Overview
The ability to communicate a message through writing is essential in any career. Effective writing shapes and informs the opinions of its readers. The writing process can be intimidating; however, the more you work with it, the more comfortable the process becomes.
Prompt
For this project, you will build upon the outline of the essay you have developed while incorporating your instructor’s feedback. Use the prompt questions below to help you develop your draft. You will pull out quotes and paraphrases from your selected reading and write summaries that you will use to support your analysis.
When you are done responding to the prompts below, you will have the first draft of your critical analysis essay. In the following module, you will complete a revision activity to further improve this draft.
Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:
I. Introduction
The introduction of your essay is where readers will learn what your essay is about. Do not give all your information away here. Instead, give readers a sample of what is to come and what you will be supporting with evidence in the body of the essay. Do not forget to review your outline to make sure you briefly cover all of the key points you identified. If your claim and key points have changed since then, it is okay! For your new ideas, seek feedback from your instructor or writing resources available through SNHU.
- Provide an overview of the work you have analyzed, briefly describing the main points and your reaction to the author’s claim.
- Compose a thesis that you will support with evidence throughout the essay. This statement will give direction to your essay and should be well thought out.
II. Body
The body is your opportunity to support your evaluation of the author’s argument. Ensure that your thoughts and evidence are clear and easy to read and understand.
- Be sure to write organized paragraphs that clearly state their main idea and move logically from one to the other.
- Your body paragraphs should support your thesis by combining thoughts and ideas with evidence or key points from the selected reading. There is no such thing as a right or wrong evaluation; the key is how well your analysis is supported and the quality of the evidence used.
III. Conclusion
Think of the conclusion paragraph as a review of your analysis. Use this section to restate your evaluation and remind readers of your supporting evidence. Think of this paragraph as your last chance to prove your point.
- Briefly summarize the main points that helped form your analysis. This section should consist of a brief review of your main ideas.
- Draw conclusions based on your evidence.
- Use evidence that you have found to wrap up the essay in a meaningful way that relates to your audience.
Sabrina Middleton
Mr. Coleman
English 122
March 15, 2023
Why the beach is a bummer
Introduction
In her humorous and upbeat essay, “Why the Beach Is a Bummer,” Roxane Gay examines her distaste for the beach and her irritation with the expectations that come with it. Gay wants to explain in her piece why she doesn’t find the beach to be especially enjoyable and why she feels it is overrated. The article has a humorous and playful tone, but it also has undercurrents of rage and resentment. By first glance, it seems like Roxane Gay, the author, does not find the beach to be very delightful and believes it to be overrated. It has also shown that underlying elements of annoyance and irritation are there despite the article’s humorous and cheerful tone. This explanation will include the background, purpose, style, and tone of the piece as well as the lessons learned from the preliminary analysis.
Background of the Article
In her humorous and upbeat essay, “Why the Beach Is a Bummer,” Roxane Gay examines her distaste for the beach and her irritation with the expectations that come with it. Gay starts out by expressing her enduring dislike of the seashore and her disgust with the feeling of sand between her toes (Gay, 2014). She describes how, while at the beach, she is often one of the few people who isn’t beaming and enjoying the surf and sunshine. She goes on to explain why she finds the beach so unappealing: “The beach could be too hot, too cold, crowded, too quiet, and it might take too much work to maintain the proper degree of sanitation, among other reasons. She also talks about how she feels guilty about not engaging in common beach activities like swimming or beach volleyball with other people.
Goal, tone, and style
Gay wants to explain in her piece why she doesn’t find the beach to be especially enjoyable and why she feels it is overrated. Gay’s work is humorous and cheerful, yet it also has overtones of rage and resentment. Gay conveys her views about being on the beach in a humorous way that isn’t overtly solemn or dismal (Gay, page 8). She does it, however, in a manner that expresses her own opinions on the beach as opposed to being too judgmental of how other people use it.
What Lessons Can We Draw From Our First Analysis?
This essay’s author, Roxane Gay, believes that the beach is an overrated place that doesn’t provide her any satisfaction, according to this essay’s early analysis (Gay, 2014). It has also shown that underlying elements of annoyance and irritation are there despite the article’s humorous and cheerful tone. It has also been discovered that the essay is mostly focused on Gay’s own experience with the beach, as well as her thoughts and opinions about it.
Conclusion
The essay “Why the Beach Is a Bummer” by Roxane Gay, in conclusion, is a lighthearted and humorous look at the author’s di
Sabrina Middleton
Mr. Coleman
English 122
March 15, 2023
Why the Beach Is a Bummer,” Roxane Gay
The primary argument that Roxane Gay makes in her article titled “Why the Beach Is a Bummer” is that the beach is a difficult place for many people to enjoy, regardless of their body type, and that we should work to create a more accepting and inclusive environment at the beach. This argument is made in reference to the fact that society’s beauty standards and societal pressures make the beach a difficult place to enjoy.
Supporting points
It is difficult for individuals to feel comfortable at the beach because of the unattainable beauty standards that are perpetuated by the media. These standards cause people to feel uneasy about their bodies, which in turn makes it difficult for people to feel beautiful.
The beach is often represented in popular culture as a location in which individuals are assessed based on their looks, which may cause feelings of uneasiness and self-consciousness in those who visit.
It is difficult for many people to go to the beach without experiencing feelings of shame or inadequacy because society often puts pressure on individuals to conform to certain body types and to maintain a certain level of physical fitness. This makes it difficult for people to enjoy themselves at the beach.
In her piece, Roxane Gay makes the case that going to the beach, regardless of one’s physical appearance, can be a challenging experience for a lot of different individuals. She thinks that this is because people are feeling uneasy and self-conscious as a result of social pressures and beauty standards that have been propagated by the media. According to Gay, the beach is often depicted as a location in which individuals are assessed based on their looks, and he claims that this causes people to feel anxious and uncomfortable (Gay, pg 8). It is difficult for many people to go to the beach without having feelings of embarrassment or inadequacy because society often puts pressure on individuals to conform to certain body types and to maintain a certain level of physical fitness. This makes it difficult for people to enjoy themselves at the beach.
In order to provide evidence for her claim, Gay cites numerous important examples. She explores how the media perpetuates unattainable beauty standards that are out of reach for the majority of people and how these ideals are promoted. This contributes to a culture of body shaming and insecurity, both of which make it challenging for individuals to feel at ease at the beach. Gay also discusses how the beach is often represented in films and on television as a location where individuals are assessed depending on the look they project to others. This contributes to feelings of unease and self-consciousness by reinforcing the concept that an individual’s value is determined by their
