Grendel Argument (and other end of unit information)

Question 3

(Suggested time - 40 minutes.)

In the novel Grendel John Gardner explores the tension between telling the truth about life as it currently is and asserting meaningful values to guide one’s life. Many readers find Grendel's truth telling appealing—the way he exposes the lies, ignorance, and “bad faith” at the core of the way others find meaning in life. These perceptive readers simultaneously understand that because Grendel’s truth telling takes the form of rejecting all values and all hope for a better life and world (nihilism) he traps himself in a monotonous cycle of violence.

Think about the tension between truth telling and meaning making. Then write an essay in which you explain the relationship between telling the truth about life and asserting values to guide one's life. Use appropriate evidence from your reading, experience, and/or observations to support your argument. 

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This weekend make sure your Grendel work is complete and shared.
Due Monday 3/3.

A Google document entitled "Grendel in Class" should include
* a 3-2-1 for chapters 1-4
* a 3-2-1 for chapters 4-6
* a 3-2-1 for chapters 7-9
* a 3-2-1 for chapters 10-12
[Click here for directions.] 

* Ideas for titles for all 12 chapters. (We created titles for the first four in class.)
You may model the titles on the ones William Golding created for Lord of the Flies. You may use a particular literary technique, such as paradoxes or similes. You may allude to symbolic imagery, zodiac symbols, themes, events. Try to make your titles relevant, suggestive, and interesting.

* Letter to John Gardner in response to his 1976 letter to VT AP students.
[Click here for directions.] (Note: I know we didn't write this letter in-class but I'd like it in the same document anyway. It will help me keep my Google Drive manageable.)

***

On Monday we'll do some passage analysis activities for a quiz grade. Bring your book and your notes.

AP English Language Exam Argument Essay (Q3)

Preparing for an in-class argument essay (Q3)

On last year's AP English Language exam students were asked to write about the relationship between ownership and one's sense of self. The prompt even included the ideas of Jean-Paul Sartre, a philosophy whose ideas prompted John Gardner to write Grendel.

Here's the prompt:
For centuries, prominent thinkers have pondered the relationship between ownership and the development of self  (identity), ultimately asking the question, “What does it mean to own something?” 

Plato argues that owning objects is detrimental to a person’s character. Aristotle claims that ownership of tangible  goods helps to develop moral character. Twentieth-century philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre proposes that ownership extends beyond objects to include intangible things as well. In Sartre’s view, becoming proficient in some skill and knowing something thoroughly means that we “own” it. 

Think about the differing views of ownership. Then write an essay in which you explain your position on the relationship between ownership and sense of self. Use appropriate evidence from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument.

To write this essay students had to understand some of the complexities of "ownership" and "sense of self". They then had to create a create a central idea about how the two concepts are related. Finally, they had to use evidence--any evidence so long as it's relevant--to develop and support the position.

Click here for the scoring rubric, sample responses, and scoring comments. 

Introduction
* Notice that in the "8" essay the student creates a clear, sophisticated, well-developed position on the relationship between ownership and self in the introduction. The student has embraced multiple meanings of the "ownership" and, while establishing a position, has made those meanings clear.
* Notice that in the "5" essay the student attempts to show the relationship between ownership and self but is less clear and has less command of the terms.
* Notice that the "2" essay begins with a vague statement that uses the keywords but doesn't create a particular position: "Ownership and sense of self are different, but both connect." How are they different? How do they connect? These ideas should be made clear in the introduction.
* Should you use the first person (I, me, my, mine)? Notice also that the "8" and "5" include "I" while the "2" avoids "I." First-person is an important tool in argument essays.
* Although none of these essays include a narrative opening to lead into the position/thesis/claim, many successful essays do use this strategy. (Side note: a big idea opening is easier in an argument essay than in a rhetorical analysis essay.)

Development and support paragraphs
* Notice that although the "8" essay gets pretty repetitive--hey, it's a forty minute draft--the student effectively makes use of two "examples." (That word isn't exactly right but it's the one the College Board uses so I'll use it for now.) S/he first discusses the experience of reading Voltaire's book Candide to show the difference between two types of ownership, the second of which the author then connects to her/his sense of self. The student then discusses how in Jewish thought owning what is in one's own mind has been a way of responding to persecution: you may take away my material possessions but you cannot take away my thoughts. Although the score commentary doesn't state it, I think this essay--which is repetitive in places and contains some awkward phrasing--scores an "8" because the writer not only effective explains how ownership and a sense of self are related but also explains why the relationship matters. To put it another way, the examples appeal to logos and pathos.
* Notice that the "5" includes the same number of "examples" as the "8" but the student doesn't relate the examples (especially the second example) to the concepts as effectively. It's really that simple, I think.
* Something else about the "5": students often have difficulty using novels to support their arguments. If you don't know the book very well and if you don't know exactly how the novel supports your position, don't use the book. Sometimes a novel includes a theme that is generally related to the prompt but not precisely related; don't use it.
* The "2" includes no supporting "examples."

