THE END, YOURS TRULY MRS. ZARWELL

Thank you, everyone. It has been a delight and a privilege to be your teacher. I hope you find yourself enriched with a broader understanding of story and the power of words, and armed with an arsenal of skills.

Best of luck to you, tomorrow and always,

A fond and admiring,
Mrs. Zarwell

DAY 5 - CYCLE 15 - SEMESTER 2

Today in class, we worked on constructing solid thesis statements and supporting claims. Group 2 found itself struggling a bit with the problem of elevating mere evidence to the status of actual claim, suggesting it was the cause of something when really it was just an indication of something. What do I mean by this? Well, consider the following statements:

• It is raining outside...
• The ground is wet.
• The atmosphere is so saturated it can no longer hold moisture.

Now, of the above statements, which one should get the word "because" in front of it and which one should get "as evidenced by the fact that" in front of it? The answer is pretty obvious. When you put "because" in front mere evidence, you are suggesting a faulty relationship. You're also setting yourself up for plot review.

As you know, a good chunk of your argument's progression is based on your commentary sentences. If you're using evidence as a claim, you can't write a good commentary sentence.

Consider the following:

BAD CLAIM

CLAIM: Winston wants to keep a journal because he buys a special one in Mr. Charrington's shop.

EVIDENCE: He goes to Mr. Charrington's in the prole district and buys for himself an old leather journal with rich creamy paper.

COMMENTARY SENTENCE: Remember that the purpose of a commentary sentence is to explain how the evidence shows your claim. Here's the claim: He buys a journal. Here's the evidence: He buys a journal. You can see the problem.

GOOD CLAIM
CLAIM: Winston wants to keep a journal because he believes that keeping a record of history is the best way to preserve humanity.
EVIDENCE: He goes to Mr. Charrington's in the prole district and buys for himself an old leather journal with rich creamy paper, in which he carefully records his feelings, thoughts and actions..
COMMENTARY SENTENCE: The fact that Winston cherishes the journal and writes his personal history in it in spite of the real risk to his life indicates that its contents are precious to him, his understanding of himself, and his connection to others--indeed, humanity itself.

Practice identifying differences here: Handout from today's classes (used in groups 4 and 6 and inspired by group 2's discussion) may be found here.

All of your claims, not just your thesis, need to be arguable, and their logic must be sound, Make sure your claims are firmly rooted in the "because" side of the equation and not "as evidenced by" side. How can you practice? Take a look at ANY of the class notes from Huck Finn or 1984 and try responding to the discussion questions with a thesis and claims. Very often, you'll have GREAT luck simply by starting out with identifying characters' values. Characters act in certain ways because they value certain ideas and things over other ideas and things. Identify those ideas and things and you're establishing yourself firmly in "because" territory.

When you have a good thesis, tweak your topic sentences so that they, too, are arguable.

For tomorrow, please bring questions you would like to have answered. I will have no lesson plan--you lead the show. There is also an optional review at 4:30 in Kohl. Again, no lesson plan--you lead the show there, too.

DAY 4 - CYCLE 15 - SEMESTER 2

Today, we had a quick activity, and then spoke about the end of the novel. In addition to the discussion questions offered to you at the beginning of the class, you offered some fine questions of your own:

• Why doesn't Huck want to go back with civilization?
• Is there any hope of civilization changing? What would be required for it to do so?
• Is this a happy ending?
• How are we supposed to feel/what are we supposed to think at the end of the novel?
• Does Tom have any respect for Huck?

Notes for today's discussion may be found here.

HOMEWORK

Develop 3 claims for the thesis statement you chose. Remember, a claim must further the argument stated in the thesis, so each claim must be arguable (explain how or why).

For example: If the thesis is:

• Huck & Jim's and George & Lennie's relationships may be (1) rooted in compassion, but in the end, these relationships are unhealthy because (2) they expose the weaker partner to greater risk and (3) indignity.

The claims might be:

1. Huck and George's compassion for their friends motivates them to actively try to help their friends find safety.
2. But their attempts to help their friends actually puts those friends at physical risk by allowing them to be hunted by others.
3. When Jim and Lennie become no more than prey in the eyes of the community, they have lost the very human dignity George and Huck meant to protect.

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.