Grade 12 2023
June 23rd, 2023
Final day to hand in your quote journals – Good luck to you in your futures!
June 22nd, 2023
For these last two days, you have the time to do two things:
- Quote journals. Pick the 10 best journal entries from your journals from the beginning of the semester. Clean them up and turn them in by the end of the day today.
The quotes are as follows:
“When the world goes mad, one must accept madness as sanity; since sanity is, in the final analysis, nothing but the madness on which the whole world happens to agree.”
-George Bernard Shaw
“I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.”
―
“It’s one thing to enjoy a story, but it’s quite another to take it for the truth.”
-Patrick Rothfuss
- I can never travel without my diary, one should always have something sensational to read on the train.
-Oscar Wilde
2. We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.
-Orwell
So today we will perform – Let’s do the whole of act 2. The actors once again:
“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.”
―
That is why I cannot stop thinking. I exist because I think I cannot keep from thinking.
-Jean Paul Sartre (From Raagini)
“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
“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.”
―
“No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.”
Mary Shelley
“Being in a Minority even in a minority of one did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.”
-Orwell
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
―
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).”
―
“The truth knocks on the door and you say, “Go away, I’m looking for the truth,” and so it goes away. Puzzling.”
“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?”
―
“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
June 21st, 2023
In class test today.
You will need:
-Your (double sided) test cheat sheet
-A pen / pencil
-The question (on the screen)
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 provided paper.
June 20th, 2023
Prepare for the final essay tomorrow:
You can do an easier one if you have trouble with the structure:
literary_analysis_essay_instructions___outlineV2.1
This is the specific one for this class:
Here is an example of an A paper from last year:
And here are the academic papers for you to use as reference:
Good luck!
June 19th, 2023
It’s always hard coming into Monday with a discussion looming over your head. So what we’ll do is spend about 10 minutes – get your work in order, then we can get started.
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’?
June 16th, 2023
I would love to discuss these topics further. I would like for you to tak today as a work block (Both Period 4 & 5) to finish the third and final close reading which is now posted. I will look over all three over the weekend and grade them out of a possible 10 points. This means that if you do one, you can still get a 3 / 10! etc.
Here is an online version: Ru – Kim Thuy
I have the resources here as well for your reference. Both blocks will be participating in the discussion on Monday, and then we will prep for the final paper on Wednesday. This is the test question:
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?
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.
Monday’s discussion will go over this in detail.
June 15th, 2023
So today, we will have a discussion of the book. I have a feeling a few of you will need a little time to prepare for the questions. I will give you 15 minutes or so – then we’ll spend an hour with the discussion. Tomorrow is a work block for getting that final close reading together.
Here are the questions again:
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’?
June 14th, 2023
- Reading should be done through Pg. 144 – Try and finish the novel by tonight.
- Close reading #2 due tonight at midnight.
- Close reading #3 due Friday at midnight.
- Start thinking about the questions below seriously for Thursday discussion:
June 13th, 2023
Both classes:
- Reading should be done through Pg. 120 – Try and finish the novel by tomorrow.
- Close reading #2 due tomorrow at midnight.
- Close reading #3 due Friday at midnight.
- Start thinking about these questions seriously for Thursday 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’?
We’ll be starting on the final paper next Monday – due Wednesday next week (In class write), I think so that you can get all the work done at a very casual pace.
then 2 day event with the Quote Journals.
Then you graduate…
June 12th, 2023
Nothing planned today, just in case…
June 9th, 2023
Per 4. Read up to page 100 – look for the second close reading if you are there already.
Per 5. I will go over the close reading with you today and we will read from Pg. 40 – 70 together as a class.
The close reading is due tonight at midnight.
June 8th, 2023
Here is an online version: Ru – Kim Thuy just if you couldn’t find it.
Period 4 & Period 5 are doing different things with the same material:
Per 4 – Read up to page 70.
If you haven’t already, then we can go over the close reading that’s due tonight,
Per 5 – I actually want to read a little more with you. We can debate this today, but reading and talking about a book is the ultimate way to really get into it. I’ll mention close reading as well. This assignment will be due for you tomorrow.
June 7th, 2023
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?
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:
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’?
June 6th, 2023
Period 4: Continue with the annotated bibliographies. I will draw your attention to the PPT briefly. What do you think about the academics? The bibliography is due tonight (11:59PM)
Period 5: Let’s try Yesterday again
June 5th, 2023
Read these first:
Vietnam refugees:
Canadian Resettlement of Vietnamese:
Kim Thuy on her Experience and how it relates to Syria:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/kim-thuy-vietnam-syrian-refugees-1.3246678
Let’s talk about them. Then we will talk about this:
- What would you sacrifice for family?
Then it’s time to get to the usual work:
Here is an online version: Ru – Kim Thuy
This is a fast unit or a’ hidden final paper’ in a book. I have taught you about the 3 paragraph response in the last unit. The whole unit is a review or ‘summative assessment’. Here’s the outline of the next 2 weeks:
Daily reading in class. We will finish the novel in a week.
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:
Annotated bibliography due on **
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….
Three close readings due as we read.
Final in class examination ** – In class write on this question:
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?
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:
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’?
June 2nd, 2023
Final Frankenstein Test today.
June 1st, 2023
Today, we will be looking at ways you can really ace that test tomorrow. It’s mostly on you. Go downstairs and play basketball with Billy Smith, play candy saga on your Nokia phone… Or Study like champions.
The first part will be three questions from the reading guide questions – these are due tomorrow, so finish them.
Reading-guide-14-Day-Plan-V3.1
The second part will be one question on the trial – briefly summarize what happened and then your own opinion on who you think is the true culprit. Focus only on the academics of the trial, not the theatrics.
The final part is what we were going to do originally. You will psychoanalyze one character. Use the lecture notes (Link underneath) to help guide your thinking, now that you know all the characters. This is one you can really prep for.
I have underlined words in this document for you to familiarize yourself with:
Psychoanalytic-literary-criticism
May 31st, 2023
Trial Day 2: The Verdict – God help us
For the Jury deliberation –
Witnesses, keep all of your files / papers. Give them to the clerk after you’re finished your part. I will be looking over everything this weekend so that I can grade appropriately.
