While watching this excerpt from Pulp Fiction, consider how each line of dialogue models an aspect of critical writing—mainly the ability to reflect and rethink in a continual process of reevaluation. Using the handout posted to Canvas, we will practice “says/does” reading as described by Carillo (2017) to explain the content and function of each line of dialogue: that is, the recitation of a Biblical passage (content) introduces an anecdote for imminent analysis and grants the aura of moral authority to the speaker.
This “says/does” exercise is useful for critical reading and writing, as it forces you to engage with content and function and can help create templates for your own writing.
Additionally, this exercise demonstrates the claim as an interpretive problem: that is, a tension or question we puzzle over and explore, instead of a problem to be conclusively solved or an argument to be proved. In our essays for this class, we will focus on offering a specific set of ideas and exploring and explaining to the reader how we got to those ideas—much like Jules does here in Pulp Fiction.
