They Do Not Move: April 19, 2019

Focus: What does the ending reveal about the themes of Beckett's play?

1. Warming up by stumbling through the dark with Emily Dickinson

• Using Tuesday's method to break down the metaphor

• Comparing the speaker's approach to  E & V's approach in Waiting for Godot

2. Finishing Waiting for Godot

3. Wrapping up: Composing your Big Question Blog on Waiting for Godot

• Close reading: Which details on the final page seem the most important? Why might they be significant?

• Framework: Look back to the first page (my favorite trick). Has anything shifted? What does comparing the first and final pages reveal about the play's themes?

• Title / Themes / Tone: Revisit the title. What is the nature of waiting in this play? Why are they waiting for Godot (what are they hoping for)? Why doesn't Beckett allow Godot to show up? What does this play suggest about human existence?

HW:

1. MONDAY: If you are absent today (Friday), you will need to finish reading and annotating Waiting for Godot on your own over the weekend.

2. TUESDAY: We will have our final timed writing of the year!

3. THURSDAY: Final drafts of culminating essays are due.

4. FRIDAY: Waiting for Godot Big Question Blog due.