The final essay for English 095x will be an analysis essay surrounding the theme of money and society. You will read three texts to gain insight into this theme: "Inequality and (Un)happiness in America" by Arthur Brooks, "CSI USA: Who Killed the American Dream?" by Arianna Huffington, and "Rich and Poor" by Peter Singer. Below, you will find two prompts from: one responding to Brooks and one responding to Huffington. Pick one of the prompts below and quote or paraphrase from the article listed with that prompt in your essay. In addition, you may choose to quote or paraphrase from Singer's article with either essay prompt (if appropriate), but using Singer's article is an option...not a requirement.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS:
1. Your essay should NOT be one long summary of the text. Your voice/stance in relation to the essay prompt question should be the focus.
2. Make sure to support the ideas in your body paragraphs with textual support and/or specific examples.
3. This is not a research essay. Avoid doing outside research for this essay.
4. As a guide, your essay should not be more than 20-25% quoted or paraphrased material. The majority of the essay should be your own ideas and explanation.
PROMPT #1: In "Inequality and (Un)happiness in America," Arthur Brooks claims, "We need clear paths to success, not guarantees of income equality, to be happy" (220). Is having potential opportunities the key to Americans' happiness or would income equality be a better path to Americans' happiness? Explain in-depth and use specific examples to illustrate your points.
~ OR ~
PROMPT #2: In "CSI USA: Who Killed the American Dream?" Arianna Huffington states, "We have a regulatory system in which corporate greed, political timidity, and a culture of cronyism have rendered the public good a quant afterthought..." (178). Does the government need to consider the public good in order for the American Dream to be alive or does the American Dream thrive despite the political sway of money?
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: These are the basic requirements that need to be met in order to earn a passing grade on the essay.
• 3-4 pages in length-not including your citation page;
• A clearly stated thesis, explicitly responding to one of the prompts only;
• Standard essay elements, including an introduction, multiple body paragraphs, and conclusion;
• Quotations and/or paraphrases from the article connected with your chosen prompt;
• Clear attempt at MLA format, including visual format, in-text citation and a works cited page;
• No plagiarism.