Chaffey College
English 1B: Advanced Composition & Critical Thinking
Spring 2015 (Honors)
Instructor: Daniel Keener
Class: Tues./Thurs. 8:00 am to 9:20 am LA-111
Section: 80645
Me
Email: daniel.keener@chaffey.edu
Voicemail: (909) 652-6943
Advice Hours: Mon./Wed./Thurs. 9:30 am-10:30 am, Tues. 11:00 am-12:00 pm, & Thurs. 11:00
am-12:00 pm or by appointment
Finals Advice Hours: Thurs. 5/14 11:30 am to 1:30 pm and Mon. 5/18 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
Required Texts and Supplies
--Jacobus, Lee A. ed. A World of Ideas. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford / St.
Martin’s, 2013.
--Moon, Fabio and Gabriel Ba. Daytripper.
--An Email Account (for course updates or changes)
Our Books
Recommended
--Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual.
--A College Dictionary/Thesaurus
--www.keenersclasses.weebly.com
Course Description
Prerequisite: English 1A or equivalent with a minimum grade of C.
Using primarily non-fiction reading models, students emulate and incorporate various rhetorical
strategies in the development of written analysis and researched argumentation. Focus on logical
analysis (e.g., inductive and deductive reasoning) and effective reasoning, establishing
credibility, and emotional appeals to develop persuasive arguments. English 1B is writing
intensive with a minimum production requirement of 6,000 words.
The objectives of English 1B are as follows:
1. Evaluate college-level materials, from a variety of sources, for main idea, thesis,
and deductive reasoning.
2. Recognize inferences, inductive and deductive reasoning.
3. Analyze evidence in support of claims.
4. Draw and articulate sound inferences about the intention of the writer, based on
observations of diction and style (including mood, tone and figurative language).
5. Comment on the effect of diction, metaphor, connotative and denotative language.
6. Recognize the influence of style and voice on purpose.
7. Determine both stated and unstated assumptions.
8. Distinguish between fact and opinion, based on an understanding of the nature of
the “fact.”
9. Identify and analyze the structure of arguments, evaluate their validity, and refute
objections, identify common fallacies of language and thought.
10. Construct sound arguments by avoiding logical fallacies, supplying sufficient
support for claims, using outside sources, employing correct citation and
documentation, and using various diction levels and stylistic approaches.
11. Identify and analyze the structure of arguments underlying the texts read.
12. Write essays that effectively employ such writing strategies as analysis, synthesis,
and summary, and that emphasize such writing tasks as causal analysis, advocacy
of idea, persuasion, evaluation, refutation, interpretation, and definition.
English Department
Composition SLOs 2013-2015
Chaffey College core competencies
1) communication
2) critical thinking and information competency
3) community/global awareness and responsibility
4) personal, academic, and career development
program-level outcomes
What should any English student be able to do?
(in terms of reading & writing in any English course)
relevant core
competency
1) Understand the relationship between purpose and audience in a text.
[This works for analyzing a reading or writing a paper.]
2
2) Apply the elements of the reading process (prereading, active reading, reviewing, responding, etc.) to
any reading assignment in the academic and professional spheres.
1
3) Apply the elements of the writing process (inventing, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, etc.)
to any writing assignment both in the academic and professional spheres.
1
4) Respond critically to reading assignments using reflection, analysis, and synthesis.
2
5) Reflect on and evaluate one’s own progress as a reader, writer, and critical thinker.
4
course-level outcomes (What should any student be able to do by the end of the course?)
relevant
core
comp.
(1)
comm.
(1)
comm.
(2)
crit.
think
English 675
English 575
English 475
English 1A
English 1B
Prep. for College
Reading & Writing
Intro. to College
Reading & Writing
Fund. of College
Reading & Writing
College
Composition
Adv. Comp. &
Crit. Thinking
Read as a process
in multiple genres.
Apply appropriate
reading strategies
suited to the text.
Read critically to
analyze and
evaluate a variety
of nonfiction texts
and in a variety of
disciplines.
Demonstrate
proficiency in
evaluating,
integrating, and
documenting
sources.
Demonstrate
mastery in
evaluating,
integrating, and
documenting
sources.
Fall
2013
(3)
wr.
proc.
Write a short
essay.
Write an essay
including a thesis
and supporting
evidence.
Write an essay
with a clear thesis
and documented
sources.
