Sunday, September 28, 2014
Character Study I
I anxiously waited by my front door pacing back and forth, back and forth. I constantly looked out the small peek hole, nervously waiting for someone or more along the lines a piece of paper to arrive. I could feel the sweat building in my hands. I was a nervous wreck. My mother, in her pj's, stumbled across the living room still half asleep. She looked at me confused and asked, "Honey, what are you doing up at five in the morning on a Saturday? And why are you dressed up and not in your pajamas?" Just then, a stack of letters slid through the slot of my door. My mom and I met eyes again and she knew immediately what I had even waiting for. I quickly grabbed the stack and one after another, I checked the addresses. First the electricity bill, next a letter from Grandma Elizabeth and finally, a letter from Pepperdine University. My mom stopped me and said, "Let's pray first." I took a moment to breathe as I had been unconsciously holding my breath. Slowly I opened the letter. I read, "Dear Judith, Congratulations! You have been accepted to Pepperdine University and we are pleased to greet you to this upcoming 2015-2016 school year." Tears immediately came rushing to my eyes and I was finally able to take a deep breath. I was going to be attending Pepperdine University.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Bede & Canterbury Tales I
Bede Notes textbook pages 74-82
Four languages (English, British, Scots, and Picts) are united by the fifth language, Latin.
Britain first inhabited by the Britons who crossed from Armorica, located in the South.
Ireland is the largest island after Britain which lies in the west.
Picts settled in the North.
Dal means division which relates to the Dalreudians of the Picts and Scots.
Scots later join the Britons and the Picts in Britain.
The Canterbury Tales textbook pages 90-115
Geoffrey Chaucer
As a page to the wife of Lionel of Antewerp, a son of the ruler, Edward III, Chaucer was introduced to the English monarch.
Married a lady in waiting of the queen.
Early poems based on works of European poets
The Book of the Duchess
Troilus and Criseyde have insight to human nature.
Possibly inspired to write from his pilgrimage to Canterbury
Incorporates speech and eloquence to English literature.
The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue
The British set out to a pilgrimage to Canterbury.
The narrator begins to tell the story of each character he encounters while on a pilgrimage to Canterbury.
First was the knight of chivalry: an accomplished knight who was also wise and meek.
The Squire: a strong young man who was musically talented and courteous and humble
Yeoman: traveled with no servants, decorated with a bow and arrow, a sword, a dagger
The Prioress: know as Madam Eglantine, punctilious (are with care, watched what she said), soft hearted
The Nun
The Three Priests
The Monk: loved animals (confused about his description?)
The Friar: a happy man, satisfied with women, social and compassionate
The Merchant: took risk taking decisions but succeeded as a result.
The Clergyman: an educated man who sought out for religious education
The Lawyer: wise with words, constantly occupied with work
The Franklin: enjoyed food...
The Haberdasher and The Carpenter
The Weaver, The Dyer, and The Arras-Maker: polished attires,
The Cook
The Sailor: a smart, brave man
The Physician: had a passion for astronomy, healer
The Wife of Bath: deaf but a fine sewer, dexterous, religiously devoted
The Parson: rich but humble, religious, wise, and patient
The Plowman: an honest devoted man to religion
The Miller: a man of great strength
The Manciple: skilled in the market
The Reeve: cunningly smart
The Summoner: a "diseased" man
The Pardoner: a good listener
Changes back to the narrators thoughts, complements their welcoming host, explains how a brief intro to each character would take related in a "common pilgrimage."
Monday, September 15, 2014
DECLARATION OF LEARNING INDEPENDENCE
I, as a student in Dr. Preston's AP English Literature and Composition class, declare the freedom to:
Read whatever book I choose.
Explore any new material related to literature.
Be honest in class discussions.
Exchange collaborative ideas with fellow students and teacher.
Read whatever book I choose.
Explore any new material related to literature.
Be honest in class discussions.
Exchange collaborative ideas with fellow students and teacher.
