Extended Outline

Thesis: The betterment of one’s self begins with finding one’s self, and in order for the narrator to achieve that, he had to become Phaedrus once more, despite plunging into insanity.

I.                  The narrator describes his most comfortable state as Phaedrus, despite his instability

a.     Examine specifically how he feels when he is teetering between Phaedrus and his normal self

                  i.    Cite specific quotations

                 ii.    Examine his thought process

                iii.    Compare and contrast

II.                Others around him best know him, and love him, as Phaedrus (except for John and Sylvia, who I assume he met later on), especially his own son, who greets Phaedrus at the end with “where have you been?”

a.     First examine his son

                  i.    Directly quote his feelings towards him before his snap

                 ii.    Directly quote it after

                iii.    Examine the final scene and conversation that they have

b.    His friends

                  i.    The Woodruffs and their reaction to him after not seeing him for so long

                 ii.    Reexamine whether or not they were uncomfortable with him

c.     His coworker that he runs into at the old college

                  i.    Her reaction to him

III.               The analysis of his reoccurring nightmares and his inability to reach the peak of the mountain

a.     The nightmares he has before the major breakthrough nightmare

                  i.    Examine them, especially the symbolism

                 ii.    Examine each character in them, specifically Chris

b.    The “major breakthrough dream” towards the end when he finally becomes Phaedrus

                  i.    Analyze this and the importance of the symbolism and his realization of the glass door

c.     The comparison between his state of mind while on the motorcycle and that of him climbing the mountain with his son

IV.               The fact that this novel is somewhat autobiographical, so it should be applied in an honest situation; is an insane person a zen person, and is it safe let him be this way?

a.     Cite specific moments of Robert Prirsig’s own life and how it directly influenced the novel

                  i.    Talk about his own IQ, his experience in the mental hospital, etc

b.    Talk about the idea of Zen and how it applies to mental sanity

                  i.    Research Buddhism and his specific views on it, and see if it relates

                 ii.    Discuss the main focus

Complete Outline

Thesis- There is great comfort to be found in simply yet undeniably knowing thing. However the truth to be found in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is that nothing can be truly known because there is something that is just out of mankind's grasp.

I. The Author and his Writing environment
    A. Pirsig's similarities to the narrator
            1. Pirsig's intelligence
            2. Pirsig's numerous degrees in a variety of disciplines
            3. Pirsig's mental illness and treatment
    B. The time in which the novel was written.
            1. Written over four years in the early 1970's
            2. A discussion on the social changes occurring in the late 1960's, early 1970's
II. Concepts discussed by the narrator
    A. Concepts attempting to find answers
            1. The search for the definition of Quality
            2. The Church of Reason
    B. Concepts explaining that answers cannot be found
            1. Hypothesis's ways of leading to more questions
            2. The discussion questioning the truth in supposed Truths      
III. How the desire for knowledge affects the characters in the novel
    A.  A discussion of the quote "if he doesn't get the answer he just drives and drives until he gets one and that leads to another question and he drives and drive for the answer to that one essentially pursuing questions never seeing, never understanding that the questions will never end. Something is missing" The connection between this novel and other pieces of writing
    B. John and Sylvia
           1. Their desire to escape technology
           2. Their relationship with the narrator
    C. Chris
           1. His constancy questions for his father
           2. The strained relationship with his father
    D. The Narrator/ Pheadrus
          1. The drifting between others
          2. The mental illness and eventual breakdown
IV. The books connection to other things
    A. Notes from the Underground
         1. Questioning the validity of any religion or science
         2. If everything is made up what can be held true?
    B. Schrodinger's cat
         1. If we do not no something, or really anything, then at any movement we are everything
         2. If we are everything then there is no concrete truth we can ever really hold onto/

Outline

Thesis: Technology is one of the central topics in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which focuses greatly on highlighting both the positive and negative attributes that it has to offer.

        I.            The different opinions regarding technology

A.      The narrator’s perspective

1.       His acceptance and embrace of technology

2.       “It seems natural and normal to me to make use of the small tool kits and instruction booklets supplied with each machine, and keep it tuned and adjusted myself (9-10).

B.      John and Sylvia’s perspective

1.       Their refusal to conform to embracing technology

2.       “He [John] prefers to let a competent mechanic take care of these things so that they are done right” (10).

3.       “Sylvia is completely with him on this one. In fact she is even more emphatic. ‘It’s just a whole other thing,’ she says, when in a thoughtful mood. ‘I like garbage,’ she says, when not. They want not to understand it. Not to hear about it. And the more I try to fathom what makes me enjoy mechanical work and them hate it so, the more elusive it becomes. The ultimate cause of this originally minor difference of opinion appears to run way, way deep” (11).

      II.            How technology was used and perceived during the time period and location in which the story was written by Pirsig

A.      Written and published in the early 1970s (United States)

B.      “The decades of 1950s and 1960s saw frequent face-offs between those who supported technological development and those who were opposed to it. However, it was the '70s decade that witnessed the convergence of technology and commerce.” (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/technology-in-1970s.html)

    III.            The narrator's use of technology as an example for nearly all of his philosophical tangents

A.      Technology, which is something man-made, is the narrator’s choice for exemplifying an observation inherent to the nature of mankind and the world.

B.      “What Phaedrus observed on a personal level was a phenomenon, profoundly characteristic of the history of science, which has been swept under the carpet for years” (101).

    IV.            How technology demonstrates its positives and negatives in modern society

A.      Positives

1.       Developments in medical studies and treatments

2.       Improvement in communication

3.       Convenience of finding information

B.      Negatives

1.       Dependence on technology (ex. Phones)

2.       Isolation and lack of social skills

3.       Pollution

4.       Lack of privacy

Outline

Thesis: The view on the satisfaction of the journey versus the destination arises in multiple characters in the novel. It is a defining characteristic of their personality and leads to other thoughts and actions.

      I.         John and Sylvia

A.   Destination

                                               i.     Feelings when they arrive

                                             ii.     Emotions on the journey

B.   Definition of their character

                                               i.     Against technology

a.     View the narrator has on technology

b.    Motorcycle maintenance debate

                                             ii.     Need for time away

    II.         Chris

A.   Destination

                                               i.     Boredom on the journey

                                             ii.     Need for answers about his father

B.   Definition of his character

                                               i.     Actions and feelings throughout the novel

                                             ii.     Fears he has of losing his family

  III.         The narrator/ Phaedrus

A.   Journey

                                               i.     Metaphorically

                                             ii.     Physically

B.    Definition of his character

                                               i.     Finds himself

                                             ii.     Bonds with Chris

Term Paper Outline (Zane Mandell)

Following up on the previous post on the basic outline, here is what I have been able to come up with. The thesis that follows is slightly edited from last time but is still the same idea:

Quality is the framework by which humans’ judge. It is so central to how humans are, yet it is an entity that is simply known. That is what makes Quality so vital to everyone; it is a ghost that is always with man, but also always just out of reach.

“He simply said that at the cutting edge of time, before an object can be distinguished, there must be a kind of nonintellectual awareness, which he called awareness of Quality.” (314)

This is multifaceted because, like Pirsig, I am trying to look at Quality without actually giving it a formal definition. I plan to use other major concepts that are presented within the novel to support this statement and highlight the traits of Quality. The goal at this point in the process is the see Quality by looking at everything else around it, not looking right at Quality itself.

I.                   The classic clash between Romantic and Classical Thought – the “Subject-Object Duality”. For this subject I plan to show how Quality is in fact the midpoint of this duality, therefore destroying the sense of a duality itself.

a.       Discuss Romantic Thought

                                                              i.      Talk here about how John and Sylvia are the representation of this idea in the novel.

