Life After This Blog Post

I wrote myself a letter using FutureMe today, in that letter I wrote about things that are happening in my life right now, little things that I might forget down the road and hopefully will give me a laugh next year when I'm preparing for my first college finals.

Lit Circles

My job was to be the Summarizer, and I was also assigned the first two questions of the literature analysis which include the summary of the book. My summary is in my literature analysis.

Lit Analysis: A Tale of Two Cities

I'm working with Danny Luu, Lesther Valenzuela, and Miranda Nillo

1.) In 1775 a man named Jarvis Lorry gets a message to wait for a young woman, Lorry meets Lucie Manette, a young orphan, who finds out that the father she believed was dead is alive in France. Manette has gone crazy from being locked up for 18 years and now makes shoes. A few years later a man named Charles Darnay is accused of treason against England, he is acquitted with the help of a lawyer named Stryver and his drunk colleague Sydney Carton. In France a man named Marquis Evremond runs down a poor child with his carriage, but since he's a horrible person who's an important part of the French aristocracy he doesn't care and goes about his day as usual, waiting at home for the arrival of Darnay who is his nephew. Darnay is outraged at the aristocracy and plans to leave, but before he can Evremond is murdered by a French revolutionary. A year later Darnay asks permission from Manette to marry Lucie, telling Manette that if she says yes he will reveal his true self to Manette; Carton also admits that he's in love with Lucie. Darnay reveals his identity to Manette on the day of his wedding which sends Manette back into his old behaviors and he begins making shoes again, but he recovers quickly and joins the couple on their honeymoon. After the couple gets back home Carton comes by and makes sure he and Darnay are on good terms and Darnay confirms this. Years later the French Revolution begins and Evremond's estate manager is imprisoned, three years later he writes to Darnay asking for help and Darnay immediately leaves for France. Darnay is arrested as soon as he arrives and Lucie and Manette head to France to try and help.  Darnay is acquitted and arrested again on the same day so Carton plans to break him out with the help of a man named John Barsad. Darnay is convicted for the crimes of his ancestors and is to be executed, Madame Defarge plans to kill Lucie and their daughter as well. Carton gets the Manettes out of France and switches places with an unconscious Darnay and is executed in his place.

2.)A big theme in A Tale of Two Cities is sacrifice, this is represented by the French revolutionaries willing to risk their lives for the good of their country and Carton who is willing to risk his life in order to save the lives of people important to him to give his life meaning.

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

Only the enlightened are set free
From the shackles that bind us to the wall
Only the enlightened can see
Another reality greater than all
We must find our own reality
A world outside the one we've come to believe
One filled with hope and glee
Different from the one we see that's meant to deceive

An open mind is key
To reach enlightenment, to achieve
The bliss outside the wall
A new view of reality
One must be able to believe
That what we see is not all

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?
-That we as a society live in an unenlightened world and are so sheltered from beliefs outside the ones we are taught or come to know.

2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?
-The prisoners, the shackles that bind them, the darkness, and the shadows.

3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
-That we are close minded to new ideas or concepts, we come to know the world we believe we live in and refuse to believe that there is more to life than we know.

4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?
-The shackles suggest that we are bound to our ideas and views even though there might be more to them. The cave represents our dark closed off minds and how it's near impossible to enlighten something so dark and enclosed.

5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
-Insecurity and the fear of being different can shackle us because we're afraid to go against the current in fear that we'll be judged or become an outcast.

6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
-The freed prisoner has broken free of his old view and is now enlightened, trying to educate the cave prisoners on his new findings but the cave prisoners are still bound to the walls of the dark cave, only able to see what they've already come to know and "understand".

7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?
-I was sort of confused with this, but on Friday in our groups my group discussed ignorance and apathy.

8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?
-Opening their minds to enlightenment and reality is the way they become free.

9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
-I agree that there is a distinction between appearances and reality because the saddest person can still put a smile on their face everyday and the sweetest person can put up a tough exterior in fear of being hurt.

10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?
-People see what they believe and the reality you're viewing isn't necessarily real, but it's real to you.

We Hang Together

• interdependence-"the underlying key to any strategic alliance, community partnership, or interpersonal collaboration"
• coke/pepsi are interdependent by being constantly aware of their competitor
• Leaders can't adopt strategies that are based on isolationism, competition, or self-interest because that would give too much power. They must adopt strategies that fits the majority's interest.
• "strategic alliance"
• two ways by Friedman-

"central direction involving the use of coercion"
"Voluntary cooperation of individuals"

• Americans focus on the "go it alone" method which does not work

A Poetic Inquiry

I wasn't too fond of the Big Question I chose at the beginning of the year, I didn't put a lot of thought into it so my sonnet does not relate to it.  Instead I searched sonnets on google and picked one that I liked.

