More Help With The Road

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/447754/summary

http://search.proquest.com/docview/198091990?pq-origsite=gscholar

This article will help with any questions dealing with God or religion in the novel.

"Yet, in The Road, the question of redemption returns, with allusions to biblical prophets and to the boy as a messianic figure. Three paragraphs into the book, McCarthy conveys the father's thoughts: "Then he just sat there holding his binoculars and watching the ashen daylight congeal over the land. He knew only that the child was his warrant. He said: if he is not the word of God God never spoke" (4). The question, however, is: how are we to interpret this language within the context of a world that has collapsed? The context is critical here. How do we read images such as the breath of God and the messianic references to the boy after the end of the world? This is a persisting and unavoidable dilemma for readers of The Road - the moment you think redemption, you encounter its impossibility - the ending has already happened."

Essay 3 Assignment

ENG 215 Honors Essay #3

3-4 pages, double spaced, MLA Guidelines

DUE THURSDAY Dec 15^th

Pick one of the following topics and be sure to use TWO RELIEABLE OUTSIDE SOURCES!

http://eng215honorsfall16.blogspot.com/

The Road

1) One man they meet on the road says "There is no God and we are his prophets." What does he mean by this? Explain the role of God and faith in The Road. As always, use direct references to the text as your proof.

2) Describe the relationship between the boy and his father.  What do they feel for each other? How do they maintain their affection for and faith in each other in such brutal conditions? How do they support each other during the tougher times of the novel?

3) What does The Road ultimately suggest about good and evil? What separates the “good guys” from the “bad guys”? How do we as readers know this?

4) Use the idea that the boy is symbolic of a religious figure or “the one” and explain how his role changes over the course of the novel.

5) Compare any of the themes often seen when looking at post-apocalyptic novels to what we see in the The Road. You can use any of the many examples we currently see in pop culture.

6) We discussed light and darkness on class last week, using the link to 'The Allegory of the Cave" in the last blog post, discuss light and darkness in the novel.

The Road

NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/books/review/Kennedy.t.html?pagewanted=all

http://blog.mattmecham.com/2007/05/29/cormack-mccarthy-the-road/

Hope:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/200805/coping-and-procrastination-the-role-hope

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CGoQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swarthmore.edu%2FSocSci%2Fbschwar1%2Fpitfalls.pdf&ei=5epxT-OyKoPC0QGIlOWgAQ&usg=AFQjCNHKErPOuXD1lgCFc7gjizHGBkt_jg&sig2=Iz-GAe8EOtNQLnsdv7Ws9g

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joyce-mcfadden/the-psychology-of-hope-an_b_141856.html

This is an article on The Road and "The Allegory of the Cave"

tp://journals.tdl.org/cormacmccarthy/index.php/cormacmccarthy/article/view/852/616


More about The Road
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/books/review/Kennedy.t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://www.themodernword.com/reviews/mccarthy_road.html

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n02/philip-connors/crenellated-heat

http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2639&context=etd

http://www.bookforum.com/inprint/013_04/499

http://www.bookforum.com/inprint/013_04/499

http://network.bepress.com/explore/arts-and-humanities/english-language-and-literature/literature-in-english-north-america/?facet=publication_facet%3A%22Cormac+McCarthy+Conference%22

More Hurston

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=RuGMORXyF4YC&oi=fnd&pg=PA155&dq=nature+in+their+eyes+were+watching+god&ots=I9lQ3c8-t-&sig=1VQGjqg6o4V4Zv_6QdFSoBu17pI#v=onepage&q=nature%20in%20their%20eyes%20were%20watching%20god&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=DjQMg8gTzygC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=nature+in+their+eyes+were+watching+god&ots=iRj260ZYrT&sig=vyS5ro_-BwgLohx-7JMIrAnMCzM#v=onepage&q=nature%20in%20their%20eyes%20were%20watching%20god&f=false

We Have Always Lived in the Castle and Pafko at the Wall

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

 

1)      Explain the gothic elements of the story. What makes this story “gothic”? How does it shape the story?

 

2)      The relationship between the sisters has been looked at with a “feminist eye” by a number of critics. Examine their relationship and how it could be considered feminist?