VOCABULARY #4
obsequious - adj. attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
The obsequious complement was insincere.
beatitude - noun one of the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount; in Latin each saying begins with `beatus' (blessed); a state of supreme happiness
Her beatitude was shown through her huge smile.
bete noire - noun a person or thing that one particularly dislikes
Batman was the joker's bete noire.
bode - verb indicate by signs
The line bodes that she would face sudden death.
dank - adj. unpleasantly cool and humid
The dank weather badly affected the tourists day.
ecumenical - adj. of worldwide scope or applicability; concerned with promoting unity among churches or religions
The ecumenical group of pastors tried to convert the atheists.
fervid - adj. extremely hot; characterized by intense emotion
His fervid passion for teaching children got him the job.
fetid - adj. offensively malodorous
His fetid breath drew away the women in the club.
gargantuan - adj. of great mass; huge and bulky
Costco's packages are always gargantuan.
heyday - noun the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
The heydays have passed by as America is suffering in an economic depression.
incubus - noun a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; someone who depresses or worries others; a situation resembling a terrifying dream
The incubus terrified the young child.
infrastructure - noun the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; the basic structure or features of a system or organization
The infrastructure of the building supported the people in it.
inveigle - verb influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
I inveigled my parents to let me go to Italy.
kudos - noun an expression of approval and commendation
The kudos from his mother confirmed that he would propose to his girlfriend.
lagniappe - noun a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)
The businessman gave a lagniappe to the woman who made a large purchase.
prolix - adj. tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
Her prolix explanation for not turning in her homework annoyed the teacher.
protege - noun a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career
The protege was grateful for his financial aid.
prototype - noun a standard or typical example
The company offered the possible buyer a prototype of their new product.
sycophant - noun a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
The sycophant got an A in his economic class by coaxing to the teacher.
tautology - noun useless repetition; (logic) a statement that is necessarily true
Some writers use tautology to get their point across.
truckle - noun a low bed to be slid under a higher bed; verb yield to out of weakness; try to gain favor by cringing or flattering
Her truckle did not influence the manager to promote her.
The obsequious complement was insincere.
beatitude - noun one of the eight sayings of Jesus at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount; in Latin each saying begins with `beatus' (blessed); a state of supreme happiness
Her beatitude was shown through her huge smile.
bete noire - noun a person or thing that one particularly dislikes
Batman was the joker's bete noire.
bode - verb indicate by signs
The line bodes that she would face sudden death.
dank - adj. unpleasantly cool and humid
The dank weather badly affected the tourists day.
ecumenical - adj. of worldwide scope or applicability; concerned with promoting unity among churches or religions
The ecumenical group of pastors tried to convert the atheists.
fervid - adj. extremely hot; characterized by intense emotion
His fervid passion for teaching children got him the job.
fetid - adj. offensively malodorous
His fetid breath drew away the women in the club.
gargantuan - adj. of great mass; huge and bulky
Costco's packages are always gargantuan.
heyday - noun the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
The heydays have passed by as America is suffering in an economic depression.
incubus - noun a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; someone who depresses or worries others; a situation resembling a terrifying dream
The incubus terrified the young child.
infrastructure - noun the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; the basic structure or features of a system or organization
The infrastructure of the building supported the people in it.
inveigle - verb influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
I inveigled my parents to let me go to Italy.
kudos - noun an expression of approval and commendation
The kudos from his mother confirmed that he would propose to his girlfriend.
lagniappe - noun a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)
The businessman gave a lagniappe to the woman who made a large purchase.
prolix - adj. tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
Her prolix explanation for not turning in her homework annoyed the teacher.
protege - noun a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career
The protege was grateful for his financial aid.
prototype - noun a standard or typical example
The company offered the possible buyer a prototype of their new product.
sycophant - noun a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
The sycophant got an A in his economic class by coaxing to the teacher.
tautology - noun useless repetition; (logic) a statement that is necessarily true
Some writers use tautology to get their point across.
truckle - noun a low bed to be slid under a higher bed; verb yield to out of weakness; try to gain favor by cringing or flattering
Her truckle did not influence the manager to promote her.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
LITERATURE ANALYSIS #1
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
1. Exposition: The story begins with the narrator's descriptive imagery of the conditions in which she lives in. The room (she forbids to call it her room because of her constantly moving nature) has almost prison like features: a dark room with a small window, chair, lamp, and a table, very basic feature. Offred is a handmaid whose primary role is to give birth to a healthy baby of a commander. She is part of the patriarchal, religious, totalitarian society of Gilead. The society consists of a hierarchy with commanders (rich government officials who are men), eyes (spies of the government), angels (soldiers), guardians (soldiers who are too young or too old), wives, handmaids, marthas (servants), econwives (wives of the poor), and the rest are labeled "un..." who are "infertile" handmaids, and handicapped citizen. Offred performs her duties as a handmaid going to the market on behalf of the wife, and having sex with the commander on the day of Ceremony.
