Close Reading -- Dec 16th

In Ignorance We Trust
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/13/egan-in-ignorance-we-trust/?src=me&ref=general

If history is not going to be taught in schools, it's not going to be learned.  If history is not learned from, this downward cycle our country is in is just going to continue.  Timothy Egan in "In Ignorance We Trust", which focuses on history's popular decline persuades the reader to reconsider looking at history as just an antiquated subject, but instead as a relevant topic using solid diction, relevant details, and realistic imagery.

Egan believes that history in schools is overlooked because the math and sciences are given too much glory and importance, and he makes that very clear.  There is no question what Egan is trying to get at when he calls Florida's government "knuckleheaded", implying that their lack of support towards history education is due to stubbornness and stupidity.  State regulated history books are "jargon-weighted" with political correctness, which implies that they are filled with vague, confusing facts that aren't even factual.  "Paranoid writings" written by politicians implies that historical truth is no longer available, and any politician who wants to be re-elected is afraid to write the truth, giving us a flawed history.  

The details Egan includes provide evidence towards history's decline.  He starts out his article by including lines from letters he received from high school students who don't like hearing about history or learning about it.  By beginning with a personal story, the reader immediately understands that this is an issue that is both real and close to his heart.  Egan is not afraid to call out specific people who would oppose what he is saying, like Florida Governor Rick Scott.  This again gives his article relevance and by shutting down the opposition he strengthens his point. 

In order for the reader to fully understand what he is trying to say, Egan uses descriptive language so that the reader can paint an image in their mind.  In his article he talks about a point that one of his colleagues made.  He introduces him as "David McCullough, the snowy-headed author and occasional national scold..." This brings up the image of an old, wise man.  And who doesn't respect the opinion of an old wise man?  This image that Egan has created is not something the reader wants to argue with.  In describing how teenagers view writers of history he says, "well, there’s a special place with the already-chewed gum in nerd camp for them."  This brings up the image most kids have in their mind about history and how un-cool it is.  Already chewed gum?  Nerd camp everyone makes fun of?  That is not an image the reader is likely to forget.

Overall, Egan makes his point.  While his article failed to say how an issue like this could be solved, it brings up the issue nicely.  Relevant word choice, details, and lasting images is what history texts should be full of, as his "In Ignorance We Trust" is.

Open Prompt -- Dec 9th

1980. A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between a passion and responsibility. For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work.

         Europe in the 1660s was not a fun time to be alive, and a series of misfortunes has forced sixteen year old Griet to become a maid in an artist's home.  While in her new home, Griet discovers fantastic art which she soon becomes enamored with.  Tracy Chevalier paints this story of a maid with a conflicting passion in her novel Girl With A Pearl Earring.

        Griet grew up watching her father paint the tiles that decorated homes across all of Holland.   Her father became blind after a terrible accident, and Griet was shipped off to become a maid to help feed her family.  The family she worked for was a difficult one: The mother was unloving and demanding, the six children often misbehaved, and Griet became lonely and overworked.  The only thing Griet liked about working was the father and his art, a skilled painter who entrusted her to clean his studio.    His studio was off-limits to everyone but himself and Griet for cleaning.   In the studio Griet found a sacred, peaceful place where amazingly realistic portraits were painted, and soon her own father's painted tiles could not compare with the masterpieces the great Vermeer created. 

        However, Griet struggled with this newly discovered passion.  Vermeer's wife hated the fact that Griet had permission into the studio when she did not, and gave the poor maid even more work to do.  Griet understood that she must keep her position as a maid because her family depended on her meager income, and so she often had to push aside her desire to sit and watch Vermeer paint during her rare free moments and instead do as her mistress ordered.  Griet is seen fighting many mental battles between her former obedient self and her new rebellious self.  And while she usually choses responsibility over passion, by the end of the novel she is a changed person: Valuing her hard work while embracing her new passion.

       The conflict between responsibility and passion is the focus of the plot of Girl With A Pearl Earring, and its significance is not to be overlooked.  The 1660s was not a time to fool around in, as even the smallest of mistakes could cost you your job, which could cost you your life.  While conditions are not so extreme today, it is understood that a balance between work and play is essential.  Like Griet, we must have our priorities in line, first focusing on what is needed to be done for our survival, then our passions.

Response to Course Material -- Dec 2nd

 

HAMLET

What I think I know so far, and some predictions:

About two weeks ago, the only thing I knew about Hamlet was that it was by Shakespeare, and someone somewhere said "To be, or not to be, that is the question."  Beyond that, nothing.  I've never read it, never seen it, zip zilch nada.  So everything that I now know about it is what I have learned in class.  That said all my predictions/observations are probably super basic and in three weeks I'll be laughing at myself for writing this... so bear with me.

 

So, here is what I have learned thus far:

-There is some debate on the greatness of this play.  It can either be seen as a great work, or a badly put-together tragedy with little behind it.

-The play is based in Elsinore, a rotten, corrupted, crazy place where no one can be trusted. 

-Hamlet is a revenge tragedy.  (think: The Lion King) Hamlet's father was killed by his own brother, who wanted to marry Hamlet's mom, his brother's wife.  So, now Hamlet's ghost is telling Hamlet to revenge him.  The first step of this plan is that Hamlet acts mad. 

-We also get to meet another family that features in the play.  Polonius is second in the kingdom, but would like to be first.  His two children, Ophelia and Laertes, have a great (and very rare) relationship.  Ophelia and Hamlet want to get married.  If they did, and produced a child, and Hamlet was to die, Polonius could become the King (his ultimate goal). 

