How does each essay handle writing about artifacts–can you describe how the author discusses, analyzes, and/or describes the object?
Look over the sample essays in the attached document, then:
1) Does personal material (using I and your own experience, etc.) work in each essay? If so, how so? If not, why not? Can you think of any guidelines or reasons for using personal material in an analytical essay? Why might you not/have you been taught not to use personal materials in analytical writing?
2) How does each essay handle writing about artifacts–can you describe how the author discusses, analyzes, and/or describes the object? Are any of these descriptions more effective or ineffective? How so?
3) How does each essay handle combining item use and analysis? At once? Separately? In a particular way?
4) Describe how each author brings cultural connections into his or her essay. Does the essay or its ways of discussing cultural connections seem particularly effective? How so (or not)?