Open Source Learning

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” Dr. Seuss 
If I have but one regret at the end of this year for this class, it would be that I didn’t read enough. I entered the course young, curious and hungry for knowledge with a reading list a mile long. I was as hungry for good literature as the “Beat Generation” was for the human condition (ooh look a simile with metaphorical hints). And although I did not get the literature experience I was necessarily hoping for, I did not walk away from this course empty handed. As high school seniors, right off the bat especially, we are not entitled to trust. We have to earn. Although by virtue of signing up for an Advanced Placement Course should already set the stage for trust and equal levels of understanding and collaboration. In your AP English Literature Course there was a level of trust. Which because of the style of the course comparing the level of trust say to a math class is a bit difficult but regardless I will share my thoughts. At points and times, especially when it came to our projects and individual Literature Analysis there was a high level of trust, collaboration, and equality in the class room. But then other times, moments such as last week where such restrictions and requirements on note taking for the Master Pieces could have curbed involvement. But I do understand and respect where you were coming from. They were meant to be a tool to keep us accountable rather than just present. It just seems that times and instructions on the notes could have been taken the wrong way, if other students did as I did at first and didn’t take the time to see where you were coming from. 
Reading is a connection. It is the cheapest form of travel, one of the purest forms of entertainment, and a way to relieve the events of the past. And although I personally was not able to read as many books this year, both inside and outside of a classroom setting, as I hoped I was able to still connect with literature. One such piece of literature, was the first book I read for class this year, “The Poisonwood Bible” by Kingsolver. Leah, one of the protagonists was easy to empathize with. Many of her emotions, doubts, and frustrations are problems that I have had personally or connected with. And for me, watching her evolve and develop as a person and adult was in a way perhaps watching myself evolve. Another novel that I connected with was “1984” by George Orwell. Because of the August NSA leaks and Edward Snowden I remember seeing signs from protests and one of them said, “I was born in 1984, I don’t want to die in 1984!”. This resounded in me. I struggled with the idea because I understood that the sign was an allusion to the novel, but I had not read it myself. So I swiped the book from my sister’s bookshelf and began reading. I have read many books over the course of 18 years. Many have changed my opinions on events, and others have made me rethink my world and surroundings, but “1984” did that and more. I was so enamored by the book, I used it in my SAT essay and really took a hard look at the world around me and was so shocked by how much was similar to the totalitarian regime that existed within the pages. I still think of it often and will soon reread the novel because I feel that there is so much to learn from it.  And together, although not three books, they have shaped my thinking and approach to this year in a way I did not think possible; which have made me more alert about my surroundings and experiences.  

The Art of Destructive Therapy

Originally Posted Here:

The Art of Destructive Therapy

Posted on May 27, 2014by agsharp95

“Remember kids, the only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down.” Adam Savage

When we first began our Destructive Therapy project we received a lot of questions concerning its value. “Why Destructive Therapy”, “you are doing what” and our favorite, “are you guys ok?” But these were questions that we knew were coming, and the goal now is to explain our method and why Destructive Therapy is relevant to not only our lives as high school students, but also our society.

Throughout high school, students especially Advanced Placement Students have had to travel down a difficult path between academics and personal lives. Although we understood the challenges that we signed up for, the last four years has been filled with large amounts of uncertainty, difficulty, and stress. In these moments as all humans do we begin to search for outlets to lessen the burden. Some turn to sports and extracurricular activities, some to art and other creative endeavors, others such as my group start pushing the boundaries (by seeing how much noise we can make with dry ice before the neighbors start worrying.)

Before we begin we have to ask ourselves this, what is destructive therapy?

When you search Google for “Destructive Therapy” you find a handful of psychiatric journals on self-destruction, a few youtube videos and finally a few articles on what Destructive Therapy really is.

In Dallas Texas an “Anger Room” literally lets paying customers take their aggression and stress out on unsuspecting furnished rooms. Customers wield baseball bats for increments beginning at 5 mins and going through 25 mins.

This is destructive therapy at its core. The basic human need to de-stress and relax and take out any anger and aggression that they have on non-living objects.

And it isn’t surprising that these “Anger Rooms” exist. Work place stress in adults has increased and today’s teens find themselves busier than ever with the ever increasing demand and workload to satisfy college requirements.

These stressful situations and environments can have numerous harmful effects. In adults increased stress levels can cause hypertension, increased blood-pressure, and wide variety of other serious health issues. In teens the effects are also profound. Teens suffering from chronic stress can lead to loss of sleep, irritability, and in some more extreme cases panic and anxiety disorders.

