Hook, Housekeeping
& Homework
Monday
Grab a copy (if enough) of “Young Goodman Brown”
off of the front table.
If time, at the end of class…
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
Monday
• Archetypes Chart for “Young Goodman Brown”
• Turn in with 2 best *starred* or highlighted
• Review opportunity
• Read Short Story #2 “The Story of an Hour”
• Lens #2 – Feminism
• Apply to Short Story #2 “The Story of an Hour”
Short Stories Through a Critical
Lens
Monday
Standards
2. Reading for All Purposes
1. Literary criticism of complex texts requires the use of analysis, interpretive, and evaluative strategies
Objective: to identify plot and characters for Short Story #2 “The Story of an Hour” and review/apply an
archetypal lens.
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 does one’s perspective influence the reading of a text? How does reading from a particular perspective
influence what is seen as important within a text and how characters, events, and theme are understood?
What strategies are most useful when reading, understanding, making personal connections to, and analyzing
texts ?
How is literature a voice of social commentary?
Instruction: Obtain
I Do
Monday
Purpose: to obtain brief background information before reading the
story
Tasks:
1. Review vocabulary (see next slide)
2. Preview
https://app.studysync.com/admin/library/index.cfm#preview
3. Overview
Kate Chopin (1850-1904) wrote stories and novels about women with
wants and needs beyond just marriage and child-rearing, which cast
her as one of the boldest and most controversial authors of her time.
Her works, never widely read or critically lauded during her lifetime,
have since been reappraised and canonized as precursors of 20thcentury feminist literature and ideology. The Story of an Hour, tells
the tale of a woman who finds liberation when she receives the news
of her husband's unexpected death.
Outcome: Ready to read the story!
Vocabulary
Afflicted
af•flict•ed \ə ˈflik təd\ adjective
To cause pain or suffering to
We provided water to the runners who were afflicted by the extreme heat.
Intelligence
in•tel•li•gence \in ˈtel ə jən(t)s\ noun
Information that is delivered, news
The spies brought us intelligence about the enemy’s battle plans.
Abandonment
aban•don•ment \ə ˈban dən mənt\ noun
The state of acting freely or in an unrestrained manner
We danced with abandonment on hearing that we had won the lottery.
Elusive
elu•sive \ē ˈlü səv\ adjective
Difficult to hold onto or understand
She read the sentence several times to try to grasp its elusive meaning.
Illumination
il•lu•mi•na•tion \ə lü mə ˈnā shən\ noun
Clarity or understanding, enlightenment
Discovering new connections between the facts led to a feeling of illumination for the
scholar.
Imploring
im•plor•ing \im ˈplō(ə)r ing\ verb (participle)
Begging or requesting in an urgent, passionate manner
The homeless man was imploring people for spare change.
Elixir
elix•ir \ə ˈlik sə(r)\ noun
A liquid or other substance thought to have special, often magical powers
The aging explorer searched far and wide for an elixir of youth.
Importunities
im•por•tu•ni•ties \im pər ˈtü nə tēz\ noun
Repeated and annoying requests or demands
We grew so tired of our neighbor’s constant importunities that we make no noise when he
was home.
Instruction: Obtain
We Do
Monday
Read the Text
• Read The Story of an Hour.
• Characters?
• Plot?
• Archetypes?
Activities: Develop
You Do
Monday
Tasks:
1. Re-read and Note
2. Pick three sentences that, in your opinion, are especially
important to what this story is about, and…
3. Write brief explanations as to why you chose each.
4. Next write a one-sentence summary of the story, do your best to
encapsulate what this story is truly "about" on a deeper thematic
level-not just a plot summary.
Hook, Housekeeping
& Homework
1.
2.
3.
4.
Tuesday
While you wait, borrow a copy of “The Story of an Hour.” If you have not
completed ALL of the following, do so now.
Re-read and take notes in your comp notebook:
Pick three sentences that, in your opinion, are especially important to what
this story is about, and…
Write brief explanations as to why you chose each.
Next write a one-sentence summary of the story, do your best to
encapsulate what this story is truly "about" on a deeper thematic level-not
just a plot summary.
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
• Review opportunity (YGB Assignment)
• Read Short Story #2 “The Story of an Hour”
• Plot, characters, archetypes
• Short Story #2 “The Story of an Hour”
• Plot, characters, archetypes
Reminder: Writing Center re-writes due tomorrow
• Lens #1.5 - Biographical/historical
• Lens #2 – Feminism
• Apply to Short Story #2 “The Story of an Hour”
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: you will be able to make new connections and formulate new ideas about the plot, character, and
archetypal setting for the short story “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin
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 does one’s perspective influence the reading of a text? How does reading from a particular perspective
influence what is seen as important within a text and how characters, events, and theme are understood?
