WEEK 9

WELCOME!  

Here's your work...

1. Revise your ATTC essay. 

2. Finish reading LOTF. Explain each of the 12 chapter titles in a sentence or two (look for multiple meanings! "Cry of the Hunters", for example, means two different things.)

3.  LOTF essay pre-write... For each of the following, write a 50-word response.

a. Discuss the motif of rock throwing (throwing, rolling, kicking, etc.) as a means of tracking the descent of the boys into savagery (You'll want to consider sand as a kind of rock).

b. Discuss Ralph's attempt to keep himself from savagery. Where is he successful? Where does he fail?

c. Discuss Golding's use of symbolism.

d. Discuss Simon as a Christ figure (Did you notice that Simon comes down from the mountain with good news about freedom from the beast and is met with death? He then "ascends" into the stars when tide lifts his body. There's a lot of that kind of imagery with Simon).

This is due Friday.  


Have a great week!

WEEK 8

Good Morning! (or afternoon or whenever).   

Here's your work for week 8...

We're literally in the home stretch!

No, wait. That's wrong. We're not literally in the home stretch because we're not all on horses making the last turn before racing to the finish line. Literally doesn't work here. Some of you need to look back at your "Literally" sentences. If you lost points and want them back, you can revise them. Re-read the LBGB entry!

1. ATTC final essay. Choose one of the following options and write a well-argued, well-supported essay...

a. Discuss Dickens' use of dualities and pairs.  

b. Discuss the theme of resurrection. 

800 words minimum
It should meet the usual lit analysis expectations. 

2. Watch this very short intro to Lord of the Flies. It's pretty low budget—I think a teacher made it—but it gets at the basics. 

3.  Read chapter 1 of LOTF.

Some things to keep in mind as you read:

• The setting can be confusing. There's no particular year; think near future. 
• We can gather from some clues, from things the kids say, that a nuclear war has at least begun. 
• There's confusion about how they crashed. We're left in that confusion. In fact, the narrator keeps us focused on the kids so that we only ever know as much as they do.
• The kids don't seem to know each other, except for the boys in the choir. 
• Read it carefully and slowly. Golding loads his writing with imagery and close, precise (sometimes highly stylized) description. 
• Watch for three things as you read: 1) personification - the island and other non-living things will be given human or animal-like characteristics; and 2) zoomorphism - the humans will be given animal traits. Both of these are subtle. They tend to happen in the imagery. For example, you'll read about a fire begin described as a leaping squirrel or one of the boys will be described as walking dog-like on all fours. This is important stuff! Golding is building on a theme with these kinds of descriptions; 3) items — glasses, a conch, clothing — that will emerge as symbols.
• It's a pretty deep story to think about, but it's also just a great story to read, so enjoy it.

4.  Answer these questions for chapter 1:

1. What new reality are the boys beginning to face in c.1 so far?

2. What strange behavior (physical act) does Ralph keep doing? What might Golding be emphasizing by it?

3. At several points in c.1 we read about “green shadows.” Explain what Golding might be doing here.

4. How does Golding make the island seem like it’s alive? Quote the text.

5. What was “dark” and “fumbling along”? What might Golding be suggesting?

6. What does Jack say about his name? What do you think Golding might be suggesting by this?

7. How is the conch a symbol of authority?

8. Describe 3 things (details, ideas, your observations, etc.) about the 3 boys’ exploration of the island.

Have a great week!

WEEK 7

Hello! 

Sorry - I know it's not on the agenda, but I need to add in another two-week / catch-up post. I've decided last minute to do the men's retreat this weekend. So yes, we'll end up going a week longer.

Here's your work for the next two weeks...

1. LBGB...

A. Read chapter 4. 

B. Explain in your own words the five "AVOIDS" in the Style & Usage section.

C. Write a sentence using each term in the pair correctly:

    possible / plausible

    shall / will

    who / whom

D. Write three sentences, each using the word literally in a corret way.     

1. Let's shore up the frontier vocab we've (I mean you've) done over the last few weeks. Look back at your FV assignments -- go back as far as you want -- and choose five words that you think are at the distant end of your frontier (the least recognizable terms). Find two examples (google search?) of each word being used in context. Write your own sentence that mimics one of those uses. So that's 3 sentences for each of 5 words. I think that's 15 sentences total (have a parent check my math). 

2. ATTC Book the Third questions:

1 As Dr. Manette’s letter explaining how he was imprisoned is read to the court, Charles and Lucie are hearing the story for the first time. Record the thoughts of Dr. Manette, Charles, or Lucie by writing a letter from that character to another. (50-100 words)     

2 Choose a secondary character (Pross, Lorry, Little Lucie, Cruncher, etc.) and write a diary entry looking back on the events of “Book the 3^rd”. (50-100 words)     

3 What price does Mrs. Pross end up paying for her loyalty to Lucie? Quote the text.     

4 Read the “supposed” thoughts of Carton at the end of the book. What would be a “valid” reason for Defarge meeting the guillotine?

5 How does Carton’s actual name get redeemed?  Quote the text.    

6 How is Sydney Carton a Christ figure? (3 examples: think sacrifice, spilled blood, substitutionary atonement).

3. ATTC final essay pre-write. For each of the following essay options write a one-paragraph (50-100 words) response:

1. the motif of dualities / pairs (people mostly, but don't forget the title of the book)

2. the plot’s HEAVY reliance on coincidence  

3. the resurrection motif (it's everywhere in the book, but skip Sydney Carton; you just did him in the Bk3rd questions)

4. Character names. How do their names reflect who they are as characters? Discuss a few, but be sure one of them is Sydney Carton (Carton also means box or container...hmmm...)

Have a great two weeks!