Thursday

 

We will discuss last night's reading and give you some time to work on dialectical journals.
10/31 page 227

11/4 Catch-up Work
11/5 page 248
11/6 page 263
11/7 page 282

11/8 - FINISH JOURNALS

Wednesay

We will discuss last night's reading and give you some time to work on dialectical journals.

10/30 page 205
10/31 page 227

11/4 Catch-up Work
11/5 page 248
11/6 page 263
11/7 page 282

11/8 - FINISH JOURNALS

Tuesday

 We are going to go over your poetry tests and discuss your reading up to page 179.

10/29 page 179
10/30 page 205
10/31 page 227

11/4 Catch-up Work
11/5 page 248
11/6 page 263
11/7 page 282

11/8 - FINISH JOURNALS

Monday

 Work on Dialectical Journals. Be at least to #25.

Friday

 Test

Study Time

 POETRY TEST: THINGS TO KNOW


Forms:
Structure, line breaks, how the poem looks, rhyme and rhythm and how it is created
Blues, Sestina, Villanelle, Pantoum, Sonnet (English, Italian), quatrain, tercets, couplets, litany.

Poems:
“Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” “Home Burial” “ “The Flea” “My Last Duchess” “The Waste land” “To His Coy Mistress”,  “Nani” “The Colonel” “One Art” “Fern Hill” “The Waking” “My Mistress’ Eyes” “The Second Coming” 

Wednesday

Today we will discuss the book and give you some time to work on journals. Tomorrow I will give you the class to study for Friday's test.

10/23 page 131
10/24 Study for Poetry Test
10/25 Poetry Test 
10/28 page 159

10/29 page 179
10/30 page 205
10/31 page 227

11/4 Catch-up Work
11/5 page 248
11/6 page 263
11/7 page 282

Tuesday

Today we will discuss the book and give you some time to work on journals and/or study for the poetry test.

10/22 page 110
10/23 page 131
10/24 page 147
10/25 Poetry Test 
10/28 page 159

10/29 page 179
10/30 page 205
10/31 page 227

11/4 Catch-up Work
11/5 page 248
11/6 page 263
11/7 page 282

Monday

 Today we will discuss the book and give you some time to work on journals and/or study for the poetry test.

10/21 page 90

10/22 page 110
10/23 page 131
10/24 page 147
10/25 Poetry Test 
10/28 page 159

10/29 page 179
10/30 page 205
10/31 page 227

11/4 Catch-up Work
11/5 page 248
11/6 page 263
11/7 page 282

Wednesday/Thursday

I will give you some time this morning to work on dialectical journals, and then we will talk about the pages you read last night.

10/17 page 69

10/21 page 90

10/22 page 110
10/23 page 131
10/24 page 147
10/25 Poetry Test 
10/28 page 159

10/29 page 179
10/30 page 205
10/31 page 227

11/4 Catch-up Work
11/5 page 248
11/6 page 263
11/7 page 282

Tuesday

 Today we will discuss The English Patient and the upcoming poetry test.

POETRY TEST: THINGS TO KNOW


Forms:
Structure, line breaks, how the poem looks, rhyme and rhythm and how it is created
Blues, Sestina, Villanelle, Pantoum, Sonnet (English, Italian), quatrain, tercets, couplets, litany.

Poems:
“Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” “Home Burial” “ “The Flea” “My Last Duchess” “The Waste land” “To His Coy Mistress”,  “Nani” “The Colonel” “One Art” “Fern Hill” “The Waking” “My Mistress’ Eyes” “The Second Coming” 

The English Patient - ASSIGNMENT
(This assignment should equal about 20 pages)

This particular writing project requires you to read and write an in depth style analysis of a challenging work of literary merit. Due to the independent nature of the project, you will need to be vigilant in completing all of the tasks required because I will not be reminding you every week to work on this. There are two parts to this assignment. First, there is a dialectical journal you must keep while reading your novel (the guidelines for that journal will be provided separately) . Second, you must complete all of the sections detailed in this document.

For this project, you need to write about each of the areas below. For the sake of clarity and organization, please make sure that each of your sections has the proper heading, and that the sections are dealt with in the order in which they are listed on this assignment sheet. Due to the nature of this research paper you do not need to provide transitions between the different sections, you merely need to provide the heading. This assignment must be typed, with a standard 12 point Times New Roman font, and 1.5 spaced. The cover sheet should contain your name, class period, and date submitted. All of the standards for proper conventions are expected. A paper that has a distracting number of errors will only be eligible to receive a “C” or lower.

Each section has a series of questions that are meant to stimulate your thinking and writing. They are not intended to be answered in order, but instead are intended merely to act as a guide for your analysis.

One last important note: FOR EACH SECTION, make sure that you connect your commentary both to DIRECT TEXT EXAMPLES (always cited with the correct page number!) as well as to the NOVEL AS A WHOLE. Only papers that accomplish this will receive an “A” grade.

1. THE AUTHOR AND HER/HIS TIMES: Biographical and historical information pertinent to the novel. What important family, community, national, and world events helped inform this material? Do not provide an exhaustive biography; merely provide those details that can be directly linked to the novel in a manner that is convincing. This is one of the few sections that will require some outside research, so please remember to cite your source(s).

2. FORM/STRUCTURE, PLOT: How is the novel organized and what techniques are used? Discuss techniques such as sequencing, multiple, complex, or simple plot, foreshadowing, chapter choices. Then, provide a BRIEF outline of the events of the plot (no more than 200 words). For some modern novels, the plot may be difficult to describe succinctly – but try to do it anyway. When you discuss structure, remember that you need to discuss the effect of the intentional internal arrangement of parts.

3. POINT OF VIEW/ PERSPECTIVE: From what vantage point does the reader receive the information? Is the perspective reliable, or is it highly subjective? How are important ideas received? Is there an agenda that the narrator seems to have, either consciously or subconsciously? Does the perspective shift, and if so, to what end? Are characters explicit in their dialog, or does on omniscient narrator fill the reader in concerning the larger issues? Why is the perspective used particularly effective for this novel?

4. CHARACTER: Are each of the characters highly developed, or is most of the writing devoted to one character? Do you learn about them through what is not included in the text? How is character revealed for the most part? Is through what they say? What they do? What they wear? What they think? The people with whom they associate? What the narrator says about them? How complex are the people that you meet? Describe the central characters including what you find out about their names, ages, physical descriptions, personalities, functions in the novel – in other words, the responses to the questions asked in the preceding sentence. Also include one short quotation that reveals their character, and explain why the quote reveals character.


5. SETTING: Where and when does the novel occur? How many locations are described? Are there connections between the setting(s) and character(s)? How is the atmosphere described? Are there any important settings that contrast or parallel each other? Why is this setting so effective in supporting the ideas in the novel as a whole? Conversely, if the setting is ambiguous, what details seem most important and what is the effect of the ambiguity? Why is this story best told in this setting? When discussing setting, remember that it does not only mean the geographical location (topography, scenery) but also the cultural backdrop, social context, and the artificial environment (rooms, buildings, cities, towns) as well.

