Literary analysis #5

The Scarlet Letter

By Nathaniel Hawthorne

GENERAL
1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.

This novel is about a woman named Hester Prynne who is accused of committing adultery and having a child with a man who was not her husband. She is sentenced to wear a scarlet letter for the rest of her life and is asked to reveal the father but she refuses. Hester’s husband who was believed to be dead is actually alive and plans to seek revenge on the man (the town minister: Arthur Dimmesdale) who had the affair with Hester. The rest of the novel is filled with revenge and guilt.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

The main theme I saw in this novel was that of the identity that society seems to assign to each character, whether they like it or not. An obvious example is with Hester Prynne who is forced to wear the scarlet letter, or move to a different town and forget about the letter. Hester refuses to leave town and to some this may seem odd because she could live a normal life, but to her it makes perfect sense. Leaving town would give the notion that society had won, instead she keeps the letter and wears it as a reminder of who she is and how her past actions/sins have made her who she is.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

During the time this novel was written, Puritans were renowned for their morality and religious intolerance. In the Scarlett Letter, Hawthorne through his tone shows his views on Puritan society in a disapproving way.

“being of the most intolerant brood” page 86

“the blackest shade of Puritanism” page 211

“Meagre, indeed, and cold was the sympathy” page 47

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone.
-Personification- “The soul beheld its features in the mirror of the passing moment” page 173

-Rhetorical question- “Is there not law for it?” page 45

-Metaphor- “poor little Pearl was a demon offspring” page 88

-Oxymoron- “die daily a living death” page 153

-Anaphora- “Live, therefore, and bear about thy doom with thee, in the eyes of men and women-in the eyes of him whom thou didst call thy husband-in the eyes of yonder child!” page 65

-Simile- “The door of the jail being flung open from within there appeared, in the first place, like a black shadow emerging into sunshine, the grim and gristly presence of the town-beadle, with a sword by his side, and his staff of office in his hand.”

Allusion- “Divine Maternity” refers to the Virgin Mary and is used to describe Hester Prynne

Flashback- This entire story is basically a flashback. The narrator stumbles upon a manuscript describing the events that unfolded and he reads these descriptions to us.

Situational irony- Chillingsworth is Hester’s old husband in disguise.

Symbols- Hawthorne uses many symbols in this novel including the scarlet letter (shame and identity for Hester) and Pearl (Hester’s living scarlet letter).

CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?

Direct characterization: “But Hester Prynne, with a mind of native courage and activity…” and “beautiful from regularity of feature and richness of complexion” Direct characterization seemed to give away the tiny details that were almost irrelevant, but still important enough as to help progress the story and paint a more vivid picture of each character. They were more used as descriptions of appearances whereas indirect characterization gave insight to the personalities of each character. Some examples include Hester choosing to keep the scarlet letter on as opposed to leaving town and starting a new life, and also Chillingworth’s decision to go undercover and seek revenge on the man who had an affair with his wife.

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?

The diction and syntax change with the different personalities that are presented in this novel. Pearl who is younger and more contemplative asks a lot of questions but has a far less advanced vocabulary. Dimmesdale is a minister and his diction and syntax have a religious tint to them. A lot of his emotions are actually expressed through his sermons, and his guilt is prevalent in his speech and outer appearance (which we see degrade as the novel progresses).

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.

Hester Prynne is a dynamic and a round character. Because of her punishment, she is alienated and becomes a contemplative thinker. She has lots of time to speculate about moral questions and human nature. This matures her character and makes her more motherly and independent. She is a round character because of the wide array of emotions and characteristics she displays such as anger, love, compassion, caring, and hatred.

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.

I feel like Hester Prynne was just another character that I read because her choice to defy society is so different from what people nowadays would do. It makes her an admirable character, but hard to view as a realistic one. In today’s time, people would rather go with the flow of things than stand out.

"Thinking outside the box"

1) 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:
When I think of hell I think of a place where everyone worst nightmares come to life. It's where you are sent for sinning, doing something just unthinkable. I would imagine it to be dark, cold and dirty, no real warmth just enough to keep you alive to suffer a eternal life of misery. There is no exit only an entrance. It's a place where monstrosities roam to torture and bring pain to your soul. The mind can be in hell anywhere, even in the most beautiful places. For example it could be your home is your natural hell, has its on beauty. You are trapped by your limits, of what you can and cannot do.
2) 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?
A way of restating what is question may be asking would be to say is too much of a good thing a bad thing for you. You can experience this through eating you favor meal everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. After a while it gets old and may start hurting your health if it is a meal like fast food, all the time. You are able to over come this by being more diverse in your quantities at which you decide to eat fast food. You would have to take breaks and eat whole hearty food that is good for your body.
3) 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?
Sartre creates a send of space by having Garcin ask numerous questions about objects in the room which are then elaborated on by Valet. They are mainly observations but these direct characterizations indirectly characterize the room. Without sleep you would go insane, you would be able to determine what reality was or is anymore. The world that you would live would be your absolute hell of bore-dumb. Even in our normal day lives we experience our own kind of hell that repeats over and over again until we can not take it anymore and give up and stray form our paths.
4) 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.
Sartre proposes a freedom from this, a inescapable room, through self reflection.  While on the other hand Plato say we just have to want to believe, we have to want to know what is and what can be.

