AHWOSG - Continuing Chapter 1

Morning everyone,

Term is almost over!


Here are the tasks I would like you to do whilst we have the computer room today. This week we will finish Chapter 1 and do some preparation for an essay you will be writing over break.

Ongoing tasks: Continue to find quotes relating to Eggers' mother, and post them to the Padlet wall.

Today: Do some analysis of the 2 extracts we read at the start of the lesson, and address the following points:

• Page 21-23: Discuss the juxtaposition of how Eggers' father approaches the subject of death to the family, compared to how Beth and Dave approach the subject to Toph. How do they protect Toph from the reality? Think about the following, and write a paragraph of analysis in response to the extract, looking closely at the language used i.e. sentence mood, sentence structure, verbs, nouns etc.: 

The relationship with Toph is introduced in the turbulence of the mother’s death. The whole point of the novel is for Dave to save his own sense of self and innocence through redeeming his brother’s childhood just before it is totally destroyed. This extract reveals a sullen and monosyllabic Toph, and Dave’s inability to articulate or connect with his emotions well enough to reach him.

• Page 23-27: This is a long extract, and represents Eggers' internal battle with himself as he tries to confront the reality of his mother's inevitable death. Analyse his language here, again looking at sentence structure, mood etc., but also any other language features you can identify. Can you identify more than one voice at work here? How does he vocalise his feelings of anger/fear/annoyance/helplessness/lack of control/panic through his imaginings and internal monologue?

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

Hi everyone,

Just 1 week left until the end of term, I imagine you are all ready for a break by now!

Today we are going to do some work on two sections of AHWOSG - the opening section we looked at last week, and an extract from pages 12-16 in which Eggers is describing his mother's body. Our next few lessons will be focused on the mother, so these extracts will lead us in.

Task 1

We have already covered this section, so I would like you to try and spend no more than 30 minutes on this task.

Use the same section of this extract that you were assigned in last week's lesson, and write up 1-2 paragraphs about the extract. Use the following points as prompts:

• What is it about? Who is involved? What do we find out about them? What do we find out about the narrator? Does it touch on any of the key themes? Can you identify any key language patters or interesting uses of language? How does it match our expectations of autobiography?

Reminder of the key themes:

1. Death and loss
2. Family and relationships (parental/sibling)
3. Friendship
4. Love
5. Sex
6. Coming of age/growing up/responsibility
7. Change
8. Guilt
9. Fiction vs. Reality
10. Self-awareness

Some language focus:

1. Use of dialogue
2. Symbolism
3. Repetition
4. Pronoun use
5. Use of bracket (parentheses)
6. Length and punctuation of sentences
7. Use of humour
8. Descriptive language - use of adjectives and noun phrases
9. Use of tense - past/present
10. Colloquialisms and expletives

Post your work on your blog, and put it onto the Padlet page (you can copy and paste). Title your post with the page number and the focus of your paragraph: Padlet Wall

NOTE: This is the centralised Padlet Wall for our study of the text. I will be asking you to update the wall regularly. The more you do this, the better revision resource you will have.

An example of how you could write about this section:

"In the extract Eggers describes the time when his mother was diagnosed with stomach cancer for a second time.  The way in which Eggers writes about the personal recount of this time in his life is very emotive, the declarative ‘people have indigestion; people take Tums’ sounds like a reassurance to himself; understandably he does not want his mother to have cancer and is trying to avoid the worst case scenario.  He goes on to personify his mother’s cancer, the adjectives ‘swarming, shimmering, wet and oily’ create an image of something alien, something that should not be in his mother’s body.  His description of the cancer as a ‘city’ with ‘environmentally careless citizenry and no zoning laws whatsoever’ turns it into something it is not, through this metaphor Eggers reinforces the idea of something alien, the intruders have colonised his mother’s body, made the city theirs with no thought about the destruction it will cause. Eggers disguises his feelings amongst the imperatives ‘Turn off. The fucking. Light’ and ‘Go. The. Fuck. Away’, though these words are from the ‘cancer’ it is likely that this is how he is feeling himself.  He is exploring his feelings within this text and hidden in these words are his anger and fear, just as the cancer ‘glared at the doctor’ he has similar feelings towards the cancer." 

