Group Discussions and Essays

 End of quarter plan
 Group Discussions:
Perspectives and A Game of
Thrones
 Introduce Essay #5
 In-class writing: Generating
prompts

 Today: Class 18
 Discussion:
Perspectives and A
Game ofThrones.
 Introduce Essay #5
 Class 19
 In class essay #4
 Class 20
 Make-upVocab Exam
 Self Assessment
 Class 21
 Meetings by appointment in my office.
 Friday, Week 11
 Self-Assessment due before noon
 Revised Essay due before noon
 Final Class 22: 25 participation points
▪ Game ofThrones Episode
▪ Final discussion

Group Discussions: Perspective and
A Game of Thrones
Get into your
teams to consider
the application of
Woolf and Plato
to A Game of
Thrones. Make
sure to find
textual evidence
to support your
claims.
Women!

“The Allegory of the Cave”
“Shakespeare’s Sister”

Virginia! I am
telling you, I
have had it!

“‘Wife-beating,’ I
read, ‘was a
recognized right
of man, and was
practiced
without shame
by high as well
as low…’” (Woolf
765).
On one occasion Joffrey had
ordered Sansa to attend dinner and
Sansa had refused. Upon her
refusal she was met with violent
reprimand,
“Sansa’s ear felt numb. She
touched it, and her fingertips came
away wet and red. ‘I … as … as you
command, my lord.’‘Your Grace,’
Joffrey corrected her. ‘I shall look
for you in court.’ He turned and
left.” (Martin, SansaVI)

 “Marriage was
not an affair of
personal
affection, but of
family avarice,
particularly in
the ‘chivalrous’
upper classes”
(Woolf 765).
 [W]hen Arya is asking her father Ned
about the possibility of rising up in
rank in the Seven Kingdoms, Ned
replies, “‘You…will marry a king and
rule in his castle, and your sons will be
knights and princes and lords’” (256).
“He offers his own son in marriage to our
daughter, what else would you call that?
Sansa might someday be queen. Her sons
could rule from theWall to the mountains
of Dorne.What is so wrong with that?”
(59)

“The daughter who refuses
to marry the gentleman of
her parents choice was
liable to be locked up,
beaten and flung about the
room, without any shock
being inflicted on public
opinion.” (Woolf, 765).
Viserys says: “We go home with an
army, sweet sister. With Khal Drogo’s
army, that is how we go home. And if
you must wed him and bed him for
that, you will […] I’d let his whole
khalasar fuck you if need be, sweet
sister, all forty thousand men, and
their horses too if that was what it
took to get my army. Be grateful it is
only Drogo. In time you may even
learn to like him. Now dry your eyes.
Illyrio is bringing him over, and he will
not see you crying.”

After Arya has run away from
needlework to watch some fighting,
Jon reminds her of the
consequences awaiting her, “‘You
had best run back to your room,
little sister. Septa Mordane will
surely be lurking.The longer you
hide, the sterner the penance.You’ll
be sewing all through winter. When
the spring thaw comes, they will find
your body with a needle still locked
tight between your frozen fingers.’”
(Arya 1).
InWoolf’s piece,
Shakespeare’s sister is
caught reading for a brief
moment, “But then her
parents came in and told
her to mend the stockings
or mind the stew and not
moon about with books
and papers” (Woolf 769).

Males refuse to even listen
due to “that deep-seated
desire, not so much that
she shall be inferior as that
he shall be superior, which
plants him wherever one
looks, not only in front of
the arts, but barring the
way to politics too, even
when the risk to himself
seems infinitesimal and the
suppliant humble and
devoted” (775).
Catelyn did not even
question her son’s rule
because it was custom, so
she had to “save [her]
strength for Robb, she told
herself. He is the only one
[that] can help. [She] must
be as fierce and hard as the
north. [She] must be a
Stark for true now, like
[her] son” (532).

