Literature Analysis: Great Expectations (Extra Credit)

This was a collaborative experience and the other parts of this book analysis can be found on these blogs:
Serena Nichols
Ian Steller
Hannah Savaso
Taylor Dugaran
Annette Sousa
Meghan Martella

3. Pip, the protagonist in "Great Expectations" is a dynamic and round character. At the beginning of the novel is a small child about the age of seven and by the end he is  about twenty-three years old and has matured into a very respectable and matured gentlemen. When he begins, he is a misbehaved orphan living with his older sister constantly running off and getting into trouble. And when he inherits a large amount of money and moves to London he becomes cocky and ignores his good friends Joe and Biddy. But as time passes, and he experiences more of life he realizes that he mistreated his friends and has been really selfish. He makes a transformation and becomes an admirable young gentlemen. 
4. After reading this novel, I felt like I met Pip. It wasn't my favorite book to read so it was hard to really get into it, but since it was written in first person, the reader saw all of Pip's thoughts on everything he experience which really helped me to get to know him better. And since I did learn a lot about him, personally it felt like I was good friends with him, going through everything he went through, rather than just reading a character.

Lit Group Post #3

Chapter 44:
- Confound: confuse
- Haggard: appearing worn and exhausted

Chapter 45:
- Tacit: implied
- Rakish: dashing, stylish

Chapter 46:
- Superannuate: to retire as old

Chapter 47:
- Antipodes: regions south of the equator
- Plenipotentiary: a diplomatic officer with full authority
- Necromantic: pertaining to sorcery

Chapter 49:
- Bemoan: to express grief over
- Spurn: to reject
- Discursive: rambling

Chapter 51:
- Sniveling: whining with snorting
- Abeyance: cessation
- Spluttering: speaking fast

Chapter 53:
- Besetting: troubling
- Goad: urged to action

Chapter 54:
- Capsized: sunk
- Vex: disturb
- Hempen: made of hemp

Chapter 55:
- Exordium: introduction in composition

Chapter 56:
- Indelible: permanent
- Nosegays: small bunches of flowers

Chapter 57:
- Underlet: sublet
-Errant: wandering

Chapter 58:
- Complier: one who gathers materials from other documents

Chapter 59:
- Matronly: motherly

Practice Essay

As humans, it is our nature to judge others by their actions and how they react in certain situations. In Jean Sartre’s “No Exit” and Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” the character’s reactions to the situations they are placed in help the reader understand where each character comes from. Let’s say, for example, one friend from a group goes to see the new Hunger Games movie, Catching Fire. The next day, this one friend tries to explain to the others how the “games” worked, but they could not understand because they have not seen it yet. This friend is like the enlightened prisoner in ‘The Allegory of the Cave” and the others represent the prisoners still shackled down stuck staring at the shadows.

In Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” the one prisoner has to courage to step out into the unknown from the safety of the cave. When he comes back to the cave and attempts to explain the new world he has seen, the other prisoners cannot comprehend what he is telling them because they only know what they have seen. This event is similar to the situation presented above. Since the others have not seen the movie, Catching Fire, what the friend is trying to explain is outside their “known world” and they can’t appreciate what he is saying to them in attempt to try and enlighten them on something new. This friend now becomes an outsider because he can see more than the others can. The actions of the character’s in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” help the reader understand where the author is coming from. In a sense, the enlightened prisoner represents Plato because he uses this allegory in attempt to share with others of his view on reality. And we, as readers, are the prisoners inside the cave, because this is a new idea and it is difficult for us to get a hold of.

Estelle, in Sartre’s “No Exit” is the exact opposite of the enlightened prisoner. She is one of the people where they think, “If I close my eyes, maybe it will go away.” If she was placed in that situation, her goal would be to avoid it at all costs rather than to face it head on. In Sartre’s “No Exit” she does not want to accept the fact that the three of them are all dead and stuck in hell. She says, “Please, please don’t use that word (dead). It’s so crude.” It also takes her half of the play to open up and share the reason for why she ended up in hell. Unlike the enlightened prisoner, she is extremely stubborn and does not agree with change and what’s to just live in the now.

Both authors, Sartre and Plato, develop characters and use their actions to get their point across. Some characters will succeed like the enlightened prisoner in “The Allegory of the Cave,” but others will just crumble and fall like Estelle in “No Exit.” Both authors use their characters to represent the split of what reality is in society.

I Can Read

Here is the link to the video of me reading "Fox in Sox" by Dr. Suess

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZyX6K82ddo

Lit Group Post #2

Chapter 17:
- Guinea: an English coin
- Sluice: a passage for water
- Untoward: improper

Chapter 18:
- Evince: to show or demonstrate clearly
- Pugilistic: having to do with boxing

Chapter 19:
- Amalgamation: consolidation
- Clemency: mercy
- Flaccid: soft

Chapter 20:
- Confectioner: a person who makes or deals candy
- Guileless: candid, innocent

Chapter 21:
- Disgorged: spit out

Chapter 22:
- Acquiesce: to comply passively with another's will
- Shod: wearing a shoe
- Circumjacent: in the surrounding area
- Imbue: to influence fully
- Languor: laziness

Chapter 23:
- Baronetcy: a rank of honor
- Vellum: a fine parchment made from a lamb or calf

Chapter 25:
- Bijou: a delicate trinket
- Tarpaulin: a tarp

Chapter 26:
- Nigh: near

Chapter 27:
- Blusterous: like a loud violent wind
- Pettish: fretful

Chapter 28:
- Choleric: hot-tempered
- Incommoded: bothered

Chapter 29:
- Dormouse: a small rodent
- Sinewy: lean and muscular
- Yore: a distant past

Chapter 30:
- Akimbo: hate
- Victualling: gathering food
- Engender: to produce or cause

Chapter 31:
- Diadem: crown
- Primeval: relating to earliest ages

Chapter 32:
- Portly: stout

Chapter 36:
- Aback: unexpectedly
- Per annum: by the year

Chapter 37:
- Jorum: a large drinking bowl
- Rubicund: having a healthy appearance

