Thinking Outside the Box

I firstly want to say that Sartre's play, No Exit, was an excellent story that I very much enjoyed reading. Okay, back to business. Plato and Sartre both address the subject on our limitations of thinking in certain situations. Plato's took place in a dark, dank cave where it was isolated from the outside world. Sartre wrote his characters in a situation that puts them literaly in Hell. Plato viewed our limitations of thinking through the eyes of the cave prisoners, which was very restricted in a sense whereas compared to someone who has lived beyond that of the cave. Sartre viewed our limitations of thinking through the eyes of the three main characters inside that room in the Second Empire building... right smack in the middle of Hell. Garcin, who used to run the pacifist newspaper, views the situation as something he doesn't want to deal with and would rather think to himself than work it out. Estella, the one who died of pneumonia, mainly focused on her own personal accounts and reminisced on her past love life. Inez, who reveals a dark past, spoke her mind towards the situation more than the other two and was nearly pessimistic about everything, which annoyed the hell out of the other two characters. It's like that one quote: "People can look at the same sitautions and arrive at different conclusions." The extended metaphor would be Plato's cave and Sartre's own personal Hell in which there can ultimately be no escape based on the limitations of our thinking. Plato believes that our limitations are controlled by the environment in which we reside in. Sartre's characters arrive at a place they were unfamiliar with and they're take on it are completely different. How they end up solving it was reluctantly admitting that they were to stay in this infernal... inferno forever and learn to deal with each other. Plato arrives at a conclusion that only YOU can control the limits you are willing to push by thinking outside the box and exploring out there with your mind.

A/N: I love the quote in No Exit when Garcin yells: "HELL IS--OTHER PEOPLE!!" The ending also gave me chills as well as made me laugh a little by them accepting that they're just going to have to deal being with each other FOREVER. Ah, well. :)

Literary Analysis: The Glass Menagerie

GENERAL

1. A memory takes us back during the Great Depression in the 1930’s where citizens were trying to survive desperately. Tom Wingfield, the apparent narrator in the story, recalls a time during that era when he was taking care of his mother and sister after his father left them when he got back from WWI. However, Tom had always craved adventure and to go live in a world unlike the mundane life he was living in. His mother, Amanda, called him selfish for not trying to take care of the family. He was always going to go see movies, drinking with his friends, and partying as if there was no tomorrow. Tom would speak in metaphors and poetic verses. He was a writer and loved to read, which worried Amanda about his earning for something much better and running off. She had always described him as a younger version of his father. However, Amanda was more focused on her daughter, Laura, who is described as a very fragile and shy young woman in her own isolated world. Laura hardly opens up to anyone and collects glass animals that she polishes often. Amanda, recalling back to her days as a teenager, wants Laura to receive gentlemen callers much like she had in her days. Amanda also wants her daughter to type on a typewriter, which Laura fails to do because of her shy personality. This, among Tom’s incessant outings, angers Amanda. When Laura complains about her near crippled leg and shyness as an excuse to drop out of typing, Amanda rejects her excuses and pushes for gentlemen callers. Laura exclaims to them that she used to have a crush on a nice, ordinary, young man named Jim who used to call her Blue Roses. Amanda continues to reminisce about her husband. Amanda and Tom soon engage in a fight about Tom’s behavior, which Tom outbursts that he absolutely loathes staying here and working at a warehouse and would rather someone bash his brains out. When Amanda continues to accuse him, Tom’s yells sarcastically about him worshiping Satan and committing heinous crimes. In a rage, he breaks Laura’s glass animals on accident. The next night when Tom comes home drunk, he and Laura discuss the movies and how one might escape a coffin. Tom finally apologizes to Amanda, which leads into Amanda asking Tom if he could help her find Laura a gentlemen caller. Tom eventually tells her that he has asked a friend to be Laura’s gentlemen caller. Amanda grows elated and preps herself and Laura for the caller when he got there. Laura then hears that the caller is none other than Jim, the man she had a crush on. Laura grows nervous and is too nervous to answer the door for Jim and her brother. She is finally pushed by her mother to answer and greets him shyly before Tom and Jim start talking about work, movies, and the Union of Merchant Seamen that Tom has joined. Laura goes to lie down because she feels nervous and Jim accompanies her after the lights go out. While Amanda confronts Tom about the electric bill, Jim gets Laura to open up when they begin talking about old memories during school. Laura shows Jim her glass collection and says that the unicorn is her favorite because of how it differs to the other horses. They begin waltzing to music and Jim accidentally breaks the horn off her unicorn. Laura exclaims it’s a blessing and after flirting with one another, Jim kisses her. However, Jim sadly announces that he is engaged to a woman named Betty. Jim does not deny that he does have affections towards Laura and her frail, yet, unique personality. Sadly, Laura gives Jim the broken unicorn before he leaves. Amanda finds out about Jim’s engagement after he leaves and immediately turns on Tom in anger. Having enough of the fiasco, Tom leaves for a “movie” and abandons his family for good. In his ending speech, he exclaims his guilty conscious will always be there for leaving his sister in her frail nature, which is as translucent as a piece of glass.

2. There are multiple themes played out in The Glass Menagerie. However, one that stood out to me was the confinement role that played out in nearly each character. Tom was confined to a life where he is suddenly the man of the house and putting up with the tedious process of taking care of his family every day wore on him like a pair of stinky socks. He was young and full of excitement. So being trapped in a life where no adventure ever happened, he resulted to neglecting his work and abandoning his family much like his father did. Amanda, too, is confined to her own world where her past comes back to her and shadows her every movement. How she reminisces about the old days keeps her in a state of the past at time. Laura takes on the title within her own little world of glass animals, hence the title of the play. However, Laura is the one who doesn’t leave her shell until Jim comes along and even after she remains ramified between her life in glass and the outside world.

3. William’s tone is told through Tom. Since it’s a very depressing memory that leaves a rather daunting background, the tone is that of melancholy and is also very dramatic. Tennessee William’s tone is always very dramatic when it comes to his plays. He likes to emphasize certain themes and morals in his stories through his tone. His tone is also reflective with the flashbacks and many memories thought back on in the play.

4. Symbolism: The mention of blue roses and jonquils refers to the characters Amanda and Laura. This helped describe their character. Amanda’s jonquils represent herself in the past and how she sees her daughter as beautiful and elegant and she is when she was her age. Laura’s blue rose symbolizes her individuality because there is no such thing as blue roses. She is one of a kind according to Jim and he is the one who gave her the name by recognizing her uniqueness.

Flashbacks: There are multiple flashbacks being used in the play. Usually Amanda is the one who is thinking back to certain dates but the whole story is a flashback, or memory, told by Tom so this really helped summarize the setting and what exactly was happening.

Foreshadowing: The use of the fire escape foreshadows Tom’s actual escape from his confinement at the house. The fire ESCAPE is used in a figurative symbol by referencing to Tom almost escaping by using the fire escape and then coming right back to where he was until he did finally manage to escape what he calls hell.

