Look at my Brain

My masterpiece reflects my capability for creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.  The creative aspect would be that I pulled the idea out of a big idea, or just a selfish need to help people.  Creativity helped narrow down my wants into an idea that I could put into action.  Critical thinking becomes apparent in the execution of the masterpiece and what I can accomplish by the end of the year.  Collaboration seems to be the biggest key in my masterpiece, due mostly to the fact that I'm working together with Serena on this project which can be a little challenging when you have two very different ideas, but it's our ability to collaborate that will make this masterpiece a success.

Love Is Blind

Macbeth seems to have some love goggles on in his views of Lady Macbeth, he seems to unknowingly accept everything she says as final word.  The audience is able to see more of her manipulative side and how she becomes driven by power and greed.

What About My Masterpiece

This week has been surprisingly busy for being so late in the year.  That has given me limited time to work on my masterpiece, but it has still been on my mind.  This week has been all over the place between working the baseball games, hauling my sister back and forth between swim practice, working in the athletic training room, and accepting my admission at San Francisco State and figuring out everything that comes after that.  My multitasking skills are really being put to the test here, but I think I can figure it out.

Macbeth Act 1

Due to a WASC meeting I was unable to be in on the lecture on Act One so I looked around at other students blogs for a little guidance.  Once I go over the Act more in depth and ask for some help in class I'll post my analysis.

Lit Analysis #3

Meet Macbeth

How is Macbeth introduced through in/direct characterization?
-Macbeth is indirectly introduced through a speech about his courageousness in battle.

What elements of foreshadowing do the witches provide?
-The witches foreshadow a contradicting theme that what's good isn't necessarily good and what's bad isn't necessarily bad.

How does Shakespeare's approach to exposition give the reader background information about the setting and characters and a sense of what's to come without spoiling the play?
-Shakespeare provides us with a vague prophecy that does not include instructions for Macbeth, therefore not spoiling the play for us.

How does Shakespeare's characterization of Macbeth reflect a sense of tone (i.e., the author's attitude toward the character/s, audience, and/or subject matter)?
-Shakespeare's characterization of Macbeth gives us a feeling that Macbeth is someone who's viewed very highly which could be taken as a hint to his demise.

What themes appear evident in Macbeth's character and conduct?  To what extent do you think these themes will drive the rest of the play?
-Macbeths' unsure and nervous feelings about the prophecy hint at his seeming lack of ability to pull it off and the guilt that will consume him.

Seeking Mentor

I think we need a mediator more than a mentor, Serena and I seem to be going different ways on our masterpiece so we need to sit down and really talk about what we want to accomplish by the end of the year.

My Macbeth Resources

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/macbeth/

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/macbethresources.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/m/macbeth/macbeth-at-a-glance

http://www.gradesaver.com/macbeth/study-guide/

Is There an Expert in the House

same deal as my This is Only a Test post. To be continued...

This is Only a Test

To be completely honest my masterpiece is kind of all over the place right now, I've been working with Serena on it but we haven't had any time to sit down and really discuss what our next steps are due to conflicting schedules and unforeseen issues.  Once we have that discussion I will update this post.

Huxley's Brave New World

In Huxley's interview he talked about how the increasing reliance on technology and drugs could lead to a corrupt society such as the one he portrayed in his novel.  Huxley did mention, however, that the alternate universe he created was a little extreme and that our society is most likely not on that path.  Huxley also seems to underestimate the human evolution that we go through despite the advances in technology.

Benchmark Project

I'm working together with Serena on our project, the post can be found on her blog Serena Nichols

10 Questions

My questions are for the expert who coined the term "Dude Be Nice" Mike Smith.

1.) How did you become such a positive person in such a negative culture?

2.) Why do you think America is so focused on negative media?

3.) How can we best share more stories about people doing positive things in our community/world?

4.) How can I personally take action to combat the vastly growing negativity-wave in the media?

5.) How do you get other people to join in?

6.) Do you think there is a way to share important world news that creates a channel for positive change and awareness?

