Sunday, November 27, 2011

AP Lit Term "Anachronism"

Anachronism is when something shows up at the wrong place or the wrong time. The easiest way for me to remember this definition is I picture Julius Caesar wearing a Rolex. Rolexes, let alone watches weren't even invented during the time of Shakespeare. This is a perfect example of anachronism because it shows something showing up in the wrong place or time.


This picture is also a perfect example of anachronism.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Thinking Outside the Box

Plato and Sartre both have different views on philosophy and personal limitations of thought. To be perfectly honest, I would not consider myself the best philosophy critic; I wouldn't even say I understand it half the time, but here's my thoughts on the two ideas. Both stories symbolized closed mindedness. In The Allegory of The Cave, the prisoners believe the shadows formed on the walls of the cave are reality. It is only the prisoners that escape and seek freedom who ended up experiencing reality. Most of the prisoners became comfortable in there chains and didn't wonder what went on in the outside world. They were happy and comfortable in their safe perception of reality. The allegory really made me think, what if what we live in really isn't reality? What if what we live day to day is only our perception of reality? Is it possible that this is all just a dream filled with characters and events our own minds create? The consideration of these possibilities is complex and even a bit unsettling.

While the prisoners in the cave have no idea of what exists in the outside world, the characters in No Exit know what they are missing. The difference is, in the cave the prisoners are forced to come to terms with the reality beyond, while in the room the prisoner are forced to come to terms with the reality within themselves. Which is worse?

Monday, November 21, 2011

Literature Analysis Number 3:

The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne


The Scarlet Letter is set in a Puritan settlement in Boston in the 17TH century. A woman commits adultery, gives birth to a bastard child and is forced to wear a scarlet "A" on her chest as a punishment and a sign of shame. The setting is very important to the understanding of the novel because adultery was a very shameful crime for the time and place. The woman and her daughter and shunned from the surrounding population and as a result, the woman works as a struggling seamstress. 


One of the many themes of the novel is the idea of sin. Everyone's idea of what they define as a sin is different depending on religion and even lack of religion. The idea of what a sin was during the time period and in the setting of the novel was very strict and unforgiving. While adultery is not a nice act to commit, it is not as frowned upon in modern day and isn't really thought of as a sin. 


The tone of the novel is very serious and even a bit depressing.
1.  “Mother,” said little Pearl, “the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom.


2. Children have always a sympathy in the agitations of those connected with them; always, especially, a sense of any trouble or impending revolution, of whatever kind, in domestic circumstances; and...


3. "If thou feelest it to be for thy soul's peace, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow...

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Hamlet Essay

Hamlet’s “self-overhearing” in the play is very important to understanding his complex character. His many speeches and soliloquies give us a special incite on his inner thoughts and feelings. Without this knowledge, the major theme and purpose of the play cannot be properly evaluated. The importance of “self-overhearing” also presents itself in everyday life. The way we reflect on an experience helps create a sense of memory, expectation, and real world results. Without “self-overhearing” how would we ourselves know how we think and feel about things?

            Hamlet’s soliloquy, “To be, or not to be”, is the finest example of “self-overhearing” in the play. Within this complex speech lie Hamlet’s most personal feelings. He struggles with thoughts of suicide and feelings of betrayal.  The soliloquy is merely just Hamlet talking to himself, but it gives us a chance to understand how Hamlet is feeling and further evaluate his character.  “Self-overhearing” was also very important to the memorizing of the soliloquy.  The act of memorizing is repeating a certain piece of information over in over in your head until you have it completely remembered by heart. This also allows you to analyze and further understand the information.

            What we say and how we say it also reflects in our actions. This proves that “self-overhearing” also displays the idea of performative utterance. As Frederick de Boer said, “Performative means it did not merely describe reality but made a change in reality.” He explains the example of performative utterance in a marriage ceremony. The priest says, “I now pronounce you man and wife.” This isn’t just describing that the man and woman are now married; it is making the fact a reality. Performative utterance is also very fundamental in Hamlet. While Hamlet’s “self-overhearing” proves he wants to kill Claudius, his oath and dedication to this goal has now made it a reality he must act on. This performative utterance took Hamlet’s feelings and turned them into an action.

            Performative utterance also impacts the people around us. What we say changes their expectations of us. When we state a goal out loud to someone, they will expect us to act on it. While this can feel overwhelming, it is also extremely motivating. The things Hamlet says also impact the people in his life. The characters are forced to believe that Hamlet has gone mad because of his convoluted speeches and lunatic demeanor. This is exactly what Hamlet wanted. Now that everyone thinks he’s crazy, their expectations of him are very low and he has lots of free time to scheme. This is an example of how performative utterance can be used tactfully. 

