Today, we finished going over the last 5 words of Unit 9 in the vocabulary book.
In the rest of the class, we took a closer look at some of Twain's potentially more subversive methods in including these last chapters of Huck Finn. (Group 4 especially: many of you clearly had not read, or at least not read well. What a disappointment--you missed some great stuff, and left the rest of us to carry that slack: we were none too appreciative. Pick it up, would you? We're depending on you.) I mentioned what Ernest Hemingway had said about the novel. Here it is in full: "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called 'Huckleberry Finn.' If you read it you must stop where the Nigger Jim is stolen from the boy. That is the real end. The rest is just cheating. But it's the best book we've had. All American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since." -- from Ernest Hemingway, "The Green Hills of Africa" (1934). Is it "just cheating?" Or is there some honest work going on there?
We looked at Tom and Huck's perspectives toward problem solving. Huck says to hell with authority and trust to pragmatism. Tom says to do it the right way, the way it's done in books. That might not seem like a big deal, but in a literate society, it is. In fact, you recognized that part of Tom's authority stems from that fact that he's formally educated: i.e. exposed to books. The other source of his authority? He's white. You noted that Twain brings both sources of authority into question. Do either race or tradition make for a valid foundation for authority or superiority? If this section got you asking those questions, there might be some honest work going on after all.
We also made some comparisons between older scenes and new:
The mischief the boys practice lead slaves to talk about being pestered by witches. Who are the witches?
Tom's shenanigans haven't changed much since the "gang of robbers" days, yet this time, it's a great deal more sinister. Why?
Jim is once again beset by biting animals. Has our sense of compassion shifted?
Given all of this, what do we wish Huck would do and why? If there is some sense of urgency in your reaction to him, so sense of exasperation with Tom, think about why Twain has manufactured those reactions in you. Is he cheating? Or is this an honest day's work in a novel?
You can find your notes from the discussions here.
HOMEWORK For the love of Pete, READ AND READ WELL. FINISH THE NOVEL. (And be ready to tell us all what you think about Tom.)
AND, pick what you think is the BEST thesis statement from the posts to last night's blog post. Print it or copy it and bring it with you.
Today, we covered words 10-15 in Unit 9 of the vocabulary book, and then worked on an activity. Some of you worked with a small group to write a thesis statement about the friendships of George & Lennie and Huck & Tom.
Group 2 should post their group thesis statements as comments to this blog post. You may add as much detail as you would like, and post any additional thesis statements you'd like. Groups 2 & 6, I took pictures of the board and will add those to the blog post when I get home tonight.
Ultimately, the activity asked you to give serious consideration to the central friendships of these novels. To help frame the discussion for groups 4 and 6, I asked you to identify (perhaps in a macabre manner) the traits for which you would like to be remembered when you die. You noted such things as:
Loyalty
Kindness
Decency
Accomplishments/Smarts
Contribution-minded
Athleticism
Humor
Honesty
Generosity
Fairness
Dedication
These are all noble traits, of course, and it speaks quite well of you that you prize these. Continue to do so. I then asked you how many of you had friends of whom your parents do not approve. A majority of hands went up. I asked that majority if they demonstrated the traits for which they would like to be remembered around those friends, and a majority of the majority said no, they didn't. Not by a long shot. Some friendships, no matter how much fun they are, are not healthy because they lead us away from the goals we have set for ourselves. It is for this reason that our parents and sometimes even our other friends disapprove, not because they're giant kill-joys who want to suck the fun out of everything. They want us to reach the noble aspirations we have set for ourselves. (So remember that when your parents freak out on you because you're hanging out with that troublesome Smedley again. They really DO have your best interests in mind, and Smedley really isn't as fabulous as you'd like to believe.)
We then discussed Huck's goal: to be loyal to his good friend Jim by helping him escape to freedom. Tom's goal is to honor the tradition of his favorite literature and have an adventure. Does their friendship with one another help them reach those goals or not? If there are problems, why? What is preventing success? How exactly is this a reflection of society's failings? (Erica C., you summed all of this up with glorious clarity that escapes me utterly at the moment. Could you work some of your mental magic in your comment to this post? Thank you!)
