AP Literature

In other words, the AP Exam is almost here, and we need to do some serious review.

Believe it or not, we are going to use SparkNotes in class. Holy cow!

Go to this site and create an account. Do not begin the diagnostic until I tell you to begin.

http://testprep.sparknotes.com/testcenter/ap/englishlit/

When you have finished, copy and paste your results into Word and print.

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Please do not forget that the Poetry Blog posts are still due each night. Check the Poetry Blog for your night http://mcpoetry3.blogspot.com.

Believe it or not; it's time to start reviewing for the exam.

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Be sure to check your email to accept the invitation to be an author on this blog.

http://mcpoetry3.blogspot.com/

Their Eyes Were Watching God annotations

2009-03-05T06:41:00.000-08:00

Monday's class

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1 Closing Portrait

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Portrait Projects due Monday, March 2nd

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A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man Project Choices

Soundtrack
Collect a series of ten songs that you would use as a soundtrack to a film version of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. You must include the lyrics of each song, a www.youtube.com link to the song (if available) and a one paragraph explanation for each of your choices.

Artwork
Create a piece of original artwork (painting, drawing, etc.) or a series of photographs that reflect the chiastic nature of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

Poetry Collection
Collect a series of ten poems that you would present to Stephen. Be sure to include a one paragraph explanation for each of your choices.

Original Poetry
Write a poem or series of poems that utilizes the literary devices discussed in class and reflects the key concepts of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. You must have at least 75 lines of poetry in total.

Short Story
Write an original short story that places Stephen in your 2009 AP Literature class at Smithtown High School East. Your story must be at least two MLA style pages in length.

Come up with your own project.
All original project choices must be approved by Thursday, February 26th.

Some historical background for Portrait

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Who is Michael Davitt?

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761559259/Michael_Davitt.html

Who is Charles Stewart Parnell?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/parnell_charles.shtml

Understanding Allusion in Portrait

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Mythology Slideshow

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Assignment Portrait2009

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Existentialism and Faulkner

2009-02-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

Existentialism

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Existentialism

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Quarter Three Outside Reading Book Choices

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Book choices are due on Friday, February 6, 2009.

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
Light in August by William Faulkner

Ulysses by James Joyce

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
You Shall Know Our Velocity! by Dave Eggers

Sula by Toni Morrison
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami

The Zoo Story by Edward Albee
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien
At Swim Two Birds by Flann O’Brien

The Complete Tales and Poems by Edgar Allen Poe
The Collected Poems of W.B. Yeats, Vol. 1

The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Blog Post change:

By March 6th, you must have a total of two posts. Each post must have at least one week in between them. Email me each time you post to your blog.

By April 3rd, you must have another two posts completed. Each post must have at least one week in between them. Email me each time you post to your blog.

Your Outside Reading annotations and responses are due on April 14, 2009.

Frankenstein Extra Credit

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If you feel you have done substatial annotation work for Frankenstein, please bring your copy of the novel to class on Tuesday for extra credit points.

As I Lay Dying class/group assignment

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Aild Blog

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Copy Of As I Lay Dying Blog Assignment1 1231626196302181 1

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See the calendar below for the reading schedule.

Frankenstein Review Slides

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Kerper And Leigh

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Frankenstein Review Slides

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Frankenstein Pat N Riccardo

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Frankenstein Review Slides

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Hittner Marsh Bb Skopkowski

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Frankenstein Review Slides

2009-01-09T08:22:00.001-08:00

Buchholz And Liguori Tucci

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Frankenstein Review Slides

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Villano And Calabrese

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Classwork for Friday, 1/9

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Work in pairs to create a review Powerpoint Presentation for Frankenstein.

Slides
1. Title, Author, Genre, Setting, Characters

2. Themes of the novel with brief explanations

3. 1-2 Examples of the Romantic and Gothic elements of the novel

4. Frequently used literary and/or rhetorical devices

5. Structure of the novel

6. Schools of Literary Criticism

Include any other elements you believe to be essential to your review for the exam.

When you finish your presentation, save the file as your last names (i.e. Smith and Jones) in the "Frankie Review" folder on the "Public" drive.

More Literary Criticism

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Mythological / Archetypal / Symbolic
Note: "Symbolic" approaches may also fall under the category of formalism because they involve a close reading of the text. Myth criticism generally has broader, more universal applications than symbolic criticism, although both assume that certain images have a fairly universal affect on readers.
Definition:
A mythological / archetypal approach to literature assumes that there is a collection of symbols, images, characters, and motifs (i.e. archetypes) that evokes basically the same response in all people. According to the psychologist Carl Jung, mankind possesses a "collective unconscious" that contains these archetypes and that is common to all of humanity. Myth critics identify these archetypal patterns and discuss how they function in the works. They believe that these archetypes are the source of much of literature's power.
Some Archetypes (See A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature for a complete list):
archetypal women - the Good Mother, the Terrible Mother, and the Soul Mate (such as the Virgin Mary)
water - creation, birth-death-resurrection, purification, redemption, fertility, growth
garden - paradise (Eden), innocence, fertility
desert - spiritual emptiness, death, hopelessness
red - blood, sacrifice, passion, disorder
green - growth, fertility
black - chaos, death, evil
serpent - evil, sensuality, mystery, wisdom, destruction
seven - perfection
shadow, persona, and anima (see psychological criticism )
hero archetype - The hero is involved in a quest (in which he overcomes obstacles). He experiences initiation (involving a separation, transformation, and return), and finally he serves as a scapegoat, that is, he dies to atone.
Advantages:
Provides a universalistic approach to literature and identifies a reason why certain literature may survive the test of time. It works well with works that are highly symbolic.
Disadvantages:
Literature may become little more than a vehicle for archetypes, and this approach may ignore the "art" of literature.

