Midterm Review/Study Strategy

It took me forever, but I finally finished! 
*Enjoy(:

1. I used the website Quizlet to make my own flashcards with vocabulary # 1 - 7.  I suggest playing the games, they're fun & helpful!! (ONLINE RESOURCE)
2. I'm making flashcards with vocabulary # 1-7. (HARD COPY)
3. Each night I'll try to make a story out of the vocabulary words. 
4. I'll work with Elizabeth Pereyra and be part of a study group during an AVID tutorial.

ONLINE RESOURCES: HAMLET

http://thehamletweblog.blogspot.com/
* This blog mentions Hamlet as a well as Shakespeare's greatest work. Different bloggers contribute to this blog giving different views on each topic. If you click around you could also find other resources to look into.

http://shakespearean-headcanon.tumblr.com/
* I saw this resource on Ubi Kim's blog and thought it might be useful. It shows posts that are recent and I'm sure we could get some positive thoughts flowing with it. 

http://blog.passiontask.com/entry/reading-log-hamlet-william-shakespeare/

* I found this one while clicking around on the other link. He expresses his thoughts on Hamlet and reflects on Hamlet's thoughts. It's a type of reading log, but I know I might refer back to it if needs be. 

"Pre-Will" Questions

 a) What do you know about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane"?  
-Honestly, all I know is that he's someone we have to study. He was a prince and his writing was gloomy.   
b) What do you know about Shakespeare?   
-Shakespeare wrote many plays and people often look to his work for advise on writing.  
c) Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare"?  
-They frown because they know Shakespeare's writing is complex and long. Most teachers that teach Shakespeare get too into it and take the fun out of it.     
d) What can we do to make studying this play an amazing experience we'll never forget? 
-Many people don't see the use in reading Shakespeare because it's boring and complex, but if you have the class perform parts of his writing or let us have a visual by watching the scene we're working on then maybe people will want to participate. If you make Shakespeare a fun experience, there's a higher chance our minds will remember and recognize what your trying to teach.

Literary Analysis Part Two: Jane Eyre

CHARACTERIZATION

1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?

• The authors uses both approaches to let the author understand the change within the novel. I was able to understand how Jane thought as an individual and as a character in her life. She was expressed as an intelligent young lady, and the author was able to understand that through her actions.
• Examples of direct characterization:
  •  "John had not much affection for his mother and sisters, and an antipathy to me." (Ch. 1)
  • "John Reed was a schoolboy of fourteen years old; four years older than I, for I was but ten" (Ch. 1)

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

• The author's diction does change when she focuses on people like Bertha and Mr. Rochester. When introducing Bertha, Mr. Rochester's insane wife, the author hints out her presence by using Grace Poole as the cover up. She uses simple diction, but at the same time it gets you thinking. Her syntax leaves the author wondering about who the insane woman is, and if she exists as a person or monster. When the author introduces Mr. Rochester, the diction gets complex. Since he's represented as a wealthy man, the way he's talked about is intellectual and serious. She uses his character to represent the higher class and their dialect. 

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

• Jane Eyre is the protagonist and I feel she's a dynamic character. She changes from this shy abused girl to a strong independent young lady.
  • "While arranging my hair, I looked at my face in the glass, and felt it was no longer plain: there was hope in its aspect and life in its color; and my eyes seems as if they had beheld the fount of fruition, and borrowed beams from the lustrous ripple." (Chapter 24)
• Jane Eyre is a round character because she changed personalities within the novel. She overcame the hardships at Gateshead Hall, Lowood and Thornfield by herself. She faced abandonment, neglection and imprisonment her entire life, but faced her problems and learned from her experiences. 

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.

• It felt like I met Jane Eyre because of the problems she encountered. They were real situations involving the mistreatment within a family. Coming from a home that neglected her, Jane Eyre became a strong individual. She kept with her schooling and was successful with her career. Jane Eyre was belittled and mentally abused everywhere she went. Jane's motivation was discovered through the misery of her childhood, and the people who didn't believe in her only helped out her desire to be free.
  • "How dare I, Mrs. Reed? How dare I? Because it is the TRUTH. You think I have no feelings, and that I can do without one bit of love or kindness; but I cannot live so: and you have no pity. I shall remember how you thrust me back--roughly and violently thrust me back--into the red-room, and locked me up there, to my dying day; though I was in agony; though I cried out, while suffocating with distress, 'Have mercy! Have mercy, Aunt Reed!' And that punishment you made me suffer because your wicked boy struck me--knocked me down for nothing. I will tell anybody who asks me questions, this exact tale. People think you a good woman, but you are bad, hard- hearted. YOU are deceitful!" (Ch. 4)
• Jane Eyre finally had enough of her Aunt Reed's cruelty. She was given the chance to stand up to her aunt and she took it. Like most, announcing she was threw with letting someone walk all over her was victorious then at the same time scary. 
  • "I was left there alone--winner of the field. It was the hardest battle I had fought, and the first victory I had gained: I stood awhile on the rug, where Mr. Brocklehurst had stood, and I enjoyed my conqueror's solitude. First, I smiled to myself and felt elated; but this fierce pleasure subsided in me as fast as did the accelerated throb of my pulses. A child cannot quarrel with its elders, as I had done; cannot give its furious feelings uncontrolled play, as I had given mine, without experiencing afterwards the pang of remorse and the chill of reaction." (Ch. 4)

