The document provides an analysis of the poem "Dulce et Decorum Est" by Wilfred Owen. The poem depicts a gas attack on British soldiers during World War I. It criticizes the idea that dying for one's country is an honorable act. Owen describes the horrific conditions faced by soldiers, including men struggling through the battlefield, exhausted and suffering from the effects of gas. He aims to show that those promoting patriotic ideals of sacrifice have not witnessed the gruesome reality of war. The analysis argues the poem rejects the notion that dying in war is a "sweet and honorable" act, as the older generations claim.
2. Dulce et Decorum Est, a poem written by Wilfred Owen of
England, depicts a battlefield during World War I. The soldiers,
weak, worn out, and under gas attack, stumble forward. In this
poem, Owen comments on the long-standing lie the older
generations tell their countrymen of fighting age. They say that
dying for their country is a worthy death, (though these deaths
often be gruesome) and that any man should be wiling to do so:
“If you could hear [it…]My friend, you would not tell with such
high zest/ To children ardent for some desperate glory/ The old
Lie: Dulce et decorum est/ Pro patria mori [It is sweet and
honorable to die for one’s country].”[endnoteRef:1] Owen
speaks about the physical conditions of the soldiers, and how
the war has taken a toll on them, describing the men as “[b]ent
down double, like old beggars under sacks,/ Knock-kneed,
coughing like hags.”[endnoteRef:2] In this analysis I argue that
Owen disagrees with the old Lie, asserting that if those telling
and believing this lie were to actually be on the battlefield and
be surrounded by the morbidity and gruesomeness, they would
not be feeding young children this Lie. [1: Wilfred Owen,
“Dulce et Decorum est,” in The West and the World since 1500:
Wright State University (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013),
654.] [2: Owen, 653.]
Owen and the other soldiers, in the midst of being under
fire of gas-shells, continue on. The men march forward, some
doing so seemingly in their sleep, some barefoot,[endnoteRef:3]
but still march. This shows how the men have become almost
desensitized to the conditions of war, and how they have
learned to perform in such horrid situations. Their physical
condition is essentially an afterthought at this point in battle, as
the impression is given off that the soldiers know and
understand that if they can walk, they can fight. And they do.
Exhausted and numb to the ensuing danger and impending doom
of gas-shells around and behind them[endnoteRef:4], Owen and
the men move forward. The soldiers have the old Lie of their
elders engrained in them and will give their all for their
3. country. They will fight until they die, and thusly will die an
honorable death in laying down their lives for their country: the
ultimate price. [3: Owen, 653.] [4: Owen, 653.]
Owen later illustrates one of his comrades dying amidst the
march onward, being taken victim to the gas attack they were
marching away from: “Dim through the misty panes and thick
green light,/ As under a green sea, I saw him
drowning.”[endnoteRef:5] The soldiers, equipped with helmets
to protect them from such attacks,[endnoteRef:6] fumble to put
their helmets on when the presence of the gas is detected by one
of their men. In the aforementioned quote, Owen describes a
man that did not get his helmet on in time, and is unfortunately
affected by the poisonous gas. He goes into detail about how
painful a death the soldier is experiencing, and how helpless he
feels, being able to do nothing but watch death overtake his
fellow soldier. Owen depicts the event saying, “In all my
dreams before my helpless sight/ He plunges at me, guttering,
choking, drowning.”[endnoteRef:7] The English soldiers are
choking on the old Lie, forced upon them by the older
generations of men. They are taught from a young age that this
is an honorable thing to do: to go to the front lines of battle and
fight for your beloved country, dying if necessary, in the name
of freedom and patriotism. The men, as the life drains from
their eyes, drown under the effects of the gas, and are
figuratively drowning under the weight of the old Lie they have
been forced to carry on their backs. They are drowning under
the hope of glory in their death; hope that their death will mean
something. [5: Owen, 654.] [6: Owen, 654.] [7: Owen, 654.]
At the end of the poem, Owen comments on the fact that
the deaths of the soldiers are so visually sickening, so
incredibly vile, that if the generations selling the old Lie to the
younger generations could witness the deaths firsthand, that
they would not dare tell children the Lie with such vigor and
commitment.[endnoteRef:8] I assert that Owen believes these
4. older generations of Englishmen tell the old Lie, and with such
conviction, because they do not see what happens on the
battlefield. They sell the lie, because they have not seen the
truth. [8: Owen, 654.]
Most of these questions are designed to test you on more than
one economic concept, so a few sentences will not earn you
many points. Since you are being given the opportunity to
prepare in advance, these questions will be graded mostly on an
all-ornothing basis - very little partial credit will be awarded.
