Tuesday: final instructions for handing in tomorrow's "Scene"---Tomorrow's peer evaluation process--A Raisin in the Sun (Act I, scene I) listening and learning from dramatic dialogue
Wednesday--your "scenes" are due. Make two copies, one with your names and one without (for anonymous peer evaluation). Double space. Punctuate dialogue according the standard rules of punctuation that I gave you on Monday.
Thursday--in class writing assignment on "Hills Like White Elephants"
Friday--silent in class reading on your nonfiction novel
Tuesday classes: The Greatest Generation notes; vocab unit 4 practice; passive voice will be reviewed, I mean we will review passive voice. A handout will be given, I mean, I will give you a handout to help you understand and analyze the Patrick Henry assignment that will be due for Thursday's class.
Wednesday classes: vocab quiz; journal and test returns
Thursday's classes: Patrick Henry worksheet
Friday's classes: silent reading of The Greatest Generation
Read your nonfiction book. Set aside some "down" time to quietly read Saturday and Sunday for 30 minutes or more.
The assignment is due November 8. It is posted at Studywiz.
Complete vocabulary unit 4 up through "completing the sentence."
Complete blog vocabulary work already posted at Schoolsville. The assignment is different from previous vocab assignments, so read the entire post.
Read the two prologues (or introductions) to The Greatest Generation called "Generations" and "The Time of Their Lives." Answer the questions that I've posted at Studywiz. Print out your questions and answers and bring to class on Tuesday. Save these Q & A's in a Word file. There are now three copies of the book available in the St. Mark's library for your use.
Sophs Yellow Class Vocab Unit 4: Due Monday Oct. 28
Searching topics in Google for "news" will provide at an instant the most recent articles from reliable media resources. When you begin your research paper in the winter, using this search tool will be a MUST.
For this homework assignment, I want you to work with Google News.
Rows 1-3 will work with words 1-10; rows 4-6 will work with words 11-20.
Type in each of your ten vocabulary words into the Google News search to find an article that uses the word. Read the sentence or headline in which each word is found. Determine how (or if) the word is used correctly in the article . If it is, then type (don't copy and paste) JUST the sentence or headlinefor each word into the comment box, bolding your vocab word.e.g Pancreatic Atrophy: Adverse Effect of Long-Term Sorafenib Use In addition, read just ONE entire article of the ten that you have found. Briefly summarize the main point of the article or headline that you wrote for that word: e.g. (article summary) The drug Sorafenib appears to cause the pancreas not to function properly.
Sophs Green Class Vocab Unit 4: Due Monday Oct. 28
Searching topics in Google for "news" will provide at an instant the most recent articles from reliable media resources. When you begin your research paper in the winter, using this search tool will be a MUST.
For this homework assignment, I want you to work with Google News.
Rows 1-3 will work with words 1-10; rows 4-6 will work with words 11-20.
Type in each of your ten vocabulary words into the Google News search to find an article that uses the word. Read the sentence or headline in which each word is found. Determine how (or if) the word is used correctly in the article . If it is, then type (don't copy and paste) JUST the sentence or headlinefor each word into the comment box, bolding your vocab word.e.g Pancreatic Atrophy: Adverse Effect of Long-Term Sorafenib Use In addition, read just ONE entire article of the ten that you have found. Briefly summarize the main point of the article or headline that you wrote for that word: e.g. (article summary) The drug Sorafenib appears to cause the pancreas not to function properly.
Searching topics in Google for "news" will provide at an instant the most recent articles from reliable media resources. When you begin your research paper in the winter, using this search tool will be a MUST.
For this homework assignment, I want you to work with Google News.
Rows 1-3 will work with words 1-10; rows 4-6 will work with words 11-20.
Type in each of your ten vocabulary words into the Google News search to find an article that uses the word. Read the sentence or headline in which each word is found. Determine how (or if) the word is used correctly in the article . If it is, then type (don't copy and paste) JUST the sentence or headlinefor each word into the comment box, bolding your vocab word.e.g Pancreatic Atrophy: Adverse Effect of Long-Term Sorafenib Use In addition, read just ONE entire article of the ten that you have found. Briefly summarize the main point of the artcle or headline that you wrote for that word: e.g. (article summary) The drug Sorafenib appears to cause the pancreas not to function properly.
