World Cultures – Term Paper Assignment
As a culmination of this year in Humanities, you will select a topic in World Cultures (NOT “American” in nature) and write a 4-6 page research paper. This paper should be thesis driven and should include all the components of a research paper:
1. Title page
2. Research – books, Internet, personal interviews, etc.
3. An argument/thesis
4. Background information
5. Evidence
6. Bibliography
7. Final Presentation – PowerPoint (or other)
Step 1: The Topic - Select topic by Wed. May 20
Step 2: The Research
Use the Internet wisely – look for reputable sources like sites that end in .org, .gov, and .edu. PBS and NPR have some great website for research. Librarians are very helpful, so consider visiting your local public library.
10 sources due on Tuesday, May 26
Step 3: The Bibliography
Put all your sources in the correct format. Save this document because it will go on to the back of your final draft.
Due on Thursday, May 28
You should use MLA format – look at this site for help:
http://www.aresearchguide.com/12biblio.html
Step 4: The Outline
Using your research, create an outline that follows this basic organization:
I. Introduction (1-paragraph)
II. Background information (2-3 paragraphs)
III. Details, examples, support for thesis (5-10 paragraphs)
IV. Conclusion
Due on Friday, May 29
Step 5: The 1st Draft
Your first draft should be complete and ready for review – do not turn in a paper that you know has incomplete sections or poor writing. This first draft is a good draft so that my feedback is meaningful and not just correcting things you know you’ll fix later.
Due on Tuesday June 2
Step 6: Revise, Revise, Revise
June 2-June 8 – spend your time revising the paper – take my feedback, ask friends and/or parents for help. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL JUNE 8TH!!!
Step 7: The final draft and putting it all together
Final draft is due on June 9. No late papers will be accepted!
Step 8: The Presentations – June 2- June 8
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress – Essay Assignment
After reading the novel, select one of the questions below to answer in a 5-paragraph essay. Your paper should include a thesis (answer the questions), evidence from the novel, and strong organization. The essay should be well-written and should contain transitions and topic sentences to help the reader follow your arguments and points.
ESSAY QUESTIONS:
1. Discuss the idea of irony in the novel.
2. Compare and contrast Persepolis and Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress: in what ways are Iran and China similar in that the two cultures strive to keep the modern world from undermining traditional or religious values?
3. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a harshly realistic novel, in which the two main characters are forced to work in a coal mine and to carry buckets of excrement up and down a mountain, but it also has a fairy-tale quality. What makes the book read like a fable? How has Dai Sijie managed to merge these two narrative traditions?
4. How can Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress be read as a coming-of-age novel? Do the events in the story change the narrator and Luo? Have they lost their innocence by the end of the book?
5. Select one of the main characters (Luo, the Narrator, or the Little Seamstress) and discuss how she or she grows and changes in the novel.
Due Dates:
Select your question and form a thesis – Monday, May 11
Outliine – Friday, May 15
First Draft – Monday, May 18
Final Draft – Thursday, May 21
Due on Thursday, April 23 - 2-paragraph paper on Rites of Passage Topic.
1st paragraph: summarize culture's rituals and ceremonies
2nd paragraph: describe and analyze the meaning of the rituals — what is your interpretation of the symbolism and meaning of the rite of passage? What is the purpose of the rite of passage?
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Vocabulary & Reading Questions
For each section of the book, please complete the vocabulary and the reading questions. Using a dictionary, define the following words. Also, for each of the following questions, provide direct examples or quotes with citations from the text.
p. 3-20: Due on Monday April 27
Vocabulary:
risible (adj):
surreptitious (adj):
sonata (n):
audacity (adv):
reactionary (n):
vertiginous (adj):
insidious (adj):
1. The opening section deals with Luo and the narrator’s arrival on the mountain where they are to be reeducated. What does the village headman assume about the violin? How do Luo and the narrator fool the village? How does this establish the central conflict between the villagers and the boys who are to be reeducated?
2. Summarize the events and key players in China’s Cultural Revolution. How did the society change and what was the intended purpose?
3. Why is it ironic that Luo and the narrator are sent to be reeducated? How do their families’ occupations and actions effect the boys?
