Drama (Task 2)

A Book Cover for Florence

After creating the cover for the play Florence by Alice Childress, you are now required to reflect on the following and put them in your respective blogs:

• What was my role in the designing of the book cover?
• Was my opinion taken seriously by the others? Why?
• What have I learnt from this task?

Entitle your post Reflections on Designing the Cover for Florence.

Drama (Task 1)

As we begin our journey at the start of 2012 of exploring the riches found in English Studies, it is important for you to think of what you intend to gain from this subject. I hope it is not a matter of merely doing well in your exam. Rather, I hope you will find that your love for literature will grow as you discover that this is not for the faint-hearted.

This semester, we will study two plays namely: Florence by Alice Childress; and King Lear by William Shakespeare. These plays may appear daunting to some but if you give due attention in class, you have nothing to fear.

For this week, you are required to blog on the following:

• Would I be willing to spend my money watching an excellent play/drama? Why?
• What do I expect from a good play?
• Do I feel comfortable to act in a play? Why?

You can entitle your post "My thoughts on Drama".

Unforgettable Moments in School (Blogging Task)

After reading the poems First Day at School and School Over, you might see yourself as a naive child on your first day at school or a teen student who did not find joy being in school. Whatever your memories are, they have in one way or another shaped you.

For your blogging task, you have to think back to any moment in your school days which you find blissful or traumatic. You can express yourself by:

• writing a poem
• singing a song, composed by you
• drawing a picture

Be sure to post your piece de resistance latest by 30th September, 2011.

I Stand Here Ironing (Task 1)

Answer the following questions after reading this text:

1. Who is the narrator in this story? What is the point of view (first person, limited omniscient narrator, omniscient narrator, interior monologue)?
2. Who does the narrator seem to be addressing?  (That is, who is the “you” in the first sentence of the short story?)
3. How old was the mother when she gave birth to Emily, her daughter?
4. What situation was the young mother in?
5. In what ways does the mother try to follow the advice of experts? What are the results of following the advice of experts?
6. What has been the relationship between the woman’s daughters, Emily and Susan? Why?
7. The mother reviews the many hardships her daughter Emily suffered:  lack of a father’s presence in her early years, a mother distracted by work and poverty and then by other children in the home, sibling rivalry, unpopularity at school, childhood diseases that separated her from her family. How have these hardships affected Emily?
8. What talent has Emily discovered she has?
9. How does the mother decide to respond to the request to go to the school to discuss her daughter?  What justifies her response?
10. What do you think the iron and ironing board symbolize in this story?

(taken from http://www.anitagale.com/classes/ctc/1302-summer/Olsen_I_stand_here_ironing.pdf)

The Disappearance (Part 1)

Read the following short story and answer the questions that follow:

    Page 1                                      Page 2

    Page 3 (Click to read)

     Page 4                                     Page 5

    Page 6

1. Does the title hint at anything ominous? How?
2. The father does not give any indication to the son that his mother is coming back. Why is that so? Do you think it is acceptable to tell a white lie?
3. Do you think the saying 'out of sight, out of mind' summarises this short story? How?
4. Do Americans and Indians share the same values? Explain.

The Jade Bracelet (Part 2)

There are eight pages in this short story written by Mary Frances Chong. To read,  click on each page to enlarge it unless you have bionic eyes.

The Jade Bracelet (Part 1)

I would like all of you to answer the following questions and publish them to your blogs as you go through the text:

The meaning of the jade bracelet

1. What is the relationship between Mrs Wong and Mrs Lee?
2. Is Mrs Wong a filial daughter? Give three reasons.
3. What is Ah Kow's real name? How is he related to the dying woman in the short story?
4. Why is Sam Poh Tong mentioned in the short story?
5. What do you think the jade bracelet symbolises? Give your reasons.
6. Do you think Siew May is naive? Cite your reasons with quotations.
7. Did Siew May get the jade bracelet in the end? Why?
8. Do you like the story? Why?