Weekend Homework

Please read the following article (link below). As you're reading think about Wallace's inductive vs. deductive reasoning, as well as any implied questions or theses. The article is actually only 8 pages long--the last two pages, 8-10, are footnotes, but I encourage you to read those as well. Wallace is famous for using footnotes (he wrote novels with pages of end notes) creatively.

"Consider the Lobster" by David Foster Wallace

Fathers and Sons

In a brief paragraph, compare and contrast the father-son relationships in "The Short History of an Ear" and "Digging." What are the implied theses in the essays? Organizing principles? Universals and particulars? Are they similar/different? How? Please refer directly to the texts at least once in your response.

Universal vs. Particular (individual)

Identify three different times that Tim O'Brien uses the "particular" to illustrate the "universal" in TTTC, or, in other words, three times or ways that he uses inductive reasoning to imply a thesis. Then explain your three examples to us.

Cuter

Cute

Authenticity, Veracity, Mimesis

Lauren Slater opens her memoir, "Lying", with two words, that's it. Those two words serve as the only sentence in her entire first chapter. She writes:

I exaggerate.

Respond to her first chapter in light of the conversation we had today about authenticity, veracity, and mimesis.

Vocabulary, Week 2 and Sentence Pattern 3

First of all, please read pages 15 to 16 in The Art of Styling Sentences, and then complete the exercises on page 17.

Then, respond to the following prompt in a comment. You must use at least three of the Week 2 Vocabulary words, and sentence Pattern 3 at least once.

Prompt: Describe one of the characters in TTTC without using his or her name.

Beauty and War

Please click on the link below and watch a short video of thinker, James Hillman, talking about war. Then respond in a comment to this question: Based on your reading of TTTC so far, what do you think the relationship is between beauty and war? Why?

Beauty and War

Remembering 9/11

Please click on the link below, and listen to the story from Morning Edition on National Public Radio:

"Bury His Heart, But Not His Love"

Then write a short response to the story that can be emotional or analytical. Please also answer this question in your response: What can Father Duffy's homily for his slain friend teach us as writers?