writ 1133

human rights / humans write

tiedemann
spring 2021

• the prompt
Lynn Hunt argues that cultural artifacts not only represent the human
condition; they teach us how to be human, rewiring our brains in ways
that lead us to remake human societies. In this essay, you’ll apply Hunt’s
concepts to a contemporary cultural artifact of your choosing (pending
my approval) in order to develop an original interpretation: What new
way of being human does your chosen artifact teach its consumers?
Through what specific techniques does it teach that lesson to them? And
with what broader social effects?
• audience
Imagine that you’re submitting this essay to a journal of undergraduate
writing. The editors are an art historian, a philosopher, and a literary
critic. They’re broadly familiar with the philosophy and history of human
rights; however, they haven’t read Hunt’s work, so they’re not familiar
with her arguments. And though it’s possible that one of them is familiar
with the cultural artifact you’ve chosen to analyze, the others are not.
• format
You are to format your essay in MLA style (including a Works Cited
page). See the “Formatting your work” tab on Canvas.
• due dates
You’ll write this essay in stages over a period of several class meetings, in
a single document named “Last name, first name — WRIT 1133 — Essay
1.” First, you’ll draft a summary of Hunt’s argument (due by the start of
class on Mon., 4/5); then you’ll draft a thesis paragraph (Wed., 4/7); and
then you’ll add a draft of the body of your paper (Mon., 4/12). A revised
draft of the complete essay is due on Wed., 4/14. And your final draft
will be due by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, June 11.

essay 1:
writing humanity