English 12 Summer 2023

August 10th, 2023

Final today – we can start at 9AM and it goes through to the end of class. I will have your ‘tentative’ grades for you at this time.

If you’re done before the end of class, please be quiet – read / game / etc. Just don’t talk!

August 9th, 2023

PDF copy of the novel:

Ru – Kim Thuy

This is the specific structure for this class:

Ru Final Paper

Here is an example of an A paper from last year:

Ru final

We will finish the book today.

Then you will have time to work on the questions. We will do a discussion:

1. What do you think of the portrayal of immigration to Quebec in the 1970s in this book? How might the experience be similar or different in 2014?

2. The short chapters of this novel make it unique. What was your reaction to the structure? Did you find yourself making connections between the chapters?

3. This is a story of political oppression and the loss of human rights, but it is also funny. What is the purpose of humor in a tragic story? What does humor do for the main character? What does it do for you as a reader?

4. The word ‘ru’ means a lullaby in Vietnamese and in French, a stream. How are these two meanings reflected in the book?

5. The American Dream plays a significant part in the narrator’s life. What does her version of it look like? Does she achieve it?

6. Although the narrator of Ru is a fictional character, the author has told the press that the experiences in book accurately reflect her own recollections. How does knowing more about an author’s life change your experience of reading their fiction?

7. If this book were presented as a non-fiction book that is based on fact, would your experience reading it change? Why do you think the author chose to call it a ‘novel’?

August 8th, 2023

Final Rocky Paper —– 6PM 8th August

Discussion Questions (Ru) —– 6PM 9th August

Final 10 Journals —– 6PM 9th August

Final Paper (Ru) —– 12PM 10th August

So I think that we have enough time for this class to be split into two parts.

This can be classed as your ‘final’ week – so sadly for this last paper I will not help you as much. So we can dedicate this first part of class to getting those Rocky papers very well done, finished, in the bag.

After break, your final (of sorts) begins:

We’ll start the book today.

How does the narrator in Kim Thuy’s novel Ru explicate the refugee experience in modern day Canada? What does this say about the nature of modern day diaspora?

I will give you an outline of the “Thematic Focus” as I always do:

The_Vietnamese_diaspora_in_the_U_S

Take a look at these articles:

1. Refugee_Gratitude(Nguyen)
2. Refugee Narratives in Ru
3. Book Review_ Ru by Kim Th

Obviously this is a big question, but for a five day period, you will be focused entirely on collecting data on the keywords of the question: NARRATOR /REFUGEE /CANADA /DIASPORA . This is how you should break down every question in post secondary education for data collection.

DISCUSSION AS WE READ:

While we are reading, take these discussion questions into consideration:

August 4th, 2023

Let’s finish the movie first. Once again, here is the script:

Rocky-Um-Lutador_Rocky

Here are the questions I’d like for you to complete:

Questions_Rocky

(30 minutes to do this)

Discussion can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 50 minutes.

MODEL EXAMPLE OF FINAL PAPER:

FinalLiteraryAnalysis_AmyWillingSato

The last part of class is answering this question:

How are archetypes relevant in popular culture and how is the underdog’s journey a reflection of these relevant societal archetypes?

And this is the familiar structure you used in the Importance of Being Earnest – you should have no problem answering based on a structure you’ve already completed:

1. Hook / literary theory used: Archetypes
2. Quote from outside source: Malcom Gladwell Chapter – See your annotated bibliography
3. Answer the elements of the question: Relevance of archetypes / Underdog focus
4. Introduce the Movie: Rocky
5. Make a Claim: Rocky – Underdog – Societal Norms
6. Explain the claim as it relates to your literary theory: Archetypes as a whole

Get that out – share – get ready to work on the evidence paragraph that is broken down like this – the body paragraph is long, but if the intro is strong enough, the length is justified.

Framework:

Gladwell Quote #2

Connect to Rocky I

Evidence: Pivotal Scene in the Movie

Explain the two: Philosophy of Archetypes / Underdog / Journey of Rocky throughout the film

Repeat this again X2

The good draft is due on Tuesday after class. You’ll have 30 minutes at the beginning of class on Tuesday to work on it / talk to me about it. Final unit on Tuesday. No late work accepted from now until the end of the semester – I am on a strict grading schedule.

 

August 3rd, 2023

Now you know archetypes and specifically the underdog – how people overcome one impression to become something else entirely, I want to show you the movie you’ll be writing your paper on for this unit.

Today, we will spend 30 minutes or so for the annotated bibliography. Make sure by 9AM you will be ready to give a summary of your chapter.

Then take notes on this presentation (5-10 minutes long):

Rocky_Balboa_as_the_Quintessential_Human

Then we watch the movie Rocky! You will do these questions related to it:

Here is the script to Rocky.

Rocky-Um-Lutador_Rocky

Here are the questions I’d like for you to complete:

Questions_Rocky

 

August 2nd, 2023

Here is the plan, split (again) into parts:

1. What we will do first is get the presentations on the vocabulary done. You come to the front, you do your presentation, and then it’s on to the next group. I’m predicting 30 minutes max. We’ll star at 8:45AM.
2. This is the final annotated bibliography you’ll have to do and it’s due by the end of class. Before you do it, make sure to have the chapter summarized so that you can share in a round table discussion. We will read the introduction together and answer these questions first.

David and Goliath – Malcolm Gladwell

Questions:

1. What does Gladwell mean by “giants”?
2. In what ways was David an underdog?
3. In the Bible, what happens between David and Goliath?
4. What is the common explanation of what happened between David and Goliath?
5. What is Gladwell’s original explanation of what happened between David and Goliath?

Here are the chapters:

• Chapter One – Basketball – Jacopo
• Chapter Two – Class sizes – Yeseo / Jimin
• Chapter Three – Selecting a university – Tiffie
• Chapter Four – Dyslexia – Katherine / Vivian
• Chapter Five – Childhood trauma – Jeanne
• Chapter Six – The Civil Rights Movement – Dennis / Lorena
• Chapter Seven – Authority figures – Miyu
• Chapter Eight – Crime and punishment – Parsa
• Chapter Nine – Nazis and the French resistance – Spencer

Now that you have read the chapter, you can work on an annotated bibliography on this. Remember that the focus is on the underdogs of society – the promise and pitfalls of this archetype and why we are drawn to the archetype in the first place.

This annotated bibliography is due tomorrow at 9AM – I suggest you get it done today.

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

 

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

 

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

 

Part 2 (Rhetoric)

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

 

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

 

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

 

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

 

2.This article was helpful to me because….

 

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

 

August 1st, 2023

UNDERDOGS AND ARCHETYPES UNIT:

Here is an overview of the entire thing:

Underdogs & Archetypes Introduction

Intro:

Snack Attack:

How are these characters familiar?

How are these characters overcoming stereotypes?

What kind of story is this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38y_1EWIE9I&ab_channel=EduardoVerastegui

Now let me explain what these questions connect to with a very visually unappealing  PPT – take notes as this will be revisited many times throughout the unit:

Archetypes Notes for Outline 1

Task 1: Self Evaluation “My Archetype”

Take the Myer’s Briggs style test. Tell me what your archetype is – what this means to you and whether it is an accurate categorization of who you are as an individual. It is argued that all humans fall into 16 categories.

https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Task 2: Characterization

You are to find a clip from a movie, TV show or animation and show me the different  character archetypes you find. Use the archetype PDF as an example and use the vocabulary that describes the archetype. The PDF is below:

Twelve_Character_Archetypes

This is a completion mark.

