User:Barney Murphy/OLES2129

TUTORIAL 3:
Featured Article: To Kill a Mockingbird

Chosen Source: Lubet, Steven (May 1999). "Reconstructing Atticus Finch", Michigan Law Review 97 (6)pp. 1339–1362. doi:10.2307/1290205

Scholarship: The article is authored by Steven Lubet, a legal scholar and author at Northwestern University in Illinois, USA. The article was originally published by the Michigan Law Review Association in May of 1999. Both these facts suggest that the source is highly reliable as it is published by a scholar who has published numerous books and peer-reviewed articles, hence it can be deduced that his work would be free from bias or unverified facts. The information within Lubet's articles is footnoted and cited consistently, therefore the information within the journal article is independently verifiable.

Context: The source was published originally in 1999, whilst 'To Kill a Mockingbird', the topic of the source, was published in 1960. Whilst there is over 30 years between the publication of both texts, the establishment of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' as a 'classic' suggests that even scholarship on the novel published today and in the future will continue to remain relevant as the book has enduring applicability to the human condition. The audience of this article, given its publication in the Michigan Law Review, is likely to be individuals studying law or philosophy as Lubet raises some moral and ethical questions within the source. Lubet's intention in the article is to determine whether "Atticus Finch is a paragon of honour or an especially slick hired gun" (Lubet, 1999, p. 1362), a debate Lubet fails to conclude by the end of the article.

Content: The review examines the representation of Atticus Finch in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' in order to determine whether he is the courageous lawyer he is deemed as in contemporary analyses or "just another working lawyer playing out his narrow, determined role" (Lubet, 1999, p. 1340). As the article seeks to reach a stance on Atticus Finch's moral character, Lubet examines the text and draws conclusions which, whilst supported by textual evidence, may be considered opinion by readers. The review balances personal opinion with facts, making it neither totally subjective nor totally objective. The style of the text is that of a review, so it is written in academic style using formal, scholarly language. Its structure is as follows:

1. Introduction

2. Three Narratives

a) Scout's Story

b) Tom's Story

c) Mayella's Story

3. The Defence of Tom Robinson

a) If Tom Robinson Told the Truth

b) If Tom Robinson Lied

c) If Atticus Didn't Care

4. Reconsidering the Rape Defence

5. Reconsidering the Defence Lawyer

6. Race, Class, and Gender in Maycomb, Alabama

7. Conclusion

TUTORIAL 2:
Activity 1:

The random article selected was Fire Hall No. 1 Kentucky. It resides within Wikipedia's National Register of Historic Places, which is seeks to draw attention to historic sites in the United States on Wikipedia's National Register of Historic Places. It is also a part of the WikiProject Tennessee and WikiProject Fire Service.

It is currently ranked 'low-importance' on all three projects' Importance Scales. In order to elevate the page to an A-class article, some steps that could be taken are:
 * more information about the Fire Hall and its history provided to supply the audience with context
 * information regarding the historical significance of the hall for Kentucky to reaffirm its status as an important historical site
 * draw closer links between the Fire Hall and its respective projects. For example, highlighting how the Hall relates and contributes to Wikipedia's National Register of Historic Places and the Tennessee and Fire Service WikiProjects.

Activity 2:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Narender_Singh_Ahlawat#Speculation_box_added