Joshua took his final essay test on the play during today's session.

Joshua worked on a Unit 9 progress check in preparation for the AP exam. It consisted of him answering several multiple choice questions. Joshua worked independently and at a good pace. He is a diligent, very responsible, and hard-working student.

As the AP course neglects essay writing comparing two works, I have assigned an analytical paper requiring Joshua to compare Hester P from the Scarlet Letter with Nora from a Doll's House in the context of a feminist character. We first discussed the article I distributed addressing whether the play, A Doll's House, is a feminist play or more universally, a humanist play. Next, I addressed the need in the first paragraph to provide a definition of a feminist character in the context of 19th Century literature. We then edited the first paragraph to incorporate contextual definitions of feminism and to compare Nora's brand of feminism focused on individual self actualization to Hester Prynne' s view which addresses the need for vast societal changes.

We studied how the play's climax and resolution create a change in Nora's perspective and reveal her character. In order to explore character, we first contrasted as foils Mrs Linde and Nora., Mrs. Linde's self worth and identity remain tied to living for others, specifically , a man; by contrast, Nora rejects societal standards, religion, law, and all book knowledge asserting her right to educate herself and to discover her own answers and worth wholly independent of her marriage. Nora always remained hopeful of some "wonderful" event occurring . We discussed the "wonderful event' as well as the significance of the play's title as revealed in the dialogue-Nora as a doll or play thing first for her father and later for her selfish husband.

We first studied how a plot's resolution can reveal character. Additionally, we examined how a plot' s resolution can change a character's perspective. In regards to reading ACT III , I encouraged Joshua to examine how character and perspective change as a result of Nora's dramatic decision to leave her husband. We then looked at ongoing symbols and their significance: the macaroons, the Christmas tree, Nora's hair ,and her torn dress. We discussed how Nora is actually discussing herself ,not her dress ,as she acknowledges it is torn and needs mending.

We began our study of Ibsen's play, A Doll's House. We addressed character contrasts, foils, and how stage directions work with dialogue to impart character and motivation. We specifically identified how Krogstead and Nora are both deemed by society as morally flawed as each has forged a document, while Dr Rank is deemed morally flawed due to his infirmity which society deems inherited. From there, we examined Ibsen's dialogue which vividly illustrates how Nora's husband demeans and infantilizes her . We studied how Nora rejects society's imposed norms of a women's role in a marriage and what constitutes a moral flaw.

Joshua took his final essay test on the novel during today's session.

For our final session on this novel, we explored the character to Tea Cake as a Christ -figure and then discussed thematic interpretations of Janie's journey in the context of Christian theology. We first examined the text to locate the figurative language that paints Tea Cake 's death as a sacrifice that leads to Janie's self actualization . We further noted how the title of the novel suggests Mankind's plea and need for mercy . Last, we isolated passages from the novel that encapsulate the theme of Janie's life such as : "You got to go there to know there."

We examined the theological and biblical implications of the 1928 hurricane deluge that underlie this section of the novel. We explored the import of the title noting how the hurricane's victims are watching God for signs of mercy, something denied to humanity in the biblical Noah story. Additionally, we began to interpret Janie's character development not only in terms of her salvation from the hurricane but also in the context of Tea Cake's sacrifice which costs him his life. Last, we again studied metaphorical passages and discussed how to "translate" the metaphors into thematic statements about Janie's self actualization.

We continued analyzing textual passages in order to practice how to infer conflict and character. I placed a quote describing Janey on the board and explained how Janey's. insistence on participation as an equal in marriage marks an evolution in her character development as well as an illustration of the conflict between independence and traditional gender roles. We then analyzed how the shift in setting to the Florida everglades acts as a contrast to the values of town , the location of Janey's prior stifling marriage . Last, we noted how Hurston's anthropology training and background informs much of this segment of the novel that captures the life of Black migrant workers in the Glades during the late 1920s.