Life After this blog post

In my letter to myself I talked about what is important to me now. I wanted to see what would be important to me in the future. I wrote about my friends and family. I talked about what is stressful to me now, because I'm sure that will change in the future. I know I will change. I just want to remember my past as well.

Let's just breathe for a second

I have been really stressed out recently. Between finals and applications I have found myself hating the year that is supposed to be one of the best of my life. I don't feel like I'm the only one! What I have decided to try and do is take a second and realize that I have been in school for twelve and a half years now, what's one more? We all just need to remind ourselves we will go to college, and we can be successful. One bad final is not going to ruin our lives forever, even if you do need to start at Hancock. It will be okay! We can do it! Almost there! Just take a breath and do your best next week! 

Practice essay

Actions and Reactions

 

                                   How we react to change in our environment whether for the better or worse is what shapes who we are. A personality lies in an ability to be resilient in different situations. In both The Allegory of the cave by Plato and No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre the main characters are forced to endure unthinkably bad circumstances. The difference is that the slaves in the cave didn't welcome change like the prisoners in hell would have. Although both were suffering only the ones in hell had ever experienced happiness.

 

                                   If one of the slaves in the Allegory were to experience change it would probably scare them. Their world is one of consistency. The smallest change will effect their entire idea of the world they live in. If they were able to turn their heads just an inch more they could see and experience so much more of the world. The tragedy of the Allegory is that you can't leave the cave until you're enlightened, but how can you be enlightened after experiencing so little of the world?

 

                                   On the other hand, if the people in hell were offered a chance to see more than just the room they were trapped in they would want the opportunity to see something more. The world we live in is one where people constantly want more. They are concerned with always having new things in their lives. Never sticking to one thing long enough to get sick of it. This is the world Estelle, Garcin, and Inez come from. It takes no time at all for them to come to the realization that hell is being in the same place with the same awful people for all of eternity.

                                    In conclusion, the definition of change is to make something different. How could a prisoner want to make something different if they have never know different? The people in hell know different so they want change. Sometimes we have to create our own change. It's too late for those in hell, but the slaves have the opportunity if they are willing to except it. To except change is to except enlightenment.

 

       

 

 



I (think) I can read

Just a thought

Have you ever noticed how one little thing can change someone's day, or even life? Like how when someone gets a compliment on their hair and they start to wear it like that more often, or the stories of people who saved a life by simply asking someone how they were doing. It's the little things that make the biggest difference. This can be for the better or worst. I will make a conscious effort to try and say more of the nice things in my head out loud. Maybe if we could just all successfully do it we could live in a more positive world! Just a thought....

Thinking Outside the Box

1) My hell would be a place of complete and utter emptiness. Nothing to do, no where to go. In my hell all you can do is sit and think about all the mistakes that you have made to get there. The most tragic part is that there is no going back, once you're there you can never leave or change. The environment of hell doesn't matter. One can suffer in a tropical paradise or a 106 degree desert. Hell is a mindset, a state of being, an awful inescapable space from which you can never be free. A person can be in an unfortunate place without being in hell. Some people float through their days effortlessly under the harshest of circumstances. Those are the people to admire. Those who can live happy lives with awful backgrounds are the ones who have made a conscious effort to be happy. They are the heroes.

2) Too much of anything can be bad. Most good things in life are only good in moderation. Take food for example, most people love food but too much can make you sick. Lack of self control can create a hell for anyone. Moderation is the key to a well balanced life.

3)  Sartre creates their hell in a normal looking room. It looks not different from any place found on earth. Their hell is found in the people they are surrounded by. My world could be turned into a hell if I chose to focus only on my flaws. Human beings are all flawed naturally, so no one can be exempt from this type of hell. We all just need to focus on being our own best versions of ourselves, instead of being "perfect".

4) Like Plato, Sartre also understands that mankind's view of themselves is flawed. He seems to have a good understanding of what it means to lead a truly unimportant life. Like Plat's prisoners in The Allegory of the Cave the characters in this play can't see past their own perceptions of reality. This is the tragic flaw that has lead them down the path to hell.

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

The cave is a place you wish not to be

Trapped in dust for an eternity

With shackles and chains you know not much

You know only of the shadows you use as a crutch

This cave is a place for those with small minds

They choose not to learn about their own kind

With small ideas and no dreams at all

Without true enlightenment they will never see fall

To leave the cave may have been a delight

If it weren't for the pesky pain caused by the light

Until they learn to move on from their fears

They will be trapped in a cave with nothing but tears

Plato was sending a message about the problems of humanity

He knew a life without knowledge is one of insanity

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1) Plato's Allegory of the Cave represents humans inability to see past their own truths. It is in our nature to fear the unknown, and therefore we can never learn anything new. This is one of the biggest flaws of human nature.

2) The key elements of imagery where Plato's ability to describe the people living in the cave, and their conditions. It is the chains and shadows that make this story. If the people in the cave weren't forced to look only at the shadows they would have knowledge of the world around them. I think this is why Plato wrote them this way.

3) Plato suggests that the process of enlightenment is a difficult and arduous one. One way that Plato does this is by describing the pain that each person from the cave would feel when first looking into the sun. This is the symbol for the pain that is necessary to gain knowledge. 

4) The shackles and the cave being in the story represent what a terrible life one might lead without knowledge. They also represent being trapped in one's own perceptions of what life is truly about. These things don't seem so bad to people inside the cave, because that is the only life they have ever known.

5) In my personal opinion I think that some ideas about religion and ignorance have shackled the mind. I don't mean to say that religion is bad, but I do think that some people who are religious have a very strict idea of what society has to be like. Ignorance shackles the mind, because people who do not learn about the world around them can never truly be a part of it.

6) A free prisoner can understand why his previous views of the world around them are incorrect. Whereas the prisoner who is still in the cave is blissfully ignorant. He or she will never have to cope with his or her new understanding of the world. A free prisoner can grow and learn, but a trapped prisoner cannot.