What strategies are most useful when reading, understanding, making personal connections to, and analyzing
texts ?
How is literature a voice of social commentary?
Activities: Develop We Do
Tuesday
Tasks:
1. Comprehend - Review (groups of 4)
• What is your understanding of the plot of the story? (characters, conflict,
rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)
2. Discuss:
• What sentences did you select and why?
• What is this story about? Share and discuss your one-sentence
summaries.
1. Infer: Kate Chopin is a female author writing over 100 years ago. What
might she be saying about women? Their needs, beliefs, roles, etc.?
2. Write one 1-sentence conclusion on the board for your group
Activities: Develop We Do
Tuesday
Task: Watch SyncTV Discussion (10:46)
• Focus From 1:10-1:30 the students discuss their various interpretation
of the story's final line: "When the doctors came they said she had died
of heart disease-of the joy that kills." What is your opinion?
• Focus In the portion of the episode from 1:35-2:30, the SyncTV
students discuss the point of view employed in this story, and how it
changes over the course of the narrative. What is the story's point of
view? How does Chopin construct meaning with the story's shifting
point of view?
• Focus The SyncTV students' interpretations of the story are divided into
two distinct camps: at 0:10-0:50 we are introduced to both sides of the
argument. Consider both viewpoints and think about your own
personal responses to Chopin's ambiguous narrative.
Outcome:
Discuss: What new thoughts do you have after hearing the students'
discussion?
Activity: Develop
Tuesday
Tasks:
1. Read the poem: “Until Death Do Us Part” by Jim Hobbs
2. Respond:
1.
2.
3.
4.
3.
This poem is told from a different narrative point of view than
“The Story of an Hour.” What is the difference?
How does switching the narrative point of view change the story
told?
What is meant by the lines “In a cloudless marriage,/Or so it
seemed to others” (3-4)?
How has it influenced your understanding of Kate Chopin’s story?
What archetypes are you noticing?
• Look 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). Using your notes on common
archetypes, what is revealed or represented through this description
of setting?
Activity: Apply
Outcome: Reflect & Write
1. After speaking with peers, listening to the StudySync
discussion, and examining the poem in relationship to the
story, what is your new/latest understanding of the work
as a whole? In other words, what is your insight into what
the short story “The Story of an Hour” is truly "about" on a
deeper thematic level (not just a plot summary).
2. Capture this in one sentence and post it.
Hook, Housekeeping
& Homework
Wednesday
While you wait, talk to a shoulder partner about…
After speaking with peers, listening to the StudySync discussion, and
examining the poem in relationship to the story, what is a new idea
or new learning you have about the story?
In other words, what is your new/latest understanding or insight into
the short story “The Story of an Hour”?
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
• Short Story #2 “The Story of an Hour”
• Plot, characters, archetypes
Reminder: Writing Center re-writes due tomorrow
• Lens #1.5 - Biographical/historical
• Lens #2 – Feminist
• Lens #2 – Feminism
• Apply to Short Story #2 “The Story of an Hour”
• Apply to the poem “Girls”
Short Stories Through a Critical
Lens
Wednesday
Standard
2. Reading for All Purposes
1. Literary criticism of complex texts requires the use of analysis, interpretive, and evaluative strategies
Objective: you will be apply to identify components of Historical/Biographical Theory and Feminist Theory.
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 does one’s perspective influence the reading of a text? How does reading from a particular perspective
influence what is seen as important within a text and how characters, events, and theme are understood?
What strategies are most useful when reading, understanding, making personal connections to, and analyzing
texts ?
How is literature a voice of social commentary?
Other Lenses to Consider
Wednesday
• Historical Criticism: This approach “seeks to understand a literary work
by investigating the social, cultural, and intellectual context that
produced it—a context that necessarily includes the artist’s biography
and milieu.” A key goal for historical critics is to understand the effect of
a literary work upon its original readers.
• Biographical Criticism: This approach “begins with the simple but
central insight that literature is written by actual people and that
understanding an author’s life can help readers more thoroughly
comprehend the work.” Hence, it often affords a practical method by
which readers can better understand a text. However, a biographical
critic must be careful not to take the biographical facts of a writer’s life
too far in criticizing the works of that writer: the biographical critic
“focuses on explicating the literary work by using the insight provided
by knowledge of the author’s life.... [B]iographical data should amplify
the meaning of the text, not drown it out with irrelevant material.”
