Day 10: What have we learned in the last 10-days - A Summative Assessment and prelude to the Final Paper of the session

To be academically proficient, each student must reflect on the knowledge they gain from the lessons taught by a teacher, friend, life or an experience. Today's class will feature a roundtable discussion for the first hour and the second hour will be used for you to complete your final papers for submission.

Teacher Note Space: As a class, we will also discuss your final paper; the topic and how to get started. Each topic must be approved by the teacher. Please see me before the end of class with your ideas.

Thank you!

Day 9: Eight Critical Lenses through Which Readers Can View Texts

When you write a narrative, what lens do you use to make your missive interesting and informative? 

Pre-writing, Summative Assessment #2 on Narrative Writing - A pre-curser to your final paper

Students will continue working on paper #2 with a working outline or draft in-class on Day 10. All papers must be emailed by Monday at 11:59pm to the teacher. 

At least eight ways exist to read and interpret texts.  Below is a list of eight critical lenses with definitions, questions, and strategies used for each.  As you read, consider shifting your perspective
 or viewpoint, or the LENSES THROUGH WHICH YOU READ.  

Discussion Question: What lenses might offer you more insight into the text? Do you have one that you use, defined by you? It's okay - don't throw anything away! 

Reader Response Lens

Definition:  Reading a text for personal meaning

Questions and Strategies:

• In what ways is the text familiar to your life?  Think of events in the story, the types of characters, or the setting…  Can you relate to it on a personal level?
• In what ways is the text different than your life?
• How did the text affect you?
• How has the text increased your interest in the subject matter?
• How has the text changed your worldview?

Socio-Economic Lens

Definition:  Reading a text for its socio-economic issues

Questions and Strategies: 

• Explore the way different demographics are represented in texts.
• What world view does the text represent?
• What does the text say about class structures?
• Analyze the social effects of the text.

Historical Lens

Definition:  Reading a text for its contextual significance.  This would include information about the author, his or her historical moment, or the systems of meaning available at the time of writing.

Questions and Strategies:

• Research the author’s life and relate the information to the text.  Why did the author write it? 
• What is the author’s worldview?
• If the author is writing on a debatable issue does he or she give proper consideration to all sides of the debate?  Does he or she seem to have a bias?
• Research the author’s time (political history, intellectual history, economic history, etc.) and relate this information to the work.
• Upon reading the text, how has your view on the given historical event changed?

Gender Lens

Definition:  Reading a text for its gender related issues or attitudes towards gender.  The assumption here is that men and women are different:  they write differently, read differently, and write about their reading differently.  These differences should be valued.

Questions and Strategies:

• Consider the gender of the author and the characters:  what role does gender play in the text?
• Observe how gender stereotypes might be reinforced or undermined.  Try to see how the text reflects or distorts the place men or women have in society.
• Imagine reading the text from the point of view of someone from the opposite gender.

Race Lens

Definition:  Reading a text for it issues of race, heritage, and ethnicity.

Questions and Strategies:

• Analyze how the text discusses race, heritage, and ethnicity.  Or, consider what images of “others” are presented in the text.  How are these “others” portrayed?
• Are there any unfair stereotypes?  Are there any generalities that hold truth?
• Analyze the text for how it deals with cultural conflicts, particularly between majority and minority groups.

Psychological Lens

Definition:  Reading a text for patterns in human behavior.  While everyone’s formative history is different in particulars, there are basic recurrent patterns of development for most people.

Questions and Strategies:

• Is the way the characters act believable?
• Why do certain characters act the way they do?
• Think of what is a general viewpoint on life for children, youth, young adult, middle-aged,
• or elderly people.  Do the characters follow the patterns associated with these groups?
• Think of the range of human emotions.  How do they come to play in the text? (happiness, anger, depression, indifference, confusion, etc.)
• What did you think of any moral/ethical choices that the characters made? 
• What would you have done?
• Think about the broader social issues the text attempts to address.

New Criticism Lens

Definition:  Reading a text for the unity and complexity of its form.  The focus should be on the text itself.

