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Assignment-Paper3(1).docx
WR098
Yoder / Fall 2015
PAPER 3: ARGUMENTATIVE THEME SYNTHESIS
PURPOSE:
In this essay you will build on the skills that you have
developed over the semester to construct a synthesized analysis
in which you will examine a thematic element of Julia Alvarez’s
novel How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents in conversation
with two Globalization essays that share the same theme,
allowing you the opportunity to draw more complex connections
and to gain greater understanding of topics discussed since our
course began. Your final version of Paper 3 will also serve as
the capstone assignment of your final portfolio—I will
distribute the portfolio assignment to you shortly.
TASKS:
For this assignment, you are to write a paper of 1100-1300
words in which you argue for a claim based on the Garcia Girls
in light oftwo thematically similar essays from your
Globalization reader. Garcia Girls is your primary source (the
focus text under analysis); because the claim is centered on this
text, it should receive the most attention (and analysis) in your
paper. Your two selected Globalization essays will then serve as
secondary sources, helping to add dimension to your argument
by providing you with either: meaningful anecdotes and
experiences, theoretical frameworks, terminology, historical or
scientific facts and data, and/or alternate points of view. The
essays should help you to view the novel in a unique way, just
as the novel will help to add human faces to many of the
complex psychological (and cultural) processes we have
discussed since September. The meaning that you glean from
placing the 3 texts in conversation with each other will be

evident through your analyses.
Requirements for this paper: Successful completion of this
paper will incorporate…
1. a 5-part intro that you used for Paper 2 (hook > common
ground > problem statement > “so what?” response > claim), but
with the inclusion of a Glob. essay before your problem
statement.
2. Topic sentences that guide your reader through the
development of your argument and provide clear, logical
transitions from one point of analysis to another
3. PED paragraph structure, including evidence and integrated
comparative analyses of key passages from each text under
analysis (the novel and your Globalization essays)
4. *NEW* an acknowledgement and response to an alternate
point of view (a “naysayer”/counterargument – see TSIS
Ch.6“Planting a Naysayer”).
5. *NEW* a 3-part conclusion in which you summarize your
main points and then broaden to the larger discussion,
expanding upon the relevance of this issue beyond the two texts
POTENTIAL QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE: (*If you have
another idea, please consult with me!)
1. Why do you think Alvarez chose How the García Girls Lost
Their Accents as the title? Is “losing one’s accent” a metaphor
for something else? What else is lost? How does losing one’s
native language or accent contribute to one’s sense of belonging
and cultural vs. self identity? (Boroditsky, Traves, Leonard,
Sharma, Hill, Iyer, Appiah…)
2. How can the Garcias be viewed as consumers of American
culture throughout the novel, whether via actual products
(emphasized through descriptions of clothes, hair products,
advertisements, food, TV, etc.) or via language (English, Yo’s
literary studies, slang, etc.), and how does their consumerism
impact their assimilation process and cultural identity?

(Wasserstrom, Leonard, Cole, Zuckerman, Sharma, Traves, Hill,
Gleiser, Boroditsky…)
3. Overall, do you interpret this novel as a story about the
importance of adhering to one’s roots or about the importance
of assimilation and cultural merging? How might the reverse
chronological structure of the novel contribute to your
interpretation? (Gleiser, Appiah, Traves, Sharma, Leonard, Hill,
Ahmed, Wasserstrom, Zuckerman…)
4. How do memory, nostalgia, and the past help and/or hinder
the Garcias’ assimilation process in the US? How does memory
connect to place and identity and the characters’ evolving
definition of home? Consider, for example, the role of the
Dominican Republic and how it travels/evolves with the Garcias
in the US. (Afridi, Hill, Ahmed, Iyer, Appiah…)
5. Yolanda is the primary narrator of the novel, and she is also a
poet who takes words and language very seriously. What defines
her evolution with language and how does it affect her
relationships with others and the world around her?
(Boroditsky, Traves, Appiah, Leonard, Sharma, Zuckerman…)
6. What message(s) does the book have about respecting
cultural differences and/or the effects of globalization? How
might you use Appiah’s concept of the cosmopolitan to enhance
your understanding of the family’s experience as new
“adventurers” to the US? (Appiah, Zuckerman, Cole, Ahmed,
Hill, Traves, Iyer, Gleiser, Wasserstrom, Sharma, Leonard,
Boroditsky…)
** Narrowing Your Focus: Since you are dealing in some way
with three texts in a fairly short paper, it will be important to
keep your focus specific. In many of the examples above I refer
to “the Garcias” or “the family.” By doing this, I do not mean to
suggest that you need to address every member of the family,
though you are welcome to do so as long as you can narrow in
on a very specific aspect of their experiences (otherwise you
would end up with a very long paper!). You are more than
welcome (and encouraged) to focus your argument on only

