Response Assignment #2

Hi folks – by next Monday, September 8th, you should have finished reading Beloved. In preparation for your first essay assignment, rather than answer any questions I might have (for this week’s blog), I’d like for you to each come up with at least three really good questions of your own. If it helps, imagine yourself as the teacher posing thoughtful blog questions for your students, questions that you believe would generate much discussion. Thus, setting up the question and/or asking it in two or more parts would potentially be useful, as in the following example from last week’s blog assignment, in which I asked the following:

Many have suggested that Beloved focuses most strongly on themes of memory and history; find a passage or two that exemplifies the ways in which these memories and/or history are embodied. In other words, how do memories and/or histories surface, not just through thought, but on or through the body itself? How does the body become a sort of script or narrative that carries with it (and becomes the storyteller of) certain memories or histories?

Asking questions is often harder than answering them, but is also the best way to lead you into the essay writing process. Be sure to ask thought-provoking, intelligent, and interesting questions, as one of them could become the basis for your first essay (you would then conduct research and close-reading of the text in an effort to answer one of those questions).

Response Assignment # 1

For Wednesday, September 3rd, please read up to page 165. Answer any one of the following sets of questions (or feel free to diverge and discuss something else that takes your attention). Please have your blog posted by Wednesday, Sept. 3rd. Also, be sure to come into next class having identified at least one motif (look up the term if you weren’t here at the beginning of last class when we discussed it); have at least three passages marked to discuss for next class.

1. Many have suggested that Beloved focuses most strongly on themes of memory and history; find a passage or two that exemplifies the ways in which these memories and/or history are embodied. In other words, how do memories and/or histories surface, not just through thought, but on or through the body itself? How does the body become a sort of script or narrative that carries with it (and becomes the storyteller of) certain memories or histories? Be sure to point to a specific passage or certain events and explain.

2. Explain your understanding of what horrors and/or major events have taken place (in the past). How does Morrison help the reader to understand the history that has come before the opening (present narrative) moment within the text? What passages from the text provide these historical clues or narrative markers?

3. Choose one character and describe your understanding of that character’s background, personality, and/or purpose within the story. Describe that character as if you are writing us all an email and telling us about someone you just met or spent some time with. Try not to think too hard about what you write, at first, but rather just let yourself describe what comes naturally (or would if you were writing to your best friend about this person you just met). It’ll be interesting to see what sticks in your mind — what your general impressions are of this character. After you’ve done this, however, go back through the text and see what passages, quotes, or specific textual moments help reinforce those general impressions, and build those into your blog response (give evidence from text).

4. In what ways is the opening of the film Beloved different from the opening of the book? Why do you think different choices were made? In what ways did the film even further highlight certain moments?

Be sure you post your comments by 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 3rd. Feel free, too, to write in response to someone else’s comment (if you see things differently, for example, or if you locate another passage within the text that helps to exemplify that person’s point). I want this blog to be as interactive as possible.

Welcome!

Hi folks – welcome to your class blog. Each week, you will be expected to blog a response to an assignment, as posted by the instructor. You may respond to the posted assignment each week by clicking on the “comments” link at the top of this blog, under the blog entry title (until someone posts the first comment, it will read “no comments”). The assignments will vary – between responses to your readings, thoughts about class discussions, and other assignments. Even though you only have to respond once a week, be sure that you check this blog before each and every class for updated reading assignments and any announcements I might post!

Reading assignments and questions will be posted each week (usually by the end of class on Monday). You must submit your blog response by the following Monday at 7 a.m. (dates and details will be provided in each week’s post).

In order to respond to and comment upon blog assignments, you MUST register with WordPress. For username, please just put your first name and last initial (or whole last name – whichever you prefer), so that I can give you credit for each post (if you list yourself as “metrogirl” for example, I will have no idea who wrote the post and therefore cannot give you credit). Also, please register with the email address that you most often check, as this will be the email address to which I will send acknowledgment of receipt and credit. At the bottom of the registration form, you can either choose to get your own blog or “just a username”. For this class, all that is required is a username; but if you’ve been wanting to start your own blog, then you can certainly do that (it’s totally up to you and has no bearing on this course).

Also, please take a look around the blog, and familiarize yourself with the additional resources, links, and pages that are available to assist you. For instance, on the right side, you will note that there are several links; these are websites or additional resources that I thought may be useful to you as you go through this course. As we continue to move through the class, I will continue to post links that will be helpful to you (whether in reading, writing, or discussing certain themes). Please check the links often.

For more information about the class and what is expected of you on this blog, please click on the tab at the top entitled, “About Class Blog,” and then post a comment indicating that you understand what will be required of you on this course blog.