Crime and Punishment

What is the connection between the epilogue of Crime and Punishment and Macbeth? (Think nihilism) Formal response paragraph.

The Gift and the Curse - June 27

"Yet birth, and lust, and illness, and death are changeless things, and when one of these harsh facts springs out upon a man at some sudden turn of the path of life, it dashes off for the moment his mask of civilization and gives a glimpse of the stranger and stronger face below." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Write a formal response using the above quote to analyze Macbeth and his "path of life" Discuss his path at the beginning of the drama, the murder of Duncan, his appetite to destroy any challenge to him and the end of the novel. Oh, and don't forget those witches.

Do Now in Class May 9, 2008

"And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
Which character does this quote relate to?
Analyze both the quote and the connection.
Formal writing.

Roman Polanski's film

Read the review of the Polanski version of Macbeth. Write a 150-word minimum response of both the the film and the review. Do you agree with the review, why or why not, and what did you see of value in the film?

In class writing March 31

Fitzgerald juxtaposes the imagery of light and dark throughout the novel to accentuate the conflict between illusions and reality. Please write a fomral paragrpah substantiating this claim.

Modern Times - Due Monday, March 17

Although Charlie Chaplin's film came out in 1936, it still has resonance today. Please write a 150-word minimum blog analyzing the film and connecting it to our discussions in class lately. Check out this Chaplin link to get started.

451 last question

TASK: Describe Montag’s ascent out of the cave. Your essay must be formal and have at least four points that are significant to the ascent. Start with Montag chained as a prisoner. Each point should have at least one quote from the novel to substantiate it. Make sure you reference the Allegory of the Cave directly.

Missing assignment for Raisin

In a formal paragrpah, explain how the film, Raisin in the Sun, changed or substantiated your view of a character, the setting, or any other literary technique from the written play.

Do now - Monday March 3 - HAVE YOU EVER LOST YOURSELF?

"If you realize what the real problem is, losing yourself, you realize that this itself is the ultimate trial." Joseph Campell

Read Montag's statement on Pg. 131 that questions how he got to the time and space he is in.

Connect Campell's quote, providing an appropriate analysis, and write a formal paragrpah evaluating the purpose of both the quote and the dialogue. Essentailly, does Montag lose himself?

"Insane in the membrane"

"Men have called me mad, but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence--whether much that is glorious--whether all that is profound--does not spring from disease of thought--from moods of mind exalted at the expense of the general intellect. Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night" - Edgar Allen Poe

Consider this quote and compare it to Clarisse's compulsory visits to the psychiatrist: "They make me go. He says I'm a regular onion! I keep him busy peeling away the layers" (22)

How is sanity measured? What if you are the sane in an insane world?

Respond in a creative way. Don't given me formula, give me depth.

451 -" And questions give us no rest" Here are a few to ponder while reading Class discussion - 2/8

1. What does the salamander and phoenix symbolize? How do they work together?

2. “I’m seventeen and I’m crazy” (7). What allows Clarisse to give this blunt explanation? Are the traces of her ideas just a phase? What does it say about her character?

3.Why does Guy reference a power failure as an hour of rediscovery? (suspension of efficiency/ technology – allows a rediscovery of humanness)

4. Clarisse states, “You answer right off. You never stop to think what I’ve asked you.” Also, Guy admits that he wasn’t certain about knowing there was dew on the grass: “He hadn’t looked for a long time ” (9). How does this statement represent adult complacency?

5.What do the large advertisements tell the reader about the current society? (9)

6. On page ten, Guy recalls a night a year ago when he met an old man in the park and, “they had talked.” Explain the significance.

7. On page 11, He describes Clarisse as an “immense figure” and said, “what a shadow she threw on the wall with her slender body.” What does the physical description of her size suggest?

8. What is the underlying statement Bradbury makes by having men who were called to a suicide not be doctors?

9. What is the significance of juxtaposing the meeting of Clarisse with the suicide attempt of Guy’s wife?

10. Snake imagery is prevalent on the first few pages (salamander/ black cobra 14/great python 3) WHY?


11. “I never sleep cause sleep is the cousin of death.” How does this thought relate to Guy taking a sleeping lozenge? (Contrasting thoughts)

12. Why does he talk about the rain not being felt by Mildred and then return to it through counting the drops? (17)

More quotes

“This is the age of the disposable tissue. Blow. Wad. Flush.” 17 Connotation of disposable - throwaway, not reusable.

“Strangers come and violate you.” (So do firemen) This statement is foreshadowing
Bradbury’s purpose.


“He felt that the stars had been pulverized by the sound of the black jets and that in the morning the earth would be covered with their dust like a strange snow.” 14 – Foreshadowing too!

Aristotle in your words

“All humans by nature desire to know.”
Do you agree or not? Explsin why in a formal paragraph....

I agree…
All humans, due to the human condition, are eager to find answers to their questions.

The more answers we get, the more questions that come along with them.

Everyone works to find truth, even if it is gossip in the hall.

Our desire to grow is what allows us to be as advanced as we are. All of our technology comes as a result of our desire to know. This desire also has a negative impact. Our desire to know makes us discover some things we did not wish to know.

A person can’t just learn by reading something in a book, they have to question what they are reading. If a person does not search for knowledge, they cannot learn any more than what they already know.


People learn more when they are questioned, they are more willing to accept knowledge in this scenario.

If someone disagrees with you, it forces you to see their perspective and make you back up your answer even more or debate in your head whether your original answer is correct. With debate and argument, one learns more about different views taken by different people as well as the truly correct answer.

To grow is to know.

It’s our desire to figure out our flaws so we can grow as individuals rather than be clouded.

Questioning is a way of life, it makes us who we are.

I disagree…
On some level because winning gives people a feeling of accomplishment.

In a man’s quest for knowledge, he won’t want to be proven wrong. Man prefers dignity over truth.

Students in school take tests everyday. Students aren’t worried about getting to the truth but are worried about getting a good grade.

Do now - Jan. 29 class

How has the film, "Raisin in the Sun", changed or supported your view of either Walter or Bennie? Explain. One formal paragraph.