For Tuesday: Superman, American Alien: "Eagle," "Angel," and "Valkyrie"

NOTE: The Paper #2 assignment is the post BELOW this one.

Answer TWO of the following for our next class: 

Q1: In “Angel,” Pete is arguing with Clark about the future of Superman and what role he intends to play in society. He finally tells him, “Superman will never be able to retire.” What is it that Pete sees that Clark doesn’t here? Why is Superman bigger than one hero or one alien or one costume? (and related to this, why should he start talking to the other people who are  “like him” in the world)?

Q2: In “Eagle,” Clark reflects that “It feels good to help people. No, I’m not afraid…what’s there to be afraid of?” What hasn’t he figured out yet about being a super hero, and how do the next three stories show him why there’s a lot to be afraid about? Also, why is a superhero more than simply saving lives and feeling good about yourself?

Q3: The last two chapters are called "Angel" and "Valkyrie," which are NOT the names of birds, though both of them technically fly. Why do you think Landis moved away from bird names in these two comics? What changed about the stories or Clark's maturation process here? 

Q4: "Valkyrie" is the only comic, other than "Hawk," that shows Clark fighting a villain, though in this comic, he is LITERALLY Superman fighting a traditional supervillain (Lobo). However, what makes this battle more than just a bang-pow brawl? How does the battle become symbolic of a larger 'fight' that Clark has to overcome?

Paper #2: The Real Thing (due October 14th)

English 1213

Paper #2: The Real Thing

INTRO: In the comic “The Real Question,” the character with the strange name says, “I don’t need a body. I’ve lived on, and will live on, in the head, the heads of the authors who write me…I’m living in your head right now…Ideas are agency” (Landis). What he means by this, of course, is that a single idea can live forever when passed from one mind to another, over decades or even centuries, becoming as real as anyone who ever lived. Maybe more real, since more people know the idea than the people who dream them. So a symbol, like Superman, can live for a thousand years if enough people keep him alive in their minds and believe in his existence (or what he represents).

PROMPT: For your second paper, I want you to write about a work of art that is extremely meaningful for you—something you literally believe in. By ‘art’ I mean a book, movie, show, song, or actual piece of art that isn’t exactly real—that portrays fictional characters and events or ideas—but that feels to you as real as anything else in your life. Explain how you first discovered this work of art, and why you connected with it: what it seemed to teach you or helped you see or understand. Then discuss why it has stayed with you over time, and also what others see in it as well. Consider how it, like Superman, has continued to evolve over time, so that many people in many different times and lands can identify with it. Do other people see the same thing you do? Or do you see something unique when it lives inside your head?

REQUIREMENTS: For this paper, you need at least FOUR sources, ONE of which must be Superman: American Alien. Obviously, you don’t have to write about Superman, but you should use these ideas in the comic to help you discuss your own work of art. Then find at least THREE sources that help you discuss it, either articles or interviews or websites about the work of art itself, or anything that helps explain “why does it matter?” to us, as well as “why it matters to you.”

PAGE LIMIT: Up to you, but be sure to actually address the assignment, and have a CONVERSATION with your sources.

CITATION: Cite all sources using MLA or APA format. If you need help figuring out how to cite sources, check out this helpful site: https://owl.purdue.edu/ (choose MLA or APA Guide). Include a Works Cited page for all your sources.

DUE: Tuesday, October 14^th by 5pm either in hard copy OR via e-mail. PLEASE use Word for this paper—do not write it out long hand.

For Tuesday: Superman: American Alien, “Parrot” & “Owl” & The Two Mini-Comics In-Between

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: “Parrot” seems to allude to the fact that parrots can imitate human speech and ‘pretend’ to be something they’re not. While Clark Kent is literally pretending to be Bruce Wayne (Batman) in this comic, what other identities is he “parroting”? What does his one-night fling with Minerva teach him about finding his “true” self (or does he)?

Q2: The style of these two chapters is dramatically different from one another and from the pervious comics, as “Parrot” is bright and humorous, while Owl is angular, fuzzy, and tense. Why might Superman in particular be so adaptable to all these different stories and approaches? It might be harder, for example, to tell a Batman or Wonder Woman story this way.

