Sacred Territory: Studying Fiction by Sherman Alexie and Marjane Satrapi

In an interview with K.E. Semmel, published in the Writer's Chronicle (June 2011), Sherman Alexie explains that most of his fiction taps into his own life experience, but there is one area he considers too sacred to fictionalize.

"...there are certain ceremonies and sacred moments in my tribe life that I don't write about at all," Alexie states. "Most of that is religious.  Religious feeling I certainly write about, but specific ceremonies and songs I don't go near...I've written things about other people, fictionalized, that I've come to regret. So I'm very careful about that now."

Rather than explain this complex statement, Alexie moves onto how a writer can take actual events that occurred, like writing about a father dying when his own father was dying, but during the process of fitting this event into a narrative, the emotional states are changed and that change strips away the autobiographical nature of the event. In creating story, the fiction takes over. While this perspective is very interesting, especially to readers and writers of fiction, I find his reverence for "sacred moments" even more intriguing. The phrase, "...I've come to regret" reveals an ongoing tension that Alexie feels between the sacredness of his tribal roots and his fame as a Great American Novelist.

Each student will conduct an interview this semester as we build our collaborative ethnography. If I had been interviewing Alexie, I would have asked him to explain this statement by asking him more questions to try and get him to move from the general to the specific. During your interviews, try not to overlook opportunities where a general statement can be explored in a more specific way. Journalists often rely on questions that start with: Who, What, How, Where, Why?

Culture and Identity

The theme of our course asks us to look at the bonds between our upbringing—the who, where, when of our youth—and our identity. We will examine pop culture for connections between what we see and hear and how we live. Our literature will help us take a deeper look into how ethnicity, gender and religion shape our lives. Marjane Satrapi reveals 1980s Iran from the perspective of a childhood and Sherman Alexie's character navigates the rutted road between his life on a Washington reservation and becoming the first student to attend high school outside the tribe.

Through these fictional worlds, we will experience how growing up outside the mainstream has its challenges. Everyone walks the line of 'fitting in,' but for those who are bridging two radically different worlds, this process can feel a bit like walking a tight rope. Forming identity along this continuum can be a liberating and empowering experience for some; for others this journey can feel extremely difficult, and even dangerous, to navigate.

This tension is among those that we will explore as we read. As we build the context (and our knowledge) around these novels, we will also read newspaper articles on Arab Spring and current events in Libya and Iran. During our second unit groups will read and report on a variety of non-fiction, including The Ohlone Way, by Malcolm Margolin, Ishi In Two Worlds, by Theodora Kroeber, Woman Native Other, by Trinh T. Minh-ha and the anthology, Native American Voices, as well as current writings from Native Americans published in Indian Country Magazine and through Social Media.

I will collect articles in my account on Reddit.com and I suggest you do the same and link them to your blogs, so we can build our knowledge on this important topic.


Creative Commons Copyright

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National Museum of the American Indian 


Native American Ethnography

Projects

Keys to Successful College Writing

Here are eight habits of mind essential for success in college writing:

* Curiosity – the desire to know more about the world.
* Openness – the willingness to consider new ways of being and thinking in the world.
* Engagement – a sense of investment and involvement in learning.
* Creativity – the ability to use novel approaches for generating, investigating, and representing ideas.
* Persistence – the ability to sustain interest in and attention to short- and long-term projects.
* Responsibility – the ability to take ownership of one’s actions and understand the consequences of those actions for oneself and others.
* Flexibility – the ability to adapt to situations, expectations, or demands.
* Metacognition – the ability to reflect on one’s own thinking as well as on the individual and cultural processes used to structure knowledge.


Source: Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing Council of Writing Program Administrators

READER RESPONSE THEORY PRACTICE AND DISCUSSION GROUPS

Please assign roles of Facilitator (in charge of time, facilitating project completion, including soliciting input, and maintaining team focus), Scribe (in charge of recording the collaborative writing), Editors (in charge of making sure errors are corrected and the copy is ready for presentation), Spokesperson (read finished project to the class and assist in fielding questions).

Projects for Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis

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Team 1 (Formalists)
Please write one-two fully developed paragraphs in which you compare and contrast the graphic novel form with a traditional novel. Take a poll on the number of students who think the graphic novel represents the future of literature. What adjustments, as readers, did your team make to comprehend the text? Please identify several specific examples of where these adjustments occurred and how, as readers, you processed the information differently from a traditional novel. Open up the discussion by having everyone share at least one page or scene in which the visual/graphic aspect of the texts changed or added to their understanding of the events.  Your project should make a claim about the experience of reading a graphic novel and how that experience is different from reading a traditional novel. Please support that claim with examples from the text and analysis. 

