Over Christmas break I would like you to begin reading House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. Book to be completed by January 27th in time for our final exam and in order to complete the FINAL ESSAY (see below). The reading schedule you choose is up to you.
Blog Post for this week: We read 5 short stories in the last unit. Please choose one short story and write 2 discussion questions and post them below. Your second blog post should answer a classmates questions. You may not answer questions that have already been answered. Blog Posts due by January 7th (or before). I highly recommend you bite the bullet and just finish these questions before Christmas.
Extra Credit: Due January 7th- Write an Historical Approach Paper for the Gilded Age
Template:
Event or Era: Gilded Age
Place:
Time:
Event summary: Write an interesting one paragraph summary of the period or event.
Key players: choose 3-4 key people involved in the event and list 4-5 vividly descriptive words for each person. Words may not be used to describe more than one character.
Discussion questions: Think carefully about the event and write three analytical discussion questions.
Turning Point: Choose an event that seems to mark a significant turning point or climax in the period or event and write a one paragraph description.
Turning Point Explanation: Why do you believe this was a significant turning point? What happened afterward? Write a fully developed paragraph explaining your choice. Support your argument with quotes from the text or other sources.
So you know what to look for as you read House of Mirth; here is the final essay topic.
FINAL ESSAY TOPIC:
As you read House of Mirth you can begin to formulate your essay thesis statement. This essay is worth 200 points. Our Final Essay will be due before February 7th. Length of essay: minimum 10 paragraphs. Remember to write in MLA Format. Remember to use quotes from the literary work. In this essay you may bring in other literary works; in fact- it is required. Please cite them accordingly. Essays will not be accepted late unless your parent intervenes on your behalf. In which case you will receive a 20 point deduction. Please see grading rubric below for more information on grading.
Blog Post for this week: We read 5 short stories in the last unit. Please choose one short story and write 2 discussion questions and post them below. Your second blog post should answer a classmates questions. You may not answer questions that have already been answered. Blog Posts due by January 7th (or before). I highly recommend you bite the bullet and just finish these questions before Christmas.
Extra Credit: Due January 7th- Write an Historical Approach Paper for the Gilded Age
Template:
Event or Era: Gilded Age
Place:
Time:
Event summary: Write an interesting one paragraph summary of the period or event.
Key players: choose 3-4 key people involved in the event and list 4-5 vividly descriptive words for each person. Words may not be used to describe more than one character.
Discussion questions: Think carefully about the event and write three analytical discussion questions.
Turning Point: Choose an event that seems to mark a significant turning point or climax in the period or event and write a one paragraph description.
Turning Point Explanation: Why do you believe this was a significant turning point? What happened afterward? Write a fully developed paragraph explaining your choice. Support your argument with quotes from the text or other sources.
So you know what to look for as you read House of Mirth; here is the final essay topic.
FINAL ESSAY TOPIC:
As you read House of Mirth you can begin to formulate your essay thesis statement. This essay is worth 200 points. Our Final Essay will be due before February 7th. Length of essay: minimum 10 paragraphs. Remember to write in MLA Format. Remember to use quotes from the literary work. In this essay you may bring in other literary works; in fact- it is required. Please cite them accordingly. Essays will not be accepted late unless your parent intervenes on your behalf. In which case you will receive a 20 point deduction. Please see grading rubric below for more information on grading.
Essay Question:
How would you interpret the naturalistic depiction of the rich, the poor, the significance of social classes, and/or the meaning of work in The House of Mirth?
Some Starting-Points to help you formulate a thesis statement for Essay Question: These starting points are meant to help you develop your thesis statement for a very broad essay question. You do not have to use any of these starting points to develop your thesis statement. They are only suggestions.
A number of nineteenth century writers (including Helen Campbell -- see Women and Work) suggest that the problems of the working poor seem invisible to the affluent. When and why does this happen, what are the consequences, and does the revelation of this phenomenon of "invisibility" seem to make any argument? Do you believe that The House of Mirth shares these views? If so, write an essay in which you use specific scenes and passages from the novel to describe and analyze the "invisibility" of economic and social problems in the world of the affluent, and the way in which this problem is depicted I the novel reiterates, refutes, or extends the American conversation on "the invisible poor."