 

3)      We discussed the elements of magic and superstition in the novel in class; explain how these two ideas have a role in the novel.

 

4)      Defend or refute the following statement: “The greatest evil in the book comes from Merricat’s innocence, because she doesn’t yet have the experience that engenders empathy.”

 

                Pafko at the Wall

 

1)      This novel has been described as “history (with a lower case h) up against History”(with an uppercase H). Think about how DeLillo engages the larger force of history through some element of Pafko at the Wall — find one element of the narrative’s language, plot, character, or some other element and make a case for how DeLillo uses that element to imagine or describe some sort of counter history against the larger forces controlling the history of this period.

2)      We spoke a lot about the influence of environment on Cotter and Bill quite a bit in class for this story. Examine that chase scene between the two characters and what we see going on there.

Zora Neale Hurston Website

http://www.zoranealehurston.com/

Thier Eyes Were Watching God

"How It Feels to Be Colored Me"

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma01/grand-jean/hurston/chapters/how.html

http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/folklore-zora-neale-hurstons-their-eyes-were-watching-god

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=WBNuLxTzzwMC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=their+eyes+were+watching+god+&ots=KAzRr1Ma0_&sig=mxqil9lKNLCWkG8Ycj1Jvc6N2_k#v=onepage&q=their%20eyes%20were%20watching%20god&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=RuGMORXyF4YC&oi=fnd&pg=PA155&dq=their+eyes+were+watching+god+critical+&ots=I9gN-e64o7&sig=fZIDfaYqwb2NZjUuQPtX5rGQAsk#v=onepage&q=their%20eyes%20were%20watching%20god%20critical&f=false

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=DjQMg8gTzygC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=their+eyes+were+watching+god+critical+&ots=iRe-22X1m-&sig=SNAVAwSdsHW_WfsojBWRQlGiupA#v=onepage&q=their%20eyes%20were%20watching%20god%20critical&f=false

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/464063?sid=21105518868921&uid=2&uid=3739256&uid=3739808&uid=4

https://books.google.com/books?id=WWDZBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT36&lpg=PT36&dq=Simmons,+Ryan.+%22The+Hierarchy+Itself:+Hurston%27s+Their+Eyes+Were+Watching+God+and+the+Sacrifice+of+Narrative+Authority%22.+African+American+Review+36.2+%28Summer+2002%29:+181-93.+Print&source=bl&ots=TDBQHQO9Cc&sig=hYD7BMCCCTuHvHxUDTm7JGrO6NU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tSUHVenhE4uyggS9s4CIBQ&ved=0CCUQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Simmons%2C%20Ryan.%20%22The%20Hierarchy%20Itself%3A%20Hurston's%20Their%20Eyes%20Were%20Watching%20God%20and%20the%20Sacrifice%20of%20Narrative%20Authority%22.%20African%20American%20Review%2036.2%20(Summer%202002)%3A%20181-93.%20Print&f=false

Podcast:
 https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/neas-the-big-read/id303133830?mt=2&i=52870823

We Have Always Lived in the Castle

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2009/10/08/the-witchcraft-of-shirley-jackson/

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3346088?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=FwpLwPJpSNwC&oi=fnd&pg=PA110&dq=we+have+always+lived+in+the+castle&ots=ejhHiL2UTf&sig=yPixCCX-Yp32x25f5a-QySOELx4#v=onepage&q=we%20have%20always%20lived%20in%20the%20castle&f=false

http://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/37318590/04_Hwang_1.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAJ56TQJRTWSMTNPEA&Expires=1476374064&Signature=YhFt7a8LoeZrfSkKE6vRnQLNJY8%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DWriting_is_the_way_out_Shirley_Jackson.pdf

Pafko Article From Class

http://www.nytimes.com/library/books/090797article3.html

http://perival.com/delillo/19511004_NYT.html

Pafko at the Wall

http://perival.com/delillo/underworld_triumph.html

This link gives some insight to what the author was attempting to do with this story. There are also links to other articles on the text.

https://depaul.digication.com/discover_chicago_chicago_cubs1/Pafko_at_the_Wall_Response

More critical analysis of the text.

http://genius.com/Stephen-pringle-when-sport-and-literature-collide-annotated

This is from a blog and I tend to be negative on blogs as an outside source but there are some good points here.