Conclusion
* Notice that the last paragraph of the "8" intensifies the argument, giving the reader a sense of why the relationship between ownership and sense of self is important.
* Notice that in the "5" the conclusion merely repeats the argument.

Other
* I think that the transition between the second and third paragraphs of the "8" essay is pretty great, especially for a forty minute draft.
* There is no transition between the "Ireland" and Gatsby sections of the "5" essay.

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From today's class but not related to Q3:

from Grendel chapter 7, pages 93-94 [Grendel describing the queen without seeming to]
Not easy to define. Mathematically, perhaps a torus, loosely cylindrical, with swellings and constrictions at intervals, knobbed--that is to say a surface generated, more or less, by the revolutions of a conic about an axis lying in its plane, and the solid thus enclosed.

Here's one teacher's theory about the torus and Cut A/Cut B in chapter 7.
(And here's another image to help visualize the torus in relation to the "cut" or cross-section.)

Responding to John Gardner

Practicing Argument Writing by Responding to John Gardner’s letter.

After reading and annotating Gardner’s letter, write a letter back to him*. Respond to a claim that Gardner makes in the letter that you feel strongly about. Your letter should quote the claim you're responding to and should show that you understand what Gardner has written. Your letter should also develop a position that responds to the claim. (To what extent, do you agree or disagree with Gardner's claim?) While developing and supporting your position, incorporate appropriate, vivid, precise details from your reading, your experiences, and/or your observations.

You should have strong first attempt at the letter ready for class tomorrow. (Guideline: Work with complete focus for at least forty minutes on the first attempt: the same amount of time you'd spend on an in-class essay.)

* Unfortunately, John Gardner died in a motorcycle accident in 1982. He was just 49 years old. He’d be 80 if he were alive today.

Grendel In Class

As requested, here are the fishbowl discussion questions.

Fishbowl discussion

How and why does Grendel become a murderous monster, a Hrothgar-Wrecker? What is life like for him after he is transformed? Why does Gardner depict Grendel’s change the way he does? Consider the choices Gardner makes with style, structure, imagery, character, events, etc.

Ryan, Paula, Laura, Johayne, Kate; Ella, Everest, Michael, Morey, Dan

 

How does Gardner present a variety of ways people respond to the problem of finding meaning in life? (What seems to be Grendel's mother's way of finding/making meaning? Hrothgar’s way of finding/making meaning? the Shaper’s way of finding/making meaning? Unferth’s? Wealtheow’s? Hrothulf’s? Red Horse’s? Ork’s? The Stranger's? What is the Dragon’s view of meaning making? Grendel’s view of meaning making?) How are each of these views presented—through Grendel’s (and others’) judgments, through suggestive imagery, through suggestive events, through allusions?

 Tess, Bethany, Hannah, Emily, Jaclyn; Cody, Accursio, Rachael, Ryan, Gloria

Mindful of the novel and Gardner’s letter to students, what do you think Gardner’s view is? How does the way he depicts the other views (and more generally the choices Gardner makes with style, structure, imagery, character, and events) contribute to suggesting or implying Gardner’s own view?

Joseph, Lauren, Melanie, Meghan; Emma, Spencer, Kerri, Winslow, Zoe, Josie

 

Refer to specific details, specific passages, specific word choices, specific choices made by the author. 

Seek understanding in complexity and in nuance. Avoid reducing complexity to simplistic answers. 

Seek to synthesize all the parts of the book to support your understanding.

 


Here's the 3-2-1 from class on Friday (before vacation).
Make sure you respond in your "Grendel in Class" Google document.

Grendel Chapters 1-3* [Spring]
*Chapter 4 was also included here.

3=Explain 3 passages in chapters 1-3 that contribute significantly to John Gardner’s exploration of particular themes in Grendel. Provide page numbers (optional).

One possible theme to consider: the tension between finding meaning in what we see and experience, one hand, and rejecting or debunking meaning because of what we see and experience, on the other hand.

2=Discuss two literary/rhetorical strategies that Gardner uses in the first three chapters. Consider narrative point of view, narrative voice, characterization, symbolic/allegorical imagery, symbolic/allegorical events, allusions, etc.

1=Write down a question, confusion, or mystery from chapters 1-3 that lingers for you and that you’d like to explore further.

