Ceremony Summary and Analysis

Ceremony

Summary:
- Author: Leslie Marmon Silko
- Setting: Laguna Reservation, 1920's, WWII, Phillipines (flashbacks)
- Plot: So there's this guy, right? And his name is Tayo. He is basically on a mission to figure out his true identity. He's mixed, has been to war and now suffers from PTSD. Since basically his entirety is a question (ya know... since he's mixed and doesn't know where he belongs...) he has to find a way to "cure" himself. Among other things, he finds a medicine man and begins the scalping ceremony. In the end though, it is up to him. It is understood that ceremonies change and so must he. Tayo ends up finding the cattle he had been looking for the entire novel (kind of like finding himself) and he prays and gets the rain back. Then he finally understands and is welcomed back into the Laguna tribe and since he has now finished his journey and has found himself, the tribe has also found another part of itself.

Significant Characters:

- Tayo: Protagonsit
- Emu: Antagonist, dark side of Tayo
- Rocky- dies in war
- Night Swan - Yellow woman
- Ts'eh - Yellow woman
- Josiah - Uncle, father figure
- Auntie - Aunt to Tayo, follows white ways
- Betonie - Medicine man, father figure

Narrative voice and Author's Style:
- View: Third person limited (for the most part)
- Tone: Somber
- Imagery:
     *The all blue dressed woman (yellow women)
     *Flashbacks contain violent imagery
- Symbolism:
     * The cattle - the world, culture, Tayo
     * The rain - renewal

Quotes:

-"'It seems like I already heard these stories before -- the only things is, the names sound different." - Grandma

     This quote kind of wraps up the entire book. It shows that not only is time circular, but it doesn't matter who this happens to. While Tayo was meant to be in this place, it doesn't matter. There will always be a yellow woman, a corn woman, ect.

- "Here they were, trying to bring back that old feeling they belonged to America the way they felt during the war."

     This shows the corruption Silko is trying to get at in the novel. The Indians all drink, which leads to corruption and shows the down side of having a white influence. Also, because these Laguna people fought alongside white men, they too are not a true part of the reservation. The question stands: do they join white culture, or stay with their traditional roots?

Theme: Everything is connected.

While this might not be the main theme, it really stuck out to me. Night Swan is just an embodiment of Yellow Woman, who helps guide Tayo along his journey. With her help, Tayo is led in all of the right directions. He finds Betonie, who helps him finish the ceremony. When he finishes the ceremony and finds himself, the tribe has also found a part of themselves. This shows that everything is connected and when one person of the tribe loses something, they all lose something.

Course Response - April 14

In class we just finished Ceremony. Honestly, I really don't know how I feel about the book. It's basically a love hate relationship. I think annotating probably ruined it for me... even though my annotations got a little scarce there at the end. Anyway, I like the questions of identity and the circular time structure... it really didn't bother me that much.

We have also started Fifth Business. So far... I'm excited! Most books this year haven't started well... more like a tedious "ohhh why do I have to read this" feeling. But this time? Nope! I really like psychology and questions of the mind, which Holmes said the book touches on. I'm not too far into it, but I like where it's going so far. It's interesting. Also... the way it's written cracks me up. I'm pretty sure the class thought I was on crack when I was reading silently and started "chortling" to myself during one scene. The author actually wrote "ha ha" as a sentence. I would give you the page number... but I'm using an online version and don't want to look it up.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Summary and Analysis

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Summary:

~Author - Tom Stoppard
~Setting - Hamlet's court, a boat, limbo
~Plot - So there are these friends that live in limbo. Really, they need to get lives. But... since they can't they just have to make due. They go through life (or what we know of it...) asking if they can take action, not how to take action like Hamlet. Guil is the 'philosophical' guy that keeps asking questions about life and its meaning, but he leads an unhappy life. Ros, on the other hand, is the epitome of the phrase "ignorance is bliss," he doesn't question.. only accepts the reality he is in. Gertrude and Claudius bring them in to help find out what is wrong with Hamlet and eventually they are to take him to England. Once they can't fulfill that duty, they are essentially dead, although we don't know what really happened. 


Significant Characters:

~ Rozencrantz and Guilenstern: Old friends of Hamlet, help the king
~ Hamlet: the friend
~The players: give meaning to the story
~ Gertrude & Claudius: Mother/stepfather to Hamlet


Narrative Voice and Author's style:

~View: No narrator, nobody knows all
~ Tone: witty, sarcastic, bleak
~Imagery:
     * Wind imagery
     * play withing a play imagery
~ Symbolism:
     * The coins: chance, life 
     * The boat: death 
  

Quotes
~ Rosencrantz: What are you playing at?
Guildenstern: Words, words. They’re all we have to go on. 

When Guil says this, he is talking about the good and bad things about language. Having words to go on seems to be a blessing, but when that's all we have... how do we know what's true other than what people tell us? This is an important idea throughout the book.  

~  Audiences know what to expect, and that is all they are prepared to believe in.

This quote shows how stoppard feels about plays in general. 

Theme: 

Course Response - March 10

So, I'm pretty sure the last time I posted we had not yet finished R&G are dead, so I guess I'll talk about that little trip ending. At first, I loved the play. The first half was.... hilarious. Then came the second half and it was a little less than spectacular. When I saw the movie, however, everything was pulled together. I think that the play was one of my favorites that we have read so far, mostly because of the two main characters.
Guil is so sensitive and unhappy with life and through his mistaken theories about life, he isn't able to lead a healthy life. Ros on the other hand... completely ignorant. He is the epitome of the phrase "ignorance is bliss." Which leads to the question about life and whether we should be happy with not knowing everything, or seek to have all the answers and risk out happiness. I don't think that's something we talked about in class much, but I like how different the two characters are but how close they seem to be to each other.

