Juniors Extra Credit and Radiolab Podcast

So I'm attaching the Eudora Welty story "Death of a Traveling Salesman", which Arthur Miller suggested inspired Willy Loman (note how the opening scenes are rather similar).  I'd you to read this story as extra credit and comment on this blog post by focusing directly upon the tone of the protagonist, how he views his hosts, and the emotions he feels at the end of the story.  What particular message is Welty making about the protagonist's perception of success and happiness?  How can we compare this tale to Death of a Salesman?

Additionally, I am including a link to the Radiolab podcast from today.  If you have time, I encourage you to listen to any of the Radiolab episodes, but if I had to suggest any of my personal favorites, I would say "Emergence" is up there.  We'll be listening to "Time" and "Choice" in the future.

Work for the week of Feb. 27th - Freshmen

Welcome Back!
Due Monday February 27th
Minutes: Dionis Wang, Jimmy Yan
SAT Vocabulary: Detrimental, Extol
Reading Assignment: Finish part II of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Homework Assignment: N/A

Due Tuesday February 28th
Minutes: Yujin Hahn, Jerry Dai
SAT Vocabulary: Cavalcade, Bellicose
Reading Assignment: Read up to “As McMurphy led the twelve of us to the ocean.”
Homework Assignment: Please visit the waterfront Gov. Nelson A Rockefeller park outside of Stuyvesant and look out at the water for five minutes or so.  Why might, as McMurphy does in your reading, one feel a certain sense of freedom when thinking about going on a boat, leaving land for the water?

Due Wednesday February 29th
Minutes: George Triantafillou, Fawn Wong
SAT Vocabulary: Philistine, Benevolent
Reading Assignment: Read until McMurphy arrives at the Disturbed Ward.
Homework Assignment: Prepare for a quiz

Due Thursday March 1st
Minutes: Zafir Hasan, Isaac Gluck
SAT Vocabulary: Contumacious, Redundant
Reading Assignment: Finish the book
Homework Assignment: Do you think that the ending of One Flew Over is appropriate?  Is it a satisfying ending?  Why or why not?  What other ending would be sufficient?

Due Friday March 2nd
Minutes: Brian Tran, Sadie Solomon
SAT Vocabulary: Pinnacle, Emulate
Reading Assignment: Foreword of Born Round
Homework Assignment: How is this book written differently from the literature we’ve read?  What foods do you enjoy the most?  What does this choice of food say about you as a person?

Due Monday March 5th
Minutes: Mushfiq Hossain, Mishcat Ibrahim
SAT Vocabulary: Endorse, Notoriety
Reading Assignment: Read Chapter One of Born Round
Homework Assignment: N/A

Work for the week of Feb. 27th - Juniors

Welcome Back

Due Monday February 27th
Minutes: Mark Gelfand, 
SAT Vocabulary: Bane, Mundane
Reading Assignment: Finish Death of a Salesman
Homework Assignment: N/A

Due Tuesday February 28th
Minutes: Saadit Haque, Sai Dokku, Sabrina Kahn
SAT Vocabulary: Stupefy, Befuddle
Reading Assignment: Read “The Swimmer” by John Cheever
Homework Assignment: How does this story compare to Death of a Salesman?

Due Wednesday February 29th - Happy Leap Day
Minutes: Dan Harel, Noam Dorogoyer, Sara Krevoy
SAT Vocabulary: Wax, Wane
Reading Assignment: Research the firebombing of Dresden
Homework Assignment: Be able to explain the context of the firebombings and imagine what it would be like to live through such an experience.

Due Thursday March 1st
Minutes: Ada Huang, Ryan Elnagger, Eric Lin
SAT Vocabulary: Ameliorate, Inadvertent
Reading Assignment: N/A
Homework Assignment: Draft Day!  Please have a completed introduction and two body paragraphs completed for peer review.  Also, be ready to discuss the impact of starting your paper dramatically earlier than the weekend before it is due.

Due Friday March 2nd
Minutes: Marius Huang, Michael Cohen, Guanming Lin
SAT Vocabulary: Ossify, Orthodox
Reading Assignment: Read Chapter One of Slaughterhouse-Five                                                
Homework Assignment: What do you notice about Vonnegut’s writing style?  How does Vonnegut attempt to infuse humor into his story?  Why do you think he does this?

Due Monday March 5th
Minutes: Gina Jung, Matt Hoffman, Christine Luong
SAT Vocabulary: Sardonic, Analgesic
Reading Assignment: Read Chapter Two of SH5

Work for the week of Feb 13th - Freshmen

Monday February 13th, 2012
Minutes: Victor Cai, Kieran Carpen
Pop Quiz (to reward those who check the website)
Reading assignment: Read through page 130 (Per 4) OR 115 (Per 9)
Please answer the following questions for class.  Questions should be written down.
-What makes McMurphy finally lose his temper? -How does McMurphy intend to "escape"?
-What bet does McMurphy lose? -Why does McMurphy still think that he is a "winner"?
-Is he a "winner"?
Vocabulary: Obscure, Debility



