Monday – No School for Students

Hook, Housekeeping & Homework Tuesday Which one of the following is a lie about…? “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.” – Mark Twain

Past, Present, Future Tuesday Short Story #2 “The Story of an Hour” Lens #2 - Biographical/Historical Lens #3 – Feminism Apply to Short Story #2 “The Story of an Hour” Extension: apply to the poem “Girl” Book talks for Choice Novel Selection (fiction first!)

Short Stories Through a Critical Lens Tuesday 2. Reading for All Purposes 1. Literary criticism of complex texts requires the use of analysis, interpretive, and evaluative strategies Objective: to identify and apply the components of another critical lens, Feminist Perspective, the “The Story of an Hour” Relevance: By interpreting complex texts, providing evidence, and communicating ideas, we are not only practicing the skills need in any workplace or postsecondary setting, but also we are examining aspects of ourselves and others and how these as well as social and historical events impact the way in which we communicate. By learning to examine situations from different perspectives, we open ourselves to recognizing, understanding, explaining, and judging the ways in which we, as well as others, conduct ourselves, in order to more productively function in an every changing world. Inquiry Questions: What is critical theory? How would a feminist/gender critic approach and respond to this text?

Historical/Biographical Lens Tuesday Purpose: to apply general biographical and historical information about our author, Kate Chopin, to our understanding of the story “The Story of an Hour.” Tasks: Have out your notes from last week PPT for the 19th – 21st Century American Feminist Literature unit in Delaware. PPT about the author, Katie Chopin What are some ideas that you listed about her life or time period that you believe correspond with the story? Outcome: Using the 2 column chart on the back of the handout on Feminism, fill out the Outcome ideas below. List three ideas about Kate Chopin’s historical time period and/or her personal life. List three corresponding ideas about how these details of time period or her personal life are reflected in the short story “The Story of an Hour.” How does knowing about her life and some historical context help us understand the story in a different way?

Feminist Lens Tuesday Purpose: to identify the components of another critical lens = Feminist Perspective and how it can be applied to “The Story of an Hour” Tasks: Read the LITERARY THEORIES: THE FEMINIST APPROACH TO LITERATURE View the following videos (x2) about the historical context, author and text A History of Western Feminism...in 101 Seconds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnETKMum9K4 Kate Chopin and Feminism (A brief overview) 2:45 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQf4yCPdaTk Outcome: Responses to the following on your handout What is feminism? In brief, (& words you understand), what are the 3 waves? What is women’s suffrage? Name two facts about author Kate Chopin’s life. List two ideas about Kate Chopin’s writing. How does knowing about her life and some historical context help us understand the story in a different way?

Possible Responses - I DO Tuesday Movement to obtain legal, political, social rights; belief that woman should have same rights, powers, opportunities 1800s Mandated inequalities, political rights – suffrage 1960s Liberation, unofficial, legal social inequalities - workplace, reproduction, divorce 1990s Essentialism - upper, middle class, white women – gender violence, derogatory terms Right to vote 1850-1904, Civil War; Dad died in train accident; Lots of widows (great, grand, mom) Feminist content (uproar); never saw herself as feminist; support $$ self with writing, lived with mom etc. Beyond plot… **underlying concept or message; what is the work saying about a particular subject? Be prepared to share out one final idea that your group comes up with for the class. Kate Chopin’s story reveals… what?! Think in terms of historical/biographical & feminist lenses!

Hook, Housekeeping & Homework Wednesday Which one of the following is a lie about…? “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn't.” – Mark Twain

Past, Present, Future Wednesday Lens #3 – Feminism Apply to Short Story #2 “The Story of an Hour” Extension: apply to the poem “Girl” Book talks for Choice Novel Selection (fiction first!)

Short Stories Through a Critical Lens Wednesday 2. Reading for All Purposes 1. Literary criticism of complex texts requires the use of analysis, interpretive, and evaluative strategies Objective: to identify and apply the components of another critical lens, Feminist Perspective, the “The Story of an Hour” Relevance: By interpreting complex texts, providing evidence, and communicating ideas, we are not only practicing the skills need in any workplace or postsecondary setting, but also we are examining aspects of ourselves and others and how these as well as social and historical events impact the way in which we communicate. By learning to examine situations from different perspectives, we open ourselves to recognizing, understanding, explaining, and judging the ways in which we, as well as others, conduct ourselves, in order to more productively function in an every changing world. Inquiry Questions: What is critical theory? How would a feminist/gender critic approach and respond to this text?