Second AP Reading List Choice / Reason

I chose The Awakening by Kate Chopin, since the quick summary I found drew me in. I picked up the novel from the library, and the introduction has already explained so much. I''m excited to read on and find out how the main character, Edna Pontellier, deals with the conflicts in her life.   

0 Period Singing A Song

The class singing "We Will Rock You" by Queen

Vocabulary # 7

aberration - (noun) an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image; a disorder in one's mental state; a state or condition markedly different from the norm 

ad hoc- (adverb) for the special purpose or end presently under consideration 

bane - (noun) something causes misery or death 

bathos - (noun) triteness or triviality of style; a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one; insincere pathos 

cantankerous - (adj.) having a difficult and contrary disposition; stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate 

casuistry - (noun) moral philosophy based on the application of general ethical principles to resolve moral dilemmas; argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading 

de facto - (noun) in fact; in reality 

depredation - (noun) an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding; (usually plural) a destructive action 

empathy - (noun) understanding and entering into another's feelings 

harbinger - (noun) an indication of the approach of something or someone; verb foreshadow or presage 

hedonism - (noun) an ethical system that evaluates the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good; the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle 

lackluster - (adj.) lacking luster or shine; lacking brilliance or vitality 

malcontent - (adj.) discontented as toward authority; noun a person who is discontented or disgusted 

mellifluous - (adj.) pleasing to the ear 

nepotism - (noun) favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs 

pander - (noun) someone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce); verb arrange for sexual partners for others; yield (to); give satisfaction to 

peccadillo - (noun) a petty misdeed piece de 

resistance - (noun) the most noteworthy or prized feature, aspect, event, article, etc., of a series or group; special item or attraction.  

remand - (noun) the act of sending an accused person back into custody to await trial (or the continuation of the trial); verb refer (a matter or legal case) to another committee or authority or court for decision; lock up or confine, in or as in a jail 

syndrome - (noun) a complex of concurrent things; a pattern of symptoms indicative of some disease

Quote of the day

"The time is always right to do what is right."

--Martin Luther King Jr.

Literature Analysis Questions: Jane Eyre

GENERAL LITERARY ANALYSIS

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.

• Jane Eyre starts off as an orphan living with Mrs. Reed and her three cousins at Gateshead Hall. They mistreat Jane and the moment she stands up for herself, Jane is locked in the red-room by herself. Jane finds courage and decides it's time to stand up to her cruel aunt, Mrs. Reed. She later attends Lowood, a place where orphans get sent for some schooling. The sad part is the girls are treated harsh and Helen Burns, Jane's best friend, and Miss Temple, a teacher, are the only good people at Lowood. Helen dies because something broke out at school leaving Jane alone, but she did make another friend, Mary Ann. Jane stays at Lowood until she's 16 then becomes a teacher and remains there until she's 18. She later accepts a job as a governess for Adele Varens at Thornfield. Jane moves in so she could tutor Adele and finds out mysterious things happen on the third floor. She soon meets Mr. Rochester and finds out more about the third floor, but not enough to understand what's going on. Jane saves Mr. Rochester's life while the sneaky Grace Poole supposedly sets his curtains on fire. He has guests over and a man named Mr. Mason enters the third floor, but gets bitten by someone. Not being able to find out more, Jane leaves to tend to her sick aunt Mrs. Reed. Jane returns to Thornfield and they decide to get married. On the day of their wedding, two men come saying Mr. Rochester is already married. They find out that his wife is Bertha Mason, the one who's been doing crazy things at night. He explains how they met and why he's kept her a secrete for so long. (Insanity ran in her family, and he was tricked into marrying her for money.) He tells Jane to live with him in France, but they'll have to pretend to be married. She refuses to be another mistress and runs away. She moves in with the River's family and becomes a teacher. Her Uncle, Mr. Eyre, passes away and leaves his fortune to Jane. St. John tries to make a move on Jane, and decides they should go live in India together. Jane agrees but only as his cousin and not his wife. She's about to say yes to St. John's marriage proposal when she apparently hears Mr. Rochester's voice calling her. The next day, she leaves and returns to Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester had kicked everyone out because he wasn't able to find Jane and Jane finds out that Bertha did some terrible things. Jane returns offering to be Mr. Rochester's housekeeper or nurse, but instead they end up getting married.

