Wednesday, 11/28

Freshmen:  

• "Us and Them" Socratic Seminar on Thursday 11/29
• Neighbor writing due Friday 11/30

Creative Writing:

• 4 pages due Thursday 11/29

Tuesday, 11/27

Freshmen:   
Choose a member of your family and identify an item that you closely associate with that person. Although Bryan uses a number of objects, keep yourself focused on just one.

Keeping Bryan's style in mind, you will write a piece that uses the item to illustrate something profound about the person, your relationship with the person, or your view of the person.

Try to avoid stating outright the significance of the item to the personality. Rather, use sensory details to show the relationship. Meanwhile, the writing should also show something about your connection to the individual.

Your piece must not exceed one page of double-spaced typed writing.

Creative Writing:

• 4 pages due Thursday 11/29

 

Monday, 11/26

Freshmen:   
Think of something that you know how to do well, or with which you are intimately familiar. It should be something that carries some level of personal significance, like Santiago's connection to the guava.  
You will write a piece entitled "How to..." (and you'll complete the phrase). Your piece should include descriptive details about the act itself, as well as some level of explanation about the larger significance.

 However, note that Santiago does not explicitly state her meaning. Rather, she uses time, detail, and structure to help make that point clear.

Your piece must not exceed one page of double-spaced typed writing.

Creative Writing:

• 4 pages due Thursday 11/29

Monday 11/19

Freshmen: 

• Antigone projects due Tuesday 11/20

Creative Writing:

• Cycle proposals due Tuesday 11/20

Wednesday, 11/7

Freshmen: 

• Antigone test on Tuesday 11/13

Creative Writing:

• Cycle thumbnails due Thursday 11/8
• Q1 Portfolio due Thursday 11/15

Tuesday, 11/6

Freshmen: 

• Review the Exodos and respond to the following questions: 

1. Why does Antigone choose to commit suicide?
2. Creon's wife is only on stage momentarily, yet she plays a key role in Creon's disaster. What does her suicide mean to him?
3. Is Creon a tragic figure? Do you feel sympathy for him at the end as someone who initially tried to do good yet was overwhelmed by circumstance, or do you believe that he is bullying, mysogynistic control freak who gets what he deserves?
4. Conversely, what makes Antigone a tragic figure? Think about what, exactly, you mean by such words as "tragedy" and "tragic."
5. Why is the play titled "Antigone" rather than "Creon"?

Creative Writing:

• Crash permission slips due Wednesday 11/7
• Cycle thumbnails due Thursday 11/8
• Q1 Portfolio due Thursday 11/15

Monday, 11/5

Freshmen: 

• Review Scenes IV and V and respond to the following questions: 

Scene IV

1. Is it fair for the Chorus and Antigone herself to blame Oedipus's curse for her actions? Why or why not?
2.  Do you think Antigone is brave in accepting her fate? Why or why not?

 

Scene V

1. What does the failure of Teiresias's sacrifice have to do with Polyneices and Antigone?
2. What, specificially, in Teiresias's warning causes Creon to change his mind?
3. To what extent does Creon agree with his own decision? Recall the line where he states: "It is hard to deny the heart! But I / Will do it: I will not fight with destiny" (235).

Creative Writing:

• Haircut story due Tuesday, 11/6.

Friday, 11/2

Freshmen: 

• Review Scene III and respond to the following questions:

1. Is Creon more focused on justice or power? How do you know?
2. To what extent is Creon's reaction based on the fact that Antigone is a woman?
3. Do you agree with Haimon when he says the following?:
"In flood time you can see how some trees bend,
And because they bend, even their twigs are safe,
While stubborn trees are torn up, roots and all" (219)
4. What is anarchy? Why does Creon keep using this word to describe the situation? Do you agree with his description?
5. How does Creon plan to punish Antigone? (223) How does he plan to avoid guilt in her death?

Creative Writing:

• Haircut story due Tuesday, 11/6.

Thursday, 11/1

Freshmen:

• Review Scene II and respond to the following questions:

1. Do you admire Antigone's actions? Why or why not?
2. Should Creon hold Antigone responsible for the "crime"? Or is there the possibility for forgiveness? What does Creon risk if he forgives Antigone? What does he fear?
3. Should Ismene be held to the same punishment as Antigone? Why does Ismene turn herself in?

Creative Writing:

• Fiction Outside Reading Project due:  
• G block: Friday, 11/2 

•  Haircut story due Tuesday, 11/6.