Jane Austen

For the next blogs, I will be going through these alphabetically with some of my favorite novels. Looking down the line, I realize that I probably need to reread a lot of these to recall why they ended up in the greatest hits section of my bookshelf.

The "A" authors must begin with Jane Austen, so prolific in her characters, her satires of her contemporary society, and her Romantic inclinations surfacing from beneath the witty surface.

If you were part of AP Lang ever, you know that we read the opening chapters of Pride and Prejudice and its recent version Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. For those of you delving into the world of Austen, that combination is an excellent course - very accessible and quite fun to look comparatively at the two milieus side-by-side.

I was turned onto Jane Austen and here plethora of incredible novels by the "Austen Renaissance" that occurred in film-making circa 1995-1996, which would be Emma Thompson's fabulous Sense and Sensibility, Gwyneth Paltrow as Emma, its modern adaptation Clueless, and, the best of all, the BBC version of Pride & Prejudice with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.

In order of Jane Austen: The Complete Novels, here are snippets of the plots - in the order I think I read them:

• Pride & Prejudice - her most famed novel, a tale of 5 sisters, 2 rich gentlemen, and the society that proclaims "it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife" to exhibit the faulty reasoning behind that system all the while creating the magnetic connection between Miss Elizabeth Bennet (Prejudice) and Mr. Darcy (Pride). The BBC miniseries is so accurate to this novel - it takes all of the wit and energy and makes what seems quite simple (the marriage rituals of mid to upper class British folks) into a dynamic chess game of manners and mores. 
• Sense & Sensibility - as with the former novel, this one also connects abstract ideas to characters via Elinor (Sense) & Marianne (Sensibility) Dashwood, two sisters with different philosophies of life and both having relationship trouble. Whether it is the film or the novel, both look at how both extremes don't work well to emotional survival, that one should find a medium between the two, or at least that's how I see it. 
• Emma - here Austen creates a well-intentioned, matchmaking protagonist who actually is quite blind to her own feelings and relationships. Emma is a light-hearted romp; her conflicts are minor and more for teaching our herione about her own selfishness to gain further maturity for her eventual partner.
• Mansfield Park - this one differs in that its main protagonist, Fanny, is a more of an outsider and presented without as much wit and voice and some of her other Austen leads. I personally like the novel and its key/locked gate motif; it definitely shows the flaws in the upper class world that Fanny's relative inhabit and how morally unadvanced those staying in Mansfield Park happen to be. 
• Northanger Abbey - love, love this text and its satire of Gothic fiction. The main character wants to live in a novel - the first line of the text is "No one who had ever seen Catherine Morland in her infancy would have supposed her born to be an heroine." Unfortunately, through Austen's plot, the recognition that life is not a novel brings Catherine Morland into maturity.
• Persuasion - I never got into Persuasion in general although I should probably reread it now that I'm older. As a teenager, it wasn't as attractive to read about a woman who was a spinster who broke an engagement with a man and then years later has a second chance with him. I always felt there was a melancholy to this text that the other ones did not have.
• Lady Susan - this is an epistolary novel (vocab to learn = a text in letters/diary form) with widow Lady Susan and her daughter and all the hijinks that occur in their visits.

Carol Goodman - Literary Mysteries

If you like mysteries, especially those that are highly literate, I recommend the Carol Goodman texts that you can read about here: CG text summaries, which are listed from most recent to eldest in nature. There is quite a variety of plots, so I feel there is something for almost everyone who wants to read in the genre. I have read seven of the novels so far and in sequential order of publication if you want to follow my path. 

I first read The Lake of Dead Languages about 15 years ago, and became entranced by the storyline, the emphasis on language, and the writing style. After that experience, I read The Seduction of Water, and had the same connection to the text, which also brought in literary tropes too. I've read all of the novels through Arcadia Falls and will definitely have to get my hands on the last five - I have been slacking on reading her works!

Tolstoy

As with the idea that you are either an Austen or a Bronte fan, so goes the idea with the great Russian authors of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. With his epic nature and Victorian-era sensibility, I fall in the Tolstoy camp.

Anna Karenina is a mammoth novel, one not to be picked up by the casual reader. While its title suggests that Anna Karenina is the main character, she is only one half of the book's focus with Levin the other protagonist seeking to figure out his life, romantic inclinations, and past in a classified, judgmental Russia. His part can sometimes be boring - a lot of info regarding agricultural in nineteenth century Russia - but he brings forth a juxtaposition to the upper-class societal world Anna populates. Back to Anna, she is married to a boring man with a young son when she falls in love with Vronsky, a seductive military man. Her decisions regarding her child, her husband, and her lover become the dramatic parts of the text, leading to the train motif that occurs at the beginning and end of the novel. When I used to teach characterization, I would use the first train chapter as an example and would analogize these characters to volcanoes: most maintaining dormancy to stay in societal favor while some would erupt, causing mass chaos.

I first read Anna Karenina as an independent novel analysis during my second semester of college. I chose it because the movie version was coming out (there is a theme to why I read stuff). I remember reading the book for the first time in April, sitting under the crab apple tree blooming with its pretty pink petals and looking up to see a pure blue sky above. At (almost) nineteen reading about Anna and her want of love and freedom, I completely rooted for her and wanted her to dump her husband and all. The last time I read the novel, in my late thirties, I couldn't believe the selfishness of a mother choosing lust over her child. Perhaps that is what great literature should be - something that changes just as we do over the course of our lives.

Anna Karenina is my third favorite novel, so I highly recommend it to those of you who are ready for epic Russian literature. If you're not ready for that commitment yet, at least you know the gist of the plot and, if you show up to a Scholar Quiz practice, can appreciate the "Chug a Chug a Choo Choo" that the team does whenever a question arises about the novel.

I also find a modern version of the novel, What Ever Happened to Anna K by Irina Reyn, a fascinating update to the same situation. It's not as long and developed as the Russian text it emulates, but it brings all of the same choices to light.

Charles Frazier

My second favorite novel, and the one first novel that I ever cried upon reading, is Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain. As the film version was coming out on Christmas Day 2003 and starring a few of my personal favorite actors (Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger), I wanted to read the novel before seeing it on the big screen. On December 23, I was nearing the end of the novel when the plot introduces snow, or the point where I feel you can't stop reading. So while baking batches of Christmas cookies, I reached the completion of this extraordinary text, one that is considered an "American Odyssey" as Inman, one of the protagonists, an outlier Confederate soldier, journeys back to Cold Mountain, meeting a slew of characters that reflect the degradation of what war does to those in uniform and what war does to those left behind without money, morals, and motivation (although the Goat Lady is a bright shining light of humanity just when you think there is nothing left that war has not touched) and Ada (her name means "noble," something I know quite well as my late rabbit was named after her), his beloved, who must figure out how to be a farmer and to survive off the land left without her father, Inman, or anyone to take care of day-to-day living, until Ruby comes along to teach a Southern belle taught only accomplishments what it means to plant, craft, and work. ''=

Charles Frazier is an incredible writer with his texts full of rich language, comparisons, and character development. In my opinion, this is the best paragraph I've ever read:

"At the hospital, the doctors looked at him and said their was not much they could do. He might live or her might now. They gave him but a grey rag and a little basin to clean his own wound.Those first few days, when he broke consciousness enough to do it, he wiped at his neck with the rag until the water in the basin was the color of the comb on a turkey-cock. But mainly the wound had wanted to clean itself. Before it started scabbing, ti spit out a number of things: a collar button and a piece of wool from the shirt he had been wearing when he was hit, a shard of soft grey metal as big as a quarter dollar piece, and, unaccountable, something that closely resembled a peach pit. That last he set on the nightstand and studied for some days. He could never settle his mind on whether it was part of him or not. He finally threw it out the window but then had troubling dreams that it has taken roots and grown, like Jack's bean, into something monstrous." 

