Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Tuesday, November 23

Hi everyone,

Don't forget...chapters 13-16 AND your "Thanatopsis" papers are due on Monday! Also, you do NOT have a journal response due this Monday - the next response will be due Monday, December 6th. Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving and a great break!! E-mail me with any questions: meghan.kazer@gmail.com

See you next week!

Ms. Kazer

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Thursday, November 18

Hi everyone!

Today we took a short quiz on chapters 7-10. If you were not here today, you will need to make this up sometime tomorrow. We began working in groups on our Scarlet Letter comic strips. You will have about 15 minutes to finish these up tomorrow. Your group is responsible for taking us through the book thus far (chapters 1-10). Think about if you were to teach the book - what would you pull out of each chapter in terms of characterization, setting, plot, and symbolism. You will present these to the class tomorrow.

If you are not caught up to chapter 1o, please read for tomorrow!!

Homework over the weekend: Chapters 11-12 for Monday

Have a great Thursday!

Ms. Kazer

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Tuesday



In class today we read William Cullen Bryant's Thanatopsis, reviewing unfamiliar vocabulary and poetic language devices.
THE accompanying ESSAY IS DUE MONDAY 29 NOVEMBER.
Please see below for a copy of the class handouts, of which there were three: the poem Thanatopsis, a work sheet to help you build your essay and detailed instructions for your essays that are due MONDAY 29 NOVEMBER
MEET WITH ME SOON, IF YOU ARE HAVING DIFFICULTIES

THANATOPSIS by: William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878)

O him who in the love of Nature holds
Communion with her visible forms, she speaks
A various language; for his gayer hours
She has a voice of gladness, and a smile
And eloquence of beauty, and she glides
Into his darker musings, with a mild
And healing sympathy, that steals away
Their sharpness, ere he is aware. When thoughts
Of the last bitter hour come like a blight
Over thy spirit, and sad images
Of the stern agony, and shroud, and pall,
And breathless darkness, and the narrow house,
Make thee to shudder and grow sick at heart;--
Go forth, under the open sky, and list
To Nature's teachings, while from all around--
Earth and her waters, and the depths of air--
Comes a still voice--Yet a few days, and thee
The all-beholding sun shall see no more
In all his course; nor yet in the cold ground,
Where thy pale form was laid with many tears,
Nor in the embrace of ocean, shall exist
Thy image. Earth, that nourish'd thee, shall claim
Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again,
And, lost each human trace, surrendering up
Thine individual being, shalt thou go
To mix for ever with the elements,
To be a brother to the insensible rock,
And to the sluggish clod, which the rude swain
Turns with his share, and treads upon. The oak
Shall send his roots abroad, and pierce thy mould.


So live, that when thy summons comes to join
The innumerable caravan which moves
To that mysterious realm where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of death,
Thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night,
Scourged by his dungeon; but, sustain'd and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave,
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.

Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant NOTES
Unfamiliar words and their meanings
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
14.
15.
Figurative Language Devices: imagery, personification, simile, metaphor, oxymoron, allusion.
Write out the line or phrase and then identify and explain.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant ANALYTICAL ESSAY
DUE MONDAY 29 NOVEMBER
Essentials: minimum 500 words; double spaced; typed (of course); MLA heading with correct pagination and surname on each page.
Grading: paper on time- quiz grade guaranteed 100
Writing conference: quiz grade guaranteed 100
Final paper rewrite: writing grade (30%) …potential A+

Specifics: Please analyze the poem Thanatopsis as to how it embodies the qualities that constitute the ideas that embody Romanticism. How will you do this?
1. Know the poem well. Break it down, so that you understand all the vocabulary and every line literally.
2. Next reread the poem with an eye for metaphors, which are symbolic meanings.
3. Make a list. On one side write down the qualities of Romanticism and on the other list the textual evidence that supports this. Save yourself time, by noting the line number. Note that not every Romantic quality is included. B
4. Now assemble your essay. Your introduction should have your thesis. Look back to the specific assignment, if you are unsure. To make your essay more professional sounding, don’t forget your hook or lead in information.
5. The body of the essay consists of a paragraph for each of the aspects of Romanticism you are focusing on. Remember every statement you make must be followed by textual proof and an analysis statement. Ask yourself what is the larger significance in terms of the poem or the ideas of Romanticism.
6. And there is the conclusion, which is NOT a restatement of your introduction, but an insightful, universal observation drawn by you as to the larger meaning of the poem. Ask yourself if the ideas are relevant today, and if so- or not- why and in what capacity?
7. LASTLY: All essays are due Monday November 29. I will collect them then and we will meet individually to go over these in the writing conference for which you have signed up.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Monday, November 15

Today in class, we discussed the treatment Hester has received from different members of the community, including children, clergymen, strangers, and fellow sinners. It is important to notice that she has remained in the community despite this treatment.

Your first journal responses were due today and I only received a handful. If you did not turn one in today, you have until tonight to e-mail me your response (5 points off) or else it will be 10 points off tomorrow. Again, my e-mail address is: meghan.kazer@gmail.com

These responses are counting as quiz grades, and thus, should be taken seriously. I won't be as lenient next time. Your next entry is due Monday, November 22, so start thinking ahead!

For homework, please have chapters 7-8 read for Wednesday.

Have a great afternoon!

Ms. Kazer

Monday November 15, 2010 Scarlet Letter



Missing work: Get me your work, if you would like to change the 0.
vocabulary 5: Latriece, Manny, Brennan, Lee, Melissa

Grade Reports are being handed out today.