Support a complex
thesis statement
with sophisticated
evidence.
Support an
argumentative
thesis with
persuasive
evidence and
reasoning.
Spring
2014
(1)
aud.
Distinguish key
textual features
including
audience, purpose,
tone, fact, and
opinion.
Analyze
interconnected
functions of
audience, purpose,
genre, tone, and
role.
Write essays that
deliberately
connect audience
and purpose in a
variety of genres.
Write essays that
synthesize
information to
support analysis or
argument.
Fall
2014
relevant
program
SLO
(2)
rding
proc.
Analyze the
rhetorical features
of texts.
sem.
to be
assessed
Course Policies
Attendance: This class uses a workshop approach, where much of our work is done in groups,
and students become active members in classroom discussions. Therefore attendance is
mandatory, and I expect you to come to class on time and prepared to discuss any writing
or reading assignments for that day. Any essay or assignment cannot be made up. I do
not differentiate between “excused” or “unexcused” absences, so please reserve your
absences for true emergencies. Also, I expect you to arrive right on time and will mark
you “tardy” if you are more than ten minutes late. Two tardies will result in one absence.
NOTE: Through my experience as an English instructor I have noticed a direct
correlation between a student’s success and frequent attendance: the more often a student
comes to class, the more successful the student is in that class.
Active Participation: This is a student-centered classroom, and I do not make a habit of
“lecturing.” Therefore, I expect you to be active members of the class and
participate in every reading or writing discussion we have. I respect your
experiences and perspectives, as well as your questions, and your continued
involvement helps to generate a diverse and lively classroom environment.
Furthermore, active learning remains essential to grow as better writers,
readers, and critical thinkers.
Essays: You will complete three out-of-class essays (2 shorter papers and a research paper). The
2 out-of-class essays will follow MLA format and generally be 6-10 pages in length. The
research paper will follow MLA format and generally be 10-15 pages in length. You will
receive more specific written instructions about all essay assignments. Also, you will
have the option to revise one of your out-of-class essays. DO NOT THROW AWAY
ORIGINAL ESSAYS WITH MY COMMENTS. You’ll need to turn this in with your
revision.
Proposals: For every essay you write, you will need to create a proposal. The proposal should
be about two pages in length, and it should describe what your subject is, why it is
important, and briefly outline how you plan to organize your essay. We will look at some
sample proposals and talk about these in more detail after I assign your first essay.
Critical Readings: For each one of your reading assignments you will need to complete
about a page worth of annotations. This page should consist of questions you have about
the reading, notes about how you see it connecting to other readings, summary comments
on the main points of the reading, etc. We will talk more about this component to the
class and I will give examples before you turn in your first critical reading.
Focused Freewrites: Throughout the semester, at the beginning of class, you will be
required to respond to a question I pose about the readings you have done before coming
to class. There will be twenty-five of these, each worth four points.
Late Work: I do not accept late work for the full value of points the assignment is worth. For
every class day an assignment is late, it loses ten percent of its original value. If an essay
is one class day late, the most you can earn on it is 90 points, two days late—80 points
and so on. I do not accept late critical readings and you need to be in class to earn the
points for the focused freewrites.
Peer Reviews: Since writing itself can be such a solitary pursuit, peer reviews are designed to
get your classmates involved and assist you with your essays. Every student will be
required to bring in a copy of his/her completed rough draft at the beginning of class.
These peer reviews are very important, and your involvement remains necessary to create
a successful team dynamic. If you fail to attend peer reviews or bring completed rough
drafts, you will lose a substantial amount of points off your final grade.
Conferences: During the semester, you will meet with me for individual conferences. These
conferences are designed to help you with your upcoming essays, as well as give you the
opportunity to discuss your progress in class. You will sign up for a conference during or
around class time, and we will not meet for regular class sessions during that week.
Missing a scheduled conference or arriving more than five minutes late will result in
two absences from class.
Presentations: Everyone will be required to lead class discussion for at least 15 minutes on two
authors from our reading. It will be your responsibility to become an
expert on these authors. Your presentations will consist of, but are not
limited to, at least the following criteria: 1. A brief description and context
of the author. 2. The authors’ main arguments. 3. Why they are
important. 4. How can this be applied today? 5. Any fallacies you see in
the authors’ logic. NOTE: Any historical or biographical information
about the authors needs to be directly relevant to their arguments. Do not
include information that is unnecessary to the authors’ rhetorical strategies
and persuasive techniques.
