TODAY IN CLASS
Yesterday's homework was collected. Late work/re-submitted because you did the wrong passage work will be accepted tomorrow with a deduction. Yesterday's work had been detailed on the blog during 6th period, so available by the end of the day.
New hand-out: Epic definition, characteristics, conventions on one side; specific Frankenstein connections on the other. We went over characteristics (problems with "hero"; "deeds of great valor") and the conventions.
I read the short "locker room speech" in which Satan scorns the fallen angels if they choose to stay passively sprawled on the floor of Hell, too lazy to do anything else, or if they choose to just look up to admire the one who kicked them out, or if they wait for further vengeance, like being pin downed by a bolt of lighting. It ends with a one-line exhortation: "Awake, arise, or be forever fallen!"
Most of the rest of Book I is one very long procession of fallen angels who gradually rose up and marched to a gathering point; Milton follows the convention of the catalog by calling many leaders by name and including where they are from. It is a mighty force of fallen angels, now demons. Satan provides an interim report, offering some hope of regaining Heaven, but mostly diverting their attention by describing the new world and new creature to be created. They decide to have a full-blown council and debate. Before continuing, they work together quickly to build a palace called Pandemonium, and there they begin the actual discussion.
I purposely skipped Book 3 (1-55) for now; otherwise I could not accept late work on this.
Then (in 3rd) we moved on to Book 4;
FOR TOMORROW
We will pick up there tomorrow in 4th. In both classes we will also look briefly at the excerpts from 9 and 10, but you should have read them well.
On the back of the sheet, read/think about/jot down some notes on the questions there which, as it states, are NOT a formal written assignment this year. But this will prep you for something you'll get tomorrow, and will not be due until Tuesday.
For MOST of class tomorrow--you will need The Awakening. Please don't forget it; I have no copies to loan.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
The Last Semester!
MONDAY/TUESDAY in CLASS
We completed the Book I packet of Paradise Lost, paying special attention to epic similes; there was in-class practice and discussion of Satan's bulk (lines 195-210) and the "dry Land" part of Hell (lines 227-237). Note key quotes from Satan at 254-255 and 261-263.
FOR TOMORROW
Prepare two sections as written work:
1) From the one-page set of excerpts, lay out the epic simile for lines 301-313. Clearly show the characteristic being developed in the simile, include all the terms (elements of the simile), and place modifying phrases and clauses in brackets after (next to or under, depending on your lay-out) whatever they modify. You don't have to copy out every single word, but your product should clearly show how the parts of this epic simile relate to one another. [10 assessment points]
2) From the Book III packet, read and lightly annotate lines 1-55. You are to turn this 17th century poetry into a clear, modern English prose "summa-phrase"; this format is not a paraphrase (that is, a phrase by phrase "translation"). and yet it needs to be more detailed than a "summary" that could reduce this rich and complex section too much and still "give the gist."
So we need a via media:
We completed the Book I packet of Paradise Lost, paying special attention to epic similes; there was in-class practice and discussion of Satan's bulk (lines 195-210) and the "dry Land" part of Hell (lines 227-237). Note key quotes from Satan at 254-255 and 261-263.
FOR TOMORROW
Prepare two sections as written work:
1) From the one-page set of excerpts, lay out the epic simile for lines 301-313. Clearly show the characteristic being developed in the simile, include all the terms (elements of the simile), and place modifying phrases and clauses in brackets after (next to or under, depending on your lay-out) whatever they modify. You don't have to copy out every single word, but your product should clearly show how the parts of this epic simile relate to one another. [10 assessment points]
2) From the Book III packet, read and lightly annotate lines 1-55. You are to turn this 17th century poetry into a clear, modern English prose "summa-phrase"; this format is not a paraphrase (that is, a phrase by phrase "translation"). and yet it needs to be more detailed than a "summary" that could reduce this rich and complex section too much and still "give the gist."
So we need a via media:
- Keep the first-person POV, the "I," as a paraphrase would do.
