ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE RECAP [English Literature I]

ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE  RECAP [English Literature I]

Instructions:

1- Works in groups of 4 students. 

2- Watch the entire video.

3- Comment on what impressed you most or what surprised you most. DO NOT comment on topics other groups have already spoken about. (Click on the link below to access the video in YouTube)

DEADLINE: Thursday 13th, June - 23:00 p.m. 

Michael Wood - In Search of BEOWULF

ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE: BEOWULF [English Literature I ]

ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE:  BEOWULF [English Literature I ]

Instructions:

In groups of 3, choose ONE question about the essay by Alexander and compose an answer. You will have to create a GoogleDoc to be able to work together as a group and make your contributions. Once you have your answer ready and checked for mistakes, you copy and paste it into the Blog. You should copy and paste the question first.  At the end of your post, write ALL your names.

I

Bibliography [in your Booklet]: 

Alexander, Michael. Beowulf : A Verse Translation. England: Clays Ltd, St Ives plc, 2003. Pp  

     xiii- xli. Print.

DEADLINE: Fri 19, April, 2019 - 12:00 PM

 (no entries will be evaluated after this time!)

Read the introduction to Beowulf and answer these questions :

1.The Venerable Bede wrote the Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum in 731. What do we learn about the Angles there ?

2.How does the name « England » originate ?

3.Does Beowulf have any historical characters ? Who ? What do we know about them ?

4.Who wrote Beowulf, when was it written and what was its inteded audience ? Does the original manuscript survive ?

5.Why did the monks need to translate the gospel into English instead of leaving in Latin like they did in Gaul ? Why is this important for Literature ?

6. What makes Beowulf a remarkable poem ?

7.What is the primary theme of heroic poetry ?

8.What is Beowulf, the protagonist, like ? How is he different from Achilles or Aeneas ?

9.What do these names suggest : Grendel, Bjorn, Heorot, Beowulf ?

10.Beowulf belongs to the epic genre. What are the 4 characteristics of this genre ? Explain them briefly.

11.What do the monsters in the poem symbolise ?

12.Beowulf is different from other epic poems such as Homer’s The Illiad and The Odyssey ? Why ? What is the Ethos of this poem ? ( Ethos : the set of ​beliefs, ​ideas, etc. about the ​social ​behaviour and ​relationships of a ​person or ​group)

13.What are the monsters and why do they attack ?

Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys

Wide Sargasso Sea, by Jean Rhys

Work collaboratively in groups and take down notes on the following:

1. What are your initial impressions on the characters in Wise Sargasso Sea? Do they develop through the novel or are they static? If they are developing characters, how do they change and why? Are there any similarities or differences between this set of characters and those of  Jane Eyre?

In your notes, include:

      Traits of personality

      Physical features

      Their philosophical outlooks ( how they see life, love, sex, etc), mannerisms, etc. 

      It’s important to read the descriptions of minor characters below to keep track of who is who in the book.

2.Setting:

    How well does the writer help you to visualise the setting? Make a note of any passages of description which you think are particularly effective in creating a vivid sense of place and time.

   Does the setting seem to be just a background against which the action takes place – for example because it is concerned with historical events or with the interrelationship between people and their environment?  

C   . Can you make any connections between these settings and the ones in Jane Eyre?

3.Themes: What themes seem to be emerging? Can you find a link with those themes in Brontë’s novel?

4.Style:

     Is the story told by a narrator who is also a character in the stories, referring to herself / himself as “I” (first person narrative) or is he/she anonymous and detached from the action (third person narrative)?

    Note down any interesting or striking uses of language, such as powerful words or images which evoke a sense of atmosphere. Compare and contrast them with Brontë’s use of language.

    How is this novel post-modern?

5.Your personal response: Have the novel made you think about or influenced your views on its themes and characters? What have you enjoyed or admired most about the stories ( or least) and why?

6. Length: You are expected to produce a summary of your findings, including all the items you have discussed with your partners in class: characters, setting, themes, style, and your personal responses. Your written production should not exceed 1,500 words.