Feminist Approach
Definition:
Feminist criticism is concerned with the impact of gender on writing and reading. It usually begins with a critique of patriarchal culture. It is concerned with the place of female writers in the cannon. Finally, it includes a search for a feminine theory or approach to texts. Feminist criticism is political and often revisionist. Feminists often argue that male fears are portrayed through female characters. They may argue that gender determines everything, or just the opposite: that all gender differences are imposed by society, and gender determines nothing.
Elaine Showalter's Theory:
In A Literature of Their Own, Elaine Showalter argued that literary subcultures all go through three major phases of development. For literature by or about women, she labels these stages the Feminine, Feminist, and Female:
(1) Feminine Stage - involves "imitation of the prevailing modes of the dominant tradition" and "internalization of its standards."
(2) Feminist Stage - involves "protest against these standards and values and advocacy of minority rights...."
(3) Female Stage - this is the "phase of self-discovery, a turning inwards freed from some of the dependency of opposition, a search for identity."
Advantages:
Women have been somewhat underrepresented in the traditional cannon, and a feminist approach to literature redresses this problem.
Disadvantages:
Feminist turn literary criticism into a political battlefield and overlook the merits of works they consider "patriarchal." When arguing for a distinct feminine writing style, they tend to relegate women's literature to a ghetto status; this in turn prevents female literature from being naturally included in the literary cannon. The feminist approach is often too theoretical.

Reader Response Criticism
Definition:
Reader response criticism analyzes the reader's role in the production of meaning. It lies at the opposite end of the spectrum from formalistic criticism. In reader response criticism, the text itself has no meaning until it is read by a reader. The reader creates the meaning. This criticism can take into account the strategies employed by the author to elicit a certain response from readers. It denies the possibility that works are universal (i.e. that they will always mean more or less the same thing to readers everywhere). Norman Holland argues that "each reader will impose his or her 'identity theme' on the text, to a large extent recreating that text in the reader's image." Therefore, we can understand someone's reading as a function of personal identity.
Advantages:
It recognizes that different people view works differently, and that people's interpretations change over time.
Disadvantages:
Reader Response criticism tends to make interpretation too subjective. It does not provide adequate criteria for evaluating one reading in comparison to another.

Structuralism: Structuralists view literature as a system of signs. They try to make plain the organizational codes that they believe regulate all literature. The most famous practitioner is Michael Foucault.

Deconstruction: This approach assumes that language does not refer to any external reality. It can assert several, contradictory interpretations of one text. Deconstructionists make interpretations based on the political or social implications of language rather than examining an author's intention. Jacques Derrida was the founder of this school of criticism.

Literary Criticism

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Historical / Biographical Approach:
Definition:
Historical / Biographical critics see works as the reflection of an author's life and times (or of the characters' life and times). They believe it is necessary to know about the author and the political, economical, and sociological context of his times in order to truly understand his works.
Advantages:
This approach works well for some works--like those of Alexander Pope, John Dryden, and Milton--which are obviously political in nature. One must know Milton was blind, for instance, for "On His Blindness" to have any meaning. And one must know something about the Exclusion Bill Crisis to appreciate John Dryden's "Absalom and Achitophel." It also is necessary to take a historical approach in order to place allusions in their proper classical, political, or biblical background.
Disadvantages:
New Critics refer to the historical / biographical critic's belief that the meaning or value of a work may be determined by the author's intention as "the intentional fallacy." They believe that this approach tends to reduce art to the level of biography and make it relative (to the times) rather than universal.

Moral / Philosophical Approach:
Definition:
Moral / philosophical critics believe that the larger purpose of literature is to teach morality and to probe philosophical issues.
Advantages:
This approach is useful for such works as Alexander Pope's "An Essay on Man," which does present an obvious moral philosophy. It is also useful when considering the themes of works (for example, man's inhumanity to man in Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn). Finally, it does not view literature merely as "art" isolated from all moral implications; it recognizes that literature can affect readers, whether subtly or directly, and that the message of a work--and not just the decorous vehicle for that message--is important.
Disadvantages:
Detractors argue that such an approach can be too "judgmental." Some believe literature should be judged primarily (if not solely) on its artistic merits, not its moral or philosophical content.

Mimetic Approach:
Definition:
This can be closely related to the moral / philosophical approach, but is somewhat broader. Mimetic critics ask how well the work of literature accords with the real world. Is it accurate? Is it correct? Is it moral? Does it show how people really act? As such, mimetic criticism can include some forms of moral / philosophical criticism, psychological criticism, and feminist criticism.

