Dickens Map

1. Your reading schedule to complete your reading/review of the book by Monday, February 4;

2. List five AP questions (with source URLs) that you intend to be able to answer by the time you finish

3. How you think you should be tested on these ideas, and/or how you intend to demonstrate your expertise on your blog.

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1. I'm a bit behind of schedule, to be honest. All of these other activites are getting in my way. But my preparation for this upcoming Monday is to read as many chapters as I can throughout this entire week before the time is up. Also, I know that if I don't get there all the way I could always collaborate with those who have read the bits I've missed and entail me in the details and we could always discuss what the book is about without the use of the internet. Our minds will do the thinking.

2.  How does Estella criticize Pip, and what does his reaction to her criticism reveal about Pip?
 http://hswrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2012/02/great-expectations-questions-and.html

What does it mean that Pip has been raised "by hand"?
 http://hswrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2012/02/great-expectations-questions-and.html

What is implied about England's government when Dickens has Joe tell Pip that Mrs. Joe, being given to government, does not want him to be able to read and write?
 http://hswrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2012/02/great-expectations-questions-and.html

Why is Ms Joe excited that Pip is meeting Miss Havisham?
http://jpdrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2012/02/great-expectations-study-questions.html

Is Pip happy that he is given the opportunity to kiss the beautiful Estelle? Why or why not?
http://jpdrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/2012/02/great-expectations-study-questions.html

3. I think a quiz on the novel would help prove that I have gained enough information from the book to answer the questions and that I have paid attention in all the details given. Also, an extensive amount of collaboration work with those who I follow and who follow me could quiz each other and post those up to each other's blogs as well. In fact, posting the answers one ach other's blogs would be a better solution.

AP Literary Terms 6-30 Remix

Analogy: A comparison made between two things to show the similarities between them.

Yes, they hate each other in the beginning of the movie, Wreck it Ralph, but when compared later on, they find out they aren't so different after all. :)

Analysis: A method in which a work or idea is separated into its parts, and those parts given rigorous and detailed scrutiny.

 Though not a video I could find, I chose this scene from The Nightmare Before Christmas because it focuses on Jack analyzing Christmas into smaller parts.

Anaphora: A device or repetition in which a word or words are repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences.

This sends chills up your spine, no? I chose this particular scene from Tim Burton's Corpse Bride because the character, Victor, uses anaphora beginning with the words "with this..." while trying to speak his vows. Minus the whole chase scene afterwards, it's a good demonstration of anaphora.

Anecdote: A very short story used to illustrate a point.

    Well, what do you know! Short stories that illustrate a point! Huh...

Antagonist: A person or force opposing the protagonist in a drama or narrative.

 Batman. Go figure. He's there to kick butt and take names. Typical antagonist.

Antithesis: A balancing of one term against another for emphasis or stylistic effectiveness.

 Hmm. This works... (Tragedy and Comedy)

Aphorism: A terse, pointed statement expressing some wise or clever observation about life.

 I feel warm and fuzzy inside when I read this...

Apologia: A defense or justification for some doctrine, piece of writing, cause, or action; also apology.

 Steven Colbert is known for defending his rights and interviewing people who argue against him. He's also a comedian, which is what most people watch him for, but overall it's an example of apologia.

Apostrophe: A figure of speech in which an absent or dead person, an abstract quality, or something inanimate or nonhuman is addressed directly.

Another classic Tim Burton film. In this movie, Beetlejuice, Lydia is talking to Beetlejuice, who happens to not be human. This represents apostrophe.

Argument(ation): The process of convincing a reader by proving either the truth or the falsity of an idea or proposition.

This video always makes me giggle. A perfect example of an argument. What better way to show it than with Monty Python? In fact, I was introduced to this in your class two years ago.

Assumption: The act of supposing, or taking granted that a thing is true.

I'm sorry, but when I saw this, I nearly peed my pants. The Assumption Song is perfect for this.

Audience: The intended listener or listeners.

 YYEAAAHHH ROCK ON! An audience I enjoy.

Characterization: The means by which a writer reveals a character's personality.

J.K Rowling is one of the best authors who uses memorable characterization in the Harry Potter series.

Chiasmus: A reversal in the order of words so that the second half of a statement balances the first have in inverted word order.

 I beg to differ... 

Circumlocution: A roundabout or evasive speech or writing, in which many words are used but a few would have served.

I bet Brian can't wait until this whole ordeal is over. Ordeal is what? Over. Yeah, I thought this is was a good example to show for circumlocution.

Classicism: Art, literature, and music reflecting the principles of Ancient Greece or Rome: tradition, reason, order, and balance.

 Yyyeah.

Cliche: A phrase or situation overused within society.

