Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
February Literary Analysis DEATH OF A SALESMAN
GENERAL
1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read, and explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
The play, "Death of a Salesman" is a story about the Loman family and their quest to achieve the picture perfect American life. However, the family faces multiple conflicts between each other and ultimately fail at the one thing they were all thriving for, a normal and happy life. The beginning of the play focuses around one of the main characters, Willy. His job is a traveling salesman and he absolutely hates it to pieces. He's been a travelling salesman for the majority of his pathetic life and he is not getting anywhere with his so called profession. He also cheated on his wife years ago but he couldn't get away from the guilt. This leads him to become depressed and often think about suicide. He begins to ignore his wife and get into constant arguments with his oldest son, Biff, who used to make Willy proud (He was the all star football player, a real straight shooter) but now only mirrors his failures. Willy has a second son, Happy, who he gets along with much better. Happy along with Linda (the wife) are the more innocent members of the family who have good intentions towards each other. Linda worries about Willy and his sanity, and tries to have him talk to his boss to get relocated to more local areas. Willy stalls on that conversation with his boss because he knows it will never happen. He's been doing so poor on his sales that he can't even bear to step foot in his boss' office. When Willy finally got the courage to ask his boss to be relocated, he was fired due to his old age and lack of sales. Willy's termination led him to go mad. The mixture of Willy being fired, Biff being a total flake and not being able to keep a job, and Happy wanting to impress everyone to the point of embarrassment sent the family over the edge and Willy into a ditch. The play ends at Willy's funeral where none of the problems the family had faced were solved, leaving them in the same place that they started.
3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
Because this piece of work is a play, all of the characterization is indirect. We must learn everything about the characters from what the others say to each other.
Willy speaks to Linda about their son Biff.
WILLY: How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farmhand? In the beginning, when he was young, I thought, well, a young man, it’s good for him to tramp around, take a lot of different jobs. But it’s more than ten years now and he has yet to make thirty-five dollars a week!
LINDA: He’s finding himself, Willy.
WILLY: Not finding yourself at the age of thirty-four is a disgrace!
LINDA: Shh!
WILLY: The trouble is he’s lazy, goddammit!
LINDA: Willy, please!
WILLY: Biff is a lazy bum!
Here you can tell how Biff acts based on the conversation between Linda and Willy. They are discussing how they feel he is becoming a failure.
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?
Because this story is a play, the author does not have any narrative parts. The diction and syntax all are specific to which character is speaking.
An example of Willy's diction is..
WILLY (with pity and resolve): I’ll see him in the morning; I’ll have a nice talk with him. I’ll get him a job selling. He could be big in no time. My God! Remember how they used to follow him around in high school? When he smiled at one of them their faces lit up. When he walked down the street... (He loses himself in reminiscences.)
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
The main theme in this play is The American Dream as well as guilt. The whole family tries to achieve this picture perfect life but ends up failing in their attempt to look perfect from the outside. While Willy lets the guilt of being an adulterer as well as not living up to his own expectations put him in a depressed and angry state.3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
The expressed tone in the play was monotone. All of the emotions of the characters pretty much stayed the same throughout, including their dialogue.
4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
Because this piece of work is a play, all of the characterization is indirect. We must learn everything about the characters from what the others say to each other.
Willy speaks to Linda about their son Biff.
WILLY: How can he find himself on a farm? Is that a life? A farmhand? In the beginning, when he was young, I thought, well, a young man, it’s good for him to tramp around, take a lot of different jobs. But it’s more than ten years now and he has yet to make thirty-five dollars a week!
LINDA: He’s finding himself, Willy.
WILLY: Not finding yourself at the age of thirty-four is a disgrace!
LINDA: Shh!
WILLY: The trouble is he’s lazy, goddammit!
LINDA: Willy, please!
WILLY: Biff is a lazy bum!
Here you can tell how Biff acts based on the conversation between Linda and Willy. They are discussing how they feel he is becoming a failure.
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?
