Montresor's Coat of Arms - Biblical allusions, anyone?? Difficult to see the 'field azure', but the heel and serpent...unmistakable.
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What an actual cask of amontillado wine looks like. If this is what 'chocolate wasted' looks like, Fortunado is callin' Hershey's tonight.
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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. :-)
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. :-)
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