Tomorrow, you will be ready for your test prep class. Have those questions from the reading guide completed. Here is the document again:
Reading-guide-14-Day-Plan-V3.1
May 30th, 2023
Trial Day 1:
We’ll set up the desks – let me know before we get things going.
Jury – FYI:
- First degree murder:
- Premeditated killing. An intentional killing that was deliberate and contemplated prior to the killing.
- Extreme Indifference. Covers the possibility that someone knows that what they are going to do will result in the death of another person, but at the same time doesn’t “intend” to kill. See the bomb hypo in handout # 1.
- Second degree murder
- Intentional killing without premeditation. The classic example is a passion killing where the homicide occurs in the heat of the moment.
- First degree manslaughter
- Recklessness. Conscious awareness of an unacceptable risk to human life. Recklessness is similar to extreme indifference, but the risk that human life will be lost is less.
- Second degree manslaughter
- Criminal negligence. Gross deviation from standard of care.
- Statutory rape
- No mens rea. Strict liability with a limited affirmative defense where minor misrepresents age. In an effort to protect minor children, state legislatures have placed an increased burden to ascertain age on the older party.
So a mock trial is a play in a way – take it seriously in character, yet remember it’s only a mock trial. The main thing here is to be thinking critically about the book and have a very overly convoluted study plan for the final test.
I hope you have fun with the trial today.
May 29th, 2023
Questions for the trial? Ask at the beginning of class.
Trial Prep – Working with jury predominately. If you’re not working specifically on the trial, make sure you’re working on something related to this class.
Jury notes:
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Juror-Observation-Checklist-Defense
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Juror-Observation-Checklist-Plaintiff
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Jury-Verdict-Form
May 26th, 2023
So this can be the plan for Friday:
Finish the book! It’s time to get it done. Next week will be quite challenging, so this little 3 day week has been a Godsend for a few of you that can work well in the class. Here’s a rundown of next week’s schedule.
Monday: Trial Prep – Working with jury predominately.
Tuesday: Trial Day 1
Wednesday: Trial Day 2
Thursday: Final Prep
Friday: Final Test and also these are due:
- Annotated Bibliography (If you haven’t turned it in yet or want to turn it in again.)
- Frankenstein questions (all in one document)
- Trial Notes (either hard copy or digital)
We will discuss and finish the novel together today. (Starting from chapter 19)
May 25th, 2023
Here are the questions through chapter 24:
- After watching his female companion torn to bits, the creature makes an eloquent defense and vows Victor will “repent of the injuries (he) inflicts.” Is the creature justified in his feelings? Why or why not? What is Shelley’s purpose in his defense?
- After hearing of Clerval’s murder, Victor falls ill once again. In agony, he wonders, “Why did I not die?” What would your answer be? Is there a reason for his continued anguish?
- For Victor and his father, what purpose would a quick marriage to Elizabeth serve? Discuss the impact on Elizabeth. What role does she continue to play? Does her death alter or perpetuate that role?
- Discuss the irony in Victor’s statement to the magistrate: “Man, how ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom!”
- What is the motivation behind Victor’s vow to find and destroy his creature? Has he learned any lessons?
Just so you know – here are the witnesses:
Period 4:
Ateeq – Victor
Dionne – Monster
Yan – Haruki Murakami
Paige – Elizabeth
Carmichael – Felix Guattari
RJ – Mary Shelley
Kai – Megamind
Trevor – Jeffory A. Gray
Hubbs – Ed Kemper
Jacob W. Dracula
Makayla – Unnamed Psychiatrist
Period 5:
Cheney- Jean Piaget
Nicholas – Ted Bundy
Einas – Chimpanzee Victim
Charlie – Fradella
Kalen – Jesus of Nazareth
Jade Z. – Victor Frankenstein
Alana – Elizabeth
Atreyu – The Creature
Elisabet – Kent Roach
May 24th, 2023
We’re just going to work on finishing those questions and discussion for today and tomorrow.
These are the questions:
| Day 10: Aftermath: Chapter 19-20
Questions:
1. Is the creature’s demand for a female companion a valid request? Examine the pros and cons of Victor’s compliance. Consider evidence provided by both Victor and the creature. 2. To what famous Romantic symbol is Shelley alluding when she has Victor think, “Could I enter into a festival with this deadly weight yet hanging round my neck and bowing me to the ground?” 3. What is Victor’s greatest fear as he leaves for England? Describe the irony in his decision to continue. 4. What evidence suggests Victor feels responsibility for the murders? What evidence illustrates that he still blames the creature? 5. How is Victor’s view of the Scottish Orkneys a reflection of his emotional state? 5.5. How is this section related to your theme?
|
On Friday, you have another trial preparation. It’s coming up next week so I will spend a few minutes today going through a few questions that were addressed. These are the questions:
- How long will people get to speak per section? What is the timeline during the trial, and what are the time constraints?
- What is the list of people who will play the witnesses? Does the defense / prosecution choose what characters they want to play, or can the defense / prosecution assign people who are actually helpful to the case?
- Relatedly, will we get to know all the witnesses and their testimonies beforehand?
- Who will create the witness statements? The witnesses themselves or the lawyers who decide their roles/relevance to the case?
- In real Canadian trials, prosecution and defense exchange arguments in advance and know everything the other side will say, so they can fully prepare and so the trial is fair (no surprises on either side). How will we deal with this in our trial?
May 19th, 2023
Per. 4: Close reading analysis. (15 mins)
- First Impressions:
- What is the first thing you notice about the passage?
- What is the second thing?
- Do the two things you noticed complement each other? Or contradict each other?
- What mood does the passage create in you as a reader? Why?
- Vocabulary and Diction:
- Which words do you notice first? Why did they stand out from the others?
- How do the important words relate to one another?
- Does a phrase here appear elsewhere in the story or poem?
- Do any words seem oddly used to you? Why? Is that a result of archaic language? Or deliberate weirdness?
- Do any words have double meanings? Triple meanings? What are all the possible ways to read it?
- Look up any unfamiliar words. For a pre-20th century text, look in the Oxford English Dictionary for possible outdated meanings. Look up very common words as well since they often have several possible meanings.
III. Discerning Patterns:
- Does an image here remind you of an image elsewhere in the book?
- How does this pattern fit into the pattern of the book as a whole?
