Masterpiece Presentation Essay

To start off, it has been such a great year. I have had many good times this year. I've made more friends and strengthen current ones. The great thing about being a part of the Open Source Learning course is that it is hugely focused on the relationships between you and your peers. Being able to strengthen your network is a huge aspect of the Open Source Learning course. So, I would have to say, yes, I did espoused learning. My growth in this course has increased immensely.

I have been able to build a network, actually strengthen my network with those who make a big impact in my life. I will always remember this year as the year that I have helped create memories that will last a life time.  I will always remember that I have been a part of a course that allows literature to be expanded through the art of remixing (pictures, videos, etc) and through the use of technology. Technology was a huge part of this course that truly creates a convenience for all students. With the use of technology, we were able to connect with others around the world to help acquire a better understanding of the piece of literature that we are working on. This is the network that I am talking about. The network consists of my colleagues, my friends, my mentors, and people around the world who are willing to participate in helping one who is also a learner. Honestly, I do feel that we all have deserved the high level of trust that we all were given this year. We did earn it, and we did honor it. We used the opportunity to build our understanding of the work and to strengthen our relationships with each other.

This year is also the year that my friend, Danny Luu, and I created a community service club called Project Humanity. Our goal was to unite the students of Righetti to spread good in the world.I don't like to "toot my own horn", but we have done just that. We have united many students of Righetti to provide assistance to those who need it within our community. This club was my passion. Compassion was my passion. Compassion was also the passion of many others, such as Miranda Nillo, Shane Hunter, Mia Levy, Ian Steller, Taylor Duguran, Hannah Savaso, Meghan Martella, Kylie Sagisi, Rachel Nolan, Sarah Stevens, Vanessa Padilla and many others. You see, I just named a few people out of the MANY people that all have compassion in their hearts. The showed compassion through boosting school spirit, through creating a blog that helps those through college and its lifestyle, through creating awesome videos that will inspire others to do more for the world, through baking to solely capture the moment when a child takes their first bite of a delicious pastry, and through finding themselves which would impact the world in the long run.

Ian Steller, Shane Hunter, and Mia Levy- Warrior Nation



I have been extremely blessed to be a part of such an amazing class. This class has so much talent, so many skills, so many bright ideas, and so many plans to make the world a better place. Who would not be excited to come to class each day and be with those you know will make a difference in life? Each person that I see every day in this class motivates me to be a better person. They motivate me to find and become the person that I want to be. They motivate me to have "a big heart" because they all are a part of my heart somehow and in some way.

During my masterpiece presentation, I shared a quote from my mentor, Mrs. Deanna Byrne. This quote truly blew me away because it honestly represented exactly what we are all doing. The quote is, " The objective is to do what you can, as often as you can, for as many as you can, whenever you can!" I've seen this quote be put into action every single day, whether it is through a simple action or a complex action. Each person's masterpiece presentation was put together with collaboration with each other. We cannot avoid the art of collaboration because it is how the world is run.

I participated in a science expedition which was organized by my friend, Melissa Steller. She created this event for her masterpiece, and we all were excited to be a part of it. But, what we did not realize that it would be one of the "get-together's" that would last in our memories for a life time. Every day, I see at least one person who talks about the trip and how amazing it was. Many times it was me. This trip truly strengthened my relationship with my friends and built new relationships with others. The laughs, the smiles, the funny moments all helped to create the experience of a lifetime. This is what I call a network. This is the network that you know will always be open for you, anytime and anywhere.

The hero's journey. I am not a hero, but my friends and my mentors are heroes to me. They have helped me to open up and be who I am. They have allowed me to have fun in this course and in the moments that we were all together. This adventure is just the opening to an even bigger adventure. I hope that I will be able to experience the bigger adventure with my friends, my mentors, and my colleagues because it makes the experience so much better. Each person that is in this course is not only one of my friends, but each person is also a mentor to me. We are all mentors with each other because we all have different walks of life and different experiences in life. These two aspects form a real persona. They form who we are. So, if we are all able to learn from each other, in this network, then we will conquer a challenge, and we will return enlightened. We need to embrace who we are so we can enjoy life, enjoy the experience. This two videos talk about we should embrace the moment, embrace the experiences.

Miranda Nillo - Senior Project: Lessons from High School.

Like I said in my masterpiece presentation, we need to Open Up, Be Yourself, and Always Have Fun. When I say these three things, I mean that we need to open up to others. We need to be open in allowing others to direct us to the right path of life because, isn't that what we are all looking for? We also need to be ourselves because that is the easiest way to be happy with yourself and with others. We don't need to hide behind a different persona just to be liked and loved. This network doesn't work with people who hide behind a different persona because then the experience is just a waste because it did not make a difference in that person's life at all. And, lastly, we always need to have fun because this experience, this course is an opportunity to build and strengthen relationships with your friends, your teachers, and your mentors, and it is the opportunity to see yourself, to look at yourself, to find who you are, and to be who you feel you need to be.

Masterpiece Presentation

Here is a video of my masterpiece presentation, just in case, someone missed it.

GROUPTHINK

As we all decided which types of grids and which poems we were doing, we were able to have a well rounded analysis and discussion of the poems we chose. Each person has a different way of thinking which gives each and everyone of us a different perspective and different view of the poem. Also, we were all able to practice analyzing poems for multiple choice questions and essays if we are needed to do so.

GRIDLOCK

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art—

         Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night

And watching, with eternal lids apart,

         Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,

The moving waters at their priestlike task

         Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,

Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask

         Of snow upon the mountains and the moors—

No—yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,

         Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,

To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,

         Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,

Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,

And so live ever—or else swoon to death.

Bright Star

 by John Keats

Title- I feel the title explains what a bright star is.

Paraphrase- "And so live ever - or else swoon to death." can be live now or realize the inevitable death.

Connotation- "And watching, with eternal lids apart, Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite" Star is in an eternal galaxy with no "lid" or end and sleepless at night.

Attitude- I feel the author's attitude is that it is in awe with the bright star.

Shift- A shift could be "Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath/And so live ever - or else swoon to death." This shifts from the bright star to his time with his lover.

Title Revisited - The title now reveals a whole new perspective of how the stars are in a never ending galaxy, they are a mask just like snow is on the mountains, and they bring a whole ambiance or mood between two lovers.

Theme - The theme of the poem is that stars aren't just decorations in the sky, but they mean so much more.

LIFE, believe, is not a dream
So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day. 
Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,
But these are transient all;
If the shower will make the roses bloom,
O why lament its fall ? 

Rapidly, merrily,
Life's sunny hours flit by,
Gratefully, cheerily,
Enjoy them as they fly ! 

What though Death at times steps in
And calls our Best away ?
What though sorrow seems to win,
O'er hope, a heavy sway ?
Yet hope again elastic springs,
Unconquered, though she fell;
Still buoyant are her golden wings,
Still strong to bear us well.
Manfully, fearlessly,
The day of trial bear,
For gloriously, victoriously,
Can courage quell despair ! 

Life by Charlotte Bronte

Title- A poem about life.

Paraphrase - "If the shower will make the roses bloom,

O why lament its fall ? " This can be paraphrased as "Rain falls which allows flowers to bloom. Why do we complain when it rains?"

Connotation - "Rapidly, merrily,

Life's sunny hours flit by,
Gratefully, cheerily,
Enjoy them as they fly ! " Enjoy life now as time flies by!

Attitude - I feel the attitude of the author towards the poem is of optimism and eagerness.