Questions and Strategies:

• What types of symbolism are in the text?
• What themes recur throughout the text?
• Were the plot and subplots believable?
• Where could the story go from here?
• What did you think of the ending?
• What is the great strength -- or most noticeable weakness – of the text?
• Does the story fit an archetype?  (i.e. romance, tragedy, comedy, satire, irony). 
• How do those “types” manifest themselves?

Spiritual Lens

Definition:  Reading a text for its spiritual and faith related issues

Questions and Strategies:

• Analyze the text for its issues as they relate to one’s faith in a higher being.
• Compare aspects of the text as they relate to religious writings/scriptures.
• If one believes in a higher being or creator, how does that creator speak to the reader through the text?
• What does the text say about various world religions?
• What does the text say about faith?  Grace?  Love?  Forgiveness?  Hope?

On a separate piece of paper, answer the following questions and turn them in on Day 11. PLEASE...DO NOT WRITE YOUR NAME ON THE ANSWERS YOU TURN IN. Thanks!

Day 8: Academic Writing - The Banking Concept of Education (Freire)

(Photo - Fair Use: Zen Garden Inspiration Gallery - WordPress.com490 × 257Search by image)

About the Author

Paulo Freire was born in 1921 in Recife, capital ofthe state of Pernambuco in Brazil. By 1941, the twenty-year-old Freire was a secondary schoolteacher of Portuguese and a university student at a law school. While teaching literacy among peasants in poverty-stricken northeast Brazil in the late 1950s, Freire sparked the first ideas for what later would become the crux of his best-selling Pedagogy of the Oppresse (1970),  from which the following essay is drawn. He aimed his work at diminishing so­cial injustice and oppression by recognizing that the classroom should be a place where teachers and students have equal power and equal dignity. This ideal has become a model for educators around the world, but the military coup in Brazil in 1964 led to sixteen years of exile for Freire, and his educational theories were banned there for decades. During his exile, he taught in Europe and the United States and worked for the Allende government in Chile. Freire later worked with UNESCO, the Chilean In­stitute of Agrarian Reform, and the World Council of Churches. Until his death in 1997, he was also professor of educational philosophy at the Catholic University ofSao Paulo. Freire wrote two dozen books, including Education for Critical Conscious­ness (1974), The Politics of Education (1985), and Learning to Question: A Ped­agogy of Liberation (1987). 

"In the banking concept of education, knowledge is a gift bestowed by those who consider theInselves knowledgeable upon those whom they consider to know nothing. Projecting an absolute ignorance onto others, a characteristic of the ideology of oppression, negates education and knowledge as processes of inquiry. The teacher presents himself to his students as their necessary opposite; by considering their ignorance absolute, he justifies his own existence. The students, alienated like the slave in the Hegelian dialectic, accept their ignorance as justifying the teacher's existence-but, unlike the slave, they never discover that they educate the teacher" (Freire). 

Reading: The Banking Concept of Education (PDF)

Discussion Question: How does the use of parallelism and the variety of sentence structure in narrative writing create interest for the reader? 

PARALLELISM:

1. The state or condition of being parallel; agreement in direction, tendency, or character.
2. The state of being in agreement or similarity; resemblance, correspondence, analogy.  [quotations ▼]
3. A parallel position; the relation of parallels.

Day 7: Masculinity and Femininity - What's Love got to do with it?

"Let a woman be a woman and a man be a man." ~Prince

Discussion Question: How do narrative writers use transitions and sequencing to draw readers through the story and provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the created text?

Readings: 
THINGS FALL APART: ON MASCULINITY

 What is the book Things Fall Apart about? Things Fall Apart is about the tragic fall of the protagonist, Okonkwo, and the Igbo culture. Okonkwo is a respected and influential leader within the Igbo community of Umuofia in eastern Nigeria

What is Femininity? 

"I equate this view of feminism as my preferred definition of femininity. I think it paints a strong picture of a perspective anyone, including men, can cultivate and cherish. And the flip side — the self-reliance, self-sufficiency and personal success fueled by a masculine drive — can coexist with the ability to value and include everyone who desires to contribute to a common goal,  (Reynolds).

