Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Literature Analysis

Great Expectations
1.  Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.

Growing up with no parents, and living with his sister and her husband was a man named Pip, who lived the marshes of Kent. Pip was visiting his parents at their tombstones, where he is jumped from behind by an escaped convict, and forces Pip to bring him food and a file. Then, Pip is taken by his Uncle to play at the Satis House, this was the home of a rich woman named Miss Havisham. Hopelessly, Pip falls deeply in love with Estrella, and dreams of nothing but being by her side. He wants to a wealthy gentleman just so he can be worthy of being with the irresistable Estrella. He continues to hope that Miss Havisham will make him a gentleman in order to marry Estrella. However, this dream is not met, because Miss Havisham will not make Pip a gentleman or a husband. Miss Havishman decides to make him a common laborer instead. Pip meets a new guy name Herbert in London, and they become friends. Herbert told Pip he would him become a gentlemen. As the novel progresses, a complicated mystery begins to unfold. Compeyson is the man who abandoned Miss Havishman at the altar, and discovers Magwitch is Estrella's father. Being the kinda, and giving soul Pip is, he begins to see the real Magwitch, the good. He begans to care for him. Estrella ends up marrying some upper class lout name Bentley. However, at the end of the novel, Pip finds out how kind and gentle Estrella can be. The cruelty he saw was just a mask she had put on. They are left in the garden, holding hands, promising they will never be apart again.  

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

The theme of the novel is self-improvement and ambition. We are constantly trying to reach success. Society, itself, creates pressures to succeed. We are judging ourself by others success or failures. In the novel, Pip is so influential on his peer's careers, that instead of finding out what's right for Pip, he is how do I become like him? Great Expectations reveal how great expectations can help society, or drag it to the wrong direction.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include 3 excerpts that illustrate your point.
Dicken's tone expresses the emotion in the text. The love Pip had for Estrella, and the realization that he could prosper.


"The broken heart. You think you will die, but you just keep living, day after day after terrible day.

"I looked at the stars, and considered how awful it would be for a man to turn his face up to them as he froze to death, and see no help or pity in all the glittering multitude."

"It is not possible to know how far the influence of any amiable, honest-hearted duty-doing man flies out into the world, but it is very possible to know how it has touched one's self in going by."


4. Describe 5 literary techniques/elements you observed that strengthened your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone. Include 3 excerpts that will help your reader understand each one."Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape."

"Love her, love her, love her! If she favours you, love her. If she wounds you, love her. If she tears your heart to pieces – and as it gets older and stronger, it will tear deeper – love her, love her, love her!"

"In a word, I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong."

"Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day."

"We changed again, and yet again, and it was now too late and too far to go back, and I went on. And the mists had all solemnly risen now, and the world lay spread before me."

Symbolism: mist of the marshes, darkness, and statues


Anaphora – the repetition of the same word or group of words at the beginning of successive clauses: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills.” (Winston Churchill)

Apostrophe – a form of personification in which the absent or dead are spoken to as if present and the inanimate as if animate. These are all addressed directly: “Milton, thou shoulds’t be living at this hour.”

Bildungsroman – a novel of education or spiritual growth of the main character as he/she undergoes a moral crisis

Chiasmus – a verbal pattern in which the second half of the expression is balanced against the first but with the parts reversed, as in the saying, “You can take the girl out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the girl.”

Diction – word choice used to convey a certain effect

Euphemism -The substitution of a mild or less negative word or phrase for a harsh or blunt one, as in the use of "pass away" instead of "die." The basic psychology of euphemistic language is the desire to put something bad or embarrassing in a positive (or at least neutral light).

Hyperbole –a deliberate, extravagant, and often outrageous exaggeration ex: “The shot heard ‘round the world.” It may be used for serious or comic effect.

Polysyndeton– the repetition of conjunctions in close succession for a rhetorical effect, as in the phrase “here and there and everywhere.”

Synecdoche – aa figure of speech in which a part is used for a whole (as a hand for a sailor), the whole for a part (as the law for a police officer), or the material of a thing for the thing made from it (steel for sword).


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)?
"Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before--more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle."

"In a word, I was too cowardly to do what I knew to be right, as I had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong."
The author uses indirect characterization, along with direct characterization in many ways. Charles Dickens lets you into the character's thoughts, along with messages the characters reveal.


2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?The author changes his syntax and diction when focusing on one character, because each character is another lesson to reveal the theme.

