LITERATURE ANALYSIS: A TALE OF TWO CITIES BY CHARLES DICKENS

"Collaboration is not a crime"-Dr. Preston

Lit. Analysis
1& 2. Kylie Sagisi 
3. Lindsey Wong
4.
1. The first page is ridden with juxtaposition, the first line “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” is an iconic use of placing two very different things next to each other for emphasis. (pg. 3)

2. The wine spilling at the beginning of chapter five is both foreshadowing and a euphemism because it sets up the reader for all the blood that will be spilled during the revolution and since it is a delicate way of talking about a very serious topic it constitutes as a euphemism. (pg. 27)

3. Lucie is the ultimate combination of imagery and symbolism, her yellow hair, that Dickens describes and alludes to countless times throughout the novel, is the “golden thread” that connects her father to the present. (pg. 78)

4. The entire novel is a zeitgeist because the entirety of the story embodies the time period and the problems that occurred during Jerry Cruncher’s lifetime and beyond.

5. When Madame Defarge is asked why she is knitting she answers, “Pastime” which is an aphorism because she is commenting on the political turmoil rather than why she really knits. (pg.172)

6. Dickens uses other characters besides Lucie to serve as extended metaphors. Monseigneur serves as Dickens’ platform for commenting on the upper class of the time, he constantly stereotypes Monseigneur for example saying that he is “extravagant”. (pg. 229)

7. Charles Dickens was also a fan of alliteration and he described the revolutionaries as “fast, fierce, and furious”. (pg. 195)

8. Dickens used a lot of irony throughout the novel; one of the most important was when the lying, stealing, cheating Jerry Cruncher described himself as an honest man. (pg. 315)

9.Another example of imagery and an incident of a simile was when Dickens said that the wine shop looked “like a walnut cracked on its side”. (pg. 139)

10.The very last line uses repetition to drive home Dickens’ final points “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to that I have ever known.” This is one of the most well-known endings to a novel of all time. (pg. 364)

Characterization
1 & 2. Kristen Crockett
3. Lindsey Wong
4. Kendall Villa

PRACTICE ESSAY

Jacob Fowler

Period 5

“No Exit” and “The Allegory of the Cave” Analysis and Comparison

Character is not defined by what happens to us but how we respond to events in our lives. This statement has been a common theme in literature and cinema for generations and in reigns true in our own personal lives. To face a crisis is only half the battle, the most important part is how we respond to this crisis. A major problem in this country that is creating personal crises for millions of individuals is the lackluster economy putting Americans out of jobs. Thousands of people have to deal with this new reality every day and each of them respond differently. The fact is that everyone deals with a tragedy of this magnitude in distinctly unique ways. Socrates, as Plato portrays him in “The Allegory of the Cave”, would think rationally and react to this situation with clear thoughts and rational actions which are eerily similar to the way Garcin from “No Exit” by Jean Paul Sartre would react.

            Socrates was a philosopher and great thinker; he is considered one of the most influential thinkers in history. He never published his own work, or if he did it is lost among the world’s greatest memories, but one of his followers Plato described and accredited him in many of his works including “The Allegory of the Cave”. In this particular piece Socrates is having a conversation with Plato’s brother Glaucon about reality and how the prisoners inside of this hypothetical cave view reality. In a very well elaborate and tangible way Socrates contemplates a very intricate and intangible idea of reality through a dialectic text. We can analyze his personality and personal philosophy through this text and therefore can predict how Socrates would react to certain situations.

            If Socrates was living in modern day America and he lost his job due to extensive layoffs at wherever he was working he would be taken aback, and definitely disappointed as any employee would be. His next course of action would be contrary to how most people act after they receive this terrible new, he would be happy. Socrates would find joy and contentment out of the fact that he has been relieved of his mundane obligations and would have more time to now ponder life and its unique features. Not only would he be excited about his newfound free time, but he would delight in the fact that there was now opportunity for another person to take his old position. Socrates would hope that this new person could find meaning and happiness out of the now vacant job, he would realize that he could not find the intense satisfaction that one would hope for out of an occupation and intensely hope that someone would be able to find contentment where he could not. If Socrates lost his job in this day and age he would embrace it with unusual grace and optimism.

            The character that was created by Jean Paul Sartre named Garcin would respond to this same tragedy with a similar optimism but for an entirely different reason. Instead of reasoning and thinking through this situation reasonably and rationally, Garcin would dully be indecisive and unaffected by this problem. He would quickly turn from his initial disappointment to almost immediate contentment with his situation. His rational would be that everything happens for a reason, but he would just accept his fate and become content with this terrible thing that would affect not only him but his family as well. But since he never treated his wife very well, he would selfishly sulk internally, but he would relay a sense of optimism with the rest of the world.

            All in all, these are two very different characters, one is an actual human being who walked this earth and established himself as a man of reason and rational though, the other is a fictional character who cannot be counted on to stand his ground or be a compassionate human being but they would both react to losing their job in current day America in almost parallel ways. Although they would not get to this same place in identical manners, the ends always justify the means. These two would have similar characters although their personalities could not be more different because when it is all said and done, character is not defined by what happens to us but how we respond to events in our lives.

I CAN READ

I'm having problems uploading the video but my family enjoyed all the different renditions of Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss. My sister Grace recorded the best time at under four minutes but she had the clear advantage because she works with young kids the most out of all of us. My time was five minutes and one second. 

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

First of all, let's think inside the box and state the obvious, Jean Paul Sartre and Plato are completely different. They wrote hundreds of years apart from each other, Plato used complex sentences and diction to say his point while Sartre's was much more simplistic, Sartre described details that would be impossible for Plato to even dream of.

Now let's think outside the box, Jean Paul Sartre and Plato are the same. They are geniuses, they use allegories to convey very complex ideas in very simplistic ways, they are great writers who are both articulate, they used a dialect as their main form of literature, and they have captivated their audiences for generations.

But in the end the analysis of these two bodies of work really boils down to the differences and similarities between existentialism and Plato's philosophy. They both tried to seek the truth through reason. I think the main descrepancy the two theories is that Plato and Sorates saw more value in life than the existentialism followers and the authors of the theater of the absurd did.

ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE SONNET

A Shakespearean Sonnet About "The Allegory of the Cave"

An interesting and beneficial conversation between Glaucon and Socrates

Can we ever be sure of what we see?

Plato’s brother and hero discussing truth, life, and all its anomalies

But what do all of these extended metaphors mean for you and me?

What is more real to the freed prisoner, the shadows or the fire?

