Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Annotation Focus: Developing theme of loneliness

Steinbeck uses several examples of silence to illustrate the loneliness of the ranch and the characters.  Reread page 48 – 49 to see at least one example of silence in this chapter.  Explain how “silence” is being used to allow the reader to understand loneliness.

Identify a character that is either literally or metaphorically being silenced.  Explain how this silencing occurs and the affects it has on the character.  

CHAPTER 2

Chapter 2

Annotation focus:

1)Interactions between the men on the ranch.  Concentrate on where are friendships possibly forming and where may conflicts occur.  Consider also how the men react to Lennie and George traveling together.

2)Examples of foreshadow – find at least three.

RESPONSE PROMPT

“On some level we are all facing fear - afraid of being seen for who we truly are. Afraid of seeing ourselves for whom we really are.  Afraid of confronting our limiting beliefs, we avoid facing fear by hiding. In order to prevent our true inner self from being seen, we wear a symbolic or metaphorical mask over our authentic personality in the hope that we will remain hidden” (Neta).

Choose one character in Of Mice and Men that is hiding behind a metaphorical mask.  Explain why this person “wears” a mask and how the reader’s understanding of this character can change once the character’s true emotions are understood.

Because of his limited cognitive ability, Lennie is the only character not hiding behind a mask.  Instead he is controlled by his true emotions.  Analyze your annotations on friendship and conflicts.  Then, use those to explain the significance of the quote: “Lennie cried out suddenly – ‘I don’t like this place, George.  This ain’t no good place.  I wanna get outa here’” (Steinbeck 32). 

Of Mice and Men

Chapter 1

Annotation Focus: Examples of imagery

Steinbeck characterizes Lennie with descriptive language that creates an image of an animal. In a paragraph analysis, define Steinbeck’s purpose for this characterization of Lennie and analyze what literary elements (besides imagery) he uses to achieve his overall purpose.

Steinbeck use imagery to provide the readers with information about the setting, characters, and the dream.   Identify the most significant passage which uses imagery and then analyze how the characters are reflected in the setting. 

GRADES POSTED

Congratulations! Many of you successfully completed your summer reading.  Grades are posted in Genesis.  The comment posted with your grade is your first paragraph grade, then your second paragraph grade.  If you have any questions, please contact me.

Once we start class, there will be about a week of Gatsby information to learn, and then you will have a test.  I wold suggest reviewing notes, or the novel before class being so you can contribute to the discussion.

BLOG 2 - Did you read Class Announcements below???

In Blog Response 1, you focused on an area of Gatsby’s life (besides Daisy) that did not meet his grand expectations.  Review your response, and/or reading through your classmates answers, to help focus your answer to the next bullets. USE CHAPTERS 6-end TO ANSWERS THESE QUESTIONS. 

·         From an outsider’s perspective, Gatsby lived a fabulous life filled with money, parties, and friends.  However, the reader learns Gatsby’s life is created on an illusion of happiness.  Based on this novel, what are the benefits AND dangers of living life this way?

·         Choose another character that could tell the story of Jimmy Gatz. Identify which character you would have tell his story.  Then, specifically identify fundamental examples of how the reader’s understanding of the novel would change. 

When answering this response, remember each bullet is a full paragraph.  Each paragraph must include text evidence, properly cited.  Be sure to AVOID SUMMARY.  Instead, I want to know why and how events matter.  Remember to email specific questions within the established time frame. 

Class Announcements for Blog 1

Hello All!

Your next question will be posted by Thursday, July, 23.

Thank you for submitting your blogs.  I can tell that many of you put a lot of thought and effort into your responses.  Well-done.

At this point, you should have received an email with your grade and comments to help you.  If you did not receive an email, please let me know IMMEDIATELY! If you emailed me a question from a personal email, I used this to respond to you.  If you did not, I used your Maple Shade email.  Also, if you do not see your response posted, I did not receive it and you have a 0. 

For those of you that struggled with the assignment, please take my email as constructive criticism. These responses will not "make or break" you for the first marking period.

Finally, I know not all students will be checking their email and this blog.  Please spread the word to your classmates that this is posted.  Also, if you have a friend that you see did not publish a response, contact them and have them email me in case there is a problem.

The Great Gatsby Chapters 1 - 5

Due July 17 by 11:59 pm

**If you did not comment on the "name" blog, and still plan to be a part of this class, please provide your name on the "name" blog AND complete these questions by the due date.

At the end of Chapter 5, Caraway muses, “There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams – not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion” (Fitzgerald 95). 

·         At this point in the novel, Fitzgerald could replace Daisy’s name with a few characters or ideas to show how Gatsby’s life is an illusion.  Choose one other aspect of Gatsby’s life that does not live up to his extraordinary expectations and analyze how this revelation gives the reader a glimpse of the reality occurring in the novel.

Nick Caraway is a peripheral narrator; that is, he tells the story while on the outside of looking in.  He reserves his judgments of people and claims to be “one of the few honest people that [he] have ever known” (Fitzgerald 59). 

·         Explain how Nick’s narration is either beneficial or detrimental to the reader’s understanding of what is “really” happening in West Egg.

To answer this blog, write a complete paragraph for each bullet.  For the second bullet, if you refer to the given piece of text evidence, you must include a second piece of text evidence that supports your point.  In other words, the given text evidence does not count for the evidence you are required to submit in your answer.

Refer to the rubric on the EBoard for any help with the grading process.  Email me specific questions according to the guidelines.