Claim "Spectrum"

1. Claim "Spectrum" • All claims must be simultaneously “argumentative” and “arguable.” • Argumentative: not obvious, something that someone might be interesting in disagreeing with/in conversation with other academic work • Arguable: can be supported effectively using viable evidence and analysis. Not speculative or populated by inappropriate assumptions. • Truly effective claims will strike a balance between these two poles, achieving both a somewhat “risky” argumentative position that is ALSO persuasive in its supporting evidence and analysis.

2. Evaluating Claims • Arguable, but not Argumentative: • Pointed Summary • Analytic points that amount to common-sense platitudes (“pride goes before a fall”) • “First level” interpretive observations EX. Draculais a novel that comments upon the status of science in late 19thCentury Europe. EX. The novel thematizes family and gender to suggest that blood is thicker than water.

3. Evaluating Claims EX. Dracula is a novel that comments upon the status of science in late 19th Century Europe. • What do I do if my claim is Arguable, but not Argumentative? • Ask critical questions to make it more specific (“Comments” in what way? What is the “status” of science in the novel?) • Return to the evidence and make use of more detailed analysis

4. Evaluating Claims • Argumentative, but not Arguable • Speculative claims which rely on character motivations not in the text, hypothetical situations, or authorial intent. • Claims which require forms of research which you don’t have academic support for (historical, political, etc) EX. The vampire in Draculais representative of attitudes towards 19th Century gender relations, since back then, everyone thought of women as worthless. EX. Dracula reflects Bram Stoker’s limited understanding of the Orient and his fear that war with the East was immanent.

5. Evaluating Claims EX.The vampire in Dracula is representative of attitudes towards 19th Century gender relations, since back then, everyone thought of women as worthless. • What do I do if my claim is Argumentative, but not Arguable? • Do research to fill in the gaps (history of 19th C gender?) • Avoid basing your claim on these assumptions by asking different questions (What is the status of gender in the novel? How do you interpret these patterns in gender?) • Return to the textual evidence and make use of more detailed analysis (where can I use the TEXT to say this?)