NOTES: "No Exit"

Intro:

• 19 centuary philosopher's developed existentialism
• Existentialism : philosophical and cultural movement which holds that the starting point of philosophical thinking must be the experiences of the individual
• Jean Paul Sartre
• French writer  
• popularized existentialism
• produced No Exit in Paris
• 4 characters :   
• Valet
• Garcin
• Estelle
• Inez
• Entire play takes place in a drawing room.
• "Hell is other people" {put yourself in the drawing room with two people you hate the most in the world}

Lets begin...

• GARCIN and VALET enter the room
• GARCIN doesn't care for the Second Empire drawing-room
• mentions how different everything is
• "instruments of torture" are the racks and red-hot pincers and all the other paraphernalia
• GARCIN see's there are no mirrors or windows or toothbrush or bed
• VALET mentions how "guests" are always asking the same annoying questions
• "Where's the torture-chamber?" 
• "...they start in about their toothbrushes and what-ot."
• GARCIN "So that's the idea. I'm to live without eyelids. Don't act the fool, you know what I mean. No eyelids, no sleep; it follows,doesn't it?"
• VALET asks if GARCIN can see
• his uncle is the head valet & has a room on the third floor 
• says the bell doesn't work
• GARCIN tries the bell but it remains silent
• tries many times to get assistance
• after he sits down the door opens & in comes INEZ with VALET
• 
  

VOCABULARY FINAL ADVICE

I HOPE EVERYONE HAS BEEN STUDYING FOR OUR  VOCABULARY FINAL  BECAUSE IT'S COMING UP SOONER THAN ONE THINKS. IF ANYONE NEEDS ANOTHER STUDY METHOD I SUGGEST USING QUIZLET. THAT'S WHAT I'M USING AND IT HELPED ME PREPARE LAST TIME. GOOD LUCK! (:

Chose A Place

Think about the place you have chosen as your hell. Does it look ordinary and bourgeois,like Sartre's drawing room, or is it equipped with literal instruments of torture like Dante's Inferno? Can the mind be in hell in a beautiful place? Is there a way to find peace in a hellish physical environment? Enter Sartre's space more fully and imagine how it would feel to live there endlessly, night and day:

My hell has been my physics class. Though it seems like an ordinary place, what happens inside it isn't. It's torture instruments have been the equations and quizzes. One expects these things, but one doesn't expect them to be as harsh. The mind can be in hell in a a beautiful place and one can find peace in a hellish physical environment depending on how its being displayed. Sartre's uses the character's descriptive language to create this isolating room. To live there it would be a nightmare. It's negative atmosphere would drive me crazy and the idea of being trapped could ruin my mind.

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

{UPDATED}

They are people just like you and I
But like a worm they sleep where they lay
Not understanding the outside
Just in a cave for someone to prey

One was able to be free
From all illusions and pain
But given the chance of reality
In hopes of something to gain

By breaking a tradition
That was harsh and unfair
It gave him another mission
But to avoid their harsh stare

There is a reality outside the cave
But only one true hero is that brave

Journal: 11/20/12

Describe a symbol that means something to you. How did the symbol come to represent an abstract idea?  Is the idea shared by others or is it yours alone?  If it's an individual interpretation, what does it say about you?  If it's social, how does interpreting the symbol identify the reader/viewer as a member of the tribe who "gets it"?

-A dream catcher means something to me since everytime I look at it I think it'll free me from bad thoughts. One day, Sammy came back from Arizona and in his belonging he had a dream catcher. He told me the story behind the dream catcher and I began to believe in its existance. This symbol respents purity because it cleanses bad dreams or thoughts. I overthink things but when I do I feel that the dream catcher detangles it. The dream catcher means that I will be protected and freed from bad thoughts. I believe that having a symbol that represents you will be a good motivator. A dream catcher helps me by assuring me that anthing 'evil' will be taken away from my thoughts, actions and dreams. It's a way of saying that tomorrow is a new day.

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.8.vii.html

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?
-The allegory of the cave represents how individuals reject reality and don't understand the truth behind life. 
2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?
-Prisoners were the ignorant individuals, cave was a world of imagination, sun was the reality of life, darkness was the lacking of truth, and the freed prisoner was philosophers. 
3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
-After a while an individual will get the opportunity to embrace the truth. One must take the knowledge and do wisely with it. 
4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?
-Shackles show the prisoners being held against their will to live a life that is planned for them. The cave is merely where they plan to revise it to any state they want it to be. They are trapped from reality and unable to realize what lies past the light. 
5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
-The government shackles our minds by controlling everything we do and removing anything that may lead to someone discovering something. 
6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
-The freed prisoner was exposed to self thinking and realization, while the cave prisoners were stuck thinking their "normal" was normal.
7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?
-
8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?
-Cave prisoners get freed by being exposed to freedom. Other people let them see the light and show them a new source of knowledge. 
9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
-Yes, because not everything is what is seems. People could assume that just by looking at someone they were a tidy person, but when they look inside the person's backpack it seems as if a tornado had already been there.  
10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?
-

Vocabulary Final

I'm still working on the Vocabylary Final list but I will finish the list this weekend!
Enjoy Quizlet (:

Quote of the Day

 

“If you try and lose then it isn't your fault. But if you don't try and we lose, then it's all your fault.”