Chapter 38:
- Avowal: an open admission
- Leer: to stare maliciously

Chapter 40:
- Dandle: to pamper
- Uncouth: ill-mannered
- Mire: deep slimy mud

Chapter 43:
- Loiter: to linger purposely
- Blundering: Clumsy

Lit Group Post

In my lit circle, I have the job of finding any vocabulary words, so here it goes...
Chapter 1:
- Beacon: signal or guidance device
- Elude: to escape
- Lair: den of a wild animal
- Pollards: trees cut back so the lower branches are removed and the upper branches form a ball

Chapter 2:
- Forge: blacksmith
- Larceny: the wrongful taking of someone's personal goods
- Squally: stormy; threatening
- Decant: to pour gently

Chapter 3:
- Rimy: covered with rime (ice particles)
- Ague: a fit of fever or shivering
- Imp: a little devil or demon

Chapter 4:
- Prodigiously: extraordinary in size
- Declamation: exercise in oratory or elocution
- Penitentials: pertaining to the expressive of repentence

Chapter 5:
- Cravat: necktie
- Manacled: handcuff

Chapter 7
- Epistle: a letter of written communication
- Anvil: a heavy iron block with smooth face

Chapter 8:
- Disdain: attitude of arrogance
- Farinaceous: having a powdery texture
- Recluse: someone who lives in seclusion

Chapter 9:
- Adamantine: hard and unyielding
- Metaphysics: the branch of philosophy that examines the nature of reality
- Reticence: reserved

Chapter 10:
- Ophthalmic: relating to the eye
- Refractory: resisting control

Chapter 11:
- Sanguinary: bloody
- Dexterous: skillful use of hands

Chapter 12:
- Depreciatory: lowering in estimation or esteem
- Homage: official expression of high regard

Chapter 13:
- Abject: the most miserable kind
- Augur: to look for and read signs of omens
- Vagary: unpredictable action

Chapter 15:
- Hermitage: a retreat
- Maudlin: excessively sentimental
- Plume: to preen or show off

Chapter 16:
- Aberration: eccentricity or abnormality
- Vagabond: a vagrant wanderer

Thinking Outside the Box

Compare how Plato and Sartre describe the limitations of our thinking and imply solutions to the problem.  Be sure to analyze their literary techniques, especially their use of allegory and extended metaphor.
Plato describes our limitations of our thoughts on reality through an extended metaphor and an allegory. Each prisoner believes that the shadows are reality, but they're not. All they have to do is turn their heads and see the real reality but they don't know any better. Plato also tells us that in order to become enlightened someone who knows the real reality has to set you free. Sartre believed that our vision is based on other's evaluation of us. In "No Exit", Estelle had to rely on Inez approval because she had no mirrors to see herself. He believes that we have to put our trust in other's which is extremely hard to do because "Hell is other people." They both use dialogue and didactics to get their points across and the characters play an important part in each of their ideas.

No Exit Notes/ Study Questions

-Written by Jean Paul Sartre
- known for existentialism: existence precedes essence
- fan of cognitive dissonance

- "People are condemned to be free."

- How easy is it for people to be free?
- Citizens need structure

- Hell is other people

- "I am therefore I am."

No Exit:
- 3 people in afterlife
- names of people are occupations

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Study Questions:

Think about the place you have chosen as your hell. Does it look ordinary and bourgeois, like Sartre's drawing room, or is it equipped with literal instruments of torture like Dante's Inferno? Can the mind be in hell in a beautiful place? Is there a way to find peace in a hellish physical environment? Enter Sartre's space more fully and imagine how it would feel to live there endlessly, night and day:
I definitely think my hell would be like Dante's Inferno with endless torture. Physical pain would be much worse for me than emotional or mental pain would be. I believe that the mind can be hell, and many would choose that as their worse hell. If you are constantly overthinking and stressing, it's common to have mental breakdowns and that could very well be someone's endless hell. I don't think you can find peace in a hellish place. I do think you can have temporary peace like Garcin tried in this story but it didn't last long and the fact that this hell your in is never-ending would just get to you.

Could hell be described as too much of anything without a break? Are variety, moderation and balance instruments we use to keep us from boiling in any inferno of excess,' whether it be cheesecake or ravenous sex?
I think too much of anything could easily be Hell. I can't stand being able to only do one thing, even if its watching TV; I eventually need a change. Humans have short attention spans and too much of anything just becomes boring and begins to drive us insane.

How does Sartre create a sense of place through dialogue? Can you imagine what it feels like to stay awake all the time with the lights on with no hope of leaving a specific place? How does GARCIN react to this hell? How could you twist your daily activities around so that everyday habits become hell? Is there a pattern of circumstances that reinforces the experience of hell?
With the conversation between Garcin and Valet the reader can see his take on this new life and his disgust with the room. And with the additions of Inez and Estelle doesn't help. I think it would horrible to have to spend the rest of your life in a tiny room with other people especially. Your are bound to get annoyed with them eventually and there is no escape. At the beginning, he tries to keep to himself in hope that that would ease the pain, but he eventually breaks down and tries fiercely for an escape. I think just repeating one of your daily activities nonstop would be the worst Hell.

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

Prisoners linked by their shackle
Stuck staring at shadows
While footsteps behind them crackle
Oblivious to the upcoming battle

Hidden from the light
Though the sun was wide
It was hard to sight
They needed a guide

Their guide, the freed
Now filled with glee
Would be the one to lead
The prisoners to the free.

However, they did not understand the actuality
Of this new reality.

Brain With 14 Legs

My literary circle is reading "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. Hannah, Taylor, Annette, Ian, Meghan and Serena are in the group. Because we all have a different schedules, we didn't choose a particular schedule to read. Our goal is just to have the reading done by December 1, so then we will discuss it and we also all want to complete the literature analysis. Over the days we have to read it, we communicate using our blogs, emails or phone. Once we finish the reading, we will discuss the novel and use discussions questions that Hannah is writing.

