CES 436 – Spring 2020 – Guerrero
Critical Reading Response Question (50 points possible)
Saeed Jones’s – How We Fight for Our Lives
DUE ON BLACKBOARD: Sunday, April 12, 2020, by 11:59 p.m.
QUESTION:
For this question I want you to think about how Jones articulates the performativity of Black gay manhood and how those three identity positions intersect for Jones.
There are two parts to this question. You must respond to both parts to be eligible for full credit.
Part one: How do you see Jones’s relationship with his mother influencing how he understands his identity on both a personal level (how he understands himself) and on a social level (how society understands him)?
Part two: The two stories Jones identifies as impacting how he understood Blackness and gayness, the deaths of James Byrd and Matthew Shepard, set up an intimate connection for him between his identity and dying. What are some of the ways you see Jones “punishing” himself for his identity, and why do you think he feels the need to punish himself?
In your response you must reference at least two specific passages from the book in order to be eligible for full credit.
FORMAT REQUIREMENTS:
1. Your response must be typed. Assignments not typed will not be accepted.
2. Your response must be 3 pages, double spaced, using a typical 12-point font (ex. Times New Roman), and standard margins. 2.5 pages is not 3 pages. Any response shorter than 3 pages or that has radically modified margins will lose points.
3. Make sure to cite your sources. When you reference something from a course text, supplemental reading, or course lecture/discussion you must cite your source. For the critical reading response please use the following method to cite sources.
a. For all citations use in text parenthetical citations at the end of the reference you are using. (Examples of what those parenthetical citations should look like for each reference type are included below.)
b. If a direct quote is 3 or less sentences long you place the quote in quotation marks and simply include them as normal in your paragraph. If a direct quote is longer than 3 sentences you indent it and include it as a block quote. (It is still double spaced.) Note: As this is a shorter assignment, the quotes that you use should not be excessively long. Any quote longer than 4-5 sentences is too long for this type of assignment and will be seen as empty filler taking space away from your critical response.
c. Even if a reference is not a direct quote you must cite it. If it is a paraphrased idea/argument/point taken from the primary texts, the supplemental readings, or class lecture/discussion you must cite it as it is not your original idea even if it is in your words. Note: Changing one or two words in someone else’s idea/argument/point does not make it an original idea of yours and is considered plagiarism.
d. For the primary text your citation only needs to include the page number. As you are only engaging with one primary text in the response the professor will know which book you are referring to. Example: (189)
e. If you use a reference from a supplementary reading the citation should include the author’s last name and a page number. Example: (Bederman, 189)
f. If you use a reference from lecture or discussion your citation should include either the professor’s last name and the date of the class in which she made the point you’re referencing, or it should say class discussion and the date if it is a point one of your fellow classmates made in either small or large group discussion. Examples: (Guerrero, 1/28/20) or (Class discussion, 1/28/20)
4. The heading of your response must follow the guidelines described in the syllabus.
5. Please remember to proofread your response thoroughly. Excessive spelling and grammatical errors will be marked down accordingly.