Sunday, January 4, 2009

Computer brokeded

Information Technology High School
Roxanne Benavides
Ms. Hyde
January, 5 2009

Critical Lens Essay

All the greatest people in history were once average people like ourselves. The difference is they stood up to the challenge that needed to be faced. "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." Martin Luther King Jr. Strength to Love, 1963. I believe that this quote means a person can not be judged when his life is simple for him. When someone is going through harsh and difficult times that is when a persons character is truly shown and that is when they can be judged. I agree with this quote completely. They're many great people who showed their true strength by overcoming their obstacles. In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs the protagonist Linda Brent was faced with many hardships which she had to overcome. In My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass the readers were introduced to Frederick Douglass struggle. Both these people dealt with hard times and yet surpassed them.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl alludes to a time where slavery existed and when dark skinned women had to deal with panic everyday of their life. As a child Linda Brent, the protagonist didn't realize that she was a slave. She began her life in peace not having to deal with the horrors of slavery. When her mistress died she and her brother were sent to Dr.Flints house to continue their permanent sentence. It was in her new house and with Dr.Flint that Linda Brent goes through her times of challenge and controversy. Her first challenge is overcoming her status as a slave. By not accepting herself to be a slave and not letting herself be one she is considered free. Instead of yielding to her fate as a slave Linda sees herself as free equal person. She doesn't live her life in sorrow or depression. Just by that her strength is shown.

In Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Linda Brent circumstances go from bad to worse. If she doesn't yield to her masters disgusting demands she and her children would be sent to her young masters plantation where life would be definitely be worse for her family. When she discovers what will happen to her family she escapes the plantation and runs away. What Linda does shows true courage and strength that many in her situation wouldn't have shown. She put her life in tremendous peril for the ones she loved. Her measure was shown when she had to make those hard decisions and by having to deal with those troubles.

Often the hardest challenges are the ones that must be fought with your inner strength. In From My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass we learned of Frederick Douglass himself having to deal with the challenges of an oppressive society. The story starts when Frederick Douglass is a child. His mistress Mrs.Aulds is characterized as a very sweet and charitable woman. She sees Frederick and treats him like she would any child and began to teach him how to read. When her husband demands her to stop treating him like that she changes. Her whole personality changes into a hard strict woman who just doesn't approve of him. Ironically enough when she catches him reading she seems to be enraged. Mrs. Aulds opinion of Frederick Douglass seems to be expected. After all that is the outcome of slavery. By becoming the wretched woman that she is her measure was also shown. She couldn't overcome slavery and keep her rightful ways.

Frederick Douglass on the other hand proved his worth as a great person by wisdom. He battled slavery with his knowledge. When he was younger he paid his white friends to teach him how to read. As he grew older his wisdom also growed. He knew the atocities of slavery and how evil it is. Like Linda Brent he was free by not letting himself be a slave. Although society tried to make him feel like he wasnt worth what he really was worth he was smarter than that. He knew how he should be treated and he knew that he had just as many rights as everyone else.

In conclusion the measure of a person is always there but it cant be seen until that person has something to overcome. The challenges that both Linda Brent and Frederick dealt with we're both harsh but in the end they proved that they could overcome it. So by them overcoming that their measure was proven. Linda Brent had a family to protect and she made decisions and fought her slavery with the strength that would'nt have been discovered otherwise. Also by overcoming the challenges that Frederick Douglass faced he was able to prove that not only was a wise person but he was also strong willed. This type of strength is everywhere. The challenges that are in our world can be also be changed. The right person who can measure up just has to face it.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Story Map: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Information Technology High School
Ms.Hyde
English 5/Period 8
10-23-2008
Roxanne Benavides

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

Characters and Characterization:

Charlie is the protagonist and narrator of the book which is based on letters that he writes. Throughout the book Charlie is seen as a very sensitive and emotional boy. He seems to think and act differently which leads him to an almost lonely life until he meets Patrick and Sam. He is a freshman at his high school and struggles with everyday things. Throughout the book many things happen to him that makes him ponder even more about the way life and people work. After he meets his new friends Patrick and Sam it is clear that he hasn’t had friends in a while and depends on them for any socializing.