  Well, in a less demonic way. CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE? Meaning: Why so silent all of a sudden? Left speechless.

Climax: The decisive point in a narrative or drama; the pint of greatest intensity or interest at which plot question is answered or resolved.

This is one of the greatest scenes in Pixar's Toy Story. Another climax scene would've been with Sid and the talking toys, but this one holds a special place in movie climax's when their problem on how to get to the moving truck is resolved.

Colloquialism: Folksy speech, slang words or phrases usually used in informal conversation.

 This is just classic. I love this example.

Comedy: A ludicrous, farcical, or amusing event designed to provide enjoyment or produce smiles and laughter.

    Just a few examples...

Conflict: A struggle or problem in the story causing tension.

Though comedic, this obviously shows a conflict between these two nautical creatures trying to paint the inside of their bosses garage.

Connotation: Implicit meaning, going beyond dictionary definition.

 Yeah, the example would've been better...

Contrast: A rhetorical device in which one element is thrown into opposition to another for the sake of emphasis or clarity.

 The Dark Side vs. a Jedi Master contrasts each other perfectly to emphasize the two sides.

Denotation: Plain dictionary definition.

Thes·pi·an

   /ˈθɛspiən/ Show Spelled[thes-pee-uhn] Show IPA

adjective

1. ( often lowercase ) pertaining to tragedy or to the dramatic art in general.

2. of or characteristic of Thespis.

3. of or pertaining to Thespiae.

noun

4. ( sometimes lowercase ) a tragedian; an actor or actress.

Denouement: Loose ends tied up in a story after the climax, closure, or conclusion.

Very sad ending, but it does represent the denouement in the movie.

Poetry Analysis

http://www.pittsfordschools.org/webpages/gwiener/index.cfm?subpage=20708

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird  -Wallace Stevens

Paraphrase: Blackbirds are often mistaken as unholy creaters; a dark omen if you will. However, the author contradicts these beliefs by claiming that these birds are one with us. Stevens view of blackbirds are different and bring a whole new perspective to the human eye. In other words, he basically questions those who are afraid of the blackbird and tries to make them see better.

Purpose: Why are people blind towards what is a beauty of nature? The author emphasizes the purpose by wanting them to know his view towards the birds. He wants them to look at something claimed devilish and see reflected beauty. We are all one and the same.

Structure: Stanzas separated by Roman Numerals, reaching to the number thirteen, hence the title. No rhyming intended in the stanzas. Stanzas consisting of two to seven lines in a mixed order.

Shift: It starts out with first narrative but then shifts into third person and narrates other characters.

Speaker: Third person narrative.

Spelling/Grammar/Diction: Some rhetorical questioning; repetitive word in every stanza, "blackbird"; easy going language that was simple to comprehend, yet sometimes puzzling to the readers.

Tone: Questioning, calm, analytical.

Theme: Why must blackbirds be such misunderstood creatures when they are no different than us? We are all one and the same. Let us not fear what we find no beauty in, for there is always beauty to be found.

Because I Could Not Stop For Death  -Emily Dickinson

Paraphrase: Dickinson really outdid herself with this poem. I really love it. Anyway, why must death be feared when death is patient with us? "Because I could not stop for death, he kindly stopped for me." Her journey with death is of a civil nature and is with no haste.

Purpose: To describe that death does not affect our sense of enjoyment in our lives. She rather invites death to her with care as death has done for her.

Structure: Five stanza poem with four lines in each. Rhyming every other line in a quartet. (I'm not very good at wording the structures of poems.)

Shift: The shift goes through her entire lifespan, but is very short and is one line before switching to another metaphor symbolizing her life passing by.

Speaker: Emily Dickinson herself, I presume.

Spelling/Grammar/Diction: She uses a LOT of metaphors such as "passed the fields of gazing grain" representing the growth of her childhood and "...a house that seemed a swelling of the ground" representing her grave. Also "The roof was scarcely visible..." representing the tombstone as the roof. The language was fairly understandable though and I enjoyed it.

Tone: Care-free, insightful, serene

Theme: Do not push death away, rather, let death invite you kindly when the time comes into a world of eternity. Live the fullest and do not waste moments waiting for death, let him wait for you.

Lady Lazarus  -Sylvia Plath

Paraphrase: The Holocaust is no joking matter. A jewish woman within that time period describes the atrocities of her adversities with the Germans. With each revival, she is wanting to be closer to death, and being nothing but skin and bones, she has no choice but to contribute with these tortures.

Purpose: Plath wanted to show her view of the Holocaust through the eyes of a character suffering through the attempted deaths that the Nazi's have inflicted. A poem that puts such an unforgettable event in a whole new light for those who are unaware of what went on.