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

• I'll admit, I had trouble trying to choose the theme of Jane Eyre because the book mentioned so much, but I decided that it's main focus was on the social class and the role she plays throughout the novel. Jane was viewed as a servant and treated harsh by her cousins who were of "higher class." Jane's character gained courage and underwent changes after her argument with Mrs. Reed. As the story progresses, Jane undergoes situations that involve her social class. Like attending Lowood, where only orphans go to obtain an education; being the governess at Thornfield and falling in love with Mr. Rochester, who was of higher social class. The pressure's of her social class had it's peaks leading the reader to think she'll never find happiness in the world she lives in. The relations that were proposed lacked equality between social classes and it seemed like the rich could only associate with the rich, where the "help" had to hide behind the scenes unless called for. The fact she inherited money towards the end gave her character independence and freedom. She went from not having a family to creating one and her character was finally free from the "servant girl" mentality. 

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

• The author's tone is romantic after you see her mature into a young lady and she encounter's Mr. Rochester. They're love grows and she explains to the reader how her feelings develop over time. The way she talks about him after each encounter helps the reader understand that she's falling in love. When he dresses up as a gypsy to trick everyone, he reveals himself to Jane showing the trust he has for her. He learns to rely on Jane whenever an incident happens. Like the night Bertha had set his curtains on fire trying to kill him, Jane was there to save his life. Then when Mr. Mason gets bit by Bertha, Jane is there again to help and keep Mr. Rochester's secrets a secrete. Bertha played a huge role in Jane and Mr. Rochester's first attempt to get married since it was because of her that Jane ran away. (Jane didn't want to be another one of his mistresses. Mr. Rochester couldn't divorce Bertha because of her mental illness.) Her romantic style sinks in once you notice her attempt to go back to Mr. Rochester. In the end they do get married showing that even they could fall in love, forgive and get married. 

4. Describe five literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthen your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone.  Include three excerpts (for each element) that will help your reader understand each one.

• Symbolism: The red-room because throughout the novel she refers to it as an emotional piece. Whenever she feels insecure about herself or a decision she's about to make, the red-room is brought up as a reminder the struggles she'll have to face to find peace within herself.
  • "I shall remember how you thrust me back--roughly and violently thrust me back--into the red-room, and locked me up there, to my dying day; though I was in agony; though I cried out, while suffocating with distress, 'Have mercy! Have mercy, aunt Reed!' And that punishment you made me suffer because your wicked boy struck me--knocked me down for nothing." (Jane Eyre Ch. 4)
  • "Let her stand half an hour longer on that stool, and let no one speak to her during the ramainder of the day." That's exactly how Mrs. Reed treated her when she tried to get out of the red-room. (Mr Brocklehurst CH. 7)
  • "I dreamt I lay in the red-room at Gateshead; that the night was dark, and my mind impressed with strange fears. The light  that long ago had struck me into syncope, recalled in this vision, seemed glidingly to mount the wall, and tremblingly to pause in the centre of the obscured ceiling..." "It spoke to my spirit: immeasurably distant was the tone, yet so near, it whispered in my heart-" "My Daughter, flee temptation!" "Mother, I will."  (Ch. 23)
• Allusion: When visitor's come to Thornfield, they talk about how cruel they've been to their own governess. It's a reminder of what Jane's childhood was like under the watch of Mrs. Reed. The idea of higher class being dominate to the lower class is shown as they converse. 
  • "Am I a servant?" (Jane Eyre Ch. 2) "No; you are less than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep." (Lady's-maid Ch. 2)
  • "What tricks Theodore and I used to play on our Miss Wilsons, and Mrs. Greys, and Madame Jouberts! Mary was always too sleep to join in a plot with spirit." (Blanche Eshton Ch. 17)
  • "No, never: we might do what we pleased; ransack her desk and her work-box, and run her drawers inside out: and she was so good-natured, she would give us anything we asked for." (Louisa Eshton Ch. 17)
• Plot Tension: The reader could tell that Jane is falling in love with Mr. Rochester, but Mr. Rochester pretends to be engaged to Miss Blanche. Jane witnesses the two as a "couple" and concludes that Jane's secrete love could never be because of their class. Tension rises as the reader picks up the two's interest for each other.
  • "He said something in praise of your eyes, did he? Blind puppy! Open their bleared lids and look on your own accursed senselessness! It does good to no women to be flattered by their superior, who cannot possibly intend to marry her, and it is madness in all women to let a secrete love kindle within them..." (Jane Eyre Ch. 16)
  • "You said it was not likely they should think of being married," said Jane,"but you see Mr. Rochester evidently prefers her to any of the other ladies." (Jane Eyre Ch. 17)
  • "..look how she leans her head towards him as if she were conversing confidentially; I wish I could see her face.."  (Jane Eyre Ch. 17)
• Emotional Appeal: Her situation is relatable because Jane expresses her feelings throughout the novel. The attitude towards Mrs. Reed, Mr. Rochester, Mrs. Fairfax, the upper class and the attitude they have towards Jane sinks into the reader's heart. Rejection plays a huge role in this story as well as forgiveness.
  • "Joan is not here: tell mama she is run out into the rain-bad animal!" (John Reed Ch. 1)
  • "I valued what was good in Mrs. Faux and what was good in Adele; but I believe in the existence of other and more vivid kinds of goodness and what I believed in I wished to behold" (Jane Eyre Ch.12)
  • “Do you think, because I’m poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! I have as much soul as you. And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth. I should have made it hard for you to leave me, as it is for me to leave you.” (Jane Eyre Ch. 23)
• Imagery: Helps the audience go more in dept with how Jane encounters and sees certain situations .
  • "I should have been afraid to touch a horse when alone, but when told to do it, I was disposed to obey. I put down my muff on the stile, and went up to the tall steed; I endeavored to catch the bridle, but it was a spiriting thing, and would not let me come near its head; I made effort on effort, though in vain; meantime, I was normally afraid of its trampling forefeet. The traveler waited and watched for some time, and at last he laughed." Mentions how she automatically obeys Mr. Rochester without knowing it was him. (Jane Eyre Ch. 12)
  • "Something creaked: it was a door ajar, and that door was Mr. Rochester's, and the smoke rushed in a cloud from thence. I thought no more of Mrs. Fairfax I thought no more of Grace Poole or the laugh; in an instant, I was within the chamber. Tongues of flame darted around the bed: the curtains were on fire. In the midst of blaze and vapour, Mr. Rochester lay stretched motionless, in deep sleep." (Jane Eyre Ch. 15)
  • "Here then I was in the third story, fastened into one of its mystic cells; night around me; a pale and bloody spectacle under my eyes and hands; a muderness hardly separated from me by a single door.." Mentions how she feels caring for Mr. Mason after being bit and unconscious. (Jane Eyre Ch. 20)