1984 Apple Commerical

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=axSnW-ygU5g

1984

Here is a link with outside sources connected to 1984:

http://www.literaryhistory.com/20thC/Orwell.htm

NY Times article from 1984:

http://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/01/nyregion/the-message-for-today-in-orwell-s-1984.html

Some more literary criticism:

http://theliteraryindex.com/george-orwell-literary-criticism.html

Letter written by Orwell:

http://www.openculture.com/2014/01/george-orwell-explains-in-a-revealing-1944-letter-why-hed-write-1984.html

http://www.openculture.com/2015/10/what-orwellian-really-means-an-animated-lesson-about-the-use-abuse-of-the-term.html

Pafko At the Wall

I was informed that Pafko At the Wall is out of print so the bookstore does not have the text.


Here is a link to the PDF of the story or you can buy the book online:

http://www.dumpendebat.net/static-content/delillo/DeLillo-Pafko_At_The_Wall-Oct1992.pdf

Syllabus

Honors Modern Literary Masterpieces

ENG215 Essex County College

 

Prof. Sean O’Connell                                                  Tues, Thurs 11:30-12:50

Email:soconnel@essex.edu     

Phone: 973-877-1926                                                   Office: 1141

Office Hours: T//R 9-10                                             Room: 2110

                                   

                        By Appointment

                                   

 

Texts: YOU NEED TO BUY THE TEXTS!!!

·         1984 George Orwell

·         Pafko At the Wall Don DeLillo

·         We Always Lived in the Castle Shirley Jackson

·         Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston

·         The Road Cormac McCarthy

 

*In class assignments will be handwritten; all homework assignments should be typed and double spaced using 12-point Times New Roman font.

 

I will use the class blog weekly to post assignments, links and back up information. Visit it a few times a week!!!

http://eng215honorsfall16.blogspot.com/

 

THERE ARE NO LATE PAPERS. IF YOU DO NOT HAND IN A PAPER ON THE DAY THE FINAL DRAFT IS DUE, YOU WILL RECEIVE AN F FOR THAT PAPER.

 

YOU MUST HAND ME EACH PAPER. EMAIL IS NOT GOING TO WORK FOR FORMAL ESSAYS.

Course Description: The Development of modern literary thought is examined from the post-Renaissance era to the present day.  Students will do an intensive study of selected masterpieces of world literature.

 

General Education Goals: ENG 215 is affirmed in the following General Education Foundation Categories: Humanistic Perspective and Global and Cultural Awareness of Diversity.  The corresponding General Education Goals are respectively as follows: Students will analyze works in the field of art, music, or theater; literature; and philosophy and/or religious studies; and will gain competence in the use of a foreign language; and Students will understand the importance of global perspective and culturally diverse peoples.

 

 

Course Goals: Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do the following:

 

1.    discuss the universality and diversity of literary thought;

 

2.    apply critical and analytical approaches to the study of literature; and

 

3.    write critical and analytical essays about literary works.

 

 

Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs): Upon successful completion of this course, students should specifically be able to do the following:

 

1.    Discuss the universality and diversity of cultural values of the western world as expressed in its literature:

 

1.1    identify and describe specific themes that identify the universality and the diversity of literary thought; and

1.2    explain these universal and diverse themes as reflected in the specific literary work

Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs) (continued):

 

2.    Apply critical and analytical approaches to the study of literature:

 

2.1    define basic terms and concepts used in literary discussion;

2.2    analyze and describe how these terms and concepts operate in each work studied; and

2.3    use these terms and concepts as the basis for literary analysis

 

3.    Write critical and analytical essays about literary works:

 

3.1    write several short critical and analytical essays about selected works studied;

3.2    use appropriate citations from the source work to support the development of the thesis idea in the critical essay;

3.3    write a longer documented literary research paper about a work relevant to the course;

3.4    use appropriate citations from the source work to support the development of the thesis in the documented literary research paper;

3.5    use the library and other resources to find relevant, scholarly secondary source material in support of the thesis in the documented literary research paper;

3.6    write in one’s own voice in the essay while properly incorporating primary and secondary material; and

3.7    prepare the documented literary research paper in standard MLA format

 

 

Methods of Instruction:  Instruction will consist of lecture, discussion, and the development of a series of extended compositions analyzing pieces of literature, including a documented literary research paper.

