How do dystopias comment on contemporary American society?.
How do dystopias comment on contemporary American society?
Prompt Using “The Social Contract” (pp. 41-53), chapter three of Jamey Heit’s The Politics of the Hunger Games (and at least 3 more sources), analyze and discuss the ways in which The Handmaid’s Tale, The Hunger Games, and Black Mirror reflect on current issues in the United States. How do these works of fiction reflect problems faced in contemporary American society? You can narrow this in any way you wish—women’s rights, social media, national security vs. personal freedom, children and violence, etc. Purpose The purpose of this assignment is to reflect on the significance of works of fiction as they apply to the “real world.” Literature is, more often than not, a reflection of its culture, including its values, its struggles, and its fears. This assignment combines the work you did in the previous three assignments by asking you to expand your analysis in two ways: (1) adding more primary texts and (2) applying your analysis to contemporary society. This essay, then, asks for further interpretation and analysis, which will help you develop critical thinking and writing skills applicable to the rest of your college career and beyond. Skills & Knowledge Make a claim that brings together real life and fiction in an effectively worded thesis that you develop throughout the essay using evidence from all of your sources. Continue to develop critical thinking and interpretation skills. Continue practicing summary, paraphrase, quotation; balancing claims and evidence; etc. Develop all writing skills: structuring arguments, balancing claims and evidence, developing paragraphs, creating effective sentences, formatting and citing material responsibly. Features of Successful Papers 1,500 words formatted in MLA style (8thedition) with properly cited sources At least 3 more sources (not including the primary texts, Heit, or Chung). These sources may be scholarly or popular. Given that you are applying the material to the contemporary U.S., I suspect that current news stories, articles, and similar sources will be relevant to the analysis. A strong introduction that begins with a strong hook, defines any terms necessary for the discussion, and identifies the central claim (thesis) of the essay, which should be focused on what these works of fiction teach us about the current situation in the United States. Several unified body paragraphs that develop the essay’s thesis using relevant concepts from the secondary sources and detailed, vivid examples from the primary sources. An effective organizational plan in which it is clear why ideas are ordered the way they are. Smooth transitions within (coherence) and between paragraphs (overall organization). A conclusion that provides a final overview of the argument reflecting on its significance (not simply a rote rehearsal of main ideas) Vivid vocabulary, sophisticated sentence structure, and accurate grammar and punctuation. No instances of intentional or unintentional plagiarism. No references to Wikipedia, dictionaries, encyclopedias, or other general sources. Use of proper citation practices including attribution, in-text citations, quotation marks around direct quotations, and a Works Cited page. English 1101