We can’t envision reality unless we unchain ourselves

Seeing is believing unless our thoughts do their job to inspire

Because our new ideas go where all learning dwells

Not all life’s answers are revealed in the “Allegory of the Cave”

Plato can’t address all the world’s problems in The Republic

But Plato and Socrates do what they know is brave

And they help thinking today even more fantastic

A story that has been around for more than two thousand years

Shows us today how we can go about conquering our fears

BRAIN WITH [10] LEGS

Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

My group
Kristen Crockett
Kendall Villa
Lindsey Wong
Kylie Sagisi


Basic Info
published in 1859
over 200 million copies sold
has been made into movies, comic books, and TV series

This will be an interesting adventure with all of us reading the book separately and coming together to collaborate and talk about our strengths and weaknesses while reading the novel.

WE HANG TOGETHER

*Sorry for the lateness*

I really enjoyed this article because it was everything Dr. Preston has been saying in class but condensed into six pages.

I think it's interesting that after years of success, some people don't realize that it's almost always a direct result from collaboration.

Also, the new definition of a hero is interesting, a man taking a walk ins't a a leader, a man walking with followers is.

Interdependence- a community or system that depends on one another and need each other to survive.

Collaboration is key.

SONNETS

This sonnet reflects my big question because it talks about how love and value changes throughout generations. This particular sonnet was written by John Barlas in 1889, it is the fourteenth sonnet in his selection titled Love Sonnets.

"Sweet lady mine, behold this desolate world:

The little children go with weeping face,

And women, that sowed love to reap disgrace,

Walk the cold streets with lips grown cruel and curled:

Falsehood like lime into the dark air hurled

Blinds the dim eyes of men: in frantic race

For wealth, the noble are trampled by the base:

The red street runs, the red flag flies unfurled.

Sweet lady, kisses for a little while,

And then who knows what end for thee and me

Who cannot bear these things, nor walk these ways?

Ah make me brave enough with thy dear smile

For the truth's sake to leave both it and thee.

But woe for Love born in these latter days."

HAMLET ESSAY (REMIX)

This is a very simplistic and possibly inaccurate view of performative utterance, but this is how I explained it to myself when I was reading deBoer's essay.

Thanks to my teammates for helping me out and Jose for filming.

HAMLET ESSAY

Jacob Fowler

Period 5

Hamlet and Performative Utterance

              In his play Hamlet, William Shakespeare created one of the most interesting and relatable characters in the last five hundred years of literature, however there are problems deciphering his title character and they all relate to this idea of “performative utterance”. To call Hamlet insane would be an inaccurate shortcut that does not fully describe Hamlet’s character. We see throughout the play, Hamlet is a very intelligent character that makes clear cut and concise choices in his mind, the aspect of his character that fails him is his inability to escape his “cognitive paralysis” as Fredik deBoer calls it in his essay titled “The Performative Utterance in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet”.  Fredik deBoer also uses J.L Austin’s ideas in his book How to do Things with Words; his ideas state that language is divided into three main forces. Performative utterance, cognitive paralysis, and Austin’s theory are ideas that are relevant in not only literature but have real world applications.

This cognitive paralysis is usually confused as madness, but in actuality it is Hamlet’s ineptitude of vocally conveying his ideas to both the audience and the other characters in the play. In Act I, after the ghost of Hamlet’s father informs him of his uncle’s crimes, Hamlet knows exactly what needs to be done, he sits down at his stationary and immediately begins plotting how to exact his revenge.  The next scene he is in the king’s court obeying his mother and her new husband King Claudius, the murderer. How can our vigilante be submitting to the orders of the man who killed his father? It must be his indecisiveness and as readers this subtlety might be lost on us. However if we were to see this performed on stage as it was intended, we could see how Hamlet interacts with his mom and step father, his cognitive paralysis would be visible through his facial expressions and body language and we would be able to interpret his actions not as weakness, but as genius.

We see in his soliloquys that Hamlet is a very sentimental and emotional man that is struggling with the death of his father, this is a very significant detail that seems to be overlooked by some that are analyzing this piece of literature. This is a young man dealing with the death of his father and we criticize him for his sporadic behavior, and this being said, he still composes himself in most social situations throughout the play. The other characters call him mad and insane because they do not know what he really is thinking as a result of his intricate scheming. Different characters think he is mad for an assortment of reasons, no one can agree on the reason for his insanity; this is purposefully devised by Hamlet so Claudius will never expect his looming attack. Hamlet isn’t crazy, but it’s hard for readers to understand this because words on paper can be misleading sometimes, Hamlet is a play that was intended to be both seen and heard and we need to remember that crucial fact.

Hamlet had to deal with a lot throughout the course of the play, in every situation he had to meticulously plan out and think through his actions, and the most effective way to plot out is to talk to yourself. J.L Austin’s theories can be applied to the way Hamlet thought through his actions; the audience can see the three forces of language in full effect. The first force, the locutionary force, is the ability to deliver a message through words. We see that Hamlet is incredibly efficient in the locutionary force through his elegant soliloquys; his speeches to other characters, even his “mad ramblings” serve a purpose to further both the plot and the pathos Shakespeare creates. The second force, the illocutionary force, is the words that make action happen, his orders that he gives to others and to himself are very crucial to Shakespeare’s intentions. Finally, the prelocutionary force is when action occurs and we see Hamlet act and while most of his actions are murders, we see that through his conversations with both himself and other characters push him to action for a cause.

Performative utterance exists beyond the end of Shakespeare’s quill, we all struggle with both the concept of performative utterance and this idea of cognitive paralysis. The reason that memorizing the “To be or not to be” soliloquy is not to have thirty five lines worth of Victorian era English filling up your mind, but to be able to relate to a character that was created half a millennium ago. In those words that Hamlet spoke to himself he was able to “self-overhear”, this idea is a concept vital to learning. Using this technique we are forced to vocalize our ideas and actually listen to ourselves. We all struggle with vocalizing our ideas, whether it is creating a mission statement for a business or collaborative working group, asking a girl out, or making a speech before a big game, the hardest transition for ideas is the from the mind to actual words. Our thinking, or Hamlet’s thinking for that matter, is much like a football play, a quarterback tells the others what he wants to do and then they all go and run the play as a team, they act based on words they just heard.  To truly succeed you have to break free of your cognitive paralysis and whether you need a ten million dollar check, a pat on the back, words of encouragement, or just a platform for your ideas to be recognized, you must be able to convert ideas into words and words into actions and those actions will produce results.

Hamlet is a five hundred year old play about a young man whose father had poison poured down his ear, yet it left us with one of the most relatable and important characters in the history of literature. Through a story of revenge and death, Shakespeare is able to dive into the human condition and make a commentary on the difficulties of standing behind your beliefs and ideas. Hamlet struggled overcoming his cognitive paralysis, as he did the audience was able to watch as his thoughts turned into words, his words into actions, and finally by the end of the piece those actions resulted in consequences. We see this concept of performative utterance that reigns in Hamlet’s life and beyond the text in our own lives. 

