Today's lesson focused on Melville's narrative technique -digression and fustian diction. We noted how the tale of Billy Budd is related by a narrator who apparently lacks any personal knowledge or reliable source. Yet, he insists his tale is truthful as evidenced by his digressions that mirror a truthful story. Joshua did well in recognizing how the fictional narrator crates ethos by his pompous diction and ongoing historical and biblical allusions. We last studied Melville's technique of direct characterization of Capt.Vere by identifying words and phrases that directly describe Capt. Vere and reveal the combating forces of tradition /realism and humanist impulses within his personality .We last reviewed Joshua's test rewrite based on our recent class instruction which showed substantial improvement. I elaborated on ideas for a conclusion.

We carefully studied the text of the first chapters noting the Christ imagery used to describe Billy Budd and the import to characterization of the biblical allusions to Adam and the "fall of Man." In discussing Billy Budd as a prelapsarian innocent, and by highlighting portions of the narration,I introduced the theme of deceit or the contrast between moral character and physical characteristics. In this regard, I had Joshua work on text "translation" of Melville's formalism into simple English and then on text interpretation. Further, I observed the close thematic
relationship between Melville and Hawthorne(they were even neighbors!) in their view of human nature .

I provided modeling instruction during today's session to demonstrate how to write a formal literary essay . We reviewed Joshua's test essay and then discussed why his opening sentences did not respond to the prompt. I then provided detailed guidance on formulating an introduction paragraph that integrates the quotes from the prompt and leads to a thesis statement i.e. that Poe and Hawthorne do not share the optimism of the Transcendentalist. I further demonstrated how to use the text of Hawthorne's story to bolster a topic sentence describing Hawthorne's bleak view of human nature. Throughout the session, I provided model sentences and ideas which Joshua copied and incorporated into his rewrite which he will complete for homework this evening.

For our introductory lesson on Melville's novella, Billy Budd, I first provided biographical and historical background of the author and of the novella's setting. We then noted how Melville is not a Transcendentalist but nonetheless writes in the Romantic genre which in Melville means not only exaggerated unrealistic characters but critically, an emphasis on the importance of the individual in a structured society . In this regard, I addressed a common conflict of Man v Society. Last, I addressed some stylistic tendencies of Melville including biblical allusions and most notably the thematic role of plot digression .

Joshua was absent today.

Joshua took an essay test during today's session. Before writing , I provided organizational assistance and suggestions for an introduction and placement of a topic sentence .

Continuing our study of the "anti-Transcendentalists" that were contemporaries of Emerson and Thoreau, we today analyzed Melville's famous story, "Bartleby the Scrivener " in the context of the social issues of the Gilded Age. Joshua identified the protagonist and antagonist as well as the general conflict and from there we engaged in a discussion of what each might represent. We first identified descriptions of Bartleby as "pallid and forlorn " and discussed the tomb imagery of the narrator's law office in downtown Manhattan. We further noted how Bartleby is ultimately arrested and taken to the prison in Manhattan ,known as the tombs. as well as Bartleby's prior history as a clerk in the Dead Letter Office, With all of this tomb imagery ,we derived a theme of a civilized privileged society killing the soul and humanity of its less fortunate members. I addressed the embedded notion of existentialism in Melville more than 100 years prior to the existentialist movement of the 20th Century. We last discussed how to organize an essay in preparation for tomorrow 's essay test.

Joshua finished reading "Bartleby the Scrivener". Joshua answered the following questions: Who is the protagonist?/Who is the antagonist?; What societal forces or institutions might these two characters represent?

Joshua was absent today .

We studied the short story"The Fall of the House of Usher." Joshua first noted details of setting from the story that characterize the Gothic genre. I then pointed out the symbols and imagery of duality, and we explored the significance of duality as a representation of the rational vs the irrational mind. As we identified elements of duality from the text , we discussed how Roderick Usher's terrors are a fear of his losing his rationality to irrational forces represented by ,among other things, his lurking twin sister. Last, we studied Roderick Usher's macabre art as an allegory of the plot and of the mind. We will continue this discussion tomorrow which is the subject of tonight's homework.