Metaphors: Tom uses an extensive use of metaphors near the beginning of the play. This helped define the kind of character inside of Tom. It describes how much knowledge he has and how he puts it into words by writing. He also reads a bunch of Shakespeare books, which is why his nickname is Tom Shakespeare. Also, glass menagerie is a metaphor for Laura’s life and how she is just a caged creature made of glass because of her frailness.

Imagery: William’s writing contains a lot of descriptive imagery in the play in the beginning where he introduces the setting to the readers and in important parts during the play like when Tom knocked over Laura’s glass animals on accident. His portrayal of everything happening around the characters and within the characters is vivid enough for the readers to understand the story.

CHARACTERIZATION

1. The direct characterization is hardly in any of the play. Really, it’s a play. So, there isn’t really any direct characterization happening because indirect characterization is prominentally shown through the dialogue of the characters. The indirect characterization happens in every act. The physical appearance is described in scene one through Amanda and Tom. However, Tom is described to be in a navy suit in the beginning of the play so there’s one direct characterization. The personalities are described through the dialogue through the bickering and mannerisms they show in their dialogue. Laura is described as “transparent as a piece of glass.” Act II scene 2.

2. William’s diction does change through each character by how they are acting and the traits they show in the play. For example, Laura is the innocent one who only wants what’s best for the situation. So the diction is much softer and easy to understand her character whereas Tom is fastidious and rough in the diction he is written in. Amanda is also critical and demanding much like Tom’s but there is an underlying weak structure within her words whenever she thinks about her past.

3. The protagonist, who I think is Laura, is static nearly the entire play until she meets up with Jim. Then her character takes a turn when she is comfortable opening up towards Jim. She was so clumped up inside her reserve manner that she had shunned away from reality much like her mother and brother. Even after Jim leaves, she starts to go back into that shell of emptiness.

4. I felt as if I had come back reading a character in a story because they all didn’t relate to someone who I would know. I think it’s because I’ve read so many characters that are much like these ones that I lost focus of meeting that person and just read it as an interesting character that I’ve seen in other books before, but somehow different than the others. An example would be my reaction when Jim meets up with Laura once more and the awkward shyness between them for a few moments had me seeing my own sister, who is a character in her own way.

Sorry for the late update but... well, my excuses are running out and I'm just glad that I'm getting this done today for now I shall be spared of any dooky landing on me. Well, here ya go!

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

Having ever been so captivated by such a sight
The light, oh most precious warmth in which to bask
With everlasting glow caressing figures in the night
As they gambol across canvases wearing but one mask
The mask of a thousand shapes so as to captivate us all
Brings about tranquility, immobilizing movement
Spreading warmth in our bellies, allowing us to fall
Into the depths of our oceans, which shows the containment
Of our captivation with displayed knowledge on the wall
Shooing out the fear towards the unkown path of discomfort
For the bliss of our ignorance is greater than them all
That there is nothing to know outside in that world of hurt
And captivated by this light I am never alone
Thus forever, that I shall never leave my comfort zone

Writing a sonnet is hard. This took me longer than I wanted it  take to but I'm pretty satisfied with it. This is through the eyes of one of the prisoners shackled in the cave and observing the light splaying shadows over the interior wall of the cave. He speaks for himself and the others shackled in the cave. (As you can tell, he's adapted to the daily life in the cave and shows ignorance to the outside world.) Please comment, guys. :) I'll take whatever you throw at me. (Questions, comments, concerns, etc.)

Socrates "Allegory of the Cave" Q&A's

 
1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?
- The Allegory of the Cave represents the human's (prisoner's) perspective on reality based on what is given to them. It represents the restricted freedom in explored knowledge by their ignorance and complete submission to their comfort zone. The prisoners have no motivation to go out into the light becuase they have been presented a view on what they call reality. They don't know anything other than those shadows, which has settled into a comfortable position in their minds.

2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?
-The shackles holding the prisoners against the wall is used to describe the prisoner's restriction to knowledge outside the cave and also their ignorance towards that outside world. The shadows represent their reality and its offerings. The fire splaying the shadows signifies the prisoner's only source of light, as if that were their own tiny sun feeding them life.

3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
-It suggests that education also works the same way and enlightenment expands the growth of ideas. School limits the knowledge shown to students, but away from those desk shackles is a world full of the unknown to those learners. Facing reality is a very important aspect to life itself and how we live it. Knowledge is powerful and stripping it from us cuts off our view of reality.

4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?
-The shackles and the cave suggest that the prisoners are completely caught up in their own ignorance of reality. Those shackles are what is physically holding them back, but their mindset also explains why they are holding back in the cave they reside in. What they see before them is the only reality they believe they will only ever need for they know nothing else that sparks a desire for something else.

5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
-Well, for one, school shackles the minds of students by providing only a limited amount of education that the teachers give. They are drawn into a routine that they grow comfortable in, much like other things in society.

6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
-The freed prisoner has seen what is out there and also the darkness that the cave prisoners are in. His perspective is larger and much more vivid than those of the cave prisoners. He prefers the outside light rather than the dim one inside the cave because the outside knowledge he has gained is a lot better than the restricted knowledge in the cave. The cave prisoners know no better becuase of that lack of knowledge. Their perspective is more miniscule and dank compared to the freed prisoner.

7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?
-It can occur in a way where those won't experience the outside knowledge and reality out there simply becuase they are addicted to their comfort zone and are too frightened to leave. Either that or they don't understand why they would need to go ino that other world. It can also occur in a way where little information is given that leaves confusion and fear towards those prisoners.

8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?
-Is ignorance bliss? NO! But, seriously, you can either argue with the prisoner for the rest of your pitiful life or you can him/her to see the truth on what is out there. The process would be rather tedious, but worth it for the sake of another's intellect and it's saving them from hiding away in a world of resistance.

9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
-Oh, yes, I full heartedly agree to this. There is a difference between appearances and reality through perspective. Your appearance can defy what is really reality. Other times, appearances speak the truth, but reality is also an explanation of things. Both appearance and reality is an illusion in life that is hard to describe and distinct from one another.

10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?
-I actually think Socrates is spot on with his assumption between reality and appearances. It's really how others view it becuase everyone views it differently. I'm not sure what other alternative assumptions there are.

The BIG Question...

This question has been rolling around my head ever since I've been analyzing animation and cartoons since I was a child enjoying the simple works of character movements. And it's probably really easy to answer to those in the professional field of animation, but I'm working my way there and so this question is important to me in getting there.

What is it that truly makes a character look so life like in animation? How does it work exactly?

Now, I could probably find this answer easily on the internet, but I usually crave a visual perspective on how animation works. I'm pretty good when it comes to learning visually. :)

P.S (Sorry for the late update.)

