CIE100: Common Intellectual Experience - Dear Ijeawele Writing Prompt (10 Points)
Assignment Goals
The goals of this assignment are:- To reflect upon the course texts in preparation for thoughtful discussion
- To organize thoughts into a concise and cohesive response to a targeted question
- To consider multiple viewpoints about ideas
The Assignment
In this writing prompt, you will consider the questions below and respond by writing a letter addressed to the author, equivalent in length to a 1-2 paragraph response. In the letter, respond to the reading in your own voice, quoting the text at least once in support of what you say, and raise one respectful counterargument, supported by a quote, that the author would have to answer. Submit your letter through Canvas before the start of class.
UDL choice: this genre is the default for this reading, but you may swap in any of the five response genres (analytic, letter, dialogue, marginalia+aphorism, or the Four A’s) as long as the quote and counterargument requirements are met.
Struggling with the reading itself? See the guide: How to Read Hard Texts in CIE.
Writing Prompt
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Of Adichie’s fifteen suggestions, which do you find most persuasive, and which would you push back on or complicate? Support both choices with quotations, and explain what assumptions about gender, culture, or childhood each suggestion rests upon.
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Find one example from your own media environment (an advertisement, an influencer post, a product, a song) that either confirms or complicates Adichie’s claims about how gender expectations are taught. Describe it specifically, and connect it to a passage from the letter. Would Adichie’s advice to Ijeawele need updating for a child growing up with today’s algorithmic media, and if so, what sixteenth suggestion would you add?
Submission
Submit a word processed or PDF document.Please refer to the Style Guide for code quality examples and guidelines.