RESPOND TO THIS PROMPT BY TONIGHT: For this week’s blog post, make an argument in response to the following set of questions: Does the novel seem to support the notion of binary good and evil, or does it offer a more nuanced version of morality? What ethical decisions are the characters faced with, and what informs and ultimately seems to determine their decisions? Does there seem to be a clear sense of what is right and what is wrong? What does the book seem to say about morality, choice, and human nature? (use the book the Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi’s) chapter 30-37 pp. 253-311

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO WRITE: Write a post of 700 words (this would be approximately 2 double-spaced pages if you were writing a traditional essay). Respond directly to the question Have a thesis statement (that you format in bold) at the end of your first paragraph that makes an argument about our texts. Good arguments about literature usually do two things well: (1) They make an interesting observation about a text, and (2) they make an argument about why that interesting observation matters (the “so what?” element). The chapters we read in Schilb & Clifford’s A Brief Guide to Arguing about Literature will be our guide to succeeding in this assignment. Consult them regularly! Organize your ideas into well-developed paragraphs. Blog posts that consist of one giant block of words will always earn an Unsatisfactory grade. Support your argument with well-chosen evidence from our texts. USE QUOTES FROM BOOK Use the rules of MLA style for citation and documentation. This includes parenthetical citations to cite quotations — for example, (Blair 47) — and a Works Cited list at the end of the post. I recommend consulting the Purdue Online Writing Lab’s MLA Formatting and Style Guide regularly to learn and apply the rules of MLA style. Write clear, grammatically-correct prose that avoids distracting elements, such as errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar. Tag your post with 1-3 keywords. This will help us make connections as the course unfolds.