Class Update for November 5 (Class 6)

Bring to class:
Moustafa Bayoumi text "How Does it Feel to Be A Problem?"
TWO COPIES of Paper 3 on Bayoumi text
FINAL DRAFT for a grade on Paper 2 (Angels)

Our class agenda:
Peer editing activity (warm/cool feedback) on Paper 3
Class discussion on Bayoumi text continues

Please come prepared with the following:

 On page 9, Bayoumi writes:

“Brooklyn is the concentrated, unedited, twenty – first century answer to who we , as Americans , are as a people."

• What does the story of each of the individuals in the first three chapters contribute to Bayoumi’s argument about racism and the Arab and Muslim community of the United States?
  
• What are the problems of what “we, as Americans, are as a people”?
  
• What do you propose as a solution to the problem or problems?

On page 214, Bayoumi writes:

“To my ears these young men were living uneasily in an unresolved contradiction."

•  Define “unresolved contradiction”
  
•  How does the idea relate to the individuals introduced in the last three chapters of the text?
  
• Cite text for support
  
•  How do you think they can resolve this "unresolved contradiction"?

Looking ahead to Class on November 12:

Bring Toni Morrison's novel A Mercy

In-class writing for Paper 4 on A Mercy

Bring Final draft for a grade of Paper 3 (Bayoumi)

Class Update for October 22 (Class 5)

Class Agenda:

1. Warm / cool feedback of Paper 2 on Angels in America - Bring TWO copies of next draft for review by classmates
2. In-class Writing #2 on Moustafa Bayoumi's How Does it Feel to Be A Problem?
3. Watch short film on theme "perceptions of terrorists after 9/11" related to Bayoumi text
4. Begin discussion of some of the political fictions related to the Bayoumi text
   

• Reminder:  No class on October 29
• Final draft of Paper 2 due in TWO WEEKS on November 5 - Be sure to staple ICW #1 from October 8 on the original writing prompt for Angels in America to the BACK of the final draft
  
• Draft of Paper 3 on Muslims and Arab-Americans / Bayoumi text due on November 5
  

Class Update for This Week and Final Sessions

This post is NOT for Fall 2009 students!


Monday, April 20 - Class was cancelled due to illness .

FOR NEXT WEEK (April 27):

- Finish reading Junot Diaz's novel Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

- Complete assignment indicated below "Language of Power" - bring a typed response for sharing in class. It is not an essay; it may have bullets or other lists.

- Optional: Supplemental and enrichment reading - George Orwell's essay "Politics & the English Language" which takes up the issue of power and the uses (and abuses) of language

- Wayne will return the Cosmo paper with a grade. If you attended class on 4/20 by 6:30, Wayne took your draft of the Angels paper. This, too, will be returned with feedback.

- Give some thought and begin notes on a possible topic for Oscar Wao paper. Consider favorite characters, political fictions, use of narration, the impact of political fictions on the characters.

CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO THE GEORGE ORWELL ESSAY

Ignore the syllabus directions to bring 25 copies of a paper! We will NOT be undertaking the publication activity this semester.

Agenda for April 27:

Looking at samples of Angels drafts together (6:00-6:45)
Writing about Oscar Wao (6:45-7:00) and share responses
Political fictions in the novel (charting activity - 7:00-7:30)
Language of Power and the homework assignment (7:30-8:00)
Topics for the Oscar Wao paper (8:00-8:15)
Conferences (8:15-8:45)

FOR MAY 4:

- BRING TWO COPIES - Draft of Oscar Wao paper for peer review (syllabus indicates a draft is due April 27 so this is a revised due date)

- Bring Final Draft of Angels paper for a grade

FOR MAY 11 (Last class session):

- Bring final draft of Oscar Wao for grade

- In-class course reflection

- Get back Angels paper with a grade

Reminder: Please complete the online course evaluations! The English department - and the university - take these seriously and ask that you complete them for every class.

LANGUAGE OF POWER

Assignment - in lieu of meeting on 4/20 - related to Junot Diaz's novel

Please read the passage from the novel and the directions very carefully. After reading the directions, you may find it helpful to copy/paste the passage to a Word document to complete the assignment.

Directions:
To prepare for class on 4/27 we will look closely at the use of language to signify (or represent) various kinds of power in the novel. Read the passage below and identify and explain the uses of power by the characters, between the characters and by the author. Wayne suggested in class there were at least ten kinds of power represented in the passage.

"Uses of power" is intended to mean ANY representation of, but not limited to, the following:

advantage / disadvantage
weakness / strength
truth / lie (deception)

How is the "language of power" expressed in this passage?

Oscar was lucky; if he had looked like my pana, Pedro, the Dominican Superman, or like my boy Benny, who was a model, he probably would have gotten shot right there. But because he was a homely slob, because he really looked like un maldito pariguayo who had never had no luck in his life, the capitan took Gollum-pity on him and only punched him a couple of times. Oscar, who had never been "punched a couple of times" by a military-trained adult, felt like he had just been run over by the entire Steelers backfield circa 1977. Breath knocked out of him so bad he honestly thought he was going to die of asphyxiation. The captain's face appeared over his: If you even touch my mujer again I'm going to kill you, pariguayo, and Oscar managed to whisper, You're the ex, before Mssrs. Grundy and Grod picked him up (with some difficulty), and squeezed him back into their Camry, and drove off. Oscar's last sight of Ybon? The capitan dragging her out of the Pathfinder cabin by her hair.