Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
HW/Study Island
Students are to complete the study island assignment writing1 by Friday.
Students have to complete the following assignment by tomorrow:
Montana 1948 epilogue (20pts)
1. On page 165 we learn that David's family moved away from Bentrock almost immediately, never to return. Somewhat suprisingly, it his his mother, not his father, who is the author of their departure. What does this show about her? About Wesley Hayden?
2. What do you make of David's remark on page 167 that "Frank's death was an unbridgeable gap between us?" And later, that "If there was any sense, any purpose at all in Uncle Frank's suicide, if he killed himself for any reason, it was so these people--his wife, his parents, his brother, his sister-in-law--could be reunited after his death"? Is Wesley saying something about the relationship between the future and the past for a Western town like Bentrock?
3. On page 169, looking into his empty house, David comments on the irony of his family's exile. What is that irony? What does it say about the price paid for justice?
4. David's father returns to his first career, becoming a lawyer. David is amazed by this. As he says on page 170, "after what I observed as a child in Bentrock, I could never believe in the rule of law again. That my father could continue his profession I attributed to his ability to segment parts of his life and keep one from intruding on another." What does he mean? Is this true? Has his father always demonstrated such an ability?
5. Consider also the ways in which his father's career change is an appropriate one, under the circumstances. How is being a lawyer different from being a peace officer?
6. On page 170 we learn that David has become a history teacher as an adult. He comments at length on the ways in which this is both appropriate and ironic, too. Explain. How do we usually remember and record history?
7. David makes a case, on page 171, that the incidents in Bentrock in the summer of 1948 directly caused the deaths of three people, in addition to his uncle: Len, his grandfather, and his father. Yet, all three died of natural causes. What does he mean? Consider the cause of death and circumstances in each case.
8. On pages 172-3, David as the adult narrator of the story briefly flashes back to a memory of an afternoon in the company of Marie and her boyfriend Ronnie. What's this a memory of? Why is it so compelling for him? Consider the actual game they play, and why it appealed to him at the time, appeals to him still. What sort of world is he remembering, even wishing for?
9. Consider the final scene of the novel, in which David's wife Betsy questions his father at Thanksgiving dinner. First of all, what's the significance of Thanksgiving? What does it commemorate?
Students have to complete the following assignment by tomorrow:
Montana 1948 epilogue (20pts)
1. On page 165 we learn that David's family moved away from Bentrock almost immediately, never to return. Somewhat suprisingly, it his his mother, not his father, who is the author of their departure. What does this show about her? About Wesley Hayden?
2. What do you make of David's remark on page 167 that "Frank's death was an unbridgeable gap between us?" And later, that "If there was any sense, any purpose at all in Uncle Frank's suicide, if he killed himself for any reason, it was so these people--his wife, his parents, his brother, his sister-in-law--could be reunited after his death"? Is Wesley saying something about the relationship between the future and the past for a Western town like Bentrock?
3. On page 169, looking into his empty house, David comments on the irony of his family's exile. What is that irony? What does it say about the price paid for justice?
4. David's father returns to his first career, becoming a lawyer. David is amazed by this. As he says on page 170, "after what I observed as a child in Bentrock, I could never believe in the rule of law again. That my father could continue his profession I attributed to his ability to segment parts of his life and keep one from intruding on another." What does he mean? Is this true? Has his father always demonstrated such an ability?
5. Consider also the ways in which his father's career change is an appropriate one, under the circumstances. How is being a lawyer different from being a peace officer?
6. On page 170 we learn that David has become a history teacher as an adult. He comments at length on the ways in which this is both appropriate and ironic, too. Explain. How do we usually remember and record history?
7. David makes a case, on page 171, that the incidents in Bentrock in the summer of 1948 directly caused the deaths of three people, in addition to his uncle: Len, his grandfather, and his father. Yet, all three died of natural causes. What does he mean? Consider the cause of death and circumstances in each case.