Here are my NOTES(:

0 Period Singing A Song

[Radio silence, class can agree on a tune, hum in unison, and video/post to someone's blog]

Hello(: 

This is our zero period class singing "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey

READING NOTES pp.90-115

1.  Prepare to Read from The Canterbury Tales: The Prologue
• Geoffrey Chaucer (1343?-1400)
• son of a merchant, page in royal house, soldier, diplomat, royal clerk
• varied experiences helped prepare him to write The Canterbury Tales
• takes reader on journey through medieval society
• The Poet's Beginning
• exact date of Geoffrey Chaucer's birth is unknown
• born into middle-class family / sent in his early teens to work as a page to the wife of Lionel of Antwerp (son of reigning monarch, Edward III)
• introduced into aristocratic society of England
• 1359, captured & held prisoner
• King Edward paid a 16 lb ransom for release
• 1366, married Philippa Pan (a lady-in-waiting to the queen)
• Thomas (eldest child) continued father's rise in world
• The Poet Matures
• began writing in his 20's 
• early poems bases on works of European poets
• followed by various translators and French poetry
• The Book of the Duchess (1369) first major work (1 yr after death of Blanche of Lancaster / wrote poem for  those grieving husband, John of Gaunt)
• Troilus and Criseyde (drawn from Greek legend of Trojan War) displays human character
• The Canterbury Takes
• no one knows who prompt him to begin his work
• inspiration may have come from own participation in pilgrimage to Canterbury
• Pilgrimage- long journey to shrine or holy site, taken by people who wish to express their devotion
• window of London home overlooked pilgrim road that led to Canterbury
• romance to comedy, medieval literature
• only 24 of projected 120 takes finished, but they stand together as complete work
• The Father of English Poetry
• considered greatest English poet
• recognized as shrewd storyteller  / "rain the golden dewdrops of speech and eloquence" 
• lies buried in Westminister Abbey 
• honorary burial area for distinguished writers
• Poets' Corner established around his tomb
2. Chaucer's Guided Tour of Medieval Life and Literature (pg. 92)
• The Journey Begins
• Prologue: Chaucer meets 29 other pilgrims at Tabard Inn (London)
• Harry Bailey, host of inn, sets a challenge: two stories on the way to Canterbury and two stories on the return trip
• Prize: treated to feast by other pilgrims
• 24 different tales set within the overarching tale of pilgrimage
• Snapshots of an Era
• begins survey of medieval society with courtly world (centered around nobility) 
• Chaucer's Knight held land granted by lord or king
• variety ranks of church represented by characters from the Prioress to the Summoner
• A Literary Tour
• no science fiction stories in his day
• popular genres: romances (tales of chivalry), fabliaux (short humorous stories), stories of saint's lives, sermons allergories(pride & honor)
• Knight tells a romance
• Miller a bawdy story
• Middle ages, meters & sound effects of Old English poetry no longer suited changing English language
• adapted French poetic forms to English oh his day
• wrote using: own form, heroic couplet, a pair of rhyming line with 5 stresses syllables each
•  known as father of English poetry
• The Endless Road
• reminds us that every journey from here to there if filled with stories, waiting to be told
3. Inside the Classroom 0 Period (September 19, 2012)

