spook country analysis.
English 101 | Essay #2: Ghosts in the (Locative) Shells | Essay Prompt & Rubric You will write a 1,100-1,300-word critical thinking piece discussing how surveillance, technology, globalization, and spirituality intersect in Spook Country. Questions: How does the novel imagine (and problematize) the idea of our globalized present? How do the characters’ actions and emotional responses complicate our understanding of interactive, digital interfaces? In what way does the book critique domestic surveillance in a post-9-/11 reality? How does Gibson use “ghosts” and other spectral features to enrich (or destabilize) the atmosphere of the novel? How does the conclusion impact the strength of these symbolic and cultural threads that bind the novel together? And then, of course, so what? What do we do with this information? How does the novel tell us something about ourselves, or about our culture? (These are but some of the questions that may inform your invention work.) Support your critical reading by quoting or citing relevant passages in the text. You will need to drill into specific scenes and explain their value. For example, think about the carpet scene where the image of an ideal rug is mapped onto Bigend (108); to explain that scene as a critical thinker, describe the initial description of the rug, then explain what a Platonic form of something is, then describe the scene with Bigend, then make an argument regarding how that overlay imitates others in the text. DO NOT USE OUTSIDE SUMMARIES OR BOOK REVIEWS OF THE NOVEL. For instance, you should not have a paragraph that talks about how “the novel follows Hollis Henry, formerly of the cult band The Curfew. She is now a freelance journalist hired by advertising powerhouse Hubertus Bigend for the maybe-real, maybe-not-real magazine Node.” (This is a slightly massaged version of the Wikipedia summary…) Your essay is graded holistically, as the sum of its “parts.” The below percentages indicate the approximate weight given to the individual scoring categories. Please be aware that an “average” paper that is the appropriate length, meets the formatting requirements, and generally makes a successful bid for the prompt’s goals shall merit a “C.” A substandard paper will receive a grade of “D” or “F.” Papers that show proficiency and some advanced levels of writing will fall in the “B” range. Scores within the “A” range are reserved for advanced writers whose work command attention and demonstrate a very high level of execution on all fronts.