8. On pages 172-3, David as the adult narrator of the story briefly flashes back to a memory of an afternoon in the company of Marie and her boyfriend Ronnie. What's this a memory of? Why is it so compelling for him? Consider the actual game they play, and why it appealed to him at the time, appeals to him still. What sort of world is he remembering, even wishing for?
9. Consider the final scene of the novel, in which David's wife Betsy questions his father at Thanksgiving dinner. First of all, what's the significance of Thanksgiving? What does it commemorate?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Study Island/Montana 1948
The students have two assignments that they are working on simultaneously. In class, students are working on completing 4 tasks assigned through Study Island. These assignments are due at the end of the day Monday. At home the students are to finish reading Montana 1948 and complete the following assignment by Monday:
Montana 1948 pgs 142-162 20pts
1. David’s mother must protect her home from Dale Paris and his clan. How does she handle the situation? What does this tell us about her character?
2. On page 143, what does Gail tell Wes to do with Frank? Why has her opinion changed? What would you have said in her situation?
3. Opinion: Why do you think Frank has confessed at this time? What is his motive? Has he underestimated his brother, or has he estimated correctly?
4. Who were the Highdog Brothers? Why were they chasing Wes and Cordell? What did Frank do to them? Why did Wes tell this story to David?
5. What did Wes find in the basement?
6. Opinion: What is Uncle Frank’s motive for committing suicide? Does it make sense to you? Does it change your opinion of Uncle Frank?
7. How did Uncle Frank’s suicide solve all the family’s problems?
8. What did David feel towards Uncle Frank when it was over? Why do you think he felt that way?
Montana 1948 pgs 142-162 20pts
1. David’s mother must protect her home from Dale Paris and his clan. How does she handle the situation? What does this tell us about her character?
2. On page 143, what does Gail tell Wes to do with Frank? Why has her opinion changed? What would you have said in her situation?
3. Opinion: Why do you think Frank has confessed at this time? What is his motive? Has he underestimated his brother, or has he estimated correctly?
4. Who were the Highdog Brothers? Why were they chasing Wes and Cordell? What did Frank do to them? Why did Wes tell this story to David?
5. What did Wes find in the basement?
6. Opinion: What is Uncle Frank’s motive for committing suicide? Does it make sense to you? Does it change your opinion of Uncle Frank?
7. How did Uncle Frank’s suicide solve all the family’s problems?
8. What did David feel towards Uncle Frank when it was over? Why do you think he felt that way?
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
HW for Thursday
Students are to complete the following assignment for Thursday 10/23:
Montana 1948 pgs 126-140 20pts
1. On pages 126 to 129, David walks to town. En route, he experiences a disturbing new train of thought. What is that train of thought? How might this represent a significant turning point in his life?
2. On pages 130 to 140, we reach one of the climaxes of the novel (novels, unlike short stories, can have several climaxes, just as a novel can more easily accommodate more than one protagonist; this scene, you might say, is the "climax" of the tale for David's mother.) On its surface, this scene might come from any number of other novels or films set in the West. How so? And more importantly, what is different here?
3. What do you make of Len and David's mother's embrace on page 140? (It's a small detail, but look at the short paragraph half way down the page where "Len step[s] back."
Montana 1948 pgs 126-140 20pts
1. On pages 126 to 129, David walks to town. En route, he experiences a disturbing new train of thought. What is that train of thought? How might this represent a significant turning point in his life?
2. On pages 130 to 140, we reach one of the climaxes of the novel (novels, unlike short stories, can have several climaxes, just as a novel can more easily accommodate more than one protagonist; this scene, you might say, is the "climax" of the tale for David's mother.) On its surface, this scene might come from any number of other novels or films set in the West. How so? And more importantly, what is different here?
3. What do you make of Len and David's mother's embrace on page 140? (It's a small detail, but look at the short paragraph half way down the page where "Len step[s] back."
