Don't HYDE from this blog post!

In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson examines the archetype of the dual natures of human beings.  It is a study of one man’s struggle with good and evil and is also a compelling story of terror and suspense that allows for another opportunity to explore the theme of good and evil after our in-depth study of the same motif in Macbeth.

Good and evil, right and wrong—both are seen through the eyes of John Utterson, a lawyer and friend of the scientist, Dr. Jekyll. After hearing the alarming account of the horrendous trampling of a small girl by a violent man named Mr. Hyde, who also holds a connection to Dr. Jekyll, Utterson’s curiosity gets the better of him and he begins to investigate. For this blog post, you will investigate Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde like Mr. Utterson as you complete Step 1 and you will explore the duality of human nature like Dr. Jekyll as you complete Step 2. INCLUDE BOTH STEPS IN YOUR POST.

            

Step 1)  Choose one excerpts from the novella that provides characterization of Mr. Hyde:

- From chapter 1, where the text starts: He is not easy to describe..., ending with ...and yet I really can name nothing out of the way.

- From chapter 2: Mr. Utterson stepped out and touched him on the shoulder…, ending with ...he had unlocked the door and disappeared into the house.

- From chapter 4, starting with: He had in his hand a heavy cane..., ending with ...the maid fainted.

AND one excerpt from the novella that provides characterization of Dr. Jekyll:

- From chapter 3, where the text starts: To this rule..., ending with This is a matter I thought we had agreed to drop.

- From chapter 6, starting with: Now that that evil influence..., and ending with ...and the knowledge is more than he can bear.

Analyze, compare and contrast the idea development and voice in the the two excerpts in 1-2 paragraphs. It might be helpful to examine:

- appearance

- speech

- actions

- thoughts/feelings

- other character's reactions

Step 2) Compose a poem for two voices for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde using what you uncovered in Step 1. Be sure to include a brief explanation of your purpose and intended effect for the poem as well as the poem itself. Before writing, review examples of poems for two voices from Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman.

Note: This type of poem is composed to be read aloud by two (sometimes even three) readers. Most lines in these poems are spoken by the individual reader separately, and the speakers take turns going back and forth between the voices; however, some lines are composed to be said out loud together by both speakers. You may choose to do a collabo-blog for this portion of your post (your partner may choose to write for Jekyll and you for Hyde; you for Jekyll's inner thoughts (reality) and your partner for his inner thoughts (appearance)). If you choose to do so, be sure I know who did what! Each "voice" should include at least 7-10 lines and at least 1 line that would be spoken together.

Netflix and...Kill?

Last night I settled in to watch an episode of Riverdale on Netflix and noticed something INCREDIBLE- a Claire Underwood recommendation list. Claire Underwood, the wife of Kevin Spacey's character on House of Cards, is very similar to Lady Macbeth- conniving, vindictive, controlling, yet poised at all times (#keepmurderclassy). Her recommendations included The Good Wife and Scandal- both of which are great choices, especially knowing so much about her character. 

According to gigaom.com, here's what up:

" Ever wanted to know what Claire Underwood, the wife of the ruthless congressman in Netflix’s political drama House of Cards likes to watch on TV? Now you can: Netflix has started to use fictional characters from some of its original programming to recommend new movies and TV sows to its members.

Users are reporting that rows of recommendations titled “Watched by Claire Underwood,” “Watched by Bojack Horseman” or “Watched by Pennsatucky” have popped up in their Netflix apps. The latter, which is a Christian fundamentalist character in Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, likes to watchJesus Camp, Saved and Angels & Demons, whereas Claire Underwood prefers shows like The Good Wife and Damages.

Netflix has said in the past that it  spends $150 million on content recommendations every year. I’d guess that not a whole lot of that money will go to the company’s new curator Bojack Horseman (for the uninitiated, it’s Bojack is a talking horse in an animated Netflix series by the same name), but it’s still a fun easter egg that helps Netflix to highlight both its originals and some of its catalog titles."

For Blog #7, curate a Netflix recommendation list for a character in Macbeth. What movies or television shows would he or she recommend? Choose 5-6 recommendations and provide a (paragraph) justification for each. Your justification should provide a basic summary of the content and why your character would choose it (What might it reveal about him or her? What should we now understand about your character because of his or her recommendations?)

