In a multi-paragraph essay (1500-1600 words including a Works Cited page in MLA format) define “happiness.” Be sure to formulate a focused, controlling and specific argument, supported with examples from at least three texts we have read and discussed in class.
In your examination of “happiness,” you may want to consider some of the lenses through which experts view “happiness” (spiritual, scientific, philosophical), ways to achieve happiness, some of the obstacles to achieving happiness, and perhaps even what happiness is not.
Be sure to include thoughtful, analytical commentary which helps the reader see the significance of each example as it demonstrates the central argument.
Edit the below final draft essay. Rephrase the argument/use three sources to support the argument with quotes and have supporting detail and to quote more and paraphrase less.
Classmate draft essay:
Am I happy? How can I be happier? Can I ever be perfectly happy, or must I settle for something less? Does everyone seek happiness as the ultimate goal? Should they? Most of us ask ourselves these fundamental questions, seeking answers for ourselves–answers that suit our particular personalities and circumstances. Most of us, perhaps all of us, seek to be happy, yet few of us know exactly how to achieve happiness. In America, where “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” stand as “unalienable rights,” many of us have yet to consider the difference between “happiness” as opposed to “my own happiness” in a systematic or informed way.
As a college student, choosing a major, preparing for a career, meeting new people, and facing new possibilities, you may find that questions about happiness have a special urgency and resonance. At no other point in your life, perhaps, will it be so important to ask these questions and to think seriously about the answers. Considering your personal values, beliefs and experiences of “happiness,” as well as the information you gathered from your interview about happiness, you will examine some of the key aspects of happiness and how it is reflected in the various texts we have watched, read and discussed, including: Nic Marks (TED Talk), “The Happy Planet Index”; The Bible, “Gospel of Matthew”; Haybron, “Happiness and Its Discontents”; Csikszentmihalyi, “If We Are So Rich, Why Aren’t We Happy?”; Lyubomirsky, “How Happy Are You and Why?”; Lewis, “We Have No Right to Be Happy”; any of the videos on this topic available to you via Canvas. Keep in mind that when you write a literary essay, you are essentially making an argument. You are arguing that your perspective–an interpretation, an evaluative judgment, or a critical evaluation–is a valid one. In this essay you are developing your position with evidence from primary texts.