 

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Lit. Analysis

GENERAL
 

1. In the mid 1950’s on the Mississippi Delta is a very large plantation where a party takes place. Big Daddy, who owns the large estate, and his wife, Big Mama, have a gathering with the family to celebrate Big Daddy’s birthday. Brick, his youngest son, came with his wife, Margaret. Gooper, the eldest son, brings his wife, Mae, as well as his five children. The reverend and doctor of the town arrive for the party as well. Big Daddy had arrived from the clinic with news that he didn’t have cancer, which leaves Big Mama in an ecstatic mood. Margaret addresses to Brick about their loveless marriage ever since he began drinking. She describes herself as a “cat on a hot tin roof” because she has been left undesired by Brick, which makes her bitter, nervous, and dissatisfied. Brick is rather indifferent towards everyone around him, especially his wife. Brick also has a broken ankle from when he hurdled on the track field and broke his ankle in doing so, leaving him leaning on a crutch. Margaret goes on about Brick’s friend, Skipper, and how they loved hanging out together before Skipper died. She also has realized her mistake before by mentioning that her and Skipper had made love once. Brick is furious with her at the mention and tells her that they can’t possibly conceive a child if he couldn’t stand being with her. When the party takes place, Margaret detests the fact that Gooper and Mae had brought their “no-neck monsters”, as in children. She knows that they’re rubbing the fact that they have children in her face as well as trying to get Big Daddy to leave them the estate instead of Brick, who is the favorite. Big Daddy, a large, burly man, goes to talk to Brick alone to try and gather information out of him about his drinking habit and his lack of affection towards Margaret. Big Daddy also talks about his hated affection towards Big Mama and that he was sick of her, but continues trying to press on with the subject at hand. Brick tells Big Daddy that he doesn’t know why he drinks and explains that he’s looking for a “click” to make him peaceful. When Big Daddy questions him about Skipper and their relationship, Brick tries to escape from the conversation, complaining that their conversations are never materialized. Big Daddy detects that Brick his hiding something and forces him to stay, which Brick quickly denies any homosexual feelings that he had for Skipper, which angers Big Daddy that Brick isn’t telling the truth. Brick solemnly states to leave Gooper the estate and not him. Then Brick announces that Big Daddy does have cancer and he did have feelings for Skipper. Big Daddy goes on a rampage shouting about liars and goes to bed. Later, everyone surrounded Big Mama to tell her the truth about Big Daddy having cancer. Big Mama doesn’t want to believe it but tells Maggie—Margaret— to fix Brick up if he was going to run the plantation, which angers Gooper and Mae. They present her with a will so as to leave the plantation to them but Big Mama rejects it with disgust. Big Mama declares to Brick that nothing would make Big Daddy happier than for him to have a grandchild from him. Without warning, Maggie announces to everyone, including Big Daddy, that she is pregnant. Mae shrilly accuses Maggie that she’s a liar as Big Daddy and Big Mama take leave. Maggie doesn’t know what Mae is talking about and leaves to her room with Brick. Brick, after a few drinks, announces that he has found his click, but still acts indifferently, which saddens Maggie. She hides all the liquor he has and refuses to give them back until after she is satisfied from her desires. After she affirms her love for him, Brick vaguely replies, “Wouldn’t it be funny if that were true?”

2. The theme of the novel (play) is the mere concept of mendacity. Throughout the entire play, mendacity has marked its territory in each character. Multiple secrets escape to further move the plot along and the characters react to the incessant lying going on. The largest lie in the play included everyone keeping a secret about Big Daddy having cancer, except Big Mama, who had always believed that Brick will run the estate alongside with Big Daddy in that fantasy world of hers. When Big Daddy had caught Brick lying to him at the end of Act II he said, “This disgust with mendacity is disgust with yourself.” Pg 127. It really put Brick’s character into perspective as well as Big Daddy.

3. The author’s tone is rather depressing in the play because there is just so much relationship problems with the characters. The readers feel sympathetic for those characters by how other characters treat them. It was depressing to read Big Daddy’s obloquies towards Big Mama whenever they were near each other. The solemn air surrounding the conflict between Brick and Margaret was clarified by the author’s tone. Thirdly, the inevitable depressing truth about Big Daddy’s cancer affected the characters.

4. 1) Foreshadowing: At the end of Act I, Margaret had announced she had seen a gynecologist, foreshadowing for the later announcement about her “having” a child with Brick. Pg. 63. She also said that she would work out the problem when they got there. The mention about Brick and Skipper was foreshadowing their relationship. Pg. 57.

2) Symbolism: Brick’s crutch symbolizes a number of things in the play. For one thing, it symbolizes his manhood. Brick’s rendered immobile whenever Maggie or Big Daddy take his crutch away from him. That’s when he is really stranded. Maggie throws it in Act I, pg. 58, and Big Daddy takes it from him in Act II, pg. 109.

3) Motif: A recurring concept in the play is mendacity, or lies. This is pretty static throughout the entire play. The lies between Big Daddy and Brick in Act II, Maggie’s lie about her conceiving a child just to make Big Daddy happy in Act III, and Brick’s lie to Maggie about his drinking problem in Act I.

4) Metaphor: The title says it all. Maggie occasionally brings up the talk of her being a cat. She refers herself to a cat because she’s a “cat on a hot tin roof”. Even the other characters say that she’s catty. In the beginning of Act I, Maggie describes herself as that. Pg’s. 40 and 55. Also, Big Daddy mentions in Act II that the old man made out of bones laid his cold and heavy hand on his shoulder, which is a metaphor for death catching up to him, Pg 93.

5) Imagery: Even though it’s a play and mainly consists of dialogue, the author gives the reader a good understanding of where everything is by having the imagery being described by the characters. He had a descriptive introduction of where everything took place and how everything was set up, specifically for a theater. At the beginning of Act I we are given this clarification.

CHARACTERIZATION

1. An example of direct characterization was in the beginning of Act I with the description of Margaret. She is described as a pretty young woman with anxious lines in her face. Her voice is also described as rapid and drawling in the beginning. Another example of direct characterization would be Big Mama. She appears as a short, stout woman who wears flashy gems all the time. Since this is a play, indirect characterization is common. A good example is when, in the every start of Act I, Maggie describes Mae and Gooper’s children as “no-neck monsters.” She also describes them as little pigs running about. Another example of indirect characterization is when Big Mama is describing Brick and his red hair in Act III, which is a physical characteristic I didn’t know about until the end.

2. Tennessee Williams, when focusing on his characters, will change his syntax/diction through certain characters. Big Daddy uses rather offending language and describes relationships in lengthy paragraphs whereas Brick uses short and vague sentences in the play. The diction/syntax really reflects off of the character’s personalities. William used that southern diction through the entire play, but certain characters will alter the syntax through their characterizations/personality.

3. The protagonist, Maggie, is stays static through the play until she becomes more forceful towards Brick at the end of the play, becoming a stronger person with the realization that she is better than her drinking husband and could love him more fully. But, in all honesty, she is still that catty and hysterical character in the play nearly the whole time.

4. I felt as though I’d met a person, because, as a fan of acting, I read plays and become engrossed in the characters and having to connect with the character I feel I would know a lot better than any of the other characters. The character I connected with the most was Maggie because she’s a very interesting and funny character who I loved reading about. She was also one of the more innocent of people in the play. For example, her attitude with Gooper and Mae’s children had me laughing and instantly becoming close to her character and who she was about.