Check Studywiz to read and print out the instructions and hints for writing for your own scene. Bring this handout to class on Friday. Make plans with your writing partner (if you choose to write with one) and come up with some preliminary ideas to work on this during class that day.
I've included another file (called "dialogues 2014") that contains example scenes written by former creative and critical writing students.
On Thursday we will continue working with "Hills Like White Elephants."
Read "To Autumn," Keats's ode to the season. Complete the somewhat creative questions on the back of the handout that you were given in class.
For Wednesday's class, read the Hemingway story, "Hills Like White Elephants." It's in your book, but I have also attached a copy of the story at Studywiz if you would like to print it out.
The story is Hemingway at his minimalist best. The dialogue is subtle and understated, the character actions show more than you think, and symbols pop from the prose canvas as "true" as the bridge and dust in "Old Man at the Bridge." Look up what the expression "white elephant' commonly means. With that in mind, you "might" be able to guess what the Hemingway is suggesting when the woman says that the hills look like white elephants.
Some helpful notes:
The story takes place in Spain--my guess, the 1920s, at a train station outside of Barcelona.
The Ebro is a river in Spain.
Absinthe is a powerful alcoholic drink, once banned in the USA, because it was thought to have psychedelic properties.
The "operation" the American (the man) refers to is an abortion. The woman is pregnant--she drinks alcohol, not knowing (as we do today) of its adverse health effects for her unborn child.
Reading of The Greatest Generation is postponed until after the test.
For tomorrow, your journal is due along with the homework "test questions" that I gave out in class on Monday. Number your journal responses and staple them together in numerical order. Use a 12 pt. font and double space. Nothing fancy necessary for the journal.
For the "test questions" you do NOT have to answer the short answer questions---JUST make up the question--that will be fine.
Green class:
Journal due tomorrow. Number your journal responses and staple them together in numerical order. Use a 12 pt. font and double space. Nothing fancy necessary. YOUR test will be Thursday. We will finish Jonathan Edwards on Tuesday, and we will review for the test Wednesday.
Reading of The Greatest Generation is postponed until after the test.
Soph Update Week of 10-21: The Greatest Generation, Your Journal, and Literature Test
You will have a test this week on Puritanism and the four authors whom we studied (Bradstreet, Bradford, Taylor [conceit poet] Edwards). We will review in class the day before your section's test, but you should begin reviewing NOW.
That test will be Wednesday for the blue and yellow classes and Thursday for the green class.
The test will be made up of fill-in questions (that test your knowledge of historical and literary facts and terms), identification of quotations (you must identify the author of the quoted lines), short answers (that test your knowledge of themes and literary techniques used by the writers), and a possible short paragraph (that will ask you to write about more than one of the writers).
Before Wednesday's test on the Puritan writers (Blue and Yellow classes only), please read the two introductory essays in The Greatest Generation. They are called "Generations" and "The Time of Their Lives." The Green class should read these sections before their test on Thursday.
Your writing journal is due Tuesday (All classes). You will print out, then fasten together, and then hand in your four numbered blog assignments that were given this quarter. This grade will be worth 40 points.
On Wednesday, October 22, you will turn in to me your four numbered "journal" assignments. Your four numbered journals have been posted as of October 15.
Print them out, and staple them together in numerical order. Label (by #) each separate assignment.
Each response should be a minimum of 200 words. If your initial "blog" responses were NOT your best work (and thus, too "short"), you should more add more supportive information to fully respond to the blog prompt.
Proofread your responses, editing especially to correct ungrammatical sentence syntax (run-ons, fragments, parallelism errors, subordination errors), tense problems, misuse of passive voice, agreement (s-v and pronoun-antecedent) errors, and punctuation and spelling mistakes.
NOTE: THIS IS A JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT, BUT YOU SHOULD NOT POST YOUR RESPONSE. PRINT OUT TO HAND IN AT THE END OF THE QUARTER WITH THE REST OF YOUR JOURNAL WRITINGS.
In 1723, Jonathan Edwards wrote seventy resolutions for personal growth that he reviewed once per week.
