The Scarlet Letter

5/2: We finished up The Scarlet Letter today (except for the projects...) Thanks so much for the great discussion. If you want to hear more of Michelle Alexander's interview (totally worth your time) you can find it here.

4/25: Let's revisit Dimmesdale's death tonight. Reread (closely and carefully) the last six or so pages of chapter 23 (start with where John Wilson tries to help him - in my book that's page 223). Here are the questions we are exploring: What causes Dimmesdale's death? What is Chillingworth's role? What does the death say about the possibility of salvation? What does the death mean/do for Pearl and why? Come to class with brilliant ideas and insights. Please finish reading the Ronson chapter as well.

4/20: The project handout is attached below. If you want to choose the Worcester Art Museum project, try to go to the museum this week. The museum is open Wed-Sun. I think Thursday's hours are extended this week (until 8:00 p.m.). I might try to go on Friday, depending on how I feel.

4/15: Form new groups today – try for 2 people from each of the three lens groups from yesterday (everybody pick up a copy of the lens packets you did not read). Each pair teach the others your lens – where it came from, why it was developed, how it is applied, what concepts, terms, ideas are important, what questions this critic asks, etc. If you have sections you don’t understand, please make a group list so we can address them when you come back (hand this in to the sub). As you go through each lens, read through the Gatsby application and talk about how that deepens your understanding. Have a great vacation. Finish The Scarlet Letter. I will post the projects at some point this week and send a text when I do.

HOMEWORK OVER BREAK: A Lit vacation reading: finish our first read through of The Scarlet Letter. We’ll use the same topic ideas we were exploring (you can pick the one you are interested in – limited number, so once they are gone, move on to another. I am substituting bright for the red Scarlet A and light pink for Hester’s blue. Pearl’s former white is a little on the gray side…): On one side, take notes (cite chapter and page, build on patterns, look for new ideas + connections, etc. ask questions (mark down page numbers and sections that confuse you). On the other side of the bookmark: Push yourself to reflect on what you noticed, to THINK about what Hawthorne is saying and why, to pose some questions yourself (DEEP THINKING questions), explore ideas we talked about in class, etc. Work out your confusions/frustrations, develop insights, etc.. Fill both sides with notes and prove that you’ve read it in its entirety. We’ll use these in class on Tuesday and I’ll likely collect them for a grade.

4/14: We are working on critical lenses (psychological, feminist, Marxist).

4/13: Close reading attached below. (chapters 1, 11 and 12). Choose one, mark it up, make connections to what we've already talked about, to new ideas, etc. Then, find another section in the novel (different chapter) that you think would be worth exploring as a partner to this one, close read that, take notes, look for intersections, etc.

4/8: See "TSL close reading by topic" attached below.

4/7: On the front of the notecard: tell me how the reading is going - what patterns/ideas you see and/or would like to explore, questions, confusions, problems in the reading. Then, read this poem: Separation by, W.S.Merwin Your absence has gone through me/Like thread through a needle./ Everything I do is stitched with its colors. On the back of the notecard: think about the poem, react/reflect and tell me why it is that I always think about this poem when I am reading The Scarlet Letter.

HOMEWORK: See "TSL close reading by topic" attached below.

4/1: See "Starting TSL with Jon Ronson" attached below.

3/31: Between now and Tuesday, please make sure that you either listen to the podcast about Benjamin Banneker or read the piece about Phyllis Wheatley (I also attached that as a word document below if you want to print it out.). Take notes to bring to class so you can tell us all about the person, his/her life and why you think it matters that we know about them, etc. Attached below is the assignment for starting The Scarlet Letter ("starting TSL 2016"). The Franklin work we did in class today is on the "Puritans and the founding" page.