Mary's English 200

Exam prep: You can do it!

2010-05-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

Interpreter of Maladies

2010-05-24T08:52:00.001-07:00

1. Check books
2. Free write: Think of the role that photographs play in your life. Focus on one photograph and write about what moment in time it captures. Why is this moment significant to you? your family/friends? Be sure to comment on the nature and details of the moment (positive/negative, location, age, etc).
3. Chalk Talk with writing: share your best line.
4. Review of the major questions on identity and relate to story

What factors inform our identity and why?

What does it mean to be an “insider” versus an “outsider” in our world?

What does it mean to belong in a society or culture?

How does that belonging impact both the individual and society?

Mr Pirzada Comes to Dine

2010-05-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

1. Check books
2. Partition 1947
3. Indo-Pakastani War 1971

Free write
1. Can a person's national identity (and what does this mean? be sure to define it.) change with a change in physical boundaries?
2. In what ways has your identity changed in relation to physical boundaries?

Group Questions: find text evidence to support all answer
1. Who is the narrator? How old is she when she is narrating? How would you describe her tone? Her character?
2. In what ways does Lahiri express the extreme emotional state of Mr. Pirzada?
3. "Mr. Pirzada won't be coming today. More importantly, Mr. Pirzada is no longer considered Indian," my father announced, brushing salt from the cashews out of his trim black beard. "Not since Partition. Our country was divided. 1947." (25) What does this interpretation of what Mr Pirzada is and is not considered say about the conflict between national identity and geographical boundaries?
4. How does Lahiri create a cultural difference between Lilia and her parents? Between America and India?
5. Why does Lahiri use Halloween in this story? How might it exemplify difference and the idea of belonging?
6. What is the reader to make of Lilia's prayers for Mr. Pirzada and her ritual with the candies?
7. Who is the interpreter of maladies in this story? (Question inspired by Claire Fox!)

A Temporary Matter

2010-05-17T11:02:00.000-07:00

1. Check books
2. Free write: What is an interpreter of maladies? Why chose this as a title? Break down the words and think about how they work together.
3. Jhumpa Lahiri
4. Bengali Culture/History

Some Group Questions
5. Who is the narrator? About whom do we know more, Shoba or Shukumar?
6. How does Lahiri use language to separate Shoba and Shukumar? Think about connotations of words and phrases.
7. In what way does Lahiri reunite Shukumar and Shoba? How does culture play a role in their reunion? What does that say about culture's role in our identity? our identity in terms of others? Think about their relationship to India.
8. How does Lahiri reverse the connotations of light and dark? Why does she do this? How does this reversal lead to revelation?
9. What does confessing a mistake or secret do for Shukumar and Shoba? What is Shoba looking for in the game? What does that reveal to the reader about her character?
10. What's the significance of the title? What is the temporary matter? Think outside the box. There are many answers.
11. Major themes of the story?

Part 3 (cont) & 4

2010-05-09T21:27:00.001-07:00

Check books and then ...

Part 2 (con't)
BIG QUESTION: What is the point of the last section after the break on p. 34?

Part 3
1. In what way is the content of Part 3 different than that of Part 2? Come up with examples from the text to support your ideas.
2. In what way does her tone reflect her argument?
3. Why does she start the essay the way she does?
4. Look at the sequence of Part 1, 2 and 3. Look at how she progresses in her argument and tone. Find specific examples to support your ideas.
5. What is the logic in the progression of her ideas and points?
6. Tone: how does her tone work as a device to make her point? How does her tone help her accomplish her purpose?

Part 4
THE BIG QUESTION: What exactly is Kincaid's ultimate point?

Class responses

A Small Place Part 2 (con't)

2010-05-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

Check books and then ...

Part 2
1. How is this part different from the first part? Look at content and tone. Use evidence to support your ideas.
2. Break up into three groups and share answers (I will type answers on blog)

p.27-30: What differences is the narrator highlighting here and why?
p. 30-34: What is the point of bring up the Queen and the princess?
p. 34: What is the paragraph about racism all about?

Class responses

BIG QUESTION: What is the point of the last section after the break on p. 34?

SUPER BIG QUESTION: What are the point, tone, and purpose of Part 1 and Part 2?

A Small Place Parts 1

2010-05-03T13:23:00.001-07:00

Check books.

Let's learn a bit about Antigua.

Part 1
1. What is the importance of the point of view? Purpose of second person/use of second person?
2. What is tone? Let's look at the SAS triangle!!
3. Who is the narrator?
4. What is the purpose of her use of parenthesis and questions marks? How do these pieces of punctuation help convey her tone?
5. What is the narrator's point in discussing the hospital and the library?
6. p. 13: what is the narrator saying about tourists?
BIG QUESTION: What does identity have to do with this first section? What about belonging?

Jump for an essay!

2010-04-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

Here's the ESSAY!

You love it! You love it! You love essays!

Keeping Fit ... the final story

2010-04-18T15:58:00.000-07:00

Check books & vocab ... and there's lots of vocab.
Themes for Moment Before the Gun Went Off & Keeping Fit

Let's get down to the reading.
1. What is the nature of the relationship between the woman and the white man? Find evidence to support.
2. What happens literally and figuratively in their relationship and why?
3. When the protagonist returns home, what has changed about him and why?
4. What is his relationship like with his family and wife—has it changed?
5. Over what is he conflicted and why? Name them ALL.
6. What is the symbolism of the bird?

The BIG PICTURE: It's easy to see how the struggle between discrete races perpetuate division; however, in what specific way do the stories "Keeping Fit" and "What Were You Dreaming"/"Some Area Born to Sweet Delight"/"Moment Before the Gun Went Off" illustrate a deeper, more insidious (subtle) division among people of the same race and why? What exactly do these characters not understand about the situation in South Africa?

The Moment Before the Gun Went Off

2010-04-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

To start: (10 min) What did you learn about Van der Vyver the second time reading this story? How did the story change the second time?