• Important to Remember (since we did get asked in class this morning): 
• The Parson's brother is a Plowman
• Narrator rejoices in renewing the cycle of life
• Narrator appears to be naive
• Pilgrim whose profession gives "a special love of gold" is the Doctor
• Characters are religious pilgrimage
• Chaucer's Wife of Bath's independent
• Knights had been engaged in battles overseas
• The Monk neglects religious duties in order to hunt
• "a noble pillar to his order" uses irony (Friar: high minded beggar)

• irony (subject of the day in 0 Period): opposite of what was intended
• situational irony: audience knows what going to happen but the character doesn't
• verbal irony: word usage opposite of what they're trying to say
• dramatic irony: contradicting what character thinks

September 18's Morning Lecture

This video is not as long as the one underneath, but it begins the lecture. I have to apologize because my phone ran out of memory and I had to delete some files before re-recording.

Here are the notes I took.

Vocabulary # 6

beatitude- Supreme blessedness
-Christ's first beatitude is to the poor in spirit.
bete noire- a detested person (disliked or avoided)
-It's gas-guzzling reputation had made it the bête noire of environmental Activicts.
bode- Be an omen of a particular outcome
-Their argument did not bode well for the future.
dank- Disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold
-In the cellars we were sheltered from the tornado, but they were very dank and gloomy.
ecumenical- universal
-Ecumenical pilgrimage now must also be between churches which are in mission together.
fervid- Intensely enthusiastic or passionate
-His fervid speech opposed to child labor, touched the hearts of the listeners.
fetid- Smelling extremely unpleasant
-His fetid odor made the entire class move to the other side of the classroom.
gargantuan- of great mass
-The giant almost flattened the travelers with his gargantuan foot as he walked through the forest.
heyday- The period of a person's or thing's greatest success or popularity
-In later life, Elvis was overweight and drug addicted, but in his heyday he was healthy, talented and hugely popular
incubus- A cause of distress or anxiety like a nightmare
-The guilt attacked her during her sleepless night like a relentless incubus.
infrastructure- The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation
-The infrastructure of a school consists of teachers, administration, and a school board.
inveigle- Persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery
-The pretty woman was able to inveigle the drunken man into buying her some chocolates and a free drink
kudos- Praise and honor received for an achievement
-Ruth gave kudos to Katelyn for her job well done.
lagniappe- Something given as a bonus or extra gift
-When going out to dinner, surprising her with a ring is lagniappe. 
prolix- Using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
-All the cases give lengthy extracts from the judgments which, at first sight, may appear to be somewhat prolix.
protege- a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career
-The young scientist had done very well. He had been a protege of no less a person than Albert Einstein.
prototype- A first or preliminary model of something, esp. a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied
-The inventor displayed his prototype to the potential buyers.
sycophant-  A person who acts obsequiously toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer
-Hoping to get the best grade in class, the sycophant flattered his teacher with gifts and nice comments at every opportunity.
tautology- The saying of the same thing twice in different words
-Avoid tautology which is the needless repetition of the same idea.
truckle- Submit or behave obsequiously
-When you're having doubts, don't truckle to walk away.

September 14's Morning Lecture (Amplifiers)

Here is the link to Dr. Preston's Mind Amplifiers Prezi. It goes directly to his post on the blog so you could see what he wrote along with the prezi. Enjoy the video!

How well do you know what you think you know?

My Vocabulary Stories 

(trying a new way to memorize these words)

Throughout the day, I felt like many students didn't show academic acumen. Their thinking process was in an anachronism, causing them to not be the loyal students they normally are. How can teacher's adjudicate this problem? Communicating with the class and noticing when they start to fade away can be the disparity they are looking for. The students who don't dissimulate their minds have a higher chance of grasping the concept the teacher is getting to in the lesson. Instead of being apocryphal and saying "my dog ate my homework," the students should do what they're supposed to so that they don't walk in with blank stares the next morning. But if you walk in the next morning thinking your flamboyant outfit will distract us all, think again. One must immolate sleep for success not for an extra hour of hair curling. If your grade is more fulsome than the person besides you, stop talking about Homecoming and focus on Beowulf. Make a decision that's empirical, what are you doing wrong?


Did you know that, "working as a liaison reqers [sic] one to intervene with the U.S. and Afghanistan." I'm sure you did since we learned that in history almost a year ago. But if you didn't remember don't try sublimating your emotions, you weren't the only one. Boring is the mot juste for history and probably why most of us chose to not be part of its lackey party.

Quote of the day

It doesn't matter where you go in life,

what you do,

or

how much you have,

it's who you have besides you

that matters the most.