Shift- A shift could be "LIFE, believe, is not a dream

So dark as sages say;
Oft a little morning rain
Foretells a pleasant day. " because it tells about we always see things in a dark way such as a little rain ruins our day, but it really actually makes our day better.

Title Revisited - Now, I feel that the title means that Life is full of dark times and happy times.

Theme - Always make sure to enjoy every aspect of life, the good and the bad.

SEVENTH READING

I apologize. I got home at around 9PM. Just finished a whole review for physics and a whole unit review for microeconomics. Will try to get back at this in the morning. As for now, I am in a group with Jenna, Serena, Eli, and Miranda. We have chosen Life by Char Bronte, Hope by Emily Dickenson, and Bright Star by John Keats.

It's Poetry Boot Camp time. I know. It is also crunch time.

FIVE STEPS

1. Recreate/Rethink idea for an act of compassion.
2. Explore resources
3. Make sure Project Humanity has enough funds.
4. Present idea to club officers at Officer Breakfast on Thursday, April 24 at Kay's.
5. Plan event and contact necessary people to set and create event.

Macbeth Act V Active Reading Notes

• Lady Macbeth sleep talking/sleep actions?
• Lady Macbeth seems to be ill considering Doctor is on scene
• Lady Macbeth is showing signs of guilt through sickness?
• She is going insane
• Macduff and Malcolm are coming towards Macbeth's kingdom
• Macbeth prepares for battle between him and Macduff, Malcolm and the English army
• Macbeth asks the Doctor to heal Lady Macbeth
• Lady Macbeth is dead which explains the odd cry of the women
• Macduff and army prepare for battle, so does Macbeth and army.
• Young Siward tries to kill Macbeth
• Macbeth alludes to Roman times of one dying by their own sword
• Macbeth and Macduff fight
• Ross delivers the news to Siward that Siward's one was killed during battle
• Macduff walks in with Macbeth's head. Macbeth is dead.

THE CROSSROADS BETWEEN SHOULD AND MUST

• Should is what others want us to do/think/say
• Must is "who we are, what we believe, and what we do when we are alone with our truest, most authentic self"
• Careers are our callings
• Choosing MUST is a huge risk and can often be scary and different
• Choosing MUST  will open more opportunities.

Must and should are different. What is the true definition of "Should"? What is the true definition of "Must"? To be honest, should and must seem to have the definition, but when one looks closely into the context, there is actually a significant difference between "Should" and "Must". The only way to choose the right term, one can put it to use for their self-reflection. For me, I feel I am doing what I "must" and feel to do.

I must help others. Society has asked everyone to help others, but, the truth is that helping others is your choice. My choice is to help others because I feel I must help. Doing things that we must do shows our true personalities and who we are truly both on the outside and in the inside. People see who we truly are without even making any acknowledgement or effort to know us through verbal language. They see us through how we act, say, or do things. 

Doing things that we should is a totally different thing. If we do things that we are told, then we are doing things that we should. But, is alright to do some things that we are told to do? Should we be influenced by that? Should we even do those things altogether? Society creates two general types of people, the good and the bad. Both types of people do what they are told to do. They claim that it is something that they "Should" do.

What is the true difference between "should" and "must"? Which is better, "should" or "must"? Well, the only way to differ the two is to determine which one will best portray who truly are which will say if "should" or "must" is better. If you are able to do what you feel that must do, then that is the better one because it allows you to take part in new opportunities though some may be risky, scary, or even dangerous.

Macbeth: Act IV

• 3 witches talk about or give an intro of the next scenes (death, turmoil?)
• "Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble." quote of 3 witches.
• Hecate talks about the witches progress will allow others to feel the pain
• Macbeth enters questioning what is happening.
• Witches warn Macbeth of Macduff
• Ross and Lady Macduff discuss
• Lady Macduff feels Macduff is now dead and questions her son of what he would do now that his father is dead.
• Son doesn't feel his father is dead because he feels his mother would have been crying, screaming, and mourning.
• Murderers kill Macduff's son.
• Malcolm talks angrily about Macbeth and of how terrorizing Macbeth is.
• Ross delivers the news to Macduff about the murders of Macduff's wife and children.
• Macduff, Malcom, and Ross plan out/seek revenge on Macbeth for killing Macduff's family and creating terror in Macduff's kingdom.

Act III notes

Macbeth Act II

LOOK AT MY BRAIN

My masterpiece is a reflection of my inner thinking and capability for creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration because my masterpiece was based on exactly those listed. My friend, Miranda, and I have collaborated to create a video, capturing the different elements of compassionate action. Compassionate action first starts with inner thinking which is the "putting together the ideas" process. This process takes lots of thought, creativity, consideration, and reflection. Then it goes to presenting the idea which then takes creativity to a whole new level. One question that constantly goes through my brain when I present any idea is, "How will it make the community better?". This question is pretty much the basis of any compassionate action that is to be made. Then the process goes to planning/organizing with your group which then takes critical thinking and collaboration to make sure that your idea is well round and approved by everyone that is involved. This class is extremely similar to my situation. It takes lots of time, planning, critical thinking, creativity, and most importantly inner thinking and collaboration. We should always present our ideas and thoughts out to the world; it will benefit those around us because they have just heard something that they might not have known. They finally heard something that is in your inner thinking, something that was created by your capability for creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.

WHAT ABOUT MY MASTERPIECE

My masterpiece is about the process of creating and organizing acts of compassion and of actually putting the plans into action. My club/collaborative working group have been working hard to create activities that would involve each club member and involve the community. We want to make a difference in our community. Shakespeare may have had all day to write, but for me, I have deadlines to meet and plans to create in order to make this masterpiece as successful as possible. This week, we will be doing Relay for Life which is included in our plans for making change in our community.

LOVE IS BLIND

Macbeth sees his wife as any husband would see their wife.  I feel that she means the world to him, but that's not the case for the audience. The audience sees Lady Macbeth as the most evil character who wants to take charge, take initiative, and have power. She is power hungry and seeks to acquire power in any way that she can, even if it means killing the King who is Macbeth's father. Macbeth doesn't see her as evil. He also sees her as a brave and a strong woman. Something that both the audience and Macbeth sees, but the audience sees/knows much more.

Act I reading notes

MEET MACBETH

Macbeth is introduced through indirect characterization. His introduction describes who Macbeth is and what he has done. He is portrayed as a bloody, gory murderer, but filled with bravery and high reverence. The witches also set the plot with some foreshadowing. They talk about who Macbeth is and how they will meet him. Their quote "Fair is foul, and foul is fair" sets everything up. Also, Shakespeare allows the minor characters such as the witches to provide background information about the setting and characters. I think Shakespeare's characterization of Macbeth consists of bravery and brutality which sets a ribald tone. We can infer that the story will be bloody/gory. I also think Macbeth's character and conduct consists of doubt and modesty. I feel he questions why the witches call him king and hold him of high reverence. Lastly, I am not quite sure how these themes will drive the rest of the play.

Literature Analysis #6

Fahrenheit 451

by Ray Bradbury

To be honest, I read at a very slow pace. I started this book early, but then things started to become overwhelming. This weekend was a wake up call for me, and I just needed to pace myself before I work myself too hard. 

