Class Nine

2) In a lot of the short writings I am getting from you, I am seeing unorganized paragraphs. That kind of writing is no longer acceptable. So if you get a paper back from me today with a paragraph circled, you will have to redo that portion of you assignment and e-mail it to me ASAP. Also, there were several “half-hearted” efforts that didn’t even reach a page in length. These will also need to be corrected and e-mailed to me ASAP.

3) The next draft of the paper is going to be due Monday:

1. a. A good structure for the paper is to do the following:
   1. 1. Begin with well-developed paragraphs defining
      1. a. Play
      2. b. Lower-, middle-, upper-income life
      3. c. Class  (approx 1.5-2 pages)
   2. 2. Continue with your specific comments on The Untold Lie, which will include comments on and observations that relate to character, setting, and, now, plot. (1.5 – 2 pages)

In-class journaling:

Your reading so far has presented you with versions of what “play” means in lower-income American life. Do you identify with play in one reading more or less than you identified with play in the other reading? If so, explain why using the concepts of income and class we have considered over the past few weeks. (10 mins) Try thinking about it this way: Does your understanding of the PLOT of your own life have an impact on your understanding of what play is or is not?

Reflection:

Can your understanding of play “limit” who you are as a person? Is this possible?

Group Discussion/Class Activity:

Let’s  share and compare pre- and post-writing from last night’s homework.  Come up with a list of unique observations about the relationship between character, setting, and plot. These observations will be discussed, and then students will be challenged to defend their observations with additional observations from the stories in question (10 mins)

Comments from the blog:

1)      In describing Della Young’s character, we learn about her background, home, finances, and past. On page 159, she is looking at her reflection in the pier-glass window, which tells us that she does not have money for a mirror. As she inspects her reflection, we see that perhaps her hair is the most treasured thing she has. By the description of her looking through this glass, we see the she prides herself on her beauty. By her actions, she does not seem the type of girl to be living in a cheap eight dollar a week apartment.

2)      A story is made up of many parts, all important and related. We cannot have a story with a setting and a plot but no characters. We also cannot have a story with characters that have no details. There can be no plot without these things. So as we pull apart these distinct elements, we will see that they all come together to make up this thing called a story. Getting a deeper understanding of the characters lives enables us to form a better knowledge of the plot.

3)      The building and its material objects were painted in a grey, sad color, but I never had that feeling about the characters.

4)      Every aspect of a story has an important part in informing the readers about things that might not be obvious at first. Also, various parts that the story is composed of, such as character, setting, plot, are all related. It is all connected so that one element will also give details about the other. In “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry we meet two characters; there is a wife named Della, and her husband, Jim. As the tale unfolds, Della emerges as the main character, and so there are more details given about her as we follow her through the day.

Homework:

Clean draft of Paper One due Monday.  You should incorporate findings from today’s discussion on play and lower-income American life into this draft, and also examples that reflect an awareness of the role of specific details in determining the importance of character, setting, and plot in a story.

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