Q3: In “Owl,” Clark Kent meets Superman’s arch-rival, Lex Luthor, and has a one-on-one interview with him (though of course Luthor doesn’t know who he really is). During this interview, Luthor tells him “People aren’t important. Not as a whole...That’s why you see people throughout history rising above the masses. Those are the changers. Those are the doers. You are not important. You’re not. I am.” How are we supposed to read this speech? Is it true? Is he helping Clark to understand/embrace his own identity? Could these words ever be expressed by a superhero? Or are they fundamentally a sociopath’s point of view?

Q4: In the short comic after “Parrot,” which is entitled “The Real Question,” the alien known as Mxyzpltlk breaks down the “fourth wall” and talks directly to the reader. Why are comics able to do this more effectively than a traditional novel? And what does he mean by the sentence, “We are gods. You are just puppets”?

Conference Sign Up Sheet (for next week!)

Below is the sign-up sheet for conferences next week, which is ALL we are doing next week. In the conference, I will not only give you back your paper, but will also give you the reading/questions for Superman: American Alien for NEXT Tuesday. If you haven't signed up for a conference, please let me know which of the open slots you can attend, or let me know another time you can come. 

CONFERENCE SIGN-UP SHEET FOR NEXT WEEK

TUESDAY

9:00 Jacob

9:10 David

9:20 Ramsey

9:30 Destiny

9:40 Kaitlyn

9:50 Lauren

10:00 Yareli

10:10 Julie

10:20 Prizma

10:30 Aubrey

10:40 Bethany

THURSDAY

9:00 Seth

9:10

9:20 Sujal

9:30 Abishek

9:40 Karsen

9:50

10:00 Nova

10:10

10:20

10:30

10:40 Cindy

For Thursday: Superman: American Alien, “Dove” and “Hawk”

 

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NOTE: Read the first two stories/chapters of the book, "Dove" and "Hawk" for Wednesday's class. If you're confused about where to stop, you can stop reading where you see the full page of Clark on a boat with a with a bunch of women and champagne glasses.

Answer TWO of the following

Q1: Discuss how the art in one of the chapters helps to tell the story, and is also appropriate for that story. Why would this story be much different if we switched illustrations with the other story? Discuss at least one specific panel or page in your response.

Q2: What does Clark mean in “Dove” when he tells his father, “When you break something, you’re not just breaking the thing, you’re like...hurting everyone who made it the way it was”? Why might this also say something about Clark’s relationship to his powers and his mysterious identity as an “alien”?

Q3: Most modern heroes, and especially super heroes, tend to be more “gray” than “white,” and less “super” than “suspect.” How does “Hawk” discuss the thin line between being a hero and a villain for Clark? According to this story, what makes him a hero rather than a “monster”?

Q4: In-between the two chapters, there is a two-page illustration called “The Castaways.” How does it connect the two stories without “telling” us outright? Why can single picture do this even more powerfully than a paragraph or an entire story? 

Citing Sources Handout & Revised Calendar

 Class: If you missed class on Thursday, or just blocked all of last week out, here is the handout we went over in class about citing sources in your paper. Also, the revised course calendar for the next few weeks follows, which has us starting Superman: American Alien on Thursday, so be sure to buy the book from the bookstore if you haven't already (or get a digital copy on-line)! 

CITING SOURCES FOR PAPER #1

In Weinsten’s science-fiction story, “Openness,” the characters live in a world where everyone is surrounded by layers of information, which allow people to interact with people virtually, without speech or normal contact. One of the main characters, Katie, teaches senior citizens to use this new technology. However, as the story explains, “Her main challenge, she said, was getting older folks to understand the value of their layers. “Every class they ask me why we can’t just talk instead,” she shared as we lay in bed. Though Katie and I occasionally spoke, it was always accompanied by layers” (Beliot). This is interesting because…

INTRODUCE quotations/sources before you quote them. Give us context for the quote: who said it and where. Also set up the source—don’t assume we all know it. QUOTE AND CITE PROPERLY: use the page number from the handout OR the website title.  RESPOND TO THE QUOTE: Be sure to explain why you quoted this passage and/or what you think it adds to the conversation.