Allegory of the Cave Response Questions

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?
- Socrates believes that the cave represents how we perceive reality and what we think it is. What we understand to be reality is the only reality we can understand.

2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?
- The prisoners and their chains because they are tied to what they believe is reality, the shadows of the puppets behind them which represent false realities, the dark cave, and the fire and first seeing the outside (light) which is the actual world.

3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
- Plato says that everyone is given the capacity to learn in their soul when they are born. He also suggests that it is a difficult struggle that takes time.

4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?
- The shackles represent the restriction we have because of our thoughts, and the cave represents the imagination we have and the reality we believe because of it.

 5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
- Today the thing that shackles the mind in my opinion is how others are going to perceive and accept us. We are constantly worried about what others think of us and it binds us down.

6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
- The freed prisoner represents an opportunist because he stepped out of his comfort zone and is now experiencing "real life." The prisoners can't understand what he describes to them because it is
extremely different than their version of reality, so instead he turns into just another shadow on the wall.

 7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?
- The first way lack of clarity occurs is the prisoners not being able to see the actual "reality" because they are restrained by the chains. The second way, it when they choose not to listen to the freed prisoner and understand the information he is telling them.
8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?
- The prisoners can only be freed by someone else who has been freed, meaning that they can only be enlightened by those who have been enlightened.

9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
- This goes hand in hand with not judging a book by its cover. First impressions gives us an idea of the person but its not the "full" person (reality). So basically, appearance is a part of reality but they aren't exactly the same.

10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?
The first alternate assumption is that people will see what they believe. The second would be that their isn't an actual "reality" because everyone has their own version of reality.

Allegory of the Cave Notes

- A cookbook for a successful society

- Socrates is a hero because he doesn't lead by dictation

- Socrates is talking to Glaucon

- Plato is writing this to document Socrates' ideas

- Glaucon is used as a prop for Socrates

- Theme is to determine/show "how far nature is enlightened and unenlightened"

- Individual is the authoritative voice

- The cave is an illustration of a concept we have to deal with

- What we think is real is up to our own interpretation

- Plato thought that everything we saw is just a pale representation of something ideal.

- The prison house is the world of sight

- The power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already

- Three stages: imagination, belief, understanding

- Both agree that the prisoners would rather suffer this newfound fate than to return to their old lives

- The released prisoner returns and describes what he has seen outside but the others just laugh at him because they can't understand

We Hang Together

-Interdependent: Not exactly an alliance but each keeps the other in the public eye, and each keeps its own people sharp by referring to the competition.
-Interdependence is reached unintentionally, like with Coke and Pepsi

-Business research and trends consider inter-organizational relations in terms of both competition and collaboration.

 

-in 1980's, many focused the business world on models of competition but then shifted to corporate strategy and association.

 

-Strategic alliance: limited control where there is no one strategy

 

-Should view struggle to attract a resource rather than to fight its absence

 

-How many executives and companies are deploying their resources to fight the drought when they

should be looking for ways to attract the moisture

 

- Individualism is encouraged at a young age

-Self- sufficient human being is an unattainable goal

 

-Human factors play a significant role in the successful implementation of any interdependent effort

 

- Society has become increasingly selfish

 

-basic truth of strategic relationships: We need each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamlet Essay Remix

For my remix, I took pictures off of Google and replaced them for the words in the essay I wrote to provide a visual way of seeing what I was trying to get across to the reader.

 http://www.scribd.com/doc/183446458/visual-for-hamlet-essay

A Poetic Inquiry

No man need fear his Destiny's bad course,
When challenges, he meets resolutely;
Defying it and hitting hard with force;
with prudent action, that is done timely.

Who cares about destiny's monstrous face,
If man can take refuge in God's Love-shield?
Why worry of Destiny's losing case,
When God gives grace and much wisdom to field.

You must refuse defeat in many things;
Just labour hard towards success by heart;
Yet, patiently take whatever life brings;
The Creator will surely do his part.

No Destiny threatens a Lion-heart;
Nor earthly wealth to Heaven do we cart.

Dr John Celes

 

-A Shakespearian sonnet.

 

In my post before, you can see that my big question has to do with fate and destiny and how you shape it. I chose this sonnet, because, of course, it has to do with destiny. But it also challenges me. It's saying that I don't need to worry about the future and what it will bring because God already has a plan and he knows what is best for me. And basically, I need to focus on striving to be successful but I am already being led in the direction I am suppose to go so I need to sit back and enjoy the ride. In conclusion, I guess I don't really need my BIG QUESTION answered anymore, so I'll probably start thinking of a new one.

Big Question

I'm reposting this because the way I posted it before, the only way you could see it was if you decided to click "view my complete profile" which I doubt none of you did. So here it is...

 

BIG QUESTION
To what extent do you shape your own destiny, and what part is left to fate?

Proof!

To be or not to be soliloquy...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK2Sadvs4FE

Hamlet Essay

             Many are capable of “talking the talk,” but few are able to actually “walk the walk.” As humans, we can create an impact on our outcomes by thinking through our strategies beforehand and rationalizing the best choice. However, when justifying our decision, we have split personalities: rational and irrational. This performative utterance victimizes Hamlet throughout the play. The actions Hamlet takes in response to his soliloquys takes a strong impact on the plot and makes the play dependent on his “self-overhearing.”  

            When the play begins, Shakespeare gives the reader the impression that Hamlet is indecisive, where he talks about what he wants to do but rarely ever acts upon it. DeBoer, however, believes his soliloquys are performative utterances, meaning that when Hamlet is speaking, he is not just describing what is happening, but changing it. The most prominent example of this is how Hamlet was able to convince everyone that he was mad. Everyone in the play gets involved thinking they know the source to his madness, when in reality, Hamlet is not even mad. Polonius is convinced that the reason for his insanity is because of Hamlet’s love for his daughter Ophelia. The king states that “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.” Polonius becomes so preoccupied in sorting this conflict out, that he gets himself killed and Hamlet’s “madness” serves as a justification for this mishap.

