Tuesday, May 7, 2013


Multiple choice practice from 1999 AP Exam:

  1. B
  2. B
  3. C
  4. E
  5. B
  6. D
  7. A
  8. C
  9. E
10. B
11. D
12. E
13. C
14. D
15. C
16. C
17. A
18. C
19. E
20. D
21. D
22. A
23. B
24. C
25. B
26. C
27. B
28. E
29. D
30. B
31. E
32. B
33. E
34. A
35. A
36. C
37. C
38. D
39. E
40. B
41. E
42. D
43. D
44. A
45. A
46. B
47. A
48. B
49. D
50. C
51. B
52. C
53. D
54. E
55. B

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Literary Analysis- Fahrenheit 451



General
1. Fahrenheit 451 is a book about a man named Guy Montag and is set in a future American society. Guy is a firefighter who's job is, ironically, to start fires rather than put them out. He is supposed to set fire to any house that may have books in it. He lives a rather empty life. He is married to a woman he soon realizes that he has no love for and she feels the same. She even tries to kill herself. Then one day a girl named Clarisse starts to talk to him and makes him question his life and how he is living. He is called to start a fire, but while at the house he reads from one of the books and he decides to take it with him. He remembers a man that he had met in the park named Faber and meets with him to discuss the book. He becomes enthralled with books, but he is betrayed by Mildred and a mechanical hound is set on him, but he gets away and lives with a group that shares his love of books.
2. I feel that the theme of Fahrenheit 451 is that knowledge is power. It shows that knowledge and and education through books is a vital tool to society. Books can bring immense pleasure and we as people can learn so much from them. It shows that people have a right as a person in society to learn and not to be happy with their ignorance.
3. The tone has a certain intensity to it. All the characters are extreme and are on the edge of being realistic. The events are usually blown out of proportion and apocalyptic. The author is very descriptive and uses vivid descriptions. Big events usually happen on the biggest scales.
4. Imagery- Somewhat going along with analysis, Bradbury was always very descriptive and used very vivid words to describe.
Contrast- The author contrasts the personalities of Guy and Mildred
Foreshadowing- Mildred's attitude is when Guy shows her the book is a foreshadowing of things to come
Motif- The idea that knowledge is important shows up a lot.
Symbolism- There are many things that are used to symbolize insects
Irony- Mildred is looking for the book and keeps adjusting Guy's pillow and it's under there. 
Metaphor- Many things, such as Mildred's earpiece, are compared to insects. 

Characterization.
1. "I'm antisocial, they say." Clarisse says this and shows her outgoing, unorthodox, but cheerful side.
"We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal." This is Captain Beatty telling us about the motive behind the government making everyone illiterate and ignorant, as to not offend the naturally inept people to be exposed to the naturally bright individuals. This characterizes the motives of nearly every character.

2. Not really. It only changes when a character is interacting with different characters. The characters act differently around different characters which causes the syntax and diction to change.

3. Guy is a dynamic character. He starts off the book burning houses and being totally submissive and ok with world he is living in. His encounter with Clarisse changes all that and questions who he is and who he wants to be. He eventually ends up changing who he is and challenging himself to be a better person.
He is probably a round character. Guy has many different qualities that distinguish himself.

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.
Yes I did. Guy was the only character like I felt could be a real person though. All the other characters were missing something that could make them truly believable. Him being a dynamic and round character helped give the impression that I had indeed met an actual person.

Journal 5/3/13

I feel fairly confident with prose essays and essays in general. I feel less confident with poetry related stuff, but more confident than before due to the poetry work. We haven't done much multiple choice so I don't feel as confident. But multiple choice is something I'm very good at so I'm not to worried. Open essays I also feel very confident with as well. I'm not to unduly worried about the exam, but I'm still pretty nervous

Thursday, May 2, 2013

In Class Essay #4 Question #3

Authors use many different techniques to help illustrate their meaning or to help convey their message. One of the ways is through the foil or minor character. A great example is in the novel Life of Pi. The tiger, Richard Parker helps define who Pi is and shapes him into the man that he eventually becomes. The struggles that Pi goes through with Richard Parker and against Richard Parker demonstrates just how an important a foil can be in a novel. Richard Parker magnifies Pi's strengths and helps expel  his weakness.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

In Class Essay #3


In Ann Petry's novel The Street, Petry establishes a negative connotation and association with the urban setting. Petry employs a lot of direct characterization and imagery to help convey this sense of bleakness. Lutie feels as if the world is against her and the urban setting is doing nothing but bringing her down. Petry wisely establishes this urban setting with literary devices to help convey her message. Petry uses personification, imagery, and direct characterization to help convey the negative view that Lutie has on her urban surroundings.