Activity Wednesday Time to Report Out From Yesterday! Beyond plot… **underlying concept or message; what is the work saying about a particular subject? Be prepared to share out one final idea that your group comes up with for the class. Kate Chopin’s story reveals… what?! Think in terms of historical/biographical & feminist lenses!

Activity: Apply Wednesday Task: In small groups, analyze Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” through the feminist lens to examine the theme of female suppression. In “The Story of an Hour”… How are women portrayed in the story? What are their roles and attributes*? How are men portrayed in the story? What are their roles and attributes? How is the relationship between men and women portrayed? How do these portrayals possibly reflect the author’s belief systems? How do these portrayals possibly reflect a larger societal view or belief systems? How do these portrayals represent a thematic** idea? Outcome: Be prepared to report out! *qualities, features, characteristics **underlying concept or message; what is the work saying about a particular subject?

SCR Model “YGB” Through a Feminist Lens When viewed through a feminist lens, the role of the female character Faith in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” may seem to represent a good, although a stereotypically weak and nervous, wife but also a woman who represents temptation and deceit. Of the two main female characters, Faith and Good Cloyse, Faith at first appears on the peripheral, and indeed is a one-dimensional character. Her allegorical name and symbolic, somewhat stereotypical, pink ribbons represent the passive, innocent and feminine aspect of “woman.” In a traditional patriarchal society, a wife is seen as adjunct, or an add-on to the male, who is seen as a protector. Indeed, Faith asks Brown to put off his journey as “a lone woman is troubled with such dreams and thoughts that she’s afeard of herself sometimes,” but Young Goodman Brown rejects this feminine need, in favor of journeying into the forest to meet the Devil. During the ritual in the forest, Faith appears again, but here she is now a potential convert herself. “Whether Faith obeyed” her husband’s commands to look up to heaven, the reader, just like Brown, will never know since Hawthorne does not share any of Faith’s thoughts or feelings on the matter. In on regard she remains a silent figure, and seemingly as guilty as Eve “making” Adam eat the apple, because Brown rejects her, both as an innocent and temptress, in the end. On the other hand, the feminist reader cannot over-look her significance. Faith does represent faith, and it is Brown who ultimately dies miserable and alone.

Activity: Develop Wednesday How might a feminist critic view these quotes from the story? “she did not hear the story as many women have heard the same, with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance.”   “she wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment”  “her bosom rose and fell tumultuously. She was beginning to recognize this thing that was approaching to possess her, and she was striving to beat it back with her will.”  “And yet she had loved him—sometimes.” “as powerless as her two white slender hands would have been. When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: “free, free, free!” “There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature.”  “carried herself unwittingly like a goddess of Victory.”  “When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease—of the joy that kills”  Look again at some of the descriptions of setting (time, place) in the story itself by Kate Chopin. (She describes the setting in paragraphs 4 – 6, 8 and the future in paragraph 19). Based on your work with archetypal symbols, how might some of these descriptions support a feminist analysis? e.g. “the trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life” What quotes will YOU use to support your analysis?

Instruction: I Do Micro-theme! (partial) Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “Young Goodman Brown” portrays Faith and Goody Cloyse as a seemingly good, while Goodman Brown is seen as strong and determined. This reveals a traditional more stereotypical view of women as weak, nervous, and possibly deceitful and men as protectors and “doers.” Of the two main female characters, Faith and Good Cloyse, Faith at first appears on the peripheral, and indeed is a one-dimensional character. Her allegorical name and symbolic, somewhat stereotypical, pink ribbons represent the passive, innocent and feminine aspect of “woman.” Indeed, Faith asks Brown to put off his journey as “a lone woman is troubled with such dreams and thoughts that she’s afeard of herself sometimes.” In a traditional patriarchal society, a wife is seen as adjunct, or an add-on to the male, and may even attempt to hold him back in his desires because of her timid nature. Goody Close, while also seen as good, but also as deceitful temptresses…. Young Goodman Brown, on the other hand, rejects feminine needs, in favor of journeying into the forest to meet the Devil, During the ritual in the forest, Brown commands Faith to look up to heaven… the reader, just like Brown, will never know since Hawthorne does not share any of Faith’s thoughts or feelings on the matter. In on regard the female characters seem as guilty as innocent Eve “making” Adam eat the apple, because Brown rejects her, both as an innocent and temptress, in the end. On the other hand, the female roles cannot be overlooked. Faith does represent faith, and it is Brown who ultimately dies miserable and alone.

