Blog, weeks 8-10

The work:
We now enter into the final stretch of senior year (BB). For the past few weeks we have been reading Stephen Crane's novel The Red Badge of Courage. We have noticed the extreme use of themes that Crane uses throughout the novel (DM). We received a project on researching "youth" soldiers in current conflicts all around the world today (TJ). The point was to graph two people and compare and contrast their life stories (VC). A trip to the library aided our efforts to identify a youth that could be compared to Henry (RH). We reviewed Henry's ideas of becoming a man and what it takes (DG).

The workers:
Brendan pointed out the relationship between Jim Conklin and Jesus (NR).
Dan noted how "The Bride Comes to Yellos Sky" parallels the Red Badge of Courage in many themes (KK).
Rob reminded us that the sheriff fights scratchy (ER).
Erik says Henry never felt so weak. Chapin correctly cited an example on the board (MF).
Mike talked about the packet of letters (TJ).
Pat told the class that Henry encounters an enemy flag bearer (DM).
Brendan made a connection between Crane and his short story's setting...(RH).

Words to live by:

"A person can die from lack of...contact." ~Martha
"Let me into the darkness again"--Stephen Crane
"He recalled with a thrill of joy the respectful comments of his fellows upon his conduct." ~Stephen Crane
"He forgot he was engaged in combating the universe." ~Stephen Crane
"And they were men." ~Stephen Crane

Library visit, 4/7

To dig for children affected by war, brainstorm some search terms. Find articles on your country at google news. Once you find a name, search with the name. Once you find a region or city, search with the region or city. Once you find search recent news accounts, research.

Also try the BBC or BBC World or CNN World.

Check Amnesty International's and the Human Rights Watch and Unicef.

Read up on your country at the CIA factbook.

Bear in mind that your Works Cited page will list every statistic or quote that you reference. Anything that will not be your own thinking in this paper must be cited. For rules on in-text citation, read here.

RBC Research

Here is the link to current conflicts compliments of the Global Security thinktank. Click on your conflict to give you a little background before you start digging (here, perhaps) for a youth.

Blog, weeks 6-7

The work:
As the week began we took notes on naturalism as we started reading Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage. We can relate to the young boy Henry fighting in the Civil War by us understanding his emotions and personal growth that we all went through (BB). The class searched for Crane's usage of similes and metaphors within the text (BF). We have picked out themes thus far in The Red Badge of Courage such as nature in the spiritual sense and colors (DM).

The workers:
Mike M. noted how nature seemed to cover over the dead soldier inside the chapel (BF). Conor pointed out that Jack is emotionally torn when he needs to find info on Judge Irwin (NR). Noel identified the veracity behind the theme of color (JW). Conor demonstrated the symbolosm of running away (JW). Pat said that the last scene in chapter 7 talks about the youth's encounter with death. Brendan says that the chapel is only about as big as two people (DM). Vinny shined light to the cruelty of nature and the ways it is unforgiving (MF). Eric spoke about how Crane's lifestyle clearly affects his writing (GM). Pete commented on how Henry regretted not fighting in battle, he wanted his own "red badge of courage" (KK). Bob F. said that when the soldier says "leave me" it's like when Jesus rejects the offer of the wine on the sponge... (TR).


Words to live by:

"Within him, as he hurled himself forward, was born a love, a despairing fondness for this flag which was near him. It was a creation of beauty and invulnerability."

"Yer jest one little feller amongst a hull lot of others, and yeh've got to keep quiet an' do what they tell yeh."

"The impulse of the living to try to read in dead eyes the answer to the Question."

"Don't go a-thinkin' you can lick the hull rebel army at the start, because yeh can't."

"He wondered what those men had eaten that they could be in such haste to force their way to grim chances of death."

You don't get to say you're atoning.

Homework for 3/13:

Read the full text of Eliot Spitzer's resignation as governor of New York. Then read the first fifty reader responses people wrote below it.

We just read a book about the way the governor of a state eventually gets corrupted despite his intentions of being a good, honest man. Be prepared to talk intelligently about how we can connect these two men in remarkable ways.

Then, just for kicks, read the new CM blog here.

