More on The Road

http://search.proquest.com/docview/198091990/fulltextPDF?accountid=10764

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=lW_JAAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=cormac+mccarthy+the+road&ots=_ezpHueyDn&sig=9x4ArJWgaqsfR7ZjU7Ru5f64Cmk#v=onepage&q=cormac%20mccarthy%20the%20road&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Ser9AQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=cormac+mccarthy+the+road&ots=I3B_Ao7LDc&sig=NJZyEsSF_KaK4RZq7PalxPn3jNw#v=onepage&q=cormac%20mccarthy%20the%20road&f=false

http://search.proquest.com/docview/210394576?pq-origsite=gscholar

http://www.riverdell.org/cms/lib05/NJ01001380/Centricity/Domain/95/The%20Road%20-%20Cormac%20McCarthy%20-%20Books%20-%20Review%20-%20New%20York%20Times.pdf

The Road

NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/books/review/Kennedy.t.html?pagewanted=all

http://blog.mattmecham.com/2007/05/29/cormack-mccarthy-the-road/

Hope:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/200805/coping-and-procrastination-the-role-hope

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CGoQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swarthmore.edu%2FSocSci%2Fbschwar1%2Fpitfalls.pdf&ei=5epxT-OyKoPC0QGIlOWgAQ&usg=AFQjCNHKErPOuXD1lgCFc7gjizHGBkt_jg&sig2=Iz-GAe8EOtNQLnsdv7Ws9g

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joyce-mcfadden/the-psychology-of-hope-an_b_141856.html

This is an article on The Road and "The Allegory of the Cave"

tp://journals.tdl.org/cormacmccarthy/index.php/cormacmccarthy/article/view/852/616


More about The Road
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/books/review/Kennedy.t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://www.themodernword.com/reviews/mccarthy_road.html

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n02/philip-connors/crenellated-heat

http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2639&context=etd

http://www.bookforum.com/inprint/013_04/499

http://www.bookforum.com/inprint/013_04/499

http://network.bepress.com/explore/arts-and-humanities/english-language-and-literature/literature-in-english-north-america/?facet=publication_facet%3A%22Cormac+McCarthy+Conference%22

ESSAY #2 DUE MONDAY NOV23

3 PAGES, DOUBLE SPACED, SIZE 12 TIMES NEW ROMAN

USE TWO OUTSIDE SOURCES (NOT INCLUDING THE TEXT!) AND QUOTE THE PRIMARY TEXTS AS WELL.

USE THE EXAMPLE PAPER HANDOUT FOR MLA GUIDELINES!!

This link will also help with MLA questions:

owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01

Refer to the class blog for outside source info: eng215fall2015.blogspot.com

Pick ONE of the essay topics below for your paper.

The Bluest Eye

 

1)      Define how Pecola’s idea of beauty is influenced by what society tells her. You can reference the idea of blue eyes, the dolls, the role Maureen and any other examples you may find helpful. She is driven to sadness because she cannot achieve many of the qualities that define beauty.

2)      Morrison calls the problem Pecola faces with beauty and society “The Thing”—in this essay explain she meant by this and how it effects her.

3)      Cholly’s rape of Pecola is obviously an upsetting scene. For this essay explain what past events in his life have led him to commit such an act. (Think of his overall feeling of powerlessness).

4)      Explain the living situation of the Breedlove’s and how that effects their lives. The fact that they live in a storefront puts their very unhappy lives on display. How does this effect their lives?

 

• Never end a paragraph with a quote.
• Cite outside sources within in your text; if it appears on your works cited page it has to be used in the paper (direct quotes or paraphrasing).
• Always keep in mind: is this quote proving and supporting my thesis? If not, do not use it!
• WITHOUT A WORKS CITED PAGE OR OUTSIDE SOURCES THE PAPER WILL FAIL

 

Citation for an article on line:

 

Last Name, First Name. “Title of Article.” Name of Publication (Year): Pages. Web.

 

Today’s date.