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.
Pip is the main character, therefore he is dynamic and round. In the beginning, Pip is so influential of everyone around him, and constantly wants success. At the end of the book, you can see how Pip has matured, and realizes that he cannot want his peers life, because he has a life of his own to succeed in.

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.
"Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There's no better rule"

I believe Pip would be an amazing character to meet because the ambition he has is truly inspirational.

Brave New Worlds II & III

I've learned several pieces of information. I've been introduced to new characters and new observations. For example, family and sexuality is quite different from today. There are no mother and father figures. Kids are seen as annoying, yet useful and neccessary. As far as sexuality, it is encouraged for the kids to promote their sexuality and is smiled upon. The kids aren't allowed books because they are not supposed to be getting other ideas on how to live their life. They are punished when trying to open books. Also, nature is a distraction and waste of time because it interferes with jobs. Society wants people to work in factories, not outdoors, therefore, they taught the people to hate nature. Overall, Brave New Worlds is very interesting and causes some new point of views on looking into life.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

WRITINGAS5PECTATORSPORT REVIEWS

First of all, I believe this is definitely a speedy way on doing essays! So I understand if the students lack "over the top" pre-writes, etc.

1.Megan Hardisty (http://mhardistyrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2013/02/writing-as-spectator-sport-essay.html?m=0).

2. Ashlie Pfeiferr (http://cwestrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2013/02/writingas5pectatorsport-ashlie.html)

3. Feli Ruiz (http://fruizrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2013/02/spectator-writing-spinx.html)

4. Matthew Patel (http://mpatelrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2013/02/5phynxing.html)
5. Alex Lane (http://cwestrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2013/02/writingas5pectator-sport-alex.html)

I believe each person had a different style. However, I believe each one has done a great job with their essays! Obviously the pre-write isn't up to perfection, but practice makes perfect. Keep up the good work guys :)

Brave New World

Honestly, Brave New World makes my mind think. The character is asking rhetorical questions. Also, how the character changes after World War I is scary. I could never imagine being alive during a time like that. The foreward confused me and forced my mind to analyze the passages.  There was a lot of indirect characterization. You are in the character's thoughts. I thought the strangest part of the chapter was rhe character stating how "mother" scared people. Overall, the book is by far confusing yet interesting.

Friday, February 22, 2013

First Quarter Review

My performance in the beginning of this semester started off great, then got really crazy. I was constantly busy. I had to meet deadlines for scholarships that interfered in my school work. There was a couple weeks where I was falling behind on my blogs. (WORST THING EVER) after realizing I was falling so far behind, I started to use my time more wisely. I know now how to balance school with scholarships and such. (Kind of.) However, even though I have been busy, I have expanded my Senior Project. I'm not mentioning details quite yet but it shall be posted soon! As of working with my peers, I have been able to have a guide by checking my classmates blogs. They show me how good of a performance one can do for a post.

My goals and expectations for this class are sweet and simple:
PASS THE AP EXAM!!!!!!
Also, achieve better essay skills, along with providing examples/evidence using lit terms. I believe my goals are attainable. I also believe I need the help from my peers, teacher, and myself to accomplish my goals. Now I won't fall behind and use my time appropriately!

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Lit Terms 108-end

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

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

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

Scansion: the analysis of verse in terms of meter.

Setting: the time and place in which events in a short story, novel, play, or narrative poem occur.

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

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

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

Speaker: a narrator, the one speaking.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Synesthesia: the use of one sense to convey the experience of another sense.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tragedy: in literature: any composition with a somber theme carried to a disastrous conclusion; a fatal event; protagonist usually is heroic but tragically (fatally) flawed

Understatement: opposite of hyperbole; saying less than you mean for emphasis

Vernacular: everyday speech

Voice: The textual features, such as diction and sentence structures, that convey a writer’s or speaker’s persona.

Zeitgeist: the feeling of a particular era in history

Monday, February 18, 2013

Lit Term Remix 83-108

83. Omniscent Point of View: know all things, usually third person.

84. Onomatopoeia: a word whose sound suggests its meaning.

85. Oxymoron: a figure of speech which two contradicting words are combined to produce a rhetorical effect by means of a concise paradox.

86. Pacing: rate of movement, tempo.

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

88. Paradox: a statement apparently self-contradictory absurd but actually containing some actual truth; an opinion that contradicts generally accepted ideas.

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

90. Parody: an imitation or mimick of the style of a well known artist.

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

92. Pedantry: a display of learning for its own sake.

93.. Personification: a figure of speech that gives human-like qualities to animals or inanimate objects.