one/some of the characters.
DUE DATES AND TIMELINE:
Weds. 11/18: Draft of your intro & general outline + Works
Cited page
Mon. 11/23: First Draft due in class for peer review (at least
750 words + Works Cited page with 1-2 sentence annotation
detailing the purpose of each Globalization essay in connection
to your argument)
Tues. 11/24: Draft due by 11pm to BB > Assignments > Paper
3 > Draft for feedback
Week of 11/30:REQUIRED CONFERENCES FOR PAPER 3!
Weds. 12/9: FINAL VERSION OF PAPER 3 DUE BY
11:59PM AS PART OF YOUR FINAL PORTFOLIO TO BB >
ASSIGNMENTS > FINAL PORTFOLIO
STRUCTURE GUIDELINES:
Introduction: You must introduce Garcia Girls and at least one
of the essays you are using in the introduction. Although more
of your analysis will be focused on the novel, it is often a good
strategy to introduce a central idea from one of the essays first
and then move toward the claim by suggesting how the novel
complicates those ideas (creating your problem/question). *Use
the 5-part intro structure!
Body Paragraphs: In your body paragraphs, create an active
dialogue between your texts. This does not mean that you
absolutely must address all three texts in every body paragraph
(or even at least two texts in all body paragraphs). But it does
mean that there should be some body paragraphs where you cite
ideas from Garcia Girls and at least one of the other essays.
Most of the analysis will focus on the novel. Make sure to
incorporate an acknowledgement/response to an alternate point
of view. *Follow PED paragraph structure, quotation integration

techniques, & MLA style!
***Please make sure to follow formatting and MLA style
requirements, properly paraphrase and cite all of your sources
to avoid plagiarism. If plagiarism is detected anywhere in your
final paper or portfolio, you will receive a zero and a report will
be filed with the Academic Conduct Committee.***
Handout-Conclusions.docx
WR098 PAPER 3: WRITING AN EFFECTIVE CONCLUSION
Just as your introduction paragraph is composed of three
essential parts (Common Ground > Problem > Claim), your
conclusion is also essentially composed of three parts.
Three steps to a successful conclusion in general, and for Paper
3 in particular:
1. SUMMARY (at least 3 sentences)
A. Brief summary of your original claim (thesis) and your
paper’s primary sub-claims (main points), but formulated in a
new, fresh way. (DO NOT SIMPLY COPY YOUR CLAIM
WORD-FOR-WORD FROM YOUR INTRO!)Keep in mind that,
by the end of your paper, your reader is very familiar with your
topic, the characters, the themes, and your argument; therefore,
you can take advantage of that assumed knowledge in your
conclusion (which you could not do in your claim in your
introduction).
B. Also re-acknowledge the 2 Globalization essays and
summarize the conversation that exists among all 3 texts
(García Girls + 2 Glob. essays)

