8/14/2019 Cause-To-effect With an Assignment Like This, We

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Cause-to-effectWith an assignment like this, we will be dealing with the ideas of cause andeffect and thus this should be present throughout your analysis. With eachaspect of the message that you choose, think about the effect it has, andmake sure to describe the cause. For example, in the “Plan” ad we arereminded of the American Dream- that is one of its effects. What is thecause? The sight of the family, house, and flag. In an analysis of this piece,you would want to make sure to connect each of these elements (causes) totheir common effect.

FramingOne way of approaching this piece would be to frame your analysis in yourlarger argument about the message. Come out at the beginning and let usknow the implications of this piece, and then explore them throughout,concluding in the same idea as informed by your analysis.

Chronological OrderIf you are working with a video clip, song, or article, this may seem self-explanatory. Move through the message and analyze bit by bit as you go,connecting each element to your larger goals- framed by an introduction andconclusion that will help to establish these. If you’re working with somethingmore visual, think back to the exercise on Monday when we did a stream of consciousness type reflection upon ourselves when coming into contact withthe message- what if you were to organize your paper around this ideachronologically? What was your first reaction? How did you attitude changeover time?

Climactic OrderWith this organization method, you will be moving from the minor ideas tothe major ideas. For example, in an analysis of the “Plan” ad, you could startwith small elements such as the background (house, flag, etc) and move intothe discussion of the family itself as they relate to the idea of the perceivedAmerican Dream and the issues of race and class at the root of the ad.

Reverse Climactic OrderSee above- but move from major to minor this time.

Layered OrderWith this idea, start with the surface level elements of the message: whatfirst comes to mind? Does it seem relatively harmless? Then move deeperinto your analysis until you get to the root of the problem.

Multiple ProblemsIf your message is lacking one central problem, and instead is illustratingmultiple different implications, don’t worry too much about a larger cohesiveargument, but try to play off the disconnection of your arguments. How canyou create flow with fragmentation? Think about transitions on the page- youcould leave blank space to illustrate jumps, or insert dialogue, almost as if you’re using the “conversation” with the message that we worked with onMonday and one of you is changing the subject.

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