6. THEME: Identify one major theme (a central or controlling idea) and explicate the theme using specific moments from the text, either paraphrased or directly quoted. What is the abstract concept being addressed and what is the evaluation of that concept through the text? Are there any “universal” truths are revealed, supported, or challenged by this theme? Be aware that a theme cannot be expressed in a single word, and with complex works of literary merit the elucidation of a theme requires a full paragraph or more. Also note that the theme is rarely stated explicitly, but rather is implicit. Remember that a theme has TWO (2) PARTS: An abstract concept AND the author’s commentary on or evaluation of that concept through the text.

7. CRITICAL REVIEW: Find one critical review (not a Cliffs Notes or similar source) of you novel and offer your opinion of the critic’s analysis in two or three paragraphs. Attach a copy of the critical review to your paper, and cite it directly. When expressing your response to the review, be specific in your discussion. If you agree, then explain why and carry the argument beyond what the critic pointed out. If you disagree, provide support for your position from the text.

8. DICTION: Analyze the novelist’s word choice. Is the language high or formal, neutral, informal? Does the novelist employ slang(faddish words)? Colloquialisms (nonstandard regional ways of using language(like someone from Boston asking where you “paah-ked yeh caaah”)? Jargon (language associated with a particular trade)? Dialect (think Tom Sawyer)? Is the language plain? Flowery? Concise? Vulgar? Dense? Elevated? Select a passage that illustrates your observations and discuss this passage directly.

10. TONE: What is the author’s attitude towards the subject of the novel? Discuss how the author creates the tone you identified through a variety of vehicles including plot, characterization, setting, and anything else that contributes to tone. Use specific text examples to support your findings.

11. TITLE: Why is this title so appropriate for the novel? Does it have literal or symbolic significance? Does it actually appear in the novel, and if so, what is the situation? Is the title an allusion, and if so, why would the title include this allusion? Does the title implicitly connect to the theme of the work?

12. MEMORABLE QUOTE: Choose and type out one quotation that you believe to be significant or noteworthy. Please explain your choice. Is it an especially moving moment? Is it especially well-written? Why does this quote stand out for you?

13. PERSONAL RESPONSE: What did you enjoy about the novel and why? What did you not enjoy about the novel and why? Are you eager to read another novel by this author? Would you recommend this novel to a friend? Make a case for either adding the novel to the AP curriculum, or give reasons why it should not be a part of this course.




In order to prepare you to write the above - you'll need to keep a dialectical journal of these that you find interesting.  If you don't know what a dialectical journal is - I'll explain:

Effective students have a habit of taking notes as they read. This note-taking can several forms: annotation, post it notes, character lists, idea clusters, and many others. One of the most effective strategies is called a dialectical journal. The word “dialectical” has numerous meanings, but the one most pertinent is the “art of critical examination into the truth of an opinion” or reworded “The art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation involving question and answer.” As you read, you are forming an opinion about what you are reading (or at least you are SUPPOSED to be forming an opinion). That opinion, however, needs to be based on the text – not just a feeling. Therefore, all of your opinions need to be based on the text.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Either in your textbook or in a spiral notebook and draw a line down the center of each page of the notebook or on your computer. NOTE: I expect you to publish these journal entries on your blogs nightly and number them as you go.

2. As you read, pay close attention to the text.

3. Whenever you encounter something of interest (this could be anything from an interesting turn of phrase to a character note), write down the word/phrase in the LEFT HAND COLUMN making sure that you NOTE THE PAGE NUMBER. If the phrase is especially long just write the first few words, use an ellipsis, then write the last few words.

4. In the RIGHT HAND COLUMN, WRITE YOUR OBSEVRATIONS ABOUT THE TEXT you noted in the left-hand column. This is where you need to interact in detail with the text. Make sure that your observations are THOROUGH, INSIGHTFUL, and FOCUSED CLEARLY ON THE TEXT.

Requirements:

1) For The English Patient you will need to complete a MINIMUM of 55 entries if you wish to be eligible for an “A”. 35 is the minimum for a passing grade. Make sure you number your entries.
2) A completed dialectical journal should be brought to class each day a reading assignment is due. 

When should you write things down?
• When certain details seem important to you
• When you have an epiphany
• When you learn something significant about a character
• When you recognize a pattern (overlapping images, repetitions of idea, details, etc.)
• When you agree or disagree with something a character says
• When you find an interesting or potentially significant quote.
• When you notice something important or relevant about the writer’s style.
• When you notice effective uses of literary devices.
• When you notice something that makes you think of a question

That is all there is to it. This way, once you have read your text you will already have a great set of notes on which to draw when you write your paper. You also should have gained a great deal of insight about your particular text.



Grading (based on 55 entries, if you have 45 entries an A= B, B= C, 35 entries A=C)

A—Detailed, meaningful passages, plot and quote selections; thoughtful interpretation and commentary about the text; includes comments about literary elements (like theme, diction, imagery, syntax, symbolism, etc.) and how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text; asks thought-provoking, insightful questions; coverage of text is complete and thorough; journal is neat, organized, numbered and readable.
B—Less detailed, but good selections; some intelligent commentary about the text; includes some comments about literary elements (like theme, diction, imagery, syntax, symbolism, etc.) but less than how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text; asks some thought-provoking, insightful questions; coverage of the text is complete and thorough; journal is neat, organized, numbered and readable.
C—A few good details about the text; most of the commentary is vague, unsupported or plot summary/paraphrase; some listing of literary elements, but perhaps inadequate discussion, but not very thoroughly; journal is relatively neat.
D—Hardly any good or meaningful details from the story; notes are plot summary or paraphrase; few literary elements, virtually no discussion on meaning; no good questions; limited coverage of text, and/or too short.   

Reading Schedule:

10/11 page 27
10/15 page 48
10/16 page 69
10/17 page 131
10/21 page 147
10/22 page 159
10/23 page 179
10/24 page 205
10/25 page 227
11/4 page 248
11/5 page 263
11/6 page 282
11/7 FINISHED
11/8 Dialectical Journals FINISHED

THEMES to think about or consider:

* The Effects of War
* Identity (Do any of these people completely know who they are?)
* The Power of Stories/The Power of Words
* Colonialism/Imperialism
* What does it mean to be human?  What will a person do for their passions?
* The destructive nature of WWII
* Connections between people during stressful times 
* Racism - West vs East

CHARACTERS:

Hana (a nurse)
Caravaggio (a former thief put in the secret service)
Kip (an Indian sapper who defuses bombs for the English Army)
The English Patient (?)

Setting - Italy, 1944/1945

What do you need to know about Italy during WWII?  What do you get from the title?  Do you see any allusions?  

Michael Ondaatje was born in 1943 in Sri Lanka, moved to England in 1954, and then to Canada in 1962.

"Never again will a story be told as if it were only one" - This is one of Ondaatje's favorite quotes.
It is a moral imperative, isn’t it? Especially in current western politics, which seems so determined to cancel the multiplicity of viewpoints from all over the world, or at least to pretend that they don’t exist.  (this is from a recent interview with Ondaatje) and this is  - in part - what the novel is about.

 

The English Patient has been translated into 38 languages.  It is the book that established Michael Ondaatje.  

