The purpose of a writing class is to develop a meaningful thesis, direct or implied, that will generate a compelling essay. Most importantly, a meaningful thesis will have a strong emotional connection between you and the material. In fact, if you don’t have a “fire in your belly” to write the paper, your essay will be nothing more than a limp document, a perfunctory exercise in futility. A successful thesis will also be intellectually challenging and afford a complexity worthy of college-level writing. Thirdly, the successful thesis will be demonstrable, which means it can be supported by examples and illustrations in a recognizable organizational design.
Other Website: http://herculodge.typepad.com/
Write a thesis and an essay outline that compares Groupthink in the episodes "Bunnies" and "Mugshot" from HBOMax's This Is Florida, Man.
Thesis
Both the "Bunnies" and "Mugshot" episodes of HBO Max's It's Florida, Man delve into the consequences of groupthink, illustrating how collective behavior can lead to societal conflicts and ethical dilemmas. In "Bunnies," the unchecked proliferation of rabbits on Jenada Isle sparks a clash between rescuers and residents, highlighting how group dynamics can escalate environmental issues. Conversely, "Mugshot" examines the viral fame of a Pensacola man with distinctive features following his appearance on an online police program, shedding light on society's fascination with sensationalism and the ethical concerns of public shaming. Both episodes underscore the complexities of groupthink in shaping community responses and moral judgments.
Outline:
Introduction
Definition of groupthink and its impact on societal behavior.
Introduction to the "Bunnies" and "Mugshot" episodes as case studies of groupthink leading to societal conflicts and ethical challenges.
Thesis statement highlighting the comparison of collective behavior and its consequences in both episodes.
Groupthink and Environmental Conflict in "Bunnies"
Overview of the rabbit overpopulation issue on Jenada Isle.
Examination of how groupthink among rescuers and residents leads to polarized stances and escalates the conflict.
Analysis of the environmental and social implications of the community's collective actions.
III. Groupthink and Public Shaming in "Mugshot"
Description of the Pensacola man's rise to viral fame due to his unique mugshot.
Discussion of how societal groupthink fuels the spread of sensationalized content and the normalization of public shaming.
Exploration of the ethical concerns surrounding the exploitation of individuals for entertainment.
Comparative Analysis
Contrast between the environmental groupthink in "Bunnies" and the media-driven groupthink in "Mugshot."
Examination of the role of media in amplifying groupthink dynamics in both episodes.
Discussion of the consequences of unexamined collective behavior on community cohesion and individual well-being.
Conclusion
Reiteration of the dangers of groupthink as depicted in "Bunnies" and "Mugshot."
Reflection on the importance of critical thinking and individual moral responsibility in mitigating the negative effects of groupthink.
Call to action for viewers to recognize and challenge groupthink dynamics in their own communities.
By comparing these two episodes, we gain insight into how groupthink operates in different contexts, leading to varied societal challenges. Both "Bunnies" and "Mugshot" serve as cautionary tales, urging us to critically evaluate collective behaviors and the role of media in shaping public perception and ethical standards.
Bonus Groupthink Essay Prompt ("The Lottery" and "Mugshot"): Google Slides
ChatGPT Essay:
Mugshot, Florida, and the Rituals of Scapegoating: A Retelling of Shirley Jackson’s "The Lottery"
At first glance, HBO Max’s This Is Florida, Man episode titled Mugshot seems like a comic meditation on the chaos of life in the Sunshine State. But beneath its surface of absurdity lies an eerie retelling of Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery. Both works explore the mechanisms of scapegoating, the violence of tradition, and the dehumanization of individuals in service of community cohesion. While Jackson couches her critique in the guise of a bucolic New England town, Mugshot relocates this narrative to the humid, lawless carnival of Florida, substituting the anonymity of the stoning victim with the hyper-visible spectacle of a viral mugshot.
The Ritual and Its Victim
In The Lottery, a seemingly ordinary town gathers for its annual ritual, a lottery in which one person is selected to be stoned to death. The barbarity of the act is masked by tradition, which makes the violence feel inevitable and unchallengeable. Mugshot offers a contemporary parallel in the way Florida’s residents revel in the ritual of public humiliation. The episode centers on Billy Tucker, a hapless Florida resident arrested for a minor offense, whose unflattering mugshot goes viral. Like Tessie Hutchinson in The Lottery, Billy becomes the chosen scapegoat—not through the drawing of a slip of paper but through the modern algorithmic lottery of internet virality. His mugshot, grotesque and exaggerated, becomes a focal point for public derision.
In both stories, the victim is ordinary. Tessie and Billy are not remarkable figures but could be anyone. This universality underscores the randomness of their selection. Jackson’s story critiques the arbitrary violence embedded in tradition, while Mugshot indicts the internet's capricious hunger for spectacle. Both works ask: What does it mean to live in a society that requires a sacrificial lamb to maintain its equilibrium?
Tradition vs. the Digital Mob
The townspeople in The Lottery justify their actions by invoking tradition. “There’s always been a lottery,” they insist, as though the continuity of the ritual is reason enough to perpetuate it. Similarly, the public shaming in Mugshot is justified as entertainment. Internet users and Florida locals alike dismiss Billy’s suffering with the refrain, “It’s just a joke,” treating his public disgrace as a necessary part of the state’s anarchic culture. In both cases, the perpetrators obscure their cruelty by cloaking it in the language of inevitability.
While Jackson critiques the dangers of unquestioned tradition, Mugshot critiques the crowd dynamics of digital culture. The internet mob serves as the modern equivalent of Jackson’s villagers, hurling stones in the form of memes, comments, and reposts. The anonymity of the digital realm exacerbates the violence, creating a spectacle that is both impersonal and deeply destructive. Yet, as in The Lottery, this collective action is presented as normal, even necessary.
The Role of the Community
Both The Lottery and Mugshot hinge on the idea that communities require scapegoats to maintain order. The villagers in The Lottery view the annual stoning as a form of sacrifice that ensures their agricultural prosperity. In Mugshot, Billy’s humiliation serves a similar purpose, reinforcing the identity of Florida as a place of wild, unhinged antics. The viral mugshot is not just an individual’s humiliation; it is a communal bonding experience, a way for the public to define itself through shared ridicule.
This is where Mugshot amplifies Jackson’s critique. While the villagers in The Lottery participate in the stoning reluctantly, the internet mob in Mugshot derives pleasure from Billy’s suffering. His mugshot becomes a meme, his humiliation a commodity. The episode suggests that digital culture has made cruelty profitable, transforming scapegoating from a grim necessity into a gleeful spectacle.
The Resistance That Never Comes
One of the most chilling aspects of The Lottery is the absence of resistance. Even Tessie, as she protests her selection, does not challenge the lottery itself—only her bad luck. Similarly, in Mugshot, Billy does not resist his role as the scapegoat. He briefly protests the unfairness of his situation but quickly becomes resigned to his fate, even participating in his own humiliation by making self-deprecating jokes in interviews. Both works depict a society in which individuals are so entrenched in the system that they cannot imagine alternatives.
This resignation speaks to a broader critique of human complicity. Jackson warns against blind adherence to tradition, while Mugshot warns against the desensitization bred by internet culture. Both works suggest that the real horror lies not in the violence itself but in the way ordinary people normalize and perpetuate it.
Conclusion
By reimagining the ritualistic violence of The Lottery in the context of viral mugshots, Mugshot offers a biting critique of contemporary culture. Both stories lay bare the mechanisms of scapegoating, exposing how communities rely on arbitrary victims to sustain their cohesion. In The Lottery, the stones are literal; in Mugshot, they are digital. But the result is the same: an individual is dehumanized, sacrificed, and forgotten, while the community moves on, unscathed and unchanged. Through its dark humor and sharp social commentary, Mugshot proves that the spirit of Jackson’s story is alive and well—though it now wears the garish, sunburned mask of Florida.
Interview on the Social Media "Rabbit Hole" Phenomenon
Objective: Conduct an interview to gather information for an illustration paragraph in one of your essay’s body paragraphs.---
Instructions:
Interview a classmate about someone they know who has “gone down the social media rabbit hole”—someone whose social media use has led them to make questionable decisions or adopt extreme viewpoints, potentially impacting their ability to think critically.
Use the following questions to guide your interview:
1. Identify Interests: What specific interest or topic tends to dominate this person’s social media consumption? How does this interest influence the types of content they engage with?
2. Content Selection: How does this person selectively engage with content? Do they “cherry-pick” information that supports their perspective, creating a personalized reality?
3. Reliability of Sources: Does this person rely on sources that might be questionable or biased? Can you share any examples?
4. Group Identity: Has this person aligned themselves with a particular online community or “tribe”? If so, how does this group identity influence their views?
5. Social Approval: What evidence suggests that this person’s sense of belonging or self-worth is tied to social media approval—likes, comments, or shares? How might this dependence affect their well-being?
6. Impact on Critical Thinking: In what ways have this person’s social media habits affected their ability to think critically or view issues objectively?
After your interview, summarize the responses and consider how they illustrate the impact of social media on an individual’s perspective and critical thinking. Use this information as an example to develop a well-rounded illustration paragraph in your essay.
To provide ChatGPT with your biographical information for writing assistance, you can simply include details about yourself within a conversation. For example, you could share a few sentences about your background, interests, writing style, specific goals, and any particular preferences you have for voice, tone, or content focus. Here’s a practical approach to help ChatGPT assist you better:
1. **State Your Writing Background and Goals**: Explain your background as a writer, including what kind of writing you do (e.g., essays, narrative non-fiction, technical writing), and mention what you aim to accomplish with ChatGPT’s help (e.g., honing a distinctive writing voice, brainstorming ideas, refining rhetorical strategies).
2. **Describe Your Preferred Writing Voice and Style**: If you have a preferred writing style or tone, such as humorous, formal, or conversational, share that with ChatGPT. For instance, you could say, "I enjoy a conversational, witty style but want my ideas to remain sharp and engaging."
3. **Outline Your Key Interests and Themes**: Give a list of themes or interests that often appear in your work. This could include topics like authenticity in writing, media analysis, educational practices, or philosophical inquiry. Mentioning these helps ChatGPT suggest ideas and frameworks that align with your ongoing projects.
4. **Add Biographical Context**: Provide relevant personal context if it’s essential for your writing. For example, you might note your profession (e.g., "I’m a college writing instructor focusing on critical thinking and rhetorical skills"), or a recent experience shaping your perspective.
5. **Mention Specific Writing Challenges or Needs**: Highlight any challenges you face, such as maintaining a strong writing voice, avoiding cliches, or generating fresh rhetorical strategies. This will guide ChatGPT in tailoring suggestions to meet these needs.
If you’d like to make these details a standing part of your interaction, I can remember relevant biographical information that you provide to reference in future conversations, helping me assist you more effectively over time. Let me know if you’d like me to remember specific information.
Here are 10 ways AI can elevate teaching and learning in college writing, each suitable as a standalone chapter:
Personalized Feedback
With the right tools, AI provides detailed, individualized feedback on grammar, style, and structure, allowing students to revise their work iteratively and improve with each draft.
Enhanced Revision Skills
By guiding students in specific, targeted revisions—such as experimenting with tone, clarifying arguments, or tightening prose—AI helps them learn how to polish and refine their writing in ways that strengthen their unique voice.
Mastering Argumentation and Counterarguments
AI can help students practice creating compelling counterarguments, exploring nuances in their claims, and understanding opposing viewpoints, which makes for more sophisticated, balanced essays.
Dynamic Brainstorming Support
With AI-generated prompts, ideas, and questions, students can break through writer’s block, explore diverse angles, and develop richer, more original essay topics.
Developing a Distinctive Writing Voice
By analyzing student writing patterns, AI can provide guidance on avoiding clichés and overused phrases, encouraging students to cultivate a more authentic and powerful authorial presence.
AI-Enhanced Research Skills
AI can help students develop research questions, suggest relevant sources, and teach them to synthesize information effectively. It aids students in summarizing and analyzing research material, turning data into well-crafted, research-driven essays.
Close Reading and Textual Analysis Practice
Through exercises with AI-generated close reading prompts, students can improve their analytical skills, learning to parse complex texts and interpret deeper meanings with precision.
My Prompt:
I’m trying to teach my college writing students the strengths and weaknesses of ChatGPT in regards to close textual analysis. Write a one-paragraph analysis of Jonathan Haidt’s “Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid” in which you provide 4 signal phrases to introduce quotations or paraphrases.
ChatGPT Response:
In “Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid,” Jonathan Haidt argues that social media has fundamentally weakened American society by intensifying polarization and eroding the foundations of trust. Haidt claims that “social media’s design encouraged tribalism” by creating echo chambers that promote hostility over dialogue. Furthermore, he observes that platforms “rewarded extreme behavior” through algorithms that favor sensationalism, effectively sidelining moderate voices and fostering a culture of outrage. According to Haidt, this shift toward extreme content has been disastrous for democracy, as it undermines shared narratives and “weakens the connective tissue” of society. He suggests that while social media initially offered promise as a means of connection, it has ultimately become a “weaponization of the social” that leaves users more isolated and divided than ever before.
***
My Prompt:
I’m trying to teach my college writing students the strengths and weaknesses of ChatGPT in regards to close textual analysis. Write a 5-paragraph essay that shows the mental breakdown of Lacie Pound in Black Mirror's "Nosedive" through an analysis of Jonathan Haidt’s “Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid.”
**Title: The Social Media Spiral: Lacie Pound’s Mental Breakdown in *Black Mirror’s* “Nosedive” Through the Lens of Jonathan Haidt’s “Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid”**
In *Black Mirror’s* episode “Nosedive,” Lacie Pound's mental breakdown reflects the toxic effects of a society governed by social media ratings, where every interaction affects one’s societal status. Lacie’s desperate drive to increase her social rating echoes the modern-day dilemmas described by Jonathan Haidt in his essay “Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid.” Haidt argues that social media has created a world where popularity and superficial approval are prioritized over genuine connection, encouraging behaviors that ultimately harm individuals and society as a whole. By examining Lacie’s breakdown through Haidt’s perspective, we can see how the compulsive pursuit of social approval leads not only to a loss of personal identity but to a broader societal fragmentation and loss of meaning.
Haidt argues that social media’s emphasis on “likes” and ratings creates an environment where superficial behavior is rewarded, ultimately leading to emotional instability. In *Nosedive,* Lacie becomes obsessed with raising her social rating to gain approval and access privileges, losing herself in the process. Haidt suggests that social media “reward[s] extreme behavior” by encouraging people to curate their lives around approval metrics, rather than genuine human connection. Lacie’s breakdown begins when she chooses to prioritize this online approval over authentic self-expression, reshaping her personality and behavior to meet societal standards. The resulting anxiety and paranoia she experiences mirror Haidt’s warning that the pursuit of social validation on these platforms encourages people to sacrifice their individuality, reducing them to personas rather than authentic selves.
Haidt also discusses how social media promotes tribalism, where loyalty to one’s “tribe” supersedes critical thinking, often leading to personal and societal harm. Lacie’s world operates on a similar principle: her high rating would grant her access to an elite social circle that she believes is the key to happiness. Desperate to join this group, she abandons her own values and desires, a move that accelerates her psychological unravelling. Haidt claims that “loyalty to the tribe” replaces individual judgment and encourages people to act in irrational ways to align with group norms. For Lacie, loyalty to the “tribe” of high-rated individuals forces her into uncomfortable, degrading situations that erode her mental stability. Her fixation on pleasing this group drives her to betray her own best interests, resulting in her emotional and physical breakdown.
Furthermore, Haidt argues that social media’s focus on popularity over substance fosters a shallow culture where people prioritize appearances rather than genuine interactions. In “Nosedive,” Lacie becomes so concerned with projecting the “right” image that she begins to behave in exaggerated, insincere ways. Haidt warns that social media drives people to “become caricatures of themselves,” sacrificing depth and complexity for simplicity and appeal. Lacie’s exaggerated politeness, forced cheerfulness, and performative friendliness reveal the extent to which she has become a caricature—a reflection of what society deems likable, rather than a representation of her true self. Her breakdown culminates in the collapse of this “character,” leaving her raw and exposed when her carefully curated façade inevitably shatters.
In his essay, Haidt also highlights how social media creates environments where people are “addicted to outrage” because it drives engagement, promoting behaviors that lead to hostility and division. Lacie’s frustration and despair spiral into anger when her rating declines, causing her to lash out irrationally at those around her. Haidt explains that social media often “weaponizes” negative emotions, amplifying people’s anxieties and insecurities to sustain engagement. Lacie’s final breakdown is triggered when her desperation for validation turns into uncontrollable rage, alienating her completely from the society that she once sought to join. This aligns with Haidt’s assertion that, in a social media-driven culture, negative emotions such as outrage and jealousy fuel a self-perpetuating cycle that harms both individuals and their relationships with others.
Ultimately, Lacie Pound’s mental breakdown in *Black Mirror’s* “Nosedive” serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of a society driven by social media validation, echoing the concerns raised by Jonathan Haidt in “Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid.” Haidt’s insights into the ways social media erodes individuality, encourages tribalism, fosters superficiality, and amplifies negative emotions provide a clear framework for understanding Lacie’s self-destructive journey. Her tragic story highlights the risks inherent in living for social approval, illustrating how an obsession with ratings and appearances can strip individuals of their identity and humanity. By comparing Haidt’s analysis with Lacie’s experiences, we see the profound costs of a world where social media becomes the ultimate measure of self-worth, transforming society into a landscape of isolation and self-deception.
Last night, I binged Depp v. Heard, Netflix’s three-part exposé on the circus that was Johnny Depp’s lawsuit against Amber Heard. The setup? Depp, wealthy and strategic, takes his ex-wife to court over her Washington Post piece labeling him an abuser. The footage? Pure spectacle: Depp unhinged, violent, chemically altered, a man teetering on the edge. But in the gladiatorial arena of social media—populated by fervent fans and an army of bots—the narrative twisted until Depp morphed into a tragic hero, and Heard became the hapless villain. Billions of clicks, likes, and comments later, the verdict wasn’t just in the courtroom; it was a global judgment where “tribal loyalty” beat truth by a landslide.
Watching it unfold, I realized we live in a dopamine-saturated wasteland. People cling to whichever tribe can satiate their cravings faster, morality be damned. It’s no longer about being right; it’s about who can make your thumb swipe up again. The same mindless, dopamine-fueled allegiance drives politics, too—people addicted to “us vs. them” narratives, with critical thinking sacrificed for fleeting gratification. In the end, truth gets steamrolled while the dopamine junkies cheer.
In-Class: For Your Conclusion Paragraph, Interview a Student about Solitude:
Here are four discussion questions for your students, along with guidance on how they can integrate their insights into a body paragraph about the destructive effects of social media:
Discussion Questions 1. What activities would you include in a daily solitude practice, and why do you think these activities are beneficial? 2. How do you feel after spending a significant amount of time online, compared to after a period of intentional solitude? 3. In what ways do you think solitude can improve your ability to be authentic, rather than performative, in social interactions? 4. Do you believe social media impacts your mental focus or emotional well-being, and how might daily solitude help counterbalance these effects?
Instructions for Writing a Conclusion Paragraph Using an Interview
In your conclusion paragraph, you'll draw on insights from an interview you conducted with a peer about the impact of social media and the value of solitude. Follow these steps to craft a compelling conclusion that reinforces your main points:
1. Summarize the Key Insight: Begin by briefly summarizing one or two key insights your interviewee shared about solitude as a remedy for the negative effects of social media. For instance, if your peer emphasized how solitude helped them feel more authentic and focused, highlight this observation.
2. Reflect on the Broader Implications: Next, relate your interviewee's reflections to the broader argument of your essay. Show how their experience reinforces the dangers of social media you discussed, such as its impact on mental health, focus, or authenticity. This helps connect individual experiences to universal issues.
3. Introduce a Call to Action: Encourage readers to consider incorporating solitude into their own lives as a way to counteract the negative effects of social media. This could be as simple as suggesting they take time each day to disconnect or reflect.
4. End with a Forward-Looking Statement: Conclude by acknowledging that while social media isn’t going away, adopting practices like daily solitude can empower people to use it more mindfully.
Based on Jonathan Haidt's "Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid," write a 1,200-word essay that shows how the Amazon Prime movie Road House and the Netflix Black Mirror episode "Nosedive" illustrate the kind of "stupidification" Haidt describes in his essay. You could write the essay by focusing on “Nosedive” without Road House.
The purpose of Essay 3 is to interrogate the claim that social media is manipulating us and turning us into “thirsty” social media addicts. Is this claim true? Or is social media not the cause of our downfall? Is social media merely exposing the pathologies and mental frailties that are already there? Could it be that we are in the beginning stages of a Social Media Learning Curve and that our mental strain in the face of social media is both natural and predictable?
Using as your sources the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, Jonathan Haidt's essay "Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid," and Sherry Turkle’s Ted Talk video “Connected But Not Alone," write a 1,200-word essay that explains the "nosedive" or mental breakdown of Lacie Pound in the Black Mirror episode "Nosedive." Did social media cause her “nosedive” or merely expose the “nosedive” that would have happened regardless? Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
Suggested Outline:
Paragraph 1: Using appropriate signal phrases, summarize and paraphrase the major points of Jonathan Haidt's essay "Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid."
Paragraph 2: Develop an argumentative thesis in which you support, refute, or complicate the claim that social media is manipulating us to a deleterious degree.
Paragraphs 3-6: Your supporting paragraphs. At least one of your paragraphs should cite Sherry Turkle's Ted Talk, the Black Mirror episode "Nosedive," and the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma.
Paragraph 7: Counterargument-rebuttal
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion, a dramatic restatement of your thesis.
Your last page is the Works Cited page with no fewer than 4 sources in MLA format.
Argument and Counterargument for ChatGPT:
The claim that social media is manipulating us and turning us into “thirsty” social media addicts is a controversial one, and its truth depends on how we understand the role of social media in our lives. On the one hand, there is compelling evidence that social media platforms use psychological manipulation to drive engagement, increasing our dependence on likes, comments, and the dopamine rush that comes with validation. On the other hand, some argue that social media is not the root cause of our downfall but rather a reflection of pre-existing human frailties, and that we are in the early stages of learning how to use this new technology responsibly.
Argument Supporting the Claim: Social media companies design platforms to maximize user engagement, leveraging addictive behaviors that target our psychological vulnerabilities. Studies show that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are built around algorithms that reward users with social validation through likes, shares, and comments, triggering dopamine responses similar to those seen in gambling or substance abuse . This cycle of reward and anticipation creates what researchers call "variable rewards," keeping users hooked because the outcomes are unpredictable but occasionally highly gratifying . This manipulation makes users continually crave more engagement, pushing them to post frequently and compete for attention, leading to what many describe as "thirstiness" for likes, validation, and approval.
