Monday evening, December 6

Greetings...If you have not yet revised essay 1 or 2, and wish to revise essay 3, which was returned to you today, you have until next Monday to submit a revision.
I will not be on campus that day.
To submit your revision on Monday, the 13th, please attach the original graded essay to the revision and take it to the English Dept., located in Calaveras. The instructor mailboxes are there. Place it in my mailbox or ask a secretary if you cannot find it. Then...EMAIL ME AND LET ME KNOW THAT IS WHAT YOU HAVE DONE...SO I KNOW IT IS THERE. :-)
Thank you!

Thursday, December 2nd

Greetings!
A few reminders...
Quiz 5 that was distributed yesterday in class is due on Monday.
Also, here is the schedule for next week regarding oral presentations:

SECTION 15
Monday, Dec. 6
Audrey
Kristina
Allen
Charles
Holly
Amy
Farris
Chloe
Jonathan
Tyler
Josh

Wednesday, Dec. 8
Sarah
Hamlesh
Lindsay
Alex S.
Jacque :-)
Jean
Alex W.
Melquiesha
Julianne
Alaine
Luis

SECTION 17
Monday, Dec. 6
Christine
Alliene
Gretche
Michelle
Shakshi
Jazmyn
Andrew
Keely
Jared
Dane
Eric
Cassandra
Sarah
Marcos

Wednesday, Dec. 8
Megan
Anna Hanh
Antoine
Chelsea
Anne
Ryan
Danielle
Shauri
Stasha
Anthony
George

Friday, November 19

Greetings:

Below is Quiz #3, to be completed and submitted by Monday, November 29th. Typed OR handwritten. Please take up to 30 minutes only to complete.

QUIZ 3

Select a character from Breaking Bad, Season 1, and based on your observations/impressions of this character, respond to the following: What would this character list as his/her top three priorities in life...and why? Be specific. (50 points).

Wednesday, November 17

Greetings!
Just a reminder...if you want to get a rough draft of essay 3 to me, please email it to me no later than tomorrow by 9 pm.
It will be outside my office door, Calaveras 149, by 8 am on Friday.
Also, as I mentioned, I will be posting Quiz 3 here on the blog. Look for it no later than Friday. It will be due on the Monday we return from the Thanksgiving break.

Saturday, November 13

Greetings,
so far this semester, we have read about and discussed various "off shoot" topics from the first season of Breaking Bad.
These have included immigration, health care, the war on drugs and family dynamics. We also touched on the issue of honesty in relationships, particularly a marriage. This becomes an increasingly alarming issue in Breaking Bad between Walter and Skyler, between Marie and Hank and between Jessie and Walter.

I asked all three section of my 20 classes to complete a sentence:
Being honest is less about ...and more about....

Below is Reading Packet #8, which consists of a selection of those responses. Please familiarize yourself with this list and print out a copy to bring to class on Monday.

PACKET #8

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT BEING TRUTHFUL AND MORE ABOUT BEING CARING.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT SELFLESSNESS AND MORE ABOUT SELFISHNESS.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT GAINING RESPECT FROM OTHERS AND MORE ABOUT GAINING SELF RESPECT.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT BEING NICE AND MORE ABOUT TELLING THE TRUTH.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT CHEATING AND MORE ABOUT LOYALTY.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT CHARACTER AND MORE ABOUT INTEGRITY.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT WHAT YOU SAY AND MORE ABOUT HOW YOU SAY IT.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT TELLING THE PERSON EVERYTHING AND MORE ABOUT JUST TELLING THE TRUTH.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT MAKING PEOPLE FEEL BETTER AND MORE ABOUT BEING HONORABLE BY STATING WHAT IS A FACT NOT AN OPINION.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT TELLING SOMEBODY EVERYTHING BECAUSE YOU FEEL THAT YOU MUST, AND MORE ABOUT TELLING SOMEBODY SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU FEEL IT IS RIGHT.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT SHARING EVERY TRUTH AND MORE ABOUT BEING TRUTHFUL.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT FEELINGS AND MORE ABOUT REALITY.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT TELLING THE TRUTH AND MORE ABOUT BEING ABLE TO GAIN AND KEEP PEOPLE'S TRUST.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT TELLING THE TRUTH AND MORE ABOUT REVEALING HOW ONE FEELS.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT SHARING SECRETS AND MORE ABOUT BEING TRUSTWORTHY,

