April 30. 2010

Today, we began class with a quiz on last night's reading.  We then spoke about the implications raised by last night's reading.  Specifically:

FUNDAMENTAL ASSUMPTIONS FROM LAST NIGHT’S READING:

• Language shapes reality and capacity for thought. Limit language, and you limit human endeavor, potential, and relationships.
• The human spirit can be destroyed by external forces.
• Mass producing consumer culture poses threats to the vitality of the human spirit in much the same way a fear-mongering totalitarian dictatorship does.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE NOVEL:

• Are human beings inherently good?
• Does truth exist objectively?
• What should be the role of government? 
• What should be the role of citizen?
• What flaws in human nature threaten both individual and society?

DETERMINING THE NOVEL’S LIMITS: DOES IT APPLY TODAY?

• The most radical recent shifts in the English language have taken place with the advent of technology. Grammar and style have become less formal in written correspondence. Text messaging, emailing, and instant messaging have inspired all sorts of abbreviations (OMG, BTW, BFF, IMHO, etc.) and have blurred the lines between acceptable and unacceptable. For example, Marsalis feels comfortable calling Macbeth a BAMF in class, but I suspect would not feel comfortable describing Macbeth with an extended version of that acronym because of societally agreed upon features of formal classroom relationships. The change in the language has also changed how we relate. How does the language of text messaging distance you from/bring you closer to peers and older adults? Do you agree with Orwell that language does shape reality? Is it possible to conceive of concepts without the words for them (e.g. justice, honor, freedom, integrity, virtue, loyalty, etc.)? Does technology or language have a greater impact on personal behavior and collective relationships? In other words, are Orwell's assumptions correct, and are his warnings about the change in language accurate?
• Orwell’s book was written in response to the rise of totalitarian regimes in nation states and the arms race that resulted. The political landscape is much different now. Nations remain sovereign, but operate often in concert, as they do through the UN, NATO or the European Union. Our enemies are not necessarily nations, but rogue bands of ideologues, like fundamentalist Islamist groups like the Taliban or Al Quaeda. Rather than a quest for resources, these groups are motivated by cultural beliefs and a profound rejection of Western concepts and practices. Rather than conventional warfare, they engage in insurgency and guerilla tactics, targeting civilians on both sides as well as conventional military targets. Does Orwell’s message about the dangers of excessive government/world powers still apply?

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

• In truth, we barely scratched the surface of these questions in class, though it is obvious you enjoyed the book and felt it gave you plenty to think about.  That sentiment is the motivation for tonight's assignment.  For Tuesday, I would like you to ponder these questions, and any other questions you feel the book raises, and develop a substantial typed journal entry at least a page in length about the book.  The topic is entirely your choosing.  You should have a focused, coherent perspective on an aspect of the book that you explore in depth.  Can't think of what to write? Read all of the above again to help focus your thinking.  Other questions to consider:
• Are Julia and Winston admirable rebels? Are their methods of rebelling effective, even if the ultimately fail? Were their efforts worthwhile in any way?
• At the end of the Afterward, Erich Fromm writes "the new form of managerial industrialism, in which man builds machines which act like men and develops men which act like machines, is conducive to an era of dehumanization and complete alienation, in which men are transformed into things and become appendices to the process of production and consumption" (291). In other words, according to Fromm, this book tells us just as much about corporate indoctrination as it does about government overreaching.  Think about the vast cubicle land satirized in movies like "Office Space."  Consider what you saw in the movie "Metropolis." In a vast consumer economy, Big Brother is not the government, but the corporation that produces--be it brand name clothing (Ugg boots, Tori Burch shoes, etc.) or our own equivalent of "prolefeed" (MTV Real Life, cable news & infotainment, etc.).  Is there any element of truth to what Fromm claims here? Do you see this book teaching us anything about the dangers of losing human dignity to the oppressive powers of a consumerist society?
• Given what is missing from Winston and Julia's life, what ingredients is Orwell saying are essential to human fulfillment? Do you agree?
• Is the Chestnut Tree cafe like Starbucks? Is the Ministry of Truth like school? Is the Golden Field like a vacation spot? What parallels can you draw between Winston's life and our own, and what do those parallels show us about ourselves?