I remembered that Dr. Preston used this book in his lectures to give a concrete comparison. This book brings the realization and understanding of what life may be like in our distant future. We will realize that what's happening in this book may happen in the future, but it would be to an extent. I don't feel that we will be burning books, but I just know that we will veer away from physical, hard copy books and utilize technology that can hold millions and millions of books. A quote from the cover page of the book, "Fahrenheit 451...The Temperature At Which Books Burn" states, to an extent, of what may happen with hard copy books in the future. They probably won't be burned, but they probably will be not as frequently as they are now. I know many people are reading books through their computers, their tablets, their phones, practically with any electronic device, you can read a book and read more books.

In Dr. Preston's lectures, I remember him talking about how we can make a comparison between Fahrenheit 451  and Brave New World. Both books have societies where they consider books to be evil and a bad influence. Books provide the gateway to thinking, understanding, and realizing. They also provide or influence independence and consideration. In Fahrenheit 451, books were considered to be unorthodox and had ill-intentions. In Brave New World, books were considered in the same way as in Fahrenheit 451.

It's weird to think that books were considered to be evil and wrong. The whole world is based on a book or books that help shape society and who we are today. It is true though because books do actually open up a gateway to thinking, independence, imagination, and dreaming which allows us to shape who we truly want to be.

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
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.)

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)?
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.
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.

1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury opens up with a description of Guy Montag who is the main character of the story. He is caught with his own thinking and with society's thinking. He also is caught between two different types of perspectives. One of the two perspectives would be that books are evil and wrong. The other perspective would be that books have shaped humanity ever since the first book was written. Guy Montag is a fireman, but is not the fireman as we all know today. Montag was a fireman who started fires, not ended them. His job was to burn books and even houses that were may have been "affected" by books.
2. The theme of the novel is that we never truly realize how influential books are until we fully analyze how they play a role in our lives.
3. The author's tone seemed to be contemptuous because the books is about society and the disconnection between books and society.

• "'Police Alert. Wanted: Fugitive in city. Has committed murder and crimes against the State. Name: Guy Montag. Occupation: Fireman. Last seen...'" P. 124 
•  "He hid the books in the kitchen and moved from the house again to the alley and looked back and the house was still dark and quiet, sleeping." P. 130
•  "How long he stood he did not know, but there was a foolish and yet delicious sense of knowing himself as a animal come from the forest, drawn by the fire. He was a thing of brush and liquid eye, of fur and muzzle and hoof, he was a thing of horn and blood hat would smell like autumn if you bled it out on the ground. He stood a long long time, listening to the warm crackle of the flames." P. 146

4.

• symbolism
• The books are huge symbols in the story. They symbolize terror and destruction. They also symbolize hope and thoughts.
• stereotype
• The stereotype in this book is that the fireman are called to start fires.
• "'How long've you worked at being a fireman?' 'Since I was twenty, ten years ago.' 'Do you ever read any of the books you burn?' He laughed. 'That's against the law!' 'Oh. Of course.' 'It's fine work. Monday burn Millay, Wednesday Whitman, Friday Faulkner, burn 'em to ashes, then burn the ashes. That's our official slogan.'" P. 8
• setting
• With knowing the setting, the readers are able to feel and imagine their surroundings, especially in the scene where Montag and his wife are reading, despite of the illegality of reading books.
• "They read the long afternoon through, while the cold November rain fell from the sky upon the quiet house. They sat in the hall because the parlor was so empty and gray-looking without its wall lit with orange and yellow confetti and skyrockets and women in gold-mesh dresses and men in black velvet pulling one-hundred-pound rabbits from silver hats. The parlor was dead and Mildred kept peering in at it with a blank expression as Montag paced the floor and came back and squatted down and read a page as many as ten times, aloud." P.71
• omniscient point of view
• With an omniscient point of view, the readers are able to get a well-rounded description of each event.
• "Montag did not look back at his wife as he went trembling along the hall to the kitchen, where he stood a long time watching the rain hit the windows before he came back down the hall in the gray light, waiting for the tremble to outside." P.72
• narrator- The narrator plays an important role in the book as he/she describes ever single detail and dialogue to make the book as a whole.
• "This was not believed. It was merely a gesture. Montag saw thew flirt of a great metal fist over the far city and he knew the scream of the jets that would follow, would say, after the deed, disintegrate, leave no stone on another, perish. Die." P.158
• foil- Clarisse McClellan is the foil to Guy Montag at the first part of the book because she talks about how books were actually used to read in the past, and that Montag doesn't have to follow the culture/society to burn books even though he is a fireman who burns books. P.7-8
• imagery-
• The use of imagery allows the reader to picture an event/situation or even a character in the book, such as the Mechanical Hound which is a robot who assists the fireman and searches for those who may have books.
• "The Mechanical Hound was gone. Its kennel was empty and the firehouse stood all about in plaster silence and the orange Salamander slept with its kerosene in its belly and the fire throwers crossed upon its flanks and Montag came in through the silence and touched the brass pole and slid up in the dark air, looking back at the deserted kennel, his heart beating, pausing, beating. Faber was a gray moth asleep in his ear, for the moment." P.104
• foreshadowing
• Although, the front cover gives some foreshadowing, but the first page of the book, P.3 gives some foreshadowing of what things were to happen. There will be change.
• "It was a pleasure to burn. It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed." P.3
• argument
• The argument in the book is about who you are and how you would like to be, despite the influence of the culture.
• Montag was first a fireman, now a rebel. He chose how he would like to be, even though society tells him to be different.
• "Granger stood looking back with Montag.'Everyone must leave something behind when he dies, my grandfather said. A child or a book or a painting or a house or a wall built or a pair of shoes made. Or a garden planted. SOmething your hand touched some way so your soul has somewhere to go when you die, and when people look at that tree or that flower you planted, you're there. It doesn't matter what you do, he said, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away. '" P.157
• protagonist
• Montag is the protagonist because he goes against the slanted society. He went against the society that got rid of anything being influenced by the books and the thinking influenced by the books. He kills his boss, Beatty, which is his way of getting away from the society that he was once apart of.
• "And then he was a shrieking blaze, a jumping, sprawling gibbering mannikin, no longer human or known, all writhing flame on the lawn as Montag shot one continuous pulse of liquid fire on him. There was a hiss like a great mouthful of spittle banging a red-hot stove, a bubbling a frothing as if salt had been poured over a monstrous black snail to cause a terrible liquefaction and a boiling over of yellow foam. Montag shut his eyes, shouted, shouted, and fought to get his hands at his ears to clamp and to cut away the sound. Beatty flopped over and over and over, and at last twisted in on himself like a charred wax doll and lay silent." P.119

1. The author uses both approaches to create a full description of who the character is, what he is like, and what is his purpose.

• Examples of Direct Characterization  
• "With his symbolic helmet numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next, he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky read and yellow and black." P.3
• This characterizes who and what Montag is.
• "Mildred's hand had frozen behind the pillow. Her fingers were tracing the book's outline and as the shape became familiar her face looked surprised and then stunned. Her mouth opened to ask a question..." P.56
• This directly characterizes who Mildred is and what she is going through.
• Examples of Indirect Characterization
•  '"I feel alive for the first time in years,' said Faber. 'I feel I'm doing what I should've done a life time ago. For a little while I 'm not afraid. Maybe it's because I'm doing the right thing at last. Maybe it's because I've done a rash thing and don't want to look the coward to you. I suppose I'll have to do even more violent things, exposing myself so I won't fall down on the job and turn scared again.'" P.131 
• This indirectly characterizes who Faber is becoming through dialogue.
• '" I'm not thinking. I'm just doing like I'm told, like always. You said get the money and I got it. It didn't really think of it myself. When do I start working things out on my own?'" P. 92 
• This indirectly characterizes who Montag is at this point of the book.

