Theme and Controlling Idea

Most people would agree that theme and controlling idea are quite similar concepts. The main difference, I would suggest, is that theme is often specifically tied to the way we respond to a work of literature, while controlling idea offers a more general way of thinking about responding to a wide range of writing, including non-fiction work.

Theme is often described as what a literary work tells us, though never directly, about life, about the problems we face as human beings, about the issues we struggle with. Theme is usually the issue the work of literature addresses plus what the story tells us about that issue.

Same thing with controlling idea, except it can tell us about a broader range of issues. For example, a controlling idea could be found in a scientific paper. The controlling idea is usually the topic addressed in the work plus what the work says about that topic.

Try looking here for what I think is a pretty good descpription of the difference between a topic or issue and what the work says about the topic or issue.

Creative Writing Class Portfolio Etc.

Creative Writing:

As we move forward in this class, we’ll need to consider what work you will be doing as the semester progresses. I’m envisioning this process in the following way:

1) Creative Writing: This will be the imaginative writing you do inside and outside class and will be divided into two main branches --

a. Assigned creative writing exercises – this will include all the writing exercises we do in class or as homework, such as the dream writing you did last week;

b. Your own creative work. This is your work, which will be presented in a portfolio at the end of the semester. The portfolio must include the following examples of your work (see portfolio posting for the exact requirement of this aspect of the course):

i. Non-fiction personal narrative or reflection
ii. Short Fiction
iii. Poetry

2) Literary Response Essay and English Regents: This will involve honing your skills in writing tightly organized responses on theme, character, other important literary elements in response to works of literature. Key words in this domain will include: thesis statement, topic sentences, body paragraphs, use of supporting evidence from text.

3) Reading: this area of study will focus on continuing to read compelling but challenging works of literature. I’ll give the class a menu of possible directions for spheres of study. Choice will not be unlimited, and you will need to enlist at least a small group of students in your class to pursue one of the tracks. Here are three possible areas for further reading:

a.The Mary Shelley/Gothic Lit Track: Students in this group will have an opportunity to read Mary Shelley’s remarkable later novel, The Last Man,and another famous example of the gothic, The Monk by Mathew Lewis
Here’s a description of the Mary Shelley’s novel:

“This novel follows Frankenstein as one of the earliest examples of science fiction in English. It also presents characters who can be seen, in some of their aspects, to resemble certain members of the Shelley circle. The narrative begins in the late 21st century in an England which has become a republic, focusing at first on the conflicting worlds of the domestic and political. But as the plague takes hold and spreads relentlessly, the novel's view expands to encompass Europe and the world scene. Dark, even existential in its mood, The Last Man shows the demise of the human race highlighted against its greatest achievement as the ever decreasing band of survivors make their way across the Alps to the warm cities of the South.”

Here a plot description of The Monk followed by two excerpts from reviews:

“Set in the sinister monastery of the Capuchins in Madrid, The Monk is a violent tale of ambition, murder, and incest. The great struggle between maintaining monastic vows and fulfilling personal ambitions leads its main character, the monk Ambrosio, to temptation and the breaking of his vows, then to sexual obsession and rape, and finally to murder in order to conceal his guilt.

`This is the highly popular and equally highly vilified Gothic novel, written in 1794. Gruesome, voluptuous, and occasionally tongue-in-cheek, The Monk is a masterpiece of its genre.' Sunday Telegraph

`What distinguishes The Monk from a whole raft of lesser imitations is the quality of the storytelling ... There's always a danger of bathos in narratives where horror is piled on horror ... Lewis avoids that pitfall by judicious use of humour. He also writes with great visual immediacy. Lewis has a remarkable understanding of human psychology. The Monk is a stunning read. It was published 200 years ago. I hope this article is not the only celebration of that bicentenary.' Simon Brett, The Sunday Times.”

b. The Dickens track: For those less interested in Gothic literature, the chance to read Dickens’ great novel, David Copperfield, is offered. This is a deeply autobiographical novel about Dickens early life. It examines the effect of brutal parenting, poverty, and deep injustices on a child, and then goes on to depict a society in which social class and money dominate all things. It is one of the great world novels, and is filled with powerful scenes. For those interested in vocabulary development this novel offers perhaps the best chance for further development. Because the novel is longer than the others, readers of this novel will receive bonus credit for selecting it.

c. The Count of Monte Cristo track: For those with a taste for adventure writing, Alexander Dumas’ masterpiece makes powerful reading:
From a slightly edited Amazon review: “Monte Cristo is an absolutely wonderful and wonderfully written masterpiece that tells the story of a young man who could be any of several people that you and I know. It is a story of injustice, despair, remorse, cruelty, misfortune, and evil. Edmond is one of the greatest dynamic characters of all time, innocently sent to face punishment that he in no way deserves. After escaping from prison, Edmond then becomes an avenger, rewarding those that were his true friends, and exacting revenge upon those that caused him pain. A wonderful story, with excellent characters and an intricate plot.”