Hopefully, this will give you some topics to get you started.  You can write on some other aspect entirely.  Again, this is open ended.  What am I looking for?  Proof that you can:

• Develop a focused, developed, arguable, personal opinion about a text
• Sustain that opinion in a meaningful way through layers of developed thought, and not just superficially scratch the surface
• Incorporate quotations effectively to demonstrate how you come by your thinking
• Effectively use formal written conventions. In other words, your paper should use correct format, and be grammatically sound and stylistically engaging.

You don't need to use the 12 sentence format, though you are welcome to do so.  What I would like you to focus on is your ability to have a fully developed and well-articulated perspective about the book.  In other words, focus on developing a concise and original thesis statement that explains why this book effectively or ineffectively instructs us about some aspect of modern life.  Then, back it up with some cogent and substantiated prose.

April 21, 2010

We opened today with a look at discussion grading:

TO EARN THE FOLLOWING DISCUSSION GRADES, A STUDENT DEMONSTRATES THE FOLLOWING


A -/+
Engaged, attentive, ready to go, actively making connections, offering interpretations, asking interesting questions, providing thoughtful and focused ideas, seeking references in text, taking notes and annotating the novel.

B -/+
Engaged, reciting factual knowledge of reading, asking questions for clarification, seeking references in text, taking notes.

C -/+
Engaged, observant, called upon if asked, referring to passages referenced by others, jotting down a note or two.

D -/+
Observant, but tunes out every now and then; seems familiar with the reading but misses a few facts if asked; avoids note taking and referencing text.

F -/+
Distracting to others, unprepared, offers goofy answers when called upon, takes no notes, doesn’t refer to book.


We will continue with reading #6 tomorrow.

APRIL 16, 2009

Today, we took a quiz, which also served as a sample for you about the types of quizzes you might write.  The benchmark should be: write a quiz that people who have read and paid attention while reading will do quite well on without difficulty.  It should not be so easy that someone who breezed through the reading or stuck only with Sparksnotes can ace it.  It should not be so hard that only people who have memorized it word for word can do it. 

We then spoke about chapters 3-5.

On Monday, Kayleigh and Maddie will run the class, arriving with a quiz and a handout for all of the class (make one of each for me, too, please!). You offered the suggestions of a debate, a competition, and the offering of edible prizes as ideas to get them started.  On Tuesday, Catie and Kelly will be leading the class.  The same rules apply.

At a bare minimum, ALL OF YOU should come to class fully prepared to discuss the questions provided to you.

QUESTIONS FOR MONDAY'S READING
1. Why does recalling the evening with the prostitute inspire such violent reactions in Winston?

2. How does life differ for Party members and the proles?
3. “The aim of the Party was not merely to prevent men and women from forming loyalties which it might not be able to control. Its real, undeclared purpose was to remove all pleasure from the sexual act” (58). Why? What purpose does this serve?
4. Why aren’t the proles supposed to have gin? Why are they allowed to be promiscuous and divorce one another, but Party members are not?
5. Why does Winston think “If there is hope, it lies in the proles” (61)? Explain what his reasoning is likely to be.
6. “The ideal set up by the Party was something huge, terrible, and glittering -- a world of steel and concrete, of monstrous machines and terrifying weapons -- a nation of warriors and fanatics, marching forward in perfect unity, all thinking the same thoughts and shouting the same slogans, perpetually working, fighting, triumphing, persecuting -- three hundred million people all with the same face” (65). What about this is appealing?
7. What does the literacy rate imply about life in Oceania?
8. What sort of person hangs out at the Chestnut Tree Café?
9. What do you supposed in meant by the lyrics on page 68?
10. Why did he throw away the photograph then, and why would he keep it now?
11. Why does he think he is writing the diary for O’Brien?
12. Explain the logic that motivates the lines: “Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows” (72).

QUESTIONS FOR TUESDAY'S READING
1. Who is bombing the proles and why?

2. Why does Winston approach the old man with such uncharacteristic openness and determination?
3. Why does he find the answers from the old man at the bar annoying but the similar quality of answer from Mr. Charrington interesting?
4. Does Winston have courage?
5. Why does the dark haired girl write that particular message when she has never spoken to Winston? Does she mean it?
6. Why does he want to see her?
7. We end Book One in this reading assignment. Such sections of books are generally unified sections, distinct from one another. What are some of the unifying themes of Book One? Just from the first chapter, can you tell if Book Two is going to focus on something different?
8. Should Winston trust the dark haired girl? Do you?
9. Just from the way the dark-haired girl goes about shadowing him, then attracting Winston’s attention, learning about him and then arranging a meeting with him, what can we tell about her? (see pages 8, 10, 12, 27, 54, 55, 89, 93-4, 98-103)
10. Why does everyone rush to see the prisoners? What can we tell from their expressions?