4. Why does Luo punch the narrator after seeing his father under public, physical attack?
5. What is the name of the mountain that the boys are banished to and why does the
narrator suggest it is called by that name?
6. How do the boys use technology from the city world to ease their burdens on the
mountain? What does this tell us about their characters?
7. How long does reeducation typically last? Why are Luo and the narrator especially despondent about their reeducation?
8. What is Luo’s talent or gift? How does he put it to use in the village? Predict why the narrator says this gift will lead to complications.
p. 21-41: Due on Wed., April 29
Vocabulary:
prudent (adj):
pitiless (adj):
capricious (adj):
precarious (adj):
annthracite (n):
livid (adj):
poultice (n):
1. What details from the text suggest that the Chinese Seamstress is different from other people on the mountain?
2. When the narrator asks Luo whether he has fallen in love with the Chinese Seamstress, Luo sternly reports that “She’s not civilized, at least not enough for me!” (page 27). What does this tell us about Luo, his background, and his outlook on life?
3. How is the time the boys spent in the copper mines symbolic of their reeducation?
4. Why is the narrator convinced that it is Luo crying in the tunnel? What type of crying is Luo doing?
5. When Luo falls sick with malaria he is revived by the affections of the Little Seamstress. Explain the 3 ways that she helps him through his sickness.
6. The story of The Little Flower Seller appears in the text several times as does the line, “A sincere heart can make even a stone blossom. So tell me, was the flower girl’s heart lacking in sincerity?” What meaning do you make out of these lines?
p. 45-61: Due on Thursday, April 30
Vocabulary:
sadistic (adj):
vigilance (n):
substantiate (v):
garish (adj):
myopia (n):
belligerent (adj):
redolent: (adj):
somnambulates (v):
1. Describe Four-Eyes. Where does he live, what is his background, and what is his
personality?
2. What happened to all of the Western Literature in China at the advent of the Cultural Revolution? Why would such books be banned and why do they hold such a mystique for Luo and the narrator?
3. How is the breaking of Four-Eyes’ glasses symbolic of his state of being on the
mountain? How do the boys use this to their advantage?
4. Why does the narrator feel a pang of jealousy when Luo goes to tell the Little Seamstress the Balzac story? How does this tie into the themes that are in the book and the new awakening he is feeling?
5. Where does the narrator copy passages from Balzac’s book? Why is this placement symbolic to his situation? Is there a blending here of the old world and the new? Why does the narrator feel such a strong connection to the Balzac story?
6. What occurs at the end of the chapter between Luo and the Little Seamstress? How is the literature responsible for their actions? Can literature be dangerous?
p. 61-79 Due on Fri., May 1
Vocabulary:
precarious (adj):
cadre (n):
calabash (n):
contortions (v):
paroxysm (adv):
1. What task does Four-Eyes’ mother set forth for him to complete in order to get off the mountain? How and why does he fail at this task?
2. How do Luo and the narrator appear to the old miller on Thousand-Metre-Cliff? What do they change about themselves and why? Does this work on the old miller?
3. What actions do Luo and the narrator take that Four-Eyes did not in order to gain the old man’s trust and songs?
4. Four-Eyes’ mother suggests that he find “sincere, authentic folk songs full of romantic realism” (64). What types of songs is she asking for him to find? What types of songs does the miller give Luo and the narrator? How would you classify the songs?
5. Four-Eyes asks the boys the central question of the text. He exclaims, “What is it with you two, always going for stuff that is forbidden?” (77). Why do Luo and the narrator continue to hunt for the forbidden? Are they smart, dumb, lucky or unaware of their actions and the consequences?
6. Why does the narrator fight Four-Eyes? What is he defending and is he justified?
p. 80-105: Due on Monday, May 3
Vocabulary:
besotted (v):
precipice (n):
sonorous (adj):
covetous (adj):
1. Describe the setting of Yong Jing. What elements of city life are there?
2. Who is the woman that has come to Phoenix mountain to claim her son? Why does the narrator tell her his name is Luo? What does she mean when she states, “Right now, ignorance is in fashion, but one day the need for good doctors will be recognized once more” (86)?
