Thursday, February 28, 2013

Fun Links This Week...



Find a good movie version of "The Worn Path" here. And an interview with Welty here.

Trailer for a different kind of show based on "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" here.

Excerpt from a 1949 movie version of "The Rocking Horse Winner" here.

Audio and lyrics to the song "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" by Bob Dylan, which was the motivation for the short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" here.

The Pied Piper of Tucson was also said to be an influence for the Oates story. Read about him here.






Literary Criticism Project
                There are many types of literary criticism, and your text does a good job of outlining each of those types and providing practical examples of how to apply them. Please read the section beginning on page 1129 in your text. The text discusses Deconstruction, Ethical, Feminist, Formalist, Marxist, New Historical, Postcolonial, Psychoanalytic, and Reader Response Criticism. I've provided one other form of criticism below.

Genetic or biographical criticism: author as context
                The task of the genetic critic is to understand the mind of the author in order to better interpret the creations of that mind. An author cannot tell you what a piece means because 1) he or she would have to talk about what he/she meant at some particular point in the past and 2) we probably don't want to limit meaning to conscious intention. However, a mind has caused the poem to exist, and understanding that mind might help us understand the poem.
                Keep in mind that this form of criticism, while helpful, can also be reductive. In other words, we might have a tendency to over-simplify a piece--we might not consider alternative meanings because we know what the author "was thinking when he wrote it." By reducing the poem to the author's intent, we might lose something.
                Considering the author's life and attitude at the particular time may be helpful, however. For example, it is helpful to know that Charlotte Perkins Gilman suffered from post-partum depression. That might give us an avenue, a starting point, as we approach "The Yellow Wallpaper."

Task:
Choose one short story to be the focus of your analysis. It must be something we have read together as a class. Next, create one paper which examines 3 of the critical approaches as they apply to that one piece of literature. Your paper can be a series of paragraphs with sub-headings which tell the type of criticism. It does not have to be a traditional paper with an introduction/body/conclusion.

Support your ideas with quotes and examples from the short story.  Some criticisms work better with some pieces of literature; be conscious of that and utilize the criticisms that best help you analyze the story.

Length:
About 3 pages.

Due dates:
Draft: 3/5             Final: 3/7

Evaluation:
1. Content. Does the paper thoroughly analyze the story using three different types of criticism? Were these choices of criticism the best tools for understanding the story? Does the writer support his/her ideas with quotes and examples from the story?
2. Style. Does the writer explain his ideas and interpretations clearly and succinctly?
3. Grammar and mechanics. Is the paper free of technical errors?

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place"

1. What is the difference between the two waiters?
2. Why is the setting important here?
3. Is the age of the staff important? Why?
4. What is the role of religion in this story?

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Better link for "Ironing" story

 http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/jvivian/files/i%20stand%20here%20ironing%20text.pdf

Group Lead Discussion

Group Lead #1
1. Get together and discuss the story. This can be an informal discussion, something similar to what we do in class where you talk about what different parts of the story mean, why you liked or disliked it, and how the strategies that we have discussed in class show up in the story.
2. Create a list of questions for discussion. You can look on the internet to get started, but I urge you to keep these questions simple and to the point.
3. Look for supplementary material that will help us understand the reading better. This can be a video, diagram, photographs…anything you feel is interesting and relevant to the story or poem.
4. Present your discussion and information in class. It should take approximately 30 minutes. Do the following 3 things:
Begin with a list of questions and allow the student groups to discuss the questions.
Lead the student discussion after approximately 10 minutes of group work.
Provide additional information and discussion of that information to the class.

Grading:

You will be graded on the following:
1. How well prepared you are.
2. How well you engage your classmates.
3. The quality of your questions and supplementary material.
4. How well every member of your group participates. Every member of your group gets the same grade, so it is important to divide the work evenly and get everyone to talk and contribute.( If you have attempted to engage your groupmates, and you have someone who does not contribute or make an effort, let me know, and everyone will not receive the same grade.)

Group 1 (Becca, Kawena, Tariq, Steven)—“Mrs. Dutta Writes a Letter”
Group 2 (Yngwie, Kayloni, Tanis, Travis)—“The Yellow Wallpaper”
Group 3 (Nicole, Zack, Taylor, Kale)— “The Cask of Amontillado”
Group 4 (Mackenzie, Cayla, Chris, Kaytlin, Presco)— “The Lottery”
Group 5 (Manuel, Lilly, Alex, Sydnee)— “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
Group 6 (Brody, Jessica, Kaley, Jamie)— “The Rocking Horse Winner”
Group 7 (Bridger, Kim, Katie, Catherine)—“The Lesson”

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

"The Swing"
http://events.nytimes.com/2001/08/26/books/chapters/26-1stgavel.html

This short story is part of a collection called I Cannot Tell a Lie, Exactly. Don't be fooled by the title; this IS the correct story.