TOOLS THAT CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK

There is no doubt that technology changes the way we think and makes significant impacts in our daily lives. As learners we need to understand and be aware that there is a big difference between dependent and interdependent. There was a time where the internet was fresh and new, codes and algorithms were being created everyday and without human intervention the world wide web could not exist. Nowadays the internet seems to be a clock that we've wound up and just count on it to keep ticking, we're not interested in a relationship with our information but rather we are parasites that can't survive without a daily dose of technology. This means that (as far as the internet is concerned) we are dead, as my colleague Mia Levy so wonderfully points out in a casual tweet. https://twitter.com/mia_levy/statuses/395377172187475968">. To be dead in the technological sense doesn't mean you've stopped breathing, but rather stopped improving. The internet isn't perfect, with filter bubbles, uneccessary censorship, and plagiarism running rampant, there is a definite need for an interdependent relationship and we need to be able to accomplish that as a society. All in all, there is nothing wrong with depending on technology, just make sure to always think for yourself, don't be lost in the web, and there is nothing wrong with reading a book or a newspaper once in a while.

VOCAB #9

aficionado (n)- expert, talented in a specific field, enthusiast
Ex: Jose Sagrero is an aficionado in the art of playing football.

browbeat (v)- to intimidate someone
Ex: When Jose is on the football field he likes to browbeat his opponents with his large muscles.

commensurate (adj)- corresponding in size or degree, in proportion
Ex: Jose's talent is in commensurate with his work ethic.

diaphanous (adj)- light or translucent (usually fabric)
Ex: Jose doesn't like when his jersey is diaphanous, it will rip easily whenever he makes a tackle.

emolument (n)- a salary or fee
Ex: Jose is angry that he doesn't receive an emolument for his efforts on the field.

foray (n)- a sudden attack
Ex: Jose is so quick and agile, some recruiters call his tackling style a foray.

genre (n)- a specific type or style of literature.
Ex: If Jose Sagrero wrote a book, chances are it would be a biography of his favorite football player (Terrell Pryor), which falls under the biographical genre.

homily (n)- a speech or sermon intended for a religious purpose
Ex: When Jose goes to church, he listens to homilies which inspires him to play better football

immure (v)- to inspire with feeling
Ex: Before each game Jose gives a very inspiring speech to the team that immures everyone in the locker room.

insouciant (adj)- showing a lack of concern
Ex: After his team lost the big game, Jose seemed insouciant, which angered his coach and teammates.

matrix (n)- an environment where something is developed
Ex: Jose Sagrero's matrix is the weight room, that is where he developed all of his strength.

obsequies (n)- a funeral
Ex: Jose is very sentimental, and when he went to his grandma's obsequies he delivered a beautiful eulogy.

panache (n)- flamboyant confidence
Ex: Referred to as the Ray Lewis of his generation, Jose shows panache whenever he steps on to the football field.

persona (n)- the aura someone carries; or alter ego
Ex: Jose's persona is larger than life, people are honored just to be tackled by him.

philippic(n)- a bitter attack
Ex: After we beat St. Joes, an angry fan attacked Jose but luckily he had the Shield to protect him from this philippic.

prurient (adj)- having an excessive interest in sexual activities
Ex: Jose is not prurient, all he can think about is football.

sacrosanct (adj)- regarded as too important to be bothered
Ex: When he is walking around campus in his game day polo, Jose is definitely sacrosanct because he is busy thinking about the game.

systemic (adj)- relating to a system
Ex: Jose is part of a team, he is the most important part, but he is still systemic.

tendentious (adj)- expressing a controversial point of view
Ex: To say Jose Sagrero is a bad football player would be a tendentious statement.

vicissitude (n)- an unpleasant change of events or fortune
Ex: If Jose quit football that would be a vicissitude for every football fan in America.

This week's theme: JOSE

FILTER BUBBLES

a) I learned about the concept of filter bubbles and the idea that we are isolated in a "web of one" that is controlled not by us, but rather by big businesses who are telling us what we want to see.
b) This information makes me wary of information I am reading and the accurateness of it. It makes me uncomfortable that I'm not in control of what I see.
c) Why are filter bubbles legal? It seems like it's the same thing as propaganda, just friendlier.
d) I can increase the effectiveness of my searches by using more than one search engine and comparing my results. Also by not taking things at face value and actually analyze what I am reading.

THOUGHTS ON HAMLET (IN PROGRESS)

I think the one thing that has stayed constant throughout the entire play is that this is a story of a young man coping with the death of his father and the immorality of his mother. We see him as insane or manipulative but in actuality, he just confused.

However, as the play evolves, my view of Hamlet changes. I cannot justify his actions later on in the story. I admit that he may be a manipulative, clever, and smart guy but someone who can murder someone in front of his mother and think nothing of it, is not sane.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE (Football style)

This video got caught off for some reason, this is all I have right now, Jose did it too and his worked even worse than mine. We should have more tomorrow. 

VOCAB 7

     As soon as he awoke among the sand of Egypt he immediately remembered the events that had led them to this forsaken country. He remembered the group discovering Quatro Quatro's shenanigans and finding out the evil that he committed against Xmus. He recalled to his mind the garrulous speeches Quatro gave, full of sesquipedlian. As he remembered the horrors that the group discovered he tugged at his arms that turned out to be tied to a palm tree. Quatro was pacing around with a capricious attitude that Jacob had never really seen before, but then again he almost didn't recognize this pyscopath that he once called his friend and teammate. Jacob looked with horror as Quatro ebulliently gazed at Kristen Crockett, he wasn't sure what the story was, but knowing Kristen, he was worried.
     Jacob mumbled out codswallop, he was incoherent, nearly dead, he had some wonky attempts to break free but he couldn't . The group looked at each other with fear, it might be the end for them, and it would happen in Egypt.

GREEN EGGS AND HAMLET

a) I really don't know much about Hamlet at all, I get it confused with Macbeth (which I also don't know much about), I think it's about a king who dies and leaves his son. I honestly have no background knowledge at all.
b) Shakespeare was a prolific author and poet that we really don't know that much about. He is one of the most famous literary figures of all time. He is known for inventing iamic pantameter.
c) Everyone just knows about the unorthodox way that he writes, they find it boring, and think that it's too challenging, that's the reason for the frown.
d) I know that the silly little projects we did freshmen year will probably always stick with me. But I'm not sure what to do at this point in my learning journey.