2. EXTEND THE CONVERSATION (at least 3 sentences).
After you’ve completed #1 above: Assume by the conclusion
that, through textual evidence, you have proven your
substantiated and proven your claim. Now push the conversation
forward in a new—but not wholly unrelated—direction by
engaging one of the following techniques:
a. LOOP BACK TO THE IDEA/QUESTION/QUOTE YOU
REFER TO IN YOUR HOOK SENTENCE OF THE
INTRODUCTION: This can be a good way to bring your paper
full-circle if you began your essay with a quote or a question.
Make a nod back to that initial quote/question in your first
sentence,, and then offer your own response to conclude your
paper.
b. RETURN TO AND EXPAND ON THE LARGER
SIGNIFICANCE (“SO WHAT?” RESPONSE) FROM YOUR
INTRO: What did you acknowledge to be the larger significance
or relevance of your argument? Considering the theme/issue of
your paper and acknowledge the bigger picture. You have
focused on a specific text; how does your argument apply to the
world beyond that text?
c. CONSIDER A HYPOTHETICAL “WHAT IF?”: Imagine
that a plot point of the book had turned out differently. How
might it alter or reinforce your argument? Ask your paper a
hypothetical “What if . . .?”(*Note: You logically wouldn’t
want to stress a hypothetical unless your response would
continue to support your argument!)
d. ASK YOUR READER A RELATED QUESTION TO
CONSIDER AND TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION ON
YOUR TOPIC: As we’ve discussed all semester, academic
writing is a conversation; by writing an essay, you are engaging
in a conversation or debate about an issue that is already being
discussed by other scholars. In your conclusion, you can explain

another problem that your argument has led you to consider, and
then pose a related question to your reader—a question that
arises out of your argument.
3. CONCLUDING FOCUS ON YOUR PRIMARY TEXT &
THEME (at least 1 sentence). Finally, at the end of your
conclusion, bring the conversation back a few steps to make a
final nod back to the García Girls and your primary theme.
**Consider these three key steps as you revise the conclusion of
your final paper, focusing specifically on step 2, which is
arguably the most important (and difficult) step of your
conclusion.
SAMPLE PAPER 3 CONCLUSION
DIRECTIONS: Below, I have included the last two sentences of
an introduction and the entire conclusion from a former WR098
student’s Paper 3. Read the text below and decide whether, for
Part 2 of the conclusion, the student chose to engage option a,
b, c, or d to push the argument forward?
“SO WHAT?” STATEMENT & THESIS:
Indeed, if we ignore the complexities of assimilation and its
relationship to identity, our globalized citizens may never feel
at home and secure in the world, and we may not have the tools
to aid in the process. Hoffman’s experiences in Lost in
Translation prove that passive acceptance and adoption of a
target culture will not always lead to a sense of belonging; Eva
forges her own path to self-discovery through language and
self-acceptance.
CONCLUSION:
Lost in Translation demonstrates the complex relationship
between language, culture, and identity. When facing a new
environment, many multicultural individuals assume that
assimilation is the key to survive, to gain approval, and to feel

at home in the world. Yet, Hoffman shows that this is not
necessarily the case; identity can be found through the
establishment of one’s personal language expression and
development, and by accepting one’s fate as distinct from
others. Just as Iyer and Hooks demonstrate in their essays,
identity for Hoffman cannot be dictated by anyone other than
herself. But why is the search for one’s identity so important?
Iyer asserts that “to lack a center, after all, may be to lack
something essential to the state of being human,” and he further
acknowledges a philosopher’s belief that to feel a sense of home
“is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the
human soul” (201). In other words, the very thing that makes us
human—the very core of our identity—is knowing where we
belong and knowing that we do, indeed, have a “home.”
Throughout all of the obstacles Hoffman faces, by uncovering
her multicultural center, she ultimately recovers her Self and,
therefore, her home.
GG-FinalChapterGroupDiscussion.docx
“The Drum” (Chapter 15—the final chapter of the book)
Directions:
In your groups, read through the following passages and then
discuss the following with your groupmates:
1. What do you think the following images represent to Yolanda
and to the novel as a whole?
· The drum
· Schwarz, the kitten
· The mother cat
2. In what ways does this final chapter tie up loose ends and/or
leave you dissatisfied or uncertain?
I) p. 281:
“Immediately, I singled out one who had four little white paws
and a white spot between its ears, fully dressed, so it looked, as

opposed to the others who were careless and had lost their shoes
and caps. This one, a curiosity, was the one I intended for me.”
II) p. 284 to p. 285:
“`About drumsticks,’ I said. And then, because I was sure I had
found my man, I hurried my questions: `Can you play with a
brand-new kitten or will the mother abandon it or blind you if
she catches you and by when can you take a kitten from its
mother to keep as a pet?’”
[…]
“you must wait until that kitten can make it on its own. Don’t
you agree?”
III) p. 286 to p. 290 (end of the book):
“I did not know at the time the word for saying one thing and
doing another, but I did know plenty of practicing adults, and I
was not going to be gypped of a well-dressed kitten by a moral
imperative given to me by an exception to the rule!
[…]
“At that hour and in that loneliness, I hear her, a black furred
thing lurking in the corners of my life, her magenta mouth
opening, wailing over some violation that lies at the center of
my art.”
Handout-CounterargumentPaper3.docx
WR098 Yoder/Fall
2015
Acknowledging and Responding to
Alternate Points of View and Counterarguments
(TSIS Ch. 6: “Planting a Naysayer”)

