Literature

What do you make of “Someday I will Love Ocean Vuong?” What sense do you get from the poem? What, if anything, struck you in the poem? Is it fiction? Autobiography? Why or why not?  What rhetorical strategies do you see at play? Do you see connections to any other readings from the week?

Summarize the thrust of Orwell’s argument in your own words. What is he saying, and how does he say it? Orwell writes, “Look back through this essay, and for certain you will find that I have accidentally committed the very faults I am protesting against.” Find an example of this that really stood out to you. Copy the passage (without trying to fill your word-length requirement with a giant passage) and explain.  Find an example where Orwell implements his own rules marvelously. Copy the passage and explain.  Is his argument still relevant today? (Hint from Rob: YES) If so, why? Which social or political aspects does Orwell describe that still feel current? Which ones feel dated, and how could you update them?

Write a 2-4 page essay (in Word or Rich Text Format, double spaced, size 12 font) on one of the following topics. (Cite all sources you use to avoid plagiarism). Use the text as your primary source and at least one academic secondary source. 1.) Explain Descartes’ Method of doubt; what does he hope to accomplish from this method; is Descartes a skeptic? 2.)What is the significance of Descartes’ Cogito argument. How does it relate to the “evil demon” and dreaming doubt arguments? 3.) Does Descartes believe in God? If so discuss his argument(s) for the existence of God. Are they convincing? Why or why not? If you don’t think that Descartes actually believes in God defend your position. 4.) Discuss the so called “Cartesian Circle”; (a good source for this discussion are the articles on Descartes at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy; is Descartes guilty of begging the question or arguing in a circle in his discussion of God as the guarantor of clear and distinct ideas and his clear and distinct idea of God? 5.) Explain the relationship between satyagraha and swaraj for Gandhi. How does his concept of non-violent resistance relate to his beliefs about God and punishment? 6.)How widely and to what effect has Gandhi’s non-violent resistance been employed in political struggles? what are some of its advantages and disadvantages? 7.) Explain Gandhi’s contention that external independence (swaraj) depends upon internal swaraj. Do you think his reasoning is correct? why or why not? 8.) Compare and contrast Gandhi and Plato on the issue of appearance and reality. (Cite all sources you use to avoid plagiarism) Cite all sources with quotation marks for direct quotes and parenthetical references. Don’t place urls in the body of your paper; cite online sources by author’s name or article title. Place urls at the end of the paper in the work cited page. Every student is encouraged to submit drafts of papers to Upswing under the tutoring tab for assistance with composition and proofreading.

The content of this reading can be very disturbing, especially for any one who has been sexually abused, so proceed with caution.  In addition to your original post, you must respond to 2 peers in order to receive full credit. Read this powerful retelling of child rape from the victim’s perspective. The article is entitled Stalking the Bogeymen, Coming to Grips with the Killer Inside Me. It is the self report of David Holthouse who was victimized as a child and he, as an adult, planned to confront and kill his “bogeyman”. You can listen the reading clicking this link and then forwarding it about 8 minutes. https://www.westword.com/news/david-holthouse-confronts-killer-inside-him-on-this-american-life-read-shocking-story-here-5885772 Please view this chart in the picture I uploaded and choose one of a set of questions to answer: I would like you to begin using theory to understand criminal behavior. Read chapters 1-2 and incorporate the material into your response. Your responses (for all discussion forums) should demonstrate that you have read and understand the chapter assigned. In other words, use the chapter material in your discussion responses. Select ONE of the sets of questions to respond to and respond to 2 of your peers (Your response/comments should be an evaluation of their perspective, pose questions for them to consider, and/or elaborate on their ideas in a meaningful way). Please number your response so I know which set of questions you’re addressing. Your original post (your answer to the questions below) should be at least 10 sentences in length for each set of questions. You should use the chapter material in your response to the questions. This is not an opinion post, but an analysis and application response. Here are the questions: 1. EXAMINING CRIMINALS & VICTIMIZATION Under contemporary criminology in Chapter 1, what two theories do you think would be most helpful in understanding the crimes of the author’s bogeyman? Are there elements that we still need to know to formulate a better understanding of the bogeyman’s behavior? Read Chapter 2. How does the chart above reveal failures in the justice system? How do these failures impact report rates? Discuss reasons why victims of sexual violence do not report crime. What reasons did the author give for not telling anyone about his victimization? If someone came to you with a similar experience like the author’s, would advise him or her to report their childhood victimization as an adult? 2. EXAMINING A VICTIM TURNED PREDATOR Under contemporary criminology in Chapter 1, what two theories do you think would be most helpful in understanding the author’s crime planning of killing his rapist? If you were to sit down and interview David Holthouse, what would you want to know as a criminologist in training? Explain the importance of criminology in understanding Holthouse’s plan. The chart above refers to victimization rates and Chapter 2. How can social scientists accurately measure the number of sexually abused victims there are today? Do you think that as a victim, David Holthouse should have a right to justice? What form of justice do you think is appropriate in his case? Do you think offenders who were victims themselves should be treated differently in sentencing? Why, why not? 3. CLASSIC VIEW OF CRIME Compare and contrast two of the three main sociological theories on victims and seeking justice. These are discussed on page 17. How would each theory view Holthouse’s victimization? What form of justice would each theory seek? Which do you agree with and why? In regards to the chart above, which of the 3 theories best explains the discrepancy in numbers (the number of victims versus number of convictions)? Who are most likely to be victims of sexual abuse as far as race, sex, social class? Who are most likely to be offenders of sexual abuse as far as race, sex, social class?   Your original post should be 200 words minimum. Take your time when you are writing your posts. It is best to write TOO MUCH than not enough. You can never “over explain” yourself in any of my online classes.

