REMINDERS!!!

1. Two comments are due by the start of class tomorrow!

2. If you have not submitted your Macbeth essay to Turnitin.com, please do so stat!

A Tale of Six White Girls- Imperial Illustrator

         Chapter 10 
       "Dear Mr Manette, I love your daughter fondly, dearly, disinterestedly, devotedly. If ever there were love in the world, I love her. You have loved yourself; let your old love speak for me!" (186)
        This quote is significant because this is foreshadowing future plot. This is Mr Darnay admitting his love for Lucie to her father and asking him to help Mr Darnay and Lucie get together. This quote thickens the plot of the currently present love triangle. This foreshadows future arguments and fights over Lucie's love. Along with Mr. Manette's reaction to Mr Darnay being in love with his daughter. The plot continues to thicken.  

A Tale of Six White Girls- Imperial Illustrator

       Chapter 6 
       "...while they sat under the plane tree, talking, she kept his glass replenished. Mysterious backs and ends of houses peeped at them as they talked, and the plane tree whispered to them in its own way above their heads." (143)
      This quote is significant because it shows how Lucie is a static character. She matches the description that women received: that they must serve others during this time period. She does so in the line, "she kept his glass replenished", showing how she's caring for the men around her. However, since the houses are watching and the tree's are whispering maybe it's a symbol that shows how Lucie is hiding something. That maybe she'd hiding a secret that everything else knows about but not the men around her. 

Imperial Illustrator A Tale of Two Turbans, Ch 6-11 Bk 2

"But, when his nephew, leaning an elbow on the table, covered his eyes thoughtfully and dejectedly with his hand, the fine mask looked at him sideways with a stronger concentration of keenness, closeness, and dislike, than was comportable with its wearer's assumption of indifference" (117).

I picked this quote to draw because I believe it encompasses the relationship that the Marquis has with his nephew.  The nephew, whom I believe Dickens said was Darnay, mostly has a down relationship with his uncle.  As much as he dislikes his uncle, he does think about what he has to say.  With this, the Marquis also regards his nephew with suspicion, as if he doesn't know what he's thinking about.  Each is skeptical of the other, which leads to mistrust.  Also, the fact that a mask is mentioned leads me to believe that the Marquis is hiding something from the nephew, something that may be important.

Imperial Illustrater-A Tale of Six Students



"'Somtimes, he gets up in the dead of the night, and will be heard, by us overhead there, walking up and down, walking up and down, in his room. Ladybird has learnt to know then that his mind is walking up and down, walking up and down, in his old prison. She hurries to him, and they go on together, walking up and down, walking up and down, until he is composed. But he never says a word of the true reason for his restlesness, to her, and she finds it hard not to hint at it to him. In silence they go walking up and down together, walking up and down together, till her love and company have brought him to himself'"(Dickens, 94-95).

I chose this quote to illustrate because it was another small piece of information given to the audience about Dr. Manette and his imprisonment. He hasn't spoken much about it yet, and it is significant to us to add to the mystery behind his character and his story, that this imprisonment still haunts him in the night, even while he knows he is safe with his daughter. It also shows us the strength of the bond between Lucie and her father, although they have not had a very long time together, it is still clear that each other is the most important thing in their lives.

 



Imperial Illustrator A Separate Expectation of Two Lords, Book II, Chapters 6-11

"When the tea table was done with, they all moved to one of the windows, and looked out into the heavy twilight. Lucie sat by her father; Darnay sat beside her; Carton leaned against a window. The curtains were long and white, and some of the thunder gusts that whirled into the corner, caught them up to the ceiling, and waved them like spectral wings" (117).

I found that Dickens uses imagery in this quote to set the mood of the passage. I feel like there is kind of an "eerie" vibe going on here...I mean, it's twilight and it's storming. Maybe this is Dickens' foreshadowing that a storm is brewing (actually, it is, because this was from Chapter 6, and now there is this whole love square going on with Lucie and that is going to blow up sometime in the near future). Also, I love how he kind of puts Carton off to the side. He is not sitting with Darnay, Lucie, or Dr. Manette; he is just standing off to the side. It is just another example of his low esteem...and his jealousy (let's hope he doesn't jounce the limb).