- How could this passage symbolize something in the entire work? Could this passage serve as a microcosm, a little picture, of what’s taking place in the whole narrative or poem?
- What is the sentence rhythm like? Short and choppy? Long and flowing? Does it build on itself or stay at an even pace? How does that structure relate to the content?
- Look at the punctuation. Is there anything unusual about it? What about capitalization?
- Is there any repetition within the passage? What words are repeated? Why are they repeated?
- How many types of writing are in the passage? (e.g., narration, description, argument, dialogue, rhymed or alliterative poetry inserted into the prose passage, etc.)
- Can you identify paradoxes in the author’s thought or subject?
- What is left out or silenced? What would you expect the author to say that the author seems to have avoided or ignored? What could the author have done differently—and what’s the effect of the current choice?
- Point of View and Characterization:
- How does the passage make us react or think about any characters or events within the narrative?
- Are there colors, sounds, physical description that appeals to the senses? Does this imagery form a pattern? Why might the author have chosen that color, sound or physical description? Is it symbolic? Foreshadowing?
- Who speaks in the passage? To whom does he or she speak? Does the narrator have partial or omniscient viewpoint? How does that viewpoint help or hinder the reader’s comprehension?
- Symbolism, Schemes, Tropes:
- Are there metaphors, similes, figures of speech? What kinds? Why might the author have chosen them?
- Is there one controlling metaphor? If not, how many different metaphors are there, and in what order do they occur? How might that be significant? Consult the “Schemes and Tropes” section of the Course Packet or on the class website under “Rhetoric” and see if any of these rhetorical tools appear in the writing.
- Importance (the most vital part of the exercise):
- Why is it important for the reader to know what you have just analyzed and explained? How does the passage you have chosen help us understand the story, poem, or play more completely?
Per. 5: Reading together through creature’s story.
I have made up my mind about the literary analysis. I will discuss this finalized plan – this is already in the works. You can give your own feedback on the choice, but it probably won’t change things. Yet it could.
Here are the questions for chapter 17-20 – we’ll discuss this on Wednesday.
- Is the creature’s demand for a female companion a valid request? Examine the pros and cons of Victor’s compliance. Consider evidence provided by both Victor and the creature.
- To what famous Romantic symbol is Shelley alluding when she has Victor think, “Could I enter into a festival with this deadly weight yet hanging round my neck and bowing me to the ground?”
- What is Victor’s greatest fear as he leaves for England? Describe the irony in his decision to continue.
- What evidence suggests Victor feels responsibility for the murders? What evidence illustrates that he still blames the creature?
- How is Victor’s view of the Scottish Orkneys a reflection of his emotional state?
May 18th, 2023
Here’s a great essay on Victor Frankenstein I would like for you to read:
The Psychoanalysis of Victor Frankenstein: Unveiling the Depths of the Mind
Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, delves into the intricate realms of the human psyche, providing a rich ground for psychoanalytic interpretation. In particular, the character of Victor Frankenstein presents a compelling case study for psychoanalysis, as his thoughts, desires, and actions encapsulate the complexities of the unconscious mind. By employing a psychoanalytic lens, this analysis aims to explore the various components of Victor Frankenstein’s psyche, including the id, ego, and superego, and shed light on the motivations and consequences of his actions.
At the core of psychoanalysis lies the concept of the unconscious mind, governed by the id, which represents the primitive and instinctual drives. Victor Frankenstein’s pursuit of creating life can be seen as an embodiment of his id’s desires. Motivated by his thirst for knowledge and power, he embarks on the ambitious project of creating a creature, driven by the primordial desire for god-like control over life and death. The id’s relentless pursuit of pleasure and gratification blinds Victor to the potential consequences and moral implications of his actions.
The ego, as the mediator between the id and the external reality, attempts to bring balance and rationality to the psyche. Victor’s ego is initially present as he recognizes the potential dangers of his experiments but chooses to suppress these concerns in favor of his ego-driven ambition. As his creation becomes a reality, Victor’s ego is confronted with the consequences of his actions, leading to intense guilt and self-doubt. This inner conflict between his ego’s attempts to maintain control and his overwhelming sense of responsibility contributes to Victor’s mental deterioration throughout the novel.
The superego represents the internalized societal norms and moral values that influence an individual’s decision-making. Victor’s superego is evident in his initial hesitation to create life, as he is aware of the potential violation of these societal boundaries. However, his failure to adhere to these moral codes leads to a profound sense of guilt and self-condemnation. Victor’s relentless pursuit of his own desires while neglecting his responsibilities creates a schism between his superego and id, intensifying his internal conflicts and contributing to his psychological downfall.
Psychoanalysis acknowledges the existence of repressed desires that manifest in various ways. Victor’s creation can be seen as a manifestation of his repressed desires and fears. The creature itself can be interpreted as a symbolic representation of Victor’s unconscious mind, embodying the repressed aspects of his psyche that he has distanced himself from. Furthermore, the creature’s quest for revenge against its creator reflects Victor’s unconscious guilt and his repressed desire to punish himself for his hubris.
The psychoanalysis of Victor Frankenstein provides profound insights into the complex workings of the human mind. Through the id, ego, and superego framework, we witness the destructive consequences of unchecked desires, internal conflicts, and the struggle to reconcile societal norms with personal ambitions. Victor Frankenstein’s character serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the psychological perils of suppressing one’s unconscious desires and the dire consequences of failing to acknowledge and confront the depths of the human psyche.
By analyzing Victor Frankenstein through a psychoanalytic lens, readers gain a deeper understanding of the novel’s exploration of human nature, morality, and the fragility of the human psyche. Through the character of Victor Frankenstein, Mary Shelley prompts us to reflect on our own unconscious desires and the potential repercussions of neglecting the intricate interplay between our instincts, rationality, and moral conscience.
We’ll finish the creature’s story today, fingers crossed.
May 17th, 2023
For today:
- What imagery does Shelley employ when the character describes his “awakening?” What does his reaction remind you of?
- How does the change in narration to the creature’s point of view affect the reading of the novel? Do you feel sympathy for the creature when he is rejected by humanity?
- What crucial role in the creature’s development is played by the DeLacey family?
We will continue reading the creatures story after we have a discussion of these three questions.