One of your requirements for Paper 3 is to acknowledge and
respond to a point of view or interpretation other than your
own. Experienced writers make their arguments stronger by
comparing their own claims with other reasonable approaches to
the same issue. When readers don’t think you’ve considered the
alternatives, they may question how well you’ve thought
through your own ideas; when readers see that you have
considered the alternatives, they're more likely to be persuaded
that your claim is the best option among all possible
perspectives. As stated in chapter 6 of They Say/I Say, while it
may seem paradoxical, “the more you give voice to your critics’
objections, the more you tend to disarm those critics, especially
if you go on to answer their objections in convincing ways.”
Other names for “naysayers”: counterarguments
counterclaims objections
alternate points of view skeptics
I. ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR NAYSAYER
See Chapter 6 of They Say/I Say for templates to introduce and
acknowledge your naysayer. Below are some common structures
that you could use:
Unnamed Naysayer:
Some readers may challenge my interpretation of ____ by
insisting that…
Some might argue that…
Of course, many may disagree on the grounds that…
Named Naysayer (referring to a specific person or a group of
people):
Yet, Gleiser would likely take issue with this point of view
and insist that…
Here, many American immigrants may object that…
Introducing an Objection in the Form of a Question:
Is it always the case, as I have been suggesting, that…?
Yet, does the evidence prove conclusively that…?
II. RESPONDING TO YOUR NAYSAYER

Once you acknowledge your naysayer, you must explain that
alternate perspective with fairness and objectivity (summary)
and then respond in a convincing manner that reinforces your
own argument/claim. Rather than completely dismissing the
objection as a whole (saying, for instance, “That’s just
incorrect”), you want to acknowledge the objection’s validity
and/or relevance and then respond by challenging only the part
that you disagree with. In this way, you are essentially making a
concession while still standing your ground.
Templates for Making a Concession:
Although I grant that X can be interpreted as_____, I still
maintain that…
While it is true that ______ , it does not necessarily mean that…
III. SAMPLE MAIN BODY PARAGRAPH CONTAINING A
COUNTERARGUMENT:
This paragraph was the final main body paragraph of the
student’s paper (just before the conclusion), as it addressed an
interpretation that was completely counter to the student’s
entire claim/thesis. You may have a counterargument that
merely offers a different interpretation to just one of your
points of analysis (not your paper’s overall claim), in which
case you could acknowledge/respond to the counterargument in
that same main body paragraph.
As you read the sample below, consider which template(s) the
student has chosen to acknowledge the naysayer, and divide the
paragraph into ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (A) and RESPONSE
(R).
Of course, some might argue that Ashima’s home is back in
India where she grew
up and where her family members are. Or that her home
eventually becomes the States

because that is where she spends most of life, with her husband
and children and builds
lasting memories. Both of these views are valid and can be
supported by the text, but
Ashima’s feelings about home evolves throughout the novel and
this can be seen at the
end of the novel when she decides to live 6 months in India and
6 months in the States
which indicates that she feels she doesn’t belong in one specific
place. Ultimately, Ashima accepts her messy identity as both
Indian and American: “She has learned to do things on her own,
and though she wears saris, still puts her hair in a bun, she is
not the same Ashima who had once lived in Calcutta. She will
return to India with an American passport. In her wallet will
remain her Massachusetts driver’s license, her social security
card” (Lahiri 276). Though it is true that she will always
associate her family and India with “home,” she has established
a sense of belonging and her own home in America as well.
Rather than choose one over the other, she accepts both as a
part of herself and has come to peace with it.
GROUP EXERCISE: Logical counterclaims/objections. In your
group, acknowledge the validity of each of the claims below.
Then, come up with a logical objection (counterargument) for
each claim. For #s 4-5, use specific passages/moments in the
book to support your response.
Example: Technology should be permitted and employed in all
classrooms.
1. Globalization unites us more than it divides us.
2. English is becoming a global language, but it is not
threatening minority languages and cultures.
3. One’s identity is determined more by nature (genetics,
biology) than by nurture (our experiences, society and the

