Little Free Libraries

Hope everyone has an amazing holiday! This card was in the local little free library and I thought it was nice, so I decided to post it :)!

Literary Circles!

My literary group picked to read The Tale of Two Cities, which turned about to be a great book even though it took forever to read. Each part of the book is connected to one another which creates a sort of quest for the audience. Overall, I really enjoyed the book! Now, for my literary circle, I was given the job of illustrator. An illustrator draws events, characters, or themes within the book. My illustrations are posted below:

My illustrations are simple, but display significant aspects from each part of the book. 

Group members:

Shane 

Edmond

Colter

Comparison Essay: Rough Draft

Comparison Essay: Rough Draft
Sartre VS. Plato

Actions speak louder than words. Each individual is judged by their actions and reactions to various situations. These actions and reactions often cause the people around them to create a reputation of who they are even if they don’t really know them. The Allegory of the Cave by Plato and No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre are based around the idea that actions can reveal or hide a characters true colors to the audience. For example, the prisoner in The Allegory of the Cave was able to escape, which uncovered a whole new world or reality. Now, if the prisoner was put back into the cave after his enlightenment, he would not have the same point of view as those around him, which would cause massive changes to take place and influence his actions.

The prisoner would be stuck in a completely different place despite the fact that the cave used to once be his home. The things that were once so familiar will look foreign to the prisoner. He is going to have to accept his difference in point of view in order to live a happy life. This acceptance could also open the doors to a new horizon for the prisoner because he sees and thinks more now than he had ever before due to his expansion of what reality truly is. Now, he is going to want to change the others around him, but this is an impossible quest. Sadly, they don’t understand or learn from him due to the fact that they are going to think he has gone mad since they don’t have the same point of view as him. The prisoner must left go of his past in order to be prepare for the future.

Now, if Estelle from No Exit had to deal with the changes presented to the prisoner, she would remain trapped within her old point of view instead of facing the differences or changes. Estelle would play dumb and try to remain in the dark in the hopes of keeping things the same, but this is an impossible wish. Things are always changing, morphing, and developing no matter how hard we try to stop them. The quest to keep things the same will cause Estelle to become depressed and tortured until the end of time, which shows the dark aspects of Sartre’s literature.

The two pieces of literature hold a common theme of the importance of enlightenment and a true reality. Plato and Sartre have there respective differences, but they both play with the different sides of reality through their character’s actions. The actions of the characters show the changes within their points of views and how they are able to cope with those changes. 

I Can Read

I made 6 mistakes in 5 minutes and 47 seconds. Now, I was going to post the video, but I'm having problems with uploading so I will post the video as soon as I figure it out.

Thinking Outside the Box

The theme of how individuals must over come their ignorance in order to achieve a deeper truth or understanding is a common ideal shared by both Plato and Sartre. Each author has a different way of portraying it through their dialogue. For example, Sartre used actions to create imagery within his piece while Plato developed his story through the questions going on between each of the characters. Now, these two authors have their differences in points of views such as Plato believes that its up to the individual to make the choice in order to obtain knowledge while Sartre believes that individuals learn through being tortured or being around others.

"No Exit"

Reading notes:

- There are three characters who are stuck in a single room. 

- The characters' names are Estelle, Garcin, and Inez.

- They setting is placed in the afterlife, but the three characters have trouble figuring out what they are being punished for.

- Setting: a single room with no mirrors.

- Estelle killed her baby by drowning it since the father of the child was not her husband. She later died of pneumonia while the father of the child committed suicide.

- Garcin was a soldier, who deserted, but was later shot 12 times while escaping to Mexico.

- Inez was is love with a woman, who had a husband, but that didn't stop the affair. The woman's husband ends up being killed by a tram, which causes the woman to lose her mind and kill both herself and Inez by turning the gas on within their home.

-The concept of torture: -Estelle is tortured by Garcin since he doesn't love her , but she is torturing Inez by being so interested in Garcin. -Inez tortures Garcin about not admitting whether or not he is a coward. 

-This makes the story ironic due to the fact that they have no idea who or what they are being published by when in reality they are torturing themselves.

Answers:

1. I imagine my hell looking like the setting described by Sartre. I have a tendency to over- think, so  my mind would become either a prison or an escape to relaxation. Personally, I don't believe that there is a fiery physical place called hell. I believe that hell depends on the individual's point of view and beliefs. Each human being is different, so our personal ideas of hell are going to be different as well. Now, if I were to be trapped in the room created by Sartre, I would probably begin to over-think about certain aspects of my past life and develop a feeling of being trapped with no escape.
2. "Everything in moderation" is a quote that I completely agree with. There can be too much of a good thing and can ruin the overall experience since it's no longer as special due to its over usage.
3. The usage of dialogue to develop the tone of the setting provides a sort of challenge to the audience since we must create the imagine of the setting within our own minds. The setting in which Sartre created would be terrible to live in and I would probably still practice my daily routine, but I hope I would be able to accept my surroundings in order to move on and relax peacefully. 

"Allegory of the Cave" Essay and Vocabulary Quiz all wrapped in one

Touch, smell, sight, and sound are the senses in which we, as humans, use to survive each and every day, but what about the usage of our minds? “The Allegory of the Cave” within the book called The Republic  by Plato is centered around the idea that our senses hide a deeper truth. Each of us rely on our senses rather than our analytical thoughts. Now, the figurative language within this piece alludes to this concept and also shows the purpose for which Plato wrote the book, The Republic , which was to show the people and the government that should abdicate or expurgate their gothic senses and understand the true reality of what is going on in order to make the best decisions for their society. 

