Cry, The Beloved Country

This is a powerful and moving story of sin and redemption, hate and love, fear and strength, bitterness and forgiveness. It is written in a beautiful and gentle voice that draws you into the dramatic plot and human characters. One of my favorite things about this book are the incredibly human and flawed characters. Some are striving to do the right thing, while at the same time resisting the temptation to hurt and hate those around them. At different moments they succeed and fail, and as a reader you feel their successes and failures. Your essay assignment is going to be exploring in depth a character from this book. So pay close attention to the characters.

The plot is an ageless one - that of a prodigal son. It might be a good idea to review the story of the prodigal son which can be found in Luke 15:11-32. The two stories are not identical, but the author’s familiarity with the Bible story certainly influenced this story. I know you are going to find this story compelling. It is a heartbreaking story that still shines with hope.

In order to get the most out of this book, it is helpful to know a little about apartheid South Africa. Apartheid was a system of segregation established and enforced by the government of South Africa. Both Blacks and Whites resisted, as you will see in the book. Some, like Bishop Tutu and Nelson Mandela, wanted peaceful resistance, but others preferred violent methods. In this story, you will see each type of person and their fight against apartheid.

If you watch on YouTube the four videos titled “Witness to Apartheid Part 1, 2, 3 and 4” that are linked here, you will learn quite a bit about South Africa. These four videos are an accurate portrayal of the system. I cannot recommend any other video’s because I have not previewed them. But be careful about what you watch. There are many people who deny the seriousness of apartheid, just like there are people who deny the Holocaust. Also, don’t bother reading the comments, they are just full of ignorant people saying ignorant things.

If you do not have time to watch all four of the videos, watch the second and third one. I think it is tragic how ignorant the White people are about the living conditions of the Blacks. You can also see in this video how after a while, some Black people are tired of resisting peacefully and are beginning to think that violence is the only way to bring down the system of apartheid. In the third video we see how a White man suffers because he has supported the Black community. At the end of part 3, and beginning of part 4 you see an Afrikaner explain very eloquently how growing up in South Africa among the racial division causes one to become blind to it. You can also see the torture endured by those arrested. This part can be disturbing, so view at your own risk.

After you watch the video’s, please leave a comment here so we can discuss your reactions. I will post the comprehension questions next.

(The painting above is titled The Return of the Prodigal Son, and was painted by Pompeo Batoni in 1773. I think it is a beautiful interpretation of the story.)

Welcome Back!

Welcome back!! I hope your break was fun and relaxing. I would love to hear about what you did. How was Mexico, Daniel and Kevin?

My brother came out to Chicago to visit over break. He will be graduating this year with his degree in Architecture, so we had a really fun time touring the city, and looking up at all the famous skyscrapers. Chicago is home to the first skyscraper, and is known around the world for its famous skyline and buildings. Many famous architects worked here, and when you view the skyline it is full of their impressive work.

Post a comment and tell me what you did!

Easter Break

This week, March 24 - 30 is Easter Break. We will resume class on Monday the 31st, when we will begin reading Cry, The Beloved Country. I know Kevin is going to Mexico on a missions trip, but what do the rest of you have planned? I would love to hear about it!

I hope you enjoy your break during this very important time. He has risen! He has risen indeed!

(P.S. I have responded to the questions and comments regarding Great Gatsby)

Animal Farm

NOTE: We only have one week to read this book, but it is short - 100 pages, so I don’t think it will be a problem.

It is a wonderful book! My husband picked it up a few weeks ago, and started reading it. He could not put it down. Orwell does an amazing job in this satire of showing the lunacy of Communism. He was cutting edge. He wrote this book during a time that Europe, as well as America, admired not only Communism, but Stalin, therefore this book was not popular when it first came out.

It is VERY important that you read the introduction, before you dive into the book. The introduction discusses Orwell’s beliefs, the climate in which he was writing, and some hints on which characters represent Communist leaders. Your level of enjoyment of the book will be in direct correlation between how much or how little you know about Communism. Since we spent quite a bit of time learning about Communism early in the school year, I know Kevin and Daniel will find this book very entertaining. Tyler, I of course don’t know about your level of understanding when it comes to Communism, but this book will be a good introduction.

There are six major themes in the book to watch out for. Since we only have one week to read this book and write an essay, we are going to do things a little differently. As you read, you will look out for the different themes, than you will write an essay comparing Animal Farm to Communist Russia. You will consider Orwell’s accuracy, how the people/animals respond to Communism, and the final result. No matter what theme you choose, the above three need to be considered. I’m sure now you are wondering what the themes are, well here you go!

1. Napoleon’s Cult of Personality as compared to Stalin’s.

2. The rivalry between Snowball and Napoleon compared to that of Stalin and Trotsky. You would also want to discuss the changing of historical facts.

3. Management of the means of production and the distribution of the wealth. Things to consider - the windmill, apples, milk, barley, use of the house, etc.)