Formalism / New Criticism
Definition:
A formalistic approach to literature, once called New Criticism, involves a close reading of the text. Formalistic critics believe that all information essential to the interpretation of a work must be found within the work itself; there is no need to bring in outside information about the history, politics, or society of the time, or about the author's life. Formalistic critics (presumably) do not view works through the lens of feminism, psychology, mythology, or any other such standpoint, and they are not interested in the work's affect on the reader. Formalistic critics spend much time analyzing irony, paradox, imagery, and metaphor. They are also interested in the work's setting, characters, symbols, and point of view.
Terms Used in New Criticism:
tension - the integral unity of the poem which results from the resolution of opposites, often in irony of paradox
intentional fallacy - the belief that the meaning or value of a work may be determined by the author's intention
affective fallacy - the belief that the meaning or value of a work may be determined by its affect on the reader
external form - rhyme scheme, meter, stanza form, etc.
objective correlative - originated by T.S. Eliot, this term refers to a collection of objects, situations, or events that instantly evoke a particular emotion.
Advantages:
This approach can be performed without much research, and it emphasizes the value of literature apart from its context (in effect makes literature timeless). Virtually all critical approaches must begin here.
Disadvantages:
The text is seen in isolation. Formalism ignores the context of the work. It cannot account for allusions. It tends to reduce literature to little more than a collection of rhetorical devices.

Psychological Approach
Definition:
Psychological critics view works through the lens of psychology. They look either at the psychological motivations of the characters or of the authors themselves, although the former is generally considered a more respectable approach. Most frequently, psychological critics apply Freudian psychology to works, but other approaches (such as a Jungian approach) also exist.
Freudian Approach:
A Freudian approach often includes pinpointing the influences of a character's id (the instinctual, pleasure seeking part of the mind), superego (the part of the mind that represses the id's impulses) and the ego (the part of the mind that controls but does not repress the id's impulses, releasing them in a healthy way). Freudian critics like to point out the sexual implications of symbols and imagery, since Freud's believed that all human behavior is motivated by sexuality. They tend to see concave images, such as ponds, flowers, cups, and caves as female symbols; whereas objects that are longer than they are wide are usually seen as phallic symbols. Dancing, riding, and flying are associated with sexual pleasure. Water is usually associated with birth, the female principle, the maternal, the womb, and the death wish. Freudian critics occasionally discern the presence of an Oedipus complex (a boy's unconscious rivalry with his father for the love of his mother) in the male characters of certain works, such as Hamlet. They may also refer to Freud's psychology of child development, which includes the oral stage, the anal stage, and the genital stage.
Jungian Approach:
Jung is also an influential force in myth (archetypal) criticism. Psychological critics are generally concerned with his concept of the process of individuation (the process of discovering what makes one different form everyone else). Jung labeled three parts of the self: the shadow, or the darker, unconscious self (usually the villain in literature); the persona, or a man's social personality (usually the hero); and the anima, or a man's "soul image" (usually the heroine). A neurosis occurs when someone fails to assimilate one of these unconscious components into his conscious and projects it on someone else. The persona must be flexible and be able to balance the components of the psyche.
Advantages:
It can be a useful tool for understanding some works, such as Henry James The Turning of the Screw, in which characters obviously have psychological issues. Like the biographical approach, knowing something about a writer's psychological make up can give us insight into his work.
Disadvantages:
Psychological criticism can turn a work into little more than a psychological case study, neglecting to view it as a piece of art. Critics sometimes attempt to diagnose long dead authors based on their works, which is perhaps not the best evidence of their psychology. Critics tend to see sex in everything, exaggerating this aspect of literature. Finally, some works do not lend themselves readily to this approach.

Parveen’s Writing Prompt

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You can't imagine

What this feels like.

A burning in my chest,

A visceral ache.

It's numbness in my fingers,

In my toes,

In my mind –

A mind that is always racing,

Running,

Scurrying,

Scrambling,

Trying to pick up the pieces.

Praying to fill the need,

The insatiable hunger buries me;

I'm trapped in filth and scratching at the walls

Begging just to get one taste

Dying just to get back to you.

Review

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Characterization Assignment

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Review Materials for Pride and Prejudice

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Pride and Prejudice Student Review Packet

VOLUME I

Volume I, Chapter 1

1. Which central themes and narrative characteristics of the novel are introduced in the famous opening sentence of Pride and Prejudice?

2. Why does Mrs. Bennet state that it is impossible for her and her daughters to visit Mr.

Bingley if Mr. Bennet does not visit him first?

3. Why does Mr. Bennet prefer Elizabeth over his other daughters?

4. To what extent does the statement that it was the "business of [Mrs. Bennet's] life" to "get her daughters married" serve as a commentary on hereditary practices among England's landowners?

Volume I, Chapter 2

1. How is Austen able to portray Mrs. Bennet as a foolish and uneducated woman when she describes Mrs. Bennet's assessment of her relationship with Mrs. Long?

2. How do Mr. Bennet's comments on his wife's nerves provide a clue to his overall opinion of his wife?

Volume I, Chapter 3

1. What hopes does Mrs. Bennet immediately connect with Mr. Bingley's move to Netherfield?

2. Which characteristics cause Mr. Darcy to make a favorable first impression at the ball?

What does this early assessment of his character reveal about the people in Meryton?

3. What behaviors does Mr. Darcy eventually display at the ball that cause people to change their initially positive opinion of him and deem him a proud and disagreeable man?

4. What causes Elizabeth to form a negative opinion of Mr. Darcy?

5. Why does Mr. Bennet express his wish that Mr. Bingley "had sprained his ankle in the first dance"? What does the Bennets' exchange reveal about their characters and their relationship?

