Fox in Sox by Dr. Suess

Here is the link to my video! I did it in 5 minutes and 36 seconds but I do admit there are a few mistakes...

Great Expectations Lit Circles

Discussion Questions:

Dickens wrote two endings to Great Expectations; which do you prefer?

If Miss Havisham did not ”train” Estella to be a heartbreaker do you think she and Pip would have fallen in love as kids?

Although Magwitch gave Pip a fortune, he is still a convicted criminal. Do you believe he is good or evil?

Do you think Pip should have at some point given up on Estella? And if so at what point?

Why do you think the book is called Great Expectations?

How did class distinction shape the plot of the novel?

Would the plot remain the same if Pip had parents and was not an orphan?

Extra Literary Analysis

My group decided to tackle the extra literature analysis by breaking it up into parts. The additional components of this analysis can be found on  Taylor,  Meghan, Annette, Serena, Ian, and Bailey's blogs.

1.       Juxtaposition: Dickens juxtaposes the living conditions of Pip and Estella to create contrast and provide a plot line. The simple, orphan life Pip lives is starkly different from the privileged upper class lifestyle led by Estella. Because this gap is so pronounced, Pip vows to close it and become a gentleman.

2.       Allusion: Various, subtle allusions are used throughout the story. For example, Pip goes to a production of one of Shakespeare’s plays.

3.       Imagery: Imagery is used to enhance the story and to add details to make it more vibrant. An example of imagery is when Dickens describes Miss Havisham and the Satis House. Dickens details very specific quirks and characteristics of both Miss Havisham in her wedding dress and the moss covered house.

4.       Writing style: Because he uses so much detail, the story is very verbose and contains an extensive number of run on sentences. Although jam packed with words, Dickens keeps the story fast pace by having an action packed plot and a multitude of characters.

5.       Hyperbole: Dickens uses various hyperboles to exaggerate character’s personalities often through describing their appearances. Examples include Miss Havisham’s strangeness and Orlick’s slouching.  

No Exit Questions

1. I think for me Hell would be a combination of physical torture like in Dante’s Inferno and also mental torture like in Sarte’s no exit. For me Hell would emphasis the fact that it is eternal, that there is no end to the suffering. I believe not being able to see an end to harsh conditions Is a Hell within its self. I do believe that torture can be found in the ordinary and it is very possible to go crazy in seemingly normal circumstances. Sarte portrays this in his play be creating a hell that looks “normal”. There are no flames or torture objects, there are only conflicting personalities that eventually create a very hellish environment despite the hotel like physical conditions.

2. Variety and moderation are key to staying sane. Without change or break, our minds never get to rest or recover. That is why when people are alive and live mundane lives that follow the same old same old they are often times miserable. As humans, we naturally need to rest and recover and also remain engaged. When there is lack of variety and moderation this is nearly impossible.

T3.  he dialogue is key to explaining the plot and also showcasing the rising tension between the three main characters. In the Hell, Garcin tells the others that it would be best to not interact and instead go to their separate corners and think by themselves. He wants to be left alone with his own thoughts rather than engage with the others.  Everyday habits can become Hell when you start to feel as if they are pointless, as if there is no reason for doing them. Losing purpose and self worth can easily create Hell around you.

4. Both Sarte and Plato show the limitations within our thinking in their respective stories. Plato creates a scene in which our ignorance and inability to question things keeps us trapped within a cave devoid of knowledge. Sarte shows that even though all three participants seem normal they can not find the strength to put their differences aside and create a peaceful environment. Each person is too set on their own agenda to really think about the end, big picture.

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

In The Allegory of the Cave
Plato writes an extended metaphor
Where most prisoners behave
And never venture outside the door

However, one prisoner does break free
He breaks the chains that held him bound
This brave prisoner squints at what he does see
He is amazed by the new sights, smells and sound

Everywhere around there is light
This world is so different from the dark
He is almost overwhelmed by this new sight
This free man is now destined to make his mark

So look beyond your walls
And watch how quickly reality falls

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1.       According to Socrates, The Allegory of the Cave represents that some people are oblivious to the things (knowledge) they are missing out on due to the restraints they put on themselves.

2.       The key elements of imagery in The Allegory of the Cave are the cave which represents the sheltered reality we are housed in, the light that alludes to the flow of knowledge, and the sun which represents knowledge as a whole.

3.       The allegory suggests that the process of enlightenment or education involves individuals pursuing it for themselves. We learn through our own experiences, it is difficult to just take the word of others.

4.       The imagery of the shackles and the cave show that the prisoners feel like they are trapped, like they can’t change things around them.

5.       Today I think stereotypes narrow the minds of many and therefore prohibit them from exploring truths that knowledge reveals. I also think tradition traps us into thinking we have to stay inside the box and not expand our ways of thinking.

6.       The freed prisoner now believes in a new reality and is forever changed because he has been exposed to the light that knowledge brings. He now pities those underground because their reality is such a dim representation of the truth. Below, the prisoners are still content with their positions because they are unaware of what is above them.

7.       Lack of clarity in the allegory can come from either leaving the cave and being blinded by the sun (knowledge) or entering the cave and being disappointed with the darkness.

8.       Prisoners gain freedom when they free themselves of the shackles that have bound them for so long. The have to take the journey themselves in order to fully understand the exponential benefits of life beyond the cave.

9.       I do agree that there is a distinction between appearance and reality. Often times we are deceived by things we see and we find out later that what we believed to be true was just an illusion all along. What we see today is often modified through things such as media and the press to present something that may not be an exact representation of reality.

10.    If Socrates is incorrect people will continue to view reality synonymously with appearance and therefore will never question what is put in front of them. Without questioning or doubt, people will remain prisoners in the cave and will forever be shackled into the darkness.

