Everything's An Argument should offer you some solid advice and presents example essays (2) from pp. 185-209.
Evaluative Claims
Evaluating is something we do every day: what's the best way to get downtown at rush hour, who makes the best pizza in town, whether or not we should outlaw smoking in restaurants in Pittsburgh. For this paper, you will write your own evaluation on a topic of your choosing.
You will need to include a discussion of your standards of evaluation as well (criteria). However, here some officially approved topics you may select to write about.
Question 1: Honor films have been around since the dawn of motion pictures, and as with any other genre horror films have seen various sub-movements within the genre come and go. Perhaps the most popular variety of current horror films are the so-called "torture porn" films such as the Saw or Hostel franchises, which depict violence done to the human body in sickening detail. Other directors of horror films (such as George Romero of the Dawn of the Dead series) have questioned the value of these films. What do you think? Is "torture porn" a good or bad development for horror films, for Hollywood, or for our culture?
Question 2: According to Kanye West himself: "I think what Kanye West is going to mean is something similar to what Steve Jobs means. I am undoubtedly, you know, Steve of Internet, downtown, fashion, culture." Clearly Steve Jobs had a major impact on the computer and music industries, but to what degree? Can Kanye put himself in the same category? What do you think? What kind of impact did Steve Jobs have, and what could Kanye do to match it? Has he already achieved it?
Question 3: Scientists have already accomplished the wondrous and strange act of growing lab-grown, or in vitro, meat that is being tested for human consumption. While some see this as a way to satisfy some of the ethical concerns of eating meat, others still find the idea repulsive. What do you think? Is lab-grown meat a viable alternative to more traditional methods of meat consumption?
Question 4: TBA in class
Some areas to consider: Who are the important stakeholders in this issue? What terms ("torture porn," "ethical meat," "Steve of culture," "gaming") need to be defined? What are the dominant points of view on the issue? Then, look at the dissenting positions of various important politicians, scientists, and religious groups on the issue. Also, find examples of politicians who differ from their party's official positions, and even find interest groups who mke arguments about the issue. More than anything, make sure that the sources you quote are credible and add authority to your argument.
In your response to this question, I term in question, in addition, I want you conclusions and about your criteria) and want you to set forth criteria for how you evaluate the Y to find those who disagree with you (both about your rebut their objections. In each question, you will need to draw on outside evidence, sources, and opinions. Each of these questions will ask you to bring in information that you must research and you will be graded on how you cite this information.
You can see examples essays and some good explanations of the criteria and form of this,valuation in Chapter 10 of Everything's an Argument, pp. 210-239.
General requirements for all options:
- 5-6 pages
- 5+ outside sources
- rough draft stapled and presented in hard copy on workshop date
- final draft submitted via Blackboard by 11:59 pm on due date
- MLA format
If you choose another topic, you will need to clear it the instructor before proceeding.