Team 2, 3 and 4
Each group member should take a few minutes to write what they Know about the setting of this novel and write down a couple of questions that pertain to the first 50 pages about what they Want to know. Share the K/W responses. After your discussion, please assign one question to each group member and use the computers to research the answer to this question. Each student should create a new post titled: Setting Research and each answer should be attributed properly, including connecting the link to the source where you found the answer. (Collaborative and Individual)

Team 5 (Reader Response)
Write a TEA paragraph describing how Marjane's family is depicted, including how the story of her grandfather changes Marjane's own sense of identity. Your project should make a claim about this topic that is supported with examples from the text and your analysis.(Collaborative). If you have time, I'd like your group to also discuss how Mehri fits into this family. 

Team 6
Using the Wall Street Journal as your source material, please post a summary of at least one article that references the Middle East or "Arab Spring." Please work to include at least one quotation that you found interesting. (Individual Activity)

Team 7
In the narrative there is a character that represents "Uncle Sam." Please write a TEA paragraph in which you make a claim about the significance of this character. Incorporate evidence in support of this claim and then provide some analysis as to why this character is important to the story. (Collaborative)


Comprehension Quiz/Persepolis

1. What happens to Marjane and her family at the end of the novel?

2. Please list three external conflicts in the story.

3. What does the main character learn about her family and her connection to the country's leadership?

4. What event inspires the "biggest celebration" (42) in this country's history?

5. Why does the family's maid get upset and cry?

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Reader Response: Marjane is a rebel and in the end her parent's decide that Iran is no longer a safe place for her. Be sure to examine the specific reasons why her parents opted to send her away and weigh the cause and effect of these situations. What exactly was Marjane rebelling against? School? Religion? Government? Her parents? How can you relate to this rebellious nature. What do you rebel against and why?


Formalist: A Formalist is interested in "just the text." Nothing outside the text matters. No history. No personal opinion. No author intention. Just the text. They are also interested in identifying tension, ambiguity, irony and paradox. If a paradox is a statement that on the surface seems implausible, but underneath makes sense: what paradox would a formalist point out in this novel? You might want to discuss Marjane's declaration that she is religious and then, later, how she justifies fighting against religious law. You might also want to think about how her parent's religious views are left out. Why did the author decide on ambiguity when religion is a central theme? How about the paradox of the revolution itself? If the people were fighting against tyranny and for freedom, why did they allow a theocracy to take over? Remember, a formalist pays very close attention to evidence in the text. Notice how it isn't until after the war with Iraq begins (80) that the author begins including the veiled women in all of the drawings. What connections can you make from this evidence about the chaos and fear associated with war and the people's acceptance of mandatory veiling?


Feminist: A feminist is interested in identifying patriarchy and pointing out power structures that undermine gender equality. What would a feminist have to say about the impact that the Islamic Revolution had on women in Iran? Marjane's mother considers leaving (64), but her father's response shows that his decision carries the weight. Imagine how Marjane's life be different if she lived in a matriarchy.



Marxist: A Marxist theorist is interested in identifying the underlying economic power structures in a a society. What are the economics supporting the structure of government in Iran after the revolution. Who has the economic power? Who has no economic power? And how does the political system enforce this power structure? If Marjane and her family were so influenced by Marxist theory (62) then why does Marjane's father 'report' on Mehri to the neighbor? If they 'took in' Mehri as a child, then why do they not allow her to eat with them at the table? How would this behavior change in a democracy? Is Marjane the only true Marxist in the family?

 


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Discussion Questions on The Glass Menagerie

Symbolism: Please write a Quote Sandwich paragraph analyzing the symbolism of the glass animals (the menagerie) in the story. In particular, the unicorn. How does Laura's adoration for these animals help us to understand her character? You might want to start your discussion by brainstorming what you know about Laura and then discuss why you think she is so captivated by the figurines. Also, think about how and when the unicorn is broken. How does this symbol parallel the internal conflict in the story? How does the mother contribute to this conflict?

Setting: Please write a Quote Sandwich paragraph analyzing the setting of the play from a New Historicist perspective. Think about the historical situation surrounding this play and discuss how the external conflicts are shaping the characters' lives. How does the economic setting influence the character's behavior? How do the traditional gender roles of the 30s and 40s contribute to the tension in the novel?

New Historicist: This play is called a memory play and is also semi-autobiographical. Please write a Quote Sandwich in which you consider how the pressures of being a gay playwright in the 1930s impacted the story. Incorporate specific language into your paragraph and explain how the historical situation influenced the writer's depiction of events in his own life and the actions by Tom in the play.

Ambiguity: Why does Tom go to the movies? What does he dream of doing? What holds him back? Why are the details of his adventures outside the home ambiguous (left out). Why does this behavior unnerve his mother? Please analyze the narrative gaps in the play and write a paragraph using the Quote Sandwich format.

Gender: The portrait of Tom's father dominates the living room and yet he has chosen to abandon his family. What constraints are put on Tom because he is the male head-of household? How does gender affect all of the character's lives.

