1. Warming up with a partner: Choose two characters who have evolved (or devolved, or not changed much) over time. For each character, try the following:
- Find a description of this character as a young child, a description of this character as a teenager or young adult, and a description of this character as an older adult (if you're looking at Cal or Aron, just find three descriptions of them spread out across time since they're still teenagers).
- Read these three passages for each character closely, examining Steinbeck's diction.
- What has aspects of this character's personality have changed over time? Why have these aspects changed / what prompted these changes?
- What has aspects of this character have remained unchanged? Why haven't these parts of the character changed?
- Consider some of the timeless dualities at war in this character (good vs. evil, nature vs. nurture, white vs. black, love vs. hate, fate vs, free will, sight vs. blindness, etc). At this point in the novel, does one side seem to be dominating this character?
2. Discussing Chapters 34-40 in Socratic Seminar
3. Wrapping up
HW:
1. Follow the East of Eden reading assignment for Wednesday (Chapters 41, 42, and 43); reading ticket can be any of the options you've been using.
2. Acquire your independent reading novel if you have not done so yet.
3. You will be disappointed to learn that there is no Tuesday writing tomorrow; there will be a Tuesday writing one week from tomorrow in which you address East of Eden.
She wouldn’t let them remove the sheets from the windows after the twins were born - she has always had a fear of the light
ReplyDeleteShe cannot hide from the room being gray - she has lived her whole life not in the gray, but in black or the white - now, she must live her life they way that everyone else has to
Cal: How has he changed/not changed?
When he was young, he accepted fate, but now he is moving more towards the idea of free will, and he is trying to choose not to be evil
Cal has the potential to be evil, but now he is trying to become more good - the idea of free will is allowing him to choose light over dark (symbolism)
Cal is making an effort to be nicer to Aron - in the beginning, Cal was like Charles, and Aron was like Adam, but now they are becoming different and have their own bond - maybe breaking the idea of fate?
When Cal is older, he prays to God “Don’t make me be mean” - he doesn’t realize his own free will, but later in the book, he does and strives to be good
Good vs. evil - Cal didn’t realize he was in charge of his destiny, but now he is trying to change his own fate for the better (good)
Adam - the boys strive for his affection, if he just gives Cal the feeling that he loves him, Cal will be fine - Cal feels like second-best when compared to Aron,and thinks that his dad loves his brother more
Why is Cal able to talk about Aron with Kate, but not Adam?
He needs to take care of the good in the family (good vs evil), so he feels he has a duty to protect them
Do you think Cal’s decision to hide Cathy from Aron will benefit them in the long run?
Eventually Aron will find out who his mother is, and that his brother and father have lived to him, and he will become disillusioned or force himself to not recognize the fact that she still exists
He will not handle it well, he will be angry
How will he find out?
Cal might tell him
He already has evidence that his mother is still alive, but if he finds out, he will deny it because he would not be able to deal with it
In the Bible, Aaron was Moses’ brother - he makes one mistake?
Wrap-up
Good vs. evil is one of the main ideas, but it is not always clear - the reader has to define the struggle
Liked discussion of Cathy more in depth today
It is interesting thinking about Aron and whether or not he can hold onto his innocence forever?
The part describing Kate’s sickness is interesting
Liked the warm-up (dualities) and the role it played in discussion
The quote on 461 was very interesting (Caleb and the promised land)
When Cathy first meets Cal, the way she recognizes him is how much he looks like Charles - is Charles the father, is Adam? Good vs. evil?
Liked how it was more in depth about Cal and Aron
Those who are more evil, are more observant?
Why does Cathy think of Charles so much?