Lennie and George hope to "get a stake" where they can take care of each other and their own responsibilities. Does their friendship help or hurt that? If societal interference is the greatest obstacle to that mission, what does that tell us about that society?
These friendships do not exist in a vacuum, and they are shaped--for good or ill--by the world around them. You are to write an arguable thesis about the power of these friendships--for good or ill-- and/or about what they reveal about society, and post that thesis as a comment to this blog. If there are supporting data (yes, data is plural) you'd like to include, go for it. These thesis statements will help you prepare for the exam.
Remember the traits of a good thesis (Group 2, Jake, Nick, Henry and Jack--you'll want to especially review features 2 and 3):
Is the thesis arguable? In other words, could anyone who read the same texts reasonably take a different view?
Is the thesis focused? Does the writer direct attention to a specific, concrete idea and take a clear perspective on it, or are the terms the writer uses too broad, vague, and open to interpretation?
Is the thesis strictly based in the text? Does the claim ask the reader to think about the texts or about ideas that exist independently of the texts? If a meaningful discussion could be had about the idea without ever referring to the texts, the claim is not well-directed.
Is the thesis provable? Can the thesis be backed up with analysis of scenes or ideas from the text and avoid hypotheticals?
Does the claim answer “how” or “why”? Does the claim simply state the way things are, or does it seek to explain how or why they are that way? For example, if the author claims that we are meant to pity Mrs. Miller, does the author also suggest how we could know this or why she’s deserving of our pity?
Remember, these Thesis Statements MUST be focused and text-based. The trouble with trying to compare two novels is that you need to be broad enough to encompass ideas in both, but not so broad that your ideas become meaningless.
HOMEWORK
Read the above, carefully and completely. Really.
Write a thesis statement that summarizes your insights into the novels thus far.
Read up through chapter 39 in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Today, we covered the next 5 words in Unit 9 Vocabulary.
Afterwards, you took a quick, 5 question multiple-choice quiz on Of Mice and Men. If you read with an eye for basic detail, you should get a perfect score.
Then, we took a good look at pages 268-271 of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the scene where Huck decides to rip up the letter. In our discussions, we recognized that Huck actively chooses to defy the laws of his tribe, but still considers them valid--he sacrifices his own salvation for the sake of another after thinking about him and the hopelessness of his situation. How does this measure up to Widow Douglas's lessons on prayer (page 13)?
We then spoke of George and Lennie's relationship, comparing similarities between George and Huck, Lennie and Jim, and their societies at large. Assuredly, these authors are making a stinging comment about the way we define and relate to our outcasts. What is the nature of that comment? Notes of our conversation are available here, and it would behoove you to look at the notes of other classes.
Throughout this week, we will be drawing parallels between the two texts, collectively brainstorming thesis statements (do you remember the tenets of a good thesis?) in preparation for the exam, when you will be asked to write a 12-sentence paragraph about these two novels. Look for connections at every available opportunity!
HOMEWORK: Read to page 305 in Adventures of Huck Finn. Look for connections between the two novels!
Sophomores may wear their sentence diagramming T-Shirts on Tuesday, May 26th. Standard Wildcat Wednesday Rules Apply!
For Tuesday, finish reading Of Mice and Men. We will be talking about the similarities between the novels' central friendships. You should be up through 275 in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn too. Please bring your vocabulary books with you.
Notes are on the wikispace for today's class, in which we talked about Huck's growing appreciation for Jim's situation and his own sense of moral agency (i.e. responsibility to and for others). He is clearly making the transition from being self-preserving to being self-sacrificing, and we like him more for it. Where are YOU on the scale? Are you more advanced than Huck?
Please read up through 275 for tomorrow. While we will not discuss the book, please remember that you must have all of the Steinbeck novel read for Tuesday, and I want you to parse out your time accordingly.
