A message from AP 2008!

Hi Mr. Forsberg,
This is Courtney Bjustrom (I was in your AP 12 class last year). I'm currently attending UW-Madison and I'm in a lit class where we've read HOD, Things Fall Apart, The Hollow Men, and more poems than I care to mention. Thought you'd like to know all those poetry analysis papers and trying to make sense of HOD and the Hollow Men last year has definitely helped me out in my lit class, so despite hating those poetry papers and HOD with every fiber of my being last year, they were worth the time and drudgery haha thanks.
-Courtney

Grade Entry Concerns

Some students have concerns about "Why did I get three points on this instead of five?" Please come in after school when we return from break if you have those concerns. We will take care of those then.

Right now, I am focusing on the graded discussion scores and the Hamlet papers.

Thanks!

Satire or Farce? You decide

Mr. Bennett sent me this site. He thought AP students might enjoy it.

Check it out for yourselves!.

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/pragues_franz_kafka_international

Final Discussion HoD

Our final graded discussion will focus on quotations from the text. Page numbers relate to the “green book.” Gray book users should be able find it within one or two pages. Your job will be to explore the importance of the quotation to the entire story and use it to find meaning in the text.

“She seemed to know all about them and about me too. An eerie feeling came over me. She seemed uncanny and fateful. Often far away there I thought of these two, guarding the door of Darkness, knitting black wool as for a warm pall, one introducing, introducing continuously to the unknown, the other scrutinizing the cheery and foolish faces with unconcerned old eyes, “Ave (Hail!) Old knitter of back wool. Mirituri te salutant (Those who are about to die salute you.). Not many of those she looked at ever saw her again0—not half—by a long way.” p 14.

"You lost your way on the river as you would in a desert and butted all day long against shoals trying to find the channel till you thought yourself bewitched and cut off for ever from everything you had known once--somewhere--far away--in another existence perhaps." p.35

"The glimpse of the steamboat had for some reason filled those savages with unrestrained grief." p 44.

All Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz, and by and by I learned that most appropriated the International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs had entrusted him with the making of a report for its future guidance.” p50
“They [the heads on the poles] only showed that Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts that there was something wanting in him—some small matter which when the pressing need arose could not be found under his magnificent eloquence.” p57

“You show them you have in you something that is really profitable, and then there will be no limits to the recognition of your ability he [Kurtz] would say.” p. 67

“by the cry of inconceivable triumph and of unspeakable pain.” p.76

The week before break

Monday
1. Hamlet paper!
2. Hamlet text to turn in.
3. "The Hollow Men"--let's look at it again.
4. Small group discussion--Heart of Darkness prep for graded discussion A-Day.
5. Sign out Things Fall Apart.

A-Day
Goal for discussion
Graded Discussion.-- I'll be looking for your use of warrant.

B-Day
Have Literary Lenses packet read and annotated.
Application of literary lens to HoD.

Friday
Practice M/C test. It will count for ten points and be graded based on the AP scale.

H o D 3-3 Quotations

“The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness toward the sea with trice the speed of our upward progress.” p 67

“You show them you have in your something that is really profitable, and then there will be no limits to the recognition of your ability he [Kurtz] would say.” p. 67

“the forerunner of change, of conquest, or trade, or massacres, of blessings” p. 67—look at the diction, the syntax, the order of the words.

“His was an impenetrable darkness.” p. 68

“I saw on that ivory face the expression of somber pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror—of an intense and hopeless despair.” p. 68

“by the cry of inconceivable triumph and of unspeakable pain.” p.76

Heart of Darkness Part 3 Section 3

Look at the connections between Kurtz and the river. What is Conrad telling us? Why would he do this?

Be aware of the pilgrims’ attitudes toward Marlow. Watch for details about the change.

Look at Kurtz’s repetition of “My…”

What’s the significance of Kurtz being in the light and saying that he is in darkness?

Kurtz’s last words: “The horror! The horror!”

The manager’s “boy” announces Kurtz’s death.

Pilgrims bury Kurtz.
Why the repetition of “without” on page 69?
Look at Marlow’s description of Kurtz on page 69.

What is Marlow’s interpretation of “The horror!”?
Marlow returns to the sepulchral city.

Notice the people who are with Marlow. Why would Conrad have Marlow get sick here?

Look at what people say about Kurtz after he’s dead. Look for a pattern. See if you can make it make sense.