1. look on youtube for a favorite movie / tv show / MV / Animation
2. Look for all the character archetypes
3. Explain these characters and their significance in the clip in a quick informal paragraph.
4. Turn in at the end of class to teams – after we present some.

If we have time, I will introduce the book:

Read the introduction only.

David and Goliath – Malcolm Gladwell

After reading the Introduction as a class, you should be able to answer the following questions that we will discuss formally:

1. What does Gladwell mean by “giants”?
2. In what ways was David an underdog?
3. In the Bible, what happens between David and Goliath?
4. What is the common explanation of what happened between David and Goliath?
5. What is Gladwell’s original explanation of what happened between David and Goliath?

 

July 31st, 2023

This class will be in 4 parts today:

Part 1:

I would like for you to finish off what you have as a rough draft of your short story. You have 30 minutes to look over this and really make things look good for a peer.

Part 2:

Peer review. I have handouts for you but you can also access the document online here:

Short Story Peer Editing Checklist

Make sure to have at least two people look over your work. Try and find a place around the first floor or outside in the courtyard to read it out loud. This is one of the best ways to edit.

Part 3: (After break)

Make those changes to the document. You’re not finished until you really think it’s worth handing in.

Part 4: (Optional) Depending on time, I would like for you to talk to me about the final short story. Of course you do not have to, but the option (at this point) is there for you.

If we have time and everyone thinks that they’re ready to submit, I would like for you to read this Murakami short story with me:

Super-Frog Saves Tokyo (Murakami) (1)

July 28th, 2023

You have the first half to finish this annotated bibliography. Get it done today so you don’t have to worry about it tonight.

Strecher, Matthew Carl. The Forbidden Worlds of Haruki Murakami. University of Minnesota Press, 2014. 

The second half of class will be here in the room, sadly.

Take a look at this model piece:

Manamtim_PostmodernSS

30 minute free writes:

Connect three memories together to a common theme. Vehicles drive a narrative. This theme can act like analogy. For example Loss – Connect to three memories. Unity – Three memories etc. They can all be linear or sporadic. 

Describe a regret / mistake and then change the reality to the ideal

Research a mundane object and find a deeper analogy to life through it. – This exercise works better if it’s something you’re familiar with. Ex: Lego, Curling, Matchbox Cars, The time streetlights come on etc.

A mistake you tried to cover up, yet were unsuccessful. A moment of shame.

Explain the same memory from three different perspectives.

Talk to a partner about a childhood memory of theirs. Now make it yours in a story.

Write about how someone has influenced your life in the most subtle of ways.

A mistake you tried to cover up, yet were unsuccessful. A moment of shame.

The Second Bakery Attack

The first bakery attack was never published in English, but there was a short film made about the story in Japan. It is here (Very 70’s art film vibe):

Short Story Peer Editing Checklist

July 27th, 2023

PART 1 of the DAY: Discussion on the following questions:

1. Hear the Wind Sing opens with thoughts about the writing process and its relation to general satisfaction with life. Why do you think the protagonist evokes fictitious Derek Hartfield’s experiences? How does Hartfield’s status as a “fighter…a man who used words as weapons” echo throughout the novel?
2. How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change? What does the Rat value most in life?
3. Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?
4. Few characters in Wind are acknowledged by their given names, and are instead referred to by general identifiers: “the girl,” “the twins,” “the Rat.” Why do you think Murakami made this stylistic decision? What effect does it have on the reader? What does this choice assert about identity?
5. In Hear the Wind Sing, the protagonist comments that the Rat “out-and-out despised” the rich (page 9), despite being born into a wealthy family. What role do class and status play in these novels? How does Rat actively fight his upbringing and social class?
6. Hear the Wind Sing  features moments of extreme malaise from its protagonist. How do the narrator and the Rat abate their sadness? What comforts—if only temporary solutions—do they afford themselves in their despair?
7. Discuss the protagonist’s childhood and adolescence as presented in Hear the Wind Sing. What clues are you given about his personality via descriptions of his upbringing?
8. J the bartender maintains a significant presence in Wind. What is his role in the novels? How does he act as a soundboard for both the protagonist and the Rat?
9. On page 25, the protagonist comments that “for the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was like to meet a girl under normal circumstances.” Examine his relationship with women as discussed in these novels. How do his early experiences with women affect his outlook on life?

 

Part 2 of the DAY: Annotated Bibliographies

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Rhetoric) YOU KNOW THIS NOW!

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

Murakami’s Postmodern World

You only need to complete 2 sections for the annotated bibliography. I will assign you a letter. See the corresponding pages. We’ll talk about it as a whole tomorrow. (It’s due tomorrow Midnight)

SECTIONS:

A: 20 -26 End of Modernity  (Jacopo, Spencer)

B: 26-32 Lack of Mind ( Yeseo, Miyu, Jimin )

C: 32-44 Love Story Between Postmodern People   (  Katherine, Vivian  )

D:44-51 A new Switch Panel in a Death Chamber ( Jeanne, Tiffany  )

E: 51-57 Violence and Empathy (  Dennis,  Parsa, Lorena )

Model examples (Nicholas Sun):

Murakami Characters Annotated

Murakami Postmodern World Annotated

Strecher, Matthew Carl. The Forbidden Worlds of Haruki Murakami. University of Minnesota Press, 2014. 

Rough SUMMARY OF PAPER for you:

A: 20 -26 End of Modernity

SUMMARY: How a sheep is a representation of modernism in Japan / Japanese drive fore inciting change / two sides to the issue and how the country itself is divided. Murakami’s symbolism of something larger is applied through his characters.

B: 26-32 Lack of Mind

SUMMARY: To avoid flaws of modernism, respect has to be diminished. Narrates with reflective self – conflicts with ones “other” uses irony – serious topics / deal with as if they’re in the past. ambiguous terms mean that author is disenfranchised from passion / take ownership of your own actions. Murakami deals with the other / (Kind of like Bunburying) in his fiction so as to avoid “true emotion” a facet of postmodernism. 

C: 32-44 Love Story Between Postmodern People

SUMMARY: Loss of self identity – modernist to postmodernist / girlfriend teaches him – unable to find their place in a modern society – fragmentation of self – have to deal with societies expectation / incapable of love – construct their own world – waning of affection – accepting “non-partisan society” communist ideologies in postmodern thinking. two types of love “fantast /infatuation” Romance ‘realistic’. Individual freedom more than status quo.

D:44-51 A new Switch Panel in a Death Chamber

SUMMARY: Multinationalism – journey to find one’s place. Disorder that challenges the narrative – the archetype is smashed. Emotional and subjective truth – Postmodernism relates to multidimensional reality – ‘Rizome” Old vs. New . Everyone has their own individual design “Advanced capitalism” “Shoveling snow” finds new world through connection – move away from questioning reality Fragmentation of oneself – become the outsider “Postmodernism adopts you / you do not adopt it” The different worlds (Shadow vs. Reality) the travel between the two .