•
“Critical Approaches to Literature,” English 205: Masterworks of English Literature. Web. 20 Jan 2015.
http://home.olemiss.edu/~egjbp/spring97/litcrit.html
Historical/Biographical Lens
Wednesday
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:
• Examine the PPT (next 4 slides) for the 19th – 21st Century American Feminist Literature unit
in Delaware.
• 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
Learning Extensions:
•
Part I: Lecture on Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour"
•
justine Gieni
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r04Fk6BFG8Q
•
Chopin Lecture cont'd
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCIit6YRM7s
Outcome: Responses to the following on a ½ sheet of paper
1.
What is feminism? In brief, (& words you understand), what are the 3 waves?
2.
What is women’s suffrage?
3.
Name two facts about author Kate Chopin’s life.
4.
List two ideas about Kate Chopin’s writing.
5.
How does knowing about her life and some historical context help us understand the
story in a different way?
Possible Responses - I DO
1. 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, whit women – gender
violence, derogatory terms
2. Right to vote
3. 1850-1904, Civil War; Dad died in train accident; Lots of
widows (great, grand, mom)
4. Feminist content (uproar); never saw herself as feminist;
support $$ self with writing, lived with mom etc.
The Weaker Sex….
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3b49092/ [no known copyright restrictions]
8
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.28897 [No known
restrictions on publication] Library of Congress
7
10
9
Fashion
Public Domain photos. Available Wikipedia
11
12
Women’s Issues
• Poor Working Conditions
• Lack of Education
• Deprived of basic legal and civic rights
Bathing suits could not be
more than six inches from
the knee.
http://www.shmoop.com/19
20s/photo-beach-dc.html
National Photo Company
Collection, 1922. Public
domain
14
13
Working Conditions
The right to VOTE
Suffragettes. Bain News Service (1910-1915) http://www.shmoop.com/womens-movements/photo-americansuffragettes.html
18
15
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and
Susan B. Anthony (1880 –
1902). Public domain.
Suffragette’s parade float. August 10, 1913. George Grantham Bain Collection
photograph. Public domain.
http://www.shmoop.com/womens-movements/photo-suffragette-float.html
20
19
“His Daughter….and
he thought she was
‘just a little girl’”
Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/
pictures/item/20116
60536/
21
Sources
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Slides 3 - Mrs. Lydia Green Abell. 1853. The Skillful Housewife’s Book: or Complete Guide to
Domestic Cookery, Taste, Comfort and Economy. Available http://www.sil.si.edu/ondisplay/makinghomemaker/intro.htm
Slide 4 - Smithsonian Institute. Available http://www.sil.si.edu/ondisplay/makinghomemaker/intro.htm
Slide 5 – Dorothy W. Hartman, Women’s Roles in the Late 19th Century. Available
https://www.connerprairie.org/Learn-And-Do/Indiana-History/America-1860-1900/Lives-OfWomen.aspx
Slide 7 – The Weaker Sex? / Chamberlain. The Library of Congress.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/cph.3b49092/ [No known restrictions on publication]
Slide 9 – Public Domain photos accessed from Wikipedia
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coronet_Corset_Co.jpg,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Imperial_summer_corset_ca1890.gif,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_fashion
Slide 10 – Puck Magazine , 1896. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.28897 [No known restrictions
on publication] Library of Congress
Slide 13 – National Photo Company Collection, 1922. Public domain
http://www.shmoop.com/1920s/photo-beach-dc.html
Slide 16 - Lewis Hine, 1908. National Child Labor Committee http://www.shmoop.com/progressiveera-politics/photo-child-laborer.html Public Domain
Slide 18 - Bain News Service photograph. Public domain (date unknown)
http://www.shmoop.com/womens-movements/photo-american-suffragettes.html
Slide 21 – Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011660536/ [No known
restrictions on publication]
Slide 22 – Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011660525/ [No known
restrictions on publication]
23
Library of
Congress.
http://www.loc.go
v/pictures/item/2
011660525/
22
Activity: Apply
Wednesday
Outcome: Reflect & Write (same ½ sheet, backside)
1. What is a reader doing when reading with a biographical or
historical lens? In other words, what is a
historical/biographical critic “looking for” in the text?
