I found this article in Lapham’s Quarterly. It is required reading for anyone teaching or reading Huckleberry Finn for OCR: https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/rivalry-feud/loves-labors-lost Read More "On feuds: Twain is echoing real life"
Tag: Huckleberry Finn
The ending of Huckleberry Finn – Pioneer oppressor or lover of the land and freedom? – Huck: a Native American?
Teaching Huck is such a pleasure in so many ways. This year I am intrigued by the message of the ending to a degree further than often. My two stimuli are a new interest in Eco Criticism and an awakening …
Huck and the Picaresque tales
This is my thinking of how to use the central sections of the book within the constraints of the OCR A level Elit exam. First Picaresque - the use of a central character -often an urchin or other disreputable but …
Huck: The Feud – with commentary
A version of this ppt with commentary added, to support students learning remotely. huck-the-feud with commentaryDownload Read More "Huck: The Feud – with commentary"
On Eco-Crit and A-Level texts 1. Initial thoughts.
For some time I have taught with an Ecocritical approach without knowing it. It took a recent TEDx talk by my colleague Maria Trafford (https://youtu.be/TFfK_yas8F8 ) to make me consider it as a concrete and explicit line to be developed in …
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Huckleberry Finn meets Bruce Springsteen
Whither Huck? He’s alive and well in Western Stars… It must be the summer. This post looks at the links between Huckleberry Finn and the many first person narrators in Bruce Springsteen’s new album: Western Stars. It is intended seriously, …
OCR A level English Literature essay seminar: American Literature
A second sound file on the Jefferson quotation. Boys were missing from the lesson, this helps them to catch up.... https://jwpblog.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/190125_001.mp3 Read More "OCR A level English Literature essay seminar: American Literature"
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American Literature essay presentation: OCR A level
This is a soundfile of an essay requiring students to work with Jefferson's Independence declaration speech and to link it to the texts studied... The idea is to use it as a basis for discussion. The essay is printed below …
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On racism and the banning of Huckleberry Finn
Two essays on the topic of banning Huckleberry Finn: one for, one against. The task is the kind of task I like to set to draw ideas together from the teaching, whilst challenging the boys to explore and respond personally. …
On race and the critical arguments about the ending of Huck….
This is a 45 minute class discussion of race and critics - based on the resource attached. It does start slowly -we are beset by illness at school... but warms up into an interesting discussion which could be used for …
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English Teaching Resources 