Thursday, June 28, 2007
In Case of Technical Difficulties...
In case there is anyone that can't remember how to add comments to the blog, just go to the post you wish to comment on, click on the bottom part that says "comments" and it will take you to the screen where you'll be able to add your comment. If you are having problems, please email me or give me a call. Feel free to comment on any of the posts at this time. I figured out that it's not that mathematically difficult to go to the various posts and add them up, even for an English teacher. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Possible Beloved Prompts & Final Deadline
'Here,' she said, 'in this place, we flesh; flesh that weeps,
laughs, flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it.
Love it hard. Yonder they do not love your flesh.' (88)
Did I mention that I love Beloved? 12 days left to leave your 5 blog posts...all blog comments for Beloved are due by July 8th, then we'll move on to Invisible Man. I posted a tally as of today on the comments section of the last post. I just finished the book, and was amazed and mesmerized as always happens when I read this book. I've been reading some good criticism, so I'll share some of the questions that scholars have explored (so that you too may examine them) as well as some insights they provided as well. Here's the works cited in case you're interested:
Bloom, Harold, Ed. Modern Critical Interpretations: Beloved. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1999.
Notes: *The novel is based on the true story of a runaway slave, Margaret Garner (sound familiar?), who kills her child when she realizes she's about to be captured and returned to slavery under the Fugitive Slave Act (21).
*The name Sethe may be alluding to Lethe, the spring of forgetfulness of Greek mythology (in that Sethe tries but cannot forget the memories that haunt her) (31).
*Morrison states that her "job as a writer in the last quarter of the 20th century, not much more than a hundred years after the Emancipation, becomes how to rip that veil drawn over 'proceedings too terrible to relate'." She dedicated her book to the 60 million and more African Americans who were murdered as a result of slavery. (60 million is the lowest estimation that Morrison found in her research.) 50% of slaves died on the Middle Passage- the slave ships between Africa and America during the slave trade. Toward the end of the novel, when Beloved is describing her journey from the other place, she is described as "crouching" with the dead man on her face. Some scholars contend that she is describing the conditions of the Middle passage, and represents the suffering of an ancestral past, as well as Sethe's trauma (27-28).
Possible Questions to explore:
*In Beloved, who is the Christ-like figure of redemption? The Anti-Christ?
*How is color linked to emotion or lack thereof?
*How does Beloved participate in (and revise) the apocalyptic novel (in which the existing social structure is obliterated)?
*How is Beloved a touchstone in the novel? In other words, how does she reveal each character's core identity/greatest anguish? (Think about: Sethe, Denver, Paul D.)
*Which characters seem to be obsessed with memory? Who attempts to repress the past? Who cannot stop thinking about the past? How successful is each strategy?
*What does Beloved represent?
*How does each character experience a rebirth of sorts? What is the catalyst for change in the novel? What needs to happen in order to move out of the trauma of the past and into hope for the future? (Or, how does psychological healing occur?)
*What is Morrision's vision of community and healing at the end of the novel? Is this truly a story "not to be told" as she states? Why does she say this?
*What is the moment of redemption in the novel?
*What is the connection between the Clearing with Baby Suggs, holy, and the women's song at the end? What is the function and significance of community in the novel?
*Although Sethe's attempt to kill Bodwin is viewed as "crazy," psychologically speaking, how does it illustrate a newfound clarity of mind?
*How are freedom and love linked?
*It is often said that you can't love another if you don't love yourself. In addition, you may not be able to love yourself until you confront the ghosts of your past. How is this true in Beloved?
*Explore the character's emotional lives from beginning to end (Examples: Sethe's "punched out eyes" and Paul D.'s "tobacco tin heart" in the beginning, etc.)
*Sixo says of the thirty-mile woman: "She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order" (272-273). How does the idea of gathering pieces and reconstructing/recreating fit into a larger theme of Beloved?
laughs, flesh that dances on bare feet in grass. Love it.
Love it hard. Yonder they do not love your flesh.' (88)
Did I mention that I love Beloved? 12 days left to leave your 5 blog posts...all blog comments for Beloved are due by July 8th, then we'll move on to Invisible Man. I posted a tally as of today on the comments section of the last post. I just finished the book, and was amazed and mesmerized as always happens when I read this book. I've been reading some good criticism, so I'll share some of the questions that scholars have explored (so that you too may examine them) as well as some insights they provided as well. Here's the works cited in case you're interested:
Bloom, Harold, Ed. Modern Critical Interpretations: Beloved. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1999.
Notes: *The novel is based on the true story of a runaway slave, Margaret Garner (sound familiar?), who kills her child when she realizes she's about to be captured and returned to slavery under the Fugitive Slave Act (21).