And now, what I think about it:

-It is really hard to understand and read.  I could use many more explanations on individual words and general going-ons.  Also, I think it could help to listen to a recording, as opposed to having classmates read it aloud, since we (including myself) struggle with reading with the correct tone, pronunciations, flow, and often read it in a flat, boring voice.  Listening to the actor's voices could be really helpful, but at the same time I understand the value in figuring things out for yourself. 

-I'm not sure what to think of Ophelia.  In class, Ms. Holmes keeps on asking what we think of Ophelia.  Is she dumb?  Cunning?  Has she inherited some of her father's political shrewdness?  I want to believe that she is cunning, but also wants to protect Hamlet, but on the other hand I'm getting this feeling that she is smart, but has her mind on the throne.  When she gave up the love letters to her father to be read in public, she must have had a motive or else she wouldn't.  Also, Hamlet did not trust her enough to show her that his madness is fake, and this says a lot about her if even her lover doesn't trust her. 

-I also do like Hamlet, probably because I enjoyed his sense of humor when he calls Polonius a fishmonger, and then talks about how ugly old people are right in front of him, while pretending to be mad.  Also, I kind of feel bad for him because he has to go through this whole thing alone, and doesn't trust anyone.

-So, my predictions.  I know that for a majority of this play, Hamlet's going to strut around on stage wondering if he should go through with it, and then there's a big bloodbath at the end.  So, I think he is going to be visited by the Ghost again, then kill his uncle/step dad, but then he's screwed.  And then he dies, because you just can't kill the king.  And many more are going to die.  And I'm pretty sure Ophelia dies also... something in my mind is telling me she is just too lovesick and drowns...?  Because after all, this is a tragedy. 

Death of a Salesman Summary and Analysis the Quick Kenzie Way

 

Death Of A Salesman -- Summary and Analysis the Quick Kenzie Way

Author: Arthur Miller.  Miller is famous for many of his plays and essays, including The Crucible, testifying in front of the government for his suspicious "un-American" ideas and possible Communist affiliation, and having been married to Marilyn Monroe.  

Setting:  Willy Loman's house, yard, and places he visits "in the New York and Boston of today".  "Today" can be 1949, when it was written, but is not specifically in that exact time period. 

Plot: 
ACT I: 
     We first meet Willy when he comes home from a long day of work and driving.  Linda, his wife, obviously takes great care of him right from the beginning.  We also meet Biff and Happy, his sons.  While the family sleeps, Willy has a flashback to the past, when his sons adored him and all was good.  The audience begins to piece together that Willy has some issues.  While still dreaming, Willy goes to another woman, (a dream within a dream) alluding to a past affair.  Willy's dream starts to turn bad, and he wakes up.  Charley, his neighbor and friend, comes over to play cards.  In the middle of their game Willy begins to see Ben, his older brother he idolizes.  Frusterated, Charley leaves.  Willy is now fully submersed in his dream, one similar to the last.  
    Willy walks out, and Linda, Biff, and Happy discuss him in the kitchen, where Linda reveals he has been trying to kill himself.  Both are shocked, but only Biff seems to care.  Biff and Willy do not get along, but Biff promises to try to be successful in business in order to give Willy the hope he thrives on.  Willy enters back in, and both get heated, but cool down eventually.  They go to bed and the curtain falls. 

ACT II:
    Willy feels good in the morning, and goes off to ask his boss for a promotion, only to be fired.  He is completely devastated by the news, and slips into a dream as he leaves.  He winds up going to Charley's office, where he talks to Bernard, who is now a very successful man.  Willy appears unstable, and asks Bernard how Biff did not turn out like he did.  Charley comes in, and offers Willy a job.  This makes Willy even madder, and says he will not.  However, he accepts Charley's money and leaves.  
   At the restaurant, Happy tells Biff that he must not tell Willy the truth (that his meeting with Oliver was a complete failure.)  Biff isn't sure what to do.  When Willy comes, Biff tries to lie to make Willy happy, but when Willy says he's lost his job, Biff goes back on what he says and tells him the truth.  Both of them get extremely upset, and Willy wanders into the bathroom where he goes into the past.  Biff and Happy leave with two women.  In Willy's dream, he has an affair discovered by the young Biff.  This is probably why their relationship went sour. 
   Back at home, Linda is furious that the boys left Willy there alone.  Willy goes to the back to plant a garden, and talks to Ben.  (dream).  Biff brings him back inside, and tells him that he is going to go out West, and should be forgotten about.  All is laid on the table as Biff pulls out the rubber hose, revealing Willy's serious suicide consideration.  Willy refuses to believe this.  Biff ends up crying, begging Willy.  In the end, all go to bed.  But Willy, having realized that Biff really does love him, talks to Ben before riding off in a car, crashing and killing himself so that Biff may collect his life insurance.  

REQUIREM: 
   Willy's funeral.  No one is there besides Linda, Biff, Happy, Charley, and Bernard.  Biff is angry, Happy says nothing, but Charley says Willy is not to blame.  Linda is left by his grave, and says she cannot cry, but then begins sobbing as she says "We're free... we're free..." over and over until the curtain closes.