Standard Classroom Etiquette: Bring required texts on the day of assigned readings,
and turn off your cell phones, MP3 players, or any other electronic device that
distracts you from learning. Please be courteous and helpful to your fellow
classmates and actively participate in team activities. Any disruptive behavior
may result in dismissal from class for that day and a deduction in participation
points.
Academic Dishonesty: Simply stated, all work in this class must be your own. The Chaffey
College English Department has adopted the following policy:
Plagiarism, an unlawful act which is defined as the misrepresentation of the published
ideas or words of another as one’s own, will not be tolerated in Chaffey College English
courses. At the discretion of the professor, plagiarism may result in zero points for the
assignment and/or failing the course. In addition, a disciplinary record may be established
and kept on file with the college.
Please exercise caution and seek my help with any outside sources you may use in your
writing. We will also be discussing proper MLA citation and plagiarism avoidance in
this course.
Tutoring and Student Support
Chaffey College has created Student Success Centers, which offer free tutorials,
workshops, study groups, directed learning activities, and computer access to assist
students in their academic development and success. Four of the centers located on the
Rancho Cucamonga campus are designed to address specific subject needs:
Student Success Centers
Chaffey College has created a network of Student Success
Centers--which offers free tutorials, workshops, learning
groups, directed learning activities, and computer/resources
access--to assist students in their academic development and
success.
Math Success Center
M-121
(909) 652-6452
Language Success Center
BEB-101
(909) 652-6907
Writing Success Center
BEB-101
(909) 652-6820
The remaining centers are multidisciplinary, designed to serve students in all subject disciplines.
Rancho Success Center
BEB-101
(909) 652-6932
Chino Multidisciplinary Success Center CHMB-145
(909) 652-8150
Fontana Success Center
(909) 652-7408
FNFC-122
A current Chaffey College photo ID card is required for all Success Center services.
Walk-ins are welcome, and advanced appointments are available for most services.
Call the Centers or consult the college website at www.chaffey.edu/success/ for more
information.
GCC:
We at the Global Career Center (GCC) are here to help you, the Chaffey College
students, to find meaningful careers. We offer career counseling, career assessments,
résumé assistance, interviewing skills preparation, job referrals, student employment, and
career related workshops. The GCC is located on the Rancho Cucamonga Campus in
MACC 203 and we can be reached at (909) 652-6511.
Veterans and Eligible Family Members:
Chaffey College’s Veterans Resource Center (VRC) is dedicated to assisting
veterans and eligible family members in achieving their educational goals
efficiently and without impediments. If you are a veteran or eligible family
member, please contact the Veterans Resource Center at 909-652-6235 or
vrc.staff@chaffey.edu for information regarding educational benefits and
opportunities. The Veterans Resource Center (VRC) is located in building AD125 on Chaffey College’s Rancho Cucamonga campus.
DPS:
If you have a disability documented by a physician or other appropriate professional and
wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact the DPS office (652-6398)
ASAP. Please be sure to allow adequate time to arrange an appropriate accommodation.
EOPS:
EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs & Services) is a state-funded program that offers
support services to economically disadvantaged students who have experienced limited
success in high school and/or college. They endeavor to ensure student retention and
success through academic support and financial assistance with the ultimate goal being
completion of a certificate program, an associate degree and/or transfer to a four-year
university. Please contact the EOPS office (652-6349) for more information.
The Honors Program: The Honors Program provides an intellectual and cultural
community for students at Chaffey College. Program benefits include smaller classes,
creative and challenging coursework, academic enrichment activities, and scholarships.
Students also have opportunities to present research at scholarly conferences, build
social responsibility through community service, and receive ongoing personalized
academic advisement as well as support during the transfer process. Students who
complete the Honors Program may take advantage of our transfer agreements with
prestigious institutions like UCLA. Visit http:///www.chaffey.edu/honors or SSA-122
for more information and admission requirements.
Content Disclaimer:
Students who remain in this course acknowledge the possibility of course discussions,
activities, and materials featuring mature content.