Social media addiction is increasingly recognized by mental health professionals, with users reporting anxiety, depression, and feelings of inadequacy when they don't receive the validation they expect online . For many, the need to be "liked" has become all-consuming, reducing self-esteem and mental health in a vicious cycle. The pressure to curate perfect images and moments has led to a culture of performance, where our self-worth is tied to our online presence rather than genuine personal development or human connection. In this sense, social media is not merely reflecting human behavior but actively amplifying and shaping our worst tendencies.
Argument Refuting the Claim: However, the argument that social media is the root cause of our downfall oversimplifies the issue. It can be argued that social media does not create problems in isolation but rather exposes and magnifies the vulnerabilities already present in society. From this perspective, social media is a mirror reflecting the anxieties, insecurities, and desires that were always there. Social media, like any tool, is neutral—its impact depends on how we use it. As Cal Newport argues in *Digital Minimalism*, the problem lies not in the technology itself but in our relationship with it .
Rather than blaming social media for all of our ills, it’s more accurate to see it as an amplifier of existing social and psychological issues. The compulsion for validation and attention-seeking behaviors existed long before the rise of platforms like Instagram or TikTok, as evidenced by behaviors in other areas of life, such as keeping up with societal expectations or chasing status symbols. Social media simply makes these behaviors more visible and offers a new venue for them to play out.
Moreover, some argue that we are simply in the early stages of a **Social Media Learning Curve**. New technologies often cause initial discomfort, confusion, and misuse before society adapts. In the early days of television, many warned it would destroy reading and critical thinking, yet society adjusted to its presence over time. Similarly, as we learn to navigate social media with more awareness and responsibility, we may eventually develop better habits and boundaries . Our current struggles with social media addiction, anxiety, and overuse may be temporary growing pains as we collectively learn how to use these platforms wisely.
Conclusion: Ultimately, the truth lies somewhere in between. Social media platforms undoubtedly manipulate users through sophisticated psychological techniques, fostering a craving for attention and engagement. However, it’s overly simplistic to blame social media for all of our problems. The platform itself is not inherently harmful; instead, it amplifies existing human behaviors. As society matures and learns to navigate this new digital landscape, we may see a shift toward healthier use of social media. The challenge lies in recognizing the power of these platforms without becoming passive victims to their manipulative designs.
English 1A Essay 3 Building Block 1
Write a 300-word paragraph that compares how the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma and Jonathan Haidt's essay "Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid” interrogate how social media manipulates us into a condition of stupidity, tribalism, and political polarization.
Essay 1A Essay 3 Building Block 2
Write your thesis paragraph and be sure to have at least 4 reasons in your paragraph that you’ll show support your claim.
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In Jonathan Haidt's essay, he explores the idea that social media is fragmenting society and making us less intelligent. He argues that living in what he calls “reality silos” or “bubbles” is catering to our cognitive biases, which only reinforces our pre-existing opinions. These curated bubbles are dangerous because they flatter and affirm subjective realities, cutting off exposure to differing viewpoints. As a result, Haidt believes that we are becoming intellectually stagnant and, in effect, more stupid.
One of the central claims is that the tribalism fostered by these silos leads to chaos and mistrust. Social media encourages tribal loyalty over independent thought, making people blindly obedient to their ideological groups. This collective blind loyalty, in turn, creates a cultural environment where critical thinking takes a backseat to tribal unity, further increasing stupidity.
Additionally, Haidt points to the addictive nature of social media. The pursuit of popularity, reflected through likes, reposts, and followers, reduces our motivation to create legitimate content. Instead, we focus on going viral and earning dopamine hits. The algorithms on these platforms reward extreme and provocative behavior, which encourages obnoxious, aggressive communication rather than thoughtful dialogue. Haidt argues that this further pushes people away from meaningful connections and toward parasocial (imaginary) relationships, weakening real human bonds.
Haidt also suggests that this extremism has eroded respect for expertise and epistemic reality. Social media bubbles cultivate environments where people reject scientific consensus and expert knowledge, opting instead for conspiracy theories and political purity tests. This willful ignorance fosters more stupidity as people insulate themselves from the truth.
He also touches on the phenomenon of whataboutism, where people deflect criticism by pointing out unrelated issues, which erodes the very concept of accountability and honest discussion. By embracing this false moral equivalence, social media has made it harder to distinguish between valid arguments and empty rhetoric, worsening the cycle of intellectual decline.
Perhaps most concerning, Haidt claims that social media thrives on outrage. The more outraged we are, the more engaged we become, and this generates a cycle of constant emotional upheaval, leading to poor decision-making. This outrage-fueled engagement gets people hooked, but it also distorts their ability to think clearly, making them more susceptible to manipulation and misinformation.
In the second part of his argument, Haidt focuses on the broader societal consequences of this digital chaos. He argues that living in a world dominated by soundbites and fragmented images results in the following:
1. **Loss of Context and Historical Memory:** People lose sight of the bigger picture and fail to retain historical knowledge because they are overwhelmed by bite-sized content with no depth.
2. **Shortened Attention Spans:** Our ability to focus diminishes as we're constantly bombarded with rapid-fire information, leading to “memory-holing” important facts.
3. **Dehumanization:** As we spend more time in the digital world, we begin to see people as abstractions, making it easier to treat others with cruelty and behave barbarically.
4. **Polarization:** Social media drives us into isolated groups, polarizing political and social conversations. This leads to a breakdown in trust of shared institutions, such as government, science, and education. The fragmentation of reality makes it difficult for society to agree on facts or common goals.
5. **Mutual Incomprehension:** People from different political and social camps no longer understand each other, leading to alienation and animosity. The growing divide leaves us with “mutual incomprehension”—we literally can’t speak the same language anymore.
6. **Chaos and Desire for Authoritarianism:** As polarization deepens, so does societal chaos, leaving people desperate for order and more willing to support authoritarian or totalitarian leaders who promise to restore stability.
Haidt ultimately argues that this fragmented, outrage-driven social media environment is eroding our ability to think critically and make informed, rational decisions. Instead of fostering dialogue, it amplifies division, reduces trust, and invites chaos, creating the conditions for authoritarianism to thrive. His essay is a wake-up call to reconsider how social media is shaping our society and, in particular, our minds.
***
Write an analysis that interrogates five causes of Lacie Pound's mental disintegration in the Black Mirror episode "Nosedive" by basing the analysis on Haidt's essay "Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid.”
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Lacie Pound's mental disintegration in the *Black Mirror* episode "Nosedive" mirrors many of the societal critiques Jonathan Haidt presents in his essay "Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid.” Both Lacie’s downward spiral and Haidt’s analysis of modern life expose the toxic effects of social media, status obsession, and polarization on human psychology and behavior. Below are five major causes of Lacie’s breakdown, grounded in Haidt’s key arguments.
### 1. **The Tyranny of Social Media and the Pursuit of Perfection** Haidt argues that social media has transformed into a platform where people relentlessly pursue validation through likes, shares, and followers, driving an obsession with superficial popularity. Lacie's world is ruled by a similar system, where her social media rating determines her worth and access to life’s privileges. The more likes and positive ratings she garners, the higher her societal status. This constant need for external validation leads Lacie to curate an inauthentic version of herself, mirroring Haidt’s point that social media fosters a performative culture, where users strive for perfection rather than meaningful connections. Lacie’s desperation to maintain a high rating warps her behavior, making her increasingly insincere, which ultimately contributes to her emotional collapse.
### 2. **The Fragmentation of Reality** Haidt discusses the concept of “reality silos,” where individuals are trapped in bubbles that cater to their biases and distort their perceptions of reality. In Lacie’s case, her reality is fragmented by a rating system that limits her access to certain people, places, and privileges based on arbitrary social judgments. The disparity between Lacie’s curated online self and her real-life experiences causes cognitive dissonance, as she cannot reconcile the person she wants to be with the version of herself that is constantly judged by others. This fragmentation of identity is a direct reflection of the fractured realities Haidt describes, where the gulf between real life and the virtual world becomes increasingly difficult to bridge.
### 3. **Outrage Culture and Social Shaming** Haidt’s essay points out that social media thrives on outrage, rewarding users who engage in aggressive, extreme, or hyperbolic behavior. In *Nosedive*, Lacie’s environment is similarly driven by a system of social shaming and reward, where people are punished or exalted based on their conformity to social norms. Lacie’s fall from grace begins when she experiences a series of minor setbacks that cause her rating to plummet, leading others to publicly shame her. The rapid escalation of her social downfall, much like in social media’s outrage culture, illustrates how quickly individuals can be ostracized and socially destroyed by the collective judgment of their peers.
### 4. **The Erosion of Authentic Relationships** Haidt also touches on the way social media erodes genuine human connections, replacing them with parasocial or performative relationships. Lacie’s relationships, particularly with her childhood friend Naomi, are driven by utility rather than genuine emotional bonds. Lacie seeks out Naomi not because of a deep, enduring friendship, but because Naomi’s high rating can elevate Lacie’s own status. This mirrors Haidt’s critique of social media relationships, where interactions are often based on the transactional need for validation rather than sincere, meaningful connection. Lacie’s emotional breakdown is exacerbated by the realization that her relationships are shallow, leaving her isolated and vulnerable as her social standing crumbles.
### 5. **The Collapse of Trust in Institutions** Haidt argues that the past decade has seen a collapse of trust in major institutions—government, education, media, and more. In *Nosedive*, Lacie lives in a world where the institution of the social rating system is all-powerful, dictating every aspect of life, from where she can live to whom she can associate with. Her increasing frustration with this rigid system mirrors the broader societal frustration Haidt describes, where people lose faith in once-trusted systems and become disillusioned. As Lacie’s life unravels, she becomes increasingly unhinged, lashing out in frustration and anger, just as Haidt suggests people in today’s polarized society do when they feel betrayed by the institutions they once relied on.
Conclusion:
Lacie’s mental disintegration in *Nosedive* is a chilling reflection of the same social and psychological dangers Haidt outlines in his essay. Both the fictional world of *Nosedive* and the real-world issues Haidt addresses highlight the damaging effects of social media-fueled extremism, the erosion of genuine human connection, and the societal obsession with status and validation. Lacie’s tragic downfall is a cautionary tale about the perils of living in a world where identity and self-worth are dictated by a digital system that thrives on superficiality and shame.
Sherry Turkle’s 2012 TED Talk *"Connected, But Alone?"* remains highly relevant today due to its timeless critique of how technology, especially social media, shapes our human connections. Here are seven reasons why her talk still resonates:
### 1. **Increasing Reliance on Technology for Human Interaction** - In the last decade, our reliance on digital devices for communication has only increased, particularly during events like the COVID-19 pandemic. Turkle’s assertion that people are substituting meaningful in-person connections with shallow digital ones remains a critical observation of modern life.
### 2. **The Rise of Loneliness and Isolation** - Despite being more connected than ever through social media platforms, studies have shown rising levels of loneliness, particularly among young people. Turkle’s argument that technology gives an illusion of connection while fostering emotional isolation is still a pressing issue in a world where online presence often substitutes face-to-face interaction.
### 3. **Curated and Controlled Online Personas** - Social media encourages users to present idealized versions of themselves, curating their lives to receive validation in the form of likes and comments. Turkle's claim that we "edit" and "delete" parts of ourselves online resonates today, as platforms like Instagram and TikTok emphasize perfection over authenticity.
### 4. **Reduced Capacity for Solitude and Reflection** - Turkle stresses the importance of solitude and the ability to be comfortable alone, without the distraction of technology. As smartphone usage becomes more pervasive, many struggle with the constant need for digital stimulation, reducing their ability to engage in deep thought or self-reflection.
### 5. **Decline in Face-to-Face Communication Skills** - With more interactions occurring via text, chat, or video, there is growing concern that younger generations are losing important interpersonal communication skills. Turkle's warning about the decline of face-to-face conversation is increasingly relevant as studies continue to highlight the challenges young people face in developing social skills.
### 6. **The Emotional Impact of Constant Connectivity** - The constant "ping" of notifications, messages, and updates keeps people in a perpetual state of distraction. Turkle predicted how this constant connectivity would lead to a loss of focus, emotional exhaustion, and anxiety, all of which are now widely recognized consequences of heavy social media use.
### 7. **The Search for Meaningful Conversations** - Turkle advocates for real, meaningful conversations, something that has become more elusive in an era of quick texts, tweets, and superficial exchanges. The need for deeper, more thoughtful dialogue continues to be a concern as communication becomes more fragmented and less substantial.
Sherry Turkle’s ideas in *“Connected, But Alone?”* remain highly relevant today because the issues she highlighted have intensified as digital technology becomes more ingrained in everyday life. Her concerns about authenticity, solitude, and meaningful connection still challenge us to rethink how we use technology in our relationships.
***
Bo Burnham's *Inside* on Netflix shares key themes with the works of Jonathan Haidt and Sherry Turkle, particularly in its exploration of social media's impact on mental health, the isolation caused by digital life, and the performative nature of online interactions. Here's a breakdown of how these themes intersect:
### 1. **Social Media’s Role in Shaping Identity and Loneliness** - Burnham’s *Inside* tackles the loneliness that comes from living life online, something both Haidt and Turkle critique extensively. Haidt, in his essay *"Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid,"* points out how social media reinforces social fragmentation, amplifies tribalism, and promotes shallow interactions. Similarly, Turkle’s *"Connected, But Alone?"* focuses on how technology gives us the illusion of connection while making us lonelier. - In *Inside*, Burnham’s portrayal of performing in isolation, singing about his own mental health struggles, and his hyper-awareness of the performative nature of social media echo Turkle’s point that social media fosters an environment where people are “alone together”—connected superficially, but deeply isolated.
### 2. **Performative Nature of Online Interactions** - Both Haidt and Turkle emphasize how social media turns us into performers, constantly curating our lives for public consumption. Burnham, as a comedian, highlights this theme by breaking the fourth wall in *Inside*, openly acknowledging the pressures to produce content that will attract likes and followers. - Turkle discusses how we edit our lives online to present a perfect version of ourselves, while Haidt suggests that this need for online validation (in the form of likes and shares) creates an unhealthy dynamic. Burnham’s work mirrors this sentiment as he performs to an unseen audience, obsessing over how his content will be perceived and how it reflects his own identity. The song "Welcome to the Internet" particularly critiques how the internet has become a space where extremism, performance, and sensationalism are rewarded, reinforcing Haidt's arguments about the internet's role in fostering polarization and outrage.
### 3. **Mental Health and the Digital World** - Burnham’s exploration of his own mental health struggles during isolation speaks to the broader issue of how social media and technology contribute to anxiety, depression, and the constant need for validation. Haidt points out that social media addiction can exacerbate mental health issues, especially among young people, who are drawn into cycles of comparison and validation. - Similarly, Turkle talks about how technology chips away at our ability to engage in meaningful solitude, as we are constantly connected but emotionally depleted. Burnham’s isolation in *Inside* represents the darker side of this always-connected world, where real human connection is absent, and digital life becomes overwhelming.
### 4. **The Loss of Authenticity** - In both Haidt’s essay and Turkle’s work, the issue of authenticity emerges. Social media, they argue, prioritizes performance and rewards the extreme, leaving little room for genuine, authentic expression. Burnham’s *Inside* plays with this idea through its ironic, self-referential humor, where he both participates in and critiques the very act of performance. Burnham’s commentary on performing for an audience he can’t see echoes the anxieties people feel about living performative lives for the sake of social media.
### 5. **Disconnection and Polarization** - Haidt argues that social media has contributed to greater polarization, and Burnham’s work reflects the emotional toll this can take on individuals. The fragmentation of society, driven by algorithms that prioritize outrage and division, is something both Haidt and Burnham examine from different angles. Burnham’s existential reflections in *Inside* show the emotional fragmentation and confusion many experience in a digital world that thrives on division, much like Haidt’s concerns about polarization. - Turkle’s ideas about how digital life fragments our social reality also align with Burnham’s critique of internet culture, where people live in fragmented bubbles, disconnected from authentic relationships and understanding.
### Conclusion: In *Inside*, Bo Burnham captures many of the anxieties and discontents that Haidt and Turkle discuss in their works on social media and digital life. From the performative nature of online interactions to the isolation and mental health challenges fueled by constant connectivity, Burnham’s dark humor and introspective critique resonate with the ongoing concerns about how social media is reshaping our minds and relationships.
After a year of obsessively using AI platforms for both my personal projects and with my college writing students, I’ve come to realize that there are two types of AI users. First, we have the Hamburger Helper crowd. These folks take crude, barely edible writing—the kind that resembles slightly expired hamburger meat—and use AI to gussy it up, serving it as a passable, if unremarkable, Hamburger Helper entree. This is the lowest level of AI use, and it’s nothing new. In fact, it's just a fancier version of what people have been doing with tools like Grammarly for years. No one’s writing a think piece about that.
Then, there’s the Orchestra approach. This is where AI flexes its muscles and transforms into a world-class symphony capable of creating something sublime. But here’s the kicker: the AI can only play as well as the conductor. You need the writing skills of a concert pianist to really make music with the AI orchestra. This is where things get interesting—this is the approach that will disrupt everything from employment to education and entertainment. This is what will make headlines and send the gatekeepers scrambling.
The truth is, if you want AI to reach its full potential, you don’t need less skill—you need more. Advanced writing won’t just be useful in the future; it’ll be essential. Because if all you’re doing is using AI to gussy up expired hamburger meat, you’re missing out on the real show.
***
Here are 10 useful acronyms for teaching college freshman composition, which I don't use:
1. **THESIS** – *Topic, Hook, Importance, Statement of position, Evidence, Summary* A tool for crafting strong thesis statements. - **Topic:** What is your paper about? - **Hook:** How will you grab attention? - **Importance:** Why does this matter? - **Statement of position:** What is your claim? - **Evidence:** How will you support it? - **Summary:** How does this connect to your conclusion?
2. **PIE** – *Point, Illustration, Explanation* A paragraph structure to develop ideas coherently. - **Point:** The main idea of the paragraph. - **Illustration:** Examples, data, or quotes that support the point. - **Explanation:** How the illustration supports the main point.
3. **TREE** – *Topic Sentence, Reason, Example, Explanation* A simplified model for organizing body paragraphs. - **Topic Sentence:** What is the paragraph about? - **Reason:** Why is this point important? - **Example:** Evidence or an illustration to support the reason. - **Explanation:** Link back to the thesis or clarify the significance.
4. **RACE** – *Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain* A framework for answering essay prompts and supporting claims with evidence. - **Restate:** Reframe the question or prompt. - **Answer:** Directly address the question. - **Cite:** Provide evidence from readings or research. - **Explain:** Show how the evidence supports your answer.
5. **PEEL** – *Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link* A method for structuring argumentative or persuasive paragraphs. - **Point:** State your argument. - **Evidence:** Support it with data or quotes. - **Explanation:** Analyze the evidence. - **Link:** Connect back to the main thesis or the next point.
6. **SOAPSTone** – *Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone* A rhetorical strategy for analyzing texts. - **Speaker:** Who is the author? - **Occasion:** What is the context or situation? - **Audience:** Who is being addressed? - **Purpose:** What is the goal of the text? - **Subject:** What is the text about? - **Tone:** What is the author’s attitude?
7. **CARS** – *Credibility, Accuracy, Reasonableness, Support* A guideline for evaluating sources for academic writing. - **Credibility:** Is the author qualified? - **Accuracy:** Is the information correct and up-to-date? - **Reasonableness:** Is the argument logical and free of bias? - **Support:** Does the source provide sufficient evidence?
8. **TAP** – *Topic, Audience, Purpose* A reminder to stay focused on the key elements of any piece of writing. - **Topic:** What are you writing about? - **Audience:** Who are you writing for? - **Purpose:** Why are you writing (to inform, persuade, entertain)?
9. **FANBOYS** – *For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So* Coordinating conjunctions used for joining clauses. Helps students avoid run-on sentences or fragments by properly joining ideas.
10. **MEAL** – *Main idea, Evidence, Analysis, Link* A paragraph structure that ensures cohesion and development. - **Main Idea:** The core argument or point. - **Evidence:** Support for the main idea. - **Analysis:** Critical thinking about the evidence. - **Link:** Connection to the thesis or the next paragraph.
These acronyms serve as memorable tools to help students write clearly, logically, and with proper structure.
Why Would People Visit a Monument for Those Who Championed Slavery?
Why would seemingly normal people line up to honor those who championed slavery? It's a grim puzzle, one that drags us into some dark corners of the human heart. But here are a few reasons, each more unsettling than the last.
First, humans crave group belonging like it's oxygen. Enter identitarianism, the academic term for this tribal instinct gone wrong. When white identity tribalism—a quasi-religious belief that God ordained whites as the superior tribe—takes hold, suddenly it’s not so shocking that people defend champions of slavery. It's about clinging to a twisted sense of superiority that conveniently erases empathy for everyone outside the tribe.
Second, identity is life itself. To lose it feels like annihilation. When someone's identity is tied to a toxic worldview, they hold on for dear life. And unless a better identity comes along to replace it—like, say, cosmopolitanism when the young head off to college—people will claw at their original identity with the desperation of a drowning man holding onto an anchor.
Third, when people feel their identity is threatened, they don’t just defend it; they wrap it in ritual. These rituals, heavy with pomp and ceremony, are like a narcotic that blinds them to the moral rot underneath. They turn their toxic beliefs into a pageant of honor, convinced that doing today what they did yesterday somehow justifies doing it tomorrow, forever.
Fourth, humans have a staggering ability to compartmentalize. Slave owners could whip a man to within an inch of his life, then stroll home, wipe the blood off their hands, sit down to dinner with their families, read Bible stories to their kids, and hum folk tunes by the fire. By day, they were monsters. By night, they were paragons of “polite society.” It’s this ability to live in two moral universes that allowed people to champion slavery while pretending to be good Christians or upstanding citizens.
Finally, people wearing moral blinders to preserve their cherished identity inevitably become narcissists. These are the folks who believe the world exists for their pleasure, and anyone who gets in their way is fair game for exploitation, cruelty, or worse. In their minds, they’re entitled to this world, even if it means destroying others to keep their grip on it.
In the end, the people who honor champions of slavery are moral narcissists, stunted souls who represent a festering wound in society.
And if you find a silver-tongued orator capable of pulling these tribalists out of their delusion, do let me know—I’d like to meet them.
Critical Analysis of “Why Confederate Lies Live On” by Clint Smith
Racist Iconography and The Lost Cause Myth
In his essay “Why Confederate Lies Live On,” Clint Smith explores the persistence of Confederate symbolism in American culture, particularly in places like Petersburg, Virginia. Here, the Blandford Cemetery draws thousands of white visitors annually to honor Confederate soldiers. But why? Smith argues that these individuals are captivated by a false narrative of the Civil War—one that glorifies the Confederacy as defenders of "states' rights" against "Northern Aggression," all while upholding the institution of slavery as a harmonious relationship between blacks and whites.
