Stephen, Now that I have read your paper, I am second guessing my own! Giovanni’s Room is one of my favorite novels, but I was afraid to tackle it! Nonetheless, the first thing that I noticed right off hand was your spacing. It looks like at the very beginning between you heading and your title, then the title and the body, there is a bit too much space; easy fix! I am well aware that this is a draft, like you’ve mentioned. I hate doing peer reviews because often times my stuff is messed up myself! Lol! I hope my comments will help, even if just a little. • I think your first two paragraphs would be best combined since it is continued information on the same subject. • I read the brief synopsis that you had given us on your paper, and you shared your argument there. However, when reading your actually paper, you wrote, “I would like to consider an earlier work, James Baldwin’s 1956 novel Giovanni’s Room, which likewise contains both literal and figurative palimpsests”. Is this your thesis? If so, is there any sources that argue that the novel is not both literal and figurative? Or is there not arguing, you’re just attempting to persuade/inform the reader? • The idea has shown up in fiction in a “surprising way”, how? Maybe explain just a tad of how it shows up in The Book Thief. • The paragraph starting with “As Sarah Dillion”, the first thing I wonder was who is she? I wondered the same thing about Carmen Musat. Are they authors? Anthropologist? Maybe introduce them in a word or two before quoting! I had a bad habit of not doing this until I had a professor write “WHO!?” like 50 times on my paper! lol… Read more »
Hi Tiffany,
Thank you so much for the thoughtful and thorough feedback. Every one of your points gives me something useful to think about. I will continue to look at them closely as I revise my paper. Please know how appreciative I am.
Take care,
Stephen
P.S. It is not true that you are “not really good” at doing peer reviews.
Stephen, Now that I have read your paper, I am second guessing my own! Giovanni’s Room is one of my favorite novels, but I was afraid to tackle it! Nonetheless, the first thing that I noticed right off hand was your spacing. It looks like at the very beginning between you heading and your title, then the title and the body, there is a bit too much space; easy fix! I am well aware that this is a draft, like you’ve mentioned. I hate doing peer reviews because often times my stuff is messed up myself! Lol! I hope my comments will help, even if just a little. • I think your first two paragraphs would be best combined since it is continued information on the same subject. • I read the brief synopsis that you had given us on your paper, and you shared your argument there. However, when reading your actually paper, you wrote, “I would like to consider an earlier work, James Baldwin’s 1956 novel Giovanni’s Room, which likewise contains both literal and figurative palimpsests”. Is this your thesis? If so, is there any sources that argue that the novel is not both literal and figurative? Or is there not arguing, you’re just attempting to persuade/inform the reader? • The idea has shown up in fiction in a “surprising way”, how? Maybe explain just a tad of how it shows up in The Book Thief. • The paragraph starting with “As Sarah Dillion”, the first thing I wonder was who is she? I wondered the same thing about Carmen Musat. Are they authors? Anthropologist? Maybe introduce them in a word or two before quoting! I had a bad habit of not doing this until I had a professor write “WHO!?” like 50 times on my paper! lol… Read more »
Hi Tiffany,
Thank you so much for the thoughtful and thorough feedback. Every one of your points gives me something useful to think about. I will continue to look at them closely as I revise my paper. Please know how appreciative I am.
Take care,
Stephen
P.S. It is not true that you are “not really good” at doing peer reviews.