Task 2

(Spend around 45 minutes on this task)

Read the extract on pages 12-16. This extract focuses on Dave's mother and his description of her body with forensic accuracy. This seems for him an almost academic exercise, a creative writing task that allows him to stretch his descriptive powers with pride. 

Again focusing on the key themes, do the same kind of analysis for this extract as you have done for Task 1, but focusing on the entire extract rather than just a section.

Additional themes to look for in this extract:

1. Emotional disconnection
2. Protection
3. Memories
4. Blending fiction and reality
5. Physicality
6. The juxtaposition of vitality in youth and weakness in illness

Language focus for this section (but not limited to):

1. Use of humour: still prominent, but this extract is far more serious in tone. Contrast this with the opening extract. Why does he use humour here? Is it a coping mechanism?
2. Definite article ('the') as a form of emotional disconnection
3. Use of dialogue
4. Negative lexis (i.e. verbs/adjectives/nouns)
5. Repetition
6. Sibilance
7. Juxtaposition
8. Detailed description and imagery - graphic
9. Dynamic verbs to describe one's body - contrast for illness and for health
10. The blending of fiction/fantasy, again is this a coping mechanism?

Again, write up your analysis as 1 or 2 paragraphs, and then post them to the Padlet wall, with the page of the extract and the theme of your paragraph as the title for your post.

Homework
Again, our primary focus for next week's lessons will be the mother, so from pages 1-45, start building up a bank of quotations which relate to the mother. You can post these to Padlet, but try not to include quotations that are already there.

The History Boys - Summative Questions

Morning everyone,

As we have now finished looking at the play for the time being (we will come back to it later in the course), use the rest of this lesson to consolidate your knowledge and understanding of the text.

Explore and answer the following questions on your blogs. What you do not finish today will be your homework - please finish these within no later than 2 weeks (8th December).

The History Boys Summative Questions

About the History

1.     History itself is a subject in the play. In the play Dakin calls Irwin’s method subjunctive history, the history of what might have been. Do you think there is value in Irwin’s approach to looking at historical events? Why or why not?

2.     In addition to world historical events we are also given a glimpse at the personal histories of the characters in the play. What do their personal histories reveal? How do their remembrances differ?

3.     Much of the play is not about poetry but literature. Many of the poets quoted wrote during World War I. What resonances exist between the young men at war and the young men in the play?

About the Play

4.     The three teachers, Mrs. Lintott, Mr. Hector and Mr. Irwin, have strikingly different teaching methods and goals. Discuss the merits and disadvantages of their competing pedagogies.

5.     Irwin says he does not think there is time for Hector’s type of teaching any more. What does he mean? What is lost with the loss of Hector?

6.     Hector is a problematic character in the play. He is a gifted teacher but some of his actions are inappropriate. Can one reconcile Hector’s behaviour with his teaching?

7.     Mrs. Lintott is the lone woman in the play. What is her role both as an educator and historian? Is it significant that she is surrounded by men, both in the school and in her work? How do you interpret her outburst about the role of women in history?

8.     The characters in the play occasionally step outside themselves to comment on the action of the play, either within the moment or sometimes from a perspective years later. How does this commentary help us understand the play?

Half Term Homework Reminder

Hi everyone,

This is just a quick reminder of the homework I am expecting to be completed over half term.
There are 3 compulsory tasks and one voluntary task:

Voluntary Task

Please complete an in-depth analysis of the extract that takes place on page 33-34 of The History Boys, which features a conversation between Rudge and Mrs. Lintott. Answer the following question, and use the 2 handouts to help you structure your answer:

'How do Rudge and Mrs. Lintott use language to reveal their thoughts and feelings about Irwin in this extract?'


Compulsory Tasks:

1. Poetry and partner text comparison essay

Please complete the following essay:

Compare and contrast how London is presented in 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge' and either the Guardian article 'Maybe it's because I'm a Londonder' or the extract from 'Saturday' by Ian McEwan.