The Intended: Notice—the portrait is of “a girl”—not “a woman.” What attitude does that give us? Describe The Intended and her surroundings. What do those descriptions reveal? How does Marlow connect Kurtz and The Intended?

Look at the repetition on the bottom of page 71.

Reread “The Hollow Men” then reread the paragraph on page 72 “I thought his memory was like other…” Connections?

Page 74 The Intended says that Kurtz had plans. If Kurtz represents Europe, what significance is there to the plans?

Most people would think that Marlow lies to The Intended about Kurtz’s last words to spare her feelings. Maybe so…but Conrad is ending his story with a lie. Why would Conrad do that?

Can we make a connection between Kurtz actual last lines and what Marlow says they are?
Look at the last paragraph. Posit why Conrad would end this story in this way.

This Weekend

1. I anticipate that some students will be "looking for answers." I think I have included those answers on the blog or on the check list. Check there before emailing me.
2. Work to be independent. We have spent lots of time in class and the past three weeks on the paper. It's time to show what you can do.
3. No Paper: No English credit: No graduation.
4. No Process: No AP moniker.

"Office Hours"

Next week I will be available to meet with students after school on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. I have a mandatory staff meeting on Tuesday.

Before school I'll be available every day. Remember Tuesday mornings I'm in media.

Draft 2 Review

Because the dates were known well in advance, the expectation is that students who have missed the in-class peer review on Friday because of excused absences will be expected to have their work signed off before school on Monday, March 30th.

Part 3 Section 2

Pay particular attention to the diction in this section. Conrad has chosen some words with strong connotations. What are those words and what is he trying to do with them?

Look at all the references to fear. What does that do to the mood? Is Conrad’s tone serious here? Does Mr. Kurtz have adorers?—that is people who worship him?

Why would Conrad bring up the old lady knitting here? If she’s fate, then what? If she’s just and old lady—what was her importance in her first appearance? Then what?

Lots of images to evil…why? Why here? Are we as far up-river as we go? If so, is Conrad making a statement with this?

Who is that woman on the shore? She seems important.

Quotation:
“I tried to break the spell, the heavy mute spell of the wilderness that seemed to draw him to its pitiless breast by the awakening of forgotten and brutal instincts, by the memory of gratified and monstrous passions.” p. 66

Part 3 Section 2

Senior Paper

Monday is the date it is due in class.

Two Pocket Folder:

Side A
1. Final Draft
2. Check List
3. Works Cited (covers the sources you cite in the paper_
4. Bibliography (covers ALL material that you consulted whether you have used it directly or not.)

Side B
All the process you completed for the paper.

Ethnocentrisim and H o D.

As I've been reading the HoD, I keep coming back to the concept of "Ethnocentrism." As I have listened to discussion, I keep coming back to the concept of "Ethnocentrism." None of my students have brought up "Ethnocentrism," so I thought I would--here on the blog.

1. This link is to a definitions of "Ethnocentrism." I think the first two, will give you a good idea.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:ethnocentrism&ei=B7rLSc3xM-PfnQec8qDwCQ&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title

2. This link is to an Anthropology site at Indiana University Indianapolis. It's more in-depth, but some of the explanations might put the concept into perspective for you.
http://www.iupui.edu/~anthkb/ethnocen.htm

3. This link is to a site my a College that prepares people to be missionaries for the Church of the Nazarene. It will give you their perspective on the issue and why it's "bad."
http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/ethno.htm

I hope you'll take a look to get an idea of what ethnocentrism is. I think it will help you understand Heart of Darkness.

Learning versus Grades

I had a student once who focused a great deal more on his grades than on his learning. English was not his favorite subject. School work was not his favorite pastime.

This student was excited beyond belief when he scored 98 on his 100 point paper. He was ecstatic! Unfortunately, he thought those points would let him coast a bit, so, he used class time to socialize and didn't focus on the work that he needed to get done. In fact he tried to bluff his way through one book.

He kept looking at his grade and not on the learning. Because of the choices he made, his grade slipped farther than he had anticipated.

Had he only focused on his learning and not overpay attention to his grade, he probably wouldn't have fallen quite so far as it did. He thought he had a B but coasted all the way to a C+. Mom wasn't happy. Dad wasn't happy. Student wasn't happy.