- Your paragraph should be about 150 words in length. No penalty for up to 175, but closer to 150 is preferred.
- BUT you need to pack as much of Milton's content into your "summa-phrase" as you can. The highest points will go to papers that do the most accurate job of presenting the most detail and complexity, yet stay within the word limit.
- Type your paragraph, please, if at all possible. Do a word count. If you just can't get it typed, ink (and NEAT) will be okay, but you'll have to do the word count by hand.
- 40 homework points for this one.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Test on Friday
, , , over both Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.
The purpose is to make sure you've read/studied/absorbed enough content to write credibly about them later on--whether as part of the semester test next week or on the AP exam in May. There will be no written responses, so this will not assess interpretation, critical thinking about works, or stylistic analysis.
On the other hand, don't think that all the questions will be easy. There will be quotes, but these are "plot quotes" for which the purpose is to use the information in the quotation to identify the speaker or some other (underlined) person, place, or thing referred to in the quotation. There will be multiple choice questions, as well as questions geared to your knowledge of who's who. As you know, particularly with Heart of Darkness, there are many characters who are important but who lack "names"--and yet they play a role in Marlow's account of his time in Africa.
The point: it's too late to reread the work (and I didn't intend for you to do that anyway), but I DO expect that some concentrated review will be useful.
The purpose is to make sure you've read/studied/absorbed enough content to write credibly about them later on--whether as part of the semester test next week or on the AP exam in May. There will be no written responses, so this will not assess interpretation, critical thinking about works, or stylistic analysis.
On the other hand, don't think that all the questions will be easy. There will be quotes, but these are "plot quotes" for which the purpose is to use the information in the quotation to identify the speaker or some other (underlined) person, place, or thing referred to in the quotation. There will be multiple choice questions, as well as questions geared to your knowledge of who's who. As you know, particularly with Heart of Darkness, there are many characters who are important but who lack "names"--and yet they play a role in Marlow's account of his time in Africa.
The point: it's too late to reread the work (and I didn't intend for you to do that anyway), but I DO expect that some concentrated review will be useful.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Several things: Look at the array here, the time lines given, and decide what you need to do tonight. For sure in class tomorrow we will work with Paradise Lost, but quite frankly, that is the one thing you really CAN'T go ahead with tonight. But I suggest you don't completely
Frankenstein
1) Here is a one-page summary of Sorrows of Werter . Read this and consider why Mary Shelley might have chosen to include it in the portmanteau of books that the Creature finds.
2) Here's a map of Europe. By Wednesday, draw two big loops on this map that show both Frankenstein's journey--with Clerval and then where he goes on his own--as well as the route that Frankenstein follows as he tries to chase the Creature down. Label specific points that are mentioned in the book. (Although Tartary will be "off the map" to the east, you can run it along the edge of what you've got.) Political Map of Europe
Frankenstein and Heart of Darkness
3) Upcoming quiz: Friday, Jan. 16
An objective quiz over BOTH Heart of Darkness and Frankenstein. Expect a range of objective questions--multiple choice, matching, perhaps a handful of flat-out answers. This quiz will serve as one facet of your review for the 1st semester final exam.
Paradise Lost--for its connections to Frankenstein as well as for Milton's style, 17th century language, features of formal epic poetry, and immersion in blank verse [= unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter].
4) Paradise Lost--We'll look briefly at the "answer" for today's grammatical structure tomorrow, but you'll get the packet for the first 270 lines and mostly start afresh. On Wednesday you'll receive a second packet, with short excerpts from Books 3, 4, and 9.
A Doll's House
Review /finish Act I. Short discussion with part of Wednesday.
Read Act II for Thursday.
Read Act III and complete some discussion questions (available on Thursday this week) for Tuesday, 1/20.
What about The Awakening??
