Heritage plays role x with regard to marriage in Howell’s novel, while in Larsen it plays role y, allowing the man to accept African American women in the former, but reject her in the latter.
this was how my teacher edited it but he said something like
:See how if you fill in role x and y you become more specific? It’s a good topic overall, though.
what does role x and y mean
What would you put in each place? What would you substitute for "role x" and "role y"?
Heritage plays a positive role with regard to marriage in Howell’s novel, while in Larsen it plays a negative role, allowing the man to accept African American women in the former, but reject her in the latter.
does this work?
Will it be clear what you mean by "heritage"? It's such a broad term, I'm not clear on it.
Larsen's
... but reject them ...
In the context provided, "role x" and "role y" are placeholders that represent different roles or functions that heritage plays in the respective novels. These roles can vary depending on the specific details and themes explored in each novel.
By filling in role x and role y with more specific descriptions or explanations, you can further define the significance and influence of heritage in the two works. It allows you to analyze and compare how heritage shapes the characters' attitudes and decisions regarding marriage in Howell's novel and Larsen's novel.
For example, if you were to fill in role x with "bridging cultural divides" and role y with "reinforcing racial prejudices," it would suggest that in Howell's novel, heritage plays a role in bringing different cultures together and enabling acceptance of African American women in marriage. On the other hand, in Larsen's novel, heritage functions to maintain and uphold racial discrimination, leading to the rejection of African American women as potential marriage partners.
By providing more specific and concrete descriptions for role x and role y, you can better showcase the unique perspectives and themes explored in each novel in relation to heritage and marriage.