Be sure to finish the X-Men comic for Friday's class; we'll have an in-class writing assignment about a specific scene. Also, I'm pasting the Paper #1 assignment below. Start thinking about it, even though it's not due for a bit. Keep all your daily responses, since they can all be used as pre-writing for your paper (it's all part of the same conversation).
General Humanities II
Paper #1 Assignment
Option #1: Metaphors and Monsters
“I have known such
fear and hatred from birth...but time does not make it any easier to take”
(Nightcrawler, X-Men: God Loves, Man
Kills).
For this option, I want you to discuss how the ‘monsters’ in
each work are metaphors for the “others” in our society. In Frankenstein,
the Creature is shunned simply because he is grotesque, though he has more
humanity than Victor himself. Likewise, the X-Men devote their lives to saving
others, yet are classified as freaks and considered pests to humanity. What
makes the “Other” so uncanny? What fears do they seem to awaken in our
collective unconscious? How do both authors explore this in their works, and
how do they attempt to exorcise these demons? Where do we see similar
‘monsters’ in our own society? Are the fears and the persecution the same?
Option #2: The Savior of Mankind
“Life and death
appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a
torrent of light into our dark world. A new species would bless me as its
creator and source; many happy and
excellent natures would owe their being to me” (Victor Frankenstein,
Frankenstein)
For this option, I want you to explore the role of the
‘Great Man’ who feels called upon to save humanity even at the expense of his
life—or those of others. We’ve seen three men who fall under this umbrella in
class: Christopher McCandless, Victor Frankenstein, and now, Reverend William
Stryker. Each one has noble intentions, yet each one (to a greater or lesser
extent) is willing to sacrifice others as he pursues a single-minded vision of
purity and salvation. What makes these men tick? How do they find their
inspiration? Why do they persist when other men and women might fail? And how
do all of them go over the edge in their pursuit for the ideal?
WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR:
- Show
me you’ve read the books and listened in class. Don’t talk vaguely—respond
specifically to the ‘big ideas’ of the books and discussions.
- QUOTE
from the books and use these passages to support your reading and explore
the conversation of the paper topic. Don’t just summarize or generalize
the topic. Show how complicated it can become and how the authors are
struggling with it themselves.
- Introduce
and cite quotations according to MLA format (see post on the blog about
Citation).
- Should
be at least 4-5 pages double spaced
- DUE
MONDAY, MARCH 6th BY
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