Window in the Skies

U2 has made its lion's share of outstanding records and videos, but to me, one that stands out above the rest is the inspirational "Window in the Skies."

The video's release in 2006 earned immediate praise for its digital deception of making it appear as if the more than 100 artists who appear are actually singing Bono's own words. Rock and roll aficionados quickly and fiercely competed to guess the names of these artists, the video sometimes only revealing their guitar-strumming fingers or trademark shoes.

Even without the video, however, the song aspires to inspire and completely reaches Everestic limits. 

Christians see the message of Christ's role in opening a "window of the skies" for our own ascension into heaven. Bono, a solid disciple interested in entering that window some day, sings, "To every broken heart/ For every heart that cries/ Love left a window in the skies/ And to love I rhapsodize." It's no wonder that U2 has accepted its cross in its mission to feed the world, fight for justice, and bring peace and good will to all men. 

Lest you think that Bono and the boys are too full of themselves, look at their schoolboy, starstruck faces as they stand in the crowd to watch their musical heroes perform. These heroes, and Bono's boys, too, remind us all that "we can be heroes, just for one day" with a little bit of inspiration and courage. 

Lab work for seniors for Friday, April 19: "Cut" and "The Jilting of Granny Weatherall"

Read Bob Greene’s article entitled “Cut” (linked here) and then answer these questions on Schoolsville. Recommended length is 4-6 sentences.

1.      Which one of the men who spoke in the article (including author Bob Greene) had the worst experience in youth sports?  Defend your answer by quoting that man.

2.      Which one of the men describes his reaction to being “cut” in the most emotional way? Again, defend your answer by quoting him.

3.      Explain how Granny’s jilting by George is similar to the experiences of these men who were cut or belittled in youth sports. Compare and contrast how Granny and the men reacted.

4.      The last man who describes his “cut” experience is Dan Rather, now 81 years old. Briefly research Dan Rather and his accomplishments. With what accomplishments are you most impressed, ones that you might attribute to the “toughness” he developed from being cut?


Post before the end of class.

For weekend homework, read carefully the Powerpoint on Granny Weatherall posted at Studywiz.

Sophomore Homework due Monday April 15

For homework due April 15:

Follow this link to read "The Story of the Bad Little Boy," a Mark Twain written parody of a nineteenth century Sunday school story.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Sunday School stories were short moral tales written for the little boys and girls who learned the difference between right and wrong at their local churches in Sunday School. 

These stories always ended with a good dose of poetic justice: the good boys and girls were rewarded; the not-so-good boys and girls were summarily punished, learned the error of their ways, and turned out to be model boys and girls themselves.

Mark Twain pokes fun at these stories in "The Story of the Bad Little Boy." His bad little boy, Jim, gets away with murder ... literally. 

Assignment

Answer these questions in your notebook:

1. Define a parody. How is "The Story of the Bad Little Boy" a parody of the stories in Sunday School books?

2. What details contribute to the humor of "The Story of the Bad Little Boy"?

3. What details contribute to the serious theme of "The Story of the Bad Little Boy" ?

4. What storytelling "tricks" does Twain use to make the story entertaining, if not humorous? In other words, how do Twain's writing methods and techniques add to the entertainment value of the story. Give examples.