Beauty

Beauty is liberal as the heavenly air,

Beauty is boundless as the universe:

The waves of evil ponderously immerse

The pearl of good; beauty is everywhere.

Beauty is a devout a deep despair;

Hopes that with heaven's highest stars converse:

The poisonous blossom of a devil's curse;

The first and last word of an angel's prayer.

Creation and destruction at thy beck

Call love and lust: throiugh battle's bloody swarm

That youth with smiling face sees but thy form:

And, 'mid the shrieks of the fast sinking wreck,

A poet, standing on the wave-washed deck,

Stares awe-struck at the beauty of the storm.

Sonnet Analysis

• Sonnet comes from the Italian word sonneto which means little song.
• There are two types of sonnets

-petrarch sonnet (Italian)
-Shakespearen sonnet

• Sonnets are composed of 14 lines

-an octet and a sextet
-3 quatrains and a couplet

Hamlet Essay

      Words aren't always just words, sometimes they're actions or feelings or more. In Hamlet Shakespeare uses soliloquies, conversations, and speeches to show what the characters are feeling and how they're acting on those feelings throughout the play. Through these soliloquies and speeches we, as readers, are able to watch the characters and the story change and progress. An inside look to the characters thinking process helps the reader better understand the why behind the action.
      A big part of Hamlet is the to be or not to be soliloquy where Hamlet addresses a lot of big life questions and reveals his feelings towards the events going on in his life. Another time Hamlet uses words to express his feelings and his actions is when he's instructing the players on how to act out their parts, he advises them not to overact and to make the part believable and authentic. Hamlet's instructions directly relate to his actions with everyone around him, trying to put on a show, never revealing how he truly feels, never letting his guard down. These examples of self-overhearing relate to me because everything I say or do affects my future and the actions I'm taking towards building my future. Right now I'm busy applying for colleges and the words on my application might look like just words now, but they're actually life changing statements, those words could turn into a whole new life for me.
      Hamlet's performative utterances allow us to have a look inside the mind of Hamlet and see what he truly feels and how he acts on those feelings. Words have the ability to set our feelings out to be followed up by our actions which make words a very powerful part of us.
   

Tools That Change the Way We Think

The use of social media changes the way we think by causing us to consider what others think like which Instagram filter will make me look better to ultimately get more likes and what can I tweet that's witty enough to get more retweets and favorites than my last tweet. I believe that the internet and social media improves our memory because we relate what we see to the person that posted it so every time we see that person we think of that post or vice versa. Social media does affect the ability to concentrate and managing your time and priorities simply because there are many ways to entertain yourself using it that you aren't going to find in your math homework. Social media and the internet just creates a bigger web for everything

Vocabulary #9

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

I consider myself a real aficionado when it comes to the San Francisco Giants.

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

The large boy used his size to browbeat the littler kids in his grade.

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

Her promotion is commensurate with the work she put in all year.

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

Collared diaphanous tops seem to be all the rage these days.

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

The only part of having a job I'm looking forward to is the emolument. 

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

A pirate's goal is to foray ships and towns.

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

I'm not a fan of the sci-fi genre.

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

The vice principal was recognized for his annual infamous homily at the beginning of the year.

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

The dimly lit classroom seemed to immure the students.

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

The insouciant girl was never without a smile.

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

Rock is the matrix that preserves fossils.

obsequies: (noun) funeral rites or ceremonies

Augustus has Hazel and Isaac do practice obsequies for him.

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

Johnny Weir skates with such panache.

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

For Halloween not only did I dress up as Velma from Scooby Doo but I embodied her persona as well.

philippic: (noun) a bitter verbal attack

Many people shut down mentally after one too many philippics.

prurient: (adj.) having lustful desires or interests

I have prurient dreams about how my future will turn out.

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

Catholic priests seem to be sacrosants even when their actions suggest otherwise.

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

A lot of homework gives me a sort of systemic breakdown.

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

Fox News is infamous for its tendentious news reports.

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

After visiting Bali the woman seemed to have undergone a vicissitude.

The Performative Utterance in Hamlet

-Hamlet had a hard time figuring out what was real and what wasn't.
-There are three forces of performative ability of language
1.)the locutionary force- the ability of language to deliver a message, the force of mutual intelligibility
2.)the illocutionary force-what is done in being said, such as denying a request
3.)the perlocutionary force- what is achieved by being said
-Characters in Shakespeare reveal their true selves through soliloquies and speeches.
- "The central problem of the play is that people represent their feelings and thier intentions in ways that are contrary to reality."
-The actions or cues the actors make during their lines reflect their feelings, like exaggerated hand movements represent madness.
- Rules to comply with for utterance of being happy
1.)There must be an agreement that will be effective
2.)The circumstances must be appropriate for the agreement
3.)The agreement must involve all participants to render active
4.)Agreement is designed to cover all aspects of conflict
5.)The participants must complete the agreement
-"Self-acualization and performance and agency become all one"

Filter Bubbles

A.) I learned that what you see whether you're searching or scrolling is tailored towards you and things you have liked or viewed in the past.  This just for you approach is flawed though, because it removes the things that are "not for you" and you'll never see them unless you really search.
B.) It makes me wonder what sites or stories I've missed out on because of the filter.
C.) How soon will it be until a majority of the world is unaware of the world around them?
D.) I can try multiple search engines to ensure that I'm getting a wide variety of answers.

