A Mountain for Itself: The Rhetoric of Wilderness

Spring 2011

PWR 1 AT—T & Th 11:00-12:50—Wallenberg 125

Instructor: Andrew Todhunter

Office Hours: Tuesday 1:30 – 4:30 PM—Sweet Hall 316

Email: [Link]@[Link]

Course Description:
In art, culture, and popular consciousness, wilderness represents at once an earthly
paradise and the inferno, a lost Eden, and an inhospitable, often brutal world in which
human ethics play no role. Writers, artists, and thinkers have grappled for millennia
with the concept and reality of wilderness, both internal and external, and in that
process they have explored what is wildest within ourselves. We long for wilderness,
yet we fear it. We idealize it, yet we seek to control it. Many writers make arguments
about the meaning and role of wilderness, while others use representations of
wilderness to pose arguments about other subjects, including civilization, technology,
and human nature.

In this course, we’ll look at wilderness in fiction, film, games, and advertising, and
we’ll look within ourselves. What does wilderness mean to us? Some seek an
unmediated experience of wilderness. “I should be content,” wrote the poet David
Ignatow, “to look at a mountain for what it is, and not as a comment on my life.” In
“To Build a Fire,” Jack London portrays wilderness as a spectacular but morally
neutral death zone, equally free of judgment or compassion. In The Jungle Book,
Kipling creates an intricate and rigid “Law of the Jungle” that governs wild animals

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and satirizes human governments. In the post-apocalyptic cult film Mad Max,
wilderness is merely a wasteland, a blank canvas lacking both the deadly beauty of
London’s arctic or the elaborate order of Kipling’s East Indian woodland. Urban
America has its own unique relationship with wilderness: “I am at two with nature,”
quips Woody Allen and Fran Lebowitz defines wilderness as the space between the
door of her Manhattan apartment building and a waiting taxi. In these and other
representations of wilderness, a host of arguments—implicit and explicit, combative
and invitational, ecological and political—are constructed consciously and
unconsciously by their authors. You will analyze these persuasive strategies, compare
them, and ultimately craft your own compelling argument about wilderness using a
range of rhetorical strategies. And we’ll go outdoors, and see if we can see—as
Ignatow put it—a mountain for what it is.

Primary Assignments:

I Rhetorical Analysis (5-6 pages):

For this first written assignment, you will select and analyze one source from text,
film, or interactive entertainment in which wilderness, however defined, is employed
for potent rhetorical effect. Ideally, you will find and illuminate a broad range of
nuanced (and potentially conflicting) arguments and rhetorical strategies in that one
source.

II Texts in Conversation (6-8 pages):

In your second assignment, you will compare two or three sources from print, film, or
interactive entertainment in order to reveal a larger conversation on wilderness. You
might compare wilderness as portrayed in a feature film with its representations in a
novel and a video game. You will also prepare an annotated bibliography of 7-8
sources in varying media from which you will draw in your next assignment. By
exploring the landscape of existing discourse on wilderness, you are setting the stage
for your own argument in the third and final essay.

III Research Based Argument (12-15 pages)

Here you will combine primary and secondary research on some aspect of wilderness
and a conversation already present in the culture. When you have clearly established
the parameters of an existing conversation, you will carefully construct your own
original rhetorical argument. Employing the strategies we have analyzed in class, you
will throw your own hat in the ring and present a fresh perspective to what may be a

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centuries old dialogue. We will have an informal debate at the end of the course in
which students present their arguments to the class.

Conferences and Office Hours:

Throughout the quarter, we will meet for three one-on-one conferences to discuss your
work individually. Attendance at all conferences is mandatory, and since rescheduling
missed conferences is often difficult if not impossible, please take note of the date, time
and location of any conference that you have signed up for.
 
You may also come see me during my on-campus office hours (Tuesdays 1:30 - 4:30,
316 Sweet Hall). If this time window does not work for you, you may schedule an
appointment to meet with me at a different time.