May 16th, 2023
Trial PDFs. I have printouts for those that need them. Last 30 mins will be reading the creature’s story again.
LOOK FOR YOURS! Who are you? What is your role? Fill out the sheet.
Bailiff:
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Bailiff-Prep-Form
Clerk:
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Clerk-Prep-Form-Timesheet
Defense / Plaintiff:
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Closing-Argument-Prep-Form
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Cross-Examination-Prep-Form
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Defense-Theory-of-the-Case
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Direct-Exam-of-Expert-Witness-Prep-Form
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Direct-Exam-of-EyeWitness-Prep-Form
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Opening-Stmt-Prep-Forme
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Plaintiffs-Theory-of-the-Case
Secretary:
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Exhibit-Analysis-Form
Witness:
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Expert-Witness-Affidavit-Outline
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Eyewitness-Affidavit-Outline
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Witness-Analysis-Form
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Witness-Profile
Juror:
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Juror-Observation-Checklist-Defense
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Juror-Observation-Checklist-Plaintiff
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Jury-Verdict-Form
Everyone (For reference)
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Full-Mock-Trial-Script
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Steps-in-a-Trial
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Summons
May 15th, 2023
30 minutes to get everything set up.
Because of how things are going, I would like to read the creatures story as a class. This is what we will be doing for the next few days so that I know this very important piece of the novel is read and understood without the aid of litcharts.
May 12th, 2023
30 minutes to complete this.
Discussion today will consist of three things:
- Summary of the text so far
- Questions
- Close reading of certain passages
Consequences: Chapters 9-10
Questions:
1. Who is at fault for William’s death? Is anyone other than the murderer responsible for what happened?
2. How might Justine’s trial have differed in today’s court system?
3. How does Victor’s guilt affect his health? What is Shelley’s purpose in this recurring plot device?
4. How is Victor’s reaction toward the Valley of Chamounix a departure from his previous views of nature?
May 11th, 2023
Cast list:
[DATA]
I think you are in a groove now – don’t let the time go to waste. If you need to converse about other subjects, please go outside so I am ignorant to it.
| Day 6: Consequences: Chapter 6-8 Reading Day / Trial Prep |
May 10th, 2023
First 30 minutes, get yourself ready for the discussion that will be coming soon:
I have selected prosecution and lawyers. I might approach you today to get you started.
| Day 5: Creation of the Monster: Chapter 4
Questions: 1. Victor’s obsession with natural science results in two years passing with no visits home. How would you evaluate his character at this point? 2. Describe the shift in tone when Victor says, “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier the man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.” 3. During his summer experiment, Victor admits “his eyes were insensible to the charms of nature.” What role might nature (or the lack of it) play for Victor? 4. What message might Victor be missing when he dreams that his kiss turns Elizabeth into a corpse? |
May 9th, 2023
Chapter 3 close reading. What passages stick out to you? 15 minutes for this.
What is a trial? We will go over this. I won’t assign roles today, but take a look over. Choose a role and I will figure it out when I look at your role responses. You have until the end of class to hand them in.
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Activity-Guide
Mock-Trial-in-the-Classroom-Whats-Your-Role
If you have time, look over chapter 4 – the questions are due tomorrow.
| Day 5: Creation of the Monster: Chapter 4
Questions: 1. Victor’s obsession with natural science results in two years passing with no visits home. How would you evaluate his character at this point? 2. Describe the shift in tone when Victor says, “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier the man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.” 3. During his summer experiment, Victor admits “his eyes were insensible to the charms of nature.” What role might nature (or the lack of it) play for Victor? 4. What message might Victor be missing when he dreams that his kiss turns Elizabeth into a corpse? |
May 8th, 2023
Discussion of ideas and then you have the rest of the time to work on the next part. Keep in mind that the first journal is due soon.
Victor’s Early Life: Chapter 1-2
Questions:
- How does Victor’s statement that “the world was to me a secret which I desired to divine” serve as characterization?
- How do Henry and Victor differ? Why might Shelley be setting them up as character foils?
- What is Shelley’s intent when she has Victor characterize Elizabeth as “the saintly soul (who) shone like a shrine-dedicated lamp in our peaceful home?” What role does this characterization set for Elizabeth?
- Is Victor’s fascination with the Philosopher’s Stone an admirable one?
May 5th, 2023
We are split a little between blocks.
So we will focus on this day. Day 1 starts today. Reading / Discussion / Looking ahead
Questions for discussion:
- Is Walton a reliable narrator? Why or why not?
- Is Walton’s goal to “confer on all mankind . . . a passage near the pole” noble or overly ambitious?
- How does Robert’s desire for a friend affect his relationship with Dr. Frankenstein? How might this relationship affect the reader’s trust in Walton as a reliable narrator?
- How is this section related to your theme? Explain.
Here’s something for the corner cutters, busy after school workers, or the students that step above after reading:
May 4th, 2023
Presentations on the annotation – the annotation is due tonight!!!
We will start the book today with Walton’s letters.
If you are absent in the next 12 school days, then look at this document:
Reading-guide-14-Day-Plan-V3.1
This is EVERYTHING we will be doing before the trial.
I have a little pre-reading exercise for us to complete together as a class.
There’s also a cool poem that Shelley based her ideas on – we won’t have time today, but you can look at it on your own time and for your own research into the novel’s context:
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner with guides
So We will be reading this today:
Day 1:
Walton Meets Frankenstein: Letters
HERE IS THE TEXT (Annotated by Nicholas Sun – in 3 volumes, but chapters are notated):
Questions for discussion:
- Is Walton a reliable narrator? Why or why not?
- Is Walton’s goal to “confer on all mankind . . . a passage near the pole” noble or overly ambitious?
- How does Robert’s desire for a friend affect his relationship with Dr. Frankenstein? How might this relationship affect the reader’s trust in Walton as a reliable narrator?
- How is this section related to your theme? Explain.
Here’s something for the corner cutters, busy after school workers, or the students that step above after reading:
May 3rd, 2023
Documents for you to choose from for your own annotated bibliography. This will help you navigate through the text. You are familiar with the style.