Literary analysis #4

A Christmas Carol
by: Charles Dickens


 1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read, and explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

A mean-spirited, miserly old man named Ebenezer Scrooge sits in his counting-house on a frigid Christmas Eve. His clerk, Bob Cratchit, shivers in the anteroom because Scrooge refuses to spend money on heating coals for a fire. Scrooge's nephew, Fred, pays his uncle a visit and invites him to his annual Christmas party. Two portly gentlemen also drop by and ask Scrooge for a contribution to their charity. Scrooge reacts to the holiday visitors with bitterness and venom, spitting out an angry "Bah! Humbug!" in response to his nephew's "Merry Christmas!" Scrooge receives a chilling visitation from the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Marley, looking haggard and pallid, relates his unfortunate story. As punishment for his greedy and self-serving life his spirit has been condemned to wander the Earth weighted down with heavy chains. Marley informs Scrooge that three spirits will visit him during each of the next three nights. After the wraith disappears, Scrooge collapses into a deep sleep. He wakes moments before the arrival of the Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present, The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. After pleading with the ghost, Scrooge finds himself in a churchyard, the spirit pointing to a grave. Scrooge looks at the headstone and is shocked to read his own name. He desperately implores the spirit to alter his fate, promising to renounce his insensitive, avaricious ways and to honor Christmas with all his heart. Whoosh! He suddenly finds himself safely tucked in his bed. Overwhelmed with joy by the chance to redeem himself and grateful that he has been returned to Christmas Day, Scrooge rushes out onto the street hoping to share his new-found Christmas spirit. He sends a giant Christmas turkey to the Cratchit house and attends Fred's party, to the stifled surprise of the other guests. As the years go by, he holds true to his promise and honors Christmas with all his heart: he treats Tiny Tim as if he were his own child, provides lavish gifts for the poor, and treats his fellow human beings with kindness, generosity, and warmth.

Redemption: The greatest pleasure in A Christmas Carol is watching Scrooge's transformation from money-pinching grouch to generous gentleman. His redemption, a major motif in Christian art, is made possible through free will. While Scrooge is shown visions of the future, he states that they are only visions of things that "May" be, not what "Will" be. He has the power to change the future with his present actions, and Dickens tries to impart this sense of free will to the reader; if Scrooge can change, then so can anyone. novel. Avoid cliches.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

The tone changes depending on the spirit. The tone with the ghost of Christmas past is sorrowful and reminiscent. The ghost of Christmas present's tone is jolly and happy. The ghost of Christmas yet to be is ominous. And the tone at the end is happy, light and repentant. 

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)

Charles Dickens use symbolism in A Christmas Carol. An example may be the bells that Marley wears or the chains and register around Marley's waist.Foreshadowing: and example may be, " Mister Marley has been dead these seven years. He died seven years ago this very night." or " Yes, I'll not deny he's the hardest working apprentice to ever balance a book or close an account...".
Allegory: an example is the two children under the Ghost Of Christmas Present's robe.
Conflict: an example of this may be that if Ebenezer Scrooge doesn't change he will dye in the way the last ghost showed him, all alone.
Mood: the mood of this story makes you want to forgive Ebenezer Scrooge for his wrong doings and help him live the rest of his life full of warmth and joy.
Point of view: The point of view we as the reader is given show us how mean Ebenezer is, why he is this way, and final what will happen to him if he doesn't change.
Setting: the setting put the story in a more simpler time, were you did what you did to get by, so that you could feed your family.

Tone: The tone changes depending on the spirit. The tone with the ghost of Christmas past is sorrowful and reminiscent. The ghost of Christmas present's tone is jolly and happy. The ghost of Christmas yet to be is ominous. And the tone at the end is happy, light and repentant. 

CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.
4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.

Sonnet Recited

Literary analysis #3

"The Awakening"

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.
The plot of the book has to do with Edna finding out who she is by "awakening". She learns how to express herself and her freedoms. She meets a young man, Robert, who helps her to love things again that she lost love for when she got married. Falling in love with this young man leads her to leave her family and become independent. Later she realizes she's done wrong and is still not happy so she goes to the place where she had first awakened herself and gives herself to the sea.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
I feel the theme of the novel is to not be afraid to live and love life. Edna wasn't able to do this at first so when she discovered this concept it was too late and she had already started her life with things she wasn't absolutely happy with.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
The author's tone started off as depressing for Edna and later turned into a more loving tone when she meets Robert. He set a tone that showed happiness around Robert and a bit of guiltiness and a gloomy tone around her husband. For example one day she spent it all with Robert and she said it was one of the best days of her life, but when she returned home to her husband she barely spoke.

4. Describe five literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthen your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone. Include three excerpts (for each element) that will help your reader understand each one.
One literary element in the novel is flashbacks. Edna experiences flashbacks of being on vacation where she met Robert and was at her happiest point in life. This is significant because it didn't include her husband just her independent self. Also the setting because it was at a period of time where women obeyed men and had no opinions or self expression. This leads to her not being able to be herself. Another element is symbolism. A symbol that seemed important was caged birds in the novel. This symbolized Edna being trapped and inescapable of her life to be free and happy. Also the dialogue used helped to show the theme. When she was around Robert, who made her happy, she was joyful and talkative, but around her husband she was aloof and barely spoke. Finally the actions of the characters lead to the plot and theme. For example when Edna would hangout with Robert long enough she'd try courageous things like learning to swim. When she was with her husband she was boring and would try to get away from him like going back to the house or would stay outside.

Big question

Why is the struggle for education one of the biggest issues we face today? Shouldn't it be something we never have to worry About?

