Monday, March 31
Handout: Mr. Potratz distributed an assignment sheet for an essay due Friday (April 4) comparing Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll with either the 1966 BBC film the class watched part of on Friday or the animated 1951 Disney version.
We watched a few more minutes of the BBC film, then discussed our reactions to it and how it does relate to the book.
Friday, March 28
Mr. Potratz was absent. The class watched half an hour of the 1966 BBC film of Alice in Wonderland.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Thursday, March 27
We read and talked about the "Pig and Pepper" chapter of Alice in Wonderland. Students wrote down what they thought the original poem which "Speak roughly to your little boy" parodies, and we discussed Alice as social satire, and what constitutes satire generally.
At the end of class we watched five minutes of the 1966 BBC-TV film of Alice directed by Jonathan Miller.
Mr. Potratz announced that students will be required soon to write a paper comparing Carroll's Alice with either the BBC film or the Disney animated version.
We read and talked about the "Pig and Pepper" chapter of Alice in Wonderland. Students wrote down what they thought the original poem which "Speak roughly to your little boy" parodies, and we discussed Alice as social satire, and what constitutes satire generally.
At the end of class we watched five minutes of the 1966 BBC-TV film of Alice directed by Jonathan Miller.
Mr. Potratz announced that students will be required soon to write a paper comparing Carroll's Alice with either the BBC film or the Disney animated version.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Wednesday, March 26
We discussed yesterday's not-entirely-successful writing exercise, and Mr. Potratz read aloud another one of the student dream-papers.
We read the Caterpillar chapter from Alice and the original poem which Carroll's "Father William" parodies; we took a detour to Froggy the Gremlin," and we started on "Pig and Pepper."
Thursday: We will start with "Speak roughly to your little boy." How do you suppose the original of that goes?
We discussed yesterday's not-entirely-successful writing exercise, and Mr. Potratz read aloud another one of the student dream-papers.
We read the Caterpillar chapter from Alice and the original poem which Carroll's "Father William" parodies; we took a detour to Froggy the Gremlin," and we started on "Pig and Pepper."
Thursday: We will start with "Speak roughly to your little boy." How do you suppose the original of that goes?
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Monday, March 24
Illustrated lecture on Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) and how Alice in Wonderland came to be written. The Liddell sisters and the day on the river. Carroll's original manuscript and the published book.
Dream literature and dreams.
"White Rabbitt" performed by Grace Slick and Jefferson Airplane.
Assignment for Tuesday: Come to class prepared to write about your dreams.
Friday, March 21
Quiz over Alice in Wonderland, Chapters 1-5.
Illustrated lecture on Charles Dodgson (Lewis Carroll) and how Alice in Wonderland came to be written. The Liddell sisters and the day on the river. Carroll's original manuscript and the published book.
Dream literature and dreams.
"White Rabbitt" performed by Grace Slick and Jefferson Airplane.
Assignment for Tuesday: Come to class prepared to write about your dreams.
Friday, March 21
Quiz over Alice in Wonderland, Chapters 1-5.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Thursday, March 20
Mr. Potratz finished reading from Tennyson's "Idylls of the King," after which we watched thirty minutes of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
The first five chapters of Alice in Wonderland were due today. The entire book must be read by Monday. Quizzes will not be announced in advance.
Mr. Potratz finished reading from Tennyson's "Idylls of the King," after which we watched thirty minutes of Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
The first five chapters of Alice in Wonderland were due today. The entire book must be read by Monday. Quizzes will not be announced in advance.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Wednesday, March 19
We watched the last 45 minutes of Excalibur, after which read part of the ending of Tennyson's Idylls of the King (the death of Arthur).
HW due Thursday and Monday:
Read Chapters 1-5 of Alice in Wonderland by Thursday; finish the book by Monday. Quizzes will not be announced in advance.
We watched the last 45 minutes of Excalibur, after which read part of the ending of Tennyson's Idylls of the King (the death of Arthur).
HW due Thursday and Monday:
Read Chapters 1-5 of Alice in Wonderland by Thursday; finish the book by Monday. Quizzes will not be announced in advance.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Tuesday, March 18
Mr. Potratz distributed copies of Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll.
