Will Weaver

Prewriting for Essay #1

For 5 minutes, jot down quick responses to these questions:

1.) Why do you think it takes the author so long to get Walter home? (For example, the bus ride and the walk along the train tracks.) What are some of the things the author hopes to accomplish?

2.) Pay attention to the description of the farm and its surroundings (once Walter gets to the edge of his father's fields). Why might the author offer so many concrete details?

3.) What "conflicts" are at work in this story? Use the "_____ vs. _____" format for expressing conflicts.

4.) Why is it difficult for Walter to tell his father about his intended major?

5.) What do you think about Walter's father? Consider, for example, the various questions Walter's father asks him.

6.) Is there any humor in this piece? If so, where?

7.) How do you "read" or "interpret" the last two paragraphs of the story (page 160)?

Other questions:

8.) What are you thinking, right now, about majoring in? How do these possibilities match up with what your parents -- and/or other family members -- might want you to major in? Have you discussed possibilities about your major with your parents and/or other family members? Why or why not?

9.) Walter is part of the group of students that colleges and universities label “first-generation,” that is, his parents did not attend college. Are you a “first generation” college student? What risks or difficulties might first-generation students face that others may not? Are there any benefits to being a first-generation student?

10.) Why does it feel to Walter like he's the only "twenty-year old Undeclared Major on the whole campus"?

11.) What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of being undeclared?