1 7Composition I Name____kumhyun Lee_ Study Guide Janny Scott and David Leonhardt “Shadowy Lines That Still Divide” (2005), by Janny Scott and David Leonhardt p. 1 1. What is interesting about the class statuses the four people pictured on page 1 give themselves? The four individuals are graduates with different ideas about the rich and poor. They describe the gap between the poor has widening and would not close at any given time. In addition they all do have an American dream of being successful in future when one strives to work hard. 2. What things to they seem to agree about? American dream is to help others, though each describes that dream in different perspective; Steve works to help his family, Barbara wants to transform the world from old generation using available technologies and create more opportunities to generate money. Secondly, they believe in making huge sum of money- financial stability is there dream. They work hard to support their families, create more opportunities and to achieve the American dream of success. p. 2 3. What does the understanding of class described in the first paragraph sound like? They are democratic and are holy. They also have mutual coexistence as they lived in common grounds and sharing common beliefs. 4. According to the authors, what has changed? The classes that existed in the present are hard to group or depict in given aspects like clothing, color of skin etc. 5. So why does class still matter? Success in school is linked to given class as far as academic excellence is concerned. 6. What has happened to class mobility, or, the American Dream? Has people work hard to be at same level or being equal in opportunities, the difference might not have changed their class. It has become hard for the rich few to move from one economic class to another. 7. What is the basic contradiction this article points out? Class difference in America pp. 3-4 8. What is the paradox of the new meritocracy? Merit has replaced the old system in that privileges are inherited. It has become class based. For instance parents with money, education and connections cultivate these traits to their children. FAITH IN THE SYSTEM 9. How do American feel about their prospects for class mobility? Hard and education are main feature that alleviate one from one class to another other than connection and background. 10. What conclusions can we draw from the graph on page 3? Mobility can either be driven by hard work and education status or background. In addition, the sole responsibility of the rich is to help the poor since they have the power to do so. p. 4-5 11. What does the graph on page 4 tell us? The rich are more powerful and they favor the idea of class based affirmative action to help those at the bottom. 12. According to the authors, what is a serious difficulty for any discussion of class? The word class means different thing to many people. Class is rank; it is culture, tribe and taste. It is at.

1. 1
7Composition I
Name____kumhyun Lee_
Study Guide
Janny Scott and David Leonhardt
“Shadowy Lines That Still Divide” (2005), by Janny Scott and
David Leonhardt
p. 1
1. What is interesting about the class statuses the four people
pictured on page 1 give themselves?
The four individuals are graduates with different ideas about the
rich and poor. They describe the gap between the poor has
widening and would not close at any given time. In addition
they all do have an American dream of being successful in
future when one strives to work hard.
2. What things to they seem to agree about?
American dream is to help others, though each describes that
dream in different perspective; Steve works to help his family,
Barbara wants to transform the world from old generation using
available technologies and create more opportunities to generate
money.
Secondly, they believe in making huge sum of money- financial
stability is there dream. They work hard to support their
families, create more opportunities and to achieve the American

2. dream of success.
p. 2
3. What does the understanding of class described in the first
paragraph sound like?
They are democratic and are holy. They also have mutual
coexistence as they lived in common grounds and sharing
common beliefs.
4. According to the authors, what has changed?
The classes that existed in the present are hard to group or
depict in given aspects like clothing, color of skin etc.
5. So why does class still matter?
Success in school is linked to given class as far as academic
excellence is concerned.
6. What has happened to class mobility, or, the American
Dream?
Has people work hard to be at same level or being equal in
opportunities, the difference might not have changed their class.
It has become hard for the rich few to move from one economic
class to another.
7. What is the basic contradiction this article points out?
Class difference in America
pp. 3-4
8. What is the paradox of the new meritocracy?
Merit has replaced the old system in that privileges are
inherited. It has become class based. For instance parents with
money, education and connections cultivate these traits to their
children.
FAITH IN THE SYSTEM