7) One may find themselves confused because they don't understand new information, or they were not given the opportunity to gain knowledge.

8) Prisoners can only free themselves by leaving and comin back to the cave. Only when they have gained true knowledge of the world around them can they be free. This suggests that it takes time and experience to learn about the world.

9) I agree that there is a difference between appearances and reality. I think the saying " you can't judge a book by it's cover definitely applies. If the whole world judged each other by their appearances what a superficial world this would be.

10) If Socrates was incorrect about his theory no one would be able to hide who they truly are. We would all be completely honest people. This could also be an ideal world.

We hang together

• Throughout history we as a society have discovered that the only way to achieve anything in life is through collaboration.

• Competition is the key to a successful business.

Ex. Coke and Pepsi

• Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest is dependent upon human proclivity to collaborate.

• Interdependence can not exist without some level of trust.

• All over the world the greatest results have come from collaboration.

Ex. 9/11

• If our society continues to grow more selfish there will be no interdependence, and therefore no coming together for a bigger cause.

A poetic inquiry

I still really like my big question. I wonder daily about why people are so judgemental of each other. I am really bothered by this phenomenon, so I think I want to leave my big question as it is. 

I really liked this sonnet. I know it's not the most eloquent example of a sonnet, but I really like the message. I think it relates back to my big question, because the poem is written from the viewpoint of someone who has dealt with judgement and bullying. I think this sonnet is inspirational.

Sonnet analysis #1

Hamlet Remix

Hamlet Essay

In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare a young man seeks vengeance against his father's murderer. The central problem in the story is that Hamlet can't seem to transform his thoughts into actions. This is what Fredik deBoer was talking about in his essay "The Performative Utterance in William Shakespeare's Hamlet." Every move Hamlet makes is well planned out. He is a man too cunningly sneaky to be crazy. Could it be that the reason he takes so long to act on his urges to kill is because he is thinking of a plan? Hamlet's actions seem to be effected most by self overhearing and his inability to see past his hatred for his uncle. 

In Fredik deBoer's essay he describes self overhearing as taking your own advice on any given subject. Upon analyzing the "To be or not to be" speech it is clear that Hamlet can very easily either talk himself out of doing something, or convince himself to do something. In this particular case Hamlet was trying to decide if life was worth living in the situation he was in. Later in the play Hamlet mainly struggles with the decision to murder his stepdad/ uncle.

Although Hamlet pretends to be ready to kill his stepdad he seems to struggle with actually killing him. Every decision that Hamlet makes throughout the play ties back to his hatred for King Claudius. He pretends to be mad with love for Ophelia just to get away with this murder. He made cold calculated decisions that lead to many deaths. He doesn't care who he has to hurt to kill King Claudius. These cold calculated choices make readers question Hamlet's character.

In conclusion, there are many instances of Performative utterance in this play. Hamlet struggled with the decision to kill himself and others. Hamlet is a character who thinks about his decisions before he makes them. That being said when he does make decisions he usually makes them, because of self overhearing. His intense hatred for his stepdad profoundly influences all of his actions. Hamlet isn't mad he is simply a great manipulator.

Filter bubbles ( took me a while to make into not just a comment but a blog post sorry)

A)I actually feel I learned a lot from this video. I learned more about the tactics companies use to get us to want their product.
B) I feel like filtration bubbles are causing me to only be able to see the world from one perspective. I personally do not feel that is a good way to live life.
c)This video makes me wonder how the new algorithms that are invented in the future will change our experience with the internet.
D) The best way to fix this problem is tor try to expand your searches to accommodate the views of those around you. Try to see things from others perspective, and learn about it online.

Vocab #9

aficionado- and ardent devotee; fan

- I have watched football for years. Some might even call me an aficionado.

browbeat- to intimidate; bully

- You can't browbeat me into doing your homework!

commensurate- having the same measure; of equal extent or duration

- Your height should commensurate with the amount of coffee you drink.

diaphanous- very sheer and light

- My sheets are to diaphanous, so I get cold at night.

emolument- profit; salary

- I made a very small emolument working at Mcdonalds

foray- a quick raid or attack

- The foray surprised us all, and lead to many deaths.

genre- a class or category of artistic endeavor 

- Scream goes in the Horror film genre.

homily- a sermon usually on a biblical topic

- The preacher gave his homily on friendships and not being judgemental.

immure- to enclose within walls 

- I immured my dog in the bathroom, so he wouldn't have an accident on the floor.

insouciant- free from concern or worry

- I felt very insouciant once I finished my homework.

matrix- something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops

- The first scene Hamlet is the matrix from which the story starts.

obsequies- a funeral rite or ceremony

- The obsequies was very depressing, but what funeral is fun.

panache- a flamboyant manner

- The panache with which he presented made it interesting.

persona- the personality a person projects

- His persona was quiet and coy, but in reality he is loud.

philippic- a speech or discourse

- The philippic inspired me to reach for my dreams. 

prurient- having lustful thoughts 

- Teenage boys are prurient.

sacrosanct- extremely sacred

- In my house chocolate is sacrosanct.

systemic- of or pertaining to a system

- When people get in trouble with the law, their trial is systemic.

tendentious- biased

- Since I have five dogs I am tendentious towards them when they are compared to cats.

vicissitude- a change or variation 

- The entire basis of evolution was vicissitude.

Tools that change the way we think

Social networking expands the limits of thought. It changes the way we look at the world. We can learn about places we've never been, meet people we may have never met, and learn things that change us. The only disconcerting part is that we have become so dependent on these new waves of technology that we would be lost without them. I start my day with an alarm on my phone, and end it with a quick stroll through my Instagram. It makes me wonder how people managed before the creation of these devices and networks. Whenever I talk to my parents about things like this they are sure to mention none of this  even existed when they were my age. It's scary to think that all of this technology could expand or collapse within a few years. My generation is so used to the stead-fast growth of the technological boom, that I don't know what we would do if manufacturing companies just some how ran out of ideas one day. Ghandi himself once said ‘While my body on itself is nothing but a meticulous machinery How can I dismiss it? My spinning wheel or even this toothpick, for that matter, is a machine. I hate not the machines, but this growing passion for machines. I hate the passion for the machines which work upon diminishing man power. Some talk about machine which could spare man power when thousands of people are thrown jobless on the streets. Yes, I want the human toil and time to be spared not just for a sect of people but for the humanity. I want the wealth to be accumulated not just in few hands but for all the people in the world. Today machines favor putting handful of people on top thousands.’ Technology is taking the place of human relationships. Our codependency is driving us to ruin relationships and attach ourselves, instead to computer screens and iPods. I definitely appreciate that it is the way of the future, but we also need to realize the effect it is having on our lives.

