W*O*R*D*S

Below is a poem entitled Incident; it was written by Countee Cullen, one of America's best African American poets. Read the poem and then respond to the question below  
 Incident by Countee Cullen

Once riding in old Baltimore,
Heart-filled, head-filled with glee,
I saw a Baltimorean
Keep looking straight at me.

Now I was eight and very small,
And he was no whit bigger,
And so I smiled, but he poked out
His tongue, and called me, "Nigger."

I saw the whole of Baltimore
From May until December;
Of all the things that happened there
That's all that I remember.

In A Lesson Before Dying, the first 4 chapters focus on the power of just one word as this poem does. Using only the first 4 chapters of the novel to support your claims, explain the power of the one word in the novel and how it is used as a catalyst for this novel. Who do you think is most affected by the word? Why? Give a quote to support your claim .  Your quote must be from Chapters 1-4.  (The deadline to post a response to this question is midnight July 5,2014.)

and in the end, what remains...

The last lines of  Montana  1948 are "Later that night, after everyone was in bed, I came back down to the dining room.  I sat in the chair where my father had sat and lightly put my hands on the table.  For an instant I thought I felt the wood still vibrating from my father's blow."  This passage clearly shows one theme of the novel--the events of the past haunt us.  However, this is not the only theme in the novel.  What do you people is a key theme of the book and give us a passage that lead you to believe this?   Please make sure to comment on what previous posters have said.  If you are the first to comment on this blog, reply to my introduction here.  (The deadline to post a response is midnight, June 27, 2014.  Blogs on A Lesson Before Dying will begin July 1st.  The first blog will cover Chapters 1-12.)

Walking on Broken Glass

In the Prologue of the novel, David tells of "a series" of images that remain from the summer of 1948: a young Sioux woman, feverish on the bed in his house; his father kneeling on the kitchen floor, begging his mother to help him; his mother holding a 12 gauge shotgun, intending to use it;  and the sound of breaking glass and the odor of rotting vegetables.  By the end of Part Three, all of these images have been fully revealed and because of the "broken jars," David believes everything will go back to the way it was before.  His twelve-year-old innocence fails to realize that those jars are broken forever. Select any image from the novel (you don't have to select one from the Prologue), and discuss what was revealed in the moment and what consequence comes to the Haydens via that event. CATCH:  You may not write on any image already discussed by a classmate.   (The deadline to post a response is midnight, June 22, 2014. No credit will be given to plagiarized responses.)

What the wind unfolds beneath the dust...

One of the indicators of an outstanding work of literature is the author's use of symbols.  In Part Two of Montana 1948, Watson presents several symbols.  Among them are Julian Hayden's log house, the magpie that David kills, the coyote mentioned in Marie's final words to David, and the reverie that David has of the Native Americans walking up Circle Hill.  Select one of these images and discuss what you feel it symbolizes and how it adds to the story's plot, characterization, and theme.  CATCH:  You must comment on what the person prior to you has said, but you may not focus on that symbol.  You must move the discussion to another symbol.  I will begin the discussion. Remember  to put your name under your comment. (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Wednesday, June 18, 2014.)

He is my brother...

In Part One of Montana 1948, our narrator Davy introduces us to our main characters. He spends a great deal of time on Wesley and Frank Hayden.  In what ways are the brothers alike and different? What do you think Watson, the author, is focusing upon through the details of the brothers?  (You must give specific proof--lines/passages/words from the novel to support your answer.  Unless you are the first to respond, you must also agree or disagree with at least one student who posted prior to you. You must not simply repeat his/her statements even if you feel the same. You need to be specific.  Give YOUR view.) When you answer the question, write in complete sentences in good grammar.  When you use lines/passages/words from the book, put them in quotation marks.  After you finish your response, write your first and last name. You must have a gmail account to post.  Please tell others about this question/extra credit opportunity.  (The deadline to answer the question is midnight, June 15, 2014.--Next question on June 16th about Part Two of Montana 1948.)