PAPER TWO: ANALYSIS
Topics
Choose one of the following topics. You’re also welcome to create your own, using any
of the essays in this book. But make sure to check with me first. Also, you will need to
cite at least one outside source in the essay.
1. Critical analysis options:
a. Read Todd Oppenheimer’s “The Computer Delusion” (Presence p. 255)
OR Ward Churchill’s “Crimes Against Humanity” (Presence p. 497) and
write a critical response (positive or negative) to some aspect of the text.
You might choose to focus on its use of logic, use of evidence, or whether
the author’s likely to persuade his target audience. Remember that this is
not simply an essay about whether you happen to agree or disagree with
the author.
b. Read Dave Barry’s “Guys versus Men” (Presence p. 372) and critically
analyze an aspect of it. You may choose to discuss how effective his
humor is, whether his implicit “argument” makes logical sense, or how he
uses evidence to support his points.
2. Rhetorical analysis options:
a. Read Sherry Turkle’s “Who Am We?” (Presence p. 442) and write a
rhetorical analysis. What is the author trying to say? How do things like
structure, tone, word choice, and evidence contribute to the overall
purpose?
b. Read David Brooks’ “Conscientious Consumption” (Presence p. 200) and
analyze it. This essay is deceptively simple. Discuss what his argument is
and what its implications might be. Is he trying to say more than he’s
literally written? Discuss aspects of the essay—use of examples, structure
(“rules”), and his relationship to the reader.
3. Social analysis options:
a. Read Anthony Brandt’s “Do Kids Need Religion?” (Presence p. 191). In
the same vein, write an essay about whether some group of society needs
something it often gets. For example, “Do College Students Need
Television?” or, “Do Teenagers Need Professional Sports?” Be sure to
refer explicitly to Brandt’s article in making your argument.
b. Read Andrew Sullivan’s “What Are Homosexuals For?”) (Presence p.
350). In the same vein, write about some situation in which you have felt
like an outsider to “normal” culture, or some aspect of your identity that
renders you yourself perpetually “outside the norm.” Employ methods—
and if you’d like, a structure—similar to Sullivan’s, and analyze your
social situation using concrete evidence. Be sure to refer explicitly to
Sullivan’s article in making your argument.