Online Activity #1: Subject and Theme

[Andrew Burton]

*** Your Writing ***

In response to Budzko’s “How to Set a House on Fire” (the text is
posted on Omnivox), come up with three potential subjects and then a
theme based on one of your three subjects. Please be respectful of
your classmates – do not post anything that is offensive or
insensitive. Do your best to make sure your subjects and theme meet
the criteria discussed in class by asking yourself the following
questions:

Are your subjects single (only one idea, not many)?

Are your subjects central (important to most if not all of the text)?

Are your subjects abstract (undetectable by the five senses)?

Is your theme in subject-verb-object form?

Does your theme reflect an insightful understanding of the text?

Your three subjects and one theme must be posted by midnight Sunday
September 4th.


*** Your Feedback ***

Each student must offer critical feedback to at least 2 other students
regarding their subjects and theme. Explicitly evaluate each subject
and theme in terms of the criteria above, outlining what works and
what could be improved. Make sure every student has received feedback
from at least two students before offering any student a third round
of feedback. Be courteous and keep your comments focused on students’
writing.

All comments regarding other students' subjects and themes must be
posted by midnight Thursday September 8th.

[William Shakespeare]

Subject #1: a highway
Subject #2: happiness
Subject #3: farming
Theme: farming results in financial failure

[Andrew Burton]

Hi Willie!

Subject #1: a highway is single, but I’m not sure it’s central –
there’s only one mention of it and its significance isn’t clear. It
also definitely isn’t abstract – you can see/touch/smell/taste it.

Subject #2: happiness is single and abstract, but I don’t think it’s
central. In fact, I’m not sure there’s any happiness in this story at
all, or at least, it isn’t the focus of the story.

Subject #3: farming works – it’s single, abstract (farming as a
profession) and central (aspects of farming are evident throughout the
story).

Theme: I like it – definitely subject (farming) verb (results) object
(in financial failure) form. Also, I think you’re getting at
something important in this text – the whole story could be seen to
describe how farming isn’t financially viable since the setting is a
non-functional farm that has undergone a “foreclosure” (i.e.
bankruptcy).


On Aug 25, 6:05 pm, William Shakespeare <andrewelbur...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

[Olivier Mariani]

Subject 1: Anger
Subject 2: Powerlessness
Subject 3: Desperation
Theme : How anger and desperation could drive someone into extreme
acts.

[Salmon Nessa]

Subject#1:inheritance
Subject#2:Instructive
Subject#3:possessive
Theme: Inheritance can make one possessive.

On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[John Khoury]

Subject#1: desperation
Subject#2: insanity
Subject#3: determination
Theme: Insanity makes us do terrible things without thinking

On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[Melody Jia Yue Wang]

Subject#1: Determination
Subject#2: Madness
Subject#3: Extremism
Theme: Madness guides to extremist determination.

On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[Melody Jia Yue Wang]

Hi Olivier,

Subject #1: Anger is abstract and single. I don't think anger
is present in the text. I have the feeling that the main character
isn't angry at all. He is weirdly calm. His actions look like
premeditated. He shows more madness than anger in
his actions.


Subject #2: Powerlessness is single and abstact. Correct me if
I'm wrong, if I understand your point of view, you want to say
that the main character feel powerless to something that we
don't know that drives him to burn his house.

Subject #3: Desperation is abstract and single. I guess it
is the central subject because we don't often see a main character
burn his own house which is a family inheritance except if
he's desperate or crazy.

Theme: How anger and desperation (subject) could drive (verb) someone
into extreme acts (object). I think this is a really good theme
because it is
a good summary of the text and the reason of the actions of the main
character,
even though I still don't think he's angry.

> > posted by midnight Thursday September 8th.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Jackson Chan]

Subject #1: memories
Subject #2: poverty
Subject #3: madness
Theme: Money drives people mad

On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[Melody Jia Yue Wang]

Hi Salmon!

Subject #1: I don't think inheritance (the house) in this case is
abstract
even though it is definitly single. I guess it can't be considered
central
because the house is an inheritance and the story is about how to set
this house on fire, but the author didn't focus on this subject.

Subject #2: If I understand well,the instructive side of the story is
the
fact that the text is written in a format of a recipe. The narrator
is
like a educator telling the main character (if we consider there
is a main character) how to burn his house. I guess it can be
consider as a central subject.

Subject #3: The subject: possessive,it's single and abstract but it's
not a noun, so I don't know if it is correct. This subject is
definitly
central. I think I understand your idea about being extremely
possessive
of something (the inheritance) resulting the destruction of this
thing.
I guess this one is a deeper and hidden subject, but I think it is
correct.


Theme: Inheritance (subject) can make (verb) one possessive (object).
The sentence structure is perfect. Like I mentioned before and please
correct me I'm wrong, the action of burning his own house is caused by
a excessive possessive sentiment of the inheritance. I think if it's
explain in that way, the theme is correct.

[Laurent Lao]

Subject #1: Industrialization
Subject #2: Destruction
Subject #3: Confession

Theme: Industrialization can lead to desperate measures from farmers.

[Lian Ma]

subject 1: Despair
subject 2: Loss
subject 3: Nostalgia

Theme: Nostalgia for the things you have lost can lead to despair.

On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[samir ajam]

Subject #1: Farmhouse
Subject #2: Gasoline
Subject #3: Serenity
Theme: Burning the farmhouse is an escape from his loneliness.

On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[Sheng Hao Liu]

Subject 1: Time
Subject 2: Rota Fortunae (Wheel of Fortune)
Subject 3: Anomie
Theme: Anomie can make someone a moral monster.

On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[Jing-Lun Xu]

Subject #1: Poverty
Subject #2: Madness
Subject #3: Irony
Theme: Poverty influences the way people reason.

[Sheng Hao Liu]

Hello Jackson,

Subject 1: I don't know if memory is single because you can see it as
a whole and yet have lots of memories. I also don't think it's central
because he talks about his ancestors but not really how he remembers
them. But memories are abstract because you can't sense them.

Subject 2: poverty is single and abstract but I'm not sure if it's
central because even though it talks about foreclosure, it doesn't
mention it afterwards.

Subject 3: madness is single, central and abstract if you think that
the main character in the story is mentally ill or acts foolishly.

Theme: not sure about the form but I think it's: money (subject)
drives people (verb) mad (object). It does make a lot of sense though,
because if the main character has lost a lot of money or is forced to
give up on his property, he might as well burn it down himself. That
would very well indicate that he's not thinking straight.

[Sheng Hao Liu]

Hello Lian,

Subject 1: despair is single and abstract, but I'm not sure if it's
central since the main character doesn't really show signs of it. It
did not explicitly show that he's hopeless. It doesn't say he has no
other option but to burn down his house after he couldn't pay for it.

