English 1109: Writing and Research

Instructor Pamela Fox Website foxzenglish.weebly.com

Office DDH B117

Office Hours T/Th 10:30-11:15 and by appt.

Class Hours Section 22: M/W 11:30- 12: 45; Section 17 T/Th 11:30-12:45

Phone Text only 661-381-1642

Email pfox2@csub.edu

Required Texts and/or MaterialsEssentials of Argument 3rd Ed. by Nancy WoodWild by Cheryl StrayedInto the Wild by J. Krakauer

Readings and other materials for specific assignments are provided inContent on Blackboard

Discussion questions are posted in Discussions on Blackboard. Check Blackboard announcements daily.

General Education This course meets the A2 Written Communication requirement of the CSU Bakersfield General Education Program, including applicable themes and foundational skills.

Course Information Practice in expository writing, including the college term paper. Includes frequent reading and writing assignments. This section of 1109 will focus on the General Education theme of Quality of Life.

Prerequisite: A total English Placement Test score of 147 or higher OR one of the following: a grade of C- or higher in English 99 or its equivalent; a score of 3 or above on either the Language and Composition or Composition and Literature examination of the College Board Scholastic Advanced Placement Program; a score of 22 or above on the American College Testing (ACT) English Test; a score of 500 or above on the critical reading section of the College Board SAT Reasoning Test; a score of “Exempt” or “Ready for college-level English courses” on the CSU Early Assessment Program (EAP) taken along with the English Language Arts California Standard Test in grade 11; or completion and transfer to CSU of the credits for a college course that satisfies the CSU General Education requirement in English Composition, provided such a course was completed with a score of C or better.

1

To be eligible for a C in English 110, students must earn a C or higher on at least one in-class writing assignment and a C average on all other course assignments.

Course Student Learning OutcomesThe General Education Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) are the same as the course SLOs.

Goal A2-1: Students will read critically.

Outcome A2-1: Students will critique a writer’s rhetorical choices (e.g., bias, rhetorical modes, organization, Diction, etc.) and logic.

Goal A2- 2: Students will write critically.

Outcome A2-2A: Students will create proficient thesis statements for various types of writing tasks.

Outcome A2-2B: Students will use discourse-appropriate syntax.

Outcome A2-2C: Students will use logical reasoning, at the appropriate level, to develop and organize ideas.

Goal A2-3: Students will research effectively.

Outcome A2-3A: Students will find diverse, reputable sources for an academic research paper.

Outcome A2-3B: Students will correctly use summary, paraphrase, and direct quotes to synthesize sources into an academic research paper.

Quality of Life Student Learning Outcomes

Goal TQ-1: Students will understand factors that influence quality of life (social connectedness, education, environment, civic engagement, health, life satisfaction, safety, aesthetic experiences, spirituality, and/or work-life balance, among others), and be able to analyze the connectedness between at least two of these factors.

Outcome TQ-1A: Students will demonstrate an understanding of at least two factors that influence quality of life.

Outcome TQ-1B: Students will analyze the connectedness between at least two factors that influence quality of life.

Classroom Participation and Attendance

Attendance Policy

2

Because mastering skills in writing requires regular, sustained effort, students in English composition classes should attend class regularly and punctually. A student who has more than two absences should not expect to receive a passing grade.

Waiting List PolicyOn a waiting list, you are eligible for a place in the class if you1. come to every class and2. turn in the work while you are there.

Being on a waiting list does not guarantee you a place in the class. It simply means you are welcome to wait for an opening in the class if you so desire. If no one drops out of the course, then no students can add.

As a result, you should be aware of the last day to add and have a back-up choice if you need another class. This plan is especially important for financial aid recipients and for F-1 and J-1 visa holders, who must carry a full load to receive their financial aid. Being on a waiting list does not count as a class toward a full load.

Instructor-Initiated Drop PolicyStudents who do not attend the first day of class may be administratively dropped from the class. Students from the waiting list who attend the first day of class may be added. Students who are on the waiting list but do not attend the first day of class may be dropped from the waiting list.