Projects for Dagoberto Gilb's, The Flowers

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Directions: The goal here is to work collaboratively to solve the problems. You will use discussion as your main tool for figuring out the answer to your problem, but your discussion should be grounded by specific sections of the text (evidence) and you should work hard to make sure everyone in your group expresses ideas. For each problem, write a TEA paragraph in THIRD PERSON (no second person) and be ready to share this paragraph with the group. Please be sure to turn in your TEA paragraph with each member of your group listed at the top at the end of the class period.

1. Writing Problem on the topic of Family

Discuss what we know and what don’t we know about Sonny’s family? Who are his extended family members (non-blood relations) and what impact do they have on his life? Please pick one or two significant characters in Sonny’s life and explain how they influence (or don’t influence) Sonny. (Note: Dogs can be considered family members) Is family an important theme in this novel?

2. Writing Problem on the topic of Education

Discuss if Sonny’s experience with school is a significant part of this novel. Is this novel centered on a different kind of education?

Examine how Sonny describes his school friends, “the twins,” in relation to education and what his attitude is toward them in this regard. Why does Sonny want to teach himself French? What motivates this decision and how does this help us to better understand Sonny?

3. Writing Problem on the topic of Violence

Discuss the violence that Sonny experiences in the novel. Identify the type of violence and which violence most impacts him. How does violence change Sonny?

4. Writing Problem on the Topic of Work

How does work impact the characters in the novel? You might discuss who works, who doesn’t work and why. What is Sonny’s relationship to work in the novel? Does he like working? Does he dislike working? Why or why not?

5. Writing Problem on the Topic of Your Choice

Pick an aspect of the first 50 pages that intrigued your group. You might want to brainstorm this first, and then narrow down your choice before writing.

Guidance for All Three Options

• Write for an audience who is NOT in our class.  
• I’d like you to include details, examples, quotes from the reading to help you develop your response to the question.
• Talk about complexities
• Take the time to proofread after you’ve written your paragraph.
• Make sure your reader can ‘read’ the words clearly

                                                                                                                                        


Retrieval Practice
Exam 1


1. What is plagiarism?
2. What terms or phrases are associated with Formalist Theory? (hint: there are three)
3. Which literary term coined by Formalists continues to hold importance in today's critical discussions of literature? (hint: you may list more than one)
4. What is the difference between Reader Response Theory and Formalist Theory?
5. Quote Analysis:
"I felt space all around me. Him gone was more like air that came in and I was being lifted up. I heard him from his office and he shouted out a word I didn't even recognize...Then my mom got in...He was yelling so furious there was no making out words, and his sounds were jagged..." (150).

Who is the narrator in this scene?
Who is doing the shouting?
Explain one aspect of the text from the formalist perspective.
Why was this character shouting?

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Questions for Discussion (Feminist Theory):

Exploring the Theme of Gender

Feminist literary critics are interested in pointing out ideologies of oppression that are linked to gender. However, since patriarchy has long dominated society, feminists are primarily interested in how women are oppressed by men. Feminists argue that social mores reinforce hierarchies of male power and that these mores are often so entrenched in both the reader's and the author's psyche that, without a critical examination, female oppression may be hard to identify and easy to overlook. Moreover, feminist critics are wary of classifying all women together. Feminism is therefore complicated by circumstances such as family, work, popular culture, race, class, religion, geography and historical context.

With this in mind, each group will examine and discuss The Flowers from the Feminist critical perspective and craft a TEA paragraph that makes and supports a claim on the theme of gender in the novel.

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Questions for Discussion (Formalist Theory)

Exploring structure and form in The Flowers
Stealing:
 "I never took nothing, nothing much if I did, because I didn't want to" (1).
Examine page 48-49
Examine page 85
Examine page 98
Write a tightly focused TEA paragraph from the Formalist perspective identifying a theme symbolized by the representation of money in this novel.

Discussion points (pick one to write about):
1)Does Sonny contradict himself on the topic of stealing? Why does he say he doesn't steal and then, later, admit he does? How does this narrative progression effect the meaning of the novel? What does the aspect of form tell us about the narrator or the point of view?

2) Staying closely linked to the chain of events in the novel, please explain from a Formalist perspective why Sonny steals money and why he doesn't. Be sure to link your conclusions to the "text only." What do these choices say about Sonny's character?

• Write for an audience who is NOT in our class.  
• I’d like you to include details, examples, quotes from the reading to help you develop your response to the question.
• Talk about complexities
• Take the time to proofread after you’ve written your paragraph.
• Make sure your reader can ‘read’ the words clearly

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Sociological Discussion Questions:

Symbolism: Please write a Quote Sandwich paragraph analyzing the symbolism of the animals in the story. In particular, the owl. What do you think the dead animals adorning Cloyd's house symbolize?

Setting: Please write a Quote Sandwich paragraph analyzing the description of the setting. Incorporate specific language into your paragraph and explain how the setting effects Sonny.

