by admin | Sep 22, 2022 | Other / Humanities
Answer at least two of the questions below and respond substantively to at least one classmate’s discussion post. (Use examples from the text to support interpretation.)
1. What are some moments in which Ji-Li feels the impact of the Cultural Revolution?
a. How do they change her view of Chairman Mao?
b. How do they change her view of her family?
2. What are the pivotal events in the memoir? And in what ways do they change Ji-Li’s life?
3. Compare Ji-Li’s questioning of her identity to other texts we have read?
4. What are some of the key questions this memoir poses?
AND
Draw a parallel between an event in JiLi’s life and in Fugui’s life from the film To Live.
by admin | Sep 22, 2022 | Other / Humanities
Write a 3-4 page paper (800-1000 words) following these guidelines:
(stick to this word count!! It is difficult to be concise. That is part of the exercise. I will not read past the 4th page.)
Choose at least two themes that are addressed in the works we read/watched in the last unit of the course and explain:
how that theme was addressed in the works we read in this unit
compare it with the how the theme is addressed in another work you have chosen from this unit
and make sure you explain or connect the themes with the historical context each work is about!
Also, remember you are writing for an educated audience, you must assume familiarity with the work. You are writing, in this case, for me. This is part of why you do not want to tell the plot or summarize the works: I have read them! You need to use examples and explain how your examples support your claim (TS), NOT describe a scene.
You must include all four works in your paper (but each theme does not have to be in all four, but between the two or three themes, you must have examples from all four works) You can have one theme in two works and another theme in the two other works or one theme in three works and another theme in two works, in which case you have mentioned one work more than once; that is okay. However, each theme must be compared: you cannot have one theme in one work.
So, for example, you could address the use of education in governmental oppression in Animal Farm and Amandla! and the importance of family in the midst of the Cultural Revolution in To Live and Red Scarf Girl.
You also must have a Thesis Statement!
Reminder, our works in this unit include:
Animal Farm
Red Scarf Girl
Film: To Live
Documentary: Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony
Use your own words!! (paraphrase and explain rather than quoting, and no outside sources, as always: your ideas!)
You must have a Thesis Statement, a claim for each theme.
For example, you can argue that the performance (of music or reciting sayings) foster the creation of a community and a communal narrative (and then provide specific examples.)
There are many themes to consider, some include:
Revolution and its impact on people’s lives
Family (Marriage and relationships, children)
Construction of community
Identity (think about the construction of identity in relation to community)
Performance
What is versus what seems
Political change
Societal change
How to live your life in midst of change
The role of the artist in society
Vulnerability
Education/literacy
Please see the rubric below for how it will be graded!
You will write a 3-4 page paper. Be extra careful with USING YOUR OWN WORDS! Make sure you cite examples, using a parenthetical citation like this (Orwell, p. 56). Preferably do not use quotations, paraphrase and explain in your own words! But if you use quotations, make sure you cite them, too! If you are using a version of the text that is different from the one I assigned (different ISBN number), you must also include a Works Cited page with the bibliographic information of the text that you used.
The films should be cited with parenthetical citations and minute time stamp where the example is shown, like this:
“Miriam Makeba spoke about the time she was a nanny to white children…” (Amandla! 29:26-29:56)
You can abbreviate in your parenthetical citations for the purpose of this paper:
Amandla!
Be as specific as possible, and explain your reasoning. Do not list moments or retell the story. Do not start with overarching generalizations: “Life is hard.” or “We all question our identity.” Yes, those are both true, but you must be specific about your analysis and your reasoning, not state vague platitudes or cliches.
This paper will go through plagiarism check software. You need to upload your paper (doc, docs, pdf).
You are NOT to Google search or use outside resources! Just read the book and listen to the lectures and other resources provided on Canvas.
Other instructions:
Write a 3-4-page paper (typed, double-spaced). The text should be in 12-point, Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins all around. Include your name and section day(s) and time at the top of the first page. You do not need a cover page. You DO need a title, however, that communicates your thesis statement/argument.
Make sure that your paper clearly demonstrates that you have carefully read the texts or viewed and analyzed the visual source and are able to connect them to the ideas and other works we have covered this semester. Do NOT provide a narrative that offers primarily a summary of the text(s), or mostly background information on the culture described. This is a critical analysis and comparative paper, not a narrative, not a plot summary.
Use as few and as brief quotations as possible! If you do use quotations, make sure you explain HOW that quotation supports your thesis statement! Use YOUR OWN WORDS to explain!!! Paraphrase and cite ideas
by admin | Sep 17, 2022 | Other / Humanities
Write a 3-4 page paper (800-1000 words) following these guidelines:
(stick to this word count!! It is difficult to be concise. That is part of the exercise. I will not read past the 4th page.)
Choose two quotations from two different books from the options below and write an essay that connects the quotations through a deep dive into the specific meaning in each play, as well as a comparison between the plays.
You must answer the questions below and make sure to significantly discuss all three books in your essay!
You must have a Thesis Statement, and this is a formal essay (not just answering the questions)
A. “Seems”, Madam? Nay it is. I know not “seems”.
B. I have of late, and wherefore I know not, lost all my mirth.… What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty!…
C. Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue.
