The Bell Jar — Page 3

Due 9/28: The Yellow Wallpaper

September 27, 2016 By Sean Leon

1. Research and take notes on Charlotte Perkins Gilman, author of The Yellow Wallpaper.

2. The Yellow Wallpaper–Read and annotate! Consider the feminist lens questions below to help shape your understanding of the short story.

3. Feminist Criticism–Print this handout and be sure to have it with you in class!

Feminist Lens Typical questions:

How is the relationship between men and women portrayed?
What are the power relationships between men and women (or characters assuming male/female roles)?
How are male and female roles defined?
What constitutes masculinity and femininity?
How do characters embody these traits?
Do characters take on traits from opposite genders? How so? How does this change others’ reactions to them?
What does the work reveal about the operations (economically, politically, socially, or psychologically) of patriarchy?
What does the work imply about the possibilities of sisterhood as a mode of resisting patriarchy?
What does the work say about women’s creativity?
What does the history of the work’s reception by the public and by the critics tell us about the operation of patriarchy?
What role the work play in terms of women’s literary history and literary tradition?

Due 9/21: Sexton and Plath

September 20, 2016 By Sean Leon

1. Class Forum–Post your topic sentence to the appropriate class forum.

2. Reading–45 Mercy Street by Anne Sexton and Mad Girl’s Love Song by Sylvia Plath.

3. Research and take notes on Sylvia Plath. More than most authors, the writer’s life (context) is key to fully understanding her work.

Due 9/20: Poetry of Sexton and Plath; Topic Sentences

September 19, 2016 By Sean Leon

Tomorrow, we open with a brief discussion of This is Water! The goal of this discussion is understanding.

1. Reading–Read and annotate Her Kind by Anne Sexton and Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath. As we use these poems and those of Emily Dickinson to practice writing topic sentences, keep in mind that we are actually (and more importantly) laying the thematic foundation for our first unit. I remind you that this involves sensitive subjects such as depression and suicide.

2. Writing–Tonight, you will write a total of three topic sentences. The first will be a continuation of the one started in class today with a focus on one of Emily Dickinson’s poems. You should do the same for Sexton’s Her Kind and Plath’s Lady Lazarus. Keep in mind the template: topic=observation + opinion.

Remember, when choosing a point of analysis you are assigning value to that point. So, choosing to build a paragraph around Dickinson’s “loaded gun” is to suggest that that metaphor is IMPORTANT! It is critical to understanding the poem. If you have questions, email me.

3. Vocab Section–You should have your first five vocab words by the end of this week. Formatted like this:

Autonomy
The power of a country, group, etc. to govern itself; existing/acting separately from others.
Encouraging autonomy in the classroom, Mr. Johnson’s students developed a sense of self-reliance that benefitted them later in life.
Noun
Source: 1984, p. 146

Due 9/19: It’s All Happening! (Almost Famous Reference!)

September 15, 2016 By Sean Leon

1. The coming week represents the true beginning of the year! Everyone should be registered for the site. You should have all supplies in place! I hope to see us begin with an open mind and a positive disposition.

2. This is Water by David Foster Wallace–Read and annotate (click the link and print the handout) the commencement address. For the ensuing discussion, I am not interested in a critical discussion. Our discussion will be aimed at understanding. Here is a link to audio of the speech if you are interested:

3. The Bell Jar Unit Poetry–As part of this unit, we will read selections from Emily Dickinson, Anne Sexton, and Sylvia Plath. This weekend print the handout and read and annotate the selections from Emily Dickinson.

HW due 11/2: The Bell Jar

October 30, 2015 By Sean Leon

1. The Bell Jar–Complete the novel!
2. Essay Pre-writing–In preparation for your essay, you must fill in the blank here: In my The Bell Jar essay I will explore Plath’s treatment of ___________. Fill in the blank with a element(s) that you would like to explore. Many of you will choose to explore her treatment of a specific theme, and that is fine, but know that you are not limited to theme here. Additionally, I want you to WRITE OUT (in your binder) at least 5 quotations that are relevant to a discussion of your chosen element(s). This is the first step of the process! The more thought and effort you put into this, the easier the entire process will be. Here is a sample: