No Exit Literature Analysis

1. Hell. The play begins with the three main characters being introduced to their new home, the burning center of the Earth that we dream of as a place of torture and agony. The representation of Hell in this play is different in that it is not on fire or boiling hot, freezing cold or full of torturers. It is much simpler, much more personal in design. In this play Hell is other people, others that remind us of our selves, others that we cannot escape, others that we must look at every minute for eternity with no break or rest. They remind us of our mistakes that would have put us there in the first place. The three characters speak to one another and begin to quarrel, despite different efforts made to prevent the torturing of each other the three fight. They turn their new home into what will torture them the most. They can never leave, they are stuck together forever, forever they must hate each other, and forever they must be the cause of each other's torment.

2. "Hell is other people" this is the most common theme that can be derived from the play. Others torture us when they remind us of our own faults or impurities.

3. The tone is harsh, it is dark and depletes ones spirits. It is very powerful and conveys the message to the readers forcefully and accurately . The tone shows the true torment and  pain the characters go through as they truly understand why they are in Hell. They learn their faults and are tortured by the fact that it is too late to fix them, it is too late to be good again. For the prisoners in this play, there is no going back to the way things were, there is no way to redeem themselves.

4.

Setting- The setting of the story secures the fact that the other tries to imply that Hell is other people. The setting is fairly peaceful and pleasant. The room they are locked in is in no means harmful to any of its prisoners. The setting helps to emphasize that we are the cause of others pain.

Direct Characterization- Garcin tries to tell the type of person he believes himself to be. This information is mostly false but as you read you can understand why he feels this way and you can get a sense that he truly believes what he is saying.

Indirect Characterization- The majority of the characters traits are shown through actions or their words. The author does not simple state what a characters intentions or thoughts are. The author makes the reader come to their own understandings and interpretations of the characters through their interactions with the other characters and the environment that they are trapped in.

Conflict- conflict is created through the acts of characters, whether it is them interacting with each other or it is them being left alone to reflect on their own thoughts conflict is always produced by the people. The conflict in this play is created by the characters just by existing and knowing that the others exist, they cause conflict just by the existence of each other. They also cause conflict in themselves by questioning why they are where they are and what they did to deserve it.

Allegory- It is a room that can be understood to represent hell on the most basic level. The deeper you interpret the room and the characters you understand that the room is merely a place that holds the aspects, the room itself is average, a place you could see in actual life. The people and the memories that follow and haunt you into the room are what make it Hell. The room itself is not at fault but the things that we bring with us or the things that make us remember, make the room into what it is understood to represent. 

To Blog or Not to Blog

For our final project in English my group has decided to make a blog dedicated to understanding the plot of Hamlet as well as creating colloquial summaries for a few of the soliloquies, sonnets and other things. The project is not fully completed yet but comments to the posts would be much appreciated. I hope you enjoy it.
To Blog or Not to Blog

List 3

Accolade: any award, honor, or privilege granted as an acknowledgement of merit.
Acerbity: sourness, a sharp bitterness
attrition: a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength; a wearing down or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure or harassment:.
Bromide: a person who is boring.
chauvinist :a person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism.
Chronic: habitual, (of an illness) Persisting for a long time or constantly recurring.
expound: to explain in detail or the meaning of
factionalism: The splitting of a group into factions; Conflict between factions
immaculate: free from flaws or mistakes; clean
Imprecation: a spoken cure; cursing.
ineluctable: Unable to be resisted or avoided; inescapable
mercurial: changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic; animated; lively; sprightly; quick-witted.
palliate: to relieve or lessen without curing or removing the cause; mitigate; alleviate.
protocol: the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette.
resplendent: shining brilliantly; gleaming; splendid: attractive/impressive through being coloful
stigmatize: to set some mark of disgrace or infamy upon:
sub rosa: happening or done in secret; confidentially; privately.
vainglory: excessive elation, vanity or pride
vestige: a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that is no longer present or in existence; smallest amount.
volition:the act of willing, choosing, or resolving; using one’s will

List 4

Apostate: person who forsakes his religion, party.
Effusive: expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner; lacking reserve.
Impasse: position or situation of no escape; deadlock.
Euphoria: a feeling of happiness, confidence, or well-being
Lugubrious: looking or sounding sad or and dismal.
Bravado: A bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate; pretentious, swaggering display of courage.
Consensus: General agreement; majority opinion
Dichotomy: A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different
Constrict: Make narrower, esp. by encircling pressure
Gothic: Of or in the style of architecture prevalent in western Europe in the 12th–16th centuries, characterized by pointed arches, rib vaults, and flying buttresses, together with large windows and elaborate tracery; portentously gloomy or horrifying
Punctilio: A fine or petty point of conduct or procedure; a fine point, particular, or detail, as of conduct, ceremony, or procedure.
Metamorphosis: A change of the form or nature of a thing or person into a completely different one, by natural or supernatural means.
sine qua non: An essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary
quixotic: Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical
raconteur: A person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way
vendetta: A prolonged bitter quarrel with or campaign against someone; A blood feud in which the family of a murdered person seeks vengeance on the murderer or the murderer's family
non sequitur: “does not follow”; statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement
mystique: A fascinating aura of mystery, awe, and power surrounding someone or something;
quagmire: A soft boggy area of land that gives way underfoot; anything soft or flabby
parlous: Full of danger or uncertainty; precarious  