In your response you should:

• use integrated linguistic and literary approaches to analyse both the poem and your chosen text  
• consider how relevant contextual factors have shaped your reading of the poem 
•  explore connections between the poem and your chosen text, applying linguistic and literary concepts and methods.

This essay needs to be handed in the first week back after half term.

2. Please comment below with your Blog URL. Those exempt from this are:

- Declan
- Finbar
- Alice
- Dan
- Louise
- Jemma
- Lily
- Rosie
- Tom

This needs to be completed as soon as possible, as I will be leaving comments on your blog posts over half term.

3. Please post to the Padlet page I have created for the poem 'My Dear and Loving Husband' by Anne Bradstreet.

Here is the link: http://padlet.com/claudia_a/ndsdf5g03u6x

Those who are exempt from this are:

- Declan
- Rosie
- Natasha
- Finbar
- Dalton

We will be using these comments in our next poetry lesson, so please ensure you complete this 5 minute task.


I hope you have a nice half term and you come back refreshed and ready to work!

Claudia

Work in my absence

Hi everyone,

I am still feeling unwell and so I won't be in college again today. In my absence please continue with the work you started yesterday and please ensure that the linguistic techniques table for the scene with Mrs. Lintott and Rudge is completed by Monday as we will go through it in that lesson.

Today can you also please go through the poem 'My Dear and Loving Husband' in your anthologies. Read the poem and annotate, identifying any relevant literary and linguistic features. Can you all post to the Padlet page I have created for this poem with a few analytical sentences about any features you have found. Padlet link below:

http://padlet.com/claudia_a/ndsdf5g03u6x

Everyone needs to post to the Padlet page as we will use your comments on our next poetry lesson. 

Apologies for my absence, I hope you all find the work challenging and enjoyable and I will see you all next week.

Claudia

AS Lang Lit - work in my absence

Hi everyone,

I have gone home sick today and so it is unlikely that I will be in college tomorrow (Wednesday).

In my absence, please complete the following task. You should be able to get through this task in the time that you have tomorrow, and then we will continue with an extension on Monday. I am not feeling better by Thursday I will be absent again, if so I will post a poetry related task.

Please read pages 33-34 of The History Boys - this scene features a conversation between Rudge and Mrs. Lintott. This is a particularly interesting scene for 2 reasons:

1. This is the most we have seen Rudge in conversation so far, and the first time we have seen him speak outside of the classroom
2. This is the only time we see Mrs. Lintott in conversation with one of the boys one-to-one.

Here they are discussing Irwin's teaching style, using interesting language features to vaguely and gradually reveal their thoughts on him, but they never directly state their opinion. This leaves the audience to read between the lines - the scene relies heavily on subtext.

First of all, read the scene and make notes on anything that you think is interesting or worth mentioning. Next, as we did with Irwin's lesson, fill in the following language analysis grid. There are different features this time, and there is less information to help you. Follow the instructions and fill in the grid:

Linguistic Techniques

This should be enough work for one lesson, so work your way through these tasks. It would be a good idea to print the worksheet and handwrite it.

I will hopefully see you all on Thursday. I also did not collect your History Boys essays in on Monday, so could you have these ready for collection by Thursday. Also, please read the poem 'My Dear and Loving Husband' and make some notes for our poetry lesson on Thursday.

Thank you, enjoy!

Claudia

The History Boys - Research Task

** Before you get started, I am still waiting for everyone to comment on the post below with their Blog URLs. I have had 4 people comment out of 21 of you. Do this before you begin.**

Good morning everyone, today you will be working on a contextual and historical research task.

You are going to explore some of the wider historical and textual references in the next scene we see Irwin teaching the boys (pages 23-27)


Wilfred Owen / reference to donkeys / General Haig /  / Ruhr and Rhineland / Weimar Republic / Hitler / Cenotaph / the Last Post / the Unknown Soldier / Siegfried Sassoon/  Kipling (why does Akthar respond to this) / quote from Kipling  / Rembrandt  / Larkin's MCMXIV

Choose 3 of the above historical events or literary figures. Research what / who it is and comment on:

• the significance to Irwin's argument about History / knowledge / education
• what it demonstrates about the boys
• what themes are raised

Make sure you consider your reference within the context it is used.

