Today, I gave the Engaging Story assignment out after you finished the test.  The idea was that you were supposed to start thinking about all the possible topics you could write about...which could be difficult to narrow down.  First, I have posted the file that contains the assignment (if, for whatever reason, you didn't get the document).  Next, I am posting several links that might help you further brainstorm some topics for a story.

However, I will give you the very wise words I was once given as a young writer - we best write what we best know.  If you pick a topic you know about, you can blow that up and make it incredible.  If you have to learn and conduct research in order to be creative, it can slow you down (which isn't a bad thing...just a warning for slower writers).  Check 'em out!  Remember to make this fun - this should be a reflection of your personality, style, and sensibilities, no matter how twisted and weird.  Feel free to change anything up and be willing to improve it.

http://www.creative-writing-now.com/short-story-ideas.html - Includes several prompts and questions

http://www.creative-writing-now.com/story-starters.html - Focuses on steps to creating fictional pieces

http://shortstoryideas.herb.me.uk/scenarios.htm - Has different generators to inspire creativity

http://creativewritingprompts.com/ - Rather random selection.  Interesting for idea genesis, though.

http://awesomewritingprompts.tumblr.com/ - WARNING...you and I both know Tumblr can get...um...different.  Use your better judgment, but the prompts are weird, funny, edgy, and cool.

http://www.squidoo.com/100-short-story-novel-prompts - Just keep scrolling past the ads.  The detail in the prompt is worth it.

http://americanbookreview.org/100bestlines.asp - First lines can be the gateway to hooking the reader.  You can't steal these, word for word, but you can borrow their style. 

Wow!  SO MANY SYMBOLS have been uncovered in the past two days!  It is sometimes difficult whether or not something is a symbol, or really just important details which give us a bunch of information.  So, to recap, let's see what you guys have found over the last two days, starting with profound words spoken by two gentlemen.  When I asked 4th period to define true evil, Jimmy Huynh stated that "true evil is so evil that it is not aware of its consequences.  It simply acts and affects in a negative way."  Julio Gonzalez countered, stating his disagreement: "I don't believe that's true.  Evil can only be pure if it is absolutely aware of what the consequences are, and acts anyway."

I think there is truth to both statements.  Evil that is conscious registers itself as evil to its recipients because we believe there is no other possible intent.  But, when evil strikes simply because it is motivated by evil...so many people are affected that it is almost impossible to comprehend the fallout afterward.  A popular example is the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center.  Yes - I absolutely agree that the men who crashed those planes and killed those people knew exactly what they were doing.  However, did they believe that the United States would counter with a war - a war that eventually cost thousands of lives?  Did they believe that innocent lives would be questioned for practicing Islam in the United States?  Or...were they so obtuse to their own desires that they even cared?

This brings me to the Grandmother, or "Gma."  Gma is a piece of work, no doubt.  She is racist, bigoted, rude, demanding, selfish, self-centered, and hypocritical.  She is PROUD.  Does she realize that having her son take the wrong turn would be the entire family's undoing, or does she even care?  She seems so much more invested in either maintaining her self-image or staying out of trouble, that by the time she realizes how deep she is, she carries the undoing with her - Pitty Sing.  That poor cat...you really do have to feel a little sorry for it.  After all, it went immediately for Bailey after it escaped...

Now, as for symbols, we talked today about Red Sammy being a representative of the Satanic archetype, or a devil figure.  How did we know? 
-Let's start with physical characteristics:  Red skin, sagging gluttonous gut, sweaty, works over fire all day.
-Personality:  Charismatic (with Gma), demanding (with wife), persuasive (remember the road signs?
-His own wife tried to warn the family not to trust him, that he spoke false.
-Gma thought he was a good man!  Are you really going to let her be a proper judge of character?

The last big symbol we covered together today was the dirt road.  You know, that dirt road that climbed hills, as the car seemed to touch "the blue tops of the trees" and then entered a "red depression."  Well, the obvious reading is that the "blue tops" visual is the meeting of the trees and sky, but O'Connor did not use green to describe the trees, the obvious choice.  Instead, she used blue to juxtapose against the red depression.  Falling down into a red hole.  When I asked you to consider colors as symbolic on Monday while covering your notes, you all used adjectives to define the colors...which is fine.  But did you notice how some colors seemed to be opposites of each other? 

Bottom line:  If red and blue represent hot and cold, why can't we combine that with some Christian symbolism and evolve them into heaven and hell?

Now, you guys know that this family is in for some judgment, but who is going to be their ultimate judge?  Because the Misfit kills them, we assume he is in charge of this judgment...but if he is a symbol too, who does he represent?  I know that so many of you have come close to figuring it out, but you need to go back, read, and find the clues!  Be ready to tell me who the Misfit represents, and what evidence you have to back that up.

The sooner you tell me tomorrow, the sooner I can give you time to work on your case study.  :-)

Until tomorrow,
Ms. B

If you click here, you will be taken to the link for the Flannery O'Connor Prezi.  This prezi also gives you information about the Southern Grotesque, the literary genre which she helped to solidify in the literary canon. 