            “Self-overhearing” and performative utterance are very closely related. “Self-overhearing” is how you think and feel about things and performative utterance is how you plan to act on these feelings. Hamlet is a perfect example of these ideas. His many complex soliloquies and speeches reflect his inner thoughts and feelings, while how he says them causes new realities.  Hamlet not only describes the realities around him, he makes changes in these realities. 

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Notes On Our Meeting With Roy Christopher

Today we met with the amazing Roy Christopher through Skype. I was intrigued with his modern ideas and beliefs. Here are the notes I took during the lecture:
-The medium is the message
-Roy started with the internet, had friend involved in Web design
-Just wanted to do his writing didn't want to get caught up in computers and the Web, but loved it
- "Got sucked into it"
- Not a struggle of a natural lifestyle
- The Web can help, but also be distraction
- He doesn't like reading things online
- "Remix and Mash up culture"
- Remix in the Web like remixes in hip-hop
- "Changing our lives with technology"
- "Program, or be programmed"
- "Control your technology, don't let it control you"
- We are born into the new age of technology, therefore we are more able to excel than older generations.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Literature Analysis Number 2:

Death Of A Salesman by Arthur Miller


The basic plot overview of the play is about a man struggling through economic and family troubles. He debates between what's right and being well liked. He ultimately compromises his morals to achieve what he believes to be the American Dream. 


The theme of the play is the pursuit of the American Dream. The main character believes the best way to achieve this dream is through economic and social success. Because of this belief, he betrays and abandons many people in his life including his own family. 


The tone of the play is very descriptive. It is crucial for the story to be extremely detailed because it is a play and stage descriptions and directions are very important to understand the events.
Examples:
1. He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine . . . A salesman is got to dream, boy.
2.  I saw the things that I love in this world. The work and the food and the time to sit and smoke. And I looked at the pen and I thought, what the hell am I grabbing this for? Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be . . . when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am.
3.  The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle, and comes out, the age of twenty-one, and he’s rich! The world is an oyster, but you don’t crack it open on a mattress!


Three important literary themes that helped me understand the play were:


1. Characterization
The man knew what he wanted and went out and got it! Walked into a jungle, and comes out, the age of twenty-one, and he’s rich! The world is an oyster, but you don’t crack it open on a mattress!


2. Metaphor
Never fight fair with a stranger, boy. You’ll never get out of the jungle that way.


3. Diction
He don’t put a bolt to a nut, he don’t tell you the law or give you medicine. He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine… A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory. 

Friday, October 21, 2011

Tools That change The Way We Think

I strongly believe that the internet has a huge affect on the way we think today. The internet has made our lives much more fast pace and causes us to want the quickest and easiest answer. Take writing a research paper for example; just decades ago students would make daily trips back and forth to the library, spending hours quoting books and searching through encyclopedias. These days, a decent research paper can be knocked out in a couple of hours with the click of a few buttons. This has dramatically changed the way we think. While in most ways modern technologies like the internet have benefited us, I believe in other ways they have made us unappreciative and lazy. We no longer appreciate and gift the same way because it was most likely ordered and shipped with the click of a button. The internet has changed the way we think in a thousand different ways and some of them are negative.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

In Search Of

I never knew that the internet tailored what I search depending on my previous history. Honestly, I didn't even know that the internet kept a history of everything I searched even after I thought I deleted it. This fact is very unsettling and even a little creepy. I learned that I need to research and know how to use the internet in a safe and smart way. I also realized that I need to start using more reliable search engines because even Google has created a secret profile of me and alters my results. In conclusion, after hearing what Dr. Preston revealed about the internet that most of us don't know, I believe it is very important for children and students to learn how to correctly use the internet. They need to learn how to properly and accurately search for information and stay safe while doing so. 

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Notes On Hamlet

At the beginning of the play I felt that all of the characters were pretentious liars in thirst for power. While I still know that is true, I have learned what lengths they will go to achieve these goals. Claudius for example killed his own brother, and Gertrude not only betrayed her dead husband, but also her own son. I don't blame Hamlet for going crazy. Every single person in his life has betrayed him. I'm not really sure if I believe that Hamlet actually sees his father's ghost. It is possible that he has just gone crazy, which is completely understandable. 

Who Was Shakespeare?

Because much of Shakespeare's life was a mystery, there are many theories stating he didn't write his famous plays. Shakespeare grew up poor and unprivileged.

