READ INSTRUCTIONS!!!
I will provide the Genesis text under the files. Please pick the passage only from the text I provide and make sure the passage is included with your work as well as cited with a page and line numbers. You can choose any 10-15 lines that you find suitable to write about starting from Chapter 1 to Chapter 30. The Genesis text As we have begun Genesis, I want to enhance your reading by looking closely at specific passages from the text. Through focusing on particular moments in a text, we can start to appreciate the complexity and detail of the literary works we read as well as get a sense of how to handle the language of a text. As in your previous close readings, this 2-page paper is a chance for you to do just that: you will interpret the meaning of a specific passage by analyzing its language, details, and structure–connecting what is said to how it is said. Your goal here is to uncover larger patterns–repetitions, contradictions, similarities–and analyze specific details like word choices, figurative language, senses evoked (visual, aural, or emotional), grammar, and syntax. In exploring the themes and meaning of the passage and focusing on how the language enhances or complicates that meaning, you will benefit from focusing on moments of ambiguity or tension: in other words, exploring some aspects of the passage that may suggest more than one meaning.
Instructions
Pick a passage: Select a passage (around 10 to 15 lines) from Genesis that you found particularly striking, interesting, or even confusing. Passages should be coherent—try to pick a moment in the text that makes sense to discuss on its own.
Transcribe a Passage: Copy the passage at the top of your paper, being careful with formatting and spelling. Note that Genesis is written mostly in prose, not in verse–so in most cases you will not need to use line breaks.
Contextualize and Paraphrase: Briefly introduce the passage you are focusing on by situating it within the larger context of the Genesis and describing concisely what is being said in your own words.
Observations and Analysis: Paying attention to the larger patterns (repetitions, contrasts, similarities) and specific details (word choices, figurative language, senses evoked, etc…), analyze how the passage is expressing the meaning or themes explored here. Focus on how aspects of the language, details, and structure enhance or complicate the meaning—you might benefit by focusing on ambiguities or tensions in the text. Be sure to quote from your passage throughout, supporting your explanation with textual evidence
Interpretation: You should conclude your paper with a summary of your interpretation of the passage’s meaning and how it connects to the language. Why is the passage being expressed this way? How did this impact our understanding of the meaning or themes developed here? You may choose to end with a larger question for exploration. Aim for a claim here that has some tension and drama, something that you would not have been able to say about this passage without close observation.
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