Blog, Weeks 3-4-5

The work:
We started to get into Robert Penn Warren's political novel All the King's Men (GM). Each classmate chose a character they most closely resembled identified with individually (JW).
We learned the correct rules on how to cite sources and used examples from actual papers to show us how to do it (DM). We learned the way people can play dirty politics and the with faith in representing the people (MF). The class made some reference to the tactics that politicians use then and now in our current elections (BB). We looked at our reader response essays and tried to fix them for a 2nd draft (PD). We put the "human google" to work in search of the word 'know' (SC). "I suffer..." sums up our struggle through the hardy chapters of All the King's Men (VC).


The workers:
Keith said that Willie is an exceptional speaker. Graham mentioned that Jack is apologetic to Sadie in some scenes. (DK)
Steve told us how Anne declined Jack's hand in marriage (PS).
Travis said that the best way to start a reader response essay is with the character's first presentation (NR).
Chapin saved the class by shedding light on Jack's job of digging up dirt for Willi. (CM)
David K. made a connection between JAck Burden and his father to the relationship between King Henry IV and his son.
Steve tells us Jack is more of an innocent character in the movie. (DM)
Danny pointed out the thesis statement made by Jack on p60. (TJ)
Silverio stumped McG. with what show Jackie was watching in chapter 7. (ER)
John said that Jack chose to go to state college rather than Harvard. (SC)
Andrew compared the description of the highway in chapter six to the highway in chapter 1 that came as a result of Willie's ascension to governor (RH).



Words to live by: (from guest blogger, Brendan B)

Don't give him too much, he's not used to it. -There's a lot of things he's not used to. ~Sadie
The truth is a terrible thing. ~Jack
Nothing fazed him, not insult or anger or violence of getting his face beat into a hamburger. He was a true businessman. He knew the value of everything. ~Jack

Blog, Term II, weeks 1+2

The work:
We started the Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, and studied quote handouts, poems, and reader responses that focused on it (GM). We read and dissected hte play, including looking at the film version starring John Malkovic. We wrote an in class essay about how they are all equally pathetic characters (NR). Each [character in the Glass Menagerie] is fragile in disposition whether it be their emotional intake, the fragility of a heart, the feeling of brokenness in a career...(VC). We compared e.e. cummings' poem "somewhere i have never travelled gladly beyond" to Tom's goodbye speech in the Glass Menagerie (SC).

The workers:
Mike relates the parent child relationship in the GM to that of the Grapes of Wrath (NR). Erik knew the word "jonquils" in the story meant "flowers" and prevailed after McG. called his bluff (PD). Steve said that anger is provoked in both Death of a Salesman and the Glass Menagerie (VC). Andrew believed that Tom in the film seemed to be drunk but there was no textual evidence for that (RH). Michael compared "traveled" in the first line of the cummings poem to the first line in Tom's concluding speech (RH). Silverio brought up the physical appeal of Laura and how she feels about herself (DG). Eric said that Amanda was trying to live her life through her daughter (DG). Travis spoke on Amanda's controlling attitude (GM). Keith identified how Tom's character is rebellious throughout the play (DK).

Words to live by:
"The actual world is less intense than the world of this invention and consequently his life." ~Tennessee Williams

"Time is the longest distance between two places." ~Tom (in GM)

"Glass breaks so easily. No matter how careful you are." ~Laura

"He is the long-delayed but always expected someone that we live for." ~Tom

"We live in a mysterious world, don't we." ~Tom

Guest blogger: Conor M., Weeks 15 and 16

In the past two weeks we have started to take a look into the life of Willy Loman in the play Death of a Salesman. Using our experience from reading other dramas like Henry IV we were able to pick apart the meaning of DOS. We looked at the classic descent of a hero from heaven to hell through the story. The class was allowed to focus on a specific scene between Willy and Biff and perform it to their own interpretation. James showed the class the necessity, in acting to rehearse, not only your lines but the props you are using! We then took a look at how professional actors acted out the same scene. We finished off the week by reviewing for midterms.