Fall vocab #11

Affinity- relationship by

Bilious- of or indicative of a peevish ill nature disposition

Cognate- of the same nature

Corollary- A proposition inferred Immediately from a proved proposition with little or no additional proof

Cul-de-sac - a pouch

Derring-do- a daring action

Divination- The art or practice that seeks to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge due to the interpretation of omens

Elixir- A substance capable of prolonging life indefinitely

Folderol- a useless accessory
Materialistic ways
Gamut- an entire range or series

Hoi polloi- the General populace

Ineffable- incapable of being expressed in words

Lucubration- to study by night

Mnemonic- intended to assist memory

Obloquy- abusive language

Parameter- an independent variable used to express the coordinates of variable point and functions of them

Pundit- a learned man

Risible- provoking laughter

Symptomatic- having the characteristics of a certain disease but arising of a different cause

Volte-face- a reversal in policy

Sonnet

Men call you fair, and you do credit it,
For that yourself you daily such do see:
But the true fair, that is the gentle wit
And virtuous mind, is much more praised of me.
For all the rest, however fair it be,
Shall turn to naught and lose that glorious hue:
But only that is permanent and free
From frail corruption that doth flesh ensue,
That is true beauty; that doth argue you
To be divine and born of heavenly seed;
Derived from that fair spirit, from whom all true
And perfect beauty did at first proceed:
He only fair, and what he fair hath made:
All other fair, like flowers, untimely fade.
-Edmund Spencer

Hamlet questions and facts

Questions:

1. Why does Shakespeare choose to kill everyone except horatio?

2. Could horatio be biased when retelling the story?

3. What events could he change?

4. What's horatio's role in the play?

5. Why does Shakespeare draw out hamlets death?

Major facts:

1. Everyone except horatio die

2. The thrown is now peaceful

3. While trying to get revenge, hamlet turns out to be as bad as everyone he killed

Literary analysis #2

Grapes of Wrath
By: John Steinbeck

General
1. The story took place during the Great Depression, about mid 1930s. The main characters were a family that was traveling from Oklahoma to California because they wanted a better life. The whole book is really about their adventurous road trip and the many conflicts they encountered.

2. The main theme i found while reading this novel was to treat people the way you want to be treated. The joad family was treated very poorly while on their trip and for no reason really. Innocent people have to suffer because of the lack of judgment.

3. The author uses a lot of dialogue and indirect characterization which made me feel really bad for the characters. The author really wanted to grasp the severity of the situation and I say he nailed it. I learned a lot about the Great Depression but I've never felt so into it like you feel reading about a family in the middle of it.

Characterization
1. The author doesn't really use direct characterization. He uses indirect because the entire story is based around something much bigger than a characters appearance. When he explains Tom joads experience in life after getting out of jail for four year, he tells you how scared and frightened he is without using dialogue.

2. The story definitely changes as Steinbeck changes his diction and syntax. He just changes character points of view throughout the story.

3. The main character , Tom joad , is a dynamic character because in the beginning he didn't have any goals or or dreams to do anything. He just got out of jail and was just worried about what he was going to do the next day yet as the story goes on he learns what is like to be on his own and creates his dream life in his thoughts and hopes to achieve it in California.

4. I can honestly say I feel like I've met someone like a joad family member. I know people that are in the slums and have to worry about what there doing the next day and it breaks my heart but that's life and everyone has their problems.

Tools that change the way we think

I've found myself to be dry dependent on the Internet and all the resources that I have around me instead of sitting down and working out a problem. I personally don't think that looking an answer up on the Internet is considered cheating because now a days people post the work and how they got their answers so everywhere we go we are constantly learning. Even if we just wanted the answer we get an explanation whether we asked for it or not. When y parents were my age they didn't have their iPhones to pull out in class to look something up. They had to study hard and go to a library to find their answers whereas today we go into our library on our phones. I think technology is a blessing because its just another step forward that our generation is making and I hope we continue to move forward.

Vocab midterm autopsy

I did apsolutely awful on my midterm. I thought I was going to do a lot better because I studied so hard and I thought I knew most if the words pretty well. I recognized the words and definitions but I couldn't remember for the life of me what word went with which definition and it frustrated me so much that I basically gave up on it. I think next time I can start studying more in advance so I don't feel so rushed. It wasn't so much that I felt overwhelmed with the words because I knew most of them from the previous week but the thought of a midterm scares me and I panic. I just need to work on my test taking skills.

Fall vocab #9

Abortive: failing to produce the intended result

Bruit: spread a report or rumor widely

Contumelious: scornful and insulting behavior

Dictum: a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source; a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle


Ensconce: establish or settle

Iconoclastic: characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions

In medias res: a narrative that begins somewhere in the middle of a story rather than the beginning

Internecine: destructive to both sides in a conflict

Maladroit: ineffective or bungling; clumsy

Maudlin: self-pitying or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness

Modulate: exert a modifying or controlling influence on


Portentous: of or like a portent; done in a pompously or overly solemn manner

Prescience: the power to foresee the future

Quid pro quo: a favor or advantage granted in return for something

Salubrious: health-giving, healthy; pleasant, not run-down

Saturnalia: the ancient Roman festival of Saturn in December; an occasion of wild revelry

Touchstone: a standard or criterion by which something is judged or recognized

Traumatic: emotionally disturbing or distressing; relating to or causing psychological trauma

Vitiate: spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of; destroy or impair the legal validity of

Waggish: humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner

Notes on hamlet

My thoughts on hamlet definitely changed since we started it because I had absolutely no idea what we wer talking about so it was hard to like it. I've learned to like it more since we've been doing a lot of collaboration in class. This book is seriously swtisted and backwards. The teenagers remind me of teens today but none of their beliefs compare to today's lifestyle. People don't just go and kill their uncles. It's an awkward idea to marry your brothers wife too.

Who is Shakespeare?