"'I know that, as in her childhood she had no parent, so she is now devoted to you with all the constancy and fervor of her present years and character, united to the trustfulness and attachment of the early days in which you were lost to her...I know that when she is clinging to you, the hands of a baby, girl, and woman, all in one, are round your neck'" (153).

I absolutely adore this quote, which is why I drew a picture of it. I find that it is so profound because it displays the love and affection Lucie has for her father and also characterizes Lucie. Think about it: a baby is so innocent because they lack knowledge and wisdom (there is no way for the baby to be corrupt), and then a child is innocent for the same reason. Now, Lucie is all grown up, yet she is still so innocent, which corresponds to how Carton and Stryver often call her a "golden doll." Dolls, while they are often so pretty and "perfect," they are also innocent because they have no knowledge or control over what they are doing; others control them. Dolls are also very fragile and break easily, which adds to their innocence. Maybe this is something we need to watch out for throughout the novel; is Lucie living in "A Doll's House" (ha ha ha), or will she escape just in time?

Blog 2 - A Tale of Two Turbans - Book II, Chapters 6-11

Blog 2 - A Tale of Six Students - Book II, Chapters 6-11

Blog 2 - A Tale of Six White Girls - Book II, Chapters 6-11

Remember, you girls are up for the DO NOW on Monday! Don't forget!

Blog 2 - A Separate Expectation of Two Lords - Book II, Chapters 6-11

 While reading A Tale of Two Cities, one of the first mysteries we are introduced to is the message that says “recalled to life” and what it is supposed to mean. When we are first introduced to Dr. Manette, we notice that he seriously needs to be recalled to life. After being in a prison for 18 years, it seems that all he ever thinks about now is how terrible his life in prison was. We can see this by the first paragraph that first describes Dr. Manette’s character

“The faintness of the voice was pitiable and dreadful. It was not the faintness of physical weakness, though confinement and hard fare no doubt had their part in it. Its deplorable peculiarity was, that it was the faintness of solitude and disuse. It was like the last feeble echo of a sound made long and long ago. So entirely had it lost the life and resonance of the human voice, that it affected the senses like a once beautiful colour faded away into a poor weak stain. So sunken and suppressed it was, that it was like a voice underground. So expressive it was, of a hopeless and lost creature, that a famished traveler, wearied out by lonely wandering in a wilderness, would have remembered home and friends in such a tone before lying down to die.” (38)

When Dickens describes him, he says that Dr. Manette seemed like someone who was truly lost, and depressed. When we read this paragraph, we are able to envision a man who seems like he has been dead for 18 years of his life. However, we can see how Dr. Manette has been affected by the psychological trauma that comes with being imprisoned for so long.  At the end of chapter 6 book one Lucie Manette meets her father, and from the way he reacts to finally meeting her, we can assume that the person that will recall him to life.

The next time we really see how Dr. Manette is doing since the first book is in book two, chapter four. In the second paragraph of chapter four, we can see that Dr. Manette is doing a lot better; however, Dickens still says that Dr. Manette still has a negative aura around himself. He says that Dr. Manette seemed to “draw a gloom over him, as incomprehensible to those unacquainted with his story as if they had seen the shadow of the actual Bastille thrown upon him by a summer sun, when the substance was three hundred miles away”. The only thing that holds this darkness at bay is the charming Lucie Manette, a character that is the “golden thread” that keeps Dr. Manette away from his past. Comparing these first and second descriptions of Dr. Manette, we can see that he has been recalled to life these past five years because his daughter has been there for him. Dr. Manette relies on Lucie to be there for him, and he needs her to get rid of the 18 terrible years he has spent in jail. I think it would be interesting to see what would happen to Dr. Manette if something happenes to Lucie.

