Monday, March 2, 2015

Blog #1: WL Blog #1: Aztec and Canadian Literature

THIS IS A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT.  THERE WILL BE NO TIME GIVEN IN CLASS.

Assigned: Thursday, February 26, 2015

Due: Wednesday, March 11, 2015
IMPORTANT:

  • proper grammar, spelling, capitalization and punctuation will be expected and benchmarked.  Check your work (proofread) before submitting.
  • Choose wisely.  If you do not have access to the internet, then do the essay instead.

If done as an essay: You will answer all 5 questions below.  Use the standard page layout and proper name/class/period information at the top.  This is a formal paper which must be typed, double-spaced, and include at least a ONE paragraph answer for each question.
 
 
Final copy due by: Wednesday, March 11, 2015. 


If done as a blog:  You will choose 3 questions below and 2 student responses.  Begin your blog comment by writing your first name, the first letter of your last name, and your period number (John S. Period 4).  Also, reference the question number at the beginning of each answer. This is a semi-formal assignment written on the classroom blog of at least ONE paragraph per question and TWO minimum responses (3-5 sentences) to two different students.
 
 
Final entry due by: Wednesday, March 11, 2015.


Questions:

A myth is a traditional story, usually set at the beginning of time. Many myths follow the exploits of a cultural hero. In the Aztec Creation Story (RTW 9-14), 
  •  1) What moral lessons for humans do you think the creation story myth teaches? Write 2-3 sentences explaining your answer.
A flashback is a break in the flow of a narrative, taking the reader back to events that occurred before the opening scene of the story. In the story Borders by Thomas King (RTW 17-29), 
  •  2) Describe the flashback in the story then give one reason why you think the author uses this technique in the story.     
  •  3) Based upon your reading so far and your general knowledge, generate two or three questions about Canada and Canadian literature which you could answer through additional research.
Tone is the attitude of the author toward his or her subject. 
  • 4)  In the poem “At the Tourist Centre in Boston” (RTW 30-32) by Margaret Atwood, what tone do you identify in the poem?  Who is it directed at?  Why do you think she feels this way?   Explain your answer.
Theme is the underlying meaning or message in a piece of literature.  It may be stated explicitly by the author’s narration or through his/her characters or it can be implied and require the reader to interpret the universal truth. The theme of a work is usually expressed as a short statement or saying. 
  • 5)  In one sentence, what do you think is the universal truth, the message, the theme of the Canadian short story “Day of the Butterfly” (RTW 33-44) by Alice Munro?  Defend your answer. Identify the acts of cruelty in this story, both deliberate and unintentional.  What do you think is the author’s purpose in using them?  Explain your answer.

19 comments:

  1. SAMPLE:
    1) In my opinion the Aztec creation story myth moral is about being able to trust. The Aztecs wandered the desert for two hundred years before the gods told them where they could build the new empire if they did not trust the gods they would have been in the same spot and not have moved and built a new country. They also would not have sacrificed to the gods if they did not trust that they would help provide things like rain and sunlight. By trusting the new comer they ended up giving most of the gold up because the leader thought it was the god returning. The Aztec creation story also implies that your destination in the afterlife is based on what kind of person you are; sort of, as it more implicitly says that it is based on how you die as well as living your life, but, death in Aztec culture was an extension of life, so, I think it's safe to lump death in with life. It is stated indirectly that being "righteous" won't just get the job done. It's about discovering the righteous way. So, in a nutshell the idea of your destination in the afterlife imparts that you should be a good person.

    2) The author uses flashback in recalling when Laetitia left for Salt Lake City. He uses it so that you understand why she is going to Salt Lake as a result of dual citizenship per her Mom living in Canada and her Dad living in the US. It also gives supporting information about Laetitia and her Mother's relationship and their varying views on Canada and the US.

    3) What influence does the crown have on Canadian literature?
    How far does the general sarcasm in Canadian literature apply to Canadian culture? How is racism/sexism etc. treated in Canadian literature?

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    1. SAMPLE:
      I somewhat disagree with you about the Aztec moral. You were right about them having to trust in their Gods about where to move and build their empire, but if it wasn't for their "trust" in their God their empire would have never collapsed. They basically were naïve to certain things and that is why the Spanish took over.