I read this novel to Cora last year (Wuthering Heights was first), and I spent a lot of time talking about war and what it results in for everyone involved - watching people of hope and life be condemned to mental and emotional scars that still haunt the land to this day. (I also read this book to my Ada when she was a 4 month old bunny, and she would "boing" - if you have rabbits, you know that is their own special way of jumping - every time she heard her name.) In my interpretation, Frazier brings in a lot of moments that exhibit how horribly violent America was becoming and how this would be the start of greater hardship in the future.

One other novel that stands out by Frazier is Nightwoods, set more in the present than his other works. I started rereading it this week to remind myself of the plot: two children whose mother has been murdered go to live with their aunt while the murderer attempts to find them. The book really brings up a lot about the lack of justice that happens and how victims are often the ones who have their reputations destroyed by law/lawyers as part of a defense. The limited third person point of view rotates between the aunt, the killer, and a man who owns land, so the reader rotates between empathy and disgust as the narrators have their say. The first line of the novel is very telling: "Luce's new stranger children were small and beautiful and violent." And that polysyndeton, which is throughout the novel by the way, especially when dealing with Luce's love of nature, clarifies the entire novel.

I hope you give either or both novels a read, especially since Frazier is a modern author and still writing novels of incredible depth, specific milieu, and characters that haunt you, in so many different ways, long past reading.

The First Bronte

My favorite novel is actually one that we read in AP Lit: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, her only novel as her life was tragically cut short by consumption, a.k.a. tuberculosis, a.k.a. what Keats also succumbed to in the nineteenth century. As it is the cumulative text of the class, if you are taking AP Lit, you may want to wait to read it with me and the group to become part of the Bronte moors, the Byronic Hero archetype, and the minutia that makes this novel, read after read, a fascinating slice of personalities that do not mix. With that last thought in mind, though, you could do a read for pleasure (yes, that does still exist even after taking AP Lang and realizing how much you note shifts, juxtaposition, motifs, syntax, and those syndetons) for plot and character.

Now for those of you who like juxtaposition, this novel is made around the premise with 2 narrators (yes, Lockwood is a bother and there is no escaping it; Nelly is our source of true interest, imagination, and questions of her motive in depicted characters as such), 2 settings, and 2 generations of characters. In AP Lit studies of the novel, there is much depth to analyze with character development, the weather motifs, color symbolism, and commentary on the circumstances of nineteenth century class structure and how this pollutes the souls of those in the text (this novel, which is hard to categorize as it filters through various genres, is made for Marxist criticism, which is our underlying critical eye in class).

I first read the novel when I was sixteen. Why? Well, it all started with a film version, this one Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights starring the extraordinary Juliette Binoche as both Cathys (yep, there's two of them so keep on your toes at the beginning of the novel) and my beloved Ralph Fiennes as the magnetic, mysterious, mistreated, vengeful, cruel Byronic Hero Heathcliff. After watching the film, and falling madly for Ralph's Heathcliff, I picked up the novel and plunged into its specific milieu. My reading of the novel has changed over time, as does any time you read something over a 26 year period. I gravitate to different characters, see the flaws in the Byronic protagonist that were first ignored, pick up on the subtle projections of Nelly and how she is the real sculptor of the tale.

I do love all of the Bronte sisters and their works. There is a thought that you are either a Bronte or an Austen. While I do love my Jane Austen and her novels dearly, I do return back to the Brontes again and again. I guess that would be a fun class to take in the juxtaposition of the Romantic Hero vs. the Byronic Hero.

F.Y.I. The film version I mentioned is one of many, and it is the most accurate to the novel if you take my word for it. Most film versions cut the novel in half, taking away the second generational aspect.

When I was in college, a friend at the time recommended to me a novel called Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman as she said it was reminiscent of Wuthering Heights and its characters. And, yes it sure does modernize the Bronte characters - and the passionate situations that were once implied and now described. I always dreamed about teaching a class where we could read both novels to show that connection. Alice Hoffman is an amazing writer, and if you are looking for a modern author with a large canon of work, take a look at her texts and see if any are of interest to you.

Happy Reading!

American Literary Texts

Admittedly, I am a nineteenth century British Lit head, which means the Brontes, Austen, Eliot, Dickens, James (o.k., he's American and part of the twentieth century as well), and a slew of authors who knew how to write deeply felt characters, commentate on the social mores of the time frame (sometimes in wit, sometimes in irony, sometimes in subtlety that might not be noted via surface reading), and compose with syntax of complex nature, cumulative and periodic, that peppers sophisticated, specific words to detail their milieus.

With that in mind, I still do have a soft spot for American writers, and this blog will look at some of the texts that American Literature has featured in the past, present, and future. While the Puritan writers are something to note (Jonathan Edwards's "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" to understand fear-mongering of religion in the Puritan world and Anne Bradstreet's poetry to comprehend a loving, just God part of the daily existence of those struggling to survive), the longer texts of the course are a better focus.

To jump around a bit, let's start with the plays, performance pieces that have become part of our American cultural literacy: The Crucible and A Raisin in the Sun. (You could also do a deep dive into Tennessee Williams's works if you want one of the prolific writers' works into your life.)

The Crucible is one of those texts that have become part of the American high school experience, looking at how pack behavior, false accusations, and sin corrupt a town and its residents, resulting in doubt, vendettas, and death. Arthur Miller wrote this play during the Communist "witch hunts" of the 1950s to show the parallels between McCarthy's drive to stamp out Communists and the Salem Witch Trials. The Witch Trials were a fascinating year (yes, one year) of American History with neighbor turning against neighbor, accusing those of witchcraft in a burst of communal insanity (which may have been caused by Ergot poisoning). Miller has many real-life characters in the play, although he did "age up" Abigail, which if you read the play, you'll see why this was needed to create conflict. If you want to play a bit with your history knowledge, check out Salem Witch Trials Jeopardy I'm sure you'll never forget what a "witchcake" means!