7.) How do you reach out to a tough audience like teenagers?

8.) How do you go from wanting to help people to actually doing it?

9.) You're quite popular on social media, how do you stay positive on such a negative platform?

10.) How can two high school kids with an idea take that and run with it?

My Team

Serena Nichols: she and I are working together on our masterpiece so she's obviously a key element in it's success.
Lesther Valenzuela: he showed some interest in our idea and I am interested in his.
Hannah Savaso, Taylor Duguran, and Meghan Martella: we all relate in our wanting to help people and promote positivity and I saw that they're all working together on a somewhat similar project.

Launch

      I'm working with my partner in crime, Serena Nichols, on this masterpiece.  We both were sort of unsure as to what we wanted to do for our project but knew that we both wanted to help people.  In class we came up with an idea for a website to help people get involved in community organizations that make a difference.  So many people want to help out and volunteer, but just don't know how to go about it.  Our website would give resources on how to become involved locally and how that helps the community and the world as a whole. 
      Another thing we want to portray on our site is positive news stories because we're fairly interested in the news and finding out what's going on in the world and we noticed that the media tends to focus on negativity.  We want to highlight stories that are positive and have hopeful messages and inspirations. 
      Our main goal is to show that a little positivity or kindness goes a long way.  No good deed goes unnoticed and positivity is truly appreciated no matter how much negative news and events seem to outshine it.

Welcome to the Interdisciplinary

I have not come up with a clear plan yet, when I was thinking of those questions I answered the other week I realized that my goals had to do with once I move to San Francisco for college, and therefore cannot be accomplished by the time I graduate high school.  Since my goals don't really match up with the assignment I'm going to look for groups to join which somewhat meet my interests.

I Am Here

I'm going to be honest when I say I'm in this class because it's an AP course and I never considered taking college prep English.  This first grading period I've been really thinking about what my senior project is going to be and since I didn't really spend a lot of time and effort on the big question last semester I'm trying to decide what to do.  I don't really know how I'm going to turn my love of helping people into a project that I can accomplish over a semester, but I'm working on it.  If I can't come up with anything myself I'll most likely join another collaborative working group and help out where it's needed.  In the end though this class is mostly about the grade and all the typical elements of a high school class to me.

Lit Terms #6

simile: a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid
-"Brave as a lion."

soliloquy: an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, esp. by a character in a play
-Hamlet gives many famous soliloquies.

spiritual: of or relating to religion or religious belief
-Many Native American stories were spiritual.

speaker: a person who speaks
-The author lets you know what the speaker in the story thinks.

stereotype: a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing
-"All Asians are good at math."

stream of consciousness: a person's thoughts and conscious reactions to events, perceived as a continuous flow
-To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

structure: the arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex
-Some authors are very structured in their writing while others are more scattered.

style: a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed
-My writing style is sort of scattered.

subordination: the action or state of subordinating or of being subordinate
-"The subordination of medicine to political expediency."

surrealism: a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images
-"The Magnetic Fields."

suspension of disbelief: infusing a "human interest and a semblance of truth" into a fantastic tale so the reader would suspend judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrative
-Highlander.

symbol: a thing that represents or stands for something else, esp. a material object representing something abstract
-Godot was a sort of symbol of hope in Waiting for Godot.

synesthesia: the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body
-The Devine Comedy by Dante

synecdoche: figure of speech: a figure of speech in which the word for part of something is used to mean the whole
-"Sail" in place of "boat".

syntax: organization of words in sentences: the ordering of and relationship between the words and other structural elements in phrases and sentences
-"Colorless green ideas sleep furiously."

theme: distinct and unifying idea: a distinct, recurring, and unifying quality or idea
-Most of the books I read have a theme of love.

thesis: a proposition advanced as an argument
-Your thesis statement is arguably the most important part of your essay.

tone: the general quality or character of something as an indicator of the attitude or view of the person who produced it
-I don't generally enjoy books with a melancholy tone.

tongue in cheek: a figure of speech used to imply that a statement or other production is humorously or otherwise not seriously intended, and it should not be taken at face value
-The comedian's material was a little tongue in cheek.