Setting 2:  Please write a Quote Sandwich paragraph analyzing the description of the setting. Incorporate specific language into your paragraph and explain how the setting effects Sonny.

Tension: Please address the controversy surrounding Pink. Why are Cloyd and Bud upset about the man in his apartment? Write a Quote Sandwich paragraph explaining this situation.

Ambiguity: Why does Sylvia go shopping? What is she shopping for? Where does she go? Please discuss the irony of Sylvia's "shopping" trips using the Quote Sandwich format.


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These TEA paragraphs will work to explain your understanding of how these devices contribute to the meaning of the work


Plot Group:
Summarize the plot, indicating rising action and epiphany. Please also indicate where the story includes foreshadow or flashback and explain how this device contributes to the story.

Symbol Group:
Please identify symbolism that you think is important to the meaning of the literary work. Explain the importance of the symbolism and how it helps convey the meaning and/or theme.

Setting Group:
Please explain how the setting contributes to the meaning of the story?

Diction Group:
Explain how the diction of the story deepens our understanding of character and theme?

Point of View:
Explain the point of view and how this point of view affects the meaning of the story.

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Discussion Groups
on The Scarlet Letter
As a Group, please examine and discuss your assigned pages with the purpose of determining what aspects of the text are important for understanding the novel's central conflict. In other words, what passages help you better understand the internal and external conflicts and/or characterization in the Scarlet Letter.  You should spend some time discussing what you Know (KWL+) about your assigned character and also discuss, what you don't know or what to know.

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Discussion Groups/Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Please write a TEA and or Quote Sandwich paragraph in response to your groups’ question.

1. Junior says, “You can’t just betray your tribe and then change your mind” (55).  Why would going to Reardon High School be a betrayal of his tribe? Please explain this central conflict in the novel and incorporate this quote in your response.


2. Mr. P says that when he started teaching all of the teachers were instructed to “Kill the Indian and save the child” (35).  What does this mean and how does Mr. P feel about this saying now?


3. Mr. P tells Junior that he must leave the reservation because “The only thing you kids are being taught is how to give up” (42). Do you agree or disagree with Mr. P’s argument. Please make a claim in your topic sentence, provide details that support the claim and analysis that explain this situation.

4. Junior says that “Penelope and I became a hot topic because we were defying the great and powerful Earl” (110). Please write a TEA paragraph in which you     explain what this means. In your A (Analysis) make sure you make clear why this  topic is a central conflict in the novel.

5. Using your knowledge of Native American culture, write a TEA paragraph in which you describe why Rowdy is so angry at Junior for leaving the tribe.

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1. Junior says, "...we were sending each other some serious hate signal" (190) before the basket ball. Why is Junior glaring at Rowdy?
2. After Junior takes the ball from Rowdy, he states, "I wanted to absolutely demoralize him." What does demoralize mean in this context?
3. What realization does Junior have after the game?
4. In reflecting on the scene how does Junior's inner conflict between tribal culture and white culture play out?


In-Class Exam
Please write a well-developed essay in which you agree or disagree with Junior's decision to change schools. You may draw on personal experience in your essay, but please use ample textual evidence in support of your ideas.
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Process Essay
1. Clarity-- Are the sentences free of errors that impede the reader's understanding? Does the organization guide the reader using transitional language through the writer's ideas in a logical way?
2. Content--Does the essay use concrete details, description, personal examples and explanation to fully develop each paragraph? Does each paragraph have a topic sentence that makes a claim and provide focus? Does the essay make clear why this topic matters? Does the essay have an engaging title?
3. Organization--Does the last sentence in the introduction give the reader a clear idea of what the essay is about? Are the body paragraphs TEA's that focus on one topic per paragraph? Does the conclusion sum up the ideas and leave the reader with something to think about?

Write a summary assessing your strengths and weaknesses in these three areas. Give yourself a score for each category. 4-A 3-B 2-C 1-D.





Student Files

Art and Literature Links

I am just beginning to compile these links. If you have suggestions, please comment! Thanks!

• UC Santa Cruz Art and Literature Series News
• Center for Literary Art (San Jose State University)
• Squaw Valley Community of Writers (Summer Writing Workshops)

Writing Center and Turnitin.com

Role of the Writing Center:

The Writing Center, which is in the library building, room 120, serves the campus community by fostering, celebrating and encouraging writers and the varied and multiple purposes and audiences that writing serves.

Specially trained student Writing Assistants offer free one-on-one consultations about all kinds of writing assignments (including the essays you’ll write for this class) on a drop-in and by appointment basis. In the center you can also find computers and free printing.

The center is open Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesdays 8-6 p.m. and Fridays 8 a.m.-1 p.m. (closed Mondays 2:30-4:30 p.m.)