Vocabulary for Chapters 1-8

Here are vocabulary words for Chapters 1-8

prognosticate, imbue, dabble, deprave, ignominy, vacillate, palpitate, console, exculpate, elixir, immutable, irreparable, serene, perpetrate, imbibe, livid, multifarious, ramble, indefatigable, abode, mien, invulnerable, bauble, pittance, traverse, irreproachable, philosopher, fester, disposition, turbulence, allude, indelible, ardent, timorous, alleviate, incipient, rapture, progeny, perdition, tedious, guile, physiognomy, ignominious, emaciated, verdant, callous, menace, depravity, omnipotent, repugnance, celestial, conjecture, vagrant, sustenance, desolate, filial, eulogy, incredulous, apathy, chivalrous, impediment, inexorable, inconceivable, delirium, impenetrable, subdue, indignation, oblivion, dismal, acquisition, appall, integrity, disdain, despise, grandeur, dreary, venerable

How to Overcome Essay Writing Anxiety

Check this post out with interesting thoughts about how to reduce anxiety about taking an essay test -- but I'd say the advice might be helpful for all forms of writing anxiety.

Frankenstein Movie Posters

As you go over your vocabulary words this weekend, here's a site that collects together some of the many cinematic images bsed on Mary Shelley's story.

Reading on Gothic Literature

Read this Wikipedia article on Gothic Fiction and come to class on Monday ready to discuss the Gothic.

Run-on sentences

Due Monday, Feb. 7. Do the following exercises on run-on sentences here.

Frankenstein Vocabulary List, Letter 1-4

Look these words up and write a sentence using each one. Due Monday.

satiate, ameliorate,capitulate,peruse,lustrous, suppliant, emaciated, celestial, paroxysm, eccentricity, fastidious, illiterate, inexorable, traverse, fortitude, laborious, fervent, apparition, melancholy, famine, integrity, quiver, apt, diposition

Grammar and Writing Do's and Don'ts

Modified No-No list Revised Fall 2010
This is a list of the most common errors found in your writing. Don't lose it; you may use it every time you write something in class or at home. Proofread! Use a dictionary.

1. Avoid these words: "Nice," " a lot," "very," "I think."
2. Maintain verb tense. Use all past tense, all present tense, or all future tense. Avoid using “had + verb”. This means that of two things that happened in the past the one with the “had” came first. You can only use this tense if you have two verbs in the same sentence.20. Wrong: “He had gone to the store.” Right: “He went to the store.” Wrong: “He had walked home.” Right: “He walked home.”
3. "Good" is an adjective. "Well" is an adverb.
4. Don't use the expression "Being that"; it's slang for the word "since".
5. Avoid the conversational "you." Don't directly address your reader if he/she is not part of your story or essay.
6. All pronouns must have antecedents and all pronouns must agree with their antecedents in number.
7. Avoid run-on sentences and sentence fragments. Remember sentences must have subjects and verbs. Dependent clauses can't be written by themselves. Independent clauses may be written by themselves. Make sure each sentence expresses a complete thought.
8. Remember these homonyms:
to (direction)
too (also, excessive)
two (2)

there (place)
their (possession)
they're (they are)

know (to have knowledge)
no (negative)

through (to pass by)
threw (tossed, passed)

its (possession)
it's (it is)

your (possession)
you're (you are)