HW due Thursday: Read at least the first five chapters of Alice.
We discussed further Mark Twain's 19th-century American view on medieval society, especially his view of the church and how it used religion to perpetuate a class system of oppression and gross inequality. Mr. Potratz talked briefly about Arthurian literature in Victorian England (Tennyson's Idylls of the King) and its use to wrap the monarchy and the state in a heroic, mythic haze).
We then watched more of Excalibur.
Monday, March 17
Students took a quiz over the two handouts by Mark Twain, and we graded the quiz.
We then took off on a tangent starting from Twain's reference to "dudes and dudesses" and including the development of that word, the way language develops in general, and important differences between spoken and written language.
Friday, March 14
Mr. Potratz was absent. Students watched part of the 1983 film Excalibur, based on Mallory's Morte D'Arthur.
Mr. Potratz distributed copies of Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll.
HW due Thursday: Read at least the first five chapters of Alice.
We discussed further Mark Twain's 19th-century American view on medieval society, especially his view of the church and how it used religion to perpetuate a class system of oppression and gross inequality. Mr. Potratz talked briefly about Arthurian literature in Victorian England (Tennyson's Idylls of the King) and its use to wrap the monarchy and the state in a heroic, mythic haze).
We then watched more of Excalibur.
Monday, March 17
Students took a quiz over the two handouts by Mark Twain, and we graded the quiz.
We then took off on a tangent starting from Twain's reference to "dudes and dudesses" and including the development of that word, the way language develops in general, and important differences between spoken and written language.
Friday, March 14
Mr. Potratz was absent. Students watched part of the 1983 film Excalibur, based on Mallory's Morte D'Arthur.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Wednesday, March 12
Medievalism v. Modernism
Mark Twain and Malory
We discussed the handout from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and Mr. Potratz passed out and additional handout from Twain, a chapter from Life on the Mississippi in which he lambastes medievalism and specifically Sir Walter Scott for its pernicious influence on the American South.
Mr. P, announced that he would be out of class on Friday, and that there would be a short quiz over the two Twain handouts on Monday.
Medievalism v. Modernism
Mark Twain and Malory
We discussed the handout from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, and Mr. Potratz passed out and additional handout from Twain, a chapter from Life on the Mississippi in which he lambastes medievalism and specifically Sir Walter Scott for its pernicious influence on the American South.
Mr. P, announced that he would be out of class on Friday, and that there would be a short quiz over the two Twain handouts on Monday.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Thursday, March 6
We projected students' King Arthur stories onto the screen and responded to them.
Near the end of class we began reading from Sir Thomas Malory's version, but were soon interrupted by the bell announcing Everybody Reads.
Mr. Potratz announced a brief quiz for Friday over the packet of excerpts from Malory.
We projected students' King Arthur stories onto the screen and responded to them.
Near the end of class we began reading from Sir Thomas Malory's version, but were soon interrupted by the bell announcing Everybody Reads.
Mr. Potratz announced a brief quiz for Friday over the packet of excerpts from Malory.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Wednesday, March 5
Wide-ranging discussion on Arthurian legend, the "mid-evil" period, and the ideological impetus behind modern (1960's and since) Fantasy Literature. We read one student's very entertaining King Arthur story.
Handout:
We also read Peter Beagle's prefatory note to Tolkien's The Hobbit.
Tuesday, March 2
Students turned in their King Arthur stories. We read parts of two and responded to them.
Handout:
A small packet of selected chapters from Malory's Morte D'Arthur. One chapter was given in the original language as well as in a modernized version. We discussed where Malory's language falls in the development of the English language.
HW due Wednesday:
Read the packet.
Wide-ranging discussion on Arthurian legend, the "mid-evil" period, and the ideological impetus behind modern (1960's and since) Fantasy Literature. We read one student's very entertaining King Arthur story.
Handout:
We also read Peter Beagle's prefatory note to Tolkien's The Hobbit.
Tuesday, March 2
Students turned in their King Arthur stories. We read parts of two and responded to them.
Handout:
A small packet of selected chapters from Malory's Morte D'Arthur. One chapter was given in the original language as well as in a modernized version. We discussed where Malory's language falls in the development of the English language.
HW due Wednesday:
Read the packet.
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