Language in Mark Twain's True Story (ENGL 338)

The first thing that stands out in this short story is how language is used to illustrate class. We don't know much about the narrator, but we can assume he is white and privileged to some extent. In a way, Twain also masks where the narrator lives as his few lines of dialect do not have any accent to them. "Why, I thought—that is, I meant—why, you can't have had any trouble. I've never heard you sigh, and never seen your eye when there wasn't a laugh in it." Compare this to Aunt Rachel, whose words are often misspelled and punctuated in such a way that makes her accent come alive even through written word. "Has I had any trouble? Misto C—, I's gwyne to tell you, den I leave it to you. I was bawn down 'mongst de slaves; I knows all 'bout slavery, 'case I ben one of 'em my own se'f." The second sentence there indicates a lack of formal education (or else she might have said I am going to tell you, and then I'll leave it to you.") Given her background (a former slave) we can use these contextual clues to key in on the character of Aunt Rachel, but the language and how it is written allows that to come alive that much more. It should be noted that her words aren't necessarily wrong. Aunt Rachel does communicate effectively, but how she speaks does give us more insight as to her background, especially when compared to the narrator.

I think: What English teachers should be teaching (ENGL 338)

(Note: Since I originally set this blog up to chronicle my journey to get an English Education Degree, I figure I could just incorporate a required class blog into this existing one. If you're new here, feel free to read my previous posts. They're mostly just book reviews.)

I've often asked myself what I want to teach when I get a classroom (a science fiction genres course if I could swing it, if you're curious. Read my book reviews, you'll notice a trend in what I read!), but rarely have I asked myself what I should teach. I think ideally what an English teacher should teach can be broken down into a few groups: basics, creativity, and exploration.

The basics are things such as grammar. Knowing how to write and speak correctly is an important skill. I think students should know how the parts of speech operate, how punctuation works, and how everything connects together. Taking a grammar course last year, I liked learning about how English works (sometimes in its own special way). Beyond that, knowing the basics gives students the tools they need to take on bigger and more complex ideas.

Creativity is letting students (as much as you can, anyway) find things that interest them. Reading is a great way to learn more about the world and one's interests, and I think that as English teachers it would be alright to embrace our students' interests and let them find stories and books to read that they'll engage in. I think that would make it all the more likely that a student picks up valuable reading skills. In addition, I think having freedom to write is another great way to shape skills. This is not to say we shouldn't teach some stuff universally (for example, I feel Romeo and Juliet should be taught to everyone. Some stories are so engrained in our cultures, that its important to look at where it originated from. Once could argue that such teachings could be listed under "the basics"), but giving students some control over what they read and write about could have benefits.

And finally exploration. One thing we talked about in class today was the differences in English in different parts of the world and country. I think exploring these differences and looking at how language works around the globe can open up the world of language to a student. Teaching students about regional dialects would also expose them to a kind of diversity that is often overlooked. You can also look at different writing styles and see what the style can tell you about the time and place of the writing. I think its neat to look at how English has changed even from the 1800s (the Journals of Lewis and Clark, for instance) to now.

I read: Roadside Picnic

Are you ready for some rapid fire book reviews? Because while I have been reading this summer, I haven't been writting about it. So, here's the first of three book reviews: Roadside Picnic. Roadside Picnic is a Russian science fiction novel by Arkandy and Boris Strugastky. I came across the book through the absolutely awesome blog, io9 and the concept seemed like an interesting one. Aliens have come, they left without saying anything, and now in order to figure it all out, people go (often illegally) into the zones where they landed and take stuff out. A point is made in the introduction of my copy that in most sci-fi novels with an alien encounter, it is the result of something heroic. Our brilliant scientists have communicated with them. Our brave soldiers have fended them off. Our wise president has negotiated an agreement with them. But, what if they just came and left? The thing that the story does that I really enjoy (and is also pointed out in the introduction) is it looks at how this event, a global event, one of the biggest events in human history, impacts a commonor. The main character, Red, takes advantage of the situation by being a stalker (someone who enters the zone illegally and sells artifacts on the blackmarket)as well as working for a scientific agency devoted to the zone. He's not a scientist, really just someone who goes in and out of the zone. Through his eyes, we see how the visit has impacted other parts of society: there are abandoned cottages, the scientific inquiry into the area leads to a slight population boon (though in other parts of the world, no one is allowed near the zones for quite some distance). The story focuses on Red and his day to day life, inserting speculation on the visit and commentary on things happening elsewhere are sprinkled in from time to time. Seeing through Red's struggles and triumphs makes his wish of "happiness for everybody, free, and no one will go away unsatisfied" all the more enduring. This was my first time reading anything Russain, and it was very enjoyable. I thought the ending was beautiful. But would I reccomend it to a high school student? Possibly. The version I bought has an afterword from the authors detailing why it took eight years to get the novel published. Soviet censors had no qualms with the subject of the book, or its message, but rather the swearing and questionable actions by the heroes. As a teacher, I would have nothing wrong with a book with heroes that do questionable things (I do love Breaking Bad, for instance) but the swearing might put this book out of my comfort zone for teaching it. I personally am not opposed, but for job security sake I'm not sure this one would make my bookshelf when I get a classroom. Though, would I reccomend it to a mature student? Absolutely. Next up (tomorrow, maybe!) The Postmortal