When it comes to writing a persuasive paper, simply stating facts and personal opinion will do little to convince others of your point. Outcome 2 deals with the connection of outside evidence to advance one’s own argument: tying an expert’s work into your own will not only establish your knowledge of the topic and expertise in the reader’s mind, but it also must be used to build support for your argument. Additional evidence certainly allows for deeper analysis of your own claim, and the reader will certainly appreciate more than your personal opinion on the subject. However, if done improperly, outside sources can easily detract from your point and confuse the reader. Integrating quotes or paraphrases into writing takes plenty of practice, and by the end of the quarter I had fully mastered the ability to converse with outside sources in a single paper.

            Major Paper 2 is the shining example of my intertextuality skills, as it synthesizes the works of several different experts and utilizes them to provide examples of racism that can be linked to White Chicks. Whether an analysis of children’s books or race in basketball, the sources I used for “Black Blockbusters: An Analysis of Stereotypes in the Cinema” are varied and each is used uniquely to support my argument. In paragraph 2 I utilize the evidence from a psychology journal to define stereotypes, and use it to establish my expertise with the keyword “stereotype.” By fully quoting from the journal, I am able to converse directly with its authors, present my understanding of the article, and strategically introduce my audience to stereotypes.

            My best example of intertextuality occurs in page 6, where I flawlessly integrate Latimer’s “ostrich-in-the-sand syndrome” into my argument and claim that White Chicks is in fact supporting racial stereotypes by following this syndrome.  By responsibly integrating this idea from Bettye Latimer, I am able to tie my argument to an expert’s analysis of race and focus my analysis of White Chicks to this particular syndrome throughout the paragraph. The purpose of expert evidence is to show your audience another’s perspective and tie your argument to their expert analysis – and this moment in my paper certainly accomplishes that feat.

            Outcome 2 also preaches the importance of MLA, which to some may seem like a useless practice. However, MLA drastically improves the appearance and readability of your paper, allows your audience to find your sources with little effort, and most importantly keeps from being framed of plagiarism. Who thought that adding a works cited page and adding in-text citations could be so beneficial?

            Major Paper 2 displays my best use of outside evidence, as I apply various studies and expert analysis of racial stereotypes to the film White Chicks. Being able to link expert opinion in your writing is crucial to convincing your audience of the validity of your claim. Outcome 2 has given me the skills to synthesize an essay that applies the thoughts of other experts to strengthen my argumentative writing.