Monday, Sept. 12th, around 930 pm

Hello,
Below you will find a copy of Out of Class Essay 1 Assignment that you received in class today.

AND SOME REMINDERS...

1. For those of you in section 14, I would like to remind you (since I did not remember in class BUT did remember in section 16) to bring your Handbook to class on Wednesday. As you know, whenever something is due to be read, you bring that item to class. So again, this is merely a reminder. And as we have discussed, you can bring the actual Handbook or a laptop in order to access the material in class; of course you can print out a hard copy as well. There just could be a quiz...

2. If for some reason you have NOT viewed the TED talk, "The Year of Living Biblically," be sure to view it before coming to class on Wednesday.

3. As I explained in class, next Wednesday there will be no class. Please make the following changes on your course outline:
In Week Four, please move the activities for Wednesday the 21st to Monday, Sept 26th.


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English 20, Sections 14 & 16
Fall, 2011
Catherine Fraga, Instructor

Out of Class Essay Assignment #1—200 points possible—VOICES AGAINST CONFORMITY

• Assigned: Monday, Sept. 12
• Rough Draft Due (OPTIONAL), typed & double spaced, no later than: Monday, Sept. 26
• Final Draft Due: Monday, October 3, typed & double spaced

***Note that you have two weeks to research and write this essay. Your final draft should reflect this.

Let’s take a closer look at the issue of conformity/non-conformity.

The most interesting, focused and articulate essays I receive from students are ones where the students select their own specific topic and are genuinely intrigued by the topic.

For this essay, you will research and write about one person who is/was considered a non-conformist in his/her field of interest.

This topic allows for a wealth of flexibility and choice.

Your focus will be on a person working in an area (and time period in history) that you are most interested in: photography; art; literature; politics; film; music; fashion; science; mathematics; education; or ???

To get a better idea of some possibilities, and for purpose of illustration, let’s look at some examples of topics within in the time period of the 1950s in America.

Premise: Many in the 1950s worked diligently for the comfort and conformity displayed on such TV shows as Father Knows Best and Leave it to Beaver. But regardless of the affluence of the new American middle class, there was still poverty, racism and alienation in America rarely depicted on TV.

Dozens of people rejected societal norms through their artwork, creativity and lifestyle. They used words, art, film and music to rebel against the cookie-cutter mentality of the established power structure and mass-marketed culture.

Many writers during this time period (referred to as the Beat Generation) adamantly refused to submit to the conformity of the 1950s. (these writers included Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Diane Di Prima, Sloan Wilson, J.D. Salinger, William Burroughs, and others)

Likewise, many artists during this time period adamantly refused to submit to the conformity of the 1950s. (these artists included Willem De Kooning, Hans Hoffman, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Clement Greenberg, and others)

Also, according to an Internet article on Conformity in U.S. History: “While the 1950s silver screen lit up mostly with the typical Hollywood fare of Westerns and romances, a handful of films shocked audiences by uncovering the dark side of America’s youth.”

Many filmmakers of this time period adamantly refused to submit to the conformity of the 1950s. (these films include The Wild One; Blackboard Jungle; Rebel without a Cause, etc)

No matter what non conformist you select to research, your essay must contain the following:

• a brief history of the country’s mood during this time period;
• background and details about the non-conformist you will focus on;
• how his/her work challenged the status quo;
• the impact of his/her work on others in the same field and on society;
• and the repercussions and influence felt today or what you predict WILL be the repercussions in the future.

Your essay will be both informative and analytical: your thesis will “prove” the person’s influence, or not, on people’s lives, then and now.

Things to Consider:

This is NOT an essay in which you write an in depth analysis of the literature, film, music, etc. of the time period you are focused on. To do that, you would need to carefully read, view, or listen to the work or material at great length.

Instead, you are conducting research to discover the mood of the country and the status quo during a particular time period——why and how a person’s work was considered non conformist—and how their work influenced those living then…and now.

Your thesis might read something like this:

Although 1950s America appeared to be almost unrealistically content, many visual artists at this time, particularly Jackson Pollack, successfully combated the blissful charade by using innovative methods and themes in his work.