Here's the 3-2-1 from class on Monday.
Make sure you respond in your "Grendel in Class" Google document.

Grendel Chapters 4-6 [Summer]

3=Explain 3 passages in chapters 4-6 that contribute significantly to John Gardner’s exploration of particular themes in Grendel. Provide page numbers.

One possible theme to consider: the tension between finding meaning in what we see and experience, one hand, and rejecting or debunking meaning because of what we see and experience, on the other hand.

2=Explain two big ideas or essential questions or themes you’ve been thinking about while reading Grendel. Link your ideas to these three chapters. Or, you could explain two interpretive ideas—why Gardner uses a particular strategy, style, pattern, or image for example. Or, you could do one of each. Focus on chapters 4-6.

1=Write down a question, confusion, or mystery from chapters 4-6 that lingers for you and that you’d like to explore further.

Here's the 3-2-1 for class on Tuesday.
Make sure you respond in your "Grendel in Class" Google document.

Grendel Chapters 7-9 [Autumn]

3=Explain 3 passages in chapters 7-9 that contribute significantly to John Gardner’s exploration of particular themes in Grendel. Provide page numbers.

One possible theme to consider: the tension between finding meaning in what we see and experience, one hand, and rejecting or debunking meaning because of what we see and experience, on the other hand.

2=Explain two strange or interesting changes in the language and/or narrative structure that occur during chapters 7-9. Speculate about the thematic significance of these changes. What might Gardner be suggesting?

1=Write down a question, confusion, or mystery from chapters 7-9 that lingers for you and that you’d like to explore further.

Here's the 3-2-1 for Wednesday
Make sure you respond in your "Grendel in Class" Google document.

Grendel Chapters 10-12 [Winter]

3=Explain 3 passages in chapters 10-12 that contribute significantly to John Gardner’s exploration of particular themes in Grendel. Provide page numbers. (At least one of them should refer to time and at least one of them should relate to the Stranger.)

One possible theme to consider: the tension between finding meaning in what we see and experience, one hand, and rejecting or debunking meaning because of what we see and experience, on the other hand.

2=

(#1) Find a passage from 10-12 that echoes a particular passage from earlier in the book. (By “echoes” I mean that both passages share similar language.) Speculate about the significance. Provide the page number for both passages.

Then, (#2) Find a passage from 10-12 that helps you better understand a question, confusion, or mystery from earlier in the book. Give the page number(s) for the new passage and explain how the new passage helps.

1=Write down a question, confusion, or mystery from chapters 10-12 that lingers for you and that you’d like to explore further.

Vacation Work (oxymoron)

Please read carefully.

I. 
Grendel
Finish reading and taking notes on the novel by class time on Monday, February 24. (Things get pretty weird and interesting as Gardner uses Grendel to explore being and meaning. Use the blog post below for some guidance. I've also posted some vocabulary that might be helpful into the blog's vocabulary tab. We'll deal with the vocabulary in greater depth when we return.)

Make sure you've shared the Friday class work with me: your 3-2-1* and your chapter titles with me in your "Grendel in class" Google document.

*Describe the three most important events and explain what makes each thematically important; describe and explain two of John Gardner's interesting and significant strategies, techniques, and/or language choices; describe an mystery, confusion, or question about the first four chapters that interests you.

II.
Advertising, Marketing, Consumerism, Commodification, and Making Meaning
When we missed class on Thursday, we missed the last of two days of documentaries exploring how what we consume and how we're persuaded to consume affects and is affected by the ways we make meaning in our lives (our desires, our fears, our hopes, our goals, our values; the ways we live and the ways we make sense of how we will).

Here is a compressed version of Thursday's class.
1. At the top of the margin to the right are essential questions to think about in relation to this part of the unit.
2. In class on Friday, I gave you a handout with notes on The Ad and the Ego. (We were supposed to watch parts of this documentary on Thursday, but now the notes will have to suffice.) Read and prioritize the fifteen ideas from the documentary on the handout.
3. In the margin to the right are links with PBS resources related to the essential questions. (One link will take you to Merchants of Cool which you watched parts of on Wednesday. Another link will take you to The Persuaders which you were supposed to watch parts of Thursday. The final link will take you to a trailer for Generation Like, which will air on PBS starting Tuesday.)**

**Option: You can earn homework extra credit by watching one (or more) of these documentaries and by making a list of fifteen concepts in the documentary (or documentaries). (Use The Ad and the Ego list as a model.)

All of this work will prepare us for our first Q1 "Synthesis" essay some time after February Vacation.

Grendel: essential questions, what to do when reading, what to look for in each chapter

Read, take notes, and be prepared to relate your reading & notes to the big questions in class on Friday.

