Greed
Pre-AP English
Mrs. Rudd
September 2013
"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms—greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge—has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the U.S.A."
-Gordon Gekko, Wall Street
Assignment
Can acting in one's own self interest make the world a better place? In this assignment, you will plan and write an essay in which you develop an argument on the issue of greed/self-interest.
Essay Description
In this argumentative essay, you are required to evaluate the issue of greed/self-interest, consider its complexities and develop an argument with reasons and examples to support your views. You must clarify its key aspects and two opposing positions (at simplest: Greed is good / Greed is bad).
Choose a position to defend, and find evidence from your sources (The Bet, The Monkey's Paw, Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket and “In Greed We Trust”) to support your position AND to undermine the opposing position through counter-argument.
You MUST use textual evidence. You may also include your studies, experience, or observations. Be sure to cite quotations properly.
Important Information
Required Page Length: 2-4 pages
Required Formatting: Modern Language Association (MLA). *NOTE: In MS Word, you can retrieve an MLA format template by clicking File, New, and typing MLA in the Search Box.
Required Sources: The Bet, The Monkey's Paw, Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket and “In Greed We Trust”
First Draft Due Date: _____________________________
Final Draft Due Date: _____________________________
Essay Organization and Writing Process Tips
I. Introduction: (1-2 Paragraphs)
A. Briefly relay an historical or relevant anecdote that represents your
Mrs. Rudd
September 2013
"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms—greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge—has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the U.S.A."
-Gordon Gekko, Wall Street
Assignment
Can acting in one's own self interest make the world a better place? In this assignment, you will plan and write an essay in which you develop an argument on the issue of greed/self-interest.
Essay Description
In this argumentative essay, you are required to evaluate the issue of greed/self-interest, consider its complexities and develop an argument with reasons and examples to support your views. You must clarify its key aspects and two opposing positions (at simplest: Greed is good / Greed is bad).
Choose a position to defend, and find evidence from your sources (The Bet, The Monkey's Paw, Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket and “In Greed We Trust”) to support your position AND to undermine the opposing position through counter-argument.
You MUST use textual evidence. You may also include your studies, experience, or observations. Be sure to cite quotations properly.
Important Information
Required Page Length: 2-4 pages
Required Formatting: Modern Language Association (MLA). *NOTE: In MS Word, you can retrieve an MLA format template by clicking File, New, and typing MLA in the Search Box.
Required Sources: The Bet, The Monkey's Paw, Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket and “In Greed We Trust”
First Draft Due Date: _____________________________
Final Draft Due Date: _____________________________
Essay Organization and Writing Process Tips
I. Introduction: (1-2 Paragraphs)
A. Briefly relay an historical or relevant anecdote that represents your
Cited: Chekhov, Anton. “The Bet.” Anton Chekhov 's Short Stories: Texts of the Stories, Backgrounds, Criticism. New York: Norton, 1979. Print. Finney, Jack. “Contents of the Dead Man 's Pocket.” Elements of Literature, Fourth Course. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2010. 19-32. Print. Jacobs, W.W. “The Monkey 's Paw.” The Lady of the Barge. London and New York: Harper & Brothers, 1906. Print. Schumaker, John F. "In Greed We Trust." New Internationalist. New Internationalist, 1 July 2004. Web. 08 Sept. 2013.