E: 51-57 Violence and Empathy

SUMMARY: Empathy cures violence – not everyone is born the same. Critique of advanced consumer hierarchical society It is hard to shift the modern traditionalist way of thinking to a new postmodern word.

July 26th, 2023

Final Prompt:

You arrive home after walking from the restaurant. The phone rings. The person who calls you is someone you haven’t talked to in years. They have a request. You can either accept or refuse the request. The final question is – do you go out again or do you stay home and go to bed? How did the phone call make you feel?

 

Also, I would like for you to listen while I read the first Murakami story I ever read. It’s pretty short, but I like it a lot. What do you think?

Murakami, “On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning”

1. What is your opinion of the story? What is its meaning?
2. If the author had told his story to the girl, what do you think would have happened?
3. What would you have done in his situation?
4. The author talks about his tastes in women. Do you think beauty is subjective or objective?
5. Is the author in truly in love with the girl or just infatuated?
6. Does the author believe in the idea of a 100% perfect partner for him? Do you for yourself? Can you measure love by a percentage?
7. Do you believe in fate?

ALL QUESTIONS FOR THE NOVELLA FOR DISCUSSION THURSDAY 27th JULY:

1. Hear the Wind Sing opens with thoughts about the writing process and its relation to general satisfaction with life. Why do you think the protagonist evokes fictitious Derek Hartfield’s experiences? How does Hartfield’s status as a “fighter…a man who used words as weapons” echo throughout the novel?
2. How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change? What does the Rat value most in life?
3. Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?
4. Few characters in Wind are acknowledged by their given names, and are instead referred to by general identifiers: “the girl,” “the twins,” “the Rat.” Why do you think Murakami made this stylistic decision? What effect does it have on the reader? What does this choice assert about identity?
5. In Hear the Wind Sing, the protagonist comments that the Rat “out-and-out despised” the rich (page 9), despite being born into a wealthy family. What role do class and status play in these novels? How does Rat actively fight his upbringing and social class?
6. Hear the Wind Sing  features moments of extreme malaise from its protagonist. How do the narrator and the Rat abate their sadness? What comforts—if only temporary solutions—do they afford themselves in their despair?
7. Discuss the protagonist’s childhood and adolescence as presented in Hear the Wind Sing. What clues are you given about his personality via descriptions of his upbringing?
8. J the bartender maintains a significant presence in Wind. What is his role in the novels? How does he act as a soundboard for both the protagonist and the Rat?
9. On page 25, the protagonist comments that “for the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was like to meet a girl under normal circumstances.” Examine his relationship with women as discussed in these novels. How do his early experiences with women affect his outlook on life?

DUE TOMORROW FOR DISCUSSION

June 25th, 2023

Write on this prompt for 25 minutes or so:

The character walks home. They think of a story they’ve just heard at a restaurant and make associations as they walk. Where are they walking and how is this imagery tied together with the story they just heard (or told?) 

Think about these questions – Write about them until break. Refer to the text for better quality responses.

1. Hear the Wind Sing opens with thoughts about the writing process and its relation to general satisfaction with life. Why do you think the protagonist evokes fictitious Derek Hartfield’s experiences? How does Hartfield’s status as a “fighter…a man who used words as weapons” echo throughout the novel?
2. How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change? What does the Rat value most in life?
3. Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?

We will read through chapter 35 together today.

If we have time:

Here is the piece from the New Yorker:

The Running Novelist

June 24th, 2023

Write on this prompt for 25 minutes or so.

You’re writing two people sitting down at a restaurant. They are having a conversation about something you (the author) feel passionate about. Minimal description of restaurant – maximum dialogue.

Postmodernism:

I love new units: Postmodernism and the fragmentation of  fictional narrative.

We are all Post/modern – but what the hell does this mean?

Here is the overview of the unit:

Pinball Introduction

Then here is the PPT – there are two – one as a theoretical piece and the other as a kind of ‘questionnaire’.

I will go over this:

PostModernism

Now we will discuss this:

Quiz Are you post Modern

And tomorrow we will read this and do an annotated bibliography of the work:

Murakami’s Postmodern World

And if we have time, I have another piece that is fascinating regarding this idea.

Murakami – Storytelling and productive distance

And we will have a discussion on this idea later on in the week.

What are the elements of Postmodernism in today’s society? What is worth writing about?

THE NOVELLA: Wind_Pinball – Haruki Murakami

metafiction

unreliable narration

self-reflexivity

intertextuality, 

thematization of both historical and political issues.

June 21st, 2023

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
― Oscar Wilde

That’s the last quote for your quote journals. You can turn in the final 10 at the end of the semester. Save them in a good place, look over them and clean them up if you have to.

Today, you finish the paper. This can be done in a 3 hour period so get to work and ask a lot of questions that will help you succeed.

Remember: It’s not about The Importance of Being Earnest, it’s actually about Aestheticism. The text we read is simply how the movement works or doesn’t work.

Turn in that final paper by tonight.  3 paragraphs / 750 words approx.

June 20th, 2023

“Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope. They are the elect to whom beautiful things mean only Beauty. There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.”
― Oscar Wilde

Journals due today at the end of class (What you’ve done so far).

Here is the final part of my ‘detailed look’ series.

Purdy-Literary-Analysis-Detailed-V3 (FINAL)

BODY PARAGRAPHS:

Body Paragraph(s):

Framework X3:

“Wilde’s plays invariably seem to lead the artists who produce them into a hall of mirrors where reality and fiction, creator and creature, spectator and actor come face to face…discover that they can merge and exchange identities,”

-Victorian norms are standardized variations of class / pecking order

Evidence:

-Earnest as Jack / Jack’s reflection of himself to others in different social contexts

Explain the two:

-How Aesthetics are seen through the character to an ‘immoral end’. Selfishness / Vanity is the winning trait of the Aestheticist – merging of character at the end of the story, acceptance and identity revealed.

Conclusion:

1. Idea Revisited: Jack as Earnest is a microcosm for going against Victorian norms and exploring the true meaning of the Aesthetic as having dual nature.
2. Detail about the Idea: The Importance of Being Earnest plays on Jack’s ideals of being true to himself as he grows throughout the play and realizes through his ‘hall of mirrors’ of self-awareness.
3. Brief Quote from Journal: Wilde lives through Jack’s realization as he knows that “duplication and duplicity are at the centre of the plot” (Drugeon 97) and both embraces and satirizes the shallowness of the Aesthetic as such.
4. Final Point Brought from Intro and explored further: To look for an absolute beauty in both art and the world around the art, the character must also look within themselves in order to understand true beauty. Wilde not only looks at the dualism of the character, but the two sides to the movement he embraces as well.

June 19th, 2023

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
― Marilyn Monroe

So we will be looking at the steps of the essay together. This will all be a review so that you can get started on the final draft that will be due Thursday (In class write, like the Rhetoric final).

I hope that you will get some good paragraphs out of the work so far. I am not sure if you will be ahead of the game by now, but I will work with body paragraphs today in order for you to understand the way to build upon your ideas.

Here is the final part of my ‘detailed look’ series.

