5-6 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, no cover page.
In “Consider the Lobster,” Wallace urges the reader to think about the possible suffering and probable pain lobsters go through while being harvested and boiled alive. He suggests that people do not think about what they eat and that there could be serious moral/ethical concerns regarding the treatment of the animals that people eat. Or, at the very least, he argues that we should be willing to admit the reality of our moral decisions and the general ethical standards we tolerate.
As we consider the treatment and the likely suffering of lobsters along with our general ethical decision that their welfare is of a lower priority than our culinary preferences, ask what other locations of suffering in the human or animal experience are generally avoided in our ethics.
Examples of practices ripe for ethical considerations range widely. You may consider practices surrounding the actions of individuals, governments, corporations, and public or private institutions.
Use Wallace and 2-3 outside sources to write a paper in which you locate a practice of ethical avoidance like the one that allows for the lobster’s position in our diets and argue whether it is ethically justifiable to end the practice of your choice.
Questions you might consider as you think about your essay:
What is the difference between morals and ethics?
How does Wallace construct the idea of moral/ethical avoidance in this essay?
What are the moral and ethical questions implied in Wallace’s essay in relation to the treatment of lobsters?
How does the continuation of the practice you’ve selected benefit individuals or groups who are selecting to not consider the ethics or morals involved? Or individuals or groups that are profiting economically from the continuation of the practice?
What ideas or narratives surround your selected practice that ask people to accept the suffering produced in the practice?
Note: The questions asked are meant to help you think about the topic as a whole. You should not attempt to answer each one in your essay.
Remember, in order to have focus and clarity in your essay, you need to think about the topic, the questions asked and then decide what your views are on this issue. Carefully consider your supporting points and examples.
Formatting and Requirements:
Essay 5-6 pages in length plus a Works Cited page
Works Cited page must include properly formatted citations for all sources used (including class readings)
Essay should be double-spaced, typed in Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins (on all sides)
Include your name, my name, class and date in the upper left corner of the 1stpage
Format your essay according to MLA guidelines
You must use quotes from the reading and specific evidence from your chosen example to support your argument.
– I chose the comparison of child labor
