For this Discussion Board you have four stories from which to choose: "Marriage is a Private Affair," "The Yellow Wallpaper," "The Things They Carried," and "Everyday Use."
After writing a first response about each story in your Writer's Notebook or Log, write a Discussion Board post starting with the sentence, "My interpretation of the story (title) is...."
Do not summarize any part of the story. Assume that everyone who reads your post has read the story and wants to know what you think the story means--or why it is a good or bad story from an ethical or philosophical standpoint. Do not evaluate the story's style; assume the writer has a good one.
Also stay away from the question of is it a good or bad story. Assume for this discussion that they are allgreatstories.
(It's fine if you don't agree with this statement for one or more stories; the point is to help you write the best essay you can write in this unit.)
Pick the one story you like the best for your own post to write about.
When you finish your own post, read the posts ofevery student who wrote about the same story--and other stories if you are not yet sure which you want to write about. This group of students is your own interpretive community.
When you finish reading everyone's post, start writing responses. The more you write the better.
Get other students intodialoguesabout your choice. By the time you get to the research and Peer Editing activities, you're going to be an expert on the story!
Note: If groups are small, they may be combined in next week's peer editing activities.
Other than that, follow the usual guidelines for the Discussion Board: 250 word minimum first post and 150 for the next two. (If you write to more students than two, just be sure you have at least 300 words of total response writing.)
I can't wait to read what you all write about these interesting stories!
Read These Short Stories and write a firstreponseon each in your Writer's Notebook:
Chinua Achibe's "Marriage is a Private Affair"
Charlotte PerkinsGilman's"The Yellow Wallpaper"
Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried"
Alice Walker's "Everyday Use"