We have also done a few mood examples on the board, which really helps me pick tone words. Often when describing the tone of a piece I have trouble coming up with the right word. I can pick a word... yes, but it's often not the right one.

Lastly, we have started Ceremony. Oh good lord, I am not looking forward to reading the whole book by Wednesday. I mean... I have so many other things to do. And there's that pesky senioritis thing going on. But hey, I'm writing this blog on time so that has to count for something. Anyway, even though it seems daunting now, I'm really looking forward to getting deeper into the book. So far, I really haven't had any trouble with the circular time. My tactic is to just roll with it; don't question, just read. It's kind of like imaginary numbers; why do we need them, what do they do? Don't ask, just do the math.

Prompt Revisions - Feb. 17

1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character's actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.

Lennie Small in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is an important character who, on the basis of his actions alone might be considered evil or immoral. Steinbeck fully presents Lennie in a way, though, that makes the reader react more sympathetically than if they were going off of only actions. Steinbeck does this in order to show the importance of friendship and to dramatize the idea that the American Dream isn't always plausible. 

Steinbeck gives Lennie a mental disability in order to help the readers sympathize with Lennie's otherwise evil actions. He is a character that, on the surface, kills animals and people. Multiple times throughout the book, Lennie is seen killing a mouse or anything with fur. Without any background information, this might seem like an evil man killing innocent animals. However, since Lennie acts a lot younger than his age due to his disability, the readers don't make him responsible for his actions. When the readers don't blame him for his wrong doings, it makes it a lot easier to like his character and allows the reader to value the bond between Lennie and George. In the end the bond between the two characters ends tragically and when George must kill Lennie for his own good. Since the readers were sympathetically attached to Lennie, it drove home the importance of friendship between the two and allowed for the reader to understand that the character's dreams will not come true, thus showing that the idealistic American dream isn't guaranteed. 

Steinbeck also portrays Lennie as a kid in a man's body in order to help the readers react more sympathetically. Lennie is characterized as a big, burly man who can lift more weight than anyone his size. This ideal characteristic, though, is unimportant to him. Instead, Lennie wants a farm, a dog, and other things that make him seem childish. As time goes on, Steinbeck's descriptions and imagery allow the reader to see Lennie as a child. His dependence on George is another thing that makes him into a little kid. Since he is only "a child" his actions seem innocent and harmless even though he kills living things. Lennie is simply unaware of his true strength and doesn't understand what he is capable of doing. This, too, shows the American dream isn't always possible. No matter what Lennie wants or works for, he simply can't reach his goals. He cannot stop killing animals, he cannot stop getting in trouble, and he cannot act like an adult. Since he cannot do any of these things, it makes the dream impossible to reach. 

Through George, Steinbeck also helps the reader sympathize with Lennie. George is constantly having to deal with Lennie and get him out of all kinds of trouble. While this is hard for George, it still makes the reader cringe when George is yelling at Lennie and doesn't seem to understand that he is just a kid. Steinbeck uses George to help take care of Lennie as well, adding to his innocence. Between the two there is a bond that is unbreakable. Sadly, their friendship is put to the test when George has to kill Lennie. Though Lennie's death might look like a good thing if one were to just take into account his actions, it really is a sad moment for the reader. Steinbeck created a character that is easily loved and, when he dies, the American dream the two characters shared died as well. 

All in all, Steinbeck uses many techniques to help the readers sympathize with Lennie, a character that seems immoral on the surface. Through his mental disorder, his child-like innocence, and his best friend George, Lennie is a character that is not easily forgotten. The friendship shown and the tragic ending shows the reader that not all dreams come true. 

Course Response - Feb. 10

So far in class we have done a few things, maybe more than I had initially recognized when starting this post.

First, we have done LOTS of multiple choice practice questions. Here's what I have learned:
1. I don't like multiple choice questions on a piece of work that can be widely interpreted
2. You know those really annoying people who pick the opposite answer and your all "are you dumb?" yeah. I struggle. For some odd reason, I tend to eliminate most but sometimes think too much and don't know which extreme to choose. So... something to work on in the future.
3. I need to slow down. My normal reading pace is really fast, so I have lots of time to answer questions. But... I feel like my normal pace isn't enough, I speed up... and then I miss information. Really, there is plenty of time. No need to speed.

We have also finished Hamlet. I really liked watching all of the movies, but now I am kind of sick of it all. Which makes me liking Rozencrantz and Guildenstern so much kind of ironic. You would think even more Hamlet characters would drive me insane.

The reason I like it so much probably has to do with all of the sexual innuendos, though. Let's be honest... we all love a good joke. It's also pretty funny because Megan and I are reading the parts of Ros and Guild... and there are some similarities. I mean we are close friends and we have a lot of meaningless conversations for starters. We aren't dumb and don't encourage prostitution... but the way Holmes introduced the characters just made Megan and me chuckle.

Anyway, I look forward to finishing this play, as it might be a favorite.