The narrator
1. Who is the narrator and what is the narrator’s attitude towards white Afrikaner ruling party, to blacks, and to Europeans?
2. What do these attitudes tell us about why people are divided in SA and in our larger world, maybe regardless of race?

Van der Vyver
1. What does the action of his crying in the police station suggest to us? Are you surprised by this reaction—why or why not? Does this make him more likable—why or why not?
2. What do we learn about him by his action at the funeral?
3. What does it show us in the description “he does not let her clothing, or that of anyone else gathered closely make contact with him’ (116). How does this moment contrast with “The farmer carried him in his arms, to the truck. He was sure, sure he could not be dead. But the young black man’s blood was all over the farmer’s clothes, soaking against his flesh as he drove” (117)? What do we learn about Van der Vyver?

The moment
1. What exactly was the moment like for Lucas and Van der Vyver before the gun went off? What does this say about their relationship? p 116-117
2. Why is this moment compared to the moment that he and Lucas’s mom share at the funeral? What does it suggest to us about their relationship? p 116

To close: 1. In what way is this story about difference? About misconception? 2. What is the more tragic element of this short story in your mind?

Jump stories: Making connections

2010-04-13T08:23:00.001-07:00

Part 1. We do need to fill in theme ideas for Terraloyna, so if you could brainstorm themes for this story and hand them in to me, I will fill in the sheet accordingly.

Part 2. We are almost done with our Jump reading (we have only one more new story to read), so as we approach our final writing assignment I'd like you to look over the themes we have come up with and find connections between the stories. In other words, the final essay will ask you to make some argument about how a theme is expressed in three different stories. As for making the connections, please post your ideas here so we all can learn from your brilliance. Be specific in nature and grounded in the text.

Writing about re-reading: The Second Time

2010-04-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

Overarching question to keep in mind:
How do you as a reader bring a different self to a body of work at different times in your life?

For this in-class writing, I ask you to address all of the following questions in a well thought out response (1 1/2 - double spaced, no more than one page). Please do not simply answer the questions one after another. The questions posed are meant to build on one another so you think deeply about not only who you were when you first experienced your novel but also what the novel meant to you.

I suggest you do some brainstorming before you start writing. Maybe answer each of the questions and then see how you can weave those answer into a cohesive and comprehensive response. This is NOT a SPA structured writing. This is personal writing. You can use I, you can be more casual, but you still want to have a solid structure and purpose.

The Facts

Title & author of the book.
How old were you when you previously read this book?
Where were you when you read this book?
What time of year did you read this?
Did you read this book for pleasure or for school? If for school, what grade and what teacher assigned it? If for pleasure, who suggested you read it?
What was going on in your life while you were reading this book?
Have you ever recommended this book to anyone else?
Have you ever shared your passion for this book with anyone else?

The impressions

What made you choose to re-read this book?
What is your dominant impression/strongest memory from when you last read this book?
How have you changed since the last time you read this book?
Do you expect the book to be different? better? worse? more/less interesting?
What impressions of the book do you hope remain the same?
What impressions of the book might change?

Feel free to incorporate other information. The more thoroughly you respond to these questions, the more material you will have to work with when we revisit them at the end of your reading.

When you are done with this, please proceed to the next activity on the blog: Making Connections.

Teraloyna

2010-03-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

1. Check books.
2. Vocab challenge
3. Let's get to the reading:

Teraloyna:

This is the story of the multiracial inhabitants of an island in the Indian Ocean confronting change when they come in contact with South African mainlanders.
Is the narrator an insider or an outsider? And, an insider/outsider to what community?
How would you describe the tone?
Is the expression of the "us and them" dichotomy a dominant culture idea? Does a minority perpetuate the dichotomy as well? Or is this dichotomy based on an insider/outsider paradigm?
What is Gordimer asserting about the ideas of a multiracial culture? In what ways is she playing with the utopian ideas often presented with a one race idea?
What greater commentary is Gordimer making about humans? How does she make her ideas accessible?

Comrades Writing Con't

2010-03-24T09:38:00.001-07:00

1. Check books
2. Review vocab
3. Get into groups according to essay topic.

Read and comment on each essay. Find 3 things you love! Find 3 things the writer needs to work on.
Pull together all your ideas and write an outline for the Super Essay! This should contain a well written thesis, two pieces of textual evidence, clear and concise analysis (ok to be in notes form) and a concluding idea. Really work on the concluding idea and take it to the big picture.

Comrades

2010-03-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

1. Check books
2. Review vocab
3. Let's get writing

You will be assigned 1 of 4 in-class writing topics. You will have 45 minutes to execute this essay. All essays must follow the SPA format, include textual evidence, and consist of one (maybe two, but one is surely fabulous enough) awesome, confident, well thought out paragraph.
After the allotted time, you will break up into small groups. Each group will have one essay on each topic in the group. You will read each other's work and comment on strengths and weaknesses.
After you have worked in small groups, we will come together as a large group and discuss.

Topics to write about:

What is the significance of the title?
What are the greatest differences that separate Hattie and the young men?
In what way is the woman, Hattie, conflicted? In other words, in what ways is Hattie struggling on the "woman versus self" level?
What is the point of view and what the effects of it? Keep in mind the narrator.

Re-reading Writing Part 2

2010-03-15T13:31:00.001-07:00

You have finished your novel. You have experienced it as a different reader, a different self than the last time. Now it's time to reflect.

Here's the the overarching question: How do you as a reader bring a different self to a body of work at different times in your life?

Keeping that main question in mind, here are a new set of questions to guide your writing:
1. In what ways did the book remain the same?
2. In what ways did the book change?
3. What is the dominant impression you've taken away from the book this time? How does that impression compare to when you previously read the book?
4. What did you notice that you didn't notice before? Did you see something — a character, a conflict, a detail — that you previously missed?
5. Was the experience of reading the book different since you already knew the outcome? Could you more easily focus on the language? Was the process less stressful?

How are you going to answer these questions? Good question.

