King Lear Movie Link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw2TwZFm0m4

Antigone Journal #4

"Choose two themes and discuss how each theme is similar to or different to a theme in one of the other plays we have read."
1. Blood ties/Family
This is similar to Blood Wedding because in Blood Wedding the two families felt that they had to take sides when the Bride ran away. Everyone knew the inevitable death of one member of one of the families would happen which leads to my second theme.
2. Inevitable Death
Inevitable Death shows up in both Blood Wedding and Antigone. However, in Blood Wedding, the inevitable death is not known to the characters themselves, nor to anyone around them. No one actually knows that they will inevitably die in the end. In Antigone, the inevitable death is known to the main character, and she excepts it. She even is willing to create it herself.

Antigone Journal #3

"Anouilh bombards his audience with conflicting ideas, phrases, images..choose a set of concepts: yes vs no, ugly vs pretty, truth vs lies, illusions vs reality, dull vs color...discuss how and why Anouilh creates the tension between the contrasting ideas."Creon's idea of order vs. chaos
Creon talks about how as a king he cannot put his own feelings first. He talks about the reason he cannot put his own feelings first is because he must set an example and must maintain order. However, he is willing to just send Antigone to bed and not speak another word of this instead of giving her the punishment because she is his neice. This creates chaos within his system because his family can get away with things the first time.
This contributes to the overall theme of blood ties/family being stronger than duties/society. The tension that is created through this idea of order vs. chaos lends itself to the feeling of discontent that Antigone is feeling about her own brother not getting the proper burial when the other brother did. It helps the audience to side with Antigone in her struggle, but at the same time makes them understanding toward Creon. This creates that harmony within a tragedy.

Antigone Journal #2

"How has the role of the chorus changed? What type of tone does the author use with the chorus and what words help to support your analysis? How does the chorus comment on the tragic elements of the play?"The role of the Chorus has changed a lot since the beginnign of the play. The role of the Chorus is no longer to give us the back story or to narrate. It is now to make the audience feel and feel deeply. Chorus is used to express the inexpressible and to explain the difference between tragedy and melodrama. The tone of Chorus is thoughtful, expressionistic. Chorus uses words like vulgar, practical, restful, hope, doubt, and other reflectionistic words. These words express the fact that he may just be thinking out loud. Chorus comments on the tragic elements of the play in a different tone. It is an indifferent tone because according to Chorus, "he who kills is as innocent as he who gets killed" (24).

Antigone Journal #1

"In order for you to consider character's motivations, I would like you to consider how Anouilh structures the play. To accomplish this, outline the events in the 48 hours prior to Nurse catching Antigone sneaking in the house. After doing so, address how Anouilh explains the previous days events? How does Anouilh's structure affect the reader's interpretation of characters, motivations, or events?"
Events in the last 48 hours:
Eteocles won't give up his throne to his brother Polynices like he is supposed to
Polynices wants his turn to rule
Polynices goes and gets 6 other foreign princes and tries to take over his city, Thebes
Brothers fight for kingdom with men fighting at each of the 7 gates to the city, Thebes
-Both brothers die at the hands of each other
-This leaves no other men next in line for the throne except for their uncle, Creon
--Creon orders that Eteocles be burried with all the sacred rights and rituals
--Creon orders that Polynices not be burried and anyone caught doing so will be punished by death
Antigone (their sister) burries (or attempts to bury) Polynices body
Antigone goes to Haemon's house dressed in her sisters clothing and perfume and makeup
-wants to be Haemon's wife sooner because she knows she won't make it to the wedding
NOW TO THE STORY!

Anouilh explains the previous day's events through the use of the Choir. Only a couple things are explained through Antigone. Choir is basically like a narrator. He provides descriptions of the characters and the back story to what is going on.

Anouilh's structure affects the reader in multiple ways. One way is that all of the lines of the character are glumped together into one large paragraph. This makes it seem like the characters are much more dense and have a lot more to say. It also makes it feel less poetic and "old". It makes the events in the story seem like they are chunked into specific times instead of just flowing naturally. It feels more rigid and staged instead of poetic, lyrical, and flowing.

Topic Sentence

Maid appears to be a symbol for the Romanticism movement, but she actually is against the ideals of Romanticism making her a symbol of Modernism. This is shown through her fantasizing about the wedding and her protection of the bride. Maid represents the shift from Romanticism to Modernism and how the two play into eachother.

