FYP 100-01

Forbidden Knowledge

Final Essay Topics and Instructions

DUE by 11:59 p.m. November 26. Late submissions will not be accepted. Submit via email (watkinss@union.edu). Your file should be in either .docx or .pdf format. You should also copy and paste the text of your paper in the email itself in case your file does not open. Choose one of the topics below to explore in your paper, and write a well-crafted and thoughtful response. Your final product should range from 4-6 pages, double spaced, typed and in 12 pt. font. Please use standard margins and fonts. You should not use any outside sources for this paper; consult only your own thoughts and the texts we have read in class. For this assignment, the following citation scheme should be used: (Bradbury, 58-60) author last name, page number(s)

Textual Options [1] Gaining Knowledge: A Happier (?) Take. From the beginning of the term to its end, we have encountered a number of texts that seem to suggest that gaining knowledge is detrimental to the well-being of both individuals and societies. Do these texts have any positive messages to relate about humans and their desire for knowledge? How might we construe the knowledge gained by Frankenstein, Faustus, Jekyll, or Garson Poole (to name but a few) in a positive light? Choose examples from several texts to illustrate your points. [2] Knowledge and Personal Change. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously opined on how the acquisition of (dark) knowledge has the power to transform us:

When you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you. [Beyond Good and Evil, Aphorism 146 (1886)]
Write an essay in which you examine the transformative power discoveries have on their discoverers in several of the texts we have read. How does knowledge change each of these characters? What does each discoverer learn about himself, humanity, and/or society through the process of discovery? Some characters you may consider include Montag, Faustus, Frankenstein, Jekyll, Poole, Ethan Brand, Othello, etc. Does Nietzsches quotation ring true for any of these characters experiences (or for your own?).

Real World Option [3] The Logistics of Forbidden Knowledge. Craft an essay in which you address the question: should knowledge ever be forbidden? If so, what types of knowledge should be forbidden and who should forbid them? If knowledge should never be forbidden, why not? If limitations on knowledge already exist, what are they and are they fair? Should they be changed? You may explore this topic through the lens of several texts that we have read, or you may explore it in a real world context. If you go the real world route, I would like you to use at least one of the texts we have read as a jumping off point for your thoughts.
Some real world issues you might consider: current, past, or future limitations on the first amendment; current, past, or future limitations on scientific experimentation; the ethics of hacktivism or websites like Wikileaks; the censorship of the internet; issues of national security; banning, censoring, or burning books, etc.

Creative Options [4] A Fresh Perspective. Re-write a scene or series of scenes from one of the texts we have read from the perspective of another character from that text. For instance, you might re-tell Garson Pooles story from the perspective of Sarah Benton. You might craft an argument delivered by Zeus in Prometheus Bound, explaining his rationale and responding to Prometheus complaints. You can imagine and write a letter from the perspective of Mr. Hyde explaining the facts of the case in Stevensons novel. Whatever you choose, your adaptation should refer explicitly to the events in the original text and engage pointedly with its themes and ideas. [5] Changes of Context. Re-imagine and re-write a scene from one of the texts we have read in a different context (in either time, place, or genre). How, for instance, would the opening scenes of Othello look in modern America? If Oprah brought characters like Victor Frankenstein, the monster, and Jekyll/Hyde on her show, how would the interview play out? If Dr. Faustus and the Abbott Stephen de Sautr were running for president and having a debate, what would they argue? If Fahrenheit 451 had a chorus, as in a Greek tragedy, what odes would the chorus sing and when? Whatever you choose, be sure to refer explicitly to events in the texts and engage pointedly with their themes and ideas.