Non-Fiction+and+Autobiography-+John,+Rory,+Sam

Notes

1st task- What we're reading and why John- Lone Survivor- Because the story sounded interesting. Sam- All but my life- About the holocaust and it interests her. Rory-Into Thin Air- Worst accident on Mount Everest and its interests me.

2nd task-Compile notes on the genre

Non- Fiction Autobiographies--> Imagery, cool vivid words, allusions, use of dialogue, plot structure, grammar is correct, metaphors. Correct Grammar Theme- how you have changed as you grow older Allusions- Connections to other works Similes POV-1st Plot Structure- Flashback, exposition Personification

3rd task- Questions or topics about Genre

What makes an author write about themselves rather than make a novel about what happened?

How can you make an autobiography interesting if its just regular life? How do you make non fiction exciting?

Were the authors of the book successful in imparting what they wanted in the reader?

How do authors write the beginning of this genre? - Starts in the aftermath, after everything has happened - flashes forward - flash backs - small hints given about the future

Answer something you all wanted to know - We all want to know how our characters survived, and how everyone else died - Why authors write autobiographies - they write autobiographies because it allows for them to write in a more personal way, and to also write in honor of the other people in the story who passed away. They don't think novels are a good way to explain what happened, and they don't do justice to the people or the events that happened. usually traumatic events that need to be told by someone who had been there and went through these experiences.

Identify and discuss 2 master techniques that you see in all of your works - foreshadowing is in all our books - " Later- after six bodies had been located, after a search for two others had been abandoned, after surgeons had amputated the gangrenous right hand of my teammate Beck Weathers - people would as why, if the weather had begun to deteriorate, had climbers on the upper mountain not heeded the sings..." - Rory's book - many examples in the beginning of the book, good way to hook the reader -"There would be the familiar devastated sadness, the kind of pain that wells up when young men are cute down in their prime. The same hollow feeling in each of the homes. The same uncontrollable tears. The same feeling of desolation, of brave people..." John's book - Main character mentions the all her last times in the beginning of the book, like that was the last time i saw his face, or the last time i was able to sleep in my own bed. sam's book

Characterization - all our books have very in depth characterization. this helps shows how close characters are to each other, and how meaningful their relationships are. - " then there was my best friend, Lieutenant Micheal Patrick Murphy, also not yet thirty, an honors graduate from Penn State, a hockey player, accepted by several law schools before he turned the rudder hard over and changed course for the United States Navy. Mikey was an inveterate reader. his favorite book was Steve Pressfield's Gates of Fired, the story of the immortal stand of the Spartans at Thermoplyae." - John's book

- why do authors uses these techniques? - all good ways to keep the reader interested, and to create a hook for the reader. This is especially needed in nonfiction because it can get boring easily, but by fallowing these techniques it keeps the reader interested.

- Footnotes - used to provide the reader with background information - in depth background information - this helps the reader better understand whats going on - Plot structure - having a long beginning had helped support the middle/ climax of the book. It built up relationships and feelings that would later be important.

How does the middle of this genre work? - the author only gives just enough for the reader to know kind of what happens. - Not really a climax, because reader knows already that the author lived through the experience. Also hard to not give away the climax of the book in the beginning to get the readers interest, and hard to make it as dramatic like in novels.

What master techniques are becoming most important and why? Male sure you have examples. - foreshadowing, because it prepares the reader for what is going to happen. Tips the reader off, it is real and not made up.because its real, you can make guesses through the foreshadowing. " So it came to pass that at 4:45 am on Saturday, April 13, I found myself at the food of the fabled ice-fall, strapping on my crampons in the frigid predawn gloom. Crusty old alpines who've survived a lifetime of close scrapes like to counsel young proteges that staying alive hinges on listening carefully to one's "inner voice." Tales abound of one or another climber who decided to remain in his or her sleeping bag after detecting some inauspicious vibe in the ether and there by survived a catastrophe that wiped out others who failed to heed the portents. I didn't doubt the potential value of paying attention to subconscious cues. As i waited for Rob to lead the way, the ice underfoot emitted a series of loud cracking noises, like small trees being snapped in two, and i felt myself wince with each pop and rumble from the glacier's shifting depths. Problem was screaming that i was about to die, but it did that almost every time i laced up my climbing boots. I therefore did my damnedest to ignore my histrionic imagination and grimly followed Rob into the eerie blue labyrinth."

- Characterization, When the author shows her relationships shes made with others in the camps, and how they end and begin makes the story much more interesting. "A week later the tubercular girls departed. There was on among them whom i had gotten to know fairly well. I went to see her before she left. We embraced, there was nothing to say. What does one say to someone who knows that in a few days she won't be alive any more?"

