Instructions for synopsis on Hal Foster’s essay “Obscene, Abject, Traumatic,” 700-750 words for the synopsis without the endnotes or footnotes. Do a word count and indicate it. 14 point font, double-spaced, with footnotes or end notes in 12 point font.

Correct and complete bibliographic reference of the publication must be provided as a foot-note, endnote, or parenthetical reference (this is the recommended format) with a separate section at the end of the synopsis for Work(s) Cited the first time you mention the essay at hand in your assignment. For all subsequent references, the footnote or end-note or parenthetical reference must be condensed. See U. Ottawa SASS website Writing area for style guide formats, such as MLA or Chicago so you know how a full citation and how CONDENSED citations should be formatted.

Instructions: Identify the key themes the author is explaining, the theoretical sources upon which he or she is relying (the secondary sources), the author’s central hypothesis/hypotheses, points they are trying to argue and prove, and/or original statement(s), and the key artworks or figures discussed as examples (if any). Summarize what the author is trying to achieve, demonstrate, and say. Do not fill the entire synopsis with citations because the point is to learn to summarize long and complex essays in your own words in a concise manner. In your introductory statements describing the author’s essay, summarize the significant hypothesis/hypotheses or critical goal(s) sought or presented by the author from a broad perspective. Start with the describing “big picture” views of the essay, contextualising it art-historically, historically, socially, and politically (if possible), and then address particular details. Quoting more than one or two key passages from the text is not advised. Citing a few very brief key phrases is O.K. but in very limited amounts. Make sure to mention the artists and artworks discussed by the author (if any) and the author’s point for doing so.

Avoid summarizing every section of the essay in a point-by-point re-telling, as this makes for an absolutely boring read, is quite easy to do as a writer, and is not the point. Avoid, “And then Foster goes on to….,” because this makes the reader of YOUR synopsis seem to have to read the initial text in real-time, and it makes the primary text (Foster) sound incredibly tedious. We want a summary of the goals and achievements of the essay, with salient highlights, not a point by point re-telling. Rather, start with a broad overview identifying the key critical and theoretical offerings or problem identified by author, and then move on to identify key moments in the text that drive the goal forward, including mentioning the theoretical and art historical examples provided by the initial author (those are the secondary sources).

The reader wants to hear what you identify as the author’s thesis and how you articulate and interpret this thesis in your own words. Articulate the author’s ideas in your own words, but give recognition of the critical views and research done by the author at every turn, by stating frequently, “According to Foster,” or “As Butler argues,” etc. . . .. Avoid the phrase, “Fosster talks about. . .” because in a publication, the author is writing not talking.

Note. Because you are frequently stating the name of the author in your statements, you need only provide the page number in your reference at the end of the sentence when the author’s name is already stated or obvious, i.e.: According to Butler, . . . (p. 39). You don’t need to state the author’s name again in your parenthetical reference, i.e. the following is wrong: According to Butler. . . . (Butler, p. 39). Repeating the name of the author in the parenthetical reference is unnecessary. The point of citations is to be as accurate but also as brief as possible, avoiding any unnecessary text.