The Great Depression

The Great Depression was an economic slump in North America, Europe, and other industrialized areas of the world that began in 1929 and lasted until about 1939. It was the longest and most severe depression ever experienced by the industrialized Western world.

Though the U.S. economy had gone into depression six months earlier, the Great Depression may be said to have begun with a catastrophic collapse of stock-market prices on the New York Stock Exchange in October 1929. During the next three years stock prices in the United States continued to fall, until by late 1932 they had dropped to only about 20 percent of their value in 1929. Besides ruining many thousands of individual investors, this precipitous decline in the value of assets greatly strained banks and other financial institutions, particularly those holding stocks in their portfolios. Many banks were consequently forced into insolvency; by 1933, 11,000 of the United States' 25,000 banks had failed. The failure of so many banks, combined with a general and nationwide loss of confidence in the economy, led to much-reduced levels of spending and demand and hence of production, thus aggravating the downward spiral. The result was drastically falling output and drastically rising unemployment; by 1932, U.S. manufacturing output had fallen to 54 percent of its 1929 level, and unemployment had risen to between 12 and 15 million workers, or 25-30 percent of the work force.

The Great Depression began in the United States but quickly turned into a worldwide economic slump owing to the special and intimate relationships that had been forged between the United States and European economies after World War I. The United States had emerged from the war as the major creditor and financier of postwar Europe, whose national economies had been greatly weakened by the war itself, by war debts, and, in the case of Germany and other defeated nations, by the need to pay war reparations. So once the American economy slumped and the flow of American investment credits to Europe dried up, prosperity tended to collapse there as well. The Depression hit hardest those nations that were most deeply indebted to the United States, i.e., Germany and Great Britain. In Germany, unemployment rose sharply beginning in late 1929, and by early 1932 it had reached 6 million workers, or 25 percent of the work force. Britain was less severely affected, but its industrial and export sectors remained seriously depressed until World War II. Many other countries had been affected by the slump by 1931.


More about it: here & here

World War II

Our current topic of class discussion is WW II, causes, idelogy behind, course of action and consequences.Here are some links to download PPP of the subject.

WW2-Intro
WW2-2

Maus -Art Spiegelman

Winner of the Pulitzer prize for literature, Art Spiegelman's "Maus: A Survivor's Tale" is a unique and unforgettable work. This two-volume set of book-length comics (or "graphic novels," if you prefer) tells the story of the narrator, Artie, and his father Vladek, a Holocaust survivor. "Maus" is thus an important example of both Holocaust literature and of the graphic novel. The two volumes of "Maus" are subtitled "My Father Bleeds History" and "And Here My Troubles Began"; they should be read together to get the biggest impact.Artie is a comic book artist who is trying to create art that is meaningful, not just commercial. As the two volumes of "Maus" unfold, he gradually learns the full story of his father's history as a Jewish survivor of the World War II Holocaust. There is a complex "book within the book" motif, since the main character is actually writing the book that we are reading. This self-referentiality also allows Spiegelman to get in some satiric material.

The distinguishing conceit of "Maus" involves depicting the books' humanoid characters as having animal heads. All the Jews have mice heads, the Germans are cats, the Americans dogs, etc. It is a visually provocative device, although not without problematic aspects. To his credit, Spiegelman addresses some of the ambiguities of this visual device in the course of the 2 volumes. For example, Artie's wife, a Frenchwoman who converted to Judaism, wonders what kind of animal head she should have in the comic.

"Maus" contains some stunning visual touches, as well as some truly painful and thought-provoking dialogue. Vladek is one of the most extraordinary characters in 20th century literature. As grim as the two books' subject matter is, there are some moments of humor and warmth. Overall, "Maus" is a profound reflection on family ties, history, memory, and the role of the artist in society.


A book to accompany the subject of WWII in our syllabus, it´s highly advisable to read to have another view on the War and the Holocaust.

Maus: Book One
Maus: Book Two

The Northern Irish Conflict. The so-called "The Troubles"

The Troubles (Irish: Na Trioblóidí) was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast Agreement of 1998. Violence nonetheless continues on a sporadic basis.
The principal issues at stake in the Troubles were the constitutional status of Northern Ireland and the relationship between the mainly-Protestant Unionist and mainly-Catholic Nationalist communities in Northern Ireland. The Troubles had both political and military (or paramilitary) dimensions. Its participants included politicians and political activists on both sides, republican and loyalist paramilitaries, and the security forces of the United Kingdom and of Ireland.
To complete the information, consult this web site.

Assignment for Language and Culture II

Cultural references of the XXth century.

a. Find in different EFL textbooks currently being used in our schools (either in EP or ES) examples of cultural references corresponding to topics developed in our syllabus. They could be:

1. Icons or cultural images.
2. Characters or important personalities.
3. Topics or relevant events.


b. In each case mention the textbook and publishing year, teaching point, age group, what icon, character or event is the example referring to(with a short explanation of it; not longer than 400 words. Please avoid the internet copy and paste!!!).

c. Reflect upon the references, taking into account the relevance of the examples for the students , its effectiveness as regards the points taught and suggest changes if you consider so.

d. You are expected to include the photocopy of the lesson where the cultural reference is found, the sources and the bibliography used in each case.

e. The whole work (not including the photocopies of the text analysed) should not be longer than 4 pages. Prioritize your own reflection on c.

f. Date to hand in: second week in August (hand in during examination boards)

g. Please if you have doubts, post them here in the "comentarios" section so everybody can profit from our reflections.