Students who are administratively dropped under this policy will be sent an e-mail informing them of the drop.

Students should not presume they will be dropped by their instructor for non-attendance. Students who have registered for a class but never attended should verify whether or not they are officially enrolled. It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw officially from the class.

Participation--(10%)Your participation grade consists of attending every class, participating in class, and completing all your course assignments and requirements. Participation is NOT the same as attendance. Participation requires active engagement in class activities.

Assignments, Quizzes, and/or ExamsMinimum Reading and Writing Assignments—60-70% of overall course grade

Research Paper—30%In a scholarly research paper, argue how and why a particular issue, such as cyberbullying, drug abuse, social media, immigration policies or other controversial issues affect overall quality of life or any of the other umbrella topics, such as sustainability. I must approve of the topic before you begin your research.

Your research paper should be approximately 7-10 pages in length, not including the references (Works Cited) page. It should be formatted according to MLA guidelines and have approximately 8-10 sources, including at least one academic book, journal, and newspaper or other periodical. You may use one Internet source, which should be justifiably academic.

3

The following assignments are designed to help you move through the writing process in manageable stags and are part of your research paper grade. (See class schedule for specific due dates.)

1. Working Thesis StatementThe working thesis statement should contain your narrowed subject and your overall claim/position about your subject. Initially, your thesis statement is tentative, and its purpose is to help guide your research and thinking. However, do not be surprised if your thesis changes as you research, draft, and revise your paper.

2. Working Outline—Formal Sentence OutlineThink of your working outline as a roadmap for the final research paper. It is a way for you to find structure and logic for your thoughts as you research your topic. Like the working thesis statement, this outline is simply a writing strategy to help you control your thinking as you write your research paper. Therefore, it is tentative and most likely will change as you draft and revise your paper.

3. Rough Draft(s)Writing requires revision and editing. Writing a research paper requires considerable revision and editing. Therefore, you will participate in peer-review activities related to the rough draft of your final paper on the dates indicated in this syllabus.

4. Final DraftYour final draft is the final and complete version of your research paper. It should contain your turnitin.com report, essay, and Works Cited. Also make sure you turn in highlighted and annotated copies of all your sources with your final paper.

Please note that the research paper cannot be accepted if all of the assignments leading up to it are not completed. This includes the above assignments and the below Research Assignments.

Research Assignments—15%The below assignments are designed to help you research, read, and evaluate sources for your research paper. (See class schedule for specific due dates.)

1. Academic Research WorkshopsYour assigned librarian will go over how to use Boolean logic to research the online databases offered by the Walter Stiern Library.

2. Credible Sources and Synthesizing Sources WorkshopsYou will use different strategies to help you determine if a source is credible and to help you find connections among your sources so that you are synthesizing and not just summarizing research in your paper.

3. Working BibliographyYour working bibliography is simply a list of all the sources you are considering for your research paper. It is a way for you to keep track of your research and practice reference-page citations. Your working bibliography should have a minimum of 15 sources and should be formatted exactly as an MLA reference page would be formatted, only with the Works Cited page title.

4. Annotated BibliographyYour annotated bibliography should contain a minimum of 10 sources and be formatted according to MLA reference-page guidelines. However, instead of just providing a reference page citation for each source, you also need to provide and annotation, or paragraph. (See research blogs for more on the paragraph.) this

4

assignment is designed to help you reread your sources and narrow them down to the ones you think are the most valuable for your research paper.

Documented Synthesis—10%I will give you a prompt or an assigned topic for this essay.

Your documented synthesis should be approximately three to four pages in length, not including Works Cited page, must be formatted according to MLA guidelines, and must synthesize a minimum of four credible sources.

