Anger, or perhaps simply frustration, was contaminating Jason's ability to write. He was in search of a solution that couldn't be discovered in a syllabus. Jason was in denial and dealing with it through anger at the system. That's a good place for us, the tutors, to begin. Aware of the process, I knew that Jason was headed pen-first into the bargaining stage.
Bargaining can be a good thing and a great tool in the academic world.
Bargaining can be good because it can get things done. I have no qualms about suggesting that a student bargain, so I did. I don't know if Jason went home and bargained his way through his paper. Heck, I don't even know if he did it. But my guess is that he did and that he received a pretty good grade on it, too.