Can't Figure Out What to Do?

Hey, all. There are two things to write for tomorrow. The first is the required blog entry below (or wherever it is on your screen). About half of you are there already. The other is The Awakening essay prompt, asking for two pages of "audition drafting" on a topic of your choosing. There are three listed in the posting in Essential Documents, and if the Blog writing turned up something else for you, or if you simply have an original topic you'd like to pursue, then there are more options. For the original ones, please run your idea by me. I don't want you to waste your time on a direction that doesn't work with the goals of the assessment. Those, simply put, are that you write an analysis of the novel which features a close reading of text at key moments. No "I" this time. You are making a persuasive argument about some aspect of the novel which is born out in specific text.

Required Blog Entry Time!

Better late than never, I say. Here is a rather loose prompt, intentionally so because I'd like there to be a variety of facets available to comment on, so that there can not only be dialogue on one specific point, but other possible directions to go, so that later bloggers don't feel it's all been said already. Here it is:

Based the Miss Representation assembly, the COD event you all attended on the Islamic veil in France, and of course on The Awakening, what would you say is Edna's veil? What is it that has "covered her" throughout her life until now? How does she become aware of it? Who helps her perceive that she is in fact "veiled"? (We talked about WHEN—about moments her awakening unfolds. This is asking WHY and HOW does she awaken, and from what?) Comment, respond to each other's comments (by reading the whole blog) and offer any analysis or commentary on the discoveries and claims made during the conversation. By class on Tuesday, please.

Watch This Space

The reading for today, Desiree's Baby, will serve as a seque from Chopin into our next unit, and we'll talk about the story in class Tuesday. The homework for Tuesday, somewhat loose on the blog, will be loose just a little longer. I want to wait for the Conference on Democracy session we're about to see to land before I finalize two aspects of your work for next class. One, there will be a REQUIRED blog posting, the first in a while. Secondly, there will be a prompts, or a selection of prompts for your upcoming essay on The Awakening. My idea is that you will post to the blog, then take the time you have left to do an "audition draft"/vomit draft of ideas you have about one of the prompts offered. No structure necessary there: you're just gathering ideas. I should have the Blog and the Prompts up during lunch today. Have a great weekend.

ADR Homework for Oct 19

There is no homework this weekend. Please bring The Awakening to class on Wednesday as we'll continue discussion and move into your next major writing prompt. Also note that we will be attending The Conference on Democracy session during E Block on Friday, so come straight to the theater that day. Happy weekend all!