Paper #2: 

Topics: Masculinity, Femininity, Race, Class, Structural Violence

2-3 pages, typed, double-spaced, details will be discussed in class. 

Day 6: Critical Thinking Using Race, Comedy and Conversation

The making of Jim Crow; Black politics might have started in Jim Crow.

Discussion Question: How does a narrative writer's use of literary techniques and points of view to engage the reader and understand the characters' journey?

Videos:  Louis CK "Being White"
              James Baldwin "Breaking down America in 2017"

Free Write: Take 15-20 minutes to write your thoughts about what you have seen in both videos by answering these questions:

1. If a white male can go to any "place in time or the future" and be treated with respect, then what happens to the man inside of the black body? Can he/she do the same?

2. Can a black female operate better inside the white male construct than a black male? Why?

Video 3: What were the Jim Crow Laws?

Things you should know...

• There are racial disparities in college enrollment and college completion. Over the last three decades, undergraduate enrollment rates for racial/ethnic minority students have increased, nearly doubling. Minorities have also made gains in completion rates at the high school and collegiate levels; however when compared to Whites, gaps in student achievement remain for nearly all minority groups.
• There are racial disparities in fields of study and graduate education. Fewer racial/ethnic minority students graduate in fields like science and engineering; fewer receive post-baccalaureate training and attain master’s, doctorate, and professional degrees.
• There are racial disparities in perceptions of campus climate. Racial/ethnic minority students are less likely to express satisfaction with their overall undergraduate experience. They also are less likely to feel a sense of belonging, interact with faculty/staff, and hold leadership positions in clubs/organizations.
• There are racial disparities in hiring, tenure, and compensation policies. Post graduation, racial/ethnic minorities earn less, with the same credentials, as their White counterparts. Even within the ranks of our liberal-minded institutions, Blacks and Hispanics are grossly underrepresented in our faculties. And where people of color do find positions within our institutions, it is too often in adjunct faculty positions, bereft of the pay and benefits appreciated by regular faculty, and in our service departments, perpetuating the inequalities that we so often condemn in society in general.

Certainly, there are those who firmly embrace the belief in the achievement ideology, which considers American society to be fair and meritocratic. For them, success and failure are based on individual differences in ability and motivation, and not societal or economic barriers. And while they strongly hold to their beliefs, there is a mountain of evidence to show that our society -- including some of our campuses -- is filled with longstanding, persistent barriers that fall along a color line.

Many have been saying that we need to have a national conversation on the issues of race in America. Some have said we need this because race issues are being swept under the carpet; others because the election of President Obama provides the most comfortable segue into such discussions in recent times. Whatever the reason, now seems like the opportune moment.

Day #5 - Essay Peer Review - Assessment

A self-eval is written evaluation of your experiences and work in a specific course during the past semester. It has three main functions:

1. It gives you a space to reflect on your work. Taking the time to process what you’ve learned and noticed in the classroom and about yourself is essential in making sense of this past semester.
2. It reminds your professor about what kind of student you are. Reflecting and evaluating on your own performance as a student in the classroom greatly helps your professor in remembering and evaluating you.
3. It reminds your future self of the experience you’ve had and the work you’ve done. Years from now, you’ll be glad that you have a written record of your experiences in your first few semesters!

Still confused? Ask your professor! Each of your professors may have different guidelines or interests, so feel free to reach out to them for guidance.

CLASS WORK ASSIGNMENT

Worksheet: Writing Self-Assessment and Writing Center Conference

Each student will review a peers paper based on the rubric. Here's how we get it done:

Grab a blank piece of paper and follow the steps below:

To start off, you can briefly explain why took the course in the first place. What about the subject or course description intrigued you, and why?

Think about your goals: What were they? Did you fulfill them, discover new goals, or did some evolve over time?

Think about your performance: How do you think you did this past semester? Did you put enough time and energy into the course? Would you do anything differently, and why? Did you participate in class, and ask for help when you needed it?