A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry, who passed away at a young age before continuing her career providing plays full of characters facing conflicts of personal nature, racial nature, class nature, and American nature, is a fascinating read of the milieu and characters all looking to find a better life, whether that be misguided investments, individual education, or familial homestead. The title, garnered from Langston Hughes' "Harlem" (read his poems - they are wonderful and indicative of how he inspired so many people during the twentieth century), further shows what happens as time weighs on dreams and hopes. My favorite character in the play is Beneatha; she reflects the youthful generational change that differs her from her older brother and her mother.

Poetry-wise, since I already name-dropped Anne Bradstreet & Langston Hughes, the Americans of note would be Longfellow, Whitman, Poe, Dickinson, Toomer, Cullen, McKay, Angelou. Poetry can be intimidating at times, but if you take one line at a time, look at how the words combine and move to the next line, you will see the meaning and connect with timeless messages and ideas. And for those of you shuddering at poetry, the best tip I can give you is that poetry is often inverted in its grammar (such as verb before subject or predicate before verb); if you uninvert the lines, you can find better understanding.

Short-story-wise, Charlotte Perkins-Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a must for any student of American Literature, especially as we do talk about it a lot, referencing its gender roles, its exhibition of how women were treated suffering from any "hysteria" (or in this case, postpartum depression), its symbolism, and its "creeping," which is also something brought up a great deal of how women felt during the turn-of-the-century. And while I do not like Faulkner's novels that much, his short story "A Rose for Emily," is one of those disturbing pieces of fiction that stick with you, whether you like it or not. And one more from Hawthorne - "Rappaccini's Daughter" - which, unlike a lot of his Puritan-laced fiction, deals with what happens when a scientist, working with poisons, happens to make his daughter a poisonous subject.

Lastly, a couple novels that are part of American Literature. First, The Great Gatsby. From the billboard to the yellow car to that green light, the motifs of Gatsby are a huge part of American culture. While the characters are extremely unlikable, they reflect the decadence of the 20s, the selfishness of the rich, the tragedy of those attempting to become the upper class. It's quite quick read, and while you could just watch Leonardo DiCaprio play Gatsby, I recommend the book first so that you don't miss out on the minor descriptions that help explicate Baz Luhrmann's choices in the film.

My favorite text of American Lit is The Scarlet Letter, which I act out every year (with a little added commentary to help show how this story continues to have a part in society and 3 costumes for the main characters). The Scarlet Letter, a novel of symbolism, obviously, revolves around sin and what happens to those who accept sin and punishment and the eventual beautifying of a soul, what happens to those who have a secret sin and let it eat away at his soul, and what happens to those who embrace a life of vengeance and darkness. Hester Prynne, the protagonist, is the wearer of The Scarlet Letter, a punishment given to her by the community for her sin of adultery, even though her young daughter Pearl is the greatest symbol of her past indiscretions, love, and choices in a world of Puritan hypocrisy. Her first steps from the prison (the start of the novel) to the end, still wearing that "A" as part of her identity, indicate a woman of strength and compassion, one not allowing the shallow judgments of those around her to contaminate her spirit. Arthur Dimmesdale, the reverend of such emotive speeches, losing a battle of hope and health, and a bit unaware of those surrounding him, gives the reader a chance to sympathize and find frustration with his actions, especially juxtaposed with Hester and her can-do attitude. Then, of course, is the mysterious "leech" Roger Chillingworth - the name basically tells you all there. While he certainly knew marrying a younger, attractive woman was not a love match, he definitely believes he has the right to avenge himself when things go awry. I love this novel, first reading it during my senior year of high school (which happened to coincide with the film version starring Gary Oldman, with long hair, sign, being released - I do have to warn that this version is not that good and diverges from the novel a lot) and finding fascination with Hester and her Pearl, who are truly the characters in the novel that you should want to pull for. I do want to mention that the syntax and diction on this novel is typical nineteenth century, which I adore for its depth and skill. As many of you are used to modern fiction (which definitely likes more simple sentences and word), you might not have the eye for the novel at first. Keep going! Once you get into the "baby daddy" mystery (that seems really wrong to say, but it's how I have sold it in the past to my classes and what engages many of you when I perform the novel), you'll have a solid want to read and your mind will adjust to the syntax and diction.

While I had my four hour block to clean Room 404 in May, I grabbed The Word Museum from my bookshelf and thought it would be fun to share with you "the most remarkable English words ever forgotten."

Today's forgotten word is "aflunters," which means a state of disorder. Since so many of the texts listed above deal with societies, characters, and conflicts in perpetual problems, aflunters seems an ideal use of diction as a descriptor.

In my upcoming blogs, I will be sharing novels from my own personal bookshelf :)

A Little Summer Reading

Hello, past and future AP Lit students who are looking for a little reading recommendations for the summer. AP Lit is my book club class, in which every day we are doing something regarding literature: close reading, finding lit strategies (if you like juxtaposition, well, just you wait), discussing minutia that you find in texts, performing some of the great characters of all time, creating during third quarter poems, stories, and peregrinations. Additionally, there is a reading community advanced, as each person find his/her niche in literary analysis and continues to indicate those patterns throughout the year. If you have not signed up for AP Lit and would like to be part of the class, you still can over the summer, during registration, or, if you are really waiting until the last minute, the first week of school.

Over the summer, I will be updating my blog with some reading ideas for you and for anyone who would like to do reading - that's right, you don't have to be part of AP Lit to partake in these suggested readings.

Currently, I am reading Colm Toibin's The Master, which is a fictionalized account of the great writer Henry James. I'll tell you - the man knows how to write with polysyndeton and asyndeton and often juxtaposes these strategies together! I've already plotted a new syndetons activity for Lang next year with quotes from his novel.

Overall, I would look over 101 Books to Read Before College and see if any of the authors and titles are of interest to you. Many of these novels are part of what is known as cultural literacy, or the shared reading experiences of books in a culture. For instance, most high schoolers read Romeo & Juliet (yeah, sorry, King Lear is so much better to do in AP Lit) and To Kill a Mockingbird, know and can make allusions to the texts, and be part of a greater conversation. This list is also helpful for those of you taking AP Lit as one of the essay prompts allows you to choose what novel/play you would like to write about.

I highly recommend reading Brave New World over the summer. The first chapter is really science-y, so if that is not your cup of tea, just keep going until you run into the characters and their salacious behavior. This is a dystopian novel - and written in 1932, which you will be amazed to find since it feels like it was written this week. This used to be part of AP Lit, but every year it is pushed back and back and back until we don't have time to read it.

One of the disappointments of ending AP Lang from home is that we did not partake in American Literature, so my next blog will examine some of the texts that would have been part of the class, especially the ones that would have involved acting by my students and myself. I will then move into my bookshelf, which you can see the top two rows here:

I hope you all do a lot of reading this summer - you learn so much from books that actually makes you understand and empathize with the world around you, whether it be comprehending the past, partaking in the present, or figuring out the future. 

The Shoe Vote Concludes

Well, not that many people voted this year, so normally while I do have the top 5, I had to edit down a bit since there was a 8-way tie for third place. Overall, the shoes having some symbolism to them - flowers, crowns, and butterflies. As always, the winning shoe doesn't mean the purchased shoe. I'm still trying to figure out which one it will be since $$$$ does play a part in my decision-making skills.

