Writing Assignment # 10

The final assignment will require you to respond to a peer's blog. You can begin doing this for any blog that has more than SIX posts. Here are the rules of engagement:

1) You cannot write negative about the writer(s) or writing, but the point is also not just to praise the writer(s). Instead, use his/her/their posts as a launching pad for your own thoughts. You are welcome to disagree with the ideas in the original post but you must do so respectively.

2) Your response must be as specific as possible; refer to specific lines or ideas instead of generalizing about the topics.

3) You do not have to comment on EVERY post, simply the ideas or posts that you felt were particularly interesting. As a general guideline, choose at least three posts to really focus on.

4) Do not comment on the structure of the writing, just the ideas.

If you are unsure about the content of your response post, save it as a draft and discuss it with me in the lab.

Alternate Blog Topic

You can swap any of the prescribed class topics (1 through 6) for the following topic:

"Kurt Vonnegut grew up in America and always identified with American culture. However, he expressed his sadness at the fact that his parents and grandparents were ashamed of their German heritage. Vonnegut claims that he did not grow up knowing many German recipes, children's stories, or customs. Examine Vonnegut's attitude towards Germany and the Germans in Slaughterhouse-Five. Does Vonnegut attack or defend his ancestry through his comments about all things German in the novel? More importantly, do you think that such attempts at assimilation and culture conformity are ever justifiable?"

Writing Assignments # 6 through 9

You will be responsible for writing at least FOUR of your own posts in the Slaughterhouse-Five blog assignment. Here are some ideas to help you develop your own content:

- If you could change something about the novel, what would it be?

- How would the novel be received in different areas of the world? Would the novel have the same impact in another country or culture?

- What would Vonnegut think about our project?

- What scene in the novel would lend itself well to film and why?

- Do you think the novel could work as a play?

- What other Vonnegut texts have you read? What common themes or similarities can you find between the texts?

                  

Writing Assignment # 5

If you were to start writing a novel, what would be the basis for your work? Vonnegut obviously chose his war experiences but seems to have tied them into a somewhat laissez faire view of life. What do you feel the public should learn through your story-telling? Explain the genre, character types and / or general plot of a book that you would write.

Writing Assignment # 4

STEP 1: Complete the handout from Tuesday's class titled 'Warped Narrative'.
STEP 2: Choose three moments in your life (you can embellish or create fictional events if you want) and imitate the style and structure of Vonnegut’s narrative. Warp through your life and make connections between significant moments. Write a minimum of three paragraphs that follow the same unconventional story-telling style. Consider using figurate language and repetitive phrases (e.g. So it goes) in your writing.

Carl Sagan explains 4D

Writing Assignment # 3

If you do some surface research (google / wikipedia) about the banning of SH5, you will soon discover that it is mainly the profanity and sexual references that landed Vonnegut in hot water. However, the book also includes a considerable amount of what could be construed as anti-American sentiment. The passages that we read in class regarding the American poverty epidemic and the general lack of integrity among American soldiers amounts to a very controversial stance on what most Americans feel very strongly about. Regardless, the book was banned in some places and remains a contentious piece of writing to this day.

Do you feel literature that could provoke strong reactions should be withheld or censored? What are your thoughts about SH5's potential to offend readers? You might also consider making connections to the other novels that we've read this year (also banned books at some point).

Writing Assignment # 2

Write a response to or commentary about one of the Vonnegut quotes from the handout provided. Explain how the quote reveals something about Vonnegut that can also be found in his writing. Make a connection between the quote and the novel or a personal connection to the topic or message in the quote that you've chosen.

Writing Assignment # 1

We're about a third of the way through the novel, so you should be familiar with the characters and the unconventional narrative by now. The aim of your first blog entry will be to write about one of the following three topics:

- Billy Pilgrim: fact or fiction? Is Billy really travelling through time, or is he merely the victim of a series of unfortunate circumstances that have left him damaged and unreliable? Provide support from the novel as a basis for your opinion, and don't sit on the fence.

- Do you believe in fate, or do you believe in free will? Share your opinion but use some examples from the text to support this opinion.

- Vonnegut: funny or falling flat? Share your opinion about Vonnegut's sense of humour in a short blog entry that makes reference to the novel.

Welcome

So it goes... the beginning of our class blog. Your culminating assignment for our novel study will be to design a blog and network with your peers.