If religion is the expression of the myth making function which offers “counterfeit experiences” to allay the impulse of intelligence toward a possibly egotistical path inimical to society, the insistence in A Fable upon the experience of the acts as true human experience more than mythical experience, the delineation of the Corporal as a concrete contrast to the “counterfeit” experiences of the Gospels, stands out as “fact”. In this context, the Corporal's earthbound, “real” qualities, such as his apparent lack of “spirituality” as we expect to see it manifested in human beings, becomes more reasonable and need not vitiate our conception of a unique individual who compels love and action, Bergson, in a rather lengthy state, which relates the two types of religions to the morality which they assert, is specific upon these points, and his explanation may serve to clarify the treatment of the Corporal and A Fable.
PART VI. Methodological reccomendations FOR TEACHING W. FAULKNER'S CREATIVE WRITING
William Faulkner's creative writing is rather known for the readers, it is studied at universities as regards its style, plots and ideas. Faulkner's creative activity is very interesting also because of parable thinking represented in his writings. That's why we think it's important to study Faulkner's creative activities during World literature seminars stressing on parable questions, reading, discussions and debates.
Several novels and short stories written by William Faulkner can be included in high school reading lists and if taught would enhance student experiences of American literature. Malcolm Cowley in his classic introduction to The Portable Faulkner said, “Faulkner's novels have the quality of being lived, absorbed, remembered rather than merely observed. And they have what is rare in the novels of our time, a warmth of family affection, brother for brother and sister, the father for his children - a love so warm and proud that it tries to shut out the rest of the world” [11]. It is difficult to imagine someone reading the final scenes of “A Fable” and not being moved by the fate of the Corporal.
In Faulkner's literature, he has used themes of a depth and magnitude seldom seen in other American writers. His experimentation with style, especially stream of consciousness, places him in a class of his own.
His greatness lies in the development of a body of characters which surely rivals those created by Shakespeare and Dickens. And it is this masterful body of characterization to which high school students should be exposed if they are to truly understand the human spirit as it is embodied in the study of American literature.
In this part we suggest several types of activities. They may be useful for the students to understand the novel better during the seminars.
So, the following activities could be suggested:
1. LEAD-IN activitY
2. vocabulary work
3. Reading comprehension activites
4. discussions
5. debates
The teacher asks the students a set of questions connected with World War I to prepare them for further observations and discussions. The questions are:
· What do you know about World War I
· When did it start When did it finish
· What countries took part in the First World War
· How did people feel at the front
· How did they feel when they returned
Possible answers:
1. World War I was started by the people in power who wanted to rearrange the spheres of their influence and acquire new sources of money.
2. At the front people usually began to realize the true nature of that event. The idea of their being used as an instrument of conducting a war came to their minds.
3. When people returned form the war they saw that nobody cared either about them or about what they had done at the front.
2. VOCABULARY WORK
The following activities are suggested:
I. Please find these phrases in the sentences in one of the chapters and explain them in your own words:
· to peer across at something
· to be nailed
· to lay aground
· to squat against the wall
· futility of one's martyrdom
· gaudy as a child's toy
· to heap up
· to flick
· gaped faces
· to assoil smb.
· grieving sky
II. Here are some sentences from the text. Please explain what the words in the bold types mean:
1. “You mock by reading your own mortal's pride into Him…”(p.363)
2. “He was nailed there and he will forgive me.” (p.370)
3. “Go on I” the rest of the cortege huddling without order, protocol vanished for the moment too as they hurried after the caisson almost with an air of pell mell, as though in actual flight from the wreckage of the disaster…” (p.436)
4. “It passes the Hotel de Villa where the three generals still stood like a posed camera group stared full at each other across the moment which could not last because of the vehicle's speed - the peasant's face above the corporal's chevrons and the shackled wrists in the speeding lorry, and the grey, inscrutable face above the stars of supreme rank and the bright ribbons of honor and glory on the Hotel steps, looking at each other across the fleeting instant.” (p.17)
5. “His face was showing a comprehension, understanding, utterly free of compassion.” ( p.17)
6. “It had merely arrested itself; not the men engaged in it, but the war itself. War, impervious and even inattentive to the anguish, the torn flesh, the whole petty surge and resurge of victories and defeats…” (pp. 124, 125)
7. “There is an immorality, an outrageous immorality; you are not even contemptuous of glory; you are simply not interested in it.” (p.305)
III. Please translate these sentences into English:
1. Командир дивізії завжди спостерігав за атаками з найближчого спостережного пункту; це було його правилом і сприяло його репутації.
2. У той вівторок опівночі двоє англійських солдат розташувалися на стрілецькій сходинці одного з окопів під руїнами Бетюна.
3. Спали вони на кам'яній підлозі у коридорі; сніданком їх нагодували ще до підйому.
4. Всі розійшлися, він продовжував сидіти, днювальні закінчили прибирання, потім під'їхав автомобіль, але зупинився не біля їдальні, а біля канцелярії, крізь тонку перегородку він почув, як туди увійшли люди, потім голоси…
5. Залишаючи свої домівки, вони майже нічого не знали, всі вони були зірвані з місця тим же жахом…
6. Натовп, здавалося, не міг розгледіти або помітити вантажівки.
7. Вирішувати було вже пізно; щоб не опинитися розтоптаним, він у натовпі пліч-о-пліч з полоненим рухався через площу до будівлі суду…
3. Reading comprehension activitY
Attention check. Please answer the following questions on the text:
· What time is depicted in the novel?
· In what country does the action take place?
· Who is the Corporal?
· What have you learnt about the Marshall?
· Pick out the lines, describing the relations between the Corporal and the Marshall.
· What was Marthe's another name?
· What difference can you see between the Corporal and the Groom
· Describe the funeral scene.
4. discussion
I. The following questions and statements are suggested:
Account of the usage of the religious terms in the novel. Give the examples of it providing your reasons for its usage.
Pick up statements which show the Marshall's attitude towards the Corporal. Give the reasons for your choice.
Why the novel is called “A Fable”?
II. Discuss the following phrases from the novel. What can they mean? Explain in your own words.
1. Fear implies ignorance. (p.17)
2. They had no plan: only motion. (p.130)
3. Beware whom you mock by reading your own mortal's pride into Him… (p.363)
4. He was nailed there and he will forgive me. (p. 370)
5. The small perpetual flame burned above the eternal sleep of the nameless bones brought down five years ago from the Verdun battlefield. (p.434)
The sudents are divided into two or three groups, each of which is given a subject for debate: two of these groups are direct opposite of each other, and a third - should give a compromise. Some examples are as follows:
a) If you want to make a good thing you can use every stick in the book.
Good thing can be done only by good deeds.
b) If a person has faith in something, he will definitely make his dream come true.
The sound mind is more important than the faith.
c) Sometimes thinking that we are doing good, we ruin everything.
Sometimes it is necessary to ruin something, in order to build something new.
Each group has to work out and write down all possible arguments in favour of its subject, including defenses against the points that might be brought up by the opposition. It also has to work out the presentation of the material.
A time limits should be set for preparations - from 10 to 15 minutes. Formalities of the procedure are outlined by the teacher before the debate begins. The points to be included are the following:
· what the speaker does;
· how participants show what they want to say;
· how long their speeches are, etc.
Then the full debate follows. The final voting is ”genuine”. The announcement of the results of the vote is the end of the activity.
Страницы: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