Tuesday, April 30, 2013

In Class Essay #2

Desire. Simple definition, but surprisingly complex to understand. It is the driving factor for mankind and defines who we are. It has brought mankind knocking on the doorstep of a new age and is going to propel us forward. But as Sir Philip Sidney states in his poem, desires can also lead to negative outcomes and motivate us to desire want ill gains. Sir Philip Sidney elaborates more on the negative side of desires, comparing it to a "blind man's mark".

Monday, April 29, 2013

In Class Essay #1


Pauline Hopkins quote speaks volumes and is certainly true. It applies to almost everyone that has ever lived on this planet. Our surroundings, the people in our lives, shape us into who we are. It defines us and influences us to make the decisions that we make. This strongly influences an authors decision making into who the characters are and how the setting will affect the characters. A perfect example of this is Yann Martel's Life of Pi. The novel closely examines just how much influence that characters and the setting can affect someone.





Saturday, April 27, 2013

Poetry Essay Prompt #1

I think that an intro paragraph is sufficient in helping me prepare for the AP Exam.

Prompt: The following two poems are about Helen of Troy. Renowned in the ancient world for her beauty, Helen was the wife of Menelaus, a Greek King. She was carried off to Troy by the Trojan prince Paris, and her abduction was the immediate cause of the Trojan War. Read the two poems carefully. Considering such elements as speaker, diction, imagery, form, and tone, write a well-organized essay in which you contrast the speakers’ views of Helen.


               Both poems have contrasting ideas that portray Helen's beauty in very different manners. It's interesting that though they both use similar literary techniques to describe very different portrayals of Helen and her beauty. "Helen" describes her beauty as a curse, while "To Helen" describes her beauty as physical and spiritually uplifting. Even though the tone and diction are different, they both use these elements. Both authors use tone and diction to help them describe their differing opinions on Helen's beauty.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Groupthink

Our group discussed the poem "As I Walked Out One Evening" by W.H Auden. We didn't have much time, but we worked on filling out the grid together and we came to the realization that the hardest part was finding the shift. Eventually figured out the shift coincided with the word "time". Understanding where the shift occurred in this poem will help us figure out the shifts in other poems, due to the difficulty of the identification of the shift in this poem.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Gridlock

"Hope" by Emily Dickinson


Title:
Most likely the overall theme for the poem
Paraphrase:
"Hope is the thing with feathers, That perches in the soul, And sings the tune--without the words" These lines are clearly associating the qualities of a bird with the qualities of hope.

"And sore must be the storm,That could abash the little bird, That kept so many warm." Dickinson is still associating hope with the qualities of a bird and also saying how could someone crush the bird that brought hope to many.

Connotation:
1. "And sore must be the storm"
Sore seems to mean more along the lines of evil.
2."That kept so many warm"
This means that that the hope was a beacon and uplifting for those who needed it.
3."It asked a crumb of me"
This means that hope required nothing in return for giving out its "warmth"

Attitude:
Dickinson seems to admire hope and the things it can do to help others.
Shift:
There is a very small in shift where she describes how hope can exist in the strangest places.
Title revisited:
Hope is a major part of the poem and part of the theme.
Theme:
The theme is hope. It can raise even the most down person and uplift them.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Macbeth Micro AP Exam

I thought that the pace was a little fast and unreasonable, but it was still manageable. There were some questions I knew right off the bat and I could've used the extra time I had on those questions to answer ones I needed a little more time for. But overall it wasn't too bad and the essay prompt was fair.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Life of Pi questions and essay prompts

1. How does the idea of survival play out in this text?

2. What does Pi try to communicate through his choice of the animals, other than the tiger, with whom he shares the lifeboat?
3. What are important characteristics of Pi and Richard Parker? 