Respond in no more than 1 page (this doesn't mean 1 line or 2 lines over; it means ONE PAGE!), 1.5 or double spacing, 12 point Times, 1" margins
Your response should be clear, concise, well structure and move beyond simply answering the questions.
Tell your reader a story about this experience.
You can use "I".
You can get as personal as you like, but think about how all of your answers work together; find the common thread, and use that to tie it all together.
Think about your purpose. What's one point you want your reader to take away and focus all of your paragraphs to that one idea.
You can do it!

My Father Leaves Home

2010-03-09T14:11:00.000-08:00

1. Check books and vocab.

2. Ultimate Safari, again

Now let's examine at the tone: look closely at the descriptions, and remember that diction creates tone.
How is the title ironic?
What effect does the lack of dialogue have on the story? How does this connect to Elie Weisel's Night?

3. My Father Leaves Home

Kaffir
Who are the narrators? Notice the two different narrators? Are they related? If so, how? Insiders? Outsiders?
What is the significance of the title?
During the 3rd person perspective narration, how is the language of difference expressed?
In what ways does Gordimer parallel the idea of "leaving home" in both narrators?

Ultimate Safari

2010-03-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

1. Check books. No vocab!!

2. Let's look at Mozambique. Where the heck is it?

And where is that park, Kruger National Park? Kruger Park: popular national reserve in Northeast SA that's a popular tourist attraction destination for rich foreigners that want the "ultimate safari" experience.

3. Now, some facts:

The Renamo: a group that tried to overthrow the Marxist government (Marxism: basis and theory for communism; goals: classless society in which all people are equal but there is a leading elite but that elite got nothing for leading -- think more socialist than communist) in Mozambique. South Africa funded much of the Remano work.
1970s-1980s: South Africa funded and supported a lot of destabilization efforts in neighboring countries because whites had been thrown from power (except for SA).
Estimated that the Renamo raids killed some 1 million people and forced the exodus of thousands of poor villagers

4. Some questions/things to ponder:

Let's examine the diction of the narrator: look closely at the language used and tell me what you can discern about the narrator. Who is she? How do you know? Be careful not to jump to any conclusions.

Once Upon A Time

2010-03-05T08:03:00.000-08:00

1. Check books and review vocab

2. What were you dreaming continued:

Read the last section aloud. Significance of the title comes into focus. What does it mean? What does it signify?
The final line: what lasting impression does it leave the reader with? What does it reveal about the woman?
What themes are present in this story?

3. Once upon an in-class writing:

What I'm looking for

A rough draft
A clear and crisp thesis
Cohesive and varied sentences
A logical and organized structure that shows you are going somewhere with your ideas
Evidence that comes in the form of direct citation OR paraphrase
Remember: this is a short (much shorter) in-class response. Think of this as a mini-writing on the spectrum of the work you've produced this year. You can do it!

Looking back at the text, in what ways does Gordimer hint at the eventual outcome of the story? In other words, in what ways is the ending predictable?

What were you dreaming?

2010-03-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

1. Check books and vocab.
2. What is a skollie?
3. During the first narrator's retelling, in what ways does Gordimer use sentence structure and diction to reveal the narrator's social and racial identity?
4. The narrator says, "And I'm careful what I say, I tell them about the blacks, how too many people spoil it for us, they robbing and killing, you can't blame white people," (214). Can we trust the narrator? Why or why not? Keep in mind the narrator's intention and needs.
5. Group Areas Act. Resettlement Act. Orderly Movement and Settlement of Black Persons.
6. "Beside him, she's withdrawn as the other ... Become like her. Complicity is the only understanding" (220). What discover has the man made? How do we know? What does this reveal about the woman?

Tsotsi Essay

2010-02-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

Here is the essay information.

Please check the syllabus for the homework and due date.

Tsotsi Day 7: The end ....

2010-02-04T08:49:00.000-08:00

1. Review vocabulary

2. Cry real tears because Tsotsi is dead. And the novel is over. And class is just not worth coming to if Tsotsi and the baby and the Talisman and symbolism aren't around anymore ....

3. Boston & Tsotsi: then and now .... Looking closely at the chosen passages, in what ways has Fugard used Boston as an indicator of Tsotsi's transformation?

4. State of grace: The idea of grace involves forgiveness, salvation, regeneration, repentance and the love of God. Other words may also convey the theme of grace.

Using only Chpt 12, find evidence that the novel ends with Tsotsi dying in a state of grace.
Insider's tip: Isaiah was a prophet who lived in Jerusalem; according to Jewish tradition he came from royal stock. Famous for saying, "Yahweh is salvation." Yahweh is another name for God.

G block: Words 76-81

2010-02-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

Please post the word, the part of speech and the definition that is in line with that of the book. That means you should look at the word IN the book and find the single, solitary, only definition that works in the sentence from the book. And don't forget to include your name.

F block: Vocab words 76-81

2010-02-02T13:26:00.001-08:00

Tsotsi Day 6

2010-02-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

1. Review Vocabulary

2. Close reading p. 149-150. In what ways does the structure of this passage parallel the revelation Tsotsi is going through? Think: Significance of this passage? How does it show the change in Tsotsi? What is he learning about himself? What are we learning about him? Look closely at the language.

3. Taking on a new name: in the Bible, other historical documents, literature and life, taking on a new name signifies a rebirth. Tsotsi transitions from David to Tsotsi. What is the significance of Tsotsi taking on a few new names as he transitions from his home life to his street life? What conclusions can we draw about each character knowing more about his Biblical history?

4. Miriam & Moses: Where can we find parallels in Tsotsi. There are many and they are layered.

G block vocab: Words 65-75

2010-01-31T20:36:00.003-08:00

F block Vocab: Words 65-75

2010-01-31T20:36:00.001-08:00

In-class writing 1.29.10

2010-01-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

In a well thought our response, please address one of the following questions. You are allowed to review the questions as posted on Tsotsi Day 4 and Tsotsi Day 5.

