Thursday, September 26, 2013

1. Thursday, September 26, 2013 • Today we will: • Assess our comprehension of “The Invalid’s Story” • Define mood and tone • Identify mood and tone in “The Invalid’s Story” • Review the requirements of a fishbowl discussion • Homework: • Prepare for FINAL fishbowl discussion • Membean Quiz: Thur 3:00pm-Fri 3:00pm

2. “The Invalid’s Story” • Start by asking yourself, “what is the overall tone of the story?” • How did you know that? Identify passages that led you to identify the tone as such. • What mood does Twain create for the reader? Look at descriptions of setting for hints. • Why would the mood and tone be so different?

3. Mood “One winter’s night, two years ago, I reached home just after dark, in a driving snowstorm…” p. 363 Description of the setting creates an ominous, perilous mood, making the reader think that danger is present for the main character “We sped through the wild night, the bitter storm raged one, a cheerless misery stole over me…” p. 364  Continuance of dark ominous mood and subject matter juxtaposed with humorous tone Tone “deadly cheese” p. 367 Exaggerated word choice creates humor. The cheese is not literally “deadly,” but the word choice creates a humorous hyperbole.  “here he scrambled to his feet and broke a pane and stretched his nose out at it a moment or two, then sat down again while I struggled up and thrust my nose out at the same place, and this we kept on doing every now and then.” Twain communicates this detail with a matter-of-fact tone as if this behavior was a common remedy. Because the reader knows the absurdity in this, it creates humor as the reader imagines the characters.  “But the news was too late to save me; imagination had done its work, and my health was permanently shattered; neither Bermuda nor any other land can ever bring it back to me. This is my last trip; I am on my way home to die.” p. 370 Exaggerated seriousness creates humorous tone.

4. General instructions: • Students will be chosen at random to be “in the fishbowl.” The fishbowl will consist of two circles, one inner, and one outer. • The inner circle that will do the actual “talking.” • Others will listen, note topics, and may take the “revolving” chair if they have response to make to a major point. • Anyone taking the “revolving” chair may only respond to a point made by someone in the circle and must leave immediately after the one comment. No one may return to the chair until someone else has made a comment. • After a set time, a new group of “fish” will be in the bowl.

5. Specific Procedure: • Discussions will begin with me asking one of the questions from the handout based on the short stories we have read. • Each person should be allowed to respond to a point before new topics are introduced. • Off topic comments will lose points. If the situation continues, the off-topic “fish” will be removed from the bowl. • Responses to questions should be coupled with textual evidence. The quality of your response is dependent upon your ability to make use of the text. • Common courtesy is expected by all participants to allow each member to have opportunity to participate. Anyone monopolizing the discussion will be penalized, and if the behavior continues “that fish” will be asked to leave the bowl. • You are more than free to disagree with anyone’s points, but you are NOT free to personally attack any member for their opinions/views. • I will document comments and the quality and depth of these statements according to the rubric. Different fishbowls will have different points (grades) depending on the situations. • YOU MUST SPEAK TO RECEIVE CREDIT!