Hamlet - Summary and Analysis

Hamlet

Summary:

~Author - Shakespeare
~Setting - Denmark
~Plot - So basically there is this guy named Hamlet. His father, Old Hamlet, was killed by his brother, Claudius. Now Claudius rules alongside Gertrude, who was married to Old Hamlet and is currently married to Claudius. Yes... Gertrude married her husband's brother. Hamlet didn't like this too much....
So then there's this ghost that tells Hamlet the truth about Claudius... and Hamlet doesn't like it too much. He does test the ghost's truthfulness, though, by putting on a play about... well... Claudius. When he reacts, Hamlet will know the truth.
Side note... all the while young Fortinbras is mad because Old Hamlet killed Old Fortinbras... so now Young Fortinbras wants to attack Denmark. But when his uncle puts a stop to it... Fortinbras plans to just "pass through" on his way to Poland to attack.
Back to Hamlet... he decides to play crazy and the whole play is about him deciding whether or not to kill Claudius. People die *echem Rozencrantz, Guildenstern, Polonius, Ophelia...* and Hamlet is still in this whole "to be or not to be" funk.
Finally, Claudius has had enough. After one murder plan failed (Hamlet getting killed in Europe), he gets Laertes in on the job. A fencing match, he says; oh Hamlet you'll win, he says; drink when you get a hit, he says. But really, he just wants Hamlet to die.
Oh and when Hamlet refuses to drink from the cup, Gertrude does. And Claudius lets her. SHOCKER
So finally Laertes cuts Hamlet and then Hamlet does the same... so now they're both doomed. On his way to  death, he tells Horatio not to kill himself because life is too precious. Aw... good Hamlet. And then he dies and saves the kingdom from the Chaos that is his family.
Oh and Fortinbras walks in and is like...cool... I win! And he is now the ruler. He does, however, let Hamlet have a proper kings' burial.


Significant Characters:

~ Hamlet: The prince of Denmark
~ Claudius: Brother to Old Hamlet, Married to Gertrude, uncle/dad to Hamlet
~ Horatio: Hamlet's best friend, the only man Hamlet really trusts/cares about;
 ~ Ophelia: Lover to Hamlet, daughter to Polonius and sister to Laertes
~Polonius: Suck-up to Claudius, dad to Ophelia and Laertes
~Laertes: Son of Polonius
~Fortinbras: Prince of Norway
~ Rozencrantz and Guilenstern: Old friends of Hamlet, help the kind

Narrative Voice and Author's style:

~View: No narrator, nobody knows all
~ Tone: Dark, ironic, contemplative
~Imagery:
     * the palace with many places to hide and deceive parallel with the ways in which the people are able to disguise themselves
     * Images of death all throughout the play - skull, ghost, dark
~ Symbolism:
     * Ghost - the spiritual consequences of death
     * Yourick's skull - the physical consequences of death
 

Quotes
~ Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

 Marcellus says this as he and Horatio debate whether or not to follow Hamlet and the ghost into the dark night. The line refers both to the idea that the ghost is an ominous omen for Denmark and to the larger theme of the connection between the moral legitimacy of a ruler and the health of the state as a whole. The ghost is a visible symptom of the rottenness of Denmark created by Claudius’s crime.

~ To be, or not to be: that is the question

This is the beginning to Hamlet's long soliloquy basically questioning life itself. It's all about morality and suicide and weighs the consequences of living or dying. He goes on to say that not knowing what waits in the afterlife is what stops people from committing suicide. This quote plays with the themes and motifs about life and death. 

Theme: Revenge is never rewarded in life

The name of the whole work is The Tragedy of Hamlet, which, had he chosen to revenge his father, would not be fitting. Nobody would have felt bad for Hamlet had he killed Claudius and ruled, in fact we might just hate him even more. This shows that he was rewarded for his death and not seeking revenge, the people are able to feel for him and he gets a king's burial. Also take into consideration Fortinbras. He listened to his uncle, didn't seek revenge, and was rewarded with a new kingdom. Those who sought revenge, like Laertes, were faced with death and got nothing out of the deal. All of these things show that revenge not being rewarded is a key theme in Hamlet. 

Prompt Revisions - Jan. 20

1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.

Lennie, from John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, is a character that exists in a society that renders him incapable to thrive. In this fictional society, Lennie and his mental disability are not thought of as he stumbles through life unable to stay in one place. Through the narrow-minded standards of society, Lennie is set up for failure in this life, which shows that the world can be a hard place and that not everybody has it easy. 

In Of Mice and Men, people are highly regarded when they work hard without much controversy. Those who work hard, say little and follow the rules of the boss are set for life. For Lennie, this is hard. Since he is mentally unable to understand societal norms and mannerisms, he is often a target for trouble and can't understand what rules are and, if he breaks them, what he did wrong. The only thing society cares about is his strength, which is the only reason he is able to work and have any sort of life at all. These standards in society make it so that certain people thrive, but not everyone gets to have opportunities - even if it is out of their control. 

Lennie, a strong and hard worker, is hired for his strength... and nothing else. This would seem to be a grace on first glance, but when he is always jumping from town to town, readers see that he is unable to find a place to stay. Lennie tends to cause trouble, but not out of evil intent. For instance, in one place of work he grabbed a girl's skirt because it was soft; he just wanted to feel something soft and didn't understand that grabbing a woman's skirt is wrong in society. Instead, he is a simple minded man that doesn't understand the difference between right and wrong. Even though that is true, other people are unable to see that. This makes Lennie a target for misfortune and affects his everyday life. Instead of staying in one place and having a home like he wants, he is forced to the confines of his troubled world, which shows that the world is an unforgiving place and not everyone can have a good life. 

Even though Lennie does not get everything he wants and cannot seem to please anyone, that doesn't stop him. Lennie's mind is unable to see the problems. Instead, he responds with hopes and dreams to one day reach his goal to have a house and animals. These societal standards are barely shown in the way that he responds, which is part of his problem. His lack of recognition makes it even harder for others to sympathize, which leads to his ultimate downfall. Lennie never had it easy, and never will, which is shows the world isn't set up for everyone to thrive and that reality is not always good. 

In Of Mice and Men, Lennie is unable to have a good life. Even though it is not his fault, society does not recognize his mental disability. Even more, Lennie does not understand that he is causing trouble, which makes society even harsher towards him. This shows that the world is a bad place and doesn't always recognize the misfortune of others. 

