Pre-AP English II November 6, 2017 Consider the following passage from Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: “Pots rattled in the kitchen where Momma was frying corn cakes to go with vegetable soup for supper, and the homey sounds and scents cushioned me as I read of Jane Eyre in the cold English mansion of a colder English gentleman.” In your journal, answer the following: 1. By using the word cushioned, what does Angelou imply about her life and Jane Eyre’s life? 2. What is the difference between the cold of the English mansion and the cold of the English gentleman? What does Angelou’s diction convey about her attitude toward Jane’s life? Write a sentence using a strong verb to connect one part of your life with another. For example, you could connect a book you are reading and your mother’s dinner preparations, as Maya Angelou does; or you could connect a classroom lecture with sounds outside. Be creative. Use an exact verb (like cushioned), one which connotes the attitude you want to convey. Share your sentence with the class.

Announcements This is a regular week for Membean. You will need to complete 45 minutes of practice time (30 minutes will be completed in class). Watch Canvas this week for another discussion question. I will let you know when it is posted and when it is due. We’ll be wrapping up dystopian lit this week, and we’ll move on to another novel. Any ideas what you might like to read? Let me know.

Objectives Students will continue working on style analysis. They will practice close reading techniques and detailed note taking on diction, syntax, imagery, tone, figurative language, metaphor, simile, etc. They will analyze setting, characters, and literary devices, making complex inferences and drawing conclusions as they read.

Cornell Notes – How did you do? Any questions or difficulties while annotating “Harrison Bergeron?” Do you find the Cornell Method helpful? Do you think that starting out with this method will help with your regular annotation techniques/practices?

“Harrison Bergeron” Style Analysis Diction/Syntax - simple, sparse, not overly lavish or poetic - emphasizes the sparse lifestyle of the US in 2081. The reader is left to fill in many of the details on his/her own (sentence 5). The only example of more elaborate language is in line 73, "reeled, whirled, swiveled, flounced, capered, gamboled, and spun." This offers us a look at what is missing in this society. Sentence structure likewise is very simple. Not a lot of overly complex sentences. This mirrors the imapct of diction and reflects the spartan nature of society in 2081.

“Harrison Bergeron” Style Analysis Point of View - Third person objective. What are the characters thinking? Why does Hazel cry all the time? Why does Vonnegut choose this limited point of view to narrate the story? He wants the reader to think about the implications of such a society. Or, perhaps because the story is satire, he is mocking people’s concerns about government overreach into our lives. Hazel could be crying all the time because she is sad that she has lost contact with her son, or that her son has resisted societal changes.

“Harrison Bergeron” Style Analysis Setting - Primary setting is George and Hazel's living room in 2081. It is in a country where everyone is now "equal." But, equality now means that no one is allowed to be successful, beautiful, talented, smart, etc. Everyone is made equal by means of "handicaps" imposed on them by the government. Is Vonnegut criticizing or warning of the implications of socialism? "Harrison Bergeron" is satire. More likely, he is satirizing the attitude of conservatives toward socialism and the fears that many of them had about government overreach into the lives of citizens. Or, maybe Vonnegut, a known socialist, was warning fellow socialists about the dangers over overreach?

“Harrison Bergeron” Style Analysis Tone - Tone is difficult to establish, especially in satire. Should we laugh at the characters and events, or is the story serious? Diction contributes to the ambiguity of the tone in that it is so simple, almost journalistic, that it offers very little in the way of interpretation or opinion, and leaves all of that to the reader. But, there are moments of levity in the midst of seriousness: line 37 "it wasn't clear at first as to what the bulletin was about, since the announcer, like all announcers, had a serious speech impediment." Or, in line 22, when George hears an especially loud noise, Hazel responds, "Boy...that was a doozy, wasn't it?" But, the ambiguity in the tone calls attention to the chaotic nature of the country in 2081. Perhaps it's Vonnegut's warning to us about the future?

“Harrison Bergeron” Style Analysis Symbolism/Imagery/Figurative Language… Noises Television Weights Masks Any others that come to mind? What literary techniques does Vonnegut use?

“Harrison Bergeron” Style Analysis Define the allegorical nature of “Harrison Bergeron?” Allegory is difficult to define when it is coupled with satire. Allegory features some hidden meaning, but satire is, by definition, a genre which mocks. Therefore, it also has hidden meanings. Unmasking allegory when it is coupled with satire is like peeling the layers of an onion.

Homework No homework tonight.

Tomorrow we will… Look at examples of style analysis essays in preparation to write our own essays over “Harrison Bergeron,” “The Lottery,” or another approved short story that you have already read.