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Writing

In: English and Literature

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Assignment #2 – Critical Reading & Questions at Issue
Step 1. Being a critical reader

1. Identify two questions at issue that Sontag addresses in her essay. Designate what type of questions at issue these are (definition, interpretation, consequence, value, or policy). * Sontag states that when people go on vacation and take photos that they are limiting the experience in the search to take a great picture to keep as a souvenir. (Value) * When someone is immobilized or cannot fully participate in an event, taking pictures is a way to still feel like you’ve been participating.

2. What are her claims/theses/arguments in response to these questions? Take passages directly from the text with page numbers next to them. * “A way of certifying experience, taking photographs is also a way of refusing it—by limiting experience to a search for the photogenic, by converting experience photograph, and move on.” 305 * “Being temporarily immobilized prevents him from acting on what he sees, and makes it even more important to take pictures. Even if incompatible with intervention in a physical sense, using a camera is still a form of participation.” 306

3. Now analyze each statement. How does she support her claims? Are her reasons sufficient/convincing/weak/absent? Why? * Her reason is pretty convincing. I know when I’ve went on vacation I was more concerned with taking really good pictures for everyone to see, rather than fully taking the full experience in. Most people who are really into taking pictures just look for good things to take photos of rather than looking at everything and fully enjoying it. * This statement is also convincing. Taking photos of other people or things makes it feel like you’re participating more than if you were just observing. It’s a way of becoming involved when you can’t be fully involved.

4. Respond to these statements. In other words do you agree/disagree or somewhat agree and disagree with her assertions? Why? * I somewhat agree with her statement, I know most people when they go on vacation or to a point of interest they take tons of pictures to keep the memories that they were actually there, rather than actually fully take it in and enjoy their time spent as much as possible. But I also feel like some people even though they take pictures people also take time to enjoy and experience their vacation, and pictures are also a part of enjoying their experience and it helps keep the memory. * I agree with this statement. I feel like when people are immobilized and can’t fully enjoy everything around them taking pictures is a way of participating and keeping the memory alive.

5. How would you help her strengthen the statement you (might consider to) agree in essence? What additional reasons can you bring into the essay to buttress the claim of that statement?

* With the statement about taking pictures is a way of participating, to help make her statement stronger I think maybe she could’ve taken a survey or found proof that if you’re immobilized that taking pictures helps you feel more involved, but at the same time it still makes a lot of sense.

6. How about the statement you (likely) disagree with? How might that claim be refuted if you were to respond that particular claim?

* For the statement that she is talking about pictures limiting the experience; I think that taking pictures is now just as much a part of the experience as the actual experience and it’s a way of preserving memories.

Step 2. Becoming a writer – Thesis generation
Think of everything we’ve read and discussed so far – the new language of images, the value of the original work of art, the era of reproduction, new media, the act of photographing, etc. Think of some of the Questions at Issue that have been raised in discussion (for example, Should we accept Instagram as an art form? Is the original work of art necessarily more valuable than the reproduction? Are photographs manipulations of a lived experience?).
Now is the time for you to come up with a Question at Issue of your own, something that is directly related to the readings and/or discussions, which interests you and your discourse community enough and generates enough disagreement within our discourse community to spend 3-4 pages writing an argumentative essay about it. 1. State the QUESTION AT ISSUE your essay will address.
Does taking pictures limit your experience?

2. What type of question at issue is it (definition, interpretation, consequence, value or policy)? Remember, it can be more than one.
Value & interpretation
3. In one sentence, state your answer to your question at issue.
Taking pictures does not limit your experience, photos are now a part of the experience to where you can enjoy the moments you are having, and also preserve the memory.

4. List the most likely argument someone might offer in opposition to #3.

One might say that if you take photos then you won’t have a genuine experience because you’re too busy trying to take photos.

5. Why do you care about this question at issue?
Because I can relate to it.

6. Why should anyone else care about it?

Because everyone can relate to it at least in my generation.

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