Lit Analysis #3

Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya.
1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
The protagonist of this book is Antonio Marez. The setting is Guadalupe, New Mexico. His father, Gabriel, a cowboy, would like to see his son grow up and follow in the same path that he did, but Antonio's mother Maria, a devout catholic, would like Antonio to become a priest. When Ultima, comes to stay with the family, she teaches Antonio about the earth around him and the basics of her craft.  Ultima is ultimately helping Antonio choose his own path in life and allowing him to become who he really is.  Antonio learns a lot from Ultima, not just about healing but about finding who you really are and following your heart.  Eventually Ultima begins to die and Antonio has to really take on what he has learned to be able to get through things. She asks Antonio to bury her owl, and he does so in honor of Ultima. In the end we see Antonio has developed the demeanor that Ultima has taught him.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
I believe that the idea of self discovery and following your heart is the basic theme of the novel.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
The author questions a lot of things that happen through Antonio's thought process, this keeps the readers curious but then satisfied when Antonio comes to terms with everything going on.

 "I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through her (Ultima) I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things"

"The sun was good. The men of the llano were men of the sun. The men of the farms along the river were men of the moon. But we were all children of the white sun."

"There are so many dreams to be fulfilled, but Ultima says a mans destiny must unfold itself like a flower, with only the sun and the earth and water making it blossom, and no one else meddling in it."

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)
Symbolism: Golden carp, Ultimas owl, Virgen de Guadalupe.
Diction: Anaya mixes Spanish words into the dialogue.
Direct Characterization: The author gives us a generalization of how the characters are.
Indirect Characterization: We see more about the characters through Antonio's thoughts.
Metaphor: Antonio's mother is referred to as a mother hen which represents her protectiveness over her children.
Synesthesia: Antonio goes through an internal change throughout the novel.
Aphorism: Used to send a message to the readers.
Motif: Loss of inocence.

What I Think About When I Think About Act 3

After I finished reading Act 3 I was a little confused by all the action so I went and watched the David Tennat/Patrick Stewart version of Act 3 which helped me get a better handle on things.  Hamlet is running around, crazy as ever trying to decide how, when, and why he should kill Claudius, often questioning his decisions out loud to himself. Hamlet begins to tell his mother about what's been on his mind and how he thinks it's wrong of her to have such an intimate relationship with her late husband's brother, Gertrude tries to calm Hamlet down, but is not successful because Hamlet ends up killing Polonius.  Hamlet is so overwhelmed by all his different emotions that he seems to show no remorse for killing Polonius and drags his lifeless body away like it's nothing. Hamlet's mother is very distressed and confides in Claudius and soon Hamlet becomes a prisoner of his own kingdom.

Vocabulary #8

1.)abase: to reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade
The officers dishonorable actions caused his unit to abase him.

2.)abdicate: to renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power, claim, responsibility, or the like, especially in a formal manner
Many parent's think it is acceptable to abdicate their responsibility to their children.

3.)abomination: anything greatly disliked or abhorred
The closed campus rule is still an abomination to me.

4.)brusque: abrupt in manner; blunt; rough
The checker at Walmart was rather brusque, not greeting her customers or making small talk.

5.)saboteur: a person who commits or practices sabotage
We voted her off the island when it become clear she was a saboteur.

6.)debauchery: excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures; intemperance
The debauchery of the church group was quite shocking.

7.)proliferate: to increase in number or spread rapidly and often excessively
As the singer became more popular her fan base proliferated.

8.)anachronism: 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 digital watch in the movie Titanic is an anachronism.

9.)nomenclature: the names or terms comprising a set or system
The basic nomenclature of the computer system was confusing.

10.)expurgate: to purge or cleanse of moral offensiveness
The performance had to be expurgated before she presented it to the public.

11.)bellicose: inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious
The fans of the losing team were rather bellicose after the game.

12.)gauche: lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkward; crude; tactless
The gauche girl didn't seem to have a filter and blurted out whatever popped into her head.

13.)rapacious: given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed; inordinately greedy; predatory
The rapacious emperor didn't have much popularity among the people.

14.)paradox: a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth
I saw the paradoxical saying "The only thing constant is change" on a poster at school.

15.)conundrum: anything that puzzles
The assignment was a real conundrum.

16.)anomaly: a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form; abnormality, exception, peculiarity
The doctor told him that his condition was an anomaly.

