More Fiction!

The period leading up to midterms is always a challenging time, so I appreciate those of you who attended class on Wednesday night.  The midterm and final covers only what we discussed in class.

The homework for next Wednesday is to read chapter 6 (except for "A Rose for Emily") as well as Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried" and the two stories by Sherman Alexie ("What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" and "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven").  Our midterm will be October 26.  Please see the folder midterm/final for more information, including sample midterms.

Here are a few questions for your journals.

In class, we watched segments from the following video on Louise Erdrich and her husband Michael Dorris: https://montgomerycollege.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=16705&xtid=4949  (You may need to log in to watch this video, "Searching for a Native American Identity.")  The segments we watched were "Political Situation," "Victor-Oppressor Relationship," "Dark Humor," "Reservation as Cultural Preservation," and "Learning from Indian Culture."  What did the video teach you about Native American culture?  about Louise Erdrich?  How did it shed light on "The Red Convertible"?  How did it prepare you to read Sherman Alexie's stories--granted that Alexie is from a different generation and a different people?

Compare Erdrich and O'Brien's writing about the Vietnam War.  How does O'Brien avoid making his characters stock characters?  Or does he?

Discuss Erdrich and O'Brien depict war.  Feel free to discuss your own experience of being a soldier or the experiences of family members and friends who have served.

Choose one of the stories we've read so far.  What role does point of view play in the story?  What role does narration play.

Choose one of the stories we've read so far.  What role does plot play?  When does the story begin?  Does it contain flashbacks or foreshadowing?  How much exposition is present to give the reader background information?  How much dialogue is present?  How does the story end?  Are you satisfied?  Why?  Why not?

Chose one of the stories we've read so far.  What role does character play?  Why?

Choose one of the characters we've encountered so far.  Is he/she flat?  round?  Is he/she a protagonist?  an antagonist?  Discuss his/her motivations.  Is he/she believable?  Why?  Why not?  Could he/she be considered a stock character?  Why?

Compare a story narrated in first person with one narrated in third person.  How does each narration help you understand the story?  What do you know?  What do you not know?

Discuss Victor's relationship with his father.  What do you make of his reaction to his father's death?

Discuss Victor's relationship with Thomas.  What do you make of it?  Should Thomas have helped Victor out?  What do you make of Thomas' final request?

How does Sherman Alexie depict Native Americans' lives, both on and off the reservation?

Why do you think that Victor's father leaves the reservation?

Discuss the humor in Sherman Alexie's stories.

Discuss Thomas as a character.

Choose one story we've read so far.  How does the author depict men?  What does this tell us about the world he/she depicts?  about the author's world view?  How do these men interact with women?  How do they interact with each other?

Choose one story we've read so far.  How does the author depict women?  What does this tell us about the world he/she depicts?  about the author's world view?  How do these women interact with men?  How do they interact with each other?