Be reading it. But there is no way to include it on the exam. I never planned to talk about it much, or at great length, but we can't not deal with it at all. This book is only 155 pages long in my paperback edition ("your mileage may vary"). Have at least 2/3 of it read by Monday, Jan. 26, and the rest by that Wednesday (the 28). Those 3 days will be the discussion time for this book. You'll get a significant comparison/contrast assignment on Tuesday (with A Doll's House), and the first draft for that will be due on Wednesday, Feb. 4. Final draft due on Monday, Feb. 9.
Frankenstein
1) Here is a one-page summary of Sorrows of Werter . Read this and consider why Mary Shelley might have chosen to include it in the portmanteau of books that the Creature finds.
2) Here's a map of Europe. By Wednesday, draw two big loops on this map that show both Frankenstein's journey--with Clerval and then where he goes on his own--as well as the route that Frankenstein follows as he tries to chase the Creature down. Label specific points that are mentioned in the book. (Although Tartary will be "off the map" to the east, you can run it along the edge of what you've got.) Political Map of Europe
Frankenstein and Heart of Darkness
3) Upcoming quiz: Friday, Jan. 16
An objective quiz over BOTH Heart of Darkness and Frankenstein. Expect a range of objective questions--multiple choice, matching, perhaps a handful of flat-out answers. This quiz will serve as one facet of your review for the 1st semester final exam.
Paradise Lost--for its connections to Frankenstein as well as for Milton's style, 17th century language, features of formal epic poetry, and immersion in blank verse [= unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter].
4) Paradise Lost--We'll look briefly at the "answer" for today's grammatical structure tomorrow, but you'll get the packet for the first 270 lines and mostly start afresh. On Wednesday you'll receive a second packet, with short excerpts from Books 3, 4, and 9.
A Doll's House
Review /finish Act I. Short discussion with part of Wednesday.
Read Act II for Thursday.
Read Act III and complete some discussion questions (available on Thursday this week) for Tuesday, 1/20.
What about The Awakening??
Be reading it. But there is no way to include it on the exam. I never planned to talk about it much, or at great length, but we can't not deal with it at all. This book is only 155 pages long in my paperback edition ("your mileage may vary"). Have at least 2/3 of it read by Monday, Jan. 26, and the rest by that Wednesday (the 28). Those 3 days will be the discussion time for this book. You'll get a significant comparison/contrast assignment on Tuesday (with A Doll's House), and the first draft for that will be due on Wednesday, Feb. 4. Final draft due on Monday, Feb. 9.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
More Frankenstein Material
I. Mary Shelley's full title: Frankenstein, Or the Modern Prometheus
At the time Mary Wollestonecraft began working on her story, her husband-to-be, Percy Bysshe Shelley, was working on a lyrical drama entitled Prometheus Unbound. Her entire circle of friends would have been very familiar with all versions of the Prometheus myth, and she would have been able to draw on various facets to shape both the character and actions of Victor Frankenstein as well as to provide significant thematic context by alluding to the mythological figure.
Prometheus: both key roles Read carefully.
And yes, Wikipedia: The key here is to read the first two large sections (earliest versions and the Athenian tradition) to have an appreciation of how complex the myth was, with a range of variants and connections. Then drop down to read both about Percy Bysshe Shelley's play as well as what it says about Mary's use.
The cultural focus on the creation aspect of the Prometheus myth is also evident by Beethoven's ballet; be sure to click on the "But wait, there's more" button:
The Creatures of Prometheus
Clearly, though, be alert for the presumption (even arrogance?) indicated by the fire-stealing portion of the myth, as well as ethically ambiguous nature of this theft.
II. A backdrop on academia . . . VF's university really existed then, and German universities had the reputation of being the best and most demanding in Europe.
