English 101

 

 

Task 1( by using   pg 242 – 250 )

Respond to the prompt, or address another specific topic from the same reading. As a guideline, you should make a total of two posts, around 100 words each (a medium-sized paragraph). Any posts in addition to these can be as long or short as you like. Please make an effort to respond to your classmates when you can.

Prompt: “Shooting an Elephant” is one of my favorite essays from this collection – it functions on a number of levels to comment on Orwell’s feelings about the British Empire, his role as a soldier, and the rights of others. Of course, what Orwell is literally writing about is the incident involving the shooting of an elephant. But what is really getting at? What is this essay really about? Whether you know much about the history Orwell is participating in, you can begin to understand what is going on by reading the essay thoroughly and then considering what the elements of the story represent. What does it mean to Orwell to shoot the elephant? Why does he do it? Feel free to comment on any of these questions or a question you have of your own about the essay.

 

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Task 2  ( by using pg 283- 285)

In about one page (probably between 300 and 350 words typed), respond to the following prompt, or a specific issue you found interesting, about this week’s essay. Two goals are especially important for these write-ups: first, that you demonstrate real thoughtfulness about the text which exceeds comprehension and summary — you must ask yourself questions about the readings and try to answer them; second, that your response demonstrate your familiarity with the text (that is, your response should prove to me that you have done the assigned reading).

Prompt: This week’s essay is actually a speech which was translated and written out by a member of the audience. The speech was originally delivered by Chief Seattle in response to the offer of a treaty to his tribe. While the speech has been variously translated and no longer represents the exact words of Chief Seattle, it remains, as presented, a powerful and intriguing document. You might comment on a number of ideas here, and I would like to leave this prompt open for you to do so. I’m especially curious, though, how you react to this essay. Does it strike you as ignorant, as Seattle suggests, “because the red man is a savage and does not understand” (284)? What is the appeal of this speech? You might take a moment to consider the rhetorical approach of Seattle’s speech – is it primarily a logical, ethical, or pathetic (emotional) argument? Do you find yourself agreeing with Seattle? If so, analyze why that is. What effect does it have on your appreciate of the speech’s rhetoric that it has been translated from the original? Does that fact somehow make the speech less potent to you? Again, why is that?

 

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Task 3  ( by using pg 376 – 380 )

 

In about one page (probably between 300 and 350 words typed), respond to the following prompt, or a specific issue you found interesting, about this week’s essay. Two goals are especially important for these write-ups: first, that you demonstrate real thoughtfulness about the text which exceeds comprehension and summary — you must ask yourself questions about the readings and try to answer them; second, that your response demonstrate your familiarity with the text (that is, your response should prove to me that you have done the assigned reading).

Prompt: In response to “Virtues Versus Values,” I’d like you to, first, define the terms virtues and values (either how you think George Will would define them or how you would define them in your own words), and, second, to explain what you think might be the important distinction between the two. Do you agree with the calamity George Will sees in modern society as a result of a change from emphasis on virtues to one of values? Is he “making a mountain out of a mole-hill,” exaggerating the consequences of something that doesn’t really matter? Is this “just grammar”?