Adams 2001 Making Daemons of Death and Love
Jager (2014) Mary Shelley s Frankenstein and the Fate of Modern Scientific Psychology
Brockman Freud, Frankenstein, art of loss
Britton (2015) What made Monster Monstrous
Group work. Remember the structure:
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….
May 2nd, 2023
Postmodern short stories all finished? OK. Frankenstein:
“the companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds which hardly any later friend can obtain.”
― Frankenstein
I will give you a brief overview of a psychoanalytical theoretical perspective:
I have underlined words in this document for you to familiarize yourself with:
Psychoanalytic-literary-criticism
Documents for you to choose from for your own annotated bibliography. This will help you navigate through the text. You are familiar with the style.
Adams 2001 Making Daemons of Death and Love
Jager (2014) Mary Shelley s Frankenstein and the Fate of Modern Scientific Psychology
Brockman Freud, Frankenstein, art of loss
Britton (2015) What made Monster Monstrous
Focus on one and then we can go over them tomorrow. I will make the lecture short so that you can focus on these and have time to work on them tomorrow as well.
May 1st, 2023
Okay, so there’s two options for today:
- How much time do you need for the final short story? One more day? Tell me what you think. I need to be convinced. Otherwise here is the second option:
- Frankenstein Day 1!
“the companions of our childhood always possess a certain power over our minds which hardly any later friend can obtain.”
― Frankenstein
I will give you a brief overview of a psychoanalytical theoretical perspective:
I have underlined words in this document for you to familiarize yourself with:
Psychoanalytic-literary-criticism
Documents for you to choose from for your own annotated bibliography. This will help you navigate through the text. You are familiar with the style.
Adams 2001 Making Daemons of Death and Love
Jager (2014) Mary Shelley s Frankenstein and the Fate of Modern Scientific Psychology
Brockman Freud, Frankenstein, art of loss
Britton (2015) What made Monster Monstrous
Focus on one and then we can go over them tomorrow. I will make the lecture short so that you can focus on these and have time to work on them tomorrow as well.
April 27th – 28th, 2023
Short Story Peer Editing Checklist
Work block for getting everything in order. Same tomorrow, promised. Please talk to either Weeks / Sun or myself if you’d like some direction moving forward with your story. Make sure to ask a peer as well (or a family member).
The final draft is due Monday at Midnight.
April 24th, 2023
I promised that we would go over the literacy 12 exam. This will still happen. You will just complete the exam today as a practice and we will go over everything tomorrow in class for our final day of the semester.
Here are the instructions:
- On your device, click this link: https://bced.vretta.com/#/en/bced-landing/grad/sample/literacy12
- Select “Form A”
- Start the test. Get used to the formatting – how the test is structured, the buttons etc. The next button is on the right bottom corner.
- Do the multiple choice
- Do the graphic organizer / written response, but save your written work on a separate document
- PART B – you made it!
- Do the multiple choice questions
- Make a choice for the written theme response that fits your ideas.
- When you get to the written response, save your work to a separate document.
- Finish self reflection if you want
- Check your answers.
After you finish the test, make sure to ask three questions about the process for me to answer tomorrow. We will also go over your written responses in class.
April 20th, 2023
Just like yesterday’s prompts, these are OPTIONAL – just something you can work on, research you can read. Like I said at the beginning of the semester, you can put in and take out as much as you’d like out of the class.
It’s hard to really give you a structure to how the formation of a short story should be written. So I have interesting piece for you to read:
Raymond Carver:
Prompts to help you with a free write that we will use throughout the week:
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 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):
April 19th, 2023
Talk to a partner about a childhood memory of theirs. Now make it yours in a story.
I will give you thirty minutes at the beginning of the class to work on this story. Since we have finished the novel, I would like to read you another Murakami short story I have used in another unit.
It is called “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):
If we have time left, we can watch it.
April 18th, 2023
Discuss the meanings of these phrases with a partner.
- Potentiality knocks on the door of my heart.
- The cold, indifferent waves of fate proceeded to toss them unmercifully.
Here is the piece from the New Yorker:
Let’s talk about it after if we have time and some of you find interest in it.
- Talk about the notion of Risk vs. Reward
- What is an epiphany moment? Have you had any? Explain.
- What other analogies can you think about when it comes to writing?
IF WE HAVE TIME:
Talk to a partner about a childhood memory of theirs. Now make it yours in a story.
I will give you thirty minutes at the beginning of the class to work on this story. Since we have finished the novel, I would like to read you another Murakami short story I have used in another unit.
It is called “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):
If we have time left, we can watch it.
April 17th, 2023
Some students have come up to me and asked to start their first draft. I say okay. I will keep giving you prompts through Friday. I have opened up a teams file in order for you to show me your further progress.
Progress update – turn in what you have so far by Wednesday, November 23rd
This is a story that got me into Murakami in the first place. It’s short, but powerful. We will talk about this in the second half of class.
Murakami, “On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl One Beautiful April Morning”
- What is your opinion of the story? What is its meaning?
- If the author had told his story to the girl, what do you think would have happened?
- What would you have done in his situation?
- The author talks about his tastes in women. Do you think beauty is subjective or objective?
- Is the author in truly in love with the girl or just infatuated?
- 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?
- Do you believe in fate?
Write down two questions related to your own story you’d like to answer your classmates next class.
1.
2.
Discuss the meanings of these phrases with a partner.
- Potentiality knocks on the door of my heart.
- The cold, indifferent waves of fate proceeded to toss them unmercifully.
Here is the piece from the New Yorker:
Let’s talk about it after if we have time and some of you find interest in it.
- Talk about the notion of Risk vs. Reward
- What is an epiphany moment? Have you had any? Explain.
- What other analogies can you think about when it comes to writing?
April 14th, 2023
Discussion today in class – a few minutes to get everything ready.
Here are the questions again:
- 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?
- How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change between the two novels? What does the Rat value most in life?
- Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
April 13th, 2023
So some things to think about today.
First, some of you are down on yourselves for writing a “steaming” pile of garbage for a first draft. You’re not alone. Look at this piece:
Take a look at the piece again. You’ll be turning it in tonight/tomorrow for a completion mark. Depending on the climate of class, I’ll give you a little or a lot of time. (DUE TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT)
If the climate of the class is a little louder, then I’ll switch it up a little bit.
Here are the three prompts again:
- 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.
- 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?)