Subject 2: I don't know if loss is single but it is somewhat central
and it is abstract if it's the action of losing something and not the
object lost.

Subject 3: nostalgia is single and abstract but I don't think it's
central. It doesn't explicitly states that the main character has a
sentimental longing for his past/place with a happy personal
association even though it does make sense because he might have had a
very happy childhood in that farm.

Theme: Nostalgia for the things you have lost (long subject) can lead
to (verb) despair (object). It's a good theme because nostalgia can
make someone despair, but I'm not sure if it fits in with the story.

[Calvin Chin]

Subject #1: failing
Subject #2: rage
Subject #3: wrecking
Theme: destruction is the root of failure combined with anger

On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[Lian Ma]

Hi Jing-Lun,

subject 1: Poverty is in fact a single and abstract subject, but i am
not sure if it is a central idea. In fact, no where in the text does
it say that the farmer is poor.

subject 2: madness is abstract and single, however even though burning
a barn can be considered a thing of madness, there are no emotions
that show that the farmer is in fact acting out in an angry or crazy
manner.

subject 3: irony is again abstract and single, but I don't think that
it is a main idea throughout the story.

theme: i agree with you that the amount of money someone possesses
will affect the way they make decision but i don't see how this would
be relevant to the story, again because there are no signs that the
farmer is poor

[Vladimir Turturica]

Subject 1: family
Subject 2: foreclosure
Subject 3: fire
(the f-f-f)
Theme: How the family farm is reduced to ashes after its foreclosure.

On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[Shiyan Du]

Subject#1 madness
Subject#2 vicissitude
Subject#3 inability
Theme: People's inability toward the vicissitude of life drive them to
madness

On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[Xin Tong Zhao]

Subject 1: Desperation
Subject 2: Abandonment
Subject 3: Memory
Theme: Abandonment of memories is desperate and helpless.

On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[Olivier Mariani]

Hi John,

Subject 1 Desperation is single, abstract and central. I am
definitely sure the guy is desperate because there is a foreclosure on
his inherited farm.
Subject 2 Insanity is single and abstract , but I don't think it is
central. In fact, the guy is calm and aware of what he is doing. I
might be wrong ,but I think he burns his house because he does not
want the bank to take it.
Subject 3 Determination is single, abstract and central. Indeed, he
acts methodically and tells Herms that he would do it again. This
shows his total determination.
Theme Insanity (subject) makes us do (verb) terrible things
without thinking (object). I agree that burning his house is a
terrible act, but I still think the guy is not insane.

> > posted by midnight Thursday September 8th.- Masquer le texte des messages précédents -
>
> - Afficher le texte des messages précédents -

[Olivier Mariani]

Hi Melody,

Subject 1 Determination is single, abstract and central. Indeed, he

acts methodically and tells Herms that he would do it again. This

shows his strong determination.
Subject 2 Madness is single, abstract, but I don't think it is
central. In fact, the guy is really calm and aware of what he is
doing. He burns his house to make sure the bank will not get it. It is
not an act of madness or insanity.
Subject 3 Extremism is single, abstract and central. Indeed, burning
his family inheritance is kind of extrem. Futhermore, this extrem act
can be join up with the anger he has toward the bank.
Theme : Madness ( subject) guides ( verb) to extremist determination
( object). I don't think your theme is valuable for this text because
I still think that there is no madness. However, I might be wrong.

On 2 sep, 20:01, Melody Jia Yue Wang <melodyjiayuew...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Karinne Legare]

Subject # 1 Psychotic
Subject # 2 Demented
Subject # 3 meticulous

Theme: Demented and psychotic, however meticulously planned

[samir ajam]

Hi Vladimir,
Subject #1: Family is single, it isn’t abstract – you can see/touch/
smell/taste it. Family isn’t central; it isn’t the most important
subject in the text.
Subject #2: Foreclosure is single, it isn’t central – it is only
mention once in the text. It is definitely is abstract, you can’t see/
touch/smell/taste it.
Subject #3: Fire is single, it isn’t abstract – you can see/touch/
smell/taste it. It is definitely central, it is mentioned throughout
the text the main character is setting his house on fire.
Theme: How the family farm (object) is reduced (verb) to ashes after
its foreclosure (subject). I think the theme you have portrayed is
very well written. It shows your understanding of the story and the
sentence you have written sums up the story very well.

[Jia Yue You]

Subject #1: Angst
Subject #2: Fire
Subject #3: Possessiveness
Theme: Possessiveness leads one to do extreme actions.

[Stephanie Carbonneau]

Subject 1: Calmness
Subject 2: Desperation
Subject 3: Destruction

Theme: Desperation can lead us to do crazy things.

[yuan kun li]

Subject #1:anger
subject #2:rebel
subject #3:desperation
Theme : How a rebel teenager acts to deny his heritance.

[yuan kun li]

Subject1: The poverty is in fact a single and abstract subject because
we can't touch it with our 5 senses. But i'm not sure if the poverty
is a central idea. He willl probably sells his house if he's poor.
Subject2: Madness is again single and abstract. And it can be
considered as the central idea of the text if we consider this text is
written by the author in madness.
Subject3:Irony is a single and abstract subject. But it's not
necessarily central. We can see clearly that the text is a way for
author to demonstrate his anger or rebel spirit.
Theme: The theme is a universal truth, but in the story, there is no
clear indication which says that the character is poor. So the
sentence might be incorrect.

On Sep 3, 8:56 pm, Jing-Lun Xu <x.j.l....@hotmail.com> wrote:

[yuan kun li]

Subject #1:Madness is a single idea and is abstract too, because we
cannot touch it or feel it with our 5 senses. But we're not sure if is
a central subject. We know nothing about the mental condition of
author, so logically we don't know if the text is focused on madness.
Subject #2:This word is very old fashion.....Yes, this subject is
single and abstract, but it's definitely not central in this story.
The author didn't spend much paragraphs to describe how his
environment changes though the years.
Subject #3:The subject is definitely single. It's also abstract. And i
think is a pretty interesting subject. The guy can actually sets his
fire on house because he's unable to repay his debt. So it can be a
central one if we think this way.
Theme:I'm not sure if the inability is towards the vicissitude. The
two ideas don't have a obvious link in the story.

[Xu Yan]

subject 1 : poverty
subject 2 : destruction
subject 3 : possession

theme : Poverty could make people destroy what they possess

[Julia Ros-Larocque]

Subject n.1: Peace
Subject n.2: Hatred
Subject n.3: Memory
Theme: How to obtain peace of mind by the use of hatred.