Another character that we meet in the earlier chapters is Jerry Cruncher. When we first meet Jerry Cruncher in book one, he is a messenger that delivers the message to Mr. Lorry. We don’t really get a lot of information from this first encounter, but we can assume that he takes his job seriously as he delivers this message despite the rain and muddy conditions. When we meet him again in the second book, he seems like an angry little man who hates his life. When he wakes up in the morning, he sees his wife praying, and without hesitation, he “threw a boot at the woman as a third”, (54) solely because he assumes that she was praying against her. This scene gives us insight on how women were treated during this time period. It shows that society during this time period was very patriarchal. We can also think of Mr. Cruncher doing something illegal, because we can see him as extremely suspecting of his wife. Why does he assume that his wife is praying against him? Was it just because of the society or did he actually do something bad the night before? Another weird thing about Mr. Cruncher is that the boot “was a very muddy boot, and may introduce the odd circumstance connected with Mr. Cruncher's domestic economy, that, whereas he often came home after banking hours with clean boots, he often got up next morning to find the same boots covered with clay.” This shows how Mr. Cruncher may not be who we see him to be. I found myself wondering why his boot was so muddy, despite him cleaning them every night. 

Imperial Illustrator: Chapters 1-5, Book II - A Tale of Two Turbans

"When he was left alone, this strange being took up a candle, went to a glass that hung against the wall, and surveyed himself minutely in it." Chapter 4, Book II, pg 81.

This picture is of the moment just after Charles Darnay leaves, when Mr. Carton looks at himself in the mirror and goes on (what I believe) is a hate filled commentary on himself and Mr. Darnay, mostly about how they look alike and how if he had been in Mr. Darnay's place, would he have received such kind attention from Lucie and had so much better of a life. I chose to draw this scene partly because I wanted to challenge myself with the location of the light-source, and partly because I felt that Mr. Carton's feelings of hatred brooding inside him could cause trouble for the rest of the cast later on; therefore, I wanted to try and capture his feelings here in his solemn and stony face.

Imperial Illustrator - A Separate Expectation of Two Lords

                   Book Two: Chapters 4 and 5 Picture

     "Indeed, I begin to think we are not much alike in any particular, you and I" (86) 

 

 

 

 

The portrait it drew was in respect to the drinking scene in Chapter 4 of Book 2. The left half of my portrait portrays Darney, while the right half of the portrait portrays Carton. I chose to give these two identical eyes, noses, and facial structures to show how these two have physical similarities. But I also gave them different clothes, hairstyles, and eyebrows to show the social differences between the two. This helps to explain why I chose the quote I did. After a long time of hearing that he was similar to Darney, he finally broke free and suggested that they are indeed two different people. Under each of these characters' names I put an object to capture the scene. I drew shackles under Darney's name, to keep in mind his trial when observing this picture and reading the selected quote. I put a wine glass under Carton's name to remind the viewer of Carton's alcoholic influence under this scene.

 

Imperial Illustrator-A Tale of Six Students

“Tellson’s Bank by Temple Bar was an old- fashioned place, even in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty. It was small, very dark, very ugly, very incommodious.” (51)

I think that the description of Tellson’s bank sets the mood for the novel as a whole, and how people are feeling during this time period.  The old, dark building has been a place for people to gather, in order to change what is happening in the present, but it is ironic that the building itself has not changed at all, despite all of the liberal thoughts and ideas brewing inside of it. I think that Tellson’s Bank is a very important setting because it symbolizes mystery and containment, however Mr. Lorry brings a lovable charm to it, which could foreshadow that he might affect negative conflicts in the book and turn them into positives with his contagious attitude.  

A Tale of Six White Girls- Imperial Illustrator

For chapters 1-5 of Book II, I completed two illustrations. This first one is a side by side comparison of Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay. Described as "so like each other in feature", I drew them with similar physical features. They are also "so unlike each other in manner", so Darnay is drawn as a more sullen, brooding man, due to his current situation (facing death), and Carton is depicted as the carefree, reckless character he is described as being.

This second illustration represents Sydney Carton and Mr. Stryver, in their metaphorical lion and jackal forms. Mr. Stryver, the "lion", is a successful lawyer, arguably more ambitious, at least at some point, than Carton. In this drawing he is relaxing on his couch, enjoying his drink and barely doing any work, as described in the novel. Mr. Carton, on the other hand, the "jackal", has had a worse lot in life than Stryver and thus is not nearly as successful. Whether this is due to luck or Carton's carelessness remains to be seen. He is drawn hard at work, pouring over the documents that Stryver has set aside for him.