A Poetic Inquiry

I think I’d like to stick to my big question. I believe it is applicable to life in nearly any situation. Love is driving force behind many actions past and present and therefore it is evident how much value we place on. Although we deem it valuable, the question remains as to if love is actually essential to happiness.

I chose my sonnet because I liked the mysterious overall tone. The message I received is that people need to look deeper within things to find their answers. Often times solutions are hidden and entangled in problems. Extra attention to detail and a careful eye aid in revealing these hidden mysteries.

VII. "The perfume hidden at the rose's heart"

The perfume hidden at the rose's heart;

The inner sweetness of a dream; the cry

Of sorrow that escapes within a sigh,

The love within a kiss; the spiritual counterpart

Of a swift meaning motion of the eye,

Or lights that on the lips are born and die,

Named smiles:--all this to me and more thou art.

Search in thy breast, and see what holiest thing

Dwells inmost of thy thoughts, fulfilling each,

A soul unto the body of thy speech:

Then I in thee, as thou in me, shall sing,

And heaven in both, and both in heaven's reach--

Skies in our heart and skies about our wing.

Sonnet Analysis #1

Sonetto: little song or sound

Sonnets: 14 lines

Two kinds of sonnets:
-Petrarch (Italian)
            - octet and sestet
Shakespearean
            - 3 quatrains followed by a couplet

Hamlet Remix

Deadly

what is more deadly
a gun or a thought?

a gun gives you the opportunity
but a thought pulls the trigger

Hamlet Essay

Performative utterances seem to hold a sort of omnipresence both in Hamlet and in life. Daily life constitutes to a variety of promises being made, commitments being created and labels being given. No different than language implications today, Hamlet, set hundreds of years ago, seems to be chalk full of performative utterances that apply meaning and action to language. Perhaps the most tangible benefit of performative utterances in both the play and in today’s reality is its influence on self-realization and exploration.

By definition, performative utterances are credited with changing reality and creating fact. In many cases, these utterances once made to ourselves or to others make us more inclined to carry out said commitment or promise. By committing to something, we create a fact that a commitment has been made and therefore a new reality. This case is exemplified in the beginning scenes of Hamlet, when Hamlet promises that he wants to avenge the death of his father. Throughout the play this promise haunts Hamlet who consistently questions his own bravery and loyalty to his late father. In the scene with Fortinbras’s army, Hamlet becomes disgusted with himself when he realizes soldiers can seemingly kill without a cause while he has yet to kill Claudius, a villain blatantly deserving of death. Hamlet repeatedly kicks himself for not carrying out the promise he made to the ghost in the hall way yet continues to steal clear of actually murdering his uncle. For Hamlet the disconnect comes not between his promises and sincerity but between his promises and acting on them. Although he is able to complete the first action of restoring justice to the kingdom by promising to kill Claudius, he fails to complete the second action, which obviously is essential to obtaining justice, actually killing his uncle.

For Hamlet his strength comes in words; they are perhaps his greatest attribute. Various soliloquies throughout the play reinforce the fact that Hamlet is capable of flowing meaningful language. Self overhearing in these extensive speeches serves to educate not only the audience but also Hamlet. These soliloquies act as a window in Hamlet’s though process, revealing his deepest thoughts and most hidden grievances. In these speeches he reveals many things including but not limited too; his sanity, his thoughts of suicide, and his disgust in himself. These revelations provide insight to the audience but more importantly help Hamlet realize and talk his way through things he did not understand before. Today we have these same conversations but within the privacy of our own minds, we don’t need to display our inner conflicts in order to move a play along as Hamlet does.

In Hamlet language is so important it acts as a force and is labeled as an action. Performative utterances are abundant throughout the play though Hamlet takes time upholding them. He succeeds in creating new reality with his promises yet fails to satisfy them in a timely matter. Language additionally aids in revealing Hamlets inner thoughts to the audience and to himself through a series of dramatic soliloquies. In this play and often in life, words tend to hold more weight than we give them credit for.

Vocabulary #9

 

aficionado: (noun) an enthusiastic and usually expert follower or fan

The Steelers aficionado could name every player’s name and number on the team.

 

browbeat: (verb) to intimidate by a stern or overbearing manner; to bully

The gang had to browbeat many of the businesses into giving them money.

 

commensurate: (adj.) equal in size, extent, duration, or importance; proportionate; measurable by the same standards

Her 5 day suspension is commensurate of the rule breaking she did.

 

diaphanous: (adj.) very sheer and light; almost completely transparent

The diaphanous curtains allowed light to flow into every corner of the house.

 

emolument: (noun) profit derived from an office or position or from employment; a fee or salary 

The emolument the official received was more than enough to cover his debt.

 

foray: (noun) a quick raid, especially for plunder; a venture into some field of endeavor; (verb) to make such a raid

The theif’s foray left the mansion a mess.

 

genre: (noun) a type, class, or variety, especially a distinctive category of literary composition

My dad’s favorite genre is science fiction.

 

homily: (noun) a sermon stressing moral principles; a tedious moralizing lecture or discourse

In the Poisonwood Bible the preacher had many homities.

 

immure: (verb) to enclose or confine within walls; to imprison, to seclude or isolate

The immured girl felt cut off from the outside world.

 

insouciant: (adj.) blithely indifferent or unconcerned; carefree; happy-go-lucky

Jane was insouciant which frustrated her goal driven mother.

 

matrix: (noun) a mold; the surrounding situation or environment

The matrix in which he grew up in was not very agreeable

 

obsequies: (noun) funeral rites or ceremonies

Obsequies are meant to honor the dead.

 

panache: (noun) a confident and stylish manner, dash; a strikingly elaborate or colorful display

The socialite’s panache was undeniable.

 

persona: (noun) a character in a novel or play; the outward character or role that a person assumes

Her positive persona lit up the room.

