Assignments & Handouts

Final Paper

Here’s the assignment:

• Consider all what we’ve read, talked about and what you've thought throughout the quarter. 

• Write about what you will take away from the class

• Make sure you reference works from the class—especially We/1984.

Your essay should…

o       Have a real title

o       Have an interesting introduction

o       Say Something

o       Consider your audience—anyone in the class or Pfouts.  We’ve read the texts, write with that in mind.

Think about the texts we’ve read—and notice what requires “quotes” and what you should italicize:

•  from Plato’s Republic

• “The Golden Age”

• Utopia

• “The Story of Ivan the Fool”

• “Too Dear”

• Herland

• Pleasantville

• Brave New World

• “The St. that got Mislaid”

• Choice Novel

• Brazil

• “The Ones who Walked Away from Omales”

Final Paper Pre-Writing

Questions for 10/5: We did these three sets in class.  We spent about 15 minutes per set and did some thinking on paper. We will do another three sets on Thurs.

Set #1:

• • What stands in the way of our achieving happiness?

  • What is happiness?

  • Can everyone be happy all the time?

  • Could we all be satisfied with one civilization?  How do we satisfy everyone’s needs equally?

  • Is there meaning in life without basic human values?

  • What is freedom?

  • Is life worth living if you can’t do what you want to do?

  • What is truth?  Why is it important?

Set #2:

• • In what ways do you see technology and globalization as positives for humanity?

  • What is progress?

  • Does there have to be an end to progress?

  • Are we headed toward Utopia?

  • How does technology affect society?  What about science?  Can these be used to improve society?

Set #3:

• • What defines utopia/dystopia?

  • Is Utopia possible?

  • Must utopias be simple?

  • How is simplicity related to happiness?

  • Does everyone need to be equal?

  • Is there a catch to Utopia?

  • Can dystopias be fixed?

  • Can you plan a utopia?

  • Can there be a Utopia without conformity?

  • Does Utopian/Dystopian literature help society?

  • What possibilities exist that we haven’t thought of yet?

Brave New World One Page Paper

            I want to coach you through the Writing Process: Pre-writing, Composing/Drafting and finally Editing/Revising.  For this paper, you get one page. That’s not much.

            Feel free to use a write-up you’ve already done as a Pre-writing exercise.  As far as topics, you must find your own—but I’ll help those who need it.  As far as I can envision, these papers will either be expository essays or creative writing responses to the book.  You need to type these pieces and save them so that you may completed all necessary revisions.

Do some pre-writing on all the entire book; look over your writings and worksheets.  Focus on the aspects of the book that made the biggest impression on you, but “Say Something.”

Here’s the assignment: Consider Brave New World as a whole and try to decide what you think its central or most important message is. 

Your paper should…

o       Have a real title

o       Have an interesting introduction

o       Say Something

o       Consider your audience—anyone in the class or Pfouts.  We’ve read the book—write with that in mind.

Peer Draft :. 

Graded draft due: 

Questions for “The Ones who Walked Away from Omales”

• What would you do?

• What does it mean to walk away?

• What does walking away accomplish?

• What's the story's message? (as far as you can tell)

• Other general reactions