Week of December 5th--Native Son!

1. Describe some of the many ways in which Bessie Mears, Bigger's girlfriend, is trapped in a life that is not of her own choosing (use concrete details).

2. Describe the way Bigger is hunted down after he has fled the Dalton home. How would this manhunt have been different if Bigger were white?

3. Mr. Dalton's private investigator, Mr. Britten, alternately expresses his hatred of African Americans and of Communists. After he interrogates Bigger, Bigger thinks to himself that "Mr. Britten was familiar to him; he had met a thousand Brittens in his life." What is it about Mr. Britten's thinking that makes him so easy for Bigger to understand, and how does Bigger intend to use Mr. Britten's prejudices to his own advantage?

Week of December 5th--Grapes of Wrath!

Please develop with your blog groups, 2 level 2 questions that pertain to your reading of Grapes of Wrath so far. You must also conprehensively respond to these questions (use concrete details)!

Week of November 28th--Native Son!

1. Compare and contrast Bigger's attitude toward the world around him and Mrs. Thomas'.

2. Mr. Dalton and Jan Erlone both profess to be friendly towards African Americans, yet they are hostile to each other. Compare and contrast their attitudes towards African Americans and explain their mutual hostility?

3. How is really fear to blame for the muder of Mary (this is a comprehensive question, be thoughtful and think of all aspects of fear that lead to the murder of Mary)?

Week of November 28th--Grapes of Wrath!

1. Explain the three-fold symbolism of giving the name Muley Graves to the dispossessed farmers.

2. Discuss what the family council meeting, before they set out, tells about the way of life and culture of the Joads.

3. What are clear examples of community for the nomadic Joads? And ruminate on the importance of community for these dispossessed farmers?

Week of November 14th--Native Son!

1. At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to the Thomas family. Describe this family and the conditions in which they live? Be descriptive and use concrete details!

2, The title of Book One is Fear, how is this title symbolic and prophetic at the same time? What was Wright's intention with this title?

3. What initial event happens in the beginning of the novel that is clearly a foreshadowing of events to come?

4. How does Bigger feel about his home and its surroundings?

5. Who are Bigger's friends and what event takes place that creates a level of aggression with these friends?

6. Who are the Dalton's, and where and how do they live?

Week of November 14th--Grapes of Wrath!

1. How does the land turtle, that Tom Joad wraps up tight in his shirt, foreshadow events in the story?

2. What is corrupt and morally questionable about the bankers' agents that foreclosed on mortgages and drove farmers off of their land?

3. What happens to Tom Joad when he attempts to return home after 4 years in prison? Who does he meet along the way and what happens? Be specific and use concrete details!

4. Why does Tom Joad become so agitated with the truck driver that gives him a free ride? Make sure you are analyzing and using concrete details!

Week of November7th--Grapes of Wrath!

1.       Discuss the contextual importance of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl in analyzing the significance of the Joads and their transient nature.

2.       What is at the heart of the plight of the Joads?

3.       Define what it means to be a composite character? How are the Joads actually a singular composite character; almost as if their characters are not fully developed unless in relation to each other.

Week of November 7th--Native Son!

1.       In the introduction, written by the author Richard Wright, Wright discusses at length the making of his protagonist, Bigger Thomas; he reflects on his childhood all the way up to his adulthood, and outlines specific examples of when he met a Bigger and the informing aspect of each incident. Please discuss the many Biggers that Wright experienced in the course of his life, and what did they ALL have in common. Please use concrete details to support your analysis.

2.       Analyze the following quote from the introduction to Native Son, written by Richard Wright:

From these items I drew my first political conclusions about Bigger: I felt that Bigger, an American product, a native son of this land, carried within him the potentialities of either Communism or Fascism. I don’t mean to say that the Negro boy I depicted in Native Son is either a Communist or a Fascist. He is not either. But he is product of a dislocated society; he is a dispossessed or disinherited man; he is all of this, and he lives amid the greatest possible plenty on earth and he is looking and feeling for a way out.

3.       What is at the heart of Bigger’s fears?

Week of October 25th--Gothic Literature!