WHAT I MEANT TO SAY WAS

My thesis was almost complete, I was able to show my comprehension of the topic, however I didn't convey well why Chaucer focused on the characters and his purpose for introducing the reader to these characters. What I meant to say was: "Chaucer used specific techniques, like characterization and imagery, to introduce the reader to a set of characters for the purpose of satirizing the time period and giving the voiceless a voice."

LIT ANALYSIS #2

*I turned this in on time in hardcopy in class on Friday

Jacob Fowler

Lit Analysis #2 (Lord of the Flies by William Golding)

Characterization:

1.       The biggest form of direct characterization was Piggy’s name. We learn that his name is Piggy before we even know his real name which gives the reader a very vivid and descriptive idea of what Piggy looks like and how he would act. Another form of direct characterization is when the boys build a fort because they’re scared of Ralph and his friends. An example of indirect characterization is how Piggy really respects the conch even when the others don’t and especially when Ralph starts to doubt it, this shows his loyalty to social convention. Another form of indirect characterization is when Jack couldn’t kill the pig, this shows both the struggle between his old self and the new instincts that are arising and his inward thinking about life and death.

2.       The best example of Golding’s unique syntax is at the very beginning of the novel. He uses modernistic techniques to cause a sense of disarray in the reader’s mind. Because of this, when he introduces the characters it’s almost as if we’re climbing out of the plane wreck with them and meeting them as they would appear on that desolate island.

3.       The protagonist, Ralph, is very dynamic. He lands on the island as an arrogant British adolescent with a clear cut idea of what wrong and right is. He leaves the island fighting for his life and doing whatever it takes to stay alive and retain some semblance of power.

4.       I feel like a met people, Golding didn’t just put a group of people on an island he threw a group of young boys and turned them into castaways, murderers, worshippers, yet snatched all of that away in an instant. I really dove into Jack’s character, I saw him at his lowest, his most ashamed (when he couldn’t kill the pig), his highest (when he respected Ralph and the Conch), and at the end.

Analysis:

1.       The novel is about a group of British boys, all from the same school, that crash land on a desolate island. The pilot is dead and they are left to govern themselves, this leads to chaos and anarchy. One of the main symbols throughout the story is this conch that holds power to some and is just a shell to others. By the end of the book this group of mild mannered boys have committed a murder, killed animals for food, called themselves savages, and are on the way to kill another member of the group before their charade is abruptly ended by an unnamed naval officer.

2.       The theme of this novel is the breakdown of social convention, it also is considered a commentary on modern religion with each character symbolizing a different element of Christianity and the island itself taking on the role of earth.

3.       The author’s tone was very dynamic, but throughout the entire novel it was very frantic and panicked page one is a great example when the boys land and there is just chaos and confusion. Another great example is when Jack places the glasses on the pig head and calls it the Lord of the Flies on page 145. And finally the fear and panic for Ralph as he is about to die at the end of the book gives the reader a good deal of panic and confusion. Even the resolution of a man walking on to the shore causes some confusion and leaves the reader with a lot of questions.

4.        

1.       Imagery, Golding here describes the conch (Page 179)   

2.       Diction, Golding here uses the word “giggled” instead of laughed, snorted, chuckled, or anything else to describe the twins’ immaturity (Page 62)

3.       Modernistic techniques, Golding makes the last scene so frantic that the ending becomes very surprising (Page 287)

4.       Imagery/diction, “the savage moaned again”, here Golding refers to a young boy as a savage who is in pain doesn’t cry but moans (Page 279)

5.       Personification, Golding says that Ralph’s voice “spoke for him” an impossible feat for someone’s voice, but it shows the fact that he had no control in the words coming out of his mouth. (Page 175)

6.       Repetition “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood” (numerous pages)

7.       Imagery, Golding describes Ralph’s injured eye as a slit (Page 222)

8.       Vernacular, Golding always has the characters say the word “P’rby” instead of probably to show their dialect. Also other examples of this. (numerous pages)

9.       Repetition/irony, the words “beast” and “savage” are used to describe small animals and young boys. (numerous pages)

10.   Ethos, the naval officer has a dominant authority that the boys desperately needed. (Page 288)

TALE OF A CANTERBURY TALE

Summary:
     This tale is about a sentimental cook who keeps a very dirty restaurant and enjoys being by himself more than with others.  In the prologue he has a conversation with a man named Roger who told him that it is better to stay happy then allow yourself to be upset. Basically the entire tale is about the cook dealing with his new apprentice who he eventually has to get rid of. He continually messes up and finally the cook just has to say that his work is inadequate and he is compromising the business. We find out in the last line that he has a wife for looks but his true love is his shop.

Characterization:
1. In the prologue we see indirect characterization that in line 4330 he quotes Solomon from the Bible, from that we are informed of his religious views which is reaffirmed down in line 4354 when he mentions that he continually prays.
2. Roger has to tell him to be happy and not upset in lines 4356 through 4365 which indirectly characterizes him as an angry man.
3. I sense a bit of jealousy of the new apprentice named Perkin Reveler, he goes into detail about his good looks, maybe this indirectly characterizes him as an ugly man who is jealous of the better looking Perkin.
4. The last two lines of the tale (4421-4422) say that he would rather have a shop than a wife, that directly shows that the cook cares way more about his livelihood than his family or love.
5. The cook keeps his shop dirty, but we just read that he loves his shop more than his wife, maybe (and this is definitely a stretch) he has a self destructive personality and cannot find a good way to love things.

Chaucer's Goal:
Maybe Chaucer's goal of this is to show a humble man who keeps to himself the voice he never would have, to show how much power (over his apprentice) this man really has. That he finds value in his work and there's nothing wrong in working hard and enjoying it.

CHARACTER STUDY (IV)

     The mist in the air was thick and blanketed the night sky as if it was trying to inhibit their journey. Ozamataz's knuckles turned white as he clenched the steering wheel of his antique taxi, no one knew if it was because of the fog or because of Kristen's incessant flirtation that was both unwanted and very inappropriate given the circumstances.
     Jacob sat in the back next to Quatro who was visibly nervous. Jacob pleaded with him to calm down but the arrogant football star that always had his act together couldn't stop shaking. He kept blurting out ideas of where Xmus could be that Ozamataz took no heed to. Jacob was worried about his friend but just focused on the goal of finding Xmus.
   

