Historical Fiction: Theme Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz Literature for Units 23 - 27

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Literature and Composition

Units 23 - 28: Historical Fiction: Theme Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz Literature for Units 23 - 27

We hope you will use these extreme contrasts as a great opportunity to discuss with your student(s) the consequences of this sinful lifestyle of greed and narcissism. Petronius and Marcus clearly demonstrate the contrasts found in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Author Spotlight

Henryk Sienkiewicz is one of the more prolific Polish writers of the late 20th century. The strong political elements of his writing could be attributed to his paternal family’s involvement in the struggles for Polish independence. Sienkiewicz was not known as an exceptional student, though he did study in Warsaw for a time. He did eventually emerge as a talented writer whose social conscience was revealed in satirical sketches. In 1876, he made a trip to America and travelled across to California. The result

of that trip was a collection of articles in

To the Parent/Teacher: Polish newspapers about his trip. Please note the mature nature of Quo Back in Poland, Sienkiwicz would write Vadis. Many scenes in this novel vividly about his own country’s history in a trilogy describe the opulent lifestyle of the Roman about seventeenth-century Poland. He then nobles. These scenes are designed to show spent some time writing about the sharp contrast between the life of sin and debauchery and the life of the Christian, contemporary subjects before he published as well as the challenges that the Christian his greatest success, Quo Vadis, in 1895. By faced in the Roman world. 1900 he had written a few more histories

Ancient: High School Units 23 - 28: Literature and Composition Page 483 and had become immensely popular. That Prize by the Academy glorifies not only the year, a national subscription raised enough author, but the people whose son he is.” money for him to buy the castle his ancestors had owned. For more information about Henryk Sienkiewicz received the Nobel Prize in Sienkiewicz, visit: Literature in 1905 “because of his http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_pr outstanding merits as an epic writer.” In his izes/literature/laureates/1905/sienki acceptance speech, Sienkiewicz said, “The ewicz-bio.html

Unit 23 – Assignments Literature

 Read Unit 23 – Assignment Background.  Read Chapters I - XV of Quo Vadis. Activity While Reading: In your reading journal, create pages for varying themes, such as those discussed in the assignment background.

Unit 23 – Assignment Background Themes their enemies were living out in the time of Translator Jeremiah Curtin says Quo Nero. Vadis is widely regarded as one of the Over the next few units, we will discuss greatest novels of all time. The story looks at themes a great deal. In your journal, you will each character’s answer to the question, want to make notes about themes found “Where are you going?” Not only does this throughout this novel. Be sure to write story look at the sin and evil that Rome as down page numbers and anything else that an empire was a part of, but it also looks at would help you find items that support where the individual characters in the story various themes. Some themes you might are going. Some are moving toward a want to provide a section or category for stronger faith in this Christ that Peter and would include: Paul talk so much about. Others are moving  Sin and evil and the effects of their deeper into the life of sin that is so much a presence on a society part of the Roman culture under Nero.  Faith and forgiveness and how the In Quo Vadis you have characters that two are connected are transforming Rome one soul at a time.  Love vs. lust Sienkiewicz is a master at creating  Love and devotion and their saving characters that show an ever-strengthening qualities faith in Christ in the midst of some of the  Faith and leadership

most horrifying circumstances the Christian world had ever known at the time. It took These are not the only themes found in years of research for the Catholic Church to this story. What are some of the themes that fully express the themes that Christians and you see developing? Write about those themes in your journal.

Ancient: High School Units 23 - 28: Literature and Composition Page 484 Unit 24 – Assignments Literature

 Read Unit 24 – Assignment Background.  Read Chapters XVI - XXX of Quo Vadis. Activity While Reading: In your reading journal, build character descriptions that associate each main character with the various themes that you are discovering as you read.

Unit 24 – Assignment Background Themes Revealed Through Character help you, the reader, understand. As any writer works to develop themes Remember that the best characters help us that haunt the reader, he or she relies understand the “human condition” – the heavily on well-crafted, believable stuff that makes us understand a little bit characters to do the work. Sienkiewicz better who we are and why we do the things created such characters. There are clear we do. contrasts between the genuine love of In your reading pay close attention to Christianity and the violence and how well-developed characters are. Are debauchery of the Roman Empire. those characters true to what they were In your reading, pay close attention to created to be? characters. Be as thorough in your descriptions of those characters as possible. For a quick review of character types, In your descriptions, look for clues to ways check out: they build the author’s themes. Most http://www.ohio.edu/people/hartley importantly, decide what these characters g/ref/fiction/character1.html

Unit 25 – Assignments

 Read Unit 25 – Assignment Background.  Read Chapters XXXI - XLV of Quo Vadis. Activity While Reading: In your reading journal continue to make notes about characters and themes throughout the story

Unit 25 – Assignment Background Planning Your Essay attention to characters and/or events that The story of Quo Vadis is quite an move you. emotional journey. As you read, pay Everything in your final essay should tie back to theme. Think about what theme