Journal #6-Family
In the novel, Frank's parents go to David's house to defend their son and demand his release. Is this an acceptable action for parents to take considering the circumstances of Frank's imprisonment? In other words, should parents defend their children no matter what? Should Frank have anyone on his side?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Montana 1948
Today in class we completed the following assignment:
Montana 1948-pgs 115-125 (20pts)
1. On pages 115-117, David's grandfather arrives with his grandmother to demand Frank's release. Here's a question; why do you think he brings his wife along, since she says almost nothing? (In fact, even David notices her failure to claim Frank as her son....)
2. Regarding the same scene, on page 116, David's father says that "This isn't about family....It's a legal matter," to which his father replies, "Bull----. Then why have you got him locked up here and not over in the jail?" Is his grandfather correct? Who is winning this argument?
3. Assess the way David's grandfather treats his father in general in this scene.
4. On page 116, David is briefly afraid that his grandfather is going to pull a gun, so afraid in fact that he cries out. Instead, his grandfather produces a cigar. Apart from the obvious sexual symbolism (a cigar is another version of a gun, a male phallus), what else does it signify?
5. David's grandfather says to his father on page 119, "That ----ing uniform. If I could have gotten you in one, maybe we wouldn't have this problem." This is obviously an oversimplification of the situation, but it shows a great deal about grandfather Hayden's logic. He is accusing his son of failing to be a good soldier. What does this mean? What does a soldier do? How has Wesley Hayden failed to live up to this definition?
6. Consider also Grandfather Hayden's remarks on the following pages, beginning with "What the hell am I supposed to think?" and concluding with, "Is that why I gave you that badge?" What sort of authority is his grandfather claiming? How far does he believe his will to extend over others?
7. On page 121, David reminds us that he's listening to the whole conversation through the heating ducts, and suddenly realizes that his Uncle Frank is probably doing the same thing. Then he has a realization, more eerie and profound still, that his Uncle could, at this moment, speak directly to him without being heard by anybody in the living room. What do you make of this? Why does this possibility concern him so much?
8. On page 123 David comes downstairs and sees his mother and father in the kitchen. Have we seen this scene before in the novel? Where? And what do you make of David's assertion, made on page 124, that "this was the moment I knew my father would die someday"? In what sense is his father's mortal nature imbedded in the scene?
9. On page 124, David grieves for his horse, Nutty. Why is this grief so acute for him? What does the horse represent to him? What, beyond the companionship of a responsive animal, is being lost? (An additional connection you can make: on page 16, we learned that David's father's limp is caused by an accident with a horse when he was 16. Consider this as you fathom the metaphoric nature of horses in the novel.)
Montana 1948-pgs 115-125 (20pts)
1. On pages 115-117, David's grandfather arrives with his grandmother to demand Frank's release. Here's a question; why do you think he brings his wife along, since she says almost nothing? (In fact, even David notices her failure to claim Frank as her son....)
2. Regarding the same scene, on page 116, David's father says that "This isn't about family....It's a legal matter," to which his father replies, "Bull----. Then why have you got him locked up here and not over in the jail?" Is his grandfather correct? Who is winning this argument?
3. Assess the way David's grandfather treats his father in general in this scene.
4. On page 116, David is briefly afraid that his grandfather is going to pull a gun, so afraid in fact that he cries out. Instead, his grandfather produces a cigar. Apart from the obvious sexual symbolism (a cigar is another version of a gun, a male phallus), what else does it signify?
5. David's grandfather says to his father on page 119, "That ----ing uniform. If I could have gotten you in one, maybe we wouldn't have this problem." This is obviously an oversimplification of the situation, but it shows a great deal about grandfather Hayden's logic. He is accusing his son of failing to be a good soldier. What does this mean? What does a soldier do? How has Wesley Hayden failed to live up to this definition?