I got this quote off http://ajithanmotherearth.blogspot.com/2012/07/gandhi-on-technology.html?m=1

The Performative Utterances of Hamlet

• I think the main point of this peice was to point out that Hamlet did not seem to be able to translate what the plans he had for vengeance were into actions.(if that makes sense)

• Hamlet seems to be easily fooling those around him, because of his well thought out plans.

•" a promise has been made in the world" Hamlet makes a binding promise to his father when he first sees his ghost.

•motifs- drama and playacting

• The entire play has an emphasis on emotional context.

• The play uses a lot of mimises. This is mimitation. Hamlet mimics a man driven mad by love.

• At the end Hamlet has a moment of self- actualization.

Thoughts on Hamlet (in progress)

Today in class we wrote a journal on what we think Hamlet's values might be. I

think that above all else he values loyalty. I think to truly be crazy you don't need motives to do awful things. Hamlet has done everything thus far to prove his loyalty to his father. His vengeful acts against Claudius are all just his way of saying " I know what you did to my dad, and you can't replace him." I'm not saying what Hamlet has done is right, but I don't think they are acts of a mad man. Maybe he just has no sense of right and wrong. Based on what we know about Queen Gertrude, she could be where he gets it from. His murdering Polonius may just be Shakespear's way of showing the audience what lengths Hamlet is willing to got to for revenge, and foreshadowing the deaths to come.

To be or not to be

What I think about when I think about act three

Well that escalated quickly! I could not have predicted Polonius's death. Poor Ophelia! Hamlet is single handedly destroying her life. Now I know the lengths Hamlet is prepared to go to to exact revenge. I feel like lots of secrets are about to be revealed. I don't think anyone really seemed to care about Polonius. Is this supposed to say something about what kind of person he was?

Literary analysis 3

1) Of Mice and Men is a story of a friendship that existed between two men named Lennie and George. George is not just Lennie's friend, but also his caretaker, because he is mentally ill. It is clear to readers from the beginning that Lennie has a big heart and a very loving personality. The two men work on a ranch in the story. At first Lennie tries to pretend not to be mentally ill. He accidentally murders many animals and eventually his boss Curly's wife. After this the people who own and work on the ranch want to kill Lennie, but George kills him first so he won't suffer.

2) The theme of the novel was hope. From the beginning of the story George described a dream he and Lennie shared. They both wanted to own their own home with lot's of rabbits for Lennie to play with. Without their hope for the future the work and people they had to deal with would have been insufferable.

3) The authors tone was morose. Although the men continued to dream throughout the story in the end thier dreams were crushed.
"Don't shoot him he didn't know what he was doing"
"You guys is just kidding your self, with those wild dreams"
"George steadied himself and pulled the trigger"
4)Foreshadowing- the author foreshadowed Lennie's accidental violence
"I didn't kill the mouse George, I just found it , honest"

Imagery- "both were dressed in denim trousers and in denim coats with brass buttons"

simile- he uses this to describe the characters
"for a moment he was business-like"

diction- the characters diction showed how uneducated they were
"'bout the other guys and 'bout us"

setting- this story took place on a ranch filled with wealthy white men.
"the bunk house was a long rectangular building"

foil- Lennie and George were complete opposites in everything they did, although Lennie still looked up to George as a role model
"The first man was small and quick. Behind him was a huge man with a shapeless face."

Flashback- George talks about how they lost their last job because Lennie touched a woman's dress
"they run us outa Weed"

Point of view- The fact that the story was told in the third person omniscient helped us get to know each of the characters well.
"they had walked in a single file line down the path that led to the river"

irony- Curly's wife at first appears interested in Lennie even though her husband hates him
"Hi, good-lookin"

characterization- "his arms did not swing at his sides, but hung loosely"

Characterization
1)" Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water"
    "George knelt beside the pool and drank" The author mainly used direct characterization so the audience could get to know the characters.

" the little man jerked down the brim of his hat"
"Her body twitched" The author did not use indirect characterization much, because he wanted the feelings of the characters to be clear.

2) The diction stays the same through out the book to signify how uneducated the men are.
"whatta ya want"

3) George was a very dynamic character. He seems burdened by his friends disability, but to readers it's clear he really loves Lennie.

4) I felt connected with the characters. I wanted to see them achieve their goals. That is why the ending was so depressing to me. I sympathized with both of the main characters.
"No Lennie. I ain't mad. I ain't never been mad, and I ain't now"

Vocab #8

abase-to reduce or lower

Ex. When I got caught stealing $.25 from the cash register, I was abased from my position as cashier.

abdicate- to renounce or relinquish (mainly power)

Ex. His death forced him to abdicate his position as king of the world.

abomination- greatly disliked or abhorred

Ex. Some people might consider a baby born out of wedlock an abomination.

brusque- abrupt in  manner or blunt

Ex. Her brusque honesty about my outfit hurt my feelings.

saboteur-A person who commits or practices sabotage

Ex. He was this saboteur who ultimately caused  my abasement from homecoming queen.

debauchery- excessive indulgence and sensual pleasure

Ex. Her debauchery is the reason that she has several STDs.

proliferate- to grow or produce by multiplication of parts

Ex. Once I had seen one and I knew it would proliferate into an army.

anachronism- belonging to a different time period

Ex. Suspenders are an anachronism.