Turnitin.com
All Formal Papers will be turned in via Gavilan's Turnitin.com account. I will provide you with directions and account access information.  We will be covering Plagiarism extensively in the first unit of the course, but if you ever have any questions about properly citing your sources, please don't hesitate to ask. It is better to be safe than sorry! 

Annotated Bibliography and MLA Citations

Once you have read the text, then you will need to begin your exploration of the criticism provided in the Norton Anthology. First you should brainstorm what aspect of the text you found most interesting and what you most want to read more about. Read through the table of contents carefully and decide which of the essays best fits what you want to learn more about. Next you will need to read the essay and annotate (make notes in the margin) about key ideas that connect to the topic you are interested in. Remember, all of the work on your blog, including this assignment, is designed to help you develop your ideas for your Research Paper.

Review the description of Annotated Bibliography (that we discussed in class) here: What is an Annotated Bibliography?

Title your blog post Annotated Bibliography. At top put the citation that you will later list on your Works Cited page. This will both save you time later and help you to organize your citation information. Next, Paraphrase the section of the essay you found most applicable to your topic. After your Paraphrase, include quotations that you might consider using in your paper. Include the proper MLA citation after each of the excerpts.

If you want help with the formatting of the citation, feel free to use the Easy Bib link below to create the properly formatted (make sure to click on MLA) citation. The program will allow you to save this information in a list and you can also cut and paste the properly formatted citation into your Annotated Bibliography post.  Easy Bib 

All Research Papers must be accompanied by a properly formatted Works Cited page that includes at least two scholarly articles in addition to the Scarlet Letter. Your paper should incorporate evidence and in-text citations that reference at least one of these articles.

MLA Information
More MLA examples
MLA Citations 

The Scarlet Letter and Persepolis

Puritan America

Dimmesdale's Dilemma

Pearl: The Next Generation 

Nathaniel Hawthorne's Friends

Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Trust Thy Self," Emerson wrote in his essay Self Reliance."Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles."

—Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1841

Margaret Fuller

"Yet then and only then, will mankind be ripe for this, when inward and outward freedom for woman as much for man shall be acknowledged as a right, not yielded as a concession."
"...let them be sea captains..."

—Margaret Fuller, 1845

Plot
Symbols
Central Conflict



Binaries
Guilt/Pleasure
Mercy/Justice
Sunlight/Darkness
Black/Red
Faith/Love
Domestic/Wild
Good/Evil
Man/Woman
God/Satan
Puritan/Antinomian
Religion/Scholar
Sin/Crime
Society/Individual
Woman/Witch
Angel/Fiend
Nature/Law

24 people were hung as a result of the Salem Witch Trials. Nathaniel Hawthorne's great-great grandfather was a judge in the trial—a fact that is referenced in The Custom House.

19th Century Painting Depicting Salem Witch Trial

The early American Puritans were essentially Calvinists and believed in pre-determination, which means that God determined whether or not you were 'good' or 'evil' and there was nothing you could do to change that—your fate is sealed at birth. God was also removed from human kind, in other words, you could not, through prayer, etc., send or receive messages from God. There was no hope of salvation if you were damned and there was no hope of forgiveness for your sins. If you were evil, you would burn in hell for all eternity.

Since politics and religion were essentially one in the same during this time,  the Puritan belief system instilled a sense of fear in the inhabitants of Salem. Citizens were well aware of the risk of losing land rights and/or trading rights, if they were accused of wrong doing. Judges adhered to Puritan religious beliefs in their decisions as the law and religion were unified in this society. Evidence could include work of the devil including curses and specters (visions) and many other intangibles. 

Your future was best served if you convinced everyone around you that you were one of God's chosen few. Dissension against the status quo, could be interpreted as a sign of the devil, especially for women. Salem citizens could either conform, or risk being cast out of society, or worse. 

This belief that the devil resided every where and was potential of clever disguises and trickery (such as what we observe in Young Goodman Brown) cultivated a society ripe for the hysteria that led up to the Salem Witch trials. If there was suspicion cast upon you, then the safest method of refuting these accusations was to point the finger at someone else. 

Puritans were also a patriarchal society. They did not subscribe to the biblical interpretation that the wife was a "helpmate," but rather that the wife was owned or "possessed" by her husband. Women had no rights to property and were given no say in the political decisions of the day. In fact, many women who had become widowed and therefore became land owners were the subject of not only public scrutiny, but also scorn. Since women were not supposed to own land, the unfortunate death of their husband could put them at great risk. Some were even accused of being witches, others were executed. We will discuss the story of Mistress Hibbons in class.

The philosophy that each one of us holds an inner-light and/or that "God lives inside all of us" did not agree with the Puritan religion, so the Quakers were considered their enemy.  Antinomian, which means "against moral law," was a term used to describe anyone who spoke out or acted against the Puritan belief system.  Understanding the term Antimomian, the history of Anne Hutchinson and the symbolism used throughout the novel to explore this concept will be crucial for your analysis of the themes in The Scarlet Letter. We will discuss religious intolerance, Anne Hutchinson, and Hawthorne's symbolism for Antinomianism during our class discussions.  