Today, we reviewed sentence diagramming, lessons 13-18. I had you diagram the following sentences:
Most of the students did well on the first part of the test. (Prepositional phrases)
Roberta, did you eat the dessert in the faculty refrigerator? (Direct address)
Charlie, a senior, is scared of college. (Appositives)
Hooray! We beat out opponents, the Nicolet Knights! (Interjections and appositives)
Have the freshmen girls' backpacks been found? (Possessive pronouns)
Why aren't they going with us to the game? (Interrogative Adjectives and Adverbs)
If you can't figure out one of those sentences, check out the corresponding lesson.
In today's discussion of the novel, we looked at mob behavior in general, and at the important moral lessons Huck is learning from exposure to many mobs. The three classes all took slightly different paths, so be sure to check out the notes.
For tonight, read up through page 248 (chapter 26 through chapter 28). FORGOT YOUR NOVEL? CLICK HERE!
Today, we covered the first 5 words of Unit 9 vocabulary. Tomorrow, we will review lessons 13-18 in the Sentence Diagramming Workbook.
We covered A LOT of ground today, including the tragic end of the Grangerford-Shepherdson feud, the arrival of the duke and king (notice that Huck doesn't capitalize their names: neither should you), the Boggs-Sherburn incident, and the circus. In these passages, Twain offers plenty of subtle commentary about society and its tendencies at ALL levels. Please see your class notes for today for a full picture.
Today, you took the unit 8 vocabulary quiz and had a reading day with Mrs. Parsons. Please be up to page 195 in Huck Fin by Monday, and be finished with Of Mice and Men by Tuesday, May 26th.
Today, we spoke about Huck's change of heart. Some were surprised that he could consider turning Jim in, but given the culture he was a part of, we shouldn't be. We looked at the video clip I put in last night's blog post to get just the merest sense of how bizarrely race relations were structured. If that clip was OK in 1950, what on earth could have been OK in 1880? Yeesh!
In last night's reading, Huck sees Jim unabashedly look forward to freedom. While we place our sympathies wholly with Jim, whose family is torn apart because his wife and children are owned by others, Huck places his sympathies elsewhere. In responding to Jim's talk of freedom and what it means, Huck is conflicted about whether to listen to what he has been taught or what he has experienced with Jim. He has been taught to identify with white slave owners, but he has experienced Jim's friendship. Which to follow? In the heat of the moment, he chooses to listen to the wisdom of experience, but is this full-out loyalty? Well, check the class notes to see what you all think.
We also spoke about the Grangerfords and the Grangerford home. This episode, though it seems silly and foreign to us, is really not that far removed from us. I asked how many of you have rooms in the house you're not allowed in, or fancy books that are pretty much for decoration. Some of you brought up the candles you're not allowed to light--ever--or the fancy Christmas dishes. These items are the icons of respectability. How else do you show you're respectable but have fancy things you don't use or consult much? It is this idea that Twain is having fun with, and he takes it a whole lot further. He sees that our emotional relationships to one another are just as contrived as our economic ones, hence the spidery armed drawing and absurd poem. Our Sense of Occasion is silly, even if the impetus that moves us to seek out occasions is pure and admirable (Emmaline, after all, is kind to mourn the loss of a drowned child, which truly is quite sad. But her poem? Preposterous.). Please see the Explanatory Notes on 415-422 to get a sense of just what Twain is talking about in this chapter. It's worth it.
Tomorrow will be a reading day; you may read either Huck Finn or Of Mice and Men. By Monday, you should be up to page 195 in Huck Finn.
QUIZ TOMORROW ON VOCABULARY UNIT 8 and SENTENCE DIAGRAMMING 1-12.
Today, we started with a review of some plot facts, and then went into interpretive work, with a close look at the conversation Jim and Huck have after being separated in the fog. All three sections did great work on the topics and you can find notes detailing these discussions here.