 

Vocabulary List #11

Affinity: relationship by marriage

Bilious: of or indicative of a peevish ill nature disposition

Cognate: of the same nature

Corollary: A proposition inferred immediately from a proved proposition with little or no additional proof

Cul-de-sac: a pouch

Derring-do: a daring action

Divination: The art or practice that seeks to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge due to the interpretation of omens

Elixir: A substance capable of prolonging life indefinitely

Folderol: a useless accessory

Gamut: an entire range or series

Hoi polloi: the General populace

Ineffable: incapable of being expressed in words

Lucubration: to study by night

Mnemonic: intended to assist memory

Obloquy: abusive language

Parameter: an independent variable used to express the coordinates of variable point and functions of them

Pundit: a learned man

Risible: provoking laughter

Symptomatic: having the characteristics of a certain disease but arising of a different cause

Volte-face: a reversal in policy

Sentences coming soon...

Procrastination Problems

Feeling as though your procrastination habits are growing to an extent where you're thinking to yourself, "Man, this is getting ridiculous."? Well, I happen to have that feeling... nearly every day. So, I've decided to use the internet as a way to help get rid of this feeling.

http://depression.about.com/cs/selfhelp/a/procrastination.htm

Oh ho yeah, this really boost my self esteem. Thought I might share the ideas on this site on getting rid of procrastination. :)

Shakespeare Sonnet XII (12)

 
When I do count the clock that tells the time,
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
When I behold the violet past prime,
And sable curls, all silvered o'er with white;
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves,
Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,
And summer's green all girded up in sheaves,
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard,
Then of thy beauty do I question make,
That thou among the wastes of time must go,
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake
And die as fast as they see others grow;
And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence
Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.

This is still undecided. This is one I really like though, but if I find one that I like better than this one then I shall post that other one instead. But here is the one that I currently am planning to do. :)

Growing My Plan

Researching those sites was difficult at first... probably because I wasn't exactly sure how to word what I really wanted to look up. So, after a thousand tries of wording what I wanted to search, I found some interesting sites and checked them out. Discarding the bunk, I went with my top five. I'm hoping to collaborate with other groups when diving into Hamlet by using our sources to study with. Commenting posts to our blogs will prove to be a productive way of gathering what we know and how we can channel them into a study session. Thus... this is my plan.

AP Hamlet PLN

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

This site is a very well said analysis of Hamlet. It's neat, easy to read, and it's also really helpful as a study guide. This was one of the top in my list for the easy access on Hamlet and the information you can find about the play on here.

http://www.gradesaver.com/hamlet/study-guide/short-summary/

I really liked the knowledge shared about Hamlet on this site becuase you could test yourself, study key facts about Hamlet, and share information with others or add input. I was wary about this site at first becuase of the advertisements showing every now and then but I liked how they set up the information on Hamlet.

http://www.artsvivants.ca/pdf/eth/activities/hamlet_guide.pdf

Okay, I gotta admit, I love pdf's. Mainly because they look neat and are easy to follow. But, anyway, this is a useful site to look up when studying Hamlet. There are questions to think about and are really important when pertaining to the play.

http://blogs.monashores.net/bradshawk/files/2010/02/Hamlet-ACT-I-V-Study-Guide.pdf

Much like the first one, this pdf also has great questions and references about Hamlet. Not much to say about anything else though. It's a good site that others should check.

http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/xHamlet.html

This, too, was a really awesome site to check out for info on Hamlet. It has a LOT of things to say about the play and a great part about it is that it also gives references to the pages and textual quotes . All in all, it definitely gives satisfaction.

Vocabulary List #10

aficionado: an ardent devotee; fan, enthusiast


Jessica was a hardcore tennis aficionado and is very passionate in every game she plays.


browbeat: to intimidate by using overbearing looks or words; bully


Jack browbeats Piggy into giving him his glasses to start a fire.


commensurate: having the same measure; of equal extent or duratio, adequate


Jackie's talent with acting is commensurate along with Beka's talent for acting.


diaphanous: very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or translucent


The ghost's diaphanous appearance frightened Coraline.


emolument: profit or fees from office or employment


The emoluments were stored in Josh's greedy hands at Smarty Mart.


foray: a quick raid, usually for the purpose of taking plunder; a quick, sudden attack


The worm's foray lasted but a few minutes, leaving the citizens devastated with the mysterious lost of their belongings in Bikini Bottom.


genre: a class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, technique, or content


Sarah quite enjoys the science fiction genre whereas Michelle perfers fantasy.


homily: usually of a nondoctrinal nature/an inspirational saying or cliche


The biblical homily that was said daily to John brought music to his ears everytime he heard it.


immure: to enclose within walls/to shut in, seclude or confine; to imprison


Students argue that they feel as though the school is trying to immure them by adding more fence around the perimeter.


insouciant: free from concern, worry or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant


Timon and Pumba are both insouciant with their lives with the simple phrase: Hakuna Matata


matrix: something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops/a formative part


The gelatinous monster enveloped the matrix from which he arrived.


obsequies: funeral rites or ceremony


The obsequies for the victim of a shark attack was performed in the ocean.


panache: a grand or flamboyant manner; verve; style; flair


Brittany's Halloween party was panache and flashy to a point where it resembled a rave.


persona: the narrator of a character in a literary work, person's perceived or evident personality


Roger's personas take a dramatic turn whenever he takes his characters too far and starts trouble.


philippic: any speech or discourse of bitter denunciation


Both men raged on in a fury of nasty philippics to one another during the heated debate.


prurient: having, inclined to have, or characterized by lascivious or lustful thoughts, desire


Shakespeare has an odd way of showing his prurient fascination towards death in his plays.


sacrosanct: extremely sacred or inviolable; not to be tresspassed or entered upon


Cows are extremely sacrosanct to people in India and I find it unexplainable.


systemic:of or pertaining to a system/pertaining to or affecting the body as a whole


The systemic vitamins taken by Nikki were helping her from catching the spreading cold.


tendentious:having or showing a definite tendency, bias, or purpose


Most of my friends are very tendentious when it comes between studying and partying.


vicissitude: change or variation in the course of something; alteration or interchange


Kelli's vicissitude in school when becoming sick really screwed her over as she fell behind in her work.

