Argument Essay - Miami Coral Park High School

ARGUMENT ESSAY Arguing a Position ARGUMENT REQUIRES A POSITION AND AN IDEA Format: Take a position Evidence (proper noun-Name, Date) ATO -Address to opposition (refutation)(one sentence ATO)-need to address opposition or you dont have an argument Evidence Tie it to large idea *Remember what good writers do-you have analyzed

this in the RA essays. What can you use to make your writing and purpose effective? How can you use stylistic (rhetorical) devices to make your argument? READING THE ARGUMENT QUESTION 2005-Training for Statesmanship by George F. Kennan Directions: The passage below is from Training for Statesmanship (1953), an article written by George F. Kennan, one of the principal architects of Unites States foreign policy during the period following the end of the Second World War. Read the passage carefully and select what you believe is Kennans most compelling observation. Then write an essay in which you consider the extent to which that

observation holds true for the United States or for any other country. Support your argument with appropriate evidence. What is the questions asking? (2 parts) + big idea why is this important KENNANS OBSERVATIONS Pick one and write an argument in which you address the extent to which it holds true for the United States or for any other country (convince us/why) Observations: Power diffused-power community Americans place extraordinary obligations of conformity

Americans need for conformity breeds oppression Police power-authority PICK ONE COMPELLING OBSERVATION Find evidence Evidence from: Current Events History Science Film One body paragraph is telescopic in nature (detailed) focus on one evidence and expand One body paragraph is worldview-less detailed and more dependent on different evidence and tying it together

EVIDENCE THAT CORRESPOND TO KENNANS OBSERVATION Position Statement: Kennans assertion that Americans need for conformity breeds oppression clearly articulates how we place unrealistic constraints on individual members of our society, suggesting how these spill over to our unfair treatment of others and other nations. List six examples of evidence: Puritan Society The Salem Witch Trials The Study of Eugenics Japanese Interment Camps McCarthy Era The Mortgage and Housing Crisis of 2006

RESPONSE A m e r i c an s h i stor i c al l y h a v e v al u e d i n d i v i d u a l i sm , w e are m y th o l o g i z e d a s r u g g e d i n d i v i d u al i s ts, b u t i n re a l i t y as Ge org e F. Ke n n an , a p r i n c i p al a rc h i t e ct o f U. S . f o re i g n p ol i c y , n ot e s i n Tr a i n i n g f o r S ta te sm an s hi p , w e p l ac e ex tr ao rd i n ar y ob l i g a t i on s of c o n f o rm i t y o n o n e an oth e r. Un f or t u n a te l y , th at n e e d f o r c o n f o rm i t y o n l y se r v e s t o op p re ss . S o m e m a y a rg u e th a t c on f o rm i t y h as b e e n on e of ou r g re ate st stre n g t h s. I t h as m a de a n at i on of d i s p ar at e p e o p l e - o ne . O u r p l u r a l i s ti c , p u b l i c e d u c at i o n al sy ste m g u a r an t e e s t h at al l m e m b e r s i n o u r s oc i e t y w i l l h a v e a n e q u al an d f a i r c h an c e t o an e d u c at i on . H o w e v e r , d u r i n g se g re g a t i o n , b l ac k s w e re o ff e re d a s e p a r a te b u t e q u al a c c e ss t o e d u c a ti on . H i st or i c al l y d i sf r a n c h i s e d m i no r i t i e s, i m m i g r an tst he p oo r , w e ak , an d d ow n t ro d d e n h a v e b e e n p ro m i s e d e q u a l i ty th ro u g h t ha t g re at e q u al i z e r th a t i s e d u c at i on . T h e g re at e q u al i z e r h as b e e n m o re l i ke a g re a t e n f orc e r d e m an d i n g t h a t Na t i v e A m e r i c an s sa c r i fi c e t he i r re l i g i on a nd c u l tu re , t h a t b l a c ks s ub mi t t o a n i n f e r i o r s tan d a rd , a n d

t ha t H i sp an i c s a c q u i e sc e t o st a n d ardi z e d t e st i n g . Un d e r t h e g u i se o f th i s e q u a l i t y , o f t h i s p rom i se t o ac c e ss, c o n f o rm i t y h a s b e e n u se d b y th e s t at u s - q u o t o op p re ss. T h i s p r ac t i c e sti l l c o n ti n u e s t od ay an d w e , t h e str u g g l i ng w or ki n g an d m i dd l e c l as s are t oo e asi l y sw ay e d i n to Gats b i a n d re a m o f b e l o ng i n g , o ft e n w i t h d i re c o n se q u e n c e s. RESPONSE The pressure to conform, the force of community, has historically led every immigrant to believe that to achieve to succeed in the U.S. is to reach the American dream. This unrealistic measure of economic success has led to the demise of the middle-class. In the early 2000s, real-estate sells soared, practically every American had achieved the American dream of owning a house. Interests rates were low, lenders were lenient, and hopes were high. But in 2006, 2007, the real-estate market crashed and sub-prime

mortgages imploded. What soon followed was a series of economic corrections in order to save the banking systemand that it did. The U.S. government gave bankers an excess of 25 billion dollars to clean up the mess they made. Meanwhile, the average American defaulted on their mortgage loans, banks refused to refinance-and again Americans defaulted on their mortgages and lost their homes. The banking system lost nothing. RESPONSE T h e s t a t u s-q uo , o u r go vern m en t , d ecid ed t h a t w h o needed sa vin g w a s t h e b a nk in g s ys t em , n ot Am erica n s. T h e w or k ing c la ss m a n, t h e m id dle- cla ss sin gl e m o t h er in a n a t t em pt t o fit , t o co nfo rm , t o a ch i eve a n equ a l m ea s u re a s h er n eig h bo r , d efa u lt ed o n t h eir lo an s a n d lo st every t hin g. T h is is t h e co m m o n plig h t o f w o r ki ng a nd m i ddle c la ss Am eric a . I n a n a t t em p t t o m eas u re u p t o t he s t a t us qu o , t o t he J o neses, t o t h e w ea lt h y , w e h a ve lo s t a ny m eas ure of

equ al it y t ha t gua r a nt eed o u r vo ice in s oc iet y. I n s t ea d, w e ha ve h ea rd o ur Ca lvi nis t ic an cest ry l a sh ou t a g a in s t u s a nd let u s k no w t h at a bo ve a ll ; it va lu es w ea lt h . W h y a ren t w e ou t r ag ed a b ou t t h is ? W h y h a v en t w e like o u r di sfr an ch ised forefa t h ers ca lled fo r eco n o m ic rev ol ut i o n? T he a n s w er l ies in o u r n eed t o c o n fo rm . To a n a t io n o f im m ig r an t s, fin din g c om m o n g ro un d is im p o rt an t . Th ere is co m fo rt in belo n gin g. I t is o ur ever gro w in g n eed t o b elo n g, t o b e pa r t o f t h e A m eric a n d rea m . But like J a y G a t s by, w e t h e do w n t ro dden , di sfr an ch ised , m a y fi n d o u r selves m il es a w a y fro m t ha t ot h er ha lf t h at lives a cro ss t h e ba y.