Sunday, February 23, 2014
Our Class #6
Ahh.....the joy of Rozencrantz and Guildenstern. As we get into our harder plays and next semester novels, they obviously become more confusing and frustrating. It's not that I don't like the play in general, it's the fact that it makes your brain ache after talking about it for more than five minutes. The constant agony of never fully understanding the text, like getting a tease of a nice back scratch without getting the full thing. I find myself zoning out during the hour because its quite exhausting. After saying all that I do like the increased complexity of the play, I like how it makes us think and is not soooo transparent. I'm hoping that through more articles and discussions I will come to the point where I won't question if I have all the parts together in the right order. I will probably not however be using this play on the AP test for fear of getting stuck mid paragraph trying to remember the most important details of the complicated plot. That is my current opinion of the play, I like it but I don't seem to even grasp the surface of the concepts.
I know that my peers will most likely have a fit when I say this but I think the super tightly timed AP practice activity was a very good one. AP lit in general is quite chill, and that's how I like to learn. Being from Montessori, no structure is kind of my thing. However.... when it comes to preparing for the AP test, pressure is what I need. We all needed to be kicked in the butt and made to do something for credit so we all understand the kind of time crunch and pressure that we will have to endure in May. I am very happy that Ms. Holmes made us do it, as chill and awesome as she is I was glad to be pushed for this specific situation. I ending up finishing the activity, I was so surprised to be honest. But than afterward I was really proud of myself, I was proud that even know we were sixth hour and we knew what we had to do, I had finished it. I wasn't the one that didn't get it done and made some lame excuse. It made me feel good that even know it wasn't perfect I'm sure, I had pulled it off in time. It gives me more confidence for the AP test and of course much needed practice.
So yay to more AP lit is the bottom line.
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Kate,
ReplyDeleteThis play seemed to be particularly hard to pin down for everyone. I think it was easier to discuss though, because there are so many different theories and interpretations. I also think I will avoid using this play on the AP exam. Hamlet and Death of a Salesman seem to cover most prompts, so I think they are a good place to start every time.
Great job finishing the exercise! Though I did not finish, I also think that the stress of time added a good element. It’s interesting that you prefer a more laid back style because of your background in that kind of teaching. I seem to like more structure, but AP lit is an exception. I think literature lends towards a laid back style of learning.
Great post!
Kate,
ReplyDeleteYour comparison to back scratches and understanding this play makes me laugh. Good to see you pointing out what this class is really about. I also don’t think I will be able to use this play of the AP exam, not because I’ll forget the plot (which isn’t what our essays should be on, remember) but because I’m remember way to much and try to talk about every single theory we ever discussed in class because O think they are all completely valid. Especially the one that suggests that since Ros and Guil have an audience, we also have an audience, thus aliens are watching us thus this play suggests that aliens are responsible for the influx of gay communists in space. I agree that the timed practice was of help to us, as I often forget that in the real AP exam I won’t have three days to go over multiple choice questions with a partner.
Kate,
ReplyDeleteYour feelings about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead seem to match up almost exactly with mine. I also did not dislike the play, but I was left puzzled by it. I was constantly thinking that the parts we read that were very hard to understand and appeared to be essentially nonsense had some deeper meaning that I just was not seeing. It was also hard for me to pay attention in class while reading this book, because if I zoned out for a second, I would be completely lost. I had a better overall understanding once I did my annotations, but there is still a lot I will probably never understand. As much as I dread tightly timed AP assignments, I agree with you that they are for the best. These practice activities, and our practice with timed closed and open prompt responses, are what is going to actually get us prepared for the AP test.