Thursday, October 2, 2014

Questions After 10/1 in ENGL 190




Good morning :)

I wish that we had a little more time to discuss drama and read more plays, but it's now time to move on to fiction.  However, your papers that are due on the 7th of October (or later, if we've talked) will give me the opportunity to return to this wonderful genre and some of the topics (Gabriel, the impact of a female playwright or director) we did not touch on.  

And, yes, here are links to the drama/theater videos we watched last night.  The first set refer to the recent British production starring Hattie Morahan.  (Apologies about the name!)





We didn't have time to watch Janet McTeer's interview with Charlie Rose, but I thought you might like it.


And here is the link to the video of Denzel Washington and Viola Davis discussing their production of Fences:

Enough!  I am also attaching a sample midterm and the sample papers that we looked at!

For next week, let's reread the folktales at http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm044.html  (Godfather Death)

http://www.native-languages.org/wishramstory.htm (Coyote and Eagle Visit the Land of the Dead)

We will read chapter 5 in our book and “Girl” (317-8) as well as “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” (481-493).

Here are a few questions for your journal:

-- How is your paper coming along?  (Feel free to post your rough draft as a journal entry.)

-- Compare fiction and drama/theater.

-- Compare folk tales and literary fiction.

-- Compare the Native American folktales that we are reading to folk tales in your own tradition.

-- Compare the American short stories to short stories in your own tradition.

-- Does length matter in short stories?  How short is too short?  How long is too long?

-- Discuss the role of plot and character in the stories we have read so far.  Are these stories plot driven?  character driven?  or setting driven?

-- Discuss the ways in which fiction encourages empathy.  How does this compare/contrast to drama/theater?

-- Discuss the ways in which fiction encourages moral behavior.  How does this compare/contrast to drama/theater?

-- Discuss Death, the godson, and his father as characters.  Consider that, in Fences, Troy wrestles with Death.

-- Discuss Coyote and Eagle as characters.  Why does Coyote go to the land of the dead?  Why does he not carry out his mission?

-- Look for other stories about Coyote.  How does he differ from story to story?

Here are entries that give background about him and Native American cultures:

I'm looking forward to seeing what you have to say!

Dr. Szlyk

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