Significant Characters:  
Willy Loman: Willy is the 60-year old Salesman.  He is a frantic, disillusioned, superficial man.  His deepest belief is that Biff can succeed where he has failed, and that anyone can make it out there if he is "well-liked".  Willy struggles with identity and knowing his purpose.  His many flaws include the pressure he puts on Biff, his treatment of Linda, his foolish pride, and his disillusioned dreams.  Willy's dreams are of the happy past, but never end well.  His death is when he commits suicide so that Biff may take his life insurance.
Linda: Linda is Willy's patient wife.  She loves Willy, and is somewhat of a mother figure to him.  One of her greatest flaws is that she protects Willy too much, which only leads to his downfall.
Biff: Biff is Willy's oldest son, who Willy puts all of his soul into.  At 34 years old, Biff has no steady job and resorts to petty thievery  as he has all his life.  Biff had adored his father, but that was broken after he discovered Willy having an affair.  Biff then broke away, and does not share Willy's over-enthusiasm and prefers to see the world as it is.  
Happy: Happy is the younger son, whom none of the Lomans seem to care about.  He's grown up in Biff's shadow his entire life, and is constantly striving for attention from his parents.  He is a womanizer, and doesn't love Willy like Biff or Linda do, probably because he never received attention from him.  Like Willy, Happy would rather be disillusioned (like Willy) than know the truth (like Biff).  In the end of the play, Happy says he will continue on in Willy's footsteps.
Ben: Ben is Willy's older brother, who he only sees in his dreams/flashbacks.  Ben went to find their father (who had gone to Alaska) but somehow ended up in the African Jungle.  When he came out of the jungle, he was rich.  Willy idolizes Ben, and is constantly asking Ben how he too can come out successful.

Narrative Voice Description: There is no narrative voice or narrator.  However, it has been speculated that when Charley says that Willy is not to blame for his condition, that is Miller speaking directly to the audience.

Author's style: Not much wasted time for stage transitions, lots of words however!

         POV: It is a play, no major point-of-view

         Tone: Serious

         Imagery: Not a whole lot of imagery within the play; average stage descriptions

         Symbolism: Stockings, Diamonds, the Jungle, West, Seeds

3 Significant Quotes: 
1. Charley, at Willy's funeral: "Nobody dast blame this man.  A salesman is got to dream, boy.  It comes with the territory".  Here the audience is supposed to "get-it".  That is, we aren't supposed to hate Willy for all the pain he's caused his family, we're supposed to understand that this could happen to anyone.  He was a salesman, sold on the American Dream that anyone can do it.  And when his American Dream didn't work out, he just blinded himself to the truth.

2. Willy to Ben.  "Oh, Ben, how did you do it?  What is the answer?"  Willy repeats these questions over and over, every time he sees Ben.  He just cannot get over how he himself has ended up where he is now.  It's not so much how did you do it, but why can't I seem to be successful?  

3. Biff to Willy, pg. 133 "Will you let me go, for Christ's sake?  Will you take that phony dream and burn it before something happens?"  Biff fully believes that they, and especially Willy, cannot keep living like they have been without major consequences.  Being realistic > living in a lie.  This could be Miller's way of trying to tell us the same thing.

One-sentence Statement of Theme: While it is alright to dream, at some point reality must be faced in order for us to survive.

How these elements support this Theme: 

        Setting: The characters are in a very normal, slightly run-down place, living out their normal, run-down lives.  Willy often complains about all the work and bills that must be paid, but in his dreams he is always positive about the future, never mind the expenses.

        Plot: The plot circles around Willy and his inability to face the truth.  Because of this, the reader is able to understand how the truth is needed, and hiding from reality will get you no where. 
        Title: Death of a Salesman = Death.  Willy DIED.  There is no more Willy.  His dream is gone, if it ever even existed.

Close Reading of "Of Turkish Wine and Backwards Logic" -- Nov 18th

"Of Turskish Wine and Backwards Logic"  --  Andrew Finkelhttp://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/15/of-turkish-wine-and-backward-logic/ 
Andrew Finkel has a passion for the country of Turkey which is evident in in his articles on the country.  The diction, imagery, and language employed in his article "Of Turkish Wine and Backwards Logic" communicates his passion for the subject. 

Finkel's word choice is effective in many ways.  He uses both higher language which gives his writing a sophisticated feel, but also common, creative words which keeps his piece relevant.   For example, in the very first sentence he writes that of "Turkish strain of NIMBY" he experienced.  NIMBY is a rather hipster term, and in fact isn't even a real word, but an acronym for "not in my backyard".   Similarly,  he uses another unique word to describe himself discounting other critics, saying that ""I had always pooh-poohed the Cassandras who believe Turkey is hopelessly divided".  Pooh-poohed could have easily been replaced with its definition, "to make light of", but used here it adds another layer of creativity, and the reader can better relate to his meaning.   To contrast these slang-like terms, Finkel is sure to use other terms such as "alacrity", (brisk and cheerful readiness) which the typical American is unfamiliar with to give the article a sophisticated feel.  

Along with the superb diction, the (figurative) language used excites the reader,  and helps them understand Finkel's passionate message.  In describing a friend's decision, he says that "no one had twisted his arm".  This is true, both figuratively and literally, as fact.  No one had touched his friend, and no one had threatened him in his decision-making.   Another exciting phrase Finkel uses to describe how the current alcohol issue had hit close to home was "[b]ut now Kulturkampf was at my dining table."  Kulturkampf, a German word meaning "culture struggle" with a historical connotation was NOT actually at his table, but the idea of a struggle between the government and society was developing right in front of him.   Lastly, his plan to solve his problem, "I would swirl, sniff, slurp, and spit my way through" is yet another great example of language that while interesting, should not be interpreted as fact.  

