Go to the Morphing Textbook Home Page

Go to the University of Iowa Rhetoric Department Home Page
A 10:002 or 10:003 Unit ~ A Sense of the "Other": Perspectives on America's Ethnic Diversity and the Challenge of Multiculturalism
Formal Assignments

Topic

The film Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? presents an array of viewpoints on the subject of interracial marriage. Your task for this assignment is to deliver a 3-4 minute speech analyzing the positions of two characters that approach this controversial subject differently. You will be responsible for two things. First, you are to describe these characters’ points of view in detail, whether they are in favor of, against, or otherwise ambivalent about John and Joanna's marriage, using the Toulmin model examining relationships between claims, reasons, and warrant as the basis of your analysis. Secondly, you are to illustrate where the arguments you examine fit within the "map"–or different perspectives–of this controversy.

Your speech should address issues such as:

  • What informs these characters' position on interracial marriage? Think of ways the “us” vs. “them” binary in the cartoon we discussed from essay assignment #2 might be useful in your analysis.
  • What evidence do they give in support of or in opposition to John and Joanna's wedding plans? If they seem ambivalent about the subject, what information might help them come to a decision on the matter?
  • What rhetorical strategies do these characters' employ to deliver their arguments? Logical? Sympathetic? Emotional? A combination of any of these? How effectively do these strategies support their arguments?
  • What are the strongest and weakest points in these characters' positions? A good way of thinking about this would be a comparison of how well the argument of one character holds up to a critique made by the other. Please refer to examples from the film to illustrate your points.

Guidelines

I expect you to analyze similarities and differences between positions, paying particular attention to the rhetorical strategies the characters you choose use to support them. The idea behind this assignment is to help you avoid the tendency to reduce complex controversies to a simple pro/con debate, instead focusing your attention to why arguments about race/ethnicity are difficult to resolve. In addition to the delivery of your presentation, I’ll be paying attention to how well you present various viewpoints, describe where they position themselves in relation to one another, and illustrating why these positions might overlap and/or distinguish themselves from one another.

Instructor’s Notes

While I find this film very useful as a teaching tool because of its format, students may find the film dated or simply find the central controversy simply as intergenerational. One solution to these challenges is to pair this film with Spike Lee’s “Jungle Fever”–a more contemporary view of interracial relationships–either as part of the curriculum or as an option. This film shows that the problems presented in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” are still relevant and can be characterized as more than a problem between generations. One suggestion you could make to students is to look at Lee’s film as an extension of some of the arguments presented in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” and use them to develop their speeches.

Another suggestion (especially for larger classes where similar speeches may present a problem) would be to have students work in groups to create a skit and have them recreate the arguments of characters from each of the films. For example, Spike Lee’s film has a very different, less optimistic ending. You might ask students how they might use this information as an implicit critique of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” This idea would especially be useful in putting a different spin on workshop situations where students could use the time creatively with others rather than simply critiquing other student speeches, which they often find dry.

top of page