Walker Percy’s “The Loss of the Creature” addresses the problem of “loss”—the loss of sovereignty, the loss of the creature—but remains absolutely ambiguous about what has been lost and by whom. He employs fictional anecdotes as well as uses abstract phrases (“symbolic package,” “double deprivation”) as a way to articulate his concerns about an individual’s dislocation in the modern world. He goes so far in the essay to suggest that the individual has resigned himself to that of a “consumer of experience […] [who] knows that he is disinherited. He is deprived of his title over being.”
Write a 2- to 3-page paper explaining what Percy means by “loss”—loss of what exactly? Begin by summarizing Percy’s essay: refrain from retelling his stories; instead highlight and discuss his key terms, central concepts, and main arguments. Next, smoothly transition and situate the reader in the text when Percy discusses how “the thing” has been lost. What issues in the essay does Percy raise to lead him to this conclusion? Take time to work through his ideas. Finally, in a concluding paragraph, speculate about the consequences or implications of Percy’s essay (the “so what?” of the paper).
Be sure
to provide a both an explicit thesis and purpose statement near the beginning of your paper;
to use the Uneven U ¶ structure for analytical (“body”) paragraphs;
to affix an academic title before the introductory paragraph;
to follow the conventions of academic writing;
to adhere to the formatting guidelines outlined in the syllabus; and
to limit “to be” verbs to 2-3 per page.
Additionally, use and work with Percy’s terms and, if needed, examples. Refrain from repackaging—reducing, simplifying, diminishing—his project. Seek to illuminate the significance and difficulty of “The Loss of the Creature.”
MUST FOLLOW THE ARTICLE