The workers:
At the beginning of the play, Erik shared with the class his belief that drama can provide more of an emotional connection than fiction. Steve told the class his view of Biff and Willy being sexist by calling a woman a "pig." When acting out his scene, David showed his forensics experience with acting. Michael gave us all a surprise with the volume of his recitation. Steve's group showed the class how necessary it is to also know your partner's lines in case they skip one. Brendan commented on the constant stress and anger in Willy's life. Pat noticed the entrances of Ben into a scene are easier to notice. Ryan also picked up on the red walls of the restaurant which also happens to be Willy's "hell."

Words to live by:
"Life is a casting off." ~Linda
"Nobody's worth nothing dead." ~Charley
"Bot sometimes, Willy, it's better for a man just to walk away." ~Bernard
"Why must everybody conquer the world?" ~Linda

The Glass Menagerie--some topics

Here is some brainstorming I've been doing in preparation for tomorrow's in-class essay. I've narrowed down the essay I'll ask you to write to three possibilities:

• All of the characters in The Glass Menagerie (TGM) are equally portrayed as pathetic and living a life of illusion separate from reality. Explain each of their illusions and argue which of them, if any, are left at the end of the play still living in their illusions.
• Critic Benjamin Nelson said, "When Tom leaves he escapes from a trap, a situation which is plainly unendurable, but there is nothing heroic or even positive and challenging in his departure...His departure is little more than a snap of a twig in the wind." Explain what Nelson means about Tom.
  
• According to Amanda, Mr. Wingfield, her husband, was a true gentleman. What does this mean? How does the father play into the story as a significant character? And how does the notion of a "good man" get distorted by Williams through the presentation of Wingfield in this play?

McG's Top 10 Poems most of you missed.

Top ten poems most of you should have also considered in my humble opinion:

"Crossing the Bar"--Tennyson
"Traveling through the dark"--Stafford
"Constantly risking absurdity"--Ferlinghetti
"Anthem for doomed youth" --Owen
"On first looking into Chapman's Homer"--Keats
"Siren Song"--Margaret Atwood
"I died for beauty..." --Dickinson
"Theme for English B" --Hughes
"Summer Day"--Oliver
"The Snow Man"--Stevens

Weeks 13/14 Blog

The work:
Despite the severe snow storms, field trips, and absences, our class was able to produce a plethora of literary insight and great discussions (DG). We looked at poems such as "The Eagle," "The Whipping," "Mind," and "Cross" (RH). We took these poems and picked a few to discuss intelligently in class (DM). The poetry unit as a whole seemed to be quite enjoyable with the class having to read from a variety of poems in our text (BB). Reader responses have been done for all the chapters and we broke some poems up and ripped them apart (DC). As the weeks progressed we were given the opportunity to write our very own anthology of our top ten poems (TJ).

The workers:
Silverio explained what good poetry was in his heart (BF).
Conor finds the hidden meaning behind Sylvia Plath's "Metaphors" which is about pregnancy (NR).
Travis told us where the main character would die in the poem "Cross"--"in the middle" (DM).
Eric said that Frost may not be talking about just the woods in "Stopping by Woods..." (AH).
Graham felt that "hidings" in "The Whipping" has a double meaning and represents secrets as well as being whipped (RH).
Danny added that "Metaphors" has fruit imagery (SC).
Steve observed that the whipping portrayed a one-sided scenario and caused anger toward the mother (VC).

Words to live by:
"We mortal millions live alone."~Matthew Arnold
"The way to begin is always the same." ~Martha Collins
"True ease in writing comes from art, not chance." ~Alexander Pope
"The art of losing isn't hard to master." ~Elizabeth Bishop
"Do not go gentle into that good night." ~Dylan Thomas

Rage Against the Machine: These guys can read.

Rage covers Springsteen's "The Ghost of Tom Joad." Fitting, isn't it, that it's a live performance--in California? Check it out here. (Thanks to Erik for the link.)

Still prefer the Springsteen version? Watch here and compare.

And while you're at it, why not watch a montage of The Grapes of Wrath, featuring Woody Guthrie's original tune.