2. The author's syntax and diction does not change when he focuses on character. He keeps a constant choice of words and sentence structure.

• An example is "God, what a pulse! I've got you going, have I, Montag? Jesus God, your pulse sounds like the day after the war. Everything but sirens and bells! Shall I talk some more? I like your look of panic. Swahili, Indian, English Lit., I speak them all. A kind of excellent dumb discourse, Willie!"

3. The protagonist is a dynamic character because he changes or evolves through out the book. He starts off as one who burns books and gets rid of them, but towards the ending of the book, he becomes one who keeps the books and seeks others to share the experience that he is having with a book, that is deemed illegal and immoral.

4. After reading the book, I feel as if I have met a person because real people evolve in their minds and in their hearts when they experience something that is either "life-changing" or "mind-boggling".

•  An example would be "'There's Beatty [Montag's boss] dead, and he was my friend once, and there's Millie gone, I thought she was my wife, but now I don't know. And the house all burnt. And my job gone and myself on the run...'" P. 131 This passage creates an understanding of what is going on in Montag's life and how has he become different from his past.

SEEKING MENTOR

What does the expert (profile) you identified have to teach you?  What questions can you ask to select your mentor and begin the process? 

The expert that I have identified has the experience, the motivation, and an open mind to teach me. She has been involved with this type of expertise for many years, and I feel she is perfect as an adviser and as a mentor. Some questions that I can ask are: What influenced you to take these opportunities and to learn from these experiences? How do I improve at what I'm doing? What feeling should I feel when I am working during my process, like what should I expect within my process?

My Macbeth Resources

I searched "Macbeth Resources" in Google.

• http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/macbethresources.html
• http://www.webenglishteacher.com/macbeth.html
• http://vbschools.net/moodle/pluginfile.php/9320/mod_resource/content/1/Macbeth%20Study%20Guide%20Questions.pdf
• https://apsaunders.wikispaces.com/Macbeth
• http://quizlet.com/17385335/knights-ap-english-12-the-tragedy-of-macbeth-plot-development-flash-cards/

I apologize for this being so late. 

Is There An Expert In The House?

Not quite sure how to fulfill this request, but here it goes:

What I look for in experts are:

Good people skills

Motivation

Inspiration

Being a good example

Have good morals

Takes initiative

Pushes to get things done right

Is patient

Is kind

Thinks from the heart

Knows what will be successful

Willing to try new ideas/techniques/ways

All that I have listed defines a compassionate expert. I feel it is necessary to have good people skills and to have a good attitude towards their activities and experiences. I feel expert should also be experienced. An expert is experienced and has many experiences to recall back to. I would like to be able to ask this expert for advice and guidance for my planning, organizing, and participating in the events that my club hosts. I want to be able to have feedback that will make me do better and that will make me feel better about the activity.

One of the experts, that I know, fulfills all of my requirements in order to be an expert for my masterpiece and passion is Mrs. Deanna Byrne. She has dedicated much time in helping others and guiding others to the right path. She has influenced good morals to my fellow colleagues and myself. She has also demonstrated good attitude and confidence in the events that she organizes and participates in.

THIS IS ONLY A TEST

I was thinking of a test to create for my masterpiece progress. The best way I could think of is writing down each step of the process that I am using. Here is a list of each step that I am taking. This way, I can keep track of the goals I've set for my self in order to finish a masterpiece.

HUXLEY'S BRAVE NEW WORLD

My comment on Dr. Preston's blog:
To be honest, I am still quite unsure if we are truly in the Brave New World, but we sure do have some aspects of the Brave New World in our world today. We can make an argument that there is a question of balance. The world today is leaning on technology and its effects and uses which is a huge aspect in the Brave New World. Huxley builds up technology with much reputation and use that the citizens of the Brave New World rely on it constantly. 
Also, they rely on the drug, soma, to create that equilibrium in their life so they would not have to deal with the madness. It is the same as today where many people rely on drugs to get "high" or to become oblivious to their surroundings because those surroundings irritate them in some way. In the world today, so many people are affected by drugs that tend to make them not see reality which is just like in the Brave New World where soma covers up the toils of reality.
Another idea could be that everyone deserves freedom which is something the citizens in the Brave New World did not have. We have many freedoms that the characters did not. We have free will and free choice. They don't. This creates my puzzling argument. Are we truly in a Brave New World or are we not? Some say that we are, and some say that we are not. But, I do have a feeling we are getting very close to it.

Watching the video of the interview has given me a new way of understanding Aldous Huxley's purpose for Brave New World. I am able to understand the value he put into his work, and the ideas that he emphasize to give a comparative or a contrast between the BNW society and our society. Our society is leaning towards the BNW society in many ways, such as the use of drugs, freedom, the forever growing technology, the idea of a balanced society, the power of the rulers/heads of the nations, etc.

10 Questions

1. What inspires you to help others?
2. What was your most memorable experience?
3. What do you like the most of helping others?
4. How do create time to help others?
5. What is needed to be create events that help others?
6. How do you convince people to get involved?
7. What kind of activities do you participate in?
8. Is this something you will continue for the rest of your life?
9. What is your take-away after each experience?
10. What is your definition of compassion?

Brave New World Study Session

I spoke with my colleagues about studying Brave New World and ways to figure out how to get a better understanding of the story...so I looked online for study guides and any analyses that may help us have a better understanding. I searched on Google "brave new world study guide".

Here are the resources:

http://quizlet.com/21409100/brave-new-world-sample-questions-flash-cards/

http://bnw22012.wikispaces.com/Practice+Test

http://www.huxley.net/studyaid/

http://www.aasd.k12.wi.us/staff/thiellana/my%20web%20sites/BNW%20Study%20Guide.htm

http://classiclit.about.com/od/bravenewworld/a/aa_bravenewworld_questions.htm

Benchmark Project

For years and years, I have had a passion to help others. I was influenced by one trip to Ensenada, Mexico. This one trip created this passion in me to help others. Since then, I have been volunteering and participating in events that help better the community and the environment. Also, my friend and I started this collaborative working group/club organization at school. Our club goal is to assist those in our school community and the community at large and to provide our service and great attitude to better the community and the environment.

Now that the club/collaborative working group is up and running, we have done many projects that have helped the community here at home and internationally. Our club successfully hosted an event that consisted of creating care packages for the kids of the homeless shelter. We also raised about $250 just from pocket change from the students and faculty of our school.

Since the school year is almost coming to a close, we are trying to squeeze in as many projects and events as possible to better our service to the community. Our plan is to do a beach clean up accompanied with a bonfire to better our friendships and relationships with each other. We also plan to participate in Relay for Life, Serve Santa Maria (community projects), a 5K run with the Red Cross Club, and others that we may think of.

For my masterpiece, I plan to film the special moments with my fellow club members, my friends, my family...this is what I want to remember my high school experience as- helping others while being with those who make the experience great and memorable.

LEARNING [in a] BRAVE NEW WORLD

Today, we discussed different aspects of BNW. But, some didn't finish the book yet, so we are just walking along beside each other as we finish reading different parts of the book. We also looked for different insight from different people for resources. One resource that our sub brought up was a video/snippet of the BNW movie which helped us to shape our image/idea even better. Not much to write down, but we sure got a lot done.

