Essay Questions

Prior to coming to campus in late August, please CHOOSE ONE OF THE THREE essay questions below and write a two page (double-spaced) essay which responds to the question posed. Bring a paper copy of your essay with you to campus. It will prove useful during the discussion of The Ghost Map which will be held Sunday afternoon during Fresh Start orientation. At that time, the essay will be collected and forwarded to your Inquiry 111 instructor. See the linked page, "Practical Details for Your Essay" for detailed formatting requirements.

Essay Question #1

The advance of technology in society has contributed greatly to our quality of life in many ways. (Imagine your life without electric refrigeration, dishwashing machines, or automobiles.) Human nature's hesitancy to accept change has historically led to resistance toward, and slow integration of, new ideas into human society. At times, we have seen that the pace of technological innovation has exceeded our ability to foresee or control its unintended consequences. For example, industrial scale food production has created a system vulnerable to bacterial contamination like the recent e. coli outbreaks in Europe and the United States. The Ghost Map describes a similar, although much more deadly, example of how a city, which can also be seen as a new "invention," provided the perfect setting for cholera to devastate the populace. Nineteenth-century Londoners were excited to have water closets (flush toilets) in their homes as a replacement to privies/outhouses. Yet, London did not have a sewer system to which these toilets could be connected.

In your essay, describe the problems that resulted from the new, exciting "water closet" technology and a lack of knowledge as to how cities, people, and bacteria interact. Why did these problems occur? Also, choose one technological innovation with which you have experience, and describe its intended purposes/uses and the unintended consequences of the innovation you have noticed. How does your experience with the negative consequences of the technology you described compare with the problems associated with the new "water closet" technology of Victorian London?

Essay Question #2

The Ghost Map, in part, is the story of the booming city of London, England in the 1850s. We currently live in an urban world. More than 50% of the earth's human population lives in cities (p. 231). We tend to accept them as part of the "normal order of things." Without cities, large scale research institutions (hospitals, universities, museums) likely could not exist. Early industrial production relied upon city populations. Yet in the 1850s, less than 10% of the world's population was urban, and in England, the idea that you could "pack nearly three million people inside a thirty-mile circumference" (p. 89) was not fully accepted. Some at the time believed that weaknesses inherent in cities would lead them to implode. Large cities were entirely new developments that initiated new ways of organizing life that had never been seen before. Steven Johnson's account of Victorian London's cholera epidemic describes much of the trial and error evident as people sought to make the city a sustainable environment for human beings.

In your essay, describe how, as Johnson claims, London is one of the protagonists of the book. How can the city be viewed as an actor and a living "organism"? How does the city take in nourishment, excrete waste, and grow? (Keep in mind that these are activities that all living things must do.) Did this unique perspective assist in your understanding of the book as a whole? What specific problems existed for the growing city of London in the middle 1800s? This organism, the city, is often seen today as crowded and dirty but also as a place of excitement. What advantages do cities provide to a society or to individuals that make them worth this cost? (A review of "Epilogue: Broad Street Revisited" may prove useful.) Do you want to live in a city after graduation from college? Why/Why not?

Essay Question #3

Dr. John Snow was a hero, an individual who single-handedly fought against the odds to prove his ideas correct and in the process saved thousands of lives. OR WAS HE? The importance of individuals, the impact which a single person can have on the lives of others, should not be underestimated. Yet, our story's hero did not "do it on his own." The two main human characters of The Ghost Map come from very different upbringings, hold very different positions in society, and have unique outlooks on the world around them. Although the Rev. Henry Whitehead is often historically perceived as Dr. John Snow's protégé, the author emphasizes their near-equal roles in investigating the cholera epidemic and the importance of their eventual partnership.

What specific issues made the initial collaboration between Snow and Whitehead especially challenging for them? What did each character uniquely contribute to the investigation? It is common in modern communities to witness disagreements between scientists and religious leaders. Is collaboration between the medical and religious communities necessary to advance science and human society today? Describe specific examples that you have personally witnessed, read about, or seen on the news. What makes it difficult to work toward a common goal with someone who is seemingly very different (culturally, religiously, politically, racially, socially, etc.) from you?