And from our own endeavors and experiences with stress Destructive Therapy was born. In its simplest form, Destructive Therapy is a tool in which people destroy items, such as fruit, to relieve stress.

The second question for destructive therapy and its relevance has to be judged on why it is needed?

Just look around. Students around the world deal with high levels of stress on a daily basis. In moderation, scientists have agreed that stress is healthy. It drives action and causes us to make decisions in a timely matter. But the levels of stress that drives students in their quest for college acceptances  is anything but healthy.

Which is why the Destructive Therapy Group, underneath the stress of their own challenges, endeavors, and goals, embarked upon the destruction of fruit.

Destructive Therapy Update

"Remember kids, the only difference between screwing around and science is writing it down."-Adam Savage. 

Destructive Therapy Group

Deliverable #1

I was reading the instructions and I understood they asked for an essay and group collaboration and the whole poetry destruction/dissection/buildup. But again, just like every single week of the school year, it comes down to balancing and when I look at the big picture for tonight, and still having several assignments due I am going to take a quick English hiatus...when my schedule gives me room to breathe I can come back to these. Here is what I have for now...

Macbeth 1976 Essay Prezi

http://prezi.com/erloodw6y9cd/macbeth/

Macbeth Reading Notes

Here is a link to my notes for ACT IV. You will notice that as of now it isn't fully complete. I still have to work on my understanding of the two quotes and how they actively relate to the theme(s) of "Macbeth", rather than just a plot device. I have to do the same thing with ACT V still and will post my notes at my earliest convenience.

The Crossroads between Should and Must

I have to admit for some reason getting things done and posting them to wordpress is so much easier than BlogSpot. And less touchy and needy as well. So with that in mind here is the link...

Macbeth Reading Notes-ACT III

Aquí

Macbeth Reading Notes ACT II

Sort of

Macbeth Notes ACT II

Ok, so I've done the reading, both in class and on my own. I just struggle with the fact that I have to prove I know the material in a way that to me seems irrelevant. But once I have the time I will drag the material out of my brain and then post them here...

Look at my Brain

My "masterpiece project" is interesting in the fact that I'm not trying to, "reflects your [my] inner thinking and capability for creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration." The project that I'm working on or at least trying to fulfill at least for me is an attempt to accomplish the exact opposite of the quote above. For the past four years I have had to prove over and over again my ability to do all those things in random and now jaded succession. If I can get away from that and just enjoy my last few moments to be a carefree teenager and have some fun before I have to enter the workforce/college/or whatever comes next, then I have succeeded in doing something that I couldn't accomplish in four years.

Update

More info on tonight's homework including "Macbeth" reading notes will be posted tomorrow. I am buried under a mountain of homework and tests all due tomorrow, so I will be playing catch up tomorrow!

Love is Blind

Suggested Song: Courtesy of The Great Gatsby Soundtrack


Although not necessarily relating to the prompt or question, but how do we even know that Macbeth loves Lady Macbeth. Marriages, even in Shakespeare's time, were not typically based on love. They were opportunities. Opportunities to change social standing (in a minuet way), seal business deals (typically between countries), or just simply have one less mouth to feed. Yes there were a handful of examples in which people back in real Macbeth's and even Shakespeare's time that had the opportunity to marry for love, but I wouldn't consider those events the norm.


The audience and Macbeth are obviously going to view Lady Macbeth in different ways. On one side we have an almost façade or show that Lady Macbeth puts on for her husband where her true feelings are often but not always mentioned, rather they are mentioned so that only the audience knows what she is really feeling creating a sort of dramatic irony.

What About My Masterpiece

To be honest I have been so busy with schoolwork and my own personal life this week I haven't had any time to work on my masterpiece. But the one positive thing about this new week is that from it I have so many more things I want to "positively and academically" destroy!

Macbeth Notes

Blogger scares me sometimes, so I decided to post the reading notes on my old blog that was supposed to be for my project.