Directions: Each member of each blog group must write their own Gothic Literature short story using their understanding of the tenents of Gothic Literature. For this week only, you have to write and post your Gothic Literature stories for your members to read and discuss. Good Luck!

Week of October 25th--Stone Diaries!

1. Identify scenes in the novel where there is situational irony and/or dramatic irony. Discuss how the irony informs the theme of the novel.

2. Identify the central purpose of the novel, and articulate and discuss the theme.

3. We have discussed the importance of style in conveying meaning, what is the writer's style in Stone Diaries and how does it work to inform meaning?

Week of October 18th--Stone Diaries!

Directions, please create 2 level 2 questions and 1 level 3 question pertaining to your current reading of Stone Diaries. The expectation remains the same for responses, you will go in at least 3 times throughout the week to inform and refine your responses. Use lots of details!

Week of October 18th--Gothic Literature!

Directions: You will create 1 level 2 question and 1 level 3 question that you will then respond to throughout the week in regards to your last Gothic Literature short story, "Cask of Amontillado." Please remember to provide details, specific examples and concrete details to the questions that you develop.

Week of October 11th--Stone Diaries!

In the first 3 chapters of Stone Diaries, who are some of the main characters? Describe these characters in thoughtful details, including oddities they possess, their relations to each other, and any changes you notice as you progress in your reading of those first 3 chapters.

What are some of the predominant tensions that emerge in those first 3 chapters? Be specific, use appropriate details from the story.

Week of October 11th--Gothic Literature

Discuss who could be the protagonist and antagonist in The Black Cat; explain your logic and reasoning for why? Please remember to use details and specifics from the story to support your response.

What Gothic Literature that we've read so far is your favorite, explain why? (The Raven, The Masque of the Red Death, The Minister's Black Veil, or The Black Cat)

What are some similarities between all the Gothic Literature stories we've read so far? Again, be specific and use details in your response.

Week of September 27th--The Great Gatsby!

How is Jordan Baker a composite character? What does she represent, and why does Nick ultimately reject her at the end of the story?

What is Daisy's emotional response the day she marries Tom; why does she respond this way?

At the culmination of the story, what do we learn about Daisy? What is revealed about her character? Be detailed and specific, use direct examples and quotes from the text.

How is George Wilson and Jay Gatsby similar characters? Be thoughtful, and use your analysis from your inner/outer circle discussions.

Week of September 27th--Gothic Literature!

With your blog group, develop 2 level two questions that reflect your reading of Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil"; you must also respond thoughtfully to these 2 level two questions! Remember, you should post these 2 level two questions, then respond to them. You are expected to refine and inform your blog at least three times throughout the week.

Week of September 20th! Gothic Literature

Discuss who could be the villain (antagonist) in Tell-Tale Heart? Consider your many options for the villain and discuss your rationale for your final choice.

What is the narrators motivation in reciting the crime? Consider the details he provides as he recites the crime from the beginning to the end.

What is the ultimate irony in Tell-Tale Heart and how does it relate to the title of the story?

Week of September 20th! The Great Gatsby

Discuss the ways in which the narrator (Nick) is the moral voice of the novel. What bold decisions does he make towards the end of the novel, and how do these decisions inform his persona as one of moral strength?

What role does the weather play in developing our understanding of characters and situations? Consider some of the most significant scenes in the novel and how the weather informs those scenes and our understanding of a character's persona.

The Great Gatsby--Week of September 13th!

For this week, each blog group should develop two level two questions from chapters one through 6 to answer with your group. If you have a question on whether your question is an appropriate level two question, please check with me.

The Masque of the Red Death--Week of September 13th

Describe the internal and external workings of the Protagonist (Prince Prospero).

Why does Prince Prospero voluntarily isolate himself?

Who does Prince Prospero invite to his great fete?

Describe Prince Prospero's great fete and the physical description of each of the seven apartments (chambers).

Who is the villian and how does he represent the "repressed emotions" of Prince Prospero?

The Great Gatsby

Describe the setting of the novel.

What do we know about our narrator?

Describe the mood and tone of the first three chapters.