TODAY IN CLASS
Heart of Darkness
1st period--great discussion of several more paragraphs from the opening passage of the novella.  The bell rang before we solved the implications of "bearing the sword, and often the torch, messengers of the might within the land, bearers of a spark from the sacred fire."
5th period--because we just started today, we only got through paragraph four. And even on with that, we need to revisit the last sentence juxtaposed with the longer penultimate one.  How does this structure replicate the end of paragraph three?

FOR TOMORROW
Again, focus on the essay assignment from yesterday.  Last night you should have selected  the characters and gotten a very good start on gathering data for all required parts of the prompt, and perhaps even formulating a central thesis (or central thesis plus body thesis claims!). Tonight you should write a draft of the body of the paper.  It doesn't have to be perfect--you can tweak it tomorrow--and you can (and probably should) hold off on the full introduction and conclusion unless you are very sure of your content.


LOOKING AHEAD
So I doubt if most of you have time or brain space to move ahead to the other essay.  But this one might need a bit more "gel time"--the sort of random thinking/reviewing that students often do while more actively engaged in something else.  (Not recommended while driving.)  But here's what you can start considering.

Essay II:  Due Monday, Dec. 9--again, hard copy by class time, submitted to turnitin.com before the day is out (i.e. by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 9).

For all topics--the assumption is that you will have to "discover" your thesis and then articulate it plainly after having done much of the hard work of gathering data and insights on the ideas given below. These are not "prompts"; they are general topics, sometimes with stories to use (or restrictions on what NOT to use), and sometimes open-ended with regard to the short fiction we have studied.  There is much to decide.  And you will need to refine and shape the scope of what you attempt, because this essay needs to have an absolute max of 750 words.  No expansion:  still try to include as much insight and and support as you can.  Do your best to write with economy while still maintaining clarity.

You DO need an introduction--engage the reader's attention and then move as expeditiously as you can to channel the reader's focus toward the thesis. You need a conclusion too, but keep it simple and direct.

Options:
Consider the use of fantasy in "The Magic Barrel," "Metamorphosis," or "The Rocking-Horse Winner." Make a case for how/why it is a crucial device in the story you choose.

Explore family dynamics in "Sonny's Blues" or "Metamorphosis" (restriction:  IF you wrote about Gregor earlier, do not choose Kafka).

We've seen that "setting" can do much more than merely establish time and place.  Explore all the uses of setting in whichever work you believe it is most important.

Characterization:  Delve deeply into "how" characterization is developed for one rich story. You can deal with several characters or just one--major or "important minor"--but definitely stick with just one work. (Do not use either "Miss Brill" or "The Chrysanthemums"--we spent too much time on that together.)

Humor OR Irony:  Consider one OR the other in the work for which you find it a compelling component.