Catcher in the Rye Signposts 1-10

For this post, choose one of your signpost observations which caused to gain some insight into the book or has some meaning for you.  Use your signpost observation to explain your insight into the book.

For instance, in the "Again and Again" section, you may have noted that Holden keeps mentioning that Jane keeps her kings in the back row of her checker board.  This observation then prompted you to think about a possible theme in the book.  For this blog post, write about your thematic idea and discuss how you see it affecting other parts of the book.

Reading Holden

In this post, use some of the skills we've practiced in class and describe the character of Holden Caulfield.  What are his thought patterns like?  What kind of person do you imagine he is?  What might have caused him to be this way?  You many even refer to our discussions about "typical" adolescent life for comparison or contrast.  Refer to specific scenes or passages for evidence.

Just a reminder: look at your "procedures" sheet for guidance on writing these responses.

Difficult Passages in Gatsby.

Hi Everyone:

In our first days of class, I suggested that the most difficult or seemingly odd scenes in a book can often be a route to some of the book's deepest meaning.  We also noted that The Great Gatsby is unique in how restrained and mysterious the language of the text can be.

In this blog post, describe the strange scene that you selected and (using your notes) explain how this scene may connect to one of the conflicts or tensions that we noted in class.  You can also write about why the scene is so different or unusual -- what sets it apart?  You can speculate or offer several alternative interpretations; keep in mind that you are not expected to explain precisely and definitively what everything means, as long as you offer some possibilities and impressions.  Look at the "Advice for Annotation" page for guidance.

This post is due on Thursday.