- 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?
Here are discussion questions for the book. We will have a discussion tomorrow: (GET A GENERAL IDEA OF THESE QUESTIONS FOR TOMORROW)
- 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?
- How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change between the two novels? What does the Rat value most in life?
- Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
- 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?
April 12th, 2023
Let’s try and read through chapter 30 today together. Soon you will be taking the story home to explore it. I have another piece for you to look at as well in order to help you with the writing process.
We still need to talk about these questions.
- How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change? What does the Rat value most in life?
- Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?.
The final part of the 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?
After you finish all three parts (by Thursday beginning of class) – we will do something with it.
April 11th, 2023
Part 2 of the write today:
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?)
Let’s talk about this question before we read.
- 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?
We will try to read through chapter 30 – not too long. then you can take a look at this prompt and these questions:
- How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change? What does the Rat value most in life?
- Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?
April 5th, 2023
Part 1 of the day:
Quick Write:
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.
Part 2:
Continuation of the novel. (11-4 / 10 -5)
Keep these questions in mind: (Repost) – We will talk about them today if there’s time.
- 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?
- How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change? What does the Rat value most in life?
- Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?
April 4th, 2023
Strecher, Matthew Carl. The Forbidden Worlds of Haruki Murakami. University of Minnesota Press, 2014.
SUMMARY OF PAPER:
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.
THE NOVELLA: Wind_Pinball – Haruki Murakami
metafiction
unreliable narration
self-reflexivity
intertextuality,
thematization of both historical and political issues.
Answer these questions on a separate document:
- 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?
- How would you characterize the Rat? How does his personality shift or change? What does the Rat value most in life?
- Discuss the relationship between the protagonist and the Rat. What common traits do they share? How do they complement each other?
Tomorrow, you will start a free write that is connected in three parts.
April 3rd, 2023
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….
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 (EVERYONE)
B: 26-32 Lack of Mind ( )
C: 32-44 Love Story Between Postmodern People ( )
D:44-51 A new Switch Panel in a Death Chamber ( )
E: 51-57 Violence and Empathy ( )
Model examples (Nicholas Sun):
Murakami Postmodern World Annotated
March 31st, 2023
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:
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:
Now we will discuss this:
And tomorrow we will read this and do an annotated bibliography of the work:
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?
March 30th, 2023
In class write.
March 29th, 2023
MODEL ESSAYS:
Here’s the rest of the essay that Liam wrote:
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 20th 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 20th 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.
Conclusion:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
March 28th, 2023
Here is the next step in your essay. I hope that you’ve gotten 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.
BODY PARAGRAPHS:
Body Paragraph(s):
Framework:
“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.
MODEL EXAMPLE OF INTRODUCTION: WEEKS_L
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.
March 27th, 2023
Welcome back.
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 either Wednesday or Thursday (In class write, like the Rhetoric final).
Introduction due today (rough draft) at the end of class.
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)
This is the entire text with page numbers for your reference:
Oscar-Wilde-The-Importance-of-Being-Earnest
March 10th, 2023
We will go over the 1st step of a literary analysis together today. You have everything already in your head, so this process should be easier than you think. I’ll repost what we couldn’t get to yesterday.
How does Wilde both honor and satirize the Aesthetic movement through his play The Importance of Being Earnest?
This is your question! Now how can you answer in a way that is academic?
To make a literary analysis essay really work, you need another academic paper to connect your ideas. Here is the first part of constructing such an essay. Do you remember the DeOrnellis piece?
When Life Imitates Art_ Aestheticism in The Importance of Being Earnest
Here are some reflections on the piece from previous classes called “points”.
GORDON_S Literary Analysis – Aestheticism
Then you’re ready for the worksheet. I’ve provided examples – ignore the due date!:
Purdy-Literary-Analysis-Detailed-V3 (FINAL)
Here are some examples of what a final should look like:
So today: Try on your own – figure out what the structure is, and find source material from the Drugeon piece. Then STOP. I will check it when we get back from break and then you will move on to step 2.
March 9th, 2023
Good (Somewhat) discussion yesterday in both classes.
Let’s look at the “catfight” scene!
How does Wilde both honor and satirize the Aesthetic movement through his play The Importance of Being Earnest?
This is your question! Now how can you answer in a way that is academic?
To make a literary analysis essay really work, you need another academic paper to connect your ideas. Here is the first part of constructing such an essay. Do you remember the DeOrnellis piece?
When Life Imitates Art_ Aestheticism in The Importance of Being Earnest
Here are some reflections on the piece from previous classes called “points”.
GORDON_S Literary Analysis – Aestheticism
Then you’re ready for the worksheet. I’ve provided examples:
Here are some examples of what a final should look like:
So today: Try on your own – figure out what the structure is, and find source material from the Drugeon piece. Then STOP. I will check it tomorrow in class with you and then you will move on to step 2.
March 8th, 2023
OK – We’ll finish the play / questions prep.
Let’s try and keep the discussion (questions in March 7th blog) to a quick clip. Then we’ll think about this question informally:
How does Wilde both honor and satirize the Aesthetic movement through his play The Importance of Being Earnest?
March 7th, 2023
“When the world goes mad, one must accept madness as sanity; since sanity is, in the final analysis, nothing but the madness on which the whole world happens to agree.”
-George Bernard Shaw
Act 3 and Act 3 questions today. Let’s see how much of the discussion we can complete today.
- 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?
- 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
- 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”?
- 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
- “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.
- 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?
March 6th, 2023
Health Surveys today for 30 minutes. We have a guest that will come in and take the class.
When we get back:
Act 3 roles:
“I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects.”
―
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:
How does Wilde both honor and satirize the Aesthetic movement through his play The Importance of Being Earnest?
CAST:
Jack: Thomas / Atteq
Algernon: Atreyu / Raagini
Gwendolyn: Felicia / Kaylie
Cecily: Kiara / Sydney
Lane (Merriman): Kalen / Pasha
Miss Prism: Jonah / Dionne
Chausable: Ellen / Isabelle
Lady Bracknell: Xavier / Alexis
March 3rd, 2023
“It’s one thing to enjoy a story, but it’s quite another to take it for the truth.”
-Patrick Rothfuss
Discussion today on act 2. See questions below.
