One of the most enjoyable tasks in being a teacher of literary criticism and analysis is coming up with the right questions about the literature for specifically the students in the specific class you are teaching.
Everyone did very well on the quiz questions for “Young Goodman Brown” which indicated to me, as your teacher of literary analysis, that you don’t need basic questions to prove you have grasped the reading assignment. That means we can jump right into the deep-structural questions.
I have two questions in mind for you to discuss in groups and then write about in silence. (Remember, silent writing is the only time you can actually hear the voice of who you are. The rest is just noise and social chatter)
On “Young Goodman Brown”: Show that Brown secretly suspects that his wife is really a witch, and has been so, which is how she gets him to marry her. His nightmare (what happens in the forest) is the power and spell of her dream. Hint: why is three months so important to mention
On “Where are you going, where have you been?”: Show how June was born or conceived out of wedlock and that Connie may have a different father than the one mentioned in the story. Or, what does Arnold Friend represent from her mother’s past that has not begun to haunt Connie?
The third story I have in mind for your class is by the Nobel Prize laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer entitled “Gimpel the Fool.”
The links to the stories are below.
Have fun!
Finished assignments should be one to two pages in length, typed, double-spaced, margins (L/R 1” T/B 1.25”) Print a draft and then your final copy and add it to your portfolio. All work will be forwarded to Mr. Como.
It has been a real pleasure working with each and every one of you.
Every best wish,
Mr. Hedges
