About Flannery O'Connor:
http://www.openculture.com/2012/05/rare_1959_audio_flannery_oconnor_reads_a_good_man_is_hard_to_find.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weaQE0__v2g
1. What qualities of the grandmother do you like? What qualities do
you dislike? How did you feel when The Misfit killed her? Why?
2. How would you characterize the other members of the family? What
is the function of images like the following: the mother's "face was
as broad and innocent as a cabbage and was tied around with a green head-kerchief
that had two points on the top like a rabbit's ears" and the grandmother's
"big black valise looked like the head of a hippopotamus"?
3. How does O'Connor foreshadow the encounter with The Misfit?
4. What does the grandmother mean by a "good man"? Whom does
she consider good people? What are other possible meanings of "good"?
Why does she tell The Misfit that he's a good man? Is there any sense in
which he is?
5. What is the significance of the discussion of Jesus? Was he a good
man?
6. What is the significance of the grandmother's saying, "Why you're
one of my babies. You're one of my own children"?
7. What is the significance of The Misfit's saying, "She would
of been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute
of her life"?
There are, of course, no absolute answers to these questions; the story
resists easy solutions, violates the reader's expectations.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Realism versus modernism
The essential difference between modernism vs realism, the two
forms of thinking patterns or philosophies is that it was the conflict
between the old traditional values, beliefs and the new rational,
logical views. Modernism, in strictest sense was a refusal to accept the
conservative views, ideologies and theories of realism. Modernism was
revolutionary in the sense that it challenged the issues that blocked
the human progress. It focused deeply on human efforts, its
self-consciousness to examine all aspects of human life and correct the
things that were wrong. Right from commerce and trade to philosophy,
modernism questioned everything and encouraged individuals to find
answers to problems by deep thinking, self experiments and knowledge.
In realism, that preceded modernism, the main thought was that the reality in the everyday life is the ultimate truth. It is not dependent on the power of observers and so, it must be depicted as it is, in arts and literature. Modernism challenged realism, as it focused on inner self-consciousness and the power of scientific experimentation to challenge and consequently change reality.
Modernism Vs. Realism in Literature
Literary Time Period
Modernism
It is said that Modernism flourished between 1900 - 1930. However, literary scholars agree on the fact that the modernism as a form of literary style has penetrated deeply in the 20th century and existed even after half of the 20th century. It is also believed that the era after Vietnam war, roughly close to 1990s, kick started the post-modernism era.
Realism
Realism preceded modernism in literature and the period between 1860 - 1900 was regarded as the realism period in literature.
Chief Characteristics
Modernism
It has a pessimistic tone regarding various issues dealt in the writing.
It portrays reality of life, without any romanticism or much optimism as in the Victorian or Romantic literature.
Variety and complexity in novels made modernistic writing difficult to comprehend.
Numerous themes of modern literature included the search within self, the inner dilemma human beings face, questions regarding existence of God in the modern world, overwhelming technological changes and the struggle of man to fit in urban life.
Many characters and multiple experiences of people in the story.
It uses tools like "stream of consciousness", self experience for representing inner mind, thoughts and views about life.
No central heroic figure in the story.
Not sequential and connected events unlike realism literature, with fixed time lines.
Questions deeply about isolation of an individual in a society fragmented by growth and development. Characters in modern literature were usually from middle class families.
Realism
It generally dealt with everyday lives of the middle class people.
The works in realism literature focused on the quality of individual's life, his daily tasks and that is why, in realism, character is always more important than the plot.
No poetic, romantic language is used in realism. The voice of speech represents average man and so it is simple but the tone may be comic or satiric.
Events and plot in realism will be reasonable and valid, and truthful. It doesn't discuss anything that is sentimental or over dramatic
The most unique feature of realism is that everything, right from characters, plot and language is free of ornamentation. It is explained as it is, without any decorative language.
Renowned Writers
Modernist Writers
Some of most prominent poets of the modernism era were T. S. Eliot, John Mansfield, W.B. Yeats, Rupert Brook, Robert Bridges, W. H. Auden, Stephen Spencer and Dylan Thomas. American novelists like Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner and Toni Morrison incorporated modernist writing styles in their novels. Authors from different countries who made modernistic writing very popular were James Joyce, Aldous Huxley, Joseph Conrad, Gertrude Stein, Virginia Woolf, and Ezra Pound.
Realist Writers
Realism was a very difficult phase in the American history where America was on the verge of a serious overhaul in different spheres of life. Be it political, social, economical or individual liberty, realism period witnessed rise of writers who presented the American people as they were. Some of the popular literary figures who used realism as a literary tool included Henry Adams, Horatio Alger, Frank Baum, Edward Bellamy, Kate Chopin, William Dean Howells, Henry James, Stephen Crane, Joseph Kirkland, Ambrose Bierce, Hamlin Garland, George Eliot, Gustave Flaubert, Maupassant, Sherwood Anderson, Walt Whitman, Willa Cather, Thornton Wilder and Mark Twain.
