DAY 3 - CYCLE 15 - SEMESTER 2

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.

DAY 2 - CYCLE 15 - SEMESTER 2

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):

1. Is the thesis arguable? In other words, could anyone who read the same texts reasonably take a different view?
2. 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?
3. 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.
4. Is the thesis provable? Can the thesis be backed up with analysis of scenes or ideas from the text and avoid hypotheticals?
5. 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

1. Read the above, carefully and completely. Really.
2. Write a thesis statement that summarizes your insights into the novels thus far.
3. Read up through chapter 39 in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

DAY 1 - CYCLE 15 - SEMESTER 2

YOU LOOKED GREAT IN YOUR SHIRTS! :)

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!

DAY 5 - CYCLE 14 - SEMESTER 2

T-SHIRT DAY!

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.

DAY 4 - CYCLE 14 - SEMESTER 2

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?




We'll work on our T-Shirts in Friday's class. Try diagramming your sentences to speed your efforts. Some links to help you:
The author's website with LOTS of sample diagrams
More easy to follow examples.
How to diagram "See Spot run" (more complicated than you think).
Most basics covered here; see esp. slides 7 & 10

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.

DAY 3 - CYCLE 14 - SEMESTER 2

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!

DAY 2 - CYCLE 14 - SEMESTER 2

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.

For tomorrow, please read to page 219.