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Crime and punishment
Rebecca
Catcher in the rye
An inspector Calls -
Summary for Lesson 1
In today’s class we began our work on Crime and Punishment, thinking about the history and context of the novel and beginning to unpick some of the more complicated themes it touches on. We began with a discussion of the things the students did and didn’t enjoy about the book, referring back to the interpretation of the book offered in a Ted-Ed video we watched. The students then completed some independent research on Russia in 1866, beautifully presenting key facts that they felt uncovered elements of the novel. We learned about the history of Russia at this time, linking this to the life of Dostoyevsky and examining what his biographical information can teach us. Finally the class debated the philosophical concept of utilitarianism, considering how it links to the book and thinking about its potential dangers as a system of thought. I was incredibly impressed with the class today- their grasp of huge historical and philosophical ideas was fantastic and they all offered sophisticated and fascinating ideas and contributions throughout. The students’ debate on utilitarianism was particularly outstanding and I was really enjoyed hearing their thoughts. Well done everyone, you all dealt with a very tricky book very well- keep up the amazing work and see you next week! 🙂
Crime and Punishment video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vtkv3-endYc
Dostoyevsky video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMmSdxZpseY&t=573s
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Many thanks for the revelutionary lesson (meant in the emotional sense, not the literal charging-through -the-streets-sense) 😉
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Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for the wonderful lesson!
Attached below is my homework.
Thanks again,Best Wishes,
Yuexi -
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Summary for Lesson 2
In today’s class we continued our work on Crime and Punishment, thinking today in depth about characterisation and psychology within the novel. We began with an exercise unpicking the first passage of the novel, thinking about what is revealed and withheld using the ‘doll’s house theory’ to consider why Dostoevsky opens the way he does and how it sets the tone for the rest of the novel. We discussed ideas such as the anonymity of character and the insight into Raskolnikov’s pysche. We thought in depth about Raskolnikov and his psychological background- engaging with the literary idea of him as a split or dual character and how this is reflected in his name. We discussed how psychology can help us to understand literary works and leant about a Freudian analysis of Raskolnikov’s character. Finally we spoke about the literary concept of the double or doppelgänger, using this to help analyse the novel and thinking about what this achieves, comparing different characters and discovering how they act as mirrors, or foils, to each other. Everyone worked beautifully today- the quality of discussion was impeccable and everyone shared really well throughout. Well done class- see you next week 🙂
Pyschology video to watch the rest of if you have time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pYFE7X9_cs
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Thanks extraordinariarly for the fabunctious lesson!
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Crime and Punishment
time and punishment
time and nourishment
(the crime’s for eating sarg.!)
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analysis of article
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Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for the attention-grabbing lesson!
Please find attached below my homework,
Thank you so much 😊
Best Wishes,
Yuexi
(p.s. I searched up the meaning ‘Rodion’, and guess what!It means ‘Song of Hero’-google, how ironic…) -
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Hi Beth,
Thanks for the awesome lesson! Very informative and interesting. ❤
Here is my homework.
Yichen
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Summary for Lesson 3
In today’s class we finished our work on Crime and Punishment– finishing our studies with some considerations of setting, the problems of translation and some creative work. The class began by thinking about the title of the novel, unpicking why it may be called Crime and Punishment and coming up with alternative titles. They then learnt about what had been lost in translation in the title and in some of the character names, discussing the meaning behind what the characters are called and thinking about how translating a language can distance us from the true meaning. We learnt a little about the setting and how it held a new focus on the urban poor, and the class then created their own characters to fit within the world of the book. Finally we discussed how the class felt about the epilogue at the end of the book and what they felt it added or detracted from the novel, which they did an exceptional job of deciphering and analysing- I was really impressed by their ideas surrounding the way in which it changes the emotional impact of the ending. Fantastic work from the class today- their ideas were vibrant and sophisticated and I loved hearing their creative ideas and interpretations. Amazing job everyone & I look forward to seeing you next week! 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Thanks for the frabji-licious lesson!
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Twinkle Twinkle Little Smile
twinkle twinkle little smile
how I wonder what you belile
Diadem up in the clouds
twinkle twinkle little smile
tinkle tinkle
every belile
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Dear Beth,
Thank you for the extraordinary lesson! I can’t wait to start Rebecca! I love it so much!
Eva
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Dear Bath,
Thank you so much for your wonderful lesson!