Related Writing AssignmentsCritique 5%Formal Summaries 5%Homework/In Class—documented blogs and discussions on Blackboard

In-Class Essays—5%Quality of Life In-Class Essay # 1

In-Class GWAR Essay # 2When you reach junior status, you need to meet your Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). This is a requirement for all graduating students. You have two ways to meet this requirement: you can either (1) take a GWAR-approved course or (2) take the GWAR exam. To prepare you for the exam, your final IC essay will be GWAR-formatted.

You will have 1 hour to compose an essay based on one of two topics provided in the GWAR prompt. You must submit the final draft to turnitin.com and print a copy of the essay for me.

In-Class & Homework Assignments—15% In-class assignments consist mainly of research, prewriting, revising, and editing workshops. These workshops are a key component of the course and provide you with a variety of research, reading, and writing strategies. Please note that many of the workshops require working in pairs or in a group, so be prepared to share your work with your classmates.(See class schedule for specific workshop days.)

Turnitin.com—5% Turnitin.com is a tool to help you avoid plagiarism. Approximately two hours after you submit your paper to this online program, you can access a color-coded report with details about your use of sources in your paper. Because this site does not detect problems with paraphrasing that is not cited properly, you should use this site only as a guide. To use turnitin.com, you will need to create a user profile with the following information:

URL: http://www.turnitin.com/Class ID—_____________________Class Enrollment Password—fox2018

5

Note: Submitting a paper to turnitin.com does not mean you have submitted your paper to your instructor; you must also hand a copy of your paper to your instructor.

MyWritingLabPlus Requirement—5%

English 1109 students are automatically enrolled in an online grammar workshop called MyWritingLabPlus. Instructors should help students log in to and navigate the site the first or second week of class, but thereafter students work on mastering 10 assigned grammar topics outside of class. This requirement is worth 5% of the overall course grade. All assignments must be completed by the due dates, which are clearly stated on the MWRL+ site. Please print a report for each unit and submit it on Monday at the beginning of class . Include an MLA heading. You may complete and submit these assignments before the due dates.

MWLP Topics— Due Date

Pathbuilder Feb 2

Run-Ons: Comma Splices & Fused Sentences Feb 2

Commas Feb 9

Developing Thesis Statements Feb 9

Reading Texts Critically Feb 16

Finding Sources Mar 2

Evaluating Sources Mar 2

Integrating Sources Mar 9

Avoiding Plagiarism Mar 9

Building Sentences with Subordination & Coordination Mar 16

Transitions Mar 16

Mastery Check Apr 6

MWLP Coursework and Pacing (5%) To receive full credit (all 5%), students must do the following:

1. Take the diagnostic called the Path Builder by the due date.

2. Master topics at a steady pace throughout the quarter for a total of 10 topics mastered by the end of the quarter.

3. Print reports for all MWLP assignments and submit them on time. Include an MLA heading.

4. Take a post-diagnostic, called Mastery Check that will open on March 16.

5. If you are new student at CSUB, you must change your MWL+ password. Click on Forgot Password and change it. Record your new password in a safe location, such as on your phone notes.

6

● Mastering Topics—In order to master a topic, students must receive a score of 80% or higher on both the Recall 1, Recall 2, and the Apply tutorials for each topic. First, students read the overview, and then watch a video that explains the topic’s concepts and/or rules (e.g., what is a fragment?). Students are given two chances to recall and apply the knowledge in the Recall and Apply tutorials. If students do not meet the 80% mastery level after two tries for either tutorial, they have “exhausted” their chances and are locked out of the tutorial. (See below for unlocking directions.)

Mastery in the Path Builder –If you are allowing mastery in the Path Builder: Topics mastered in the Path Builder will count toward the 10 topics; however, I may ask you to complete the topic again if you do not show mastery of the topic in your writing.

Unlocking Topics–Students can call, email, or fill out an online unlock form at www.csub.edu/mwl or stop by CB 100 and get their topics unlocked.