These visitors are not just paying respects to fallen ancestors; they are participating in a distorted version of history that flatters them and their forebears as "honorable" and "courageous." This romanticized view of the Confederacy is deeply rooted in a dangerous mythology that continues to shape public memory in the South.
Narcissism and Wishful Thinking
Smith delves into the psychological underpinnings of this historical distortion, arguing that it stems from a form of pathological narcissism. These individuals compartmentalize their understanding of history—they whitewash the atrocities committed against black people while elevating the "honor" of their ancestors. This compartmentalization is not just an innocent misunderstanding; it is a deliberate act of tribalism and clannism, rooted in a desire to maintain a sense of superiority.
Smith astutely observes, “For so many of them, history isn’t the story of what actually happened; it is just the story they want to believe. It is not a public story we all share, but an intimate one, passed down like an heirloom, that shapes their sense of who they are. Confederate history is family history, history as eulogy, in which loyalty takes precedence over truth. This is especially true at Blandford, where the ancestors aren’t just hovering in the background—they are literally buried underfoot.”
What Does Nostalgia for Slavery and Jim Crow Reveal?
Smith’s exploration of Confederate nostalgia reveals a troubling truth about those who cling to these symbols. Their fondness for the Confederacy is not just about heritage; it’s about an enduring belief in white supremacy. These individuals long for a time when white people were served by a subjugated class, and they embrace stories that reinforce this racial hierarchy.
Smith suggests that this nostalgia speaks to a deeper moral failure:
1. Servitude and Superiority: These individuals cherish the idea of being served by a servile class, willingly believing in a narrative that positions whites as the privileged race, with others existing merely for their convenience. 2. Mythical Storytelling: They perpetuate tales of "white superiority" through rituals and re-enactments that affirm their sense of dominance.
3. Defensive Reaction to Truth: When confronted with the harsh realities of racism or comparisons to Germany’s post-World War II moral reckoning, they respond with defensiveness, hostility, and even violence.
4. Fragile Identity: Their identity is so intertwined with the myth of white superiority that challenging this narrative feels like an existential threat.
5. Moral Blindness: They engage in Confederate rituals with a complete disregard for black suffering, making their existence a moral abomination rooted in white supremacist cosplay.
The Resistance to Removing Racist Statues
Smith highlights the intense resistance to efforts aimed at removing Confederate statues. This resistance is not just about preserving history; it’s about clinging to a narrative that justifies and glorifies the Confederacy.
In a striking passage, Smith recounts a speech by Paul C. Gramling Jr., a prominent figure in the Sons of Confederate Veterans, who equates those advocating for the removal of Confederate symbols with terrorists, likening them to "ISIS in the Middle East." Gramling’s speech is emblematic of the deep-seated fear and anger that fuels opposition to removing these statues. His call to "take back the narrative" is a rallying cry for those who wish to preserve a version of history that absolves the Confederacy of its sins.
Smith contrasts this perspective with the tireless efforts of those who have fought to remove these symbols—teachers, parents, civil rights veterans—who see these monuments as an affront to the truth and a glorification of an unjust cause. The fervor with which individuals like Gramling defend Confederate symbols reveals the extent to which they are willing to go to protect a version of history that serves their interests.
Smith’s analysis underscores the need for a reckoning with the truth of America’s past. The resistance to this reckoning is not merely a defense of history; it is a defense of a deeply entrenched system of white supremacy that continues to shape the present. To move forward, America must confront these lies and work towards a more honest and inclusive public memory.
Using ChatGPT to use helpful essay outlines:
My Prompt:
I want to write an essay that compares the nostalgia for Jim Crow evident in “Why Confederate Lies Live On” by Clint Smith and John Oliver's video about the Confederacy on Last Week Tonight. Give me a five-point outline for such an essay.
ChatGPT Response:
1. Introduction: The Enduring Myths of the Confederacy and Jim Crow Nostalgia - Introduce Clint Smith’s essay “Why Confederate Lies Live On” and John Oliver’s video on Last Week Tonight about the Confederacy. - Define the concept of "nostalgia for Jim Crow" as the idealization of a time when racial hierarchies were overtly maintained, particularly through the lens of the Confederacy and post-Reconstruction America. - Present the thesis: Both Clint Smith’s essay and John Oliver’s video critique the nostalgic longing for the Confederacy and Jim Crow, exposing how these myths continue to shape contemporary racial attitudes and undermine progress toward racial justice.
2. Romanticizing the Confederacy: Myths and Monuments - Discuss how both Smith and Oliver critique the romanticization of the Confederacy as a "lost cause" that glorifies white supremacy while minimizing or erasing the brutal realities of slavery and segregation. - Smith’s analysis of the cultural and historical revisionism that persists in textbooks, public monuments, and political rhetoric, which softens the Confederacy’s role in defending slavery. - Oliver’s satirical breakdown of how Confederate monuments and symbols are treated as heritage, ignoring their deep ties to racial oppression, particularly in Jim Crow-era attempts to rewrite history. - Highlight how both sources emphasize that this glorification perpetuates a false narrative, creating a dangerous nostalgia for a period marked by racial violence.
3. The Weaponization of Nostalgia to Sustain White Supremacy - Explore how nostalgia for the Confederacy and Jim Crow is used as a tool to uphold white supremacy in both Smith’s essay and Oliver’s video. - Smith’s argument that the continued reverence for Confederate symbols reinforces systemic racism and provides cover for contemporary racial inequities. - Oliver’s comedic but cutting take on how Confederate apologists weaponize historical inaccuracies to resist changes that would promote racial equality, such as the removal of statues or changing school names. - Discuss how both Smith and Oliver reveal that nostalgia serves as a barrier to confronting and dismantling present-day forms of racism.
4. The Psychological and Social Consequences of Confederate Nostalgia - Analyze how both Smith and Oliver address the psychological and social impacts of Confederate nostalgia on racial identity and memory. - Smith’s discussion of how the idealization of the Confederacy distorts collective memory, particularly among white Americans, by fostering a sense of grievance or loss tied to racial privilege. - Oliver’s focus on how the continued existence of Confederate symbols, especially in public spaces, affects communities of color, perpetuating feelings of alienation and exclusion. - Examine how both authors argue that this form of nostalgia not only distorts history but also deepens racial divisions and prevents the healing necessary for societal progress.
5. The Call to Confront and Correct the Historical Narrative - Compare how both Smith and Oliver advocate for confronting and correcting the historical narrative around the Confederacy and Jim Crow. - Smith’s insistence that Americans must reckon with the truth of their history, not the sanitized or nostalgic version that upholds white supremacy, and his emphasis on education as a crucial tool for breaking the cycle of myth-making. - Oliver’s humorous yet forceful argument that the removal of Confederate monuments and the reshaping of public memory are essential steps toward addressing historical injustices and creating a more equitable society. - Conclude by emphasizing how both Smith and Oliver argue that dismantling these nostalgic myths is necessary for America to move forward in its pursuit of racial justice and equality.
My Prompt:
I want to write an essay that compares the way Frederick Douglass’ memoir and Spike Lee’s movie Malcolm X address how Douglass and Malcolm X championed the rehabilitation of the spirit in the African-American community and helped lift the community out of the Sunken Place. Give me a 5-point outline for such an essay.
ChatGPT Response:
1. Introduction: The Power of Self-Rehabilitation and the Fight Against the "Sunken Place" - Briefly introduce Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave and Spike Lee’s Malcolm X. - Define the "Sunken Place" as a metaphor for the psychological and spiritual oppression of African Americans, tying it to both historical enslavement and modern systemic racism. - Present the thesis: Both Douglass and Malcolm X, through their transformative journeys, championed the rehabilitation of the African-American spirit and led efforts to lift their communities out of oppression, providing models of self-liberation and empowerment.
2. Spiritual and Intellectual Awakening: Douglass’ Education and Malcolm X’s Prison Transformation - Compare how Douglass and Malcolm X experienced intellectual awakenings that served as catalysts for their personal and spiritual rehabilitation. - Douglass’ self-taught literacy as a tool for liberation and empowerment, symbolizing freedom from the mental enslavement of ignorance. - Malcolm X’s transformation during his time in prison, embracing knowledge, Islam, and Black nationalism as tools for his own spiritual redemption and as a path to lift the community. - Discuss how both men saw education as the first step toward reclaiming dignity and power, pulling themselves and others out of the "Sunken Place."
3. Challenging the Dominant System: Confronting the Tools of Oppression - Explore how both Douglass and Malcolm X actively confronted the systems that oppressed African Americans. - Douglass’ fight against the institution of slavery, not just physically but by dismantling the moral and psychological justifications for it. - Malcolm X’s critique of systemic racism, particularly white supremacy and the internalization of Black inferiority, and his call for Black pride and self-sufficiency. - Examine how both men redefined the African-American identity and challenged the submissive, docile image of Blackness that the dominant culture imposed.
4. Rehabilitation of the African-American Spirit: From Submission to Empowerment - Analyze how Douglass and Malcolm X each focused on the rehabilitation of the African-American spirit—moving from the hopelessness of subjugation to empowerment and action. - Douglass’ emphasis on human dignity, self-worth, and the essential right to freedom as a means of restoring agency to enslaved African Americans. - Malcolm X’s insistence on self-respect, Black nationalism, and the refusal to accept second-class citizenship as key to liberating the African-American psyche. - Discuss the role of faith in both men's journeys—Douglass in his Christian belief in justice, and Malcolm X in his embrace of Islam as a path to spiritual and social liberation.
5. Lifting the Community: From Personal Liberation to Collective Empowerment - Contrast how Douglass and Malcolm X moved from their personal journeys of rehabilitation to lifting the African-American community as a whole. - Douglass as a public intellectual, abolitionist, and political advocate, using his own story to inspire collective action and the fight for equal rights. - Malcolm X’s emphasis on self-reliance and communal responsibility, urging African Americans to reject reliance on white society and build their own institutions. - Conclude by discussing how both figures, through their powerful examples of self-transformation, provided blueprints for lifting the African-American community out of the "Sunken Place"—a journey of reclaiming identity, power, and dignity in the face of oppression.
***
5 Simplified Essay Prompts Geared Toward 1,200 Words
Simplified Version 1: Using Frederick Douglass’ memoir and Clint Smith’s essays "Monuments to the Unthinkable" and "Why Confederate Lies Live On," explore how African-American history functions as a critical tool against the dangers of historical revisionism and cultural forgetting.
Simplified Version 2: Through a comparison of Frederick Douglass’ memoir and Jordan Peele’s Get Out, write an essay that defines the concept of the "Sunken Place" and explores its metaphorical significance in both works.
Simplified Version 3 Compare how Frederick Douglass' memoir and Spike Lee’s film Malcolm X depict the restoration of the African-American spirit. Focus on how both figures help uplift the community from a figurative Sunken Place of racial oppression.
Simplified Version 4: Write an essay comparing the depiction of the Sunken Place in Jordan Peele’s Get Out to its representation in Donald Glover’s Atlanta episode “Rich W, Poor W” (Season 3, Episode 9). Examine how each work uses the concept to critique racial identity and social entrapment.
Simplified Version 5: Using Clint Smith’s essay "Why Confederate Lies Live On" and John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight segment on the Confederacy, analyze the causes behind the nostalgic whitewashing of slavery and the Jim Crow era.
Simplified Building Blocks for All Prompts:
Building Block 1: Define the "Sunken Place" as a metaphor for the psychological and social effects of racism. Discuss its implications for both individuals and communities in the context of oppression.
Building Block 2: Write a thesis that clearly outlines your argument. For example: "Both Douglass and Peele use the concept of the Sunken Place to illustrate the dehumanizing effects of systemic racism, yet they also offer paths to personal and communal redemption through education and self-awareness."
Feel free to choose whichever prompt helps you achieve clarity and maintain focus within the 1,200-word count. Good luck with your essays!
Frederick Douglass and The Sunken Place
When we talk about the Sunken Place in the context of Jordan Peele’s Get Out, it’s crucial to recognize the powerful connection to Frederick Douglass, perhaps the greatest American who ever lived. As a former slave, writer, orator, and abolitionist, Douglass articulated the concept of the Sunken Place long before Peele brought it to the screen. In his writings, Douglass revealed the anguish of being enslaved, but he never lost hope of becoming free. Even at his lowest moments, Douglass clung to the idea of his identity as a free man, a man with agency and self-determination.
In this sense, the Sunken Place isn't about surrender. Instead, it’s where we see the might of resistance to evil. Douglass’s writings remind us that even in the deepest suffering, there can be a resolve to fight for freedom.
The First Feature of the Sunken Place: Your Oppressors Controlling the Narrative
Douglass opens his memoir by showing how slave masters distorted the truth to justify their cruelty. The physical pain of slavery was unbearable, but the spiritual pain of having your suffering misrepresented added another layer of torment. Douglass’s act of defiance—teaching himself to read and write—allowed him to reclaim his narrative, much like Jordan Peele gives a voice to the black experience in Get Out. Who gets to describe hell? The tormentor or the tormented? Douglass, like Peele’s protagonist, makes it clear: only the oppressed can truly tell their own story.
The Second Feature: Being Born as “Nothing”
Slaves were not considered fully human. Douglass and his fellow slaves didn’t know their birthdays because they weren’t seen as individuals worthy of such recognition. The absence of a birthday was symbolic of their erasure from the human story. This theme of dehumanization is central to both Douglass’s experience and the Sunken Place in Get Out.
The Third Feature: Family Bonds Torn Apart
Douglass was separated from his mother as an infant, which was standard practice among slaveholders. This cruel custom was designed to break familial bonds and ensure that slaves saw themselves only as property. The pain of these separations is a hallmark of the Sunken Place—being emotionally isolated and powerless against cruelty.
The Fourth Feature: Witnessing the Brutality Against Loved Ones
As a child, Douglass witnessed his Aunt Hester being savagely whipped by her slave master. The sight and sound of such violence inflicted scars on Douglass’s soul, similar to how the protagonist in Get Out is surrounded by a system designed to dehumanize him. This repeated exposure to violence is part of what drives a person deeper into the Sunken Place, where they are forced to endure cruelty with no escape.
The Fifth Feature: Unspeakable Anguish
Douglass wrote about the songs slaves would sing as they walked to the Great House Farm. These songs expressed a pain so deep that Douglass admitted words couldn’t capture it. To truly understand the agony of slavery, one had to feel the “ineffable sadness” in those songs. Similarly, the Sunken Place is a space where words fail to describe the depth of suffering.
The Sixth Feature: Pretending to Be Happy
Slaves had to act like they were content, even though they were living in agony. To speak the truth meant risking brutal punishment or being sold away from family and friends. Slave masters often sent spies to catch any signs of discontent. This forced performance—pretending to be grateful while enduring unimaginable suffering—is another facet of the Sunken Place.
The Seventh Feature: Literacy as the Path to Freedom
When Douglass’s mistress, Sophia Auld, began teaching him to read, her husband quickly stopped her. He knew that literacy would give Douglass a sense of his own worth and a desire for freedom. From that moment, Douglass realized that the ability to read and write was his pathway out of the Sunken Place. Literacy became a powerful tool in his fight for freedom, and he even taught other slaves to read, spreading the seeds of rebellion.
The Eighth Feature: The Mental Toll of Slavery
Douglass admitted that the weight of being a slave often made him wish for death. The constant reminder of his bondage was inescapable. Yet, the word “abolition” sparked a glimmer of hope in him. He clung to the idea that one day slavery would end, and this hope helped keep him from falling completely into despair.
The Ninth Feature: Religious Hypocrisy
Douglass observed that the cruelest slave masters were often the most religious. These men would preach about kindness while treating their slaves with extraordinary cruelty. The hypocrisy of these pious men was staggering, and it showed Douglass how deeply embedded the evil of slavery was in society.
The Tenth Feature: Being Punished for Intelligence
Douglass’s intelligence made him a target for his masters. They hated the way he carried himself—his intelligence made him look “too free.” This “uppity” attitude threatened them, and they whipped him to keep him in line. But Douglass refused to be broken. He resolved to fight back, both physically and mentally, against the oppression that sought to consign him to the Sunken Place.
The Eleventh Feature: Breaking in Body, Soul, and Spirit
At his lowest point, Douglass felt utterly broken. His natural spark, his love of reading, his will to fight—all seemed crushed. He felt like a brute, stripped of his humanity. But watching ships sail out of Chesapeake Bay filled him with a longing for freedom. The desire to escape began to take root, leading to his eventual fight for liberation.
The Twelfth Feature: The Brainwashing of Slavery
Slavery wasn’t just about physical bondage; it was about psychological control. Douglass noted that slave masters wanted their slaves to be thoughtless, unable to see the injustice of their situation. They worked to darken the slave’s moral and mental vision, trying to convince them that slavery was right. This brainwashing is the final, insidious layer of the Sunken Place, where oppression becomes so deeply ingrained that the enslaved lose the desire to be free.
In sum, Frederick Douglass’s life and writings give us a profound understanding of the Sunken Place. His story is one of resilience, intelligence, and an unbreakable will to be free—qualities that make him one of the greatest figures in American history.
***
Douglass revealed that this weaponized misinformation operates in three distinct phases:
Phase 1: The Cynical Original Story
This phase begins with the greed-driven opportunists who were lured by the enormous profits of the European slave trade. Lacking any spiritual or moral integrity, these individuals cynically twisted Christianity to concoct a world where they claimed it was God’s will for white people to be rulers and people of color to be servants. These cynics didn’t believe their own rhetoric, but they knew their white audience would eagerly swallow this poison, embracing a perverted version of religion that justified slavery. This initial corruption of Christianity into a racial doctrine laid the foundation for slavery and segregation, marking the birth of weaponized misinformation.
Phase 2: The Cosplay Stage
As highlighted by Dr. David Pilgrim’s Jim Crow Museum, this phase involved a society-wide role-play where whites adopted the persona of entitled aristocrats, while blacks were forced into servile roles. Every aspect of life—food, games, entertainment, commerce, politics, relationships—was dictated by this racial cosplay. White people couldn’t even engage in activities like playing chess with black individuals because such an act implied equality, thereby threatening the very foundation of the racial hierarchy. This relentless, obsessive cosplay, which demanded strict adherence to these artificial roles, became the second phase of weaponized misinformation, reinforcing the illusion of white superiority and black inferiority.
Phase 3: The Denial Stage
Following the horrors of slavery, Jim Crow, lynchings, and redlining (the systemic denial of black people’s access to premium housing), this phase saw whites engage in a collective denial of the brutality and atrocities they had inflicted. They downplayed the violence, claimed, “it wasn’t that bad,” and concocted a twisted narrative known as The Lost Cause. In this revisionist history, whites nostalgically mourn the “good old days” when blacks and whites supposedly “knew their place” and lived harmoniously—until, they argue, the “evil Northerners” disrupted this harmony with their so-called “Northern aggression,” violating “state rights.” This form of historical revisionism is yet another insidious example of weaponized misinformation.
Critically examining these phases of weaponized misinformation is not about promoting any political agenda, Wokeness, or Critical Race Theory. Instead, it’s about uncovering the truth, restoring historical accuracy, and ensuring that the atrocities of slavery and racial oppression are never allowed to persist unchallenged. By bearing witness to the truth, we resist the perpetuation of these horrors and commit ourselves to a more just and informed society.
If you find my essay prompts for Essay 2 to be too detailed, causing you to exceed the 1,200-word limit, I’ve provided five simplified prompts below. If you're content with your current direction, feel free to continue as is. However, if you're looking for a more streamlined approach that helps you stay within the word count, you may want to explore one of the following options:
5 Simplified Essay Prompts Geared Toward 1,200 Words
Simplified Version 1: Using Frederick Douglass’ memoir and Clint Smith’s essays "Monuments to the Unthinkable" and "Why Confederate Lies Live On," explore how African-American history functions as a critical tool against the dangers of historical revisionism and cultural forgetting.
Simplified Version 2: Through a comparison of Frederick Douglass’ memoir and Jordan Peele’s Get Out, write an essay that defines the concept of the "Sunken Place" and explores its metaphorical significance in both works.
Simplified Version 3 Compare how Frederick Douglass' memoir and Spike Lee’s film Malcolm X depict the restoration of the African-American spirit. Focus on how both figures help uplift the community from a figurative Sunken Place of racial oppression.
Simplified Version 4: Write an essay comparing the depiction of the Sunken Place in Jordan Peele’s *Get Out* to its representation in Donald Glover’s Atlanta episode “Rich W, Poor W” (Season 3, Episode 9). Examine how each work uses the concept to critique racial identity and social entrapment.
Simplified Version 5: Using Clint Smith’s essay "Why Confederate Lies Live On" and John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight segment on the Confederacy, analyze the causes behind the nostalgic whitewashing of slavery and the Jim Crow era.
Simplified Building Blocks for All Prompts:
Building Block 1: Define the "Sunken Place" as a metaphor for the psychological and social effects of racism. Discuss its implications for both individuals and communities in the context of oppression.
Building Block 2: Write a thesis that clearly outlines your argument. For example: "Both Douglass and Peele use the concept of the Sunken Place to illustrate the dehumanizing effects of systemic racism, yet they also offer paths to personal and communal redemption through education and self-awareness."
Feel free to choose whichever prompt helps you achieve clarity and maintain focus within the 1,200-word count. Good luck with your essays!
Sincerely, Jeff McMahon
What Frederick Douglass Teaches Us About Weaponized Misinformation
For five decades, I've had the privilege of teaching African-American history in my college writing classes, exploring the works of intellectual giants like bell hooks, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Toni Morrison, Isabel Wilkerson, Donald Glover, and Jordan Peele. Through these profound narratives, especially the writings of Frederick Douglass, I’ve come to understand that racial oppression in America—embodied through slavery and Jim Crow—has its roots deeply embedded in weaponized misinformation.
Douglass revealed that this weaponized misinformation operates in three distinct phases:
Phase 1: The Cynical Original Story
This phase begins with the greed-driven opportunists who were lured by the enormous profits of the European slave trade. Lacking any spiritual or moral integrity, these individuals cynically twisted Christianity to concoct a world where they claimed it was God’s will for white people to be rulers and people of color to be servants. These cynics didn’t believe their own rhetoric, but they knew their white audience would eagerly swallow this poison, embracing a perverted version of religion that justified slavery. This initial corruption of Christianity into a racial doctrine laid the foundation for slavery and segregation, marking the birth of weaponized misinformation.