 

philippic: (noun) a bitter verbal attack

I cannot stand when teachers give students a philippic.

 

prurient: (adj.) having lustful desires or interests

His prurient tendencies concerned his religious mother.

 

sacrosanct: (adj.) very sacred or holy; set apart or immune from questioning or attack

The sacrosanct temple had remained in tact for thousands of years.

 

systemic: (adj.) of or pertaining to the entire body; relating to a system

The rash was systemic and covered every inch of skin.

 

tendentious: (adj.) intended to promote a particular point of view, doctrine, or cause; biased or partisan

The tendentious interview disgusted the public who saw right through it.

 

vicissitude: (noun) a change, variation, or alteration

Some people like vicissitude every now and then.

Tools That Change the Way We Think

 

tools that change the way we think

Please read the following passage and respond to the questions below. Write your answers in a comment to this post. Then, cut/paste both the passage and your thoughts to your own blog in a post entitled, "Tools That Change the Way We Think."

"Back in 2004, I asked [Google founders] Page and Brin what they saw as the future of Google search. 'It will be included in people's brains,' said Page. 'When you think about something and don't really know much about it, you will automatically get information.'

'That's true,' said Brin. 'Ultimately I view Google as a way to augment your brain with the knowledge of the world. Right now you go into your computer and type a phrase, but you can imagine that it could be easier in the future, that you can have just devices you talk into, or you can have computers that pay attention to what's going on around them and suggest useful information.'

'Somebody introduces themselves to you, and your watch goes to your web page,' said Page. 'Or if you met this person two years ago, this is what they said to you... Eventually you'll have the implant, where if you think about a fact, it will just tell you the answer."

-From In the Plex by Steven Levy (p.67)


Answer this not-so-simple question: How does use of the Internet, media, and/or technology change the way you think? Focus on your memory, your ability to concentrate, your sense of time and priorities, and the subjects/topics that interest you most. If you find "thinking about your thinking" difficult to assess, try the following strategies: compare yourself with older people who did most of their formal learning before smart phones and 2.0 existed; compare yourself with contemporaries who don't use those tools much today; read up on what education leaders and thinkers have to say about generational differences in thinking (and remember to cite your sources).

 

 

It is undeniable that the internet and modern technology have changed and shaped society as we know it. What’s debatable is whether these changes have been beneficial or detrimental. Personally I believe the internet makes things simply infinitely easier. Instead of spending countless hours at the library researching as previous generations have done, the modern student can search the information he needs and have ample content within a matter of minutes. I see this easy access to knowledge as a positive because it means society is moving towards being more well informed. Although the internet provides us with knowledge it is also the sight of addictive distractions. Social media is a growing problem in our world today. Besides major issues such as cyber bullying and predators the internet also involves a lethal dose of unproductive possibilities. Sites such as Instagram and twitter seduce teens and adults alike into neglecting their duties and instead spending hours and hours clicking away and reading status updates. Many citizens have become dependent on such sites and their days seem incomplete without a status update or picture post. Social media seems to taking over but I see it as our own fault. The internet does not control how much time we spend on it; we do. Our misuse of our privileges has proven to be very detrimental to our society. Once we learn how to responsibly limit our internet use our society will be able to reap the benefits of our tech advances without suffering the non productive consequences.

The Performative Utterance in Hamlet

• Hamlet isn't indecisive about whether he wants to take revenge or not, he is just unsure on how or when to physically do it
• When a promise is made there is locutionary force, illocutionary force and then perlocutionary effects
• Hamlet makes many revelations through Self-overhearing
• Hamlet does not swear to avenge his father's death he only swears to remember what the ghost told him
• understanding the information in context is essential

Thoughts On Hamlet In Progress

My feelings towards this play have remained relatively the same from the beginning till now. The text is still difficult to understand and a bit boring sometimes but I have to admit I like the twists and turns Shakespeare is taking us on. For me, Polonius’s death has been the most interesting part of the plot so far. I am unsure of where the play is to go from here but I am intrigued to see how Shakespeare plans on ending the story and I am also curious to see if Hamlet will ever get the revenge he so deeply craves.

To Be or Not To Be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_189a6KSJTU&list=HL1383057365&feature=mh_lolz

What I Think When I Think About Act 3

So far, I would have to say Act lll is the most eventful of all the acts. Emotions get heated and we see Hamlet’s frustration climax when he stabs a hiding Polonius. Although I think Hamlet has a right to feel betrayed I can’t help but feel that he has committed a serious crime. Though not on purpose he did in fact kill a for the most part innocent man. Polonuis may have been sneaky and an ally of Claudius but from what I can see I don’t think he deserved to be killed. The fact that Claudius reacted so strongly to the imitation play indicates the the Ghost of Hamlet was in deed telling the truth which is essential to this plotline. I am glad Hamlet did not choose to kill Claudius when he was praying because I do think it would be disrespectful to commit such a violent act while in the presence of holiness. I hope Hamlet can find a way to deal with his anger that does not involve murder, because I believe it is wrong to fight fire with fire, however the future is looking bleak.