The term allegory is defined as a story, poem, or picture that hides or alludes to a bigger meaning. “The Allegory of the Cave” illustrates the theme that our minds are the only tool we posses that will allow us to reach a true concept of reality or euphoria. That may have been brusque, but that is the reason why Plato wrote this piece of literature. He wanted to show the people about the importance of knowledge and expanding their horizons, which is why he uses the metaphor of the sun. In addition, Plato wrote to the people for his mentor Socrates, who was killed by the government since they didn’t like how was asking others within the community to question the government’s and their own authority or integrity. What we believe to be the truth or correct may be completely incorrect within the eyes of another. Looking past what we see, hear, or touch will open the doors of our mind and allow a deeper understanding to develop in which we can use to make our lives and the lives around us better. 

Figurative language and vivid imagery bring the allegory to life. The images of shackles binding the characters down expresses how each of us are allowing ourselves to be controlled by our senses rather than our thoughts or beliefs. In addition, we must be willing to accept the real reality in which we discover through knowledge. Our point of views will go through a metamorphosis in which will cause our old point of views to become impossible to relive and those who remained at an impasse with their senses will not relate to your new analytical ideals causing a dichotomy. For example, the remaining individuals in the cave see their old friend as a new shadow instead of who he truly his once he returned to cave. The true reality may not be what was expected, but that doesn’t mean its incorrect. That is up for the individual to decide through their mind. The usage of figurative language and imagery expresses Plato’s belief in mind over matter.

The involvement of our senses is a sine qua non within our daily lives, but that does not mean that we must live by them. Questions, idea, and thoughts are the senses in which we should look to on the parlous quest for the ultimate truth. Plato wrote the “Allegory of the Cave” to express that to the public and to keep Socrates’s beliefs alive through imagery and figurative language. Now, it’s up to us to decide whether to gain the knowledge in order to discover the true reality or to remain attached to our physical senses. 

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

What we believe to be the ultimate truth may be a just a sham,
Each of us rely on our senses rather than our analytical thoughts.
The allegory of the cave shows how the reliance on our senses can allude to a fake reality that seems as useless as spam.
The chains represent the shackles of our sense their own senses in which that leaves them to be unenlightened and to continue to make decisions through drawing lots.

The metaphor of the sun is a flawless exemplification symbolizes the main theme in which Plato is trying to allude the audience towards bit by bit;
The sun makes a connection with how the light of the sun provides the illumination of the things that remain around us, but yet it does highlight everything that remains a part of reality.
The world in which we live in can only be seen through the knowledge in which we provide regarding it.
Knowledge is the key to gaining pure morality.

Once the true reality has been revealed, it's impossible to return to what once was.
Those who remained in the past point of view will be resistant to the new concepts in which you have discovered.
The truth may not be worth the glory or the applause.
Be cautious to what is uncovered.

The choice to learn and uncover knowledge is up to the individual.
The best teachers and guide can't teach an individual, who is dead set on remaining close-minded and monolingual. 

The Laughing Heart 2.0

your life is your life
don’t let it be clubbed into dank submission.
be on the watch.
there are ways out.
there is a light somewhere.
it may not be much light but
it beats the darkness.
be on the watch.
the gods will offer you chances.
know them.
take them.
you can’t beat death but
you can beat death in life, sometimes.
and the more often you learn to do it,
the more light there will be.
your life is your life.
know it while you have it.
you are marvelous
the gods wait to delight
in you.

By: Charles Bukowski

This poem was an assignment at the beginning of the year in which we had to memorize the speech during class. Now, memorizing this piece was worth it due to the fact that I am still in love with this poem. It's empowering yet reserved. I wanted to post this poem once again because it helps put things in perspective especially with college application deadlines coming up.

Hamlet "To Be or Not to Be" Collaboration!

A few students and I decided to team up in order to recite the "To Be or Not to Be" soliloquy from Hamlet. We created a video that showed various students reciting a few lines of the speech in places on campus that were significant to them. For example, I said my lines in the gym since volleyball is a passion of mine. The video is on Shane's blog and the link to the blog is right here. Hope you guys like it!

Allegory of the Cave Questions

1. The Allegory of the Cave symbolizes the chains in which blind them from the exposure to new knowledge or information while others have those opportunities.

2. The key elements of imagery presented within the cave would be that we take the knowledge that is given to us and we don’t fight against it since we believe that we know the whole situation when we don’t. The usage of the word light means the vast collection of education and learning (limitless). 

3. The allegory shows that often times, we allow our knowledge to be controlled just like filter bubbles. In order to fully see what is going on, we must enlighten ourselves.

4. The imagery of shackles and chains is used to show the limits of knowledge. Due to these limits, the prisoners are chained to their beliefs and believe that it is the only correct thing out there since they think their is no other additional information. 

5. Similar to the shackles, traditions chain us down due to the fact that we do one thing and believe what others are saying if it’s a apart of the culture of the tradition.

6. The freed prisoner is used to express the sensation of enlightened and sees the world in a completely different life. 

7. The absence of clarity provides the audience with suspense and is shown throughout the story. The contrast between dark and light is used to show this concept in an exceptional way.

8. Knowledge is a choice for the prisoners, but they must be willing yo go out and learn, grow, and prosper.

9. There is a difference between appearance and reality within the Allegory of the Cave due to the fact that appearance (shadows) cause individuals to lose their common sense. 

