Theme and...

1) How did it go yesterday? Go over "Identities" questions. Time to finish answers up and hand in.

2) Notes on Point of View and Theme - on board. Also...

3) Next Story: 

Figuring Out Identities

1) What is the CONNOTATION of the word?
 Connotation - Any idea, word, meaning suggested by a thing. (In this case, what other words, ideas, meanings come to mind when you think of the word Identity?) As a group, discuss the word, and create a brainstorm of all the connotations on the board.

2) Story of the day: Identities, by Valgardson p.3 of Inside Stories.

Read aloud to class and then, quietly, and in pairs or alone, students should skim back through the story to answer the following questions:

• What kind of identities are at play in this story? 
• What is our protagonist like? How do you know? (What quotes)
• Why does he leave his neighbourhood of twice cut lawns? What is his motivation? 
• This story has some very detailed and descriptive passages. What setting description stood out to you? What is the point of the contrast between the two settings of suburbia and urban slum?
• Using the glossary at the back of the book to review the following terms - point of view, simile, symbol and metaphor.
• What similes, symbols and metaphor are used? To what effect?
• What is the point of view? How do you know?
• If the theme of a piece of literature is a generalized understanding about how life is, then what do you think the theme of "Identities" is? In other words, what's the big idea here? 
• Due Tomorrow!

4) Terms on the board - can put these up to support students who are struggling:

Motivation - see the definition in the back of Inside Stories 
Simile
Metaphor
Symbol (scroll down)
Here is a great link to all the literary terms you are responsible for by Grade 12:http://www.openschool.bc.ca/courses/english/glossary.html

First Literary Analysis

1) Return first assignment - discuss and review... place in portfolio. What are these 6 point scales?

2) Anyone want to go to Bard on the Beach?

2) Literary Analysis Paragraph - The Character of Sammy.

Topic: In a well-developed paragraph explain how Sammy, in Updike's "A & P," is a round character. (In other words, describe Sammy's conflicting character traits.) 

This response should be in third person, and formal in tone. Include and integrate into your sentences at least 4 short quotations that support your main idea.


The thesis will contain the title of the story and author's name. The thesis is the most important sentence - show me you best critical thinking!

See the sample here.

Don't forget our ever expanding style checklist:

• Sentence Variety
• Elevated Vocabulary
• Avoid Contractions
• No slang
• Avoid cliches
• Minimal use of be verbs and passive voice

Elements of Fiction:Character in A&P

1) I'm away to take my little girl who's been sick for weeks to a doctor's appointment.
Never fear, Ms. Petch is here!
2) Group Discussion Questions - a little something to wake up the brain...

• Who can remind us what happened in A&P? Tell us the PLOT but in short form. No judging or critiquing the central character (yet)... just give us the "First this happened and then that happened..." and so on and so on.
•  Is Sammy's quitting a form of rebellion or a statement of some sort? Does it have any meaning? What is he rebelling against? Are there unconscious targets of his rebellion? Who is the enemy here? Are there any forms of oppression at work in the story? Who is oppressed (or "embarrassed" for that matter)? Is Sammy's standing up for the girls in some way a form of standing up for himself? 
•  Is the girls behavior itself a kind of statement or rebellion of some sort? What message are they sending by walking into the A&P in their bathing suits? What messages do the girls send to "the sheep" of the store? Why is it significant that they choose a supermarket for their self-display?    
• What are Queenie and the girls symbolic of? Is Queenie an upper class girl? How do you know? Is she more free than Sammy? Why?  How does he imagine her life? How does he contrast his own existence to that of Queenie? What does Sammy know for a fact about her? What in a sense is he trying to achieve by impressing Queenie?
• What does Sammy want? How do you know? What are we told he wants? What are we shown that he wants? 

3) Character - consider the following slides, and the notes that follow,

   

Certain types of characters appear in many stories.  They are:

<  The protagonist is the central character (person, animal, or personified object) in the plot's conflict.

<  The antagonist is the force in conflict with the protagonist. It may be society, nature, or fate, as well as another person. It can also be the protagonist's own self, if he or she has an internal conflict.

<  A character foil is a character whose traits are in direct contrast to those of the principal character. The foil therefore highlights the traits of the protagonist. The foil is usually a minor character, although if there are two protagonists, they may be foils of each other.

Also:

- A Flat Character is one dimensional, only has one character trait.
Ex. Lengel, the store manager is conservative.
- A Stock Character or Stereotyped Character is one of a type that we all recognize - the nerd, the jock, the grumpy boss. Yup, Lengel is also an example of a Stereotype.
- A Static Character is a character that does not change. Ex. You guessed it... Lengel.

- Sammy is a round and dynamic character because he has many character traits and he changes over the course of the story; he has an epiphany. An epiphany is a moment of sudden realization.

4) Your Task:

With a partner, or on your own, make and fill in a chart that looks like this:

Sammy – protagonist, round character, dynamic character
Direct Presentation Quote:	What were we told about the character:	Indirect Presentation Quote:	What do we infer about the character”

Find TWO examples of direct Presentation and at least SIX of indirect.
DUE TOMORROW.

5) Assembly or.... for the other block: How is a short film like a short story? What do we learn about character studies from Pixar?

Lollipops and A&P

1) Alliteration:

The repetition of the same sounds or of the same kinds of 

sounds at the beginning of words that are close together. 



Ex. Lovely Lemon Lollipops 


or maybe... a Survival Sucker





2) Setting

Physical: The time, place, year, location, season...

Emotional: the mood or tone of the piece...

Social/Political: What is the larger context of the text?



3) Introducing "A&P", by John Updike

• What is Misogyny?
• What might a poodle skirt and mini skirt teach us about the setting of this 1961 story?
• What is the status quo?
• Who works in a grocery store?

4) Reading... the rest of the story you can read for weekend homework.

5) Time to finish and hand in first paragraph.

Paradox Introduction - and first assignment

1) Finish 6 word introductions.

2) What is a Paradox? 

• Paradox: a statement whose two parts seem contradictory yet make sense with more thought.

"The more choice and freedom we have, the more miserable we are." The Jean Store example.

3) Vices and Virtues Chart

What is your light? What is your darkness?

4) First Formal Writing Sample: develop, write and publish an 8 - 12 sentence paragraph that describes how you are paradoxical.

• First person and informal.
• Your challenge is to use your very best words (elevated vocabulary) and sophisticated sentence variety. 
• See my sample here.

5) Introduction to Netbooks - sweet little babies... don't drop 'em, don't shake 'em, don't eat on 'em.

6) Tomorrow: first story

Welcome to English 11

1) The Epic Outline Cont'd

2) Bad Cattitude...In other words, do not behave like these two cats during class time.


3) Your Six Words.... petals and then sharing...

4) Any Paradoxes? Vices and virtues? What is a paradox? How are you paradoxical?

5) Homework: write an introduction to me. 8-12 sentence paragraph. Show me your very best writing.