Annotated biography
Sazelene
Rogers_Trayce_Annotated_Bibliography211.docxRogers 2
Rogers 2
Trayce Rogers
Ms. Grabiec
English 102-W06
April 26, 2020
Capital Punishment: Annotated Bibliography.
Thesis: Capital punishment can be an effective and just punishment for people who commit horrific crimes.
Alexie, Sherman. “Capital Punishment.” Arguing about Literature: a Guide and Reader, edited by John Schilb and John Clifford, 2nd ed., Bedford/St. Martins, 2017, pp. 993–1005.
Sherman Alexie is a celebrated poet and novelist. In the 1996 poem “Capital Punishment," he highlights the horrifying environment that pertains to the execution of law offenders. Alexie believes that killing is unlawful and morally wrong. He takes a firm stand that both society and the state stand guilty for condemning an individual to a death penalty. The experiences in the Washington based prison execution chambers are horrifying that no one should be subjected to just for superficial reasons. He further points out those death penalties are racially motivated.
The speaker, who is a cook at the prison, throughout the poem, literally struggles to justify the idea of being a witness. It is ironic for the speaker to be referred to as a witness. A witness is supposed to see an event, typically a crime taking place, which the speaker does not do. It means that the speaker takes no stand and therefore has no opinion on the events taking place "(I am not a witness)" (5-79). However, this changes towards the end of the poem when the speaker takes a stand "(I am a Witness)" (102), showing that the speaker accepts being complicit in the execution of prisoners.
There is a general tone of guilt, regret, sorrow, and air of depression engulfed in the speakers' mind. Even though capital Punishment is exemplified in the law evidenced with the speakers' words, “I prepare the last meal for free/just like I signed up for the last war” (42-43). The speakers constantly repeat his phrase "(I am not a witness)" evokes the idea of guilt and denial. "1 death+ 1 death=2 deaths but we throw the killers in one grave and the victims in another" (98-100) justifies the speakers' idea of death as a finality yet two wrongs do not make a right.
Ogletree, Charles J. “Condemned to Die Because He’s Black.” Arguing about Literature: a Guide and Reader, edited by John Schilb and John Clifford, 2nd ed., Bedford/St. Martins, 2017, pp. 993–1005.
Otis, Bill. “George Will's Limp Case Against the Death Penalty.” Arguing about Literature: a Guide and Reader, edited by John Schilb and John Clifford, 2nd ed., Bedford/St. Martins, 2017, pp. 993–1005.
George Will finds it difficult to imagine the moral reasoning towards administering the death penalty to the offenders. In his Washington Post, George confirms that death sentence to those who commit heinous crimes is immoral. This came when the heat of sentencing Boston marathon terrorist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev who allegedly placed a bomb in a crowd. As a result, Nebraska liberals passed a bill abolishing the death penalty, further reducing the number of states with the death penalty from 32 to 15. George's efforts in the corridors of justice" Limp case against the death penalty" is slowly gaining ground. George puts his argument is threefold. Firstly, the government's power to inflict death is an act of pretense and is discordant with conservatism. Secondly, the death penalty is not a merit to justice once inflicted; it cannot be corrected. This means that in the wake of new evidence, the prisoner will be no more this; therefore demands extraordinary competence from the government. For instance, since 1978, more than 140 prisoners that had already been given a death sentence getting acquitted of their crimes. Thirdly, George argues that the administration of the death sentence is infrequent and prolonged that their power to persuade is reduced. The process is also expensive, given the high legal protocol requirements.
Will, George. “Capital Punishment’s Slow Death.” Arguing about Literature: a Guide and Reader, edited by John Schilb and John Clifford, 2nd ed., Bedford/St. Martins, 2017, pp. 993–1005.
MLA 8 format Works Cited entry (hanging indent and all)
● small paragraph (50-75 words) on what the piece is about- in hanging-indent margin
● small paragraph (50-75) on why that piece will or will not be useful in the future to the author.
Very often, even pieces that do NOT support the writer’s thesis are still included and important because they provide the refutation information needed to show the author has fully researched the opposing ideas and can still maintain a sound academic argument- in hanging-indent margin
Assignment: 1. Read through the OWL Purdue Annotated Bibliography documents in the assignments (Annotated Bibliography) folder on the definition and creation of an annotated bibliographytaking the time to look at the sample below as well. Review the information available in ACHIEVE Week 13 Folder.
2. Read through the assigned readings from the course schedule related to your topic of marriage OR capital punishment.
3. Be sure to have a "summary" paragraph and a "this would/would not be useful" paragraph- as well as a working thesis listed just below the title. See the example attached below.
4. Create an alphabetically ordered annotated bibliography that includes each piece of writing in the correct order and MLA 8 page-layout as outlined below: 550-650 words required (including citations)
5. Each entry (total of four) should contain:
a. MLA 8 Works Cited entry for the piece
b. One paragraph summarizing the piece. This should include all the main ideas and what the author’s purpose appears to be for the piece (50-75 words depending on the piece).
i. Give 1-2 direct quote snippets as specific examples for your thoughts.