10. Hypothetically speaking If Socrates is incorrect, every individual would be chained to their limited knowledge. This would cause major problems due to bias in which could lead to war, revolutions, etc.

Sonnet Analysis #1

We Hang Together

• The business realm originally focused on the individual instead of the entire organization alone, but this has changed in recent years. Corporations and businesses are working together as a company in order to make the most profit or to succeed instead of fighting for the "top spot" within the business.
• Darwin's theory is based around the concept that the fittest species is the one who can adapt in order to create the best possible outcome. Adapting to those around you and working together can produce the best possible result because each individual brings something new to the table, which allows more information to be used when making the correct choices.
• From a young age, we are told to be independent, which makes us more inclined to do things on our own instead of looking for others to help or to provide new data. 
• Companies and other firms need to place trust within their employees and show the world that they are just as human as they are. By doing so, individuals will have more respect for their companies and work harder than ever before to succeed.

A Poetic Inquiry

When thou shalt be disposed to set me light,
And place my merit in the eye of scorn,
Upon thy side, against myself I'll fight,
And prove thee virtuous, though thou art forsworn.
With mine own weakness being best acquainted,
Upon thy part I can set down a story
Of faults concealed, wherein I am attainted;
That thou in losing me shalt win much glory: 
And I by this will be a gainer too;
For bending all my loving thoughts on thee,
The injuries that to myself I do,
Doing thee vantage, double-vantage me.
   Such is my love, to thee I so belong,
   That for thy right, myself will bear all wrong.

My Big Question: How do we determine what is right and what is wrong? Each and everyday we are faced with choices that can determine our path of life and what we could or will become in the future. Decisions we make at different points in time may seem right in that moment, but is it really the best choice?

Sonnet 88 stood out to me and related to my big question in a different light. The sonnet is about the emotions of love the Fair Youth has towards a particular young man. He struggles with if his emotions should be shared or even if they are justified and wonders if he is good enough.  Although my big question doesn't necessarily connect to the idea of love, the concept of uncertainty does.  This sonnet has traits of uncertainty that are similar to my big question due to the fact that the idea of right and wrong is up to interpretation and timing. What is right to you may not be right to those around you. The Fair Youth believes his love is true, but is it? Over the course of this school year, I have realized that there is no set rules of what is right or wrong when it comes to the decisions we make. Society does have rules in which we are supposed to follow, but that doesn't mean we have to follow them. We create our own set of rules that pertain to what is the best option or choice for us.

Hamlet Remix!

Hamlet Essay

Words allow us to portray ourselves or who were aspire to be, which can turn each spoken word into a place to hide. At times, words are like masks. We are able to see and hear the individual, but yet we still don’t know who they truly are, so we judge them based on what they are provoking. In Hamlet, Hamlet gains the reputation of being absolutely bonkers from the other characters in the play due to his random outbursts and disheveled appearance, but in reality there is a method to his madness. He uses his actions to show the blueprints of his plot of revenge against Claudius in a interesting yet twisted way while his soliloquies express his true emotions of anger, sadness, and hopelessness. Now, the old cliche about how actions speak louder than words can be a fallacy. Words are incredibly influential to not only ourselves, but to also the others around us. Our own words can cause others individuals to act even if that wasn’t their intention. Hamlet is a perfect example of this due to the fact that his actions cause the others around him to feel various emotions, which influences their future actions and words. Often time we don’t realize how words or the repetition of words can be so powerful in both literature and in life. Each word spoken, written, or sung can symbolize more than was originally intended.

“Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.” The plot of Hamlet is based around the character Hamlet’s thirst for revenge against Claudius for the murder of his father. He acts psychotic in order to provide those around him with clues of his sub rosa plans. “The spirit that I have seen; May be the devil: and the devil hath power; To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps; Out of my weakness and my melancholy, As he is very potent with such spirits, Abuses me to damn me.” This quote shows Hamlet worries how maybe his madness isn’t justified and wonders if the ghost is a reincarnation of the devil, who is picking on him due to his vulnerable emotional state. This emotions show how Hamlet is unsure of his actions at times despite his strong, powerful language. “O, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious; periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatter, to; very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who; for the most part are capable of nothing but; inexplicable dumbshows and noises: I would have such; a fellow whipped for o’erdoing Termangant; out-herods Herod: pray you, avoid it.” This particular quote spoken by Hamlet is directed towards the actors, who are reenacting the murder of Hamlet’s father. He is basically saying how they must be convincing, but not obvious or over the top. I found this to be quite interesting because it is almost as if Hamlet is convincing and giving advice to the actors and himself. Hamlet has been acting mad for quite sometimes and he must remember to keep his act up in order to make the others around him believe that is madness is legitimate if he wants to achieve his plans for revenge. Due to his false actions, the only time we truly see the uncensored emotions of Hamlet are during his soliloquies in which he is able to let release his thoughts, concerns, and feelings without the influence of other around him despite the fact that they can be a burden at times (“Let me not think on ’t; frailty, thy name is woman!”). 