Dialectical Journals:

(From Adalia)

Journal 2 : Setting and Allusions (Chapter 1)

There are many important and underlying messages to be found within the house as well as the overall setting that the characters find themselves in in the beginning of the book. The house number - 124 - for example, is missing a 3, which may represent how Sethe’s third child was killed while the others remain living (in one way/place or another). The house itself is a representation of the third child - Beloved - who haunts it. The place is described as having a heavy, sad energy to it, and there is little to no color in or around the place. The house, although on a road referencing color (Bluestone Road) is gray and white. This may be a subtle nod to the colors of the two apposing armies in the Civil War - grey for the Confederacy, and white for the Union, which brings to attention the symbol of slavery and its effects, setting up the theme to appear repeatedly throughout the rest of the novel (for reference, the novel takes place in 1873, and the Civil War was from 1861-1865 with slavery being abolished legally in 1865). The name “Bluestone Road” may also represent water, or a river, again tying to themes of slavery and freedom. The story as a whole takes place in Cincinnati, Ohio, across the river from Kentucky - yet another nod to the conflicts of the Civil War and of slavery. The Ohio River in itself is a symbol for freedom and slavery as many slaves used it to escape from their servitude into free states such as Ohio. 

Ohio isn’t the only setting in the first chapter. As Sethe reminisces on her past, we’re taken to the Sweet Home plantation in Kentucky - again, across the river from Ohio and in a slave state - where Sethe used to live and work with five other men: Paul D. Garner, Paul F. Garner, Paul A, Garner, Halle Suggs, and Sixo. The plantation again brings to attention themes of slavery. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

Journal 3: Color (Chapters 1-5)

Color plays an interesting role in the lives of the characters in the novel, particularly with Baby Suggs and Beloved. In Chapter 1, which is told primarily from Sethe’s point of view, Baby Suggs repeatedly asks for more color in the room, something which Sethe doesn’t really understand. “Bring a little lavender in, if you got any. Pink, if you don’t (pg. 4).” she requests in the first chapter. In this chapter, pink is also tied to Beloved’s gravestone as Sethe notices the chips in her grave as the engraver works. Lavender, in a general sense, represents healing, cleansing, or calmness, reflecting the grandmother’s state in her old age. Color takes on a different meaning with the introduction of Paul D. as the chapter continues. When he first enters the house, he notes seeing “a pool of red and undulating [shifting] light that locked him where he stood (pg. 10).” This, in reference to Sethe’s killing of Beloved, could represent the bloodshed that occurred at the house. It also reinforces the heavy and almost angry feeling that the house holds. Thus far, warm tones (red and pink) have been used to represent and reinforce Beloved and her influence.

Sethe becomes conscious of this in Chapter 3, after Paul D. moves in, as she realizes how colorless and drab the house is, both inside and out. She notes, on page 46, that she must have been deliberately ignoring the lack of color “...because the last color she remembered was the pink chips in the headstone of her baby girl.” and on page 47 that “It was as though one day she saw red baby blood, another day the pink gravestone chips, and that was the last of it.” From this perspective, it’s almost as though her forgetting or losing of color in her life is representing by the fading of red to pink and finally to nothing.

With the return (or coming in general) of Beloved as a person in Chapter 5, Sethe begins to see color again, starting with the orange squares on the quilt in Baby Suggs’ bedroom where Beloved is staying. Beloved too seems enamored with the color, and is described as being “...totally taken with those faded scraps of orange (pg. 65),” so much so that Sethe adjusts the blanket for her to see it better.

(From Zoe)

Chapter One

The fog in "Bleak House" represents the ineffectiveness and lack of integrity in the Court of Chancery. Though the fog is literal in the way that the weather is bad and how London appears to be very gloom and doom, it is also a metaphor for the "fogginess" of the Justice system; more specifically, the lack of clarity the case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce has, since the founders of the case have long since passed, and now it sits on the shoulders of their grandchildren.

Chapter Two

This chapter is about the introduction of Lady Dedlock and the going-ons in her life. They also introduce a character named Mr. Tulkinghorn, who is very scary in the way that he knows everyone's secrets. During chapter two,  Lady Dedlock faints when she sees the handwriting on one of the documents Mr. Tulkinghorn brings to her. This could be a foreshadow to something relevant in the J&J case because back then, everything was handwritten so you got to know everyone's individual style- especially that of your loved ones. This foreshadows a connection between this frivolous character and someone mentioned in the telling of Esther's life.

Chapter Three

A bit of irony abounds with the introduction of one of the dueling narrators- Esther Summerson. I think it's interesting that Dicken's chose a self-depricating, humble, kind girl as a main character, considering she doesn't have the personality of someone who would even dream of talking about her experiences. In my opinion, he created a very biased character (thinking the best of everybody and their actions) which may come in handy later in the story.

Friday

 Today we will be discussing the English Patient

 

Thursday

 Today we will discuss what you know from part V of The Waste Lands and look at the study guide for your poetry test. We will also discuss AP classroom and The English Patient.

 


POETRY TEST: THINGS TO KNOW


Forms:
Structure, line breaks, how the poem looks, rhyme and rhythm and how it is created
Blues, Sestina, Villanelle, Pantoum, Sonnet (English, Italian), quatrain, tercets, couplets, litany.

Poems:
“Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” “Home Burial” “ “The Flea” “My Last Duchess” “The Waste land” “To His Coy Mistress”,  “Nani” “The Colonel” “One Art” “Fern Hill” “The Waking” “My Mistress’ Eyes” “The Second Coming” 

The English Patient - ASSIGNMENT
(This assignment should equal about 20 pages)

This particular writing project requires you to read and write an in depth style analysis of a challenging work of literary merit. Due to the independent nature of the project, you will need to be vigilant in completing all of the tasks required because I will not be reminding you every week to work on this. There are two parts to this assignment. First, there is a dialectical journal you must keep while reading your novel (the guidelines for that journal will be provided separately) . Second, you must complete all of the sections detailed in this document.

For this project, you need to write about each of the areas below. For the sake of clarity and organization, please make sure that each of your sections has the proper heading, and that the sections are dealt with in the order in which they are listed on this assignment sheet. Due to the nature of this research paper you do not need to provide transitions between the different sections, you merely need to provide the heading. This assignment must be typed, with a standard 12 point Times New Roman font, and 1.5 spaced. The cover sheet should contain your name, class period, and date submitted. All of the standards for proper conventions are expected. A paper that has a distracting number of errors will only be eligible to receive a “C” or lower.

Each section has a series of questions that are meant to stimulate your thinking and writing. They are not intended to be answered in order, but instead are intended merely to act as a guide for your analysis.

One last important note: FOR EACH SECTION, make sure that you connect your commentary both to DIRECT TEXT EXAMPLES (always cited with the correct page number!) as well as to the NOVEL AS A WHOLE. Only papers that accomplish this will receive an “A” grade.

1. THE AUTHOR AND HER/HIS TIMES: Biographical and historical information pertinent to the novel. What important family, community, national, and world events helped inform this material? Do not provide an exhaustive biography; merely provide those details that can be directly linked to the novel in a manner that is convincing. This is one of the few sections that will require some outside research, so please remember to cite your source(s).

2. FORM/STRUCTURE, PLOT: How is the novel organized and what techniques are used? Discuss techniques such as sequencing, multiple, complex, or simple plot, foreshadowing, chapter choices. Then, provide a BRIEF outline of the events of the plot (no more than 200 words). For some modern novels, the plot may be difficult to describe succinctly – but try to do it anyway. When you discuss structure, remember that you need to discuss the effect of the intentional internal arrangement of parts.

