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AP Literature and Composition Blog

Discussion Question: The Feminist Critical Lens and the Inherent Danger of the Female Form (PRIMARY ONLY).

3/5/2025

 
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Victor Frankenstein initially agrees to create a female companion for the Creature, believing it will end the Creature’s suffering and prevent further violence. However, as he works, he becomes haunted by the possible consequences of his actions. In a moment of panic, he destroys the female, declaring, “She, who in all probability was to become a thinking and reasoning animal, might refuse to comply with a compact made before her creation” (Shelley 147). Here, Victor acknowledges that the female Creature would have agency and might reject the Creature as her mate, rendering his efforts futile. He also fears that together they might pose an even greater threat to humanity, perhaps even reproducing and creating a new race of beings beyond his control: “A race of devils would be propagated upon the earth who might make the very existence of the species of man a condition precarious and full of terror” (147).

How do Victor’s justifications for destroying the female Creature reveal his anxieties about power, control, and the natural order? An interesting activity is using a Feminist Critical Lens to critique these two sentences. Why might a female "thinking and reasoning animal [...] refuse to comply"?  What is Mary Shelley suggesting when she invokes the idea of this "thinking and reasoning" creature rejecting the agreements made by others and thus producing an entire "race of devils [...] who might make the very existence of the species of man [...] precarious and full of terror"? Why is this "thinking and reasoning" creature refusing to comply to society's expectation of her role as a mate so much more monstrous than the first creature? Do you see a paradox between Victor Frankenstein's worries about this female creature and his ever-compliant love, Elizabeth? Elaborate.

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and 
be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Sunday night 3-9-2025!

Discussion Question: Literary Illusions

2/28/2025

36 Comments

 
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Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay
To mould me man? Did I solicit thee
From darkness to promote me?
                                                           -John Milton, Paradise Lost, X, 743-745 (1667)


The creature reads John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost (1667). Milton's epic poem tells the story of how Adam and Eve live in peaceful harmony until they are seduced by Satan into eating from the Tree of Knowledge and are punished by being banished from the Garden of Eden. While reading Paradise Lost, the creature reports that he initially identifies with the character of "Adam" insofar as both are "united by no link to any other being in existence" (132). However, the creature also identifies with the character of "Satan": "Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition; for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me" (132). Do you think the character bears a greater resemblance to Adam or Satan? Why?

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 150-200 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Sunday night, 3/2/2025! 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Tuesday night, 3/4/2025!

Extra Information: If you are unfamiliar with Paradise Lost by John Milton, Dr. Moore of Saint Thomas University will give you an excellent and relatively brief overview considering the complexity of this famous poem. As always, remember that this video lecture is Dr. Moore's interpretation of Milton's epic classic through the lens of sociopolitical thought. You may find that you have your own interpreation if you choose to read it.

Summary: Paradise Lost, an epic poem by John Milton is arguably the greatest poem written in English. What is Paradise Lost about? Paradise Lost tells the story of the Garden of Eden, God's creation of humanity, Eve's temptation by Satan and Adam's subsequent temptation by Eve. It also tells the story of the War in Heaven, when Satan rebelled against God and fell to Hell. Paradise Lost is an extraordinary epic poem, its major themes include freedom, knowledge, justice, providence, republicanism and monarchy. This podcast provides a summary of some of Paradise Lost's major themes as well as some strategies for reading Milton's epic poem (GreatBooksProf).
36 Comments

Discussion Question (Volume I, Chs. 4-6): The Process of (Pr0)creation

2/24/2025

31 Comments

 
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The words that Shelley uses to describe Frankenstein's process of creation suggest that it is analogous to pregnancy and childbirth. Just as pregnant women in the 18th century were confined to a room before going into labor, Frankenstein describes himself as "emaciated with confinement" and beset by a "slow fever" (Shelly 55, 57). He repeatedly refers to his "midnight labors" and anticipates the day when his "labors would [...] end" (Shelley 55, 57). Why might Shelley compare the male protagonist's process of creation with a woman's biological process of giving birth? What is the purpose of the comparison?

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 100-150 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm tonight 2-24-2025! 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Thursday night 2-28-2025!
31 Comments

OPTIONAL - But, first... Mary.

2/4/2025

 
In this OPTIONAL blog post, please follow the directions on Google Classroom. No Secondary posting for this lecture.

Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume.

