Article analysis

Essay Prompt Compare James Porter’s “Olmec Colossal Heads as Recarved Thrones” (1989) to Claude François Baudez’s “Beauty and Ugliness in Olmec Monumental Sculpture” (2012).Both Porter and Baudez advance ideas about Olmec colossal heads.Summarize their hypotheses briefly in your own words and without quotation. Most of your essay should be devoted to an analysis of the evidence used by both authors.Whose argument do you find more persuasive and why? Employ critical analysis skills to address Porter’s and Baudez’s work. While preparing your essay,remember that “critical analysis” refers to the dissection of an argument. Critical analysis is notbased on writing style nor on belief, but on reason.The essay should have an introductory paragraph containing your thesis statement, and a closing paragraph with a summary of your conclusion(s).

Paper outline:

I. Introduction: A. Brief description of colossal heads (include date, period name, sites) B. Authors 1 argues______ C. Authors 2 argues_________ D. Thesis: I will argue that author ___ is stronger because____________

II. Body 1 A. Summary of two of the author’s thesis.

III.Body 2 A. Author 1 argues_______ B. (Be critical; provide evidence, why and why not)

IV.Body 3 A. Author 2 argues_______

V. Body 4 A. I argue ____________ because______ B. Compare and contrast two articles.

VI.Conclusion: A. Restate the thesis B. Summarize the evidence C. No New material.