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

For Next Week: Martel, Life of Pi, Chapters 1-36 (or as much as you can!)

Sorry for the delay--my new laptop is rejecting Zoom! But I finally got the new video up. Read Chapters 1-36 (or as much of them as you can) and watch this video and comment by next week's class. Enjoy--I think it's a really fun and thought-provoking book! 

For Next Week: Finish Persepolis, from chapters "The Return" to "The End"

Hope you're enjoying Spring Break! For next week, be sure to finish Persepolis, reading the remaining chapters, "The Return" to "The End" (and use this time to catch up if you're behind!). I e-mailed everyone's paper comments back to them, so please let me know if you didn't receive an e-mail. Remember that you have all semester to revise either Paper #1 or #2 (and you'll have time to revise #3 as well, before long).

When we return, we'll have an in-class writing on Persepolis which might be about ONE of the following topics (so make sure you're familiar with them as you read). You DO NOT have to answer them now--they're for next week's classes! 

* Why does Marjane fall into a deep depression upon returning to Iran? What kind of identity crisis does she experience once she's home and among family?

* Why does Marjane's boyfriend and grandmother act so differently to her lie about the man on the street? 

* Even though the government regulates every aspect of men and women's lives, how does Marjane show us that most people remain 'free,' especially her and her friends? How do they rebel against the government without getting caught?

* Related to the above, why don't more people revolt and rebel against the government? What keeps the people so docile when they would love to overthrow the powers-that-be?

* Why would Satrapi claim that fundamentalist Islam is anti-Iranian? Why can the true spirit of the Iranian people (as she sees it) not be represented by such a repressive government?

* Why does she decide to divorce her husband and leave Iran for the second time, knowing that she might never return? 

Blog Response #6: Persepolis, Part II: Chapters "The Soup" to "The Return"

 

NOTE: I won't give you a new blog video today, since so few people seemed to have watched and responded to the last one. So I'm giving those who haven't responded a chance to go back and watch/respond to it for credit. But this is one-time thing, so be careful! I don't want you to go into midterms with missed assignments. 

For NEXT WEEK, be sure to read the chapters "The Soup" to "The Return." This is NOT the entire book--we'll finish that after Spring Break. But read these chapters for now and then we'll have an in-class writing prompt on Monday/Wednesday. 

The prompt for next week's class is below if you want to start thinking about it! I'm giving it to you early since I want people to make sure they've read enough to answer it...I'm worried people aren't reading and are falling behind in the class. Mid-terms are this week, so it's a great time to reassess your commitment to the class! 

Next Week's In-Class Response (don't respond with a comment-we'll write this in class): Marjane fled Iran to the relative safety and freedom of Vienna, where her parents hoped she could get a proper education. However, even though Vienna promises her everything Iran withheld from her, she has a traumatic experience and almost dies. Some people suggest that "complete freedom is a kind of prison." Why does this prove true for Marjane? Why does moving from the control of fundamentalism Islam to the freedom of democratic Europe prove so dangerous for her? How could freedom offer its own dangers to society and those living in it?

See you next week! 

Blog Response #5: Persepolis The Perspective of Comics

 For next week, be sure to read the first part of Persepolis, which goes from the chapter called "The Veil" to the chapter called "The Dowry." After you read it, watch the video below and respond with a comment (and reading the book will be necessary when you see the question). Enjoy! 

Paper #2: The Human Condition

NOTE: Be sure to do Blog Response #4 by Monday or Wednesday (whichever class you have)! It's the post DIRECTLY BELOW this one. 

Paper #2: The Human Condition 

PROMPT: In our first paper, we looked at how three stories could share the same conversation based on advice, and how you, as the writer, could connect all the stories through context and quotation. For this paper, I want you to take a similar approach, but instead of advice, I want you to use THREE STORIES in the book to introduce a serious conversation on-going in our society. This conversation must be something that you can read or learn about elsewhere, and that the stories in this book give a ‘human face’ to, rather than just being a story of facts and statistics.

SOURCES: Your paper should use one of the stories to introduce the topic, and then weave in the other two as you discuss different aspects of the topic using SECONDARY SOURCES which gives a broader scope to the conversation. Secondary Sources are articles, websites, books, videos, and other media that add depth and context to the subject matter. I’ll post a video this week to discuss ways to conduct useful research beyond a Google search.

EXAMPLE: The story on page 386 is one of a psychotherapist from Holland who says, “I’m a psychotherapist to some of the most successful people in Holland…They’ve accomplished so much, but they’re still driven by this fear that they’re not going to make it. And they start to ask themselves: ‘Is this going to be the rest of my life?’” This would be a great way to introduce the concept of IMPOSTER SYNDROME, which is a psychological condition than many people suffer from, and no amount of success or money can entirely eradicate. So this could be a great topic to research, and you could connect this to other people in the book who seem to suffer from the same condition (or people who don’t—to understand why they don’t seem to).

REQUIREMENTS:

• 3 stories from the book that connect to the conversation in useful ways; you must discuss them all in your paper, and provide enough context to understand each story. You can use one story more than another, but all three must be introduced and discussed.
• 2-3 Secondary Sources from articles, websites, books, etc. These must be QUOTED and discussed as well, and connected to the overall conversation. ALSO: Dictionary definitions are not good secondary sources. Find an actual article that discusses the issue.
• Remember the keys to a good conversation paper: conversation, context, and quotations.
• DUE  FRIDAY, MARCH 5^th by 5pm

Blog Response #4: Truth Feels Heavy

 Be sure to read the last chapter of Humans for next week and watch the video below. This is your last blog response for the book, and I'll give you a break next week (promise!). We'll also discuss Paper #2 next week, assuming we're able to meet in person (lots of snow predicted!). If that happens, I'll inform you of everything you need to know on the blog. Respond to the video below in a comment by your classtime next week!