Write a 4-5 page paper in which you use Pinkers ideas to analyze the guidance that Brooks and
John offer.
Begin by identifying the terms Pinker uses and the definitions and examples he provides.
Then re-read the Brooks and John article using the following questions and suggestions to help you
formulate the question your thesis will answer:
?
Are the authors using their article to negotiate a relationship with their readers? If so, what kind
of relationship is it? Can you find places in the article that show that negotiation?
?
Consider the examples used in each of the articles. How might Brooks and John approach the
conversations between romantic partners, lobbyists and politicians, or diplomats that Pinker
describes?
?
How might Pinker respond to Brooks and Johns discussion of privacy and transparency?
To convince your reader that you have accurately interpreted the articles, you must quote the texts,
analyze the quotations, and explain how they support your thesis. Remember that 1) interpretation of
texts requires awareness of the rhetorical situationpurpose, author, audience, argument and
contextand 2) analysis of quotations includes not only attention to the meanings of individual words
and phrases but also to the structures of sentences and paragraphs.
