HSY2601
PORTFOLIO 2025
DUE: 17 OCTOBER 2025 (MEMO)
,HSY2601 PORTFOLIO 2025
DUE 17 OCTOBER 2025
SECTION A: (10 Marks) Review your Assessment 1 by answering these questions
Part 1: Writing an Introduction for an Essay
1. How did your understanding of modern colonialism in the 19th century evolve
while writing your paragraph? (Ten Sentences).
Initially, I viewed 19th-century colonialism as primarily a military and economic project.
Through research, I understood it as a complex system of power that included cultural
and ideological domination. The French invasion of Egypt, for example, was not just
about territory but also about claiming intellectual superiority through the Description de
l'Égypte. I realized how "scientific" racism and theories like Social Darwinism were
weaponized to justify exploitation. This reframed colonialism from a simple story of
conquest to one of pervasive cultural imposition. I saw how colonized peoples were
systematically portrayed as inferior to legitimize European rule. The connection between
knowledge production and power, as articulated by thinkers like Edward Said, became
central to my understanding. I now see colonialism as a transformative force that
reshaped both the colonized and the colonizers' societies. It created global hierarchies
whose legacies persist today. This deeper understanding moved me beyond dates and
events to analyzing underlying structures of power.
2. How did you ensure that your introduction set up a strong argument for the
rest of the “essay”? Consider the difficulty of condensing information and
maintaining clarity and relevance.
I ensured my introduction set up a strong argument by first providing just enough
historical context to ground the reader, such as Napoleon's motives for the Egyptian
campaign. I then immediately pivoted to a clear thesis statement that framed the entire
essay. This thesis went beyond stating that the invasion happened; it
argued how and why cultural and scientific endeavours were integral to the colonial
4
, power-grab. I was careful to select background details that directly foreshadowed the
evidence I would use in the body paragraphs, such as mentioning the savants who
accompanied the army. This created a roadmap for the reader, making the argument
coherent and the essay's direction unmistakable from the outset.
3. If you had to rewrite your introduction, what would you change or improve?
(200 words)
If I were to rewrite my introduction, I would sharpen the thesis statement to more
explicitly address the mechanisms of colonial power. Instead of stating that culture was
a component of the invasion, I would argue that it functioned as a "tool of domination,"
used to systematically categorize, control, and claim ownership over Egyptian history
and identity. I would integrate a key term, such as "cultural imperialism," to provide a
stronger conceptual framework from the beginning. To improve the flow, I would better
bridge the background information and the thesis with a transitional sentence that
highlights the paradox of a "civilizing mission" being imposed through military force.
I would specify the main case studies my essay would use, for instance, noting that I
would analyse the Description de l'Égypte and the founding of the Institut d'Égypte as
prime examples. This would make the introduction more precise and academically
robust, immediately signalling a deeper level of critical analysis. The revised
introduction would not only state the topic but also clearly forecast the analytical journey
the reader is about to undertake, thereby strengthening the overall persuasive impact of
the essay.
5
PORTFOLIO 2025
DUE: 17 OCTOBER 2025 (MEMO)
,HSY2601 PORTFOLIO 2025
DUE 17 OCTOBER 2025
SECTION A: (10 Marks) Review your Assessment 1 by answering these questions
Part 1: Writing an Introduction for an Essay
1. How did your understanding of modern colonialism in the 19th century evolve
while writing your paragraph? (Ten Sentences).
Initially, I viewed 19th-century colonialism as primarily a military and economic project.
Through research, I understood it as a complex system of power that included cultural
and ideological domination. The French invasion of Egypt, for example, was not just
about territory but also about claiming intellectual superiority through the Description de
l'Égypte. I realized how "scientific" racism and theories like Social Darwinism were
weaponized to justify exploitation. This reframed colonialism from a simple story of
conquest to one of pervasive cultural imposition. I saw how colonized peoples were
systematically portrayed as inferior to legitimize European rule. The connection between
knowledge production and power, as articulated by thinkers like Edward Said, became
central to my understanding. I now see colonialism as a transformative force that
reshaped both the colonized and the colonizers' societies. It created global hierarchies
whose legacies persist today. This deeper understanding moved me beyond dates and
events to analyzing underlying structures of power.
2. How did you ensure that your introduction set up a strong argument for the
rest of the “essay”? Consider the difficulty of condensing information and
maintaining clarity and relevance.
I ensured my introduction set up a strong argument by first providing just enough
historical context to ground the reader, such as Napoleon's motives for the Egyptian
campaign. I then immediately pivoted to a clear thesis statement that framed the entire
essay. This thesis went beyond stating that the invasion happened; it
argued how and why cultural and scientific endeavours were integral to the colonial
4
, power-grab. I was careful to select background details that directly foreshadowed the
evidence I would use in the body paragraphs, such as mentioning the savants who
accompanied the army. This created a roadmap for the reader, making the argument
coherent and the essay's direction unmistakable from the outset.
3. If you had to rewrite your introduction, what would you change or improve?
(200 words)
If I were to rewrite my introduction, I would sharpen the thesis statement to more
explicitly address the mechanisms of colonial power. Instead of stating that culture was
a component of the invasion, I would argue that it functioned as a "tool of domination,"
used to systematically categorize, control, and claim ownership over Egyptian history
and identity. I would integrate a key term, such as "cultural imperialism," to provide a
stronger conceptual framework from the beginning. To improve the flow, I would better
bridge the background information and the thesis with a transitional sentence that
highlights the paradox of a "civilizing mission" being imposed through military force.
I would specify the main case studies my essay would use, for instance, noting that I
would analyse the Description de l'Égypte and the founding of the Institut d'Égypte as
prime examples. This would make the introduction more precise and academically
robust, immediately signalling a deeper level of critical analysis. The revised
introduction would not only state the topic but also clearly forecast the analytical journey
the reader is about to undertake, thereby strengthening the overall persuasive impact of
the essay.
5
