1. Cat Quiz: How’s your memory?
1. What is Gooper's occupation?
(C) He is a corporate lawyer
2. What is the name of Skipper and Brick's pro football team?
(B) The Dixie Stars
3. What happened to Big Daddy in Morocco?
(D) He was propositioned by a child prostitute
4. What body part do Mae's children apparently lack?
(C) Necks
5. What did Maggie buy Big Daddy for his birthday?
(D) A robe
6. Who is described as a cat at some point in the play?
(A) Maggie
7. Daddy believes that he suffers from which of the following?
(B) A spastic colon
8. What is the ostensible object of Brick's disgust?
(A) Mendacity
9. Where did Maggie and Brick go to school?
(B) Old Miss
10. How old is Big Daddy?
(D) Sixty-five
11. Who was a cotton carnival queen?
(D) Mae
12. What do the children sing to Big Daddy?
(A) Skinamarinka-dinka-dink
13. What is Big Daddy's trademark word
(D) Crap
14. What is Big Mama's name?
(D) Ida
15. What were the names of the plantation's previous owners?
(B) Straw and Ochello
16. How many official versions of Cat are in circulation?
(B) Three
17. Who directed the premiere of Cat?
(C) Elia Kazan
18. When did Brick start drinking?
(A) When Skipper died
19. Who confronted Skipper on his love for Brick?
(D) Maggie
20. Who revealed this love to Brick?
(C) Skipper
21. How does Maggie get Brick to sleep with her?
(C) She locks up his liquor (breaks it)
22. Who tells Big Daddy that he is dying?
(C) Brick
23.Who does Big Mama jostle in her lap?
(D) Reverend Tooker
24. Who keeps calling from Memphis?
(B) Sally
25. Who sleeps next to Maggie and Brick's room?
(B) Mae and Gooper
2. Class / Group Discussion 20 minutes
Objective:
Explore a major theme of the play
• Class discussion on lies vs. truths.
Why do we tell lies?
Who do we lie to?
How do we tell the difference between a truth and a lie in our daily interactions with others?
Are lies good or bad?
What is the relationship between lies and mendacity?
• Small group discussion on Big Daddy’s line at the end of the play: “Don’t you notice it, Brick? Don’t you notice a powerful and obnoxious odor of mendacity in this room? There is nothing more powerful.” What is Big Daddy referring to?
Each group should create their own definition of the word mendacity based on Tennessee Williams’ use of the word in his play.
Us the following table to create your definition.
Cite instances from the play when a character tells a lie or the truth.
For example: what would be the Doctor’s first diagnosis of Big Daddy?
Truth
Lie
Friday, November 21, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Writing Journal in pairs (With Stéphanie Trottier)
This short story, written by Shirley Jackson, takes place in a small American town. On a warm summer day of June, villagers are called to gather for their annual activity: the lottery. Children gather stones while the men chat together, soon to be greeted by their wives. Every year, the lottery takes place as an important tradition. To the villagers, the idea of not having an annual lottery is barely conceivable since it has been going on for many, many years. Once all assembled and ready, Mr. Summers – the conductor of the lottery – calls upon the head of each family, listed alphabetically from the small village. Each of the men walk up towards Mr. Summers and draw out a piece of paper from the wooden black box, the same one used each and every year. After the men return to their respective families, they all open up their folded piece of paper. It is the Hutchinson family, to everybody else’s relief, who are the ones to discover a black dot on their piece of paper. Panicked, Tessie Hutchinson then shouts out to Mr. Summers, saying the draw is unfair. But one ticket for each Hutchinson family member (Bill, Tessie, Dave, Nancy and Bill, Jr.) is put back in the black box, ready for the next draw. Each Hutchinson then draws out their own piece of paper from the box. One by one, they all unfold their ticket; each one is blank except for Tessie’s, displaying a big black dot. The other villagers then get ready and gather pebbles and rocks. Tessie, exposed in the center of the crowd, then gets stoned to death, sacrificed to ensure next year’s harvest.