Rising Action: Offred has had sex with the commander twice now and she does not feel any signs of pregnancy as her menstrual cycle continues. She does, however, begin to form a relationship with the commander, a rather odd one. Interaction with a commander and handmaid, other than a sexual one on the day of ceremony, is rare and actually forbidden in the eyes of the wives. He invites her to his study and never makes a move on her but let's her play games and look at magazines; it is forbidden for women to read. The wife, Serena Joy, oddly offers Offred a chance to be impregnated by Nick, a guardian assigned to the household who Offred encountered many times and even kissed, in order to avoid being sent to the colonies which she accepts.
Climax: She is taken away by the eyes in which she does not know if it leads "into the darkness within; or else the light. Beforehand, Nick assures her that "the eyes" were the Mayday, insurgents against the totalitarian government, coming to rescue her. The ultimately fear of a handmaid, or any citizen in general, is being taken away by the eyes which leads to ultimate death. She does not know if this act leads her to darkness or light.
The story ends on the climax for readers to question the outcome by the given clues throughout the book.
2. There is an end to a road, but the road there may take unexpected turns. At one point, Offred contemplates committing suicide thinking of her wicked life when she had once lived with her husband and a beautiful daughters long with having a stable job. That distant society changed when the totalitarian government took over. She has been morally shamed with her "duty" as a handmaid and finds it beyond frustrating that she cannot control her own destiny let alone her own body. She does reach an end. Her capture by the eyes symbolize her end, but it is not known if the end continues to freedom or is forever put to an end.
3. The author's tone is dark and hopeless like the nature of her job as a handmaids with a hint of humor.
"Nothing changes instantaneously: in a gradually heating bathtub you'd be boiled to death before you knew it." pg. 56 (dark)
"I'am like a room where things once happened and now nothing does, except the pollen of the weeds that grow up outside the window, blowing in as dust across the floor." pg. 104 (hopeless)
"At least he's an improvement on the previous one, who smelled like a church cloakroom in the rain; like your mouth when the dentist starts picking at your teeth; like a nostril. The Commander, instead, smells of mothballs, or is this odor some punitive form of aftershave?" pg. 95 (humor)
4. Inference: "They've removed anything you could tie a rope to." Pg. 7 This infers that the authority is trying to avoid handmaids committing suicide.
Symbolism: "...black, for the commander, blue, for the commander's wife, and the one assigned to me, which is red." pg. 9 The different colors that the citizens wear symbolize their different ranks.
Flashback: "Is that how we lived then? But we lived as usual. pg. 56
Imagery: "A chair, a table, a lamp. Above, on the ceiling, a relief ornament in the shape of a wreath, and in the center of it a blank space, plastered over, like in a face where the eye has been taken out." pg. 7
Anaphora: "It must be just fine. It must be hell. It must be very silent." pg. 88
Foreshadowing: "I freeze, cold travels through me, down to my feet. There must have been microphones, they've heard us after all. Right in front of us the van pulls up. Two Eyes, in gray suits, leap from the opening double doors at the back. They got the man was walking along, a man with the briefcase, an ordinary looking man, slam him back against the black side of the van." pg, 169 This foreshadows Offred's soon coming capture.
Tone: "This is what I feel like: this sound of glass. I feel like the word shatter." pg. 103
Imagery: The suns coming weakly through the clouds, the smell of wet grass warming up is in the air." pg. 128
Bibliomancy: "Blessed be those that mourn, for they shall be comforted." pg. 89
Personification: "July, it's breathless days and santa nights, hard to sleep." pg. 199
Characterization:
1. Direct characterization: "My hair is long now, untrimmed." "I'm thirty three years old. I have brown hair. I stand five seven without shoes."