Literary Analysis #3

Literary Analysis #3

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The plot in the Kite Runner is lengthy and a bit complicated so bear with me while I try to detail it. The first portion of the book is Amir is recalling his childhood living in Afghanistan. Amir mentions the deep friendship him and his servant’s son Hassan have. Although he loves Hassan very dearly he is jealous of the close relationship Hassan and Amir’s father have. Amir struggles to get his father’s approval many times as a boy and this often times makes him angry and frustrated. The inciting incident in the first part of the novel is when Amir witnesses Hassan being raped by the bully Assef. Amir watches helplessly and does nothing to stand up for his friend. Later, Amir pretends like he never saw anything but the guilt begins to get to him. He then sets up a ploy to make Hassan leave so he would not have to deal with his conscious every time he sees his face. Amir hides money under Hassan’s bed and reports to his father that Hassan is stealing. Reluctantly Amir’s father fires his servant and his son. Amir and his father are forced to leave Afghanistan and move to the United States due to dangerous government shifts in the area. While in Afghanistan Amir gets married and his father dies of cancer. (The stories pace skips years here and there so that is why he goes from being a boy to getting married to quickly) While living with his wife Soraya in the United Sates, Amir gets a call from his father’s old friend Rahim Khan. Rahim Khan explains that he is sick and asks Amir to travel to Pakistan to see him. While there Rahim Khan tells Amir that Hassan and his wife have been shot by the government and their son Sohrab was sent to an orphanage. He asks Amir to go to the orphanage to retrieve the boy and bring him to an adoptive family. Amir agrees to doing the favor and sets out to find the boy with little success at first. However, eventually he finds Sohrab. He meets with an official and realizes that the boy is sort of a sex slave for various government workers. He then realizes that one of the government leaders is Assef (the bully from his childhood days). Assef begins beating Amir badly until Sohrab steps up and slingshots him in the eye. The pair runs away and find shelter and begins to bond. Amir decides to adopt the boy but the adoption process poses many obstacles which makes Sohrab so frustrated he tries to commit suicide. After Sohrab’s narrow scrape with death he changes drastically and becomes mute. Eventually the adoption is cleared and Amir brings a quiet Sohrab to America to live with him and Soraya. The family relationship is still strained and problematic as the story draws to a close (Sohrab is still severely reserved) but the very last page details Sohrab and Amir bonding over kite flying.

The theme of the novel is battling your conscience. The whole book describes Amir’s journey of making things right again. Although at times he did not even know this was the path he was on it was the one destined for him. It is arguable that some wrongs can never be righted and that might even be true in the case of Amir and Hassan but Amir and Sohrab’s story still holds value and is admirable.

 

The tone in this book is one of distain, distaste and regret. Amir’s depictions of the Taliban are spiteful and full of anger. He blames the new government for uprooting him and his father and throwing them into much less favorable conditions. He is horrified to hear and see how this violent government treats even the most innocent bystanders. Obviously there are threads of regret throughout the story because of some of the poor choices Amir made as a boy. He is ashamed of leaving Hassan and struggles to forgive himself throughout the length of the novel.

I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan—the way he’d stepped up for me all those times in the past—and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run.

We stayed huddled that way until the early hours of the morning. The shootings and explosions had lasted less than an hour, but they had frightened us badly, because none of us had ever heard gunshots in the streets. They were foreign sounds to us then. The generation of Afghan children whose ears would know nothing but the sounds of bombs and gunfire was not yet born. Huddled together in the dining room and waiting for the sun to rise, none of us had any notion that a way of life had ended. Our way of life. If not quite yet, then at least it was the beginning of the end. The end, the official end, would come first in April 1978 with the communist coup d'état, and then in December 1979, when Russian tanks would roll into the very same streets where Hassan and I played, bringing the death of the Afghanistan I knew and marking the start of a still ongoing era of bloodletting. (5.5)

 

You couldn't trust anyone in Kabul any more – for a fee or under threat, people told on each other, neighbor on neighbor, child on parent, brother on brother, servant on master, friend on friend. [...]. The rafiqs, the comrades, were everywhere and they'd split Kabul into two groups: those who eavesdropped and those who didn't. The tricky part was that no one knew who belonged to which. A casual remark to the tailor while getting fitted for a suit might land you in the dungeons of Poleh-charkhi. Complain about the curfew to the butcher and next thing you knew, you were behind bars staring at the muzzle end of a Kalashnikov. Even at the dinner table, in the privacy of their home, people had to speak in a calculated manner – the rafiqs were in the classrooms too; they'd taught children to spy on their parents, what to listen for, whom to tell. (10.8)

 

Foreshadowing: Foreshadowing is used in the novel when  Assef is set up as a villain in the very beginning of story and he comes back in the end as an antagonist.

“Fine,” Assef snapped. “All I want you weaklings to do is hold him down. Can you manage that?”….. Assef knelt behind Hassan,…..

Flashbacks: Amir uses flashbacks to set the stage of the story and establish the tone and setting early on in the book. His childhood encounters set a precedent for the event to come.

“There is only one sin. and that is theft... when you tell a lie, you steal someones right to the truth.”

Symbolism: There is symbolism in the characters because Assef represents all things bad and evil while Hassan represents everything good and pure.

First person point of view: The first person point of view makes the story more personal and the experiences more realistic.

"I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. I remember the precise moment, crouching behind a crumbling mud wall, peeking into the alley near the frozen creek. That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years."

Figurative language: Figurative language is used in the novel to make points clear and highlight important concepts in the story.

"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colors."

Juxtaposition: Amir’s surroundings in Afghanistan and the United States are so different they create a sort of juxtaposition and offset each other.

Irony: It is ironic that Amir is so suspicious and jealous of Hassan’s relationship with Amir’s dad and then it turns out that Hassan is actually his son.

Historical References: The book relies on real life government problems in Afghanistan/ Pakistan to move the stories plot along.

I overheard him telling Baba how he and his brother knew the Russian and Afghan soldiers who worked the checkpoints, how they had set up a "mutually profitable" arrangement. This was no dream. As if on cue, a MiG suddenly screamed past overhead. Karim tossed his cigarette and produced a handgun from his waist. Pointing it to the sky and making shooting gestures, he spat and cursed at the MiG.

Characterization

Indirect characterization is the primary way we see Amir’s personality play out. His actions show us who he is on the inside. When he runs away and does not stick up for Hassan we see he is a selfish coward. Later on in the novel, his decision to help Sohrab shows he does have compassion in his heart.

Direct characterization is seldom used in this story except when Amir describes his hard and disapproving father. Amir flat out says that his father has high almost reachable expectations.