Phase 2: The Cosplay Stage
As highlighted by Dr. David Pilgrim’s Jim Crow Museum, this phase involved a society-wide role-play where whites adopted the persona of entitled aristocrats, while blacks were forced into servile roles. Every aspect of life—food, games, entertainment, commerce, politics, relationships—was dictated by this racial cosplay. White people couldn’t even engage in activities like playing chess with black individuals because such an act implied equality, thereby threatening the very foundation of the racial hierarchy. This relentless, obsessive cosplay, which demanded strict adherence to these artificial roles, became the second phase of weaponized misinformation, reinforcing the illusion of white superiority and black inferiority.
Phase 3: The Denial Stage
Following the horrors of slavery, Jim Crow, lynchings, and redlining (the systemic denial of black people’s access to premium housing), this phase saw whites engage in a collective denial of the brutality and atrocities they had inflicted. They downplayed the violence, claimed, “it wasn’t that bad,” and concocted a twisted narrative known as The Lost Cause. In this revisionist history, whites nostalgically mourn the “good old days” when blacks and whites supposedly “knew their place” and lived harmoniously—until, they argue, the “evil Northerners” disrupted this harmony with their so-called “Northern aggression,” violating “state rights.” This form of historical revisionism is yet another insidious example of weaponized misinformation.
Critically examining these phases of weaponized misinformation is not about promoting any political agenda, Wokeness, or Critical Race Theory. Instead, it’s about uncovering the truth, restoring historical accuracy, and ensuring that the atrocities of slavery and racial oppression are never allowed to persist unchallenged. By bearing witness to the truth, we resist the perpetuation of these horrors and commit ourselves to a more just and informed society.
***
Critical Analysis of “Why Confederate Lies Live On” by Clint Smith
Racist Iconography and The Lost Cause Myth
In his essay “Why Confederate Lies Live On,” Clint Smith explores the persistence of Confederate symbolism in American culture, particularly in places like Petersburg, Virginia. Here, the Blandford Cemetery draws thousands of white visitors annually to honor Confederate soldiers. But why? Smith argues that these individuals are captivated by a false narrative of the Civil War—one that glorifies the Confederacy as defenders of "states' rights" against "Northern Aggression," all while upholding the institution of slavery as a harmonious relationship between blacks and whites.
These visitors are not just paying respects to fallen ancestors; they are participating in a distorted version of history that flatters them and their forebears as "honorable" and "courageous." This romanticized view of the Confederacy is deeply rooted in a dangerous mythology that continues to shape public memory in the South.
Narcissism and Wishful Thinking
Smith delves into the psychological underpinnings of this historical distortion, arguing that it stems from a form of pathological narcissism. These individuals compartmentalize their understanding of history—they whitewash the atrocities committed against black people while elevating the "honor" of their ancestors. This compartmentalization is not just an innocent misunderstanding; it is a deliberate act of tribalism and clannism, rooted in a desire to maintain a sense of superiority.
Smith astutely observes, “For so many of them, history isn’t the story of what actually happened; it is just the story they want to believe. It is not a public story we all share, but an intimate one, passed down like an heirloom, that shapes their sense of who they are. Confederate history is family history, history as eulogy, in which loyalty takes precedence over truth. This is especially true at Blandford, where the ancestors aren’t just hovering in the background—they are literally buried underfoot.”
What Does Nostalgia for Slavery and Jim Crow Reveal?
Smith’s exploration of Confederate nostalgia reveals a troubling truth about those who cling to these symbols. Their fondness for the Confederacy is not just about heritage; it’s about an enduring belief in white supremacy. These individuals long for a time when white people were served by a subjugated class, and they embrace stories that reinforce this racial hierarchy.
Smith suggests that this nostalgia speaks to a deeper moral failure:
1. Servitude and Superiority: These individuals cherish the idea of being served by a servile class, willingly believing in a narrative that positions whites as the privileged race, with others existing merely for their convenience. 2. Mythical Storytelling: They perpetuate tales of "white superiority" through rituals and re-enactments that affirm their sense of dominance.
3. Defensive Reaction to Truth: When confronted with the harsh realities of racism or comparisons to Germany’s post-World War II moral reckoning, they respond with defensiveness, hostility, and even violence.
4. Fragile Identity: Their identity is so intertwined with the myth of white superiority that challenging this narrative feels like an existential threat.
5. Moral Blindness: They engage in Confederate rituals with a complete disregard for black suffering, making their existence a moral abomination rooted in white supremacist cosplay.
The Resistance to Removing Racist Statues
Smith highlights the intense resistance to efforts aimed at removing Confederate statues. This resistance is not just about preserving history; it’s about clinging to a narrative that justifies and glorifies the Confederacy.
In a striking passage, Smith recounts a speech by Paul C. Gramling Jr., a prominent figure in the Sons of Confederate Veterans, who equates those advocating for the removal of Confederate symbols with terrorists, likening them to "ISIS in the Middle East." Gramling’s speech is emblematic of the deep-seated fear and anger that fuels opposition to removing these statues. His call to "take back the narrative" is a rallying cry for those who wish to preserve a version of history that absolves the Confederacy of its sins.
Smith contrasts this perspective with the tireless efforts of those who have fought to remove these symbols—teachers, parents, civil rights veterans—who see these monuments as an affront to the truth and a glorification of an unjust cause. The fervor with which individuals like Gramling defend Confederate symbols reveals the extent to which they are willing to go to protect a version of history that serves their interests.
Smith’s analysis underscores the need for a reckoning with the truth of America’s past. The resistance to this reckoning is not merely a defense of history; it is a defense of a deeply entrenched system of white supremacy that continues to shape the present. To move forward, America must confront these lies and work towards a more honest and inclusive public memory.
Using ChatGPT to use helpful essay outlines:
My Prompt:
I want to write an essay that compares the nostalgia for Jim Crow evident in “Why Confederate Lies Live On” by Clint Smith and John Oliver's video about the Confederacy on Last Week Tonight. Give me a five-point outline for such an essay.
ChatGPT Response:
1. Introduction: The Enduring Myths of the Confederacy and Jim Crow Nostalgia - Introduce Clint Smith’s essay “Why Confederate Lies Live On” and John Oliver’s video on Last Week Tonight about the Confederacy. - Define the concept of "nostalgia for Jim Crow" as the idealization of a time when racial hierarchies were overtly maintained, particularly through the lens of the Confederacy and post-Reconstruction America. - Present the thesis: Both Clint Smith’s essay and John Oliver’s video critique the nostalgic longing for the Confederacy and Jim Crow, exposing how these myths continue to shape contemporary racial attitudes and undermine progress toward racial justice.
2. Romanticizing the Confederacy: Myths and Monuments - Discuss how both Smith and Oliver critique the romanticization of the Confederacy as a "lost cause" that glorifies white supremacy while minimizing or erasing the brutal realities of slavery and segregation. - Smith’s analysis of the cultural and historical revisionism that persists in textbooks, public monuments, and political rhetoric, which softens the Confederacy’s role in defending slavery. - Oliver’s satirical breakdown of how Confederate monuments and symbols are treated as heritage, ignoring their deep ties to racial oppression, particularly in Jim Crow-era attempts to rewrite history. - Highlight how both sources emphasize that this glorification perpetuates a false narrative, creating a dangerous nostalgia for a period marked by racial violence.
3. The Weaponization of Nostalgia to Sustain White Supremacy - Explore how nostalgia for the Confederacy and Jim Crow is used as a tool to uphold white supremacy in both Smith’s essay and Oliver’s video. - Smith’s argument that the continued reverence for Confederate symbols reinforces systemic racism and provides cover for contemporary racial inequities. - Oliver’s comedic but cutting take on how Confederate apologists weaponize historical inaccuracies to resist changes that would promote racial equality, such as the removal of statues or changing school names. - Discuss how both Smith and Oliver reveal that nostalgia serves as a barrier to confronting and dismantling present-day forms of racism.
4. The Psychological and Social Consequences of Confederate Nostalgia - Analyze how both Smith and Oliver address the psychological and social impacts of Confederate nostalgia on racial identity and memory. - Smith’s discussion of how the idealization of the Confederacy distorts collective memory, particularly among white Americans, by fostering a sense of grievance or loss tied to racial privilege. - Oliver’s focus on how the continued existence of Confederate symbols, especially in public spaces, affects communities of color, perpetuating feelings of alienation and exclusion. - Examine how both authors argue that this form of nostalgia not only distorts history but also deepens racial divisions and prevents the healing necessary for societal progress.
5. The Call to Confront and Correct the Historical Narrative - Compare how both Smith and Oliver advocate for confronting and correcting the historical narrative around the Confederacy and Jim Crow. - Smith’s insistence that Americans must reckon with the truth of their history, not the sanitized or nostalgic version that upholds white supremacy, and his emphasis on education as a crucial tool for breaking the cycle of myth-making. - Oliver’s humorous yet forceful argument that the removal of Confederate monuments and the reshaping of public memory are essential steps toward addressing historical injustices and creating a more equitable society. - Conclude by emphasizing how both Smith and Oliver argue that dismantling these nostalgic myths is necessary for America to move forward in its pursuit of racial justice and equality.
My Prompt:
I want to write an essay that compares the way Frederick Douglass’ memoir and Spike Lee’s movie Malcolm X address how Douglass and Malcolm X championed the rehabilitation of the spirit in the African-American community and helped lift the community out of the Sunken Place. Give me a 5-point outline for such an essay.
ChatGPT Response:
1. Introduction: The Power of Self-Rehabilitation and the Fight Against the "Sunken Place" - Briefly introduce Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave and Spike Lee’s Malcolm X. - Define the "Sunken Place" as a metaphor for the psychological and spiritual oppression of African Americans, tying it to both historical enslavement and modern systemic racism. - Present the thesis: Both Douglass and Malcolm X, through their transformative journeys, championed the rehabilitation of the African-American spirit and led efforts to lift their communities out of oppression, providing models of self-liberation and empowerment.
2. Spiritual and Intellectual Awakening: Douglass’ Education and Malcolm X’s Prison Transformation - Compare how Douglass and Malcolm X experienced intellectual awakenings that served as catalysts for their personal and spiritual rehabilitation. - Douglass’ self-taught literacy as a tool for liberation and empowerment, symbolizing freedom from the mental enslavement of ignorance. - Malcolm X’s transformation during his time in prison, embracing knowledge, Islam, and Black nationalism as tools for his own spiritual redemption and as a path to lift the community. - Discuss how both men saw education as the first step toward reclaiming dignity and power, pulling themselves and others out of the "Sunken Place."
3. Challenging the Dominant System: Confronting the Tools of Oppression - Explore how both Douglass and Malcolm X actively confronted the systems that oppressed African Americans. - Douglass’ fight against the institution of slavery, not just physically but by dismantling the moral and psychological justifications for it. - Malcolm X’s critique of systemic racism, particularly white supremacy and the internalization of Black inferiority, and his call for Black pride and self-sufficiency. - Examine how both men redefined the African-American identity and challenged the submissive, docile image of Blackness that the dominant culture imposed.
4. Rehabilitation of the African-American Spirit: From Submission to Empowerment - Analyze how Douglass and Malcolm X each focused on the rehabilitation of the African-American spirit—moving from the hopelessness of subjugation to empowerment and action. - Douglass’ emphasis on human dignity, self-worth, and the essential right to freedom as a means of restoring agency to enslaved African Americans. - Malcolm X’s insistence on self-respect, Black nationalism, and the refusal to accept second-class citizenship as key to liberating the African-American psyche. - Discuss the role of faith in both men's journeys—Douglass in his Christian belief in justice, and Malcolm X in his embrace of Islam as a path to spiritual and social liberation.
5. Lifting the Community: From Personal Liberation to Collective Empowerment - Contrast how Douglass and Malcolm X moved from their personal journeys of rehabilitation to lifting the African-American community as a whole. - Douglass as a public intellectual, abolitionist, and political advocate, using his own story to inspire collective action and the fight for equal rights. - Malcolm X’s emphasis on self-reliance and communal responsibility, urging African Americans to reject reliance on white society and build their own institutions. - Conclude by discussing how both figures, through their powerful examples of self-transformation, provided blueprints for lifting the African-American community out of the "Sunken Place"—a journey of reclaiming identity, power, and dignity in the face of oppression.
***
My Prompt:
Compare the Sunken Place in the Jordan Peele movie Get Out to Donald Glover’s Atlanta episode “Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga” in a 3-point comparison. Then give 4 reasons Aaron appears to be free from the Sunken Place at the end of the Atlanta episode.
### 3-Point Comparison Between the Sunken Place in *Get Out* and "Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga" in *Atlanta*:
1. **Psychological Entrapment and Loss of Agency**: - In *Get Out*, the Sunken Place represents the complete loss of autonomy, where Chris is physically present but mentally powerless, unable to control his own actions. The Sunken Place metaphorically traps him in his own body while white characters exploit his physical form. - In *Atlanta's* “Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga,” Aaron, a biracial teenager, faces a subtler kind of entrapment—social and racial alienation. Although Aaron is not physically immobilized like Chris, he is psychologically trapped by society’s expectations and racial categorizations, unable to fully claim either his Black or white identity.
2. **Social Commentary on Race and Identity**: - *Get Out* uses the Sunken Place as a commentary on the historical and ongoing exploitation of Black bodies, reflecting how systemic racism renders Black individuals invisible or voiceless in society. - In contrast, "Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga" explores the internal conflict of a mixed-race person grappling with the societal pressure to "choose" a racial identity. Aaron feels forced to prove his Blackness in order to secure a scholarship, highlighting the absurdity of how race is socially constructed and policed.
3. **Symbolic Representation of Isolation**: - For Chris in *Get Out*, the Sunken Place is a literal and symbolic isolation—a dark void where he is silenced and helpless. It embodies the alienation experienced by Black individuals in a society that devalues their humanity. - Aaron's isolation in *Atlanta* is more psychological. His mixed-race identity leaves him in a state of perpetual limbo, neither fully accepted by the Black nor white communities. The racial test he undergoes serves as a metaphorical Sunken Place, forcing him to confront how external perceptions have trapped him in a socially defined box.
### 4 Reasons Aaron Appears Free from the Sunken Place at the End of *Atlanta*:
1. **Reclaiming Personal Identity**: - At the end of the episode, Aaron seems to reject the notion that he has to fit into one racial category to gain validation or acceptance. His decision to forego performing any further racial tests reflects his reclaiming of agency over his identity.
2. **Rejection of External Validation**: - By no longer seeking the approval of others, whether from the Black or white community, Aaron frees himself from the need to "perform" his race for external validation. This shift signals that he has mentally extricated himself from the societal expectations that had previously confined him.
3. **Awareness of Social Constructs**: - Aaron’s journey throughout the episode brings him face-to-face with the arbitrary nature of racial categorizations. In the end, he recognizes that these constructs are external forces imposed on him, not innate truths about who he is.
4. **Personal Growth and Acceptance**: - Unlike his earlier desperation to "prove" his Blackness, Aaron shows signs of growth by accepting the complexity of his identity. His refusal to continue chasing a constructed ideal of race suggests that he has moved past the psychological entrapment that defined his earlier struggles.
***
My Prompt:
Comparing the Sunken Place in the Jordan Peele movie Get Out to Donald Glover’s Atlanta episode “Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga,” write a 5-point comparison outline for an essay.
ChatGPT Response:
Psychological Entrapment and Identity Crisis
- Get Out (The Sunken Place): The Sunken Place symbolizes psychological control and entrapment, where Chris, the protagonist, is forcibly stripped of his agency and trapped within his own body. It represents how Black individuals can be physically present but psychologically marginalized or silenced by society.
- Atlanta ("Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga"): Aaron's identity crisis as a mixed-race teenager echoes the sense of entrapment. He is caught between being perceived as white and wanting to assert his Black identity to gain access to college funds. The episode explores the internal conflict of racial identity and belonging in a society that categorizes based on appearance.
Racial Stigma and Invisibility
- Get Out (The Sunken Place): The Sunken Place symbolizes Black invisibility and powerlessness in the face of systemic racism. Chris’s voice and individuality are suppressed, reflecting how Black people can be unseen or reduced to stereotypes.
- Atlanta ("Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga"): Aaron’s light skin renders him invisible as "Black" in the eyes of his peers, and he faces skepticism from both white and Black communities. The episode portrays the societal pressures to "perform" one’s race and the alienation that comes with not fitting neatly into racial categories.
3. Economic Opportunity as a Gatekeeper of Identity
- Get Out (The Sunken Place): The Armitage family’s exploitation of Black bodies for economic and personal gain reflects the commodification of Blackness. Chris’s worth is reduced to his physical and cultural attributes, which are consumed by the wealthy white characters.
- Atlanta ("Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga"): Aaron’s racial identity is framed around the economic opportunity of a college scholarship offered only to Black students. The episode critiques how racial identity is often seen as transactional or tied to economic gain, pushing Aaron to embrace stereotypes in his desperate quest for inclusion.
4. Control and Manipulation by External Forces
- Get Out (The Sunken Place): Chris is subjected to hypnotic control by the Armitages, who take over his body and consciousness, a metaphor for the ways in which white supremacy manipulates and controls Black bodies and lives.
- Atlanta ("Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga"): Aaron’s actions and sense of self are shaped by societal expectations of race. His attempt to perform Blackness to secure the scholarship represents how external pressures can manipulate one's identity. Both narratives show individuals losing control over their identities due to the societal forces at play.
5. Violence as a Means of Escape or Validation
- Get Out (The Sunken Place): Chris’s eventual violent confrontation with the Armitages is the only way he can escape the Sunken Place and regain his autonomy. Violence becomes a means of breaking free from the systemic forces that dehumanize him.
- Atlanta ("Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga"): Aaron resorts to violent behavior in a desperate attempt to validate his Blackness and gain approval. His exaggerated performance of racial stereotypes shows how the need for validation can lead to destructive behavior. In both stories, violence is a symptom of the characters’ trapped circumstances and a reaction to the pressures imposed upon them.
This outline highlights the psychological, racial, and societal dimensions of identity crises in both *Get Out* and *Atlanta*, while also addressing themes of control, economic pressure, and the destructive consequences of external expectations.
Write a comparative analysis between Get Out's "Sunken Place" and Frederick Douglass' experience in slavery and show how Douglass used literacy as a path to free himself from the Sunken Place.
Here's a breakdown and a few tips for each section of the outline you provided:
Paragraph 1: Summarizing the Major Points in Wisecrack’s "The Philosophy of Get Out"
In this section, you'll want to describe the metaphor of the "Sunken Place" as outlined in Wisecrack’s video. The video emphasizes how the "Sunken Place" represents social marginalization, dehumanization, and systemic racism, where African Americans lose control of their bodies and autonomy—symbolizing how Black individuals are pushed to the margins of society and often silenced. The video also touches on themes of free will, surveillance, and exploitation, aligning these with the experience of being socially “trapped” despite the illusion of freedom.
Paragraph 2: Summarizing the Sunken Place as Described in Douglass’ Memoir
Here, explain how Frederick Douglass' experience of slavery represents his "Sunken Place." In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Douglass portrays slavery as a state of physical bondage and psychological subjugation. Like the Sunken Place in *Get Out*, slavery is a condition where the enslaved are denied agency, control, and even the ability to recognize themselves as fully human. Douglass discusses how ignorance was used as a tool of oppression—keeping enslaved people "sunken" in a mental and social abyss.
Paragraph 3: Thesis Statement
This paragraph ties the two concepts together. You’re comparing Douglass' personal journey out of his "Sunken Place" with the symbolic one in Get Out. His acquisition of literacy becomes the catalyst that leads him to freedom, allowing him to reclaim his humanity and to articulate the horrors of slavery. Your thesis might look something like:
"Frederick Douglass’ literary transformation defines his journey out of the Sunken Place, evidenced by how literacy gave him an indelible thirst for freedom, made him a chronicler of slavery to fight historical revisionism, equipped him to combat racial stereotypes, and enabled him to advocate for civil rights and the emancipation of enslaved people, using even the Bible to counter racist misinterpretations."
Paragraphs 4-8: Supporting Evidence
For each of these paragraphs, you’ll break down different elements of how literacy shaped Douglass’ escape from his own Sunken Place, contrasting his experience with that in Get Out.
Literacy and the Taste for Freedom: Discuss how learning to read and write gave Douglass a vision of freedom that transcended the physical chains of slavery. This mirrors how awareness in Get Out leads to attempts at breaking free from the psychological chains imposed by society.
Chronicler of Slavery and Combatting Historical Revisionism: Douglass wrote extensively to ensure that slavery’s brutal reality could not be erased or rewritten. This act of chronicling can be compared to *Get Out*’s subversive use of horror to reveal modern racism’s insidiousness.
Combatting Racial Stereotypes: Douglass worked to dismantle the damaging myths about Black inferiority. In a similar way, Get Out critiques how modern stereotypes continue to dehumanize Black people. The Sunken Place becomes the visual metaphor for this societal attempt to “control” Black identity.
Advocate for Civil Rights and Emancipation: Through his speeches and writings, Douglass became a powerful advocate for justice, much like how the protagonist of Get Out eventually fights back against his captors. Discuss how Douglass' advocacy was directly tied to his literacy.
Restoring the Bible to Universal Love: Douglass reclaimed Christian texts, arguing that the Bible, when properly interpreted, advocates for universal brotherhood. This can be seen as a way of using a dominant societal narrative to undo systemic oppression, a tactic that *Get Out* also employs by turning cultural assumptions upside down.
Paragraph 9: Conclusion
In your conclusion, you’ll want to restate your thesis but also leave the reader with a powerful takeaway. Something like:
"Frederick Douglass' journey out of his own Sunken Place shows that literacy was not just a tool of intellectual freedom but a revolutionary act against an oppressive system. In both Douglass' memoir and Jordan Peele's Get Out, breaking free from the Sunken Place requires not just awareness of the chains but the courage to dismantle them."
This outline and structure will help create a strong comparative analysis, weaving together Douglass’ narrative with the cultural critique of Get Out. The Wisecrack video and Becoming Frederick Douglass will provide rich contextual evidence, while your lectures will ensure you're on track with the course's framework.
***
Building Blocks for Prompt F:
Building Block A:
Write your first two paragraphs:
Paragraph 1: Summarize the Major Points in Wisecrack’s "The Philosophy of Get Out"
Paragraph 2: Summarize the Sunken Place as Described in Douglass’ Memoir
Building Block B
Write your third paragraph, which is your thesis paragraph.
