We analyzed the themes of isolation and loneliness by addressing how the major characters are societal misfits. We focused on Crooks, the Black stablehand, who is disabled and deemed racially inferior by everyone at the ranch. At first, Crooks becomes entranced by the possibility of joining Lennie and George in pursuing their "dream" to own their own farm. However, prevalent racism forces Crooks to realize he is truly trapped and alone and will never escape his station in life . We further discussed Curley' s wife as a sympathetic lonely character who also has unrealized dreams. Marcel located the foreshadowing of the accidental death of Curley's wife, and further identified other examples of the inevitability of all the characters' dreams being frustrated by external realities or forces. We looked over Marcel's study guide answers and modified and amplified responses to questions on plot sequences surrounding the death of Curley's wife, as well as questions surrounding Curley's wife's naiveté in allowing Lennie to stroke her hair .As Marcel had questions with respect to how to write an analysis of quotes from the novel ,I provided instruction on this area ,and we together worked on writing complete answers to study guide questions requiring quote explication. We discussed how to contextualize, to paraphrase, and last to address thematic or character significance of a quote. Marcel then completed two much improved quote analyses from the novel. For homework, read final chapter and answer ch 6 study guide questions.
As Grant's capture and siege of Vicksburg during the Civil War serves as another dramatic metaphor in the play, I sketched on the board the highlights of Grant's siege and reviewed the definition of siege and metaphor . I wrote out today's metaphor as : Grant=Annie Sullivan/ Helen= Vicksburg. As such, the characters' allusions to this battle has thematic significance. We then continued reading aloud the remainder of Act I. After we concluded our reading, I distributed a "Who Am I?" exercise I prepared that required Lena to select from a word bank the described characters from the play . Lena ,with very little assistance ,did very well with the exercise.
To introduce the play's use of locks and keys as a metaphor to "unlocking" Helen, I first placed on the board in equation format: Helen= lock/ Annie Sullivan= keys and defined the word metaphor. We then looked at a critical line we had read last week that suggested :language=keys. I further used index cards with critical lines from the play to evoke a "Who Am I ?" format wherein Lena would read the card and identify which character recited the line. We continued reading Act I stopping and underlining lines each time there was a reference to locks and keys. As we encounter difficult vocabulary, I place the word on an index card ,hold it up, define it, and then flip over the card restating the definition. Lena has kept good notes and has placed quite a number of vocabulary words in her notebook. I then asked Lena to identify two examples of Helen's bad or "imperious" behavior. She offered a good response and added these examples to her notes. We will finish Act I tomorrow .
As part of our final lesson on the novel before tomorrow's test, we viewed an NEA "Let's Read" interview with the author ,E.Gaines, discussing the novel. Bobby pointed out similarities between the author's life and the character-narrator,Grant Wiggins, and we discussed how an author's life influences his or her writing. We further explored the author's comments about his intention in the novel to portray Grant as a flawed person due to his lack of faith. We analyzed portions of the text at the novel's conclusion to locate those passages highlighting Grant's lack of faith and how the lack of faith impairs Grant's character development . On the other hand, Grant has changed and Bobby highlighted how the narrator has shed some of his selfish tendencies by the end of the novel. We last included in the virtual notebook some final ideas and thoughts about Jefferson as a Christ-like figure by incorporating Jefferson's comments about carrying " the cross" for the community. I reminded Bobby to also study the vocabulary on the study guides for tomorrow 's test .
Lena is keeping very good notes as we study the play. This morning we reviewed the character list in her notebook and added some additional characters. We continued reading Act I aloud with Lena reading the parts of Kate Keller and Annie Sullivan. She did very well and reads with expression. As we reached critical speeches , we stopped and Lena underlined important lines that reveal theme or character. We discussed Annie Sullivan's speeches regarding her age -only 20- and her nervousness. as well as her teaching philosophy ,not to treat Helen as if she were as fragile as an eggshell. At the close of the session, we watched the clip from the movie version of the play wherein Kate in the opening scene discovers Helen is deaf and blind.
We completed studying chapter 3 by addressing how Lennie and George's "dream" almost feels achievable after the old ranch hand , Candy, offers to help pay for the purchase of a farm where they can all live "off the fat of the land." But as this is a naturalist novel, we discussed how the characters' best laid plans "will go awry". Marcel explained the motivation for Curley attacking Lennie and how Lennie's response, crushing Curley's hand, acts as the first event of the dream's derailment. We discussed Candy's old euthanized dog as mirror of Candy who recognizes that' like his dog, he has become old ,weak, and useless and will soon be discarded as societal detritus thus his incentive for seeking to join George and Lennie. I further distributed a written exercise on imagery. Marcel placed a definition of imagery on the handout and then identified various examples of visual, auditory, and tactile imagery from examples I provided and from the novel. We then explored the notion of Edenic imagery in the novel. Marcel reviewed the text and on the handout placed specific language evoking Eden such as an orchard, plentifulness , animals at large, and a life without toil. I last elaborated on the relationship between naturalism and the objective third person omniscient point of view of the novel. For homework due Monday, read the next two chapters and complete study guide questions on the reading.
Bobby continues to diligently keep up his homework reading and consequently, we finished our discussion of the novel today by analyzing whether the author feels optimistic about race relations in the US. I directed Bobby to the final pages of the novel, and we identified specific events that suggest the author is hopeful such as the symbolic butterfly that appears on the day of Jefferson's execution. I explained how the butterfly reenforces the novel's imagery of Jefferson as a Christ-like figure in that a caterpillar rises from an apparent death- like state in a chrysalis to become a butterfly. On the other hand, we read portions of the text wherein Grant,the narrator, claims to be "a slave" , and we examined why Grant's lack of faith separates him from the others in the community who find freedom in faith. Bobby actively participated in class discussion on both of these recondite subjects. We then reviewed Bobby's homework answers on the study guide and worked on supplementing answers and eliminating sentence fragments. We will have a test on the novel on Tuesday. For Monday, complete essay#4 on the novel.
We first reviewed the import of the lock and key motif in the play, and I suggested Lena note in the book where these objects appear in the play and note where characters refer to Helen as caged or locked within herself. Focusing on the play's title, we then discussed the definition of "miracle". Lena looked up the definition and placed it in her notebook, and we discussed the nature of the miracle Annie Sullivan is expected to perform.We continued reading the play aloud with Lena reading the lines of Kate, Helen's mother, and of Annie Sullivan. She continues to read well and with apt expression and tone. When I suggested, she also underlined specific language depicting the lock and key motif . As we encounter vocabulary words in the text, I place the word on an index card and write the definition on the back of the card and display the card one side at a time. Lena then places the vocabulary words in her notebook. Today, she notably asked for the definition of "precocious " which she then placed in her notebook.