How do authors end this genre?

John- yours ends with a reflective resolution, its sad but it works out.

Sam- She gets rescued but its a sad ending everyone dies but in the end she married.

Rory- He tries that he remembering the deaths and the climbers that were with him on the mountain. But others don't think so. All have aftermaths, all are very different in their endings.

- authors end this genre on a reflective note, it can still be a happy or sad ending. The only difference is that they try to wrap things up more personally and go further in depth to how they felt after the conflict of the story.

What are the most important master techniques?

Plot structure, foreshadowing, effective conclusion, hook. Point of view, Characterization, Imagery.

- Foreshadowing seems to be one of the most important master techniques. It had played a large roll in both the beginning, middle, and end. Having foreshadowing in nonfiction is an effective tool in having a interesting nonfiction book. Its a simple check authors can use to keep their readers attention throughout the story. "It is often said that it is best that we cannot know the future, but this case was an exception. About two years later, when I was working in Munich, I was in the German Museum looking through some lists of refugees that were published there daily, when i heard a gay voice call to me. As she came closer, I remember our farewell in Grunberg before she had left for Aushwitz.

What are the key differences within the genre as seen between the different works you each read?

More backstory in johns book than anyone else.

- maybe how each novel concludes and what each author tries to focus on? - maybe all authors used different mast techniques, and how they used them? - maybe amount of time between when the novel was written and when the even happened?

4th Task- Monday, May 2: Literary analysis essay. //Homework:// 1. First draft of analysis essay due; 2. Don’t forget your conference time.

Tuesday, May 3: **Check first drafts.** Introduce choice reading assignment. //Homework:// 1. Choose your choice reading and have it with you in class Thursday; 2. Final analysis essay due Friday; 3. Don’t forget your conference time.

Wednesday, May 4: Our final grammar day … //Homework:// 1. Choose your choice reading and have it with you in class tomorrow; 2. Final analysis essay due Friday; 3. Don’t forget your conference time.

Thursday, May 5: Begin genre literature circles. Review our year of genres. //Homework:// 1. Final theme essay due tomorrow – it must be printed out when you come to class or it will be late (don’t lose those silly points …); 2. Remember to upload your essay to TurnItIn as well; ** 3. First genre reading due Monday – __.__ **

__ Friday, May 6: **Collect theme essays.** Introduce final portfolios. __ __ //Homework:// __ __ 1. First genre reading due Monday; __ __ 2. For Tuesday, choose the pieces you wish to include in your portfolio and decide if you need to scan any. __ __ Bring your choice genre book. __

__ Monday, May 9: Genre literature circles. __ __ //Homework:// __ __ 1. Choose the pieces you wish to include in your portfolio and scan any paper ones you wish to include; __ __ ** 2. Second genre reading due Thursday – ** __**__.__**

__ Tuesday, May 10: No class __

__ Wednesday, May 11 **Check chosen pieces.** Portfolio workday. __ __ //Homework:// __ __ 1. Second genre reading due; __ __ 2. Rewritten piece for your portfolio due Friday. __

__ Thursday, May 12: Genre literature circles – start writing your test __ __ //Homework:// __ __ 1. Rewritten piece due tomorrow; __ __ ** 2. Final genre reading due Tuesday – ** __**.**

Friday, May 13: **Rewritten sections due.** Portfolio workday. //Homework:// 1. Final genre reading due Tuesday; 2. Work on your portfolio (starting your reflective letter would be a good idea).

Monday, May 16: The Perch

Tuesday, May 17: Genre literature circles – finish writing your test! //Homework:// Portfolios due Friday – no exceptions.

Wednesday, May 18: Final portfolio workday. //Homework:// Portfolio due Friday – no exceptions.

Thursday, May 19: Final day of genre literature circles – study for your test! //Homework:// 1. Portfolio due; 2. Study for your genre test on Monday.

Friday, May 20: **Collect portfolios.** Review for final exam. //Homework:// 1. Study for Monday’s genre test; 2. Start studying for your final exam – the genre test is part of your exam studying too.

Monday, May 23: **Genre test.** //Homework:// Study for your final exam! (Do you want to bring food for our final day and make it a party? If so, yea!)

Tuesday, May 24: No class Wednesday, May 25: Your last day of Introduction to Genres //Homework:// Study for your final exam – do not forget to complete your exam preparation and have it ready for the exam day.

Thursday, May 26: Optional attendance day

Friday, May 27: **Introduction to Genres Final Exam**