BLOGs Must be Posted by Friday, October 1

Dear BLOG administrators,

It is imperative you post your BLOG on time in the future.  I am counting on seeing BLOGs posted for all three bells by tomorrow afternoon.  The BLOG will now be due by next Friday, October 8th at midnight.  I will allow these two extra days because I know this is still a bit new.  However, if BLOGs are not posted on time in the future, you will lose 10 points a day from your 100 points for BLOG administration.

In addition, if you are running the BLOG, you must make final comments to at least 8 students no later than two days after the BLOG closes.  I also expect one of the administrators to check in during the week at least once to encourage the students and to check to see if all is running smoothly with the BLOG.

Thank you very much for your attention to these details.

Mrs. Maurno

F Bell Faulkner Blog

Many of Faulkner's works focus on the conflict of self identity and whether or not one should conform to society. In an acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize, Faulkner said, "Problems in the human heart in conflict with itself... alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat". This theme of the conflict of inner rebellion versus outward conformity (which we previously discussed in Their Eyes Were Watching God) is shown throughout both of Faulkner's short stories that we have read.

Please select a character from one of the short stories and show the "personal conflict rooted in Southern identity". In addition, please elaborate on why and how this theme of self conflict relates to Faulkner's own life.

E Bell Blog Sept. 23

O’Connor is known for bringing spiritual insight in extreme situations through distorted or grotesque characters. Not only is spiritual insight prominent, there often seems to be some kind of lesson behind her stories. Faulkner in his writings focuses on local social history, but his writings also consist of some form of life lessons. “problems of the human heart in conflict with itself…alone can make a good writing because only that is worth writing about” (Faulkner). Find similarities between O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”. Include textual evidence in your answer.
Clayton Poffenberger

G Bell Blog Post - Due Tues., Sept. 28 @ Midnight

Although professedly deeply religious, Flannery O’Connor’s stories hold a rich tapestry of themes and motifs that can be interpreted through the lens of other philosophies. Likewise, Faulkner’s spiritually-replete narratives also possess components of variable natures, depending on the medium of scrutiny. Take two of any of the assorted Southern Gothic literature selections we have studied and examine two (one from each story selected) incidents or characterizations conventionally labeled as Christian, using instead one of the following schools of thought:

Nihilism:http://www.iep.utm.edu/nihilism/
Relativism: http://www.iep.utm.edu/relativi/
Reducto ad Absurdum: http://www.iep.utm.edu/reductio/
Functionalism: http://www.iep.utm.edu/functism/
Sarte’s Existentialism: http://www.iep.utm.edu/sartre-ex/

Be sure to use textual evidence and feel free to use other sources (art, music, other literature - but not required!)

Enjoy some of the Modern Voices of the South: Country Music, while you post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NJqUN9TClM&ob=av2e Can you see the Gothic connections?

E Bell blog- Southern Literature

The South is often referred to as a different world. Along with this world comes a specific genre of literature. Southern literature is anywork set in the South, about the South, or by a southern author. Flannery O'Conner's work is classified in the sub- genre of southern Renaissance of the early to mid 20th century. According to Anne E. Rowe of Florida State University, these authors "have continued to place characters and action in the South. Although their work is regional, it is universal as well. Each writer, through the exploration of specific characters and places, seeks answers to the questions of life and death that concern all men and women." This movement is a break from previous works surrounding slavery, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, especially the frustrations of each. How does O' Connor's work deviate from the "Lost Cause" movement to fit in with the Renaissance movement?
-Kelly and Shane