AP Lang/ Comp.
Class participation is important to your grade, however a few of you would rather risk a grade reduction than play the “participation game”. It is never my intention to set any student up for failure, so here is yet another opportunity to earn class participation points without the worry of speaking up in class. We will call this “virtual participation”. I will count comments posted in this forum as class participation. The discussions will be based on the topics we are studying in class. This forum will be an opportunity for you to expand on the information learned or to make connections to previously learned information. You may also choose to ask for clarification of information. Keep in mind I will not use this forum for reteaching, however, any student that wishes to comment to post for clarification feel free to become a “virtual teacher”. You are not required to participate in this forum, however, you may want to keep up with the conversation to gain more insight into topics of discussion.
I am trusting the maturity of each of you that participates. Keep the posts appropriate and focused. Having been a part of many online forums I highly encourage you to spend some time reading the post and even responding with insightful comments. The information gained in this type of environment is as valuable as the traditional classroom.
September 14th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Hey everybody! I am wondering what your thoughts were when describing the tone for “Fish Cheeks”…
I personally thought the tone was self-pitying throughout the whole story. This self-pity tone was due to the way she constantly felt bad for herself and was only concerned about Robert judging her. Her own shame was self-pitying. Although Amy Tan was expressing self-pity in this story, I do think she changed her tone at the end of the story when she talks about regretting what she felt that night and when she mentions how much she appreciates her parents.
September 14th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Great insight Amy, thank you for taking the plunge in blogging….
You obviously realize Tan’s purpose for writing- to amuse and entertain. More importantly, however, Tan uses her short story as a vehicle to thank her mother and impart her lesson to her readers. Tan uses language typical of a young adolescent girl to convey the feeling of self pity, creating the tone of shame in the beginning of the story. The speaker at the end of the story is obviously reflecting back on the situation revealing the earlier sense of shame through many negatively charged words and then replacing the negative words with words of appreciation and admiration for her mother. Tan’s “Fish Cheeks” starts out with a tone of dread and embarrassement but end with a tone of appreciation and pride.
September 20th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Personally, I feel as if Tan’s tone was very regretful. In the short story “Fish Cheeks,” the teenage girl regrets her Chinese heritage when comparing it to that of an American. The disgusting foods combined with her family’s embarassing actions makes the reader sympathetic towards the girl’s position. However, the girl’s feelings make a transition from regret to woe after the dinner is over; she feels as if her relationship with Robert was completely ruined.
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:39 am
Hey, its cameron. Just seeing if this blog works.
October 5th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
So what are some of the symbols you guys are finding for TSL? Mrs. Brosius said that the “a” is something different than what we think but I cant think of what it could be. Also, I believe that the scaffold could be something but I am not sure what. Help me out?
-Cameron
October 15th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
What are you guys getting for the symbol of the rose bush and the prison door? My group and I said that the rose bush was representing inner beauty because once we get through all Hester’s pricks and “flaws”, we reach this beautiful woman. We also found that her name is a form of the name “Esther” whom was the queen of Persia and through her power, prevented a massacre; Hester may be a character like Esther, freeing Puritans from their strict societal boundaries.
October 19th, 2009 at 12:31 am
My group and I also said that the rose-bush symbolizes inner beauty. The rose-bush, amidst a dark and menacing forest and a gloomy prison, is the only thing with beauty and life in the area. It was said to have sprung up after Anne Hutchinson passed through the prison doors. Because Anne Hutchinson is admired for her courage to oppose the Puritan’s beliefs and her bravery to stand up for what she believed in, the rose bush symbolizes passion and the beauty of individual thought.
As for the prison door, we said that it symbolizes the portal between the Puritan’s concept of good and evil.