A Note From Your Teachers

Wow! You guys have certainly done it again! Your comments are really great! It was interesting to see how many of you were able to dig into some novels you enjoyed to find specific passages, literary elements, and characters that you love, and then were able to share them so easily. We really enjoyed your suggestions for which books to make into movies; hopefully we'll see them on the "big screen" soon!

We also really appreciate your efforts to include the title and author of the novel, as well as your own name. Keep up the good job of proof reading your entries, too. Remember, though, that the more of your own ideas and explanations you include, the more people will be able to comment on them. We are all working towards literature discussions, and we all want to know what you think!

Again, we have changed the questions for the month of January. Answer ONLY the new questions (there are six of them!). You will not receive credit for answering questions from November of Decemeber!

Keep up the great work!

Mrs. Marusa and Miss Schweikert

Conflict

Conflict is a clash between opposing forces, people, or ideas. What are two conflicts in the novel you are currently enjoying or have recently read? Why were those conflicts interesting? Make sure you include the title and author, as well as specific details to support your answer.

Remembering Novels

What element of the novel you are reading or have currently read will you probably remember the longest: character, plot, or theme? Why do you feel this way? Make sure you include the title and author, as well as specific details to support your answer.

Irony

A situtation or event that turns out to be in strange contrast to what was intended or expected is said to be ironic. Consider the following example of irony from John Steinbeck's novel The Pearl: Kino's canoe, which is "at once property and a source of food," has been in his family for two generations. The irony here is, of course, that the canoe represents a continuation of the family tradition, since it belonged first to Kino's father and before that to his grandfather, and yet at the end of the story, Kino will have neither a child nor a canoe to pass on to another generation.

What is ironic about the book/storyline/characters in the novel you are reading or have recently read? Make sure you include the title and author, as well as specific details to support your answer.

Sensory Language

A motif is a detail within the story that repeats itself throughout the work. Examples of common motifs include colors, character traits, objects, locations, or situations. The sky's the limit, really. What makes something a motif is when it shows up several times throughout the story. Think of them as breadcrumbs left by the author to draw your attention toward something important in the theme or message of the story.

Symbols are objects, characters, figures, sounds or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

What is a symbol/motif found in the novel you have read or are currently reading? Explain how the author uses this throughout the novel, and why it is important. Make sure you include the title and author, as well as specific details to support your answer.

New Endings

If the author added another chapter or sentence at the end of a novel, what might it be? Make sure you include the author and title as well as specific information from the novel to support your answer.

Book Titles

If you could rename a book, what would you title it and why? Make sure you include the original author and title, as well as specific details from the novel to support your answer.