Monthly Archives: October 2016

HW for November 2; extension; Blog group 1 instructions

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Dear class,

Thank you for bringing your A-game to class today.  Some truly excellent discussion which I hope continues.

For homework:

-note that Essay 2 is due on 11/9 now, NOT 11/7!  See the updated reading schedule for details.

–read ch. 19-22 of Moreau.  As you near the end, see if you can pinpoint the climax (point of highest dramatic tension) in the novel.  Where and when does it happen?  Why do you think Wells chose that moment to place at the climax?

Also, continue to compare Prendick-narrator to Prendick-character.  At what points does Wells use zero focalization, and what points internal focalization, to tell the story?  Why does he move from one to the other at the moments that he does?  How does Prendick’s character development shed light on any of the themes (e.g. colonialism, race, science vs religion, savagery vs civilization)? As usual, come prepared to discuss these questions.

2.  Blog by Tuesday at 5 (if in Blog group 1) or comment by beginning of class (if not).  I have noticed a drop in the punctuality of the blogs – remember that it’s your responsibility to keep track of when the blog is due, please.  I unfortunately no longer have time to send courtesy reminders.

Blog group 1: as usual, you have a choice of Clue, Connect, or Create posts, with the expectation that you should do a different category than you did in the first round of blogging.

Using notes from class + our own guiding questions, write a post that does any of the following:

–Clue: focuses on one “snapshot” from ch. 19-22 of Moreau, that addresses any of your guiding questions, or seems to offer insight to any of the themes we’ve touched on in class.  Referring to specific elements of fiction, explain how the scene might offer a clue to answering one of your guiding questions.

–Compares/connects any “snapshot” from ch. 19-22 to any snapshot we discussed from ch. 1-18.  Try to make one claim about why comparing those snapshots help you answer your guiding question.

–Create a paragraph-long monologue from the perspective of one character (major or minor) from ch. 19-22. In a second paragraph, briefly explain how your monologue offers insight into answers to one of your guiding questions.

3. Begin writing Essay #2, if you haven’t already.  Bring what you have to class on Wednesday.

Happy Halloween!

Dr.Moreau and His Law (The Religion of the Island)

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As we discussed in class, there is this law that these beast people follow as they live on the island that is the guideline to their society as if a religion. This law must be followed and if broken will be punished and taken back to the house of pain as they always reiterate to themselves as they repeat the law together. There has been an incident that has occurred that concerns Montgomery and Moreau since one of the laws were broken as Montegmory and Prendick encountered a dead rabbit that was mauled and still fresh. The Law was “Not to eat Flesh nor Fish; that is the Law. Are we not Men?” Moreau is the enforcer and overseer of the laws that keep order of the beast men and when he summons all the beast men to gather, he states that the Sayer of the law to say the words of the law, he stops at the one that was broken. He begins to ask, “Who is he?”, “Who breaks the law,” they responded “- goes back into the House of Pain.” Monreau has such a big factor on these beast men that not only are they timid in his presence but as he gets to the bottom of who is the one who broke one of his laws as the leopard man was the prime suspect, it’s stated,”Monreau looked into the eyes of the Leopard Man, and seemed to be dragging the very soul out of the creature.” This gives the reader the sense of ho almighty and powerful Monreau is seen by the beast men of the island. He is viewed as not just a master but as an idol or religious figure that they admire, are afraid of, and will follow his words as their guidance.

HW for October 31; Blog group 6 instructions

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Dear class,

As we pass the halfway point of this novel, I encourage you to continue looking back to notes you’ve taken over the past 3 sessions about important scenes or literary terms (e.g., focalization, fantastic hesitation, science vs religion).  This will ensure that your appreciation of the novel deepens as you reach the end.

For homework:

1. Read Chapters 15-18.  As you’re reading, keep referring to your guiding questions, and look for moments or passages that seem to directly address them (and/or complicate your understanding of them).  For further guidance, continue to refer to our notes on setting, point of view, and fantastic hesitation.  You might pay particular attention to the descriptions of the Beast People’s society: how does it resemble human society?  What is Prendick’s attitude toward the Beast People? How/when might we see the gap between present-Prendick’s and past-Prendick’s view of the beasts?

2.  Blog by Sunday at 5 (if in Blog group 6) or comment by beginning of class (if not).

Blog group 6, as usual, you have a choice of Clue, Connect, or Create posts, with the expectation that you should do a different category than you did in the first round of blogging.  Using notes from class + our own guiding questions, write a post that does any of the following:

–Clue: focuses on one “snapshot” from ch. 15-18 of Moreau, that addresses any of your guiding questions, or seems to offer insight to any of the themes we’ve touched on in class.  (You might focus on Wells’ depiction of science and religion, for example – but this is up to you).  Referring to specific elements of fiction, explain how the scene might offer a clue to answering one of your guiding questions.

–Compares/connects any “snapshot” from ch. 15-18 to any snapshot we discussed from ch. 1-14.  Try to make one claim about why comparing those snapshots help you answer your guiding question.

–Create a paragraph-long monologue from the perspective of one minor character from ch. 15-18. In a second paragraph, briefly explain how your monologue offers insight into answers to one of your guiding questions.

3. Begin making a list of candidate “snapshots” to write about for Essay 2. We will discuss on Monday’s class. I highly recommend beginning writing as well, if you  can settle on one.

Dr. Moreau’s view of Prendick visit

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            This uninvited visitor, Edward Prendick, has caused me and my projects nothing but trouble. Montgomery has informed me that he has heard of my name before and was familiar with what I was experimenting on. He also seen the ears of Montgomery’s servant along with the other “special” animals on this island. At first I thought that Prendick was not going to a big deal to be worrying about, but now he might discover everything I have been doing all these years. All my life’s work will be gone to waste for nothing by just this one guy. If he finds out too much, I have to get rid of him. Then again he could prove to be very useful in my experiments. I need Montgomery to keep a close eye on our guest and to make sure that he doesn’t wander off where he is most definitely unwanted.

 

            I wrote this monologue in the view of Dr. Moreau would have with Prendick arriving on the secluded island. I figure that the reason Dr. Moreau was on this island with no other human interactions, other than Montgomery, is that he is doing something illegal. When Prendick goes out on his own and discover the strange beast-like man on the island, I realized that those beast-like men are the experiments that Dr. Moreau has been working on. Along with the painful screams of the puma is an indication that he is working with animals. Dr. Moreau is trying to create something with some aspects of both animals and humans.

Clue

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Why must Edward Prendick be so judgmental towards the people of the island?

In the Island of Dr.Mareau, the protagonist Edward Prendick is very judgmental towards everyone he encounters on the island. He does not view them as humans but rather as creatures of some kind. As it states on pg 48, ” The apparition of this grotesque half-bestial creature had suddenly populated the stillness of the afternoon for me. I looked around me rather nervously and regretted that I was unarmed. Then I thought that the man I had just seen clothed in bluish cloth, had not been naked as a savage would have been, and I tried to persuade myself from the fact that he was after all probably a peaceful character, that the dull ferocity of his countenance belied him”. He judges by looks.  Edward is rather scared of the people of the island because of the fact that he has never seen humans with the same complexion of them. It is rather intriguing to him. The enviorment is also very different from what he is acostomed to. Where he is from the people us clothes and cover themselves up but in this society in the island people are naked. The people of the island have diffrent ways of living and it oddly scares him somehow. The way Edward is treating these people is an normal instinct reaction to such drastic change from what he grew up being taught.