Here are two resolutions that I'd like you to examine:
Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord's day.
Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
Puritans kept holy the Sabbath, the Lord's day. This meant not only attending services and suspending the daily workload, but also, in some communities, observing a more strict code of conduct that forbade activities like dancing. Some of these laws remain on the books today --they're known as Blue Laws, laws that essentially legislate old-fashioned religious beliefs.
Puritans also believed in public censure, publicly and formally naming, condemning, and sometimes banishing sinners and criminals. So it was perfectly fine "to speak evil of someone" if "some real good" would come from it--like the discovery of a cattle thief, a cheater, or even a witch. Some schools, mostly religious and service academies (like Brigham Young University and West Point), have honor codes, where the entire school community is in charge of policing virtues like honesty and chastity. What you might call "snitching" might be considered a moral duty to keeping the community clean.
Respond to one of these three prompts:
1. Research blue laws and/or honor codes to find where they are still present today. Even better would be to find recent news articles where these legacies of Puritanism have been tested (hint: try Google News). Write a synopsis of your research and/or discuss the pros and cons of any of these blue laws or honor codes that you have found through research.
2. If you're a man or woman more interested in providing solutions than in researching problems, then, as an alternative assignment, tell me how you think an honor code (one that promotes academic integrity and NOT stealing) might (or might not) work at St. Mark's. Got integrity, anyone?
3. Again, like #2, you want to be proactive. Brainstorm and then write your ideas to foster a climate of integrity at St. Mark's, going beyond the Honor Code idea. How can we foster integrity in everything that we do? Clubs, sports, performing arts, academic classes, general behavior?
NOTE: THIS IS A JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT, BUT YOU DO NOT NEED TO POST YOUR RESPONSE. PRINT OUT TO HAND IN AT THE END OF THE QUARTER WITH THE REST OF YOUR JOURNAL WRITINGS.
Your first assigned short story, The Lucid Eye in Silver Town, is a partially autobiographical account of its author, the young John Updike. Jay, the young boy in the story, is from some "hick town" in PA, as his father says in his sad, self-deprecating manner; Updike himself hailed from Shillington, a small town close to Reading, PA. Before he passed away in January 2009 at the age of 76, Updike was still reading and writing as much as ever.
Once a young man frustrated with a stalled career as a cartoonist, he tried his hand at fiction. His description of his first effort to write should encourage those of you who are intimidated or insecure in your own ability: "It's like sort of a horse you don't know is there, but if you jump on the back there is something under you that begins to move and gallop. So it's clearly a wonderful imaginary world that you enter when you begin to write fiction."
Updike went on to achieve the rare daily double of both popular and literary success, his novels read equally on airplanes and in college classrooms. His greatest gift was his ability to make us care about everyday people doing everyday things, a trait that makes him particularly American, this celebration of the common man. Visit this web page and read the Updike interview. The entire interview?Well, as much or as little as you need to in order to respond to this prompt:
Respond to any one or some of Updike's interview answers in this interview. He talks about a variety of subjects: his childhood, his experience with teachers, his early appreciation of reading, his writing theories, teaching a creative writing class, the American Dream, etc. You may merely respond in a agree/disagree--like/dislike manner OR relate his (and your) responses to "The Lucid Eye in Silver Town."
This represents one exercise in the "critical" side of the course. You might not find this journal or Updike's interview particularly exciting, but I'm hoping that you at least find it insightful. Let's face it. When was the last time you read serious musings on fiction from a serious writer of fiction? Maybe never?
Remember, write an minimum of 25 blog lines or 200 words
Go to Studywiz to find out your lessons for this week. Read the e-bulletin first, and then , follow the directions there that will lead you to the files also posted at Studywiz.
Sophs... The green class will have its vocab test on Tuesday, and then do PSAT prep.
The yellow class will do PSAT prep on Tuesday. The Jonathan Edwards assignment will be due on Thursday for ALL classes.
The conceit blog should be completed before Thursday. I have posted on Studywiz some good conceits written by students from the classes of 2014 and 2015.
I'm driving 65 mph on I-495, cars whizzing by me like I'm standing still (yeah, that's me in the picture above).