Meet Macbeth

How is Macbeth introduced through in/direct characterization?
-Within the first ACT there are several instances in which we the readers are given clues via both direct and indirect characterization. Prior to the Macbeth's first appearance on stage a quote from the witches begins Macbeth's characterization.
What elements of foreshadowing do the witches provide?
-If you are at all familiar with the play "Macbeth" the witches' spells, speech, or whatever you want to call it definitely provide some interesting clues as to the plot. The first huge foreshadow of things to come resides in line 11 of ACT I scene 1 with the words, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." These six words really set the tone for the play and action to come. They imply that things are not exactly right in the world of the play and at the same time begin to set the tone of the play. The witches return again in ACT I scene 3 right before Macbeth and Banquo enter again after the battle. The First Witch says that, "A sailor's wife had chestnuts in her lap..." which is most likely a foreshadow to the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in which Lady Macbeth for lack of a better term, wears the pants in the relationship.
How does Shakespeare's approach to exposition give the reader background information about the setting and characters and a sense of what's to come without spoiling the play?
-The first ACT is almost pure exposition. We get the traditional exposition and laing the background for what's to come, but even further Shakespeare alludes to history. This play was first written and performed for the King who was a descendent of one of the play's characters (Banquo I believe). And because Shakespeare always knew his intended audience he expects the audience to already be familiar with the story of Macbeth from a historical standpoint.
How does Shakespeare's characterization of Macbeth reflect a sense of tone (i.e., the author's attitude toward the character/s, audience, and/or subject matter)?
-Right off the bat the reader gets a sense of the dark and almost morose tone that is going to play a large factor within the performance of the play. The idea of "Foul is fair, and fair is foul..." brings that idea home. In terms of the characterization of Macbeth

Spring Literature Analysis #3-As I Lay Dying

I've been behind all month so I'm posting what I have done so far and will continue to update it as I can. I will have it done Monday afternoon.

Spring Literature Analysis #3

“As I Lay Dying” William Faulkner

Book Edition: Vintage International

“We go on, with a motion so soporific, so dreamlike as to be uninferant of progress, as though time and not space were decreasing between us and it.”

-“As I Lay Dying”(Darl, Pg 107)

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

-Fifteen distinct narrators (by my count) and from Wikipedia, a total of fifty-nine “chapters”.  Although I would be hesitant to call them chapters, because they range in such drastic style to several pages to one sentence, they would be best called (in my not so professional opinion) snapshots. Snapshots not in the sense of their rigidness, rather I found them quite elastic and the syntax and diction allowing for wide interpretation, but for what they cover. They are so varied and quite frankly difficult to read at times because of Faulkner’s writing style.  A bit of background info before I begin and then rather than a plot summary (which I find incredibly boring, I will be incorporating a brief blurb on allusions specifically found in the title, based on what I learned on my previous project. Because I truly feel that a discussion on allusions by Faulkner will suit us better than a plot summary. Maybe I’m wrong, but we’ll see.) Faulkner wrote this novel at the beginning of the Great Depression. He was working in a power plant, and according to him he wrote it over the course of six weeks, and considered it his personal “Tour de Force”.

-In terms of allusion, the biggest one you will get comes directly from the title of the novel itself; “As I Lay Dying”.  The title alludes directly to book XI of “The Odyssey” by Homer which reads, “As I lay dying, the woman with the dog’s eyes would not close my eyes as I descended into Hades.”  Originally I interpreted only the obvious allusion to “The Odyssey” itself not thinking much about the significance of the situation Odysseus finds himself in. As you may already know the term odyssey has come to mean a long wandering or journey marked by challenges of fortune, which parallels nicely with the journey of the Bundren family going to bury the matriarch Addie Bundren, and the subsequent events and problems that ensue. But even further in that allusion is complex and twisted tale of a family. That quote is not said by Odysseus but rather a hero from the Trojan War, Agamemnon, who Odysseus sees in Hades. Agamemnon describes the circumstances behind his death which again parallel (though on a different level) the problems and struggles the Bundren family.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

-

 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.)

-Allusion: See question 1 above.

-Synesthesia:

-Syntax:

- Metaphor: My mom is a fish

-Narration (through Stream of Consciousness):

-Interior Monologue:

 

-Simile:

 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)?

 -The characterization reminds me a lot of “The Sound and the Fury” also by William Faulkner. The Stream of consciousness style he uses really gives us a deep and personal touch into the minds and experiences of the characters.

 2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?

-

 3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.

 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.  

- Darl, for example, is probably the character I connected with most both because of the style of writing and the number of snapshots Darl has. One of the most significant sections for me at least was early in the novel where Darl describes a simple experience as drinking water and the joy he gets from it. Those simple moments described by Faulkner allow you to simply connect with the character on a more personal level. Especially since you experience the events as they truly do.

SEEKING MENTOR

As the mentors for my field I identified Jamie and Adam from Myth Busters. They have the expertise the experience and the vision to really get a project off the ground an moving.