1: #73 The Dolce & Gabbana Kiera Lily Sandals, which indicates your love of flower imagery and symbolism and very high tastes: https://www.farfetch.com/az/shopping/women/dolce-gabbana-kiera-lily-embroidered-sandals-item-14211943.aspx.

2: #45 The Dolce & Gabbana Sunflower Sandals, which shows you like your Italian footwear and more flower symbolism: https://www.farfetch.com/az/shopping/women/dolce-gabbana-sunflower-print-platform-sandals-item-14088126.aspx.

3rd place options:
-  The Sophia Webster Riva Butterfly Wedge, which on the candidates form was the lower heel; the higher one is growing on me plus this is the least expensive choice out of the top 5 presented here: https://www.sophiawebster.com/product/25793/riva-espadrille.
-The Sophia Webster Royalty in Ivory, which has been featured in pink and black on previous voting forms: https://www.sophiawebster.com/product/16385/royalty.
- The Aquazzura Papilion Sandal, the second butterfly option, which also comes in a lovely yellow: https://www.aquazzura.com/en/boutique-online/woman/shoes/sandals/papillon-sandal-105-jungle-green-suede-leather-pplhigs0-snl-jgr.html.

I'm going to think it over this evening and pray for a sudden sale tomorrow to decide which will be the 2020 shoe. Thanks to those of you who voted :)

'Twas the Night Before the AP Lit Test

After our lovely pre-test brunch this morning, I think we can all agree that our book club has paid incredible dividends in analytical ability, written expression, vocabulary eminence, and community bonds. From our first assignment looking at 2 Helen poems to our last regarding the alliterative Peregrine Pickle, you have metamorphosized into stunning college thinkers and engaging adults. While our test is not in the normal environment, I hope you know that I will be doing my traditions the entire time.

You may remember our menagerie of AP test mascots, which began with the Proxy Penguin and Gianini Giraffe, the following year with the Omniscient Owl and the Zenith Zebra, and last year with the Close Reading Racoon and the Halcyon Husky.

Here is your 2019-20 AP Lit mascot - the Five Flamingo!

And since I can't do this on my board in Room 404 - 

The Best Wuthering Heights Film

There are so many versions of Wuthering Heights. The most hallowed is one of its firsts: the 1939 version with Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier. Now while it does have the setting of the moors and the angst of Cathy and Heathcliff, this film version, as do many of them, do not tell the entire novel, ending the film with Cathy's death, Heathcliff's mourning, and no second generation, which is half of the novel. 

Now the best version, the one that I saw first when I was 16 and before I had read the novel, is the 1992 version entitled Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, starring two of the best actors in the world, Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes. While it's not a perfect representation of the novel, it's the best one that I've seen thus far. 

And, in exciting news, MPLEX is showing Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights tomorrow, Saturday May 9, at 9:25 a.m. and 5:10 p.m. So for those of you wanting the visualization of this extraordinary novel and you have this channel, here is your chance. Happy viewing! 

Shirts & Shoes

Beyond Wuthering Heights and Prose Prompts, there are two fun items on the docket currently:

1. T-shirt designs will be accepted through Friday. As the majority of our poll respondents wanted one this year, here is your chance to have one! You may submit as many designs as you like in the Shared Drive in the T-shirt folder. Don't worry about colors at this point as I figure we will eventually have 2 options to be determined later. Right now, the image and words are most important. 

2. The shoe vote for AP Lit has begun! The form allows you to vote for 5 pairs a day, and you can submit the form every single day until May 13 to help your favored shoes win. On the Scholar Quiz team? You can submit two forms a day. 

All of this, of course, is optional, but these are traditions of my classes that I hope you will take part in. 

Ergo, design and vote! 

AP Lit Test Poem

I was looking through my old blog posts and found this poem that I wrote the night before the AP Lit test in 2018. Unfortunately, most of this will not be accurate with our testing this year.

Twas the night before the AP Lit test, when all through the 404 fam,

Not a spondee was stirring, not even an iamb

The prompts are awaiting for your eye

Ready to grant you a scintillating five

So my bibliophiles of this year or two,

Prior to our breakfast and, of course, coffee too

Hearken to the novels, the lens, the meter, the feet

Remember the voltas and the characters we did meet

Attack those multiple choice passages even if not so fine

And write about poetry, prose, and free response to score all nines.

Twas Almost Shoe Voting Time

The Shoe Voting Update Folder on the Shared Drive is complete with the past AP shoes delineated and the 88 candidates for this year's shoe vote ready to go. I do have a form created, which I will be sharing with you in the upcoming days.

For those of you new to the shoe voting fun, a colorful display of shoe candidates are displayed to the front board for the weeks leading up to the AP exams, and each day, you vote on which shoes should represent AP Lit. Since we won't be in the physical room 404, you have the digital version of shoes and a form that you can vote for up to 5 shoes a day until May 13.

Something fun to do if you like the break from serious AP test prep and end-of-year class requirements. Participation is not required. If you want to take a look at the candidates, they are available now :)

National Theatre's Frankenstein on Youtube!

I can't express my excitement right now that the National Theatre will be airing the stage version of Frankenstein next week!

Here are the details: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/nt-at-home-frankenstein.

I'm completely biased on which version to watch - Jonny Lee Miller's version of the Creature (on May 1) is the best I have ever seen: he starts off for several minutes just figuring out how to walk on wobbly legs after "his birth," he brings gravitas, loneliness, and heartbreaking agony to the role, and the wedding night scene juxtaposes utter sadness of societal expectations with cruel suffering. I'm going to watch Benedict Cumberbatch's version of the Creature too, but I think he takes Victor's hybrid of curiosity, vanity, and utter discombobulation to the best performance. I guess that means I will see Jonny Lee's version of Victor too then!

Anyway, I highly recommend watching - it's free - and for a limited time!

Winds, Winds, Winds & Wuthering Heights Twister

With the wind today, I feel like I'm about to reenact a scene from Wuthering Heights here!

Speaking of, Mama G, Cora, and I were playing on the Wuthering Heights driveway yesterday, and I somehow (per Mama G's idea) ended up playing Wuthering Heights Character Twister (um, the rules were a little fudged). While it seemed absolutely ridiculous in theory, it actually was a physical manifestation of the characters' classes and resulting relationships. I'm going to make AP Lit do this next year at school!

If you want to look at the previous pictures, here are my directions and my analysis :) This covers the whole book, so if you don't want to know what happens yet, don't read ahead!

 Yes, this is what it would be like to live with me full time.

1. Right foot Hindley, left foot Hareton -Barely a movement as these two center around Wuthering Heights; even though Hareton has lost his inherited social standing, he is technically the name above the door!

2. Right foot Cathy, left foot Linton - once again, these two of the upper upper class and the upper middle class are naturally together; Cathy never really has to go far for anything.

3. Right foot Cathy, Left foot Cathy 2.0, a hand to Linton - since Cathy 2.0 is the best of both her parents, it makes sense that you don't have to stretch too far to unite this family together.

