The three response papers on the readings are meant to offer thoughtful reflections on the readings rather than merely personal reactions. The steps below show how you can discuss and idea or passage that struck you in some way, raise questions about it, and then come to some kind of brief conclusion.1) Select an idea, passage, or issue presented in the readings from the previous week.
2) Discuss the idea/passage/issue in one of three ways: a) If you think the idea is powerful, why do you think it's powerful or compelling? b) What problems do you have with this idea? Or, c) What don't you understand about this idea? Be sure to give a page reference or quotation (For your first response paper, you can refer to ideas from either Week 1 or Week 2).
3) a) If you thought it was a powerful or compelling idea, then discuss how someone might disagree with you (What are it's weaknesses, pitfalls?). b) If you thought the idea was problematic, take the other side and try to see if you can represent arguments that would respond to you. c) If there is an idea you don't fully understand, then explore possible explanations.
4) Give a brief conclusion based on the possibilities you explored in step 3).