Both realism and modernism had significant effects on contemporary arts, culture, music and literature. For scholars and art lovers, debate between realism vs modernism has always existed. Some say, realism is no more than a dead weight now, while various others believe that modernism has been long ago taken over by post-modernist trends. Reading popular novels and books related to modernism (like Ulysses by James Joyce) and realism (like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain) will help you understand the intricacies of these eras and the writing styles, in a more profound way.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/modernism-vs-realism.html
In realism, that preceded modernism, the main thought was that the reality in the everyday life is the ultimate truth. It is not dependent on the power of observers and so, it must be depicted as it is, in arts and literature. Modernism challenged realism, as it focused on inner self-consciousness and the power of scientific experimentation to challenge and consequently change reality.
Modernism Vs. Realism in Literature
Literary Time Period
Modernism
It is said that Modernism flourished between 1900 - 1930. However, literary scholars agree on the fact that the modernism as a form of literary style has penetrated deeply in the 20th century and existed even after half of the 20th century. It is also believed that the era after Vietnam war, roughly close to 1990s, kick started the post-modernism era.
Realism
Realism preceded modernism in literature and the period between 1860 - 1900 was regarded as the realism period in literature.
Chief Characteristics
Modernism
It has a pessimistic tone regarding various issues dealt in the writing.
It portrays reality of life, without any romanticism or much optimism as in the Victorian or Romantic literature.
Variety and complexity in novels made modernistic writing difficult to comprehend.
Numerous themes of modern literature included the search within self, the inner dilemma human beings face, questions regarding existence of God in the modern world, overwhelming technological changes and the struggle of man to fit in urban life.
Many characters and multiple experiences of people in the story.
It uses tools like "stream of consciousness", self experience for representing inner mind, thoughts and views about life.
No central heroic figure in the story.
Not sequential and connected events unlike realism literature, with fixed time lines.
Questions deeply about isolation of an individual in a society fragmented by growth and development. Characters in modern literature were usually from middle class families.
Realism
It generally dealt with everyday lives of the middle class people.
The works in realism literature focused on the quality of individual's life, his daily tasks and that is why, in realism, character is always more important than the plot.
No poetic, romantic language is used in realism. The voice of speech represents average man and so it is simple but the tone may be comic or satiric.
Events and plot in realism will be reasonable and valid, and truthful. It doesn't discuss anything that is sentimental or over dramatic
The most unique feature of realism is that everything, right from characters, plot and language is free of ornamentation. It is explained as it is, without any decorative language.
Renowned Writers
Modernist Writers
Some of most prominent poets of the modernism era were T. S. Eliot, John Mansfield, W.B. Yeats, Rupert Brook, Robert Bridges, W. H. Auden, Stephen Spencer and Dylan Thomas. American novelists like Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner and Toni Morrison incorporated modernist writing styles in their novels. Authors from different countries who made modernistic writing very popular were James Joyce, Aldous Huxley, Joseph Conrad, Gertrude Stein, Virginia Woolf, and Ezra Pound.
Realist Writers
Realism was a very difficult phase in the American history where America was on the verge of a serious overhaul in different spheres of life. Be it political, social, economical or individual liberty, realism period witnessed rise of writers who presented the American people as they were. Some of the popular literary figures who used realism as a literary tool included Henry Adams, Horatio Alger, Frank Baum, Edward Bellamy, Kate Chopin, William Dean Howells, Henry James, Stephen Crane, Joseph Kirkland, Ambrose Bierce, Hamlin Garland, George Eliot, Gustave Flaubert, Maupassant, Sherwood Anderson, Walt Whitman, Willa Cather, Thornton Wilder and Mark Twain.
Both realism and modernism had significant effects on contemporary arts, culture, music and literature. For scholars and art lovers, debate between realism vs modernism has always existed. Some say, realism is no more than a dead weight now, while various others believe that modernism has been long ago taken over by post-modernist trends. Reading popular novels and books related to modernism (like Ulysses by James Joyce) and realism (like The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain) will help you understand the intricacies of these eras and the writing styles, in a more profound way.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/modernism-vs-realism.html
Beginning our discussion on Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily"
Agenda:
1. Please form groups of 4 and share annotations done over the weekend with your peers
2. Come together and discuss text as a class
From wikipedia:
Southern Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic fiction unique to American literature that takes place exclusively in the American South.
Common themes in Southern Gothic literature include deeply flawed, disturbing or eccentric characters who may or may not dabble in hoodoo,[1] ambivalent gender roles and decayed or derelict settings,[2]grotesque situations, and other sinister events relating to or coming from poverty, alienation, racism, crime, and violence.
The southern Gothic style is one that employs the use of macabre, ironic events to examine the values of the American South.[5] Thus unlike its parent genre, it uses the gothic tools not solely for the sake of suspense, but to explore social issues and reveal the cultural character of the American South - Gothic elements taking place in a magic realist context rather than a strictly fantastical one.