4. Which of the stories seems more believable? Explain

5. How does religion play a role in Pi's journey?

Essay Prompt
Religion plays a key role in Yann Martel's novel Life of Pi. The main character Pi, unusually follows three religions, yet Pi feels following just one is not the important part, the power to believe in them is what is important. How does the author show this theme and what techniques does the use to demonstrate this?

We feel like we know Pi through the entire story then fine out at the end that his story may not be true. Why does Pi make up the second story and how can you tie in his belief I'm religion with it?

Many authors use parallel events and characters to demonstrate their themes in the novel. Chose a work of literature (Life of Pi) where the author use the literary techniques of parallel events and characters to demonstrate their theme. 

Monday, March 25, 2013

March Literature Analysis


Frankenstein
1. The story starts off with a man travelling on the Pacific Ocean and meets a man. This man, Victor Frankenstein, shares his story with the man and starts off by telling him about his childhood, Elizabeth, and then his interest in science. He soon then learns how to create a living being. He regrets this when he sees that the creature is hideous and a monstrosity. He ends up running away and is haunted by his creation. The monster ends up killing Victor's brother. The monster and Victor end up meeting each other and exchanging their sides of the story. The monster is actually a benign creature, and soon becomes fluent in English and literate. He ends up finding a note left behind by Victor describing Victor's disgust and contempt he has for the monster. He asks for a mate and then to be left alone. Victor complies, but still can't stand the  monster and ends up destroying the monster's mate, causing the monster to seek out revenge. On Victor's wedding day, the monster kills Victor's wife, which in turn makes Victor seek out revenge. Victor eventually dies on his trip, several days after telling this story and Frankenstein ends up crying because of the death of his creator.

2. One of the themes for this story is the danger of knowledge and the pursuit of knowledge. Knowledge is power, but with that power comes responsibility. Victor's pursuit of knowledge led him to the creation Frankenstein, and that creation turned out to be his downfall

3. Since this book was a horror story, the story obviously had a dark and serious tone to it. This was perfect to help set the mood for the whole book.

4. Ten literary elements:
1. Setting
2. Personification
3.Stream of Consciousness
4. Situational Irony
5. Point of View
6.  Juxtaposition
7. Simile
8. Foil
9. Prologue
10.Direct characterization

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

BNW Essay

         The people in a Brave New World are locked into a rigid set of rules and beliefs that are not unlike today's society. One minor difference in who you are can cause you to be an outcast and ostracized. You will be criticized and made fun of who you are based on things that you can't even control. Bernard Marx is one who has been made an outcast, due to his lack of conformity to the beliefs and rules that the society has laid out for them. 
          Bernard Marx has been treated like an outsider not only because the way he acts, but for his appearance as well. Rumors had been spread that he had had alcohol put in his test tube, which caused him to be a bit smaller in stature than other Alphas. He has shown an individuality that is unheard of. He dislikes the society in which he lives and does not agree or go along with the way the others behave and interact with one another. The morals set out in the story are ones that are very blunt and forthcoming, as well as being based on the principles of youth and beauty. The people are also very controlled and kept in check through the use of hypnopaedia, which makes Bernard's individualism even more remarkable and astonishing to the society in which he lives. Sexual education is taught at a very young age, they are taught to embrace sex as an everyday occurrence, they take encourage the idea of sleeping with many many partners, they encourage the consumption of taking drugs to escape from troubles, and people reading may question this, but how can they know anything different from what they have grown up with their entire lives. They are set so rigidly in their routine and castes that their is no trace of individualism. Even when you get into the lower castes they make the appearances of thousands the same.  These things just show the lack of individualism and how strange it is from someone to break away from the status quo. 