tragedy: a disastrous circumstance or event
-Hamlet is a tragedy.

understatement: restrained or muted statement: a statement, or a way of expressing yourself, that is deliberately less forceful or dramatic than the subject would seem to justify or require
-Saying that Brave New World is weird is an understatement.

vernacular: the everyday language of the people in a country or region, as distinct from official or formal language
-Typically young adult books use a more modern vernacular.

voice: the characteristic speech and thought patterns of a first-person narrator
-The author's voice is usually portrayed through the main character.

zeitgeist: ideas and spirit of time: the ideas prevalent in a period and place, particularly as expressed in literature, philosophy, and religion
-The zeitgeist in the 70s was love everyone.

Lit Terms #5

parallelism:repetition for effect: in writing, the deliberate repetition of words or sentence structures for effect
-"beside one another."

parody: amusing imitation: a piece of writing or music that deliberately copies another work in a comic or satirical way
-Saturday Night Live is famous for it's political and pop culture parodies.

pathos: quality that arouses pity: the quality in something that makes people feel pity or sadness
-The ASPCA commercials utilize pathos.

pedantry: a pedantic attitude or an example of pedantic behavior
-A friend standing in line for a show not letting another friend cut in line in front of them.

personification: an embodiment or perfect example of something
-"The stars danced playfully in the moonlit sky."

plot: the story or sequence of events in something such as a novel, play, or movie
-Some people found the plot of American Hustle hard to follow.

poignant: particularly penetrating and effective or relevant
-The death of Simba's father was a poignant moment in the movie.

point of view: somebody's way of thinking about or approaching a subject, as shaped by his or her own character, experience, mindset, and history
-In an argument you should always try and see the other person's point of view.

postmodernism: a style in architecture, art, literature, and criticism developed after and often in reaction to modernism, characterized by reference to other periods or styles in a self-conscious way and a rejection of the notion of high art
-"The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot."

prose: writing or speech in its normal continuous form, without the rhythmic or visual line structure of poetry
-"The cheetah is the fastest land animal."

protagonist: the most important character in a novel, play, story, or other literary work
-Harry Potter.

pun: a humorous use of words that involves a word or phrase that has more than one possible meaning
-"Why do people study gravity? It's a pretty attractive field."

purpose: the goal or intended outcome of something
-Most authors don't write for the sole purpose of making money.

realism: a  practical understanding and acceptance of the actual nature of the world, rather than an idealized or romantic view of it
-Mark Twain.

refrain: to avoid doing something or hold yourself back from doing something
-I should refrain from using the word "like" so much.

requiem: a piece of music written to commemorate somebody who has died
-The Oscars do a live requiem each year.

resolution: the process of resolving something such as a problem or dispute
-I know the movie is going to end soon if the resolution begins.

restatement: to state again or in a new way
-Puck, from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

rhetoric: speech or writing that communicates its point persuasively
My uncle was an expert in rhetoric when he was the speech writer for Diane Feinstein.

rhetorical question: a question asked for effect that neither expects nor requires an answer
-"Is the pope Catholic?"

rising action: a related series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest
-The rising action really hooks me into a book or a movie.

romanticism: romantic quality or spirit in thought, expression, or action
-Daffodils by William Wordsworth.

satire: the use of wit, especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule, to criticize faults
-Jimmy Fallon uses some satire in his opening monologue.

scansion: the analysis of verse according to the rules of meter
-I never quite mastered scansion when writing poetry.

setting:  the surroundings or environment in which something exists or takes place
-Usually when the character is sad their setting is dark and gloomy.

Literature Analysis #1 (2nd semester)

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

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.).

-The Joy Luck Club was a collection of stories of Chinese-American mothers and daughters who were struggling with their relationships and with the American world they live in and have to grow accustomed to.  The story does focus mostly on Jing Mei trying to find and reunite with her half sisters from China.  The book mainly focuses on the mothers trying to uphold their tradition and the daughters trying to adapt to their new American lifestyles while trying to keep a good relationship with each other.

