Starter 18
"'Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’" (Vonnegut) 1)What does this quotation mean to you? Explain. 2) If you could rewrite the last sentence, what would it be? What rule would you give to future generations?” In class: Read and Annotate Chapter 3 -You know the drill, young scholars. Enter, explore, extend... So It Goes: Vonnegut in the New York Times -Read and annotate at least the first 14 paragraphs of this lengthy article. For a challenge read the whole thing! Why? Learning more about authors can oftentimes help us make better sense of the their work. In class discussion of the following questions: a. Who is Kurt Vonnegut? b. Why is he considered to be a literary idol? c. Would you enjoy reading Mr. Vonnegut’s work? Why or why not? d. What might you expect to learn by reading a novel written by Mr. Vonnegut? e. Why do you think Mr. Vonnegut set his novels in alternate universes? What purpose did using these fictitious settings serve? f. What was the defining moment in Mr. Vonnegut’s life? g. How did this defining moment influence Mr. Vonnegut’s work? h. Given the article’s description of Mr. Vonnegut’s views on war, how do you think he would perceive the war with Iraq or the war on terror? Why? i. How do you feel about an author using the same character in different novels? Why? j. What are some of the less enthusiastic views about Mr. Vonnegut’s body of literary work? Why? Homework: 1) Rise of the Dictators (linked in case you need the details) This activity is due tomorrow at the start of class. Please have these printed out before class starts, or they will be late (gasp!) Of course, you'll want your name on your beautiful, refined work! 2) Slaughterhouse 5: Chapter 3 -Read and annotate, please. 8-10 annotations.
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