(Sorry for the bad essay, got back late from a meet and not thinking of the greatest ideas)

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

BOB I

A Cut Above the Rest
Ashley Wilburn: http://awilburnrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/ 
Ming Chen: http://mchenrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Danielle Galindo: http://danig14.blogspot.com/
Samantha Garrison: http://sgarrisonrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Valerie Gonzalez: http://vgonzalezrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Megan Hardisty: http://mhardistyrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/ 
Meeting the Requirements
Alicia Hernandez: http://ahernandezrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Ryunhee Kim: http://rkimrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/ 
Travis Knight: http://tmkrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Abby Kuhlman: http://akuhlmanrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Josh Ng: http://jngrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/ 
Nathan Oh: http://norhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Troy Prober: http://tproberrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Brady Redman: http://bredmanrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Felicitas Ruiz: http://fruizrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/ 
Erika Snell: http://www.esnellrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Justin Thompson: http://jthompson2rhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/ 
Tanner Tuttle: http://ttuttlerhsenglitcomp1.blogspot.com/ 
Missing a Couple Things
Matthew Patel: http://mpatelrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Haleigh Jones: http://hjonesrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Reed Conforti: http://rconfortirhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/ 
Devon Tomooka: http://dtomookarhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Chanel Yamaguchi: http://cyamaguchirhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Dulce Vargas: http://dvargasrhsenglitcomp1.blogspot.com/ 
Cassidy Ashlock: http://cashlockrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Sebastian Guillen: http://sguillenrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/ 
Alex Lane: http://alanerhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Conor McNamara: http://www.csmrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Need a Lot of Work
Carly Koertge: http://ckoertgerhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Brittany Cunningham: http://bcunninghamrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/ 
Kristofer Green: http://kgreenrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Karianne LaPlante: http://kariannelaplantesblog.blogspot.com/ 
Colleen Livingstone: http://clivingstonerhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com
Isiah Mabansag: http://isiahmabansag.blogspot.com/ 
Lacey Mougeotte: http://lmougeotterhsenglitcomp1.blogspot.com/
Bailey Nelson: http://bnelsonrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Conner Patzman: http://cpatzmanrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/
Jason Reinwald: http://www.jreinwaldrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Lit Terms 109-133


2. Rising Action: plot build up, caused by conflict and complications, advancement toward climax.


3. Romanticism: movement in western culture begining in the eighteenth and pearking in the nineteenth century as a revolt against Classicism; imagination was valued over reason and fact.

              Example: Jane Austen's Persuasion;Mansfield Park
                                Emily Bronte's Wuthering Height

4. Satire: ridicules or condemns the weakness and wrong doings of indivduals, groups, institutions, or humanity in general.

  Example: "The city stopped washing its buses because they kept getting dirty again."
   "We should hire illegal immigrants as teachers because that way we can pay them less."

5. Scansion: the analysis of verse in terms of meter.


6. Setting: the time and place in whcih events ina short story, novel, play, or narrative poem occur.

     Example: A Tale Of  Two Cities-London and Paris 1775-1790
                                      background French Revolution

7. Simile: a figure of speech comparing two essentially unlike things through the use of a specific word of comparison.

Example: "My stomach is growling like a bear."
         "You are as sweet as chocolate."

8. Soliloquy: an extended speech, usually in a drama, delivered by a character alone on stage.

                Example: "To be or not to be"--Hamlet; Shakespeare
                  "O conspiracy,
                  Sham' st thou to show thy dan'rous brow by night,
                  When evils are most free? O, then by day
                  Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough
                  To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiracy;
                  Hide it in smiles and affability:
                  For if thou path, thy native semblance on,
                  Not Erebus itself were dim enough
                  To hide thee from prevention."
                  --Brutus

9. Spiritual: a folk song, usually on a religious theme.


10. Speaker: a narrator, the one speaking.

                  Example: narrator

11. Stereotype: cliché; a simplified, standardized conception with a special meaning and appeal for members of a group; a formula story.

          Example: "All teenagers are rebels."
                                  "All children don't enjoy healthy food."
                                    " Women take forever to do anything."

12. Stream of Consciousness: the style of writing that attempts to imitate the natural flow of a character's thoughts, feelings, reflections, memories, and mental images, as the character experiences them.

