« January 2006 | Main | March 2006 »
February 28, 2006
Citation List
Ex 1-4 Basic Research Skills -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)Thanks for the helpful template when writing the citations for the first research project. Of course GIGO (Garbage in, garbage out) applies, like you warn, but it helped me get away from the APA rules quicker.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 10:21 AM | Comments (0)
Portfolio #1
Portfolio 1 -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)http://blogs.setonhill.edu/BrendaChristeleit/2006/02/index.html
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 10:03 AM | Comments (0)
February 27, 2006
"Smothered"
Frost, ''Desert Places'' (1936) -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)"All animals are smothered in their lairs." Smothered - to die by suffocation. Buried alive in what they thought was the security of their dens. Notice he says "All animals" - does he mean all living things, including himself? He may be smothered within himself, or in the world that is his lair. At face value, not one animal stirs, and the author is that much more alone.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)
February 26, 2006
Oster on "Desert Places"
Oster [On ''Desert Places''] -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)"Withdrawl would not be "strategic" and self-preserving. It would be facing a desert." This really gets to the crux of the poem and provides an example of a very strong thesis sentence in a close reading. Oster takes at least 4 paragraphs to expound on this idea of a barren, infinite inner-self, which is more fearful than the vastness of space. I found this an excellent interpretation, and it was difficult to try to refute or even add to such a well-organized, thoughtful close reading.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 12:36 PM | Comments (0)
February 25, 2006
CRACKED
Article: Kumamoto -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)"Thus the chicken trope unmasks the cowardly Tom and Daisy's "conspiring together" to re-establish the unbrekable, unholy alliance of marriage,cash and status - a fundamental cause of Gatsby's tragedy." This goes along with our classroom discussion about the prevalence of the colors white and yellow - chicken colors. I knew that the fried chicken on the table between Tom & Daisy was not just an arbitrary snack - "chickens" Tom & Daisy conspiring over a plate of dead, fried chicken - this is unsavory and unholy. Kumamoto never mentioned that eggs crack, have to be fertilized to contain life, were the source of choice for the alchemist's elixir, etc. What is the second source of FSF's egg references? Kumamoto never says. Even without knowing the Trimalchio story, our own associations with chickens and eggs are numerous.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 5:42 PM | Comments (5)
Who is the most careless?
Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925) -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)"I have an idea that Gatsby himself didn't beleive it would come, and perhaps he no longer cared(203)." FSF later points out that Tom & Daisy are both careless people who destroy lives, but then can retreat to their money and rationalize anything away. Less direct is how careless Gatsby is. He could have easily left town after Myrtle's accident but chose to stay, he goaded hulking, bulking Tom on at least twice, built his life on a fabrication, and spent his time chasing the dream of Daisy. Supremely confident in all he did, Gatsby never is allowed to ask "Just what exactly am I doing?". There will always be people who seem to skate through life, but Gatsby made a much grander decision to do so than Tom or Daisy ever did - all they had to do was retreat. Gatsby had to construct himself in such a way that he had no energy left for self-doubt. Nick was closer to Gatsby than any other character, and his idea that Gatsby never considered that he could literally die trying really speaks to the careless, self-deluded way that Gatsby lives his life.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 2:51 PM | Comments (4)
February 20, 2006
MLA/APA
Roberts, Appendix B -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)Last semester, it was OK to uses APA Citation. Now we have to use MLA. There are slight differences, and until I realized this, I was doing it incorrectly. I am scanning pages 286-287 and hanging them above my computer.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 12:47 PM | Comments (2)
Location, location, location-Roberts Chapter 5
Roberts, Ch. 5 -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)
"It may be compared to the perspective utilized by painters for the ways in which reality us presented in each painting-the point of view or intelligence created by the painter-determines our perceptions and understanding of that painting (78)." Roberts clearly seperates the literary point of view from the "point of view" meaning opinion in a way that is easily understandable. This is much like his "round" and "flat" descriptions of characters in that he relies on our visual senses to effectively communicate a point about literature.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 11:40 AM | Comments (1)
February 19, 2006
The Gatz outta the bag
Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925) -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)"James Gatz-that was really, or at least legally, his name. (124)" Thank goodness for Chapter 6! The insights it provides into Gatsby's background and how his personality as a young man propelled him to his present situation were most welcome. It gives his character more depth, and displays how accustomed he has become to telling a false past, even if he still doesn't beleive it himself.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 10:15 AM | Comments (7)
February 18, 2006
POW!
Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925) -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)"Making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand" (48). I just finished reading Chapters 1-3, and this sentence jolted me like none other so far.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 5:35 PM | Comments (7)
February 16, 2006
Fun! Fun! Fun!
Ex 1-2b: Poetry Slam -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)I had a blast presenting Stevens' poem "Valley Candle" last night, and really enjoyed Onilee's and Megan's presentations as well. I too will miss interpreting poetry, but am really looking forward to reading some more Fitzgerald. You missed a good class, Paul!
