Johnston
English 102-CIN
Essay #1
Are you free?
There are many aspects of our lives that can either confine or liberate us. Dr. King
discusses oppression and how the ways in which we deal with oppression sometimes
offer freedom or more constraints upon our souls. Le Guin illuminates the sacrifices
people are willing to make to be free and have a “perfect” life. Finally, West and Smiley
talk about poverty and the confines placed on us when we have limited financial
resources.
So, in what state are you? Are you liberated, free? If so, how do you know you are? How
do you remain free? If not, what keeps you restricted? How can you get free? In a 3-4
paged essay explore these questions. You must incorporate quotes from at least 3 of
the texts we used in class as part of your essay.
Texts:
“Three Ways of Meeting Oppression”
Michelle Alexander on Democracy Now!
“The Ones Who Walked Away From Omelas
Tavis Smiley & Cornel West on Democracy Now!
This is a personal response essay that includes references to the readings we’ve discussed
in class. In CIN we are offering your mind liberation through education as well as
preparing you for the world of higher education. Sometimes you will be allowed, like in
this assignment to talk freely about your life and experiences. Other times, you will need
to follow the set standards for writing essays. It is also important that your personal
experiences are used to illustrate your ideas and not simply to help you meet the page
requirement.
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3-4 pages
Typed
1” margins
Title page with original title
Due Tuesday, Sept 11th