-Unknown

What makes a person stronger?

Everyone in life wants to be successful, but most of the time we have someone holding us back. How could someone who's isn't emotionally strong deal with those voices telling them they won't succeed? How do you feel when someone targets your character and is trying to stop you from being you. Going for a walk or going to sleep are common ways to escape from the "real world," but how could someone become stronger if all they do is run away? 

(comment)
Thank you.

Vocabulary # 5

acumen -The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions

-The employee showed remarkable business acumen throughout his career

adjudicate -to settle or determine

- Since the ruling was indecisive, a third party was assigned to adjudicate  the opposing claims. 

anachronism -at the wrong place in the wrong time

- Dressing up as Santa Claus for Halloween is an anachronism.

apocryphal -Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true

- Her excuse of her dog eating her homework was apocryphal, but later the truth was discovered

disparity -A great difference

- There will always be disparity of wealth within this society

dissimulate -Conceal or disguise (one's thoughts, feelings, or character)

- The police couldn't find the fugitive because he was dissimulated within a crowd of people

empirical -Based on an observation or experience

- Decision making should be empirical

flamboyant -Tending to attract attention because confidence/stylishness

- Her flamboyant dress caught the attention of the entire party.

fulsome - negative

- Having entered the ball, Stephanie realized that her dress might have been a little fulsome compared to the flamboyant attire everyone else had on.

immolate -Kill or offer as a sacrifice

- One must immolate sleep, time and energy to obtain success.

imperceptible - very slight, gradual

-The incline of the hill was very imperceptible, I had to gradually press the brakes
lackey -A servant

- Every evil villain seems to have a equally evil lackey that supports him

liaison -A person who acts as a link to assist communication or cooperation between groups of people

- Working as a liaison requires one to intervene with the U.S and Afghanistan

monolithic -consisting of one piece/ unbroken

- The monolithic had all the heroic 9/11 firefighters names engraved. 

mot juste -The exact, appropriate word.

- Boring is the mot juste for the long business meetings.

nihilism -The rejection of all religious and moral principles

- Hitler's nihilism led to the Holocaust

patrician - an aristocrat or nobleman

- Romney is all for patricians opposed to the middle class.

propitiate -Regain the favor of someone by doing something that pleases them

- The father predictable propitiated his daughter in order for her to get a job

sic -Used in brackets after a copied or quoted word that appears odd or erroneous to show that the word is quoted exactly as it stands

sublimate-to divert the energy of (a sexual or other biological impulse) from its immediate goal to one of a more acceptable social, moral, or aesthetic nature or use

-By sublimating her emotions, she was able to hide her true feelings from the crowd

Translation of Beowulf and Godsylla

Beowulf ond Godsylla

Meanehwæl, baccat meaddehæle, monstær lurccen;

Fulle few too many drincce, hie luccen for fyht.

Ðen Hreorfneorhtðhwr, son of Hrwærowþheororthwl,

Æsccen æwful jeork to steop outsyd. Þhud! Bashe! Crasch! Beoom! Ðe bigge gye

Eallum his bon brak, byt his nose offe;

Wicced Godsylla wæld on his asse.

Monstær moppe fleor wyþ eallum men in hælle.

Beowulf in bacceroome fonecall bamaccen wæs;

Hearen sond of ruccus sæd, "Hwæt ðe helle?"

Graben sheold strang ond swich-blæd scharp

Stond feorth to fyht ðe grimlic foe. "Me," Godsylla sæd, "mac ðe minsemete."

Heoro cwyc geten heold wiþ fæmed half-nelson

Ond flyng him lic frisbe bac to fen

Beowulf belly up to meaddehæle bar,

Sæd, "Ne foe beaten mie færsom cung-fu."

Eorderen cocca-cohla yce-coeld, ðe reol þyng

Beowulf and Godsylla

Meanwhile, back at the hall, (the) monster lurked;

Full of few too many drink, he lurked for (a) fight.

Then Hrothgar, son of Hrothgar

Asked (the) awful jerk to step outside, Phud! Bash! Crash! Boom! The big guy

All of his bones broke, broke his nose off;

Wicked Godsylla fell on his ass

Monster mopped (the) floor with all of (the) men in the hall.

Beowulf in backroom phone call back home was.

Hearing sound of ruckus said, "What the hell?"

Grabbing strong shield and sharp switch blade

Stand forth to fight the grim like foe. "Me," Godsylla said "Make me mince meat."

Hero quickly getting hold with famous half-nelson

And flying him like (a) Frisbee back and forth

Beowulf belly up to (the) mead-hall bar,

said, "No foe beaten me fearsome kung-fu."

Ordering ice-cold coca-cola, the real thing.

