Critical Content and LiteratureVictor Rey FumarGrade 10 National Training of Trainers for the Luzon ClusterTeachers’ Camp, Baguio CityApril 25, 2015

Critical Content and LiteratureHOW AND TO WHAT EXTENT

literary pieces are used to teach English

the lessons develop communicative competence

the reading selections help the learners achieve literary competence

Literary Competence

Jonathan Culler defines literary competence as the ability to internalize the ‘grammar’ of literature which would permit a reader to convert linguistic sequences into literary structures and meaning.

The Teaching of Literature The writers and their milieu

The genre

The cultural implications

Intertextuality

Daedalus and IcarusMythic history of Athens and Crete

Aegean Sea - AegeusThe Labors of Theseus

Minoan civilization

Knossos excavations – Sir Arthur Evans

Atlantis – “the lost continent”

Daedalus and Icarus

Forbidden themesAbduction and rape – Zeus and EuropaBestiality – Pasiphae and the bullCruelty – the Minotaur eating humansSuicide – AegeusEnvy and murder – Daedalus killing

his nephew

Daedalus and IcarusIntertextuality

Peiter Brueghel’s painting, “The Fall of Icarus”W.H. Auden’s poem “Musee

Des Beaux Arts”William Carlos William’s poem, “Landscape with the Fall of

Icarus”the movie, “I, for Icarus”

MUSEE DES BEAUX ARTS by  W. H. Auden

About suffering they were never wrong,The Old Masters: how well they understoodIts human position; how it takes placeWhile someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waitingFor the miraculous birth, there always must beChildren who did not specially want it to happen, skatingOn a pond at the edge of the wood:

They never forgotThat even the dreadful martyrdom must run its courseAnyhow in a corner, some untidy spotWhere the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horseScratches its innocent behind on a tree.

In Brueghel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns awayQuite leisurely from the disaster; the plowman mayHave heard the splash, the forsaken cry,But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shoneAs it had to on the white legs disappearing into the greenWater; and the expensive delicate ship that must have seenSomething amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.

LANDSCAPE WITH THE FALL OF ICARUSby William Carlos Williams

According to Brueghelwhen Icarus fell

it was springa farmer was ploughing

his fieldthe whole pageantry

of the year wasawake tingling

near

the edge of the seaconcernedwith itself

sweating in the sunthat melted

the wings' waxunsignificantlyoff the coast

there wasa splash quite unnoticed

it wasIcarus drowning.

The Gorgon’s HeadThe Oracle at Delphi

Death, disaster, and destiny

The Rule of three3 Gorgons: Stheno, Euryale,

Medusa3 Gray Ones3 magical objects

The Gorgon’s HeadSituational irony

-Bronze chamber prison-Death by discuss throw

Forbidden themes - Incest

- Irreverence - Rape

The Gorgon’s HeadIntertextuality

-Percy Jackson series-Valentina-Perseus and Andromeda constellations-Pegasus

Orpheus The Hero Myth

- a man who had a god or goddess as a parent or who lived when such people existed

Characteristics of the heroic view of life1. The hero knows that he has superior

qualities, and he uses them to win the praise of others.

2. The hero makes the most of his extraordinary talents in order to surpass other men.

Orpheus3. The hero seeks dangerous tasks

because by accomplishing them he shows his superior qualities.

4. A personal sense of honor is most important for the hero.

5. Fame and good reputation are the rewards of honor and are avidly sought by the hero.

6. The hero is conscious of his own mortality; he is keenly aware that death removes all opportunity for obtaining greater fame.

OrpheusOrphism

A philosophic-religious cult whose devotees believed in reincarnation. After death, one’s spirit drank of the River Lethe, forgot its previous existence, and entered life again, until, after three successive lives of virtue, one gained Elysium, a place of perfect happiness. An evil life resulted in prolonging the cycle of human existence and in delaying entrance into Elysium.

OrpheusIntertextuality

The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Joseph Campbell)

The Myth of Sisyphus (Albert Camus)

Equus, a play

Arachne Athena

Goddess of Wisdom – cleverness and cunning which she admired. Combined with courage.

She would often assist heroes in their tasks when she found that they possessed such qualities: Perseus, Bellerophon, Heracles, Cadmus, and Jason.