6. Consider also Grandfather Hayden's remarks on the following pages, beginning with "What the hell am I supposed to think?" and concluding with, "Is that why I gave you that badge?" What sort of authority is his grandfather claiming? How far does he believe his will to extend over others?
7. On page 121, David reminds us that he's listening to the whole conversation through the heating ducts, and suddenly realizes that his Uncle Frank is probably doing the same thing. Then he has a realization, more eerie and profound still, that his Uncle could, at this moment, speak directly to him without being heard by anybody in the living room. What do you make of this? Why does this possibility concern him so much?
8. On page 123 David comes downstairs and sees his mother and father in the kitchen. Have we seen this scene before in the novel? Where? And what do you make of David's assertion, made on page 124, that "this was the moment I knew my father would die someday"? In what sense is his father's mortal nature imbedded in the scene?
9. On page 124, David grieves for his horse, Nutty. Why is this grief so acute for him? What does the horse represent to him? What, beyond the companionship of a responsive animal, is being lost? (An additional connection you can make: on page 16, we learned that David's father's limp is caused by an accident with a horse when he was 16. Consider this as you fathom the metaphoric nature of horses in the novel.)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Essay 50pts
We will be working on the following essay in class over the next few days:
Support or oppose Wes’s decision to lock Frank up in the basement and not the jail. Consider everyone involved. Is he protecting Frank, himself, his family, the town? Is this special treatment?
Your essay should have at least 3 examples supporting your argument and 1 attacking an opposing point.
Support or oppose Wes’s decision to lock Frank up in the basement and not the jail. Consider everyone involved. Is he protecting Frank, himself, his family, the town? Is this special treatment?
Your essay should have at least 3 examples supporting your argument and 1 attacking an opposing point.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
HW due Wednesday
Students are to complete the following for HW:
Montana 1948 pgs 105-114 (20pts)
1. The first matter of the chapter is the burial of Marie Little Soldier. Her family has chosen not to have her buried locally, but to take her back to North Dakota. On page 105, David's father says, "I tried to tell Mrs. Little Soldier that this was Marie's home also and that we thought of her as a member of the family, but she didn't want to hear..." What's odd about this remark? And why does David's mother "nod knowingly" before she answers?
2. On page 106, David describes his father's approach to a criminal investigation, comparing his present investigation to one several years before. What does this description show about the way the law is conducted in Montana? How is this different from the way we expect the law to be applied?
3. What is the particular significance of the model of the B-29 that David is working on when his uncle and father arrive at the house on page 107? Remember that the author could have had David doing anything at all--the model is a carefully made, perhaps symbolic choice. Consider its variety of meanings. (There's no one right answer here...)
4. Why is Uncle Frank carrying "a small satchel"? Usually--in virtually every other scene in the novel when Uncle Frank comes to the house--he carries a doctor's bag. Even David notes the change. What's the meaning of the change?
5. On page 108, after David's father emerges alone from the basement, he drinks liquor. What's the significance of the brand he drinks? And why does David say that he "held the glass to the rain-streaked window as if he were examining it for impurities"?
Montana 1948 pgs 105-114 (20pts)
1. The first matter of the chapter is the burial of Marie Little Soldier. Her family has chosen not to have her buried locally, but to take her back to North Dakota. On page 105, David's father says, "I tried to tell Mrs. Little Soldier that this was Marie's home also and that we thought of her as a member of the family, but she didn't want to hear..." What's odd about this remark? And why does David's mother "nod knowingly" before she answers?
2. On page 106, David describes his father's approach to a criminal investigation, comparing his present investigation to one several years before. What does this description show about the way the law is conducted in Montana? How is this different from the way we expect the law to be applied?
3. What is the particular significance of the model of the B-29 that David is working on when his uncle and father arrive at the house on page 107? Remember that the author could have had David doing anything at all--the model is a carefully made, perhaps symbolic choice. Consider its variety of meanings. (There's no one right answer here...)
