Topic And Scope Practice

Excerpt 1

The theater director, the person responsible for the staging and dramatic impact of the stage performance, is a relatively recent phenomenon whose rise is parallel with the emergence of certain political and social strains new to the nineteenth century, beginning in Germany.

What is the topic?

What is the scope?
The emergence of this theater artist out of broader societal changes in the 1800's.

Excerpt 2

The strategies and tactics and, hence, the outcome of the battle of Gettysburg could have turned out very differently had it not been for the intelligence gathered by each side in the days prior to the battle.

What is the topic?

What is the scope?
The effect of military intelligence on the outcome.

Excerpt 3

Manufacturers of "faux wood" products are considering the promotion of such products as environmentally friendly. Reasonable copies of various kinds of wood can be fashioned out of plastic and used in "faux wood" furniture, and it is argued that since such furniture will save trees, environmentally conscious consumers will actively seek it out.

What is the topic?

What is the scope?
Faux wood's appeal to environmentalists.

Will those who care about the environment go for such an appeal? That's what the author will be exploring, and it is therefore closely related to his purpose. Every author has a purpose in writing, and this purpose will be the topic of our next critical reading task.