Essay One.
Essay Options for Samuel Wilson Fussell’s Muscle
One. Develop a thesis that analyzes the manner in which Fussell’s memoir illustrates the Myth of Icarus.
Two. Develop a thesis that analyzes the manner in which Fussell’s memoir illustrates the fable from Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning “Death in Tehran”:
A rich and mighty Persian once walked in his garden with one of his servants. The servant cried that he had just encountered Death, who had threatened him. He begged his master to give him his fastest horse so that he could make haste and flee to Teheran, which he could reach that same evening. The master consented and the servant galloped off on the horse. On returning to his house the master himself met Death, and questioned him, “Why did you terrify and threaten my servant?” “I did not threaten him; I only showed surprise in still finding him here when I planned to meet him tonight in Teheran,” said Death.
Three. Develop a thesis about maladaptation in Fussell’s memoir.
Four. Research Erik Erikson’s notion of intimacy vs. isolation and develop a thesis that applies this conflict to Fussell’s memoir.
Five. Research the notion of Groupthink and develop a thesis that applies Groupthink to the Fussell's mental deterioration.
Six. Develop a cause and effect thesis about the role of fear in Fussell’s grotesque transformation.
Essay 2:
One. Comparing Trump and Hitler and Are Trump-Hitler Comparisons Fair?
Two. Addiction as a habit or a disease
Addiction is not a disease" reviewed by Laura Miller
"Is Addiction a Habit or a Disease?" by Zachary Siegel
"Addiction is a Disease and Needs to be Treated as Such"by David Sack
Three. Redskins as a legit name
"What's Wrong with the Redskins"
Four. Steve Almond against the NFL
Steve Almond argues that we should stop watching the NFL in Salon.
Five. Treating Animals as Humans
"The Case for Treating Animals as Humans"
Six. David Byrne on Guns; Gopnick on guns: Simple Truth About Gun Control
David Byrne on Gun Control (full essay here)
"Guns, Campuses, and Madness" by Frank Bruni; show with Stephen Colbert video
"A New Way to Tackle Gun Deaths" by Nicholas Kristof
"After a 1996 Mass Shooting . . ." by Will Oremus
"The Simple Truth About Gun Control" by Adam Gopnik
"The Second Amendment Is a Gun-Control Amendment" by Adam Gopnik
"The Gun Debate Won't be Won with Statistics" by David Auerbach
John Oliver video on guns
Seven. Gun Control and Slavery
Essay 3
One. War on Stupid People and Case Against the Media by the Media
Two. Case for Buying Expensive Clothes
Three. Vaccination Double Standard
Four. Against Empathy
Five. Reign of Recycling
Six. Environmentalism is a Religion and Green Guilt
"Environmentalism Is a Religion"; teach with Stephan Asma's "Green Guilt"
Seven. Notes on the End of Restaurant Tipping
Essay 4
Are Reparations Due to African Americans?
Website Offers Reparation Payments
Mass Incarceration Has Become the New Welfare
"The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration"
Final Blue Book Essay
Final Blue Book could be an online essay with prompt.
Compare maladaptation in Muscle to Overcoat.
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