Activity: You Do Purpose: to show what you know about the feminist lens by writing a micro-theme about “the Story of an Hour” using this lens to analyze the story Tasks: Write your closed thesis and importance/purpose sentence Outline your essay, finding quotes to use from the story Use the outline (next) to help organize your thoughts Use the link to the story (or simply Google “The Story of an Hour text”) http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/hour/ Write your essay! Use the handout on incorporating quotes to help you use quotes from the story in your essay Turn it in to Turnitin.com by Friday midnight

Activity: Develop: Outline Your Micro-theme! How are women and men portrayed in this text? What does that reveal? And/or why is this important/what is the purpose? Paragraph 1 Closed Thesis Explanation of purpose/importance Author, genre, “title” portrays women as ?? And ?? but men as ?? This reveals ???? Body paragraph #1 Point 1 (e.g women portrayal 1) Illustration 1 (quote/example form story) Explanation 1 Body paragraph #2 P2 I2 E2 Body paragraph #3 P3 I3 E3 Conclusion - What does this story reveal? And/or why is this important/what is the purpose? You may even want to take this a step further

Thursday Lab 257 Micro-theme “The Story of an Hour” Through a Feminist Lens Prompt: Through a feminist lens, how are women and men portrayed in this text? What does this reveal? Why is this important or significant? What is the purpose? Write a 450-600 word, organized, proofread micro-theme that… Has a 2 sentence opening paragraph that… 1. Has a closed thesis identifying the author, genre and title AND identifies the roles or attributes of women and men in the story 2. Identifies the purpose (P) or significance of viewing this story through a feminist lens Has 3 body paragraphs that… 1. Identify roles or attributes of women and men in the story 2. Gives specific illustrations (I) /examples from the story (SEE HOW TO INCORPORATE QUOTATIONS HANDOUT) 3. Explains how each example would be viewed through a feminist lens (look at your notes on feminism!) 4. Examines the purpose and/or importance of each portrayal (E) (what it reveals, shows, does) Has a 2 sentence concluding paragraph that… 1. Restates the importance or significance of viewing this story through a feminist lens 2. Examines how this is or is not reflected in today’s society TURN THIS IN TO TURNITIN.COM NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, SEPT. 25TH MIDNIGHT

Micro-theme due tonight (Friday) at midnight! Don’t forget to turn your Feminist Lens “The Story of an Hour” micro-theme into Turniitin.com!

Take a Book Talk Information Log off the front table Friday–Book Talks Take a Book Talk Information Log off the front table Use this today to fill in information about various novels presented or ones you discover on the shelf or on your own. This completed sheet (including the responses on the back at the bottom) is due no later than Monday Make sure you also HAVE the BOOK you plan to start reading (or are reading) on MONDAY The first book must be a book of FICTION. (After you read one book of fiction you may move on to non-fiction if you want to.) It should be appropriate for your age & reading level Please read something you have not read before; if you like a particular author or book, read something else by the same author or another book by a different author You may bring a hard copy or an electronic copy Bring it to class EVERY day

Additional Information of Feminism…

Feminist Theory Review Basis = Western culture is fundamentally patriarchal (i.e., created by men, controlled by men, viewed through the eyes of men, and evaluated by men). 1960s = rise of a new, feminist approach to literary criticism. Before = works of female writers (or works about females) examined by the same standards as those by male writers (and about men) Old texts are reexamined portrayal of women in literature is reevaluated. New writers reflect the developing concept of the “modern woman.” interested in exposing the ways women in literature—both authors and characters—are undervalued. Some dissected individual words in Western languages, suggesting that the languages themselves reflect a patriarchal worldview. Arguing that Western literature reflects a masculine bias. presents an inaccurate and potentially harmful portrayal of women. to repair the potential harm done and achieve balance, feminist critics insist that works by and about women be added to the literary canon and read from a feminist perspective.