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford on Avon to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. He was the eldest of four sons. He attended school, and in later years studied theatre, Latin literature, and history. After school, he became a teacher. Later, he married Anne Hathaway, and they had 3 children. Shakespeare is the most famous poet and playwright in history. His work included tragedies, comedies, histories, and sonnets.
Honestly most students absolutely hate Shakespeare I've learned because its not an easy concept to grasp and when it comes to getting graded on Shakespeare everyone seems to tank in it which alters their opinion of it.
I think I've learned to understand Shakespeare a lot more than I did two years ago when we started it.

To Facebook or not to Facebook

I joined Facebook just because it was just another social network that everyone was doing and it was free and seemed harmless. I didn't realize all the risks of being on Facebook and I never questioned how Facebook made its money since everything is free to use. I thought once you blocked something from someone to see was a great way of using security on a website but I didn't even think of the fact that once something is posted online it's there forever. It's just opened my mind to it all.

Fall Vocab #8

Abeyance-(N.) A state of temporary disuse or suspension.

Ambivalent- (Adj.) Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

Beleaguer- (V.) Beset with difficulties

Carte blanche- (N.) Complete freedom to act as one wishes or thinks best.

Cataclysm- (N.) A sudden violent upheaval, esp. in a political or social context

Debauch- (V.) Destroy or debase the moral purity of; corrupt.
(N.) A bout of excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures, esp. eating and drinking

éclat- (N.) brilliant or conspicuous success

Fastidious- (Adj.) Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail

Gambol- (V.) Run or jump about playfully

Imbue- (V.) Inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality: "imbued with deep piety".

Inchoate- (Adj.) Just begun and so not fully formed or developed

Lampoon- (V.) Publicly criticize (someone or something) by using ridicule or sarcasm.
(N.) A speech or text criticizing someone or something in this way

Malleable- (Adj.) Easily influenced; pliable

Nemesis- (N.) The inescapable or implacable agent of someone's or something's downfall

Opt- (V.) Make a choice from a range of
possibilities

Philistine- (N.) A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them

Picaresque- (Adj.) Of or relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero

Queasy- (Adj.) Nauseated; feeling sick

Refractory- (Adj.) Stubborn or unmanageable

Savoir-faire- (N.) The ability to act or speak appropriately in social situations.

Midterm Reflection

A. What went well?
-I think my confidence was the only thing that went well because I went into this test feeling fine and not that nervous. Until the test started of course.

B. What didn't go well?
-Once the test started I froze and forgot everything. I recognized the definitions and words so nothing was too new for me but I couldn't remember for the life of me which word went with which definition.

C. How much of the content will stick with you?
- Honestly not that much. I have always had a hard time memorizing things but when I can remember words in a unique way, like a rhyme scheme, then I can remember it for a long time.

D. What can you learn from the experience for next time?
-A much better study tactic. Mine was awful and didn't help at all. I'm too embarrassed to even say what it was.

"Pre-Will" Questions

A. What do you know about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane?"
- I honestly don't know anything about it. I barely know about Hamlet. I just knows he's a really respected writer but i haven't personally read any of his work. It's kind of embarrassing to say that but on the other hand I've never had to read it, and because it's so hard for me to just pick up a book and read.

B. What do you know about Shakespeare?
- I actually know quite a handful about Shakespeare. I've seen movies about him beginning his journey to a great writer. Every ones read, or should be reading Shakespeare's Tragedy Romeo and Juliet. I haven't talked to a group of people that share the same feeling after reading it. Shakespeare basically created his own language of writing and has a certain pattern that it goes by.

C. Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare?"
- Personally, i dislike Shakespeare because i found his writing useless and boring. He uses to many letters in a word that he could just say bluntly and without regard. I can't speak for anyone else but i just know that most people are confused by the writing and don't understand what the heck they're reading.

D. What can we do to make studying this play an amazing experience we'll never forget?
- I think if we studied Shakespeare's style and actually understood what he is saying, then if would make our experience more fun and enjoyable

Fall Vocab #7

Aberration - (noun) an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image; a disorder in one's mental state; a state or condition markedly different from the norm

Ad Hoc- (adverb) for the special purpose or end presently under consideration

Bane - (noun) something causes misery or death

Bathos - (noun) triteness or triviality of style; a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one; insincere pathos

Cantankerous - (adj.) having a difficult and contrary disposition; stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate

Casuistry - (noun) moral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral

Dilemmas; argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading
 

De Facto - (noun) in fact; in reality
 

Depredation - (noun) an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding; (usually plural) a destructive action
 

Empathy - (noun) understanding and entering into another's feelings
 

Harbinger - (noun) an indication of the approach of something or someone; verb foreshadow or presage

Hedonism - (noun) an ethical system that evaluates the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good; the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle
 

Lackluster - (adj.) lacking luster or shine; lacking brilliance or vitality
 

Malcontent - (adj.) discontented as toward authority; noun a person who is discontented or disgusted
 

Mellifluous - (adj.) pleasing to the ear

Nepotism - noun favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)
 

Pander - (noun) someone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce); verb arrange for sexual partners for others; yield (to); give satisfaction to
 

Peccadillo - (noun) a petty misdeed
 

Piece de Resistance - (noun) the most noteworthy or prized feature, aspect, event, article, etc., of a series or group; special item or attraction.
 

