{"id":37,"date":"2018-05-28T10:58:22","date_gmt":"2018-05-28T10:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1020elec201819\/?post_type=chapter&p=37"},"modified":"2018-06-18T16:53:55","modified_gmt":"2018-06-18T16:53:55","slug":"from-interpretation-to-assertions","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/sunycorning1020elec201819\/chapter\/from-interpretation-to-assertions\/","title":{"raw":"From Interpretation to Assertions","rendered":"From Interpretation to Assertions"},"content":{"raw":"

From Interpretations to Assertions<\/h2>\r\n
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/h3>\r\n
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  1. Reveal the kinds of assertions that block a successful analysis.<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Discuss how to produce meaningful assertions.<\/li>\r\n \t
  3. Explain how to unite meaningful assertions into a working thesis.<\/li>\r\n \t
  4. Show how to evaluate and modify a working thesis.<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

    A close reading of the key details of a subject should help you to discover several intriguing interpretations about an array of different subjects: the consequences of an event, the motivations of a character, the effectiveness of an argument, or the nature of an image.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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    Interpretations<\/h2>\r\n

    An assertion differs from an interpretation by providing\u00a0perspective<\/em>\u00a0on an underlying pattern, a perspective that implies what it means to you and why you think it\u2019s significant. Without such a perspective, an interpretation merely becomes a statement with no potential for development. Just as one might utter a statement that kills the mood of a particular situation (\u201cWhat a romantic dinner you cooked for me! Too bad I\u2019m allergic to lobster and chocolate\u2026\u201d), so one can make types of statements that block any possibility for further analysis. What follows are some of the most common:<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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    1. Statements of Fact<\/h2>\r\n

    Factual statements might help support an analysis but should not be the main force that drives it. I might notice that Vincent Van Gogh used twenty-five thousand brush strokes to create\u00a0Starry Night<\/em>, that global warming has increased more rapidly in the polar regions, or that Alfred Hitchcock used erratic background music throughout his film\u00a0Psycho<\/em>. But what else can I say about any of these statements? They simply are true or false. To transform these factual statements into assertions that can be explored further, you need to add your own perspectives to them. For instance, you could argue that the erratic music in\u00a0Psycho<\/em>\u00a0underscores the insanity of the plot and results in a cinematic equivalent to Edgar Allen Poe\u2019s frantic short sentences, or that global warming in the polar regions will result in higher sea levels that will cause enormous damage if we don\u2019t do anything to keep it in check.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

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    2. Statements of Classification<\/h2>\r\n

    It is not enough to simply assert that the focus of your analysis fits into a pre-established category like \u201cmodernism,\u201d \u201cimpressionism,\u201d \u201cneo-conservativism,\u201d or \u201cfirst wave feminism.\u201d Of course it can be useful to understand the nature of these broader categories, but you still need to explore why it is important to see your subject in this light. For instance, rather than simply point out that\u00a0Family Guy\u00a0<\/em>can be seen as a satire of the American family, you should also consider what this perspective reveals about the show\u2019s development and reception. It might also be worthwhile to consider how a work transcends the standard notions of its period or genre. You might point out that while most of the time the\u00a0Family Guy<\/em>\u00a0characters are show as broad and ridiculous, they can sometimes act in ways that are familiar and endearing. Similarly, when looking at a policy or argument, you should not simply categorize it as belonging to a particular social attitude or political party, but consider it on its own merits. Though political pundits often use terms associated with their opposition as curse words and summarily dismiss anything they advocate, you want to appear much more reasonable in an academic analysis.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

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    3. Statements of Taste<\/h2>\r\n

    Similarly, an analysis is not just a review in which you simply state how you feel about a piece or dismiss an argument or policy as being \u201cdistasteful.\u201d A good assertion will not only reveal how you feel about the focus of your analysis but will also inspire you to explore why it makes you feel that way. In her article, \u201cBabe, Braveheart<\/em>\u00a0and the Contemporary Body,\u201d Susan Bordo, Professor of Media Studies, explains that the reason she liked the film\u00a0Babe<\/em>\u00a0much better is that it shows the need for self-acceptance and connection to others in a society that overly values conformity and competition.\u00a0Susan Bordo,\u00a0Twilight Zones: The Hidden Life of Cultural Images from Plato to O.J.<\/em>\u00a0(Berkeley, CA: University of California Press), 1999.<\/span>\u00a0This assertion allows her to explore different aspects of contemporary American culture that may have inspired each of these films. Had she simply stated her opinion without stating why her subject, the films, made her feel this way, her article would not have been as compelling or convincing.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n

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    4. Statements of Intention<\/h2>\r\n

    When looking at creative works, we often want to assert that our point of view is the one the author intended, yet when we equate our perspective with the author\u2019s, we (rather arrogantly) assume that we have solved the mystery of the piece, leaving us with nothing more to say about it. And even if we can quote the author as saying \u201cI intended this,\u201d we should not stop exploring our own interpretations of what the piece means to us. John Lennon tells us that his song \u201cLucy in the Sky with Diamonds\u201d was written in response to a drawing given to him by his son, Julian. Others suspect that his real intention was to describe a drug trip brought about by LSD, the initial letters in the words of the title of the song.John Lennon and Paul McCartney, \u201cLucy in the Sky With Diamonds,\u201d\u00a0Seargent Pepper\u2019s Lonely Hearts Club B<\/em>and (Apple Records, 1967).<\/span>\u00a0I have never seen his son\u2019s drawing, and I don\u2019t use psychedelic drugs, so neither interpretation means much to me. I love the song because it guides me through a kind of\u00a0Alice in Wonderland<\/em>\u00a0fantasy of \u201clooking glass ties\u201d and \u201ctangerine trees.\u201d To be able to show why a given interpretation matters to us, we should not phrase our assertions as being about what we think the author intended but what it causes us to consider.<\/p>\r\n

    Likewise you should be careful to avoid simply stating that you know the \u201creal intentions\u201d behind a work of non-fiction, a social policy, or a particular action or decision. For example, consider if a business decides to move its operations overseas to save money. This may inspire some to say that the company\u2019s real intention is to destroy the American economy or to exploit workers overseas, but it would sound far more persuasive and reasonable to actually show how these concerns could come about, even if they were never the stated intentions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

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    Worthwhile Assertions<\/h2>\r\n

    In short,\u00a0worthwhile assertions<\/a><\/span>\u00a0should reveal a perspective on your subject that provides possibilities for further exploration. Statements based on facts, classifications, opinions, and author intentions provide only inklings of perspectives and should be revised to inspire more prolific and meaningful analysis. Once you come up with some initial interpretations of your subject, reconsider it in light of what it means to you, perhaps by asking some or all of the following questions:<\/p>\r\n\r\n