environment).
4. In Alvarez’s novel, the sister with the least amount of
struggle in the United States is Fifi because she is the youngest
and, therefore, not as connected to the family’s Dominican roots
when they move to America.
5. In the final chapter of Alvarez’s novel, “The Drum,” the
kitten and mother cat symbolize… (come up with your own
interpretation and then anticipate what a logical
counterargument might be)
Workshop-Paper3Intro(1).docx
WR098 Yoder / Fall 2015
Paper 3: Introduction Peer Review
Wednesday, 11/18
[ GROUPS OF 2 OR 3 ]
PEER REVIEW & DISCUSSION: Introduction, General
Outline, & Annotated Works Cited
Writer’s Name: Reviewer’s Name:
You will work through this peer-review TOGETHER, stopping
after each question to discuss your answers with one another
and acknowledge any points of uncertainty, confusion, concern.
A. Read your partner’s introduction and divide it into the 5
parts with a backslash ( / ).
· Hook
· Summary/common ground
· Problem statement/question
· “So what?”/larger significance
· Claim/response
DISCUSSION: Once you’re both done reading and identifying
the 5 parts, discuss any uncertainties or difficulties you had in
identifying the 5 parts. Ask for clarification from your partner.

B. Working backwards in the intro, begin by re-reading the
CLAIM. 1) What primary theme is at the focus of the student’s
argument about the García Girls?
2) What character(s) does this argument focus on?
3) In 1-2 sentences and in your own words, paraphrase what the
student is arguing in this paper:
DISCUSSION: Did you understand each other’s arguments?
Look closely at the language and content of the claim and
discuss how debatable and argumentative it sounds – do you
have concerns that it sounds more like a factual statement or
summary of the novel? Also discuss the character(s) under
analysis and why you chose them over the other characters in
the book.
C. Still working backwards, now re-read the PROBLEM
STATEMENT. What is the theme-related question that the
student is raising about the novel? (Note: in your intro, you can
directly ask a question, or you can create a statement in which
your question is implied)
?
DISCUSSION: Look back at your responses to part B above
(claim). The claim should directly respond to the question posed
by the problem statement. Is there any disconnect in your
partner’s intro or your own? Does the question lead to a
conceptual analysis rather than to a simple yes/no/one-word
response or a factual informative response from the novel?
D. Now re-read the SUMMARY of The García Girls and
compare it to your own. Considering the problem/question you
discussed in part C above, describe how the student’s summary
of the novel sets up that problem? Is there sufficient

information and logical transition from summary to problem?
Explain.
DISCUSSION: Compare your summary of the novel to your
partner’s. How/in what ways do they overlap and how do they
diverge? Why do you think they diverge in those ways?
Considering the problem and claim, is there any information in
the summary that you think is extraneous (unnecessary) or,
conversely, any information that you feel is left out?
E. In addition to the 5-part intro, you are required to introduce
one Globalization essay in your introduction in order to help
broaden the scope of the primary theme under analysis in your
paper. You can introduce the essay as part of your hook or as
part of your summary/common ground in order to set up the
question/problem that you’re raising about the novel. Which
essay does the student include and what function(s) is it
serving?
DISCUSSION: Explain the connection/common ground between
the novel and the Glob. essay included in the intro. Compare
how you and your partner each use the essay in your intro – are
you each using it to fulfill the same function? How do you plan
on bringing the essay back in the main body of your paper?
F. Re-read your partner’s claim at the end of the intro. From
the claim, how do you expect the argument to develop in the
main body of the paper? What do you expect the main points of
analysis to be? Outline them here.
I.
II.
III.
IV. (if applicable)
DISCUSSION: Lookover the general outline for the student’s
main body and compare with the outline you had anticipated

