Category Archives: Class Discussion

Dec. 7th

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ANNOUNCEMENTS-

  • Homework #1: Watch the first two episodes of The Handmaid’s Tail Hulu series by Tuesday, Dec. 12th 
    • NOTE
      • You must’ve already have read the novel. 
      • Be sure to take notes as you watch and if you want to mention a scene in class to discuss a scene, write the episode number as well as the minute/seconds of where the scene is at.
      • Think of the adaptation. Don’t just make a list of differences. Describe how these differences change the narrative or how these new choices/changes effect the story and characters as a whole?
      • (Optional) Extra Credit of this due Monday December 11th– You can write your notes and thoughts on the blog. 
  • Homework #2 due Tuesday December 12th– Make a “Two-Part title; Separated by a colon” 
    • EXAMPLE: ______;_______
  • Essay #2 due Thursday Dec. 14th 
  • Extra Credit blog based on your experience of the City Tech Science Fiction Symposium due by Sunday Dec. 10th

 

Writing Tips~! 

  • Vocabulary- Transition: the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.
    • NOTE– Using a transition in almost every topic question is key yo answering those question
  • You can look up more on transitions at: https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/transitions
  • Using transitional words can help validate your argument. Such as “First, Second, However, Alternately…”  

 

HISTORICAL NOTES- 

Jezebels- Starting at Section XII pg 199 

  • Gentlemen’s club where the Commander goes to
  • Going here requires costumes/certain attires. An illegal fashion for a Handmaid to wear.
  • The outfit Offred wears (pg 231) ; more exposing compared to her usual attire; skanty
  • The commander, he’s excited to take Offred to Jezebel’s as if they were attending some kind of part. Though Offred feels exposed with this type of clothing, she get’s a hard time applying the make up due to the fact she hadn’t done it in so long. She feels like she’s in someone else’s skin, unable to recognize herself.
    • Her emotions seemed all over the place, she’s confused yet feels preserved freedom.
  • The atmosphere- speakeasy, illicit, and nostalgic. (a longing to the past that Offred can’t seem to let go) [Paragraph 4, pg 234]
  • This chapter, while it teased freedom for Offred, it begins and ends with Offred being reminded of her ownership to the Commander.

 

Moira– reintroduced at 238

  • Moira was the symbol of strength and freedom to Offred.
    • But her description now, this is not the same Moira Offred had looked up to, she is now performing an identity that she hates. She’s wearing an odd articular of clothing and high heals, which is something Offred remembers
    • Moira’s story is told second hand to the narrator and to us, the reader.
    • Her strong character that we were lead to believe is now broken down to be frightened and weakened.
  • The Narrator’s final comment of this “new” Moira, wanting to shape this ending into an ending that fits to her liking an ending that feels right to her. This returns to the narrators META story righting.

 

The Risk for Relationships

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As I mentioned in my previous post, Offred’s relationship with the Commander continued to evolve and grow into something no one in Gilead believed to be possible. For not even the Commander himself, who knew very well the rules of the Handmaid rituals, was unable to resist his need for companionship. Since Chapter X and onwards, his actions towards Offred shifted from a cold man only using Offred’s body as a tool/vessel to repopulate Gilead, to a desperate man using searching for Offred’s affection in order to fill his need for human contact.

By (211) Offred becomes completely aware of the Commander’s need for intimacy. She remembers how he wants her to “kiss him goodnight, as if I meant it.” (209) Although while The Commander is demanding for some form of a relationship between him and his Handmaid, at that point he is using Offred as a tool for his own personal gain much like how he uses her tool to for population. He has become clear that for The Commander, there might be something more important to him than simply repopulating and sexual desire. “… sex was too easy. Anyone could just buy it… Men were turning off on sex, even.” For him, Offred fills a much larger more vital roll than just baring children or obeying to his pleasure. In the end sex is just an action and all meaning of it will be lost to both the men and women.

Though despite this need for relationships and affection being strictly against the rules, this is something The Commander is willing to risk not only his life but Offred’s life.

Class Discussion #8

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“I agreed with Imani when she said

“Another piece of evidence that the lack of freedom is like an elephant in the room is that these women are under watched 24/7. When they’re allowed outside they MUST walk in pairs , not in a group, but pairs, the have guardians ans angels who watch them and Aunt Sara and Elizabeth and on page 18 the narrator refers to Nick as an Eye. She literally paranoid wherher if he’s part of the Commander protecting the girls , lack of freedom .

I agreed with this because as I was reading this I was thinking of the exact same thing. It is sad that these women who are Handmaids are force to live with a married couple only to be use as a baby machine. Then to have to deal with the fact that the Wife of the house does not welcome them and that they have to constantly worry about their life living with these people. Offred had a family of her own and it is a shame that she is not allow to raise her own family but to be en-slave to another family only because she can bare kids. It is also sad how the women have a bunch of people that are hire just to spy on them. The Handmaids even have to worry about it each other. Freedom In this world is very limited and Imani talks about this in her blog. This is why I pick Imani.

Living in a World with No Freedom

 

I was replacing this.

Crowdsourcing Claims

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Since we didn’t have time for every group to present in class today, we’ll be continuing here with “virtual presentations.” To make your presentation, each group should comment here with their work and what they want to communicate to the class.

Only one person per group needs to comment (and only one comment per group!), but please make sure that at the top of your comment, you list each group member, so that everyone gets credit for their work.

A reminder: a quick overview of your chapters, two claims, with three pieces of evidence per claim (provide a quote, analysis, and connection to your overall point). Your goal is have focus, make an argument, and to synthesize your discussion.

Please get the comments up here by W 10/25 by 5pm.

Class Discussion #7: “People’s Choice Posts” for ‘Station Eleven,’ Parts 7-9

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We’ve finally finished Station Eleven, and here’s your chance to reflect on the entire novel and your classmates’ responses to it.

Read through all reading response blogs for Station Eleven, Parts 7-9, choose a favorite post, and explain your rationale for choosing it. Then share the post/excerpt/rationale by “commenting” here on this post. Don’t forget to link to the post you are citing (you can now hyperlink comments rather than just copying/pasting the URL: give it a shot!).

Comments should be made no later than Wednesday, 10/25, and the one with the most votes will earn the coveted “People’s Choice” honor! As always, I’m looking forward to seeing what you choose, and why. Happy reading 🙂