REMINDERS!

1. As per the class vote, individual blog posts due Saturday, May 10th at midnight.
2. Two comments due on groups OUTSIDE of your own are due by the start of class on Tuesday, May 13th.
2. Macbeth essay due on or before Tuesday, May 13th. Submit to Turnitin.com.

Blog 1 - A Tale of Two Turbans - Chapters 1-5, Book II

Imperial Illustrator, please make a new post with a scan of your illustration. Be sure to include your literature circle name.

Blog 1 - A Tale of Six Students - Chapters 1-5, Book II

Imperial Illustrator, please make a new post with a scan of your illustration. Be sure to include your literature circle name.

Blog 1 - A Tale of Six White Girls - Chapters 1-5, Book II

Imperial Illustrator, please make a new post with a scan of your illustration. Be sure to include your literature circle name.

Blog 1 - A Separate Expectation of Two Lords - Chapters 1-5, Book II

Imperial Illustrator, please make a new post with a scan of your illustration. Be sure to include your literature circle name.

Writing a DO NOW

Writing a DO NOW

If you look on the A Tale of Two Cities calendar, you will see that on days marked "Class Discussion" one literature circle group is responsible for writing the DO NOW for that day. Please look to see when your group is assigned this responsibility.

As you should know, a DO NOW is a short activity completed at the beginning of class that opens a class discussion or lesson. When the time comes for your group to create the DO NOW (Group 1 - you are up on TUESDAY!) follow the three rules below to make a purposeful and fun DO NOW!

1. Create a DO NOW that uses verbs. That is, ask the class to do something and do so in a specific manner. For example, instead of asking students "What is Charles Darnay like?" you might instead ask students to "List three characteristics of Charles Darnay's personality." The first question isn't very clear in asking the class to do something, but the second example is very clear. It specifically asks students to list characteristics and it gives a set amount, which makes it even more specific. Some other verbs to try can be broken down by purpose. (See below for examples- notice that some DO NOW questions may have more than one verb)

2. A DO NOW should take between 5 and 10 minutes to complete and should be discussed afterwards.

3. A DO NOW should ask students to make meaning of the text and should therefore be enlightening in some way.

Purpose: Monitor Comprehension
Describe - i.e. Describe Tellson's Bank.
Explain - i.e. Explain how Charles Darnay is similar to Sydney Carton.
Summarize - i.e. Summarize Chapter 3 in Book II.
Identify - i.e. Identify three words that characterize Charles Darnay in Chapter 3, Book II.

Purpose: Application of Knowledge
Demonstrate - i.e. Demonstrate the desperation of the french middle class by writing a personal account from one of the wine drinkers on the street.
Illustrate - i.e. Illustrate the scene where the middle class citizens drink the wine on the street.
Interpret - i.e. Interpret the following quote, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" and explain its meaning.

Purpose: Analysis
Analyze - i.e. Analyze paragraph 3 on pg. 57. Explain why Dickens may have included this passage.
Criticize - i.e. Criticize Sydney Carton in Chapter 5, Book II.
Examine - i.e. Examine the conversation between Carton and Darnay at the bar. Explain the duality emerging in the conversation.
Relate - i.e. Relate Lucie Manette to a student in your school.
Solve - i.e. Solve Syndey Carton's problem with his self esteem.

Purpose: Synthesis (pulling things together)
Compose - i.e. Compose a letter written from Lucie Manette to Dr. Manette after first meeting her father.
Design - i.e. Design a set for Chapter 2, Book I.
Prepare - i.e. Prepare an argument for or against Charles Darnay as guilty of treason.

Purpose: Evaluation
Judge - i.e. Judge Sydney Carton's decision to tell Darnay he hated him.
Compare - i.e. Compare Carton to Darnay.
Revise - i.e. Revise Dickens's writing in Chapter 3, Book II to be more direct and easy to read.
Rate - i.e. Rate Dickens's description of London from 1 to 5. Explain your reasoning.