Grading Policy: A point system will be used for the following assignments/tasks:
2 out-of-class essays---100 points each (200 points)
1 research paper---Annotated Bibliography-25 points, Presentation-25 points, Research Paper150 points (200 points)
Proposals---25 points each (75 points)
25 Critical Readings---4 points each (100 points)
25 Focused Freewrites---4 points each (100 points)
Author Presentation---50 points
Field Trip Visit and Write Up—75 points
**Total Course Points: 800 pts.
Grading Scale:
A=800-720
B=719-640
C=639-560
D=559-480
F=479 and below
Tentative Course Outline
Week 1:
T 1/13— Introduction to the course
In Class: Discuss syllabus, getting to know you exercise
Assign: Get textbooks, Essay #1, and 1 page write up
NOTE: Begin on Essay #1 right away!
Th 1/15—In Class: Socrates, McCloud, and author presentations sign-up
Have Read: All of Syllabus
Due: 1 page write up and Proposal #1
Week 2:
T 1/20—Have Read: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4: Daytripper
In Class: Discuss reading and essay
Th 1/22—Have Read: Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8: Daytripper
In Class: Discuss reading and essay
Socrates
Plato
Week 3:
T 1/27—Have Read: A World of Ideas: Plato “Allegory of the Cave” (865-875),
Bacon “The Four Idols” (879-893), Chapters 9 and 10: Daytripper
In Class: Perception, misconceptions
Th 1/29—Have Read: A World of Ideas: Aristotle “Democracy and Oligarchy” (59-72),
The Founding Fathers “The Constitution of the United States of America” (75-105)
In Class: Peer review of Essay #1
Aristotle
Week 4:
T 2/3— Have Read: A World of Ideas: Madison “Federalist No. 51” (109-117), Alexis de
Tocqueville “Government by Democracy in America” (121-140), Becker “Ideal
Democracy” (143-160)
In Class: Presentations and discussion
Th 2/5—Have Read: A World of Ideas: Nyerere “One-Party Government” (165-173), Bhutto
“Islam and Democracy” ( 177-192)
In Class: What is democracy? What elements do you think make one? Why?
Due: Essay #1
Assign: Essay #2
Week 5:
T 2/10— Have Read: A World of Ideas: Introduction to Ethics and Morality (684-9), Iris
Murdoch “Morality and Religion” (729-41)
In Class: What makes a person moral? Is religion needed?
Murdoch
Th 2/12—Have Read: A World of Ideas: Nietzsche “Morality as Anti-Nature”
(343-356), Martin Luther King Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (375-392)
In Class: Rhetorical Devices and Ethics
Due: Proposal #2
Nietzsche
Week 6:
T 2/17— Have Read: A World of Ideas: Frederick Douglass “from Narrative of the
Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” (157-70), Henry David Thoreau
“Civil Disobedience” (173-97)
In Class: Narrative as persuasion
Douglass
Th 2/19—Have Read: A World of Ideas: Appiah “The Case Against Character”
(397-411), Gazzaniga “Toward a Universal Ethics” (415-430)
In Class: Can a universal ethic be reached? What would that look like to
you? And peer review for Essay #2
Appiah
Wealth and Poverty
Week 7:
T 2/24—Conferences
Have Read: A World of Ideas: “Introduction to Wealth and Poverty” (434-439),
Smith “Natural Progress of Opulence” (441-450), Marx “The Communist
Manifesto” (453-476)
In Class: What is money for? How should it be used?
Marx
Th 2/26— Conferences
Have Read: A World of Ideas: Carnegie “The Gospel of Wealth” (481-495),
Galbraith “The Position of Poverty” (499-508), Reich “Why the Rich Are Getting
Richer and the Poor, Poorer” (513-529), and research for supplemental material
In Class: Presentations and discussion of rhetorical devices
Carnegie
Education
Week 8:
T 3/3—Have Read: A World of Ideas: “Introduction to Education” (534-541), Hsun
Tzu “Encouraging Learning” (543-552), Dewey “Thinking in Education” (555-568),
and research for supplemental material
In Class: What is your experience with education?
Hsun Tzu
Th 3/5—Have Read: A World of Ideas: Montessori “The Montessori Method” (571583), Kozol “The Uses of ‘Diversity’” (605-616), Gardner “Designing Education for
Understanding” (619-641)
Due: Essay #2
In Class: How would you teach?