“To be, or not to be--that is the question” After memorizing this speech the “to be or not to be” speech, the words had developed meaning instead of being a bunch of words scattered on a page. When I memorize, I always use the techniques of self-overhearing because it allows me to see the words in a totally different life. As each word rolls of my tongue, I am not only able to say the words, but I’m also able to feel then due to the fact that I make personal connections with  various words and verses. Now, self-overhearing doesn’t just apply to the memorization. This concept is used in every day life whether we realize it or not. For example, last year I was trying to get recruited to play volleyball in college and I would spend hours on the computer sending dozens of emails to colleges all across the country some of which I had know idea, who or where they were. After a while, the emails became an endless stack of words, but things soon changed after I began to read the responses to those emails out loud. Each response was like an adrenaline rush and seemed almost unbelievable. I would read them over and over again until I could picture the words in my head. For me, each email I read out loud symbolized an opportunity to make my dream of playing college volleyball a reality.

Words are extremely powerful and can influence various aspects of the world around us. Each spoken word can have various meanings that can show your true feelings or  provide lies in which were created to fool those around you. We must never underestimate the power of language and its influence on others including ourselves. Hearing ourselves use words can create new meanings in which we would have never found if we read it on a page or hear it from another. Words can speak louder than actions.

Tools That Change The Way We Think.

"Back in 2004, I asked [Google founders] Page and Brin what they saw as the future of Google search. 'It will be included in people's brains,' said Page. 'When you think about something and don't really know much about it, you will automatically get information.'

'That's true,' said Brin. 'Ultimately I view Google as a way to augment your brain with the knowledge of the world. Right now you go into your computer and type a phrase, but you can imagine that it could be easier in the future, that you can have just devices you talk into, or you can have computers that pay attention to what's going on around them and suggest useful information.'

'Somebody introduces themselves to you, and your watch goes to your web page,' said Page. 'Or if you met this person two years ago, this is what they said to you... Eventually you'll have the implant, where if you think about a fact, it will just tell you the answer."

Internet, media, and technology does influence the way we think since we use it in everyday life. These tools have provided a source of new information that allows us to learn, grow, and prosper. Each of us has our own point of view and being able to see those within various resources allows me to have a better understand of what I am studying or researching. Now, technology and social media is constantly being attacked for being a bad influence on the younger generation since some believe that technology is blocking their choice of opinion, but I think this is completely ludicrous. We are still able to create our own opinions even if we have the exposure to various points of views.  This may not be the traditional way of learning, but the internet and other technology resources are causing individuals to become less close-minded and more educated with what is going on with society around them.

Vocabulary #9

Definitions:

-Aficionado: a person who likes, knows about, and appreciates a usually fervently pursued interest or activity.
-Browbeat: to intimidate or disconcert by a stern manner or arrogant speech.
-Commensurate: equal in measure or extent.
-Diaphanous: characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through.
-Emolument: the returns arising from office or employment usually in the form of compensation or perquisites.
-Foray: to ravage in search of spoils.
-Genre: a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content.
-Homily: a usually short sermon; a lecture or discourse on or of a moral theme.
-Immure: to enclose within or as if within walls (imprison).
-Insouciant: lighthearted unconcern.
-Matrix: something within or from which something else originates, develops, or takes form.
-Obsequies: marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness.
-Panache: an ornamental tuft (as of feathers) especially on a helmet.
-Persona: a character assumed by an author in a written work.
-Philippic: a discourse or declamation full of bitter condemnation.
-Prurient: marked by or arousing an immoderate or unwholesome interest or desire.
-Sacrosanct: most sacred or holy.
-Systemic: relating to or a common to a system; affects the body typically.
-Tendentious: marked by a tendency in favor of a particular point of view.
-Vicissitude: the quality or state of being changeable.

On a gloomy Halloween night, a group of teenagers always decided to pillage and foray the candy in each neighborhood each year. The younger kids scattered as soon as they saw the teenagers walk by due to the fact that they would browbeat the children through vicious stares, which felt diaphanous. The gang of teens had a leader named Ryan. Ryan was the aficionado of this most devious plan because it felt sacrosanct to him since this was his last year of trick or treating. His persona was philippic, unreasonable, and insouciant. He wore a panache with various other random thrift shop items, which lacked any prurient. His outfit was vicissitude, which made it into a matrix due to the fact that he was constantly changing throughout the night in order to create different genres of horror. The girls is the group were obsequious over Ryan even though the guys thought he was a pompous idiot. Sadly, the girl's point of view was tendentious, so Ryan was able to use others in systemic ways to get what he desired through homily speeches. He did give emolument to those, who helped him, but it was not commensurate to what they did for him. Sadly, Ryan was able to immure some of friends in a toxic friendship.

The Performative Utterance in Hamlet

-"The Performative Utterance in Hamlet" by Fredrick deBoer showed a new point of view of the character Hamlet. Hamlet is all talk, but barely any bite. He uses soliloquies and the loss of mental stability as a way to show of his emotions in a dramatic way in order to show others without doing something about it.
- This paper was very interesting because the discussion of what is in his mind and what is real is a key question within the story. The ghost and various other events show how Hamlet is completely and utterly lost within his own mind, which causes him to over think more and act less. We, the audience, have no idea if the ghost is real or not because it can go either way.
-Overall, I agree with the statement presented in this paper partially because Hamlet is all talk in the beginning, but once he kills Polonius, I believe that Hamlet will become more active which will cause him to not think before he acts.

Thoughts on Hamlet (in progress).

This piece of literature has been a emotional roller coaster for both the characters and the audience. The audience is a direct witness to characters losing their minds from revenge, grief, and guilt. Each event that has happened during the acts have elicited pathos and caused the audience to create their own bias. Some are on Hamlet's side and relate to his plan for revenge in order to honor his father while others believe that Hamlet is completely insane due to the fact that he has conversations with ghosts and kills Polonius without a single blink of the eye. Shakespeare is able to create different sides to one story, which is remarkable. Now, after reading Act III, I believe that the play is going down a slippery slope. Things are going to get worse and worse without warning. In addition, I also believe that this story is going to end suddenly, which will leave the audience with thousands of questions and not a single answer.