3. Whose idea is it to steal Four-Eyes’ books? Why is this an interesting development?
4. Why was the buffalo for the farewell feast pushed off the side of the mountain?
5. At the buffalo’s “execution,” Four-Eyes and the head master collect the blood in
bamboo leaves in order to drink it. It is explained to Luo by a villager that “It’s [blood] is a remedy against cowardice. To gain courage, you must swallow it when it’s still lukewarm and frothy” (94). Shortly thereafter, the narrator wonders how Four-Eyes’ mother would feel about the blood drinking tradition. Analyze the importance of this moment in relation to Four-Eyes’ character and his reeducation. Has reeducation worked?
6. Contrast the function of the 5 sorceresses at Four-Eyes feast to their appearance at Luo’s bedside at the Little Seamstresses. What appears to be their function in the story?
7. When Luo, the narrator, and the Little Seamstress find the suitcase full of books, the narrator states, “Brushing them with the tips of my fingers made me fell as if my pale hands were in touch with human lives” (99). Why would these books have such a profound effect on him? Why does he also express anger at being denied such books?
8. What is the irony in the buffalo tail Four-Eyes packs in the suitcase?
p. 109-130: Due on Tues, May 4
Vocabulary:
inconspicuous (adj):
salutary (adj):
consecration (v):
vertiginous (adj):
crevasse (n):
malleable (adj):
incompetent (adj):
1. What themes in the Western books most captured the boys’ attention? How did these open up a new world to them?
2. The narrator recounts that Romain Rolland’s book Jean-Christophe captured his attention more than any other. What theme from the novel attracted the narrator? Why would this theme be such a “revolutionary” idea?
3. Analyze the importance of Luo’s adventures to the Little Seamstress. What does a
red-beaked raven have to do with his journey?
4. Analyze the meaning behind the narrator’s dream. What does it portent about the future of Luo and the Little Seamstress?
5. What does the village headman ask Luo to do when he returns to the village? What does this say about the rules of the Cultural Revolution and the knowledge that is banned?
6. The Little Seamstress’ father stays with Luo and the narrator when he visits the village. What is the reason for his choice of accommodations and what surprising thing does the narrator do for him?
7. When the village headman overhears the narrator telling the tale of the Count of Monte Cristo, he barges into the boys home. Why does he protest against the story? What does he insist that the narrator do? What is the narrator’s response? What is the village headman’s only alternative?
p. 131-157: Wed., May 5
Vocabulary:
diluvium (adj):
travertine (n):
perambulations (n):
voluptuous (adj):
trepidation (n):
complicity (n):
steely (adj):
indefatigable (adj):
recondite (adj):
1. Why does the narrator say, “I had turned into a sadist—an out and out sadist” (134)? Do you agree with his label?
2. On p. 135-146, we are given 3 separate accounts of the same afternoon. For each of the stories, analyze the significance of what they drew from that afternoon.
• The Old Miller: What does he realize in seeing Luo and the Little Seamstress by the lake?
• Luo: What does Luo see in the actions of the Little Seamstress and his own fate?
• Little Seamstress: What does she reveal about the scene that neither the Miller nor Luo realize?
3. When Luo leaves to tend to his mother, he entrusts the narrator to take care of the Little Seamstress. How does the narrator conceive of his role of caretaker? Analyze how he becomes a character like the ones in the books he has been reading.
4. What function does the narrator play in the Little Seamstress’ world? Why is he tormented by the local city youth? What is his response to their attack when he is alone and what part does the Little Seamstress play?
p. 158-184: Thursday, May 7
Vocabulary:
randy (adj):
recidivist (n):
auto-da-fe (n):
calamity (n):
1. What news does the Little Seamstress tell the narrator? What are the conflicts that arise with this news for her and Luo? What does the narrator offer to do? Analyze the law and the cultural mores that cause the situation to be irresolvable.
2. What does the narrator state would be his parents’ opinion of the situation with the Little Seamstress? Why is this a crime that transcends the Cultural Revolution?