To bring the reader right in, Finkel uses languages to create an image in the reader's mind.  Describing his favorite location where he visited a restaurant "in my nook of Istanbul" gives the reader a little mental image of a small, cozy corner that belongs to him.  In his little nook where he interviewed a restaurateur  he found that his "logic was exactly backward" than his own.  This image of being "exactly backward" helps the reader picture the stark contrast between these two ideas, and also reinforces that Finkel's beliefs are stronger than any others.  (Or so we are led to believe.)  And finally, images of the rich "show[ing] their nobler side by investing in stone-mill olive oil presses or boutique vineyards" brings the reader to an old land which Finkel hails as home.

Finkel's fine use of the different rhetorical techniques such as diction, imagery, and language help the audience understand his passion, even on a topic that most people in the US aren't familiar with.  

Open Prompt -- November 11

1990. Choose a novel or play that depicts a conflict between a parent (or a parental figure) and a son or daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the sources of the conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid plot summary. 

Often called one of the greatest American plays, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller revolves around Willy Loman, a 60 year old salesman from New York who is struggling under enormous pressure from himself.  His oldest son, Biff, is in conflict with himself and his father as he is trying to find himself even at 32 years of age.  The strained relationship between Willy and Biff was driven by their extreme differences in how they viewed the world: Biff was realistic while Willy lived in dreamland.  Miller's juxtaposition of these characters and their conflict with one another draws the audience towards the viewing life as it is.  

The father-son conflict escalated quickly after Biff discovered Willy having an affair.  While Willy talked it off, making excuses that he only did it because he was lonely and still loved his wife, Biff was devastated.  Biff saw his infidelity for what it was, while Willy refused to acknowledge the consequences his actions could have.  This is especially seen by the emotion displayed when Willy's affair is brought to light.  Biff breaks down sobbing, and while Willy becomes angry, his anger is targeted at Biff and his seemingly silly tears and not his own action.  The audience understands Biff's huge disappointment with Willy, and Willy's unfeeling reaction only helps solidify the idea that it is better to face the truth and reality than hide behind a outwardly positive curtain. 

Willy Loman is a firm believer in the power of a good handshake and a smile.  Anyone, according to Willy, can be successful, and he predicted amazing things for the popular Biff while he was still in high school.   For awhile, Biff believed in this ideal dream; that because he was good-looking, personable, and athletic, he could go far in life and in the business world.  However, Biff "grew up" and realized that the things Willy valued were worthless, and the reason he was never successful in business is because he had nothing beyond personality and looks.  Because the empty hopeful ideas of Willy led to Biff's failure in the business world (and Willy's eyes), the audience begins to come to the conclusion that having an overly positive outlook can have some serious negative effects.  

Throughout the play Biff is seen trying to amend things with his dad, but never can.  While not completely blameless, Biff tries to please his father after his mom begs him to try to help Willy.  Biff agrees to live in a city which he despises and do a job he hates in order to give his dad the positive outlook he thrives on, and does whatever he can to sway his father's understanding so that he will accept Biff as he is once again.  This dedication to Willy is contrasted by Willy's coldness back.  Willy thinks Biff blames him, and does what he does to spite him, and not to help him.  The audience is able to understand Biff while Willy's reaction seems childish, and can only wish that Willy would see life as it is.  

The conflict between the father and son is not just a serious disagreement, but also a deliberate act by Miller. Having two characters who should be similar in beliefs and attitudes be so different is a major red-flag for anyone looking to analyze the play, and a look into the causes of this conflict and how it relates to the character's outtakes can reveal much about an author's meaning.

Response to Course Material #3

A "Faust story" or "Faustian bargain" (as observed in Gregory Corso's "Marriage") goes way back to a story of a man named Faust, who sold his soul to the devil.  In exchange, he got what he wanted, but no longer had a soul, and therefore could not enjoy it.  

This then got the ball rolling in my head about the major pieces of literature we've gone over in class.  Can there be a kind of Faust story in The American Dream?  How about the Young Man?  He can not feel anything, and while he didn't make a bargain with the Devil, being ripped away from his twin (whom Mommy and Daddy killed) sounds like it could be a work of the Devil.  And this might be a stretch, but Mommy and Daddy had to bargain to get their first child, who they later discovered they didn't even want.  Is that unlike exchanging your soul for something that you discover you don't want and can't enjoy? 

For Death of a Salesman, I'm not sure I can find a good Faustian-anything yet since I've only just started my close reading and have only seen the movie version in class.  But I am able to understand that Willy Loman is a SALESMAN.  He tries to sell things.  And he's SOLD on this Dream of his, (the American Dream?) but he is working too hard for it and can't enjoy what he has, because he is too concerned with what could be.  I think Willy has all that he needs, (A good wife, two good sons) but since he can't get over his brother's successes and his own failures he still struggles to enjoy life as it is.  That's probably not the best explanation but there you go. 

And while I'm on this theme of intertextuality, The American Dream and Death of a Salesman are both centered on the "America/Dream/Modern Society/What is right v. wrong" sort of stuff.  And both don't exactly  paint the prettiest picture of America or our society, and both bring up characters with skewed views on what is right v. what is wrong.  (Mommy and Daddy kill child with no remorse, Willy Loman doesn't realize how his actions effect his family, etc).  There's lots of connections between the author's various messages, and a deeper look into Death of a Salesman will help me find them.