Also, several symbols were discussed today in class.  These symbols are so basic, but we assign meaning to them daily.  Some meanings are highly concrete, based on what we see in our everyday lives, but others are so abstracted and open that we are free to attach layers of meaning upon...layers of meaning. 

Basically, it boils down to this:  how does an octagon become a stop sign??  Why does green mean go, red mean stop, and yellow mean slow down (or, speed up, like everyone else does)?  We attach given meanings and experiences to our burgeoning knowledge - that is called CONTEXT.  We use context to interpret the world without bugging it with incessant questioning.  We use context to prove that we are intelligent, and that we can make connections on our own.

Context also teaches us that things are rarely, if ever, as they seem.  If you think the Misfit is a bad guy, think about his actions.  If you think the Grandmother didn't deserve to die, think about her actions.

Now, one more step:  let's think about the Misfit pulling the trigger and the Grandmother dying...both as symbolic, that they represent something else, something greater.  Like a powerful fight.  Stew on that. 

Remember, tonight you need to finish your color/symbol associations, and take notes using the Prezi.  See you guys tomorrow.

Ciao,
Ms. B

Okay, guys.  Here we go.  The first timed write is less than 24 hours away.

The question is in the powerpoint file, so you guys can review that.  Just remember, that note card is supposed to help you STRUCTURE your essay.  Get your skeleton to help you with the essay, and then write the rest in class.  Don't take forever with it.

Some of you were concerned with the conclusion part of the essay.  I have two pieces of advice:

First, don't repeat your thesis.  Repetitions and redundancies can't happen, especially if you don't have the time to play with.

Second, give an opinion about your response.  Here, give an opinion about how Montresor comes together as a character, and how well/poorly you believe Poe did with this.  You could also give a brief connection about how Montresor's characterization brings the story to its maximum intensity (and potential to disturb its reader).  There's a lot you can do with this...just don't bring any new discussions into the mix.

You guys are going to be fine.  Remember, on the back of your code sheet, I gave you the timed write rubric, but in case you lost it...

Remember, write in bullet points for your argument.  I will see you tomorrow.  Good luck tonight, and get some sleep, why don't ya...

Until tomorrow (Timed Write Friday!),
Ms. B

I told you guys that I would post your essay question for Friday here, tonight. 

So, here it is.  All I am asking you to do is think about it...

The protagonist in "The Cask of Amontillado", Montresor, can be explained in several different ways.  Some focus on his strategies to lure Fortunado into his catacombs; others focus on his behaviors after succeeding in his need for revenge.  There is no argument, however, that Montresor's character is well-developed, complex, and multi-faceted enough to elicit conversation.  In a well-written essay, explain how Edgar Allan Poe uses diction, figurative language, and story details within "The Cask of Amontillado" to develop Montresor as a character.  You must use two out of three of the following devices. 

I know that's a lot.  Focus on the part in bold - the other stuff might help you construct a short intro and conclusion.  The part in bold is the job you must actually complete in your essay.  So, as a preview, here's what we are doing tomorrow...

1.  Writing a defensible thesis statement.  We will try to use a template so you can practice fulfilling all the requirements of the essay in a single sentence...so you can discuss them in the paragraphs later.

2.  Writing a VERY BRIEF outline.  Structure is key.  When essays are written, a sort of structure must follow forth.  Paragraphs help with this, but it is also necessary to build that paragraph into something that makes logical sense, AS WELL AS locate evidence to defend your thesis.

3.  Conclusions are not restatements of the thesis; they are reflections of a paper.  Even ones you write in 40 minutes.

We'll talk tomorrow.  Get ready for some fast and furious writing.

Until,
Ms. B

Today, in class, we reviewed the beginnings of "The Cask of Amontillado", where I gave you your week's task:  develop a character profile of Montresor, the story's narrator.  From the first paragraph alone, most classes were able to determine a number of descriptors (read: adjectives, qualifiers) that we could use to describe Montresor.

When you take the quiz tomorrow on Edmodo, you will find out that Montresor qualifies as an unreliable narrator.  Let's break those two terms down:

Unreliable:  not consistent, unable to be trusted.
Narrator:  one who tells the story.

The definition is pretty self-explanatory, don't you think?  What we now have to determine is the why of it all.  Why is Montresor unable to be trusted?  It's easy to see when he is around Fortunato (and he only just got him in the catacombs), but what about his storytelling abilities? Why can't we completely trust him as a reader?  One challenge I would like to put forth is to understand that Montresor believes himself to be justified and sane in his approach to killing a human being. 

Now, standing next to him, would you trust him?

As far as homework tonight, I asked you to go back over the passage you annotated for today to look for two things:
1.  On page 16, look for examples of irony.  There is enough dramatic and verbal irony in that part of the story that Poe is beating you over the head with it.  Pay close attention to what Fortunato says...and how Montresor responds.

2.  I asked you to come ready to discuss the Montresor family coat of arms, which I attached a picture of at the top of the post.  We see some symbols, namely a golden foot with a serpent's fangs imbedded in the heel, while the foot is crushing the snake.  Focus there:  what is the foot?  What is the snake?  Where else did you hear this story?  You might want to start here...  a little Christian allusion for us, which without American and British literature would not exist.