 

Outcomes Assessment: Checklist rubrics are used to evaluate sampled student critical essays analyzing literature for the presence of the measurable objectives.  A survey to be administered following essays evaluates student preparation for writing analysis of literature.  Checklist rubrics are used to evaluate the various elements of the documented literary research paper.  And a survey that is blueprinted to learning objectives is administered during the twelfth week.

Course Requirements: All students are required to:

 

1.    Complete the intensive reading of six literary masterpieces (at least one from each category).  The selection should include a balance of literary genres.

 

2.    Write critical essays and a documented literary research paper to total at least three thousand words.  The documented literary research paper should be written according to current MLA format.    

 

3.    Read shorter works, such as poetry, as assigned by the instructor.

 

4.    Read all other assigned material.

 

5.    Participate in class discussions.

 

Methods of Evaluation:                Final course grades will be computed as follows:                             

                                                                                                                                                                        % of

Grading Components                                                                                              final course grade

 

·         3 or more Critical Essays Analyzing Pieces of Literature                                   80%

·         Attendance, participation and in class work                                                         10%

·         Presentation                                                                                                                      10%                                                       

 

Note: The instructor will provide specific weights, which lie in the above-given ranges, for each of the grading components at the beginning of the semester. 

 

 

Academic Integrity: Dishonesty disrupts the search for truth that is inherent in the learning process and so devalues the purpose and the mission of the College.  Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following:

 

·         plagiarism – the failure to acknowledge another writer’s words or ideas or to give proper credit to sources of information;

 

·         cheating – knowingly obtaining or giving unauthorized information on any test/exam or any other academic assignment;

 

·         interference – any interruption of the academic process that prevents others from the proper engagement in learning or teaching; and

 

·         fraud – any act or instance of willful deceit or trickery.

 

Violations of academic integrity will be dealt with by imposing appropriate sanctions.  Sanctions for acts of academic dishonesty could include the resubmission of an assignment, failure of the test/exam, failure in the course, probation, suspension from the College, and even expulsion from the College.

Student Code of Conduct: All students are expected to conduct themselves as responsible and considerate adults who respect the rights of others.  Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.  All students are also expected to attend and be on time all class meetings.  No cell phones or similar electronic devices are permitted in class.  Please refer to the Essex County College student handbook, Lifeline, for more specific information about the College’s Code of Conduct and attendance requirements.

 

 

 

9/8 T Introduction to course, plagiarism, syllabus, presentation discussion and Read “The TV” handout

9/6 R “The TV” Handout

9/8 T 1984

 

9/13 R 1984

 

9/15 T 1984

 

9/20 R 1984

 

9/27 T Film: V For Vendetta

 

9/29 R Film: V For Vendetta, ASSIGN FIRST PAPER

 

10/4 T In Class Discussion on “Human Ecology” in Pafko at the Wall

 

10/6 R Pafko at the Wall

 

10/11 T Pafko at the Wall

 

10/13  R PAPER DUE, We Have Always Lived in the Castle

 

10/18  T  We Have Always Lived in the Castle

 

10/20 R, We Have Always Lived in the Castle

 

10/25 T Film

 

10/27 R Film ASSIGN SECOND PAPER

 

11/1 TTheir Eyes Were Watching God (Up to Ch 5)

 

11/3 R Their Eyes Were Watching God (Up to Ch 10)

 

11/8 T Their Eyes Were Watching God (Up to Ch 15),

 

11/10 R Their Eyes Were Watching God (Finish Novel), PAPER DUE

 

11/15 T Outside Sources for Their Eyes Were Watching God

 

11/17 R The Road

 

11/22  T The Road, ASSIGN FINAL PAPER

 

11/24 R ***NO CLASS*** 

 

11/29 T The Road

 

12/1 R Sign up for Presentations

 

12/6 T Presentations

 

12/8 R Presentations

 

12/13 T ***NO CLASS***WORK ON PAPER

 

12/15 R  Final Research Paper due