Overview

We have spent the last few weeks enjoying, and wrestling with, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ letter to his son, Between the World and Me. We have discussed a variety of themes and lessons that Coates addresses in his writing. For this essay, you are being asked to choose your own topic and to decide which genre of essay you will write (analysis of causes, analysis of effects, comparison, contrast, argumentative, or research) to best address this topic.

The goal of this analysis essay is to do a bit of research and use a specific type of analysis to help you better understand Coates's theme or lesson. This is your objective and should be the focus of your thesis.

Possible Topics

The Black Body
Whiteness: “the people who think they are white”
Questioning and Interrogation
Police/Policing in America
"The Dream"
"The Struggle"

Requirements

Describe the theme or lesson in your own words

Focus on paraphrasing and summarizing

Support your description with quotes from the book. The theme or lesson you choose will be discussed in several locations in the book, so pull quotes from at least three different places in the book.

Make sure you use MLA style when you quote Between the World and Me.

Analyze the theme or lesson

The purpose of analysis is to break a complicated subject into smaller pieces that are easier to understand. Once you break something down, you put it back together with the goal of understanding your subject in a more profound way.
Ask yourself, "How can I break the theme down into simpler terms so I can understand it easier?”
Use one of the methods of analysis suggested above (comparison/contrast, analysis of causes, etc...) to help you analyze and better understand your theme or topic.

Support your analysis with research

Your research must come from a credible, academically appropriate source. A library database is your best bet.
You can start your research here or use the Library's Guide for Between the World and Me for ideas.
Don't be afraid to ask a librarian for help .

Minimum Requirements

To earn a C, the essay must:

Focus on a thesis that analyzes a theme or lesson in Between the World and Me
Be clearly organized; use transitions carefully within and between paragraphs
Introduce sources and quotation properly, and set them up--give the reader the quote's context
Be 4-6 pages in length
Be formatted according MLA style, including a Works Cited page
Cite Between the World and Me + at least 2 additional outside sources