3. Why does the narrator think that the preacher who is banned from his faith would be a good accomplice in trying to help the Little Seamstress? How does the preacher stick to his beliefs even at his dying words?
4. How does the narrator convince the doctor to perform the abortion for the Little Seamstress?
5. In the final chapter, the narrator recounts the warning signs that the Little Seamstress exhibited before leaving the mountain. List her physical changes. Also, what does Luo think about her physical transformation and his role in this?
6. Why does the narrator suggest that he is upset by the Little Seamstress’ leaving?
Why else could he be upset?
7. The book ends with the statement by Luo that the Little Seamstress “wants to go to the city…she said she had learnt one thing from Balzac: that a woman’s beauty is a treasure beyond price” (184). What does she mean by this statement? How does the Little Seamstress’ reeducation by the boys backfire?
8. Look back to the beginning of the last chapter and the actions being performed by Luo and the narrator. Why are they burning the books and lamenting through the narrator’s music? How is this a purging of for the boys?
9. Did Luo and the narrator become reeducated? Did the goals of the Cultural Revolution work?
Weeks of April 6 - 17
China Unit: All reading assignments are from the text Across the Centuries
For each assignments, please complete an outline and keep a list of vocabulary
Tuesday, 4.7 - pages 192-195
Wednesday, 4.8 - pages 195-199
Thursday, 4.9 - Map Quiz and Reading Quiz on pages 192-199
Friday, 4.10 - Middle of the Middle Speeches in class, read pages 202-208, and vocabulary quiz
Monday, 4.13 - pages 209-211, reading quiz on pages 202-208
Tuesday, 4.14 - pages 213-219; complete review sheet in class
Wednesday, 4-15 Review for China Exam; receive essay assignment on Rites of Passage
ESSAY ASSIGNMENT: What is the significance of a Rite of Passage? Select examples from three cultures and explain why the ceremony is important.
Thursday, 4.16 - Field Trip to Crime and Punishment; work on paper, study for exam
Friday, 4.17 - China Exam
Monday, 4.20 - Outline of Rites of Passage Essay due at the beginning of class; Draft of Rites of Passage Essay due at the end of class
Week of March 23-27
Rites of Passage Assignments:
1. Proposals for trip/rituals are due on Tuesday, March 24
2. Presentations in-class on Thurs., March 26
3. Begin Drafts of "Middle of the Middle" speeches - due after Spring Break
4. Voting/Consensus, etc. on Friday, March 27
Field Trip on Wed., March 25 - Tale of Two Cities
Review of play is due on Friday, March 27
New Vocab list on Monday, March 23, and Vocab quiz on Friday. March 27
Play Review Assignment:
Tale of Two Cities – Assignment: Write a Review
Paragraph 1 - The Basics
Include the answers to the five W’s : Who? (the playwright, director, actors), What? (the title of the play), Where? (the name of the school or theater), When? (when did you see it) and Why? (In a few sentences tell about the basic theme of the play)
Paragraph 2 –The Plot
Briefly summarize the plot of the play or musical.
• how well did the story work?
• Was it interesting, entertaining?
• Did you like the actual script?
Paragraph 3 -The Acting
React to the performers playing the characters in the play. Be sure to use their real names and character names. BRING YOUR PROGRAM HOME TO USE FOR “RESEARCH.”
• Were they believable?
• How was their volume and articulation?
• Did their gestures and body movement convey and stay true to the character?
Paragraph 4 - The Design
• Set: Did it establish the correct mood and time period for the play?
• Lights: Did they convey the proper mood, emphasis, and brightness?
• Costumes & Make Up: Were they true to the period of the show? And to the Characters?
• Sound: How did the sound effects and music contribute to the show's mood? If it was a musical, how was the orchestra?
Paragraph 5 - The Audience’s Reaction
• What is the play’s effect on the audience?
• Was the audience attentive? Interested?
• What was your opinion of the play as a whole?
REMINDERS:
• Back up all your opinions with valid reasons and specific evidence.
• Be objective, fair and sincere.
• Evaluate the entire production.
• Be constructive. Indicate good points along with those you felt needed improvement.
• Enjoy the play - don’t go to be overly critical.