"To be or not to be"

"To be or not to be"is a soliloquy from Hamlet by Shakespeare that allows the readers to understand Hamlet on a deeper level. The soliloquy is basically about Hamlet's internal struggle of the choice to live or not to live. He is constantly looking at the negative, which is not the way to live life (Nick's presentation was all about spreading positive energy). Hamlet sees life as a extremely painful experience and the only reason why we all haven't killed ourselves is that we are scared of what is on the "other side". In addition, he says that we also over think each action we make, so that is why we aren't able to pull the trigger.

This speech was difficult to memorize due to its descriptive language and rhythm, but the message is quite clear. Honestly, this speech sucked to memorize. I'm not going to sugar coat it and say that it was a piece of cake, but it was worth memorizing. The words gained more meaning and I began to connect them to things within in my life such as "-perchance to dream" and "-to be or not to be". They had different meanings to me like "to be or not to be" was more about success in my eyes, but I was able to see Hamlet's point of view. Now, I decided to do a video of myself reciting the speech at home because I was able to do it when my memory was fresh and in a low stress environment. It allowed me to better understand and know it, which I believe will help me connect with the rest of the play in the future. I was going to post my video to this post, but I'm having technical difficulties downloading my video to youtube. It's not letting me download it off my phone for some odd reason. I will have the video up very soon though! Overall, memorizing the soliloquy and reciting it at home was a great learning experience.

What I think about when I think about Act 3 of Hamlet

The first thought that went through my mind after reading Act III was what the hell just happened?! The murder of Polonius was so nonchalant and lacked any emotion. That was extremely shocking for me because it shows how Hamlet is so emotionally invested in revenge. He's let go of all morals in order to get this revenge, which I believe will lead to him losing himself completely. The fact that he was able to murder Polonius and just drag him out like he was a suitcase is just one example of Hamlet's loss in self. In addition, it shows how Hamlet thinks of him as a pest or rat and lacks importance in any manner. Now, another event that shocked me was Claudius's reaction to the play. I foreshadowed that he was going to have no emotion towards the play and remain calm, cool, and collected, but that was the opposite of what happened. Claudius reacted violently to the play and had to leave the room. He starts to pray of forgiveness, but he isn't able to do it because he knows what he was did was extremely wrong. This event shows how Claudius is human and is not just this monster which is what Hamlet has portrayed him as. Overall, this Act was action packed and I look forward to reading the rest of the play. I have a feeling things are going to take a turn for the worse, but I have no idea what is going to happen next.

Literary Analysis #3

Literature Analysis:

Summary:

1. The Color Purple by Alice Walker is an exceptional book and has become a classic. The story takes place in the rural regions of Georgia during the 1930’s. The narrator is an African American woman named Celie, who was raped and abused by her Pa. The story begins when Celie is just 14 years-old and she becomes pregnant with two of her father’s children. Her father abducts the kids from Celie to get rid of them, but her mother soon dies and blames Celie for everything on her deathbed. Soon after, Celie has an arranged marriage with a man named Mr.          . Sadly, Mr.            is just as abusive as her father and uses Celie as a household slave. Orginally Nettie, Celie’s younger sister, was supposed to marry him, but their father forced Celie to causing her to leave Nettie at home with her father. Poor Celie is treated terribly by not only Mr.          , but his children as well. Although over time, she is able to bring them under control some what. Now, Nettie soon runs away from her father’s and hides with Celie, but then Mr.            attempts to make moves on Nettie, which was absolutely terrible. Celie sends Nettie to an Afican American woman, who was well-dressed at the genera store due to the fact that she was the only woman that provided for herself. The irony in that situation is that woman adopted one of Celie’s abducted children. Nettie leaves and tells Celie that she will write to her, but not a single letter comes, which causes Celie to believe her beloved sister is dead. Celie soon begins to take care of Mr.          ‘s mistress named Shug, who is sexy and passionate. Celie and Shug become very close and fall in love with one another. In addition, one of Mr.           ‘s children, Harpo,  falls head over heels for a woman named Sofia. Harpo is not like his father in most aspects, but doesn’t feel like the man in his relationship. Celie gives him the advice to beat Sofia into submission, which shows how Celie thinks what has happened to her is acceptable. Sofia is unlike Celie and she revolts against Harpo in order to remain strong. Due to this incident, Sofia is extremely upset with Celie about her noxious advice. Later on in the story, Shug helps Celie find Nettie’s letters in which Mr.            has been hiding for years. Celie learns that her sister is in Africa on a missonary trip with Reverend Samuel and Corrine, who adopted Celie’s two children named Adam and Olivia. Corrine becomes ill (later dies) and Reverend Samuel tells Nettie that their father is not their biological, but actually their step father. Sadly, their real father was lynched due to his success as an African American, which is why their mother was emotionally unstable. This eye-opening information causes Celie to leave her husband with Shug and actually lose some of her faith to God. Nettie and Celie’s  step father die suddenly, so Nettie returns from Africa and is now married to Samuel. The two women find out that the house and land was theirs after their mother’s death. The novel closes by the reunion of the two sisters after years of not seeing each other and meeting each other’s loved ones. 

