write an essay

Respond in brief essay form to one of the three options below. Consult Arts and Culture, our course modules and discussion forums, and your class notes. If you use outside sources, be sure to quote and document each conscientiously; if you fail to cite an outside source, you’ll get a zero . Be sure to offer appropriate support for your positions and to include concrete examples to back up your general points. 1) This class has surveyed several thousand years’ worth of human creations, physical artifacts and ideas that have stood the test of time. Examine at least two examples of works that have come down to us through the centuries and offer brief explanations as to how and why they endured. Next, suggest a couple of human creations from our own moment that seem likely to persist well into future centuries, and explain why you believe these contemporary human creations might have such staying power. 2) The German critic Walter Benjamin wrote that “[t]here is no document of civilization which is not at the same time a document of barbarism.” Discuss Benjamin’s claim by examining at least two examples of significant artifacts that seem to bear the stamp of both civilization and barbarism. How can a single creation at once embody the noblest humanistic values and the basest human inclinations? 3) How would a Humanities survey course such as ours be different if it focused on creative expression by women? Consider works by women addressed in Arts and Culture and elsewhere in class—what generalizations, if any, can you offer about the concerns and approaches of women artists, philosophers, architects, writers, and musicians? Cite specific examples to support your claims.