Individual, Drop-in Tutoring RequirementInstructors may also require you to complete individual, drop-in tutoring for certain aspects of your writing, in which case you will receive a Tutor Referral Form with your graded essay. If you receive a referral form with a paper, you are required within one week to take the form and the paper to the Writing Resource Center for individual assistance. Instructors may withhold your essay grade until after you have completed this requirement.

Missed Assignments, Quizzes, and/or Exams Policy All assignments are due on or before the due dates at the beginning of class. I do not accept late work. Please come to class prepared to turn in typed assignments that have been printed prior to class. You may not leave class to print assignments or use the computer lab to print your homework. If you are absent or tardy, please text or email photos of the completed assignments to me on the due date BEFORE class begins. You must submit paper copies of those assignments when you return to class.

Minimum Weight of Course WorkFinal Research Paper 30% (minimum of 8-10 approved scholarly sources & 7-10 pages)Documented Essay 10% (minimum of 4 approved sources--Midterm)MyWritingLabPlus 5%In-Class Essay 5%Annotated Bibliography 5%Library Skills/Source Evaluations Documentation Workshops 10%Formal Summaries 5%Formal Critique 5%Homework 15%Participation 10%

7

Accommodations for Students with DisabilitiesTo request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) as soon as possible. Their office is located in SA 140, and they may be reached at 661-654-3360 (voice) or 661-654-6288 (TDD). If you have an accommodations letter from the SSD Office documenting that you have a disability, please present the letter to me during my office hours as soon as possible so we can discuss the specific accommodations that you might need in this class. Further information on the SSD office and support services available to you can be found at the following links: http://www.csub.edu/UnivServices/SSD/

The campus accessibility policy can be found here:http://www.csub.edu/UnivServices/SSD/CampusAccessPolicy.pdf

Policy on Academic DishonestyStudents are expected to do all work assigned to them without unauthorized assistance and without giving unauthorized assistance. For the complete policy, see the university catalog.The campus policy on Academic Dishonesty can also be found here:http://www.csub.edu/osrr/Academic%20Integrity%20

If you are absent, please contact a classmate to acquire information you missed and or check Announcements, Content, and Grades in Blackboard.

Class Contacts

Name__________________Contact Info___________________

Name__________________Contact Info___________________

Name__________________Contact Info___________________

If you are absent, you must make arrangements to submit assignments before class begins. Do NOT email assignments to me. You may drop them off in the envelope outside of the door to my office or take a photo of the completed assignments and text them to me (bring paper copies to the next class), or you can send them to class with a classmate or friend. You must submit writing assignments to turnitin.com and give me a paper copy.

When you email or text me, please include your course information in the subject line or in the introductory sentence. Please email or text me before class begins if you are going to be tardy or absent. Thank you.

8

COURSE SCHEDULE(Tentative and subject to change. Please refer to Blackboard Announcements and Content

daily for information about changes to this schedule.)NOTE: Bring all required materials and texts to every class session. Please note that I do not accept late work. Check this syllabus AND Blackboard for due dates. I use the following acronyms for your texts: W-WildIW-Into the Wild IC-In Class (Do Not complete IC work outside of class.)EA-Essentials of Argument HW-Homework (Must be completed before coming to class.)

Note: Regularly consult this syllabus and/or Blackboard for assignment information. Notate all changes to the course schedule. The midterm is based on Wild, so reading the entire book is important. The librarian assigned to this class is _______________________. You may contact your librarian at __________________________ Always print a report for your MWL+ assignments. Include the module information and a correctly formatted MLA heading. All formal writing assignments must be submitted to turnitin.com, and you must submit a paper copy to me.

Week 1Introduction to Class SyllabusThe Writing Process MLA format; Cornell Notes HW: Due next class session__________. Set up turnitin.com and sign into and look through your Blackboard account. Write a discussion response in which you introduce yourself.

Final paper and final paper topics; English Dept grading criteria; Highlighting & Annotating. HW: due next class session________ – Read Ch 1 EA. Write 1 page Cornell Notes. Read MWL+ Pathbuilder due Feb 2. For all MWL+ assignments, print a report, and turn it in on Fridays. Include an MLA heading.Week 2 IC Essay # 1. MLA format. Submit to turnitin.com. Turn in paper copy and rough draft.