University of Ingolstadt: http://knarf.english.upenn.edu/V1notes/univers.html
And to follow up on our very brief (and over-generalized) class comments on the discipline of Natural Philosophy:
Natural Philosophy
Origin: http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/4202
Overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_philosophy
18th Century: http://etherwave.wordpress.com/2010/04/12/the-bounds-of-natural-philosophy-temporal-and-practical-frontiers-pt-2/ (Yes, feel free to skim)
III. Each of the preceding posts has directed your attention to a particular segment of the novel for review. Here are questions for the last section:
At the time Mary Wollestonecraft began working on her story, her husband-to-be, Percy Bysshe Shelley, was working on a lyrical drama entitled Prometheus Unbound. Her entire circle of friends would have been very familiar with all versions of the Prometheus myth, and she would have been able to draw on various facets to shape both the character and actions of Victor Frankenstein as well as to provide significant thematic context by alluding to the mythological figure.
Prometheus: both key roles Read carefully.
And yes, Wikipedia: The key here is to read the first two large sections (earliest versions and the Athenian tradition) to have an appreciation of how complex the myth was, with a range of variants and connections. Then drop down to read both about Percy Bysshe Shelley's play as well as what it says about Mary's use.
The cultural focus on the creation aspect of the Prometheus myth is also evident by Beethoven's ballet; be sure to click on the "But wait, there's more" button:
The Creatures of Prometheus
Clearly, though, be alert for the presumption (even arrogance?) indicated by the fire-stealing portion of the myth, as well as ethically ambiguous nature of this theft.
II. A backdrop on academia . . . VF's university really existed then, and German universities had the reputation of being the best and most demanding in Europe.
University of Ingolstadt: http://knarf.english.upenn.edu/V1notes/univers.html
And to follow up on our very brief (and over-generalized) class comments on the discipline of Natural Philosophy:
Natural Philosophy
Origin: http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/4202
Overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_philosophy
18th Century: http://etherwave.wordpress.com/2010/04/12/the-bounds-of-natural-philosophy-temporal-and-practical-frontiers-pt-2/ (Yes, feel free to skim)
III. Each of the preceding posts has directed your attention to a particular segment of the novel for review. Here are questions for the last section:
Chapters 11-15 (The creature is
speaking) [to be honest, I'm not sure if this is an exact repetion of something I've already linked on GoogleDrive, or if these are slightly different]
· The creature traces his life from its
inception—when he is rejected by Victor—to the rejection by the DeLaceys.
·
Know the steps in the awakening of his senses.
·
Explain the Creature’s discovery of fire.
·
Where exactly does he find to stay, and how does
his dwelling allow him to observer the DeLacey household?
·
What does he learn about family life from
watching these people? How does he show
his own generosity?
·
Know why Felix is unhappy, and pay close
attention to the Safie story. Know the
basic history of the family.
·
More important points: keep track of the creature’s education—what
and how does he learn? How does he learn
language? In Ch. 15, what books did he
read? Why these (as a plot device—where
did he find them?)? Why these (as
choices the author Shelley made that would fit the themes of her book)?
What does the Creature learn from these books?
·
Pay attention to the reasons for the creature’s
decision to make himself known to the DeLacey’s. Of course know how he proceeds, and what
happens.
·
Explain the Creature’s behavior after he is
rejected. Is it justifiable?
Chapter 16 (The creature is still
speaking)
·
Note the consideration of suicide.
·
Retrace the William/Justine story from the
creature’s point of view—be aware of the actual details he shares.
·
CONSIDER TWO BIG QUESTIONS:
o Who
or what is at fault for turning the creature into a “monster”?
o What
does Victor agree to do for the monster?
What are the pros and cons of this decision
Chapter 17-19
- Lots
of the language is closely paralled to Paradise Lost—note the
effects of hatred and rage on the creature, and pay attention to the use
of the word “fiend” and “fiendish.”
- Explain
Victor’s rationale for agreeing to the creature’s request for a mate.
- Returning
to Geneva, VF can’t get started on his “work,” and he has a conversation
with his father pertaining to Elizabeth.
What exactly does the father think is the cause of Victor’s malaise
(downhearted spirits)?
- Explain
the plan—what he shares with his father, what he doesn’t, and how Clerval
gets drawn into the whole thing.