Response to Course Material - Jan. 14

Since our last course material post, we have really been focusing mainly on Hamlet. Hamlet the play and different versions of Hamlet acted out. 

In the first movie, the BBC version, there was a lot more left to the viewers. The director allowed for more ambiguity and such so that it wasn't just his interpretation of the play. While I hated this version when I first watched it, now I can say it wasn't too horrible. There are a lot of different ways to go about making this play into a movie, and I kind of liked the way it stayed close to the play. The scenes and props were terrible, Hamlet overacted way too much and was a bit too angry... but I can appreciate it more after watching the other versions. 

In the next Hamlet movie, Branaugh's (?) version, I was more visually stimulated but decided less things on my own. The director really based a lot of this on his interpretation of the play, especially when he had Fortinbras invade Denmark. Overall I felt it easier to watch this version and concentrate, but there wasn't much left up to interpretation. 

In the last movie, it was a much more modern version of the play, visually at least. There are cameras, modern clothes, ect. Again, I was able to pay more attention to everything because it was visually set up very well and felt I could relate more due to the modern take. I especially like how they did the ghost, but the director made everything his interpretation. There was an emphasis on the beginning when Horatio says Hamlet is mad when he follows the ghost... and from that point on... he seems very mad. In this version, Hamlet goes crazy from the beginning, which is arguable compared to the play. 

In class we have also started mood and atmosphere practice.... which apparently I missed the best day to do this. But basically, we look at a picture and a piece of poetry or prose and write about the mood of the picture. 

Close Reading - Dec. 16

http://www.freep.com/article/20121214/OPINION05/121214069/Guest-commentary-After-Connecticut-shooting-an-attempt-at-healing-through-children-s-poetry?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Guest commentary: After Connecticut shooting, healing through children's poetry

To begin, this article is not light. Maybe I overreact, maybe I don't. But I couldn't help but wince as I was reading about hands... and all that they can do. It's enlightening, really. I don't think I've ever really paid that much attention to what is behind everything: our hands. Guns don't kill people; the hands that pull the trigger do. This article, written after the school shooting in Connecticut, uses syntax, imagery and details to portray the idea of hands; hands can love, hands can hurt, hands can hold and hands can kill. Through it all though, there is some hope and healing to be done. 

Syntax is a powerful thing in this article. The beginning is written in short, choppy writing to add emphasis on particular ideas and make things more dramatic. Take the beginning for example: 

~"But hands, too, can take away. Hands that hit. Hands that slap. Hands that curl into fists. Hands that pull a trigger.

Children are dead. In a school. This is not the first time. Will it be the last?

I work with children in schools. A school is not a place where children go to die."

~"The students I teach know about guns. They’ve seen guns. They’ve heard guns. Some have even held a gun in their hands.

This is Detroit. This is America. This is not some kind of bad dream."

Both of these are short, dramatic ideas that slap the reader across the face. They're not fluffy sentences that morning families are going to lightly cry about. No, they're straight, to the point and not sugar coated. But that wasn't the point, the idea was to show the harsh reality of the world and that not everything should be taken for granted, like hands. In this case, for definately follows function. Towards the end, though, sentences were lengthened and had better flow as the tone shifted to more hopeful. Through examples of poetry, the author was able to relieve the morbid topic a little. The innocence of little kids and forever-hope was paralleled with the longer and flow-y sentences. This shows that through all of the madness, there are still good things in the world. 

Imagery is another tool the author uses to dramatize the event. In the beginning, the author writes about hands and gives images to things we don't normally pay attention to. 

~A mother crosses the street with her child and lets the child go.

A father places his hand on his child’s shoulder and says, “Have a good day.”

Had you read those sentences on their own, the emphasis would not be on hands. In fact, hands would not even come to mind; it is barely mentioned. With the context though, the images playing through the minds of readers are now focused on these innocent, over-looked movement of hands. This creates the effect that people are now paying attention to things that aren't usually paid attention to. This could be both a good and bad thing, but leaves a heavy feeling on the reader as they realize the significance of everything. 

Lastly, the author uses details to pull the reader in towards a half morbid, half hopeful tone. Adding poems from well-known authors and little children adds a heavy, then innocent feeling for the reader. Whitman's idea that we are all connected was very serious and I was thinking something along the line if "true facts..." which was also very depressing. We are all connected. Shooting in one states affects all the states. One child dying is any child dying, none the less 20. But then the shift to actual elementary students was both devastating and gorgeous at the same time. I really liked reading their work. I don't know why, but it made me happy. And I don't think the author was trying to make me feel all that bad, either. The poetry is a way to cope, a way to heal. It's sad and true, but it's nice. Though it all, there is still something to be taken from all the bad. Still things to learn, still things to do, and still things to appreciate. 

Open Prompt - Dec. 9

1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.

Lennie, from John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, is a character that exists in a society that renders him incapable to thrive. In this fictional society, Lennie and his mental disability are not thought of as he stumbles through life unable to stay in one place. This novel shows that the world can be a hard place and that not everybody has it easy. 

In Of Mice and Men, people are highly regarded that can work hard without much controversy. For Lennie, this is hard. Since he is mentally unable to understand societal norms and mannerisms, he is often a target for trouble. The only thing society cares about is his strength, which is the only reason he is able to work and have any sort of life at all. These standards in society make it so that certain people thrive, but not everyone gets to have opportunities - even if it is out of their control. 

Lennie, a strong and hard worker, is hired for his strength... and nothing else. This would seem to be a grace on first glance, but when he is always jumping from town to town, readers see that he is unable to find a place to stay. Lennie tends to cause trouble, but not out of evil intent. Instead, he is a simple minded man that doesn't understand the difference between right and wrong. Even though that is true, other people are unable to see that. This makes Lennie a target for misfortune and affects his everyday life. Instead of staying in one place and having a home like he wants, he is forced to the confines of his troubled world. 