3. 9. How do American feel about their prospects for class
mobility?
Hard and education are main feature that alleviate one from one
class to another other than connection and background.
10. What conclusions can we draw from the graph on page 3?
Mobility can either be driven by hard work and education status
or background. In addition, the sole responsibility of the rich is
to help the poor since they have the power to do so.
p. 4-5
11. What does the graph on page 4 tell us?
The rich are more powerful and they favor the idea of class
based affirmative action to help those at the bottom.
12. According to the authors, what is a serious difficulty for any
discussion of class?
The word class means different thing to many people. Class is
rank; it is culture, tribe and taste. It is attitudes and assumption,
a source of identity, a system of exclusion and to some it is
money and accident during birth.
13. What do the authors consider class to be?
Class is a group of people with similar economic and social
position; people with same political ambitions, lifestyles and
cultural setting.
14. Why has our idea of class changed over time?
Many sociologists have undertaken intensive research and each
brings different views on aspect of class with time. Also the
educational and political views affect the idea of class.
15. Do researchers agree on what class is?
They do not agree since most of them have different ideas,

4. sociologists argue that old classes have been broken to micro-
classes defined by different occupations and livelihood. They
say that complexity social aspect has eradicated existence of
classes hence more diverse in terms of income, political views
and lifestyle. In the other hand, other researcher disagree by
arguing that classes are defined by four bases; income,
occupation, education and wealth. They give an example of Bill
Gate who grew from middle class to upper class. In conclusion,
class starts from parent’s class and Americans have moved to
nation’s ladder or class.
THE AMERICAN IDEAL
p. 6
16. What does one’s class status seem to be most dependent
upon?
Money
17. What conclusions can we draw from the graph on page 6?
Class mobility is dependent upon wealth and this mobility is
advanced with educational level with time. From the graph,
movement from one class to another has increased from 1970’s
to 1990’s and become arbitrarily constant since tend technology
has been advancing and economic growth also affected
proportionally across all classes.
pp. 7-8
18. How does mobility in the United States compare with other
countries?
Economic inequality in United States is wider than in other
countries in that there is wider disparity in what parents poor
and rich can invest in their children. Child school performance
is proportional to his or her background which is not the case in
other countries. Born poor in USA is more disadvantageous.

5. BLURRING THE LANDSCAPE
19. Why does it appear that class no longer exists in America?
Industrial revolution is growing at higher rate. Technology is
bringing up the poor to an economic convergence in that it is
hard to tell the difference.
Economic changes have made material things cheaper and
readily available to both middle and lower-income people hence
hard to depict any differences. Bank rate has been lowered
despite the risks and in addition the communication accessories
like cellphones have become cheap thus enabling people to
access high class materials.
20. What conclusions can we draw from the graphs on page 8?
Race and class have been eradicated in America and most
people have moved to middle and upper classes. Diversity in
gender, race and ethnicity has promoted these mobility.
p. 9-10
21. What conclusions can we draw from the graph on page 9?
American enlightened group have increased than it was in the
past and at present many religious groups are more and has a
result a class of entrepreneur is picking up.
22. What makes it appear that class does still exist in America?
Adopting programs to enroll lower-income students is seen as
source of societal alienation and unhappiness. Secondly, family
structure and educational background among different classes
and more so the benefits of new meritocracy will never agree at
any instant hence escalate difference presence.
In addition the level of health care varies from on group to
another.
23. What conclusions can we draw from the graph on page 10?

6. Class difference plays a vital role of achieving the American
dream. It serves has boost in economic mobility though the has
these gap narrow it creates societal alienation and unhappiness
has per Anthony W. Marx who explains that we might lose
talent and leadership skills if we enroll low income students to
academic programs. Lastly, family structure across class lines
varies as those who are rich and stable have few children than
the lower class poor.
pp. 11-12
A RAGS-TO-RICHES FAITH
24. What is the contradictory conclusion the authors reach?
Class contradicts there assumption of American dream, equal
opportunities and reasons of their own success and failures.
Americans, constitutionally optimistic are disinclined to
describe themselves as stuck.
25. What conclusions can we draw from the graphs on pages 11
and 12?
The gaps between the rich and poor are narrowing. In addition
this economic change has brought political and health issues at
hand. Mobility in class is brought by faith and hard work, thus
one can grow from poor to rich and lastly American dream is all
about being Optimistic.
Trading of societies pie tends to be unequal among has
American themselves acquirer greater share than the rest.
26. Which cultural icons have contributed to Americans’ belief
in social mobility?
American dream, equal opportunity and Optimism
27. What are the disadvantages and advantages in optimism
about class mobility?