As time goes they get closer and they bring him to one of their frequent parties. At his first one he gets high for the first time. As they drive through a tunnel he describes the tranquil and blissful moment as them feeling “infinite”. At that moment Sam and Patrick see him as the genius he is. A majority of the book are his thoughts and feelings about many subjects while he is high.

He is a very innocent and honest kid which would sometimes lead him to trouble. During one of the parties he had to kiss who he thought was the most beautiful girl. Instead of choosing his then girlfriend he chose Sam. That was a big deal and in order to have them fully recover he needed to give the group space. With that there was a period of time where he can’t speak to any of his friends which made him very depressed. His only solace during that time was getting high.

Often instead of doing things he wants to he does things according to whether it will make them happy or not. Sam teaches him that he couldn’t put everyone’s life ahead of his own and that he should do things that he wants instead of only regarding other peoples feelings.

Setting:
Setting Time: August 25, 1991 to August 23, 1992
Setting Place: School, Charlie’s house, and Bob’s house.

The setting time is important to the book. The youth of the 90’s were different from anybody else. Underground music and experimenting with everything were part of the 90’s. These things get mentioned in many of Charlie’s letters.

Vocabulary & Definition:
Corpulent- large or bulky of body
Jaundice- to distort or prejudice, as by envy or resentment
Adroit- cleverly skillful, resourceful, or ingenious
Affirmation- the assertion that something exists or is true
Instigate- to urge, provoke, or incite to some action or course

Plot:


The book is made up of letters that Charlie writes describing the everyday events in his life. Charlie starts off in the school and doesn’t seem to have friends. It all starts when he meets Sam and Patrick. After that everything starts to happen. He starts acting and feeling differently about life.

Throughout the book he goes through rough times with his family, especially his sister. Yet through everything he always has the same feeing of love for his family and cares about them. As the book progresses his sister gets into an abusive relationship. Charlie tells his teacher Bill about it since he was only told not to tell his parents. His sister acts like she hates Charlie for a while but then slowly trusts him with the fact that she is secretly dating him. Eventually she gets pregnant and her boyfriend denies that it is his. So to get an abortion she chooses Charlie as the one who is going to go with her. At that moment it is very clear that they love each other despite some of their problems. He often thinks about relationships and love according to what happened to his sister.

I think the change of becoming older is what bothers Charlie. Charlie tends to think a lot which doesn’t let him “participate” in life. He would go to dances but wont dance and instead of taking chances he plays things safe. He writes about random details of his day and always tries to find a purpose for life or the way people act. The ways he writes and asks suggest that he thinks differently than most teenagers his age.

The discovery of his Aunt Helen sexually abusing him when he was younger comes up as the reason for his sometimes melodramatic and sensitive ways. Yet even after figuring out what happened he still thinks positive about other people and he stays sensitive. He still loves his Aunt Helen just like he did before.


Exposition- In the beginning of the book Charlie is introduced as a freshman starting out high school with no friends. After someone picks on him he attacks them and wins the fight but then cries about it after. After that he has a reputation as the weird kid. Charlie thinks a lot about his Aunt Helen who passed away on his birthday when he was younger. It is at a football game that he attended alone that he went up to Patrick, a kid in his shop class and spoke to him. He was introduced to Sam who immediately thought he was beautiful. They hung out after thus starting a great friendship.


Rising Action: So as time goes by Sam, Patrick, and Charlie all hang out to take smokes outside and go to school regularly. Charlie was taken to Sam and Patrick’s friend Bob’s house for a party. Bob gave Charlie brownies to eat which made him high. As he was walking around he opened a door to find Patrick and Brad, the school’s quarterback kissing. He was told to keep it a secret and of course he said he would. Later on in the basement everyone at the party toasted to Charlie. At that moment Charlie felt “infinite”. Eventually at a Christmas he opens up and gives everyone gifts even though they bought him nothing. Seeing Charlie differently causes a girl named Mary Elizabeth to ask him out. Charlie then starts going out with her ever though he doesn’t really like her that way and finds her slightly overwhelming. At a party he is dared to kiss who he thinks is the most beautiful girl in the circle but then he chooses Sam. That causes a ruckus with the group and Charlie is told he should stay clear of everyone until everything clears down.


Climax: Since Charlie can’t hang out with the group anymore he gets very lonely and smokes weed all the time. He sometimes cuts school and gets very depressed. In school Patrick gets called a fag by Brad and Patrick gets into a fight with Brad and his friends. When Charlie defends Patrick he gets sends to inhouse suspension. When he leaves suspension he finds Sam waiting for him and everything between them is alright. Since Patrick and Sam are seniors they will be going away to college soon. Sam, whose college is making her go away for the summer, invites Charlie to her room to help her pack. Sam questions Charlie for not trying to make a move on her. He replies saying that he thought she wouldn’t like it. Sam tells him to stop worrying about such things and to just do what he feels like doing. Sam and Charlie then kiss and fool around but when Sam touches Charlie in his…area. He freaks out and starts to cry. The next day after Sam leaves he still feels horrible and has dreams about his Aunt Helen doing to him what Sam was doing.


Falling Action: Charlie is found in a trance at his house watching a blank screen. He is sent to a psychiatric hospital where he realizes that he wasn’t just dreaming and that his Aunt Helen did touch him that way when he was younger. He also realized that it happened every Saturday that she babysat. All his friends and family either visited him or wrote him a letter. Things like that made him feel better.


Conclusion: In the end Charlie is released from the hospital. He is in terms with everything and doesn’t hold any grudges about his Aunt. Sam, Patrick, and his sister are off to college and he wishes them the best. His first day of sophomore year is the next day and he isn’t afraid of it. He also wants the reader to know that even if he won’t be writing any more letters that he will be happy so we shouldn’t worry about him.

Quotes:
Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve.” Page 24.

I believe this quote means that the lesser you think of yourself, the more you will settle for a love that is not as good as it should be. I agree with this quote completely. Many people have low self-esteem without any good cause. Those types of people will always choose a person who is what they think to be their equal. The problem is because of the low standards they have of themselves the person they choose to be with whether for love or friendship won’t treat them properly. When you settle for low you can only get low treatment in return. This is the reason of Charlie’s sister sticking with her scum boyfriend. She might think of herself as lowly and undeserving so she chose a guy who appears sensitive at first but is a terrible boyfriend to her. To his sister they might seem equal but in reality she deserves better.

“First, I am very fascinated by how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other.” Page 59.

In the book Charlie’s family is very important to him as family usually is for everyone. In Charlie’s family there are many problems and situations. His grandfather was beat his mother and his aunt Helen when they were younger because of things like bad grades. Yet after he did that they never got those types of grades again. To his grandfather it was better to have his children have a great future than to have them love him. Charlie’s mother pursued a better life but her sister just got into constant abusive relationships. That was probably the cause of her abusing Charlie. When Charlie found out he held no harsh feelings for her still loved for simply buying him two presents for his birthday. When Charlie wonders about his older sister and brother he speaks only well about them and hopes that they love life as much as he wants them too. Many families are odd like his. No matter what happens or how much it seems that they don’t like each other, when things get hard they always remain there for support.

Conflicts:

Man vs. Self: Charlie deals with the same growing pains as every other teenager his age. His biggest problem is himself. Charlie acts according to whether the other person would or would not like his actions. By giving into the temporary desires of his friends he ends up hurting them in a worse way. When Patrick was depressed about Brad he kissed Charlie a lot. Charlie let him kiss him because he just wanted to be a good friend but he wasn’t being a good friend. Patrick was hurting himself by doing this and Charlie was also hurting him by not being honest with him. Another example is that fact that he didn’t really like Mary Elizabeth the same way that she liked him but because he didn’t want to hurt her he stayed with her. He was also told to ask her questions and to do a lot of listening with her which he later finds out to be false because Mary Elizabeth wanted a guy who could challenge her. Also he never tried to get further with Sam even though he loved her. If he would’ve preceded her like he wanted to he would’ve made himself and Sam happier. In the end his obedient attitude changes and he becomes stronger. He starts his sophomore year anew and from the looks of his attitude he will start living for himself and not anyone else.

Two Themes:

Growth: In the basis of a year Charlie goes from young boy to very experienced teenager. After everything Charlie goes through he changes a lot and seemingly grows wiser. I believe the experience has made him a better person. Even if he still has many questions about life he seems to be wise enough to make the right decisions. In the beginning of the book Charlie has problems with going for what he wants but he overcomes them and adapts in a positive way. Maybe even a more courageous way. Charlie didn’t even realize that he was abused as a child until what happened with him and Sam. Once he realized this he was able to put things into place and not have to feel pain anymore. The fact that he still loves his Aunt shows a large sense of love and maturity in Charlie.

Happiness: All over the book Charlie mentions happiness for himself, his loved ones, and even to the reader. Charlie is a compassionate individual. He’s the type of person who constantly puts other people’s happiness ahead of his own. He does this to a negative and sometimes ends up putting himself down. A lot of his thoughts revolve around happiness and tranquility. He looks at his youth and children around him with a sort of envy. As Charlie gets older his life gets more complicated. When he looks at children he wonders about the problems they will face when they get older. He thinks about whether or not they hit their girlfriends or if they are going to get pregnant. He is jealous of the fact that for now they don’t have to worry about things like that because just being with their temporary friends and having a good time is all that they need to be happy. In the end of the book Charlie isn’t afraid for the new school year because he knows that no matter what he will pursue and gain his happiness.

Literary Elements:

Imagery: At Bob’s parties Charlie and his friends get high from different drugs. When Charlie is high he sees amazing, funny, and sometimes weird things. The things he sees also affect the way he thinks. He finds answers to his questions in the images frequently. On the first and last time trying LSD Charlie spoke to Mark, another person at the party and they both saw the sky differently.

“We were in this giant dome like a glass snowball, and Mark said that the amazing white stars were really only holes in the black glass of the dome, and when you went to Heaven, the glass broke away, and there was nothing but a whole sheet of star white, which is brighter than anything but doesn’t hurt your eyes.”(P.95) When they say how big this so called dome was they felt small and insignificant.

Metaphor: Throughout the book the same metaphor was written. The first time it was used Sam, Patrick, and Charlie were just sitting in the car peacefully listening to music. There was one song that they all really listened to and felt it. They were all deeply into the music then when the song ended Charlie said, “I am infinite”. (P.33) After that they both gaped at him like that were the greatest thing that has ever been said. For that moment everything was wonderful and that was all they needed. It was also used again (P.39) when Sam, Patrick, and Charlie were simply having a real good time. I think that having a really fun time with just nothing to worry about is what makes Charlie believe he is infinite.

Mood: The mood of the book varies on whatever Charlie is talking about or how he feels that day. The book can go from somber to uplifting in just a couple of pages. Sexual abuse is mentioned in the book to many different characters which affected them all dramatically. Suicide is also a topic mentioned in the book frequently because of his friend Nick and Charlie’s favorite poem, which was rumored to be someone’s suicide note. In the story all the characters who have been affected by some form of pain but all of them recovers from them. By recovering from their incidents they end up wiser and stronger. This makes the mood by the end of the story change to inspirational.

Annotated Bibliography:

Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. New York. Pocket Books, 1999.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a marvelous tale about a boy growing up and going through many things. It is a wonderful coming of age story and shows many of the trauma teenagers must endure while trying to figure their place in the world. Charlie discovers things like drugs, love, and music in this wonderfully written fiction book. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is written similarly to The Catcher in The Rye and has the same feeling of becoming the person you are reading about.

Friday, October 17, 2008

10/17/08

Background for understanding: (The idea of “The cult of True Womanhood,” or “the cult of domesticity,” sought to assert that womanly virtue resided in piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity- The attributes of True Womanhood, by which a woman judged herself and was judged by her husband, her neighbors, and her society could be divided into four cardinal virtues - piety, purity, submissiveness, and domesticity... Without them.... all was ashes. With them she was promised happiness and power.).
True Women were to hold the four cardinal virtues:
1. Piety - believed to be more religious and spiritual than men
2. Purity - pure in heart, mind, and body
3. Submission - held in "perpetual childhood" where men dictated all actions and decisions
4. Domesticity - a division between work and home, encouraged by the Industrial Revolution; men went out in the world to earn a living, home became the woman's domain where a wife created a "haven in a heartless world" for her husband and children.[1]

Aim: How is Linda Brent portrayed as an unconventional heroine who portrayal as slave challenges the cult of true womanhood while struggling to reclaim her status as a woman, and reconstructing the ideals of women in nineteenth century America?