Even though Lennie does not get everything he wants and cannot seem to please anyone, that doesn't stop him. Lennie's mind is unable to see the problems. Instead, he responds with hopes and dreams to one day reach his goal to have a house and animals. These societal standards are barely shown in the way that he responds, which is part of his problem. His lack of recognition makes it even harder for others to sympathize, which leads to his ultimate downfall. Lennie never had it easy, and never will, which is why the world can seem to be a harsh place. 

In Of Mice and Men, Lennie is unable to have a good life. Even though it is not his fault, society does not recognize his mental disability. This shows that the world is a harsh place and doesn't always recognize the misfortune of others. 

Summary and Analysis of DOS

Death of a Salesman

Summary:

~Author - Arthur Miller
~Setting - Late 1940s Brooklyn
~Plot - Willy Loman is a tragic character that spent his life searching for wealth, recognition, and likability. He did the job he thought he was supposed to do, he provided for his family and he tried to do much more beyond that. In his constant struggle to win the American Dream, Willy begins to slowly lose his mind a little. He starts having flashbacks (let's call them "trips" just for the heck of it) about his life and where he made his decisions. Without having a father, Willy admits to not fully knowing himself. He searches for guidance and help from his dead brother, Ben. Finally, we learn that Willy's ultimate downfall is after Biff learns that Willy was having an affair. While it was business related, Willy has lost all respect from his to-be-glorious son. Not only does that damage Willy, but it also sends Biff on a downward spiral reaching for something he cannot grasp. The difference is that Biff might actually change that instead of following down the same path as his father, like it is clear Happy Loman will do. Linda is the ever-loving mother that cares for Willy more than anything. Sadly, she is in just as much denial as Willy. She makes excuses for Willy so that she, too, doesn't have to face the truth. In Willy's last attempt to make his family right, he kills himself. To him, this gives the kids support they need.

Significant Characters:

~Willy Loman: Lost father who really never got a chance to discover himself. This leads to his downfall and eventual suicide.
~ Linda Loman: The loving wife who, on the surface, only cares for her husband's well-being. Really, though, she does it to hide the truth too.
~Biff Loman: The perfect son who, when he found out about the affair, lost all respect for his father and began to question who he was.
 ~Hap Loman: The insignificant son that is destined to the same self-destructive path as his father
~Ben: Willy's dead brother that Willy looks to in his time of need
~Charlie: Father of Bernard and foil to Willy
~Bernard: Foil to Biff. Works hard and gets above in the world, even thought he wasn't "well-liked"

Narrative Voice and Author's style:

~View: Not one single person knows all, but it is mostly told from Willy's perspective
~ Tone: The tone changes from very sincere and personal to harsh and hopeless.
~Imagery: All lead the reader to different symbols, themes and ideas
     *Stockings - created to symbolize wealth
     *The garden - it's dead and can't grow - garden of Eden connection
~ Symbolism:
     *Stockings - wealth
     *Directions - different opportunities
     *Ben - The ultimate success of the American Dream

Quotes
~ "Nothing's planted. I don't have a thing in the ground."
This shows that Willy realizes that he doesn't have any proof of his life's work. Willy's using the garden as a metaphor for his success and failure shows that he, with the failure of the garden, has failed in his career.
~ "Willy you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?" -Biff
In one of the last scenes, Biff is desperately looking for the one thing he needs from Willy: acceptance that Biff is not going to follow the false dream and be a salesman. With this quote, and Willy's reaction, Biff finally gets the closure he needed. Biff doesn't want to chance his fathers dream and end up just like him, that't not what is best. He understands that his destiny, like his father, was to work with his hands and be outside. Willy should have been a carpenter and by Biff choosing to do what he is destined, he gets away from Willy's false dream.

Theme: Not everyone can live the American Dream.

This is an obvious theme present in Death of a Salesman. He was supposed to have the life; working and selling for a living, being well known and liked, raising a salary for his family. But, try as he might, he still can't get there. Since he didn't get to have the experience of knowing himself, he got lost in it all. Had he been a carpenter he might have had different luck. Had he went with Ben, he might have had different luck. Willy is also caught up in the superficial idea that being well-liked equals success. But for those that think that way, the American Dream isn't always possible, like in Willy's case. The idea behind the American Dream is that as long as someone works hard enough, they will have success. Now, I don't like Willy, but he worked he butt off. Nobody can deny that. He strove to give the boys his best, even though that wasn't always what they needed. He built his house, he worked a job, he worked at lying about his job... he did everything. To the point where he was exhausted. He simply couldn't keep going and eventually that lead to his death.

Response to Course Material - Dec. 2

Recently in class we have been looking closely at Death of a Salesman. We watched the movie twice and read the book. I really like that we did the second watch of the play and compared it to the book, as it showed just how closely the two were aligned. While there were some differences, I liked how mostly everything stayed the same. For DOS, I personally don't like Willy. For the longest time I couldn't even sympathize with him. I can do that now, though. He worked really hard and granted, they weren't all for the right things, but he worked. And regardless of how much he worked and worked he didn't have any respect from his kids of a job to prove he was worthy. It seemed like everything he worked for during his life slipped out of his grasp in one swoop. Sad. So... I guess the lecture I got from my dad was a little needed. I guess I was kind of ignorant to the idea that people can get exhausted working so hard for their families and trying to keep their kids straight (*echem* Dad... do we need to talk about our feelings?). Anyway, Willy Loman really was a character who was in a constant struggle with life. The one thing I still don't get, and maybe it's just a shame-on-me moment, is why did Willy cheat? I understand that it was for business. I understand that it's the ultimate act of betrayal for Linda. And I understand that with it came the loss of respect from his son. But it had to have occurred to him that Biff finding out was possible. And why so guilt-ridden that he goes insane? Shouldn't he have been just as guilty before? Maybe it's me. Maybe it's a girl thing. Maybe I just don't know. Or maybe I answered my own question. Who knows.