Submission Guidelines:

Unless otherwise notified, submit all written assignments in your coursework folder
before class on the date assigned. Please use [.doc] or [.docx] format only and title your
essays as follows:

[Lastname][assignmentname][assignmentversion].docx

E.g. [Link], [Link], [Link]

Note: This document title style is a requirement.

 
All writing will be typed, double-spaced, with approximately one-inch margins. Use
MLA documentation style, and all sources should be cited appropriately. Visuals are
welcomed in academic writing, as long as they are used effectively as evidence or
argumentation (rather than as decoration), are integrated strategically into your text, and
are cited appropriately.

Revisions: The PWR policy approach to revision is simple: writing is a process, not a
product. For this reason, all of the major assignments in this class are incremental, and
involve drafting, peer reviewing, and revision stages. Revision, as we will discuss this
quarter, involves more than editing or cosmetic corrections; it often involves significantly
reshaping your argument, structure, and style.

You may revise your rhetorical analysis or texts in conversation essays for resubmission
at the end of the quarter. If you do decide to revise and resubmit a graded essay, keep in

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mind that turning in a revised essay does not necessarily mean that you will automatically
receive a higher grade for the assignment.

All revised papers must be resubmitted in a folder containing the following items:

 The revision with a new title page including the word "revision" and the new date.
 The previous, graded version of the paper with my comments.
 A 300+ word cover memo in which you detail what you revised, why you made
those revisions, and your final reflections on this new version of the paper and on
the assignment as a whole.

The deadline for resubmitted essays is 5 pm on the last day of class, Tuesday, May 31st;
please upload electronic copies of the revised essays to your Coursework folder.

A Note on Late Work: Unless you have received my permission via email at least 24
hours in advance of the due date, late work will be graded down at the rate of a half a
grade per day late. After one week, I reserve the right not to accept late work. You will
not pass this class unless you complete and submit each of the major assignments.

Readings: We have two primary and required texts for this class: Envision and The MLA
Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Both texts are available at the campus
bookstore. I have also recommended two additional, excellent readings which will serve
you well as writers here at Stanford and beyond: On Writing Well: 30th Anniversary
Edition and They Say, I Say: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. We will also
be reading or viewing a broad variety of supplementary “texts,” from literature to film
clips, advertisements and video games. In most cases, I will make suggestions prior to
each assignment on key points to consider in these readings. In every case—regardless of
my specific direction—study the material closely. If something strikes you as especially
relevant or thought provoking, make a note of it. Likewise, if something feels unclear or
off the mark, make a note and mention it in class or during office hours.

A Weekend Expedition: Schedules and weather permitting, I hope to lead a one or two
night hiking/camping trip to a wilderness area in northern California late in the quarter.
While a great opportunity to get off trail and test our new understanding of wilderness
against the “real thing,” this trip will be entirely voluntary.

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 PWR Evaluation Criteria and Procedures:
 
You will receive an assignment sheet for each major essay that describes what you are
expected to do and the criteria that will be used to evaluate your work.  The general
evaluation criteria of the Program in Writing and Rhetoric are described below.
 
Successful writers carefully take into account the rhetorical situation (purpose,
audience, persona) in which their writing will function, developing the compositional
elements (content, organization, style, and form) in response to the demands and
boundaries set by the particular writing task.  Rhetorically-aware and effective writing
thus cannot be reduced to a formula, but is better conceptualized and assessed as the
dynamic play of the writer’s choices among the available rhetorical strategies and text
features.
 
The descriptions below aim to explore this dynamic through listing and reflecting on
some traditional terms of rhetoric and composition.
 
A         Excellent.  Writing is of consistently outstanding quality, addressing a complex
and significant topic and successfully handling the interaction among topic,
audience, purpose, and persona in relation to content, organization, style, and
form.
 
