Draft Day, Playoffs.

I mentioned my fingers being frozen on my essay- they’ve also been frozen on this blog. I haven’t written anywhere near as much as I should have up to this point. I wonder if perhaps this is a result of the general workload I have. It isn’t that, since last quarter was much worse. Perhaps, then, it’s that of my classes this quarter almost all my time is taken by reading, and writing. Not that I would expect car chases or epic battle-royals to be part of the curriculum, but out of English, Literature, and Speech, my primary type of homework is read literature, analyze, write on literature. But then again, perhaps it’s just that after two quarters of blogging, I’m taking it for granted. Who knows.

“The Secret Sharer.” It served me a reminder that writing essays all in one night is a bad thing. Especially all on Draft Day. (Go Go Cedric Benson) Doable, but it’ll take years off your life if you keep it up. I also know that I didn’t prepare my sources – and I had plenty – or utilize enough in the paper. Each was cited once, both providing some pithy insight or note, but none really supplying any high-value thesis about “Secret Sharer.” In preparing for the final paper, I’ll have to read more into my sources, determine their theses, and more completely integrate them into my paper.

This situation also has an unforeseen benefit, in that it puts me a Leg-gatt up putting on a group presentation this Friday. (Get it? GET IT? Leg-gatt? Leg up? HAW HAW! I’m the funniest man alive!!1!) The group presentation will be the first discussion of “The Secret Sharer” in class, which is an important consideration. It will be necessary to start at the top, the outermost layer of the story—spend a few minutes handling the plot, characters, setting. Next move on to internal mechanics, simile, symbol, motif, other elements. Lastly take those elements and attempt to plumb from then some various interpretations of the story’s greater meaning, thesis, or theme.