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AP Literature Finals Week

Final over Waiting for Godot and The Stranger

In what sense does Meursault triumph at the end of The Stranger? (This was what Camus intended, but you’re welcome to argue that, in fact, Meursault doesn’t triumph at all.) Does Meursault overcome society’s judgment, and thereby, its shackles? Or is it more important that he rebelled against conformity?
Does Meursault’s passivity in the face of his punishment replicate the passivity shown by the protagonists in Waiting for Godot or does each work make a distinct argument about accepting one’s fate?
In Camus’, The Myth of Sisyphus, he portrays man as having a “wild longing for clarity.” (Sisyphus P. 445) That which seemed clear has turned out to highlight one’s ignorance and gives one “nostalgia” for understanding, meaning, and clarity. This “nostalgia” for meaning consumes one’s existence. How do Meursault, Vladimir, and Estragon prove or disprove Camus’ claim?
If Waiting for Godot is moralistic in nature, what is the moral? How does the play instruct us to lead our lives? Or is there no moral, no lesson to be learned from the play?
Michael Delahoyde argues that “in Meursault’s case, he wanted to be free from hope because hope meant that there was some disconnection between who he should attain to be and who he actually was. He wanted to just blend perfectly into his environment and no longer have to bear the burden of proving to the rest of the world he existed in their terms.” Is Delahoyde’s interpretation correct and does Mersault achieve his aim?
In his introduction to the American version of The Stranger, Camus wrote, “Meursault is not a piece of social wreckage, but a poor and naked man enamored of a sun that leaves no shadows. Far from being bereft of all feelings, he is animated by a passion that is deep because it is stubborn, a passion for the absolute and for truth.” In what ways does Meursault demonstrate this passion and what does it mean?

Heart of Darkness Research Paper

The Heart of Darkness research paper final draft is due Friday, January 20th at 11:59 p.m. and should be submitted to turnitin.com.

January 16, 2012/by dpogreba

AP Language Finals Week

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Discussion Test Questions

In his review of Malcolm Gladwell’s work, Steven Pinker writes, “[t]he reasoning in “Outliers,” which consists of cherry-picked anecdotes, post-hoc sophistry and false dichotomies, had me gnawing on my Kindle.” Is Pinker’s criticism a fair look at Gladwell’s work? Why or why not?
In Outliers, Gladwell argues, “It is not the brightest who succeed. Nor is success simply the sum of the decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf. It is, rather, a gift. Outliers are those who have been given opportunities – and who have had the strength and presence of mind to seize them.” Defend/refute/qualify this argument.
Michiko Kakutani writes that Gladwell’s “assessments turn individuals into pawns of their cultural heritage, just as Mr. Gladwell’s emphasis on class and accidents of historical timing plays down the role of individual grit and talent to the point where he seems to be sketching a kind of theory of social predestination, determining who gets ahead and who does not – and all based not on persuasive, broadband research, but on a flimsy selection of colorful anecdotes and stories.” Using evidence from the text and class discussion, defend, refute or qualify Kakutani’s assertion that Gladwell unfairly plays down the importance of individual grit and talent as determinants of success.
Discuss the 10,000 hour rule and evaluate its relationship to success.
Explain how Gladwell’s personal biography at the end of the book either supports or refutes his larger arguments in the book.
Explain how the chapters about hockey players and airline pilots prove the same essential argument.

Research Paper

Final draft is due on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. You may hand me a copy in class, but must also submit to turnitin.com.

January 15, 2012/by dpogreba

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Final over Waiting for Godot and The Stranger

Heart of Darkness Research Paper

Discussion Test Questions

Research Paper