Assignment 7- A Test Case, "The Garden Party"

What does the story signify? How does it signify?
The author’s main point would have to be the difference and tension between the two social classes present. While the posh upper class throws a garden-party, those who live in small cottages down the lane mourn the death of a friend, father, and husband. Mansfield is pointing out the differentiation between the two groups while also trying to tie them together with a common event, death. We would all hope the reaction of the upper class family would be regretful, supporting, and helpful actions; but it is actually quite the opposite. “People like that don’t expect sacrifices from us,” stated Mrs. Sheridan when asked if she would still hold the party after being informed of the death. Mansfield shows a little spark of hope when Laura pleads with her mother to cancel the party. She feels sympathetic towards the family and can’t stand the idea of hosting a party while those down the street are in such a dire situation. After her mother reassures Laura the party will continue though, she is able to enjoy the afternoon at the party and forget her worries for the mourning family.
Reflection
I captured the main issue discussed in the story, however missed some of the more delicate details. I didn’t catch the symbolism of birds and flight or the similarities of Laura and Persephone. These similarities, after being pointed out, were very surprising! I don’t know the story of Persephone myself, but I can tell how the comparison deepens the characters and plot of the story while once again proving there is no completely original text.

Assignment 6- Archetype

An archetype is basically a story component repeated over and over again. This pattern is recognizable in countless stories and is an element we are naturally drawn to based on the “aha! Factor” (page 191), meaning we recall the familiar storyline and are drawn to it. One example is in Water for Elephants when the main character Jacob falls in love with his bosses’ wife, Marlena. This is not only a problem because she is married, but also due to the fact her husband is the person in charge of Jacob’s job. They typical string of events then proceeds to happen: Marlena realizes she also loves Jacob, they sneak around to be with each other, and in the end (when Marlena’s husband is killed in an elephant-related accident) are happily together. This archetype is the forbidden romance found in so many stories like Romeo and Juliet, Camelot, and Westside Story.

Assignment 5- ...Except the Sex

The film Donnie Darko is a perfect example of sex being implied rather than explicitly shown. Donnie is a troubled teen who regularly sees a psychiatrist and takes medication for psychological problems. Donnie is visited by what everyone assumes is an imaginary visitor who tells him the world will end in twenty-eight days. After hearing this news, Donnie realizes he isn’t ready to die and begins to feel very alone. A new girl, Gretchen, comes to school and Donnie ends up dating her. Gretchen turns out to be one of the few people with whom Donnie can share his experiences with the visitor and confide his fears with. When Donnie throws a party at his house, Gretchen shows up late and is very upset because her mother, who is being stalked by Gretchen’s stepfather, has gone missing. Finding comfort in each other, they head to Donnie’s room to be alone. They begin talking and then the moment clearly starts heading a certain way but before anything actually happens, the screen cuts to the next scene with Donnie and Gretchen walking down the stairs smiling and in synchronized step with each other. By not actually showing the sex scene, the movie is kept a bit less crude. More importantly though, the scene instead of the sex scene (walking down the stairs) shows how the two connected with each other and are happy together.

Assignment 4- It's All Political

Almost all literature can be related to politics in some way. Weather it is an overwhelmingly general statement or something inspired by a specific event, literature is one of the greatest and most productive ways to spread an idea. Suzanne Collin’s The Hungar Games sheds a negative light on full government control. The country of Panem is controlled by a central city called the Capitol. Every year, one child is taken from each district of the country and forced to participate in “The Hungar Games.” These children are released into an arena and have to completely survive on their own until only one child is left living. When first reading the book I thought this was a very strange and unusually cruel tradition with little purpose. It then became clear that the Capitol was only doing this to remind all the citizens of the absolute control they held. Families and communities were completely helpless as one of their own children were sent into the arena with the tiniest chance of coming home alive. The government in the capitol also strictly controlled media within the country. School children were taught very little other than information on the specific resource their district produced and history of the country. Television was also very limited only broadcasting shows regulated by the government and preaching government ideas. This politically represents a totalitarian government and the author uses pathos with the struggle of the main character, Katniss, and her family as she is powerlessly sent away to the games to create a pessimistic shadow on this type of government.

