*extra credit post only*

This post is for extra credit only. You may not respond to this question to fulfill one of your assigned 4 questions per novel. You may only receive extra credit for this question if you have already responded to 4 questions for Frankenstein and 4 questions for The Importance of Being Earnest. 

I want to know your thoughts on the books you read this summer. Did you like them? Dislike them? Give me specific reasons why. 

Now I want you to think about what these books have to do with life. You spent a significant amount of time reading these texts (at least, I trust that you did...), so tell me what you can take away from them. Even if you didn't enjoy the novel and play, what can they teach you about people? about life? about yourself? Were there any characters, themes, ideas that seemed to relate to your life or life in general? Discuss the good, the bad, the ugly.

Responses should still be 250+ words. You may choose to answer this question using one or both of your summer reading texts. If you choose to respond to both Frankenstein and The Importance of Being Earnest, respond to them in separate posts and identify which you're responding to. 

Question Five: Frankenstein

Frankenstein: on theme

A theme is a recurring idea throughout a work of literature. What's something you noticed that seemed to keep appearing in Frankenstein? If you can't think of a theme on your own, do some shallow research to identify some themes from the novel. In your comment, tell me what theme you chose to talk about, briefly summarize the specific places (note: places being plural!) you see this theme in the text, then spend the majority of your words telling me about the significance of this theme. Why was this theme important? How does it relate to real life? Why would Shelley choose to focus on this theme? 

You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post. 

Responses should be at least 200 words each.

Remember: you must respond to at least 4 questions per novel. 

Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 4 questions.

*and remember, this is a blog--write with good English and use your inner intellectual, but speak casually!

Question Four: Frankenstein

Frankenstein: on Greek mythology

The alternate title to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is The Modern Prometheus. Do a quick search of the Greek mythological character Prometheus. What is he known for? After finding out a little about him, consider what similarities he has to Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. Why would Shelley classify her character as a modern Prometheus? How does this mythological allusion affect your understanding of the novel and its characters?

Please cite (just post the link) what website you found your information about Prometheus from. 

You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post. 

This response must be at least 250 words. 

Remember: you must respond to at least 4 questions per novel. 

Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 4 questions.

*and remember, this is a blog--write with good English and use your inner intellectual, but speak casually!

Question Three: Frankenstein

Frankenstein: on Hollywood


Over the years, Hollywood has done, redone, overdone, and done again the story of Frankenstein. As the story has been told in different ways, it's changed. We now associate the name  Frankenstein with the monster, but as the novel tells us, Frankenstein is the name of the doctor who created the monster. Why do you think the monster was never given a name in Shelley's novel? Why do you think Hollywood decided to name the monster Frankenstein? Compare the Frankenstein of Hollywood to the Frankenstein we see in Shelley's novel. What are the similarities? differences? How did your preconceived notions of Frankenstein affect your reading of the novel? Discuss anything that relates the novel to the images of Frankenstein we see in the media. 

You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post. 

Responses should be at least 200 words each.

Remember: you must respond to at least 4 questions per novel. 

Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 4 questions.

*and remember, this is a blog--write with good English and use your inner intellectual, but speak casually!

a note on annotations

Hey guys!

Though I'm not looking forward to summer drawing to a close, I am excited about having you in English IV this year. I'm looking to try some new and creative things this year, so I think we're going to have a good yet challenging time. 

Anyway, I just wanted to clarify my expectations for your annotations:

Yes, you need to annotate each of your books.

However. This need not be a complicated process. All I ask is that you highlight and mark important quotes/sections of your books.

Chances are, you'll forget parts of the books by the time we get to discussing them the first few weeks of school. Marking your books as you read them will help you to interact with the text and to give you places to look back at as we're discussing in class. It makes life easier for everyone. You don't need to mark literary devices or anything. You don't even need to write many notes. If you have a question about a part of the book, place a question mark by it. If you thought something was funny, go ahead and write "lol" or "haha." If you thought something was ironic, write "ironic." 

Don't make annotating any harder than it has to be--it should be a natural interaction of your mind with your reading. It's a practice that we'll be doing all school-year long, so pick up your favorite color highlighter and get to reading with your highlighter in hand!

Make the most of your last few weeks of school and please post on here or email me if you have any questions!

