C Block Sestina: What Is Wrong with People?

C Block Poem: What Is Wrong With People?

When people run out of options they choose to feel the anger,

Irony framing the ignorant hypocrisy.

You judge me – I judge you – and it makes us both judgmental.

The cold, vile glass shows you your insecurity,

And truths are easily hidden by sarcasm.

Figuring people out gives me anxiety.

Unexpected change can bring a fit of anxiety.

The bitterness and resentment of humanity’s failed dreams ignites the fire that is our anger.

The young voices croak out to the bitter air, words drenched with sarcasm.

Can a crow ever be a dove when the whole flock is shrouded in hypocrisy?

She walked down the street with her eyes on the cement, draped in a cloak of insecurity.

Whether a friend or foe, people are judgmental.

First Huck Finn Post.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is most notable as a challenge to racism and the racist institution of slavery, but the novel also takes aim at a whole field of social problems: child abuse, homelessness, crime, war, lack of education, poverty, lawlessness, etc.  For this blog post, write about a social problem that you care about and have strong opinions about.  Describe the problem as you see it, and explain your stand on the issue and why it matters to you.

P.S. This blog post will not only help your grade for first quarter but it will also set you up for an upcoming assignment (called the "ironic paper"), so it is particularly useful.

Final Crucible Post.

Hi Everyone:

As preparation for tomorrow's in-class essay, identify a character from The Crucible that you found to be particularly interesting and complex, and explain what kinds of insight you may have into this character's situation.  In other words, what do you understand about this character that others may not understand.  Keep in mind that tomorrow's question, like almost all MCAS long composition questions, is character-based. 

Since this is an overnight assignment, a response of approximately 100 words is acceptable.  Thank you, Mr. Telles.

Incorporating Quotations.

Look back at the quotations you have collected from The Crucible and choose a quotation that you think is particularly meaningful or significant.  In your post, explain the quote and explain why you think it is so important or interesting.  Also, try to incorporate the quote (and maybe other quotes) into your post by using the techniques we talked about in class for weaving quotations into your writing.  The due date will be Friday, October 10th.  Thanks, Mr. Telles.

Crucible Formal Discussion Responses

For this post, respond to the ideas that a fellow student  has shared during the in-class formal discussion of Acts I and II of The Crucible (Wednesday and Thursday).  If you agree, extend the other student's ideas by explaining why they are so essential and meaningful.  If you disagree, politely explain why you disagree and offer an alternative understanding or interpretation.

This post will be due on Friday, not Thursday.  Thanks, Mr. Telles.

First Impressions of The Crucible.

Hi Everyone: Now that you have read the first act of The Crucible, write down what you think this play is shaping up to be "about."   Clearly the problem of witchcraft is concocted out of hysteria, but if witchcraft is not the problem in Salem, what is really the problem?  You can also bring up scenes, situations or statements that stood out to you for one reason or another.  This post needs to be done before Thursday.

Difficult Scenes in The Great Gatsby

Hi Everyone:

On our first day of class, I suggested that the most difficult or seemingly odd scenes in a book can often be a route to some of the book's deepest meaning.  We also noted that The Great Gatsby is unique in how restrained and mysterious the language of the text can be.  And today (Friday) we discussed what seem to be the conflicts and tensions that haunt the book.

In this blog post, describe the strange scene that you selected and (using your notes) explain how this scene may connect to one of the conflicts or tensions that we noted in class.  You can also write about why the scene is so different or unusual -- what sets it apart?  You can speculate or offer several alternative interpretations; keep in mind that you are not expected to explain precisely and definitively what everything means, as long as you offer some possibilities and impressions.  Look at the "Advice for Annotation" page for guidance.