English 101: Essay #2

For your second essay, you have five (5) options (which, you will note, offer fewer directives--and hence more freedom--than the first essay):

1.) In "Voting Democracy off the Island," Francine Prose asks, "What might future anthropologists...conclude about our world if [reality] programs constituted their primary source of information?" (268). Write an essay in which you propose an answer to this question. Needless to say, you will, in the process, need to supply a wealth of examples followed by critical analysis.

2.) Re-read Natasha Simons' "Mad Men and the Paradox of the Past," and then write an essay in which you support, refute, or modify Simons' claim that Mad Men's audience is often trapped by the "mislaid nostalgia for the often sexist and bigoted environment" (325) depicted on the show. Be sure, in the process of making your argument, to use specific examples from the show as argumentative support.

3.) Re-read Michael Omi's "In Living Color: Race and American Culture, "and then write an essay in which you analyze how a specific ethnicity is represented in our current popular culture (films, television shows, advertising, etc.). Be sure to address whether or not, to use Omi's terms, the films, television shows, etc. create and/or sustain ethnic stereotypes, and be sure to discuss what you see as the social consequences of representing ethnicity in the specific way that it is represented. In other words, provide a discussion of whether the representation, on the whole, is positive or negative.

4.) In "Race Relations Light Years from Earth," Mitu Sengupta argues that films like Avatar, through the use of a "White Messiah," reinforce "pernicious stereotypes of the ethnic 'other' as disorderly, meek, and stupid, only to undermine the hard-won voice of marginalized peoples of color and justify their continued marginalization" (413). Focusing on Avatar, write an essay in which you support, refute, or modify Sengupta's claim.

5.) In "An Idiot's Guide to India," Hirsh Sawhney argues that Slumdog Millionaire "grossly oversimplifies poverty and our relationship with it" (406), not to mention that it presents a number of common stereotypes in its presentation of India and Indian culture. Write an essay in which you support, refute, or modify Sawhney's argument about the film. Although not required, you might consider comparing the film to Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali or Mira Nair's Salaam Bombay.

The requirements for the essay are as follows:

Regardless of which option you choose, here are a few things you should keep in mind as you are writing your essay:

EXCHANGING DRAFTS
For the second essay, you will be required to read and make comments on the rough drafts of your classmates' essays. To do so, you will need to access the discussion forum and post your comments in the conference folder entitled "Essay Two Drafts."