Blog #1 - The Catcher in the Rye

What does Holden most often criticize people for? (Hint: he's got a certain word for it.) Why is this specific criticism that Holden uses against other people ironic? Explain. (2 paragraphs - quote the book.)

Blog #2 - The Fault in Our Stars

What do you think about Peter Van Houten, the fictional author of An Imperial Affliction? John Green has said that Van Houten is a "horrible, horrible person but I have an affection for him." Why might Green have said that? What do you think of Van Houten? (2 paragraphs - use quotes from the book.)

Blog #1 - The Fault in Our Stars

Do you think Hazel and Gus define themselves by cancer? Do they confront it similarly? differently? In chapter 11, we learn about Caroline's brain cancer. How did she deal with it differently, and what conclusions can you draw based on this? Explain. (2 paragraphs - Use quotes from book.)

Blog #2 - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

Which character do you sympathize the most with so far? Why? What does this character "want", at this point in the book? (2 Paragraphs - Use quotes from the book.) 

Blog #2 - Inside Out and Back Again

How similar is Hà to the author of the book, Thannha Lai? Although the book is a memoir, is there anything different between both of their stories? In the article I asked you to read for homework, what do you learn about Vietnam and Hà's (Thannha Lai's) journey from Saigon to the United States? (2-3 paragraphs, using quotes from the article and from the book when necessary!)

Blog #2 - Brighton Beach Memoirs

Think about what each character "wants" throughout the play, and ultimately, what each of them truly "needed" all along. Explore this idea of want vs. need with the following four characters: Eugene, Stanley, Blanche, and Kate. (2 paragraphs - quoting lines from the play.)

Blog #1 - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

How would you describe the relationship between Singer and Antonapoulos? Why do you think McCullers made this the first chapter of the book? Think about the title, as well as the themes of isolation and loneliness that we discussed in the handouts. (2 Paragraphs - Use quotes from the book.)

Blog #1 - We Real Cool & The Golden Shovel

What are four similarities and four differences between the two poems? Write out specific lines from both poems to state your argument. Which version do you like best? (3 Paragraphs)

Blog #2 - The Importance of Being Earnest

Which union—Jack’s with Gwendolen or Algernon’s with Cecily—seems more likely to succeed? (2 Paragraphs - Quote the book at least twice in your argument)

Blog #1 - Inside Out and Back Again

Why does Ha love papaya so much? What might the fruit represent for her? How is that the same as or different from what the chick means for Brother Khoi?

Blog #7 - Perks of Being a Wallflower

After watching an art film with Mary Elizabeth Charlie says: “The movie itself was very interesting, but I didn’t think it was very good because I didn’t really feel different when it was over.” (p. 124) Do you agree with Charlie that in order to be “good,” creative works must make you feel differently? How did you feel after reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower? (2 Paragraphs - Use quotes from the book.)

Blog #5 - The Things They Carried

What is the role of women in the book and how are they viewed by the other male characters? Think of Martha, Mary Anne Bell, and Henry Dobbins's unnamed girlfriend in your analysis. In your opinions, are they complex characters? (2 Paragraphs - Use 1 external source and 2 quotes from the book)

Blog #1 - Brighton Beach Memoirs

What is the effect of having Eugene as both the protagonist and narrator of Brighton Beach Memoirs? In your opinion, how much older is Eugene the "narrator"? Find passages that indicate that he is older than Eugene the "protagonist" of the play. (2 paragraphs - use specific lines from the play in your argument)

Blog #6 - Perks of Being a Wallflower

Charlie's friends are moving away at the end of the story. Where does this leave Charlie? Has he changed or grown over the course of the novel or has he stayed the same as when we first met him? Do you think he can he make new friends? (1 paragraph - use specific quotes from the last chapter in your answer.)