9. Do not confuse these words:
quiet (opposite of loud) and quite (rather or very)
then (a time in the past) and than (comparative)
lose (fail to win) and loose (not tight)
accept (to take as it is) and except (to leave out)
10. People are referred to as "who" or "whom" and not "that" or "which."
11. Avoid redundancies such as "The reason why is because . . ."
Correct: "The reason is . . ."
12. "Of" is never a verb. There is no correct expression as "He would of. . ." You may use: "He would've. . ." where "would've" is a contraction meaning "would have."
13. When you write the title of a novel, underline it. The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a great book. Titles of plays, short stories and poems should be placed in quotation marks.
14. In spelling, remember: "I" before "e" except after "c", or when sounded like "a", as in "neighbor" and "weigh." These words are spelled correctly: "relieve" and "receive."
15. Past tense of the verb “to use” is “used”: I used to go to PS 321.
17. Avoid using the conditional tense: The character would be considered a hero.
16. ALWAYS USE PARAGRAPHS. Every paragraph should have a topic sentence followed by supporting details. Indent the first line of each paragraph.
17 Events occur, they aren’t a time period. “Another example is when…”. Instead write: another example occurs when..
18. When writing decades don’t use an apostrophe: 1970s not 1970’s
19. People get hanged, pictures get hung.

Grades

Grades will be based on the following:
Tests/ at home writing and projects (including creative writing projects): 40 percent
Classwork, quizzes, and homework: 60 percent
Total: 100 percent

How we'll work:

For creative writing, we will use a workshop approach, in which you'll share your work with other writers in the class and get their feedback. (More on this later.)

For each book or literary work we read, you’ll be expected to read about 15 to 25 pages a night. In addition you will sometimes have homework in which you'll be asked to write brief responses or answer questions about your reading or topics for class discussion. In addition, you can expect that for each book or literary work, you'll write one at-home essay and have one to two tests.

IMPORTANT: Grades are cumulative. That means the grades you make now count as much as the grades later in the semester. So it's important to work hard from the very beginning and not dig yourself into a hole in the first weeks of our class.

Welcome to Creative Writing

We will be focusing in this class on becoming skilled writers in a variety of genres from fiction to creative non-fiction to poetry to the literary essay. This class will involve a great deal of writing in which you will be asked to become a self-aware writer and creator, knowledgeable about the traditions of literature and conscious of your own process and the choices you make a writer. Because good writers are also good readers, you’ll read a wide variety of fiction of high literary polish and skill, and you will read as a writer – that is, you will read with the goal of understanding the techniques and methods used by the writer you are studying to create his or her vision.

Mayakovsky poems

You'll find poems here by Vladmir Mayakovsky. Please read the poem titled "Listen," and the poem titled "To His Own Beloved Self The Author Dedicates These Lines." You'll find something about Mayakovsky here. Come to class Friday ready to discuss the poems. Thanks.

Famous Blue Raincoat

Listen to this song by Leonard Cohen and write a response in which you speculate on the following (due Tuesday):
1) What is the story the song tells?
2) How is it similar to the story in The Scarlet Letter?
3) How is it different?

Thoughts on body paragraphs

Here are some ideas about how to develop topic sentences for body paragraphs in your essay.

So here is the thesis statement we proposed in class on Thusrday: Love is an emotion that is often in conflict with society's demands.

We discussed one method of proceeding on Thursday: You analyze the concepts in the thesis statement without immediately linking it to the book. We'll call this Method 1. Another way is to mention the book but not by giving an example. We'll call this Method 2. Here are examples of each method. Each sentence can become the topic sentence of a paragraph in your essay (although bear in mind, the topic sentence can more than one sentence):

Thus you might start one paragraph:
Method 1:
* Love is a private emotion that is a deep expression of our most basic individuality. [Follow this by examples.]

OR you could write:
Method2:
* The novel draws a picture of love that emphasizes its private nature and the way it expresses individuality.

A second body paragraph might begin:
Method 1:
* Society makes its own demands of the individual, and is interested in maintaining stability and the status quo. [Followed by example}

OR it might read:
Method 2:
In the novel society is portrayed as a force destructive to indvidual liberty or freedom.

Again, note the difference between Method 1 and Method 2. Method 1 doesn't specifically reference the novel, and only gets into what the novel has to say in the examples that follow. Method 2 references the novel but doesn't jump right into the examples from the novel, which it only gives after first making the point the examples will help prove. Make sense? I hope so.

Next add here a third body paragraph that develops a counterclaim, meaning how might someone argue against the views you've developed so far.

* Some people would disagree with Hawthorne's analysis. They would suggest that society's rules are actually meant to protect the indvidual and society from relations that may harm others. The individual is not always right, and his or her feelings may be false or based on falsehood.

Conclusion: The body paragraphs should flow into the conclusion naturally. A good phrase to help put this into context is: "As you can see ..."

