Animal Wk 2 Discussion

Where is the fine line between communism and democracy?

At first when Farmer Jones still owns Manor Farm he treats the animals like slaves. After this, when the animals drive Farmer Jones out, the animals are self governing and get off to a good start. After a while, when Snowball proposes the windmill, the second rebellion starts. The windmill debate ends when Napoleon drives out snowball with the dogs. This is the turning point in the story because Napoleon takes over the farm and makes himself the leader, or more appropriately, dictator. (Posted by Period 4)

Who do you think would be a better leader Napoleon, Snowball, or Squealer. Explain your reasoning. (Posted by Period 6)

In 1917, the first battle of the Bolshevik Revolution had taken
place but it was not the first battle of Russia’s rebellion. In 1905 one battle was so bloody it was called Bloody Sunday. In Animal Farm, the battle of the cowshed happened about a month after they took control. Looking at the following source, decide if these battles are  similar or not. (Period 3)

http://depts.washington.edu/baltic/papers/russianrevolution.htm

Find Some Support

Look for one good quote and one paraphrase (remember that a paraphrase maintains the idea of the original author and deserves credit for that idea; however, you do not use their exact language).

Re-post your thesis and below it, add your quote and paraphrase. Be sure to include in-text citation.  Below that, create a Works Cited citation for those sources. YOU MAY NOT USE WIKIPEDIA; If you use a dot com, be sure you can verify the validity of the information (is there an author?  is there a last updated date? is the information hosted by a well known organization?)

*EXAMPLE:

My revised thesis:  Ice cream  is much more successful in treating heartbreak than is the more commonly used cure now being used–Facebook bulletins.

Quote:  According to Freud, “people’s egos make them lash out when they are in pain” (45).

Paraphrase: Using Facebook to flash hurtful bulletins on the friends of all the former lover’s pages usually makes things worse (“The Hidden Danger of Facebooking”).

Works Cited

Freud, Sigmund. Id versus Ego. New York:  Bloomsday Press, 2003.

“The Hidden Danger of Facebooking.” New England Herald Online. 3 May 2003.

*This information is all fictional

What are you interested in????

Please post three potential thesis statements concerning a topic(s) of interest. Remember to avoid use of “I think, I believe, In my opinion.” Your thesis statements can be claims of fact (true/false), value (wrong/right, good/bad), or policy (should/should not).  The topic is up to you, but remember that it has to be a topic that is appropriate and is of enough interest to you that it will keep you going because this is a relatively lengthy project ahead.

You must post these statements by 9:00 p.m

You must also respond to other people’s thesis statements by 7:00 a.m. Please respond to THE WAY THE THESIS IS WRITTEN not whether you agree or disagree with one another’s claims.  All of these claims (if they are strong claims) will have agreement or disagreement to them.

History Present in the Novel

D day occured June 6, 1944–the day the Allied invasion of Normandy began.  Throughout the rest of 1944, the Allies advanced across Europe toward Germany. In late 1944, Hitler took a stand along the French and Belgian border. This battle is known as the Battle of the Bulge, and the Allies nearly lost it. However, it also took a toll on Hitler’s armies and ultimately played a significant role in the Allies’ cause. The war in Europe ended nearly a year after D-day. As revelations were made about the extent of the killings that took place in Europe, reactions by Jewish Americans were severe and varied.

Why do you think the author chose to place the novel at this time period?

Does it really impact the story?

Could he have created the tension between the two different Jewish sects without placing the novel in the time period of the war?

Support your answer and be sure to respond to one another’s ideas.

The Chosen Discussion (3 Comments – Leaders Only this round)

Possible prompts (if you have other ideas, feel free):

What were your first impressions of Danny and Reuven?

Why did the author decide to have Danny and Mr. Malter already have an established relationship by the time Danny and Reuven met? How did this impact the characters in the novel?

*Don’t forget to respond to other’s comments and ask questions of your own

“Seven Ages of Man” and “Pain for a Daughter”

Use this space to discuss the two poems we read in class. Your assignments requires you to submit at least three comments total. You may respond to my prompts or you may respond to what others have said, but please remember the classroom expectations.

First names, last initials ONLY. Complete Sentences. Be POLITE when responding to or disagreeing with a fellow classmate. No text jargon (i.e., lol, omg, etc.) Check your spelling and use complete sentences.

