Monday.
In class: Closing discussion on Catcher & The Graduate.
Homework: Read Sherman Alexie's "What You Pawn I Will Redeem" with an eye toward extended metaphor. Optional: Alexie & Louis bios.
Day 2.
In class: Short story as a form; extended metaphor (allegory). Read Adrian C. Louis poems.
Homework: Read Amy Tan's "A Pair of Tickets"with an eye toward setting; prep for graded discussion.
Day 3.
In class: Graded discussion. Prompt: The mother of Jing-mei Woo told her that being Chinese is a matter of genetics. Jing-mei finds that to be true. What is the role of place and time (in other words, history), then, in this story?
Homework: Read Raymond Carver's "Cathedral" with an eye toward characterization.
Friday.
In class: Bringing characters to life on the page.
Homework: Read Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" with an eye toward dialogue.
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PB's Online Classroom, where we get down with American Lit.
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Class Documents.
Online Resources & External Links.
Lessons in Literature.
One: Most things in literature are intentional. Even when this may not seem to be the case, it very well may be. That said, not all things mean more than what they initially seem. But again, it might. Sometimes water is just water. Other times, though, water is not just water, it's the Ocean of Notions, or the Dull Lake. Take Away: As readers, we must assume that writers are smart, know what they’re doing, and have done so with intention.
Three: Literature is full of contradictions, paradoxes, oxymorons, and ironies. So, too, is life. This doesn't make one thing right and the other thing wrong. Both can exist and be in simultaneous harmony and tension. Take away: Embrace multiple perspectives.
Four: Every interpretation is not correct. Without substantial textual support and a clearly articulated, rational analysis, an interpretation is only as good as a guess. Back up your opinion. Validate it. Take Away: Take us there--to the text, that is.
- Addendum A: Rain usually means something. Always. (But not always the same thing.)
- Addendum B: Names do, too. Like Esperanza, Tea Cake, Gatsby, and Daisy. Holden, too.
- Addendum C: Trees always mean things, especially ones bearing fruit.
- Addendum D: Mangoes and other exotic fruits always mean a very specific thing. But we’re not going to go there. Not yet…
Three: Literature is full of contradictions, paradoxes, oxymorons, and ironies. So, too, is life. This doesn't make one thing right and the other thing wrong. Both can exist and be in simultaneous harmony and tension. Take away: Embrace multiple perspectives.
Four: Every interpretation is not correct. Without substantial textual support and a clearly articulated, rational analysis, an interpretation is only as good as a guess. Back up your opinion. Validate it. Take Away: Take us there--to the text, that is.
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