Last Week of Classes!

Remember that next week's class is optional: I'm just going to give a short extra credit assignment which can give you a few points towards your final grade. But if you feel good about your grade, or want to simply concentrate on revisions, an absence won't count against you.

All paper revisions (1-3) are due by Friday @ 5:00. You can revise any paper for a higher grade based on my comments, and if you have questions about the comments, please let me know. 

ALSO, be sure to fill out the Course Evaluations sent to your e-mail from the university. In past years, less and less students are doing them except the ones who are angry about the class! It only takes a minute, and it's important to show the university (however imperfectly) what's going on in a given class. 

Take care and see you next week! 

Last Blog Video, Life of Pi, Chapters 89-100 (but watch even if you haven't finished yet!)

 Here's the final blog video for our class, which covers the last chapters (89-100) of Life of Pi. Even if you haven't finished it yet, watch the video and respond with a COMMENT to the question at the end. This is your last chance to do this, and some of you have missed several responses, so don't miss this one, too! 

Also, don't forget Paper #3 is due tomorrow (Friday) by 5pm! Let me know if you have any questions.

For Next Week: Life of Pi, Chapters 58-88 (roughly); also, think about Paper #3!

Remember that Paper #3 is due next Friday, the 16th! Keep reading and thinking about connections between this book and Persepolis, and how each one can help us see some of the big themes in our own lives. Consider what these books are trying to teach us, and how living through their experiences can improve (or help us appreciate) our own.

Additionally, here are some passages from the reading that you might want to think about and consider for next class (in-class writing prompts???) or for your Paper #3.

Page 177: "For the first time I noticed...that my suffering was taking place in a grand setting. I saw my suffering for what it was, finite and insignificant, and I was still. My suffering did not fit anywhere, I realized. And I could accept this. It was all right. (It was daylight that brought my protest: No! No! No! my suffeirng does matter. I want to live!...Life is a peephole, a single entry onto a vastness--how can I not dwell on this brief, cramped view I have of things? This peephole is all I've got!"

Page 183: "I wept heartily over this poor little deceased soul. It was the first sentient being I had ever killed. I was now a killer. I was now as guilty as Cain. I was sixteen years old, a harmless boy, bookish and religious, and now I had blood on my hands. It's a terrible burden to carry. All sentient life is sacred. I never forget to include this fish in my prayer." 

Page 192: "I did not count the days r the weeks or the months. Time is an illusion that only makes us pant. I survived because I forgot even the very notion of time."

Page 206: "Tigers, indeed all animals, do not favour violence as a means of settling scores. When animals fight, it is with the intent to kill and with the understanding that they may be killed. A clash is costly. And so animals have a full system of cautionary signals designed to avoid a showdown, and they are quick to back down when they feel they can."

Page 207: "My greatest wish--other than salvation--was to have a book. A long book with a never-ending story. One I could read again and again, with new eyes and a fresh understanding each time."

Page 215: "To be a castaway is to be a point perpetually at the centre of a circle. However much things may appear to change--the sea may shift from whisper to rage, the sky might go from fresh blue to blinding white to darkest black--the geometry never changes. Your gaze is always a radius. The circumference is ever great. In fact, the circles multiply. To be a castaway is to be caught in a harrowing ballet of circles. You are at the centre of one circle, while above you two opposing circles spin about."

Page 217: "The worst pair of opposites is boredom and terror."

Blog Response #8: The Metaphors of Life of Pi (Chapters 37-57); also, Paper #3 assignment

 Be sure to read Chapters 37-57 (or somewhere around there) for next week's class. Bring your book to class, since that will help you with the in-class writing! The video below will give you some insight on Paper #3 as well as discuss some of the next chapters of the book.  The Paper #3 assignment is pasted below in case you weren't in class or lost it. See you next week! 

Conversation Paper #3: The Facts of Fiction

 

INTRO: In Chapter 25 of Life of Pi, Pi is discussing people who ignore the suffering of the world, but become enraged if someone insults their religious beliefs. As he writes, “These people fail to realize that it is on the inside that God must be defended, not on the outside. They should direct their anger at themselves. For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out…To me, religion is about our dignity, not our depravity” (71). This is surprisingly similar to Persepolis, where the Iranian government tortures and imprisons its own citizens for not wearing veils or listening to Michael Jackson. The true evil, both suggest, come from the people judging—not the people who are judged imperfect.

PROMPT: Discuss how both books offer a similar critique or discussion of one or more ‘real world’ issues below:

• Finding one’s true identity
• The nature of faith or belief
• The value of a human life
• The importance of education
• Being ‘free’ vs. being ‘confined’
• The corrupting influence of power
• The value of integrity
• Others?

Remember that though both novels are fiction, they each try to help us see the ‘truth’ of the world around us. So consider how each book agrees on or helps us examine certain key ideas in our own society/lives. You might also consider how each character is a refugee, forced away from their families and homes; to find themselves, they have to create their own values—a sort of ‘life raft’ to bring them safely to a distant shore. Feel free to relate this to your own life, and use personal examples that helped you understand each book (or, you can discuss it more generally—your choice).

SOURCES: Obviously, you must use both books in your paper, quoting from each one to show the connections between their lives and yours (or our lives in general). I also want you to use TWO additional sources, which could be (a) two interviews from Humans, which use people from similar backgrounds (Iran, India) or situations that relate to the characters’ struggles; (b) two articles that underline the issues you discuss in your paper—for example, the suppression of female identity, or the rise of fundamentalism in the world; or (c) two other works of art, such as books, songs, or even movies that discuss similar themes or are inspirational for you in your own journey of discovery. Just make sure these works add CONTEXT to your discussion, and help us understand why this conversation is meaningful and relatable.

REQUIREMENTS

• At least 4 pages, double spaced, but you can do much more
• Must have a conversation between both books using quotes and discussion; help us understand the Context and the Meaning of the passages you quote
• Must use at least TWO secondary sources, either from Humans, articles, or other works of art  
• Use proper MLA citations throughout; see previous handouts for help, or check the Purdue OWL website: owl.purdue.ed (then click on “MLA Formatting and Style Guide” under “Most Popular Resources”)
• DUE FRIDAY, APRIL 16^th BY 5pm