Native American

Analytical Paper with Outline:
(5 pgs. Typed, MLA style formatting, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins)

For the midterm, you are asked to write an analytical paper focusing on one of the writing
prompts below. Begin by constructing a strong thesis statement, supporting your argument with
specific and applicable evidence and analysis from the readings. Analyze and explain how your
examples support the argument you are trying to make. You are asked to include one secondary
source in the paper. Be specific as possible throughout, avoiding generalizations and too easy
answers that flatten rather than bring depth to the texts. You are asked to turn in a 5pg. paper,
and a detailed outline.

Analytical Paper Objectives:
1. The paper makes an argument from the beginning, and sustains the argument until the
conclusion.
2. The paper engages in literary analysis: the use of textual evidence and critical close
reading skills through which to support the larger argument of the paper.
3. The paper incorporates the use of secondary sources as historical and/or
theoretical/critical background.
4. The paper correctly uses MLA style formatting throughout, citing passages and sources
correctly. A works cited page is included.
5. The paper is free from major grammatical and mechanical errors throughout.
6.Make sure the thesis statement supports an argumentative claim about the two texts you are
analyzing.

In contradistinction to representations of Native communities, particularly Native men, as stoic and humorless, Chris Eyre’s “Smoke Signals” centers the power and efficacy of Native humor. Develop an argument and analysis about the role of humor in the film. How might humor serve as a conduit for community bonds, survival, and resistance as represented in the film? Contextualize your discussion through background/theory on
humor in Indigenous communities.