4. Why is Uncle Frank carrying "a small satchel"? Usually--in virtually every other scene in the novel when Uncle Frank comes to the house--he carries a doctor's bag. Even David notes the change. What's the meaning of the change?
5. On page 108, after David's father emerges alone from the basement, he drinks liquor. What's the significance of the brand he drinks? And why does David say that he "held the glass to the rain-streaked window as if he were examining it for impurities"?
Journal #5-violence
As a society, are we too violent? Do we take violence and violent acts seriously? Explain your thoughts using several specific examples. Relate this to why David would not have much trouble shooting Frank.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
HW
Montana 1948 pgs 82-86 (20pts)
1. On page 82, David sees his father and uncle talking. What's the first strange thing he notices? What is the significance of this?
2. Why does David pantomime shooting his uncle? What would his motive be for murder?
3. As the scene closes on page 84, David notes that "My father and Uncle Frank walked off together, their broad shoulders almost touching." What are we meant to think has transpired between them?
4. What's wrong--or insufficient--about David's father's remarks to his wife on the return drive (page 85)?
5. What is the significance of Marie's strange remark on page 86? ("He's hard to see when you look for him.") What's hard to see? What's David been looking for?
1. On page 82, David sees his father and uncle talking. What's the first strange thing he notices? What is the significance of this?
2. Why does David pantomime shooting his uncle? What would his motive be for murder?
3. As the scene closes on page 84, David notes that "My father and Uncle Frank walked off together, their broad shoulders almost touching." What are we meant to think has transpired between them?
4. What's wrong--or insufficient--about David's father's remarks to his wife on the return drive (page 85)?
5. What is the significance of Marie's strange remark on page 86? ("He's hard to see when you look for him.") What's hard to see? What's David been looking for?
HW due Wednesday
Montana 1948 pgs 72-82 (20pts)
1. David's grandfather, on the next page, lets slip that his son Frank has "always been partial to red meat." He is speaking about Indian women, of course, but the metaphor he chooses is telling. What does it show about him? How does he seem to feel about his son's improprieties?
2. The novel then moves to flashback, returning us to a distant memory of Frank's bachelor party. Again, David relays an overheard conversation. Look to page 75--here, his father delivers a drunken speech about the "Hayden boys," describing them as a kind of fraternity of lawlessness and macho bravado. "We are the law!" he says. Then he vomits. Explain the connection between this scene and the statement on page 21 that David's father is a man "who tried to turn two ways at once" (21).
3. On page 76 we meet David's grandmother. How is she different from the other women in the novel, especially David's own mother? What is this meant to show?
4. On page 77, David confesses his erotic attraction for his Aunt Gloria, and describes a scene when, bedridden, she tended to him. He even pretends to be asleep, in order that he may enjoy her closeness to him: "as she bent down to feel my forehead," David confesses, "I could smell her perfume." Does this arrangement--an erotic attraction in the midst of medical care--remind you of anything else in the novel?
5. Subsequently, David overhears a whispered conversation between his aunt and his uncle, then the squeaking of their bedsprings. What's going on here? Does this scene change, if briefly, or sense of Uncle Frank the Indian molester?
6. On page 79-80, David is given an automatic pistol by his grandfather and told to go shoot coyotes. David says of handguns: "They were something not serious, not for bringing down game but for shooting as an activity in and of itself...." How is this gun different from the guns David's father has given him and trained him to use? Is it significant that it comes from his grandfather? Does it have a symbolic meaning?
7. What is the double meaning of the two paragraphs on page 80 that begin: "I shot up the entire box of bullets." (Consider that in the scene immediately preceding, David has experienced powerful erotic sensations at his aunt's perfume--and disgust as well.)
8. Of the magpie that he shoots, David says on page 81, "I hadn't even known it but I needed to kill something." What is he struggling with? Why must his anger manifest itself in violence?
