APENGLISH 12: April 9-13, 2012

Greetings APEs!

Can you believe we finally finished Hamlet? I hope you understand how thematically versatile and what wonderful fodder for writing that play is. After our thesis writing activity, it has come to my attention that we need more practice writing thesis statements. Many of you are not breaking down the question into the parts necessary to answer it completely and garner that grade I am sure most of you desire. Remember there is always more than one part to an AP prompt, and the BIG part is figuring out THEME...the meaning of the work as a whole. Remember themes are derived from the plot, but have nothing to DO with the plot. Themes are universal truths or at least applicable outside the text in question. Do NOT forget to present a theme as part of your thesis statement, then prove that your ostensible theme is a legitimate interpretation with evidence and commentary in the subsequent paragraphs.

This week I would like you to continue to read Heart of Darkness at home. We will discuss and write about it next week. Some of you have indicated that you know the plot, but remember, plots are not what we are focusing on. Plots are just a means to get to theme. You need to understand what the novella is truly about, and not just what happens in it. Look for symbols. Look for allusions. What does Conrad do with the traditional views of light and dark? Consider the ivory? What color is it? What does it represent? What color is the Sepulchered City? And then, there is the conversation between the manager and his uncle? What does that conversation tell us about human nature? How is that conversation translated into Kurtz? Where did Kurtz come from? Who made him? Why is that significant? What about his painting? How is the lady depicted? What effect does the light have on her face? And speaking of ladies...what about Marlowe's aunt, the Intended, the African mistress? What do they signify? How do you know?  There is so much more to consider, but start there.

As for class time, we will practice a thesis statement at the start of each class. After an overview of Existentialism, we will read Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and we will discuss it in the context of existentialism and theatre of the absurd.

Myth of Sysiphus