Expert answer:Week 9 PACES

Solved by verified expert:Fill out a PACES Worksheet for each of the readings/articles in Week 8. There are 3 readings which are attached to Star Wars: The Force Awakens.The worksheet has spaces for seven different claims, you only have to fill out as many as the author presents. Usually, it will be two or three claims that an author makes. Submit all worksheets by the due date. Remember in PACES corresponds to the following in PIE format. Argument = ThesisClaims = Topic SentencesEvidence = InformationStrategies = Evaluation/Rhetorical Strategies that the author uses in their writingIf you need to, please review the to help you complete this assignment. Here is the version of the PACES Worksheet in both doc and pdf format.
interracial_relationships_in_sw.pdf

paces_worksheet__1_.docx

paces__1_.pptx

rcmkatebennison.pdf

star_wars_the_force_awakens_kylo_ren_is_a_gatekeeper_the_mary_sue.pdf

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Interracial Relationships in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’: The
Importance of Finn & Rey
This guest post by Sophie Hall appears as part of our theme week on Interracial
Relationships.
It’s been over a month since Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released. Nonetheless,
it’s still being discussed as if people just got out of its opening midnight screening, high
on sleep depravity and Red Bull. The most popular topics seem to be that Han Solo scene,
Rey’s parentage, Kylo Ren’s tantrums, etc. However, one of the topics that I feel hasn’t
received the acknowledgment, let alone coverage, that it deserves, is Finn and Rey, the
film’s two young leads, as a romantic couple. Sure, the pair have received attention (and
controversy) over their race and gender. But them as a couple? Not so much. And I feel
that’s a shame as for me, they’re a major step forward for portrayals of interracial couples
in mainstream cinema.
Not only is it great to have two franchises dominate the box office featuring prominent
interracial relationships in the same year (the other being Fast and Furious 7), but The
Force Awakens also delivers on another level. Whenever children are treated to a trip to
the cinema, they are almost always fed the same message from the big screen — that the
most important love exists between two straight white people. More often than not, those
on-screen romantic relationships are unhealthy or downright toxic. Finn and Rey aren’t
part of the typical ‘Blockbuster Couples Club’, where the man is a lovable misogynist and
the woman is a sexualized ‘badass’ who still needs saving. Not only does The Force
Awakens show children that relationships can actually exist outside of two white people,
but more importantly, it demonstrates that they can have emotionally healthy ones too.
Let’s start by analyzing one of the most refreshing aspects of this burgeoning
relationship: Finn’s treatment of Rey. Soon after they first meet, Finn grabs Rey’s hand to
escape an oncoming group of Stormtroopers. However, Finn’s intention isn’t asserting his
masculinity as expected. He knows that Rey can handle herself, as he already witnessed
her putting two attackers in their place single-handed. The reason he takes her hand is
because, as he confesses to her later on, she had “looked at me like no one had.”
If you consider Finn’s backstory, this line is very vital to his character arc. Separated from
a family he can’t remember and having been raised and trained to kill, Finn had been
stripped of all identity. When Rey thinks that he is in the Resistance and looks at him with
admiration and respect, little does she know that she is the first person to ever do so.
From that one act, Finn becomes irrevocably tied to Rey. When Finn saw danger
approaching he took her hand, but he did it because he will protect her at all costs but
doesn’t doubt that Rey is capable of protecting herself. He may even have wanted her to
protect him.
Now, let’s compare this scene to the main couple of Jurassic World’s introduction, Owen
and Claire. When Claire arrives at Owen’s house to talk business, Owen suggests they
take it into the bedroom. Claire says that his remarks aren’t funny, while Owen disagrees.
Now, imagine how easy it could’ve been for Finn to lie to Rey about being in the
Resistance to get into her pants rather than being afraid of rejection because that’s the
intention of most heroes, isn’t it? Look at Peter Quill with Gamora in Guardians of the
Galaxy, Captain Kirk with any female character in Star Trek, James Bond with, again, any
female character in any of his films. With The Force Awakens though, children not only