Textbook Notes (pp. 64-82)

(Connections: Literature Around the World: The Epic)

• audience a thousand yrs ago would thrill to heroic stories sung and chanted
• Early Heroic Tales: epic- long narrative poems that celebrated the adventures of legendary heroes
• function of a hero: courageous, wise, intelligent
• learn the accomplishments the ancient societies admired
• epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient Near Eastern poem about 4,000 yrs old
• epic of Iliad is a Greek poem about 3,000 yrs old

(from Gilgamesh The Prologue Translated by David Ferry)

• build Uruk- ancient Sumerian City
• Gilgamesh helps his people
• no single author
• "two-thirds a god, one-third a man, the king"
• greatly praised
• like Beowulf

(from the Iliad Homer Translated by Rishmond Lattimore)

• Achilleus- greatest Greek warrior
• Hektor- best Trojan warrior
• goddess Athene- disguised as the Trojan warrior Deiphobos
• during Trojan war
• who will die under the other's spear
• Hektor has already fled 3 times around the great city of Priam
• "no trustworthy oaths between men & lions, nor wolves an and lambs have spirit that can be brought to agreement"
• Pallas Athene snatched the spear and gave it back to Achillieus -----Wait a second, why??
• wants to die fighting
• suspenseful atmosphere
• Achilleus is victorious in the end
• Hektor asks for the dogs to not eat him & for his body to be taken home
• Achilleus says the dogs and birds will have him as a feast & that his mother won't be able to lay him on his death-bed and morn him
• had a revengeful ending

(from A History of the English Church and People Bede Translated by Leo Sherley-Price)

• Britain- formerly known as Albion -an island
• Rutubi Portus- England corrupted to Reptacestir
• old times, country had 28 noble cities & innumerable castles
• winter nights 18hrs, longest days 15hrs, shortest 9hrs
• original inhabitants of island were Britons -- crossed into Britain from Armorica
• they asked Scots to settle, but request refused
• Ireland largest island after Britain
• Picts crossed into Britain since no room in Scots 
• Picts asked wives of the Scots -- when dispute arose, they should choose a king from the female royal line rather than male
• Britain 3rd nation: Scots who migrated from Ireland under their chieftain Reuda & by force/ treaty the Picts that they still hold
• reptiles die after breathing in the air? enjoys immunity to poison?

(from The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Translated by Anne Savage)

• force had not broke down English, 3 yrs of slaughtering cattle and men & kings best thanes died
• 6 ships went to Isle if Wight & did much evil -- in Devon & along sea-coast
• complex setting -- diction's confusing
• Alfred was king all over English except the part under the Danish rule
• he was a prideful king
• they all faced grief throughout the story

Hack to School Night Interviews

I decided that for certain people we were going to cover certain questions. I thought it would be better this way considering their age and how much they actually know about the internet. [[Audio Only]]

Interview with my younger sister: 

Interview with my younger brother: (coming soon)

Interview with my mother: (coming soon)

Interview with my father: (coming soon)

Deconstructing My Hero's Journey

(Deconstruct your favorite hero's journey and post to your blog)

My hero grew up through hardship as a young child, dealing with poverty and family crisis. He had worked his tail off his entire life never to fully enjoy his limited childhood. My father, now in his late thirty's, began paid work at the young age of 16. He has started from the lowest point in society, but has appreciated every opportunity thrown his way. My hero is a wise and courageous hero. He has fought every battle thrown his way, has been both defeated and victorious, but has never given up. My hero is my admiring father because through his hardships he's found a way to make the best of it. My father has given this family light through his actions and we thank him for that. Though his journey is far from over, his knowledge and guidance will shadow over us and hopefully one day I could become a "mini-me" of my hero. (:

September 5's Morning Class Discussion (Beowulf)

Shortly I'll have the video up for Dr. Preston's 0 Period class discussion on Beowulf. It was an amusing morning hearing all the feedback from my fellow classmates, since I thought we handled the questions well as a group. I liked how a fellow classmate brought up a theory of why all royalty names started with the letter "H." It was a great example of how people interpret texts and it caught my attention since I hadn't thought about it before. Well, enjoy!! (Once it's uploaded and view-able.)

Here is a link to the Beowulf Essay Topics that were addressed in this video. (Also re-written underneath)

Here is the Beowulf Video Answers. The quality of this video is not the greatest and there are some audio difficulties, but I will note down everything as soon as the get the chance. (: (I rewrote the class answers as I heard them in the video since only the first 10 minutes of the 20-minute-video is view-able)


Literary Elements: 

