Cuckoo's Nest Vocab 3 (of 3)

Here's the last set of vocab for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. You may leave a comment here to earn points (either extra credit or toward your final blogging grade) - just use a word correctly in a sentence of your creation.

Indigent = needy, impoverished

"I finally told him I was one of the indigents." (p. 189)

Jouncing = to move joltingly or roughly up and down

"...and her hair, roped in a long twist at the back of her head, jouncing up and down..." (p. 195)

Cormorants = seabirds that have long necks and a pouch under the bill for catching fish

"'Those fellas, those cormorants, they go after a school of candle fishes...'" (p. 210)

Effrontery = shameless or brazen boldness

"He would take it as a direct effrontery to his craft." (p. 223)

Solemnly = gravely, seriously, or earnestly

"'These things don't happen,' Harding said to the girl solemnly." (p. 250)

Cuckoo's Nest Blog Post #2: Insanity

For your second and final blog post on One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, you are focusing on the theme of insanity. While it's an obvious one, try to dig deeper than just "is your character crazy?" to help define what it means to be "insane" in a place like this. Please make sure you do the following...

- Offer an argument as to whether or not you believe your character (pick a different one from the last blog post you wrote) is insane, based on what you've read about him/her thus far in the book. Consider a) their surroundings, b) their peers, and c) their oppressors (if applicable).

- Make sure to cite a specific event/description from the novel when explaining your opinion. Include a quote (with page number) to help prove your point.

- If you had one question to ask Ken Kesey about the time he spent working in a mental hospital researching for this book and/or the time he spent writing this novel, what would it be and why?

- Leave two comments on classmates' blog posts on Persuasion, either responding to their argument(s) or their question(s).

- Include your initials in both your post and in your comments!

Cuckoo's Nest Vocab 2 (of 3)

Here's the second set of vocab for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. You may leave a comment here to earn points - just use a word correctly in a sentence of your creation.

Geriatric = of or pertaining to people of old/elderly age

"You'll get him a uniform this instant, Mr. Washington, or spend two weeks working on Geriatrics Ward!" (p. 89)

Maudlin = tearfully or weakly emotional

"Anyway, to put an end to this maudlin display of nostalgia, in the course of our conversation McMurphy and I wondered what would be the attitude toward a carnival?" (p. 97)

Lien = the right to keep another person's property until a debt owed is paid

"The guys all go to signing liens at once; he's beat them so many times at poker and blackjack they can't wait to get back at him, and this is a certain sure thing." (p. 110)

Recrimination = a countercharge against an accuser

"If somebody'd come in and take a look, a fifty-year-old woman hollering and squealing at the back of their heads about discipline and order and recriminations, they'd of thought the whole bunch was crazy as loons." (p. 128)

Curtail = to cut short

"If you'll curtail your literary pursuits a moment I'll introduce you to my counterpart and Nemesis..." (p. 153)

Cuckoo's Nest Blog Post #1: Persuasion

For your first blog post responding to One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, make sure to include the following:

-An appropriate but creative title referencing the character you have chosen to focus on

-A brief paragraph offering an example of how your character has persuaded others (or attempted to) thus far in the book

-A brief paragraph offering an example of how your character has been persuaded by someone else (or the attempt has been made) thus far in the book

-A quote from the book (with page number) used in one of your two paragraphs

Two open-ended questions about your character for your classmates to respond to the next time we blog

-Post a comment to the first post of vocab words with a sentence of your creation that proves me you understand the meaning of the word

-Don't forget to put your initials both in your post and in your comment!

Cuckoo's Nest Vocab 1 (of 3)

Here's the first set of vocab words for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. You may leave a comment here to go toward your blogging grade using one of the words below in a sentence that shows me you understand the meaning of the word.

Dandyism = The act of paying excessive attention to the smartness of one's appearance & clothes

"'My dear sweet but illiterate wife thinks any word or gesture that does not smack of brickyard brawn and brutality is a word or gesture of weak dandyism.'" (p. 44)

Id = The part of the unconscious that is the source of instinctive impulses that seek satisfaction

"'Yes, with your talent, my friend, you could work subconscious miracles, soothe the aching id...'" (p. 56)

Matriarchy = a social organization in which women have the most authority

"'We are victims of a matriarchy here, my friend, and the doctor is just as helpless against it as we are.'" (p. 59)

Placate = to appease or pacify; to bring to a state of calm

"'You don't lose your temper and shout at her; she'll win by trying to placate her big ol' angry boy...'" (p. 66)

Stoicism = repression of emotion and indifference to pleasure or pain

"'Gentlemen, already I seem to detect in our redheaded challenger a most unheroic decline of his TV cowboy stoicism.'" (p. 73)

Great Gatsby Blog Post #2: The American Dream

For your final blog post on The Great Gatsby, focus on the idea of The American Dream. Think about what you consider to be "the American dream" and then in your blog post, include the following...

• A creative yet appropriate title that hints at your answer to "What is the American Dream?"


• A quote from the novel that helps you answer that question (with page number).