Think about the motifs we've tracked: 
- “Fair is foul and foul is fair” → Appearance vs. reality, hiding behind masks
- Ambition - Masculinity - Blood - Supernatural
- Prophecies
Alternate ideas for this post: create an Amazon Wish List or create a Spotify playlist; the expectations/directions are the same!
*I highly recommend House of Cards- it's sooo Shakespeare*

Witch-slapped: Macbeth's fall from grace

Macbeth mirrors the archetypal "fall of man" from grace. In the play, we see two interpretations of the idiom- the more secular understanding of losing one's prestige, respect, or status, as well as the religious connotation of man's transition from a state of innocence and obedience towards God to one of guilt and disobedience. Thus, Shakespeare's portrayal of this archetype helps us understand how it happens and what the consequences are. For this week's blog post, respond to ONE of the following (be sure to use textual evidence in your response...it will also be wise to include author techniques AND historical/social context as well):

1. Why do people who are not "evil" take the first step into evil? What, for instance, is involved in taking that first step "down the primrose path to the everlasting bonfire" (Macbeth, 2.3)? What are the consequences of the individual choosing evil (particularly the internal consequences)? Use examples from the text to support your opinion.

2. "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Acton
To what extent would Shakespeare agree with this statement? Use the play and your own experience as your support.

3. Do you believe events in your life have been guided by fate or chance? Why or why not? Based on the text, what do you think Shakespeare's attitude was towards fate? Does Macbeth have any choice in his actions or was everything predetermined? Use examples from the text as your support.

4. How does the values of manhood differ in modern times? What do you think it takes to be a good man? Explain how your views are like or unlike those in the play, using examples from the text.

#IBmakingart

First, this:

And here's what you need to do for Blog #5

STEP 1) Check out this and this.  Macbeth was written by Shakespeare in 1606, but is set in the 11th century. Both links provide historical context- for the setting, but also for the time it was written and performed. Check out the "Overview", "Key Events", "Works of Art", and "Related Content" towards the bottom of the page.


STEP 2) Select only one work of art from either period to analyze & interpret.  Spend significant time studying the work: the significance and meaning of a work will not be entirely revealed on first impression. This occasion may be the first time you have ever spent so much time looking at a single work of art; this process is AN IMPORTANT part of the assignment


STEP 3) Make a sketch while you are studying the piece you've selected. It will actually help you to observe more carefully. You will not be graded on the quality or skill of this drawing, as long as you make a serious effort. Please include your sketch (and the actual image as needed...unless you are an amazing artist) with your visual analysis for Blog Post #5.


STEP 4)Your analysis/response must address each of the following:
VISUAL ANALYSIS:
1: Identify artist, title, date, medium, and size

2: Stylistic period/culture/context (When – and Where – geographic location of production)

3: Subject/Iconography (What is represented? What is the idea/concept?)
What is the subject? Could it be considered a new treatment of a traditional art theme such as portraiture, landscape, etc.? *This is part of a "little picture" understanding*

4: Style/technique (How does the artist handle light, form, color, texture, and shape as well as composition? or How the art is arranged or organized?)
How did the formal elements communicate or reinforce the meaning of the work? How does the media and/or technique influence and/or enhance the meaning?

5: Significance/function/purpose (How does the work convey social, political, popular, or religious values? What is the purpose of the work?)  *Remember- we need to always think about context!*
What do you think is the meaning of the piece? What are the clues in the work that lead you to this conclusion? What additional themes are addressed directly or implied by the artist? Does the artwork cause you to re- consider these ideas or think about them in new ways? What does the title of the work signify? Does this work have special relevance or significance to viewers today? If it is more than 20 years old, does it signify something different than when it was originally created? What is the value of this art in today’s society?

The questions above are just to get you started. They are probably not the right questions for every work of art, but they may be a helpful place to begin. 

Can't bury these tales: The Canterbury Tales and Jane Eyre

The ordinary man of the 14^th century was apt to view his world as being old, sophisticated and corrupt. New developments in the government and organization of society were replacing the crumbling feudal system. Kings and royalty were being supplanted by the new rich who had made vast fortunes out of the commercialism of trade and finance. The common people were beginning to stir and revolt. Corruption in the Church, the state, and in individual lives was the frequent target of satirical writers. Chief among these satirists was Geoffrey Chaucer, often called “the father of English literature.”

Chaucer was well aware of the problems of his day. Chaucer never directly argues or preaches. He merely presents the corruption, the exaggerated pomp, the foolishness of the men and women of his age, and allows his readers to draw their own conclusions. Chaucer’s satire is softened throughout by his humor, his awareness of beauty, his rich love of life, and his cosmopolitan outlook.