Masterpiece Resources

http://www.volunteermatch.org/volunteers/resources/

http://www.goodsamshelter.net/

http://www.freethechildren.com/

http://www.servesantamaria.com/

http://www.relayforlife.org/

I am putting 5 just in case. For the first listed website, I used duckduckgo and searched resources for volunteering. I thought not being tracked with my past searches will help get other resources.

For the rest of the listed websites, I just searched with google with the websites/organizations that we are already apart of.

All of these websites are helpful because they describe what Project Humanity does and will help cover what my masterpiece is about.

Literature Analysis #5

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
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.)

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)?
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.
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.

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

1. The book is separated into three stories and viewpoints. The first story is titled "The Window". The second story is titled "Time Passes". The third story is titled "The Lighthouse". In the first story, the book introduces a family who lives in their summer home off the coast of Scotland. The story goes as a regular family lives. It talks about each family member and how Mrs. Ramsay discusses with her daughters that there are potential men for them to marry. The title represents how as they gaze through the window towards the lighthouse, though the title of the book is To the Lighthouse, the family only gets to view the lighthouse from that window which then essentially creates and instills imagination of how the lighthouse might be. They are not able to visit the lighthouse do to weather conditions. The second story talks about an elderly lady named, Mrs. McNabb who reminisces and remembers the family and their experiences when they lived at the summer home. She then restores it back to the way as it was in the past. In the third story, we meet Lily Briscoe again who talks about how the death of Mrs. Ramsay makes everything different. She then realizes that Mrs. Ramsay was the one who kept that family together.
2. Not sure if this is a good theme, but the moments with your family will be the most memorable out of all of your memories.
3.

• The author's tone in the first story seems to be very disturbed due to the fact that the family deals with multiple personalities.
• "She was quite ready to take his word for it, she said...There was nobody she reverenced more. She was not good enough to tie his shoe strings, he felt." P.32
• The author's tone in the second story seems to be reminiscent because Mrs. McNabb, who lived with the family in the past, flashes back and remembers what life was like back then and the different people she lived with.
• "Poor lady! She would never want them again. She was dead, they said; years ago, in London." P.135
• The author's tone in the third story is mournful because Lily, the painter, remembers fondly about Mrs. Ramsay, the main character in the first story.She remembers how Mrs. Ramsay was the one who kept the family together.
• "'Mrs. Ramsay!' Lily cried, 'Mrs. Ramsay!' But nothing happened. The pain increased" P. 180

4.

• Setting
• "So with the lamps all put out, the moon sunk, and a thin rain drumming on the roof a down-pouring of immense darkness began." P. 125
• This creates the vibe of the 2nd story of the book. It sets the tone of the setting, especially with the descriptions that follow the passage.
• Purpose-
•  The purpose was to show the significance of the painting, the family, and the lighthouse.
• "'Mrs. Ramsay!' Lily cried, 'Mrs. Ramsay!' But nothing happened. The pain increased" P. 180
• "Quickly, as if she were recalled by something over there, she turned to her canvas. There it was - her picture. Yes, with all its greens and blues, its lines running up and across, its attempts at something. It would be hung in the attics, she thought; it would be destroyed. But what did that matter? she asked herself, taking up her brush again. She looked at the steps, they were empty; she looked at her canvas; it was blurred. With a sudden intensity, as if she saw it clear for a second, she drew a line there, in the centre. It was down; it was finished. Yes, she thought, laying down her brush in extreme fatigue, I have had my vision." P. 208-209
• Omniscient Point of view
• The whole story was told in an omniscient point of view.
• "'I'm so sorry,' said Mrs. Ramsay, turning to him at last. He felt rigid and barren, like a pair of boots that have been soaked and gone dry so that you can hardly force your feet into them. Yet he must force his feet into them. He must make himself talk. Unless he were very careful, she would find out this treachery of his; that he did not care a straw for her, and that would not be at all pleasant, he thought. So he bent his head courteously in her direction." P. 90
• Epitaph
• "'But i beneath a rougher sea Was whelmed in deeper gulfs than he." P.166 This was an epitaph that Mr. Ramsay said during his mourning for his wife.
• Motif
• In the story "The Window", "And smiling she looked out of the window and said (thinking to herself, Nothing on earth can equal this happiness) - 'Yes, you were right. It's going to be wet tomorrow. You won't be able to go." P. 124 This creates what the window represented in the book. It was the view of hope and imagination.
• Narrative
•  "Mr. Ramsay, stumbling along a passage one dark morning, stretched his arms out, but Mrs. Ramsay having died suddenly the night before, his arms, though stretched out, remained empty." P. 129
• This situation was a turning point for the book.
• Narrator-
•  Virginia Woolf is also the writer, but she is also the narrator of the story. She completely describes every single detail. She has an omniscient point of view. "Like all feelings felt for oneself, Mrs. Ramsay thought, it made one sad. It was so inadequate, what one could give in return; and what Rose felt was quite out of proportion to anything she actually was." P/ 81
• Flashback-
•  Mrs. McNab flashes back to her memory when she heard about Andrew Ramsay being killed instantly in WWI. "A shell exploded. Twenty or thirty young men were blown up in France, among them Andrew Ramsay, whose death, mercifully, was instantaneous." P.133
• Foil
• "'Yes, of course, if it's fine tomorrow,' said Mrs Ramsay...'There'll be no landing at the lighthouse tomorrow,' said Charles Tansley." Charles Tansley becomes the foil because he tries to put down Mrs. Ramsay's assurance to her kids that they will go to the lighthouse the next morning. P. 3 & 7
• Imagery-
•  "At that season those who had gone down to pace the beach and ask of the sea and sky what message they reported or what vision they affirmed had to consider among the usual tokens of divine bounty- the sunset on the sea, the pallor of dawn, the moon rising, fishing boats against the moon, and children making mud pies or pelting each other with handfuls of grass, something out of harmony with this jocundity and this serenity." P. 133 This passage creates images in our mind of what the scene was and looked like.

CHARACTERIZATION

1. 
   

• Direct characterization would be

• "It was his fate, his peculiarity, whether he wished it or not, to come out thus on a spit of land which the sea is slowly eating away, and there to stand, like a desolate sea-bird, alone." P. 44 This describes Mr. Ramsay who frequently talks about how he is not as smart as he thought he was.
• "Mrs McNab groaned; Mrs. Bast creaked. They were old; they were stiff; their legs ached." P. 139 This directly characterizes Mrs. McNab and Mrs. Bast.
• Indirect characterization would  be:
• "'And even if it isn't fine tomorrow...it will be another day. nd now...and now, standup' P. 26 We see Mrs. Ramsay assuring that there is always another day.
• "She must escape somewhere, be alone somewhere." P. 147 Here we can sense Lily feeling discomfort and awkwardness
• The author uses both ways to create a variety of descriptions for each experience with each character. The author uses dialogue and descriptions of the scene to convey his feeling and his message.
1. The author's syntax and diction does not change when she focuses on character because everything just flows together to create a good and an easy piece of literature to read and understand.
2. There are a bunch of characters that enter and exit the story from time to time. But I feel the protagonist is Lily Briscoe. Some may say Mrs. Ramsay, but I am saying Lily Briscoe because she is the one who pretty much is the passive one. She seems to be more reserved as she faces all of the issues that the family faces. I feel she is a dynamic character and a round character because she faces challenges and judgment throughout the story. But, what she also realizes is that she becomes observant of her surroundings and comes to realize that Mrs. Ramsay was the glue that kept that family intact.
3. After reading this book, I came away like I've met a person. An example would be:
1. "And this, Lily thought, taking the green paint on her brush, this making up scenes about them, is what we call 'knowing' people, 'thinking' of them, 'being fond' of them! Not a word of it was true; she had made it up; but it was what she knew them by all the same. She went on tunneling her way into her picture, in to the past." P .173

SUPER 5

I'm going local for my Super 5.

