Diagnostic Essay
Purpose: I will use this assignment to determine your strengths and weaknesses as a writer and
the areas of critical analysis that you will need to focus on developing during the first few weeks
of class; I will use this information to provide individualized feedback and guidance on which
course learning goals to focus on mastering first. I will also use the class’s overall performance
on this essay to determine which areas of writing and analysis to focus on during whole-class
instruction. I understand that this type of “reading,” thinking, and writing is probably new to you.
Read my instructions carefully, review and refer to the resources on literary analysis and the
appropriate critical theory that were covered in your SideVibe homework, ask questions on
things that confuse you, and do your best. Remember that this is simply a diagnostic, so I don’t
expect you to demonstrate mastery; still, I will get the best diagnosis if you try hard to do
thorough analysis and write a clear, well-developed essay.
Learning Goal:
To demonstrate basic skills in academic writing, including:
 Applying a critical theory to a text
 Analyzing a text
 Developing and supporting a thesis
 Writing in a clear, concise, and well-organized style
 Demonstrating correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, and word use
How to fulfill the goal:
Select one of the following to complete:
 A feminist or gender studies critique of Buffy vs. Edward
 A Marxist critique of Walking Dead Meets Office Space
 A cultural or ethnic studies critique of The Grey Album (individual songs are
available on YouTube)
 A psychoanalytical critique of Tom Waits/Cookie Monster
 A Marxist critique of Will the Real Mitt Romney Please Stand Up?
 A queer critique of Broke Trek Mountain or Brokeback Mountain/Adele
 A post-colonial critique of M.I.A./Nas
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Your purpose in this essay is to analyze how the mashup “expose[s] or highlight[s]
underlying features of the source materials-formal, thematic, or stylistic-that casual
viewers, listeners, or readers might miss.” Therefore, to prepare for your analysis you
must become familiar with both source materials of the mashup in order to help you
identify how the mashup “juxtaposes [the source] materials deliberately” and “make[s]
the implicit explicit.”
You should use the literary theory paired with your mashup and the questions that it
poses about a text to help focus and inform your analysis.
There is no length requirement. Your essay should be as long as necessary for you to
effectively argue and support your thesis but should not be so long that you run out of
supporting details and/or begin to ramble or repeat yourself.
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Type your analysis in double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font and save as a .doc or
.docx file, using the following filename: FirstnameLastnameDiagnostic (for example,
JaneDoeDiagnostic).
Submit your document as an email attachment by the date and time indicated on the class
schedule.