Required Reading: Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm by Thich Nhat Hahn Overview: This essay will explore the ways in which fear influences how our society functions in connection with the concept of “freedom”. The point of the project is to think creatively and critically about the world in which we live, and the world in which we would like to live. Consider the fears that were cultivated in your childhood through both local and global contexts. Examine the messages about fear in what you read, hear, and see in various forms of media, and how those messages impact our ability to be truly ‘free’. This is primarily a source-based essay. It is appropriate to include an example from your own experience to help illustrate the points you are making, or a plan for putting what you’ve learned here into action in your own life, and for these sections you may use the first person. However, this essay should not be mainly a personal narrative about yourself. Prompt: Consider the questions below: How does fear manifest in our lives? What is the role of fear in our society? How does fear contribute to and actively shape cultural ideals and expectations? How does fear connect to freedom? Do all individuals experience the same kinds of fear? How so? How does fear influence personal or group identity? How is fear promoted through various media, stereotypes, and biases? How do belonging, connection, and/or ‘flow’ connect to fear? To freedom? What can we do individually, and as a community, to adopt practices that reduce fear and promote freedom for all? Audience: Write for an audience that is not in this class. That means you’ll need to spend some time summarizing key ideas, defining any terms that might be unfamiliar, choosing short quotes from the reading selections to help your reader get a sense of the authors’ arguments. PLEASE INCLUDE ONE OF THE 9 QUESTIONS TO CREATE A THESIS Length: 3-4 pages (750-1000) words Requirements: Include an original title (not “Module One Essay” or “CBC Essay”) Use MLA Style to format your essay Compose a thesis statement that highlights the topics related to fear and freedom that you will explore in the essay Organize the essay so that each body paragraph is providing support for your thesis Source requirements: Integrate Hanh’s book Integrate one non-text source (images, audio, video. etc.) It is acceptable to use videos or images from the learning module resources and activities. Research and integrate at least two additional sources (CCBC Library Database or other credible source) Cite all sources using MLA style in-text citations (including the image) Include an MLA style Works Cited page at the end of the essay (not included in 3-4 pages of text)
