6.6: From Note-Taking to Summarization

Now that you have completed note-taking for your assigned reading. We will now look at how to use the Ten Step Note-Taking process to create a summary.

 

In this chapter, I will first describe the key components of a summary. Then, I will create a first draft of a summary of Alsultany’s “How the New ‘Aladdin’ stacks up against a Century of Hollywood Stereotyping” based on the sample Ten Step Note-Taking handout. After that, I will share Questions for Summary Revision and use those questions to revise the first draft.

 

Moving from Note-Taking to Summarization

 

What is a Summary?

 

A summary retells the important parts of another text in plain language, i.e., language appropriate for a friend or for the general population, and in your own words. A summary is not your opinion of the text; it is simply a way of sharing key information with a text with another.

 

The length of your summary depends on the length of the original text. Generally speaking, a summary should be about one fourth of the length of the original text. So, if you are reading a four page essay, your summary should be one page in length.

 

For the summary-response essay, however, your summary should be the introductory paragraph.

 

Parts of a Summary

 

A good summary of an essay might be seen as a mini-retelling. The first sentence captures the introduction and the thesis statement. The remainder of the summary captures the key points and evidence from the body paragraphs. The last sentence reflects the conclusion. However, let’s look at that in detail:

 

 

 

The First Sentence

 

The first sentence identifies what you are summarizing and states the main argument/main claim/thesis of the original text. At a minimum, the sentence should have the title and author. It may also have the publication or posting date and where it was published or posted.

 

Questions 1 & 2, 7 & 9 of the Ten Step Notetaking Handout should be used to create this first sentence.

 

Capturing the Body Paragraphs

 

Stating the thesis statement is not enough. You should also consider what each paragraph has to say that adds to the overall meaning of the essay. For this, look at questions #9 and #10 of the Ten-Step Notetaking Handout.

 

To think this through, ask yourself what the author would have to prove or show to make their thesis statement credible or compelling. Another question might be “What does the author say additionally that would help readers understand the main claim?”

 

Your answer to this question will lead to the evidence that the author provides to prove their thesis statement.

 

The Last Sentence

 

The last sentence of your summary simply restates what you understand to be the author’s thesis statement.

 

 

 

First Draft Summary of Alsutany’s Essay

 

First Sentence

In “How the New ‘Aladdin’ stacks up against a Century of Hollywood Stereotyping,” Evelyn Alsultany reviews the 2019 Aladdin to determine whether the film has addressed Hollywood’s persistent stereotyping of the Middle East and Middle Easterners. While Alsultany ultimately finds the film an improvement, she notes some continued issues.

 

Capturing the Body Paragraphs & The Last Sentence

 

The author discusses the history of Western portrayals of the Middle East; Alsutany cites an expert, Edward Said, who wrote Orientalism in 1978. Alsutany also compares the live action Aladdin to the 1992 version and other movies that have stereotyped the Middle East and/or used non-Middle Eastern actors as main characters. Given that Hollywood has produced “over 900 films” about the Middle East or Middle Easterners, and each of them has been problematic in its portrayal of the Middle East, Alsultany recognizes that the 2019 Aladdin is an improvement; however, she argues Hollywood still has a long way to go.

 

Complete Draft

In “How the New ‘Aladdin’ stacks up against a Century of Hollywood Stereotyping,” Evelyn Alsultany reviews the 2019 Aladdin to determine whether the film has addressed Hollywood’s persistent stereotyping of the Middle East and Middle Easterners. While Alsultany ultimately finds the film an improvement, she notes some continued issues. The author discusses the history of Western portrayals of the Middle East; Alsutany cites an expert, Edward Said, who wrote Orientalism in 1978. Alsutany also compares the live action Aladdin to the 1992 version and other movies that have stereotyped the Middle East and/or used non-Middle Eastern actors as main characters. Given that Hollywood has produced “over 900 films” about the Middle East or Middle Easterners, and each of them has been problematic in its portrayal of the Middle East, Alsultany recognizes that the 2019 Aladdin is an improvement; however, she argues Hollywood still has a long way to go.