Reading Assignment 3: It's More Than Just Rain or Snow

In Lois Lowry’s The Giver weather plays a part in helping describe the setting and living conditions of the story. The book takes place in a future society where the government controls almost all aspects of life. Everyone is a complete equal and individuality does not exist. The weather is very mild representing the lack of change in the characters’ daily lives. They get up every day and go to school until they are twelve. When they reach that age the government assigns each student a job. They then attend this job for the rest of their lives, waking up, going to work, coming home to their family, eating dinner, discussing their day, and repeating. No rain or snow ever falls on the community in this book. There is a lack of beauty and emotion that the characters don’t even know they are missing out on. Emotion and even the ability to see color is withheld from the citizens in attempt to keep the dystopian society functioning.

Top Ten Reads for 2012

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Published February 10, 2009. 451 pages.
This book was recommended by my mom. She read the story shortly after it came out and absolutely loved it. Even though the book is a little lengthy, she promises some heart-warming stories that are quite simple in meaning. I hope to watch the movie after finishing the book and use both to fully appreciate the stories being told.

2. The Wedding Girl by Madeline Wickham. Published September 9, 2010. 327 pages.
Author Sophie Kinsella’s real name is Madeline Wickham and this is one of the few books she has published using her actual name. Loving all of her other books I have ever read, I am excited to pick up another one. Her writing style is fun and light with great story lines and endings.

3. Going After Cacciato by Tim O’Brien. Published 1978. 352 pages.
While reading Thomas Foster’s How to Read Literature like a Professor, he discusses this novel. Not only does he say his students generally like it, but the book is also one of his favorites. Foster used the story as an example of basing new characters off of others the author has encountered. This would be a great story and also provide a great source for my AP Lit writing.

4. Wise Children by Angela Carter. Published 1991. 240 pages.
This story is also introduced by Foster in his book. Much of the story is reminiscent of Shakespeare and would help provide me a deeper understanding of his work by experiencing different recreations.

5. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley. Published 1991. 384 pages.
This is a recreation of Shakespeare’s King Lear. The story would provide a fantastic example of using literature from the past to create a new work.

6. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. Published 1949. 368 pages.
This classic novel is one I have been meaning to read for a long time. I loved the dystopian stories of Brave New World and The Giver so I’m excited to see Orwell’s take on that type of society. Several of my friends have read, liked, and used this book in their writing so I look forward to reading it.

7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Published 1813. 416 pages.
This is another classic book I would love to read. The book takes place in early 19th century English society when men held virtually all the power. Women were pressured to marry not only according to their personal liking, but also for the advantage of their families. I have read very few works from this time period and look forward to the story.

8. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. Published 1934. 288 pages.
When I was little, mystery books were my absolute favorite. Since then I haven’t really read many; mostly because I couldn’t find stories that were challenging enough yet still captured the perfect mystery I loved so much. This story promises both.

9. The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Published 1899. 120 pages.
This book is seen as a work of early feminism. Never having to deal with most of these issues personally, I am interested to learn more about the struggles women went through to get where we are today.

10. Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Published 2001. 326 pages.
This book was recommended to me with the statement, “Easy to read and sounds impressive.” Perfect! After looking at the summary, I am even more interested. A young boy by the name of Pi finds himself on a lifeboat with many animals, including a tiger, after their ship sinks. The tiger kills all the other animals but somehow coexists with Pi for an amazing 227 days.

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

http://prezi.com/qse_iirda1-s/allow-me-to-introduce-myself/

Assignment 2- Intertextuality

Intertextuality is basically the linking of two stories. This can be done across all genre types, time periods, story types, etc. Authors consciously or sometimes subconsciously add aspects to their story from works they have previously encountered. This can help to add depth and meaning to a character, event, or setting.

