Being There Paper                                                                                         English 1B, Moton

Assignment: Complete one of the following questions in a full, academic formal essay.

Topic 1: Select one of the following themes: 1) Nature versus Technology, 2) Waning of Affect (the loss of the ability to feel or express emotions), or 3) Narcissism/Reflection.  How does Kosinski use one of these themes to send a message to the reader and critique our own world and modern humanity?  You might consider some of the following questions: What is Kosinski saying about the modern world?  Is his statement positive or negative?  Does tone or do any specific symbols help establish this message?  Your response should consider that this book is a satire and designed to poke fun at and criticize our world.  This topic should focus primarily on the book, using the film only for support.

Topic 2: How do differences between the movie and film alter the theme representation of the Waning of Affect in Being There?  This paper must include a look at how Chance does or does not grow as a character.   What is the difference in his emotional state at the end of the book compared to the end of the film?  Compare/Contrast the final message of the novel in regards to this theme with the final message of the film. 

Topic 3: How do differences between the movie and film alter the theme of religion in Being There?  This paper should look first at religion in the novel—what message does Kosinski deliver by use of religion in the novel?  Second, look at religion in the film.  How do scenes and images in the film help to strengthen religion as a theme?  Does it send a different message about religion than the novel alone does?

Requirements.  This paper must:

• Be typed and double spaced, or it will be returned un-graded.

• Be written in a professional tone and free of mechanical errors.

• Adhere to all formatting requirements suggested in the “how to write about literature” handout (given in class on posted online).  Remember to avoid long summaries and focus instead on critical analysis and response to the text.

• Must have a clearly identified thesis sentence in the introduction, and it must argue a point convincingly using both direct quotes from the novel and direct critical responses to those quotes.

• This paper is worth 150 points.