witness a man of color being a hero; the film also tells them there is more to seeing your
potential love interest than as a sex object.
This mutual respect and commitment is evident throughout the entire film. When he sees
Rey taken hostage by Kylo Ren, Finn discards his weapon (even with Stormtroopers still
present) and futilely chases after her. When Kylo Ren knocks Rey unconscious, he again
drops his weapon and rushes to her side, even with the enemy a meter or so away. When
the Resistance tries to figure out how to disable the weapons on Starkiller Base, Finn lies
and says that he knows how, just so he can go and help Rey escape. The need to ensure
Rey’s safety overwhelms his own survival instinct every time.
For a leading man to treat the leading woman in this way is a feat in itself, but it’s also
important for interracial relationship representation in cinema. On the website Fat Pink
Cast, there is an article titled ‘Yes, Finn/Rey is heteronormative, but not all straight
romances are created equal.’ One of their writers Jonelle states:
“Black male characters aren’t always like Finn, who is well-rounded; fearful, yet brave,
gentle, but strong, earnest and a total goofball at the same time. He’s the antithesis of
a tertiary smooth-talking walking racial stereotype.”
To have a Black character like this to not only be the co-lead in an iconic franchise but to
also include him in a healthy, positively portrayed relationship with a white woman is a
brilliant statement. Finn and Rey can be just as adventurous as William Turner and
Elizabeth Swan, bicker as much as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, wax as poetic as
Aragorn and Arwen and take as many names as Rick O’Connell and Evy Carnahan. Finn
and Rey’s difference in race doesn’t put any limitations on what this couple can and do
achieve.
While Rey treating Finn with kindness is what won him over, this isn’t just a one-sided
relationship. When Finn recovers from unconsciousness after an explosion on Jakku, he
immediately asks Rey if she is okay. In the script, it states that, “And that very question
touches her — having never in her life been asked it.” Like Finn, Rey grew up in an
environment void of love, having to depend on herself for survival. Also like Finn, this is
her first experience of intimacy and after that exchange, it is she who offers him her hand.
When Rey discovers that it was Finn’s idea to go back to Starkiller Base to save her, the
script states that, “She is speechless — this is all she’s ever wanted anyone to do,” and
Finn is the first one to do it.
Their longing for affection is something that they recognize and connect with in each
other, but they don’t hold this over each other to emotionally manipulate one another.
Chewbacca tells Rey that it was Finn’s idea to come back for her while, when Rey saves
Finn from the rathtars, she doesn’t divulge that she did. Rey reciprocating Finn’s caring
concerns helps to make this relationship so special. This isn’t a Black character
worshiping the white lead; their feelings are mutual. They both recognize how significant
they are to each other, they both face their fears for each other, and they both make
sacrifices for each other. Finn returns to the place he’s been running from the entire film
for Rey, and Rey finally embraces the force that she’s been running from the entire film in
order to save Finn.
Finn and Rey’s relationship is a step forward for portrayals of interracial relationships, and
relationships in general, as it doesn’t diminish Rey’s agency. Even though Finn
consistently tries to save her throughout The Force Awakens, that doesn’t mean Rey isn’t
capable of saving herself. She’s able to withhold information from Kylo Ren and break
herself out of his cell without Finn’s — or anyone’s — aid. The film depicts positive
representation for both the men of color and the women characters.
Again, let’s compare Rey and Finn’s relationship to some other recent blockbusters. In
Avengers: Age of Ultron, Bruce Banner had to save Natasha Romanoff from a cell in order
to make him seem the hero, even though it makes no sense that Natasha’s character
wouldn’t have been able to break out of there herself (she’s a skilled enough spy to be an
Avenger!) The film forsakes Natasha’s agency in order to progress her romantic
relationship. The Force Awakens doesn’t make these compromises; Rey’s character never
weakens in order for her counterpart to succeed, and vice versa with Finn.
For Finn and Rey, their relationship can also be seen as a timely arrival, and hopefully their
relationship can pave the way for other cinematic interracial relationships. Yes, the Harry