Lecture Notes #1 - "Frankenstein: Our Dark Mirror"

2/4/2025

 
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Click the image above to listen to the NYPL podcast, "Frankenstein: Our Dark Mirror."
In this Primary Blog Post, please copy/paste the notes from your favorite chapter ONLY of the New York Public Library's podcast, Frankenstein: Our Dark Mirror. You may want to "flesh them out" (pun entirely intended) first, as your classmates will be reading and commenting on them this weekend.

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Thurs night, Feb 6th! 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Friday night, Feb 7th!

Introduce yourself, Madame Scientist!

1/31/2025

 
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Conduct a brief search on your chosen 19th century female scientist. Acting in her persona, compose a brief 1st person POV paragraph to introduce yourself. In your introduction, include your background information, your specialization, and any awards or distinctions you have earned. If you can find a interesting fact to add that is non-science related, incorporate that here. Your tone can be conversational, serious, comedic, or any that you feel best fits your persona. Include an image, if you can.

Remember, only use your Pen Name. I will know who you are. Have fun creating your fictionalized character of a real person, but do try to be faithful to your scientist's reality.
Expectations:
  • 5-8 sentences written in the "voice" of your fictionalized scientist.
  • 1st person POV.
  • Details listed in the blog prompt above.

A Thousand Splendid Suns Part 2: Primary and Secondary Blog Entries

2/9/2023

 
The images below show people and places in Afghanistan that may represent the world in which Laila exists. Having finished Part 2, you now know just how different Laila's life was from Mariam's. But how different was it really? How does the idea os "shelter" (in all of its iterations) affect both women?

In your Primary Blog Entry, compare and contrast Mariam and Laila's experiences. Find at least one quote or paraphrase a passage from each that truly highlights their differences, but also explain how the women are similar. Find another quote or paraphrase a passage that highlights their similarity.

Once you have finished and submitted your Primary Blog Entry, please read your classmates' entries. Select two to which you would like to respond. See below the photos for more detailed insructions. 
Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Friday night 2-10-2023! 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Sunday night 2-12-2023!

A Thousand Splendid Suns Part 1: Primary Blog Entry ONLY

2/3/2023

 
In Part 1 of A Thousand Splendid Suns, Nana says the following to her daughter, Mariam: “Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have.” Select three distinct passages from Part 1 (add page #) that show how this sentiment informs Mariam’s life and how it relates to themes you believe will be intrinsic to the larger meaning of the novel. 
Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above):
--200-250 words
--minimal errors in grammar and usage
--thoughtful and thorough writing
--Use the name that you were assigned in class as your nom de plume.
--Be sure to add word count. 
--Due by 11:59 PM on Sunday night!
--REMEMBER, this is a Practice Assessment and, therefore,  will not be accepted late.

Frankenstein Essential Question #2

11/7/2022

 
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In what ways can imagination and inspiration unleash the best and worst in humankind?

Primary Blog Expections: 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59 PM Friday night. 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59 PM Sunday night.

Frankenstein Essential Question #1

11/1/2022

29 Comments

 
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Frankenstein complicates the idea of what it means to be human. What combination of biology, experience or innate characteristics make us who we are?


Primary Blog Expections: 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59 PM Friday night. 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59 PM Sunday night.
29 Comments

"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (1798) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Discussion Question

10/13/2022

 
(Iron Maiden video above for atmosphere)
Prompt: Thoughtfully answer one of the following questions using examples from both Coleridge and connections to the real world.
  • Are there worse things in life than death?
  • Is a leader fully responsible for those they lead?
  • Is it acceptable and ethical for Christian morals to be a part of literary works?
  • In our culture does punishment typically fit the crime?
  • Do people suffer consequences for their crimes in today's society?
  • When someone imprisons another are they also imprisoned?
  • Can a person's guilt affect their sanity? Should it?

Primary Blog Expections: 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59 PM tonight! 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Tuesday, October 18!

Lens and Artifact (Primary Blog Entry ONLY)

1/8/2021

 
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What is a Lens and Artifact Analysis?

Look closely at literature, and you may see a new world below the surface. In high school or college, a teacher may ask you to do this by writing a lens essay. A lens essay is a type of comparative paper that analyzes one text through the viewpoints expressed in another. Composing an effective one is difficult even for the most seasoned of writers. However, it is an incredible intellectual exercise through which you will not only improve your writing skills but your critical reading and thinking skills as well.

Here are a few questions to consider when analyzing the content of your focus text: How does the lens text serve to shed light on the second text? Does it criticize it or support it? What is a new or different perspective that you can grapple with by using this lens? Does this new perspective strengthen your own original understanding or does it challenge your ideas?