Think about specific work you’ve completed over the course of the semester: What assignments or projects are you particularly proud of? Are there any assignments that you find especially significant, and why? It might help to look to the future and imagine what work you’d actually want to see in your Division I portfolio. (Don’t feel is necessary to mention every scrap of work you did—just highlight and explain what mattered the most to you.)

Additionally, give some thought to these questions:

• What were some key points or lessons from the course that resonated with you, and why?
• Do you think this course might be helpful to the rest of your studies, and why?

Day #4 - Essay Check Ins - Introduction to MLA (Methods)

All students are working on essay: "Masculinity and the Black Body in 2017: What does it mean for men and women of color to use masculinity to gain success?"

Discussion Question #4:  How can I cite evidence and use the text to support my ideas? 

Introduction to Methods 1110

Lecture and PowerPoint - MLA/APA

Worksheet 1 - MLA/APA Side-by-Side 

Worksheet 2 - MLA Works Cited Practice Page 

Worksheet 3  -  MLA CITATION WORKSHEET

 

Day 3: Discussing Race, Class, Racism and what is real

Discussion Question: How does a character change over the course of a text?
(Please answer this in the comment section of this blog post.)

Teacher notes: PowerPoint presentation - Race in America - what does this mean to you?

Reading: 

Black Looks: Race and Representation, PDF

race& ethnicity

have you ever wondered…why most of the main characters in movies and television shows are white…why people of color are often cast in certain roles such as the maid, the gangster, the “model minority,” the supportive best friend, the terrorist…why certain products like cars or phones are marketed differently to specific racial or ethnic groups…why certain races and ethnicities are portrayed more often as lower class individuals in mainstream American media?

key concepts

Race and ethnicity are not only physical attributes of people, but also ways of seeing and understanding the world.

Media plays an influential role in shaping how we think about and enact race in our everyday lives.

In the United States and other Western Contexts, whites have historically been associated with superiority and privilege; people of color have historically been associated with inferiority and labeled as the "Other" in society.

Our society has made progress in dealing with racial discrimination, but inequality and injustice still remain, and the media is a key site where these ideas persist.

the big picture

Media creates meaning about race and ethnicity, and plays an important role in shaping the way we understand race and ethnicity as part of our identity, our history, our social institutions, and our everyday lives. Often used interchangeably, race is a way of classifying individuals and groups on the basis of physical characteristics, particularly one’s skin color. Ethnicity delineates one’s place of origin or nationality, one’s cultural background or ancestry, one’s language and by extension, one’s belief system.

Despite the concrete physical and sometimes geographical roots tied to specific racial and ethnic identities, it is important to understand that race and ethnicity are also ideologies, or ways of seeing and understanding the world around us. Race and ethnicity, are therefore imbued with meaning. They not only get used as descriptors, but also as markers of broader concepts and relationships. Race and ethnicity can mark you as belonging to a group or as an outsider, as different. These markers not only designate one’s skin color or cultural background, but also function in a larger system and in relation to other racial and ethnic identities. In this system, certain groups have more power and privileges than others.

In order to understand the cultural meanings attributed to specific races and ethnicities, we must examine the historical origins of these systems and ideologies. Many of our Western or American ideas about race and ethnicity come from specific moments in history marked by colonialism, immigration and other tides that shifted populations and demographics. With such changes and the intermixing of different races and ethnicities, dominant groups rose to power and exerted influence over others by occupying and controlling the landscape, language, culture, and rituals. In these varied historical examples, the white group attained dominance, while the subordinate groups (e.g. people of color) were relegated to the social, political and economic margins. This means that the subordinate group historically has had very little or no power, and individuals in that group were often denied the rights and opportunities afforded to the dominant group. The dominant group holds social, political and economic power, and thereby determines who is worthy of sharing that power. Of course, there is also a long history of resistance among marginalized communities. For decades and centuries, ethnic minority communities have battled mightily to secure rights and opportunities that have often been systematically denied. This is a struggle that continues to this day in new and evolving forms.

