Ms. Bridges' AP English

Hi Guys! I just posted a lot of info about CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. Be sure to skip down to the February 19th post and read up (does that make sense?) The nature of blogs is that the most recently published is the first one the reader encounters. Since I wrote the blog going from the beginning of the book to the end, the beginning of the book is further down the blog - does that make sense? At any rate, after reading this post skip down to the February 19th posting. No fair cheating! CRIME AND PUNISHMENT is a psychological crime novel and I don't want the ending to be blown for you. So don't read any further and skip down to February 19th right now! By the way, I hope to see you guys tomorrow, Tuesday, February 22, 2005 at 1 pm in the staff lounge. JKate

Part Five, Chapters 2 & 3: Katerina ridicules her landlady, Amalia Ivanovna, a German transplant who speaks Russian badly with a thick German accent. Katerina is expressing a prejudice that is anti-German and anti-immigrant (a prejudice that was widely shared at the time by many Russians who felt that the influx of Germans into the country was weakening the nation.) Katerina is dying from consumption (tuberculosis) which was one of the most common causes of death among the poor in the 19th century. Her extreme poverty, her illness and the trauma of losing her husband have unhinged her mind. She has spent the money given to her by Raskolnikov on a lavish dinner (which she clearly cannot afford) for her husband's wake. Katerina is deeply offended by the failure of some of her invited guests to show up, understanding that it is a deep social slight aimed at Sonia, who is a prostitute. Katerina responds to this slight by using French phrases (all members of the Russian aristocracy...

Your essay for CRIME AND PUNISHMENT will be due on Monday, March 14th. By Tuesday, March 13th, you need to compile 10 questions and answers for the following characters in CRIME AND PUNISHMENT: 1. Raskolnikov; 2. Svidrigaylov; 3. Porfiry; 4. Luzhin; 5. Razumikhan; 6. Alyona; 7. Dounia 8. Sonia On Thursday, we will do "Hot Seat" where one member of a team will sit in the "hot seat" as a character from Crime and Punishment - Raskolnikov, say - (with other members of her/his team acting as a lifelife) and answer questions (as that character) posed by the other teams. On Wednesday, we are going on a field trip! We are leaving at 9 am for the Mark Taper Forum (which is in downtown) to see TOP DOG/UNDER DOG. We will be back by 1:30. Please start reading MADAME BOVARY immediately! Look for these themes in Madame Bovary: 1. The lack of power and autonomy of women in a misogynistic society. 2. The danger of romantic, unrealistic dreams and aspirations in a harsh, unforgiving...

Part Five, Chapter 3: 1. What did Luzhin do to Sonia at her father's wake? 2. Who exposed the lie? 3. What was Raskoknikov's explanation for Luzhin's despicable act of deceit? Commentary: The only time we have seen Katerina is in the safety of her home. Katerina's eviction from her house symbolizes her complete psychic disintegration.

Part Five, Chapter 4: This is the scene in which Raskolnikov confesses to Sonia that he murdered Lizaveta, who was a good friend of Sonia's. By confessing to Sonia, he is hoping that she may shoulder some of the burden of his suffering and of his sin. But he realizes that the love and suffering he sees on Sonia's face is actually burdensome to him and does not free him from suffering at all. Love carries with it a tremendous burden. Raskolnikov confesses to her the real reason for his murderous actions - and that was to see if he could be like Napoleon and force fate to his will. The references to Toulon, Egypt and Mont Blanc are the military victories Napoleon undertook at the beginning of his career. Contrast Napoleon's beginning military exploits, which were the bold first steps of an "ubermensche" that transgressed the laws of ordinary men, with the first steps in Raskolnikov's "ubermensch" quest - the desperate murder of a pathetic old woman. R...

Hi Guys! I have only received one e-mail so far from you so I am assuming that FRANKENSTEIN is going along swimmingly and that no one is having problems with it? Please nod if that is a correct assumption on my part. If it's NOT then please either e-mail me or go to the tutoring tomorrow (Tuesday, February 15th) at 1 pm in the staff lounge - if you have recovered sufficiently from your Valentine's Day revelry, that is. Be aware that your first essay of the semester will be on FRANKENSTEIN and due the first week of school. You should be finished with FRANKENSTEIN by now. Now start reading Dostoevsky's CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. Your second essay will be on CRIME AND PUNISHMENT and will be due during the second week of the semester. Happy reading!