17.)ephemeral: lasting a very short time
It was a very ephemeral relationship, not surprisingly, due to his lack of commitment.

18.)rancorous: showing resentment
The rancorous girl didn't want to run errands with her family so she threw a fit the entire time.

19.)churlish: boorish, rude, mean
"Churlish and insubordinate" -Mr. Garvey (substitute teacher)

20.)precipitous: extremely or impassably steep
The precipitous mountain looked daunting.

Literary Fiction and Empathy

When you read fiction you are introduced to a world completely unique from yours, or possibly one that you find very similar to your own.  Either way reading fiction broadens your horizon when it comes to understanding people or situations.  In fiction you are able to read the thoughts and actions of the character which lets you see two different perspectives into an issue or a subject. In Hamlet we are able to see the facade that Hamlet has when he is in the company of others and his deepest thoughts and feelings when he is alone. This technique allows us to see every angle of the story, letting us interpret the story whatever way we please.

Dear Ophelia

My name is O, and I'm trapped in this weird sort of dating thing-- a prince says he loves me, but my father & brother hate him and tell me to stay away. What should I do?

Dear O,

     From what you wrote it sounds like your father and brother might be right, after all they are your family and most family members want the best for each other.  I know that bad boys seem like fun and you probably feel like "you're special" and "you can change him" but here's a reality check, you can't.  A prince is not in the right mindset to be with a normal girl like you, you are both from two very different worlds and they will never mesh.  I think it's time for you to move on and find a new man.

Hamlet Learning Communities

http://thehamletweblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/hamlet/

http://moran3hamlet.blogspot.com/

Vocabulary #7

Shenanigans - mischief; prankishness.

Ricochet - rebound: to hit a surface and bounce, traveling away in a different direction.

Schism - division in a religious denomination: a major split in a religious denomination usually on the grounds of differences in belief or practice, leading to the setting up of a separate breakaway organization.

Eschew - abstain from: to avoid doing or using something on principle or as a matter of course.

Plethora - large or excessive amount or number: a very large amount of something or number of things.

Ebullient - lively and enthusiastic: full of cheerful excitement or enthusiasm.

Garrulous - talking too much: excessively or pointlessly talking.

Harangue - address somebody loudly and forcefully: to criticize or question somebody.

Interdependence - depending on each other: unable to exist or survive without each other.

Capricious - given to sudden changes: tending to make sudden unexpected changes.

Loquacious - talkative: tending to talk a great deal.

Ephemeral - short-lived: lasting for only a short period of time and leaving no permanent trace.

Inchoate - just beginning: just beginning to develop.

Juxtapose - put side by side: to place two or more things together, especially in order to suggest a link between them or emphasize contrast between them.

Perspicacious - perceptive: penetratingly discerning or perceptive

Codswallop - nonsense

Mungo - cheap fabric

Sesquipedelian - using long words: characterized by using long words

Wonky - unreliable in use: not to be relied on to be steady or secure or function correctly

Diphthong - two vowels as one syllable

Green Eggs and Hamlet

a) What do you know about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane"?

-I know that there's a ghost and I'm pretty sure that Hamlet is trying to marry his mom or something else strange like that.

b) What do you know about Shakespeare?

-I know that Shakespeare created a lot of new words, wrote a lot of plays, and was married to a woman named Anne Hathaway.

c) Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare"?

-Shakespeare wrote a long time ago which means the language and word usage was different than it is today, and on top of that sometimes Hamlet just made up words as he went along so students have to learn to read old English and Shakespeare speech.

d) What can we do to make studying this play an amazing experience we'll never forget?

-Assign watching the Mel Gibson version along with our reading, linking to youtube clips on the blog.

If I had more time

If I had more time I'd focus more on remembering the word than the definition because I felt pretty solid about the definitions and would have done just fine if we were given words on the test, it was difficult to try and remember what the words actually were thanks to the English language being so lengthy.

Lit Analysis #2

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
1. Of Mice and Men is the story of two unemployed travelers named George and Lennie. George is a small man with a big heart. Lennie on the other hand is a very big man which is very dangerous considering he's mentally challenged. In the beginning of the book, Lennie unintentionally killed a small mouse due to his lack of control. Despite not knowing his own strength or how to control it, Lennie is a overall sweet and innocent character. They both share a dream to own land and grow crops of their own when they can obtain more money. Sadly finding jobs isn't so easy with Lennie's state of mental health, he constantly hurts others unintentionally and it makes it very hard for the two to secure a nice job. Eventually the two find work on a ranch where they quickly befriend the other laborers with the help of Candy, a man who too shares the friends dream. Things seem to be running smoothly for Lennie and George until they meet Curley and his very friendly wife.  Curley's wife makes advances on both George and Lennie, which lead her to her accidental death caused by Lennie. Due to Lennie's lack of self-control, he end's up breaking Curley's wife's neck and becoming the target of every laborer on the ranch. He leaves the ranch in a panic and is later found by George. George is aware that Lennie's only chance of freedom is death so George mercifully kills Lennie himself to save him from a brutal murder by the ranch laborers.

