Week 14 Work--Due Wed., December 6th

Week 14 Vocabulary
mitigate
anodyne
vacillate
incendiary
depravity

Literary critic Joseph Claro interpreted Hemingway's remark this way: "He didn't mean that no Americans before Mark Twain had written anything worthy of being called literature.  What he meant is that Twain was responsible for defining what would make American literature different from everybody else's literature."

Work for this week:

NOTE: Yes, journals are also due next class (we do these at the beginning of each class, so this is just a matter of turning the journal in unless you missed class and need to make up that entry). Timeline segments are due next week.

1. Finish reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Expect another brief quiz next class.

2.  Write your paper on a theme in Huck Finn.  Remember the five possible topics we discussed in class (freedom, religion, superstition, education, or nature).  For specifics on these topics or on the paper requirements, see the "First Semester Odds and Ends" handout I gave you last class.

I will add that you should follow this format for your intro paragraph:

1. Hook
2. Introduce the text and author
3. Provide context
4. End with thesis

Here's a quick example of an introductory paragraph about topic of  friendship in Huck Finn:

Harriet Beecher Stowe once noted that "friendships are discovered rather than made."  Mark Twain's novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, tells the story of  a "discovered"  friendship that develops between Huck, a twelve-year-old uneducated boy, and Jim, a runaway slave.  As these two escape their confining circumstances and travel on a raft down the Mississippi River, they grow closer through the hardships they face together.  In the end, Huck and Jim realize that true friendship requires both trust and self-sacrifice.

Before you begin your paper, watch this video on theme.  You only need to watch the first 10 minutes. Although it's directed at English teachers, she does a great job of explaining theme and how to write a thesis on theme.  This will help you understand theme more deeply, create a more powerful thesis, and help you write a better essay.

One more thing---be sure not to use "I" or "you" in formal academic writing.  You can substitute "one" if necessary; however, more often, it's best to just state your point without either pronoun.

3. Here is the review sheet for your First Semester Exam.  Print this out and put it in your notebook.  Look over it and begin to study. Next class, let me know if any of the items need clarification or if you have any questions.

Further information/clarification on extra credit options:

Here is a short blog entry from Mr. Minick on the value and art of personal letter writing.

For those of you interested in the letter writing extra credit, please read this before writing your letter.  Notice he recommends you set aside sufficient time to write,that you write several pages, and that you be specific in your reflections. I would add this to his excellent advice---try to find a pocket of time when you are in the mood to write such a letter.  Timing is everything, and your letter will be more authentic if you are sensitive to your frame of mind instead of just pushing out a letter because it's convenient.

I had a student approach me between classes and ask if she could write two letters if she felt led.  This is fine if you truly have two people you sincerely wish to thank/be grateful to.  Please ask me about this individually and get my clearance if this is the case for you.  In general, I would rather have people do one letter AND one report if they are interested in doing two extra credit options.

Thought for the week:

Celia Thaxter, 1835-1894, American writer of short stories and poems