Masterpiece Academy Question

            Over the past year, being part of a course that practices open source learning has made an impact on me. Having a teacher that trust us and given us a sense of importance and at the same time puts a great deal of responsibility on ourselves. Learning was practically placed into our own hands and whether we just brushed it off or made the most of it was left up to us. But I think we did deserve it. The past three years we were treated as children and were not able to take our own ideas and put them into practice. We had to follow a strict set of rules and everything had to be done in a certain way. And being put through all that, does mean we earn it. Sometimes, however, I think we did take advantage of the large amount of freedom we were given but all in all we did honor and I think every single student got at least one thing out of the course if not more.            

            One character we can all relate with to some extent is Bernard Marx in Brave New World. Although it might not be our entire life like him, at one point or another we all feel like the odd one out. But it’s normal. It’s high school. We are all trying to find ourselves while at the same time fit in, and somehow get decent grades between all of this. One work we can all relate to as well is the Allegory of the Cave. Before Preston’s class we didn’t know any better. We didn’t know we could take learning into our own hands and approach it in any way possible. And although we are slowly starting to turn our heads, we don’t know exactly what this “world” outside of college is going to be like. We all have a little ignorance just like the prisoners watching the shadows did.

            From my own masterpiece, I was able to reconnect with my passion for reading. This passion had gone stagnant once I entered high school and I was able to pick it back up some junior year, but not as much as I would have liked to because I was so busy, but centering my masterpiece around reading gave me the time to actually do what I love to do. From other group’s masterpieces and senior year itself, I discovered my passion for adventure and making memories in general. I’ve learned that it’s extremely important to make the most out of the time and things you have in front of you and not just wait around for something better. Because one day, you are going to wake up and realize it’s gone and your are going to wish you had done it differently.

            Videos have made me “laugh out loud” over the year in this course. For the final presentations last year, a group of us reenacted different scenes of the pieces of literature. And surprisingly, it didn’t even feel like work. We basically were hanging out, just being ourselves, but happened to thrown in some pieces of literature here and there. The scene we recorded where Ophelia drowns was one of the best. We were crying because we were laughing at Whitney so hard, and every time we watch the edit of it we snicker. I also “laughed out loud” at Breanna’s recording of her adventure of skydiving.

            A unifying theme between at least five of the presentations I have seen over the past two weeks is the idea of making memories and making the most out of the time you’re given. In the blink of an eye, high school was over for all of us and now we only have the memories we created to look back on. And we all have plenty to look back on but if we weren’t looking forward to college and our future as much we would have had that much more time to make more memories. In Hayley’s presentation, all the graduates that she interviewed said that they miss how close everyone was in high school and the memories that had created. And in Hannah, Taylor, and Meghan’s masterpiece they decided to document the memories they did create over the past year, and thankfully I am in a lot of it.

            I think I responded to the call of adventure whole-heartedly and made the most out of my senior year. I created memories with my friends that I will cherish for life and that brings a sense of relieve to me because I know that we won’t always be as close as we are now, but if we reconnect in the future or call each other up one day, we have created a strong foundation between all of us and that is something you can’t buy.  

Masterpiece Blog

http://www.tumblr.com/blog/inbetweenersunited

Gridlock

Poem #1

(Undecided by group so far)

Poem #2

Full Moon

No longer throne of a goddess to whom we pray,
no longer the bubble house of childhood's
tumbling Mother Goose man,

The emphatic moon ascends –
the brilliant challenger of rocket experts,
the white hope of communications men.

Some I love who are dead
were watchers of the moon and knew its lore;
planted seeds, trimmed their hair,

Pierced their ears for gold hoop earrings
as it waxed or waned.
It shines tonight upon their graves.

And burned in the garden of Gethsemane,
its light made holy by the dazzling tears
with which it mingled.

And spread its radiance on the exile's path
of Him who was The Glorious One,
its light made holy by His holiness.