Close Reading - Nov. 18

Brian Fischer: The President Sins on National Television

http://www.afa.net/Blogs/BlogPost.aspx?id=2147529292

Brian Fischer: The President Sins on National Television points out the obvious reasons why Obama has sinned on national television. After all, he must be the root of all evil for wanting to raise taxes on the rich. Through its use of diction, detail and syntax this article shows the evil that is Obama.

Brian Fischer: The President Sins on National Television uses strong pejorative connotation to knock-down all that is Obama. He uses words like "ugly", "sin", "hurt", "lust", "slavering" and "slobbering" all to describe Obama, his party and their policies. If that's not strong connotation, I don't know what is. All of these words are given to drive home the idea that Obama is leading 'Merica down the road of sin and corruption.

Fischer also uses a lot of detail to make his awesome, and obviously correct, opinion. By throwing in details like "...he is compelled to take more money from the rich. This is a direct, public and disgraceful violation of the 10th Commandment."  Wow. Really, just wow. I never knew the president made public statements. Also, I didn't know he was all for stealing from another man's wife, possessions, or anything that is his (achem... the 10th commandment... essentially). That added detail made me really think twice about our president and his duty to the country to be a good christian...

Lastly, Fischer gets creative with his use of syntax. He mixes it up quite often, and it always seems to have a purpose. Superb syntax usage, Fisher. Well done. Often, there is a strong statement that is a single sentence, acting alone as a paragraph. Yes, that is journalistic technique my friends, short paragraphs. However, that single sentence paragraph is usually followed by a longer paragraph to support his single sentence. What is in these longer paragraphs? More information about Obama and all of the rules he is breaking. This structure supports the general theme of his article: Obama is a crazed sinner that is terribly leading our country.

The use of diction, detail and imagery in Brian Fischer: The President Sins on National Television is all there for the purpose to show readers just how horrible president Obama is. So horrible, in fact, he got elected to a second term. Maybe that means we're all going to hell now.

* In case you haven't noticed, my extreme liberal and democratic views are kind of shown here in my commentary. If anything offends you, I do apologize. The American Family Values Association tends to stir up the worst in me, which is why I find them so easy to write about on close reading days. There is no way to argue that they aren't extremely biased, which is the kind of article we need for the assignment.

Open Prompt - Nov. 11

1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character's actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.

Lennie Small in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men is an important character who, on the basis of his actions alone might be considered evil or immoral. Steinbeck fully presents Lennie in a way, though, that makes the reader react more sympathetically than if they were going off of only actions. Steinbeck does this in order to show the importance of friendship and to dramatize the idea that the American Dream isn't always plausible. 

Steinbeck gives Lennie a mental disability in order to help the readers sympathize with Lennie's otherwise evil actions. He is a character that, on the surface, kills animals and people. Multiple times throughout the book, Lennie is seen killing a mouse or anything with fur. Without any background information, this might seem like an evil man killing innocent animals. However, since Lennie acts a lot younger than his age due to his disability, the readers don't make him responsible for his actions. When the readers don't blame him for his wrong doings, it makes it a lot easier to like his character and allows the reader to value the bond between Lennie and George. In the end the bond between the two characters ends tragically and when George must kill Lennie for his own good. Since the readers were sympathetically attached to Lennie, it drove home the importance of friendship between the two and allowed for the reader to understand that the character's dreams will not come true. 

Steinbeck also shows Lennie as a kid in a man's body in order to help the readers react more sympathetically. Lennie is characterized as a big, burly man who can lift more weight than anyone his size. This ideal characteristic, though, is unimportant to him. Instead, Lennie wants a farm, a dog, and other things that make him seem childish. As time goes on, Steinbeck's descriptions and imagery allow the reader to see Lennie as a child. His dependence on George is another thing that makes him into a little kid. Since he is only "a child" his actions seem innocent and harmless even though he kills living things. Lennie is simply unaware of his true strength and doesn't understand what he is capable of doing. This, too, shows the American dream isn't always possible. No matter what Lennie wants or works for, he simply can't reach his goals. He cannot stop killing animals, he cannot stop getting in trouble, and he cannot act like an adult. Since he cannot do any of these things, it makes the dream impossible to reach. 

Through George, Steinbeck also helps the reader sympathize with Lennie. George is constantly having to deal with Lennie and get him out of all kinds of trouble. While this is hard for George, it still makes the reader cringe when George is yelling at Lennie and doesn't seem to understand that he is just a kid. Steinbeck uses George to help take care of Lennie as well, adding to his innocence. Between the two there is a bond that is unbreakable. Sadly, their friendship is put to the test when George has to kill Lennie. Though Lennie's death might look like a good thing if one were to just take into account his actions, it really is a sad moment for the reader. Steinbeck created a character that is easily loved and, when he dies, the American dream the two characters shared died as well. 

All in all, Steinbeck uses many techniques to help the readers sympathize with Lennie, a character that seems immoral on the surface. Through his mental disorder, his child-like innocence, and his best friend George, Lennie is a character that is not easily forgotten. The friendship shown and the tragic ending shows the reader that not all dreams come true. 