Blog, Weeks 11/12

The work:
The past fortnight, the class has been working through The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. We analyzed the themes of survival and reproduction represented by Tom and Rose respectively (SS). Week 11 began with a game entitled "Starrett or Steinbeck." In this game, a student was asked to identify the author of a quote either from a student's paper or The Grapes of Wrath. Surprisingly, many students were mistaken for Steinbeck...(MM). We reached the turmoil in the Hoovervilles, the growth of "Ma" as a high order and the revival of Tom Joad (VC). We found out that "Race and space" are big themes from the beginning of the book to the end (DM). We listened to "Tom Joad" by Woody Guthrie and ""The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Bruce Springsteen. We read three articles on the book and could use these articles on the test to support our answer (RH).


The workers:
Eric concludes that Ma and Pa are observing the birds and remembering the closeness of the family. (RH)
Mike interpreted that Rose of Sharon was undergoing primitive acupuncture while crawling through the thorns. (SC)
Vincent found the big distinction between Steinbeck's plot and Guthrie's plot. (TJ)
Steve said the government camps were good and everybody loved them. (DC)
Travis pointed out that the embankment was going to break. (DC)
Brendan commented on the weather during the Joads and how it is foreshadowing...(DG)
Noel: "It goes from a patriarchal structure to a matriarchal structure." (TR)


Words to live by:

"Wherever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there." ~Tom Joad
"Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts. Perhaps where there's a fear of less power." ~Steinbeck
"All that lives is holy." ~Steinbeck
"How can we live without our lives? How will we know it's us without our past? No. Leave it. Burn it." ~Steinbeck
"They's a time a change, an' when that comes, dyin' is a piece of all dyin', an bearin' is a piece of all bearin', an' dyin' is two pieces of the same thing." ~Steinbeck

GOW: the electronic text!

A nice searchable e-text of The Grapes of Wrath is available here.

Weeks 9/10 Blog

The work:

Over the past fortnight we...have been surrounded by John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath. After going through nearly twelve chapters we've discovered and analyzed many themes such as survival...and reproduction...(SS) The book explores the circumstances of the great depression. Steinbeck takes a critical look at the government's role in the suffering of midwestern farmers...(MM) The class wrote imitations which mirrored the detail of chapters (3 and) 6 (AH). We focused on the zooming in of the turtle chapter...(KK) We have also set ourselves up for a character analysis on a character from Steinbeck's novel. We will continue to read and pluck evidence from the novel for our research (MF). We were shown captivating images of life during the Great Depression which were taken by Dorothea Lange (RH).

The workers:
"It would be a lesson the chipmunk would never forget." ~SC
Steve said that Ma was the leader of the Joad family--which makes it a matriarchy. (DM)
Andrew said that farmers love the land while banks just want to monopolize the industry (TR).
Ryan said that with all the descriptions of nature in the book, it is hard not to recognize the beauty even in time of hardship (AH).
Conor talked about the theme of the turtle (DG).
Eric pointed out that chapter 7 was generic (DC).
Mike believes that Ma burned the memories as a way to get rid of any physical memories of the farm (RH).

Words to live by:
"You're bound to get idears if you go thinkin' about stuff." ~Tom Joad
"Times are changed, don't ya know?" ~Driver
"Maybe all men got one big soul everybody's a part of." ~Jim Casy
"The women and children knew deep in themselves that no misfortune was too great to bear if their men were whole." ~Steinbeck
"Don't roust your faith bird-high an' you won't do no crawlin' with the worms." ~Tom Joad

Blog, week 8

The work:
For the past two weeks we have been reading Henry IV. We have also been studying some vocabulary words such as "comic relief," "deus ex machina," and "blank verse" (TR). We identified scenes of comic relief and the true scenes in which we saw the relationships between father and son and also how some women play cunning roles in the outcome of the story...(GM). We took turns reading out of Henry IV with our [assigned] characters (PD). We [discussed] the combined character that is Prince Hal and Falstaff and the uniqueness of...such individuals as Hotspur (SS). We did have some fallen soldiers on the glorious Monday the 27th while most of us were in recovery from [the World Series] the night before (BB). We donated 180 grams of rice as a class at freerice.com (GM). We skimmed the surface of writing good body paragraphs when provided an introductory paragraph (DG).

The workers:
Conor stated that the ending of Henry IV did not live up to the expectations that he already [had] at the beginning of the play (JW). Steve said that Falstaff in Act II was an "immature cowardly figure..." (DC). Graham noticed the transition from funny to serious when Falstaff and the Prince exchanged words in Act II (SC). Eric found that Glendower's belief that the earth shook when he was born to be a humorous line (RH). Dan gave us a PG-13 rendition of the hostess's line, "Any man know where to have me" (CM).