[Hai Qi Liang]

Subject #1: Insanity
Subject #2: Revenge
Subject #3: Desperation
Theme: Desperation can drive someone insane

[Vincent Ko]

subject 1: Redevelopment
subject 2: Madness
subject 3: Resignation

Theme: Indignation turns into mad resignation

On 8월25일, 오후6시03분, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:
> *** Your Writing ***
>
> In response to Budzko's "How to Set a House on Fire" (the text is
> posted on Omnivox), come up with three potential subjects and then a
> theme based on one of your three subjects. Please be respectful of

> your classmates - do not post anything that is offensive or

[Calvin Chin]

Hi Xin Tong

Subject #1: Desperation-single central abstract, there is a sign that
desperation is present in the story, the main character wishes to
destroy the property (his farm) taken from him.

Subject #2: Abandonment-single, central, abstract, the story is
basically about abandonment because the main character is "abandoning"
all that he owned by lighting everything on fire.

Subject #3: Memory-single central abstract the story has to do with
memory as well, it's the memories of once owning the farm, the main
character remembers everything about the farm

Theme: subject [Abandonment of memories] verb [is] object [desperate
and helpless.] Your theme is great, it highlights the significant
subjects presented the story.

[Calvin Chin]

Hi Jia Yue

Subject #1: Angst-single abstract, the main character is angst about
losing his farm

Subject #2: Fire-single central, the story does talk about "how to set
a house on fire" so fire is apart of the story.

Subject #3: Possessiveness-single abstract, the main character doesn't
want his farm to be taken away so he's being possessive.

Theme: subject [Possessiveness] verb [leads] object [one to do
extreme actions.] The theme fits pretty well, when you're possessive;
you don't want anything taken from you, when something is taken from
you...you can do something crazy.

[Louis-Martin Jussaume]

subject 1: Memories
Subject 2: Pyromania
Subject 3: Anger
Theme: Bad childhood memories follows adults all their life.

On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:
> *** Your Writing ***
>
> In response to Budzko’s “How to Set a House on Fire” (the text is
> posted on Omnivox), come up with three potential subjects and then a
> theme based on one of your three subjects.  Please be respectful of

> your classmates – do not post anything that is offensive or

[Louis-Martin Jussaume]

I Melody,
Your three subjects are central, abstract and single. I like you
theme. For me, it says that his extremist determination comes with his
wish to end madness by destroying all the bad memories of his
boyhood.

On Sep 2, 8:01 pm, Melody Jia Yue Wang <melodyjiayuew...@gmail.com>

wrote:
> Subject#1: Determination
> Subject#2: Madness
> Subject#3: Extremism
> Theme: Madness guides to extremist determination.
>

[samir ajam]

Hi Stephanie,
Subject #1: Calmness is single, it can be central because the
character is calm throughout the text even though he is most likely
stressed. It is abstract you can’t see/touch/smell/taste it.
Subject #2: Desperation is single, I don’t think its central –it isn’t
really mentioned in the text. It also definitely is abstract; you
can’t see/touch/small/taste it.
Subject #3: Destruction could be single and it also can’t be, because
there are different ways of accomplishing destruction. It is central,
destruction is happening throughout the text. It isn’t abstract you
can see/touch/smell/taste it.
Theme: Desperation (subject) can lead us to do (verb) crazy things
(object). I think this is a very good theme, it show that you have a
very well understanding what the character is feeling and what he has
going through his mind.


On Sep 4, 7:31 pm, Stephanie Carbonneau <stephecarbonn...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

[Karina Hirian]

Subject 1: failure
Subject 2: destruction
Subject 3: indifference
Theme: Indifference towards a serious matter can drive someone into
doing unethical acts deliberately.

[Lian Ma]

Hi Karinne,

i think that your three subject are single and abstract, however i
find that they are more like adjectives rather then nouns. They are
good for describing the farmer, but the story is not solely based on
him.expand these ideas so that they include the story itself.

Also, i find that your theme could be quit interesting, but again it
describes only the farmers. Try reformulating it in a more general way
and remember to follow the subject-verb-object form.

[Zeshi Zhong]

Subject 1: nostalgia
Subject 2: urbanization
Subject 3: moving on
Theme: we should not have regrets

[Zeshi Zhong]

Hey Jia,

Subject 1: Angst is single, abstract, but i dont think it is central,
because the narrator is not angry, or does not seem angry at all. In
fact, he/she is indifferent and very calm.

Subject 2: Fire is single, central, but unfortunately, it is not
abstract, because we can see it, smell it, hear it and certainly feel
it (ouch). Oh, unless you are talking about the narrator's inner fire,
then it works. :)

Subject 3: Clever, because it is hard for me to analyze this one...
Let's see, it is single and abstract, but if it's central, I am not
sure... You see, he seems possessive enough on his property since he
is talking about how the farm belonged to his family, but then, why
would he burn it? I don't think possessiveness is central enough.

Theme: Definately in the subject (possessiveness), verb (leads),
object (to extreme actions) form. so you think that he is so
possessive about his family farm that, if he can't possess it, no one
can? That is why he decided to burn down the whole building.
Interesting. The whole text can perfectly be understood that way, so i
think it is a good theme.

On 4 sep, 18:56, Jia Yue You <greenpearlmermaid_l...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

[Zeshi Zhong]

Hey Laurent,

Subject 1: industrialization is single, abstract and central. It is a
good subject of the text.

Subject 2: Destruction is single, abstract, but it is not that
central, because the narrator, throughout the whole text, does not
talk about the destruction that occured, and only described the
process he underwent.

Subject 3: Confession is a single, abstract and central subject. This
whole text could be interpreted as a confession of crime of a
pyromaniac.

Theme: I like your theme. I think it is in the right form: subject
(Industrialization), verb (can lead), objects (to desperate measures
from farmers). I believe this theme is an important understanding of
the text, which explains many elements, like the foreclosure and the
highway.

On 3 sep, 10:24, Laurent Lao <xh0p...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Subject #1: Industrialization
> Subject #2: Destruction
> Subject #3: Confession
>
> Theme: Industrialization can lead to desperate measures from farmers.

[Sasha Bordonaro]

Subject # 1 anger
Subject # 2 psychological
Subject # 3 fire
Theme: anger can make you to become the fire

[Xin Tong Zhao]

Subject #1: poverty is single and abstract, there is sign that shows
the poverty is present, for example the foreclosure. But I am not sure
if it is central, because it is mentionned very few times in the text.

Subect #2: destruction is single, central,and abstract, the story is
basically about how the main character destroy his farm.

Subject #3: possession is single,abstract,and central, since the main
character want to destroy his own possession during the whole story.

Theme: subject: Poverty verb: could make object: people destroy what
they possess are present. It is a good theme. I am agree that poverty
is one of the reasons that the main character destroys his possession.
But, still, I do not think it is the main reason for what he burned
his farm.