[Cersei] told her husband, King
Robert, “By all rights, you ought
to be in skirts and me in mail.”
(358) She was telling him that
she should be calling the shots
because she would make a
better King. However, no
matter how bad she wanted to
rule westeros, their society
would not accept a woman as
their ruler.
Woolf’s [. . .] states that
only women in fiction
“dominated the lives of
Kings and conquers in
fiction; in fact she was the
slave of any boy whose
parents forced a rind on
her finger.” (766)

 Woolf’s piece can be
related to Jon Snow in a
way. “That women, then,
who was born with a gift of
poetry in the sixteenth
century, was an unhappy
woman, a woman at strife
against herself. All the
conditions of her life, all
her own instincts, were
hostile to the state of mind
which is needed to set free
whatever is in the brain.”
(771).
 Jon Snow was never given
opportunities because of
the way society saw him.
Because of this perception,
he never aimed high and
only wanted to be in the
Night’s watch. “‘Take me
with you when you go back
to theWall,’ Jon said in a
sudden rush. ‘Father will
give me leave to go if you
ask him, I know he will.’”
(45)

Q:Who can be seen as the people
chained to the walls in Game ofThrones,
and who are the ones freed from them?
Q:Who are those carrying the objects
to cast on the walls?

In GOT, Sir Jorah talks to Dany, “‘Can you
wake the dead, girl?Your brother Rhaegar
was the last dragon, and he died on the
Trident.Viserys is less than the shadow of
a snake.’” (222) “[Sir Jorah’s] blunt words
startled her. It seemed as though all the
things she had always believed were
suddenly called into question.” Finally, she
begins to see the reality and says, “‘My
brother will never take back the Seven
Kingdoms…’”(223) this is when she goes
out of the cave (I think?).
“[the person who sees the
light]suffers sharp pains; the
glare will distress him, and he
will be unable to see the realities
of which in his former state he
had seen the shadows.”

Jon grew up hearing stories
about his noble Uncle
Benjen, First Ranger of the
Night’s Watch, and to hear
the reality from such a
notable figure is comparable
to one of Plato’s prisoners
“seeing the light.”
For example, in the case of Jon
Snow, perception of a life on the
wall and the actual reality are
greatly different. For example, when
Jon is making the trek to the wall
with the noble Tyrion Lannister,
Jon is shocked to hear Tyrion
recount the Night’s Watch as, “…a
midden heap for all the misfits of
the realm.”(124). When Jon hears
this, he screams out and even moves
towards Tyrion out of anger and
shock.

“And if he is compelled to
look straight at the light,
will he not have pain in his
eyes which will make him
turn away to take refuge in
the objects of vision which
he can see, and which he
will conceive to be in
reality clearer than the
things which are now
being showed to him.(447)
When Bran saw his father
behead a man he was struck
with reality: “His father took off
the man’s head with one single
stroke. Blood sprayed out
across the snow red as
summerwine.”(15) Bran was
introduced to king’s justice; he
wouldn’t be allowed to turn
away even if he was only a kid
this was reality, and he was
forced to watch the blood.

Petyr Baelish manipulates Catelyn Stark into
thinking thatTyrion Lannister is the one who
tried to murder her son.When Catelyn comes
to King’s Landing searching for the truth,
Petyr Baelish tells her that the knife used in
the assassination attempt was his, “until [he
lost it in] the tourney on Prince Joffrey’s
name day [toTyrion Lannister]” (Martin 175).
After that, Catelyn quickly accuses and
arrestsTyrion with the help of some knights,
ordering them to “seize [Tyrion] and help
[her] return him toWinterfell to await the
king’s justice” (292). She thought Petyr’s
words were the truth when in reality the real
murderer was still at large.
Plato believes
that “when
people see
shadows,” they
would “suppose
that they were
naming what
was actually
before them”
(Plato 446).

Tyrion says “I have a realistic
grasp of my own strengths and
weaknesses. My mind is my
weapon. My brother has his
sword, King Robert has his
Warhammer, and I have my
mind… and a mind needs
books as a sword needs a
whetstone, if it is to keep its
edge…That’s why I read so
much.” (123-124)
“The virtue of
wisdom more than
anything else
contains a divine
element which
always remains, and
by this conversion is
rendered useful and
profitable” (Plato
451)

Eddard Stark […]thought he
was crazy [he] instead
sentenced him to die: “In
truth, the man was an oath
breaker, a deserter from the
night’s watch. No man is
more dangerous.The
deserter knows his life is
forfeit if he is taken, so he will
not flinch from any crime, no
matter how vile” (16).
Plato’s idea of an educated
philosopher who has seen
the light, or the truth of the
world outside the cave is
torn between going back to
the other prisoners who
never grow or learn from the
reality of the truths in the
world. Plato says, “Yes, he
said, I think that he would
rather suffer anything than
entertain these false notions
and live in this miserable
manner” (448).

“They watched the heroes
of a hundred songs ride
forth, each more fabulous
than the last.” (246).
Sansa’s chapters are full of
daydreams that the readers
do not know just how much
of it is exaggerated or true.
Plato writes, “They
see only their own
shadows, or the
shadows of one
another, which the
fire throws on the
opposite wall of the
cave?” (446)

Essay #4: An in-class essay on Plato’s “The
Allegory of the Cave” and Woolf’s
“Shakespeare’s Sister
 You will respond to one of several prompts provided.
 There will be prompts addressing each Plato andWoolf.
 Your essay will be between 500 and 750 words.The number of pages
will depend on your handwriting!
 You will have two hours to write.
 You may use your textbook or copies of the essays (no other pages or
papers will be allowed).
 Please bring a clean, large Blue Book: No Blue Book, no test.
 (Approx. 8x10).You can buy them at the bookstore.
 You may write with either a number 2 pencil (dark lead) or blue or
black pen.

Essay #5: Over the course of the quarter, we have read the
ideas of six philosophers and discussed many notions and
objectives presented by them. We have also applied their ideas
about governments, rulers, and citizens; wisdom, justice, and
equality; and perspectives, privileges, and rights to our primary
text, A Game of Thrones. Because of the breadth of our inquiries,
I offer you several ways to proceed with this final essay. Your
paper, however, must include the following:

Your paper, however, must include the following:
 It must be 5-6 pages long (not including the works cited page).
 You must use at least four credible sources, and those sources
must be listed on your Works Cited page. At least two of these
must be sources we did not cover in class.
 Your essay must adhere to MLA formatting rules.
 You must submit it electronically via Turnit-in before the
scheduled final.
 Your essay must include an intersection between one or more
of the philosophies we read together and A Game of Thrones.
 You may choose a topic from the essay #5 prompt list, or you
may use one of your own. (Please see me (or email me) about
using your own essay topic before you begin.)

 Write or choose your prompt
 Define or explain the
assertion/claim being offered.
Or, explain the essence of the
argument.
 Produce a clear, arguable thesis
statement that asserts your
opinion.

 Use evidence to support your position: be specific
and accurate—named and factually correct
 Here is a brief overview of the kinds of support/evidence
you could include to bolster your argument:
— recognition of the opposition
— examples
— anecdotes
— contrast and comparison
— cause and effect
— appeal to authority
— facts/statistics
— details
— quotations
— dialogue
— definitions

 Avoid using movies and other more informal
aspects of society as evidence (pop culture)
 Stay away from blogging sites, Wikipedia, and
other sites that lack authority or credibility.
 Avoid evidence that everybody will cite (To
avoid this, reject first thoughts and keep
digging until you find ideas that are complex
and interesting.)

1. Write a meaningful opening sentence or two that
makes a personal observation about the focus of the
question that reveals your thinking. Do not write
flowery, general beginnings. Get right to the
point. Use the first sentence or two to begin to define
the meaning of the assertion. If you need to include
directed summary to provide context for your essay,
do so here.You may need to refer to both the novel
and the philosophical text.