Because this story is a play, the author does not have any narrative parts. The diction and syntax all are specific to which character is speaking.
An example of Willy's diction is..
WILLY (with pity and resolve): I’ll see him in the morning; I’ll have a nice talk with him. I’ll get him a job selling. He could be big in no time. My God! Remember how they used to follow him around in high school? When he smiled at one of them their faces lit up. When he walked down the street... (He loses himself in reminiscences.)
He is very concerned about Biff but at the same time realizes that he needs a lot of help in the motivation department.
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.
The protagonist in the play is Willy Loman and he is a static character. He is one-dimensional as the only thing he wants is the perfect American life. He works and works days on end for the dream but it ultimately gets him nowhere. He is old and his sales aren't up to par so he gets fired. The stress of everything going on eventually leads to his death and he never realizes that the material things aren't important anyways. Willy is also a flat character because he never reached the self realization that a round character would.
4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.
After reading this play I felt as if I definitely read about characters. It was difficult for me to get into the story and take interest in it maybe because the characters were not developed fully in my eyes. Without the description and personal thoughts from a narrator, I felt as if I needed to know more about them.
An example of the dry text that didn't do me any good was,
WILLY (with wonder):I was driving along, you understand? And I was fine. I was even observing the scenery. You can imagine, me looking at scenery, on the road every week of my life. But it’s so beautiful up there, Linda, the trees are so thick, and the sun is warm. I opened the windshield and just let the warm air bathe over me. And then all of a sudden I’m goin’ off the road! I’m tellin’ya, I absolutely forgot I was driving. If I’d’ve gone the other way over the white line I might’ve killed somebody. So I went on again — and five minutes later I’m dreamin’ again, and I nearly... (He presses two fingers against his eyes.) I have such thoughts, I have such strange thoughts.
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.
The protagonist in the play is Willy Loman and he is a static character. He is one-dimensional as the only thing he wants is the perfect American life. He works and works days on end for the dream but it ultimately gets him nowhere. He is old and his sales aren't up to par so he gets fired. The stress of everything going on eventually leads to his death and he never realizes that the material things aren't important anyways. Willy is also a flat character because he never reached the self realization that a round character would.
4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.
After reading this play I felt as if I definitely read about characters. It was difficult for me to get into the story and take interest in it maybe because the characters were not developed fully in my eyes. Without the description and personal thoughts from a narrator, I felt as if I needed to know more about them.
An example of the dry text that didn't do me any good was,
WILLY (with wonder):I was driving along, you understand? And I was fine. I was even observing the scenery. You can imagine, me looking at scenery, on the road every week of my life. But it’s so beautiful up there, Linda, the trees are so thick, and the sun is warm. I opened the windshield and just let the warm air bathe over me. And then all of a sudden I’m goin’ off the road! I’m tellin’ya, I absolutely forgot I was driving. If I’d’ve gone the other way over the white line I might’ve killed somebody. So I went on again — and five minutes later I’m dreamin’ again, and I nearly... (He presses two fingers against his eyes.) I have such thoughts, I have such strange thoughts.
Monday, February 18, 2013
I AM HERE
My progress toward this course in the first grading period is slow but it is getting there. My SMART goal was to apply to ten scholarships and so far I have applied to a couple. Scholarships are a great way to get money for college, especially since you don't have to pay it back. One of the big scholarships I applied to was the Santa Barbara Foundation Scholarship, they give out alot of money to tons of students in our area.
Our senior project this year is promoting this course to underclassmen at our school. The plan is to go around to junior English classes and tell them what the class is about. We will explain the blog, SMART goals, Big Questions, collaborative working groups, and all the tools we use. Any questions they have will be answered and the goal is to get them to sign up for AP English 4.
