British Literature-Period 1 Assignments

Write a "Thank You" letter to someone you especially want to thank this year who has gone above and beyond to help you in some way (parent, teacher, coach, tutor, family, NOT a friend). 


To receive full credit, your letter must:
-Express heartfelt gratitude
-Be a page+ in length
-Be signed by the recipient (the person you write the letter to) as proof that you gave them the letter (if they are far away, a text or email picture acknowledging they received your thank you letter will be accepted)


This is due before Friday June 4th, 11:59pm.

pgs. 1231- 1232


1. What does Arsat’s brother do to allow Arsat and Diamelen to escape from the men?
 
 
 
2. What happens to the man that tried to stop Arsat from taking the canoe?
 
 
 
3. What does Arsat do when his brother comes running toward the canoe?
 
 
 
4. Why does Arsat repeatedly say he did that (above)?
 
 
pg. 1233-1234
 
5. What does Arsat mean when he tells the white man, “She burns no more?”




 
6. When Arsat says that he can “see nothing”, how does the white man respond?
 
 


7. What does Arsat plan to do after the white man leaves?




8. What do you think is Arsat's purpose in telling his story to Tuan? Do you think he achieves it?

Pg. 1226- 1227


1. What does Arsat say always “remains in the mind”? (bottom of page 1225)
 
2. After war ended and peace came, what happened that made Arsat’s eyes unable to “see nothing in the past”?


3. What advice does Arsat’s brother give him about his love for the women?


4. Instead of listening to his brother, what does Arsat do?


5. What do Arsat and his brother do together one night?




Pg. 1228-1230


6. What were some of the consequences of Arsat and his brother’s kidnapping?


7. Arsat’s brother wants to confront the men chasing them but what does Arsat want to do?
 
8. When Arsat says “for the last time we paddled together” (p.1229), what does this suggest may happen in the story?
 
9. How does Arsat describe his brother?
 
10. When they are resting, why does Diamelen scream?

pg.1220-1225

In a paragraph response (minimum 5 sentences), answer the following question:
 
In T.S. Eliot’s “The Hollow Men”, who are the hollow men and what do they symbolize in the poem? How is T.S. Eliot using the hollow men to reveal his beliefs about WWI?

“An Irish Airman foresees his Death”
 
1.     What is this Irish Airman's “fate” according to the poem? How will his “fate” happen?
 
 
 
2.     How does the Airman feel towards the people he fights and the people he guards?
 
 
 
3.     Where is the Airman from? What class does he belong to?
 
 
 
4.     How does the Airman claim that the end of the war (“no likely end”) will impact the Irish?
 
 
 
5.     a. What reasons does the Airman claim did not cause him to join the war and fight?
 
 
        b. What is the reason that the Airman decided to fight in WW1?
 
 
 
6.     What does the Airman say about “the years to come” and “the years behind”?
 
 
 
7.     Overall, what does this poem reveal about William Butler Yeats’ feelings toward WWI?

"Porphyria's Lover"

1. What is the setting of "Porphyria's Lover"?


2. Why does the speaker in "Porphyria's Lover" decide to do what he does to Porphyria?


3.  What makes the last line in "Porphyria's Lover" especially dramatic?


4. What does the speaker's action and relationship with Porphyria reveal about him?

"My Last Duchess"

1. What complaint does the speaker make about his first wife in lines 13-24 of "My Last Duchess"?


2. What does the speaker claim that his wife never thanks him for?


3. What happened to the Duchess? What lines in the poem reveal this?


4. To what subject does the speaker turn in his last remark?


5. What does this change of subject reveal about his character?

Pgs.  293- 297


1. Where were Fettes and Macfarlane sent when there was a shortage of bodies?


2. Who are Fettes and Macfarlane sent to dig up and body snatch?


3. What does Macfarlane give Fettes during dinner?


4. What do Fettes and Macfarlane toast to during dinner?


5. While digging, what does Macfarlane's rock cause to happen?






6. How did you react to the end of "The Body Snatcher"?

Pgs. 284-288

Answer the following prompt in a paragraph response:
If you were Fettes and just discovered that the bodies being delivered for dissection are murder victims but McFarlane and "Mr. K-" seem okay with turning a blind eye toward the facts, what would you do? (5 sentence minimum)


Pgs. 288-290
1. What does the "loathsome rogue" call Wolfe Macfarlane?