Since the story remains in first person the whole time the diction remains relatively the same except when it comes to dialogue. When detailing his surroundings or feelings Amir gives long, in depth, drawn out depictions that often are in paragraph form. However, the dialogue portions of the novel are a bit chopier and not as lengthy.

The protagonist Amir is definitely a dynamic character. The whole novel revolves around his journey and his internal and external struggles. He goes through many experiences that change him like betraying Hassan, moving to America and losing his father. We watch as he struggles to come to terms with the fact that Afghanistan is not his home anymore and that Hassan and him will never have the relationship they had as boys. The biggest change I can see in Amir from beginning to end is his selfishness. As a boy, Amir looked out only for himself and was determined to have all of his father’s attention. However, by the end of the novel he commits a truly selfless act by adopting the troubled Sohrab. Amir recognizes that he has made poor choices in the past and spends much of the story figuring out where to take his life from there.

By the end of this novel I felt like I had endured Amir’s battles with him. The story was so turbulent and dramatic I could not help but feel connected and compassionate towards him. I felt the pain of the decisions he made as well as the regret he had to deal with. I felt proud of Amir for ultimately stepping up to the plate and taking Sohrab home.

Vocabulary #8

abase: (verb) to reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade

Scott abased his ex wife in front of the whole restaurant and ruined her reputation.

abdicate: (verb) to renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power, claim, responsibility, or the like, especially in a formal manner

The queen abdicated the throne when she felt like she was too old to rule.

abomination: (noun) anything greatly disliked or abhorred

The abomination Carla felt towards the band was visible.

brusque: (adj.) abrupt in manner; blunt; rough

Her brusque departure was see as rude.

saboteur: (noun) a person who commits or practices sabotage

 The saboteur ruined the whole election.

debauchery: (noun) excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures; intemperance

His debauchery was evident and disgusting.

proliferate: (verb) to increase in number or spread rapidly and often excessively

It was a proliferate year for the author who published 5 books.

anachronism: (noun) something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time

 The stove in the Cave man commercial is an anachronism.

nomenclature: (noun) the names or terms comprising a set or system

The nomenclature of the human body is confusing.

expurgate: (verb) to purge or cleanse of moral offensiveness

 The layer helped expurgate the man.

bellicose: (adj.) inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious

 The bellicose man cause countless fights at the bar.

 

gauche: (adj.) lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkward; crude; tactless

 The gauche boy found it difficult to fit in.

rapacious: (adj.) given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed; inordinately greedy; predatory

 Her rapacious actions were looked down upon.

paradox: (noun) a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth

 The paradox confused the college student for days.

conundrum: (noun) anything that puzzles

 It was a conundrum when the soccer game and dance were scheduled at the same time.

anomaly: (noun): a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form; abnormality, exception, peculiarity.

The child genius was an anomaly.

ephermeral: (adj.) lasting a very short time

The ephermal love affair so a fiery ending.

rancorous: (adj.) showing resentment.

Daniele had a rancorous attitude towards her mother.

churlish: (adj.) boorish, rude, mean

 The churlish girl caused a scene at the wedding.

precipitous: (adj.) extremely or impassably steep

The hike was described as precipitous and exhausting.

Dear Ophelia

Dear O,

I think you need to follow your heart and pursue your love affair. If you truly love this prince than you should not care about other people’s opinions. If you do not follow your hear resentment and tension will most likely start to grow between you and your family members. Life is about taking risks and going with your gut feeling. However, this advice only holds true if you are sure this man is righteous and worthy of being trusted. You have to realize the journey you go down with him will involve many sacrifices on your part. I’m not saying it will be easy, but if you truly love each other it will definitely be worth it.

Literary Fiction & Empathy

Reading fiction can help us understand others because it gives us insight to what other people are feeling and thinking. We feel like we move through their interactions with them and therefore often times end up feeling what they are feeling. We become emotionally intertwined with characters and as a result feel like we get their experiences as well as ours. In Hamlet, we feel his despair and mourn with him. The betrayal of his uncle and mother is so vivid that I myself felt angry at them. I feel like in this play Hamlet will voice many of his inner struggles and the audience will be there along for the ride with him.

Vocab #7

The plane ride seemed to take years because I sat next to a garrulous, loquacious person who was extremely prone to sesquipedalian. I have to admit the plane seemed to be old and a bit wonky because of its sagging wings and tarnished exterior.  However, after we arrived in Italy I could not contain my ebullience. When the girls and I arrived at the hotel we sat to inchoate a plan for the rest of our trip. A couple of minutes later there seemed to be a schism within the group. Eeee Eeeeee began to harangue us because he thought our travel plans were unsafe. The group dismissed his warnings as codswallop and we decided to go ahead and venture out into the city. Five minutes in we realized that Ee Eeeee was more perspicacious than we had thought. One second the group was all together and the next Bailey was gone. We wondered if she was just playing a trick on us (she loves shenanigans) but we began to worry as the minutes ticked by and we realized her absence would not be ephermal. We had a plethora of explanations of what might have happened to her but our bodyguards eschewed them all. Our ideas seemed to ricochet right off of them as they told us the real reason for her disappearance. They explained that her leaving was not capricious, it was actually planned. She was destined to be a superhero and receiving her powers as we spoke.

Green Eggs & Hamlet

1.       I know Hamlet is a play written by Shakespeare that includes a ghost and very dramatic cast.

2.       I know that Shakespeare is a playwright who’s most famous plays include Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and King Lear. In addition to his plays, Shakespeare also wrote many sonnets.

3.       I think students cringe when they hear they are going to read Shakespeare because he uses old English in all of his plays. This makes the works sometimes hard to understand and get through. I think that if his stories were translated into modern English they would not be as daunting.

