April 29 2010

Approximately 2.5 Hour Class Plan

Housekeeping: Presentations tonight. Papers next week, final drafts on the day of the final — that may make things easier, I suspect.

• My office hours next week, MW:8-11, 1-3; T: 8-10-230-330.

• I want to see your paper before it is turned in.

• Final Examination: We will be prepping for this next week, after we finish Life of Pi

Group Presentations:

• Group One: (20 Minutes)

Questions: (5-10 Minutes)

• Group Two:  (20 Minutes)

Questions: (5-10 Minutes)

Break

Class Conversation:

• What was your experience of reading chapters 45-90? (Suggested: 10 Minutes)

Journal Entry:

• What’s sticking with you from the reading and why? Go into good detail and use good quotes. (Suggested: 10 minutes)

Group Discussion:

• Share your findings: (Suggested: 5 minutes)

• Next, come up with a group statement on the following subject:

• At the end of chapter 86, after narrowly avoiding a collision with a much larger ship, Pi suddenly says this:

“I love you!” The words burst out pure and unfettered, infinite. The feeling flooded my chest. “Truly I do. I love you, Richard Parker. If I didn’t have you now, I don’t know what I would do. I don’t think I would make it. No, I wouldn’t. I would die of hopelessness. Don’t give up, Richard Parker, don’t give up. I’ll get you to land, I promise. I promise!” (236)

• It’s a very touching moment, and one that can lead us into a larger conversation tonight.

• Let’s approach it this way: What might Pi mean when he tells Richard Parker not to “give up.” Let’s talk about this in our groups and then have a class conversation on the topic. (Suggested: 5 minutes)

• Class Discussion: (Suggested: 10 minutes)

Analysis:

• Let’s break the reading down into its major events and characters and get this information on the board. (Suggested: 10-15 minutes)

• Discussion of the analysis: What kind of conclusions might be begin to make about this story and how it is told by attending to these details?  (Suggested: 5-10 minutes)

Journal:

• Last time, we talked a little bit about the central claim of this book, was that it was a story that can “make you believe in God.”  Well – okay, you’re 90 chapters in, so – has it had this effect on you yet? If so, why? If not, why not? Be specific.

Two New Terms tonight:

• Eucatastrophy: coined by J.R.R. Tolkien – essentially means a sudden positive turn of fortune for a character in a story.

• It is similar to the Greek concept of the deus ex machina (God from the Machine), a storytelling tool for saving the hero from certain death or misfortune.

• Both of these terms can be related to the Christian concept of the miracle.
  

• Now, back to the subject of pets….does it take a “miracle” for a pet to not be an animal? What might I mean by that? (Group Discussion: 5 minutes)

• Now, back to history…is your history a history of “dry yeast-like facts,” or is it a history of catastrophes, eucatastrophys? Where is the deux ex machina in your life? The beginning? The middle? Expected at The End?   (Journal Entry: 10 Minutes)

Homework:

• Finish Life of Pi, Finish your Papers. We will review papers in class, and the final drafts will be due on the day of the final examination.

Advertisement