The Importance of Ila Das

We come to realize that Nanda Kaul and Raka are quite similar characters - they both harbour painful emotions brought on by family upheaval, and seek isolation and independence, for example.  

What about Ila Das, though?  She is a very significant character in Desai's novel.   Note that the final part of the novel is named after her; and observe, too, the verb in "Ila Das leaves Carignano" (it's also telling that the verbs for parts one and two as regards Nanda and Raka, respectively, are at Carignano and comes to Carignano - these and what they signify must not be overlooked as you read the novel).

What are your impressions of Ila Das?  When you consider her alongside the other female characters like Nanda and Raka (and others, too), what in your view is her importance to Fire on the Mountain?

Academic Posters

Now that you've completed your LITS 1002 poster project, and some of you have uploaded the image and posted your comment on the blog, here is some more information on using posters at university level.  You may be required to do it again for another course or at a conference later in your career.
See the web link, but note part of what it says below about using posters as assignments at university:

Posters are often used as part of student assessments. [...]

What is an academic poster?

At university, students are often assessed on poster design. Posters are an effective way of communicating concisely, visually and attractively, and can be a powerful way of getting information across. Academic posters summarise information or research concisely and attractively, to help publicise it and generate discussion.
Posters are widely used in the academic community, and most conferences include poster presentations in their programme. Academic posters can reach a wide audience as they may be displayed for several hours or days, at national or international conferences. They may also be published online as part of conference proceedings, becoming part of a permanent record of research activity.
An effective poster can make a strong impact, so it's worth developing your poster planning skills.

Posters as assessment

At university, you will often find that one of your course assessments requires you to produce a poster, either individually or in a group. The criteria used to assess your poster will be weighted differently depending on your discipline.  [...]


http://www2.napier.ac.uk/gus/writing_presenting/academic_posters.html

The Mother Road in Steinbeck's Novel

We know of terms like 'mother country', 'motherland' (we met this one in Achebe's Things Fall Apart when Okonkwo and his family went into exile there, and the narrator and Uchendu tell us why that was significant), 'mother tongue', and 'mother language', for example.  All these terms are metaphorical.

In The Grapes of Wrath we read of the 'mother road'.   Why do you think Steinbeck uses that phrase in this novel?

LITS 1002 Poster Project

Now that your group project has been completed, do you think for you and/or your partner(s) the objectives (outlined in the given instructions with respect to acquisition of knowledge, fostering of cooperative skills, etcetera) were achieved?  Was it a worthwhile endeavour, and why or why not?

The Picture of Dorian Gray as a Cautionary Tale

Do you agree that The Picture of Dorian Gray can be considered as a cautionary tale?  If not, why not?  If yes, what in particular do you think it cautions us about?

Lovelace's Prologue

The prologue in The Dragon Can't Dance is analogous to the abstract in Labov's model of natural narrative, i.e. it has to do with the question "what is this story about?"    The structure of the prologue mirrors the thematic and plot structure of the narrative; and, it is rife with elements of orality and figurative language.

Discuss your impressions of this prologue and how it impacts your reading of the rest of the novel.

Who is to Blame for Things Falling Apart?

Can any one group or individual be blamed for 'things falling apart' in Achebe's story?   And what falls apart, really?   Tell us what you think and why.