Tuesday, December 10th--7:20 pm

Greetings,

I want to give all of you some alternatives to checking your grade sheet against the grade sheet I have kept for you during the semester.

If you can drop by my office tomorrow at any of the times below, INSTEAD of coming to class, that would be fine!

10:00-10:50 am

12:00 - 1:25 pm

My office is Calaveras 149

ALSO,
the dept. mail room is located in Calaveras 105. This is just in case you plan on submitting a revision. Refer to the previous blog about how to submit a revision.

Sunday, December 8th--7:45 pm

Greetings,

I am just finishing up the scoring of your out of class essay #3.
I must say, SO many of these essays have had me cheering all weekend.
The depth of analysis work and the very articulate and sophisticated writing from many of these essays is truly remarkable.

I will be returning these essays in class tomorrow.

Wednesday will be our last class session of the semester. On this last day, you will be comparing the scores on your grade sheet to the scores  I have recorded on the grade sheet I kept for you. I have over 150 students and it is possible that I have made an error on the grade sheet. So.....
on Wednesday, please bring the following to class:
1. Your grade sheet, filled out
2. All graded work I have returned to you

ALSO....
about revisions...

1. If you have revised out of class essay 1 or 2, and wish to do an additional  revision of that same essay, that revision is due no later than Friday, December 20th. It must be submitted to my English department mail box in Calaveras 105 AND you must email me when you have placed it there. I will then let you  know that I have picked it up.

2. If you have NOT yet revised either out of class essay 1 or 2, and you wish to revise out of class essay 3, it is due no later than Friday, December 20th. t must be submitted to my English department mail box in Calaveras 105, AND you must email me when you have placed it there. I will then let you  know that I have picked it up.

REMINDER--please follow the guidelines for submitting a revision that can be found on the syllabus. (This includes highlighting the changes on the newest revised copy.

Wednesday, November 27th, 2013--10 am

Greetings,

Here is the assignment for Packet 8. It was originally assigned for Monday this week, but obviously we did not meet. It is due to be read/viewed by Monday, December 2nd.

Packet #8 Assignment (one article and one video):

http://www.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/04/19/human-trafficking-mixing-up-views-on-immigration-to-the-united-states/

http://www.ted.com/talks/sunitha_krishnan_tedindia.html

ALSO,
please enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving and be safe.

AND...
IF YOU SUBMITTED A ROUGH DRAFT FOR ESSAY 3 VIA EMAIL, I AM STILL WORKING ON THEM! YOU WILL RECEIVE IT BACK SOMETIME TODAY. :)

Sunday evening, November 24th, 2013--7 pm

Greetings,

I will post again tomorrow, but I wanted to remind you of something to keep in mind as you are working on out of class essay #3.

Remember, as much as possible and logical, you want to write in present tense.

For example:

When Walt takes the talking pillow, he states that for once he wants to be in control of his life.

REMINDER--
We are not meeting for class this week at all.

Monday, November 18, 2013--9 pm

Hello,

a few things:

1. A re-cap of the immigration assignment due on Wednesday
--must be typed
--no name or section number anywhere on assignment
--title the assignment: Musings on Immigration
--brainstorm and record what comes to your mind when you think of the word "immigration"
--there is no length or format requirements
--this counts for 25 of the 50 points for Group Ex. 4
--there will be a sign-up sheet on the front table on Wednesday. Please be sure you sign that sheet when you hand the assignment in.

2. Wednesday will also be our last In Class Writing Response for the semester.

3. Reminder: optional rough drafts for out of class essay 2 are due no later than midnight on Monday, November 25th. You may, of course, submit it earlier if you wish. Please email it to me as a Word document.

4. About the sample student writing that we read and discussed in class today. Please do not worry if there was a quote or support that appeared in one of the samples that you had planned to utilize in YOUR essay #3. Go ahead and use it! No worries.

5. Over the years, I have attempted to hold class on both the Monday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week. In the beginning I was quite successful in at least holding class, with most students attending, on Monday. However, attendance gradually lessened. Consequently, there will be no class sessions held next week AT ALL. Both Monday and Wednesday classes are cancelled. I realize that all professors do not share my opinion, so I know you may have to attend OTHER classes on those days.

Sunday, November 17th--SECOND POSTING OF THE WEEKEND--7:40 pm

Hello,

I have decided that I will make copies of all the other handouts we will discuss tomorrow in class.
Just be sure to print out the one essay from Saturday's posting.