3. POINT OF VIEW/ PERSPECTIVE: From what vantage point does the reader receive the information? Is the perspective reliable, or is it highly subjective? How are important ideas received? Is there an agenda that the narrator seems to have, either consciously or subconsciously? Does the perspective shift, and if so, to what end? Are characters explicit in their dialog, or does on omniscient narrator fill the reader in concerning the larger issues? Why is the perspective used particularly effective for this novel?

4. CHARACTER: Are each of the characters highly developed, or is most of the writing devoted to one character? Do you learn about them through what is not included in the text? How is character revealed for the most part? Is through what they say? What they do? What they wear? What they think? The people with whom they associate? What the narrator says about them? How complex are the people that you meet? Describe the central characters including what you find out about their names, ages, physical descriptions, personalities, functions in the novel – in other words, the responses to the questions asked in the preceding sentence. Also include one short quotation that reveals their character, and explain why the quote reveals character.


5. SETTING: Where and when does the novel occur? How many locations are described? Are there connections between the setting(s) and character(s)? How is the atmosphere described? Are there any important settings that contrast or parallel each other? Why is this setting so effective in supporting the ideas in the novel as a whole? Conversely, if the setting is ambiguous, what details seem most important and what is the effect of the ambiguity? Why is this story best told in this setting? When discussing setting, remember that it does not only mean the geographical location (topography, scenery) but also the cultural backdrop, social context, and the artificial environment (rooms, buildings, cities, towns) as well.

6. THEME: Identify one major theme (a central or controlling idea) and explicate the theme using specific moments from the text, either paraphrased or directly quoted. What is the abstract concept being addressed and what is the evaluation of that concept through the text? Are there any “universal” truths are revealed, supported, or challenged by this theme? Be aware that a theme cannot be expressed in a single word, and with complex works of literary merit the elucidation of a theme requires a full paragraph or more. Also note that the theme is rarely stated explicitly, but rather is implicit. Remember that a theme has TWO (2) PARTS: An abstract concept AND the author’s commentary on or evaluation of that concept through the text.

7. CRITICAL REVIEW: Find one critical review (not a Cliffs Notes or similar source) of you novel and offer your opinion of the critic’s analysis in two or three paragraphs. Attach a copy of the critical review to your paper, and cite it directly. When expressing your response to the review, be specific in your discussion. If you agree, then explain why and carry the argument beyond what the critic pointed out. If you disagree, provide support for your position from the text.

8. DICTION: Analyze the novelist’s word choice. Is the language high or formal, neutral, informal? Does the novelist employ slang(faddish words)? Colloquialisms (nonstandard regional ways of using language(like someone from Boston asking where you “paah-ked yeh caaah”)? Jargon (language associated with a particular trade)? Dialect (think Tom Sawyer)? Is the language plain? Flowery? Concise? Vulgar? Dense? Elevated? Select a passage that illustrates your observations and discuss this passage directly.

10. TONE: What is the author’s attitude towards the subject of the novel? Discuss how the author creates the tone you identified through a variety of vehicles including plot, characterization, setting, and anything else that contributes to tone. Use specific text examples to support your findings.

11. TITLE: Why is this title so appropriate for the novel? Does it have literal or symbolic significance? Does it actually appear in the novel, and if so, what is the situation? Is the title an allusion, and if so, why would the title include this allusion? Does the title implicitly connect to the theme of the work?

12. MEMORABLE QUOTE: Choose and type out one quotation that you believe to be significant or noteworthy. Please explain your choice. Is it an especially moving moment? Is it especially well-written? Why does this quote stand out for you?

13. PERSONAL RESPONSE: What did you enjoy about the novel and why? What did you not enjoy about the novel and why? Are you eager to read another novel by this author? Would you recommend this novel to a friend? Make a case for either adding the novel to the AP curriculum, or give reasons why it should not be a part of this course.




In order to prepare you to write the above - you'll need to keep a dialectical journal of these that you find interesting.  If you don't know what a dialectical journal is - I'll explain:

Effective students have a habit of taking notes as they read. This note-taking can several forms: annotation, post it notes, character lists, idea clusters, and many others. One of the most effective strategies is called a dialectical journal. The word “dialectical” has numerous meanings, but the one most pertinent is the “art of critical examination into the truth of an opinion” or reworded “The art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation involving question and answer.” As you read, you are forming an opinion about what you are reading (or at least you are SUPPOSED to be forming an opinion). That opinion, however, needs to be based on the text – not just a feeling. Therefore, all of your opinions need to be based on the text.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Either in your textbook or in a spiral notebook and draw a line down the center of each page of the notebook or on your computer. NOTE: I expect you to publish these journal entries on your blogs nightly and number them as you go.

2. As you read, pay close attention to the text.

3. Whenever you encounter something of interest (this could be anything from an interesting turn of phrase to a character note), write down the word/phrase in the LEFT HAND COLUMN making sure that you NOTE THE PAGE NUMBER. If the phrase is especially long just write the first few words, use an ellipsis, then write the last few words.

4. In the RIGHT HAND COLUMN, WRITE YOUR OBSEVRATIONS ABOUT THE TEXT you noted in the left-hand column. This is where you need to interact in detail with the text. Make sure that your observations are THOROUGH, INSIGHTFUL, and FOCUSED CLEARLY ON THE TEXT.

Requirements:

1) For The English Patient you will need to complete a MINIMUM of 55 entries if you wish to be eligible for an “A”. 35 is the minimum for a passing grade. Make sure you number your entries.
2) A completed dialectical journal should be brought to class each day a reading assignment is due. 

When should you write things down?
• When certain details seem important to you
• When you have an epiphany
• When you learn something significant about a character
• When you recognize a pattern (overlapping images, repetitions of idea, details, etc.)
• When you agree or disagree with something a character says
• When you find an interesting or potentially significant quote.
• When you notice something important or relevant about the writer’s style.
• When you notice effective uses of literary devices.
• When you notice something that makes you think of a question

That is all there is to it. This way, once you have read your text you will already have a great set of notes on which to draw when you write your paper. You also should have gained a great deal of insight about your particular text.



Grading (based on 55 entries, if you have 45 entries an A= B, B= C, 35 entries A=C)

A—Detailed, meaningful passages, plot and quote selections; thoughtful interpretation and commentary about the text; includes comments about literary elements (like theme, diction, imagery, syntax, symbolism, etc.) and how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text; asks thought-provoking, insightful questions; coverage of text is complete and thorough; journal is neat, organized, numbered and readable.
B—Less detailed, but good selections; some intelligent commentary about the text; includes some comments about literary elements (like theme, diction, imagery, syntax, symbolism, etc.) but less than how these elements contribute to the meaning of the text; asks some thought-provoking, insightful questions; coverage of the text is complete and thorough; journal is neat, organized, numbered and readable.
C—A few good details about the text; most of the commentary is vague, unsupported or plot summary/paraphrase; some listing of literary elements, but perhaps inadequate discussion, but not very thoroughly; journal is relatively neat.
D—Hardly any good or meaningful details from the story; notes are plot summary or paraphrase; few literary elements, virtually no discussion on meaning; no good questions; limited coverage of text, and/or too short.   