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

-I would say that the main theme of the novel would be overcoming or conquering cultural differences and finding who you really are and what you represent, not just based on where you were born, but on who you are as a person.  The mothers think of China as their home and do not want to take on the American way of life, instead sticking with their old ways and complaining and looking down on the American customs and people.  The daughters are struggling with their identity, they feel tied to America because that's where they were raised and it's how they've lived, but they're also tied to their Chinese heritage because that's how their mothers raised them and the culture they've grown up with.

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

-The tone changes with the memories of the characters, sometimes it's joyous and wistful and other times it's difficult and somber. 

      "It was only later that I discovered there was a serious flaw with the American version. There were too many choices, so it was easy to get confused and pick the wrong thing."

      “My breath came out like angry smoke. It was cold…The alley was quiet and I could see the yellow lights shining from our flat like two tiger’s eyes in the night.”

      “I raced down the street, dashing between people, not looking back as my mother screamed shrilly ‘Meimei! Meimei!’ I fled down an alley, past dark, curtained shops and merchants washing grime off their windows."

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. 

      1.) Metaphor:"I see it right away: the marble end table collapsed on top of its spindly black legs... 'Fallen down,' she says simply...'It doesn't matter,' I say and I started to pick up the broken glass shards. 'I knew it would happen.' 'Then why don't stop it?' asks my mother. And it's such a simple question."

      2.) Parable: The parable of the Queen Mother of the Western Skies

      3.) Rhetorical Questions:"I wanted my children to have the best combination: American circumstances and Chinese character. How could I know these things do not mix?"

      4.) Symbols: The coy fish the mother loved, and the goldfish that the daughter loved

      5.) Allusion: Mention of the Ed Sullivan Show

      6.) Simile:"...she backed out of the room, stunned, as if she were blowing away like a small brown leaf, thin, brittle, lifeless."

      7.) Foreshadowing:"'What use for?'" asks my mother, jiggling the table with her hand. 'you put something else on top, everything fall down. Chunwang chihan."

      8.) Epiphany: Jing-Mei has an epiphany after her mother's death.

      9.) Imagery: When describing memories Amy Tan uses imagery to help us picture what the character is thinking of.

      10.) Paradox: The whole idea of being a "Chinese-American" seems like a paradox to me.

1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.

-The author uses indirect characterization by telling the story from the points of view of the mothers and daughters.  The author uses direct characterization when she compares the characters to objects based on their qualities.

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?

-The author's syntax and diction change when telling the story from the mothers' point of view and the daughters' point of view, the mothers' English is broken and formal while the daughters' is more authentic.

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round? 

-Jing-Mei is a dynamic and round character while her mother is a static and flat character.  Jing-Mei becomes a dynamic and round character after her mother's death when she finally understands her mother and all she went through to be who she was.

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?

-I came away from the book feeling like I'd met people because they shared their deepest, darkest secrets in those pages and I felt for them.

What's the Story?

Why did Charles Dickens write the novel you're reading/reviewing?  What in your analysis of literary techniques led you to this conclusion? (Make sure to include textual support illustrating Dickens' use of at least three techniques we've studied/discussed this year.)
-Dickens was inspired by the story of the play he acted in, The Frozen Deep, which was one of self-sacrifice.  Dickens also drew inspiration from his experiences with the two cities, London and Paris, including the bright side and the dark side.  A literary technique that led me to this conclusion was the use of a motif which was, in this case, death which was represented by the war and the infamous guillotine.  Another would be his use of the narrative, Dickens approached the story as if it was from his life using his own experiences for inspiration.  Imagery was another big literary technique which was shown in the storm breaking the prisoners free.  These techniques allowed for us to get hooked although we already knew the inevitability of what was going to happen while also allowing us to put ourselves in the characters shoes.