[Jia Yue You]

Hi Samir!

Subject #1: A farmhouse is single and since the whole story is
about how to burn a farmhouse, the subject is also central.
However I believe that a farmhouse isn't abstract – you can
see/touch/smell/taste it.


Subject #2: Gasoline is single but unfortunately
it's not abstract. Also, I have doubt on whether the subject
is central or not. Indeed, burning a house necessitate gasoline;
however, gasoline itself isn't very important in the story.

Subject #3: Serenity is single and abstract (it's a state of mind)
And I think I understand why serenity is a central subject for
you. (The character seems free of stress and emotions
while burning his house, even though I disagree with you
on this point.)


Theme: The theme is definitely in a subject (Burning the farmhouse)
verb (is) object (an escape from his loneliness) form. I can
see your point of view and your interpretation of the story. So
if I understand it well, all the passages about how the farm was
before
are proofs of his loneliness that resulted in being motivations
for him to burn his own house. (This is a very interesting theme,
I like it.)

On Sep 3, 5:19 pm, samir ajam <ajamsa...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Subject #1: Farmhouse
> Subject #2: Gasoline
> Subject #3: Serenity
> Theme: Burning the farmhouse is an escape from his loneliness.

[Jia Yue You]

Hi Yuan kun!

Subject #1: Anger is single and abstract (you can't see/touch/
smell/taste it.) However, I don't believe that it's central. The story
doesn't seems to revolve around anger. I rather say that the main
character is calm and even sad.

Subject #2: Yes, rebel is a single, abstract and central subject.
I agree on you with with the fact that the man burned his house
to defy, to rebel (against the foreclosure, in my belief.)

Subject #3: Desperation is a single, abstract and central. Nobody
burn their house for fun. If he wasn't desperate, he wouldn't choose
to use this extreme method.

Theme: (''Euh'') I personally do not understand your theme. I can
see the subject (How a rebel teenager) verb (acts) object (to deny
his heritance [sic]) form. However the subject you chose is only a
adjective in the sentence. The main subject is teenager and not
rebel. Also, I don't anywhere in the text that mentioned the main
character is a teenager. Besides, there is a ''foreclosure'' on the
farm, if he didn't want the inheritance, he can just leave it. Why
would he take the trouble to burn it in order to deny his inheritance.

[Shiyan Du]

Subject 1:Desperation is single,abstract and central. It is clear that
the main character drop into desperation since he burned his farm. He
felt helpless and he chose to destroy his family inheritance to make a
soundless protest in the despair.
Subject 2: Abandonment is single, abstract and central. The fire
symbolized the abandonment of the whole life of the main character, it
seems that the career and the past of the main character, the life of
his ancestors rely all on this farm, and he chose to abandon all by
burning it.
Subject 3: Memory is single, abstract and central. With the
description, we can notice that the main character has a detailed
understanding of the farm. He kept the memory of being the owner of
the farm, and his memory about the farm is directly related to the
memory about the family.

Theme: Form: Subject (Abandonment of memories) verb ( is ) object
(desperate and helpless). Good theme. For me, desperation is resulted
by the inevasible abandonment of memories, and the inreversible
foreclosure on the family farm make the main character helpless, those
feelings of main character drive him to make a complete abandonment
and destruction of the farm on which relies his past. Subjects of the
story are clearly presented



On Sep 4, 11:12 am, Xin Tong Zhao <zx...@msn.com> wrote:
> Subject 1: Desperation
> Subject 2: Abandonment
> Subject 3: Memory
> Theme: Abandonment of memories is desperate and helpless.

> > posted by midnight Thursday September 8th.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Julia Ros-Larocque]

Subjet 1: Anger is single and abstract, but I don't see which clue
prouve that he's angry, besides while he burn his house down, he's
calm.

Subjet 2:Powerlessness, it's single and abstract and I agree that it
could be a central subject, because he feels powerless against his
faith.

Subjet 3:Desperation, in fact it his single and abstract, but I think
it probably goes in the same category has powerlessness, or at least
it lead to the same thing by what you mean. So it also central.

Theme: As I said anger is not really that obvious, but I still think
desperation is a good theme if you revise de subject/verb/object
around it, so the anger is less there.

On 2 sep, 09:23, Olivier Mariani <oliviermari...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Subject 1: Anger
> Subject 2: Powerlessness
> Subject 3: Desperation
> Theme : How anger and desperation could drive someone into extreme
> acts.

[Laurent Lao]

Hey Vladimir,

1. Family is indeed an abstract and single idea. However, I do not
have the feeling from the text that it is central. Yes, the caracter
might have burned his house because he felt responsible for the fall
of his family, but it is not portrayed clearly.

2. Foreclosure: it is central, it is single and one may argue (or not)
wether it is abstract or not. While it is only mentioned once in the
text, there's a couple other sentences that refers to the foreclosure
"It was a chain of events" etc.

3. Fire. It is definitely central and single, however, it is not
abstract. Something like "destruction" would've worked better.

Theme: It sums up the story very well. I feel that it could be a great
theme! I personally would've tried something shorter like Foreclosure
destroys farms (it sounds silly though).

On Sep 4, 9:44 am, Vladimir Turturica <theblad...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Subject 1: family
> Subject 2: foreclosure
> Subject 3: fire
> (the f-f-f)
> Theme: How the family farm is reduced to ashes after its foreclosure.

[Laurent Lao]

Subject #1: Farmhouse is central, definitely single but not abstract.
Subject #2: Gasoline seems to be central, single, but not abstract. It
is definitely present in the text, however.
Subject #3: Serenity, it is single and abstract. I do not know if you
can really say if serenity is present (and central) in the text or
not. The text does have a factual tone "do this, do that" which can be
said to be serene, but the way the last sentence ends gives a feeling
of despair, of wanting a new start. Then, having that in mind, it is
easy to assume that the factual tone could be considered as zombie-
like.

Theme: This is an extremely interesting theme. The format of the theme
is well formulated, too. I could be cynical and say that it would be
hard for you to prove (from textual elements) that it is indeed to
escape from his loneliness, but it is could be feasible. I like it!

On Sep 3, 5:19 pm, samir ajam <ajamsa...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Subject #1: Farmhouse
> Subject #2: Gasoline
> Subject #3: Serenity
> Theme: Burning the farmhouse is an escape from his loneliness.
>

[Jackson Chan]

Subject 1: Poverty is a single subject. It has been representing by
the word, foreclosure which means that the writer cannot afford the
payment of the bank anymore. It is not central because it hasn’t been
elaborate by the writer. But it is abstract since it is a concept and
we cannot detect it by our five senses.
Subject 2: Destruction is a single subject of the story because it is
the result of a house set on fire. The house will be destroy
completely. In addition, it is not central because it is only an
action taken by the writer. It is abstract since we cannot see, hear,
touch, smell and taste it.
Subject 3: Possession is a single subject since it is only an idea of
the story. It is central because the writer possesses the passion to
erase his childhood memory by burning the farm. It is abstract because
it is undetectable by the five senses.
Theme: Subject (poverty) verb (could make) object (people destroy what
they possess). This theme has clearly described the particular
situation of the writer. Poverty as one of the subjects is one of the
reasons that force the writer to abandon his farm and to destroy it.