Montessori
Assign: Essay #3
Gender and Culture
Week 9:
T 3/10—Have Read: A World of Ideas: “Introduction to Gender and Culture” (646651), Wollstonecraft “Of the Pernicious Effects Which Arise from the Unnatural
Distinctions Established in Society” (653-666), Mill “The Subjection of Women” (669686)
In Class: What limitations do you feel society place on you because of your sex/gender?
Why?, framing a debate, and workshop for research paper.
Wollstonecraft
Th 3/12—Have Read: A World of Ideas: Woolf “Shakespeare’s Sister” (689-704), Mead
“Sex and Temperament” (707-721)
In Class: What does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be a woman?
Spring Break 3/16-3/22
Week 10:
T 3/24—Have Read: A World of Ideas: Greer “Masculinity” (725-735), Butler “From Undoing
Gender” (739-758)
In Class: Why we do the things we do: men/women and behavior
Due: Proposal #3 and Annotated Bibliography
Language
Butler
Th 3/26—Have Read: A World of Ideas: “Introduction to Language” (762-767), Langer
“Language” (769-779), Pei “Theories of Language Beginning” (783-791)
In Class: The power and use of language
Week 11:
T 3/31—Have Read: A World of Ideas: Baldwin “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then
Tell Me, What Is?” (795-801), Bryson “Where Words Come From” (805-821)
In Class: What makes a language, a language?
Baldwin
Due: Field Trip Write Up
Th 4/2—Have Read: A World of Ideas: Postman “The Word Weavers/The World Makers”
(825-839), Chomsky “New Horizons in the Study of Language” (843-853)
In Class: Synthesize the information: how do these authors fit together and “talk” to one
another? And first peer review for Essay #3
Discoveries and the Mind
Week 12:
T 4/7—Have Read: A World of Ideas: “Introduction to Discoveries and the Mind”
(858-863), Darwin “Natural Selection” (897-911)
In Class: Next steps in evolution?
Darwin
Th 4/9—Have Read: A World of Ideas: Freud “The Oedipus Complex” (915-923)
In Class: The power of suggestion and analysis of a text
Jung
Week 13:
T 4/14—Have Read: A World of Ideas: Jung “The Personal and the Collective Unconscious”
(927-939)
In Class: Monomyth and the unconscious and second peer review for Essay #3
Th 4/16—Have Read: Ramachandran “Neuroscience as the New
Philosophy” and Pinker “Thinking Machines” (these can be found on
my website: www.keenersclasses.weebly.com as a PDF attachment)
In Class: Watch “The Lonely” and discuss what makes us human
Pinker
Week 14:
T 4/21—Conferences: LA—115 (Bring rough draft and questions)
Th 4/23—Conferences: LA—115 (Bring rough draft and questions)
Week 15:
T 4/28—Research paper presentations
(Oral Argument)
Th 4/30—Research paper presentations
(Oral Argument)
Week 16:
T 5/5—Research paper presentations
(Oral Argument)
Th 5/7—Research paper presentations
(Oral Argument)
Week 17:
T 5/12—Final Peer review of research
paper
Th 5/14—Workshop research paper
Week 18:
Final Day T 5/19:
Due: Research paper and optional revision
In Class: Final Conferences
ENGL 1B Rubric
Score/Grade
Content
Range
A
24-27
B
22-23
C
19-21
D/F
5-18
Criteria
Superior understanding of topic and writing context; superior
understanding of argumentative strategies and techniques;
valuable central purpose/thesis defined and supported with
substantial, specific, and relevant details; rich, distinctive
content that is original; strong reader interest; strong analytical
interpretation
Accurate grasp of topic and writing context; substantial
understanding of argumentative strategies and techniques;
worthwhile central purpose/thesis clearly defined and supported
with relevant details; substantial reader interest; moderate
analytical interpretation
Acceptable but cursory understanding of topic and writing
context; acceptable understanding of argumentative strategies
and techniques; routine purpose/thesis supported with adequate
details; suitable but predictable content that is somewhat
sketchy or overly general; occasional repetitive or irrelevant
material; average reader interest; little to no analytical
interpretation
Little or no grasp of the topic or writing context; central
purpose/thesis not apparent, weak
Rhetorical structure
A
21-23
B
18-20
C
16-17
D/F
5-15
Exceptionally clear plan connected to thesis/purpose; topic
sentences strongly relate to thesis; plan developed with
consistent attention to proportion, emphasis, logical order, flow,
and synthesis of ideas; paragraphs coherent, unified, and
effectively developed; striking title, introduction, and
conclusion
Clear plan related to thesis; topic sentences relate to thesis; plan
developed with proportion, emphasis, logical order, and
synthesis of ideas; paragraphs coherent, unified, and adequately