The American Dream Summary and Analysis the Quick Kenzie Way

Summary and Analysis the Quick Kenzie Way:

The American Dream

Edward Albee

First performed 1961

Somewhat Existentialist, Theatre of the Absurd

Author: Edward Albee

Setting: Living room of Mommy and Daddy’s apartment.  One-Act play, room never left.  Supposedly the present, 1960s America.

Plot: Mommy and Daddy live in their apartment.  While never directly stated, we learn that they have killed an adopted son and are looking for a replacement.  Mrs. Barker is the lady who is supposed to help them get their “satisfaction” but is confused as to why she is there in the first place.  Grandma becomes sick of Mommy and Daddy, so when the Young Man enters looking for a job, she is quick to formulate a plan to have him be the new son (the old son was his twin).  Grandma leaves after this, and the play closes while “everybody’s got what he thinks he wants”.  Not much of a plot.

Significant Characters:

Mommy – Controller, very superficial, not very smart.

Daddy – Weak, copycat of Mommy, tries to prove his masculinity but fails.

Grandma – Talks much about her old age, witty, does not approve of Mommy and Daddy

Mrs. Barker – The lady from the Adoption Service, is involved in so many things, but nothing that actually matters.  Is often referred to as “they”, will sometimes call herself “we”.

Young Man – Beautiful in form, empty in soul.  Cannot love, suffered many loses without explanation, is the twin of Mommy and Daddy’s first son.

Narrative voice: No narrator

POV:  3^rd person, with no narrator.  Audience has no interaction with characters until the very end when Grandma leaves the stage and enters into the audience, speaking directly to them.

Tone: Very critical of society, shifts towards the positive when Grandma joins the audience, but mostly is critical throughout.

3 Significant Quotes and why:

1) Daddy: I do wish I weren’t surrounded by women; I’d like some men around here.

Mrs. Barker: You can say that again!

Grandma: I don’t hardly count as a woman, so can I say my piece?

This is a good quote because a) Daddy acts like a woman, so this is ironic.  B) Mrs. Barker agrees, though she happens to be very pro-feminist, could also relate to her husband being wheel chair-bound.  C) Grandma is as manly/strong as Daddy is feminine/weak, which provides good contrast.

2) Mommy: You can’t get satisfaction; just try.  I can get satisfaction, but you can’t.

Here Mommy goes again, asserting her dominance over Daddy.  This also brings up the idea of “satisfaction” which is referenced heavily throughout the play.  Satisfaction often comes to the characters though money, dominance, and sex.

3) Young Man: … In every other way I am incomplete, and I must therefore . . . compensate.  (LATER) . . . I can feel nothing.

This shows that the Young Man, while seemingly perfect, is empty and dead inside.  The New American Dream may also look appealing, but unlike the old, has nothing in its core.

4) Mommy: Would you like a cigarette, and a drink, and would you like to cross your legs?

This could be a good quote to use because it can be interpreted many different ways.  For example, Mommy is bossy.  She is telling Mrs. Barker what to do.  Or, this is just furthering the point that Mrs. Barker is a prostitute.  Or, this is another technique Albee used to show to the audience the absurdness of the entire situation and relationships between the characters.  

Theme: The idea of what Americans value (their “American Dream”) is exaggerated, highlighted, and then attacked to show the readers Albee’s view on the declining state of our society.

Elements which Support this Theme:

n      Setting – Characters presumably in America in the present-day.

n      Plot – No traditionally-styled plot, which highlights the meaninglessness of life.  The reader is to favor Grandma, and so her ideals are pushed, and dislike Mommy and Daddy/

n      Title – “The American Dream” works well as a title because it forces the reader to think of the American Dream and what that means.  (And it’s more than just what Grandma calls the Young Man!)

n      Narrative Voice – Grandma becomes the Narrator when she enters the audience in the very last moments of the play and addresses them directly.  This shows her importance and connection to the audience.

n      Author’s style – Very commonplace language used, characters are somewhat relatable, causing reader/audience to wonder how they fit in to this American Dream, if they support Grandma or relate to Mommy’s ignorant superficialness.)

n      Tone – Critical of society and modern values.

n      Imagery – Language is used to create disturbing scenes (like the disfiguring and murder of the first son) which show the wrongness of today’s world.

n      Symbolism – Grandma is a symbol for the Old American Dream, and the Young Man for the New American Dream.  Where Grandma is old, filled, and has a life of experience, the Young Man is young, physically attractive, but empty inside.

Close Reading -- October 21, 2012

http://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/26946/end-of-world-may-21-2011/

Any article about a potential upcoming Doomsday would grab anyone's attention, but keeping the reader involved is the trick.  Frank Lake wrote about a new Rapture date prediction, which I find interesting, but it was his use of carefully chosen details, fast-forward syntax, and helpful diction that keeps the reader wanting to know more. 

Lake includes a background story of a past End Times prediction made in 2004 by a pastor in New Jersey.  After the predicted day (which was his wife 50th birthday) came and went without a hitch, he then "beat his wife to death with a Bible" out of frustration (Lake).  While completely unrelated to the current Doomsday prediction the article was based on, this detail gives hint to Lake's beliefs on End Times predictions -- that they're totally false.  Even a small detail like this background story can say so much, without really saying anything.  Similarly, Lake mentions the current relationship status of one of the believers, saying very simply "[H]er husband left for Vegas to drink and spend his life savings on prostitutes" (Lake).  While that information could have easily not gone viral, it clues the reader in to Lake's true opinions.

