Bellwork

1. Bellwork Junior English Ms. Gersten

2. Bellwork (17 January 2014) • Twain often delivered humorous maxims (proverbs) in his lectures. For example: • It’s better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt. • There are many humorous things in the world; among them, the white man’s notion that he is less savage than other savages. • When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant that I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years. • What techniques does Twain use here to create humor? Do you find him funny? Or outdated?

3. Humor in Life on the Mississippi • Twain used several comic devices: • Hyperbole: outrageous exaggeration for humorous effect • “When I faced to the front again my heart flew into my mouth so suddenly that if I hadn’t clapped my teeth together I should have lost it” (p. 460) • Comic metaphors: comparisons between two unlike/mismatched things that create colorful images • “My gunpowdery chief went off with a bang . . . and then went on loading and firing until he was out of adjectives” (p. 454) • Understatement: saying less than what is meant, usually for ironic purposes • “I was glad this damage had been saved, for it would have made me unpopular with the owners” (p. 456) Can you think of examples from your life (or books/TV/movies) of these comic devices?

4. ON the right side of your notebook • Find one example each of hyperbole, comic metaphors, and understatement in the short story. Create 3 CECs to explain your examples. • For example: In Mark Twain’s short story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” he uses hyperbole to make the reader laugh. For example, he writes, “__________________” (p. _____). In other words, he is saying _________.

5. Directions: Choose four (4) of the following quetison and answer them on the left side. Answer each with a 3-5 sentence paragraph. • Why is the story set in a mining town? What was the historical significance of mining towns to the development of the West? What kind of people did they attract? • Why do you think Wheeler is so interested in getting people to listen to his tall tales? Does he just like to hear himself talk, or can people learn something from him? • Why is it significant that Smiley’s animals all seem to have no use/value until he finds it? Why do you think that they usually win, despite limitations? (Think symbolism.) • Compare and contrast the narrator (who is from the East) with the other characters (Wheeler & Smiley). What are the similarities and differences? What do they have to do with regional distinctions? • Does the use of Andrew Jackson and Dan'l Webster as nicknames suggest a commentary upon the two regions and their characteristics? Why or why not? • Are the regional differences in the story caricatures (exaggeration), or are they realistic? Explain.

6. Bellwork (16 January 2014) • Twain, the narrator, uses a somewhat elevated diction (word choice) while Mr. Bixby uses slang. What purposes could this difference serve? • Mr. Bixby refers to the boat as if it were a person. What is the effect of this personification? (Ships are traditionally referred to as female). • Twain says that “all the grace, the beauty, the poetry had gone out of the majestic river!” (p. 462). In what sense is he describing a loss of innocence that is a result of increased experience?

7. Directions: based on your reading last night (p. 450), answer the following questions on a half-sheet. This is a quiz! Reading Quiz (15 January 2014) • Mark Twain’s literature could be described as: • Realism • Regionalism • Humorous • All of the above • How did Mark Twain get his name? • From a steam boating tradition • From a dying uncle • From a childhood habit • From his christening • Mark Twain’s most famous work of literature is: • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer • “The Celebrated Jumping Frog” • Innocents Abroad • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn • What happened near the end of Twain’s life that made him bitter? • He lost all of his money and died a poor man. • He lost his house and all of his possessions. • His beloved wife and daughter died. • He lost a treasured manuscript in a house fire.

8. Bellwork (17 January 2014) • Regionalism: literature that emphasizes a specific geographic region • Speech • Manners • Temperament • Society • Can you think of any movies/books/TV shows that exemplify regionalism?

9. Bellwork (14 January 2014) • Stephen Crane’s work, including “A Mystery of Heroism” (p. 487), is said to exemplify both realism and naturalism. Explain why/how this short story fits into each category. • Realism: writing that aims to accurately portray ordinary life (often gritty subjects such as poverty and corruption) • Naturalism: writing that attempts to dissect human behavior, analyzing characters’ motivations and psyche

10. “A Mystery of HeroisM” Discussion Questions • Directions: Answer these below your Somebody-Wanted-But-So chart for “Heroism” (p. 487): • What do you think is Collins’s motive for his daring act? Thirst? The reactions of his comrades? Some other force? • Analyze the title of the short story. What is the “mystery”? • The ending of the story is ambiguous (open to more than one interpretation). Do you think that the lieutenants spilled the water? Or was the bucket empty by the time Collins got back? Does the empty bucket mean something? Explain how you interpreted the final lines of the story. Comment on whether or not you think this is a good ending.

