English 120 – Rosichan
Analyze and Write – Pick One: Chapter 5
Betsy Sampson (pgs. 188-189)
1. Write a paragraph or two analyzing and evaluating how Samson introduces the issue:
A. How does discussing what she calls the child’s “process of seeking autonomy” (par. 1) help
Samson engage readers’ interest in parenting styles? (You may assume that her audience
includes both her instructor and other first-year writing students.)
B. Notice that in paragraph 2 Samson provides information about helicopter parenting from two
different sources, Cline and Fay, and Whitehead (quoted in Aucoin). How effectively does this
information contextualize the debate between Chua and Rosin?
2. Write a paragraph or two evaluating how effectively Samson analyzes the potential for
common ground between Chua’s and Rosin’s positions:
A. Reread paragraphs 9–10, in which Samson discusses the authors’ ideas about success and
happiness. On what basis does Samson think there may be room here for agreement?
B. How does Samson’s analysis in paragraph 11 bolster her idea that there may be some
potential for compromise between Rosin’s and Chua’s viewpoints?
3. Write a paragraph or two analyzing and assessing Samson’s fairness and impartiality:
A. Skim Samson’s essay, and write down the verbs she uses to introduce quotations from Chua
and Rosin.
B. Consider whether the verbs Samson uses present Chua’s and Rosin’s ideas fairly and
impartially.
C. Where, if anywhere, do you think Samson implies her own opinion or evaluates the authors
she’s analyzing? How can you tell?
4. Write a paragraph or two analyzing the effectiveness of Samson’s use of transitions to make
her analysis clear and easy to follow:
A. Skim Samson’s essay, and write down the transitions she uses to signal similarities and
differences between Chua’s and Rosin’s arguments.
B. Assess how well these transitions work to keep you oriented as you read the essay. What
would you change, if anything, to make the essay easier to follow?
English 120 – Rosichan
Analyze and Write – Pick One: Chapter 5
Melissa Mae (pgs. 194-195)
1. Write a paragraph or two analyzing how Mae contextualizes her issue and opposing
positions:
A. Reread paragraph 1. Why do you think Mae chose to mention Abu Ghraib? What, if anything,
do you know about it? How does referring to Abu Ghraib help provide historical context for
readers?
B. In paragraphs 2 and 5, Mae introduces the authors whose arguments she is analyzing. How
does the information she provides contextualize the issue for readers and help them understand
the different points of view?
2. Write a paragraph or two examining Mae’s analysis:
A. What does Mae mean when she characterizes Johnson as “seeing torture in terms of moral
absolutes” and Bagaric and Clarke as taking “a situational view of torture” (par. 10)? How does
this characterization help explain why Mae cannot find common ground between her authors?
B. How does Mae use the news report about the Douglas Wood hostage situation and the ticking
time bomb scenario to analyze the main differences in their points of view?
3. Write a paragraph or two analyzing and evaluating Mae’s stance:
A. Reread paragraphs 7–9, in which Mae presents information on the Douglas Wood hostage
situation. How does the Wood example help Mae remain impartial as she questions Bagaric and
Clarke’s argument? How effective is this strategy?
4. Write a couple of paragraphs analyzing how clearly and logically Mae presents the issue to
her readers:
A. Skim paragraph 2 and write down Mae’s thesis statement. What are the two topics Mae plans
to discuss in the essay?
B. Skim the rest of the essay and write down where these two topics are brought up again.
C. Consider the ticking time bomb (or hostage) scenario in relation to the two topics Mae focuses
on. How does this scenario help illuminate these two topics? How does the graph help convey
information and illuminate these topics? What element(s) of Mae’s subject does the graph
illuminate?