Transcendentalist connections to Into the Wild

What connections do you see to some of the main ideas of Transcendentalism? What connections do you see between specific lines, scenes, reflections, or incidents in the book Into the Wild and some of the quotes from the Transcendentalism packet?

Each time a section of reading is assigned, go back to the book and identify a connection. Write about those connections and post those reflections here. Write about specific lines, scenes, incidents, and/or details in the book and their connections to the ideas of Transcendentalism and/or specific quotes from the Thoreau/Emerson packet.

* SO, for chap. 1-3 you should have one post. For chap 4-7, you should have one post.

MAIN TRANSCENDENTALIST VALUES

The importance of living simply and as close to nature as possible.

The importance of living in the moment, keeping the senses aware of the present moment.

The need to get rid of the distractions in life that take away from our ability to live mindfully and meaningfully.

The value of non-conformity – questioning authority and traditional ways of thinking.

The quest for true self-knowledge – creating time and space for honest introspection.

The rejection of the materialism and traditional measures of success.

The importance of individual conscience vs. society’s laws or expectations.

Spirituality means connecting with the divinity in all living things.

The Puzzle of Chris McCandless

Go back through the reading and connect details in the text to essential questions below. Write your comment below the question you are choosing.

In your comment,

1) identify the textual detail -- either a quote or a paraphrase of an incident from the book.

2) explain how that detail connects to the question you are responding to -- what insight into the question does analysis of that piece of text provide.

DO ONE COMMENT FOR CHAP 1-3
DO TWO COMMENTS FOR CHAP 4-7

Blog #7: What I took away from our Crucible discussion

Write about an idea that you took away from our Crucible discussion today. You could write about a new insight that you gained or something that the group discussed that you were interested in. Pick something that you can discuss with some depth and that you can develop through textual references. This blog will be longer and more developed that previous ones that you have written.

Write your blog entry on a word document and then copy/paste it into the comment section of this blog (no worries about lost writing that way)!

Be sure to...
1. Discuss your own thinking about the topic as well as what your classmates said. It's okay to still have questions--but take the time to explore possible answers to those questions.

2. Discuss and ANALYZE specific scenes and lines of dialogue from the play and/or the article. Talk about how certain details and words lead to your interpretations.

3. Develop your ideas with depth (about 300 words).

4. Break up ideas into logical paragraphs (no one big block of print).

5. Check to make sure your sentences are clearly written and that you used correct punctuation and spelling.

6. Give your blog entry a fitting title.

Blog #6: The Crucible through the eyes of a psychologist

For this blog entry you will need to use the handout we went over in class that summarizes the different psychological theories.

Pick one character or one part of Act 3.

Use one of the theories from the handout we went over in class to analyze that character or that scene. What insights do you gain by viewing that character or scene with this particular psychological lens? How can you explain the behaviors you observed or any characters' decisions? What are some questions that still remain for you?

Be sure to use specific ideas or parts of the theory as you discuss the character or scene you selected.

Be sure to analyze (pick apart) specific lines of dialogue from the play.

Don't forget to give your entry a title and include your name. And of course, proofread before publishing!

Blog #5: conformity and mass hysteria articles and The Crucible

You will be working with 3 different texts for this blog entry!
1. Read the two articles I gave you: "Why So Many Minds Think Alike" by Elizabeth Landau and "Terror's Hidden Ally" by Laura Spinney.

2. Write about something from the articles that you thought was interesting or even puzzling. You can center your discussion around one particular passage in one of the articles or some of the writers' most interesting points. Just be sure that you are talking about something specific from the text of the articles. No generalizations!!

3. After you have discussed what you found interesting or puzzling about the article, connect those ideas to something specific you noticed in Act I of The Crucible. You could connect to a specific character, quote, or exchange of dialogue. Again be specific; no generalizations!

Blog #4: Write about a character from act 1 of The Crucible

Pick one character from act 1 of The Crucible to write about. Look back at the scenes that character is involved in and what he/she says or does. Write about your interpretation of that character. What ideas do you have about his/her motives, fears, values, and point of view? What are some things you are wondering about? Based on what you have seen so far, what role will this character mostly likely play as events unfold. Be sure to discuss specific lines from the text of the play.

Blog assignment #3: "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"

Write about an idea you have about the sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God."  Your idea doesn't have to cover the whole sermon -- it could focus on one specific passage or passages. Look for ideas from the class activities and discussions that surrounded our exploration of this text. Your idea needs to go beyond just a personal reaction.  Your idea should include an interpretation and analysis of specific textual details in the text of the sermon.
 
Develop that idea with specific details from the text.  Talk in detail about the examples you use and how they relate to your bigger idea.

Give your entry a title that fits your idea.  Also don't forget to include your name.