Potter franchise may have been an integral part of our generation’s childhoods, but that
doesn’t erase the fact that the film adaptations’ treatment of people of color wasn’t the
best.
With such a wide range of characters, not one of the characters of color was given a
substantial role. We barely even know anything about Harry’s first love interest, Cho
Chang. She exists as more of a reaction to ‘It’s about time for Harry got a girl’ than
actually about fleshing out why they were attracted to one another. As you can see in the
video above, Cho had Harry at, “two pumpkin pasties please.”
The Force Awakens features more than one central interracial relationship. There’s also
Finn and resistance pilot Poe Dameron, and I swear there is more to it than Poe biting his
lip at the sight of Finn wearing his leather jacket. In the Marvel cinematic universe, we see
plenty of interracial relationships… between supporting characters who are people of
color and the white superheroes of the films. Every Falcon has his Captain America, War
Machine his Iron Man, Luis his Ant-Man…
But this time, it’s not just the fact that it’s a Black man who has the superior narrative role
in a relationship; it’s that his friend is a person of color too (Poe is played by Guatemalan
American actor Oscar Isaac). Very rarely are people of color friendships showcased in
blockbusters, so to have it in 2015’s most anticipated film is a welcome surprise. Their
relationship doesn’t solely exist to fill the bromance quota, as it holds crucial significance
for each character. Poe continuously helps Finn with his identity narrative and as for Finn
on Poe’s behalf; we’ll get to that in a minute. We don’t witness a person of color existing
onscreen to support a white character, but rather two characters of color build each other
up.
Despite the similarities this pair shares with other male friendships in cinema, what sets
Finn and Poe’s relationship apart is that their bromance could possibly turn into a
romance. Even though Finn expresses a romantic interest in Rey (“You got a boyfriend?
Cute boyfriend?”), on more than one occasion, Poe seems to express a romantic interest
in Finn. Critic Helen O’Hara points out in an article for The Telegraph that:
“Poe gives Finn his name, replacing the Stormtrooper designation FN-2187, and then
gives him a jacket. When reunited after believing one another dead, Poe runs towards
Finn and throws himself into an embrace; if Finn were a woman, we’d be in little doubt
that that was enough to signal interest. Should we doubt it just because they’re both
men?”
If Disney romantically connected Finn and Poe in the next Star Wars, it would be yet
another achievement in giving people the LGBTQ representation that the mainstream
media deprives us from seeing onscreen. Even if the next Star Wars doesn’t pair the two
men but acknowledges Poe’s queer sexuality and displays a straight/gay friendship
between two men of color — that would still be a major accomplishment.
Ultimately, this leads us to what makes The Force Awakens so special; the effect the trio
will have on the younger generation. A woman is a Jedi in training, a Black man is a
Resistance fighter and a Latino man is the greatest pilot in the galaxy. More importantly,
they all helped each other fulfill these roles. The sky is the limit for these characters, and
the sky should be the limit for the children watching too.
Sophie Hall is from London and has graduated from university with a degree in Creative
Writing. She is currently writing a sci-fi comic book series called White Leopard for
Wasteland Paradise Comics. Her previous article for Bitch Flicks was ‘Mad Max: Fury
Road’: Violence Helps Our Heroines Have a Lovely Day.
PACES Worksheet
Overall argument:
Audience:
Purpose:
Tone:
Claim 1:
Claim:
Evidence (2 important examples):
Strategies:
Claim 2:
Claim:
Evidence (2 important examples):
Strategies:
Claim 3:
Claim:
Evidence (2 important examples):
Strategies:
Claim 4:
Claim:
Evidence (2 important examples):
Strategies:
Claim 5:
Claim:
Evidence (2 important examples):
Strategies:
Claim 6:
Claim:
Evidence (2 important examples):
Strategies:
Claim 7:
Claim:
Evidence (2 important examples):
Strategies:
P.A.C.E.S
RHETORIC & ARGUMENT
Argument vs. Plot
 Argument is not the same as describing what the text
is about. Arguments usually advance debatable
propositions.
P: Project
 An author’s project describes the kind of work
he/she sets out to do.
 Try to imagine what the author’s goal or hypotheses
were as he/she wrote the text.
 To articulate a project, to write an account of it, some
options include:

researches, investigates, studies, presents, connects, responds
A: Argument
 In academic writing, the argument often refers to
the main point, assertion or conclusion advanced by
an author, along with the evidence and reasoning by
which this is established.
 Arguments are concerned with contested issues
where some degree of uncertainty exists. (We don’t
argue about what is self-evident or agreed upon.)
 Your thesis is your argument.
 What an author is saying/meaning in a piece is also
an argument.
C: Claims
 Claims are the evidence used to prove the argument.
 Arguments may consist of numerous claims and
sometimes also sub-claims.
 Claims in academic writing often consist of an
assertion, the staking out of a position, the solution
to a problem, or the resolution of some shortcoming,
weakness or gap in existing research.
 When you make a claim, you are arguing for a
certain interpretation or understanding of your
subject.
E: Evidence
 Evidence is the support for the claim/claims made.
 Evidence is the support, reasons, data/information
used to help persuade/prove an argument.
 Some types of evidence: facts, historical
examples/comparisons, examples, analogies,
illustrations, interviews, statistics (source & date are
important), expert testimony, authorities, anecdotes,
witnesses, personal experiences, reasoning, etc.
 Evidence in literature is any literary device that
appears. (See Gothic Lit power point)
S: Strategies
 Particular way in which authors craft language—both
consciously and subconsciously—so as to have an effect
on readers.
 Strategies are means of persuasion, ways of gaining a
readers’ attention, interest, or agreement. Strategies can
be identified in the way an author organizes his/her text,
selects evidence, addresses the reader, frames an issue,
presents a definition, constructs a persona or establishes
credibility, appeals to authority, deals with opposing
views, makes particular use of style and tone, draws on
particular tropes and images
Resistance, Caring, & “Mask”ulinity:
The Feminist Message of the Dudes in The Force Awakens
by Kate Bennion | 3:11 pm, January 19th, 2016
The female characters in Star Wars: The Force Awakens are many and fantastic. I
cheered as each one appeared on screen: from the first badass on Jakku, aiming her gun at
the First Order ships, to the shot of Rey and (General) Leia, new and old heroines,
embracing. They are there. They are present. They are great. It felt so, so good and long
overdue. When the lightsaber flew from the snow past Kylo Ren’s expectant, entitled
face into Rey’s waiting hands I burst into tears… and applause.
But feminism is a two-way street, and what I also love about The Force Awakens is its
male characters and how the “good guys” reflect progressive gender norms. Absent were
the violent, aggressive, and controlling action heroes of days past and in their place
capable, respectful, vulnerable dudes – feminist, even(!). What’s more, the patriarchy’s
chief drone of the film remains on the dark side – Kylo Ren’s arc and his struggles to
conform to the dark ways of the Force are a spot-on metaphor for the toll of toxic,
performative masculinity.
Let’s break it down. Poe, for starters: Here’s our star Resistance pilot, bold,
handsome (Oscar Isaac! I mean), and skilled. In another movie, his character could have
embodied Top Gun masculinity: cocky, smarmy, hothead, womanizing, self-centered,
and aggressive. Instead, Poe is none of the above. Within minutes of his introduction, we
watch Poe get captured, beaten, tortured, and then rescued — throughout, he remains his
capable, slightly cheeky self. Instead of being insecure or defensive after suffering these
indignities, he meets Finn (his rescuer) with acceptance and respect. Where another
character might have been suspicious or competitive, Poe is cooperative and kind.
Later, at Resistance HQ, Poe is incredibly open with his emotions—loyal and affectionate
towards his droid BB-8, then embracing Finn with (literal) open arms and promptly
gifting him his jacket. Poe shows unabashed delight at the survival of his friends, both
old and new. He calls them both ”buddy” unironically. He gives Finn full credit for
completing his mission and seems genuinely pleased at his success — where in another
film, a male hero might have been threatened or jealous.
Poe is clearly an impressive pilot, but he doesn’t draw attention to himself
unnecessarily. In the attack on the Starkiller Base, he doesn’t do anything stupid or showoffy or selfish, and instead remains a thoughtful, kind leader. There’s no posturing for
power, no ego-stroking, nothing to prove. Poe Dameron is a far cry from the hotshot male
heroes of days past (and unfortunately, present).
Meanwhile, there’s no boy’s club in the Millennium Falcon. Han straight-up
offers Rey a job, proving you can be gruff without being sexist. He doesn’t domineer
Leia or feign coolness when it comes to her or their son, thereby evading the all-toocommon trope of an uncaring father. Instead, invested in parenthood, he meets his son
and goes to his death with love, with kindness, and forgiveness. It’s not a fight, not a
showdown. It’s not noon at the O.K. Corral. His last gesture is to touch his son’s face;
even in the face of violence and betrayal, Han demonstrates genuine physical affection
and vulnerability towards his son. In an honorable, admirable act, he makes himself
vulnerable for the sake of Ben and Leia, for his family.
And then there’s Finn. The first time we see his face, he is sweating and shaking.
Instead of swaggering through battle, delighting in violence, he is visibly moved by his
compatriot’s death, by the violence and aggression happening around him, by the murder
of civilians and innocents. We watch him choose to abstain from killing. This character is
rattled and anxious and traumatized by his experience – NOT stoic and soldierly.
He experiences what most would interpret as a panic attack in response to his first battle.
Even as he breaks Poe out of lockup, Finn speaks aloud to himself in an attempt to stay
calm — a humanizing and relatable moment of emotional honesty.
Finn Has Feelings, and visibly so. But instead of overcompensating for that
supposed “weakness,” getting defensive, or shutting off from other people like a Broody
Male Hero might, he quickly and easily bonds with Poe, and later with Rey. Recognizing
Rey’s abilities and strengths, he accepts her completely as an equal and peer*, and
instead of feeling threatened and attempting to control her or one-up himself against her,
he genuinely compliments her skill. They gush at each other, actually–i …
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