Blood Wedding Journal #6

"Create a list of themes that Lorca creates in the play"
Themes:

• Knives
• Death
• Destruction
• Despair
• Duty/honor
• Love
• Life
• Happiness
• Faithfulness
• Mother vs. Father vs. Child
• Youth vs. Adult
• Fantasy/Dream
• Reality
• Fate and not being able to get out of it or change it
• Blood
• Family

Blood Wedding Journal #5

"How does the set change between acts and what effect does the set have on the atmosphere?"
Between the acts, the set changes from dark to light, empty room to full room, and flowers to no flowers. This effects the atmosphere by changing it constantly. In one scene the room can foreshadow death and despair and feel secretive and closed in. In another scene it can be the exact opposite and feel as though everything is known and everyone is happy and cheerful. The flowers or no flowers can also help to foreshadow who is going to die and who is not.

Blood Wedding Journal #4

"There are a variety of youth in the second act. Why? How does Lorca use the youth to affect the themes of the play?"
The youth are used in the second act in order to portray the contrast between the imagination of the adult life children think they will have to the dark reality of the life they will actually have. The youth think that marriage and the adult world are full of fun times and cake and love and happiness. However, the bride tries to infer to them that they should want to stay young and not grow up so fast because marriage is a big commitment that you cannot get out of, and it is no where as fun as one would expect. Lorca uses the youth to affect the themes of the play by using them to contrast the harsh reality of what is going on around them. Also, they know more than they let on or believe or think they know. This relates to the audience because the audience knows more than it thinks it knows as well because they have been given so many hints and foreshadows, but they don't understand it, just like the children.

Blood Wedding Journal #3

"Which characters appear to be miserable in the play and why? When and how do the characters express their misery? What do the characters desire and what stops them from going after what each desires?"
The bride appears to be miserable in the play because of how she acts. Some of the things she does to express her misery are to throw her flowers on the ground, yell at the maid, and be very solemn around everyone. The bride desires, trully, to be with Leonardo, not the bridegroom. She is stopped from going after what she wants by the fact that she is to marry the bridegroom and that Leonardo is already married.
The wife also appears to be miserable in the play because of how she acts. She gets very angry at her husband, Leonardo, for not riding in the carraige with them. She also cries when she is singing the lullaby about the horse to her child. She desires Leonardo to love her. She is stopped from this by the bride because that is whom Leonardo loves.

Blood Wedding Journal #2

"Journal #5 Examine how Lorca characterize the archetypes of the play. Does Lorca embrace or reject the archetype? What is the effect of the characterization?"
In order to do this person, I had to look up what an archetype is and it is "the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based" (www.dictionary.com).
UM... so does Lorca embrace this... well... If I am equating this correctly, it is the same thing as a stereotype. Lorca rejects the archetype. Lorca especially rejects the archetype of the bride and weddings. The bride is dressed in black and is completely solemn when around her bridegroonm. The archetype of a bride is excited and dressed in white. Also, Lorca rejects the archetype of weddings. Lorca rejects the archetype of the wedding being fully planned out and all decorated up when the bridegroom can just call on his bride and say let's get married on Sunday. The effect of the characterization is that it sets the tone for the mysterious, strange atmosphere that lingers throughout the play. It also could be relatable to the audience of the time in the area that he was from. However, this makes it foreign to us.

Wild Duck Journal #3

"Journal #3: Consider which characters are at fault for the events that are unfolding and why? Is there a character without blame? Why or why not? Is there a character who should carry more of the blame? Do any of the characters take responsibility?"
There is no character without blame. This is because each of them has to be held accountable for their actions. The wife should be held more responsible because she did not tell her husband in the first place. However, it was none of Gregger's business to come there and spill out this secret. Hedvig should not have assumed her father hated her. Hjalmar should not have acted so irrationally. Relling and Molvik should have tried to stop Gregger's. Mrs. Sorby should not have tried to intervene with the money/decree when she did. She should not have come at all. Old Werle should not have blamed old Ekdal completely for the logging scheme. It was partly old Werle's fault too. Old Ekdal should not have told Hedvig how to shoot the Wild Duck because then she may not have killed herself.

Blood Wedding Journal #1 Symbols (2)

1. Knife:
The knife represents the bride. It is a symbol for the bride because the bride has a double personality. She seems like a nice, sweet, hard working girl. However, she truly is mean, evil, and cheating. This is like a knife because there are two sides to the blade just like there are two sides to the bride's personality. The knife could also connect to the title "Blood Wedding" because knives spill blood.

2. Olive Groves/Vineyards: The mother talks about having gone out to the vineyards with father, but that was where father died, so she doesn't want to go with her son. I think that the vineyards or olive groves could be a symbol for the intertwinement of the two families in death because vines intertwine.