Structure: Stanzas consisting of three lines; free verse.

Shift: The shift is rather unrecognizable. It mainly stays through the character's perspective of her near death experiences and vows of revenge so as to relieve herself through the clutches of death.

Speaker: First person character. Name... Lady Lazarus? I'm not quite sure.

Spelling/Grammar/Diction: Language was choppy and plainly clear to the readers. She used symbolism by comparing the character to a Pheonix, where she is burned and then reborn from the ashes.

Tone: Daunting, morbid, myserious, angry, exhuasted, gloomy

Theme: The tormented souls in the Holocaust are represented in this one character, who years for death after decades of agony. Innocent souls are burned and Plath did a great job at showing the world her view on such a horrendous event.

I Go Back to May 1937  -Sharon Olds

Paraphrase: Someone has traveled back in time to see their parents dating, ready to start a life together. However, as romantic as that sounds, this person regrets them ever meeting for in the future holds nothing but dread and bad decisions from them. No matter how much that person wants to intervene and stop such futuristic events, the value of life is much more important and that person would rather live and tell about it.

Purpose: Perhaps Sharon Olds wrote the poem becuase it is a representative of her life and her regrets; it's of wishing for a better life. This is an educated guess considering every author has a connection with their work, but this could also be in the persepctive of someone close to her and SHE is the motherly figure.

Structure: All one stanza and it's free verse.

Speaker: First person and it could be Sharon Olds who is narrating it

Spelling/Grammar/Diction: Very straight to the point; uses anaphora such as "you are going to..."; diction is plain and she uses short, concise sentences that is easily understandable to the readers.

Tone: Nostalgic, sorrowful, analytical

Theme: I presume the theme to be that the past is in the past and we can only learn from it. Changing the past doesn't set the future in stone and facing it is better than running from it. (Lion King reference.)

Annabel Lee  -Edgar Allan Poe

Paraphrase: One of my favorite poems by Poe. The narrator's unforgetable love towards his deceased wife is voiced out as he assures that their love is unbreakable and forever holds strong even though she is no longer there and buried in a kingdom by the sea.

Purpose: This poem totally connects with the poet, Edgar Allan Poe, by the fact that he was wraught with grief after his wife had passed. He wrote in in a rememberance to her and as a way of expressing his love for her.

Structure: Multiple stanzas and rhyming every other sentence; most of the rhyming end with either "me" "sea" "Annabel Lee" and "we".

Speaker: Edgar Allan Poe is the narrator (first person)

Spelling/Grammar/Diction: Poe repeatedly uses the name of the title in this poem in every stanza, emphasizing the love he feels for her. He is rather repetitive and the language is multifaceted, but is clear and easy to understand.

Tone: Mournful, passionate, heart wrenching

Theme: Love is the theme of this poem. The bond of love between two people can never break even in death (no matter how cliche that sounds) and this love that the poet felt for his deceased bride is an example of strength in the heart.

 

AP Literary Terms 1-5 Remix

This remix will be focused on the stories of Disney becuase I love Disney and have always loved anything to do with Disney so the vocabulary words will have a relevance towards something Disney.

1. Allegory: a tale in prose or verse in which characters, actions, or settings respresent abstract ideas or moral qualities; a story that uses symbols to make a point.
 
There are way too many Disney movies to choose from so I chose Disney in general just becuase Disney uses many symbols in his movies to create ideas and get points across.

2. Alliteration: the repetition of similar initial sounds, usually consonants, in a group of words.
Mickey Mouse  Donald Duck

3. Allusion: a reference to a person, place, or event, or a literary work that a writer expects a reader to recognize.
Tangled: Allusion towards the fairy tale story Rapunzel by Brother's Grimm.
   Alice in Wonderland: Allusion towards the literary work Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

4. Ambiguity: something uncertain as to interpretation.

I chose this scene from The Lion King because, first off, I think it's a really funny scene, but also becuase it showed the ambiguity between the characters. Who has a scar? Is the monkey his uncle?

5. Anachronism: somthing that shows up in the wrong place or the wrong time.

  Pleasure Island from Disney's Pinocchio.
Pleasure Island really isn't the best place to end up, but it's not like Pinocchio was to know any better. I thought this would be a good example of anachronism. Because, really, if you show up in the wrong place, you're going to end up looking like this:

AP Prep Post 1: Siddhartha

1. What does enlightenment look like in Siddhartha? Is it a feeling? An attitude? http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/questions.html

2. Is there a relationship between time and and enlightenment? If so, describe it.http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/questions.html

3. What purpose does self-denial serve in Siddhartha?
http://www.gradesaver.com/siddhartha/q-and-a/

4. What is it about the natural world that helps Siddhartha attain enlightment?
http://www.gradesaver.com/siddhartha/q-and-a/

5. In Siddhartha, is it essential to have knowledge in order to have wisdom?
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/siddhartha/study.html

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1. Siddhartha, as seen in the passage we read, had a sudden feeling of enlightenment that he described as an inward chill he continued to experience. The feeling was strong, as well as heart stopping for him.

