LAST WEEK: We're finishing our short story unit this week. We've read "The Lie," "The Landlady," "Pure Fiction," and "Born of Man and Woman." While reading these stories, we have reviewed annotation technique. We'll continue that, but add to our practice some brainstorming for a short-story paper that we'll start this week.

Monday

We'll finish watching the Twilight Zone episode, "It's a Good Life" After, we will compare/contrast the main characters in this tale with that from "Born of Man and Woman." Discussion: How are these main characters similar and dissimilar? What do both stories teach us about evil?
HW: You should have read "A&P' by class tomorrow.

Tuesday

What is the narrator's motivation for quitting his grocery store job? Do you think he is right to quit? By the stories end, do you think that he thinks he has made the right choice? We will use the Great Books method today to discuss the story.
HW: All students should re-read the story, listening to the posted audio while reading. Pay attention for the author's clues about the main character's attitude toward a) where he works; b) the people that shop there; c) the people that work there with him; d) the girls that come into the store.

Wednesday

We are going to revisit "A&P" and complete a close, careful re-reading and discussion of the story.
HW: Read "Flowers" by Alice Walker.

Thursday

Our next story, though short, is intensely emotional. It is historical fiction, and also an example of meta-fiction (or prose-poetry, depending upon who you ask). We will read a non-fiction article that provides some historical context. We will also look at some documentary footage on the history of lynching and Jim Crow segregation in 19th/20th century American south.
HW: Choose a historical moment and write a short narrative that captures the moments value. While I do not expect you to capture the intense emotional experience of Walker's story, I do expect you to use first person narrative, present tense, and word choice appropriate to the tone and setting of the moment you memorialize.

Friday

Vocabulary day! We will have our second crossword, this one using language from our short stories.
HW: Obtain your copy of Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. This will be our first novel.