Discuss Common Errors/ IC Essay PP-Take Cornell NotesDiscuss potential final paper topics. Thesis Statement PP. Take Cornell Notes. Tentative Thesis Statement & final paper topic due next class session—typed, double-spaced, MLA format Work on final paper topic (focused and narrowed) and tentative thesis statement. Typed. MLA format. Due _______________. Last day to change topic and thesis is _____________________. HW: ____________—Typed final paper topic and tentative thesis statement. Read Ch 5 EA. One page Read Prologue, Ch 1, & Ch 2 W. Write one page Cornell Notes for each chapter.

9

(Due dates for MWL+ are on the syllabus and are noted on the MWL + site. They are due on Mondays at the beginning of class. Submit a printed report. Include an MLA heading & header. Identify the modules.)

Week 3 Discuss Wild—Quality of Life. IC: With a group, complete assigned discussion questions. Discuss hybrid class options. Information needed for Works Cited. Critiques & Logical Fallacies. Fallacies PP. Take Cornell Notes.

Hybrid class on________________. Watch the thesis statement video and review Power Point posted on Blackboard. Write Cornell notes. Discuss final paper topics/thesis statements. Read Limbaugh essay p 164-166 EA. Highlight and annotate. Identify logical fallacies.Thesis Research Paper Working Thesis Statement & Proposal Due HW due______________: Write a 1-2 typed paragraph summary and critique of the Limbaugh essay. MLA format. Read chapter 3 EA. Take one page of Cornell Notes. Worksheet 5 p. 92 EA (for your final paper topic). Read Ch 5 & 6 W. Write one page of Cornell notes for each chapter.Week 4 Research Workshop with our librarian. Take Cornell Notes. Complete any assigned activities.

Writing formal academic summaries. Summaries v. Syntheses/Reflections. Discuss W. Blackboard Discussion. Review & discuss final paper topics; Academic Research HW: due ___________________. Read Chapter 2 EA p. 27-38 and write 1 page of Cornell Notes, Read Essay # 1 p. 39-40. Activity # 3 EA p. 43 for your final paper topic. Read Ch 7-10 W. One page of Cornell Notes for each chapter.

Week 5 Research Workshop with our librarian. Take Cornell Notes. Complete any assignments.

HW: Due ______________. Read EA Ch 6 p. 122-134. Worksheet 4 EA p. 70. Read Ch 11 W. Write one page of Cornell notes.

Essay Frames; incorporating sources. Take Cornell Notes. MLA Works Cited and Parenthetical citations. Plagiarism review.

10

HW: _________________. Read EA Ch 11 p. 237-251. One page of Cornell Notes. To begin your research for your final paper, locate at least three credible academic sources that support your final paper thesis statement. Highlight & annotate. Read Ch 12-13 W. Write a properly cited formal summary of Ch 12. Typed MLA format. Include a Works Cited page. One page Cornell notes for Ch 13. Do not forget to complete MWL+.Week 6

Hybrid class. Using sources correctly & avoiding plagiarism. Watch plagiarism Power Point. Write 1-2 pages of Cornell Notes. Respond to Blackboard discussion prompt(s).

Documented Synthesis Essay Workshop. Take Cornell Notes. Incorporating and citing sources review (MLA).

HW: Due __________. Locate at least one credible academic opposition source for your final paper topic. Highlight and annotate. Read Ch 14-15 W. Write one page Cornell Notes for each chapter.

Week 7Annotated Bibliography video. Take Cornell Notes. Introduce opposition (different perspective/claim) source critique. Bibliographies v. Works Cited/Reference Pages.

Documented Synthesis essay review. (See guidelines posted on Blackboard)

Databases review. Take Cornell Notes.