2. After speaking with peers, listening to the StudySync
discussion, examining the poem in relationship to the story,
and reading a bit about the historical context, what is your
new/latest understanding of the work as a whole? In other
words, what is your insight into what the short story “The
Story of an Hour” is truly "about" on a deeper thematic
level (not just a plot summary). Try to capture this in one
sentence and turn this ½ sheet in.
Hook, Housekeeping
& Homework
Thursday
While you wait…
• borrow a copy of “Literary Tool Kit on Feminist/Gender Perspective” from the
front table.
• Read the 9 questions at the bottom end of it: Understanding Feminist Theory
& Gender Perspective
• Then, if time, start reading the text looking for the answers.
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
•
Thursday
Lens #1.5 - Biographical/historical
• Lens #2 – Feminist
• Lens #2 – Feminism
• Apply to Short Story #2 “The Story of an Hour”
• Extension: apply to the poem “Girls”
• Homework: Be prepared for a discussion on the above; use the
handout with a varied of questions to prepare. Each group will have
15 minutes to discuss.
• Fishbowl Formative Discussion
• “The Story of an Hour” and “Girls”
Short Stories Through a Critical
Lens
Thursday
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 does one’s perspective influence the reading of a text? How does reading from a particular perspective
influence what is seen as important within a text and how characters, events, and theme are understood?
What strategies are most useful when reading, understanding, making personal connections to, and analyzing
texts ?
How is literature a voice of social commentary?
Activities: Develop
We Do
Thursday
Purpose: to identify the components of another critical lens =
Feminist Perspective
Tasks: Small Groups
• Read the Literary Tool Kit on Feminist/Gender Perspective
• Respond, in writing, to the 9 questions at the end
Outcome:
Share & compare your responses with the class
Consider the Gender Conflict Essential Questions What responses do you have to these questions when
examining “The Story of an Hour”? (see next slide)
Activities: Develop
We Do - You Do Thursday/Friday
Purpose: to prepare for tomorrow’s fishbowl discussion
Task:
What are your initial responses to these questions when examining “The
Story of an Hour”? (see next 3 slides)
Outcome:
Use the handout of questions to come prepared to discuss “The Story of
an Hour” tomorrow.
• Refers to feminist theory, analyzes through a feminist lens
• Refers to archetypal theory, analyzes through a archetypal lens
• Refers to historical/biographical theory, analyzes through a
historical/biographical lens
• Refers to an example in the text
• Refers to larger context and/or makes connections to personal experiences,
community, world, and/or history
• Asks a meaningful question
• Responds to another speaker
Activity: Apply
Thursday/Friday
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”…
1. How is the relationship between men and women portrayed?
2. How are male and female roles defined? What constitutes masculinity
and femininity? How do characters embody these traits?
3. What stereotypes - overt or subtle - are portrayed? What messages
about gender roles are being sent?
4. How would the story change if gender roles were shifted?
5. What does the work reveal about the operations (economically,
politically, socially, or psychologically) of patriarchy?
6. What does the work imply about the possibilities of sisterhood as a
mode of resisting patriarchy?
7. What does the history of the work's reception by the public and by the
critics tell us about the operation of patriarchy?
8. What role does the work play in terms of gender literary history and
literary tradition?
9. How would the piece differ if the author were of the other gender?
Activity: Develop
Thursday/Friday
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 fellowcreature.”
• “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”
Hook, Housekeeping
& Homework
Friday
Grab a copy of the Fishbowl Discussion Questions off the front
table and start reading through them.
We will be holding one round of discussion/observation today.
Returns
+ good first effort
starting ideas
-- Not understanding, yet!
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
Lens #2 – Feminism
Lens #1.5 - Biographical/historical
Lens #2 – Feminism Apply to Short Story #2 “The Story of an
Hour”
Extension: apply to the poem “Girls”
Be prepared for a discussion on the above; use the handout
with a varied of questions to prepare. Each group will have
15 minutes to discuss.
Fishbowl Formative Discussion
Next Story – New Lens
Friday
Extension Activity:
Develop & Apply
Friday
“Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid
• What is the role(s) of “girl” or woman in this poem?
• Wearing a feminist lens, what stands out to you in this poem?
• Write a short constructed response from a feminist lens.
• 250-300 words, 15-20 sentences
• Identify, exemplify (examples from poem), explain/elaborate
• Proofread and write legibly!
• If you plan to do this, it is due no later than Monday (2nd )!
Responses to #1 & #2
Historical/Biographical Lenses
• When the reader is reading through a historical or
biographical lens, they are looking for stuff about the social,
culture, and intellect of the time, and for biographical, they
look for understanding in an authors life to help comprehend a
written work.