4. Right foot Heathcliff, Left foot Isabella - yes, I did a split here, thank you so much - look at the distance between the social classes and the appropriateness of this marriage plus its uncomfortable relationship.

5. Right foot Heathcliff, Left Food Linton, 2 hands Isabella - I made this sort of a plank - while Linton is between them, he does closer to Isabella, showing his unsuitability with the Heights and Heathcliff. Although, Heathcliff (and his anger issues) does reach out and bite him (get the dog reference there for those of you following along at home?).

Mama G still wants me to do The Scarlet Letter after it rains. She thinks my neighbors won't know what the "A" means. Yeah, I bet they do.

The Hardy Passage (Notes)

Whenever you are given a passage with two characters, you, of course, want an understanding of each's characterization: the shamed, humble, wanting to please, colloquial-sprouting Elizabeth Jane with the agitated, cold, judgmental, trying-to-erase-his-poor-past Henchard. While that is well and good, you also have the secondary component: the complex relationship between them. Many of you adjoined a Marxist lens to this piece with the divide of dialects, the past and present social standings of each person, and the behaviors representative of a mayor and a worker bee. To further justify these findings, and for any prompt like this in the future, keep your eye peeled for dialogue (diction, tone, other verbal devices), body language (placement, movement, comparisons), and juxtaposing behaviors (physical and emotional). Yes, the narrator's point of view will give you plenty of fodder for writing this prompt, but by focusing on the characters and what they are doing - especially in those little details - you will have an even greater sophisticated analysis.

As we work with Wuthering Heights and its juxtaposing characters, settings, and narrators, practice identifying those aforementioned literary elements and how they create the characters and their relationships. I would love to say that we will have the entire novel finished by the end of the quarter, but we probably will not, or at least not have true class analysis. However, we're going to do our best with the first half to continue with what a prose passage will most likely ask you to accomplish.

Back to evaluating. I miss hard copies and having the ability to evaluate 20-28 (my record with free response) essays per hour. Typing out all of these comment boxes first on AP Classroom, then on your Google form, then recording in SIS takes a lot more time! This is just an inconvenience, not a problem, so I will curb my complaint at that. A rabbi on the Today Show a few weeks ago talked about mental outlooks and how to classify what is happening right now as an inconvenience or a problem to better address life's circumstances. For example, an inconvenience would be having your meeting suddenly stop due to wifi not connecting. A problem would be your furnace not working and being unable to heat your home when it is below freezing. Don't know if that helps or not, but when I'm in the middle of a catharsis regarding school and what needs to be done or what is happening in the world, or I just feel overwhelmed with the redundancy of my daily life, I try to recognize that a lot of it is inconvenience in my world. Best to all of you. Even if you have genuine problems in your life, remember that there are people who support and love you and want to be that ear to listen to you and offer aid.

The Bronte Passage (Charlotte) Notes

I just finished the feedback for sixth hour's work with the Bronte passage regarding Caroline Helstone's metamorphosis to adulthood at age 18. This prompt emphasized the 2 phases of her life and brought simultaneous wonder and cynicism to the shift from childlike fantastical hope to mature realistic love, or those personified abstract nouns that affect the second half of the passage. If a prompt centers around 2 of something - I hope you know where I'm going with this - the AP creators have set you up for juxtaposition. Hence (I'm trying to break free of my ergo addiction), juxtaposition was the big ticket item that I was looking to read, whether it be the main device or a secondary one hiding under the umbrella of personification, nature motif (hello, it's a Bronte writing this), or anything else brought to the table for analysis.

I'm off to the Hardy prompt for sixth hour and then go through second hour's submissions. I just wanted to let you know that once I finish with feedback for an hour's assignment, if you turn it in late (which is legal but noted on SIS as such), I will not be giving as much feedback for that particular assignment.

The Chalk Art Version of Wuthering Heights

This all began when Mama G said, "Why don't you make a big scarlet A on your driveway since you can't act it out this year." Now while that would be eye-catching, my neighbors would probably get the wrong idea. Not that they think I'm sane for sitting on the driveway and drawing out Wuthering Heights with Cora's chalk.

Here are all of the pictures of my take on Wuthering Heights. It's my favorite novel of all time, yet I still can mock the characters! Especially Cathy - it's all her fault.

And you can mock me later for spelling Nelly Dean's name as Nellie. I need to stop watching Little House on the Prairie reruns!

And accurate spelling of NELLY -

Yep, I know exactly how you feel when you make that misspelling and there is photographic proof of it ;)

Digital Week 4/14

I really miss typing my blog on a daily basis. Google Classroom doesn't have that panache to me. Anyway, I will continue to post all of your assignments for the week in multiple locations so that all of you have a means of contact and finding the work. This week is all about Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights, and Literary Devices!

Seek out the lesson plans for phase 5 (we skipped phase 4 - maybe) and you shall see that you have a presentation on Miss Bronte and her real and imaginary worlds (definitely go through the links to other articles and charts - it's really cool, at least for a Bronte lover like me), a sign up sheet for our meeting this week that will feature analysis of 10 of her poems (might as well start recognizing patterns in her writing now), a completion/absentee form for verbal participation (like last week but with a little twist to make it unique for you and me), a close read prompt and mini writing assignment on the opening of WH (ah, Heathcliff), and a little fun with making up your own examples for common literary devices (AP Lang had a fairly entertaining time with a similar activity last week).

Hope all of you are doing well as we make our march to the AP test in May. Our "serious" work will involve only 2 essays. For those of you doing the math at home, we were supposed to have 7 essays this quarter (including 2 full practice tests - jeez I'm loving the parentheses today), but we only have 3 total (Frankenstein and 2 AP Classroom full essay prompts). Instead of overwhelming you with essay after essay, we'll stick with writing thesis statements and paragraphs here and there (such as this week a paragraph for the meeting and one for the WH prompt) to keep you in the mood of literary analysis.

I'm still extremely proud with everything you are doing online and in our meetings. The majority of you are putting in the effort and truly showing off all that you have learned in your educational career.

And if I ever catch up on checking digital portfolios and work for Lit and Lang, I'll finalize my shoe voting selections and make a voting form for all of you!

Digital Week Starting 4/7

It's kind of weird not typing a daily reminder of the antics from AP Lit in blog form every day. As noted on AP classroom and via e-mail, here is all the info regarding our week with a font change since I'm being a bit lazy and copying and pasting :)

Even though our week does not officially begin until Tuesday, April 7, I’m going for consistency and sending your weekly assignments on a Sunday, with the expectation that you will complete these by next Sunday.

As noted by the district, your third quarter grade is currently a place marker for what your semester grade MAY be. The “may” is an important caveat as students are expected to maintain their level of effort and participation to have the same grade at the end of this quarter. I will be noting the completion of your activities and giving feedback with AP scores (1-6) on essays and specific writing assignments to make sure you are improving with your essays. Do your job, you will keep your grade. Don’t do your job, your grade is subject to drop.

