Tag Archives: Digory Kirke

Writing Strategies

Writing Strategies II, week 8: November 16th, 2012

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Homework (for week 9, Nov. 30th):

  1. Read chapter 11
  2. Free writing: make personal connections between chapter 11 and your personal experiences and history and knowledge.
  3. Continue researching your project for your 2nd presentation (Dec. 7th)

oil on wood panel

Today’s class

  1. In random groups, we discussed
    1. whether Aslan is a symbol of Jesus Christ – what are the similar points? What are the different points?
    2. our reactions to chapter 10 (last week’s homework).
  2. I read parts of chapter 11 and talked about
    1. original sin
    2. the first joke (chapter 10)
    3. some examples of humour in chapter 11
    4. what the bulldog means for British people – I forgot to mention that the bulldog is a kind of symbol of British people because it is loyal, strong and very obstinate (determined). From Wikipedia:

      The English Bulldog is popularly used to represent England or the United Kingdom. The English Bulldog breed is the official mascot of the United States Marine Corps and many bases have their own mascot on base. Thirty-nine American universities use a Bulldog as their mascot.[15]

    5. original sin: Adam and Eve were responsible for sin in the Garden of Eden because they broke God’s law not to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree. Digory is responsible for the evil coming into Narnia (Jadis). Adam and Eve were punished by being thrown out of Eden. Digory has a chance to expiate his wrong.

(Survey has been moved to here)

Michelangelo's painting of the sin of Adam and...
Michelangelo’s painting of the sin of Adam and Eve (the Fall of Man) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

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Writing Strategies

Writing Strategies II, week 7: November 9th, 2012

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Homework for next week (week 8, Nov. 16th):

  1. Read chapter 10 of “The Magician’s Nephew“.
  2. Freewriting about chapter 10:
    1. What does it remind you of? Relate some content to your own experience.
  3. Continue researching your project.

Today’s class:

  1. Sharing your homework (about Genesis and chapter 9) with classmates in random groups
  2. “The land of youth”. Could Narnia be the legendary “Land of Youth“? “Sweet hope” enters Digory’s heart when Uncle Andrew says these words.
  3. Why can’t Uncle Andrew understand when Aslan and the Narnia animals speak? The cabby and Polly and Digory can understand. Why can’t Uncle Andrew?
  4. Prep schools (in British English) are schools that “prep” (i.e. prepare) children to enter fee-paying secondary schools, especially public schools (this is British English for a certain kind of elite secondary school).
  5. We watched the beginning of a Japanese movie that describes the creation of Japan: 日本誕生　(N.B. this is NOT the Doraemon movie!). The story in Genesis is just one creation myth. There are many, including the Japanese one. Click this link to read the Wikipedia Japan entry on creation myths 創造神話

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujopreOSlSM’]

Here is a trailer for a John Huston movie called “The Bible”, made in 1965 (a few years after 日本誕生 ).  Maybe this movie is in the DWC library.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmHnjw6XuKM’]

 

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Express your opinion! Let me know what you think of today's class, the written materials, the activities, the teacher's lecture, etc. Have a question about English or about today's class? Click the words "Leave a comment" below, or send me an email. Thank you for visiting.