• We look into the past, both the author and the events
surrounding the author’s time.
• #2 There is more than one way to look at things. Whatever
you read, could mean something you didn’t think of, so you
should keep an open mind.
Short Stories Through a Critical
Lens
Friday
Standard
1. Oral Expression and Listening
1. Effective speaking in formal and informal settings requires appropriate use of methods and audience
awareness
2. Reading for All Purposes
1. Literary criticism of complex texts requires the use of analysis, interpretive, and evaluative strategies
Objective: to practice oral analysis of a short story, “The Story of an Hour”, through a particular lens,
feminism (archetypal & historical/biographical)
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 does one’s perspective influence the reading of a text? How does reading from a particular perspective
influence what is seen as important within a text and how characters, events, and theme are understood?
What strategies are most useful when reading, understanding, making personal connections to, and
analyzing texts ?
How is literature a voice of social commentary?
Instruction: Obtain
Friday
Purpose: to come to a class understanding of expectations for
discussions
Task:
• Consider the following questions:
1. Why is being able to effectively function in a collaborative
group a necessary skill?
2. How do effective groups balance individual responsibility
with group interdependence?
3. What should be the criteria or guidelines for participation in
a page group discussion?
• Outcome: criteria for class discussions (see next slide)
What criteria could be used to measure the
effectiveness of a group?
• Everyone contributes, ask other’s opinions
• Ask a meaningful question
• Respect each other, no bashing
• Stay on topic
• Let others finish thought
• No side tracks, side conversations
• Academic vocabulary
• Prepared – text, notes, etc.
• Know what you’re talking about
How will we help everyone participate and speak in an orderly
manner?
Talking stick/ball? Facilitator? Raised hands? Round the circle?
Activities: Develop & Apply
We Do
Friday
Purpose: to practice oral analysis of a short story, “The Story of an
Hour”, through a particular lens, feminism (archetypal &
historical/biographical)
Tasks:
Hold a 15 minute, student-led discussion (use your discussion
sheet)
Observe the discussion - plus/delta
Outcome: Plus/delta discussion of the oral analysis (see next slide)
Instruction: Obtain
Friday
Purpose: to observe & provide feedback
• What percentage of students participated?
• How many seemed prepared to participate? In what ways was
this apparent?
• What was the level and quality of the discussion?
• Refers to feminist theory, analyzes through a feminist lens
• Refers to archetypal theory, analyzes through a archetypal lens
• Refers to historical/biographical theory, analyzes through a
historical/biographical lens
• Refers to an example in the text
• Refers to larger context and/or makes connections to personal
experiences, community, world, and/or history
• Asks a meaningful question
• Responds to another speaker
Academic Standards
1. Oral Expression and Listening
1. Effective speaking in formal and informal settings requires appropriate use of methods and
audience awareness
2. Effective collaborative groups accomplish goals
2. Reading for All Purposes
1. Literary criticism of complex texts requires the use of analysis, interpretive, and evaluative
strategies
2. Interpreting and evaluating complex informational texts require the understanding of rhetoric,
critical reading, and analysis skills
3. Writing and Composition
1. Style, detail, expressive language, and genre create a well-crafted statement directed at an
intended audience and purpose
2. Ideas, evidence, structure, and style create persuasive, academic, and technical texts for particular
audiences and specific purposes
3. Standard English conventions effectively communicate to targeted audiences and purposes
4. Research and Reasoning
1. Independent research designs articulate and defend information, conclusions, and solutions that
address specific contexts and purposes
2. Logical arguments distinguish facts from opinions; and evidence defines reasoned judgment
Coming Soon….
Fishbowl Discussion
“The Story of an Hour”
1. What is the nature of Mrs. Mallard's "heart trouble," and why would the author mention it in the first paragraph? Is
there any way in which this might be considered symbolic or ironic?
2. The setting of the story is very limited; it is confined largely to a room, a staircase, and a front door. How does this
limitation help to express the themes of the story?
3. In what ways is this passage significant? "She could see in the open square before her house the tops of trees that
were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath of rain was in the air. In the street below a peddler was
crying his wares. The notes of a distant song which some one was singing reached her faintly, and countless sparrows
were twittering in the eaves." What kinds of sensory images does this passage contain, and what senses does it
address? What does the vision through the open window mean to her? Where else does she taste, smell, or touch
something intangible in the story?
