Essay Two Prompts
Essay Two requires an analytical exploration of Fast Food Nation and/or the excerpts from A Garlic Testament. Of course, you may also bring in – to further your analysis of Schlosser and/or Crawford’s writings – the additional texts we have read or viewed in class this semester, including the texts by George Sheehan, Barry Lopez, and George Faludy.
The draft (minimum of three pages) is due 30 April 2013 for an in-class workshop with your peers. This workshop is *mandatory*. The essay itself ( 5-6 pages in length) is due at the start of class on 7 May 2013.
ESSAY 2 PROMPTS:
The draft (minimum of three pages) is due 30 April 2013 for an in-class workshop with your peers. This workshop is *mandatory*. The essay itself ( 5-6 pages in length) is due at the start of class on 7 May 2013.
ESSAY 2 PROMPTS:
1. One of Schlosser’s arguments is that “we are what we eat” and because Americans eat a great deal of fast food now, his argument then becomes that the United States has now transformed into a “fast food nation”. Examine FFN for its discussion of the various positive and/or negative results of this change to the way the American nation eats. And/or analyze FFN for what it proposes about the American diet, and henceforth, the American character; if fast food has become the nation’s diet, what has the American become and what values does the American now espouse according to the text?
2. Growth is most often represented as a “good thing”. However, the growth of the fast food industry has come also with enormous costs – the dark side of progress. Discuss Schlosser's exploration and represenation of progress, including its "dark side.”
3. How does Schlosser employ the representation of children and adolescents in his book?
4. Discuss the use of the personal stories told in Schlosser’s book – for instance, analyse the author's use of Carl Karcher as a character; of the story of Kenny; of the representation of Hank's story, or that of Alex Donley.
5. Discuss the representation of the West and of the cowboy(s) in Fast Food Nation. Be sure to also consider the representation of the Vogtand Cowboys, in Plauen, Germany, as compared to Hank, the Colorado rancher who commits suicide.
6. Compare Schlosser's and/or Crawford's portrayal of the production and consumption of food in Fast Food Nation and in A Garlic Testament.
7. Explore the use of literary allusions employed throughout Fast Food Nation and/or A Garlic Testament.
8. Wendell Berry has noted that eating is an agricultural act, as well as a political one. Discuss this idea as developed in either Schlosser’s text, or Crawford’s text, or both.
9. Discuss the limitations of the free market enterprise, as set forth by either Schlosser’s text, or Crawford’s text, or both.
10. Discuss the suggestion by both Schlosser and Crawford that many important, fundamental elements of the American nation are founded upon socialist enterprises, despite the denial of this phenomenon.
11. Examine the similarities that exist between writing, farming, reading, and eating, as put forth by our authors.
12. Explore the role of Los Alamos and the work done there as set next to Crawford’s work, in A Garlic Testament. And/or, compare Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, housed in Cheyenne Mountain, as set forth in Fast Food Nation. What point(s) might the authors be making? Why frame their texts with the descriptions of these military sites?
13. A topic of your choice which must first be approved by the instructor.
2. Growth is most often represented as a “good thing”. However, the growth of the fast food industry has come also with enormous costs – the dark side of progress. Discuss Schlosser's exploration and represenation of progress, including its "dark side.”
3. How does Schlosser employ the representation of children and adolescents in his book?
4. Discuss the use of the personal stories told in Schlosser’s book – for instance, analyse the author's use of Carl Karcher as a character; of the story of Kenny; of the representation of Hank's story, or that of Alex Donley.
5. Discuss the representation of the West and of the cowboy(s) in Fast Food Nation. Be sure to also consider the representation of the Vogtand Cowboys, in Plauen, Germany, as compared to Hank, the Colorado rancher who commits suicide.
6. Compare Schlosser's and/or Crawford's portrayal of the production and consumption of food in Fast Food Nation and in A Garlic Testament.
7. Explore the use of literary allusions employed throughout Fast Food Nation and/or A Garlic Testament.
8. Wendell Berry has noted that eating is an agricultural act, as well as a political one. Discuss this idea as developed in either Schlosser’s text, or Crawford’s text, or both.
9. Discuss the limitations of the free market enterprise, as set forth by either Schlosser’s text, or Crawford’s text, or both.
10. Discuss the suggestion by both Schlosser and Crawford that many important, fundamental elements of the American nation are founded upon socialist enterprises, despite the denial of this phenomenon.
11. Examine the similarities that exist between writing, farming, reading, and eating, as put forth by our authors.
12. Explore the role of Los Alamos and the work done there as set next to Crawford’s work, in A Garlic Testament. And/or, compare Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, housed in Cheyenne Mountain, as set forth in Fast Food Nation. What point(s) might the authors be making? Why frame their texts with the descriptions of these military sites?
13. A topic of your choice which must first be approved by the instructor.