 

Example:

 

Langhamer, Claire. “Love and Courtship in Mid-Twentieth-Century England.” Historical

 

Journal 50.1 (2007): 173-96. ProQuest. Web. 27 May 2009.

Outside Sources for The Bluest Eye

Outside Sources for The Bluest Eye

http://www.piedmont.k12.ca.us/phs/pdf/library/bluesteye.pdf

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3041475?sid=21105298936851&uid=3739808&uid=3739256&uid=4&uid=2

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/3041932?sid=21105298936851&uid=3739256&uid=2&uid=3739808&uid=4

http://www.literaryhistory.com/20thC/Morrison.htm

http://www.articlemyriad.com/literary-analysis-bluest-eye-toni-morrison-history-slavery/

http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/01/11/home/morrison-bluest.html

http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~bump/publications/37.2.bump.html

Article on The role of black dolls in American culture:

http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/05/28/addy-walker-american-girl/

Here is a collection of sources that could be useful:

http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips/t4prod/bisguier/resourcespage.htm

http://www.luminarium.org/contemporary/tonimorrison/bluest.htm

The rape scene with Cholly:

http://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1166&context=undergrad_rev

ESSAY 1 DUE MON OCT 19TH!!!

3 PAGES, DOUBLE SPACED, SIZE 12 TIMES NEW ROMAN

USE TWO OUTSIDE SOURCES (NOT INCLUDING THE TEXT!) AND QUOTE THE PRIMARY TEXTS AS WELL.

USE THE EXAMPLE PAPER HANDOUT FOR MLA GUIDELINES!!

This link will also help with MLA questions:

owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01

Refer to the class blog for outside source info: eng215fall2015.blogspot.com

Pick ONE of the essay topics below for your paper.

1. Illusion vs. reality is something that comes up in a lot of literature. We saw some in The Great Gatsby. Pick one aspect of a character’s life, whether it be from the past or the present, and explain how he/she uses illusions to distort their reality. Use examples from the texts along with outside sources to support your thesis.

2.      Pick one or two of the many symbols from the novel and describe what it is important. What does this symbol mean in to this particular text? Use examples from the texts along with outside sources to support your thesis.

3.      How does Gatsby represent the American dream? What does the novel have to say about the condition of the American dream in the 1920s? In what ways do the themes of dreams, wealth, and time relate to each other in the novel’s exploration of the idea of America?

4.      Is Nick a reliable narrator? We do not have much choice but to believe what he says throughout the novel so decide if he is and prove your point. Use examples from the texts along with outside sources to support your thesis.

5.      Compare and contrast Gatsby and Tom OR compare Gatsby to Charlie from Babylon Revisited.” How are they alike? How are they different? Given the extremely negative light in which Tom is portrayed throughout the novel, why might Daisy choose to remain with him instead of leaving him for Gatsby?

6.      Jay Gatsby and Howard Hughes from The Aviator are both men with extreme wealth and clear issues with obsession in their lives. Compare and contrast the two characters. Talk about how obsession ruined their lives. Use examples from the texts along with outside sources to support your thesis.

• Your introduction should include:

1)       Title and authors of primary (stories we have read in class) texts

2)       Your thesis (Which depends on the question you write about from above)

• Never end a paragraph with a quote.
• Cite outside sources within in your text; if it appears on your works cited page it has to be used in the paper (direct quotes or paraphrasing).
• Always keep in mind: is this quote proving and supporting my thesis? If not, do not use it!
• WITHOUT A WORKS CITED PAGE OR OUTSIDE SOURCES THE PAPER WILL FAIL

 

Notes From 9/28 Class

 

eng215fall2015.blogspot.com

1)      What do you make of the quote: "Whenever you feel like criticizing any one...just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had"(1)? Explain how it is important in the first few chapters.

______________________________________________________________________________

2)      What do you think the blue eyes on the billboard (23-4) may mean?

As well as the green light on the end of the dock (22)?

______________________________________________________________________________

3) “Anything can happen now that we’ve slid over this bridge,” I thought; “Anything at all....”

Even Gatsby could happen, without any particular wonder (69). What does your group make of this passage? Think in reference to Gatsby, what America was becoming and read the last two sentences above that passage and what it says about race.