9. Continue your interpretation on page 82, with the paragraph that begins "I felt the way I did when I woke from an especially disturbing and powerful dream....." Pay particular attention to the lines: "I realized that these strange, unthought-of connections--sex and death, lust and violence, desire and degradation--are there, there, deep in even a good heart's chambers."
1. David's grandfather, on the next page, lets slip that his son Frank has "always been partial to red meat." He is speaking about Indian women, of course, but the metaphor he chooses is telling. What does it show about him? How does he seem to feel about his son's improprieties?
2. The novel then moves to flashback, returning us to a distant memory of Frank's bachelor party. Again, David relays an overheard conversation. Look to page 75--here, his father delivers a drunken speech about the "Hayden boys," describing them as a kind of fraternity of lawlessness and macho bravado. "We are the law!" he says. Then he vomits. Explain the connection between this scene and the statement on page 21 that David's father is a man "who tried to turn two ways at once" (21).
3. On page 76 we meet David's grandmother. How is she different from the other women in the novel, especially David's own mother? What is this meant to show?
4. On page 77, David confesses his erotic attraction for his Aunt Gloria, and describes a scene when, bedridden, she tended to him. He even pretends to be asleep, in order that he may enjoy her closeness to him: "as she bent down to feel my forehead," David confesses, "I could smell her perfume." Does this arrangement--an erotic attraction in the midst of medical care--remind you of anything else in the novel?
5. Subsequently, David overhears a whispered conversation between his aunt and his uncle, then the squeaking of their bedsprings. What's going on here? Does this scene change, if briefly, or sense of Uncle Frank the Indian molester?
6. On page 79-80, David is given an automatic pistol by his grandfather and told to go shoot coyotes. David says of handguns: "They were something not serious, not for bringing down game but for shooting as an activity in and of itself...." How is this gun different from the guns David's father has given him and trained him to use? Is it significant that it comes from his grandfather? Does it have a symbolic meaning?
7. What is the double meaning of the two paragraphs on page 80 that begin: "I shot up the entire box of bullets." (Consider that in the scene immediately preceding, David has experienced powerful erotic sensations at his aunt's perfume--and disgust as well.)
8. Of the magpie that he shoots, David says on page 81, "I hadn't even known it but I needed to kill something." What is he struggling with? Why must his anger manifest itself in violence?
9. Continue your interpretation on page 82, with the paragraph that begins "I felt the way I did when I woke from an especially disturbing and powerful dream....." Pay particular attention to the lines: "I realized that these strange, unthought-of connections--sex and death, lust and violence, desire and degradation--are there, there, deep in even a good heart's chambers."
Monday, October 6, 2008
Montana 1948 HW
Students should have the following assignment completed for tomorrow.
Montana 1948-20pts pgs 57-72
1. As the second chapter begins, we see David Hayden begin to reconstruct his father's investigation. We are reminded that, in large measure, the story of what happened that summer in Montana is hearsay and deduction. How accurate do you suppose are David's conclusions? Do the three deductions presented on the following pages give us confidence in his ability to ferret out the truth? Why or why not?
2. Ollie Young Bear--his role in the story is slight. In fact, he virtually disappears after this one scene. Why is he in the story? What is the significance of the fact that he has a white wife?
3. What's important about the scene in the bowling alley on page 59? What does it show about David, about his father?
4. What's the significance of the weather in the scene on page 63, when David and his mother are temporarily banished from the house?
5. On page 65, David's mother delivers a short soliloquy on the geography of Montana, and the geography of her youth. David interprets this as her way of saying "she wanted a few moments of purity." He also ads that he is "on the trail of something that [will] lead him out of childhood." Explain.
6. On page 67, en route to the ranch, David's father makes a tentative suggestion that the family take a trip to Yellowstone, a national park in Montana and Wyoming. Is this destination arbitrary? And what do you make of David's observation that "unfortunately, he did not often keep his promises."