Two guys darting in and out of traffic like it's some video game chase--I can only imagine how fast they're going. I'm on the gas just to keep up with the flow, the left foot covering the pedal (yeah, that's old-school bi-pedal technique), just in case . . . momentarily reverting to what Mr. Shaw instructed back in my tenth grade driver's ed class.
Then comes the inevitable question from the backseat driver, who actually occupies the other seat in the front. You know what I mean? (remember, a backseat driver is a common metaphor for someone who gives you unwanted directions when you are driving, whether they're in the back or the front)
"Are you using cruise control?"
"No," I answer curtly.
"Why not? Doesn't your foot get tired?" the passenger harps.
It is at that point that I begin my rant on the dangers of cruise control.
Clicking on the cruise control does prevent tired, cramping feet, I say. However, it has its problems, too. For one, it lulls you into a false sense of security, and the feet usually get further and further away for both the gas AND the brake pedals. At that point, how much control do I really have?
Like my car, I don't like to put my life in "cruise control." I want to be the one in charge as much as I can be, without being a "control freak." I'm no risk-taker, so most of the time I travel the "road more taken." And that's OK with me. I like to know where I'm going, traveling at my own speed. I haven't driven further north than Saratoga, NY, or more south than Augusta, GA, but that doesn't mean I've led a boring, provincial life, either. I can make a Saturday night trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond an adventure by taking some of the back roads to see the Belted Galloway cows on Center Meeting Road (click to enjoy) in Centreville.
How are you "driving" yourself throughlife?
Do you gas up first, and then check the oil, wipers, and air pressure before a big trip?
Do you have the "pedal to the metal" or are you driving more cautiously with "both hands on the wheel at 10 before 2?"
Do you prefer major roadways like the Kirkwood Highway or would you rather take the more scenic route?
When you drive, are you easily lured into the local McDonald's at the sight of the golden arches, or can you get from point A to point B without making a single stop?
Do you use your cell phone while driving, chatting and texting away instead of paying attention to the road? It's against the law, you know.
Obviously, all of these driving situations can be applied metaphorically to situations in our lives.
For instance, the guy who gases up and checks out his car before a trip is the man who begins all his endeavors in life with preparation and a plan.
The "pedal to the metal" driver travels recklessly through life, hellbent on getting things done in a hurry without concern for safety for himself or anyone else.
The guy who stops at McDonald's, well, he needs a little bit more self-control, doesn't he? Can't he wait a few minutes to get home to snack on last night's leftovers?
Hopefully, you have the idea of what makes a CONCEIT, an elaborate (sometimes far-fetched) extended metaphor. Two things that are essentially unalike, like driving a car and living one's life, are compared. The "extended" part of the metaphor means that different parts of each procedure are compared, like the examples that I've given above comparing driving a car to living one's life.
So now it's your turn.
Think of an area in which you have some knowledge and expertise. Maybe it's a hobby (reading) or activity (playing a sport, dancing, fishing etc.).
Think of a metaphor, and then extend it by breaking it down into parts.
For instance, reading a book is like developing a strong friendship.
How might choosing a book to read be like finding a friend? Examine its cover, its prologue, the reviews on the cover. How might this be similar to entering into a friendship? You can go on from here, and talk about opening the book the first time, feeling the stiffness of the book's bindings, maybe reading a few uneventful pages and then putting it down. How might this be like the beginning of a friendship, too?
Choose between one of these two assignments:
1. Make a conceit comparing two dissimilar but similar processes, like reading a book and making a friend.
2. Tell me what your LIFE is like. Let's avoid the commonly used "roller coaster" or "box of chocolates" metaphors.
AVOID COMPARISONS THAT ARE TOO EASY TO UNDERSTAND because they are too similar.
For either choice, make sure you extend your general comparison with at least SIX specific comparisons. You'll probably find yourself doing many more.
Write and post your own conceit on or before Thursday, October 17
From the list of 19 vocab words found below, do two things with each word.
First, type the word, its definition, and then a sentence correctly using the word in context.
Two, search the word in Google News to provide EITHER a headline OR a sentence using the word in context. Write your headline or web sentence in (parentheses).
