English 1B Journals
Spring 2010

Journal Guidelines

The journals are informal responses to the readings, or to other specific questions or ideas presented in the class.  I will provide ideas for topics, but you are free to write about whatever you want in response to some aspect of the class.  The journals are intended to be a way for you to explore ideas that you might later wish to express in a paper or a discussion.  I will not censor these journals in any way, nor will I grade them on content or grammar (though, like the seminars, they must be coherent and display some measure of critical thinking about the question at hand).  I will collect your journals periodically. You may also wish to share your journals with the other students. 

I must be frank and say that the journals are always the most interesting assignments for me to read; they are the perfect forum for you to express your individuality without worrying about form, appropriate content, grammar or other "Englishy" concerns.  The journals are where you write about what's really on your mind, in your own individual style.

Journal #1 - Creativity

This assignment is designed for me to get a sense of your natural writing style, to identify strengths and potential challenges in your writing, to get to know you better.

Write one page or more on the following question:

• How do you express yourself creatively?

Think deeply about the question, and try to come up with as many ways as possible. The answer might be easy if you think of yourself as an artist, dancer or poet, but there are so many more ways of being creative. You might want to write about how you express yourself as an individual, or about what activity you engage in when you feel most yourself, or most absorbed in what you're doing, so that you lose track of time. There are many ways of answering this question, and all are right, provided you are open and candid.

Journal #2 - Love, Violence, Blind Tradition

Pick one of the following options (or both, if you're feeling ambitious)

Option 1: Love
In his short story What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, Carver poses several versions of the definition of love. Some questions to ponder:

• What is your definition of love? Has it changed over the years?
• Have you ever been in love? How did you know it was love?
• How did the experience hold up to your definition? Did the relationship change? If so, was it still love?
• If you never have been in love, can you describe the person that you imagine you'd fall in love with? Do you believe in "true love" - romantic soul mates?
• Do you believe in love at first sight? Why or why not?

Option 2: Violence
In both The Things They Carried and The Lottery, violence is a major theme. What is the role of violence in your life? Some questions to ponder:

• What is your relationship to violence, in all or any of its forms?
• Have you ever discovered a capacity for violence in yourself?
• Have you ever had cause to turn to violence for anything?
• Have you been subject to or witnessed any violence that has shaped your views?
• What do you think about violence in the media?

Option 3:: Blind Tradition
In The Lottery, Jackson turns a critical eye to a town that practices a tradition without really having a sense of what that tradition means, nor what it means to the community. What is your experience with this? Questions to ponder:

• Have you ever had cause to question a tradition or a rule handed down from an authority figure?
• Have you ever had to take a stand against a majority opinion? What was the situation, and how did it get end?
• Have you ever kept your mouth shut, or even participate, when you witnessed something that you knew was wrong? Explain.

Journal #4 - Religion

In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, religion is a central theme. As we begin to explore the implications of religion in the lives of the colonists, this journal asks you to consider the role of religion in your own life. Some questions to think about:

• What has been your experience with religion, faith and/or spirituality?
• What were you taught as a child about religion?
• Do you accept what you've been taught, or have you felt conflicted about it?
• If you currently practice a particular religion, what is it, and what is your relationship to that faith?
• Are there differences between religion, faith and spirituality? What do you consider to be the main differences, if you do in fact think they are different?

Journal #5 - Perfect Vacation

Now that you've done all the work, congratulate yourself with a perfect vacation! If time, money and responsibility to others in your life were no object, where would you go and what would you do? Treat yourself with this imaginary vacation: include all the sights, sounds, textures, tastes and smells.  Let your imagination run wild.  You are on vacation, after all