______________________________________________________________________________

4) Look at the conversation between Nick and Jordan on page 59 in chapter three. Take a deeper look into that conversation; on the surface they are discussing her driving skills but there is more to it. What you’re your group think and why?

 

-American dream

            How is Gatsby representative of this idea?

Many Americans have a tendency to believe that if they have enough money, they can manipulate time, staying perpetually young, and buy their happiness through materialistic spending.

-The corrupting influence of wealth up against the purity of a dream. What can go wrong?

-What would you say Charlie and Gatsby have in common?

More on The Great Gatsby

This link discusses some random facts about the novel and the writer:

http://gothamist.com/2013/05/07/gatsby_facts.php

The Wire breaks down The Great Gatsby (There is some strong language here):

http://www.openculture.com/2012/08/ithe_wirei_breaks_down_ithe_great_gatsbyi_f_scott_fitzgeralds_classic_criticism_of_america_nsfw.html

Footage of Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda:

http://www.openculture.com/2012/11/rare_footage_of_scott_and_zelda_fitzgerald_from_the_1920s.html

http://query.nytimes.com/search/sitesearch/?action=click&contentCollection&region=TopBar&WT.nav=searchWidget&module=SearchSubmit&pgtype=Homepage#/THE GREAT GATSBY

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=the%20great%20gatsby

Race and The Great Gatsby:

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/06/rise-of-the-colored-empires/276844/

https://www.uscupstate.edu/uploadedFiles/Academics/Undergraduate_Research/Reseach_Journal/006_ARTICLE5_2009.pdf

http://flavorwire.com/391193/the-complicated-and-troubling-role-of-race-and-class-in-baz-luhrmanns-Gatsby

https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/why-i-believe-that-jay-gatsby-was-black/153166.article

Notes from 9/21 Class

Themes found in the story:

 

·         Facing the consequences of one’s actions

·         The struggle to change

Symbols found in the story:

·         Honoria’s doll

·         Snow

 

1)   Explain Charlie's view of his own actions, his return to Paris, and his alcoholism.

 

2)   As readers, are we supposed to be on Marion's side, or on Charlie's side? Pick a side and explain.

 

3)   Explain the following quotes: "I heard that you lost a lot in the crash."

"I did," and he added grimly, "but I lost everything I wanted in the boom” (18).

“He would come back some day; they couldn't make him pay forever. But he wanted his child, and nothing was much good now, beside that fact.  He wasn't young any more, with a lot of nice thoughts and dreams to have by himself.  He was absolutely sure Helen wouldn't have wanted him to be so alone” (19).

4)    Symbolism is important in literature; what is symbolic about Helen’s death? Lorraine and Duncan?

 

“Babylon Revisited”: Similarity to The Great Gatsby

In both works, the main character is trying to create a new identity.

In the case of Jay Gatsby, he has reinvented himself by a name change and by becoming rich through criminal acts to win Daisy.

In Charlie’s instance, he has made a serious effort to reform to gain custody of Honoria.

Both The Great Gatsby and “Babylon Revisited” are also statements about the twenties, the pursuit of wealth and careless living of that generation. Gatsby’s pursuit of wealth, hoping it will bring him happiness and fulfillment, is the embodiment of the American Dream gone wrong. “Babylon Revisited” makes a statement not only about Charlie’s his personal dilemma but the irresponsible seeking of pleasure that was characteristic of the post-war Roaring Twenties generation.

It was in this spirit that Fitzgerald wrote one of his most frequently quoted lines: “There are no second acts in American lives.”

It is a lone sentence, without context, found among the pages for a novel he never finished. Yet journalists often quote it when writing about failure. The phrase has been widely interpreted to mean that America gives no second chances. The value of the statement rests on its being written by Fitzgerald, who is presumably something of an authority on lost opportunities (Nilsson).

The Great Gatsby

Taking a few mintues to read some background information on the author will enhance your understanding of the text.

Here are a few quotes to also think about from the text:
 “ Whenever you feel like criticizing any one…just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had” (1).

