College Composition 12 (Period 4, 6 ) Assignments

Study for the final! The final for period 6 is on Tuesday, December 16, and period 4 takes the final on Wednesday, December 17.

The 8-page research paper is due at the beginning of class on Monday, December 8. Make sure you include correct MLA format, a works cited page, and title page. Type everything!

Students must bring The Kite Runner to class with them.

1) Read lines 1 - 1077 in The Libation Bearers (the second play in The Oresteia).

2) Complete an imagery, motif and theme chart for The Libation Bearers.

The chart should have six columns. One column should list the imagery that Aeschylus uses and the second column should explain what ideas and emotions the imagery conveys. The third column should list the motifs, followed by a fourth column that contains explanations of each motif. The fifth column should list possible themes from the play, and the sixth column should contain evidence that supports each theme.

1) Read lines 1-766 in The Oresteia.

2) Write a 200-word paragraph describing the tone, imagery, and motifs that appear in lines 1-766.

3) Bring The Oresteia to class with you!

If you were absent from class on Thursday, you need to write responses to the following discussion questions for The Oresteia:

1. What images of light and darkness appear in lines 1 -43? What do the images symbolize?
2. What hard times have come to the house, and what pain is the city experiencing? How has the war affected the city?
3. What tale would the house tell?
4. What simile appears in lines 54 and following, and what things are being compared?
5. How do the chorus members describe themselves in lines 79 - 92? What imagery is used?
6. What does it mean for Atreus' sons to have warring hearts (line 127)? This line has two different meanings!
7. How do the watchman and chorus describe Clytemnestra? What do they say that sounds critical of her? What do they say that implies that she does not act the way they think a good woman should behave?
8. Why does the chorus keep repeating the line, "Cry, cry for death, but good win out in glory in the end"? What does the line mean?

Complete the worksheets for "Fear," "The Street," and "Cristobal Miranda," which were distributed in class on Friday. The worksheets are due at the beginning of class on Monday.

Read pages 200 - 205 (Fear, The Street, and Cristobal Miranda), and complete the check your comprehension and interpretation questions for the poems, on pages 203 and 205.

Your first-person narrative is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, September 16. Refer to the instructions below.

Assignment: To imitate Jamaica Kincaid’s structure and writing techniques in “A Walk to the Jetty,” you will write a short story about leaving your hometown, street, or a family member’s house for the final time. Your story should be four pages, typed in 12-point Times New Roman font, and doublespaced, with one-inch margins. The upper left hand corner should list the student’s first and last name, teacher’s name, class and period, the date, and the assignment (First-Person Narrative Recounting Memories). You should give the story an original title, which should be centered.

The story must use the following literary techniques:
1. First-person narrative
2. Flashbacks

The story must include descriptions of:

1. A time when you argued with a family member about an article of clothing or an accessory, or he or she complimented you for something you did or wore.
2. A time when a family member bought you something you thought you couldn’t live without. Include an explanation of what you did with the item after you received it.
3. The thing you would miss the most and cry about leaving.
4. Physical sensations that suggest your emotional state.
5. The sights, smells, and sounds of the place and the memories you hear when you see, smell, or hear them.
6. At least three landmarks in the town, street, or house that remind you of your childhood.
7. A flashback from which the reader can infer your reasons for leaving the place.
8. Two additional flashbacks that suggest the types of relationships you have with particular family members.

The story’s structure must include:
1. A first paragraph that describes the location, time, and major event of the story.
2. A final paragraph that suggests a feeling of sadness or loss.

If you were absent on Monday, you must complete the following exercise for "A Walk to the Jetty":

1. What image does the last paragraph create in your mind? From this description, what can we infer about how Annie is feeling? Why is this paragraph an effective ending to the story?
2. Imagine that you received an acceptance letter from your top choice of colleges. Describe the physical sensations you would experience, which suggest your emotional state. Then imagine that you received a rejection letter from your top choice of colleges. Describe the physical sensations you would experience, which suggest your emotional state.

If you were absent on Friday, you need to answer the following questions for "A Walk to the Jetty" (your answers should be 1-2 pages):

1. How does Annie introduce her first flashback?
2. What details in the first flashback make us experience a bad feeling toward Miss Dulcie, just as Annie does?
3. How does Annie introduce her second flashback?
4. What details in this flashback help you picture in your mind Annie’s first walk?
5. In her second flashback, why do you suppose Annie felt pleased that she smelled like her mother? Based on this feeling, what can we infer about their relationship?
6. How does the narrator’s description of physical sensations (on page 182) suggest an emotional state?
7. What can you infer about Annie’s relationship with her mother based on the fact that she cannot breathe because her mother squeezes her so tightly?
8. After her mother hugs her, why is Annie suddenly on her guard, and why does she think, “What does she want now”? What does this reaction tell us about her relationship with her mother?

If you were absent on Thursday, you need to answer the following questions related to "A Walk to the Jetty." Your complete answers should be 1.5 - 2 pages:

Part I: Relating to the Character and Author
Imagine you are 16 and leaving your family to live in a new country or state.
1. Why would you leave?
2. How would you feel if you were leaving?
3. What fears would you have?
4. What would you miss the most?
5. What would you say to your parents, and what do you think they would say to you?
6. Why might you want to write an account of the event?
7. Why do you think Jamaica Kincaid wrote about her life?

Part II: Writing Techniques: Appreciating the Writer’s Craft:

1. Why are we able to relate to Annie?
2. From what point of view is the story narrated, and how does the point of view affect how we relate to Annie and are engaged with the story?
3. Why do the first-person point of view and use of flashbacks make Annie an interesting character?
4. How does Annie describe her feelings about leaving the island forever? What makes her description vivid; why is it a powerful way of communication her emotions?

If you did not complete your writing assignment in class on Thursday, you need to finish it at home and turn it in at the beginning of class on Friday. The essay should be two pages responding to the following questions:

1) What should fiction accomplish?
2) Why should we read at all?
3) Why do authors write stories and why is it important for us to write?
4) How does fiction force us to question things that we often take for granted?
5) How do we learn about ourselves through the process of writing?

Complete the reading comprehension and critical thinking interpretation questions for "The Bridegroom" found on page 173, and complete the worksheets for "A Walk to the Jetty," which were distributed in class.

You have a number of assignments due on Tuesday, September 2:

1. You have an official book and binder check; so, make sure you have your binder and the Prentice Hall World Literature anthology in class with you.

2. Bring your syllabus to class, signed and dated by both you and your parent.

3. You need to make flashcards for the list of Latin, Greek, and Native English prefixes that I distributed in class on Friday. (The list is also online). Make sure your name is on the flashcard on the top of your stack, and attach the cards with a rubber band, paper clip, or ring.

4. If you did not complete the worksheets for "A Power Struggle," "House Taken Over," and "The Bridegroom," you may complete them and submit them on Tuesday.

5. Read "A Walk to the Jetty" on pages 176-184.

Read "House Taken Over" and "The Bridegroom" before coming to class.