“All Disquiet on the South Bend Front”

After 24 years at Notre Dame, I come to a disquieting conclusion:  South Bend is not the most exciting place in the world!  In desperation, I decide to throw a small dinner party to get out of my funk.  I invite Elie Wiesel and Erich Maria Remarque.

Unfortunately, no one has warned me that these two men dislike each other intensely.  When we are seated, I begin with some pleasantries.  But given the current mood in the U.S., my guests have weightier issues on their minds—like war, pestilence, famine, and death.  They even begin to argue about Hell!  Just as I am getting truly depressed, Wiesel says something that grabs my attention:

Wiesel:  “I struggled with my faith in God in Auschwitz.  But without these struggles, I would have fallen into the pit of indifference during this time in Hell.

Remarque:  “I completely disagree.  When someone is living in Hell, your God will just get in the way of better remedies to indifference.”

Who is right, Wiesel or Remarque?

Assignment:  Please respond to this question with one cohesive argument.  Your argument should accomplish two things:  1) It should spell out the two authors’ stands, and 2) It should clearly and unequivocally explain why you are choosing one position over the other.

Note:  There is no single, correct answer to this question.  There are only good or bad arguments.

Please keep the following issues in mind:  Your reader wants to know where you stand. You are writing one paper, not two papers. Make sure you are answering this question and not some other question you would rather answer. Keep counterarguments in mind the whole time you are writing. Use evidence from your readings.  Yet be concise and to the point.  When you come to the end of your argument, stop. 

Your essay should be no more than 2 typed, double-spaced pages (12 point font) of careful reasoning. It should also have a carefully-chosen title.

This assignment is both straightforward and challenging. I strongly recommend that you begin it immediately. My expectations are not unreasonable. I merely expect you to compose the two best pages of prose that you have ever written in your life.

This paper is due next Tuesday, February 28.

Please email your response to me at amcadams@nd.edu by class time.  Please use the following structure to name your document: [your name].firstessay.doc

 Good luck!