Indirect characterization: "I am alive, I live, I breathe, I out my hand out, unfolded, into the sunlight. Where I am is not a prison but a privilege." This reveals her grateful character even though the setting she just described was synonymous to a prison. "I could scream. I could run away. I could turn form her silently, to show her i won't tolerate this kind of talk in my presence. Subversion, sedition, blasphemy, heresy, all rolled into one. I steel myself. "No," I say." This shows her complicated feelings on the controlling society and also reveals her comfortableness and trustworthiness with Ofglen to be able to talk "blasphemy" with her.
By using both indirect and direct characterization, the author is able to fully develop the character for readers to really understand and be able to define the leading figure. Atwood wants the readers to not necessarily sympathize for Offred but to understand the cruel nature in which she lives in and how she as an individual reacts to these unnatural settings.
2. Since the story is told in the first person narrative, when the narrator begins to describe herself or her thoughts/actions, her diction is more personal and less formal. "Merely to lift off the heavy white wings and the veil, merely to feel my own hair again, with my hands, is a luxury."
3. Offred is a dynamic, round character. She begins to describe herself as one who follows the rules by not smoking, drinking alcohol, or conversing in gossip but overtime she becomes rebellious by visiting the commander outside of the Ceremony, talking "treacherous" schemes with Ofglen, and having sex with Nick. As the main character and protagonist of the book, Offred is a round character who is fully developed through her descriptive thoughts. Although, her exact physical appearance is not revealed.
4. I feel like I've met a person because the narrator shares her raw, innermost thoughts. Since the point of view is first person narrative, Offred shared any events and thoughts that surround her. "Every night when I go to bed I think, In the morning I will wake up in my own house and things will be back the way they were." She's so honest with her feelings, that I, as a reader, have sympathy for her and can understand and try to relate to her.
When I first started reading this book, I thought that it was really weird and wrong in so many ways. After having read the book, the complexity and depth of the book with the cycling connections was awesome to put together. There are many elements to this book that I don't think I successfully put down everything for it to make sense. This book is "sick" in a way because of the wicked patriarchal system, but it was definitely a different type of book that I usually wouldn't have read, which I find as a good experience.
1. Exposition: The story begins with the narrator's descriptive imagery of the conditions in which she lives in. The room (she forbids to call it her room because of her constantly moving nature) has almost prison like features: a dark room with a small window, chair, lamp, and a table, very basic feature. Offred is a handmaid whose primary role is to give birth to a healthy baby of a commander. She is part of the patriarchal, religious, totalitarian society of Gilead. The society consists of a hierarchy with commanders (rich government officials who are men), eyes (spies of the government), angels (soldiers), guardians (soldiers who are too young or too old), wives, handmaids, marthas (servants), econwives (wives of the poor), and the rest are labeled "un..." who are "infertile" handmaids, and handicapped citizen. Offred performs her duties as a handmaid going to the market on behalf of the wife, and having sex with the commander on the day of Ceremony.
Rising Action: Offred has had sex with the commander twice now and she does not feel any signs of pregnancy as her menstrual cycle continues. She does, however, begin to form a relationship with the commander, a rather odd one. Interaction with a commander and handmaid, other than a sexual one on the day of ceremony, is rare and actually forbidden in the eyes of the wives. He invites her to his study and never makes a move on her but let's her play games and look at magazines; it is forbidden for women to read. The wife, Serena Joy, oddly offers Offred a chance to be impregnated by Nick, a guardian assigned to the household who Offred encountered many times and even kissed, in order to avoid being sent to the colonies which she accepts.
Climax: She is taken away by the eyes in which she does not know if it leads "into the darkness within; or else the light. Beforehand, Nick assures her that "the eyes" were the Mayday, insurgents against the totalitarian government, coming to rescue her. The ultimately fear of a handmaid, or any citizen in general, is being taken away by the eyes which leads to ultimate death. She does not know if this act leads her to darkness or light.
The story ends on the climax for readers to question the outcome by the given clues throughout the book.
2. There is an end to a road, but the road there may take unexpected turns. At one point, Offred contemplates committing suicide thinking of her wicked life when she had once lived with her husband and a beautiful daughters long with having a stable job. That distant society changed when the totalitarian government took over. She has been morally shamed with her "duty" as a handmaid and finds it beyond frustrating that she cannot control her own destiny let alone her own body. She does reach an end. Her capture by the eyes symbolize her end, but it is not known if the end continues to freedom or is forever put to an end.