How Blogging Works

Above you will find a blog for each one of your literature circles. Notice that next to your group's name are the chapters you are supposed to post on.

Rules of the blog:

 

1. Each member of the group is responsible for posting on the group blog under his/her personal account (This is how I will monitor everyone's posting according to the display names submitted to me).

2. Each member is to post the material he/she created or found according to his/her job for the day's assigned chapters. Some jobs will be easier to complete this with than others. For instance, the Imperial Illustrator should scan his/her illustration into a new post and discuss why he/she made the choices that he/she did, and the Character Captain should summarize his/her findings. The Literary Luminary and Critical Connector might also need to describe his/her findings, or provide an Internet link for the class to refer to, or upload a picture on the blog. The Discussion Director should write all the questions discussed as well as the answers that the group came up with.

3. All members are to help one another out in deciding what is to be posted and what isn't. You may be creative in your posting presentation, but the Discussion Director is "the leader" of the blog and should make sure all of the information discussed in the literature circle is accurately and clearly expressed on each member's post.

4. When all posts are completed, there should be "5 comments" listed under your blog, representing the five members of your literature circle (or "6 comments" if you have six members in your group).

5. HOMEWORK ON BLOGGING DAYS: Homework the night of Blogging days is to read comments posted by the other groups your class. When you've found 2 posts (from different people and different groups) that you've found interesting, respond to them in the appropriate box located at the bottom of the comment page you were viewing. Be sure to do this for TWO different people, and if possible, who are in two different groups.

Important: Remember what you've read and your comments as it is these responses that will run our class discussion the following day.

EXTRA CREDIT REMINDER: The group with the most responses to their blog posts by the end of the unit will receive an A+ added into their average at the end of the quarter. Please note, however, that this will be up to Miss Delach in my absence.

REVIEW A MODEL COMMENT AND RESPONSE BY CLICKING THE COMMENT BUTTON BELOW THIS POST

Say Hello to Your Fellow Literature Circles!



I'm proud to present Mrs. Cooley's 10H English Literature Circles for A Tale of Two Cities!

Drumroll, please...

Group 1- a.k.a "A Seperate Expectation of Two Lords" starring Rachel, Emily, Kess, Ryan, Briana, and Angela!
Group 2 - a.k.a "A Tale of Six White Girls" starring Katherine, Kaila, Katie, Peyton, Brooke, and Madison!
Group 3 - a.k.a "A Tale of Six Students" starring Mishal, Giuliana, Mikayla, Erin, Allison, and Kayleigh!
Group 4- a.k.a "A Tale of Two Turbans" starring Vincent, Ikjot, Joe, Evan, and Gabe!

Why do you need to know this?? Well...Every few days you will be reading the blog posts of the groups listed above. You will complete this task by the days labeled "Class Discussion" on the calendar.

Once you have read the posts of your fellow literature circles, you will choose TWO posts (each from different people and different groups) to respond to and comment on. What you read will be the basis for Class Discussion Days in addition to answering any questions or confusions that have come up during the reading.

*Extra Credit Opportunity*: The group with the most comments by the end of the unit will receive extra credit averaged into their quarter grade! (This will, however, be up to Miss Delach's discretion once she takes over the unit upon my leave)

What's going on in Mrs. Cooley's English 10H Class?

We will be starting our next unit, A Tale of Two Cities, next week! This novel study will be conducted a bit differently than our other novel studies this year as you will be reading the novel in literature circles of your choice. In addition to these literature circles, you will be asked to blog and comment right here on this blog page! What will you blog and comment about? Well, you'll just have to wait and see... get excited! :-)

For the unit of study, I recommend the Oxford World's Classics edition (shown above). Since the novel is so long, this edition would allow you to take annotated notes in the margins and it also has informative footnotes on the historical background of the novel; these notes are helpful in understanding the underlying conflicts and customs of the time. If you choose to buy this edition, please purchase it by Monday, May 5th as you will get your first reading assignment on that day.