Literary Analysis: Lord of the Flies

GENERAL

1. A horrific plane crash sends a group of young British boys—youngest six and oldest twelve—stranded on an island with a dead pilot. The plane was evacuating the boys away from Britain during a raging war. Two boys, Ralph and Piggy, are found alone on the beach and discover a conch, which gives Ralph the idea to rally up the other boys that were on the plane with the conch. As the boys gather, they agree that Ralph will be their leader. Jack, a leader of the boys’ choir group, argues that he should be leader but Ralph compromises that he will be the leader of the hunting group to which Jack agrees. As the plot moves forward, Jack and his group of hunters begin to question Ralph’s authority as leader. Being the leader of a large group of boys proved to be difficult to Ralph as no one seemed to want to build a fire seriously as a way to contact a rescue. The boys start to grow nervous about a ‘monster’ hiding in the jungle and are convinced even more so when they stumble upon a dead man with a parachute draped over him, believing it was a deformed ape by how it was hunched over. (There was an airplane battle over the sleeping boys from which the dead man came from.) Jack’s bloodlust for killing pigs has increased and a chaotic revelry is thrown for their success. They had decapitated a pig and mounted the head on a stick as a sacrifice to the ‘monster’, which his pig is later defined as the Lord of the Flies. Simon, another innocent boy, discovers that the ‘monster’ is actually a dead man and that it was all their imagination. Simon, unfortunately, is killed by the boys that night when they believe him to be the monster. Jack forms his own tribe and leaves Ralph, Piggy, and a pair of twin boys to survive by themselves. Ralph and Piggy go to confront Jack. Jack and Ralph engage in a fight and Piggy is killed by one of the boys dismantling a boulder and letting it crush Piggy, shattering the conch. Ralph flees from the animalistic boys trying to kill him and Jack sets the island on fire, trying to smoke out Ralph’s hiding place in the jungle. Ralph stumbles upon a navy officer on the beach from which they were signaled by the fire and is so traumatized by the past events that he weeps. The other boys weep as well when they see that an adult is now amongst their midst. Their upsetting experience on the island was finally over.

 
2. The theme of the novel circles around the idea of a base of government and how we govern ourselves. William Golding had a most creative idea towards removing authoritative adults from a society that is ruled by preadolescents. The fact that they are preadolescents makes the situation even worse. It’s maintaining a civilized structure of living that makes it a challenge to these young boys. Most of them don’t even know how to take care of themselves with the youngest being around six years old. It’s easy to switch from living a life where rules were followed to living a life where freedom is put to extreme measures. We see these within the characters, too, where Ralph is all for civility and Jack is one who swells in power. That animalistic impulse still lies within those characters and are carried off when split apart from an organized society.

 
3. The author’s tone is daunting, suspenseful, and rather heart-rending. Speaking in third person, Golding really emphasizes his tone in important scenes that deal with symbolism or foreshadowing such as the death of characters. His suspenseful tone is used during Jack’s first hunt for a pig. The suspense of him killing the pig is forceful onto the readers when Jack finally strikes that blow or lowers the knife. The daunting tone reflects off of the symbolic pig’s head absolutely covered in flies. When the Lord of the Flies (pig) speaks to Simon, there is a very chilling feel to it that has the readers on edge. Plus, the imagery also captures that daunting tone. The heart-rending tone comes with the death of characters such as Piggy and Simon. Piggy’s death, especially, since the readers had a connection to that character and felt sympathy for Piggy’s struggles.


4. Symbolism: This really helped me understand the book with how Golding used symbolism to create foreshadowing, an establishment of the theme, and how it was used to move the plot. The conch is an excellent example of symbolizing a ground set of rules and how they are followed. It symbolizes order in society. “They obeyed the summons on the conch, partly because Ralph blew it, and he was big enough to be a link with the adult world of authority.” Pg. 50.

 Foreshadowing: I pointed out some foreshadowing that dealt with the deaths of Piggy and Simon. Simon began with the Lord of the Flies scene where the pig head mentioned having fun with Simon. This tells the reader that something horrible will happen with Simon. Also, in the beginning of chapter six, boulders begin rolling off the Castle Rock cliff, foreshadowing Piggy’s death.

 Imagery: Golding adds a lot of details to the imagery in nearly every scene. His descriptions of the island, the crash, the characters, and the monsters inside the island and the boys is detailed enough to place the reader into the story. This also really helps the reader picture the situation as if a painting is shown right in front of them. It’s a powerful message that Golding uses to his advantage in the book.

Simile: This device was mainly used when describing the scenery or when one of the characters was performing an action. It’s also one of the few devices that are easily pointed out in the story. Golding used many. “Ralph lolled in the water. Sleep enveloped him like the swathing mirages that were wrestling with the brilliance of the lagoon.” Pg. 9. “Inside was peacock water, rocks and weed showing as in an aquarium.” Pg. 26.  

 Personification: The readers get a feel of the animation happening with Golding’s device, personification. The inanimate objects come to life and it clarifies that each inanimate object has a feeling of life in them. “Clouds of birds rose from the tree-tops, and the something squealed and ran in the undergrowth.” Pg. 12.

 
CHARACTERIZATION

1. In the beginning of the story, Golding uses direct characterizations with the characters, Piggy and Ralph. Piggy was described as a short, fat boy with round glasses who is asthmatic. Ralph was described as a skinny boy with fare hair and a rather pale complexion. The indirect characterization comes with the character Jack. He describes him with direct characterization but then describes his personal character with indirect characterization. He describes Jack’s nature by how he acts when leading the slaughtering. My impression of Jack at the end was that he was: “You’re a beast and a swine and a bloody, bloody thief!” Pg. 117. It completely changed from innocence to a cold blooded murderer; a dictator who deals with too much power.

 
2. Golding’s diction and syntax is fairly simple to understand; simple and powerful to each character. His diction is fairly static throughout the book, but his intensity increases with certain characters. Simon is a good example when focusing on him. Golding writes him as an innocent character and plays around with how Simon speaks and the description of the character. They are nice and short sentences, but it conveys a message that Simon is more than likely going to be an important character later on when speaking of his innocence. Jack is a whole other story. He’s the antagonist of the story, which he is given detail to his actions and his dialogue is more demanding and lengthy than Simon’s. So Golding really expresses his characters through the change of diction.

 
3. The protagonist, Ralph, is pretty much static/ flat through the entire story because he has leadership that never wavers EXCEPT for in the scene when Simon is killed. Both Piggy and Ralph become caught up in the tribe’s animalistic nature of chants. They’re blind to the fact that the beast doesn’t exists because, even though they don’t contribute in the killing of Simon, they still believe that Simon was the monster when emerging from the bushes. They didn’t stop the tribe from killing Simon nor did they stop chanting along with the group. But, they’re behaviors became back on track after the traumatic realization that they had killed a close friend on the island. They still maintained that sense of civility.

 
4. I felt as though I had come back feeling like I had met a person. The character I had a connection to the most was Piggy. This mainly goes towards my childhood being fairly similar to Piggy’s and how similar we were. I was a weak link in elementary and junior high and was picked on by friends. But it was also how Golding wrote Piggy’s character. His quotes spoke to me every time he tried to say something worth saying. I became frustrated when no one would listen to Piggy except Ralph and Simon. I felt VERY emotional with the death of Piggy and I felt as though something detached from me personally. “How can you expect to be rescued if you don’t put first things first and act proper?”

 
Favorite quotes: “Sucks to you’re ass-mar!”

                           “Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!”

                           “Maybe there is a beast… maybe it’s only us.”