 Example: "Such fools we all are, she thought, crossing Victoria Street. For Heaven only knows why one loves it so, how one sees it so, making it up, building it round one, tumbling it, creating it every moment afresh; but the veriest frumps, the most dejected of miseries sitting on doorsteps (drink their downfall) do the same; can't be dealt with, she felt positive, by Acts of Parliament for that very reason: they love life. In people's eyes, in the swing, tramp, trudge; in the bellow and the uproar; the carriages, motor cars, omnibuses, vans, sandwich men shuffling and swinging; brass bands; barrel organs; in the triumph and the jingle and the strange high singing of some aeroplane overhead was what she loved; life; London; this moment of June."
-Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway

13. Structure: the planned framework of a literary selection; its apparent organization.


14. Style: the manner of putting thoughts into words; a characteristic way of writing or speaking.

      Example: Jane Austen--romantic; gothic; heroic
               F.Scott Fitzgerald--imaginary sentences; american dream

15. Subordination: the couching of less important ideas in less important structures of language.


Example: "Even though the broccoli was covered in cheddar cheese, Emily refused to eat it." (subordinate clause+main clause)
            "Unless Kate finished her calculus hw, she will have to suffer during class tomorrow."
16. Surrealism: a style in literature and painting that stresses the subconscious or the nonrational aspects of man's existence characterized by the juxtaposition of the bizarre and the banal.

         Example: Salvador Dali--The Persistence of Memory

17. Suspension of Disbelief: suspend not believing in order to enjoy it.

            Example: Spider Man; Super Man

18. Symbol: something which stands for something else; yet has a meaning of its own.

               Example: Flag is the symbol of the country.
            Red-bloody; The Red Badge Of Courage-the tranformation(fail to success) of Henry Fleming and honor.
                   
19. Synesthesia: the use of one sense to convey the experience of another sense.

             Example: "I see the sound of the car."
                       "I catch the sound of rain."

20. Synecdoche: another form of name changing, in which a part stands for the whole.

                 Example: Wheels-Car
                          Thread-Clothes
                          Hand-Worker

21. Syntax: the arrangement and grammatical relations of words in a sentence.


22. Theme: main idea of the story; its message(s).


23. Thesis: a proposition for consideration, especially one to be discussed and proved or disaproved: the main idea.


24. Tone: the devices used to create the mood and atmosphere of a literary work; the author's perceived point of view.

Example: "Goddamn money. It always ends up making you blue as hell."
"Caltholics are always trying to find out if you're Catholic."--Catcher in the Rye:Bitter; Sacrastic; Tough

25. Tongue in Cheek: a type of humor in which the speaker feigns seriousness; a.k.a. "dry" or "dead pan"  

Friday, February 15, 2013

I Am Here

I am on track to where I need to be with my SMART goal. I am still trying in school to the best of my ability. Although the classes seem like they're getting harder. I am not slacking off and doing everything in my power to make sure that I achieve my goal.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Lit Terms 83-108


Omniscient Point of View:  knowing all things, usually the third person.


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

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.


Pacing:  rate of movement; tempo.
CLICK FOR EXAMPLE

Parable:  a story designed to convey some religious principle, moral lesson, or general truth.


Paradox:  a statement apparently self-contradictory or absurd but really containing a possible truth; an opinion contrary to generally accepted ideas.


Parallelism: the principle in sentence structure that states elements of equal function should have equal form.


Parody:  an imitation of mimicking of a composition or of the style of a well-known artist.


Pathos:  the ability in literature to call forth feelings of pity, compassion, and/or sadness.


Pedantry: a display of learning for its own sake.


Personification: a figure of speech attributing human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract ideas.


Plot: a plan or scheme to accomplish a purpose.


Poignant:  eliciting sorrow or sentiment.


Point of View: the attitude unifying any oral or written argumentation; in description, the physical point from which the observer views what he is describing.


Postmodernism: literature characterized by experimentation, irony, nontraditional forms, multiple meanings, playfulness and a blurred boundary between real and imaginary.


Prose:  the ordinary form of spoken and written language; language that does not have a regular rhyme pattern.


Protagonist: the central character in a work of fiction; opposes antagonist.


Pun:  play on words; the humorous use of a word emphasizing different meanings or applications.


Purpose: the intended result wished by an author.


Realism:  writing about the ordinary aspects of life in a straightfoward manner to reflect life as it actually is.