List 5

List # 5
1. Acumen-The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions; keen insight  shrewdness
2. adjudicate- Make a formal judgment or decision about a problem or disputed matter; judge
3. anachronism- A thing belonging or appropriate to a period other than that in which it exists, esp. a thing that is conspicuously old-fashioned; something that is out of place
4. apocryphal- of doubtful authenticity;unsure
5. disparity- A big difference; dissimilar
6. dissimulate- Conceal or disguise (one's thoughts, feelings, or character) under a falseappearance
7. empirical- Based on, concerned with, or verifiable by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic
8. flamboyant- Tending to attract attention because of their exuberance, confidence, and stylishness
9. fulsome- offensive to an excessive degree; Of large size or quantity; characterized by generousity or abundance
10. immolate- Kill or sacrifice by fire
11. imperceptible- Impossible to perceive; very slight, gradual, or subtle
12. lackey- a servant; a servile follower
13. liaison- A person who acts as a link to assist communication or cooperation between groups of people; Communication or cooperation that facilitates a close working relationship between people or organizations
14. monolithic- consisting of one piece; solid or unbroken
15. mot juste-the exact appropriate word
16. nihilism- The rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless; extreme skepticism
17. patrician-an aristocrat or nobleman; pertaining to the aristocracy
18. Propitiate- Win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them.
19. Sic- usually written parenthetically to denote that a word, phrase, passage, etc., that may appear strange or incorrect has been written intentionally or has been quoted verbatim:
20. Sublimate- Divert or modify (an instinctual impulse) into a culturally higher or socially more acceptable activity; to divert the energy of (a sexual or other biological impulse) from its immediate goal to one of a more acceptable social, moral, or aesthetic nature or use.

List 6

List # 6
1. Beatitude- Supreme blessedness
2. bete noire- someone or something which is particularly disliked or avoided; an object of aversion the bane of one’s existence.
3. Bode- Be an omen of a particular outcome; announce beforehand
4. Dank- unpleasantly damp, musty, and typically cold
5. Ecumenical- general; universal; Promoting or relating to unity among the world's Christian churches
6. Fervid- Intensely enthusiastic or passionate; heated or vehement in spirit or enthusiasm.
7. Fetid- Smelling extremely unpleasant or having an offensive odor
8. Gargantuan- gigantic; enormous; colossal:
9. Heyday- The period of a person's or thing's greatest success, popularity, vigor, strength, or success; an exclamation of cheerfulness, surprise, wonder
10. Incubus- A male demon believed to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; a cause of distress or anxiety like a nightmare
11. Infrastructure- the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization
12. Inveigle- to acquire, win, or obtain by beguiling talk or methods; persuade by trickery or cleverness
13. Kudos- Praise and honor received for an achievement
14. Lagniappe- a gift or token
15. Prolix- Using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
16. Protégé- a person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in his or her career or welfare
17. Prototype- the original or model on which something is based or formed
18. sycophant-A person who acts obsequiously toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer
19. tautology- A phrase or expression in which the same thing is said twice in different words
20. truckle- to submit or yield obsequiously or tamely; to give in like a coward
21. obsequious-Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree; false flattery

List 7

List # 7
1. aberration-(Noun)A departure from what is normal, usual, or expected, typically one that is unwelcome; A person whose beliefs or behavior are unusual or unacceptable.
2. ad hoc-(Adjective)Formed, arranged, or done for a particular purpose only.
3. bane-(Noun)A cause of great distress or annoyance;Something, typically poison, that causes death.
4. bathos- ludicrous descent from the exalted or lofty to the commonplace; anticlimax;
5. cantankerous-(Adjective)Bad-tempered, argumentative, and uncooperative.
6. casuistry-(Noun)The use of clever but unsound reasoning, esp. in relation to moral questions; sophistry;The resolving of moral problems by the application of theoretical rules to particular instances.
7. de factor-(Adverb)In fact, whether by right or not; (Adjective)Denoting someone or something that is such in fact: "a de facto one-party system".
8. depredation-(Noun)An act of attacking or plundering.
9. empathy-(Noun)The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
10. harbinger-anything that foreshadows a future event; omen; sign: Frost is a harbinger of winter.
11. hedonism-the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good; choosing pleasure as a way of life
12. lackluster-lacking brilliance or radiance; dull: lackluster eyes.
13. malcontent-not satisfied or content with currently prevailing conditions or circumstances. dissatisfied with the existing government, administration, system, etc.(Noun) A person who is dissatisfied and rebellious. (Adjective) Dissatisfied and complaining or making trouble.
14. mellifluous-(Adjective)(of a voice or words) Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear.
15. nepotism-(Noun)The practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, esp. by giving them jobs.
16. pander-Gratify or indulge (an immoral or distasteful desire, need, or habit or a person with such a desire, etc.).
17. peccadillo-(Noun)A small, relatively unimportant offense or sin.
18. piece de resistance-the principal dish of a meal; the most noteworthy or prized feature, aspect, event, article, etc., of a series or group; special item or attraction.
19. remand-to send back, remit, or consign again.
20. syndrome-a group of related or coincident things, events, actions, etc.;predictable, characteristic pattern of behavior, action, etc., that tends to occur under certain circumstances

