Identity: Defining Self on One's Own Terms or Being Defined By Others

So, you've probably heard of the idea of self-fulfilling prophesy that we become who we think we are, for better or for worse. This question of identity-of understanding and defining who you are-is yet another gigantic life question that shows up in Hurston's novel and in life. One major issue that surrounds questions of identity is who defines it? Do I get to decide who I am in life or do others decide that for me in various ways? This seems like the most obvious question in the universe. Of course, everyone should get to decide their own identities! But, when we look into the hallways of the high school, into the conference rooms of the business world, around the family dinner table, is this always the case? Do we have friends, family members, and co-workers that influence the way we think or feel about ourselves? Are they, in some ways, helping to shape our identities, in negative and positive ways? Or, do they provide feedback, and it's up to us to accept or reject it into our self concepts/identities like a really good peer edit in writing workshop?

As far as Janie is concerned, how does she define herself in the beginning of the novel? Are there points when she lets others define her? What are the consequences of this? How does this change as the novel progresses? What realizations does she make?

Individual Desire vs. Social Responsibility

This theme seems to be the theme of the year...don't quote me on this, but I believe it comes up in every major work that we'll read this year (mainly because we're going to be reading about some oppressive and corrupt societies from which people feel the need to break free...). It is, as you know, a great problem of everyday life as well; what we want to do doesn't always neatly line up with our social responsibilities. For example, I feel like eating four doughnuts but I have a track meet in twenty minutes. Hmmm, what should I do? Okay, not the best example because I also risk stomach upset on a massive scale.

Let's have you come up with the example. Let's say you want to become the greatest [fill in blank of your dream job here] but society, or the powers that be, will not allow you access to this career because you are (too young, too old, too female, too male, etc). What should you do? In this case, we need to ask the question: Who is right in this situation? You or society? Are you a moral person living in an immoral society? If that's the case, what should you do? On the other hand, does society ask us to make sacrifices that are actually beneficial to us in the long run? Is there a middle ground? When living in groups of people, will we always have to make individual sacrifices in order to live together? How do we know when we've sacrificed too much (to society, a community, or a relationship)? Are there some things that should never be sacrificed? Where do we draw the line?

Getting back to our novel, does Janie do what she wants to do or what others or society thinks she should do? Does she make some mistakes? Does this change throughout the course of the novel? How do her three marriage illustrate this theme? When is she happiest? When is she most successful in society's eyes? Do these match up? Hmmmm, what do you conclude from all of this? What is the message, according to Hurston? You could ask her; she's right there-----> with a very cool feather on her hat. Where do you weigh in on this discussion?

If your eyes are watching Their Eyes Were Watching God (or you've started reading it, that is), feel free to start posting your comments. We're going to try something new for this book that I hope will be beneficial to you. I'm going to post discussion prompts that relate to your possible essay topics, so you have a focused discussion forum in which to rehearse and develop your thoughts for your essay. Reading the ideas and interpretations of your peers will help by reinforcing some of your ideas while challenging others, helping us all to stretch our thinking in new ways. When you are making your astute observations, remember to support your view with detailed examples and/or relevant quotes from the novel (you're much harder to argue with that way!).

Essay Clarification

In case there are questions about the essay, here's a quick clarification (or directions for the directions!). The essay will explore one topic within both novels, Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Things They Carried. Select a topic from the topic list at this time. Next, record quotes addressing this topic in your quote log as you read (also in packet). You are required to have three quotes from each novel in your quote log and in your essay. The other four quotes on the quote log may be from either novel but should still address the topic.

After reading both novels and completing the quote log, develop your thesis using your topic and at least one literary device. See packet for essay guidelines. The quote log should be useful when writing the essay-use these quotes to support your thesis in your essay. Make sure you use MLA format (again-see packet), size 12, double-spaced, and 3-5 pages. Please email me or respond to this post if you have any questions. Feel free to start commenting on Their Eyes Were Watching God when you've started reading it. Someone has to go first-why not you? I will be happy to give fake extra credit to anyone brave enough to get our blog blogging.

Reminder: you need to have 4 blog posts (1 paragraph minimum each) by July 15th for your first deadline. Start as soon as possible. The comments don't necessarily have to reinvent Hurston scholarship; just start out by posting your responses, questions, and interpretations as you read. However, brilliant insights are always welcome, of course. Be sure to avoid repeating what others have already said; that will make me think you're not actually reading the comments (gasp!). Post something soon-make an English teacher's day. Have a wonderful summer!

Practice Post

As soon as possible, do a first practice post-no, this doesn't count toward the "big five" posts per book-we're just doing a test to make sure you can post successfully. Tell me a little about yourself-your interests, extracurricular activities, of course, your favorite book of all time, and anything else you'd like to share.