Final TFA questions

Here are the final questions TFA. Have an enjoyable week. Email if you have questions. By the way, I'm having to do all this from my iPhone, so I apologize for any errors. Also, I still have to link the map that I mentioned in the previous blog.

Additional questions:

Even as Achebe works to educate his readers about African culture and to combat demeaning stereotypes, he does not present Igbo society as ideal or perfect. The portrait of this culture on the eve of its "falling apart" in Part I of Things Fall Apart is complex, sometimes contradictory and critical. What aspects of pre-colonial Igbo culture does Achebe seem to question or criticize? How does Achebe use characters like Obierika, Okonkwo, and Nwoye to offer such social criticism of Igbo society? How do the people of Umuofia react to change?
Describe your initial reading experience and response(s) to Things Fall Apart Part I as a cross-cultural encounter: how are you responding to this exposure to traditional Igbo culture and people? Why do you think you are responding as you are? What seems most different and/or foreign to you? What seems most similar and/or familiar to you?

Break HW

Hello.

Let me be the last to wish you and your families happy holidays. I hope you have a chance to spend some quality time with family and friends. With that said, I did want to remind you of the work assigned over the break.

You are required to read Achebe's, Things Fall Apart. In addition, please find Yeats' Poem, "The Second Coming," in the literature links. Read this poem at least two times. Consider the poem while reading. You will have a brief assignment relating to this poem after the novel. I am posting some questions to answer during your reading. These are due when we return. The first set of questions are pasted in this post. I will post other questions throughout the week. Please check back in a day or two. There will be a final assignment relating Achebe's book to Conrad's novella. I have posted a link to a colonial map of Africa. Please explore the sight and consider the ramifications of colonialism.

Note: if you've read this book, you are required to answer these questions, but you should also read Godot.

Describe Okonkwo, the protagonist of Things Fall Apart. Consider him as an Igbo heroic character: how does he work to achieve greatness as defined by his and culture? How does he differ from Western heroes with whom you are familiar? What are Okonkwo’s strengths and weaknesses?
Describe Unoka, Okonkwo’s father. What are Okonkwo’s feelings toward Unoka, and why? How does the (negative) example of his father shape Okonkwo’s character and actions? What do the early descriptions of Okonkwo’s success and Unoka’s failure tell us about Igbo society? How does one succeed in this cultural context? What do we learn from the system of the taking of titles? Who seems to be excluded from opportunities to gain such success?
Describe the narrator of Things Fall Apart, the "voice" telling us the story of Okonkwo, Umuofia (Igbo for "people of the forest," per Brians), and the Igbo world of the nine villages. How would you describe this narrative voice, its point of view, its values and perspectives? In an introductory essay to one edition, Simon Gikandi calls the novel’s storyteller a "witness" (xiii)—to what does Achebe’s narrator bear "witness"?
Begin with these questions for the early part of the story.

HW 12/22

Hello. For this evening's homework, please read the next four pages or so to prepare for tomorrow's presentation. If you are not coming in, be sure to check back on the blog, as I will post work for the break. Have a good night.

HW 12/20

Hello. For this evening, please re-read the section we will be studying tomorrow.  Ashtie and Sam will be presenting to the class. On Wednesday, we will take a mock m/c test. On Thursday, we will have a final presentation before the break. Get in your IR if you have not done so. It is losing points. Have a good night.

HW 12/17 - 12/18

Hello. For this weekend, you should be working on your independent reading (due Monday) and reading ahead in HOD. There will be three presenters next week. If you have HOD copy that I provided, you should read up to page 4. Otherwise, read to "... where I knew the water was deep." Please complete the exercise on terms as well. Have a great weekend.

HW 12/16

Hello. I hope you all had an enjoyable day today. I am sure that you missed my pearls of wisdom. But do not despair, I will be back in class tomorrow. I do not have my book with me, but I believe that Brikend will be presenting next?? If this is not the case, please email me to let me know. The presenters have all done a nice job so far. I would like to make sure that at some point, the presenters lead the class in a whole group discussion of the text. Let's not rely too heavily on the group assignments.

Continue to work on your IR. If you did not finish today's assignment, make sure to do it for homework. You should also have the diction exercise. Have a great night.