 

Notes on Hamlet

It was a most definite plot twist when Hamlet killed Polonius. I really didn't see that coming. I've been finding it difficult to follow along with the story when I'm reading it by myself. I really have to have someone who will help me clarify what exactly is going on. And then I read the remix's and those really helped me comprehend what was going on in those particular scenes. I'm all for collaboration when I can get it. I have a feeling things are going to become ugly near the end of Act IV. Hamlet is growing more impatient for the death of his uncle, I can feel it. But with death comes patience so hopefully he hasn't gone really mad with bloodlust or revenge. But the plot has taken some unsuspecting twists that I'm enjoying so far in the play. I have a feeling things are about to go downhill for Hamlet when he takes his revenge too far. How? I'm not sure. But the feeling is still there...

Who Was Shakespeare?

Using sources from Wikipedia, Transparent English Blog, and Wisegeek, I was able to gather some information on Shakespeare that intruiged me. According to these sites, Shakespeare was called "The Bard of Avon" in England and was regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. His main works consist of sonnets, plays, and poems. He produced most of them between 1589 and 1613. They were mainly tragedies and histories, his comedies were widely known. I could honestly go on and on about his personal life, early years, and so on and so forth, but as to getting down to what we students know about him, we interpret Shakespeare as a man who had written ingenious works that is vastly known even today. So, clearly everyone has a general idea of who he is and what he has done, that's for sure. But knowing the depth of his writing is the tricky part. I always found that challenging with Shakespeare's diction and syntax... being able to interpret what the characters are actually talking about. And so, it helps whenever we go through and analyze his works. Reading Hamlet and going over it is actually helping me understand the context better than compared to freshman year.

To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

My initial impression about Facebook was that it's this really cool site that all of my friends are hanging out on and posting awesome pictures and crap like that. Now I see it as a site that's equivilant to a brainwashing mechanism you see in those futuristic movies. I had gotten a Facebook account becuase everyone I knew was connected with one another and I suppose I had felt out of the loop. Besides, I was influenced at a younger age. I don't go on it much, but only if it's for something important. I feel as though people are on Facebook for too long and it really becomes distracting. And usually those people are on there out of boredom and for non productive reasons. Collaboration for important purposes, I can understand, but playing Farmville for hours on end? Ridiculous if you ask me. That article portrayed a message to me that kids at an even younger age are becoming impressionable to the deep hypnotic swirls circling around the wonders of Facebook. Facebook is very useful in a sense where it's memorable to get together as a unit of an undivided force and expand our knowledge. And, you have to admit, it's awesome to catch up with those who are living in different parts of the world. But it makes me worried when I see my sister spending three hours on Facebook playing games and posting silly comments or messages to people's walls. Procrastination is a huge problem for us adolescence out there.

 

A Day in the Life of Glass

made possible by Corning

 

A video that speaks to all viewers about the future and what it holds for us. It's amazing to me that most of the technology shown here is already invented. This video shows me what is made possible when living in a world where our minds are taken to the test and how we contribute to this growing world. It's the twenty-first century, baby. We can do anything. :)

Vocabulary List #9 Remix

Alliterations. Ah, they are fun, no? I figured it would be a really cool way to try and remember the vocab. Even though they are tougher than they seem (and some may not even make sense in the sentence), they were still fun to do. I regret nothing. Drawings would have been fun but Kelli already took that idea into action. Enjoy.

Abortive: failing to produce the intended result


An abortive action attempting to assuage angry animals augmented attacks that day.


Bruit: spread a report or rumor widely


Brittany bruited bad bologna 'bout Bethany's bossy boyfriend.


Contumelious: scornful and insulting behavior


Carly's comments created cancerous criticism to her contumelious.

 
Dictum: a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source; a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle


Deputy David's dictum defeated Dexter's demeanor and denounced him deeply.


Ensconce: establish or settle


Ebony ensconced excitedly in Europe.


Iconoclastic: characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions


The iconoclastic, Ivan, incinerated India's idol in India itself.


In medias res: a narrative that begins somewhere in the middle of a story rather than the beginning


Inventing impressive in medias res isn't impossible.


Internecine: destructive to both sides in a conflict


Interfering into internecine issues isn't important if it's involving idiotic information.


Maladroit: ineffective or bungling; clumsy


Maddie's maladroit manner mortified the many men making mirrors.


Maudlin: self-pitying or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness


Mark's maudlin moments marked a meaningful memory in the minds of the merry men.


Modulate: exert a modifying or controlling influence on


Matt modulated Martha's moon model into a magnificent masterpiece.  


Portentous: of or like a portent; done in a pompously or overly solemn manner


Parting portentously, the party pompously prattled over petty problems pertaining to poor people.


Prescience: the power to foresee the future


Patrick's prescience proved perilous after plotted plants poisoned the public.


Quid pro quo: a favor or advantage granted in return for something


Quinn's quid pro quo created qualms quite unsettling, yet, quirky.


Salubrious: health-giving, healthy; pleasant, not run-down


Seeing Sally's salubrious state started something spectacular that summer.


Saturnalia: the ancient Roman festival of Saturn in December; an occasion of wild revelry


Celebrating Saturnalia saved Saturn from saying something on the subject.


Touchstone: a standard or criterion by which something is judged or recognized


Ted's talk on the touchstone for technology tells about the touchscreen tablet.


Traumatic: emotionally disturbing or distressing; relating to or causing psychological trauma


*Taco Tuesday turned traumatic for Tony when Trevor toppled over turning turquoise.


Vitiate: spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of; destroy or impair the legal validity of.


Victor vitiated the value of the vulture's velocity, voicing his verification.


Waggish: humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner


Woody's waggish ways in wiping the wonderful Buzz away was wacky.


*My favorite alliteration. It seemed fitting.

 

Reflection on Vocab Midterm

I thought I did really well on the vocabulary midterm. I was very confident when taking the test and even though I knew I would miss a few, I was still proud of myself for only missing five words altogether. :) I will probably be using the same method to study for the final as I did for the midterm. I'll go over the midterm cards, and thank goodness I still have all the cards, and then the later terms. Hopefully the outcome will prove to be a success. I do enjoy learning new words and I like adding them into stories for future references.

A Note To Myself and Viewers

1. Cleaning up my blog today so it will be up to date and looking stunning.

2. Collaboration with my fellow students.

3. Will absolutely do my best to catch up with the class itself. I DON'T want to fall behind.

4. I apologize for such a late notice but stress tends to do things...ugly things. (Everyone has been there. Done that.)

5. And finally, seeking advice for time management and how to overpower procrastination.

THIS...IS...THE DAY!

Vocabulary Fall List #7

Aberration: n. state or condition markedly different from the norm; disorder in one's mental state

The caped villain disappeared in a puff of smoke, which was an aberration for those who drove to work every morning.

Ad hoc: adv. for the special purpose or end presently under consideration

The ad hoc SWAT team arrived to take care of the hostage situation immediately.

Bane: n. something that causes misery or death

Who's to say that my little sister isn't the bane of my existence?

Cantankerous: adj. having a difficult and contrary dispoistion; unwilling to cooperate

Nikki became cantankerous when her mother asked her to finish her homework.