            Another example of Hamlet’s performative utterance is when he swears to kill the king. The reader can see how much thought he puts into this delicate situation. Hamlet considers everything; when to do it, how to do and where to do it. He wants to complete this action in way, where his father will achieve the revenge he deserves but also that King Claudius will still go to hell and get the punishment he deserves. After the play inside of the play, a perfect opportunity comes up for Hamlet to complete his deed to his father, but he is able to compose himself and not strike because Claudius was kneeling asking God for forgiveness and would go to heaven if he was killed in that instant.  

            In conclusion, Hamlet’s self-overhearing shapes the play into how it unfolds. It made a large impact on how other characters thought and reacted and how the plot developed. In DeBoer’s paper, he discovered and showed that Hamlet is a man who uses the performative power he has in his tasks he needs to accomplish during the length of the play.

 

Vocab #9

aficionado (noun): a person who likes and usually pursued interest or activity
I am an aficionado for soccer.

browbeat (verb): to intimidate by overbearing looks or words
The class browbeat him into agreeing.

commensurate (adj): having the same measure, equal
Pay would commensurate with how hard we worked.

diaphanous (adj): very sheer and light; almost transparent
The fabric she picked out for her curtains were diaphanous

emolument (noun): profit, salary
She earned $65 for emolument in tips.
foray (noun): a quick, sudden attack
The team planned a foray against their opponents.
genre (noun): a category of artistic endeavor having a particular form
She preferred to read books that fit the horror genre.

homily (noun): a sermon, and inspirational saying or cliché.
The pastor's homily inspired many from the crowd.

immure (verb): to enclose, shut in
The man immured the child in the basement.

insouciant (adj): free from concern, worry
Her insouciant attitude disappeared when she learned of the paper she had to write.
matrix (noun): something that constitutes the place or point which something else originates
The Continental Congress was a matrix for the Declaration of Independence.

obsequies (noun): a funeral rite or ceremony
The obsequies was held in the church down the street.

panache (noun): a grand or flamboyant manner.
She was told that her story must have panache.
persona (noun): a person, character in the story
The story began by describing the persona involved.
philippic (noun): any speech of bitter denunciation
The curmudgeon's speech was philippic and not heart felt.

prurient (adj): having restless desire or longing
The prurient child finally got the toy.
sacrosanct (adj): not to be entered or trespassed on
He considered his land to be sacrosanct.

systemic (adj): of or pertaining to a system
Systemic factors have labeled these people as bipolar.

tendentious (adj): showing a definite tendancy, bias
The book she was reading was tendentious towards gay rights.

vicissitude (noun): a change occurring in the course of something
After every possible vicissitude, they finally made a decision.

The Performance of Utterance in Shakespeare

Not a play about a man who can't make up his mind, but a play about a man who could not make real what was found in his mind

Austin divided the performative ability of language into three main forces:
*the locutionary force:  the ability of language to deliver a message
*the illocutionaryforce: what is done in being said, such as denying a request, giving an order, etc.; *the perlocutionary force: what is achieved by being said, the consequences of one's utterance, such as an order being followed (or refused)

Shakespeare's characters frequently develop through "self-overhearing." This is considered the "road to individuation", a process which allows the character to realize their own utterances and then hopefully realize themselves.

Theory of performativity: sentences which are not only passively describing a given reality, but they are changing the (social) reality they are describing. Or  an antithesis for "sticks and stones may break my bones but words may never hurt me."

Shakespeare's characters have the opportunity to self-overhear through the required soliloquys needed to deliver necessary information about what the character is thinking.

The most important scene where performance utterance is relevant is the conversation between Hamlet and the ghost of his father.

If the person who has sworn to do something does that something, that is a perlocutionary effect of his utterance,  the illocutionary force of having sworn has compelled him to that action.

 The emphasis on the emotional contexts of utterances is important for those trying to understand Hamlet and Austin's philosophy for that matter.

Hamlet's evolution is an evolution towards faith, closure, and acceptance not action

Fredrik deBoer wrote the paper to determine how performative utterance could pertain to Hamlet but instead, learned that Hamlet is a man who uses that performative power in the unending task of the realization of the self

Thoughts on Hamlet (In Progress)

After watching the video of Act 1 scene I and reading it as a class, my first interpretation was that this was going to be a creepy and dark horror story of some sort. However, it as not as melancholy as I first thought, it isn't a happy cheerful story. It is sprinkled with sadness, murder and revenge. In Act 1, you are introduced to Hamlet while he is mourning over the loss of his father and the fact that his mother just married his father's brother. But, by Act 3, he is completely different character plotting revenge for his father's death against his uncle. The last noticeable difference I picked up on was his careful planning of plotting how he would kill his uncle. By preparing a play in act 2 and choosing not to kill his uncle in the middle of prayer, to how quickly he reacted when he assumed that it was Claudius behind the curtain and took a sword to Polonius.

What I think about when i think about act 3

Hamlet's decision to reenact his father's murder is brilliant. It is sneaky yet open where everyone sees but only Hamlet and Claudius really know what it is. Before hand, I had guessed Claudius would react to where Hamlet would notice but I did expect him to cry and run out of the room and feel as much remorse as he showed. It was also shocking for me to read that Hamlet found his uncle kneeling asking for forgiveness in his room. Another event that was an upset for me, was that Hamlet was so careful before act 3 on how to kill Claudius and restrained himself when he saw his uncle praying but as soon as he heard a shuffle behind the curtains when talking to his mother, he instantly killed the person with his sword certain that it was his uncle but in fact was Polonius.

