Sophs # 3--The Gift of the Magi

If we didn't have time to read The Gift of the Magi in class on Friday, then please read it now. Click the link to the story.

The last paragraph of O. Henry's classic Christmas tale says it all. Hopefully, you realize the author's irony. O. Henry's story is NOT uneventful, and certainly not LAMELY related. Most importantly, Jim and Della were NOT two foolish children. Here's the ending for you to read again.:

"The magi, as you know, were wise men--wonderfully wise men--who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented the art of giving Christmas presents. Being wise, their gifts were no doubt wise ones, possibly bearing the privilege of exchange in case of duplication. And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house. But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest. Everywhere they are wisest. They are the magi. "

How about if you take some time to lamely relate the greatest gift that you ever gave, or the most special one that you ever received? If you do, you'll be spreading the Gift of the Magi, and one of the true joys of the Christmas season?

Check out this classic video and commercial to see how happy these children were to receive a Nintendo N64.

Senior Test Review

Upon further review . . .

The test on description/setting, point of view, and characterization will be given in two parts on Wednesday and Thursday. Part I (Wednesday) will be the strictly objective part of the test, made up of definitions, true-false, and fill-ins. Part II (Thursday) will consist of short answer questions and a short essay.

You must read An Act of Faith (by Irwin Shaw in the Points of View book) in preparation for Thursday's part of the test. In reading this book, pay particular attention to setting, point of view, and characterization.

On Monday we'll finish discussing The Lottery in class.

Tuesday will be an in-class reading day, that is you may read and review notes or stories and/or check with me to get notes that you may have missed.

Here is what the test will cover:

Notes on setting, point of view (definitions of the points of view that we studied), and characterization.
Notes on The Portable Phonograph
Notes on The Shawl
Notes on The Stone Boy
Notes on The Jilting of Granny Weatherall
Notes on A & P
Notes on The Lottery
Life is Beautiful (see worksheet on major themes--questions on this movie will be part of the optional short answers)
Your preparation of notes on An Act of Faith

I'll leave some files of notes for you on Studywiz.

Wednesday and Thursday will be the testing days. Friday is a test make-up day.

#3--Seniors--Sunlight Skating Around on the Asphalt

Ah, youth. Yes, like the narrator in The Road Not Taken, I'm at the point in my life that I'm now telling about it (my youth) with a sigh ages hence. Sighing becomes an unwelcome habit, like burping, when you've clocked 50 years or more on Planet Earth.

Oh, I can remember back to my glory days. Sigh. I wasn't much unlike the cynical Sammy in A&P. I held a few boring jobs where I had to entertain myself with people watching and other more creative enterprises. Having a fairly high opinion of myself, I probably had a few real (and imaginary) face-offs with my Lengel-like bosses, too. But I never remember having the nerve to do the "take this job and shove it" (also the name of a pretty popular C&W song of the 80s) routine like Sammy.

A&P might be Updike most enjoyable story; Sammy's "true-to-life" talky narration delights with every wry comment and misplaced modifier. And believe it or not, the sexual language in the story, just plain tame and mildly suggestive today, was titillating for the polite reading crowd of 1962.

But the story is infinitely more complex than just a humorous rendering of a a teenager's foolish and stupid gesture. In fact, one might question whether Sammy's gesture is foolish and stupid. Should we or should we not applaud Sammy for shedding the apron and bow tie and marching out, even if not triumphantly, into the rough reality of adulthood, where the sunlight was skating around on the hot asphalt?

The story prompts me to offer these prompts for your journal. Choose one of the following:

1. Tell me about a situation that occurred to you at work that might be woven into a short story

2. How you ever had to do something at work or school (in a position of authority) that you didn’t want to do? Did you do it? Why or why not?

3. When you aren't busy at work, what do you do to pass the time? Feel free to tell me of the silly games you play, the silly conversations, nicknames, etc.

4. For those of you who don't work or would rather write about something else: tell me about a decision that you made that upon making it, you REGRETTED it immediately (like Sammy).

5. For those of you who don't work or would rather write about something else: tell me about a decision that you made that upon making it, you were immediately proud of yourself.