Tale of Two Cities: Lecture Notes

Lit Terms #4

interior monologue: a form of stream-of-consciousness writing that represents the inner thoughts of a character
-The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe.

inversion: reversal of the usual or natural order of words; anastrophe
-"United there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided there is little we can do." -JFK

juxtaposition: an act or instance of placing close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast
-The room was filled with a deafening silence.

lyric:having the form and musical quality of a song, and especially the character of a songlike outpouring of the poet's own thoughts and feelings, as distinguished from epic and dramatic poetry
-Lyric written in 1830 by Alexander Pushkin.

magic(al) realism: a style of painting and literature in which fantastic or imaginary and often unsettling images or events are depicted in a sharply detailed, realistic manner
-Beloved by Toni Morrison.

metaphor (extended, controlling, & mixed): see below

extended metaphor: a metaphor introduced and then further developed throughout all or part of a literary work, especially a poem
-The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.

controlling metaphor: a symbolic story in which the real meaning is not directly put across the whole poem or may be a metaphor for something else
-Winsome.

mixed metaphor: the use in the same expression of two or more metaphors that are incongruous or illogical when combined
-“The president will put the ship of state on its feet.”

metonymy: a figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part
-"the bottle" for "strong drink".

modernism: modern character, tendencies, or values; adherence to or sympathy with what is modern
-Theology.

monologue: a form of dramatic entertainment, comedic solo, or the like by a single speaker
-Usually when auditioning for a play you have to memorize a monologue.

mood: a prevailing emotional tone or general attitude
-The books mood was rather gloomy.

motif: a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work
-Mrs. Byrne stressed to us sophomore year to use motifs in our essays.

myth: a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature
-We discussed some Greek myths in English class freshman year.

narrative: a story or account of events, experiences, or the like, whether true or fictitious
-We seemed to right a lot of narratives in elementary school.
 
narrator: a person who gives an account or tells the story of events, experiences, etc
-I was cast as the narrator in the elementary school play.

naturalism: a manner or technique of treating subject matter that presents, through volume of detail, a deterministic view of human life and actions
-Emile Zola was one of the creators of the naturalist movement.

novelette/novella: a brief novel or long short story
-Animal Farm by George Orwell

omniscient point of view: the reader is all seeing and all knowing
-The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

onomatopoeia: the formation of a word, by imitation of a sound made by or associated with its referent
-Boom.

oxymoron: a figure of speech by which a locution produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect
-Jumbo shrimp.

 pacing: a rate of activity, progress, growth, performance, etc
-tempo.

 parable: a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson
-The Lost Coin.

 paradox: a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth
-"I always lie."

Lit Terms #3

exposition: the portion of a story that introduces important background information to the audience
-The Sweet Valley Twins books always have the same exposition.

 expressionism: a  technique of distorting objects and events in order to represent them as they are perceived by a character in a literary work
-Samuel Beckett was an expressionist playwright.

 fable: a short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects as characters
-The Tortoise and the Hare.
 
 fallacy: a deceptive, misleading, or false notion, belief
-A common fallacy back in the day was that the world was flat.

 falling action: the part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict has been resolved
-All the problems previously presented in the story seemed to disappear in the falling action.

 farce: a light, humorous play in which the plot depends upon a skillfully exploited situation rather than upon the development of character
-The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde.

 figurative language: language that contains or uses figures of speech, especially metaphors
-Wordsworth "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud".

 flashback: a device in the narrative of a motion picture, novel, etc., by which an event or scene taking place before the present time in the narrative is inserted into the chronological structure of the work
-The Lifetime movie Girl Positive uses a lot of flashbacks.

 foil: a person or thing that, by contrast, makes another seem better or more prominent
-The bad guy is also known as a foil.

 folk tale: a tale or legend originating and traditional among a people or folk, especially one forming part of the oral tradition of the common people
-Folk tales were usually passed down by orators.

 foreshadowing: to show or indicate beforehand; prefigure
-American Hustle used foreshadowing.

 free verse: verse that does not follow a fixed metrical pattern
-Fog by Carl Sandburg.

 genre: a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, technique, or the like
-I'm not interested in the science fiction or horror genres.