Also, reminder...
If you are planning to revise out of class essay #2, the first revision is due this Wednesday, November 20th.

See you tomorrow!

Saturday, November 16, 2013--8:30 pm (One of Two Weekend Postings)

Good evening! Below you will find a sample student response for out of class essay #3. Please print out a hard copy and bring to class on Monday. I realize that some of you can access this from an electronic device in class, but this time, please print out a copy. This is the first posting for the weekend. Please check back tomorrow for the second one! :)

The Dichotomous “Cancer Man”

         As soon as the pants “go flying” in the first scene of Breaking Bad, the symbolism begins. Representative of the main character Walt – how he “doesn't wear the pants” and conversely, how “the pants come off,” we are introduced right away to strong themes of dichotomy and transition. Outside of the obviously phenomenal writing and intelligent use of symbolism, the depth and complexity of the characters are also a huge part of what keeps the audience engaged. Walter Sr's character especially, is a perfect example of why people can't get enough; richly developed and contradictory, Walt's multifaceted character cleverly travels between two very dichotomous worlds. In one, he is a seemingly submissive “cancer man” and in another he is a “bad ass” maker of meth.

      When viewers are introduced to Walter Heartwell White Senior for the first time, he plays a mild-mannered chemistry professor who never really stands his ground. Some might even call him a “pussy.” By the time the season ends, however, he has made an “explosive” transition into the drug world and has done some very immoral, very illegal things. To name but a few, he kills Emilio and Crazy Eight; blows up “KEN WINS'” car; makes and sells some of the best crystal meth in all of New Mexico, and destroys Tuco's headquarters. This crazy dichotomy - living as a science professor in one world, only to be blowing something up in the drug world - is also what makes his particular character so enjoyable to watch. Describing himself best when talking passionately about the “study of change,” Walt says, “It is growth, then decay; then transformation.” He really couldn't have said it better.

Walt's start, as the submissive “cancer man” is best seen and understood in the relationship that he has with his wife Skylar. The routine always seems to be him following her lead. On his 50^th

birthday for example, Walt starts his day out by eating her terrible veggie bacon, he is then reprimanded for using the family credit card to buy printer paper, and later on, he reluctantly receives a hand job from her - while she talks casually about Ebay and painting. It's obvious from one scene alone that Skylar “wears the pants” in the relationship. Further supportive of this, is the symbolism used when hanging Walter's pants outside the RV: even when he is thoroughly involved in making meth, he's still “not wearing the pants.”

     The theme of timidness with Walt, while it is probably most evident with Skylar, continues outside of his family life as well. With his job at the car wash for instance, when he takes orders from his boss and is humiliated by snobby students; and also at school, when he says nothing to the boy who drags his chair loudly across the room. Walt even allows Hank to take his beer during his birthday party and allows him also to turn on the interview he was in, on the television. Time and time again, Walt bites his tongue in submission.

     On the flip side, it is obvious in so many scenes that biting his tongue is difficult for him and that he is dying inside (pun intended) to speak up for himself. Ironically, it's only after he falls at work and is officially diagnosed with lung cancer, that we see him transform and essentially “grow some balls.” A scene reflective of this, is Walter quitting his second job at the car wash: shaking with aggression, and knocking product off the wall, he grabs his crotch aggressively and yells, “wipe down this!”

Unfortunately bravado is not equal to (having) street smarts, and while Walt has more gall than he's had before, he is still a “brilliant idiot.” Coercing Jesse into cooking is a perfect example of Walt being brilliant, but stupid  – Walt may know the chemistry inside and out but he is not familiar with the drug scene or what it takes to sell the meth. This is where Walt gets himself into his first bit of trouble; when he jumps in without thinking through the consequences. Blackmailing Jesse, stealing lab equipment or secretly cashing out his savings for a RV could be interpreted as a dying man's desperation. And while that is surely part of the dynamic, another side is simply that Walter is an idiot – regardless of him being brilliant in the world of chemistry, he is (still) an uneducated “white boy” in the world of drugs. Jesse in fact calls Walt out on this/his “straightness,” asking him “why now?” and he simply says “I am awake.” He might be awake to the possible gains of selling meth, but he is not awake to the consequences and is still a brilliant man with a stupid idea. Also along these lines – and another prime example of Walt being a brilliant idiot – is the “ski mask” scene. When Jesse explains to Walt how hard getting psuedo is, Walter simply comes up with a different recipe: this reflects his intelligence. The way he gets his hands on the new ingredients though, reflects his ignorance. Also, what burglars wear knitted ski masks with pom-poms on top?!

