Creative Assignment 3, due Tuesday 4/17 at 1 p.m.
Option 1:
- Pretend that you are Kant, somehow brought back to life in 2007. (Best not to speculate on how or why.) You (Kant) have just viewed the “Salud!” documentary. Write a letter to a person or group you learned about in the documentary. Respond to the situation they’re in and give them your (Kant’s) views and advice on the situation. You should follow standard formal letter-writing format. 300-500 words.
OR
- Pretend that you are Kant, somehow brought back to life in the Cold War U.S. You (Kant) have just witnessed, right before your eyes, one of the events depicted in Invisible Man. Write a letter to a person or group who takes part in that event. Respond to the situation they’re in and give them your (Kant’s) views and advice on the situation. Did they do the wrong thing? The right thing? Why do you say so? You should follow standard formal letter-writing format. 300-500 words.
Evaluation Criteria for Option 1: The style and presentation should be that of a formal, well-composed letter. The content should demonstrate understanding of the situation in question (whether it be from the novel or from the documentary) and of Kant’s views and how they apply to the situation.
OR
Option 2:
- Take a hypothetical situation that could have happened at some time during the Cold War in the U.S. (It might very well be something that could also take place today, but it doesn’t have to be.) Do a series of two comic strips. The first should show a character or characters doing the wrong thing according to Kant’s ethics. The second should retell the same situation or action or event but have at least one of the characters change his or her behavior to meet Kantian ethical criteria. (You don’t have to explicitly mention Kant or his rules in the cartoon, though you can if you like.) In a brief text piece below the second comic strip, you should explain why the action(s) in the first strip were wrong according to Kant, and why the action(s) in the second strip were right.
OR
- Take a brief situation or event or interaction, or a small part of a larger event, from Invisible Man. You should pick a situation/event/interaction in which you think at least one character did the wrong thing according to Kant. You should not use an example we’ve discussed in class in direct relation to Kant, such as the smoker or the prologue. Do a series of two comic strips. The first should depict the scene as it is told in the novel. The second should retell the same situation or action or event but have at least one of the characters change his or her behavior to meet Kantian ethical criteria. (You don’t have to explicitly mention Kant or his rules in the cartoon, though you can if you like.) In a brief text piece below the second comic strip, you should explain why the action(s) in the first strip were wrong according to Kant, and why the action(s) in the second strip were right.
Evaluation Criteria for Option 2: Keep in mind that, quite possibly, in the first strip at least you’ll be depicting a scene that is serious, and might even be disturbing or violent. A comic strip need not simplify, reduce, or make light of a situation just because it’s putting things into visual terms and fitting them into a small number of panels. Try to preserve and convey the power or gravity or emotion of the situation to your reader. In addition, the content should demonstrate understanding of Kant’s views and how they apply to the situation. You are not expected to have great artistic talent, but your strip should be neat and legible. So stick figures or something similar are fine, but the reader should be able to understand what’s happening in each picture.
Hand drawn or electronically drawn – either is fine. As before, email me your file if you want something printed off in color.