developed; smooth transitions between paragraphs; effective
title, introduction, and conclusion
Conventional plan apparent but routinely presented; paragraphs
adequately unified and coherent, but minimally effective in
development; one or two weak topic sentences; transitions
between paragraphs apparent but abrupt, mechanical, or
monotonous; routine title, introduction, and conclusion
Plan not apparent, inappropriate, undeveloped, or developed
with irrelevance, redundancy, inconsistency, or inattention to
logical progression; paragraphs incoherent, underdeveloped, or
not unified; transitions between paragraphs unclear, ineffective,
or nonexistent; weak or ineffective title, introduction, and
conclusion
Diction and tone
A
18-20
B
16-17
C
14-15
D/F
1-13
Grammatical form
A
16-17
B
14-15
C
12-13
D/F 1-11
Diction distinctive; fresh, precise, concrete, economical, and
clear word choice; word form mastery; appropriate, consistent,
and engaging tone
Clear and accurate diction; minor errors in word form and/or
occasional weaknesses in word choice; generally clear,
appropriate, and consistent tone
Satisfactory diction; generally accurate, appropriate, and clear
word choice, though occasionally predictable, wordy, or
imprecise; limited vocabulary; clarity weakened by errors in SV and pronoun agreement, point of view, word forms;
mechanical and/or inconsistent tone
Diction unacceptable for a college-level essay; inappropriate,
unclear, and/or inaccurate word choice that distracts the reader
or obscures content; numerous word form errors; inappropriate
and/or inconsistent tone
Sentences skillfully constructed, unified, coherent, forceful,
effectively varied; effective in coordinating, subordinating, and
emphasizing ideas; harmonious agreement of content and
sentence design; impressive use of grammatical structures
Sentences accurately and coherently constructed with some
variety; evident and varied coordination, subordination, and
emphasis of ideas; no errors in complex patterns; effective and
clear use of grammatical structures
Sentences constructed accurately but lacking in distinction;
minimal skill in coordinating and subordinating ideas; little
variety in sentence structure; clarity weakened by occasional
awkward, incomplete and/or fused sentences; marginal to
adequate use of grammatical structures
Sentences marred frequently enough to distract or frustrate the
reader; numerous sentences incoherent, fused and/or
incomplete; monotonous, simple sentence structure;
unacceptable use of grammatical structures
Mechanics
A
12-13
B
10-11
Punctuation is clear, appropriate, and effective for the style and
argument of the paper.
Some errors in punctuation that may distract reader.
C
8-9
Many errors in punctuation that distract or confuse the reader.
D/F 1-7
Errors in punctuation distract reader frequently making the
paper difficult to read.
Essay Prompts
Essay #1: Doors of Perception. Since this year’s One Book, One College book is a
graphic novel, I want you to explore your own opinion of comic books/graphic novels.
What is your attitude about them? Are they academic? Are they childish? Do they belong
in a college composition course?
Not only will you explore your own perception of comics, though. This paper is designed
to incorporate primary research as well. You will interview friends, family, classmates
and survey their attitudes of comic books as well. I envision this survey being done in
two simple questions: 1. What is your attitude towards comic books? 2. Do you think it is
appropriate to teach them in a college classroom?
In a 6-10 page essay, using MLA format, write about your perception and the perception
of those you have surveyed about this issue. You must use at least two authors from our
book to support your argument, so if you think about authors that talk directly about
perception, Plato and Bacon immediately come to mind, but you may think of others that
might work just as well. Also, take into consideration how your attitude has changed
since being in this class and reading a bit of theory about comics from the likes of Scott
McCloud. Has this changed your understanding of this form of literature? How has it
changed your attitude? Do you think others should have this same perspective? Why or
why not?
Essay #2: Analysis of Theme: (Option 1) Water often plays an important role in
literature. Usually it symbolizes a rebirth or baptism. How might water be used in this
novel in a similar way? I am thinking, specifically, about two scenes: 1. when Bras meets
his future girlfriend, Olinda, in Brazil and 2. at the end of the novel.
