Final Thoughts...

So I guess it's safe to assume that the Winston/Julia, brother/sister theory has been debunked. As icky as it would be for Orwell to go that route, it got you thinking and paying attention to details in the text that could serve as foreshadowing. Even though the theory didn't pan out, you were making some good predictions. Well done you!

Now for some final thoughts....we had a great discussion today in class (Wednesday) and if there were any other comments that needed to be shared, please comment on this post. I've been trying to get to more people more quickly as they raise their hands to contribute and though we've had a few outbursts without hand raising, I think the class is becoming more conscientious.

Here's some food for thought: Has Winston truly accepted the Party? He nearly commits thought crime and is able to crimestop before he strays too far. The last line says he loves Big Brother, but do you feel he truly does? Why or why not?

it's over... =[

So... I'm pretty sure that 1984 has been the best book a teacher has made me read since elementary school's "Chica-chica-boom-boom". I'm actually sad that we finished it. The only thing I wish I could have done differently while reading it was come up with some of the crazy things you guys did! I'm not that creative nor do I think about possible outcomes when I read. I like to be surprised by turns in events. I think we can all agree that this was a pretty great book.

George Orwell - The Prophet?

Someone took a lot of time tearing the book apart and this article is AMAZING! Just click on the title to read it!

Theory (part 2)

Ashley, Nicole and I have long talks about this at lunch. Like Ashley said, we think that there is a possibility that Winston and Julia are siblings. The age difference between them is asks a lot of questions and there is still the mystery of Julia's past. Julia doesn't talk about a lot of personal things with Winston and yet she still knows so much about him. We don't know what happen to his mother and sister and even if our theory is wrong we still think that Julia may have information about Winston's past. Also, another thing to think about is why Julia doesn't want to separate from Winston. She's had so many other relationships so why does this one mean so much to her?

Theory

Britt, Nicole, and I came up with a theory at lunch the other day, and we wanted to post it on the blog and see what you think about it!
After much debate and re-reading, we come to the conclusion that Winston and Julia are siblings. As of now, in 1984, Winston is 39 years old, and Julia is 26. When Winston finally remembers the last time he saw his mother, he states that he was 11, 12, or 13, and his little sister is only 8 months. Depending on what month Winston was born, the age difference between him and his little sister is 13 years, the exact age difference between him and Julia.
Winston says in the flashback that he isn't sure what happened to his sister, but states there's a possibility she was sent to a Reclamation Center, where all she would have known is life in the Party- after the Revolution.

There's my part of the theory, now I'm going to let Britt finish the rest!

Chutzpah

Julia is extremely gutsy, the amount of courage it would take to tell someone that you love them, without ever having spoken to them, is tremendous. It would take ten times more courage to say it in the age of Big Brother, thought police, and spies. For all Julia knew, Winston could have been a spy or a member of the Thought Police. She risked the possibility of being vaporized to tell a man she had never talked to that she loved him. This instance gives new meaning to the phrase "love at first sight" I suppose. I think it would be interesting to know what is going on in Julia's mind in the time building up to page 90, and the week when Winston hasn't gotten the chance to talk to her. I love that this is part of the book, it's definitely much more interesting now and I'm having a much easier time paying attention.

Just a few thoughts.

Guide to The Rape of the Lock

Many thanks to Amber Heaton for discovering this gem of a reading guide online. Well done, Amber.

This is exceedingly helpful and provides clarification on vocabulary terms as well as the literary allusions and rhetorical devices Pope uses throughout the poem.

Click on the title of the blog to access this online guide.

Literary Analysis

I had some trouble commenting to Jill's post, so I'm creating a new one to answer some of her questions and clarify a few things for the Literary Analysis essay.

For citations - when speaking "specifically" about events from the text, please use page numbers. What do I mean by specifics? Any quoted passages or direct character quotes. As you summarize the events of the novel, you don't have to cite what chapters and pages those are appearing. Just be sure to include citations for any material taken directly from the novel.

