Nathaniel Hawthorne

This week's readings include "The Minister's Black Veil" and the first five chapters of the Scarlet Letter. Many students may find it helpful to use the the SIFT Method of Literary Analysis when exploring how Hawthorne uses literary elements and stylistic techniques to convey meaning or theme. SIFT means:

Symbol: examine the title and text for symbolism
Images: identify images and sensory details
Figures of speech: analyze figurative language and other devices
Tone and theme: discuss how all of the devices reveal tone and theme

Homework schedule:
Monday and Tuesday: Read "The Minister's Black Veil" and create a vocabulary list that focuses on the adjectives that Hawthorne used to create the tone. In addition, explain the back veil. What could it possibly symbolize? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
Wednesday: Read chapter one of The Scarlet Letter and complete the worksheet about language.
Thursday: Read chapter two and take notes.
Friday: Read chapters three through five and take notes.

It's Almost Thanksgiving!

Okay, do I have your attention? It's not time to stuff our faces quite yet. You owe me a paper on the Transcendentalists before Thanksgiving break. You will have time this Friday and Monday to write, peer edit, and ask questions. Use your time wisely. The assignment is worth 150 points, and don't forget to include a works cited page.

In addition, there is now a homework assistance program that runs each Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30 until 4:30 in room 426 . Mrs. Bodnar-Keimel is a wonderful teacher, who gladly offers her assistance. Another homework program runs during lunch in the Media Center. If you plan on attending the lunchtime program, you will need to see me to secure a pass.

The Transcendentalists

"Trust thyself; every heart vibrates to that iron string.... A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.... No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature.... Insist on yourself; never imitate.... Nothing can bring you peace but the triumph of principles." - Ralph Waldo Emerson in "Self-Reliance"

What were those Transcendentalists encouraging? Anarchy? Independence? Greatness? Can a society function if individuals are true to themselves? Are any of the transcendental thoughts asserted in "Self-Reliance," Walden, and "Civil Disobedience" valid in today's society?

In addition to Emerson and Thoreau, consider their neighbors, the Alcotts and Hawthorne, and other great writers of the era like Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson. How did their thoughts influence the Great American Dream?

Keep a log of profound thoughts (the authors' ideas or yours inspired by these authors) to share with your classmates.

Mrs. Porter

Ps. Go to Nicenet and complete the assignment by next Wednesday, November 18.

Week of November 2, 2009

Welcome to a new unit. Over the course of the next several weeks we will explore the works of Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Dickinson, and a few other writers of the 1800s. One major thought to consider is how the Transcendentalists and the American Romanticists influenced not only other writers, but American and world history as well.

Please read The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail over the long weekend. If you want to read ahead, tackle both "Self-Reliance" by Emerson and "Civil Disobedience" by Thoreau. Music lovers can look into the lyrics of Simon and Garfunkel as well as songs by Bob Dylan.

AND I CAN'T SAY THIS LOUDLY ENOUGH: TAKE NOTES! Thank you.