This complicated history informs the way we understand race and the embedded meanings attached to dominant and subordinate categories:

dominant

• civilized

• modern

• rational

• order

• center

• stability

• unmarked

• self

• white

• superior

• majority

• citizen

• insider

subordinate

• primitive

• backward

• irrational

• chaos

• margin

• violence

• marked

• other

• non-white

• inferior

• minority

• illegal

• outsider

The chart further illustrates how the subordinate group is often seen and treated as different, foreign, lesser, or “Other.” Based on perceived inferiority, members of subordinate groups historically have been victims of discrimination, oppression, and racism. Racism can exist on two levels—interpersonal (between people) or institutional (embedded in institutions such as the government, law enforcement, education, religion, as well as media industries). In the United States, a long history of segregation impacted access to public services including education, transportation, even drinking fountains as well as private sector businesses such as hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues. Such discriminatory views also have impacted the voting rights, employment opportunities, and wages of other people of color. The chart above deliberately offers an overly simplistic binary. It does not mean that whites are superior to other races; rather it suggests that, in a Western context (North American and European), the characteristics associated with whiteness are historically and culturally valued above those associated with other races. We associate whiteness with civilization, progress, intellect and leadership. And, because we value these characteristics so highly as central to our way of life and our systems of government, we denigrate anything that might impede the advancement and evolution of these characteristics.

In the 1950s and 1960s, several landmark pieces of legislation and court decisions (particularly the Civil Rights Act, The Voting Rights Act, Brown vs. Board of Education) addressed segregation and discrimination in the United States; however, even with these major political and legal changes, the racist ideologies behind such discriminatory attitudes and policies still persist. The question is: can we always see these racist ideologies, especially when they come up in our everyday lives and in the media we regularly view?

race & ethnicity in everyday life

Can you remember the first time you understood someone to be different because of his or her race or ethnicity?  Was there a time when race played a prominent role in your life (whether something happened to you directly, or you observed it happening to someone else)?

Depending on your skin color, ethnic background, where you grew up, what kind of people you’ve encountered, you will have your own experience and idea of what race and ethnicity mean.

For some, race and ethnicity can play a very prominent role in everyday life. You may have been called a name, been given a look, or treated differently than peers of a different race or ethnicity. You may have been the victim of assault or prejudice. You may have been stopped and searched by law enforcement when you were simply walking down the street. You may have had fewer opportunities to pursue educational or professional goals.

Race and ethnicity can also play a more subtle role in your everyday life, not overtly impacting your freedoms or opportunities. You may have felt isolated or alone, or been the only one of your race and ethnicity in the room. You may not see people who look like you prominently or accurately represented in media, in stories, in school curriculum. You may have been complimented on how articulate or professional you are or praised as a credit to your race. You may be admired for being “exotic” or people may assume you like certain music or food simply because of your race or ethnicity.

And in still other cases, you may not even think about your race or ethnicity except when checking a box on a survey. In this case, your race and ethnicity are essentially neutral or invisible and you occupy a position ofprivilege.You are privileged because you hold a distinct advantage over others, even if you can’t see it, won’t see it, or have been taught not to see it. You may not see or relate to the hardship experienced by other races and ethnicities because they don’t impact your daily life.

why it all matters… food for thought

In 1964, Sidney Poitier was the first African-American to win an Academy Award for best actor. The win was a landmark moment not only because of the honor bestowed on him by his peers, but because Poitier was known to refuse the stereotypical roles typically offered to African Americans actors.  Since the mid-1960s, we can certainly point to other artists and media-makers of color that have received comparable success in film, television, and music:

Halle Berry. Will Smith. Beyonce. Denzel Washington. Oprah Winfrey.  Kerry Washington, Jay Z. Sofia Veraga. Javier Bardem. America Ferrera. George Lopez. Jennifer Lopez.  Penelope Cruz. Ricky Martin. Christina Aguilera. Sandra Oh. Daniel Dae Kim. Lucy Liu. Mindy Kailing. George Takei. Margaret Cho. Karen O.

