Why Read Spring 2020

1) How does the rating system at the heart of the episode work to organize society?  2) What values, behaviors, and beliefs does the system promote? 3) What values, beliefs, and behaviors does the system actively or passively punish or discourage? What are the consequences for those who behave outside the norm? 4) How is the rating system a form of currency in this society? Do they also use "real money"? How are the two related? 5) What parallels do you see between this system and current forms of social media in our world? What about other forms of surveillance or social control in our society? 6) How does the pastel aesthetic complement the themes of the episode? 7) What utopian elements does the society possess? What dystopian elements? 8) The episode seems to encourage a kind of freedom or escape from the system as a solution to it. Is freedom or escape really possible in this society? What would be the consequences of a life lived bucking the syst

The book is titled The Stepford Wives, but it could also be titled The Stepford Husbands. What do you make of the husbands in the novel, and what are their goals?       How is this a book about domestic labor and the invisible work that housewives and mothers do? What are the forms of labor that they do that are uncompensated and often not seen or appreciated?    How do media and pornographic representations of women inform the men’s vision of the “perfect” Stepford Wives? The Disney animatronics play a role in the narrative, as the creator of the women robots is a Disney animatronics engineer. In addition to being known for their  cutting-edge  innovations, Disney has also long been a huge influencer in terms of the American imagination. How might Disney’s “worldview” have also influenced the men in the novel? Do you see any parallels between The S tepford  W ives  robots and early Disney princesses such as Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty?  

DIRECTIONS: Work on one person's paper at a time. Please answer in complete sentences and take time and care in responding, as you will be graded on your answers. You do not need to write down the questions. You should address all questions within a given section. Give the notes to the Paper Author when finished. They will hand it in to me next week at the beginning of class on the day your final paper is due, and you will both get credit for the assignment. 1)  Is the essay's thesis clear? Point out any areas where it could be clearer. Is it arguable? Is it well-qualified (specific)? Even if the thesis seems to be specific enough, suggest a way for the writer to make it even more specific and narrow (i.e. do they list the topics they plan to discuss in the body paragraphs?). Also note any awkward grammar or unclear word choice. (Note: the thesis should not just be a list of topics with no indication of why they matter and what ties them together). 2) Does the wri

Should be at minimum three full pages, typed and double-spaced. Anything shorter than this will not receive credit and you will not be allowed to participate in workshop. Should have all outside sources utilized in the paper, somewhere. Should be in paragraph/standard essay form -- no outlines. Should include a fourth Works Cited page with Kindred and the outside sources on it. *Please note that the final draft length is included on the prompt. The length here (3 pages) is for the rough draft only.

) How does social media affect the relationship between the two romantic partners in the episode Be Right Back, before he dies? 2) How has the way we deal with grief changed due to social media? Consider for a moment Facebook's "Legacy Contact" option, which allows users to select a friend or family member to keep their account alive (think of a "digital" gravestone) after their death, or to elect to have ones account deleted upon their death. 3) How is this Facebook Legacy Contact option similar to the robot technology in the episode Be Right Back? If the technology in the episode were really possible, do you think it would be ethical to bring back someone back in this manner after they die? What are the potential consequences of doing so (consider what happens to the woman in the episode)? 4) What are some of the existential questions that AI and androids raise, in this episode and more generally? What do they have to teach us about what it