The Kite Runner chapters 20-end

Well, I'm going to leave the content of this week's posts up to you. Please don't rehash what's already been said, but here are some ideas....
Does Amir find redemption? Explain.
What do you think about the end of the novel? Are you satisfied? Explain
Thematic statements are sometimes implied, but sometimes they are explicitly stated in the text. See if you can identify a statement that a character actually says that reveals a universal truth.
Follow through with motifs and symbols you have mentioned. As they show up again in the novel, how does that intensify their meaning and make their use more complex?
I'm surprised no one mentioned the David and Goliath scenario that played out between Assef and Hassan in the first part of the book. See if you can recognize something similar happening during the reading for this week.

These are just some ideas. Maybe tackle 2 of them, or come up with some ideas of your own. Remember I'm looking for thoughtful comments that indicate careful and sophisticated reading. We will be digging into the novel when we meet in class. I am so looking forward to meeting all of you!!

The Kite Runner chapters 11-19

After this week's reading I'd like for you to focus on several things when you blog:
1) Comment on the structure of this novel. How is it organized and how does the organization aid or guide the reader?
2) Comment on Amir. How do you feel about him now as opposed to earlier in the novel?
3) Comment on Hosseni's style of writing. What are elements of his word choice, sentence structure, tone that make his writing style unique? Perhaps choose a short passage that illustrates what you notice.
4) If you didn't in the last post, write a thematic statement that indicates what Hosseni is trying to say about one of the subjects I listed. Remember that themes are universal statements that comment on the human condition. For instance, you wouldn't want to write on the AP exam that the theme of a passage is guilt. That is a subject, not a theme. A theme could be that guilt has the power to consume and destroy. That is a universal idea that relays what the author is trying to say about guilt.
Or how about love?? That is a subject, but what is the author trying to say about love?
Love is a double-edged sword; with the joy of love comes an equal amount of pain.
People exhibit love in many ways; some through kindness and tenderness, some through jealousy, some through obsession.
See how these are complete sentences that actually pinpoint what the author is trying to say about a particular subject????
Writing thematic statements will be a focus for us in class because you will be expected to identify them and compose them on the AP exam. Do the best you can.

The Kite Runner

Sorry I'm a little late posting this week, but I'm at the beach and my phone won't allow me to create a new post for some reason. Anyway, this week I have asked that you read chapters 1-10 of The Kite Runner. I think you will find this book challenging in terms of content and engaging as well. As you read, think about the following subjects and comment about themes that are being developed as they relate to these subjects. Remember that a theme is a declarative statement that indicates what the author is trying to say about the particular subject.
-Role of books, literacy
-Friendship, guilt, redemption
-Father and son relationship
-Coming of Age
-Discrimination, prejudice, class structure
-Master/Slave relationships; loyalty, devotion and duty

Please choose one of the subjects listed, then suggest a thematic statement related to that subject, then explain how that theme is relayed in the chapters you have read.
I would also like you to comment on some emerging symbols and motifs as related to Foster's book. There are several ironies that occur in these chapters, and there should be some things that jump out at you as symbols. Explore those in your responses as well. You did a great job with this in Hurston's novel. I think you'll find that Hosseini's novel is just as rich. I look forward to reading your responses.

Their Eyes Chapters 12-20

For the final chapters, I would like for you to choose a specific symbol or motif present in these chapters and take a paragraph or so to discuss its significance to the larger meaning of the novel. I would also like for you to continue thinking about Foster's ideas and how they connect to this book. And if everyone would please note a line or passage of significance that you discover during the reading in your post and comment on it, that would be great. The line could be significant because it portrays theme, develops character, illustrates a technique of figurative language beautifully, or strikes you as odd or funny. I'd like to continue delving into the text more specifically as some of you did last week in your discussion of the pear tree.

I appreciate you all sticking with this book. I really enjoy it and I know that it is a novel that appeals more to females, so I appreciate everyone appreciating the novel for all that it has to offer!! Keep up the GREAT work.

Their Eyes Were Watching God

The schedule for the reading of this novel is as follows:
July 6-10: Chapters 1-11 with posts due on or before Sunday, July12
13-17: Chapters 12-20 of Their Eyes with posts due on or before Sunday, July 17
When reading the first set of chapters, I'd like you to focus on three ideas:
1) React personally to the novel - you could discuss characters, style, conflict, etc - you could talk about personal connections, make connections with works you've read before, evaluate characters, style, plot events, ask questions about things, speculate on a symbol or motif that is repeated....this is really wide open.
2) Connect an idea from Foster's book to the reading in these chapters and discuss its significance in terms of meaning.
3) Engage in a dialogue with me and/or other students on the blog; you did a really excellent job with this in the last week of the Foster text.

Lit Like a Professor Chs. 18-26

Please leave your comments on chapters 18-26 under this post. Thanks!!

Lit Like a Professor Chs. 10-15

Please comment on Chapters 10-15 within this post. Thanks!

How to Read Literature Like a Professor

As you are reading this text, you may have the tendency to think, "Well, duh!" sometimes. I mean, some of this is common sense and some symbolic elements like the seasons are so archetypal that they are almost ingrained in our intellect. However, for the purpose of AP literature, these are all ideas of which you need to be carefully aware as you read. For the first week of posts, I would like for you to choose at least two different chapters, and apply the ideas presented in those chapters to works you have previously read. On the AP exam when you discuss works, they must be works of literary merit, typically the "classics" that you've been reading all along in your English courses. For this discussion, however, you can extend your discussion to works of popular fiction; for instance, I imagine some of you will connect the chapter on vampires with ideas in the Twilight series, and that's ok. My focus here is to get you thinking about the ideas in Foster's book and to stretch your analytical skills without overloading your brain too much (it is summer, after all). Hopefully this book will live up to its subtitle and you will find it "lively" and "entertaining." I look forward to reading your responses.



A couple of reminders:

1) I'm looking for careful thought in terms of the ideas I ask you to consider. Remember that although this blog is set up to encourage a dialogue, you are being graded, so the focus should remain academic.

2) In addition to addressing the ideas I've posted, you may also find it beneficial to read others' posts and comment on what your classmates have said, but I'm looking for extensions or rebuttals of others' comments, not a simple "agree" or "disagree."

3) The inevitable question...."How long does this have to be?" Well, I tend to be long-winded because I love to talk about literature, but let's just say that your post should take you between 20-30 minutes to type each week - kind of like an abbreviated essay, but not so tight in terms of structure and form. I want to see that you have been engaged in the reading and that you are making sense out of what you have read, and I obviously want to see evidence that you are making connections with things you've read before.



Please feel free to ask questions of me within the blog, or if you'd rather do so privately, email me at williamsholly@hotmail.com. I look forward to "talking" with you all this summer!!

Summer Reading 2009

Welcome to the summer reading blog! I'm excited to get to know each of you this summer through your comments and insight.