Tuesday, October 14, 2003
Reading
- Mark Twain, “Corn-pone Opinions” (Oates, 1–5)
- John Updike, “The Disposable Rocket” (Oates, 549–552)
Notes
Remember that you should come to class having written one or two sentences on each question (in addition to the usual response paper); these will be used to jump-start discussion, and you may be asked to share your answers. Without further ado, here are Tuesday’s questions:
- Twain, “Corn-Pone Opinions”: What do you think of Twain’s view of conformity? Should we evaluate the opinions that we share with a larger community? Can one person possess a belief that no one else has (ignore the logical fallacy of discovering the specific beliefs of every person who ever lived)?
- Updike, “The Disposable Rocket”: What is this essay really about? (If you can get past the “graphic” details, you might be surprised.)
There are, of course, many other questions; feel free to ask some of your own. See you in class!