1. Rev. Dr. Mark Richardson
2. Rev. Dr. Brian T. Parcel
3. Mrs. Deanna Byrne
4. Jenny Greenelsh
5. Dr. David Preston

This is my rough draft.

My Team

Today, I met with Serena, Jenna, and Miranda to discuss about the positivity masterpiece. I introduced to them my idea and asked for their ideas. I'm still looking for people to be apart of this collaboration. I will be asking my club to be apart of the video too as we continue with our compassion projects. I cannot divulge any ideas that will be apart of the video. Sorry for the inconvenience.

LAUNCH

That was my rough draft of my launch/masterpiece.

Now, here is the real deal.

My plan for my masterpiece is to essentially capture different view points of helping others. I plan on capturing those moments featuring different people in my club/collaborative working group (Project Humanity) that was created by Danny Luu and myself and others that may be interested. (This opportunity is open to all who would like to show how powerful spreading good is. The very talented Miranda Nillo will be by my side with this video, so I am extremely excited to help put forth a great product!) My goal is to video record these moments. My organization is not all about community service, but it is more of helping those in need. Sometimes, we don't have to classify it as community service. We can classify it as compassion or our passion to help others. Others like me make it a habit to help others. It is apart of our daily routine and our personality. As I have discussed with my fellow peers/colleagues, I have found out that so many people have the passion for compassion. They simply want to spread good. And, I thought, it would be a good way to end our senior year with a visual memory of spreading good, through small things and big things. To anyone of my fellow colleagues at Ernest Righetti High School, I hope we can all collaborate to make a product that would last in our memories and make a big impact in those who are interested!

I, Jury

"Great job on emphasizing your points on Soma and the assembly line. These are two powerful symbols that have much purpose in the story. Great job."   http://dannytbuuluu.blogspot.com/

"Awesome thoughts Mia! Your main points were clear and connectable with the book and today's society. Also, your contextual evidence and real world examples help emphasize your points! Great job!" http://mlevyrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2014/02/brave-new-world-essay.html?showComment=1393308377279#c3331789740092621746

"Great job on using Lenina as a great example. Your main points and thoughts helped describe why Lenina was a great example and how characterization can be molded and can be defined by the setting/surroundings. Great job Becky!"  http://rebeccaaldrich.blogspot.com/2014/02/brave-new-essay.html?showComment=1393308793982#c5984826127135444462

"Awesome job Amara! I like the fact that you emphasized on the surroundings, but also on the cultural and psychological surroundings that can mold a person because that's what they face in their inner self. Great job!" http://amarasharpaplit.blogspot.com/2014/02/brave-new-essay.html

"Great job Sarah! You using contextual evidence made your main points even stronger! It was great choice that you described the society of the World State via Bernard and through the way people see Bernard!" http://snstevensenglitcomp13.blogspot.com/2014/02/brave-new-world-essay.html


Now the summary:

What I found was that each essay that I've read illustrated strong points, whether it was about the symbolism and the characterization. All authors that I've read wrote very strong essays that 1. Answered the prompt to the best of their ability and 2. Illustrated their insight with contextual evidence and strong view points.

What I need to include in my essays is probably more insight and more view points. I need to shape/mold my essay with better insight from the book and from connections to reality. What I should avoid is maybe summarizing.

BRAVE NEW ESSAY

Though I've read this book before, I am still analyzing the book as I read it for the second time. Therefore, my essay will be weak due to only being five chapters into the book. I will edit or post a better version in the future. I audited other blogs by looking through and choosing which blogs had the best topic for how far we are at in the book. I chose from my top 3 which were from Sam Wellard's blog, Amara Sharp's blog, and Danny Luu's blog. I thought Sam Wellard's topic was enough to write about, especially at this point of the book.

"Write an essay in which you convincingly argue that Brave New World describes what actually could happen, has happened, or is happening. Remember to link happenings in the modern world with specific events and ideas in the novel. Idea to consider: Is any of the fantasy in the novel now reality?"

http://swellardrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/

  The life, the technology, the attitudes, the personalities, the thinking process, etc all change in today's world and has always changed. In Brave New World, the story is like a prediction of what the world will be heading to, just like in other utopian novels. Life as we know it could be heading towards a mass production of people or also known as cloning. 

  Thinkers have been trying to clone creatures of this earth. People are not exactly sure of why cloning is a big thing. Maybe it is because of the saying that one wishes to have more of them in many different places. Maybe the fact that multi-tasking is not for everyone so having more of one person to do different tasks is deemed acceptable? Maybe also that having more of one personality is a socially acceptable thing? It is a quite confusing topic that occurs in real life and in the book. The book talks about people who are born/produced in within the different social classes. 

  Another example would be that the idea of society affecting how one becomes is real. It is evident in the book and in real life. In the book, the characters are from different social classes and were bred from different groups/social classes. Their society dictates how they act, talk, listen, think, etc. It is the same as the real world. Many people are influenced by today's society that they aim to become the ideal person based on today's society. This specific fantasy from the novel is now reality.

  Though the topics of cloning and society affecting personality have been mentioned, there may be more topics to discuss about as the book is read more and analyzed more.

Brave New Essay Topic

"It seems undeniable that most World State members are happy, but at what cost? Some, like John, Bernard, and Helmholtz criticize the quality of life in the World State.  Consider the results of stability being privileged over freedom, and decide what, if anything, is wrong with the World State’s society."

http://hs.auburn.cnyric.org/teachers/Michael_Sullivan/AP/Brave%20New%20World

I think we could take a deeper look at their meaning of happiness, and base our answer from there. What the audience sees is a controlled life, but in the book, that's how life really is. We could also take a look at how structured their life is, and how free will does not exist in the World State. We could also connect the World State's society with real life and how our society has some influence on how we live our life.

BOB I

Written on paper due to confidentiality.

I AM HERE

I feel my progress in this course during the first grading period has improved. It seems that I am less stressed as I was back in the fall semester. Now that I have a whole semester under my belt, I am able to take this last semester of high school with more confidence and motivation. I have begun working on my senior project. I spoke with Dr. Preston about my organization/collaborative working group with Danny Luu and many other fellow students, and he has told me to document this experience and connect this experience with this course as apart of my masterpiece. At the moment, the organization is hosting more fundraisers to raise our goal for our Relay for Life fund. Towards the end of April, we will be participating in a community-wide event to assist those in need with home projects such as painting, building, repairing, cleaning, gardening, etc. Everything is going as planned as of right now.

Welcome to the Interdisciplinarity

So, I'm extremely passionate about helping others. It may seem vague, so please bear with me. I think the reason why I am passionate about helping others is because I was exposed to community service when I was a young sixth grader heading to junior high. My passion influenced me to collaborate with my friends to create a club/organization, here at Righetti, that would allow a student body to help those in the community. This organization is called Project Humanity. But, Project Humanity isn't my only way of assisting the community. I am apart of a church who also influenced me to be someone who wants to help the community. My table discussion revealed that there are already careers that do do these type of activities. It could be in the medical field as a nurse, doctor, psychologist, etc. It could also be in the education field since I like working with kids. I would need to be patient, collaborate with others more, be open-minded, and just overall always have a good attitude about everything. Classes that would help me improve this passion would be psychology and humanitarian classes. But I have to think more about that one.