Arachne

Word Etymology

God versus mortals

Woman versus woman

How Odin Lost His EyeA Way of Seeing the World

- Sense and sense impressions

The Power of the Gaze- Stargazers, seers- Perspectives and predictions- Media

How Odin Lost His Eye

Intertextuality

- Thor, movie sequels- The Bluest Eye (Toni Morisson)- The Cyclops- Oedipus Rex

The KoranThe Islamic holy book, the Koran,

contains the revelations that came to Mohammed during his life as a prophet. Islam emerged as a world religion in 622 known as the Hegira. The chapters in the Koran are short lyric defining the power of Allah and demanding the obedience of mortals. The Koran gradually widened in scope and included the duty of the faithful.

The KoranHoly epithets

- Similar to stock epithets: “the Compassionate, the Merciful”

Poetic devices- Anaphora- Refrains

The AnalectsThe Analects are bits of

wisdom, epigrams, and talks by Confucius.

The Analects instructs on moderation in all things through moral education.

The Analects

Intertextuality

- Tao Te Ching- The Dhamaphada- Urbana at Feliza

Inferno – Canto IIThe graphic representations of

-Purgatory, Hell, Heaven

The elaborate symbols and meanings- Birth, death, and resurrection- Sin, penance, salvation- Mortals, spirits, divine

The Song of Roland

Feudalism and the Medieval Period

-The Rise of the Moors-The Crusades-The Age of Chivalry

The Song of Roland

Intertextuality

- El Cid- The metrical tales- Arthurian legends- First Knight, the movie

Francesco Petrarcha Humanism and the Renaissance

Period

Petrarchan Sonnet- rhyme scheme- meter- structure

Formal Verses- English sonnets- Villanelle

Francesco PetrarchaIntertextuality

- Sonnets from the Portuguese (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)- Florante at Laura- Holy Sonnets (John Donne)

The DecameronThe Bubonic Plaque or Black

Death

Falconry and the Aristocracy

Literary devices- Irony of situation- Dramatic irony- The frame story

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Cruelty and torture through the agesDiscrimination of PWDsInjustice and the death penaltyClass antagonismsLove against all odds

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Intertextuality-The Universal Declaration

of Human Rights-Human rights violations in the Philippines-The Flor Contemplacion

case

The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers

Intertextuality

Fraternities and sororitiesGangs and syndicatesThe military establishment

The Three MusketeersAdaptations

The Young Blades television series is a sequel to the novels, centered on the son of d'Artagnan; similarly, Albert the Fifth Musketeer is an animated sequel. Three Musketeers is an anime series adaption, while The Three Musketeers was an animated adaption that aired as part of Hanna-Barbera's The Banana Splits Comedy-Adventure Hour & The Banana Splits & Friends show.

The Three MusketeersThe Three Musketeers was adapted as a serial by the BBC in 1954 and 1966. The Musketeers, a 2014 series by Adrian Hodges, is another BBC adaptation.Publisher Albert Lewis Kanter (1897–1973), created Classic Comics for Elliot Publishing Company in 1941 with its debut issues being The Three Musketeers. The Three Mouseketeers was the title of two separate series produced by DC Comics; the first series was a loose parody of The Three Musketeers.

The Three MusketeersIn 1939, American author Tiffany Thayer published a book entitled Three Musketeers(Thayer, 1939). This is a re-telling of the story in Thayer's words, true to the original plot but told in a different order and with different points of view and emphasis from the original. The Khaavren Romances by Steven Brust are fantasy (or science-fiction) novels heavily influenced by The Three Musketeers and its sequels; the characters and social background are closer to Dumas's than the plots.

The Three Musketeers

In 2010, Anuman Interactive launched The Three Musketeers, a hidden object game on PC and MAC. Players follow d'Artagnan in his quest to become a king's musketeer.

The PlagueSymbols and their meanings

The absurdity and meaninglessness of human existence

Hope over despair

Existentialism

The Plague

Intertextuality- Tragedies and disasters- Natural calamities- Yolanda aftermath

A Day in the Countryby Anton Chechov

H He received a medical degree at the University of Moscow in 1884, but he soon neglected his medical practice in order to write. His numerous stories and plays gave him a commanding position in literary Russia. He gave a poignant illumination to such human experiences as loneliness, grief, hunger, and misery. e received a medical degree at the University of Moscow in 1884, but he soon neglected his medical practice in order to write. His numerous stories and plays gave him a commanding position in literary Russia. He gave a poignant illumination to such human experiences as loneliness, grief, hunger, and misery. Among Hrecei a medical degree at the University of Moscow in 1884, but he soon neglected his medical practice in order to write. His numerous stories and plays gave him a commanding position in literary Russia. He gave a poignant illumination to such human experiences as loneliness, grief, hunger, and misery. Among

His numerous stories and

plays gave him a

commanding position in

literary Russia. He gave a

poignant illumination to

such human experiences

as loneliness, grief, hunger,

and misery.

