Thursday, March 08, 2007

 

Midterm Questions, etc.

On Monday we will write the essay in the Writing Lab L-236. Meet me there. Look over the questions and choose one to respond to in a 3 page or 750 word essay. Bring a completed Initial Planning Sheet, an outline (see Writing with a Thesis student essays for an example), the novel, any notes or assignments on Jurassic Park, the completed Study Guide, a dictionary and Hacker. Email your essay and the planning sheet to me at professorwandasposse@gmail.com.

1. At the end of the sequel to Jurassic Park, The Lost World, the two scientists Malcolm and Thorne have different views on the future of the planet and its inhabitants.

Malcolm's argument is that "human beings are so destructive [he]sometimes thinks we're a kind of a plague that will scrub the earth clean." He says: "We destroy thing so well, I sometimes think, maybe that's our function."

Thorne's argument is that "it's just theories. Human beings can't help making them, but the fact is that theories are just fantasies. And they change. (See The Lost World handout 429-430).

Use Jurassic Park to illustrate your agreement or disagreement with one or both of the scientists.

2. Much of the overt conflict in Jurassic Park seems to come from loose dinosaurs attacking people; however, a much more insidious evil is at work here. Name the evil force(s) spinning out of control on the remote Costa Rican island and in the board room at NGen.

3. What ultimately is the lesson of Jurassic Park?

4. Using secondary sources, if necessary, briefly explain chaos theory and Malcolm's use of it in the novel. Is there anything that Malcolm/Crichton gets wrong? What is the symbolic significant of chaos theory?

5. Hammond is, after all, the primary visionary behind Jurassic Park and the owner of the island. How do you think the novel might be different if it were written from his perspective?

6. What does the apparent failure of Jurassic park say about scientific research and corporate funding?

Homework for Wednesday, March 14.
Bring in a biography or profile of Mary Shelley that references the period she lived in and the historic, cultural, political, circumstances that inspired the work: Frankenstein.

Also bring in a scholarly essay on Frankenstein. Read both articles and write a brief analysis.

This assignment need not be more than 1-2 pages typed.

Reminder: Narrative Essay
For those students who did not post their essay when it was assigned the first time, please reread the Writing with a Thesis: "Narrative Assignment" posted February 21, and post your 250 essay in the comments section of the post. Please include your name and email address so I can respond to you with a grade. This is a graded essay, so be certain to proofread before submitting.

Comments:
Under the Influence
Everything I like is illegal, immoral, or fattening.
I can remember it like was yesterday, smoking my first joint, the burning sensation I felt in my lungs was hard to ignore I must have drank five glasses of kool-aid to get over it. Yup being high for the first time was an outer body experience literally, everything to me felt like it was in slow motion, and the simplest things that I thought was stupid while I was sober seemed to be funny all of the sudden.

Then I got the munchies, I was felling really hungry as if I haven’t ate in like a week! I felt so embarrassed at McDonald’s because the clerk was looking at me as if I had broken loose from the nut house! Man I think I bought like two big Macs, two large fries, a soda not the small one but the big one; two yogurt parfaits, and last but not least some cookies. By the time I got home most of the food I had bought was gone! It amazed me that I alone have gone through all that in a matter of minutes! I love smoking weed, sure I have a hard time remembering things but at least it won’t kill me like those other drugs out there.
Weed was put on this earth for you and me! All I have to say is take advantage of it. My friend just told me that if I want to get hired I would have to pass a drug test. I’m only seventeen years old and my grades are somewhat good, and besides my parents still give me a decent allowance, plus the cool thing is that they know I smoke weed, every now and then I catch them taking a puff. When I turn eighteen I came to the decision that I will stop for a while to get a good job, but until then put your lighters up and smoke! Keenan Morrison age 17. Note! This story is fiction Erick Hunter-
 
Eric,
I love your responses. They are so descriptive; the only problem is when you shift from the downside to singing the praises for "weed". It's confusing. I thought you would offer a disclaimer, that is, say how you'll never spoke again.

