Assignments


Essay or Presentation / Character Cards / Character Essay


Essay or Presentation

(oral: 2-10 minutes or written: 8 paragraphs)

1. & 2. : Introduction

-write one paragraph on the theme and explain it

3. & 4. : Cite 1-2 examples from Catch-22

Cite 1-2 examples from your life or any multimedia

5. : Synthesize

6. : Conclude

Character Cards (extra credit)

Create 50 Cards(for 25 points) with PERTINENT INFO about each character, i.e. what they do, say, etc. Find a picture from a magazine that you feel best represents the character.

Use them to study from and get a picture of what the different characters are setting out to do--and what they're choosing to do--EVERY ACTION IS A CHOICE.

For example:

Character Essay(Not assigned 1998-99)

Be creative and write at least a five-paragraph essay that talks about Catch-22, existentialism, values, choices and priorities. Relate your introduction to the character you have chosen to discuss in depth. Conclude by pointing out how this character or perhaps all of us sabotage our own goals by our contradictory actions.

You might do it this way:

  1. Define existentialism and the process of making choices and the consequences and the inherent responsibilities of thoose choices.

    The conflict of individuality versus our desire to be loved and accepted by others.

    The conflict of our personal wants versus the acceptance of societal rules.

  2. Introduce your character. His goals. His apparent purpose. His values and priorities. His choices and actions.

  3. Do his choices and actions carry him toward his stated or implied goals?

    Or, is he trapped in a cyclical Catch-22?

  4. What does he need to do to re-define his goals? Or, does he need to re-think his actions?

  5. What then should he/we do?