A.P. Literature and Awesomeness: September 24, 2014

Focus: What interesting ideas lie in the little details of East of Eden?

1. Warming up with a close look at Doxology

Definition of "doxology": The utterance of praise to God; thanksgiving (from www.oed.com)

Reread Samuel's conversation with Adam about Doxology on pages 302 to 303.

• What details of Samuel's description of Doxology stand out? What might they reveal?

• Do you think Doxology's name is meant to be ironic or not? Explain your thinking.

• What does Samuel's conversation with Adam reveal about Samuel's way of thinking vs. Adam's?

• Why might Steinbeck include this conversation about Doxology right before Samuel gives Adam the "medicine"?

2. Close reading the setting in Chapter 25 together

3. Unraveling important passages from Chapters 27-30 in small groups

With your group, please try out the following...

a. Find one passage in each of the chapters for today (27-30) that seems rich enough for a close reading like the one we did together.

b. Read each one aloud and discuss significant imagery, diction, characterization, metaphors, symbols, and anything else that interests you.

c. Discuss the larger effect of the passage.  Why might Steinbeck have placed it here/how does it relate to what has just happened and what's about to happen?

d. What might Foster have to say about this passage?

HW:
1. Please finalize your independent reading/essay proposal by Friday.

2. Follow the East of Eden reading schedule (31, 32, and 33); we will have a Socratic seminar on Friday.  For your reading ticket, please perform a close reading on the passage of your choice from chapters 31, 32, or 33 following the same method we used in class today.