Prompts for the In-Class Essay on Thursday, Oct. 16

Here are the prompts you developed in class for Thursday's essay on Eyal Press's Beautiful Souls. I will select two of them, and you will write about one of them. This means you should prepare two of the prompts to cover your bases. 

Don't overlook the notes you took about how to write an in-class essay. I will let you use those notes (and your book), but those notes should guide your preparation for the essay. When you come into class, you should have a preliminary thesis, key supporting points, and relevant evidence for two of the prompts. The prompts will be worded a little differently, but their essence will be the same. 

1. Compare societies and conditions that lead people to act on their consciences. Refer to at least two. 

2. What defines a person's moral tipping point?  At what point would someone say, "We have to change what we're doing"? How far could someone go? (Refer to at least two of the people discussed in the book.)

3. When is it okay for your conscience to override the law? (Just to clarify, your response to this prompt needs to address the tension between following your conscience and following orders.) This prompt will probably ask you to discuss the significance of the term "beautiful souls" and allow you to discuss the character you most relate to. The emphasis, however, is on the first part, your conscience and the law. You'll have to refer to at least two of the people discussed in the book.