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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Marlow as Narrator (exercise)

Exercise:

1. Highlight passages in which you detect Marlow’s sarcasm, air quotes, tone, humor, making fun of, or dry wit. Explain the words that tip you off and how they help you read between the lines (as we did with Austen) and what he’s really saying.

2. How does Marlow’s narration of the tale affect our reaction and engagement?

3. Blog about your ideas, citing specific passages or words and analyzing them.

Conrad Reading schedule: (subject to change)

· p. 17-25 by Jan 10 blog

· p. 26-31 by Mon. Jan 14 blog due Mon.

(for Monday's blog, you can discuss your Conrad or Freud reading, either one)

for Monday, begin reading Freud's Civilization and its Discontents

(the pdf was sent to you via email)

p. 32-40 by Jan 15 blog

· p. 41-50 by Jan 16 blog

· p. 51-60 by Jan 17 blog

· p. 61-70 by Tue Jan 22 blog

· p. 71-80 by Jan 23 blog

· p. 81-90 by Jan 24 blog

· p. 91-99 by Mon. Jan 28 blog

· article/R Murfin by Tue Jan 29 blog

· F Karl by Wed. Jan 30 blog due on Karl

Open the pdf of Freud's Civilization and its Discontents (short excerpt) in KNO (or in Adobe Readeer)

Open in Adobe Reader (it’s a free app, but you may have never downloaded this)

or Open in Kno textbooks

When you open it, you are asked for a title: instead of pdf 2 type Freud Civilization.

We want to start reading Freud in class and for Monday.

Monday, January 7, 2013

First Semester and Final Exam

English IV 1^st Semester Report and Overview of Final Exam

I’m pleased to report that everyone had a successful first semester in senior English. Most important of all, you read complex texts (getting you college-ready where texts are difficult) and wrote near-college level essays on Hurston, Austen, and films of Hamlet (among the best work I’ve seen from you). On the final exam, multiple choice scores out of 40 (then multiplied by 2) ranged from medium (say in the 70% range) to several near perfect scores (39 of 40) and one perfect score (40 out of 40). On the bluebook page-length answers, scores out of 30 ranged from the mid-20’s to more than ten answers receiving 29 or 30. On the final essay out of 130 points, scores ranged from 84% to many essays in the 90’s and a few near perfect essays. Overall, these final exams demonstrate that students:

· learned Pride and Prejudice and Hamlet well,

· could discuss how small directorial/acting choices could make a big difference in interpretation,

· could analyze how Mr Collins silenced Liz’s female voice,

· could analyze language in Claudius’ soliloquy to show how words indicate his state of mind,

· could analyze two still film shots to explain how Olivier and Branagh represented Hamlet’s family differently on screen,

· could analyze images and describe accurately what is seen,

· could analyze dysfunctional families, comparing Hamlet’s family (or Polonius’) with the Bennets, or

· could analyze Act I scene ii to show how small performance choices could shift the interpretation of the script.

Overall, I am proud of the improvement everyone has made in reading, writing, critical thinking, and college readiness. Second semester, we will build on those accomplishments by reading more complex texts (Conrad and Freud first, then Kafka and Camus), and continuing to write college-level essays.

SOME EXCERPTS from seniors’ final exams:

In Branagh’s version, Claudius keeps a smirk on his face that illustrates his insincerity throughout the play, unlike in Olivier’s version where Claudius exhibits a poker face.

After the loss of his father, Hamlet is lost and does not know how to react to his mother’s and uncle’s insincerity, leaving room for multiple interpretations of Hamlet’s behavior in Act I scene ii.

Towards the end of the soliloquy it seems as though Claudius has forgiven himself. This further emphasizes his insanity. (and sense of being all powerful?).

The fact that Hamlet avoids eye contact with his mother and uncle indicates that he rejects their so-called “love” even then in their presence.

“A fault against the dead, a fault to nature.” Here Claudius can be either understanding and concerned or all knowing and arrogant. If an actor chose the former, the audience would see an attempt from Claudius to really connect to Hamlet and be part of his life.