You write:

By the time I got home most of the food I had bought was gone! It amazed me that I alone have gone through all that in a matter of minutes!

(jumps) I love smoking weed, sure I have a hard time remembering things but at least it won’t kill me like those other drugs out there.

(Suggestion: Yet, I love smoking weed. Sure ...)

"Weed was put on this earth for you and me! All I have to say is take advantage of it."

jumps again: there is no connectioon between the ideas that proceed it and those that follow.

"My friend just told me that if I want to get hired I would have to pass a drug test."

jumps again

"I’m only seventeen years old and my grades are somewhat good, and besides my parents still give me a decent allowance (so I don't really need to be sober and get a job?), (delete:plus) (T)he cool thing is that they know I smoke weed, every now and then I catch them taking a puff.

When I turn eighteen I "came" (VT/WW) to the decision that I will stop for a while to get a good job, but until then put your lighters up and smoke!

Erick Hunter (delete the other name, it's confusing)
 
The Initial Planning Sheet

What is your topic?
Who is your audience?
What is your purpose?
What question do you want your essay to answer?
What writing strategies will you use to write or tell the story?
 
OUTLINE
BY JAMEISHA HARRIS

PLEAS SWITCH THESIS AND CONCLUSION.
THESIS: IN WORKS OF A POPULAR NOVEL SUCH AS J.P, THERE IS USAULLY A MORAL SCHEME OPERATING. THE GOOD CHARECTERS SURVIVE AND THE BAD GUYS DIE. IN ADDITION TO THE THIEF NEDRY, THE THREE CHARECTERS WHO MOST EXEMPLIFY THE RECKLESSNESS AND OVERCONFIDENCE OF JARASSIC PARK DIE. THESES ARE HAMMOND, WU, AND ARNOLD.


1) HAMMOND

A. WHO IS HE
B. WHAT IS HIS PROBLEM
C. HOW IS HE EVIL.

2) WU AND ARNOLD

A. WHO ARE THEY
B. WHAT ARE THEIR PROBLEM
C. HOW ARE THEY EVIL

CONCLUSION: IN THIS NOVEL THE CONFLICT OF EVIL COMES FROM LOOSE DINOSAURS ATTACKING PEOPLE. HOWEVER A GROUP OF PEOPLE CONSTRUCTED A MUCH MORE INSIDIOUS EVIL, WHICH GOT OUT OF CONTROL.
 
English 201 A 1-3
Narrative Essay

Faith is something that aint so!

Some people believe in magic they do not understand how things work, all they see is the out come or the trick. Something similar to Faith, you can not physically see it but you know its there. Faith is something that you believe not something that you see! Especially for the Christians, I believe in faith so deeply that it is like breathing to me. .I pay my tithes (10 percent of what ever earnings I make.) Even if it’s my last I know that God is going to bless me with more than I could ever ask for.. I give back to God what he gave to me. It might be hard for those who are either atheist or other religions to really grasp the meaning of what faith really is. I would imagine that all religions know something about faith, or have heard something of it.
My mother from the first car that she had up until now was a lemon it would always break down, something would go wrong right after she fixed the problem. My mom would always say god gone bless me with a car, this is my year. I would say yeah ok mom she always tell me pay your tithes and have faith, God can do the unthinkable all you need is a mustard seed of faith “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief, for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard see, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to younder place; and it shall be remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you” (Matthew 17:20 Bible King James Version) and God will take care of the rest.
I remember she bought a used car (Volvo her favorite car in the world). I say about a month or two later some young mindless girl hit my mom car and totaled it. In the back of my mind I would always question her faith after things went wrong with anything, my mom never showed doubt I guess because her faith was too strong. Two years later after dealing with multiple lemon cars my mom finally got her a new car( Ford Focus) that have been working out well for her so far, she loves her little egg shell car.
Faith is something that you can’t see now, but if you continue to believe in God and have that little mustard seed of faith God will reward you! Is it possible to believe in something that you can see, but you have heard about it countless times?
 
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