Essay

Dr. Randy Pausch lived a charmed life. He had a great childhood. He loved his job at CMU. He got married to the woman of his dreams and had three kids. Bad news? When everything was going well, he developed terminal cancer.  

So, he wrote this book as a gift to his children. (Sadly, they probably would not remember him because they were too young when he passed away.) The book is how to live your life to its fullest: have fun, be creative, value people over things, be humble, don’t complain; work harder, apologize if you are wrong, be loyal, no job is beneath you, be Tigger instead of Eeyore, dream big, and so on.  

For your final essay, think back to the three major genres and themes covered this semester (fiction, poetry, and drama). Explain how each one of them fit into Randy Pausch’s message in “The Last Lecture.”

So, follow this format. Your final essay can be a little longer. Think 3-4 pages with in-text citations and a WC page. Use at least two sources.  

Introduction – Ease into this.  

Fiction aspect – That could cover the art of storytelling. He learned that gift from his father.  

Poetry aspect – The book was a love letter to his wife and kids, which he talked about extensively.  

Drama aspect – His diagnosis was a tragedy, and he had to deal with his own hubris that he wasn’t invincible.  

Conclusion – Wrap it up. Tie it back to the beginning.