In a 6-10 page essay, using MLA format, write about the use of water in this book. You
must use at least two authors from our textbook to support your argument. Lao Tzu and
Hsun Tzu immediately come to mind because of their reliance on Taoism, but I am sure
you can also think of others. Why is the symbol of water so important? What properties
does it have that lend themselves well to a story like this?
(Option 2) At one point in the novel, Bras tracks down Jorge after worrying about him
for some time. When he finds him, Jorge kills him. Why do you think he does this? What
is the point of this story? What might it tell us about friendship for example?
In a 6-10 page essay, using MLA format, write about this relationship. You must use at
least two authors from out textbook to support your claims. Plato and Nietzsche come to
mind first because of the former’s brotherly bond to his mentor and the latter’s amoral
disposition, but I am sure you can think of others to use as support. Honestly, this scene
disturbed me the most. Why would a friend do such a thing? Does this render the
friendship meaningless? Should Bras have ever gone after his friend? Would he be a
good friend if he did not try to find Jorge?
(Option 3) Bras's girlfriend, Olinda, breaks up with him at one point in the novel.
Examine this relationship. Why does she end up doing this? Do you agree with her
reasons? Why or why not?
In a 6-10 page essay, using MLA format, write about this relationship. You must use at
least two authors from our textbook to support your claims. Again, Plato and Nietzsche
come to mind for the same reasons, but I am sure you can think of others who would
support your argument. Now, you can use your experience(s) if you want to, but I do not
want this paper to be all about your personal relationships and why you might have
broken up with people in the past.  I want you to examine this relationship and try to
read between the gutters. What do you think went on that caused this break up? Was
Olinda simply bored? Did she feel imprisoned?
(Option 4) When he first meets Olinda, she and Bras walk around the market and Olinda
points out that Jorge, Bras's friend, is taking in the moment and being himself in the
moment. This seems to be related to Zen Buddhism and the concept of living in the
moment, not worrying about the past or the future. How might this concept relate to the
book as a whole? How does its construction/structure reinforce this concept? Many
people in life live in the past or the future. This almost begs the question, "If a person
lives for the past or future but not for the present, is that person truly living?" Examine
this concept, using key scenes from the book. Because you have to do research on
Buddhism for this, please make sure to cite your sources.
In a 6-10 page essay, using MLA format, write about Buddhism as it may pertain to the
book. This option has a bit more to it because of the extra research involved, but I feel it
is certainly worth the time to expand your knowledge of religion if just by a little bit. You
must also use at least two authors from our textbook to support your argument. None of
them directly discuss Buddhism, so some creativity will be needed. I can, however, say
that Nietzsche, not from the reading in our book but from other writings, talks about the
concept of “eternal recurrence,” and this seems to be a bit like reincarnation.
(Option 5) Freud is an interesting person to say the least. His Oedipus complex, for
example, is outrageous, but we see this idea of a son trying to outdo his father in many
different literary texts: Hamlet, Oedipus Rex, Zeus in mythology, Luke in Star Wars. In
Daytripper we find this same idea/concept between Bras and his father. Examine that
relationship. In what way(s) is Bras trying to live up to or surpass his father's legacy?
Why is this important? Use key scenes as evidence for your claim.
In a 6-10 page essay, using MLA format, write about Bras’s relationship with his father.
You must use at least two authors from out textbook; Nietzsche is the obvious one, but
Rousseau also comes to mind because of his discussion of the natural or first government.
I know you can also think of others who would support your argument. And, yes, you can
use your own relationship with your father if you want to, but remember what the focus
of the paper is: Bras’s relationship to his father, specifically him trying to surpass his
father’s legacy and how that affects their relationship.
(Option 6) Scott McCloud discusses what he calls "amplification through simplification"
in his book Understanding Comics. The idea is that the more abstract a drawing is, the
more an audience can place him or herself in that character's shoes. Examine the way
Bras is drawn. Is he more on the abstract side of this spectrum or not? Why do you think
the authors draw him the way they do? Is the reader able to relate to him better because of
the way he is drawn? Is it more difficult for some readers to relate to him because of the
way he is drawn and therefore they must rely more on what he experiences?