nomenclature- A set or system of names and terms

Ex. I chose from a nomenclature of names, the perfect one for my child.

expurgate- to amend by removing words, to clense 

Ex. The nun expurgated me to rid me of my demons.

bellicose- inclined to fight, pugnacious

Ex. Because his father was so abusive he was much more bellicose than others of his age.

gauche- locking social grace, tactless

Ex. He was so gauche that he farted at the kitchen table.

rapacious- greedy

Ex. She was so rapacious that she refused to share her money no matter how much she got.

paradox- A self-contradictory statement or proposition

Ex. Her statement that she worked at Subway was a paradox, because everyone knew she worked at Jack-in-the-Box.

conundrum- A riddle often involving a pun, puzzle

Ex. I got myself into quite the conundrum when I ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere.

anomaly- A deviation from a common roll

Ex. When my brother was born with only nine fingers it was an anomaly.

ephemeral- lasting a very short time

Ex. Life is a ephemeral, we must take advantage of the opportunities we are given.

rancorous- full of or showing rancor

Ex. Hamlet is rancorous after finding out his uncle killed his dad.

churlish- rude

Ex. You should never be churlish to company.

precipitous- extremely deep

Ex. The ocean is very precipitous and large.

Dear Ophelia

Dear O,

 I would like to start by saying I'm sorry you have found yourself in this gauche situation. To have to choose between one's friends and love is quite the conundrum. I honestly think this descision is one you must make on your own. Before doing so you may want to consider the saying "blood is thicker than water." I think you may want to look inside yourself and decide which relationship is most important to you. If the relationship you have with this man of your's is simply an ephemeral debauchery, then maybe it's not the right decision to be with him. If your family is irrational and rancorous then maybe their opinion shouldn't matter in your decision. I hope this will help you in the rigorous process of hurting someone you love.

                         Sincerely,

                           Kendall

Literary fiction & empathy

In  the first soliloquy of Hamlet readers are given insight of the anger he feels for his fathers murder. This is the type of writing that helps readers to relate to the characters. Fictional writing helps us to relate to the real world, because when we feel the emotions of others we can understand why they do the things they do. Understanding is the key to life. When we understand we can empathize.

Awesome Hamlet Sites!

This is the link to a website with great descriptions of the plot and characters. I think it may be a great tool during this experience. It also analyzes theme in the play.

This is also a good one. It has historical background about the play, and it will help our understanding.

This one is also good. It has information and opinions about the play from many different authors.

I know this wasn't the assignment, but I struggled to find writers of sites like these to contact. While trying to come up with something that would be of equal value, I came up with this.

Vocab 7/ Character study

After hours of searching for X-mus, and some very weird shenanigans from Quatro I started to get cold. I asked Quatro to pull over the car. He acted really startled, and refused to pull over so I could get my jacket from the trunk. Eventually Lindsey convinced him to stop for gas. When he went in to pay, I walked to the trunk. I opened it and found the body of my cousin/ best friend. For a moment I was in shock, but of course that was emphemeral. I don't even remember what happened next. The last thing I remember was hearing Jacob's sobs after being hit in the face, and shoved back in the cab with the rest of us. I remember seeing Quatro's fist ricochet off the steering wheel in a fit of anger. His garrulous speech on the drive made it even scarier. When he realized I was the only one who hadn't been knocked out in the cab, he hit me.

I awoke on a rough gravel street, surrounded by buildings I had never seen before. I capriciously felt the inchoate bump that had formed on my head. It was then that I noticed I was surrounded by my friends, who I'm sure shared the same plethora of questions I wondered. After looking closer at my surroundings, I realized we were in Egypt....

What I meant to say was...

Although I didn't do the best job conveying the author's message in my original essay, here's what I meant to say:

Through the use of irony and imagery, Chaucer presents a clear cut idea of the problems people in our society face with  the gargantuan differences in socioeconomic classes.

Pre-will

A) I honestly know nothing about Hamlet. I know that the quote "To be, or not to be ; that is the question." Is from it. I think Hamlet was based off his son Hamnet, who died young. I obviously know it was written by Shakespeare, but that's it.

B) I know that Shakespeare was a very famous writer during his time. He wrote many plays. It is roomered that his plays were written by someone else, and he stole them. His plays are often filled with some interesting characters. 

C) I think Shakespeare's work has a negative connotation amongst students, because the style he wrote in is very convoluted. Most of the time you must read his work more than once in order to understand it.

D) I really would just like to take this book slowly. I think it will be most enjoyable if I understand it! We could maybe do a fun project that would make things more interesting.

If I just had more time

If I had more time to prepare for the midterm, I would spend more time going over my notes on Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. I feel like I did not do my essay to the best of my abilities. I might also try to memorize more vocabulary words. I did know all of the definitions, but I got nervous and forgot the words.

Literature analysis #2

1) The book I chose was "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey. It is the story of a man who goes by Broom Bromeden, and all of the characters he incounters in the mental instituition he lives in. It is about the trials and tribulations of living in such awful conditions. They live under the authority of a Nurse. She is the person who is supposed to help them live happier healthier lives, but instead she brings nothing but a lugubrious air to the institution. This book sheds light on the awful practices that took place in mental institutions not long ago. Kelsey's purpose in writing this book was to expose the torture that the mentally I'll endured during this time period, and what the long lasting effects on the patients were. I thing that Kesey achieved  his goal. I felt the pain that each of the characters struggled to survive through. It made me think about what life must have been like for some one who was mentally I'll during that time period.

2) The theme of this novel was strength. It took such strength for each of thes characters to rise up, and fight the life they were condemned to.

3) His tone was hopeful. Although it seemed to be impossible, the introduction of a new character by the name of Mcmurphy brought hope to the patients, hope for change.

" hello buddy, what's that you're playing, Pinochle"?

"I plan to do a lot of smoking."

" me and Cheif here locked horns like two greased monkeys."