1. If you had to list 4 important qualities for an epic hero to possess, what would they be, based on your reading of Beowulf? Find a passage to illustrate each characteristic. Find passages that illustrate the characteristic of an epic poem. Courage because he has to go up against opponents who are greater in size and strength. Honor because he has to have heart in what he accomplishes. Intelligence because he needs to know how to defeat what he's going up against.
2. Observe the poetic/literary devices of the poem. Find examples of kennings, similes, metaphors, personification, onomatopoeia, assonance, alliteration. Explain the effect on the experience of the reader of the use of these devices.  Kennings: (something said in a different way ; other descriptive words) "battle sweat" is blood ..."king of glory" for God  Assonance: (set of words that have the same content within them)  Alliteration: (set of words that all begin with same letter)
3. What about the use of the language is simply enjoyable? Cite examples of imagery and its effect in the poem. Why are alliteration and other language devices used in the poem? Imagery: Grendel was portrayed as a fierce beast so when defeated the accomplishment was greater for Beowulf. The lake since it took a while to explain in the poem giving the audience suspense. Alliteration: Probably used for oral memorization since nothing was written down in that era. Also, since royal names started with "H" maybe that was purposely done because it was passed down orally between common people making it easier for them to remember the importance of each character.  
4. Identify some of the key lines or passages in the poem and explain why you think they are important. Ex: "......" first few lines of the book give idea of courage, courage is a main key to the story, audience first get's introduced to the main idea of courage Ex: "....." said by Beowulf, explained his strength compared to other people [refer to the video]
5. An elegy is a poem mourning or lamenting the dead, that tells of things past, and describes a person's death and burial. How does the ending of Beowulf fit this definition? Find passages to illustrate. People acknowledged Beowulf for dying with glory and leaving a treasure behind. His story was told for all to know since his heroic actions got him praise as shown at his burial. 
6. Find examples of irony... verbal ...dramatic ...situational. How does the use of irony influence the poem?
7. What is a didactic tone? Find examples in the poem. Didactic tone: is intended to teach Ex: The scene where Beowulf is fighting Grendel's mother.. His sword is not working to defeat Grendel's mother, but when he spots a sword he can use he strikes back thus winning the fight. (you can learn to never give up even when it feels like the end)

Characterization: 

1. Given the bipartite construction of the poem, how is Beowulf in the second half of the poem different from the Beowulf in the first half of the poem? Find a specific passage to illustrate. How are the two Beowulf's similar? Find specific passages to illustrate. Differences: In the second half he's wiser since he decided to fight with armor on when in the first half he fought without protection. Similarities: They are both arrogant and cocky.
2. Describe Beowulf. Is he a flat or round character? Static or dynamic? Contrast the young Beowulf in the first half of the poem with the older Beowulf in the second half. When contrasting younger Beowulf and older Beowulf, the younger one decided to fight without any armor on but when fighting the dragon he did have armor on. He became wiser throughout being king in his kingdom. He is static because he keeps his arrogance and his independence stays, though he's also dynamic because he became wiser throughout the time period. [listen to audio 14:38] mentions how his reputation changed
3. For what is the character Beowulf admirable? What other characters are admirable or dishonorable? For instance, what do you make of Unferth? Explain your position with support. Even though he is out for his own glory he is out to help people ...his men, both times, fled making them dishonorable ...Grendel's mother revenging the death of her son is admirable ...Unferth is a foil for Beowulf but also a neutral character because when Unferth was drunk he "called out" Beowulf thus Beowulf responding with what he did having more to say than Unferth in the end.
4. Does the story contain foils to Beowulf? Could Wiglaf be considered a foil to Beowulf? Explain by referring to a specific passage. Foil: prevent something from succeeding ...Grendel is considered a foil because when Beowulf was mentioning the good in humanity, Grendel was saying all the negative in the world ...Wiglaf was against Beowulf succeeding saying he couldn't win because he has lost before and will lose again.
5. Define hubris. Does Beowulf possess bubrid? Fond passages to illustrate
6. Discuss the roll of and outlook on women in the poem. Compare and contrast the women (Welthow, Higd, Thrith)
7. Explain some of the family relations and the role of family, clan, people group in general in the poem. How does this information add to or detract from the poem?

Theme: 

1. Does Beowulf have a universal theme or message? If so, what? Support with a specific reference to the poem. Universal theme because it shows faith, confidence, physical courage because he fights with bear arms the first half of the poem. 
2. Is Beowulf relevant today? Is it universal? what does it teach? What are the themes? Support with specific reference to the poem. Yes, because Beowulf didn't have any super powers and was only a person of courage and strength. Teaches ignorance because it shows how he was in the beginning compared to the ending Beowulf.
3. What lessons for life could you learn from Beowulf? Build your case by citing features of the poem. 
4. What is the importance of frame and/or wealth-treasure in the poem?
5. What is the role of God and fate in explaining how and why things happen in the poem? Who controls people's live? Wyrd? God? Find evidence of the Christian/pagan tension in the poem. What kind of universe is revealed in the poem? What kind of God? How is evil planned? In your view, does this approach to understanding life sufficiently explain the way the world works? What role does the Christian background play in the poem? Does this add to or detract from the poem. 
6. Relate Beowulf to other pieces of literature you have read. The Odyssey because both are heroes and they both take on adventures that endanger their lives.