We have slowly, somewhat methodically read Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game in class. Along the way, I have asked you many questions; I have asked you to discuss ideas with your partner, and I have directed you to reflect on the way the author has built several literary elements, especially plot and character.
I would like two posts that show reflection. In the first post, please consider why I have been so involved in the reading, why have I interrupted this suspenseful story so many times with my irksome questioning? What do you believe was my primary purpose?
In the second post, I would like you to consider what you learned by reading the story this way; for better or for worse. Please be specific and genuine.
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Ms. Gerber has been involved in the reading to help us understand events and thoughts occurring in the story and to get us to dig deeper and analyze every aspect of the story. The irksome questioning is for us to start forming the habit of questioning stories ourselves, to assist us in the reading we will do in the future. Ms. Gerber’s primary purpose was to provoke us to examine the story and discern the different literary parts.
ReplyDeleteI learned that context clues are everywhere and are there to tell me what happened because sometimes the author won’t come right out and say it. To place the clues this way makes writing stories difficult. Reading the story that way helped me realize that when I read on my own, I don’t pick up as many ideas as when Ms. Gerber stops us. For example, I didn’t realize how the author exchanged General Zaroff with Cossack to imply that he cannot be trusted or all of the similes about animals that showed the relationship between Rainsford and Zaroff as two animals. Thank you Ms. Gerber!
ReplyDeleteI think that the main reason Ms. Gerber stopped us so many times in the middle of our reading is to help us begin to question what the story is really about. If we read on our own, we might not take the time to ask ourselves these questions. Also, she clarifies what the exposition is, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution are so we become familiar with these literary elements and will eventually be able to do them on our own.
ReplyDeleteI, like Corrina, was astonished at how many context clues were lying under the surface. Although the author could have very easily done away with them and the story still would have made sense, but they add a sense of emotion that I didn't notice before. I enjoyed this story and will be more aware of these things Ms.Gerber has pointed out to us in the next stories I read.
ReplyDeleteMs. Gerber stopped us durring the story multiple times to make us realy think hard about what everything means. If we did not stop and analyze what was said so often, It would be harder for me to understand what was going on.
ReplyDeleteBecause we paused so many times while reading, I learned that there is also hidden meanings that the reader has to pause to get. If we did not pause, I would have not thought how the author used compairasons to animals, which ,made me understand how he was like an animal. We also talked about all the irony in the story, which also made me think.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Gerber interupted the story multiple times to keep us thinking about why we are reading the story. She wanted us to look for the casual, but important references to the story's theme made by the author. Mrs. Gerber also wanted us too see how a short story can be so great and introduce a certain theme at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI learned that the wording in a story is usually deliberately done to point the reader to a certain theme. This story made a lot of references to animals and their behavior. For example, the hunt between Rainsford and General Zaroff was compared to a cat and mouse hunt. The general acted like a cat, playing with Rainsford as if he were a mouse. Rainsford fled for his life, and employed many tricks to survive. The confusing trail he left was made with the cunning of a fox. Foxes are known to be tricky and hard to catch. Rainsford copied the actions of the fox to keep himself safe.
ReplyDeleteMs. Gerber has stopped us during the story so many times and asked us reflecting questions about the context because she wanted to get us to start really thinking deeper into what we were reading. She wanted us to understand the story with more meaning and to try and understand the theme behind it.
ReplyDeleteI understand the story much more than I would have if I had just read it by myself. I learned how an author can really connect the story from beginning to end using ironic characters and meaningful similes and metaphors. When Ms. Gerber stops to talk to us during the story, it helps me understand the story much more because she helps me pay attention to certain parts of the story that I may not have noticed before.
ReplyDeleteMs. Gerber stopped us throughout the story and asked us questions about what we have read because she want us to think about the way stories are put. She wants us to understand what is going on so we can discuss the ideas of the story, and how they relate to real life
ReplyDeleteI believe you asked us so many questions so that we as a class could comprehend the story completely and that we would all be on the same page mentally. You wanted us to truly understand the story and the meaning behind everything.
ReplyDeleteIf you did not interrupt us throughout the story then I think that I would be lost and would not understand almost any of the story. It is difficult for me to read a story and fully understand it, but when you interrupted us and explained the story and asked us questions about it everything became clear to me.
ReplyDeleteI learned many by reading this story with Ms Gerber asking questions in between. When she asks these questions it helps me comprehend what the story is about and what is going on in it. In this story the author uses many similes to compare, and he really makes us read in between the lines to understand. I like the way the author puts the story, it is different how he compares the people to animals.
ReplyDeleteWell the reasons why you kept on interruptting us were because you wanted use to get everything the story explained by detail and wanted us to know what was going to happen in the stoy or try to figure it out. You also wanted us to know why we read stories which is our class thesis.
ReplyDeleteReading the story like this actually helped me a lot to understand what was happening throughout the story. The only problem is that we tend to go slower, but it is okay as long as I undetrstand the story.
ReplyDeleteI believe that your primary purpose was to show us how there is much more to a story than to be entertained. We must understand the story’s proposes, for it teaches us certain lessons and connects us with our own feelings. We sometimes aren’t aware of how important it is to understand our own ways of expressing them. By truly understanding this we are preparing ourselves for greater challenges that will lead to others later on. The purpose here is to look deeper into topics and to better understand them.
ReplyDeleteI learned that reading in this method helps me understand every detail of the story and get a better sense out of it. I have learned that it is quite exciting to jump from one theme to the next one, even if the characters/character in the story isn't suited for it at that precise moment. I catch myself reading a great book in a rushing manner. The reason why I do this is because I cannot wait for the next theme to occur. I end up being confused sometimes and read back to find out what I have surprisingly missed.
ReplyDeleteI think Ms. Gerber has stopped so much while reading so we can take notice of the small clever hints and details. She is trying to show us examples of how a good author can put character, plot, setting, and theme into a story.
ReplyDeleteI liked stopping and analyzing what I read because it makes the material easier to understand. By discussing what we read I picked up on a lot more detail and major ideas, like all the irony and similes. When I look back at the story I seem to remember more about each event that happened rather than the overall picture a story can paint.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Ms. Gerber has stopped us so many times during this great story to help us better understand the story. By better understand the book I mean that she is helping us analyze the book and ask questions to ourselves about the story and not just read the story and sometimes not be able to have a clue. I also believe that your main and primary purpuso for this way of reading this story was so when we aren't in class with you and we are reading a book we can use this method and have better knowledge of what is going on in the book and ask ourselves questions.
ReplyDeleteWhat I learned from reading this story this way was for the better, no doubt. I think that using this method when I read other books will be very helpful because then, like I said before, I will be able to have a better knowledge of what is going on and ask myself questions about the book or story I am reading. I also think that this method is sort of fun, but that is just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI believe that there are multiple reasons why Ms. Gerber interupted multiple times in the story. She wanted to interupt to help us learn about irony and how author use it in stories. She wanted to teach us ways to write stories with "the language of the diciplined." Also, I think one reason she would constantly interupt is that she likes to talk!
ReplyDeleteI learned from the story how hard-headed people can be and that if you are able to focus and open up your mind you are prone to winning just as Rainsford did in the story to beat General Zarrof. For example, when General Zarrof told Rainsford that he was hunting people, Rainsford would not believe it but then once he believed it he was able to kill Zarrof.
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