Three main areas of study and points of criticism exist in the Feminist Theory: 1. differences between men and women 2. women in positions of power and power dynamics between men and women 3. the female experience

1. main area 1. Differences between men and women • One basic assumption of the feminist perspective is that gender determines everything, including values and the ways language is used. • The canon of literature printed, marketed, and taught in schools must be expanded to include the study of genres in which women “traditionally” write: journals, diaries, and personal letters. The differences in the topics or issues about which men and women write and the differing viewpoints from which men and women write must be noted. All views must be respected as equally valid.

2. main area 2. Women in positions of power and power dynamics between men and women • Any evidence of the social, economic, and political exploitation of women must be noted and confronted. The feminist critic checks the work to see whether female characters have power and of what type of power it might be. • A feminist critic views literature as a means by which inequities can be identified, protested, and possibly rectified. A feminist critic will note the division of labor and economics between men and women in the work being studied. • A feminist critic will note how male and female characters in the work interact with one another in a variety of contexts. Does the woman act subservient? Does the man treat the woman like an adult? Are males and females politically and economically equal?

main areas 3. The Female Experience Feminist critics examine and celebrate all portrayals of the creative, life-giving role of femininity. Women have traditionally been portrayed as dependent on men, but feminists point out that men are dependent on women for humanity’s most basic need—birthing children. All evidence of feminine nurture, healing, life giving and restoring are examined. Feminist theory is not fundamentally chauvinistic. Feminist critics explore literature for portrayals of the concept that men and women are each incomplete without the other. They do, however, reject suggestions of studying only feminine “incompleteness.”

Essential questions for a feminist reading: ๏What stereotypes of women are depicted in the text? ๏Are female characters oversimplified? Weak? Foolish? Excessively naive? ๏Do the female characters play major or minor roles in the action of the work? ๏Are they supportive or independent? Powerless or strong? Subservient or in control? ๏If the female characters have any power, what kind is it? Political? Economic? Social? Psychological? Are the female characters and situations in which they are placed oversimplified or presented fully and in detail? ๏How do the male characters talk about the female characters? ๏How do the male characters treat the female ๏How do the female characters act toward the male ๏How do the female characters act toward each other? Is the work, in general, sympathetic to female characters? Too sympathetic? ๏Do any of the work’s themes touch upon any idea that could be seen as a feminist issue? Is the theme supportive or disparaging of women? ๏Overall, do you think that the female characters are believable? For that matter, do you think that the male characters are believable?

Examining “Cinderella” from a Feminist Perspective Consider the potentially misogynist* theme of abused-girl-waiting-to-be-rescued-by-prince. Consider the (male/societal) values conveyed in the portrayal of the “good girl” as physically beautiful and the “wicked girls” as physically ugly. How does this reflect what “we” deem important for a woman to be? Examine the potentially misogynist theme of the courtship ritual of the prince’s ball: By what standard (other than physical beauty) will he choose whom to marry? Will the chosen woman have a choice in whether or not to marry the prince? What is the basis of the prince’s “love at first sight” with Cinderella? Consider the feminist implication of the fact that the “good girl” is passive, weak, and submissive and can do nothing (and does do nothing) to improve her own condition; the fact that the powerful woman is portrayed as wicked (and probably ugly). * Wikipdeia: Misogyny (/mɪˈsɒdʒɪni/) is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Misogyny can be manifested in numerous ways, including sexual discrimination, belittling of women, violence against women, and sexual objectification of women.[1][2]

Essential Questions What is critical theory? What is a critical lens? What are five types of critical lenses? How were they established? How are they defined? What archetypes exist in this text, and how do they work to create a broader purpose? How would a feminist/gender critic approach and respond to this text? How would a Marxist/social class critic approach and respond to this text? How would a psychoanalytical critic approach and respond to this text? How would a historical/biographical critic approach this text? What are the advantages and disadvantages to using a particular lens? How fair or biased is this view? Is it still reasonable in today’s world? Is literary criticism based on skepticism or something else? How do readers utilize critical lenses to create differed interpretations of the writer’s craft? What interpretations of the writer’s craft are created when viewed through different critical lenses? How do reader’s perspectives differ depending on a specific critical lens? Which critical lens is most useful/powerful to understanding the story as a whole?