Assignment:
Follow Your Dreams
Follow Your Dreams - Cancelled by Banksy is one of the earliest murals by the artist. It depicts a man holding a brush and bucket stood by a hand printed sign saying "FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS" This slogan which is a dark grey along with the man, had a red stamp over it reading "CANCELLED". The artwork can be found in Chinatown, Boston, USA. Need Assignment Help?
Important:
Based on the artwork above, you need to complete the final essay. I have already created an outline (see below), but it was generated by ChatGPT. For the final essay:
- NO AI or plagiarism because need to submit to school AI and Plagiarism system.
- MLA 6, 3-4 pages, double space, Minimum 2-3 sources, published within the past 5years.
- Make sure the references you cite are relevant to the paragraph (All 3 Parts)! Accuracy!!!
Prompt: please answer these questions to meet the requirements:
Introduction Paragraph
I. Thesis Statement
1. Does your thesis include the author's or artist's name?
2. Does your thesis express whether or not you think the text/image/author/artist is effective or is not effective? What words did you use to show this?
3. Does your thesis address the "So what?" question? Did you tell the reader (your teacher) why this argument matters? Why does your assertion/argument matter? What words did you use for the "so what?".
4. Do you plan to make revisions to your thesis? Why or why not?
II. Body Paragraphs (Total need 3 Body Paragraphs)
A. Topic sentences. You will complete this step for each body paragraph. Identify this section as "Body paragraph 1," "Body paragraph 2," etc. etc.
1. Can the topic sentence be directly linked to the thesis statement? Relevance to your overall thesis.
2. Does the topic sentence make a claim (argument) that directly supports the thesis?
3. Does the topic sentence address the "so what?" Why does this claim matter and how does it support your thesis?
4. Do you plan to make revisions to your topic sentence(s)? Why or why not?
B. Evidence - Textual evidence or specific reference to images. You will complete this step for each body paragraph. Identify this section as "Body paragraph 1," "Body paragraph 2," etc. etc.
1. Is there textual evidence or specific reference to images to support your topic sentence?
2. For Articles:
- Are you paraphrasing the information or creating direct quotes?
- Do you have in-text citation for all paraphrased evidence or direct quotes?
3. For Images: Are you describing the image in such a way that it supports your argument?
4. Is this the best example/evidence you can use to support your topic sentence? Are you able to make a clear connection between the evidence and topic sentence?
5. Do you plan to make revisions to your textual evidence? Why or why not?
C. Analysis. You will complete this step for each body paragraph. Identify this section as "Body paragraph 1," "Body paragraph 2," etc. etc.
1. Are you summarizing the articles/images points? If so, how much room does it take in the paragraph? Half? Two sentences?
2. Did you summarize too much in your body paragraph?
3. What are you analyzing in the paragraph? Rephrase your analysis for this paragraph and then compare it to your essay. Does your essay need more of your analysis - your evaluation or critique?
4. Are you analyzing the text/image/author/artist and not the ideas? For example, do you say things like "I agree that X is important..." or do you say things like, "The author argues that X is... but is narrowly focused on X, Y, Z..
5. Do you address the effectiveness of the author's argument, use of evidence, etc.?
6. Do you state what the author's opinion/argument is, and address the effectiveness?
7. Do you plan to make revisions to your analysis? Why or why not?
Conclusion: Does the conclusion wrap up the essay without stating your argument/topic sentences word for word?
Outline created by ChatGPT:
Introduction
- "Follow Your Dreams" is an inspiring slogan. However, when this hopeful aspiration collides with the social injustices of reality, its validity becomes open to question. Street artist Banksy's mural "Follow Your Dreams - Cancelled" offers a sharp and authentic response to this question. The artwork is located in Boston's Chinatown. The contrast between the "Follow Your Dreams" slogan and the "Canceled" stamp conveys Banksy's critique of social reality. Through visual impact and symbolic imagery, he powerfully critiques the "American Dream" as both hollow and hypocritical. At the same time, he exposes how systemic forces within society and government suppress the dreams of marginalized groups.
Body Paragraph 1
- This artwork creates a powerful irony through the contrast between the "Follow Your Dreams" slogan and the "Canceled" stamp. It conveys the idea that "dreams are negated by the system" in a highly intuitive way. At the same time, it highlights the hypocrisy of the "American Dream" and amplifies the work's critical impact.
Body Paragraph 2:
- In this artwork, the figure of the worker serves as a microcosm of the working class and immigrants, giving concrete form to the abstract systemic injustices of society and government. Furthermore, the artwork's placement in Chinatown reinforces the critical relevance of its message to reality.
Body Paragraph 3:
- In a contemporary society characterized by rigid class stratification and unequal resource distribution, the "American Dream" indeed appears to be a hollow facade; this is precisely the key reason why this artwork resonates so powerfully. However, a shortcoming of the piece lies in its failure to explicitly identify *who* is actually "canceling" these dreams, thereby diminishing the precision of its critique. Furthermore, its perspective may be overly pessimistic and its argument somewhat one-sided, overlooking the remarkable resilience demonstrated by marginalized communities.
Conclusion:
Banksy's artwork critiques the hollowness of the "American Dream" and the suppression of the dreams of the underprivileged by systemic injustice. Although it has shortcomings such as a pessimistic perspective, incomplete arguments, and limited dissemination, it possesses both impact and limitations; its value lies in prompting the audience to reflect on social injustice, awakening a sense of social responsibility, and helping the audience cultivate critical thinking.