Synthesis Paragraph Writing Exercise You have the following information from page 205 of George Lewis’ article, “The Mall as Refuge”: “Physically, malls are geared for high turnover

Subject:EnglishPrice:4.99 Bought12

Share With

Synthesis Paragraph Writing Exercise

You have the following information from page 205 of George Lewis’ article, “The Mall as Refuge”:

“Physically, malls are geared for high turnover. Chairs and benches in rest areas and food courts are unpadded in the seat - designed to be uncomfortable if sat in too long. The architecture of the mall itself, behind the colorful neon store logos and displays, is anonymous, uniform, predictable, and plain. The corridors are wide and filled with hurrying customers. Security guards discourage loiterers and help to move foot traffic along.”

You have the following information from page 270 of James J. Farrell’s essay, “Shopping for American Culture”:

“The mall only makes sense in the flow of our whole lives if we compare and contrast it to what we experience every day. The mall, for example, tells us immediately that it’s not home and it’s not work. It’s an architecture of pleasure, not of comfort or efficiency. Shopping is what academic would call an ‘intertextual experience,’ an activity that only makes sense if we know how to read many different cultural ‘texts’ present: ads, stores, mannequins, clothes, logos, race, class, gender, and sexuality.”

Finally, you have the following information from page 166 of Sandra Powers' essay, "Suburban Shopping Malls and the Economics of Engagement":

"As opposed to other brick-and-mortar shopping experiences - a supermarket, a wholesale club, or a big-box retail outlet, to name a few - the modern American shopping mall wants the consumer to take their time and feel at home. Benches or small tables are strategically positioned around the facility, usually at nexus points between wings, encouraging shoppers to stop and weigh their options before selecting which outlet to whom they will give their business. Snack stands and vending machines provide easy access to refreshments during long retail slogs. Soothing music and carefully-calibrated climate controls keeps you cool and relaxed, which itself is a move designed to keep you from getting uncomfortable or distracted to the point that you lose sight of the reason why you came to the mall: shopping. The entire enterprise is designed around getting consumers in the door, making them comfortable, and keeping them within the mall for as long as possible because the firms who design these structures, as well as the managers of the stores they contain, know the more at ease people are, the longer they will stay. And the longer they stay, the more likely they are to spend."

Your task: Write a paragraph arguing that malls are designed to be uncomfortable environments. Use something from all three sources in your synthesis paragraph. (Hint: most people would say that Farrell has the overall idea or claim, and Lewis has specific examples to prove this claim, while Powers offers a contradictory view). You can quote or paraphrase from the provided materials, but if you do, do not just quote the whole thing. Selectively quote ONLY the part that supports your point. You will need to use in-text citations in correct MLA style when/where appropriate. Remember that whatever you quote or paraphrase, you also have to explain/analyze the information in terms of what it means. Don’t just assume the reader will respond to the information the way you expect them to without your explanation of what you think it proves or means.