 The list is long of possible topics to discuss in this week's reading. Select one of the topic choices below to discuss how Atwood's use of Narrative Techniques and Imagery to illuminates your understanding of them:
In your response you might address any or all of the following prompts:
Successful responses will:
In your response, use at least a few of the terms below (and apply them correctly):
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 a word count. Due by 11:59 pm Friday night, 2/13/2026. 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 a word count. Due by 11:59 pm Sunday night, 2/15/2026.   Context: As you read The Handmaid’s Tale, pay attention to two big ideas:
1) World-building (Setting) This isn’t just “where and when.” It’s how the entire society operates: its rules, routines, symbols, and what people are permitted (or not permitted) to do. 2) Narrative Voice This is how the story is told and who is telling it. Offred’s voice shapes what we notice, what we trust, and what we question. These two things work together: the setting shows us what kind of world Gilead is, and Offred’s voice shows us what it feels like to live there. After this week’s reading, you can see that The Handmaid’s Tale blends genres: it’s speculative, realistic, and dystopian. You’re also learning that Gilead’s rise and its religious government controls nearly every part of life in what used to be the United States. Finally, you’re starting to see that Offred is full of contradictions: she is oppressed, but she also finds ways to be resistant. Even when the system tries to erase her identity, she uses memory and storytelling to hold on to her sense of self. This also connects to the difference between “freedom from” (freedom from danger or chaos) and “freedom of” (freedom to choose your own life). Prompt: Write a response about this week’s reading that explains how the setting and Offred’s narrative voice help Atwood highlight themes like:
In your response, use at least a few of the terms below (and apply them correctly):
Success Criteria: 1. Make a clear claim (what Atwood is showing and why it matters). 2. Use the vocabulary accurately (choose terms that truly fit your examples). 3. Use specific evidence from the text, such as:
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 a word count. Due by 11:59 pm Friday night, 2/5/2026. 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 a word count. Due by 11:59 pm Sunday night, 2/7/2026.  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).  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! Week 1 Poetry Blog Activity: "Perseverance" - Explain the Function of Contrasts within a Text3/24/2020
Virtual Poetry Unit Emphasized Skills (as suggested in 2019 CED):
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.
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