Focus not on the grade but on doing the best work that you can. If you make a minor mistake let it go...move on...learn from it...and make it up by doing the best you can in the work left to be done.

Study Buddies

Hey Folks,
I'll say it again:
You need to find a great study buddy who will have your back when you are absent. You need to be sure that you have the work you miss. Don't wait for me to enter it in the grade book. This is your responsibility.

Friday, March 27th

Fair Warning:
All process work for the paper MUST be signed off by 3 PM Friday for points.
Remember the sequence to the process...all previous items must be signed off before earning points for later ones.
If you don't complete the process, you may lose the AP moniker this trimester.

Updating Grades

Hey folks,
School practice is that I have to update grades four times a trimester. The first one is coming up this Friday.

Many students seem to think that I will update their process grade whenever they get something signed off. I don't do that.

Graded Discussion Make-Up

A make-up graded discussion for people who were absent for the in-class discussion will be on Tuesday, March 31st. It will begin at 2:15 and be over by 3:00. Be sure to bring copies of your speaking and listening goals for the trimester.

Make arrangements now to be there.

H O D Part 3 Section 1

Why is the Russian dressed in motley? What is motley? What is Conrad preparing us for with this analogy?

If we look at the Russian archetypically, what do we learned?

Kurtz made the Russian “see things.” What does this tell the reader?

What’s happening with Kurtz’s health? How is that significant?

Try to piece everything together about Kurtz from the Russian. Can we/Should we believe him? Should we take what he says as factual? Explain.

What about Kurtz and the villagers? What does that tell us?

Kurtz threatened to kill the Russian for his ivory. What does that tell us about Kurtz? About the Russian? About ivory? About darkness?

What about Kurtz’s hut’s curb appeal? Bad decoration or symbolic of things to follow?

What is the Russian’s explanation to Marlow about all this?

Look at the descriptions of Kurtz’ arrival. Why would Conrad do this? What does he want to communicate to us?

When Kurtz is brought into the hut, he is surrounded by papers. Is this more that just descriptive writing? What’s its significance?

Pay attention to Kurtz’s first words. What do they signify?

The gorgeous apparition of the woman! Describe her. How does Marlow know what he claims?

There is a great deal of description of Kurtz about page 61. What does this reveal? How can we use it to understand this story?

Quotations
“…food for thought and also for vultures if there had been any looking down from the sky, but at all events for such ants as were industrious enough to ascend the pole.” p 57

“They [the heads on the poles] only showed that Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts that there was something wanting in him—some small matter which when the pressing need arose could not be found under his magnificent eloquence.” p57

H O D Part 3 Section 1

Heart of Darkness Discussion Questions Parts 1 & 2

1. We have talked about Heart of Darkness as being a dense story. How does Conrad use that to develop his message?
2. Identify the mood of the story so far. What does Conrad do to establish that mood?
3. Conrad fills this story with contrasts. Identify specific contrasts and explain how Conrad uses them? What is his purpose?
4. Some critics say Heart of Darkness is satire. What would lead them to conclude this? Be sure to have a definition of satire to facilitate this discussion.
5. From what you have read through part 2, what is Conrad’s message to the 21st century?
6. Kurtz is possibly the most mysterious character in literary fiction. What role does this mystery have in developing Conrad’s theme?

Request from Conor Fair

Conor is on a family vacation this week, and in an effort to be proactive, is looking for someone to exchange papers with and revise via email. If you are interested and willing to do this, email me, and I will send you his email address.

H of D Part 2 Section 3

Part 2 Section 3

Things seem to shift after the death of the helmsmen. Why do you think that would happen? What is going on with Marlow here? What’s significant? Things shift so much that if you are diligent in your reading, you will miss that we again get taken out of Marlow’s story and put firmly, though briefly, into the narrator’s story.

One of the major shifts is to “the girl” or as Marlow, apparently quoting Kurtz, says, “My Intended.” He goes on to say that Kurtz refers to “My Intended, my ivory, my station, my river, my… everything belonged to him.” What do we know from this…what can we infer?

Why the voice?

Marlow switches back to the helmsman and the brief funeral. Pay attention to the reactions to the people on the boat. What’s the reference about “being eaten” about?

We meet the manager. He’s says he is older than he looks. Pay attention to his journey to get here as well. Also look at his interaction with Marlow and what he says his interaction with Kurtz is. It’s this guy who annotates! Marlow gives him his book back.