Literature Analysis #3: The Sun Also Rises

Plot:

The novel begins with Jake Barnes, an American journalist, going about his everyday life in Paris. In the beginning stages of the novel, we see many references to when Jake was in the military during World War 1.  Jake gives a background story of his friend, Robert Cohn, who is also a veteran. Following, Jake takes a date to the dance club where he sees Lady Brett Ashley. They met when she was treating him for an injury during the war, which left him sterile. Even though they both love each other, she will not commit to a relationship because of this. Brett leaves for Spain, thinking it will be better for the both of them. Jake and Bill, a friend, decide to leave for Spain and do some fishing, and then plan to meet Cohn on the way to Pamplona, where there is a fiesta. The three guys meet up with Brett and Mike and at the fiesta Brett falls “in love” with a guy named Romero and Mike keeps messing with Cohn and accuses him of following Brett around. Cohn reaches his breaking point and attacks both Mike and Jake then goes on to find Brett. He then walks in on Brett and Romero and beats Romero almost into unconsciousness. Fortunately, Romero was able to continue to compete and when the fiesta ended, him and Brett went to Madrid. While in San Sebastian, Jake receives a telegram from Brett asking him to meet her in Madrid. She tells him that she is over with Romero and wants to return to Mike. In the taxi, they are both sad because they know they good have a good time together.

 

Theme:

Lost Generation: World War I challenged the idea of faith, making it hard for the characters to follow the traditional beliefs that gave life meaning. Jake, Brett and their friends are lost and wandering in a “meaningless world.” This is why they are constantly seen drinking, dancing and not really doing anything productive with their lives.

 

Tone:

The author’s tone is quite dark and subdued. The character’s prove this when they talk about how they continue to drink until they forget their problems. This shows what the trauma of the war did to their emotional and mental health.

Examples:

“I can't stand it to think my life is going so fast and I'm not really living it.”

“This is a hell of dull talk...How about some of that champagne?”

 

Literary Techniques:

1.       Irony: The tone is dark and gloomy yet the title of the novel is very optimistic; even though the sun sets, the sun also rises meaning that things will always get better.

2.       Symbolism: The bulls symbolize passion and energy.

3.       Diction: The first person narrative structure is typical but he has an “almost poetic” style that is intense and unique. The author uses short sentences and avoids adverbs and adjectives.

“You’re going to work today?”

He nodded his head. “They start now, at 10:30.” (pg.92)

4.       Imagery: Hemingway uses this to describe the fiesta.

“There were pigeons out in the square, and the houses were a yellow, sun-baked color.”

5.       Allusion: There are allusions throughout the novel referring to World War I.

"When did she marry Ashley?"
"During the war. Her own true love had just kicked off with the dysentery."
"You talk sort of bitter."
"Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I was just trying to give you the facts." (pg. 46)

6.       Similes: " He looked a great deal as his compatriot must have looked when he saw the promised land,” (pg. 29)

7.       Indirect Characterization: Jake’s view of Cohn indirectly reveals aspects of Jake’s personality that he does not mention straight out.

8.       Dialogue: The dialogue is very brief; characters rarely speak more than two sentences at a time.

“You’re sure this thing has trout in it?” Bill asked

“It’s full of them.”

“I’m going to fish a fly. You got any McGintys?”

“There’s some in there.” (pg. 123)

9.       Verbal Irony: "Besides, what happened to me is supposed to be funny. I never think about it." (pg.19)

10.   Hyperbole: "It's enough to make a man join the Klan," (pg. 93)

 

Characterization:

1.       Direct:

·         “, but he learned it painfully and thoroughly to counteract the feeling of inferiority  and shyness he had felt on being treated as a Jew at Princeton.” (pg.1)

·         “Brett was damned good-looking. She wore a slipover jersey sweater and a tweed skirt, and her hair was brushed back like a boy's. She started all that. She was built with curves like the hull of a racing yacht...” (pg. 29)

                Indirect

·         “He was not in love yet but he realized that he was an attractive quantity to women.” (pg. 16) Cohn married the first woman who paid him any attention says something about his character. And his reaction towards her leaving him showed that he does not really see himself clearly or realistically.

·         While fishing, Bill asked Jakes if he ever loved Brett. Jake tries to avoid the questions but eventually gives in and admits he did. This shows that Jake is quiet and likes to keep things to himself.

2.       The author’s diction does not change when he describes the characters. He focuses on their relationships with others and their conversations to develop each character. When introducing new characters, he gives a brief two sentence introduction and then has them start conversing with one another.

3.       Jake Barnes, the main character in the novel is both a round and dynamic character. In the beginning of the novel he is fine just floating through life doing nothing productive after leaving the army. But as the novel progresses, with the introduction of Brett, the reader can see Jake changing emotionally and starting to care.

4.       Compared to other novels, I didn’t enjoy this book as much. I still liked it, but if I can’t connect and really get into a book, it is hard for me to get a lot out of it. By saying that, I don’t think I met a character but I did read one, they just didn’t grab my attention like other characters have in other novels.

“Would you like to go to South America, Jake?” he asked.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. I never wanted to go. Too expensive. You can see all the South Americans you want in Paris anyway.”

I can relate to Jake in this, because he didn’t want change. He liked just floating around in his day to day life. It easier as humans to stay in the same routine rather than do something different.

Vocab #8

abase: to reduce or lower
The judge abased her punishments.

 abdicate: relinquish a throne
Hamlet's father abdicated the throne when he died.

abomination: a vile or disliked action
The marriage of Claudius to Hamlet's mother was an abomination.

brusque: abrupt in manner
Claudius was brusque toward Hamlet.

 saboteur: a person who commits sabotage
Claudius is considered a saboteur in "Hamlet."

debauchery: excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures
Claudius' mind was filled with debauchery.

 proliferate: to increase in number
His army proliferated after his speech.

anachronism: a thing belonging to a period other than which it exists
She was proud to be an anachronism walking down the street in a poodle skirt.

nomenclature: a set of names or terms
Claudius, Hamlet, and Bernado are terms of nomenclature in "Hamlet."

expurgate: to amend by removing words
The teacher expurgated words so the class could understand better.

 bellicose: eager to fight
He was described as bellicose.

gauche: lacking social grace
Claudius was gauche in act 1 scene 2.

 rapacious: inordinately greedy
Claudius is considered rapacious in Hamlet.

 paradox: a self-contradicting proposition
Claudius' speech is a popular paradox in "Hamlet."

 conundrum: anything that puzzles
"Hamlet" can be a conundrum unless elaborated on.

 anomaly: a deviation from the common rule
Marrying a brother's wife is an anomaly in our society.

 ephemeral: lasting a short time
The ghost was ephemeral.

rancorous: full of bitterness
Hamlet is rancorous towards Claudius.

 churlish: mean or rude
Claudius was churlish towards Hamlet.

 precipitous: extremely steep
The hill to the castle was precipitous.