above. Discuss if there are any unexpected points that the claim
did not forecast.
G. Read through your partner’s Annotated Works Cited Page.
Which 2 Globalization essays will be engaged in the paper and
how/why?
Essay #1:
Essay #2:
DISCUSSION: Considering the primary theme under analysis in
the paper, do these 2 essay selections seem logical to you? What
other Globalization essay(s) might be useful for the student to
consider in relation to this theme? What purpose will the essay
introduced in the introduction serve in the main body?
FINAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Right now, what concerns do you and your partner have about
this paper as you think about writing your first draft? What
difficulties do you anticipate encountering as you write?
2. How do you think this paper (topic + writing process) might
differ from Papers 1 and 2? Do you expect it to be more
difficult/easy, and how/why?
Workshop-Paper3Draft.docx
WR098 PEER-REVIEW
Draft of Paper 3
Writer: Reader:
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Read the intro and draw lines ( / ) to divide it into the 5
parts. If you have any difficulty identifying a part, ask your
partner for clarification.
2. What Globalization essay is introduced in the intro and what

theme is it connecting to for the novel?
3. What is the underlying question being posed by the problem
statement? What question is the student asking about the novel?
?
4. Re-read the claim. Does it respond directly to the question
you identify above, or is there a disconnect? Explain and offer
feedback to your partner.
5. From only the claim, what do you expect to be the main
points of analysis in the main body of the paper? How will the
argument develop? Make a brief, general outline below, and
discuss with your partner if you’re not sure.
II. MAIN BODY PARAGRAPHS
Read the rest of the draft. As you read, place a PLUS SIGN ( + )
next to any part of the paper that you find effective or
interesting for some reason. Place a QUESTION MARK
( ? ) next to any part of the paper that confuses you, raises a
question for you, or is unclear for some reason.Once you are
done reading the full draft, respond below.
1. Overall, does the argument proceed as you expected (in #5
above)? If not, why/how does it differ? Explain and discuss
with your partner.
2. Pick one of the main body paragraphs that engages a
Globalization essay and focus only on that paragraph for the
following questions.
A. Do you feel that it effectively follows PED structure,
introducing an argumentative sub-claim of the thesis, then

providing evidence (a quote) early on in the paragraph, and
focusing on discussion/analysis for the remainder of the
paragraph? If you feel that it does not contain PED structure,
comment to your partner.
B. What Globalization essay is engaged in this paragraph and
what is its function in relation to the student’s argument? Is it
providing an additional example that relates to experiences in
García Girls? Is it providing background information or
data/facts? Is it serving as a counterargument? If you are
unsure, discuss with your partner.
C. Does the student quote from both the novel and from the
Globalization essay in this paragraph? YES / NO If yes, do
you feel like there’s a clear connection between the two
passages? And, if so, what is that connection? Is it based on
theme? Idea? Experience? Explain. If you are unsure of why
the student is connecting the essay to the novel, discuss with
your partner.
D. Consider the quotes from each text. Do you feel that they
really help guide the analysis and/or can you think of another
passage in either text that might connect to the same theme and
be equally (or more) illuminating for the discussion?
Brainstorm with your partner about other passages (particularly
for the novel) that connect to the same theme.

E. Go back through the draft and consider your question marks
(?) that you included while reading. What is the primary
question that you have for your partner? What do you feel could
be clarified or improved as the student continues on?
Handout-SamplePaper3IntroAndMB1.docx
Sample Paper 3 Introduction
Directions: Read the intro and divide it into the 5 parts. Note
any difficulties that you have.
In his essay “A Mickey Mouse Approach to Globalization”
Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom claims that it is superficial to equate
globalization with Americanization because, in his experience,
American products are endowed with new meaning when
transplanted to different cultures (22). Even a food item as
American as a cheeseburger, Wasserstrom asserts, can be
experienced in a distinctly different way in another part of the
world. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake, food figures
prominently into narrative as Ashima and her new husband
immigrate to America and struggle to maintain a connection to
their Bengali roots. Their American-born children often
illustrate the distance between their Indian past and their
American present, and the parents frequently use food to
reestablish their Bengali traditions. Yet, as time passes, Ashima
and her son Gogol endure a relationship with food in America
that complicates Wasserstrom’s view. In looking more closely
at the bridge between food and culture, we can learn more about
how even choices that seem trivial can reveal important insight
into our process of engaging with the world around us. While
Ashima and Gogol are often able to separate American culture