Already a mooted goal and tomorrow perhaps
an arms base, a livid sector,
the full moon dominates the dark.
-Robert Hayden

Analysis (TP-CASTT)
Title: Going to be about the moon
Paraphrase: The moon used to be a goddess or a part of children's stories, and everyone used it like farmers for example. But now it is just a destination for astronauts.
Connotation: Used words to mourn over how the past is lost. For example, no longer.
Attitude: Hayden is dismal and gloomy over how society sees the moon now-a-days.
Shift: In the last stanza. Source of light to source of darkness.
Title Revisited: The moon will always be there but generations all look at it differently
Theme: Everything eventually loses its meaning or importance

Poem #3

A Summer's Dream

To the sagging wharf
few ships could come.
The population numbered
two giants, an idiot, a dwarf,

a gentle storekeeper
asleep behind his counter,
and our kind landlady—
the dwarf was her dressmaker.

The idiot could be beguiled
by picking blackberries,
but then threw them away.
The shrunken seamstress smiled.

By the sea, lying
blue as a mackerel,
our boarding house was streaked
as though it had been crying.

Extraordinary geraniums
crowded the front windows,
the floors glittered with
assorted linoleums.

Every night we listened
for a horned owl.
In the horned lamp flame,
the wallpaper glistened.

The giant with the stammer
was the landlady’s son,
grumbling on the stairs
over an old grammar.

He was morose,
but she was cheerful.
The bedroom was cold,
the feather bed close.

We were awakened in the dark by
the somnambulist brook
nearing the sea,
still dreaming audibly. 
-Elizabeth Bishop

Analysis (TP-CASTT):
Title: I assume that the writer is going to imagine how she'd like her summer to go
Paraphrase: The writer is talking about scenarios that could happen during the summer like the idiot picking berries and hearing the owl.
Connotation: Simple at first but then incorporates imagery in the fourth and fifth verse.
Attitude: Nostalgic
Shift: From first verse to second verse. Dark yet comical fairytale and then we learn that the dwarf is the lady's dressmaker
Title Revisited: She is capturing how the contents of a dream make sense.
Theme: Enjoy the simple things

Seventh Reading

My group: Annette, Ian, Tay, Hannah, & Meghan

3 Poems:

• Elizabeth Bishop
• Robert Hayden
• William C. Williams

Poem I read (7+ times)

A Summer’s Dream

To the sagging wharf
few ships could come.
The population numbered
two giants, an idiot, a dwarf,

a gentle storekeeper
asleep behind his counter,
and our kind landlady—
the dwarf was her dressmaker.

The idiot could be beguiled
by picking blackberries,
but then threw them away.
The shrunken seamstress smiled.

By the sea, lying
blue as a mackerel,
our boarding house was streaked
as though it had been crying.

Extraordinary geraniums
crowded the front windows,
the floors glittered with
assorted linoleums.

Every night we listened
for a horned owl.
In the horned lamp flame,
the wallpaper glistened.

The giant with the stammer
was the landlady’s son,
grumbling on the stairs
over an old grammar.

He was morose,
but she was cheerful.
The bedroom was cold,
the feather bed close.

We were awakened in the dark by
the somnambulist brook
nearing the sea,
still dreaming audibly.

Elizabeth Bishop

Macbeth Act 5 Notes

• Lady Macbeth sleeps walks talking about the murders of Banquo and Lady Macduff and claims she sees blood on her hands that will never wash off
• Outside the Scottish lords talk about the military situation, and then the English and Scottish decide to join forces. Macbeth has fortified Dunsinane Castle and is making his military preparations in a mad rage
• Macbeth comes into hall of Dunsinane saying he is not scared of the English or Malcolm army because "none of woman born" can harm him 
• Malcolm talks with English lord about Macbeth's plan. They agree to have each soldier cut down a branch to hide their numbers when they approach the castle
• Once outside the castle, Malcolm tells the soldiers to get rid of their boughs and draw their swords.
• Macbeth slays Lord Siward’s son and disappears in the fray
• Malcolm and Siward emerge and enter the castle
• Macbeth and Macduff are battling and Macbeth says he is invincible because of the witches' prophecy while Macduff says he was not woman born because his mother's womb was ripped and Macbeth is scared but says he will not surrender "to kiss the ground before young Malcolm's feed/ And to be baited with rabble's curse'
• Malcolm and Siward walk in the castle they have captured.
• Ross tells Siward that his son is dead
• Macduff enters with Macbeth's head and says Malcolm is King of Scotland
• Malcolm calls all those around his friends and invites them to see him crowned at Scone while cursing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth

Macbeth Act 4 notes

•  Hecate comes by and compliments the witches who are chanting in a circle
• "By the pricking of my thumbs/ something wicked comes this way"
• Macbeth asks the witches to reveal the prophecies: floating head says to beware Macduff, bloody child comes and "none of women born shall harm Macbeth", crowned child holding a tree says he is safe until Birnan Wood moves to Dunisane Hill, and lastly, eight crown kings walk by and the last one (Banquo's ghost) is holding a mirror
• The witches vanish before Macbeth can learn the meanings of the prophesies
• Macbeth learns through Lennox that Macduff has feld to England
• Macbeth sends murderers to Macduff's castle to kill his wife and children
• Lady Macbeth asks Ross why her husband has left and is ignoring her, he says he trusts Macbeth
• Lady Macduff tells her son Macduff is dead but he doesn't belive it
• Lady Macduff learns she is in danger but is confused as to why because she has done nothing wrong
• The murderers come and say Macduff is dead but the son calls him a liar so he stabs him and
• To test Macduff's loyalty Macolm says he is not fit to be king because he is greedy and violent and says he will be a good king 
• Macduff's loyalty to Scotland is proven when he agrees he's not fit to be king and he runs back
• A doctor comes in and says “crew of wretched souls” waits for King Edward so they may be cured, and Malcolm explains to Macduff that the king can cure diseases
• Ross tells Macduff that his wife an children are well and says he needs to return to his country
• Malcolm says he will return there with 10,000 soldiers lent from King Edward
• Ross breaks down and says his wife and children were actually murdered
• Malcolm says to turn grief to anger and inflict revenge upon Macbeth 

The Crossroad Between Should and Must

Articles like this one, or any "make you think" type things, always get to me, and make me re-evaluate what I am doing with my life. When I get older, I want to look back and see how the fun and memorable experiences I have created during my lifetime. Personally, I can say I have made some great ones so far, but I know there is plenty of time left on my clock and I'm not entirely sure what I want to do yet.

Currently, I have taken the "should" path with school, because everything seems pointless now. I know where I am going to college, I know what I want to major in, and what job I want, yet high school has trapped me from going out and doing what I want. However, I plan on taking the "must" path in college. I want to make the most out of those four years, before I really have to settle down and focus on my job. My job, however, will be what I love to do, spend time with kids. But in college, or the years right after, I want to travel and be adventurous.

However, after all that being said, I do want to take the "must" path now. Maybe not with school, but with other areas of my life. We are all young and should be enjoying life, and nothing can stop us.

Macbeth Act 3

• Banquo thinks that the prophecy about his children sitting on the throne will come true since Macbeth's did
• Macbeth wants to discuss disappearance of Malcolm and Donalbain, believes they are plotting against his crown
• Macbeth fears Banquo: sons might overthrow his family
• Macbeth hires two murderers to kill Banquo
• Kill Banquo, Fleance flees to avenge his death
• As Macbeth and Lady M are feasting, murderers come and share the news of his death but Macbeth is angry "the worm that's fled/ Hath nature that in time will venom breed"
• Macbeth goes to sit at head of the royal table and sees Banquo's ghost is sitting in his chair. However, no one else sees the ghost
• Lady Macbeth says to excuse her husband he sometimes has visions so they should just ignore his behavior but then urges Macbeth to snap out of it and questions his manhood 
• The ghost disappears and he tells the company "I have a strange infirmity which is nothing/ To those that know me"
• Ghost reappears
• Macbeth "I am in blood/ Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more,/ Returning were as tedious as go o'er"
• Lady Macbeth says to go to sleep
• Witches meet with Hecate the goddess of witchcraft
• Hecate is angry at them for meddling in business of Macbeth without her consent and says she will take over as supervisor of the mischief and when Macbeth comes the next day they will summon visions and spirits whose messages will fill him with a false sense of security and make him confused
• Fleance is blamed for Banquo's murder since he escaped
• Both men suspect Macbeth who they call a "tyrant" for the murders of Duncan and Banquo

