Journal for Class 6

“The Dead” by James Joyce; “On Truth and Lies in the Nonmoral Sense” by Friedrich Nietzsche; “Figures and Tropes” by Bennett and Royle

1. Bennett and Royle claim that “’The Dead’, which is above all about death, is also about dead language, dead metaphors” (83). They support their claim by providing a close reading of the story’s final paragraph that focuses on the figurative effects produced by the “verbal repetition” (84) of the word ‘falling.’ Find another passage from “The Dead” that is in some way ‘about’ dead language or dead metaphors and which Bennett and Royle could’ve used to support their argument. Then write your own analysis of this passage that explains how and to what purpose Joyce makes use of a particular figurative effect (or effects).

2. After reading Graff and Birkenstein’s “Three Ways to Respond,” identify one or more of the arguments that Nietzsche makes in “On Truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense.” Then write a response to Nietzsche’s essay in which you summarize and/or quote some of his ideas and makes clear whether you’re agreeing, disagreeing, or both agreeing and disagreeing with what he says and why. Use the templates in They Say, I Say: see Chapters 1-3 for templates that will help you to represent Nietzsche’s ideas and Chapter 4 for templates that will get you started with your response.