List 8

List # 8
Abeyance: temporary disuse or inactivity
Ambivalent: simultaneous and contradictory feelings; having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone
Beleaguer: trouble, harass; surround and harass with difficulties
Carte blanche: full discretionary power; Complete freedom to act as one wishes or thinks best; a blank check
Cataclysm: event that brings great changes; A large-scale and violent event in the natural world; A sudden violent upheaval, esp. in a political or social context
Debauch: to lead away from virtue or excellence; (noun) A bout of excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures, esp. eating and; (verb) Destroy or debase the moral purity of; corrupt; deprave
Éclat: ostentatious (pretentious) display; publicity; Brilliant display or effect
Fastidious: having high and often capricious (fickle) standards; difficult to please; Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail.
Gambol: to skip about in play
Imbue: Inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality
Inchoate: Just begun and so not fully formed or developed; rudimentary
Lampoon: (verb) Publicly criticize (someone or something) by using ridicule or sarcasm; (noun) A speech or text criticizing someone or something in this way
Malleable: Able to be hammered or pressed permanently out of shape without breaking or cracking; easily influenced
Nemesis: The inescapable or implacable agent of someone's or something's downfall.
Opt: Make a choice from a range of possibilities
Philistine: A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them
Picaresque: Of or relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero
Queasy: Nauseated; feeling sick
Refractory: (adj.) Stubborn or unmanageable;
Savoir-faire: The ability to act or speak appropriately in social situation

List 9

List # 9
1. Abortive-failing to succeed; unsuccessful; born prematurely imperfectly developed; rudimentary.
2. Bruit-to voice abroad; rumor (used chiefly in the passive and often fol. by about ); clamor.
3. Contumelious; scornful and insulting; insolent.
4. Dictum-an authoritative pronouncement; judicial assertion; a saying
5. Ensconce-to settle securely or snugly; to cover or shelter; hide securely
6. Iconoclastic-characterized by attacks on established beliefs.
7. In medias res-into the middle of affairs; into the midst of things.
8. internecine-destructive to both sides in a conflict; murderous; deadly
9. maladroit-ineffective or bungling; clumsy; awkward
10. maudlin-self pityingly or tearfully sentimental; sentimental; mawkish
11. Modulate-exert a modifying or controlling influence on; vary the strength, tone, or pitch of.
12. Portentous-done in a pompous or overly solemn manner.
13. Prescience-the power to foresee the future.
14. quid pro quo-a favor or advantage granted in return for something
15. salubrious-pleasant; healthy-giving
16. saturnalian-the festival of Saturn, celebrated in December in ancient Rome as a time of unrestrained merrymaking
17. touchstone-a standard by which something is judged or recognized.
18. traumatic-emotionally disturbing or distressing
19. vitiate-spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of; destroy or impair the legal validity of; corrupt.

List 10

List # 10
aficionado- (noun) a serious devotee of some particular music genre or musical performer
browbeat- (verb) to discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate
commensurate- (adj) able to be measured by a common standard
diaphanous- (adj) Of such fine texture as to be transparent or translucent
emolument- (noun) Payment for an office or employment
foray- (noun) A sudden raid or military advance
genre- (noun) A realistic style of painting that depicts scenes from everyday life
homily- (noun) An inspirational saying or platitude
immure- (verb) To confine within or as if within walls; imprison
insouciant- (adj) carefree or unconcerned; light-hearted
matrix- (noun) a substance, situation, or environment in which something has its origin, takes form, or is enclosed
obsequies- (noun) A funeral rite or ceremony
panache- (noun) A bunch of feathers or a plume, especially on a helmet.
persona- (noun) The role that one assumes or displays in public or society; one's public image or personality, as distinguished from the inner self
philippic- (noun) a bitter or impassioned speech of denunciation; invective
prurient- (adj) unusually or morbidly interested in sexual thoughts or practices
sacrosanct- (adj) Regarded as sacred and inviolable
systemic- (adj) Of or relating to systems or a system
tendentious- (adj) Marked by a strong implicit point of view; partisan
vicissitude- (noun) A change or variation

The Kite Runner Literature Analysis

 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, anyone who was in Dr. Preston's class sophomore year should remember this book.