March 2nd, 2023
Choose one Quote:
- I can never travel without my diary, one should always have something sensational to read on the train.
-Oscar Wilde
2. We have now sunk to a depth at which the restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men.
-Orwell
So today we will perform – Let’s do the whole of act 2. The actors once again:
Jack: Ateeq / Manas
Algernon: Raagini / Atreyu
Gwendolyn: Kaylie / Felicia
Cecily: Sydney / Kiara
Chausable (the priest): Isabelle / Nicholas
Miss Prism: (The priest’s love interest) Dionne / Jonah
Merriman: Ian / Charlie
IMPORTANT:
This is the full, unedited and annotated (by Nicholas Sun) text of the play. We will continue with the cut version that I was unaware of (!) but you can compare /contrast with this version:
ACT 2 QUESTIONS
- “Gwendolen and Cecily are not so much opposites as complements.” Explain this remark by reference to their speeches and actions.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
- 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!
- How would you characterize Canon Chasuble and his relationship with Miss Prism? Why does Wilde include them at this point in the play?
- Give five examples of Wilde’s wit, comedy and/ or satire in this act. How does this further his satirical purpose?
- A subtle sub-theme of the play is readers, publishers, fiction, and censorship. What points by implication is Wilde making about contemporary literature?
- 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 ..)
- Based on the types of comedy discussed, how would you define The Importance of Being Earnest thus far? Defend your selections using textual evidence.
February 28th, 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.”
―
Discuss the act 1 together in a structured and graded manner.
- Why does Jack Worthing call himself “Ernest” instead when he is in “town” (London)?
- Why has Algernon invented an invalid friend named “Bunbury”?
- 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?
- How does Wilde use the subject of cucumber sandwiches to reveal the characters of Jack and Algy?
- How does Wilde satirize the vacuous mentalities and lifestyles of the British aristocracy in Lady Bracknell’s interview with Jack?
- How does Wilde use the cigarette case to facilitate the exposition of the dramatic action?
- The character of Algernon Moncrieff reflects the public persona of the dramatist himself: in what ways in Algy like Wilde? Refer to background
- 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!
- 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!
- 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.”
- 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”?
- What tools of satire -irony, juxtaposition, understatement, paradox -are apparent in this opening act? CITE SPECIFIC LINES FROM THE
Act Two
- “Gwendolen and Cecily are not so much opposites as complements.” Explain this remark by reference to their speeches and actions.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
- 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!
- How would you characterize Canon Chasuble and his relationship with Miss Prism? Why does Wilde include them at this point in the play?
- Give five examples of Wilde’s wit, comedy and/ or satire in this act. How does this further his satirical purpose?
- A subtle sub-theme of the play is readers, publishers, fiction, and censorship. What points by implication is Wilde making about contemporary literature?
- 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 ..)
10. Based on the types of comedy discussed, how would you define The Importance of Being Earnest thus far? Defend your selections using textual evidence.
February 27th, 2023
That is why I cannot stop thinking. I exist because I think I cannot keep from thinking.
-Jean Paul Sartre (From Raagini)
We will read this:
Let’s finish the story and talk about the “subtext” through discussion.
Where is Oscar Wilde in this piece?
Here’s the play again:
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) : Ateeq / Thomas & Manas
Algernon : Raagini / Atreyu
Lane : Pasha / Kalen
Gwendolen : Kaylie / Felicia
Lady Bracknell : Alexis / Xavier
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 (Only do Act 1 for now – copy paste to a DOC file.)
February 21st, 2023 – Feb 23rd, 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.
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:
Here’s the play again:
What is a parody, satire or farce?
What is comedy?
February 17th, 2023
In Class Write. No Quote. Seperate your desks and good luck.
February 16th, 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.”
―
Finish off your Churchill outlines today. Tomorrow, you should be ready for the final. Rough draft. Or you can do an outline. I will not check any of this work, because it is treated as a three day final – the last day being the in class write.
February 15th, 2023
“No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.”
Mary Shelley
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.
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 –
We will do this:
- Read the first page (only) and annotate it together as a class.
- Have you finish annotating the other five pages
- get started on the following:
- Appeals
- Mode of Argument
- Rhetorical Devices
- Logical Fallacies
Tomorrow you can either do a rough draft. Or you can do an outline. I will not check any of this work, because it is treated as a three day final – the last day being the in class write.
February 14th, 2023
“Being in a Minority even in a minority of one did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.”
-Orwell
FINISH THIS FOR TONIGHT! (Tuesday 11:59PM)
Obama’s “A More Perfect Union”
How To Booklet Essay Outline Samples for each paragraph and tips (EDITABLE)
February 13th, 2023
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”
―
Obama’s “A More Perfect Union”
How To Booklet Essay Outline Samples for each paragraph and tips (EDITABLE)
You will follow that outline – you have the class to do it and it will be due tomorrow. If everything goes well, then the ‘summative assessment’ will be basically you completing a 3-5 paragraph rhetorical analysis on a political figure’s speech. I think that you all will be ready.
And at the end of the week, we will say goodbye to Rhetoric (until the end of the semester) and hello to Oscar Wilde and Aestheticism.
February 10th, 2023
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to reform (or pause and reflect).”
―
Obama’s “A More Perfect Union”
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.
These are Nicholas Sun’s Model Notes for you:
Obama A More Perfect Union Annotation SUN
February 9th, 2023
“Friendship … is born at the moment when one man says to another “What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .”
― The Four Loves
Important: Download this somewhere and save it!
MODEL NOTES:
I Have a Dream Annotated WEEKS
MLK I have a Dream Annotation SUN
MODEL EXAMPLE:
Martin Luther King, an avid civil rights activist and preacher, delivered a powerful speech on the societal changing day of august 28th 1963, stressing the severity of the issue of inequality, in the United States, that we are able to correct but not doing so. King uses hard hitting facts and evidence to draw attention to this blatant discrimination towards the black community while taking these facts a step up to use as topics for motifs, metaphors, and analogies to further get the point across. His potent use of strong language in the constant use of anaphora following the rule of threes, slowly ramping up in the rigor of each word, bring light to the ever-growing issue of racism in order to motivate people to make a positive change in their behavior and stand with one another. King challenges the people standing by, whether black, White, Asian, Latino, to strive forward and do something while simultaneously sympathizing with the black community affected by racism in daily life, importantly acknowledging the anger that they, and himself included, feel.
