"Synthesize: v. to combine a number of things into a coherent whole." -Oxford Dictionary
This week we were encouraged to take a shot at writing a synthesis essay for our blog post. Before beginning such daunting task (how can I write something we haven't even talked about?!? Surely I will die trying) I thought I would ponder the ideas of synthesizing. To bring together and find an underlying meaning throughout multiple works is essentially a compare/contrast minus the contrast right? I simply am trying to make this as basic as I can so that I can understand what exactly I'm supposed to do, because I'm in need of guidance. Anyway here's my shot at an brief body paragraph for a synthesis essay we worked on earlier this week. (Also my picture is of my council from stugo camp this summer because I've never "come together" with a group of people like those and we became one close unit and I still talk to all of them. It's kind of like a Synthesis since it was us coming together as a group, I had no clue of what to do for a picture so I did that.)
Through the oppression of those seen as "different" a group can dehumanize themselves and create a "mob mentality" that essentially protects them from feeling guilty. This oppression is nothing new in our society, quite the contrary actually, even in the 1800's people like Edwards said that God would, "tread on" and "cast out sinners" (Source D). This ostracizing of those who are different leads to the group losing their single identity and being seen as the "Ideal" people. Just as Indians are cast out of white society, Alexie was cast out of Indian society because skin color, "doesn't make two men brothers" (Source E). This example of how the group that is being oppressed chooses to oppress one of their own shows how deep rooted the dehumanization can be. Alexie has nobody to relate to; not whites and certainly not Indians. The dehumanization of oppressed and oppressor is deep seeded in human nature and not likely to go anywhere anytime soon.
Props to you for taking a shot at a synthesis body paragraph. I also agree when you say that dehumanization occurs when people who are a part of an oppressed group often oppress one of their own . Also, I found it interesting that you said that the same dehumanization will perpetuate.
ReplyDeleteI like how you elaborated on the prompt that was discussed in class, and how your voice come through in the first paragraph.
ReplyDeleteI like how your synthesis paragraph ties in the different sources given and is coherent. Great job!
ReplyDeleteGreat synthesis. You used multiple sources effectively to back up a single claim. That is the definition of a synthesis essay in my eyes. Nice!
ReplyDelete