1. Amir is troubled for his entire life of the events that happened in his childhood growing up in Afghanistan with his one and only Hassan friend who was also like a servant to him. They acted like friends despite one being a servant for the other, they were strongly connected until the day of the kite fighting tournament. Amir finally won and it is tradition to have someone run after your kite and retrieve it for you, Hassan happily runs to chase the kite but is caught by the neighborhood bullies. Amir witnesses the whole unholy scene as his friend is raped by the bullies. Amir is tormented by this and not having stood up and protected Hassan, the no longer are friends but more of awkward acquaintances after the event. They no longer play together or talk. Amir and his father flee from Kabul as it gets invaded by the soviets. They move to California where Amir grows up, graduates from high school and marries Soraya. They fail to have a baby of their own. After many years of not knowing what happened to Hassan or his father Amir receives a note and is told that Hassan is dead but that he has a son. Amir goes to rescue Hassan's son Sohrab and brings him back home after much fighting for him. Amir also learns that he was half brothers with Hassan. In the end Sohrab flies a kite in a tournament and Amir runs the kite for him, it is the only time Sohrab smiled.
2. " There is a way to be good again" this is a famous quote from the book and Amir receives it in a letter from Afghanistan when he is told of Hassan having a son and Hassan dying. The theme of the story couldn't be summarized in a better sentence. This is exactly what the reader was intended to learn from the story. Just because you did something wrong doesn't there isn't a way to fix it and make things right again. Amir pushes himself to rescue Hassan's son at the risk of his own life. He is still tormented by not having stood up for Hassan and now feels he can redeem himself by standing up for his son.
3. “We’re a melancholic people, we Afghans, aren’t we? . . . We give in to loss, to suffering, accept it as a fact of life, even see it as necessary.”  Solemn. The story is told through a solemn and grieving tone. "There is only one sin, only one and that is theft." the main inspirational points in the story are almost depressing with the messages they give the reader. "A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything.”
4. Flashback- The story has many flashback moments that help the story to progress and provide supporting details. They hold the story together and provide information that is vital to the understanding of the story.
Atmosphere- the atmosphere of the story is often full of tension or suspense because of the powerful emotional elements that the book attempts to elicit from its readers.
Symbolism- Winning the kite battle and cheering with your best friend because the kite the two of you made together is powerful symbolism for friendship and achievement. Then when Hassan runs the kite the symbol of friendship and brotherhood is broken and shattered. The entire story is about Amir trying to restore this symbolism between him and Hassan and trying to find a way to be good again.
Metaphor- "It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb." The story is home to many metaphors that describe emotional or powerful moments in the story.
Paradox- "My body felt broken... but I felt healed" How can something be broken yet healed? Is it healed because it is less broken than before? A paradox is a strong way to make a reader thing about an important event or message from a story.

Nature Can Do That?

For those of you who haven't seen the nature blog Justin has made you should check it out. There are some crazy things about nature on there that I would never have thought were real. My favorite post being the one on Blobfish... they look like someone is trying to make a bad joke. Thanks Justin for such an interesting and funny blog.

http://jthompson2rhsenglitcomp2.blogspot.com/

Literature Analysis for "A Christmas Carol"

1. Most of us know the plot of "A Christmas Carol". Scrooge is a grump and dislikes the spirit of the holidays. He finds the time to be very inefficient and dislikes the small amount of work that gets done. He ruins the holiday season for those who's lives involve him. He is visited by ghost who is to show him memories of his past, events that are occurring at that very moment, and the future holidays that are to come for Scrooge. Scrooge doesn't believe the ghost and thinks he is hallucinating, after the ghost of the present shows him what is going on to others he begins to have a change in heart. After the final ghost shows him the future he is broken. He sees how horrible it is to treat others that this way and once he awakes he sets out to fix the problems that may be. I does not want the future he was shown, it frightens him and disgusts him.

2. The theme of the novel is simple and might be over used in stories but this is a classic. One theme commonly taken from the story is the golden rule of "do onto others as you would have others do onto you".
One less apparent theme that you could derive from this story is that nothing is set in stone. The future is ever changing and is affected by every action you make and every action you have made. There are ways to change the future if it is likely to lead down a path you do not wish to travel.

3. The tone of the author is serious, contemplative, and deliberate. The story however fictional it may be is meant to be a serious event and show how important your actions can be. (ex.

