Literary Research Instructions

Hi, folks --

Happy Vacation! As you're cozy and home this winter break, make sure you read your research paper book not once, but TWICE. On your very first reading, I'd like you to fill out the accompanying PRE-READING sheet (on my website under literary research). Then, once you've finished the book, you can begin/finish your READING NOTES (also on my website.) The preliminary sheet is due the Monday after break, and the reading notes are due the Tuesday after break. I may give you that Monday in the lab to work on those, but I'm asking for four pages of analysis and reflection. I'd start this over break. Be sure you look at the assignment sheet before you read so you have a sense of purpose in mind.

I also strongly, strongly, strongly recommend that you purchase your book. Then write, write, write [in the book] as you read. On your first read, I'd ask questions and make connections; on my second read, I'd start to delve deeper into potential answers to those questions and provide analysis.

Finally, please post your final book selection (which was approved by me) as a comment on this post. I will have access to email for the first week of break, so feel free to email with questions, okay?

Enjoy! Relax! Read!

Lit Research -- book selection

Hi, folks --

On this post, you should share your top 3 choices for your literary research book. Place your first choice as number 1 and then list your other two. Please be sure to explain why you are choosing your first choice title. So you know, for ease of finding secondary materials, I recommend that only one student does each book, though sometimes I am willing to let two share a title -- though no more -- so don't please look to your classmates for ideas.

Below you will find a list of titles that though they are on the list, Brewner and I do not recommend them for you. These titles include ones you have read in your English classes in past years. (The list appear here in the same order as on the list I gave you. If for some reason you lost your list, I have provided a link on my website -- not the blog -- for you, under "handouts.")

• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
• Call of the Wild
• Cannery Row
• Catcher in the Rye
• Fahrenheit 451
• The Jungle
• Maggie: A girl of the Streets
• Uncle Tom's Cabin

Also, if you'd like to do a play, then select a pairing -- either a selection of plays by one author, or two-three plays with a similar motif. (You may also choose to do a pairing of non-plays, if you wish.)

If you have questions, I'll be able to check my email tonight after 5pm. Make sure you post your choices before school starts tomorrow... Happy Reading!

PLEASE POST AS A COMMENT.

Born to Trouble

Is Huck Finn a racist novel? Should the text be taught? Using Born to Trouble and Huck Finn as references, address the debate. Feel free to propose your own theories. Again, use support from your own reading along with the evidence/analysis provided in the video, and respond to each other's posts. (Respond as a comment.)

In general, I liked Into The Wild. I, like so many others, find Chris's story to be a fascinating one. I enjoyed attempting to discover the depths of his person while trying to make sense of it all. I like the organization Krakauer chose, and I'm glad he took the time to consider the most effective, entertaining way to present McCandless's journey to the reader. On the other hand, I'm not a fan of the whole "lets include a multiple-chapter long tangent about myself" thing. I understand and can appreciate Krakauer's purpose and intent in including the information about himself, but I didn't like it. I know Krakauer made it apparent in the introduction that he was not a biased source, and wasn't going to pretend to be one; but to me, those chapters were just an excuse to be cathartic and for Krakauer to have some self-validation time. Frankly, I felt those chapters belong in his journal, not in this book. The same goes with "The Last American Man", if that is the correct title. The section about herself pretending to be a cowgirl was completely unnecessary.

Into the Wild has proven to be the best reading material I've had from this class so far.  Krakhauer did a great job in piecing everything together and make it into a book.  And the fact that Krakhauer narrated the non-fiction piece really made this book really different from anything I've ever read.  He captures Chris McCandless's personality very well and how the character moved accross the country.  There were a couple of concepts that I really liked from the book.  One was that Krakhauer makes it seem almost as if it was in first-person.  The information was so credible that it seemed like McCandless was narrating his life story.  Another thing I liked from this book was the reference to the family.  By going to Chris's parents and sister, I understood Chris in even more depth.  I got to know who the real Chris was and it furthur proved Krakhauer's credibility.  Overall, I thought this was a very interesting and moving story.

Into the Awesome-ness

Saying that I enjoyed Into the Wild is somewhat of an understatement. I have never, ever before in my life enjoyed a book that we read in English class. This book steps outside of the normal realm for standard high school literature, and I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it was because the life of Chris McCandless is so exquisitely laid out. Krakauer is incredibly skilled in adding tension to his writing, and even though I knew that Chris was going to die, I could not put the book down. I loved how Krakauer defines Chris as a human being throughout the book, moving from the more statisitical facts in the beginning to what Chris was like on a spiritual level. The book gave such an intimate view of Chris's life that I almost felt intrusive at some points, but that's what made the book all the more enticing.

So basically what I'm saying is that if I die during an adventure in the wild, please call John Krakauer and get him to write a book about me.

I really enjoyed Into the Wild because the whole story was something new to me. I had never heard of this before and I never saw the movie so reading this book was the first time I had ever experience the journey of Chris McCandless. I felt the book itself was very well written and kept my attention the whole time, which is pretty impressive for a school assigned book. I really liked how Krakauer presented the book. Even though it jumped around a bit, I felt the parts added by Krakauer about other people who have set off into the wilderness or him sharing his own personal story were just like tangents that helped further prove his points about McCandless. I thought he did get his point across really well, because when I started reading this book I was thinking that Chris was just some nature freak that wanted to go off on his own. Through this book McCandless showed that Chris had his purpose to make something out of himself and to test his limits. Krakauer developed Chris as a character so thoroughly that when he reached his goal, you were ecstatic with him and when he died, you were at peace with his death; you experienced the same feelings as Chris. Krakauer's close attention to detail and a thorough investigation of Chris's life was complete, well-organized, and kept the reader’s attention. I also felt happy that I read this book when it was over because Chris wanted to share his journey with others and this book helped him accomplish that goal.

Into the Wild

Now that we've finished Into the Wild, share your final thoughts, questions, and responses to the text; include anything you might not have gotten to share in our discussions. Post as a comment. Want to watch the trailer for the movie? Click here and go to "video": http://www.intothewild.com/ (Also, please take the poll re: ACT!)