4.       In studying for this play I think it would be beneficial to have Socratic seminars every so often so we can all discuss what is going on and what we understand.

If I Had More Time

If I had more time I probably would have studied more for the midterm. Although I glanced over the vocab lists a couple of times it did not come close to preparing me for what the midterm had in store. I should have dedicated a certain amount of time a night to just look over and review the words. However, my busy week last week did not allow that to happen.

Literary Analysis #2

1. The book One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey is told in first person by the main character, Chief. Chief is six foot and seven inches tall but is hardly noticed because he pretends to be both death and mute. He was been living in a mental hospital for as long as he can remember and suffers from hallucinations and visions. Chief depicts the hospital as cold and lifeless and in his head despises head Nurse Ratched, blaming her for the uncomfortable atmosphere. Life in the hospital is relatively uneventful until a new boisterous, loudmouth red headed patient named McMurphy is admitted. McMurphy causes chaos in the usually orderly ward by challenging rules and refusing to bend to Nurse Ratched’s will. McMurphy manages to keep his spirits high in the dank environment and rallies the patients to stand up for their rights. McMurphy encourages the patients to defy the nurse by urging them to speak their complaints at meetings and including them in his numerous schemes. The bulk of the story consists of the Nurse and McMurphy going back and forth in a battle of indomitable wills. The story reaches a climax when the Nurse finds McMurphy has smuggled in a prostitute for Billy, a patient,to have sex with. Billy goes out of control and kills himself and at that point McMurphy attacks Nurse Ratched. In response to this attack the Nurse sends McMurphy to surgery room to get lobotomized which means part of his brain gets taken out. McMurphy returns to the ward but he is flat and mindless and can’t perform many tasks on his own. Chief then suffocates him one night because he knows McMurphy would rather die than live the rest of his life as a vegetable. By disabling McMurphy the Nurse showed the hospital that she had lost the battle of wills and “cheated” in a way. Much of the ward becomes more confident and either check themselves out of the hospital or transfer.

2. I found the theme of the novel to not conform to society‘s will. McMurphy came into such a stable, immaculate, sterilized environment and managed to maintain his dignity and determination. He proved to other patients that they had the ability to stand up for themselves and not listen to everything the Nurse said. He gave many patients a voice and a will to fight back the Nurse’s tyrannical rule that had plagued the ward for so long. McMurphy especially inspired Chief to become the man he once was and not submit to authority.

3. The tone of this story is metaphorically critical. On a smaller scale, the ward is meant to symbolize society as a whole. The Nurse and her helpers can be seen as the government trying to mold society into submission. The author constantly uses negative language and descriptions to depict the attitude and personalities of the staff which obviously gives off a critical feeling. The author is calling to action people in society to stand up and realize they do have power if they all work together.




McMurphy: “Which one of you nuts has got any guts?”

“All I know is this: nobody's very big in the first place, and it looks to me like everybody spends their whole life tearing everybody else down.”
― Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

“If you don't watch it people will force you one way or the other, into doing what they think you should do, or into just being mule-stubborn and doing the opposite out of spite.”
―
Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

4. Narrator point of view: The first person point of view of the novel offers insight to what/how the patients are actually feeling. The author is able to easily express Chiefs opinions and thoughts through almost every sentence.

“Like a cartoon world, where the figures are flat and outlined in black, jerking through some kind of goofy story that might be real funny if it weren't for the cartoon figures being real guys... ”

Dark Humor: The author consistently is making off hand jokes whether it be through the Chief’s narration or McMurphy’s dialogue. This adds to Kesey’s satirical representation of society.

“Why, I’ve never seen anything to beat the change in Maxwell Taber since

he’s got back from that hospital; a little back and blue around the eyes, a little

weight loss, and you know what? He’s a new man. Gad, modern American

science . . .”

Metaphor: McMurphy used a variety of metaphors in his often bombastic language and in perhaps the most memorable example he compares the patients of the ward to chickens at a pecking party.

"Bunch of chickens at a peckin' party."

Symbolism: Symbolism is strewn throughout the novel through things even as common as laughter. Chief recognizes that nobody in the ward laughs the way McMurphy does and accredits it too his determination to be unbreakable. Laughter symbolized strength.

Foreshadow: The multiple encounters with McMurphy and the Nurse caused the tension between them to rise and rise. The reader could see that this battle would not be finished until something drastic eventually happened which it did during the eventful climax of the story.

Flashback: Many times throughout the novel, Chief flashes back to memories of his life before the hospital. He remembers when he used to live on the Indian reservation with his father as a child.

Descriptive Language: Descriptive language is used often in the novel especially during Cheifs hallicinations. The vivid descriptions help the reader feel like they can actually see what is going on.

Juxtaposition: The author juxtaposes McMurphy’s personality and Nurse Ratched’s personalities so they are so directly opposite of each other that it creates a plot within itself. He makes the characters so extreme in opposite directions that they play off each other perfectly.

Sectioned Parts: The author broke up the novel into sectioned parts to show major turning points during the story. This was a way to let the reader know that a major shift in the plot was about to occur.

Irony: It is ironic that many of the Nurse’s helpers look down and make fun of the patients at the ward because they are also under the Nurses’s complete control. They are just as afraid and frightened of Nurse Ratched.

Characterization

1. An example of direct characterization is Chief describing McMurphy when he first walks in. He tells the reader he is noisy, he is joyous, and he is outspoken. These traits were literally told to us in a sentence they didn’t have to be inferred or guessed in context of an event

Another example of direct characterization is of the vegetables as the Chief calls them. The vegetables are the ones in the ward who have been so altered by medication or surgery that they are virtually numb to almost everything. The Chief explains this to the reader through his thoughts

Indirect characterization is used in developing Nurse Ratched’s personality. In the climax she ultimately relies on surgery to silence McMurphy once and for all. This does wonders in showing her true character and lack of morals.