journal entries Submit these by the due date and time in a Word doc attachment, and please number each answer. Do advertisements appeal more to needs than to wants or do they appeal more to wants than to needs? Write a journal entry response based on this question. Make sure to include specific examples and illustrations. This entry should be two paragraphs long and about 100-150 words. “Much of the reality that television projects is a negative one.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write a journal entry response taking one side or the other. This entry should be two paragraphs and about 100 to 150 words. Make sure to back up your stance with specific examples and illustrations. How often should a person be given another chance after he or she has been unfaithful, lied, or broken a promise? Write a journal entry response based on this question. Make sure to include specific examples and illustrations. This entry should be two paragraphs long and about 100 to 150 words. Is “truth” the way things really are, or is it more like an agreement among people about how things are? Write a journal entry response based on this question making sure to include specific examples and illustration to back up your stance. This entry should be two paragraphs and about 100 to 150 words. In what ways are the huge shopping malls on the outskirts of town like the downtown shopping areas they have replaced? Write a journal entry response based on this question comparing/contrasting the two making sure to include specific examples and illustrations. This entry should be two paragraphs about 100 to 150 words. What do you personally do to make the world a better place? Make sure to include specific examples and illustrations. This entry should be two paragraphs long and about 100 to 150 words. What does it mean to be “well-informed”? Make sure to include specific examples and illustrations. This entry should be two paragraphs long and about 100 to 150 words.

Address the following in your paper: The Consequentialism Debate: Compare and Contrast deontology and utilitarianism. Briefly discuss the differences between Bentham and Mill’s versions of utilitarianism. Discuss the political and ethical implications of utilitarianism. Explain virtue ethics and care ethics and discuss how these approaches offer an alternative to the deontological and utilitarian focus on how we should act. Explain existential ethics and briefly discuss the role of free will in ethical decision making. The explanation of existentialism should discuss the following ideas: authenticity, ambiguity, freedom, anxiety, and bad faith.  Illustrate the theories discussed with examples, including situations relevant to your current or future career. ( I am a nurse) *** One of the required references is Roots of Wisdom: A Tapestry of Philosophical Traditions: by Helen Mitchell

This assignment will be submitted to Turnitin®. Instructions Read the following selections from Norton Anthology of Literature Volume A:  – Thomas Paine, pp. 639-647 (8th ed.); 681-689 (9th ed.) – Thomas Jefferson, pp. 659-677 (8th ed.); 702-720 (9th ed.) – Olaudah Equiano, pp. 687-699 (8th ed.); 731-744 (9th ed.) – Judith Sargent Murray, pp. 737-743 (8th ed.); 770-776 (9th ed.) – Philip Freneau, pp. 756-762 (8th ed.); 780-787 (9th ed.) – Phillis Wheatley, pp. 763-771 (8th ed.); 787-795 (9th ed.) Answer five of the six following questions, using quotes from the readings for support. 1. In the headnote to Thomas Paine’s section of readings, it’s noted that his “attempt to define his beliefs was viewed as an attack on Christianity and, by extension, on conventional society” (Baym 640).  Using any of the selections in Paine’s section, defend or refute this belief.  2. How is Thomas Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence” similar in form to Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God?”  Compare the language used in each, as well as the impact both works are meant to have on their readers.  3. Why might Olaudah Equiano’s narrative be an important addition to a collection of early American works, such as the one used in this course?  What makes it interesting as “American” literature, considering the scholarly debate surrounding his origin of birth (Africa or South Carolina)? 4. Why are Murray’s letters given such eloquence?  In reading these fictional, intimate letters now, what pleasures or frustrations might readers have?  Do the letters allow us, the audience, to truly experience how people during her time lived, or do we only see them as we wish they lived?  Does Murray seem to be capturing absolute realism, or do you think she has something else in mind?  5. What seems to be limiting Philip Freneau’s writing?  Does his chosen form (poetry) have anything to do with this reason?  For many people, he’s not as well known an author as his contemporaries (Franklin, Paine, and Jefferson, for example), but why might that be?  How did he address political and social conditions of his time, and why should modern-day readers care more about his work? 6. Like Anne Bradstreet, Phillis Wheatley also used her poetry to address public subjects.  How does her work compare to Bradstreet’s in voice and topic?  What do you think explains the absence of a personal voice in Wheatley’s writing, and does this affect its overall power?