Question #1: In what ways has Fugard created Morris as a parallel to Tsotsi? In other words, how is Morris similar to Tsotsi, and why is that significant?

Question #2: What is the SYMBOLIC significance of Tsotsi’s “talisman” shift from the knife to the baby? In what ways does this shift change Tsotsi and how we, the reader, know know and understand him?

Your response must include
1. Introduction
2. At least ONE body paragraph
3. Please bold or underline your thesis statement.

A good introduction should include
1. A “hook” that engages your reader – some sort of provocative quotation or question or claim
2. The name and author of the work you are discussing
3. A brief description of whatever basic information—about the text, the author, and/or the topic—readers will need to follow the argument
4. A clear, specific, and arguable thesis statement
5. A blueprint phrase or sentence that explains how you will go about proving your argument (i.e. a suggestion of how your essay will be organized)

SPA: Writing an Effective Analytical Paragraph, by Eugenie Chan

Topic Sentence: The paragraph’s thesis.
Transition: Guide your reader to your first idea.
First Main Idea: Supports your thesis.
Context: Introduces quote or summary sentence or phrase that indicates the situation from which the quote was taken.
Evidence: The quote or paraphrase (with author and page number in parentheses at the end of the quote).
Analysis: Interpret the quote. State why this quote proves the topic sentence. Get to the so what.
Transition: Provide another guide or link to second idea.
Second Main Idea
Context for second quote.
Second quote or paraphrase.
Analysis of second quote.
Commentary: Relate topic back to larger thesis of paper. Think thematic connections to the text as a whole.

F block Notes: 1.28.10

2010-01-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Olivia ... AGAIN!

F Block notes: 1.25.10

2010-01-27T08:47:00.001-08:00

Thank you, Olivia L! Here are the thesis statements from last class.

G block: Board Notes from 1.25.10

2010-01-26T12:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Andrew for these pics!

Tsotsi Day 5

2010-01-25T14:34:00.001-08:00

Review Vocabulary

Writing Topic #2

1. Let's look at the second catalyst for Tsotsi's transformation: Morris Tshabalala. Tsotsi's encounter with Morris has a profound effect on Tsotsi, and it's important to figure out why and how Fugard creates the significance. Reread the following passage describing Morris's life and mindset. In a clear and thoughtful response address:

In what ways has Fugard created Morris as a parallel to Tsotsi? In other words, how is Morris similar to Tsotsi, and why is that significant?

Passage

"He was halfway down the street when he stopped to rest. He examined his hands first, feeling one with the other, and the parts where his blackened nails made a hard, rasping sound on the calluses of too much work, feeling nothing in either. The silence was sweet, melting like butter on his sore thoughts. There were no reminders of the past or mirrors of the present. He looked back the way he had come ... From time to time the dust and litter rose and turned balletically before falling back like the last survivors of an orgy. It had been a busy day," (Fugard 78-80).

Use the close reading guidelines and write a thesis with your group. We will workshop the thesis statements and then, if time permits, move to crafting an introduction to this question.

A good introduction should include:

1. A “hook” that engages your reader – some sort of provocative quotation or question or claim
2. The name and author of the work you are discussing
3. A brief description of whatever basic information—about the text, the author, and/or the topic—readers will need to follow the argument
4. A clear, specific, and arguable thesis statement
5. A blueprint phrase or sentence that explains how you will go about proving your argument (i.e. a suggestion of how your essay will be organized)

Here’s a model introduction paragraph — thanks Nicole!
Herman Melville and Fyodor Dostoevsky, both writing in the nineteenth century, explored in their fiction the nature of man. Melville, in his story, “Bartelby the Scrivener,” and Dostoevsky, in his prose manifesto, “Notes from the Underground,” focus on two very different “modern men” who were unhappy with their lives. Although Bartelby and the Underground Man are both alienated from their society, they suffer their alienation in radically different ways: Bartelby gradually withdraws from all human contact in an attempt to fade into the background of life, while the Underground Man rages against the world because he feels he has already faded out of existence.

For Friday's In-class Writing
1. You will be offered the choice of writing about either Monday's question or Wednesday's question.
2. You will be asked to write an introductory paragraph and at least one body paragraph.
3. You will be allowed to come to class with the following:

No more than ONE sheet of paper, Times 12 point font, double spaced. Notes must be in hard copy form. Electronic versions will NOT be accepted.
A prepared thesis statement
Evidence for your argument

4. You may NOT use your books.
5. Your vocab quiz will contain only fifteen words. What fifteen words? You'll have to wait and see.

G block: Vocab words 51-64

2010-01-25T10:40:00.001-08:00

F block: Vocab words 51-64

2010-01-25T10:39:00.001-08:00

Tsotsi Day 4

2010-01-24T20:54:00.000-08:00

Review Vocabulary

From prior class

2. The Talisman

When we first meet Tsotsi, he has three hard and fast rules: “The first was the rule of working in the moment” (35), specifically seeing and working with his knife. We learn that “he, Tsotsi, knew himself and his dark purpose, and everything was all right. The knife was not only his weapon, but also a fetish, a talisman that conjured away bad spirits and established him securely in his life” (36). Yet, strangely, after being “given” the baby, Tsotsi remarkably takes the baby as his new “talisman”(59).
Big question: What is the SYMBOLIC significance of Tsotsi’s “talisman” shift from the knife to the baby? In what ways does this shift change Tsotsi and how we, the reader, know know and understand him?
Working in groups, I'd like you to come up with a thesis statement and evidence to support your claim. We will then share thesis statements and discuss the topic more completely as a class.

F block: Words 47-50

2010-01-24T20:52:00.003-08:00

Sorry this was late ...

Please post the word, the part of speech and the definition that is in line with that of the book. That means you should look at the word IN the book and find the single, solitary, only definition that works in the sentence from the book. And don't forget to include your name.