Macbeth Act 2 Notes

• Fleance is Banquo's son
•  Banquo can't sleep and Macbeth is awake (they have a conversation about witches prophesies)
• Macbeth has a vision of the dagger in front of him, vision shows that he is uncertain of killing the king but continues with the plan
• Lady Macbeth imagines Macbeth killing Duncan and she heard him cry out and is scared he failed but doesn't understand how he could because she set everything out perfectly for him, says she should have killed the king herself
• Macbeth comes back and says he's killed the king, but still has dagger and fears chamberlains might have woken. Lady Macbeth takes dagger back
• Macbeth heard knocking and even when Lady Macbeth comes back he hears it again, it was the porter
• Macbeth enters and asks Macduff where king is and Macduff says he still sleeping so Macbeth offers to take him to him
• Macduff comes running back saying king has been murdered and Macbeth an Lennox run to look
• Lady Macbeth is hysterical and eventually faints
• Foreshadowing: an owl killed a falcon and Dancuns horses that were well trained were acting wildly and ate one another before all this
• Macduff enters and says Macbeth has been made king by other lords and is on his way to Scone to be crowned
• Macduff also tells them the chamberlains probably were paid to kill Duncon and people are suspicious of two kings Malcolm and Donalbain because they fled the scene

Look at my Brain

My masterpiece shows my viewers what I love to do, and what I am passionate about, reading and kids. If you were to look at the progress Annette and I have made so far, you can see how our thought process has changed. When we first began, we were just going to present our analyzes of the books we chose but now we have implemented tumblr, another thing we enjoy during our free time. Tumblr is a site where you can express exactly how you feel in any given moment and so allowing everyone into that part of our life, will help you see how we think and understand things. (We plan on giving you the site once Annette figures a problem out, its currently locked for some strange reason). Tumblr is a site where you can express yourself and create something completely different from any one person and that's what we both like about it. And finally, collaboration is a huge part of tumblr itself because everyone is constantly re-blogging each others post, and also simply because Annette and I are working on this masterpiece together.

What about my masterpiece?

This week, Annette and I decided that instead of just analyzing the books we enjoy reading, to also make a tumblr account. On the account we can post quotes, pictures or anything that relates to the books, that inspires us and our future audience. On our account, we will also post what we analyze and then when presentations come at the end of the year we will have a blog to show the class.

Love is Blind

There is a big difference between how the audience sees Lady Macbeth and Macbeth sees her. From the readers point of view she is the dominant character between the two, and extremely selfish and wicked. She schemes this whole plot to have Macbeth kill the king and he seems blinded by the horrible deed he has agreed to commit. As the play continues though, Macbeth begins to realize that it isn't a good idea and starts to back down. Lady Macbeth gets angry at this and convinces him to go through with the plan. The reader can see that she is very manipulative but Macbeth cant wrap his mind around it and just continues to do what she says.

Macbeth Act 1 Notes

• Duncan wants thane of Cawdor killed because he joined the enemy army
• King makes Macbeth Thane of Cawdor because he showed bravery and courage and was a ruthless killer
• This foreshadows: Macbeth will kill the king
• 3 witches say that: 1. Macbeth will be Thane of Glamis, 2. He will be the Thane of Cawdor, 3. He will be king, 4. Banquo's children will be king
• Macbeth tells wife he is the new Thane of Cawdor, and she decides she wants the king killed so Macbeth can be king, comes up with plan.
• Macbeth is very indecisive on whether to kill king or not

Meet Macbeth

How is Macbeth introduced through in/direct characterization?
Macbeth is introduced indirectly through a speech given by the sergeant. He is considered to be a brave and courageous war hero, looked highly upon.

