To tackle Charles Dickens’ massive text, now considered among his best, we will read about six or seven chapters each week, approximately following the original publication schedule (we’re doubling what was read each month). Each week two people will create main entries for the blog. On Tuesdays we’ll discuss the novel, what has occurred, the characters, etc. The blog, found at bleakhouseblogproject.blogspot.com, will be completed the Sunday night before class, and we’ll use it to get our bearings and begin discussion. On Thursdays we’ll discuss the posted responses from the rest of the class, based on the original posts and on our class discussion. See below for grading guidelines.
PART 1: BLOG POSTS
Depending on your section of the text, your blog will consist of different material.
1) If your section introduces a character, your job is to provide as much a recap of that character as possible: how s/he is introduced, what role s/he currently has, and perhaps some speculation about her/his eventual place in the novel. Chances are more than one character will be introduced, so the first person writing gets “poster’s choice.” If a family has been introduced, give us background on the whole family.
Space allowing, you can comment on any recurring themes, symbols, analysis of setting or character.
Finally, post observations/questions you have about the text: Dickens’ choices and your mounting frustrations with Dickens’ writing style; the role of a character; your sense of how the novel fits into or comments on an element of Victorian society.
Your job is super important! There are a TON of characters—about 25 “main” characters and over 40 minor characters. And really, only about six of them can be dispensed with.
2) Later sections will not introduce new characters. In these later posts, your role will be to delve further in the characters already presented, as well as comment on the plot and any recurring themes, symbols, etc. I encourage you to be creative: write as a diary entry of one of the characters, for instance--channel your inner Esther and start writing imaginatively, thinking as she would think. You can then respond to a situation presented in her character’s voice, ask questions she might have, try to untangle a plot circumstance.
You can also comment from the outside looking in, of course. In the latter half of the semester, we’ll have a lot more knowledge about Victorian society, so posts might do more with this element, connecting things we read about to what we have learned.
SPOILER WARNING: Now, you could decide you need help with this novel and go online and read some plot summaries and character lists. But be very careful: part of the point of reading this novel the way we are reading it is to approximate the way the Victorians would have read it, and that means NOT KNOWING what will happen, but letting the suspense build. So if you feel you need a little outside help, my best suggestion is the chapter summaries at CliffNotes.
Part of the point of the blog is to create our own running commentary of the novel, to help keep each other in the loop. So let this blog be your on-line resource. Your classmates are in charge of keeping us up to date and informed about what is happening in the novel.
Original Publication Schedule
The serialization of novels was a fairly new experience, and part of the author’s job was to create suspense in certain places, so that people would buy the next issue. So you have to imagine that every month, the family bought the journal and then took turns reading it, or perhaps sat around listening to a reading of the story. Then maybe everyone got a chance to read it again at their leisure over the next month, until the next issue came out. Each section was 32 pages and contained many illustrations as well as text (see some examples).
Installment |
Date of publication |
Chapters |
I |
March 1852 |
1-4 |
II |
April 1852 |
5-7 |
III |
May 1852 |
8-10 |
IV |
June 1852 |
11-13 |
V |
July 1852 |
14-16 |
VI |
August 1852 |
17-19 |
VII |
September 1852 |
20-22 |
VIII |
October 1852 |
23-25 |
IX |
November 1852 |
26-29 |
X |
December 1852 |
30-32 |
XI |
January 1853 |
33-35 |
XII |
February 1853 |
36-38 |
XIII |
March 1853 |
39-42 |
XIV |
April 1853 |
43-46 |
XV |
May 1853 |
47-49 |
XVI |
June 1853 |
50–53 |
XVII |
July 1853 |
54–56 |
XVIII |
August 1853 |
57–59 |
XIX-XX |
September 1853 |
60–67 |
PART 2: BLOG RESPONSES
Students will also post a least five comments on the blog, on different weeks. These responses should be at least a paragraph and consist of anything you wish; just respond before the next class period. We’ll look at some of these posts on Thursdays.
Blogging Guidelines
Like everything you write, your blog posting should be thoughtful and correct; don’t assume you can toss something off just because it is posted online instead of printed out. Draft your posting carefully before submitting it. It should be a well-organized response to the text. Remember your purpose and your goal: to help classmates understand the plot (you’ll want the same help some weeks, believe me); to provide deeper insight into a character; to generate questions that the class can use as a springboard for discussion. If you keep these goals in mind, you should be able to construct an initial post that is critically helpful AND intelligent.
I’ll consider your main post to the blog 10% of this portion of your grade, with the other 10% coming from your subsequent responses to the class (you should post in this manner at least five times). My first blog should be a good example of what I expect, but please don’t follow it slavishly; each section of text will demand a different response. Otherwise, here are some guidelines:
The “A” Blog should include thoughtful, critical responses to the text. “A” blogs demonstrate the author’s knowledge of the text and show evidence of serious reading and examination of the text. “A” blogs also incorporate ideas or issues raised during the week in small/large group discussion. The blog clearly demonstrates that the blogger was invested in the ideas and literature discussed in class. Links to related websites and evidence of personalization characterize “A” blogs as well. A well-developed blog is equivalent to at least one-page typed, double-spaced, or several well-written paragraphs.
“A” bloggers also commit themselves to visiting and adding feedback or comments on the blogs written by peers. The “A” blogger understands the interactive nature of this online discussion forum and is actively engaged in building critical threaded conversations related to both the texts and the practice of teaching these texts. “A” bloggers post their blogs and responses on time.
The “B” Blog contains many of the features evident in the “A” blog, but is lacking in one or more areas. “B” bloggers are critically engaged in the act of blogging, sometimes providing links to further relevant or related materials. “B” blogs may sometimes be shorter than the one-page or several well-developed paragraph requirement, although the content of the blog appropriately meets the expectation. While “B” bloggers are invested in the act of blogging and in the discourse of the media itself, they may not comment effectively on the blogs of their peers when they respond and may not provide a developed enough initial post.
The “C” Blog is oftentimes lacking in content, critical thinking, and thoughtful response. While the blog may marginally consider the text and the assignment, it is often brief or over-generalized. “C” bloggers may also have difficulty responding to the blogs of their peers in a critical and timely fashion. “C” blogs rarely demonstrate any original thinking, and often simply summarize the ideas expressed by others in class. “C” blogs lack evidence of personalization, time, and effort.
The “D” Blog is clearly lacking in each category. “D” blogs contain insufficient evidence of critical thinking and understanding of the texts and ideas shared in class. They demonstrate little to no personalization or extension of the assignment. Responses are minimal and have that “just before class” kind of feel.