Reciting My Sonnet

Sonnet VII

By Hartley Coleridge

Is love a fancy, or a feeling? No.

It is immortal as immaculate Truth,

'Tis not a blossom shed as soon as youth,

Drops from the stem of life--for it will grow,

In barren regions, where no waters flow,

Nor rays of promise cheats the pensive gloom.

A darkling fire, faint hovering o'er a tomb,

That but itself and darkness nought doth show,

It is my love's being yet it cannot die,

Nor will it change, though all be changed beside;

Though fairest beauty be no longer fair,

Though vows be false, and faith itself deny,

Though sharp enjoyment be a suicide,

And hope a spectre in a ruin bare.

Literature Analysis # 3: Invisible Man

General

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read, and explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison was written in 1952 in New York City. The story begins when an African-American man introduces himself to the reader as the "invisible man." He had gone underground to write about his life when the narrator flashed back to the events that lead up to his present state. Since his birth, the narrator was a gifted public speaker and was invited by the white men to give a speech in which he received a scholarship. When he was at college, he was assigned to drive Mr. Norton around the school campus. After seeing and overhearing information about Jim Trueblood, Mr. Norton got a drink from Golden Day and fainted. When the college president heard about this he expelled the narrator from school and sent him to New York City for him to find a job. He meet Emerson's son, and he offered him a job where the narrator got injured and lost his consciousness. After the narrator recovered, Brother Jack heard his speech and asked him to join the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood decided that the narrator was using the Brotherhood for his own personal use and moved him around to different places. After, the narrator tried to get revenge on the Brotherhood and by doing so he tried to get information. When he returned to Harlem a riot broke out and was caught in the confusion before running away. The narrator finally fell into a manhole where he told his story and determined he was ready to emerge from underground and be himself.

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

• The major theme of the novel had to be the racism between African-Americans and Whites. As the narrator tried to identify himself throughout the book, he realized that he was unable to fully express his true abilities to society. They controlled him and used him for their own personal needs. Because of this treatment, the narrator defines himself as the invisible man. 

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

The author's tone was thoughtful and optimistic. Instead of writing a story out of anger and frustration due to racism, the author tone was more realistic towards the situation.

• "And I love light. Perhaps you'll think it strange that an invisible man should need light, desire light, love light. But maybe it is exactly because I am invisible. Light confirms my reality, gives birth to my form." (Prologue)
• "All my life I had been looking for something and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was. I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction and even self-contradictory. I was naïve. I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer." (Chapter 1)

• "Whatever it was, I knew I'd have to keep it pressed down. I had to. For if I were successful tonight, I'd be on the road to something big." (Chapter 16)

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)

*Irony: The narrator's first job was for a paint company that had "Liberty Paints", but the narrator wasn't able to experience any sense of liberty throughout the novel.
*Symbolism: The "Optic White" was a symbol that resembled race because in order to make the white paint dominant the dark colors had to be covered up, same as in society. 
*Dialogue: When the narrator was to give a speech he was not only afraid of them, but also of what they had to say to him.
*Setting: It's during a time period where racism was still alive and the dominate race controlled everything.
*Plot Tension: No one is able to see the narrator for who he really is so he becomes the invisible man and disappears.
*Diction: Abusive language reflects the treatment between the races.
*Imagery: They was he felt when giving a speech could easily be seen by anyone because his confidence wasn't always there. 
*Emotional Appeal: He descried the Brotherhood and how it applied to their everyday lives.  
*Motif: The Brotherhood's mistreatment causes him to break free of their power and seek revenge for himself. 

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)?

Direct Characterization:

• "I am not ashamed of my grandparents for having been slaves. I am only ashamed of myself for having at one time been ashamed." (Chapter 1)
• "What and how much had I lost by trying to do only what was expected of me instead of what I myself had wished to do?" (Chapter 13)

Indirect Characterization: 

• "You right, but everything that looks good ain't necessarily good." (Chapter 13)

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

When the dominate race talked the diction was demanding and rude. The narrator tried to focus on how two-faced those people were. When the narrator focused on himself, his diction was thoughtful and fierce.

• "(Not that I believed this – how could I, remember my grandfather? – I only believed that it worked.) It was a great success…It was a triumph for our whole community. " (Chapter 1)

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.
The protagonist is a dynamic character because throughout the novel he talked about the changes he underwent. He started as a person who didn't know much, to finding out that not everyone could be trusted. He is also a round character because his personality changed as well. He encountered situations that changed the way he thought by informing himself of the different traits society carried. 
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.

 I feel  like I met a person because the narrator had to over come issues that were realistic. I was able to understand how the narrator saw the world he was living in.