CHARACTER STUDY (II & III)

     After the victory in the game, Jacob was on top of the world, he was physically exhausted from the three and a half hour long game, but he couldn't have been more ecstatic for the team. As Jacob dwelt on his pride, one of his teammates, Quatro Quatro, approached him and invited him to his frat house for a celebration. Jacob was eager to go and even more eager when he heard that his friends from school Kylie and Lindsey were going to be attending.
     Jacob never really liked Quatro, he was a very arrogant and cocky guy, the way he walked around campus you would think that he owned the school. Nevertheless, he was a good friend and Jacob was excited for the party tonight. When they arrived at the party there was already at least one hundred co-eds there, doing everything from dancing to drinking alcohol, and a lot more in between.
     As soon as he walked in to the dank and crowded frat house he immediately noticed Kylie and Lindsey standing in the corner by themselves, they weren't holding cups and they didn't seem to comfortable in this environment, they were both staring in the same direction and pointing so Jacob wanted to go see what the hubbub was about.
     They were both pointing at Kristen Crockett, who definitely seemed comfortable in this environment. He didn't even know that she went to their school but Lindsey informed him that she got her parents to pay for airfare under false pretenses so she could attend this party. She was dancing with a rather large man that looked heavily intoxicated. Kylie said his name was Ozamataz Buckshank, she also mentioned that he came across as dumb when they met him.
     An hour or so into the party, their friend from back home named Kendall arrived with her cousin, Xmus Wackson Jackson Flackson who immediately darted off to go indulge in drinking. Kendall was upset and kept rambling about how she had to leave soon but never did. An hour later, Quatro came up to us in a panic, Xmus was missing! We all rushed outside and Ozamataz said that we could drive in his taxi cab, and Kristen seemed eager to sit next to him and seemed to be flirting with the taxi cab driver. Quatro looked nervous and kept offering ideas of where Xmus could be. Ozamataz shifted the car into reverse and hey pulled off into the night.
     And that is when their journey began.

CANTERBURY TALES (I)

In this very dry opening to a glimpse into the past, there is a lot of irony used and also upon further reading I found that Chaucer did take the pilgrimage, that was a question that our class seemed to be struggling with. Why do you think this type of literature is so important? Is it just historical or is it more?

NETVIBES SETUP

I found the netvibes set up very hard, I couldn't figure out how to get new widgets or gadgets where I wanted them or exactly what I wanted. The apps were pretty self explanatory but they weren't specific enough to my needs. Maybe in class there was a little more explanation on how to manipulate the dashboard to your desires, but I couldn't figure out an effective homepage.

CHARACTER STUDY (I)

     Sweat rolled down his arms when he thought about the struggles the future held for him, he stood at six feet tall, but felt dwarfed by the journey that was before him. However he had a quiet confidence, he had been working for months leading up to this moment, hard work seeped through his veins, he always did what his coach asked of him without being a sycophant. He was a leader and and he knew he couldn't be scared, he couldn't allow a moment of weakness or relapse. With a stern brow and a complacent expression on his sunburned face, he marched forward out of the tunnel. Without fear he placed his helmet over his tangled and sweaty hair, took his lengthy strides out to the fifty yard line and met the rest of his team for the biggest game of his life.

VOCAB #6

obsequious (adj) - obedient/attentive to an excessive or servile degree
Ex: People thought that Ryan Leaf was obsequious, but really he didn't want to obey anyone.

beatitude (n) - supreme blessedness
Ex: Ryan Leaf being drafted number 2 overall was definitely a beatitude.

bete noire (n) - a person/thing that one particularly dislikes
Ex: Apparently, good quarterback play was one of Ryan Leaf's bete noires. 

bode (v) - to be an omen of a particular outcome
Ex: His immaturity didn't bode well for Ryan Leaf's career.

dank (adj) - disagreeably cold/musty
Ex: Most of the time, Leaf's attitude was dank and cold.

ecumenical (adj) - representing a number of different Christian churches
Ex: Leaf's behavior was so out of control that an ecumenical conference was called to discuss his actions.

fervid (adj) - excessively passionate
Ex: Some considered Leaf's actions as fervid excitement for the game, but really it was just gaudy, uncontrollable, rudeness.

fetid (adj) - smelling extremely unpleasant
Ex: The back of his jersey smelled fetid because Leaf was always on his back after being sacked.

gargantuan (adj) - huge, massive
Ex: Ryan Leaf was a gargantuan in college, but looked small and unimportant in the pros.

heydey (n) - [slang] prime, peak
Ex: Ryan Leaf has passed his heydey, now he is in jail for cocaine use.

incubus (n) - a sneaky or suspicious person
Ex: When he is on cocaine Ryan Leaf is an incubus.

infrastructure (n) - the frame or structure of something
Ex: The infrastructure for the case that Ryan Leaf was a good NFL quarterback doesn't exist.

inveigle (v) - to persuade by deception/flattery
Ex: Ryan Leaf tried to inveigle some more playing time after he got benched, it didn't work.

kudos (n) - praise/recognition for an achievement
Ex: All the kudos he received in college went to Ryan Leaf's head.

lagniappe (n) - insignificant extra/bonus gift
Ex: Ryan Leaf's million dollar signing bonus was no lagniappe.

prolix (adj) - [in writing] lengthy or superfluous wordiness
Ex: Ryan Leaf's fake apology was definitely not defined by its prolixity.

protege (n) - a person guided by an older mentor
Ex: Ryan Leaf really could have used a protege, but instead he tried to do everything on his own.

prototype (n) - example or first draft
Ex: Ryan Leaf is a prototype of a draft bust.

sycophant (n) - basically a suck up
Ex: instead of being a sycophant, Ryan Leaf took the opposite course and disrespected everyone.

tautology (n) - literary mistake where you say the same thing with two different words
Ex: Ryan Leaf was a bad quarterback that couldn't throw the ball or lead a team.

truckle (v) - to act obsequiously
Ex: Unlike a sycophant (who would be obsequious) Ryan Leaf never truckled anyone.

accolade (n)- a privilege or award based on merit
Ex: In the NFL, Ryan Leaf didn't receive any accolades.

acerbity (adj)- sharp or bitter speech
Ex: After losing (which he did a lot) Ryan Leaf's post game interviews were usually acerbity.

attrition (n)- action of reducing someone's strength
Ex: All that cocaine was an attrition to Ryan's body.

bromide (n)- a trite or unoriginal remark intended to sooth
Ex: After he got cut, Ryan's mother offered him a bromide, it didn't help much.

chauvinist (n)- someone with aggressive or excessive patriotism
Ex: Ryan Leaf hates America, he is definitely not a chauvinist.

chronic (adj)- persisting or recurring for a long time
Ex: Ryan Leaf has a chronic addiction to cocaine.

expound (v)- present systematically or in detail
Ex: Ryan Leaf tried to expound to his coach why he should still start, but he didn't go for it.

factionalism (v)- splitting a group into 2 factions
Ex: There are two main factions, those who think the Chargers wasted a pick on Ryan Leaf, and those who think they should have picked someone else, that's factionalism.