D. A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven…
E. To be, or not to be, that is the question;
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to…
F. Words, words, words
A. When the illusion ended, he had to kill himself.
B. If your mercy is so cruel, what do you have for justice?
C. He was thus denied all means of escape from his tormentors.
D. Rules make us happy because they are for our own good.
E. It’s okay to see them naked if you cut them up afterward.
F. Because it is your standards we abide by.
G. …as he’s achieved greater and greater normality, his condition’s edged him closer to the grave.
H. Yet he makes all of us think he is deeply like ourselves.
and answer the following questions and then connect your quotations
What is the context of the quotation?
Which play/novel? (free points, do not miss them by not mentioning which book the quotation came from!)
Who is speaking?
To whom is s/he speaking?
What is the context of the scene? (e.g. what has just happened that is relevant)
What is the literal meaning of the quotation in its context?
What might we take as the greater meaning within the text?
What might we take as the greater meaning, more universally? How does it connect to other questions and themes we have read about this semester? Make a specific comparison with a similar idea or theme in another text from this unit and the one before: Death and the King’s Horseman, Hamlet, The Elephant Man
by admin | Sep 17, 2022 | Other / Humanities
Submit both the visual and the written work through Canvas.
Students may create ANY original work of art that interprets one scene* from Hamlet. This includes, but is not limited to:
Poem
Painting or sketch
Cartoon
Journal entry
OR
Students may write their own skit in a very particular and recognizable style (e.g. Valley Girl, mobsters, Southern, etc) that demonstrates an understanding of a scene from Hamlet. Students may not simply use their own contemporary phrasing, they must put it in another very specific style. Students who choose this option must record themselves reading/performing their scene and upload that as well.
This assignment may NOT be something that is about the entire play, rather go in depth about one scene.
Students must also write a paragraph explaining the meaning of their creation.
This must be a creative work! It must be YOUR work!
You must provide the meaning and significance of the moment!
Do NOT just write a paragraph explaining what happens in the scene!! This is interpretive, not synopsis or plot summary.
The goal is to demonstrate that you have understood the scene in question and its relationship to the rest of the play. You must demonstrate a particular interpretation that is similar to or challenges the interpretations we have discussed in class, but you must make it clear why you have chosen that interpretation. There must be text of the play that serves as evidence for your interpretation. You should also be prepared to explain the larger significance of the scene or main concept you are addressing. That is, not just in the context of Hamlet, but in relation to other works we have read, or life experience.
by admin | Sep 17, 2022 | Other / Humanities
Choose ONE of the topics below and write a 3-4 page paper (800-1000 words).
Instructions:
Write a paper of 3-4 pages (typed, double-spaced) that answers the questions on that topic. The text should be in 12-point, Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins all around. Include your name and section day(s) and time at the top of the first page. Include your last name and page number on EACH page. You do not need a cover page. You DO need a title, however, that communicates your topic and argument.
Make sure that your paper clearly demonstrates that you have read the required texts and understood lectures and class discussions. Cite references to any of the texts. Please do not use any sources other than those required. (Using any other sources will be considered academic dishonesty. That includes Googling the topics!) Your paper should be a detailed critical analysis, not a “report” or straight narrative that offers primarily a summary of the text(s), or mostly background information on the culture described, or a discussion of the author(s). Such a “report” will not be acceptable for a passing grade.
Do NOT use quotations (or use as few and as brief quotations as possible)! Use YOUR OWN WORDS!!! Paraphrase and cite ideas with a parenthetical citation and page number. (Hesse, p. 99)
Topics: Choose ONE of the following! Make sure your Thesis Statement clearly indicates which topic you are writing on!
What concepts of Buddhism and the process of enlightenment does Herman Hesse show in the novel Siddhartha? Mention at least three major Buddhist concepts and explain how the novel demonstrates them with specific examples.
Who influenced Siddhartha toward enlightenment and how? In what way(s) did they influence him? Make sure you explain how the influence is related to enlightenment and Buddhism! Your answer should include a discussion of at least three other characters described in the novel Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.
Recommended Process for writing:
Organize your thoughts, examples
Make an outline
Structure:
Intro: Begin with Topic Sentence or Thesis Statement; This is your argument, your point that you will back up with examples. Make sure to draw the reader in and transition to your examples.
Paragraph A.
Paragraph B.
Paragraph C.
Conclusion: wrap up
by admin | Jul 21, 2022 | Other / Humanities
Class Discussion 3: Life Without God
As we talk about meaning this week, we should also discuss the importance of religion and the idea of God. Most people in the world derive from a belief system, however, we will use this opportunity this week to explore the idea of living in a world without God.
It is impossible to prove or disprove the existence of God (a concept called falsifiability). However, let us suppose for the sake of our discussion that WOAI Troubleshooters have recently dropped the bombshell – there is no God. This also means there is no possibility for the existence of an afterlife, any supernatural occurrence or concept (i.e., karma, ghosts, etc. .
The question is: What would be the positive and negative outcomes of God’s non-existence?
Discuss at least two positive outcomes and two negative outcomes from the non-existence of God.
Keep in mind Camus’ “Absurd Man” (on the Week 3 Module) in this discussion. I think his thoughts will be helpful.
Think not only of the short-term (and the tragic “morning after” effects) but focus on the long-term effects. Remember, although many would be greatly saddened…we all have to get up and go to work in the morning.
Please note that this is an exercise in imagining a world without religion– please don’t state people would find someone one or something else to worship. Focus on what people would do without these concepts. How would they live? Would they be moral? What would they do, etc.?
Please use a quote from Frankl (Man’s Search for Meaning) or Camus in your post to strengthen your argument and/or discussion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrrA3xLUJGA