Lit Terms #6

simile-a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared

soliloquy-an utterance or discourse by a person who is talking to himself or herself or is disregardful of or oblivious to any hearers present (often used as a device in drama to disclose a character's innermost thoughts)

spiritual-of, pertaining to, or consisting of spirit; incorporeal

speaker-a person who speaks formally before an audience; lecturer; orator.

stereotype-a set form; convention

stream of consciousness-thought regarded as a succession of ideas and images constantly moving forward in time

structure-the relationship or organization of the component parts of a work of art or literature

style-a particular, distinctive, or characteristic mode of action or manner of acting

subordination-the act of placing in a lower rank or position

surrealism-a style of art and literature developed principally in the 20th century, stressing the subconscious or nonrational significance of imagery arrived at by automatism or the exploitation of chance effects, unexpected juxtapositions, etc.

suspension of disbelief-a willingness to suspend one's critical faculties and believe the unbelievable; sacrifice of realism and logic for the sake of enjoyment

symbol-a letter, figure, or other character or mark or a combination of letters or the like used to designate something

synesthesia-a sensation produced in one modality when a stimulus is applied to another modality, as when the hearing of a certain sound induces the visualization of a certain color.

synecdoche-a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole for a part, the special for the general or the general for the special

syntax-the study of the rules for the formation of grammatical sentences in a language

theme-a unifying or dominant idea, motif, etc., as in a work of art

thesis-a proposition stated or put forward for consideration, especially one to be discussed and proved or to be maintained against objections

tone-a particular quality, way of sounding, modulation, or intonation of the voice as expressive of some meaning, feeling, spirit, etc

tongue in cheek-to talk, especially idly or foolishly; chatter; prate

tragedy-a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall or destruction.

understatement-the act or an instance of understating, or representing in a weak or restrained way that is not borne out by the facts

vernacular-expressed or written in the native language of a place, as literary work

voice-the faculty or power of uttering sounds through the mouth by the controlled expulsion of air; speech

zeitgeist-the spirit of the time; general trend of thought or feeling characteristic of a particular period of time

Definitions provided by dictionary.com

My Detailed Resource for my Launch/Masterpiece

Honestly, this is an extremely detailed way of saying how helping others not only makes other lives better, but it also makes our lives better as well!

http://www.helpguide.org/life/volunteer_opportunities_benefits_volunteering.htm

My 6 Questions

Sorry, I posted this so late. This is a rough draft.

HAFTA/WANNA

One thing that is similar between life during high school and life after high school is our person. But, the one difference between life during high school and life after high school is the person who we are, the person who we evolve to become. The significant difference is that we may be the same person, physically, but internally, we are uniquely different. Our experiences during and after high school change and shape who we are. People will take their current habits of mind/word/deed into their next set of daily activities because that is the one way they know how to accomplish their daily activities, that's the one way that they can function well. You can balance the things you want to do and the things you have to do by knowing which is more important, and by knowing the incentive or the consequence of the activity that you take care of first. My expectations of myself is to always make sure to help people and to help myself. I want to make sure that what I'm doing is morally right for myself and for others. I just expect the world around me to be considerate that I cannot do everything for everybody, but I can do the best I can. I am just a human, and I will not be able to do everything all at once.

The Nose by Gogol

1. What does Ivan Yakovlevich do for a living?

2. What does Ivan find in a loaf of bread?

3. How does his wife respond to Ivan's discovery?

4. What does Ivan set out to accomplish?

5. When Ivan tosses the "package" in the river, for a brief moment he is happy; then he is arrested. What does this scene suggest about the role of happiness in Ivan's life/community/society?

6. Where does the title object belong, and how does it finally get there?



1. Ivan Yakovlevich is a barber.

2. Ivan finds a nose in his loaf of bread.

3. His wife doesn't find out because Yakovlevich tries to get rid of it as soon as he can.

4. Ivan sets out to throw away the nose of his regular customer in the river.

5. This scene suggests that the period of happiness is short lived.

6. The title object belongs on its owner's face ( Major Kovalyov). It finally gets there when he asks for a "curse" to be removed from him, and when Kovalyov wakes up sometime later, his noce is back on his face.

Literary Terms List 5

parallelism-agreement in direction, tendency, or character; the state or condition of being parallel

parody-a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing

pathos-the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music, speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion.

pedantry-the character, qualities, practices, etc., of a pedant, especially undue display of learning.

personification-the attribution of human nature or character to animals, inanimate objects, or abstract notions, especially as a rhetorical figure.

plot-the plan, scheme, or main story of a literary or dramatic work, as a play, novel, or short story

poignant-affecting or moving the emotions

point of view- specified or stated manner of consideration or appraisal; standpoint

postmodernism-any of a number of trends or movements in the arts and literature developing in the 1970s in reaction to or rejection of the dogma, principles, or practices of established modernism, especially a movement in architecture and the decorative arts running counter to the practice and influence of the International Style and encouraging the use of elements from historical vernacular styles and often playful illusion, decoration, and complexity.

prose-the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse

protagonist-the leading character, hero, or heroine of a drama or other literary work

pun-the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words.

purpose-the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc

realism-interest in or concern for the actual or real, as distinguished from the abstract, speculative, etc

refrain-to abstain from an impulse to say or do something

requiem-any musical service, hymn, or dirge for the repose of the dead

resolution-a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group

restatement-to state again or in a new way

rhetoric-the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech.

rhetorical question-a question asked solely to produce an effect or to make an assertion and not to elicit a reply

rising action-a related series of incidents in a literary plot that build toward the point of greatest interest.

romanticism-the Romantic style or movement in literature and art, or adherence to its principles

satire-the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc

scansion-the metrical analysis of verse. The usual marks for scansion are ˘ for a short or unaccented syllable, ¯ or · for a long or accented syllable, ^ for a rest, | for a foot division, and ‖ for a caesura or pause.

setting-the locale or period in which the action of a novel, play, film, etc., takes place

Definitions provided by dictionary.com. Thank  you!

THE TIME OF MY LIFE

I apologize for posting this so late, but here it is.

I was in a group of five people. ( Mia, Miranda, Eli, Danny, and myself)

On Friday, we discussed and shared notes from our books and the lectures. We also discussed about note taking strategies and any questions/misunderstandings we may have such as definitions of literary techniques that may apply to the plot/style and any connections that connect with modern age literature. We also discussed questions about doubleness of character, Charles Dickens' conflict with social class, and anything else that came up in our conversations. We also discussed of different books that we could read for our upcoming literature analyses and different books, in general, to read for fun. Overall, it was a quite successful day as we were able to have good, successful conversations to clarify anything that we needed and also have fun during the time in class to collaborate with others for either more information or for clarification of different techniques.

Literature Analysis #4

A Lesson Before Dying

by Ernest J. Gaines

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

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

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

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.) 

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)?

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

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

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. 