Refrain:  a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a poem or song; chorus.


Requiem:  any chant, dirge, hymn, or musical service for the dead.



Resolution: point in a literary work at which the chief dramatic complication is worked out; denouement.


Restatement: idea repeated for emphasis.


Rhetoric: use of language, both written and verbal in order to persuade.


Rhetorical Question: question suggesting its own answer or not requiring an answer; used in argument or persuasion.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Lit Terms 57-81


LIT TERMS 57-81

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

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

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

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

61. 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.

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

63. 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.

64. 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.

65. 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.

66. Inversion: words out of order for emphasis.

67. Juxtaposition: the intentional placement of a word, phrase, sentences of paragraph to contrast with another nearby.

68. Lyric: a poem having musical form and quality; a short outburst of the author’s innermost thoughts and feelings.

69. Magic(al) Realism:  a genre developed in Latin America which juxtaposes the everyday  with the marvelous or magical.

70. 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.

71. 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.

72. Mode of Discourse:  argument (persuasion), narration, description, and exposition.

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

74. Monologue:  an extended speech by a character in a play, short story, novel, or narrative poem.

75. Mood:  the predominating atmosphere evoked by a literary piece.

76. Motif:  a recurring feature (name, image, or phrase) in a piece of literature.

77. Myth:  a story, often about immortals, and sometimes connected with religious rituals, that attempts to give meaning to the mysteries of the world.

78. Narrative:  a story or description of events.

79. Narrator:  one who narrates, or tells, a story.

80. Naturalism: extreme form of realism.

81. Novelette/Novella: short story; short prose narrative, often satirical.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

The Time of My Life

I used my time in class on Friday to think of what I want to do for my Senior Project. I made some progress. I decided that I wanted to do this with the people I've been associated with throughout all of my high school and are in my class. So Devon, Travis, Reed, and I are all going to some big cool thing. We haven't decided exactly what yet. I music video remix was a favored choice, but we'll see. I am actually pretty excited to do this. We'll see how things end up

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Lit Terms 31-56


31. Dialect: the language of a particular district, class or group of persons; the sounds, grammar, and diction employed by people distinguished from others.

32. Dialectics: formal debates usually over the nature of truth.

33. Dichotomy: split or break between two opposing things.

34. Diction: the style of speaking or writing as reflected in the choice and use of words.

35. Didactic: having to do with the transmission of information; education.

36. Dogmatic: rigid in beliefs and principles.

37. 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.

38. 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).

39. Epigram: witty aphorism.

40. 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.

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

42. Euphemism: the use of an indirect, mild or vague word or expression for one thought to be coarse, offensive, or blunt.

43. Evocative (evocation): a calling forth of memories and sensations; the suggestion or production through artistry and imagination of a sense of reality.

44. Exposition: beginning of a story that sets forth facts, ideas, and/or characters, in a detailed explanation.

45. Expressionism: movement in art, literature, and music consisting of unrealistic   representation of an inner idea or feeling(s).

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

47. Fallacy: from Latin word “to deceive”, a false or misleading notion, belief, or argument; any kind of erroneous reasoning that makes arguments unsound.

48. Falling Action: part of the narrative or drama after the climax.

49. Farce: a boisterous comedy involving ludicrous action and dialogue.

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

51. Flashback: a narrative device that flashes back to prior events.

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

53. Folk Tale: story passed on by word of mouth.

54. 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.

55. Free Verse: verse without conventional metrical pattern, with irregular pattern or no rhyme.

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

Literature Analysis


                                                          A Christmas Carol

GENERAL
1.The story is about a selfish and cold hearted man, named Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge is visited by his dead partner's ghost who is weighed down by chains. The ghost tells him that he needs to change his ways or he could end up like him. He also tells Scrooge that he would be visited by three different spirits. Scrooge is then visited the Ghost of Christmas Past, who takes Scrooge through some of his old Christmases. He is then visited by the Ghost of Christmas Present, and is shown his nephew celebrating the Christmas eve. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows how people will be when he dies and how that no one will care or want to remember him. After these ghosts visits him, he becomes a changed man. He begins to be kind, caring, and generous to others.