• "How had I come to this? I had kept unswerving to the path placed before me, had tried to be exactly what I was expected to be, had done exactly what I was expected to do – yet, instead of winning the expected reward, here I was stumbling along, holding on desperately to one of my eyes in order to keep from bursting out my brain against some familiar object swerved into my path by my distorted vision." (Chapter 6)

Sonnet Analysis Part I

Is love a fancy, or a feeling? No.

It is immortal as immaculate Truth,

'Tis not a blossom shed as soon as youth,

Drops from the stem of life--for it will grow,

In barren regions, where no waters flow,

Nor rays of promise cheats the pensive gloom.

A darkling fire, faint hovering o'er a tomb,

That but itself and darkness nought doth show,

It is my love's being yet it cannot die,

Nor will it change, though all be changed beside;

Though fairest beauty be no longer fair,

Though vows be false, and faith itself deny,

Though sharp enjoyment be a suicide,

And hope a spectre in a ruin bare.

What makes a Sonnet, a Sonnet?

• 14 decasyllabic lines
• rhymed to prescription
• single rhymed
• rhyme formation
• a-b-a-b     c-d-c-d     e-f-e-f     g-g

Big Question

Why is it that "when one mans happy, the other mans sad"?

Quote of the day

“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime"

EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT

This just in.... I found another website that might be helpful to our class. As I was searching for the quote Hayden mentioned in class today, I came across a page that explains some of Hamlet's quotes. The quotes are a bit everywhere, but I was able to find what I needed. Enjoy. (:

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HAMLET QUOTES

Also, I found a website that uses Hamlet as a journal entry. It's a unique point of view, but I found it interesting. Enjoy!

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HAMLET'S JOURNAL

Take what you can from it..

Today in my zero period class we filmed a video (<--That's the link.. ) where fellow students and I crafted a Socratic Seminar and touched on many subjects. We asked many questions and Hayden was able to help us understand the essay topic on performative utterance. Our class asked questions about the blog, Hamlets essay, and how we would play a role in the essay. It was a fun experience and we got a lot done considering the minimal time we had.

Vocabulary # 11

Affinity- relationship by marriage

Bilious- of or indicative of a peevish ill nature disposition
Cognate- of the same nature
Corollary- A proposition inferred Immediately from a proved proposition with little or no additional proof
Cul-de-sac- a pouch
Derring-do- a daring action
Divination- The art or practice that seeks to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge due to the interpretation of omens
Elixir- A substance capable of prolonging life indefinitely
Folderol- a useless accessory
Gamut- an entire range or series
Hoi polloi- the General populace
Ineffable- incapable of being expressed in words
Lucubration- to study by night
Mnemonic- intended to assist memory
Obloquy- abusive language
Parameter- an independent variable used to express the coordinates of variable point and functions of them
Pundit- a learned man
Risible- provoking laughter
Symptomatic- having the characteristics of a certain disease but arising of a different cause
Volte-face- a reversal in policy

Sonnet

Sonnet VII

By Hartley Coleridge

Is love a fancy, or a feeling? No.

It is immortal as immaculate Truth,

'Tis not a blossom shed as soon as youth,

Drops from the stem of life--for it will grow,

In barren regions, where no waters flow,

Nor rays of promise cheats the pensive gloom.

A darkling fire, faint hovering o'er a tomb,

That but itself and darkness nought doth show,

It is my love's being yet it cannot die,

Nor will it change, though all be changed beside;

Though fairest beauty be no longer fair,

Though vows be false, and faith itself deny,

Though sharp enjoyment be a suicide,

And hope a spectre in a ruin bare.

http://www.pemberley.com/litcomp/sonnet7.html

GROWING MY PLAN

This is the blog fellow students and I contacted. It hasn't been active for some time, but we hope they look back and respond.

http://aplove.blogspot.com/2007/11/ap-lit-hamlet-actscene-notes.html

AP HAMLET PLAN

1) http://itintegrationsg.blogspot.com/2009/01/hamlet-study-chart.html

This website offers a lot of information on Hamlet. It gives a better insight on the play and lets the audience dig deeper on Hamlet.

2) http://www.online-literature.com/quiz.php?quizid=479 

This is a quiz that helps the reader test their knowledge on Hamlet. I'm planing to use this website as a reference because it asks questions that Dr. Preston might consider to asks our class.  

3) http://millsenglish.com/wordpress/?cat=16 

This website gives examples of  past AP questions and it mentions things the audience should be aware of. It's a a great resource to look back to because it has a lot to offer. 

4) http://aplove.blogspot.com/2007/11/ap-lit-hamlet-actscene-notes.html

This website has notes on Hamlet and can be used by comparing other notes to see if everything's the same or if something important was missed. It's a great resource to refresh the memory and be on tract.   

5) http://www.gradesaver.com/hamlet/study-guide/ 

This is another website I might look back to because it has a lot to offer. When one plays around with the website they find 4 quizzes and essay topics to look to if they need further understanding of the play.