In 2008, this practice sure sounds barbaric. This is why projecting ourselves in the skin of a character or trying to figure out what we would do if it was us that would have been picked is hard. I found this story particularly shocking. I was not expecting the end at all, and had to read it twice to fully understand it. The fact that Tessie gets stoned to death by her neighbors and family --even by her kids!-- is disturbing. One would think: "For sure someone will oppose to this ritual, surely her husband will protect her!" Sadly, this is not what happens at all. The fact that this village does a lottery every year, because it is said to bring good harvests, is the example the author gave to show her disdain of pointless traditions. When the story was first published, a lot of people had strong reactions to it: horror, disbelief, hate and uneasiness were expressed to the author. Those feelings are shared by new readers like us today.
(In answer to "Tell about what happened in the story" and "Describe your feelings about the events")
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Mid-Term Writing Test
The Nightingale and the Rose
PART A
Close reading questions 1-10
1- The student is unhappy because he is in love with a girl
a) to whom he promised red roses, which he cannot find.
2- Which two of the following statements are true?
b) The nightingale believes in true love.
d) The nightingale thinks the student knows what true love is.
3- The nightingale identifies herself with the student because
c) The student feels the same passion as her nightly song.
4- Why does the nightingale decide to sacrifice herself? Give two reasons.
- She thinks that her life is important, but that Love is more important than life. Therefore, her life is a very little price to pay in exchange for the love the student wishes for.
- She also thinks that humans are more important than birds, therefore the student is more important than herself.
Quotation: "Yet Love is more important than Life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?"
5- The nightingale describes love as being wiser than Philosophy, and stronger than Power, with wings and a body that are coloured like flame, and lips as sweet as honey, and his breath is like frankincense.
6- Why doesn't the student understand what the nightingale is saying?
"The Student looked up from the grass, and listened, but he could not understand what the Nightingale was saying to him, for he only knew the things that are written down in books."
7- What tdoes the student think about the nightingale's song for the oak tree? He thinks that it
b) is only a meaningless song with some beautiful notes.
8- Why does the student think the beautiful rose has a long Latin name?
He only finds beauty (or understands) the things that are written down in books; therefore, the amazing rose he found has to be scientifically beautiful, thus the long Latin name.
9- What three reasons does the professor's daughter give for refusing the red rose?
- She tells him that the red rose will not go with her dress.
- She says that the Chamberlain's nephew gave her jewels, and since jewels cost more than roses, she values it more.
- She says that he is only a Student, and that he probably doesn't have silver buckles to his shoes, as the Chamberlain's nephew has.
She is very superficial and materialistic.
10- What happens to the rose?
Angry and the Professor's daughter, the Student "threw the rose into the street, where it fell into the gutter, and a cart-wheel went over it."
PART B
450 words text on the irony in The Nightingale and the Rose
PART A
Close reading questions 1-10
1- The student is unhappy because he is in love with a girl
a) to whom he promised red roses, which he cannot find.
2- Which two of the following statements are true?
b) The nightingale believes in true love.
d) The nightingale thinks the student knows what true love is.
3- The nightingale identifies herself with the student because
c) The student feels the same passion as her nightly song.
4- Why does the nightingale decide to sacrifice herself? Give two reasons.
- She thinks that her life is important, but that Love is more important than life. Therefore, her life is a very little price to pay in exchange for the love the student wishes for.
- She also thinks that humans are more important than birds, therefore the student is more important than herself.
Quotation: "Yet Love is more important than Life, and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?"
5- The nightingale describes love as being wiser than Philosophy, and stronger than Power, with wings and a body that are coloured like flame, and lips as sweet as honey, and his breath is like frankincense.
6- Why doesn't the student understand what the nightingale is saying?
"The Student looked up from the grass, and listened, but he could not understand what the Nightingale was saying to him, for he only knew the things that are written down in books."
7- What tdoes the student think about the nightingale's song for the oak tree? He thinks that it
b) is only a meaningless song with some beautiful notes.
8- Why does the student think the beautiful rose has a long Latin name?
He only finds beauty (or understands) the things that are written down in books; therefore, the amazing rose he found has to be scientifically beautiful, thus the long Latin name.
9- What three reasons does the professor's daughter give for refusing the red rose?