The main example of intertextuality I have encountered would have to be between Lowry’s The Giver and Huxley’s Brave New World. Obviously the two communicate back and forth with their similarities in setting. Both are presumably in the future and are “utopian” environments. It doesn’t stop there though. One of the main characters in Brave New World is Helmholtz who feels controlled and suppressed in his world of sameness and smothering necessary for a “utopia.” Published in 1932, this book was around long before The Giver so either purposefully or not, main character Jonas from The Giver has a lot in common with Helmholtz (especially after he receives the memories.) Both realize what those controlled by society are missing out on: beauty, love, happiness, feeling. But the two also come to understand the price they pay for these positive emotions. Fear, hate, selfishness, and aloneness come along with these positive emotions.

The next example of intertextuality comes from my favorite author, Sophie Kinsella. Her most famous books, the Confessions of a Shopaholic series, tie in with her stand alone novels: Remember Me?, Twenties Girl, Can You Keep a Secret?, and The Undomestic Goddess. It’s almost odd how much the main characters of these books have in common. Don’t get me wrong; these books are my absolute favorites but they seem creepily linked together. Becky from the Shopaholic series is a twenty-something year old girl facing a major problem…her mounting debt. She can’t seem to stop shopping! Another main plot in the book is her relationship with business owner Luke Brandon. In Remember Me? Emma is also a twenty-something year old girl facing a giant problem of her own; she unknowingly spilled all of her deepest darkest secrets to her boss, who just happens to be handsome and charming. Twenties Girl tells the story of Lara, struggling to keep her new business afloat. She is visited by the ghost of her great aunt Sadie who recently passed away. After being dumped by the “love of her life,” Sadie forces Lara to ask someone new out. Almost achieving partnership at her law firm, Samantha makes a huge mistake in Kinsella’s The Undomestic Goddess. Fleeing the scene, Samantha comes across a beautiful home and decides to stop and ask to make a call. The home owners assume she is their new maid and Samantha doesn’t correct them. The only problem is that Samantha doesn’t even know how to work an oven! Oh, and of course she starts up a nice relationship with the gardener. Remember Me tells the story of Lexi who suffered serious injuries in a car accident. She wakes up later in the hospital thinking it is 2004 when it’s really 2007. To her extreme surprise she learns she is married to a millionaire! Her life seems perfect until she starts to actually live it. Her husband is distant and fake and his right-hand-man even tells Lexi they were having an affair! The main connections between these novels and characters are staggering. All of these girls are in their twenties, involved in some storyline trying to find the perfect man, and are facing a challenge of some sort. The linking goes even further when you actually read these novels and find the same compulsive, giddy, and naïve personalities in every single girl.

Assignment 1- Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It's Not)

In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Foster identifies the five steps recognizable in almost every story involving a quest. In Sara Gruen’s Water for Elephants, main character Jacob goes on a quest to find himself after a tragic accident that causes him to lose both parents.

Our quester: Jacob Jankowski

A place to go: More like a place not to go! He wants to escape his normal life and future with no parents.

A stated reason to go there: Jacob is in veterinary school and plans to join his father’s practice after graduating. When his father suddenly dies, Jacob feels lost and without a place causing him to jump on a passing circus train.

Challenges and trials: Jacob starts facing the normal hardships of a traveling circus worker: cruel bosses, no pay, little room for sleeping, and stress.

The real reason to go: Having no plan for this on the outset of his journey, Jacob meets and falls in love with his bosses’ wife, Marlena.