2. The theme is friendship. George sticks by Lennie through thick and thin even in knowing he could be more successful without him by his side. Even though George killed Lennie in the end, it was only to save Lennie from himself.

3. The author used the feeling of loneliness and feeling lost for his tone.

"Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They ain't got no family. They don't belong no place . . ."

4.
-Imagery
-Personification
-Flashback
-Foreshadowing
-Symbolism
-Dialogue
-Oxymoron
-Microcosim
-Ethos
-Pathos

The Comparisons Tale

I read The Miller's tale with my group and upon hearing the presentation of The Wife of Bath I immediately found similarities. Chaucer's satirical and humorous tone was consistent throughout both of the tales. The theme was also similar in that both pieces focused on satirizing the sanctity of marriage and peoples' integrity. Both stories involved deceit and lack of faith within marriage as well as people who showed little to no shame for their actions.

Tale of a Canterbury Tale

Summary: There is a carpenter named John who rents rooms out to various guests. Among the guests is a student (clergy, clerk) named Nicholas the Handy (handy...how ironic). The carpenter has a young wife named Alison who he is very possessive of and in a constant state of worry of losing her. While he is out of town Nicholas flirts with Alison and after a slight reluctance ends of getting his HANDY hands on her. They realize that it would not be a good idea to carry on this affair while John is in town so Nicholas devises a plan. Meanwhile Absalon (another clerk) is giving his all to try to win over Alison. He waits outside her window until late into the night to serenade her with songs of his undying love much to the dismay of John the carpenter and his wife. Nicholas decides the best plan is to convince the carpenter that a flood is coming and that he must complete a list of tasks before he, his wife, and Nicholas himself are all killed. The carpenter believes him and completes the ridiculous tasks. He is exhausted after and falls asleep. While he is asleep Nick and Alison sneak away for a hook up in the carpenter's bed. While they are there Absalon has decided to try his luck with Alison and goes to the window to ask for a kiss. She and Nick think it is pathetically hilarious and trick him in to literally, kissing her ass. Enraged by this cruel trick Absalon finds the blacksmith and requests a hot iron. He goes back to the window and pretends he wants another kiss. This time Nick sticks his bum out of the window and gets swatted and scalded by the hot iron. This commotion causes the carpenter to startle awake and he ends up getting injured in his haste to avoid the false flood. When he tries to justify his actions Alison and Nicholas to HANDY write him off as mad and the entire town laughs him off as a crazy person. Excerpt:  "So she was screwed, the carpenter's young wife, despite all jealous safeguards he could try; And Absalon had kissed her nether eye, and Nicholas is scalded in the rear. This tale is done, God save all who are here!"

1. One of the central characters was Alison, the carpenter's young wife. She is described by everyone as being exceptionally beautiful. Reader's learn she is easily persuaded because it literally took a man five minutes to get her to cheat on her husband. Whenever she speaks to anyone she is described as having a "wanton" look in her eye.

2. I believe Chaucer's purpose with telling this character's tale was to satirize society. He was saying that maybe even the people of the church aren't as straight-laced as they like to appear. Such as how Nicholas and Absalon were both either clergy's or students of God and they showed no mercy in going after a married woman and telling lies to get what they want.

Character Study 3

After the group meets in New York they fly to Los Angeles where they meet up with the three final cast members; Dan Smith, Tyroil Smoochie-Wallace, and Ozamataz Buckshank.  The group then sets off on their journey to find the metric ball.

Character Study 2

My character Johna is a lovable ditz from Minnesota who has been chosen to compete in a reality competition show to steal the metric ball from it's hidden location by traveling all around the world, completing difficult tasks.

Canterbury Tales

-Did Chaucer go on a pilgrimage to Canterbury?
-I want to read the corrupt priest's story the most because it seems pretty scandalous compared to the other characters.

Character Study

The seemingly timid girl stood on the outs of the crowd, observing everything that was going on around her.  She hoped that someone would engage her in the conversation, but was content in being alone with her thoughts as well.  She wasn't very outgoing when it came to new people or unfamiliar situations, she hung back and slowly let her true self appear.  Once you did get to know her though she became that girl that was always cracking jokes and going off with her sassy one-liners.  She wasn't all fun and games though, she could be serious when she needed to be, reacting appropriately to the current situation going on around her.  If someone was sad she wouldn't ask what was wrong she would just show that person that she was there for them and her gentle nature let them know that she was someone you could trust.  Loyalty was big to her, she disliked people who were fake because she was always her genuine self with people.

Dashboard

So I made my dashboard but I have no idea how to customize it or add more than one thing you like to it, it's a work in progress.