Post your response on your blogs.

EXTENSION TASK: Start reading and making notes on Alan Bennett's Introduction to The History Boys. Post your notes on your blog. This can be done over the next couple of weeks.

Thank you! Enjoy!

Claudia

Poetry and Partner Text Comparison

Hi everyone,

As homework for the poetry lesson, I would like you to make a post on your blog in which you identify any shared techniques that you have found between 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge' and 'Saturday' by Ian McEwan. What literary and linguistic features appear in both texts?

This can be written in bullet point form under headings, or written as sentences.

Please upload this by Monday.

REMINDER: Your History Boys essays are also due in by Monday.

Additionally, I am still missing some of your blog URLs. Could everyone comment on this post with their blog URL please.

Thank you, have a great weekend

Claudia

The History Boys - The French Scene

Hi everyone, today we are going to be doing some work on the French scene in The History Boys.

Follow the tasks below and post to your blogs when you've finished:

The Brothel Scene

1. The appeal of this scene on Page 12 is essentially visual. Even with only a basic grasp of French you can work out roughly what is going on (the scene is translated in your study booklets)

2. Part of the humor of this scene is the subtext, implications of what the students, Hector, Headmaster might be really thinking as they talk aloud.  Bennett’s skill as a dramatist is that the conversation is loaded with hidden meaning, we can imagine what the characters are really thinking when they talk aloud.

3. Hector agrees to the risqué suggestion from the sexually provocative Dakin that the setting for the exercise that day should be a brothel.  The boys parody (mock in exaggerated form) life in a brothel. 

4. Scripps plays the music from La Vie En Rose (Life in the Pink) – This is an example of Bennett giving these sixth-formers from the 1980s knowledge of popular culture from a time more relevant to the playwright himself. They are perhaps not realistic sixth-formers but those created by Bennett to convey his interests and entertain a theatre audience.

Tasks

Task 1: Think back to our discussion last week of Hector as a teacher and a character. How is this scene typical of his character and his relationship with the boys?

This scene is known as farce.  The Headmaster is represented as the fall guy.

Task 2 Look up the terms farce and fall guy and find out their definitions then explore the points in this scene where these terms make sense.

The scene helps to create humour and establish some of the main characters’ motives in the play.

Task 3 As you re-watch the clip, first of all try to work out what is going on at a visual level and what clues are provided about the different personalities of the characters involved. 

Watch is without the translation, as this will make you focus on the non-verbal communication.

Write down some suggestions against this list below:

Headmaster

Hector                                    Irwin

Scripps                                   Dakin

Posner                                    Akthar

Crowther                               Timms

Task 4: Try to explore the subtext of this scene. Look at the plain English translation and discuss what the characters may really be thinking to explore characterisation more deeply.  A subtext represents the real mind of the characters – what they are thinking as they say something – reading between the lines.

It won’t apply throughout the scene, but think about what the characters’ real motives / thoughts might be. Think also about who volunteers for parts – that will tell you a lot about their personalities.

Extension:

If you finish all of these tasks, start thinking about the following interpretation and try to develop a PEE paragraph which explores this:

Irwin's interruption of Hector and the boys acting out the brothel scene is a way for Bennett to polarize the two characters. How far do you agree with this? Is there any other evidence to suggest this? Support your points with evidence from the text.

William Wordsworth - Composed Upon Westminster Bridge: Padlet

Hi everyone, a small homework task for you.

I'd like you all to post to the Padlet page I have created for the poem we studied in class today (follow this link: http://padlet.com/claudia_a/915d4ucna4sv) and follow the instructions.

This task will take you 5 minutes.

Claudia

The History Boys - Teaching Styles

Hi everyone,

Here are the resources you will need in order to complete the homework that is due in on Monday.