An answer that was correct on a previous test may not receive
full credit on the final, as a result. Make sure to go through and
check that you have answered all parts of the question
thoroughly.
1. From the podcasts, “Changing Picture of Poverty: Hard Work
is Just ‘Not Enough’”& “One Family’s Story Shows How the
Cycle of Poverty is Hard to Break”: Explain why Economic
Growth may not advance the standard of living for all citizens.
What roadblocks prevent this? Why do developed countries,
like the US, have difficulty addressing these issues? What role
does society (the CFD as a whole) have in helping to alleviate
these barriers?
2. From Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations”: In describing the
market place, Smith observes that: “When the quantity of any
commodity which is brought to market falls short of the
effectual demand, all those who are willing to pay the whole…
will be willing to give more. A competition will immediately
begin among them, and the market price will rise.” Describe
how prices, when allowed to be altered, will adjust to shortages
(as Smith describes) or surpluses. Your explanation should
include a graph of Supply and Demand. At what point would
Smith argue that the “competition” would subside? Explain.
3. From the article, “The World’s Biggest Chocolate-Maker
5. Says We’re Running Out of Chocolate”: Describe, with the aid
of a properly labeled Supply and Demand curve, what the
reduction in cocoa beans will mean to the price of candy bars.
Identify all important outcomes and shifting factors. What do
we expect to happen to production of candy bars, and their
price, based on your graph? How does the article’s argument
for substituting ingredients lead to a different price outcome?
Support this explanation with a second, properly labeled Supply
and Demand curve.
4. From the article, “One Way to Fix the Corporate Tax: Repeal
It” and “Cutting the Corporate Tax Would Make Other Problems
Grow”: What assumptions are these articles making, that leads
to different suggestions on how to adjust the Corporate Tax
rate? Is there such thing as a correct tax rate? Describe the
three types of Tax Proportions. Describe the benefits and
drawbacks to taxing Corporations (which are really just upper-
income individuals) more?
5. From the article “Debunking the Myth of the Job-Stealing
Immigrant”: In the presence of elevated unemployment rates
and public debates on aid availability to undocumented citizens,
the public perception is that citizens would benefit from
protecting domestic borders. Describe the fallacy in this
argument. Another argument involving the well-being of the
domestic economy is that by outsourcing jobs (or allowing
foreign-born individuals to be educated in the United States)
that jobs that could have been in the U.S. are moved to other
countries. Do you agree with this assessment? What are the
outcomes of Protectionism laws that restrict jobs moving to
other countries?
6. From the article, “What Scented Candles Say to an
Economist”: Describe how increased Gross Domestic Product
spurs advancement in Standard of Living? What incentives are
created that promote individuals and business to expand
innovation and research & development? How does this
incentive change when Gross Domestic Product is not steadily
increasing? Your explanation should include a definition of
6. GDP.
7. Define Economics and all of its key terms.
8. From the article, “Netflix’s Weak Subscriber Additions at
Odds with Lofty Valuation”: Why do companies choose to
become publicly traded? What are the benefits and drawbacks
to this decision? If a company no longer makes money from its
stock after an IPO, why might they still be concerned with
trying to control the stock price? What ramifications do large
swings in the stock price have on the company?
9. Economist Milton Friedman once said: “I do not believe that
the solution to our problem is simply to elect the right people.
The important thing is to establish a political climate of opinion
which will make it politically profitable for the wrong people to
do the right thing. Unless it is politically profitable for the
wrong people to do the right thing, the right people will not do
the right thing either, or if they try, they will shortly be out of
office.” Describe the role of the Household in an economic
system. In terms of the Circular Flow Diagram, what do you
believe that Friedman meant by this statement? How does the
participation and knowledge of the population augment the
influence of the other entities in an economy? You should use a
properly labeled Circular Flow Diagram to support your
explanation.
10. From the articles, “How Machines Destroy (and Create!)
Jobs, in 4 Graphs” and “Will Your Job Be Done By Machines:
Does all job creation equally influence an economy? Explain.
How might the creation of different job types result in the
Unemployment Rate being an inadequate estimate of the labor
market and labor conditions? U.S. Net job creation has averaged
over 250,000 jobs per month during the last year. Describe how
this has resulted in the Unemployment Rate decreasing in some
months, increasing in some months, and experiencing no change
in some months. Make sure to define any concepts from the
course that you use in your explanation. ** NET job creation
already accounts for any lost jobs during that month, so a
positive Net job creation means that more employment
7. opportunities are available.
11. Describe Fiscal Policy and Monetary Policy; include who
has authority to establish each, along with the “levers” that
make up each. What are the inherent problems and benefits of
each? Can the two be used together to solve efficiency issues in
the economy? Describe how that relationship would look.