7. References: As you are going to be using sources on the novel and Post-modernism, quote them properly. Write your References at the end of your production.

. Group members: this information should go at the very beginning of your post.

DEADLINE:  THU 8^TH, NOVEMBER, 2018 – 22.00 p.m.

III. KAZUO ISHIGURO’S The Remains of the Day – English Literature III

1. What are your initial impressions on the characters in The Remains of the Day? Do they develop through the novel or are they static? If they are developing characters, how do they change and why? Are there any similarities or differences between this set of characters and those of Ian McEwan’s Atonement and L.P. Hartley’s The Go-Between?

Characters: As you make progress through the pages of this novel, take down notes on all the characters you encounter. In your notes, include:

ü  Traits of personality

ü  Physical features

ü  Their philosophical outlooks, their own countrymen and relatives, love, sex, their place in the world, the place where they are living at the moment, etc.

ü  Gestures, speech, and mannerisms that characterise them.

2.Setting:

ü  How well does the writer help you to visualise the setting? Make a note of any passages of description which you think are particularly effective in creating a vivid sense of place and time.

ü  Does the setting seem to be just a background against which the action takes place – for example because it is concerned with historical events or with the interrelationship between people and their environment? Can you make any connections between these settings and the other two novels we’ve read this year?

3.Themes: What themes seem to be emerging? Can you find links with those themes in Ishiguro’s and Hartley’s novels?

4.Style:

ü  Is the story told by a narrator who is also a character in the stories, referring to herself / himself as “I” (first person narrative) or is he/she anonymous and detached from the action (third person narrative)?

ü  Note down any interesting or striking uses of language, such as powerful words, motifs, metaphors, or images which evoke a sense of atmosphere. Compare and contrast them with Ishiguro’s use of language.

How is Ishiguro's novel post-modern? 

5.Your personal response: Has the novel made you think about or influenced your views on its themes and characters? How has the novel informed your views on the masters and servants in England before WWI? What have you enjoyed or admired most about this novel (or least) and why? In order to give your opinion, use the critical essays on The Remains of the Day to help you say what you want to say. Find information about Kazuo Ishiguro to help you understand his novel better.

6. Sources: Make sure you quote your sources properly and write a References list at the end of your production.

7. Length of your production:  it should not exceed 1,500 words.  

DEADLINE: WED. 7^th, NOV. 11.A.M.

IV. GEORGE ORWELL’S Burmese Days – English Literature II

IV. GEORGE ORWELL’S Burmese Days – English Literature II

Activities:

1.    Work collaboratively in groups. 

2.    What are your initial impressions of the characters in Burmese Days? Do they develop through the novel or are they static? If they are developing characters, how do they change and why? Are there any similarities or differences between this set of characters and those of E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India? As you make progress through the pages of this novel, take down notes on all the characters you encounter. 

In your notes, include

• Traits of personality
• Physical features
• Their philosophical outlooks ( how they see life, the “Others” ( in this case, the Burmese), their own countrymen, love, sex, their place in the world, the place where they are living at the moment, etc.
• Gestures, speech, and mannerisms that characterise them
• 3.Setting: How well does the writer help you to visualise the setting? Make a note of any descriptive passages which you think are particularly effective in creating a vivid sense of place and time. Does the setting seem to be just a background against which the action takes place – for example, because it is concerned with historical events or with the interrelationship between people and their environment? Can you make any connections between these settings and the ones in A Passage to India? (Even if the novels take place in different countries, India and Burma – now, Myanmar /mjanˈmɑː/– both countries were colonised by the same people and both are in Asia).

4. Themes: What themes seem to be emerging? Can you find links with those themes in Forster’s novel?

5.Style: Is the story told by a narrator who is also a character in the stories, referring to herself/himself as “I” (first person narrative) or is he/she anonymous and detached from the action (third-person narrative)

How is this novel inscribed within MODERNISM? What makes it modern?

Note down any interesting or striking uses of language, such as powerful words, motifs, metaphors, or images which evoke a sense of atmosphere. Compare and contrast them with Forster’s use of language. You will need to re-read the essays on A Passage to India to help you.

