Course Reserves

I have placed the MLA Style Manual on reserve at the library. If you cannot find the proper citation style in your grammar handbook, this is the book to consult.

NB: This is the 2nd Edition of the MLA Style Manual, and corresponds to the citation styles in your handbook. There is a newer edition available, but please use this one.

Research Topics

For this week's blog posting, please reply to this and post the topic that you are researching for your annotated bibliography. This will allow you to communicate with one another, and will allow ME to forward suggestions for you to follow up on.

Suddenly Last Summer and the Bacchae

Someone from the 9:30 class asked if Tennessee Williams knew, or had studied Greek mythology. I think I said that I felt certain he had. At any rate, I ran across this very interesting article and thought some of you might be interested in it. It's a fascinating look at the parallels between Suddenly, Last Summer and The Bacchae. Enjoy!

http://www.springerlink.com/content/18mq8bbdl9eqdjrw/fulltext.pdf

Sixth Response

This response will be due at 12:00 midnight, Feb 22/23.

There will be the last postings until March 15. Yaaaay!

*** The Secret History tells the reader from the very beginning that Bunny has been killed. In essence, it takes the surprise element out of reading the novel. How does this affect the way you read it?

*** The Secret History is told via First Person. What are the advantages or disadvantages from this type of narration?

*** What is your impression of Richard, the narrator, from the first chapter?

Due Date for First Paper **Revised**

Hello all:

Your first paper should cover any topic you choose, insofar as it relates in some way to either The Birth of Tragedy or The Bacchae. You may wish to expand upon a blog posting. The only requirements will be that the paper quote and/or reference one of the primary texts.

The paper should be 4-5 pages in length, with a 12 point standard font (e.g. Times New Roman, Courier, Arial, etc.) Refer to your handbook for the proper MLA citation style.

Due dates are as follows:

9:30 Class -- Paper due in class on 2/26

11:00 Class -- Peer editing on 2/19, with final drafts due 2/24.

If you have questions, please email me lhwhitaker@gmail.com SOONER rather than LATER.

Fifth Response

This will be due by 12:00 Midnight February 15/16

*** Describe some ways in which the chorus survives in contemporary TV or film

*** Describe some of the dichotomies in The Bacchae (e.g. city and mountain, civilization and barbarism, etc.) Which God rules each realm? You may wish to do this as a list, instead of as a paragraph or essay.

*** Dionysus forces the people of Thebes to worship him. How do you relate or view a God who forces humans to worship him?

Books on Reserve at the GSU Library

I have placed several books on reserve at the GSU Library. These may be excellent starting points for research topics. Here's how you retrieve them:

Go to the library website

1. Click "Search Course Reserve Pages by Instructor." Arrow down to find your instructor's name (Whitaker)

2. Click "View"

3. Click on the course number you would like to view (English 1102)

4. Click "Accept" to agree to the copyright.

5. WRITE DOWN THE CALL NUMBERS AND AUTHOR OR TITLE OF THE BOOK YOU'D LIKE TO VIEW.

6. Take the call number, along with your student ID to the deskworker at the circulation desk in Library SOUTH (near the DVDs and CDs)

7. The book(s) will be checked out to you for a period of 2 hours.

8. Return books to Library South Circulation when finished.

Homework

This will be due in class on February 5th. We will meet in the classroom next to Saxby's in Library North. Please be on time. Attendance will be taken.

"Discuss the relationship between the average playgoer and the chorus in a Greek Tragedy." Nietzsche will be the key to understanding this.

Annotated Bibliographies

Since there still seem to be concerns over what an annotated bibliography IS, this website may offer some advice.

When it comes to making individual entries, please follow the MLA Style Guide. HOWEVER, try to make your entries as concise as the example given for Chicago Style, at the bottom of this page.

In general, all of the advice given by the OWL at Purdue is very valuable.

Syllabus Change

Hello everyone:

Pursuant to our discussions in class today, please change your syllabus to reflect the following:

15% Writing Journal/Blog (no change)
15% Class Participation/Homework (no change)

30% Reflection Papers: Two papers (3-5 pages each). One paper on The Bacchae and one on The Secret History. Additionally, a short 2-3 page introduction should accompany your Annotated Bibliography.

