READ THIS: PRESENTATIONS

PRESENTATIONS: please take these seriously: they are an important part of your participation in the class. Your job when you present is to lead the discussion on the reading for that day. You may bring in some research, but most of all, you should be very well-prepared with insights, interpretations, and questions about the reading at hand. You may want to begin by summarizing the progress of the plot represented by the excerpt assigned on that day. Then you should have passages picked out for the class to discuss. You may want to be ready, also, with the posts for the day (you can copy and paste them and print them out). The purpose of the presentation is to give more responsibility to the classmembers and de-center the discussion a little bit (although I will still chime in). Here are your assignments, mostly random. 1. Wed. 3/30 Small Things, 84-147, Eidia. 2. 4/4 Small Things, 148-225, Hannah. 3. 4/6 Small Things, ending, Anna. 4. 4/11 Ondaatje, Dan. 5. 4/13 Mukherjee, Michael. 6. 4/18 Poppies, 3-87, Karol. 7. 4/20 Poppies, 88-156, Jason. 8. 4/25 Poppies, 157-226, Joe. 9. 4/27, Poppies, 227-342, Will. 10. 5/2 Poppies, 343-446, Rachel. 11. 5/4 Poppies, finish, Jane.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

individidualized assignments Rushdie up to page 237

This one requires just a little bit of outside reading and an intellectual experiment. I'm going to ask you to see Rushdie through  a certain critical theory. Each student will be assigned a theory to apply to the novel. You will need to read and understand a short description of the theory, linked in this message. How, in each case, can the theoretical perspective be applied to Midnight's Children?

You should indicate the theoretical perspective with which you're working in the subject line: e.g. Karol - Rushdie - 2/23 - Bakhtin. In class, I will ask each group to expand on their take on Rushdie through the lens of their theoretical approach. You should bring a print out of the theory text that you use. All posts should refer to pp. 133-237. E-mail me if confused.
Here are the assignments and the links you will need:
Karol / Michael / Hannah / Joe: Bakhtin's idea of dialogism. How exactly does this idea shed light on Rushdie's style and the world of his book? Be as specific as you can. (The linked text is about Gramsci and Bakhtin. Read both parts.)

Anna / Joseph / Eidia: Rushdie's world as the expression of a Jungian vision. Whether intentional or not, does Midnight's Children view the self and the world through a Jungian point of view?  Be as specific as you can.

Jason / Rachel / Dan / Will: Rushdie is frequently described as a "magical realist" author. Certainly he has never identified himself as such. And some critics consider our use of the term problematic. Try to evaluate whether or not Mindight's Children belongs in this genre.
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