On Sep 4, 9:33 pm, Xu Yan <yanx...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Jackson Chan]

Subject 1: Firstly, this subject is single because the writer has
displayed his anger throughout his actions of burning the farm.
Therefore, it is an idea of this text. Secondly, it is not central
because it is only one of the emotions the writer possesses. Thirdly,
it is absolutely abstract because it cannot be seen, tasted, smelled,
touched, or heard.
Subject 2: This subject is single because we can see the writer's
emotions. But it is not central because it is not an specific thing
related to the writer. Moreover, it is abstract because it is

undetectable by the five senses.

Subject 3: This subject is single because the writer has written
precise steps to instruct the audience about lighting a fire. It is
central since it has been clearly described by the writer. It is not
abstract because we can see and feel a fire.
Theme: Subject (anger) verb (can make) object (to become the fire).
This theme represents one of the idea of the story and I really like
it. It displays anger as the momentum to push people to become as
dangerous as fire.

[Julia Ros-Larocque]

Subject 1: inheritance is single, and abstract, but I don't think it's
the main focus of the text, they only mention once that the house was
taken by the bank.

Subject 2: instructive, is single, abstract and the text is really
instructive, but I don't really think you could stop at instructive,
maybe there is another word with a more powerful meaning, that explain
why it is so instructive.

Subject 3: possessive, yes it's single and abstract, but is it really
why he is burning the house or more because he feels powerless and
doesn't want to go down without a fight?

Theme: Your theme is good but I don't really think this is the focus
of the text, you could probably find better words (SVO) to explain
your main idea while focusing on what the text has for aspects.

On Sep 2, 1:07 pm, Salmon Nessa <salmon_1...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Subject#1:inheritance
> Subject#2:Instructive
> Subject#3:possessive
> Theme: Inheritance can make one possessive.

[Karina Hirian]

Hi Vladimir,

Subject #1: Family in this text isn't the central idea. It doesn't
focus mainly on this subject.
It is single, but not abstract at all. People from your family or
anyone's family are real humans that live, smell, breathe and exist.
You can see them, feel them, basically they are detectable by the five
senses.

Subject #2: Foreclosure is single and central, but I'm not quite sure
it is abstract. Foreclosure has a basic definition
and means only one thing. It is to shut down something. You can't take
this word and interpret it differently, like you are supposed when
naming a subject.

Subject #3: Fire is single, but isn't abstract nor is it central. The
subject fire isn't the main idea of the text. Yes there is fire, but
the "moral" of the story or what the author wants to get out of the
short text isn't the fact that the house is on fire.

Theme: You are telling me how the farm is reduced but not the outcome
of the house. You are clearly stating a fact, but the theme isn't
supposed to state a fact in the story but to explain the understanding
of the text.

On Sep 4, 9:44 am, Vladimir Turturica <theblad...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Subject 1: family
> Subject 2: foreclosure
> Subject 3: fire
> (the f-f-f)
> Theme: How the family farm is reduced to ashes after its foreclosure.
>

[Vladimir Turturica]

Hi Sasha,

Let me start by saying that your choices of subjects and theme are
superb.

For Subject #1, anger, I believe that it is a very central idea in
the whole story. It is his anger that is transcripted trough the
whole
text. Also, anger is very abstract because obviously it isn't an
object or something seen by our senses, it is an emotion. Finally, it
is a single idea.

For Subject #2: psychological, first, I believe that it represents a
very important subject throughout the story. It is definitely a
central idea (it's a psychological tale of a "broken farmer").
Second, the idea is also single and third, without a doubt it is
abstract
because you can't define something psychological by the senses.

For Subject #3: I took fire for subject and I believed that it was a
very central idea in the text. After a few reviews of my subjects,
our peers believed that it wasn't that important in the story. Anyhow,
I
will maintain my idea that it's a very important subject in the
story. Even though it isn't abstract because you can't see it.

Theme: It is very poetic and also in the context of the story is very
elaborated. It has all the caracteristics of a theme (subject/verb/
object) and sounds very good as future theme for an essay.

On Sep 6, 11:12 pm, Sasha Bordonaro <sashabordon...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Vladimir Turturica]

Hi Stephanie,

For your first subject, at first sight, we can say that the principal
character is lead by anger and madness to act like he's acting, but it
is also suitable to declare that it's with a cold tranquility and
calmness that he sets fire fire to the farm. Therefore it's a central
idea, single and abstract (it's a state of mind).

For your second subject, I can see the desperation in his acts, trying
to end up as quickly with this whole story of the farm
and thus, I believe it's still a central subject for the story. It's a
single act too and the subject is as abstract as it gets (again, a
state of mind; state of dispair)

For your third subject, if you think of a destruction as a BIG IDEA in
the story, I believe that you can say it's a single, abstract and
central point. But, as it is just a simple word, it has to have a
clear definition, which makes it not abstract anymore because you can
see it, smell it, feel it and hear it.

Finally, your theme has a good starting point for an essay. It
contains the proper structure (subject/verb/object) and is a good
analysis of the story. In other words, I can tell that you clearly
understood the moral of this tale. Grats ;)

[Shiyan Du]

Hi Hai Qi

Subject #1: Insanity is single, abstract and central. The mental state
of the main character can be well described by this word.
Subject #2: Revenge is single, abstract, but not necessarily cnetral.
His action did not really damage someone, It seems more like a protest
in a desperate state.
Subject #3: Desperation is single, abstract and central. The sign of
desperation of the main character is often present in the text by his
action and mental activity.

Theme: Subject (Desperation) Verb (can drive) Object (someone/insane),
it is a good theme, the origin of all his insane acts is his profound
desperation

On Sep 4, 10:47 pm, Hai Qi Liang <haiqi2...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Subject #1: Insanity
> Subject #2: Revenge
> Subject #3: Desperation
> Theme: Desperation can drive someone insane

[Stephanie Carbonneau]

Hi Louis-Martin,

Subject 1: Memories are not single, and they are not abstract, you can
see them. However, it is central in the story, so I understand your
choice.
Subject 2: Pyromania is definitely single, it's also abstract, you
can't really see or touch it, and it is also central to the story.
Good choice of subject.
Subject 3: Anger is single and abstract, but I don't think it's
central to the story... The guy doesn't really seem angry, he's doing
everything in a very calm way.

