Homework for Wednesday, Feb. 1

Read and annotate John Lanchester's I.O.U., pp. 1-43.  Write one page analyzing how Lanchester uses figurative language, narration, and appeals to the reader's ethos, logos, and pathos, to explain global finance. You may also write about other rhetorical strategies you notice in Lanchester's writing.

Homework for Monday, Jan. 30

Read the articles linked below, and write one typed page analyzing the rhetorical strategies of the Richard Florida essay in relation to the point he is trying to persuade the reader of. The sheet I distributed in class on how to write a rhetorical analysis is linked below and to the right under "Smart Sites."  Be sure to print out both articles for use in class. The first is short, the second is long.

Dante Chinni, "Income Inequality Gap Widens among U.S. Communities over 30 Years"
Richard Florida, "How the Crash Will Reshape America"

Homework for Thursday, Jan. 26

Read the article linked below and write one page analyzing the rhetorical strategies the authors use to persuade the reader of their point. Be sure to identify that point before discussing those strategies.

Charles Duhigg and Keith Bradsher, "How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work"

Homework for Friday, Jan. 20

Read and annotate the journal articles distributed in class today. Write a summary for each of these articles. Begin your summaries with the following structure for the opening sentence: "In his 2007 article, 'insert title of the article,' insert author's name argues ..." You can also find them in JSTOR with the following information using the password I gave you in class:
Thomas E. Boyle, "Unreliable Narration in 'The Great Gatsby'"
Dan Coleman: "'A World Complete in Itself': Gatsby's Elegiac Narration"

For Tuesday, you will have to write a three-page essay about the rhetoric of Gatsby that incorporates or responds to these articles.

Homework for Friday, Jan. 13

Finish reading Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Write a one-page response to the following prompt: It is clear that Nick views Gatsby favorably; he is on Gatsby's side and sees himself as Gatsby's advocate. What does Fitzgerald think of Gatsby, and of Nick? Use specific evidence from the text to support your analysis.

Homework for Wednesday, Jan. 11

Read and annotate pp. 80-145 of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Pay attention to how characters' personae change over the course of this section and how that might affect the way they address rhetorical situations. You do not have a writing assignment, but you will have a quiz. The quiz will test your memory and comprehension of the reading (who did what and why did they do it) and your ability to rhetorically analyze a passage from it.

Homework for Monday, Jan. 9

Read and annotate chapters III and IV of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (to p. 80) and answer one of the following questions:

1. Look at the conversation between Gatsby and Nick on pp. 65-67, and explain Gatsby's rhetoric of self-description, and Nick's reaction to it. How does Gatsby construct his narrative about himself (e.g., what kinds of details does he include, how does he arrange those details, what does he emphasize about himself, etc.)?  What does Nick respond to in Gatsby's details, language, and manner of expressing himself?

2. You are F. Scott Fitzgerald. Chapter IV includes two stories that involve Gatsby, one related by Gatsby, and one by Jordan Baker. Explain how you approached writing Gatsby's story about himself (pp. 65-67) and Jordan Baker's story about him (pp. 74-77). You may want to reflect on the purpose of each story within the narrative, characterization, dialogue, flashback, internal narration, detail, punctuation, Nick's involvement in each story, and so on.

Homework for Thursday, Jan. 5

Read and annotate chapters I and II (to p. 38) of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Give special attention to Fitzgerald's sentences (identify favorite ones in your book), and take time to read aloud parts of the novel. Write one typed page in response to the following prompt: In class, I spent a bit of time praising Fitzgerald as a stylist. From your reading so far, is that praise warranted? Focus on the rhetorical aspects of Fitzgerald's writing, i.e., the way his writing produces (or fails to produce) certain effects on the reader, and be sure to quote the text directly.