Minstrel shows came up in today's discussion. You can read more about them here. Minstrel shows lasted well into the twentieth century and faded out as movies and eventually TV took over as a primary means of entertainment. Although they were no longer common by the fifties, here you can see a clip of a 1950 performance that has all the elements of a minstrel show. How can this help us understand Twain's novel? If what this clip demonstrates passed as entirely acceptable just 15 years before major Civil Rights legislation passed Congress, imagine what must have been considered "acceptable" to Twain's audience just fifteen years after the Civil War (when Twain began writing the novel). The oddities of Jim and Huck's ability to be honest with one another (and honest with themselves about one another) make a great deal more sense.
If you are struggling with understanding the text, check out the apps on iTunes for Huck Finn. Cheap and useful, they can help you get through those troublesome passages by reading the vernacular aloud, allowing your ears to surely catch what your eyes are having trouble with.
REMEMBER: Vocab Quiz on Friday with five sentence diagrams
HOMEWORK: Read 106-107 (stop with the paragraph that ends "...a good plan when you wanted one.)" & 123-141 (resume on 123 with the paragraph that begins, "I didn't wait to kiss good-by...")
We began with an eight question quote quiz covering pages 1-85. Two classes used today as a reading day. One discussed the text. Notes are on the wikispace.
In the reading for today, Huck and Jim are forming a budding relationship. In their reactions to the discovery of a murder victim in a house washed away in flood waters, we see Huck and Jim are very practical, and desensitized to violence, but still wary around it. Jim is loath to talk about the body, and at first, Huck is happy to leave it alone (though afterwards, he's fascinated). We see Jim demonstrate care for Huck and vice versa--here is a healthier relationship, and one steeped in similar belief structures. But we also see that the two are on unequal footing. There is an incongruity in Judith Loftus' reactions to the two runaways: she sympathizes with white boy whom she thinks is a runaway apprentice, but wants to hunt down the black runaway slave. Is she motivated solely by money? We don't know. We do know that Jim has it harder than Huck, a fact underscored by his desire to explore the wreck of the Walter Scott while Jim, with so much at risk, fears to do so, and rightfully so.
In tonight's reading, we'll see how some of that society's pervasive racism affects these two. While there will be many questions to tomorrow's discussion, the ones you should be prepared to answer are these: 1. Why does Jim call Huck "boss" on page 103? 2. Does Jim think he dreamed the separation?
For the next class, be up to page 105 and ready to answer the questions above.
Today, we finished reading through the words for unit 8 vocabulary. Please continue to bring your book to class as we will do the exercises for Unit 8 in preparation for the quiz on Friday, May 15th.
Afterwards, I passed out the exam review sheet (also available immediately to your left and on the "course handouts" page of the wikispace). In addition to identifying the content you need to know, it also identifies the skills you will be tested on. If you cannot do what is listed on page two of the review sheet, then you are not ready for the exam.
Those groups not decimated by AP Euro responsibilities held discussions (and I just have to say this--I know the AP is a really big deal and it's super important, but getting prepared for that doesn't relieve you of responsibilities elsewhere). Those who took notes, you'll find them on the wikispace. Those who did not, you'll find the questions that we would have discussed on there. You might want to download them anyway, simply because the pictures on the back of the questions show the sorts of rafts that both Huck and Jim make reference to and which you need to understand in order to really get what they're saying. Because some groups discussed and some did not, here is the overall lesson plan for the day. Make of it what you will.
Discuss Huck's reaction to both captivity and freedom.
Identify what Huck accepts as normal and what he seems to be unaware of (e.g. the existence he lives with pap would bring social services in like a S.W.A.T. team today, but he seems unmoved by that relaity, as well as by the reality that once he has faked his own death, he has cut himself off from all of the people in his life, presumably never to connect with them again, a loss he does not mourn).
Note: Huck escapes being civilized and being uncivilized. He's in an interesting limbo with nothing to draw on to create a new universe but his own limited experience and his observations.
Identify evidence revealing Huck's acceptance of the world as a violent, unfair place.