Please find attached below my homework for this lesson!
Thank you to much!
Best wishes,
Yuexi-
Dear Beth,
Sorry about the spelling mistakes,
My keyboard was not working well, I had to get used to the english keyboard, not the french one,
This was what I originally wanted to write:
Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for your wonderful lesson!
Please find attached below my homework for this lesson!
Thank you so much!
Best wishes,
Yuexi -
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Hi Beth,
Thanks for the magnificent lesson, I genuinely loved it!❤ I can’t wait for Rebecca – it’s my second favourite book, after The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Here is my homework.
Yichen
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Summary for Lesson 4
In today’s lesson we began our work on Rebecca, thinking today about the historical context and genre of the novel. We began by thinking about what the students had enjoyed and not enjoyed about the novel, debating in the course of this conversation the unnamed status of the narrator. We thought about the 1930s and what its history could tell us about the book, thinking about the subversion of the gothic genre imposed by the ‘female gothic’ genre and identifying elements that conformed to it. We then thought about the life of women in the 30s and how constrictive the roles they were expected to fill could be, linking this to the symbolic importance of Rebecca as a representation of an unattainable image of the ‘perfect’ wife. The class discussed these issues with huge maturity and came up with some excellent feminist analyses of the novel which I was really pleased to see. They were all really passionate about the book and shared wonderfully on many different elements of the novel and its events. Amazing work today everyone- really outstanding contributions and I look forward to discussing this book more with you next week! Well done 🙂
The article is attached below for homework
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Thanks for the meligaweazing lesson!
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Municipal
The dark
The Light
The Fair
The bleak
The million lights of gentry come
and the trillion bleaks
of mystery seek
A wall behind and with sooth
Light
Dark
Fair
Bleak
Andin that worldthe lights revolve
On
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P.S. Here’s an equally horrible list of obligations a wife had to obey in order to be a good wife inthe 1930s:
http://us.abrozzi.com/9-absolutely-horrifying-marriage-tips-from-the-1950s/
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Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for the wonderful lesson!
Please find attached below my homework for the week,
Thank you,
Best wishes,
Yuexi -
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Summary for Lesson 5
In today’s class we continued our work on Rebecca thinking today about class, character and narrative. We began by reading and evaluating an article regarding the gendered drive of the novel, before moving on to thinking about class and the message the author is sending through her presentation of the narrator. We spoke about the narrator as a static character, with the circularity of the narrative paving the way for a demoralising analysis of her character. We then moved on to thinking about the genre of pyschological thriller, unpicking what it does and why, and applying this to Rebecca. Finally, we spoke about the ending- comparing the original to a recent film adaptation and considering where our sympathies are being encouraged to lie. The class shared some fantastic thoughts about the impact of the ending and whether it was surprising or not and were fantastically tuned in all lesson. Amazing work everyone- well done! 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Thanks for the fluently chilling (in the good sense) lesson!
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Here’s the 2020 adaptation of Rebecca: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2235695/
Here’s the 1940 version: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032976/
Here’s the 1997 TV Version: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119991/
But they all share the same plot- although each takes on a different tone (frustration, romance, gothic).
The book somehow takes on a balencing act between all of these emotions- that’s another somewaht grudging thumbs up to Du Maurier.
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Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for the wonderful lesson!
Please find attached below my homework for the week,
Thanks ☺️
Best wishes,
Yuexi -
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Summary for Lesson 6
In today’s lesson we finished our work on Rebecca, thinking today about symbols, setting and our own interpretation of the meaning of the novel. We began with thinking about Manderley and its impact as a setting, discussing the gothic implications of its centrality in the novel, and the class created their own settings to match the tone. We moved on to thinking about the key writing tips that can be learned from the novel, applying them to moments from the book, before discussing two key debate questions: whether the book is a critique of the lives of the idle gentry in the 1930s and whether justice is served at the end. Exceptional ideas from the class today- they held lots of really difficult critical interpretations up to the light beautifully and came up with some super inventive and wonderful settings to set this book against. I love hearing their final thoughts on the novel’s end and the notion and justice and can’t wait to see what they come up with for homework! Amazing work everyone- well done 🙂
Video from today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWuSGoOf7yg&t=670s
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Thank you for the revealating lesson! I’m looking orewards to The Catcher in The Rye- It’s somewhere in my top 50 fave books!
