Literature Analysis: The Crucible

1. The Crucible takes place in Salem, Massachusetts around the time of the Salem Witch Trials. It begins when a group of girls go dancing in the forest with a black slave, Tituba. The girls are caught by Reverend Parris, and one of the girls, his daughter, Betty, goes into a coma. A crowd gathers in the Parris home and rumors of witch-trials begin to unfold. Parris questions Abigail Williams, the ring-leader, but she admits to doing nothing but dancing. Abigail tells the girls not to admit anything. John Proctor, a farmer, talks to Abigail alone about ending everything with the girls. Abigail used to work for him but got fired by his wife, Elizabeth, because they were having an affair. Betty then wakes up screaming and the crowd begins to argue if she has been bewitched. Reverend Hale then questions Abigail and then wants to speak to Tituba. Tituba admits to communicating and accuses various people about consorting with the devil. Abigail and Betty join her in the accusations. Mary, a servant of John and Elizabeth have been accused, and then Giles Corey and Francis Nurse come over and say that their wives have been arrested as well. Elizabeth gets been arrested too. Proctor tells Mary to expose Abigail and the others as frauds. In court, Mary testifies and says the girls are lying, but they accuse her of bewitching them. Proctor then steps in and says he had an affair with Mary, but Elizabeth denies it, and then Mary breaks down and accuses him as a witch and he gets arrested. A summer passes, and Abigail has run away with Parris' money. Hale tells the accused witches to confess falsely but they refuse. John does confess, but when he is told that he has to say it in public, he retracts and they all go to the gallows.


2. One of the main themes in The Crucible is reputation. The town is focused on who is getting accused and being accused wrongly and that therefore puts a damper on everyone's view of them. For example, in court, when Elizabeth is asked if her husband did have an affair, she denies it so his reputation is not lowered. And once John is told he has to share his confession of guilt to the public he takes it back so his reputation is not ruined, costing all of the falsely accused lives to be taken.


3. Arthur Miller's tone changes based on the character being talked about. For example, he is sympathetic to those who have been falsely accused like the Proctors. He also has a serious tone because of the Salem witch trials and the toll it is taking on the town.


4. Falling Action- From John Proctor attempt to expose Abigail to his decision to die rather than confess. (Act IV)
Antagonist- Elizabeth Williams because she works against John Proctor.
Climax- John tells the court that he had an affair with Mary. (pg. 94)
Symbolism: The puppet that Mary makes for Elizabeth, because puppets were seen as voodoo dolls and basically Mary tricked everyone into thinking Elizabeth was a witch.
Metaphor: "the magistrate sits in your heart that judges you." Elizabeth says this to Proctor to suggest that she does not judge him for his actions, but he is judging himself. (pg. 55)
Allegory: The Salem Trials were meant to show how unfair the McCarthy Trials were.
Tragic Hero: John Proctor was an honorable man but he made one mistake and that led him to his tragic death. (pg. 144)
Biblical allusion: "I want to open myself! . . . I want the light of God, I want the sweet love of Jesus! I danced for the Devil; I saw him, I wrote in his book; I go back to Jesus; I kiss His hand. I saw Sarah Good with the Devil! I saw Goody Osburn with the Devil! I saw Bridget Bishop with the Devil!" (pg.48)
Irony: This quote from Mary Warren shows how serious society takes witchcraft. “Abby, we’ve got to tell. Witchery’s a hangin’ error, a hangin’ like they done in Boston two year ago! We must tell the truth, Abby! You’ll only be whipped for dancin’ and the other things!” Through this irony, we see the unjustness of witch trials. (pg. 19)
Simile: "His eyes were like coals." (pg. 107)

CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct:
-Proctor was a farmer in his middle thirties. He need not have been a partisan of any faction in the town, but there is evidence to suggest that he had a sharp and biting way with hypocrites.(pg. 20)
-He was the kind of man- powerful of body, even-tempered, and not easily led- who cannot refuse support to partisans without drawing their deepest resentment. (pg. 20)
Indirect:
-In Proctor’s presence, a fool felt his foolishness instantly- and proctor is always marked for false statements therefore. But as we shall see, the steady manner he displays does not spring from an untroubled soul.
- "It's strange how I knew you, but I suppose you look as such a good soul should.  We have all heard of your great charities in Beverly."

