Set a timer for 40 minutes. During that time, write a rhetorical analysis of Plato's Allegory of the Cave.
What the heck is a rhetorical analysis?
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Friday, August 24, 2018
Sense of Place
https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2014/05/on-the-importance-of-place
In reading the Scarlet Letter, it is essential to know a bit about Nathaniel Hawthorne and from where he writes. He begins the novel with the long, long, long initial reading of "The Custom House". Ugh, can I just skip this and move on to the novel! No, and this is why. It provided a vivid image of the author's workplace during is tenure at the Salem Custom House. But it does much more than merely present the reader with humorous details of the author's co-workers. For one thing, it underscores Hawthorne's fatalistic sense of place by meditating upon his attachment to Salem, or perhaps better said, upon Salem's claim on him. In "The Custom House", the narrator views Salem as a place of tragedy, and this sense of place is mirrored in the novel. Because of the long connection of his family with one spot, Hawthorne states, "I felt it almost a a destiny to make Salem my home". This theme is echoed in Hester's decision to remain in Boston after the sentence of the scarlet letter is imposed upon her. Salem was a place of literary failure for Hawthorn. It was also a place of shame as the place is tied to a family legacy of which he is not proud.
So, a sense of place is on the tap for this week's blog. The link I have provided gives you an understanding of the importance place can play in one's own life. We certainly see the significance of place for Hawthorne, and for Hester. What about you? Reflect on what a sense of place means, and speak to your sense of place. Then, compare your sense of place with that of Hawthorne's. Do you have a negative sense of place or a positive sense of place and what role has that played in your development a person? You can write about Elk County, or another specific place that has relevance to you. Maybe it is a business, a vacation spot, a hospital, a room. A place with which you identify and that has had a significant impact on you either negatively, or positively is a good choice!
Just for reference, this blog, if done thoroughly, will probably be anywhere from 375 to 600 words. Just giving you a ballpark. That is not as long as you think!
In reading the Scarlet Letter, it is essential to know a bit about Nathaniel Hawthorne and from where he writes. He begins the novel with the long, long, long initial reading of "The Custom House". Ugh, can I just skip this and move on to the novel! No, and this is why. It provided a vivid image of the author's workplace during is tenure at the Salem Custom House. But it does much more than merely present the reader with humorous details of the author's co-workers. For one thing, it underscores Hawthorne's fatalistic sense of place by meditating upon his attachment to Salem, or perhaps better said, upon Salem's claim on him. In "The Custom House", the narrator views Salem as a place of tragedy, and this sense of place is mirrored in the novel. Because of the long connection of his family with one spot, Hawthorne states, "I felt it almost a a destiny to make Salem my home". This theme is echoed in Hester's decision to remain in Boston after the sentence of the scarlet letter is imposed upon her. Salem was a place of literary failure for Hawthorn. It was also a place of shame as the place is tied to a family legacy of which he is not proud.
So, a sense of place is on the tap for this week's blog. The link I have provided gives you an understanding of the importance place can play in one's own life. We certainly see the significance of place for Hawthorne, and for Hester. What about you? Reflect on what a sense of place means, and speak to your sense of place. Then, compare your sense of place with that of Hawthorne's. Do you have a negative sense of place or a positive sense of place and what role has that played in your development a person? You can write about Elk County, or another specific place that has relevance to you. Maybe it is a business, a vacation spot, a hospital, a room. A place with which you identify and that has had a significant impact on you either negatively, or positively is a good choice!
Just for reference, this blog, if done thoroughly, will probably be anywhere from 375 to 600 words. Just giving you a ballpark. That is not as long as you think!
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