Wild Duck Journal #2

"Journal #2: How does Ibsen use the motif of decay, disease, illness, etc and to what effect? Use at least three quotes in the defense of you claim."
 Ibsen uses the motif of decay, disease, and illness to portray how lies that are kept inside eat at a person's conscious until they do something about it. The effect is this feeling of guilt throughout the play. "But who bears the guilt for Mother's fatal weakness?" (135). "Well, he doesn't look any better" (141). "And then there's a doctor named Relling" (154). "MOLVIK (getting up). Pardon - I, I can't - got to go downstairs right - RELLING Drink soda water, man! MOLVIK (rushing out the hall door). Ugh - ugh!" (173)

WILD DUCK #1

"Option 2: Examine how characters perceive themselves or others. Who has false conceptions of him/herself? Who has misconceptions of others? Who recognizes the facades created by other characters? Does the character embrace the facade, ignore it, or confront it?"Hedvig: She acts very mature and self-assured around her mother. However, when she is around her father, she acts just like a little five year old would. Hedvig embraces her facade in order to be daddy's little girl and get what she wants.
Gina: She is the mother of Hedvig, but Hjalmar is not the father, old Werle is. She never tells Hjalmar this. She acts like the perfect wife, mother, and housekeeper. Yet she has a devious lie underneath it all. She recognizes her own facade and embraces it while keeping Hjalmar ignorant of it. Old Mr. Werle knows about it, but keeps it to himself.
Old Mr. Werle: He percieves himself as being a wealthy man who can do no wrong, so he put the entire woodworking scandal on old Ekdal. Both of them embrace this facade and do nothing to help it.
Old Ekdal: He recognizes the facade put up by old Werle, but does nothing about it because old Werle is helping him out (in order to keep his mouth shut).

1984 Journal #3

"O'Brien held up his left hand, its back toward Winston, with the thumb hidden and the four fingers extended.
"How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?"
"Four."
"And if the Party says that it is not four but five - then how many?"
"Four."
The word ended in a gasp of pain. ... O'Brien held up the fingers of his left hand, with the thumb concealed.
"There are five fingers here. Do you see five fingers?"
"Yes."
And he did see them, for a fleeting instant, before the scenery of his mind changed. He saw five fingers, and there was no deformity" (Orwell, 249; 258).
In this scene, we see Winston trying to retain control of his own mind. However, the Party wants to control that too. Eventually the Party does end up controlling people's minds. This is a reference to Communism and Totalitarianism as a system of government. For example, as many of us saw in North Korea only a little while ago, their leader died, but unlike the rest of the world that celebrated the death of this horrible man, they grieved. People were genuinely sad. This is a form of mind control. Through isolationism, control, and propaganda, the people's minds were controlled to think that their leader was a great man and a hero. However, what the rest of the world saw was just the opposite. Orwell is showing that lots of people are easily accepting and open to believing in something because it is easier to deny something else. He also shows us that these types of governments prey on these kinds of people.
The setting of this part of the book takes place mostly in the Ministry of Love. The Ministry of Love is a prison, with no windows, where people are sent to be tortured and eventually executed. The setting is ironic, considering the name. Torture = Love... not really. This is the point the author is trying to make: Society, in general has contradictions. Especially if you take into account men and women. There is almost always a double standard. Let me use the example I saw last night on ABC's What Would You Do?. They took a man and gave his car a flat tire. The man didn't know how to change a flat tire. Approximately 1 in every 3 people stopped to help the man because most of the people thought that he was a young man, he should know how to change a tire. However, when they gave a young woman a flat tire, and she didn't know how to change it, every single person stopped to help her. Some people even came from the other side of the street just to offer her help. Why is it okay for a young woman to not know how to change a tire, but it is unacceptable that a young man doesn't know how? Orwell is saying through the irony of the setting that society is full of contradictions and double standards, and that is not fair.
In this part of the book, the language toward Big Brother is much more positive. At the end, it says, "He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother" (Orwell, 298). The positive attitude shows Winston's change in his views. The Party has finally controlled him. He is no longer an outcast or individual. Now he is a mindless cog in the machine, one with society. Orwell is warning people that if you become a part of society, you are susceptible to every one of society's standards and ways of living, bad or good, because you won't know any different. He is warning us that we must retain free thought and individuality inorder to know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad, and to be able to make the world better.