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Here’s a Cheese-Crumpet recipe (inspired by the unamed narrator’s description of Manderly-style delicacies):
If you do make some, I hope you enjoy!
🙂
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Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for the wonderful lesson!
Please find attached below my homework for the week,
Thank you 😺
Best wishes,
Yuexi -
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Summary for Lesson 7
In today’s class we began our work on The Catcher in the Rye, considering the context and history behind the novel. We began with a great discussion of what the class felt they enjoyed and didn’t enjoy in the novel- ranging from the setting and history of the novel, to the themes and morals of the story, to the characterisation and narrative perspective of the novel. We spoke about the post-war context of the book, thinking about the late 40s and early 50s, before delving into the notion of teenagerhood and why it had been invented in this historical context. We spoke about where the novel contradicts the traditional notions of teenagerhood seen in the 40s and 50s, read a LIFE magazine article about ‘The Luckiest Generation’ and finally spoke about the concept of a bildungsroman and how Salinger twists it to suit his character. Really outstanding work from the class today- they were super on the ball and came up with some really excellent ideas regarding this book and its socio-historical context. Really thoughtful and interesting analysis today everyone- well done! I look forward to seeing you next week 🙂
Context video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTPDpGFGEJY
Author biography video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_eBi9wgK2U
P.S. I’ve attached an article to help you with homework below.
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Thanks for the mar-edous lesson!
Here’s a link to a survey I created (It’s some research on the relationship between age and liking of the book- anyone can respond! >0<)
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Hi Beth,
Thanks for the marvellous lesson! I really enjoyed it! 😀
Here is my homework.
Please could you mark my homework for last week?
Yichen o(*^＠^*)o
PS. Well done Amber for creating a survey – how did you do it?👍
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Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for the wonderful lesson!
Please find attached below my homework for this week!
Thank you so much!Best Wishes,
Yuexi
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Summary for Lesson 8
In today’s class we continued our work on The Catcher in the Rye, thinking today about the importance of narrative voice and language to the novel. We began with some thoughts on the protagonist, Holden, thinking about what makes him likeable/ unlikeable and how the students felt towards him. We then moved on to thinking about how his personality is reflected in the first person perspective of the novel and how Salinger himself thought Holden to be inextricable from his narrative perspective. We spoke about Holden’s hypocrisy, his cynicism and his unreliability throughout the novel. Finally we discussed the ending and its ambiguity, predicting what could come next for Holden and unpicking what the psychiatric hospital theory adds to our understanding of the book. Everyone worked really well today and came up with some excellent analysis and ideas all the way through our lesson. They were all really energetic and sophisticated in their responses and I loved discussing this book’s narrative voice with them. Well done class 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Thank you for the splendilicious lesson! Lookin’ forewards to lesson 3 (^0^)
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-Fun Fact: The word PHONEY appears about 48 times in THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
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Dear Beth,
Thank you for the amazing lesson!
-Eva
By the way, I just found out the meaning behind the unique name “Holden”:
It sounds like “Hold on”, probably implying to his will to “hold on” to innocence and childhood.
It also means “From the hollow in the valley”.
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Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for the wonderful lesson!
Please find attached below my homework for this week!
Thank you so much!Best Wishes,
Yuexi 😺
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Summary for Lesson 9
In today’s class we completed our work on The Catcher in the Rye, today tackling some analytical essay questions and doing some creative work considering a modernisation of the novel. We began with discussing how seriously we are meant to take Holden’s social critique which the class did a fantastic job of unpicking. We then looked at some high level essay questions, the class chose one each to workshop and write an argument for, sharing their very strong and fascinating intro paragraphs. Finally we discussed how to modernise the character of Holden Caulfield and the students came up with some really interesting and imaginative adaptations in order to make their character chime with modern society and to get under the skin of their pyschology- great work! Excellent, fun and inspiring work today everyone, you’ve all done a wonderful job on this novel and should be very proud of yourselves. See you next week 🙂
Homework
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Hi Beth,
Here is my homework.
Thanks for the fabulous lessons, I really enjoyed them! 🙂 See you next week for Inspector Calls!
Yichen
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Hi Eichen,
I’m glad you enjoyed the lessons on The Catcher in the Rye!
Brilliant work this week, I’ve attached your feedback below. See you soon 🙂
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Dear Beth,
Thanks for the hugely informative & engaging lesson!