2. Arthur Miller changes his syntax and diction when talking about certain characters. Like I said above, he is more sympathetic of those being accused for witchcraft than those who are actually committing the crime. By doing this, he is able to get the readers on the side he wants them on.

3. John Proctor is the protagonist in the story and he is a dynamic and round character. At the beginning of the play he did not think he was a good man but over the course of the play, he developed integrity and died feeling like a good man.

4. No, not as much as I had with others books. I haven't dealt with witchcraft and affairs so it didn't really "fit" with me, but I enjoyed reading it and gave me a new perspective on something.

Tale of Two Cities Lecture Notes

• Dicken's friend wrote a play called "The Frozen's Deep", similar to "Tale of Two Cities"
• Lucy, in the novel is meant to resemble the woman he left his wife for (Ellen)
• Many of his characters have his initials...or have them backwards "CD" or "DC'
• The novel revolves between France and England
• There were fears in 19th century Britain that there could be a revolution there, Dickens wrote about revolution to warn his modern society
• The novel was initially published by parts. The first three chapters were published first
• Came up with story while acting
• Dickens was very interested in Paris

What's The Story?

          Charles Dickens was very interested in the idea of social justice. He was constantly hearing about it in his everyday life throughout the industrial era and I think that's what really inspired him to write a large majority of his novels. His use of tone helped me determine this. His tone towards the lower class of society, like Pip and Joe, is drastically different that those of the upper, like Mrs. Havinsham. He writes in a way that makes Joe seem like a really sincere man, while Mrs. Havinsham is written in a way that shows how full of herself and how she looks down upon those in lower classes of society. Also, I think the theme of ambition proves this as well. Pip, as a lower class personnel, dreams of becoming one of the higher class. Since he met Estella he strived to become worthy of her. And finally, the last technique Dickens used foils to help readers understand his point, for example, Biddy to Estella. Biddy is a good judge of character, approachable, and a good friend to have while Estella does not care about anyone but herself and is coldhearted.

lit terms list 4

Interior Monologue: a form of writing which represents the inner thoughts of a character; the recording of the internal, emotional experience(s) of an individual; generally the reader is given the impression of overhearing the interior monologue.
ex. Used in "Only Human" by Tom Holt

Inversion: words out of order for emphasis.
ex. "Where in the world were you!"

Juxtaposition: the intentional placement of a word, phrase, sentences of paragraph to contrast with another nearby.
ex. "Heaven and in earth. I heard many things in hell." Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart

Lyric: a poem having musical form and quality; a short outburst of the author’s innermost thoughts and feelings.
ex. Sonnet Number 18 by William Shakespeare

Magic(al) Realism:  a genre developed in Latin America which juxtaposes the everyday  with the marvelous or magical.
ex. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Metaphor(extended, controlling, and mixed): an analogy that compare two different things imaginatively.

        - Extended: a metaphor that is extended or developed as far as the writer wants to take it.

        - Controlling: a metaphor that runs throughout the piece of work.

        - Mixed: a metaphor that ineffectively blends two or more analogies.

ex. The snow is a white blanket.

Metonymy:  literally “name changing” a device of figurative language in which the name of an attribute or associated thing is substituted for the usual name of a thing.
ex. the "pen" stands in for "the written word."

Mode of Discourse:  argument (persuasion), narration, description, and exposition.
ex. The mode of discourse can be very different between a fiction vs. nonfiction novel.

Modernism:  literary movement characterized by stylistic experimentation, rejection of tradition, interest in symbolism and psychology
ex. Immanuel Kant

Monologue:  an extended speech by a character in a play, short story, novel, or narrative poem.
ex. Hamlet's monologue

Mood:  the predominating atmosphere evoked by a literary piece.
ex. The mood of the novel went from dark to happy by the end.

Motif:  a recurring feature (name, image, or phrase) in a piece of literature.
ex. The motif in Great Expectations has to do with people's view on society.

Myth:  a story, often about immortals, and sometimes connected with religious rituals, that attempts to give meaning to the mysteries of the world.
ex. Gum will stay in your stomach for seven years.