1984 Journal #2

Motifs: "Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement's, You owe me three farthings, say the bells of St. Martins" "Here comes a candle to light you to bed, Here comes a chopper to chop off your head" (Orwell, 98). This motif sets the overall tone of the second third of the book. It comes up in the beginning, middle, and finally the end of the second third of the novel.
In the first part of the second third is represented by the first quote, "Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clement's, You owe me three farthings, say the bells of St. Martin's"(Orwell, 98). In this part of the book, Winston and Julia are just trying to have fun. They think it is all fun and games, but they know it is illegal.
The second part of the second third of the novel is represented by Winston's inability to remember the second part of the rhyme. This represents the fact that danger is approaching, but they are unaware of it.
The third part of the second third of the novel is represented by the second quote, "Here comes a candle to light you to bed, Here comes a chopper to chop off your head" (Orwell, 98). In the last part of the second third of the book, Winston and Julia are enjoying each others' company. They go to bed. When they wake up, they are arrested for their Thoughtcrime. The motif represents the 3 building parts to the plot that are in this section of the book. It also relates back to WWII and how people would be out and about doing innocent things in the city of London, and suddenly, some planes and choppers would come and bomb the city. So it is a historical reference and used to drive the plot along. A lot of times in life we are also blindsided by something that happens out of the blue. So the song is a 3 in one! Wow, the number 3 is showing up a lot here... hmmm....
Setting: Room above Mr. Charrington's shop. Mr. Charrington's shop is an antique shop and it is in the proles section of town. The proles don't have telescreens. This is an important concept to remember because throughout the entire second third of the book, Julia and Winston use the room above the shop as a hide out. They don't think they will get caught because the proles don't have telescreens. This contributes to the overall feeling of comfort that the reader gets as they read this part of the book, making the ending of this part (where they get caught) shocking. This is how many of the Thought Criminals in the society felt when they were caught because they don't think they will get caught. So this puts the reader into Winston's place and draws the reader more and more in.
Language: "It was only an 'opeless fancy, It passed like an Ipril dye, But a look an' a word an' the dreams they stirred They 'ave stolen my 'eart awye!" (Orwell, 138). In this section of the book, we hear a lot of the proles singing and a lot of their talk. This contributes to the setting of the book.

1984 Journal #1

How do the motifs, setting, and language contribute to our understanding of the society? Address each area separately and in depth.
1. Motifs: There is a motif of "the dark eyes looked deep into Winston's own" (2). In the beginning of the novel, Winston feels conflicted as to whether the dark eyes are comforting or whether they are worth hatred. In the middle of the book, he knows that they are worth hating. However, by the end of the book, he is weeping with comfort from the dark eyes. This contributes to the understanding of the society by making us understand that many people in the society either love or hate the life that they are living. Some love it, others hate it, others don't mind, and others are conflicted. Some have these feelings toward Big Brother, but not toward the society. While others have these feelings toward society and not Big Brother. Still some have these feelings toward both. It's a conflicting society that has no rules but yet expects unspoken rules to be followed, but no one actually knows what these rules are.
2. Setting: The setting is in 1984 and it is in London, England. It is set at a time when totalitarianism has taken over the world and there are only 3 countries. This makes understanding the society easier because we can all historically relate to Hitler's Communist Germany and World War II. So it makes it relatable.
3. Language. The language that is used makes it very clear that we are no longer in the world of plain english. We have entered a world of INGSOC and Doublethink. These ideas are controversial and strange to someone not living in that society. This suggests that the society is highly different from our own and that it is completely Alien to us. It makes the society feel less real but it keeps it feeling like it could happen someday.

CALLING ALL CHEER GIRLS!!!!

I HATE the new rule changes for all-star cheerleading this year.... Yeah, "trying to make it safer" isn't making it any safer! They are making it soo boring! They just took the challenge, excitement, and some of the fun out of cheerleading. Thanks USASF.
Most.Boring.Season.Ever.!!!! Not okay.CALLING ALL CHEER GIRLS! PLEASE WRITE A LETTER TO USASF TELLING THEM TO CHANGE THE RULES FOR ALL-STARS BACK! # KEEPCHEEREXCITINGANDFUN
R.I.P. CHEERLEADING
We had a good run <3

Journal #5 The Stranger

#5 Personal Philosophy

You will demonstrate your understanding of the importance of one's world view by scrutinizing your thoughts on how the world works and indentifying guiding principles for your own philosophy.

A. Give it a name

B. Identify seven to ten guiding principles: These should be clear and thoughtful – no clichés

C. Explain from where each principle developed and why it is important

 

A. The MichelleVollmuller Philosophy

 

B. 1. everyone has morality

2. Morality is determined by the individual, and should not be determined by society

3. Everyone believes in God to some extent. Some people are in denial or do not call Him God but call Him by a different name.