Working Bibliography for final paper topic due ________________________. HW: Finish reading Wild to prepare for the midterm. No Cornell notes assigned for the final chapters. See Blackboard for the midterm prompt. Begin working on MWL+ Mastery Test. Due____________________.Week 8Documented essay/midterm due ____________________________. Typed. MLA Format. Works Cited with at least 3 approved sources.

Syntax and comma reviews—take Cornell Notes

Writing Process review—take Cornell Notes.Week 9 IC Essay # 2

Research Paper Paradigms; Submission Guidelines. Take notes. Formal Sentence Outlines. Take notes.

HW: Begin working on the annotated bibliography for your final paper. Due ___________. Read Author’s Note and Ch 1-2 IW. One page Cornell notes for each chapter. Quality of life. After this assignment, I will no longer require Cornell notes for IW, but I strongly recommend that you continue this critical reading strategy to prepare for Blackboard discussions about this reading.

11

Spring Break: March 26-30. Week 10 Writing Critiques video. Take Cornell Notes. Opposition Source Critique due __________ (2-3 pages not including Works Cited. )Typed. MLA format. (Refer to guidelines posted in Content on Blackboard.)

Annotated Bibliography due ______________. Typed. MLA format.

Sentence Outline video. Take Cornell Notes. (Refer to examples posted in Content on Blackboard).

HW: Work on Formal Sentence Outline for final paper. Due ______________. Read Ch 3-5 IW. Complete Blackboard discussion assignment.

Week 11

Evaluating Sources. Take Cornell notes. You must evaluate all sources that you use in your final paper. Use the evaluating sources form posted in Content on Blackboard.

Opposition source critique due _________________.

Hybrid class. IW discussion topic. Rogerian Argument videos. Take Cornell notes.

HW: To prepare to submit your final paper, begin working on evaluating your sources for your final paper. Staple the evaluations on top of each highlighted and annotated source. Use the evaluation form provided on Blackboard—a new form for each source. Sources must be scholarly and peer-reviewed.Week 12Subject/Verb Agreement review—editing workshop. Take Cornell Notes.Parallelism review—revising workshop. Take Cornell Notes.Writing Critique Guidelines Review

Formal Sentence Outline for final paper due_____________________ Must be typed in correct MLA Format. (Refer to examples posted in Content on Blackboard.)

HW: Work on final research paper. Read Ch 6-10 IW. Your final paper rough draft is due at the beginning of next week.Week 13 Two copies of final paper rough draft due. Peer Review. Sign up for mandatory conference.

12

Final paper conferences begin. Attend class only when your conference is scheduled. Read Announcements for information about Blackboard discussions during Conference Weeks.

HW: Read Ch 14-19 IW. Complete Blackboard discussion assignment.Week 14Mandatory Conferences.

Blackboard Discussions._____________________________________________________________________________Week 15Student Assessment and/or Blackboard Self-Evaluation ResponseIC Essay # 3 if necessary only.

Final Research Paper Due (Refer to Submission Guidelines in Content on Blackboard.)

Week 16TBA

Wild Reader’s Guide

The questions, discussion topics, and reading list that follow are intended to enhance your reading group’s discussion of Wild, Cheryl Strayed’s powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again.

Introduction

“Cheryl Strayed reminds us, in her lyrical and courageous memoir Wild, of what it means to be fully alive, even in the face of catastrophe, physical and psychic hardship, and loss.” —Mira Bartók, author of The Memory Palace “Stunning… An incredible journey, both inward and outward.” —Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little more than “an idea, vague and outlandish and full of promise.” But it was a promise of piecing back together a life that had come undone. Strayed faces down rattlesnakes and black bears, intense heat and record snowfalls, and both the beauty and loneliness of the trail. Told with great suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild vividly captures

13

the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Questions and Topics for Discussion

1. “The Pacific Crest Trail wasn’t a world to me then. It was an idea, vague and outlandish, full of promise and mystery. Something bloomed inside me as I traced its jagged line with my finger on a map” (4). Why did the PCT capture Strayed’s imagination at that point in her life?