APRIL 14, 2009

Today, we sopke about chapters 1 and 2 in 1984, and highlighted the physical appearances of a few characters (we spoke about Winston Smith, Emmanuel Goldstein, Mrs. Parsons and her children). Don't forget about the dark haired girl and O'Brien, as well as Big Brother.  We identified the four ministries and their purposes and spoke about the meanings behind the slogans.  We also spoke about the purposes behind Newspeak.  Read the entry on 266.

For Friday, I asked you to read chapters 3-5 and to develop a discussion question you want to address.  This question should be on a piece of paper, ready to turn in.

April 13, 2009

Today, we finished watching the National Geographic documentary on North Korea. (It's worth reading some of the Amazon reviews for criticism of it.) The documentary is available via Youtube:











Your homework tonight is to read pages 1-25 of George Orwell's 1984. That's chapers 1 and 2. And, you are to answer the study guide questions.

FOR APRIL 05-APRIL 09, 2010

THE MAIN HANDOUT
(Contains all of the poems)


Today, we read pages 2-5 carefully and gave some thought to how sonnets are structured. A number of the sonnets we will read in this class and which you'll see in history class as well break from these structures, deliberately and to great effect. It helps to know the form they deviate from in order to see how useful that deviation is in supporting the meanings of the poems.

HOMEWORK FOR MONDAY NIGHT, DUE TUESDAY
Complete the worksheet distributed in class. (This is for the poem found on on page 13 of the poetry handout)

HOMEWORK FOR TUESDAY NIGHT, DUE THURSDAY (no class on Wednesday)
Complete the worksheet passed out in class. (This is for the poem found on page 9 of the poetry handout)


THURSDAY'S HOMEWORK, DUE FRIDAY.
On Thursday, we will look at some sample passages together.  One of the sample passages is on "Arms and the Boy," by Wilfred Owen, and the other is on "A Song," by Charles Alexander Richmond. You will be doing similar work of your own for Friday, and your final product should closely resemble the work done in the sample for "A Song."

The Assignment:
WRITE A PARAPHRASE/MODEL PASSAGE ON ONE OF THE POEMS IN THE PACKET, NOT COVERED BY ANY OTHER HOMEWORK OR THE REFERENCE SHEETS BELOW. YOU SHOULD PICK A POEM, WRITE A PARAPHRASE OF IT, AND IN A FEW SHORT PARAGRAPHS, EXPLAIN THE LARGER MEANINGS IN THE POEM. (YOU WILL BE ASKED TO DO THE VERY SAME THING ON THE FINAL EXAM USING A POEM I'LL GIVE YOU THEN.) YOUR FINAL PRODUCT SHOULD BE A PAGE OR TWO IN LENGTH.

Welcome Back from Spring Break! Get ready!

When we left off:

versus

Will the forces of evil grow loud enough to wake the forces of good ?

• Macbeth is unhappily king. He does not sleep, can’t shake his anxiety, and is paranoid about everyone. He successfully had Banquo murdered, but Banquo’s son Fleance escaped.

• Macbeth is going mad. He sees the ghost of Banquo at a dinner party he hosts, and Lady Macbeth has to ask all of the guests to leave quite suddenly. Chaos reigns in his mind, in his home, and in his country. Macbeth vows to go see the weird sisters to get some answers.

• Macbeth is an awful tyrant. Scotland suffers terribly under his rule. He keeps a spy in every household, and indirect clues point out that the populace suffers. People are unwilling to speak openly about their fears and there is talk of failed crops, damaged livestock, empty tables, personal suffering, lack of trust and decency, etc.

• Macbeth has his scary sights on Macduff. Macduff, the nobleman who had come to Macbeth’s castle to fetch the king the morning after Macbeth murdered Duncan, had earlier refused to attend Macbeth’s crowning ceremony and instead stayed at home in Fife (see Act II, scene iv). Macduff had also failed to attend the party that Macbeth threw (where Macbeth went bonkers), and now Macbeth is vowing revenge against this traitor.