 gothic tale: a style in literature characterized by gloomy settings, violent or grotesque action, and a mood of decay, degeneration, and decadence
-Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

 hyperbole: obvious and intentional exaggeration
-"Wait an eternity."

 imagery: figurative description or illustration; rhetorical images collectively
-Her poem about the garden used a lot of imagery.

 implication: something implied or suggested as naturally to be inferred or understood
-The dreary weather was an implication that the character was feeling down.

 incongruity: the quality or condition of being incongruous
-The underdogs achieving greatness.

 inference: the act or process of inferring
-You can infer that the straight A student with multiple community service projects was accepted into at least one college.

 irony: the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning
-Parking in the driveway and driving on a parkway.

Lit Terms Remix 1-5

1.) Circumlocution

1. indirect way of saying something: the use of more words than necessary to express something, especially to avoid saying it directly
2. indirect expression: something said using more words than necessary, especially to avoid expressing it directly

This reminds me of Marine Science and learning about Ferdinand Magellan who was the first person to circumnavigate the world, which took a very long time, a lot longer than was necessary to get from point A to point B.

2.) Classicism

clearness, elegance, symmetry, and repose produced by attention to traditional forms

This reminds me of classy people who pretend to like elegant things such as art galleries.

3.) Cliché
a phrase or expression that has been used so often that it is no longer original or interesting

This made me think of the saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." I'm pretty sure it didn't raise the consumption of apples and you should definitely still get regular check ups from your physician.

4.) Climax
the most interesting and exciting part of something : the high point

I immediately started singing Usher's Climax in my head and while it doesn't exactly have to do with literature in this case, it does relate.

5.) Colloquialism
a word, phrase or paralanguage that is employed in conversational or informal language but not in formal speech or formal writing.

This sounded a lot like the sort of "texting language" we use to communicate with.

Lit Terms #2

circumlocution: a roundabout or evasive speech or writing, in which many words are used but a few would have served
 -Saying "a certain long-eared animal with a penchant for carrots" instead of saying "rabbit"

classicism:  a traditional style of literature, art, or music that is usually graceful and simple with parts that are organized in a pleasing way
-Ancient sculptures are known for their classicism qualities

cliché: overused expressions that lose their original meaning
-Frightened to death

climax: the decisive point in a narrative or drama; the pint of greatest intensity or interest at which plot question is answered or resolved
-I can't put the book down at it's climax

colloquialism: folksy speech, slang words or phrases usually used in informal conversation
-Twain was among the first to utilize colloquialism

comedy: style of entertainment intended to make an audience laugh
-My favorite genre of movies would have to be the comedies

conflict: struggle or problem in a story causing tension
-The conflict in The Hunger Games is that Katniss must fight for her life while also protecting Peeta.

connotation: implicit meaning, going beyond dictionary definition
-A hint

contrast: when an idea or object is used in opposition of another
- Her style when she was younger is much different than her style today.

denotation: plain dictionary definition
 -The denotation does not care what society thinks

denouement: loose ends tied up in a story after the climax, closure, conclusion

-The denouement in Great Expectations is Pip and Estella's marriage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

dialect: a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group
-People from the South are known for their twangy, down home dialect

dialectics: formal debates usually over the nature of truth.
 -"Sophists employed the method of dialectic (Greek: dialektike) in their teaching, or inventing arguments for and against a proposition. This approach taught students to argue either side of a case." James A. Herrick

dichotomy: a split or break between two opposing things
-There was a dichotomy when the judges were split fifty-fifty while making their decision

diction: distinctive tone/ wording of an author
-Shakespeare "thy" "thee"

didactic: having to do with the transmission of information; education.
-Didactic lectures are vital to learning

dogmatic: rigid in beliefs and principles

-Perhaps we are all being a bit too dogmatic

elegy: a poem or serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead
-Eulogies can be forms of an elegy

epic: a long narrative poem unified by a hero who reflects the customs, morals, and aspirations of his nation or race as he makes his way through legendary and historic exploits.