1. This story is about young African American man named, Jefferson, who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He thought he was getting a free ride to some other place he needed to go, but it ended being that he would witness and convicted for a murder, even if he didn't do anything. His godmother loved him so much that he coerced the main character, Grant Higgins, to visit her beloved godson. Grant Higgins is a school teacher at the church school in the plantation. He was one of the few who actually went to a university and received a formal education.  She wanted him to make sure that Jefferson will leave the physical world with dignity. She didn't want Jefferson to die in vain. The story was mainly about Grant evolving and adapting to the situation that he was given by his family friend. He constantly thought that he wasn't valuable. He constantly thought that whatever he told Jefferson will be of no value. He thought he wasn't good enough to make this young man feel like he is a man. Every time he would visit Jefferson in the jail cell, Jefferson would make no progress and no effort to speak with Grant. Jefferson feels like he is a "hog" just like what the white jury said about him. Jefferson feels like a "hog" doesn't deserve to be treated fair and to have dignity. He feels that he doesn't deserve to be treated like a human. But as Grant Higgins kept visiting Jefferson in the jail cell, Jefferson started to warm up to Grant Higgins. At the end of the story, Jefferson and Grant became very good friends. One of the last chapters (Ch29), we read of Jefferson diary entries. We read his thoughts, his feelings, his view of life, and his view of the life after life. The only way that the readers can actually have access to this aspect of Jefferson's life is because Grant gave Jefferson a tablet of paper and a pencil to write out his feelings. At the end of the story, before his execution, Jefferson asks Paul, a deputy in charge, to give his diary to Grant after the execution happened. When Paul gave the diary to Grant, Grant breaks down and cries which ends the story.
 the title, A Lesson Before Dying,  says it all, the narrative buildups the lesson that Grant learns from Jefferson instead of the lesson that Grant was supposed to give to Jefferson.

2. I feel the theme of the novel is that it is never too late to make things right, and that listening to others makes a huge difference in your outlook in different things and in life in general.

3. I feel the author's tone is solemn because of the way the author wrote the story which created a very deep reflecting feeling.

• "When I came to into the office, Paul looked me straight in the face. He knew it was unnecessary to search me and the food, but he knew he had to do it." P.168
• "For the first time, the prisoners did not call to me or stick their hands through the bars as I passed. Some spoke quietly, others only nodded, but all were watching." P. 169
• "im sory i cry mr wigin im sory i cry when you say you aint comin back tomorow im strong an reven ambros gon be yer with me an mr harry comin to an reson i cry cause you been so good to me mr wigin an nobody aint never been that good to me an make me think im sombody" P.232

4.  10 Literary Elements/Techniques

• interior monologue- Utilizing monologue, Gaines allows the readers to get what's inside of Grant's, the main character's, mind.
• "It must have been twelve-fifteen by now. I didn't want to look at my watch anymore. Had it already happened? Or was he still waiting, sitting on the bunk, hands clasped together, waiting? Was he standing at the cell door, listening for that first sound of footsteps coming toward him? Or was it finally, finally over?" P.251
• mood- The mood stays the same. The same depressing mood.
• "He looked at me in great pain. He may not have understood, but something was touched, something deep down in him - because he was still crying." P.193
• motif- The motif of this story is about having dignity.
• "'Jefferson,' I said. We had started walking. 'Do you know what a hero is, Jeffesron? A hero is someone who does something for other people. He does something that other men don't and can't do. He is different from other men. He is above other men. No matter who those other men are, the hero, no matter who he is, is above them.'" P. 191
• narrative- The narrative allowed the readers to be like they were there when everything was happening. Every detail was described.
• "Several of the larger girls knelt on scarves or handkerchiefs. I took up my Westcott and went out through the front door. I had no idea what I would do while I waited to hear from Bayonne, but I found myself out in the road and walking up the quarter. It was a couple of minutes after twelve, and I was trying not to think. But how could I not think about something that had dominated my thoughts for nearly six months? It seemed that I had spent more time with him in that jail cell than I had with the children in the church school." P. 250
• omniscient point of view- Gaines used an omniscient point of view for his narrator so that we can get a well-rounded story.
• "The rest of the hour just dragged along. Jefferson was not looking at me anymore; he had lain back down on the bunk, facing the wall. I gazed out the window, at the yellow leaves on the sycamore tree." P.84
• flashback- Gaines utilized flashbacks to give us the causing conflict of the story.
• " He (Jefferson) wanted to run, but he couldn't run. He couldn't even think. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know how he had gotten there. He couldn't remember ever getting into the car. He couldn't remember a thing he had done all day." P.5
• foreshadowing- Gaines utilized foreshadow to let us know what will happen within the story.
• "A Lesson Before Dying"
• "'Yes, I'm the teacher,' I said. ' And I teach what the white folks around here tell me to teach - reading, writing, and 'rithmetic. They never told m e how to keep a black boy out of a liquor store." P.13
• inference- The audience is able to create inferences of what may happen next.
• "I recognized Revered Ambrose's car, parked before the door. Now I felt a little guilty for getting back so late.' P. 98
• Here we can infer that once Grant goes inside to the house, he will have to face the disappointment and doubt from the other characters.
• implication- The audience is able to create an implication of what happened at that very point of the story.
• "The deputy came back and stood just outside the cell. Miss Emma still sat on the bunk. But now Jefferson had turned his back to her and was facing the gray concrete wall. Miss Emma passed her hand over his hair again, then she pushed herself up from the bunk." P.74
• The implication is that this jail visit was not successful.
• argument- The audience sees an argument occur between two key people who both are trying to help Jefferson gain his dignity back. But with this conflict happening, it's like the conflict is hindering them from making any progress.
• "'We got to have it your way or else, that's it?' Reverend Ambrose cut in. 'No,' I said. ' You can have it your way. You can take it from him. But you won't reach him if you do. The only thing that keeps him from thinking he is not a hog is that radio. Take that radio away, and let's see what you can do for the soul of a hog.'" P.183

Characterization

1. Examples of direct characterization are:

• "Miss Emma was in her early or mid-seventies; my aunt was in her seventies, and I figured they were pretty much the same age. Miss Emma's hair was gray and combed up and pinned on top." P.12
• "Farrell Jarreau was a small, light-brown man in his late fifties. He wore an old felt hat, a khaki suit, and worn work shoes. He was the yardman and all-round handyman." P.40
• With this, we get a direct image of what the other characters of the story are like.

    Examples of indirect characterization are:

• "Most of my students remembered the mood I was in and had their heads in their books." P. 38
• "His expression remained the same - cynical, defiant, painful." P.84
• With these two examples, we get to create our own image of what the character, that is being described through context, is like.

I feel the author uses both approaches to create images in our minds that would remain there and allow us to reflect to that throughout the book.

2. The author's syntax and diction doesn't change when he focuses on character because every dialogue and sentence is written the same with the same type of words in the same type of writing style.

• "I had sat down at the table and was pretending to read." P. 11
• "'Don't tell me you're jealous of that child.'" P. 165

3.  The protagonist is dynamic because at first, he doesn't want to speak with the prisoner who is already sentenced to die because he feels his words won't change a thing, but in the end, the prisoner's words changed a lot for him.

4. After reading the book, I came away feeling like I've met a person. An example would be "Why wasn't I there? Why wasn't I standing beside him? Why wasn't my arm around him? Why? Why wasn't I back there with the children? Why wasn't I down on my knees? Why?" P. 250

• With this excerpt, we meet a man who loves and cares for his friend. We meet someone who evolved from being a closed-hearted man to an open-hearted man.