Or not. Stupid snow. Hopefully it gave you guys a chance to spend some time with Okonkwo and crew. If not, go outside today and finish up the novel. We’ll be discussing the end in class tomorrow, and I don’t want to ruin the ending for you. Here’s the plan:
Until now, we’ve focused on the effects of Okonkwo’s father’s legacy on the man, and Okonkwo’s choices in interacting with those around him. The final section places him in an environment that he cannot control, and forces him to realize that he does not have complete power over those around him. This is a sobering realization for our strong protagonist, and he makes some difficult choices (or are his (re)actions purely a result of his environment? We’ll see).
On Tuesday and Wednesday (if we finish our discussion of Okonkwo’s life on Monday) I will present a brief overview of Existentialist ideas. If you want to get a head start, I suggest The Stanford Encyclopedia of Psychology‘s page on “Existentialism” or *sigh* the Wikipedia‘s entry. We may also read Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Existentialism is a Humanism” to gain a better understanding of our author’s ideas (you can find a copy here).
By Thursday we will discuss Part One of The Stranger. Thirty pages per night may be more than you’re used to reading, but Sartre’s prose is not too dense. Do plan to set aside some time to read the book in chunks, though.
On Friday we will discuss your tentative (hypo)thesis statements in class. I will also ask you to write a brief paragraph contrasting the philosophies of Things Fall Apart and The Stranger. (Hint: it goes beyond TFA=fate and TS=choice.) More on this later.
I’ve received lots of email about due dates for the paper, etc. Assuming we have school on Wednesday, the due date stands. If you have questions, I am happy to answer them. Remember, this is not a “final draft” due date, but only a “work in progress” check. For those who have asked for extensions, you must bring to class a copy of your progress so far; I can’t help you out if I can’t see where you’re going.
There was a brief mention in class today about a conservative=conformist/ liberal=rebel bias. While I don’t such a strict division could be accurate (there are no absolutes when discussing humans), it made me think of this video from TED.com. We’ll talk about it tomorrow in class.
Or maybe Wednesday; we have a lot to discuss.
After you watch, you might want to check out YourMorals.org to see where you rank.
During what turned into “storytime” on Monday, we looked at Ursula K. LeGuin’s short story, “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.” Finish the story. We’ll discuss it tomorrow.
We’ll have a discussion of conformity tomorrow and seek answers to questions of equality, specifically: What is the overlap between a society that values conformity above all things and a society that values equality above all? Is there any overlap? Michel de Montaigne, considered by many to be the father of the modern essay (now you know who to blame), says of conformity:
Once conform, once do what others do because they do it, and a kind of lethargy steals over all the finer senses of the soul.
Which, of course, raises the question: What are the “finer senses”? (See Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron“) After freeing himself from the equality devices, Bergeron dances with the prima ballerina. Can we make the argument that the arts are made possible by these “finer senses” and thus non-conformity or rebellion? Of course, Bergeron also declares himself “a greater ruler than any man who ever lived!” So there’s the wrench in that analysis. Thoughts?
Your homework for this weekend is to keep reading Brave New World (reading journal=friend) and finish Harlan Ellison’s “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said the Ticktockman.” First question: What’s with the jellybeans? I leave you to come up with other questions that pop up.
Bonus reading: Ursula LeGuin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.” This is a quick read, but a very haunting story. Read it if you so desire, but we will be focusing on Brave New World and Ellison’s story in class on Monday.
P.S. If for any reason you have trouble opening Ellison’s essay, download a free PDF reader or read LeGuin’s story. Discussion is impossible if we’re not all on the same page.
…involving faces without lips, raised eyebrows, and tight frowns. Thanks guys.
We went over the plans for each of your essays last week. Continue sorting through the quotations from your books, and we’ll begin thesis statements/essay building next week. If you haven’t begun collecting quotations, you have an extra hour today!
See you Monday.