OR
Although poverty may sometimes have seemed invisible, the wealth of the more fortunate was always on public display in turn-of-the-century America, a phenomenon that prompted a number of interpretations. Writing in 1881, Julia Ward Howe criticized the shallowness of a life built on gilded spectacle as a "society of representation. It bears about the same relation to genuine society that scene-painting bears to a carefully finished picture." In his landmark 1899 work, The Theory of the Leisure Class, Thorstein Veblen explained the world of the affluent in this way:Abstention from labour is not only a honorific or meritorious act, but it presently comes to be a requisite of decency. The insistence on property as the basis of reputability is very naïve and very imperious during the early stages of the accumulation of wealth. Abstention from labour is the convenient evidence of wealth and is therefore the conventional mark of social standing; and this insistence on meritoriousness of wealth leads to a more strenuous insistence on leisure. Nota notae est nota rei ipsiius. According to well established laws of human nature, prescription presently seizes upon this conventional evidence wealth and fixes it in men's habits of thought as something that is in itself substantially meritorious and ennobling; while productive labour by a like process becomes in a double sense intrinsically unworthy. Prescription ends by making labour not only disreputable in the eyes of the community, but morally impossible to the nobel, freeborn man, and incompatible with a worthy life.
Do you see Wharton depicting a "society of representation" or a "leisure class" in The House of Mirth? If so, offer an analysis of the way that society is described in the novel and discuss the way in which Wharton's treatment of this concept reinforces, refutes, or extends the interpretations of Howe, Veblen, or others. According to your interpretation, what comment does The House of Mirth make on the relationship between the real world and the world of "representation," and/or the relationship between manners and morals?
OR
How would you explain the "humiliation" that Lily Bart experiences as a former member of the upper class when seeking work? Do the explanations provided by such organization as The Needle Woman's Friend and The Ladies' Depository earlier in the century explain any of Lily Bart's reactions to the need to work? How does The House of Mirth contribute to the American discussion of the significance of class differences particularly as they relate to women?
Grading Rubric for Essay:
MLA Style-40 Points (Points deducted for lack of MLA formatting including correct punctuation and citations)
Clear thesis statement defended with literary examples from House of Mirth-60 points
Use of outside sources to support thesis statement-40 points.
Did the essay answer the question?- 60 points.
Late Essays- Minus 20 points
1. In Jack London’s short story, ‘To Build a Fire,’ he depicts a foolish man who has limited knowledge and foresight and therefore encounters various obstacles along his path. Is this entirely true or did the man have some control over his circumstances?
ReplyDelete2. In ‘The Outcasts of Poker Flat,’ we see a seemingly virtuous town which is rife with lawlessness and disorder. The reader is introduced to a secret committee who has formed to exile outlaws and villains so that they may rid their city of immorality. Despite their ‘good’ intentions this council is influenced by evil and is tempted to succumb to arbitrary executions and punishments. What significance do the council’s temptations have on the overall storyline or theme?
The man in "To Build a Fire" certainly did have a say in his circumstances. As he admitted, though he was inexperienced, he had received advice from someone who wasn't. He even followed that advice several times but not completely. He could have followed it to the letter and brought along a companion. In this way, he could have thus survived. Also, though he is described as thoughtless, he is described as observant too, and he certainly has wisdom enough to avoid water pockets below the ice. As a result, he could and should have noticed his dog's instinctive hints as well as the fact that the tree he built his second fire under was overloaded with snow. Doing so could have preserved his life as well.
DeleteQuestion 2- The way that this council is influenced by subjective and arbitrary decision making has a lot of significance on the plot of the entire story. If they hadn't been subject to these temptations, the criminals most likely would have just been hanged... and the story would have ended there. Instead, the fact that this council exiled the criminals formed an interesting story. Eventually, the characters had the same fate as they would have if the council hadn't exiled them but had just hanged them; but, since the council was tempted by arbitrary executions, there's a story in between.
DeleteWas the mother in "The Revolt of Mother" right in moving into her husband's barn? Could she have gotten what she wanted any other way?
ReplyDeleteCould the snowed-in group in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" have survived if Mr. Oakhurst had stayed with them and not given up the way he did?