Remand - (noun) the act of sending an accused person back into custody to await trial (or the continuation of the trial); verb refer (a matter or legal case) to another committee or authority or court for decision; lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
 

Syndrome - (noun) a complex of concurrent things; a pattern of symptoms indicative of some disease

Literary Analysis #1

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Written by Kim Edwards

1. The story was honestly very backwards and twisted and made me think twice. The father, Dr. David Henry, is forced to deliver his own twins due to a blizzard in 1964. The only other person in the delivery room, besides his wife, is the nurse Caroline. His son is perfectly healthy but when his daughter comes out, he immediately notices something wrong with her. She has Down Syndrome. Remembering his childhood and his own sister dying of mental illness, he quickly decides to give his daughter up. He asks to the nurse to take ehr a special home and tells his wife, she died. Except the nurse doesn't have the strength to give up a baby girl like that and keeps her and continues to raise her as her own child. The father knows about this and sends quite a bit of money to them each month. David, dying from guilt, can't stand to make love to his wife in fear of inpregnanting her. She then becomes tired of this and  over a century, she begins having random affairs. Their son, Paul discovers this and this forces Norah to confess to David. Years after their divorce, Paul is now 18 and in college. David dies of a heart attack and left all of his inheritance to his son. As Paul and Norah are looking through all of David's pictures they come across a locked drawer that has pictures of a little girl throughout her childhood and into her teen years. They also fin letter from Caroline that describes everything about the hand off. Norah is furious and tracks down Caroline and then confronts her about it and meets her long lost daughter, Phoebe.

2. As any good novel, they're many themes. For this particular novel, the themes could be argued as the burden of secrets, heartaches and heart warmth of raising children, and the need for mentally disabled children to be accepted into society. If i had to choose just one theme i would have choice the need for mentally disabled children to be accepted into society because kids back then didn't have the opportunity to get the education they needed to succeed. Instead they were either forced to go to public school and fall behind in class or have to stay home and not learn anything because their parents are too busy to teach them or just don't know how to teach them.

3. The author has a soft, gentle tone to her. Everything that is read makes you feel like you could relate and feel the emotion within the story. She uses a lot of adjectives and many specific words to describe a scene. For example, the chapter when Dr. Henry is in bed with his wife and she tells him he doesn't want another child and she's surprised because it's been so long. You would think that section of the chapter would be slightly awkward to experience, but it feels so real and inviting.

4. Obviously diction and syntax played a big role in my understanding of every part of this book. Onomatopoeia was used in the novel especially when Paul fell off the wall and broke his arm. The way the author described it was very vigorous and surreal. Norah also used many hyperboles when her character described things because most of them were suppose to come off as tragedy's but were just bad luck. This story is also a tragedy in some ways because Norah lives her life wondering what could be if she had a daughter yet not realizing that her husband is living with a different kind of guilt. The readers understand what is really going on and continue to read about Norah's sad life without her baby girl, while her husband is living with that guilt of basically killing his own daughter.  

Fall Vocab #6

beatitude- Supreme blessedness
bete noire- a detested person (disliked or avoided)
bode- Be an omen of a particular outcome
dank- Disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold
ecumenical- universal
fervid- Intensely enthusiastic or passionate
fetid- Smelling extremely unpleasant
gargantuan- of great mass
heyday- The period of a person's or thing's greatest success or popularity
incubus- A cause of distress or anxiety like a nightmare
infrastructure- The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation
inveigle- Persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery
kudos- Praise and honor received for an achievement
lagniappe- Something given as a bonus or extra gift
prolix- Using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
protege- a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career
prototype- A first or preliminary model of something, esp. a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied
sycophant- A person who acts obsequiously toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer 
tautology- The saying of the same thing twice in different words
truckle- Submit or behave obsequiously

Fall Vocab #5

Acumen: Keen insight; shrewdness

Adjudicate; To settle or determine an issue or dispute judicially

Apocryphal: Of doubtful authenticity

Disparity: Lack of similarity or equality

Dissimulate: To disguise or conceal under a false appearance

Empirical: Provable or verifiable by experiment or experience

Flamboyant: Strikingly bold or brilliant

Fulsome: Offensive to good taste; sickening; repulsive

Immolate: To sacrifice

Imperceptible: Very subtle; slight

Lackey: A footman ( Someone who runs errands or does favors for others)

Liaison: A connection or contract iniated by others

Monolithic: Consisting of one solid piece; unbroken

Mot Juste: The appropriate word or expression

Nihilism: Total rejection or destructiveness

Patrician: A person of high rank

Propitiate: To make favorably inclined

Sic: To attack; incite to attack

Sublimate: To modify the natural expression of in a socially acceptable manner

Beowulf and Godsylla

Meanehwæl, baccat meaddehæle, monstær lurccen;
Fulle few too many drincce, hie luccen for fyht.
Ðen Hreorfneorhtðhwr, son of Hrwærowþheororthwl,
Æsccen æwful jeork to steop outsyd. Þhud! Bashe! Crasch! Beoom! Ðe bigge gye
Eallum his bon brak, byt his nose offe;
Wicced Godsylla wæld on his asse.
Monstær moppe fleor wyþ eallum men in hælle.
Beowulf in bacceroome fonecall bamaccen wæs;
Hearen sond of ruccus sæd, "Hwæt ðe helle?"
Graben sheold strang ond swich-blæd scharp
Stond feorth to fyht ðe grimlic foe. "Me," Godsylla sæd, "mac ðe minsemete."
Heoro cwyc geten heold wiþ fæ.

med half-nelson
Ond flyng him lic frisbe bac to fen
Beowulf belly up to meaddehæle bar,
Sæd, "Ne foe beaten mie færsom cung-fu."
Eorderen cocca-cohla yce-coeld, ðe reol þyng.