They need to be signed by a parent or guardian and returned by Wednesday. I'll make phone calls home on Thursday for to those who have not brought theirs back.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Friday, November 12, 2010

Hi everyone,

Happy Friday!! Today in class, we covered the first four chapters of The Scarlet Letter. We discussed the characters of Hester Prynne, Reverend Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth, as well as the Puritan community. As you continue reading the novel, note for changes in each of the characters.

Remember: You first journal response is due on Monday (Nov. 15). It has to be at least 250 words, handwritten or typed. The prompt for this first response is:

Discuss the Puritan influence in the book. What imagery is used to describe the Puritans and Puritan way of life? What is the Puritan perspective on sin? How would someone like Hester be treated today by society?

The next response will be due on Monday, November 22. Start thinking ahead!

Homework: We will be covering chapters 5-10 next week, but as I said in class, Ms. Parker will be teaching the class on Tuesday.
Please have chapters 5 and 6 read for Monday. It would be a good idea to get ahead on the reading, though, as we will be discussing 7-10 starting on Wednesday.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Ms. Kazer

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Wednesday November 10: Dr. Heidegger's Experiement

VOCABULARY 5 DUE FRIDAY. IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BE HERE, MAKE SURE YOU SEND THEM ALONG; OTHERWISE, AS USUAL, THEY ARE 10 POINTS OFF PER DAY :)
In class: finishing up the short story Dr. Heidegger's Experiment by Nathanial Hawthorne. In class group work on one of the four sets of character questions. If you are absent, please choose one set and respond to the questions.
Enjoy your day off tomorrow! Remember, we will begin discussing chapters 1-4 of The Scarlet Letter on Friday. You may begin to read ahead for Monday, as well. Chapters 5-10 will be due Monday, November 15.
Group 1: Mr. Medbourne

1. Character: An allegorical character represents a part of human nature. Which part of human nature/human trait does Mr. Medbourne represent? Consider how his character is described at the beginning and as the characters return to their youth. Find at least 2 specific examples from the text that support this trait.

2. Symbol: What could the skeleton represent?

3. How do the characters revert back to their younger days? How do they act? Give at least two specific examples from the text.

4. What do the guests’ actions during the experiment indicate about their abilities to learn from their past mistakes? What does their response to the shattering of the vase indicate about their ability to learn from their present mistakes?

Group 2: Mr. Gascoigne

1. Character: An allegorical character represents a part of human nature. Which part of human nature/human trait does Mr. Gascoigne represent? Consider how his character is described at the beginning and as the characters return to their youth. Find at least 2 specific examples from the text that support this trait.

2. Symbol: What could the rose represent?

3. Is Dr. Heidegger a likeable character? A sinister one? Why or why not?

4. What does Dr. Heidegger learn from his experiment?

Group 3: Colonel Killigrew

1. Character: An allegorical character represents a part of human nature. Which part of human nature/human trait does Colonel Killigrew represent? Consider how his character is described at the beginning and as the characters return to their youth. Find at least 2 specific examples from the text that support this trait.

2. Symbol: What could the water represent?

3. How does this allegory reveal the dark side of human nature? What does it reveal about the inability to accept one’s limitations? Cite specific ideas from the text.

4. Find three details of the setting that serve as reminders of death and human limitations.

Group 4: Widow Wycherly

1. Character: An allegorical character represents a part of human nature. Which part of human nature/human trait does the Widow Wycherly represent? Consider how her character is described at the beginning and as the characters return to their youth. Find at least 2 specific examples from the text that support this trait.

2. Symbol: What could the mirror represent?

3. Is the water in the vase really from the Fountain of Youth? Or, is it an illusion, a trick Dr. Heidegger conjured up to prove a point? Give at least two examples from the text to support both sides.

4. What human trait could Dr. Heidegger represent? Why does he choose to stay old?


Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Tuesday, November 9

Hi everyone,

I know we covered a lot of information in class, so I wanted to post it on the blog. First, remember the journal assessment I passed out in class. It is posted it below. You will turn in a response every Monday (prompt one next week, prompt 2 the next week, etc.). These will be at least 250 words and can be hand written or typed. If you have any questions, please ask me!!

Please finish reading "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" for homework. We will be working with the short story tomorrow in class. If you were not here in class, or lost your copy, it is posted below. Please read for tomorrow!

Chapters 1-4 of The Scarlet Letter are due on Friday.

Have a great day!

Ms. Kazer

The Scarlet Letter Journal

In lieu of reading quizzes and a final test on the novel, you will be completing a journal alongside your reading. By the end of the book, you will be required to turn in your journal with FOUR journal entries. I have provided four prompts that you must answer and have ready by the due date given for each. These responses may be hand-written or can be typed, but they must be at least 250 words each. Grammar, punctuation, and spelling will count. Since this will serve as a basis for our class discussion and as a major assessment, these journal entries should be substantial and should be reflective of your reading and understanding of the novel.