For Essay 2, choose one from the following:
Choice A: Frederick Douglass Lifted Others Out of the Sunken Place
In recent years, there have been critics of teaching slavery, Jim Crow, and racial injustice in the classroom. These critics claim that such teachings have degenerated into biased and extremist political ideology that is intended to indoctrinate students into an anti-American mindset with America painted as the unredeemable devil; that this anti-American mindset encourages helplessness and victimization, and that this mindset has corrupted educational institutions so that rather than teach critical thinking, they foster “Woke” political indoctrination. However, some will counter-argue that such renditions of African-American history are a perversion of real African-American history, which through ignorance or malice twist the essence of African-American history to attack it and silence African-American voices. These defenders of African-American history will posit that while it's true there are political dimensions to the study of African-American history, there are also spiritual and psychological dimensions. To truly understand African-American history, we are well advised to look to Frederick Douglass whose writings were designed to uplift the oppressed from what Jordan Peele calls The Sunken Place. Based on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,American Slave (available as a PDF online) and Clint Smith’s essay “Monuments to the Unthinkable,” write a 1,200-word essay that addresses the claim that teaching about the life of Frederick Douglass and learning about Germany’s post-World War II moral reform is a way of learning about racial injustice that avoids the aforementioned pitfalls because Douglass’ life and Germany’s moral reform embody the importance of helping others rise above the Sunken Place, bearing witness to the truth, embracing individual self-agency to resist societal injustice, fighting to redeem a society’s past racial sins, and championing the wisdom of the Ancients for our continual self-improvement. Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources. For this assignment, I recommend two excellent books for further reading: Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight and The Pursuit of Happiness by Jeffrey Rosen. I also recommend the 2022 documentary Becoming Frederick Douglass.
Resources you must use for Choice A:
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,American SlavePDF.
Paragraph 1: Summarize the arguments of those who oppose teaching slavery, Jim Crow, and racial injustice in the classroom because they claim these teachings are forms of political indoctrination based on woke ideology, CRT, and DEI resulting in an anti-American screed that encourages victimization and learned helplessness.
Paragraph 2: Your thesis--address the claim that the real purpose of teaching racial injustice is to bypass politics and encourage Frederick Douglass' moral calling for all: To identify the Sunken Place, a state of despair based on dehumanization, so that we can lift each other to strengthen democracy for all people and to never repeat the sins of the past.
Paragraphs 3-6: Your supporting paragraphs.
Paragraph 7: Your counterargument-rebuttal.
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion, a powerful restatement of your thesis.
Works Cited page with a minimum of 4 sources
Choice B: Frederick Douglass and the movie Black Panther Point to a Way Out of the Sunken Place
In recent years, there have been critics of teaching slavery, Jim Crow and racial injustice in the classroom. These critics claim that such teachings have degenerated into biased and extremist political ideology that is intended to indoctrinate students into an anti-American mindset with America painted as the unredeemable devil; that this anti-American mindset encourages helplessness and victimization, and that this mindset has corrupted educational institutions so that rather than teach critical thinking, they foster “Woke” political indoctrination. However, some will counter-argue that such renditions of African-American history are a perversion of real African-American history, which through ignorance or malice twist the essence of African-American history in order to attack it and silence African-American voices. These defenders of African-American history will posit that while it's true there are political dimensions to the study of African-American history, there are also spiritual and psychological dimensions. To truly understand African-American history, we can compare the themes in the 2018 Ryan Coogler movie Black Panther and Frederick Douglass whose writings were designed to uplift the oppressed from what Jordan Peele calls The Sunken Place. In this context, write an essay that compares the way we can learn the essence of African-American history in the movie Black Panther and the writings of Frederick Douglass. This comparison should address the importance of helping others rise above the Sunken Place, bearing witness to the truth, embracing individual self-agency to resist societal injustice, fighting to redeem America, and championing the wisdom of the Ancients for our continual self-improvement so that we can find our “Inner Wakanda.” Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources. For this essay, I recommend the following YouTube videos: “Black Panther: Symbolism Explained” and “Black Panther--Creating an Empathetic Villain.”
Resources you must use for Choice B:
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,American SlavePDF.
The 2018 movie The Black Panther (which you will have to watch on your own with a possible fee; $4 rental on Amazon Prime)
Paragraph 1: Summarize the arguments of those who oppose teaching slavery, Jim Crow, and racial injustice in the classroom because they claim these teachings are forms of political indoctrination based on woke ideology, CRT, and DEI resulting in an anti-American screed that encourages victimization and learned helplessness.
Paragraph 2: Your thesis--address the claim that the real purpose of teaching racial injustice is to bypass politics and encourage the movie Black Panther's moral calling for all: To identify the Sunken Place, a state of despair based on dehumanization, so that we can lift each other to strengthen a Utopian Wakanda for all people and to repel the evils from "Outer Wakanda."
Paragraphs 3-6: Your supporting paragraphs.
Paragraph 7: Your counterargument-rebuttal.
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion, a powerful restatement of your thesis.
Works Cited page with a minimum of 4 sources
Choice C. Glory Vs. The Lost Cause
The Lost Cause is a perversion of African-American history, a fabrication that claims that God blessed slavery and that in the system of slavery, whites and blacks lived in peaceful harmony, but the evil North ruined this harmony through “Northern aggression” and the “violation of state rights.” Write an essay that addresses the claim that the Life of Frederick Douglass and the 1989 movie Glory provides an effective counter-narrative to the heinous mythologies behind The Lost Cause. Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
Resources you must use for Choice C:
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,American SlavePDF.
The 1990 movie Glory (which you will have to watch on your own with a possible fee; $4 rental on Amazon Prime)
Paragraph 1: Summarize the arguments of those who oppose teaching slavery, Jim Crow, and racial injustice in the classroom because they claim these teachings are forms of political indoctrination based on woke ideology, CRT, and DEI resulting in an anti-American screed that encourages victimization and learned helplessness.
Paragraph 2: Your thesis--address the claim that the real purpose of teaching racial injustice is to bypass politics and encourage Frederick Douglass' moral calling for all: To identify the Sunken Place, a state of despair based on dehumanization, so that we can lift each other to strengthen democracy for all people, reject historical revisionism such as The Lost Cause, and to never repeat the sins of the past.
Paragraphs 3-6: Your supporting paragraphs.
Paragraph 7: Your counterargument-rebuttal.
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion, a powerful restatement of your thesis.
Works Cited page with a minimum of 4 sources
Choice D. Misinformation Is the Enemy of the People
Write an essay that addresses the claim that the misinformation that fuels The Lost Cause as interrogated by the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Clint Smith’s essay “Why Confederate Lies Live On” and the the lies of Alex Jones evident in the HBO Max documentary The Truth Vs. Alex Jones makes a persuasive case that misinformation is the enemy of moral decency and a liberal democracy. Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
Resources you must use for Choice D:
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,American SlavePDF.
The HBO Max documentary The Truth Vs. Alex Jones (which requires a subscription fee unless I have time to show it to the class)
Paragraph 1: Summarize the arguments of those who oppose teaching slavery, Jim Crow, and racial injustice in the classroom because they claim these teachings are forms of political indoctrination based on woke ideology, CRT, and DEI resulting in an anti-American screed that encourages victimization and learned helplessness.
Paragraph 2: Your thesis--address the claim that the real purpose of teaching racial injustice is to bypass politics and encourage Frederick Douglass' moral calling for all: To identify the Sunken Place, a state of despair based on dehumanization, so that we can lift each other to strengthen democracy for all people, resist weaponized misinformation and historical revisionism, and to never repeat the sins of the past.
Paragraphs 3-6: Your supporting paragraphs.
Paragraph 7: Your counterargument-rebuttal.
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion, a powerful restatement of your thesis.
Works Cited page with a minimum of 4 sources
Choice E. Condescension and Stereotyping
Comparing Jordan Peele’s movie Get Out with Cord Jefferson’s movie American Fiction, write a 1,200-word essay that analyzes the way both films are a critique of white liberal condescension toward African Americans and how this condescension can be a subtle cause of the Sunken Place. Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
Resources you must use for Choice E:
The movie 2017 movie Get Out, which requires an Amazon Prime subscription
The movie 2023 movie American Fiction, which requires an Amazon Prime subscription
Paragraph 1: Write an extended definition of white liberal condescension and provide at least one salient example.
Paragraph 2: Your thesis: Explain how both movies present parallel illustrations of white liberal condescension and how this condescension is dehumanizing.
Paragraphs 3-7: Analyze 5 similar examples of condescension and subtle denigration in the two movies.
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion, a dramatic restatement of your thesis.
***
Getting Ideas for Essay Option E from ChatGPT:
Both *Get Out* and *American Fiction* brilliantly expose white liberal condescension toward African Americans, each in its own unique way. Here are seven parallel themes that emerge from the films:
1. **Tokenization of Black Identity**: In *Get Out*, the Armitage family fawns over Chris as though his blackness is a fascinating artifact, with their obsession over his physical traits and cultural background. Similarly, in *American Fiction*, the publishing industry fetishizes Monk’s racial identity, urging him to write stereotypical stories that fit their expectations of Black culture, reducing him to a caricature of "Blackness."
2. **Superficial Support for Black Struggles**: *Get Out* shows the Armitages' fake allyship, as Dean Armitage insists he "would have voted for Obama a third time," using it to assert his "wokeness" without truly engaging in any meaningful way with the real struggles African Americans face. In *American Fiction*, liberal elites gush over surface-level, sensationalized depictions of Black suffering, while ignoring deeper, authentic narratives that would challenge their comfort zones.
3. **Performative Progressivism**: Both films show white liberals who outwardly embrace progressive values but ultimately perpetuate harmful racial dynamics. In *Get Out*, the Armitages host a party where guests, though polite, casually commodify Black people’s bodies and experiences for their benefit. *American Fiction* mirrors this as the publishing world demands Monk write the “right kind” of Black stories, ones that will make white readers feel good about themselves rather than challenge their preconceptions.
4. **Cultural Appropriation**: In *Get Out*, white characters like Jim Hudson covet Black bodies and talents, symbolizing a deeper desire to appropriate Black culture while stripping it of its humanity. *American Fiction* highlights a similar theme as white publishers commodify Black trauma for profit, pushing Monk toward a hyperbolic, exaggerated narrative they deem acceptable for their liberal audiences.
5. **Invisibility of Authentic Black Voices**: In *Get Out*, Chris's discomfort is repeatedly ignored or downplayed by white characters who are too busy projecting their own fantasies onto him. Likewise, in *American Fiction*, Monk’s authentic writing is dismissed as not “Black enough,” demonstrating how white liberal institutions silence or distort genuine Black perspectives to fit their own narratives.
6. **Exploitation of Black Pain**: Both films illustrate how Black pain becomes a spectacle for white liberal consumption. In *Get Out*, the Armitages and their friends exploit Chris’s existence for personal gain, literally hijacking his body for their desires. *American Fiction* critiques the literary world’s obsession with Black trauma, rewarding stories that focus on Black suffering, as long as it fits a palatable formula that keeps white readers entertained and reassured.
7. **Patronizing Control over Black Narratives**: In *Get Out*, the Armitages exert control over Black bodies under the guise of benevolent paternalism, deciding who deserves to be “saved” or uplifted. *American Fiction* reflects this dynamic in the publishing industry, where white editors and publishers dictate what kinds of Black stories get told, maintaining control over the narrative and relegating Black authors to fulfilling stereotypes rather than telling complex, nuanced stories.
Both films starkly reveal how white liberalism, despite its outward proclamations of support, often perpetuates a deeper, more insidious form of condescension and control over African Americans.
***
Why do we study African-American history and Jim Crow?
To resist the rewriting of history, which is designed to oppress the very people who suffered under Jim Crow.
Because rewriting history is morally abhorrent and always has malevolent designs.
Because people are still rewriting history with malevolent intent today.
Because the racist ideas that fuel Jim Crow are alive today in an international cult of white nationalists who are dedicated to using social media to spread weaponized misinformation.
Because denying representation and silencing voices is morally bankrupt and denies us the truth about ourselves and about people who have been historically oppressed.
Because Jim Crow gave inspiration and instruction to racists throughout the world, for example, Hitler learned segregation techniques from America’s Confederacy creator Jefferson Davis.
Because a moral inventory is essential for society’s moral reform, a process that the Germans have successfully done in the aftermath of World War II.
Historical revisionism kills democracy and inverts morality. For example, the revisionist history of The Lost Cause results in over 200 public schools being named after America's worst racist Jefferson Davis, and millions of Americans praise the criminals involved with the January 6 Insurrection as "American Patriots."
Because Jim Crow is built on troll culture and we need to build a society on critical thinking culture.
***
What Is Jim Crow 1.0?
Jim Crow was born of white southern resentment to losing the Civil War, losing slavery, and being told by the northerners that their way of life was evil.
Full of resentment, white southerners scapegoated black people by crushing them with a series of cruel and often ridiculous laws that were enforced by violence. These oppressive laws in the words of Isabel Wilkerson constituted a “feudal caste system” with the privileged and servant classes.
Jim Crow was a sneaky way white southerners brought back slavery “off the books” by making black people subject to violence and exploitation with no protection from the law. In other words, slavery was illegal but Jim Crow brought it back under another name.
In other words, the Civil War did not end slavery; it merely shifted slavery into another form called Jim Crow. This shift is chronicled in Douglas A. Blackman’s book Slavery By Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II.
Perhaps the best book ever written about Jim Crow from the point of view of African Americans is Isabel Wilkerson’s award-winning The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration in which six million African Americans fled the south to escape Jim Crow.
Wilkerson interviewed over 1,000 black Americans who lived in the terror of Jim Crow and fled for their lives to the Northern and Western states between 1915 and 1970.
Over six decades, six million African Americans fled the Jim Crow south not knowing what was in store for them. By the end of the Great Migration, almost half of all the black Americans in the south were gone. They had no job, no place to live, no assurance of the means to survive, but they went anyway.
That should tell us just how bad Jim Crow was. “I don’t know what’s in store for me, but I’m getting the hell out.” Jim Crow was a 24/7 Torture Chamber.
All they knew was one thing: Whatever they faced, it couldn’t be worse than living in the Jim Crow states.
Characteristics of Jim Crow
One. Jim Crow didn’t allow black people to flourish.
In 1953, a black doctor Robert Joseph Pershing Foster got out of Monroe, Louisiana, and headed for California. Why? Because even though he was qualified in the highest medical procedures, the whites wouldn’t let him practice surgery.
In the Jim Crow south, whites didn’t like to grant any rights to blacks that suggested that blacks were equal to them. Allowing a black man to practice surgery was just too much for the whites to bear. The mere suggestion that blacks were talented and intelligent was a scandal to white southerners and a threat to their carefully curated racist paradigm, so Dr. Foster got in his car and headed for California.
Two. Jim Crow was a living hell.
Jim Crow was so hellish that it created The Great Migration, the greatest migration ever recorded in America, a migration that far exceeded the California Gold Rush of the 1850s, and yet the Great Migration, Isabel Wilkonson points out, is underreported. Not much is known about a migration that completely changed America, sending black people to urban cities in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and other major cities.
Three. Jim Crow was a danger to black lives.
Isabel Wilkinson makes an astute observation: A lot of black people that we know about would not have existed except that their parents got out of the deadly Jim Crow south. She points out that James Baldwin, Michelle Obama, Miles Davis, Toni Morrison, Spike Lee, and Denzel Washington were “all products of the Great Migration” and might not exist but for the fact that their parents fled for their lives.
Four. Jim Crow celebrated the myth of The Lost Cause.
The Lost Cause is a re-imagining of slavery as “a good thing” in which slave owners and slaves were happy in a bucolic paradise where whites and blacks “knew their place” and were blessed by God. Such heinous chicanery was embraced by the United Daughters of the Confederacy who published propaganda books to brainwash children in the Jim Crow public schools.
The myth of the Lost Cause is so strong that to this day the great military heroes of the North who brought an end to slavery--Ulysses Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, George Henry Thoms, David Farragut are to this day hated and reviled in the south.
Five. Jim Crow is a stain on American History that America has tried to sweep under the carpet.
Wilkinson understood that you couldn’t really understand the hell of Jim Crow unless you saw how black people reacted to it: Fleeing for their lives in a mass migration. She was astonished that before her book virtually nothing was written about the mass escape from Jim Crow. It’s as if historians are too ashamed of this chapter or not interested in it. Wilkinson has remedied that by writing a 550-page masterpiece about the subject.
Six. Jim Crow’s tentacles reached into the smallest areas of black lives to create daily humiliations. Here are some:
Black children had to learn in separate schoolhouses, always rundown with no resources.
Black people had to sit in filthy waiting rooms at doctors’ offices while whites enjoyed clean waiting rooms.
When black people walked opposite direction a white person on the sidewalk, the black people had to step off the sidewalk and walk on the curb.
Black people had to give all the good parking spaces to white people. Whites parked close to stores. Blacks parked far away.
No matter how slowly a white driver was going in a car, a black driver was never allowed to pass the white person’s car.
When a white person was at fault for a car accident involving a black driver, the fault always was assigned to the black driver. “You’re black so it’s your fault.”
Blacks and whites couldn’t play chess or checkers together because such a game suggested they were equal.
Seven. Jim Crow violated the Constitution.
As Wilkinson writes: “The South began acting in outright defiance of the Fourteenth Amendment of 1868, which granted the right to due process and equal protection to anyone born in the United States and it ignored the Fifteenth Amendment of 1870, which guaranteed all men the right to vote” (38).
The North tried to grant rights to blacks in the south, but by the mid-1870s, Wilkinson observes, the North bailed on the south and stopped their oversight.
Eight. Hostility towards blacks in the South was so acute that white politicians who fomented racism against blacks enjoyed popularity, which they leveraged for self-gain.
When political leaders spoke of black people deserving violence, the white masses saw this as “open season” to commit any violence they wanted against blacks with impunity.
Nine. Lynchings of black people became an epidemic that was normalized and glorified by white southerners.
In one of the most painful chapters to read in Wilkinson’s book, we read that a black man who was merely accused of looking at a white woman would be lynched. Petty crimes were always worthy of a lynching.
These lynchings, which included beatings, hangings, and being burned alive, were watched by “festive crowds” who brought their children and let their toddlers sit on their shoulders to enjoy the spectacle.
I’m reading this, and I’m thinking I’d be part of the Great Migration myself. I would be urgent to leave the south.
How frequent were these lynchings?
Wilkinson writes: “Across the South, someone was hanged or burned alive every four days from 1889 to 1929, according to the 1933 book The Tragedy of Lynching.”
According to Dr. David Pilgrim, there were 4,730 lynchings that we know about but no doubt many more.
***
6 causes of the Sunken Place
Physical abuse and violence
Docile role or persona
Pseudo-religious definition as subhuman designed to to serve whites
Erasure of culture and history
Severed from family
Erasure of language
Three Phases of Racism as a Tool of Oppression:
Cynical Use of Religion: Pseudo-Religious Phase: a theory to justify slavery
Propaganda Phase: nonstop weaponized misinformation to reinforce segregation
Revisionist Phase, retell the history; say it wasn't so bad if it existed. Turn it into the Lost Cause.
***
Critical Analysis of “Monuments to the Unthinkable” by Clint Smith
**Acclimation to Evil**
In the opening paragraphs of Clint Smith’s essay “Monuments to the Unthinkable,” he presents the disturbing contrast between unimaginable cruelty and the everyday lives of German families during the Holocaust. He describes how, even as atrocities were being committed nearby, ordinary people continued their daily routines, seemingly oblivious to the horror around them. This stark juxtaposition serves to illustrate a profound human tendency: our capacity for denial and our alarming ability to become acclimated to evil, even in the most extraordinary circumstances.
Smith argues that to resist this acclimation to evil, we must engage in acts that force us to bear witness and remember these dark chapters of history. By doing so, we strengthen our moral resolve and work toward moral reform, ensuring that we do not become numb to the injustices around us.
**Questions of Public Memory**
Smith emphasizes his deep interest in “public memory,” particularly in how societies remember—or forget—their crimes, such as slavery and the Confederacy in the United States. He notes that public memory is often manipulated by misinformation and propaganda, leading to the veneration of Confederate figures as heroes, their images immortalized in statues, school names, and mascots.
In recent years, Smith observes, there has been a concerted effort by some American politicians to suppress the voices of African Americans who seek to preserve the true memory of these injustices. These politicians dismiss these voices as mere manifestations of "Woke ideology," "Critical Race Theory (CRT)," or the DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) agenda. In reality, these dismissals are thinly veiled attempts to "protect white children from white guilt" and to create a sanitized, mythical version of America—a Disneyland of innocence that erases the brutal realities of its past.
**Suppressing History and Weaponizing Misinformation**
Frederick Douglass, in his seminal memoir, sought to combat the whitewashing of history by telling the unvarnished truth about slavery. His work was a direct response to the emerging narrative of the Lost Cause, which falsely portrayed slavery as a benevolent institution beneficial to both blacks and whites. Douglass’s powerful narrative remains a crucial indictment of the tools used for racial oppression and a testament to the necessity of preserving historical truth.
Under the constant threat of violence and suffering from hunger, Douglass traded his food to learn how to read and write, eventually using his hard-won literacy to bear witness to the horrors of slavery. His work preserves the truth that no amount of revisionism can erase.
**Evil and Belief**
When confronted with acts of evil on the scale of American slavery or the German Holocaust, our initial reaction is often denial: "I can't believe anyone could do such a thing." This denial becomes a powerful tool for cynical historical revisionists who argue that "things weren't so bad" and that people are "exaggerating the evil performed."
There is a natural human tendency to cling to the idea that the world is fundamentally good, a place of mythical innocence. To face evil head-on is often seen as pessimistic or even morally questionable. However, Smith argues that memorials and acts of remembrance are acts of courage that confront us with the truth, forcing us to recognize the darkness in our history and inspiring us to work toward moral reform.
**Connecting the Holocaust to American Slavery**
Smith draws a powerful parallel between the Holocaust and American slavery, arguing that the memory of these atrocities must be kept alive to prevent their recurrence. He emphasizes that racism is not confined to a specific time, place, or people; it is a global and enduring pandemic. To reinforce this point, Smith quotes the renowned black scholar W.E.B. Du Bois near the conclusion of his essay:
In 1949, Du Bois visited Warsaw, where he witnessed the devastation left by the Nazis. "I have seen something of human upheaval in this world," he said. "The scream and shots of a race riot in Atlanta; the marching of the Ku Klux Klan; the threat of courts and police; the neglect and destruction of human habitation; but nothing in my wildest imagination was equal to what I saw in Warsaw."
This experience, Du Bois said, "helped me to emerge from a certain social provincialism into a broader conception of what the fight against race segregation, religious discrimination, and the oppression by wealth had to become if civilization was going to triumph and broaden in the world."
Du Bois’s reflections underscore the interconnectedness of racial oppression and state violence across different contexts and times. Smith, after his time in Germany, also gained clarity on how these dark periods in history are remembered—or forgotten—and the implications of that memory for present and future generations.