Response to Course Material - Nov. 4

Upon deciding what to write about for this blog, I thought of nothing. What, really, have we done? Turns out... a lot. While we seemingly have moved through class at a nice pace with little homework, there has still been a lot of material covered. First: Tone exercises. Almost everyday I look forward to the quick-wit response to a tone like indifferent or facetious. Most of the time while Holmes is explaining, I come up with a sentence with the tone of the day and leave room for one noun. Ex. I do not care for _____ for it is of no interest to me. Boom. Indifferent. It doesn't really matter which noun is given to me, for I can adjust my sentence accordingly. While it doesn't always work, I have had some success.
We also have been doing a lot of AP work. This has helped me pay attention to distractors. I was unaware of how much I fell for their tricks until we did this. The one I usually can get rid of almost immediately is the opposite. The trippy distractors are when there is a partly true answer, to two right answers and one is vague. Those... are my weak spots. Writing questions has helped a little... but only to the point where I know I still need to work on paying attention.
For the past week (ish) we have been watching Death of a Salesman. I am really interested in diving deeper into the book because the movie was so perplexing. There are quite a few questions I have: Does Willy have a disorder? What is the role of Women? Why does Biff cause so much pain for Willy? What is the significance of the contrast between Biff and Happy?
All of the above I hope to see when I start annotations. Things I have seen, though, include many symbols and many ways to look through different lenses. This can include the marxist lense, which looks at the power and money of the situation. Specific characters they would look at: Charle, Ben and Willy.

Summary and Analysis - The American Dream

The American Dream

Summary:

- Author: Edward Albee
- Setting: Living room of Mommy and Daddy
- Plot: Mommy and Daddy begin in the living room talking about dissatisfaction. Mommy, who bought a hat, wasn't satisfied with the color. Both are also talking about how "they" are late. They repeat the phrase "we just can't get satisfaction''. This is symbolic of the New American Dream and the discontent with old ways. Meanwhile, Grandma represents the Old American Dream and is the only character that seems to know what is going on and acts as a mediator between the characters and the audience. Grandma is being taken by the "van man", or young man (aka New American Dream) after Mrs.Barker comes to visit from the Bye-Bye Adoption Service. All of this leads to the ending, in which the audience is left to think about what happened and is left with some important themes (which will be discussed later...)

Significant Characters:
- Mommy: Materialistic, needy, bossy, un-woman-like-she-man-devil who manipulates Daddy whenever she can. She is dissatisfied with pretty much everything and quickly replaces Grandma with Young Man
- Daddy: a wimpy, non-authoritative, man-woman who generally gives in to mommy's wishes
- Grandma: "Old American Dream" who doesn't take Mommy's crap, or anybodies for that matter.
- Mrs.Barker: plural, from bye-bye adoption, only person with a name
- Young Man: "New American Dream" that replaces Grandma

Narrative Voice and Author's Style:
-View: There is no point of view, no narrative figure. However, Grandma seems to be the person that knows most everything going on in the play, but does not reveal it to us until the end (or rather... leaves it up to us to figure out... )
- Tone: Comic
     *Albee uses comedy techniques to lessen the blow of the harsh message
     * Ex. Role Reversals, Discussion of something not usually public, ect.
- Imagery: All created to lead the reader toward different themes or topics
     * Beige v wheat - colors that lead to materialism
     * Grandma continuously talks about "old people" and describes them using imagery (wrinkled, sneezing,     ect.) to relate to the "wrinkling" of the Old American Dream
- Symbolism: A lot of the characters are used to symbolize something
     * Grandma = Old American Dream
     * Mommy = Materialism
     * Young Man = New American Dream

Quotes:

-"WHAT a masculine Daddy! Isn't he a masculine Daddy?"
This Quote has a lot packed into one simple idea. Mommy is talking to Daddy when he decides to open the door. She is being very cruel and dangling his manhood in front of him, daunting him like a child. This shows her dominance over him and includes a part of humor that Albee uses: role reversal.

- "When you get old, you can't talk to people because people snap at you. That's why you become deaf, so you won't be able to hear people talking to you that way. That's why old people die, eventually. People talk to them that way."
Here, Grandma is expressing her frustration with the way people treat the Old American Dream. She says that while the dream is still alive and waiting to be heard, nobody is willing to listen. Not listening is what will cause the inevitable death of the Old American Dream. It serves as a warning, but ironically, nobody is listening. 

THEME: 

- The American Dream is shifting to something more dangerous and materialistic if we don't start paying attention
     * This can be supported in a variety of ways. For one, Grandma leaves the fate of the dream in the hands of the audience and tells them that it is up to them. Mommy, who was shown being materialistic in her not being satisfied with a wheat hat, is then shown to be dissatisfied with everything. If she (or people) aren't satisfied, they will move on to something else; in this case, the new american dream. Young Man symbolizes the New American Dream and is shown to value materials, good looks, and seems to have no sense of individual, hardworking happiness. Since that is what people will move toward due to dissatisfaction, the world will end up materialist and only aiming for money, leaving happiness behind. Mommy and Daddy are materialistic to the point that they killed their own child because he was imperfect, which serves as a warning to the audience. Through this hyperbole, we get a glimpse as to what our world might become if we fully shift to this materialist, self-satisfying new world. 

Close Reading - Oct. 21

Glossy Garbage

http://www.afa.net/Detail.aspx?id=2147483725 

Glossy Garbage, an article on American Family association, follows the same trend as other articles found on this website. In general, the website expresses the need for "traditional" family values and has only one point of view. This creates a very biased and controversial effect. Glossy Garbage is no exception. Through its use of diction, imagery and detail, this article drives the conservative and limited "traditional" family values home. 