                                                Topic–a clearly defined and significant subject, carefully introduced and
consistently explored in informative ways
                                    Audience–a sophisticated understanding of the readers’ values,
assumptions, and expectations
            Purpose–a carefully articulated, achievable aim or aims
Persona–a rhetorical stance and voice that serve the purpose and appeal
effectively to the audience
Content–sustained arguments that are well-supported with multiple forms
of evidence and “good reasons,” fully developed with appropriate
strategies (and in research-based writing demonstrating a sophisticated
understanding of and ability to use, evaluate, and integrate a wide range of
source materials)
Organization–a clear and imaginative structure or pattern that provides
coherence, leads the audience from idea to idea, clarifying relationships
and connections, and shows a mature awareness of genre

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                                                Style–varied and forceful sentences, purposeful and apt diction, and
appropriate and carefully nuanced tone that expresses the personality
(ethos) of the writer and engages the audience
                                                Form–strong control of the conventions of academic discourse: format,
syntax, paragraph structure, punctuation, mechanics, diction,
documentation; the control is strong enough to allow the writer to push the
boundaries of the conventions in imaginative and effective ways
 
B         Good.  Writing is of consistently good quality, addressing an appropriate and
significant topic and competently handling the interaction among topic, audience,
purpose, and persona in relation to content, organization, style, and form.
 
C         Adequate.  Writing is of satisfactory quality, addressing an acceptable topic and
adequately handling the interaction among topic, audience, purpose, and persona
in relation to content, organization, style, and form.
 
D         Weak.  Writing is of poor quality, addressing a vague or unwieldy subject and
inadequately handling the interaction among topic, audience, purpose, and
persona in relation to content, organization, style, and form.
 
NP       Failing.  Writing does not respond to the assignment or is not submitted on time.
 

PWR Policies and Resources:

The Fundamental Standard

Students at Stanford are expected to show both within and without the University such
respect for order, morality, personal honor, and the rights of others as is demanded of
good citizens. Failure to do this will be sufficient cause for removal from the University.

The Stanford Honor Code

1. The Honor Code is an undertaking of the students, individually and collectively: that
they will not give or receive aid in examinations; that they will not give or receive
unpermitted aid in class work, in the preparation of reports, or in any other work that
is to be used by the instructor as the basis of grading; that they will do their share and
take an active part in seeing to it that others as well as themselves uphold the spirit
and letter of the Honor Code.
2. The faculty on its part manifests its confidence in the honor of its students by
refraining from proctoring examinations and from taking unusual and unreasonable

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 precautions to prevent the forms of dishonesty mentioned above. The faculty will also
avoid, as far as practicable, academic procedures that create temptations to violate the
Honor Code.
3. While the faculty alone has the right and obligation to set academic requirements, the
students and faculty will work together to establish optimal conditions for honorable
academic work.

Examples of conduct which have been regarded as being in violation of the Honor Code
include:

 Copying from another's examination paper or allowing another to copy from one's
own paper
 Unpermitted collaboration
 Plagiarism
 Revising and resubmitting a quiz or exam for re-grading, without the instructor's
knowledge and consent
 Giving or receiving unpermitted aid on a take-home examination
 Representing as one's own work the work of another
 Giving or receiving aid on an academic assignment under circumstances in which a
reasonable person should have known that such aid was not permitted

Violating the Honor Code is a serious offense, even when the violation is unintentional.

Attendance Policy

Because PWR courses make use of writing activities, in-class workshops, and small
group discussion, your consistent attendance is crucial to your success. If you must miss a
class for religious holidays, medical reasons, or valid University-related activities, you
must let your instructor know as far in advance as possible of the absence and obtain
information about the work you must do to keep up in class. If you miss a class for any
other reason (sudden illness, family emergency, etc.), you should get in touch with your
instructor as soon as possible and arrange to make up the work missed. For all absences,
it is the student’s responsibility to communicate with the instructor and to make
arrangements to make up missed work. If you do not take responsibility for
communicating with your instructor about absences, your instructor will contact you by
phone or e-mail and issue a warning about your standing in the course. Should you miss a
second class meeting, your work in the class will be seriously compromised, and a
continued pattern of absences may jeopardize your enrollment in the class. The best
policy, therefore, is to be in class, on time, for every class meeting.

