Sunday, July 25, 2010
Characterization
Do you think Dick and Perry were sane? Did the psychiatric analysis of them and descriptions of other cold blooded killers surprise you? Scare you? Make you think differently about violent crime or the death penalty? Explain your response.
Pathos
Capote seems to paint Perry in a more sympathetic light than Dick. He seems sensitive and even kind at points; however, by the end you find out that Perry committed all four murders. Did that surprise you? Did you sympathize with Dick more than Perry at any point? Or did you not "buy into" any of the kind characterizations? Explain.
Pathos
How did Capote humanize the killers? Were you surprised by how likable they could seem despite the brutality of their crime and unremoresefulness to the end?
Writer's Craft
Why do you think Capote did not describe how the murders happened until Dick and Perry were caught and gave their confessions?
Suspense
How does Capote build suspense despite the fact that readers know the ultimate outcome from the beginning of In Cold Blood?
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Rhetoric of Characterization
One of Capote's goals in detailing the events of this murder case is to affect how the reader feels about Hickock and Smith. What do you believe was Capote's intent in making the reader spend so much time with these two individuals; i.e., how does he want you to feel about them? What phrases create these feelings in the reader? Analyze dialogue and diction in forming your answer.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Antithesis
After reading the entire book:
Capote effectively uses a rhetorical device called antithesis. Antithesis is the contrast of ideas or words in parallel constructions. Remember Julius Caesar (heavy sigh)? Brutus says, “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” That’s an excellent use of antithesis, and it definitely touches an audience in distinct and varied ways. Where do you notice Capote’s use of antithesis? How does it affect you as the reader?
Capote effectively uses a rhetorical device called antithesis. Antithesis is the contrast of ideas or words in parallel constructions. Remember Julius Caesar (heavy sigh)? Brutus says, “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” That’s an excellent use of antithesis, and it definitely touches an audience in distinct and varied ways. Where do you notice Capote’s use of antithesis? How does it affect you as the reader?
Truth vs. Fiction
After reading the entire book:
How could Capote have written such a perfect non-fiction story, with such a smooth narrative flow? Many contend that he didn’t – that when the details of the truth mired the telling of the story, Capote turned to invention. If that is the case, where do you suspect that happened? What makes you suspect that that particular part of the story is “fudged”? Does it make a difference to you, the reader?
How could Capote have written such a perfect non-fiction story, with such a smooth narrative flow? Many contend that he didn’t – that when the details of the truth mired the telling of the story, Capote turned to invention. If that is the case, where do you suspect that happened? What makes you suspect that that particular part of the story is “fudged”? Does it make a difference to you, the reader?
Blogging Etiquette
Please abide by these guidelines when blogging on this spot.
1. Treat blogspaces as classroom spaces. Speech that is inappropriate for class is not appropriate for your blog. While we encourage you to engage in debate and conversation with other bloggers, we also expect that you will conduct yourself in a way that would be acceptable in the classroom.
2. It is okay to be critical, but it is not okay to be mean-spirited.
3. Make sure your comment stays on the topic.
4. Write in complete sentences, and refer to the post to which you are responding.
5. You may support your answer with a quote from the book.
6. Write an original thought. Think outside the box.
7. Include connections: text-self (this book to your own life), text-text (this book to another book or an article) or text-world (what is going on in the larger world that connects to this book?)
8. Write a minimum of 125 words.
9. Do not write “shallow” comments like “You da man!” “I agree!” unless you plan to follow up with thoughtful comments.
10. Include your first name and last initial.
adapted from William Kist - Social Networking in the Classroom
1. Treat blogspaces as classroom spaces. Speech that is inappropriate for class is not appropriate for your blog. While we encourage you to engage in debate and conversation with other bloggers, we also expect that you will conduct yourself in a way that would be acceptable in the classroom.
2. It is okay to be critical, but it is not okay to be mean-spirited.
3. Make sure your comment stays on the topic.
4. Write in complete sentences, and refer to the post to which you are responding.
5. You may support your answer with a quote from the book.
6. Write an original thought. Think outside the box.
7. Include connections: text-self (this book to your own life), text-text (this book to another book or an article) or text-world (what is going on in the larger world that connects to this book?)
8. Write a minimum of 125 words.
9. Do not write “shallow” comments like “You da man!” “I agree!” unless you plan to follow up with thoughtful comments.
10. Include your first name and last initial.
adapted from William Kist - Social Networking in the Classroom
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
THS English 3 AP Summer Reading Blog
Welcome to the THS English 3 AP Blog! Be sure your blogger name is school appropriate, as you will be using it throughout the year.
Your assignment is to respond to the posts on this website four times over the course of the summer. Read the post on "Blogging Etiquette" before you make your first post.
You may respond to the original post or to a classmate's response, but respond to at least 4 different questions throughout your reading of the novel. Be sure your responses represent deep thought and substance and are about 125 words. Concentrate on how Capote develops his novel, not just the sequence of events.
If you have questions, email us! See you in August!
Ms. Harden & Ms. Kasper
hardenenglish3@gmail.com
bakasper1@gmail.com
Your assignment is to respond to the posts on this website four times over the course of the summer. Read the post on "Blogging Etiquette" before you make your first post.
You may respond to the original post or to a classmate's response, but respond to at least 4 different questions throughout your reading of the novel. Be sure your responses represent deep thought and substance and are about 125 words. Concentrate on how Capote develops his novel, not just the sequence of events.
If you have questions, email us! See you in August!
Ms. Harden & Ms. Kasper
hardenenglish3@gmail.com
bakasper1@gmail.com
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