-Beowulf 

epigram: a concise saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way
-"The more corrupt the state the more numerous the laws"

epitaph: a phrase or statement written in memory of a person who has died
-A poem would make a great epitaph

epithet: a short, descriptive name or phrase that  may insult someone’s character,
characteristics
-Lord of the dead and mighty for Aidoneus

euphemism: the use of a mild word in the place of an offensive or blunt word
-Passed away instead of diedevocative: calling forth memories and sensations
- The smell of pie reminded her of last thanksgiving.

AP Prep Post 1: Siddhartha

1.) What purpose does self-denial serve in Siddhartha? What about self-indulgence?
(http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/questions.html)
-Siddhartha deals with a lot of self-denial by denying himself of food, comforts, and family.  These sacrifices are made to help him become his true self, to strip away the exteriors that people hide behind in life.

2.) What does enlightenment look like in Siddhartha? Is it a feeling? An attitude?
(http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/questions.html)
-In the passage enlightenment is a feeling and an attitude because you understand Siddhartha's want to be enlightened and also the feeling that he's on that path.

3.) Siddhartha features substantial activity and narrative action. At the same time, it is about one man’s largely internal spiritual quest. What is the relationship between the internal and exterior worlds of Siddhartha? How does Siddhartha negotiate these worlds?
(http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/siddhartha/study.html)
-Siddhartha contradicts himself throughout the passage, his actions do not reflect his thoughts.  As the passage goes on he begins to trust in his thoughts and take action that corresponds to them.

4.) What becomes of Siddhartha's "glorious, exalted awakening" that he had experienced in his youth? 
(http://www.summit.k12.co.us)
-It is a thing of the past and becomes part of Siddhartha's memory. 






















                                                                                                                                                                       5.) Consider Siddhartha’s relationship with Govinda. How are they similar, and how are they different? What are the narrative functions of Govinda’s reappearance throughout the novel? How does their relationship impact the novel’s ending?
(http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/siddhartha/study.html)                                                                                                                                                       


-Govinda is briefly mentioned in the passage when they discuss all the monks joined together in a brotherhood.  Govinda seems to be sure in himself and in his choices and well respected by others while Siddhartha is struggling with his feelings.

For the AP exam I'll need to brush up on my AP reading, starting with the first literature analysis book which I'm still on the hunt for.  The more I read and comprehend from that list the better prepared I'll be for the test, I just need to buckle down and get ready.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Hacking My Education

1.) What do I want to learn?
-I'd like to take time this semester to read more into history, past what we are taught in class.  I would like to one day be a US History teacher and want to keep my interest in the subject by supplementing myself with more and more knowledge on the subject.  This semester I also want to learn the ins and outs of the maintenance of the athletic programs in schools, by working in the Athletic Training room after school and keeping the scorebook for the Varsity Baseball team.  In college I hope to be able to be a part of a team or sports organization, working behind the scenes whether its in scorekeeping or management.  These skills I will learn will help me in the long run because as a teacher I'd also like to take on the role of coach, because I know how important a good high school sports experience can be to someone.

2.) Skills
This semester I'd like to work on making my blog a little more personal, originally I used the blog specifically for posting my work with no frills or additional posts.  Now that I've become a little more blog savvy I will add more features and start posting things that are important to me, not just our assignments.

3.) What experiences do I want to have?
-I want to have fun this semester, not in a let's go crazy forget about school way, but in a way where I focus on the things important to me and forget about the things that aren't.  I want to do something that will make an interesting story to tell my kids and my grandkids one day.

What's in This for Me

This semester I want to be able to focus on what really interests me and prepare for my college experience.  If everything goes according to plan I'll be studying US History at San Francisco State while working with their athletic program, hopefully scorekeeping for the baseball team.  In preparation for that I'll be joining the student athletic training program once school starts up again and keeping my position as co-scorekeeper for our baseball team.  The only thing I'd like to add to that is spending more time learning about historical figures and events because you can only learn so much from the two US History courses you take in your life.  I don't want to give myself too much to do because I don't want to stress myself out, I'd like to enjoy this last semester as a warrior as much as I can.