 Meanwhile, back at the Meade hall, a monster was lurking,
Full of too many drinks, he was looking for fight.
Then Hreorfneorhtðhwr, son of Hrwærowþheororthwl,
Askined awful jerk to step outside.

Thud! Bash! Crash! Boom! The big guy
His bone broke, bite his nose off;
Wicked Godzilla wailed on his ass.
Monster mopped the floor with all the men in hall.
Beowolf in backroom was making a phonecall;
He heard sound of ruccus said, "What the hell?"
Grabbing strong shield and sharp switch blade
Stand forth to fight the grim foe.
"Me," Godzilla said, "make the mincemeat."
Hero quick getttin' hold with famed half-nelson
And flying him like frisbee back to fen
Beowulf belly up to meadhall bar,
Said, "No foe has beaten my fearsome kung-fu."
Orderin' coca-cola ice cold, the real thing.

Erika Snell gave me permission to use her translation of the quote. 

A Hero's Journey

My favorite Hero is probably Marlin from Finding Nemo because he your typical over protected father and is afraid of watching his son grow up. He's extremely pushy and irritating and has trust problems. But when it came to Nemo's safety he didn't hesitate to protect him. He put up with a talkative fish with memory loss problems that only made his trip much longer, basically high sea turtles, a big school of fish that didn't like him very much, sharks that wanted to eat him, and above all the big ocean on his quest to find his Son that was taken by humans. Even after all of that, he learned to trust and let go and his son will come back. Parents are the best heroes out there because there is no bigger challenge than parenting.

Fall Vocab #4

Apostate- A person who forsakes his religion.

Effusive- unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve

Impasse- A position from which there is no escape.

Euphoria- A state of intense happiness

Lugubrious- Mournful, dismal, gloomy, especially in an exaggerated manner

Bravado- A pretentious, swaggering display of courage

Consensus- Majority of an opinion

Dichotomy- Division of two parts

Constrict- To draw or press in; cause to contract or shrink

Gothic- Pertaining to a style of architecture originating in France

Punctilio- A fine point, particular to detail

Metamorphosis- A complete change in form, structure or substance

Raconteur- A person who is skilled in relating stories and anecdotes interestingly

Sine Qua Non- An indispensable condition, element, or factor; something essential

Quixotic- Extravagantly chivalrous or romantic

Vendetta- A prolonged and bitter feud

Non Sequitur- An inference or conclusion that does not follow the premises

Mystique- A framework of doctrines constructed around a person or object

Quagmire- An area of miry or boggy ground whose surface yields under the tread

Parlous- Dangerous, clever, shrewd

1st Literary Analysis

For my first Literary Analysis i chose to read The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards because, honestly, this is the only book i noticed that i actual own and haven't read. I don't know anything about it but my mom read it and I'm going to trust we have similar tastes in books.

Fall Vocab List #3

Accolade- Recognition; Acknowledgement.
"Our nation's protectors serve our country without expecting an accolade or reward.

Acerbity- Harshness; Bitterness.
"The Kite Runner is the perfect example of an author using acerbity dialogue."

Attrition- A decrease in numbers, size, or strength.
"The private school was noticing a high rate of attrition because so many students transferred to the public school."

Bromide- A platitude or trite saying.
"When you're right, it's time to question the old bromide."

Chauvinist- Someone aggressively and blindly patriotic.
"Our government teacher was quite the chauvinist."

Chronic- Constant; habitual.
"He was such a chronic liar."

Expound- To set forth or state in detail.
"Most of my writing needs to expound the concept more."

Factionalism- Of a faction
"Early in political days, prejudice and factionalism ruled."

Immaculate- Spotlessly clean; Undefiled; Free from errors.
"My room is immaculately clean for the first time ever."

Imprecation- Cursing
"

Ineluctable- Incapable of being evaded.
"Getting out of my chemistry exam seemed to be Ineluctable to me."

Mercurial- Changeable, Erratic; Quick witted
"I was very unmercurial about my outfit choice for the day."

Palliate- To relieve or lessen without curing.
"Vicodin can only palliate the pain."

Protocol- A formal etiquette and code of behavior.
"The man at the dinner wasn't following the protocol so he was asked to leave."

Resplendent- Shining brilliantly
"Our troops resplendent in their white uniforms."

Stigmatize- To set some mark of displace and infamy upon.
"Some find it easier to stigmatize critics than answer them."

Sub Rosa- Confidentially; Privately. "Under The Rose"
"We had to discuss her surprise party in sub rosa."

Vainglory- Excessive elation or pride over one's achievements.
"We felt very vainglorious after winning CIF."

Vestige- A mark or tracing of something that is no longer present or existing.
"The columns were the last vestiges of the Greek temples."

Volition- The act of willing, choosing, or resolving.
"Everyone that decides to join, does so at their own volition."

Beowulf Questions

Cassidy, Tanner, and I worked in a group to complete all the questions and i would say all the time added up would be close to 5 hours. 


Prologue:

1 He started off as an abandoned infant and then rose to power. At his funeral, his baby was put in a boat with his treasure and armor and then cast off to sea.

Heorot is attacked

1. Hrothgar built the hall. Grendel attacked it in the night killing 30 men but returns every night for 12 years killing more. The Danes are horrified and avoid the hall.

Hero comes to Heorot (1-4)

1. Beowulf immediately created an army to go help Hrothgar defeat Grendel.

2. Geat first meets a nameless watcher in Denmark. He was guarding the shore and then interrogates Beowulf. Beowulf explains why he's there and he wanted rid of land of evil. Beowulf also wants to meet Grendel.