Vocabulary #6

1.)accolade: praise or approval; a ceremonial embrace or greeting.
She received great accolade after she got a 2400 on her SAT.

2.)acerbity: sourness or bitterness of taste; harshness or severity of manner or expression.
His acerbity towards others didn't earn him many friends.

3.)attrition: the process of wearing down by friction or gradual impairment.
Many jobs were lost through attrition.

4.)bromide: a trite or commonplace remark; a tiresome or boring person; a sedative.
The bromide of the wife's conversation soothed the hot headed spouse.

5.)chauvinist: extravagantly patriotic; blindly devoted to a cause; or (noun) a person like that.
The song Blurred Lines is viewed as an example of chauvinistic behavior.

6.)chronic: continuing over a long period of time or recurring often.
 The chronic illness I had, made me makes frequent stops to the hospital. 

7.)expound: to explain in detail.
Various political writers expound their points of views on thousands of topics that interest the people.

8.)factionalism: party strife and intrigue.
It is important for our entire team to be unified and not have to deal with factionalism.

9.)immaculate: spotless; without blemish or fault.
Well, you don't have to keep your house looking immaculate all the time, just in case someone turns up to view.

10.)imprecation: a curse; the act of cursing.
The witch spread imprecations to those who condemned her

11.)ineluctable: not able to be avoided, changed, or overcome.
Tractor beams in science fiction stories, like Star Wars are often ineluctable

12.)mercurial: characterized by rapid and unpredictable changes of mood; fickle or inconstant.
The mercurial dancer captivated the audience with her routine.

13.)palliate: to make less serious or severe by glossing over; to relieve without actually curing, mitigate.
The Advil palliated her stomach pains temporarily, but they later returned.

14.)protocol: customs and regulations dealing with official behavior and etiquette; a type of international agreement; an official account or record.
The suspect was let go because the arresting officer had not followed protocol during the arrest.

15.)resplendent: shining or gleaming brilliantly; splendid or magnificent.
She looked resplendent in her green dress.

16.)stigmatize: to brand or mark as in some way discreditable, disgraceful, or ignominious.
The son's crime stigmatized the entire family.

17.)sub rosa: in secret; confidentially; privately.
The surprise party was sub rosa, and the birthday girl was shocked when all of her close friends jumped out at her.

18.)vainglory: excessive pride in and boastfulness about one's own accomplishments or qualities; a vain show or display.
He has a right to vainglory because he is very good at what he does.

19.)vestige: a trace or visible evidence of something that once existed but is now lost or vanished.
After my sister finishes a bag of chips, she looks at her fingers for some vestiges of food left.

20.)volition: the power to choose, will, or decide; the act of choosing, willing, or deciding.
She used her volition to make that sandwich!

21.)obsequious: obedient, dutiful; characterized by showing servile complaisance or deference. 
They were served by obsequious waiters.

22.)beatitude: a state of perfect happiness or blessedness; a blessing.
Angela had a beatitude attitude, she was forgiving and kind to everyone she met.

23.)bete noire: someone or something than one especially dislikes, dreads, or avoids.
Kids who remind teachers that there is homework are the bete noire of most classrooms.

24.)bode: to be an omen of; to indicate by signs.
Austin bode news of terrible misfortunate among the Willis family and their winery.

25.)dank: unpleasantly damp or wet.
Nobody ever went into the dank cellar as it was cold and damp.

26.)ecumenical: worldwide or universal in influence or application.
The bible is a ecumenical symbol of religion.

27.)fervid: burning with enthusiasm or zeal; extremely heated.
He was fervid when it came to football and put more effort and time than most people could ever do.

28.)fetid: having an unpleasant or offensive odor.
The horrifying smell came from the fetid pool of chemical waste produced by the nuclear plantation.

29.)gargantuan: of immense size, volume, or capacity; enormous, prodigious.
The gargantuan crowd filled up the whole entire street.

30.)heyday: the period of greatest power, vigor, success, or influence; the prime years
The soccer team had a heyday when they won the championship.

31.)incubus: a demon or evil spirit supposed to haunt human beings in their bedrooms at night; anything that oppresses or weighs upon one, like a nightmare.
The incubus in her life was overwhelming her.

32.)infrastructure: a basic foundation or framework; a system of public works; the resources and facilities required for an activity; permanent military installations.
Jadeveon Clowney has never publicly announced his position on Obama's stance on infrastructure

33.)inveigle: to entice, lure, or snare by flattery or artful inducements; to obtain or acquire by artifice.
During the interview the lady inveigle to her best ability, which evidently got her the job. 

34.)kudos: the acclaim, prestige, or renown that comes as a result of some action or achievement.
I gave him kudos for doing that, it took a lot of guts.

35.)lagniappe: an extra or unexpected gift or gratuity.
The worker earned a lagniappe for their extra labor.

