English

Understanding Your Assignment 📚

This guide will help you research and write your 6-8 page literary analysis/research paper on Trevor Noah's Born a Crime, focusing on your chosen prompt question.

Your paper requires:

• Topic: Choose ONE of the five provided questions.

• Sources: Primarily scholarly sources from the campus library.

• Noah's Book: Born a Crime is your primary evidence; use quotations, paraphrases, and summaries, and cite properly. Do not summarize the entire book.

• External Research: Use outside sources only if addressing Question 4 (Apartheid vs. Jim Crow).

• MLA Format: Proper citations and a Works Cited page.

• Deliverables: Research Prospectus (1-2 pages) and Annotated Bibliography (at least 5 sources).

Choosing Your Question & Initial Focus 🎯

Select one question from the list. Your choice will dictate your research focus.

1. Humor: Focus on humor's role in his life.

2. Language & American Perception: Explore language's influence and how Americans view him.

3. Noah & Patricia's Relationship: Analyze his mother's unconventional parenting and its effects.

4. Apartheid vs. Jim Crow: Compare and contrast these systems. (This is the only question requiring external scholarly research beyond literary analysis of the book itself).

5. Language & Human Culture: Examine language's role in his observations of human culture.

Structuring Your Paper ✍️

Every point you make must relate to your thesis. Avoid summarizing the entire book.

1. Introduction:

   • Hook your reader.

   • Provide background on Born a Crime and Trevor Noah (briefly).

   • State your thesis statement, a clear argument responding directly to your chosen question.

2. Body Paragraphs:

   • Each paragraph should present a distinct point that supports your thesis.

   • Topic Sentence: Introduce the paragraph's main idea.

   • Evidence: Integrate direct quotations, paraphrases, and summaries from Born a Crime (and external sources for Q4) to support your claims.

   • Analysis: Explain how your evidence supports your point and connects back to your thesis. This is crucial for a literary analysis. Don't just present the quote; explain its significance.

   • Transition: Link to the next paragraph.

3. Conclusion:

   • Restate your thesis in new words.

   • Summarize your main points.

   • Offer a final thought or broader implication of your analysis.

Researching Your Topic 🔍

Your main source is Born a Crime. For external research (only for Question 4), utilize the campus library databases for scholarly articles and books.

For Question 4 (Apartheid vs. Jim Crow):

You'll need to research:

• Apartheid: Its history, laws, social impact, and a breakdown of its system.

• Jim Crow Laws: Their history, specific laws, social impact, and parallels/differences to apartheid.

Keyword Suggestions for Database Searches:

• Apartheid "South Africa history"

• "Jim Crow laws" United States segregation

• racial discrimination comparison

• apartheid vs Jim Crow

• post-apartheid challenges

• civil rights movement America

Database Tips:

• Use academic databases like JSTOR, Literature Criticism, or Academic Search Complete.

• Filter results for scholarly articles or peer-reviewed journals.

For Questions 1, 2, 3, 5:

Your primary research will be close reading and analysis of Born a Crime. You will quote, paraphrase, and summarize sections of the book to support your points. While external scholarly sources are generally not required for these questions, understanding key concepts (e.g., "the role of humor in autobiography" or "linguistic identity") might enhance your analysis. If you do consult such sources, ensure they are scholarly and used to inform your literary analysis, not to replace it.

Keywords to consider when analyzing the book:

• Trevor Noah humor

• "Born a Crime" language

• Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah parenting style

• identity in autobiography

• post-apartheid society

Note: Try keywords with and without quotation marks.

Research Prospectus & Annotated Bibliography 📝

These pre-paper assignments are essential for organizing your research.

1. Research Prospectus (1-2 pages)

This document outlines your plan for the paper. It should include:

• Chosen Question: Clearly state the question you will address.

• Initial Thesis/Argument: Your preliminary answer or argument for the chosen question.

• Research Strategy: How you plan to approach research (e.g., specific chapters of Born a Crime, types of external sources if applicable).

• Preconceptions: What prior knowledge or initial thoughts do you have about the topic? How might these influence your perspective?

• Challenges/Questions: Any anticipated difficulties or specific questions you hope your research will answer.

2. Annotated Bibliography (at least 5 sources)

This is a list of the sources you plan to use, formatted like a Works Cited page, but with an added explanation for each entry.

• MLA Citation: Properly cite each source according to MLA guidelines.

• Annotation: After each citation, write 1-2 sentences explaining:

  • What the source is about: Briefly summarize its content.

  • How it will help your paper: Explain its relevance to your thesis and chosen question. For Born a Crime, mention which aspects or chapters you plan to analyze. For external sources (Q4), explain how they contribute to your comparison.