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Your Norton Critical Edition is an excellent source for your Research Project. Here is another source that I think is a great reference for the background information on the Pilgrims and the differences between Pilgrims and Puritans.  

I realize this is the 21 Century and many of you prefer online sources to those that you have already purchased as the required text for this class, however, I encourage you to limit your time looking for quick "answers" on the internet. As college students we are counting on you not to recycle and distribute inaccurate information. I encourage you instead to work through the primary source using a dictionary and by applying the college skills of annotation and close reading of The Scarlet Letter. Your assignments require you to write about specific difficulties you encounter with this reading on your blog posts. By incorporating passages from the text and trying to make meaning of these passages, you will better synthesize the information and build a solid foundation from which to build your Formal Essay. After completing The Scarlet Letter, use the Norton Critical Edition source material to deepen your understanding of the many complexities in this novel. Your Annotated Bibliography posts will help you sort and process the information that you find most compelling. In completing these steps you will be in a good position to begin writing. 

Despite all of these assignments, our discussions and source material that you already have in your possession, I expect many of you to fall back on the habits cultivated by our society that practically demands instant gratification—namely the online version of Cliff Notes, Spark Notes, or eNotes websites. And for those of you readers who have not been, for whatever reason, flexing the 'reading' muscles on a regular basis, these aids, may indeed be very helpful to you. Like everything else in life, the more you 'practice' reading, the more proficient you become and if you are out of practice, this text will be even more challenging to you. That said, using these tools as a secondary or reference source to your reading is acceptable, but simply reading the summaries instead of reading the novels is not. One of my concerns with this method of 'figuring' out a text is that you are simply a consumer of someone else's ideas. College is one of the few non-consumer based bastions in our American life. Do not simply consume the ideas presented on these sites, rather, consider them for what they are: someone else's ideas. Think about them critically and then go back to the text and make your own meaning. I am interested in reading the meaning that YOU make from this text, not reading the meaning that eNotes makes of the text.

Remember, one of the themes in this text is the individual's ability to choose between right and wrong and the freedom to make this choice despite the constraints and influences of society.

What about our contemporary culture? How does our society respond to adultery? Would we ever consider brandishing someone with a badge of dishonor? 

Well, what about impeaching a president over a sexual act? Does the name  Monica Lewinksy ring any bells? What about Bill Clinton?

How about Tiger Woods? Rather than gaining a badge of dishonor, Woods—the first golfer ever to hold all four professional major championships at the same time—lost his badges of honor when the majority of his sponsors dropped him and he was forced to step away from golf in December of 2009. 

The fact that he has enjoyed more victories (and made more money) than any other U.S. golfer, could not save him when his adultery was made public.

Woods Forgiven? 

These examples make clear that adultery continues to be a heated issue in the U.S., yet there is no denying that the public scorn for both Clinton and Woods, albeit humiliating, was not a matter of life or death for either man. It is interesting that, outside the tabloids, we have no female equivalent to compare public reactions to on this topic. I wonder if society would be so forgiving toward a woman? 

From our humble roots in the Massachusett's Bay Colonies we have progressed as a nation and no longer do our laws tolerate persecution based on religious beliefs. Still, we should never forget the Antinomian rebels in our history whose actions went against the moral law of the land and opened up the possibility for a different interpretation of good and evil.  

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Sadly, the world has not changed for everyone...

The U.S. response to adultery is mild-mannered compared to the brutal realities that continue to exist in other countries. Today a 43-year-old mother of two children, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, is facing execution for committing adultery in Iran.  She was scheduled for death by stoning last summer, but her attorney fled the country and leaked her story to the BBC. He is now seeking asylum in Norway and, due to the International outcry that resulted, the execution continues to be delayed.

December 2011 Update

BBC News

New York Times Update

The Lede Blog

Afghanistan Women, New York Times

Women in Africa New York Times

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                                                 Research Paper Guidelines

Write a 5-7 page literary analysis of The Scarlet Letter, incorporating research from a minimum of three sources to enhance your ideas (the book itself can be one of your sources). The research done for your annotated bibliography will provide a good foundation for writing this essay, giving you a strong background on the author and/or the text. Your research might focus on what literary critics have said about this author’s work, biographical or autobiographical material that might help readers better understand the text, or you may chose to write from the perspective of one of the critical theories we have discussed. The focus of your essay must be an interpretation of the literature itself, using the research as enhancement but not as the main emphasis of your essay. For example, if your research focuses on biographical information, use it to help interpret a theme, character, or other aspect of the text.

A strong essay will have a clear controlling idea and well-developed TEA paragraphs that support your claim.  You should incorporate (either through paraphrase or quotations) examples from The Scarlet Letter as well as refer specifically to your research sources. Use MLA format for parenthetical citations and your works cited page.