4) Imagery -  this helped me to get a good idea of the characters " he's so tiny he looks like he's a mile away"

Simile- helps readers picture things " his face was handsome, and brutal like wax"

Metaphor- helps readers find comedy In the story " The machines were playing to the beat of a rhythm."

Symbolism- I don't have a specific example for this, but Mcmurphy is a symbol to the other patients of what life on the outside was like.

Irony- There was irony in the fact that the nurse who was supposed to help her patients was hurting them. " She dreams of a perfectly organized world run on wires and circuits"

Setting- without the setting of the mental hospital, there would be no story. "I open my eyes and she's down the hall and into the glass nursing station"

Personification- helped describe the ward "the walls cried and sand as the machines turned on"

Diction - the non formal diction helps us get to know the characters " what about that little fart of a doctor"?

Conflict- the main conflict was between the patients and the staff "if you act like a child you will be treated as such"

Point of view- the story being told in first person helps us know the characters thoughts and feelings " I try to avoid the electric shaver as much as possible"

Characterization

1) indirect- This helped me get a better description of the more superficial parts of the book " he couldn't make words come out right anymore"

" His iron ball shrank back into a hand"

Direct- This is my favorite. It helped me to see the inner workings of the character's mind. " I listen to them fad away, until all I can hear is a memory of the sound"

" it's getting hard to locate my bed at night"

2) The author's diction stays the same throughout the story. I think he wants to put emphasis on the fact that most of the patients were not well educated. They usually curse a lot, and speak with accents.

3) The protagonist is very dynamic. There are many levels to him. People in the ward thing he is crazy. He isn't crazy, he is just in need of help. There is much more to him than meets the eye.

4) I feel like after reading this book, I really got to know the characters. The descriptive language the author used really helped me. I loved learning more and more about the characters as the story went on. It was sad, but worth it. " I think under the circumstances of this rebellion, we should take away a privilege." I felt like I could not be rooting for the other team more in this argument. Throughout the book the author wrote so well, that I spent the entire time hoping to see the characters I had grown to love get the rights they deserved.

A comparison's tale

I think the Cook's tale could easily be compared to the Monk's. This is, because in the Monks tale he is warning readers of the threat that vainglory brings to life. While the Cook tells the story of an apprentice who who seems to be too proud to do his job. Instead he spends his evenings gambling, and not doing his job. Chaucer is trying to get his point across through the use of irony and symbolism in both tales. In the end, like all of the stories within the Monk's tale the apprentice's downfall is his inability to see past his own ego. 

Tale of a Canterbury Tale

The story I read was the Cook's. It described that he himself was a big boned jolly person, who enjoyed his job, and more importantly what he got out of it (money). Chaucer doesn't go into a ton of detail. From what readers are given it is easy to see that maybe the Cook is neglecting his kitchen, because he has found he can get away with it. Chaucer goes into great detail about the messy kitchen that the cook keeps. He also talks about the cook's new apprentice.

1) In line 4347 the author uses indirect characterization to refer to the Cook selling pies that he had reheated. This shows he is a bit sneaky/lazy

In line 4374 the author gives readers the impression that the apprentice must be good looking, because the Wenches would be lucky to have him.

In line 4386 the author uses irony to describe what a great gambler the apprentice  was, even if it was not his trade.

In line 4406 the author uses simile to compare the apprentice to bad apples, in order make readers understand why the Cook must fire him.

In line 4415 the author shows flaws in the Cook's character, by stating that now he will have to steal and embezzle alone.

2) Chaucer's purpose in telling this tale was to show that there is more depth to a person than meets the eye. He uses imagery and simile to give readers a glimpse into the real life of someone in a Cook's position. He wants readers to understand the different parts of a person, that may not always be put our there for the world to see.

Character study (4)

So many of us crammed into such a small taxi could not be a good idea. I was so worried about Xmus that I had left my purse with my phone and wallet at Quatro's house. None of us knew where my cousin could be. The car was dank and disgusting. I just wanted to be sleeping in a bed somewhere else. Quatro was beginning to get on my nerves. I knew he was just trying to help us find my cousin, but his persistent babble of reasons Xmus may be gone were in no way helpful. We scoured the streets for Xmus, but he was no where to be found. Lindsey tried to comfort me by telling me it would all be okay, but something inside me was telling me it wouldn't.

Character Study (2 and 3)

As soon as I got down the street from my house I was thrilled to see that my cousin X-mus Jaxon Flaxon-Waxon was there to get me. I was leaving this house forever, and he was the only one who knew it. My parents are very controlling. Even though I was nineteen I was very rarely allowed to leave my house. Today was the day that this would all change. "Where to" ? asked X-mus questioningly. "I have a friend who said I could stay with her for a little while, and go to some party, or something." I said.

Just like that we were on our way to my friend Kylie's new dorm. When we  got there I walked swiftly, and knocked on her door. I could not have been more excited to see her. The excitement grew even more when I noticed that Kristen (a girl I was friends with in high school) was also there. There was some random man standing in the corner. "Um who is he"? I wondered out loud. " He was my taxi driver her. Isn't he cute? He's really sweet. His name is Ozmataz Buckshank." She whispered quietly. "oh okay" I said. Later another one of our friends Lindsey came. She seemed a bit frazzled, but happy to be there.

After we got all caught up, we headed out for the game. They won! Kylie told me there would be an after party. She wanted to go, because her friend Jacob would be there. I was excited, because I had heard that Quatro Quatro was throwing the party. He was a starting football player, who I had heard was pretty hot.

As soon as we arrived at the party X-mus started drinking. I didn't know what to do, because he was my ride. I went to the bathroom, and when I came back he was gone. I immediately began to pannick. What if something really bad had happened to him? After searching the party, I told my friends he was missing. We all hopped in the car to start the search for him.

Canterbury Tales (1)

 I definitely felt each and every one of the characters in the prologue were entertaining, for just being who they are. Chaucer's use of irony when bringing the characters to life is what will keep the story interesting. I don't know that I liked how each of the characters were just listed off one after another. I hope in the future parts of the story there will be more dialogue. Now that during our discussion we talked about how the cook's character will be most interesting, I can't help but find myself curious to learn more about him. He seems like he will be a very peculiar/disgusting character.