Clear, straightforward sentences to keep the reader engaged and moving.  There's no long, boring sentences, which helps keep the article from feeling long and boring.  "May 2012 is over.  The Rapture has come and gone."  Lake just keeps slapping down facts and ideas, keeping the reader alert and ready for more.  There's a bundle of information presented, but it is not difficult to pick up on or understand.  

Because details the apparent upcoming apocalypse is not regarded as common knowledge, Lake uses both information and diction to help the reader "see" what is going on.  When describing the reaction of those whose Rapture day came and went, he calls them "crestfallen followers", implying through "followers" that they are part of a cult, and that they have "fallen", probably both in social status and their confidence of their beliefs.  "Ominous" implies both death and dread, and paints a vivid picture of the predicted doom to come.  With a few descriptive words, the reader can better understand the scenario presented, and therefore want to know more.

Open Prompt -- October 14, 2012

Open Prompt -- October 14, 2012 

1975. Unlike the novelist, the writer of a play does not use his own voice and only rarely uses a narrator's voice to guide the audience's responses to character and action. Select a play you have read and write an essay in which you explain the techniques the playwright uses to guide his audience's responses to the central characters and the action. You might consider the effect on the audience of things like setting, the use of comparable and contrasting characters, and the characters' responses to each other. Support your argument with specific references to the play. Do not give a plot summary.

Edward Albee -- The American Dream 

Edward Albee may be thought of as a very "different" playwright based on his writings which often fall under the Theatre of the Absurd category, but like all playwrights he cannot use his own voice to direct the audience's response to character and action within his plays. Because of this, in his famous play The American Dream, Albee relies on a commonplace setting, the contrast between Mommy and Grandma, and Grandma's response to the arrival of the Young Man.  

The American Dream is set in a living room of an apartment.  There's truly nothing special about the setting, and that is what makes it work.  Everyone knows what a living room is -- it's the center of the home, and so it makes sense to stage a play about a family right in the middle of where they live.  The audience can relate to this common setting, and therefore can relate to the characters and their actions within that room.  The family room is never left throughout the entire play, and this isolated world becomes the foundation for the audience's response to the action that takes place.

Grandma and Mommy are two very different characters who constantly clash.  Mommy is middle-aged, manipulative, and concerned with getting her fair share of satisfaction.  Grandma, her mother, is refreshing, old, loud, and not afraid so speak her mind.  The audience leans towards favoring Grandma throughout the play, and become sick and tired of pathetic Mommy as the play goes on.  By having this be, Albee guides the audience's response to favor Grandma's solid ideals, as opposed to Mommy's materialistic ones.  There's no "this is what I think and how you should think" but instead, the audience naturally sides with Grandma, supporting Albee's ideas.

The audience also gets a glimpse of what Albee is trying to say with the Young Man's interactions with Grandma. The Young Man is a fresh, new character who arrives towards the end of the play.  Many sides of Grandma have been seen, and when this new character comes along, her reaction helps the audience know what to make of him.  At first Grandma does not want to come into close contact with this flashy "American Dream", but admires him and tries to find him a job nonetheless.  The Young Man opens up to Grandma later, and her gentle response helps the reader understand him without Albee directly coming in to explain. 

Writing a play has considerable challenges that writing a novel doesn't, but they can be overcome in a remarkable way.  Using the setting, contrasting characters, and character's responses to one another, playwrights like Edward Albee can create works in which they themselves don't need to hold the audience's hand the entire time.

Response to Course Material #2

A Few Things I Now Know, 

and think about all this. 

Existentialism 

Oh, those poor existentialists!  They went off to war and didn't know why and saw death and destruction and had to live with it, never understood or loved by society! 

Ha, they actually believe humans are free to do whatever they want all the time?  And all this absurdness is getting ridiculous.  Writing about meaninglessness is just going to confuse me. I'm not going to like any of this "theater of the depressed and crazy". 

Ah, the great big existentialism packet.  While there are some things I like about the whole existentialist philosophy, (taking responsibility for your own actions) I don't agree with all of it (every single thing is meaningless, why have values when nothing matters, etc).  However, I do think that it is interesting, for sure.  I don't feel like I have a very good grasp of it yet, but I think that with a little deeper look into The American Dream and talking more about what The Theater of the Absurd is, I'll be able to understand it better.

Major Literary Movements 

I realize this is totally re-stating not re-processing, (to some extent,) but it helps me think about all we've learned with just a few words.

Classical.  Greek and Roman guys.  Epic heroes, oral tradition, gods, Odysseus and Oedipus.  Plato, Aristotle.

Medievalism.  Vikings.  Religious texts.  Dante's Inferno, rings of Hell.  Allegories. Beowulf.

Renaissance.  Rebirth.  Probably the most talked about in school.  Nation-states.  Shakespeare.  

Humanism (thing within Renaissance).  Less God, more Us.  Sciencey. 

Romanticism.  Individuals.  Hero against society.  Life is beautiful even when it's not.  

Victorian Literature.  Queen Victoria.  Good guy wins.  Morals. 

Realism and Naturalism.  American lit class!  Common man, every day events.  NOT ABOUT LOVING NATURE.  Nature is too good for us, humans always lose to nature.  