It comes from other regions, Ebenezer Scrooge, and is conveyed by other ministers, to other kinds of men.  Nor can I tell you what I would.  A very little more, is all permitted to me.) (ex.

These are but shadows of the things that have been," said the Ghost. "They have no consciousness of us.) (ex. T

here is nothing on which it is so hard as poverty; and there is nothing it professes to condemn with such severity as the pursuit of wealth!)

4.

• The dynamic characterization of Scrooge is extremely important to the story as it is the fact in the story that the most notable theme is based off of.
• The mood and atmosphere of the story parallel the tone of deliberation and help to promote what the author indented the reader to walk away understanding. 
• I believe the story is shown through a serious of small anecdotes when the ghosts show Scrooge of his past, present, and future. These stories are the basis of this novel, the theme revolves around the events that occur during these short stories.
•  The diction of the novel is direct and flavorful enough to fulfill the point. There is no use of excessive flowery language or description but the author describes in detail the elements that deserve to be embellished upon.
• I myself found the story to be evocative. It elicited thoughts from me that made me ask myself and reassure myself that I was not following the same path as Scrooge, or a path similar to his where it seems fine and then somewhere down the path there is a drop, and from then on there is no recovering from what your past actions were.

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

It is dark and dreary
there is only the flicker of my life in front of me
there are others, others like myself
chained here in our world, our world is complete
we know everything and we are better for it
I believe everything shown in front of me as it is all
it is all there is in the world, it must be true.
I struggled and it broke, the chain it just broke.
it hurt and was horribly painful, but it broke none the less
I was started and amazed, aw.
I was in aw, no words to describe the world
the real world I could now see!
I must share this with the others, I must share this reality,
they refuse to listen, they are stuck in their false mentality.

"No Exit" response

The cave by Plato and No Exit are similar in their themes and how the others go about describing the theme and causing the reader to feel and understand what is meant to be transmitted through the works. Both show that we are our own torture, our own imprisonment. We hold ourselves back from the truth or freedom, we keep ourselves from resting or taking a break. We stress ourselves by simply following what we want to and not what is beneficial to us as a growing being. We hinder our own learning through denial and misdirection. Both authors use a melancholy tone, a somber tone that causes the reader to almost feel sorry for the prisoners, it causes the reader to almost feel the burden and punishment that the prisoners must suffer. In the cave the only restrictions are the people themselves as they have the ability to free themselves but are too afraid to. I think it is different in No Exit as it is a story that is supposed to show how human nature restricts us from what we think we want. They both show that other people or ourselves are the torturers. 

"No Exit" Active Reading Notes

• Garcin is overly worried about earthly things that do not matter to him now that he is dead
• Garcin handles the fact that he is to be tortured through his lack of rest, the lack of a break or moment of darkness unable to close his eyes, sleep, or turn the lights off
• Inez initially believes garcin to be the man who is to torture her
• Inez is annoying. I feel as if she will be the cause of many problems throughout the story
• Estelle is rather positive considering the condition they are in
• I dont understand why the two girls seem to be rude to Garcin, i believe he is trying to be polite and make it so that he wont be tortured by the company of the others but it only seems to be making things worse
• Estelle can close her eyes? i thought they weren't allowed a break of any kind, or is that only Garcin
• yogi- a person proficient in yoga
• Garcin cheated on his wife while his wife could hear
• Inez killed her cousin I believe
• Estelle drowned her new born daughter by tying a rock to it and dropping it into a lake
• Garcin asked for silence now he wont shut up. he asks too many questions 
• it never ends.

Plato Study Questions

1. In my opinion the allegory of the cave is showing how people view reality based on beliefs and former ideas.
2.The cave itself is a place of deceit, and their are chains that form links to reality.
3. it suggests that the process of enlightenment and education are rarely found by ones self and those who do find it should help others.
4.The shackles show how oppressed the cave dwellers are, it shows what a burden reality can have on someone.
5.there are multiple things that cause our minds to be chained down in today's world, the internet is often a place where the first thing read is what is most commonly known to be true, and there are substances that humans use to free themselves of life's burdensome chains like alcohol.
6. The free prisoner is in aw as to what he now understands to be true, he sees just how clouded and incorrect his previous beliefs were. The caved prisoners still only see what they believe to be true.
7.There is physical darkness that limits a persons understanding and then there is the limitation of already instilled beliefs that leave people in darkness.
8. The prisoners need only to simply stand up. they are however burdened in body and mind by this action so only a few follow through and complete the task.
9. reality is known through appearances. they are not the same as people may interpret an appearance differently from someone else, but the reality that human kind knows is put together of the most commonly understood and believed thoughts.
10. Um what? I do not understand this question and will be asking about it in class on monday

Sonnet

While searching for interesting sonnets I only found ones written by Shakespeare... Well he is not my favorite author and I do not often enjoy his writing so while looking at others blogs for authors I find more enjoyable to read I found sonnets written by Edgar Allan Poe (courtesy of Joshua Ng and Ubi Kim)

Silence

There are some qualities--some incorporate things,

That have a double life, which thus is made

A type of that twin entity which springs

From matter and light, evenced in solid and shade.

