The end and the new...

For the past several weeks we have read Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird.  Now that we are finished reading, and now that our exams and final projects  will be completed and turned in soon, we are left with a few questions, and perhaps a few newly taken positions.  Primarily the book's themes were focused on the topics of empathy, courage in the face of adversity, and basic human dignity; at least one of those will follow us into the next novel that we will be reading and discussing: The Princess Bride, by William Goldman.

Goldman's novel, which was turned into a feature film in the early 80's (if you haven't seen it, it's one of my favorites and worth a viewing), is a satire that focuses on bravery, courage, and "high adventure."  It is truly a departure from the hopeful, but melencholic, tales that we have already read, as this novel is told through humor, sarcasm, and fantasy.  But make no mistake, this work is no less complicated or deep than the others that we have and will read this year. 

Goldman writes: "But take the title words - 'true love and high adventure' - I believed in that once.  I thought my life awas going to follow that path.  Prayed that it would.  Obviously it didn't, but I don't think there's high adventure left any more...And true love you can forget about too.  I don't know if I love anything truly any more beyond the porterhouse at Peter Luger's and the cheese enchilada at El Parador's" (Goldman 30).  With this stance shaping the trajectory of the novel, we, as the readers, are left to question the same thing.  Therefore, our main pursuit while reading this novel is to answer the following question: are there things such as high adventure and true love anymore and what place do they have in our lives?

As I sit at my desk this morning I am confronted with the realization that the students of Sandy Hook Elementary School will be returning to some sort of routine. I can't fully articulate how I feel about this situation except to say that it has deeply affected me. It seems to me this would be a good opportunity to have a discussion of sorts, or to offer some sort of object lesson, but I'm not going to. I don't want to pontificate about this very complex situation without any real aim. Instead, I just want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with those broken souls who are in the process of rebuilding. May God bless you Sandy Hook Elementary families and friends.

TKMb - Reading Schedule (Until Christmas Break)

Well folks,
    Here is the reading schedule that is set until Christmas break.  This schedule will be adhered to even in the case of snow days or other delays.  It is expected that you follow the schedule and come to class prepared.  If you forget your book you can always click the image of the book located in the upper right-hand corner of this page.  The image is a link to an online version of the book.

Reading Schedule:

Date             Chapter         # of Pages
12-5               3                     10
12-6               4                      9
12-7               5                      9
          Weekend
12-10             6                      7
12-11          7 & 8                  17
12-12             9                      15
12-13            10                     10
12-14            11                     13
          Weekend
12-17            12                     12
12-18            13                     8
12-19            14                     8
12-20            15                     11
12-21            None
         Christmas Break

The Past Informs the Present

Perhaps the most important thing to remember while preparing to read To Kill a Mockingbird, a classic by Harper Lee (http://tecfaetu.unige.ch/etu-maltt/R2D2/dacostj7/stic-2/ex14/epub/ex14.pdf), is that the past informs the present.  In fact, that is the focus of this unit.  Whether we are first, second, or third generation Americans, or even if our ancestors came over on the Mayflower or were here prior to the Mayflower's arrival, we need to understand our history in order to understand the nature of our world and our place in it.  Reading this novel isn't just about learning to analyze tone, characterization, or any of the myriad of literary elements that we talk about; reading this book is a window to our past as Americans. 

To begin to understand the historical context for this book, and this unit, we must begin to understand what slavery was, when and how the abolition of slavery came about, and what the ramifications were in the former confederate states once slavery was abolished.  We have already taken notes on some of this, and your American history course that you are taking in conjunction with this American literature course has covered other parts.  But, one thing that hasn't been covered yet is the Scottsboro Trial.  This trial highlights the extent to which revenge, hatred, social discontent, and racial conflicts affected our society.  Watch the film, take notes, and we will be discussing this trial's influence on both our culture and To Kill a Mockingbird.  Remember, the past informs the present; as this is our past let us realize how it is informing our present.  There will be a quiz on the content to follow.  Watch, be moved, and think about this content.

I am posting a few very entertaining and beneficial videos on "The Crucible" below.  There are others by this presenter that are for "The Crucible" as well as other books in the cannon.  I would highly recommend you to use her resources and/or search out other resources to help you understand the finer points of our discussions and the narrative of the story.  Enjoy!

What is this?

Hello students, parents, and friends;

Well, the school year has been underway for quite some time now, and as I have thought about ways to stay transparent and accessible to both parents and students, I have decided to build this site.  My plan is simple; I will maintain a blog that does two things: 1. Showcase some exceptional work from students (without names); 2. Create a venue where students and parents can access a calendar of events, read about what we are doing in class, and access beneficial resources.  So, with that said, I hope that you will follow along and parouse the site. 

 If you have any questions about topics of classroom conversations, classroom resources, or anything pertinent to the course, please feel free to email me.  My email address is: ikain@oswego.org

Thank you,
Mr. Kain