Volume I, Chapter 4

1. What does Jane's ability to "always speak what [she] think[s]" reveal about her character as a human being?

2. What differentiates Mr. Bingley's social position from Mr. Darcy's?

3. To what extent does the behavior displayed by the Bingley sisters reflect the anxieties of the newly rich?

Volume I, Chapter 5

1. What reasons does Charlotte Lucas offer for defending Mr. Darcy's pride?

2. To what extent does Mrs. Bennet's observation that Mrs. Long "does not keep a carriage and had come to the ball in a hack chaise" serve as her explanation for Mr. Darcy's refusal to talk with Mrs. Long at the ball?

Volume I, Chapter 6

1. According to Charlotte Lucas, what does Jane need to do in order to secure Mr. Bingley?

2. To what extent does Elizabeth's assessment of Jane's interaction with Mr. Bingley exemplify her idea of an ideal marriage?

3. Why does Charlotte believe that "happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance"?

What does her assessment reveal about her attitude toward marriage?

4. Which narrative technique is Austen employing when she describes Darcy's growing affection for Elizabeth: "he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing"?

5. To what extent do descriptions of Mary in chapter 6 serve as a commentary on the role and status of women in Regency England?

6. How is Miss Bingley's disgust at the "self-importance of all these people" present at Sir Lucas's ball ironic? What kind of irony is used?

7. What criticism of the female imagination does Mr. Darcy voice to Miss Bingley? What social criticism is Austen suggesting in this comment?

Volume I, Chapter 7

1. Why do the Bennets worry about their daughters' financial security?

2. What does the stationing of an army regiment in Meryton add to the novel?

3. Why does Mrs. Bennet consider Jane lucky when it begins raining shortly after Jane leaves for Netherfield?

4. How does Elizabeth's arrival at Netherfield overstep the boundaries of acceptable female conduct?

Volume I, Chapter 8

1. How do the Bingley sisters evaluate Elizabeth's spirit of independence? Why might they feel as they do?

2. How does Austen manage to portray the difference between Mr. Bingley's character and Mr. Darcy's character in her depiction of their conversation about the Bennet daughters and their chances of being "well settled"?

3. What is the significance of "reading" in this chapter?

4. Why do the Bingley sisters advise their brother to take Pemberley as a model when looking for an estate to purchase? What does their advice reveal about the Bingley sisters and their assessment of themselves?

5. How does Mr. Darcy respond to Miss Bingley's suggestion that Elizabeth is a woman who uses artifice and deception to make herself appear more desirable and other women appear less desirable in the company of men?

Volume I, Chapter 9

1. What is Elizabeth's assessment of Mr. Bingley's character, by her own admission in his presence?

2. To what extent can Mrs. Bennet's explanation of "good breeding" be considered to be an insult to Mr. Darcy?

3. What does Elizabeth's response to Darcy about poetry's being the "food of love" suggest about her romantic notions?

Volume I, Chapter 10

1. What does Mr. Darcy criticize in Mr. Bingley's character?

2. Why does Elizabeth object to Mr. Darcy's critical view of Mr. Bingley? What is she criticizing in Darcy?

3. What is the "desirable event" Miss Bingley is sarcastically referring to when she speaks to Mr. Darcy?

4. What can be inferred about Miss Bingley's attitude toward Mr. Darcy from her sarcastic allusions to a potential marital union between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth?

Volume I, Chapter 11

1. What does Miss Bingley's attempt at reading indicate about her character? How sincere is she in her attempt?

2. Why does Miss Bingley ask Elizabeth to walk around the room with her?

3. Why does Mr. Darcy not consider pride to be a negative characteristic?

4. What negative characteristic does Mr. Darcy possess, according to his own assessment?

Why is this admission significant?

5. How does Elizabeth interpret Mr. Darcy's self-admitted character flaw? How does her assessment relate to the theme of pride and prejudice in the novel overall?

Volume I, Chapter 12

1. Why does Mr. Darcy resolve not to talk to Elizabeth if at all possible on the day before her departure from Netherfield?

2. Why is Mr. Bennet glad to have Jane and Elizabeth home again?

Volume I, Chapter 13

1. Who exactly is Mr. Collins? What does his presence in the story represent?

2. Why is Mrs. Bennet at first hesitant to receive Mr. Collins into her home?

3. How does Mrs. Bennet's statement that "there is no knowing how estates will go when once they come to be entailed" serve as a testament to her naïve character?

4. What is suggested by Mr. Collins's assurance that he came "prepared to admire" the

Bennet daughters?

Volume I, Chapter 14

1. What does Mr. Collins's opinion of Lady Catherine de Bourgh reveal about his character and his attitude toward wealth and social status?

2. What does Mr. Collins's taste in books reveal about his attitude toward female education?

Volume I, Chapter 15

1. How does Mr. Collins evaluate his decision to marry one of the Bennet daughters?

2. Why does Mr. Collins change his mind and not ask Jane to marry him?

3. What does Austen reveal about Mrs. Phillips when she writes that Mrs. Phillips "was quite awed by such an excess of good breeding" when she meets Mr. Collins?

4. What is surprising about the encounter between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham, and what might it foreshadow?

Volume I, Chapter 16

1. In the developing intrigue concerning Wickham, Darcy and Elizabeth, with whom does

Elizabeth immediately side? Why?

2. What evidence does Elizabeth hear that contradicts Wickham's evaluation of Darcy?

3. Why is Elizabeth certain that Miss Bingley's romantic intentions with regard to Mr.

Darcy are in vain?

Volume I, Chapter 17

1. Why is Jane not inclined to condemn Mr. Darcy when she hears about his past conduct toward Mr. Wickham from Elizabeth?