"The Story of an Hour"
http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/hour/

More on Amy Tan

Amy Tan's website:
http://www.amytanauthor.com/THE_OFFICIAL_WEBSITE_of_AMY_TAN/Welcome.html

Amy Tan interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D0pwe4vaQo

The Joy Luck Club trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_axV-_Wz7L0

The movie is available in parts on YouTube and also on Neflix.

Extra Syllabus Info:

Below is posted the syllabus information you received in most of your other classes. Be sure to read it carefully:

 

Syllabus Addendum

Incompletes: Many students become overwhelmed with their classes and request an incomplete. Please keep in mind that the policy for incompletes is the same online as on campus. You must have completed all assignments up to the point of your request, and you must have extenuating circumstances for the request. "I'm overwhelmed" or "the course is not what I expected" are not valid reasons. In addition, you will not receive an incomplete if you stop attending the course and later come back to request an incomplete. Also, a student must have completed two thirds of the work for the semester in order to request an incomplete.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is not tolerated in this course. If you plagiarize, you will fail the course, and you will incur further penalties according to the college guidelines. All acts will be reported to LCSC administration. Plagiarism means copying another's words and presenting them as your own. All work submitted must represent your own ideas, concepts, understanding, and, of course, words. This includes copying and pasting information from websites. Never do it.

Technical Support: While I do understand Blackboard relatively well, I am not an expert with computers and other technical issues. That's why I will usually refer you to Blackboard support if you are having problems with the technical side of this class. For your reference, the phone number for the Ed Tech Center is 792-2228, and the number for Blackboard help is 792-2452.

If You Need to Drop This Class...Please check your LC calendar for the last date to drop and the last date to withdraw from courses. After the last date to withdraw from courses, withdrawal is permitted by petition only. The Division Chair requires documentation of extraordinary circumstances that prevented you from withdrawing by the deadline. It is my experience that petitions are rarely approved, so I encourage you to plan accordingly.

Consumer Information: In 2008, the federal government required all post-secondary institutions offering federal financial aid programs to provide key data to both prospective and current students. To comply with this requirement, Lewis-Clark State College has developed a consumer information page, which may be accessed at http://www.lcsc.edu/studentconsumerinformation/

Disability Accommodations: Students requiring special accommodations or course adaptations due to a disability and/or a health-related issue should consult their course instructors and the LCSC Student Counseling Center immediately (RCH 111, 792-2211). Official documentation may be required in order to provide an accommodation and/or adaptation.

Student Rights and Responsibilities: Students have the responsibility for knowing their program requirements, course requirements, and other information associated with their enrollment at LCSC. Students should review the LCSC General Catalog (http://www.lcsc.edu/catalog/) and the LCSC Student Handbook (available at http://www.lcsc.edu/studentservices/contactus.htm) for more information.

Accidents/Student Insurance: Students participating in LCSC classes normally must look to their personal health insurance policy (Student Health Insurance Plan or comparable private coverage) should an accident occur. In the event of an accident, please seek medical help, if necessary, and report the incident to LCSC Security (792-2226). Fieldtrips or other special student activities may also require students to submit a signed participation waiver (forms can be obtained from the supporting Division Office).

Enrollment Verification/Attendance: Students who are not actively pursuing their classes may have to repay part or all of their financial aid awards depending upon the circumstances.

Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty, which includes cheating and plagiarism, is not tolerated at LCSC. Individual faculty members will impose their own policies and sanctions regarding academic dishonesty. Students who are accused of being academically dishonest may be referred to the Dean of Student Services for official disciplinary action.

Illegal File Sharing: Students using LCSC’s computers and/or computer network must comply with the college’s appropriate use policies and are prohibited from illegally downloading or sharing data files of any kind. Specific information about the college’s technology policies and its protocols for combating illegal file sharing may be found on the Dean of Student Services’ web page (http://www.lcsc.edu/studentservices/).

Diversity Vision Statement: Regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation, you will be treated and respected as a human being. http://www.lcsc.edu/culturaldiversity/