7. On page 69, we get to see David's grandfather for the first time. What sort of figure is he? Does he resemble anyone else in the story, or anyone else you have seen in the literature and film of the West?
8. On the same subject--what do you make of the Hayden's house on page 68? What does it say about its occupants?
9. On page 71, the subject of Frank's and Gloria's childlessness comes up--just when David, who is eavesdropping, expects his father to tell Grandpa Hayden about Frank's improper sexual relationships with Indian girls. What do you make of this juxtaposition? Why do you think David's father is bringing up the subject now?
10. On the same page, David thinks: "Tell Grandfather. Tell him, and he'll take care of everything. He'll grab Uncle Frank by the shoulders and shake him so hard his bones will clatter like castanets. He'll shake him up and shout in Frank's face that he'd better straighten up and fly right or there'll be hell to pay. And because it's grandfather, that will be the end of it." What does this deep faith in his grandfather show about David? And what do you make of the violence of this vision? Why his grandfather, and not his father?
Montana 1948-20pts pgs 57-72
1. As the second chapter begins, we see David Hayden begin to reconstruct his father's investigation. We are reminded that, in large measure, the story of what happened that summer in Montana is hearsay and deduction. How accurate do you suppose are David's conclusions? Do the three deductions presented on the following pages give us confidence in his ability to ferret out the truth? Why or why not?
2. Ollie Young Bear--his role in the story is slight. In fact, he virtually disappears after this one scene. Why is he in the story? What is the significance of the fact that he has a white wife?
3. What's important about the scene in the bowling alley on page 59? What does it show about David, about his father?
4. What's the significance of the weather in the scene on page 63, when David and his mother are temporarily banished from the house?
5. On page 65, David's mother delivers a short soliloquy on the geography of Montana, and the geography of her youth. David interprets this as her way of saying "she wanted a few moments of purity." He also ads that he is "on the trail of something that [will] lead him out of childhood." Explain.
6. On page 67, en route to the ranch, David's father makes a tentative suggestion that the family take a trip to Yellowstone, a national park in Montana and Wyoming. Is this destination arbitrary? And what do you make of David's observation that "unfortunately, he did not often keep his promises."
7. On page 69, we get to see David's grandfather for the first time. What sort of figure is he? Does he resemble anyone else in the story, or anyone else you have seen in the literature and film of the West?
8. On the same subject--what do you make of the Hayden's house on page 68? What does it say about its occupants?
9. On page 71, the subject of Frank's and Gloria's childlessness comes up--just when David, who is eavesdropping, expects his father to tell Grandpa Hayden about Frank's improper sexual relationships with Indian girls. What do you make of this juxtaposition? Why do you think David's father is bringing up the subject now?
10. On the same page, David thinks: "Tell Grandfather. Tell him, and he'll take care of everything. He'll grab Uncle Frank by the shoulders and shake him so hard his bones will clatter like castanets. He'll shake him up and shout in Frank's face that he'd better straighten up and fly right or there'll be hell to pay. And because it's grandfather, that will be the end of it." What does this deep faith in his grandfather show about David? And what do you make of the violence of this vision? Why his grandfather, and not his father?
Journal #4-gender roles
How do gender roles impact your life? In other words, what is expected of you as either a male or female? What would you like to see changed?
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Essay
We are currently working on an essay in class. It is being broken down into several parts. Here is the task.
Montana 1948
Essay 50pts
Wes, the sheriff of Bentrock, Montana is facing a major decision. Should he investigate and possibly arrest his brother Frank, or should he let it go? Weigh the pros and cons of arresting Frank.
Then write a persuasive essay in which you support your decision to either arrest Frank or do nothing.
Montana 1948
Essay 50pts
Wes, the sheriff of Bentrock, Montana is facing a major decision. Should he investigate and possibly arrest his brother Frank, or should he let it go? Weigh the pros and cons of arresting Frank.
Then write a persuasive essay in which you support your decision to either arrest Frank or do nothing.
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