a. The prompt is asking me to evaluate whether or not the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. is an appropriate tribute to the Vietnam veterans.
b. After reading the background information, I am leaning towards the belief that the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is an appropriate tribute to the veterans.
c. Sources that support my position include Source A (Ayers), Source B (Lin), and Source E (Corbitt).
d. A source that seems to run counter to my position is Source C (Carhart).
e. Some quotes I can use in my essay include:
- From Source A (Ayers): "The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is an intersection of two reflective walls set below the ground. The walls list the names of the Americans who died in the conflict."
- From Source B (Lin): "The reflective quality of the monument coupled with the park-like setting around it pays evocative tribute to a complex moment in American history."
- From Source E (Corbitt): "The Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors all veterans of war, providing a space for reflection and remembrance."
f. Overarching themes in the works include reflection, remembrance, tribute, and complexity of the Vietnam conflict.
g. I can group the sources by discussing the reflective and evocative nature of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the honoring of veterans of war, and the differing opinions on whether the memorial is appropriate.
h. Brief outline:
- Introduction
- Reflective and evocative nature of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Sources A and B)
- Honoring veterans of war (Source E)
- Counter-argument: differing opinions on the appropriateness of the memorial (Source C)
- Conclusion
I will now begin writing the synthesis essay using the outlined structure and incorporating quotes from the selected sources.
Introduction:
The Vietnam Conflict was arguably the most contentious in American History The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, located on the National Mall in Washington DC., was also a contentious choice. A wild departure from the tall monuments of other wars, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is an intersection of two reflective walls set below the ground. The walls list the names of the Americans who died in the conflict. Some have referred to the monument as a black, tomb-like hole that dishonors the survivors of the Vietnam War. Others feel that the reflective quality of the monument coupled with the park-like setting around it pays evocative tribute to a complex moment in American history.Read the following sources (including any introductory information) carefully. Then write a synthesis essay in which you evaluate whether or not the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C is an appropriate tribute to the Vietnam veterans
Refer to the sources by their titles (Source A, Source B, etc.) or by the descriptions in the parentheses
Source A (Ayers)
Source B (Lin)
Source C (Carhart)
Source D (Remembering)
Source E (Corbitt)
Sources:
A. YALE SENIOR, A VIETNAM MEMORIAL AND A FEW IRONTES, by B. Drummond
B. THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL by Maya Ling Yin
C. INSULTING VIETNAM VETS, by Tom Carhart
D. HOW TO REMEMBER VIL INAM
E HONORING VETERANS OF WAR AND ANTI-WAR by Phyllis S. Corbitt
Keep the following questions in mind and make sure to answer them in your essay
a. What is the prompt asking you to take a position on, what is it asking you to do?
b. After reading the background info, what is your gut opinion on which side you want to take? Go with this one!
c. Which sources support your position? Make an indication so you can come back to those later.
d. Which sources seem to run counter to your position? Pick at least one of these to read for your counter-argument.
e. As you are reading, be on the lookout for anything (quotes) you can use in your paper later Mark them so you can find them as you are writing
f. What are some overarching themes you notice in the works you read?
g. How can you use these themes to group the sources you read? How will you combine them? You will need to use 3 sources overall, but please don't use more than 4 (for time purposes).
i. Yes, this means you can use a source twice For example, if you have talked about Source A and Source B in the first paragraph, you can then talk about Source B and Source E in the second paragraph.
ii You MUST have more than one source per body paragraph.
h.Make a brief outline and pick pertinent quotes from your sources if you haven't yet
1 answer