36.)prolix: long-winded and wordy; tending to speak or write in such a way.
I expect Kobe Bryant's Hall-of-Fame speech to be prolix.

37.)protege: someone whose welfare, training, or career is under the patronage of an influential person; someone under the jurisdiction of a foreign country or government.
I was the man's protege; I learned everything I needed to know about business from him.

38.)prototype: an original pattern or model; a primitive or ancestral form.
My prototype of a hands-free cell phone did not turn out very well.

39.)sycophant: someone who attempts to win favors or advance him or herself  by flattery or servile behavior; a slanderer, defamer.
People always remembered him as the sycophant, the loyal sidekick to Bill.

40.)tautology: needless repetition of an idea by using different but equivalent words; a redundancy.
Her tautologies began to annoy me as I edited her essay.

41.)truckle: to yield or submit tamely or submissively.
My mother always told me not to truckle when I was put under pressure to do something I didn’t want to do. 

What A Character

The fictional character that popped into my head as soon as I read the question would have to be Annemarie Wilcox from the novel Shug and although it's not exactly an impressive read that character definitely struck a chord with me.  Annemarie is a very real and honest depiction of a pre-teen which was what I was when I read Shug for the first time.  Annemarie struggles with the want to be older while still holding onto her childhood and throughout the novel tries to find a balance between the two.  I have revisited this book probably a hundred times because even though I know what's going to happen I get caught up in the story and find myself back in the same mindset that I was in when I first read it.  Annemarie has a lot of qualities that make her interesting like her imperfections which include overreacting and occasionally acting immaturely which we all deal with from time to time.  Something that I really enjoy about her character is her resilience, things don't go the way she plans or thinks but she takes that head on and faces the new challenges.  She's brave and fearless without being your typical hero.

Vocabulary #5

1.)obsequious: obedient, dutiful; characterized by showing servile complaisance or deference. 
The obsequious teammate was always repeating the coach's instructions right after the coach gave them. 

2.)beatitude: a state of perfect happiness or blessedness; a blessing.
Finding out I had all A's on my report card gave me a feeling of beatitude.

3.)bete noire: someone or something than one especially dislikes, dreads, or avoids.
The boy was such a bete noire that the girl changed her routes in the hallways to avoid him.

4.)bode: to be an omen of; to indicate by signs.
The rainstorm seemed not to bode well for the team playing a game.

5.)dank: unpleasantly damp or wet.
The cave was dank due to the recent rainstorm.

6.)ecumenical: worldwide or universal in influence or application.
Celebrities have an ecumenical affect on the general public.

7.)fervid: burning with enthusiasm or zeal; extremely heated.
The plaintiff was fervid because of the allegations made that day.

8.)fetid: having an unpleasant or offensive odor.
My kneepads become quite fetid if I don't wash them often.

9.)gargantuan: of immense size, volume, or capacity; enormous, prodigious.
Despite her gargantuan height the middle blocker had no skills to back it up whatsoever.

10.)heyday: the period of greatest power, vigor, success, or influence; the prime years
High school is most people's heyday.

11.)incubus: a demon or evil spirit supposed to haunt human beings in their bedrooms at night; anything that oppresses or weighs upon one, like a nightmare.
My mother woke up from an incubus where she was falling of the side of a mountain.

12.)infrastructure: a basic foundation or framework; a system of public works; the resources and facilities required for an activity; permanent military installations.
In order to have a stable building the infrastructure has to be rock solid.

13.)inveigle: to entice, lure, or snare by flattery or artful inducements; to obtain or acquire by artifice.
Teenage boys are known to inveigle girls into dating them.

14.)kudos: the acclaim, prestige, or renown that comes as a result of some action or achievement.
After my great hit my teammates and coach gave me kudos.

15.)lagniappe: an extra or unexpected gift or gratuity.
A stranger paying for a family's meal can be seen as a lagniappe.

16.)prolix: long-winded and wordy; tending to speak or write in such a way.
Her response to the simple question was prolix which raised a red flag to her parents who asked it.

17.)protege: someone whose welfare, training, or career is under the patronage of an influential person; someone under the jurisdiction of a foreign country or government.
Will Smith's son could be seen as his protege because he appears in almost every movie Will's in.

18.)prototype: an original pattern or model; a primitive or ancestral form.
The prototype for the first computer looks nothing like the computers we have today.

19.)sycophant: someone who attempts to win favors or advance him or herself  by flattery or servile behavior; a slanderer, defamer.
The captain was a real sycophant, only working on improving herself rather than improving the team.

20.)tautology: needless repetition of an idea by using different but equivalent words; a redundancy.
To make their point extremely clear the coaches used tautology to drive the idea into the team's head.

21.)truckle: to yield or submit tamely or submissively.
The quiet girl always truckled when her loud, outgoing partner suggested that they did something.