Prompt 1: Discuss the Puritan influence in the novel. What imagery is used to describe the Puritans and Puritan way of life? What is the Puritan perspective on sin? How would someone like Hester be treated today?
DUE Monday, November 15

Prompt 2: Sometimes rich symbols like Hester's "A" take on contemporary meanings never imagined by the author. Could the scarlet letter "A" have any possible association with AIDS, or drug addicts or abortion? Explore these possible associations and/or think of other meanings the "A" could encompass.
DUE Monday, November 22

DR. HEIDEGGER'S EXPERIMENT

THAT very singular man, old Dr. Heidegger, once invited four venerable friends to meet him in his study. There were three white-bearded gentlemen, Mr. Medbourne, Colonel Killigrew, and Mr. Gascoigne, and a withered gentlewoman, whose name was the Widow Wycherly. They were all melancholy old creatures, who had been unfortunate in life, and whose greatest misfortune it was that they were not long ago in their graves. Mr. Medbourne, in the vigor of his age, had been a prosperous merchant, but had lost his all by a frantic speculation, and was now little better than a mendicant. Colonel Killigrew had wasted his best years, and his health and substance, in the pursuit of sinful pleasures, which had given birth to a brood of pains, such as the gout, and divers other torments of soul and body. Mr. Gascoigne was a ruined politician, a man of evil fame, or at least had been so till time had buried him from the knowledge of the present generation, and made him obscure instead of infamous. As for the Widow Wycherly, tradition tells us that she was a great beauty in her day; but, for a long while past, she had lived in deep seclusion, on account of certain scandalous stories which had prejudiced the gentry of the town against her. It is a circumstance worth mentioning that each of these three old gentlemen, Mr. Medbourne, Colonel Killigrew, and Mr. Gascoigne, were early lovers of the Widow Wycherly, and had once been on the point of cutting each other's throats for her sake. And, before proceeding further, I will merely hint that Dr. Heidegger and all his foul guests were sometimes thought to be a little beside themselves, -- as is not unfrequently the case with old people, when worried either by present troubles or woful recollections.

``My dear old friends,'' said Dr. Heidegger, motioning them to be seated, ``I am desirous of your assistance in one of those little experiments with which I amuse myself here in my study.''

If all stories were true, Dr. Heidegger's study must have been a very curious place. It was a dim, old-fashioned chamber, festooned with cobwebs, and besprinkled with antique dust. Around the walls stood several oaken bookcases, the lower shelves of which were filled with rows of gigantic folios and black-letter quartos, and the upper with little parchment-covered duodecimos. Over the central bookcase was a bronze bust of Hippocrates, with which, according to some authorities, Dr. Heidegger was accustomed to hold consultations in all difficult cases of his practice. In the obscurest corner of the room stood a tall and narrow oaken closet, with its door ajar, within which doubtfully appeared a skeleton. Between two of the bookcases hung a looking-glass, presenting its high and dusty plate within a tarnished gilt frame. Among many wonderful stories related of this mirror, it was fabled that the spirits of all the doctor's deceased patients dwelt within its verge, and would stare him in the face whenever he looked thitherward. The opposite side of the chamber was ornamented with the full-length portrait of a young lady, arrayed in the faded magnificence of silk, satin, and brocade, and with a visage as faded as her dress. Above half a century ago, Dr. Heidegger had been on the point of marriage with this young lady; but, being affected with some slight disorder, she had swallowed one of her lover's prescriptions, and died on the bridal evening. The greatest curiosity of the study remains to be mentioned; it was a ponderous folio volume, bound in black leather, with massive silver clasps. There were no letters on the back, and nobody could tell the title of the book. But it was well known to be a book of magic; and once, when a chambermaid had lifted it, merely to brush away the dust, the skeleton had rattled in its closet, the picture of the young lady had stepped one foot upon the floor, and several ghastly faces had peeped forth from the mirror; while the brazen head of Hippocrates frowned, and said, -- ``Forbear!''

Such was Dr. Heidegger's study. On the summer afternoon of our tale a small round table, as black as ebony, stood in the centre of the room, sustaining a cut-glass vase of beautiful form and elaborate workmanship. The sunshine came through the window, between the heavy festoons of two faded damask curtains, and fell directly across this vase; so that a mild splendor was reflected from it on the ashen visages of the five old people who sat around. Four champagne glasses were also on the table.

``My dear old friends,'' repeated Dr. Heidegger, ``may I reckon on your aid in performing an exceedingly curious experiment?''

Now Dr. Heidegger was a very strange old gentleman, whose eccentricity had become the nucleus for a thousand fantastic stories. Some of these fables, to my shame be it spoken, might possibly be traced back to my own veracious self; and if any passages of the present tale should startle the reader's faith, I must be content to bear the stigma of a fiction monger.

When the doctor's four guests heard him talk of his proposed experiment, they anticipated nothing more wonderful than the murder of a mouse in an air pump, or the examination of a cobweb by the microscope, or some similar nonsense, with which he was constantly in the habit of pestering his intimates. But without waiting for a reply, Dr. Heidegger hobbled across the chamber, and returned with the same ponderous folio, bound in black leather, which common report affirmed to be a book of magic. Undoing the silver clasps, he opened the volume, and took from among its black-letter pages a rose, or what was once a rose, though now the green leaves and crimson petals had assumed one brownish hue, and the ancient flower seemed ready to crumble to dust in the doctor's hands.

``This rose,'' said Dr. Heidegger, with a sigh, ``this same withered and crumbling flower, blossomed five and fifty years ago. It was given me by Sylvia Ward, whose portrait hangs yonder; and I meant to wear it in my bosom at our wedding. Five and fifty years it has been treasured between the leaves of this old volume. Now, would you deem it possible that this rose of half a century could ever bloom again?''

``Nonsense!'' said the Widow Wycherly, with a peevish toss of her head. ``You might as well ask whether an old woman's wrinkled face could ever bloom again.''

``See!'' answered Dr. Heidegger.