- “But
in Clerval I saw the image of my former self”." Explain what VF means.
- Note
that the friends split up—who goes where?
What’s the plan for reuniting?
Chapters 20-22
- Scary
visit from the creature—why does Victor choose to destroy the companion
creature
he was making? in front of the creature/s very eyes?
- Study
the next conversation (a few hours later) closely; note and remember
exactly what threat the creature makes to VF.
- What
does Victor do with the body parts?
- Know
the essential outline of the jail episode.
- Who
washed up dead?
- Who
eventually arrives to tend Frankenstein through his illness and ultimately
bring him back to Switzerland? (Just know the general plot outline for
this section.)
- Explain
the gist of Elizabeth’s letter (Ch 22).
What promise does VF make to her concerning his rather odd,
detached, and distracted behavior?
- So
they head off on their honeymoon.
Remember what the creature had promised/threatened/warned. If you were Frankenstein, what would you
do?
Chapters 23-24
- Pay attention to Victor’s actions and decisions within the first page and a half of Ch. 22.
What’s wrong with this
picture? What was he THINKING?
- Explain his plea to the magistrate
- Victor is very low at the beginning of Ch. 24. What feeling/attitude/motive keeps him going?
- Explain exactly how Victor and the creature are alike at this point.
- Follow the broad outlines of the chase.
- And now the frame letters resume . . .
- What lesson is VF trying to teach Walton?
- Does Walton learn it? How do we know?
- Note the gist of Victor’s last words. What happens to him?
- And note the Creature’s final “soliloquy," Two pages later, Shelley is probably asking the reader for judgment.
- SO
what do you think? Do we have 2
monsters or 2 victims at the end of the book?
Have sound reasons for what you
think.
- What
does the creature say he’s going to do?
- How does hearing the story affect Robert Walton's plans?
On your own, continue to think through applications of the "bookmark thematic ideas" to the successive sections of the book. We will be turning our main class attention to Paradise Lost (for connections as well as experience in reading 17th century poetry by one of the Power 5 English poets).
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
TODAY IN CLASS
3rd--We started with Frankenstein, thinking about family values and the degree to which VF has absorbed them, which was good except for when the response to a very solid question took a decidedly odd turn (mea culpa, entirely). But we turned to the prompt, rubric, and sample responses to the 2010 Question 2; we will pick up (briefly) with the second and third sample scores, and then you will score your own essay.
4th--I thought we'd get the passage analysis work out of the way first and then turn to Frankenstein (staying on point). But the discussion of the essays, though good and useful, was more protracted than I expected, and so we aren't much behind on that, AAAnd we didn't do anything with the novel.
Sigh.
FOR TOMORROW
Homework: Look closely at the Creature's story. Use these questions to review the sensory, intellectual, and emotional awakening described:
3rd--We started with Frankenstein, thinking about family values and the degree to which VF has absorbed them, which was good except for when the response to a very solid question took a decidedly odd turn (mea culpa, entirely). But we turned to the prompt, rubric, and sample responses to the 2010 Question 2; we will pick up (briefly) with the second and third sample scores, and then you will score your own essay.
4th--I thought we'd get the passage analysis work out of the way first and then turn to Frankenstein (staying on point). But the discussion of the essays, though good and useful, was more protracted than I expected, and so we aren't much behind on that, AAAnd we didn't do anything with the novel.
Sigh.
FOR TOMORROW
Homework: Look closely at the Creature's story. Use these questions to review the sensory, intellectual, and emotional awakening described:
Chapters 10-17: The
Creature’s Story
1. Consider the
creature’s earliest development—the part most closely associated with
“infancy.” Trace his initial awareness .
. . to what else does it correspond?
2. What does the
creature learn from his first encounters with human beings? Are his conclusions valid or paranoid?
3. The whole cottage
section:
What are
the “natural instincts” that we become aware of?
What does
he value? What brings him pleasure?
