Their Eyes Were Watching God
Zora Neale Hurston
Here are the reading schedule and homework assignments we’ll follow as we study the themes and literary techniques at play in this novel.
READING SCHEDULE and SEED PAPER SCHEDULE
Chps 1-6 Tues 1 13/Wed14 (Kelsey, Daniyal, Marty, Winnie, Miranda, Alex)
Chps 7-11 Tues 20/Wed 21 (Derek, Nick, Robbie, Shilmith, Corrie, Andrey)
Chps 12-15 Thurs 22/Fri 23 (Tony, Anastaja, David, Crystal, Olivia, Sam)
Chps 16-20 Thurs 28/Fri 29 (Bea, Cameron, Jen, Chris, Bern, Ook, Zoe)
SEED PAPERS
How to Write: Seed Papers: To help you make an intimate connection with the text, and to facilitate group discussion and learning, you will be writing seed papers on scheduled reading assignments. These are short (one page-two pages) writings that help prepare you for class discussions, and help you engage in the processes of observation, inquiry and discovery. The papers are not formally polished essays, but they do have a form and a demand for depth of thinking. They are not intended to necessarily reach solid conclusions. They simply offer, with detailed reference to the text, your initial exploration of an idea that would be worthwhile for the class to discuss. This is intended, then, not to be a vehicle for you to show how much you know or have studied, but rather what you are thinking, what questions you are having, and how you have connected with the text. You’ll write only one seed paper so see the schedule for your date and reading assignment. The format is as follows:
Paragraph #1 —Question: This should be an honest question that is of significant interest to you. In this first paragraph, you’ll need to explain how this question came to you. In other words, explain what has caused you to have this question.
Example: Is Hester Prynne the model of a perfect Puritan woman, or the antithesis of one?
Paragraph #2—Hypothesis: The hypothesis should be the main focus of your paper. It should be approximately three-quarters of the paper and should include your own opinions about your question supported through textual evidence (this is the MLA part.) This is where you explore the possible answer(s) to your question.
Paragraph #3— Final Question: This final question should be one that pushes your thinking and learning further. It should be the natural and logical next step to the thinking you did in the other parts of your paper. It may be a question you cannot answer, or it may just be one that you feel needs to be pursued in a group or class discussion. It should be thought provoking, just like the first question, and it should rise up out of your hypothesis. It’s the question you’re left with…
Example: If Hester does indeed embody all that is good about Puritanism, what is Hawthorne trying to say about Puritans in general?
(NOT Who was Hester’s husband? or What might happen to her in following chapters.)
Important Note: Be sure to explore the difference between “dead end” questions that will elicit only descriptions and reiterations of facts, and productive questions that will generate interesting and useful inquiries into the significance of various features of the novel. Questions about theme, character, literary devices, etc are good.
BOOK ASSIGNMENT
In addition to the reading schedule above and the seed paper for your date, complete the following deeper analysis by the end of the book. The purpose of completing this work is to have you engage with the reading in a meaningful way. I’d like you to be able to read and appreciate a work on many levels: plot, greater themes, connection to the world outside, and appreciation for a beautiful phrase.
1. Plot quote, page #, and explanation
Find and copy a short passage that reveals a significant event or moment from the reading as it relates to the action of the novel. Include the page number. Then explain your quote and why it’s important to the plot.
2. Literary quote, page #, and explanation
Copy a passage that offers an example of one of the following literary devices: simile or metaphor, symbolism, personification, motif, hyperbole, foreshadowing. Include the page number. Then identify and explain the literary device found in this quote.
3. Theme quote, page #, and explanation
Copy a passage that seems to suggest one of the following themes: search for self, independence, choices and consequences, expectations of family and/or society, friendship, love, freedom, rebellion, search for happiness or another theme of your choosing. Include the page number. Then explain your quote and how it relates to this theme. What does it seem to suggest? How does this quote further the theme?
4. Character quote, page #, and explanation
Copy any passage from the reading that reveals an important aspect of the character. Explain what this quote tells us about the character. How does this relate to the character’s development over the course of the novel?
5. Your choice quote, page #, and explanation
Copy any passage from the reading that speaks to you because of its beauty, complexity, insight into characters, insight into culture, interesting use of language, etc. Then explain why you chose it.