[1] WHO ARE YOU?

[2] LITERARY ANALYSIS

[1] WHO ARE YOU?

THREE OPTIONS WITHIN THIS CATEGORY:

[1A] YOUR IDENTITY ACCORDING TO YOUR PSYCHOLOGICAL TYPE: a major revision of your writing sample, including a section on how your type relates to that of the teacher and what that means for the grading of this essay.

[1B] YOUR IDENTITY BASED ON YOUR PERSONAL TOTEM ANIMAL:

(A.K.A. Your "Patronus"* for Harry Potter fans)

[1C] SOME COMBINATION OF THE THESE TWO

*Expecto Patronum:"The conjured Patronus protects the witch or wizard that summoned it, obeys his or her commands, and fades away shortly after it is no longer required.....A full-fledged (or corporeal) Patronus takes on a fixed animal form that is often significant to the witch or wizard casting the charm......Suggested etymology: Expecto Patronum is correct classical Latin for "I await a protector". It is related to "pater" (father) and Harry's Patronus indeed takes the same form as that of his father's animagus form (a stag)."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spells_in_Harry_Potter

[1B] WHO ARE YOU? BASED ON YOUR PERSONAL TOTEM ANIMAL: see pp. 414-425 in our anthology, and, as background, pp. 433-481. [1] You must include at least two quotes from this material.

[2] You must also listen to the guided imagery on this topic that is listed as "Animal Quest" in our Course Documents folder on our Blackboard site (it will appear after all the other documents). Even if you don't agree with it, you must include in your project an account of your experience of doing this guided- imagery totem-animal vision quest.

[3] If you want to supplement this experience with an internet quiz look at a number of them and pick the most detailed, comprehensive one. If you use this quiz in your choice of totem animal, you must include as an appendix a copy of the quiz (not included in your word count).

Here are some examples of some informal discussion board entries on this topic: Josephine David  Sara Justin  Jason  Kelsi  These are just a few paragraphs and too often based primarily on unreliable, all-to-brief internet quizzes, but they might help to get you started.

[2] LITERARY ANALYSIS

Following the prescribed format listed below, analyze one of the following texts in terms of leadership, ethics, and/or treatment of animals and be prepared to present your results in class this semester or next: both Alice books; all of Derrida's writings about animals; one of Peter Singer's books; Newman, The Idea of a University*; Jude the Obscure*; Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?; How Can I Help?; Siddhartha; Black Elk Speaks; The Bluest Eye; Woman Warrior *(not just the selections in our anthology)

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REQUIRED ORGANIZATION FOR OPTION TWO:

[1] An “Introduction” in which the author briefly states the present position of research on his/her subject and the views currently held on it.  (Apparently very little has been written on any of these three themes in the Alice books; Newman's book; How Can I Help?; Siddhartha; Black Elk Speaks; The Bluest Eye; Woman Warrior. Apparently very little has been written about leadership or ethics per se in Jude the Obscure* or Derrida's writings about animals. Apparently very little has been written about leadership and Peter Singer's books and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?)

[2] The Proposal in which s/he describes in advance what s/he hopes to prove.

[3] The Boost, in which s/he explains the significance of this essay not only for our understanding of the specific subject upon which it is focused but also for subjects of more general interest to all readers, or at least all students in the course.

[4] The Demonstration in which s/he sets forth the discovery or argument in a concise, orderly fashion.

[5] The Conclusion or in which s/he suggests its implications for wider fields of knowledge, connecting with other assignments in the course.

FOR ALL OPTIONS:

How to be creative yet still meet the requirements: you can use footnotes. Lauren, for example, is writing a drama, but in her first draft it is not clear to me how various sections fit or relate to the requirements. One way to solve this problem is put the explanations (and relevant quotes) in footnotes. That way you do not disturb the flow of the story but still meet the requirements.

 Detailed criteria for your Blackboard version here.

Note that the first three criteria focus on the unity and coherence of the essay. This may be quite a challenge, especially if you choose option 1C, probably if you choose option 1A, and perhaps if you choose more than one animal for option 1B. One way to increase the chance for coherence is to accept the idea of multiple roles and models of the self as Ram Dass defines them on pp. 252-273 of your anthology. He includes the unifying vision of "The Witness" looking down from a mountaintop, the awareness behind your thoughts, that may help you increase the coherence of your essay. Reading Dass now will also prepare you for next semester when we take up his book, How Can I Help?, from which the selection in your anthology was taken.

LOOKING AHEAD:

 Detailed criteria for your print version here (to be turned into the instructor).

Writing Center: I strongly encourage you to use the Undergraduate Writing Center, FAC 211, 471-6222. The Undergraduate Writing Center offers free, individualized, expert help with writing for any UT undergraduate, by appointment or on a drop-in basis. Any undergraduate enrolled in a course at UT can visit the UWC for assistance with any writing project. They work with students from every department on campus, for both academic and non-academic writing. Whether you are writing a lab report, a resume, a term paper, a statement for an application, or your own poetry, UWC consultants will be happy to work with you. Their services are not just for writing with "problems." Getting feedback from an informed audience is a normal part of a successful writing project. Consultants help students develop strategies to improve their writing. The assistance they provide is intended to foster independence. Each student determines how to use the consultant's advice. The consultants are trained to help you work on your writing in ways that preserve the integrity of your work.

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