HW 12/15

Good evening. In case I am not there tomorrow, I will leave some work for you regarding HOD. You can work in groups to complete the assignment. I will follow up tomorrow evening with details about Friday's presentation. If I don't see you tomorrow, have a great day, and please be respectful of the class, school, and substitute teacher.

Follow-up

So for tomorrow, it appears that Tatiana will be presenting as her passage ends with "at least one listener was awake besides myself." However, I may have skipped someone in between them. If you have "They had been talking about Kurtz," or something in between, you are up next. Please email me if you have this quote. Have a good night.

HW 12/13

Hello. For this evening, I would like you to read the essays that we began reading in class today. Make sure to spend a little time looking closely at the essays and evaluating them for their content, length, style, sophistication, etc. Mark the score you would give it and bring it to class tomorrow.

There should be a group presenting tomorrow. So if you know you are up next, please prepare. I will check and re-post tonight when I get home.

Have a good night

HW 12/9

Hello. For this evening, I would like you to read the section of the text that we went over again and make sure that you are comfortable with what is happening. We will not have a presentation, but we will do some work - possibly group - with the text. Next week I will be giving a 45 minute M/C test. Continue reading your independent books. Have a good night
.

HW 12/7

Hello. For tonight, please begin answering the questions from today's handouts. Also, please read the passage for Thursday's presentation. Because we are moving slowly through the text, you should read the passages closely and at least two times. Have a great night.

HW 12/6

Hello. For tonight's homework, I would like you to close read the next section of the text, which will be presented by Johanna and Randy. That section begins where we left off today and ends with "... you won't have the opportunity." They will focus on Conrad's characterization of the company men. I would like to thank the presenters so far. You have done a nice job of focusing your discussion. I would also like to thank the class for your active engagement in the activities and for being well-prepared.

Please continue to work on your independent reading. If there is no other work posted, you should use that time to make progress on your reading. There is always something to do.

Have a great night.

HW12/1

Good evening. For tonight, please read the next section of the book. Tomorrow's passage will be presented by Ashley and Jordan. I would like to thank you for being prepared for, and engaged during, the first student presentation.

Tomorrow, I will use the first 10 minutes to discuss today's film clip assignment and then we will move on to HOD. While we will be doing presentations most everyday, please be advised that your date may change. There are other things I would like to do, so the book may get pushed back. On friday, we will have a timed write or m/c test. This test will be strictly practice/diagnostic so do not worry about the outcome. Remember to prepare for tomorrow by close reading the passage. Prepare some comments, questions, or ideas for discussion. Have a great night.

HW 11/29

Hello. For this evening, you should finish your reading cards. The cards are due tomorrow. For the students presenting tomorrow, you should be well prepared by conducting an extremely close reading of the pages for which you are responsible. For the rest of us, please be prepared for the presentation with questions, comments, concerns, etc. If the presenters have questions, please email me this evening. I will try to respond by 8 pm. Have a good night.

HW 11/23

Hello. For this evening, I would like you to read the next few pages of the text. You can stop at "... I had fairly begun to hop for it." I would like you to consider the pov of this story. Who is the narrator? How does Conrad's use of narration change our perceptions of Marlow, London, etc.? These do not have to be answered formally, but should guide your reading. We will discuss this in class. We will also finish what we started in class. Have a great night.

HW 11/22

Hello. For this evening, I would like you to close read the passage from today's class and answer the questions that follow. After that, please read the next two pages of HOD. You should close read the selection and come in with a few discussion points for class tomorrow. You should continue to work on your independent reading assignments. We will likely have timed write on Wednesday, or when we come back from break. Have a good night.

HW 11/18

Hello. We will begin the new unit in the coming days. If you bought the book, please bring it to class with you tomorrow. I will have extra copies available while you await the arrival of yours. I hope you all found the test manageable. It is important that you get used to taking notes and studying a broad base of information for midterms and finals. In college you may take a test that covers material from and entire semester's worth of work. I'm sure you all did fine. Just a note about late work. Late work is subject to a significant point deduction. While there are times when late work is unavoidable, it should not be a common occurrence. See me if you are having difficulty keeping up with your work. Have a good night.

