FOCUS: Peer Reviewing of a Paper. Being a Thoughtful Reader. Progress Reports on Writing

Day 23

English 104, Section 1321

For Today:

23. Tu 5/16 READ: Individual research.

FOCUS: Peer reviewing of a paper. Being a thoughtful reader. Progress reports on writing process.

Attendance.

Progress report.

Practice peer review.

Review: Merchants of Doubt, Conclusion.

Next Class:

24. Th 5/18 READ: Individual research.

TURN IN: First Draft Research Paper. Two copies!

FOCUS: Peer review of first drafts. Presentation of research topics. (Print two copies of your first draft.)

Alan Perodian

Mr. Allen

9 December 2015

Playing Pretend: The Role of Pirates and Cowboys in Masculine Identity

The allure of adventure novels has always captivated any audience. Among the typical staples of popular adventure characters are pirates and cowboys, which seem to endure in the imaginations of children, particularly young boys. Books like Treasure Island and countless cowboy westerns are arguably responsible for the notions of masculinity that boys learn as as they grow. Eighteenth Century British pirates and the late Nineteenth Century American cowboys perpetuated the social ideals for young men during these respective eras.

Part of the charm that pirates and cowboys exuded were attributed to the many myths that surround them. Their ways of life were romanticized as highly lucrative, full of constant high tension situations, and being largely devoid of laws or class structures. However, the reality was quite the opposite. To be a pirate or cowboy would seldom yielded much profit. For pirates, sailing along the coasts to intercept whatever merchant ship they came across was essentially a lottery. They rarely had any idea what cargo was on other ships and any raided cargo would be taken and sold at port. Although this did make money it was not to the extent to which they could retire comfortably. There was even a time when being a pirate was not technically illegal. Some pirates were contracted by various governments to raid the ships of enemy countries. (Smith)

Alan Perodian

Mr. Allen (missing course name)

9 December 2015

Playing Pretend: The Role of Pirates and Cowboys in Masculine Identity

extra space

Part of the charm that pirates and cowboys exuded were attributed to the many myths that surround them. Their ways of life were romanticized as highly lucrative, full of constant high tension situations, and being largely devoid of laws or class structures. However, the reality was quite the opposite. To be a pirate or cowboy would seldom yielded much profit. For pirates, sailing along the coasts to intercept whatever merchant ship they came across was essentially a lottery. They rarely had any idea what cargo was on other ships and any raided cargo would be taken and sold at port. [source] Although this did make money it was not to the extent to which they could retire comfortably. There was even a time when being a pirate was not technically illegal. Some pirates were contracted by various governments to raid the ships of enemy countries. (Smith) [signal]

As Bruce Bliven, the author of Flapper Jane, describes the appearance of a typical flapper, he states, “She is frankly, heavily made up...pallor mortis, poisonously scarlet lips, richly ringed eyes...And there are, finally, her clothes...Her dress...is cut low where it might be high, and vice versa. The skirt comes just an inch below her knees, overlapping by a faint fraction her rolled and twisted stockings. The idea is that when she walks in a bit of a breeze, you shall now and then observe the knee... [The flapper’s] haircut is also abbreviated. She wears of course the newest thing in bobs” (3). Huxley further advances this new promiscuous behavior and invents a life where sex is out in the open, showing how a promiscuous lifestyle is in the near future, which will destroy many of the morals and values, which were still present in the 1930s. He warns people that with a continuous rise in technology, every aspect of life will continue to advance, for the worst.

Not only does Huxley separate families and true love, but he creates a new meaning to religion. Since the rise in technology was breaking news in the 1930s, he replaces God by science as well. With the invention of the Model T, Henry Ford was looked upon as a hero. Huxley substitutes God with the founder of the assembly line, mocking the idea that science will be a huge part of everyday life, and therefore, warns the people that technology will eventually replace the highest power. Mustapha Mond, one of the ten men who runs the World State in Brave New World, believes that there should be “God in the safe and Ford on the shelves” (Huxley 231). Many people in this New World know about God, but His ideas are locked up. With a new lifestyle, comes new customs. “History is bunk” (34). The past is of no concern, since science has continued to advance. All that is important is what is occurring right now. This contradicts the value of religion in the 1930s.