What to Do Now

Well, you've gotten this far, which is the first step.

As you proceed with your reading, I'd like you to leave some comments.  Scroll down the page until you come to the book you're reading.  Click on "Comments" at the end.  Leave your comment.  I'll look in occasionally, but what this should be is a place for you to meet and share ideas with your classmates.

I expect everyone to post at least once for each book.  That's the minimum.  That will get you 37/50 (or less if your entries are extremely brief).  The more entries you make, the more involved you are, the higher your score will be.

Entries will not be accepted after 12 midnight on August 31st (the night before the first day of school).


That's the easy part, the fun part.  Now for the more difficult assignment (that's why they call it honors):  a Formal Academic Essay (aka the "Five-Paragraph Essay).  Think 3-5 pages.  This will be due by 3:00 p.m. on Friday, September 2.  [This is different from what you got on the handout.  It's the end of the day on the first Friday of class.]

Suggested topics:

1. Compare Josie Hogan to Eustacia Vye.  At first glance they couldn't be more different.  (And don't forget, "contrast" is always implicit in "compare".)  On the other hand, they are both willful women trying to make their ways in a basically misogynistic world.  What obstacles do they face?  What strategies and tactics do they employ?  What lessons can young women learn today from their successes and failures?
2. Jim 'n' Clym -- the problem with mothers.  This one narrows the field considerably.  AS is often the case whne crafting an essay, one can eliminate large portions of the texts involved.  Clym's mother, although only a supporting character, is the pivot point on which a lot of the plot turns.  Jim's mother doesn't appear in the play at all, yet she certainly wields a huge influence on Jim's psyche.
3. The bad boyfriend: Aaron & Wildeve.  Consider the impact that Wildeve and Aaron have on Eustacia and Nico, respectively, as the women try to navigate their ways through their particular troubles.
4. The impetuous heroine: Nico & Eustacia.  Both of these ladies are young and inexperienced, and reluctant to ask for help.  What tactics or strategies do they employ.  What factors contribute to, or hinder, their successes.
5. Your choice.  Stipulations are that you must include two works, and one of them must be The Return of the Native.  Be sure to choose a topic that can be dealt with in 3-5 pages.