Purdy-Literary-Analysis-Detailed-V3 (FINAL)

MODEL ESSAYS:

How Ignorance and Aestheticism Work Hand in Hand to Make Us Blind: A Literary Analysis of The Importance of Being Earnest

The Aesthetic movement in its essence was a controversial era almost incompatible from the previous where “aesthetes affirmed art’s intrinsic value and measured art’s success not by its truthfulness but by its beauty” (When Life Imitates Art, Drake DeOrnellis 66). As an adherent who supported this literary movement himself, Oscar Wilde both honors the fundamental idea of aesthetics through his characterization in his play The Importance of Being Earnest and exposes the hidden hypocrisies within the Victorian society. Wilde assigns his characters with an unambiguous, dualistic nature; Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff both put on a different mask in order to remove themselves from their social faux pas. This dualistic, antithetical personae of the two central characters is the irrefragable epitome of the entire Aesthetic ideology, embodying the truistic comparison of expectations versus reality. However, equally, this dichotomy unveils to the public the overindulged and potentially insidious depletion of the significance of valuing beauty over truth, committed by the high-viewed, low-sympathetic British aristocracy. Each of the characters in the play The Importance of Being Earnest are exploiting and capitalizing on their superiority on the hierarchy to create another rendition of themselves they are more satisfied with, when in reality they are overindulged to such an extent that even adapting the entire globe to themselves may not assuage their egomania.

Near the beginning of the 1895 Wildean play, when the protagonist Jack Worthing was first introduced to the audience, his alter-ego Ernest Worthing was simultaneously established. Jack uses this alter ego as a disguise for himself to dive deep into the bustling city and enjoy the life he does not possess. Ernest is his personal vehicle for hedonism, his means of breaking free from the strict Victorian restrictions, as well as serving as his way to evade his social gaucherie. This persona he puts on in the city represents that he cares more about the beauty rather than truth, since he is choosing to lie to others about who he is, as he is afraid of his real identity. It represents the idea that he cares more about the beauty rather than truth, because, being afraid of his true identity as an orphan, he is choosing to lie to others about his social status. He is the physical embodiment of the aestheticist principle. As DeOrnellis puts it in his literary review “When Life Imitates Art: Aestheticism in The Importance of Being Earnest”, Jack is “taking on the role of author and writing his own identities for himself [which] provides him with a “beautiful” life that the realities of life cannot deliver” (DeOrnellis 68). Algernon Moncrieff, deuteragonist of the Wildean play, also invents a fake identity to get away with his social obligations and to achieve his hedonistic goals. Later on, he assumes the character of Ernest to win the love of his beloved Cecily. Algernon is actively seeking to create a better version of himself, as he dislikes the life put automatically in front of him. The same applies to minor characters such as Dr. Chasuble and Miss Prism, where they also invent better characters for themselves to satisfy their extreme thirst. Chasuble, even though regarded as a prestigious priest, actively seeks for a romantic relationship with Miss Prism. By doing so, Wilde is emphasizing the idea of expectations versus reality, and standards versus true desires. While supporting the Aesthetic movement’s idea of valuing “beauty over truth”, it synchronously satirizes and reveals the hidden hypocrisies amongst the Victorian religious institutions, as it is their obligation to remain celibate. Finally, the female leads of Gwendolen and Cecily also embody the idea of aestheticism, because they both fall in love with Ernest, who is one man, two men and no one at the same time. This is due to Jack and Algernon both assuming the role of Ernest. The girls mainly fall in love with the men because of their names, however the men they really loved weren’t Ernest Worthing at all. They were being lied to, and only then, did they approach the men and eventually fall in love with their personality. This fixation on the name Ernest Worthing is their beauty, and if they had the chance to choose, they would unequivocally keep this as their reality, instead of discovering the actual truth. The men they loved were Jack and Algernon, respectively, but they would rather live in ignorance and bliss rather than in truth and pain. While most of the characters in the play possess a mask they can put on at any time to use to their advantage, representing the very idea of the Aestheticism movement, with each of them is attached a satirical aspect, a jab at the Aesthetic movement and Victorian society in its whole. The characters are drowning in overindulgence, and thus are not aware of their already seemingly perfect lives. Instead, they are abusing their high social status to create a new life for themselves, in order to satisfy their endless, insatiable hunger.

While Oscar Wilde honors the Aesthetic movement through his characterization in his 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest, making them the epitome of an aesthete’s philosophy, he simultaneously satirizes the inequitable superiority of the Victorian aristocracy. Jack and Algernon attempting to satisfy their desires by using their alter egos as a fake identity embody the very idea of the literary movement, since, for them, “The truth [behind their authentic identity] is rarely pure and never simple” (Importance 828). However, Wilde is also exposing the Victorian society, often regarded as the symbolism for nobility and perfection, for their hypocrisy, overindulgence and laughable ignorance. The elite of Victorian England further personifies Wilde’s view on aestheticism; the truth behind the beauty is far more advanced than one could possibly imagine. It is a gemstone that has a smooth and finished surface, but which includes every imperfection imaginable in its center, hidden away from outside view. In the play, Jack and Algernon have constantly attempted to modify their fictional personae in order to meet their desirable standards to live a life they do not have. However, one essential idea is brought up: What really counts as one’s true self? The more an individual thinks about oneself, the more they feel like they need more to improve themselves. Is it ever possible to escape human subconsciousness? How can one assure themselves they are not succumbing to a deceitful act being put on in front of them? In the play, if Cecily and Gwendolen did not meet up and reveal to each other the real identities of their paramour, perhaps they would have never known about the existence of the names of Algernon and Jack. As Haruki Murakami claims in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, “We can invest enormous time and energy in serious efforts to know another person, but in the end, how close can we come to that person’s essence? We convince ourselves that we know the other person well, but do we really know anything important about anyone?”

 

And here is one that Nicholas wrote:

The Role of Aestheticism in Maintaining the Image of Prosperity in the Contemporary Victorian Era

We base the value of art on its beauty, whereas the truth that the opus merits is secondary. To quote graduate of Liberty University and author of When Life Imitates Art: Aestheticism in The Importance of Being Earnest Drake DeOrnellis, “art’s purpose is not to tell the truth but to be beautiful” (76). In The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde respectfully acknowledges aestheticism while simultaneously ridiculing the movement. Perhaps the most important characteristic in one of Wilde’s most famous plays is the duality of the dramatis personae. Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff are the perfect representations of the characters’ two-sidedness. While their names are truly Jack and Algernon, they use their invalid aliases; both of which are Ernest. Their false identity acts as a disguise for them to escape from events or interactions where they feel uncomfortable. The characters creating entirely different identities, which are false but more respectable in high Victorian society is parallel to the definition of aestheticism. The personalities of Wilde’s characters in The Importance of Being Earnest satirize the false conformity with which the British Aristocracy present themselves.

