Text Analysis: This Is What It means to Say Phoenix (Essay Sample)

Instructions:

this is analysis essay-fiction/ short stories. " this is what it means to say phoenix Arizona" the name of the story.(the source)
take one character from the story and analyze the person. to chose for the topic you can pick a text from story a simple word. keep in mind the essay need good introduction hook. 3 supporting paragraph and conclusion. please use simple English.
Assignment directions:
Please read all of the short stories mentioned above.
1.Decide which one you enjoyed the most and which one you can relate to the most.
2. Figure out an aspect that you want to analyze the short story. Perhaps you are interested in how the story represents the author’s life, the story’s themes, an interesting character from the story, the story’s symbols, or its unique use of language.
3. Draft a thesis sentence that speaks specifically to the aspect you’ve chose above. Don’t just mention the aspect, but make a comment on it in the thesis sentence that directs the reader towards your stance or claim about the text. For example, don’t say this: I am writing about the themes discussed in Sherman Alexie’s short story, “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, AZ.” Why? It just mentions your topic; this thesis sentence says nothing about the themes. Instead, write something like: The themes of the supernatural, intergenerational relationships, and friendship dominate Alexie’s short story, “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona.” Do mention the author and the story name in your thesis sentence. It helps your reader keep track. Do put the name if the short story in quotes, as I have done above.
4. Use direct quotes to support your claims about the short story. I can’t just take your word for it – supply proof for your claims! At the same time, don’t let the quotes take over the story. Remember that your writing voice needs to ‘drive’ the essay, not anyone else’s writing voice. J
5. Don’t plagiarize. Really. Remember, if you can find an essay about your short story to copy from; I can find it too. And I will look for it if I suspect you are quoting directly from your source material.
A text analysis paper will focus upon an area of the short story that you find interesting, significant, or feel merits discussion. A text analysis paper should be fairly formal, and should genuinely attempt to shed light on one or more aspects of the work. You may discuss the significance of character, plot, setting, symbol...whatever catches your fancy. Overall, I am looking for interesting and original insights concerning the reading assignment.
Your paper will explore a problem or point of interest created by a work of literature (this includes, but is not limited to, character motivation, thematic elements, contextual significance, culture, symbol, irony, etc.). Your ideas and insights will be based on information from the pages in the text we have read so far (outside research is encouraged, but not at all necessary), calling upon specific examples to illustrate the idea or issue you are exploring. Your grade will be based on the quality and depth of your insights, and on the use of specific textual evidence as support. Avoid the obvious. Take risks--Make it interesting!
Possible starting places for your text analysis include an author's life, politics, the social context of the work, philosophical musings, how and why the work evokes a particular feeling in you, cultural relevance, or the components of the text such as the significance of setting, narrative voice, imagery, or symbolism. Or, perhaps you will read a critical approach to the text and use it as a springboard for your own ideas. Or, you may wish to explore the relationship between various elements of the text (How does setting influence character?). Or, perhaps you would like to build on an idea touched on in class discussion.
The Dos and Don'ts of Text Analysis Papers:
DO NOT: Only summarize plot
DO: Analyze the thematic and symbolic significance of events in the story
DO NOT: Say you didn't like a character
DO: Explain how a character was unlikable, how that effects the reading experience, and why that may or may not have been the author's intent
DO NOT: Generalize and provide vague reasons behind your Text Analysis
DO: Use specific examples from the text (including quotes, if significant).
DO NOT: Make superficial, obvious insights (poor thesis: The Bluest Eye is about the struggles of growing up.)
DO: Think deeply, and look closely into the work. Notice things that a casual reader would not.
DO NOT: Simply repeat ideas mentioned in class by the instructor or by other students.
DO: Build off ideas mentioned in class, adding your own thoughts and insights to the discussion.

source..

Content:

Text analysis essay
Student’s name
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The story entitled, “This Is What It means to Say Phoenix” by Sherman Alexie is a story that is told in a fascinating perspective. It is about a man known as Victor who has just realized that his father has passed on and as the next of kin has to take the responsibility of getting his remains. He has to travel to Phoenix to collect his father’s assets together with his cerement body as the traditions demand. There are various themes that dominate this story where the most prominent ones are friendship, poverty, and past.
The story focuses on numerous aspects where emphasis is laid on the relationship between Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire, who have been friends since childhood. These are two main characters that are reflecting upon and reevaluating their past experiences and histories since they used to share a lot in common as they were growing up. They decide to travel together to Phoenix after staying apart for a long time thus giving them time to bond and reflect on their childhood. They remind themselves on how they used to spend their childhood days together before each managed to go his way after growing up. Thomas narrates a story regarding an event that occurred when they were ten years old when remembers saying, “Hurry up. We’re going to miss the fireworks”. Such an incident shows that they have come a long way together.
The story is a factual exploration of the experiences that every human goes through in life where people reflect back on their lives to realize how far they have come. It is evident that Victor and Thomas are not friends anymore though this journey has offered them an opportunity to bond re-establish their friendship thus signifying the theme of the past in this story. Friendship is portrayed as a bond that is uniting people who used to have a stable relationship long time ago. The emphasis here is that the bond of friendship can help people to come back together and help each other irrespective of the prevailing differences. It can also be noted that the bond of friendship can instrumental in nullifying all the differences that may be existing between two or more people thus enabling them to forge ahead.
The other theme that is evident in this story is that of poverty. Victor has just realized that his father is dead and is strategizing now how to raise the funds to facilitate his trip to Phoenix. He is an individual that has lived in poverty all his life to a level where he cannot afford the luxuries presented in life. He is in dire and urgent need of money to a level where he approaches the commission that is in charge of his late father’s money. Thomas has also realized the financial struggles of Victor to a level where he has offered to help. He says, “I can lend you the money you need, but you need to take me with you." The idea of getting funds from a person like Thomas highlights the extent of Victor’s financial struggles because he does not expect him to have such money either. Victor and his family have lived in abject poverty, and the amount held in his father savings account can signify this since he has a few hundred dollars saved. The transportation means used by Victor and Thomas reflect the poverty status since the two cannot afford a two-way air ticket to Phoenix, and back thus they are forced to use the road on their journey back.
Theme of friendship is widely covered in this story where the author is reminding the audience that despite the differences that may be prevailing among people, friendship ultimately stands out as a uniting factor. It is evident that Thomas and Victor have not been communicating for long and that they manage to get together after the death of Victor’s dad. Victor meets Thomas at the Trading Post where he went to cash in a cheque to cater for his father’s funeral arrangements according to the Indian traditions. These are two individuals who have been friends since their childhood despite their distinct characteristics. There was a time when Victor used to assault Thomas after drinking himself heavily, but despite that, Thomas still hanged around him due to friendship.
Nobody else is willing to Accompany Victor to claim his father’s assets in Phoenix. It is Thomas who volunteers to accompany him to this long journey and is even willing to lend him some money to facilitate the trip. It is from this point that their friendship reaches the climax...

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Text Analysis: This Is What It means to Say Phoenix (Essay Sample)

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