“”a single green light, minute and faraway, that might have been the end of a dock” (22).

”He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced–or seemed to face–the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself” (48).

“Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known” (60).

Article from class today on the green light:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/education/17gatsby.html?referrer=&_r=1

and one on the American Dream:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-usa-land-of-limitations.html?referrer=&_r=1

ROOM CHANGE FOR CLASS--4th FLOOR MULTIPURPOSE ROOM

Hello Class,

Because of the size of our class, we will meet all semester in the 4th floor multipurpose room for the entire semester.


See you there on Monday.

Prof. O'Connell

Take the main elevators to the 4th floor, make your first left and then your second left. Room is on the right.

Missed First Class 9/14--Read "Babylon Revisited" for Monday 9/21

Hi Class: 

As you know by now I was not in class today (Monday 9/14). My wife gave birth to our first child recently and I am home with them. Just follow the syllabus for these next few classes and I'll be back Monday 9/21 when we will catch up and be back on track for the rest of the semester. 

So take this next week or so to get the required texts and be ready to go next Monday. 

Prof. O'Connell 

Babylon Revisited

Criticism:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00144940.1990.9934031

http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-94-007-0773-3_8?LI=true

Themes found in the story:

• Facing the consequences of one’s actions
• The struggle to change

Symbols found in the story:

• Honoria’s doll
• Snow

This link has some background information and criticism of the story (there is a lot of info here that could be used if you choose to write your first essay about this story):

http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tdlarson/fsf/babylon/chap_3.htm

In the next two weeks we will discuss The Great Gatsby which “Babylon Revisited” shares many themes and issues with. Here is a short description of how they are similar:

“Babylon Revisited”: Similarity to The Great Gatsby
In both works, the main character is trying to create a new identity. In the case of Jay Gatsby, he has reinvented himself by a name change and by becoming rich through criminal acts to win Daisy. In Charlie’s instance, he has made a serious effort to reform to gain custody of Honoria.

Both The Great Gatsby and “Babylon Revisited” are also statements about the twenties, the pursuit of wealth and careless living of that generation. Gatsby’s pursuit of wealth, hoping it will bring him happiness and fulfillment, is the embodiment of the American Dream gone wrong. “Babylon Revisited” makes a statement not only about Charlie’s his personal dilemma but the irresponsible seeking of pleasure that was characteristic of the post-war Roaring Twenties generation.

From: http://vickie-britton.suite101.com/babylon-revisited-summary-and-analysis-a204727

NYTimes article:

http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/12/24/specials/fitzgerald-taps.html

America and Second Chances:
http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2009/09/19/history/post-perspective/f-scott-fitzgerald.html

https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2015/07/13/president-obama-announces-46-commutations-video-address-america-nation-second-chance

http://billmoyers.com/2014/10/31/america-really-believe-second-chances/

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-second-chances-for-elites-only-perspec-1196-20141105-story.html

Syllabus

September

14        Introduction to class, discussion of syllabus and plagiarism, Read “Babylon Revisited” GET The Great Gatsby!!!

21       “Babylon Revisited” (Handout), Read The Great Gatsby (1-5)

             28       The Great Gatsby (1-5), Read The Great Gatsby (5-9)

 

October

5          ASSIGN FIRST ESSAY, The Great Gatsby(5-9)

12        ***NO CLASS***, Read The Bluest Eye (Autumn)             

19        PAPER DUE, The Bluest Eye (Autumn), Read The Bluest Eye (Winter) 

26         The Bluest Eye (Winter), Read The Bluest Eye (Spring) 

 November

2          ASSIGN SECOND PAPER, The Bluest Eye (Spring), Read The Bluest Eye (Summer)

9          The Bluest Eye (Summer) Read The Road

16        SECOND PAPER DUE, The Road, Read The Road

23        The Road, Read The Road

30        ASSIGN FINAL PAPER, The Road, Read The Road

December

7          Bring Final Paper Drafts

 

14        FINAL PAPER DUE—LAST CLASS—NO LATE PAPERS!