English 1C Science and Literature Paper

Science: O Brave New World

In this section, you have been asked to think about the nature of science and the role that science has played in American culture and the world at large. In particular, this chapter explores Americans' seemingly contradictory attitude toward science. On the one hand, Americans revere science and are in awe of its power to discover what as once thought un-knowable and do what was once thought un-doable. On the other hand, Americans fear the power of science to escape the control of human beings. The readings present a number of different voices, both scientists and non-scientists, as illustrated by the chapter's opening quotations. Consider why people -- including you and your classmates -- express such different attitudes toward something that is usually not thought of as controversial.

Some starting places:

What drives human beings to seek scientific knowledge of the world?
Whose interests should science serve?
What is the relationship between scientific methodology and technology?
What is the relationship between science and reality, and what might be the real-world effects of particular scientific and technological change?

Some possible topics:

Try tracing the social consequences of science and technology in your novel.

Explore the metaphorical power of words and images in any one of the articles you have read. What is the purpose of the metaphor or image? How does a particular metaphor or image guide the way we think about a given topic?

Compare and contrast the major claims of any two writers. Weighing one set of claims against the other, which do you find to be the most persuasive. Why? Where might you need more evidence?

More starting places:

Bishop:
"We scientists can no longer leave the problem to others. Indeed, it has been ours to solve, and all of society in now paying for our neglect."
"Resistance to science is born of fear."
Mayr:
"The world and all that is in it are the sphere of interest not only of scientists but also of theologians, philosophers, poets, and politicians. How can one make a demarcation between their concerns and those of the scientist?"
LeGuin:
"When we look at what we can't see, what we do see is the stuff inside our heads."

You may use the above as starting places to focus your paper, or use the writing prompts from the in-class essay to develop your own question for a focus and try to answer it. The final draft should be a minimum of 5-6 pages (double spaced, MLA format with a Works Cited page).

After writing the in-class essay based on your novel plus the movie, or one of the other readings from this section, explore your ideas more fully in a carefully developed 5-6 page paper. The analysis may include any combination of characters, imagery, a symbol, structural elements, or a well reasoned argument. Develop a clear thesis. Textual evidence for support should be clearly and appropriately cited with signal phrases, and a work/s cited page should follow at the conclusion of the paper.

A question worth answering:
An audience who could possibly care:

Due dates:

May 3: workshop development
May 5: workshop organization
May 10: editing workshop
Final draft due May 12.

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