Literary Analysis and "Only Partly Here"

The more articulate you are, the more specific you can be about what you are trying to communicate.  Lucius Sheppard, in "Only Partly Here," uses sophisticated language to examine the complex nature of the relationships between the characters. 

Author Lucius Sheppard evokes the state of mind of the inhabitants of New York in the time directly after 9/11 with a simile.  He illustrates the frantic, purposeless and futile nature of their efforts by comparing them to drugged and over-stimulated rats in a maze.  He is able to bring that time to life for the reader because of his versatility with the language.

Which words that we use can we add to our word wall and vocabulary lists?  Pick 10 words you are not familiar with and look up the definitions.  You will be responsible for knowing these words as the cycle continues. 

As the story progresses we begin to see the nature of the relationships between the three recovery workers: Bobby, Mazurek and Pineo, and we also see the complexities of the interaction between Alicia and Bobby. 

What is happening between Alicia and Bobby?  As the story continues to unfold, examine the changing nature of their interaction.  How do they start out?  How does that change, and what happens in the end to change it even further?

Finally, what is the nature of this story, and what is its message?  A full understanding can only come from a full examination of the text.  We are reading together, but as you learn to study you must get to the point where you can go back and re-read parts of the text that you need to understand more fully. 

Learning to study a text in a deep and meaningful way is a critical skill for college.  In order to really function on the college level, you need to 1) Learn how to understand the text, and that means find the meanings of words you don't know and then understand the words in the context of the story, 2) Be able to uncover the personalities and motivations of the characters, based on the way they're described and the nature of their dialogue, 3) Examine the progression of the action in the story and note developments that occur, 4) Interpret the meaning, moral or message that the story conveys. 

When Reading, How Do You Figure Out Words You Don't Know?

How do we figure out words we don't know?  Here are some suggestions from the class:

1.Write it down and look up the definition

2.Context Clues:

3.Look at the sentences before and after it to see what the word might mean.

4.Look for footnotes

5.Use your knowledge of other languages (esp Latin languages)

6.Look for prefixes that you already know (un, and others)

7.Look for suffixes (ending of words) (like –ology, and others)

Theme and Symbolism in "Only Partly Here"

Essential Question: How do we analyze and interpret characters in story?

We read the beginning of "Only Partly Here" by Lucius Sheppard.  We identified certain repeating themes.  We noticed that certain items were blue.  The shoe Bobby finds is blue, the "silhouette of the dancing lady" is in blue neon, and the bar is called "The Blue Lady."  Our characters are at Ground Zero sifting through the rubble of 9/11.  They are recovery workers.

What can we tell about the personalities of the main characters of Bobby, Mazurek, and Pineo?  What is the lady at the end of the bar like?  Describe the characteristics of each character in this graphic organizer.  Cite specific examples from the text using page and paragraph number.

Assignment: Interpreting Fiction and Finding Metaphors

Pick your own fairy tale or another story that you like.  It must be a story that conveys an important message about life.  Complete the graphic organizer for the story.  That means you must include
a) A synopsis of the story, written in YOUR OWN WORDS (Plagiarism is not allowed -- and I do check!)
b) A list of at least five symbols (metaphors) in the story, and what they represent
c) A detailed description of the meaning, message and moral of the story.

Symbolism and Metaphor in Story

Choose a story.  It can be a fairy tale or another simple story with a message.  Write a synopsis of the story.  The story must have symbolic elements.  You must have a list of at least five things in the story that have a metaphoric meaning.  Make that list.  Then write a down the message or moral of the story.  Be prepared to share it with the class.

Interpreting Story - Looking for Symbols

We looked at the fairytale of The Three Little Pigs.  Then the class broke into groups and wrote a synopsis of the story, made a list of the symbols and their meaning, and described the overall message or moral of the story.  The story can be found here.  Class members in attendance completed the handout.  If you were not in class you need to make sure you do this in order to get credit. 

Assignment: Initial Writing Assessment: "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

What is Robert Frost's metaphor for life?  Download this handout.  Look at the picture.  What is this "story" about, and what is Robert Frost trying to communicate about life?

Write an essay of at least a page and a half responding to Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken.”  Be sure to look at the footnotes on the page if you do not know what some of the words mean. 

Please write in essay form.  Use the questions to help you with your writing, but do not re-write the questions.  Answer in one long essay.

Framing questions for your writing:

1. What is this poem about? 

2. What is the message it is trying to convey about choices in life? 

3. Which “road” have you chosen/travelled so far in your life?   “The road less taken,” or the road more commonly taken?  Explain why you picked that road, and what your life has been like because of that choice.

4.  Extra credit: Why is the poem called “The Road NOT Taken”?  Isn’t the poem about the road he DID take?  Why does he choose to call the poem “The Road Not Taken”?

 

What Makes Literature Good?

We had a discussion about what qualities make rap songs great.  The class came up with this list.  In order to have a great rap song, it needs to include the following elements:

Great delivery

They keep it interesting

Contains strong metaphors

You have to be able to relate to it

Humor

Strong Vocabulary

Personality

Tells a good story

Tells a message

Conveys a moral

Be true to yourself

Welcome to College Writing for Cycle 1, Fall 2011

Course Description:  

The purpose of this class is to prepare students for entry-level college work, with a focus on writing and research skills.  In the beginning of the course, students will expand their base-knowledge of words and their etymological roots, and begin to develop college-level vocabulary and comprehension through reading fiction. As students write, the class will focus on literary analysis, identification and correction of grammatical errors and editing skills, as well as proper utilization of grammar, punctuation and spelling. For the final part of the course, students will establish and utilize research methodology, critically analyzing and evaluating research sources, while developing note-taking and study skills. The course will conclude with an in-depth research project, culminating in the writing and editing of an entry-level college research paper, with MLA-style citations.

Requirements: 

Students must complete all required essays in order to receive credit. You must complete all in-class work in the classroom.  Students are also required to engage in class discussions, respond to in-class questions, and conduct themselves in a respectful and studious manner as you focus on the educational tasks and goals.

All essays and other coursework designated as in-class work must be completed in the classroom, unless otherwise negotiated with the teacher.  Essays and research papers cannot be done at home.  Students presenting completed essays not written in class will not receive credit.