Do Now: Write a sentence in your notebook starting with I believe that of the four virtues ________ still holds true in today’s society because….

Comprehension Check:
“Sketches of Neighboring Slaveholders”
What dehumanization/degradation do we see in Mr. Conant, Mrs. Wade’s?
-

What happened to James the slave? (48-49)
-

According to Linda Brent, what value do women hold? (49)
- The only value that women have is their womb. Slave women are treated like cattle in which their only purpose is creating more slaves so that the master could work or sell them.

What happened to the “kind mistress/orphan woman” who took inherited a woman and her six children? (50-51)
- The kind mistress remarried to a man who treated the children as his own slaves in which he could to whatever he want. The mother was free and the two eldest boys were sold to Georgia, three of the daughters were sold to the masters plantation where they were taking advantaged of the master and his brother and had children, the third daughter went insane, and the last daughter was so young that she was left to her mother.

Explain: “The poor worm shall prove her contest vain. Life’s little day shall pass, and she is gone! (52)
-

Explain: According to Linda Brent, “slavery is a curse to the whites as well as to the blacks.” (53)
-

“A Perilous Passage in the Slave Girl’s Life”
-

Comprehension Check:
What was Dr. Flint’s new plan for Brent? (53)
-

How old is Linda in this chapter? (55)
- Linda was just 15 in the chapter.

Literary Analysis:
Characterize Mr. Sands
- Mr. Sands is considered an educated, honorable, eloquent white man.

Interpretive:
What did Linda Brent do “with deliberate calculation?” (54-55)
- With deliberate calculation she lost her virtue so that she can be sold

Identify Brent’s use of rhetoric in “Perilous Passage” (54, 56)

In her rhetoric, Brent addresses her readers as “O virtuous reader…” why? (56)

Where do we see hypocrisy of the church? (50)

According to Brent, “I feel that the slave woman ought not to be judged by the same standard as others”- Why? (56)

Why did Aunt Marty/Linda’s grandmother ostracize Linda and tell her that she would “rather see you dead than to see you as you now are [pregnant]. You are a disgrace to your mother?” (57)

Critical Thinking: Using the four cardinal virtues
Which of the four cardinal virtues do you think is the most important and why?

What does Linda do that challenges the “cult of true womanhood?”

According to the cardinal virtues that makes the nineteenth century woman a “true woman” is
Linda a true woman? Why or Why not?

Cooperative Learning: Form your Groups and write in your notebooks the following as a header:
Slavery was terrible for both men and women, but one can say that it was far more terrible for women.
Then say if you agree or disagree with this quote and why.
Finally, cite your sources using citations from the text and page numbers.

Share out!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

10/14/08

First marking periods grades are due today! It is unfortunate that some of you may not have taken the opportunity to do your best, but you have to believe that you can be successful for the next two marking periods.

Objective:
Students will read aloud with expression, conveying the meaning and mood of a work.
Students will
use inference and deduction to understand the text.
Students will evaluate literary merit based on an understanding of the genre, the literary elements, and the literary period and tradition

Aim: How does the protagonist suffers further dehumanization and degradation in Chapter VII "The Lover?"

de·hu·man·ize (dē hyo̵̅o̅mə nīz′)
transitive verb -·ized′, -·iz′·ing
to deprive of human qualities, as pity, kindness, individuality, or creativity; make inhuman or machinelike
Degrade:
To reduce in grade, rank, or status; demote.
2. To lower in dignity; dishonor or disgrace: a scandal that degraded the participants.3. To lower in moral or intellectual character; debase.4. To reduce in worth or value: degrade a currency.5. To impair in physical structure or function.

Do Now: Start writing in your notebook I have experienced/witnessed/felt dehumanization or/and degraded....
Comprehension Check:
Who is Linda in love with? (36)
-Linda is in love with a free black man.

What is her lover's profession in the neighborhood? (36)
- Lindas lover is the towns carpenter.

Who did Linda confide in about her lover?
-Linda first confided with he Grandmother.

Who did she ask for help to talk to Dr. Flint?
- She asked help of a lady in the neighbor hood who would go to the house frequently since she is a friend of Dr.Flint.