4. Society is full of contradictions

5. Every single person has at least one societal contradiction within themselves

6. Society and the individual never HAVE to agree, they just have to figure out how to get along

7. People do not actually hate anyone, they are either jealous or just love them and have gotten hurt

8. There is no correct view on the world

9. A person's view on the world and on society are shaped by the individual's life experiences

10. No on is HAPPY 100% of the time. They may look happy on the outside, but could be crying on the inside.

 

C.

1. From my religious background and personal opinion. It is important because it proves that everyone is responsible for their actions

2. Came off of #1 and from the fact that society can be wrong and that society doesn't always know what is best

3. Atheists believe in nothing, yet many of them are super stitious ere go a "higher power" is believed in by them. also, Every religion in the world centers around some sort of "higher power", universal overlord, or God. This is important because even though everyone does not see eye to eye, we can all find at least one thing to agree on: that something beyond our power exists

4. I recieved this from my observations of Societal norms. example: It is unconstitutional to say that Gay Marriage is illegal because according to the first ammendment, the government shall not pass laws that hinder one's ability to practice their religion, yet we have states that say that Gay marriage is illegal. Point proven

5. This has come from close observation of myself and my friends. I do robotics and cheerleading, yet according to society and Hollywood, this should not be so. But according to society and Hollywood, I should be popular, and I am not (at least by society's standards)

6. If society says no murdering, but you murder a person because they killed your cat, in your mind you may think it is perfectly right to get revenge, but according to society you should be killed for killing another person (another contradiction btw), so that's why we have courts. The courts are so that society doesn't kill you, but you learn that according to society, it is wrong to kill a person because they killed your cat

7. Girls say they hate their ex's. That' because they loved their ex's once, but their ex's hurt them. Ere go they do not HATE them, they just merely have wounded love and are jealous that their ex has moved on and that they cannot get over them

8. There is never a correct view on the world, if their was, then we would all be viewing the world incorrectly because each person views the world differently because of their own life experiences

9. Point already proven

10. You cannot be HAPPY 100% of the time, otherwise Absolutely nothing and no one bothers you or annoys you. And you have never been physically hurt before. Or you live in a bubble inside a cave at the bottom of the ocean.

Journal #4 The Stranger

#4 What conclusions does Mersault come to at the end of the novel? Does Camus want the reader to come to the same conclusions?

Mersault comes to multiple different conclussions that ultimately lead to one larger conclussion. The first conclusion that Mersault comes to is that death is inevitable. He also refuses to accept religion when facing death. Thus he shuns the norm of society. Then he tries to approach death with logic. Thus becoming his own individual person that is away from the norm of society and is firm even in the face of death. Camus is trying to tell us that we should all be our own person and not just go along with what society says to do. Camus does not however want us to be not religious or to be religious. He is saying that we should be our own person.

Journal #3 The Stranger

Journal #3: Why do you think Camus divided his novel into two parts? Use textual evidence to support your answer (consider how does Meursault changes, what are some parallel ideas and scenes, etc.).

I think Camus divided his novel in order to emphasize the change that Meursault has. We see the change in Meursault through the synatx in the beginning and end of the novel and in the language itself. "Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don't know" (pg. 3). "Right after my arrest I was questioned several times, but it was just so they could find out who I was, which didn't take long" (pg. 63).

Journal #2 The Stranger

Option 1: What symbolic role does the sun/light play in the novel? What themes does this symbolism develop?
The sun symbolizes the fragile nature of life. In chapter six, the author uses the sun to describe the fragile nature of life when he describes it as "shattering". Only a page or so later does Mersault shoot the Arab. This symbolism develops the theme that life is precious and that when we are faced with tough times, we internalize things and eventually find our own meaning in life.

Journal #1 The Stranger

1. Closely examine 3 of the minor characters Camus has introduced. How are the characters described and what role do they play? What is Camus trying to accomplish/reveal with each of these characters?
Three characters that Camus introduces are: Raymond, Emmanuel, Salamano

Salamano is described as being almost exactly like his dog. Salamano plays the role of elderly neighbor with a dog and has a temper. It feels as if Salamano is using the dog as a vehicle for his anger from the death of his wife. Salamano is portrayed as disliking the dog, but when the dog goes missing, you can tell that he truly loved the dog. Just like a family, he and the dog fought, but they still loved eachother.

