[mechanical_fish]

I thought your response was an intentional misunderstanding

It might have been. Deliberate, experimental misinterpretation is an important essay-writing technique.

Part of the goal of essays is to arrive at new thoughts. To get to someplace new you have to try some wrong turns.

If you can't think of anything novel, write down the obvious. Then try deliberately misinterpreting what you just wrote. It's usually painfully easy to do.