G block: Words 47-50

2010-01-24T20:52:00.001-08:00

Tsotsi Day 3

2010-01-19T10:22:00.001-08:00

Review Vocabulary

From prior class
4. Using pages 34-41, look for passages that relate to Tsotsi's identity. How does Tsotsi identify himself? What is meaningful to him? Who does he see himself as? How does he see himself in relation to the world?
5. Let's talk briefly about the woman who gives away the baby. What do we know about her?

From last night's reading
1. Who is David?

The second king of Israel
ancestor, forerunner, and foreshadower of Jesus Christ
Killed the Philistine champion Goliath.
Spread his influence more widely than previous king.
Brought the arc of the covenant (vessel for 10 commandments) to a special tabernacle in Jerusalem, therefore laying the foundations for the later significance of the city
But big sin: committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged to have her husband (Uriah) killed. He repented, but was later used as an example of how sin spoils God's will.
Son Absalom died in a bloody rebellion. The family bloodline was tainted because of David's adultery, and ran long after his death.
Jews saw in David the kingly ideal of the image in which they looked for the coming Messiah, who did appear in David's family tree.

What is the symbolism in Tsotsi's real name? What parallels can we draw between Tsotsi and David?

Symbol: anything that stands for or represents something else BEYOND it.

--Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms

2. The Talisman

When we first meet Tsotsi, he has three hard and fast rules: “The first was the rule of working in the moment” (35), specifically seeing and working with his knife. We learn that “he, Tsotsi, knew himself and his dark purpose, and everything was all right. The knife was not only his weapon, but also a fetish, a talisman that conjured away bad spirits and established him securely in his life” (36). Yet, strangely, after being “given” the baby, Tsotsi remarkably takes the baby as his new “talisman”(59).
Big question: What is the SYMBOLIC significance of Tsotsi’s “talisman” shift from the knife to the baby? In what ways does this shift change Tsotsi and how we, the reader, know know and understand him?
Working in groups, I'd like you to come up with a thesis statement and evidence to support your claim. We will then share thesis statements and discuss the topic more completely as a class.

F block: Vocab words 38-46

2010-01-19T10:14:00.001-08:00

G Block: Vocab Words 38-46

2010-01-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

Writing about re-reading

2010-01-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

Overarching question to keep in mind:
How do you as a reader bring a different self to a body of work at different times in your life?

For this in-class writing, I ask you to address all of the following questions in a well thought out paragraph or two. Please do not simply answer the questions one after another. The questions posed are meant to build on one another so you think deeply about not only who you were when you first experienced your novel but also what the novel meant to you.

I suggest you do some brainstorming before you start writing. Maybe answer each of the questions and then see how you can weave those answer into a cohesive and comprehensive response. This is NOT a SPA structured writing. This is personal writing. You can use I, you can be more casual, but you still want to have a solid structure and purpose.

The Facts

Title & author of the book.
How old were you when you previously read this book?
Where were you when you read this book?
What time of year did you read this?
Did you read this book for pleasure or for school? If for school, what grade and what teacher assigned it? If for pleasure, who suggested you read it?
What was going on in your life while you were reading this book?
Have you ever recommended this book to anyone else?
Have you ever shared your passion for this book with anyone else?

The impressions

What made you choose to re-read this book?
What is your dominant impression/strongest memory from when you last read this book?
How have you changed since the last time you read this book?
Do you expect the book to be different? better? worse? more/less interesting?
What impressions of the book do you hope remain the same?
What impressions of the book might change?

Feel free to incorporate other information. The more thoroughly you respond to these questions, the more material you will have to work with when we revisit them at the end of your reading.

Tsotsi: Day 2

2010-01-13T10:58:00.000-08:00

Review vocabulary

From prior class
3. Gumboot Dhlamini: How does Fugard develop Gumboot's story? Why does Fugard develop his story so completely?

From last night's reading
1. Form analysis: what effect does the repetition of "You could drink" have on the tone of the opening of chapter 2? What is Fugard trying to tell us about the culture of the township?
2. Close reading at p.20, paragraph beginning: "Tsotsi hated the questions for a profound but simple reason. ... He was as old as tht moment, and his name was the name, in a way, of all men."
3. Close reading at p. 31, bottom paragraph ("He didn't stop again until ... "), through p. 33, top two lines (... as distant echoes of those around them.")
4. Look for passages that relate to Tsotsi's identity. How does Tsotsi identify himself? What is meaningful to him? Who does he see himself as?

G block: Vocab words 24-37

2010-01-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

Word, definition, and don't forget your name.

F block: vocab words 24-37

2010-01-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

Word, definition, and don't forget your name.

Tsotsi Day 1

2010-01-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

Review vocabulary.

Important info from the intro:
South Africa
1. 1913 Land Act appropriated 77% of the country for white use
2. 1948: white voters elected the Afrikaner Nationalist Party, which employed apartheid practices.
3. Apartheid (pic 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) restricted the movement, work, rights of the black majority. Apartheid lasted until 1991 when Nelson Mandela was elected president of the ANC: African National Congress.

Fugard/Tsotsi
1. Theme central to his work: "the struggle of people trapped in bonds of family, love or dependency, oppressed by systems to which they lack the keys of analysis or insight."
2. Idea central to his work: "The effect of its (apartheid) regime of humiliation, he suggested, was to abort hope and drive the persecuted to turn on those lower down the survival chain."
3. Where identity comes in: ... yet Tsotsi knows nothing of himself, not name nor age nor origins. Shorn of history, he has no identity, and when he thinks of himself he thinks of darkness. How does one reach an accommodation with such an entity? Initially Fugard implies that it cannot be done; his character appears to have no point of human access, like the malevolent system that created him."

Points for Discussion
1. Compare the descriptive language used to introduce Tsotsi, Boston, Die Aap, and Butcher. How do the descriptions differ? What are we to think of this gang of males? How do these males symbolize pieces of the South African society?
2. Close reading of passage on bottom of p.6 to top of p.7. How does this balance with the descriptions with the males?
3. Gumboot Dhlamini: How does Fugard develop Gumboot's story? Why does Fugard develop his story so completely?