      Despite Walt's ignorant impulsiveness regarding the drug world or the fire in his belly,  he remains a compassionate man. The very best example of this is when Walt cares for Crazy Eight in the basement.  After a lot of “debate” on what weapon to use, Walt walks down to the basement with a yellow shopping bag. All Domingo needs to do to derail Walt's murderous intentions is ask for water; not only does Walter bring him water, but he brings him 2 gallons of it, a sandwich, a bucket, toilet paper and finally, hand sanitizer – obviously, he is having a difficult time killing him. Truth is, Walt really wants any reason to not kill him. In the next scene they are talking – about family - he takes pity on Crazy Eight and instead of “taking care of business” Walter makes him another sandwich, even taking the time to cut off the crusts. It's almost like it's hard for him not to be compassionate. In the end of it all, when he realizes that Domingo has the plate shard, Walt is so upset that he cries - He wanted so terribly to let him live; Domingo sums it up well when he says to Walt: “this line of work doesn't suit you.”

A similar situation that shows Walt in a compassionate light (yet at the same time dynamic and “bad ass”) is when he blows up Tuco's headquarters. After Walt convinced Jesse to push

meth on Tuco and Jesse ends up in the hospital, Walter is really upset. He feels guilty for pushing Jesse

into the situation, and ends up going to Tuco to get revenge for Jesse's injuries and retrieve his stolen money. The writers are really creative with this scene; Walter starts the episode talking about explosions, “The faster they undergo change, the more violent the explosion.” He then ends the episode having blown up the drug lord's headquarters, with, what he started off talking about – Fulminated mercury - “a little tweak of chemistry.” 

     Speaking of science, let us not forget Walt as a teacher. Always a scientist and professor, it almost seems natural that he take every chance he can to educate others. The bath tub scene is the epitome of Walt as a teacher and scientist as he uses that moment, not to bark, scream, or freak out, but to (albeit condescendingly) “teach” Jesse about acids and plastics: “..I'm sorry. What were you asking me? Oh, yes - that stupid plastic container I asked you to buy – you see, hydrofluoric acid won't eat through plastic. It will, however, dissolve metal, rock, glass, ceramic. So there's that.”

     Humor aside, Walter is, by far the most intriguing and multifaceted character on Breaking Bad. Even when he is a “bad ass” he can turn around and be a family man and when it boils down to it, everything revolves around them. Family is why Walt wants so desperately to make money and also why he takes the risks he does. For him, all things essentially lead back to his family. A good example of how Walt is always thinking about his family is his video to them, in the pilot. The fact that Walt is in the desert, in his underwear, cooking meth to make money for his family, shows right off the bat his love for them. One could even argue that Walt should probably be more interested in the sirens coming his way, or the lethal gas that is probably sneaking out from the RV, but instead he fumbles with the recorder to send his family one last message.

     Further more on the subject of family, is the Walter that protects. When Walt Jr. is teased at the thrift store, Walt is seething and walks off. We suspect that he is literally walking away from everything but then he comes back unexpectedly and ends up kicking the boy to the floor. Skylar and Walt Jr. are 

surprised, because the behavior seems so foreign – but really, it's just one of many faces that make up

 Walt Sr.

     It is hard to argue that Walt is anything less than an amazingly well developed character. One of the most memorable scenes that reflects all the complexity that is Walter and all the underlying symbolism and word-play that is Breaking Bad, is Walter's flashback when he is cleaning up the “bath-tub goo.” In it, we see him discussing with Gretchen all the molecules that constitute life and Walter says, “There's got to be more to a human being, than that.” Then, when they are left with a .111958 remainder Gretchen responds that it can only be the soul... Over and over again, as he sloshes through thick, red, slimy remains his mind goes back to that moment with Gretchen at the chalk board. It's as if he skipped over the part where he worries about getting caught, the hole in the ceiling, or the remnants of Emilio. Instead, he is thinking about science and debating existence. This snippet shows so many things about Walter; how he is intelligent, but naive; contemplative, but mindless: it shows that there is so much more to him.

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