Question Two: Frankenstein

Frankenstein: on the monster


As discussed in question one, point of view is important in story telling. This story is first told by Victor Frankenstein, then Robert Walton. I want you to be creative here. Choose a scene or chapter from the novel, then choose a character (other than Walton or Frankenstein) from that scene. Rewrite that section of the novel from a different character's point of view (for example, when Frankenstein is chasing the monster on the dog sleds, you would rewrite this scene from the monster's point of view). Tell me the page number and character your scene is from. Briefly summarize the scene first. Be creative!

You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post. 

Responses for this question should be at least 300 words.

Remember: you must respond to at least 4 questions per novel. 

Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 4 questions.

*and remember, this is a blog--write with good English and use your inner intellectual, but speak casually!

Question One: Frankenstein

Frankenstein: on epistles


An epistle is a letter. Shelley chooses to introduce her novel through a series of letters from Robert Walton to his sister. What was your initial reaction to the novel beginning this way? Why would Shelley choose to tell her story through this lens? Think about the different narrators in the story--we are being told the story by Walton in his letters, who is retelling the story that Victor Frankenstein first told him. How does this affect the story? How would the novel be different if it had been told through someone else's point of view?

You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post. 

Responses should be at least 200 words each.

Remember: you must respond to at least 4 questions per novel. 

Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 4 questions.

*and remember, this is a blog--write with good English and use your inner intellectual, but speak casually!

Question Five: The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest: on the play

The play format differs greatly from a novel format. However, you're reading the play instead of seeing it performed as it is meant to be. How does a play differ from a novel? How does reading the play affect, both positively and negatively, your experience with this piece of literature? If you've seen this play performed, how did your experience with being a spectator differ from your experience with reading it? 

You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post. 

Responses should be at least 200 words each.

Remember: you must respond to at least 4 questions per novel. 

Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 4 questions.

*and remember, this is a blog--write with good English and use your inner intellectual, but speak casually!

Question Four: The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest: on wit

You'll notice that Wilde's writing (and not only this play... all of his writing) is absolutely dripping with wit, irony, puns, and sarcasm. How does this affect the play and how does it affect your reading of it? Think back (if you were on the field trip to see this play at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater last fall) to when you saw the play--what reactions did you have to the witty dialogue when the play was actually performed? How does this differ from your reading of the work? How would the play be different without this element? Consider these questions as you express your feelings about Wilde's witty writing (alliteration, anyone?) style.

You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post. 

Responses should be at least 200 words each.

Remember: you must respond to at least 4 questions per novel. 

Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 4 questions.

*and remember, this is a blog--write with good English and use your inner intellectual, but speak casually!

Question Three: The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest: what's in a name?

As you've noticed, this entire play centers around Earnest--the name, the identity, the confusion. But, why Earnest? Of all the names Wilde could've chosen, he specifically selected this name. Authors do this stuff on purpose. Tell me your theories of why Wilde chose this name--what does it mean? what could it signify? how does it tie in with other themes in the play? how does it tie in with other characters? how does it compare to the other characters' names? Consider these questions as you think about the utter importance of... being Earnest. 

You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post. 

Responses should be at least 200 words each.

Remember: you must respond to at least 4 questions per novel. 

Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 4 questions.

*and remember, this is a blog--write with good English and use your inner intellectual, but speak casually!

Question Two: The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest: on love and marriage (love and marriage...)

A major theme in this play is love, relationships, marriage. Choose at least two characters and tell me about both their similar and differing views on love and marriage. What's the overall sense you get about Wilde's attitude toward marriage? Do you find this offensive? humorous? realistic? cynical? Point to a few specific points in the text and focus on those as you tell me what you think about this theme in the play (use page numbers and quotes when you refer to these places...).

You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post. 

Responses should be at least 200 words each.

Remember: you must respond to at least 4 questions per novel. 

Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 4 questions.

*and remember, this is a blog--write with good English and use your inner intellectual, but speak casually!

Question One: The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest: on overstating the obvious

So, tell me. Just what is the importance of being Earnest? Hm...

You will respond to this question by leaving a comment on this post. 

Responses should be at least 200 words each.

Remember: you must respond to at least 4 questions per novel. 

Extra credit will be awarded if you respond to more than 4 questions.

*and remember, this is a blog--write with good English and use your inner intellectual, but speak casually!