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English 101
Prof. Shelley Catanzaro

Assigned Readings

  1. The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson
  2. The Futile Pursuit of Happiness, Jon Gertner
  3. New York Times articles:
    a) "In New Book, Professor Sees 'Mania' in U.S. for Possessions and Status" 3/12/05
    b) "Our Basic Human Pleasures: Food, Sex and Giving" 1/17/10
  4. After Life, Joan Didion
  5. On the Fear of Death, Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
  6. New York Times articles:
    a) "This is Your Life (and How You Tell It)" 5/22/07
    b) "Mirrors Don't Lie. Mislead? Oh, Yes" 7/22/08
  7. Mirrors, Lucy Grealy
  8. The Cave, Plato
  9. "Why All Indiscretions Appear Youthful"

Homework

  1. a) What does "self-evident" mean? What truths are considered self-evident, according to Thomas Jefferson
    b) Identify the standards of civility that the Declaration shows great respect for.
  2. Write a paragraph in which you develop your own response to Jon Gertner's claims. Explain why you agree or disagree that happiness is unpredictable. How does the "impact bias" relate to the intensity and duration of happiness?
  3. Write a detailed and descriptive paragraph for each article, agreeing or disagreeing.
  4. What does Didion mean by "the ordinary instant"? Write about a time when your life changed in an "ordinary instant".
  5. a) Why does Kubler-Ross describe the death of a farmer? What point is she making in explaining "such 'old-fashioned' customs"? (paragraph 16)
    b) What kind of balance do you think is best between prolonging life and allowing a person to die with dignity? What does the phrase "dying with dignity" mean to you?
  6. Write a descriptive reaction for each article, explain how the article relates directly to Theme #3 (Identity, Self-Image, Reality).
  7. a) What did Grealy learn about herself from her "yearling separation from the mirror"?
    b) Why did Grealy think that "fixing" her face would "fix" herself, her soul, her life? What is the ironic significance of the word "fix"?
  8. a) In what ways are human beings like chained prisoners in a cave, able to see only the shadows of carved images of things? Why are they still in bondage even after being released from their chains?
    b) How are we imprisoned by our eyes, by our visual perceptions? Do we see things clearly with our own eyes, according to Plato?
  9. Write a descriptive paragraph about a personal experience that supports the article's thesis.

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