Motivation

Whether it is in athletics, life, or writing, sometimes we need to be reminded that we need to keep going on.  Here is a great video to motivate us to do just that.  Enjoy!

Intro. to Greek Theatre

Have I mentioned how much I adore YouTube?  There are so many beneficial resources and videos available... for free!  For a cheapskate like me, that is awesome.  The only caveat to YouTube's greatness is an underlying mirkiness, a dismal underbelly that often traps innocent viewers through ploy, distraction, and temptation.  Come to think of it, it sounds an aweful lot like Greek theatre.  So, how appropriate would it be to watch a YouTube video to introduce Greek Theatre.  Answer: very.  Here it is.  Follow along and take notes; there will be a quiz.

Greek Theatre - Tragedy and Comedy

AAR for Intro. to Lit. Crit. Unit

Well, we have just completed our initial foray into literary criticism through Thomas C. Foster's book How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines.   I am a firm believer in retrospection and thinking about what it is that I am doing, why I am doing it, and ways that I can improve what it is that I am doing.  This behavior, while sometimes tedious, can prove to be very helpful.  But, I am not in this class alone, you, my students, are in here with me.  Therefore, it would only be a one-sided analysis of the unit that we just completed if I were the only one to think about what it is that we just did.  In that light, I want to invite you to share your analysis and opinions as well so that the retrospection can be complete .
 
Below are six questions.  These questions are very general and may be answered very simply or with much thought and complexity.  In a blog post of your own answer the questions with as much simplicity or complexity as your personality dictates.  Regardless of the simplicity or complexity of the response, the goal is to be honest and complete in your response.  I value your opinion and I look forward to seeing what it is that you have to say.  I will be checking your blogs for your responses on Wednesday, November 6th.

1. What were the main ideas of the unit?  What was the purpose?
2. How did we learn the main ideas? 
3. What went well?  Why?
4. What needs work?  Why?
5. What are some suggestions for doing things differently the next time?
6. What are your general reactions Foster's particular brand of literary criticism?

Whale Rider (2013)

As we continue our foray into the world of literary analysis we will be momentarily diverting our attention from a written work to a cinematic feature.  Having a visual narrative, as well as one that is full of dialogue, might help to solidify our understanding of what Foster is suggesting in his instructional book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor.  So, we will be watching the film Whale Rider in class for the next week.  During our viewing we will be stopping at specific places and discussing what it is that we see at work in the film that correlates with the instruction of Foster.  There will be additional paper work that must be filled out as well that will, as always, help us to analyze the work at hand.  Below is the film for you to watch if you miss any classes, or if you want to view it a second time.  Unfortunately, the only full film on youtube has Spanish subtitles, but they may be helpful for some.  So, here it is.

On a side note, do you remeber that pesky question that I asked in the beginning of class: "What is the nature of the world and our place in it?"  Well, think about that question while we watch the film.  Additionally, think about this: how do mythology and tradition effect us today and when is it time to separate from either or both of them?  Food for thought.

    Welcome to World Literature.  This course is used to fulfill your English 12 requirement as well as prepare you for your time in the work force and/or at a college or university.  I am very excited to teach this course and help you become more refined writers, readers, and thinkers.  My hope for this course is that I will help you see the multiple contexts that exist in literature as well as how to use them to understand yourself and the world around you.

    There are some over-arching themes and motifs that are continually noticed throughout the span of this course and they are shaped by a few essential questions:
1.    What are your basic perceptions of the world and your place in it, and from where do those perceptions originate?
2.    Who are you and what shapes your identity?
3.    How can one better understand the characters and plots of literature in both individual and global contexts?
4.    What practices of society are questioned in the literature that we read and do you find it necessary to do the same?

      I am very excited to begin this year with you.  If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach me at ikain@oswego.org.  I am also available to meet with you or your parent; simply email me and we will set up a time to meet. 

Hello all,
   We are coming to the end.  The school year is almost over and we have only eight more Mondays to endure.  However, this also means that our culminating reading piece and assignment is also upon us.  William Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Macbeth" is the shortest of his tragedies; however, if one perceives it to lack in substance due to its abbreviated length, then one would surely be mistaken.  I like to consider "Macbeth" to be like dynamite: it's little but it packs a big punch.  The subject of the play, it's characterization, narrative development, and thematic structure all lend themselves to complex student analysis.  It is for this reason that we will be doing the years culminating writing assignment in conjunction with this play.