Song of Autumn

Sound devices-alliteration-onomatopoeia-assonance

Imagery-sense impressions

15 Songs about Autumn

1. Wake Me Up When September Ends  Green Day2. Gone Till November  Wyclef Jean3. Girl from the North Country  Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash4. October  Broken Bells5. California Dreamin'  The Mamas & The Papas6. Harvest Moon  Neil Young7. Autumn In New York Bille Holiday8. Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground  The White Stripes

15 Songs about Autumn

9. Autumn  Bombay Bicycle Club10. Country Song  Jake Bugg11. Autumn Almanac  The Kinks12. Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy  Fall Out Boy13. Autumn Leaves (ft. Kendrick Lamar) Chris Brown14. Blood On The Leaves  Kanye West15. November Rain  Guns N' Roses

A Grain as Big as a Hen’s Egg

Regarded as the greatest 19th

century Russian writer, he is

remembered most for his novels

War and Peace and Anna

Karenina and for his short

stories that probed human

nature and its strengths and

weaknesses.

The Little Prince

The Little Prince1. Do what makes you happy because your heart knows best.2. Never lose that childish ability to see what’s really important in life.3. All you need is to truly love one thing to be filled with love for everything.4. The grass always seems greener elsewhere, so remember that’s just an illusion and be happy where you are.

The Little Prince5. You’ll travel the most by going off the beaten path and taking twists and turns.6. Stay humble.7. Before you criticize others, reflect upon your own actions.8. Break out of endless self-destructive cycles.9. While you’re building your career, don’t forget to enjoy life.

The Little Prince10. Don’t just be a geographer; be an explorer.11. Take the time out to get to know people and then work to maintain those relationships.12. You’re never really alone when you feel alone because everyone feels the same way.

The Little Prince13. You are always obligated to the people who you have allowed to love you.14. Sometimes, a silent look or a hug is enough.15. There are so many wonderful things out there in your future. You can’t see them yet, but they’re there.

Kaffir Boy

“Education will open doors where none seem to exist.”

Kaffir Boy

Kaffir Boy has been banned in a number of schools, one of these being Cedar Crest High School, where the ban made headlines. The bans are due to a controversial scene involving child prostitution and sodomy, which some have referred to as “pornography,” sparking another headline defending the scene. 

Kaffir Boy

While Mathabane wrote an article for the Washington Post stating that he would prefer it to be banned completely to being revised or censored, Mathabane has since authorized a revised version for use in such schools. The unrevised book is still used as high school reading material regardless of the controversial scenes.

Kaffir Boy The book Kaffir Boy has won the prestigious Christopher Award for inspiring hope. The book reached number one on theWashington Post Bestseller’s List and number three on the New York Times Bestseller’s List. It has also been chosen by theAmerican Library Association for inclusion on the list of “Outstanding Books for the College-Bound and Life-Long Learners.” 

Kaffir Boy Intertextuality

- The Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

- Cry the Beloved, Allan Paton

-Censorship

The United Fruit Company

Anti-imperialist stance of the poet

Latin American history

His controversial death

The United Fruit Company

He drew the inspiration for some of his

best poems from objects that others

hardly notice. Much of Neruda’s later

work expresses political sentiments. In

1971 he received the Nobel Prize for

Literature.

The United Fruit Company

Intertextuality

The poems of Gabriela MistralThe House of the Spirits, Isabel

AllendeOne Hundred Years of Solitude,

Gabriel Garcia MarquezThe end of the US embargo against

Cuba

Rethinking the Goals of Teaching Literature1. Develop and/or extend

literary competence.2. Develop and/or enhance

learners’ imagination and creativity.

3. Develop students’ character and emotional maturity.

Rethinking the Goals of Teaching Literature

4. Develop creative thinking.

5. Develop literary appreciation and refine one’s reading taste.

THANK YOU AND

HAPPY TEACHING!