2. Why does Elizabeth begin to suspect that Mr. Collins has chosen her as his future wife?

Volume I, Chapter 18

1. Why is Elizabeth disappointed when she arrives at the Netherfield ball? How does her disappointment influence her attitude toward Mr. Darcy?

2. What is ironic about Elizabeth's warning Mr. Darcy not to form hasty resentments?

3. What does Elizabeth mean when she criticizes Miss Bingley for her judgment of

Wickham: "his guilt and his descent appear by your account to be the same"?

4. Besides what she tells Mr. Collins, what underlying reason is there for her not wanting Mr. Collins to introduce himself to Mr. Darcy?

5. What does Collins himself suggest in his response to Elizabeth?

6. How does Mrs. Bennet contribute to Elizabeth's social humiliation?

Volume I, Chapter 19

1. What does Mr. Collins's marriage proposal establish about his character?

2. How do the reasons Mr. Collins offers for wanting to marry Elizabeth indicate that he would have married any of the Bennet daughters?

3. What do we learn from Mr. Collins's reaction to Elizabeth's rejection?

Volume I, Chapter 20

1. Explain the several reason that lie behind Mr. Bennet's reaction to Mr. Collins's proposal and Elizabeth's rejection.

Volume I, Chapter 21

1. What impression does the reader get from the tone and content of Miss Bingley's letter?

2. List the several events that have occurred to precipitate the Bingleys' and Darcy's sudden departure.

Volume I, Chapter 22

1. What does Mr. Collins's sudden engagement to Charlotte establish?

2. Compare Charlotte's attitude toward marriage with Elizabeth's. What does Charlotte's engagement to Mr. Collins foreshadow?

Volume I, Chapter 23

1. How does Mr. Bennet respond to the news of Charlotte's engagement to Mr. Collins?

2. How does Elizabeth evaluate Mr. Bingley's continued absence from Netherfield?

VOLUME II

Volume II, Chapter I

1. How does Mr. Bingley's absence from Netherfield and his almost certain rejection of

Jane emphasize the importance of adhering to the rules of social decorum for a young woman?

2. Given Bingley's absence, contrast Jane's behavior regarding her attachment with Mrs. Bennet's.

3. How does Mr. Bingley's absence affect Elizabeth's attitude toward the dangers of first impressions? Why is this ironic?

4. What goal does Elizabeth believe the Bingley sisters are pursuing by setting up their brother with Georgiana Darcy?

Volume II, Chapter 2

1. How does Mrs. Gardiner evaluate Mr. Bingley's love? Why does she have a different view from Elizabeth and Jane?

2. Why does Elizabeth consider it implausible that Jane will see Mr. Bingley in London?

Volume II, Chapter 3

1. What does Mrs. Gardiner's advice to Elizabeth about marrying Wickham suggest about her attitude toward marriage?

2. What finally convinces Jane that Miss Bingley does not regard her as a friend, as she had thought for so long?

3. What causes Mr. Wickham lose his interest in Elizabeth?

Volume II, Chapter 4

1. Structurally, how does Elizabeth's visit with her aunt, uncle, and sister fit into the narrative?

2. What event is set up for the future?

Volume II, Chapter 5

1. What is Austen's intention when she writes about Mr. Collins that "Elizabeth was prepared to see him in his glory"?

2. What does Elizabeth's assessment of Charlotte's happiness suggest about Charlotte's marriage?

3. Why does Elizabeth believe that Miss de Bourgh will make "a very proper wife" for Mr.

Darcy? What does her attitude reveal about her opinion of Darcy?

Volume II, Chapter 6

1. Considering Elizabeth's initial impression of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, what similarities exist between her and Mr. Darcy?

2. Why is Lady Catherine de Bourgh rich even though her husband has died?

3. What is the significance of the Bennet girls' lack of a governess?

4. What does Lady Catherine criticize about Elizabeth's character? Why are these criticisms significant?

Volume II, Chapter 7

1. What degree of importance does Lady Catherine enjoy within her parish? Given what we know of Lady Catherine, what does this "importance" probably amount to?

Volume II, Chapter 8

1. Why do Charlotte and Mr. Collins not receive an invitation to dine at Rosings after Mr.

Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam arrive even though it had been their habit to dine there at least twice a week?

2. What is the tone of Elizabeth and Darcy's conversation at Rosings?

Volume II, Chapter 9

1. What social gaffe has Darcy committed in visiting the Parsonage? What might this suggest?

2. What reason does Elizabeth give to explain to Mr. Darcy that Mr. Collins should consider himself lucky to have Charlotte as his wife?

3. What is the significance of Darcy and Elizabeth's discussion of travel and the distance to Longbourne?

4. What image of Mr. Darcy's attitude toward Elizabeth is Austen establishing when she writes, "he certainly looked at her a great deal, but the expression of that look was disputable. It was an earnest, steadfast gaze, but she often doubted whether there were much admiration in it, and sometimes it seemed nothing but absence of mind."

Volume II, Chapter 10

1. What does Elizabeth learn about Darcy's role in Jane's heartbreak? How does this affect her opinion of Darcy?

2. According to Elizabeth, what reasons motivated Mr. Darcy to discourage the match between Mr. Bingley and Jane?

Volume II, Chapter 11

1. How is Mr. Darcy's marriage proposal consistent with his established character?

2. How is Mr. Darcy's marriage proposal not consistent with his established character?

3. What reasons does Elizabeth give for rejecting Darcy's proposal?

Volume II, Chapter 12

1. How do Mr. Darcy's reasons for keeping Jane and Mr. Bingley apart illustrate a key similarity between his character and Elizabeth's character?