F Block Vocab Words 1-23

2010-01-10T08:52:00.001-08:00

Please post the word #, word, part of speech and the definition.

G Block Vocab words 1-23

2010-01-08T12:04:00.000-08:00

Please post the word #, word, part of speech and the definition.

Welcome Second Semester!

2010-01-07T20:51:00.000-08:00

1. Let's talk about re-reading some books.

2. Now, let's move on to Tsotsi .... who? But first some terms to discuss: conflict, negotiation, forgiveness. What do these words mean in society? What do they mean in terms of our identity?

Exam Essay Review

2009-12-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

F block

G block

Some reminders:

Have a solid thesis for each essay question.
Prepare evidence that might work for two or more questions.
Use the thesis handout to perfect and refine your thesis BEFORE the exam.
The 1-page sheet must be double spaced, 1" margins, 12 pt size type — no exceptions.

Good luck! Relax. You'll be amazing. Get some good sleep this week. Stay hydrated. Eat well.

Review Homework

2009-12-11T09:03:00.001-08:00

On Friday's class, we worked on preparing a review sheet for all of the short stories and novels we've read.

Here are the review sheets: F block & G block. You are more than welcome to look at and use both.

For Monday's class, please start crafting your thesis statements for the essay portion of the exam. We will go over the different essential questions and the exam essay.

Exam review material

2009-12-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

Here it is!

We will go over this sheet on Friday and Monday.

Please make sure you bring your reader, Night, and Things Fall Apart to class on Friday and Monday.

Letter Writing Fun!

2009-11-27T15:25:00.000-08:00

Letter Writing Assignment

Let's get into character

Letter examples 1, Farewell, last letter, looting Crystal Night, Saving Jews,

Date	In English Class	Homework
Tues. 12/1	Introduce letter writing project Read some letters Character Bio	Begin writing letter. It is DUE at the end of Thursday's class.
Thurs. 12/3 COMPUTER LAB	Letter due at end of class	Create a list of 12-15 major characters we've encountered this semester. Be sure to note what story/novel each character was in and why each character is important.
Mon. 12/7	Film: Life is Beautiful	Create a list of 8-10 major themes we've encountered this semester. Be sure each theme is linked to a story/novel.
Wed. 12/9	Film: Life is Beautiful	Begin prep for final exams

Night ends

2009-11-24T21:35:00.000-08:00

Free write
Identity. Memory. Witness. Messenger. What do these words mean in the context of Night?

Discussion
1. How do the prisoners struggle to maintain their identity under extraordinary conditions?
2. Eliezer recalls the story of three fathers and three sons. Why? How do these stories affect the way he reacts to his father's illness? To his father's death?
3. Why is it important to Eliezer to remember? To tell you his story? Look at the last two lines.

Bearing Witness NYT

Wins Nobel NYT

'Has Germany ever asked us to forgive? To my knowledge, no such plea was ever made. With whom am I to speak about forgiveness? I, who don't believe in collective guilt. Who am I to believe in collective innocence?' Elie Wiesel; chairman of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, during his first vist to Germany since his release almost 40 years ago from the Buchenwald concentration camp. January 26, 1986.

Night marches on

2009-11-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

Free-write: The committee that created the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. is erecting two new monuments, and you have been asked to select one quotation from Night for the monument that represents Auschwitz-Birkenau. What quotation would you select? I ask you not only to identify the quotation you would use, but also explain why you chose it.

General questions:
1. The reader experiences Wiesel's anger not at the Germans but at his faith. What does this anger suggest about the depths of his faith? How have the experiences at Auschwitz affect his faith?
2. How has Wiesel's relationship with his father changed? What has each come to represent to the other?
3. The choiceless choice: do Wiesel and his father make the right choice in leaving the infirmary? How does the decision help us understand why many survivors attribute their survival to luck? Wiesel clearly knows the fate of the infirmary patients. Would you want to know this kind of information after making such a difficult decision?
4. Biblical references: Job, Last judgment, Adam & Eve, Noah, Sodom.

How the memoir is crafted:
1. Why do you think Elie Wiesel tells this story in the first person perspective? If Night were written in the third person, would it be more or less believable.
2. Night is written in short, simple sentences. Critics call this kind of writing "controlled." Every word has been carefully chosen for precise meaning. How does this style of writing compare with Wiesel's experiences in the concentration camps?

Videos:
1. Elie Wiesel at Buchenwald, 6/09
2. Twins story of survival
3. Auschwitz Album
4. Young girl's story of survival

Night continues

2009-11-18T17:53:00.000-08:00

Free write: You have been asked to write Elie Weisel a letter. What questions would you ask him about the book so far or about the violence and hatred he describes. What would you want him to know about you as a person? Remember, a letter begins with a greeting (Dear, To whom it may concern) and ends with a formal closing (sincerely, yours truly, all the best). We'll spend about 15 minutes writing.

A closer look
p. 29 — final moment with mother. How does Weisel express regret in this moment? How does this moment redefine his relationship with his father? How does this moment redefine Elie's identity?

p. 33 — walking to possible death. What does this moment reveal about Elie's self? What does it tell the reader about his beliefs?

p. 65 — That night, the soup tasted of corpses. What has changed in Elie? How does he see himself in society differently now?

Photos & text
"Men to the left. Women to the right," (29). Interior gas chamber.

"My heart was about to burst. There. I was face-to-face with the Angel of Death," (34). Dr. Mengele was stationed in Auschwitz in early 1941. He judged the fate of many people, but his real passion was for twins. He felt her could learn about genetics if he studied (tortured) one twin. He documented much of his work with photographs.

"He had been forced to place his own father's body into the furnace," (35). corpses. This is a disturbing image.

"Our clothes were to be thrown on the floor at the back of the barrack. There was a pile there already. New suits, old ones, torn overcoats, rags," (35)

"Their clippers tore out our hair, shaved every hair on our bodies," (35).

"Work or crematorium—the choice is yours," (39). Ovens.

