Mr. Gibson's Lesson Plan

Objective:

• Expand student’s knowledge about slavery
• Analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature.
• Analyze a multiple interpretation of a story, drama, or poem, evaluating how each interprets the source text.

Materials: Writing Utensils, paper, laptop, Projector, Worksheets, Audio Speakers and student portfolios

Aim: How was plantation life for slaves?

Do Now: Has there ever been a time when you have been obligated to do something you did not want to do? Explain in 3-5 sentences.

Procedure:

• Students will walk into class and take a seat.
• Once the class is settled down the aim will be read to the class. Students will be copying the aim and do now with their utensil and pen/ pencil
• Teacher will ask students to answer the Do Now
• Do now will be shared out which should last about five minutes with three to five responses
• Teachers will then proceed to the Mini Lesson which will consist of PowerPoint slides on Plantation life and Harriet Jacobs as well as interact with students
• Students will be given their class activity and direction of how to complete a worksheet which will be assigned in groups which will be about twenty five minutes
• Students will share to the class approximately seven minutes before the termination of class  and then Homework will be assigned to them which will be due the next day

Mini Lesson: Plantation Life and Harriet Jacobs

Plantation Life

a)      What were the jobs slaves were assigned           

b)       How were the slaves treated  

Harriet Jacobs (a.k.a Linda Brent)

1.  Early life
2. Escaping slavery  

Class Activity: The teacher will create group of 4, by doing a head count. Students will be given a packet and lyric.  There will be 2 lyrics and each group will have a different one, then students will complete the back and share out.

Share out: Students please share out the do now question and the class activity.

Homework: Pretend you are a slave working on a plantation describing your day and how you feel about doing the work. (a well developed paragraph)  

For Natalie:  one of the teacher will be around her and explain thing as many times as she needs its, Homework explain to her , give her examples  of plantation life , slaves life ,  explain in details . Read to her the assignments and how to do them.

Ambiguity

Exactly why does Bartleby always "prefer not to"/ Why cant he make friend ,or communicate? Whats at the heart of his rebellion? Why doesn't he quit and get a different job? Why does the Boss have sympathy for Bartleby? what else in the story seems open to individual readers 'interpretation?

Bartelby always "prefer not to" because he is depressed about his life and is tired of being ordered around constantly. While reading the story, I constantly thought that Bartelby was a ghost because he was always in the office. When you're working day and night, it's very hard for a person to meet a friend or communicate to others outside of work. Bartelby doesn't quit the job because he realizes that his boss is a one of kind by letting him work and reside at the office. If Bartelby was to get a different job, he would be forced to find a place to sleep. The boss have sympathy for Bartelby because of his quiet, shy personality. The boss notices that Bartebly isn't the sociable type as his other scriveners. I believe that there isn't a specific interpretation, however a general interpretation due to the story's dull details.

Paradox

Bartleby is stubborn, self-absorbed, rebellious, and insubordinate, yet many readers, and even the narrator, the Boss himself, have a deep sympathy for him. Why?
Others?

Bartelby's lack of communicating with others, no place to stay and no one to question brings readers to sympathize him.Reading that Bartleby lived in the office and had nowhere to reside made me sympathize him. Additionally, Bartleby never says a word to anyone unless he is spoken to. This makes me feel that Bartelby is alone in the world with no friend or anyone. Along with his unsociable side , Bartelby also never asks for help. I believe that everyone need a shoulder to lean on or a person to ask for advice to or even a simple question to. However, Bartelby doesn't have anyone at all, hence the reason why I sympathize him.

Irony

The boss doesn't recognize that his own passiveness is as persistent and frustrating as Bartleby's . Or that his genteel , self- interested interest in Bartleby is leading to no good . Can you think of other ironies?


One irony that sticks to my head is the narrator's profession. As we know, the narrator (lawyer) owns a office on Wall Street. When we think of Wall Street, the first thing that comes to my mind is strict money. Wall Street is like a casino, the only thing different is that people gamble their life savings to make more. With that being said, Wall Street should be a strict atomsphere. In the story, we're aware that the narrator moves his office location because Bartelby refuses to leave. For the narrator to just get up and leave just because of Bartlbey's refusal trigger my thoughts. 