Dear Ophelia

Dear O,
This does seem like a complicated situation. Since I don't have all the information, the first thing I'd say to do it determine why your brother and father hate the prince so much. If they do have a logical answer, I would recommend following their advice because their job is to protect and they want to keep you safe. However, I do understand that you cannot just leave the one you love. I would fine someone who is very close to the prince and ask them what they think about the prince's feeling towards you, if they seem genuine or not.  But at the end of the day, go with what you feel. And if it doesn't go right, just shake it off and move on. Everyone makes mistakes but that is how they grow and become a better person.
-Advice Column

Literary Fiction and Empathy

From what the article said and based on my own experience popular fiction tends to focus on the plot whereas literary fiction chooses to focus more on the characters and their development. Since the authors of literary fiction focus on characters, it helps the reader understand others better. Hamlet is a good example of this. It is filled with many soliloquys and based on the first one we read, the readers sees what Hamlet is feeling; his anger and depression towards his father's death and his mother's reaction to it. Literary fiction, in general, is more open to interpretation and therefore each reader can get a different experience from it.

Green Eggs & Ham

a) What do you know about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane"? 
I know that Hamlet is a tragedy written by Shakespeare and I remember the seniors each year having to read it so I know it is an important topic for high school students.

b) What do you know about Shakespeare?
From what I can recall, Shakespeare tends to write tragedies and sad stories. I remember reading Romeo and Juliet my freshman year and I remember the gist of the story.

c) Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare"?  
I think students tend to frown on this topic just because it is quite difficult to read because it is older English with words we don't know.

d) What can we do to make studying this play an amazing experience we'll never forget?
Personally, I don't have any ideas on how to make it "amazing" but I think it would be nice to have an actual presentation where we can see what it happening rather than relying on us just because our class is pretty quiet.

What I Meant to Say Was...

My thesis in the midterm was, "In Chaucer's writing, 'Canterbury Tales,' Chaucer focuses on satirizing marriage and society." Honestly, I was really flustered and stressed and therefore this is what came from it.
What I meant to say was...
"In 'Canterbury Tales,' Chaucer satirized different elements of society to relate with the other members of society." I think this thesis statement creates a better idea for the reader of what I am going to write but is general enough that I can manipulate my writing to support it.

Vocab #7

shenanigans (n): Mischievous persons
ricochet (v): To deflect or move in this way
schism (n): Division
eschew (v): To abstain or keep away from
plethora (n): An abundance
ebullient (adj): Overflown with fervor or enthusiasm
garrulous (adj): Excessively talkative
harangue (n): Scolding or intense verbal attack
interdependence (n): mutually reliant on each other
capricious (adj): fanciful or witty
loquacious (adj): talking much or freely
ephemeral (adj): lasting a very short time
inchoate (adj): not fully completed or developed
juxtapose (v): to place close together
perspicacious (adj): having keen mental perception
codswallop (n): nonsense
mungo (n): cloth made from recycled material
sesquipedalian (adj): having many syllables or use of long words
wonky (adj): unreliable
diphthong (n): A complete speech sound that begins with one vowel and changes to another

The group finally landed in Italy. On the way off the plane Eeeeeee Eeeeeeeeeee dropped his phone and it ricocheted off of the wall. A shenanigan snatched it up tried to eschew it away from Eeeeeee. Fortunately, the other two body guards, Torque Lewith and Dan Smith, created a schism and their interdependence helped them get the phone back. After that mix-up, the group went back to focusing on the game. They need to put their capricious minds together and through the plethora of information in their heads to find their next clue. All of the sudden Eeeeeee Eeeee becomes ebullient. He began talking in a garrulous manner with an excessive amount of dipthongs. The groups excitement was ephemeral and they quickly knew that his idea was completely codswallop and he was wonky. Tension began to rise when Annette had a harangue with Eeeeee Eeeeee and told him to shut up. Torque was able to calm everyone down and with his perspicacious mind he was able to infer that the makers of the race was not going to juxtapose each clue. Although he had an inchoate thought, the rest of the group knew he was on to something. Torque then pulled out a mungo from his bag and started writing down the clues they had so the group could find their next destination.

If I Just Had More Time

If I were to do it all over again, I definitely would have started studying earlier. The reason I hadn't was because I was overwhelmed with other homework so I just kept pushing it off. But if I had known it was going to be pure memorization I would have made time to study. I also would have reviewed Chaucer's tone and writing style but I had absolutely no clue that was going to be on the midterm. I thought it was just strictly vocabulary.

A Comparison's Tale

Chaucer keeps the same tone and theme throughout most of his tales. In "Skipper's Tale" and "The Miller's Tale" both are focused on adultery and unfaithfulness. In both stories the wife cheats on the husband with another man. The other thing I noticed in both tales was the fact that no one ever got convicted for their actions. Both of these tales are good examples that showed that Chaucer satirical towards marriage and liked to take a humorous approach on his writing.