2. Each section of the book opens with a literary quote or two. What do they tell you about what’s to come in the pages that follow? How does Strayed’s pairing of, say, Adrienne Rich and Joni Mitchell (45) provide insight into her way of thinking?

3. Strayed is quite forthright in her description of her own transgressions, and while she’s remorseful, she never seems ashamed. Is this a sign of strength or a character flaw?

4. “I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed. Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told” (51). Fear is a major theme in the book. Do you think Strayed was too afraid, or not afraid enough? When were you most afraid for her?

5. Strayed chose her own last name: “Nothing fit until one day when the word strayed came into my mind. Immediately, I looked it up in the dictionary and knew it was mine…to wander from the proper path, to deviate from the direct course, to be lost, to become wild, to be without a mother or father, to be without a home, to move about aimlessly in search of something, to diverge or digress” (96). Did she choose well? What did you think when you learned she had assigned this word to herself—that it was no coincidence?

6. On the trail, Strayed encounters mostly men. How does this work in her favor? What role does gender play when removed from the usual structure of society?

7. What does the reader learn from the horrific episode in which Strayed and her brother put down their mother’s horse?

8. Strayed writes that the point of the PCT “had only to do with how it felt to be in the wild. With what it was like to walk for miles for no reason other than to witness the accumulation of trees and meadows, mountains and deserts, streams and rocks, rivers and grasses, sunrises and sunsets” (207). How does this sensation help Strayed to find her way back into the world beyond the wilderness?

9. On her journey, Strayed carries several totems. What does the black feather mean to her? And the POW bracelet? Why does she find its loss (238) symbolic?

10. Does the hike help Strayed to get over Paul? If so, how? And if not, why?

11. Strayed says her mother’s death “had obliterated me […] I was trapped by her but utterly alone. She would always be the empty bowl that no one could fill” (267). How did being on the PCT on her mother’s fiftieth birthday help Strayed to heal this wound?

12. What was it about Strayed that inspired the generosity of so many strangers on the PCT?

13. “There’s no way to know what makes one thing happen and not another [. . . ] But I was pretty certain as I sat there that night that if it hadn’t been for Eddie, I wouldn’t have found myself on the PCT” (304). How does this realization change Strayed’s attitude towards her stepfather?

14

14. To lighten her load, Strayed burns each book as she reads it. Why doesn’t she burn the Adrienne Rich collection?

15. What role do books and reading play in this often solitary journey?

About this Author

Cheryl Strayed is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Torch. Her stories and essays have been published in The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Allure, The Rumpus, The Missouri Review, The Sun, The Best American Essays, and elsewhere. She lives in Portland, Oregon.  

Into the Wild Study Guide

How the Story is Told

Each chapter opens with 1-2 epigraphs (quotes/excerpts from other sources, interviews, or Chris's writings). What do these epigraphs do to focus our reading?

We learn immediately that Chris dies during his journey, and the anecdotes and interviews are told in retrospective. Krakauer also presents the information about Chris in a non-chronological order. What is the effect of this narrative choice?

Krakauer admits to not being "an impartial biographer" (ii). What do you think about his presence in thetext (personal comments and opinions, work as a reporter learning about Chris's story, etc.)?

What is the effect of the "extra” materials included with the story (photos & maps of Chris’ journey)? In what way do they shape our reading of the book and understanding of Chris’s adventure?

Adventure/Personal Challenge

In a letter to Ronald Franz, McCandless wrote, “nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure” (56). Was Chris right? Why or why not?

In reference to Chris’s mother, Billie, learning about Chris’ death, Krakauer wrote, “such bereavement, witnessed at

15

close range, makes even the most eloquent apologia for high-risk activities ring fatuous and hollow” (132). However, Krakauer also wrote, that to him, climbing was one of the only things that really mattered when he was young. What draws people to high risk activities? Is it fair to the loved one of the individuals who participate in high-risk activities?