Your Blog Post Prompt:
First, you are NOT WRITING AN ESSAY! You are simply considering how a lens allows you to play with analysis. This is not intended to be a formal analysis, but merely intellectual exploration.

Your lens is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Now that you have read and analyzed this novel, consider the events on Wednesday, January 6th. How does your understanding of Frankenstein illuminate this historic event? How can you parse these events using Shelley's characters and themes?

Now, here comes the fun part!

All critical thinkers consider multiple facets of an issue. I am asking you to do the same. You may feel that you strongly align with one side of this situation. For this part of the exercise, you must use the same lens to illuminate the opposing viewpoint. What is their Creature? Who is their Victor Frankenstein? Can you make any parallels?

Additionally, you can take this a step further and consider abstract concepts: Capitalism, Fascism, Socialism, Nationalism, Patriotism, Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter, your own ideas, YOU NAME IT. This exercise is a good exercise in understanding where people come from. You should practice it all the time.

This is an exercise in critical thinking only. There is no debate here, other than with yourself. This exercise is not intended to change minds, only to understand opposing viewpoints. Remember the key question here: WHY do people believe they things they do?

Good luck!!

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Sunday night 1-10-2020! 

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Frankenstein: Chapters 20-24

12/8/2020

 
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Final Blog Prompt: Chapters 22 and 23 contain a strong sense of foreboding, or the feeling of a catastrophe around the corner. Look through these chapters and demonstrate how suspense is used to foreshadow future doom. Use several examples to prove your point. Relate these examples to the function of a gothic novel.

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Friday night 12-11-2020! 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Sunday night 12-13-2020!
 

Frankenstein: Chapters 13-19

12/1/2020

25 Comments

 
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Examine the Creature’s argument and his demand of Frankenstein. Is it reasonable? How does the creature formulate his argument and does he argue successfully in your opinion? If you were Frankenstein, would you agree to it? Why or why not? After you read Frankenstein’s actions in these chapters, what do you think of his actions? 

​Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Friday night 12-4-2020! 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Sunday night 12-6-2020!

25 Comments

Frankenstein: Chapters 6-12 COMMENTS CLOSE ON FRIDAY 12/4

11/20/2020

19 Comments

 

Honor System:
For your PRIMARY BLOG RESPONSE, please read the passage posted below (you may use Kami to annotate if you like) and compose an AP-style paragraph (the body paragraph of an essay you aren't actually writing). This paragraph should contain a defensible claim and evidence following a clear line of reasoning. Then your SECONDARY BLOG RESPONSE will be a chance for you to read and respond to your classmates' paragraphs. You may offer constructive criticism, elaboration, or a rebuttal to their paragraphs. This is intended to be helpful and not hurtful!!!

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Friday night 11-20-2020! 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Sunday night 11-22-2020!

frankenstein_passage_1.pdf
File Size: 43 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

19 Comments

Frankenstein: Intro, Letters 1-4, Chapters 1-5

11/13/2020

29 Comments

 
Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the ONE of the prompts below): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the scientist's name that you selected in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59 PM on Saturday, November 14th. 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that answer one of the OTHER prompts and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing.  
Please use the scientist's name that you selected in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59 PM on Monday, November 16th. 
1. In Letter IV, Walton writes, “Yesterday the stranger said to me, “You may easily perceive, Captain Walton, that I have suffered great and unparalleled misfortunes. I had determined at one time that the memory of these evils should die with me, but you have won me to alter my determination. You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been. I do not know that the relation of my disasters will be useful to you; yet, when I reflect that you are pursuing the same course, exposing yourself to the same dangers which have rendered me what I am, I imagine that you may deduce an apt moral from my tale, one that may direct you if you succeed in your undertaking and console you in case of failure. Prepare to hear of occurrences which are usually deemed marvelous.” 

In the excerpt above, the themes of knowledge and wisdom are introduced. Often, knowledge and wisdom are seen as interchangeable, or as going hand-in-hand, but are they necessarily the same?

​2. Victor describes how even as a child, “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world.” Even as a boy, Victor has been hungry for knowledge. He doesn’t want to learn just anything, however. He wants to figure out the “secrets of heaven.” How does this paragraph foreshadow him creating his creature in his adulthood? Is this contextual proof that he is destined to create this monster like he insists he is? If he claims that he is destined to do this, then does this negate some of the blame he may feel? 