How does
the creature learn . . .
language
to
read
what
humans value?
What else
supports his education?
What is the
significance of the whole Safie subplot?
I’m asking two things,
really: how is it important to the creature’s
development, and why is that
subplot important to the overall novel?
Summarize
(something like on yesterday’s quiz) the array of qualities we can
recognize
in the creature at this point.
How do you
think Shelley wants us to regard him at this stage?
4. What does the creature finally decide he must do, and
why?
5. What argument does
the creature offer in support of his demand?
Why? Is it a reasonable argument?
In the next sections—consider Victor’s initial and later
response to the creature’s demand.
Examine parallels between the creature’s situation and Victor’s own
circumstances in the latter part of the novel.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Happy New Year!
TODAY IN CLASS
We used the "bookmarks" to start organizing how specific thematic springboards operate in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein. The hardest part, actually, was to limit your thinking to how these topics affect the letters and first four chapters only, vs the rest of the book. Coverage was uneven, since discussion sprawled a bit from who said what first, but the idea is clear: make sure you understand how all of these concepts (except for Justice) are incorporated into the first section of the book.
We're tracking the following thematic ideas: Nature, Education, Parents/Children, Destiny, Justice, Knowledge, Friendship/Companionship.
Special note to 3rd: Look carefully at the last three paragraphs of Ch. 2 for the fuller explanation of how/why the tree blasted by lightening and the visiting "man of great research in natural philosophy" ALMOST but did not succeed in changing the immutable laws of destiny. (Class discussion was pretty shaky on this.)
An unnecessary crutch now, but potentially useful as you're reviewing next semester; without the Letters sections, Frankenstein is an incomplete story, and nearly any AP-worthy response needs to have firm command of them as well as of the usual "story" that begins with Ch. 1:
Notes on the Opening Letters
FOR TOMORROW
Not as to-be-turned-in homework, but as a self-check review of reading that might have been done on a plane, on a beach, or on a short break between the games or activities that occupied your time . . .
Frankenstein Review Questions Ch.1-10
Make sure that you're absolutely secure in the "what happens" as well as some of the (limited) critical thinking questions here, especially for Ch. 5-10, which we did not touch on today. Think through how the thematic ideas are significant in this part as well.
(If you haven't finished the book for whatever reason, just keep reading. Things will pile up badly if you are not absolutely finished by Wednesday.)
We used the "bookmarks" to start organizing how specific thematic springboards operate in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein. The hardest part, actually, was to limit your thinking to how these topics affect the letters and first four chapters only, vs the rest of the book. Coverage was uneven, since discussion sprawled a bit from who said what first, but the idea is clear: make sure you understand how all of these concepts (except for Justice) are incorporated into the first section of the book.
We're tracking the following thematic ideas: Nature, Education, Parents/Children, Destiny, Justice, Knowledge, Friendship/Companionship.
Special note to 3rd: Look carefully at the last three paragraphs of Ch. 2 for the fuller explanation of how/why the tree blasted by lightening and the visiting "man of great research in natural philosophy" ALMOST but did not succeed in changing the immutable laws of destiny. (Class discussion was pretty shaky on this.)
An unnecessary crutch now, but potentially useful as you're reviewing next semester; without the Letters sections, Frankenstein is an incomplete story, and nearly any AP-worthy response needs to have firm command of them as well as of the usual "story" that begins with Ch. 1:
Notes on the Opening Letters
FOR TOMORROW
Not as to-be-turned-in homework, but as a self-check review of reading that might have been done on a plane, on a beach, or on a short break between the games or activities that occupied your time . . .
Frankenstein Review Questions Ch.1-10
Make sure that you're absolutely secure in the "what happens" as well as some of the (limited) critical thinking questions here, especially for Ch. 5-10, which we did not touch on today. Think through how the thematic ideas are significant in this part as well.
(If you haven't finished the book for whatever reason, just keep reading. Things will pile up badly if you are not absolutely finished by Wednesday.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)