TAKEN COLLECTIVELY, these elements reveal certain characteristics: pragmatic self-reliance, a tendency not to question, stubbornness, independence, skepticism, naivte, self-sufficiency, lack of reflection but powerfully observant ("it smelt late").
We also learn a lot more about Jim, too from what he reveals. Which of these qualities do Huck and Jim share? By reading between the lines (i.e. not taking Huck's version as the definitive whole and making sure we notice what he does not), we learn much more about Jim, too.
Ultimately, Huck and Jim have MUCH in common, though Huck does not yet recognize this. Likewise, he fails to recognize the critical differences between their situations, but we will see and perhaps appreciate these in the next reading; keep your eyes peeled for what Huck doesn't see.
We covered the next 5 words in Unit 8 Vocabulary. Remember, quiz will be on FRIDAY, MAY 15th. It will include five sentence diagrams.
“All ‘civilizations’ are legitimate matter for (private, but not public) jeering & laughter, because they are so conspicuously made up of about three tenths of reality & sincerity, & seven tenths wind & humbug.” ~Mark Twain (source)
We began our discussion of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn today, where Twain presents to us hints of the 30% reality & sincerity he celebrates in this novel, and the 70% he jeers. We focused most of our efforts today on figuring out Jim. If Jim doesn't know the boys are there when they sneak by the widow's kitchen in the dead of night, he is dim-witted and not very self-aware. If he does know the boys are there, he is rather crafty and sly. Huck believes that Jim believes that he was "rode by witches," and perhaps he does. But if he does not, saying he was persecuted by witches and demons carries a different meaning entirely. Also, by looking at how Jim interacts with Huck over the fur ball, we can get a better sense of who Jim is. Does Jim exploit Huck or show kindness toward him? Is it a combination of both? Does Huck realize he might be getting exploited for money? Why does Jim tell Huck the nifty potato trick, anyway? And why is Huck loath to admit he didn't know it?
Clearly, this is a not-so-simple relationship and many external factors influence its conduct and their views of one another. What is obvious, however, is that Huck and Jim both turn to superstition to explain the world around them, and in that respect, there is a mutual understanding, one in which Pap is likely to share. Their worldview is different from the widow Douglas and Miss Watson's, and Judge Thatcher's, and is also different from Tom's. Tom, whose personal circumstance most closely resembles that of the widow, Miss Watson, and the judge, is clear about where he learns his truths: "'Don't I tell you it's in the books? Do you want to go to doing different from what's in the books, and get things all muddled up?'" (11). Huck has many inflences in his life, all of whom draw on different sources for their authority. To whom is Huck most responsive? Receptive? Why? Figuring that out will help us sort the thirty percent from the seventy percent as we move forward.
Notes from today's discussion will be on the wikispace first thing Friday morning.
HOMEWORK Please, be prepared to disuss pages 29-58 in detail. Discussion questions will include:
Why does Huck want to spite pap, even if it means pap will beat him?
Why does pap kidnap Huck?
Think carefully about what he tells us: he is kidnapped by his physically abusive, impoverished father and held captive in the woods across the river where he is beaten daily, and yet he tells us he gets "used to being where I was, and liked it" (30). What exactly does he like?
What are the reasons that finally drive Huck to seek escape?
Why do yo suppose Twain includes pap's tirade about the "govment"? What do we learn about the responsibilities of government and citizen from it?
Why isn't Huck more deeply affected by pap's imprisonment of him and his efforts to murder him?
Huck talks about being able to get logs that broke off of log rafts. Click here to see a picture of the larger sort of raft that was common on the Mississippi.
Would you characterize Huck as violent?
Why does Huck wish Tom were there?
Huck is a very keen observor of his surroundings. Provide ample proof of this statement. Do his observations (e.g. "...it looked late, and smelt late" (42) add to the story?
See the explanatory notes on pages 394 & 395 to help understand why the ferry fired cannons and why the bread had mercury in it.