2. How does Darcy portray Wickham in his letter?

Volume II, Chapter 13

1. Describe the various epiphanies Mr. Darcy's letter begins to awaken in Elizabeth:

A. How does Darcy's letter motivate Elizabeth to begin to evaluate her own character?

B. How does Darcy's letter affect Elizabeth's assessment of her own family?

Volume II, Chapter 14

1. How do Elizabeth's feelings toward Mr. Darcy change after he leaves Rosings Park?

Volume II, Chapter 15

1. What is ironic about Mr. Collins's discussion with Elizabeth about the happiness of his marriage?

2. Why does Elizabeth hesitate to tell Jane about Mr. Darcy's proposal and letter while both are in London?

Volume II, Chapter 16

1. What surprise awaits Jane and Elizabeth at the Inn where they are waiting for Mr. Bennet's coach to convey them to Longbourn?

2. How does the news Elizabeth receives of Mr. Wickham solidify her opinion she formed after reading Mr. Darcy's letter?

3. What is further suggested by Miss King's suddenly leaving town?

4. Why is Elizabeth concerned when she hears her parents discussing plans to send the daughters to Brighton?

Volume II, Chapter 17

1. Why does Jane particularly pity Mr. Darcy when she hears that Elizabeth rejected his marriage proposal?

2. Why do Elizabeth and Jane decide not to share the information about Mr. Wickham's infamous character with others in Meryton?

3. What does Jane's reaction to Elizabeth's news about Mr. Wickham reveal about her character's strengths and flaws?

4. What aspects of Mr. Darcy's letter does Elizabeth not reveal to Jane?

Volume II, Chapter 18

1. What is clearly foreshadowed by the Bennets' plans to allow Lydia to go to Brighton despite Elizabeth's objections?

2. What does Mr. Bennet's allowing Lydia to go to Brighton establish about his character?

3. What tone characterizes the conversation between Elizabeth and Mr. Wickham on the day before his departure?

Volume II, Chapter 19

1. Of what aspect of Mr. Bennet's behavior as a husband does Elizabeth most disapprove?

2. What rhetorical device does Austen employ when she has the narrator observe of Kitty: "by the following Christmas, she might be so tolerably reasonable as not to mention an officer above once a day, unless by some cruel and malicious arrangement at the waroffice, another regiment should be quartered in Meryton"?

3. Why is Elizabeth hesitant when she learns that she will not accompany the Gardiners to the Great Lakes but to Derbyshire instead? What does this change of plans foreshadow?

VOLUME III

Volume III, Chapter 1

1. What does Elizabeth's initial reaction to Pemberley reveal about the significance of property, particularly for women, in the world of Pride and Prejudice?

2. Why is Elizabeth so touched by the account Mr. Darcy's housekeeper gives of her master?

3. Why is Elizabeth shocked and uncomfortable when she unexpectedly meets Mr. Darcy at Pemberley?

4. What can readers infer from Mr. Darcy's second encounter with the Gardiners and Elizabeth in the gardens of Pemberley?

5. Why is Elizabeth pleased when Mr. Darcy enters into a conversation with the Gardiners?

6. What particularly delights Elizabeth when she learns that Georgiana Darcy would like to make her acquaintance?

Volume III, Chapter 2

1. Structurally, what is occurring in these chapters? What, then, was Darcy's proposal in Volume II, chapter 11?

2. What conclusion do the Gardiners draw about Mr. Darcy when he brings his sister to meet Elizabeth? Why do they draw that conclusion?

3. Aside from mutual affection, what evidence is there that Elizabeth and Darcy might be suited for one another?

4. How does the behavior of the Gardiners after Mr. Darcy, his sister, and Mr. Bingley leave differ from the typical behavior of Elizabeth's other relatives?

Volume III, Chapter 3

1. Why does Miss Bingley criticize Elizabeth's tan?

2. How does Mr. Darcy come to admit that he was once a victim of first impressions and premature judgment?

Volume III, Chapter 4

1. What is so shocking about Lydia's elopement?

2. Why does Elizabeth blame herself for Lydia's indiscreet behavior and loss of reputation?

3. What consequences does Elizabeth expect she will suffer as a result of Lydia's disgrace?

Volume III, Chapter 5

1. In what way is Elizabeth's assessment of Lydia's behavior an implicit criticism of Mr. Bennet?

2. How can Mrs. Bennet feel distressed about Lydia's disappearance even though she wholeheartedly supported Lydia's decision to go to Brighton and her daughter's excessive fascination with the regiment?

Volume III, Chapter 6

1. What does the change of Wickham's reputation in Meryton reveal about the community fabric?

2. What does Mr. Collins's advice suggest about the importance of social respectability?

3. How convincing is Mr. Bennet's resolution to be a stricter father?

Volume III, Chapter 7

1. Why does Mr. Bennet believe that his brother, Mr. Gardiner, paid money to convince Mr. Wickham that he must marry Lydia?

2. How is Mrs. Bennet's reaction to Mr. Gardiner's letter a reflection on her foolish nature and her inability to learn from her mistakes?

3. Is Mrs. Bennet a static or a dynamic character?

Volume III, Chapter 8

1. Do Mr. Bennet's reflections at the beginning of this chapter show him to be a dynamic character? Why or why not?

2. What do the following lines reveal about the concept of community in the town of Meryton: "To be sure it would have been more for the advantage of conversation, had Miss Lydia Bennet come upon the town; or, as the happiest alternative, been secluded from the world, in some distant farm house"?

