Happy Halloween!

Return of the Jedi's Han, Leia, and Wicket

Stay tuned in class for further instructions on the blogs. My plan is that our next and final blog postings will be rough rough drafts for our final essays. Be thinking about what stories or novels you might want to write about for the final essay—you can write about anything we've read from the entire semester (not just the texts we've read since midterms).

The Shaving Scene

Below this post you will find the places where you can discuss meeting up to do the extra credit.

I just wanted to post this ultra-scary (consider yourself warned!) film rendition of the shaving scene from Stoker's Dracula. Jonathan Harker is played by Keanu Reeves (the guy from The Matrix and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure) and Dracula himself is played by Gary Oldham (also known as Sirius Black from the Harry Potter films). Oldham is AWESOME in this role. Also, Keanu Reeves's British accent is awful.

Enjoy. And be super creeped out. And get excited about being able to discuss Dracula next week!

Extra Credit Groups for 9:00 Class

Please use the comment function for this posting to form groups interested in working together on the extra credit assignment in lieu of this Friday's class.

I recommend suggesting a time a meeting place and then inviting interested students reply to this comment. Please don't write anybody's home addresses—let's try to stick to public places, preferably on campus. It's fine if you want to meet at someone's apartment, for example, just don't write this address in the comments on this blog.

Email me directly if you have questions or can't seem to find a partner to work with!

Extra Credit Groups for 12:00 Class

Please use the comment function for this posting to form groups interested in working together on the extra credit assignment in lieu of this Friday's class.

I recommend suggesting a time a meeting place and then inviting interested students reply to this comment. Please don't write anybody's home addresses—let's try to stick to public places, preferably on campus. It's fine if you want to meet at someone's apartment, for example, just don't write this address in the comments on this blog.

Email me directly if you have questions or can't seem to find a partner to work with!

Some Supplementary Materials from Fellow Students

Hey all, some of you have been sharing some excellent source materials with me that I would like to invite the entire class to learn from, if interested. I've wanted to bring up these things in class, but we keep running out of time doing other good things. Since I don't need to come up with more writing prompts this week, I thought this would be a nice post instead.

Feel free to refer to these sources in your five-page papers if they are helpful! Let me know if you have questions about how to document these materials!

Here is a link to a recent NPR interview with Sherman Alexie on a segment called Watch This! in which celebrity figures give recommendations about television or video segments that they enjoy (awesome premise for a show, right?). Anyway, in the interview Alexie talks about basketball and noble savages, among other topics we have discussed in class. Definitely worth a quick listen if you are writing about Alexie's work. Also on the webpage are a collection of the video clips that Alexie says to watch. Thanks for sharing with us, Zachary!

Here is the Vlog Brothers' "Existential Airport Anxiety," a clever, insightful rant that references Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 but applies just as nicely with Huxley's A Brave New World. Definitely worth a watch. Thanks for sharing with us, Laura!

And this last one is from me. It is a video interview from 1995 with Neil Postman talking about "Cyberspace" (right when the internet was brand new). Anyway, interesting stuff, especially when he talks about how the internet will pull people outside of society and make them too individualistic. Shock! I would have thought he would be all about individuality over society in the same way that Huxley is, but Postman seems to make the argument that people need to be in the same buildings together so we can learn the same "language," so to speak, and keep society intact. Anyway, I thought it might interest a few of you wanting to incorporate Postman into your papers.

Phase 3 Writing Prompts for Oct. 15

Huxley writes that A Brave New World deals with the kind of "herd-poisoning" he argued that Hitler used to move the masses. How relevant is Huxley's novel for today's technological advancements and society?

Here are the writing prompts for Phase 3. Don't forget to post your 500–750-word reading responses by 9:00 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 15. As always, I am available during office hours and via email if you need any advice during the writing process. The Writing Center is also a valuable resource; they are open 9:00 to 5:00, MWF, on the first floor of the Philosophy building next door.

