(Links to an external site.)and
read the lyrics all the way through without the annotations. Then,
return to the beginning and read them again, this time clicking on
each line to view the corresponding annotation.
Now, here's your prompt for this CR Exercise:
PROMPT:
We're going to treat these lyrics like a poem and analyze them
to practice our critical reading skills and unpack the meaning
behind Zonday's song.
1. WHAT IS CHOCOLATE RAIN? (~200 words)
The Genius page claims that the phrase "Chocolate Rain" stands
for "racism." This makes sense in some contexts: the line "Some
stay dry and others feel the pain," for instance, can refer to the
sporadic, unpredictable nature of racial prejudice. However, does
this equation hold up? AGWR Chapter 3 has a great section on why
it's dangerous to write about "symbols" in texts, because claiming
"symbolism" is subjective and reductive. It doesn't allow you to
talk about a text in its full depth. If we're going to claim that
"Chocolate Rain" represents racism, we need strong evidence and
convincing analysis.
When Zonday sings "Chocolate Rain/The prisons make you wonder
where it went," the racism analogy breaks down. Advocates for
racial equality in the United States often point to the fact that
prisons are filled disproportionately with people of color. So, if
"Chocolate Rain" is racism, would this line make sense? Would
today's prison system make you "wonder where [racism] went"?
Probably not!
For this first portion of the assignment, tell me what you think
"Chocolate Rain" stands for or means. Does the meaning change
throughout the song or does it stay static? You'll need to provide
evidence to support your reading, and explain how that evidence
supports your claim about what the phrase "Chocolate Rain" means in
the context of this song. Use proper quote integration skills to
include lines of the song in your argument.
**Please DO NOT seek outside resources (other peoples'
interpretations, Tay Zonday's opinion) about this question—first of
all, if you ask postmodern theorists, it doesn't matter what the
author thinks his song means. It's all about YOU, the reader. But,
more fundamentally, I want you to get practice with close
reading—and I want to know what YOUR opinion is, not what
some-random-dude-on-the-internet's opinion is.
2. ENGAGE WITH ANNOTATIONS (~100 words each)
Above, you engaged with one annotation from Genius—the claim
that "Chocolate Rain" stands in for racism/racial prejudice. Now,
I'd like you to engage with two more. Choose two annotations that
you think you have something to say about. For each one, write a
brief argumentative paragraph in which you explain your opinion of
the annotation. Do you agree or disagree, or do you somewhat agree
but think the annotation could be deepened? What evidence in the
song lyrics themselves push you to your interpretation? Be patient
with your close reading and explain as fully as possible.
3. THE MESSAGE (~20 words)
What do you think the message of "Chocolate Rain" really is?
Write it in one sentence here.
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Post this CR exercise as a response to this discussion topic,
and print it out to bring to
class.
