Exploring the Text

1. What is David Denby’s opinion of teen movies? Does he find anything redeeming in them? Do you agree that it is the “most commercial and frivolous of genres” (para. 5)? Explain your response.

   Chapter 11 - High-School Confidential - Exploring the Text: What is David Denby’s opinion of teen movies? Does he find anything redeeming in them? Do you agree that it is the “most commercial and frivolous of genres” (para. 5)? Explain your response.
2. Denby mentions three movies that “go beyond [the] fixed polarities” (para. 15): Clueless, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, and Election. Do you agree? Do any recent teen movies transcend the genre? Explain.

   Chapter 11 - High-School Confidential - Exploring the Text: Denby mentions three movies that “go beyond [the] fixed polarities” (para. 15): Clueless, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, and Election. Do you agree? Do any recent teen movies transcend the genre? Explain.
3. What rhetorical strategies does Denby use in the first paragraph to create a picture of the female villain of teen movies? Consider such strategies as irony, hyperbole, metaphor, colloquialisms, and opposition. What are their effects?

   Chapter 11 - High-School Confidential - Exploring the Text: What rhetorical strategies does Denby use in the first paragraph to create a picture of the female villain of teen movies? Consider such strategies as irony, hyperbole, metaphor, colloquialisms, and opposition. What are their effects?
4. Where do you detect changes in Denby’s tone? How does Denby achieve these changes?

   Chapter 11 - High-School Confidential - Exploring the Text: Where do you detect changes in Denby’s tone? How does Denby achieve these changes?
5. The essay makes several appeals to ethos. Denby is a well-known film critic. How does he use the expertise of others—implicitly and explicitly—to support his argument?

   Chapter 11 - High-School Confidential - Exploring the Text: The essay makes several appeals to ethos. Denby is a well-known film critic. How does he use the expertise of others—implicitly and explicitly—to support his argument?
6. What is Denby’s central argument? What are his secondary arguments? How does he bring them together?

   Chapter 11 - High-School Confidential - Exploring the Text: What is Denby’s central argument? What are his secondary arguments? How does he bring them together?
7. In paragraph 13, Denby argues that the two teenage boys who killed classmates, teachers, and then themselves at Columbine High School did not learn the lesson of teen movies: “geeks rule.” How does he support this argument?

   Chapter 11 - High-School Confidential - Exploring the Text: In paragraph 13, Denby argues that the two teenage boys who killed classmates, teachers, and then themselves at Columbine High School did not learn the lesson of teen movies: “geeks rule.” How does he support this argument?
8. Who is the likely audience for this essay? How does Denby consider audience in his essay?

   Chapter 11 - High-School Confidential - Exploring the Text: Who is the likely audience for this essay? How does Denby consider audience in his essay?