 

The two female roles in the play come from the British upper class. The aristocrats, Cecily and Gwendolyn, fantasize about being married to a man by the name of Ernest. For example, consider Gwendolyn’s quote which was said immediately after Jack proposes to her. “My ideal has always been to love someone of the name of Ernest. There is something in that name that inspires absolute confidence. The moment Algernon first mentioned to me that he had a friend called Ernest, I knew I was destined to love you” (pg. 20, Gwendolyn). This is satirizing the conformity of the British aristocracy by suggesting that the aristocracy values one’s name more than one’s character. Since the name “Ernest” is a double entendre, meaning to be humble and honest, the irony that Wilde creating when Jack and Algernon lie is palpable. Wilde humiliates the British upper class by illustrating their lust to be married to someone with their favourite name, even when they know little about their future admirer. Jack reveals an integral part of his character in the following quote during his interview with Lady Bracknell to find out if he is a suitable fiancé for Gwendolyn. “I actually don’t know who I am by birth. I was… well, found.” (26, Jack). Jack admits that he does not actually know who his parents are nor his birth name. Jack chose to invent a new character for himself after Thomas Cardew adopted him so that his Victorian peers would not judge him. He chose this new identity because he preferred to be known as a rambunctious young man instead of as an orphan, which would have been humiliating during the period of the play. To carefully curate a public persona was a common practice during was and continues to be a popular practice. In the Victorian era, you could easily deduce what a person did for a living, and by extension, the quality of their life. Through an untrue identity, Jack is able to maintain a professional regard amongst Victorian people for his individuality. Jack’s entire character is a satirical jab at society’s status quo during the early 20^th century. A high regard was of utmost importance in that period and Oscar Wilde was able to capture the essence of the critical values of the population during that era. The two supporting characters in the play, Dr. Chasuble and Miss Prism, have no other purpose than to satirize the aesthetic views on life in the early 20^th century. Victorian society deemed it inadmissible for people of their respective occupation to date, since they are a priest and a teacher.  Mr. Chasuble and Miss Prism are the epitomes of what people of their professions should not do. By going out on romantic strolls, the couple are contradicting the social standards of the Victorian era. Wilde pokes fun at Victorian society by writing his supporting characters in an acutely conspicuous manner. Instead of following the status quo of the Victorian era, Wilde demonstrates the characters who have the most conservative ideologies oppose the state of affairs in a hypocritical manner. “Well, my name is Ernest in town and Jack in the country.” (13, Jack). This is satirizing the high social standards that were present at the time. Jack uses an alter-ego to escape from social events and other instances where he would prefer to do something else. His Bunbury, the false identity that Jack created, functions as a vessel/excuse to leave to the country and act how he wishes under a pretense that he is taking care of his dying brother. This releases Jack from Victorian norms and social burdens and gives him an opportunity to enjoy himself. Algernon is another case of the Bunbury. To impress Cecily, he portrays himself as Ernest, an invalid identity. Like Jack and Algernon, Cecily is a fantasist, therefore she is bound to be attracted to the “Ernest” name. Parallel to the character of Gwendolyn, Cecily’s fantasist aspect references Victorian society’s practice of gleaning information about your character by outside factors, such as who you are married to and what clothes you wear. Wilde makes the aestheticism of the feminine personae extremely apparent to communicate to the audience the aspects of Victorian culture that we might find odd today but were completely normal when the movement was popular approximately 123 years ago.

 

Wilde emphasizes the aestheticism of the dramatis personae in The Importance of Being Earnest and equates it to the contemporary Victorian era. Throughout Wilde’s play, he writes the aspects of aestheticism in his characters in a blatantly obvious manner. While honouring the characters of the play by acknowledging the benefit they provide to the play, he also lampoons the practices of the characters by highlighting the odd and unnecessary daily practices of contemporary society. DeOrnellis detailed in his paper that “Jack Worthing, the main character of The Importance of Being Earnest, applies Wilde’s aesthetic theories by using several fictional identities for himself, thus transforming his life into a work of art.” (67) His quote aptly describes the ambition of the characters in Wilde’s 1895 play. He identifies the aim of Victorian society, which is to alter their life into an aesthetically pleasing illusion. This unit perfectly encapsulates the following quote “Is it possible, in the final analysis, for one human being to achieve perfect understanding of another? We can invest enormous time and energy in serious efforts to know another person, but in the end, how close can we come to that person’s essence? We convince ourselves that we know the other person well, but do we really know anything important about anyone?”. The quote appears in the novel The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. Mr. Murakami ask whether we can truly know someone by what we can see. The evidence provided through Oscar Wilde’s 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest proves that we cannot sincerely know the character of someone that we meet. While it is difficult for people to maintain their fictitious persona, it is just as difficult for us to detect whether their personality is factual or forged. Our exclusive view only displays the characters that they put forth.

 

BODY PARAGRAPHS:

Body Paragraph(s):

Framework X3:

“Wilde’s plays invariably seem to lead the artists who produce them into a hall of mirrors where reality and fiction, creator and creature, spectator and actor come face to face…discover that they can merge and exchange identities,”

-Victorian norms are standardized variations of class / pecking order

Evidence:

-Earnest as Jack / Jack’s reflection of himself to others in different social contexts

Explain the two:

-How Aesthetics are seen through the character to an ‘immoral end’. Selfishness / Vanity is the winning trait of the Aestheticist – merging of character at the end of the story, acceptance and identity revealed.

Conclusion:

1. Idea Revisited: Jack as Earnest is a microcosm for going against Victorian norms and exploring the true meaning of the Aesthetic as having dual nature.
2. Detail about the Idea: The Importance of Being Earnest plays on Jack’s ideals of being true to himself as he grows throughout the play and realizes through his ‘hall of mirrors’ of self-awareness.
3. Brief Quote from Journal: Wilde lives through Jack’s realization as he knows that “duplication and duplicity are at the centre of the plot” (Drugeon 97) and both embraces and satirizes the shallowness of the Aesthetic as such.
4. Final Point Brought from Intro and explored further: To look for an absolute beauty in both art and the world around the art, the character must also look within themselves in order to understand true beauty. Wilde not only looks at the dualism of the character, but the two sides to the movement he embraces as well.

June 18th, 2023

“I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.”
― Oscar Wilde

So today we finish the play. This is the plan moving forward:

Act 3 is quite short. We will finish in a 30 minute window.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

Does Wilde honor or satirize the Aesthetic movement through his play The Importance of Being Earnest? Show examples through 1-3 of the characters. 

CAST:

Jack: Parsa

Algernon: Katherine

Gwendolyn:  Yeseo

Cecily: Lorena

Lane (Merriman): Jeanne

Miss Prism: Denis

Chausable: Jacopo

Lady Bracknell: Guest Star Isabel

1. Lady Bracknell has been described as “the perfect embodiment of the attitudes and rules of conduct of the British aristocracy.” How does Wilde unmask the mercenary motives of Lady Bracknell to reveal her essential snobbishness and hypocrisy in the final act?

 

2. To a certain extent, Miss Prism and Dr. Chasuble are also satirical figures through whom Wilde attacks British institutions, namely education and the Church of England. Explain briefly what aspects of these institutions Wilde is

 

3. Define the term “bunburying,” and explain its significance in the How does bunburying relate to Wilde’s critique of Victorian earnestness? How are even Cecily and Dr. Chasuble “bunburyists”?

 

4. The play has a number of objects that acquire additional meanings as the action develops. Explain how three of the following symbols in The Importance of Being Earnest relate to the plot and especially to the characters: cucumber sandwiches, bread-and-butter, the German language, French music and language, bottles of champagne, teacake, muffins, and the capacious

 

5. “Although we see little of them, each of the butlers has a back story and serves as a vehicle for Wilde’s satire of the ” Explain.