Firstly, read the following PowerPoint, and look at the final slide entitled 'Analysis' which will explain the task:

The History Boys - Teaching Styles

Complete the task using the quotations from the play (follow the link below)

The History Boys - Quotations


Using the quotations, write 2 or 3 PEE paragraphs about each teacher and their style. For the extension, you should decide who you think is the best teacher. Why do you think this? Why are they the best teacher compared to the others?

The task is due in on Monday, so you should work on it over the weekend

Claudia

The History Boys powerpoint

Hi everyone,

Excellent work today on imaging the staging of the opening scene of The History Boys; it was very interesting hearing all of your ideas and your interpretations!

Attached below is the PowerPoint we used in class today.

Your homework is to write up your analysis of the opening scene that we discussed last lesson and at the start of today's lesson, and post to your blogs. Again if you can't access the blogs or you haven't emailed me your URL please do so ASAP.

Dramatic Techniques PowerPoint

Also attached is a link to the Broadway performance on Youtube. We looked at this briefly in class today and it is well worth a watch (if you find yourself with 2.5 hours spare...). We will be watching the film on Wednesday, so please be on time to class.

See you Wednesday

Claudia

Word Classes and The History Boys PowerPoints

Good afternoon Lang Lit'ers

Attached here are the Word Class and The History Boys powerpoints we covered in class today. Please re-read the word classes powerpoint regularly as you will need to start using these terms in your academic writing.

Word Classes PowerPoint

The History Boys PowerPoint

As I mentioned earlier I will not be in college tomorrow as I am on a trip (unless it's cancelled!) so I'd like you to continue with your analysis of the opening scene of The History Boys. Remember you are writing about your expectations of Irwin's character, trying to decipher what is going on in the scene, annotating the text and identifying what kind of language features are being used, and deciding whether or not this scene alters your opinions of Irwin.

Make sure you have some solid ideas and points to make as I'd like you to share these with the class in the next lesson. It might be a good idea to make notes and to write up your analysis.

Next week I will be giving you back your initial assessments and having one-to-ones with you to give you your feedback.

Any questions about any of these tasks, please email.

REMEMBER: Sign the register on the door so your attendance is not affected.

Hope you all have a great week and weekend, see you on Monday

Claudia

Lang Lit Initial Assessment - Moved to Monday

Hi everyone,

Just a quick notice to inform you all that we will do our initial assessment on Monday, however this is nothing to worry about. The assessment will be on the poem 'Leisure' by William Henry Davies, so make sure you read it beforehand. We will do around half an hour/ 45 minutes preparation and discussion of the poem, and then you will have a question to answer, similar to what we did on Thursday.

Great work on the Padlet page - it's been good to read all of your responses. Please update both the Padlet page and you blog if you haven't done so yet.

See you Monday! Please drop me an email if you have any questions.

Have a great weekend

Claudia

Weekend Work

Hi LangLit-ers,

I hope you have had a successful first week at St. Brendan's.

Just a reminder for you all to send me your blog URL's asap please, and to update the Padlet wall if you haven't done so already, and write up your summary of a book review.

Also, you will need to follow my blog so you can see when I have updated. If you go to your blogger homepage, you will see an orange link on the right hand side called 'Reading List'. Below this there is an 'Add' button. Click the button and paste the link to my blog (claudialanglit.blogspot.com) into the box and then click follow. The blog will then be added to your reading list.

Please re-read Blake's 'The Schoolboy' and 'Leisure' by William Henry Davies before our next lesson.

I hope you all have an excellent weekend!

Claudia

The Lang Lit Padlet Page

Hi everyone, and welcome to the subject!

Below is a link to the Lang Lit Padlet page. Post to the page with your name as the title, and answer the questions.

If you can, make a shortcut to this on the homescreen of your phone (this is relatively straightforward, here is a link which explains how to do this on all smartphones).

Padlet Page

Don't forget to email me your blogger URLs to cal@stbrn.ac.uk

Happy blogging!

Claudia

Welcome!

Welcome to my English Language Blog! I will update this blog frequently with interesting articles and resources which will help your study of this amazing subject. I will be asking you to update your blogs too, and will provide commentary and feedback for the work you post. Let's get writing!