In-Class Writing

For the announced in-class writing, Friday C Block and Monday D Block, you will be creating a character. In a paragraph of approximately 250 words, you will use the methods of characterization that we've been discussing for the last class and on-line thereafter. Don't worry so much about the "Direct/Indirect" distinction. I want us to all be on the same page with that, and I think we're getting there. But more important for the writing are the six methods, regardless of what you call them. So you should look at and imagine using (and maybe even practice using beforehand) some or all of the six methods of characterization listed on the document in Essential Documents.

I will throw one additional wrinkle at you when you come to class, so don't bother to "pre-write" the description. Just have an idea—a mental picture—of a character you are going to "draw" in words for us.

Yeah.

After Further Review. . .

C Block Folks, you will love this. Or not.

After our class today, wherein your collective experience of Direct and Indirect Characterization spooked me away from my own presumptions, I consulted both the Team and my source, which is Janet Burroway's wonderful text, titled Writing Fiction. What I discovered was that I was (apparently) right to begin with about which methods constitute "direct" and "indirect" characterization, and that means 180º opposite where we left things at the end of C Block. I had said "counterintuitive" and indeed that seems true.

Here's how my colleague Chris helped me get comfortable. He said, "Just imagine your characters were real people." If you heard about them, either from another character or from an author, you'd call that indirect information, right? And if you were standing next to someone, looking at them, hearing them speak, watching what they did, you'd call that direct information. That's the ticket.

Burroway says to think of six means of characterization: 4 direct and 2 indirect. Appearance, Speech, Thought and Action of characters are direct means of knowing them. Authorial interpretation of them, or other characters interpreting them is indirect.

D Block: you missed all of this, which in this case is kind of a blessing. See you at 8 AM.

Assignments/Syllabus Docs Now Posted

Look in Essential Documents for the appropriate one for your section. Yay!

3rd TGOW reading.

Still haven't gotten around to the assignment document long-term. So please know that your third reading in the novel is Chapters 7, 8 and 9. That takes you through page 89 in the Penguin edition that most of you have. And despite the narrow margins, please annotate as best you can. As a follow-up on C block today, too, note any places where the language/dialect isn't entirely clear to you.

Next reading in TGOW

Hi all,

Until I get around to the full assignment document in Essential Documents, this will have to do. Your second reading in The Grapes of Wrath is Chapters 5 and 6, (pp 31-60). Annotate mercilessly, and prepare to come out talking!

Happy New Year!!!

Welcome to Semester Two of your freshman year. We're plunging right into The Grapes of Wrath, so make sure you have it, and bring it to class with you starting with next week's meeting. You have homework in the book for this weekend, which is to read the first four (4) chapters (pp 1-30) and annotate as you go. This text will be easier to read, probably, than either of the other two you've encountered this year. Still, there are a lot of characters to sort out. And you'll notice something right away in these first chapters about the narrative focus. Be prepared on Monday/Tuesday to explain what you see going on in these early chapters. Pay attention to characters of course. You might want to make a list for yourself. But what else is happening here in the way Steinbeck tells the story? Not something you are required to post about here, but please feel welcome to do so if you have something you'd like to share.

Also, some members of the community have ancestors who were involved in this aspect of American history. If you know that already, great. If you don't know if you had any people living in the dust bowl who later made their way to California, ask members of your family to fill you in. On a later posting, you'll be invited to share.