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Summary for Lesson 1
In today’s class we began work on Brighton Rock, thinking about the historical context and what it can teach us. We discussed Graham Greene’s life and the significance of who he is as a person to the book before working on the 1930s. We researched the period and thought about what influence the period’s crime, poverty and political turmoil may have had on the novel. Finally we spoke about the setting of Brighton, digging into the duality of the town as a fun, vibrant seaside resort and simultaneously a hotbed of vice with a shady underworld. Really great work today class, well done for all your brilliant analysis of the book and how it connects to wider historical themes of the time. Keep up the fantastic ideas and see you next week 🙂
Homework
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Summary for Lesson 2
In today’s class we continued work on Brighton Rock, thinking today about the deeper philosophies and themes behind the novel. We began with a homework discussion before thinking about how this does or does not fit into the crime genre. We then learned about the Catholic notion of original sin and discussed its relation to the story, thinking about Greene’s version of morality he exemplifies through characters such as Pinkie, Ida and Rose. We read a short article on religion in the novel, thought about the concept of damnation for Pinkie and finally discussed the title of the book and how it relates to what Greene is saying about human nature. Really excellent ideas today everyone, well done for your deep and thoughtful ideas on this novel. Keep up the wonderful work and see you next week 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Thanks for the literally Rocking lesson! I have uploaded the homework. Have a wonderful week & weekend! 🙂
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Hi Beth!!
Thank you for the lovely lesson!! see you next week!
home work attached belowhave a nice day!
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Summary for Lesson 3
In today’s class we finished work on Brighton Rock, concluding our lessons with some ideas on gender, character and important quotations from the novel. We began by reading an article which the class then dissected and debated, before moving on to thinking about the character of Rose and where she is left at the end of the novel. We discussed the presentation of women and gender in the story, and the class then completed an amazing hot-seating exercise inferring the way Rose may interpret the events of the novel retrospectively. Finally, we analysed quotations that reveal something about the core philosophical and thematic assumptions of the book and the students wrote quotations of their own to fit into this world. Amazing work everyone, well done for all your excellent ideas about notions of guilt, religion and sin in this story. You’ve been fantastic and I look forward to seeing you next week 🙂
Homework
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Hi Beth !
thank you for the wonderful lesson!! I hope you are feeling better now !! homework attached below
Ella
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Summary for Lesson 4
In today’s class we began work on Oranges are not the Only Fruit, thinking today about the literary and historical context of the story. We began by discussing how we felt about the novel, before moving on to learning about postmodernism in literarture, thinking how this relates to the book. We then discussed the genre of Künstlerroman and learned about the history of 1960s Britain, digging into the extent to which there was a cultural/ social revolution in the way it is presented in pop culture. Finally we discussed the rights of LGBT people at the time, thinking about how this relates to the novel. Amazing and in-depth work today class, you were all super thoughtful and studious, coming up with great points on some complex topics. Keep up the wonderful work, well done 🙂
Post-modernism video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5Z5iFZEWSs&t=5s
Homework
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Summary for Lesson 5
In today’s lesson we continued Oranges are not the only Fruit, thinking about the role of religion and story-telling in the novel. We began with a discussion of Evangelicalism in the book, with the class reading an extract from the book and analysing it in relation to the presentation of the mother. We spoke about Winterson’s view on story-telling and what it tells us about her understanding of her autobiography before finally thinking about how it complicates the narrative form. Lastly, the class read an essay reflecting on the role of religion in controlling her life in the book, connecting it to her experience of falling in love for the first time. Great work today everyone, really well done for all your fantastic ideas and analyses. See you next week 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
I have uploaded the homework… it was so fun getting into the nitty grity of Pip and the ‘man’ (whom we all know is a convict, but hey let’s refer to him as ‘the man’ becaus ethe paper doesn’t tell us anything else) Thanks for a wonderful lesson 🙂
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Summary for Lesson 6
In today’s class we completed Oranges are not the only Fruit, thinking today about some overarching themes and ideas in the book. We began by reading an article Winterson wrote later in life about her relationship with her mother, reflecting on what this, in combination with the book, tells us about women at this time in history. We discussed patriarchal and matriarchal structures, thought about Winterson’s experience of being gay in the 1960s and thought about the brutality of auto-biography. The class then debated beautifully why this book was important to read today and we spoke about intersectionality between LGBT & feminist movements. Finally we discussed the title, which the class worked on amazingly. Really impressive and detailed work today everyone- you should be very proud of all your ideas today, it was a joy hearing them. Well done and see you soon 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Thanks for such a nuanced lesson! It was a delight analyzing Oranges are Not the Only Fruit. Looking forwards to more gloom in Hamlet (just kidding) 😉 Uploaded.