Test Thursday

For your test Thursday I will expect you to have a general knowledge of the information covered in the short story unit. This includes, but is not limited to:

1. All the elements of fiction and how they function in literature
2. The primary characters of all the stories. Make sure to pay special attention to those we discussed in class.
3. Diction and syntax
4. Major literary terms
5. Tone and how is it established
6. Details about the actual AP exam
7. Paragraph topic sentences
8. The themes of the stories covered in the unit
9. Existentialism
10. Utilitarianism
11. Archetypes
12. Jung
13. Basically, anything else I've ever said since the beginning of time. I hope you took good notes.

HW 11/15

Good evening. For this evening you need to complete your reading schedule and all your college app. materials. I would hope that the majority of you have completed your essays, but if you have not, please work on them this evening. I can review them for you if you catch me in the morning. You will be responsible for the short story and the accompanying questions from today's class. They are due on Wednesday. Have a great night.

HW 11/11

Hello. I hope you are all enjoying a day away from school. You should be hard at work completing your college applications, essays, supplements, etc. You should also begin researching book ideas for your independent reading assignment. Please read the handouts on annotations and study your materials for the unit test next week.

I do need to mention a few things that I feel are extremely important. As I walked around the room yesterday, I was disappointed to see that the vast majority of you did not close read the story by Kincaid. This is not a choice. This is an important part of the process and one that is required by all honors and AP students. You need to actively engage with the text and begin reading with purpose. This is not a pleasure read course and your close reading of the text is the key to success in the course and on the AP exam. Now, I must take some of the responsibility as I must not have conveyed the importance of this clearly. I tend to take for granted that AP students will do these things automatically. So, from this point forward, I will periodically (unannounced) check to see that you have done the reading, closely. In addition, please make sure that you have done the reading before each class. If I need to give quizzes on a daily basis, I will, but this takes up valuable time that we really don't have.

Finally, talking. It is not okay to talk while other people are talking. That would include me, or other students. It is rude, disrespectful, and immature. I really believe that AP literature is a course that is built on mutual respect. I want to avoid treating you the way I do other classes, but that is up to you. Please do not take advantage of my good nature and the privileges that I give your class. I am asking you all to self-govern and show academic respect and maturity. I know that some of you are legitimately discussing the text, but doing so while I am talking is inappropriate. I have a lot of respect for all of you and I ask that you respect the class and your classmtes. I want to avoid classroom confrontation as this only serves to weaken a class and create a negative tone. I can handle a little talking, but please pick appropriate times. I am confident that this will be all that is necessary to solve this issue. If it is not, then I will have to take additional measures.

Hw 11/8

Hello. For this evening, I would like you to begin looking over your notes and studying the stories we've read this semester.

Vocabulary for the week:

Temerity, Ostentatious, Cajole, Recrudescent, Iridescent, Obstreperous, Fractious, Venerable, Attenuate, Punctilious.

Hello. For this weekend I would like you to read the attached Woody Allen story "The Kuglemass Episode." "The Kugelmass Episode" is generally acknowledged to be a classic short story and one of the finest pieces in Allen’s relatively small output of prose fiction. This story is funny and is great to use when teaching humor and satire. Consider how Allen uses humor and comic situations to poke fun at people and situations and to show the absurdity of human desires and pursuits. Allen is undoubtedly using satire to to attack literature and the study of it (I'm sure you will enjoy that).

Please continue to work on your independent reading - due Monday. Also, work on your college essays.

Have a good weekend

HW 11/1 - 11/2

Hello. I would like you to read the handout on existentialism and read the story "The Guest." I will have to post a link later tonight, as I am unable to do so from the school. In your reading of the story, please consider the point of view of Daru. Consider the story from an Existential perspective. In what ways can the story be analyzed using the Existential framework? We will have a chance to discuss this more in class on Wednesday.

Looking ahead we will be completing the short story unit next week and beginning our first major work. We will certainly have a unit test on all the work we have done so far, so begin looking over your notes and reference materials. In addition, you should familiarize yourself with the major characters and events of the stories we've read thus far. I am planning a 45 minute M/C at some point in the near future (possibly Friday). Your independent reads are due Monday and college essays are due subsequent to that. You have a lot to do. For those handing in late work, you will see a signifiant point reduction, so try to stay on top of the scheduled work. I should post new vocabulary words for this week by tomorrow. Other that that, have a great day off.