2. “People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.” This novel has many themes that are used throughout the novel, but the theme of religion is present throughout. Celie’s view of God changes and evolves as the book goes on. In the beginning, she uses God as someone to talk to and he almost seems like a distant figure. As the the book progresses, God changes from an individual to an idea. She thinks of God as a sense of goodness and happiness, but she also believes that each and every one of us has a different meaning of God. God is supportive and helps Celie live the life in which she wants to live, which is monumental for Celie since she had been beaten down both mentally and physically throughout her life. “I believe God is everything, say Shug. Everything that is or ever was or ever will be. And when you can feel that, and be happy to feel that, you've found It.” 

3. The narrator of this book is the main character named Celie, so the mood and the tone changes constantly due to the fact that she has personal connections and emotions towards those events, which makes the audience more biased to Celie’s point of view and elicits pathos.

4. "-pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."

The title of this book is directly connected to the quote about. The color purple is thought of as royalty especially in Ancient Greek times, which is why Caesar has a entire rope dyed purple. Celie desires a long purple dress due to the meaning of the color of purple to show her independence and strength. 

“-Dear God,-”

Each letter starts with the quote above, which directly connects with the theme of religion and Celie’s changing point of view in religion. 

“Time moves slowly, but passes quickly” 

The quote above is a contradiction and shows the point is that time may seem infinite during the moment, but as we look back, time seems scarce. 

“Shug is a beautiful something-”

The quote represents had oxymoron because it seems like a back-handed complement. There are both negative and positive comments within that statement.

“He beat me like he beat the children.-”

This quote is an example of a simile and shows the amount of abuse within this novel.

“She look so stylish it like the trees all round the house draw themself up tall for a better look.” 

This is another example of a simile and gives the audience a better understanding of Shug’s appearance. 

“The more I wonder, the more I love.” 

The quote above causes the audience to allude to a bigger picture about love and the true possibilities of life. It encourages the reader to live the life in which they dream about instead of “being clubbed into dank submission.”

“I'm poor, black, I may even be ugly; but dear God, I'm here! I'm here!” 

This quote symbolizes the strength in which Celie has despite her struggles or skin color. It also connect to the theme of racism within this novel.

“- I been so busy thinking bout him I never truly notice nothing God make. Not a blade of corn (how it do that?) not the color purple (where it come from?)." 

This quote creates a connection with the main theme of religion and the title of the book, which is very significant and symbolic.

“For the first time in my life, I feel just right-”

The quote elicited pathos from the audience because after years of pain and suffering, Celie is able to find happiness and love.

1. First of all, the definitions for indirect and direct characterization are:

- Indirect characterization is the process by which the personality of a fictitious character is revealed through the character's speech, actions, appearance, etc.

-Direct characterization is the process by which the personality of a fictitious character is revealed by the use of descriptive adjectives, phrases, or epithets.

“I'm poor, black, I may even be ugly; but dear God, I'm here! I'm here!”

This is an example of direct characterization due to the fact that Celie is using descriptive adjectives to describe herself.

“Shug a beautiful something, let me tell you. She frown a little, look out cross the yard, lean back in her chair, look like a big rose.-”

The quote above is direct characterization for Shug said by Celie because it directly describes her physical appearances. In addition, Celie uses similes to create imagery and allusions to things that symbolize true beauty such as roses.

“Us sing and dance, make faces and give flower bouquets, trying to be loved.-”

The quote above is an example of indirect characterization because it shows how Celie desires love and independence due to her past experiences. 

“The Olinka girls do not believe girls should be educated. When I asked a mother why she thought this, she said: A girl is nothing to herself; only to her husband can she become something.

What can she become? I asked.

Why, she said, the mother of his children.

But I am not the mother of anybody's children, I said, and I am something.” 

The section above shows indirect characterization of the beliefs within Africa and connects with the life of Celie. They may be two different cultures, but the role of women isn’t appreciated in either society and are often used to help the men prosper.

2. The novel is written in first person, which causes the diction to change throughout due to Celie’s personal emotions. The book is written as if they are letters, which causes the story to feel more realistic. 

3. The Color Purple stars a round character named Celie, who is dynamic and full of life because I felt as if I knew her personally. I became emotionally connected with her especially since the story is written in a letter format, so you feel as if you are reading real letters. 

4. While I was reading this book, I thought of Celie as a friend and I felt her joy, sadness, and pain. Overall, this novel was amazing and I would recommend it!

Vocabulary #8

This week, I chose to use every vocabulary word in my Dear Ophelia post instead of writing sentences. By doing so, I felt like I was able to get a better understanding of the vocabulary words and Hamlet. 

Dear Ophelia,

My name is O. and I'm trapped in this weird sort of dating thing-- a prince says he loves me, but my father & brother hate him and tell me to stay away. What should I do? 

Dear O,

Wow! That is quite a conundrum! Your father and brother may think the gauche prince is abased or an abomination to your family due to his nomenclature, but all that matters is how you feel. Do what you want to! This may be a paradox to others or considered an anomaly, but they don't matter in the long run. You need to expurgate and abdicate your family's opinion in order for you to be happy. I apologize for being brusque, but follow your heart. Now, if this is a debauchery, it will only last a ephemeral period of time, so be careful. In addition, watch out for bellicose saboteurs since some may be rancorous, rapacious, and churlish in order to break you guys up. Plus, they continue to proliferate due to the fact that society loves to gossip even if it may contradict social manners. Well, anyway, good luck is your love life, which is an anachronism.