immaculate (adj)- only possible through divine intervention
Ex: It would be immaculate if Ryan Leaf was able to be not doing cocaine.

imprecation (n)- a spoken curse
Ex: Some blame the fact that someone gave Leaf an imprecation for the reason he sucked.

ineluctable (adj)- unable to be resisted or avoided
Ex: It was ineluctable that Peyton Manning would be picked first and Ryan Leaf second.

mercurial (adj)- subject to sudden mood or mind changes
Ex: Ryan Leaf was extremely mercurial, he had massive mood swings.

palliate (v)- to make less severe/unpleasant without uprooting the cause
Ex: They tried to palliate the Chargers by adding better players, but they really needed to just remove Ryan.

protocol (n)- necessary/mandatory in a workplace
Ex: Wearing a helmet is standard protocol in Ryan Leaf's old profession.

resplendent (adj)- attractive through rich color
Ex: Ryan Leaf always wore dull colors or black, he was never known for his resplendent fashion sense.

stigmatize (v)- to describe as worthy of disgrace or disapproval
Ex: There is only one way to talk about Ryan Leaf, through stigmatization.

sub rosa (adj/adv)- done in secret
Ex: When they cut Ryan Leaf they did it sub rosa, no one knew about it.

vainglory (n)- extreme vanity, excessive pride in one's accomplishments
Ex: Everyone knows that Ryan Leaf was an extreme vainglory.

vestige (n)- a trace of something that doesn't exist anymore
Ex: I thought i found a vestige that Ryan Leaf is a good quarterback.

volition (n)- the faculty or power of using one's will
Ex: Ryan Leaf had no volition.

WHAT A CHARACTER

My favorite character and the most memorable character for me is Holden from JD Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye. Salinger uses indirect characterization to describe this nonchalant, confused young adult. His actions speak for him and we are able to view his inner thoughts and they way he sees other people to understand his troubles. I love the way he embodies an arrogant, judgmental, know-it-all yet we really sympathize with him throughout all of his troubles. Also, Salinger uses repetition with Holden's "catchphrases" that he repeats throughout the novel. All in all, Holden is my favorite character that I've ever been lucky enough to meet.

DECLARATION OF LEARNING INDEPENDENCE

My big question revolves around what our society finds valuable and beautiful. This year I plan to dive into a learning experience that focuses on worth and why we think the way we do about things that have value to us.

VOCABULARY #5

obsequious (adj) - obedient/attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
Ex: Jadeveon Clowney demands obsequious respect as captain of his football team.

beatitude (n) - supreme blessedness
Ex: Some would say Jadeveon Clowney's incredible athletic talents are beatitudes.

bete noire (n) - a person/thing that one particularly dislikes
Ex: Jadeveon Clowney's bete noire is his coach, because he benched him once.

bode (v) - to be an omen of a particular outcome
Ex: The fact that Clowney isn't playing well right now does not bode well for his Heisman hopes.

dank (adj) - disagreeably cold/musty
Ex: When he doesn't wash his shoulder pads, Clowney's pads get pretty dank.

ecumenical (adj) - representing a number of different Christian churches
Ex: A little know (untrue) fact about Jadeveon is that he enjoys studying ecumenical works to give him a lot of different perspectives about the Christian faith.

fervid (adj) - excessively passionate
Ex: Some would say that he is fervid about football, but Jadeveon just really loves the game.

fetid (adj) - smelling extremely unpleasant
Ex: After a long practice the cheerleaders tell Jadeveon that he smells fetid, but he doesn't care what they think.

gargantuan (adj) - huge, massive
Ex: At 6'6, Jadeveon Clowney is a gargantuan football player.

heydey (n) - [slang] prime, peak
Ex: Howie Long says that in his heydey he was better than Jadeveon Clowney, but that is just untrue.

incubus (n) - male demon that has sexual intercourse with sleeping women
Ex: Clowney is so sneaky and quick on his feet that some people compare him to an incubus, which is a totally inappropriate comparison.

infrastructure (n) - government/country's roads, buildings, signs, and bridges
Ex: Jadeveon Clowney has never publicly announced his position on Obama's stance on infrastructure.

inveigle (v) - to persuade by deception/flattery
Ex: Jadeveon has been trying to inveigle his coach to let him play running back for years now, it hasn't worked thus far.

kudos (n) - praise/recognition for an achievement.
Ex: Jadeveon won many awards after last season's performance but he isn't content with kudos and accolades, he wants a championship.

lagniappe (n) - extra/bonus gift
Ex: While being recruited, Jadeveon was offered a lot of lagniappes, but he didn't accept them because that would be wrong.

prolix (adj) - [in writing] lengthy or superfluous wordiness
Ex: Clowney enjoys succinct writing, nothing with too many words.

protege (n) - a person guided by an older mentor
 Ex: Jadeveon's backup considers himself a protege of the All-American, too bad Clowney doesn't even know his name.

prototype (n) - example or first draft
Ex: Jadeveon is the prototype Defensive End, if you drew one up on paper, you'd end up with him.

sycophant (n) - basically a suck up
Ex: Jadeveon's backup is also a sycophant, he always acts like a servant in hope to gain an advantage.

tautology (n) - literary mistake where you say the same thing with two different words
Ex: Jadeveon Clowney is a great football player that plays football.

truckle (v) - to act obsequiously
Ex: Again, the back up to Jadeveon truckles way too much.

LIT ANALYSIS

1. The novel is told from the perspective from the caretaker of an older house to a man looking to buy this house. The story is about the family that used to live in the house, they were a rich family with a caring father who took in a dirty and grimy orphan named Heathcliff. The father dies soon after bringing him home and the rest of the family is mean to him (with one exception) with includes both physical and mental abuse. The one exception is Cathy, his adopted sister, he eventually falls in love with her and is emotionally destroyed when she marries another man. Cathy dies in childbirth and Heathcliff never leaves the property and is always haunted with guilt about Cathy and hatred for most everyone else.

2. The theme of this novel is how differences in social status, patriarchal discrimination, and abuse can cause bitterness and remorse.

3. The author's tone conveys bitterness and remorse. Throughout the novel she uses her characters to express different emotions.

Ex 1: "You loved me- what right had you to leave me? What right- answer me- for the poor fancy you felt for Linton? Because misery, and degradation, and death, and nothing that God or Satan could inflict would have parted us, you, of your own will did it. I have not broken your heart- you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine. So much the worse for me that I am strong. Do I want to live? What kind of living will it be when you- Oh, God! Would you like to lie with your soul in the grave?"

Bronte uses Heathcliffe's anger to portray his bitterness.

