HAVING RE-ANNOTATED A CHAPTER of Schiami's Damascus Nights, we will begin examining your character’s experiences through the lens of the monomyth. We'll continue examining some definitions of myth: What is a myth? What role does (or should) mythology play in our lives? Next week, I will introduce the unit on the college essay, something every senior English class covers early in the year. We will also begin reading The Alchemist by Paul Coelho…pick up your copy this week!

MONDAY

No school for Labor Day.
HW: Finish re-annotating a chapter from the summer reading. Remember to circle words, write your reader's question, and to keep notes on this theme: What does the narrator learn via his journey?

TUESDAY

We will start by reading Anderson’s 8-page essay, “What is myth?” While reading, keep notes on how she defines myth. You should add these notes to the class notes we took on Friday.
HW: Damascus Nights is the tale of Samir losing his ability to tell stories, and his friends attempt to return the gifts he has so long and freely given--the gift of storytelling. They endeavor to return to Samir his voice, his ability to tell stories, and ultimately his happiness. Review your selected chapter from DN. What about their lives seems mythological? What about the novel Damascus Nights falls into myth, as a category? What doesn’t? Add notes to your annotations, in the margins of your book.

WEDNESDAY

Having chosen one of the storytellers from Rafik Schiami’s Damascus Nights, explain what does that narrator discovers about life and the human condition through the journey s/he describes to Salim and friends? You’ll write an answer to this prompt in class.
Your response should be typed. Use direct evidence from the novel. You have 35 minutes to complete the assignment.
HW: Read the article, “Introduction: The Meaning of Myth” from David Adams Leeming’s Mythology: The Voyage of the Hero.

THURSDAY

An overview of the hero journey. How does this apply to the chapter of DN you’ve re-annotated?
HW: Read the third essay in our packet, "Prologue: Defining Myth: An Introduction to the Special Issue on Storytelling and Myth" by John S. Gentile.

FRIDAY

No class: English Dept. retreat.
HW: Finish reading the handouts distributed in class today. Next week, we will practice brainstorming ideas for your personal application responses.