In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer becomes the storyteller. With his emphasis on realism, he gives the whole work the character of a novel. Chaucer’s greatness lies in his ability to portray character. 

For the most part the stories he tells are not original (malpractice much?). There are legends, love stories, adventures, satires, allegories and fables, all borrowed from the Italian, French, and English story collections, and from oral tradition. Chaucer’s originality stems from his ability to tell the tales brilliantly through verse; the idea of the pilgrimage as a framework (it's called a frame narrative) and a source of unity for his tales; and the satiric humor that permeates the stories and the characters. 

Jane Eyre is a novel set in England that depicts Jane’s journey from orphaned child to heiress after working as a governess in a wealthy household and falling in love with the master of the house. While the novel is more Gothic than satirical, the author still uses her work to reveal the shortcomings of the society she and her characters are a part of (just like good ol' Chaucer). 

Here's what you need to do: Read paragraphs 8-54 of Chapter 7 of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte , and then answer one of the questions below for Blog Post #4.

1. How do the elevated diction and elaborate syntax contrast with the feelings of the narrator in paragraphs 11-12? 

2. How would you best describe the central idea of this chapter? Which phrase from the chapter best helps develop the central idea? 

3. Identify and interpret the architectural images Jane uses to denote Mr. Brocklehurst in this chapter. What is the impact of these images on the development of his character?

4. What does Mr. Brocklehurst’s analogy between the ill-prepared breakfast and the “sufferings of the primitive Christians…the torments of martyrs…the exhortations of our blessed Lord Himself” reveal about his character? How does this attitude contrast with that of Miss Temple to reveal the author’s social message? 

5. Reread the following passages and complete the task that follows:

“And, ma’am,” he continued, “the laundress tells me some of the girls have two clean tuckers in the week: it is too much; the rules limit them to one.”

“Julia Severn, ma’am! And why has she, or any other, curled hair? Why, in defiance of every precept and principle of this house, does she conform to the world so openly—here in an evangelical, charitable establishment—as to wear her hair one mass of curls?”

“Naturally! Yes, but we are not to conform to nature; I wish these girls to be the children of Grace: and why that abundance? I have again and again intimated that I desire the hair to be arranged closely, modestly, plainly. Miss Temple, that girl’s hair must be cut off entirely; I will send a barber to-morrow.”

“(T)hree other visitors, ladies, now entered the room. They ought to have come a little sooner to have heard his lecture on dress, for they were splendidly attired in velvet, silk, and furs. The two younger of the trio (fine girls of sixteen and seventeen) had grey beaver hats, then in fashion, shaded with ostrich plumes, and from under the brim of this graceful head-dress fell a profusion of light tresses, elaborately curled; the elder lady was enveloped in a costly velvet shawl, trimmed with ermine, and she wore a false front of French curls.”

Analyze the author’s use of irony in describing Mr. Brocklehurst’s family in the second passage. How does the author contrast this description with Mr. Brocklehurst’s lecture to Miss Temple to provide social commentary on perceptions of class during this time? 

This is the best question---> 6. Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Explain how the author uses various literary devices (such as irony, characterization, and figurative language) to provide social commentary, OR  how the character’s alienation reveals the surrounding society’s assumptions and moral values.

And the greatest of these is love...or is it pride?

In the fourth century, Greek monk and theologian Evagrius Ponticus first conceptualized the idea of eight offenses or “wicked human passions” having a negative effect on human behavior and relationships. Over the next several centuries, church leaders ranked and reworked this list into what we now know as the Seven Deadly Sins.

Pope Gregory ranked the Deadly Sins according to the degree in which they offended against the holy virtue of love. Pope Gregory’s order from worst to least is pride, envy, anger (wrath), sloth, avarice (greed), gluttony, and lust. Later theologians dismissed the idea of ranking the sins, as all of them were considered “deadly” to living a holy and fulfilled life.

Medieval understanding of the sins included not only the sin itself, but a corresponding punishment in Hell (Dante's Inferno, anyone?), ranging from being thrown in snake pits or submerged in freezing water to burning in fire and brimstone. Church teachings at the time also developed to include the idea that a corresponding Heavenly Virtue was necessary to overcome the grip of sin:

Pride – Humility

Envy – Kindness

Wrath – Patience

Sloth – Diligence

Avarice – Charity

Gluttony – Temperance

Lust – Chastity

Most of Chaucer’s tales in The Canterbury Tales indicate ways in which a person is within the grip of one or more of the Deadly Sins, showing what lessons the characters may learn from their transgressions or hope to improve by application of one or more of the Virtues. In this way, the Canterbury Tales reflect the daily role of the church in medieval life.