Possible Prompts (Defend your answers) You do NOT have to answer all of them:

What is the tone of each?

Do you feel as though Pain for a Daughter expresses a beautiful thing despite its use of figurative language?

Which stage of man, according to the poem, is the most favorable stage?

Which line(s) from each are the most powerful?

Which poem do you like better?

Which poem more accurately describes the “human condition”?

And the moral of the story is . . .

Discuss your reactions to the play as a whole. Now that you have actually read through the entire play (and please do not respond until you are finished–for those in Black Forest League, I have extended the due date of this discussion), reflect upon the way the play surprised you or made you ponder.  How do the personality flaws or strengths lead the characters to take the actions they do? What makes the play so timeless? How does it relate to contemporary life?

Oh what a tangled web . . .

In this post, discuss your feelings about Friar Lawrence and the Nurse–can an argument be made that it is really all their faults Romeo and Juliet are in the mess that they are in? Or do you think Friar Lawrence and the Nurse are innocent victims of the situation? Support your thinking with specific examples.

Psycho-analysis of Juliet’s personality

Using the skills you learned from our Anne Frank unit, analyze Juliet’s personality. Do you feel that she is an accurate representation of women in general or do you feel Shakespeare is unfairly portraying women? Or, do you feel that Juliet is a worthy subject for Romeo’s attention and more women should aspire to be like her?

Here are some things to consider:

1) Her ability to banter words with Romeo

2) The way she found out who Romeo was

3) The way she covered her self-reflection about finding out he was Romeo from the nurse

4) The way she tells Romeo to leave, then come back, to vow, then not to vow, to leave–to stay, and then forgets why she calls him

5) The fact that she essentially tells Romeo that if his intentions are good, they should marry

6) Her impatience when she sends the nurse to find out about the wedding details

Romeo, Romeo . . . [who] for art thou, Romeo?

Romeo is the classic romantic hero–even modern songs use the image of Romeo (“Love Story” by Taylor Swift) to represent what every girl hopes to one day find. However, after having read two scenes of Act I, is Romeo the stuff of dreams? Do you think the love-sick characteristics of the Romeo we currently see in the play is the kind of romantic hero we imaged him to be? Explain your answer and refer to the text with Act, Scene, lines:  (i.e. I.II.5-10)  sorry, correction–use all arabic numerals: (1.2.5-10).

Mr. Pilkington, Mr. Frederick and Napoleon

Look up the the relationship between Stalin, Hitler and America and Europe.  Discuss they way Orwell handles these representation in the book. What were the true events of these relationships? Was Orwell succesful in his handling of these relationships? Why or why not? Support your answer–use in-text for outside sources.

Last Post for First Deadline

Discuss your feelings about Snowball–is he getting a raw deal? Is he to blame for any of the trouble occuring on the farm? Why did he run away? How do you feel about the humans?

Friday, Saturday, Sunday Posts

*Sorry I forgot to post this last night, but the weekend requirements are to post twice any time between Friday, Saturday & Sunday. I think the discussion is going very well–remember to SPELL CHECK and include documentation for any outside source material.

Here are your possible topics:

A.  What is it about the missing milk that sets readers up to believe the actions that will come later on in the book?

B. Can you find a resource that talks about Stalin’s early years in office and find any early warning signs about his administration?

C. What are your thoughts on Mollie? What psychological traits does she possess that are counter-cultural to the ideas of socialism?

Old Major and Vladimir Lenin

Now that you have read far enough into the novel, you know that Old Major plays a crucial, yet short-lived role in the book. However, the man Old Major represents, Vladimir Lenin, lived quite a few years after the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia which took place in 1917. Skim through the following link and identify any similarities you notice between the two. Next, talk about Orwell’s decisions as a writer to first include Old Major but have him die off in the first scene. Also, what significance do you think inclusion of the Battle Song holds for the readers? And . . . anything else you’d like to discuss. I think this is an awesome group,  and as long as you set the bar high for yourselves, you should have a deeply enriched experience with the novel.

I’m really excited!

Diary of a Young Girl Question #5

Think about the ways in which Anne reacts to the everyday struggles of living so closely with her family and other occupants of the Secret Annexe.  How are her emotions a testament to the timelessness of literature?  In other words, discuss the ways in which Ann’s emotions, though she lived so long ago, are similar to emotions you yourself encounter today.

*Support your answer with examples from the book.