Warped rural communities replaced the sinister plantations of an earlier age; and in the works of leading figures such as William Faulkner, Carson McCullers and Flannery O'Connor, the representation of the South blossomed into an absurdist critique of modernity as a whole.[6]
3. For homework read Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find"
1. Please form groups of 4 and share annotations done over the weekend with your peers
2. Come together and discuss text as a class
From wikipedia:
Southern Gothic is a subgenre of Gothic fiction unique to American literature that takes place exclusively in the American South.
Common themes in Southern Gothic literature include deeply flawed, disturbing or eccentric characters who may or may not dabble in hoodoo,[1] ambivalent gender roles and decayed or derelict settings,[2]grotesque situations, and other sinister events relating to or coming from poverty, alienation, racism, crime, and violence.
The southern Gothic style is one that employs the use of macabre, ironic events to examine the values of the American South.[5] Thus unlike its parent genre, it uses the gothic tools not solely for the sake of suspense, but to explore social issues and reveal the cultural character of the American South - Gothic elements taking place in a magic realist context rather than a strictly fantastical one.
Warped rural communities replaced the sinister plantations of an earlier age; and in the works of leading figures such as William Faulkner, Carson McCullers and Flannery O'Connor, the representation of the South blossomed into an absurdist critique of modernity as a whole.[6]
3. For homework read Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is Hard to Find"
Friday, November 8, 2013
Hi,
I would like to thank Jaida and Deanna, from 5th period, and Ben and Laura, from 9th period, for their willingness to learn, patience, and contributions to class discussion. Trust me, Ms. Gamzon is taking note (and so am I!).
To the class,
Do we need further review on what we have learned about modernism so far? Here is your chance to voice your opinion and exercise your authority as a member of the class community. But, before saying "yes," ask yourself: "Did I take notes in class? Did I do my own research on Modernism? Have I read the readings assigned for class? Have I annotated my readings with APCB literary terms?
*Please remember our discourse has only included an introduction to modernist writers. I do not expect you to know everything there is to know about Modernism or modernist literature. (Relax, and don't get anxious we'll get through this!) Instead, you should be familiar with: when the Modernism movement occurred; features of modernist literature (including themes, features, and characterizations); two or three modernist writers (including biographies); and significant historical events which took place in America during this time.
I would like to thank Jaida and Deanna, from 5th period, and Ben and Laura, from 9th period, for their willingness to learn, patience, and contributions to class discussion. Trust me, Ms. Gamzon is taking note (and so am I!).
To the class,
Do we need further review on what we have learned about modernism so far? Here is your chance to voice your opinion and exercise your authority as a member of the class community. But, before saying "yes," ask yourself: "Did I take notes in class? Did I do my own research on Modernism? Have I read the readings assigned for class? Have I annotated my readings with APCB literary terms?
*Please remember our discourse has only included an introduction to modernist writers. I do not expect you to know everything there is to know about Modernism or modernist literature. (Relax, and don't get anxious we'll get through this!) Instead, you should be familiar with: when the Modernism movement occurred; features of modernist literature (including themes, features, and characterizations); two or three modernist writers (including biographies); and significant historical events which took place in America during this time.
Please do not forget that this activity is now homework for the three-day weekend, along with reading and annotating "A Rose for Emily"
Here is your chance to be concise about your understanding of modernist literature.
Produce a literary commentary, roughly 4-5 sentences, describing at least one feature of modernist writing which you believe is evident in the text: "A Rose for Emily," by William Faulkner or "The Wasteland," by T.S. Eliot. Speak about the author's tone or style.
HINT: Irony, stream of consciousness, break with tradition, unreliable narrator, alienation, and cynicism are features or themes of modernist literature.
Please use complete sentences in your literary commentary. Use evidence from the text. Include the title of the work in your commentary. If have trouble you may use the internet.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
You have two tasks: complete the bellwork blitz and follow blog Instructions.
Please quietly complete the bellwork blitz worksheet at your computer. When the bellwork blitz is complete, grab a chair and sit in the front of the room. Please sit quietly and wait for Mr. Johnson's instructions.
YOU WILL FIND INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUR BELLWORK BLITZ
Continuing our conversation on the characteristics of modernist literature
We will be reviewing your annotations on T.S. Eliot's poem, "The Wasteland."
What are your thoughts? Feel free to voice your concerns about the difficulty of the poem, how it relates to modernism, or your overall impressions of Mr. Johnson's first class.
Review concepts on modernist literature
Mr. Johnson identifies intertextuality in "The Wasteland."
IDENTIFY INTERTEXTUALITY IN "THE WASTELAND" USING MULTIMODAL ANNOTATION TECHNOLOGY
POP QUIZ
Start "A Rose for Emily," by William Faulkner
What are your thoughts? Feel free to voice your concerns about the difficulty of the poem, how it relates to modernism, or your overall impressions of Mr. Johnson's first class.
Review concepts on modernist literature
Mr. Johnson identifies intertextuality in "The Wasteland."
IDENTIFY INTERTEXTUALITY IN "THE WASTELAND" USING MULTIMODAL ANNOTATION TECHNOLOGY
POP QUIZ
Start "A Rose for Emily," by William Faulkner
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