As far as questions and other things as for why I need a mentor, I don't really know. In fact I am not looking for a mentor for this project. I don't expect it or frankly even want it to go past this year, because my main focus isn't to build a career in destroying fruit with senior year stresses and problems stapled to it. I am simply trying to blow off some steam.


But if anyone did have some expertise in this field, a suggestion or two for how to destroy some fruit or build a simple Rube Goldberg Machine would be greatly appreciated.

My Macbeth Resourses

A short list of resources that I can use to build a deeper understanding of the text itself, and perhaps a short description of how and why it can help me.




1. You tube:
Watching a play on you tube in movie format is one of the best things you can do to further understand a play. In fact when you think about it, plays were not originally meant to be read, but rather watched. And watching a play helps us understand nuances and subtleties not explicit within the text itself.
A Great Example:
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.


2. Harvard:
I found what looks to be a promising course detailing the later works of Shakespeare, although sadly it looks as if we would have to pay to audit the course ourselves. Regardless it may have some free resources embedded somewhere.


3. Ted Talks:
I found a Ted Talk, and although it isn't about reading Shakespeare it does mention "Macbeth" and then continues off that. But what makes it so usable to our reading is the topic behind it, regret. A driving theme throughout the play, and you'll soon see why.
-And this Ted Talk on conflict of interest, something Macbeth probably should have considered.


4. Harvard:
It comes through again, but this time for free and by Marjorie Garber, who has actually written several books on Shakespeare.

THIS IS ONLY A TEST

Our Project does not live in theory, and therefore I need to build something or come up with some way to completely destroy one of my multiple rejection letters! What an excellent way to move past failure, blow off some steam, and do something productive and depending on the way you look at it, better society!

What my problem is now, is brainstorming. Because I have been focused on my old project I haven't given much thought at all to what I am going to do. I had previously planned to film or simply watch but now I want to make my own impact.

I am leaning toward a Rube Goldberg Machine, although realistically it will never happen (I have neither the time, energy, talent, or brainpower), but it is nice to dream!

IS THERE AN EXPERT IN THE HOUSE?

Well the greatest two people in this field of demolition in the name of science and entertainment are Jamie and Adam from Mythbusters. Their individual and combined experience is longer than my lifespan and that of my dachshund combined. And what makes them unique is their varied background. Both have worked in several fields and have so much hands on and professional experience which makes them incredibly valuable to any project.

Update

So for those of you who don't know, I am permanently joining Lindsey Wong's demolition group. I was previously a collaborator and was going to briefly participate, but after recent events I realized how much I really would like to do some demolition! My previous project  which involved me reading and working through a Yale open course is no more for several reasons chief among them is that I was, and still am struggling on why I have to validate reading. My project was focused on reading and trying to actively work through Lit Terms and such only made me stressed and reminded me why most high school students absolutely loathe reading. So in order to improve my state of mind and maintain my love of reading my Reading Experiment is over! I am still actively pursuing it, but at my own pace and without having to validate its worth to anyone else besides myself.

Long Overdue Resource of the Day

I'm back! See title for explanation. So without further ado, because of the impeding doom of the AP Exam and my general distaste for long poetry I am going to attempt to post some poetry from time to time to simply get in the habit of reading it more often!


And how I could not use Edgar Allen Poe for my first poetry post!


A Dream Within A Dream

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow-
You are not wrong, who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand-
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep- while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

Edgar Allan Poe

Benchmark

Because I don't know how to embed it, here is a link.

Resource of the Day #3

Resource of the Day #3

The focus this week is still on famous/popular speeches, monologues and soliloquies by William Shakespeare. On Friday I plan on posting a quick discussion on the Resources of the Day from the week.

Mark Antony: Friends Romans Country Men from "Julius Caesar"
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him;
The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones,
So let it be with Caesar … The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answered it …
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,
(For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all; all honourable men)
Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral …
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man….
He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?
O judgement! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason…. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

Resource of the Day #2

Resource of the Day #2

Literary Speeches and Quotes:


Othello by William Shakespeare
Iago-How am I then a Villian
ACT II scene 3


"And what’s he then that says I play the villain?

When this advice is free I give and honest,

Probal to thinking and indeed the course

To win the Moor again? For ’tis most easy

Th' inclining Desdemona to subdue

In any honest suit. She’s framed as fruitful

As the free elements. And then for her

To win the Moor, were to renounce his baptism,

All seals and symbols of redeemèd sin,

His soul is so enfettered to her love,

That she may make, unmake, do what she list,

Even as her appetite shall play the god

With his weak function. How am I then a villain

To counsel Cassio to this parallel course,

Directly to his good? Divinity of hell!

