Thanksgiving Break Assignment

Read Ayn Rand's introduction and Part I of The Fountainhead (through page 200). Post answers to the following questions over the break.

1. Explain in detail the reasons for Howard Roark's expulsion from the Stanton Institute of Technology. The Dean states that Roark has "a determined little group of defenders" among the faculty, while other professors "felt it their duty" to vote for his expulsion. Why do the faculty members on each side evaluate Roark and his work so differently?


2. Peter Keating graduates as valedictorian frm the Stanton Institute of Technology. Does this mean that he is an outstanding architecture student? By what methods did he get such high grades? What does this say regarding his moral character?

3. Roark gains employment with Henry Cameron. Cameron, though a genius, is a commercial failure. Why has society rejected his work? Why does Roark nevertheless revere him? What qualities do Roark and Cameron share in common? What is the fundamental difference between them and Francon and Keating?

HW for Thursday 11/12

Read pp 198-202 and do the Make the Connection exercise on p. 202 in your composition book.

Assignment for Monday 11/9

Read the article below and post a one-paragraph summary of the author's argument and a one-paragraph response.

http://american.com/archive/2007/july-august-magazine-contents/abolish-the-sat

Schedule through Monday 11/9

Wednesday 11/4 - Schindler's List Essay Due
The Myth of Sisyphus, pp 898-902,
1. Make the Connection on p. 899
2. Thinking Critically #4, 6 & 7

Thursday 11/5 - Composition Book Check
Sayings of Saadi, pp 564-567
Excerpts from the Tao Te Ching, pp 413-416
Excerpts from the Analects, pp 407-410
Excerpts from the Bhagavad-Gita, pp 370-378

On Monday 11/9 we will discuss all of the above non-western readings and then begin Oedipus.

5-Day Itinerary, 10/23, 10/26-10/29

Friday 10/23 - Thursday 10/29: Schindler's List. The last 5 minutes of each period you will be writing in your composition books in response to the following prompt:

We have discussed the role of character foils in several of the works we have read this semester, and it is clear that Spielberg intended Itzhak Stern to be a foil to Oskar Schindler (or vice versa), especially for the first 2/3 of the story. At the end of each class period, answer this question -
How was each man charatcerized during this part of the film, and how does the "foil" relationship contribute to your impression of each up to this point?

HW 10/23-10/30: Work on response paper.

Questions over The Alchemist and Candide

Post 1 or 2 questions over each novel by class tomorrow. Try to make them tie into the the paper topic.

Example:

1. What is the purpose of Candide's quest? How is his quest different from Santiago's?

HW for Wednesday 9/30

Read Don Quixote, pp 687-702 and complete the following in your composition book for discussion in class tomorrow:

1. Quickwrite on p. 688
2. Question #6 on p. 702.
3. Question #8 on p. 702.
4. Question #9 on p. 702