Post your arguments re: The Known World here. Freewrite: Include a Rogerian version as well (extra credit). Students might have to post the essays in more than one post.
Discuss the difficulties or ease in composing these essays based on the models. Did the topic influence the form? Was this topic easier to discuss using one form over another? Do the forms overlap and if so, how?
Rogerian
What issue am I going to investigate?
What is my thesis?
What common ground exists between my views and those whose views differ from mine?
What are the challenging views on the matter that I need to discuss?
How can I most judiciously highlight the limitation of the challenging views and suggest a mutually agreeable way of overcoming these limitations?
Based on shared views about my thesis, what can I add in the way of evidence that would be compatible with challenging views?
What are my own concluding reflections in light of the above?
Using the above information, what can I say in my opening paragraph that would best introduce my argument and engage my reader’s attention?
Checklist
1. Do I find common ground with those whose views differ from my own?
2. Do I carefully consider the weaknesses of limitations of my point o view as well as those of others? Do I share these with my readers?
3. Is my tone cooperative rather than confrontational?
4. Do I encourage multiple [perspectives rather than a singular one toward the issue?
5. Do I treat views with which I disagree respectfully? Do I give more emphasis to the point of agreement than the points of disagreement?
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The Known World (Toulmin Model)
ReplyDeleteHenry Townsend should not have owned slaves, (Claim) because slavery pollutes everyone who participates in it and destroys social justice and humanity. (Grounds) Slavery also makes a level of people, and irrationalities in our society. (Grounds) Henry Townsend, who was born into slavery and whose father eventually bought his freedom, adopted the lifestyle of the county's upper-class whites. Unlike his father, Augustus, he agreed with slavery as a legal system. Although Henry associates the ownership of slaves with prosperity and success in general, the legacies he left are the beginning of the problem in the Known World.
Slavery causes problems in many ways. (Warrant) First, slavery puts the people in minority at risk of having the right to do whatever they want. (Backing Statement) This means that they are not qualified to be free. In the Known World, by John Skiffington’s slave patrols, Augustus loses his freedom. As a slave, Augustus is murdered by his new master as he begins the long walk back north. In this case of story, Augustus is being treated as a product. Second, breakup of the system of slavery results in chaos and disorder. (Backing Statement) We can find an example from the American history. After slavery was abolished, American society had a disastrous problem between black and white people. Although Black people recovered their freedom through abolition of slaveholding, they couldn’t raise their family, and buy foods, because they didn’t have economic backgrounds. Even breakup of slavery system causes conflicts against the people with vested rights. In the Known World, Caldonia’s mother Maude comes to the plantation two days after Henry’s death and urges Caldonia not to waste her “legacy” by selling or freeing her slaves. Caldonia and her mother are not slaves. They are the people with vested rights, because they are slave masters.
Edward P. Jones pointed out, “In 1855 in Manchester County, Virginia, there were 34 free black families... and eight of those free families owned slaves." Even owning slaves were not illegal at that time, but we should remember that slavery destroys human rights. (Rebuttal) Under slavery, people cannot have freedom. Although Caldonia believes that she will help and protect the slaves under her care, slaves cannot be freed under the system of slaveholding. (Rebuttal) The reason is that slavery means racism.
In conclusion, slavery pollutes everyone who participates in it and destroys social justice and humanity. Slavery also takes freedom away from people, and causes chaos, and disorder. We should remember that slavery creates a past full of horror that haunts the present and dooms the future. So, the decision that Henry adopted the system of slaveholding is a bad choice. (Reiteration of Claim: Conclusion)