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Summary for Lesson 7
In today’s lesson we had our first lesson on Hamlet. We began by thinking about the class’s reactions to the play, sharing our ideas and reactions to the way it was written. The class then thought about what kinds of historical context may be useful to know before watching an overarching video on the literary, personal and historical context of the play. We learned about the succession anxieties of the early 1600s, watched a TED-ED video summarising what has helped this play to endure through the ages and lastly the students read part of an A-level resource arguing different elements of Hamlet’s context. Really interesting and engaged work today class, well done for all your brilliant analyses of the ways things such as religion, gender and monarchy play out in this story. See you next week 🙂
A-level link for homework: https://alevelenglishliterature.weebly.com/context3.html
Context video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHvQf2qHjbk
TED-ED video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTu39aMg_mU
Homework
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Hi Beth,
Thank you so much for the wonderful lesson. Extension is linked below:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z3aOSB8Y_-NguqBz1hLYGbVZH-B_WEbOFIXmy3c_7fY/edit
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Summary for Lesson 8
In today’s class we continued our work on Hamlet, thinking about philosophy and tragedy in the play. We began by thinking about the theme of decisions before moving on to discussing if this play is a classic tragedy in the Aristotelian way. We looked at the comic elements of Hamlet, connecting this to the work we completed on tragedy, and the class brainstormed some amazing answers in response to three key questions on Hamlet’s character and our perception of him. Wonderful work today everyone, thank you for being so patient with the wifi troubles and for all your great ideas throughout class today. Keep up the fab work, see you next week 🙂
Tragic figure video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNFzRoL35W0&t=1s
Homework
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Hi Beth,
HW is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-EmjYC46OvjRvDUDXlLEwhiTOFO23i2cjtYyUgsHVJA/edit
Thank you for the lesson!
Yao
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Summary for Lesson 9
In today’s class we focused on character in Hamlet, digging into lots of different ways of approaching character analyses and intertwining this with theme. We began by watching a character analysis video and discussing whether we agreed with it, before reading an essay on the presentation of the female characters in the play and debating whether they are misunderstood and underdeveloped. The class then completed some creative writing, writing epitaphs for a character of their choice, before we picked apart how to analyse the text to comment on character. Amazing work today, you all shared wonderfully and it was a joy to hear your creative work in particular. Keep it up and see you next week 🙂
Women in Hamlet link: https://www.litcharts.com/lit/hamlet/themes/women
Homework
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Character video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqDUTB0t1Ws
Exploring soliloquy video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQTGfhWsuOQ
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Hw for this week: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YZfGsxiQDzowDtUuRiTHaOrWZFxazZ0qXx2QII42Cik/edit
Thank you for the amazing lesson!
Yao
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Summary for Lesson 10
In today’s class we looked at plot & structure in Hamlet. We began by thinking about key questions related to this text’s nature as a play before touching on how the play opens and why we think Shakespeare made those choices. We learned about different structural features in the play, thought about the concept of dramatic action and how it applies and the students workshopped some questions on the roles of various plot points, thinking about their significance. Finally we discussed the nature of tragedy in thinking about how inevitable the play’s events appear. Amazing work today class, well done for all your brilliant ideas particularly when thinking about dramatic action and how the way it functions would have been unique in the early modern period. See you next week 🙂
Homework
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Hi Beth,
Thanks so much for the lesson! It was fantastic.
HW: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1q1esajBhFVUGYPLXHNi20oNdU-kcIrYigQfZJ8mS2ok/edit
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Summary for Lesson 11
In today’s class the students continued their study of Hamlet, thinking about close textual analysis. We began by watching a performance of the famous ‘to be or not to be’ soliloquy which the class then analysed to help them understand the approach used by Andrew Scott, the actor. We connected this back to the text itself, analysing this passage and pulling out important images to break down the central meaning of the text. The class then completed some excellent group work brainstorming essay questions and connecting this back to passages of the class’s choice. Really great work today everyone, well done for all your fantastic contributions and analysis of some very intricate pieces of Shakespearean prose. See you next week 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for the scrumptious lesson! Unfortunately, I totally forgot to upload teh homework until today, but it’s up there! Thank you! 😉
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Summary for Lesson 12
In today’s class we finished our work on Shakespeare, thinking about modernising the text and finishing with final reflections on the play. We began by thinking about the role of different characters’ deaths within the story before looking at ideas to transform this play into the modern day. We learned about a Pulitzer-winning adaptation of the play in the US and finally discussed some last debate questions. Wonderful work as ever class- it has been really fun working with you all and hearing all the amazing ideas you have on literature and the way we can interpret it. See you next course! 🙂
Homework article: https://www.naturalhistorymag.com/editors_pick/1966_08-09_pick.html
Homework
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