Good Luck!
M

Literary Fiction & Empathy

Reading fiction allows me to understand others better because it shows the importance of speech, actions, and even reactions to certain situations. Each of us can read about a certain character and understand who they truly are just by there actions or dialogue. For example,  Hamlet's first big soliloquy   showed how uncontrollably upset and angry Hamlet was for various reasons such as his mother, which even caused his to think about suicide.

What I meant to say was.....

In the Canterbury Tales, the author, Chaucer, uses various tones and characterization techniques in order to present his style of writing and provide his audience with the purpose for his tale, which was that things may not be what they appear, which translates to how society isn't that different despite their particular social standing. Each of these characters, especially the Monk and the Lawyer, opens the door to a new point of view and instead of looking from the outside, the audience is able to look out from within in order to elicit pathos and cause the audience to bond mentally with the characters.

Green Eggs & Hamlet:

a.) What do you know about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane"?
-To be honest, I don't know anything about Hamlet really due to the fact that I've never read to play or seen any of the movies.
b.) What do you know about "Shakespeare"?
- Shakespeare was a poet and playwright, who published most of his own works. He is most famous for his tragedies, which are considered absolute classics within English literature. Originally, Shakespeare wasn't that popular, but his reputation soared in the 19th century due to Romanticism.
c.) Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare"?
-I believe that most students involuntarily do that because they have created a mental block within their minds about how Shakespeare is too hard to even try to figure out, which seems like an excuse to me. Personally, Shakespeare is a difficult topic due to his writing style and various other factors, but it's not impossible and can be enjoyable if you're willing to take the time to understand it.
d.) What can we do to make studying this play an amazing experience we'll never forget?
-We should read or act it out in class in order to get feedback or additional information from not only Dr.Preston, but also my classmates as well.

Vocab #7

After our shenanigans with the drug cartel, we began to ricochet from truck to truck in order to eschew our enemies. Our ephemeral happiness was curtailed by a plethora of bullets that pierced the truck right before we entered the port. Luckily, we were able to outsmart the wonky grunts they sent after us, but we still found ourselves running through the marketplace with capricious music which juxtaposed the terror of our position. There was a schism between the massive crowd, so we were able to lose the additional ebullient drug cartel assassins. After the sesquipedalian chase, the four of us decided that we needed to get on a boat in order lose all trace of the drug cartel. Shane and Colter went to ask a local fisherman to help us, but instead it turned into a garrulous, inchoate debate that provided no help once so ever. The fisherman was perspicacious, who wore clothes made of mungo and used various diphthongs, which made his speech sound like complete codswallop at times. Now, his loquacious speech was absolutely terrible, but it was worth it in the end since he agreed to allow us to come on his boat. Each of us felt a great sense of relief and interdependence once we finally boarded the boat and set sail.

If I Just Had More Time

The midterm on Friday was a challenge, but it was actually quite helpful. At that point in time, I was trying to figure out words that were on the lists and constantly over-thinking about the time, which was a mistake in the long run. I should have been putting all of my focus on remembering the words that I had studied for hours instead of the lack of time. If I had more time, I would have done better on this exam, but the fact in the matter is that I didn't. This showed me that instead of worrying about time or something I can't change, focus on what  you can impact.

Literary Analysis #2

Literature Analysis #2:

Memoirs of a Geisha
By: Arthur Golden

1. Summary: Memoirs of a Geisha is about a woman named Chiyo Sakamoto, who was made a geisha before and during World War Il. The story begins with Chiyo Sakamoto being sold to an okiya along with her sister named Satsu, which is a geisha training school. Sadly, Satsu wasn’t as beautiful as some of the others girls, so she was forced to become a prostitute against her own will instead of being a part of the okiya. Now, a famous geisha named Hatsumomo begins to hate Chiyo because she is afraid that she will replace her and take over, so she starts to plot against Chiyo to get rid of her entirely.  In the okiya, Chiyo lives with Pumpkin, Granny, Mother, and Auntie a long with Hatsumomo. Later on in the story, Chiyo runs into Hatsumomo having sex with her boyfriend, which was absolutely unacceptable for a geisha since their availability is what makes them so popular to the public. Hatsumomo then changes what happened and gets Chiyo punished, but Hatsumomo ends up paying for her trickery once mother found out the truth by being forced to never speak to her boyfriend ever again. After this chaotic situation, Chiyo tries to escape the okiya, but ends up falling and hurting herself, which causes her to be caught. Due to this incident, Mother tries to get rid of Chiyo since she embarrassed the okiya and the social image of a geisha. Years later, Chiyo desires to become a wonderful geisha and she donates her money to the Yasaka Shrine in order to achieve this goal. Now, at this time, Pumpkin has become a very successful geisha while Chiyo has remained a maid (slave) for mother. Soon, Pumpkin’s name is changed to Hatsumiyo since she has become a geisha after years of training. As the story progresses, Chiyo is taken under the guidance of Mameha, who was a rival of her original okiya. This ends up being a terrible decision and causes Chiyo to never be able to gain a danna to receive her independence, so she is forced to go back to being a slave for Mother.  Chiyo’s name also changes to Sayuri since she was able to become a geisha. Sayuri was arranged to go through a ceremony called mizuage, which is defined as the ceremony in which they become a full-fledged geisha. Now, Hatsumomo tries to mess with this ceremony, but a mentor named Toshikazu Nobu sees through her trickery and ends up paying for her mizuage. This allows Sayuri to pay off each of her debts and become the new heiress for the okiya, which causes Pumpkin to become upset since she was the one who was originally supposed to be the heiress. Due to this event, Pumpkin hates Sayuri just like Hatsumomo and they both end up leaving the okiya later on. Later on, Sayuri teams up with Pumpkin in order to entertain the Nobu in in order to obtain her danna, but the problem is the Sayuri fell in love with the Chairman. Sayuri tries to avoid Nobu since she doesn’t want him to be her danna due to her love for the Chairman. She soon develops a plan to get caught entertaining another man, but Pumpkin ruins the plan due to her resentment towards Sayuri due to the fact that Mother adopted her. This caused Sayuri to agree to Nobu’s offer to be his danna. Eventually, Sayuri ends up giving up on the life of a geisha and accidentally runs into the Chairman. The two characters end up falling in love, having a child together, and opens a small, sweet tea house in New York City. 