Tuesday February 14th, 2012
Minutes: Joanne Yang, Daniel Zabari
HW - Please pick a patient and determine what his/her symptoms are.  We will be researching different psychological disorders in the library.  This will be checked as homework. 
Vocabulary: Brevity, Tirade



Wednesday February 15th, 2012
Minutes: Calvin Chen, Rebecca Chang
Reading Assignment: Finish part I.  Expect a quiz today
HW - Consider the following questions: 
-How thick this the fog?  -What could potentially explain the presence of this fog?  
-Is the ending of the this section of the book a happy ending?  -Why or why not?
Vocabulary: Obstreperous, Deference



Thursday February 16th, 2012
Minutes: Victor Wu, Carmen Yeung
HW - Works Cited Workshop Due.  Have a draft of AT LEAST your work cited done for today.  This will be checked as homework.
Vocabulary: Odious, Defunct



Friday February 17th, 2012
Minutes: Ervin Flores, John Cheung
HW - Armchair Psychologist Assignment Due
Vocabulary: Maladroit, Dichotomy

Enjoy your break.  Please read through part III.

Work for the week of Feb 13th - Juniors

Monday February 13th, 2012
-Minutes: Sean, Johnny, Matt
-Reading assignment: Finish Act I one of Death of a Salesman.
-SAT Vocab: Superlative, Nettle



Tuesday February 14th, 2012
-Minutes: Karen, Stanley, Aaron
-Visit my Stuy teacher page at stuy.edu *** and read both of the A papers.  Please explain, in two full paragraphs, what is the paper’s thesis statement, how does the writer support this thesis statement, how are the introduction and conclusion successful, and any other points of interest you have noted.
-SAT Vocab: Whimsical, Bemoan


***go to stuy.edu>students>classes and homework>english>late american literature - files are in pdfs, a bit big, give a chance to load.



Wednesday February 15th, 2012
-Minutes: Joan, Jason, Izzi
-Paper to be distributed Due March 2nd, begin to trace a topic of interest.
-Reading assignment: Read through 76 - middle of the page up until “Biff dear.”

-SAT Vocab: Wispy, Nonentity

Thursday February 16th, 2012
-Minutes: Thomas, Kevin, Cihang
-Please pick two topics of interest for your essay and provide two quotations supporting each.

-Reading assignment: Read through 86, up to flashback scene.

-Answer the following questions for class (to be checked as homework):

Willy is rather concerned with getting his point across to Howard, but Howard is too involved with various bits of technology.  What is the subtext behind Howard’s distraction.  How does such interest in technology connect with some of the themes we’ve been discussing in class?

What nickname does Howard continuously refer to Willy as?  Significance?

What is, according to Willy, the “death of a salesman”?

-SAT Vocab: Refute, Berate

Friday February 17th, 2012
-Minutes: Sarah, Chris, William

-Reading assignment: Read through 98.
-Questions to consider (will not be checked for homework):
Focus on the scene where Biff burns his sneakers.
Why does Willy continuously refuse a job from Charley?  Try to think broadly instead of seeking out the most simplistic answer.
-SAT Vocab: Contumacious, Jocular       






Please finish the book over break and consider your essay topic.

Freshmen Extra Credit

Hypothesis: Before McMurphy arrives, the Chief lives in a kind of solitary confinement.  He is isolated in his machinations of fog, a type of prison.

Let us then read the following article (it's LONG) and consider the effects of solitary confinement within the context of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  The article can be found HERE.

Obviously, to compare solitary confinement in a prison to a mental institution is an easy task.  There are MANY differences. But what is perhaps more interesting is to search for the similarities.  Within this article, please consider the following questions:

-Are the incarcerated men of this article criminals that deserve punishment?  Are they mentally ill and require treatment?
-While the patients in One Flew Over are by no means isolated from each other, they are certainly removed from the "Outside" world.  How can this isolate be a detriment to one's mental health?
-Does this article present any solutions?  How could we improve the penal system or mental health system based upon the conclusions discovered in this piece?
-Should prison be a place of "torture"?  Is it possible to use physical/mental torture to promote positive behavior?
-What are the similarities between those who suffer through long terms of isolation confinement and the patients of the mental hospital in our book?

Please be sure to read other's comments before writing as to avoid repetition.  You are not required to answer all questions, or ANY questions for that matter.  I encourage you to create real-life connections, present outside sources of interest, and whatever tangent your heart desires to chase after.  Let's make this a worthy discussion.

Work for the week of Feb 6th - Freshmen

Due Monday February 6, 2012
Read through page 76 (Per 4) 
Read through page 70 (Per 9)

Due Tuesday February 7, 2012
Homeroom Day - Periods are 21 minutes long due to AMC Exam
Catch up on your reading.

Due Wednesday February 8, 2012
Minutes: Charlie Zheng, Olivia Zhong,
Read through page 102 (Per 4) 
Read through page 92 (Per 9)

Please answer the following questions for class.  Questions should be written down. 

-What is time control?

-What is the significance of McMurphy's underwear?  What could these boxers symbolize?  What does McMurphy's tattoo symbolize?