There is talk here about attacks. Be sure that you can sort them out.


More is said about Ivory in this section. Be sure to pay attention to that. Look at the images.

Quotations:
“The point was in his being a gifted creature and that of all his gifts the one that stood out preeminently, that carried with it a sense of real presence, was his ability to talk, hi words--the gift of expression, the bewildering, the illuminating, the most exalted and the most contemptible, the pulsating stream of light or the deceitful flow for the heart of an impenetrable darkness.” p 48

“Mind, I am not trynig to excuse or ever explain--I am trying to account to myself for--for--Mr. Kurtz--for the shade of Mr. Kurtz. This initiated wraith from the back of Nowhere honoured me with its amazing confidence before it vanished altogether. This was because it could speak English to me. The original Kurtz had been educated partly in England and--as he was good enough to say himself--his sympathies were in the right place. His mother was half-English, his father was half-French. All Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz, and by and by I learned that most appropriated the International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs had entrusted him with the making of a report for its future guidance.” p50

H of Darkness Map of the World

I've been looking for a map that would help people understand the map in the office that Marlow sees.

I have found a copy of a map of the world circa 1910. This will give you some idea. Look at the colors to see who "controlled" what parts of the world.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/ward_1912/world_1910.jpg

Part 2 Section 2 Quotations

"...before I could come to any conclusion it occurred to me that my speech or my silence, indeed any action of mine, would be mere futility." p 40.

"The rest of the world was nowhere, as far as our eyes and ears were concerned. Just no where. Gone, disappeared, swept off without leaving a whisper or shadow behind." p. 41

"They [the black crew members] still belonged to the beginning of time." p 42.

"The glimpse of the steamboat had for some reason filled those savages with unrestrained grief." p 44.

H o D Part 2 Section 2

Who is the intruder being talked about? It seems as if the boat is “dying” here. p40.

Pay attention to the land being cloaked in darkness at night and equally cloaked in white the next morning when it’s in fog. What does Marlow say about it?

One of the pilgrims has sandy hair and red whiskers. He’s a white man.

The crew is made up of black men and white men, but none of the crew belongs here. Notice the reaction of the man with the oiled ringlets. Also note how the “company” treats the black crew members and Marlow’s reaction to that treatment.

What does Marlow start thinking in terms of the black crew members? Think deeply about his reactions. They are important. p. 43

Why aren’t they making progress up river in this section? What does this reveal? Have we seen this before?

What about the helmsman? Think about the irony of Marlow’s description of him. Pay attention to the people on the shore defending their land. Notice Marlow’s reaction to the helmsman. Marlow makes a connection between the helmsman and Kurtz.

A couple of things that are interesting that came for the discussion of H o D.

1. The ship is used as a literary device to forward the plot of the story such as the witches in Macbeth were used. It sinks and causes Marlow to have to survive a 200-mile trek and be stranded for three-six months. This is why he meets these people.
2. Marlow will survive his journey no matter what happens to others.
3. The doctor measuring Marlow's head, talking about internal changes.
4. Should we believe the narrator or no?

Monday, March 23rd

I will be available before school only on that day because of a English department meeting in the afternoon. Please plan accordingly.

Friday: Introductions and Conclusions

1. You should bring the most revised copy of your paper that you have.
2. If you have started your introduction and/or conclusion, you should bring those as well.
3. Bring all the knowledge that you have concerning introductions and conclusions.

After school Wednesday.

Folks,
Wednesdays afternoons seem to be the time the school scheduled meetings for teachers. In addition, Wednesday is my no prep day.

My plan is to combine those two things and put Wednesdays as the one afternoon a week I will not be available to work with students.

Discussion Board

Would there be any interest in a discussion board for allowing people to talk about texts were are reading in class? Would there be anyone who has the ability to do that?

With something to think about...

After School Friday

Because a parent of a student last trimester has requested to meet with me concerning his child's grade, I will not be available to meet with students concerning their papers until 2:30.

Weekend Offer

This weekend I will make a commitment to read body paragraphs for 20 students’ papers. The first 20 people who email me making this request who are current getting things signed off will be accepted.

I will email people in the order they are accepted. Those student accepted will need a “clean copy” of their body paragraphs Friday in class. I would encourage you to submit ones that you have revised after the peer review.

Students must have your name and hour on the paper with the request for feedback on two categories on the check list. I will not edit papers.

