Thursday, March 17, 2011

En 11: Notes from Thursday, 17 March

Well, I guess you guys have the luck of the Irish, because by the time I discussed ways to approach your learning in general and your writing in specific and then outlined strategies to start your essay, the class was over.  We did have the chance to look at Khoya's thesis statement and then I gave an example of how to begin a paragraph discussing the literal application of the garrison mentality.

After class, Liz asked me to expand on the g.m. further.  I said that just because the g.m. may exist in Canadian literature does not mean that other people in other cultures can't also feel isolated.  Nor does it mean that all Canadians in every piece of literature have this fear.  All it suggests is that because of who we are and how we got here, and because of where we live, we Canadians often exhibit this phenomenon.  Does that mean that a Russian could feel it - yes.  Does it mean that Russians feel it - maybe.  In other words, our having it does not preclude other cultures from also having it. 

Finally, you'll note that I have added an observation that James Gray (who studied this topic last year) made when he saw our notes on the board.  I found it very interesting.  Does it support the g.m. for the digital genration?

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