Coates Essay: Analysis of a Theme

Topics

Choose one of the following prompts for your essay:

1. Write an essay in which you examine Coates' use of the body as a theme throughout his book.  Why do you think he is so intentional in mentioning the word "body"?  Examine specific instances in which Coates describes his body, the violence enacted upon it, and his attempts to preserve his body and the bodies of loved ones.  What explicit ideas about the perceived value of black life do these examples support?
2. Write an essay in which you discuss what Coates means by "the Dream."  How does Coates' version of the Dream differ from other, idealized version of the Dream we are probably more familiar with, such as The American Dream?  What does Coates mean when he writes, "I am convinced that the Dreamers, at least the Dreamers of today, would rather live white than live free" (143)?
3. Coates says that he cannot tell his son that it is going to be okay; he cannot even tell him that it might be okay.  He tells his son, "the struggle is all I have for you because it is the only portion of this world under your control" (107).  Write an essay in which you argue what the main message of this book is, and whether this message is ultimately hopeful or pessimistic.  What does Coates want us to learn from this book?  What should we take away?
4. Write an essay in which you analyze Coates' ideas about whiteness.  What does Coates mean when he refers to white people as "the people who think they are white"?  What aspects the history of the development of race as a concept is he referring to?  What is he encouraging the reader to think about by referencing whiteness in this way?  
5. Open topic.  Select a theme from the book (maybe something that came up in discussions or in the Coates Research Presentations), and explain what point Coates is trying to convey through the theme.  If you choose this option, speak with me early on in your writing process about your ideas. 

Sources

You must incorporate two other sources into your essays, one must be selected from the list below and the other you must find on your own using the library's resources or targeted internet searches.  

Use these sources and Coates' book to support your argument.

• "Black Births Matter" Links to an external site. by Zoe Carpenter
• Richard Wright's poem "Between the World and Me" (in Course Reader)
• "Hope and the Artist" Links to an external site. by Ta-Nehisis Coates
• "The New Jim Crow" Links to an external site. by Michelle Alexander (just the Introduction)
• Or any of the texts covered in the group research presentations on Coates.

The Basic Requirements

• Your essay should have a thesis statement and make a clear, convincing argument.
• Your body paragraphs should provide analysis, evidence, and examples from your sources to support your thesis.  You may also bring in your own experiences to support your argument, but MOST of your evidence should come from your sources. 
• Paragraphs should be focused and well-developed with strong topic sentences and transitions.  Paragraphs should clearly relate back to the thesis.
• Include quotes in your essay and format, set-up them up, and explain them properly.  Use metacommentary to explain what your sources are saying and what you are saying.
• Make a case for why your thesis matters.  Your conclusion paragraph is a good place to do this, although you could also answer the "so what" question elsewhere in the essay.
• This essay should be 4-6 pages and formatted according to MLA style.