HW 10/28

Hello. For tonight, I would like you to do the vocabulary and read today's handout. Nothing else for this evening, as some of you may be here with parents/guardians.

HW 10/27

Good Evening. For tonight's homework, I would like you to read "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor. After you've read it, I would like you to type a good paragraph in which you discuss the significance of the following quote:

"He saw the man's face twisted close to her own as if he were going to cry and she murmured, "Why you're one of my babies. You're one of my own children!"

What do you make of the grandmother's words? How can this be explained? Please use evidence from the text to explain what has happened to the grandmother. Please write a good PTS and explain how O'Connor uses specific literary techniques, or devices to make a larger point. Have fun.

Remember, vocabulary is due Friday. independent reading due soon, College essays due soon (to Henkel).

HW 10/25

Hello. For this evening, I would like you to make sure you've read the three stories assigned over the weekend. In addition, please begin working on this week's vocabulary. The assignment is as follows:

Do vocabulary on index cards
Give a definition, sentence, part of speech, synonym, and pronunciation for each word
Due Friday

The words are:

Pestilence, Deplorable, Impudence, Edifying, Languidly, Sententious, Fecundity, Prosperity, Ascetic, Prodigious

Weekend HW

Hello. For this weekend, I would like you all to read "A Very Old Man" and answer the assigned questions. Please use textual evidence to support your ideas. Also, please take some time to look over the helpful links I posted. The common errors and quote integration links should be especially helpful. In the interest of time, please read "Miss Brill" and "Roman Fever." I would like to get through the short story unit soon. Please continue to work on college essays and your IR assignments.

HW 10/20

Hello. Sorry for the late post. I had PM school tonight and could not get internet access from the school. In any case, please continue to work on your independent reading assignments and the required journals. I am waiting for copies of the multiple choice stems and will give them to you when they are ready. You will need these in order to complete the final part of the IR assignment.

For tonight's reading I would like you to read "A Very Old Man." It is in the books for those who have them attached here for those who don't. We will finish up the YGB tomorrow with some whole group writing and literary discussion.

Have a great night.

HW 10/18

Hello. For tonight, I am not going to assign any additional reading. I know that you have a great deal of work to do on your journals, college essays, make-up work, etc. I am going to extend the journal entries due date, one day. They are now due on Wednesday. I hope that you are all keeping up with your readings. Incidentally, this is why I ask you to make a schedule. It is not for me as much as it is for you. We will finish our discussion on YGB tomorrow. Have a great night. I hope it isn't an all-nighter.

HW 10/15 - 10/17

Greetings from "Solitude."

For this weekend, I would like you to read YGB again as well as a reading on Carl Jung's ideas about archetypes (link to Jungian Archetypes provided here). After the readings, please respond to the following:

In a well-written (or typed) paragraph or two, please discuss how Hawthorne's story can be analyzed using Jung's ideas about the unconscious mind and archetypes. I think you will enjoy the reading on Jung. This is the first opportunity to study psychology as it relates to literature and the human condition. Pay close attention to the "shadow" archetype, as this may be the easiest to relate.

We will discuss on Monday.

Continue to work on the independent reading project, college essays, etc. I know it is a lot of work, but such is the life of a college bound senior.

For those who asked, I will try to provide feedback for you on your college essays.

Have a good weekend.

HW 10/14

Hello. For tonight, you have plenty to do. Study for your lit terms vocabulary test tomorrow and complete your first draft of the college essay.

Today's handouts included a handout on rhetorical devices organized by schemes. Although you've been given many of these terms before, I am always looking for ways to feed you the information differently. I like this handout because of the way it categorizes similar devices and offers good examples of the devices at work. I also gave you a few additional handouts featuring tips on writing college essays. I will continue to do this until the college app. process is complete. The handout on Symbolism should be read tonight, and you should make sure to read "Young Goodman Brown"

We should get through the short story unit soon. You will be responsible for all the material we've studied thus far. Our unit test will take place at the end of the marking period with the culminating assignment being your own short story.

I will be offering a one time homework amnesty to allow students to turn in late work. I offer it once a semester. I will let you know when that will be.