2. What is the name of the "loathsome rogue"?


3. Who gives the "well known signal" and calls Fettes out of bed in the middle of the night? What does he have with him?


4. Who is the cadaver?


5. What does Macfarlane ask Fettes to do because "the accounts must tally"?

After watching "4/15-4/16 Lecture" or "4/15 Sophomore Orientation Day", complete the following questions:


1. Define the following words/terms (word, part of speech, definition) and use them in a sentence:
a. Body Snatching
b. Macabre
c. Juxtapose


2. Research: What was Edinburgh (the capitol of Scotland) like in the 1800s (19th century)? List 4 things you learn:
a.
b.
c.
d.


3. Research the "Burke and Hare murders" of 1828. List 5 facts you learn about the events (Consider: Who, what, when, where, why, and what happened after):
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Answer the following questions:


1. If life were a video game, what cheats/hacks/abilities, etc. would you want? List 2+ and explain why you selected these.
a.
b.


2. Write a paragraph telling me about your spring break (5 sentence minimum). What did you do over break, what was your favorite part about break, is there something you wish you did over break you plan to do over summer instead, etc.?

1. Why are the Pilot and his son afraid of the Mariner’s ship?


2. What happens to the Mariner’s ship when the three men approach the ship?


3. What happened to the Mariner after the event in #2?


4. What does the Pilot’s boy call the Mariner?


5. What does the Mariner do whenever he feels “woeful agony”?


6. How does the Mariner choose whom he will tell his story to?


7. What is sweeter than a marriage feast to the Mariner?


8. What is the Mariner’s final message to the Wedding Guest?


9. The next morning, the Wedding Guest woke up a _____________ and a ____________person after hearing the Mariner’s story.

Follow the link attached to this assignment and select ONE (of the 40) illustrations by Gustave Dore for "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". Once you have selected your illustration, answer the following questions:

1. What is the title of the illustration?
(reminder: it should titled after one of the lines in the poem)

2. How does your selected illustration relate to "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"?

3. Spend a few minutes looking at your chosen illustration in detail. List 5 things that catch your attention. (Some things to pay attention to include: light, shapes, contrast, pen strokes, shadows, texture, etc.)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

4. Choose one aspect that you noticed about the illustration from #3, why do you think the illustrator included/did that in the illustration? (i.e. what was his purpose in doing this?)

5. What feeling or mood do you feel when looking at this illustration? What in this illustration makes you feel that?

6. Overall, do you this this illustration represents the "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" accurately, why or why not?

Find 5 positive things that happen in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" Part 5

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

ROTAM Part 2 (pg. 824):

1. What happened when the Mariner killed the Albatross? What did the Albatross have control over?


2. What was the only thing that the shipmen saw when they were stranded? (hint: 2 things)


3. What “omen of disaster” do the shipmen see?


4. Who followed the Mariner and his crew from “the land of mist and snow” and what does it do to them?


5. What does the Mariner have hung around his neck? Why?

1. Who is the speaker of the poem?

2. Who is the speaker talking to?

3. What question does the speaker ask repeatedly in the first and last stanza?

4. To what type of profession does the speaker compare the Creator to?

5. What line connects the poem “the Tyger” to “The Lamb”? How?

6. How is the tiger described in the poem? What might the tyger symbolize in this poem?


7. What themes (“main ideas”) does this poem cover?
1.
2.
3.
4.

8. What question is never answered during the poem?

Using Robert Burn's poem "To a Mouse", answer the following questions:

1. In the first 5 stanzas of the poem (lines 1-30) how does the poet appear to feel towards the mouse? What clues in the poem support this? (Hint: what is the narrator apologizing to the mouse for?)

2. What line in "To A Mouse" did John Steinbeck use as his inspiration for "Of Mice and Men"? Explain what this line means in your own words.

3. According to the speaker in stanzas 7 and 8 (lines 37-48), the speaker and the mouse share similarities and differences.
a. What does the speaker claim is a similarity between himself and the mouse?
b. What does the speaker claim is the difference between himself and the mouse?

