You are to write a reflective essay of 3-4 pages (double-spaced) on the following topic. A reflective essay requires you to engage personally with the topic. Merely writing a report on Marx’s book is not sufficient. You need to think deeply about what you read AND about the world in which you live so that you can draw useful connections between the two. It is expected that your paper with articulate your opinion, but it should be an opinion based on specific examples from the book, from other materials we have discussed in class, and from your personal observation of the world.

Topic:

Leo Marx’s book traces a conflict between a longstanding “pastoral ideal” and the rapidly expanding industrialization of America in the 19th Century. In what ways do you see that conflict (not limited to the 1800s) reflected in other materials we have examined and discussed in class, and do you see that conflict at work in the contemporary world you live in? Be sure to use specific examples to support your analysis.