Through the process of drafting a couple of the parts of my ADE project, I’ve slowly started to better visualize what it will actually look like and how each piece with be structured. I think that my focus has slightly shifted since I began working on the project, so I’ll definitely have to review and edit each individual annotation to make sure they all fit together and are cohesive with my thesis. I also feel that some of my arguments in the annotations haven’t been the most coherent, as I wasn’t really thinking about anyone else reading them while they were still drafts. Supporting my points with strong, clear evidence is something I need to work on before each annotation gets published on my ePortfolio site.
I will also need to edit my earlier annotations because, as I’ve gotten further into the project, I’ve continued to learn more about the context surrounding Ten Days in a Mad-House. Through some of our class readings, I’ve learned about some of the ways mental illness was treated at the time, which may apply to Nellie as an “insane” woman in an asylum. I still have more to learn about gender roles in the 19th century, but hopefully I’ll be able to get some more information from my secondary sources and other research.
This is a thoughtful entry, MK, and I like how you are able to describe and name how messy the drafting process is! This is an entirely normal thing, although when we’re in the midst of it, it feels humbling to say the least. Anyway, I think you are making good progress on your research and thinking, and as you refine your argument based on what the text will actually support, you can indeed to back and update your annotations. Keep in touch about this; if talking it through would help, let me know and we can set up an appt.