Revising the First Draft of a Summary

 

To develop the first draft of your summary into a more robust recap of an essay, you should ask yourself the following questions, which are derived from the Critical Reading Test Summary rubric:

 

1. Did I put the title of the work in quotation marks?
2. Did I accurately spell the title?
3. Did I correctly spell the author’s name?
4. Do I use the either the author’s full name or the author’s last name throughout when I refer to them?
5. Is there anything I could add to the restatement of the main claim to make the idea clearer?
6. Do I include enough evidence (major detail) from the text to fully describe the text?
7. Do I avoid adding any of my opinions?
8. Is this in my own words?
9. Big Question: Would my friends be able to read this summary and understand the text without having to read it themselves?

My Review of My First Draft Sample

 

• I have two sentences; I should have one sentence.
• Check #8 of the Ten Step Note-Taking handout to see if there’s anything that needs to be added.
• When I check #8, I realize that I don’t mention Disney’s intention or Alsultany’s involvement in the production of 2019 Aladdin as a consultant. I also don’t talk about why the 2019 film is an improvement or why it isn’t a great improvement.
• I look back to the reading to find the evidence supporting what I’ve included in #8, #9, and #10 of the Ten Step Note-Taking handout.

 

My Revisions

 

Original First Sentence:  In “How the New ‘Aladdin’ stacks up against a Century of Hollywood Stereotyping,” Evelyn Alsultany reviews the 2019 Aladdin to determine whether the film has addressed Hollywood’s persistent stereotyping of the Middle East and Middle Easterners. While Alsultany ultimately finds the film an improvement, she notes some continued issues.

Revised First Sentence: In “How the New ‘Aladdin’ stacks up against a Century of Hollywood Stereotyping,” Evelyn Alsultany discusses why Disney’s attempt to eliminate racism and stereotyping in the 2019 Aladdin doesn’t quite work though the film is an improvement.

 

Evidence to Add

 

Seeing the flagrant ways in which the 1992 Aladdin presented racist portrayals of Middle Easterners, Disney consulted several “Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Muslim” individuals to understand how the 2019 Aladdin could be better. Alsultany juxtaposes this consultation with her review of “over 900 films” that Hollywood has produced that perpetuated stereotypes of and racist attitudes toward the Middle East. Such stereotypes included:

• Using non Middle Eastern actors as main characters;
• Portraying the Middle East as either an exotic fantasy land or a hotbed of terrorist activity;
• Distinguishing good Middle Easterners from bad by Europeanizing the features of good Middle Easterners; and
• Failing to distinguish among distinct Middle Eastern cultures and traditions.

While Alsultany recognizes that the 2019 Aladdin is an improvement in that they use actual Middle Eastern actors, she notes that they still portray the Middle East as an exotic fantasy land. In short, Alsultany argues that Disney did not go far enough in striving to eliminate racism in Aladdin.

 

Revised Summary

 

In “How the New ‘Aladdin’ stacks up against a Century of Hollywood Stereotyping,” Evelyn Alsultany discusses why Disney’s attempt to eliminate racism and stereotyping in the 2019 Aladdin doesn’t quite work though the film is an improvement. Seeing the flagrant ways in which the 1992 Aladdin presented racist portrayals of Middle Easterners, Disney consulted several “Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Muslim” individuals to understand how the 2019 Aladdin could be better. Alsultany juxtaposes this consultation with her review of “over 900 films” that Hollywood has produced that perpetuated stereotypes of and racist attitudes toward the Middle East. Such stereotypes included:

• Using non Middle Eastern actors as main characters;
• Portraying the Middle East as either an exotic fantasy land or a hotbed of terrorist activity;
• Distinguishing good Middle Easterners from bad by Europeanizing the features of good Middle Easterners; and
• Failing to distinguish among distinct Middle Eastern cultures and traditions.

While Alsultany recognizes that the 2019 Aladdin is an improvement in that they use actual Middle Eastern actors, she notes that they still portray the Middle East as an exotic fantasy land. In short, Alsultany argues that Disney did not go far enough in striving to eliminate racism in Aladdin.