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  2. 1. In the short story entitled Borders by Thomas King, the flashback technique was used quite frequently. One instance was when the author looked back to the times the characters would look at all the maps and brochures of the United States. Laetitia would always talk about Salt Lake City, Utah. She would tell of how wonderful the city was although each time her mother resisted any idea of the place. Her mother believed that everything they needed was there in Canada. I believe that the author’s purpose for using the flashbacks is to give the readers background on the characters. Sometimes while reading a story, you may have no idea what the characters are like. Flashbacks give a stable viewpoint for the readers, in this case, to understand how stubborn Laetitia and her mother are.


    2. As I read the story on my own again, I generated a few questions about the subject of Canadian literature. First, I did not understand why the people at the border made such a big deal about which side the family was from. This isn’t really a question about Canadian Lit. as a whole, but is more focused on Borders. Another question I had was how many modern (contemporary) writers focus on Native American stories? I was completely interested in this story, and honestly I would love to read more of it.


    3. The overall theme of Alice Munro’s, The Day of the Butterfly is we all get our fifteen minutes of fame. Myra, the young protagonist, was a complexed but not completely developed character in this short story. In the beginning, not many people noticed her. It was not until her teacher, Miss Darling, tried to have all of the girls play with her. That sort of backfired and all of the girls made fun of her. After a while Myra got really sick. Miss Darling made all of the children bring her gifts and play nice. A young girl named Helen was the only person to be nice to Myra (in secret of course). I considered this fifteen minutes of fame because although Myra had been there all along, nobody cared to notice her until she was “discovered” by someone. Afterwards she was there then forgotten all over again.

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    1. i am responding to your question about the border patrol. i didn't understand why they were so hard on her about witch side she was from but maybe they were just trying to make sure she was from there so she probably wouldn't harm it. that's the best that i could come up with because i really didn't understand that malfunction. if you ask me i think that is was so petty.

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    2. I agree with you on your answer in number 1. Most times people don't know anything about the characters lifestyle or how they would act in general. So using flashbacks not only give a stable viewpoint for readers but it give it to us in a unique way; which helped us understand, for example, how stubborn Laetitia and her mother are.

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    3. i am responding to number two. The weird thing about it is i had those same questions. I found myself at the end of the story thinking about all the questions i would ask if i had the chance. I also would love to read more as well. I agree with you 100%.

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  3. Adalberto. P Period 2
    1) In the poem “At the Tourist Centre in Boston” by Margret Atwood, the tone that is identified is a slight anger or like disappointment, because they are portraying her country as this place that it’s not. I think that this anger is directed the person that taking the pictures and making stuff fake (what it’s not). I think she feels this way because she wants her place to be shown off as how it is not photo shopped, or made to look like something that it is not.

    2) The author Thomas King uses flashback when he recalls that the boy had an Orange Crush from the duty-free store the last time that he, his sister, and his mother were together. That was also when she went to Salt Lake City. I think the author uses this technique to drop sudden hints at something that’s going to happen as a result of the flashback.

    3) How has Canadian literature evolved over the world?
    Why do people have to specify which tribe they’re with when entering the U.S and Canada?
    Are men and women authors treated the same in Canada?

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    1. I agree with you on your answer in number 1 as well. Now that I think more about the question and poem itself, maybe she was more angry about it. As well as with how she feels she wants her place to be shown off how it is instead of how it isn't which cause an unrealistic belief of her country to people who doesn't live there.

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    2. I am commenting on number 2. I thought the same thing about the author. I thought she was just telling us things that we would need in the near future of the story. I thought she just used a form of foreshadowing. as i read more of the story i saw that she didn't necessarily foreshadow but justified her story i guess?

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    3. In response to your second paragraph, I actually had the same viewpoints. I like how you tied in the Orange crush detail. I myself as well as others hadn't payed much attention to it. That was a great addition. Well done!