Tale of Canterbury Tale

My group read "The Skipper's Tale" by Chaucer. I summarized and answered the questions on paper so I would have something for the presentation. My computer is not cooperating so I don't know how to upload pictures of it so if you want proof just ask (:

Literature Analysis #2: The Great Gatsby

1.       The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald takes place in New York during the 1920’s. The narrator, Nick Carraway, tells about the events that happen during his time in New York. Soon after moving into West Egg, across from Jay Gatsby, he visits his cousin, Daisy and her husband Tom, in East Egg. While there, Jordan, a friend of Daisy, tells Nick that Tom is having an affair with Myrtle. A few chapters later in the novel, Nick attends one of Gatsby’s “famous” parties.  A little bit later in the novel, Gatsby comes over to Nick’s house and invites him to lunch. At lunch, Gatsby introduces Nick to Meyer Wolfshiem, a criminal. Nick notices that Gatsby avoids the Buchanan’s and Jordan later her tells him that Gatsby use to be in love with Daisy and she thinks he still is. Gatsby asks Nick to arrange a meeting with Daisy and when they do meet they begin an affair. Tom quickly dislikes Gatsby, and Daisy invites him to lunch to make Tom jealous. Tom then forces the group to go to the Plaza hotel, and there he shares with Daisy that Gatsby’s fortune is all through illegal activities. On the drive home, Gatsby lets Daisy drive and she hits and kills Myrtle instantly. Wilson, Myrtle’s husband believes the driver must have been the man his wife was having an affair with so he goes to Gatsby’s house and shoots him before taking his own life. Nick is disgusted with everything that has happened in New York so he decides to move back to the Midwest.

2.       The theme of this novel is the shallowness of the higher society. All of the characters, excluding Nick, are very selfish and have ugly personalities. They do not respect their spouses and are having an affair with one of the main characters in the story.

3.       The author’s tone is ironic. All of the main characters spend the entire time working for something (their lovers) which was not worth it because they died in the end anyway. Also, having an affair was not common in the time era this novel was written.

4.       Foreshadowing: The author hints to the downfall of Gatsby. “He snatched the book from me and placed it hastily on its shelf muttering that if one brick was removed the whole library was liable to collapse.” (ch3)

Irony: The author has Daisy stay with Tom at the end of the novel, when he led the reader to believe that she would leave him.

Aphorism: “Time is money” or “The early bird always get the worm.”

Flashback: Jordan begins her story by saying, “One October day in nineteen seventeen.” (pg79)

Similes:  “In his blue garden men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.” (ch43)

Diction: “Her laughter, her gestures, her assertions became more violently affected moment by moment and as she expanded the room grew smaller around her until she seemed to be revolving on a noisy, creaking pivot through the smoky air." The word violently implies that she could hurt someone. (pg35)

Symbolism: The bad rainy weather shows that the story isn’t going to end well. (pg89)

Theme: "He must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream." This quote refers to the other noticeable theme in the novel, the American Dream. (pg158)

Personification: “The settee squeaked fashionably.” (pg157)

Hyperbole: “As it did that night when we hunted through the great rooms for cigarettes.” (pg147)

5.       Direct Characterization: 1. "His speaking voice, a gruff husky tenor, added to the impression of fractiousness he conveyed.  There was a touch of paternal contempt in it, even toward people he liked - and there were men at New Haven who had hated his guts." Nick describing Tom Buchanan. 2. "I married him because I thought he was a gentleman," she said finally. "I thought he knew something about breeding, but he wasn’t fit to lick my shoe." Myrtle talking about her husband George.

Indirect Characterization: 1. “She got up slowly, raising her eyebrows at me in astonishment, and followed the butler toward the house. I noticed that she wore her evening dress, all her dresses, like sports clothes-there was a jauntiness about her movements as if she had first learned to walk upon golf courses on clean, crisp mornings. ” Nick describing Jordan Baker.

2. “She had a fight with a man who says he’s her husband.” A lady tells Nick the reason why she is crying.

6.       The author’s syntax and diction changes and becomes more descriptive when talking about a character. The novel is focused on the actions of the characters and how they don’t reflect what typically would happen in that time period so it is important for Fitzgerald to describe the characters.

7.       Jay Gatsby is a static character. He stays mysterious for the entire novel and therefore the reader can’t see changes if he does evolve or not. He is a round character. The reader is able to see many different sides of Gatsby and his many different traits. He is not defined by simple one trait.

8.       After I read this novel, I felt like I lived in West Egg and knew all of the character’s because the author had developed them so well. One example of this would be

“It was a strange coincidence,” I said.

“But it wasn’t a coincidence at.”

“Why not?”

“Gatsby bought the house so that Daisy would be just across the bay.”

With this conversation, I really felt like I was on the inside of all the drama that was unraveling.

 

 

 

 

 

Character Study (3)

   Bailey has just arrived at the airport and she spots her friends. She races over to them, extremely excited to get on the plane. When she reaches them, she realizes that the three strange men standing extremely close to her friends, are going with us. Hannah explained that all of the parents felt more comfortable with us having bodyguards while we are in a different country. She introduces the three men to Bailey as Dan Smith, Eeeeee Eeeeeeeeeeee, and Torque Lewith. After a few minutes of talking with them, Bailey, her friends, and their new bodyguards decide to head to the terminal and wait for their flight to Italy.

Canterbury Tales (1)

   What stood out most to me while I was reading the prologue was how ironic each character was. Like the nun who was trying to be "perfect" and the absolutely disgusting chef. When I first read it, I thought that it was absolutely useless that Chaucer wasted him time describing each one of these characters, and I honestly didn't want to spend my time reading it. But it class, we were able to unravel that he was writing to the commoners to show to them that they weren't the only ones thinking these people were insane and ironic. Also in class, we were not sure if Chaucer did take this pilgrimage himself, and I can confirm that he indeed did. My question though, is how did all these strange people come together and decide to take a pilgrimage?

Character Study (2)

My friends and I are going to Italy! I super excited to take this trip right before we turn a new page in our life and go our separate ways to college. This experience is going to be extremely fun and I'm ready be a little adventurous and jump out of my comfort zone. I definitely think this is a great way to see what college is going to be like, without our parents, just living on our own and being able to do whatever we want. On this trip, I want to be open to whatever comes my way and make the most out of this trip. I am currently driving to the airport to meet up with them and catch our flight to Italy.