What elements of foreshadowing do the witches provide?
"Fair is foul, and foul is fair." This quote spoken by the witches lays out the entire play for the reader. It is foreshadowing that good will not always be necessarily good and bad will not always be bad.

How does Shakespeare's approach to exposition give the reader background information about the setting and characters and a sense of what's to come without spoiling the play?
In the exposition the witches say that Macbeth will jump two positions from where he currently holds, that being said, the two holding those higher positions are somehow going to die as the play continues.

How does Shakespeare's characterization of Macbeth reflect a sense of tone (i.e., the author's attitude toward the character/s, audience, and/or subject matter)?
Shakespeare characterization of Macbeth gives the reader the sense that he thinks very highly of Macbeth but he wrote in a sense where it seemed like Macbeth will make a downfall and possibly become very disliked.

What themes appear evident in Macbeth's character and conduct?  To what extent do you think these themes will drive the rest of the play?
When he hears what the witches have to say of his future position he is shocked and appalled. However, I think this could turn into a sense of guilt in the future, and this idea of guilt will be evident throughout the play.

Literature Analysis: Brave New World

1. When the novel begins, some students are being given a tour through the World State. Henry Foster and Lenina Crowne, two employees of this center, have been dating each other a little too often, going against state rules. Lenina's friend Fanny warns her against such promiscuity. Lenina then decides to date Bernard Marx, who is not quite like the others of his caste. Lenina and Bernard decide to go on a vacation to a Savage Reservation. On the reservation, the inhabitants live in an almost primitive manner. Before Bernard leaves for his vacation, he is warned by the Director about his non-conformist ways and threatened with exile to Iceland.  Lenina and Bernard meet Linda and her son, John the Savage, on the Reservation. Bernard learns from John that long ago Linda had come to the Reservation with the Director, who had abandoned her there. When she realized she was pregnant, she knew that she could not return to the World State, and therefore stayed on the Reservation and raised John. Hearing this story, Bernard goes to the Controller and gains his permission to take John and his mother back. When Bernard presents the pair to the Director is humiliated and resigns from his position. Bernard no longer has to worry about being exiled to Iceland.  While living with Bernard, John becomes the man everyone is interested in. Bernard at first revels in the attention that he receives because of the Savage. Things, however, do not go smoothly. John soon grows repulsed by the ways of the New World and becomes unhappy. Despite his mood, Lenina finds herself terribly attracted to John and tries to seduce him. John, however, is disgusted bt the ways of the World State and ends it with her. When his mother dies, John goes crazy. Rebellion results and Bernard and Helmholtz Watson are blamed. When the two of them are taken to Mustapha Mond, along with John, Bernard and Helmholtz are exiled. John is retained for further experimentation. He resists and tries to flee into solitude, but the citizens of Utopia continue to hound him and eventually John commits suicide.
2. One main theme has to do with fitting in. Being a misfit, like John and Bernard, create much of the novel. They both are unhappy and not satisfied with their lives and it really takes a toll on themselves and the reader. Another important theme would be how technology has taken over the World State and how it affects everyone.
3. Huxley's tone changes with the character he is talking about. For example, Lenina is always a "go with the flow" type personality and Huxley makes sure his writing correlates with that. However, his tone changes when he talks about Bernard because Bernard tends to be depressed and negative toward the World State. The overall tone is dark and twisted.
4. Imagery: (specifically to animals) Huxley compares the humans to animals quite often. For example, "straight from the horse's mouth."
Narrator (Third Person): "He knew that what he was saying was absurd in its injustice… But in spite of this knowledge… Bernard continued perversely to nourish… a secret grievance against the Savage."
Allusion: To Shakespeare. "O wonder! ... How many goodly creatures there are here! How beauteous mankind is! ... O brave new world that has such people in it!"
Irony: The readers know certain things that the characters do not.
Parody:Utopian novels were about a happy future, this novel sets the idea on its head by being a dystopian novel.
Foreshadow: "What man has joined, nature is powerless to put asunder."
Metaphor: "For suddenly there had swarmed up from those round chambers underground a ghastly troop of monsters. Hideously masked or painted out of all semblance of humanity, they had tramped out a strange limping dance round the square..."


