18th 2017
                                                Self-reflection on Critical Analysis Essay.

      Writing this essay has helped me become a better writer and thinker. The genre of this essay was to investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, formulate an argument that uncovers a series of natural imagery from Their eyes were watching god that effects Janie’s sense of agency. While writing this essay I learned to appropriately use the Toulmin Method throughout and between paragraphs, to correctly use MLA citation, and to integrate reliable sources that help maintain a coherent essay. I hoped while writing this critical analysis essay to develop a clear thesis throughout the whole essay, incorporate sources in a fluid way that effectively analysis the text from Their eyes were watching god, and to successfully apply the Toulmin Method in my essay. I was motivation to write this essay because I wanted to attain a good grade in my FIQWS class and because I wanted to become a professional writer.

    This essay was the most challenging essay out of the ones I had previously done in FIQWS class. As difficult this essay was, I enjoyed writing it the most as it was the reason I started to get out of my comfort zone by going to different buildings on campus for help. This essay was the reason I started visiting the CCNY library frequently as opposed as to how I barely went before at the beginning of the semester. Collecting different sources from the CCNY library helped me become more familiar with the library system, making me comfortable with my surroundings. I also went to the writing center which was a beneficial experience. Also by applying the methods I learned from the book They Say I Say by Graff and Birkenstein, I was able to demonstrate my ideas in this essay.

   This essay helped me in using the MLA citation as we were required to support our case with reliable sources that can be documented and verified. By using different sources from one work to another, I learned to think more broadly when it comes to examining texts. Also, I learned to use the Toulmin Method to construct a logical and rational argument that is backed up by evidence. This helped make my essay more transparent and efficient.

        The strategies I learned in my FIQWS class helped me in writing this critical analysis essay professionally as we learned to revise many times to get the best possible version of our essays. Collaborating with each other in class helped in giving us more suggestion on how to write this essay. Writing this Critical Analysis essay made me more adept at analyzing, drafting, and editing

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10. PECAN IMAGE 2 In A Gathering Of Old Men, Gaines uses natural imagery to portray the relationship the characters feel to their ancestors. In chapter 6, Gaines states. “Then a pecan dropped from that tree in the backyard, fell on the tin roof, and tumbled on the ground,”“You had pecans tall all around you.” The natural image used here are the pecans. In this images, the reader visualizes pecans growing all over the graveyard. There’s a connection between the graveyard and the ancestors as the pecans grow out of the trees that grow from the same soil their ancestors are buried in. The graveyard pecans become the host (a literal embodiment) of Dirty Red’s ancestors. Throughout chapter 6 Dirty Red shares the pecans with everyone around him from the old men to the young children. As Dirty Red eats the pecans, he describes their taste as “good” implying something distinctive about the fruits of the graveyard. By eating the representative body of the Ancestor, Dirty red is empowered as his ancestor’s memories are associated with it. Dirty Red’s sense of agency arises as he feels nostalgic after eating the pecans. His remembrance of his ancestors creates his sense of self as an African American. By eating the pecans, his connection with his ancestors strengthens as he is engulfed with their memories. He shares the pecans with the people around him which creates a sense of unity within them as they all feel nostalgic.