1. Participation in Rough Draft Peer Review is Mandatory. You will receive 15 points for peer-review and 15 points for bringing your rough draft to PEER REVIEW DAY. No late papers will be reviewed. Come to class and bring a hard copy or your Research Paper grade will be affected.
2. All drafts will be workshopped during class and collected by the instructor for feedback. See schedule for important dates.
3.  Each of you should have a copy of the grading rubric. By now you know that sentence-level errors need to be kept to a minimum on the final draft. See me and/or a writing assistant at the Gavilan Writing Center for help with this paper if you need it.

Class Discussions will produce many paper ideas. Please come to class, take notes and be thinking about what interests you about this text. You should write your Research Paper on the aspect of the text that you find most interesting.  I will meet with students for an individual conference to discuss your drafts.

Paper Topics (These are suggestions only):

What would a feminist have to say about the characters in the Scarlet Letter? Is Hester a feminist? How does Pearl fit into the story? What is Hester’s response to the Patriarchy around her? Is Hester in love? Is Chillingsworth a feminist? How does the ending impact our understanding of Hester’s character and Hawthorne’s views about women? Why does Hawthorne connect Hester with Mistress Hibbons and Anne Hutchinson?

How would a New Historicist analyze The Scarlet Letter? What do the three contexts (or historical periods) in the novel tell us about the meaning of this text? How does our contemporary view skew the reading? How did Hawthorne’s 19^th century values contribute to the characterizations in the novel? What would a reader in the 1600s have to say about Hawthorne’s depiction of Puritanism? How was the novel received (by the public) in the 19^th century? What were the reviewers’ reactions? What does this say about the audience at the time of publication?

A sociologist and/or Marxist theorist would have much to say about the Puritan society depicted in this novel. How did the Puritan belief system enforce patriarchy? How did patriarchy and Puritanism support the economic system? What was the role of the townspeople in Salem and how did they contribute to this system? How did Chillingsworth and Hester stand apart from the rest of the society? How does Hawthorne’s story give us insight into the hysteria that led to the Salem Witch Trials?

A formalist would be very interested in the word “possessed” in this novel. How many times is the word used? Why is it used? What is the effect on the reader? How does the structure of the novel contribute to the novel’s tension and ambiguity? What symbols are used in this novel and how do they affect the meaning? What does the A stand for? How does the meaning change of this symbol change throughout the novel?

A reader response critic would be very interested in how the themes in the novel impact his/her own ideas about culture, social values as well as the concept of good and evil. What is good and what is evil in your mind and how does the novel help you to define this distinction? What character do you admire most and why? Which character (s) do you dislike and why? Can you relate to the traits or experiences of these characters?

A biographical critic would be very interested in how Hawthorne’s life shaped this novel. What characteristics of Hawthorne’s family informed the characters and events in the novel? What aspects of Hawthorne’s personality are revealed and how does the 19^th Century (the 1800s) influence how he portrays the characters and events in this novel? What other books did Hawthorne read and how did this influence his work?

Process suggestions:

1.     Review your lectures notes and information posted on Instructor Knapp’s blog. In particular, review the Key Terms post, Critical Theories Overview, Combining Sentences, Constructing an Argument, Popular Student Errors, Using Quotations, and The Scarlet Letter.

2.     Look back at your own blog posts to get ideas about a possible theme to explore or an approach to this essay. You should also read some of your peers blogs to expand your ideas on the text.

3.     Brainstorm ideas for research and writing by doing a cluster, list, or freewrite.

4.     Begin your research process by formulating questions about your chosen text. Your research may be more fertile if you direct the search somewhat. Locate Critical Essays in our Norton Critical Edition that connect to your questions.

5.     Skim several of the essays included in our anthology, additional writings by the author, or biographical information to help you develop your interpretation.

6.     Discuss your questions, ideas, and responses with a classmate, instructor or another person.

7.     In your first draft, draw plenty of examples from the text. Include references to your research. Don’t be afraid to argue with the literary critics you’ve read. Let this draft be your chance to enter the literary conversation and don’t “censor” your ideas—it’s better to overwrite on your draft to allow for insights that you gain during the process of writing to emerge. Later you can edit, select, or throw out what doesn’t fit.

8.     When revising, return to your introduction to ensure that you have a clear, strong (narrow) thesis. Remember to name the author and text in your introduction. The title of your essay should reflect the theme of the essay (do not use the title of the book as the title of your essay). The body of your essay should include plenty of support for your ideas, including examples and quotes from the book. Use specific references to your research to enhance your interpretation of the text. Generally, the most effective way to use quotes is to use them to support a point you’re making; then follow up the quote with interpretation (Remember the TEA paragraph and the Quote Sandwich). Review MLA format for citations if you need to.

9.     Share your rough draft with your peer response group. Ask for specific feedback on the parts of the essay you’re unsure about. You may also contact me for help or submit your rough drafts to the campus Writing Center for help. 