                                                            ii.      Use the motorcycle as a platform for Romantic thought.

b.      Discuss Classical Thought

                                                              i.      Talk here about the narrator and Phaedrus and how they are deeply connected to this form of thinking.

                                                            ii.      Subjective Thought – that of the mind

                                                          iii.      Objective Thought – that of matter

                                                          iv.      Use the motorcycle as a platform for Classical thought.

c.       Discuss the synthesis point of both types of thought - “…Quality is the parent, the source of all subjects and objects.” (315)

II.                What the “System” is and its deep relationship with Quality.

a.       “A real understanding of Quality captures the System, tames it and puts it to work for one’s own personal use, while leaving on completely free to fulfill his inner destiny.” (283)

b.      Once this is understood there needs to be an explanation of the System within this context in order to fully understand Quality.

III.             What Quality means to the narrator in his conflict with his past (Phaedrus).

a.       The Chautauqua concept

b.      Phaedrus’ search for a finite Quality

c.       Why Quality is truly undefinable

IV.             How Quality in the end becomes the solution for the narrator and how this solution relates to the conflict that is so central to the novel that is the conflict that the narrator is having with himself between about his son, Chris.

a.       The reason for the journey that the narrator takes.

b.      Realization of this journey that the narrator takes and how Chris is so vital to this journey.

c.       Resolving the problems of the past with the present.

V.               Looking at the Church of Reason. (I am not sure how I want to integrate this but I think it will be necessary at some point)

a.       How this idea is brought upon by the college.

                                                              i.      The grading system dilemma.

                                                            ii.      The question of what Quality is and the student’s reaction.

b.      How Quality is observed within the Church of Reason once there is an understanding of the Church of Reason.

Comment on Priya's Post

 Priya I agree with you in that technology seems to be extremely relevant in the book. I mean it's even mentioned in the title. I like your thesis and I think you will not have a very diffucult time writing a term paper on the topic. My only suggestion would be perhaps an adjustment in your first topic in which you said that you would focus on technology in general in the novel. Given how you decided to discuss john and the narrator's different views on technology, which is a realitively integral part of the over all topic of technology in the novel, I suggest you get a bit more specific with your point. Perhaps you could discuss the narrator's use as an example for nearly all of his philosophical tangents. I found it a bit ironic how something man made seemed to be the narrators choice for exemplifying an observation inherent to the nature if mankind and the world. So perhaps you would like to talk about that because I find that irony is always a interning addition in the discussion of a book.

Thesis and Outline

Thesis;
There is great comfort to be found in simply yet undeniably knowing thing. However the truth to be found in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is that nothing can be truly known because there is something that is just out of mankind's grasp.
   
    I have chosen to write my term paper on the idea that there is not concrete truth in the world. The idea is eluded to multiple times in the novel and seems to be what  has the narrator so unhinged. I plan to begin with a discussion on the author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and the time during with he wrote the book. From there I feel I should go into how the book addresses the concepts that we cannot understand. There are quiet a few examples, including the discussion on hypothesis and the scientific method and the questioning of the truth in supposed facts. Then I plan to discuss intelligence. The narrator is an extremely intelligent person which is what ultimately leads to his ability to be so confused by his inability to know something. It is his intelligence that is is undoing.  This is loosely based on the idea of the more you know the more you know you don't know. Everyone, or at least almost everyone can be plagued by what they do not know, however it is only the very intelligent who realize that there is "something" that is simply out of their grasp and because of that those with extremely high IQs can be terrible effected, as is evident with the narrator. I plan to end by discussing how the book Notes from the Underground relates to Zen and the inability to find solid answers in world and the way it can cause a person to be unhinged. The outline is written out below.

I. Discussion of the Narrator and his writing environment

II. How the book eludes to concepts the cannot be grasped

III. The effect of intelligence on the narrator and how a person is affected by the unknown

IV. Notes from the Underground's connection to the thesis