Gothic Motifs in Literature
Today, you were introduced to Gothicism in its many forms. A powerpoint slideshow described its origins and its evolution over time, showed examples of Gothic art, architecture, classic novels, and “grotesque ornamentation”. Cool, huh?
More importantly, you were given “the purple bible”; a comprehensive list of gothic motifs found in literature, film, and poetry. Please do not lose this resource; you will asked to refer back to it often during the semester. Below are some of the exciting Gothic images we saw today, and a copy of the motif worksheet in case you were away.
Motifs and Elements of Gothic Prose and Verse
A huge thank you to Ms. Revington for the images and the motifs!
Wuthering Heights – 3U
I know you’re excited. Here it is: a classic, gothic, Victorian novel with words you won’t understand and characters who will infuriate you. An excellent novel for Grade 11 University English! Look for class worksheets, assignments, resources, and other items of interest in this blog. This is an intensive novel study; we will be examining Wuthering Heights and learning how to write a literary essay during this unit.
I look forward to your take on Cathy and Heathcliff - it doesn’t matter how cynical or romantic you are, you will definitely have an opinion on these two. Below are some images of the couple. When you finish the novel, you can decide which pair best represents the image in your head. (source: google images)
Assignment #1 (below) and the booklet for Chapters 1-9 is due Wed, February 29th.
3U – “Was it A Dream?” – Gothic Literature
If you were absent on Friday, February 17th, read “Was it A Dream?” below.
Was it A Dream? – Guy de Maupassant
Next week, I will introduce you to Gothicism, and the motifs found in gothic literature. Also, get ready to read Wuthering Heights; I know you wanna! Below is a video that should get you in the mood for the novel; love, despair, longing, and hope.
“The Lottery” Short Story
Tues, February 14
Today we listened to an audio recording of the Shirley Jackson short story, “The Lottery”. The link is below.
“The Lottery” from The New Yorker
In groups, you critically analyzed the text. Below is the worksheet in case you were absent. What an introduction into gothic narrative!
The Road – Novel Study
Before you read any further, go read The Road! You will have to do lots of reading in your spare time to keep up with this unit. Welcome to ENG2D!
Over the next four weeks, we will be reading and studying The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Practice teacher Ms. Wallace from Nipissing University will be delivering the unit, so see her with any questions or concerns. She has lots of great ideas on how to teach this amazing novel!
The Road is a Pulitzer prize winning piece of literature that will certainly ignite some interesting class discussions. Most of the activities and handouts will be posted on this blog, so if you are away, please check here.
Monday, February 13: Just to get you thinking about a few things…
Congratulations to Ryan for winning the scavenger hunt!
Tuesday, Feb 14:
Wednesday, Feb 15:
Assignment #1 due on Tuesday, February 21st. You will have one computer day to type up the assignment. If you don’t finish it at school, don’t forget to send your work to a personal email account.
Thursday, February 16:
Today, you were introduced to Joseph Campbell’s “Hero Journey” theory. Below is the link to the youtube video you watched in class. It shows all of the stages the Disney “hero” goes through, but has awful music in the background. Just in case you missed it, or want to watch it again, here it is. Remember, you will have to chart the man’s journey in The Road; he follows all of the stages. You will have to describe how he does this, and provide textual evidence (quotes) proving your opinion. Your final journey project (visual, typed, etc) will be part of your final anthology.
In case you are not a “Disney kind of person”, below is a Christopher Volger video with Star Wars, the Matrix, etc as examples. Check it out!
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You must keep up with the reading schedule; budget your time wisely to ensure you are getting the assignments and activities handed in on time. Assignment #1 will be assessed FORMATIVELY – use the feedback provided to improve on your answers and analysis for the next one. If you were away, Assignment 2 can be found below.
Assignment #2 is due: Tuesday, February 28th
2D’s: The First Week!
What a busy week. You had your first quiz on literary terms, read a short story, learned how to make reader’s notes and analyze literature, and watched an excerpt from an awful film adaptation.
Below is a recap of the M.I. theory, and a copy of the Internet assignment.
The questions and y0ur personality t-shirt are due Monday, February 13th. I’m sorry I don’t have a t-shirt template; look on-line for one and adapt it please.
3U’s: The First Week!
What a busy week. We talked about how to critically analyze literature, read the Vonnegut short story “Harrison Bergeron”, and discussed its meaning. We also viewed a “cheesy” 1980′s film adaptation with Sam from LOTR and my all-time fave Christopher Plummer. Below is an audiobook version of the text, on Youtube, with a photo of the author. Enjoy.
If you missed it, below is the handout for the activity due Monday, Feb. 13th.
Isaac’s Storm
I have been on a non-fiction kick for a couple of years now, and one of my favourite authors is Erik Larson. His most recent best-seller In the Garden of Beasts is excellent; it’s the true life account of an American Ambassador living in Berlin, Germany during Hitler’s rise to power. I recommend that book, but also highly recommend this one too:
The Story:
September 8, 1900, began innocently in the seaside town of Galveston, Texas. Even Isaac Cline, resident meteorologist for the U.S. Weather Bureau failed to grasp the true meaning of the strange deep-sea swells and peculiar winds that greeted the city that morning. Mere hours later, Galveston found itself submerged in a monster hurricane that completely destroyed the town and killed over six thousand people in what remains the greatest natural disaster in American history–and Isaac Cline found himself the victim of a devestating personal tragedy.
Using Cline’s own telegrams, letters, and reports, the testimony of scores of survivors, and our latest understanding of the science of hurricanes, Erik Larson builds a chronicle of one man’s heroic struggle and fatal miscalculation in the face of a storm of unimaginable magnitude. Riveting, powerful, and unbearably suspenseful, Isaac’s Storm is the story of what can happen when human arrogance meets the great uncontrollable force of nature. (source: http://www.amazon.com/Isaacs-Storm)
I love, love, love this book. One of Larson’s most intriguing writing styles or forms is his use of primary sources to interweave stories. All of the dialogue used in his non-fiction are actual words by that living person; from letters, interviews, etc. Isaac Cline was a very fascinating person; really arrogant in what he thought was his mastery over hurricanes, until 6000 people were killed and Galveston destroyed with very little warning. A great read; the story is told from different points of view, and the storm is perhaps the most interesting character.
Highly recommended! When you’re done this one, read Larsen’s The Devil in the White City. An even better, but more disturbing read; apparently Scorsese has the film rights on this one, with DeCaprio in the lead. Hmm… Also, don’t think I’m warped, but this one is my favourite book of the last ten years. Yup, it’s that good; if you’re into World Fair expositions and maniacs.
The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
The Story
A middle-aged chef, Hassan Haji, recounts his life’s journey, from his family’s modest restaurant in Mumbai to his elegant restaurant in Paris where he has conquered the insular world of French haute cuisine. A tragedy at home in Mumbai pushes Hassan’s boisterous family into a picaresque journey across Europe, where they ultimately settle opposite a famous chef, Madam Mallory, in the remote French village of Lumière. After a series of hilarious cultural mishaps, the grand French chef discovers, much to her horror, that the young boy cooking in the cheap Indian restaurant across the way is a chef with natural talents far superior to her own. A culinary war ensues, full of plot twists, pitting Hassan’s Mumbai-toughened father against the imperious Madam Mallory, a battle royale that finally reveals to young Hassan his true destiny in life. (source: http://www.richardcmorais.com/the-100-foot-journey/)
For a foodie like me, this book was wonderful. I love the settings; Mumbai to southern France, then Paris. The places and food are so richly described you feel like you are eating at the chef’s table. Lovely.
