Literary critics zoom in on particular words and phrases in order to unpack them and find the deeper meaning
in a text. For your first journal assignment, then, I would like you to identify and discuss what you feel is the
most powerful statement made by Panchito, the narrator of this week’s story, “The Circuit.” Of all the sentences
in this story, which one do you think holds the greatest significance and why? Does it represent an overarching
theme of the story? Or does it reveal something important about Panchito’s character? Or perhaps you believe
that it conveys a lesson you feel the author is trying to teach us as readers? Or maybe it contains key
symbolism that illuminates the story’s message?
To complete this assignment successfully, be sure to do all of the following:
Present your quotation early and clearly--and place it inside quotation marks.
Do not quote more than one or two sentences--the shorter the quotation, the better, since it will encourage you
to focus.
Discuss the denotations and connotations of single words within the quotation.
Get very specific by zooming into particular words and phrases and their importance, and then connect them to
what you think are the larger themes or message of the story as a whole.
Use my lecture! Incorporate terms and even focus on the style of narration as you write.
Use the ideas presented by Adichie's amazing TED Talk! Consider how Panchito's story adds an important
voice to the "single story" of immigration being offered by many public voices today.
Sample Solution