Incoming English II Students: Alternate Project for "The Bet"

If you read "The Bet" by Anton Chekhov this week, here's a project that will replace the message board for the final set of stories.

Step One: Read the story. You've already done this at least once. Do it again at least once more.

Step Two: Watch this episode of TV's Twilight Zone. As you watch, note the similarities and differences between Rod Serling's script and Anton Chekhov's short story. It may take a minute or so before the video begins. Be patient.

Step Three: Complete a Venn Diagram citing the differences and similarities between the two. Either make two overlapping circles or three columns. Label the far-left section/column: Chekhov/"The Bet", the far-right section/column: "Twilight Zone/"The Silence", and the center section/column: Both.

Shallow differences like "Anton Chekhov" = written and "Twilight Zone" = TV are not acceptable.

Meaningless similarities like both titles begin with The or printing and video are both black and white are also not acceptable.

Incoming Pre-AP English II: Discussion Boards for "The Bet" and "The Yellow Pill"

9/26 Update: At this point all responses need to be made on paper. Please submit your COMPLETE (not partial) responses when all 12 questions have been answered.

This is the final set of discussion questions, but if there are any questions from previous weeks you haven't yet completed, please take care of them this week. I look forward to meeting you a week from Monday.

The Bet by Anton Chekhov (listen here)

• Character: Discuss how Chekhov uses the words, actions, and appearances of the banker and the lawyer to give his readers clues about his characters' states of mind? Identify specific examples from the story.


• Conflict:
  1. Identify the original argument from the beginning of the story.
  
  
  2. How does the conflict change throughout the story?
  
  
  3. What is the conflict at the end of the story?
  
  
  4. Is there a resolution to this conflict? If so, what is it? If not, why not?
  
  Discuss.


• Irony: Irony is defined as the gap between what is expected and what actually occurs. Discuss the irony in this story.


• Theme: What does the lawyer learn from his experience being locked up for so long? What are we supposed to learn from this story? Discuss.


• Resolution: Who won the bet? Is it possible for both to lose the bet? Is it possible for both to win? Discuss.

Alternate Project: Substitute this assignment for "The Bet" for answering the above (or below) questions.


The Yellow Pill by Rog Phillips

• Personification: At one point in the story Jerry tells Gar/Cedric "'You know as well as I do, Gar, how space madness causes you to personify everything.'" Discuss what he means by this and how it differs from what we usually think of personification. Use examples.


• Simile: At another point in the story Jerry tells Gar/Cedric that "'one of us has to be nuttier than a fruitcake." What does that expression literally mean? What connotations and/or secondary definitions do the words "nuttier" and "fruitcake" carry? Why is this appropriate? Discuss.


• Allusion: Discuss the significance that Helena's allusion to Napoleon ("'Napoleon was obviously insane because he thought he was Napoleon.'") carries in the overall scheme of the story?


• Alliteration: Just like James Joyce's story "Araby," Phillips ends this story with significant alliteration. What alliteration exists in the final paragraph? What connotations do those words carry? (Don't just explain what they literally mean.) What, if anything, does the repetition of sound suggest or reinforce about Gar's character? Discuss.


• Irony: In the middle of the story "Dr. Elton" says "'"I remember [telling Helena that she couldn't date him]…. A nice pat rationalization in any man's reality to make the rejection be my own before you could have time to reject me yourself. Preserving the ego is the first principle of madness.'" Discuss the way(s) this is ironic. What other ironies exist in the story?

Incoming Pre-AP English II Students: Week 9 Reading Assignment

This week's topic is Irony. Again. (It's the predominant tone of contemporary writing, so get used to it.)

Welcome to the final week of your summer vacation reading (one more week of discussion boards after this). This week's stories were chosen by Mr. Barbee, who many of you will have for AP English III during your junior year.

"The Bet" by Anton Chekhov (audio file)

"The Yellow Pill" by Rog Phillips (sorry, no audio file for this one).

To download the audiofile for "The Bet" to listen to on your MP3 device, please right-click the link and choose "save." The audiofile should supplement your reading, not replace it; you are still required to read "The Bet" if that's the story you choose (reading both would be nice, but that's not required).