Why, Why, Why, Why, Why?

Chart your way through 5 "Whys" for the following question, like we did on Friday in class. (I'm including my process for "The Shawl" as an example to follow.)

QUESTION: Who is the more pathetic person: the manipulator or the manipulated?



**Ms. Fleming's example:

Why does Louise Erdrich use point of view shifts in “The Shawl”?

Because it de-centers the reader.

Why does she want to de-center the reader?

Because then we feel fragmented or confused.

Why does she want us to feel fragmented or confused?

Because fragmentation is a theme of the story.

Why is fragmentation a theme of the story?

Because the family in the story and the Anishnaabeg community are fragmented.

Why do we need to feel this fragmentation?

Because community and family are universal human truths or related to the human condition. Because she wants to have us feel the importance of stories in keeping a family and community healthy and connected.

Thesis: Louis Erdrich uses point of view shifts in “The Shawl” to de-center the reader, so that the reader feels the fragmentation of the narrator and of his community. As the red shawl slowly becomes more and more tattered, so does our certainty about what’s happening to the characters. By the end of the story, we, as much as the narrator and his father, yearn for a new story, one that feels good, makes sense, and restores our faith in the goodness of these people. The shifts in point of view allow us a visceral experience in addition to our intellectual experience of the story, thus increasing our empathy.

Oh, what a tangled web we weave

TTTC News Relation 2

This article really embodies what we read about in TTTC. It's really interesting, too.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/24/living/karl-marlantes-war-books/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Vocabulary, Level 1 Words

Answer the following prompt in a comment. In your response, use at least 4 of the Level 1 vocabulary words that I handed out in class today. As usual, you may change the form of the word if appropriate.

Prompt: Why do you think that so few American films and novels qualify as classic tragedies? What does the lack of tragedies say about our culture? About our views on catharsis and ability to achieve it? Etc.

Background for Othello

Choose one of the following topics, and explore it. Then, in a thoughtful comment, tell us what you learned. NOTE: You may NOT repeat information mentioned in a previous comment.

1. Venice
What was Venice like in the sixteenth century? What was its economic status? Can you find pictures? What was the Venetians' relationship with the Turks? Etc.

2. Cyprus
Where is it? What was its importance in the 16th century? How far is it from Venice? What were the politics of the countries nearest it then? Now? Etc.

3. Moors
Who are they? Where did they come from? What were they doing in Europe in the 16th century? Are there religious and cultural practices or art associated with them?

4. Turks
What was the Elizabethan attitude toward foreigners in general and non-Christians--such as Turks--in particular? ETc.

5. Recent Othello Productions
What can you find out about Othello productions in recent years? There have been both notable stage and film productions with famous actors in 1991, 1982, 1985, etc.

Dear John (or Tim, actually) Letter

In a comment below, say goodbye to The Things They Carried and Tim O'Brien. In other words, write a final reflection, personal response, lingering question, or analysis to bring your experience with the book to a close.