Answer the following prompts on a separate sheet of paper. Your responses should be between 5 and 8 sentences long (about half a page, handwritten or typed double-spaced). Write your name and the class date on the paper, and bring your answers to class.

Thurs, 2.1, – Donne, John: “The Flea” & “Woman’s Constancy”:

  • Summarize the speaker’s main argument in “Woman’s Constancy”.

 

Mon, 2.5 – Shakespeare, William. *Twelfth Night*, Act 1:

  • Summarize the entire first act in a short paragraph, in your own words. Allow one sentence (two at the most) for each scene.  

 

Thurs, 2.8 – Shakespeare, William. *Twelfth Night*, Act 2:

  • Explain the nature of Sebastian and Antonio’s relationship.

 

Thurs, 2.15 – Shakespeare, William. *Twelfth Night*, Act 3:

  • Consider whether Viola is more masculine or feminine, and how her gender expression might make her attractive to Orsino and/or Olivia. Refer to specific events or quotes from the text.

 

Tues, 2.20 – Shakespeare, William. *Twelfth Night*, Act 4:

  • Offer an in-depth character analysis of Malvolio. What does he want? What motivates him? You might also think about Malvolio in relation to the other characters’ in the play. How are Malvolio’s desires similar or different from the other characters?

 

Thurs, 2.22 – Shakespeare, William. *Twelfth Night*, Act 5:

  • Using Hypothes.is, annotate one line from Act 5. You can annotate the text directly on the “Twelfth Night” page, or annotate the PDF (accessible through a link on the “Twelfth Night” page). In your annotation, identify one literary device, and explain how the device enhances a certain quality about the person or idea that is being described. Instead of picking out your own literary device, you might also respond to someone else’s annotation, and use that opportunity to offer your own thoughts or extend the conversation. Make sure that you are annotating under “Public” mode (check the top of the sidebar), or I cannot see your annotation.

 

Mon, 2.26 – Working thesis and quotes due:

  • Create an outline for your close reading paper. In your outline, include your chosen prompt, your working thesis and a list of points you want to make. Each point should include a central claim and evidence from the text, referencing page numbers or chapters.
    • A note on the “Working Thesis”—basically, a “working thesis” is a draft thesis that is still in development. It gives you enough focus and direction to proceed with your analysis, while leaving enough freedom to change your argument and make modifications as you go. Your argument will likely change as you write.

 

Thurs, 3.1 – Belsey, Catharine: “Twelfth Night: A Modern Perspective”; homework due:

  • In the essay “Twelfth Night: A Modern Perspective”, Catherine Belsey explores Viola’s characterization by examining Viola’s speech and what the other characters say about her. What is Belsey’s thesis? Summarize her overall argument in a thesis statement. 

 

Thurs, 3.8 – Joyce, James: “An Encounter”; homework due

  • This story is told from the perspective of the main character. Imagine that you are one of the supporting characters (either the narrator’s friend or the old man), and summarize your perspective of the day’s events. What happened to you that day? How do you feel about it?

 

Mon, 3.12 – Woolf, Virginia. *Orlando*, chapter 1; homework due

  • CLASS CANCELLED

 

Thurs, 3.15 – Woolf, Virginia. *Orlando*, chapter 1; homework due

  • CLASS CANCELLED

 

Mon, 3.19 – Woolf, Virginia. *Orlando*, chapter 1; homework due

  • Why does the narrator struggle so much to write the biography of Orlando? Why is the work of biography so challenging? 

 

Thurs, 3.22 – Woolf, Virginia. *Orlando*, chapter 1; homework due

  • Come to class with TWO questions. The first question should be about something from the chapter that you didn’t understand or needs further clarification. The second question should be a discussion question, which probes a character, event, or theme that you found interesting from the chapter. The discussion question should NOT be a yes/no or factual question; instead, it ought to provoke thought, discussion, and debate. Write down your two questions (if relevant, include page numbers from the text), and be prepared to share them with the class.Sample questions:
    • What does Greene mean by “Glawr” (p. 65-68)?
    • What does Orlando being “done with men” in this chapter say about his character growth (p. 70-71)?