To Kill a Mockingbird – Literary Analysis Assignment Overview of Format You will be required to construct a four paragraph essay that follows the following format. (This is the same type of essay that you wrote for The Crucible.) Paragraph #1: Introduction Hook, link, and thesis statement Paragraph #2: Body #1 to support thesis statement Topic sentence 3 supporting details with citations from the book Commentary to discuss how each supporting detail proves the topic sentence Concluding sentence Paragraph #3: Body #2 to support thesis statement Topic sentence 3 supporting details with citations from the book Commentary to discuss how each supporting detail proves the topic sentence Concluding Sentence Paragraph #4: Concluding paragraph Restatement of the thesis Summary of both concluding sentences (from body paragraphs) Clincher Select ONE of the following essay prompts as the focus for your essay. #1 What important life lessons can we learn from the novel? Consider Lee’s emphasis on values (what is important), morals (what is good or bad) and ethics (what is right or wrong). Give examples of qualities in characters and situations to support your position. Think about the lessons Scout and Jem learned throughout the novel. What can we learn from Atticus? Possible Thesis: Brainstorm: #2 Why is the book titled To Kill a Mockingbird? Provide examples from the book (Tom, Dill, Boo, etc.) to explain the meaning of the title and the reasons for its use. Think about what Scout meant when she said “…would be kind of like killing a mockingbird.” Possible Thesis: Brainstorm: #3 Atticus said that, “You never really understand a man until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it”-Ch.3, and “you never really know a man until you step in his shoes and walk around in them”-Ch. 31. Explain the truth of these statements in the novel. Possible Thesis: Brainstorm: #4 What is courage, and why is it an important character trait? Discuss the different examples of courage (physical, emotional, moral) that are shown in the novel. Or discuss how different characters show courage. Possible Thesis: Brainstorm: #5 Analyze Harper Lee’s portrayal of education in To Kill a Mockingbird. Possible Thesis: Brainstorm: SCROLL DOWN FOR THE OUTLINE TEMPLATE/ ASSIGNMENT Outline Assignment Directions: Select one of the prompts above. Formulate a thesis statement and then begin brainstorming and organizing the details from the novel that will help to prove your thesis statement. Each of the highlighted portions must be filled in to receive credit for the outline. DUE DATE: No later than 8:00 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 21st Introduction: Thesis Body #1 to Prove Thesis: Topic Sentence Two of these details must be a direct quote. This means that you must go to the book and find the exact line that supports the topic sentence. The third detail can be a paraphrase from the book, but you will still need to provide a page number. Supporting Detail #1 Page #: Supporting Detail #2: Page #: Supporting Detail #3: Page #: *We will add commentary to explain each supporting detail at a later date. Concluding Sentence: Body #2 to Prove Thesis: Topic Sentence: Two of these details must be a direct quote. This means that you must go to the book and find the exact line that supports the topic sentence. The third detail can be a paraphrase from the book, but you will still need to provide a page number. Supporting Detail #1: Page #: Supporting Detail #2: Page #: Supporting Detail #3: Page #: *We will add commentary to explain each supporting detail at a later date. Concluding Sentence: Concluding Paragraph: Restatement of Thesis: Restatement of points from each concluding sentence: SKIP FOR NOW Clincher: SKIP FOR NOW

The Epic of Gilgamesh, “Toads,” and “Everyday Use” each contains a powerful simile which likens a dog to a character or group of characters in the work. Describe the simile in each work, and explain fully how the simile works. What particular qualities of the dog is connected to the character(s) in each case? What specifically is revealed about each character in each of the similes? (Don’t B.S. here; identify specific traits connected to the character in each case).

The main question to which you should be responding is highlighted in bold print below. In developing your essay, do not simply answer the questions in order, but try to connect your answers into a coherent essay. The questions are simply intended to stimulate thought on your part, to give you some idea of the kinds of questions you should be considering in your answer. Do you think animal liberation is a crime? If so, what makes it a crime? If not, how do you define a crime, and how does the liberation of animals fall short of that definition?  Do you think the original owners of the animals have rights – for example, property rights – that are violated by their “theft”? Should the liberators have to compensate their “victim”? If the dolphin in Midgley’s essay was truly treated inhumanely, do the owners deserve compensation? Who, then, would be the true victim in that scenario? What constitutes inhumane treatment in the first place? (Notice the equivocation here: The word “inhumane” comes from the word “human.” Are animals, if they are not human beings or persons, entitled to “humane” treatment? What is your definition of “human” or “person,” and to what extent do animals fall under it?) If you do not consider animal liberation theft, explain why not. What moral principle(s) would you invoke here to defend your answer? Would you make an exception in the case of animal testing (i.e. experiments with animals) for the sake of developing life-saving medicines for human beings? How about for the sake of developing perfume, shampoos, lipstick, and other beauty products? Do you think it should play any role in determining the liberator’s guilt whether (or how well) he knew the animal? In other words, if someone off the street decides, as a matter of principle, to free a dolphin from Sea World, should he be treated in the same way as someone who knew the animal “personally”? If not, what is it about knowing the animal and its condition that changes the legal circumstances? Why should that play a role at all? Should that completely exonerate the person or only be a mitigating circumstance?