Theme: Very good fallowing of the subject-verb-object form, and I
think it is very relevant to the story. Good choice of theme :)

[Stephanie Carbonneau]

Hi Julia !

Subject 1: It is abstract and single, but I don't think it is central
to the story... I would've put calmness instead, it's more relevant to
the story.
Subject 2: Again, it is single and abstract, and I think it is central
because the guy has a lot of anger in him.
Subject 3: It is central and single, but I don't think it is abstract
because you can see your memories.
Theme: You're not really fallowing the subject-verb-object form, but
the main idea of the theme is relevant to the story.

[Vincent Ko]

Subject #1: It is single and abstract but not central. The main
character seems
non-emotional, or at least he looks sad. Plus, I don't think that the
main point
of this story is about anger.

Subject #2: Rebel is single, central and abstract. In my opinion, the
main cahracter
burned his house drastically to show his revolt.

Subject #3:Desperation is single and abstract but I don't think its
central. Although
we can clearly see through out the story that the man is in desperate
moment, but
it is quite distant to the subject.

Theme: Your theme has a good structure (subject, verb and object).
However, I'm not
sure what you are trying to say by a teenager acting to deny his
heritance. This story
doesn't tell us that the man is a teenager. Moreover, we can say that
the man is losing
his inheritance since there is a foreclosure. He didn't burn the house
to deny his heitance.

On 9월4일, 오후8시23분, yuan kun li <liyuankun7357...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Subject #1:anger
> subject #2:rebel
> subject #3:desperation
> Theme : How a rebel teenager acts to deny his heritance.
>

> On Aug 25, 6:03 pm, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:
>
>
>
> > *** Your Writing ***
>
> > In response to Budzko's "How to Set a House on Fire" (the text is
> > posted on Omnivox), come up with three potential subjects and then a
> > theme based on one of your three subjects. Please be respectful of

> > your classmates - do not post anything that is offensive or

> > insensitive. Do your best to make sure your subjects and theme meet
> > the criteria discussed in class by asking yourself the following
> > questions:
>
> > Are your subjects single (only one idea, not many)?
>
> > Are your subjects central (important to most if not all of the text)?
>
> > Are your subjects abstract (undetectable by the five senses)?
>
> > Is your theme in subject-verb-object form?
>
> > Does your theme reflect an insightful understanding of the text?
>
> > Your three subjects and one theme must be posted by midnight Sunday
> > September 4th.
>
> > *** Your Feedback ***
>
> > Each student must offer critical feedback to at least 2 other students
> > regarding their subjects and theme. Explicitly evaluate each subject
> > and theme in terms of the criteria above, outlining what works and
> > what could be improved. Make sure every student has received feedback
> > from at least two students before offering any student a third round
> > of feedback. Be courteous and keep your comments focused on students'
> > writing.
>
> > All comments regarding other students' subjects and themes must be

> > posted by midnight Thursday September 8th.- 원본 텍스트 숨기기 -
>
> - 원본 텍스트 보기 -

[Vincent Ko]

Subject#1: Madness is single and abstract. And I agree that it could
be central. The author never mention directly about his emotions, but
by understanding his situation we can see that the man is in madness
throughout the story.

Subject#2: vicissitude is single and abstract, but not central. There
is no chronogical or regular changes in the story.

Subject#3: inability is single, abstract and central. The man's case
shows how inabilities grow anger.

Theme: Theme has subject, verb and object. I think it's a perfect and
great theme. It shows the main idea of the story and I agree with it.
Now I understand what you mean by vicissitude. But still I don't think
that this word alone can be central.

On 9월4일, 오전10시29분, Shiyan Du <sya...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Subject#1 madness
> Subject#2 vicissitude
> Subject#3 inability
> Theme: People's inability toward the vicissitude of life drive them to
> madness

[Xin Tong Zhao]

Hi Zeshi,
Subject 1: nostalgia is single, central and abstract, the author write
a lot about the main character's memories in the text. So it is a very
good point.
Subject 2: urbanization is single and abstract. We can find signs of
urbanization in the text, like: the new highway. It might be one of
the reasons that the main character detroyed his own property. But it
was not well elaborete by the author, so it is not central.
Subject3: moving on is single and abstract. By moving on,if I
understand your point of view, you mean that the main character burned
his property because he want to start a new beginning? I like the
idea. But, the author did not write anything about it, so it would not
be central.
Theme: the theme is definitely in subject (we), verd (should not),
object(have regrets) form. But your theme is a little bite too
general , and I can not find any trace of regrets in the text.
On Sep 6, 9:24 pm, Zeshi Zhong <zeshi_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Subject 1: nostalgia
> Subject 2: urbanization
> Subject 3: moving on
> Theme: we should not have regrets

>
> On 25 août, 18:03, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > *** Your Writing ***
>
> > In response to Budzko’s “How to Set a House on Fire” (the text is
> > posted on Omnivox), come up with three potential subjects and then a
> > theme based on one of your three subjects.  Please be respectful of

> > your classmates – do not post anything that is offensive or

[John Khoury]

Subject #1 memories: I agree he does seem to reflect on his memories
in the story although I don't think that its a central idea of this
story.
Subject #2 poverty: I don't see the poverty in this story. It doesn't
mention him having financial issues or any money issues at all.
Subject#3 madness: I agree with this. It is definitely a central idea
throughout the story. You see the anger when he burns down the house.
Theme: I agree that money does have this affect but i don't agree that
this theme correspond with the story because money is not really the
issue its more the anger.

On Sep 2, 9:43 pm, Jackson Chan <jackson...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Subject #1: memories
> Subject #2: poverty
> Subject #3: madness
> Theme: Money drives people mad

[John Khoury]

Subject #1: I agree with this subject. He is psychotic by burning the
house and its a central idea in the story.
Subject #2: I completely agree, he acts irrationally due to anger by
burning the house.
Subject#3: I agree he does he does act meticulous throughout the
process. He is very precise with the process.
Theme: I think that this is a very good theme and correspond to the
story

On Sep 4, 3:36 pm, Karinne Legare <xo.kari...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Subject # 1 Psychotic
>  Subject # 2 Demented
>  Subject # 3 meticulous
>
> Theme: Demented and psychotic, however meticulously planned

[Karina Hirian]

Hey William,

Subject #1: A highway is single, but it is absolutely not central, nor
is it abstract. A highway isn't abstract, because you can see it and
touch it and pretty much detect it with all of your five senses. The
highway is not the main subject in this text so it is not a central
idea.

Subject #2: Happiness is single and abstract, but certainly not
central. The story is more sad and unfortunate than happy. The house
goes on fire and the character is quite indifferent towards the
matter, bu he does not seem happy at all.