      There will surely be more about what we call the senior thesis paper to come down the line.  But for now, it is enough to say that the this paper will be a large portion of your fourth marking period grade, as well as the written portion of your cumulative final exam.  It may be needless to say this, but, this is a very importan paper.  Therefore, because this very important paper is written regarding "Macbeth," it stands to reason that your understanding of, and your diligent attention toward the play is also very important.

       While I am an English teacher, and focused my Graduate work on Shakespearean works, I recognize that reading the language of Shakespeare's time to be daunting to many students.  For this reason I have decided to meet you, the student, where you are at.  If you click on the image in the right margin of this website you will be directed to Sparknote's No Fear Shakespeare page.  This page will give you access to a free, online, side-by-side version of this play.  That means that the original Shakespearean text will be on the left hand side, and a more modern translation will be on the right hand side.  So, if you are confused by a passage that we read in class, need to read some of the play for homework, or simply wish to understand this play better, then this site will be very helpful to use.

     I can honestly say that this is one of the most important works that I have read in my life.  It raises some very practical questions about goodness, justice, the qualities of the hero, and many others.  I look forward to reading this with you.

The Hunt For Gollum

Here is the independent prequel to The Fellowship of the Ring.  It offers some insight into Gollum and Strider's role in the overall story.

What is myth? Does "The Fellowship" fit the mold?



Joseph Campbell says that "myth is the interface between what is known and what can't be known."  We have discussed mythology and the hero narrative at length this marking period, leading some of us to draw some conclusions about the subject that might we might not have otherwise come to.  I would argue that Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring is a modern mythological fiction that is rightly applicable to his time as well as ours.  However, some may take issue with this.

Given Campbell's off-the-cuff definition of myth, in the comment section below, venture an opnion on this matter.  Is The Fellowship of the Ring what some might claim it to be: a modern mythological fiction that rightly deals with universal concepts.  Or, is the novel something else entirely?  As always, the goal is not to get you to agree with me, or with others for that matter.  But instead the goal is to get you to think through the problem and find an answer that your concience can support.

I look forward to your responses.

"The Power of Myth"

Students: watch this special that is linked below and take notes.  You will be responsible for this information when we take exam for book one of the The Fellowship (March 4th).

The Power of Myth

Heroes and their journeys...

Dear parents/guardians,

It seems that every culture, or at least most that we speak of in literature courses, have some sort of heroic tale that is lauded by its people.  The tale typically enforces or challenges the very beliefs that comprise the culture and helps the audience, in a sense, to better understand the nature of the world and their place in it.  "Beowulf" did this for the Norse, "Hercules" for the Greeks, and "Moses" for the Jews. As this course surveys world literature with the intention of critically engaging the texts and the world around it, it then seems appropriate to rest upon the hero's tale for a bit as it is certainly widespread and obviously connotative.  The tale of the hero begs  the audience to analyze the existence and origins of good and evil, as well as general perceptions of honor, justice, and morality; additionally,  it often brings hope and it motivates everyday people to live lives that are heroic in nature.

To this point in the unit we have read "Beowulf" and have taken notes on archetype, the hero's journey, allegory, and a theory about the consistency of certain aspects of human nature across cultural boundaries.  We will now be focusing our energy on understanding all of these things when applied to the process of analyzing a particular work of literature: The Fellowship of the Rings.  As with all that we do in this course, the focus will not be on convincing the students that the book is any one thing that is to be pigeon holed into only that one thing.  But, instead, our focus is to take all of the information that we have ammassed and then make educated decisions about the works and topics we are discussing by applying all of that information. 

I look forward to hearing any questions or comments that you may have while we read this unit.  If you would ever like any copies of anything that we are working on, or if you have any input at all, please feel free to contact me.  The students will also be working on their blogs so be sure to follow along.

Thank you,
Mr. Kain

A Departure from the Normal...

As I sit at my desk this morning I am confronted with the realization that the students of Sandy Hook Elementary School will be returning to some sort of routine.  I can't fully articulate how I feel about this situation except to say that it has deeply affected me.  It seems to me this would be a good opportunity to have a discussion of sorts, or to offer some sort of object lesson, but I'm not going to.  I don't want to pontificate about this very complex situation without any real aim.  Instead, I just want to say that my thoughts and prayers are with those broken souls who are in the process of rebuilding.  May God bless you Sandy Hook Elementary families and friends.