Reading Schedule:

10/11 page 27
10/15 page 48
10/16 page 69
10/17 page 131
10/21 page 147
10/22 page 159
10/23 page 179
10/24 page 205
10/25 page 227
11/4 page 248
11/5 page 263
11/6 page 282
11/7 FINISHED
11/8 Dialectical Journals FINISHED

THEMES to think about or consider:

* The Effects of War
* Identity (Do any of these people completely know who they are?)
* The Power of Stories/The Power of Words
* Colonialism/Imperialism
* What does it mean to be human?  What will a person do for their passions?
* The destructive nature of WWII
* Connections between people during stressful times 
* Racism - West vs East

CHARACTERS:

Hana (a nurse)
Caravaggio (a former thief put in the secret service)
Kip (an Indian sapper who defuses bombs for the English Army)
The English Patient (?)

Setting - Italy, 1944/1945

What do you need to know about Italy during WWII?  What do you get from the title?  Do you see any allusions?  

Michael Ondaatje was born in 1943 in Sri Lanka, moved to England in 1954, and then to Canada in 1962.

"Never again will a story be told as if it were only one" - This is one of Ondaatje's favorite quotes.
It is a moral imperative, isn’t it? Especially in current western politics, which seems so determined to cancel the multiplicity of viewpoints from all over the world, or at least to pretend that they don’t exist.  (this is from a recent interview with Ondaatje) and this is  - in part - what the novel is about.

 

The English Patient has been translated into 38 languages.  It is the book that established Michael Ondaatje.  

Dialectical Journals:

(From Adalia)

Journal 2 : Setting and Allusions (Chapter 1)

There are many important and underlying messages to be found within the house as well as the overall setting that the characters find themselves in in the beginning of the book. The house number - 124 - for example, is missing a 3, which may represent how Sethe’s third child was killed while the others remain living (in one way/place or another). The house itself is a representation of the third child - Beloved - who haunts it. The place is described as having a heavy, sad energy to it, and there is little to no color in or around the place. The house, although on a road referencing color (Bluestone Road) is gray and white. This may be a subtle nod to the colors of the two apposing armies in the Civil War - grey for the Confederacy, and white for the Union, which brings to attention the symbol of slavery and its effects, setting up the theme to appear repeatedly throughout the rest of the novel (for reference, the novel takes place in 1873, and the Civil War was from 1861-1865 with slavery being abolished legally in 1865). The name “Bluestone Road” may also represent water, or a river, again tying to themes of slavery and freedom. The story as a whole takes place in Cincinnati, Ohio, across the river from Kentucky - yet another nod to the conflicts of the Civil War and of slavery. The Ohio River in itself is a symbol for freedom and slavery as many slaves used it to escape from their servitude into free states such as Ohio. 

Ohio isn’t the only setting in the first chapter. As Sethe reminisces on her past, we’re taken to the Sweet Home plantation in Kentucky - again, across the river from Ohio and in a slave state - where Sethe used to live and work with five other men: Paul D. Garner, Paul F. Garner, Paul A, Garner, Halle Suggs, and Sixo. The plantation again brings to attention themes of slavery. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

Journal 3: Color (Chapters 1-5)

Color plays an interesting role in the lives of the characters in the novel, particularly with Baby Suggs and Beloved. In Chapter 1, which is told primarily from Sethe’s point of view, Baby Suggs repeatedly asks for more color in the room, something which Sethe doesn’t really understand. “Bring a little lavender in, if you got any. Pink, if you don’t (pg. 4).” she requests in the first chapter. In this chapter, pink is also tied to Beloved’s gravestone as Sethe notices the chips in her grave as the engraver works. Lavender, in a general sense, represents healing, cleansing, or calmness, reflecting the grandmother’s state in her old age. Color takes on a different meaning with the introduction of Paul D. as the chapter continues. When he first enters the house, he notes seeing “a pool of red and undulating [shifting] light that locked him where he stood (pg. 10).” This, in reference to Sethe’s killing of Beloved, could represent the bloodshed that occurred at the house. It also reinforces the heavy and almost angry feeling that the house holds. Thus far, warm tones (red and pink) have been used to represent and reinforce Beloved and her influence.

Sethe becomes conscious of this in Chapter 3, after Paul D. moves in, as she realizes how colorless and drab the house is, both inside and out. She notes, on page 46, that she must have been deliberately ignoring the lack of color “...because the last color she remembered was the pink chips in the headstone of her baby girl.” and on page 47 that “It was as though one day she saw red baby blood, another day the pink gravestone chips, and that was the last of it.” From this perspective, it’s almost as though her forgetting or losing of color in her life is representing by the fading of red to pink and finally to nothing.

With the return (or coming in general) of Beloved as a person in Chapter 5, Sethe begins to see color again, starting with the orange squares on the quilt in Baby Suggs’ bedroom where Beloved is staying. Beloved too seems enamored with the color, and is described as being “...totally taken with those faded scraps of orange (pg. 65),” so much so that Sethe adjusts the blanket for her to see it better.

(From Zoe)

Chapter One

The fog in "Bleak House" represents the ineffectiveness and lack of integrity in the Court of Chancery. Though the fog is literal in the way that the weather is bad and how London appears to be very gloom and doom, it is also a metaphor for the "fogginess" of the Justice system; more specifically, the lack of clarity the case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce has, since the founders of the case have long since passed, and now it sits on the shoulders of their grandchildren.

Chapter Two

This chapter is about the introduction of Lady Dedlock and the going-ons in her life. They also introduce a character named Mr. Tulkinghorn, who is very scary in the way that he knows everyone's secrets. During chapter two,  Lady Dedlock faints when she sees the handwriting on one of the documents Mr. Tulkinghorn brings to her. This could be a foreshadow to something relevant in the J&J case because back then, everything was handwritten so you got to know everyone's individual style- especially that of your loved ones. This foreshadows a connection between this frivolous character and someone mentioned in the telling of Esther's life.

Chapter Three

A bit of irony abounds with the introduction of one of the dueling narrators- Esther Summerson. I think it's interesting that Dicken's chose a self-depricating, humble, kind girl as a main character, considering she doesn't have the personality of someone who would even dream of talking about her experiences. In my opinion, he created a very biased character (thinking the best of everybody and their actions) which may come in handy later in the story.

Tuesday

 Today, we will finish reading The Waste Lands (not finished with discussing it). We will also pick out the book you will read for your BIG project.

HW: AP Classroom

https://theworld.com/~raparker/exploring/thewasteland/table/explore6.html

Wasteland V:

"What the Thunder Said"

Refers to a Hindu text: The Upanishad.
Other allusions in this section: Bible - New Testament (Matthew, Mark, John). Holy Grail Legend, Shakespeare and the Roman General Coriolanus.

Return to the Desert. The Falling of Cities. The Drying up of Rivers. The lack of rebirth?

This is a HARD Section and yet it ends the poem. What is going on here. What are the connections to the other sections?

Here are some sites that might help: Modernism and The Waste Land and some general notes on the entire poem

 

 "The Waste Lands" - go here:

https://theworld.com/~raparker/exploring/thewasteland/table/explore5.html

PART IV and V- FROM GOOGIE and RORI with LOVE

The Waste Land; Part 4 Death By Water

"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water" Loran Eisely (1907-1977)

The fourth section of Eliot's poem "The Waste Land", although the shortest, could possibly be the most important part, because it contains the turn. The major theme of this section is the importance of water. The poem shifts from a lack of water to "Death by Water", which is ironic because water is the root of life.

