EWRT1A sections 27 and 65: Grammar Review 3

Here is the link to Grammar Review 3. It is due Thursday.

"The Beauty Myth"

This video is called "Evolution." Consider how it relates to Naomi Wolf's "The Beauty Myth." Who is creating these images? For what purposes?

EWRT1A 27 and 65: essay 2

In case you didn't get it or lost it, here is the handout about essay 2. Remember, the goal this time is synthesis. We'll talk more about this in class, but there is a short section about synthesis in Rules for Writers on pages 477-479.

EWRT1A 27 and 65: Reading Response 5

Reading Response 5

Aaron Devor “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender”

In all the prompts below, I want you to explain and evaluate an idea from Devor’s essay using another text (or texts) in the class as evidence for that evaluation.

• Explain Devor’s distinction between “I” and “me” (121, paragraphs 7 and 8). How may this separation contribute to problems with finding one’s own voice? Use another text from the class to illustrate this.

• Devor claims that most people believe that gender roles are “natural” (123, para. 13) and so we believe that women are naturally better parents and men are naturally dominant (para. 14). Devor then states that this leads to inequality and oppression. How? Please use one of our other texts as an example to demonstrate how.

• Devor states that “masculine values become the ideological structure of the society as a whole” (125). What does he mean by this? Do you agree? If so, provide examples from another class text. If not, what examples from our texts contradict Devor’s conclusions?

• Devor refers to the process of gendering that he describes as a “patriarchal gender schema” and ends the essay by stating that “gender roles are the result of systematic power imbalances based on gender discrimination” (126). Do you see examples of this imbalance in our texts? If so, show the examples. If not, what examples contradict Devor’s conclusions? Please use another text in the class as evidence for your response.

• Come up with your own focus, but try to show how another text from the class relates to Devor’s essay.

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Also, Devor has an article on his website at the University of Victoria called "How Many Sexes? How Many Genders? When Two Are Not Enough." It covers some of the same ideas as the essay in our reader, but in a different context and using more first-hand testimony. 

Tough Guise

Tough Guise. Please watch the following video for Tuesday. It is a seven minute version of a one hour video. As you watch it, keep certain questions in mind.

• According to Jackson Katz, what are the obstacles young men face to being true to their own identities? Where do these obstacles come from?
• Katz says that concepts of masculinity and violence are connected. Is he convincing in this claim? Do you think that this is culturally reinforced, as Katz argues, or do you think this is a result of nature? Both?
• What are the effects on young men who "take on the tough guise," according to Katz? Do you agree with him?
• How does Katz think young men are going to be able to be "better men"?
• Does Katz offer enough evidence to support his claims?
• Do your own experiences confirm or contradict Katz's claims?

Essay 1 final draft due Tuesday

Remember that both drafts of essay 1, the rough and the final, need to be handed in on Tuesday.

There are a lot of good suggestions for revising essays both in our reader on pages 20-23 and in Rules for Writers on pages 35-40. The most important thing to keep in mind is that you should revise before you edit. In other words, change big things before you worry about sentence-level issues such as grammar and clarity. You don't want to spend your time editing sentences that you later decide to get rid of because they don't fit. Cut, add, and rearrange material first (global revision); then fix grammar, spelling, and clarity (sentence editing, proofreading).

Global revision

• Review essay purpose: topic & method. Are you answering the prompt?
• Rethink argument. Could your thesis be better?
• Redraft unworkable material.
• Add new material. What further evidence does the paper need? Have you demonstrated the effects?
• Delete material. If it doesn't fit the thesis, then it doesn't belong in the essay.
• Reorganize paragraphs. What is the best order of the paragraphs? How will the structure reinforce the argument?
• See other suggestions on pages 36-37 of Rules for Writers and pages 21-22 of our reader.

Final editing

• Reword sentences for clarity.
• Fix any fragments, run-ons, pronoun agreement, pronoun clarity, subject-verb agreement, and number agreement issues.
• Spell check your spell-checker. Don't assume it is always right or that it catches all errors.
• Have you done the MLA citation properly, both in-text and works cited?
• See the checklist on page 23 of our reader and use Rules for Writers.

these rules is useful

EWRT1A sections 27 and 65: Grammar Review 2

Here is the link to Grammar Review 2. Keep in mind that each sentence may have more than one problem.

EWRT1A sections 27 and 65: Reading Response 3

Reading Response 3

Alice Walker "In Search of Our Mothers Gardens"

Choose one of the prompts below or come up with your own focus of analysis.

 1. According to what Walker shows in this essay, what are some of the forces that hinder people from being true to their own identities? Use specific examples to demonstrate a larger theme.

2. What does Walker's essay show us about how people are able to find their own identities? What do people need? Use specific examples to demonstrate a larger theme.

3. This essay is full of artists. Using some of these artists as examples, what does Walker's essay show you about the possible function(s) of art? In other words, what does this essay teach us about the purpose of art?

Malcolm X

In order to understand the significance of "Leaning to Read" by Malcolm X, you should listen to the man speak (if you haven't before). Here is one of his famous speeches, given at Oxford, England 1964.

EWRT1A sections 27 and 65: Grammar Review 1

Here is Grammar Review 1. Either print it out or write your corrected sentences on another sheet of paper.

EWRT1A sections 27 and 65: essay 1

In case you missed it or lost it, here is a pdf of the handout about essay 1.