from the products they are consuming, in line with
Wasserstrom’s argument, their relationship to food over time
suggests that the adaptation to America and its products is far
more complex. For both characters, food consumption
ultimately transforms their Bengali transitions, signifying that
food is not only a link to old traditions but also an important
factor in the Americanization of new generations.
TO DISCUSS WITH YOUR PARTNER:
1. Do you agree on the divisions of the introduction into its 5
parts? Any uncertainties?
(1) Hook > (2) Summary/Common Ground > (3)
Problem/Question > (4) “So What?”/Larger Significance > (5)
Claim/Response
2. Describe the function that Wasserstrom is serving in the
intro. How does he connect to the student’s argument?
3. What would you say is the primary theme under analysis in
this paper? What theme do both texts share (Wasserstrom’s
essay and Lahiri’s novel)?
4. What is the implied question being asked about the novel in
the problem statement?
5. Re-read the claim and then discuss how you expect the
argument to develop throughout the main body paragraphs.
What will be the first point of analysis? second? etc.
Sample First Main Body Paragraph
In the early chapters of The Namesake, Ashima frequently
adapts American food products to suit the Bengali traditions.
From the very first moment she moves to the United States,
Ashima modifies American products to cater to her needs.

While she is still pregnant with Gogol, she tries to replicate the
snack from Calcutta she likes so much by using Rice Krispies
cereal, peanuts, and chopped red onion from her local New York
supermarket, but she only gets to a “humble approximation”
(Lahiri 1). Similarly, Ashima teaches the other newly arrived
Bengali wives how to make halwa from a very popular
children’s hot cereal in America: Cream of Wheat. She fries the
shrimp cutlets in sauce pans, and she and the other Bengalis
drink tea with evaporated milk (Lahiri 38). Ashima does her
best to adapt the American products to her Bengali dishes,
giving them new meaning as Wasserstrom alludes to in his
essay. Yet, while Mickey Mouse took on a whole new meaning
for the Chinese while Wasserstrom was living in China in the
1980s, the Americanness of Rice Krispies and Cream of Wheat
cannot be ignored for Ashima (Wasserstrom 23). In fact, having
to adapt these American products to her Bengali traditions
brings her much sorrow since nothing is quite as it used to be
back in her own country: “But now, with a baby crying in her
arms, her breasts swollen with milk, her body coated in sweat,
her groin still so sore she can scarcely sit, it is all suddenly
unbearable” (Lahiri 32). The opposition of the evaporated milk
used to make the modified hawla and the natural mother’s milk
in her breasts highlights Ashima’s conflict between the two
cultures. The situation only makes her miss India even more.
Ashima’s early attitude towards food seems to suggest that in
fact, much unlike Wasserstrom claims, American products can
Americanize other traditions, forcing them to adapt to American
culture instead of the other way round. She is forced to adapt
her traditions to what she owns and has no option but to
Americanize them, making them lose some of the original
quality to adapt to the American standards.
TO DISCUSS WITH YOUR PARTNER:
1. Re-read only the topic sentence. What character(s) will this
paragraph focus on analyzing, and what will the student try to

prove? Does this sub-claim connect to the student’s claim (refer
back to the intro paragraph)?
2. How many texts are discussed in this paragraph, and which
text receives the most attention?
3. What function does Wasserstrom serve for this paragraph?
Consider the conversation that the student sets up between the
two texts.
4. How many quotes are included in the paragraph? Do they
come from one text or both texts? How well does the paragraph
follow PED structure? Any improvements you would make?
Handout-Paper3PlanningWorksheet.docx
Paper 3: Argumentative Theme Synthesis
Planning Worksheet for Monday 11/16
I. Important information for understanding the objectives for
Paper 3
For this paper assignment, the objective is to explore a theme
and its significance to Alvarez’s novel How the García Girls
Lost Their Accents, using 2 Globalization essays to add
dimension and support to your argument. Therefore, the 2
Globalization essays should also meaningfully connect to your
selected theme; you will expand upon those connections in your
main body paragraphs as the essays help you to illustrate and
prove your claim about the novel.
II. Paper 3 vs. Papers 1 & 2: A new genre of text, a new
argumentative focus
Up until now, your papers have centered on non-fiction
(essays); Paper 3 marks your first time creating an
argumentative claim about a work of fiction (a novel). The

