Volume 3: Jane Eyre

Attention to Detail! by Noriko Ambe 2008

Cut on catalogues of "Attention to Detail - Curated by Chuck Close" at Flag Art Foundation 12 1/4 (H) x 14 1/2 (W) x 11 1/2 (D) inches 31(H) x 36.8(W) x 29.2(D)cm

Flag Art Foundation collection

In full disclosure: I did not come up with these topics, but I do like them. I would cite or reference this, but I don’t know from where it came.

Choose one of the following three blog posts

Topic A

At the opening of Ch. 28, Jane leaves Thornfeild and returns to Nature. What is the significance of this? What do you note about the ways in which “Nature” is described here: are Jane’s attitudes towards Nature essentially pagan, or are they leavened with Christianity? How does this help us consider the treatment of “Nature” within the novel as a whole?

Topic B

After being taken in by the Rivers’ in Ch. 29, Jane meets St. John Rivers. How does Jane see him? Look particularly at the para. “Mr. St. John sitting as still as one. . . and again in Ch. 30 at her response to his sermon “It began calm. . .”. In what ways is St. John represented as being opposite to Rochester (consider Jane’s thoughts in Ch. 31 “Meantime, let me ask myself one question. . .”) What values or point of view do you feel are associated with him? What is significant about the way that Jane responds to him?

Topic C

Just as Jane has significant dialogues with Rochester, so she converses with St. John. What is significant about these conversations, especially in terms of the light they throw on the novel’s treatment of “values”? Look at chapter 31 “Very well; I hope you feel the content. . .” and at the end of Chapter 32 “Again the surprised expression crossed his face. . .”. Also look at Chapter 34 “I have no medium. . .” and the last five pages of this chapter “God and nature intended you for a missionary’s wife. . .”. How does the novel present Jane’s dilemma as to whether or not to accept Rivers’ proposal, and how is it resolved, especially in the last few pages of chapter 35?

Each post should be a minimum of 1000 words. I'm much more interested in the depth and specificity of your answers (analyzing how the text works) than generalities. Click here for passage explication handout. You should use some of these strategies. Also, you will be graded on the APE Rubric.

These are due by class on Monday, April 25th, 2011.

Finally, I would like you to do a passage explication on Volume 3. Choose any passage (half-page to a page), write your own Question 2 prompt, and a respond to it. Also due on Monday, April 25th, 2011.

Volume 2: Jane Eyre blog posts

Attention to Detail! by Noriko Ambe

2008
Cut on catalogues of "Attention to Detail - Curated by Chuck Close" at Flag Art Foundation
12 1/4 (H) x 14 1/2 (W) x 11 1/2 (D) inches
31(H) x 36.8(W) x 29.2(D)cm

Flag Art Foundation collection.

In full disclosure: I did not come up with these topics, but I do like them. I would cite or reference this, but I don’t know from where it came.

Topics for Thursday. April 14th, 2011:

Topic A: In Chapter 10, Jane provides a summary of her feelings and mental state at this point. What is the significance of this passage as a description of Jane’s inner state, and how does it match what we have learned of Jane’s character? What is the significance of her going to the top of the building to make this self-assessment? Is it significant that, almost directly after making this plea, her wish is granted? Does it not seem as though events seem almost to be caused or precipitated by her subjective feelings?

In an equivalent passage, the opening paragraphs of Chapter 12 (the famous “stiller doom” passage) Jane again craves excitement, and very shortly afterward it happens when she encounters Rochester for the first time. What does this passage say about Jane and her ‘self’? Does it confirm her as a ‘Romantic’ character? What is the significance of her ‘Feminist’ sentiments (and it might be worth noting that, in Mary Wollstencraft, there was a close affinity between Feminism and the Romantic movement)? Are both passages further examples of Jane’s sense of frustration at feeling ‘imprisoned’, and how accurately does this tally with Rochester’s assessment of Jane in Chapter 19?

Topic B: In Chapter 12, Jane first encounters Rochester. What significance do you find in the way that he is introduced, the background, use of imagery, etc.? In what ways is he established as a ‘Byronic’ hero from the start?

At two key points, in Chapter 13 and Chapter 27, Rochester and Jane have a discussion, culminating in the moment of choice for Jane. What do you think is revealed by these exchanges? How relevant is it here to bring in ideas of Rochester as the Byronic hero who must be educated?