What aspects would allow both to work with the most potential?
12. From the article, “A Burger Joint Pays $15 An Hour. And
Yes, It’s Making Money”: Why might a restaurant (such as the
one in the article) benefit from paying its workers $15 an hour,
while others may not? What must be true of each company?
Explain with the aid of a properly labeled Supply and Demand
curve for each company. What are the other outcomes of the
self-imposed Minimum Wage, according to the article? Does
the fact that this restaurant is profitable support the argument
that all Minimum Wages should be raised? Explain.
13. From the article, “Faith in an Unregulated Free Market?
Don’t Fall for It”: Describe the two primary types of
government structures? What are the benefits and drawbacks to
each? How are the drawbacks from each structure benefits of
the other? Is it possible to have an operational structure that is
pure Capitalist or pure Socialist, meaning that they operate
exactly the way each is defined? Explain.
14. From the article, “What People Mean When They Say,
‘Audit the Fed’”: What is Monetary Policy? Why is it designed
to be out of the reach of political control? What are the
benefits and drawbacks to this? What is the Dual Mandate?
How do the two components of the Dual Mandate tend to be
contradictory to each other (tend to move in opposite
directions)? In what ways does this make government isolation
a greater benefit, and greater drawback? Explain.
15. From the article, “Brace Yourself: The Presidential Election
is Going to be All about Anger”: What are the two “levers” that
make up Fiscal Policy? Is each fully at the discretion of the
government, or are there boundaries on how they establish this
policy each year? Economists describe Growth Policy and
8. Stabilization Policy as two significant theories that drive policy
making. What is each? What are the benefits and drawbacks of
each? When is each ideally used?
History Paper Rubric
A good paper convinces the reader of the validity of its main
point. It does this by stating the point clearly and supporting it
with evidence. To prove its point, a good paper organizes the
evidence in an ordered way so that it makes sense to the reader
and uses language that is readable and free of mistakes.
A good paper also provides an insightful analysis of the subject
at hand. It displays original thought and includes interesting
ideas. A history paper in general is not about passing judgments
on historical figures but rather about analyzing why they made
the choices they did. For example, the point of a history paper
is not to say that such-and-such person was right or wrong.
Instead a history paper should provide an explanation of what
such-and-such person believed, why such-and-such person
behaved in this or that way, or why this or that historical event
occurred the way it did.
A history paper should demonstrate that you are thinking
historically: you place a subject in a particular place and time
and you consider issues of historical context and change over
time.
Outline of a good paper:
Introduction: The paper begins with an introduction that
presents the topic the paper will discuss and why it is
interesting. It clearly states the argument that the paper will
make about the topic. It briefly summarizes the evidence that
will be presented in order to support the argument.
Supporting point 1: In one or more paragraphs, the paper clearly
states the first element that supports the argument. It then
explains why it contributes to proving the argument.
· This section also includes the evidence that demonstrates this
point. In general, this evidence will be quotes from primary
documents or historical facts from a secondary source.
9. Supporting point 2: The paper presents as many supporting
points as is necessary to prove the main argument of the paper.
You do not need to include three supporting points if you can
prove your argument with two or four supporting points.
· All the evidence taken from another source should be followed
with a citation, describing the source from which the evidence
was taken. Citations must be written in a proper format, such as
Chicago Style or MLA.
Supporting point 3: For the sake of organization, each
supporting point should be distinct. A paper should not jump
back and forth between different points. Gather all the material
about each point into its own section.
· Each paragraph should contain one main point, and should not
include material that belongs with another point.
Conclusion: A conclusion restates the main argument and sums
up the supporting points that were used to prove this argument.
It should explain to the reader why this is interesting or
important. Why should the reader care about the argument that
has been made? What can be learned from it?
Elements of a good paper:
· Introduction
· Introduces the topic in an interesting way
· Clearly states the argument
· Briefly states the supporting points
· Supporting points
· Presents a series of points that prove the argument
· Each supporting paragraph has its own topic sentence
· Provides evidence that demonstrates the supporting point
· All evidence has a proper citation
· Conclusion
· Wraps up the paper by summarizing how the supporting points
prove the main argument
· Tells the reader why the argument is interesting or important
· Writing
· Uses transitions between paragraphs so that the paper flows
from one point to another
10. · Uses interesting, grammatically correct language
· Avoids repetition
· Content
· The main point is interesting and is not banal or obvious
· Demonstrates historical analysis
· The use of evidence is insightful
Mistakes that weaken a paper:
Writing:
· Lacks an argument
· Lacks structure
· Lacks evidence
· Lacks citations
· Includes many grammar mistakes
· Uses uninteresting, repetitive language
Content:
· Lacks original or complex thought
· Judges subjects rather than analyzing them
· Lacks historical thinking
Paper 3
HST 1200
Choose one of these topics:
· Discuss how the concept of rights expanded from the 18th
century to the 20th century.
· How were nationalism and war connected in the 19th or 20th
century?
· How did leaders go about creating a strong state in the period
covered by the course?
These topics are intentionally broad so you must FOCUS your
paper by choosing one or several examples to discuss in depth.
A good paper will have a clear argument that is supported with
evidence.
See the description of the paper in the syllabus.
11. What are the benefits and drawbacks of absolution?
*Benefits
1-Things get done fast and efficient.
2-Stability in economy and power
3-Protecting large military
4-Wealth gain (more jobs offers)
5-Power
6-Resources
*Drawbacks
1-Lack of freedom
2-Lack of input
3-Limits growth
4-Increase of discipline
5-People have no power
6-No checks and balances greed
7-No nationalism
What are the primary sources?
The sources of the article are about the first revolution that
graced the European nation in the year 1688-89. It took place in
England. The 1688-89 revolution sparked revolutions in another
part of the world including the France revolution of 1789 a
decade after England Revolution. As discussed the revolution
brought the tolerance of the of the religion and enhanced great
12. industrial revolution that brought enormous growth of the
England economy. Although the 1688-89 revolution is regarded
as the first revolution in the world but up to date, there is little
scholarly material to be used in the classroom. The only person
to have written about the first revolution is Edmund Burke, who
categorically stated that the 1688-89 bore no resemblance to the
revolution that took place in France in 1789. Therefore, there is
little material for students and other academicians who will like
to debate and prove that the England revolution should by any
chance considered as the modern revolution.
Even though the material is limited, but students can at least
have some understanding of what led to the England revolution
and the impact it had on the society. The manuscript available
make students have a depth not only on the political impact the
revolution brought but also the impact it had on the economy
and social policy. The first material on the England Revolution
was written basing on the eyewitness account, policy
memoranda sermons, legal material and the collection of work
of John Locke and Roger L’Estrajge. This is the only available
information that help the students understand the England
revolution. It helps to argue their case on either to consider the
English revolution as the first an ideal revolution or not.
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27. Learning Objectives:
Define What Absolutism Was
Understand how it developed
Understand how it strengthened
the state
Absolute Monarchy
Absolute Monarchy
Absolutism: complete authority resides with the ruler
An absolute monarch can at will:
proclaim laws
levy taxes
appoint officials
declare war
The Rise of Louis XIV. Directed by Roberto Rossellini. 90 min.
ORTF, 1966.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZESdIUCWzE
Absolute Monarchy
How absolutism developed
Absolute Monarchy
How absolutism developed
Arose as a response to instability
28. Absolute Monarchy
How absolutism developed
Arose as a response to instability
Religious conflict
Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, Francois Dubois, c. 1576
Absolute Monarchy
How absolutism developed
Arose as a response to instability
Religious conflict
Dynastic instability
Absolute Monarchy
How absolutism developed
Arose as a response to instability
Religious conflict
Dynastic instability
Emergence of strong kings
Henry IV
Louis XIII
Louis XIV
Henri IV, anonymous, 17th century
Louis XIV of France by Hyacinthe Rigaud, 1701
29. Absolute Monarchy
Louis XIV as absolute monarch
Absolute Monarchy
Louis XIV as absolute monarch
Expansion of bureaucracy
Increased taxation
Absolute Monarchy
Louis XIV as absolute monarch
Expansion of bureaucracy
Increased taxation
Growth of the military
Absolute Monarchy
Louis XIV as absolute monarch
Expansion of bureaucracy
Increased taxation
Growth of the military
Divine right of kings
Palace of Versailles
Absolute Monarchy
Louis XIV as absolute monarch
Expansion of bureaucracy
Increased taxation
Growth of the military
30. Divine right of kings
Centralized state
In-Class Discussion
What are the benefits and drawbacks of absolutism?
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46. Answer each question in 1-2 pages MLA format (as much as you
can)
1) Topic: Exploration, Trade, and Colonization
Question: Why did interaction with other cultures promote
change?
Reading: West and the World (hereafter abbreviated WW),
document 5, pp. 85-118
2) Topic: The Scientific Revolution
Board Question: Why did a new way of seeking knowledge
promote change?
Reading: WW,document 17, pp. 167-191
3)What were the consequences of Europe’s expanding internal
and external world?