94. Plot: a plan or scheme to accomplish a purpose.

95. Poignant: eliciting sorrow or sentiment.

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

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

98. Prose: the ordinary form of spoken or written language; language that doesn't have a regular rhyme pattern.

99. Protagonist: the central character in a work of fiction.

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

101. Purpose: the intended result wished by an author.

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

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

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

105. Resolution: point in literary work ay which the chief dramatic complication is worked out.

106. Restatement: idea repeated for emphasis.

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

108. Rhetorical Question: question suggesting its own answer or not requiring an answer; used in argument or persuasion. Rising Action: plot build up, caused by conflict or complication, advancement twards climax.

I Am Here

The first six weeks have been so hectic. I have fallen behind tremendously. However, catching up wasn't as hard as last semester. Last semester was such a rush, and new. This year I am more understanding how things are supposed to be done. My SMART goal is so far away, yet close to starting. Just by accomplishing good grades last semester, I am becoming one step closer to my SMART goal! My senior project has not started because a few of my classmates, along with myself keep adding my ideas. All in all, this six weeks have been crazy, but manageable.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Dicken's Map

1. I will read the novel in my first period, where I T.A. Also, I plan to read for an additional 15 minutes at home.

2. What does the term "files and wittles refer to? Why does the man threaten Pip?

Miss Havisham is heart broken and left in a disarray on her wedding day when her fiance leaves her at the alter.  Confidently this "fiance" 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 else's life and use them for her own selfish purposes?

What happens to Mis Joe that changes her?

When Dickens sought advice from his playwright friend about how to end the novel, his friend told him that the masses would expect and want Pip to find happiness. George Bernard Shaw, a famous Irish playwright who died in 1950, felt that the revised ending was "psychologically wrong" but "beautifully touching and exactly right." Which ending do you prefer and why do you prefer it?

If you could be any character, who would you be and why?


3. The best way to test my knowledge on the book, is filling out a literature analysis, and by answering multiple choice questions about the allusions, and motifs the novel has.

Sources:
www.google.com
http://jpdrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2012/02/great-expectations-study-questions.html
http://bgonzalezrhsenglitcomp1.blogspot.com/
http://www.shmoop.com/great-expectations/questions.html

What's the story?

The Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is a must read novel that was written before the 1900's. However, the novel still has relevance into today's society. Pip is uneducated individual that has nothing but the need for self-improvement as his motivation. He is very influenced by others, and has more ambition that the typical person. The theme of Great Expectations is how being ambitious and having the need for self-improvement can result in becoming a better person. In order to better one self, one need's motivation to do better.

The Time of My Life

My English Teacher, Dr. Preston, gave each of his class periods "free time." We chose what to do, whether it was to slack off or be productive. In the beginning, I began catching up with missing journals, by answering the prompt correctly or providing more information. I also talked to Dani Galindo, where we talked about how time is being wasted. Dani wakes up with a daily routine, where as I take the day hour by hour. In the end, we've both realized how stressed out we were with scholarships and how I let it affected my perfomance in English. I began to post on my blog less and less. I ended up becoming two weeks behind! AH! A horrible nightmare. However, I've learned that in college, your assignments are to help you, not stress you out. Now I intend to keep up with my blog and have everything in order.

The Tale of Two Cities Lecture Notes

Since I was unable to be present during the lecture, my classmate, Dani Galindo (danig14.blogspot.com) has been generous enough to share her notes!

-The woman opening the lecture has an acent.
- She wanted to venture into Europe during the time of the revolution
- There is a tird city involved, Manchester.
- First conceived the main idea of this novel with family and friends while acting "The Frozen Deep".
- This gives the novel personal significance to Dickens.
- This novel involves the history of the French Revolution and London.
- Dickens, "Suffered the pages."
- This lecture involves multiple aspects as Dickens wrote this novel.
- In 1857 the production was supposed to be in Manchester.
- Dickens met a theatrical family and fell in love., and falls in love with Ellen who is referred to in different ways in the novel.
- Dickes wanted to name Carton Richard like in "The Frozen Deep."
- Acharacter in thenovel is given his initials.
- In 1857, little dorrit was publishe din monthly parts.
-In 1858 he began the series of public readings.
- "Muskets will be distributed."
- Every pulse and heart were on a high fever.
- Every living creature lived life with no account.
-All of this took place around a wine shop.
- Orders were issued to all.
- The living sea rose and overflowed the entire city.
- "The attack began."
-Seven prisoners were released.

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