Due Wednesday, November 28th - "Beloved" by Toni Morrison, Pages 181-235

Overview: As we discussed, Toni Morrison employs stream of consciousness in her novel to show how our memories trigger emotions that impact our present and, consequentially, our future.

Directions: In past blog responses, I provided you with a bullet point list of moments, tracing the stream of conscious of the characters from the third person narrator. For your post, please provide your own list of moments with page numbers, as I have done in the past. You may use my past lists as a guide for formatting. Also, provide a brief paragraph at the bottom to describe your analysis, reasoning, and any questions you have for our class discussion.

Angela Davis and Toni Morrison

"If Beale Street Could Talk" by James Baldwin

Overview:  Browsing at the local bookstore in Reading, Whitelam Books, I stumbled across a short novel by James Baldwin with a movie promo cover called If Beale Street Could Talk. I cannot put it down.  It is a beautiful book, and there is something serendipitous about my finding and experiencing this book with what we have been reading, viewing, and discussing in class.  I feel like the book found me.  Below is a link to purchase the book and get information, along with the theatrical trailer for the film, directed by Barry Jenkins, the Oscar winning director of Moonlight.  I opens in December.  Please see me if you would like more information.  I will be holding a book club during H-block.

Book information:

https://www.amazon.com/If-Beale-Street-Could-Talk/dp/0307275930


Theatrical Trailer:

House and Senate

Overview:  Many of you asked for some background on the House and Senate.  Here is a great informational video on what the House and Senate are and how it works.  Enjoy.

"An Open Letter to My Sister, Miss Angela Davis" by James Baldwin

Overview:  I thought you would like this piece written by Baldwin during the case against Angela Davis.  Below is a picture of her on Newsweek, which Baldwin references in the letter.  Click the link below to read Baldwin's letter.  Sadly, as you read the letter you will notice that it applies now.


"One way of gauging a nation’s health, or of discerning what it really considers to be its interests—or to what extent it can be considered as a nation as distinguished from a coalition of special interests—is to examine those people it elects to represent or protect it. One glance at the American leaders (or figure-heads) conveys that America is on the edge of absolute chaos, and also suggests the future to which American interests, if not the bulk of the American people, appear willing to consign the blacks. (Indeed, one look at our past conveys that.) It is clear that for the bulk of our (nominal) countrymen, we are all expendable."

James Baldwin, 1970

About Angela Davis:

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/angela-davis

"Open Letter to My Sister, Miss Angela Davis" by James Badwin:

https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1971/01/07/an-open-letter-to-my-sister-miss-angela-davis/

Due Tuesday, November 13th - Who am I?

Part I: Freewriting

Either in a series of bullet points or freewriting, explore the following as they pertain to you:

• “Nature” – Ethnicity, Race, Gender, Sexuality, Personality
• Institutional – Nationality, Religion, Profession
• Discourse – Environmentalist, Feminist, Libertarian, Marxist, Vegan
• Affinity – Scouts, Teenager, Goth

Part II: Journal Reflection

In a personal journal or Google Doc: Once you have compiled a comprehensive list, write about the experiences you have had with each. Do not hold back. Some will offer more passionate responses than others will. Some may upset you. Some may even surprise you.

This will be part of an on-going exploration as we examine the narrative that is our lives. We are all protagonists, characters narrating our existences through our first person point of view. Remember, there is a third person narrator - dual narrative if you will - telling the story of us. Let your voice be the true war story.


Part III: Blog Discussion

In this blog space: Post ONE section that you feel comfortable sharing with the class in a blog response. Read your classmates’ responses, and please respond directly to at least one student in which you share an experience and one where you learned something new.

Due Thursday, November 15th - "Beloved" by Toni Morrison, Pages 125-180

Overview: As we discussed, Toni Morrison employs stream of consciousness in her novel to show how our memories trigger emotions that impact our present and, consequentially, our future.

Directions: Same format as the last blog. Read pages 125-180. Now you should be thinking about how these abstract images, symbols, and metaphors are coming together to present a full picture of what happened on 124 the day Beloved died.  Compose a blog response analyzing these ideas and expressing your opinion on the text.

• Breakfast (127)
• Hiiiiiiii (127)
• It rained (129)
• Cherokee (131)
• Tobaco tin (133)
• She moved him (134)
• Turtles (137)
• Touch me ... and call me beloved. (137)
• Denver and Sethe - Where does Sethe think Beloved has been? (140)
• Denver and Beloved (141)
• She points to the sunlight (146)
• Paul D vs. Beloved for Sethe's attention (147-156)
• “It was Stamp Paid who started it. Twenty days after Sethe arrived…” (159)
• “She had decided to do something with the fruit worthy of the man’s labor and his love. That’s how it began.” (160)
• Laughter, goodwill, love…made them angry (161) 
• “The sent of their disapproval lay heavy in the air…offended them with excess...high-topped shoes” (162-163) 
• She smelled another thing… (163) 
• Bodwins (162) The Garners (164-166) 
• “These are my hands...” (166) 
• Mr. Gardner. Bodwins. Differences? Similarities? (167-173) 
• “until she got proud...high-topped shoes she did not like the look of at all.” (173) 
• Four horsemen (174) 
• The shed. What happened? Make connections to the prior chapter. (174-180)

Due Wednesday, November 7th - "Beloved" by Toni Morrison, Pages 76-124

Overview: As we discussed, Toni Morrison employs stream of consciousness in her novel to show how our memories trigger emotions that impact our present and, consequentially, our future.

Directions: Same format as the last blog. Read pages 76-124. Next, analyze the following moments. Notice the juxtaposition. How does each “symbol” build on the next? In your blog response, discuss how the text works to create meaning. What is meaningful about the shift itself, for example? Choose a 1-3 below to explore, and use direct evidence from the text in your response. As a class, try to mix it up, so we can cover the list as a class. Respond to each other. Be bold. Brilliant.

• "He saw?" (81)
• Mister (85)
• "In the dark, my name is Beloved" (88)
• "Tell me how Setrhe made you in the boat" (90-100)
• “It was time to lay it all down” (101) 
• Mothers, fathers, children: laugh, dance, cry – love yourself (103-104) 
• Baby Suggs holy proved herself a liar, whitefolks, and 28 days…. (104-105) 
• Life on 124 before (105-112) 
• “Just the fingers,” Paul D, strangled…Grandma Baby? (112-113) 
• Beloved’s fingers, “You are too old for that,” and then Sethe “remembered” something. Could she trust Paul D? (114-118) 
• “I saw what you did” (119) “I fixed it, didn’t I?” (119) “The circle of iron choked it” (119) 
• Lady Jones, Nelson Lord, two years of silence…. why? What woke her up? (120-124) 
• Beloved and…the turtles? (124)