3.  As you read the second half of the story, pay close attention to Montresor's actions, and attempt to glean further insight into his personality.  You might realize some things that scare you.  If you do...you're probably reading it right.  Continue to annotate for conflict, setting, and interesting diction. 

4.  All of this should help you prepare for your first quiz on Edmodo.  You have a 20 question quiz waiting for you, which is due by midnight tomorrow night.  You have been given 30 minutes to take the quiz, so make sure you are ready to attempt! 

Until tomorrow, where we discuss the ever-twisted Montresor, and work on characterizing him through DIDLS...

Later,
Ms. B

PS:  Parent night is tomorrow night.  Remind your folks.  :-)

So, let's talk about yesterday, and the rat race I put you through.  I understand that much of what we covered in the first week of material was review, going over story elements and plot structure...however, the discussion I heard as you were working on your mentor text plot maps was outstanding - you guys really used the idea of Freitag's Pyramid to hash out details and help others visualize the details within the story!  Excellent work.  The posters are up...you can see the mentor posters on Monday morning.

Today, I gave you all notes so you can have some reference around Edgar Allan Poe, his perspective as he wrote, and some important information which might help you with "The Cask of Amontillado."  According to today's Prezi (click here) , we need to focus our annotations on DICTION, SETTING, and evidence of CONFLICT.  We will also keep tabs on new vocabulary that arises as we continue to read the story.  No worries about stopping halfway.  Remember to create a key to color-code your highlighted annotations, and to look at the starred items below to write down specific kinds of comments as you read.

Be ready to talk about "Cask" on Monday, and have your annotations ready for a graded check. 

Until Monday, have a great weekend. 
-Ms. B

Click here for the Plot Diagram/Freitag's Pyramid Prezi.

Over the last few class periods, we have covered A TON of review!  We have looked at elements of story mapping - what makes a story complete, intriguing, and simply holds our attention for its entirety.

Our review covered the following:
-Freitag's Pyramid theory:  the necessity of a story having a beginning, middle, and end.
-Basic characterization:  locating protagonists and antagonists; labeling characters as dynamic or static.
-Conflict:  Oh my, the conflict!  We expanded our types of conflict, and generalized them into two different categories - internal and external conflict.
-Setting:  Time, location and place are not always overtly stated.  It is always possible to add detail to the setting by gathering information from the text details.
-Theme and motif:  Remember, the theme is a reflection about what the author wants us to understand, even if the concept is hard to believe, or simply unpleasant. 

For your prep for tomorrow's assignment, check the powerpoint file above as a reference.  I look forward to seeing which groups succeed in being the glowing representation for their peers, and earning the Golden 100.

As promised, here are the links to what is needed to complete the assignment, if you can't find them on Austin's AP English site:

The packet file: 

You will need to purchase/borrow a copy of Edith Hamilton's Mythology to complete the assignment.  Also, the following links are to short stories that will help you complete the assignments.  They are:

"To Build A Fire", Jack London

"The Tell-Tale Heart", Edgar Allan Poe

"Lamb to the Slaughter", Roald Dahl

"The Lottery", Shirley Jackson

If you received a letter regarding your summer reading assignment extension, those letters must be signed and returned TOMORROW, or the extension will not be given.  Please review those letters with your parents tonight.

If you don't have that letter, you submitted your summer reading on time!  Well done!  No homework for you!  :-)

Tomorrow, we begin reviewing story elements, and learning some about Freitag's Pyramid.  I look forward to some learnin' tomorrow!  See you then.

Until,
Ms. Bellon

There isn't much to recap tonight - in class, we reviewed your approaches to the Kahlo piece. I am pleased with your analyses; the majority if you seemed to get the duality of the piece, looking at the women as united opposites of the same figure. Beyond that, you all had interpretations that varied, but could easily be defended by the evidence within the artwork. Excellent job, indeed.

We also reviewed what you need to do to submit your summer reading exercises. Here is what I asked for:

1. I don't need all 16 pages of the packet. Just separate and submit the following exercises:

A. Mythology chart

B. 3 Levels of Reading (Tell-Tale Heart)

C. Post-Mortem of a Protagonist (Lamb to the Slaughter

D. Quotes chart (The Lottery)

2. I also asked for proof of annotations. Make sure you take one page from each story as proof of annotations. Choose the page with the most so I can see your thought processes. Attach those four sheets to the back of the exercises.

3. The essay is not due tomorrow; it is due next Tuesday. It is due next Tuesday for EVERYONE. For those of you that have yet to see the assignment, it is posted on austinapenglish.weebly.com . Under the freshman English page, you can see an orange link to download the assignment. If you are reading this, go look at it tonight.

You guys know how to reach me. We will talk more about it tomorrow, especially if you fall in the category of those who cannot submit their reading tomorrow.

Until then, enjoy the Alexie essay. I hope there is a takeaway for you within his message. Reading can save lives, indeed.

Regards,

Ms. Bellon