He uncovered the vase, and threw the faded rose into the water which it contained. At first, it lay lightly on the surface of the fluid, appearing to imbibe none of its moisture. Soon, however, a singular change began to be visible. The crushed and dried petals stirred, and assumed a deepening tinge of crimson, as if the flower were reviving from a deathlike slumber; the slender stalk and twigs of foliage became green; and there was the rose of half a century, looking as fresh as when Sylvia Ward had first given it to her lover. It was scarcely full blown; for some of its delicate red leaves curled modestly around its moist bosom, within which two or three dewdrops were sparkling.

``That is certainly a very pretty deception,'' said the doctor's friends; carelessly, however, for they had witnessed greater miracles at a conjurer's show; ``pray how was it effected?''

``Did you never hear of the `Fountain of Youth?' '' asked Dr. Heidegger, ``which Ponce De Leon, the Spanish adventurer, went in search of two or three centuries ago?''

``But did Ponce De Leon ever find it?'' said the Widow Wycherly.

``No,'' answered Dr. Heidegger, ``for he never sought it in the right place. The famous Fountain of Youth, if I am rightly informed, is situated in the southern part of the Floridian peninsula, not far from Lake Macaco. Its source is overshadowed by several gigantic magnolias, which, though numberless centuries old, have been kept as fresh as violets by the virtues of this wonderful water. An acquaintance of mine, knowing my curiosity in such matters, has sent me what you see in the vase.''

``Ahem!'' said Colonel Killigrew, who believed not a word of the doctor's story; ``and what may be the effect of this fluid on the human frame?''

``You shall judge for yourself, my dear colonel,'' replied Dr. Heidegger; ``and all of you, my respected friends, are welcome to so much of this admirable fluid as may restore to you the bloom of youth. For my own part, having had much trouble in growing old, I am in no hurry to grow young again. With your permission, therefore, I will merely watch the progress of the experiment.''

While he spoke, Dr. Heidegger had been filling the four champagne glasses with the water of the Fountain of Youth. It was apparently impregnated with an effervescent gas, for little bubbles were continually ascending from the depths of the glasses, and bursting in silvery spray at the surface. As the liquor diffused a pleasant perfume, the old people doubted not that it possessed cordial and comfortable properties; and though utter sceptics as to its rejuvenescent power, they were inclined to swallow it at once. But Dr. Heidegger besought them to stay a moment.

``Before you drink, my respectable old friends,'' said he, ``it would be well that, with the experience of a lifetime to direct you, you should draw up a few general rules for your guidance, in passing a second time through the perils of youth. Think what a sin and shame it would be, if, with your peculiar advantages, you should not become patterns of virtue and wisdom to all the young people of the age!''

The doctor's four venerable friends made him no answer, except by a feeble and tremulous laugh; so very ridiculous was the idea that, knowing how closely repentance treads behind the steps of error, they should ever go astray again.

``Drink, then,'' said the doctor, bowing: ``I rejoice that I have so well selected the subjects of my experiment.''

With palsied hands, they raised the glasses to their lips. The liquor, if it really possessed such virtues as Dr. Heidegger imputed to it, could not have been bestowed on four human beings who needed it more wofully. They looked as if they had never known what youth or pleasure was, but had been the offspring of Nature's dotage, and always the gray, decrepit, sapless, miserable creatures, who now sat stooping round the doctor's table, without life enough in their souls or bodies to be animated even by the prospect of growing young again. They drank off the water, and replaced their glasses on the table.

Assuredly there was an almost immediate improvement in the aspect of the party, not unlike what might have been produced by a glass of generous wine, together with a sudden glow of cheerful sunshine brightening over all their visages at once. There was a healthful suffusion on their cheeks, instead of the ashen hue that had made them look so corpse-like. They gazed at one another, and fancied that some magic power had really begun to smooth away the deep and sad inscriptions which Father Time had been so long engraving on their brows. The Widow Wycherly adjusted her cap, for she felt almost like a woman again.

``Give us more of this wondrous water!'' cried they, eagerly. ``We are younger -- but we are still too old! Quick -- give us more!''

``Patience, patience!'' quoth Dr. Heidegger, who sat watching the experiment with philosophic coolness. ``You have been a long time growing old. Surely, you might be content to grow young in half an hour! But the water is at your service.''

Again he filled their glasses with the liquor of youth, enough of which still remained in the vase to turn half the old people in the city to the age of their own grandchildren. While the bubbles were yet sparkling on the brim, the doctor's four guests snatched their glasses from the table, and swallowed the contents at a single gulp. Was it delusion? even while the draught was passing down their throats, it seemed to have wrought a change on their whole systems. Their eyes grew clear and bright; a dark shade deepened among their silvery locks, they sat around the table, three gentlemen of middle age, and a woman, hardly beyond her buxom prime.

``My dear widow, you are charming!'' cried Colonel Killigrew, whose eyes had been fixed upon her face, while the shadows of age were flitting from it like darkness from the crimson daybreak.

The fair widow knew, of old, that Colonel Killigrew's compliments were not always measured by sober truth; so she started up and ran to the mirror, still dreading that the ugly visage of an old woman would meet her gaze. Meanwhile, the three gentlemen behaved in such a manner as proved that the water of the Fountain of Youth possessed some intoxicating qualities; unless, indeed, their exhilaration of spirits were merely a lightsome dizziness caused by the sudden removal of the weight of years. Mr. Gascoigne's mind seemed to run on political topics, but whether relating to the past, present, or future, could not easily be determined, since the same ideas and phrases have been in vogue these fifty years. Now he rattled forth full-throated sentences about patriotism, national glory, and the people's right; now he muttered some perilous stuff or other, in a sly and doubtful whisper, so cautiously that even his own conscience could scarcely catch the secret; and now, again, he spoke in measured accents, and a deeply deferential tone, as if a royal ear were listening to his well-turned periods. Colonel Killigrew all this time had been trolling forth a jolly bottle song, and ringing his glass in symphony with the chorus, while his eyes wandered toward the buxom figure of the Widow Wycherly. On the other side of the table, Mr. Medbourne was involved in a calculation of dollars and cents, with which was strangely intermingled a project for supplying the East Indies with ice, by harnessing a team of whales to the polar icebergs.

