Pre-Writing/Critical Thinking… Please carefully consider the argument proposed by David Foster Wallace in his “Kenyon Commencement Address,” thinking about the following questions as a means of pre- writing/thinking about what Wallace’s address/essay suggests: 1. How would you summarize the argument that David Foster Wallace’s proposes in his essay? 2. What does he seem to be suggesting about the value of an education? 3. Do you agree with Wallace’s assumptions about the way humans perceive the world? 4. How do Wallace’s ideas about education relate to the process of critical thinking? 5. Can you find any evidence of Wallace’s ideas in the other readings from this term? The answers to these questions are not necessarily part of your essay, although they might make their way into your response. They certainly will prepare you to address the topic for the essay, but ultimately, they are for your preparation. Once you’ve answered five questions and taken notes that display your thinking about Wallace’s ideas, you should be prepared to take on the task of writing about them. • So, how does one approach the process? I would suggest the following steps: As you put your essay together, please remember these simple rules: 1. Essays must establish a clear argument (thesis). 2. The primary function of your writing is to prove or support that thesis. 3. The most effective way to prove or support your thesis is to use specific facts presented in specific language. Use the secondary texts as well as your critical analysis to establish this proof/support. 4. Your writing needs to be well organized; every statement must logically connect to your argument. This is where you will demonstrate your critical thinking skills. The Essay… Please consider the topic below and use any prewriting (including the notes that you compile from your answers to the above questions) that you’ve done to develop a clearly stated assertion that fully expresses your opinion of the topic. Once you’ve done this, decide on the modes of development you might use to support it. After this step, please develop a clear and critical response, writing an essay (approximately 1000-1250 words, double-spaced, proofread and MLA formatted) that uses specific textual examples to support any of the broad assertions that your analysis makes. Avoid overuse of plot summary and submit only your best work. Introduction In his “Kenyon Commencement Address,” David Foster Wallace argues: The point here is that I think this is one part of what teaching me how to think is really supposed to mean. To be just a little less arrogant. To have just a little critical awareness about myself and my certainties. Because a huge percentage of the stuff that I tend to be automatically certain of is, it turns out, totally wrong and deluded. I have learned this the hard way, as I predict you graduates will, too. Your essay should begin with this exact citation. Next, you’ll want to spend a few sentences explaining the logic of Wallace’s assertion—exactly what does his argument mean, according to your understanding of his opinion about how we, as humans, perceive and behave in the world? Finish your introduction with a brief explanation of how Wallace’s argument relates to the practice of critical thinking Your argument (thesis) should be the last sentence or two of your opening paragraph, and should consider/address the following question: –How does David Foster Wallace’s assertion about human perception and awareness relate to critical thinking? Body Paragraphs As a means of developing your answer to the above question, please choose four of any of the readings that we’ve read this term. The list of readings that you’ve complied for Quiz #5 will be tremendously helpful here (See…there’s a method to my madness). You should write one body paragraph per secondary source that you choose to develop your response. This is where you will develop your ideas carefully and critically. 1. Topic Sentence This must be a subjective statement of opinion (an argument about the relationship between Wallace’s argument and the secondary text you are using). 2. Textual Evidence Use specific textual evidence that logically supports your topic sentence. 3. Explication (make your choice of textual evidence obvious—show your reader that you understand the text). This should be a clear explanation of the literal meaning of the textual evidence you have chosen (critical thinking) 4. Connection How does the evidence relate to the topic sentence? (critical thinking) 5. Contextualization How does the evidence relate to the thesis? (critical thinking) • The above five steps should be completed for each of your body paragraphs. Remember that your body paragraphs are the place where you are developing your answer to the question posed in the prompt, so they should be as clear and well-developed as possible. Don’t assume that your reader understands your logic—you must make it clear. Conclusion 1. Summarize the basic ideas of your argument (3-4 sentences) 2. Connect your argument to the larger topic (3-4 sentences) What should your reader understand about critical thinking and the implications of Wallace’s argument after reading your essay? • If you consider the different steps of the essay, you’ll realize that your essay will be made up of six paragraphs (introduction, four body paragraphs, and a conclusion). If you follow the pattern, this essay should be fairly straightforward.