Today, we:
1. Powerpoint overview of Middle Ages (link here)
2. Powerpoint overview of Chaucer (link here)
3. Close reading of knight's character from pages 3-5 of prologue
For Wed: finish Wife of Bath. Note on the "Margin Notes" Powerpoint from yesterday, the directions of what you should be looking for when taking margin notes.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 28th
Here's the daily update, which I'll be doing as we work through Link Crew week:
1. Allusion test back, Beo/Grendel test back
2. Discussed margin notes, including specific assignment of how to use for Canterbury Tales
(powerpoint available here).
3. Did first page (Keillor) of Diction in Lit Tech packet, assigned second page (Buckley)
4. Did Writer's notebook by expanding writing at the bottom of the first page (Keillor) into 1/2 to 2/3 of a page entry.
1. Allusion test back, Beo/Grendel test back
2. Discussed margin notes, including specific assignment of how to use for Canterbury Tales
(powerpoint available here).
3. Did first page (Keillor) of Diction in Lit Tech packet, assigned second page (Buckley)
4. Did Writer's notebook by expanding writing at the bottom of the first page (Keillor) into 1/2 to 2/3 of a page entry.
Guest Blogger: Sam M.
Over the last week, we’ve learned about the story of Grendel and the philosophies contained in John Gardner’s portrayal of the epic Beowulf. Before we got very far into the book, we talked about the philosophies of existentialism, nihilism, and solipsism. Near the end, we talked about humanism. In my mind, the book was about the battle between the Shaper’s humanism, which gave the humans’ lives meaning, and existentialism, which made Grendel’s life meaningless. The dragon’s nihilist philosophy came into play sometimes, when Grendel was thinking that the humans are nothing, and that he was alone. Solipsism played the smallest role of all; Grendel’s use of it could be included in his nihilist thoughts. There was one unanswered question, though: what is Gardner trying to make the reader think? One could make arguments for both the existentialist viewpoint and the humanist viewpoint based on the book’s content.
Existentialism is the philosophy that Grendel clearly follows. He has the thought that if he died, it wouldn’t matter, several times. He believes that everything is meaningless, and he goes so far as to attempt to destroy the meaning of others, Unferth in particular when he, instead of killing Unferth, brings him back unscathed to the hall. Despite being a gloomy existentialist, Grendel is actually a fairly likeable character. He acts like a small child a lot, and many of his actions are amusing. He has a good mind, though, and coupled with the first person point of view, this fact makes the reader identify with Grendel. So, John Gardner could be trying to promote existentialism.
The other side of the argument, the humanist argument, also has good points. The strongest evidence in favor of humanism is the meaning of characters. In the end, Grendel has no meaning, and typical loved protagonists have a deeper meaning than being an accident to the world. However, the humans have meaning and purpose, often given to them by the shaper, who seems to lead the way in the quest for deeper meaning. Also, the humanists seem to be the defenders: Grendel as an existentialist is trying to destroy them and all that they stand for. Humanism’s argument is as strong as existentialism.
My final thought is that Gardner isn’t trying to take a side. He makes points for both arguments for one simple reason: to make us think about both philosophies.
Existentialism is the philosophy that Grendel clearly follows. He has the thought that if he died, it wouldn’t matter, several times. He believes that everything is meaningless, and he goes so far as to attempt to destroy the meaning of others, Unferth in particular when he, instead of killing Unferth, brings him back unscathed to the hall. Despite being a gloomy existentialist, Grendel is actually a fairly likeable character. He acts like a small child a lot, and many of his actions are amusing. He has a good mind, though, and coupled with the first person point of view, this fact makes the reader identify with Grendel. So, John Gardner could be trying to promote existentialism.
The other side of the argument, the humanist argument, also has good points. The strongest evidence in favor of humanism is the meaning of characters. In the end, Grendel has no meaning, and typical loved protagonists have a deeper meaning than being an accident to the world. However, the humans have meaning and purpose, often given to them by the shaper, who seems to lead the way in the quest for deeper meaning. Also, the humanists seem to be the defenders: Grendel as an existentialist is trying to destroy them and all that they stand for. Humanism’s argument is as strong as existentialism.
My final thought is that Gardner isn’t trying to take a side. He makes points for both arguments for one simple reason: to make us think about both philosophies.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Guest Blogger: Quinn J.
Elements of the hero’s journey, also known as “monomyth,” is a phenomenon of human psychological nature that has been going on for thousands of years and is still going on now. The seventeen stages that make up the monomyth have appeared in countless narratives from around the globe, from the epic ballads “Beowulf” and the story of Hua Mulan (which Disney made into a 1998 movie), to the myths of the Greeks and parables in the Bible, to blockbuster movie series like “Harry Potter,” “James Bond,” and the “Matrix.”
The monomyth keeps reappearing around the world for a number of reasons. In every culture, children are taught morals and behavior by their elders; using experience from their own lives and remembering their faults, the elders weave stories to teach the children how to behave.
