The Stranger - Questions

To help explore the novel, here are some questions to explore.

Here is the presentation about Existentialism I shared in class:

The Stranger - End of Part 1

Today we started by writing about where we see ourselves, and then Meursault, on this continuum:

Planned / Structured ------------------------- Spontaneous / Free

Next we listened to this song from The Cure: "Killing an Arab"  You can listen to the song through a link on the main blog page.

Our conversation focused on page 59 - the last page of Part 1 - and questions about why Meursault killed the Arab, and what this might mean moving forward.

The Stranger - Part 1, chapters 2-4

Today we worked in small groups to discuss chapters 2-4 of part 1. After that, each person wrote their own responses to these questions: The Stranger chapters 2-4 writing.

That worksheet included reading chapter 4, which we did in class.

These chapters introduce us to several characters who live close to Meursault. We'll talk about what he thinks of them, the nature of their interactions, and what they add to the book.

Existentialism - Day 1

To start our next unit, we'll read an essay by Albert Camus: "The Myth of Sisyphus"

You'll work with a partner or two to answer the questions in this document, which also included some notes you might find helpful to read the essay itself: "The Myth of Sisyphus" discussion questions

To finish your discussion, each person will individually answer question 12 here: "Myth of Sisyphus" response

Please refer to the calendar for your period under the "Calendars" tab - print a copy for yourself if you'd like one.

Life of Pi - essay assignment

Your essay for Life of Pi is due at the start of next week on turnitin.com.

For 2nd and 3rd period, you will have time in the computer lab on Monday (March 10th).
For 7th period, you will have time in the computer lab on Tuesday (March 11th).

For all sections, the essay is due at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11th.

Here are the requirements for the essay:

• Select either a single-text analytic essay or a personal-hybrid essay.
• Review the essay descriptions and rubrics on the blog.
• Your essay needs to be a minimum of 6 pages. This is computed by using 12 point Times New Roman font with double spacing. This converts to roughly 1450 words.  
• Not sure about how long your essay is?  Try this cool tool: http://www.wordstopages.com/
• I will not accept essays shorter than this required length.
• Your essay needs to explore the entire novel, not just one of the sections.
• We know about Pi's life before, during, and after his ordeal on the Pacific Ocean.  Be sure to use information from all of those sections.

I'll also remind you about the different class work / writing assignments we've done, all of which should be helpful for you in preparation for this essay. (You can look at the details of these by clicking on the name to go to the corresponding blog post, if there was one) You have lots to work with!

• Early writing about religion / animals
• A brief piece of writing telling me about a topic you want to explore / question  you want to answer
• Found poetry about religion (including your poem!)
• First writing - knowledge / comprehension / application / analysis - shared to me through a Google Doc
• In-class work about the start of Part 2 including discussion questions you generated
• The survival game we played in class - here is the game - here are the answers
• Second writing - what is helping Pi to survive - we shared these by standing in the shape of the boat
• Class notes from all-class work and small groups
• Personal journal writing / annotations
• Questions we will develop together in class