1. Write an essay modeled on Naylor’s in which you define “the meanings of a word”
(or words). The word you choose might be a stereotype based on ethnicity, gender,
appearance, or income, for example. Have you found, like Naylor, that meaning varies
with context? If so, make the variations clear.
2. Define the role of a wife or husband, mother or father, sister or brother, daughter or
son. In your prewriting write down the responsibilities, activities, and relationships
that define that role, and then in your essay elaborate your ideas on the topic. You could,
if appropriate, follow Brady’s model by showing how the role is influenced by the
expectations of another person (or people), but be careful about the way you do that:
Her exaggeration and irony do have a purpose, but writers must take care not to let a
good rhetorical tools become abusive: don’t inadvertently ostracize readers by failing to
make an appropriate concession or acknowledge an important limit. Brady’s definition
may not have reached its full potential since it focuses on only the disappointing or
negative.
3. Using Gilb’s essay as a model, write an essay that defines a human feeling or
characteristic—happiness, for example, or fear or courage—or some notion that you
find important but that you think some (many?) frequently misunderstand. As Gilb
does, present a wide range of examples to suggest various aspects of your subject.
