ESSAY #2 ON “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
This is the second high stakes assignment of the semester. It is worth 30% of your final grade.
THE ASSIGNMENT
Congratulations! Your fieldwork on Connie and her family has come to the attention of others in your field and you have been invited to present your findings at the annual conference of the American Society of Forensic Psychology. It’s time now to organize your data into a presentation.
THEMES
Connie’s experience is such a rich subject that you must decide on the specific topic you are going to focus on in your presentation. You have narrowed your choices to three themes. Your first decision is which theme you will focus on:
Theme #1
What do we learn overall from the story about young people who are at risk of becoming victims of sexual predators? Your fellow psychologists hope you will be creative in showing them something they haven’t thought of. They would also like to see how you back up your answer with supporting points that are grounded in Connie’s life at home and with her friends, as well as her interaction with Arnold. For example, what do we learn about the mistakes parents make that leave their children vulnerable to sexual predators?
Theme #2
What do young people like Connie lack or need so badly that makes them vulnerable to the schemes of predators like Arnold? It is commonly believed that sexual predators discover a deep emotional need in their victims, and then they take advantage of their victims by offering to fulfill that need. Your audience at the conference hope to learn from you how Connie’s home life has created this need, how she seeks to satisfy it when she’s away from home, and how Arnold successfully uses it to get control of her.
Theme #3
What do we learn about the evil skills of men like Arnold in manipulating young women? Your peers at the conference want to learn from you three techniques he uses in breaking down her defenses. What does he know about the psychology of young women like her? How does he make use of this knowledge to take advantage of her? Focus the story where we see Arnold in action, but ground your explanations of his techniques in what we learn about Connie at home and with her friends.
ORGANIZATION OF YOUR PRESENTATION
PARAGRAPH #1:
Introduce the convention audience to the theme/question you have chosen to focus on and a clear statement of your answer
PARAGRAPH #2:
Take readers on a tour that shows how Connie behaves at home and with her friends. Your primary evidence is Parts I and II of the story, but use secondary evidence when appropriate (see below). Show in vivid detail what makes her vulnerable to Arnold and sets the stage for her inability to resist him. (NOTE: We will practice this technique of Taking a Tour before we start writing the essay.)
PARAGRAPH #3:
Deal directly with your answer to the theme you have chosen for your presentation. This section will focus on Arnold’s interaction with Connie. Your primary evidence is Part III of the story but use secondary evidence to help interpret and deepen your analysis.
PARAGRAPH #4:
Use the counter-argument technique to reply to one of the claims made by either Holmen or Lee. Introduce the author’s point carefully and thoughtfully. Then show why her point is not convincing or is entirely wrong. Use your response to develop your theme in the previous section. And use secondary evidence to help interpret and deepen your analysis.
PARAGRAPH #5:
Conclude with one of these techniques:
· Build on the thesis by taking it in a new direction.
· Relate personally to the topic and thesis.
· Describe how the topic and thesis still applies in the modern world and our own lives (or doesn’t apply).
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCE MATERIAL
You have a rich supply of material to work with. Here are the sources you have decided to make use of in your presentation:
A. Use the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” as your PRIMARY SOURCE. You also have your answers to the First Questions and Activities Parts I-III. The story contains what we know about what happened and your answers to the questions about the story are your field notes. You can build on them any way you wish.
NOTE: Since your field notes are such an important part of the project, be sure you have completed them and you have access to them. Finish any that are incomplete and ask your professor for help in getting them done.
USE FOUR SECONDARY SOURCES:
A. Nicole Holmen’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue: Psychoanalyzing Connie in Joyce Carol Oates’s “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’” and your observations on her interpretation of Connie’s issues
B. Cameron Lee’s “A Psychoanalytical Interpretation of ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’” and your observations on her analysis of the story
C. The lyrics of Bob Dylan’s song “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” and your observations on the connections between images in the song and the story
D. Google online for a valuable article of your own choosing on one of the topics in First Questions and Activities Part IV:
a. child grooming behavior
b. stockholm syndrome
c. sexual predator
Use effective search terms and choose an article that teaches us something valuable about the topic. It should meet these minimum criteria:
o The article is well developed and not a simple list of bullet points.
o The author and his/her credentials are clearly stated.
o The article is not found on a site like schmoop, gradesaver, sparknotes or enotes.
Here is an example of a keyword search: < what is a sexual predator >. And here are some results. (You can use one of them if it suits your needs):
1. This source doesn’t contain enough useful information: https://legalbeagle.com/5048506-definition-sexual-predator.html
2. These sources have valuable information. Notice the multiple subheadings with explanations and information:
https://www.ibelieve.com/relationships/6-tell-tale-signs-of-a-predator.html
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/inside-the-criminal-mind/201712/the-thinking-processes-sexual-predators
E. Do not use any sources for information other than the primary source and the four secondary sources. You have worked hard on this case and your audience has come to hear your conclusions.
KEY POINTS
1. Write 600-1200 words in response to one of the themes.
2. Follow the directions in organizing the presentation and using primary and secondary evidence.
3. Do not repeat the prompt in your introduction. Instead, find an interesting and powerful way to introduce your topic and main point to orient the convention audience.
4. Use specific evidence—summaries, paraphrases and quotes—from sources to support your points. Focus on using ideas more than quotes to support and develop your own ideas, but you can quote to back up your explanation of an idea in the poem. And don’t be afraid of using an idea even if you don’t agree with it! Simply reply to the idea and explain how wrong it is. Use your reply to develop your own point.
5. When you use another author’s words, keep these guidelines in mind:
· Quote a complete sentence or thought that makes sense in itself
· Don’t combine phrases from different parts of a source to create your own “Frankenstein” quote
· Introduce the quote and give the author credit before quoting
· Cite the author’s last name and page # in parentheses after the quote
· Explain and develop the author’s meaning so your audience understands the power of her words
6. Do not use information from any other source than the designated primary and secondary sources. Your audience made a special effort to attend your presentation in order to learn from your professional expertise. They want to know your opinion and your reasons for it.
- Do not go online for information or “help” outside of the assignment. If you do the essay draft will receive an automatic F and you will have to start over writing the essay.
8. Double space and Times New Roman 12 point font
9. Put a heading on the top left of page one.
- Proofread after you finish writing. Effective grammar and vocabulary use are part of our grade, so check carefully for obvious mistakes that slipped your attention:
· Read slowly and out loud. Listen for obvious mistakes that slipped your attention.
· Ask yourself if each sentence expresses your meaning clearly and use a dictionary.
· Correct the words Spell Check underlines.
ORIGINAL: What am I gonna do?
REVISION: What am I going to do?