There is a two-fold Silence--sea and shore--

Body and soul. One dwells in lonely places,

Newly with grass o'ergrown; some solemn graces,

Some human memories and tearful lore,

Render him terrorless: his name's "No More."

He is the corporate Silence: dread him not!

No power hath he of evil in himself;

But should some urgent fate (untimely lot!)

Bring thee to meet his shadow (nameless elf,

That haunteth the lone regions where hath trod

No foot of man) commend thyself to God!

AP Hamlet PLN

has a few every simple guides to help better understand the themes of the poem easily
http://ncc.libguides.com/content.php?pid=213151&sid=1880271

another schools ap english webpage. they are working on hamlet as well and have a couple useful links
https://sites.google.com/site/auppsap/units/hamlet

i was impressed by the amount of information and additional links from this single colleges site
http://libguides.cdu.edu.au/content.php?pid=312972&sid=2751310

yet another impressive college webpage that has useful links and tips to better understand Hamlet
http://www.lonestar.edu/library/kin_Hamlet.htm

This site has posts from other students in our class. It seems that everyone has found it to be very helpful and has taken the time to comment on the work put into this site.
http://aplove.blogspot.com/2007/11/ap-lit-hamlet-actscene-notes.html

Literature Analysis #2

Literature Analysis #2

1984 by George Orwell

1. Winston Smith lives in a time where every aspect of life is controlled by the political party in charge of the nation. He lives in London in the nation of Oceania, Winston lives his life under constant watch by the party in charge. He one day buys a diary to keep his thoughts in and from that day on realizes that he will be caught for his thoughts against the party. He falls in love with a dark haired girl from his work named Julia, and his hatred for the government and the oppression that he lives under begins to grow. He is captured by the government and tortured to the point where he no longer loves Julia and lives with the fact that he must live by and obey Big Brother.

2. Throughout the story technology is a reoccurring aspect that is used to suppress the citizens in Oceania. Technology is represented as evil and used only to control and manipulate the citizens to act the way the party leader wishes them to. This portraits a sense of danger in the use of technology, not knowing the true potential that technology might have on our lives. It also shows technology as a new source of power and that with this access to new powerful inventions the world must be careful to use them for uses beneficial to all of humanity.

3.  "War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength." The slogan of the party in the novel is an example of the authors tone being pessimistic and dark. The story is very gloomy and dreary, the author uses this to increase the dramatic tension and the feeling of hopelessness that the reader experiences from the story. "He who controls the present controls the past." another dark quote from the story that shows just how controlling the government is and how much power their new technology gives them.

4.  

Ambiguity- The story has a mysterious and dark feeling throughout the whole plot and helps to create the exposition that the author sought to create. The novel leaves things unanswered for the reader to thing about and be puzzled by while reading to help keep a feeling that they, similar to the characters in the story, are being left out of the truth that is held back from them by those of higher rank.

Indirect characterization- George Orwell gives brief physical explanations of the characters in the novel but leaves the mentality of each character open to the reader to interpret. He has the characters act in a certain way and say certain things but for what reasons and how they say them is often left open for the reader to decide.

Evocative- this novel elicits many emotions form the reader throughout the story. most notably the feeling of hopelessness and oppression. It gives the novel a stronger message and lets the reader relate to the characters in the story more accurately when they experience and emotion similar to one that the character is subject to.

Irony- Winston gets caught by the party once he begins his affair with Julia, and his punishment is that he is tortured to the point where he now hates Julia and loves the party. This is ironic because when he first meets Julia his hatred for the party grows and then he is captured. Now he hates Julia and believes that the party is correct.

Mood- much like the tone this novel produces a feeling of depression and hopelessness. These feelings build on the plot of the story and make the story produce a more powerful message to the reader.

How has extensive Internet/media/technology changes the way we think?

Extensive Internet/media/technology use has changed the way people live there lives. It has changed how we think about everyday life. Having access to information at our fingertips is an exciting new feature to us and we use it like it is an answer to everything. Extensive use of new technology leads to a lack of effort put into work being produced despite the fact that the Internet and other sources were created to help better our thinking and give us more information to interpret and use in our own works. Instead it has become a place to borrow and take ideas from others so we don't have to think for ourselves. The Internet is also full of false infomration that can be difficult to filter through making it sometimes impossible to find the truth about something you wish to research. The extensive use of new technology has changed the way we think in two ways, it has given people an easy out to do their work without having to think, and it has provided us with a much larger source of information both true and false. Technology has changed the way people learn and how they will continue to learn in the future. 