Half of you will partake in a SRD on one of the Topics. The other half of you will make an extended blog post (1,000 words) addressing the other topic. *see note at bottom of post

Topics for Friday, April 15th, 2011:

Topic C: In Chapter 13, Jane shows Rochester her paintings. What do these tell you? What significance do you find in the imagery and description of these? Does the novel give any clues as to the source of these paintings?

What are we to make of Jane’s responses to the reality of Blanche Ingram? Look at the end of Chapter 16 and then at Chapter 17 “Genius is said to be self-conscious…”. You might also look at Chapter 18: “I have told you, reader, that I had learnt to love Mr. Rochester…”. What do these passages tell us about Jane? What are we to make of Jane’s point of view as the victim? What are the effects of the change of tense in the second extract? Do you detect any elements of masochism or self- martyring in these passages?

Topic D: What do you think is the significance of the retelling of dreams by both Jane and Rochester? What do they show? Look at Chapter 25: “No, no, sir: besides the delicacy and richness of the fabric…”, “I dreamt another dream, sir…”, at Chapter 27: “That night I never thought to sleep…”, or at the final paragraph of Chapter 15.

What strikes you about the use of the ‘Gothic’ passages in these chapters, particularly in Chapter 15, “I tried again to sleep…’”) and the beginning of Chapter 20.

Finally, what do you notice about the use of imagery and symbolism in these chapters? You might look at the lightning episode at the end of Chapter 23.

Half of you will partake in a SRD on one of the Topics. The other half of you will make an extended blog post (1,000 words) addressing the other topic. *see note at bottom of post

* I'm much more interested in the depth and specificity of your answers (analyzing how the text works) than generalities. Click here for passage explication handout. You should use some of these strategies. Also, you will be graded on the APE Rubric.

Post here and please remember to put an extra space between paragraphs for easier reading. I want you all to be able to read these posts.

Volume 1: Jane Eyre

You should be able to discuss any and all items with references to text. I recommend using post-it notes to mark your text and jot down reminders. We will not be able to cover all of this in class if your conversation probes text with appropriate depth, insight, and analysis.

For this text, I am most interested in looking at whole passages with depth and examine HOW Charlotte Brontë develops ideas through her writing.

You can obviously reference things not on this list—these are obvious things in the novel, but I would be happy to hear about things you would like to comment on, especially if they garner intellectual thought.


Monday, April 11th, 2011.
• In class: SRD, Volume 1, Preface & Chapters 1-9 (p.1-91)
• Homework Due: Prep for SRD, chapter questions.
Chapter 1
• Analyze how each character is described – Jane, Mrs. Reed, John, Georgiana, Eliza.
• Analyze the exchange between John and Jane when John attacks Jane for her ‘imprudence’ at the end of the chapter. Examine this scene on as many literary levels as possible—character analysis, symbols, allusions, significance to plot, etc.
Chapter 2
• Analyze how each character is described – Bessie, Abbot.
• Examine the “Red Room” on as many literary levels as possible. A close reading of passage here would be helpful.
Chapter 3
• Analyze how each character is described – Mr. Lloyd.
• What is the most important paragraph in this chapter from the narrator? Why?
Chapter 4
• Analyze how each character is described – Mr. Brocklehurst.
• Examine the exchange he has with Jane. Examine this scene on as many literary levels as possible.
• Examine the following symbols throughout the novel so far. Locate and trace the evolution of these symbols from chapter 1 through 4: Books, The Color Red, Bird Imagery, Nature (as it represents Jane’s mind). Continue to examine any of these symbols as they appear throughout the novel.
Chapter 5
• Analyze how each character is described – Miss Temple?
• Analyze the significance of “Let your light shine so before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”—St. Matt. V. 16.
Chapter 6
• Analyze how each character is described – Miss Scatcherd, Helen Burns.
Chapter 7
• Analyze how each character is described – Julia Severn, Mr. Brocklehurst.
Chapter 8
• Analyze how each character is described – Miss Temple.
Chapter 9
• Analyze how each character is described – Mary Ann Wilson.
• Analyze the significance of “Her grave is in Brocklebridge Churchyard: for fifteen years after her death it was only covered by a grassy mound; but now a gray marble tablet marks the spot, inscribed with her name, and the word ‘Resurgam’.”

