Period 2 Classwork on “Captive Audience” (9-22-14)
Instructions: Pick a partner to work with for this exercise. First, read the essay “Captive Audience” and disucss and determine the SOAPSTone for it. (This is an preliminary analysis and may not be entirely accurate--but you’ll make changes to is as you answer the question.) Then, work with your partner to answer the following questions. Use details from the essay and clear explanations for support. All the questions are designed to guide you towards a more accurate reading of the essay. If you begin to notice discrepancies in your answers, you may need to consider your overall analysis of the tone and purpose of the essay. I recommend that you skim through the questions to see if your initial tone analysis is accurate before you begin writing. Question #1 is the key to your success. If it is inaccurate, your responses to rest of the questions will probably also be inaccurate.
1. Explain what the subject, tone, and purpose* of this essay is. (*you’ll also need to include a discussion of the broader issue discussed by the writer—the global subject.)
2. What imagery/descriptions present in the 1st paragraph helps to convey the tone of the essay? Explain how the imagery/descriptions do this.
3. Are the descriptions of Robert Brennan (1st. par.) and Ms. Sandra Lewis Smith (2nd par. only) positive or negative? Explain. Why is the writer portraying them this way? (How does it contribute to the author’s overall tone and purpose in the essay?)
4. How is the Copa Comedy Troupe portrayed in the 3rd par.? (How does the writer feel about it and what specific details convey this impression? Explain how the details do this.)
5. Looking at lines 4-20 in the 3rd par., describe how the writer feels about the women prisoners. What impression is he conveying about them? How does this impression of the women contribute to the tone and purpose of the essay? Explain/Support.
6. What is the function of the last 7 lines of the essay (description of Ms. Smith)? What image is the writer trying to convey about Ms. Smith? Why is this an effective way for the writer to conclude his essay? (How does it emphasize the main point he is making in the essay?)
7. What are the characteristics of the writer’s intended audience? Discuss how the writer’s selection of the following details was purposely selected to influence his audience. Clearly discuss how the intended audience will react to them. Why would they react this way? (What views/values/beliefs does the audience have which explains this reaction? Explain/Discuss)
a. the use of “Ms. Smith” (instead of Miss. Smith or Mrs. Smith)
b. the title of Ms. Smith’s position—Director of Special Events for the Department of Corrections for the City of New York
c. the quotation of the profanities used by the Copa Comedy Troupe
d. the repetition of the fact that the women prisoners are young and pregnant
8. Explain the significance “Captive Audience,” the title of the essay. How does it help the author’s
purpose in the essay? Explain/Support.