Smith reminds us that many of Germany’s most powerful memorials did not begin as state-sanctioned projects but emerged from ordinary people who pushed their country to confront its past honestly. Similarly, Americans must not wait for the government to find its conscience. Ordinary people are, and must be, the conscience of the nation.
In closing, Smith calls on us to remember that public memory is not merely about the past; it is about shaping the future. By confronting the truth of our history, we build the moral strength necessary to ensure that such atrocities never happen again. The responsibility lies with each of us to bear witness, remember, and act.
1A Essay 2: Frederick Douglass Champions African-American History
The Purpose of Essay 2:
You will examine Frederick Douglass as the Northstar of African-American history to address the claim that teaching African-American history is a form of anti-American, “woke” indoctrination by examining Frederick Douglass’ rigor in presenting the truth of American history. By studying Frederick Douglass’ life, you can interrogate common assumptions about freedom, democracy, and social justice. You can study Frederick Douglass’ witness to slavery as an antidote to the American revisionist myth of the Lost Cause, which perversely celebrates slavery as a blessing by God ruined by “Northern aggression against state rights.” You can also study Frederick Douglass’ life as an exemplar of discipline, literacy-fueled transformation, continual self-improvement, and commitment to helping others overcome what Jordan Peele calls the Sunken Place. In sum, the life of Frederick Douglass is a repudiation of false claims and Strawman arguments that depict African-American history in a derogatory manner to silence African American voices.
For Essay 2, choose one from the following:
Choice A: Frederick Douglass Lifted Others Out of the Sunken Place
In recent years, there have been critics of teaching slavery, Jim Crow, and racial injustice in the classroom. These critics claim that such teachings have degenerated into biased and extremist political ideology that is intended to indoctrinate students into an anti-American mindset with America painted as the unredeemable devil; that this anti-American mindset encourages helplessness and victimization, and that this mindset has corrupted educational institutions so that rather than teach critical thinking, they foster “Woke” political indoctrination. However, some will counter-argue that such renditions of African-American history are a perversion of real African-American history, which through ignorance or malice twist the essence of African-American history to attack it and silence African-American voices. These defenders of African-American history will posit that while it's true there are political dimensions to the study of African-American history, there are also spiritual and psychological dimensions. To truly understand African-American history, we are well advised to look to Frederick Douglass whose writings were designed to uplift the oppressed from what Jordan Peele calls The Sunken Place. Based on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,American Slave (available as a PDF online) and Clint Smith’s essay “Monuments to the Unthinkable,” write a 1,200-word essay that addresses the claim that teaching about the life of Frederick Douglass and learning about Germany’s post-World War II moral reform is a way of learning about racial injustice that avoids the aforementioned pitfalls because Douglass’ life and Germany’s moral reform embody the importance of helping others rise above the Sunken Place, bearing witness to the truth, embracing individual self-agency to resist societal injustice, fighting to redeem a society’s past racial sins, and championing the wisdom of the Ancients for our continual self-improvement. Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources. For this assignment, I recommend two excellent books for further reading: Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight and The Pursuit of Happiness by Jeffrey Rosen. I also recommend the 2022 documentary Becoming Frederick Douglass.
Resources you must use for Choice A:
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,American SlavePDF.
Paragraph 1: Summarize the arguments of those who oppose teaching slavery, Jim Crow, and racial injustice in the classroom because they claim these teachings are forms of political indoctrination based on woke ideology, CRT, and DEI resulting in an anti-American screed that encourages victimization and learned helplessness.
Paragraph 2: Your thesis--address the claim that the real purpose of teaching racial injustice is to bypass politics and encourage Frederick Douglass' moral calling for all: To identify the Sunken Place, a state of despair based on dehumanization, so that we can lift each other to strengthen democracy for all people and to never repeat the sins of the past.
Paragraphs 3-6: Your supporting paragraphs.
Paragraph 7: Your counterargument-rebuttal.
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion, a powerful restatement of your thesis.
Works Cited page with a minimum of 4 sources
Choice B: Frederick Douglass and the movie Black Panther Point to a Way Out of the Sunken Place
In recent years, there have been critics of teaching slavery, Jim Crow and racial injustice in the classroom. These critics claim that such teachings have degenerated into biased and extremist political ideology that is intended to indoctrinate students into an anti-American mindset with America painted as the unredeemable devil; that this anti-American mindset encourages helplessness and victimization, and that this mindset has corrupted educational institutions so that rather than teach critical thinking, they foster “Woke” political indoctrination. However, some will counter-argue that such renditions of African-American history are a perversion of real African-American history, which through ignorance or malice twist the essence of African-American history in order to attack it and silence African-American voices. These defenders of African-American history will posit that while it's true there are political dimensions to the study of African-American history, there are also spiritual and psychological dimensions. To truly understand African-American history, we can compare the themes in the 2018 Ryan Coogler movie Black Panther and Frederick Douglass whose writings were designed to uplift the oppressed from what Jordan Peele calls The Sunken Place. In this context, write an essay that compares the way we can learn the essence of African-American history in the movie Black Panther and the writings of Frederick Douglass. This comparison should address the importance of helping others rise above the Sunken Place, bearing witness to the truth, embracing individual self-agency to resist societal injustice, fighting to redeem America, and championing the wisdom of the Ancients for our continual self-improvement so that we can find our “Inner Wakanda.” Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources. For this essay, I recommend the following YouTube videos: “Black Panther: Symbolism Explained” and “Black Panther--Creating an Empathetic Villain.”
Resources you must use for Choice B:
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,American SlavePDF.
The 2018 movie The Black Panther (which you will have to watch on your own with a possible fee; $4 rental on Amazon Prime)
Paragraph 1: Summarize the arguments of those who oppose teaching slavery, Jim Crow, and racial injustice in the classroom because they claim these teachings are forms of political indoctrination based on woke ideology, CRT, and DEI resulting in an anti-American screed that encourages victimization and learned helplessness.
Paragraph 2: Your thesis--address the claim that the real purpose of teaching racial injustice is to bypass politics and encourage the movie Black Panther's moral calling for all: To identify the Sunken Place, a state of despair based on dehumanization, so that we can lift each other to strengthen a Utopian Wakanda for all people and to repel the evils from "Outer Wakanda."
Paragraphs 3-6: Your supporting paragraphs.
Paragraph 7: Your counterargument-rebuttal.
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion, a powerful restatement of your thesis.
Works Cited page with a minimum of 4 sources
Choice C. Glory Vs. The Lost Cause
The Lost Cause is a perversion of African-American history, a fabrication that claims that God blessed slavery and that in the system of slavery, whites and blacks lived in peaceful harmony, but the evil North ruined this harmony through “Northern aggression” and the “violation of state rights.” Write an essay that addresses the claim that the Life of Frederick Douglass and the 1989 movie Glory provides an effective counter-narrative to the heinous mythologies behind The Lost Cause. Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
Resources you must use for Choice C:
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,American SlavePDF.
The 1990 movie Glory (which you will have to watch on your own with a possible fee; $4 rental on Amazon Prime)
Paragraph 1: Summarize the arguments of those who oppose teaching slavery, Jim Crow, and racial injustice in the classroom because they claim these teachings are forms of political indoctrination based on woke ideology, CRT, and DEI resulting in an anti-American screed that encourages victimization and learned helplessness.
Paragraph 2: Your thesis--address the claim that the real purpose of teaching racial injustice is to bypass politics and encourage Frederick Douglass' moral calling for all: To identify the Sunken Place, a state of despair based on dehumanization, so that we can lift each other to strengthen democracy for all people, reject historical revisionism such as The Lost Cause, and to never repeat the sins of the past.
Paragraphs 3-6: Your supporting paragraphs.
Paragraph 7: Your counterargument-rebuttal.
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion, a powerful restatement of your thesis.
Works Cited page with a minimum of 4 sources
Choice D. Misinformation Is the Enemy of the People
Write an essay that addresses the claim that the misinformation that fuels The Lost Cause as interrogated by the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Clint Smith’s essay “Why Confederate Lies Live On” and the the lies of Alex Jones evident in the HBO Max documentary The Truth Vs. Alex Jones makes a persuasive case that misinformation is the enemy of moral decency and a liberal democracy. Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
Resources you must use for Choice D:
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,American SlavePDF.
The HBO Max documentary The Truth Vs. Alex Jones (which requires a subscription fee unless I have time to show it to the class)
Paragraph 1: Summarize the arguments of those who oppose teaching slavery, Jim Crow, and racial injustice in the classroom because they claim these teachings are forms of political indoctrination based on woke ideology, CRT, and DEI resulting in an anti-American screed that encourages victimization and learned helplessness.
Paragraph 2: Your thesis--address the claim that the real purpose of teaching racial injustice is to bypass politics and encourage Frederick Douglass' moral calling for all: To identify the Sunken Place, a state of despair based on dehumanization, so that we can lift each other to strengthen democracy for all people, resist weaponized misinformation and historical revisionism, and to never repeat the sins of the past.
Paragraphs 3-6: Your supporting paragraphs.
Paragraph 7: Your counterargument-rebuttal.
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion, a powerful restatement of your thesis.
Works Cited page with a minimum of 4 sources
Choice E. Condescension and Stereotyping
Comparing Jordan Peele’s movie Get Out with Cord Jefferson’s movie American Fiction, write a 1,200-word essay that analyzes the way both films are a critique of white liberal condescension toward African Americans and how this condescension can be a subtle cause of the Sunken Place. Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
Resources you must use for Choice E:
The movie 2017 movie Get Out, which requires an Amazon Prime subscription
The movie 2023 movie American Fiction, which requires an Amazon Prime subscription
Paragraph 1: Write an extended definition of white liberal condescension and provide at least one salient example.
Paragraph 2: Your thesis: Explain how both movies present parallel illustrations of white liberal condescension and how this condescension is dehumanizing.
Paragraphs 3-7: Analyze 5 similar examples of condescension and subtle denigration in the two movies.
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion, a dramatic restatement of your thesis.
***
Getting Ideas for Essay Option E from ChatGPT:
Both *Get Out* and *American Fiction* brilliantly expose white liberal condescension toward African Americans, each in its own unique way. Here are seven parallel themes that emerge from the films:
1. **Tokenization of Black Identity**: In *Get Out*, the Armitage family fawns over Chris as though his blackness is a fascinating artifact, with their obsession over his physical traits and cultural background. Similarly, in *American Fiction*, the publishing industry fetishizes Monk’s racial identity, urging him to write stereotypical stories that fit their expectations of Black culture, reducing him to a caricature of "Blackness."
2. **Superficial Support for Black Struggles**: *Get Out* shows the Armitages' fake allyship, as Dean Armitage insists he "would have voted for Obama a third time," using it to assert his "wokeness" without truly engaging in any meaningful way with the real struggles African Americans face. In *American Fiction*, liberal elites gush over surface-level, sensationalized depictions of Black suffering, while ignoring deeper, authentic narratives that would challenge their comfort zones.
3. **Performative Progressivism**: Both films show white liberals who outwardly embrace progressive values but ultimately perpetuate harmful racial dynamics. In *Get Out*, the Armitages host a party where guests, though polite, casually commodify Black people’s bodies and experiences for their benefit. *American Fiction* mirrors this as the publishing world demands Monk write the “right kind” of Black stories, ones that will make white readers feel good about themselves rather than challenge their preconceptions.
4. **Cultural Appropriation**: In *Get Out*, white characters like Jim Hudson covet Black bodies and talents, symbolizing a deeper desire to appropriate Black culture while stripping it of its humanity. *American Fiction* highlights a similar theme as white publishers commodify Black trauma for profit, pushing Monk toward a hyperbolic, exaggerated narrative they deem acceptable for their liberal audiences.
5. **Invisibility of Authentic Black Voices**: In *Get Out*, Chris's discomfort is repeatedly ignored or downplayed by white characters who are too busy projecting their own fantasies onto him. Likewise, in *American Fiction*, Monk’s authentic writing is dismissed as not “Black enough,” demonstrating how white liberal institutions silence or distort genuine Black perspectives to fit their own narratives.
6. **Exploitation of Black Pain**: Both films illustrate how Black pain becomes a spectacle for white liberal consumption. In *Get Out*, the Armitages and their friends exploit Chris’s existence for personal gain, literally hijacking his body for their desires. *American Fiction* critiques the literary world’s obsession with Black trauma, rewarding stories that focus on Black suffering, as long as it fits a palatable formula that keeps white readers entertained and reassured.
7. **Patronizing Control over Black Narratives**: In *Get Out*, the Armitages exert control over Black bodies under the guise of benevolent paternalism, deciding who deserves to be “saved” or uplifted. *American Fiction* reflects this dynamic in the publishing industry, where white editors and publishers dictate what kinds of Black stories get told, maintaining control over the narrative and relegating Black authors to fulfilling stereotypes rather than telling complex, nuanced stories.
Both films starkly reveal how white liberalism, despite its outward proclamations of support, often perpetuates a deeper, more insidious form of condescension and control over African Americans.
Why Do We Study African-American History?
We’re in a state of spiritual warfare. American slavery began with a false reconstruction of the Bible to justify making black people slaves.
The war is spiritual; it’s not theoretical or intellectual theories and intelligence have a lot to do with this war.
I don’t teach theories; I teach narratives because narratives are what move us. When I was a kid, Alex Haley's book-turned-into TV series Roots made us talk about African-American history during school recess. As a kid, reading biographies of African-American baseball players who lived in Jim Crow possessed my mind with American history.
Narratives are what move us.
The spiritual war today is about a clash of narratives and what these narratives say about people of color. There are racist trolls who live on various social media platforms. They say that people of color are the blame of all of society's ills--crime, immigration, unemployment, low wages, crumbling education, etc. On the other hand, there are the voices of real history that show people of color in a different light: For examples, we can look to Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks, and Hercules Posey who represent individual excellence, toughness in the face of brutal obstacles, dignity, and the struggle for justice. This clash of narratives defines the spiritual warfare we live in.
You won't find trolls having podcasts or posting on social media about Hercules Posey because he is the antithesis of the trolls' racist propaganda.
When it comes to African-American history, there is a clash of narratives, which has intensified since the advent of social media.
There are authentic AA voices that give their history (Jordan Peele, Isabel Wilkerson, David Pilgrim, Donald Glover, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Frederick Douglass) and there are troll voices that spread the misinformation of The Lost Cause ("slavery wasn't so bad"), Replacement Theory (white dominance is withering and must be met with grievance and rage), and Scapegoating (blame people of color for economy, jobs, inflation, immigration, education, and crime).
We can say the Lost Cause, Replacement Theory, and Racial Scapegoating narratives exist deep on the social media grids. These narratives are sucking people into their rabbit holes at rapid speed and we are losing people to these false narratives.
Trolls using the Internet perpetuate these false narratives.
The false narratives, racist memes, and tropes of today are nothing new to African-Americans. Many of my students have grandparents and great-grandparents who lived in the Jim Crow South. Their lives were immersed in these false narratives day and night. Many of my students’ families packed their bags, left the South, and moved to Los Angeles and other places in what has been called The Great Migration.
Like a recurring cancer, these Jim Crow narratives have returned because of trolls working in various social media platforms.
There are troll voices that give false race narratives, which appeal to people with racist appetites. These trolls include SB, TC, AJ, QAnon, 4Chan, and the Proud Boys.
The trolls have normalized racism and false narratives about race. Successful politicians are friendly with these trolls and they are not canceled. Just the opposite is happening. They’re doing well. These politicians have a base hungry for racist narratives and racist dog whistles.
The spiritual warfare tends to be college educated on the side of authentic AA voices and the non-college educated on the troll voices.
The spiritual warfare has gotten worse since social media scaled around 2009.
Since 2009, as the business model for YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms makes money by sucking people into the rabbit holes of extremism, people’s brains have been hijacked by extremism and conspiracy doctrines while those same people have rejected legacy media and major institutions such as the CDC. These same people refer to the United States government as "the deep state."
People with an appetite for troll narratives and conspiracy theories probably won't like Frederick Douglass' Narrative, Donald Glover's YouTube video "This Is America," or Jordan Peele's movie Get Out, which they will accuse of being an expressions of "Critical Race Theory."
America is polarized with college-educated living in their information silos and the non-college educated living in their silos. The latter tend to gravitate toward SB, TC, AJ, QAnon, 4Chan, the Proud Boys, etc. Many of these trolls' followers have been arrested for their role in the January 6 Insurrection at the Capitol.
There are politicians, including state governors, who have outlawed the teaching of African-American history because they claim that such a history is part of a false doctrine called “Critical Race Theory” even when these very politicians push the same troll-driven narratives of The Lost Cause, Replacement Theory, and Racial Scapegoating. The Lost Cause rewrites slavery as "good thing"; Replacement Theory says that white people will no longer be the dominant race; Racial Scapegoating blames people of color for everything--the economy, inflation, education, jobs, immigration, crime, etc.
By studying African-American history in the context of authentic African-American voices on one hand and racist trolls on the other, we are taking part in today's spiritual warfare.
***
Why do we study Jim Crow?
To resist the rewriting of history, which is designed to oppress the very people who suffered under Jim Crow.
Because rewriting history is morally abhorrent and always has malevolent designs.
Because people are still rewriting history with malevolent intent today.
Because the racist ideas that fuel Jim Crow are alive today in an international cult of white nationalists who are dedicated to using social media to spread weaponized misinformation.
Because denying representation and silencing voices is morally bankrupt and denies us the truth about ourselves and about people who have been historically oppressed.
Because Jim Crow gave inspiration and instruction to racists throughout the world, for example, Hitler learned segregation techniques from America’s Confederacy creator Jefferson Davis.
Because a moral inventory is essential for society’s moral reform, a process that the Germans have successfully done in the aftermath of World War II.
Historical revisionism kills democracy and inverts morality. For example, the revisionist history of The Lost Cause results in over 200 public schools being named after America's worst racist Jefferson Davis, and millions of Americans praise the criminals involved with the January 6 Insurrection as "American Patriots."
Because Jim Crow is built on troll culture and we need to build a society on critical thinking culture.
What Is Jim Crow 1.0?
Jim Crow was born of white southern resentment to losing the Civil War, losing slavery, and being told by the northerners that their way of life was evil.
Full of resentment, white southerners scapegoated black people by crushing them with a series of cruel and often ridiculous laws that were enforced by violence. These oppressive laws in the words of Isabel Wilkerson constituted a “feudal caste system” with the privileged and servant classes.
Jim Crow was a sneaky way white southerners brought back slavery “off the books” by making black people subject to violence and exploitation with no protection from the law. In other words, slavery was illegal but Jim Crow brought it back under another name.
In other words, the Civil War did not end slavery; it merely shifted slavery into another form called Jim Crow. This shift is chronicled in Douglas A. Blackman’s book Slavery By Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II.
Perhaps the best book ever written about Jim Crow from the point of view of African Americans is Isabel Wilkerson’s award-winning The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration in which six million African Americans fled the south to escape Jim Crow.
Wilkerson interviewed over 1,000 black Americans who lived in the terror of Jim Crow and fled for their lives to the Northern and Western states between 1915 and 1970.
Over six decades, six million African Americans fled the Jim Crow south not knowing what was in store for them. By the end of the Great Migration, almost half of all the black Americans in the south were gone. They had no job, no place to live, no assurance of the means to survive, but they went anyway.
That should tell us just how bad Jim Crow was. “I don’t know what’s in store for me, but I’m getting the hell out.” Jim Crow was a 24/7 Torture Chamber.
All they knew was one thing: Whatever they faced, it couldn’t be worse than living in the Jim Crow states.
Characteristics of Jim Crow
One. Jim Crow didn’t allow black people to flourish.
In 1953, a black doctor Robert Joseph Pershing Foster got out of Monroe, Louisiana, and headed for California. Why? Because even though he was qualified in the highest medical procedures, the whites wouldn’t let him practice surgery.
In the Jim Crow south, whites didn’t like to grant any rights to blacks that suggested that blacks were equal to them. Allowing a black man to practice surgery was just too much for the whites to bear. The mere suggestion that blacks were talented and intelligent was a scandal to white southerners and a threat to their carefully curated racist paradigm, so Dr. Foster got in his car and headed for California.
Two. Jim Crow was a living hell.
Jim Crow was so hellish that it created The Great Migration, the greatest migration ever recorded in America, a migration that far exceeded the California Gold Rush of the 1850s, and yet the Great Migration, Isabel Wilkonson points out, is underreported. Not much is known about a migration that completely changed America, sending black people to urban cities in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and other major cities.
Three. Jim Crow was a danger to black lives.
Isabel Wilkinson makes an astute observation: A lot of black people that we know about would not have existed except that their parents got out of the deadly Jim Crow south. She points out that James Baldwin, Michelle Obama, Miles Davis, Toni Morrison, Spike Lee, and Denzel Washington were “all products of the Great Migration” and might not exist but for the fact that their parents fled for their lives.
Four. Jim Crow celebrated the myth of The Lost Cause.
The Lost Cause is a re-imagining of slavery as “a good thing” in which slave owners and slaves were happy in a bucolic paradise where whites and blacks “knew their place” and were blessed by God. Such heinous chicanery was embraced by the United Daughters of the Confederacy who published propaganda books to brainwash children in the Jim Crow public schools.
The myth of the Lost Cause is so strong that to this day the great military heroes of the North who brought an end to slavery--Ulysses Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, George Henry Thoms, David Farragut are to this day hated and reviled in the south.
Five. Jim Crow is a stain on American History that America has tried to sweep under the carpet.
Wilkinson understood that you couldn’t really understand the hell of Jim Crow unless you saw how black people reacted to it: Fleeing for their lives in a mass migration. She was astonished that before her book virtually nothing was written about the mass escape from Jim Crow. It’s as if historians are too ashamed of this chapter or not interested in it. Wilkinson has remedied that by writing a 550-page masterpiece about the subject.
Six. Jim Crow’s tentacles reached into the smallest areas of black lives to create daily humiliations. Here are some:
Black children had to learn in separate schoolhouses, always rundown with no resources.
Black people had to sit in filthy waiting rooms at doctors’ offices while whites enjoyed clean waiting rooms.
When black people walked opposite direction a white person on the sidewalk, the black people had to step off the sidewalk and walk on the curb.
Black people had to give all the good parking spaces to white people. Whites parked close to stores. Blacks parked far away.
No matter how slowly a white driver was going in a car, a black driver was never allowed to pass the white person’s car.
When a white person was at fault for a car accident involving a black driver, the fault always was assigned to the black driver. “You’re black so it’s your fault.”
Blacks and whites couldn’t play chess or checkers together because such a game suggested they were equal.
