English 2, Section 80232: Critical Thinking and Writing About Literature
Instructor Dave Badtke
Fall 2010: 12:30-1:45 Tu&Th in Room 704
(707)334-4882
Office Hours & Place: 11:00-12:20 Tu&Th in Room 717 & after 3:15 in Room 701 [email protected]
èOnline Reference: www.Badtke.com or www.QCounty.com (follow link to Solano College classes)
Assignments
Week 10, beginning 10/18/2010:
Tuesday:
• I saw Benicia Old Town Theater Group’s production of August Wilson’s Fences and loved
it, so look below for extra credit. In addition I found those postcards I had lost, so I’ll hand
them out.
• We need to finish our discussion of Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” and address any final
questions you have regarding your paper, which is due this Friday. Remember that you only
have the option to rewrite if you hand your paper in on time.
• Drama paper requirements:
a. In three- to five- pages, 750 to 1250 words, compare and contrast Walter, Ruth,
Mama (Lena) or Beneatha and the theme of A Raisin in the Sun with the protagonist
and theme of one of the following short stories: Sherman Alexie’s “The Lone Ranger
and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,” pages 35 to 39, Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral,”
pages 89 to 99, or John Updike’s “A&P,” pages 524 to 529.
b. In both the play and the story it will probably be helpful to focus on how the
character’s dialectical synthesis – needs, impediments, turning point and resolution –
drives the plot’s action. Chekhov’s concept of a center of gravity, page 591, may also
help.
c. Include in your examination at least two references to ideas relating to plays and short
stories from Charters or other sources. (Please, Wikis or internet links of suspect
origin will decrease rather than increase your grade.)
d. Your paper needs to follow MLA conventions and include in-text citations for quotes,
summaries or paraphrases. Your paper must also include a Works Cited.
• We’ll then begin to discuss poetry by discussing portions of Chapter 7.
Homework due Thursday:
1. Paper: Finish your paper and Group First
Last
Group First
Last
1
Jenna
Clark
2
Amanda
Blackwell
hand it in.
1
Sandy
Garcia
2
Aimee
Cheatham
2. Reading Assignment: None.
1
Kami
Jennings
2
BryAna
Mitchell
1
Kamira
Manaligod
2
Julie
Nguyen
3. Journal Assignment: None.
1
Natosha
Saunders
2
Betsabe
Velasco
Thursday:
• Hand in your paper. Remember
that you can only rewrite if your
first-write is a college-level paper
and you hand it in on time.
• We’ll continue with poetry, but
this time when you come to
class I’ll ask you to get into your
poetry groups. At this time I’ll
assign some poems for the groups
3
3
3
3
3
Delia
Austin
Jonathan
Eduardo
Jonathon
Chavez
de Los Reyes
Gutierrez
Morales
Rankin
4
4
4
4
4
Jen Ellen
Prameet
Ryan
Marlos
Serina
Antes
Chandra
Gabrio-Brannon
Polk
Tomsun
5
5
5
5
Kayla
Ronald
Jason
Jordan
Bush
Espejo
Manasan
Mcdonald
6
6
6
6
6
Roslynn
Michelle
Devyn
Xyerine
Ashraf
Brown
Cross
Flesher
Resurreccion
Sub Laban
7
7
7
7
7
Hayat
Karen
Annie
Melissa
Olivia
Ahmed-Falol
Brinkley
Brownwood
Rodriguez
Voigt
8
8
8
8
Emily
Randeep
Kasey
Hesam
Andreen
Dosanjh
Hiteshew
Malekan
to consider as warm-up exercises.
• I’m going to treat your participation in the poem presentations as a super quiz in that your
attendance in class, your presentation in class and your journal entries regarding each poem the
groups discuss in class will contribute to your grade.
Homework due next Tuesday & Thursday:
1. Reading Assignment: Read Chapters 7 and 8, pages 699 to 726.
2. Journal Assignment: 1) Compare Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s “Constantly Risking Absurdity,” pages
703 to 704, to a narrative by writing out the story that’s being told in your own words. 2) Why
does Ferlinghetti structure his lines and stanzas the way he does? What kind of an effect does this
structure have on you? 3) An allegory is an extended metaphor. What words does Ferlinghetti use
to create this metaphor? 4) Given a particular word, how many ways can the one word be like
another? 4) As above, compare Bruce Springsteen’s “The River,” pages 721 to 722, to a narrative
by writing out the checkmark story structure of the poem. 5) What are the speaker’s needs,
impediments, turning point and resolution? 6) How is this poem different from a story?
3. Paper: None. I have them and will be returning them to you on Tuesday.
4. Extra 1: Memorize “I, Too,” pages 977 to 978 and “Dream Deferred” page 982 by Langston
Hughes. Recite them to me during office hours and discuss them with me. In particular I’d like
you to compare and contrast the needs and impediments expressed by the lyrical speaker of these
poems. Is a turning point reached? What is the resolution?
5. Extra 2: There are two options for the Fences extra credit. The first is that you attend the
performance on your own and write a response. The second is that those who are interested attend
as a group, and perhaps I can schedule some kind of discussion with the actors and director after the
performance. We need to talk about your interest and the options.
“Calvin and Hobbes” by Bill Watterson.