Paper Check in question

A student wrote to ask about getting things checked off concerning the process:
1. The body paragraphs count as one item to check off.
2. The peer review you did for someone else counts as one check off.
3. If you had them stamped the day we did them in class, you need to show me the stamp to get both of these items marked in the book.

For the first draft of the paper,
1. Revise the body paragraphs based on the feedback that you received from the peer review. I will stamp this on the day. This stamp will indicate that you have draft one of the paper and have completed the peer review that day.

For people who don't have stamps on their papers, you will need to see me about getting both things signed off. It would work best if you and your partner came in together so I could see your work and the peer review you completed.

HoD Part 2 Section 1 excerpts

"In a few days the Eldorado Expedition went into the patient wilderness that closed upon it as the sea closes over a diver. Long afterwards the news came that all the donkeys were dead." paragraph 3

"Going up the river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world when vegetation rioted on the earth and big trees were king." paragraph 4

"You lost your way on the river as you would in a desert and butted all day long against shoals trying to find the channel till you thought yourself bewitched and cut off for ever from everything you had known once--somewhere--far away--in another existence perhaps." paragraph 4

"We penetrated deeper and deeper into the heart of darkness. It was very quiet there. At night sometimes the roll of drums behind the curtain of trees would run up the river and remain sustained faintly, as if hovering in the high over our heads till the first break of day." page 37 green book

"We were wanders on a prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet." page 37 green book

"The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us--who could tell." page 37 green book

H o D Part 2 Section 1

I have written reactions and questions for the first seven pages of this section up to the line "Towards the evening of the second day..."

The uncle and nephew show up again. Be sure who they are. Be sure what their roles are. If you haven't written them down, I would suggest you do.

This scene is hard to understand for I think two main reasons:
the first, Marlow is tired or has been napping and isn't fully awake. When I'm like that, I don't know that I understand what's going on around me.
the second, Marlow is eavesdropping--and he can't always hear the uncle and the nephew because he doesn't want to give himself away.

THE TRICK IS TO PIECE TOGETHER WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT KURTZ (I'm giving you help--that's whom they are talking about.) Try to piece it together.

Think about what the lack of clarity in this scene might mean to the text on a broader level.

I have a couple of excerpts that I will post separately.

We move into a section that talks about tricks, monkey tricks. That seems unique. Because of its uniqueness it seems important--or at least significant.

We are reminded here again that this is a "twice-told tale."

More excerpts--I'll post them!

Now, look at the rich description of the Africans.... Boy does Marlow have "screens"!

Look too at the comparisons between the Africans and the Europeans. What do those difference tell us? What is Conrad trying to do?

Pay attention to Marlow's description of the fireman on pp 38-39 in the green book. What can we learn from those?

We have graphic description of the river. What changes? What does that tell us? What is Conrad doing here?

On pages 39-40 (green book) someone finds a book! What I found interesting about the book besides its age was the fact that someone had...wait for it...annotated in it!

Tone and Mood words

I haven't gotten lists from each group. Some groups didn't put names of all members on their sheets. I need these not later than Friday, March 20th if members want the points.

Paper: Monday's reminders

Some thing to remember about the paper:
1. This is more your thinking than it is other people's thinking.
2. You need to cite sources accurately in the paper. This includes both direction quotations and paraphrase of ideas. Details can be found in the Writing Guidelines.
3. You probably won't find information through your research directly "on point." You will need to formulate what you learn from those who are dealt with these issues and apply them to your thinking.
4. Be sure that you are aiming for "a lesson about life/theme" from Shakespeare.
5. Your paper needs to keep bringing the reader (me) back to Hamlet.
6. Literary analysis is written in present tense.

Due Dates versus Last Day for Full Credit

1. Things are due the dates outlined. The purpose for the extra time is for those students who need to revise before their work is complete.
2. Because some students are new at this, they are waiting until the final day for full-credit to get things signed off. The panic that permeated my room after school on Friday illustrates that some students wait until work becomes urgent before they take care of the important work. Don't let this happen to you. If this continues to be a problem, I will set aside seven times for APPOINTMENTS to meet with people after school.
3. I will be available most days before school for students who want to come in for help. Please let me know that you want to come in so I can make arrangements. I will not continue to meet with people after the five-minute bell rings.
4. I will not be available to meet with people during my prep period. That is my time during the school day to prepare the things I need to finish to be able to teach effectively.
5. I will not be available after school on Wednesday or at 3 pm. I should be available most other times. People who want help with their paper we take precedence over people who have things to sign off.

