George needs to turn in an outline for the speech he is assigned to deliver. The speech itself is two weeks away, but the outline is due today. George has already written the entire speech, and he does not see why he should spend time deleting parts of it to transform it into an outline. He knows exactly what he’s going to say when he gives the speech. Then he discovers that the word-processing program in his computer can create an outline version of a document. Aha! Technology to the rescue! George happily turns in the computer-generated outline, feeling confident that never again will he have to hassle with writing an outline himself.
1. Do you think George’s use of a computer-generated outline fulfills the purpose of creating an outline for a speech? Why or why not?
2. Do you think George’s professor will be able to tell that the outline was created by a word-processing program?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
The Importance of Creating an Outline for a Speech
Introduction
Creating an outline for a speech is an essential step in the speech preparation process. It serves as a roadmap, guiding both the speaker and the audience through the main points and supporting details of the speech. However, some individuals, like George in this case, may question the necessity of spending time on creating an outline when they already have a fully written speech. This essay will argue that while a computer-generated outline may seem like a convenient solution, it falls short in fulfilling the purpose of creating an outline for a speech. Additionally, we will explore whether George’s professor will be able to discern that the outline was created by a word-processing program.
1. Fulfilling the Purpose of Creating an Outline
An outline serves several crucial purposes in the speech preparation process:
Organization: An outline helps to organize thoughts and ideas in a logical and coherent manner. It allows the speaker to structure their speech effectively, ensuring that the main ideas flow smoothly and are supported by relevant details.
Clarity: Creating an outline forces the speaker to distill their speech into concise bullet points or phrases. This process helps to clarify the key points and ensures that the message is easily understood by the audience.
Time Management: An outline enables the speaker to allocate appropriate time to each section of the speech. It prevents them from spending too much time on certain points or rushing through others.
While a computer-generated outline may retain the main points of a written speech, it fails to fulfill these essential purposes. The automated process overlooks the need for organizing thoughts, clarifying key points, and managing time effectively. Therefore, George’s use of a computer-generated outline is insufficient in fulfilling the purpose of creating an outline for a speech.
2. Detecting a Word-Processed Outline
Now, let us explore whether George’s professor will be able to tell if the outline was created by a word-processing program. While it may be challenging to definitively determine if a document was generated by a computer or manually created by an individual, several indicators can provide clues.
Formatting: Word processing software often has specific formatting styles for creating outlines. These styles may include different indentation levels, bullet point styles, or numbering systems. If George’s computer-generated outline adheres strictly to these default settings, it may raise suspicions.
Lack of Personalization: A computer-generated outline may lack the personal touch and unique organizational choices that reflect an individual’s thought process. If George’s professor is familiar with his writing style or has seen previous outlines, they may notice a discrepancy in terms of organization or clarity compared to George’s previous work.
While it is not guaranteed that George’s professor will be able to tell conclusively that the outline was created by a word-processing program, there are potential indicators that may raise doubts. Therefore, George should not rely solely on technology to fulfill the requirement of creating an outline.
Conclusion
In conclusion, creating an outline for a speech is a crucial step in effective speech preparation. While a computer-generated outline may retain the main points of a written speech, it falls short in fulfilling the purpose of organizing thoughts, clarifying key points, and managing time effectively. Furthermore, while it may be challenging to determine definitively if an outline was created by a word-processing program, there are potential indicators that may raise suspicions. Therefore, it is advisable for individuals like George to invest time and effort into manually creating their outlines to ensure they meet the intended purpose and expectations.