What was Dr. Flint's response to Linda's proposal of marrying her lover?
How are they acquainted?
- When he heard of Linda's wishes to marry this man he was absolutely furious. He said he would never have Linda sold. She has known the lover since they were both children.

Literary analysis:
How is slavery metaphorically illustrated in the text? (look at the first paragraph of "The Lover")
- She compares slavery as a separation from her being away from the one she loves. When she says "be wrenched away by the hands of violence" slavery express like a cruel master.

Close/Interpretive/Infer:
How are men further emasculated in this literary work?
- Her lover was emasculated by not being able to take care of his love. By being helpless of his loves future I think it emasculates him in the worst way.

Why does Dr. Flint tells Linda to take up with one of his slaves instead of granting her permission to marry her lover?
-If Linda were to marry one of his slaves he would be able to control her and her husband. Linda would not try to be sold or run away from his house if her husband worked for him.

In what way is Dr. Flint acting like a jealous lover himself?
- When he was screaming at Linda he points out how wonderfully he treats her and almost promises a better life for her if she yields to his wishes.

What really triggers Dr. Flint to physically abuse Linda and why?
- When she states that her lover wouldn't be with her if she wasn't a virtuous woman Dr.Flint hit her for the first time. It angered Dr.Flint because he is trying to take away the virtue that Linda has. Yet he hasn't so far and that is part of the love Linda has with her lover.

Explain Linda's response "Do you know....that I can kill you, if I please? You have tried to kill me, and I wish you had; but you have no right to do as you like with me" (39).
- A slave master is supposed to be able to do anything with their slaves but to take away her virtue Linda will just not lie. To her keeping her innocence is something worth more than death.

What does it mean to have "high notions?" (39).
- Slaves weren't supposed to see themselves as humans back then. For Linda Brent to believe that she has the rights of a white woman would be to consider herself to have high notions.

Why does Dr. Flint tell Linda that she "[has] been the plague of [his] life" (39)?
- To Dr.Flint Linda seems almost like a game in which he keeps losing. He is used to the idea of getting anything he wants yet Linda keeps maneuvering her way out of his grasps.

Critical Thinking:
What is the importance of virtue in this chapter?
- Linda gives her virtue the utmost importance in the book. She stands firm in keeping it and values it with her heart. Not only is her virtue what her lover admires about her, it is also what Dr.Flint wants to take away from her.

In her slave status, why is Linda allowed to "answer back" Dr. Flint?
-Dr.Flint is obsessed with her and almost loves her. Because of his love for her he lets her get away with things that she normally shouldn't have.

How is Dr. Flint portrayed as an animal and Linda like prey? (40)
- Throughout the book even when she was younger he always watched her and wanted for himself.

Why do we not know the lover by his real name or fake name?
- To label her lover with the real name or fake name would almost take away from the love she has for him. By keeping the name to herself she seems to make the memory of her lover more precious to her.

Why did Linda have to give up the thought of marrying her lover?
- Dr.Flint would not have sold her to her lover or even let her marry him. If she would've stayed with him she risks the chance of getting her lover hurt both physically and mentally.

Connect and write in your notebook: Can you connect to anything in this chapter? Did you ever have a boy/girl/friend that someone did not approve of?

Homework: Read chapter VIII Period 8 please post today's lesson on your Blogs if you did not complete in class.

Vocabulary to know:
Tendrils- Something, such as a ringlet of hair, that is long, slender, and curling
Dehumanize-to deprive of human qualities or attributes
Degrade- to lower in dignity or estimation; bring into contempt
Sanction- authoritative permission or approval, as for an action.
Dissipated-indulging in or characterized by excessive devotion to pleasure
Manifested- o show or demonstrate plainly; reveal
Lenient- agreeably tolerant; permissive; indulgent
Desolate-barren or laid waste; devastated
Defray- to bear or pay all or part of (the costs, expenses, etc.)

10/15/08

Aim: What are slaves taught to think of the North, and why are they depicted as inferior?
Do Now: Write about a time when you were either deceived/lead to think about something that was not true. I recall a time when…
Comprehension Check:
What do slaveholders pride themselves on?
- They pride themselves on being honorable men.

How does Jacobs’ literacy prove valuable to herself and community?
- Jacobs' literacy stops her from being ignorant of what goes on around her. Is also helps teaches the slaves in the community who cant read and dont know any better.