Our senior project this year is promoting this course to underclassmen at our school. The plan is to go around to junior English classes and tell them what the class is about. We will explain the blog, SMART goals, Big Questions, collaborative working groups, and all the tools we use. Any questions they have will be answered and the goal is to get them to sign up for AP English 4.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Lit Terms 82-108
Omniscient Point of View- knowing all things, usually the third person
Onomatopoeia- whose of a word whose sound in some degree imitates or suggests its meaning
Pacing- rate of movement; tempo
Parable- a story designed to convey some religious principle, moral lesson, or general truth
Paradox- a statement apparently self-contradictory or absurd but really containing a possible truth; an opinion contrary to generally accepted ideas
Parody- an imitation of mimicking of a composition or of the style of a well-known artist
Pathos- the ability in literature to call forth feelings of pity, compassion, and/or sadness
Pedantry- a display of learning for its own sake
Personification- a figure of speech attributing human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract ideas
Plot- a plan or scheme to accomplish a purpose
Poignant- eliciting sorrow or sentiment
Point of View- the attitude unifying any oral or written argument; in description, the physical point from which the observer views what he is describing
Postmodernism- literature characterized by experimentation, irony, nontraditional forms, multiple meanings, playfulness and a blurred boundary between real and imaginary
Prose- the ordinary form of spoken and written language; language that doesn't have a regular rhyme pattern
Protagonist- the central character in a work of fiction; opposes antagonist
Pun- play on words; the humorous use of a word emphasizing different meanings or applications
Purpose- the intended result wished by an author
Realism- writing about the ordinary aspects of life in a straightforward manner to reflect life as it actually is
Refrain- a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a poem or song; chorus
Requiem- any chant, dirge, hymn or musical service for the dead
Resolution- point in a literary work at which the chief dramatic complication is worked out
Restatement- idea repeated for emphasis
Rhetoric- use of language, both written and verbal in order to persuade
Rhetorical Question- question suggesting its own answer or not requiring an answer; used in argument or persuasion
Rising Action- plot build up, caused by conflict and complication, advancement towards climax
Onomatopoeia- whose of a word whose sound in some degree imitates or suggests its meaning
Oxymoron- a figure of speech in which two contradicting words or phrases are combined to produce a rhetorical effect by means of a concise paradox
Pacing- rate of movement; tempo
Parable- a story designed to convey some religious principle, moral lesson, or general truth
Paradox- a statement apparently self-contradictory or absurd but really containing a possible truth; an opinion contrary to generally accepted ideas
Parallelism- the principle in sentence structure that states elements of equal function should have equal form
Parody- an imitation of mimicking of a composition or of the style of a well-known artist
Pathos- the ability in literature to call forth feelings of pity, compassion, and/or sadness
Pedantry- a display of learning for its own sake
Personification- a figure of speech attributing human qualities to inanimate objects or abstract ideas
Plot- a plan or scheme to accomplish a purpose
Poignant- eliciting sorrow or sentiment
Point of View- the attitude unifying any oral or written argument; in description, the physical point from which the observer views what he is describing
Postmodernism- literature characterized by experimentation, irony, nontraditional forms, multiple meanings, playfulness and a blurred boundary between real and imaginary
Prose- the ordinary form of spoken and written language; language that doesn't have a regular rhyme pattern
Protagonist- the central character in a work of fiction; opposes antagonist
Pun- play on words; the humorous use of a word emphasizing different meanings or applications
Purpose- the intended result wished by an author
Realism- writing about the ordinary aspects of life in a straightforward manner to reflect life as it actually is
Refrain- a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a poem or song; chorus
Requiem- any chant, dirge, hymn or musical service for the dead
Resolution- point in a literary work at which the chief dramatic complication is worked out
Restatement- idea repeated for emphasis
Rhetoric- use of language, both written and verbal in order to persuade
Rhetorical Question- question suggesting its own answer or not requiring an answer; used in argument or persuasion
Rising Action- plot build up, caused by conflict and complication, advancement towards climax
