Required Texts: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl; The Story and Its Writer, Eighth Edition Edited by Ann Charters
Reading and Writing Schedule
June 20 Introduction
June 21 Frankl 1-60
June 22 Frankl 61-130
June 23 Frankl 131-end; Quiz 1
June 27 Essay 1 due in PE4
June 28 Essay 1 due in PE4
June 29 Death of Ivan Ilych
June 30 Death of Ivan Ilych continued
July 4 Holiday
July 5 Death of Ivan Ilych continued
July 6 Death of Ivan Ilych continued; Quiz 2
July 11 Essay 2 due in PE4
July 12 Essay 2 due in PE4
July 13 A Good Man Is Hard to Find
July 14 Good Country People; Quiz 3
July 18 Essay 3 due in PE4
July 19 Essay 3 due in PE4
July 20 The Swimmer
July 21 Babylon Revisited
July 25 The Lottery and The Ones Who Walked Away from Omelas
July 26 Sonny’s Blues; Quiz 4
July 27 Essay 4 due in PE4
July 28 Essay 4 due in PE4
Essay One: Man’s Search for Meaning
In the context of Frankl’s book, write a 5-page essay explaining where you rank on the Meaning Scale, analyzing your strengths and weaknesses that determine your ranking. For example, are you worthy of your suffering in the way Frankl explains? Do you have a higher purpose or do you live a provisional existence? If you need a measurement for the Meaning Scale, you can use a ranking system between 0-10 or 0-100. Your essay must incorporate several principles from Frankl’s book and use concrete personal examples.
Your Works Cited Page should have 3 sources, the Frankl’s book, my blog, and another source of your choice (film, book, TV show, etc.)
Your outline might look like this:
In one page summarize the book’s major points.
Then write a thesis paragraph such as “My Meaning Scale is X evidenced by __________________, ____________________, _____________________, _______________________, and ____________________________.
Your body paragraphs will correspond to the above mapping components. Your conclusion will be a restatement of your thesis in shorter, more powerful form.
Option Two
In a 5-page essay, argue whether or not we can overcome the "existential vacuum" by finding meaning as prescribed by Frankl or if "meaning" is merely an illusion that "keeps us going."Include no fewer than 4 research sources for your Works Cited page.
Option Three
In a 5-page essay, contrast psychotherapy and logotherapy. Include no fewer than 4 research sources for your Works Cited page.
Essay Two: The Death of Ivan Ilych
In a 5-page research paper, analyze the life of Ivan Ilych in the context of Man’s Search for Meaning.
Your Works Cited page should have no fewer than 4 sources, Tolstoy’s story, Frankl’s book, my blog, and another source of your choice.
Essay Three: A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Good Country People
I In a 5-page essay, compare the demonic persona of nihilism and fatalism in the characters The Misfit from “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” and Hulga from “Good Country People.’ For your Works Cited page, refer to the two stories, Frankl’s book, and my blog for 4 sources minimum.
Second Choice:
Argue if whether or not O'Connor's two stories are compatible with Man's Search for Meaning.
Essay 4 Choose Either A or B
A. In a 5-page essay, compare the distorted time warp, the failure to grasp our “finiteness,” as Frankl writes about, and its danger to the human soul in “The Swimmer” and “Babylon Revisited.” For your Works Cited page, refer to the two stories, Frankl’s book, and my blog for a minimum of 4 sources.
B. In a 5-page essay, compare the tribe’s influence on nihilism, the misguided desire for a provisional existence, and the soul’s forfeiture of meaning in “The Lottery” and “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” Your Works Cited page should refer to the two stories, Frankl’s book, my blog, and one other source for a total of 5 sources.
Grading
4 Six-Page Research Papers 225 each
4 Quizzes 25 each
Grand Total: 1,000 points
Pressure to Get an A and Things That Disqualify a Student from Receiving an A Grade
I know a lot of students are under excruciating pressure to get A grades in their classes. I appreciate that and because I do, I need to explain two things that disqualify a student from getting an A grade:
One: Turning in a late essay more than a week after its due date. These late essays get ZERO points and will mathematically eliminate the chances of an A grade.
Two. Cheating, plagiarising, trying to deceive me by turning in work that you didn't write.
College Policies and Objectives:
Students with Disabilities:
If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact me as soon as possible.