Seven. Jim Crow violated the Constitution.
As Wilkinson writes: “The South began acting in outright defiance of the Fourteenth Amendment of 1868, which granted the right to due process and equal protection to anyone born in the United States and it ignored the Fifteenth Amendment of 1870, which guaranteed all men the right to vote” (38).
The North tried to grant rights to blacks in the south, but by the mid-1870s, Wilkinson observes, the North bailed on the south and stopped their oversight.
Eight. Hostility towards blacks in the South was so acute that white politicians who fomented racism against blacks enjoyed popularity, which they leveraged for self-gain.
When political leaders spoke of black people deserving violence, the white masses saw this as “open season” to commit any violence they wanted against blacks with impunity.
Nine. Lynchings of black people became an epidemic that was normalized and glorified by white southerners.
In one of the most painful chapters to read in Wilkinson’s book, we read that a black man who was merely accused of looking at a white woman would be lynched. Petty crimes were always worthy of a lynching.
These lynchings, which included beatings, hangings, and being burned alive, were watched by “festive crowds” who brought their children and let their toddlers sit on their shoulders to enjoy the spectacle.
I’m reading this, and I’m thinking I’d be part of the Great Migration myself. I would be urgent to leave the south.
How frequent were these lynchings?
Wilkinson writes: “Across the South, someone was hanged or burned alive every four days from 1889 to 1929, according to the 1933 book The Tragedy of Lynching.”
According to Dr. David Pilgrim, there were 4,730 lynchings that we know about but no doubt many more.
***
6 causes of the Sunken Place
Physical abuse and violence
Docile role or persona
Pseudo religious definition as subhuman designed to to serve whites
Erasure of culture and history
Severed from family
Erasure of language
Three Phases of Racism as a Tool of Oppression:
Cynical Use of Religion: Pseudo-Religious Phase: a theory to justify slavery
Propaganda Phase: nonstop weaponized misinformation to reinforce segregation
Revisionist Phase, retell the history; say it wasn't so bad if it existed. Turn it into the Lost Cause.
1A Essay 1: Is Following Your Passion Bad Career Advice?
The Purpose of Essay 1:
The purpose of your first essay is to explore the potential dangers and weaknesses of following your passion at the exclusion of other factors to achieve success. In what ways is following your passion dangerous? In what ways is the notion of passion a meaningless cliche? Why do such meaningless cliches become influential? What kind of audience hunger
for these empty platitudes? How is Cal Newport’s idea of the craftsman mindset offered as an antidote to the dangers of following your passion? What moral considerations should be factored into cultivating a craftsman mindset?
To explore these questions, you can choose from one of the following 2 prompts:
In a 1,200-word essay that adheres to current MLA format and provides a minimum of 4 sources for your Works Cited page, write an argumentative essay that defends, refutes, or complicates Cal Newport’s claim from his YouTube video "Core Idea: Don't Follow Your Passion," his online article “The Passion Trap” and "The Career Craftsman Manifesto" and Ali Adbaal's YouTube video "Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice. Here's Why" that the career advice to follow your passion is dangerous and should be replaced by the craftsman mindset. Be sure to have a counterargument-rebuttal paragraph before your conclusion. Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
Building Block Assignment #1 for Follow Your Passion:
1A Essay 1 Building Block 1
In a 200-word paragraph, write about the conflict you have between passion and practicality in the context of your college major. Use at least two signal phrases to address content from the recommended online articles for Option A.
These articles come from Essay 1:
In a 1,200-word essay that adheres to current MLA format and provides a minimum of 4 sources for your Works Cited page, write an argumentative essay that defends, refutes, or complicates Cal Newport’s claim from his YouTube video "Core Idea: Don't Follow Your Passion," his online article “The Passion Trap” and "The Career Craftsman Manifesto" and Ali Adbaal's YouTube video "Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice. Here's Why" that the career advice to follow your passion is dangerous and should be replaced by the craftsman mindset. Be sure to have a counterargument-rebuttal paragraph before your conclusion. Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
Paragraph 1: In a 200-word paragraph, write about the conflict you have between passion and practicality in the context of your college major. Use at least two signal phrases to address content from the recommended online articles for Option A.
Paragraph 2: Write your thesis or claim and give 4 reasons in your thesis to show your explanations.
Paragraphs 3-6: Your supporting paragraphs.
Paragraph 7: Your counterargument-rebuttal paragraph.
Paragraph 8: Your conclusion: a dramatic, powerful restatement of your thesis.
These articles come from Essay 1:
Be sure to have a Works Cited page in MLA format with 4 sources.
Basing your career and college major on passion is imbecilic, nonsensical, and so asinine as to defy belief.
My body paragraphs would be comprised of the following:
For one, the idea of passion is uniquely American--based on Hollywood, advertising, and uniquely American narcissism, which presents the fantasy of having a job that feels like Christmas every day.
For two, the search for passion in a career is a non sequitur: in other words, it's irrelevant. The idea of looking for dopamine-saturated euphoric passions in a career is a toddler's dream and has no bearing on reality.
For three, real-life scenarios reveal that we don't even care about passion. It's all lip service. Offer me a choice of 45K a year as a passionate workout YouTuber or 200K a year as a moderately interested solar salesperson, and I'll take the latter job every day, all day.
For four, a job doesn't steal passion. A job is something you get great at and take pride in as a professional. Passion is irrelevant.
For five, developing outstanding job skills give you the freedom to have a job and pursue a hobby that you're passionate about. That's a more realistic way to look at entering adulthood.
Rewritten with some verve and wit:
Basing your career or college major on passion is about as brilliant as trying to pay rent with Monopoly money. It's the kind of advice that sounds like it came straight out of a Disney movie or a self-help seminar, not from anyone who's actually held a job for more than five minutes.
First off, the entire concept of passion as a career guide is uniquely American—something conjured up by Hollywood, slick marketing campaigns, and a whole lot of self-obsession. It's the fantasy that your job should feel like Christmas morning every single day, complete with a soundtrack of inspirational quotes and slow-motion victory laps. Newsflash: the real world doesn't come with theme music, and nobody is clapping for you at your desk.
Secondly, searching for passion in your career is a non sequitur—it’s irrelevant, off-topic, and, frankly, childish. Expecting a job to fulfill your dopamine cravings is the kind of thinking reserved for toddlers on a sugar rush. You want excitement? Ride a rollercoaster. Your career, on the other hand, is supposed to pay the bills, not light up the pleasure centers of your brain like the 4th of July.
Third, let's face it: we don’t actually care about passion. It’s a buzzword, a nice little soundbite for cocktail parties and social media profiles. But if I offered you the choice between making $45K a year as an enthusiastic, heart-on-your-sleeve fitness influencer or $200K selling solar panels with the enthusiasm of someone folding laundry, you're going to grab the money and run. Passion, schmassion—show me the cash.
Fourth, a job doesn’t steal your passion. That's not its job. It’s something you get good at, something you take pride in because you're a professional, not because it gives you warm fuzzies. The idea that a job is supposed to be your soul's true calling is nothing but a Hallmark fantasy.
Finally, here's the real kicker: mastering your job skills is what gives you the freedom to pursue passions on the side, where they belong. Get good at your career, make a decent living, and then enjoy your hobbies without needing them to pay for your mortgage. That's how adulthood works—it's not about chasing dreams, it's about building something that actually sustains you.
Finding Your Authentic Voice: The Brawler vs. The Peacemaker in Argumentative Writing
When we write, we strive to connect with our readers on an emotional level, and this connection is often achieved through our tone or rhetorical style. Just as musicians choose a genre that best expresses their identity—whether it’s jazz, rock, or hip hop—writers develop their unique style to convey their message effectively. But what if you’re still discovering your voice as a writer? How do you choose the style that best suits you?
If you’re unsure of your writing style, a good starting point is to consider two basic archetypes: The Brawler and The Peacemaker.
#### The Brawler: Bold, Bombastic, and Entertaining
The Brawler is a writer who doesn’t shy away from drama. They are bold, assertive, and often confrontational. The advantage of being a Brawler is that you’re more likely to grab the reader’s attention with your powerful, no-holds-barred approach. Famous Brawlers in writing include H.L. Mencken, Christopher Hitchens, and Molly Ivins—writers known for their sharp wit and unrelenting critiques.
However, being a Brawler has its drawbacks. You risk coming across as arrogant, pompous, or even dismissive. The desire to dominate the argument can sometimes overshadow the need for nuance and fairness, making your writing more about self-aggrandizement than clarity or insight. Social media, particularly platforms like Twitter, are teeming with Brawlers whose relentless pursuit of attention often wears thin over time.
Despite these pitfalls, a disciplined Brawler can be highly effective, delivering compelling and entertaining arguments that resonate with readers.
The Peacemaker: Calm, Reasonable, and Persuasive
In contrast, the Peacemaker takes a more measured approach. This writer is calm, clear-eyed, and fair-minded. The Peacemaker’s strength lies in their ability to build credibility through reasoned arguments and thoughtful consideration of opposing views. Writers like Jill Lepore, Elizabeth Kolbert, and Hua Hsu exemplify this style—persuading not through confrontation, but through clarity and subtlety.
Yet, the Peacemaker also faces challenges. Their writing can sometimes come across as too cautious, even bland. The desire to avoid conflict can result in arguments that lack the emotional punch needed to keep readers engaged. When taken too far, the Peacemaker’s gentleness can dilute the message, making it seem insipid or overly conciliatory.
However, when done well, the Peacemaker’s style can be deeply persuasive, offering a balanced and nuanced perspective that resonates with readers seeking thoughtful, well-rounded arguments.
Choosing Your Style: The Brawler or the Peacemaker?
So, which style is better? The answer is neither. The key is authenticity. Your writing should reflect who you are. If you’re naturally bold and assertive, the Brawler style may come naturally to you. If you’re more introspective and reasoned, the Peacemaker’s approach might be a better fit. In a world full of superficiality and noise, finding your authentic voice is what will ultimately connect with your readers.
### Argumentation in Action: The Brawler vs. The Peacemaker in Counterarguments
Let’s see how these styles play out in practice, particularly in the context of a counterargument-rebuttal section, a critical component of any strong argumentative essay.
Sample #1: The Brawler’s Take-No-Prisoners Approach
If you’re a fighter at heart, you might frame your counterargument-rebuttal like a UFC match, where you aim to knock out your opponents:
*"Cheerleaders for the mantra to ‘follow your passion’ will be appalled by my support of Cal Newport’s argument that encouraging students to follow their passion is a disservice, leading them down a dead-end path of disappointment and failure. ‘How dare you steal the love and passion from those students?’ they will cry. ‘How dare you encourage them to become soulless mercenaries chasing the money trail? You’re nothing but a capitalist pig!’ But these critics have invested so much emotion into the Passion Myth that they’ve become as dangerous as the myth itself. They misconstrue Newport’s argument, wrongly claiming that he’s against passion when, in fact, Newport advocates for a passion rooted in hard work and preparation. The biggest tragedy is that basing a career on fleeting adolescent passions prevents people from finding authentic, meaningful passion—the kind cultivated over time through trial, error, and the mastery of one’s craft. Let’s dismiss these Passion Cheerleaders and embrace Newport’s craftsman mindset to find a passion that truly matters."*
Sample #2: The Peacemaker’s Kind, Well-Mannered Approach
If you’re more inclined toward diplomacy, your counterargument-rebuttal might look like this:
"It’s unfortunate that my opponents don’t share my support of Cal Newport’s argument that we should replace the Passion Hypothesis with the Craftsman Mindset. However, I believe I can alleviate their concerns by emphasizing that passion remains a key ingredient in the career search. What I’d like to clarify is the definition of passion—not as a fleeting emotion, but as something cultivated through trial and error, hard work, and focus over time. I hope we can come to a common understanding that Newport isn’t against passion, but rather advocates for replacing immature passion with a more mature, sustainable version."
Conclusion: Finding Your Voice in Argumentative Writing
Whether you’re a Brawler or a Peacemaker, the key to effective argumentative writing is to be authentic. Your style should reflect your personality, allowing you to connect with your readers in a way that feels true to who you are. By grounding your arguments in strong thesis statements, engaging with opposing views through well-crafted counterarguments, and choosing a rhetorical style that suits you, you’ll be well-equipped to write persuasive, compelling essays that resonate with your audience.
***
Understanding and Utilizing Signal Phrases in Academic Writing
What is a Signal Phrase?
A signal phrase is a tool that transitions your reader smoothly from your own writing to a credible source, ensuring a seamless integration of external information into your essay. These phrases are crucial for introducing quotes, paraphrases, or summaries, and they help maintain the flow of your argument while providing clear attribution to the original source.
Why Are Signal Phrases Important?
Signal phrases are vital for several reasons:
1. **Smooth Transitions**: They guide your reader from your voice to the voice of your source, making the transition natural and avoiding any abrupt "jolts" in the flow of your essay.
2. **Establishing Credibility**: By using signal phrases, you not only show that you’re incorporating reputable sources but also emphasize that your writing meets the rigorous standards of academic scholarship.
3. **Contextualizing Information**: Signal phrases help to clarify why you’re including the cited material, whether it’s to agree, disagree, or present a nuanced perspective. This clarity makes your argument stronger and more persuasive.
#### How Do Signal Phrases Strengthen Your Essay?
Signal phrases do more than just transition smoothly—they also:
- **Establish Authority**: By introducing a source with a signal phrase, you can highlight the credentials of the author, enhancing the credibility of your argument. - **Provide Context**: Signal phrases allow you to set up the citation by explaining its relevance to your argument, whether it's to support, refute, or expand on your points. - **Enhance Clarity**: They ensure that your readers understand when you are presenting your own ideas and when you are referencing someone else’s work.
#### Examples of Signal Phrases in Action
**To Show Disagreement:**
"Contrary to Yuval Noah Harari's assertion that foragers lived superior lives to farmers, culture critic Will Day Brosnan counters: 'Elsewhere, I wondered the extent to which Harari was projecting an idealistic (even Rousseauian) vision of a noble savage on pre-state peoples.'"
**To Show Agreement:**
"Echoing my assertion that Harari’s Noble Savage mythology is misguided, Will Day Brosnan writes: 'Harari’s depiction of a foraging lifestyle, unencumbered by the complexities and worries of civilization, could be seen as reactionary atavism.'"
**To Show Added Support:**
"Further strengthening the argument that not all calories are equal, Gary Taubes in *Good Calories, Bad Calories* presents compelling statistics showing…"
**To Bridge a Quotation with Your Own Claim:**
"We are mistaken if we believe our purpose on Earth is to pursue happiness. As John Mellencamp starkly observes: 'I don’t think we’re put on this earth to live happy lives. I think we’re put here to challenge ourselves physically, emotionally, intellectually.'"
**To Present a Cautionary Point:**
"Futurist Yuval Noah Harari cautions that in the coming century, we may evolve from Homo sapiens into a kind of robot sapien, raising ethical questions about our future."
#### Where to Place Your Signal Phrase
Varying the placement of your signal phrase can add sophistication to your writing:
- **Beginning**: "Yale Law professor Daniel Markovits argues in his essay 'How Life Became an Endless Terrible Competition' that privilege, not merit, is the dominant force in acquiring power." - **Middle**: "Racism, sexism, and worker exploitation were rampant during the Agricultural Revolution, claims futurist Yuval Noah Harari, who boldly states that 'the Agricultural Revolution was the greatest crime against humanity.'" - **End**: "Harari provocatively declares that 'the Agricultural Revolution is the greatest crime against humanity' (144)."
#### Following Up on Your Signal Phrase
After introducing a quotation or paraphrase, it's essential to explain its significance:
- "Harari is essentially arguing that the Agricultural Revolution marked a turning point that led to widespread human suffering." - "In other words, Markovits is making the case that the notion of a meritocracy is largely a myth perpetuated by those in power."
#### Key Takeaways for Using Signal Phrases Effectively
1. **Vary Your Language**: Avoid overusing phrases like "says" or "writes." Instead, use a variety of verbs to introduce your sources (e.g., asserts, argues, contends). 2. **Place Strategically**: Experiment with placing your signal phrases at different points in the sentence to keep your writing dynamic. 3. **Establish Credibility**: Include the credentials of your sources in the signal phrase to bolster the authority of your essay. 4. **Cite Correctly**: Ensure you are following MLA format for in-text citations, which you can find through resources like Purdue Owl. 5. **Analyze What You Cite**: Don’t just drop in a quotation—follow it up with your analysis to show how it supports your argument.
By mastering the use of signal phrases, you can elevate your writing, making it more engaging, authoritative, and persuasive in any academic context.
Here’s a list of 10 effective signal phrases, each followed by an example sentence that demonstrates its use:
1. **According to [Author/Source]** - *According to historian Yuval Noah Harari, the Agricultural Revolution was "the greatest crime against humanity."*
2. **[Author/Source] argues** - *Daniel Markovits argues that meritocracy is a myth, as wealth, not talent, often determines success.*
3. **As [Author/Source] explains** - *As sociologist Sherry Turkle explains, our reliance on technology has diminished our ability to engage in meaningful face-to-face conversations.*
4. **[Author/Source] observes** - *Psychologist Carol Dweck observes that a growth mindset, rather than fixed intelligence, leads to long-term success.*
5. **[Author/Source] asserts** - *Journalist Malcolm Gladwell asserts that mastery of a skill requires at least 10,000 hours of practice.*
6. **[Author/Source] contends** - *Economist Thomas Piketty contends that income inequality is the defining challenge of our time.*
7. **[Author/Source] suggests** - *Cultural critic Susan Sontag suggests that our obsession with photography has altered the way we experience reality.*
8. **In the words of [Author/Source]** - *In the words of Albert Einstein, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."*
9. **[Author/Source] emphasizes** - *Environmental scientist Rachel Carson emphasizes the urgent need to protect our planet from pollution.*
10. **[Author/Source] points out** - *Philosopher Peter Singer points out that our moral obligations extend beyond our immediate communities to include the global poor.*
These signal phrases are versatile tools that help integrate quotes, paraphrases, and summaries smoothly into your writing, establishing credibility and providing context.
Review of Signal Phrases:
### Understanding and Using Signal Phrases
Signal phrases are essential tools in academic writing. They help transition the reader smoothly from your own voice to the voice of an expert or source you’re citing. By using signal phrases effectively, you establish credibility, provide context, and maintain the flow of your argument. Here’s how you can master the use of signal phrases.
#### What is a Signal Phrase?
A signal phrase introduces a quotation, paraphrase, or summary from another source. It indicates to the reader that you’re about to reference someone else’s work, which helps create a smooth transition between your ideas and the evidence you’re presenting.
#### Why Use Signal Phrases?
Signal phrases are crucial because they: 1. **Establish Authority:** By mentioning the source’s credentials, you reinforce the reliability of the information. 2. **Provide Context:** Signal phrases often include details that help the reader understand why the cited material is relevant. 3. **Smooth Transitions:** They prevent the reader from feeling jarred when moving from your voice to the cited material.
### Examples of Signal Phrases
**1. As a counterpoint to X,** - *Example:* As a counterpoint to the optimistic view of social media’s benefits, John Smith argues that these platforms often exacerbate loneliness and anxiety.
**2. As a counterargument to my claim that X,** - *Example:* As a counterargument to my claim that technology always enhances productivity, Jane Doe suggests that constant connectivity can actually decrease focus and efficiency.
**3. Giving support to my rebuttal that Writer A makes an erroneous contention, Writer B observes that . . .** - *Example:* Giving support to my rebuttal that John Locke’s theory is flawed, Samuel Johnson observes that Locke’s assumptions about human nature are overly simplistic.
**4. Concurring with my assertion that X,** - *Example:* Concurring with my assertion that education reform is necessary, Dr. Sarah Lee points out that current policies are outdated and fail to address the needs of modern students.
**5. Further supporting my contention that X,** - *Example:* Further supporting my contention that climate change is accelerating, Professor James Green cites recent data showing a significant rise in global temperatures over the past decade.
**6. Writer X chronicles in her book. . . . As she observes:** - *Example:* Historian Mary Davis chronicles in her book *The Fall of Empires* the factors that led to Rome’s decline. As she observes: “The overexpansion and lack of fiscal discipline were key contributors to the empire’s collapse.”
**7. The acclaimed best-selling writer, history professor, and futurist Yuval Noah Harari excoriates the Agricultural Revolution as "the greatest crime against humanity."** - *Example:* The acclaimed best-selling writer, history professor, and futurist Yuval Noah Harari excoriates the Agricultural Revolution as "the greatest crime against humanity," arguing that it led to social hierarchies and widespread suffering.
**8. Lamenting that his students don't enjoy his music playlist in the writing lab, college English instructor Jeff McMahon observes in his blog *Obsession Matters*:** - *Example:* Lamenting that his students don't enjoy his music playlist in the writing lab, college English instructor Jeff McMahon observes in his blog *Obsession Matters*: "Two-thirds of my students in writing lab don't hear my chill playlist over classroom speakers because they are hermetically sealed in their private earbud universe content to be masters of their own musical domain."
**9. "The Agricultural Revolution is the greatest crime against humanity," claims celebrated author and futurist Yuval Noah Harari in his best-selling book *Sapiens* (144).** - *Example:* "The Agricultural Revolution is the greatest crime against humanity," claims celebrated author and futurist Yuval Noah Harari in his best-selling book *Sapiens* (144).
**10. Racism, sexism, worker exploitation, and pestilence afflicted the human race during the Agricultural Revolution, claims celebrated futurist Yuval Noah Harari, who goes on to make the bold claim that "the Agricultural Revolution was the greatest crime perpetrated against humanity."** - *Example:* Racism, sexism, worker exploitation, and pestilence afflicted the human race during the Agricultural Revolution, claims celebrated futurist Yuval Noah Harari, who goes on to make the bold claim that "the Agricultural Revolution was the greatest crime perpetrated against humanity."
### Purpose of Credentials in Signal Phrases
Including credentials in your signal phrases helps establish the authority of your sources. By referencing an author’s background or expertise, you give more weight to the information being presented. For instance:
- *Example:* The acclaimed best-selling writer, history professor, and futurist Yuval Noah Harari excoriates the Agricultural Revolution as "the greatest crime against humanity."
This phrasing not only introduces Harari’s statement but also highlights his credibility as an expert in history and futurism.
### Placement of Signal Phrases
Signal phrases can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Varying the placement helps avoid monotony and keeps your writing engaging.
- **Beginning:** “The Agricultural Revolution is the greatest crime against humanity,” claims celebrated author and futurist Yuval Noah Harari. - **Middle:** Racism, sexism, worker exploitation, and pestilence afflicted the human race during the Agricultural Revolution, claims celebrated futurist Yuval Noah Harari. - **End:** "The Agricultural Revolution is the greatest crime against humanity," claims celebrated author and futurist Yuval Noah Harari in his best-selling book *Sapiens* (144).