Lit Terms 57-81
Gothic Tale- a style in literature characterized by gloomy settings, violent or grotesque action, and a mood of decay
Hyperbole- an exaggerated statement often used as a figure of speech or to prove a point
Imagery- figures of speech or vivid descriptions conveying images through any of the senses
Implication- a meaning or understanding that's to be arrive at by the reader but that is not fully and explicitly stated by the author
Incongruity- The deliberate joining of opposite or of elements that aren't appropriate to each other
Inference- a judgement or conclusion based on evidence presented; the forming of an opinion which possesses some degree of probability according to facts already available
Irony- a contrast between what's said and what's meant or what's expected to happen and what actually happens or what's thought to be happening and what's actually happening
Interior Monologue- a form of writing that represents inner thoughts of a character, recording of internal, emotional experiences of an individual
Inversion- words out of order for emphasis
Juxtaposition- the intentional placement of a word, phrase or sentences of paragraph to contrast with another
Lyric- a poem having musical form and quality; short outburst of the author's innermost thoughts and feelings
Magical Realism- a genre developed in Latin American which juxtaposes the everyday with the magical
Metaphor- an analogy that compares two different things imaginatively
Extended- a metaphor that's extended or developed as far as the writer wants to take it
Controlling- a metaphor that runs throughout the piece of work
Mixed- a metaphor that ineffectively blends two or more analogies
Metonymy- literally name changing a device of figurative language in which the name of an attribute is substituted for the usual name of a thing
Mode of Discourse- argument, narration, description, and exposition
Modernism- literary movement characterized by stylistic experimentation, rejection of tradition, interest in symbolism and psychology
Monologue- an extended speech by a character in a play, short story, novel or narrative poem
Mood- the predominating atmosphere evoke by a literary piece
Motif- a recurring feature in a piece of literature
Myth- a story, often about immortals, and sometimes connected with religious rituals, that attempts to give meaning to the mysteries of the world
Narrative- a story or description of events
Narrator- one who narrates or tells a story
Naturalism- an extreme form of realism
Novelette/Novella- short story; short prose narrative, often satirical
Hyperbole- an exaggerated statement often used as a figure of speech or to prove a point
Imagery- figures of speech or vivid descriptions conveying images through any of the senses
Implication- a meaning or understanding that's to be arrive at by the reader but that is not fully and explicitly stated by the author
Incongruity- The deliberate joining of opposite or of elements that aren't appropriate to each other
Inference- a judgement or conclusion based on evidence presented; the forming of an opinion which possesses some degree of probability according to facts already available
Irony- a contrast between what's said and what's meant or what's expected to happen and what actually happens or what's thought to be happening and what's actually happening
Interior Monologue- a form of writing that represents inner thoughts of a character, recording of internal, emotional experiences of an individual
Inversion- words out of order for emphasis
Juxtaposition- the intentional placement of a word, phrase or sentences of paragraph to contrast with another
Lyric- a poem having musical form and quality; short outburst of the author's innermost thoughts and feelings
Magical Realism- a genre developed in Latin American which juxtaposes the everyday with the magical
Metaphor- an analogy that compares two different things imaginatively
Extended- a metaphor that's extended or developed as far as the writer wants to take it
Controlling- a metaphor that runs throughout the piece of work
Mixed- a metaphor that ineffectively blends two or more analogies
Metonymy- literally name changing a device of figurative language in which the name of an attribute is substituted for the usual name of a thing
Mode of Discourse- argument, narration, description, and exposition
Modernism- literary movement characterized by stylistic experimentation, rejection of tradition, interest in symbolism and psychology
Monologue- an extended speech by a character in a play, short story, novel or narrative poem
Mood- the predominating atmosphere evoke by a literary piece
Motif- a recurring feature in a piece of literature
Myth- a story, often about immortals, and sometimes connected with religious rituals, that attempts to give meaning to the mysteries of the world
Narrative- a story or description of events
Narrator- one who narrates or tells a story
Naturalism- an extreme form of realism