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 10:10 AM | Comments (1)
February 14, 2006
PRO/PRO concept for PRO/CON paper
Ex 1-3a: Pro/Con Paper Draft -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)I was really stuck on finding a good thesis until I considered this assignment as a PRO/PRO paper as opposed to a PRO/CON paper - thanks for this insight!!
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 12:11 PM | Comments (1)
February 12, 2006
Williams Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267) "No one will beleive this if vast import to the nation" (Last line from Pastoral). Way back in high school, I did a term paper on the Beat poets, on whom William Carlos Williams had a HUGE influence. I was somewhat surprised at the straight-forwardness of his language, but after I thought about it for a while, I realized that maybe this is exactly what the Beats responded to - straight-forward AMERICAN speak.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 6:37 PM | Comments (6)
CHapter 13 Roberts Poetic Form
Roberts, Ch. 13 -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)"Recognizing that there are fewer rhyming words in English than in Italian, he developed the Shakespearean sonnet of English sonnet on seven rhymes(in the pattern abab, cdcd, efef, gg) rather than the 5 rhymes of the Italian sonnet." I'm not sure I'm buying this 100% - seems to me that even if Shakespeare realized English has less rhyming words than Italian, he would have made up some word to fit or used a rhyming word in a new way. Perhaps English is just somehow better suited to a 7 rhyme sonnet than the Italian structure????
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 5:58 PM | Comments (1)
February 11, 2006
Wallace Stevens BIO blog
Wallace Stevens -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)"A highly disciplined businessman, , he felt that poets who held university positions and read to women's groups were "kept men." Stevens seems like a very complicated and reserved man who had little time for superfluous, flowery poetry. I look forward to reading/discussing these poems to see if they are as layered as he is made out to be.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 3:42 PM | Comments (2)
February 9, 2006
Symbols & Allusion - Chapter 10
Roberts, Ch. 10 -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)"As a rule, the more ideas that you can associate with the element, the more likely it is to be a symbol." As a painter, symbols & allusions twirl my poetic beanie, float my literary boat and are the cherry on my short story sundae. I take it that the more meanings a certain expression has by way of it or its pcontext, the richer the work becomes.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 10:26 PM | Comments (3)
February 8, 2006
The Adding Machine starting to add up
Rice, The Adding Machine (1923) -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)Paul had a great interpretation that Shrdlu's hell is the fact that he IS NOT IN HELL. His entire value system and everything he relied on has not come to be-If he would have been punished for murdering dear ol' mom, he would have understood things and felt better in the fires of hell than he did in the Elysian Fields. To add to his hell, he cannot find his mother anywhere. If he would have found her, it would have provided him some relief, but whoever is in charge will no way let him find his mom.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 8:33 PM | Comments (0)
February 3, 2006
Paska anyone? (Bernice Bobs Her Hair)
Fitzgerald, ''Bernice Bobs Her Hair'' (1920) -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)"She had offended Marjorie, the sphinx of sphinxes". I love this metaphor for Marjorie because it sums up how Bernice sees her cousin - that she without question has the answers to all of the riddles with which Bernice is wrestling, and that if Bernice were only smart enough, she could figure these things out. The image also indirectly calls Marjorie a monster. Very amusing!
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 10:53 AM | Comments (3)
The Adding Machine
Rice, The Adding Machine (1923) -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267) "All through those endless ages of indescribable torment I should have exulted in the magnificence of divine justice". Shrdlu is adamant that his mother was nothing but good to him, but he kills her anyway in a spontaneous act of violence. He would find peace by being mistreated or going to hell, but is stuck in what would be heaven to some people. I'm not sure I care enough about Shrdlu to care about his fate. After first-reading, Zero and Daisy aren't particularly magnetic either.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 9:06 AM | Comments (6)
February 2, 2006
Close look at close reading -Roberts Chapter 2
Roberts on Close Reading. -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267) "The principle that all parts are equally important and essential". Roberts is discussing a close reading on a passage in a longer work, but this concept that all parts are of equal value also relates to a any shorter work, including poems. If the idea is to really understand what the work accomplishes, then you must consider why the author chose each and every word in the specific way that he/she did. Is there really never any room for fluff EVER? I am simply in awe!
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 10:08 AM | Comments (1)
Poets are the EXPERTS at using words
Ex 1-1a: Close Reading 1 -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267)
I totally understand that dissecting a poem apart word by word by a very persuasive writer can shut down what may be different interpretations, and that there is seldom ever one "right" analysis, but don't dismiss close readings because I beleive that poets are THE wordsmiths. If one closely studies the words that they use, you learn to appreciate nuance in language, may find that meaning is many-layered, and become a better wordsmith yourself.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 8:59 AM | Comments (0)
Plastic surgery has gone too far!
Roberts on Character -- Jerz: American Lit II (EL 267) "When authors bring characters into focus, however, no matter what roles they perform, the characters move into roundness."
Thes whole concept of flat and round characters, and especially this sentence helps me grasp the concept of
character traits by giving a visual image and what Roberts was explaining.
Posted by BrendaChristeleit at 8:58 AM | Comments (2)