I believe that each stimulus conveys both distinct and mutual ideas. Here is what I think:
First stimulus:
This quote, the source of which is "The Fault In Our Stars" (2012), a novel by John Green, appears to implicitly showcase two fundamentally opposed perspectives, the first being the idealistic perspective of the possibility to influence/convince the world of one's ideology and/or thought process, which Green illustrates through his example of reading an influential and/or remarkable book. The other perspective, which is less evident, although it may be an interpretation that is the result of identifying the more explicit, positive perspective, is the pragmatic perspective concerned with a more realistic opinion regarding the quote. This implies a rejection of the quote on the basis of futility, i.e. it may be unrealistic/irrational to believe/accept Green's suggestion.
Second stimulus:
To provide some context, this quote, the source of which is "Cat's Eye" (1988), a novel by Margaret Atwood, covers themes such as having an unhealthy and harmful relationship (
"shark to one another") as well as the dependency and support that existed in the relationship, despite the fact that the relationship was unhealthy (
"lifeboat"). This is where I believe both stimuli are similar, as both entail a contrast of a positive and negative perspective. For instance, Green's idealistic perspective in the first stimulus could be considered a positive one, whereas the pragmatic/rational perspective could be considered a negative one.
Potential ideas:
Depending on the type of discursive that you wish to write or are required to write, you may wish to consider the following ideas:
- A discursive piece exploring the positive and negative aspects of contemporary concepts relevant to business and economics, such as the concept of globalisation.
- A discursive piece exploring the benefits and downsides of technology, being something that we interact with on a daily basis and for a range of purposes.
I hope this helps!
