Annie John RJ

1. As you read, keep in mind the aspects of post-colonialism we discussed in class.  Be sure to follow the general guidelines for your reading journal in addition to the questions below.  (Now might be a good time to go back and reread those guidelines on your reading journal handout. ☺)

2. How is the parent-child struggle between power and lack of power extended to other conflicts in the novel?  Make note of all the different places you see this struggle for power and the ways in which it is achieved, lost, etc.  Also, pay careful attention to who has the power and who does not.  How does this contribute to Kincaid’s overall meaning?

3. Keep in mind that this is a bildungsroman.  How does identity work in this novel?  When does Annie discover she has an identity separate from her mother?  How does she assert it?  What implications does Kincaid’s choice to use a bildungsroman have on the novel as a whole?

4. Look at the depiction of education in the novel.  What is the effect of a British curriculum on Caribbean children?  Is it absurd or admirable?

5. As Kincaid tells the story, she relates it as an expulsion from Paradise.  What was the original expulsion from Paradise?  Who was expelled and why?  What do the references to Lucifer and Paradise Lost indicate to you?

6. Make note of the many references to sexuality.  How do these details contribute to Kincaid’s point?

7. By the end of the book, Annie has rejected every aspect of her home and childhood:  “As I was lying there my heart could have burst open with joy at the thought of never having to see any of it again.”  Is this sort of rejection an inevitable part of growing up?  Is Annie’s hostility and rejection unusually extreme?  If so, why?

8. Jamaica Kincaid has said that her leaving Antigua “was a means of personal liberation” (NOW, 12 Oct. 1989).  Why do you think Kincaid was only able to find liberation by leaving home?  Do you think Annie is the same?  Why or why not?  Find points of support in the text for your claim.

COME TO CLASS WITH THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE COMPLETED.  YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL THE QUESTIONS.  ANYTHING LESS IS UNACCEPTABLE.  COME TO CLASS WITH SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR PARTS OF YOUR READING JOURNAL TO DISCUSS.  KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO GET FROM CLASS DISCUSSION IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THIS NOVEL.

Semester Exam Study Guide

AP Lit & Comp

Semester Exam Study Guide

Literary Terms

Matching—these terms will pull from the poetry and short stories sections of the Bedford.

Critical Lenses

Matching—know the different lenses discussed in your textbook.

Works Cited

I will give you a couple of sources with which, using the your own MLA Handbook (bring it) or a print-out of the Purdue OWL's MLA citation pages (I'll provide), you will create a works cited page.

Good Readers & Good Writers

This section will test your understanding of the key points of Nabokov, Frost, and Perrine.  You’ll want to go back and review your annotations, notes, and reading journals. 

Short Stories

I’ll pull key passages from a variety of stories we’ve read this semester.  You’ll need to match them to the correct title and author.

AP Multiple Choice

I’ll give you one section of an AP exam (one poem and the questions following).  By the way, it’s to your benefit to answer all of the questions even if you don’t have a clue. =)

AP Free-Response Essay--Annie John

I’ll give you one essay question for which you should allow yourself 40 minutes.  Free response essay questions ask an open question/make a statement about literature in general.  You would then answer the question by writing an essay on the topic as it directly relates to a piece of literature (one from a provided list or, if you choose, another novel or play “of similar literary quality.”)  I’ll show you a few examples of free response essay prompts in class.  You should answer the prompt on your final using Annie John.

Extra Credit Opportunity

You have two options to earn 10 points (a letter grade on a major assignment) of extra credit.

Option #1:  Attend one of the following literary events and bring me back your ticket and playbill:

‘The Santaland Diaries’/‘A Christmas Memory’

A theatrical double- header. David Sedaris and Truman Capote, are brought together in one must-see event that will tug at your heart strings and get you in the holiday spirit. Dec. 9-11, 14-28, 20-23 at Kirkwood Theater, 400 Walnut St. Tickets $18-22 through Midwestix or at 244-2771.

Iowa’s First Lady Presents ‘A Christmas Carol’

This beloved Charles Dickens story is performed by the Iowa Shakespeare Experience. The show includes a gourmet reception, complimentary wine and a dessert intermezzo. Dec. 15-18 at Terrace Hill, 2300 Grand Ave. $65 adults, $45 young professionals, $15-$25 youth through Midwestix or call (515) 244-2771.

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams Directed by Ann Woldt
Box office open November 16
Pote Theatre, December 2 & 3 at 7:30 pm and December 4 at 1:00 pm

Tickets are $9 for non-Simpson students

Simpson students are free

Order tickets online:  http://simpson.tix.com/Schedule.asp?OrganizationNumber=2794

Option #2:  Watch a movie version of a GREAT LITERATURE book or play you have read and write a review (1-2 pgs typed) to be submitted to Turnitin.com.  Your review should include your opinion of the film's interpretation of the book and your commentary on the differences you see in the film.