As for the Widow Wycherly, she stood before the mirror courtesying and simpering to her own image, and greeting it as the friend whom she loved better than all the world beside. She thrust her face close to the glass, to see whether some long-remembered wrinkle or crow's foot had indeed vanished. She examined whether the snow had so entirely melted from her hair that the venerable cap could be safely thrown aside. At last, turning briskly away, she came with a sort of dancing step to the table.

``My dear old doctor,'' cried she, ``pray favor me with another glass!''

``Certainly, my dear madam, certainly!'' replied the complaisant doctor; ``see! I have already filled the glasses.''

There, in fact, stood the four glasses, brimful of this wonderful water, the delicate spray of which, as it effervesced from the surface, resembled the tremulous glitter of diamonds. It was now so nearly sunset that the chamber had grown duskier than ever; but a mild and moonlike splendor gleamed from within the vase, and rested alike on the four guests and on the doctor's venerable figure. He sat in a high-backed, elaborately-carved, oaken arm-chair, with a gray dignity of aspect that might have well befitted that very Father Time, whose power had never been disputed, save by this fortunate company. Even while quaffing the third draught of the Fountain of Youth, they were almost awed by the expression of his mysterious visage.

But, the next moment, the exhilarating gush of young life shot through their veins. They were now in the happy prime of youth. Age, with its miserable train of cares and sorrows and diseases, was remembered only as the trouble of a dream, from which they had joyously awoke. The fresh gloss of the soul, so early lost, and without which the world's successive scenes had been but a gallery of faded pictures, again threw its enchantment over all their prospects. They felt like new-created beings in a new-created universe.

``We are young! We are young!'' they cried exultingly.

Youth, like the extremity of age, had effaced the strongly-marked characteristics of middle life, and mutually assimilated them all. They were a group of merry youngsters, almost maddened with the exuberant frolicsomeness of their years. The most singular effect of their gayety was an impulse to mock the infirmity and decrepitude of which they had so lately been the victims. They laughed loudly at their old-fashioned attire, the wide-skirted coats and flapped waistcoats of the young men, and the ancient cap and gown of the blooming girl. One limped across the floor like a gouty grandfather; one set a pair of spectacles astride of his nose, and pretended to pore over the black-letter pages of the book of magic; a third seated himself in an arm-chair, and strove to imitate the venerable dignity of Dr. Heidegger. Then all shouted mirthfully, and leaped about the room. The Widow Wycherly -- if so fresh a damsel could be called a widow-tripped up to the doctor's chair, with a mischievous merriment in her rosy face.

``Doctor, you dear old soul,'' cried she, ``get up and dance with me!'' And then the four young people laughed louder than ever, to think what a queer figure the poor old doctor would cut.

``Pray excuse me,'' answered the doctor quietly. ``I am old and rheumatic, and my dancing days were over long ago. But either of these gay young gentlemen will be glad of so pretty a partner.''

``Dance with me, Clara!'' cried Colonel Killigrew

``No, no, I will be her partner!'' shouted Mr. Gascoigne.

``She promised me her hand, fifty years ago!'' exclaimed Mr. Medbourne.

They all gathered round her. One caught both her hands in his passionate grasp another threw his arm about her waist -- the third buried his hand among the glossy curls that clustered beneath the widow's cap. Blushing, panting, struggling, chiding, laughing, her warm breath fanning each of their faces by turns, she strove to disengage herself, yet still remained in their triple embrace. Never was there a livelier picture of youthful rivalship, with bewitching beauty for the prize. Yet, by a strange deception, owing to the duskiness of the chamber, and the antique dresses which they still wore, the tall mirror is said to have reflected the figures of the three old, gray, withered grandsires, ridiculously contending for the skinny ugliness of a shrivelled grandam.

But they were young: their burning passions proved them so. Inflamed to madness by the coquetry of the girl-widow, who neither granted nor quite withheld her favors, the three rivals began to interchange threatening glances. Still keeping hold of the fair prize, they grappled fiercely at one another's throats. As they struggled to and fro, the table was over-turned, and the vase dashed into a thousand fragments. The precious Water of Youth flowed in a bright stream across the floor, moistening the wings of a butterfly, which, grown old in the decline of summer, had alighted there to die. The insect fluttered lightly through the chamber, and settled on the snowy head of Dr. Heidegger.

``Come, come, gentlemen! -- come, Madam Wycherly,'' exclaimed the doctor, ``I really must protest against this riot.''

They stood still and shivered; for it seemed as if gray Time were calling them back from their sunny youth, far down into the chill and darksome vale of years. They looked at old Dr. Heidegger, who sat in his carved arm-chair, holding the rose of half a century, which he had rescued from among the fragments of the shattered vase. At the motion of his hand, the four rioters resumed their seats; the more readily, because their violent exertions had wearied them, youthful though they were.

``My poor Sylvia's rose!'' ejaculated Dr. Heidegger, holding it in the light of the sunset clouds; ``it appears to be fading again.''