Casuistry: n. argumentation that is specious or excessively subtle and intended to be misleading

His reasonings for being against certain races was at the most casuistry.

De Facto: n. in fact; in reality

Though magic tricks may seem real to the audience, de facto it is all an optical illusion.

Depredation: n. an act of plundering and pillaging; a destructive action

The pinata burst into flames and from that day on Johnny's depredation limited his invites to parties.

Empathy: n. understanding and entering into another's feelings

Her eyes softened in empathy on her friend for she knew what it felt like to lose someone close.

Harbinger: n. and indication of the approach of something or someone; foreshadow or presage

They say that seeing the Grim Reaper is a harbinger for your future death.

Hedonism: n. the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle

Her hedonism in the field of art began with that first feel of the clay in her hands.

Lackluster: adj. lacking luster or shine; lacking brilliance or vitality

His lackluster comment in class caused a series of snickers to be heard around the room.

Malcontent: adj. discontented as toward authority; n. person who is digusted or discontented

Jessica's fellow malcontents continued to protest against some of the laws in school.

Mellifluous: adj. soft, sweet voice; pleasing to the ear

"Touch the spindle wheel," the mellifluous voice said again, catching the ears of Aurora.

Nepotism: n. favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power

The owner's nepotism was increasingly frowned upon when he announced that his teenage daughter was now head chef of the restaurant.

Pander: n. person who furnishes clients for a prostitute; pimp; person who caters to or profits from the weaknesses or vices of others.

The pander gave a beguiling grin to his next victim walking down the street.

Peccadillo: n. a petty misdeed; slight offense

Carl's joke was a peccadillo that angered Alyssa, which caused an uncomfortable silence afterwards.

Piece de Resistance: n. the most noteworthy or prized feature of a series or group

Dr. Del Rio's piece de resistance was shown at an art gallery in San Luis Obispo.

Remand: v. to send back, remit, or consign again; send back into custody, as to await further proceedings.

The judge decided to remand Fry back into the facility of Criminally Insane Robots.

Syndrome: n. complex of concurrent things; pattern of symptoms indicative of some disease

I sympathized with my friend who's sibling had down syndrome.

Literary Analysis: In the Lake of the Woods

1. John and Kathy Wade are two peas in a pod who have been married for nearly seventeen years. After a devastating political loss for State Senate that ruined his reputation and career, John decided that he and Kathy needed to go on a vacation in a remote area. They stayed in an area called The Lake of the Woods where they camped out in a small cottage near a large lake surrounded by thick pines a few miles away from the nearest town. Beginning to reminisce his traumatic past, John’s mind goes off kilter and Kathy knows that something is wrong with her husband during their vacation. She grows worried and contemplates what to do while John was in this state of mind. His constant depression about losing the election grips him hard and he starts reliving the days when he was stationed in Vietnam (he was known as Sorcerer with all the magic tricks he performed) and the anger he felt when his father committed suicide. His wife mysteriously disappears one morning during their vacation and John doesn’t recall what had happened to her or where she was. All they knew was a boat was missing, which explains that she may have gotten herself lost out on the lake. However, others began thinking otherwise. Folks started to grow suspicious of John’s enigmatic character and soon subtle accusations were thrown his way, which angered him because he was positive that he did nothing to his wife; he loved her too dearly. A massive search party began looking for Kathy but there was never any evidence that showed where she had gone. The author remains elusive as to where she went, even after John went out on the lake and looked for her himself. Both boats had gone missing by then and no one had seen either of them since. No one knows what had happened to them and the truth will always remain a mystery in the eyes of the reader.

2. The theme of the novel can be interpreted in many ways as there are many ideas that are said to be the theme of the book. The way I look at it, an important theme in the story would revolve around living in the past and the consequences that are connected with it. Throughout the book, John was known for hiding inside his past instead of moving forward with the people he loves most, particularly Kathy. O’Brien even gives examples of John with his magic tricks by showing us him constantly living in a world of mirrors where traumatic events are blown away in the wind. With this method, he would slip away from reality instead of facing it, which consequently gave a twist of insanity with his character.

3. The author’s tone in the story was very mysterious and rather eerie. I also found his tone to be informative much like an interviewer in different sections of the story. But the tone that stood out was that mysterious aura that seeped into the ears of the reader. A good example would be when John began to boil water in a teakettle during the middle of the night while muttering, “Kill Jesus”, and it sets an unnerving tone in the story. Readers begin to question his methods and dialogue when reading this particular scene. Another great example is through the interviews with the Vietnam veterans. The descriptions of some of the events in Vietnam left a creepy tone with the characters and how they reacted to some of the questions asked. “All I remember is the flies…” “We were breathing flies when it was over. They crawled up into our noses.” –Richard Thinbill.

4. Rhetorical Questions: O’Brien used this technique during the story whenever an important scene ends and he, as the narrator, begins asking questions on the plot of the story and he gives the readers something to think about during the story. “Does happiness strain credibility? Is there something in the human spirit that distrusts its own appetites, its own yearning for healing and contentment? Can we not believe that two adults, in love, might resolve to make their own miracle?” It’s also about the nature of life from time to time.

Repetition: O’Brien uses A LOT of repetition throughout the story. It’s one of the first things I noticed when reading. A line that kept appearing was “Kill Jesus” with Wayne. This, I believe, helps the reader recall back to a certain point in time and say, “Oh, yes, I remember now. Gee, the author most really like emphasizing this particular phrase in order to remind us of John’s character.” O’Brien will also describe the same scenes in later chapters to dramatize how powerful this moment is.

Anaphora: Usually in every other chapter the author will start it out with the word “Maybe” to put ideas in the reader’s heads and actions that might’ve happened. “What happened, maybe, was that Kathy drowned. Something freakish: a boating accident. Maybe a sandbar. Maybe she was skimming along…etc. Maybe she leaned over and kissed him. Maybe she whispered something.” These things come often within every other chapter.

Flashbacks: O’Brien uses flashbacks to intensify the plot by bringing back John’s past and keeping the readers informed of the character’s background. “When he was a boy, John Wade’s hobby was magic. In the basement, where he practiced in front of a stand-up mirror, he made his mother’s silk scarves change color.” This technique, I would guess, is one of the author’s favorite to use because of how often he uses it in this book and in his other Vietnam book. Many of the flashbacks came during the interviews as well about the war John was in.

Symbolism: This technique was mainly seen with the main character, John. The way John would occasionally slip back into his world of mirrors symbolized the freedom he desired through magic, pretending they weren’t tricks. His Vietnam pals calling him Sorcerer during the war was a nickname that symbolized something that he could take pride in; that he was their good luck charm. The way that John talked about him and Kathy being a couple of snakes swallowing each other up symbolized their love. “One plus one equals zero!”

Allusions: O’Brien used allusions such as quotes from books or famous people that had a relevance to the story. They popped up usually during time when interviews were going on. “In every trick there are two carefully thought out lines—the way it looks and the way it is. The success of your work depends upon your understanding the relationship of these lines.” –Robert Parrish (The Magician’s Handbook). He would also use Richard Nixon’s quotes to emphasize the plot of the story.