Rings, silverware taken by the nazis. Women's barracks, empty barracks, bunks at liberation.

"At six o-clock in the afternoon: roll call," (43).

"As we were passing through some of the villages, many Germans watched us, showing no surprise. No doubt they have seen quite a few of these processions ... " (46). Truck full. This is a disturbing image.

"We struck up a conversation with our neighbors, the musicians. Almost all of them were Jews. Juliek, a Pole with eyeglasses and a cynical smile in a pale face, " (49).

"My father had never served in the military and could not march in step. But here, whenever we moved from one place to another, it was in step," (55).

"Ten thousand caps came off at once," (61).

"Then came the march past the victims," (64). The latter picture is disturbing.

Night falls

2009-11-17T08:43:00.000-08:00

Identity. Memory. Witness. Messenger.

These are the key concepts to keep in mind while reading Night.

Free write: You are either 1. a member of Eliezer's family (mom, dad, sisters), 2. Moishe the Beadle, 3. other Jews in Sighet, or 4. the Germans. How would you describe Eliezer?

What shapes Eliezer's identity (find specific passages for each question)
1. How does Eliezer identify himself?
2. What role does Moishe the Beadle play in his life?
3. How important is religion to the way Eliezer defines his life?

Knowing, madness and belief
1. Compare Moishe the Beadle to Madame Schachter. Are they mad? prophets? witnesses?

How the story is told
1. Why do you think Elie Wiesel begins Night with the story of Moishe the Beadle?
2. What lessons does the narrator seem to learn from Moishe's experience in telling his own story?
3. What do you think Elie Wiesel tells this story in the first person perspective? If Night were written in the third person, would it be more or less believable.
4. The word night is a key word in this first section (the entire book, as well). What does the word mean in the first few chapters?

Photos

Early discrimination against Jews: no streetcar use. Pic 2. Pic 3. Pic 4. Pic 5.

Deportation of Jews. Pic 2. Pic 3. Pic 4 —Kristallnacht.

Life in the ghetto. Ghettos across Europe.

German Soldiers Guarding Jews

What Moishe saw. This image is disturbing.

Firing squads that Moishe mentioned. This image is disturbing.

Arriving at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Entrance gate.

Auschwitz child photo

Auschwitz-Birkenau aerial photo

Night — The Beginning

2009-11-13T09:11:00.001-08:00

What is the relationship between our stories and our identity?
To what extent are we all witnesses to history and messengers to humanity?

"Never shall I forget that night, the first night in the camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever…Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never." — Elie Wiesel, Night

The word Holocaust is taken from the greek words holos (whole) and kaustos (burnt). It's also known as The Shoah (a Hebrew word that means catastrophe, calamity, destruction). THe term Holocaust wasn't used until the 1950s.

Approximately 6 million European Jews were exterminated under the Nazi regime led by Adolph Hitler. Millions of other people were systematically killed by the Nazis as well (Catholics, homosexuals, disabled people, Polish, Romanians, and other political and religious opponents), so many believe the total number of lives lost is between 11-17 million. The genocide was carried out in systematic waves beginning in the early 1930s.

Brief Holocaust timeline

Voices of those who escaped

Elie Weisel — This I Believe

Who is a Jew?

What does it mean to bear witness? What we are about to read is Weisel's attempt to expose what happened to him and others, his attempt to make the event live on beyond his lifetime.

Memoir vs autobiography

TFA — Final Writing

2009-11-03T16:22:00.000-08:00

Yippie! It's here, the final writing assignment for TFA!

Thesis handout

Be sure to check syllabus for writing timeline.

Foreshadowing Homework— post here

2009-11-02T09:46:00.000-08:00

Share your brilliance with the class.

TFA Day 10: It's all apart

2009-11-02T08:51:00.000-08:00

Enoch & Isaac

Biblical language

1. The District Commissioner decides that "The story of this man who had killed a messenger and hanged himself would make interesting reading" if not for a whole chapter, at least for a "reasonable paragraph" (208-209). How do you think the District Commissioner would write Okonkwo's story in this paragraph? In contrast, Achebe has made Okonkwo's story the subject of a whole novel. Why?

2. Looking at the final chapter of the text, notice how Achebe gives an ironic portrayal of the DC's derogatory view of Africa and African people. Why? What is the significance of the title of the DC's book?

3. Major themes or messages of the text?

TFA Day 9: a knife on things that held us together

2009-10-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

1. How do the first five paragraphs of Chapter 20 set the tone for the final part? Reference specific parts of the text.

2. Using the same few paragraphs from Chapter 20 (and the second paragraph of Chapter 19), can we see a bias in the narrator? If so, what is that bias? How is it expressed (be specific)? How does it influence the text and story?

3. Enoch & Isaac

4. Cultural Assimilation

TFA Writing: Part 2

2009-10-26T21:45:00.001-07:00

For this in-class writing, please read the the entire prompt and instructions before you begin. I have included a link to the thesis handout. You are free to use that as you see fit. You can use your book, your notes, your brain.

Relax. Try to follow the time suggestions. You'll be fabulous!

In-class writing

Thesis Handout

Mindset Diagram

TFA Day 8

2009-10-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

1. Talk in groups of 3 about what you learned in your interviews. Any surprises? Any interesting insights into your interviewee? Share on the board and discuss.

2. What does it mean to be reasonable? Free write for five minutes. Then dsicuss: Is Okonkwo a reasonable man?

3. "The seven wasted and weary years were at last dragging to a close." How are we to manage the narrator's bias in regards to Okonkwo's stay in his motherland. In what ways does this influence our understanding of Okonwo's experience?

4. Nneka: significance of the name and repeated usage of it. Interesting ....

5. Does the acceptance of a new religion signify progress or change? What's the difference? The old man suggests the connectivity of the clan is weakening. Are the young people ignorant? disrespectful? Or, is the old man ignorant to the new ways?

TFA Day 7: Do things come together?