Words to live by:
"Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere." ~Prince Henry

"Do thou amend thy face and I'll amend my life." ~Falstaff

"O gentlemen, the time of life is short,/To spend that shortness basely were too long." ~Hotspur

"I will never be a truant." ~Mortimer

Extra Credit Opportunities

Extra credit opportunities, quarter 1:

-For a quiz grade: Memorize and recite Henry V's speech from Henry V, "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more."

-Watch Henry V and cite, in a brief analysis, three specific scenes in that play which mirror, in some way, the character's scenes from Henry IV.

-Compose a Shakespearean sonnet about your years at CM. Must follow all the rules of the form!

Blog, Weeks 6/7

The work: This class began to read Henry IV and towards the end of the past week we memorized ten lines from the play (MM). We watched a PBS series with Michael Wood looking at the life of William Shakespeare. We learned many interesting details of his life...his father was a gloveman, a mayor, and an illegal wool dealer (NR). We discovered a country boy who was lost between the worlds of religious intolerance (VC). We took notes on how Henry came into power and his ironic speech about ending all of the bloodshed (GM). We learned that...royalty, or the aristocracy, speak in iambic pentameter (AH). We learned new ways to memorize lines, perhaps as actors during Shakespeare's time did (ER). As we are reading the class has been taking advantage of our tuition dollars by printing out the story in the school library due to a back order of the text (BB). Having read Acts I and II...the only real question is when is Hal going to leave his thieving friends, Poins and Falstaff, and become the prince he is supposed to be (SS).

The workers: We learned why Mr. McGonegal dislikes Doug E. (ER). Chapin was critical of the film (ER). Michael won the American Idol contest with "I could feel the ground tremble with ancient energy" (DK). Brendan came to the conclusion that the story's real underlying theme was the struggle in the relationship between father and son (SS).

Words to live by:

"'Tis no sin for a man to labour in his vocation." ~Falstaff

"He will give the devil his due." ~Prince Hal

"He's funny, streetwise, sexy, and by all accounts, good company." ~Michael Woods (on Shakespeare)

"My reformation, glitt'ring o'er my fault, will show more goodly and attract more eyes..." ~Prince Hal

Fear not.

Having a lot of trouble wading through Shakespeare's brilliant Elizabethan wit? Read a nice contemporary translation next to it. If you haven't discovered No Fear Shakespeare, hie thee hence! Just remember, you're responsible for the parts on the left too (the original text!).

Weeks 4/5 blog

The work:
We had an essay test with the option of picking two particular short stories and dissecting their internal conflict (RH). This past week we began the most difficult part of senior year (TJ). Last week began with the analysis of a short story "The Ice Man." The story was symbolic of a lack of an emotional bond between a woman and her husband (MM). We learned to trim the fat of our essays (ER). We learned that Hugh Gallagher has done a lot of wonderful things, but hasn't gone to college (KK). The essay unit has been a great help to our individual college process. We have all received expert analyzed essays that will lead to "acceptance and money" (BB).

The workers:
Silverio showed his knowledge of history by writing about Columbus's influence (DC).
Steve gave us a strong thesis statement on the diversity of religion and prejudices (CM). Brendan's sentence, in an attempt to follow Orwell's rules of writing, had no veracity as he broke the first rule of never using a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print (JW). Flaherty had a pithy way of shortening a (MM). Bob said you don't need to impress people by stating in your essay that you get good grades or play on a certain team (DK). Pete mentioned that he wrote his essay response to the common application under the influence of his favorite film (SC). Graham revealed that Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird has had a profound influence on his life (RH).


Words to live by:

"Years ago I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down." -Hugh Gallagher

"The unexamined life is not worth living." -Socrates

"Never use a long word where a short word will do." -George Orwell

"Can the essay make a difference in getting the 'thin versus thick' envelope? Absolutely." -Richard Fuller

"One issue that concerns me is major fires." -Anon.

"The eternal past, heavy beyond all comprehension, had us in its grasp. We would never shake it off." -Haruki Murakami