Archives for October 13, 2016

Due 10/17: The Stranger

1. The Stranger–Read and annotate Chapters 3 and 4 of Part II. Complete the novel by Tuesday!

2. (Due 10/19) Class Forum–Remember, bring a printed copy of your response into class.

2. THE STRANGER ESSAY
First Draft due Monday, Oct. 24
Final Draft due Wednesday, Oct. 26
3-4 page literary/philosophical analysis of The Stranger. You are expected to use The Myth of Sisyphus as a complement to your discussion.  Sisyphus is a philosophical commentary on The Stranger–Explore.  How does Sisyphus help us to understand Camus’ philosophy as communicated through Meursault?  IMPORTANT: While Sisyphus is used to give some form to the discussion (i.e. helping to shape the thesis), the discussion is focused on exploring Camus’ message and how he develops that message. While not necessary, I would encourage you to research Camus further to give you further context.  Folks, I expect this essay to demonstrate great thematic/philosophical control of  both texts.  Waiting till the night before is probably not a good idea.  Your reading responses and annotations should prove to be quite beneficial here.  This should be typed in font size 12 (times new roman  or arial).  You should have a title!!!  The title should reflect your thesis.  If you have any questions, please email me.

Sample Intro (with thesis):

The Hour of Consciousness: Understanding God’s Judicial System

Albert Camus’ The Stranger juxtaposes the importance of God’s morality and the impact it has in the judicial system of an absurd reality, in which social code is rigid and behavior that strays from protocol is subject to scrutiny. In presenting this environment, Camus emphasizes a universal morality, swayed by God and superimposed over an individual’s unique perception of the world, such as Meursault, the protagonist. Others condemn this tragic hero to an unfortunate fate, validated by the belief that because an atheist is subordinate in the eyes of God, he must gradually come to understand the ubiquity of this singular morality. Much like Meursault, in Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus, Sisyphus is condemned to a fate he cannot control due to the social constructs of an absurd reality. Only when Sisyphus has reached the top of the hill with his boulder does he amount to what Camus calls, “the hour of consciousness”: essentially, the understanding of the absurdity of life. Camus’ placement of biased judicial figures gradually strengthens Meursault’s understanding of absurdity, illuminating the importance of the “hour of consciousness” in both articulating and refuting God’s ubiquitous morality.

Due 10/17: The Bell Jar and More…

REMINDER: You must bring printed copies of all forum responses into class. 

1. The Bell Jar–Read and annotate Chapters 7-8.

2. Class Forum (Due 10/18 for 10H)–Post your final thesis and accompanying topic sentences onto the class forum. Again, bring a printed copy of this response into class.

3. Class Vocab–Print and familiarize yourself with the first class vocab list.

4. Confessional Poetry–The linked reading is quite brief, yet gives us a sense of the nature of confessional poetry. Monday, we will talk about our own confessional poems!

Requirements:

  • Honest and Authentic
  • Free verse is fine
  • You must use stanzaic form
  • Pay attention to sound as you write
  • You must employ “painterly language” and literary devices (i.e. vivid imagery, metaphor, symbolism, motifs, etc)
  • Write from the inside out

No Homework Tomorrow…

No Homework Tomorrow…