40% Annotated Bibliography: Write one annotated bibliography on any topic of your choice. The topic should be raised by either The Birth of Tragedy, The Bacchae, or The Secret History. However, the topic may be a contemporary application of some of the concepts discussed in any of these three books.

If you have questions or concerns about these changes, please email me as soon as possible.

Fourth Response

This response will be due at 12:00 MIDNIGHT on February 8/9.

*** How important is true faith/belief in The Bacchae? is something more important?

*** Explain how Pentheus demonstrates Apollonianism ... or does he?

*** Is Dionysus a sympathetic character in this play? How do you react to his behaviour? Is it justified? Does it need to be?

Why did the Greeks build their temples where they did?

A friend sent me this link. Very interesting reading. (H/T James the Druid)

An Important Message: The Road Ahead

Hi everyone:

Please be in class on Tuesday. I've been thinking about the assignments that we have listed, and I'm considering some options to streamline things and make the remainder of the semester much easier to cope with. This may include reducing the annotated bibliography to only ONE bibliography and not two, and adding one more short paper. We will discuss options, and come to a decision together.

I realize that the semester has been a little chaotic thus far. I normally teach the texts in a different order than what we've done this semester. I apologize if the reading has been difficult, and the point of what we're doing hasn't always been clear. I'll do my best to clear this up on Tuesday.

Thanks for your patience, and for doing your best to keep up with our schedule, despite the chaos. The Greeks were on target when they made Chaos even older than the titans!

"A crude and indigested mass, a lifeless lump, unfashioned and unframed." Hmmm.... seems rather accurate to me.

Third Response

...Same guidelines as before. This will be due by 6pm on Sunday 2/1.

*** In Chapter 10, Nietzsche claims that "the Greeks in general could not endure individuals on the tragic stage." What does this mean?

*** At the end of Chapter 10, Nietzsche claims that enshrining a myth with "historical foundations" is what causes the death of the myth. In other words, when one "begins [...]to defend the credibility of the myths [...] the feeling for myth perishes." Is an insistence upon the literal truth of myth the death of a religion?

*** What is the significance of the Dionysian dithramb? How is it different from Apollonian music?

Not in this class....

H/T Caleb

Second Response

Excellent work on the first set of questions. The same rules apply. Choose one, and write a few paragraphs.

*** On pg 19 (Chapter 6) Nietzsche implies that Dionysus is the god of desire, while Apollo is the god of contemplation. Explain.

*** On pg 15 (Chapter 5) Nietzsche claims "The Dionysian musician is, without any images, himself pure primordial pain and its primordial reechoing." What are some contemporary examples of this? Explain what Nietzsche means by this, and describe how this image is applicable today.

*** What is the Primal Unity, and how does it differ from the Principium Individuationis?

First Response

Hello everyone:

I have three questions for you to consider. Pick one and write a paragraph or two outlining your position. Make your responses in the form of comments to this post. Be sure to reference the text if necessary:

* Nietzsche claims that the "appearance of the dream-world [...] is the prerequisite of all plastic art" (2). Explain. Do you agree or disagree? (N.B. Don't be trapped by defining "dreams" too narrowly.

*Which god, Dionysus or Apollo, is the god of the individual? Explain.

*Nietzsche, in quoting Lucretius, claims that "the glorious divine figures (i.e. the Greek gods) first appeared to the souls of men" in dreams. This seems to suggest that the Greek gods were artificial constructions. Are they? Are all Gods artistic creations?

Sparknotes for The Birth of Tragedy

Hi all, there IS a Sparknotes page for The Birth of Tragedy. Check it out. As always it will NOT substitute for reading the actual work.

http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/birthoftragedy

Something lighthearted....

Let us not forget that Nietzsche died insane and syphilitic. So enjoy the reading! If it gets too intense, check this out for a change of pace. It's not as much fun as the LOLCats or dogs, it is, at least, topical.

A begining is a very delicate thing

I'm still moving the furniture in, so forgive the fact that the place looks a bit empty.