Women Writers

We have only read two women writers so far: Barbara Kingsolver for The Bean Trees and now Edith Wharton with Ethan Frome. Are women writers any different from men? Do they choose different topics? Do they have different writing styles? Do you prefer to read stories by men or women? Does it matter if a book is by a man or a woman?

For a lot of these I'll give the same answer: It all depends on the time and place the woman was writing the book. For example someone writing in the 1800s would write something completely different from someone on the 1900s. Why would it matter if a book is by a man or woman? That's a weird question.

Five Facts: Edith Wharton

* The saying "Keeping up with the Joneses" is said to refer to the family of her father.

* Wrote at least 85 short stories, and was also a highly regarded landscape architect, interior designer, and taste-maker of her time.

* First woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature in 1921.

* The Beinecke Library at Yale University houses the Edith Wharton collection, which has some 50,000 items, consisting of letters, manuscripts, photographs, and miscellaneous personal items of hers. (Creeeeeepy.)

* Wharton continued writing until her death.

Seattle 1999

What is the WTO? In the movie This is What Democracy Looks Like, what are they protesting about the WTO?

The WTO is the World Trade Organization. They're protesting about bad working conditions and low wages that the workers are getting. Blah, blah, blah. David Bowie, David Bowie, David Bowie.

Yeah.

A Day Without Technology

To start off, we have all already failed. Everything is technology. Even a simple spear or cereal bowl is technology. Let me clarify this for you. If it was made by man to benefit others - it's technology. If someone thought it up and went through the process of making said object - it is technology.

Thoreau's View of Technology

Refer back to page 36 in the play. What is Thoreau's view of technology? Do you agree or disagree with him? What are the advantages and disadvantages of technology? What technology do you use every day? Could you go without technology for a day?

He doesn't approve of the technology that ravages the natural beauty of the land. I'm not too sure what side to take myself. On one hand, he's right. And on the other he's wrong. He's right in the sense that we need to be more careful and take care of the environment, of the Earth. But we also have to make progress in the world. It's changing everyday and new things are being invented. Advantages? Faster transportation and communication. Disadvantages? Making us lazier and some may damage the environment. I personally use my laptop and play video games everyday. Go without my laptop? Hell. No. I have computer programming and their is no way I'm falling behind in that class. Not even for some stupid experiment.

Podcast About Thoreau

1. What is the host's view of Thoreau?

He felt that his writings often put America on trial by asking the uncomfortable questions, but has also not had the impact he deserves.

2. What is Kathryn Todd's view of Thoreau?

She regards his work as important American Literature, but also feels that Thoreau was blind in many ways. And that he seems to not care at all for a "community".

3. What are the advantages of living your life like Thoreau?

-examine who you are as a culture

4. What are the disadvantages?

-Anti Community

-ostracized from people

Civil Disobedience

What actions by the government are you against? What is the best way to change these actions? Can you use any of the ideas of Martin Luther King Jr. or Henry David Thoreau?

Um, I'm not really sure where to start on this one. But, well, let's start on an easy topic shall we? Censorship is as good a place as any to start. Ways to change? Well of course resisting and spreading the word anyway else you can. Blah blah blah. Disobeying stuff you don't believe in? Well, again resist. It's really as simple as that. You don't have to go and do something big all the time. Sometimes its the little things that make a bigger impact.