The thesis statement - you want to be sure that your thesis presents a statement about the themes or the purpose the author intended in writing it. Avoid general statements such as "Pride and Prejudice is a romantic comedy of manners focusing on the romantic entanglements of the Bennet sisters." - Anyone who read P&P knows this; this is not an original idea. Your statement should come up with a "why" or a "what" regarding the plot, characterization, and conflicts as a whole. If you are still struggling, please email me this evening and I will help you as best I can.

Regarding "The Rape of the Lock" - We will not be writing a literary analysis on it. We have another writing exercise planned, but I can't give away too much information just yet. You will be doing a reduction. Although it's a poem, its epic stylings give it a plot similar to a work of fiction.

See you in class on Tuesday.

Literary Analysis

I was thinking this weekend as I was working on the paper due tuesday about the specifics.

When we are supposed to provide examples for the literary analysis paper does it mean we are to directly quote for it to count? May we simply provide a detail from the book and mention what chapter it is in or page it is on? I don't want to have a quote every other line in the paper.

On a different note, will we be writing a literary analysis about The Rape of the Lock? Will we need to complete a reduction?

On yet another note, remember when NWA was quoted in the book that defines "rap music?" I have the perfect video. Click Here.

Zeugma? Zeugma!

So zeugma. Here is a rhetorical term that you need to be familiar with regarding RotL.
Zeugma is a device used when two unequal things are brought together by a single word (usually a verb)
example from line 8 of Canto III
"dost sometimes Counsel take - and sometimes tea"

At Hampton Place Court, both counsel (think serious debate or discussion) is taken as well as tea.
To "take tea" is essentially to have tea.

Another zeugma appears in Canto II before the faeries are assigned their tasks. Can you find it?
Hint: page 12. Post your answer if you think you have found it.

Lousy weather weekend. Hope you are curled up on the couch for some reading, football-watching, or napping :-)

MCC

The Rape of the Lock

Hi there!
I'm posting this for two reasons; first, to see if I can/know how to post on the blog, and second to voice my frustration.
"The Rape of the Lock" has reignited my passionate (and somewhat irrational) hatred of poetry.
However, I am trying my hardest to understand it, and wanted to let everyone else who feels the same way that they are not alone.

Happy Punctuation Day!!

In the hub-bub of Homecoming week, I somehow missed a celebration I vowed I would honor this year - NATIONAL PUNCTUATION DAY!! Click on the title of this post for an article from the Chicago Tribune.

I find this fitting since I just discussed the proper use of a semi-colon with my American Lit classes. The semi-colon, the most under-appreciated and incorrectly used of all punctuation marks, deserves a day of honor and respect as joining two complete thoughts together in a happy grammatical marriage :) And not to mention, the use of punctuation marks to indicate the variety of e-motions in email, instant message, and text. And who could forget the Oxford comma, the widely debated comma that comes before the "and" in the series: lions, tigers, and bears. OH MY!!

So celebrate our punctuation friends today -the excited ! the questioning ? the pausing , the definitive . the listing: and last but not least.....the unifying ;

Maybe next year we can rally together and create punctuation mark tee-shirts to wear in remembrance of this most auspicious occasion. HOORAY FOR PUNCTUATION!

Catch-22 Disorder

In class everyone talks about how Catch-22 is so confusing and there seems to be no order, etc. I was thinking that maybe this is to show how the people in the war felt. War is most of the time lacking in order and, as shown by the dead guy in the tent, somethings are never in order. I just think if it was easy to read and in chronological order we would not get the same feelings and reactions to the book.

The Interrelationships of Pride and Prejudice

I was on wikipedia one day trying find the birth order of the Bennet sisters and this map came up. Mrs. Conklin gave it to us today but, if you want it on your computer, here's the link.

No smiley faces, please...

I found this article while browsing the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) website. Interesting reading for the college-bound or anyone who is prone to LOL or say OMG.
I wonder how they feel about Tweeting at the college level?

Great day today - our discussions have been wide ranging from the definition of "rap" (according to the Literary Themes dictionary) to the "blue people" or as I like to think of it, "why cousins don't marry."

Just a reminder to come prepared with some work for your Lit Circle. If you have any questions or issues before Wednesday's class, please let me know. We will be touching base at the beginning of class before you will get down to business with your group.

Until next time...