1. Who is the speaker of the poem?

2. Who is the speaker talking to?

3. What might the lamb symbolize in this poem?

4. What themes (“main ideas”) does this poem cover?
1.
2.
3.
4.

5. What question does the speaker keep asking?

Choose ONE of the activities below to complete in honor of Valentine's Day:

1. Pretending you are a character from British Literature class, write a love letter OR a breakup letter as that character.
-The letter should be written in first person (i.e. you should be pretending you are the character writing)
-Really try to imagine what the character would say to their significant other
(ex. Piggy writing home to a girl when he is stuck on the island, Beowulf writing home to a lover still in Geatland, the Wife of Bath writing to her next husband, the Pardoner writing to someone as a secret admirer, etc.)

2. Find a love quote that means something to you. In one paragraph (5-6 sentences) explain why you like this quote and what it means to you personally.
-The quote can be from a movie, book, poem, song, etc.

What does the author claim are “advantages” to his proposal? (pg. 622- 623)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

What are the 4 main ways that the author says that babies can be used? (bottom pg. 619- top pg. 621)
1.
2.
3.
4.


In your opinion, what tactics or persuasive techniques does the author in "A Modest Proposal" use to make eating babies sound like a reasonable solution for Ireland and it's poor? (4 sentences minimum) (i.e. why does this essay sound so convincing and true?)

1. What was your Myers Briggs Personality result?

2. Did this result surprise you? Yes or no, why?

3. What do your results say about you that you agree with most regarding you and your personality?

4. Is there anything in your results that you think is inaccurate in describing you and/or your personality?

5. How do you think knowing your personality type will benefit you in life?

6. Find another person or literary character that has the same Myers Briggs personality type as you. Who is it? Do you see any similarities between yourself and that person/character? (you can find this information at the link below or conduct your own Google search by searching "people and characters who have a ____ Myers Briggs personality type")

Absent and International students, please complete #1-8. Watch the recording of lecture for help.

In "A Journal of the Plague Year", explain how each of the following contributes to the main message/lesson of the the story in 2-3 sentences each:

-the Sexton's Warning (pg. 593)

-the Old Man in the Brown Cloak (pg. 594)

-the Narrator's final message (pg. 595, last paragraph)

In "A Journal of the Plague Year", Daniel Defoe uses both "informative" language (statements that are factual or present facts) and "emotional" language (statements that are meant to inspire emotion in the reader):

Do you think that the narrator uses more informative or emotional lanague when he talks about the "death pits"? Explain your opinion using evidence.

Do you think that the narrator uses more informative or emotional language when he talks about the "Death cart"? Explain your opinion using evidence.

1. List 2 things that you learned from today's PowerPoint presentation.

2. What do you remember about the Black Plague from what we have talked about in class (this class and previous classes)?

3. What is one goal you are setting for yourself to achieve in 2021?

List 5 Christmas characters:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

List 5 of your favorite adjectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

List 5 Christmas related settings:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

List 5 of your favorite verbs:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Answer the following questions:

1. In this sonnet, what does the speaker claim that his lover's memory will outlast? (Hint: 7 things)

2. What is the volta (turning point) of the sonnet?

3. In what two ways does the speaker say that his lover will continue to live on?

4. What do Shakespeare's "Sonnet 130" and "Sonnet 55" have in common?

Paragraph response (minimum 5-6 sentences)

What lesson, if any, did Gawain learn along his adventure with the Green Knight? Explain your answer using two examples from the text.

*Absent and International Students, watch the class recording for guidance on answers. You are only responsible for #1-3.

Create a scary story in 15 words or less!

-Your assignment will be posted under a fake name for your classmates to see
-Submissions over 15 words will be automatically disqualified from the contest
*Everyone who participates will receive 1 extra credit point. The top 3 winners will receive extra credit (1st, 2nd, 3rd place) for each period

OR (if you do not want to participate)

Tell me about your favorite Halloween costume you have worn or a costume that you would like to wear in the future (minimum 4 sentences)

In "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight", the Green Knight tells Gawain that he will be considered a "recreant knight" (line 226) if he does not show up to the Green Chapel on New Year's Day.

What does the Green Knight mean when he says this? Why would Gawain be considered a "recreant knight" for not being at the Green Chapel on New Year's Day? (4 sentences minimum)

*International and absent students, watch 10/21 Zoom meeting for guidance on answers.

Beowulf Exit Question- Short Response

In Beowulf, Beowulf spends his whole life trying to win glory and prove that he is a great warrior through his words and actions. Out of the entire poem, what one action or event do you think (mostly) helped Beowulf establish himself as a warrior? Use two specific examples from the text to support how this one action or event helped Beowulf’s warrior identity.