​3. In imagining the creation of a new race of beings, Victor imagines that “No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs. Pursuing these reflections, I thought that if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter, I might in process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption.” Psychoanalytic theory in literary studies is the analysis of a character’s psyche in relation to their thoughts and actions. Using this theory, what can you tell about the motivations behind Victor’s experimentation and fanaticism? How might his childhood have influenced his choices? 
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Week 2 Poetry Blog Activity: "Importance of Names" - Explain the Function of  Specific Words and Phrases in a Text.

3/30/2020

 
Skill: FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE 5.B – Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a text. 

Topic: Importance of Names
​
Part 1 Primary and Secondary Blog Prompt: 
Compare and contrast the two poems. What are their similarities? How do they differ? Overall, which poem do you feel is more “essential” to study in AP English Literature and why? 
           -Primary Blog Entry (100-150 words) due by Tuesday at 11:59pm;
           -2 Secondary Blog Responses (60-80 words) due by Thursday night at 11:59pm
​BE SURE TO ADD WORD COUNT AND USE YOUR NOM DE PLUME!


​Part 2 Individual Written Reflection Prompt: 
Produce a written reflection (200-250 words) wherein you explain the function of specific words and phrases illuminates the theme in one of the two poems. Demonstrate a strong line of reasoning and support all claims with textual evidence. 
Upload to Turnitin by 11:59pm on Friday.

Poem 1 (Modern/Living Poet)
​“Say My Name” by Idris Goodwin

Video: 
​Unable to find text or transcript, but he speaks slowly and it’s easy to follow.
Poem 2 (Older/Classic Poet)
​“The Naming of Cats” by T.S. Eliot
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Click on the image above to read the poem, "The Naming of Cats" by T.S. Eliot (1888-1965)

Week 1 Poetry Blog Activity: "Perseverance" - Explain the Function of Contrasts within a Text

3/24/2020

 
Virtual Poetry Unit 
Emphasized Skills (as suggested in 2019 CED):
  • STR 3.C – Explain the function of structure in a text.
  • STR 3.D – Explain the function of contrasts within a text.
  • FIG 5.B – Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a text.
  • FIG 5.C – Identify and explain the function of a metaphor.
  • FIG 6.B – Identify and explain the function of an allusion.

 Each week, I will post 2 poems on Tuesday. Each set of poems will focus on a specific literary analysis skill. Your job is twofold:

 Part 1: Compare/Contrast + Critical Thinking
Read the two poems and respond to the prompt in a Primary Blog Entry (100-150 words) by Tuesday night at 11:59pm. By Thursday night at 11:59pm, please read all Primary Blog Entries and select two that you find interesting, surprising, insightful, or conflicting with your own understanding and compose a brief response to each in a Secondary Blog Response (60-80 words).

Part 2: Individual Analysis + Emphasized Skill
The two poems that you read each week have been selected to highlight a specific skill (see list above). By Friday at 11:59pm, please upload to Turnitin.com a short written reflection (200-250 words) in which you use one of the poems to address the question that is aligned to the skill being addressed. 

*Nom de Plumes for the Blog Entries: Please select a pen name of your own and then share it with me through email. 

Week One: Virtual Poetry Blog Activity
Skill: STRUCTURE 3.D - Explain the Function of Contrasts within a Text

Topic: Perseverance

Part 1 Primary and Secondary Blog Prompt: 
Compare and contrast the two poems. What are their similarities? How do they differ? Overall, which poem do you feel is more “essential” to study in AP English Lit and why? 
           -Primary Blog Entry (100-150 words) due by Tuesday at 11:59pm;
           -2 Secondary Blog Responses (60-80 words) due by Thursday night at 11:59pm
​BE SURE TO ADD WORD COUNT!


​Part 2 Individual Written Reflection Prompt: 
Produce a written reflection (200-250 words) wherein you explain the function of contrasts in one of the two poems. Demonstrate a strong line of reasoning and support all claims with textual evidence. 
Upload to Turnitin by 11:59pm on Friday.


Poem #1 (Modern/Living Poet)
“Complainers” by Rudy Francisco
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Click on the image above to go to an annotated text version of the poem.
Poem #2 (Older/Classic Poet)
“A Psalm of Life” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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Click on the image above to go to a text version of the poem.

The Road: Radiolab Podcast "Morality

2/7/2020

 
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Below you will find three embedded portions of NPR: Radiolab's podcast, "Morality." The fourth embedded link is the full hour of the podcast if you have the time to listen to it in its totality in one sitting.

