January 22, 2018 - January 26, 2018 Weekly Agenda for A.P. English

Monday, January 22nd:
Middlemarch essay redo:
Look at your essay.
Look for the main conflict in the passage - what is the main issue at play between the husband and wife?
Every time you make a point about one of the characters, bolster your point with a brief quotation.
Example:
When Lydgate refuses to go to Rosamond's father for help, he does it in a very overbearing way - "I insist upon it that your father shall not know unless I choose to tell him, "added Lydgate, with a more peremptory emphasis.
The narrative perspective immediately following this is from Lydgate's point of view in which he admits that he is being "unkind": however, Rosamond has unexpectedly shown an unknown side of herself, which leads Lydgate to have "evil expectations as to what she would do  in the way of quiet, steady disobedience." Mulish, stubborn disobedience is not the way a well-born obedient wife is supposed to behave! What other evil things is this dainty creature up to, Lydgate wonders?

Then analyze Rosamond's reaction to this: the narrative perspective shifts to her viewpoint. This is a contest of will, almost like a tennis match. The ball is now in her court and she will either hit it directly back to him in a biting retort or manipulate him by hitting the ball so far to the side that he will miss, which means she will score the point. Or she will miss the ball entirely by making a naive or clueless statement and he will win the point.

Always back up your observations with snippets of quotations.
Example:
Our dear Rosamond is terribly upset - she "colored deeply" and "said as soon as she could speak" whether Lydgate had asked her father for the money.

You should, when possible, use the diction and tone of the writer of the piece. However, if the piece is excoriatingly bitter or satirical, beware, and do not sink into either snarkiness and appear adolescent, or take the satire at face value and risk looking silly. In that case, you might choose to take an objective stance.

You should always use strong, interesting adjectives, and strong, interesting, active verbs and adverbs. You should base your choice of adjectives, verbs, and adverbs on the tone and the diction found in the excerpt.

Some appropriate adjectives for Lydgate might be:
Authoritarian, overbearing, peremptory, exasperated, frustrated, cajoling, arrogant, patriarchal, condescending, patronizing, imploring, self-blaming, decisively, proud, unreasonable, angry

Lydgate cajoles Rosamond when he says, "...and you are so clever that if you turn your mind to managing you will school me into carefulness. I have been a thoughtless  rascal about squaring prices - but come, dear, sit down and forgive me."

Verbs to use in describing Lydgate's actions:
Condescended, patronized, disdained, dismissed, cajoling, to frustrate, to exasperate, imploring, self-blaming

Adverbs to describe Lydgate's actions:
Condescendingly, patronizingly, disdainfully, dismissively, imploringly, guiltily, angrily

Some appropriate adjectives for Rosamond might be:
Pampered, spoiled, naive, strong-willed, manipulative, resentful, childish, childlike, insensitive, sullen, stubborn, adamant, proud, narcissistic, frustrated, unreasonable, agitated, sobbing, mulish, immature

Verbs to describe Rosamond's actions:
Manipulating, challenging, disdained, dismissed, to frustrate,  to exasperate, sobbing,

Adverbs to describe Rosamond's actions:
decisively, disdainfully, dismissively,

Read the rubric for Middlemarch
Read the three released student essays for Middlemarch
Read the A.P. comments on the released student essays for Middlemarch.

On Tuesday, we will rewrite the Middlemarch essay for a higher grade.

Please turn in your Act 3, Part 2 open book test

Tuesday, January 23rd: 
Rewrite of the Middlemarch essay

 Wednesday, January 24th: 
In-class essay on the 2016 Prose Prompt - Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge

Thursday, January 25th: 
In-class 2016 Multiple choice questions
The Iceberg by Elizabeth Bishop
Love's Diet by John Donne

Friday, January 26th: 
Hamlet Act 4 test is due today
Pass out Act 5 test, which will be due on Wednesday, January 31st.
Discussion of Hamlet 













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