Prompt 1: Compare the "savage" reservation in A Brave New World to the "civilized" society in London. How do the people in London define "civilization"? In what ways are the people on the reservation considered "savage" to them? Then, make an argument about which place is more "human" in the way that you think "humanity" should be defined. Do the people on the reservation depict what it means to be human, or do the people in London come closer to achieving the goals that humanity strives for? Be sure to support your argument with specific moments from the text.

Consider researching different depictions or definitions of "civilization" and "humanity." What are "the humanities"? What does it mean to be "savage"? Share where you gathered your information and discuss how these definitions illuminate the usage of these words in Huxley's novel.

Prompt 2: Who do you think is the "hero" of A Brave New World? What I mean is, which of the characters do you think is the best example of what it means to be human and intelligent? Keeping in mind what Huxley writes in "Propaganda Under a Dictatorship," are there any characters in his novel that illustrate the "intellectuals" who refuse to become herd poisoned? Who would they be? Do you think that anyone in the novel "does the right thing" in the end, or are they all misguided? Choose a focused argument inspired by one or more of these questions and support your argument with specific examples from the text.

I recommend referring to Huxley's article in your response. Also, consider looking at other articles that Huxley published on similar issues, or researching some of the historical or cultural contexts of either A Brave New World or A Brave New World Revisited (where Huxley's article was originally published).

Prompt 3: Margaret Atwood argues that a A Brave New World is still applicable to today's society. Do you agree? If you do, piggyback onto Atwood's article and discuss ways—besides the ones she mentions—that Huxley is still an important read today (and worth reading in spite of the political incorrectness of many aspects regarding race and gender). If you disagree, respond to Atwood's article and argue why Huxley's novel is outdated for today's audience. (You may also write a mixture of agreeing and disagreeing, but just be sure that you argument is still specific and focused.)

Consider researching reasons why A Brave New World has been banned in the past and including these cases as part of your discussion. I definitely recommend referring to Atwood in your response. Consider focusing your response on how Huxley handles themes of technology, class, race, gender, or education. You also might want to include research about today's modern technology to point out whether what Huxley claimed about science and progress holds true today or not.

Already have an idea of what you want to write about? Great! Go for it. I do, however, require that if you do not follow one of the above prompts, you must email me in advance your thesis statement or the question of your own that you want to answer. This way, I can give you helpful feedback concerning scope and depth, and you can rest assured that you are on the right track for this assignment.

Phase 2 Writing Prompts for Oct. 8

Here are the writing prompts for Phase 2. Don't forget to post your 500–750-word reading responses by 9:00 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 8. As always, I am available during office hours and via email if you need any advice during the writing process. The Writing Center is also a valuable resource; they are open 9:00 to 5:00, MWF, on the first floor of the Philosophy building next door.

Prompt 1: Names seem to be very important in Huxley's A Brave New World. For this response, gather research on some of the different names in the novel and present what you find. Make sure that your thesis statement makes a claim about why these names are important and how they bring new meaning to the novel's overall themes (be specific about what those themes are). Use textual evidence to support your claims and be sure to cite all of your research (including where you researched the names).

Prompt 2: Huxley's A Brave New World is a dystopian novel originally published in 1932—are the themes in this novel still relevant today? For this response, compare A Brave New World with a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel, short story, or film produced since 1990. In what ways are the two stories similar or different from one another? (Be careful not to get stuck on obvious similarities and differences. Think in terms of overall themes rather than plot points.) Is the message from Huxley's Brave New World mimicked, modified, or completely different in the post-1990 film? Be sure to include evidence from both stories to support your claims.

Prompt 3: Prompt 2 calls A Brave New World a "dystopian" novel, but could it also be read as utopian? For this response, make an argument about why Huxley's futuristic society is actually utopian. Be sure to support your claims with ample textual evidence. Consider comparing A Brave New World with other utopian or dystopian societies from other books, films, or stories throughout time if this will help you make your case.

Already have an idea of what you want to write about? Great! Go for it. I do, however, require that if you do not follow one of the above prompts, you must email me in advance your thesis statement or the question of your own that you want to answer. This way, I can give you helpful feedback concerning scope and depth, and you can rest assured that you are on the right track for this assignment.