In Saidiya Hartman’s essay “Wayward: A Short Entry,” she examines how waywardness is a
person’s right to behave free of social shackles through many definitions. In Alexis Gumb’s
essay “an element of radical waywardness,” she follows the ways one unnamed individual’s
waywardness enables a community to find a “tilting magic” in themselves and one another.
Write an essay in which you use either the Hartman essay or the Gumbs essay (lens A) as a
“lens” through which you read a short story by ZZ Packer, “Every Tongue Shall Confess” (source B).
Use the ideas in one of the essays to analyze how “Every Tongue Shall Confess” both adhere to the typical definition of the wayward, while also altering its meaning. Think about how the
lens both fits and does not fit the subject. Actively seek out the difference between lens A
and subject B. Use the differences to make an interpretive leap.
If these two texts differ significantly in their definition, consider why that is. It may be tied to
historical context, race, gender, or class. (It helps to look up the publication dates for each text, for instance.) On the flip side, if they are similar, consider why.
A successful lens will not try to apply the essay to every aspect of “Every Tongue Shall
Confess.” Therefore, it is important that you tightly focus your analysis of this text. You might
choose to analyze the role of one character, for instance, or one or two scenes, or a particular
theme.
In order to successfully apply a lens, you will first have to carefully analyze each text. Consider the various ways we have already practiced critically analyzing texts in the class. What are the most significant details/sentences in the texts? What moves does each author make in terms
of logos, pathos, and ethos? Can you identify in both texts what claims are being stated (and
implied) and how they are supported? Try to uncover unstated assumptions: given its overt
claim, what must each text also already believe?
Avoid turning comparisons into a pointless matching exercise—set up the similarities and
differences to discuss the significance of those similarities and differences.
You will need to use several examples—quotations and paraphrases—from one of the essays
and Packer in order to support your argument, while also including a clear thesis statement that defines your argument. Please adhere to APA Style. The paper must be between 1,200-1,500
words in length.