When the ferry containing all of the people he's been connected to--good or bad--comes along, Huck is noticeably silent about the effect of his apparent murder on them, and the fact that to maintain the ploy, Huck can never talk to them again. Why is he seemingly indifferent to this?
Why is he terrified by the discovery of the campfire?
Page 50: fantods. (Simon, I'd bet oodles of money you either love or hate this word.)
What hints do we have early on in the coversation Huck has with Jim that Jim does not trust him?
Why does Huck agree to keep Jim's secret?
Are Jim and Huck's escapes comparable in any way? If so, how?
Would you say Huck and Jim are smart? Qualify this a bit and explain what you mean.
The explanatory notes about Jim's unusual investments are helpful.
How is the final quote of the chapter a loaded one?
Today, we began by double-checking the T-Shirt order form. Greg, I know you want green. What size? S, M, L, XL?
We then listened to a lecture about Twain, and I had you practice your notes. Here are mine. Compare.
What are the things that made Huck unrespectable at the time, and throughout the various cultural climates the novel has passed through since? Initially banned on basis of: .....CHARACTER: He was considered a horrible role model for others. .....GRAMMAR: It used the vernacular of the uneducated rather than the more highly esteemed language of the educated classes .....FIRST PERSON PERSPECTIVE: Far from being a trusted authority, Huck was a disreputable child allowed to tell his story without any interference from “one who knew better.” ..........It was these first three elements that made Adventures of Huckleberry Finn so innovative. A common child telling a story in his own words was really revolutionary. This fresh, creative approach was seen as a threat by literary traditionalists and moral purists. .....REPRESENTATION OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS: Now, its use of now-offensive terms has been problematic since about WWII. Less insightful readers challenge the novel’s representation of African-Americans, assuming the way the characters present themselves/are presented by Huck is how they actually are. Be careful in your assumptions as you read.
How did this novel differ from conventional literature of the 1880s? FAR LESS FORMAL: .....IN PHRASING: compare the text of the novel to the trumped up, stiffened prose of Emmaline Grangerford (a Southern aristocratic character in the novel who uses “hark,” “Lo,” “Whilst,” “Behold,” and the like, which speaking people simply did not do then any more than they do now.) .....IN SUBJECT MATTER: Huck does not need an occasion to speak (i.e. a death, a significant event, a tidy story to tell, etc.) .....IT’S SOURCE OF TONAL AUTHORITY: the novel relies on idiom (the way people actually speak and the things they speak about) as an authority, not traditional cultural authorities (i.e. European style novels and traditional Western myths/tropes/conceits). ..........By breaking with this formality and deliberately and satirically calling into question our reliance on traditional sources of cultural authority, Twain both creates and unleashes a distinctly American voice, more richly steeped in the oral, story-telling tradition than the European, literary tradition. ..........Huck’s language is derived from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, not LITERARY TRADITION. For instance, to describe the color white by comparison, he uses words like “fish belly” and “tree toad,” things he knew and saw. Emmaline, drawing from books rather than experience, would use words like “alabaster” and “ivory,” even though she had probably never actually laid eyes on either.
How does the novel change Americans’ sense of themselves? .....By giving an uneducated boy the chief say, he allows the traditionally marginalized (but nevertheless, the majority of folks) a loud voice. .....Since Huck is unaware of traditional authorities (books, the Judeo-Christian tradition, etc.), Huck has to take a basic, practical, pragmatic approach to everything, rather than base his actions on long-held ideas about right and wrong that have been handed down to him. This approach in the novel reveals the self-importance, weak rationalizations, and other silliness in traditional thinking.
That’s how satire works. Watch the following clip in which Sacha Baren Cohen (as Ali G.) inteviews venerable elder statesman of the Republican Party, Pat Buchanan.