In chapters 14 & 15, Jon Krakauer shares his experience on the Stikine Icecap. Why does he do this? Why did Krakauer set out to climb the Devils Thumb? How does his story color our understanding of Chris?

Krakauer noted that risk-taking is a rite of passage. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Why does Everett Ruess’s father say, “The older person does not realize the soul-flights of the adolescent” (186)? Do you believe he was right? Why or why not?

Personal Perspective

What do you think Krakauer's goals were in writing the text? Is this an informational piece? A tragedy we should feel bad about? A cautionary tale? Why or why not?

The back of the most recent edition of Into the Wild classifies the book as an "adventure" story. Do you agree? If not, how would you categorize the text?

“Alaska has long been a magnet for dreamers and misfits, people who think the unsullied enormity of the last frontier will patch all of the holes in their lives” (4). What are the holes people are trying to fill? Why do we believe the frontier will save us?

“Don’t hesitate or allow yourself to make excuses,” Chris writes to Ronald Franz (58). When have you held yourself back from success or failure?

How does your reading of Into the Wild influence your goals for college and plans for life after college?

Connections with Nature

“Alaska has long been a magnet for dreamers and misfits, people who think the unsullied enormity of the last frontier will patch all of the holes in their lives” (4). What are the holes people are trying to fill? Why do we believe the frontier will save us?

“Alaska has long been a magnet for dreamers and misfits, people who think the unsullied enormity of the last frontier will patch all of the holes in their lives” (4). What are the holes people are trying to fill? Why do we believe the frontier will save us?

Everett Ruess preferred the “deep peace of the wild to the discontent bred by cities" (87). What is it about cities that make people crave the wilderness, or what is it about the wilderness that draws humans to it? What did the people in Into the Wild hope to find in the wilderness that they could not seem to find in modern society’s cities and towns?

“[Chris]soon discovered...what Muir and Thoreau already knew: an extended stay in the wilderness inevitably directs one’s attention outward as much as inward, and it is impossible to live off the land without developing both a subtle understanding of, and a strong emotional bond with, that land and all it holds” (183). What do you think Krakauer meant by this statement?

How does Chris compare to other rebel figures in American popular culture? Why does the West seem particularly important to his quest?

Is it possible to live fully without the extreme natural experiences that Chris seeks? Can you have an authentic

16

relationship with nature otherwise?

Accommodation for Students with DisabilitiesTo request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) as soon as possible. Their office is located in SA 140, and they may be reached at 661-654-3360 (voice) or 661-654-6288 (TDD). If you have an accommodations letter from the SSD Office documenting that you have a disability, please present the letter to me during my office hours as soon as possible so we can discuss the specific accommodations that you might need in this class. Further information on the SSD office and support services available to you can be found at http://www.csub.edu/UnivServices/SSD/

The campus accessibility policy can be found here:http://www.csub.edu/UnivServices/SSD/CampusAccessPolicy.pdf

Policy on Academic DishonestyStudents are expected to do all work assigned to them without unauthorized assistance and without giving unauthorized assistance. For the complete policy, see the university catalog.The campus policy on Academic Dishonesty can also be found here:http://www.csub.edu/osrr/Academic%20Integrity%20

If you are absent, please contact a classmate to acquire information you missed and or check Announcements, Content, and Grades in Blackboard.

Class Contacts

Name__________________Contact Info___________________

Name__________________Contact Info___________________

Name__________________Contact Info___________________

17

If you are absent, you must make arrangements to submit assignments before class begins. Do NOT email assignments to me. You may drop them off in the envelope outside of the door to my office or take a photo of the completed assignments and text them to me (bring paper copies to the next class), or you can send them to class with a classmate or friend. You must submit writing assignments to turnitin.com and give me a paper copy.

When you email or text me, please include your course information in the subject line or in the introductory sentence. Please email or text me before class begins if you are going to be tardy or absent. Thank you.

18