English 120, Project #3

Revisiting Rule of the Bone: The Policy Letter

Draft due __________
Final version due __________

Note: deadlines for this project are firm!

Questions?  Email me!

Background

Your first semester project was a literary interpretation of Rule of the Bone. This time I'd like you to do something different with the novel: argue whether it should or shouldn't be used in high school or college curricula. .

Many battles have been waged in American schools over what constitutes "educational" and "appropriate" reading matter, and over censorship issues generally.  A number of books have been banned from the classroom or from school libraries through the years, to loud and sometimes legal protest.  Who should select reader matter for the classroom, and/or who should have the final say about reading material in the schools? What is "literature" and what, in your view, constitutes worthy reading material for a high school or college course in the humanities? What is the goal of education, and how does literature help or hinder those goals?  How does Rule of the Bone  fit, or not fit, your criteria for "good literature" or a "good education"? 

Instructions and Purpose

For this option you will write a policy argument in the form of a letter, for or against use of this book in the schools. Select a newspaper, magazine, or specific person (someone on the state Board of Higher Education, a former teacher or principle, etc.), and make your argument with a real audience in mind. Your purpose is to convince an undecided or opposed reader that your position on the issue is the best one. Be sure to ground your argument in a clear central claim about the goal and purpose of education, and possibly the goal and purpose of the literary arts as well. Take care to adequately educate yourself about your topic, and don't forget to acknowledge (and refute) opposing views. Note: to do a good job on this essay, you will need to do some brief research on 1) censorship; 2) book banning; 3) standards/procedures for textbook selection in the public schools; and/or possibly 4) the legal definition of obscenity.

Some important questions for this project:

1. What are the aims of education? What are we all in school for? What kinds of reading material in the schools will assist in achieving those aims?
2. How does a person learn? What elements of an education are most key to the learning experience: the instructor? the curriculum? the student? the environment? the pedagogy (educational philosophy)? the materials?
3. Who should ultimately determine what students can or can't read in the classroom? Parents? Teachers? Administrators? The students themselves?
4. What is literature? What is it for? What is any art for? What constitutes "good literature"? "good art"?
5. What is obscenity? Is Rule of the Bone obscene? Who decides?

Audience and Genre

If writing for a newspaper or magazine: this is a public letter to parents, teachers, and administrators--anyone with a vested interest in how we educate our kids. You are appealing specifically to those groups of people, and will need to keep in mind their possibly competing values and interests. However, because this is a public letter, keep in mind that anyone could potentially read it.

If writing for a specific person: this is a formal letter to someone of influence. You need to know who that person is, what kinds of arguments are likely to persuade them, what their values are likely to be, what kind of voice and style they will best respond to. In this case, you will zero in specifically on the needs and expectations of a specific individual.

In all cases, you will be writing an argument of policy. That is, you will be arguing about what someone should or shouldn't do in the high school or university classroom.

Evaluation Criteria

Your essay should be addressed to a real person or persons, and it should have a clear thesis regarding use of Rule of the Bone at some level of schooling. It should develop in detail an argument about what constitutes appropriate reading material in the schools, and about what makes for "good literature," drawing on specific passages from the book as well as outside authorities to support your claims. Provide a comprehensive introduction and conclusion, focus your paragraphs with strong topic sentences and transitions, and provide proper MLA-style documentation of any sources (in-text citations and a Works Cited page).  As with any argument, pay careful attention to the needs and expectations of your targeted audience and heed opposing views. Pay special attention to Chapter 4 of CTW. Finally, remember to proofread your work for lapses in style or mechanics.

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