2. In this story the theme was one of redemption. Scrooge was once a cold hearted character but after his journey with the third spirit he realizes that he must change his ways. He has the power to change his future (since it is not necessarily set in stone) and does. This implies to the reader that anyone, no matter how bad, can change their ways.

3. The tone switches depending on each scene and which characters are present. For example, scenes with Scrooge more than often have a vicious and cold tone.

 4. 1)Ambiguity
    2)Anachronism
    3) Anaphora
    4)Antithesis
    5)Flashback
    6)Irony
    7)Omniscient point of view



CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct-
Scrooge when he is initially presented to us is done so with direct characterization (later followed by indirect characterization which elaborate the traits bluntly expressed to us).
Indirect-
- Ebenezer is depicted as a cold character by his reaction to his nephew’s “Merry Christmas!” with a “Bah! Humbug!”
-Scrooge is also indirectly characterized as selfish because he refuses to spend money for coal to heat his counting-house even though his clerk shivers in the front room.

2. There are a variety of ages in this story and with the younger generations diction is less advanced. Older generations also have a more flowery syntax. Scrooge in particular uses more negative diction which reflects his negative character. Other characters like the Cratchit family have a more pure use of diction which is heavily influenced by religion and God.

3. Scrooge is definitely a dynamic character. There is such a dramatic change in his character in the beginning of the book to the end. He changes from a selfish and unloving person, to a warm and kind human being. He is also a round character because he displays different traits throughout the whole story.

4. Yes, I did. Even though Scrooge's transformation was great and in such a short span of time, I feel like I could really connect with the character on a personal level. The story is one loved by all and is a great reminder to everyone that happiness is very important.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

What's the Story

What I'm about to write is completely speculation and I have no idea if what I'm saying is true. I believe that Dickens wrote Great Expectations the time that he came from, it was very hard to change social classes and Dickens wanted to convey to the world a book where people can read about a boy who has a chance to change his stars. The way the that Pip is described and who he is, at least at the beginning of the book, has us all rooting for him to do well and succeed. Well pretty much the plot of this story and the tone, as well as syntax and diction, lead me to believe that this the reason why Dickens wrote the book. The plot and the other literary devices make the reader want Pip to excel and go on to be great.
"It was like striking out a horseshoe complete"- simile
"Wittles"- colloquialism
"Joe was a fair man, with curls of flaxen hair on each side of his smooth face, and with eyes of such a very undecided blue that they seemed to have somehow got mixed with their own whites"- Direct Characterizaion

Monday, January 28, 2013

Dickens Map

1) I do not really have a set plan for reading every night, but I do know that I will in fact finish the book by Monday. I just read how much I want whenever I want. I know that's not really a good plan, but I know that I can finish in time. I have read 150 pages in two days and if I keep that pace up I will be well on my way to finish and writing a review by Monday.

2) How does Dickens arouse our sympathies for certain characters?
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dickens/ge/pva107.html

Who is Pumblechook, and how does he get Pip into Satis House?
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dickens/ge/pva107.html

How do we know the bank notes come from the convict?
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dickens/ge/pva107.html

Miss Havisham is heart broken and left in a disarry on her wedding day when her fiance leaves her at the alter.  Coincidently this "fience" is none other than Compeyson.  In her rage at this situation Miss Havisham adopts Estella to use her to get back at men.  Do you think that this justifies how Estella acts or is her manner just naturally how she is? Do you believe that Miss Havisham has the right to corrupt someone elses life and use them for her own selfish purposes?
https://sites.google.com/site/mrpipsgreatexpectations/essay-time

At the end of the book, Pip says to himself. I took her hand in mine, and we went out of the ruined place; and, as the morning mists had risen long ago when I first left the forge, so, the evening mists were rising now, and in all the broad expanse of tranquil light they showed to me, I saw no shadow of another parting from her. Sometimes the things we want most are the things we should not have. Pip has been in love with Estella for most of his life. In Great Expectations, Pip continues to pursue Estella even when it becomes destructive. Should Pip and Estella be together?
http://www.enotes.com/documents/great-expectations-ap-style-free-response-essay-85958


3) An essay question or AP type multiple choice questions would suffice in testing my knowledge on Great Expectations.