 

6. If the principal characters will go to any lengths to avoid their responsibilities and place self- interest at the top of their own agendas, then a resolution of the conflicts in the play would be impossible: somebody has to make concessions. How does the resolution scene in the third act resolve the conflicts between Lady Bracknell and Jack? Jack and Algernon?  Gwendolen and Cecily?

Let’s go over that Piece before you do annotated bibliographies. We’ll get into somewhat of a semi circle.

When Life Imitates Art_ Aestheticism in The Importance of Being Earnest

Remember annotated bibliographies? They’re back!!

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Rhetoric) YOU KNOW THIS NOW!

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

June17th, 2023

We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.

-George Orwell

Let’s finish act 2 – there’s not too much to go.

Then you can have an hour (or less) to do the questions.

Then for the final part of the class, we can have a discussion about act 2 with the same rules as before.

Here’s the cast list from last Friday.

Jack: Parsa

Algernon: Katherine

Gwendolyn: Yeseo

Cecily:  Cecily

Chausable (the priest): Jacopo

Miss Prism: (The priest’s love interest): Denis

Merriman: Mr. Purdy

Here are the questions for act 2:

1. “Gwendolen and Cecily are not so much opposites as complements.” Explain this remark by reference to their speeches and actions.

 

2. Early on in Act One Jack Worthing articulates the difference between city life and country Show three ways in which the life of the country (as exemplified by the Manor House, Woolton, Herfordshire) is very different from the bachelor life of The Albany, London.

 

3. Like Jack, Algy leads a double life, utilizing an escape mechanism when necessary to free himself of a life of social obligation and lead a life of unrestrained pleasure. Explain their differing motivations, but how both are “confirmed Bunburyists,” nevertheless.

 

4. The comedy of mistaken identity is a very old dramatic form – as old, in fact, as comedy itself – which Wilde manages to revitalize in The Importance of Being Earnest. The key mistaken identity in this play, of course, is that of “Ernest” himself. What comic consequences result from Algernon’s assuming the role of Ernest Worthing?

 

5. In what ways would the terms “hedonist,” “aesthete,” and “gourmand” be suitable descriptors for Algernon? You may look this answer up BUT CITE YOUR SOURCE!

 

6. How would you characterize Canon Chasuble and his relationship with Miss Prism? Why does Wilde include them at this point in the play?

 

7. Give five examples of Wilde’s wit, comedy and/ or satire in this act. How does this further his satirical purpose?

 

8. A subtle sub-theme of the play is readers, publishers, fiction, and censorship. What points by implication is Wilde making about contemporary literature?

 

9. What role does food have within the play? (Notice how Jack and Algy are eating muffins at key points – and then those pesky cucumber sandwiches in Act ..)

 

9. Based on the types of comedy discussed, how would you define The Importance of Being Earnest thus far? Defend your selections using textual evidence.

When Life Imitates Art_ Aestheticism in The Importance of Being Earnest

Remember annotated bibliographies? They’re back!! But how to annotate?

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Rhetoric) YOU KNOW THIS NOW!

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

June 14th, 2023

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”
― George Bernard Shaw

ACT-1-3-Q-Earnest (1)

Discuss the act 1 together in a structured and graded manner. Then we will begin and hopefully end Act 2 today before our weekend.

Jack: 

Algernon: 

Gwendolyn: 

Cecily: 

Chausable (the priest): 

Miss Prism: (The priest’s love interest):

Merriman:

Act 1 Questions:

 

1. Why does Jack Worthing call himself “Ernest” instead when he is in “town” (London)?

 

2. Why has Algernon invented an invalid friend named “Bunbury”?

 

3. Jack has an insurmountable impediment to marrying Gwendolen in his background: what, as Lady Bracknell sees it, is this problem? How does she propose that he resolve this problem? What is Wilde satirizing in this situation?

 

4. How does Wilde use the subject of cucumber sandwiches to reveal the characters of Jack and Algy?

 

5. How does Wilde satirize the vacuous mentalities and lifestyles of the British aristocracy in Lady Bracknell’s interview with Jack?

 

6. How does Wilde use the cigarette case to facilitate the exposition of the dramatic action?

 

7. The character of Algernon Moncrieff reflects the public persona of the dramatist himself: in what ways in Algy like Wilde? Refer to background

 

8. Why is the classical allusion in which Wilde compares Lady Bracknell to the Gorgon particularly apt? You may look this answer up BUT CITE YOUR SOURCE!

 

9. The other classical allusion, to the Emperor Augustus, is more oblique: why did Wilde choose the name “Augusta” for Lady Bracknell? You may look this answer up BUT CITE YOUR SOURCE!

 

10. What is the essence of such Wildean aphorisms as the following?” “[Women flirting with their own husbands] looks so bad. It is simply washing one’s clean linen in public.”

 

11. What point is Wilde making about journalism in general and reviewers in particular when Algernon remarks, “You should leave that [literary criticism] to people who haven’t been at They do it so well in the daily papers”?

 

12. What tools of satire -irony, juxtaposition, understatement, paradox -are apparent in this opening act?

June 13th, 2023

That is why I cannot stop thinking. I exist because I think I cannot keep from thinking.

-Jean Paul Sartre

We will read this:

Let’s finish the story and talk about the “subtext” through discussion.

Where is Oscar Wilde in this piece?

happy

 1. Write a character-sketch of the Happy Prince.

2. “There is no Mystery as Misery.” Explain with reference to the lesson the Happy Prince.

 

3. Describe the friendship between the Prince and the swallow.

Here’s the play again:

IOBE

What is a parody, satire or farce?

What is comedy?

We can probably get through act 1 today with the cast actors below:

Jack (Earnest) : Jacopo

Algernon : Katherine

Lane : Jeanne

Gwendolen : Yeseo

Lady Bracknell : Denis

Then I will open a teams file – we have discussion on these questions tomorrow in a circle – this is a ‘discussion mark’ but if you don’t talk, make sure to turn in your questions. If you do talk, you don’t have to.

ACT-1-3-Q-Earnest (1) (Only do Act 1 for now – copy paste to a DOC file.)

This is the final question:

Does Wilde honor or satirize the Aesthetic movement through his play The Importance of Being Earnest? Show examples through 1-3 of the characters. 

July 12th, 2023

“Some say the world will end in fire,

some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire,

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if I had to perish twice

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

is also great

and would suffice.”

-Robert Frost

Here is the lecture on Aestheticism. Note time.

Aesthetics PPT

Let’s go over that Piece before you do annotated bibliographies. We’ll get into somewhat of a semi circle.

When Life Imitates Art_ Aestheticism in The Importance of Being Earnest

Remember annotated bibliographies? They’re back!! But how to annotate? How can you be at Sun / Weeks Level?

Let’s take a look in depth at this piece using annotation strategies. Not all will be applied to this particular piece, but some can be. Let’s look at the document:

This is from Patricia Kain (Harvard University)

The process of writing an essay usually begins with the close reading of a text. Of course, the writer’s personal experience may occasionally come into the essay, and all essays depend on the writer’s own observations and knowledge. But most essays, especially academic essays, begin with a close reading of some kind of text—a painting, a movie, an event—and usually with that of a written text. When you close read, you observe facts and details about the text. You may focus on a particular passage, or on the text as a whole. Your aim may be to notice all striking features of the text, including rhetorical features, structural elements, cultural references; or, your aim may be to notice only selected features of the text—for instance, oppositions and correspondences, or particular historical references. Either way, making these observations constitutes the first step in the process of close reading.