And so it was. Even while the party were looking at it, the flower continued to shrivel up, till it became as dry and fragile as when the doctor had first thrown it into the vase. He shook off the few drops of moisture which clung to its petals.

``I love it as well thus as in its dewy freshness,'' observed he, pressing the withered rose to his withered lips. While he spoke, the butterfly fluttered down from the doctor's snowy head, and fell upon the floor.

His guests shivered again. A strange chillness, whether of the body or spirit they could not tell, was creeping gradually over them all. They gazed at one another, and fancied that each fleeting moment snatched away a charm, and left a deepening furrow where none had been before. Was it an illusion? Had the changes of a lifetime been crowded into so brief a space, and were they now four aged people, sitting with their old friend, Dr. Heidegger?

``Are we grown old again, so soon?'' cried they, dolefully.

In truth they had. The Water of Youth possessed merely a virtue more transient than that of wine. The delirium which it created had effervesced away. Yes! they were old again. With a shuddering impulse, that showed her a woman still, the widow clasped her skinny hands before her face, and wished that the coffin lid were over it, since it could be no longer beautiful.

``Yes, friends, ye are old again,'' said Dr. Heidegger, ``and lo! the Water of Youth is all lavished on the ground. Well -- I bemoan it not; for if the fountain gushed at my very doorstep, I would not stoop to bathe my lips in it -- no, though its delirium were for years instead of moments. Such is the lesson ye have taught me!''

But the doctor's four friends had taught no such lesson to themselves. They resolved forthwith to make a pilgrimage to Florida, and quaff at morning, noon, and night, from the Fountain of Youth.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Monday, November 8

BONUS: For 50 points, identify the above image; put your response on the desk before class on Tuesday 9 November.

Hi everyone!

I wanted to remind you that I will be teaching the class for the next four weeks, which I am really looking forward to. We will be reading Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, which we picked up from the library today. Chapters 1-4 will be DUE ON FRIDAY.


VOCABULARY 5 DUE FRIDAY 12 November

Vocabulary 5

1. acuity –noun- sharpness, particularly in the mind or senses; keenness, acuteness

2. delineate – verb- to portray, sketch, or describe in accurate and vivid detail, to represent pictorially; depict, picture, render

3. depraved- adjective- marked by evil and corruption, devoid of moral principles; perverted, degenerate, vicious, corrupt.

4. enervate – verb – to weaken or lessen the mental, moral or physical vigor, to enfeeble; impair, cripple, paralyze

5. esoteric – adjective- intended for or understood by only a select few, private, secret; occult, cryptic, arcane, recondite.

6. fecund – adjective- fruitful in offspring or vegetation; intellectually productive; fertile, teeming, prolific

7. fiat – noun- an arbitrary order or decree, a command or act of will or consciousness; edict, dictum, ukase

8. figment –noun- a fabrication of the mind; an arbitrary notion; creation, invention, fancy

9. garner –verb- to acquire as the result of effort; to gather and store away; collect, accumulate, accrue

10. hallow- verb- to set apart as sacred or holy, sanctify, consecrate, to honor greatly, revere; venerate, bless

11. idiosyncrasy –noun- peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify; eccentricity, quirk, mannerism

12. ignominy- noun- shame or disgrace; dishonor, humiliation, disrepute, odium

13. mundane – adjective- earthly, worldly, relating to practical; prosaic, humdrum, routine, sublunary

14. nuance –noun- a subtle or slight variation as in color, meaning or quality, delicate gradation or shade of difference; shade, nicety, refinement

15. overweening- adjective- conceited, presumptuous, excessive, immoderate; arrogant, unbridled, inflated

16. penchant –noun- a strong attraction or inclination; proclivity, propensity, predilection

17. reputed- adjective- according to reputation or general belief, having widespread acceptance or good reputation; putative, reputable, supposed

18. sophistry- noun- reasoning that seems plausible but is actually unsound, a fallacy; specious reasoning

19. sumptuous –adjective- costly, rich, magnificent; lavish, munificent, opulent, splendid

20. ubiquitous – adjective- present or existing everywhere; omnipresent, pervasive, universal

Vocabulary 5, exercise 1 Use the correct form

1. Although he is the _____________________________ head of a crime syndicate, he has never served time in jail.

2. In his writing, the poet paid close attention to every _________________ of meaning in the words he chose.

3. The fraternity developed a set of _____________________ rites that had to be performed by anyone seeking membership.

4. Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is about a __________________ man whose portrait reveals his wickedness.

5. The fact that the plurals of some nouns are formed irregularly is a(n) ________________________of English grammar.

6. The ruler instituted several new __________________________.

7. The couple was beguiled into buying a bigger house than they needed by the clever ______________________ of the broker.

8. The _________________________ eye of the TV camera threatens to rob citizens of any sense of privacy.

9. It was the __________________________________ confidence of the candidate that prevented her from acknowledging her weaknesses.

10. The ____________________ of most people’s hearing diminishes as they grow older.

11. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln ____________________ the battlefield on which the Union soldiers fought and died.

12. Unfortunately, the great musician’s mind was ____________________ by disease in the last decade of her life.

13. The painter left all _______________________ concerns to her sister while she single-mindedly pursued her artistic goals.