3. The author's tone is dark and hopeless like the nature of her job as a handmaids with a hint of humor.
"Nothing changes instantaneously: in a gradually heating bathtub you'd be boiled to death before you knew it." pg. 56 (dark)
"I'am like a room where things once happened and now nothing does, except the pollen of the weeds that grow up outside the window, blowing in as dust across the floor." pg. 104 (hopeless)
"At least he's an improvement on the previous one, who smelled like a church cloakroom in the rain; like your mouth when the dentist starts picking at your teeth; like a nostril. The Commander, instead, smells of mothballs, or is this odor some punitive form of aftershave?" pg. 95 (humor)
4. Inference: "They've removed anything you could tie a rope to." Pg. 7 This infers that the authority is trying to avoid handmaids committing suicide.
Symbolism: "...black, for the commander, blue, for the commander's wife, and the one assigned to me, which is red." pg. 9 The different colors that the citizens wear symbolize their different ranks.
Flashback: "Is that how we lived then? But we lived as usual. pg. 56
Imagery: "A chair, a table, a lamp. Above, on the ceiling, a relief ornament in the shape of a wreath, and in the center of it a blank space, plastered over, like in a face where the eye has been taken out." pg. 7
Anaphora: "It must be just fine. It must be hell. It must be very silent." pg. 88
Foreshadowing: "I freeze, cold travels through me, down to my feet. There must have been microphones, they've heard us after all. Right in front of us the van pulls up. Two Eyes, in gray suits, leap from the opening double doors at the back. They got the man was walking along, a man with the briefcase, an ordinary looking man, slam him back against the black side of the van." pg, 169 This foreshadows Offred's soon coming capture.
Tone: "This is what I feel like: this sound of glass. I feel like the word shatter." pg. 103
Imagery: The suns coming weakly through the clouds, the smell of wet grass warming up is in the air." pg. 128
Bibliomancy: "Blessed be those that mourn, for they shall be comforted." pg. 89
Personification: "July, it's breathless days and santa nights, hard to sleep." pg. 199
Characterization:
1. Direct characterization: "My hair is long now, untrimmed." "I'm thirty three years old. I have brown hair. I stand five seven without shoes."
Indirect characterization: "I am alive, I live, I breathe, I out my hand out, unfolded, into the sunlight. Where I am is not a prison but a privilege." This reveals her grateful character even though the setting she just described was synonymous to a prison. "I could scream. I could run away. I could turn form her silently, to show her i won't tolerate this kind of talk in my presence. Subversion, sedition, blasphemy, heresy, all rolled into one. I steel myself. "No," I say." This shows her complicated feelings on the controlling society and also reveals her comfortableness and trustworthiness with Ofglen to be able to talk "blasphemy" with her.
By using both indirect and direct characterization, the author is able to fully develop the character for readers to really understand and be able to define the leading figure. Atwood wants the readers to not necessarily sympathize for Offred but to understand the cruel nature in which she lives in and how she as an individual reacts to these unnatural settings.
2. Since the story is told in the first person narrative, when the narrator begins to describe herself or her thoughts/actions, her diction is more personal and less formal. "Merely to lift off the heavy white wings and the veil, merely to feel my own hair again, with my hands, is a luxury."
3. Offred is a dynamic, round character. She begins to describe herself as one who follows the rules by not smoking, drinking alcohol, or conversing in gossip but overtime she becomes rebellious by visiting the commander outside of the Ceremony, talking "treacherous" schemes with Ofglen, and having sex with Nick. As the main character and protagonist of the book, Offred is a round character who is fully developed through her descriptive thoughts. Although, her exact physical appearance is not revealed.
4. I feel like I've met a person because the narrator shares her raw, innermost thoughts. Since the point of view is first person narrative, Offred shared any events and thoughts that surround her. "Every night when I go to bed I think, In the morning I will wake up in my own house and things will be back the way they were." She's so honest with her feelings, that I, as a reader, have sympathy for her and can understand and try to relate to her.
When I first started reading this book, I thought that it was really weird and wrong in so many ways. After having read the book, the complexity and depth of the book with the cycling connections was awesome to put together. There are many elements to this book that I don't think I successfully put down everything for it to make sense. This book is "sick" in a way because of the wicked patriarchal system, but it was definitely a different type of book that I usually wouldn't have read, which I find as a good experience.
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