Billy Budd Literary Analysis

Kristofer Green
3rd Period AP English
9/19/12
Literary Analysis #1
Billy Budd by Herman Melville 
1. Billy Budd is removed from his position aboard a merchant ship and relocated to the British war ship the Bellipotent . He tries to prove himself as a valuable sailor but the Claggart, master-at-arms, scolds Billy for even the slightest mistakes. Billy is later accused of plotting a mutiny  against Captain Vere. The Clarggart is the one who brings Billy to the captain and accuses him in person, Billy full of rage and anger lands a fatal punch across the front of the Clarggarts face. Billy is given the death sentence for his act of murder and will be sent to hang on the next morning. As Billy is about to hang for his crimes he shouts out "God bless Captain Vere!". After Billy's death the Bellipotent fights a French war ship, in the battle Captain Vere is wounded and later dies in a hospital. The story of Billy Budd spreads to the shores as him being a mutinous rebel, but the sailors on the ship question the accuracy of the story.
2. The law may state a punishment is to be given for a particular action, while a person may know and provide information impending to the circumstance under which the action was committed. The theme of the novel is whether or not a law should be absolute, if this happens regardless of why it happens, then this will always be the punishment. Billy Budd is sentenced to hang because of the law stating that hanging is the penalty for murder, however Billy did not intend to kill the Claggart, he merely meant to hurt him for the false accusation of Billy as part of the alleged mutiny.
3. The story is told through a resentful tone, feeling cheated and betrayed by the more noble or higher ranking powers of the world. The tone of resentment accompanies the experiences that Billy goes through during his journey in a way of parallel attitude. Both Billy and the author show their resentment toward higher ranking or more noble people in the world through the words that they use throughout the story. "For what can more partake of the mysterious than an antipathy spontaneous and profound such as is evoked in certain exceptional mortals by the mere aspect of some other mortal, however harmless he may be, if not called forth by this very harmlessness itself?" Indignant, is the feeling the reader receives from what Melville is trying to convey in the passage. "No, not always. But to me he has. I seldom pass him but there comes a pleasant word. And that’s because he’s down upon you, Baby Budd.”" No; but less often than with landsmen do their vices, so called, partake of crookedness of heart, seeming less to proceed from viciousness than exuberance of vitality after long constraint"
4.
 Characterization- Herman Melville's use of Characterization helps to portrait his tone of resentment and the feeling of being cheated. The characters in the story are all static except for Billy Budd himself. He is an example of a dynamic character because at a specific point in the story he changes dramatically. He goes from being the example of innocence to guilty of committing evil acts. 
Diction- The word choice and sentence structure of the novel are relative to the time period when the story is written, late 1800's. The characters talk with colloquial phrases to one another, using words and phrases from the time period. The diction corresponds well with the tone and theme of the novel as the words used often seem to have a harsh connotation to them.
Symbolism- Billy Budd is the representation of innocence. He never acts out our refuses to follow orders, he is not guilty of mutiny, and he did not intentionally murder the Claggart. The use of the term "Baby Budd" also emphasizes the innocence of the character.  "Baby Budd, Jemmy Legs",  "Ay, Baby lad, a sweet voice has Jemmy Legs." , "No, not always. But to me he has. I seldom pass him but there comes a pleasant word."
"And that's because he's down upon you, Baby Budd."
Point of view- The use of the third person in the novel eliminates the possibility of biased opinions that often occur when a story is told from a first person point of view. Since the story is narrated from third person the reader trusts the characteristics and elements of each character rather than the character being clouded by the opinion of the protagonist in first person.
Satire- Herman Melville ridicules the thought of having a set punishment for a certain crime. The story's central theme is that conscience should not always be inferior to law, that under certain conditions laws should be regarded along with conscience beliefs. The final words of Billy Budd before he hangs help to prove Melville's satire.  “God bless Captain Vere!” along with the ironic last words of Captain Vere as he dies in a hospital “Billy Budd, Billy Budd.” compliment Melville's intentions.

Fall Vocab List # 6

1. The beatitude of new born baby was so powerful that the family forgot about all of their troubles.

2. Many people view President Nixon as a bete noire.

3. The striking of lightning in two places was a bode of destruction.

4. The small shack was dank and dreary inside.

5. The moral of the story was ecumenical as it is a valuable lesson that all people should learn.

6. The musician was fervid about his work and every performance she attended.

7.  Along with being dank and dreary the small shack was fetid and unpleasant to be in.

8.  The gargantuan bolder lay across the one and only road out of town.

9. The heyday of hippies and peace signs was in the 1960s.

10. The small child awoke in the night in incubus, he was startled and frightened as he had never felt this way before.

11. The infrastructure for our English class is a new way of learning in school.

12. The beautiful woman was able to inveigle her boss with complements until she got the day off.

13. After winning the track meet the runner received kudos from his friends and family.

14.The boss was so pleased with his workers effort he gave them all a small lagniappe for their hard work.