14. The ______________________ feast honoring the king’s birthday was followed by musical entertainment.

15. The architects will ______________________ the main features of their plan at the next client meeting.

16. The silhouette of a man on the porch was a mere _______________________ of your overheated imagination.

17. An instructor with a _________________________ for belaboring the obvious is bound to be boring.

18. The remarkably _________________________ mind of Albert Einstein produced theories on the science of physics.

19. He went from glory to __________________________, when his deception was exposed.

20. Over the years, the writer was able to ___________________ some wisdom that she passed on to others in her books.

Vocabulary 5. exercise 2

1. The man is __________________________ to have mob connections, but so far no one has been able to substantiate the allegation.
2. During the eleven years of his “personal rule,” King Charles I bypassed Parliament and ruled England by royal ________________________.
3. The phonograph is but one of the wonderful new devices that sprang from the _____________________ mind of Thomas Edison, our most prolific inventor.
4. American-style fast-food shops have gained such popularity all over the world that they are now truly _____________________________.
5. His constant use of the world fabulous, even for quite ordinary subjects, is a(n) ____________________________ that I could do without.
6. The passing years lessened her physical vigor but in no was diminished the _______________________ of her judgment.
7. I was so ________________________ by the oppressive heat and humidity of that awful afternoon that I could barely move.
8. Music can often express a(n) _____________________ of mood or feeling that would be difficult to put into words.
9. The ground in which those soldiers are buried was ______________________ by the blood they shed on it.
10. Analysis will show that his “brilliant exposition” of how we can handle the pollution problem without cost to anyone is merest __________________________.
11. His _______________________ sense of superiority dominates his personality in much the same way as his beetling brow dominates his face.
12. The marathon not only brought in huge sums of money for Africa’s starving masses but also _________________________ much sympathy for their plight.
13. May I interrupt this abstruse discussion and turn your attention to more ____________________ matters—like what’s for dinner?
14. You may have many good traits, but I do not admire your ____________________ for borrowing things and failing to return them.
15. The artist’s sketch not only _________________________ the model’s appearance accurately, but also captured something of her personality.
16. “Your suspicion that I am constantly making fun of you behind you back is a mere _____________________ of your overheated brain,” I replied.
17. There is a quite a difference between the austere furnishings of my little apartment and the ___________________________ accommodations of a luxury hotel.
18. He was a changed young man after he suffered the __________________________ of expulsion from West Point for conduct unbecoming a gentleman.
19. Most people I know are so busy dealing with ordinary problems of life that they have no time for _____________________ philosophical speculation.
20. Beneath the man’s cultivated manner and impeccable grooming there lurked the _______________________mind of a brutal sadist.

Vocabulary 5, exercise 3
Synonyms

1. known for his propensity for exaggeration __________________________________

2. a distinct shade of meaning ___________________________________

3. as a result of the general edict ___________________________________

4. a supposed heir to a huge fortune ___________________________________

5. an eccentricity of speech ____________________________________

6. depicted the view from the balcony ____________________________________

7. sought occult knowledge in ancient books ____________________________________

8. the latest fabrication of his imagination ___________________________________

9. their omnipresent sense of dread ___________________________________

10. known for the keenness of her wit __________________________________

11. a truly vicious attack on an innocent person __________________________________

12. the fertile products of a lively imagination ___________________________________

13. weakened by the relentless repetition ____________________________________

14. collects data from many sources _____________________________________

15. deceived by the specious reasoning of a lawyer _____________________________________


Antonyms

16. desecrated the tombs of their ancestors ___________________________________

17. a man of modest means ____________________________________

18. the unworldly side of life _____________________________________

19. made a meager meal ____________________________________

20. the glory of her situation _____________________________________

Vocabulary 5, exercise 4
1. It is only in superior mental powers, not in physical strength or (ignominy / acuity) of senses, that human beings surpass other living things.
2. Cleopatra took her own life rather than suffer the (figment / ignominy) of being led through the streets of Rome in chains.
3. Like a true fanatic, he considers anyone who disagrees with him on any issue to be feebleminded or (depraved / mundane).
4. Your language is indeed clever and amusing, but your argument is nothing but a piece of outright (sophistry / idiosyncrasy).
5. In a democracy, the government must rule by persuasion and consent—not by mere (fiat / sophistry).
6. The conversation between the computer programmers was so (esoteric / ubiquitous) that I wasn’t sure whether they were speaking English.
7. Her imagination is like a (fecund / depraved) field in which new ideas spring u like so many ripe ears of corn.
8. In that rarefied atmosphere, I was afraid to ask anything quite so (sumptuous / mundane) as the location of the john.
9. We will never abandon a cause that has been (garnered / hallowed) by the achievements and sacrifices of so many noble people.
10. Someone with a pronounced (penchant / figment) for saying the wrong thing might justly be described as a victim of “foot-in-the mouth” disease.
11. I appreciate all those kind expressions of gratitude for my services, but I had hoped also to (garner / nuance) some greenbacks.
12. Probably no complaint of young people is more (ubiquitous / depraved) than “My parents don’t understand me.”
13. Scandal and corruption many so (enervate / delineate) an administration that it can longer function effectively.
14. He means well, but we cannot tolerate his (idiosyncratic / fecund) behavior in an organization that depends on discipline and teamwork.
15. How I’d love to knock the wind out of that lout’s (fecund / overweening) conceit!
16. Two synonyms are rarely exactly the same because (fiats / nuances) of tone or applicability make each of the words unique.
17. The alert defense put up by our team completely neutralized our opponents’ (reputedly / sumptuously) unstoppable passing attack.
18. A true sign of intellectual maturity is the ability to distinguish the (figments / penchants) of wishful thinking from reality.
19. The (sumptuous / ubiquitous) banquet was a pleasant change of pace from the spartan fare to which I had become accustomed.
20. Few writers have J.D. Salinger’s remarkable ability to (delineate / garner) the emotions and aspirations of the average teenager.