"To Facebook Or Not To Facebook"

I have lots of very mixed feelings about Facebook. I do have a Facebook myself, but ponder the importance and safety of it everyday. Facebook can be a very helpful resource to relocate old friends from the past. It allows people to stay connected with distant relatives and friends and check up on what's new in there lives. While in some social aspects Facebook can be a good resource, it can also be bad in others. Facebook is the main source of cyber bullying where vulnerable teenagers are taunted and sometimes even pushed to suicide. It is also a way for teenagers to practically stalk each other. The person with the most posts is the coolest. Most teenagers keep watchful tabs on each other, recounting which were the coolest parties and who got the most drunk at the football game. While this may raise your social status now, it is creating a negative internet profile for your future. Every negative post or picture made by you or about you can be viewed by important people in your future like colleges or employers. 


This all sounds very negative, but I do see the positives in Facebook. It's a nice way to stay connected with friends and family. I know that after I go off to college Facebook will probably be one of the main ways I will keep in contact with people back at home. Moving on from the social aspect of Facebook, I never realized the business side of it. After reading the article, I learned that Facebook keeps it's own tab on you and creates an advertising profile for you that you aren't even aware of. Facebook filters which friends show up on your feed and which advertisements show up in your side margins. This is very unsettling. People need to realize that Facebook can control you if your not careful. While there are many negatives to Facebook, I believe it can be a positive if you know how to use it correctly. 

Monday, October 10, 2011

(Don't Be Hamlet)

In his speech, Hamlet is debating whether or not to commit suicide. He has lost his father and has been betrayed by his mother and uncle. Hamlet discusses the hardships of life and wonders if they are worth bearing. He thinks of death as a peaceful time for eternal sleep. While eternal sleep does sound very appealing, Hamlet realizes that death could possibly be worse than life. He describes the possibility that the devil we face in death could be worse than the devil we face in life. "Thus conscience makes cowards of us all." Here Hamlet explains that the fears of the undiscovered life after death has made a coward of him and he is now too afraid to commit suicide but still ponders the possibility.


While life can get extremely hard to bear at times, I don't think suicide is ever a reasonable solution. Life is so short and death is eternal. Therefore, we should live our lives as long as we possibly can. Even if times get hard, a change of setting and people can make things better. I think the smartest thing for Hamlet to do is to change his surroundings. He should move to England and start fresh and meet new people. Sadly, all of the people in his life now have betrayed him, but there are always more people out there. He should abandon the unhealthy situation he is in and start fresh somewhere else. 


The beauty of Earth is that there are almost limitless places to go. There is always going to be a new place with new people that won't know you. This provides for a fresh new life to reinvent yourself and surround yourself with better people. In conclusion, suicide should never be an option because life is so short that it should never be ended early.   

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Literature Analysis Number 1:

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley


The novel is composed of a series of letters written by Walton to his sister back in England. Walton took part in a long journey as a captain of the sea. During his voyage, Walton met a man named Victor Frankenstein. His letter soon switched from topic of his own journey to the recounting of Victor's life. Victor as a young man was fascinated with science and the miracle of life. He took it upon himself to create life. Subsequently, Victor created a monster. The rest of the novel recounts the tragic events Victor faced due to his horrific creation and ultimately ends with his death and the suicide of the monster. 


The theme of the novel is the curiosity and the thirst for knowledge. Victor wanted to know the secret of life so bad that he created a monster. This shows his need to know all which ended badly. 


The tone of the novel is ironically calm. Even though the series of events are tragic and dramatic, the language of the text remains collected from Walton's view point. The tone is also very depressing. Walton uses adjectives like miserable and dark in his letters.   
Examples:
1.  So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein—more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.
2.    I saw—with shut eyes, but acute mental vision—I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life and stir with an uneasy, half-vital motion. Frightful must it be, for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world.
3. I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on.


Three important literary techniques that helped me understand the theme were:


1. Romanticism
They consulted their village priest, and the result was that Elizabeth Lavenza became the inmate of my parents' house--my more than sister--the beautiful and adored companion of all my occupations and my pleasures.


2. Imagery

As I stood at the door, on a sudden I beheld a stream of fire, issue from an old and beautiful oak which stood about twenty yards from our house; and so soon as the dazzling light vanished, the oak had disappeared, and nothing remained but a blasted stump. When we visited it the next morning, we found the tree shattered in a singular manner. It was not splintered by the shock, but entirely reduced to thin ribbons of wood. I never beheld anything so utterly destroyed. 
3. Rhetorical Questions
Had I right, for my own benefit, to inflict this curse upon everlasting generations? I had before been moved by the sophisms of the being I had created; I had been struck senseless by his fiendish threats; but now, for the first time, the wickedness of my promise burst upon me; I shuddered to think that future ages might curse me as their pest, whose selfishness had not hesitated to buy its own peace at the price, perhaps, of the existence of the whole human race.