Netvibes

I'm actually surprised because I didn't really think that I would use this, or that it will be helpful, but after playing with it for awhile, I think it will actually help me. I don't have any other site to compare it to but I think it has a nice set up that will be easy to use. It was easy for me to figure out how to get the apps on my page that were already on the website. However, I wasn't able to figure how to put ones from an outside source on there, so I need help on that. Overall, I think this site will really benefit me and it will be really nice to have everything all in one spot that I can easily get access to.

Character Study (1)

    Bailey is scrambling to get the last few things packed for her journey to the unknown. Her friends called her the night before, and told her to pack her things because they were going on an adventure. One side of her was thinking that this isn't such a good idea, but the more free going side said, "Why not?" She stayed up late packing anything and everything because she has absolutely no idea where this journey is going to take her, or for how long. As she continues packing, she is hesitant because she would feel much more comfortable if she had just the simplest idea of where her friends were taking her. Once she is ready, she calls up her friends to see if she can squeeze their adventure out of them.

Vocabulary #6

accolade: an award or privilege granted as a special honor or as an acknowledgment of merit
- The athlete was given an accolade at the luncheon.
 acerbity: sourness of taste, character, or tone
- Her acerbity was shown through her actions.
 attrition: a rubbing away or wearing down by friction
- Her shoes were worn down from the attrition of walking.
 bromide: a trite and unoriginal idea or remark
-He included the bromide regarding the well-being of the men.
 chauvinist: a person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism
- Everyone in the United States should become a chauvinist.
 chronic: pertaining to a long lasting medical condition
- She had a chronic medical condition that no doctor could solve.
 expound: present and explain systematically and in detail
-I would like to expound further, but it seems unnecessary.
 factionalism: conflict with an organization; internal dissension
- To avoid factionalism, he told her to take measures before the two groups arrived.
 immaculate: perfectly neat, clean or tidy
- Her roommate's side of the room was immaculate.
 imprecation: a spoken curse
-The witch spoke imprecations as she worked.
 ineluctable:  unable to be resisted or avoided
- The math test on Friday is ineluctable.
 mercurial: characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood
- Everyone stayed away from the girl because her mood was mercurial.
 palliate: make less severe or unpleasant without removing the cause
- The security guard palliated the situation.
 protocol: a detailed plan or layout
- We were told to follow the protocol in order to succeed in the class.
 resplendent: attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous
- Her room was filled with resplendent colors.
 stigmatize: describe or regard as worthy of disgrace
- People stigmatize the word "tutor."
sub rosa: happening or done in secret
- The meeting was held sub rosa, because of its importance.
 vainglory: inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements
- No one liked the new kid because he came off sounding vainglorious.
 vestige: a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists
- She showed no vestige of guilt at being caught cheating on the test.
 volition: the faculty or power of using one's will
- He decided to enter rehab of his own free volition.
obsequious: obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
- The obsequious salesman begged me to buy the product he was selling.
 beatitude: supreme blessedness
-The richest man in the world cannot buy beatitude.
 bete noire: a person or thing strongly detested or avoided
- When they learned that he was a pedophile, he became a bête noire.
 bode: be an omen of a particular outcome, to endure
- The rain didn't bode well for the wedding
 dank: disagreeably damp or humid
- The meeting was held in his dank little apartment.
 ecumenical: of worldwide scope or applicability; universal
- He presented an ecumenical matter.
 fervid: intensely enthusiastic or passionate
- Her fervid speech opposed abortion.
 fetid: smelling extremely unpleasant
- The fetid room scared everyone away.
 gargantuan: enormous
- The popularity of their music has soared to gargantuan levels.
 heyday: the stage of greatest vigor, strength, success
- He was in the heyday of his life.
 incubus: an oppressive or nightmarish burden
- The incubus in her life was overwhelming her.
 infrastructure: The basic services, facilities etc. needed for a functioning community
- Roads are considered infrastructures in the city.
 inveigle: persuade to do something by means of deception
- She was able to inveigle the drunk man.
 kudos: praise given for achievement
- She gave the entire class kudos for their hard work.
 lagniappe: something given or obtained gratuitously by a way of good measure
- As lagniappe, the family their friends a present.
 prolix: using or containing too many words
- The teachers told her to shorten her prolix essay.
 protégé: a person who is guided by an more experienced or influential person
- The student went to his longtime protégé.
 prototype: an original model on which something is patterned
- They tested the prototype in their class.
 sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important to gain advantage
- Sycophants do not make good friends.
 tautology: the saying of the same thing twice in different words.
- "Either it is going to rain or it isn't."
 truckle: to submit
- She truckled to her mother.

What A Character

*SPOILER ALERT (Don't read this if you haven't read "The Faults in Our Stars" because it will ruin a fantastic book you all NEED TO READ)

Out of all the books I have read, Augustus Waters from "The Faults in Our Stars" is by far my favorite character. Unlike other romance novels, like Nicholas Sparks, the book has such a unique story about love and I think the main reason for this is Augustus. He is an extremely unordinary teenager. He approaches every opportunity with a sole purpose of leaving a mark, and I think this is because of everything he has gone through: losing his right leg to osteosarcoma and battling cancer for the second time. From the start of the novel you see his charm, wit, confidence, good looks, and humor. He expresses a huge sense of optimism during the entire novel, yet he knows his days are coming to an end very quickly. I have a difficult time describing him just because he is so unique and unlike any character I have ever encountered, and I don't think anyone can understand how amazing he is until you read the book.

Declaration of Learning Independence

My SMART goal for the year is to get accepted to Cal Lutheran University and major in liberal studies/education to become an elementary teacher starting in the fall of 2014. This goal is specific, measurable, attainable, reinforceable, and timely. It fits these requirements because there is deadlines to turn in applications and accept,  I have worked hard throughout my high school years for this, and it's not completely up to me because the ones who are reading the applications have to want me. I hope to get the best out of this class and to learn that life is going to be a constant competition and that you need to put your best self out there.