Policy on Grade Disputes

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If you have a complaint about your PWR course or wish to question a grade on an
assignment, please write a memo explaining the problems you are having with the course,
the reasons for your dispute, and any other relevant information about the situation.
Submit the memo to your instructor, who will meet with you to discuss your dispute. You
may want, for example, to ask the instructor to read your essay again, reconsidering your
work in light of points you have made about it. Many misunderstandings or problems can
be worked out in such a meeting. If you wish to pursue a complaint or dispute, make an
appointment to see Jonathan Hunt, Associate Director of PWR, in Sweet Hall 310
(jphunt@[Link]). He will advise you on any further course of action. For further
information on Stanford policies regarding grade appeals, see the “Statement on Student
Academic Grievance Procedures” in the Stanford Bulletin
([Link]

Policy on Dual Submissions

The same essay may not be submitted for a grade in more than one class.

Policy on Plagiarism

Students are responsible for living by the Honor Code (see section above) and for
maintaining honesty in scholarship. Work submitted for a course must be the student's
own (or a group's work, if students have collaborated on an assignment). The use of
someone else's words or ideas without acknowledgement and as your own contradicts
PWR goals and principles. As such, PWR will take reasonable precautions to prevent it
and all measures prescribed by the Stanford Office of Judicial Affairs for remedy and
redress.

Policy on Academic Integrity/Appropriate Use of Sources

All written work submitted to PWR classes may be sent by the PWR instructor to one or
more databases for the noncommercial purpose of checking the writer’s use of sources.
These databases check student writing against published works and other submitted
student writing to ensure academic integrity, confirming that words and ideas have not
been borrowed without appropriate citation.

Resources:

The Stanford Libraries and Archives

The Stanford Libraries and Archives will be crucial to student success in PWR courses,
so students should begin familiarizing themselves with these resources early in the

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quarter. Each quarter, the librarians create customized Research Guides for PWR classes,
which should be used as a starting point for student research: a menu of current and
archived Research Guides can be found at [Link]
bin/drupal/researchguides. 

Students may also find the following useful during PWR 1:

Taking Green Library's online tour at

[Link]

Visiting the PWR students' starter page at

[Link]

Museums

The Cantor Center for the Visual Arts ([Link] located on Lomita
Drive at Museum Way, is an excellent source for comprehensive information on exhibits
and standing collections, as well as on how to contact docents and curators.

Consultation and Tutorial Services

• The Hume Writing Center ([Link] The Hume Writing Center

assists Stanford students with writing in all academic contexts.  The Center supports first-
and second-year students writing for PWR 1 and 2, IHUM, and Stanford Introductory
Seminars through one-to-one and group tutorials, workshops, and annual awards such as
the Innovative Research Award (IRA) and the Lunsford Oral Presentation of Research
Award. The Center continues support for undergraduates in WIM courses and writing
Honors Theses during their senior year. The Hume Writing Center is located in Building
460 (Margaret Jacks Hall), Room 020.  For further information about the Hume Writing
Center or to arrange an appointment with a writing tutor, visit the HWC website.

• The Center for Teaching and Learning ([Link] The Center for
Teaching and Learning offers undergraduate students peer tutors in chemistry, biology,
physics, math, and economics. To see a description of the tutor program, including
specific location and times for tutors, please go to the tutor homepage at
[Link]

• The Oral Communication Program ([Link]

The Oral Communication Program can help students interested in improving oral
presentation skills. Visit the Program’s Speaking Center in Meyer Library, Suite 123, for

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appointments with Oral Communication Tutors. Appointments with Oral
Communication Tutors can be made online at the above URL. To arrange a special
consultation with an Oral Communication Tutor (OCT), contact Lindsey Paul at 725-
4149 or email speakinghelp@[Link].

