Pristine Artifacts of Normalcy

NOTE: To prepare for your Whitehead assignment, pay attention, while reading the novel, to the following issues and questions:

1. How are everyday things—things of daily use—presented in the novel?

2. Zombie categories: definitions, distinctions, relevant episodes.

3. What is “Buffalo”’s plan? How does Mark/Whitehead feel about it?

4. What is Zone One, and what is the Omegas’ mission in it?

5. Pay attention to the ending and to what Mark Spitz does at that point.

6. Mark Spitz’s name, background, and racial identity

7. Postapocalyptic and corporate America: the “sponsors.”

Directions:

Be specific in your discussion and make use of textual evidence as appropriate. You must incorporate analytical language as you comment closely on the fiction fragments used to back up your claim or claims. Your commentary should identify themes and problems, as well as attend to literary technique. Revise your essay carefully for logic, clarity of expression, and style (including grammar, punctuation, spelling, mechanics, and the like). Proofread your work one more time at the end. Also, remember that your text must be polished and generally in accord with the academic conventions at this level. No texting symbols, acronyms, shorthand forms, or excessive colloquialisms are acceptable. Your essay will be evaluated on both content (quality of the analysis) and form. For the essay, short as it is, I suggest a classical structure: brief introduction (in which you make your core claim or put forth some kind of contention or thesis); discussion of evidence (argument); and conclusion. The essay should indicate (top left):

Your name

Course name, number, and section

Instructor’s name

Date

Title