Synthesis is the kind of paper that looks at how a collection of articles approach a subject. In other words, it is reflective and requires you to think and analyze across a number of sources. We will be reading some short essays, watching a Ted talk, and visiting a few websites on the topic of the slavery in America and where we are now in the black lives matter movement.
You will be looking for places where the sources agree, disagree, reinforce, subvert, and contradict. This is a paper where the sources are talking to each other and you are presenting your analysis of the places where they agree and contradict each other
After that you will write a well-crafted thesis statement stating how you will analyze how the sources are synthesized. You will be quoting from the sources, so do not forget quotation marks and a works cited page. The paper will be 1,500-1800 words.
Sources for the Synthesis Paper: Read: “In Whose Honor” by Alex Barker Read: “You want a Confederate Monument?” Read: Whose Heritage? Read: Robert E Lee Read: This is Sacred Ground Read: As Monuments Come Down Read: Monuments Must Go Read: Southern Symbols Read: Confederate Delusions Ted Talk
Billie Holiday-Strange fruit- HD Strange Fruit (lyrics)
Southern trees bear a strange fruit Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees
Pastoral scene of the gallant South
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth Scent of magnolia, sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh
Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck
For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop
Here is a strange and bitter crop
There are 10 sources listed here.
You do not have to use all of them in your paper, but you will need to read all of them in order to make the decisions about how you will compose your synthesis. For the final paper include at least 5-6 sources.