"Death By Water" is set up into three tercets with a total of nine lines. The number three in this structure is very significant. In Christianity the number three represents Trinity (creator, redeemer, sustainer), which reinforces the idea of resurrection. In the Hindu religion the number three symbolizes; creation, destruction and preservation, or; unfolding, maintaining, and concluding, this reconnects to the major theme of life and death. The form of the poem also represents a wave which goes back to the theme of water, "Phlebas" is drowning, and as it is happening "He passed the stages of his age and youth", but it is uncertain whether or not he is dead. How can a person surrounded by so much life be dead? Above ground if you are dead, you are actually dead because the land is dead.

The underwater "living dead" represents hope in "The Waste Land". Water is the key to recreating, and rejuvenating the land, and the people on it. As mentioned in earlier sections, Spring is the time of year when the rain begins to fall and things are able to grow. The spring, and the growing of nature, also symbolizes the youth, and the blossoming, and prime of a younger persons life. As your dying, those are the days that you remember. Without this hope, or youth, several people become lost, as you age your worth just becomes less and less. This whole concept goes right back to Sybil, eternal life without eternal youth, is almost, if not worse than death.

"Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead,
Forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep sea swell
And the profit and loss."

Madame and Sosostris, in section one, pulled a card that showed "the drowned Phoenician Sailor". The sailor is a motif for greed, and for the theme of water itself. As he ages, his significance begins to lessen, which means his time has come. But is he really dead?

The simple hope in this poem is life, water is the root of life, which makes water the key to reestablishing life on land. The irony lies within the fact that the smallest section of the poem, is the turning point, the part the allows the readers to completely understand what this poem is truly about.

FROM RORI:

Section 5: Summary: What the Thunder Said

     The final section of the Waste Land is about hope and resurrection. In the first paragraph there is an allusion to a Garden – Gethsemane – the garden that Jesus was in when the Roman soldiers took him away to be crucified.  This refers from the time before he was crucified to after it.      The next few paragraph backs up idea of wasteland and the title of the entire poem. “Here is no water but only rock, rock and no water and the sandy road…” there’s no water which means there’s no life. Where the ‘sweat is dry’  you won’t find water. The mountains are dead because nothing can grow, nothing can blossom or sustain without water. “If there were water and no rock if there were rock and also water and water a spring a pool among the rock…”  The idea if there was water there would be hope. Wanting to only wanting to hear the sound of water, they didn’t want to hear the ‘cicada’ or grasshopper or the ‘dry grass singing’. But if there were water, there would actually be grasshoppers to chirp and the grass would no longer be dry. However, “there is no water.”  
     “Who is the third who walks always beside you?....gliding wrapt in a brown mantle, hooded I do not know whether a mon or a woman…” this is an allusion to the bible, 2413 after crucification, burial, and resurrection. People are walking and when Jesus approaches he makes it so the people don’t recognize him. The people invite him into town, Emmaus, and sit down and eat and split bread. When the people finally realize that Jesus was present he disappears.
     Jerusalem, Athens, Alexandria, Vienna, London(/Unreal) are major cities in Europe that are morally sacked culture capitals. (SITE – see comment) “The list plots out the course of Western civilization, from its origins in classical and biblical cultures to its modern European efflorescence. As with so much of the poem, Eliot is being cryptic, particularly in his choice of the two modern cities. One can understand London: the cradle of democracy and the rule of law. But Vienna? Is there a hint in that choice of a civilization gone to seed, a place of elegance and opulence, yes, but a falling off from the human search for the order of the soul and the order of the common wealth? And does London, by its place on the sequence, also exist the downward slope of cultural history?”
     “The woman drew her long black hair out tight” - this woman refers to Cleopatra. Cleopatra relates to the failed relationships in section 2 which correlates with the countries relationships. After WWI a lot of valuable relationships and allies had been ruined, and Germany, the country that ended up basically fucked, was given the Treaty of Versailles. They had to accept the blame for all the loss and damage of the war.  
     “In this decayed hole among the mountains,” the grassy mountains obviously means had life, which means it had water! The grass sings because it’s revitalized and alive. The chapel is an allusion to King Arthur. One of king Arthurs knights went to find the Holy Grail in a chapel. The rooster cry is an allusion to the bible – it’s an allusion to Peter’s denial of Jesus – Jesus says that Peter will deny Jesus three times before the rooster cries. When Peter is asked if he knows of Jesus he says no three times, denying God. He later figures out what he did and is very remorseful. “Bringing rain” means BRINGING HOPE.
     Ganga refers to the Granges river in South India, and rivers mean water, and water means LIFE!  
      Datta means GIVE, Dayadhyam means SYMPATHIZE, and Damyata means CONTROL. The three D words refer to the creator of god in the Hindu religion, and they all make a sound that is similar to that which a thunder would make (thunder sometimes brings rain.) The creator of God says three things that instruct the lesser gods to (1) give things despite their nature cheapness, and (2) control their rowdy behaviors. The third is that he tells the demons to sympathize.
     “I have heard the key turn in the door once and turn only once,” refers to Dante’s inferno, which Count Ugolino starves to death after being locked in a tower for treason. “Broken Coriolanus” is a Roman character in a Shakespeare play who turned his back on his country. Both Count Ugolino and Coriolanus are examples of outcasts.
     The final stanza of the poem has Italian which alludes to Dante’s inferno. The Fisher King sat upon the shore and fished. We learn that he has the Holy Grail all along, but because he’s wounded, he can’t use the powers of it to revitalize the land. The purpose of the grail is to keep the land alive.  The allusion to the song London Bridge is all about WW1 where London was left in chaos and in a waste land. Shantih is an onomatopoeia that’s supposed to sound like rain. It’s supposed to bring hope. The poem ends in an uplifting way that is different than much of the poem. It ends with giving us hope that everything will work out.

 

 

Monday

 We will continue with the discussion of part 3 of "The Waste Land". 

HW: Write a short explication (take no more than 40 minutes) on part 2.

The title is suppose to be a reference to Buddha.

There are a lot of links in this section to previous sections. See if you can find them.

Allusions:

To His Coy Mistress (we read yesterday - find)

TIRESIAS - appears in both Oedipus Rex and The Odyssey. He can see the future. Relate him to the fortune teller in section 1.

Tempest - remember there is a ship wreck in the Tempest.

St. Augustine.

WWI

There are also songs in this section and the nightingale chirps with the reinforcement of rape (which is one way of looking at the relationship seen by Tiresias)


NOTES:

Mrs. Porter ran a brothel in Cairo and was well known to Aussie troops (important because Gallipoli was where Eliot lost a good friend).

Smyrna = Izmir (an ancient town in Turkey)


Elizabeth I and Earl of Leicester were thought to have an affair (even through Elizabeth had to deny it because she was suppose to be a virgin and reserve herself for royalty of other nations)

The City (LONDON) in this section is a dump - made so in part by a coal plant.



The Fire Sermon
(Aditta-pariyaya-sutta)

Thus I heard. On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Gaya, at Gayasisa, together with a thousand bhikkhus. There he addressed the bhikkhus.

