Question

1. What two ideas does Marc Lamont Hill contrast in this second paragraph? Turn and talk with your partner. What does vulnerable mean?

2. Identify the places in the first two paragraphs where Marc Lamont Hill repeats the idea of vulnerability. What impact does this repetition have on the meaning (tone, perspective, or central ideas) that Marc Lamont Hill conveys in the first two paragraphs?
3. What is Marc Lamont Hill's attitude towards nobodies? Towards the government? Find specific words in the text to support your point.
4. According to these two paragraphs, what central argument will Marc Lamont Hill be proving throughout his book? How do you know?​

Answer 1

Marc Lamont Hill contrasts visibility with the perceived invisibility of marginalized individuals, emphasizes vulnerability to underline their plight, demonstrates empathy towards these individuals while critiquing the government, and argues against systemic issues causing such marginalization.

Step-by-step explanation:

To answer the student's questions:

1. Marc Lamont Hill contrasts the ideas of visibility and invisibility of "nobodies" in society, illustrating how certain individuals are overlooked by the social and judicial systems. Vulnerable means being susceptible to harm or unable to defend oneself.
2. In the text, Marc Lamont Hill utilizes repetition of the concept of vulnerability to emphasize how exposed these "nobodies" are to societal and systemic challenges, affecting the tone and underlying message of these paragraphs by underscoring their defenselessness.
3. Marc Lamont Hill's attitude towards "nobodies" seems to be empathetic and protective, while his attitude towards the government appears critical. Specific textual evidence from the book would be needed to support this claim.
4. Based on these two paragraphs, Marc Lamont Hill's central argument seems to focus on the systemic issues that render certain individuals "nobodies," and suggests an intent to reveal and challenge these injustices. Clues from the book's exposition and thesis statements would indicate this.