Hamlet and Parking Permits

This has been changed. The front office has contacted the district about changing the due date of Hamlet to the day before spring break. We will not need to rescan them on Monday. Parking permits should be good to go.

H of D Another important excerpt

Marlow on page 29 of the green book--about four pages for the end of Part 1:
"I would not have gone so far as to fight for Kurtz, but I went for him near enough to a lie. You know I hate, detest, and can't bear a lie, not because I am straighter than the rest of us, but simply because it appals me. There is a taint of death, a flavour of mortality in lies--which is exactly what I hate and detest in the world--what I want to forget. It makes me miserable and sick like biting something rotten would do."

H O D Part 1 Section 3

Pay attention to the trip to the Central Station—the people who are accompanying Marlow and the people they meet. What about that white man they meet who is sick? What’s going on there? Significance?

There seems to be considerable sickness and death. What is Conrad trying to say?

Pay attention to the Manager of the Central Station. What words does Marlow use to describe him? Why would he do that? What’s Conrad trying to tell us?

The steam boat…plays a HUGE role, although, passive here.

“Men who come out here should have not entrails.” Significance?

What about the Manager’s “boy”?

What about the fire? The pail with the hole in it? What about the black man who was beaten? What happens to him? What is Conrad saying to us about this?

Lots of images of good and evil. Why? What about the table in the Mess Hall? Allusion? Good business practice? Just redecorating?

Pilgrims? Who, what, when, where, why? Significant?

IVORY! again.

Look at the “first-class agent.” Who is he? The story says that he seems to be waiting—as though he were going to make bricks and needs to wait for the straw. How is Conrad using this character? Who is he? What does he want? Candles, matches, fire in this part. By chance or on purpose? What about the interior decoration that agent has in his “hut”?

Theft. Some interesting ideas about it.

The new gang—the gang of virtue. What are the implications here? Virtue v. transgressions.

The agent as “this papier-mâché Mephistopheles.”

Sense of time—“primeval mud.” What is Conrad doing with this description?

On page 30 of the green book, the narrator (and Conrad) remind the reader that he is listening to Marlow tell this story.

Narrator: “I listened, I listened on the watch for the sentence, for the word that would give me the clue to the faint uneasiness inspired by the narrative that seemed to shape itself without human lips in the heavy night-air of the river” p. 31
Kurtz is called a “universal genius.” I think we should check this out.

Rivets seem significant. Why? Why would Conrad choose rivets? What is a rivet?

The messenger fears neither God nor devil. There’s that good and evil thing again.

Messenger: “No man here bears a charmed life.” p 31.

Marlow: “I don’t like work—no man does—but I like what is in the work—the change to find yourself.” What do you think?

Eldorado Exploring Expedition (what’s the allusion?)
“To tear treasure out of the bowels of the land was their desire, with no more moral purpose at the back of it than there is in burglars breaking into a safe.”

Re-read the last paragraph. Pay attention!

H of D Part 1 section 2

1. Marlow seems to have a strong attitude about women and the world they live in "too beautiful all together."
2. Where Marlow is going is the center of the continent and the center of the earth.
3. Look at the descriptions:
of the jungle
of the trading posts
of the indigenous peoples.
4. There seem to be lots of images of death.
5. Look at the comparisons made by size.
6. Is this a pilgrimage? Someone alludes to that.
7. This is the quotation of the Swedish captain: "It is funny what some of these people will do for a few francs a month. I wonder what becomes of that kind when it goes up country."
8. Pay attention to the broken machinery. Why is that important?
9. "This objectless blasting wall all that was going on."
10. Pay attention to the descriptions of the black people. Pay particular attention to how Marlow (and Conrad?) dehumanizes them.
11. Why is there so much mention of "devil" here?
12. Amidst all this is the accountant. Describe what he's like. Posit on the difference. What is Conrad trying to tell us?
13. We first hear about Kurtz from the accountant. Note what he says.
14. IVORY!

H of D Part 1 section 2

H of D: An important excerpt.