Narrative:  a story or description of events.
ex. Of Mice and Men

Narrator:  one who narrates, or tells, a story.
ex. George is the narrator

Naturalism: extreme form of realism.
ex Stephen Crane

Novelette/Novella: short story; short prose narrative, often satirical.
ex. The Awakening by Kate Choppin

Omniscient Point of View:  knowing all things, usually the third person.
ex. War and Peace

Onomatopoeia: use of a word whose sound in some degree imitates or suggests its meaning.
ex. Pop!

Oxymoron: a figure of speech in which two contradicting words or phrases are combined to produce a rhetorical effect by means of a concise paradox.
ex. Great Depression

Pacing:  rate of movement; tempo.
ex. speed

Parable:  a story designed to convey some religious principle, moral lesson, or general truth. ex. Many parable are in the Bible

Paradox:  a statement apparently self-contradictory or absurd but really containing a possible truth; an opinion contrary to generally accepted ideas.
ex. Deep down, you're very shallow.

 

Lit Terms: List 3

exposition: beginning of a story that sets forth facts, ideas, and/or characters, in a detailed explanation.
 
expressionism: movement in art, literature, and music consisting of unrealistic   representation of an inner idea or feeling(s).

fable: a short, simple story, usually with animals as characters, designed to teach a moral truth.

fallacy: from Latin word “to deceive”, a false or misleading notion, belief, or argument; any kind of erroneous reasoning that makes arguments unsound.
 
falling action: part of the narrative or drama after the climax.

farce: a boisterous comedy involving ludicrous action and dialogue.

figurative language: apt and imaginative language characterized by figures of speech (such as metaphor and simile).

flashback: a narrative device that flashes back to prior events.

foil: a person or thing that, by contrast, makes another seem better or more prominent.

folk tale: story passed on by word of mouth.

foreshadowing: in fiction and drama, a device to prepare the reader for the outcome of the action; “planning” to make the outcome convincing, though not to give it away.

free verse: verse without conventional metrical pattern, with irregular pattern or no rhyme.

genre: a category or class of artistic endeavor having a particular form, technique, or content.

gothic tale: a style in literature characterized by gloomy settings, violent or grotesque action, and a mood of decay, degeneration, and decadence.

hyperbole: an exaggerated statement often used as a figure of speech or to prove a point.

imagery: figures of speech or vivid description, conveying images through any of the senses.

implication: a meaning or understanding that is to be arrive at by the reader but that is not fully and explicitly stated by the author.

incongruity: the deliberate joining of opposites or of elements that are not appropriate to each other.
 

inference: a judgement or conclusion based on evidence presented; the forming of an opinion which possesses some degree of probability according to facts already available.

irony: a contrast or incongruity between what is said and what is meant, or what is expected to happen and what actually happens, or what is thought to be happening and what is actually happening.

Lit Terms Remix 1-5

circumlocution: a roundabout or evasive speech or writing, in which many words are used but a few would have served


classicism: art, literature, and music reflecting the principles of ancient Greece and Rome: tradition, reason, clarity, order, and balance


cliche: a phrase or situation overused within society


climax: the decisive point in a narrative or drama; the pint of greatest intensity or interest at which plot question is answered or resolved


colloquialism: folksy speech, slang words or phrases usually used in informal conversation

Lit Terms #2

circumlocution: a roundabout or evasive speech or writing, in which many words are used but a few would have served
ex. Saying "The animal that has a pouch and jumps" instead of kangaroo

classicism: art, literature, and music reflecting the principles of ancient Greece and Rome: tradition, reason, clarity, order, and balance
ex. Homer

cliche: a phrase or situation overused within society
ex. Think outside the box

climax: the decisive point in a narrative or drama; the pint of greatest intensity or interest at which plot question is answered or resolved
ex. The climax of Looking For Alaska is when she dies.

colloquialism: folksy speech, slang words or phrases usually used in informal conversation
ex. That's tight.

comedy: originally a nondramatic literary piece of work that was marked by a happy ending; now a term to describe a ludicrous, farcical, or amusing event designed provide enjoyment or produce smiles and laughter
ex. Doll House by Henrick Ibsen

conflict: struggle or problem in a story causing tension
ex. The conflict in Safe Haven is Katie trying to get away from her violent husband.

