The Bell Jar

Due 9/14 (9/15 for 10G): Where Are You Going Discussion

September 13, 2017 By Sean Leon

Hello folks! The first week is almost in the books. If all goes as planned, I will see you on Monday and this class really begins! It is imperative that you have taken care of all responsibilities by then. This includes:

Registered for the website
Posted a response in the Welcome thread on the class forum
Completed the in-class writing assignment
Read the course syllabus
You should have supplies for the class
All handouts: (Literary terms, Where Are You Going, Annotating Guide, Bell Jar Poetry Unit)

Tomorrow, you will do the following:

Day 5: Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Discussion

(15-20 minutes) In small groups of four, discuss what you annotated and WHY?

(10-15 minutes) Whole group share.

(10 minutes) Individual Writing: What is the primary theme of the short story and how does Oates use conflict to shape that theme?

(10-15 minutes) Back to small group discussion. Share your thoughts on theme.

HW:

The Bell Jar Unit Poetry: As part of The Bell Jar unit, we will read selections from Emily Dickinson, Anne Sexton, and Sylvia Plath. Tonight, print the handout and be sure to bring it to class tomorrow.

Due 10/31: The Bell Jar Essay Prep and More…

October 28, 2016 By Sean Leon

With great appreciation, I thank you for sharing your confessional poems this week.

1. The Bell Jar essay is just around the bend (First Draft due Monday, Nov. 7th), so you should begin thinking about argumentative positions on the text. I strongly encourage you to consider how the feminist lens questions can give shape to a thesis. Once we finish the essay, I will collect The Bell Jar and grade your annotations.

Keep in mind: Feminist criticism is concerned with “…the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women” (Tyson). This school of theory looks at how aspects of our culture are inherently patriarchal (male dominated) and “…this critique strives to expose the explicit and implicit misogyny in male writing about women” (Richter 1346).

Remember, Plath illustrates economic, social, and psychological oppression of Esther (and perhaps others). Where do we see this in the novel? How does she illustrate these dynamics?

(Due 10/31) Thesis/Essay Pre-writing (I expect to see a great deal of thought put into this first formal stage of the process.)–In preparation for your essay, you must fill in the blank here: In my The Bell Jar essay I will explore Plath’s treatment of ___________. Fill in the blank with an element(s) that you would like to explore. Many of you will choose to explore her treatment of a specific theme, and that is fine, but know that you are not limited to theme here. then, develop the idea a bit. Naturally, I want you to WRITE OUT (in your binder) at least 5 quotations that are relevant to a discussion of your chosen element(s). Why did you choose this evidence? How do your quotations relate to one another? This is the first step of the process! The more thought and effort you put into this, the easier the entire process will be. Here is a sample:

2. The Bell Jar closing discussion–All pairs should ensure that they have finalized their discussion question, especially the presenting pairs.

3. 1984–We are starting 1984 next week, so if you would like to purchase your own copy, please do!

4. Personal Vocab–You should be at 30 by the end of next week. A collection is coming soon. Remember, your personal vocab should not be typed.

Due 10/26: The Bell Jar and More…

October 25, 2016 By Sean Leon

1. The Bell Jar–Complete the novel!

The Bell Jar essay is just around the bend, so you should begin thinking about argumentative positions on the text. I strongly encourage you to consider how the feminist lens questions can give shape to a thesis.

Remember, Plath illustrates economic, social, and psychological oppression of Esther (and perhaps others). Where do we see this in the novel? How does she illustrate these dynamics?

(Due 10/31) Thesis/Essay Pre-writing–In preparation for your essay, you must fill in the blank here: In my The Bell Jar essay I will explore Plath’s treatment of ___________. Fill in the blank with an element(s) that you would like to explore. Many of you will choose to explore her treatment of a specific theme, and that is fine, but know that you are not limited to theme here. then, develop the idea a bit. Naturally, I want you to WRITE OUT (in your binder) at least 5 quotations that are relevant to a discussion of your chosen element(s). This is the first step of the process! The more thought and effort you put into this, the easier the entire process will be. Here is a sample:

2. (Due 10/27 for 10H and 10/28 for 10B) Confessional Poems… 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

Due 10/24: The Bell Jar…

October 20, 2016 By Sean Leon

1. The Bell Jar–Read and annotate Chapters 15 and 16.

2. Vocab Quiz

3. Confessional Poetry–The linked reading is quite brief, yet gives us a sense of the nature of confessional poetry. Confessional Poems are due 10/27 for 10H and 10/28 for 10B. It is not a good idea to wait until the night before to write this. Start thinking about what you would like to write about.

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

4. By the end of next week, you should have 25 words in your personal vocab section.