So, if your word were acrimony, you would write:
1. acrimony--extreme distaste or disapproval. sentence: My unsettled disagreement with the teacher caused great acrimony. (Acrimony grows as US shutdown continues).
Here are your words in case you lost your list:
blandish
(v.)to coax by using flattery (Rachel’s
assistant tried toblandishher into accepting the deal.)
boon
(n.)a gift or blessing (The good weather has
been aboonfor many businesses located near the
beach.)
brusque
(adj.)short, abrupt, dismissive (The captain’sbrusquemanner offended the passengers.)
buffet
1.(v.)to strike with force (The strong windsbuffetedthe ships, threatening to capsize
them.)
2.(n.)an arrangement of food set out on a table
(Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took food from ourbuffetand ate standing up.)
burnish
(v.)to polish, shine (His mother asked him toburnishthe silverware before setting the
table.)
buttress
1.(v.)to support, hold up (The columnbuttressesthe roof above the statue.)
2.(n.)something that offers support (Thebuttresssupports the roof above the statues.)
C
cacophony
(n.)tremendous noise, disharmonious sound (The
elementary school orchestra created acacophonyat the recital.)
cajole
(v.)to urge, coax (Fred’s buddiescajoledhim into attending the bachelor party.)
calumny
(n.)an attempt to spoil someone else’s
reputation by spreading lies (The local official’scalumnyended up ruining his opponent’s
prospect of winning the election.)
capricious
(adj.)subject to whim, fickle (The young girl’scapricioustendencies made it difficult for her
to focus on achieving her goals.)
clemency
(n.)mercy (After he forgot their anniversary,
Martin could only beg Maria forclemency.)
cogent
(adj.)intellectually convincing (Irene’s
arguments in favor of abstinence were socogentthat I could not resist them.)
concomitant
(adj.)happening at the same
time as something else; accompanying(The drug's risks increase with the concomitant use
of alcohol.)
conflagration
(n.)great fire (Theconflagrationconsumed the entire building.)
contrite
(adj.)penitent, eager to be forgiven (Blake’scontritebehavior made it impossible to stay
angry at him.)
conundrum
(n.)puzzle, problem (Interpreting Jane’s
behavior was a constantconundrum.)
credulity
(n.)readiness to believe (Hiscredulitymade him an easy target for con men.)
cupidity
(n.)greed, strong desire (Hiscupiditymade him enter the abandoned gold mine
despite the obvious dangers.)
cursory
(adj.)brief to the point of being superficial
(Late for the meeting, she cast acursoryglance at the agenda.)
Red class seniors Vocab definitions and weblines (due Thursday)
Red Class:
From the list of 19 vocab words found below, do two things with each word.
First, type the word, its definition, and then a sentence correctly using the word in context.
Two, search the word in Google News to provide EITHER a headline OR a sentence using the word in context. Write your headline or web sentence in parenthesis.
So, if your word were acrimony, you would write:
1. acrimony--extreme distaste or disapproval. sentence: My unsettled disagreement with the teacher caused great acrimony. (Acrimony grows as US shutdown continues).
Here are your words in case you lost your list:
blandish
(v.)to coax by using flattery (Rachel’s
assistant tried toblandishher into accepting the deal.)
boon
(n.)a gift or blessing (The good weather has
been aboonfor many businesses located near the
beach.)
brusque
(adj.)short, abrupt, dismissive (The captain’sbrusquemanner offended the passengers.)
buffet
1.(v.)to strike with force (The strong windsbuffetedthe ships, threatening to capsize
them.)
2.(n.)an arrangement of food set out on a table
(Rather than sitting around a table, the guests took food from ourbuffetand ate standing up.)
burnish
(v.)to polish, shine (His mother asked him toburnishthe silverware before setting the
table.)
buttress
1.(v.)to support, hold up (The columnbuttressesthe roof above the statue.)
2.(n.)something that offers support (Thebuttresssupports the roof above the statues.)