2. Unable to answer properly.

3. Self-denial opens into the world of self discovery in Siddhartha's eyes and proves to be very beneficial throughout his journey to find himself. I really need more information before going on.

4. I actually would rather read the book and find the answer than try and guess. But my guess would be that the natural world creates a peaceful environment that helps clear Siddhartha's mind until that moment of clarity hits him and he is no longer confused about who he is.

5. Well, what we know about the character Siddhartha, I would say that it is essential to have knowledge in order to have wisdom. His travels increases his knowledge by connecting with the world and gaining information based on his journey to find himself. It's common enough to say that without knowledge then there would be no wisdom and Siddhartha recieves wisdom by collecting knowledge around him.

Fall Semester Reflection

1. I look at my classmates work not too often. Well, I'm not sure how much I should be looking at their blog and trying to word my work like theirs becuase, quite frankly, I feel like I'm just copying their work and not my own. Usually when I look at someone's blog it's out of curiosity. I like to look at the different designs and how each one matches their own personality like mine does. Also, if I feel like I haven't posted anything in a while, I'll check in on other's blogs to see if they posted anything that was supposed to be posted.

2. I think a riot would ensue. I joke, but it woulnd't be the same without using blogger because it's how we express ourselves, and I have to say that we write down our ideas better on our blogs than saying them out loud in the class. Not a lot of students like to speak out loud in case you haven't noticed. I think we would revert to having the schedule be very similar to that of sophomore year without the blogs.

3. Ya know, I wasn't all too thrilled about letting people publicly see what I was writing, but then I thought, 'Hey, why not? In fact, isn't this what real life is all about? Presenting your work to the public?' I most certainly know that my career will have to do with publishing my work, what with making artwork and all. It woulnd't be the same if we didn't have blogger. I really like it and I'm going to look back on this and think about all the work you've put us through and how much I've accomplished on my blogger. In fact, I'll probably continue using the site throughout college.

4. I feel as though I'm part of something much bigger than a classroom now. The physical aura of the classroom has altered into a viral website where it's publicly seen throughout the nation. We're using our ideas and not only discussing them inside the classroom but also in the internet where it's shared with the world. I sometimes feel my blog isn't beeing looked at at all, but I'm pretty sure there are people reading this even as I write it down. I don't find it that creepy.

5. This class is unique. It's one of the most unique courses I've ever taken throughout my years in school. I would tell them it's strange, unique, hard working, and beneficial. I think it is really weird switching from having to turn in homework to posting your homework on the computer so that you're teaching can check to see if you have done it. It's a big step that most schools are taking and I really think it'll help with our future careers no matter what we want to major in because you ultimately can't avoid technology. It's everywhere.

6. Well, they would either be interested in this way of learning or they would rather settle for the familiar feel of turning their homework in physically so their teachers can put a little gold star on it or whatever. Sure, it's difficult trying to get used to the feel of doing everything online, but knowing that your teacher is indeed checking your work is satisfying. Not only is your teacher checking your work but there are other people out there curious on what you have to say.

7. By ways of response, I will give a tip of the hat to people who say, "Awesome! I'm up for grabs!" and simply reply, "Knock yourself out and good luck." Thumbs up. To those who oppose then I could really care less. Whatever. Their life. But I would say this:"Try it anyway. You might like it. You'll learn to succumb to the system... Mahaha..." Ah, but who am I to judge? I'm just an experimental student who enjoys writing down thoughts. But, seriously, I do reccommend that people give it a go and experience the awesome force of technology.

What's In This For ME?

Well, I've finally come to terms that I am in fact going to go to Fullerton. I, at least, want to go there. They  have a great animation program and I do love acting and singing so I think I'll fit in just fine.  My goal, really, is to gain my own personal trust on my future. I'm VERY self conscientious about where my future is heading. I live in the past too often. And so I'm hoping that this class will help me see the success that I envision every time I look at a Disney movie, Dreamwork, and Pixar. I want to BE a part of that very much. The AP test is a step towards the knowledge I'll gain in college. I just need to excel in my essays and specifically comprehend what I am reading. Last year was a disaster in the AP exam and I don't want to repeat that ever again. Oh, this semester I'm going to shape up and do my best in this class while gaining personal information about myself that was never revealed before in my other classes. :) I'm already starting to feel the awesome passion rise inside me just thinking about my future...