I think I've said enough. Have a good night.

HW 10/13

Hello. I hope you all had a great day off. For this evening, I would like you to do the following:

1.) Read 'Young Goodman Brown."
2.) Consider how the tale acts as an allegory. What forces are at work in Hawthorne's story that allow us to see this as an allegory? Also read chapter 7 of Exodus for review.
3.) Read the POV section in the text (or Handout).

Looking forward:
4.) Continue to study the terms. I will give you a test on the terms on Friday.
5.) You should have the majority of the college essay done at this point. Make sure to finish that up by Friday.

Have a good night!

Weekend HW

Hello. I hope all of you are well. I was afraid that an alien ship came down and abducted the majority of my senior AP Literature class, as my class was nearly half empty. Or should I say half full?

In any case, I was unable to scan the pages of the text for this weekend's reading - although it wasn't from lack of trying. The pov reading will have to wait until Tuesday. However, There is still plenty to do on your part. You have to work on your independent reading assignments, work on your college essays (first draft due Friday), work on learning the AP lit terms for a test next week, and reading Hemmingway's story for a second time. I did want to mention that the independent reading assignment is due November 8th, not the 26th as I said Friday.

So, keep busy with the work you have to do and write the college essays.

Have a great weekend.

HW 10/7

Hello. I am working on getting all your work graded and handed back. It takes a lot of time to read your writing and to make meaningful comments. It is important to see that you are making the connections and responding to the literature in a way that is acceptable at the AP - that is to say college - level. Please do not worry about your grade. I will make the changes quickly.

For tonight's homework, please read "Hills Like White Elephants." I will assign point of view reading for tomorrow for those who do not have the book. Those with the book can read it tonight if you would like. It might help with the story.

In addition to tonight's reading, I would like you to use today's reading and do the following:

In a well-constructed paragraph, discuss how Mailer establishes point of view through his use of language - specifically, imagery and metaphor. We need to get beyond the vocabulary of pov and begin to discover how pov influences our understandings, and strengthens the author's message.

HW 10/6

Good evening. For tonight, I would like you to address the critics and do the following:

Justify the critics when they say that Welty, like Faulkner, treats black characters like simple subjects of endurance and portrays black characters as long-suffering, thus depriving them of their complexities. If you absolutely cannot justify it, write a response in which you argue the opposite; explain how she empowers them. This should be a sophisticated response using textual evidence. Be prepared to share your response tomorrow with the class. Have a good night.

HW 10/5

For this evening, I would like everyone to read the story again and complete the questions posted on last night's blog. I am providing another link for the story. If you cannot access it via the link, kindly search it on your own. Thanks. If you are interested in assisting me this year, please let me know asap. Thanks again. Have a great night.

HW 10/4

Hello. I would like to remind you that it is important to continue to work on your college essays. If we accept the notion that these are an important part of the college application process, then it is critical to write the best essays we can. For most of us, this is not an easy task. The first draft of your essay is due on Friday the 15th. I will need to meet with you to go over your essays and discuss any issues that may be present. I will pass out a sign up sheet for conferences starting tomorrow. If you are having trouble with any part of it, please feel free to see me.

I know that we have fallen a bit behind, but this is not a major concern. I have built in some extra days at the end of the unit. So, we can make adjustments as we go.

For tonight, please make sure that you have read the stories, "Gooseberries," and "A Worn Path."

Answer the following questions for Welty:

(Structure) (a) It's been said that this story's plot or structure could be seen as spatially organized: the main character moves from point A past points B, C, D, and E, to get to point F--a geographical journey that also corresponds to the overcoming of several obstacles along the literal path. How does this structure or organization itself help to convey ideas about or what Welty wants our attitude to be toward the main character? (b) How does the story's setting--the particular time of year--add to the difficulty of the journey? (c) How does the main character's clothing add to the difficulty of the journey? (d) How do b and c contribute to themes and ideas that emerge from (a) in this question?

Weekend HW 10/1 - 10/3

Hello. I am out of town this weekend and was not able to post before I left. This is the only access to the internet I will have all weekend. So, please read "Gooseberries" one more time. Please use this weekend to begin your independent reading assignment. Do not do the character paper. Continue to work on your college essays. Have a great weekend.