C
cacophony
(n.)tremendous noise, disharmonious sound (The
elementary school orchestra created acacophonyat the recital.)
cajole
(v.)to urge, coax (Fred’s buddiescajoledhim into attending the bachelor party.)
calumny
(n.)an attempt to spoil someone else’s
reputation by spreading lies (The local official’scalumnyended up ruining his opponent’s
prospect of winning the election.)
capricious
(adj.)subject to whim, fickle (The young girl’scapricioustendencies made it difficult for her
to focus on achieving her goals.)
clemency
(n.)mercy (After he forgot their anniversary,
Martin could only beg Maria forclemency.)
cogent
(adj.)intellectually convincing (Irene’s
arguments in favor of abstinence were socogentthat I could not resist them.)
concomitant
(adj.)happening at the same
time as something else; accompanying(The drug's risks increase with the concomitant use
of alcohol.)
conflagration
(n.)great fire (Theconflagrationconsumed the entire building.)
contrite
(adj.)penitent, eager to be forgiven (Blake’scontritebehavior made it impossible to stay
angry at him.)
conundrum
(n.)puzzle, problem (Interpreting Jane’s
behavior was a constantconundrum.)
credulity
(n.)readiness to believe (Hiscredulitymade him an easy target for con men.)
cupidity
(n.)greed, strong desire (Hiscupiditymade him enter the abandoned gold mine
despite the obvious dangers.)
cursory
(adj.)brief to the point of being superficial
(Late for the meeting, she cast acursoryglance at the agenda.)
Post BEFORE CLASS ON Wednesday ten (10) sentences using ten different vocabulary words correctly, giving a context clue to the meaning of the word within your sentence. You will be graded on the quality of your sentences.
Rows 1-3 should work with words 1-10; rows 4-6 should work with words 11-20.
Your context clue should use restatement, contrast, or inference (see p.7 of your vocab book if you need help with these).
Of course, identify yourself according to your first name, last initial, and section color.
e.g. Usually slightly nervous and uncertain, most ninth graders entering St. Mark's are somewhat taciturn during their initial days in school.
Post BEFORE CLASS ON Wednesday ten (10) sentences using ten different vocabulary words correctly, giving a context clue to the meaning of the word within your sentence. You will be graded on the quality of your sentences.
Rows 1-3 should work with words 1-10; rows 4-6 should work with words 11-20.
Your context clue should use restatement, contrast, or inference (see p.7 of your vocab book if you need help with these).
Of course, identify yourself according to your first name, last initial, and section color.
e.g. Usually slightly nervous and uncertain, most ninth graders entering St. Mark's are somewhat taciturn during their initial days in school.
Post BEFORE CLASS ON Wednesday ten (10) sentences using ten different vocabulary words correctly, giving a context clue to the meaning of the word within your sentence. You will be graded on the quality of your sentences.
Rows 1-3 should work with words 1-10; rows 4-6 should work with words 11-20.
Your context clue should use restatement, contrast, or inference (see p.7 of your vocab book if you need help with these).
Of course, identify yourself according to your first name, last initial, and section color.
e.g. Usually slightly nervous and uncertain, most ninth graders entering St. Mark's are somewhat taciturn during their initial days in school.
Listen carefully to this videoof Mr. Jerry Falwell, a minister and founder of Liberty University; and Pat Robertson, a former minister and televangelist, speaking two days after the 9-11 catastrophe (the text of the video appears below).
Both men had (Falwell is deceased now) strong, conservative, religious opinions. For instance, both men decried the fact that prayer could not be said in public schools. The ACLU [American Civil Liberties Union, the group to which the men refer] fought to keep prayer out of public schools, so they were seen as religious enemies by Robertson and Falwell. This is just a brief summary to explain the political and historical context of the two men's words.
Robertson and Falwell are firm believers in God's providence--God as the provider and God as the punisher, too. They are not unlike the early Puritans in this way.
Here is a transcript of the video (with some additional words before the video begins):
JERRY FALWELL: And I agree totally with you that the Lord has protected us so wonderfully these 225 years. And since 1812, this is the first time that we've been attacked on our soil and by far the worst results. And I fear, as Donald Rumsfeld, the Secretary of Defense, said yesterday, that this is only the beginning. And with biological warfare available to these monsters - the Husseins, the BinLadens, the Arafats--what we saw on Tuesday, as terrible as it is, could be minuscule if, in fact--if, in fact--God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.