It’s worth questioning whether the success of these individuals denotes progress across the board for non-whites in American media.  Even with these successes, there is still a notable dearth of non-white representation, especially in film and television. And beyond sheer numbers, there’s the issue of quality. Do characters adhere to old stereotypes and conventions? Are they tokens (added to the cast as a mere gesture of diversity)? Or, are significant players in the stories being told and in the industry that creates them?

Given that many of the messages that we receive about race and ethnicity come to us through the media, it’s important for us to ask questions about media representations. Such questioning, in turn, can help us think critically about the media (and the people and industries behind them). As you look through the media examples on this site, use them along with this overview as building blocks and avenues to dig deeper into the meaning of race and ethnicity…and ask questions. When we think critically about race and ethnicity in the media, we might start by asking:

• How are different racial and ethnic groups represented in entertainment, advertising, and news media?
• How are certain news stories covered or stories told based on the race and ethnicity of those involved?
• What specific images, words, and sounds contribute to our understanding of how a specific race or ethnicity is portrayed?
• Does the media make assumptions about what certain races do for work and for fun? Does it assume that certain races only live in particular neighborhoods, drive certain cars, or listen to a single type of music? Does it assume that certain races predominantly seek government aid or commit crimes? Does it assume certain races are more openly sexual or sexually aggressive?
• What impact do these representations and assumption have on the opportunities and possibilities for individuals of different races and ethnicities in their personal and professional lives? Do some groups experience social, political, and economic inequities more than others?

Class #2 Introduction to Essay, Characterization and assignment #1

Each of you are required to write three major papers during the course of this English class summer program. The following is a guide on to develop your essays:

Part 1 Writing Your Essay

1 Research the topic. This step is especially important if your paper is a research paper. 

2 Analyze well-written essays. ... 

3 Brainstorm your own ideas. ... 

4 Pick your thesis statement. ... 

5 Plan your essay. ... 

6 Write the body of your essay. ... 

7 Come up with a compelling title and introduction. ... 

8 Conclude your essay.

• Essay Rubric A

• Each student will be required to write a minimum of 500 words, Times New Roman font 12, double-spaced, typed. 

Topic:  

"Masculinity and the Black Body in 2017: What does it mean for men and women of color to use masculinity to gain success?"

(Examples of Essay will be provided)

www.academia.edu 

Day 2 Question: What does an author use to develop a character? 

Listening Session: The Monkey Paw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twJtBQ_sILQ

Teacher's Notes: Draft will be due Friday, June 23, 2017 for Peer Review Session and final will be turned in by Monday during class. 

Narrative Elements - Characterization

What is it?

Characterization is the way in which authors convey information about their characters. Characterization can be direct, as when an author tells readers what a character is like (e.g. "George was cunning and greedy.") or indirect, as when an author shows what a character is like by portraying his or her actions, speech, or thoughts (eg. "On the crowded subway, George slipped his hand into the man's coat pocket and withdrew the wallet, undetected."). Descriptions of a character's appearance, behavior, interests, way of speaking, and other mannerisms are all part of characterization. For stories written in the first-person point of view, the narrator's voice, or way of telling the story, is essential to his or her characterization.

Why is it important?

Characterization is a crucial part of making a story compelling. In order to interest and move readers, characters need to seem real. Authors achieve this by providing details that make characters individual and particular. Good characterization gives readers a strong sense of characters' personalities and complexities; it makes characters vivid, alive and believable.

How do I create it?

Create characterization by choosing details that make real or fictional characters seem life-like and individual.