Modernism.  Make it new!  WWI, industrialization, new stuff.  Lost generation.  Irony, things are like as they seem, surrealism, impresssionalism.  

Post modernism.  Modernism on steroids.  Nostalgia.  High and Low Culture.  Intertextuality.  IRONY IRONY IRONY.  What is truth?  

The American Dream 

What?  What?  What just happened?  Is Mrs. Barker still out of her dress?  Gramma took the water out of the house?  What?  What was the point of all this?  So is the Young Man their baby?  They got rid of their baby?!  

That was what was going through my head after the last line of The American Dream.  I'm not good at reading-between-the-lines or getting over my own perceptions/biases/beliefs, so I probably should not be surprised that there was a lot I did not really understand considering The American Dream is filled with all sorts of meanings.  Already, after reading what Grandma stood for (the old American dream, in case you were wondering) my mind was blown and what we read was only on Grandma.  What I'm really looking forward to is Mrs. Barker... I really do not get her!

 

The Third Born -- Close Reading Post

Close Readings 

The Third Born -- Mohsin Hamid   http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/features/2012/09/24/120924fi_fiction_hamid  Page 1.  

"The Third Born" by Mohsin Hamid is a second-person narrative about the struggles of life in the worst conditions in the Middle East.   The imagery, language, and details used helps bring the reader into a world they have never been before.

There is no shortage of Imagery in "The Third Born".  From the very first sentence the reader is born into a "cold, dewy morning" where they are an unwanted third child clinging to life in a one-room mud shack.  When the almost unlivable conditions are described, Hamid opens up a whole new world.  The description of the father may not be "appealing" to the senses, but it is vivid: "...his leather sandals unslung at the rear, their straps flapping free, his chapped heels callused, crustacean-like".  Of course, in keeping with the narrative, the young boy who the reader is supposed to be has probably never seen a crustacean, but it works.  We understand who the father is; a bit uncaring, poor, and incredibly worn-down.  Hamid is not trying to have us be sympathetic towards the father, but instead see why he is gruff towards his children and unsatisfied with his life. 

Hamid's story is focused around the struggle to live in such a bad area.  The third child, who is likely to die, is one of many before him who have died.  The language he uses to describe this familiar process is that death exceptional.  "She feels your death push forward a few decades, take off its dark, dusty head scarf, and settle with open-haired familiarity and a lascivious smile into this, the single mud-walled room she shares with all her surviving offspring."  Death has a dark, dusty head scarf!  It settles into the room!  What a thing to say!  This is, of course, figurative.  It's not a fact.  Yet the reader is left feeling sad, and concerned for the boy who knows what death looks like.   

The first page of "The Third Born" is extremely descriptive, containing more information than plot.  The details are abundant, but they all are useful to the story.  Most of these details are told to bring the reader into this foreign world.  We don't need to know that the river which is used for bathing, drinking, and washing is also used as toilet by this family, and by hundreds of families up the river, but Hamid tells us anyways.  We could have understood that the father was a cook with no regard to quality or taste, but knowing that his "His food burns the tongue and clogs the arteries" brings the reader one step deeper. 

Open Prompt -- September 16

1978 Open Prompt using The Picture of Dorian Gray
September 16, 2012 

1978. Choose an implausible or strikingly unrealistic incident or character in a work of fiction or drama of recognized literary merit. Write an essay that explains how the incident or character is related to the more realistic of plausible elements in the rest of the work. Avoid plot summary.  

Imagine what it would be like to have a body which hid your evil doings by never growing old, with only a haunting portrait to remind you of your corrupt soul.  The 19th century British novel The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde tells this story of a physically beautiful man with a corrupt and ugly soul, his secret hidden within a fantastic painted portrait.  The portrait, which decays as Dorian commits one evil deed after another, is an unrealistic event which changes the life of Dorian forever.  While it is both implausible and unrealistic, the portrait relates to the realistic elements within the novel, creating a whole and understandable story. 

The changing portrait is not something anyone can relate to.  However, readers of the novel can relate to Dorian's struggle with his outward appearance.  He feels like his beauty is his greatest asset, and that he is a worthy person because of it.  Dorian later despises his perfect appearance, saying that it is not worth being haunted by the portrait.  His obsession with looks is only magnified by the portraits existence, making it an element that the reader can associate with.  

Dorian goes to all sorts of extremes within this novel.  He even reaches the point where his actions are controlled by the portrait, leading him to kill another man after he shares his secret with him.  Being controlled by a desire or secret is a very realistic element many readers can relate to.  While I'm sure none have committed murder in order to guard a secret, it is fair to say that many people have things about themselves they wish not to share and will protect from others.  For example, I have friends who will never, under no circumstances, leave the house without makeup for fear of being seen without.  Is this not unlike Dorian Gray, doing all he can to guard the secret of his inner corrupt being?  I think not.  The portrait is more than a portrait to Dorian, and the reader can understand how they have similar "portraits" they hide.  

It's an absurd idea, that there really could be a "picture of your soul", but Oscar Wilde weaves it in to the point where the reader can't doubt its existence, even if it only is alive in Dorian's head.  And while it may be crazy, it fits. It adds a whole new fantastic level to the novel, while still being familiar and relevant to the reader.

Response:  

At first, 40 minutes seemed like a long time, until I was working on the last paragraph and saw I had 2 minutes to finish it up, and was still planning on writing another paragraph.  It was also difficult to think back to last year when I read the book, and instead had to rely on past knowledge.  As I went on writing it started to all come back, but a review of it would have been very helpful before I started writing!