connotation: implicit meaning, going beyond dictionary definition
ex. "Mother" has a more negative connotation than "mom"

contrast: a rhetorical device by which one element (idea or object) is thrown into opposition to another for the sake of emphasis or clarity
ex. The contrast between boys and men.

denotation: plain dictionary definition
ex. The definition of example: a pattern or model

denouement: loose ends tied up in a story after the climax, closure, conclusion
ex. The denoument in Safe Haven is when her violent husband dies.

dialect: the language of a particular district, class or group of persons; the sounds, grammar, and diction employed by people distinguished from others.
ex. The main dialect in the United States is English.

dialectics: formal debates usually over the nature of truth.
ex.

dichotomy: split or break between two opposing things.
ex. the dichotomy between right and wrong.

diction: the style of speaking or writing as reflected in the choice and use of words.
ex. Diction changes between formal (interviews) and informal(casual).

didactic: having to do with the transmission of information; education.
ex. Some boring classes are said to be too didactic

dogmatic: rigid in beliefs and principles.
ex. Everyone who dislikes Obama is republican.

elegy: a mournful, melancholy poem, especially a funeral song or lament for the dead, sometimes contains general reflections on death, often with a rural or pastoral setting.
ex. Laureate Natasha wrote an elegy about her father's passing.

epic: a long narrative poem unified by a hero who reflects the customs, mores, and aspirations of his nation of race as he makes his way through legendary and historic exploits, usually over a long period of time (definition bordering on circumlocution).
ex. The Epic of Gilgamesh

epigram: witty aphorism.
ex. There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.

epitaph: any brief inscription in prose or verse on a tombstone; a short formal poem of commemoration often a credo written by the person who wishes it to be on his tombstone.
ex. Beyond is the infinite morning of a day without tomorrow (W.S. Abbott)

epithet: a short, descriptive name or phrase that  may insult someone’s character, characteristics

euphemism: the use of an indirect, mild or vague word or expression for one thought to be coarse, offensive, or blunt.
ex. to say "passed away" instead of "died"

evocative: a calling forth of memories and sensations; the suggestion or production through artistry and imagination of a sense of reality.

AP PREP POST 1: SIDDHARTHA

1. Herman Hesse’s novels before Siddhartha focused on alienated young men who rejected the cultures of their upbringings. However, these other novels did not feature the spiritual elements of Siddhartha. How do the spiritual elements of Siddhartha make it different from any other story of an alienated youth? (Essay Question)
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/siddhartha/study.html

• In these other novels, more often than not, the character would leave his home, have some huge upset that helps him discover something about himself and then returns home a whole new person. In Siddhartha, however, he never returns home. And although he reaches enlightenment and is in a sense a new human being nothing crazy happens and makes him change.

2. What purpose does self-denial serve in Siddhartha? What about self-indulgence?
http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/questions.html

• Siddhartha was taught that in order to reach enlightenment, he would have to completely get rid of all his possessions and destroy one's self in order to become this new person.

3. Examine Hesse's treatment of time lapses in this novel, focusing on the close-up technique for extending short spans of time, and the "telephoto" effect for foreshortening long spans of time.
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/s/siddhartha/study-help/essay-questions

• I read this book quite awhile ago, so I don't remember these "time lapses," but my guess would be that it'd have to do with trying to get a point across to the reader, possibly showing them how long and how much effort Siddhartha had to put in in order to reach enlightenment. 

4. The main purpose of the first-person point of view in the passage, “I am no longer what I was, I am no longer an ascetic, no longer a priest, no longer a Brahmin” is to make clear?
 a. The change in Siddhartha’s physical lifestyle, in order to follow his spiritual one
b. Show Siddhartha’s anger at the corruption present in his father’s position
c. Reveal the frustration in Siddhartha’s journey toward enlightenment
d. The views and beliefs of his family and his religion
e. Draw attention toward the excitement that Siddhartha feels now that he has less responsibility
http://snobles.grads.digitalodu.com/blog/groups/ap-english-2012-2013/forum/topic/siddhartha-multiple-choice-questions/?loggedout=true

• A, because Siddhartha had to destroy everything he was and owned in order to reach this "enlightenment" and that is a huge change in his lifestyle.

