PAPER #1 DUE THURSDAY MARCH 19th.
1. A topic of your choice that you have had approved IN ADVANCE of the due date, by me. For approval you must present a written thesis statement.
2. What is memory's role in “The Waste Land” and Waiting for Godot? How does each artist use references to it, lack of it, mistakes from it, etc. to help him make a point? Discuss: Similarities, differences, EXAMPLES.
3. Explain how “The Waste Land” and Waiting for Godot both could be considered to be “hopeful” texts.
4. Explain how “The Waste Land” and Waiting for Godot each approach the issue of deconstruction of their texts differently. One seems to require it, the other seems immune to it. Why? What larger point is each artist trying to say about the world, knowledge in general, the specific work of art?
Important Info:
I will suggest stylistic and subject matter changes, improvements, etc. for your rewrites but I WILL NOT CHECK PAPERS FOR GRAMMAR AND SPELLING ERRORS. As a member of an advanced, college prep literature class it is simply your responsibility to have yourself or someone else edit those problems. If you hand in a paper with too many of these errors, I will hand it back without comment except to say to find and fix those errors before handing it in again.
From the Syllabus:
All papers must be typed, using standard margins and fonts and meet MLA formatting and style guidelines.... Always print up two copies: one for me and one for you to have just in case. Always make sure to save a copy of your paper to a disc, back up hard drive or even something like Google Docs. All papers turned in after the due date will be penalized with 10% off the final grade for each school day they are late. All papers are due at the START of the class on the day they are due. The instructor reserves the right to suggest or REQUIRE A RE-WRITE. If a re-write is assigned the student and instructor will agree upon a new due date with the same late penalties as before. Suggested or required re-writes will earn new (usually better!) grades if the work improves.
PLAGIARIZED PAPERS WILL RESULT IN A ZERO WITH NO CHANCE FOR A RE-WRITE.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Kurt's Guide to “Waiting For Godot”
As you read the play remember to view it completely from the lens of Post Modernism as we have discussed it in class.
1. The play IS NOT ABOUT NOTHING! Nor is it about how everything has meaning so therefore nothing has special meaning. Don't even go there. This might or might not keep you sane.
2. In relation to the first point, this play is definitely also not about the loss/death of God. That would imply that at one time we “had” God (something absolutely true that we could express through signs) in our lives in the first place.
3. The constant repetition in the play is to draw attention to the performance like aspects of what we call reality and how we rely on those to make and sustain meaning. Think of all the “constructed” things you do because of cultural/social/family/etc. Norms. If nothing were ever trepeated to us there would be no verbal or written language possible...or texts...or meta-narratives...or belief systems. So, that repetition is necessary for our survival, but it traps us and keeps us lost in the world of signs.
4. There is no resolution, no definition, but there IS something.
5. Always remember that Beckett said his favorite word was “perhaps.”
1. The play IS NOT ABOUT NOTHING! Nor is it about how everything has meaning so therefore nothing has special meaning. Don't even go there. This might or might not keep you sane.
2. In relation to the first point, this play is definitely also not about the loss/death of God. That would imply that at one time we “had” God (something absolutely true that we could express through signs) in our lives in the first place.
3. The constant repetition in the play is to draw attention to the performance like aspects of what we call reality and how we rely on those to make and sustain meaning. Think of all the “constructed” things you do because of cultural/social/family/etc. Norms. If nothing were ever trepeated to us there would be no verbal or written language possible...or texts...or meta-narratives...or belief systems. So, that repetition is necessary for our survival, but it traps us and keeps us lost in the world of signs.
4. There is no resolution, no definition, but there IS something.
5. Always remember that Beckett said his favorite word was “perhaps.”
Waiting for Godot Questions
1. If it were true that nothing or less than nothing happens in Waiting for Godot, how is it that we manage to be entertained as the audience/reader?
2. Do you think the play would function differently if the characters were all female instead of male? How?
3. If Waiting for Godot is moralistic in nature, what is the moral? How does the play instruct us to lead our lives? Are these lessons subjective and personal for each viewer, or objective and universal?
4. Take a position and explain your reasoning for EACH of the following statements:
Lucky’s position is the most enviable in Waiting for Godot since he has the security of being told what to do.
Vladimir and Estragon are slaves to their concept of Godot just as Lucky is a slave to Pozzo.
The barren setting of Waiting for Godot is proof that Vladimir and Estragon will never be able to break their cycle of inactive waiting; it negates the possibility of life or creation.
Estragon and Vladimir put the label of "waiting for Godot" on what is really just a systematic waiting for death.
2. Do you think the play would function differently if the characters were all female instead of male? How?
3. If Waiting for Godot is moralistic in nature, what is the moral? How does the play instruct us to lead our lives? Are these lessons subjective and personal for each viewer, or objective and universal?
4. Take a position and explain your reasoning for EACH of the following statements:
Lucky’s position is the most enviable in Waiting for Godot since he has the security of being told what to do.
Vladimir and Estragon are slaves to their concept of Godot just as Lucky is a slave to Pozzo.
The barren setting of Waiting for Godot is proof that Vladimir and Estragon will never be able to break their cycle of inactive waiting; it negates the possibility of life or creation.
Estragon and Vladimir put the label of "waiting for Godot" on what is really just a systematic waiting for death.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)