A7A 4 EVER
Paper 2
Reading: “Homo Religiosus” by Karen Armstrong AND “On Becoming an Arab” by Leila Ahmed
Rough Draft Due: Sept. 27th (four copies in class, uploaded to Sakai)
Final Draft Due: Oct. 4th (one copy in class, uploaded to Sakai)
In both “On Becoming an Arab” and “Homo Religiosus,” identities are influenced by interaction with a society at large, whether through coming of age rituals and religion as Armstrong describes or through nationalist ideology as Ahmed recounts. Carefully considering the examples and evidence in both texts, respond to this question: To what extent is identity chosen and to what extent is it forced on us?
Questions that may help you brainstorm, although you are not required to address any of them in your actual work:
What identities can you find in “On Becoming an Arab?” Who forms these? How? Why?
What identities can you find in “Homo Religiosus?” Who forms these? How? Why?
What aspects of ritual or art does the construction of an Arab identity rely on?
Are there any factors suggested by Ahmed’s piece that may complicate Armstrong’s narrative?
Format: Rough drafts should be minimum four pages and final drafts should be minimum five pages. They should be formatted according to MLA standards (consult your grammar handbook), typed in Times New Roman 12 with 1 inch margins. Papers should have a title, be stapled and contain the student’s name and due date in the upper left hand corner.
Do not summarize the text. Use it as evidence to construct your own original argument.
Reading: “Homo Religiosus” by Karen Armstrong AND “On Becoming an Arab” by Leila Ahmed
Rough Draft Due: Sept. 27th (four copies in class, uploaded to Sakai)
Final Draft Due: Oct. 4th (one copy in class, uploaded to Sakai)
In both “On Becoming an Arab” and “Homo Religiosus,” identities are influenced by interaction with a society at large, whether through coming of age rituals and religion as Armstrong describes or through nationalist ideology as Ahmed recounts. Carefully considering the examples and evidence in both texts, respond to this question: To what extent is identity chosen and to what extent is it forced on us?
Questions that may help you brainstorm, although you are not required to address any of them in your actual work:
What identities can you find in “On Becoming an Arab?” Who forms these? How? Why?
What identities can you find in “Homo Religiosus?” Who forms these? How? Why?
What aspects of ritual or art does the construction of an Arab identity rely on?
Are there any factors suggested by Ahmed’s piece that may complicate Armstrong’s narrative?
Format: Rough drafts should be minimum four pages and final drafts should be minimum five pages. They should be formatted according to MLA standards (consult your grammar handbook), typed in Times New Roman 12 with 1 inch margins. Papers should have a title, be stapled and contain the student’s name and due date in the upper left hand corner.
Do not summarize the text. Use it as evidence to construct your own original argument.