Here, "Ali G" is woefully inappropriate for the occasion, from the way he is dressed to the clear lack of knowledge he reveals, and quite poorly spoken. Would you want your kid genuinely emulating him? Yeesh... These are the same criticisms leveled at Huck when he appeared on the scene. Ali G. isn't doing anything new, yet we watch "Ali G." Why? What is it about the cringe-worthy moments about "BLTs" that has us hooked? What is revealed about Buchanan in this process? About what Buchanan thinks of himself? (Buchanan is actually one of the more gracious guests. Crusty old Andy Rooney tossed him out! Ralph Nader's turn on the seat is also quite cringe-worthy.)
In this novel, Huck is Ali G., but he doesn't know it. Twain knows it, but Huck doesn't, and Twain doesn't tell us. He lets us figure it out for ourselves. And everything that Huck talks about is Pat Buchanan.
However, Twain's agenda is a serious one. He is getting at some of the foundations of our cultural beliefs in this novel, in a remarkable way. We take his criticism like her were offering us dessert. Why? He's funny. Note the NOTICE and EXPLANATORY NOTE at the beginning of the novel. From the very get go, he tells us that traditional thinking won't apply here, and that he's very deliberately, and very carefully rendering the words so likely to give us pause.
As noted above, this book is steeped in the ORAL tradition. He writes in the vernacular. When you don't understand when reading silently, read aloud. Your ear will catch what your eyes won't. (e.g. "shet de do" (201) = "shut the door")
You'll find the full reading schedule for your class here.
HOMEWORK: Read through page 28 (up to chapter 6). We will begin the day with the question, "Does Jim know the boys are there?"
Remember, you will be reading Of Mice and Men on your own this month and will need to have it completed by Tuesday, May 26th.
Today, we covered the last lesson on sentence diagramming. Huzzah! Coordinating conjunctions are tricky but with practice, you'll get the hang of them. We also signed up for T-Shirts (Greg H., see me about this so we can get you signed up).
Then we discussed the end of the novel, by which many of you seemed initially disappointed, but I suspect you were willing to change your tune a bit as we discussed some of Orwell's larger lessons.
Chief among the concerns we addressed:
In what way did Winston die?
When did he truly sacrifice his humanity? How so?
Why did facing his worst fear do what months of torture could not?
FOR NEXT CLASS Select your T-Shirt Sentence. Your T-Shirt sentence must be well-suited for the following scenario: on the day you wear your sentence-diagrammed T-Shirts, you develop flu-like symptoms and must go to the nurse. On the way to the nurse's, you run into a lower school student, parent, and visiting family who, perhaps insensitively, ask to read your T-Shirt sentence diagram. Do not make that moment more awkward by choosing the wrong sentence. You know what this means. Thank you!
Today, we talked about the reading between pages 198-232. We took a look at how Winston's worldview differs from O'Brien's and questioned which Orwell wants us to think is more likely. We also questioned whether Winston's beliefs about the inherently good, equality-seeking, freedom-loving nature of people is manufactured or hardwired into him by O'Brien.
Wow. Deep stuff.
Take a look at the class notes. All three sections did a great job today, but were different in nature, so it is worth it to see all three sections' worth of notes.
For Next Time: 1. Bring your sentence diagramming workbook for the last lesson. 2. Finish the novel.
This site contains daily records of what happens in class and the evening's homework. Can you spot errors in my posts? Send a comment correcting the errors, and you'll receive extra credit. See the announcement at the beginning of "Day 15" for details.
Do you plan on coming to the review on Wednesday at 4:30 in Kohl?
IN LIGHT OF NORTH KOREA'S MISSILE/NUCLEAR TESTS THIS WEEK
If you haven't been following the news this week, North Korea tested two missiles and claims to have conducted another nuclear test (likely true). They're also saber-rattling in another way, claiming that South Korea's recent decision to join US efforts to stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction are tantamount to a declaration of war, and that North Korea is no longer governed by the armistice signed at the end of the Korean conflict. Clearly, "The Great Leader" wants the spotlight, but what are we to do? This article is FYI. Look for bias in the article. It'll be a good refresher on the argument unit.
EXAM REVIEW GUIDE
The second semester exam review guide is now available. Please click here to download.