Netvibes dashboard

I just set up my dashboard. I'm not going to lie to you guys, I do not like it so far. I am not good with these types of websites. I really want to like it, because I could definitely use more organization in my life. I will keep working with it. Hopefully it will get easier with time. So far I am struggling to get all the web pages I want on it. Without the websites I want I may never use it. I just hope with time and effort it will begin to make more sense!

Character study (1)

Kendall packed quickly and heedlessly. She didn't know where she was going, but what she did know was that she could not stay there long. She grabbed some clothes, and other essential items for her journey. She did this while manouvering around the desk she had pushed up against her bedroom door. Using her desk chair, with one swift motion her window was gone. Laying a sheet over the shattered glass at the base she swiftly escaped. Leaping towards a new life.

Vocab #6

obsequious- showing servile complaisance; fawning

- The girl obsequiously  made the boy a sandwich.

beatitude- supreme blessedness or exalted happiness

- I felt such beatitude  to be able to join the military.

bete noire- this person or thing especially disliked

- The crown is the bête noir
Of the coloring utensils.

bode- to be an omen of

- My sister borrowing my shirt did not bode well for me.

dank- unpleasantly moist or humid

- Rain forests are quite dank at this time of year.

ecumenical- General or universal

-It is an ecumenically excepted fact that men die before women.

fervid- heated or vehement in spirit

- I was fervid with excitement for the upcoming concert I would be attending.

fetid- having inoffensive odor, stinking

- Anywhere near the pigpen was fetid.

gargantuan- gigantic

- The church was gargantuan and beautiful.

heyday- stage or period with greatest vigor

- Around the age of one children are at their heyday for walking.

incubus- A Demonn or evil spirit

- The mentally Ill woman claimed that and incubus had attacked her in her sleep.

infrastructure- framework

- The constructors finished building the infrastructure of the building.

inveigle- to entice or lure

- I inveigled him into cooking me dinner.

kudos- Honor or glory

- I gave him kudos for his work with the volunteer center.

lagniappe- A gratuity or a gift with purchase

- I was happy I got a lagniappe with all the thing I bought from the store.

prolix- tediously lengthy

- I wrote a Prolix report on healthy eating habits.

protege- A person under the patronage

- The artist's protégé was very talented also.

prototype- The original model based on which something is formed

- I created a prototype of the car I wish to one day make.

sycophant- A servile flatterer

- I don't mean to be a sycophant when I say that I really like your outfit and ask where it's from.

tautology- needless repetition of an idea

- I used tautology to help explain the math problem in a more clear way.

truckle- to yield  obsequiously

-  She truckled under the pressure of her math test.

accolade- and award or honor

- It was quite accolade to get to be on varsity my sophomore year.

acerbity- sourness

- Her acerbity towards Russian films was absolutely baffling to me.

attrition- a reduction or decrease in numbers

- The attrition from the amount of people at the first meeting to the amount of people at the last meeting was absolutely insane.

bromide- A platitude or trite saying

- The sun will come out tomorrow is a very bromide statement.

chauvinist- aggressively patriotic or prefers one gender over another

- He was a chauvinist who believed women belonged in the kitchen and men belonged at work.

chronic- Constant or habitual

- I have had chronic arthritis for around 20 years now.

expound- to set forth

- I want to expound on a journey that will last a lifetime.

factionalism- self interested

- Her factionalism is what led her to a very lonely life.

immaculate- extremely clean or clear from moral impurity

- Her house was immaculatly decorated.

imprecation- a curse

- The witch put andimprecation on our house so anyone who lives in it will die young. 

ineluctable- incapable of being evaded

- The ineluctable truth was that I would never be able to have children.

mercurial- changeable or fickle

- Her mercurial personality caused her to have trouble picking out an outfit every morning.

palliate- to relieve or lesson without curing

- The Neosporin will help the pain of the cut, but the cut will heal on its own with time.

protocol- customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality.

- Standard protocol for dealing with stealing from the store is to fire the person who is guilty.

resplendent- shining brilliantly

- The resplendent lights on the Christmas tree added to the feeling of winter.

stigmatize- to disgrace 

- By having an affair with a married man you have stigmatized your family's name.

sub rosa- secretly; privately

- We could have a sub rosa conversation about buying mom a birthday gift tomorrow.

vainglory- excessive pride over one's achievements

- Her vainglory over getting her athletic letter was absolutely ridiculous.

vestige- A surviving evidence

- I was hoping there might be just a vestige of pie left for me when I got home.

volition- The act of willing, choosing, or resolving

- My volition of myself to go to practice was the only thing that drove me there.

What a character

"Tris" is a girl from the Divergent series, by Veronica Roth. She has made an impression on me, because I admire her strength in the series. Teenagers in the series are forced to choose what kind of person they are when they turn a certain age. Tris is brave enough to decide that her personality is not able to be put in a category. I like that she is willing to stand up for herself, even if it makes her an outsider looking in on a life she once knew. She chooses to be her own person, instead of submitting to what others want her to be. The fact that the author wrote the story in the first person makes it easier for me to relate to Tris. The use of stream of conscious as a tactic helps readers to better understand the internal conflicts the main character struggles with. The use of these devices to describe her as a character is what made her discernable, in my mind from other characters I have read about.

Declaration of Learning Independence

All my life everyone including teachers have constantly talked about how "everyone is special in their own way." If this is true than why is it that all students are following a specific curriculum? I'm going to try not to babble on about how unimportant some of the classes I've taken now seem to be. However, the world is constantly changing. Some of the things that we are learning to do now will be of no use to us with the speed at which technology is moving. One example of this was the fact I once had to learn cursive. I don't know about you guys, but when was the last time you wrote an essay in cursive instead of typing it? I guess what I want to get out of my high school experience is different than the cookie cutter ideas that many adults have hammered into our brains. I want to learn things that will help me in the future. I want to learn what I need to know to make it through life as a person I can be proud of. I guess that's a goal. I know it's not super specific for what I want to do in the future. I have other goals for that. I'm sorry if this wasn't the assignment, but to my knowledge this assignment was to show us this class will give us the freedom to learn what's important for this course, and how it can be used in the future. 

