Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

As you have been reading, you've been marking the personal philosophical ideas and rants from the narrator of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Upon completion of the book, you can choose from one of the project options below:

1. Write a paper responding to the following prompt: Robert Pirsig describes his theory of quality in the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Describe this theory, critiquing its flaws and validating its contributions to the understanding of philosophy. Then, explain how the theory of quality agrees or disagrees with your personal philosophy, and why. This paper should use specific textual evidence to define Pirsig's beliefs, should be 3-4 pages in length, and use standard formatting (Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced). No works cited page is necessary if there are no additional sources used outside of Pirsig's book.
2. The character Phaedrus plays a significant role in the narrator's retelling of his journey in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. In the updated introduction, the class read that Pirsign thought of Phaedrus as the real him - complex, brilliant, and on the verge of madness - while the narrator telling the story was simply the part of him that was projecting an image of stability but had been irreparably damaged by eletroshock therapy. Is there a real you that you project to the outside world hiding the messy reality underneath, someone who you fear wouldn't be accepted by your parents, your peers, or your community? Create a mask (not store-bought) that represents the outward projection that is safe on the outside and the real you on the inside. Cover the inside of the mask with quotes from the book that resonate with you and explain how the real you - Phaedrus - either agrees or disagrees with these quotes.
3. In the book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, the narrator tells readers that he makes a living off of writing technical manuals, then proceeds to deliver his deeply held philosophical beliefs about the nature of quality. Mimicking his style and tone, write a manual about a subject you are passionate about in which you interlace the information with your own philosophical beliefs. Be sure to include examples of Pirsig's philosophy and your agreement or disagreement with his theory of quality by citing specific textual evidence and then expounding upon them.
4. Create a visual representation to compare/contrast your personal philosophical beliefs with the narrator's in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. One example, pictured below, would be a mandala that uses words as ideas/concepts and is wrapped by quotes that serve as evidence. This is not the only option, however; one could represent philosophical ideas in many different ways. The requirements for this option include: 10 quotes to support your depiction of the author's philosophy (minimum), and 10 supporting reasons for your own personal philosophical ideals. If you are creating a piece of art that does not use words, these could be included on a separate document that explains the piece. If you are unsure about whether or not your project will meet the requirements of the assignment, ask me personally or email me by clicking HERE.

All projects will be due in class to Mr. Cohen Friday, May 11. As this is the end of the semester, no extensions can be given!