11. “War is Kind” Discussion Questions • What do the odd-numbered stanzas (1, 3, and 5) have in common? What about the even-numbered stanzas? • What images does the poem conjure up your mind? • What effect does the speaker achieve by saying "war is kind" instead of just, say, "war is awful"? In other words, why bother with verbal irony (saying the opposite of what you mean)? • Consider: this poem makes patriotism seem cruel and pointless, since these soldiers were born to die anyway.

12. On the left side… WAR • Create a three-way Venn diagram to compare “War is Kind,” “A Mystery of Heroism,” and your selected war memoir. Here are some questions to get you started: • Analyze the mood or tone (how it makes you feel) • How does the author humanize the men (include details that make them seem more human)? • What message do you think the author is trying to convey about war? Patriotism? Heroism?

13. Bellwork (13 January 2014) • What do you think of when you hear the word “hero”? What is a hero? Create a word cloud for your thoughts.

14. “A mYstery of HEroisM” • Somebody Wanted But So • (character) (goal/motivation) (conflict) (resolution) • Romeo to marry Juliet but their families they got were feuding married secretly • *In your notebook (on the right), complete at least three (3) somebody-wanted-but-sos for “A Mystery of Heroism” (p. 487).

15. Bellwork (8 January 2014) • Douglass writes, “He only can understand the deep satisfaction which I experienced, who has himself repelled by force the bloody arm of slavery” (p. 430). What does this statement mean? How is it true? In what ways is it untrue? How might Douglass’s feelings apply to you? • Consider: • There are many kinds of slavery (ex: alcoholism, addictions) • Although slavery is abolished in the U.S., we still struggle with racism

18. Sketch to stretch • Work independently to create a symbolic sketch of your interpretation of the excerpt from Frederick Douglass’s Narrative • This is not a literal representation of a scene • Draw a sketch of what the story means to you • Don’t worry about artistic ability – this is just a sketch! • Below your sketch, write about why you drew what you did • Use evidence from the text to support your opinion • “Quotation” (p. ___). • In a few minutes, we will share these sketches in small groups

19. Bellwork (07 January 2014) • Walt Whitman wrote, “Future years will never know the seething hell and black infernal background of the [Civil War] … and it is best that they should not – the real war will never get in the books.” • In other words, Whitman believed that perhaps citizens are better off not seeing “the real war.” Do you agree with Whitman? Or do you believe that citizens have a right (and responsibility) to learn about the wars in which the U.S. is involved? • Consider: • tax money pays for the wars and makes bloodshed possible • freedom of the press vs. government's need for secrecy during war • the belief that the media changed the course of the Vietnam War, the first one to be broadcast on television

20. Bellwork (06 January 2014) • Which of the following is NOT a course goal? • Acquire and use academic vocabulary • Respond to arguments with reason and evidence • Read and comprehend fiction and non-fiction • Chew as much bubble gum as possible • Which of the following is NOT a rule in Ms. G’s class? • Be respectful • Be prepared • Be purple • Be productive • When are you considered late to class? • When the bell stops ringing. • When Ms. G shuts the door. • When Ms. G starts talking. • Five minutes after class starts. • What should you do when you need to use the restroom? • Raise your hand and ask to go to the bathroom. • Jump up and yell, “I gotta pee!” • Hand Ms. G a bathroom pass and sign out, causing minimal disruption. • Interrupt Ms. G midsentence in the middle of her lecture to ask if you can use the restroom.

21. Bellwork (06 January 2014) • Which of the following is NOT a course goal? • Acquire and use academic vocabulary • Respond to arguments with reason and evidence • Read and comprehend fiction and non-fiction • Chew as much bubble gum as possible • Which of the following is NOT a rule in Ms. G’s class? • Be respectful • Be prepared • Be purple • Be productive • When are you considered late to class? • When the bell stops ringing. • When Ms. G shuts the door. • When Ms. G starts talking. • Five minutes after class starts. • What should you do when you need to use the restroom? • Raise your hand and ask to go to the bathroom. • Jump up and yell, “I gotta pee!” • Hand Ms. G a bathroom pass and sign out, causing minimal disruption. • Interrupt Ms. G midsentence in the middle of her lecture to ask if you can use the restroom.

22. Bellwork (13 January 2014)