Short Story Terms--study for exam

Short Story/Literary Fiction Terms

Plot
In medias res
Flashback
Exposition
Rising Action
Conflict
Foreshadowing
Protagonist
Hero/Heroine
Antagonist
Climax
Resolution (a.k.a. denouement)
Characterization
“Showing”  Dramatic Characterization
“Telling”  Narrative Characterization
Motivation
Plausible Characterization
Consistent Characterization
Absurdist literature
Antihero
Dynamic character
Static character
Foil
Flat character
Stock character
Round character
Setting
Point of view
Narrator
Omniscient narrator
Editorial narrator
Neutral narrator
Limited omniscient narrator
Stream-of-consciousness technique
Objective point of view
First-person narrator
Unreliable narrator
Naïve narrator
Symbol
Conventional symbol
Literary symbol
Allegory
Theme
Style
Diction
Tone
Irony
Verbal irony
Sarcasm
Situational irony
Dramatic irony

SS in-depth study

In-Depth Author Study

 

 

Objectives:

·       Observe style and common use of elements in an author's works

·       Use research strategies to gather information

·       Correctly document sources in MLA style

·       Develop a group presentation on the selected author and his/her writing

 

The Assignment:

·       Read three stories written by a chosen author

·       Complete a formal reading journal for one of the stories

·       Write a one-page, typed, thoughtful, formal response for each of the other two

·       Research the author’s biographical information

·       Read several articles of professional criticism

·       Write a one-page summary and response of your criticism

·       Correctly document research sources with an MLA works cited page

·       Present information as a group, informing the class of the author info and

         sharing summaries of the stories and analysis of the author as a whole

 

Author Choices:

Rank your top four choices for authors.  Keep in mind that the idea is to expand your literary horizons.  

 

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Flannery O’Conner

Alice Munro

James Joyce

Mark Twain

Henry James

Ind Rdg Booktalk

AP Lit Independent Reading

Lit Analysis Booktalk

Assignment:
Prepare and give a 10-minute booktalk in which you give a BRIEF synopsis of your book, analyze an element of the book, and show how the author uses that element to create his/her theme.  This should be essentially what you did for your first process paper, only you’re doing it orally.  This means you still need evidence. Rather than having to write, go through the process, and be confined by word count, you’re challenged with the task of making it comprehensible to your peers in only 10-15 minutes.  Therefore, focus on ONE aspect of the novel, just as you did in your lit analysis essay.

Objectives:

• Continue working on lit analysis (theme, analysis of an element, and evidence to back claims)
• Apply critical lenses to a novel
• Demonstrate excellent public speaking skills

Items to be Sure You Include:

• Title and author
• BRIEF plot synopsis
• Analysis of the element you’ll be focusing on
• Argument of the theme of the book and how your element contributes to it
• Evidence from the text to back up your claims

Critical Lens Aspect
To help deepen your analysis, you’ll also need to apply critical lenses to your reading of the text.  EVERYONE will be using reader response (you can’t avoid it) and formalist (because this is AP Lit and ALL interpretations MUST be grounded in the text).  In addition, you should consider your novel from another perspective:  historical, biographical, feminist, psychological, Marxist, etc.  Use the lens to help you better understand the argument the author is making by considering the context or what he/she may be saying about society.  

In order to do this well, you may need to do some brief research on your author, the time period, psychology, etc.  If you use outside sources to help deepen your understanding and to give more credibility to your analysis, you should cite your sources ORALLY during your booktalk.

Grading
I will grade you using the rubric found here.

RJ Conferences

It's about that time--end of the 1st quarter!  That means you need to check over those RJs and be sure you have all of them completed (including the left hand side) and that you have some things to say about your critical reading skills.  The RJs you have for 1st quarter include your two summer books, your Nabokov re-read, and your Frost re-read.

Remember that any claims you make about yourself in a reading journal conference must be BACKED UP with evidence from your reading journal.  If you say you're great at noticing details, then show in your RJ where you picked up on important details.  If you say you reread a lot, then show what you were able to better understand after rereading.  If you say that you don't do a very good job with the dictionary, then show where you misread or misunderstood something in your RJ because you didn't know what a word meant in that context.

What to cover in your reading journal conference:

• Where you are as a critical reader according to Nabokov's rules.  Which rules are you following (your strengths)?  Which rules are you ignoring (your weaknesses)?  Show evidence from your RJ to back up these claims about yourself.
• How comfortable do you feel with poetry at this point?  Have you improved?  In what way?  Where are you still struggling?
• Set one or two specific goals for 2nd quarter to help you become a better critical reader.  These can be specific rules you're going to work on (i.e. rereading) or related areas (i.e. time-management).