Reading: WW, documents 8, 9, 10, pp. 123-143
4)Topic: Absolutism
Board Question: What are the benefits and drawbacks of
absolutism?
Reading: WW, document 19
5)Topic: Glorious Revolution
Activities: What is a Primary Source? Position Statements
Reading: WW, documents 21, 22
6)Topic: French Revolution, Liberal Phase
Activities: Thesis Statements and Supporting Evidence; What is
a Liberal?
Reading: WW, documents 40, 44
7)Board Questions: How did the Enlightenment present a
challenge to Absolute Monarchy? How is the Declaration of the
47. Rights of Man an Enlightenment document?
Reading: WW, documents 24, 25, 35, 38
8)Topic: Women’s Rights and the Haitian Revolution
Activities: Students As Teachers: What was the relationship of
women to the Revolution? Of slaves to the Revolution?
Reading: WW, documents 56, 57
9)Topic: Nationalism
Activities: Response Question: What are possible consequences
for a nation forged through war?
Reading: WW, document 70
10)Topic: Social Effects and Socialism
Activities: Who Was P Gaskell?; Let’s Form a Phalanx
Reading: excerpts from Charles Fourier, Theory of Social
Organization; P. Gaskell, “The Physical Deterioration of the
Textile Workers”
11)Topic: Class Formation and Communism
Activities: Create a Fictional Character; Response Question:
What would your character think about Fourier and Marx?
Reading: WW, document 74
12)Topic: Revolution and Reform
Writing Question: contrast the experience of political change in
France and in Britain. Which do you think was more successful,
and why?
Reading: Thomas Babington Macaulay, “Speech on the Reform
Bill of 1832”
13)Topic: Crisis of Liberal Democracy and the Soviet Union
48. Activities: What would Wilson think about…; written Response:
What was the Crisis of Liberal Democracy? How was
Communism a response?
Reading: excerpt from Jochen Hellbeck, Revolution on My
Mind
14)Topic: Fascism
Activities: Mein Kampf Quote Response; Written Response:
How was Fascism a response to the Crisis of Liberal
Democracy?; Film Response
Reading: WW, document 101, pp. 673-687
15)Topic: European Integration and Human Rights
Activities: Board Question: Describe the new world order that
arose in the postwar period. How was it a response to the
Second World War?
Reading: WW, documents 106, 108, “Universal Declaration of
Human Rights”
16)Topic: Cold War
Activities: Board Questions: Was the Soviet Bloc an Empire?
Was the United States an Imperial Power?
Reading: WW, documents 105, 107, excerpts from Winston
Churchill, “Iron Curtain Speech,” and Joseph Stalin, “Response
to Churchill”
17) How to Dismantle an Empire in Ten Easy Steps (Results
May Vary)
Reading: excerpts from Timothy Garton Ash, Magic Lantern
![Dulce et Decorum Est, a poem written by Wilfred Owen of
England, depicts a battlefield during World War I. The soldiers,
weak, worn out, and under gas attack, stumble forward. In this
poem, Owen comments on the long-standing lie the older
generations tell their countrymen of fighting age. They say that
dying for their country is a worthy death, (though these deaths
often be gruesome) and that any man should be wiling to do so:
“If you could hear [it…]My friend, you would not tell with such
high zest/ To children ardent for some desperate glory/ The old
Lie: Dulce et decorum est/ Pro patria mori [It is sweet and
honorable to die for one’s country].”[endnoteRef:1] Owen
speaks about the physical conditions of the soldiers, and how
the war has taken a toll on them, describing the men as “[b]ent
down double, like old beggars under sacks,/ Knock-kneed,
coughing like hags.”[endnoteRef:2] In this analysis I argue that
Owen disagrees with the old Lie, asserting that if those telling
and believing this lie were to actually be on the battlefield and
be surrounded by the morbidity and gruesomeness, they would
not be feeding young children this Lie. [1: Wilfred Owen,
“Dulce et Decorum est,” in The West and the World since 1500:
Wright State University (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013),
654.] [2: Owen, 653.]
Owen and the other soldiers, in the midst of being under
fire of gas-shells, continue on. The men march forward, some
doing so seemingly in their sleep, some barefoot,[endnoteRef:3]
but still march. This shows how the men have become almost
desensitized to the conditions of war, and how they have
learned to perform in such horrid situations. Their physical
condition is essentially an afterthought at this point in battle, as
the impression is given off that the soldiers know and
understand that if they can walk, they can fight. And they do.
Exhausted and numb to the ensuing danger and impending doom
of gas-shells around and behind them[endnoteRef:4], Owen and
the men move forward. The soldiers have the old Lie of their
elders engrained in them and will give their all for their](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)