25. Lots of little Sonjas

This week I've asked you all to brainstorm possible questions for the final essay, and you've come up with an impressive list. I do hope you will license your work under Creative Commons 3.0 so that I can use these questions with future students. ;-)

I also said that you have the opportunity to choose one of these questions and do a practice essay - on your blog. Please also mention how much time you spent planning, writing and proofreading. I will give you a 'grade' and some feedback so that you are fully aware of what to expect in the final exam. You can also visit my office and look at some of the in-class essays from last year.

Here are your marvellous questions:

Section A3:

• Explain voyeurism by using "The enormous radio" and "A woman on a roof."
• Discuss the idea of women's place in society by using "TV: the plug-in drug" and "Marked women".
  
• Compare and contrast how men and women are marked in "Marked women".
  
• In the story "The man who was almost a man", the protagonist Dave associates manhood with a gun because of cultural and social values. State and explain what values these could be.
  
• Criticise the effects of media and ads about marking women by considering "Killing us softly 3".
• Enumerate the facts why Dave in "The man who was almost a man" applied to power that came from a gun.
  

Section B3:

• What is a 'man'? Define and explain with specific references to "Tough guise" and "The man who was almost a man" by comparing and contrasting the two.
  
• Explain the relationship between "TV: the plug-in drug" and "Reality TV: a dearth of talent and the death of morality".
  
• Analyse the symbols in "The man who was almost a man" and "A woman on a roof".
  
• Examine the notion of voyeurism in "The enormous radio" with reference to Peters' text "When reality TV gets too real".
  

Section C3:

• Compare and contrast Cheevers' story and Winn's article by considering the effects of the technological instruments.
  
• Define masculinity and enumerate its qualities according to Katz and Wright.
  
• Apply the concepts in the texts by Kilbourne, Lessing and Tannen to your culture and analyse which motives could be behind these concepts with reference to your own experience.
  
• Define how women are marked in Tannen's article and Kilbourne's film and apply these concepts to Turkish culture.
  
• Discuss whether Dave from "The man who was almost a man" fits the figure that Katz was talking about.
  
• Define voyeurism and evaluate whether it is ethical or not by giving examples from the Cheevers story.
  

Section D3:

• Analyse the woman on the roof in Lessing's story according to Tannen's text "Marked women".
• What are the reasons that encourage people to be voyeuristic? Support your answer with "The enormous radio" and "The woman on a roof".
  
• Argue how the media encourages male violence with reference to "Tough guise" and "Killing us softly 3".
• Discuss your views on whether reality TV is good or bad by referring to the ideas of Winn and Poniewozik.