Monday, November 14, 2011

"Johnny Got His Gun" AP Prompt

Hi everyone!

Before you submit your final essay, you may want to discuss the prompt once more here.  Feel free to ask or answer questions about the actual text or how to best organize your essay.  Also, if you did not participate in the original Socratic Seminar, make sure you explain the passage and ask and answer questions.  You will need to have multiple posts to get a grade if you did not participate in class.

**REMEMBER: Essays are due on Thursday!  Since you already had your 3rd draft edited by me, there will be NO further revisions.  *Your parent will be called if you are not present or do not have your essay on Thursday.

**Please put your full name and period after each post.  Thanks. :)

35 comments:

  1. Specifically, in the beginning, the author... the by saying that "Each ...
    ...
    ...
    ...
    ears all night long”(Trumbo 6-11).
    I Dont know if I need to indent this or how because it looks weird when I do since the quote starts on the edge... Help!!

    Jose Quintero Per. 6

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  2. Jose, indent the quote since it's long and just start a new paragraph by pressing the tab key on the keyboard

    Luis Mireles Per. 6

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  3. Can someone give me an example of one of their topic sentence? Mine are a bit vague and I want to improve on them.

    Luis Mireles Per. 6

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  4. Why is no one on this blog? Please help!

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  5. In the beginning of the passage, Is the falling pine needles that sounds like rain symbolic for something? Maybe change?

    Jazmin Ringgold P6

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  6. I believe that the pine needles are symbolic towards the end because they sleep over the pine needles that are laying against the floor, perhaps reflecting on the uncomfortable conversation they had the night before.

    Luis Mireles Per. 6

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  7. What are the significances of the campsite being nine thousand feet high (line 7)?

    Dale Bongolan Per. 6

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  8. The passage is in the 3rd point of view limited which is obviously important because we only know Johhny's thoughts. What does this mean for the dad or the relationship?

    Arianna Montano Per.6

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  9. I think the pine needles in the beginning of the passage represents a positive thing. It says that it seemed always like raining, which means that every year, Johnny and his dad built a tent in the same place. If they did not like it they would not continue to camp there. So the pine needles falling is just a part of their camp.

    Clara Kwon Per. 6

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  10. So Clara, it is as if they continue to camp... because it is it is enjoyable... i dont quite understand it.

    Luis, I agree with you in my essay i put that the pine needles was like the conversation and the hollow place for their hips was like their way of easing the tension of the conversation... not quite sure.

    Jazmin Ringgold P6

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  11. The third point limited view makes the reader to infer Johnny's or the father's feelings. We don't directly know Johnny's thoughts. I don't think the point of view actually mean something for the relationship. I thought that if it was not third point limited view the story won't make sense, because we are analzing the actions and dialogues to predict their feelings.

    Clara Kwon Per.6

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  12. Dale, the significant setting of how they are nine thousand feet high shows that they are away from all the disturbances of the world, showing that they are are at ease and relaxed with each other.

    Luis Mireles Per. 6

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  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  14. Clara, well the reason why it is third-person limited is so that the passage can mainly focus on Johnny, which is also why it gets in the way of trying to figure out what the father is thinking towards the situation.

    Luis Mireles Per. 6

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  15. Pine needles do give an image of being uncomfortable and they reflect the uncomfortable situation of Johnny and his dad in the end of the passage. But in the beginning, I think all the nature and the surroundings that are being described are showing positive images. The descriptions are showing the familar and usual camp of Johnny and his dad.

    Clara Kwon Per.6

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  16. I agree with you Clara. The setting that is being described in the beginning of the passage shows a comfortable and nostalgic feeling in the atmosphere. However, Johnny later on gets nervous about telling his father of his plans about going fishing with Bill Harper instead of him.

    Luis Mireles Per. 6

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  17. The pine needles one the floor at the end in contrast to them raining in the beginning means something too. Not sure what, though. Anyone have ideas about this?

    Janpaul Alamani P6

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  18. The pine needles in the beginning of the passage are used to show the imagery of the setting, describing how the pine needles is like rain.

    Luis Mireles Per. 6

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  19. What are some allusions where the father passes something valuable to his son?

    Janpaul Alamani P6

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  20. In the end, the pine needles are refelcting the uncomfortable feelings of Johnny and his dad. Pine needles itself have an uncomfortable image. The pine needles fell down and are in the floor when Johnny and his dad went to sleep.

    Clara Kwon Per.6

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  21. What is the symbolism in the father's rod?
    Kayla Sainz Per. 6

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  22. What are some other symbols in the story?

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  23. Oh and that ^^^ was Kayla Sainz Per. 6

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  24. Janpaul, an allusion of a passage of something valuable could be when God told Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh, which was valuable information. (allusion to the Bible). Like the father let the son use his rod to teach Bill how to fish, a passing of information.

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  25. Dang it! forgot again, that ^^^ was Kayla Sainz per. 6

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  26. Kayla, I was thinking that the rod was like a part of the father, like when given to Johnny it was like giving him a part of himself. As if saying that i'll always be with you as you grow up. The reason I thought this was because it was his most valuable possession

    -Jazmin Ringgold P6

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  27. The father's fishing rod represents a valuable piece of him as it was "the only extravagance [he] had had in his whole life." (line 45). Since there was nothing he treasured more, it was very significant in that he still loves his son.

    Dale B.
    Per.6

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  28. What did Johnny mean when he thought "It was an ending and a beginning" I know it would be the beginning of his freedom and growing up but would it also be the ending of his and his father relationship?
    But I feel like that wouldnt make sense... Since the father gave him the rod. So what would it be the ending of?

    Jazmin Ringgold P6

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  29. What does it mean when the father tells Johnny in line 40 "I'm tired and I think i'll rest all day." Is it that he wants ease over the awkward situation... or doesnt want johnny to feel bad for growing up?

    - Jazmin Ringgold P6

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  30. "I'm tired and I think i'll rest all day." (line 40) is a quote that shows that the father wanted to end the conversation quickly because he knows that Johnny is feeling guilty. And the father does not want him to feel guilty about it because growing up is a normal thing and the father knows that he needs to let go of Johnny to grow up.

    Clara Kwon Per.6

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  31. Does anyone else think the dad was faking his sleep the next morning because he did not want to confront the boy?

    Jose Quintero
    Per. 6

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  32. Yes, he wanted to avoid that awkwardness where both Johnny and his father felt since it was their first time not fishing together. This also explains why Johnny in the end of the story doesn't wake up his father just so they don't have the awkward conversation about fishing.

    Dale B.
    Per.6

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  33. firstly, the pine needles falling sounding like rain represents coming change...why?...well simply because rain is symbolic to change, that's why. later we realize that there IS a point of change, when the son wishes to go fishing with his friend Bill Harper. Secondly, the father giving his son his fishing rod is simply an act of acceptance, like saying "here son I accept your advancement into maturity, since I wont be there for all of it then take a piece of me with you...my fishing rod". his father accepts that his son is yearning to gain more self-Independence and although it's hard and they are both hesitant, he fully supports his son and shows this by giving him his fishing rod.

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  34. The "Rain" sound created by the falling pine needles foreshadows to coming change because rain is symbolic of change

    Jesse Barajas Per.5

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  35. Does anybody know a good way to end the essay? I'm having trouble restating the main points...

    Jesse Barajas Per.5

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