**Copying and pasting from online will result in zero credit.

In your opinion, what do you think happened to the Geats after Beowulf was buried in his monument tower?
(minimum 4 sentences)

What does Wiglaf's speech (lines 745-772) reveal about his personality and what he values?

3 Personality characteristics:
1.
2.
3.

3 Things Wiglaf values/loves:
1.
2.
3.

1. How is Beowulf planning on fighting the dragon? (i.e. What weapons and with whom? Hint: Lines 630-641)


2. Why does Beowulf plan on fighting the dragon? (i.e. What does he get from it? Hint: Lines 644-649)


3. What happens in the first part of the battle between Beowulf and the dragon? (Hint: Lines 668-713)

Everyone must submit their responses!

In your group, answer the following questions about your assigned section:

My assigned section was lines: -

1. Summarize the main plot points in your section.

2. Is God mentioned anywhere is your section? If so, what does the text say about God?

3. Does anything supernatural occur in this section? What?


Note: International or absent students, please answer the above questions for lines 530-562.

How is Beowulf described in the first 104-212 lines of the the section "The Coming of Beowulf"? Pick 4 things the poem says about him in the text.

How is Grendel described in the first 55 lines of the poem "Beowulf"? Pick 4 things the poem says about him in the text.

List 5 things that you think of when you think of "Vikings":
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

In your opinion, how would you define the word "Viking"?

With your group, you will create a cinematic movie version of Lord of the Flies and put your answers/responses into a PowerPoint Presentation to share. It is up to you and your group to plan the movie by describing the following areas that your will be graded on:

1. Setting (where would you film the movie and why)
2. Casting (what actors would you cast for the major roles: Ralph, Piggy, Jack, Simon, Sam n Eric, and Roger and why)
3. Soundtrack (pick 3 songs: an opening song during credits, a song for an important scene, and a song during closing credits)
4. Costumes (what will each of your main characters wear and look like?)
5. Props (what prompts are important to have in your movie?)
6. Scenes (what scenes are important to include in your movie, are you leaving any scenes out? Why?)

*Note: You will not be filming a movie, you will be only be planning the movie as if you were the directors.

You must explain WHY you are making the choices you are making in your presentation for full credit.



*OR if you are an International Student without a group, complete the following:*

Create a cinematic movie version of Lord of the Flies and put your answers/responses into a PowerPoint Presentation to share. It is up to you and your group to plan the movie by describing the following areas that your will be graded on:

1. Setting (where would you film the movie and why)

2. Casting (what actors would you cast for the major roles: Ralph, Piggy, Jack, Simon, Sam n Eric)

3. Soundtrack (pick 1 songs to play during an important scene in the novel)

4. Props (what props are important to have in your movie? ex. The conch, plane crash, etc.)

5. Scenes (what scenes are important to include in your movie, are you leaving any scenes out? Why?)



*Note: You will not be filming a movie, you will be only be planning the movie as if you were the directors.

You must explain WHY you are making the choices you are making in your presentation for full credit.

Thinking about what we spoke about in class, do you think that the events that occurred on the island in "The Lord of the Flies" could have been prevented or avoided? Explain your reasoning in a paragraph response (minimum 5 sentences).

Please sign the 2020-2021 British Literature Syllabus along with your parent/guardian and submit it here as a document, PDF, or image.

After watching "8/26 Lecture Part 2", complete the following activity. Using what you learned about Utopian v. Dystopian societies, pick a Utopia AND a Dystopia from either a book, movie, television series, video game, etc. and list 5 things that make your selections a Dystopia and/or Utopia. Your assignment should follow this format:

Utopia Name:
Where is it from: (Name of book, movie, show, video game, etc.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.


Dystopia Name:
Where is is from: (Name of book, movie, show, video game, etc.)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Answer the following questions about "Lord of the Flies" in a paragraph each (minimum 5 sentences):

1. What were your initial impressions of "Lord of the Flies"? Did you like the book or dislike the book? What specifically did you like or dislike about "Lord of the Flies"?




2. Is there anything about the book that you did not understand in particular or want to discuss in class? Is there anything that really interested you that you would like to discuss in class?




3. After hearing the background information that Mrs. Radine presented in "8/26 Class Recording Part 1", how to you think William Golding's experience with World War II influenced his writing "The Lord of the Flies"?