Emmanuel is described as being fun loving and free. In one blurb, we see Mersault and Emmanuel taking time to look out at the ocean before they run for the truck. Emmanuel is sensitive to the natural beauty around him. Yet still likes to enjoy life.

Raymond is described as a warehouse guard, a male shovenous pig, ill-tempered, and a wife beater. He is used to move the story along as a vehicle for connecting Mersault to crime. If Mersault would not have written the letter for Raymond, the police would not have connected him to Raymond's beating of his girlfriend, and Mersault would not have gotten a police record. Without a police record, the court would have been less likely to convict him of murdering the Arab on the beach later in the book.

Journal #8

Part 1: Why do you think Zora Neale Hurston settled on the title she did - what effect does it have, how does it alter your reading, etc.?

Part 2: What alternate title could she have used? How would that have altered one's reading?

Part 3: What is the title of your pastiche and why do you think that is the strongest possible title?

 

1. I think that Zora Neale Hurston chose this title because she references religion (especially God) a lot. She makes people seem like they are forms of God, and yet like God is an all powerful being that could not be human. She uses religion to make statements, points, and descriptions. Also, the specific phrase "Their eyes were watching God" appears in the climax of the story during the storm.

 

2. The Life of Black People is an alternate title she could have used. However, it is not as creative nor does it tie back to any specific point in the book. It also would have made me feel that this is what all black people lived like which would have been highly unrealistic.

 

3. I am not really sure what to call my pastice. I am still in the works with that. I want to have a strong, yet simple name. I want something that stands out and is easy to remember.

Journal #7

1. "So Janie began to look around and see people and things she hadn't noticed during the season" (TEWWG, pg. 139).
It feels as if she is starting in the middle of a thought. It leaves the reader wanting to know what exactly was the beginning of this thought that brought her to this. The author uses hadn't which is a contraction which is not formal writing. This leads one to believe that this is in fact one of Janie's thoughts. There is this idea of looking that plays throughout the book. The people look to God. The people look and watch as people go down the road. People give looks of judgement. There is also this idea of people throughout the book, and it makes me wonder if Zora Neale Hurston is trying to make some connection between people, looking, and God.

2. "Janie spread herself between him and the wind and he closed his eyes and let the tiredness seep out of his limbs" (TEWWG, pg. 165). The word and shows up in this sentence 3 times, and it is a fairly short sentence. This gives a sense that Janie is recounting the story and is trying to remember everything. The wording used in this sentence is rather intriguing. Hurston uses the phrase "let the tiredness seep out of his limbs". This phrase could be foreshadowing for when she shoots him because the blood seeps out of his body.

3. "...Sop-de-Bottom spoke out anonymously from the anonymous herd" (TEWWG, pg. 187). The word anonymous is used two times in a row. It is repetitive and gives ambiguousness to the sentence. It makes me wonder if Janie really knew that it was Sop-de-Bottom talking, or if that's just who she guessed it was. I also think that Sop-de-Bottom is an interesting name. It is very unusual, and I would like to know why Hurston decided to call him this. It reminds me of a sponge soaking up the water in the bottom of a bucket, but that's just me.

Journal #6 Revision Process

I am not great at the revision process at all. The revision process is difficult for me because I have no idea what to cut out and what to keep in. It all seems like such great work that I strongly dislike having to cut things out. I am still working on revisions because it is so difficult for me.

Commentary

My commentary was due today (because I was out last week), but I was absent today. SO here is my commentary!

The selected passage of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston mocks death. The selection takes place right outside of the town of Eatonville, FL. The town's mule has died, and its funeral has just ended.

Zora Neale Hurston makes fun of death. The line "With that the sister got mock-happy[...]" is telling the reader that the funeral of the mule was not taken seriously. It also tells the reader that it is making fun of life and death and the difference between them.

The author uses anthropomorphism as one of her techniques to convey her theme. "A circle, a swoop and a hop [...]. Close in, close in [...]" has a very rhythmic feeling. It calls to mind the chant in The Lord of the Flies when the boys are on the beach chanting "Kill the beast, slit his throat, spill the blood". In both cases, it reminds the reader of a war chant that the Native Americans did. Bringing humans away from the sophisticated, technologically advanced society we live in and taking us back to our roots as savage, primitive hunters. Hurston uses this rhythm to anthropomorphise the buzzards and make humans relate to them.

Hurston uses the idea of life to mock death as well. "[...] they closed in circles" gives this feeling of death being unavoidable and getting closer as one gets older. Also, the word circles gets one thinking about the circle of life, how one animal or plant's death can bring about the life of another. With the buzzards, the death of the mule brings about a carcass for them to eat. Thus the death of the mule brings life to the buzzards by giving them food. Once again mocking death.

