Monday, August 2, 2010

The Kite Runner chapters 20-end

Well, I'm going to leave the content of this week's posts up to you. Please don't rehash what's already been said, but here are some ideas....
Does Amir find redemption? Explain.
What do you think about the end of the novel? Are you satisfied? Explain
Thematic statements are sometimes implied, but sometimes they are explicitly stated in the text. See if you can identify a statement that a character actually says that reveals a universal truth.
Follow through with motifs and symbols you have mentioned. As they show up again in the novel, how does that intensify their meaning and make their use more complex?
Remember the David and Goliath scenario that played out between Assef and Hassan in the first part of the book? See if you can recognize something similar happening during the reading for this week.
Or you can apply any of the ideas from Foster's text to this novel.
These are just some ideas. Tackle 2 of them, or come up with some ideas of your own. Remember I'm looking for thoughtful comments that indicate careful and sophisticated reading. We will be digging into the novel when we meet in class. I am so looking forward to meeting all of you!!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

The Kite Runner Chapters 11-19

After this week's reading I'd like for you to focus on at least two of the following elements when you blog:
1) Comment on the structure of this novel. How is it organized and how does the organization aid or guide the reader?
2) Comment on Amir. How do you feel about him now as opposed to earlier in the novel?
3) Comment on Hosseni's style of writing. What are elements of his word choice, sentence structure, tone that make his writing style unique? Perhaps choose a short passage that illustrates what you notice.
4) If you didn't in the last post, write a thematic statement that indicates what Hosseni is tr
ying to say about one of the subjects I listed.

Remember that themes are universal statements that comment on the human condition. For instance, you wouldn't want to write on the AP exam that the theme of a passage is guilt. That is a subject, not a theme. A theme could be that guilt has the power to consume and destroy. That is a universal idea that relays what the author is trying to say about guilt. Or how about love?? That is a subject, but what is the author trying to say about love?Love is a double-edged sword; with the joy of love comes an equal amount of pain. People exhibit love in many ways; some through kindness and tenderness, some through jealousy, some through obsession.See how these are complete sentences that actually pinpoint what the author is trying to say about a particular subject???? Writing thematic statements will be a focus for us in class because you will be expected to identify them and compose them on the AP exam. Do the best you can.
We will go back to Foster's ideas next week, so keep noting elements of the novel that you recognize as important to meaning. Many of you have done a great job with symbols, allusions and irony!!

Monday, July 19, 2010

The Kite Runner Chapters 1-10

This week I have asked that you read chapters 1-10 of The Kite Runner. I think you will find this book challenging in terms of content and engaging as well. As you read, think about the following subjects and comment about themes that are being developed as they relate to these subjects. Remember that a theme is a declarative statement that indicates what the author is trying to say about the particular subject.
-Role of books, literacy
-Friendship, guilt, redemption
-Father and son relationship
-Coming of Age
-Discrimination, prejudice, class structure
-Master/Slave relationships; loyalty, devotion and duty

Please choose one of the subjects listed, then suggest a thematic statement related to that subject, then explain how that theme is relayed in the chapters you have read. I would also like you to comment on some emerging symbols and motifs as related to Foster's book. There are several ironies that occur in these chapters, and there should be some things that jump out at you as symbols. Explore those in your responses as well.

Just a quick note that this book contains some disturbing elements and a few ugly terms. These elements are not gratuitous, but they serve to develop meaning and drive the plot forward in a complex manner. I hope that you will all read with an open mind and recognize that the purpose of the violent acts and language is to characterize the prejudices and conflicts of the time period the novel reflects. Please email me with any questions or concerns. Thanks!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Wuthering Heights Chs. 17-end

For the last half of the novel, I would like you to consider the following ideas. Please choose two, but be careful not to repeat ideas and analysis from last week's comments.

Motif: patterns of objects, colors, ideas that show up in the novel that work to develop theme(dogs/beasts/devils/storms/sickness, etc). Choose a motif and trace its development through the novel. Cite a couple of references of this motif and analyze how you think this repeated element helps develop meaning and theme in the novel.

Resolution of conflict: Identify, analyze and evaluate how conflicts are resolved. Are you as a reader satisfied? Were all the conflicts resolved in a way that makes sense according to your analysis of character?

Symbolism: Choose a symbol (other than weather, please - that one seems to have been discussed quite thoroughly) in the novel and explain its significance to meaning.

Politics/Social Class: Analyze what Bronte reveals about social class through her work.

Names: Analyze the significance of the name of a character (or characters since so many of them share names) or place in the novel.

Many of the above topics will also require you to discuss theme. Be sure to consider theme as a statement rather than a single word. Theme is a universal idea the author relays in his/her work.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Wuthering Heights Chs. 1-16

Your responses aren't due until the 12th, or is it the 11th? Whichever is the Sunday after the 4th. Simple math tells me that's the 11th - okay. Anyway, I thought I'd go ahead and post the ideas I'd like you to discuss in case anyone wants to get ahead. Basically, I want you to think about the following ideas as you read and choose TWO of them to discuss and analyze in your post:

Setting
Characters
Point of View
Conflict

It will not be sufficient to merely describe setting, characters, etc. I would like you to analyze the effect of these ideas. Take setting, for instance. You can consider Foster's ideas about politics or seasons or geography. Describe setting and explain what effect it has on the novel from one of these angles. Or you oculd identify point of view and explain how the narrator and the filters through which we are hearing the story are manipulated for a specific effect. Just be clear on the two ideas you are discussing, identify the basics really quickly and then jump into analysis. Feel free to use specific quotes or passages from the novel to support your analysis. As always, email me with questions or post them on the blog.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Quick update on our reading schedule