4. What kind of relationships do the Mallards have? Is Brently Mallard unkind to Louise Mallard, or is there some other
reason for her saying "free, free, free!" when she hears of his death? How does she feel about him?
5. Mrs. Mallard closes the door to her room so that her sister Josephine cannot get in, yet she leaves the window
open. Why does Chopin make a point of telling the reader this? How might this relate to the idea of being "free" and
to the implicit idea that she is somehow imprisoned? Do other words in the story relate to this idea?
6. What does Josephine represent in the story? What does Richards represent?
7. Mrs. Mallard is described as descending the stairs "like a goddess of Victory." In what ways does she feel herself
victorious?
8. The last line of the story is this: "When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease-of joy that kills." In
what ways is this an ironic statement? What is gained by having the doctors make such a statement rather than
putting it in the mouths of Josephine or Richards?
9. What view of marriage does the story present? The story was published in 1894; does it only represent attitudes
toward marriage in the nineteenth century, or could it equally apply to attitudes about marriage today?
10. If this is, in some sense, a story about a symbolic journey, where does Mrs. Mallard "travel"?
Fishbowl Discussion “The Story of an Hour”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
"The Story of an Hour" is ambiguous: Is it, as the girls attest, a protofeminist text about a woman yearning for freedom, or is it, as Troy
argues, the chronicle of an emotionally disturbed female protagonist?
Does Chopin leave her intentions uncertain? What does this ambiguity
add to the story?
The story is narrated from a close-third-person perspective, but that
close- third-person shifts in focus among the story's characters. What is
close- third-person perspective? How does it shift? How does Chopin
use this formal shift to create meaning?
What does the room symbolize? The view out the window? How does
Chopin use external setting as a metaphor for Louise Mallard's inner
state?
Is Louise Mallard a protagonist? Is she sympathetic, or is she cold? What
constitutes a protagonist in a story? Must all protagonists be of heroic
moral fiber, or are they allowed to have thoughts and desires that are
objectionable or uncouth? Do these thoughts make her an antagonist?
What do you make of the story's final line? Is Chopin being ironic, or
insincere? What is her tone in this final piece of narration?
Is Chopin's story about the individual, or society? Is this simply a story of
an hour, or are her characters vessels for larger social issues and
concerns? What might these issues and concerns be?
Fishbowl Discussion
“The Story of an Hour”
• At the beginning of the 8th paragraph, Mrs. Mallard senses “something
coming to her.” What is it? What effect physically does it have on her?
• In paragraphs 4 through 8, how do the details about the natural setting
outside of Mrs. Mallard’s room relate to her emotional state?
• At the end of the story, why would the doctors think that Mrs. Mallard
died of “joy that kills”? Do you think their diagnosis is accurate? Why or
why not?
• The word abandonment has multiple meanings. Which meaning do you
think is intended by the sentence in which the word appears?
• Locate the word imploring in the text. Which context clues in the
surrounding text help you arrive at a possible definition for the word?
Which nearby word might be a synonym of the base verb “implore”? If
you replace “imploring” with that synonym, would it change the
meaning of the sentence?
• Students often refer to Mrs. Mallard having an “epiphany.” In literature,
this refers to a sudden moment of deep and personal understanding, or
insight. How does the description of the setting to support this idea of
her having an ephiphany?
Fishbowl Discussion
Archetypal & Historical/Biographical
Lenses
In “The Story of an Hour” and/or “Girls”…
• What archetypes exist in this text, and how do they work to
create a broader purpose?
• What knowledge do you have of the author or the time period
in which it was written? How does this information shape your
understanding of the text?
Fishbowl Discussion
Feminist Lens
In “The Story of an Hour” and/or “Girls”…
• How are female (and male) roles played out in the work?
What stereotypes - overt or subtle - are portrayed? What
messages about gender roles are being sent?
• How would the story change if gender roles were shifted?
• How would the piece differ if the author were of the other
gender?
• How would a feminist/gender critic approach and respond to
this text?
Fishbowl Discussion
Critical Theory
• What is critical theory? What is a critical lens? What are two types of
critical lenses we’ve studied? How were they established? How are
they defined?
• How does literature represent women and define gender relations?
• Why has literary criticism ignored or devalued women’s writing?
• How does one’s gender alter the way in which one reads literature?
• Is there a feminine mode of writing?
• How would a female respond to a story, especially as that response
would be significantly different than that of a male?
• How does one’s perspective influence the reading of a text? How
does reading from a particular perspective influence what is seen as
important within a text and how characters, events, and theme are
understood?
• 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 scepticism or something else?