Teacher Argument

I strongly agreed with Kati Haycock's opinion she shared in her article about raising the status of teachers in the United States. To increase the respect for teachers in our culture we must amplify the training they receive. This boosted training would insure teachers were well prepared and fully educated for the job. With more education and work, teachers would deserve raised salaries. This would help improve their status on the economic ladder. It is clear our country values higher education by the respect doctors, lawyers, and other professional career people receive. College is tough, and continued education proves dedication, intelligence, and value of an individual. With increased difficulty in teacher training, we would be surer that teachers were fully prepared and qualified for the treacherous task of educating the next generation. Highly skilled teachers would be released into schools with the utmost knowledge on their subject. Respect would practically be demanded towards these learned and skilled professionals. In the United States, wealth commands respect. Millionaires with huge mansions and fancy cars are respected because their material items suggest the hard work that went into accomplishing their fortune. If teacher's salaries could be increased, the same effect would occur. Instead of the mindset being, "Oh, poor teachers. They make so little money. I would never consider that as a career," it would shift to being a more highly held and appreciated position. This would also help solve the need for more students to select teaching as their career. High salary is a strong driving force for selection.

Great Gatsby Analysis

Fitzgerald’s hopeless and reflective tone sets the stage for his discussion about the past and the future along with his literary devices that help imply his tone. The overall idea of the passage is time. Our present time slips away, and before we can realize importance, events, places, and feelings are gone for good- mostly without proper appreciation or realization. How can we let this happen? How can we let our present time pass us by?

The author imagines the island as it appeared to the “Dutch sailors’ eyes.” “Inessential houses” begin to melt away. Houses are not what are beautiful or special about the island; they don’t matter. The natural island “flowered” and was “green.” Full of opportunity, the trees represent the dreams of those seeing the island for the first time. As they were chopped down, dreams and opportunity also “vanished.” Could the builders have not been happy with the island just the way it was? Must we always desire something more or different? The author longs for the original state of the island, as it was in the past. This has disappeared, however, and he can only be left yearning.

Through the last paragraphs, the author’s syntax is broken and lingering. Using commas, dashes, and ellipses he drags out the ideas. This technique implies a sense of hope. As each idea builds upon the other, the idea begins to complete itself. As he clearly completes the thought as he writes, the thought is new and original. The quote “stretch out our arms farther. . . .” lets the reader know Fitzgerald isn’t done with the idea, he is just drifting to another thought.

Fitzgerald uses metaphor when he describes the island as a “fresh, green breast of the new world.” The greenery of the natural island leads him to make this comparison. The newness and untouched trees were “fresh” and the whole island appeared “green” with life. He also uses personification when he describes that the trees “had once pandered in whispers.” Representing the dreams of humans, they remained until they were chopped down, still left whispering of the dreams until their last moment alive.

Time can vanish so easily and we fail to realize it is already behind us. Fitzgerald’s tone and devices make this point clear and provide detail as to what we are losing.

Consumerism Quote

There are two ways to get enough: one is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.

-G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

This quote goes into the deep desires people feel for material posessions. The only two options are for you to be happy with what you have or to always desire more. This quote connects to the text Shopaholic Ties the Knot. In this book Becky always wants more. She suffers from a shopping addiction and can't seem to say no to buying. The obvious choice is to desire less. This will allow you to be happier and actually obtain and accomplish the things you want.

Third Quarter Reading

I read four books, the equivalent of six books.

• Catch 22, 455 pages
• Kardashian Konfidential, 256 pages
• The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie; A Doll's History and Her Impact on Us, 123 pages
• Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, 272 pages

My favorite book was The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie. I have loved Barbie since I was a little girl and have always idolized her. This book goes through the history of Barbie from the very beginning. I found it really interesting to learn about her start, her inventor, and the development of different Barbies throughout history. Her impact on our world is so huge, and this book explains her different roles throughout history. If you like Barbie, or just pop culture, I would suggest this book.

New Advertisement Techniques

The ad I found on this website is a perfect example of the new advertisement techniques discussed in the NY Times article we read. The main focus of the ad is family time or bonding. This falls right into the category of improving time at home. Having a Wii, the ad summarizes, will help you have quality family time and an activity to enjoy and do together. Will this really happen? The answer is probably not. In reality, the teenage son or daughter will end up playing the Wii alone on the weekends or even everyday. Parents who are "too busy for games" might have the best intentions when purchasing this gaming device but, realize they easily fell for the tantalizing advertisement technique all too easily.