I have also been told that students who show the effort and participation beyond what they did third quarter can have their grade bumped up.

*By the way, and this is for a small number of you, if you have extenuating circumstances that preclude you from technological completion, result from health or familial reasons, or other issues that may occur, communicate with me! There are always ways to maintain your involvement J

A little adjustment to my work hours: regular office hours will be 1-3; dedicated work hours will remain the same beyond that: TWR 10-4; M,F,Sun sporadic.

Also, the district has requested we use WEBEX instead of Zoom for meetings, so you will receive new invitations to join those meetings. Check the sign-up sheet for more info and times. Sign-up as soon as would like.

And one more area – it does not matter if you are taking this course for the AP Lit test, college credit courses, high school credit, or a hybrid of the aforementioned reasons. All of those curriculums involve prose passages, novels, written analysis, and participation. Ergo, I might be turning into Abby W. with that transition, and all of these assignments are for all of you and not just those taking the AP exam J

Weekly Assignments:

·        Phase 3, The Importance of Being Earnest, Zoom Meeting 3, The World of Oscar Wilde, AP classroom timed close readings

·        https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OwSDC9g2T6XnV5EBvQshzUgfA9mU12qp8UCS3JrNU9s

·        You might want to review all of your lit terms

Suggested Daily Assignments:

Tuesday/Wednesday:

·       Sign up for meeting (if not already done so)

·        Prepare topic, evidence, lit element for meeting

·        Fill out completion/absentee form on Google Classroom

·        Add to The World of Oscar Wilde

Thursday/Friday:

·        Complete AP Classroom close reading prompts

·        Fill out Bronte/Hardy form on Google Classroom

·        Look over those lit terms

And, of course, before I forget: a link to the AP test info. Scroll down with the specific information regarding AP Lit. https://apcoronavirusupdates.collegeboard.org/educators/taking-the-exams/ap-exam-schedule#courseSpecific

Digital 404 Week of 3/30

I think as we go another week into digital erudition, the AP Lit class (notice one class and not multiple classes anymore - at least that is a benefit to this situation) has brought all of their passion, interest, bemusement, and commentary to the screen realm that they invested in the physical class experience. Yes, it is not the same without all of us face-to-face and responding to our readings on a daily basis. Yet, we have digital commentary charts, zoom meetings, and any other technology to help maintain this connection. For the most part, the AP Lit class has lived up to their commitment to the course and each other.

To recap last week, for those who might have been a tad selective in their completion of AP Lit activities and would like to add their persona and perspective to the class, we finished up the entirety of the Frankenstein lesson plan, completed free response lesson plan steps and 2 of the 5 charts for this unit, and completed zoom meetings.

For this week, here are the activities to continue our work in British Literature:

• Phase 3 Importance of Being Earnest lesson plans, steps 1-5, which include research of Victorian Era, Victorian Art, and Oscar Wilde plus the reading of the play and zoom meetings
• Phase 2 Free Response, step 4, chart 3 of 5

As always, the lesson plans on the shared drive give detailed information regarding all of the assignments. I also sent an e-mail with the same information as listed above plus an optional day-by-day schedule if that helps you with completion. 

Seniors, we are rounding the bend on your high school career. While we may not know exactly how it reaches completion, we do have this class to complete, literature to read and analyze, and final weeks of glorious conversation from all of you. 

Digital Room 404 Begins

I have just sent you all 3 items of note: an overview of what AP Lit will be for the near future, your member invitation to our shared drive, and the suggested pacing for the assignments this week. For the first, we will still have a portfolio for your individual work, which you will need to create and share with me. For the second, you have all the upcoming lesson plans - even ones that we won't get to yet - and digital assignments that involve class interaction and individual completion.

For the third, here is a copy of the pacing plan:

Overall this is the expected items to complete during this week. You can definitely work at your own pace, but make sure you have items prepped for full classroom meetings.

1. Your Portfolio Folder with Questions & Observations  (instructions on previous e-mail)

2. All 5 parts of the Frankenstein Phase 1 Lessons

3. Parts 1-3 of the Free Response Phase 2 Lessons

4. Complete 2/5 of Free Response Charts

A possible schedule for the assignments with the first half of the week a little lighter than the second half: 

Today/Monday

Your Portfolio Folder with Questions/Observations

Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday

Baby Lit Frankenstein

Christening

Movie Clips

Final Discussion Sign-Up/Zoom Meeting* 

*It would be ideal if you have the Baby Lit, Christening, Movie Clips, and Discussion Sign Up prior to the meeting so we can reference your ideas and have some fun, of course.

Thursday

Frankenstein Prose Prompt

Friday

Free Response Text Selections

Free Response Prompt Year Selections

Free Response Reminders

Saturday/Sunday

Two Free Response Charts

I should be hearing from you all in the next 30 hours, so let's see what thoughts you have about AP Lit, life, Frankenstein, and whatever else would come up in our classes. By the way, you are all one AP class now - fantasy fulfilled - so I hope you enjoy working with those "other" AP Lit students!

Well, Your Senior Year Will Be Memorable!

Hello, my beloved AP Lit students. My tone currently is incredulous if that helps you with reading the following blog. I don't know exactly what the plan is with schoolwork, assignments, practice exams, or anything really! I spent today trying to figure out how AP Lit would run the rest of the semester, and, fortunately for us, it involved reviewing free response essays, prose texts, poetry texts, tone, multiple choice, and practice exams. Guess what? You've done all of these types of analysis and writing already, so you should feel completely confident that when the work resumes and the AP Lit test comes around, that you will be just fine. I will be updating the blog and working with digital means if that proves to be the move of the district. In any circumstance, all your grades are updated for third quarter, and you have Frankenstein to finish reading if you have not done so already. I do love that book! I guess I will send you links to the movie clips we would have watched in class for your entertainment value.

I hope that all of you take this time out of school seriously and consider why we are not there: to help stop the spread of a virus that has caused great harm and fear across the world (why do I feel like I'm in really bad youth fiction apocalypse novel?). To take this two weeks flippantly or without consideration lacks the empathy for those that will have this virus or watch their loved ones have illness.

Wishing you the best, my dear Flavortown and Monsters, Inc. travelers :)

Quizzical Musings on the Plot of Frankenstein

Since the majority of women, minor as they are, in Frankenstein, in some shape or form, are grouped under the heading of angelic, dutiful, caregiver figures, is the only way to have a truly original feminine presence be to craft her together with "materials" and starting anew? Our creature, Adam, whatever name would suit him best, might not find that to be the case in reality - if Victor gives him that chance. Plus, if he did spend quality time with that journal, wouldn't he be able to become another God and make his own new species? And speaking of writing, as noted in second hour, anyone else find it odd that all three narrators have the same voice, diction, and syntax? I guess we argued it out that the Creature read Victor's journal and mimics his creator and that Walton is technically the storyteller at the crux of the novel, and he is using all of his poetic and adventurous readings from his youth to craft Victor's narrative and the Creature's narrative into something cohesive. Then, there's Ernest. Whatever happened to him? Did there need to be a third brother in the plot? Anywho, this type of blog happens the day before spring break starts, and I haven't had any coffee yet. 