Essay Assignment

You will write a 2-3 page literary response essay on theme. This essay should be double-spaced in 12-point type with one-inch margins. It should follow the format we've discussed in class. (Introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Take special care in your body paragraphs to have a clear topic sentence, and examples from the text. Also make sure, your body paragraphs develop your arguments and that one of the paragraphs develops a counter-claim.

As we’ve discussed, The Scarlet Letter is a novel whose themes are often presented in the form of dichotomies. Choose one of the following paired concepts (dichotomies) and write your essay on the theme you develop:

1. society and the individual
2. individual freedom and societal law
3. guilt and innocence
4. holiness and sin

Remember, developing a theme from these topics requires you to really think about what the book says about the topic. This can't be a simple thought that could apply to any book on the subject; it needs to really reflect what Hawthorne is saying in The Scarlet Letter. For example, it won't be sufficient to say that society has rules that limit the individual. Or that the law and individual freedom are often in conflict. Instead, you need to get at how society and the individual are in conflict, according to Hawthorne; what kind of conflicts arise between freedom and law and how does this affect people’s lives, again, according to Hawthorne.

This paper is due on Monday, January 3. It must be uploaded to turnitin.com by that date and must be sent as an attachment to me in your engrade account. Attach the file as a Word document or, if you don't use Word, attach it as an .rtf file.

The Scarlet Letter and Trolls

For Friday, take a look at this article and see if you can identify some ways that the ideas discussed within it interplay with themes in The Scarlet Letter.

Questions on Chapter 4 and 5

Chapter 4: The Interview
1. After standing on the scaffold, Hester returns to prison. What is her mental state like and why?
2. Hester’s jailers decide to bring a physician to her. Who is this physician?
3. When the physician gives Hester medicine, what does she think might be in it?
4. When Hester and her husband talk, what picture emerges of their marital relationship?
5. When her husband says, “Thou wilt not reveal his name. Not the less is he mine?” what does he mean?
6. What secret does Hester agree to keep for her husband and why does her husband wish her to keep it?
7. When Hester says to her husband, “Hath thou enticed me into a bond that will prove the ruin of my soul?” her husband answers: “Not thy soul … No, not thine.” What does he mean?

Chapter 5: Hester at Her Needle
1. Several reasons are given for Hester’s decision not to leave the community once she’s released from prison. Read the passage carefully where this is discussed.
2. The paragraph beginning, “It might be, too,-- doubtless it was so …” discusses what may the real reason for Hester’s staying in the community. What is this reason?
3. How does Hester make a living after her release?
4. The paragraph beginning “In this manner, Hester Prynne came to have a part …” describes her relationship with society. What is this relationship?
5. The paragraph beginning, “Her imagination was somewhat affected …” gives a sense of how she is beginning to regard the Scarlet Letter. What is this sense?

Some Thoughts on The Scarlet Letter

Here's some points to focus on in Chapter 2. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Important Test Info

1) I will be giving credit to those who selected B on question 2 of the Mirth Final (of course, those who answered F will continue to have their credit). Show me your test on Monday to obtain this credit.

2) Here is the exam. Write a brief paragraph explaining the reasoning for the correct answer for all questions you missed; and for those who lost point for your thesis statement, rewrite the thesis statement only in a convincing manner for extra credit on the test. (You'll note that question 2 has been rewritten to be more clear.)

Answer the following multiple choice questions:

1. At the beginning of Book 2, what character does the Duchess really like? A) Bertha Dorset B) Gus Trenor C) Mrs. Fisher D) Lily
2. What agreement does Jack Stepney make with Selden in response to Lily’s being kicked off the yacht? A) He offers to explain Lily’s side of the story B) He offers Lily a place to stay for the night C) He agrees to speak with Carrie Fisher about the incident D) He insists that Lily leave Monte Carlo early the following day E) A and B only F) B and D only.
3. This character says, “…I don’t mean to ask you to marry me if I can keep out of it…” Who is he? A) Seldon B) Rosedale C) Atherly D) George Dorset
4. How did Rosedale find out about the letters Lily possesses? A) He heard about them from Trenor B) Cary Fisher’s husband told him C) He owns the Benedick D) The fact of the letters was widely known among Mrs. Dorset’s circle.
5. Lily’s second escape from scandal in New York, after Monte Carlo, took her to __________ and was arranged by __________ who introduced her to ________________. A) Alaska/ Grace Stepney/the Gormers B) Montobello/Gerty/Mrs. Haffen C) Alaska/Mrs. Fisher/the Gormers D) Van Osburgh estate/Mrs. Fisher/Mrs. Hatch
6. When Lily becomes connected with the social world of Mrs. Hatch, we are told she “had an odd sense of being behind the social tapestry, on the side where the threads were knotted and the loose ends hung.” This is an example of A) a metaphor that suggests Lily is on the wrong side of society B) characterization that gives an idea of who Mrs. Hatch is C) a metaphor that suggests that society is a machine that crushes those who oppose it D) imagery that depicts the complexities of life in society.
7. “Look at these spangles, Miss Bart—every one of ‘em sewed on crooked.” This quote refers to A) Lily’s ball gown for her reentry into “society” B) Lily’s new job overseeing workers in a clothing factory C) Lily’s plan to present a “new style” at an upcoming fashion show D) Lily’s poor skills in sewing at her new job
8. When the pharmacist tells Lily, “It’s a queer acting drug. A drop or two more, and off you go …” this is an example of: A) metaphor B) personification C) foreshadowing D) alliteration
9. When Lily says goodbye to Seldon, she tells him: “There is someone I must say good-bye to. Oh, not you—we are sure to see each other again—but the Lily Bart you knew. I have kept her with me all this time, but now we are going to part, and I have brought her back to you; I am going to leave her here. When I go out presently, she will not go with me. I shall like to think that she has stayed with you; and she shall be no trouble, she’ll take up no room.” This means that Lily A) is renouncing the self she has been, the flighty society girl and intends to live a better life B) is telling Seldon that he will always be tormented by her memory C) is telling Seldon that the Lily Bart capable of loving him and meriting his love can exist no longer D) Lily is apologizing for all the trouble she’s caused Seldon.
10. Who says, “If you’d only let me, I’d set you up over them all—I’d put you where you could wipe your feet on ‘em.”? A) Gus Trenor B) Ned Silverton C) Rosedale D) Mr. Dorset

Short Answer Questions: Answer each of the following questions in a few sentences.

11. What does Lily finally do with Mrs. Dorset’s letters and why?
12. How does Selden try to help Lily when they are in Monte Carlo?
13. When Lily and Mr. Dorset meet, what does he ask of her and what power does Lily realize she has?
14. How does Lily’s attitude about Rosedale change as the novel progresses and why?
15. What suspicion does Selden have as he goes through Lily’s things after her death, and what does he find that bears upon his suspicion?


Write ONLY the first paragraph of a literary response essay on ONE of the following topics. This paragraph should contain general thoughts on the topic, a bridge sentence linking the novel to the topic, a thesis statement, and one brief example. IDENTIFY THE TOPIC YOU’VE CHOSEN AS THE TITLE OF YOUR RESPONSE.

Competition for status

OR

Appearances

OR

Money versus morality

Final Vocab List for Tuesday's Test

scruples, idiosyncrasies, contingency, inculcate

odious, interminable, magnitude, volatility

incongruously, reminiscence, extraneous, contemptuous

lustre, acquiescence, jocularity, boisterous

obscurity, poignant, celibate, refurbish

admonishing, circuitous, depleted, consoled

complacency, ambiguity, mystically, repugnance

fastidiousness, perplexity, provocation, conjecture


coquetry, perpetual, discomfiture, disillusionment, conducive, pessimism, promenade

vindication, seclusion, denouement, denunciation, grotesqueness

disparities, contortions, solicitations, obstinately

subdued, irrepressible, lamentable, whimsical, nebulous
aspirations, rambling, milieu, tumult, credulity, inclination

deluded, idiosyncrasies, foreboding, antagonistic, prosperity

imperviousness, indelicacy

abnormal, drudgeries, intermittent, perverse, mused
coexists, ostensible, credulous, impartiality, implication

dejection, altruism, aloof, innocuous, prosaic

proverbially, panoramic, inexorable, unalloyed, insinuations, incredulity, impenetrable, inclined, legitimate

inexorable, predominant, conspicuous, incredulity, immorality

improbable, succumbed, improvisation, sumptuous, exquisite

culminating, nip, ingenuity, forsook, conciliate, consciousness, expatriate

subdued, revulsions, utilitarian, interminably, prude, aphorisms, compassionate, smitten

pretext, precipitated, priggish, perilous, tentative, indignation