Before the printing press and other writing technology, people told stories through oral tradition and passed them down, using the stories to entertain as well as teach. It’s widely believed that all humans have a collected way of thinking, despite all of the differences between cultures. Situations like a hero rescuing a damsel in distress using an item of magic proportions can be identified in narratives from throughout history.
One example of the monomyth is the supernatural aide; whether this aide is a creature or an object, it accompanies the hero on the hero’s journey. Examples include the magic sword Hrunting in “Beowulf,” the lightsaber in the “Star Wars” series, the wand in the “Harry Potter” series, and the various gadgets James Bond acquires in his series. One stage that is less common than others in the elements is the woman as a temptress; two examples from the Bible include Adam being tempted by Eve and Samson tempted by Delilah; another example includes the witch Circe tempting Odysseus in “The Odyssey.”
There are many reasons why the monomyth is still around; religions use their parables, filmmakers and authors recreate old stories, and politicians tell stories to relate to the public. Civilizations may come and go, but stories following the hero’s journey will always be around.
The monomyth keeps reappearing around the world for a number of reasons. In every culture, children are taught morals and behavior by their elders; using experience from their own lives and remembering their faults, the elders weave stories to teach the children how to behave.
Before the printing press and other writing technology, people told stories through oral tradition and passed them down, using the stories to entertain as well as teach. It’s widely believed that all humans have a collected way of thinking, despite all of the differences between cultures. Situations like a hero rescuing a damsel in distress using an item of magic proportions can be identified in narratives from throughout history.
One example of the monomyth is the supernatural aide; whether this aide is a creature or an object, it accompanies the hero on the hero’s journey. Examples include the magic sword Hrunting in “Beowulf,” the lightsaber in the “Star Wars” series, the wand in the “Harry Potter” series, and the various gadgets James Bond acquires in his series. One stage that is less common than others in the elements is the woman as a temptress; two examples from the Bible include Adam being tempted by Eve and Samson tempted by Delilah; another example includes the witch Circe tempting Odysseus in “The Odyssey.”
There are many reasons why the monomyth is still around; religions use their parables, filmmakers and authors recreate old stories, and politicians tell stories to relate to the public. Civilizations may come and go, but stories following the hero’s journey will always be around.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Prompt
Joseph Campbell defined elements of the hero’s journey, which can be applied to a wide range of texts spanning hundreds of years. Identify common elements of the hero’s journey while discussing the universal aspects of it, perhaps including why this pattern remains evident today. Examples will help illustrate your ideas. Avoid mere summary.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Welcome to AP Lit!
The Blog
Purpose: Authoring blog entries will offer you another opportunity to present your ideas and writing for a larger audience than just the classroom teacher. Ideally, this will lead to more reflective, richer, and deeper thinking while increasing your writing awareness and skills.
Procedures: Each student will be assigned a day to be responsible for posting a 300-400 word blog entry. The topic of this should primarily be aligned to the current content of the course as you share your further thoughts, research, and connections. As you develop your ideas, you may choose to include support from other great writers, thinkers, and researchers, as you draw connections between the text we’re studying and the larger world.
By noon of your assigned day, email your post to erdecker@rochester.k12.mn.us It will be posted as presented, unless the content is inappropriate to a public educational setting.
Evaluation: Each blog entry will be evaluated on
- Expanding upon ideas generated through current course content
- Using a range of sources to illustrate, explain, and present your thoughts
- Clear, effective writing
In addition to authoring a blog once a semester, you will also be asked to respond a minimum of five times to your peers’ blogs. These will be evaluated on
- Responding to the direct focus of the entry
- Connecting ideas presented with additional references/ideas
- Thoughtful responses which further the discussion
5% of your grade will be determined from the Blog.
Purpose: Authoring blog entries will offer you another opportunity to present your ideas and writing for a larger audience than just the classroom teacher. Ideally, this will lead to more reflective, richer, and deeper thinking while increasing your writing awareness and skills.
Procedures: Each student will be assigned a day to be responsible for posting a 300-400 word blog entry. The topic of this should primarily be aligned to the current content of the course as you share your further thoughts, research, and connections. As you develop your ideas, you may choose to include support from other great writers, thinkers, and researchers, as you draw connections between the text we’re studying and the larger world.
By noon of your assigned day, email your post to erdecker@rochester.k12.mn.us It will be posted as presented, unless the content is inappropriate to a public educational setting.
Evaluation: Each blog entry will be evaluated on
- Expanding upon ideas generated through current course content
- Using a range of sources to illustrate, explain, and present your thoughts
- Clear, effective writing
In addition to authoring a blog once a semester, you will also be asked to respond a minimum of five times to your peers’ blogs. These will be evaluated on
- Responding to the direct focus of the entry
- Connecting ideas presented with additional references/ideas
- Thoughtful responses which further the discussion
5% of your grade will be determined from the Blog.
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