WORKS CITED PAGE: List all your sources in alphabetical order (only one for this paper, but others will have multiple sources)

Weinstein, Alexander. “Openness.” Beloit Fiction Journal. 28 Nov. 2019. https://www.beloit.edu/live/news/1024-openness

 

REVISED COURSE CALENDAR FOR NEXT WEEK-FALL BREAK

T 16                      Intro: Superman & Comics/ Paper #1 due

R 18                      Superman: American Alien, “Dove,” “Hawk”

 

T 23                      Paper #1 Conferences

R 25                      Paper #1 Conferences

 

T 30                      Superman: American Alien, “Parrot” & “Owl”

 

OCTOBER

R 2                        Writing Workshop #5

 

T 7                         Superman: American Alien, “Eagle,” “Angel” & “Valkyrie”

 

R 9                        FALL BREAK

 

Paper #1 assignment: Welcome From the Future!

NOTE: The questions and reading for Tuesday's class are in the post BELOW this one. 

English 1213

Paper #1: Welcome From the Future!

GUIDING QUOTE: “She taught senior citizens how to successfully navigate their layers. She’s helped a retired doctor upload images of his grandchildren so strangers could congratulate him, and assisted a ninety-three-year-old widow in sharing her mourning with the world. Her main challenge, she said, was getting older folks to understand the value of their layers. “Every class they ask me why we can’t just talk instead.” (Weinstein, “Openness”)

PROMPT: Since we’re now in the “future,” even though it looks like the present to us, it’s a good time to ask the question: do you think people are generally happier, more adapted, more prepared, or simply more satisfied with their lives than they were 25 years ago (circa 2000)? Have advances in technology, communication, travel, entertainment, and education put us on the road to a better, brighter tomorrow? Would ECU students of 2000 be envious of the Class of 2029’s reality?

Answer this question by looking at 1-2 things you have today that ECU students didn’t have in the year 2000 (or not in the same way as we do today). Have these things increased our happiness, our understanding (of society, of each other), and/or our education? Can we do without them today? Should we? Imagine you’re talking to someone from the year 2000 who doesn’t have or use these things, and try to explain why they’re important to you, and what they do for you on a daily basis. Can you justify these changes, or do you feel you need to apologize for them? Would you get rid of them…or would you be excited to share them with the Class of 2004? You might also think about whether college is easier or harder today thanks to our ‘future’ advances?

REQUIREMENTS:

• Answer the prompt with examples from 1-2 modern ‘marvels’
• Don’t talk generally—make this a personal essay. Talk about how you use and experience these innovations.
• Write to a student from the year 2000. Imagine what they didn’t have and might not know about our ‘future.’ Try to explain the normal things that are not normal to them.
• Quote from at least ONE of the essays/stories in class to help support your ideas/discussion. We’ll talk about how to incorporate quotations into your paper.
• DUE Tuesday, September 16^th by 5pm 

For Tuesday: Bailey, "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" (story)

LINK TO STORY: https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/fiction/i-was-a-teenage-werewolf/

Answer TWO of the following:

NOTE: Q1 and Q2 below is different than the one I gave you in class, since it refers to a story we didn't end up reading. I apologize for this oversight! The new Q1 now makes a lot more sense, and I tried to make Q2 more clarified as well. 

Q1: What does the Narrator meant when they write, "It was a pleasure to be afraid" (290)? How does fear "unite" the community, and why do they take a certain comfort in knowing that something evil is "out there," hunting them, watching them at every minute? Related to this, what might this say about our own love of horror movies and True Crime shows and podcasts? 

Q2: Why is the story called "I Was a Teenager Werewolf," when the narrator isn't a first-person narrator? Is there a reason we never learn the Narrator's name or even gender? And why might the title include "Was" instead of "Is"? Could that also be significant? 

Q3: The narrator claims that the anonymity of the werewolf gave them a certain power in their community. As he/she explains, “if we were both sovereign and slave to our terror, our teachers and parents were slaves alone. As long as no one knew who the teenage werewolf was, it could be any one of us” (296). Why does this give them power over their teachers and parents? How does this bond the teenagers together as a group?

Q4: The ending of the this story is surprising and a bit shocking: why do you think Bailey ends the story with all the adults being eaten/murdered? Is the point of the story to say “teenagers are evil and can’t be trusted”? Or does he have another intention? Why make every teenager a werewolf and every adult a victim?

For Tuesday: Weinsten, “Openness” (2016)

 

Link to Story On-Line: https://www.beloit.edu/live/news/1024-openness

After reading, answer TWO of the questions for Tuesday’s class:

Q1: What are the “layers” that the narrator constantly refers to in this story? How does it relate to our own processes of displaying our identities on-line today? Do you think we could ever get this this point (and would you want to)?

