Weeks 14-18: Fences and Wrap-Up

Note: these assignments may shift and change. For that reason, try not to get too far ahead.

Mon 4/27: No Zoom meeting today!

    • As you did last week, I'll send you a Google form to fill out for attendance.

  • Please click here for the link to PDFs of an early handwritten version of the novel.

    • Many thanks to Dr. P for finding this and for making the PDFs!

      • Note: I don't intend for you to read all or much of this.

        • Rather, spend 10-15 minutes looking through the PDFs.

        • Identify a section of the novel that is a little--or very--different from the published version of the novel. Come prepared to talk about this in class on Tuesday (Block F) or Weds (Block C).

      • Total time for the assignment: 15-20 minutes.

Tues 4/28 (Block F) or Weds 4/29 (Block C):

Thurs 4/30 (Block F) or Fri 5/1 (Block C): Start Fences

  • In Fences, read and annotate "Characters," "Setting," "The Play" and Fences, Act One, scene 1 (pp. 1-20)

  • If you don't have a paper copy yet, here's a link to the exact version we're using: Fences PDF Plume Edition

Mon 5/4: No Zoom meeting today

    • As you did last week, I'll send you a Google form to fill out for attendance.

Tues 5/5 (Block F) or Weds 5/6 (Block C): Read and annotate Fences, pp. 21-40 (Act One, scenes 2 and 3)

Thurs 5/7 (Block F) or Fri 5/8 (Block C): Writing assignment:

Do the following assignment as a quasi-freewrite.

    • By "quasi-freewrite," what I mean is, don't worry too much about grammar, sentence structure, etc.

    • In Part I, however, you must quote from the text and practice your close reading skills.

Part I: In Fences, what does being a good father mean to Troy? What does being a good husband mean? Find specific words and lines from the play that illustrate your responses.

Part II: What is your personal definition of a “good” father? In your opinion, is Troy a good husband and father? Why/why not?

Word count total: 350 words minimum

Mon 5/11: t.b.a

Tues 5/12 (Block F) or Weds 5/13 (Block C): Read and annotate Fences, pp. 41-58 (Finish Act One)

Thurs 5/14 (Block F) or Fri 5/15 (Block C): Read and annotate Fences, pp. 59-77 (Act Two, scenes 1 and 2)

Mon 5/18: Optional office hours.

Tues 5/19 (Block F) or Weds 5/20 (Block C): Finish reading and annotating Fences, pp. 78-101 (Act Two, scenes 3, 4, and 5)

Thurs 5/21 (Block F) or Fri 5/22 (Block C):

  • Do the following assignment as a quasi-freewrite (pass/fail--simple homework assignment: no stress!)

        • By "quasi-freewrite," what I mean is, don't worry too much about grammar, sentence structure, etc. In Part I, however, you must quote from the text and practice your close reading skills.

          • Part I: Rose understands her world through the metaphor of gardening (70-71) whereas Troy thinks of his world through the metaphor of baseball (69-70). What do these metaphors reveal about what Rose and Troy value most in life? Find specific words and lines from the play that illustrate your responses.

            • For those of you with different editions, these speeches are in Act II, end of scene 1--the two long speeches--one by Troy ("Rose, I done tried all my life. . .") and one by Rose ("I been standing with you!...).

          • Part II: How do you see the world, if you had to pick a metaphor/analogy? Do you see it more as a baseball game or a garden or something else entirely?

          • Word count total: 300 words minimum

Mon 5/25: Memorial Day--no school

Tues 5/26 (Block F) or Weds 5/27 (Block C): Final day of class!

  • Gatsby Revision Assignment:

      • Re-read your Gatsby paragraph

        • Make sure to read all the bubble comments as well as the end comments

      • Please fix the mechanical errors in your Gatsby paragraphs

        • Make a list of all the mechanical errors

      • Also, please write out the sentences with the errors, and highlight where you fixed them. (E.g., if you added a comma, highlight it.)

      • For models of closely reading specific words and phrases, please look at the sample passages on Gatsby here

      • Re-write (or start re-writing) your para, using the suggestions I made to improve the paragraph.

      • Spend no more than 30 minutes on the above assignment.

      • Post your assignment here on Canvas

      • During class time, you'll write a "Dear Sophomore Self" letter (this is not homework)