In response to number one, I think yes, Sarah was right. The Bible talks a lot about how women need to submit to their husband but there comes a time when men need a little slap in the face. Mrs Penn was utterly respectful in the way she went about her action. She did not even talk down to her husband or try and make him look bad. She simply did what she thought was right for her family.
DeleteIn response to question two, it seems that the group would not have survived even if Mr. Oakhurst stayed. Mr. Oakhurst and the rest of the group had already made the mistake of staying the night in the woods and then prolonging the problem by not acting sooner. By the time he gave up, the group had almost run out of supplies and were surrounded by a twenty-foot snow bank. Even though Tom Simson went to get help at Poker Flat on the day that Mr. Oakhurst gave up, the two women died that same night because the situation was hopeless. Although Mr. Oakhurst could not have done anything at that point, it seems that the group could have been saved if they would have gone for help or moved on earlier, before they ran out of supplies and let the snow imprison them. Ultimately, their problem was that they complacently set up camp for fun and then submitted to fate to determine their survival.
Delete1) What is the purpose of "To Build a Fire"? Is it to warn, provoke thought, or simply to entertain? Does it have a purpose? Discuss.
ReplyDelete2) In "The Outcasts of Poker Flat", each character is distinct. However, that does not mean the characters are developed. What signs of/lack of development do you see? How would the story have changed with more/less development?
BONUS 3) Team Kili or team Legolas?
I chose question 2. First I would like to say that it is super hard to develop characters in a short story because there isn't lots of time; however, there are ways to created well rounded, developed characters in a short period of time. I think that in "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" the main problem was the lack of character's thoughts and emotions. Although their personalities were distinct because we hardly see what they are thinking or feeling beyond the surface. They lack a certain depth which is just as important as distinctness in a character. One way the author could have developed the characters further was during the scene with Piney and Duchess when they are starting to freeze. If the author had delved a little more into their emotions and thoughts he could have written more developed characters. It also never really explained why Mr. Oakhurst killed himself. The author could have foreshadowed this by examining emotions and thoughts of Mr. Oakhurst, yet again creating a more developed character.
DeleteReally are we going to turn the Hobbit into a team thing????
Kili all the way
Delete1 - Despite the perils the man underwent, which ultimately resulted in his own death, the author seeks to reveal the inferiority and foolishness of man. By doing so the writer provides a character who is ill educated and not much given to thinking. To further perpetuate the frailty of man, the author contrasts his character to that of a dog. By establishing a distinction between the two the author personifies the role of nature in our decisions and circumstances. Although inherently flawed, I believe the author’s purpose in writing this story is to show that man is a product of the environment and is thereby submitted to the conditions nature creates.
Delete"The Real Thing" implies that perfection itself can be an imperfection. Does this principal apply in real life? If so, give an example.
ReplyDeleteWas Sarah Penn in "The Revolt of Mother" right to move into the barn against her husband's will?
Was Abe Lincoln a good president?
In answer to your first question, the principle does apply in real life. Paradoxically, the pursuit of perfection itself can be an imperfection. For example, when I find myself trying to be perfect in every way, I find that I lose my focus on God. When Benjamin Franklin experimented in perfecting his morality alone, he removed God from the picture. Throughout his life, he was a Deist who did not believe in Jesus and who believed in salvation by works. Overall, the excessive pursuit of perfection is an imperfection because it exalts the man and lowers God. This does not mean that trying to be good is always a bad thing. It can be bad if taken too far.
Deletegreat answer jared. In another light, when we focus on being perfect, we forget to stop and help others who aren't. We become so focused on ourself that we cannot see that we need to be in the dirt around us helping other, while trying to live like Christ.
Delete1. "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" is a good example of Naturalism in literature. How can it also exemplify Regionalism?
ReplyDelete2. In "The Real Thing", Henry James accounts of an instance when two characters hurt their careers by trying to be the real thing. How is "The Real Thing" an example of Realism when it has a bad perspective on the "real thing"?
Question 1- One definition of Regionalism describes it as "loyalty to one's region." In this way, "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" exemplifies regionalism. First, the council is extremely loyal to their region, which is their town, because they force criminals to leave. This proves their loyalty to their region. Secondly, this loyalty is shown through the characters who were sent away. The author took specific time to describe the characters' reactions to being sent away. They were all depressed that they had to be sent away from their town becaue of their love and loyalty towards it.
