Explain the main line of argument Mark Twain is presenting from the viewpoint of the Old Man; what is the main conclusion about our human nature and what general support is provided to try to make that conclusion reasonable to believe?
Next, evaluate the argument. Has the Old Man provided a strong argument for his main point or is there some weakness in his reasoning?
Explain your position, providing evidence to support your evaluation. In developing your evaluation, you can borrow from the Young Man’s objections if you think any of these are valuable; it may turn out that you can work with some of the Young Man’s thoughts,
providing a more robust objection that can be better sustained against the replies of the Old Man. Alternatively, you can develop a novel objection of your own devising. Finally, state whether you think the objection you’ve presented and explained is successful against the Old Man’s argument.
