- The introduction to set up your analysis (or multiple versions of your introduction, if you’re considering a couple approaches)
- Your thesis statement, which reflects the worksheet we used in class today
- Three or four supporting claims for your thesis (these are the distinct points of analysis that will anchor your body paragraphs).
Introduction:
This year’s theme for Show Some Skin was Drop The Wall, a movement and an undeniably powerful social commentary that pushes us to reflect on the metaphorical wall that individuals, be it, students or staff, at Notre Dame build around themselves to protect them from the discrimination and the problems they face on campus. The building of this figurative wall is a valid double-edged response: while it protects the identities of these individuals, it steers them towards further isolation and causes the bigger problem of discrimination not to be addressed . . .
Thesis (placed at the end of Introduction):
With that much said, the production this year illuminates the inequality and the unfair treatment faced at Notre Dame, it invites the large white demographic of Notre Dame to realise the discrimination, be it racism or sexism, faced by their minority peers and does so effectively through various means, successfully reinforcing the message conveyed the public eye. The stories of discrimination are demonstrated through various theatrical strategies. It could be from the choice of actors in specific monologues or even the small little actions that they do to show their frustration and anger. These all work cohesively together to paint a powerful narrative and these shared stories and the way they are conveyed all strive to elicit worthwhile change among the Notre Dame community.
OR
With that much said, the production this year places a lot of emphasis on the isolation of certain individuals. Many of the monologues recount the physical and emotional trauma faced by these individuals, but the larger emphasis isn’t specifically just that. It is the isolation felt by these individuals as they strive to breakdown the figurative walls they placed around themselves but have to constantly re-build it with fear of losing their identity and conforming. The stories of isolation and the message conveyed are demonstrated through the production’s various design choices from the attire the actors wear, to the number of actors strategically placed on the stage. The vocal intonations of the various acts further reinforce the emotional appeal of the show and put forth a powerful message to the audience.
Supporting Claims/Topic Sentences:
One way the production attempts to address discrimination is through its use of actors. Specifically for the Carpet Hair and I Remember Being Asian In America, an African and an Asian actress was used respectively. The races of the actors used in this monologue strengthen the credibility of the act and paints a stronger narrative. While it was made clear that the monologue does not belong to the actors who are acting in their specific play, using actors who are of the same race as the monologue clearly implies allows the audience to build a stronger connection with the monologue and thus are more emotionally affected by it.
OR
Another way the production attempt to shed light on the inequality amongst the different racial demographic groups at Notre Dame is through the actions that they do on the stage. For instance, during the Carpet Hair monologue, when the first instance “carpet hair” was mentioned to the actress, she promptly gasps in horror before walking to the back of the stage and grabbing a chair to slam in the middle of the stage. The term “carpet hair” when spoken out of context might not be very derogatory, but in this specific monologue, her reactions meant that this was a direct insult to her identity, an insult to her lineage as a Sudanese women and the reaction of anger and frustration was justified and even conveyed a more powerful message.
OR
One of the ways the production attempts to accomplish or rather, convey the message of isolation and its effects are through the use of costumes. Through all the acts, the actors are seen wearing a black from head-to-toe. This not only helped with addressing the idea of anonymity, but it also helps make all the acts homogenous almost as if everyone was a “blank slate” speaking out. Black was also an effective color in conveying a sombre mood of loneliness and despair, if the actors were seen wearing colors like yellow or red, some of the monologues would not have the same impact as they did. By using black, the message of isolation is reinforced further and creates very powerful rhetoric.
Munyen's Writing Journey 