Journal #5

Love & Hate

So Marie began to think of Love. Love, that warrior of time which brings about healing. The warrior that sought to make all things right in people's lives.What need has Love, except love and be loved? She stands on her pillar with her outstretched arms, drapped in a ribbon of pink chiffon. Stands swayingwith the breeze, singing with the melodies of the world. She understands maturity and life; she waits on her pedastal atop the palace gates with rose colored glasses. She waits not for something nor someone. No! She waits for readiness, acceptance, forgiveness, and patience. Marie was likely to find the rose color glasses set on her mantle or placed on her windowsil. She was cheerful and afraid too. Marie had no idea what to expect. She wanted to run and hide. She wanted to stay and fight. She knew that Love had come when she saw a man on the street walking toward her. It was Henry. Henry, the love of her life in high school. The man she never thought would come back. Yes! Henry was walking toward her with a rose! But was it for her? Or was it for the best friend standing beside her, always watching Henry with every move. Marie was going to find out in only a few minutes. She saw the look in her friend's eyes. Marie knew that rose was for her. Hate, that wounded warrior of love, had come to settle among the old friends.

Journal #4

"This was the first time it happened, but after a while it got so common she ceased to be suprised. It was like a drug. In a way it was good because it reconciled her to things. She got so she recieved all things with the stolidness of the earth which soaks up urine and perfume with the same indifference."

Syntax: short and long sentences
Word Choice: short and simple words mixed with long and elegant words
Sound Devices: recurring rec sound
All of this creates a TONE: of strength and half-heartedness, a daze, almost as if she is in a dream

Random Thought

It is so weird to think that in my short life, I have lived through two centuries. No one will be able to say that for another 88 years!
WOW!

Journal #3

I meant to post this last night, but ran out of time due to my finger.

1. "On the train the next day, Joe didn't make many speeches with rhymes to her, but he bought her the best things the butcher had, like apples and a glass latern full of candies."
Possibly speaks to the ideals of Janie's grandmother: money confused for love because you need the security of the money.

2. "Where they got off the train at Maitland he found a buggy to carry them over to the colored town right away."
Uses the word colored instead of dark, black, or African-American. Speaks to the possible theme of Janie is "looking through love's rose colored glasses".

3. "'A whole heap uh talk and nobody doin' nothin'. I god, where's de Mayor?' he asked somebody. 'Ah want tuh speak wid de Mayor.'"
God is not capitalized, but Mayor is. Speaks to recurring idea of atheism or a sinister feeling toward religion.

4. "Two men who were sitting on their shoulderblades under a huge live oak tree almost sat upright at the tone of his voice."
Recurring symbol of the tree

5. "So the put on one of her bought dresses and went up the new-cut road all dressed in wine-colored red. Her silken ruffles rustled and muttered about her. The other women had on percale and calico with here and there a headrag among the older ones."
Talking about Janie's beauty and making her sound like the queen among the peasants.

Journal #2 2/14/12

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!!! :D
Rules for my dialect
1. every word that begins with th will have a "g" instead
2. instead of " ", I will use ': :'
3. every word that ends with an f will have a "ph" instead
4. every y will be turned into "ay"
5. man will be said as mayn
6. women/woman will be said as wemeyn/wemayn
7. Spelling and grammar will be sloppy and incorrect

Dialect: MADE UP

pg. 26 TEWWG revamped
"
Long before the week was down, Cali noticed her cat had stopped talking in lyrics to her. It had ceased to be amazed with her mustache and play with it. Twenty - seven months back, it told her, ':Iph ayou were smarter gan me, I would have left this dump oph a house alreaday!:'
 So Cali told it, ':Well gat's all good and well. Whay did ayou not leave sooner? Ayou do not have to be smarter gan me to know to leave. I would have left twelve ayears ago iph I was ayou. But I ain't ayou. Ayou cat are stupid. Gat's ge way gattos were raised!:'
One morning soon it called her cell phone, out of the blue, to come to the garage. It had it's luggage all ready to go.
':Can ayou help me out some?' said the cat. ':I need some moneay and a pair oph shoes and a car. I reallay need it to get out of gis place.:'
':Well, ayou can walk out oph gis place. As for the shoes, you ain't got no use for shoes! Ayou's a cat. Cat's also don't need moneay. So don't come asking for any!:'
With that, Cali slammed the door in her poor old cat's ungrateful face. The cat sulked away.
"

Journal #1 for Their Eyes Were Watching God

Journal #1 for Their Eyes Were Watching God: Reader response: How do you perceive Janie? How do you perceive the narrator? Be thorough and thoughtful and use textual evidence to defend your answer.

