AP Language & Composition, Blog Two

"I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals ,

and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities."

Assignment

(Due Tuesday, 9.30):

1.) Read Anthem, Introduction & Author's Forward (pp. 6-16)

2.) On your blog page, answer question a and two of the other four questions below (so three total). Be sure to address all facets of the question(s) in depth and that you are supporting your opinions with textual evidence. If there is a link (or several) provided, you must read it first in order to formulate an answer.

3.) Leave at least one comment for a peer on their blog post for this week.

Question Options (Select Three to Answer)

• a. ~ In the Introduction to Anthem, Leonard Peikoff (arguably the world's foremost Ayn Rand scholar) writes, "But reason is a property of the individual. There is no such thing as a collective brain." Do you agree or disagree? Consider concepts such as group think, sheeple and conformity within a society in your answer. If Peikoff wrote this in 1994, on the cusp of the computer revolution and the advent of the internet, do you think his view (and perhaps Rand's as well) would have changed if he knew the direction technology was going in? Could one day super-computers achieve the capabilities of a collective or global brain? For instance, if a single superhuman intelligence had access to all the knowledge and resources in the world, what could it do? What strategies would it pursue? How quickly could it respond to changes (economic, climate, political, etc)? And - most importantly - how closely could we approximate the behavior of this imaginary superhuman intelligence to that of real people ... if at all? Will computers, at best, provide an "outboard brain" or could they replace ours entirely? If so, then what happens when the motherboard crashes or the power goes out?

• b. ~ Read Peikoff's What Philosophy Is, and How to Study It?. When asked to state her own philosophy a year before she wrote Anthem, Rand replied, "To make life a reason unto itself. I know what I want up to the age of two hundred. Know what you want in life and go after it. I worship individuals for their highest possibilities as individuals , and I loathe humanity, for its failure to live up to these possibilities." Of what possibilities is Rand referring to? Why can individuals, in Rand's opinion, and not humanity as a whole, live up to these possibilities? Next, read Peikoff's What is Man? and finish the final sentence; Ayn Rand looked at men and saw ...

• c. ~ In Anthem's Introduction Rand mentions, "religion's monopoly in the field of ethics" and "the murk of mysticism" which has "turned morality against man". Her books are even said to "wage war against" the ideals of the sacred. Do you agree or disagree with this point of view on religion/mysticism and morality? Rand was an outspoken atheist who believed there were such things as godless morals and values. She did not attack specific religions, but the very idea of organized religion itself. Take a moment to read this one individual's explanation. Can man reason his/her way to an ethical and moral life alone or do they need religion as a guide? Does religion do more to help or hurt man's struggle to "deal with reality and survive"?

• d. ~ Peikoff references America in the Introduction by saying, "the country of individualism was finally allowed to discover Ayn Rand's novel of individualism." What does he mean by country of individualism? Is individualism the same as freedom? Does your view of America clash with or collaborate Ayn Rand's definition of individualism? How does China's culture of collectivism, witnessed at the 2008 Olympics opening ceremony, present a stark contrast to America's ideals.

• e. ~ In the Author's Forward, Rand writes, "The necessity of a social justification for all activities and all existence is now taken for granted. There is no proposal outrageous enough but what its author can get a respectful hearing and approbation if he claims that in some undefined way it is for 'the common good'. Read Rand's, The Only Path to Tomorrow and evaluate her stance on this idea of the "common good" and how it can be used as a tool for rationalization.

ACC English IV, Blog Two

"Men went mad and were rewarded with medals. All over the world, boys on every side of the bomb line were laying down their lives for what they had been told was their country, and no one seemed to mind, least of all the boys who were laying down their young lives."

Assignment
(Due Tuesday, 9.30):

1.) Read Catch-22, Preface & Chapters 1-3 (pp. 1-31)

2.) On your blog page, answer any three of the four questions below. Be sure to address all facets of the question(s) in depth and that you are supporting your opinions with textual evidence. If there is a link provided, you must read it first in order to formulate an answer.

3.) Leave at least one comment for a peer on their blog post for this week.

Question Options (Select Three to Answer)

a. ~ Compare Orr and Yossarian's conversation on pp. 23-24 to the dialogue exchanged between Clevinger and Yossarian on pp. 16-17 and 19-20. What is the difference between the two conversations? In either case, is anything resolved? Why or why not? How does Yossarian's role change depending on who he is talking to? Finally, from what you've read so far, what do most of the other characters think about Yossarian and conversely what does he think about most of them? Do these two conversations perhaps hint at why these feelings have been formulated?

