Using one character from the novel, Tentacle by Rita Indiana, as an example, discuss the consequences of colonialism, capitalism, and globalization on modern notions of race, gender, sexuality, and/or class.
Where in the novel are allusions or references to colonialism, capitalism, and globalization made? In what contexts are they presented and how do they inform the character’s situation(s)?
How would you describe the character? How does the character understand themselves and others within a post-colonial, hyper-capitalist world? What influences this understanding (or misunderstanding)?
What is the character’s relationship to technology, the media, and/or popular culture (music, art, movies, etc.), and in what ways do they influence the character? What effect(s) do they have?
In what ways do the character’s circumstances, beliefs, values, and/or motives remain consistent or change within their timelines—their past, present, and, if applicable, their future?
How does the flow of time that structures the novel speak to the character’s experiences and expressions?
Your essay should include (i) a title that sets the stage for your paper and page numbers; (ii) an introductory paragraph with a clear thesis statement that prepares/alerts the reader to what your paper will be about; (iii) several main-body paragraphs that analyze examples from the text which strengthen/support your thesis; and (iv) a conclusion that summarizes the paper as a whole. Remember to cite/quote passages from the text—indicated in your paper by quotation marks followed by page numbers in parentheses—to explain how/why they are relevant to your interpretation, rather than using them in place of your own thoughts.