The second step is interpreting your observations. What we’re basically talking about here is inductive reasoning: moving from the observation of particular facts and details to a conclusion, or interpretation, based on those observations. And, as with inductive reasoning, close reading requires careful gathering of data (your observations) and careful thinking about what these data add up to.

How to Begin:

1. Read with a pencil in hand, and annotate the text.

“Annotating” means underlining or highlighting key words and phrases—anything that strikes you as surprising or significant, or that raises questions—as well as making notes in the margins. When we respond to a text in this way, we not only force ourselves to pay close attention, but we also begin to think with the author about the evidence—the first step in moving from reader to writer.

Here’s a sample passage by anthropologist and naturalist Loren Eiseley. It’s from his essay called “The Hidden Teacher.”

. . . I once received an unexpected lesson from a spider. It happened far away on a rainy morning in the West. I had come up a long gulch looking for fossils, and there, just at eye level, lurked a huge yellow-and-black orb spider, whose web was moored to the tall spears of buffalo grass at the edge of the arroyo. It was her universe, and her senses did not extend beyond the lines and spokes of the great wheel she inhabited. Her extended claws could feel every vibration throughout that delicate structure. She knew the tug of wind, the fall of a raindrop, the flutter of a trapped moth’s wing. Down one spoke of the web ran a stout ribbon of gossamer on which she could hurry out to investigate her prey.Curious, I took a pencil from my pocket and touched a strand of the web. Immediately there was a response. The web, plucked by its menacing occupant, began to vibrate until it was a blur. Anything that had brushed claw or wing against that amazing snare would be thoroughly entrapped. As the vibrations slowed, I could see the owner fingering her guidelines for signs of struggle. A pencil point was an intrusion into this universe for which no precedent existed. Spider was circumscribed by spider ideas; its universe was spider universe. All outside was irrational, extraneous, at best raw material for spider. As I proceeded on my way along the gully, like a vast impossible shadow, I realized that in the world of spider I did not exist.

 

2. Look for patterns in the things you’ve noticed about the text—repetitions, contradictions, similarities.

What do we notice in the previous passage? First, Eiseley tells us that the orb spider taught him a lesson, thus inviting us to consider what that lesson might be. But we’ll let that larger question go for now and focus on particulars—we’re working inductively. In Eiseley’s next sentence, we find that this encounter “happened far away on a rainy morning in the West.” This opening locates us in another time, another place, and has echoes of the traditional fairy tale opening: “Once upon a time . . .”. What does this mean? Why would Eiseley want to remind us of tales and myth? We don’t know yet, but it’s curious. We make a note of it.

Details of language convince us of our location “in the West”—gulch, arroyo, and buffalo grass. Beyond that, though, Eiseley calls the spider’s web “her universe” and “the great wheel she inhabited,” as in the great wheel of the heavens, the galaxies. By metaphor, then, the web becomes the universe, “spider universe.” And the spider, “she,” whose “senses did not extend beyond” her universe, knows “the flutter of a trapped moth’s wing” and hurries “to investigate her prey.” Eiseley says he could see her “fingering her guidelines for signs of struggle.” These details of language, and others, characterize the “owner” of the web as thinking, feeling, striving—a creature much like ourselves. But so what?

3. Ask questions about the patterns you’ve noticed—especially how and why.

To answer some of our own questions, we have to look back at the text and see what else is going on. For instance, when Eiseley touches the web with his pencil point—an event “for which no precedent existed”—the spider, naturally, can make no sense of the pencil phenomenon: “Spider was circumscribed by spider ideas.” Of course, spiders don’t have ideas, but we do. And if we start seeing this passage in human terms, seeing the spider’s situation in “her universe” as analogous to our situation in our universe (which we think of as the universe), then we may decide that Eiseley is suggesting that our universe (the universe) is also finite, that our ideas are circumscribed, and that beyond the limits of our universe there might be phenomena as fully beyond our ken as Eiseley himself—that “vast impossible shadow”—was beyond the understanding of the spider.

But why vast and impossible, why a shadow? Does Eiseley mean God, extra-terrestrials? Or something else, something we cannot name or even imagine? Is this the lesson? Now we see that the sense of tale telling or myth at the start of the passage, plus this reference to something vast and unseen, weighs against a simple E.T. sort of interpretation. And though the spider can’t explain, or even apprehend, Eiseley’s pencil point, that pencil point is explainable—rational after all. So maybe not God. We need more evidence, so we go back to the text—the whole essay now, not just this one passage—and look for additional clues. And as we proceed in this way, paying close attention to the evidence, asking questions, formulating interpretations, we engage in a process that is central to essay writing and to the whole academic enterprise: in other words, we reason toward our own ideas.

When you’re ready, you can complete an annotated bibliography of the DeOrnellis piece.

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Rhetoric) YOU KNOW THIS NOW!

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

Annotated Bibliographies finishing up. If we have time we’ll watch this:

We will read this:

happy

Here’s the play again:

IOBE

What is a parody, satire or farce?

What is comedy?

July 11th, 2023

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it’s indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it’s indifference.”
― Elie Wiesel

Today, we are going through a page or two of the six page “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech – putting the ‘chill’ in Winston Churchill.

Churchill_Beaches_Speech

Here’s an annotated version:

Churchill We Shall Fight on the Beaches Annotation SUN

You will be able to see how rhetorical analysis is used in universities as well. Don’t worry – yours does not need to look like this. In any case: Check out this paper –

Churchill Rhetorical Analysis

We will do this:

1. Read the first page (only) and annotate it together as a class.
2. Have you finish annotating the other five pages
3. get started (and finished) on the following:

• Appeals
• Mode of Argument
• Rhetorical Devices

 

July 10th, 2023

“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
― Lao Tzu

How To Booklet Essay Outline Samples for each paragraph and tips (EDITABLE)

Obama’s “A More Perfect Union”

Obama Paragraph Final Rubric

Barak Obama Final

Let’s Watch the 37 Minute video. This will give you time to follow along with the transcript and use the skills you have learned so far for a full rhetorical analysis essay process.

Finish the Obama Piece by the end of class today. This is a Body Paragraph Only. 

July 7th, 2023

“The truth knocks on the door and you say, “Go away, I’m looking for the truth,” and so it goes away. Puzzling.”

― Robert M. Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

Let’s read one of the greatest speeches in recent history:

I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King Jr

I will print these out as well so you can write down literary devices, notes, etc.

We will watch an excerpt and talk about it.

 

How To Booklet Essay Outline Samples for each paragraph and tips (EDITABLE)

This will be the guide for your essay  – we will go over this in detail.

Let’s go over what you have done with MLK first. You have about 30 minutes in class to get everything sorted out. We will outline your ideas today using the above ‘Precis’ structure.

MLK Paragraph Rubric

TIP:

There are three things to think about when formulating a Rhetorical Analysis.

1. Basic appeals (Ethos, pathos, logos)
2. Mode of argument (cause & effect / enumeration etc.)
3. Literary devices (alliteration, anaphora etc.)