You should be finished posting on the Foster text by next Sunday, the 28th. The following Monday or Tuesday, I will post the guiding questions for the first half of Wuthering Heights, but note that you will have until July 11th to read those chapters and post. This "break" week will allow you to catch up on posts if you've missed one, as I know a good many of you have been off doing interesting things. Just be sure to look on the blog for my updated post by the 5th so you will be aware of the topics I want you to discuss from the first have of Wuthering Heights. If you are reading ahead, then I want you to be sure to apply anything you can from Foster's text to Bronte's novel. That will be part of your assignment.

How to Read Literature - Chs. 18-26

Ok - this is our last set of chapters from Foster, and I think you will find them equally as interesting as the other chapters. I still want you to focus on the ideas in two chapters and apply these to works you've read, but here's your challenge: Choose one of the ideas in a text you've already discussed and analyze how an idea in this last set of chapters also applies to that example. For instance, if you talked about the journey or quest chapter, use the same example you applied to that chapter and take it a step further by applying the ideas in the "Geography Matters" chapter (19). Where did the journey take the protagonist and why are those specific locations significant according to Foster? Some of you have already discussed rivers and bodies of water; how can you connect those examples to the chapter on baptism (18)? I hope you understand what I'm asking. I still want you to comment on two new ideas, but for at least one of them, apply the idea to an example you've already used. Please let me know if you have any questions. Remember you can always email me at williamsholly@hotmail.com if you don't feel comfortable asking questions on the public blog.

Monday, June 14, 2010

How to Read Literature - Chs. 11-15

For this week I've asked that you read chapters 11-15. Please generate your responses in a similar fashion to those of last week. Choose at least two ideas to connect to prior reading. You seem to have a good handle on not just identifying the technique, but also analyzing WHY that particular technique is used and what effect it creates. Keep up the good work with this! Try to vary your examples a bit more, although I understand that your repertoire of reading may be somewhat limited. Just do the best you can. This week I would also like for you to comment on what someone else has posted before you. It could be something someone posted last week or what someone has posted this week. Try to expand on an idea or challenge an idea; don’t just agree or disagree. Let’s start a productive dialogue. I have enjoyed the posts so far. You all seem to be on the right track, so keep it up.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Just a quick note from the beach in Florida. Andrew just brought to my attention an error on my book list. Emily Bronte is the sister who wrote Wuthering Heights. I should have caught that; sorry for any confusion that may cause. I'm looking forward to reading posts when I return to town. I hope you are finding the Foster text informative and entertaining!!

Monday, May 24, 2010

How to Read Literature....Chs. 1-10

As you are reading this text, you may have the tendency to sometimes think, "Well, duh!" I mean, some of this is common sense and some symbolic elements like the seasons are so archetypal that they are almost ingrained in our intellects. However, for the purpose of AP literature, these are all ideas of which you need to be carefully aware as you read. For the first week of posts, I would like for you to choose at least two different chapters and apply the ideas presented in those chapters to works you have previously read. On the AP exam when you discuss works, they must be works of literary merit, typically the classics that you've been reading throughout high school in your English courses. For this discussion, however, you can extend your discussion to works of popular fiction; for instance, I imagine some of you will connect the chapter on vampires with ideas in the Twilight series, and that's ok. My focus here is to get you thinking about the ideas in Foster's book and to stretch your analytical skills without overloading your brain too much (it is summer, after all). Hopefully this book will live up to its subtitle and you will find it "lively" and "entertaining." I look forward to reading your responses. They should be posted by June 13th.

A couple of reminders:
1) I'm looking for careful thought in terms of the ideas I ask you to consider. Remember that although this blog is set up to encourage a dialogue, you are being graded, so the focus and language should remain academic.

2) In addition to addressing the ideas I've posted, you may also find it beneficial to read others' posts and comment on what your classmates have said, but I'm looking for extensions or rebuttals of others' comments, not a simple "agree" or "disagree."

3) The inevitable question..."How long does this have to be?" Well, I tend to be long-winded because I love to talk about literature, but let's just say that your post should take between 20-30 minutes to compose each week - kind of like an abbreviated essay, but not so tight in terms of form or structure. I want to see that you have been engaged in the reading and that you are making sense out of what you have read, and I obviously want to see evidence that you are making connections with things you've read before.

Please feel free to ask questions of me within the blog, or if you'd rather do so privately, email me at williamsholly@hotmail.com. I look forward to "talking" with you all this summer.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Welcome AP Literature Students!

Welcome to the summer reading blog! I'm excited to get to know each of you this summer through your comments and insight.

Here is the schedule for reading:

June 7-13: Chapters 1-10 of How to Read Literature
June 14-20: Chapters 11-15 of How to Read Literature
June 21-27: Chapters 18-27 of How to Read Literature
July 5-11: Chapters 1-16 of Wuthering Heights
July 12-18: Chapters 17-34 of Wuthering Heights
July 19-25: Chapters 1-10 of Kite Runner
July 26-August 1: Chapters 11-19 of Kite Runner
August 2-8: Chapters 20-25 of Kite Runner