It seems to me that the course material has been skipping around a little bit in the past few weeks. We've spent some of the time learning about literary techniques and the literary periods, and some of the time reading and analyzing The American Dream. I am wondering if this is going to be what it is like for the whole year, or if there will be a point where we're done having lessons about DIDLS and other techniques and we focus more on applying them to literature. I realize that the lessons about general techniques and themes are necessary for our understanding, but I enjoy it much more when it is in the context of concrete examples in certain works. I'm excited to get to the point when we start applying DIDLS and the critical lenses to The American Dream and other works in greater detail.
With regards to The American Dream, I'm still quite baffled about a lot of points in the play. After our reading and short discussion in class, I understand some of the basic themes and messages in the play (or at least one interpretation of them). But I'm still not understanding why Albee thought the particular style of play was the best way to communicate the things he tries to say in it. Personally, I find it hard to take a serious message away from a play if the play itself is not serious. I hope we discuss this and finer details about specific passages in the play in more detail in the coming weeks.
Now that you mention it, I also think that the course material has jumped around quite a bit early on. As you conjectured, I think this is because we have to cover course material, such as The American Dream, at the same time as we learn how to analyze course material in preparation for the AP exam. I would hope that the material becomes more consistent as time goes on and we become comfortable with the course material. To your point about the American Dream, I agree with the fact that the play is very confusing. Absurdism manifesting itself in literature makes for a very convoluted play. I would argue though that the play is very serious. Albee wants his readers to have to dig to find his meanings in the hope that when they find them, they will be more willing to believe them, having "discovered" them independently.
ReplyDeleteHey Greg, I like how your post is both simple and precise at the same time. I personally think that we'll continue lessons on DIDLS for a much longer period of time, but I completely agree on the fact that it's much better when we connect them to concrete examples. Now that we have finished the book and discussion of American Dream, has any of your thoughts changed about themes and messages in the play?
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you that is hasn't been too consistant. However, I feel as if it is necessary in order to cover all of the points we have to before the AP exam. There is so much information, and working on it everyday helps a lot. I do agree though that if we actually apply these things to actual works it will help us even more. Because as we have found out from our terms test, memorizing the definition just isn't good enough.
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