### Explaining the Cited Material
After presenting the quoted, summarized, or paraphrased material, it’s essential to explain its significance to your argument. Use transitions like:
- **Example:** “Writer X is essentially saying that...” - **Example:** “In other words, X is arguing that...” - **Example:** “By using these statistics, X is making the point that...”
### Conclusion
Mastering the use of signal phrases enhances your writing by establishing credibility, providing context, and ensuring smooth transitions between your ideas and your sources. By varying the placement and style of your signal phrases, you can create more dynamic and persuasive essays.
An excellent video on signal phrases and MLA in-text citations:
Crafting a Strong Thesis: The Importance of Referencing the Text and Author
When writing a thesis, it’s crucial to reference the author and text to establish authority and context. A thesis that lacks these references often falls flat, failing to convey the necessary depth and credibility. Let’s explore how you can strengthen your thesis by incorporating references to both the author and the text.
Example of a Weak Thesis
**Weak Thesis:** The mantra “follow your passion” is dangerous not because passion is bad but because the definition of passion is vague, simplistic, and suggests an easy path to success.
This statement lacks context and fails to engage with the broader conversation about passion and career choices. It doesn’t tell the reader who is making this argument or why it matters.
#### Improved Thesis with Author and Text Reference
**Improved Thesis:** The mantra “follow your passion,” Georgetown computer science professor Cal Newport argues in his blog article “The Passion Trap,” is dangerous not because passion is bad but because the definition of passion is vague, simplistic, and suggests an easy path to success.
By mentioning Cal Newport and his specific work, this thesis gains clarity, authority, and relevance. It signals to the reader that the argument is grounded in established research and positions the writer within an academic conversation.
#### Another Example of an Improved Thesis
**Another Example:** In his best-selling book *So Good They Can’t Ignore You*, Georgetown computer science professor Cal Newport argues persuasively that the mantra “follow your passion” is dangerous not because passion is bad but because the definition of passion is vague, simplistic, and suggests an easy path to success.
This thesis further strengthens the argument by referencing both the author and the specific text, making it clear that the writer is engaging with Newport’s ideas in a substantive way.
### Sample Thesis Statements with Author and Text References
**Sample #1:** While it should be self-evident that the over-simplistic mantra “follow your passion” for a career choice is fatuous, dangerous, and inaccurate, Cal Newport does us a great service by disemboweling this odious cliché because its sheer popularity has wreaked havoc on many college students, steering them away from the craftsman mindset and the complex, convoluted path that finding a true passion often requires—a path paved with blood, sweat, and tears.
**Sample #2:** My issue with Cal Newport’s argument isn’t that it’s wrong; rather, my concern is that he has simply eviscerated one cliché and replaced it with another, presenting a self-help book filled with predictable platitudes about hard work, tenacity, and focus, which merely swaps out the passion myth for a new set of oversimplified ideals.
**Sample #3:** Of course, “follow your passion” is a brainless, inane, and worthless slogan, which Newport rightly skewers with his rapier wit, but his roadmap to success fosters a false optimism about mastering a career—a path that requires the kind of privilege, educational foundation, and economic support that only a small fraction of Americans possess. His approach ignores the systemic inequalities that often derail even the most determined individuals.
**Sample #4:** While the above writer correctly acknowledges that privilege and economic support can increase one’s chances of success, this truth doesn’t negate Newport’s argument that anyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status, can benefit from embracing the craftsman mindset over the empty notion of “following your passion.”
**Sample #5:** Cal Newport offers a timely corrective to a society addicted to dopamine and superficial “passion” by dismantling the dangerous idea that we need to find a passion that perfectly aligns with our personality. Instead, he advocates for a more reliable path to success—discovering what we’re good at, elevating those skills to the realm of excellence, and having the patience to navigate the inevitable trial-and-error process before truly finding our footing.
### Conclusion
Incorporating the author and text into your thesis not only clarifies your argument but also anchors it within the context of an ongoing academic conversation. This approach enhances your essay’s credibility and helps you engage more deeply with the material, ultimately leading to a more compelling and persuasive argument.
Understanding the Difference Between Fake Passion and Real Passion
As I was discussing Cal Newport’s critique of the "Follow Your Passion" mantra with some of my students, I realized just how challenging this topic can be. It’s taken me five years of teaching this concept to truly grasp its depth, and today, I want to share that understanding with you.
When Newport warns against "following your passion," it’s important to recognize that he’s not dismissing passion altogether. Instead, he’s urging us to distinguish between fake passion and real passion.
#### Fake Passion
So, what exactly is fake passion?
- **Fake passion** is the fleeting interest that fades away after a few weeks. - **Fake passion** is claiming you're passionate about something but never putting in the time or effort to make it a reality. - **Fake passion** is like the person who says they love their spouse but forgets their anniversary.
Fake passion is all talk and no action. It’s a shallow commitment that lacks the substance needed to fuel true success.
#### Real Passion
On the other hand, what defines real passion?
- **Real passion** is showing up and doing the work consistently, even on days when you don’t feel like it. - **Real passion** is continuously investing time in refining your skills and making constant improvements. - **Real passion** is preparing yourself to achieve mastery in your craft.
Real passion understands the high stakes of life and is guided by mentors who provide the wisdom to succeed and avoid self-sabotage.
In this context, one student brought up Beyoncé as an example. There’s no doubt that Beyoncé is passionate about her art, but her passion is backed by relentless preparation. She’s not just passionate in theory—she’s committed to her craft through rigorous training, voice lessons, nutrition, dance, choreography, and marketing. Her success is no accident; it’s the result of real passion paired with professional-level preparation.
### Your Life Is About Constant Preparation
#### Building Momentum
When you consistently prepare and work hard, you create momentum. It’s like feeling the wind at your back—not because you’re lucky, but because you’ve set yourself up for success. Comedian Ron Funches once told Joe Rogan that his late-night comic inspiration only comes after a full day of writing. Without that day of drudgery, the spark of creativity wouldn’t have happened.
Hard work gives you a sense of control, confidence, and pride. It attracts like-minded people into your life and helps you avoid the “energy vampires” who drain your motivation. This mindset, once established, builds momentum that propels you forward.
But beware of complacency. If you relax for too long, entropy will set in. Entropy—a philosophical concept—refers to the natural tendency for things to fall apart, for order to give way to chaos, and for our highest selves to devolve into our lowest forms. This is why it’s crucial to stay focused, disciplined, and prepared. Entropy should serve as a constant reminder of the dangers of self-neglect and the importance of continuous effort.
### Conclusion
Remember, passion is an essential part of happiness and fulfillment, but without hard work and preparation, passion is just a paper tiger. As one of my students aptly put it, "Preparation is the true voice of passion." Well said.
This is the key takeaway: Real passion isn’t just about what you feel; it’s about what you do, how you prepare, and the effort you consistently put in to achieve mastery.
***
ChatGPT Response to Essay Prompt #1
### The Danger of "Follow Your Passion": Why the Craftsman Mindset is a Better Path to Success
In today’s society, the mantra "follow your passion" is often heralded as the ultimate career advice. Countless motivational speakers, career coaches, and even celebrities champion this idea, suggesting that if you simply find and pursue your passion, success and fulfillment will naturally follow. However, as Cal Newport argues in his YouTube video "Core Idea: Don't Follow Your Passion," his article “The Passion Trap,” and "The Career Craftsman Manifesto," this well-meaning advice can be dangerously misleading. Newport’s critique is further supported by Ali Abdaal in his video "Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice. Here's Why," where he echoes Newport’s concerns and advocates for a shift towards the craftsman mindset—a focus on developing skills and creating value over the pursuit of passion alone. While some may argue that passion is essential to drive one’s career, a closer examination reveals that the craftsman mindset provides a more reliable and sustainable foundation for long-term success and satisfaction.
### The Myth of Passion as a Career Compass
The idea that we should "follow our passion" suggests that each of us has a pre-existing, clearly defined passion just waiting to be discovered and that this passion should dictate our career choices. However, as Newport points out, this belief is not only simplistic but also potentially harmful. Newport argues that the concept of a singular passion is a myth for most people. He cites research indicating that very few people have a clear passion from a young age, and those who do often find that their interests change over time. This reality contradicts the notion that passion is a stable foundation upon which to build a career.
Moreover, the emphasis on finding a passion before starting a career can lead to paralysis and dissatisfaction. Many individuals become so focused on identifying their "true passion" that they fail to take meaningful steps towards career development. Newport calls this the "passion trap," where the search for passion becomes a hindrance rather than a help. Instead of exploring various interests and developing skills, individuals may waste valuable time waiting for a passion that may never materialize.
### The Craftsman Mindset: A Superior Alternative
In contrast to the passion-driven approach, Newport advocates for what he calls the craftsman mindset. This mindset prioritizes the development of rare and valuable skills over the pursuit of pre-existing passions. Newport argues that by focusing on becoming exceptionally good at something, individuals are more likely to find fulfillment and success in their careers. The craftsman mindset encourages people to take a proactive approach to their work, seeking opportunities to improve and excel, rather than waiting for passion to strike.
Ali Abdaal supports this view by highlighting how mastery and expertise can lead to passion, rather than the other way around. He explains that as individuals develop competence and receive positive feedback in their field, they often begin to feel passionate about their work. This process of cultivating passion through skill development is more reliable and grounded in reality than the pursuit of a nebulous, pre-existing passion.
The craftsman mindset also emphasizes the importance of creating value in the workplace. Newport argues that instead of asking "What can the world offer me?" individuals should ask "What can I offer the world?" This shift in perspective encourages people to focus on how they can contribute meaningfully to their field, which in turn makes them more valuable to employers and more satisfied with their work. By cultivating expertise and providing value, individuals are more likely to secure job opportunities and achieve long-term success.
### Counterargument: The Role of Passion in Motivation
Critics of Newport’s argument might contend that passion is a crucial motivator in achieving excellence and that without passion, work can become monotonous and uninspiring. They may argue that passion drives individuals to overcome obstacles, persevere through challenges, and achieve greatness in their chosen field. Without passion, they claim, one might excel technically but lack the emotional engagement needed to innovate and push boundaries.
### Rebuttal: Passion as a Byproduct of Mastery
While it is true that passion can be a powerful motivator, Newport and Abdaal suggest that this passion does not need to precede skill development. Instead, passion can emerge as a byproduct of mastery. When individuals invest time and effort into developing their skills, they often find that their work becomes more engaging and fulfilling. This growing competence and the recognition that comes with it can ignite a passion that is far more sustainable and deeply rooted than the fleeting emotions often associated with the pursuit of a pre-existing passion.
Furthermore, the craftsman mindset does not disregard the importance of passion altogether. Instead, it redefines how passion is cultivated. By focusing on skill acquisition and creating value, individuals can build a career that is both meaningful and motivating. This approach ensures that passion is based on tangible achievements and real-world contributions, rather than abstract desires.
### Conclusion
Cal Newport’s argument that "follow your passion" is dangerous career advice is a necessary corrective to the oversimplified and potentially harmful messages that dominate popular culture. While passion is often seen as essential for career success, Newport and Abdaal make a compelling case that passion should not be the starting point. Instead, they advocate for the craftsman mindset, which prioritizes skill development, value creation, and the cultivation of passion through mastery. This approach offers a more realistic and effective path to career success, one that is rooted in hard work, dedication, and a commitment to excellence. By adopting the craftsman mindset, individuals can build careers that are not only successful but also deeply fulfilling.
***
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Essay
Weaknesses
1. **Overused, Stock Expressions and Language Choices:** The essay relies heavily on phrases and expressions that are commonly used in writing generated by AI models like ChatGPT. Examples include "a more reliable and sustainable foundation," "focus on developing skills and creating value," and "a necessary corrective." These expressions, while not incorrect, are generic and lack the originality and personal touch that distinguishes high-quality student writing. This language often comes across as formulaic, making the essay feel more like a well-crafted template rather than a piece of writing with a unique voice.
**Why This Matters:** Overused expressions can make an essay seem impersonal and disconnected from the writer's true voice. They can also make the writing appear superficial, as if the writer is relying on pre-packaged phrases rather than deeply engaging with the material. To elevate the essay, students should strive to use language that reflects their own thinking and perspective, avoiding clichés and stock phrases whenever possible.
2. **Lack of Evidence Using Quotations, Paraphrases, and In-Text Citations:** The essay presents ideas and arguments that align with Cal Newport’s views but fails to back these points up with concrete evidence from Newport’s works or from the supporting video by Ali Abdaal. There are no direct quotations, paraphrases, or in-text citations that anchor the arguments in the original texts. This absence of specific evidence weakens the essay’s credibility and makes it less persuasive.
**Why This Matters:** In academic writing, especially at the college level, it is crucial to demonstrate engagement with the sources being discussed. This not only shows that the writer has done their research but also allows the reader to verify and understand the basis of the writer’s arguments. Without quotations or paraphrased material that are properly cited, the essay reads like a summary rather than a critical analysis. Students should incorporate specific references to Newport’s articles, videos, and other relevant sources to strengthen their arguments.
3. **Generic Engagement with Cal Newport:** The essay engages with Cal Newport’s ideas in a manner that is somewhat generic and surface-level. It outlines his main points but does not delve into a deeper analysis or critique. The writing lacks a strong authorial presence, meaning the writer’s own insights and interpretations are not as prominent as they should be. This makes the essay feel more like a Wikipedia entry, summarizing Newport’s work rather than critically engaging with it.
**Why This Matters:** A college-level essay should go beyond simply summarizing an author’s work. It should engage with the material in a way that showcases the writer’s unique perspective, offering critical analysis, interpretation, and sometimes even questioning the author’s conclusions. This deeper engagement not only demonstrates a higher level of thinking but also makes the essay more compelling and original. Students should aim to bring their own voice and critical insights into the discussion, rather than simply echoing the ideas of the author.
### Conclusion
While the essay provides a clear overview of Cal Newport’s argument against following one’s passion, it falls short in several key areas. The use of generic, overused language, the lack of concrete evidence and citations, and the superficial engagement with Newport’s ideas all contribute to an essay that, while structurally sound, does not reach its full potential in terms of depth, originality, and academic rigor. To improve, students should focus on developing their own voice, incorporating specific evidence from their sources, and engaging more deeply with the material they are analyzing.
***
The Useful Purposes Achieved by the Essay
1. **The Response Provides a Good Outline:** The essay serves as a strong framework for organizing ideas and arguments. It clearly delineates the main points: introducing the topic, discussing the myth of passion as a career compass, presenting the craftsman mindset as a superior alternative, addressing counterarguments, and concluding with a reaffirmation of Newport's stance. This structure is essential for developing a well-organized and coherent essay. Students can use this outline to build their own essays, ensuring that they cover all necessary aspects of the argument in a logical sequence.
2. **The Response is an Effective Pre-Writing Exercise:** The essay functions as an excellent pre-writing exercise by helping to crystallize the main arguments and supporting points before diving into the more detailed writing process. It allows students to think through their position on Newport's argument and the supporting evidence they will need to incorporate. By engaging with the material in this way, students can better prepare themselves for the actual drafting process, reducing the likelihood of writer's block and ensuring that their final essay is more focused and persuasive.
3. **The Response Provides a Clear Summary of Newport's Argument:** The essay effectively summarizes Cal Newport’s argument against the "follow your passion" mantra and in favor of the craftsman mindset. It distills the core ideas from Newport’s videos and articles, making them accessible and easy to understand. This clarity is crucial for readers who may not be familiar with Newport’s work. The essay serves as a helpful introduction to his ideas, which can then be expanded upon with more detailed analysis and evidence in the final essay.
4. **The Prose Shows the Importance of Clarity of Expression:** The essay’s prose is straightforward and clear, demonstrating the importance of communicating ideas in a way that is easy for readers to follow. Clarity of expression is vital in academic writing, as it ensures that complex ideas are conveyed without confusion. This essay models how to present arguments in a direct and accessible manner, which is particularly useful for students who are learning to write more sophisticated essays. Clear writing not only helps the reader understand the argument but also strengthens the writer's credibility.
### Conclusion
The essay response serves multiple valuable purposes in the context of essay writing. It provides a well-structured outline that can guide the writing process, acts as a pre-writing exercise to clarify ideas, offers a concise summary of Newport's argument, and exemplifies the importance of clear and effective communication. These elements are crucial for developing a strong, persuasive argumentative essay, making the response a useful tool for students as they prepare to engage more deeply with their writing assignments.
***
I rewrote the ChatGPT prompt:
Write an argumentative essay that defends, refutes, or complicates Cal Newport’s claim from his YouTube video "Core Idea: Don't Follow Your Passion," his online article “The Passion Trap” and "The Career Craftsman Manifesto" and Ali Adbaal's YouTube video "Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice. Here's Why" that the career advice to follow your passion is dangerous and should be replaced by the craftsman mindset. Be sure to have a counterargument-rebuttal paragraph before your conclusion. For the above writing prompt, use my writing style as a college writing instructor, use in-text citations and signal phrases, and give valid URLs for external sources used. Try to avoid stock phrases.
This is an example of cheating on a college essay. I don't give you these instructions to cheat for college writing. I give you these instructions to help you effectively use ChatGPT for business, personal, and money-making enterprises, not college. For college writing, ChatGPT is a great editing and rewriting machine; it's a dishonest and ineffective "writing out of thin air machine."
ChatGPT Response:
### The Danger of "Follow Your Passion": Why the Craftsman Mindset is a More Reliable Path to Success
The phrase “follow your passion” has become a ubiquitous piece of career advice, promoted by motivational speakers, career counselors, and even celebrities as the key to achieving success and happiness. However, this well-meaning guidance can be dangerously misleading, as argued by Cal Newport in his YouTube video "Core Idea: Don't Follow Your Passion," his article “The Passion Trap,” and "The Career Craftsman Manifesto." Ali Abdaal, in his video "Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice. Here's Why," supports Newport’s critique and advocates for a more sustainable approach: the craftsman mindset. This mindset emphasizes the development of skills and the creation of value over the pursuit of passion alone. While some may argue that passion is essential for driving one's career, a closer examination reveals that the craftsman mindset offers a more reliable and practical foundation for long-term success and satisfaction.
### The Myth of "Passion" as a Career Compass
The popular belief that we should "follow our passion" suggests that each person has a pre-existing, clearly defined passion waiting to be discovered and that this passion should dictate career choices. However, as Newport argues in "The Passion Trap," this belief is both simplistic and potentially harmful. He asserts that the notion of a singular, lifelong passion is a myth for most people, supported by research showing that very few individuals have a clear passion from a young age, and those who do often see their interests evolve over time (Newport, 2012). This reality undermines the idea that passion is a stable foundation on which to build a career.
Moreover, the emphasis on finding a passion before starting a career can lead to paralysis and dissatisfaction. Newport terms this the "passion trap," where the search for passion becomes a hindrance rather than a help. Instead of taking meaningful steps toward career development, individuals may waste valuable time waiting for a passion that may never materialize (Newport, 2012). This is further supported by Ali Abdaal, who points out that waiting for a passion can prevent people from exploring various interests and developing the skills necessary for success (Abdaal, 2021).
### The Craftsman Mindset: A Superior Alternative
In contrast to the passion-driven approach, Newport advocates for what he calls the craftsman mindset. This mindset prioritizes the development of rare and valuable skills over the pursuit of pre-existing passions. Newport argues that by focusing on becoming exceptionally skilled at something, individuals are more likely to find fulfillment and success in their careers (Newport, 2012). The craftsman mindset encourages a proactive approach to work, where individuals seek opportunities to improve and excel, rather than waiting for passion to strike.
Abdaal echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that mastery and expertise can lead to passion, rather than the other way around (Abdaal, 2021). He explains that as individuals develop competence and receive positive feedback in their field, they often begin to feel passionate about their work. This process of cultivating passion through skill development is more grounded in reality than the pursuit of a nebulous, pre-existing passion.
The craftsman mindset also stresses the importance of creating value in the workplace. Newport suggests that instead of asking "What can the world offer me?" individuals should ask "What can I offer the world?" This shift in perspective encourages people to focus on how they can contribute meaningfully to their field, making them more valuable to employers and more satisfied with their work (Newport, 2012). By cultivating expertise and providing value, individuals are more likely to secure job opportunities and achieve long-term success.
### Counterargument: The Role of Passion in Motivation
Critics of Newport’s argument may contend that passion is a crucial motivator in achieving excellence and that without passion, work can become monotonous and uninspiring. They might argue that passion drives individuals to overcome obstacles, persevere through challenges, and achieve greatness in their chosen field. Without passion, they claim, one might excel technically but lack the emotional engagement needed to innovate and push boundaries.
### Rebuttal: Passion as a Byproduct of Mastery
While it is true that passion can be a powerful motivator, Newport and Abdaal argue that this passion does not need to precede skill development. Instead, they suggest that passion can emerge as a byproduct of mastery. As individuals invest time and effort into developing their skills, they often find their work becomes more engaging and fulfilling (Newport, 2012; Abdaal, 2021). This growing competence and the recognition that comes with it can ignite a passion that is far more sustainable and deeply rooted than the fleeting emotions often associated with the pursuit of a pre-existing passion.
Furthermore, the craftsman mindset does not disregard the importance of passion altogether. Rather, it redefines how passion is cultivated. By focusing on skill acquisition and creating value, individuals can build a career that is both meaningful and motivating. This approach ensures that passion is based on tangible achievements and real-world contributions, rather than abstract desires (Newport, 2012).
### Conclusion
Cal Newport’s critique of the "follow your passion" mantra is a necessary corrective to the oversimplified and potentially harmful messages that dominate popular culture. While passion is often seen as essential for career success, Newport and Abdaal make a compelling case that passion should not be the starting point. Instead, they advocate for the craftsman mindset, which prioritizes skill development, value creation, and the cultivation of passion through mastery. This approach offers a more realistic and effective path to career success, one that is rooted in hard work, dedication, and a commitment to excellence. By adopting the craftsman mindset, individuals can build careers that are not only successful but also deeply fulfilling.
### References
Abdaal, A. (2021). *Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice. Here's Why.* YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHsOQT9f6XE
Newport, C. (2012). *The Passion Trap.* calnewport.com. http://calnewport.com/blog/2010/10/16/the-passion-trap-how-the-search-for-your-lifes-work-is-making-your-working-life-miserable/
Newport, C. (2012). *The Career Craftsman Manifesto.* calnewport.com. http://calnewport.com/blog/2012/09/18/the-career-craftsman-manifesto/
Newport, C. (2016). *Core Idea: Don't Follow Your Passion.* YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwOdU02SE0w