Identifying Parts of the Problem Statement
Directions: For each of the following problem statements, identify the four primary
components. Remember that professional problem statements are not always so cut and
dry.
(1) The use of sexuality as a marketing tool has become a commonplace in the world of
advertising. In the past few years, however, some companies have used sexuallyoriented ads to generate controversy (and therefore sales) by pushing the limits of
acceptable taste. Calvin Klein, for instance, recently ran a series of magazine ads
featuring a nearly nude Kate Moss in positions that suggest bestiality, masturbation,
and violence. If we care at all about the kinds of sexual messages being presented to
our children, then ads like this one are simply unacceptable. It is the responsibility of
the U.S. government to create a new agency whose role it will be to monitor the use
of sexual content in magazine advertisements.
(2) Most contemporary literary critics agree that ‘William Shakespeare’ designates an
actual person who lived from 1564-1616 in England. Recent evidence, however,
suggests that ‘Shakespeare’ was actually a name used by various Renaissance writers
who wanted to remain anonymous. If this is the case, then nearly four hundred years
of Shakespeare criticism will have to be re-evaluated, if not totally dismissed. The
present essay will argue that there are indeed good reasons for believing that ‘William
Shakespeare’ never existed, thus requiring a fundamental paradigm shift in our
understanding of Shakespeare’s hegemony in Renaissance literature.
(3) The familiar debate among philosophers of mind over the identity of brain states and
mental states has been given a new twist by Frank Jackson. Jackson argues that there
exist certain phenomenal qualia—qualities of experience—that do not ever simply
correspond to an existing brain state. His argument is not easily dismissed by identity
theorists, for Jackson’s position is not open to the traditional objections against mindbody dualism. It appears, in fact, that identity theorists don’t currently have any
cogent objections to the argument-from-qualia that Jackson presents, and that there
are not likely to be any forthcoming.
(4) The recent resurgence of critical interest in Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” has
done little to give us a definitive interpretation of the poem. “Goblin Market” has
been read as a straightforward Christian allegory, a celebration of lesbian sexuality, a
critique of Victorian consumer capitalism, a feminist manifesto, and even as a
disguised example of vampire mythology. Despite their obvious differences, each of
these interpretations attempts to give us insight into the meaning of the poem’s
allegorical machinery, and each claims success. However, no analysis proffered thus
far seems able to deal convincingly with the most important aspect of Laura’s
redemption: the ‘fiery antidote’ that restores her to well being. How precisely does
the antidote work? Why is the goblin fruit poisonous at one time and restorative at
another? These are the questions on which any coherent interpretation of the poem
must turn, and in the present essay I contend that no allegorical reading of “Goblin
Market” has yet been successful in answering them.