Teacher Guidlines: Eng 220
Paper 1
Critical Response Paper to Unit 1: The Moral Society
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that you have understood the assigned course readings. As you may remember from the syllabus and the introduction to your text, English 220 is an examination of “great ideas.” As a response to our discussions and our readings about many of the important concepts that have shaped western civilization, your first paper is organized around the concept of “the moral society,” which starts with you. Plan and write a 4-6 page critical paper, utilizing 3-4 sources from the course readings, your own experience, and 1-2 outside sources, if necessary, that uses as a thesis your view of what constitutes a moral society.
• Synthesize the readings with your own thoughts.
• Provide an explicit thesis in the introduction, organize your paragraphs in support of that thesis, give examples to back up your assertions, and edit the paper carefully.
• Most of all, you should just think and write. I am really curious to see your thoughts on this material. You will do fine if you consider the things we talked about in class discussions and the questions you have addressed in various ways so far in the course.
• Your thesis should have an argumentative edge; it should synthesize multiple points of view from several of the readings with your own thoughts.
• Be sure to cite all borrowed material correctly and include a Works Cited page to avoid failure for plagiarism. Note: be sure to include accurate page numbers for full credit!
• Paper should be typed in MLA style, 1 inch borders, double space, Arial size 12 font. More information can be found in A Writer’s Reference and/or at the Purdue Owl website.
For a topic you have three choices:
Option A: The Moral Society
What constitutes the moral society? Reflecting on the readings in Ch. 2-5, the online readings provided, our roleplaying activity, our discussions, and your personal experience, state your view and your reasons for it. Address both your agreements and disagreements with what we have covered. Obviously, your paper won’t be able to hit upon everything we have covered, but there should be several connections, as well as a few disagreements. Is America a moral society? To what extent? What about the future? What will it take for America to meet your ideals?
Topic I am doing: Option C: The Role of History
We are all historians when we make claims about the world. Looking at history can be a way of exploring the moral health of our society. What is and should be the role of history? Who should tell the story of a particular event or culture? Several of the readings that we covered deal with some aspect of history and its effect on us as a nation and people. George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” “Life of Reason.” Reason in Common Sense. Scribner’s, 1905, p. 284. What does he mean by this statement? Do you agree or disagree with it? What evidence is there to support your point of view? What might be a counterargument to your position?
Consider the Gopnik and Zinn materials we covered in class, both of which deal with history in some way or other. You will also need to supplement with 2-3 other sources, from class discussion, personal experience or knowledge, or outside reading. Consider any, or all, of the following questions:
• What causes us to forget the lessons of the past?
• What are the costs of forgetting?
• What advantages do you see in questioning or rejecting the past?
• What historical events required a radical departure from the past?
• Which ones departed, but not as violently?
• How do we get our news today, and how does that impact, if at all, the accuracy of our view of history?
• What is your prescription for improvement and change?
Feel Free to use current events, which do not have to be cited unless you reference a particular article: for example, the Pandemic or the war in Ukraine.
Resources: https://libcom.org/a-peoples-history-of-the-united-states-howard-zinn/1-columbus-the-indians-and-human-progress
https://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinncol1.html
