Summer Assignment for English II and Honors English II 2015-2016 School Year In English II, we will work intensively on the study of World Literature. In order to prepare you for the class, we ask that students complete the following checklist: ______ ______ ______ ______ read Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel read the background included in this handout about four critical approaches complete the included chart write two body paragraphs (one standard) that respond to the included writing prompts * Both the critical approaches charts and prompt responses are due on the first day of school. Points will be deducted for late submissions This book can be borrowed from the English Department. Please sign one out from a sophomore English teacher during exam week. If you borrow a book, you will be held responsible for its return. If you lose it, damage it, or misplace it, you will need to replace the copy. For those of you who are interested in writing notes or highlighting passages in your book, you may purchase a copy at your local bookstore (consider used book stores too for available copies). We are looking forward to an exciting 2015-2016 school year! Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Mr. Patrick Ritchie [email protected] Ms. Teresa Del Dotto [email protected] Critical Approaches There are several different ways to “look at” or analyze literature. You can use a formalist approach, an archetypal appoach, a pyschological approach, or a feminist approach. FORMALIST APPROACH You spent much of 9th grade English looking at literature with a formalist approach. Using a formalist approach means you focus on an author’s use of word choice, imagery, symbols, characterization, details, or other elements to figure out what point the author is trying to make. ARCHETYPAL APPROACH You probably spent part of 9th grade English looking at literature with an archetypal approach. (If you didn’t, it’s ok. We’ll explain it here.) Archetypes are recurring symbols or story patterns (snakes to represent evil, water to represent rebirth or cleansing, the hero journey story pattern). These symbols and story patterns are used over and over in our literature such that they become ritualistic. Using an archetypal approach means you focus on an author’s use of universal patterns to figure out what the author is saying about the human experience. Hero Journey Archetype Color Archetypes Inexperienced hero Separated from home Has initial obstacles Discovers special ability, weapon, or mentor Establishment of a quest Initial reluctance about quest but then embarks Random adventures Emotional low point /symbolic death Gains knowledge, is “reborn” Takes a leap of faith (scared but recommits to quest) Macro-level triumph / achieves quest Returns home Red: passion, love, violence, sacrifice Yellow: caution Pink: order, tenderness Blue: truth, loyalty Purple: royalty Green: life, fertility, disease, decay White: purity, innocence, terror, death Black: mystery, allure, evil, death Other Archetypes water: redemption, growth, rebirth, change winter: death spring: birth, life summer: growth, ripening autumn: maturity, change rose: love dove: peace wind: life, messenger feather: lightness, speed great mother: spiritual and emotional nourishment, creativity, birth terrible mother: death, destruction PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH You might have spent a little time in 9th grade English looking at literature with a psychological approach. Using a psychological approach means you focus on the inner workings of the human mind to figure out what the author is saying about human interaction. FEMINIST APPROACH You might have spent a little time in 9th grade English looking at literature with a feminist approach. Using a feminist apporach means you focus on how the author tends to support or challenge a patriarchal (male dominated) view of society to figure out what the author is saying about gender roles or the power between the sexes. Name:_______________________________________________________ Period:____________ Complete the following chart. Be sure to use a different approach to examine each quote and provide at least two reasons or justifications for applying the particular approach to the quote. The approaches you should use are formalist, archetypal, psychological, and feminist. Yes, each quote could be evaluated with more than one approach; your job is to figure out a way to use each approach once. QUOTE APPROACH TWO REASONS THAT APPROACH WORKS WITH THIS QUOTE Life had taught her that it was not that easy; there are few prepared to fulfill their desires whatever the cost, and the right to determine the course of one’s own life would take more effort than she had imagined (169). 1. …Tita was literally washed into this 1. 2. world on a great tide of tears that spilled over the edge of the table and flooded across the kitchen floor (7). 2. The truth! The truth! Look, Tita, the simple truth is that the truth does not exist; it all depends on a person’s point of view (191). 1. 2. Unquestionable, when it came to dividing, dismantling, dismembering, desolating, detaching, dispossessing, destroying, or dominating, Mama Elena was a pro (97). 1. 2. THE PARAGRAPH PROMPTS ARE ONE THE BACK! Honors: For each of the prompts below, write a well developed body paragraph in response (topic sentence, several pieces of evidence (quoted/ page citation), explanation of the evidence, consclusion sentence). Be sure to type/ word process and use MLA formatting. Use the link below for formatting assistance: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ Standard: Choose one of the prompts below and write a well developed body paragraph in response (topic sentence, several pieces of evidence (quoted or paraphrased), explanation of the evidence, consclusion sentence). Although legibly, hand-written responses are permitted, typed/ word processed is suggested. Psychological prompt: Tradition is an indispensable force in the functioning of any human society. What is the novel’s message regarding tradition? (Is it a force for self-actualization? A force of repression? Other?) Feminist prompt: Like Water for Chocolate presents several models for strong, powerful or otherwise influential women in terms of its developed characters: Mama Elena, Rosaura, Gertrudis and Tita. Which of these characters in your view does the best job at challening a patriarchal (maledominated) view of society?
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