Q2: Once the narrator becomes involved with Katie, he remarks, “There was something beautiful about sharing things in the old way—the two of us walking by the shore, the smell of the pine sap, the summer air cooling in the afternoon—and for the first time in years, I wished I had a sketchpad with me” (145). Why do the layers prevent this kind of interaction with other people and the world? Do we have the same problem with our own “layers”?

Q3: What does the author mean when he writes, “We were the first generation to grow up with layers, a group of kids who’d produced thousands of tutorials on blocking unwanted users but not a single one on empathy” (148)? Why might we consider this one of the main ideas of the story—and what the narrator, himself, learns through this relationship?

Q4: How could we argue that this story, for all its science fiction technology, is actually about a completely different kind of “layers” that we all have (not just the internet)? In other words, how is this story about the difficulty of having meaningful relationships in general, even aside from technology?  

 

For Tuesday: Marche, "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?" (handout)

 

NOTE: If you missed Thursday's class, I will leave a few copies of the essay in the box on my door (HM 348). Please pick one up if you would like to read it in hard copy form. There is a link to the article on-line, but it might not work for everyone, so don't rely on it: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/is-facebook-making-us-lonely/308930/

For Tuesday's class, read the article and answer any TWO of the following question in a short response--at least a few sentences, and try to give me a personal response rather than an answer. By that I mean, tell me what you think, and not just what you think the 'right' answer is (because there isn't one). 

VOCABULARY (a few words you might try to define in the essay--we'll discuss them in class): alienation, encapsulates, neuroticism, confidant, autonomy, irrelevance, phenomenon, labyrinth, "correlation is not causation," integration, gaucherie, Luddite, narcissism, stoic

Answer TWO of the following...

Q1: This is an older article from 2012, so we're now in the 'future' of this article. The author claims that Facebook tends to make us "broader but shallower" (289). Do you agree with him? Has Facebook continued to do this in the 10+ years since this article has been written? And what about other forms of social media more popular today? Are they all making us increasingly lonely...or has a reverse trend occurred in one of these forms (Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc.)? 

Q2: Marche claims in the article that the problem isn't just with Facebook (or that Facebook isn't the chief cause of our loneliness). Rather, he states that "We are lonely because we want to be lonely. We have made ourselves lonely" (293). What do you think he means by this? What examples does he use in the essay to support this strange claim? 

Q3: The author claims that one of the advantages of Facebook (and social media in general) is "smooth sociability" (298). What does he mean by this phrase, and have you experienced this yourself? What might be the downside of this kind of socializing: meeting people without having to break the ice, so to speak? 

Q4: The essay opens not with a thesis statement or any discussion of Facebook at all, but with a kid of obituary of a formerly famous Hollywood actress. What is the significance of this Introduction, and why does it serve as a kind of 'thesis' all on its own? How does it begin to make sense the more we read of the essay? 

Welcome to the Course!

Welcome to the Course! In this section of Freshman Composition 2, we'll work on making you a more confident reader AND writer through a loose theme of 'science fact and fiction,' which will help you explore many of the BIG conversations of the 21st century. Even if you don't care about space, aliens, superheroes, or robots, this class is really about US, and our moment in time right now. Thinking about the future is always a way to look at the present, and better understand the past, since we're never "in" the future--it's always the present. That's what makes stories about the worlds to come so interesting. They're always speculative, meaning they're always a way to ask "what if," or maybe, "why did this happen?" The essays, stories, and books in this class are designed to make you question yourself and your society, and become a better reader and writer in the process. 

BE SURE TO BUY THE TWO BOOKS FOR THE COURSE! They should be in the bookstore by now, and are both pretty cheap. I'll also give you several handouts/links of readings throughout the semester, but these books are mandatory reading for the class. 

Guiding Quote for the Class: “It is called the Overview Effect. It’s not a single epiphany, but rather a series of them, all triggered by the simple act of staring at the world from space…The orbital view is harsh and matter-of-fact. There is beauty below, but humans are everywhere, their cities and suburbs filling the most livable spaces, the indelible signs of industry stitched across the others. This is your final epiphany: It’s not a big world at all. It’s smaller than you can possibly describe” (Sofge, “The Early Adopter’s Guide to Space Travel”).