This is from page 17 in the green book; it's a bit short of half way through Part 1:

"Once I remember, we came upon a man-of-war anchored off the coast. There wasn't even a shed there and she was shelling the bush. It appears the Freanch had one of their wars going on thereabouts. Her ensign drooped limp like a rag, the muzzles of her long six-inch guns stuck out all over the low hull, the greasy, slimy swell swung her up lazily and let her down, swaying her thin masts. In the empty immenisty of earth, sky, and water, there she was, incomprehensible, firing into a continent. Pop, would go one of the six-inch guns; a small flame would dart and vanish, a little white smoke would disappear, a tiny projectile would give a feeble screech--and nothing happened. Nothing could happen. There was a touch of insanity in the proceeding, a sense of lugubrious drollery in the sight; and it was not dissipated by somebody on board assuring me earnestly there was a camp of natives--he called them, enemies--hidden out of sight somewhere."

Heart of Darkness Part 1 first 1/3

My purpose in writing on the blog is not to tell you what to think, but rather to point out things I think you should consider with that in mind:
1. This story has an unusual structure because it is a first-person narrative about someone telling a first-person narrative. The narrator (so far unnamed) is telling the story Charlie Marlow told them on the dock.
2. There are lots of images of the river before Marlow tells his story. Those images are about the Thames.
3. Romans? What are they about?
4. River as snake.
5. Pay attention to the job history of Marlow--and what his life story seems to be.
6. Britain v. Continent
7. Darkness.
8. Go back and note Marlow's first words.: "And this also has been one of the dark places of the earth."
9. Fresleven--the Dane. That story (though small) seems important.
10. The whited sepulchre--an allusion
11. The two women knitting.
12. What the doctor does...measuring his head? Why? Madness? Why?
13. The aunt.
What I am adding:
14. There is a great deal of connection between earth, water, and sky it seems to me.
15. There is a sense of peace, perfection, diaphanous.
16. The "venerable" stream evokes a great spirit of the past.
17. The narrator describes Marlow as a yellow, ascetic idol.

Calendar: The Big Things Through Spring Break

This calendar is tentative and subject to change:
Friday, March 13th--In-Class Essay: Bring poems from this week, a PEN, and some loose leaf paper. Check list for paper distributed.
Monday, March 16th--Essays returned. Questions. Writing Workshop
A-Day--Body paragraphs due. Typed. Peer Review
B-Day--Part 1 H of D due--discussion
Friday, March 20th--Review Introductions and Conclusion.

Monday, March 23rd--Draft 1 of entire paper due--peer review
A-Day--Part 2 H of D due--discussion
Friday, March 27th--Draft 2 of entire paper due--peer review. 3 P.M. DEADLINE FOR POINTS OF ALL PROCESS WORK. No points will be earned after this time. Remember that ALL work must be completed, however, to earn bonus points.

Monday, March 30th Final paper and the entire process is due at the beginning of the class period. Students who are planning to be absent should make arrangements to submit the paper on time or before. Students who are unexpectedly absent MUST email the final copy to Forsberg by 11:59 PM.--Things Fall Apart distributed. We will be studying this text as a response to Conrad.

A-Day--Part 3 completed. Discussion of H of D.
B-Day--Literary Lenses and another look at H of D.
Friday, April 3rd--Practice test--Multiple Choice.

Spring Break!!

Monday, April 13th Students should be finishing up Achebe/Presentations on literary lenses.

Friday's Test

You will write an in-class essay on Friday. Bring your copies of the poems we have studied. You will need them.

Research

We have begun a "research board" on the black board in Room 288. People looking for sources on particular topics can put requests there. If you have some things that you can share, please do!

Second, I have found a world catalog source that finds books you might need at local college libraries. Here's the site
http://openlibrary.org/b/OL7928461M

You will find a link on the right side listed under "borrow book." Click on it and follow the prompts.

You might want to call before you make a trip to see if they allow non-students to use their sources.

