1. (Due 10/5 for 10H and 10/6 for 10B) The Bell Jar–read and annotate the first three chapters (focus your annotations on Esther’s characterization). As we move on, continued emphasis will be placed on referring to the text to illustrate your insight. In addition to characterization, allow your annotations to be guided by the following feminist criticism questions (You should keep the feminist lens in mind throughout the novel):
- How is the relationship between men and women portrayed?
- What are the power relationships between men and women (or characters assuming male/female roles)?
- How are male and female roles defined?
- What constitutes masculinity and femininity?
- How do characters embody these traits?
- Do characters take on traits from opposite genders? How so? How does this change others’ reactions to them?
- What does the work reveal about the operations (economically, politically, socially, or psychologically) of patriarchy?
- What does the work imply about the possibilities of sisterhood as a mode of resisting patriarchy?
- What does the work say about women’s creativity?
2. (Due 10/6 for 10H and 10/7 for 10B) The Bell Jar–Read and annotate Chapters 4-6 (that includes Chapter 6).
3. (Due 10/11) Class Forum–Post to the YOUR class forum.
4. (Due 10/11) Class Vocab–Post one of your vocab words to the thread on the class forum. Follow the proper format! At this point you should have at least a total of 10 vocab words in your personal vocab section. You do not have to add five words next week. Click the
5. Upcoming! Confessional Poetry–The linked reading is quite brief, yet gives us a sense of the nature of confessional poetry. Soon, we will write our own!
Requirements:
- Honest and Authentic
- Free verse is fine
- You must use stanzaic form
- Pay attention to sound as you write
- You must employ “painterly language” and literary devices (i.e. vivid imagery, metaphor, symbolism, motifs, etc)
- Write from the inside out