Vocabulary #5

obsequious- Characterized by or showing servile deference

- Need a hotel owner was quite obsequious to our needs.

beatitude- Supreme blessedness or exalted happiness

- It was quite an accolade to have such a beatitude  in our home.

bete noire- a person or a thing that is disliked or dreaded

Jury duty is a bête noir.

bode- To be an omen of or to announce before hand

- My itchy throat boded that I was getting sick.

dank- Unpleasantly moist or humid

- Did dank weight room caused us to move our workout outside.

ecumenical- General or universal

- It is a ecumenically excepted truth that without oxygen we would die.

fervid- Burning, glowing, enthusiastic

- The fervid flame on the candle flickered wildly.

fetid- Having an offensive odor

- The old, moldy cheese was very fetid.

gargantuan- Gigantic, enormous, colossal

- The gargantuan lion seem to scare every person who went near it.

heyday- The stage or period with greatest vigor

- The heyday of jeggings seem to have only lasted a week.

incubus- a demon, evil spirit, or nightmare

- I saw incubus standing staring through my window while I was laying in bed.

infrastructure- The basic underlying framework

- The infrastructure of the house had already been created, so now all that was left was building the roof.

inveigle- To entice or Lure

- I inveigled him into helping me with my math homework.

kudos- Honor and glory

- You deserve kudos for your work with the military.

lagniappe- a gift with purchase or a tip

- I got a free hand sanitizer as a lagniappe for buying three lotions.

prolix- Long and wordy

- They prolix to essay got to be quite boring after a while.

protege- a person under protection or patronage

- My protege learned to appreciate art, because of me.

prototype- And original or model based on which something is formed

- My prototype of a hands-free cell phone did not turn out very well.

sycophant- a self-seeking servile flatterer

- The sycophant agreed with everybody at the meeting just to make things easier.

tautology- Repetition of an idea

- His tautology of his idea to expand the company became very annoying, and unnecessary.

truckle- To prevent or yield obsequiously

- Did dog truckled  to my demands that he lay down.

Literary Analysis #1

1) Running with Scissors is an autobiography about the life of Augusten Burroughs. He is a teenage boy who moved out of his mothers house, and in with her therapist. His father was an alcoholic who left him when he was very young. His mother seemed to be losing a little more of her mind every day. This is why he moved in with Dr. Finch and his family. The book is mainly about all the crazy and awful things he goes through while living there. It is also about how he discovered he was gay, and his first love interest. He met his boyfriend Bookman who was twice his age through the Finches. Bookman later disappears, after telling Augusten he loved him so much it scared him. Augusten forms an interesting bond with one of Dr. Finches daughters named Natalie. He finds her interesting and easy to talk to. She too formed a relationship with a  pedaphile who broke her heart. He bounces back and forth in time through out the book. He talks about the insane things his mom had done, and how he adjusts to living with a therapist who seemed to be the craziest one of them all.  One example the craziness in the Finch house was when Augusten and Natalie decided the wanted a moon roof in the kitchen, the just cut a hole in the ceiling, and no one seemed to care.

2) I would say the main theme in this novel is that the way you are raised has a huge effect on the way you view the world. Augusten struggles with this idea. He spends his whole life worrying that he may end up like his mom. This fear drives him to try and make sure he is his own person. It is this characteristic that makes him fit in in the Finch household.

3) I would describe the author's tone in this book as facetious. He often takes very serious matters and makes them funny. " I had nothing in common with these kids. They had moms that nibbled matchstick- thin slices of carrot. And I had a mom that ate matchsticks." 

"All the commotion had caused the roaches to reatreat deeply into the walls so Natalie hardly screamed at all."

" That's when I noticed she was also wearing a stocking cap and a green wool coat. Something in her brain had short circuited. She was now prepared for Christmas."

4) tone- This helped readers to not be bogged down by what a sad life he led. 

P.192

Motif- the common thread through out the book was mental health

" My mother was a writer but she was also crazy. And the only people who read her poems were the depressed women in the writing classes she held it her house in the summers or friends she called on the phone" p.154

Simile- this also added to the comedy in the book

"My brother had a very unique way of communicating through grunts and snorts like, one can only assume our very distant ancestors."p. 104

Imagery- This helped me to picture such crazy events happening. "I slid into the smooth brown courduroy seat" P. 105

Irony- There was a ton of irony in the fact that the person who was supposed to help his mom get better was in fact crazy himself. P. 122-123

Personification- The author often personified items in the Finch home in order to better describe what an awful state the house was in. P. 39

Symbolism- The kitchen ceiling on page 139. Was described as "crushing" the main character. I think this symbolizes how trapped Augusten felt in his situation. I think this really helped the author get his point across. It made me feel sympathy for him. He never really felt like he was in controll of his destiny

Point of view- I really loved that this story was an autobiography. The fact that it was told in the first person just makes the content seem that much more mind boggling. This helped the book to hold my interest.

Diction- The story is told in a way that makes me think that the conversations in this book actually happened the way he says they did. I could picture a teenage boy saying things like "so basically, you're giving me away to your shrink"

Pg. 138

Flashback- there were many of these all throughout the book. He never stuck to one specific time or instance. I like this, because it helps readers to understand why he reacts to certain events the way he does. Pg. 215

All of the above

I was pretty disappointed with the way I scored on this test. I didn't seem to have too much trouble with most of the short stories or essays. I think that a large amount of the ones that I got wrong were due to me not understanding the question. With some time and work with vocabulary, this problem could be fixed.