7. That if opportunity is taken for granted the country is less likely
to do hard work to make it happen.
Advantage, without optimism, there would never be success.
English 101
Name_________________________
Professor Belluscio
Prewriting (10 points)
This handout must be completed fully by its due date, or it will
not be accepted. While you may only write three body
paragraphs, space has been left for five. Attach additional paper
if your body paragraphs will number more than five.
I. INTRODUCTION
Lead-in (introduces the topic):
Tie-in (narrows the topic):
Thesis statement (states the main argument):
II. BODY
First Body Paragraph
Topic Sentence (states the main point):
Support (develops the topic sentence and parenthetically cites
examples from the

8. texts):
Second Body Paragraph
Topic Sentence (states the main point):
Support (develops the topic sentence and parenthetically cites
examples from the
texts):
Third Body Paragraph
Topic Sentence (states the main point):
Support (develops the topic sentence and parenthetically cites
examples from the
texts):
III. CONCLUSION
Restatement of the thesis in different words:
Final thought related to the topic:
English 101
Paper One: Summary (100 points)
In this assignment you must answer the following question:
What are Janny Scott and David Leonhardt trying to tell us
about social class in “The Shadowy Lines That Still Divide”?
The paper must occasionally paraphrase the above readings,
occasionally quote the above readings, and use MLA citation
correctly. If you need a review in paraphrasing, quotation, and
MLA citation, consult “Phil Eggers: Quotation, Paraphrasing,

9. and MLA Citation” in the Course Documents of Blackboard.
You must use only the reading(s) mentioned above. Papers that
use other sources or, worse, plagiarize from them will receive
no credit. Papers must be at least two full pages long and no
more than three pages long. They must also be double-spaced at
12-pitch. Use transitional terms to introduce body paragraphs
and the conclusion. Use proper, three-part paragraph structure
in the body paragraphs.
You must complete the prewriting (10 points) and a rough draft
(10 points) of this assignment: both are due no later than the
day this paper is peer reviewed and will not be accepted late
under any circumstances. The final draft of this paper will be
worth 100 points. You must submit an electronic version of the
file to Turn It In before the hard copy is submitted in class.
Bear in mind that the prewriting is not a rough draft of the
paper. Rather, it should appear only as notes to guide you while
you write your paper.
PREWRITING INSTRUCTIONS:
On the Prewriting handout, under “Introduction,” and after
“Lead-in,” make notes on how you will introduce the general
topic of the essay to your reader. After “Tie-in,” make notes on
how you will narrow that topic down to prepare the reader for
the thesis statement. (Somewhere before the thesis statement,
please mention the title and author of the article.) After “Thesis
statement,” write a sentence that answers the above bolded
question.
Next you will need to prewrite the body of your paper. While
you may only end up with three body paragraphs, space has
been left for five. Attach additional paper if your body
paragraphs will number more than five. Each body paragraph
needs to deal with a different subtopic that supports your thesis.
Write out a workable topic sentence for each body paragraph.
The number of body paragraphs you end up using will be

10. dependent upon how many reasons you can invent to support
your thesis.
Then, under each topic sentence, make notes on how you plan to
support it through explanation and examples. Ideally, each body
paragraph would directly cite the reading passage it addresses at
least once—through paraphrasing, quotation, or both.
Finally, your essay needs to have a conclusion. Under
“Conclusion,” and after “Restatement of the thesis in different
words,” write down how you will restate the main idea of your
essay without repeating word for word what you wrote earlier.
After “Final thought related to the topic,” write down how you
will bring the essay to a close.