Think about these issues and questions. Apply them to yourself and apply them to Grendel.

Thinking about life's "meaning"

* What exactly do we mean by the questions, "What is the meaning of life?" or "What gives life meaning?" or "How do you find meaning in life"? (The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy suggests, "Perhaps when we speak of “meaning in life,” we have in mind one or more of these related ideas: certain conditions that are worthy of great pride or admiration, values that warrant devotion and love, qualities that make a life intelligible [make sense], or ends [goals or purposes] apart from base pleasure that are particularly choice-worthy.")

* To what extent is finding meaning (or making meaning out of life and what life gives us) a necessary human act? To what extent is finding or making meaning foolish, absurd, even fraudulent?

* What are some of the different ways people find meaning in life or make meaning out of life? 

* How is the particular way a person finds or makes meaning significant? How might the way a person finds meaning in life affect the person's inner life and outward actions? How might it affect the person's life path? How might it affect others?

Thinking about nihilism and nihilistic existentialism

* Why might someone reject the ways others find meaning in life? Why might someone mock those who try to create meaning? Why might we see existence as just existence—a string of purposeless, random, accidental events? 

* If a person rejects the possibility of a meaning in life, how might this affect the person's inner life and outward actions? How might it affect the person's life path? How might it affect others?

What to do while you're reading...

• Look for what stands out. What is strange? Eccentric? Difficult? What is interesting? Vivid? Suggestive? Emotionally affecting? What is significant in relation to the questions? In relation to the human dilemma? In relation to cultural and historical issues? Take notes.
• Look for patterns—repetitions, connections, similarities, contrasts—within the text. (What words and images repeat? How do these repetitions help develop themes? What characters are similar? How does the author draw our attention to those similarities? What characters are different? How does the author draw our attention to these differences? What emotions, ideas, concepts recur and contrast?) Take notes on the patterns.
• Look for connections to other texts (Beowulf, Hamlet, Lord of the Flies, "On Seeing England for the First Time," Present Shock, etc.). Take notes on the connections to other texts.
• Look for connections to your prior knowledge and experiences (schema). Take notes on these connections.
• React personally. Note what you think and feel about particular statements, characters, events, etc. Write down your thoughts and emotional reactions.

 In chapter 1 pay particular attention to...
Grendel's language
Grendel's attitude to the ram (Aires), other animals, and plants
Grendel's attitude toward spring
Grendel's attitude toward humans and "theories" (killing them and their response to Grendel killing them)
Grendel's experience with the chasm
in relation to life's meaning or lack of meaning

In chapter 2 pay particular attention to...
Grendel's language
Grendel's relationship with his mother and the "large old shapes"
Grendel's experience with the bull (Taurus)
Grendel's thoughts about his encounter with humans (and his thoughts about the differences between humans and other animals)
How all of this affects Grendel's self-image and world-view
in relation to life's meaning or lack of meaning

In chapter 3 pay particular attention to...
Grendel's language
Grendel's thoughts and feelings about human nature and human civilization while watching Hrothgar expand his kingdom and power (& how might this be related to Beowulf)
Grendel's thoughts and feelings about human nature and human civilization while listening to the Shaper (& how might this be related to Beowulf)
References to twins (Gemini)
How all of this affects Grendel's self-image and world-view
in relation to life's meaning or lack of meaning
 

In chapter 4 pay particular attention to...
Grendel's language
Grendel's thoughts, feelings, and actions in response to the stories told by the Shaper (particularly the one about the brothers--& how might that story be related to Beowulf) and in response to how humans treat him and each other
References to crabs (Cancer)
How all of this affects Grendel's self-image and world-view (pay especial attention to the imagery associated with Grendel's feelings--and the "presence" he feels)
in relation to life's meaning or lack of meaning

In chapter 5 pay particular attention to...
Grendel's language and the dragon's language
How Grendel gets to the dragon (How does Gardner suggest both that he is in Grendel's mind and a being separate from Grendel? Why might Gardner do this? How is this like and unlike Simon's encounter with the Lord of the Flies?)
What the dragon says, how he says it (both the abstract language and the imagery), how it relates to Grendel's situation, how Grendel reacts, etc.
References to lion-like qualities (Leo)
in relation to life's meaning or lack of meaning
 
In chapter 6 pay particular attention to...
How/why Grendel becomes a murderous monster (and what that has to do with dragon, the shaper, and Grendel's experiences with humans)
Grendel's language and Unferth's language
Unferth's beliefs (and Grendel's mockery of those beliefs)
Apple imagery (allusion???)
References to virgins (virgo)
in relation to life's meaning or lack of meaning

