Jaydn read, discussed, and analyzed the next three chapters of The Glass Castle. She then wrote a short essay on the use of allusion of Oz and the Emerald City as it relates to the hopes and fears of the protagonist in these chapters.
Cabo reviewed and applied SAT vocabulary being studied. He then read and analyzed chapters 3 and 4 of A Thousand Splendid Suns. Cabo discussed what he felt was the important background information about three main characters and we discussed the fact that symbolism would be used as a means of foreshadowing so that he can recognize and discuss it as it is used throughout the novel.
As the author of "Into the Wild" comments on the influence Thoreau's essay, "Civil Disobedience ", had on Chris McCandles, we today studied Thoreau's essay . Matthew had some difficulty with the text of the essay which we accordingly parsed in terms of the validity of Thoreau's argument about the role of government and the role of citizens to challenge government policy. As this essay had also appeared in an SAT passage, I assigned the SAT reading last night along with the essay itself. Matthew did extremely well in answering the SAT questions on the passage. We then completed the separate homework questions on "Civil Disobedience" and examined whether the essay actually justified any of Chris McCandles' transgressions . With respect to the book,"Into the Wild" ,we then analyzed why at times the author shifts his narrative from the past tense to the present tense, and why Chris fears intimacy, not only with his family ,but also with his peers. We explored the influence of Tolstoy and Thoreau in Chris' decision to embrace chastity as a road to his spiritual enlightenment . HW due Thursday -Read next two chapters/ans.study guide
Cabo began by reviewing SAT unit 1 vocabulary. He applied the words in an SAT test format utilizing synonyms, antonyms, and reading content. He then continued the study of SAT vocabulary being introduced in unit 2. He mastered the first 10 words and today is applying them in various modes of content. He then began the novel A Thousand Splendid Suns. He read chapters 1 and 2 and described the introduction of the protagonist and the setting of Afghanistan.
Jaydn read, analyzed, and discussed the next two chapters of The Glass Castle. She then wrote a short essay discussing the theme of illusion and disillusion. She integrated the character traits of the protagonist and her parents within the essay and also used text-based quotes for support.
Cabo completed J.D. Salinger's A Catcher in the Rye. He then took an assessment of the novel. He wrote an outline for an additional chapter to the end of the book written from the point of view of the protagonist's parents. He commented on the reasons for Holden's breakdown and his prospects for recovery. He kept his remarks in character with the voice that was speaking.
Having studied Tolstoy, Thoreau, and London, we today examined how Chris Mccandles exemplified Life imitating Art. I introduced the concept of Art,including literature, acting as a reflection of aspects of life, and we then discussed how inversely Chris tragically adhered to the fictionalized world of the authors he admired . Matthew located and discussed examples in the text evidencing the direct influence of Tolstoy and London including Chris' sparse living conditions while in college followed by his post graduation odyssey to the West during which he burned his money, abandoned his car, and failed to communicate with his family for over two years. Additionally, we examined how Chris seemed to be intentionally unprepared to face the Alaskan wilderness on his own without boots, a map, a good rifle, or sufficient food staples. We further contrasted the town of Carthage where Chris felt most at home with the upper class suburb where he was raised ,and I assisted Matthew with some of vocabulary in this regard such as "mien, plebeian, and unassuming" . Matthew offered interesting and preceptive comments about Chris' life choices and discussed why he does not admire Chris ' choices why Chris ' very negative attitude toward his parents appears unjustified at this point in the book . We reviewed the study guide responses and modified and supplemented those responses to add better textual support. HW- read chapters 5 and 6/ans .study guide questions.