• Your personal interpretation of what "The American Dream" means and how that may or may not be similar to the interpretation of one of the novel's characters (Gatsby, Nick, Tom, Daisy, Wilson, etc.).


• Your explanation of how and/or why "The American Dream" often ends in tragedy, such as it did with Gatsby.

When you are done, publish, then write three comment responses to your classmates' posts and/or my vocab posts. Don't forget to include your initials in everything you post!

Great Gatsby Vocab 3 (of 3)

Here's the vocab for pages 120-189. One of your comments may be left here with a sentence of your own creation using one of the words below correctly.

Boisterous – rough and noisy; noisily jolly or rowdy

“‘Plenty of gas,’ said Tom boisterously.” (p. 127)

Presumptuous – unwarrantedly or impertinently bold; forward

“I think he realizes that his presumptuous little flirtation is over.” (p. 142)

Redolent - having a pleasant odor; fragrant

"There was a ripe mystery about it...fresh and breathing and redolent of this year's shining motor cars and of dances whose flowers were scarcely withered." (p. 155-6).

Incessant – continuing without interruption; ceaseless

“…he began to pull so incessantly at his sparse grey beard that I had difficulty in getting off his coat.” (p. 175)

Vestibule – an enclosed space at the end of a railroad car, serving as a sheltered entrance from another car or outside the train

“We drew in deep breaths of it as we walked back from dinner through the cold vestibules…” (p. 184)

Great Gatsby Vocab 2 (of 3)

Here's the vocab for pages 60-120. One of your comments may be left here with a sentence of your own creation using one of the words below correctly. If you want to contribute a vocab word to the final list, turn in your gold vocab slip by Monday Nov. 9.

Incredulity – inability to unwillingness to believe

“My incredulity was submerged in fascination now…” (p. 71)

Somnambulatory = of or pertaining to sleepwalking

"He was starting and lapsed into a somnambulatory abstraction." (p. 74)

Obstinate - firmly or stubbornly sticking to one's opinion, way of life, etc.

"Americans have always been obstinate about being peasantry." (p. 93)

Pompadour – an arrangement of a man’s hair where it is brushed up high from the forehead

“‘The pompadour! You never told me you a had a pompadour – or a yacht.’” (p. 99)

Septic - infected; contaminated

"But what had amused me then turned septic on the air now." (p. 112)

Don't forget to put your initials in your comments!

Great Gatsby Vocab 1 (of 3)

Here's the vocab for pages 1-60. One of your comments may be left here with a sentence of your own creation using one of the words below correctly.

Fervent = Having or showing great warmth or intensity

"Daisy winked ferociously toward the fervent sun." (p. 18)

Turbulent = Being in a state of agitation; disturbed

"I saw that turbulent emotions possessed her." (p. 21)

Supercilious = Highly scornful or arrogant

"The supercilious assumption was that on Sunday afternoon I had nothing better to do." (p. 28)

Prodigality = Wasteful extravagance in spending

"Laughter is easier, minute by minute, spilled with prodigality, tipped out at a cheerful word." (p. 44)

Convivial = Friendly or agreeable

"Girls were putting their heads on men's shoulders in a puppyish, convivial way." (p. 55)

Great Gatsby Blog Post #1: Lyrics

For your first blog post on The Great Gatsby, first search online for lyrics that relate to money. Specifically, look for lyrics to songs that either show what money can do to people or how much people (or the singer themselves) might obsess over money. Once you've found your lyrics, compose your blog post and include the following...

• Title your blog post something creative yet appropriate about money.
• Include a quote from the song you've chosen (be sure to mention the artist's name) and an interpretation of the lyrics. How does money affect people, according to the artist, or how do you think money's affecting them, being successful a musician?
• Include a quote from The Great Gatsby (with page #) and an interpretation of how money seems to affect 1-2 characters in particular. Consider how it causes men to treat women, if it turns them into bad people, and/or if it leads to selfish behavior. Is there any similarity between the song's lyrics and how Fitzgerald portrays the rich (or those that desire to be rich)?
• Form two open-ended questions you have about the character(s) you blogged about that your classmates can answer in the comments section.

Don't forget to put your initials in the labels section of your post!

Final Native Son Blog Post: Fate or Hatred

For your final blog post on Native Son, remember to not choose the theme/topic you chose to write about for your last homework assignment. So if you wrote about Fate, write about Hatred this time, and vice versa. Regardless, format your post like this:

• The title of your post should be creative but connect to either the theme/topic of Fate or Hatred, depending on which you need to write about.
• A quote that connects to either Fate or Hatred, depending on which one you need to write about (with page number, and if applicable, which character).
  
• Having finished the novel, offer your opinion on either A) Why was this Bigger's fate? Why did author Richard Wright choose to end his life this way? or B) What role did hatred play in Bigger's death? Who did Bigger hate and why, and who hated Bigger and why?
• Connect Fate or Hatred (whichever you are writing about) to another theme/topic talked about throughout the course of reading the novel: Fear, Flight, Blindness, Race, or Identity.
• Use one vocab word (and bold it) from one of the vocab posts below either in your post or in...
• One of your three comments on other classmates' blog posts, also required by the end of the hour (or by the day of the test, Wednesday, at the very latest).