1.I feel that the narrator is very descriptive, but seems pessimistic at first. The narrator seems to be a feminist as well. By the end of chapter 1, the narrator has a feeling of being almost a reflection of Janie, young and care free but hit hard by life.
" Now, women forget all those things they don't want to remember, and remember everything they don't want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly. ... She had come back from the sodden and the bloated; the sudden dead, their eyes flung wide open in judgment." (p.1)
"They sat there in the fresh young darkness close together. Pheoby eager to feel and do through Janie, but hating to show her zest for fear it might be thought mere curiosity."(p.7)

2.I feel that Janie is a bit of a joker. She seems to just want to have fun, laugh, and enjoy life. She is living like she is young and not letting anything stand in her way.
"'Here, Pheoby, take yo' ole plate. Ah ain't got a bit of use for a empty dish. Dat grub sho come in handy.'"(p.5)
"Janie full of that oldest human longing - self revelation."(p.7)

Post #4

1. Skeeter Phelan and Aibileen Clark are the __________ of the Help.
2. The _________ of Cinderella is to never give up on your dreams.
3. According to Mr. Unis and many other history teachers, the Wizard of OZ is a political ________.
4. "His eyes, how they twinkled, his dimples, so merry, and cheeks were rosy and his nose like a cherry" (The Night Before Christmas). This passage contains __________.
5. Cacophony is a literary term that contains ________ within it.

Post #3 Universality

The three definitions of Universality (according to Dictionary.com) are:

"1. the character or state of being universal; existence or prevalence everywhere.

2. relation, extension, or applicability to all.

3. universal character or range of knowledge, interests, etc."

(http://www.dictionary.com/)

In my own words, Universality means an idea, character, book, technique, fact, et cetera* that is commonly known and accepted by the general population. I see an example of universality in the books Their Eyes Were Watching God and 1984. These books are widely known by the general public through school, peers, friends, family, internet, and other such sources. Almost everyone you encounter today has either had to read the book for school, read it for fun, or knows about it from a friend or family member. The two books are very universal. 1984 embodies a fear felt by many around the globe at the time of its creation. The fear was the fear of communism and socialism spreading throughout the world and having it be a complete wastland of a society.

Here is a picture to help you remember:

(image credits: http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lff4krGf7Y1qgx8eao1_500.jpg)

* et cetera is a word from Latin meaning so on and so forth. Usually abbreviated etc.

Post #2

1. Pick one technique from the list you received today and create a post in which you elaborate on that technique. Explain it in detail. Why is it important? Give examples. Use images that will help you remember it. Be creative and thorough with this post so that it can be used by your peers to help them understand the term. You, in turn, can use their posts to help you

Anthropomorphism
- "when a writer gives an animal (or other living thing) human characteristics"
This helps to create a mystical ere. It also helps to convey a message.

Post #1 (February 6, 2012)

1. Which of the three books did you enjoy the most and why (again, be sure that you use enough details to demonstrate that you read the entire book)?

 

I enjoyed both Their Eyes were Watching God and 1984 the most. 1984 had a lot of twists and turns. It was also a challenge to read because it was almost like a puzzle to my mind. Especially when the guy that helps him out turns out to be a secret agent! It was a great book! Their Eyes were Watching God was very deep. I liked how she overcame so much throughout the book. For example the hurricane.

 

2. Which of the three books did you enjoy least and why?

 

I enjoyed the Stranger the least. I really did not understand the book. It felt almost too straight forward and it was hard to get into the book. I also found it very hard to analyze because it was so straight forward. I felt that it had no substance. It was dry.

 

3. If you were to write an essay on the third novel (the book not addressed in the previous two questions) what element or elements would you focus on in that essay and why do think they are important?

 

Since I wrote about all three books, I will pick 1984. I would focus on his need for independence and his free thought. I think these are important because it shows his personality and how just by being himself, he goes against society. Unlike most people, he is okay with the fact that his personality goes against society, nay, he loves it. However, he knows he must at least pretend to conform. It is very much an interpretation of how many people feel in society. They feel like they cannot express themselves because it goes against what society thinks is "cool" or "hip" or "in".

02/06/2012

FROM THIS DAY FORWARD (until otherwise specified):
This blog is for IB JUNIOR ENGLISH! :D