Skip to main content

Essays

Seniors
Your exam is Wednesday, and the essay is Thursday-Friday. The essay will be typed in class, but you may do some preparation by looking at the following topics and going through the text for evidence. Note that the following are suggested topics for inquiry, but that your essay will be based on specific prompts on the date:
  • What is terrorism? How is defined by the book, and how is this subject explored through the actions of Al Qaeda, the DHS, and Marcus? Is the disruption caused by Marcus, for example, worth the socio-political purpose? In particular, how much loss of privacy is acceptable for our security?
  • What makes San Francisco an appropriate setting for the novel? Consider its geographical location, its multicultural population, its history of activism, and its role in the arts.
  • Discuss Marcus as a central protagonist; how does his character develop, and what factors shape his growth as a character? Consider setting, events and characters.
  • How does the book function as a teaching tool? In general, discuss the various "teachers" in the book, and how the book encourages research and experimentation. What purpose does this serve, and how is it related to the themes in the book?
  • Discuss the form, function, and effectiveness of the various types of media represented in the book. How are the "new" media tools - i.e. the Internet, Xnet, IMParanoid - different from more traditional news outlets - television and newspapers? What does this contrast reveal about the effectiveness, veracity, and quality of the information, and how does it affect the freedom of information?
Sophomores
Your exam is Tuesday, and on Wednesday, we will begin discussing your essay for this week. Generally speaking, you are writing an analysis paper focused on the satire in two current political cartoons. You will choose a focus, research the context, and use the cartoons to discuss the techniques used to satirize the event or attitude. We will start with a discussion of those visual/verbal elements on Wednesday.

Your assignment is to visit CAGLE.COM and print out at least two cartoons that you think are funny.  If the site won't load, then please try http://www.caglecartoons.com/. Your cartoons should be connected by theme or topic. Another possible source for cartoons is The Week.

Popular posts from this blog

O Brother, A Response Paper

Hello Freshmen... Your assignment for the weekend is to write a 250-word (one page) response paper on O Brother, Where Art Thou . Please type and format according to MLA. You may choose from the two topics below: (1) Respond to the lyrics of one song from the film. Using your lyric sheet (or the internet ), connect the lyrics of one song to the movie's characters/setting/events. In other words, explain how the lyrics are relevant to the film. (2) Choose one of the historically relevant elements of the movie and look up an article on Wikipedia . Print out the article; then, summarize it and connect it to the movie's characters/setting/events. Be careful not to plagiarize the article, which should be stapled to your reponse. Ideas discussed in class include The Great Depression, con artist, chain gang, Populism (George Wallace, Huey P. Long, W. Lee O'Daniel), Ku Klux Klan (William Joseph Simmons), and George "Babyface" Nelson.
Read more

Monty Python & The Holy Grail

Before you start scoffing and claiming that I am merely killing time until midterms, hear me out. Okay, it's true that this is a perfect time to NOT start anything new, and I do have grading, of course; however, there is more merit to this than you may realize. First, Monty Python -- the British comedy troupe -- has become inextricably associated with all that is "British" in the minds of many. Their educated humor and sharp-minded wit have helped to define what we think of as British comedy, certainly. Their biting satire has taken aim at the British government (and our own), and Britain's monarchy, institutions and social customs. In a sense, their humor (like Shakespeare's) is timeless; no period of history is safe from ridicule (or illumination), and no taboo is too taboo. Second, the movie is a send-up of everything we've studied so far regarding the Middle Ages. They touch on Arthurian Lit and the Grail quest motif (of course), and also feudalism, k...
Read more

Senior End-of-Year Schedule!

Seniors, the end is near, and there are a few assignments left to schedule. Here is a list of everything due in the next two weeks: Career Update - a one-page addendum to your research paper, updating your plans for college and beyond. Be sure to include what you originally planned and if that's changed. Whether plans have changed or not, please explain why and what steps you've taken towards reaching your goal -- i.e. where you've decided to attend and what major you've declared. This is due WEDNESDAY 4/24. Letter to Future Self - this is an OPTIONAL assignment, but I encourage you to take it seriously. As discussed in class, this letter will be sent to you in about five years. Think about what you'd like to tell yourself five years from now. For example, maybe it would be interesting to reflect on your plans at the time, what values you held dear, what you wanted to remember. In addition, you might think about your current likes/dislikes related to pop cultur...
Read more