To create characterization in fiction or non-fiction,

• Tell the reader directly what a character's personality is like:

• "Mrs. Freeman could never be brought to admit herself wrong on any point."
—Flannery O'Connor, "Good Country People"

• Describe a character's appearance and manner:

• "The Baker, who was an older man with a thick neck, listened without saying anything when she told him the child would be eight years old next Monday. The baker wore a white apron that looked like a smock. Straps cut under his arms, went around in back and then to the front again, where they were secured under his heavy waist. He wiped his hands on his apron as he listened to her. He kept his eyes down on the photographs and let her talk."
—Raymond Carver, "A Small, Good Thing"

• Portray a character's thoughts and motivations:

• "I didn't come to Utah to be the same boy I'd been before. I had my own dreams of transformation, Western dreams, dreams of freedom and dominion and taciturn self-sufficiency. The first thing I wanted to do was change my name. A girl named Toby had joined my class before I left Florida, and this had caused both of us scalding humiliation.

"I wanted to call myself Jack, after Jack London. I believed that having his name would charge me with some of the strength and competence inherent in my idea of him. The odds were good that I'd never have to share a classroom with a girl named Jack. And I liked the sound. Jack. Jack Wolff."
—Tobias Wolff, This Boy's Life

• Use dialogue to allow a character's words to reveal something important about his or her nature:

• "Unable to contain herself, [Mrs. Bennet] began scolding one of her daughters. 'Don't keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven's sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces.'"
—Jane Austin, Pride and Prejudice

• Use a character's actions to reveal his or her personality:

• "He would hang around our place on Saturdays, scornful of whatever I was doing but unable to leave me alone. I couldn't be on the swing without him wanting to try it, and if I wouldn't give it up he came and pushed me so that I went crooked. He teased the dog. He got me into trouble—deliberately and maliciously, it seemed to me afterward—by daring me to do things I wouldn't have thought of on my own: digging up the potatoes to see how big they were when they were still only the size of marbles, and pushing over the stacked firewood to make a pile we could jump off."
—Alice Munro, "Miles City, Montana"

• Show others' reactions to the character or person you're portraying:

• "No respect at all was shown him in the department. The porters, far from getting up from their seats when he came in, took no more notice of him than if a simple fly had flown across the reception room."
—Nikolai Gogol, "The Overcoat"

• Give fictional characters meaningful names or use real people's nicknames that relate to their  personalities:
• Severus Snape—"Severus" means "strict" or "severe" in Latin. Severus Snape is a strict professor who treats Harry harshly.
• Sirius Black—"Sirius" is the brightest star in the Canis Major or "Great Dog" constellation. Sirius Black is a wizard who transforms into a black dog.
• Peeves—"To peeve" means "to annoy." Peeves is a ghost who pesters people at Hogwart's School. —J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter series

Self Check

Ask yourself these questions when trying to understand characterization:

• What does the character look like?

• How does the character behave towards others? How do others behave toward the character?

• What does the character seem to care about?

• What adjectives does the author use to describe the character's personality?

• What does the character think or say?

Welcome to Mr. Allen's Summer English Class!

Mr. Allen, M.A. Ed. - Teacher 9-10 English - Gordon Parks High School

I would like to take the opportunity to welcome each of you to this great class. I promise we will have meaningful, interesting and in-depth conversations about society, life and who we are in the big picture using the lenses of English literature and theory.

A very basic way of thinking about literary theory is that these ideas act as different lenses critics use to view and talk about art, literature, and even culture. These different lenses allow critics to consider works of art based on certain assumptions within that school of theory. The different lenses also allow critics to focus on particular aspects of a work they consider important.

For example, if a critic is working with certain Marxist theories, s/he might focus on how the characters in a story interact based on their economic situation. If a critic is working with post-colonial theories, s/he might consider the same story but look at how characters from colonial powers (Britain, France, and even America) treat characters from, say, Africa or the Caribbean. Hopefully, after reading through and working with the resources in this area of the OWL, literary theory will become a little easier to understand and use.

Our course, "Masculinity and the meaning of Education and the Black Body," will look at the relationships between men, women, race, class and socioeconomic placeholders and how they came to be. 

Please, for this first discussion, tell the your classmates a little something about you and respond to two (2) classmates. 

Discussion Question - Day 1: How does a theme develop over the course of the text? (Answer on blog or notebook paper before tomorrow morning.)

Thank you - Mr. Allen