We continue to focus on the author's point of view or bias in favor of his subject,Chris McCandles. We examined why the author ,midstream in his story, interjects the tales of many other young men who rejected a life of conformity and who instead chose to recklessly challenge their physical stamina by engaging in dangerous and extreme outdoor adventures. Matthew noted how the author ennobles these other men and compares and contrasts Chris' apparent reckless behavior . Interestingly, the author mentions one young man who ,like Chris ,adopted a new name and identity as part of his odyssey . In light of today's reading ,we last examined the essay homework due Thursday . Was Chris a noble pilgrim or a foolish narcissist? . HW- complete study guide work chap. 9-11 /read ch 11./ Study for short answer Test on Thursday.
Bella was introduced to the vocabulary of chapters 1 and 2 of A Thousand Splendid Suns. She then watched a Ted Talk on the issues presented in the novel. She then read and discussed chapters 1 and 2 and discussed what she read. We discussed the setting and the struggles of the protagonist introduced at the onset of the novel. Bella then reviewed all SAT words studied so far this year.
Jaydn completed part II of The Glass Castle and began part III. She then discussed the overall theme of the book and wrote a short essay using the theme to analyze the Walls' family members.
Cabo was introduced to the vocabulary of chapters 5 and 6 of A Thousand Splendid Suns. He then read and discussed what he read. We discussed the setting of the novel at this point and the political upheaval in Afghanistan and the struggle its people faced in the time period of the novel and today. Cabo then reviewed all SAT words studied so far this year.
As non-fiction books clearly advocate a point of view, we explored the author's bias in favor of the main character,Chris McCandles. First, we studied the reactions of native Alaskans to Chris' death. People in Alaska condemned Chris as selfish ,arrogant, and a contrived ascetic . We discussed the accuracy of this assessment. I noted that the author includes these views in the book as a rhetorical device ,essentially for the purpose of countering this perspective. We then examined the author's descriptions of the writings of Jack London and the author's transparent bias in attempting to blame Chris' death in part on what the author describes as Jack London's "glorification and romanticized " fictions of the Yukon. I posed the quesiton : Does the author accurately describe the style and content of London's work based on our study of the story"To Build A Fire"? Matthew participated in class discussion wherein we critiqued the author's mischaracterization not only of London's life, but also of London's themes and style. For HW I assigned a writing exercise due next Thur/ For Monday -read next two chapters.
Cabo began the session by reading the next two chapters of A Thousand Splendid Suns. He described the protagonist, the setting, tone of chapter, and discussed the theme of suffering as it pertains to the protagonist. We also examined the point of view of an omniscient narrator that the story is being told and its effect on the reader. Cabo then took a review test on SAT vocabulary already learned and then practiced the new words learned this week.
I commenced class with preview questions addressed to today's reading, Helen's visit to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. After I explained a World's Fair as an international exhibition , we looked at videos/picures of the 1893 Fair and discussed its cultural and technological importance. We then read the chapter. Lena underlined critical areas in the reading and then answered the preview questions on the board. She then copied the questions and answers into her notebook. Last, we reviewed and studied the prior 3 chapters after which Lena completed a comprehension and vocabulary quiz on the prior chapters.