DeleteJared, you brought up a very interesting question. I think that in romantic stories they stress the importance, significance, and value of a person being "themselves," or the "real thing." But in this story, the author takes a much more...disappointing view of the world. By actually being the "real thing," the art is not what viewers want. I think the author was trying to portray that no longer are the "real" values, and individual value, important to society. Instead, society wants to see what the perceive as right. This portrays realism in that fact that this is quite a dreary outlook, and ends up destroying the "good guys" by the end of the story.
Delete1. Was the man in "To Build a Fire" wise in that he pushed out the thoughts of instinct (cold, burning, etc.) and instead made contrary decisions (Let his hand burn in order to build a fiire)?
ReplyDelete2. In "The Revolt of Mother", what drove Adoniram to ignore his wife's wishes and build an extra barn?
Question número hana: In the situation at hand, yes. I believe he did the best he could to not die after he had already messed up. He just shouldn't have been arrogant enough to not prepare better in the first place.
DeleteQuestion 1. One of the major themes in 'The Outcasts of Poker Flat' is the cold-heartlessness of society. If all the main characters didn't die painful deaths and they instead just lived out the rest of their lives misrably, would the same picture still be portrayed?
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2. While reading 'To Build a Fire,' I kept expecting for the man to die and then his dog flees to the town (which happens to be located just beyond the hill where the man died). If the man gave up and died literally outside of the camp without knowing it, would this ironic twist contribute to the story's theme of the stupidity and stubborness of mankind and the intelligence of animals (AKA dogs)?
1) In "The Revolt of Mother", which more reflects the idea of Realism: the actions of Father, or Mother?
ReplyDelete2) In "To Build a Fire", assuming the narrator heeded the words of the old guy, what could he have done better to survive?
I think the actions of Father more reflect the idea of Realism (Men can be fairly stubborn people). Yet Mother's actions also reflect it, as Women can be fairly rebellious, God told Adam and Eve after they had sinned that men would be dominant over women, but that the woman would want to rise up and supersede the man.
DeleteI think the man could have taken more supplies, another man (duh), and more wisdom. The supplies could have possibly helped him out in the wild, the man could have kept both of them alive, and the wisdom would have, above all, saved his life.
In "The Revolt of Mother" was the father simply clueless or was he intentionally ignoring his wife? Give examples?
ReplyDeleteWhy did Mr. Oakhurst give up? If he hadn't could he and the rest of the group survived?
In "The Revolt of Mother", Adoniram appears to be genuinely unaware of Sarah's wishes. Throughout the story he is focused on his work rather than the feelings of other characters, and seems almost incapable of empathizing with Sarah. At the conclusion of the story, despite the fact that Sarah disobeyed his wishes and moved into the new barn, he is not angry with her. Instead, he is shocked by the realization of how much Sarah wanted a new home. “Why, mother,” he said, hoarsely, “I hadn't no idee you was so set on't as all this comes to.”
DeleteI believe that Mr. Oakhurst gave up because he didn't feel as though he had anything else to live for. He had been banished from his home and had had his normal life ripped away from him. He was a sad man. I don't think that he could've saved the two women. Tom was younger and healthier and would have been the most likely to be able to get help. If he couldn't do it, I don't think Mr. Oakhurst could either.
Delete1: John Oakhurst comes across as the wise man of the group in Outcast of Poker Flat. How does the Author convey this idea?
ReplyDelete2: In the Real Thing how is Henry James critiquing society and how is he making as statement of the changing times?
Question a: John Oakhurst is definitly the wisest and dumbest in the group. He reflects many leadership qualities, like not using bad language and acting out of selflessness and chiviraly. He's kind and offers wise advice to Tommy, basically telling the boy "You stink at gambling so don't try it."
DeleteUnfortunatly, he follows the 'do as I say, not as I do' rule and then turns around and doesn't give up gambling himself. He ends up sacrificing himself by leaving the group and giving them more firewood, but is also a bad role model to Tommy when he and the boy commit a double sucide.