In a 6-10 page essay, written in MLA format, address this concept. You must use at least
two authors from our textbook to support your argument. Bacon comes to mind because
of his whole cave idea and Plato for the same reason, but I am sure you can think of
others who can help to support your claims. You might also want to address if you agree
with McCloud. If something is drawn more abstractly do we focus more on the content?
Can more people relate to the character in this way? Why or why not?
(Option 7) Usually stories are told in chronological order. This one is quite fragmented,
jumping from one time to another, seemingly randomly. Compare this structure to a
movie that does the same kind of thing, Pulp Fiction comes to mind. What is gained by
doing this? How would both of these stories be different if they were told in
chronological order? What is lost? What is gained?
In a 6-10 page essay, written in MLA format, address the structure of this graphic novel.
You must use at least two authors from out textbook to support your claims. Honestly, no
authors immediately come to mind for this. No one in our textbook uses this sort of
fragmented form of rhetoric. Frederick Douglass comes to mind because of his narrative,
but that is told chronologically. However, I am sure you can think of some way to use the
authors in our textbook to support your claims. Because the story jumps around so much
is there a form of surprise with each chapter? How might this work in the story’s favor?
(Option 8) Which one of the deaths in the book affects you the most? Why? This may
seem like an easy answer but if you think about it carefully, you may find otherwise.
In a 6-10 page essay, written in MLA format, address the concept we all try to avoid thinking
about. You must use at least two authors from out textbook to support your claims. Aristotle and
Jung come to mind first, the former because of his idea of potential in “The Aim of Man” and the
latter because of his concept of the collective unconscious and what we all hold in common, but I
am sure you can think of many others that would also work to help support your argument. Which
one of these deaths/chapters strikes a chord with you? Why?
NOTE: For all of the above prompts for this second essay, you will need to address what
the authors are trying to say to the reader. For example, if you write about Bras and
Jorge’s relationship, what are the authors saying about friendship? This should be the
focus/thesis of the paper that you will then prove.
Essay #3: The Research Paper (Option 1). For this research paper, I want to leave
plenty of room for you to explore your own ideas. I believe that real learning happens
when a subject fascinates us and makes us curious to learn more. Therefore, I want you
to think about something you wish to learn more about and research it to satisfy your own
curiosity. The subject could be about something we have talked about in class: justice,
government, economics, ethics, gender. Or it could be about something else, something
you have been curious about for a long time. This research paper is broad on purpose;
however, you do need to make sure that you are presenting an argument. Whatever you
research, you need to make an argument about that subject. For example, if you choose
to research violence in video games, you need to make an argument that deals with the
effect of violent video games. Do they make people more violent? Are there other
causes? Does it depend on the individual?
In a paper 10-15 pages in length, using MLA format, research and write about something
that interests you for which you can argue. We will brainstorm some ideas in class to help
get you started on this. As with the other papers, you will need to use at least two authors
from our textbook to help support your argument.
Essay #3: The Research Project (Option 2). For this research project, you will need to
be very creative. The first step is to visit the Wignall Museum. Take a look at the Savage
Sentimentality exhibit. What work stands out to you as possibly addressing a problem we
face in our world? You will use this work as inspiration to create your own work of art
that tries to address a problem we now face: gender inequality, racism, education,
increasing disparity between rich and poor, etc. You will need to create your work using
the same kind of technique used in this exhibit, so something should be represented with
a sentimental overtone but in a violent or destructive way as seen in the artwork. After
you have completed the art piece, you will write an analysis of it, using at least two
authors from our book and at least three outside, credible sources.
In a 5-7 page paper, using MLA format, use your artwork as well as your sources to
analyze a problem you see in our world today. How does the art piece you created
address this problem? How does the idea of Savage Sentimentality add to this argument?
Which authors from our textbook add to this argument? What other credible texts support
your argument?
Fieldtrip Prompt
You will be required to go on a fieldtrip of a museum, art gallery, library, etc.
After going on this fieldtrip, you will write a 2-3 page paper on a single painting, picture,
sculpture, area of the place you attended, discussing how that place or thing can be seen
through the authors we have read and discussed so far. You will also need to synthesize
our One Book, One College book with this assignment. How does our reading help to
illuminate the thing you observed? What argument is being made with this piece of art,
place, etc.? Some examples of places you might visit are as follows: The Wignall
Museum, a place on campus where you have not yet been, The Huntington Library, The
Getty Museum, The Museum of Tolerance, etc.
What a semester!