Vocabulary #4

accolade- an award or honor

-It was a great accolade to be invited to the party the most popular girl and school was having.

acerbity- Sourness, roughness, harshness

- Her acerbity towards my dog made it clear that she was not an animal person.

attrition- a reduction, or decrease in numbers

- The attrition in sales caused the business to have to shut down.

bromide- a platitude or trite saying

- He gave us a long bromide speech about why we should appreciate everything we have.

chauvinist- Someone who is aggressively patriotic, or a person who believes one gender is better than the other

- He was a complete chauvinist. He said that women should not be allowed to get jobs.

chronic- Constant, habitual, reoccurring

- I have chronic foot pain, because I don't wear supportive shoes.

expound- To set forth, or state in detail

- I do not have to expound my reasons for giving my baby up for adoption.

factionalism- Self-interest, partisan 

- Your factionalism is causing all of those who you care about to suffer.

immaculate- Spotlessly clean, or free from moral impurity

- Her house was so immaculate, that I didn't want to wear my shoes on her carpet. 

imprecation- A curse, or malediction

- The witch put an imprecation on my child, because I was mean to her.

ineluctable- Inescapable

- The uncomfortable conversation I was having seems to be ineluctable.

mercurial- Changeable, volatile, fickle

- Her mercurial attitude made it difficult for her to find a house to live in.

palliate- To relieve or lessen without curing

- The doctors palliated her cancer so she could die in peace.

protocol- Customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality

- We must follow fire drill protocol  while we are attending school.

resplendent- Shining brilliantly, Gleaming

- The resplendent Christmas tree added to the winter atmosphere.

stigmatize- To set some mark of disgrace or infamy upon

- The Scarlet letter stigmatized the girl who had committed adultery.

sub rosa- Confidently, secretly, privately

- She came to me sub rosa to talk about  her father's passing.

vainglory- Excessive pride or elation over one's achievements

- Her vainglory showed that she was not the hero we thought she was.

vestige- a surviving evidence

- I still had a vestige  of hope that somehow my lost dog would return to me.

volition- a choice or decision made by will

- The volition that we came to was that Sarah should be team captain. 

Beowulf Essay

                          Our culture shapes the way writers create their master pieces. Beowulf is the story of a man who epitomizes the idea of a hero that existed in a culture that was around many years ago. This was a culture that valued honor above all else. He is a reflection of the time period that the story was created in. Beowulf's character is strong, fast, and vengeful. For these reasons I think that he is comparable to the modern hero the Hulk.  The Hulk does not think about his actions before he does them. He instead thinks about vengeance. This was the tragic flaw that led to Beowulf's downfall.

                          The main literary devices used in the stories of these heroes are symbolism, foreshadowing, and imagery. An example of the symbolism in Beowulf is that all of the monsters in this story are big and ugly ones, who live in hidden places, with mysterious backgrounds. This symbolizes how monsters can never truly be a part of society. The Hulk is another example of a big green monster who will never be considered "normal." At many points in this story other characters said things that foreshadowed Beowulf's death by dragon. In the Hulk the fact that he must escape to a far off location when he gets angry should foreshadow that at some point, he will cause some major destruction. The author in both of these stories uses imagery to portray what great strength the main characters have.

                         The differences in these two characters definitely stem from the fact that they take place in such different time periods. The Hulk could be considered a hero, because of his strength and his struggles to control his anger. However Beowulf is a hero, because of all the good he did for his people. Even if it was for his own selfish reasons.That was the standard then. The Hulk meets our standards now. Even if he does not receive the same amount of honor.

                         In conclusion, these characters may seem very different in regards to their reasons for being considered a hero, however they have many similarities. Such as their strength and inabilities to think things through completely. In different time periods this led them down  different paths one to death and another to eternal misery as a monster.

Will study for food

College is clearly very expensive. I do not have too much money saved. The only ways I can expect to pay for it are loans, scholarships, and getting a job. I am hoping to get as many scholarships as possible. The main colleges I hope to be excepted to are Chico State and Fresno State. Fresno is roughly $27,139 a year. Chico is roughly $22,362. My main source for scholarships will be from scholarships.com and I will also be applying for the Elks scholarship.

Vocabulary #3

apostate- a person who forsakes their religion. 

Ex. She cheated on her husband she must be an apostate.

effusive- lacking reserve/ pouring out

Ex. My effusive enthusiasm showed I was happy to get the job.

impasse- a situation with no escape

Ex. We could not decide where to eat. We were at an impasse.

euphoria- intense happiness and self confidence

Ex. After winning the spelling bee I was in an euphoric state. 

lugubrious- mournful or gloomy

Ex. It was a lugubrious day for the girl who's grandpa had just passed away. bravado- a pretentious show of courage

Ex. He defeated the monster with extreme bravado.

consensus- majority of opinion

Ex. The consensus voted on Pisa for dinner.

dichotomy- division into two parts

Ex. During civil wars many countries undergo dichotomy.

constrict- to draw in or make smaller

Ex. The snake constricted its predator, crushing its bones. 

gothic- pertaining to European style during the 12th century

Ex. I am decorating my house with a gothic theme.

punctilio- a fine point or detail

Ex. We must go over the final punctilios of my wedding.

metamorphosis- a change of form or structure

Ex. The caterpillar metamorphosed into a butterfly.

raconteur- a good story teller

Ex. The raconteur told us stories about his childhood.

sine qua non- an essential element

Ex. We forgot the sine qua non for the cake.

quixotic- unpredictably extravagant 

Ex. The fact that he bought me a car on our first date was quixotic.

vendetta- a prolonged and bitter feud

Ex. The girl seem to have a vendetta against me she always kicked my leg during practice.

non sequitur- An inference with an ill logical conclusion

Ex. Her assumption that just because the boy and the girl were not in class because they were at the beach was absolutely non sequitur.

mystique- An aura of mystery or mystical power

Ex. His mystique was what first drew me to him.

quagmire- A bog or a difficult situation

Ex. When I went looking for alligators I got stuck in a quagmire.

parlous- Perilous  or dangerous

Ex. The parlous conditions mad me wish I was in the safety of my own warm bed.