      6.Your personal response: 

Has the novel made you think about or influenced your views on its themes and characters? 

How has the novel informed your views on Colonialism and Post-Colonialism? What have you enjoyed or admired most about both novels (or least) and why?

In order to give your opinion, find critical essays on Burmese Days that can help you say what you want to say. Find information about George Orwell to help you understand his bitter satire against the British Empire. The essays on A Passage to India can be useful as well.

Blog: You are expected to write a summary of your findings for the Blog with your group. It should be no longer than 1,500 words. It must include all the items above and quotes from the novel to illustrate your conclusions. 

• Remember to include REFERENCES, with a list of sources quoted and the names of the members of the group at the end of your post. 
• Deadline : SAT 10th, NOVEMBER, 2018 - 11:00 A.M. 

3- Thomas Hardy's THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE

3. Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native

Instructions:

1. Divide yourselves into TWO groups.

2. Each group must answer at least 10 questions ( there are 21 questions in total).

3. Copy and paste the author/s and the questions you answer.

3. After you post your answers ( you will have to do so in different posts as you will not be able to do so in one post), write the names of the member of your group.

Deadline: FRI 12^th, Oct. – 16.00 p.m.

Criticism of Thomas Hardy’s Art

These critical essays help us analyse and understand the two novels by Thomas Hardy we are going to read: The Return of the Native and A Pair of Blue Eyes. You are required to use at least one of these essays when writing your paper on A Pair of Blue Eyes.

1.Johnson, Lionel. “The Characteristics of Hardy’s Art.” Thomas Hardy: The Tragic Novels.             Editor  R.P. Draper. London: Macmillan Press Ltd., 1991. 59-61. Print.

1. How is Hardy a typical modern novelist?

2. Where does the power of his art lie?

3. What common elements do all his novels show?

2.Lawrence, David Herbert. “The Real Tragedy.” Thomas Hardy: The Tragic Novels. Editor                R.P. Draper London: Macmillan Press Ltd., 1991. 66-74. Print.

     1. What peculiarities do Hardy’s characters share? Why are these important?

    2. How does Lawrence explain the concept of “self-preservation”? What are the consequences of         freeing yourself from it?

    3.  How is the heath the “real stuff of tragedy”?

    4. What makes Hardy’s novels wonderful?

3.Williams, Raymond. “The Educated Observer and the Passionate Participant.” Thomas                Hardy: The Tragic Novels. Ed.  R.P. Draper. London: Macmillan Press Ltd., 1991. 93-104.            Print.

1.  “…the real Hardy country,…, is the border country so many of us have been living in: between custom and education, between work and ideas, between love and place and an experience of change.” (Williams 93). What does Williams mean?

2. What parallels does Williams draw between Hardy the man and Hardy the novelist?

3. What theme or idea seems to be recurrent in Hardy’s making of his characters?

4. Where does the difficulty of the returned native lie? How is this related to Hardy’s view of tradition?

5. Why does Williams consider Hardy’s depiction of Dorset and its people as extremely accurate

4.Paterson, John. “An Attempt at Grand Tragedy.” (1966). Thomas Hardy: The Tragic Novels.            Ed. R. P. Draper. London:Macmillan Press Ltd., 1991. Pp.107-115.

     1.What features of classical tragedy does The Return of the Native have?

     2.Where does Hardy fail in writing a great tragedy according to Paterson?

     3.Which are the novel’s best features?

     4.What was fateful in Eustacia’s choice of the role of the Turkish knight?

5.Casagrande, Peter J. “Son and Lover: The Dilemma of Clym Yeobright.” (1982). Ed. R.P.              Draper. London:Macmillan Press Ltd., 1991. Pp.115-130.  

    1.Which was the truth Hardy wanted to convey to us in The Return of the Native?

   2.What was the original purpose of the St. George play and how does it connect with the novel?          Why does it fail?

   3.In which way is Mrs. Yeobright a pernicious influence?

   4.Which minor characters act as Clym’s foils and for what purpose?

   5.In which ways are Clym and Thomasin both alike and different? 