Lit Terms 6-30


6. Analysis: Detailed examination of the elements or structure of something, typically as a basis for discussion or interpretation.

7. Anaphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses.

8. Anecdote: A short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person.

9. Antagonist:A person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary

10. Antithesis: contrary ideas expressed in a balanced sentence. It is the juxtaposition of two words, phrases, clauses, or sentences contrasted or opposed in meaning in such a way as to give emphasis to their contrasting ideas and give the effect of balance. This is a device often used in rhetoric.

11. Aphorism: A pithy observation that contains a general truth.

12. Apologia: A formal written defense of one's opinions or conduct.

13. Apostrophe: An exclamatory passage in a speech or poem addressed to a person (typically one who is dead or absent)

14. Argument:
A reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong.

15. Assumption: A thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof: "they made certain assumptions about the market".

16. Audience: The assembled spectators or listeners at a public event, such as a play, movie, concert, etc.

17. Characterization: The means by which an author reveals their character

18. Chiasmus: A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced against the first but with the parts reversed

19. Circumlocution: The use of many words where fewer would do, esp. in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive.

20. Classicism: The following of ancient Greek or Roman principles and style in art and literature

21. Cliche: a phrase or situation overused within society.

22. Climax:The most intense, exciting, or important point of something; a culmination or apex.

23. Colloquialism: Slang words or informal way of speech

24. Comedy: A movie, play, or broadcast program intended to make an audience laugh.

25. Conflict: Struggle or problem in a story causing tension

26. Connotation: An idea or feeling that a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning

27. Contrast: where one item is thrown at another to prove clarity .

28. Denotation: Plain dictionary definition

29. Denouement:The final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are resolved.

30. Dialect: language or certain people distinguishing them from others.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Lit Terms 1-5


Abstract-refers to language that describes concepts rather than concrete images

Ad Hominem-In an argument, this is an attack on the person rather than on the opponent's ideas. It comes from the Latin meaning "against the man."
Allegory-a work that functions on a symbolic level.

Alliteration- the repetition of initial consonant sounds,"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."

Allusion-a reference contained in a work.- just a reference to some other person/piece/idea.

Spring Semester Plan 1

One of my biggest goals is to go to college and play Division I water polo then go on to hopefully be an assistant coach for water polo at a university and a physical therapist. These goals are something that I really want to do. I know it will take hard work and effort but the end result will be well worth the end result. I've learned that lesson first hand. These goals are definitely attainable and only need hard work to seems these dreams and goals become a reality. I'm excited to see what challenges life may bring. These goals can all be accomplished within 5-6 years.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

AP Prep Post 1: Siddhartha

1.What the symbol reveals to Siddhartha (both character and theme) about the unity of all beings.
 Leads to his final epiphany and enlightenment. The river is a river, but it is also the connection of all
 creatures great, small, friend, and foe. Only when we realize that everyone we encounter in life is a
necessary part of our journey and someone to learn from will we achieve our own personal enlightenment.

jneff.wikispaces.com/.../Open+Question+Practice+Activity.doc


2. What purpose does self-denial serve in Siddhartha? What about self-indulgence?

 http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/questions.html

3. How essential is the setting? Could the novel have taken place anywhere else?

(http://classiclit.about.com/od/Siddhartha-H-Hesse/a/Siddhartha-Questions-For-Study-And-Discussion.htm)


4. Identify a symbol, metaphor, motif etc. that prominently influences Siddhartha's progression as a character.

 (http://www.gradesaver.com/siddhartha/q-and-a/)


5.What is the significance of the name Siddhartha?

  http://docsfiles.com/pdf_siddhartha_study_questions_part_one.html

I honestly don't remember much from Siddhartha. I swear I did read it though. It seems like for most of these questions you would have to need a pretty in depth knowledge of the book and a true understanding of what the author is trying to relay to the readers. It's nothing I haven't seen before though. Just a little brushing up on some of the finer points on skills needed for the AP Exam and I should be fine. I am not unduly worried. Lots of practice AP tests and such would be helpful to me.