Rehash Portfolios

1. Some people did work that was outstanding! CONGRATS!
2. Some people obviously procrastinated; the quality of their work was disappointing.
3. Spend time with the reader's notebooks. You had the opportunity to work together on those, yet some people turned in work that wasn't complete. These will be MOST helpful for you to review for the AP test.
4. Convention says that you use the last name of writers when talking about their work.
5. Literary analysis is correctly written in present tense.
6. Commas and periods go inside closing quotation marks unless you want to do it wrong or are in Britain.
7. Poem titles are correctly punctuated with quotation marks--not underlined or in italics.
8. Plays and novels are correctly punctuated with italics is you are word processing; underlined if you are typing or writing longhand you work.
9. Be sure that you think about the literature you analyze. Some of the themes that were presented in class lacked depth. Some students wrote about those themes without thinking critically about them. Of course happiness is important. Of course people only die once. Think, people, and think CRITICALLY!
10. The expectation is that work is word processed and not written long hand.
11. If you say you learned nothing this trimester, why did you waste your time?
12. If you have no goals, you won't fail to meet them--you'll probably just fail to learn. Which is unfortunate, but it's out of my circle of influence.
13. Read aloud what you write. I read this several time: "the author who wrote the poem"! What you want to say is "the poet"!
14. My favorite oops: "Stopping by Woods on a Sunday Evening" by Robert Frost. I think had you read it again, you would have caught it.
15. Writing these into your notebook rather than running them off will help you remember them better!

Hamlet Paper Due Dates.

Research Questions: OK.
HUG ed sources 1, 2, and 3: due Monday, March 9th; last day full credit: Friday, March 13th.
Thesis statement: due Tuesday, March 10th; last day full-credit: Monday, March 16th.

Body Paragraphs due "A" day March 17th or 18th. We will have a peer review that day. "A" day will be the only class time we will have to complete this work.

Day One Trimester Three

Hi and welcome back to those who have been in my class and welcome to those who are new!

1. I hope you have started your research and have annotated your sources. I will begin signing off on those Monday. You have five days to get full-credit for the three sources. Each is counted separately.
2. We will get off and running. I have read most, not all, of the portfolios. We have some work to do on the poetry explications. For the most part, they can be improved.
3. We will be reading some poetry on Monday, checking out Heart of Darkness, and signing in on the sources that you have done.
4. Tuesday will be the day to begin registering for the AP test come spring. I will also be signing off on thesis statements. (five days for full-credit.)

Sign Up for AP Tests--From Ms. Hein

On Tuesday and Thursday of next week, students will be registering for AP tests. Here are important facts to know:

1. Students register only once.
2. ONLY SEND DOWN THE ONES WHO HAVEN’T REGISTERED. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ACCOMPANY YOUR STUDENTS TO THE MEDIA CENTER IF YOU HAVE STUDENTS WHO HAVE ALREADY REGISTERED. STAY WITH THEM.
3. The tests are $21 a piece; students don’t have to pay until Friday, March 13 at 2:30. Checks need to be made out to MGSH.
4. I will have forms for all students who qualify for free lunch. These students don’t have to pay for the test.

Shakespeare Sources

Hey Folks:
JSTOR has good material on Shakespeare and literary criticism sources. To get there log onto the Hennepin County Library site. Go to DATA BASES Then pull down JSTOR.

It asks you to log in. You can you the barcode number of your library card.

What? You don't a library card? Now is a great time to get one!

Senior Paper

You should have the research question signed off Monday, March 2nd. Remember you have to have it signed off to get on the computers on "B" day. You have five days to receive full-credit on the research question. March 9th it will be worth 3/5 points.

Forsberg will be signing off HUGed research on Monday, March 9th. That means you will have one week to get full credit for having them signed off. Five points per source.

Your working thesis will be due on Tuesday, March 10th.

Poems that CANNOT be Used Third Trimester

Believe it or not, someone was asking about poetry selection for third trimester presentations! This list includes all the poems (I think) that were presented second trimester, and are therefore, not available to use.

Trimester 2 Poems – 2008-2009
“Acquainted with the Night”
“The Aim was Song”“Barter”
“The Canonization”
"Curiosity"
“Dandelions”
“Death Be Not Proud”
“Desert Places”
“Dover Beach”
“Eggs
“Fire and Ice”’
“I Felt a Funeral in my Brain”
“I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died”
“I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”
"if everything happens that cant be done"
“The Immortal Part”
“Incident in a Rose Garden”
"The Indifferent"
“Living in Sin”
“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”
“The Man He Killed”
"Mind"
“Mirror”
“The Naked and the Nude”
"Ozymandias"
“Parting at Morning”
“The Powwow”
“The Riddle”
“The Road Not Taken”
“The Second Coming”
“Sorting Laundry”
"The State"
“Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening”
“The Story We Know”
“The Tiger”
"Toads"
"Ulysses"
“The Victims”
“Vergissmeinnicht”