Indirect characterization is also used in shaping the reader’s understanding of Chief. We see through his actions in talking to McMurphy that he was actually looking for an inspiration all along and that he does posses strength within.

The author uses a mixture of both styles throughout the novel. In the beginning, Kesey primarily relies on direct characterization to develop his characters however as the story picks up indirect characterization becomes more prevalent.

2. I would say Kesey’s syntax and diction remain mostly constant throughout the story because it is told in first person so all of the events are releyed through one person. However, the word choice and dialect change with the use of dialogue between different characters due to their accents and where they grew up.


Billy: Um, um, well, y-y-y-you d-d-d-don't have to t-t-t-tell her, Miss Ratched.

3. Chief is definitely dynamic in the story. He is a round character because he makes so many breakthroughs and goes through so many characters. He goes from wanting to hind and blend into the crowd to shifting into a powerful, rightfully confident man. Chief’s perhaps greatest breakthrough was when he revealed to McMurphy that he could not only talk but hear to. This released him from the confined jail of silence he had been hiding in for so long. After this event, Chief continues to grow stronger and stronger and finally manages to stand up for himself and break out of the hospital.

4. I can honestly say I loved this book and it’s in the top 10 of the most interesting books I have ever read. I think most of my interest can be attributed to the fact that each of the characters had such a distinct, obscure personality which kept things new and innovative. I was rooting for the patients , especially McMurphy and Chief the entire story and I felt their anger and frustration with each set back Nurse Ratched threw at them. When the Nurse refused to take McMurphy’s suggestions seriously because he was one vote short of majority I could literally feel myself becoming angry of the unfairness of the whole institution. It was one of the books where you feel like you’ve lost a group of friends once its over.

The Comparison's Tale

I found a lot of similarities between my tale and others shared in class. Specifically, I felt like Serena’s group had a tale that paralleled ours the best. In the Miller’s tale she presented there seemed to be adultery and unlawful acts committed. This reminded me of the cheating and sneaking around that happened in the Skipper's tale. I also noticed that in both tales the woman was the one who cheated on her husband and not the other way around. Another similarity is that in both tales the characters never seemed to receive consequences for their actions. Most of the characters Chaucer wrote about seemed too gullible to ever convict someone of their crime.

Tale of a Canterbury Tale

My group and I decided to read the Skipper’s Tale. I found the poetry a little dense and hard to understand but I think I got the jist of the tale. The tale seemed to be around three other characters besides the actual skipper. These characters include and merchant, his wife, and a monk. The wife meets with the monk and expresses her disappointment and unhappiness in her marriage. The monk tells her he is willing to help her in whatever way possible. She then tells him that she needs a sum of money by the next day and he says he will pay her. Next, they have sex and then the monk asks the husband for money in order to pay the girl. The monk then pays her the money and the husband goes looking for the monk the next day. He accuses the monk of never paying him back but the monk says he already gave it to the wife. The husband then goes to her and asks for it back but she says she has already spent it. The monk then moves away and the couple lives happily ever after.

Character Study (III)

The fifteen minute drive seemed to take hours due to Hannah’s impatience and she was relived to step out of the cab. Her relief turned into confusion the moment she saw her friends standing with three unusually large men. Puzzled but still excited Hannah grabbed her bags and hurried over to the group with a skip in her step. When she got closer she got a better view of the three mysterious men surrounding her friends. The one closest too her was by far the biggest , weighing close to about three hundred pounds. His intimidating features did not change in the slightest even when she smiled at him. The man to his right was covered in tattoos from head to toe sporting dark sunglasses and a black bandana. The least intimidating of the men was a bit smaller wearing a cross necklace around his neck and a nervous look across his face. As soon as she reached the group, Taylor pulled her aside and explained that her mom had hired three body guards to “take care of them” while in Italy. With a smug smile on her face Hannah replied, “If they can keep up.”

Character Study (II)

Hannah let her mind wander on the way to the airport as she put her ear buds in and listened to the new Drake album. Her thoughts ran wild and seemed to drowned out the disgruntled rapping. She shifted trying to get comfortable in the back of the cab but nothing seemed to work, she just couldn’t settle down. She was nervous, but the good kind of nervous, the one with butterflies in your stomach and optimistic anxiety pulsing through your veins. It would be a trip of many firsts. The first time she would be out of the country. The first time she would be away from her family for longer than a week. The first time she would be on her own. However, with Hannah alone never meant completely alone. She comforted herself with the fact that her four best friends were all waiting at the airport with identical tickets to Venice, Italy.

Character Study (II)

Hannah let her mind wander on the way to the airport as she put her ear buds in and listened to the new Drake album. Her thoughts ran wild and seemed to drowned out the disgruntled rapping. She shifted trying to get comfortable in the back of the cab but nothing seemed to work, she just couldn’t settle down. She was nervous, but the good kind of nervous, the one with butterflies in your stomach and optimistic anxiety pulsing through your veins. It would be a trip of many firsts. The first time she would be out of the country. The first time she would be away from her family for longer than a week. The first time she would be on her own. However, with Hannah alone never meant completely alone. She comforted herself with the fact that her four best friends were all waiting at the airport with identical tickets to Venice, Italy.

Canterbury Tales (I)

The first thing that struck me with Canterbury Tales is the irony of each of the characters. Each character had something about them that was a little off or unexpected. Examples of these include the materialistic nun and the sinning priest. I was a little confused at why everyone’s nature seemed so contradictory until we went over it in class. I now see that the purpose of highlighting these flaws was to show that the upper society job holders had the same flaws as commoners. I predict that Chaucer will go much more in depth about each character and their “story”. The character I want to hear more about the most is the clerk because he is kind of on the “inside” when it comes to higher social classes.