3. Hrothgar's Herald is the interrogator mentioned before. He goes to Hrothgar and explains the arrival of the Geats and also that Hrothgar should let them come visit him. He agrees and realizes he knows Beowulfs father, Ecgtheow.

4. Beowulf told Hrothgar that he plans to fight Grendel. Hrothgar took in Beowulfs father and protected him after he killed a man.

Feast at Heorot (1-2)

1. Unfirth accuses Beowulf of being a man who lost a swimming contest in the open sea against a man named Bruca. Beowulf says he has the story wrong and instead he got caught by sea monsters and killed nine of them before making it to shore. Beowulf shows lack of fear in the story. He accuses Unfirth of being weak because hasn't fought Grendel.

2. Queen Wealtheow salutes the warriors and offers them a goblet to drink and she thanks Beowulf for coming.

Fight with Grendel (1-2)

1. Beowulf takes off his armor for  a fair fight with Grendel.

2. Grendel takes the door off and mauls a great warrior. Beowulf tares off Grendels arm and uses it as a weapon. Grendel leaves with an arm.

Celebration at Heorot (1-6)

1. Beowulf is like a sigemund because he was a Dragon Slayer and Beowulf just killed Grendel. Coward.

2. Hrothgar claimed Beowulf as his adopted son. Unfirth no longer has a say.

3. The story is about how Danes lost a bloody battle to Finn, King of Frisians. Realizing their defeat the Danes struck a truce with Frisians in which they lived seperately but under common rule. Using a woman to unite the tribes showed wisdom because it basically combined the tribes and strikee common ground.

4. Queen Wealtheow asks Hrothgar to not have Beowulf to be their heir to their throne and instead pick one of his sons.

5)  The necklace will be worn by Beowulf’s king, Hygelac, and at his last battle the Franks will steal it from his corpse. The queen asks Beowulf to guide and protect her sons as she gives him the torque.

6)  The men stay at the beer hall to sleep because Grendel is dead and they feel safe. (There was a big party in celebration of Grendel’s death where the men drank a lot) This was a mistake because Grendel’s mother came back for revenge.

Another Attack (1-3)

1)  Grendel’s mother came to avenge her son’s death by killing men. Grendel’s motives aren’t really known, but they seemed to be driven by envy of happiness of the men in the hall.

2)  Hrothgar’s is grief stricken by the loss of his retainer and sends out Beowulf and his men alongside his own men.

3)  The mere is a lake where Grendel’s mother lives and the home of numerous other monsters.

Beowulf Fights Grendels Mother (1-8)

1)  Beowulf tells Hrothgar that it’s better to avenge the death of the ones you love rather than sitting around mourning for them. He swears to track down Grendel’s mother and slay her like the monster she is.

2)  Before Beowulf enters the mere, the warriors find Aeschere’s head and sea monsters show themselves. They sound a horn and the monsters scurry away, but not before Beowulf kills one.

3)  Beowulf puts on his chain-mail armor, his golden helmet, and takes out his sword. His sword was called Hrunting and was given to him by Unferth.

4)  Beowulf swims down the mere to find Grendel’s mother. The other monsters sense his presence and attack him. Grendel’s mom drags him to her hall where the water could do him no harm. This was interesting because Grendel attacked the Heorot hall and they also live in a sort of hall.

5)  Beowulf’s sword melts away until it’s just the hilt.

6)  Beowulf is protected by his chain-mail which saves him from stab wounds and then is able to wiggle his way free from the rubble on top of him.

7)  Beowulf uses the sword to decapitate Grendel’s mother. The lair becomes brighter and he sees Grendel’s body and decapitates him as well. Beowulf takes the head with him to shore as his sword melts from Grendel’s blood (he keeps the hilt).

8)  Beowulf was not expected to be alive so the Danes and Hrothgar left, but the Geat warriors stayed behind. When he comes to the surface the warriors are overjoyed to see him.

Further celebration at Heorot (1-3)

1)  Beowulf gives the hilt of the sword to Hrothgar.

2)  Hrothgar tells Beowulf of a bad king, Heremod, who was blood-thirsty. He tells him this so as to compare the dangers of wealth and power. He reminds Beowulf that everybody dies because God is in charge and that they should focus on the afterlife.

3)  Beowulf gives the sword, Hrunting, back to Unferth

 

Beowulf Returns Home

1)  Hrothgar predicts that Beowulf will come back and defend the Danes as their ruler.

2)  Hygd is not like Queen Modthryth because the latter was evil. Anytime a person would look at her, she would have them imprisoned and eventually killed.

3)  Hrothgar hopes that the marriage of his daughter Freawaru to Ingeld will end a blood-feud between the Danes and the Heathobards. Beowulf believes the feud will start all over again. Beowulf thinking the peace can be broken is a new side of him because he always acts on impulse rather than thinks through situations.

4)  Beowulf reports his adventures by storytelling. He stretches the truth and focus on the parts of the stories where he succeeds rather than when he fails.

5)  Beowulf formally presents the treasures that Hrothgar gave him to Hygelac. In return Hygelac gives him a jeweled sword, 7,000 hides, land, a hall, and a throne of his own.
 
The Dragon Wakes

1) Part 2 takes place fifty years later. King Hygelac dies in battle, along with the following king, Heardred. A dragon was awakened at this time.

2) The dragon awoke because someone stole a goblet from his treasure. The man took it because he was poor and intended to give it to his master. The treasure was there because a rich man had many treasures but he didn’t have anyone to leave them to. One day the dragon arrived to guard it.

3) That night, the dragon attacked the people in Geat and destroyed their land.

4) Beowulf thought his home was burnt because he disobeyed the gods in some ways. He orders a new shield because he wants an iron one that cannot be burnt. The author adumbrates Beowulf’s death by having him fight the dragon.