Wed., April 13^th, 2011

• In class: SRD, Volume 1, Chapters 10-15 (p. 91-156)
• Homework Due: Prep for SRD, chapters 10 – 15, terms listed below.
1. What is Romanticism? What is a Romantic Character?
2. What is a Byronic Hero?
3. What is Gothic? What is a Gothic novel?
   

Hamlet Video critique for Act 3, Scene 1

Please follow all directions. Ask a question about anything that you do not understand in the comment stream by Friday and I will respond. After Friday, you are on your own (collectively.)

You have until Monday, March 14th, 2011 @ 2:00 p.m. to complete this assignment. Late assignments will lose a letter grade a day. You should make a comment on this post with a link to your essay on your online portfolio. Feel free to embed video on your website.

It is worth 100 points in 'Quizzes and Open Response' and will be graded with the Literary Analysis Scoring Guide.

You can either write about Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" soliloquy, or the "Get thee to a nunnery" exchange between Hamlet and Ophelia. You have four versions of each section from which to choose in the Act 3 google doc, but you can certainly write about a different version that I did not provide.

Objective: Watch the versions from either Hamlet's "To be, or not to be" soliloquy, or the "Get thee to a nunnery" exchange between Hamlet and Ophelia in Act 3, Scene 1 and argue which of the three videos is the best video interpretation of the text.

Your critique of the video must be based on your knowledge and understanding of the passage, so you must provide textual evidence from Hamlet as well as provide descriptions of the video. I can't watch the video and read your essay at the same time, so you need to make me see what you see with your words. It will also help you to take notes on the video while you watch it. Pay attention to what you captures your attention. Notice what you notice!

Pay attention to:

• delivery of the lines
• imagery the setting / scenery
• the portrayal of the actor[s]
• lighting & camera effects
• sound effects or music
• a million other things . . .
  

You should use the same structure as a poem explication with the addition of your critique of the video. Paper must be MLA formatted, including how to cite line numbers from a play: (pages 198-199 of easyWriter)!

Finally, you only have space in this essay to write about one video--please do not waste any words writing about why the other videos are not as good.

Here's a sample from last year with my comments on how it could have been improved.

Poetry in Translation Assignment

Please make sure you run a poem by me as soon as possible, and then sign up for a critique slot (below). I have plenty of poems from plenty of different languages in my room. You can also check out eXchanges, the University of Iowa's online journal of literary translation, which has a good selection. And, if you are interested in reading more of my translations, they published three poems here--if you follow to the bottom, there is also a link to my "meta-cognitive".


Poetry in Translation Dec. 2010

Sign Up for you schedule in google docs (& it should show up here):

Independent Reading Book Cycle 3:

Suggested independent reading books that are particularly good for Question 3 (Cycle 3):

• Donna Tartt’s The Secret History
• John Steinbeck East of Eden
• Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
• Toni Morrison’s Beloved
• Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude
• Haruki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
• Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

You will need to pass your book with me. I would like you to read a work of fiction that has a bit of an “epic” scope—one that is of great “literary” value that will be of particularly good use on Question 3. I have included some suggestions of books that I love that fit this category, but feel free to pick one of your own. Take note of the length of the above texts though.

For this assignment, you can either produce 100 post-it notes, or complete a Reader’s Notebook (12 extended D.J.s). In either case, I would like you to include commentary which draws from the reading strategies from the “WAYS TO ANALYZE FICTION” handout (you can find it in google docs.) You will turn in your book (with post-its) or Reader’s Notebook on January 3^rd and answer a question 3 prompt in class.

Poetry Out Loud Overview & Scoring Guides

Here is the overview that everyone at MHS will be getting:

"Poetry Out Loud is the national poetry recitation contest; Malden High has sent students to the state finals for all but one year that the contest has existed. Last year, we committed to having every student in the school take part in the contest."

The basic process:

• Student select poems from the Poetry Out Loud collections (in print and online) to study, memorize and perform.
• Teachers support students’ selection, study, and performance.
• Each class holds a class contest by the end of December. We will have our contest on December 16th, 2010.
  
• Class winners will compete in the period contest in January.
• Period winners will compete in the school contest shortly after the period contest. Period winners will need to select a second poem
• The school winner will compete in the state semi-finals in early March.

And here are the Scoring Guides that we were given:

Malden High School's Poetry Out Loud Analytic Rubric