"Bhikkhus, all is burning. And what is the all that is burning?

"The eye is burning, forms are burning, eye-consciousness is burning, eye-contact is burning, also whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion. I say it is burning with birth, aging and death, with sorrows, with lamentations, with pains, with griefs, with despairs.

"The ear is burning, sounds are burning...

"The nose is burning, odors are burning...

"The tongue is burning, flavors are burning...

"The body is burning, tangibles are burning...

"The mind is burning, ideas are burning, mind-consciousness is burning, mind-contact is burning, also whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with mind-contact for its indispensable condition, that too is burning. Burning with what? Burning with the fire of lust, with the fire of hate, with the fire of delusion. I say it is burning with birth, aging and death, with sorrows, with lamentations, with pains, with griefs, with despairs.

"Bhikkhus, when a noble follower who has heard (the truth) sees thus, he finds estrangement in the eye, finds estrangement in forms, finds estrangement in eye-consciousness, finds estrangement in eye-contact, and whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful- nor-pleasant that arises with eye-contact for its indispensable condition, in that too he finds estrangement.

"He finds estrangement in the ear... in sounds...

"He finds estrangement in the nose... in odors...

"He finds estrangement in the tongue... in flavors...

"He finds estrangement in the body... in tangibles...

"He finds estrangement in the mind, finds estrangement in ideas, finds estrangement in mind-consciousness, finds estrangement in mind-contact, and whatever is felt as pleasant or painful or neither-painful-nor-pleasant that arises with mind-contact for its indispensable condition, in that too he finds estrangement.

"When he finds estrangement, passion fades out. With the fading of passion, he is liberated. When liberated, there is knowledge that he is liberated. He understands: 'Birth is exhausted, the holy life has been lived out, what can be done is done, of this there is no more beyond.'"

That is what the Blessed One said. The bhikkhus were glad, and they approved his words.

Now during his utterance, the hearts of those thousand bhikkhus were liberated from taints through clinging no more.

Go here for a radio program on the Fisher King

Here is a link to an essay on the Fisher King in "The Waste Land".

The following is from the University of Idaho student research project on the Fisher King:

THE WASTE LAND: The concept of physical sterility carrying over into other spheres of life was an appealing objective correlative for poets in the wake of the first World War (used most effectively by T.S. Eliot to symbolize social and moral decay). But the intimate relationship existing between a monarch and his provinces probably relates back to a pagan strand from much earlier times. The waste land ultimately springs from an old Celtic belief in which the fertility of the land depended on the potency and virility of the king; the king was in essence espoused to his lands. In his comprehensive study, The Golden Bough, J. G. Fraser identifies a similar ritual in various cultures the world round. "The king's life or spirit is so sympathetically bound up with the prosperity of the whole country," he writes, "that if he fell ill or grew senile the cattle would sicken or cease to multiply, the crops would rot in the fields, and men would perish of widespread disease." Such is the case in the Grail legends as well. The woes of the land are the direct result of the sickness or the maiming of the Fisher King. When his power wanes, the country is laid waste and the soil is rendered sterile: the trees are without fruit, the crops fail to grow, even the women are unable to bear children. To suggest that the waste land functions at the very heart of the problem seems a gross understatement indeed. Once again, Weston takes the matter one step further: "In the Grail King we have a romantic literary version of that strange mysterious figure whose presence hovers in the shadowy background of the history of our Aryan race; the figure of a divine or semidivine ruler, at once god and king, upon whose life, and unimpaired vitality, the existence of his land and people directly depends."

In the case of the waste land the solution assumes the form of the questing Grail Knight. He is the one who must ask the loaded question that restores fertility to king and land alike. However, as Cavendish notes, the healing of the Fisher King and his lands is never satisfactorily resolved in the medieval romances that have been handed down:

The tradition of the king as the mate of his land lies behind the Waste Land theme in the Grail legends, but the theme in incoherent and amorphous. The pattern ought to be this: a king is crippled or ill; as a result his land is barren; the hero heal s the king and fertility is restored to the land; probably, the hero's feat shows that he is the rightful heir. There is no Grail story in which this simple and satisfactory pattern appears (nor has any Celtic story survived which contains it). In the First Continuation there is a waste land which is restored, but no crippled or ill king and consequently no healing. In Parzival there is a crippled king who is healed by the hero, but there is no waste land. In Perlesvaus there is an ill king and a waste land, but no healing.

Friday

 Today we are going to discuss AP Classroom and then read part II of the Waste Lands

Zoe Wassman: "I miss poetry!  I love the Waste Land.  I want to marry T.S. Eliot." 

PART II: A Game of Chess

The key to Eliot is usually through his allusions. In this section there are allusions to Shakespeare: Anthony and Cleopatra, The Tempest, and Hamlet.
The Aeneid - story of Dido,
Paradise Lost, Dante's Inferno, and Ovid. Most of these allusions are connected to women.
Example: Cleopatra - a suicide over love. Dido - a suicide over love. Paradise Lost - a seduction by the Devil (or snake). Dante - lustful lovers in Hell. Ovid - a rape of a woman by her brother in-law. Hamlet - Ophelia - a suicide over love.

This section can be read as a contrast of sex and love from the viewpoint of upper and lower classes. The 1st woman, the upper class, has been compared to a female Prufrock.

The title of this section comes from an obscure play that uses chess as a metaphor for stages in seduction. 
How does the title fit into the overarching theme of the section?  What do you make of WWI and trenches?  WWI appears twice in (section 2 and 3).  There is an allusion to Carthage in part 1.  What about all the wars seen/alluded to in this section: WWI, Punic Wars, Roman Civil War - The Battle of Actium, Troy, Norway-Denmark, Revenge in the Tempest.    

JUG - JUG TWIT TWIT

Allusions - Dante's Inferno, Philomela (Metamorphoses by Ovid), Tempest (sea storm), Aeneas (Dido), Hamlet, Anthony and Cleopatra, Carthage, Troy. 

Venus/Aphrodite. 

Who is in Circle Two of Hell (the Lustful) in the Inferno:
Dido, Cleopatra, Helen, Achilles, Paris, Tristan, Lancelot, Guinevere


Remember - Ophelia drowns herself.  Anthony loses a sea battle.  Tempest has a storm that sinks a ship.  Water is a traditional symbol of love.

FIRST PART OF "The Game of Chess" from https://tanzeelafaiz.medium.com/allusions-in-the-wasteland-by-t-c587c790bff4

The title of this part of the poem is from Middleton’s The Game of Chess and the main plot for this part of poem is taken from “Women Beware Women” of the same writer. Its main plot is about the seduction of a young wife by a gallant whose mother in law is enjoying the game of chess. To explain the chair she sat in, Eliot uses the reference from Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra and elaborates its grandeur marvelously. He also uses the reference of Queen Dido of Carthage’s ceiling at this point to explain the setting that is taken from Virgil’s Aeneid.

Afterwards Eliot refers to Milton’s Paradise Lost book IV and explains the entry of gallant in the setting as Milton explains the entry of Satan in the garden of Eden in “Sylvan Scene”. In the very next verse he symbolizes the expected tragedy of the wife with the tragedy of Philomela seduced by her brother in law King Trent in Ovid’s Metamorphosis. At the end of this part he refers to Shakespeare’s line from Hamlet where dying Ophelia bids farewell by saying “good night, sweet ladies, good night, good night”. He again uses Shakespeare’s line of The Tempest “those are pearls that were his eyes” for the seduced wife.