How will I grade this?  If you sit down with me, have your RJ, cover what you need to thoroughly but concisely--showing evidence from your completed RJ--you get an A.  If you don't have much in the way of specific evidence, you'll get an A-.   If I have to prompt you to make sure you cover it all or have very little evidence, you'll get some type of B depending on how much prompting you require or how sparse the evidence is.  If you require prompting but can't even answer what I'm asking for OR you clearly don't have a completed RJ OR you just have absolutely no evidence for your claims, you'll end up in the C range.

Groups and Poets

Kristina, Lauren and Dani:  XJ Kennedy
Emma, Donald, Hannah, and Jessie S:  Theodore Roethke
Dan, Zitxw, and Zach:  William Blake
Ryne, Taylor, and Sam:  e.e. cummings
Krista, Shannon, and Cameron:  Emily Dickinson
Kim, Amber J, and Naty:  Margaret Atwood
Amber H, Kaitlin, and Natalie:  Gwendolyn Brooks
Peter, Ben, and Tyler:  Keats
Ally, Jessica I, and Katie:  Elizabeth Bishop

AP Lit In-Depth Poet Study

AP Literature 

In-Depth Poet Study

Now that you have studied all of the ways poets use language to express meaning, I'd like you to spend some time studying one poet in-depth.  Doing so will give you an opportunity to critically read a number of poems, practice your own analysis and interpretation of those poems, do some research (both critical and biographical) on the poet, and present your findings as an "expert."  In addition to the practice this project will give you in analysis and interpretation, I also want you to begin to see and understand the way an individual poet develops a style, common motifs, or comes back again and again to the same forms and poetic devices.

 

You will be working in groups for this project, but only the presentation will be a group grade.  The major portions of the project will be individual, though your group can work as moral support.

 

The Steps:

 

• You've already chosen your poet.  See the previous blog posting for your assignment. 

 

• Read a representative sampling of the poet's work--that means enough that you can see the kind of poetry your poet writes, including the various motifs and poetic devices your poet explores.  This is all about increasing your exposure to poetry--the more exposure you have, the more practice you get working with all the poetic devices you just learned about, the more experience you have in analysis, the more comfortable you will feel when presented with it in the future.

 

• Discuss the poems you read with your group.  Work together to understand them, to analyze them, to bounce ideas for interpretation off of each other.  You all know by now how helpful class discussion can be for any piece of literature, so use your group to help you better understand your own ideas.

 

• Individually, complete a formal write-up that synthesizes the poet's background, literary importance, and style.  Also include the poetic devices, forms, etc. (all the stuff we covered in your textbook) the poet seems to use, favor, etc.  Also include common motifs and/or themes they write about.  Make sure you cite examples from their various poetry as evidence of these claims.  There is no length requirement for this write-up.  Your criteria is that it be long enough--long enough to do a good job, make a comprehensive study, and cite evidence for your claims.

 

• Conduct research to help you accomplish the write-up above--biographical, critical, literary contributions--and compile a works cited page that documents those sources.

 

• As a group, present your findings to the class.  Be prepared to share with the class some of the poet's work and your synthesis as the experts on that poet.  You will have 15-20 to present your poet as experts and everyone in your group should contribute equally to the presentation.

 

  

Poetry Exam

Mulitiple choice section

The first part is what I call the easy part.  There are questions over the chapters in your book that cover terminology and interpretation of poetry.  If you haven't read the chapters in the book this section might not be so easy.  If you have been staying up with your assignments and asking questions in class to clarify what you don't understand then you should be fine.

The next part is actual AP exam questions.  You'll have a poem to read and questions that follow.  These will obviously also ask for your knowledge on terminology and interpretation.

In-class essay

This will be an AP exam prompt in which it gives you a poem to read and a prompt to answer that asks you to analyze and interpret the poem.  You should essentially write an explication.  Refer to the examples in your textbook for what that will look like.

To study I would recommend studying your terms and making sure that you know how to analyze a poem, looking for all the devices that your textbook has covered.

First Process Paper!

It's time to start your writing.  Here are the guidelines for your first process paper of the year.  Proposals are due Sept. 8th by midnight so plan accordingly.  Yes, next week is Homecoming week...so be smart with your time management!

Welcome

I'm trying something new in order to make life easier for all of us.  You can subscribe to this blog (use the email that comes to your phone preferably) and it will notify you when I add something new.  Plus, you can see upcoming assignments right on the blog.  I think the blog will fill our needs and save me some money at the same time.