"Cars and Their Enemies" Discussion Board

Okay, boys and girls!  Here we go with another one of the discussion boards that you have come to love!  Once again I am going to keep this board open for the entire class.  As usual, you should make two followup posts…or more, and make sure your followups say something or ask something of substance!

1. Look back through "Cars and Their Enemies," looking for places where the author characterizes the critics of automobiles.  What terms or names does he give to those critics?  Where do they live, and in the author's opinion, how do they typically behave?  How does the author's treatment of "car haters" enhance or detract from his argument?

2. Does "Cars and Their Enemies" have a thesis you could state in one sentence?  Reread the essay carefully, noticing sentences that make major points or summarize the author's thinking.  Then review these major claims, and write a summary of the author's case in favor of the automobile.

3. This article uses both statistics and personal experience to support its argument.  Where does the article cite statistics?  Where does it rely on personal evidence?  How do you react to the very personal last paragraph of the piece: "I know the way.  If you are a friend, you need only ask"?

3. Though it's not an aspect of the novel that most of your "resources" on The Great Gatsby (i.e. Spark Notes, Wikipedia, Cliffs Notes, etc…not that any of you would EVER turn to those for help…  **cough cough**) make a big deal out of, cars and driving are a pretty major element of the novel.  Do you see any connection between events of the book so far and ideas/notions brought up by "Cars and Their Enemies?"  If so, briefly discuss any sort of connections/ideas generated when you consider both pieces.  (And by the way, when I was taking the terminal exam for my MA, I had to write a TWENTY PAGE LONG paper (that's around 5000 words!) on the influence/importance/symbolism of cars and driving in The Great Gatsby…if I can do that, you can come up with a few sentences about it and that essay!  So there.)  (And by the way, my paper NAILED IT, if I may say so myself!)