Set Book for after holidays

The Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger. Originally published for adults, the novel has become a common part of high school and college curricula throughout the English-speaking world; it has also been translated into almost all of the world's major languages.Around 250,000 copies are sold each year, with total sales of more than sixty-five million. The novel's antihero, Holden Caulfield, has become an icon for teenage rebellion and defiance.

The novel was chosen by Time among the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005, and by Modern Library and its readers as one of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.

To download the complete text, click here

Berenice Bobs her Hair- Analysis

Fitzgerald's stories chronicled a new generation of American youth whose excesses astounded their elders, and his delightful, bold, and infuriating characters provided a template for the modern socialite. Any talk of the "Jazz Age" (also known as the "Roaring Twenties") of the 1920s immediately brings to mind images straight out of Fitzgerald's world – devastatingly charming flappers and their debonair dates. The collection that features "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" is actually titled Flappers and Philosophers (1920), a label that immediately announces its subject matter.

Fitzgerald strove to faithfully and entertainingly depict the changing face of youth in his time; the women are envisioned as forward-thinking, revolutionary "flappers" (slang for the kind of new, fast-talking, Charleston-dancing, jazz-listening, leg-baring gal that emerged at this time), while the men, who either narrowly missed or survived the horrors of World War I, are labeled "philosophers." This title sums up the hedonistic modus operandi of the period: life might be short, so you might as well make it as sweet as possible.

"Bernice" isn't quite as dramatic in its embrace of this philosophy as some of Fitzgerald's other works, but it still gets the message across. The young characters we encounter here are on a different schedule than their parents; instead of planning for the future, they're all about living in the moment. Marjorie proudly claims to be a "gardenia girl", a blossom that's incredibly beautiful, but whose beauty fades fast. Rather than plodding along steadily and never really enjoying herself, Marjorie's motto is something akin to "live fast, die young." Bernice, on the other hand, represents the traditional mode of womanhood – she's totally predictable, and totally boring. The conflict between the two cousins demonstrates the tumultuous social conditions of Fitzgerald's time, with a freshness and accessibility that still impresses readers even ninety years down the road.


Symbolism, Imagery, and Allegory


Hair

It's obvious from the title that hair – and a certain haircut – is of great import in this text. Hair (both Bernice's and Marjorie's) has great symbolic weight here. There's a reason that everyone is so shocked and titillated by the idea of Bernice bobbing her beautiful hair; up until the 1920s, long, glorious, pampered hair was a key component of traditional feminine beauty. The idea of bobbed hair, which came into style in the Roaring Twenties, was considered scandalous and, as Bernice herself jokingly comments, even "unmoral". At the end, one of the reasons Mrs. and Mr. Harvey are so upset by Bernice's bob is that one of their friends, Mrs. Deyo, is a strong opponent of bobbed hair. The fact that a simple hair cut could so upset an entire town may seem ludicrous to us now, but if we consider it in the context of the changing social period Fitzgerald lived in, it makes more sense. Long hair represented both a woman's beauty and her virtue – and bobbing one's hair simply wasn't seen as something a respectable, well-bred girl would do. When Bernice bobs her hair, she is horrified by the dramatic way in which it changes her whole appearance; it robs her of her charm and renders her totally altered. This horror is what makes her ultimate revenge on Marjorie – the removal of her cousin's beautiful hair – even more fitting and gleefully, sinfully, delicious. Marjorie, for all her talk of being a modern girl, prides herself on her traditional feminine beauty, something that Bernice violently takes away from her at the end of the story.

Women / Womanhood

"Bernice Bobs Her Hair," is an allegory for the changing social mores of Fitzgerald's time. Bernice, Marjorie, and Mrs. Harvey all represent different kinds of womanhood, and different sets of social beliefs, and their interactions demonstrate to us the conflict between tradition and modernity. The old-fashioned world that Mrs. Harvey (and Bernice's unseen mother) represent is one in which "all young ladies who belonged to nice families had glorious times", and Little Women was still a model for feminine behaviour. Marjorie, on the other hand, lives in a modern world where a girl has to earn her own popularity. Poor Bernice is stuck in an odd transitional period in between these two ideological spheres, and the conflict of the story is really her struggle to move from one to the other.

Women and Femininity

Up until the twentieth century, one of the most common questions in literature was, "What do men expect from women?" After a certain point, however, the question changed. In "Bernice Bobs Her Hair," we see a new issue emerge: what do women expect from women? This story asks us to evaluate and challenge traditional expectations of womanhood and femininity in comparison to a new kind of woman that exploded into life in the post-Victorian era. However, in the end, neither definition is totally satisfactory; Fitzgerald asks us to question whether or not we should create clear-cut models for femininity at all.
Theme of Youth

"Bernice Bobs Her Hair," like many of Fitzgerald's stories and novels, contemplates what it means to be young, specifically, what it means to be young in a wildly changing social climate. The young people we see here challenge the belief systems they grew up with, and, at times, they shock their parents and other elders. The story asks us to ponder youth and its value, while also looking rather fondly back at the teenage years as a time of rash decisions and heightened emotions.