*The name Sethe may be alluding to Lethe, the spring of forgetfulness of Greek mythology (in that Sethe tries but cannot forget the memories that haunt her) (31).
*Morrison states that her "job as a writer in the last quarter of the 20th century, not much more than a hundred years after the Emancipation, becomes how to rip that veil drawn over 'proceedings too terrible to relate'." She dedicated her book to the 60 million and more African Americans who were murdered as a result of slavery. (60 million is the lowest estimation that Morrison found in her research.) 50% of slaves died on the Middle Passage- the slave ships between Africa and America during the slave trade. Toward the end of the novel, when Beloved is describing her journey from the other place, she is described as "crouching" with the dead man on her face. Some scholars contend that she is describing the conditions of the Middle passage, and represents the suffering of an ancestral past, as well as Sethe's trauma (27-28).
Possible Questions to explore:
*In Beloved, who is the Christ-like figure of redemption? The Anti-Christ?
*How is color linked to emotion or lack thereof?
*How does Beloved participate in (and revise) the apocalyptic novel (in which the existing social structure is obliterated)?
*How is Beloved a touchstone in the novel? In other words, how does she reveal each character's core identity/greatest anguish? (Think about: Sethe, Denver, Paul D.)
*Which characters seem to be obsessed with memory? Who attempts to repress the past? Who cannot stop thinking about the past? How successful is each strategy?
*What does Beloved represent?
*How does each character experience a rebirth of sorts? What is the catalyst for change in the novel? What needs to happen in order to move out of the trauma of the past and into hope for the future? (Or, how does psychological healing occur?)
*What is Morrision's vision of community and healing at the end of the novel? Is this truly a story "not to be told" as she states? Why does she say this?
*What is the moment of redemption in the novel?
*What is the connection between the Clearing with Baby Suggs, holy, and the women's song at the end? What is the function and significance of community in the novel?
*Although Sethe's attempt to kill Bodwin is viewed as "crazy," psychologically speaking, how does it illustrate a newfound clarity of mind?
*How are freedom and love linked?
*It is often said that you can't love another if you don't love yourself. In addition, you may not be able to love yourself until you confront the ghosts of your past. How is this true in Beloved?
*Explore the character's emotional lives from beginning to end (Examples: Sethe's "punched out eyes" and Paul D.'s "tobacco tin heart" in the beginning, etc.)
*Sixo says of the thirty-mile woman: "She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order" (272-273). How does the idea of gathering pieces and reconstructing/recreating fit into a larger theme of Beloved?
Saturday, June 16, 2007
First Beloved Post
For organizational purposes, please post your first Beloved comment here. I will post a list with your name and the number of posts you have submitted so you don't have to worry about keeping track. For this post, you may choose to comment on symbolism, irony, dehumanization, or simply share your thoughts, questions, and insights as you read. If you want to test out some ideas for your essay, you could discuss the topic you've selected as well. Reminder: 3 weeks left to make your 5 blog posts and read the novel. Complete 1-2 posts this week to stay on track. Taskmaster signing out. (Oops- didn't mean to sound like Ryan Seacrest.)
Friday, June 8, 2007
Essay Clarification
I had a few people with questions about the essay, so here's a quick clarification regarding the essay (or directions for the directions!). The essay will explore one topic within both novels, Beloved and Invisible Man. Select a topic from the blue packet at this time. Next, record quotes addressing this topic in your quote log as you read (also in blue packet). You are required to have three quotes from each novel in your quote log and in your essay. The other four quotes on the quote log may be from either novel, but should still address the topic. After reading both novels and completing the quote log, develop your thesis using your topic and at least one literary device. See yellow packet for essay guidelines. The quote log should be quite useful when writing the essay- use these quotes to support your thesis in your essay. Make sure you use MLA format (yellow packet), size 12, double-spaced, 3-5 pages. Please email me or respond to this post if you have any questions. Feel free to start commenting on Beloved when you've started reading it. Someone has to go first- why not you? I will be happy to give fake extra credit to anyone brave enough to get our blog blogging. Reminder: you need to have 5 blog posts (1 paragraph minimum each) by July 8th for your first deadline. Start as soon as possible. The comments don't necessarily have to reinvent Beloved scholarship; just start out by posting your responses, questions, and interpretations as you read. However, brilliant insights are always welcome, of course. Post something soon- make an English teacher's day. Have a wonderful summer!
Monday, June 4, 2007
Practice Post- Tell Me About Yourself
As soon as possible, do a first practice post- no, this doesn't count toward the "big five" posts per book- we're just doing a test before school's out to make sure you can post successfully. Tell me a little about yourself- your interests, extracurricular activities, of course, your favorite book of all time, and anything else you'd like to share.
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