• Athletic Academic Resource Center ([Link]

[Link]): AARC academic tutoring is run in conjunction with the CTL tutoring system;
Peer Writing Tutors from the Writing Center are also available at the AARC. It is most
frequently used by, and oriented toward, student-athletes but is available to any Stanford
undergraduate. AARC is open Monday through Thursday nights from 7:00-10:00, and is
located in the lower level of the Arrillaga Family Sports Center. Contact Andy Dimock
(adimock@[Link], 723-9650) with any questions.

• Language Center/English For Foreign Students (EFS)

([Link] : EFS courses are open to graduate students and
undergraduates by permission of the instructor. To reserve a course space, students must
submit their schedules to the EFS office by the first Tuesday of the quarter. The EFS
program can also provide students with a list of tutors ("fee arrangements must be made
independent of the English for Foreign Student program"). For further information,
contact Tracey Riesen at triesen@[Link] or at 723-1310; or EFS Director Philip
Hubbard at phubbard@[Link].

Counseling Services

• Vaden Student Health Center Counseling And Psychological Services (CAPS)

([Link] 723-3785 (all hours). CAPS sponsors a range
of workshops and support groups, including help for students diagnosed with writing
phobias.

• The Bridge ([Link] 723-3392 or drop in (581

Capistrano Way). Peer counselors at the Bridge are available to talk to students any time.
The Bridge sponsors a variety of workshops and support groups.

Other Writing & Non-Writing Related Resources

The PWR Faculty Director, Associate Director, and co-director of Stanford Introductory
Studies are available to meet with students about any issues of concern—or just to talk
about writing.

PWR Faculty Director Nick Jenkins: njenkins@[Link] or 723-2725

PWR Associate Director Jonathan Hunt: jphunt@[Link] or 736-1422

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 SIS Co-Director and Associate Vice Provost Marvin Diogenes:
marvind@[Link] or 723-4642

The PWR Undergraduate Advisory Board (UAB), which meets regularly during the
academic year, provides advice to the Faculty Director of PWR. Students are invited to
bring concerns or ideas about PWR to the UAB. You can contact the UAB at pwruab-
lists@[Link] and learn more about it at [Link]

The PWR website ([Link] offers you access

to information about your instructors, the writing curriculum and requirements, and a
wide range of useful writing resources.

Fellowship, grant, and research resources abound at Stanford. Many campus

organizations have developed specific aids for undergraduates seeking fellowships and
grants in their areas of interest. Bringing together information on research grants,
internships, opportunities and awards, the office of Undergraduate Advising and
Research ([Link] is the
campus nexus for students interested in becoming personally involved in the exciting
quest of a research project. Students also might directly visit the Haas Center for Public
Service at 562 Salvatierra Walk or online at [Link] or the Overseas
Resource Center at Bechtel International Center or online at
[Link]

The Office of Accessible Education (OAE), formerly the Student Disabilities Resource
Center, is the primary resource for students who have a disability that may necessitate an
academic accommodation or the use of auxiliary aids and services in a class. Students
who have such a disability must initiate the request for an academic accommodation or
the use of auxiliary aids and services with the OAE. The OAE will evaluate the request
along with the required documentation, recommend appropriate accommodations, and
prepare a verification letter dated in the academic term in which the request is being
made. Students should contact the OAE as soon as possible; timely notice is needed to
arrange appropriate accommodations. The OAE is located at the Office of Accessible
Education, 563 Salvatierra Walk. Call 723-1066 (or 723-1067 TTY) or visit the web site
at [Link]

The Sexual Harassment Policy Office ([Link] is located

in the Mariposa House, 585 Capistrano Way, 2nd floor, rm 208 & 209. Students
concerned about harassment, whether to themselves or to others, should contact the
SHPO at once. Call 723-1583 or email harass@[Link].

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