Wednesday, 10/22/14: Chester-Belloc

Open
  • Grammar
    • "In this mowing should be like ones' prayers(?) all of a sort and always the same(?) and so made that you can establish a monahtony and work them(?) as it were(?) with half your mind(?) that happyer half (?) the half that does not bother."
  • Quiz change (now on Tuesday)

* "A Piece of Chalk"
  • G. K. Chesterton (1874--1936) is staying at a house (perhaps a friend's?) in the country and decides to go out on the downs (rolling grass hills) to draw.  
  • He has a few chalks but needs to get some paper.  He likes to use brown paper for chalk drawings. 
  • He informs the reader that he is not going out to draw "Nature," which was the common thing to do in that day.  
    • Chesterton breaks off onto an idea that though ancient poets might not have described nature as some do closer to his day, it is not because they were less blessed by it.  In fact, they probably drank it in more deeply in times past.
  • He realizes he has no white chalk.  
    • The color white causes Chesterton to meditate on things many people assume to be blank, void, neutral, unimportant, or dull.  Some people see the color white, sexual purity, and virtue in general as falling into this dull zone.  Chesterton knows otherwise. 
    • Chesterton recalls his location, and all is well.  
  • Journal 11: Atmosphere and Tone
    • Atmosphere
      • What feelings communicate to you?  Is this a scary environment?  A safe environment?  A jovial environment?  Is this a dull world of walking and chalk?  A wonderful world of walking and chalk? A deadly world or walking and chalk?
    • Tone
      • What is Chesterton's attitude toward brown paper?  Nature?  The color white?  White chalk?  England, generally?
      • How does Chesterton seem to view the reader?  Does he seem to be an intellectually superior Brit?  Does he seem timid?  Does he seem frank?  Do you picture him smiling or scowling or laughing or sneering or blankly staring? 
  • Discussion:  
    • Compare notes
    • Let's discuss
  * "The Wing of Dalua" by Hilaire Belloc.

 HW: Finish reading the story by Belloc for tomorrow

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