2009-10-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

1. "It was like beginning life anew without the vigor and enthusiasm of youth, like learning to become left0handed in old age. ... He hadbeen cast out of his clan like a fish onto a dry, sandy beach, panting. Clearly his personal god or chi was not make for great things" (131). What do these quotes show us about Okonkwo and how he has changed? How does he embrace change?

2. What is the reader to think of Uchendu? Why does he call the family together?

3. Bring on the white men! Missionaries, too: "Evil men and all the heathen who in their blindness bowed to wood and stone were thrown into a fire that burned like palm-oil" (145). "All the gods you have named are not gods at all. They are gods of deceit who tell you to kill you fellows and destory innocent children." "'Your gods are not alive and cannot do you any harm,' replied the white man. "They are pieces of wood and stone.'" What do these passages suggest about the white man's attitude towards the Ibo religion?

4. What evidence is there that the Missionaries are no longer respecting the views of the clan?

5. Let's talk Mindset: "Living fire begets cold, impotent ash. He sighed again, deeply" (153).

Mindset Assignment

Mindset Diagram

TFA Writing: Part 1

2009-10-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

For this in-class writing, please read the the entire prompt and instructions before you begin. I have included a link to the thesis handout. You are free to use that as you see fit. You can use your book, your notes, your brain.

Relax. This is writing #2, so focus on making improvements from your last piece of work. Try to follow the time suggestions. You'll be fabulous!

In-class writing.

Thesis handout.

TFA Day 6: The Eve of Falling Apart

2009-10-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

1. What is the message/moral of the story about the Tortoise and the birds? What is Ekwefi's purpose in telling the story?

2. What does Chielo's power and status in Umuofia suggest about women's roles in Ibo culture and religious beliefs?

3. What new insight do we gain about Okonkwo in the recounting of the Agbala story? Look back on all of Part 1 and list Okonkwo's strengths and weaknesses (reference specific moments from the text that support each list item.

4. In Part 1, internal rivalries and disagreements have begun to erode the unity and integrity of the village. What are these internal conflicts? What part does Okonkwo play in these disagreements? How does Okonkwo jeopardize his own authority within the community?

5. Achebe is working to educate modern readers about African culture. He is trying to contradict stereotypes, but does not present Ibo culture as ideal or perfect. Where can we see Achebe questioning and contradicting Ibo culture? How do the characters and community react to change/cultural challenges?

TFA Day 5

2009-10-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

con't from Chapters 6-8 (Day 4)

1. "'When did you become a shivering old woman,'" ... you have become a woman indeed,'" (65). How does this passage exemplify the conflicts Okonkwo faces? Be sure to name the specific kind of conflicts (i.e. social, psychological, circumstantial, classical).

2. Who is Obeirika? How does he compare/contrast to Okonkwo?

3. How are whites introduced in the story? Why might Africans assume white men have no toes? What sorts of attitudes are associated with whites?

Chapters 9-10
1. Ogbanje: a changeling; a child who repeatedly dies and returns to its mother to be reborn. What attitude toward children does this notion of the ogbanje represent? How does it contrast to the idea of throwing away twins? How does that inform the reader of the Igbo's traditions regarding children?

2. Mosquito and the Ear

3. The egwugwu: what does this show the reader about the Igbo judicial system? What does this reveal about the role of men and women? Are there more rights granted to women than previously revealed?

TFA Day 4

2009-10-05T22:25:00.001-07:00

Locusts are insects ..... let's take a closer look!

Questions for discussion:

1. Let's look at Nwoye. In what ways does Achebe demonstrate Nwoye's maturity? What does Okonkwo associate with manliness? How does Nwoye's maturity contrast with Ibo traditions?

2. Let's look at Ikemefuna's death. Why does Okonkwo act the way he does? What does this reveal about his character?

TFA 3

2009-10-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

Great map of colonized Africa

Foot washing ceremony

Tetela Chief with administrative officers of the Colony. 1915. Republic of Congo.

The Rhodes Collosus in Africa.

Wheaton collection of images.

Questions con't from Day 2

3. In what ways does Achebe present pre-colonial Igbo life and traditions in a manner in which present-day readers from Nigeria and other parts of the world can identify?

4. What tone does Achebe introduce in the opening scenes of the novel? Use specifics from the text to support your ideas.

5. How does the introductory paragraph set up the relation between past and present, reality and myth?

6. At the beginning of the novel, the narrator notes that, "proverbs are the palm-oil with which words are eaten." What does this mean? What does this tell the reader about 1. the role of proverbs in Igbo culture and 2. the role of language in storytelling?

TFA Day 2

2009-09-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

Pre-colonial map of Africa: 1707 by Tobias Lotter

Colonized Africa 1909

Africa today

Nigeria Map

Languages of Nigeria

1. Describe the setting (time, place, culture) of the novel. How does Achebe present the details of everyday village life in Umuofia, the values and beliefs of the Igbo people, and the importance of ritual, ceremony, social hierarchy, and personal achievement?

2. Describe the narrator, the voice telling us the story of Okonkwo, Umuofia, and the Igbo world. Describe the narrative voice, its point of view, its values and perspectives. Is the narrator an insider? outsider? if so, to what and to whom? Use text to support your ideas.

Things Fall Apart Day 1

2009-09-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Second Coming

Ibo Culture

Style of the novel

Imagery

Proverbs

Folk Tales

Characters we meet

Questions to consider

1. Describe Unoka, Okonkwo’s father. How does Unoka shape Okonkwo’s character and actions?

2. Describe Okonkwo. Consider him as an Igbo heroic character: how does he work to achieve greatness as defined by his and culture? Does he have a tragic flaw? Think of Odysseus. Does Okonkwo has a balance of good and bad traits? How do we bring our present day morals and codes to Okonkwo's character?

Short Story Writing

2009-09-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

The assignment for the next few days will be to work on this paragraph.

Thesis statement worksheet.

Outpost of Progress Handout ... the natives

2009-09-10T09:14:00.001-07:00

Just in case you need another. Here's the handout from class.