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  4. 2) In the story Borders by Thomas King, there was a technique being used that we all know as flashbacks. The flashback basically told us how having to cross Canada to get to America came about. For example, the author would tell flashbacks of when the characters would sit together and look at the brochures of the United States. As well as how Laetitia would always brag to them about how much she loved Salt Lake City, Utah. Her mother would always resist any idea of this though because she felt that all that they needed was in Canada. I believe the author used this technique to be a different way to tell us readers more about the characters. Instead of just giving us a list of characteristics it tells us about each character in a more interesting way.



    3) Based upon my reading so far and my general knowledge I came up with a few question regarding Canada and the Canadian literature. I would love to know why it was a big deal made about the mom wanting to stick with saying that she was Blackfoot; showing that she greatly admired her Canadian culture. I don’t think anything was wrong with it, although to make things easier she could have just said she was American to get through the borders.



    4) I identified the poem as being in a kind of sarcastic tone. I say this because it’s as if she’s describing what a tourist would say about Canada but probably isn’t even familiar with the country. I think she feels this way maybe because too many people isn’t aware of the Canadian culture and how it actually is compared to what a tourist from Boston would say, based on the title.

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    1. i am responding to #4. i feel the same way you do, she is real sarcastic or like angered at how people portray how where she lives versus how she really does live. i would be just like her if i saw just the good thinks an fake posed for pictures, when in actuality that's not the real thing.

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    2. I understand why they made a big deal about it because it is their job to ask that question and not let anyone pass doesn't say either America or Canada. The person could be a terrorist. Also it is a pride thing with the mother. That's like you living in Africa and then some other country takes over and now they want you to claim that you are the country's nationality, even though you were there first.

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  5. Denisha L period 2
    1) I think humans can learn guidance from the creation story (the Aztec version at least). They went so many years being guided by the gods. I decided to take this from a literal point of view. The story itself just shows a lot about the trust and guidance they gave and received from the gods. That's my opinion but i would love to hear yours.

    2) In the story they look back to a time where the mother was arguing with the daughter. They didn't really agree on many things. The daughter didn't really have the same mind set when it came down to nationality. I think the author did this to show exactly how the mom and the daughter disagrees and how they got to the places they were. In my opinion the author just uses flashbacks in a way to make the audience understand whats going on.

    3) Based on the reading i have a couple of questions. my first question is simple do Canadians only write about Native Americans in their stories? If not who else do they talk about? My second question is why do they put so much emphasis on the feud they had with the Native Americans? Last but not least do Canadian writers only write about events in their country? if so why? i would love to read more about it.



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    1. In response to your first paragraph, I was a little torn. Of course I believe in God and all that jazz, however, how would you know if you're getting signs from a "God". You can never be totally sure. Just a thought.

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    2. I sort of disagree with you on the myth question. Mainly because the story was about how the gods created the Earth. I don't think it was about trust. I think it was about how everything that happened to the gods happened for a reason. That is why then after the Earth was created they trusted the gods because they suffered for them like how you would trust your mother.

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  7. Acacia T. Period 2
    1. I think that people can learn from the Aztec creation story that everything happens for a reason. In the story every god had to suffer in order to create the Earth. Like in order to create the sun, one of the most important things for the Earth, a God had to burn in fire. Along with the Earth goddess who had to be ripped in half to create the Earth. In the Aztecs mind if the gods did not do what they did there would be no Earth. Everything happens for a reason is a good way of thinking in life.

    2. One flashback in the story is when Laetitia showed her mom and her brother the brochures of Salt Lake City and how excited she was about it. Her mother was not amazed and said that Canada has better things. This shows the way the mom and daughter feel about Salt Lake City. The author uses this to tell without directly telling the feeling the mother has towards Salt Lake City and America period. Flashbacks are a nice way to give the story a break and give the audience a feel of how the characters are and their experiences.

    3. Why does Canadian literature have so much sarcasm towards America? I feel like they feel they are better than America. How many Canadian authors write about Native American stories? It seems to me that there are a lot because there are so many tribes in Canada.

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  8. Well Done! The students who have completed the above comments and responses have done an excellent job of "reflective learning." This blog will be concluded (completed) as of 9 AM Tuesday, 3/17/15. Students who need to add a blog after 3/17/15 will need to consult with the instructor FIRST in order to be considered for a proficiency level.

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