Ex 2: "'I'm tired with my journey, and I want to go to bed! Where is the maid-servant? Direct me to her, as she won't come to me.'
'We have none,' he answered, 'you must wait on yourself!'
'Where must I sleep, then?' I sobbed..."

Bronte uses this quote to show how social classes can cause discrepancies.

Ex 3: "He took to Heathcliff strangely, believing all he said... and petting him up far above Cathy, who was too mischieveous and wayward for a favourite."

Bronte uses this quote to show the patriarchal differences and how Cathy was portrayed as a weak character throughout the novel.

ALL OF THE ABOVE

I scored a 32 out of 67 which I am pretty happy about, last year on the AP test my weakness was the multiple choice section and my essays really picked up the slack to receive a four on that test. I know I can improve exponentially on this portion but I am overall pretty happy with my results. Most of the questions that I got wrong were grammar related because I think that's my weakest area of English. I definitely need to improve on the technical aspects of my reading and writing.

VOCAB #4

accolade (n)- a privilege or award based on merit
Ex: Kevin Durant's accolades include the Rookie of the Year and the NBA scoring title.

acerbity (adj)- sharp or bitter speech
Ex: When asked why his team lost the Finals, Kevin Durant responded with acerbity.

attrition (n)- action of reducing someone's strength
Ex: Kevin Durant's offensive style is a patient one, he utilizes attrition to break down his opponents.

bromide (n)- a trite or unoriginal remark intended to sooth
Ex: After a loss Durant hates bromides, they just make him angry even if they are said with good intentions.

chauvinist (n)- someone with aggressive or excessive patriotism
Ex: Kevin Durant's teammate has red white and blue underwear that he never takes off, he is a chauvinist.

chronic (adj)- persisting or recurring for a long time
Ex: Kevin Durant has a chronic habit of scoring more than 30 points a game.

expound (v)- present systematically or in detail
Ex: Even though Kevin expounded his idea, the NBA decided not to make it against the rules to guard him.

factionalism (v)- splitting a group into 2 factions
Ex: Kevin Durant displays factionalism when he splits the zone defense in two without effort.

immaculate (adj)- only possible through divine intervention
Ex: Kevin Durant's game winning shot against the Mavericks can only be described as immaculate.

imprecation (n)- a spoken curse
Ex: Even though the creepy old lady chanted an imprecation, Kevin Durant's team still won the game.

ineluctable (adj)- unable to be resisted or avoided
Ex: It is ineluctable that Kevin Durant will score at least 30 points in a given game.

mercurial (adj)- subject to sudden mood or mind changes
Ex: Kevin Durant's mercurial aunt sometimes roots for his team and other times wants them to lose.

palliate (v)- to make less severe/unpleasant without uprooting the cause
Ex: When you stop the other four players from scoring, your defense palliates the Thunder.

protocol (n)- necessary/mandatory in a workplace
Ex: It is protocol to wear basketball shorts during a game for Kevin Durant.

resplendent (adj)- attractive through rich color
Ex: Kevin Durant's new neon orange shoes are very resplendent.

stigmatize (v)- to describe as worthy of disgrace or disapproval
Ex: The Miami Heat's attempts to guard Kevin Durant were stigmatized by everyone in the media.

sub rosa (adj/adv) done in secret
Ex: The idea to vote Lebron as MVP instead of Kevin Durant was done in sub rosa.

vainglory (n)- extreme vanity, excessive pride in one's accomplishments
Ex: Even though he is the best player ever in existence, Kevin Durant isn't a vainglory

vestige (n)- a trace of something that doesn't exist anymore
Ex: I found a thread of Kevin Durant's Texas University jersey, it turned out to be a vestige.

volition (n)- the faculty or power of using one's will
Ex: Kevin Durant's ability can be described as a volition.

BEOWULF ESSAY

Jacob Fowler

Period 5

Beowulf Essay

                Our culture is one of change; our lives are completely different than they were just five years ago. That being said, our values and morals parallel those of the Danish people during the Dark Ages. We still share our basic human nature and it is human nature to search for a hero; we all want to know that where our capabilities end there will be someone with the strength to protect us. Whether a fictional character or an actual role model, our quest cannot be quenched until we find our hero. Centuries ago, in the Middle Ages, the Danish other Europeans found their hero in Beowulf; the twenty-first century finds theirs in Thor. And although Thor is a Norse god that has been “Hollywoodized” and although he is just one of the dozens of superheroes in circulation, he is the perfect example of the twenty-first century hero.

The most defining feature in both of these heroes is their pride, both are extremely confident in their own abilities; they find their courage within themselves. Beowulf shows his ego as he strips down and fights his enemy in the nude, although this might be conceived as cockiness, the original text seems to indicate that really he came to depend on himself and God rather than the primitive technology of the day. It was important to the culture of the Middle Ages to forgo the strength of modern innovations and rather depend on the raw power of God. Speaking of raw power, Thor carries the strength of the heavens inside of an iron hammer that he is willing to use in every situation possible. Thor is confident to a fault, he is confident in all of his abilities although some of his strengths are actually weaknesses and they lead him to the point of downfall. We see both of these heroes find their strength within themselves and their respective religions, they do not depend on others to give them power, their abilities transcend human capabilities.

Both characters share one interesting characteristic; they both share a peculiar motive that is defining to their cause. Thor is an out of world god who lives on a planet outside of the Milky Way, he is prepared to take over as king for his dying father when his brother Logi places Earth in harm’s way. It would have been extremely easy for the Norse god to forget about a distant planet and indulge in his evident arrogance and rest as king, however his confidence is his abilities led him to go out of his way to save a people in need, the authors of Thor use this sequence of events to indirectly characterize Thor’s ambition and courage. Beowulf is similarly portrayed in his epic poem where he places himself in danger so he can save a foreign land from a monster that has no intentions to harm Beowulf or his family. The main difference between these two motives is the ultimate question of honor versus glory. Thor does his actions to seek honor for his family, to redeem his brother’s crimes, and to save public perception of his clan. However Beowulf does it for glory, so people will remember him and stories will be told about him forever centuries.

In addition, both characters faced more than one villain. In Beowulf’s case he faced three different physical enemies; Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon that ended up killing him. Thor faced three enemies as well; his brother, the government, and himself. Thor’s villains were much more metaphorical as he struggled to find his identity outside of his planet and cope with being on Earth with a woman he fell in love with while also struggling to fight his own brother while evading the United States government and the CIA. Beowulf’s enemies were much more simplistic but they still brought Beowulf to the edge of his strength (and in regards to the last enemy) past his abilities. Both literary examples use the same style and technique that metaphorically explains to the reader that the hero can only be brought down by three different enemies.