For blog post #3, find an advertisement that demonstrates one (or more) of the Seven Deadly Sins (it should be used as a rhetorical or persuasive device) and complete an analysis of the text. Your response should include the following: 

- The advertisement itself—make sure the author, the date, and  the place of publication are included
- A denotative examination of the text (little picture)
- A connotative examination of the text (big picture)
- Intended audience:

a.      Who are they?
b.      What might their social and economic background be?
c.       What cultural knowledge do they have?
Consider the following in your response: 

• How has the author used the following: image, layout, language, and color?

• The way mass media use language and image to inform, persuade or entertain, as well as textual bias. Also consider:  stereotypes, popular culture, lobbying, elections, legislation, public information the diversity of audiences, use of style and register, overt and covert forms of bias, layout and use of images, deliberate manipulation of audience, placement and the selection of platform

What's in a name?

Names were a big deal during the Anglo-Saxon times and in Beowulf.  So where did Beowulf’s name come from?

 Beowulf = Bee-Wolf ( a kenning = BEAR)

Henry Sweet, a philologist and early linguist specializing in Germanic languages, proposed that the name Beowulf  in Old English means “bee-wolf” or “bee-hunter” and that it is a kenning for “bear”. This etymology is mirrored in recorded instances of similar names. Biuuuwulf is recorded as a name in the 1031 AD Liber Vitae. The name is attested to a monk from Durham and literally means bee wolf in Northumbrian. The 11th century English Domesday Book contains a recorded instance of the name Beulf.

Just for kicks, you can write your names in runes after checking out Beowulf's family tree. H'okay?

(See what I did there? Because there are all those "H" names? Get it?)

So names were pretty crazy, but also pretty important. Is this also true still in our society today?    Think about it: Where did you get your name?  What weight has your name been given through-out your life?  Has your name ever brought you privilege or the cause of a negative situation?  What name would you rather have?  Do you have a nickname?  How/why did that come about?  Will you change your name after marriage?  What do you think of the increasingly popular option of a woman (man?) retaining her (his) childhood family name?  What about double or hyphenated last names?  

Here's what your second post should include: 

1) In a paragraph, explore the meaning you find in  your name. It can be your first, your last, or even a nickname.  How does that name define you? Or does it?

AND

2) Anna Quindlen, in her essay "The Name is Mine", remarks,"there are two me's, the me who is the individual and the me who is a part of a family of four..." To that same end, some say that Beowulf is a story of a dual ordeal: an external battle with vicious opponents and an equally important battle with human tendencies. Everyone experiences such moments of awareness.  In another paragraph or two, think about those times when you have been "two," and explore the dilemma posed by being an individual and, at the same time, a part of a larger whole. 

Atta girl, Atwood...

Margaret Atwood is a poet and historian as well as a successful novelist.  Of special interest (and specifically mentioned in the Epilogue) are:
-  the government's regime in Iran in the 1980′s (and now- it hasn’t changed!)
- Romanian policy under President Ceaucescu regarding the birthrate in Romania
-  the influence of the American right-wing Christian community on politics (again, this is just as true now as it was in the 1980′s). 
What I find most interesting about Atwood is how she manipulates real events with her imagined fiction to create a powerful identity for the "others"...no, not these others but this.

So here's what you need to do:
First, check out photographer Wing Young Huie's work( http://www.wingyounghuie.com/ ) and blog( http://know.wingyounghuie.com/ ) and select one of his pieces to use in your first(!) post.

Then, provide a summary of your selected photograph that includes: 
- The document itself—make sure the author, the date, and  the place of publication are included
- A denotative examination of the text (little picture- what do we see on first examination?)
- A connotative examination of the text (big picture- what do we "discover" by looking deeper?)
Finally, respond to the following: How do Wing Young Huie (in your selected photograph) and Margaret Atwood (in The Handmaid's Tale) present the concept of "othering" through  image, layout/format, language, and/or color? You may compare the two texts/approaches, contrast, or both. 

*You might choose to consider one or more of the following:  stereotypes, popular culture, elections, legislation, public information, the diversity of audiences, use of style and register,  forms of bias, deliberate manipulation of audience, and the selection of text type*