Lit Analysis #1

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

Exposition: The story is told by Hazel Grace who is a 17 year old girl living with stage four lung cancer.  We are told about Hazel's routine which includes watching reality tv, taking classes at the local community college, and attending a weekly support group which she dreads going to.  Hazel meets Augustus Waters at support group one night who is there supporting his friend, Isaac, who is going blind soon.  It is revealed that Augustus also had cancer, osteosarcoma, which cost him most of one of his legs.  We also learn about Hazel's favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, which is about a girl with cancer that Hazel relates to.
Rising Action: Hazel and Augustus begin to spend a lot of time together and on the phone where they bond over An Imperial Affliction, which Augustus falls in love with when Hazel lends him a copy and being cancer kids.  Hazel starts to see her life as more than her illness and becomes happier as they get closer.  Hazel and Augustus discuss possible endings for An Imperial Affliction often because the author published the book unfinished and then disappeared from society.  Augustus manages to track down the author, Peter Van Houten, through his assistant.  The two begin corresponding and Van Houten agrees to tell them what happens to all the characters after if they come out to Amsterdam to visit him.
Climax: In order to travel all the way to Amsterdam Augustus uses his cancer wish to take Hazel, Hazel's mother, and himself.  Hazel gets very sick before they leave, but decides to risk it and travel anyway.  When they meet Van Houten they are disappointed to find out that he is an irritable old drunk who calls them "failed experiments of mutation".  He continues to berate Augustus and Hazel and refuses to answer any of their questions about the book.  His comments are too much for Lidewiji, his assistant, to handle so she quits and storms out.  Augustus and Hazel use this tragic event to become closer, close enough for Augustus to reveal that his cancer has come back all over his body and that he doesn't have much longer to live.
Falling Action: Hazel spends Augustus's last days with him as he slowly slips from the boy she first met to a corpse.  Augustus has Isaac and Hazel prepare eulogies to read to him at his pre-funeral, he passes away shortly after.
Resolution: Van Houten shows up at Augustus's funeral which shocks Hazel and he reveals that he had been corresponding with Augustus before he died.  Hazel finds out that An Imperial Affliction was written about Van Houten's daughter who passed away from cancer years ago.  Later Hazel finds out that Augustus was writing an ending for her that he mailed to Van Houten and he mailed to Hazel.

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

A theme I found to be quite prominent was finding who you are and doing what makes you happy.  Throughout the book Hazel begins to live a life outside of her illness and enjoy the moments that she does have because life can end so quickly.

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

I found the tone of the novel to be sincere and honest, the author wrote the story and the characters realistically without sugarcoating anything.
-"There will come a time when all of us are dead.  All of us.  There will come a time when there are no human beings remaining to remember that anyone ever existed or that our species ever did anything.  There will be no one left to remember Aristotle or Cleopatra, let alone you.  Everything that we did and built and wrote and thought and discovered will be forgotten and all of this will have been for naught.  Maybe that time is coming soon and maybe it's millions of years away, but even if we survive the collapse of our sun, we will not survive forever.  There was a time before organisms experienced consciousness, and there will be a time after.  And if the inevitability of human oblivion worries you, I encourage you to ignore it.  God knows that's what everyone else does."
-"Sick children inevitably become arrested: You are fated to live out your days as the child you were when diagnosed, the adults, we pity this, so we pay for your treatments, for your oxygen machines.  We give you food and water though you are likely to live long enough."
-"He looked up at me.  It was horrible.  I could hardly look at him.  The Augustus Waters of the crooked smiles and unsmoked cigarettes was gone, replaced by this desperate humiliated creature sitting there beneath me."

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

Symbolism
-Calling the meeting spot for the support group "The Literal Heart of Jesus" which was mocked throughout the novel, but is proven to have been a place that brought people together.
Allusions
-There are allusions to Julius Caesar when they quote him and multiple allusions to An Imperial Affliction.
Irony
-Hazel was sick the entire book leading us to believe that she would die in the end and leave Augustus to be heartbroken, but he was the one to die first.
Foreshadowing
-Augustus is in pain and has trouble closing the elevator door when they're in Amsterdam which hints at the cancer that he reveals has returned.
Flashback
-Hazel remembers back to when her dad would toss her up in the air and catch her when she was young, remembering back to that frightening moment of not knowing if her dad would catch her.
Narrative
-We are able to see how great the effect Augustus had on Hazel because the story is being told through her eyes.
Personification
-The characters discuss cancer as if it was it was a character itself.
Pathos
-The tragedy experienced in the book tugs at the heart strings of the readers.
Epiphanies
-When Hazel meets Van Houten she realizes that things don't always live up to your expectations, but you have to be okay with that and do what you can to make the situation better.
Billdungsroman
-Hazel develops her character throughout the novel and becomes more than just her disease.