In class today, we had individual points regarding chapters 11-16, or all about the Creature and his "friends," the cottagers. 

For the next week or so, you have the task of finishing up Frankenstein (do this first) and completely the close read of the prose passage from the novel (do this second unless you want to spoil the plot). 

Our first week back will include all of the following: the assessment, final discussion, and film clips regarding Frankenstein, a full MC practice test, a recap of free response essays, and then your first full AP Lit test.

Blessing

Thank you to my AP Lit students, especially those who have stuck with AP English and me for multiple years, for bringing the knowledge, the energy, the randomness (Clerval bubble baths, recess time) that makes AP Lit such an entertaining course to be a part of every year. You have been a part of my daughter's growth, within and without, you have treated my brain malfunctions with humor and compassion, and you make me feel supported and of consequence in your educational path. Through all the minutia and over-analysis that you find, you have become my teachers too! 

At the beginning of the year, I presented this class and its run to the AP test with the analogy of crawling to walking to running. Well, in real life, Cora has progressed to that second phase, and, from what I have witnessed in class and in your writing and in your discussions is that you have too. We are about to enter the running stage - I don't know if I'm ready for Cora's mobility, but I know I'm ready for yours - and that will include reviews of poetry, prose, free response, and MC plus 2 full practice exams. It may seem like a great deal, but think of everything you have accomplished not just in this class, but in your senior year, your high school career, your whole life for that matter. You once were a non-verbal progeny observing the world around you, taking in all of what life had to offer you, and now you are bringing all of that gained knowledge to fruition. 

I can't imagine AP Lit without all of you next year, my 25 savants. Blessed to be your teacher and blessed to be a mum to my birthday girl!

P.S. Don't forget to read through chapter 16 of Frankenstein so that we may chat about "Adam's" journey in observation of humanity. Like Grendel, humans are not the best role models in teaching morals, sanctity, and compassion. 

Teams Father, Caroline, Elizabeth, Clerval, or Everyone We Like Better Than Victor

After reviewing the answers for the second multiple choice passage (whether the answers were faulty or not), you shared, in teams, quotes, analysis, and adjectives for your assigned character, all of whom are intelligent, kind, engaging, and all-around awesome people! You would think Victor would have gleaned a bit more of the sensitivity, morals, and behavior of his parents (which calls into question why he is such a poor "father" in his own experience), his sister, and his dear best friend. Our young generation, Victor, Walton (he's approximately there age), and Clerval represent all those qualities of Byronic and Romantic heroes, though some fall into one category more than others. (And if Victor is Shelley, Walton is Byron, does that make Clerval my beloved Keatsy? That might be a little imaginative interpretation, but since I crush on Clerval too, it only makes sense to align him with the nature-loving, philosophical, unable-to-reach-his-dreams-due-to-lack-of-financial-stability Keats.) Next time, we will be looking at chapters 5-10, which exemplify Victor's "new species" that will be forever grateful for coming into existence at his hands. Sure.

Team Walton and Team Victor

The class split into teams today to share their characterizations - with evidence and citations, of course - of Walton, our Romantic hero, and Victor, our Byronic hero. Buddies in search of knowledge, or madness depending on your perspective, the "stranger" is about the share his tale of bewildering heartbreak and evil to his ever-laudatory listener. And with that, you have chapters 1-4 to read as Victor takes over narrating duties. You are following one character in the section and constructing a character chart with evidence and analysis for next class. Ali, you have Henry Clerval. Logan, you have Caroline. Madelyn, you have Elizabeth.

We also completed a second practice MC today, and we will analyze the answers tomorrow!

Walton

Today's focus was on Walton and his role in Letter 1 of Frankenstein. In class, groups added to the character chart or Walton with quotes and analysis befitting his role as the introductory Romantic character. For homework, you are to either make a digital copy of the class chart (do not add directly to the class chart outside of class) or create one on notebook paper, adding to Walton's characterization and Victor's characterization.

Those Indolent Slugs!

In second hour, we were quite taken by the metaphor of an indolent slug purposed by Wollstonecraft in her chapter 12 argument regarding her opinions of private, public, and home schooling and its detrimental effects on the uneducated virtues of the masses. As with most of Wollstonecraft's work, the metaphor becomes quite the powerful literary element to further (passive-aggressively) her argument to her audience of "educated" men.

Our agenda, centered around our Marys:

1. Wollstonecraft presentations. We do have 2 left in second hour, and 6th hour is finis.
2. The vocab "quiz," a creative exercise that you can do from home! Write a letter to modern day society (you can specify a group or person if you would like) from Mary Wollstonecraft. Mary has basically jumped into a time machine or been reincarnated to view modern day society, so it is her impression of the current world and not her prediction for it. During the letter, you are required to incorporate at least 10 vocab words from unit 7. With that requirement is met, you are welcome to bring in more from any of the other units.
3. Discuss the biography of Mary Shelley and her husband (fill in the blank here).
4. Read the introduction, the preface, and letter 1 of Frankenstein. I always like the introduction to the novel since Shelley basically shows a favoritism in her diction to Lord Byron and a little biting sass to that "cultivated" hero in his own mind, her husband (fill in the blank here, but use a synonym to make it fun). Anywho, the intro sure bespeaks a Romantic upbringing and mindset with imagination, nature, and rebellion. With Letter 1, pay close attention to the characterization of Walton because we are going to make charts on Friday together regarding his character (my "F" key is sticking on my computer, and I am recognizing how much I use the letter "F" is my diction). You may also want to consider why Walton is our first character in this epistolary novel when the book is titled Frankenstein. Whatever could Mary Shelley be doing here? I'm sure you'll have some thoughts.

Today, Mother; Tomorrow, Daughter

This week will emphasize the mother-daughter combination of Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Godwin Shelley. While young Mary did not know her mother, her reputation, philosophy, and overall adulation by Percy Shelley (I think you remember that fun fact) did give her much understanding of independence, writing, and Romantic inspiration. Tuesday into block day will be the Wollstonecraft presentations, which so far have proven to have similar motifs, analogies, gender roles, and argumentative techniques laced throughout all of the chapters. Wednesday will be the completion of these presentations and the transition into the second generation with Mary Shelley's biography that you will prep and the immersion into Frankenstein, an epistolary novel. I glanced at the calendar, and we will be able to put a significant dent in the novel prior to spring break - yes!

Prose & Wollstonecraft

Today was a work day after vocab with you prepping the rangefinders for the Estrella prompt and/or close reading, writing, and preparing presentation for Wollstonecraft next week.

Vindication

After vocab, we spent quality time in groups recapping the philosophy, gender politics, historical milieu, common analogies and motifs, and all-around argumentative styling of Wollstonecraft's dedicatory letter and introductory section. With that completed, you received the assignment or Vindication and your chapter that you will be responsible for close reading, writing analytical paragraphs, and presenting next week. I also gave you the rangefinders for the Estrella prose prompt, which you will evaluate in 1-6 and in thesis, evidence, and sophistication. We will be analyzing these and your own essays on Monday. Ergo, tomorrow after vocab will be a work day so that you can can prep either or both of these elements.

