Project Goals
Deciding to take on a predominantly language-focussed approach, I am exploring one of Sarah’s final comments about this case. In chapter twelve Sarah references a comment she made back in chapter one by stating, “My original question going into this whole endeavor, this whole story was either Jay’s lying or Adnan’s lying. But what if its not either or, what if its both and?” I am intrigued by this alternative possibility, and even more curious to how this grammatical examination could frame my entire representation of Serial. When my audience approaches this book, I would count it a success if they neither considered Adnon guilty OR innocent, but came up with an alternative account of what happened altogether. My goal is to expose readers to the possibility of “both and” in a way that sparks their own interpretations and contributions to the story.
As a result the content that I collect and represent in this book will predominantly be facts and quotes depicted within the context of “either or” vs. “both and.” It will be a fast-paced reading that oscillates between hard evidence and unseen possible explanations. I plan to juxtapose the, out-in-the-open information, with the outer margins of the book filled with detailed interviews of Adnon himself. These outer columns will thus be much more casual and colloquial with the intention of relaying familiarity to the reader. This interplay between a straight-forward body content and Adnon’s informal asides will hopefully cause readers to question the verdict, while allowing them to also consider other possibilities.
