Wednesday, October 30, 2013

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.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

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.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

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.

Friday, October 25, 2013

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.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

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.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

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.

Friday, October 11, 2013

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.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Hamlet Learning Communities

http://thehamletweblog.blogspot.com/

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

http://moran3hamlet.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

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.

Friday, October 4, 2013

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

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

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.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

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.