PAT ROBERTSON: Jerry, that's my feeling. I think we've just seen the antechamber to terror. We haven't even begun to see what they can do to the major population.
JERRY FALWELL: The ACLU's got to take a lot of blame for this.
PAT ROBERTSON: Well, yes.
JERRY FALWELL: And, I know that I'll hear from them for this. But, throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way--all of them who have tried to secularize America--I point the finger in their face and say "you helped this happen."
PAT ROBERTSON: Well, I totally concur, and the problem is we have adopted that agenda at the highest levels of our government. And so we're responsible as a free society for what the top people do. And, the top people, of course, is the court system.
Respond to one of the three prompts:
1. Do you agree with or disagree with Falwell and Robertson? Explain your answer in a thoughtful response. Specifically agree with or refute specific ideas that they expressed in this video.
2. Relate a personal story in which you believed God played an important role in answering a prayer.
3. Discuss an incident that occurred in American history where someone, or some group of people, were persecuted for their religious beliefs OR for not having any religious beliefs. Explain your feelings on this incident.
Soph homework due October 8 on Anne Bradstreet's The Prologue to The Tenth Muse
Follow this link to read The Prologue to The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America, Anne Bradstreet's book of poetry.
The link provides "linked notes" to important words and phrases in the poem--these helpful notes will help you to understand some esoteric allusions and metaphors in the poem.
In your notebook, paraphrase the poem, stanza by stanza. I would think that you should be able to paraphrase each stanza by writing 2-3 sentences. You might want to print out the poem, too.
We will discuss this poem in class on Tuesday, October 8.
The Milkmaid 1658-1660 Johannes Vermeer oil on canvas
The Girl With The Pearl Earring (not dated) Johannes Vermeer
In John Updike's The Lucid Eye in Silver Town, Jay and his Uncle Quin have a minor disagreement over which artist is better--the Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer or the French Impressionist Edgar Degas. The disagreement not only reveals Jay's early development of arrogance (he haughtily pronounces, "In terms of paint, I think Vermeer makes Degas look sick"), but also reveals something about Updike's own artistic vision. Assuming the young Jay might be a young John Updike (both showed early interest in fine art) and knowing Updike's typical characters and heroes, one can assume that Updike's choice of Vermeer as Jay's favorite artist was carefully chosen. Like Vermeer, John Updike often makes the ordinary character his subject. Often bathed in a beautiful light or doing their jobs with concentration and care, Vermeer's ordinary servants and common laborers look extraordinary; likewise, Updike's heroes are common people dealing with common problems in uncommonly, extraordinary short stories and novels. Remember this: the modern writer, the modern artist, often attempts to make the ordinary extraordinary. The classical writer and artist had no use for the common man, peasant, serf, groundling, and certainly few women. His job was to write poems and plays about kings, nobles, religious leaders ... you know, the people who really mattered. That's what Brit Lit was all about, wasn't it, up until your study of Wordsworth and Shelly and Coleridge?
Now let's move on to our writing task. But first some questions to get you to perform a basic analysis of the paintings.
Analyze the painting in terms of its title, historical context, subject/theme, characters, color, light/shading, composition/perspective, symbols, and tone.
Which one of the paintings (shown above) do you prefer? Give your reasons, using the points of analysis that preceded this question.
How does the painting make you feel upon first glance?
Imagine the "story" that the painting tells.
If neither of these four paintings appeal to you, choose another by Degas or Vermeer (you can easily find them online) in order to complete this assignment.
Write a good solid paragraph or creative piece responding to any one of these options. Write a minimum of 250 words.
1.Why do you like one of the paintings, or prefer it to one of the others? Do not be intimidated if you do not understand too much about artistic composition.
2. Compare and contrast the Degas paintings with the Vermeers. Which artist do you prefer? Why? Be specific.
3. You are one of the characters in one of the paintings. Write a 250 word minimum interior monologue where we can "hear" your thoughts as you converse with yourself (in the first person) in the setting provided by the painting.
4. Compose a descriptive "set" piece in which you describe what you see in vivid prose language, using good concrete nouns, motion picture verbs, vivid images, and/or original figures of speech. No need to tell a story. Just write to set a particular mood.
