Victorian Nonfiction
A Letter to Your Future Self
Although you have likely written letters to other people, have you ever written a letter to yourself? More specifically, have you ever written a letter to your future self? If you wait many years before reading your letter again, you can compare your thoughts and reflections from the past to how you and the world have changed during the interval.
In this topic, you have read three pieces of nonfiction literature that comments on the social or economic conditions of the Victorian era. Even though more than a century has passed since those works were composed, the issues that they highlight are still relevant today. People still worry about the overuse of technology and the loss of jobs for human workers with the development of automated machines and computers. Although it is illegal, even slavery still exists in many parts of the world, including the United States.
For this topic application, write a letter to your future self that comments on one of the two issues addressed by the Victorian writers in this topic. First, read the prompts below and choose one to help you generate ideas for your letter.
Prompt 1: Think about different types of jobs that have been replaced or reduced by the use of machines. People send email or texts instead of letters through the postal service, and ordering food increasingly involves interaction with an app rather than a person. What will the future hold for jobs that people do manually today? Will a computer drive your car, bus, or taxi? Will electronic devices close down bookstores and libraries? Will your favorite music artists be replaced by robots?
Prompt 2: Slavery is no longer legal anywhere in the world, but millions of people across the globe still work as illegal slaves, even in the United States. Think about what you know and do not know about modern slavery. What are the realities of slavery today, and what impact does slavery have on its victims and society? What efforts are being made to combat the problem of slavery and human trafficking? Will there ever be a day when every man, woman, and child is free?
After choosing one of these topics, compose your letter in a casual tone and make sure to include the following elements.
- Indicate how long it has been since you read the Victorian nonfiction in this topic (your future self should wait at least five years before reading your letter).
- Summarize the important points of the Victorian nonfiction relevant to your topic (just in case your future self does not remember what you already read).
- Describe your thoughts and reactions to what the Victorian writer(s) said.
- Compare the issues described in Victorian nonfiction to how conditions have changed or stayed the same in the present day.
- Make predictions as to how you think the issues will evolve by the time your future self reads your letter (you might want to offer your future self some advice to follow).
You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing resources. Before you begin, review the Letter to Your Future Self Checklist to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit.
This assignment might be a work sample that you want to include in your digital portfolio.
Once you have completed your letter, please submit your work to the dropbox. Remember to keep an extra copy for your future self to read.