 

Mon, 3.26 – Woolf, Virginia. *Orlando*, chapter 3; homework due

  • Just like last class, come to class with TWO questions. The first question should be about something from the chapter that you didn’t understand or needs further clarification. The second question should be a discussion question, which probes a character, event, or theme that you found interesting from the chapter. To reiterate, the discussion question should NOT be a yes/no or factual question; instead, it ought to provoke thought, discussion, and debate. Write down your two questions (if relevant, include page numbers from the text), and be prepared to share them with the class.

 

Thurs, 3.29 – Woolf, Virginia. *Orlando*, chapter 4; homework due

  • Brainstorm a theme from chapter 4 that seems most interesting to you. For your theme, include a brief description (one sentence) of the relevant passage(s) or section(s) where the theme appears. You can structure your response by underlining the theme, followed by a colon, followed by your brief description.
    • Some sample responses (from chapter 3 reading):
      • Fact and fiction in biography: in the first paragraph of this chapter, the narrator explains that problems with faulty or missing evidence force her to guess  about what happened to Orlando.
      • The social pressure of gender stereotypes: During Orlando’s transformation into a woman, three allegorical figures of Chastity, Purity, and Modesty represent society’s stereotypes about women and their “proper” roles.

 

 

Mon, 4.9 – Woolf, Virginia. *Orlando*, chapter 5; homework due

  • Reflect on the meaning of the space breaks (the use of blank space to separate two blocks of text) in the chapter. Consider specifically the large space break in the middle of the conversation between Orlando and Shel, following the line “For which reasons we leave a great blank here, which must be taken to indicate that the space is filled to repletion” (Woolf 186). Why does the narrator include the space break, and how might the space break engage with the themes of language or biography?

 

 

Thurs, 4.12 – Woolf, Virginia. *Orlando*, chapter 6; homework due

  • Pick the most interesting moment from your reading of chapter 6, and write a response explaining your choice. What do you find compelling about your selected passage from the chapter? What is interesting or curious about the passage? How does it relate to one or more of the themes (time, language, biography/fiction, identity/gender, nature, etc)? Use this opportunity to explore in depth your interest in the passage and how it deepens or complicates your understanding of the novel.
    • Procedure: Make your response through Hypothes.is on the online PDF of chapter six. Here, highlight the passage and write your response as an annotation. If you prefer, you may respond to a classmate’s annotation in a way that counters or elaborates on their ideas. When writing your annotation, make sure to select “public” (on the top of the sidebar) and to add one or more tags (in the “add tags” box under the text box). Your response should be around 5-8 sentences long, and they are due online by class time on Thursday.

 

Mon, 4.16 – Research Paper Proposal Due:

  • Write a proposal for your research paper. Include your choice of prompt (from the assignment description), a working thesis, and a description of the events, characters, and/or scenes that you might cover in the paper. Review your notes, personal annotations and homework for ideas on what to write. Bring your proposal to class.
    • A note on the “Working Thesis”—basically, a “working thesis” is a draft thesis that is still in development. It gives you enough focus and direction to proceed with your analysis, while leaving enough freedom to change your argument and make modifications as you go. Your argument will likely change as you write.

 

Thurs, 4.19 –  Micir, Melanie. “Queer Timing of Orlando: A Biography; homework due:

  • Summarize the article “The Queer Timing of Orlando”, by Melanie Micir. Your summary should be about a paragraph long (5-8 sentences). In your summary, include the author’s main argument and what subpoints and evidence she uses to back up her argument. 

 

 

Mon, 4.23 – Diaz, Junot. “Alma”; homework due:

  • What do you think of Yunior (the narrator)—how would you describe him? Do you find him sympathetic, exasperating, offensive, likable? Why?

 

 

Thurs, 5.3 –Diaz, Junot. “Miss Lora”; homework due:

  • What do you think of the relationship between Yunior and Miss Lora? In what ways is their relationship healthy and/or unhealthy?