Identity

It's tough to develop – and maintain – one's own sense of individual identity, when the whole world seems to want to tell us how to act, dress, think, and speak. The characters in "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" don't have it any easier. Even though this story takes place in the now-distant 1920s, we can sympathize with them; they're all dominated by social expectations, pressures, and judgments of the trend-heavy world around them.

Competition

Girls can be competitive. In "Bernice Bobs Her Hair," social competition becomes a matter of life and death. The two main characters unintentionally become fierce competitors in the brutal game of popularity, and when it becomes apparent that an eligible bachelor is the prize, they pull out all stops. What results is a chain of events that is by turns horrible and hilarious.
Betrayal

the antagonist of "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" flips instantly from mentor to metaphorical murderer. The end of this story hinges upon a vicious act of betrayal, and in its aftermath, nothing can possibly be the same again. The story rather uncomfortably asks us to examine just how quickly things can go from ideal to awful – and how the twin demons of competition and jealousy can instantly change the nature of a relationship.

Jealousy

Jealousy plays a central role in "Bernice Bobs Her Hair." Even though its antagonist, a girl who seems to have it all, realizes full well that she has it all, she still can't help but be jealous. In "Bernice Bobs Her Hair," jealousy is simply a fact of life, especially when the person in question is a popularity-obsessed teenager who's used to getting everything she wants. Fitzgerald reminds us of the bitter truth – even when we don't realize it, we're often jealous of someone. It sneaks up on us unawares, and sometimes we don't even recognize it until its too late. Once released, though, jealousy is almost impossible to rein in.

Plot Analysis

Initial Situation

Bernice visits her cousin, Marjorie, for the summer.
The set-up to this story is simple – Marjorie is a ten, but her cousin Bernice is a zero. We see evidence of this at the country club dance, where Marjorie basically has to flirtatiously blackmail people into dancing with the boring Bernice. The difference between the two cousins couldn't be more obvious. We get the feeling that Marjorie just can't wait to get her cousin off her back and enjoy the rest of her summer.
Conflict

Bernice overhears a conversation
(about herself) between Marjorie and Mrs. Harvey; Bernice and Marjorie quarrel.
The conflict here is quite a literal one – Bernice, who overhears her cousin trash-talking her, confronts Marjorie, and the two of them get into a (verbal) fight. Marjorie's sharp-tongued attacks on her rather feeble cousin are effective, and we see what the two of them are really made of – at this stage, at least. The conflict between cousins sets us up to view Marjorie as the strong character and Bernice as the weak, submissive one. This kind of throws us for a little loop when the "Complication" comes along…

Complication


Motivated by Marjorie's criticism, Bernice decides to try to learn how to be popular.
Bernice's change of heart certainly throws a big fat wrench into the works here. While we were ready to accept Bernice's anticipated return home to Eau Claire, she throws us a curveball and decides to stay. We're not sure what's going to happen as these two antagonistic cousins attempt to work together to reinvent Bernice's image, and, like Bernice, we feel some trepidation about it.

Climax
Under Marjorie's tutelage, Bernice becomes a social success – so much so that Warren transfers his affections to her. Marjorie confronts Bernice about Warren.
Things are going well, but there's trouble in paradise. As soon as Bernice threatens her status as queen bee, Marjorie turns against her cousin. This flip from mentor to antagonist is a distinct landmark in the story – we know that things will never be the same between Bernice and Marjorie.

Suspense

Marjorie exposes Bernice's "line" about bobbing her hair at a party.
This scene, which takes place at an afternoon bridge party, is one of the greatest moments of discomfort in the story. Marjorie, jealous of Bernice's success, reveals the fact that Bernice doesn't actually intend to cut her hair. The resultant challenging curiosity that she faces from all of her new friends throws her into a position of anxiety and uncertainty.

Denouement(anti-climax)

Bernice bobs her hair.
Finally, here it is – the moment we've all been waiting for since the title. Bernice does in fact go to the Sevier Barber Shop and bob her hair, and the story shows us at last what we've been alternately hoping for and dreading all along. The haircut is a disaster, and everything Bernice has worked for is immediately destroyed with the snip of a pair of shears. All of a sudden, Bernice is alone – her new "friends" abandon her (including Warren), and there's no way she can return to her old, sedate life.


Conclusion

Bernice takes revenge on Marjorie by chopping off her hair.
This incredibly satisfying conclusion settles the score: Marjorie gets her comeuppance for being a manipulative, jealous, and cold-hearted villain. The conclusion is both resolution and irresolution, for while we get the undeniable thrill of seeing Bernice get her revenge, we're also not sure about her own future. That's part of what makes this story so enjoyable, though – the uncertainty is exciting and strange, and we hope that Bernice goes out with her new-found determination and will and becomes strong woman she has the potential to be.

To get into the "vibe" of those times,watch these videos!