Subject #3: Farming is central, abstract and single. Good choice of
subject! The whole point of the story is to show how farming is a
risky job that can lead to bankruptcy.

Theme: Once again, I repeat myself, I find that the point of the story
and its "moral" is to show us and sensibilities us towards farming and
its risky path.

On Aug 25, 6:05 pm, William Shakespeare <andrewelbur...@hotmail.com>
wrote:
> Subject #1: a highway
> Subject #2: happiness
> Subject #3: farming
> Theme: farming results in financial failure

[Jing-Lun Xu]

Hai Qi:

Subject 1: Insanity is single, abstract and central. In fact, the
narrator tells his action in a really calm tone. By describing himself
burning the house calmly maybe suggests that the narrator has some
psychological problems.
Subject 2: Revenge is also single and abstract since we can't feel it
with our senses. However, I don't think this is central since the
author vaguely mentioned the reason why he tore down his house. The
calm tone doesn't seem vengeful.
Subject 3: Desperation is single, abstract and central. It can
definitively be the reason why the author burned down his house. In
his story, the narrator often refers to his past which proves his
present is worse.

This is a good theme, it's very realistic. In the story, it is
possible that the narrator is in a desperate situation which pushes
him to burn down his house. His attachment to his past suggest that he
used to be in a better situation.

[Xu Yan]

hi john
subject1 desperation is single, abstract and central. It is because
the main character is desperate that he put the fire on his farm
subject2 insanity is single, abstract and central. the main character
is insane so he put the fire on his farm
subject3 determination is single, abstract and i think it's central.
the the main character shows his determination that he want to put the
fire on his farm for all the text

theme : insanity( subject) make us do ( verb ) terrible things without
thinking( object)
it's a good theme it shows well why the main character put fire on his
farm.
On Sep 2, 7:48 pm, John Khoury <italiene_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Subject#1: desperation
> Subject#2: insanity
> Subject#3: determination
> Theme: Insanity makes us do terrible things without thinking

[Xu Yan]

subject 1. failing is single, abstract and central because the main
character's farming failed so he decide to burn his farm

subject 2. rage is single, abstract and I also think that it's the
central idea. we can feel his rage when he burned his farm

subject 3. wrecking is single, abstract and it's central. all the
story shows us how the main character destroy his farm so it's the
central idea for sure

theme : destruction ( subject) is ( verb) the root of failure combined
with anger ( object)
i agree with this theme and it's describe well what happened for the
main character of the story

On Sep 4, 12:00 am, Calvin Chin <nivlacn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Subject #1: failing
> Subject #2: rage
> Subject #3: wrecking
> Theme: destruction is the root of failure combined with anger

[Jing-Lun Xu]

Hi Louis-Martin

Subject 1 : Memories is abstract, but it is not single. In the story,
the author had several flashbacks (chicken, ownership of the house,
etc.). In addition, this subject is not central. The story doesn't
only talk about the past of the narrator.
Subject 2 : Pyromania is abstract and single. This subject could be
central since it is possible that the author has an uncontrollable
desire of lighting fire. It is possible that the author has experience
lighting fires which is why he explains to the readers how to burn a
house.
Subject 3 : Anger is abstract and single. However, it is not central.
The author may be angry but it is not shown in his story because he
narrates his story in a very calm tone. There is no sign of anger in
his actions neither.

The theme follows the "subject" "verb" and "Object" form. Therefore I
don't think it gets to the central idea of the text, the flashbacks
that the author showed us always involves the house that he owns. I
can't understand the link with his childhood.

[Salmon Nessa]

Hi John,

Subject#1 : desperation is a single idea, it is abstract and central.
So I believe it is a good subject although we can't really say if he
was desperate or not because we don't know if he had more options to
repay his farmhouse. The situation could have also been that he was
careless about his family inheritence and did wanted to give back the
money he owed ( didn't wanted to maintain the house) but at the same
time he maybe didn't want to see others take advantage of his family
property. In sort , your subject is good based on the act of the
character but we don't necessarily know if he actually was desperate
because we don't know if he had more options to repay his farmhouse.

Subject#2: Well the subject insanity is abstract and it is a single
idea but I do not think it is the central idea because the person is
not really insane from my point of view, he was at ease while he was
burning the house which might seem strange but it depends on what is
the value of that burning house for him. In the text we are only
informed that the house belonged to his ancestors but this doesn't
necessarily mean that this house has any importance for him, there is
nothing in the text that proves that the farmhouse is important for
him.If the house was that important for him and he was at ease burning
it he might be insane ,but if he doesn't care about the house and he
was calm while burning the house, in this case he is not necessarily
insane.

Subject#3: Determination is a single, central and abstract idea. It is
a very clear idea, we actually have proof of his determination inthe
text, for example in not giving up his ancestors house to the bank
even thow he has to burn his house to keep it away of foreclosure.

The theme which was ; insanity (subject) makes us do (verb) terrible
things without thinking is a good theme , it tries to explain what can
be considered the moral of the story and what might be the reason why
the house got burned.

On Sep 2, 7:48 pm, John Khoury <italiene_...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Subject#1: desperation
> Subject#2: insanity
> Subject#3: determination
> Theme: Insanity makes us do terrible things without thinking
>

[Sasha Bordonaro]

hello julia,
by the way, very interesting points, it really made my me question my
self and reflect about the story.

Subject n.1: in your subject of peace I do not belive that peace is
single because it can be used in different ways and sentences I
believe by using the word peace you must give it a second word
explaining which dosent make it single and I also belive it is more of
an angry peace yet is very central trough out the text wen using it in
the context of peace trough out people. Peace is also abstract because
you can not touch it or use your 5 senses.

Subject n.2: Hatred is very central I beilive that the way the writer
is speaking is in a very angry tone as well. It is abstract and a
single idea.

Subject n.3: Memory is in the text but I do not belive it is central
it is single and abstract but not trough out the whole story.

Your theme is very interesting, I read it as more of a question, yet
very catching because in an essay it would attracked me to read more
in understanding of why hatred can bring peace or vise versa.


On Sep 4, 9:54 pm, Julia Ros-Larocque <juliaroslaroc...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Subject n.1: Peace
> Subject n.2: Hatred
> Subject n.3: Memory
> Theme: How to obtain peace of mind by the use of hatred.

