The following post has two assignments namely

1.Rhetorical Technique

How does the rhetorical technique contribute to the tone of the essay?
What message is conveyed by the writer’s choice of words/structures?
Does the device draw readers into the passage or push them away? How?
Does it slow down or speed up the reading? What causes this effect?
Does the technique provide emphasis? How?
Does it make the passage more persuasive? How?

2.Social inequality

•Explain what social inequality means in a sociological sense;
•Analyse how different forms of inequality intersect and interact to impact people differently, using at least two examples from this course (class, gender, race or crime); and
•Design a research project based on this topic which allows you to research what you consider to be the most important issue relating to inequality in NSW.

3.Community Values and Behavior/Private Family Ties and Practices

How does Castillo present the importance of community? Alternately, what does she reveal about the importance of home and family life within the private sphere? Are these two areas—the public and
private spheres—related thematically within the text?

La Llorona and Other Spirits
Why does Castillo introduce the mythical character of La Llorona? How does she fit into the novel’s primary themes, narrative, and/or the development of characters? Why does Esperanza—given her
particular personality traits, values, life experiences, and manner of death—become something like La Llorona’s spiritual comadre? Is La Llorona related to other appearances of spiritual
apparitions? If so, how and why?

Marriage and Romance
Consider and analyze the novel’s treatment of marriage and romance. What cultural, sociological, or political significance can one draw based on the author’s portrayal of marriage and/or romance?

Miracles and “Magic”
Consider and analyze the novel’s frequent descriptions of and allusions to miraculous or seemingly magical events. Why and how do they contribute to our understanding of the novel’s primary themes
or messages?

Sofi’s Strength and Wisdom
Arguably, Sofi experiences the most losses and devastating tragedies among all the book’s characters. What is the source of her strength? How does she survive her hardships and even seem to grow
stronger, more independent, and more committed to justice? Does the novel’s conclusion offer hope? If so, how and why?

Race and Culture
How does the novel treat issues of racial, cultural, and linguistic differences? Identify episodes of conflict or crucial narrative drama surrounding one or more of these differences. Why do you
think Castillo chose to set the novel in a small New Mexican village, with a plot that almost entirely involves Latino and Native American characters and cultural as well as religious practices?

Fledgling
1) The relationships between Ina and symbionts are described as a form of “mutualistic symbiosis” (63). Each group benefits from and needs the other. However, does the symbiotic nature of their
relationships translate into equality? Which group seems to possess a greater degree of control and power? Note the passage in which Shori attempts to offer Wright his freedom (48-49). How much
freedom, if any, do you think Wright possesses as he struggles with this question? How free are the symbionts? What kind of message or question might Butler have been trying to convey regarding
our understanding of mutual dependence, freedom, power, and equality?
2) Why do you think Butler chose to create the dominant character—the book’s narrator—as black? How does the issue of race affect your understanding of the book’s plot and primary themes (themes
such as freedom, mutual dependence or symbiotic relationships, power, etc.)? What political and/or philosophical message or questions might Butler be trying to convey by employing racial
difference in her construction of this story?
3) Most stories involving vampires carry some portrayal of sexual desire, whether implicitly or explicitly. Why do you think sexual desires, implicit sexual overtones, and/or explicit references
to sexual activity are common to this particular subject matter (i.e. vampire stories, and in particular, Fledgling)? How does Butler’s Fledgling treat the issue of sexuality? What kind of
relationships do typical Ina appear to have with their symbionts? How important are the roles of sexual desire and eroticism in Butler’s story? Consider, for example, Wright’s question of Shori:
“Do you love me, Shori, or do I just taste good?” (139). How do you interpret Shori’s response to this query? Can such a distinction be made? Why or why not?

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us