5. A bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, recounts the psychological or moral development of its protagonist from youth to maturity, when this character recognizes his or her place in the world. Select a single pivotal moment in the psychological or moral development of the protagonist of a bildungsroman. Then write a well-organized essay that analyzes how that single moment shapes the meaning of the work as a whole. (Essay Question)
http://media.collegeboard.com/digitalServices/pdf/ap/apcentral/ap13_frq_eng_lit.pdf

• In order to answer this, I would need to refresh myself on the details of Siddartha's pivotal moment, but I think this is a very well-rounded question and definitely worth preparing for.

 

Hacking My Education

Before I graduate, I want to know why bad things happen to good people. I know, yes, life's not fair blah blah blah, but why does it have to be that way? I know this is more like one of the BIG QUESTIONS and it will not be answered any time soon but that is what is on my mind right at this very moment. This semester, I want to make my blog resemble myself more and in some way have its own personality to it. I'm not exactly sure on how to approach this but I will figure it out. And finally, I don't think there is a "certain" experience I want to have before I graduate but I just want to more memorable experiences and learn to make the best of everything no matter what. I want to enjoy the last few months of high school because I am ready to get out of here, but I don't want to miss things that I will be bummed about when I look back on it.

Lit Terms: List 1

allegory (noun): A symbolical narrative
-Throughout high school, we have read many meaningful allegories.
 alliteration (noun): The commencement of two or more words of a word group with the same letter
- The alliteration wasn't correct but it made me laugh.
 allusion (noun): A metaphor or parable
- The Bible is used as an allusion in many novels.
 ambiguity (noun): An negative word applied to an equivocal expression
- When something is not clear, others factors can be used to resolve the ambiguity.
 anachronism (noun): Placing an event, person, item or verbal expression in the wrong historical period.
- Her grandmother was proud to be considered an anachronism when she walked down the street in a poodle skirt.
 analogy (noun): A similarity between like features of two things
- The teacher told the class to create an analogy between the two books they have read.
 analysis (noun): the separating of any material into its constituent elements
- Dr. Preston requires us to complete three literature analysis per semester.
 anaphora (noun): A rhetorical term for the repetition of a word at the beginning of a sentence
- The poem included an anaphora by having three "ifs" at the beginning.
 anecdote (noun): A brief narrative of a particular incident
- We were told to share a personal anecdote with the class.
 antagonist (noun): A character in the story who works against the main character
- The antagonist in the novel kept creating uproar for Julie.
 antithesis (noun): Opposition or contrast
- The antithesis of right is wrong.
 aphorism (noun): A terse saying involving a general truth
- "Looks to good to be true."
 apologia (noun): An apology, as in defense or justification of a belief or idea
- She wrote an apologia when she realized she was wrong.
 apostrophe (noun): A digression in the form of an address to someone not present
- There was an apostrophe in the title of the novel.
 argument (noun): A discussion involving different points of view
- The two kids got into an argument over which game was better.
 assumption (noun): Something taken for granted
- She made the assumption that he would show up.
 audience (noun): The group of spectators
- The audience was pleased with the actor's performance.
 characterization (noun): The description of a character
- The person characterized the antagonist as evil.
 chiasmus (noun): A reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases
- "He went to the country, to the town she went."

"What's In This For Me?"

This semester, like I commented, I want to finish on a high note. I've worked hard these past few years and I want to finish out high school strong and not give in to this "Senioritis." However, its frustrating that I already know what career path I want to take is, yet I am stuck in high school for another 6 months before I can go and accomplish that. I feel like this semester is in a way holding me back. But my goal is to make the best of it and get those questions answered that I do have about my future. Also, I really need to step it up in applying for scholarships because I know what I want to do to further my education, I just don't have the money to do so. And finally, with all the stress and busyness this semester is going to bring, I want to be able to relax and enjoy the last few months of adolescence before I leap out into the real world. I want to be able to pick up one of the many books I have yet to read, and be able to read them in peace without having something hanging over my head that has to be done.