The use of diction in Glossy Garbage is mostly pejorative connotation. When talking about the layout of the checkout isle, the author talks about kids being a"target," which is true. The word "target," however, has a very negative light. It points out that candy and kids are synonymous  but then pushes on to say that kids are targeted to sex when they see magazines in the isle. To back this up, the author also uses words like "bombarded' "cattle" "inappropriate" "lascivious"

The author also uses imagery to paint the picture of kids being cattle. "Kids corralled like cattle and force fed doses of porn" is the opening simile that sets the scene for the rest of the article. This imagery is used to exaggerate the idea that magazines shouldn't be placed in the grocery check-out line. From that point on, kids are shown to be in a "chute" (or isle) that slowly ruins the ideas of the american values. This image gives the reader of a one-way street that cannot be avoided. This is meant to convince the reader that this is what is ruining the home.

The use of detail in the article also adds to the ignorant idea that check-out lines are threatening the ideals of the american values. The author chooses to include information and quotes like "Look, Mr. Manager, we're not ignorant. We know you strategically place dozens of kinds of candy here for a purpose. Kids and candy go together like peanut butter and jelly. What doesn't "register" is the gratuitous display of trashy magazines with lascivious cover photos and salacious headlines," paints a picture that sends a warning signal to parents and tells them what to think about magazines. There is also detail that includes the way we can "save" our children from the oh-so-horrendous check out lane at the grocery store. "Fortunately, parents are beginning to speak out and complain to their local store manager, with exceptional results." That quote is added to indirectly show that it is good that parents are speaking out and that this real problem can be solved with something simple. 

Glossy Garbage uses diction, imagery and detail to show that the values of the traditional american family are in harm. Obviously this is a real problem; kids aren't paying attention to the stacks of delicious candy. Instead, the sex-driven children of our generation look at pictures on vogue and see porn. Those 10 steps to being a healthy human being? No... nude pictures of women that little boys are paying too much attention to. The obvious conclusion? Grocery stores are ruining the traditional values of the American Family. 

*Warning* Extreme use of sarcasm. People are  ridiculous. But, the point is the same, the article has an extreme bias and uses parts of the rhetoric to make its argument. 

Open Prompt - October 14

In retrospect, the reader often discovers that the first chapter of a novel or the opening scene of a drama introduces some of the major themes of the work. Write an essay about the opening scene of a drama or the first chapter of a novel in which you explain how it functions in this way.

     In the novel Their Eyes were Watching God, Zora Hurston uses the opening chapter to function as an introduction to the major themes of the work. One of the best opening paragraphs in history, Huston sets the stage for the novel, let alone taking in the chapter as a whole. 

     The opening sentence, "Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board," very carefully sets the stage for the rest of the book. In that sentence alone, Hurston creates the idea that every person has a wish that is far away. In the next couple of sentences, she points out that some of these wishes come true, while others will never be obtained and might even be used against them. This is a repeating theme found in the novel as the protagonist, Janie, realizes that not all of her dreams will come true. It is simply a fact of life, but good things can also come from them as well. 

     The first chapter also introduces a look into the colloquial dialect that is continued throughout the book. As Janie walks through town, rumors are being spread about her and a man named Tea Cake. These rumors are being spread by girls who envy all that Janie is, yet Janie has yet to find out who true voice. The use of language is directly parallel to Janie learning how to control her own voice, which leads to another theme. Janie's control of language shows the empowerment and identity that can be obtained through speech. 

     Lastly, the opening chapter introduces the first glimpse as to Janie's relationship problems. This later develops into a coming of age and a search for her own identity. After suffering from relationship to relationship, she finds  Tea Cake. In the end, Tea Cake dies and Janie suddenly realizes that she can't define herself from another human being, which leads to the idea that everyone is an individual that must find themselves.

     Their Eyes are Watching God  is a prime example of how the opening chapter can be used to set the stage for the themes of the book. Hurston carefully thought out how to begin her piece, which made her story  have that much more impact on the reader. 

Response to Course Material - Sept. 7

In the past couple of weeks, we have been working on how to analyze literature. From using DIDLS, to looking for tone and structure, we have many ways to pick apart a work. Most of the time, what I do in class is separate from how I work at home and in daily life. That is not, however, the case as of now. Today, I spent the morning watching Taken 2. Not a piece of written literature, you say? Sure.. maybe so. But the entire time I was totally geeked out, imagining how the movie would be written out. Weird, I know. But true. Diction is fairly obvious, the words that characters use. It really didn't have an effect on the movie (or if it had been written out...) since it was mainly just easy to follow, simple words. Imagery, obviously, was the scene of the movie. But... would writing it out make it any more powerful? Yes. I believe the answer is yes. We all have our favorite book-turned-movie. Sadly, the movies simply do not compare. One of the reasons, is the use of imagery. In a book, imagery appeals to the senses and has great detail that the reader must pay attention to. With a movie, people are simply shown; which doesn't necessarily appeal to the audience's senses. One part that I would have liked to read - instead of watch- would be when the dad is taken into a tiny, dark room. They showed the setting, but had it been described, it would have been that much more powerful and would have made it seem more intense. There would have been words like "the humid moisture clung to his forehead as he patiently fumbled to reach his phone..." There. Not just shown, but gave more feeling that each person can relate to their own experience. Skipping to syntax, my most embarrassing moment was leaning over to my friend, talking about a fight scene and how it would look written out. His response...? A blank stare. Odd, but I had to explain. See, as it was filmed, there were short and quick movements that made the watcher confused and unsure of who was winning which fight. On the page, I eagerly pushed on, the set up would be very similar. Short, quick sentences. To the point, very choppy. This would interrupt the flow and the structure would parallel with the fights themselves. Again... just a blank stare. Sadly, my geek moment could not be shared, but with that, I realized that how I read literature will be change drastically if I have already tried to analyze my own rendition of a movie.