Short Paper #2: The Trappings of Earth





“I think I’d rearrange the civilization on Mars so it resembled Earth more and more each day. If there was any way of reproducing every plant, every road, and every lake, and even an ocean, I’d do so. Then by some vast crowd hypnosis I’d convince everyone in a town this size that this really was Earth, not Mars at all” (“The Third Expedition”).

For your second short paper, I want you to imagine that you’re in charge of establishing an Earth-2 on another planet. While you don’t have to worry about the realities of living there (the scientists took care of that), you have to figure out how to convince people that this is their new home which can look and feel almost like Earth. Ideally, within a few years, they will think that this is Earth, or at least an acceptable substitute for it.  

Based on some of the ideas from The Martian Chronicles, discuss one aspect of culture you would immediately re-establish on the new planet. For example, you might want to immediately create schools on the new planet, so everyone could still attain the same level of education; or you might build fast food restaurants, so that everyone could remember what it’s like to eat hamburgers and milkshakes while their kids play on the slide. Think about your own life and consider the one thing you did growing up that is most essential to your experience on Earth, and explain why this would be essential on the new planet as well.

SHOW us why it was so important to you, and why it might help preserve a sense of sanity and normalcy among pioneers of a new planet. ALSO, explain how you might preserve or modify some specific aspect of it—for example, maybe you want fast food places to occasionally mess up your order, since that was an important part of the experience? Or schools that still have mean principals to give the students something to bond over?

Be sure to QUOTE from the book for support; show that you’re both having a conversation about culture that uses science fiction as a framework (and don’t use the quote I included at the top of this assignment!).

REQUIREMENTS
  • 2-3 pages, double spaced
  • At least one quote from the book, enough to show you responding to some idea in the book (not a random quote, but one you engage with)
  • Due Friday, March 29th in class [note: we do have class that day—bring your paper with you]

Comments