Sequence # 5

Shannon Dunlap, Rutgers University, Fall 2008

Assignment Four (Jenkins and Nafisi)
Readings: Henry Jenkins, “Why Heather Can Write” and Azar Nafisi, “Selections from Reading Lolita in Tehran”

When you look at a book, it’s easy to think of it as an unchangeable object (like a brick or a pencil or a toaster), but both Nafisi and Jenkins reference some peculiarly chameleon-like qualities of written texts. Nafisi says that the situation of reading Lolita just out of sight of the watchful Islamic Republic government “helped redefine Nabokov’s novel, turning it into this Lolita, our Lolita”. Jenkins discusses some of the vastly different ways in which people have described the Harry Potter books, including pathways to “a friendly utopian society,” pieces of “intellectual property,” and “doorways to deeper involvement with the occult”.
How are written texts affected by the circumstances in which they are read? You might consider what social factors impact readers the most, what needs texts fulfill for readers, or why and how some people (the authors or others) might try to control your reading of certain texts. These are only a few possibilities—you might find your own framework for narrowing this broad topic into a specific thesis.

Assignment Five (Tannen and Jenkins)
Readings: Deborah Tannen, “The Roots of Debate in Education and the Hope of Dialogue” and Henry Jenkins, “Why Heather Can Write”

At first glance, Tannen and Jenkins seem to be talking about very different educational processes. Jenkins focuses on the phenomenon of children finding their own informal ways of learning from the Harry Potter books and warns that "pulling such activities into school is apt to deaden them" (Jenkins 185). Tannen, meanwhile, explores more traditional educational settings and how the methods in schools and universities might encourage an "adversarial culture" (Tannen 601). Despite the different approaches of the two authors, might there be some overlap in their thinking?

What is the relationship between Tannen's suggestion of dialogue in the classroom and Jenkin's praise of interactive fan fiction sites? You might consider how educational methods, setting, age, gender, peer interaction, etc. influence the way people learn. Remember to craft a thesis statement that will give you a chance to explore this broad topic in an original and specific way.

Assignment Six (Twenge, Tannen, and Jenkins)
Readings: Jean Twenge, “An Army of One: Me,” Deborah Tannen, “The Roots of Debate in Education and the Hope of Dialogue,” and Henry Jenkins, “Why Heather Can Write”

Jean Twenge does not only describe the trend of “teaching” self-esteem, but also pauses to ask the question, “What kind of young people does this produce?”` Indeed, one of the reasons that education is such an intriguing topic is that it serves as a foundation for so many other aspects of a person’s life. Twenge, Tannen and Jenkins all seem concerned with the way education can influence the culture at large.

How do the effects of our education system become disseminated through our society? Think about whether the authors complement, complicate, or contradict each other’s ideas about this subject. Remember to find a way to explore this broad topic in a specific and original way.

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