Irony: The only examples of irony I could think of relates to the Vietnam War. When you think of soldiers—American soldiers that is—you think of resilient, strong men with a strong passion in defeating the enemy in order to protect their country. However, O’Brien writes it in a way where many of the men were dragged into the mess without much thought on it. While they were killing the enemy, many of them were crying, shooting with their eyes closed and pretending as if they were somewhere else.

Imagery: This device is used when describing the woodsy area they resided in and the bitter foxholes in Vietnam. He often switches on and off between these scenes where description is vivid and helps the readers visualize the background picture. “A golden September day, fresh-feeling, crisp and new, and everything was part of everything else. It all blended into a smooth repetitive oneness, the trees and coves and water and sky, each piece of wilderness identical to every other piece.”

Metaphors: O’Brien liked to use metaphors to describe politicians and soldiers in the story. Their characteristics would stand out and clarify what the audience was reading and who these people were and how they were like. “John was a killing machine in the political business.” Or he would even describe Tony, the large politician, as a pig. Tony would say, “Yeah, I’m a pig.” John and Kathy were “two peas in a pod”.

Similes: O’Brien used a few similes here and there. Though not as strong as metaphors, they still will distinct characters from each other. “The man was like one of them famous onions. Keep peeling back the layers, there’s always more.” He would also use this technique to describe areas from his characters. “The place stunk, especially that ditch. Flies everywhere. They glowed in the dark. It was like the spirit world or something.” –Richard Thinbill.

 

Note: Technical difficulites + procrastination = late update. (Now you know.)

 

Vocabulary Fall List #6

Beatitude: n. supreme blessedness

His beatitude towards the hungry had spread his news far and wide.

Bete noire: n. person or thing disliked or dreaded

Piggy immediately became the bete noire in the group of boys by his physical appearance.

Bode: v. to be an omen of; predict

Shaggy's eye twitched and he knew right away that whatever was behind him was not going to bode well when solving this mystery.

Dank: adj. unpleasantly moist or humid; damp and chilly

Ryan's cell was putrid and dank, augmenting his hatred towards cops.

Ecumenical: adj. universal; pertaining to the whole Christian church

Ecumenical praying’s to God is still religiously practiced today.

Fervid: adj. heated or vehement in spirit, enthusiasm, etc.; intensely hot

Patrick's fervid gaze bore a hole in the back of his head and he gulped in fear.

Fetid: adj. having an offensive odor; stinking

The fetid sponge cheerfully exclaimed to his friend that they weren't ugly after all; it was their breath!

Gargantuan: adj. huge, immense, vast, incredibly large, etc.

The boy felt highly insulted when his enemy said he had a gargantuan head.

Heyday: n. period of greatest vigor, strength, success; high spirits

Michael Jackson's heyday followed him even after death.

Incubus: n. nightmare; something that weighs upon one like a nightmare

Shaking and shivering in bed, Paul wrapped his arms around his knees as the recent incubus invaded his mind once more.

Infrastructure: n. basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for an operation

The infrastructure for the new hardware store would be difficult to set up.

Inveigle: v. to entice or lure by flattery or inducements; to win by beguiling talk or methods

Mackenzie inveigled her friends to vote for her as Most Spirited in the year book.

Kudos: n. honor; glory; acclaim

Kelli told me kudos when I recognized the meaning of the word in the list.

Lagniappe: n. a small gift given with a purchase to a customer, by way of compliment or good measure; bonus or tip

The lagniappe we left for our waitress marked a broad smile on her face.

Prolix: adj. extended to unnecessary or tedious length; long and wordy

The substitute teacher's prolix lecture about her childhood allowed students to catch a few Z's.

Protege: n. person under the patronage, protection, or care of someone interested in his/her career

Sarah was glad she was the protege of her English teacher when she excelled in writing books.

Prototype: n. original model on which something is based or formed

To our disappointment, the prototype of the cabin we wanted showed that it was located too far into the woods for our likings.

Sycophant: n. self-seeking flatterer; fawning parasite

The sycophant was relentless in her attacks as she complimented the popular girl in every direction just so she could get onto that party list.

Tautology: n. needless repetition of an idea; use of different words to say the same thing twice

The linguistically challenged misunderstood this and the phrase became the tautology it is now.

Truckle: v. to submit or yield obsequiously or tamely

All of them usually didn't truckle to any of Gill's ridiculous ideas of escape, but this one felt right somehow.

 

Vocabulary Fall List #5

Acumen: n. keen insight; shrewdness.

John's impressive acumen in his business promised a better future for him.

Adjudicate: v. to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence

The Supreme Court adjudicated that the written word is no longer used in school education.

Anachronism: n. something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time.

Captain America is an anachronism when arriving in the 21st century.

Apocryphal: adj. of doubtful authorship; false.

The apocryphal story told about the legendary hero was later revealed of its truth in class.

Disparity: n. lack of similarity or equality; inequality; difference.

Michelle's disparity from the group did not dissapoint her as she continued her arts and crafts.

Dissimulate: v. to disguise or conceal under a false appearance; dissemble.

Athene had dissiumulated her appearance as a Trojan warrior so as to trick Hektor.

Empirical: adj. derived from or provable by experience or experiment.

The empirical formula had indeed been answered by her intelligence.

Flamboyant: adj. strikingly bold or billiant; showy; dashing and colorful.

The twins' flamboyant style of clothing turned the heads of every student that Friday.

Fulsome: adj. offensive to good taste; overdone or gross; repulsive.

Johnny grimaced when the fulsome pile of unidentified grey mush was dumped onto his tray at lunch.

Immolate: v. to sacrifice; to destroy by fire.

Would he really go as far as to immolate the only thing he ever loved in order to save the nation?

Imperceptible: adj. very slight or subtle; not perceptible.

Her imperceptible gesture to get him to stop babbling like an idiot made no difference as the fool continued.

Lackey: n. a servile follower; toady.

Kelli silently fumed when Owen referred to her as his lackey.

Liaison: n. communication or contact between units or groups.

The liaison between Sarah and Mackenzie was incredible.

Monolithic: adj. consisting of one piece; solid or unbroken.

The monolithic double yellow line in the middle of the road can be confusing to beginning drivers; which side of the road am I supposed to be on?

Mot Juste: n. the appropriate word or expression.

I believe that the word 'crap' is the mot juste for any dissapointing situation.

Nihilism: n. total rejection of established laws and insitutions.

Jessica stated that her buddies in the slammer were there for their nihilism.

Patrician: n. a person of noble or high rank; aristocrat.

The patrician stried down the sidewalk while swishing his cane and tipping his hat.
Propitiate: v. to make favorably inclined; appease.

Igor strived to propitiate his master in any way possible.
Sic: v. to attack.

"Sic her, boy!" I yelled pathetically at my hamster when my sister walked into my room.

Sublimate: adj. purified or exalted.

The sublimate water quenched my thirst after walking four miles in the blistering heat while searchign for a rest stop.