Don't forget to put your initials both in your post and in your comments so I know what you wrote! Thx!

Native Son Vocab #2

In your final post or comments for Native Son, you need to make sure to use a vocab word from the novel. Here are the words from the second half of the book. The vocab from the first half of the book (#s 1-6) can be located by clicking here.

7) Smolder – to burn slowly with smoke but no flame

“…the smoldering embers, he rose abruptly…” (p. 114)

8) Ebb – to flow backward or away

“…rising and sinking with the ebb and flow of her blood.” (p. 135)

9) Cordon – a ring of people (usually military or police) guarding an area

“Immediately a cordon of five thousand police…was thrown about the Black Belt.” (p. 243)

10) Incipient – beginning to exist or appear; in an initial stage

“Incipient riot quelled at 47th & Halsted.” (p. 239)

11) Flaccid – hanging loose or wrinkled, not firm

“…his eyes like two still pools of black ink in his flaccid face.” (p. 255)

12) Mawkish – characterized by sickly sentimentality; weakly emotional

“I shall tell them that our courts, swamped with mawkish sentimentality, are no longer fit instruments to safeguard the public peace!” (p. 374)

13) Mitigate – to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate

“Further, I want to prevail upon this Court to consider this boy’s plea of guilty as evidence mitigating his punishment…” (p. 371)

14) Listlessly – having or showing little or no interest in anything;

“Listlessly, he talked. He traced his every action.” (p. 309)

15) Welter – a confused mass; a jumble or muddle

“…and the other vision pictured life, an image of himself standing amid throngs of men, lost in the welter of their lives with the hope of emerging again…” (p. 364)

Native Son Blog Post #2: Real Connections

Before or after you complete your blog post,

don't forget that starting today, you also must respond to at least 3 blog posts from your classmates' posts. For your second blog post response to Native Son, you need to find a real life or historical connection to an event, setting, character, or quote you find in Book Two: Flight. Requirements:

• The title of your post should be the real life/historical connection you discuss in your post, i.e. "Loeb & Leopold".
• A quote from Book Two of Native Son that references your real life/historical connection (either directly or indirectly). Include the quote's page number.
  
• A brief explanation describing the connection between Native Son and the subject of your blog post. Compare and contrast characters, events, or setting by researching more information about your subject online.
• What's the connection between the subject of your post and the themes of "Flight" or "Blindness", as discussed in class?
• Ask two open-ended questions to classmates regarding any Native Son characters, events, or settings you may have mentioned in your post.
• Don't forget to post three comments that are insightful opinions, answering your classmates' questions on previous blog posts. Click "comments" on any post below to do this. Include your initials with each comment! (One of these may be responding to my Book 1 Vocab Post.
  

When you are finished, make sure to put your initials in the "Labels" box at the bottom, and then press "Publish Post".

Native Son Vocab #1

For one of your comments, you may use one of the following words in a sentence that shows me you understand the meaning of the word. Do not make your sentence overly simple, such as "Jan is a communist." Vocab words in the book thus far:

1) Capitalist – someone who believes in one’s personal right to become wealthy

“Isn’t he a capitalist, Bigger?” (p. 52)

2) Communist – someone who believes in goods and wealth being distributed equally amongst a people

“He didn’t want to meet any communist.” (p. 64)

3) Exasperate – to irritate or provoke to a high degree

“Bigger looked around the pool room with a wild, exasperated expression.” (p. 29)

4) Tremulous - characterized by trembling; shaking in fear and/or weakness

"...the gleaming metal reflected the tremulous fury of the coals." (p. 92)

5) Indelible – unable to be removed or washed away (of a stain or a feeling)

“He was still feeling his hand strangely; it seemed that the pressure of Jan’s fingers had left an indelible imprint.” (p. 67)

6) Irrevocable - not to be undone or revoked; unable to be repealed or cancelled

"As he took his hand from the pillow he heard a long slow sigh go up from the bed into the air of the darkened room, a sigh which afterwards...seemed final, irrevocable." (p. 86)

Native Son Book One Blogging

In your first blog assignment for American Literature, pick something non-human (animal, object, vehicle, etc.) from Book One of Native Son to focus on and offer some insight about. Make sure to include the following (each item should be separated by a space):

• The title of your post should mention the object/item you chose to highlight
• A quote about the non-human item you chose to highlight (with page number)
• What character can you learn about from the way the object is described by the author Richard Wright? What do we learn?
• If you had to link the item to an emotion or theme we've talked about in class (except fear), what emotion/theme would it be and why? And what is that emotion/theme's link to fear?
• List two open-ended questions for your classmates about the topic of your blog post (either your object, character, or emotion/theme mentioned). Use words like "how" or "why" to start off your questions.

When you are finished, make sure to put your initials in the "Labels" box at the bottom, and then press "Publish Post".