Sorry if I’m a little slow on updating this in the next few days.  I have a very sick little baby here, and she is taking up most of my time.  I’ll try to stay as on top of things as possible.

Just a reminder to everyone that all the posts need to be in by midnight on the first day of school.  Also, please remember that you need to go beyond mere summary in your posts.  We’ve all read the book; we know what happens.  Please go beyond the plot to some sort of analysis.  

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

As is typical in a Shakespearean comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream includes a number of groups of intersecting characters.  If you had to choose, whom do you believe to be the protagonist (”main” character) of the play?  Which character do you find the most sympathetic?  The least?  Please back up your answers with specific examples from the play. 

In response to Mariah’s question, why don’t we just use the existing blog for On Writing.  Therefore, when you go to post on that book, click on the category link on the side and choose one of the existing questions.  

Whereas Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy.  By comparing and contrasting the two plays, see if you can come up with a definition of comedy as it would have been defined in Shakespeare’s time.  

Here is a question to get you started.  If you need a question on one of the other books, let me know, and I’ll get one up as soon as I can.  

Cold Mountain is another adaptation of The Odyssey for a modern audience.  What parallels between the two do you see?  Why do you think The Odyssey has been such fertile ground for adaptations?  Why do authors look back to older works for inspiration in the first place?

Okay, so I’m sure you all want to know why I haven’t posted any questions yet.  It’s because (in case you haven’t heard) the baby was born on Tuesday the second at 2:33 P.M.  Her name is Jerilyn Stephanie Dunlavey.  She is 8 pounds and 21 inches long.  Unfortunately, due to a possible bacterial infection, she is currently in the NICU at Carle until next Friday.  However, everything looks good, and it seems to be just a precaution.  I’ll try to post some pictures at a later date.  

For all future 202’s:  please leave a test post here by May 20.  That way I know who is having problems before I leave on the 22nd.  For all the new people, remember that you have to let me know when you have activated your account so that I can add you as a user on my site.  Until that happens, you will not be able to post on this site.  The confirmation emails should have gone out today.  If you did not receive one, please check your spam folder, then come find me if it still isn’t there. 

See the comments section of question #1 for the next question (I put it there because discussion had already started on this topic).  

Just a reminder, everybody.  This is still a school assignment, so don’t forget to proofread.

The freshmen need to get going.  

Now I’m going to put on my flip-flops, and I’m off to the spa.  Happy New Year!