4. Equality. Is true equality achieved or maintained?

5. Use of ceremony and symbols. Consider the songs, poems, chants, medals, meetings, flag, whip, two legs vs. four legs.

6. An ever evolving set of rules/commandments and the government’s manipulation of them.

Every Communist country in the world has had elements the above six themes. Orwell makes great use of the above to demonstrate the ridiculousness of the system. So as you read, jot down page numbers when the themes appear. This will assist you in writing your essay. Also, you may want to spend a little time brushing up on Communist Russia! Enjoy the book, I know you will like it!

I will post a place for you to post your essay, but since there are no discussion questions, there will be no post for that. You will still get an opportunity to ask me a question. Your essay is due on Friday the 21st by midnight. Please let me know if you have any questions along the way!

HINTS:
Snowball = Trotsky
Napoleon = Stalin
Major = Lenin
A stone is a unit of measure in England 1 stone = 14 pounds

Websites you might find helpful

Click here for information about Stalin and Trotsky and their rivalry.

Click here for information about Stalin rewriting history. There is a little here about his cult of personality.


I thought this site about Soviet posters was interesting.

Please let me know if you would like more websites or information!

Your Turn

Hi Guys,

Great job with the discussion questions! I'll be posting my responses soon. But for now, we have come to the part where you ask me a question. So I hope you have been thinking about this, and I look forward to what you have to say.

This time Daniel will be answering Tyler's question
Tyler will answer Kevin's.
Kevin will answer Daniel's.

Have fun!

Essay Question

Green with Envy

Fitzgerald is known for using a lot of symbolism in his novels, and The Great Gatsby has some particularly strong symbols. One of them is the green light that flashes at the end of Tom and Daisy's dock. Gatsby is obsessed with desire for Daisy, and spends his life trying to reach her social level in order to win her. In then end this quest destroys him.

Write a five paragraph essay answering the following question. Your essay is due on Friday the 14th by midnight.

The Great Gatsby, among other things, is the story of the American dream. Gatsby spends his life in quest of the dream of being with Daisy. How does his complete obsession lead to his death and what symbols and character flaws do we encounter along the way?

Have fun pondering this, and let me know how I can help!

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is one of the most famous pieces of American Literature. It has become the social commentary of an entire decade - the 1920’s. The ‘20s was a time contradictions. Prohibition made the production and consumption of alcohol illegal in an attempt to legislate morality. This was a reaction to the immorality that some saw pervading society. As you will see in the book extra-marital affairs became more common, women enjoyed a lot more freedom, and society was becoming less religious.

We encounter the wealthy, careless, and immoral in this book. The characters will surprise and confuse you. Fitzgerald’s style of writing takes a while to get used to, so persevere through the slow beginning. You will be rewarded in the end. The book forces you to challenge people’s perceptions of themselves. We see the consequences of envy, greed, immaturity, and deceit woven into a magical story. The book has a dream like quality. The images are unbelievable, bathed in hot humid air. The conversations are stilted, rhythmic and inconclusive. In doing this Fitzgerald is making a point about the setting and the characters. Their actions and thoughts are unbelievable, thus the writing style mirrors that, as well as the chaos of the decade.

I hope you enjoy this book! The plot is fascinating and tragic, I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts about it. Below I have assigned you questions to answer. In addition to answering those questions, choose any 3 questions as well.

Kevin - Ch 1, Q 1 and 3. Ch 3, Q 2. Ch 4, Q 3. Ch 8 and 9, Q 1 and 4.
Tyler - Ch 1, Q 1. Ch 2, Q 1. Ch 4, Q 2. Ch 5, Q 1 and 2. Ch 8 and 9, Q 4.
Daniel - Ch 1, Q 2 and 3. Ch 2, Q 1. Ch 4, Q3. Ch 5, Q 2. Ch 7, Q 1.

Ch 1
1. What advice does Nick, the narrator’s father give him?
2. What are Tom and Daisy like? What character qualities do they exhibit?
3. What is Gatsby looking at across the bay at the end of the chapter? What does green symbolize?

Ch 2
1. Describe the sign they pass on their way to New York.
2. What do we know about Gatsby by the end of this chapter?

Ch 3
1. How does Nick finally meet his neighbor Gatsby?
2. What does Nick think about himself? Hint: It’s the last line of the chapter.

Ch 4
1. What is the story of Gatsby and Daisy?
2. Why did Gatsby buy his mansion?
3. Is Gatsby vain?

Ch 5
1. How do Gatsby and Daisy finally meet?
2. Gatsby know exactly how long it has been since he has seen Daisy. What does this show about his level of obsession?

Ch 7 (in this chapter everything becomes transparent, especially the intentions of Gatsby and Daisy)
1. When does Tom realize what is going on?
2. What does it mean that “Her voice is full of money”?
3. Gatsby claims that Daisy “never loved you”, how do we, as the reader, and Tom know this is not true?
4. Why is it so devastating to Gatsby that Daisy does/did love Tom?
5. How does Daisy respond to the position that Gatsby has put her in?
6. How does Myrtle die and who kills her?

Ch 8 and 9
1. Daisy is described as a “grail.” What is the significance of this?
2. How does Gatsby die?
3. Why does Nick have such a hard time finding people to attend Gatsby’s funeral?
4. Nick realizes what type of people Tom and Daisy are, how does he describe them?