Henry Adams - Dynamo and the Virgin

We are having great fun - at least I am - reading exerpts from The Education of Henry Adams, in particular the chapter "The Dynamo and the Virgin." Adams' excitement at seeing the great forces that have been unleased in the new century and contrasting them to the motivation of religion and the great cathedrals it built such as the cathedral at Amiens and the sculptures of his friend St. Gaudens, especially the powerful statue of General Grant with the Victory. (see the picture above from www.blueofthesky.com/publicart/works/sherman.htm) I hope the students are getting excited about the concept of force and power in writing as well. We looked at the 300-word sentence in Martin Luther King Jr's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" for a really powerful way to express their need for justice now.

The "Letter from Birmingham Jail" should connect nicely to Freire's "Banking Concept of Education" which is our topic for Monday.