Literary Analysis: Sophomore Style

So my sophomores had to write dialectical journals about Things Fall Apart. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, it is when students take quotes and write about them. They can write about how the quote inspires them or makes them angry or confuses them. Basically they can write what ever they want as long as it is about the quote.

The purpose is not for them to make an argument or analysis the text but just to get them thinking about the text. Most of them end up analyzing the text as well as reflecting upon it but they don't feel like they are because it isn't in a formal setting. (you can find the assignment here)

Needless to say, I'm getting some pretty funny/awesome responses (not sarcastic at all). They were too good to pass up. I have also gotten some that made me want to cry which I have included as well. Since these are the awesome gems of my sophomores, I have titled this "Literary Analysis: Sophomore Style." Enjoy. (note: I didn't change a thing so the spelling and grammatical mistakes are my student's not mine)

• "Also, it really loved me in a bad way that Okonkwo lied to his whole family and lied to Ikefuma saying that he was going back to his family."
• "He doesn’t take crap from anyone, he’s strict and to the point"
• "In this quote Mr.Brown is trying to get people who are not educated to join school so they can read and write and become smarters."
• ^"smarters" made me stop grading for the day. I just couldn't handle it.
• "All in all, that umunna was quite the party-pooper as Okonkwo was the one who bettered the party with his words."
• "Okonkwo is a tragic hero because at the end of the movie....."
• Didn't realize we read a movie in class
• "Okonkwo has what we now a day call anger issues"
• "He seems like a deep kinda guy."
• "Okay this guy Okwonko needs to stop. We get it you’re trying to be a big man and show your in control but really? Aiming a gun at a woman shows your either afraid to stand up to a woman like a man, or your actually crazy."
• I couldn't stop laughing at this one especially at the "actually crazy" part
• "I hope in the future he actually messes up while trying to “prove a point” and goes to far and realizes how idiotic he has been."

Sometimes I really love my students.