• Hecat, Chief Witch, has plans for Macbeth. Annoyed that her underlings have toyed like mere amateurs with Macbeth (whom she accuses of murdering Duncan not for a love of Satan’s evil, but merely for his own ambition), Hecat decides that she will show Macbeth a thing or two, promising that “He shall spurn fate, scorn death, and bear / His hopes ‘bove wisdom, grace and fear—“ and reminds us that a sense of security is man’s chief enemy (if Duncan were still around, no doubt he’s say “Amen!” to that!).

• Scotland’s nobles and Duncan’s rightful heirs are plotting Macbeth’s demise. A conversation between Lennox and another lord lets us know that Macduff did not attend the dinner because he has gone to England to join rightful Crown Prince Malcolm (Duncan’s son), who is working with English King Edward and two English lords, Northumberland and Siward, to raise armies to invade Scotland and overthrow Macbeth. We also learn that Macbeth, being rightfully suspicious of Macduff’s absence, is preparing for war.  Lennox and the Lord worry about Macduff’s fate, but place their prayers with him.

Here are the questions we will address on the three remaining days we have devoted to Macbeth:

ACT IV - QUESTIONS
Scene i
1. Mabeth wants answers from the witches even at what cost?
2. Describe the apparitions Macbeth is shown and what they tell him.
3. At the end of the scene, Macbeth promises that “From this moment,” what will happen?
4. What does Macbeth vow to do to Macduff?
Scene ii
1. Why is Lady Macduff so angry at her husband?
2. What comment does her son make about the presence of deceitful men in Scotland?
3. What is the fate of Lady Macduff and her son?
Scene iii
1. Why is Malcolm suspicious of Macduff?
2. Malcolm tries to convince Macduff that he is what?
3. Why does Malcom lie to him in this way? Give his explanation in your own words.
4. What is the news that Ross delivers about Scotland? About Macduff’s family?
5. What is Macduff’s response?
Scene iv
1. Mabeth wants answers from the witches even at what cost?
2. Describe the apparitions Macbeth is shown and what they tell him.
3. At the end of the scene, Macbeth promises that “From this moment,” what will happen?
4. What does Macbeth vow to do to Macduff?
ACT V - QUESTIONS
Scene i
1. Why has the gentlewoman called for the doctor?
2. What exactly do the gentlewoman and doctor see and what do they hear?
Scene ii
1. What places do Angus and Caithness mention? Where have we heard them before?
2. According to Angus, how do Macbeth’s soldiers feel about him?
3. According to these assembled lords, what do they hope to do?
Scene iii
1. According to Mabeth’s opening rant in this scene, what’s going on with his supporters?
2. Why doesn’t he care?
3. Judging by what Macbeth says to the servant who enters, what does the servant look like? Why do you think he looks this way? (Think about the news he brings Macbeth)
4. How does Macbeth take the news the servant brings?
5. What does Macbeth ask Seyton to help him with?
6. What two issues does Macbeth ask the doctor about?
Scene iv
1. What does Malcolm specifically instruct his soldiers to do in lines 4-8? Make some predictions about why this matters.
Scene v
1. Why isn’t Macbeth meeting the English army “beard to beard”?
2. What response does Macbeth have to the screams of women within the castle?
3. According to Seyton, why did the women scream?
4. In the famous “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow” monologue, what is Macbeth saying?
5. What remarkable news does the servant bring?
6. What is Macbeth’s response to this news? Why does he choose to respond this way, do you think?
Scene vi
1. What are Malcolm’s orders?
Scene vii
1. On what is Macbeth now basing all of his confidence?
2. What happens to Young Siward (Siward’s son)?
3. According to Macduff, why must he be the one to kill Macbeth and why won’t he fight anyone else?
4. According to Malcolm and Siward, how’s the battle going, overall?
Scene viii
1. Why does Macbeth think that Macduff’s efforts to fight him are in vain?
2. What interesting fact about himself does Macduff reveal?
3. How does Macbeth respond to the news? What does he say he will do?
4. Macduff then asks Macbeth to do what?
5. Why won’t Macbeth comply?
6. Do you admire Macbeth for his choice? Why?
7. Why is Siward OK with his son’s death?
8. What is the first promises Malcolm makes as king?
9. How did the queen die?
10. With what specific words and phrases in Malcolm’s speech do we know that order is being restored?

HOMEWORK:
Tuesday night:
Complete Act IV and write out answers to the questions above.