Down to the Wire!

I see many of you already have submitted your essays and can relax in the knowledge that you're finished. Bravo! A quick glance at my email inbox this morning showed that a few of you still have a little work to do--happy writing!

I wanted to let you know that I do not know how much access I'll have to email before the submission time. I will definitely be checking and answering emails from my phone, but I will not have access to send you any documents you might need, including the summer homework packet. Since most of the questions I have received in the last few days have concerned signing up for Turn It In, I've included the directions below. If you still need to sign up for blogger, I will try to get you set up as an author; however, if you do not hear back from me, you DO still need to go ahead and post. You can comment on any established post on the blog; without authorial privileges you just can't create your own new posts.

Best of luck! I look forward to seeing you all in a few weeks. Enjoy these last couple (Summer Homework Free--woo hoo!) weeks of vacation!

Also, if you have any questions about the homework, feel free to post them here! Your classmates are excellent resources :)

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Summer homework will be submitted electronically via Turn It In. Before you can submit your work, you must create an account by following the steps below:

1. Go to www.turnitin.com

2. Click on “create account” (top right corner of the screen)

3. If you have used Turn It In before (A.P. Lang students), you can use your same username and password. Log in as you normally would. If you are new to Turn It In, scroll down to “Sign Up For Turn It In,” and follow the directions for creating a student account.

4. Regardless of whether or not you have used Turn It In before or not, you will need to enroll for this class!!

Class ID: 4044451

Class Enrollment Password: ilovelit

**NOTE**
Please plan on registering for Turn It In and submitting your essay before the due date! Last minute technical issues will not qualify as an excuse for late submissions.

After the specified time on the due date, Sunday, July 24th, by 11:59pm, late penalties will accrue at a deduction of 20% per day.

Need the Blog Invite Resent?

I noticed there are only 20 of you signed up for the blog thus far. If you have not already signed up using the link I sent at the beginning of this summer, you'll find that it has expired. Just shoot me an email from the email address you'd like to use and I will resend the invitation.

Also, I've heard some people are struggling through this book. PLEASE do not let this discourage you from the course. We will read a variety of books throughout the year; it's not a year long study of Dickens, so if this isn't your favorite reading, we'll find something you enjoy, I promise. :) I will also say that this is the lengthiest read. I scheduled it as the summer reading because I figured it's more manageable when you don't have other coursework on your plate.

Enjoy these last few weeks of summer!

Hi All!

I just wanted to let you know that I know I have received emails from many of you in the last week and a half, and I promise I'm not ignoring you--I've just been out of the country and had no access to email.

I will be getting back to those individuals who inquired about blogger sign ups and other stuff in the next few days. In the meantime, I'm loving these posts; you're all doing a wonderful job!

What's My Name?

I found it interesting how in this novel some of the characters had multiple names. For example, Pip was referred to as "Handel", "Sir", "Mr.", all depending on the situation and the person addressing him. Each name had a significance, such as Handel representing a man that wrote a piece of music Herbert knew of about a blacksmith. As for Sir, Pip conveyed his annoyance at hearing the title directed at him by Joe. Pip is not the only one with multiple names, his benefactor also has a few, and the novel makes quite a few mentions of characters and their "christened" names. It was also interesting that one of two conditions of Pip's coming into his "Great Expectations" was that he had to always go by "Pip". This must have carried a special significance to Pip's benefactor, Magwitch. Perhaps he was hoping to preserve some quality in the young boy even as he became a gentlemen. Or maybe he was just worried about locating the boy should he choose a different name as a gentleman. Unfortunately, this is as far as my thought process takes me. I was wondering if anyone could help me build upon the significance of names in this novel. :)

Outside Sources

Please remember that your summer homework essay needs to incorporate at least three outside critical analyses. Sparknotes, enotes, random websites and dictionary definitions are not acceptable. (We'll talk more about this in August).

The Internet Public Library is one of many good places to look for sources. Here's a link of some for Great Expectations.

http://ipl.org/div/litcrit/bin/litcrit.out.pl?au=dic-25

Feel free to post any other resources you have found to be useful

Welcome!

Hello, Future A.P. Lit-ers, and welcome to your class blog! We will use this blog as an extension of our class discussions and analysis. Although some postings will be required, feel free to create your own posts and comment on anything class-related. This is an excellent forum for late night homework questions and essay assistance.

As indicated in your summer homework packet, you will be required to make four postings before the start of class on the first day of school. I have posted a few sample questions to get you started. You may comment on one of these questions, or post your own questions/comments.

In order to post new threads, you will need to be added as an author to this blog. I have already sent out email invites to the addresses given to me on the summer home work sign up sheet. Check your junk email box, and if you need me to resend the invitation, please contact me at Kimberly.Linneman@fhsdschools.org

On the right side of the blog, I've linked some helpful resources, including the Purdue Online Writing Lab's MLA site, and Turn It In.

Once again, I look forward to working with you, and I have Great Expectations for the coming school year! :)

Happy Reading!

Characters

Many of Dickens' characters seem exaggerated and outlandish. To acheive this effect, Dickens employed several characteristics common to the Gothic and Romantic genre, as well as several popular literary conventions, including: the poor orphan, the reclusive woman, the mysterious benefactor, unrequited love, notions of city versus country, and the noble savage, among others. Explain how any one of these facets served to influence the novel as a whole. (Do not merely offer plot summary!)

Marriage

In the novel, the reader encounters many marriages. Why do you think these couples decide to marry? What do these marriages suggest about Dickens' possible views towards marriage? Be specific

Symbolism

In what way(s) does Dickens employ light and dark as symbols within the story? Provide specific examples of the author's use of such symbolism.

Role Models

In your opinion, what role did male influences and/or father figures play in Pip's life?

Coincidence?

The believability of Dickens' storyline relies on the readers' acceptance of several coincidences. Identify at least one such coincidence, and explain its signifcance to the story.

Pip's Character

What single adjective do you feel best describes Pip and why? Point to at least one specific textual example to support your claim. (This needn't be a direct quote, just a direct detail/example).