Ancient: High School Units 23 - 28: Literature and Composition Page 485 seems to be a priority in this book. How recorded facts to support your theme as does the author use characters, setting, and well. The key in the body of the paper is to events to emphasize that particular theme? look at literary elements such as characters, As you read, develop an outline that setting, plot, etc., that support your ideas. helps you organize these thoughts. Develop Examples that “prove” your point make a your thesis into a full sentence. After you’ve very good paper. got a thesis you are happy with, build your Your conclusion should wrap everything introductory paragraph. up. You might reveal what you’ve learned In your introductory paragraph, you will through this experience and show your want to introduce this particular theme and connection to the theme you’ve chosen to discuss why you think it is important. One discuss. Your goal is to make sure all your truth about this novel that draws people to reader’s questions about your points have it generation after generation is its been answered. connection to the modern reader. Some of Remember that your rough draft should the themes in this story are timeless and are not be completed until you have finished relative to our world today. As you work reading the novel. Your goal at this point is through these ideas, try to write an opening to organize your thoughts in a way that you paragraph that touches on the importance can continue adding examples or begin of the theme you’re interested in. replacing some examples with stronger The body of your paper should provide ones that you discover in the last chapters of examples from the novel that support your the novel. thesis. You might use relevant Scripture or

Unit 26 – Assignments

 Read Unit 26 – Assignment Background.  Read Chapters XLVI - LX of Quo Vadis. Activity While Reading: In your reading journal, continue to make notes about characters and themes throughout the story.

Unit 26 – Assignment Background Writing Your Rough Draft theme about which you are writing. Pay One of the most popular translators of attention to how different your opinions Quo Vadis, Jeremiah Curtin, says this: “The might be from other students or what author gives us pictures of opening scenes examples you each use on points where you in the conflict of moral ideas with the agree. Roman Empire – a conflict from which As we pointed out at the beginning of Christianity issued as the leading force in this reading, there are many different History.” themes in this novel. Do not think because Continue working on your rough draft someone is writing about a different them about themes in Quo Vadis. Does Curtin’s they are wrong? Think of discussion as an comment give you more information? Do opportunity to understand what others find you agree with him? Disagree? Why do you important and to help you recognize what think he made this comment? If you can, you value as well. discuss this in a group. Also discuss the Ancient: High School Units 23 - 28: Literature and Composition Page 486 Artios Academies Research Report Rubric - High School (Scale: 4=Excellent; 3=Acceptable; 2=Below Average; 1=Unacceptable_

Traits Score

Clear, Well-Organized, Well Developed Ideas ____ 4

 Main idea (thesis) is clear. ____ 3  Each paragraph has a clear topic and concluding sentence.  Topic sentences and concluding sentences are used in body paragraphs. ____ 2  Supporting details clearly support topic sentences.  Transitions are used to connect paragraphs. ____ 1  Introduction, body, conclusion provide logical sequencing of ideas. Sentence Variation in Paragraphs ____ 4

 Lead sentence captures the reader’s attention. ____ 3  Sentence patterns used in the paper include: o Introductory participial phrase, ____ 2 o Two independent clauses separated by semicolon, o Compound sentence, ____ 1 o Appositive phrase, o Introductory prepositional phrase, o Introductory adverb clause Word Choice and Figurative Language ____ 4

 Strong verbs are used; passive voice and ‘to be’ verbs are not overused. ____ 3  No vague, overused, repetitive language is used.  Writer uses or identifies such figurative language as ____ 2 o Metaphor, o Simile, ____ 1 o Personification. Research Paper Requirements ____ 4

 3 or more sources used (At least one should be a printed or ‘hard copy’ source). ____ 3  Information was compiled through formal research process, including use of various library resources. ____ 2  Notes were taken to organize information from sources.  Prewriting (outlining, webbing, etc.) was done to organize information. ____ 1  Works cited page was included.  Quotations and other information borrowed from research sources were cited as dictated by MLA style. Grammar, Usage, Mechanics ____ 4

 No run-on sentences ____ 3  No sentence fragments  Subject/verb agreement ____ 2  Correct and consistent verb tense usage  No use of contractions ____ 1  Punctuation is correct  Capitalization is correct  Spelling is correct

Ancient: High School Units 23 - 28: Literature and Composition Page 487 Unit 27 – Assignments

 Read Chapters LXI - Epilogue of Quo Vadis.  Complete your draft of your essay and show it to someone. After they have looked it over, make corrections. Arrange sentences for clarity. Make sure your final draft uses MLA formatting. Be sure to include a Works Cited page and include any sources that you have referenced or quoted directly. (If you need a refresher on MLA formatting, visit this website: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/13/.)

Unit 28 – Assignments

 Finalize your essay and be sure it meets all the requirements discussed in Units 23-27. As you look over your final draft, use the rubric on Page 487 as a checklist for the finer points of a quality paper.

Scene of the historical novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz ("Quo Vadis"), entitled "Ligia leaves Aulus' house". Illustration by Domenico Mastroianni.

Ancient: High School Units 23 - 28: Literature and Composition Page 488