HW 9/30

Hello. I apologize for not posting last night, I could not post from school and I did not arrive home until after 8. For this evening, please do the following:

1. Read "Gooseberries." Attached
2. Choose a story for tomorrow's timed write.
3. Complete vocabulary assignment for "Once Upon a Time."

By preparing a story, I mean to have read it thoroughly and to have annotated it. This will allow to write about the story immediately.

Have a great night.

HW 9/28

For this evening, you should complete the vocabulary assignment on tone and bring it to class with you tomorrow. Read the handouts distributed in class as well. The readings are brief and should not require a great deal of time to get through. Read Gordimer's story "Once Upon a Time." I think that I will postpone the timed write until Friday, so we can spend a little time getting caught up on the literature. Please make sure to acquire the independent reading books and begin working on them. Lastly, college essays: I will set a date for a first draft by Friday. Keep working on them. Come see me if you need help. Have a great night.

HW 9/27

Okay. I was not able to link the story "Once Upon a Time," for this evening's reading. Unfortunately, the link I used to use is no longer available. So, please continue to work on the assignments at hand.

As far as the reading schedule is concerned, what I'm looking for is a general breakdown of the pages and the dates on which you intend to finish them. You should include the author's name, the title of the book, total number of pages, and the edition of the book you are reading. Then, have the schedule for the readings. This should be typed.

I will copy the story for tomorrow.

Have a good night.

Weekend HW 9/24-9/26

Hello again.

For this weekend, please do the following:

Read "Everyday Use" again

Work on tone vocabulary that is now due Wednesday

Complete today's handout.

Also, please write a 1 - 1 1/2 page essay on the following topic:

Choose one story we've read so far in class and discuss how the plot/structure functions as a literary device and ultimately influences the themes, or the work as a whole. You paper should be typed, 12 font, double-spaced, Times New Roman. Please make sure to provide sophisticated analysis and use textual evidence to support your ideas.

If you have any time left, have some fun, but be safe.

HW 9/23

Good Evening.

Please read "Everyday Use" for tonight's homework. In addition, please read the section on characterization from your book, or from the handout.

There are a number of assignments coming up and this is where the pace begins to pick up. Make sure to prioritize your time and try to stay on top of your work. Remember, late assignments are strongly discouraged. Please bring a journal if you don't plan to use your summer journal. I hope that you have all given me the signed student agreement. Have a great evening.

HW 9/22

Hello. Sorry for the late post tonight. Meet the teacher night for my daughter. In any case, please read "Maladies" a second time. Continue to focus on tone. Please continue to work on your college essays and researching the books for the first independent reading assignment. We will continue our conversation tomorrow. Thanks to all who contributed to today's discussion. See you tomorrow.

HW 9/21

Hello. For tonight's homework, I would like you to read the story, "Interpreter of Maladies." I want you to focus on the importance of tone in the story. Remember, tone is the author/speaker's attitude toward a subject. You will see how each scene may reveal a different tone, or how the tone of a story can be consistent throughout. Please come in with a few ideas about the tone of "Maladies."

A few things to consider:

While literature allows for various interpretations, these interpretations should be rooted in the text. In other words, we can float many theories about what's going on, but we are confined by the actual words on the page. We have to be careful of allowing our imaginations to govern our interpretations.

Make sure to bring your books on a daily basis.

Make sure that you are using post-it-notes in your books. Close reading is the key to good analysis.

Have a good night.

HW 9/20

Good evening.

For tonight, I would like you to read Greene's story a second time. After reading the story, address the following prompt in a well-planned paragraph or two. Make sure to use evidence from the text to support your ideas.

"On the surface this is a story of action, suspense, and adventure. At a deeper level it is about delinquency, war, and human nature. Try to sum up what the story says about human nature in general" (Perrine's)

Continue working on your college essays. We will work with the story tomorrow.

Please bring in signed agreements. They are officially late after tomorrow.

I will begin entering in snapgrades for summer work, signed agreements, HW, etc. as soon as they input all the names. it should be this week.

Weekend HW 9/17-9/19

Hello.

