Template for Ophelia Syndrome

A TEMPLATE FOR YOUR PAPER—You may use any of this.

Opening:  In his essay, “Diagnosing and Treating the Ophelia Syndrome,” Thomas G. Plummer encourages college students to think for themselves rather than having others do their thinking for them.  He begins with a negative example from Hamlet, where Polonius and Laertes question Ophelia about Hamlet.  QUOTATIONS

The obvious question to students is, do you want to be like Ophelia?

Plummer defines thinking by quoting other thinkers (S.I. Hayakawa, Carl Jung, Alfred Korzybski and John Keats (to name a few).  QUOTATIONS

Middle: Plummer offers five treatments to help students learn to think for themselves modeling  them in the open form he uses to write the essay.  For example, one treatment is to learn to know and trust yourself.  Plummer suggests keeping a journal, including a dream journal.  He then quotes from his own journal and tells a dream.  He writes comic verse (also idle thinking).  QUOTATIONS

He encourages fostering idle thinking, ie. Hot baths, watching TV, daydreaming etc.

He uses personal anecdotes, dialogues and scenes to show what it means to think out of the box.  QUOTATIONS

WAYS TO QUOTE:  (always in the present tense).

Plummer claims that, “______.”

Plummer gives an example where …

Plummer writes,

Plummer says,

Plummer quotes

Plummer asserts

Plummer agrees that

Counter argument: While Plummer’s enthusiasm for becoming independent thinkers is persuasive, he does recognize the risks for students to do so.  Quotations where students tell him how dangerous school feels.  They run the risk of teachers who are full-blown Poloniuses and want the class to run their way.

Conclusion.  College students have an opportunity in college to hear many points of views and to begin the process of sorting out what they think and who they are, but learning to think is a lifelong process.  Even Plummer has a mid-life crisis at 40. QUOTATION  Jung’s idea of individuation doesn’t happen in a four-year undergraduate program or even in midlife, but is an accumulation of trial and error in dealing with

the uncertainties that face every living being.

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah and more blah blah blah blah blah

Assignment for Wednesday, Jan. 30th

Write the introduction to your paper on the Ophelia Syndrome.  Remember, your reader will need to know the SUBJECT you're writing about, WHO wrote the paper and WHAT draws you in as a reader.

Don't hyperventilate about this, just write something down.  We can work on it in class tomorrow.

Type it up.  Call it Introduction to Ophelia Syndrome.

Assignment for Monday, January 28

Write down all the names in "Ophelia Syndrome" that Plummer quotes or refers to.  Google each name and write a short paragraph on each person.  (Not the students).  Type it up.

Have a good week. End.

For Wednesday, Jan 23.

Remember there is no class on Monday, Jan. 21.  It is Martin Luther King Day.  For Wednesday, you will need to have read and made notes on "Diagnosing and Treating the Ophelia Syndrome," by Thomas G. Plummer.  Look at the schedule below.  It will give you the url.  Be sure to read carefully (all seven pages) and bring your copy to class.

See you Wednesday.

Spring Schedule--first six weeks

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES—ENGLISH 1020-037                        Louise Plummer

Week 1                           Gone forever.  Dissipated into thin air.   Confusion on so many

                                         levels.  Is this a motif for our class?

Week 2

Mon. Jan.14                        Introduction to the class

                                    Rush Writing

                                    In-class essay: “ My Reading and Writing Autobiography”

Wed. Jan. 16            Read Allyn & Bacon, Chapters 1 and 2.  Pay special attention to the short essays in these two chapters.  Bring book to class.

Week 3

Mon. Jan. 21            NO CLASS—MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

Wed. Jan. 23.                        “Diagnosing and Treating the Ophelia Syndrome,” by

Thomas G. Plummer.  You can find it at http.//magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=2537

Run off a copy for yourself.

Please take time to read carefully—it’s 7 pages long.

Make notes in the margin.  What is it he’s arguing for?

READING WORKSHOP

Week 4

Mon. Jan. 28                        “Who’s Who in the Ophelia Syndrome?” exercise due

                                    Who is your audience?

                                    Writing a thesis/Writing an introduction

Wed. Jan. 30                        Writing the paper.  Keeping track of what you’re doing.

                                    Mistakes students make.  Using your best language.  Using

                                    Logos, ethos and pathos.

Week 5

Mon. Feb. 4            Rough draft of Ophelia paper due (3-4 pages, double-spaced).  Bring three (3) copies to class for workshop.  50 pts

Wed. Feb. 6            Final draft of Ophelia paper due (3-4 pages, double-spaced). 100 points                       

Bring Allyn&Bacon to class.  Analyzing Visual Texts

Week 6

Mon. Feb. 11            Freud Day.  Handouts.  Read Allyn & Bacon, p. 256, “Understand

                                    Image Analysis”  Due: bring a print ad that appeals to you.

Wed. Feb. 13                        Comparing poitical websites (assignment to be announced)