"What's it going to be then, eh?" : tracing the English paragraph into its second century

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Mark Keith Branson (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
John J. Beale

Abstract: "What's it going to be then, eh?” is borrowed from Anthony Burgess’ novel, A Clockwork Orange, This question appears at the beginning of each of the four chapters and reinforces Burgess' theme of choice. Choices are what teachers of writing will have to face as the paragraph moves into its second century; these choices will both the theory and the pedagogy of the paragraph. For over one hundred years, teachers and their students have had no real choice about what was presented in the writing class about the paragraph. Though the traditional lore of the paragraph had been challenged as early as the 1920's, this lore has remained the preeminent practice. This pedagogy, which students hear from the primary grades through their freshman year, comes from an interesting, but questionable, psychological model and from a view of language and discourse woefully uninformed.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 1988
Subjects
Paragraphs
English language $x Paragraphs
Rhetoric

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