- She tells him that the red rose will not go with her dress.
- She says that the Chamberlain's nephew gave her jewels, and since jewels cost more than roses, she values it more.
- She says that he is only a Student, and that he probably doesn't have silver buckles to his shoes, as the Chamberlain's nephew has.
She is very superficial and materialistic.
10- What happens to the rose?
Angry and the Professor's daughter, the Student "threw the rose into the street, where it fell into the gutter, and a cart-wheel went over it."
PART B
450 words text on the irony in The Nightingale and the Rose
The short story "The Nightingale and the Rose", by Oscar Wilde, is a widely known poetic love story. At first glance, it may look like any other little love story, but if read carefully, the reader will notice the deeper meaning of the text. Love is a theme exploited thorough the ages by various authors, scenarists or poets. It is a subject almost everyone can relate to; therefore, most people are interested in the material created about it. In this short story, the theme of love is stained by irony, which adds depth to the text and creates a surprising ending.
In the beginning of the story, both the Nightingale and the Student share the same wish: for the Student and the Professor's daughter to fall madly in love. The Student is weeping because he cannot find a red rose to give her and fears that she will reject him for it. The Nightingale, seeing the boy's despair, helps him the best she can: she sacrifices her life to make him the most beautiful of all the roses to give to his maiden, to earn her love. It may seem like a wonderfully touching love story with a happy ending, but this is where irony kicks in. First of all, when the Nightingale sings for the oak tree before her sacrifice, the Student does not understand her song: "In fact, she's like most artists; she is all style, without any sincerity. She would not sacrifice herself for others." It is undeniably ironic, because in fact it is her last song before her sacrifice for him! After her death, he did not recognize the Nightingale's work at all. On the contrary, after finding it he said: "Why, what a wonderful piece of luck!”. The bird's noble gesture is not valued or even noticed: that is the very opposite of what was expected, and is thus ironic.
The story ends with the Student’s attempt to give the rose to the woman of his dreams. To the reader's surprise, the girl refuses it because a rose is not worth enough money. The idealized romantic 'princess' is in fact a superficial and materialistic brat! She refuses the rose and dismisses the Student, who throws the rose in the street in frustration. The rose is then rolled over by a car and totally destructed. In anger, the Student then returns to his books, saying that love is in fact useless compared to Philosophy and Metaphysics. This ending is not what the Nightingale nor the Student intended in the beginning at all. It is very dramatic, in an ironic way, because the bird’s death did not serve any purpose and goes unnoticed by both the lovers.
450 words
In the beginning of the story, both the Nightingale and the Student share the same wish: for the Student and the Professor's daughter to fall madly in love. The Student is weeping because he cannot find a red rose to give her and fears that she will reject him for it. The Nightingale, seeing the boy's despair, helps him the best she can: she sacrifices her life to make him the most beautiful of all the roses to give to his maiden, to earn her love. It may seem like a wonderfully touching love story with a happy ending, but this is where irony kicks in. First of all, when the Nightingale sings for the oak tree before her sacrifice, the Student does not understand her song: "In fact, she's like most artists; she is all style, without any sincerity. She would not sacrifice herself for others." It is undeniably ironic, because in fact it is her last song before her sacrifice for him! After her death, he did not recognize the Nightingale's work at all. On the contrary, after finding it he said: "Why, what a wonderful piece of luck!”. The bird's noble gesture is not valued or even noticed: that is the very opposite of what was expected, and is thus ironic.
The story ends with the Student’s attempt to give the rose to the woman of his dreams. To the reader's surprise, the girl refuses it because a rose is not worth enough money. The idealized romantic 'princess' is in fact a superficial and materialistic brat! She refuses the rose and dismisses the Student, who throws the rose in the street in frustration. The rose is then rolled over by a car and totally destructed. In anger, the Student then returns to his books, saying that love is in fact useless compared to Philosophy and Metaphysics. This ending is not what the Nightingale nor the Student intended in the beginning at all. It is very dramatic, in an ironic way, because the bird’s death did not serve any purpose and goes unnoticed by both the lovers.
450 words
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)