1. Does "The Revolt of Mother" portray men too negatively, or does it justly show a picture of overt patriarchy?
ReplyDelete2. Realistically, could the young man from "To Build a Fire" survived if he had remained calm?
Question B: As long as you keep a cool head, I believe you can pretty much survive anything. I heard a story about a man who got lost while skiing alone. He should have died, and he almost did, but the only reason he stayed alive was because kept thinking about his young son and seeing his son's face when he got home.
DeleteIt's all about attitude. If you're like, "I'm going to die anyway." and just curl up and take a snow-nap then you obviously wouldn't survive. But if you thought about WHY you have to survive or WHY you need to make it to the camp and keep living life, then that would probably help you remain calm and not die.
1. Does "The Revolt of Mother" portray men too negatively, or does it justly show a picture of overt patriarchy?
ReplyDelete2. Realistically, could the young man from "To Build a Fire" survived if he had remained calm?
Dear me, it posted twice...
Delete1. In "The Real Thing", are the Monarchs teaching the artist a lesson, or is the artist teaching the Monarchs? What is the lesson?
ReplyDelete2. Did Sarah Penn in "The Revolt of Mother" do the right thing when she disobeyed her husband? Did she have any other choice?
In answer to the second question, I think that Sarah did the right thing when she went against Adoniram's wishes. She had been dutiful for her entire marriage, washing his clothes and making his meals. She tried to talk to him about if first. When diplomacy and silence failed, her only choice was to disobey. I would say that moving into the barn was her only option if she wanted to have a house that was clean and nice, and if she wanted to give her daughter a decent wedding. Hypothetically she could have waited another ten years for Adoniram to come around, but the story implies that he was oblivious and that he didn't realize how much Sarah wanted the house. So, I think she did the right thing.
Delete1. In the "Outcasts of Poker Flats" and "To Build a Fire" we see a common reference to luck. As Christians we know the world is not governed by luck. What ideas do these stories portray in saying life is but good and bad luck?
ReplyDelete2. In the "Revolt of Mother" is it justified for the wife to do what she did? If yes, explain, if no explain.
1. In the story "The Real Thing," people who actually portrayed the real thing were, in an essence, not accepted by society. How does this relate to our current society?
ReplyDelete2. If the naturalist/realism movement reflected a support of evolution, how is the man more evolved than the dog in the story "To Build a Fire," if the man could not survive?
Answering Question 2, I feel that because the man was more evolved is the reason he died. Let me explain, because the man was more evolved he had the ability to make his own decisions think for himself and choose his actions. The dog was less evolved and simply followed his instinct this allowed him to survive.
DeleteThe Revolt of Mother:
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think Father was so stubborn in the matter of building Mother a new house?
To Build a Fire:
Do you think the dog could have done more to save the man? What could the dog have done?
1. In the story I think Father was so opposed because he was selfish, he wanted what he wanted when he wanted it and he wanted nothing to stand in his way. Mother wanting to build a house stood in the way of what he wanted so he was opposed to it.
Delete2. Based on the story and the naturalist worldview, the dog would have put him self at major risk if he tried to save the man. Since survival is huge in a naturalist worldview the dog could not have done more to save the man since doing so would have threatened his life.
The Outcasts if Poker Flat:
ReplyDeleteIn this story we get to know a group of criminals and wrong doers. The society of Poker Flat recognizes them as evil people, not fit to live in their town. Interestingly enough we find as the book progresses, that all of these people (except Uncle Bill) have an element of underlying kindness. Did the town assume wrongly that these people were all bad? Can it be said for the majority of humankind that if we were put in the position of the stranded outcasts that we would help those around us and show our inner kindness rather than to be selfish and cruel?
The Real Thing:
Did the artist really hire the Monarchs because he thought that they could benefit him? Or because he felt obligated to benefit them?
Wow Haley, your first question is really well thought out. I think that the town was probably hasty in its assumption that the outcasts were all bad. Of course, the town could only see their actions and not their thoughts or hearts. Maybe that's a lesson for us, to look deeper than other people's actions, to try and see the motivation and necessity behind those actions. The outcasts were definitely more compassionate and considerate than the majority of people would be under the same circumstances. I think that most people would look out for their own survival rather than worrying about the whole group. In that respect the outcasts' characters were superior to seemingly "good" people.
Delete