Novelette/Novella- short story; short prose narrative, often satirical
Lit Terms 31-56
Dialect- the language of a particular district, class or groups of persons; the sounds, grammar, and diction employed by people distinguished from others
Dialectics- formal debates usually over the nature of truth
Dichotomy- split or break between two opposing things
Diction- the style of speaking or writing as reflected in the choice and use of words
Didactic- having to do with the transmission of information; education
Dogmatic- rigid in beliefs and principles
Elegy- a mournful, melancholy poem, especially a funeral song or lament for the dead, sometimes contains general reflections on death, often with a rural or pastoral
Epic- a long narrative poem unified by a hero who reflects the customs, mores, and aspirations of his nation of race as he makes his way through legendary and historic exploits, usually over a long period of time
Epigram- witty aphorism
Epitaph- any brief inscription in prose or verse on a tombstone; a short formal poem of commemoration often a credo written by the person who wishes it to be on his tombstone
Epithet- a short, descriptive name or phrase that may insult someone's character, characteristics
Euphemism- the use of an indirect, mind or vague word or expression for one thought to be coarse, offensive, or blunt
Evocative- a calling forth of memories and sensations; the suggestion or production through artistry and imagination of a sense of reality
Exposition- beginning of a story that sets forth facts, ideas, and or characters, in a detailed explanation
Expressionism- movement in art, literature, and music consisting of unrealistic representation of an inner idea or feeling
Fable- a short, simple story, usually with animals as characters, designed to teach a moral truth
Fallacy- from Latin word "to deceive", a false or misleading notion, belief, or argument; any kind of erroneous reasoning that makes arguments unsound
Falling Action- part of the narrative or drama after the climax
Farce- a boisterous comedy involving ludicrous action and dialogue
Figurative Language- apt and imaginative language characterized by figures of speech
Flashback- a narrative device that flashes back to prior events
Foil- a person or thing that, by contrast, makes another seem better or more prominent
Folk Tale- story passed on by word of mouth
Foreshadowing- in fiction and drama, a device to prepare the reader for the outcome of the action; "planning" to make the outcome convincing though not to give it away
Free Verse- verse without conventional metrical pattern, with irregular pattern or no rhyme
Genre- a category or class of artistic endeavor having a particular form, technique, or content
Dialectics- formal debates usually over the nature of truth
Dichotomy- split or break between two opposing things
Diction- the style of speaking or writing as reflected in the choice and use of words
Didactic- having to do with the transmission of information; education
Dogmatic- rigid in beliefs and principles
Elegy- a mournful, melancholy poem, especially a funeral song or lament for the dead, sometimes contains general reflections on death, often with a rural or pastoral
Epic- a long narrative poem unified by a hero who reflects the customs, mores, and aspirations of his nation of race as he makes his way through legendary and historic exploits, usually over a long period of time
Epigram- witty aphorism
Epitaph- any brief inscription in prose or verse on a tombstone; a short formal poem of commemoration often a credo written by the person who wishes it to be on his tombstone
Epithet- a short, descriptive name or phrase that may insult someone's character, characteristics
Euphemism- the use of an indirect, mind or vague word or expression for one thought to be coarse, offensive, or blunt
Evocative- a calling forth of memories and sensations; the suggestion or production through artistry and imagination of a sense of reality
Exposition- beginning of a story that sets forth facts, ideas, and or characters, in a detailed explanation
Expressionism- movement in art, literature, and music consisting of unrealistic representation of an inner idea or feeling
Fable- a short, simple story, usually with animals as characters, designed to teach a moral truth
Fallacy- from Latin word "to deceive", a false or misleading notion, belief, or argument; any kind of erroneous reasoning that makes arguments unsound
Falling Action- part of the narrative or drama after the climax
Farce- a boisterous comedy involving ludicrous action and dialogue
Figurative Language- apt and imaginative language characterized by figures of speech
Flashback- a narrative device that flashes back to prior events
Foil- a person or thing that, by contrast, makes another seem better or more prominent
Folk Tale- story passed on by word of mouth
Foreshadowing- in fiction and drama, a device to prepare the reader for the outcome of the action; "planning" to make the outcome convincing though not to give it away