primary distinction is that a novel concerns made-up, invented
characters and situations, unlike your Globalization essays,
which focused entirely on actual, documented human
experiences. That said, fictional stories have their origins in
real life (springing forth from an author’s own observations,
thoughts, and experiences); as with all art forms, literature can
serve to expand our thinking about important themes,
relationships, events, and processes that reflect the world
around us. Fiction can provide us with new (often complicated)
ways of viewing the human experience. Your argument for
Paper 3 will focus on your interpretation of the characters and
events in the novel and what these experiences show you about
the significant themes and issues we’ve been discussing all
semester in connection to globalization.
III. Getting started on planning your paper
To begin planning your introduction (which will be due Weds,
11/18) and your first draft (which will be due the following
week), you first need to figure out which individual theme you
want to explore. Many themes eventually overlap and intersect
(for example: sense of home and belonging also reflects on
one’s identity)—those intersections are expected (and
encouraged!) in your paper—but it is important as you plan your
paper that you can narrow in on one specific theme to maintain
your focus.
A. Below, jot down your top 2 theme choices, considering the
chapters you’ve read so far and which theme(s) are standing out
to you as being the most significant to the characters/story.
Theme preferences:
1.
2.
B. Now, refer back to the “Potential Questions to Explore”
section on your Paper 3 assignment sheet, and re-read the 6
potential problems for you to explore in the novel. Select the

two questions/topics that most concern your preferred themes
above:
Question/Problem Selections from the Paper 3 Assignment
Sheet:
1. Question #
2. Question #
C. Now, take some time to reflect on your theme, its role in the
novel so far, and the potential questions/problems from the
assignment sheet. Then, select the theme and question/problem
that you tentatively want to explore and respond to for Paper 3.
Selected Theme to Explore and Analyze:
Selected Question/Problem Corresponding to Your
Selected Theme:
D. Now, considering your theme and question/problem, select
at least 3Globalization essaysthat share the theme and which
might help you to illustrate and support your argument about
the García Girls. (For your paper, you will only need 2, but for
now, consider 3 that may be useful and you can then narrow
down to the 2 most useful later.) *Consider the various
functions that the Globalization essays might serve in your
paper as described in the “Tasks” section on your Paper 3
assignment sheet.
Globalization Essays That Share Your Selected Theme (give
title or author):
Essay #1:
Essay #2:
Essay #3:

E. You will once again use the 5-part introduction structure
for Paper 3. Unlike Paper 2, though, Paper 3 is asking you to
focus your argument on just one text (the García Girls). The two
Globalization essays will serve as secondary (supplemental)
sources in your paper. Similar to Paper 2, however, I would like
you to introduce a second text in your introduction paragraph:
choose one Globalization essay that you can use as background
information to establish the broader significance of your central
theme as you move toward your claim by suggesting how the
novel complicates those ideas, thus creating your
problem/question. (We will discuss this more in class on
Monday.) For now, which of the 3 essay selections in part D
above do you think would be most useful to introduce as
background information for your selected thematic focus in
Paper 3?
Essay You Will Introduce in Your Intro to Set Up Your Theme:
F. Summarizing a novel is quite a different experience
from summarizing an informative or argumentative essay,
though you should of course still adhere to effective summary
guidelines (introduce author/title/genre of text, remain
objective, use present tense, etc.). You want to be strategic
about what information you do/do not include in your summary,
however. For example, if you know that your argument is going
to focus only on Yolanda, then it’s not necessary to introduce
her sisters by name. You also want to make sure that you’re
emphasizing (albeit objectively) your theme in connection to
the story line and main characters so that you are helping to set
up your problem and claim.
Though you are not done reading the novel, you can
still create a tentative brief summary (2-3 sentences) of the
book with your current knowledge. Draft a summary here:
IV.Works Cited. Review the format for your essay citations on

your Works Cited pages in Papers 1 & 2 and refer to RfW to
establish the Works Cited citation for the novel. I’ve begun it
for you:
Alvarez, Julia.

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