1. Direct Characterization: Bernard is described as short and mentally superior
Indirect Characterization: Bernard is considered a rebel cause his actions show that he does not want to participate in the World State events.
2. Huxley's syntax and diction change based on the character he is talking about. Each character is very different so he manipulates his writing to fit that. His syntax also changes from the beginning of the novel to the end. It was very descriptive at first but as the novel continued it seemed to speed up and the sentences got shorter.
3. John is a dynamic and round characters. The reader sees his personality change as he is placed in different environments and it gets to him and he eventually takes his life.
4. Because of the author's descriptive writing and focus on all of the characters, the reader learns a lot about each character, so yes I did feel like I met them, but I don't necessarily relate to them. There personalities seemed extreme to me.

Seeking Mentor

A mentor is someone who is a professional about something you are striving to improve in. Annette and I think it would be awesome to meet John Green, the author of "The Faults In Our Stars" and "Looking For Alaska," two of the books we are using in our masterpiece. However, our masterpiece isn't really focused on improving our writing skills, more on how we understood the novels. That being said, if we were able to reach John Green, it'd be more to say how much we appreciated his books, not needing help. Our plan is to make a blog on tumblr to show our progress and I'd say we are both experts in that, kind of.

My MacBeth Resources

Dr. Preston doesn't like spark notes, but they help me understand the text so much better.
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/m/macbeth/macbeth-at-a-glance

http://www.gradesaver.com/macbeth/study-guide/

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/macbethresources.html

https://apsaunders.wikispaces.com/Macbeth

Resource of the Day

Why reading is important from the point of view of a teenager

http://www.teenink.com/opinion/school_college/article/382103/Benefits-of-Reading/

Masterpiece "Test"

A test is something to show what you know. And so I'm going to share with you what I know about my masterpiece that I haven't told you before in previous posts. Sorry this isn't very creative but I like the simple route that is easy to understand.

Currently, there is not much more to tell. Annette and I haven't found the time to sit down and start pulling apart techniques from the book, but I can tell you the ones I can think of off the top of my head. For example, in "Looking For Alaska" by John Green one main theme is that there is more to life than any one person can experience. This statement is so relatable for teenagers and it something that should be taught to them in school, but we aren't. Also, you can get so much from all the characters. They are so uniquely different yet they build relationships with each and change your perspective on everything.

I don't want to give away too much, cause I'm excited to share everything Annette and I find and I want it to be a surprise.

Huxley's Brave New World

I don't think we will ever be in this type of society Huxley talks about but we have made steps toward it. It is no possible for us to completely forget feelings and emotions but our world has been become more controlled over the past years. More and more regulations are being implemented by the government, restricting us from what we can and cannot do. The more rules that are placed in our society the more the people break them. This country was built upon the idea of freedom and slowly one law after another, the government is taking that away from us. In Brave New World, the world state is in full government control and they barely have any freedom. Thankfully, we still have some but we are increasingly taking steps toward that.

Another reason we are similar to the world state Huxley describes in Brave New World is the fact that even if our country hits a hard time it doesn't affect us greatly. Compared to 3rd world countries we float through life so easily and yet we still complain. In the novel, we see some of the characters complain but eventually the hypnosis will kick in and they return to their happy state. We are fortunate enough that our government didn't do that to us, and won't ever be able too.