L. P. Hartley's THE GO-BETWEEN

L. P. Hartley's The Go-Between

Instructions:

1- Divide yourselves into 2 GROUPS. 

2- Each group should answer 11 questions.

3- When posting your answers, don't forget to copy and paste the author and the questions you're answering. Finally, write the names of the members of your group. 

Deadline:  SAT 6th, October -12.00 p.m. 

Critical Essays on The Go-Between

Source 1: Jay, Betty. “Method and Myth in L.P. Hartley’s The Go-Between.” Studies in Literature and Language. Vol. 5,

     No 3,2012,pp.1-9. Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture. Jan 14 2017.

     <www.cscanada.net/index.php/sll/article/viewFile/j.sll.../3469>

Questionnaire:

1.Read the definition below of T.S. Eliot’s mythic method. How does Hartley use this method in The Go-Between?

2.What is the brand new 20^th Century for Leo Colston? How and Why is he disappointed in it?

3.What makes Leo’s experience in the adult world of Brandham Hall so damaging in the end?

4. Leo says that he excels in “his undertaker’s art.” What does this view imply?

5.”His aspiration leads Leo, in turn, to discover the terrible power of language…” (Jay 2). Explain what this quote means.

6.”Doubly estranged, Leo will struggle to decipher the complex exchanges to which he is party.” (Jay 3) Why does Leo fail in all the strategies he uses (curses, letters to his mother, sabotage, Black magic)?

7.Although he’s somewhat a snob, Leo Colston is unmistakably middle-class. How does he try to fit in in Brandham Hall and who helps him?

8.”Unable to comprehend these elevated figures [the adults at the Hall], Leo instead chooses to associate them with one of the principle structures through which he gives ‘shape and significance’ to the world.” (Jay 4) Why can’t he understand the adults? Which structures does he use to give meaning to the world?

9.How is Leo both like and unlike Icarus/ˈɪkərəs/ [Greek Mythology-The son of Daedalus, who escaped from Crete using wings made by his father but was killed when he flew too near the sun and the wax attaching his wings melted]?

10.”Although Leo undergoes a sexual awakening at Norwich/ˈnɒrɪtʃ/, his experience there also entails a more materialistic element which in turn, leads him to interpret the wealth and privilege of the Hall in a particular way.” (Jay 5). Explain this quote.

11.”The spiritual importance of the Zodiac, which Leo describes as his ‘favourite religion’ (Hartley 62) depends upon the female figure, the Virgin (or Maiden), and is therefore built on illusion.” (Jay 6) How important is Marian in Leo’s psycho-sexual development? How does she disrupt all his epistemological [Relating to the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope, and the distinction between justified belief and opinion] structures? What event makes Leo try to intervene in Marian and Ted’s affair and why does he do this?

12.Why does Leo suffer a breakdown at the end? What elements contribute to this?

Source 2: Mulkeen, Anne. Wild Thyme, Winter Lightning: the Symbolic Novels of L P Hartley. London: Hamish

     Hamilton,1974. Print.

     <duneizum.ru/tuheh.pdf>

Questionnaire:

1.How is the book structured? What is Hartley’s aim in using such a structure?

2.”Leo’s childlike vision was unreal,.. Leo goes off [to Brandham Hall] totally unprepared.” (Mulkeen 2-3) Explain why this is so.

3.What does Leo think of the heat and why? What is the heat linked to?

4.What do Ted and Marian represent and why?

5.What’s the symbolism behind Leo’s destruction of the belladonna?

6.Which of the author’s favourite motifs do we find in The Go-Between and what does it mean?

7.What type of characters does Hartley favour in his fiction?

8.”Hartley’s novels are peculiarly experiential…” (Mulkeen 5). Explain what this means. What consequences does Leo’s experience have for him?

9.”…the choice of identities or ideals of masculinity open to Leo (to man) at the beginning of the twentieth century is inadequate…” (Mulkeen 5). Explain this quote.

10.”In the figure of Ted… Hartley explored one of his favourite themes: the duality of the natural,…”(Mulkeen 6). Explain this quotation.