The phrases used by Eliot in this part to explain the crime and spiritually hollow attitude of modern man include English and French terms. He writes French phrase “Jug Jug” to represent the sexual intercourse. The word rat symbolizes the modern man who has entered in the vegetation to spoil it, the one eyed commerce man for the man selling the abortion pills, and dead bones for the man who is spiritually dead.

Thursday

 We are going to discuss your summaries and part 1 of the Waste Land and then move onto reading "Home Burial" by Robert Frost.

HW: AP Questions on AP Classroom.

Wednesday

 Today we are going to discuss Part I of the Waste Lands.

https://theworld.com/~raparker/exploring/thewasteland/table/explore6.html

HW: Write a summary of Part I of the Waste Lands.

Part I: The Burial of the Dead


You should think about breaking this section up into four speakers. Eliot was working with dramatic monologues. You should also think about his allusions in this section:

1) The title to THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER (as for burial services)
2) Allusions to Ezekiel, Ecclesiastes, Isiah
3) Allusions to WWI
4) Allusions to Dante's Inferno
5) Allusions to Tristan and Isolte
6) Walt Whitman
7) Chaucer
8) Drowning
9) Greek Mythology
10) Tarot Cards - and fate
11) Other religions

go here or here
Also think about winter, spring and seasons.

 Part I: The Burial of the Dead


Note here is a summary from SHMOOP:

The Burial of the Dead

It's not the cheeriest of starts, and it gets even drearier from there. The poem's speaker talks about how spring is an awful time of year, stirring up memories of bygone days and unfulfilled desires. Then the poem shifts into specific childhood memories of a woman named Marie. This is followed by a description of tangled, dead trees and land that isn't great for growing stuff. Suddenly, you're in a room with a "clairvoyant" or spiritual medium named Madame Sosostris, who reads you your fortune. And if that weren't enough, you then watch a crowd of people "flow[ing] over London Bridge" like zombies (62). Moving right along… 

 

 

From Zoe Wassman (2013)

Burial of the Dead Summary

            In the first four lines, the mystery narrator is telling the reader about how April is the cruelest month because the earth is trying to grow new plants in dead soil. He says that winter is the best month, which is kind of ironic because usually it’s associated with death, but “Winter kept us warm, covering Earth in forgetful snow…” as the narrator says. The think the speaker is saying it’s better to be numb and forgetful in your emotions and just survive on the small joys in life- as if they were “dried tubers” (a kind of potato). At this point in the poem, the speaker changes to a woman named Marie. She talks about a Hofgarten a couple miles south of Munich, Germany, and how she used to drink coffee and speak to a friend for hours there. She states in German that she is a “real German” suggesting that a real German can come from Lithuania, a controversial topic for the two places. Finally, she begins reminiscing about the joys of childhood and the freedom youth can bring. Aon the last line of the poem, she ends it on a sour note: I read, much of the night, and go south in the winter.” She could be referring to the constraint aging brings, and how she can’t sleep because of the aches and pains, and how she may go south in the winter, like some elderly couples do when they move to Florida.

            The very beginning lines of stanza two are a statement about society made by Eliot: how can we create historical roots in a time period where we can appreciate nothing during the pursuit of knowledge? The first half of the stanza is describing a desert, with red rock, a hot sun, and little to know water, water being a symbol for spirituality. The speaker at this point, no longer the woman from before, states that he will show the reader something different than the shadows he is normally associated with. This is a reference to the lack of good and evil in the poem, meaning there is no hope either way. The shadow striding behind a person could be a symbol of good, like a guardian having your back, and the shadow rising in front of you could represent evil, like a satanic force blocking your path. In the poem, they talk about a completely different shadow, one that isn’t associated with good or evil. After a passage in German, a new speaker arises, introducing herself only as the Hyacinth Girl. The hyacinth flower is a flower commonly placed on graves, which gives her speech a very creepy tone. She talks about a man she feel in love with, and about how when he returned from the Hyacinth garden, her eyes failed and she knew nothing. This is playing off the phrase “Love is Blind”, and the Heart of Light is a statement to the importance of love in the Wasteland they are living in.

            The speaker in the next stanza is talking about a clairvoyant woman, Sosostris. The speaker says that she is the wisest woman on Earth, even though she gets a bad cold every once in awhile, symbolizing the fragility among even the greatest of people. This could also be a statement about our society, and how even the most successful societies have flaws. Sosostris is reading the speaker’s fortune in this scene, and first she pulls the drowned Phoenician Sailor. The Phoenicians were a people who knew their way around a boat- so the cards support the whole “Even the greats’ can fall” theme in this stanza. In the next line, “Those are pearls that were his eyes. Look!” is an allusion to Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” when she is describing how, if a person lies at the bottom of the sea for long enough, their eyes turn to pearls, and since eyes are the windows to the soul, it’s safe to assume that, like the pearls, the persons soul is hardened and dead as well. This supports the aforementioned theme, and an earlier theme about spiritual death; the soul is representing spirituality and society, and the lack there of represents the fall of both. The next card Sosostris pulls is “Belladona” or Beautiful Lady in Italian. “Belladona” isn’t a real tarot card, but the “Lady of Rocks” is, and Sosostris calls the card the lady of situations because she can be both beautiful and dangerous at the same time. Next, she pulls the man with three staves, or the three of wands, the wheel, which symbolizes rapid change, and a blank card that she cannot read. She also says that she cannot find the Hanged Man. The Hanged Man is a card which symbolizes self-sacrifice to restore the lands fertility, and in the first stanza, the lands are infertile and cannot have anything planted in them. Sosostris is saying that she doesn’t see that changing in the future. The next line, “Fear death by water” is also interesting because the lack of water was a running thread in the beginning of stanza two. Does she mean drowning like the drowned Phoenician tarot card? Or by the lack of spiritual identity displayed by not having water to begin with?

The “Unreal City” is London, and this is an allusion to Charles Baudelaire, “Fleurs du Mal”. The city is “unreal” because of the looming smog hovering over the city and the zombie-like population. He says he “had never thought death had undone so many”, which is basically quoting Dante’s Inferno, and he uses this allusion to compare modern life to living in Hell, the unsatisfied people being used to represent the undead. While the crowed “flowed up the hill and down King William Street” the speaker says the bell at Saint Mary Woolnoth, a church, “kept the hours with a dead sound on the final stroke of nine.” T.S. Elliot keeps mentioning death along side religion to represent the death of appreciation toward culture in our modern society. In the next lines, the speaker then sees someone he knows in the crowd –Stetson- and asks him if the corpse he planted in his garden has begun to sprout. This is a reference to the infertility of the land, and how someone would have just as much luck planting a corpse as they would crops. One strange inconsistency in the poem is when the speaker asks his friend if the sudden frost has disturbed [the corpse’s] bed. Why would there be a frost in April? I think this is a mocking question because the speaker clearly thinks winter is better than spring. At the end, the speaker quotes Charles Baudelaire again. He says, You! hypocrite lecteur!—mon semblable—mon frère!"  by calling his friend his “brother”, he is saying that he blames him, himself, and everybody around him for what has happened.