For this weekend, I would like you to read the section on Plot and Structure and then read the first story, "The Destructors." Also, please bring in the signed agreement and a journal for literary responses. On Monday, we will work with the story. I will provide you with the next story and the first unit schedule. I hope today was informative for you. Have a good weekend. See you all Monday.

HW 9/16

Hello.

Foe tonight, please read section VI. of Perrine's. That would be the handout that starts on page 12 for those without the book. For those with the book, this section should be found around the same pages in whatever edition you have. Other than that, please continue to think about your college essays. Henkel will be in tomorrow, so pretty easy day. Have a good night.

HW 9/15

Hello.

There is no homework this evening. I am working hard to resolve the textbook issue. We should be up and running by this weekend. I apologize to those who did not receive the book today.

We will definitely work with "Meany" tomorrow.

We have a great (and very informative) presentation from Mr. Henkel on Friday, so be sure to get to class on time.

Finally, college essays. It is imperative that you begin thinking about the college essay. This is an important task and one that requires a great deal of effort on your part. We will start the process in class and meet periodically to discuss your papers. You should begin thinking about some topics. What do your chosen schools require? What kind of essay do you plan to write? Begin to jot down stories and anecdotes that aid in painting a complete picture of who you are? Even the best resumes often conceal one's finest qualities. Who/what has been inspirational in your life? While the college essay is only a small part of your application package it can be a wonderful tool for revealing the intangible qualities you posses. These essays allow colleges to see you as a living, breathing human being who is interesting, unique, and as someone who will be an extraordinary addition to the intellectual community. In short, take some time to think about who you really are and what has really helped shape your development as a human being. Bring some ideas with you to class tomorrow.

Have a good night.

HW 9/14

Good evening.

Thanks for a good discussion today. It was nice to have the input from so many different students. For those who did not comment today. Please be prepared to contribute in the near future.

I must admit that the the short class is taking a little getting used to. I am used to having so much time with my AP kids, that 45 minutes seems to fly by. I will really have to learn to cut to the chase. As far as the lesson was concerned, I really wanted you to see how a story needs to be deconstructed for its individual parts before we can really understand the meaning behind an author's words. Understanding theme is a key component to doing well in AP. To that end, I would like you to do two things tonight:

1. Come up with two possible themes for Pirandello's story, "War." I will give an example, so you can see what I expect.

Ex: There are times when those deeply buried in their own grief find it impossible to see others' tragedy in their isolation: hence they remain incapable of sympathy and understanding of other people's heartache.

2. Write a one paragraph analytical response to one of the following topics:

a. Why is the fat woman's question, "Then is your son dead?" of primary importance to the resolution of the story, "War"?

b. The aura created around the fat woman amounts to an enigma until the end of the story. Plan and write a paragraph clarifying for the reader the techniques Pirandello employs in presenting the fat woman.

Have a great night. Email if you have questions.

HW 9/13

Good evening.

First, let me say that it is a pleasure to be working with all of you this semester. Because of programming issues, we are getting a bit of a late start. Things will really begin to heat up in the coming days, so enjoy the lull in the action while you can. We will begin the college essay process this week, as well as the short story unit. I will work - briefly - with "Meany" tomorrow.

For homework tonight, please close read the attached story, "War," by Luigi Pirandello. You should read the story twice to appreciate its subtle qualities and its rich use of verbal irony. Close reading requires a highlighter, or the use of marginalia. This should be evident by the marks on your paper. Please do not come in with a pristine copy of the story. Please print the story and bring it to class tomorrow. I will have you working in small groups, discussing the story.

I hope to have the schedule and textbook for you in the next day or so. Again, welcome to AP Literature.

Welcome to AP Literature

Hello,

Let me formally welcome you all to AP lit. I am excited to begin a new year, and have heard great things about all of you from your former teachers. It is a great pleasure to work with such gifted and dedicated students, and I humbled by the opportunity. The year ahead will likely be a challenging one for you, but with great challenges come great rewards.

I will use this blog on a daily basis to keep you apprised of any changes or alterations to the schedule, or any goings-on, which I may have failed to mention in class. I will also use it to post homework assignments and friendly reminders about due dates, upcoming work, and administrative tasks. Please be sure to log in every day to check for updates.

Once again, welcome. I am eager to get started and look forward to a productive year ahead.