3. How does Mrs. Bennet further reinforce that she has not grown or changed as a result of recent events?

4. Why does Elizabeth wish that she had never told Mr. Darcy about Lydia's elopement?

Volume III, Chapter 9

1. How repentant is Lydia for the inconvenience she has caused her family?

2. What does Elizabeth reveal about herself when she says to Lydia, "I do not particularly like your way of getting husbands"?

3. What is suggested by the revelation that Darcy was present at Lydia and Wickham's wedding? What previous clues support this suggestion?

Volume III, Chapter 10

1. What motivations does Mr. Darcy have for attempting to find Mr. Wickham and Lydia in London?

2. What function do Lydia and Wickham play in Austen's gentle social commentary? What social theme do they help to illustrate?

Volume III, Chapter 11

1. Why does Jane feel uneasy when she hears that Mr. Bingley is returning to Netherfield?

2. How is Elizabeth ambivalent about Mr. Darcy's returning with Mr. Bingley?

3. Why does Elizabeth wish never to "see either one or the other again" when Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley are visiting Longbourn?

Volume III, Chapter 12

1. What does Austen reveal about Elizabeth when she writes that Elizabeth looked at Mr. Darcy with a "triumphant sensation" as soon as Mr. Bingley takes a seat next to Jane?

2. Why is Elizabeth so eager to talk to Mr. Darcy after dinner when the guests gather in the drawing room?

Volume III, Chapter 13

1. What does Jane mean when she says she is "the happiest creature in the world"?

2. What is Elizabeth's chief reason for believing that the marriage between Jane and Mr. Bingley will be a happy one?

3. What does Jane's attitude toward Miss Bingley reveal about her development as a character?

Volume III, Chapter 14

1. What tone characterizes Lady Catherine de Bourgh's attitude and behavior when she visits Longbourn?

2. What rumor motivates Lady Catherine's visit at Longbourn?

3. What tone characterizes Elizabeth's response to Lady Catherine's accusations?

4. What, according to Lady Catherine, determines whether or not two people are "formed for each other"?

Volume III, Chapter 15

1. Who is responsible for starting the rumor about Mr. Darcy's imminent proposal?

2. Why does Elizabeth resent her father's sense of irony and sarcasm when he shares Mr. Collins' letter with her?

Volume III, Chapter 16

1. How does Mr. Darcy react when Elizabeth thanks him for the good he has done for Lydia and her entire family?

2. To what extent did Lady Catherine's visit motivate Mr. Darcy to propose to Elizabeth again?

3. What does Mr. Darcy admit he has learned from Elizabeth?

4. What does Elizabeth learn about Mr. Darcy's attitude toward Jane and Mr. Bingley?

Volume III, Chapter 17

1. How does Jane react to the news of Elizabeth's engagement? What does her reaction reveal about her attitude toward her sister?

2. What, again, does news of Elizabeth's engagement emphasize about Mrs. Bennet's character?

Volume III, Chapter 18

1. Who among her relatives are the only ones Elizabeth will gladly welcome to Pemberley?

Volume III, Chapter 19

1. What evidence of reconciliation does Austen present at the end of her novel?

2. What lesson about marriage does Austen convey when she writes about the deteriorating relationship between Lydia and Mr. Wickham?

Sample Poetry Papers

2008-12-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

Here are two examples of essays that would score a 7 or higher (high B/low A range)

Traveling through the dark

Song of Powers

Just Soliloquies

2008-11-05T13:38:00.001-08:00

base bastard brother edmund father land legitimate nature stand star wherefore whose

created at TagCrowd.com

Act One Scene Two

2008-11-05T13:23:00.001-08:00

base brother business edmund father hath legitimate letter lord nature nothing pray son till villain

created at TagCrowd.com

Quarter Two Outside Reading Assignment

2008-11-03T03:53:00.000-08:00

Choose one of the works listed for each marking quarter. Read the entire work and annotate it. All annotations must be done in the book, either in the margins or on Post-It notes. No annotations will be accepted on separate paper.
Each week, you must post a key passage from the work on your outside reading blog and explain the importance of each in relation to the work as a whole. Then, in a 50 to 100 word analysis, discuss the importance of the passage with reference to specific literary and rhetorical devices.
You must print and post a final response to the book as a whole on your outside reading blog.
Books and annotations will be collected at the end of the quarter.

Quarter Two Book Choices:

· Collected Poems, 1909-1962 – T.S. Eliot, ISBN-13: 9780151189786
· Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson – Emily Dickinson, ISBN-13: 9780316184137
· Robert Frost's Poems – Robert Frost, ISBN-13: 9780312983321
· Leaves of Grass: The Original 1855 Edition (Dover Thrift Editions Series) – Walt Whitman, ISBN-13: 9780486456768
· Paradise Lost (Norton Critical Edition Series) – John Milton, ISBN-13: 9780393924282

· The Essential Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) – Edgar Allan Poe ISBN-13: 9781593080648
· Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories – Nathaniel Hawthorne ISBN-13: 9780486270609
· The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Writings (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) – Washington Irving, ISBN-13: 9781593082253

· Dracula (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) – Bram Stoker, ISBN-13: 9781593080044
· Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte, ISBN-13: 9780451529251
· 1984 – George Orwell, ISBN-13: 9780451524935
· A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess, ISBN-13: 9780393312836
· The Picture of Dorian Gray (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) – Oscar Wilde, ISBN-13: 9781593080259

Book choices are due Friday, November 7, 2008. Blog posts are due every Friday. Quarter Two assignment is due January 26, 2009.