5) Hygelac was killed in battle. Beowulf swam to safety with his loot, thirty battle-dresses. Hygd offered Beowulf the throne, but he denied it and became king of the Geats.

6) An group of Swedes that had been exiled killed Heardred. Beowulf avenged Heardred’s death with the killing of King Onela.

7) Twelve men went with Beowulf to the dragon.

8) Herebeald's brother Haethcyn killed him in a hunting accident. King Heathrel would neither forgive him, nor punish him. He fled the land and left the throne to his sons. The Swedes and the Geats continued to feud. Haethcyn was killed in battle against the Swedes. Beowulf avenged Hygelac’s death by killing a great Frankish warrior, Dayraven.

Beowulf Attacks the Dragon

1) Beowulf tells his companions to wait and not enter the area of the dragon. He’d rather they watch than actually fight.

2) Beowulf’s sword fails and he has to fall back. While he is retreating he is hit by the fire of the dragon. His companions flee, but Wiglaf remains and wants to help Beowulf. Beowulf yearns for help, and Wiglaf remains and encourages him by reminding him of his past.

3) Beowulf’s sword breaks and he is then bit by the dragon. Beowulf stabs the dragon in the side with his knife, killing it.

4) Beowulf wants Wiglaf to bring the treasure for him to see before he dies. Beowulf thanks God for having him die with wealth. He asks Wiglaf to build a barrow on the coast and for his body to be burned on a funeral pyre.

Beowulf's Funeral

1) The warriors come back to see Wiglaf attempt to save Beowulf. Wiglaf reprimands them for abandoning Beowulf when he needed them most. In the future, Wiglaf sees that the Geats will be attacked by neighboring lands and that their kingdom will be destroyed.

2) The messenger tells the city that Beowulf has died. Ongentheow and his men surrounded the Geats and laughed at them. His men threatened and taunted the Geats. In the morning, Hygelac came to the Geats aid with reinforcements. Ongentheow could not match the reinforcements and retreated. He was cornered by Hygelac and in the battle, Ongentheow was killed. The messenger warns that the treasure is cursed and anyone who attempts to take it will be cursed. Beowulf won’t be cursed because he never “looked at it with greedy eyes”. The messenger has a final image of the dragon.

3) Wiglaf tells the crowd that Beowulf was a great warrior. In a way, he reprimands Beowulf for not listening to the people. Beowulf would have lived if he had not gone to fight. He was a great warrior that will bear a king's funeral.

4) The dragon was pushed off the cliff into the ocean by Wiglaf’s men. The dragon was evil and wasn't worthy of a burial.

5) The Geats were mourning and singing because they were upset. The burial took about ten days, so everyone was upset and crying.

6) The Geats say Beowulf was a kind and beloved man who has left a mark on this earth. Being described as “kind” isn’t the usual description of a warrior. Beowulf killed Grendel and the dragon, with a great lack of mercy.

The Laughing Heart

Reflections on week 1

1. The only factors that i can think of that may affect my participation in this class would definitely be not having a smart phone. i would probably be posting more things on my blog if i had a smart phone to look back on my blog during class. I tend to press hard when i write, which causes me to quit writing quickly, or i try and jam all my thoughts onto one line really quick and it ends up looking like chicken scratch. I also have a lot of activities after school but i don't see them being a huge problem just because i get out so early. The only other factor i see is my procrastination problem. I can always work on that though. I'm just stuck in summer mode still and after being in surgery and on meds all weekend, i feel very lazy.

2. The best learning experience I've ever been through is hands down coaching soccer. I learn something new every practice with every team i coach. I started with a small U6 girls team and they kicked my butt. I learned patience and how i need to word things to them. I've been able to move up in age groups and i had the experience to coach a U10 co-ed team but i really enjoyed the younger teams because the feeling of teaching them something new really hits that place in my heart and makes me feel great. Each practice is like the first practice to me. I want to teach them something new, whether it's just learning to kick the ball or running a new drill. Those days that it takes me a little bit longer to teach them a concept only benefits me because then i know what to do different and how to express that to my little guys. Coaching not only taught me more about my self but its made me respect my teachers and coaches more because i see how tough it is and how much effort goes into teaching younger and less educated students and players.

3. I'm most excited to be introduced to new ideas and different views on life and everything about it. I want to learn to not be afraid of new challenges and just accept that life is going to throw them at me. I'm most concerned that i won't grasp the new ideas and views on everything as quick as everyone else. I am good friends with many of my classmates but that can be kind of embarrassing when you're the only one behind. Yet, I am very excited about this year and can't wait to see what's next.

1st Assignment: Orientation Video

My only reason for taking this class is because i absolutely loved Dr. Preston's class my sophmore year. Most of my  friends told me i was crazy for wanting to take it again and after hearing what this year should be like. Maybe i am crazy, but then again we all need to do something crazy during our high school experience. I'm most excited about the new ideas Dr. Preston is going to have for us this year and i know, like my sophmore year, I'll come out of this class feeling like i accomplished something. I'm extremely nervous I'll end up behind my peers because this is such a fast paced class, yet i know there is definitely more than one of us feeling that way. My goal for this year is to come out of this class alive in the spring. This class is going to challenge me in ways i didn't think possible. Dr. Preston is going to push me to do my best and that's what i expect to do. I know my knowledge and thinking are going to be improved by the end of the year just by taking this course and self-disciplining myself. The new vocabulary lists and the variety of novels we're reading are definitely going to be a huge impact on my improvement. I can't wait to see what's in store for us this year.