-Beginning on page 91(Per 4) OR 82 (Per 9), what kinds of delusions does the Chief experience?  Is Chief sane or insane?  Can you prove it?

-What scruples does McMurphy have with an orderly over soap powder?  How does Chief relate McMurphy's activity to his father?

Due Thursday February 9, 2012
Minutes: David Butsko, Sabrina Bari

Read through page 117 (Per 4) 

Read through page 103 (Per 9)

Please answer the following questions for class.  Questions should be written down. 

-Please analyze the following two episodes: The music incident, the Monopoly game.  Connect 5 quotes from BOTH of these scenes (5 total) that display how the patients and the administration battle over control of the ward.

Due Friday February 10, 2012
Minutes: Daniel Zarotsky, Daisy Zheng

Read through page 130 (Per 4) 

Read through page 115 (Per 9)

Please answer the following questions for class.  Questions should be written down.

-What makes McMurphy finally lose his temper?

-How does McMurphy intend to "escape"?

-What bet does McMurphy lose?

-Why does McMurphy still think that he is a "winner"?

-Is he a "winner"?

Due Monday Febraury 13, 2012
Minutes: Victor Cai, Kieran Carpen

Read through page 145 (Per 4) 

Read through page 128 (Per 9)

Work for the week of Feb. 6th - Juniors

Due Monday February 6, 2012

SAT Words: Antiquated, Meander

HW: Read through page 18, answer questions on previous blog post.

Due Tuesday February 7, 2012

Homeroom Day - Periods are 21 minutes long due to AMC Exam

SAT Words: Quandary, Dubious

HW: Read through 27 where Happy states “Sh . . . Sleep, Biff.”

How are Biff and Happy foils of each other?  Create a t-chart comparing the two brothers emphasizing their differences.  You should present four differences, using quotations as evidence.  

Due Wednesday February 8, 2012

SAT Words: Dotard, Attenuate

HW: Read through page 37.  Consider the three young men in the flashback scene: Happy, Biff, and Bernard.  How would you characterize each young man?  How do such characterizations foreshadow what these young men will become in the future?  We haven’t met Bernard yet, but can you guess what type of man he is?  

Minutes: Remy Carr, Alex Bu, Josh Bloom

Due Thursday February 9, 2012

SAT Words: Timorous, Hinder

HW: Get started on reading through page 52, due Friday.  Define the American Dream.  What role does family play in the American Dream?  Please be specific and include how your family influences your concept of success.  No need to write more than 5 sentences.

Minutes: Michelle Chang, Aidan Causilbaggot, Josh Bloom

Due Friday February 10, 2012

SAT Words: Parsimonious, Languid

HW: Finish reading through page 52.

Minutes: Keo Chau, Eric Cerny, Yu Heng Chen

Freshmen Homework

Due Monday February 6th, 2012
Please read the following pages according to your period:
Period 4 - pg. 42-75
Period 9 - pg. 42-70

Consider the following questions:
What do we learn about Randall McMurphy's history?  Consider his time at war, his crimes, and his psychiatric history.
Please discuss the diagnosis McMurphy receives from the work farm doctor.
What, according to the doctor, is the purpose of group therapy?
What is squealing?
How does Pete make the transition from an Acute to a Chronic?

What particular point does McMurphy try to convince Harding of?

Juniors Homework

Hey Juniors.  Welcome to our digital home away from home, the Stuyblog.  I'll be posting assignments, extra credits, minutes schedules, and relevant media on this particular site so check it regularly.  Bookmark this page!  I'll post the work for the week of Feb. 6th by noon on Sunday.

Here's your homework for the weekend.

-Please explain Willy's occupation.  (Don't just say "he's a salesman.")
-What difficulties does Willy often experience in his commute?
-Willy contradicts himself when discussing his son Biff.  Please find the two separate examples that reveal this contradiction (identify by page number).  What does this reveal about Willy as a father?
-How would you characterize Linda?

Aside from the third question (about contradictions) you really don't need to write more than a sentence for each question.  Be ready to discuss this text in class on Monday.  I will be asking individuals to read aloud as particular actors.

And by the way, I'm really excited to be working with all of you.  You are truly an insightful and fun group of juniors who, only after a few days, are making me VERY optimistic about this class.

Juniors Extra Credit

For extra credit, I'd like you to watch "I'm a Little Bit Country", a South Park episode (Season 7, Episode 1) that discusses the dual identity of America.  

I'll be honest, considering our discussion of subtext, gilded identity, and Hemingway's iceberg, I believe this episode is AT BEST loosely connected to our discussion.  But perhaps there is something more to this?  It's very easy to criticize how this episode has LITTLE to do with our class and our themes, but let's try to argue the opposite.  Here is your assignment:

Consider our hypothesis:  The American narrative is that of duality: an outward appearance of success masking a frail, damaged culture beneath it.  American culture is itself, gilded.  How does this episode of South Park support our hypothesis?

Do not simply answer this question, but read other comments and respond to their comments.

As this is a class discussion, I implore you to be professional and polite.  If you comments are in any way inappropriate, crass, or simply mean, I will remove your comment and BAN you from extra credit.