How To Booklet Essay Outline Samples for each paragraph and tips (EDITABLE)
Let’s go over what you have done with MLK first. We will have about 10 – 15 minutes in class to get everything sorted out – some more paragraphs looked at etc. We will outline your ideas today using the above ‘Precis’ structure.
If we have time, I’d like to introduce you to Aristotle’s Rhetoric – an ideal:
Rethoric_-_What_Aristotle_would_say_to_D
It’s a great read in any case.
February 8th, 2023
Journal #3
“The truth knocks on the door and you say, “Go away, I’m looking for the truth,” and so it goes away. Puzzling.”
― Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
Remember to see if an argument is valid/ sound:
- Ethos / Pathos / Logos in speech or article
- Mode of argument
- Rhetorical devices used (repetition / parallelism / anecdote etc.)
- Are there logical fallacies?
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.
Then we’ll be ready to form an essay.
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 10 – 15 minutes in class to get everything sorted out. We will outline your ideas today and tomorrow using the above ‘Precis’ structure.
If we have time, I’d like to introduce you to Aristotle’s Rhetoric – an ideal:
Rethoric_-_What_Aristotle_would_say_to_D
It’s a great read in any case.
February 7th, 2023
Journal entry #2
“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 big PPT – (We will only doing a select number of slides from this – continue notes from the ELP PPT)
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:
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.
Then on to logical fallacies.
February 6th, 2023
Journal Entry #1
“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
Speeches and Rhetoric
Here’s a PPT that I’d like for you to take notes on:
And if you (or I) still have energy after that, here’s the big one:
We can do the first exercise:
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:
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.
February 3rd, 2023
We will finish the article together. We’ll have the energy to read and discuss it. As a class, we will answer the following questions. (Only Part 1) Since you have some questions or thoughts about the annotation, let me know how you have gotten on in your comprehension.
Template for what I want – Due Sunday at midnight.
(250-500 words)
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……
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….
Here are a few good examples of annotated bibliographies from other students:
1.Percy, W., “Loss of the Creature”, Message in the Bottle, Picador, 2000. (Print)
The main idea of this article is the factor of expectations, one cannot truly experience something to its full extent with prior expectations. It gives examples such as family’s trip to the Grand Canyon, could a tourist’s experience really compare to the explorer’s who discovered it in the first place? When you see something, do you “see it for what it is” (p.47) or are you just looking at it. The author attempts to persuade the reader that perception “may be recovered by leaving the beaten track” (p.48); as well as using visual elements and stories to explain why one’s perception needs to be recovered in the first place. Does an individual only care for an experience if its validated, or if it levels up with “the “it” of their dreams” (p.53). Is it really possible to escape our consciousness, is that the only way we could truly live fulfilling experiences? This is a question I repeatedly asked, this article supports my ideas of how others are desperate for validation and approval. How most “unique” experiences were only lived to tell the tale, but while this article helped me call out others flaws, I did not expect for it to render so relatable to myself as well. One day, the day I finally get to see the attraction that I have been wanting to for so long, how could I properly “see” it? This article is fascinating, it will very often pop into my mind, but I have heavy doubt that it will affect the way I live my life. I will still take photos, tour popular places, brag about my so-called “unique” experiences. Although this article did contain enlightening lessons, it has far too many liberating rules for my way of living life.
2. Percy, W., “Loss of the Creature”, Message in the Bottle, Picador, 2000. (Print)
The idea of this article is that we should try to have authentic experiences. If we go to Paris for example, most people will hit all the popular tourist spots. The Eiffel tower, the louvre, etc. But you are not experiencing Paris, you are only experiencing what society wants you to experience. An authentic experience would be exploring the side streets, going to night clubs, stepping off the beaten path so to speak. But the author also says that we should not be conscious of the experience as it’s happening, since that would make it not authentic. At that point you’re conscious of you experiencing the experience rather than the experience itself. So, you should seek out authentic experiences, but you shouldn’t be conscious while within said authentic experiences. This seems contradictory at first, but on further thought I can pull away a simple message from this. You should go off the beaten path to do things that are different and unique and enjoy whatever comes your way. The author also brings up that a lot of people try to validate their experiences as authentic. If they find something unique, they want to know for sure that it’s unique. I think this isn’t the case for most people and if it is, it shouldn’t be. If that experience brought you happiness, who cares if it’s “the real thing”. Your happiness shouldn’t have to be justified by societal norms of what’s truly authentic. There is something to be said about looking for the authentic experience. If you’re in a different country, it’s probably a good idea to try and immerse yourself in their culture, but you shouldn’t obsess over it. Back to my example with Paris: if you’ve managed to go to the outskirts of town into a small bar where everyone’s a local speaking French, and you see something from your home country, that shouldn’t make you think that the experience is in any way less enjoyable. What I’m trying to say is, do everything in moderation; try to have authentic experiences, but don’t obsess over having the perfect experience.
February 2nd, 2023
Today, 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:
The written piece that we will be discussing is in the following PDF:
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 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….
February 1st, 2023
So despite the ambivalence of this first assignment, there is a purpose.
- Find someone
- Ask 10+- of the questions from the board – answer them – Vice versa
- 1st assignment – non-fiction narrative of the person (Pre-assessment / no rubric) Write a small biography of the person as an autobiography.
A pre-assessment (without rubric or specific structure) is what the student can do with vague instructions, making a writing that is based on previous rules from other classes. I will be able to check
-work study habits
-sentence fluency
-content
-following directions
– creativity
-vocabulary / diction
-originality
So this class is all about showing me what you can do with the instructions I gave.
Try and write approximately 500 words. Due tonight.
I have something else for you who are finished. It won’t end until June, class.
January 31st, 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:
- What are my plans for post-secondary? To what end will these plans meet?
- 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.
- 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.
https://www.signupgenius.com/groups/getting-to-know-you-questions.cfm
- Brainstorm with class on questions
- Find someone you don’t know
- Ask 10 of the questions from the board – answer them – Vice versa
- 1st assignment – non-fiction narrative of the person (Pre-assessment / no rubric)
- Get ready to present your narrative to the class.