In chapter 7 pay particular attention to...
Grendel's language (particularly the way he plays with language) and the structure of the chapter (Weird things start to happen. Why?)
Wealtheow (What is her back-story? What way(s) of finding/making meaning does she emobdy? How does she affect Grendel and others including Unferth? What other characters does Grendel compare her with?)
References to balance (libra: balancing scales) 
in relation to life's meaning or lack of meaning

In chapter 8 pay particular attention to...
The structure of the chapter (Whose language does Grendel seem to mimic?)
Red Horse and Hrothulf (what ways of making/destroying meaning do they represent? how might their ways of thinking and their relationship be related to Grendel and the dragon?)
Hrothgar (what is happening with his kingdom? what is the significance of the dream that Grendel imagines for him?)
References to scorpions (Scorpio)
in relation to life's meaning or lack of meaning
 
In chapter 9 pay particular attention to...
The suggestive, symbolic imagery at the beginning of the chapter (A "hart" is a red male deer and is the name of Hrothgar's meadhall.)
Ork and the Priests (How do they represent ways of making meaning? How does Grendel respond? How is this response similar to and different from his response to the Shaper, Unferth, and Wealtheow?)
References to Sagittarius (half-man, half-horse archer)
 in relation to life's meaning or lack of meaning

In chapter 10 pay particular attention to...
Grendel's attitude. What has happened to the "strange joy" Grendel experienced in chapter 6?
The Shaper and Grendel's Mother
References to Capricorn (horned goat)
in relation to life's meaning or lack of meaning

In chapter 11 pay particular attention to...
Grendel's attitude. What has changed?
The Strangers [Geats] (How is the stranger, the Beowulf-figure, characterized? Note the suggestiveness of the imagery. Note the echoes...] How do the other characters respond to the stranger? Each response is revealing.)
References to water (Aquarius: the water-bearer)
in relation to life's meaning or lack of meaning

In chapter 12 pay particular attention to...
How the battle between Grendel and the stranger is suggestively depicted (Note the imagery. What does the particular imagery suggest?)
(Grendel has mocked and debunked others' ways of making meaning; how does the stranger mock his mocking, attack his nihilism, and make a counterargument?) 
How previous moments in the novel are echoed here
References to fish (Pisces)
in relation to life's meaning or lack of meaning

Grendel by John Gardner (getting started)

Today, you got your new books. You looked at the drawings, the blurbs on the back of the book, the note about the author, the epigraph, and (perhaps) spot read a few pages. This gave us an idea about what we're getting into thematically and stylistically.

Then, we read some of the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, the basis for John Gardner's imaginative adaptation. We now have knowledge of a lot of the source material for the novel.

Now we're ready tackle the first chapter.

Here are some overarching questions to consider while reading:

The novel as a whole

1.        How does John Gardner explore human values, morality, and purpose in Grendel? What does the novel as a whole suggest about human values, morality, and purpose?

The novel and the modern world

2.        The novel was first published in 1971 and Gardner says he was particularly interested in using the Beowulf story to explore modern alienation and nihilism; what connections can we make to the modern world?

While reading chapter one consider these questions:

Chapter One [Aires: Ram]

1.     How is the zodiac sign—Aires, the ram—significant (meaningful) in the chapter? (Notice that the zodiac is one of the ways people have tried to find meaning--patterns and purpose--in world around us.)

2.        At the end of the chapter how do the humans attempt to transform death into victory? How does Grendel feel about this? (Notice that this question is related to the first essential question.

Be ready to analyze and discuss the first chapter on Monday. (I could always throw out a reading check assignment too.)

Discussing *Lord of the Flies* and Claims of Universality

Sudden Argument Tuesday
Be prepared to develop your position on these three questions in a "fish bowl" conversation tomorrow (Tuesday, February 4).

To what extent do you agree with the view of humanity that William Golding develops in Lord of the Flies?

To what extent can Lord of the Flies represent universal truths about human nature even though the characters are all male, all pre-adolescent, all in prep school, and all British?

To what extent is Lord of the Flies a critique of ethnocentrism (the idea that one's own culture is superior to others) and to what extent does it perpetuate ethnocentrism?

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Tomorrow's conversations will be a springboard into our study of Question 3 on the AP English Language and Composition Exam.

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After you participate in a conversation, extend your participation with a 300+ word response in the comment box below. What did you not have the chance to say? I'm especially interested in the following: clarification and refinement of your position, development of specific support for your position, and thoughtful rebuttal of alternative positions. (Alternative or opposing positions are also called counterclaims.) Post by class time on Friday, February 7.