I may have been in error, inviting all of you to explore Beston's The Outtermost House: A Year of Life on the Great Beach of Cape Cod with me. Usually when I have read about recommendations for reading from other AP teachers, their choices have been good ones. This one doesn't seem to be. I'm afraid that many of you might find the text dry (even I did in parts), filled with descriptions which may or may not interest you. It appears geared more toward an older, adult audience. It even reminds me of something Audubon would write about birds, a bit stiff in parts.
But there are some interesting parts. I read the entire book on my flight back to CA after the AP Reading and visiting afterwards. I thought of some exercises you might want to try. In reference to the waves chapter, his description of the sound and voice of waves breaking are quite different from what you'll find in Southern California. Perhaps you'd like to try taking a trip to the beach to see what you can observe about the sound/voice of the Pacific Ocean. You might want to include what else you observe on the beach as well, plus try visiting during different times of the day. If you choose to try this, please identify which beach(es) you visit. Describe it (them) as specifically as possible. Perhaps you might want to try comparing/contrasting what you observe with that which Beston has observed. The Atlantic Ocean appears much different as do the beaches; many have dunes leading down into them or are filled with dunes; long grasses grow in parts of them. In the images below the waves are small, the ocean not so angry. We don't have the storms here as described in the text.
These pictures were taken at Topsail Beach off the southeastern coast of North Carolina during the summer last year, a beach that isn't usually as crowded as more popular beaches off the North Carolina coast. Topsail is a small town on the southern end of Topsail Island.
Perhaps you might want to comment on Beston's philosophies that appear more in later chapters of the text, especially his comments on being alone, what it means, how it can affect a person. He does describe humankind as being a gregarious bunch. You might want to consider his philosophy to later compare with what Thoreau says in relation to his experiences at Walden.
What do you think of the "crude oil" pollution Beston mentions around page 100? Apparently this has been going on long before BP had that "spill" in the Gulf of Mexico. Do you think the pollution has ended as Beston describes in this chapter on page 101? Here you can see the ocean's pollution is nothing new. Remember this text was first published in 1928.
We wouldn't have the shipwrecks Beston describes either. We just don't have those storms. This part is interesting to read, what happens to the boats, the people, the cargo. There are also some passages interesting to analyze for the strategies present.
Finally you might want to focus on his philosophies that appear in the last chapter, particularly toward the end of the book. What do you think about what he has to say? Do you agree? Disagree? Why?
But there are some interesting parts. I read the entire book on my flight back to CA after the AP Reading and visiting afterwards. I thought of some exercises you might want to try. In reference to the waves chapter, his description of the sound and voice of waves breaking are quite different from what you'll find in Southern California. Perhaps you'd like to try taking a trip to the beach to see what you can observe about the sound/voice of the Pacific Ocean. You might want to include what else you observe on the beach as well, plus try visiting during different times of the day. If you choose to try this, please identify which beach(es) you visit. Describe it (them) as specifically as possible. Perhaps you might want to try comparing/contrasting what you observe with that which Beston has observed. The Atlantic Ocean appears much different as do the beaches; many have dunes leading down into them or are filled with dunes; long grasses grow in parts of them. In the images below the waves are small, the ocean not so angry. We don't have the storms here as described in the text.
These pictures were taken at Topsail Beach off the southeastern coast of North Carolina during the summer last year, a beach that isn't usually as crowded as more popular beaches off the North Carolina coast. Topsail is a small town on the southern end of Topsail Island.
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| Some were trying to surf in these waves. |
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| Wooden walks with a few steps lead to this beach |
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| Small wave sets |
Perhaps you might want to comment on Beston's philosophies that appear more in later chapters of the text, especially his comments on being alone, what it means, how it can affect a person. He does describe humankind as being a gregarious bunch. You might want to consider his philosophy to later compare with what Thoreau says in relation to his experiences at Walden.
What do you think of the "crude oil" pollution Beston mentions around page 100? Apparently this has been going on long before BP had that "spill" in the Gulf of Mexico. Do you think the pollution has ended as Beston describes in this chapter on page 101? Here you can see the ocean's pollution is nothing new. Remember this text was first published in 1928.
We wouldn't have the shipwrecks Beston describes either. We just don't have those storms. This part is interesting to read, what happens to the boats, the people, the cargo. There are also some passages interesting to analyze for the strategies present.
Finally you might want to focus on his philosophies that appear in the last chapter, particularly toward the end of the book. What do you think about what he has to say? Do you agree? Disagree? Why?
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