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Catcher, Catcher
The Sky was dark and it was so
Little Billy by the fields
And in the dark the ever forest sang
Oh Billy Billy
In the Rye
Catcher Catcher catch him high
And when Holden spun and looked about
He had missed little Billy by the stream
Staring goggle eyed in extream
Holden fled,
a catcher no more
and sits and rests instead
In a hospital, a stead
Catcher, Catcher,
little Billy
came
and asked his grandad,
why did you leave?
Oh Billy, Billy, his grandad said,
I am no longer a catcher,
an invalid instead
And little Billy,
who wasn’t so little
Danced the hoomba out of the hospital
For he had made
and he had seen
and now
a catcher he could be
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Dear Beth,
Thanks!
Eva
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Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for the lesson!
I can’t wait for Inspector Calls,
Please find attached below my homework for this week,
Thank you,
Best wishes,
Yuexi -
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Summary for Lesson 10
In today’s class we began our work on An Inspector Calls, the first play of our course. We spoke today about the historical and political context of the play, thinking about how the 1912 setting is linked to the 1945 publication date. We learnt about the gender, class and political context of this play, learning about J.B. Priestley’s belief in socialism and thinking about how this connects to the story being told and the notion of collective responsibility for society. We spoke about the role of both the first and second world wars in the story, digging into the use of dramatic irony, and linked this to a quotation from the end of the play. The class worked wonderfully today, particularly when it came to thinking about the political dichotomy of capitalism and socialism and how this is embodied by certain characters in the play, representing a symbolic (or allegorical?) confrontation. Fantastic, mature and sophisticated work today class- I was so impressed by your analyses throughout! See you next week 🙂
Context video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fXw8lWWtlA&feature=emb_logo
Homework
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Hi Beth,
Thanks for the wonderful lesson: I really enjoyed it! 😀I really like An Inspector Calls.
Here is my homework.
Yichen
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Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for the lesson!
Please find attached below my homework for this week,
Thank you,
Best regards,
Yuexi -
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Dear Beth,
Thank you for the lesson!
Eva
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11Y450sdJdUgToFroSJmWh6Kn3dHEonA7_sy9EPJh1ZA/edit?usp=sharing
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Summary for Lesson 11
In today’s class we continued our work on An Inspector Calls thinking today about the nature of the text as a play and how this affects our understanding of it. We spoke about the dramatic elements of the plot, with the class identifying incidences of foreshadowing and the use of production in illuminating the themes of the play. The class came up with examples from the text and we discussed the significance of each of these examples. We then moved on to speaking about Eva Smith and the fact the audience never gets to see or hear from her, thinking about her role as a symbol in the story. We thought about some key questions arising from the play and the class then read an extract outlining the notion of the mystery surrounding her character. Fantastic and impassioned work from everyone today- well done class! You were wonderfully creative today and should be very proud of your work. See you next week 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for the wonderful lesson!
Please find attached below my homework for this week,
Merry Christmas 🥳🥳
Best wishes,
Yuexi
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Hi Beth,
Thanks for the terribly wonderful lesson! 😊
Merry Christmas 🎉🎄and a happy New Year 🎇🎆!
Here is my homework.
Yichen
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Summary for Lesson 12
In today’s class we completed our work on An Inspector Calls, concluding our twelve week course! Today we picked through the notion of moral vs legal culpability, thinking about the way in which we could understand Eva’s relationship to each character (economic, social/moral, patriarchal) and discussing the responsibility each character bears for her death. We thought about the effect of the war on Priestley’s ideas, considered the Russian philosopher Ouspensky who influenced the play and discussed the feminist messages of the play. Everyone shared their thoughts excellently on notions of collective responsibility and were enthusiastic, thoughtful and super conscientious throughout. Really outstanding work class- it has been an absolute joy teaching you all over the past twelve weeks. You have all dealt with some really big ideas and complicated topics with grace, maturity and sophistication throughout and should be very proud of all your work. You are all such intelligent and bright people and keep up all the amazing thinking you are already doing! Brilliant job everyone- keep up the wonderful work and I hope to see you all in our next reading course! 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Thank you for the magnisplendid course! Have a spectacular New Year🎈🤗🎀(☆▽☆)！
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I have attached below a modern GIF rendering of An Inspector Calls.
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Dear Beth,
Thank you so much for the wonderful lesson!♥️
Please find attached below my homework for this week,
Happy new year !☺️
Best wishes,
Yuexi
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