Tonight, write out your basic thesis statement and supporting ideas.  We will give one another advice on arrangement and flow of ideas tomorrow in class.

Quick reminders:

If you have chosen to re-write the essay from last Friday, the last day to turn it in is Monday, Sept 8th.

If you have not finished About a Boy, try to knock it out this weekend.  We will be writing over themes from John Donne’s "Meditation #17" and Simon and Garfunkel’s "I am a Rock" on Wednesday, specifically as applied to About a Boy.  We discussed these in class, but it would be a good idea to go over them once again (find Donne’s work here, Google "I am a Rock lyrics" for the song) before you finish the novel.  As you read and journal on About a Boy, it might be helpful to keep these questions in mind:

• Is "Meditation #17" reflected in the creation of the extended family at the end?
• Donne says "No man is an island," while S&G state "I am an island."  Do you see any characters in About a Boy thinking either way?  Does the character change his or her mind?
• In your reading of Donne’s writing, do you think he believes we have a choice to disconnect ourselves from everyone (like Will and Fiona do in the beginning), or are we able to create our own "island" like S&G try to do?  What does this mean for the characters?

Remember, these are just possible interpretations.  If you have other ideas or feel like you can support other interpretations, please do so.  Your essay will take the form of an answer to one of these questions.  Convince your reader that your interpretation is a solid one by using support (quotations) from all texts you choose to include.

If you have any questions about either last week’s or next week’s essay, please post a comment below or send me an email.

Enjoy your weekend.  Read outside!