Character Study (I)

True to her last minute nature, Hannah scrambles to pack all of her belongings while the Taxi cab waits outside. One honk, two honks, three honks later Hannah finally pokes her head out the window yelling for the second time, “I’ll only be one more minute!” Shaking from a combination of anxiety and excitement she reaches into her closet grasping at anything that would aid her on the journey she is about to embark on. Struggling under the weight of the clothes, travel guides, and books she is holding, Hannah throws everything into the two bags strewn on her bed. With two suitcases stuffed to the brim, she takes on last look around, lets out a deep breath and heads towards the door. The nostalgia only lasts a moment as she enters the taxi cab and heads of towards the international airport.

Netvibes

I found netvibes to be a little daunting at first just because there seemed to be so many options and buttons. However, after taking a closer look I saw that it had some helpful features. I liked the fact that this program put all of the different things you would check on the internet into one "homebase". I feel like this center of resources would aid in making your time more efficent which is something I need to work on. Although I am not much of a tech person, I think I will give netvibes a shot and see what results follow!

Vocabulary #6

obsequious- adj. obedient, dutiful.
Carol’s obsequious nature made her the ideal student.

beatitude- n. extreme blessedness; exhaled happiness.
Her beatitude lighted up the room.

bete noire- n. a person or thing that one particularly dislikes or dreads.
Washing my car is my bete noire.

bode- v. to be an omen of; to announce beforehand; predict.
The stormy weather boded the day to come.

dank- adj. unpleasantly moist or humid; damp and often chilly.
My family never travels into our dank basement.

ecumenical- adj. general, universal.
The bible is a ecumenical symbol of religion.

fervid- adj. heated in spirit, enthusiasm.
The preacher had a redundancy to get fervid during his sermons.

fetid- adj. having an offensive odor, stinking.
The fetid fruit stunk up the whole house.

gargantuan- adj. gigantic, enormous, colossal.
Running a marathon is a gargantuan task.

heyday- n. the prime stage of great vigor and success.
The boxer was in his heyday during the last round.

incubus- n. a nightmare.
She awoke from the incubus in a panic.

infrastructure-n. the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization.
The infrastructure of the building was weak which concerned the managers.

inveigle- v. to entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk orinducements (usually followed by into)
The woman inveigled the man to buy her a new porche.


kudos- n. honor, glory, acclaim.
He gave her kudos when she scored higher than him on the test.

lagniappe- n. a gratitiuty or tip.
Lily gave the waiter a generous lagniappe.

prolix- adj. extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy.
The prolix speech left the class bored and sleepy.

protege- n. a person under the patronage, protection, or care of someoneinterested in his or her career or welfare.
The artist’s protégé was eager to learn.

prototype- n. the original or model, on which something is based or formed.
The products first prototype was very promising.

sycophant- n. a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite.
He called his classmate a sycophant, he was always giving him compliments in hope of receiving answers.


tautology- n. needless repetition of an idea, especially in words other than those of the immediate context, without imparting additional force or clearness,
Tautology in speeches makes them longer and more wordy.

truckle- v. to submit or yield obsequiously or tamely (usually followed by to ).
He truckled into submission after he saw the gun.

accolade: (noun) praise or approval; a ceremonial embrace or greeting.
She had received many accolades during her ten year acting career.

acerbity: (noun) sourness or bitterness of taste; harshness or severity of manner or expression.
Regina George was known for her acerbity in Mean Girls.

attrition: (noun) the process of wearing down by friction or gradual impairment.
Attrition of joints is common in senior citizens.

bromide: (noun) a trite or commonplace remark; a tiresome or boring person; a sedative.
He couldn’t help but feel like the bromide of the group, everyone else seemed more interesting.


chauvinist: (adj.) extravagantly patriotic; blindly devoted to a cause; or (noun) a person like that.
Carl’s chauvinist passion for gay rights was remarkable.

chronic: (adj.) continuing over a long period of time or recurring often.
Chronic disease is a hard thing to come to terms with when you are diagnosed.

expound: (verb) to explain in detail.

The story took an hour to tell because Layla insisted on expounding on every detail.

factionalism: (noun) party strife and intrigue.
The factionalism around my family dinner table is notable.

immaculate: (adj.) spotless; without blemish or fault.
Grounds keepers keep the White House immaculately landscaped.

imprecation: (noun) a curse; the act of cursing.
Josh was scolded for the imprecations that came out when he stubbed his toe.

ineluctable: (adj.) not able to be avoided, changed, or overcome.
After struggling for many years, Maria finally labeled her addiction ineluctable.

mercurial: (adj.) characterized by rapid and unpredictable changes of mood; fickle or inconstant.
The director’s mercurial personality caused tension on the set.

palliate: (verb) to make less serious or severe by glossing over; to relieve without actually curing, mitigate.
The couple was notorious for palliating their issues but not ever solving the deeper troubles.

protocol: (noun) customs and regulations dealing with official behavior and etiquette; a type of international agreement; an official account or record.
Airport security protocol irritates some people because it is so extensive.

resplendent: (adj.) shining or gleaming brilliantly; splendid or magnificent.
Her resplendent smile left all the boys dazzled.

stigmatize: (verb) to brand or mark as in some way discreditable, disgraceful, or ignominious.
Many political views and labels have been stigmatized.

sub rosa: (adv.) in secret; confidentially; privately.
The CIA needs members who are able to work sub rosa.


vainglory: (noun) excessive pride in and boastfulness about one's own accomplishments or qualities; a vain show or display.
Ussain Bolt’s vainglory was a turn off for many fans.

vestige: (noun) a trace or visible evidence of something that once existed but is now lost or vanished.
The strewn glass and wood served as vestige of the houses that had been knocked out my the hurricane.

volition: (noun) the power to choose, will, or decide; the act of choosing, willing, or deciding.
Many kids value their eighteenth birthday because they gain so much volition.