"A Jew, who does not on this occasion conduct himself as a Gentile-man"

The sorting shelves, when I was through with 'em.
Creative Commons.

Today, I got lost in one of the library shelves. I think I might have had a breakthrough.

"Shylock the Jew, easily one of the most controversial characters in Shakespeare, has rankled and resonated with audiences throughout the centuries and across the globe. Examining how he has been adapted and appropriated by various cultures provides vital insights into the cultures themselves."

Keep reading for a better explanation of these ideas, as well as a description of my process.

Oh, is that why they invented Facebook?

While browsing the various "process" articles, I found one post that was particularly encouraging.

An earlier post I'd read filled my initial idea full of holes, revealing that tons of stuff had been said about my particular topic already. With that kind of background  I didn't think that there was much I could say to contribute to the discussion.

But then I found this post. In it, Janelle talks about how she was able to use social media as a way to refine her ideas, and how she was able to turn her somewhat nebulous idea into a firm thesis, largely on account of Facebook. To me, this was very encouraging; now I think that I might be able to talk about a few directions I want to go in, then see what people think would be compelling.