Practice test

On Monday and Tuesday in class, you will be writing a practice test on the following question:

"The central lesson of "Othello" is that perception is more important than reality." Discuss

Before Monday, you need to consider the question carefully, identify your thesis statement and main points and find some quotations to support these. You may bring as many notes as you want into class for the test.

You do not need to post this work on your blog.

Homework: Weeks 4/5

Read your introductory paragraph and body paragraph in response to the statement, "Emelia is the true hero of Othello".

Read my comment.

Now write the second body paragraph based on the second point in your introduction, and a concluding paragraph.

If you feel that you need to re-work your first two paragraphs, then please do so. Leave a comment on this post to let me know that I need to re-read your first two paragraphs.

If you have any difficulties with the task, remember that you can read other people's blogs and my comments to help you refine your skills in constructing an argument.

Homework: Weeks 3/4

Respond to the following statement:

"Emelia is the real hero of Othello".

Write an introductory paragraph which presents your thesis and at least two main points in support of this, as well as one of the body paragraphs. This is to be posted on your blog by 4pm Tuesday, October 26th.

Week 2/3 Homework

Reputation in Othello

Based on what we have read so far, discuss the importance/significance of reputation in relation to the following characters:

Desdemona
Cassio
Iago

Aim for the development of solid, analytical paragraphs. Ensure that your main points are substantiated by relevant, pertinent evidence and that you take the time to synthesise the evidence.

Also ensure that you take the time to proof-read and edit your work.
Please post your responses on your blog by Tuesday, 19/10/10 - 4pm.

Homework: Week One Term 4

Act One.

Is Iago justified in reporting Desdemona's marriage to Othello to her father? Consider his motives, Brabantio's response and the cultural assumptions about race in the play. Write a paragraph response, clearly identifying your thesis in the topic sentence.

Post on your blog by 4pm Tuesday, October 12.

Anna's early poetry

You should now be in a position to understand something of the forces that shaped Anna Akhmatova's life and work. Choose a poem written by her before the revolution and explain (writing in role as Anna) how this poem was born out your own life experiences and the social and cultural world you lived in. Try to give a real insight into the connections between her life and work. Publish on your blog by 4.00 pm Tuesday 20th July.

Week 3

You need to continue reading Chapters 11 to 15 of Things Fall Apart but I am not going to ask you to respond in writing because you need to start putting time into your short story assignment. You will receive the task sheet on Wednesday and should begin to look for a fairy tale or traditional story on which to base your assignment. I am at a conference on this day but I will discuss the task in detail on Thursday. You can then begin to analyse the ideolgy and to construct a pick-a-path to challenge this. As you work through these activities in class and for homework, remember that your aim is to be able to produce a short story which challenges the ideology of the original story.

Week 2 Chapters 6-10

In these chapters we gain an insight into Okonkwo's relationships with Nwoye, Ikemefuna and Ezinma. Why does Okonkwo feel and behave as he does towards each of these characters? What was your response to Okonkwo as a result of these revelations?

Starting Term 2

During the first part of Term 2, we will be focussing in class on the way fairy tales and short stories promote ideologies. However, as part of your homework during this time, you need to read the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe which will form the basis for our class work during the second half of the term. To help you with this, you will find a reading guide on Blackboard. By Monday of next week, you need to have read the first five chapters and have posted on your blog the answers to the questions about Ibo culture at the end of the questions on the first five chapters. (You do not have to post the answers to the chapter questions.)