A Setting for Debate

Your homework tonight asks you to think of the upcoming dialogue assignment as a scene from a movie. For example, check out the opening scene from The Social Network. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin introduces us to Mark Zuckerberg in the midst of a date. The ensuing conversation ranges widely, from the number of genius-IQs in China to the challenge of getting into a Final Club at Harvard. But though the subject changes, the focus remains consistently on one thing

Who are the characters? How do they know each other? What are they doing when the dialogue starts, and what gets them talking about the issue you’re planning to cover?

Political Context One possibility is that breaking news prompts the conversation. Political issues are often brought to the fore by the course of events.

Personal Context You should also consider what emotional situation serves as backdrop for this political debate. Some possibilities:

• old friends reunited
• strangers stuck on an elevator
• construction workers talking on a job
• barbershop conversation
  

Extra points for personal situations that in some way echo the issue(s) at stake in the personal debate—so long as it feels artful and not “fake.”

Physical Context Lastly, consider the location where your debate takes place: a creative choice of setting will make the dialogue feel more real to the reader. You may also be able to set up a key metaphor—as for example a fish market sets up references to rotten smells, poisonous cuts of sushi, or tossing a wide net. And the right location might make your issue a pressing practical concern rather than just a theoretical discussion.

In THREE 1-sentence bullet-points, list a plan for your dialogue (be creative!):

• political context
• personal context
• physical context

Paste as a comment, below. We’ll discuss in class.