WRD 103 Winter 2014

Due Wed. Feb. 5th (print and bring to class)

Essay #1 Assignment Prompt

BACKGROUND: Throughout his famous play, The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde uses wordplay to confuse conventional categories between right and wrong, seriousness and play, and importance and unimportance. In the quotation below, his character surprises readers by talking about the importance of meals and the shallowness of people who do not value food. I hate people who are not serious about meals. It is so shallow of them. -- The Importance of Being Earnest ASSIGNMENT: In this essay assignment, you will have to continue along Oscar Wildes vein. You will use words to invert the categories of seriousness and play by writing seriously about a playful subject. In a 2-3 page essay, try to answer the following question: What is a seemingly unimportant object upon which you place an important amount of value? Some examples include writing about a favorite childhood toy or stuffed animal, a crumpled letter that contains an important message, a pair of battered shoes that you cant seem to give up. SITUATION: A large company that produces and markets many kinds of products is having a contest to select their next investment. The contest requires that each contestant (that is you!) construct a 2-3 page essay that describes why the company should invest in your favorite object. In order to convince the judges, you must analyze and describe your object and present an argument that supports why this object is significant (why should they invest in it). Your essay can address some or all of the following questions when describing, analyzing, and arguing the significance or importance of your object: 1. How would you describe the item so that someone far away could visualize it in detail? (How does the item look, feel, and/or smell? Are there any distinctive markings? Why are these details important to the seriousness of the item or to you personally?) 2. What are the practical applications of your item? (Is your object useful to all people? Ex.: a favorite blanket may not have the same emotional value from person to person but the blanket still has a practical use of providing warmth. If your object does not have any practical use then can you explain how and why you originally obtained this item? In other words, if the item has no purpose or use then what drew you to it?) 3. Does the item hold an aesthetic or emotional value to you? How far can you explore this connection to discover why you have placed personal value in this object? Does the item serve as a reminder or memory of a single (or multiple) special moment in your life? Do you share this valuable object with your friends or family? (Sometimes we feel embarrassed for holding on to seemingly trivial objects, especially if the item is from our childhood such as a favorite blanket. What do these embarrassing feelings say about how we view the world and how we want others to view us?) PURPOSE: Because this is our first essay, I will be using it primarily to get to know a little bit about you and the way you think. We will also be discussing our essays in class as a way for each student to introduce themselves to the class. Remember that since you are presenting an argument, your essay must contain a thesis. Your writing should be focused on a single object, but you may write about several aspects of why that object is important to you. FORMATTING: Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, 1 inch margins, and be sure to include a heading with your name and the date. Please proofread your paper for spelling and grammar.