Free Verse- verse without conventional metrical pattern, with irregular pattern or no rhyme
Genre- a category or class of artistic endeavor having a particular form, technique, or content
Lit Terms 6-30
Analogy- a comparison made between two things to show similarities between them
Analysis- a method in which a work or idea is separated into its parts and those parts are given rigorous and detailed scrutiny
Anaphora- a device or repetition in which a word or words are repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, phrases, clauses or sentences
Anecdote- a very short story used to illustrate a point
Antagonist- a person or force opposing the protagonist in a drama or narrative
Antithesis- a balancing of one term against another for emphasis or stylistic effectiveness
Aphorism- a terse, pointed statement expressing some wise or clever observation about life
Apologia- a defense or justification of some doctrine, piece of writing, cause, or action
Apostrophe- a figure of speech in which an absent or dead person, an abstract quality, or something inanimate or nonhuman is addressed directly
Argument(ation)- process of convincing a reader by providing either the truth or falsity of an idea in proposition
Assumption- the art of supposing or taking for granted that a thing is true
Audience- the intended listener(s)
Characterization- the means by which a writer reveals a character's personality
Chiasmus- a reversal in the order of words so that the second half of a statement balances the first half in inverted word order
Circumlocution- a roundabout or evasive speech or writing, in which many words are used but a few would have served
Classicism- art, literature, and music reflecting the principle of ancient Greece and Rome
Cliche- a phrase or situation overused within society
Climax- the decisive point in a narrative or drama; the point of greatest intensity or interest at which plot question is answered
Colloquialism- folksy speech, slang words, or phrases usually used in formal conversation
Comedy- originally a nondramatic literary piece of work that was marked by a happy ending
Conflict- struggle or problem in a story causing tension
Connotation- implicit meaning, going beyond dictionary definition
Contrast- a rhetorical device by which one element is thrown into opposition to another for the sake of emphasis or clarity
Denotation- plain dictionary definition
Denouement- loose ends tied up in a story after the climax, closure, conclusion
Analysis- a method in which a work or idea is separated into its parts and those parts are given rigorous and detailed scrutiny
Anaphora- a device or repetition in which a word or words are repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, phrases, clauses or sentences
Anecdote- a very short story used to illustrate a point
Antagonist- a person or force opposing the protagonist in a drama or narrative
Antithesis- a balancing of one term against another for emphasis or stylistic effectiveness
Aphorism- a terse, pointed statement expressing some wise or clever observation about life
Apologia- a defense or justification of some doctrine, piece of writing, cause, or action
Apostrophe- a figure of speech in which an absent or dead person, an abstract quality, or something inanimate or nonhuman is addressed directly
Argument(ation)- process of convincing a reader by providing either the truth or falsity of an idea in proposition
Assumption- the art of supposing or taking for granted that a thing is true
Audience- the intended listener(s)
Characterization- the means by which a writer reveals a character's personality
Chiasmus- a reversal in the order of words so that the second half of a statement balances the first half in inverted word order
Circumlocution- a roundabout or evasive speech or writing, in which many words are used but a few would have served
Classicism- art, literature, and music reflecting the principle of ancient Greece and Rome
Cliche- a phrase or situation overused within society
Climax- the decisive point in a narrative or drama; the point of greatest intensity or interest at which plot question is answered
Colloquialism- folksy speech, slang words, or phrases usually used in formal conversation
Comedy- originally a nondramatic literary piece of work that was marked by a happy ending
Conflict- struggle or problem in a story causing tension
Connotation- implicit meaning, going beyond dictionary definition
Contrast- a rhetorical device by which one element is thrown into opposition to another for the sake of emphasis or clarity
Denotation- plain dictionary definition
Denouement- loose ends tied up in a story after the climax, closure, conclusion
Friday, February 1, 2013
THE TIME OF MY LIFE
Today I used my time to do a bit of homework and go to the gym. I like going to the gym everyday as it helps to clear my mind after I have been studying.
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