Branagh’s still shot truly shows the relationship where the father and mother spend more time drooling over each other while Hamlet sadly and lonefully contemplates life. Claudius and Gertrude neglect Hamlet to invest in their incestuous relationship which is the main reason their son feels sadness and hatred.

Both the Bennets and the Hamlets are dysfunctional, but specifically the father-child relationships are magnified. While Mr. Bennet favors a child and neglects the rest, Claudius more severely suffers a relationship with Hamlet full of hate, fakeness, and denial.

Words like “inky cloak,” “black,” “breath,” and “gulf” allow Hamlet to demonstrate the pain he is feeling. The words are almost stabbing. Using the harsh diction allows him to release his innermost anger to get to the point of being somewhat tranquil.

Austen’s novel displays her deep hatred towards this societal norm and uses characters like Mr. Collins to satirize the absurd but truthful ways that men would suppress the voice of a woman. . . Mr. Collins’ ego and what society has taught him lead him to disregard her plainly stated words and simply take his own meaning from them.

Claudius’ use of “mine” and “my” in a sense can be seen as Claudius bearing the responsibility for his action, but simultaneously it reveals Claudius’ inner greed and sense of entitlement. . . Furthermore Shakespeare’s clever development of Claudius’ multidimensional character allows for the audience to question whether he is saying this simply to spare himself and appear as an innocent man in the eyes of god, or if he is sincere in his grief and guilt felt towards his un-retractable action.

Another student points out that Mr. Collins silences Liz and that Mr. Bennet right afterwards silences Mrs. Bennet.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Reading Heart of Darkness in Subtext App

Mon. Jan. 7, 2013

Welcome back to Senior English!

(Don’t even say the word ‘senioritis’ because we’ve got lots to do still!)

We are going to try reading Conrad’s Heart of Darkness not on KNO at first (though you may do that too), but on a new app called Subtext. (instructions follow). Our goal is to read Conrad as a digital book together, annotating together and starting discussions in the margins of the book. Conrad’s text is dense, but together we should be able to make good progress, reading about 5-10 pages per night. We are also going to read some Freud to attempt to psychoanalyze Conrad’s text through a Freudian lens. This process won’t be easy at first, but it should help prepare you for such assignments in college.

INSTRUCTIONS:

First things first:

1. Open App Store on your iPad.

2. Install the Kno app update (minor bug fixes)

3. In the search window (upper right-hand corner) type SUBTEXT. Then INSTALL. (It’s free).

4. When it installs, click OPEN.

5. Sign in. It gives you a choice to login with Google or Facebook. Use your Google id that you also use with your blogspot/blogger account.

6. Click ADD BOOKS & DOCS.

7. Type in HEART OF DARKNESS then hit Return.

8. It should be the top book. Look for FEEDBOOKS and FREE BOOK.

9. Click ADD TO SHELF. Pop up asks where to put it: click MY SHELF then Return.

Join the Sr English group:

A. open the Subtext app and tap GROUPS (either on the top-right of your bookshelf or from the EXPLORE menu).

B. tap JOIN GROUP in the top right corner.

C. paste or input the group code and tap JOIN GROUP to become member

D. Group Code: GMNCWEMS

How to add webpages to subtext:

· In subtext app, click Add Books & Docs

· Enter a webpage address: for example, http://historyguide.org/europe/freud_discontents.html

· Go to website.

· Click Save to Subtext.

· It will convert the document.

· Then add to shelf.

NOTE: You can also view your Subtext account by logging in from a Macbook or PC. Go to https://web.subtext.com/Bookshelf and type in your login info.

CLASS & HOMWORK

Mon Jan 7

Download subtext app and load free copy of Heart of Darkness

Join Sr English bookshelf in Subtext

Silent reading and annotation of HOD

Use margins to start discussions with other readers

HW due Jan 8 (or Jan 9 for C per)

Blog due on first pages of Conrad:

Question: How does the opening set a tone for how to read the novel?

Read 5 pages

2^nd day of week (F=Tue C=Wed)

Read Conrad and discuss

HW due Jan 9 (or Jan 10 for C per)