Interpretive:
Why does Jacobs say that liberty “is more valuable than life” (43)?
- The slaves were taught to believe that life in the North is a horrible and the freedom is not worth living that type of life. But no matter how hard the life may be having liberty is worth it all. With liberty you could be treated like a man and help your family instead of being helpless to yourself.

Why has northerners proved to be “apt scholars?” (44)
- When the Northerners go to the South they catch on the ways of the Sourtherners and embrace the order of things around them. They even prove to be harsher masters.

Why does says that she admits that the “black man is inferior?” (43)
- She admits to the black man being inferior but not because they were supposed to be that way but because the white people in the society placed that label upon them.

Cooperative Learning
:
Cite from the text as many instances where the characters suffers further dehumanization and degradation in "The Lover"
"The Lover"

Character
Example of Dehumanization/Degradation
Works Cited
Share out!
Connect to World
Where in today’s society that we are witnesses to “liberty more valuable than life”?
Homework: Research the Fugitive Slave Law Act.
Research the Mason and Dixon Line. Read Chapters IX, X, XI. Getting very intense.

Friday, October 10, 2008

10/10/08

Objective: E2-Students will understand how multiple levels of meaning are conveyed in Jacobs' Incidents: Agency, Abuse
Aim: How does absolute power corrupts absolutely?
Do Now: Start writing a sentence with I have witnessed absolute power...

Requirements: Students will take notes in their notebooks on class discussion, peers perspectives etc.
Cite page numbers or chapters to support their perspectives.
Comprehension Check:
Why is Mrs. Flint Jealous and who is she jealous of?
-Mrs. Flint is jealous of Linda Brent because of Mr. Flints intentions and fascination with her.

Why does Harriet chooses death and hard work than to live with an "unprincipled master and jealous mistress" (29)?
- Since Harriet is a young and virtuous girl she would rather hard labor than to become impure.

Why was Mr. Flint slipping notes to Harriet?
- Mr.Flint wants Harriet to succumb to his sexual wishes.

How old is Harriet in this chapter? (31)
-Harriet was 16.

How does Mrs. Flint mask herself to fool Linda? What does she do?
- She promised to proctect Linda from Dr.Flint but she was really just looking for an exuse to exile Linda from their property.

What number wife is Mrs. Flint? (33)
-She is Dr. Flints second wife.

Is Mrs. Flint younger or older than her husband?
- Dr. Flint is older than his wife.

How many children has he fathered? (34)
-

Interpretive:
Why do you think Mr. Flint wouldn't allow anyone to punish Harriet?
- I think Mr.Flint is obsessed with her and wants her all to himself.

Is he in love or completely obsess with her?
- He seems to be completely obsessed with her.

Why do you think Harriet was chosen to sleep with Flint's daughter?
- If she would sleep there then he would have has sex with her.

Why does Mrs. Flint make Harriet swear on a Bible?
- Because she is very religious and wouldnt lie to the lord.
Literary analysis: Why is it ironic that Mrs. Flint

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Homework

Aim: How is rhetoric illustrated in the preface of Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl?
Do Now: From your research: draw a KWL chart in your notebooks and identify 1 aspect of Jacobs’ life.
Recap Mini Lesson of what is Rhetoric:
Think about the Presidential Debate…what rhetoric do you know of exists in the last debate?

Whole Class: Teacher will read aloud the preface of Incidents.
Comprehension check:
Who is being addressed in the preface?
What was purposely done by the author?
Vocabulary:
What is a preface?
What is a pseudonym?
Literary Analysis:
What are the various settings?

Vocabulary:
Preface-a preliminary statement in a book by the book's author or editor, setting forth its purpose and scope, expressing acknowledgment of assistance from others, etc.
Pseudonym-a fictitious name used by an author to conceal his or her identity; pen name.
Competent-having suitable or sufficient skill, knowledge, experience, etc., for some purpose.
Diligent-constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything.
Leisure-freedom from the demands of work or duty.
Compelled-to secure or bring about by force.
Motives-An emotion, desire, physiological need, or similar impulse that acts as an incitement to action.
Presumptuous-full of, characterized by, or showing presumption or readiness to presume in conduct or thought.
Abominations-Abhorrence; disgust.