Monday, August 8, 2011
Consider the Setting...
Do you attach any significance to McCarthy’s choosing Mayflower, Florida as the setting for this novel? Explain; give 2 specific examples or details (with page references) from the novel to support your interpretation.
A Dynamic Faith?
Religion figures prominently in Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands, ranging from Marvin’s lessons in Bible study to the horrific Klan bombings of Catholic and Jewish citizens. How do these many experiences shape Reesa’s understanding of God? How does her faith change throughout the novel? (Share an example and give details to show that this instance reflects a change in Reesa’s behavior or beliefs. Please include page references!).
A Woman's Perspective
Two background characters, Maybelle Mason and Lucy Garnet, add an interesting perspective to the role of women in Mayflower. In what way does each woman's tragedy affect your understanding of this town? Please choose either character and use specific examples and chapter references to validate your responses!
The All-American Sport
Discuss the author's many references to baseball by sharing specific examples from the novel. How does this game enhance the novel's plot and tone? Please include page references!
The Impact of Role Models
Do Reesa's role models -- her mother and father, Doto, Luther, and Armetta -- provide her with contradictory or consistent messages about human nature? For your response, use specific details (page references would be great!) to illustrate comparisons and / or contrasts between any two characters of your choice. Please provide two examples: 2 comparisons, 2 contrasts, or one of each.
A Perfect Narrator?
Now that many of you have completed the novel, reflect on the book’s narrator, Reesa McMahon. What characteristics does this young narrator add to a story as intense as the events in Mayflower, Florida? List, give an example, and explain two character / personality traits she demonstrates that make her a particularly appropriate guide for us.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Welcome FHS Honors Comm 9 -- Honors American Studies Students!
Visit this site often to share your views and to respond to your peers' comments! Please feel free to ask questions here regarding any aspects of our summer reading requirements. We look forward to our journey together!
We hope you’re enjoying your summer in Fairview – this area’s premier season for us! Love the beaches, warm weather, and the freedom to enjoy these glorious days!
Don’t forget your obligation to respond to our blog six times over the summer, reacting to considerations we’ve posted and / or to comments made by your peers. Check the FHS Summer Reading posting for more details and specific requirements!
Mrs. Hurt and Mrs.Nelson
In the Beginning...
Do not neglect McCarthy’s Prologue, pp. 1-3! Providing significant background on Florida’s similarities and differences with other Southern states, this overview notes the state’s unique economy, geography & landscape, population, and reputation – all pivotal in its history and important in Reesa’s story.
Before proceeding to Chapter 1, visit the following site (“What Was Jim Crow?”)
http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/what.htm To gain more insight to McCarthy’s opening, review the text and check out the pictures by clicking on “More Pictures.”
Your task:
From the prologue through chapter 8, identify and comment on aspects of Florida’s economy, geography, population, and reputation that prove Reesa’s father was prophetic when he commented ‘“It’s (Florida) the social equivalent of a Molotov cocktail”’(p. 2). Clarify your responses by including quotes and /or paraphrase, and page references!
Before proceeding to Chapter 1, visit the following site (“What Was Jim Crow?”)
http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/what.htm To gain more insight to McCarthy’s opening, review the text and check out the pictures by clicking on “More Pictures.”
Your task:
From the prologue through chapter 8, identify and comment on aspects of Florida’s economy, geography, population, and reputation that prove Reesa’s father was prophetic when he commented ‘“It’s (Florida) the social equivalent of a Molotov cocktail”’(p. 2). Clarify your responses by including quotes and /or paraphrase, and page references!
Literary Traditions and Techniques
As you’re reading Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands, exercise your literary insights! The book is filled with literary techniques that add meaning and depth to your reading…IF you’re aware! Be on the lookout for examples of foreshadowing, metaphor / simile, personification, symbolism, irony, and other literary techniques. Share and EXPLAIN 1 or 2 examples for this post, quoting (if short) or paraphrasing, and citing page references. Feel free to comment on and extend peers’ original posts!
The Novel's Realities
Since Lay That Trumpet in Our Hands is a fictionalized account of real experiences, many of the characters and events can be researched to heighten our understanding of this work. Be observant as you read! Check people, places, and events on the web and share background you discover from reliable sources (Please no Wikipedia!). Share information in your own words (do not plagiarize) and include website visited. In follow-up posts, peers are welcome to extend original post information.
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