Response to Course Material -- Week 1, Sept 9th

Response to Course Material Week 1, September 9th 

The prezis I took notes on were filled with good ideas on reaching your audience so that your writing accomplishes something.  This got me thinking of the audience I will have come May when I'm taking the AP test.  The audience will all be very knowledgeable when it comes to literature and English, will have read many, many, other students' writing, and will be comparing what I say and do to the other students.  

So to please this audience, the tips in Essay Writing Basics are all beyond useful.  It's important to keep in mind the "Speaker/Persona; What kind of person do you want to seem like?"  And while I first thought it was silly to mention, "answer the prompt!" certainly has its uses too.   A summary of the facts is not good enough, but going deeper and asking WHY and HOW sets the good AP-student apart, and that is something I need to remember.  Quoting evidence, even while the audience has read the selections close to a million times, is key to a good grade.  The terms MUST be said and in the correct ways, to show those judges I know what I'm talking about.  And the essay must be persuasive, which leads into what The Rhetorical Situation was talking about. To be persuasive, your argument should be logically organized. It seems like I've understood the need of a strong intro, body, and conclusion since the 3rd grade, and for the AP test that's no exception.  This foreseen "act of communication" must communicate what I want it to in May, and it's never to early to begin thinking about it!

You Talk Pretty Already

3rd Summer Work Post 

You Talk Pretty Already

            Learning a foreign language is never easy, and even a language known since birth can be a struggle when you write it.  Supporting the advice given in Michael Harvey’s The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing, David Sedaris tells a story of mastering French in Me Talk Pretty One Day.  And while his French might not be the best, the flow, tenses and punctuation Sedaris uses in Me Talk Pretty One Day could all be stand-out examples in The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing. 

Sedaris for the most part uses the past tense.  He’s recounting a tale that has already happened; instead of saying “I’m startled” he uses “I was startled” (Sedaris 11).  As advised in The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing, he only switches to the present tense when explaining the French customs he continues to experience, showing the reader his current status in France.  He also makes good use of the active voice, where it is the subject does something, as compared to the passive voice where the subject is acted upon (Harvey 16).  Found on page 14, the sentence “Fall arrived and it rained every day” is active, because the subject, which is the fall, did the action by arriving.  If used in the passive voice, we would get the “turgid prose” Harvey disdains: something to the effect of “a few weeks later the weather changed and it became fall” (Harvey 19).  

            Punctuation might not seem like that big of a deal, but Harvey urges us to stay away from breaking the rules of punctuation or grammar unless we wish to seem ignorant or careless (Harvey 34).  Luckily for Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day was not as the title might suggest.  The only obvious mistake I found was a one-letter typo.  All of the punctuation described in The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing could be found in our little excerpt: commas, semicolons, colons, dashes, parentheses, questions.  Sedaris may be one of those writers who use the “flexible and flashy” dashes to create force the reader to pause since there were two within pages of each other (Harvey 42).   

            Me Talk Pretty One Day is a narration, and all events follow in chronological order.  An entire semester is discussed in a few short pages, and it is imperative that the paragraphs, each with a distinct purpose and topic, flow.  Sedaris creates transitions into new paragraphs by jumping right into them with a strong opening sentence, whose job is to “tell the reader what a paragraph is about” (Harvey 71).  “The first day of class was nerve-racking because I knew I’d be expected to perform,” opens up to a paragraph describing the first challenges the narrator faces (Sedaris 11).  Dialogue is also used to open up new ideas and begin paragraphs in an effective way. 

David Sedaris’ French might need another semester or two, but his “college writing” English makes the cut.  He is able to “talk pretty”, communicate clearly, and effectively, which is what Michael Harvey and The Nuts and Bolt of College Writing is all about.

After the Poetry Multiple-Choice

Second Entry 

Poetry Goals and Explanation

1.  Become familiar with all kinds of poetry
2.  Become familiar with "old" language 
3.  Read the poems sentence by sentence first, then line-to-line
4.  Become familiar with the kinds of questions asked on the test
5.  Focusing on the poem itself

My favorite poetry is straight forward, crisp, and sounds awesome when you read it aloud.  But not all poems are like that, and it would help to get more comfortable with different styles of poetry.  With that comes becoming more familiar with old language, like "thou" and "mayst", etc.  Reading poems (4 times if you can, which I was surprised at) first by sentences before line-by-line was a really helpful piece of advice mentioned at the beginning of the section.  I usually just read it line-by-line, but stretching it out creates a clearer picture.  The questions about the poem's tone/theme were the most difficult for me, and learning how to answer those types would be very helpful.  And lastly, I need to work on staying focused on the poem, and not letting my mind wander.  The poems were very good, and my first reaction to them was my opinion, not on analyzing it or preparing to answer questions on it.

After Taking the Diagnostic Test

First Entry 

After Taking the Diagnostic Test 

The diagnostic test was more difficult than I thought, but it's nothing that I won't be able to do come May.  The first thing I noticed was my lack of vocabulary skills.  There were a lot of important words in the answer choices I wasn't sure of, most of which I recognized from the terms that I need to know by the first day of school.  (And that's not a good sign.)  The felt very MEAP or ACT-like, which is both good and bad.  Good, because standardized texts like that are no big deal since I've taken so many, and bad, because by the end of a test like that my brain is fried and I can't even find obvious answers to questions.