A few of my favorite films

My Name is Nobody

Everybody's Fine

The Grapes of Wrath

Apocalypse Now

American Graffitti

Shanghai Triad

Do the Right Thing

American Teacher

Repo Man

Expository Essay

September 27th is the due date for the minor expository essay. 

Remember I want you to explain the difference, if any, between character and morality. Please recall our class discussion on this topic.  I also want you to think outside of the box and bring examples to develop the thesis from sources that are near and dear to your heart.  

Remember we are following the formal writing guidelines for this writing.

Also,  remember to review your TABOO sheet for this.  If you include any of those items, I'm not reading your paper.  It will be returned to you with the quickness. 

Leave a comment signifying that you saw this.  

This is the last post of the summer.  You should have finished the novel and should either be finishing your school assignments or working on them.  For this last one, I want your final summation of Okonkwo.  Is he admirable? Is he unsympathetic?  It's your call.  You just need to be sure and back up anything you say with concrete details, direct quotes and the corresponding page numbers.  Haave fun and I will see you on the 19th.

Violence in Things Fall Apart

For this entry, I want you to find five instances of an act of violence in the novel.  Please include a direct quotation regarding the violence as well as the page number from the book where it can be found.  Briefly discuss the consequences of these acts directly after your description.  Also, you may want to give your classmates that have not posted anything a heads up.  The assignments listed in the handout are required and not simply a suggestion.

Discussion #3

These were supposed to post automatically.  That's why you have had an almost three week lag. I trusted the system I set up and I shouldn't have. Mea Culpa. 

In the novel, a major theme is that culture is always changing and people must adapt with it or be left behind. Find evidence of this in the text and discuss how characters are affected by either adapting or remaining static. Please include page numbers to support your evidence from the text. 

Integrity.

A person without integrity is a traitor to all the good that has come before and will come after. 

Cyril Cusack reading William Butler Yeats

Things Fall Apart #2

Good job, you scholars who have commented thus far.  I thought that several of you gave me some vary thoughtful answers.  I'll be responding to each in turn.  It make take me a bit to get to everyone, but I will.  Let me encourage you to look beyond just the facts.  Facts in this forum are to support your thoughts.  When school starts, the writing and testing will provide the evidence of your close reading.  Here you are free to discuss and debate elements of the novel such as theme.  To do it well and intelligently, reading is a must.  Basically, don't get so hung up on names. Seek the humanity that Achebe has embedded in the novel.

To this end I have several things I want you to discuss.

First, read the poem "The Second Coming" and discuss what you think this poem by a British poet has to do with an African novel.

What are Okonkwo's virtues and vices?

What do you think of a society that has a ritualistic form of suicide? What other societies can you think of that have one?

What  is the difference between spirituality and religion? Can you have one without the other?

It goes without saying that I want concrete details to support arguments, but I said it anyway.

If your comments haven't shown up, I receive emails with them and I will figure out the bug.
RELEASE THE HOUNDS!!

China Achebe: Bullet Point Biography

*. Nigerian 

* most of literary work meant for an African audience. That's why he doesn't always take the time to explain certain customs that would be well known to his audience. 

* published a well regarded piece decrying author Joseph Conrad as a racist. 

* was paralyzed in a car accident in the early 90's

* His full first name means "May God fight on my side".

* 

Fathers and Sons

TFA deals with issues in the relationships of fathers and sons. This clip from Death of a Salesman, a play we will study, offers a view at difficult father/ son relationships. 

Several versions of the play are on YouTube if you are curious. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1lazBK1Pec&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Additional Info.

According to Common Core, students should be exposed to different versions of works as well as other explorations of themes. To this end, I will periodically link to videos and other info action that might illuminate the text. The link in this post leads to a stage adaptation of the novel. It's interesting to see 

the interpretation. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjK8tdJzKMU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Lit Terms: First Week Quiz.

Know these better than yourself

1. Allegory 

2. Allusion

3. Ambiguity

4. Analogy

5. Antagonist 

There will be a quiz on the first Friday and every subsequent Friday.  

Things Fall Apart #1

Here's how I want this to work. You comment on the question of the week below. To get credit, you must post a comment that displays a familiarity with the work and shows some thought regarding the content. You cannot merely state "It sucks" or "I liked it". Both are valid opinions of any work ;however, you 

MUST defend any view you present. Agreeing with another commenter is fine, but you must add original thoughts that meet the criteria. 

This question is for the beginning of the novel. 

How difficult do you find it to relate to the culture that acts as a backdrop for the novel?

What aspects are difficult to understand ? Conversely, what aspects are universal?

Release the hounds!