Today in class we discussed adultery - how it was addressed in the Puritan community, how it is addressed in today's society, as well as how it is addressed in different areas around the world. I have copied the article we read in class about the woman in Somalia who was stoned to death for adultery. Even though The Scarlet Letter was written two hundred years ago, we will find themes, such as adultery, that are still present today.


Somali woman stoned for adultery BBC 18 November 2009

A 20-year-old woman divorcee accused of committing adultery in Somalia has been stoned to death by Islamists in front of a crowd of about 200 people.

A judge working for the militant group al-Shabab said she had had an affair with an unmarried 29-year-old man.
He said she gave birth to a still-born baby and was found guilty of adultery. Her boyfriend was given 100 lashes.
It is thought to be the second time a woman has been stoned to death for adultery by al-Shabab.
The group controls large swathes of southern Somalia where they have imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law which has been unpopular with many Somalis.
According to reports from a small village near the town of Wajid, 250 miles (400km) north-west of the capital, Mogadishu, the woman was taken to the public grounds where she was buried up to her waist.
She was then stoned to death in front of the crowds on Tuesday afternoon.
The judge, Sheikh Ibrahim Abdirahman, said her unmarried boyfriend was given 100 lashes at the same venue.
Under al-Shabab's interpretation of Sharia law, anyone who has ever been married - even a divorcee - who has an affair is liable to be found guilty of adultery, punishable by stoning to death.
An unmarried person who has sex before marriage is liable to be given 100 lashes.
BBC East Africa correspondent Will Ross says the stoning is at least the fourth for adultery in Somalia over the last year.
Earlier this month, a man was stoned to death for adultery in the port town of Merka, south of Mogadishu.
His pregnant girlfriend was spared, until she gives birth.



Tomorrow, we will learn more about Nathaniel Hawthorne and start exploring his writing by reading the short story, "Dr. Heidegger's Experiment."


If you have any questions about anything throughout these next four weeks, please do not hesitiate to e-mail me! My e-mail address is: meghan.kazer@gmail.com.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Friday 5 November 2010




In class metaphorical bonfire!



Homework: introductory information on Romanticism. Make sure you are very familiar with its contents, as the next twelve ten weeks you will need this as a foundation to all the literature.

See copy below,



Romanticism

• This is an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in the late 18th century and stressed strong emotion, imagination, freedom from classical correctness in art forms, and rebellion against social conventions.


• Romanticism is an attitude or intellectual orientation that characterized many works of literature, painting, music, architecture, criticism, and historiography in Western civilization over a period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century. Romanticism can be seen as a rejection of the precepts of order, calm, harmony, balance, idealization, and rationality that typified classicism in general and late 18th-century Neoclassicism in particular. It was also to some extent a reaction against the Enlightenment and against 18th-century rationalism and physical materialism in general. Romanticism emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental.


• Among the characteristic attitudes of Romanticism were the following” (1) a deepened appreciation of the beauties of nature; (2) a general exaltation of emotion over reason and of the senses over intellect; a turning in upon the self and a heightened examination of human personality and its moods and mental potentialities; (3) a preoccupation with the genius, the hero, and the exceptional figure in general, and (4) a focus on his passions and inner struggles; (5) a new view of the artist as a supremely individual creator, whose creative spirit is more important than strict adherence to formal rules and traditional procedures; (6) an emphasis upon imagination as a gateway to transcendent experience and spiritual truth; (7) an obsessive interest in folk culture, national and ethnic cultural origins, and the medieval era;(8) and a predilection for the exotic, the remote, the mysterious, the weird, the occult, the monstrous, the diseased, and even the satanic.

Thursday 4 November 10


In class Gout vocabulary quiz.
Due: two practice critical lens introductions using two of Ben Franklin's aphorisms.
Activity: performing your English / Indian scripts that demonstrate your understanding of the pre 1750 readingss.
BONUS for FRIDAY (30 quiz points.) If you have a response for the following, write on a piece of paper and place it next to the computer before class. Don't forget to put your name on the sheet. Why should one remember the 5th of November?

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Wednesday November 3, 2010




Your dialogues are due today.
Tomorrow there is a vocabulary quiz on the Gout words from last week.
On Thursday, as well, we are performing your plays.

In class we are looking at aphorisms

An aphorism is a short, concise statement expressing a wise or clever observation or a general truth. A variety of devices make aphorisms easy to remember. Some aphorisms contain rhymes or repeating words or sounds; others contain two phrases that present contrasting ideas using the same grammatical structure. For example, the contemporary aphorism “when the going gets tough, the tough get going,” contains repeated words and contrasting ideas.

Most of Benjamin Franklin’s aphorisms are adapted from proverbs, anonymous traditional sayings. Franklin, who believed that clarity and brevity were two of the most important characteristics of good prose, rewrote the traditional sayings, making them short, direct and witty.

From Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin

Hunger is the best pickle.
He that lives upon hope will die fasting.
Fish and visitors smell after three days.
Keep they shop, and thy shop will keep thee.
If your head is wax, don’t walk in the sun.
Necessity never made a good bargain.
Love your neighbor; yet don’t pull down the hedge.
A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.
Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.
God helps those who help themselves.
Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.
Fools make feasts, and wise men eat them.
God heals and the doctor takes the fee.
The rotten apple spoils his companions.
If you would know the value of money, try to borrow some.
A small leak will sink a great ship.
Drive thy business; let it not drive thee.
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that’s the stuff life is make of.
Genius without education is like silver in the mine.
The cat in gloves catches no mice.