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT SHARING EVERYTHING AND MORE ABOUT SHARING THE IMPORTANT THINGS.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT OPENLY SHARING EVERYTHING AND MORE ABOUT YOUR VALUES.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT YOURSELF AND MORE ABOUT OTHERS.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT HURTING AND MORE ABOUT HELPING.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT WORDS AND MORE ABOUT ACTIONS.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT SAYING EVERYTHING THERE IS TO SAY AND MORE ABOUT SAYING EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT TELLING THE TRUTH AND MORE ABOUT THE REASON WHY YOU DON'T TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH.

BEING HONEST IS LESS ABOUT CONCEALING AND MORE ABOUT REVEALING.

Wednesday, November 10

Greetings, here is a copy of the assignment distributed in class today for out of class essay #3.


English 20, Sections 15 & 17
Fall 2010
Prof. Fraga

Out of Class Essay Assignment #3 (200 points)
Assigned: Wednesday, November 10
Optional Rough Draft Due: no later than Monday, November 15
Due: Wednesday, December 1st

Requirements:
• MLA format
• If you utilize any outside sources (not required) you must follow MLA format for in- text citations, Works Cited page, etc.
• Attach Character Study Journal (all 7 entries) to essay when submitting

Before we began viewing the first season of Breaking Bad, I assigned a Character Study Journal. You were to select a character to focus on more carefully than others and to record observations of him or her as the episodes unfolded.

This Character Study Journal will now be a valuable source as you write your last out of class essay for this course.

Assignment:
Write an in-depth character analysis of one of the characters in the first season of Breaking Bad. Write your essay for an audience that has NOT viewed these episodes.

Your essay must include the following:
• An introduction/description/background of your character
• Assertions about your character
• Supportive evidence from the episodes that support your assertions (how did you come to the conclusions you did regarding your character?)

Your supportive evidence might include but is not limited to:
• what others observe/say (or don’t observe/say) about your character—either directly or in private
• the actions of your character in particular situations
• the reactions/responses of your character in particular situations
• what drives this character
• what terrifies this character
• what pleases this character
• what does this character long for
• what does this character need

Your thesis must be assertive…it is YOUR opinion as a viewer of these episodes.
Whether or not you LIKE or DISLIKE this character is not an issue in this essay.
Whether you LIKE or DISLIKE the series is also not an issue in this essay. Proving to the reader that this character has the attributes (good, bad, layered, shallow) that you assert he or she has is your goal.

Your thesis might read something like this:

Once Walter learns of his terminal cancer, he seems very unstable and irresponsible; however, his behavior truly represents a very determined, focused and highly intelligent and highly moral father and husband.

or…

Marie is a very insecure and lonely woman who is unhappy and uncomfortable living in the shadows of her power-driven DEA husband and her happily married and very bright sister, Skylar.

Reminder: Keep in mind that you will be presenting the highlights of this essay to the class on either December 6 or December 8. This is not a speech class, so I do not expect you to be elaborate. Just share a brief summary of your character analysis. You are not required to do this in front of the class; you can simply sit at your desk and speak. Sign ups for this presentation will be next week.

Monday, November 1

Greetings...
Reminder: due Wednesday.
Please type at the top of your page: Musings on Immigration.
Then spend a few moments recording what comes to mind when you hear the word "immigration."
Please do not put your name on this assignment.
Any questions, please email me.
See you Wednesday.