2. There are various themes presented in this novel, but the biggest theme is about how things may not be as wonderful or great as they appear.“I didn't say to act dead. I said act helpless.” A geisha is perfect example of how a woman should be and are used as entertainers, but most don’t even realize that under the makeup and clothes, is an average woman trying to survive and are actually forced in this role against their will, which makes them into slaves. “Geisha is always called beautiful even if she is not.”


3. “I've lived my life again just telling it to you.” The tone within this novel changes throughout since it’s told in first person, so it varies within different situations due to her own personal bias. 

4.  Ten Examples:

• “The heart dies a slow death, shedding each hope like leaves until one day there are none. No hopes. Nothing remains.” This quote is an example of personification, which is defined as something nonhuman being give human characteristics. The heart is personified above to express how humans die and to elicit emotion from his audience. 

• “This is why dreams can be such dangerous things: they smolder on like a fire does, and sometimes they consume us completely.” This quote is an example of a simile since it compares dreams to fire in order to show how dangerous they truly can be.

• “Can't you see? Every step I have taken, since I was that child on the bridge, has been to bring myself closer to you. ” The quote used above is a immaculate example of a rhetorical question, which influences the readers to foreshadow and think about what is being written.

• “I could no more have stopped myself from feeling that sadness than you could stop yourself from smelling an apple that has been cut open on the table before you.” This quote above is metaphor and allows the reader to make connections with there own lives in order to become emotionally invested in the characters.

• “Those of us with water in our personalities don't pick where we'll flow to. All we can do is flow where the landscape of our lives carries us”.This statement above uses elements of nature to create imagery in hopes to develop a comparison that supports the idea that sometimes we must go with the flow of life instead of always fighting back.

• “We don't become geisha because we want our lives to be happy; we become geisha because we have no choice.” The quote presented above shows a very significant due to the fact that it embodies the theme of the entire novel itself, which is presented in question 2 written above.

• “No one knows the author of memoir so well like himself.” This quote shows the author’s purpose in writing this novel in first person, which was monumental in the impact of this novel.

• “A wounded tiger is a dangerous beast.” The quote above alludes to the idea that the wounded tiger is going to be even more dangerous than it would be if it wasn’t since it feels weak, hopeless, and unprotected, which could lead to more reckless actions.

• “You're eighteen years old, Sayuri," she went on. "Neither you nor I can know your destiny.” This quote presents a common cliche throughout the world about how teenagers aren’t responsible and lack a sense of intelligence.

• “Every step I have taken has been to bring myself closer to you.” This quote elicits pathos from the audience because it uses love to draw the attention and hearts of the audience.

Characterization:

1. Indirect and Direct Characterization Examples:

• "You should have told me sooner what a pretty girl you brought with you. Her eyes...they're the color of a mirror!" This is an example of direct characterization due to the fact that it is describing her appearance through speech and action.

• "...some girls are smart and some are stupid" This is another example of direct characterization because she is being described through speech and action.

• “She paints her face to hide her face. Her eyes are deep water. It is not for Geisha to want. It is not for geisha to feel. Geisha is an artist of the floating world. She dances, she sings. She entertains you, whatever you want. The rest is shadows, the rest is secret.”  This show indirect characterization and also expresses the most significant theme within the novel, but also describes the characters as well.

• “A tree may look as beautiful as ever; but when you notice the insects infesting it, and the tips of the branches that are brown from disease, even the trunk seems to lose some of its magnificence. ” This quote above personifies the characterization of a geisha in order to show the true emotions going on underneath the makeup and expensive outfits.
• The author uses these two approaches to show how the character’s feelings from within and how she is appeared to the public. This style is exactly like Chaucer’s in The Canterbury Tales.

2. “A memoir provides a record not so much of the memoirist as of the memoirist's world.”  The author’s diction does really change due to the fact that this book was written in first person, but it does have personal experiences and connections in which changes her point of view and influences the audience to side with her.


3. The protagonist within this story is round because as the reader, you feel as if you know her or even friends with her. She is a dynamic character due to the fact that as the story progresses, the audience sees her highs, her lows, and her challenges, which shaped who she becomes later on in her life.

4. After reading this book, I felt as if I have met her in person before. I became so emotionally invested in the story and in her character. “She paints her face to hide her face. Her eyes are deep water. It is not for Geisha to want. It is not for geisha to feel. Geisha is an artist of the floating world. She dances, she sings. She entertains you, whatever you want. The rest is shadows, the rest is secret.” This quote caused me to feel absolutely terrible inside. I felt her pain and her feeling of hopelessness, which caused me to view her differently as a character.