15.The story was prolix and extremely boring in nature.

16. The guitar protégé prospered under the teachings of his mentor.

17. The prototype of the robot often malfunctioned and overheated.

18. The sycophant believed he could make his way through life without having to work if he excessively complemented everyone.

19. The book was written as a tautology, with the older English on one page and modern English on the other.

20. The new employee truckled through his first year on the job.   

English Notes Pages 64-82

Favorite Heros Story

The story of my favorite hero is the journey of Harry Potter. His story follows the outline of the heros journey. It begins with Harry's call to adventure when he is first told that he is a wizard. He refuses to believe this and says "but I can't be, I'm Harry, just Harry". Through out the story Harry changes drastically from start to finish, he ends the story famous.

1st AP Reading Assignment

I have chosen the book Billy Budd by Herman Melville as my first AP reading assignment. I chose this book because it has been used an many AP tests before it and I thought that the title of the book was interesting. I researched what it was about and learned that it is the story of a man impressed onto a sailor ship and forced into the United States Navy. This story sounds entertaining and will be a good book to start of the year with to get back into having to read.

Vocab Sentences List #3

The student was given accolades for his outstanding citizenship and for the good deeds he had done for his city.

The old man had a tone of acerbity when he talked, and he was always unpleasant to be around because of it.

As time continued the cases of polio began to attrition because of advances in medicine.

For a well known comedian we were disappointed in his performance, in fact we found him to be a bromide and a bore.

Throughout his old age the war general continued to be a chauvinist insulting those who felt very little gratitude for their country.

The calendar  had a chronic pattern on it, repeating every Friday with a notation of " Yay its Friday!"

The doctor expounded how dangerous and serious the dieses that his patient had.

In order for the soldier to finally become a knight he must follow factionalism, and pledge allegiance to his king.

Being so maculate, the perfectionist was bored with life as he had little to work for.

After he hit his finger with the hammer the man began to imprecate.

Flying through the air perfectly the arrow was ineluctable hitting the soldier in the chest.

Through many years of being on the debate team he became mercurial and could respond with a valid point in mere seconds.

Tylenol only palliates headaches but does not truly cure them.

It was protocol to begin every day in class with roll call followed by the announcements.

The golden necklace was resplendent as it sat in its case on display in the museum.

Hester Prynne was stigmatized for having a child with a man she was not married to.

Suba rosa the man charged into battle with his sword drawn believing he would emerge victorious.

Being a hero and having saved many people drove the hero to vainglory and lost all that was bestowed to him.

The fossil was a direct vestige that dinosaurs once existed.

The nurse had to volition on whether or not to wait for the doctor to arrive or administer the snake antivenin herself to save the bitten patient.  

Written Portion of 1987 AP Test

Reflections on Week 1

1. I feel that I have many positive factors that will affect my participation in class this year. My friends help to remind me of the homework and they are very helpful in providing assistance when I do not understand the assignments. I have easy access to a computer and a phone so these factors do not affect me, and my family is kind enough to help me as when when I need it.

2. I think my most beneficial learning experience was just my classes in general my sophomore year. Between Mr. Provost's Algebra 2 class, Dr. Preston's Honors English class, and Mr. Greeley's AP World History class I learned the processes in which I learn the best. These three classes were all taught very differently from one another accept for one very simple common factor. We took notes many days a week and discussed the topics as a class. We were often given practice for our assignments in class which we would then converse as a class about the answers and the correct way of accomplishing the task at hand. I learn best when we are given examples, then allowed to try for ourselves, followed by discussions of what worked and what is correct.

3. My greatest concern for this class is the amount of effort needed to achieve my goals in this class. From the first week I have already learned that this class will require much time out side of class to complete the work that we are given and that I will have to put forth a strong effort to accomplish what I want. This class will challenge me and push me to do my best in attempts to prepare me for college as it is a college course.

The Poisonwood Bible

Pride and Prejudice

The Essays of Michel de Montaigne

Assignment #1

I'm looking forward to the new school year. I can honestly say that I am excited to be back in Dr. Preston's class as his class sophomore year was quiet enjoyable. My reasons for taking this course are to a chance to earn a higher GPA and earn college credits for the AP exam at the end of the year. I am excited to be in Dr. Preston's class because I believe the in depth discussions that we must take part in is very helpful to our learning. I felt this way during my sophomore year and I hope I continue to throughout the year.

My goals this year are short and simple. Pass the class with an A, and to pass the AP exam at the end of the year. I hope to pass this exam with at least a 4 or greater. To do this i expect to learn a vast amount of knew information from now till the date of the AP exam. There is much for us to learn this year and I wish us all luck on capitalizing on the opportunities that we are given to better expand our knowledge.