2. Qualify your stance if there is a common or strong
argument for a different perspective. Try an “although” thesis
(Example: “Although grass is generally green, it can also be
other colors.”Then your first page will be about green grass.
Acknowledge that you are familiar with this stance; In the
next pages, you will discuss/argue for the existence of the
other colors. Then will come your counterargument (rebuttal
or concession) and then the conclusion. Be careful not to
contradict yourself.

 If the prompt requires an agree or disagree
stance, be sure to demonstrate an
understanding of argumentation by
acknowledging both sides of the
argument. This is sometimes done by
writing a con-pro paragraph immediately
after the introduction; the remainder of the
essay becomes different paragraphs which
confirm or amplify your agreement or
disagreement with the assertion.

 If the question requires a defend, challenge, or
qualify stance on a political or philosophical
assertion, be sure to address all the issues raised by
the claim/assertion. Your evidence would be
specifically named examples that support the claim
you make in your topic sentence. Examples from
multiple sources that support the same conclusion
make your claim more valid. Each paragraph then
would end with an interpretation of the similar
conclusion that can be reached after examining
differing types of evidence.

 You may use your posts and earlier essays
as fodder to help support your arguments;
as such, you might consider previous writing
that you want to explore further.To use your
work effectively, you may want to write your
own prompt. Please see me (or email me)
with your idea so we can make sure your
prompt will generate 5-6 pages.

 The question must prompt an argument.
 The question must refer to at least one of the
essays we read in class.
 The question must include reference to A
Game ofThrones.
 The question may ask the writer to include
references to other texts, historical events, or
contemporary issues.

 Pick a character or two (or a family) from A Game of
Thrones that expresses the Machiavellian philosophy of
“the end justifies the means.”
 Elaborate on how the character (or family) justifies the
acquisition & consolidation of their power. Make an
argument that upholds or rejects this approach to
gaining and holding power.
 Finally, extend that argument to contemporary
America. Does the end justify the means for us today?
Use specific examples to support your final assertion.
Brainstorming Essay Prompts: Example
Brainstorming Essay Prompts:
Example: Machiavelli

 Choose a character from A Game ofThrones that you see
as dynamic, that is, one that has grown during the novel.
 Argue for or against the philosophy of Plato concerning
the process of enlightenment. Does the character follow
the steps of the unchained prisoner? Does he or she
become a philosopher king/queen because of the
enlightenment? Or does he or she remain materialistic and
greedy, as Plato says of the less enlightened leaders? Or is
there another reason for incompletion of the steps? Use
specific, step-by-step examples. Substantiate that your
character irrefutably did see the light.
 Then, consider America today: Do we follow the same
steps to enlightenment? Are our leaders philosopher-
kings? Should they be?

 In “Shakespeare’s Sister,”Virginia Woolf uses a cool and controlled
tone, a rhetorical strategy that allows her to manipulate male
audience members into listening to her arguments about the
plight of women (and working class and poor men) throughout
history.
 Do marginalized characters in A Game ofThrones use these kinds
of rhetorical strategies to increase their own power base? Make an
argument for one or more characters that achieve power based on
the ability to control rhetoric. Make sure to provide specific
examples. Explain how the character’s rhetoric influences others’
thinking and ultimately wins him or her opportunity, power, or
freedom.
 Is rhetoric still such a powerful tool in contemporary society? Use
specific examples to support your argument.

 Remember, these need to
be argument prompts.They
also need to generate 5-6
pages of writing. Be sure to
provide sub-questions to the
primary question. Write
questions you can answer!

1. Using at least one philosophical
perspective and A Game of
Thrones, write one or two good
questions that you might consider
answering for your final paper.
.
 Remember to pose your questions
so as to prompt an essay that can
be argued.

 Post #28: Post an essay prompt that you
wrote for essay #5.
 Post #29 Pick and post two potential essay
questions for essay #5. You can use the one
you wrote and one from the formal prompts,
or you can use two from the list that I
provided. Write a one or two sentence
answer to the prompt. (a rough thesis)
 Prepare for in-class essay #4

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