Student Learning Objectives
Students will compose an argumentative essay that shows an ability to
support a claim using analysis, elements of argumentation, and
integration of primary and secondary sources. This essay will be well
organized, follow proper MLA format, and be technically correct in
paragraph composition, sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and
usage.
Course Objectives
The student will be able to: 1. Read expository prose critically to distinguish between perception and inference, surface and implied meanings, fact and opinion. 2. Analyze the way arguments are presented in readings and the media. 3. Demonstrate the ability to organize and develop written arguments and compositions. 4. Refine writing skills developed in English 1A: focusing a topic, formulating a thesis, providing support, and developing unity and coherence. 5. Evaluate the accuracy and cogency of arguments by identifying logical fallacies and drawing inferences from readings and media presentations. 6. Formulate and develop arguments and critical theories about issues, argumentative prose, and literary interpretations.
Major Topics
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Structures of argument: Thinking, reading, discussing. Evaluate data, credibility, and relevance. |
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Understanding and evaluating claims: Reasons, purposes, support, ambiguity, vagueness, complexity. Assessing credibility: Causal arguments, moral reasoning. |
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Evaluating arguments and explanations: Relevance, clarity, testability, and consistency. Identifying assumptions, developing counter arguments and justifications. |
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Writing argumentative, evaluative, and analytic essays: Prewriting, writing, and rewriting. Topic selection: Narrowing, evaluating validity and relevance. Developing parts of the argumentative essay: Strategies for organizing an argument or evaluation, including evidence, inductive and deductive reasoning. Avoiding logical fallacies. |
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Literary analysis: Evaluating point of view, inferences, and assumptions. Understanding diction, identification, aesthetic distance, and focus. Exploring rhetorical devices: Satire, irony, paradox, over-statement and understatement, evaluating authority. |
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Comparative analysis: Analyzing symbols, analogy, ambiguity, and imagery. |
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Deductive reasoning in expressive or expository literature: Recognizing assumptions in literary criticism and theory. |
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Political and advertising rhetoric: Slanders, euphemisms, innuendo, loaded questions, downplaying, avoidance, stereotyping, hyperbole, persuasive definitions. Information tailoring and the news media: Loaded language in reporting and advertising. |
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(Major writing assignments will consist of approximately 6 essays totaling 6000 words.) |
Success in McMahon’s Class Is Predicated on Three Major Components:
One. Turn in 4 five-page research papers with correct MLA format ON TIME. Research Papers (all 4 of your essays) have a minimum of 4 sources, which can include Signs of Life in the USA, my lecture notes, interviews, and online sources.
Two. Do the reading assignments so that you can write a one-paragraph response that is cohesive, coherent and well developed in the five surprise closed-book reading tests.
Three. Show up on time to 90% of the classes. Missing 3 out of 30 classes is 90%.
Policies:
You can’t make-up reading exams. Points are irretrievably lost. This policy encourages class attendance.
Late Papers: I don’t accept late papers more than one week after the original due date and I reduce a full grade; no late papers accepted once new set of essays is due.
Research Papers should be approximately 1,200 words, 12 font, Times New Roman, page numbers, name, and essay title in upper right hand corner (headers in Microsoft View) and Works Cited should have minimum 3 sources and spacing using MLA format.
Revisions: You may revise ONE paper for 10-30 pts. depending on the quality of the rewrite. Revision must be turned in ONE WEEK after original due date.
Plagiarism Policy: If you plagiarize, steal previously written material and attempt to make it appear as if you wrote it, you will get ZERO points on the essay. For a rewrite, the HIGHEST POSSIBLE GRADE WILL BE A C MINUS.
(20 points deducted for not having headers (your last name and page number in the upper right corner of every page and 40 points deducted for not having a correct Works Cited page)
Attendance Policy: For 16-week semesters, students may be dropped after missing 6 classes for ANY REASON, including medical. For Summer and Winter sessions, students may be dropped after missing 4 classes for whatever reason, including medical.
Riding Policy: You cannot “ride” my class. A “rider” is a student who does nothing and tries to turn in papers all at once during the end of the semester. If by the eighth week of the semester you have not turned in your first two essays or are failing the class, I will drop you.
Etiquette Policy: If you’re text-messaging, receiving phone calls, privately conversing or studying for other courses during my class, you will be asked to leave the class.
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