Wollstonecraft

To continue forward with Romantic ideology and the Feminist criticism lens, we will be looking at Mary Wollstonecraft's most famed text, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which commenced in our class with the dedicatory letter and introduction. Whatever was not read in class, make sure to have annotated with your thoughts regarding her argument style, her argument content, her Romantic qualities, and anything else that strikes your fancy.

The Rhyming LIfe

I don't know about you, but after writing the class prologues for second and sixth hours, I have found myself rhyming more in random occasions! I thoroughly enjoyed crafting the overview of your characters, and you gave me such depth of characterization to make a fairly easy task.

With the end of our bon voyage party comes the end of our more creative pursuits in AP Lit. Did you realize that all of our creative endeavors actually helped you with your analysis too? Being able to pick out key lines of a text and emphasize the diction (Metamorphosis poem), clarify adjectives to depict a characterization (Cherry Orchard character chart), and construct a rhyme scheme and work with narration (our Canterbury Tales) are all components of analyzing passages and preparing for the AP exam. See, I'm sneaky - you've been doing all the "hard stuff" all along!

For tomorrow's class, have ethos on Mary Wollstonecraft and her biography. My dad says I'm the reincarnation of both Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley. I don't know if that is a compliment or not.

It's Almost Time for our Tale!

Today was vocab and a practice MC passage and figuring out party food for our own Canterbury Tale on Tuesday!  See you then with your prologue and your tale!

Surprise!

It must have been a surprise since the desks were not in rows! Our block day, beyond copying down new vocab and voting for our future MC passages, involved a prose prompt diagnostic essay. It's about time to write again! To finish class, we looked at the Romantic Era, which means all those terms that have been introduced in class are expected from you in the near future.

The Pardoner & The Falcon

Continuing our perusal of frame stories, the class was divided up into 2 groups, each one in charge of analyzing the themes, characters, motifs, and so forth. Afterwards, we returned to the district MC passages, the poem of a play and the Austen one. Going over the answers, and looking at the passages again, hopefully aided in your comprehension and improve your accuracy next time around.

On the Road

Today's class was primarily about your characters for our own Tale to Flavortown/Monster University. I learned a lot about your imaginations! At this point, both hours have completed their vocab quiz for unit 6. For readings, you have The Pardoner's Tale and Federigo's Falcon from The Decameron for discussion tomorrow. Sorry so short! I will have a more desultory ramble in the near future since AP Lang has had the longer blogs as of late.

A Little MC Break

Today's class was primarily dedicated to the district MC exam, 2 passages at 30 minutes. We will use these passages for analytical purposes next week, so you will see them again.

Otherwise, make sure you study your vocab, bring your allusion posters back, read "The Pardoner's Tale," and have your character brainstorming work completed for tomorrow's class.

A Peregrination We Shall Go

The plot for both classes today: vocab, discuss The Wife of Bath's Tale in regards to its plot and what message the Wife is sending regarding her society and its treatment of women and men, figure out our place of peregrination for our own Canterbury Tale, which has been assigned and is due on Tuesday, February 18, select characters for our creative assessment and fill out character brainstorm page for this Friday. If absent, you shall select your role next time around, which will also include the last round of allusion posters and the district MC.

*Second hour, don't forget to read "The Pardoner's Tale" for Friday; sixth hour, you have "The Pardoner's Tale" for Wednesday.

The Wife of Bath First, As It Should Be

After resuming vocab, we spent the majority of the hour getting to know the characters populating the peregrination to Thomas a Becket's shrine, ranging from the devout, the gluttonous, the salacious, the generous, and a few people belonging in Dante's circles of hell for their lacking morality. As you may have noted, each character is known as a title/job/relationship (the knight, the pardoner, the wife of Bath), indicating Chaucer's perspective regarding the societal roles. This sets up the eventual character's tale, such as the Wife of Bath's, which will be our first reading. As with each character, the Wife of Bath has her own introductory prologue prior to the start of her tale, which could be subtitled "what women want." Through her own desultory means, the Wife of Bath manages to criticize a fellow traveler, bring in mythological references, and end with having an "old hag" be the centerpiece of the story. You may debate about the justice of the ending regarding the knight (I know I sure do), but it is probably indicative of how knights and other members of the influential classes could get away with anything and still have that "happy ending." I probably foreshadowed a bit too much there regarding the story! Oh, well. Make sure you have read The Wife's Tale for next time. We will over-analyze bits and pieces and skip some of her redundancies/chaff that have nothing to do with the overall plot.

In addition, make sure to bring in a brainstorm of places we can go for our own Canterbury Tale. Thus far, we have been to the Bermuda Triangle, Middle Earth, Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, Alcatraz, Neverland, Hogwarts, Jurassic Park, the Underworld, and Far, Far Away. I think that's it!

And Off to Canterbury We Go

In both hours, we continued with our vocabulary, shared our allusion posters, and read your found Metamorphosis poems prior to starting the prologue to The Canterbury Tales. At this point, we read the speaker's opening and the knight's prologue in the textbook. Now, it your turn to read parts of the prologue and meet a character (or characters) to share with the class. For each of your assigned characters, read that part of the prologue and prepare to tell the class about the character's a. characterization/behavior b. occupation/class c. physical description (if given) and d. what themes could exist in their story.

O.k. absent people, here are your characters. And, remember, it is just the prologue that you are reading and prepping.

Anna M. : The Guildsmen & Cook
Megan M.: The Skipper & The Doctor
Brittany: Wife of Bath
Nhu: Parson
Logan: Plowman & Miller
Riley: Manciple & Reeve

An Elephant, a Rhino, and an Egg

If you happen to be in sixth hour, you will most likely appreciate the subject line of this post. If not, I'm sure one of your classmates from that hour would be happy to share the randomness of what happens during a multiple choice passage analysis during the last hour of the day.

Today was all about starting vocab unit 6, going over the MC test (and specifying the need of close reading), and starting allusion posters round 3.

Don't forget about your Metamorphosis poem for Friday!

That Bug's Life

We have finished The Metamorphosis, which means your assessment for the text is due Friday. Select 10 quotes (full sentences, dependent clauses, or independent clauses) that represent the novella, a character, a theme, a motif, whatever made the text for you. Using those 10 quotes - in any order - make into a poem that will be longer than 10 lines (since you have to break up those quotes into poetic form). Up to you how you organize the poem and if you include rhyme, meter, or repetition. As you have to use Kafka's words, you are limited in the poetic techniques; however, the theme of the poem can speak volumes.

Meanwhile, we also talked about Chaucer, Thomas a Becket, and frame stories in anticipation of The Canterbury Tales, which we should start tomorrow. If you weren't here, you have every opportunity to search online for the background since The Canterbury Tales (and everything related to it) are a seminal part of British Literature. Off to practice my Middle English!