All in all, the way these stories were presented changed the way the reader perceives the hero. The author(s) of these epic literary examples show that heroes will always be needed in any culture, society or empire. Overall, these two heroes are very similar in both who they had to fight and how they fought them, the only difference between the two is their motive, why they did what they did. The main question we as readers need to ask ourselves is the question of honor versus glory. We need to be able to differentiate between vain glory and admirable honor, then we will be able to revere our heroes with more sincerity. 

WILL STUDY FOR FOOD

I went on the website scholarships.com (thanks Mia Levy) and found a weekly scholarship where you write a 3 sentence essay (300 character max) about the given prompt and you can earn up to $1000 in scholarship money. I'm not sure what it is called but it's through Zinch.

Collaboration is Key

Since collaboration is such a sine qua non in this class, just wanted to update everyone on some great collaboration happening outside of class, Colter Knight, myself and another student worked hard on a physics experiment as demonstrated below. Some 14 students participated in this experiment and I was proud of everyone in AP Physics.

WHY THIS BOOK?

I chose to read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

I chose to read this book for two main reasons, first my sister recommended it and I trust her advice and secondly because it has appeared on the AP Test more than 10 times.

VOCABULARY #2

accoutrement (n)- additional items of dress/equipment worn or used for a particular activity.
Ex: When Kayne West sings he needs a microphone, or his accountrement for singing.

apogee (n)- the highest point of development, the climax/ culmination
Ex: Kanye West is the apogee of hip-hop talent.

apropos (adj)- very appropriate to a certain situation
Ex: It was apropos for Kanye West to push Taylor Swift offstage.

bicker (v)- to argue about trivial or unimportant issues
Ex: I'm sure Kanye and Kim bickered about what to wear to the VMA's.

coalesce (v)- to come together and form a group or whole
Ex: Kanye West's fans coalesced together and cheered for him at his concert.

contretemps (n)- an unfortunate/unexpected occurrence
Ex: Kanye not winning a Grammy this year was definitely a contretemps.

convolution (n)- one of many coils or twists
Ex: Kanye West's butler ties his shoes for him, he tried it himself once but it turned into a convolution.

cull (v)- to select from a large group
Ex: Every morning Kanye West culls from a variety of designer white cotton T-shirts.

disparate (adj)- different beyond comparison
Ex: Kayne West's ambiguous style is so disparate from all the other rappers of the day.

dogmatic (adj)- principles or ideas laid down as true without a doubt
Ex: My opinion that Kanye West is the best rapper of all time is dogmatic, because no one can doubt it.

licentious (adj) - promiscuous or unprincipled in sexual matters
Ex: Kanye didn't want to date Kim Kardashian at first because of her licentious behavior.

mete (v)- to allot justice even if it is harsh
Ex: In his diss songs Kanye has to mete his colleagues even if it hurts their feelings.

noxious (adj)- harmful or poisonous
Ex: All the haters are very noxious for Kanye.

polemic (n)- a strong verbal or written attack on someone/something
Ex: Some of the more literate haters tend to send polemics Kanye's way.

populous (adj)- densely populated
Ex: I had a hard time navigating my way through the populous crowd at Kanye's concert.

probity (n)- having strong moral principles
Ex: Kanye is sometimes accused of being a bad person, but he is definitely a probity.

repartee (n)- conversation or speech with quick/witty replies
Ex: Here's a fun fact about Kanye West, he is very witty, he is actually known for his repartee.

supervene (v)- occurring after the intended plan or action
Ex: Kanye West's great concert was supervened by the unanticipated earthquake.

truncate(v)- to shorten by cutting off at the end
Ex: Kanye West's swag was way out of hand so he truncated the very end to maintain an acceptable length.

unimpeachable (adj)- not able to be doubted or criticized
Ex: Kanye West thinks he's always right, he believes every word he says is unimpeachable.

BEOWULF COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

"Collaboration is not a crime."

Beowulf and Grendel

[Prologue]*

[Heorot is Attacked]*

[The Hero Comes to Heorot]*

[Feast at Heorot]*

[The Fight with Grendel] *

[Celebration at [Heorot] *

Beowulf and Grendel's Mother

[Another attack]

1. Grendel's mother comes to Heorot to avenge her son's death, she comes with an intent to kill and murders one of Hrothgar's closest friends. This is much different then Grendel's reason for killing, because he was so angry at all the noise and celebration.

2. Hrothgar's response is to tell Beowulf all about the two monsters and their lair, he is so upset because Grendel's mother killed his friend.

3. The mere (or lake) was a terrible place and Hrothgar was barely able to get through his description. It was a dark, cold place where the "heavens weep", however the moonlight shines on the lake to make it appear that it is on fire.

[Beowulf Fights Grendel's Mother]*

[Further Celebration at Heorot]

1. Beowulf gives Hrothgar the sword.

2. Hrothgar tells Beowulf about a hauteur king that let his pride in his own wealth lead to his demise. He tells Beowulf about this king, named Heremod, to warn him about the danger of trusting in your own power and that Beowulf needs to be concerned about the afterlife and not about this world.

3. He remembers at the last second that he needs to give back the sword named Hrunting back to Unferth before he leaves.

[Beowulf Returns Home]*

Beowulf and the Dragon

[The Dragon Wakes]*

[Beowulf Attacks the Dragon]*

[Beowulf's Funeral]*

*Done by  Kylie Sagisi, Edmond Yi, Colter Knight, Taylor Duguran, Lesther Valenzuela, or Miranda Nillo

MY OPINION ISN'T (A) RIGHT

My notes while reading:

• The author begins with some humor about the British right to sleep as a device to get the reader on his side already
• Saying you're entitled to your opinion is a red herring
• Our duty to others during a conversation is to help them learn and to learn ourselves
• Is truth more important than being right?
• Being right is the icing on top of the cake of truth, but some people tend go with the icing and forgo the cake at all

My notes during class:

• Interdependence, not only do we live in a network, but our network is connected to other networks
• Limbic- part of the brain that is governed by emotion
• Schema
• "Fiction is the lie that tells the truth"

REFLECTIONS ON WEEK 1

1.  The only thing that might limit my full participation in class is my busy schedule, I am constantly swamped with homework for my other four AP classes, and my mind always seems to gravitate towards football, but other than that I plan to work hard in this class.

2. The closest I've ever come to an epiphany in regards to learning had to be in Mr. Greely's class when the term "critical thinking" stopped just being words and it turned into a habit that I still find is hard to break, of course most of the students taking this course had to have had the same (or similar to) experience that I did two years ago.

3. I am worried about the technology aspect of this class because I am not very "technically advanced", that being said I am most excited to learn how to utilize that technology and also learn how to learn and why we learn which is a crucial aspect of class that is never really explored.