Your assignment for this last blog entry for The Road is to listen to this podcast and comment upon it in a holistic sense (listen to all 3 portions before composing your blog entry).Possible questions to start your blog post: Where does our sense of right and wrong come from? What is the relationship between morality, humanity, and the individual?
                                                                      *****
Please note: This blog entry and your understanding of this concept (morality) is necessary for the final summative assessment for The Road. Next week, we will be using this blog as a significant element of your final essay. This will be your most rigorous essay of this unit.
                                                                      *****
Part One Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the assigned "pen name" given to you in class as your nom de plume.
DUE: Sunday night at midnight (2/9)! PLEASE INCLUDE WORD COUNT!

Part Two Expectations (read everyone's first responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing.  
DUE: Monday night at midnight (2/10)!

The Road: Part III

1/31/2020

35 Comments

 

At this point in the novel, you may have found multiple parallels between the events in the text and Joseph Campbell's Monomyth as revealed in the summer reading text, How to Read Literature Like a Professor.

​Thinking back through the Man and the Boy's journey to the coast, identify and explain 3 specific events that fulfill Campbell's theory (clearly, this is an inexact activity-not all elements of the Hero's Journey are evident in every story). Your explanation should cite a specific passage though you do not need to do more than paraphrase the event. Your explanation, however, should illuminate how Campbell's Monomyth/Hero's journey can be used as a lens on McCarthy's novel.

​Part One Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the assigned "pen name" given to you in class as your nom de plume. DUE: Friday night at midnight (1/31)!

Part Two Expectations (read everyone's first responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing.  DUE: Sunday night at midnight (2/2)!

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35 Comments

The Road: Part II+ (to complete this prompt, please read through page 175)

1/23/2020

 
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The sardonic blind man named Ely, who the man and boy encounter on the road, tells the father that, "There is no God and we are his prophets" [p. 170]. What does he mean by this? Why does the father say about his son, later in the same conversation, "What if I said that he's a god?" [p. 172]. Are we meant to see the son as a savior? Why is Ely the only character named in this novel? What does this mean and how does it affect your understanding of the meaning of the work as a whole?

​Part One Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the assigned "pen name" given to you in class as your nom de plume. DUE: Friday night at midnight (1/24)!

Part Two Expectations (read everyone's first responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing.  DUE: Sunday night at midnight (1/26)!

The Road: Part 1

1/17/2020

 
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How is McCarthy able to make the post-apocalyptic world of The Road seem so real and utterly terrifying? Which descriptive passages are especially vivid and visceral in their depiction of this blasted landscape (please cite)? What do you find to be the most horrifying features of this world and the survivors who inhabit it? 

Part One Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 200-250 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the assigned "pen name" given to you in class as your nom de plume. DUE: Friday night at midnight!

Part Two Expectations (read everyone's first responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 100-150 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing.  DUE: Sunday night at midnight!

Frankenstein Chapter 24

11/13/2019

 
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​In an influential essay, the Romantic scholar and critic Harold Bloom wrote that the reader's sympathy lies with the Creature, but in his book The Romantic Conflict (1963) Allan Rodway says the reader's sympathy lies with Victor Frankenstein. Who is right? Why? 

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 100-150 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Wednesday night 11-13-2019! 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 75-100 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Thursday night 11-14-2019!

Frankenstein Chs 17-19

11/6/2019

 
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​Examine the Creature’s argument and his demand of Frankenstein. Is it reasonable? If you were Frankenstein, would you agree to it? Why or why not? After you read Frankenstein’s actions in these chapters, what do you think of his actions? 

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 100-150 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Tuesday night 11-12-2019! 

Frankenstein Reflection (Chapters 4-6)

10/30/2019

 
Lightning Strike
Family
Grief

The first three chapters tell us about Victor Frankenstein's childhood and youth; the fourth, about his "discovery" of the principle of life. For movie fans these chapters may seem irrelevant: after all, we want to see the Creature being created and -amid bursts of smoke and flashes of lightning- "born." Why, then, does Mary Shelley devote so much time and space to Victor's childhood environment and his education?

Primary Blog Expectations (respond to the prompt above): 100-150 words, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Friday night 11-1-2019! 

Secondary Blog Response Expectations (read everyone's primary responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas): 75-100 words EACH, minimal errors in grammar and usage, thoughtful and thorough writing. Please use the name you were assigned in class as your nom de plume and be sure to add word count. Due by 11:59pm Sunday night 11-3-2019!

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