Huck Finn: Chapters 12-19.

Hi Everyone: For this post, choose a scene from Chapters 12-19 in Huck Finn that stands out to you as significant or meaningful.  In your post, explain what stands out to you in the passage and explain why the scene is essential or meaningful to the story so far.  Include a line or two from the passage.

The War Prayer: For E Block Only.

Class work for November 4th:

English 10

Mr. Telles

Irony in Twain’s “The War Prayer.”

Explanation: The recipe for irony calls for meanings or signifiers to be in opposition – two opposing meanings or concepts fused together in language or a situation.  However, it is also important to remember that the best irony also reveals some truth about our human experience.

Directions: Read Mark Twain’s “The War Prayer,” which is a fairly concentrated example of his kind of irony.  Then, in double sided note fashion, choose three significant quotes and write them on the left side of your paper, and then write what is literally happening or being expressed under each quote.  Then, on the right side of the paper, write down the opposing idea or concept that Twain is expecting you to think about at the same time you are reading what is literally expressed.  In other words, the left side is what is literally expressed, and the right side is what is suggested under the surface.

Then (and this is crucial), when you think about all of the opposing meanings that you’ve listed, what do you think Twain is trying to reveal about human nature?  Write this in two or three sentences at the bottom of the page.  You are not expected to agree with him, of course, but you should demonstrate that you can infer what the story’s deeper meaning is.

Huck Finn First Post.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is most notable as a challenge to racism and the racist institution of slavery, but the novel also takes aim at a whole field of social problems: child abuse, homelessness, crime, war, lack of education, poverty, lawlessness, etc.  For this blog post, write about a social problem that you care about and have strong opinions about.  Describe the problem as you see it, and explain your stand on the issue and why it matters to you.

P.S. This blog post will not only help your grade for first quarter but it will also set you up for an upcoming assignment (called the "ironic paper"), so it is particularly useful.

Final Crucible Post.

Hi Everyone:

As preparation for tomorrow's in-class essay, identify a character from The Crucible that you found to be particularly interesting and complex, and explain what kinds of insight you may have into this character's situation.  In other words, what do you understand about this character that others may not understand.  Keep in mind that tomorrow's question, like almost all MCAS long composition questions, is character-based.

Since this is an overnight assignment, a response of approximately 100 words is acceptable.  Thank you, Mr. Telles.

Update: This assignment has been handwritten in class (just E block).  If you were absent, please handwrite the assignment and turn in to me.

Incorporating Quotations.

Look back at the quotations you have collected from The Crucible and choose a quotation that you think is particularly meaningful or significant.  In your post, explain the quote and explain why you think it is so important or interesting.  Also, try to incorporate the quote (and maybe other quotes) into your post by using the techniques we talked about in class for weaving quotations into your writing.  The due date will be Friday, October 10th.  Thanks, Mr. Telles.

Crucible Formal Discussion Responses

For this post, respond to the ideas that a fellow student  has shared during the in-class formal discussion of Acts I and II of The Crucible (Wednesday and Thursday).  If you agree, extend the other student's ideas by explaining why they are so essential and meaningful.  If you disagree, politely explain why you disagree and offer an alternative understanding or interpretation.

This post will be due on Friday, not Thursday.  Thanks, Mr. Telles.

First Impressions of the Crucible

Hi Everyone: Now that you have read the first act of The Crucible, write down what you think this play is shaping up to be "about."   Clearly the problem of witchcraft is concocted out of hysteria, but if witchcraft is not the problem in Salem, what is really the problem?  You can also bring up scenes, situations or statements that stood out to you for one reason or another.  This post needs to be done before Thursday.

Difficult Scenes in The Great Gatsby

Hi Everyone:

On our first day of class, I suggested that the most difficult or seemingly odd scenes in a book can often be a route to some of the book's deepest meaning.  We also noted that The Great Gatsby is unique in how restrained and mysterious the language of the text can be.  And today (Friday) we discussed what seem to be the conflicts and tensions that haunt the book.

In this blog post, describe the strange scene that you selected and (using your notes) explain how this scene may connect to one of the conflicts or tensions that we noted in class.  You can also write about why the scene is so different or unusual -- what sets it apart?  You can speculate or offer several alternative interpretations; keep in mind that you are not expected to explain precisely and definitively what everything means, as long as you offer some possibilities and impressions.  Look at the "Advice for Annotation" page for guidance.