Heart of Darkness
Today in class we are focusing on the style of Marlow's narrative -- particularly his evasions and hedging. For your post, please comment on either:
(1) A moment of uncertainty or lack of clarity in the text -- how did it affect you? What do you think about it?
(2) Your overall feelings about the story, particularly as it relates to the other things we have read. How does Marlow's style relate to, for instance, Wilde's paradox? How does the narrative reflect or depart from Schreiner? How does his take on empire differ from/change how you feel about Kipling? What does his understanding of nature have to do with Hardy's?
This is your last board. Use it wisely (insert quote about w/ great power, great responsib., etc.).
Cheers.
Kim I and II
What do you think of
Kim? As with Schreiner's work, Kipling is the product of a colonial upbringing on the fringes of British empire. Do the works strike you as similar? Different? Why?
To help you think about this, think about Kim, the Colonel, the lama, and Mahbub Ali -- what strikes you about these characters? How do they relate to each other and the larger geolpolitical map of the novel? Try focusing on a specific passage containing one of them.
Story of an African Farm II and III & *Special Assignment* -- Through "Waldo Goes out to taste"
Hi everyone,
I have to cancel class for Thursday, which means that papers will be due
on Tuesday instead. I'll still come to collect papers for those who wish
to turn them in today.
*But before you start cheering* I have an additional assignment for you
for Tuesday's class. For those of you who aren't on the class email list
(and therefore didn't get the paper by email), please go the the university
library site and take the following steps:
(1) (If you are not on a university computer) Sign in by clicking "Not Logged
In" to the upper left and typing in your webid info.
(2) Click on "Find Articles" to the left --> "Indexes and Databases"
(3) Click on "M" or scroll down to select "MLA International Bibiography."
Click on it. Welcome to the wide world of literary criticism.
(4) Search for "Schreiner, Olive" -- this will return all articles written on
her.
(5) Scroll down to #5 -- an article by Moore-Gilbert "Olive Schreiner's Story
of an African Farm." Click on "Pdf full text below." This will give you a file
you can save and print.
(6) Print it out.
Now, once you have the article, I want you to read it and think about the following
things:
--What are the different critical perspectives on Schreiner's work? How would
you characterize them?
--How does Moore-Gilbert try to engage this field of opinions -- where does he
fit himself in?
--What do you think?
Below, you can discuss the new reading or talk about the article -- what was hard,
or interesting, or strong about it? I'll see you Tuesday.
-devin
The Story of an African Farm I (through Bonaparte Blenkins (pg. 81))
Coming from
Tess, how do you find the depiction of the children in
Story of an African Farm? What do you think of the fervor of Waldo? Of the contrast between Em and Lyndall?
Alternately, look at some of the descriptions of the land in
Story of an African Farm. How do they relate or differ from nature in
Tess? What does this do to the tenor of the book -- its style and sense of place?
Try to focus on a specific passage. Your board.
Tess -- Final
Now that you've finished the book, what did you think? First, split up your reaction into two parts: (1) how did you relate to the conclusion emotionally and in terms of identification? Reflect on this affect -- what drives these feelings? What do you make of them? (2) Think about the conclusion to the novel in the context of what else has happened -- what changes? How does the Tess we experience relate to the Tess of the earlier sections of the book? Is she as passive? How do you feel about her? How about Angel and how he handles himself at the end?
Feel free to disagree with each other or applaud -- it's your board.
Tess III -- Chaps. 34-48
Please share your ideas and impressions of the novel.
To track back a little bit -- what did you think about the sleepwalking scene? How does it compare to the rest of Tess's behavior in the novel? How do you feel about the choices that Tess makes and her experiences as the novel continues? And what do you think of Alex D'Uberville's return -- does he seem sincere/plausible? Does it change your perception of him? Your board.
Tess II -- Chaps. XIV-XXVII
How does the second section of the book differ from the first? How does Hardy present the courtship of Tess and Angel Clare -- in particular, how do their interactions reflect upon the natural versus the cultured? How would you characterize the environment of the dairy farm and Hardy's portrayal of it? What does this accomplish?
Try to focus on specific passages and cite page #'s so that you can look up each other's passages. Your board.
Tess of the D'Urbervilles I -- Chap. 1-13
What are your initial reflections about Hardy's novel, particularly following the arch banter of Wilde's "Decay of Lying"? Tess was published in the same year as Wilde's Portrait of Dorian Gray. Do they share anything? Compare their styles and concerns.
Alternatively, what do you think of the relationship between Tess and Alec D'Urberville? Think about how their relationship is developed and how their motivations are explained. What is meaningful/moving about the situation that develops? Does it seem unique in any particular way?
Please digress and divert at will -- it's your board.
Wilde and Pater
What did you think of the two essays, Pater's Conclusion to
The Renaissance, and Wilde's "Decay of Lying"? What is the place of art in the two essays? Do you see any common ground or connections between them? How do these work out?
Alternatively, what is the sense that you get of these two through their two writings? How might you imagine a conversation between them working?
_Dorian Gray_ II
I know you're all deep in the last minute-polishing of your essays, but take some time to post a few last comments about Dorian. What do you think of the turn toward decadence his life takes? Is there anything about it you find particularly interesting/intriguing? How about his confrontation with Basil and the murder--did it seem justified/warranted? By the end of the book, do you still see Dorian as *humorous*? How does it compare to the resolution of Jekyll and Hyde?
Finally, if the credo of book is "Art for art's sake" -- how does the resolution stack up? Does it seem to be the kind of stand-alone resolution and wholeness that Wilde aspires to? Your board.