*

b. ~ In his speech on p. 26, Colonel Cargill compares the war to a film or play using the trusty metaphor, "theater of war". He continues, "These people are your guests! They've traveled over three thousand miles to entertain you. How are they going to feel if nobody wants to watch them?" Read Using Metaphors in Creative Writing and Metaphors of War then explain in your words how appropriate this particular metaphor is and why you believe Heller via Cargill uses it. Also, find at least one more metaphor used by Heller in the first three chapters.

*

c. ~ On p. 14 Yossarian tells the Chaplain, "Insanity is contagious. This is the only sane ward in the whole hospital. Everybody is crazy but us." What does he mean by this? Similarly, who is the only person in the ward that nobody likes and why don't they like him. Explain what the demeanor of that person's eventual effect was upon the ward. This issue of insanity has already been repeated multiple times; who, in your opinion, exhibits the most insane tendencies thus far (be sure you are providing specific examples from the text)?

*

d. ~ On p. 20, Clevinger tells Yossarian that he has a "Jehovah complex". Do you agree with Clevinger? Why or why not? There are several excellent examples of why someone may think this about Yossaian; what in the text supports this?

ACC English IV, Blog One

"He had decided to live forever or die in the attempt ... "

Due Monday 9/22

1.) Read Joseph Heller's biography. It is important to know the author before you attempt to know their work.

* 2.) Define, in your own words, the following terms to the best of your ability on your blog page;

• Paradox
• Catch 22 (as a literary term)

* 3.) Read "The Superstition of School" and "Paradox and Dream" and in a blog post (minimum two paragraphs) identify either the general paradox or discuss a particular paradox that is mentioned in each of the essays.


* These can be posted either as one blog entry or two seperate ones as long as both #2 and #3 are addressed sufficiently.

AP Language & Composition, Blog One

*

I am. I think. I will.

*

Due Monday, 9/22

.

1.) Read Ayn Rand's Biography. Her life and environment very closely shaped her literary philosophy and is imporant to have this background prior to reading her work.

.

* 2.) There are several terms you will need to be familiar with in order to understand the social and political motifs which run throughout all of Ayn Rand's writing. Define to the best of your ability and in your own words the following terms on your blog page;

• Collectivism
• Individualism
• Socialism
• Capitalism
• Communism

* 3.) Read Ayn Rand's essay on Man's Rights and her essay on Collectivized "Rights" and post an analytical response on your blog (minimum three paragraphs) comparing/contrasting the two articles. Be sure to cite specific selections from the essays in your analysis and to support any opinions with corresponding evidence from the text.

* These can be posted either as one blog entry or two seperate ones as long as both #2 and #3 are addressed sufficiently.

Leave No Footprints Behind ...

Some of you have pictures of yourself or references to your name, our town or the high school either in your posts or your profiles. Please make sure you take all of these out, otherwise we will not be able to use this forum during the school year in our classes. Right now, I have your links listed by name. This will change next week when we come up with standard nicknames.

If your link is currently not working, you must have given me the wrong URL address. Please provide the correct one when you get a chance.

Spend some time setting up your blog the way you want it to look before we start using them. Once we begin, you will spend the majority of your time writing and responding. All of you should have at least one blog post so far on whatever topic you choose. Just remember, no identifying remarks/images.

Moss & Magnolias

I live in Miss'ippi, where the berries grow wild,
where I would run with the wind as a barefoot child,
where the green grass of morning, soft-sprinkled with dew,
would tickle my toes as I would go running through.

I would sit among magnolias in the shade.
I would dream of the castles that the blue sky made;
and I would hold the nine petals, white as the snow,
with the luscious green leaves that were always in tow.

Old greybeard would hang from the branches of the oak,
absorbing the rain within the lace of its cloak.
Its sinewy wisps would cascade gracefully down,
a mass of wet tendrils beneath a silver crown.

The meadows and mountains would blossom in the spring
as Jack-in-the-Pulpit observed everything.
He watched beneath a canopy, curved overhead,
like a priest in a sanctum of green-brownish thread.

The paint strokes of morning would color the hour,
emblazoned with jewels that circled the bower.
Cloud banks would liberate their diaphanous breath,
while the blue lips around were the kisses of death.

The thunderous claps would chill with their merciless blast
from the start of the storm until it breathed its last.
Sitting in a rocker, on a porch of delight,
I venerated the rain that joined in the flight.

I live in Miss'ippi; Miss'ippi lives in me.
The roofs I remember are the roofs I used to see.
The moss and magnolias are scattered around
but the earth has no spot like this corner of ground.

(adapated from Moss and Magnolias by Linda Marie Van Tassell)