Analytical Synthesis

Today youll learn - what synthesis is - how it applies to both our short text study and our research internal - what synthesis looks like

How youll learn - Ill tell you what synthesis is - Youll find it in an exemplar - Youll create your own analysis using synthesis in response to a specific question - Youll present back to the whole group on what you found

Synthesis

Defined as a combination, particularly in reference to a combination of ideas used to form a theory or a system. It is different to analysis because analysis involves the unpacking of a single object, whereas synthesis uses the unpacking of multiple objects in order to make judgements about a body of work.

For us, synthesis is looking across the texts that weve studied as a way of engaging with the broader intentions of the genre

Synthesis

Its about using the parts in order to make a judgement about the whole. So, for example, by using short stories from the Dirty Realism genre, we can start to make judgements about Dirty Realism as a whole. By looking at individual Ford texts, we can make some judgements about Fords style as a whole.

What it should look like at Level 3

An awareness of how the texts speak to each other - this could be through similarities or differences, shared motifs, shared points of view, shared tone, etc. Its often about talking about how elements of one text are reflected in another text. It should involve direct comparison - what we see here in Rock Springs is reflected in what Ford does in Great Falls because...

It can also involve difference - Where Rock Springs sees uncertainty as eased or consoled by story, Carvers The Bath has a much bleaker outlook about story, seeing it more as futile escape.

What is shouldnt look like

Dealing with texts discretely, which means dealing with texts one at a time. This isnt comparison. Simple conclusions: Earl is lonely and so is Jackie, and so Ford is showing us lonely characters. Judgements that arent grounded in the text - good synthesis comes out of good analysis.

How to:

Start with one text that speaks specifically towards your question
Find an example that you can unpack that will work well in answer to that question Compare/contrast your first text with another text Add in a third text and discuss its relationship to the first two