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Persepolis

Guiding Question for Research Paper number one:
Should the U.S. take military action over Iran's Nuclear Program?

Diplomacy? Iranian Supreme Leader says, No Thanks.

Economic Sanctions

UCLA Middle Eastern Studies "Arab Spring"

Current Op-Eds on Iran

Blog Review of Persepolis

Zahra's Paradise

Young and Defiant in Iran

Making the Film

Interview with Marjane Satrapi

Escape from Iran, Wired Magazine

Historical Timeline Iran/US 1950-1980

 

Female Voting Rights Granted in Saudi Arabia
Map of Iran

Iran History

Ban on Fun with  Squirt Guns in Iran

Google Warns Iranian Users

Iran Overview NYT

Reading Lolita in Tehran

Op-Ed NYT

NYT Search 1

NYT Search 2

The Veil

Maysan Haydar "Veiled Intentions"

Are veiled women feminists? If they choose to veil for reasons of reverence, then who is the most liberated?

"At the heart of my veiling is a personal freedom…I dress this way because it made it easier to get through adolescent phases and New York City streets with no self-loathing, body hang-ups, or sexual harassment. I wish more women emerged unscathed; no one should suffer for what they look like or what they wear." —Maysan Haydar

 "America is an image-obsessed society," Maysan Haydar writes,"Ironically, the population that spends millions on beauty products, plastic surgery, and self-help guides is the same one that takes pity on me for being so "helpless" and "oppressed."

Hajib Monologues

Exam Feedback

Great TEA analysis. I asked: What message is this student sending? Am I convinced of the message? Or am I left asking questions. Questions that extend beyond the present analysis are great, but if I’m asking questions about the credibility of the message or the logic of the message or the message itself, then more clarity needs to occur. The message is blurred, or vague.




Great incorporation of evidence: Here’s what you do when you don’t have any idea what the question is asking? Incorporate the language from the prompt in an explanatory way and lead your reader to your brief analysis. If you’re guiding me through the prompt and explaining clearly as you go—great. You do need to make your claim: what does this mean, but I’m less likely to argue with you if you have prepared me well.

Page numbers! Why just the author’s name here?

Wow! Great work on the lists. I will read a couple of these in class.
 


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The assessment on the exam was divided into two parts. Part 1 assessed whether or not you could apply critical terms to fiction. Part 11 asked you to interpret literature, specifically “Diving Into the Wreck.”

1. I was very pleased with the success rate on this exam!
2. You were all able to identify the parts of the story. There were a couple of students who struggled with one or two terms. The epiphany troubled both of these students—this is the most difficult aspect of literature. Also, if you missed class when we worked on these terms….well you might not have had all of the information.
3. Many students went ahead and applied these terms to their analysis of the story…they went above and beyond the basic requirements of the exam and interpreted the stories—I saw some excellent efforts by these students! We will read one of those papers today on The Yellow Wallpaper and one more on Young Goodman Brown when we begin our discussion of The Scarlet Letter.
4.  Everyone did a good job of interpreting "Diving Into the  Wreck." It was very interesting to read so many different interpretations of this highly symbolic text. This is a testament to the power of language and symbol and the connection between language, culture and meaning. If you continue on in the Humanities, this is a subject you will discuss often.
5.  Everyone used specific examples to support their ideas and looped from the text to their interpretation and back to the text. You will need this skill for your next paper and this exam gave you a great opportunity to practice on the small scale. 
6. Everyone worked to create meaning and articulated this meaning coherently. You had a week to do this, so I expected few errors, for the most part I was pleased with this aspect of you writing. But for those of you who continue to be plagued by errors, you will need to build extra time into your writing process. Frequent grammar errors need to stop at English 1B—especially, if they impede meaning. These errors impact your credibility and they need to be taken seriously. Work with a tutor one-on-one in the Writing Center or see me.
7. One area I’d like to see improve is on taking the time to introduce your ideas. Some just rushed into what you thought the symbols meant without acknowledging that the poem was about a diver going into the water. The best papers acknowledged this and explained that the diving or the water or the diver was a metaphor for something else. Taking the time to spell out (what might seem obvious to you) is very important to your reader. Using transitional language coordination and subordination helps. Using the term metaphor or symbol really helped students to connect their ideas. Practice using the terms in your blog, many of you are already doing this.

Here is an example of one student who went the extra mile and interpreted the story.

Read This—Explanation of the Yellow Wallpaper.

We seem to be in agreement here that things have really changed for women, but I think it’s important to remember this change came only after years of battling and much suffering. Something we will, hopefully, learn from our Reading of the Scarlet Letter.

But in some places this battle has not yet begun. Front Page of Today's NYTs.

Senegal (FGM)

You should each have a copy of the Discussion Schedule. Attendance will be important in our lead up to the Final Paper.