Plot

What background information does the narrator relate that gives us a greater understanding of the events unfolding?
Why does the information about Bartleby's previous employment come at the end of the story rather than at the beginning?
Complication-
How does the Boss react when Bartleby repeatedly refuses to perform his duties? How does his reaction intensify? What is the Boss's dilemma?

Climax-Where do you feel the events reach their pinnacle? Where is the conflict most intense, the clash most "explosive"?

Resolution-What's the outcome of the explosion? 
Epiphany-who has gained insight in this story, Bartleby or the Boss, or anybody?


In Bartelby the Scrivener, the narrator (lawyer) gives us information on his office. The office is located on Wall Street. The lawyer describes his employees and Bartleby's arrival to the office.By given this information, we the readers have a clue of what the story is about. I beleive that Bartelby's previous emplyment comes at the end of the story because, the author wanted to make the short story suspenseful. If the author mentioned Bartelby's previous occupation in the beginning of the story, readers wouldn't find the story as interesting because there would be nothing to look foward to.Throughout the story, Bartleby refuses to do any type of work other than copying papers. Every time Bartleby says his infamous line "I prefer not to" , it shocks the boss because no one ever declined him before. At one point in the story, the lawyer questions whether or not he's wrong for asking Bartelby to do anything. However after consulting the other scriveners, the lawyer notices he's done nothing wrong.. One day after being fed up with Bartelby's "I prefer not to", the boss finally asks why he does prefers not to do any work. As Bartelby stays silent, the lawyer just accept him. I believe that the lawyer's dilemma is that he wants to terminate Bartleby due to his poor work ethic. On the other hand,, the boss admires Bartelby's personality and doesn't have the guts to terminate him.. I believe the climax of the story is when the lawyer asks Bartleby to pack his possesions and leave the office, but Bartleby refuses. By doing this forced the boss to pack up and move his office, all because of Bartleby. As a result, the lawyer loses sympathy for Bartelby. The outcome of this explosion is that the boss leaves Bartleby in his office and moves his business elsewhere.I don't believe that anyone gained insight, however I think that the boss gave up on Bartleby,.

Theme

Does the story leave you thinking anything ? feeling anything? what do you make out of it all? passive , aggressive people are difficult to accommodate, difficult to ignore. Passive resistance is a radical form of rebellion. Offices , where Americans spend the greater part of their lives , are not democracies . have a life outside work! don't expect your occupation to bear the burden of your existence. what other ideas does the story suggest to you?

Bartelby the Scrivener left me in a vex state of mind for two reasons. For one, I strongly disliked the Bartelby's infamous line "I prefer not to". Additionally, I hated the ending of the story (Bartelby's death). Although I disliked Bartelby's infamous line, I must admit that his line brought suspense and amusement to the story.Also, the story is a hidden message to reveal that day to day citizens bring their jobs to home. The boss stressed his want for Bartelby to get tasks accomplished by offering him food in jail, another job and even inviting him to his house. This short story is most definitely hard to interpret. With little details and boring, vague words, the story seems boring at first. However when you get the feeling of the story, you experince its meaningful theme.

Point of View

Who tells the story? - the first person narrator, who is flawed but human…He's reliable, we trust him. His actions definitely support what he tells us about himself; especially the part about being a man who likes to take the "easy" way. What else is gained by telling this story from the Boss's perspective? Why not Bartleby's perspective? Why not one of the other clerks?


Bartelby the Scrivener is written in first person point of view by the narrator (lawyer). As said in the question, the lawyer's actions really does support everything he tells us. For instance in the story, the lawyer shows his sympathetic side by protecting Bartelby and letting him work independently in the office so no one could abuse him. It's beneficial to have the story told in first person point of view because it lets us readers engage in the feelings of the protagonist (lawyer). I believe Bartelby's point of view would be better because, us eager readers would finally know why Bartelby says his infamous line "I prefer not to". I believe that by having the story told in major characters point of view make the tone of the story mature and humorous.The two major characters Bartelby and the lawyer are both mature adults. However, the minor characters are immature adults and would make the story less amusing.