Instructions for the Notes & Questions Assignments
1.) For the Notes & Questions assignments, you will submit your notes from the readings and videos earlier in this unit.
2.) Then, you also will write any questions you have on the specific readings, the literary genre, and/or the course itself.
If you do not have any questions, you’ll need to explain why. In your response, briefly explain your understanding of the readings and literary genre.
Taking Notes
In order to ensure a solid grade on your notes, please take detailed notes.
In your notes, you should include two things:
- First, a basic outline of the storyline and the work’s major ideas.
- Second, you should take notes using at least three of the concepts listed below.
Basic Concepts for Interpreting Themes of Love vs. Hate
When considering the thematic dichotomy of Love vs. Hate, students should take note of the following elements:
- Character Relationships: Analyze the dynamics between characters that involve expressions of love, hate, care, or destructive behaviors. Examine how acts of caring can foster love and counteract destructive actions driven by hate.
- Motivations: Explore the underlying reasons and emotions that drive characters’ actions and attitudes towards love and hate.
- Conflict: Identify conflicts arising from opposing forces of love and hate, and the impact on characters and the overall narrative.
- Empathy: Note instances where characters demonstrate empathy and compassion, contrasting with moments of hostility or indifference driven by hate.
- Transformation: Examine how love or hate can lead to personal growth or destructive consequences for characters.
- Romantic Love: Explore romantic relationships and the portrayal of love, including themes of passion, devotion, jealousy, or betrayal.
- Familial Love: Consider the depiction of love within families, exploring themes of loyalty, sacrifice, or estrangement.
- Friendship: Analyze the friendships portrayed in the work, noting instances of support, camaraderie, or betrayal.
- Prejudice and Discrimination: Examine how hate can stem from biases, stereotypes, or discrimination, contrasting with acts of love that promote understanding and acceptance.
- Power Dynamics: Consider how power imbalances can influence expressions of love or hate within relationships.
- Consequences: Analyze the outcomes and repercussions of characters’ actions driven by love or hate.
- Redemption: Note instances where characters have the potential for personal growth, healing, or reconciliation through the power of love.
- Symbolism: Identify symbolic representations associated with love or hate that deepen the thematic exploration.
These elements provide a framework for analyzing and interpreting the thematic dichotomy of Love vs. Hate. It’s important to adapt and expand based on the specific context, themes, and character relationships in each literary work, considering additional elements such as narrative structure, symbolism, moral dilemmas, and the exploration of human emotions.
Attaching Your Notes
Perhaps the easiest way to take and submit detailed notes is to take your notes digitally, by typing them into a document offline.
To that end, it may be easiest to take, save, and submit your notes digitally, in another document that you can upload later.
However, since studies show that handwriting your notes may aid in learning retention, you may also submit photos of your hand-written notes, instead. However, they will need to be photographed and written clearly enough for me to read. To upload those photos, click the “Attach Files” button below, as when uploading .PDF files.
A Reminder about Daily Reviews of Your Notes
There are several reasons for taking careful notes in the course, beyond the challenges of keeping track of the readings for your essays later in the course.
One of the best ways to learn and retain what you study is to flip or scroll through your notes each day. It only takes a minute or two, and you needn’t read them in any detail. However, simply refreshing your mind each day — just by looking at them, however briefly — will help you in several ways:
- Reviewing your notes daily will help you remember your studies later on, including for your quizzes, essays, and final exam.
- These one- or two-minute-long reviews will also help clarify your thoughts and ideas about the readings and the course itself.
- Ideas and concepts that once seemed complicated will become clear, as if by magic.
- Plus, it’s a positive way to remember all that you’ve accomplished so far!
- In these ways, and more, brief daily reviews help you see the big picture and direction of the course, preparing you to move forward into new territory.
I highly recommend briefly reviewing your notes daily.