• Alliteration – the recurrence of initial consonant sounds – rubber baby buggy bumpers
• Allusion – a reference to an event, literary work or person – I can’t do that because I am not Superman.
• Amplification – repeats a word or expression for emphasis – Love, real love, takes time.
• Analogy – compares two different things that have some similar characteristics – He is flaky as a snowstorm.
• Anaphora – repeats a word or phrase in successive phrases – “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh?” (Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare)
• Antiphrasis – uses a word with an opposite meaning – The Chihuahua was named Goliath.
• Antithesis – makes a connection between two things – “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” (Neil Armstrong)
• Appositive – places a noun or phrase next to another noun for descriptive purposes – Mary, queen of the land, hosted the ball.
• Enumeration – makes a point with details – Renovation included a spa, tennis court, pool and lounge.
• Epithet – using an adjective or adjective phrase to describe – mesmerizing eyes
• Epizeuxis – repeats one word for emphasis – The amusement park was fun, fun, fun.
• Hyperbole – an exaggeration – I have done this a thousand times.
• Metaphor – compares two things by stating one is the other – The eyes are the windows of the soul.
• Metonymy – a metaphor where something being compared is referred to by something closely associated with it – The knights are loyal to the crown.
• Onomatopoeia – words that imitate the sound they describe – plunk, whiz, pop
• Oxymoron – a two word paradox – near miss, seriously funny
• Parallelism – uses words or phrases with a similar structure – I went to the store, parked the car and bought a pizza.
• Simile – compares one object to another – He smokes like a chimney.
• Understatement – makes an idea less important that it really is – The hurricane disrupted traffic.

July 6th, 2023

Journal entry #2

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”

― Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds

We will spend the first bit of class looking over the annotated bibliographies. Here is that example again so that you know what a ‘5’ looks like:

English 12 – Annotated Bibliography Assignment by Jenny Tsai

Percy, W., “Loss of the Creature”, Message in the Bottle, Picador, 2000. (Print)

Please turn in yours by the end of class today. I will give you time to do it in class.

This is the second part of the class that will extend into tomorrow (Friday):

Speeches and Rhetoric

Here’s a PPT that I’d like for you to take notes on:

Pathos_Logos_Ethos

And if you (or I) still have energy after that, here’s the big one:

4KtRUtUmVjsKgsh8

We can do the first exercise:

Product-Appeal

First, with rhetoric, there is more than just “Ethos Pathos & logos.” Authors use literary devices to persuade their audiences as well.

• Alliteration – the recurrence of initial consonant sounds – rubber baby buggy bumpers
• Allusion – a reference to an event, literary work or person – I can’t do that because I am not Superman.
• Amplification – repeats a word or expression for emphasis – Love, real love, takes time.
• Analogy – compares two different things that have some similar characteristics – He is flaky as a snowstorm.
• Anaphora – repeats a word or phrase in successive phrases – “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh?” (Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare)
• Antanagoge – places a criticism and compliment together to lessen the impact – The car is not pretty but it runs great.
• Antimetabole – repeats words or phrases in reverse order – “ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.” (J F Kennedy)
• Antiphrasis – uses a word with an opposite meaning – The Chihuahua was named Goliath.
• Antithesis – makes a connection between two things – “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” (Neil Armstrong)
• Appositive – places a noun or phrase next to another noun for descriptive purposes – Mary, queen of the land, hosted the ball.
• Enumeration – makes a point with details – Renovation included a spa, tennis court, pool and lounge.
• Epanalepsis – repeats something from the beginning of a sentence at the end – My ears heard what you said but I couldn’t believe my ears.
• Epithet – using an adjective or adjective phrase to describe – mesmerizing eyes
• Epizeuxis – repeats one word for emphasis – The amusement park was fun, fun, fun.
• Hyperbole – an exaggeration – I have done this a thousand times.
• Litotes – makes an understatement by denying the opposite of a word that may have been used – The terms of the contract are not disagreeable to me.
• Metanoia – corrects or qualifies a statement – You are the most beautiful woman in this town, nay the entire world.
• Metaphor – compares two things by stating one is the other – The eyes are the windows of the soul.
• Metonymy – a metaphor where something being compared is referred to by something closely associated with it – The knights are loyal to the crown.
• Onomatopoeia – words that imitate the sound they describe – plunk, whiz, pop
• Oxymoron – a two word paradox – near miss, seriously funny
• Parallelism – uses words or phrases with a similar structure – I went to the store, parked the car and bought a pizza.
• Simile – compares one object to another – He smokes like a chimney.
• Understatement – makes an idea less important that it really is – The hurricane disrupted traffic.

Let’s read one of the greatest speeches in recent history:

dream-speech

I will print these out as well so you can write down literary devices, notes, etc.

Then we’ll be ready to form an essay.

July 5th, 2023

Journal Entries:

Quote-Journal-Grade-12-V2

Journal Entry #1

“Is it possible, in the final analysis, for one human being to achieve perfect understanding of another?
We can invest enormous time and energy in serious efforts to know another person, but in the end, how close can we come to that person’s essence? We convince ourselves that we know the other person well, but do we really know anything important about anyone?”

― Haruki Murakami, The Wind Up Bird Chronicle

 

Annotated Bibliographies:

Annotated Bibliography 2022

The written piece that we will be discussing is in the following PDF:

Loss of the Creature

You will be answering these questions (written as sentence stems):

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Rhetoric)

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….

July 4th, 2023

Welcome to class.

First, I would like you to informally jot some answers to these questions down about what it is you would like out of class by following these questions:

1. What are my plans for post-secondary? To what end will these plans meet?
2. What do you expect out of this class this semester? – This is an important question because each grade 12 class I’ve designed is tweaked for each dynamic. No class is fully the same.
3. What is a memory of school (K-12) I am proud of?

Here is the syllabus for the class. Spend some time looking over it with a partner and pose any questions to me regarding the class. Each pair should come up with one or two questions.

Syllabus English 12 Summer

https://www.signupgenius.com/groups/getting-to-know-you-questions.cfm

1. Brainstorm with class on questions
2. Find someone you don’t know
3. Ask 10 of the questions from the board – answer them – Vice versa
4. 1st assignment – non-fiction narrative of the person (Pre-assessment / no rubric)
5. Get ready to present your narrative to the class.

IF WE CAN START:

I would like to introduce you to annotated bibliographies. These are integral for research purposes. I am introducing them earlier on, just because everything we read together will be logged so that you have a bookmark to refer.

Let me introduce what an annotated bibliography is first.

Then we will read a piece by a smart thinker. We will discuss this piece, then you will complete an annotated bibliography on this fella. This will be your first assignment.

Here is the lecture:

Annotated Bibliography 2022

The written piece that we will be discussing is in the following PDF:

Loss of the Creature

You will be answering these questions (written as sentence stems):

Part 1 (Summary)

1.The main idea of this article is…….

2.The topics covered in this article are…….

3.The author’s point of view in this article is……

Part 2 (Rhetoric)

1.The author of this piece is/is not credible because……

2.The author knows a lot about this topic because….

3.From this piece, the author wants you to………….

Part 3 (Reflection)

1.This article supports my ideas because…..

2.This article was helpful to me because….

3.This article added to my knowledge about this topic because….