SOPHS: Mark Twain homework for May 28--due tomorrow

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

In the mid-nineteenth century, Sunday School stories were 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."

Assignment

Read the story and then answer these questions in your notebook/IPad. NO NEED to post. 

1. "The Story of the Bad Little Boy" is a parody of the stories in Sunday School books. Define a parody.  
2. What details contribute to the humor of "The Story of the Bad Little Boy"? List at least four. 

3. What storytelling "tricks" does Twain use to make the story entertaining, if not humorous? By tricks, I specifically mean his rhetoric (clever words and phrases, figures of speech, sound devices, or rhetorical structures). List at least four. 

4. How does the penultimate (better look up this word) paragraph contribute to the sarcasm of the story? 

5. For what serious reason did Twain write this story?

Senior Modern American Themes Exam (bring pencil and pen--spread the word!)

Bring a pencil and pen to the final--use a pencil for the scantron portion and pen for the essays and short answers.

Modern American Themes--Seniors: Your Last Writing Assignment (due BEFORE Thursday, May 21)

Dead Poet's Society Testament

This is your last writing assignment. Post OR turn in a paper copy (if you would rather not have your response posted for others to read) before Thursday, May 21. This assignment is worth 20 points. 

Each of the prompts requires at least 250 words of response. All of the prompts are inspired by The Dead Poets Society movie.

I am looking forward to reading the last words of wisdom that you'll impart at Schoolsville.
     
I cannot grade you on your opinion. You will be graded on your clarity of expression and your ability to support your opinion using specific ideas and examples. Better yet, refer to some of our readings this semester to defend or support your opinion.

Choose any ONE lower case "letter" to respond to. NOT one in each part. Just any ONE letter.

Part 1 People Can Change (minimum of 250 words)

a. Give me an example of how your opinion about something or someone changed as a result of changing YOUR point of view.
b. For you, what's the most "different" school or extra-curricular activity in which you've participated during your high school career, one that you would have never imagined yourself doing in a few years ago?
c. What person in the Class of 2014 has undergone the most positive change during his or her four years at St. Mark's? You need NOT mention a name.

Part 2 Institutions Can Change (minimum of 250 words)
d. What pages from what text that you had in high school what you like to rip out?
e. What's the most different, yet most powerful/significant high school class (period, activity, etc.) in which you took part?
f. What one thing would you change about St. Mark's to improve the school that would not change the basic educational and philosophical fabric of the school (e.g. in Welton, Charly wanted to admit girls)?
g. How can St. Mark's best discipline its students in order to promote proper behavior?

Part 3 "These are the things we stay alive for " (minimum of 250 words)
h. Words ARE important. What are the nicest words that someone ever said to you? Explain. Please, be able to quote, at least partially, these words.
i. What are the last words to live by that you wrote to yourself in a journal or otherwise?
j. How does your favorite song, band, singer etc. affect you (emotionally or rationally or both) in an important way? 

# 2 journal Modern American Themes: “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” (DUE FRIDAY MAY 8)

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” is a multi-layered story, which, in addition to possessing a fascinating plot, calls to mind many important ideas and issues. The author, Joyce Carol Oates, admitted that she had a partiality during this time in her career for writing "allegory," and after all, good allegory invites us to think about and apply the story to our own lives. Respond to one of the five (5) prompts in 250 words or more and post your response before Friday, May 8.

1. Fall from innocence into experience

Share with us an incident in which you lost a little of your childhood innocence and you learned the ropes of the real world.

2. The disappearance of religion and the acceptance of the easy values of the modern world 

Share with us parts of your “faith life.” Do you attend Church weekly? Read the Bible? Belong to a Church group? Etc. Discuss how this has benefited you and others.

3. Rock and roll is the Devil's tool: Arnold Friend is the Devil (Ellie Oscar as Elvis)

Talk about a musical artist or group that promotes aberrant or immoral behavior for  followers of that group. Why do you think that teens and young adults attracted to that  group?

4. The story is a feminist parable of the sad situation for women in the 60s—they lose their beauty, youthful innocence, and romantic dreams or become hopeless old maids like Connie’s sister.

Write about a (somewhat modern) famous woman who resisted and won against this  stereotype.

5. Bob Dylan was a “new” realistic voice of reason and experience in 1965

Tell me about a current musical artist or group whose songs promote meaningful thought or messages, especially ones that promote new ideas.