[Hai Qi Liang]

Hi Laurent,
Subject 1: industrialization is single, abstract but maybe no central.
I can see the link between burning a farm and industrialization but it
is not clear. Also, the narrator never says anything about it.
Subject 2: Destruction is single, abstract and central. The fact that
the narrators describes how he is going to burn the place is
definitely a sign of destruction.
Subject 3: Confession is a single, abstract but maybe not central. The
narrator can regret about something and maybe that's the way he would
redeem himself.
Theme: it follows the form: subject (Industrialization), verb (can
lead), objects (to desperate measures
from farmers). I think that it is a good theme because now we know why
the farmer is burning down the place and why he does not regret doing
it

On Sep 3, 10:24 am, Laurent Lao <xh0p...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Subject #1: Industrialization
> Subject #2: Destruction
> Subject #3: Confession
>
> Theme: Industrialization can lead to desperate measures from farmers.

[Sasha Bordonaro]

hello Calvin,

Subject #1: failing is a very interesting subject because it is not
the type of failing more as in school but more as in life and as a
person, it is a disappointment to your self. It is quit central trough
out the whole text and it is abstract.

Subject #2: rage is single yet i do not belive it is central trough
out the entire text because from rage he becomes calmer it is not a
consistent anger trough out the entire text. Yet very abstract.

Subject #3: wrecking
Is a very good choice of words but I do not belive it is single more
as it should be explained because wrecking can be used in many
different ways and I do not belive it is a single idea. Also there is
ways in wrecking tht can be used by touch, so it is a good choice of
words but also needs to be explained more indetailed. But it is
central trough out the entire text.

Theme: destruction is the root of failure combined with anger

I really like your choice of words in the theme, it helps imagine what
the text can be about and is quit attracking to an audience.

On Sep 4, 12:00 am, Calvin Chin <nivlacn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Subject #1: failing
> Subject #2: rage
> Subject #3: wrecking
> Theme: destruction is the root of failure combined with anger
>

[Salmon Nessa]

Hi Calvin,

Subject#1 : failing is a single, abstract and central idea if you
consider the idea that he is burning his own house because he lost
against the bank. But we could also see it in a different point of
view such as even if the bank won the house when the owner couldn't
pay off his dept , but actually , the bank lost ,because the house got
burned. This is what I visualize with your subject you might have a
different way of seing it, in overall , it is a great subject.


Subject#2: rage is a single and abstract idea but I don't think it is
a central idea because during the story, the character seemed calm and
at ease with what he was doing.

Subject#3: wrecking is a single and central idea ,but I am not so sure
that if it is abstract because we can touch something that has been
wrecked.

Theme: destruction (suubject) is the root (verb) of failure (object)
combined with anger (object).
Your theme is interresting but it contains 2 objects, but the idea is
clear and could explain th reason why the main character of the story
burned his house.

[Hai Qi Liang]

Hey Karina
Subject 1: Failure is single, abstract and central. It is a good
subject because it probably explains why the narrator is burning down
the farm.
Subject 2: Destruction is single, abstract and central. The narrator
describes throughout the text how he is going to burn the farm and the
fact he is not regretting it at all is definitely destruction.
Subject 3: Indifference is a single, abstract and central subject.
Indifference is felt in the text, the narrator does not have any
feelings, nor regrets about his act.
Theme: It is in the right form: subject (Indifference towards a
serious matter), verb (can drive), objects (someone into doing
unethical acts deliberately.) I think that it could be the theme,
since a heartless person can do things that we would never expect.
On Sep 5, 11:25 pm, Karina Hirian <karr...@msn.com> wrote:
> Subject 1: failure
> Subject 2:  destruction
> Subject 3: indifference
> Theme: Indifference towards a serious matter can drive someone into
> doing unethical acts deliberately.

[Louis-Martin Jussaume]

Hi, failing is clearly central, abstract (in this context), and
single. When someone is burning his house it probably means he failed
in life. Your two other subjects are not central. He doesn't look
angry at all. He's more calm and methodical. He takes his time, he's
not in a rush. He does every steps carefully. It looks like something
he has planned for many years. I would say that failing is your best
subject. Your theme respect the structure, but again I don't think
anger has anything to do with the character's behavior

On Sep 4, 12:00 am, Calvin Chin <nivlacn...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Subject #1: failing
> Subject #2: rage
> Subject #3: wrecking
> Theme: destruction is the root of failure combined with anger
>

[Salmon Nessa]

Hi Vincent,

Subject#1 : redevelopment is single ,abstract but I don't think it was
central because during the story we were basically
burning( destroying) something, not redevelopping anything. Thats what
I think.

Subject#2: Well the subject of madness is abstract and it is a single

idea but I do not think it is the central idea because the person is

not really mad from my point of view, he was at ease while he was

burning the house which might seem strange but it depends on what is
the value of that burning house for him. In the text we are only
informed that the house belonged to his ancestors but this doesn't
necessarily mean that this house has any importance for him, there is
nothing in the text that proves that the farmhouse is important for
him.If the house was that important for him and he was at ease burning

it he might be mad in that circomstance ,but if he doesn't care about

the house and he was calm while burning the house, in this case he is

not necessarily mad.

Subject#3: resignation is a single , abstract and a central idea if
you are seing the story as if the main character gave up on trying to
find a way to free himself of dept and obtain back his house from
foreclosure and decided just to burn the house and resign with this
duty of keeping the house. If this is what you meant, your subject is
good or else you could have also meant something else but I can't
visualize what else it could mean, its possible though.

Theme: Indignation (subject) turns into (verb) mad resignation
(subject). The form of your theme is good but I wonder when did the
narrator face indignation, he was pretty calm during the story ?

On Sep 4, 10:53 pm, Vincent Ko <ksh4...@gmail.com> wrote:
> subject 1: Redevelopment
> subject 2: Madness
> subject 3: Resignation
>
> Theme: Indignation turns into mad resignation

>
> On 8월25일, 오후6시03분, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:
>
>
>
> > *** Your Writing ***
>
> > In response to Budzko's "How to Set a House on Fire" (the text is
> > posted on Omnivox), come up with three potential subjects and then a
> > theme based on one of your three subjects. Please be respectful of

> > your classmates - do not post anything that is offensive or

> > insensitive. Do your best to make sure your subjects and theme meet
> > the criteria discussed in class by asking yourself the following
> > questions:
>
> > Are your subjects single (only one idea, not many)?
>
> > Are your subjects central (important to most if not all of the text)?
>
> > Are your subjects abstract (undetectable by the five senses)?
>
> > Is your theme in subject-verb-object form?
>
> > Does your theme reflect an insightful understanding of the text?
>
> > Your three subjects and one theme must be posted by midnight Sunday
> > September 4th.
>
> > *** Your Feedback ***
>
> > Each student must offer critical feedback to at least 2 other students
> > regarding their subjects and theme. Explicitly evaluate each subject
> > and theme in terms of the criteria above, outlining what works and
> > what could be improved. Make sure every student has received feedback
> > from at least two students before offering any student a third round
> > of feedback. Be courteous and keep your comments focused on students'
> > writing.
>
> > All comments regarding other students' subjects and themes must be