Macbeth vs. Lear

2008-10-31T05:27:00.000-07:00

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

MISSING PAGE!!!

2008-10-03T08:33:00.001-07:00

THE LAST PAGE OF "THE ELEPHANT VANISHES" IS MISSING FROM YOUR PACKET!

HERE IT IS:

“I don’t know,” I said. “All I’m trying to do is recall what I saw with my own eyes, as accurately as possible. I’m hardly thinking about what happened after that. The visual image I have is so strong that, to be honest, it’s practically impossible for me to go beyond it.”

That was all I could say about the elephant’s disappearance. And, just as I had feared, the story of the elephant was too particular, too complete in itself to work as a topic of conversation between a young man and woman who had just met. A silence descended upon us after I had finished my tale. What subject could either of us bring up after a story about an elephant that had vanished--a story that offered virtually no openings for further discussion? She ran her finger around the edge of her cocktail glass, and I sat there reading and rereading the words stamped on my coaster. I never should have told her about the elephant. It was not the kind of story you could tell freely to anyone.

“When I was a little girl, our cat disappeared,” she offered after a long silence. “But still, for a cat to disappear and for an elephant to disappear--those are two different stories.”

“Yeah, really. There’s no comparison. Think of the size difference.”

Thirty minutes later, we were saying goodbye outside the hotel. She suddenly remembered that she had left her umbrella in the cocktail lounge, so I went up in the elevator and brought it down to her. It was a brick-red umbrella with a large handle.

“Thanks,” she said.

“Good night,” I said.

That was the last time I saw her. We talked once on the phone after that, about some details in her tie-in article. While we spoke, I thought seriously about inviting her out for dinner, but I ended up not doing it. It just didn’t seem to matter one way or the other.

I felt like this a lot after my experience with the vanishing elephant. I would begin to think I wanted to do something, but then I would become incapable of distinguishing between the probable results of doing it and of not doing it. I often get the feeling that things around me have lost their proper balance, though it could be that my perceptions are playing tricks on me. Some kind of balance inside me has broken down since the elephant affair, and maybe that causes external phenomena to strike my eye in a strange way. It’s probably something in me.

The papers print almost nothing about the elephant anymore. People seem to have forgotten that their town once owned an elephant. The grass that took over the elephant enclosure has withered now, and the area has the feel of winter.

Lear notes from Thursday

2008-10-02T15:20:00.001-07:00

Important Updates

2008-09-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

Your papers have been graded. Please check www.turnitin.com for your grade, comments, and the rubric scoring breakdown.

The due date of the Eggers vs. Murakami paper has been changed to Friday, October 3rd. Please use this time to develop a thorough analysis of the literary and rhetorical devices used by each author. No blog posting will be due on that Friday.

Rewrites of the "Interpreter of Maladies" paper are due by Thursday, October 9th. it is STRONGLY recommended that you make arrangements with me for extra help in writing your paper.

Please get a copy of the Folger edition of King Lear by Thursday, October 2nd. Copies are available in the library.

Notes on Plot

2008-09-16T05:39:00.001-07:00

MLA Format

2008-09-15T06:30:00.000-07:00

http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dghsk79h_100cnrhd9g7

grading scale...in case you were wondering.

2008-09-15T05:13:00.000-07:00

0
0
0.5
F
0.6
F/D-
0.7
D-
1
D
1.5
D+
1.6
D+/C-
1.7
C-
2
C
2.5
C+
2.6
C+/B-
2.7
B-
3
B
3.5
B+
3.6
B+/A-
3.7
A-
4
A
4.5
A+
4.55
A++

MYTHOLOGY ASSIGNMENT

2008-09-05T10:00:00.001-07:00

PLEASE EMAIL ME IMMEDIATELY IF YOU DID NOT RECEIVE AN INVITATION TO THE MYTHOLOGY BLOG IN YOUR ENGLISH EMAIL.

DBAIONEDODA@SMITHTOWN.K12.NY.US

Mythological Figure Assignments

2008-09-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

179857
Prometheus and Pandora
305651
Apollo and Daphne
172776
Juno
308185
Io and Callisto
301227
Diana
172286
Venus and Adonis
304453
Midas
197519
Cupid and Psyche
195209
Echo and Narcissus
159810
Hero and Leander
173076
Minerva
175036
Sphinx
193719
Chimaera
173616
The Golden Fleece
196869
Hercules
181706
Theseus and Daedalus
301365
Penelope
161010
Agamemnon
159060
The Lotus Eaters
181127
Cyclops
178847
Circe
194689
Sirens
176776
Calypso
195599
Scylla and Charybdis
300048
Perseus and Medusa

TURNITIN INFORMATION

2008-09-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry. I forgot to give you this information during class.

Period Three
Class ID: 2391138
Password: cheese

Welcome to AP Literature!!!

2008-08-26T05:15:00.001-07:00

Today is our first day of class! We will begin by reviewing the expectations of this course. Here is a copy of the Course Outline. After we review the Course Outline, we will discuss your Outside Reading Projects and upcoming due dates. Finally, we will spend some time getting to know one another and give you time to ask any questions you may have.