English 1180Essay II (ERE) BrainstormAsher
Use the following questions/prompts to generate topic ideas for Essay II. You can use whatever written format (paragraphs, outlines, visual maps, etc.)works best for you to brainstorm, but the idea is to be productive and to get down as many ideas as possible.
1. In "The Psychology of Stuff and Things,” Christian Jarrett writes, “As our lives unfold, our things embody our sense of self-hood and identity still further, becoming external receptacles for our memories, relationships and travels.” Make a list of the things in your life that you associate with your sense of self-hood and identity—the objects that reflect your hobbies, interests, habits, and idiosyncrasies/eccentricities. List everything that comes to mind even if the object seems obvious or trivial.
2. Choose one object from your list that is unique—an object that you have a complex, interesting, or meaningful relationship with—an object that you don’t think will show up on everyone else’s lists.
A. Describe the object, the history of your relationship with the object, and the details of the relationship.
B. Then, examine the ways in which that relationship may be symbolically and symptomatically deeper than you initially thought—how this relationship may go beyond the personal to reflect something about the practices, processes, or ideas in the world around you (like the way that Crockett does with his coffee mug or like the way that Kothari does with food).
3. If you have another object from your list that you think might lead to some interesting reflection, use that object to repeat steps A and B and brainstorm about the personal and public aspects of that relationship as well. If not, move on to the next section.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION (READ THIS SECTION)
The relationships that exist between people and objects is one avenue to explore in order to get some inspiration and ideas for a compelling Essay II topic; however, as explained on the Essay II page, in your essay, you have the freedom to write a reflective analysis essay that ponders/probes/explores the relationship between any 2 entities (person, group/type of people, place, event, object, idea, practice, rituals, etc.).
Furthermore, you do not need to directly serve as one of those two entities (like in Pollitt’s essay where she examines the relationship between children and toys). For more explanation of these various approaches for thinking about entities, review the “3 Approaches for Essay II/Methods for Organizing Your Essay” section on the Essay II page.
4. Make a list that includes other relationships that interest you, relationships that seem hidden or go unnoticed, and relationships that are currently prevalent in today’s society but don’t often attract much criticism or discussion.
For example, if I were to brainstorm such a list, I might include the following:
- The relationship between American Weddings and DIY culture
- The relationship between runners and their running shoes
- The relationship between college students and research
- The relationship between adjunct college instructors and full-time college instructors
- The relationship between young Americans and comfy clothes
5. Choose one relationship from your list that you think might foster some complex, interesting ideas—a relationship that most likely won’t show up on everyone else’s lists.
A. Describe the origin, parts, and details of that relationship.
B. Then, examine some of the bigger implications of that relationship. Why does this relationship exist? What fuels this relationship? What does it mean or symbolize? Why does it deserve a closer look?
6. If you have another relationship on your list that you think might lead to some interesting reflection, use that relationship to repeat A and B a second time.