When devils will the blackest sins put on

They do suggest at first with heavenly shows

As I do now. For whiles this honest fool

Plies Desdemona to repair his fortune

And she for him pleads strongly to the Moor,

I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear:"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3De429jdIE

Resource of the Day #1

Literary Speeches and Quotes

Resource of the Day #1

Macbeth: Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow Speech
ACT V scene 5

"She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing". — Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 5, lines 17-28)

Spring Lit Analysis #2-"The Sound and the Fury"

Spring Literature Analysis #2

"The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner

Book Edition: 01/10/1990 Vintage International

"And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing."

-"Macbeth" ACT V scene 5
Suggested Song

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

-The narrative style of "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner is unlike anything I've ever seen and is strangely difficult. The book is narrated by four different narrators along four different timelines (more like points in time/well more specifically days in the life of the Compson Family). Each narration is written in a stream of consciousness style, which Faulkner was a chief pioneer of. First among these days is April 7th 1928 is the day from which Benjy (or Maury) Compson narrates. Reading Benjy's part is incredibly difficult for two major reason, one is that Benjy is mentally handicapped and because of this he doesn't tell things in the order they actually occurred. So instead of a chronological narrative we get instead a myriad of and dates that the other narrators experience, but Benjy jumps around them and experiences those memories as if he was going through them for the first time. But what makes Benjy unique are his senses. Because he doesn't speak he serves as a great tool for indirect characterization and serves as a way to discern the other characters' true nature. June 2nd 1910 begins Quentin Compson's narration. Quentin's narration is so drastically different from Benjy's for several reasons. Among the first reasons is that it actually follows more of a narrative style. Events happen chronologically over the course of the day beginning in his Harvard dorm room. Narration also occurs from the protagonist and while Faulkner is still writing in this stream of consciousness style there is an evident shift in his approach to it. Instead of the more primal instincts as seen with Benjy's narration, Quentin's narration focuses more on feelings and a conscious flow of thoughts that range from suicidal and haunted to inquisitive and remorseful, leading up to his impending suicide. Jason's narrative begins April 6th 1928 right after Caddy's illegitimate daughter Quentin (named after her uncle) runs away from the Compson family. And finally April 8th 1928, the only section not narrated from a first person point of view, but rather Faulkner's own third-person type perspective on the family through Dilsey their servant who firsthand witnesses the family's decline through three-generations.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid clichés.
Self absorption and its corrupting abilities. Mrs. Caroline Compson, is the perfect example of the detrimental effects of Self Absorption.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
Pity. I'm struggling to put words to this, but pity was what I felt most while reading this novel. The lack of love for her children that Mrs. Compson displays (except Jason), Quentin's obsessiveness with time and the struggles he has to uphold the legacy of the family name. Caddy's promiscuity as a result of her mother's negligence. Benjy's abuses at his family's hands, though not abuse as in physical abuse, but abuse as the lack of respect and how the family hid him in shame. And finally Jason, whose narcissistic, cynical, and egotistical ways continued to lead to the family's downfall. Faulkner was a master of southern culture and literature and perhaps "The Sound and the Fury" was a warning and proof of the authors' seemingly growing disgust with the failing culture of the South (which was occurring throughout the 1920's when old Southern values; family etc, were collapsing)

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.)
Stream of Consciousness- Stream of conciousess doesn't seem to need much explanation here, seeing as the whole book is filled with it "poor Quentin; she leaned back on her arms her hands locked about her knees; you've never done that have you; what done what; that what I have what I did" -pg 151

Syntax-"I saw them Then I saw Caddy, with flowers in her hair, and a long veil like shining wind. Caddy Caddy" what syntax does in the novel is critical, especially in Benjy's narrative.

Tragedy-A tragedy is a somber novel or piece of literature in which a character or set of characters experience a downward spiral to tragic conclusions.

Point of View-"She wore a stiff black straw hat perched upon her turban, and a maroon velvet cape with a border of mangy and anonymous fur above a dress of purple silk..." pg 256 The first time in the novel that it isn't in a first person point of view. In it Faulkner uses his own interpretation of the events by focusing on Dilsey, and beginning a third person omniscient narrative by stepping away from the first person stream of consciousness that dominated the entirety of the novel.

Interior Monologue- "And so as soon as I knew I couldn't see it I began to wonder what time it was. Father said that constant speculation regarding the position of mechanical hands on an arbitrary dial which is a symptom of mind-function. Excrement Father said like sweating. And I was saying All right. Wonder. Go on and wonder." -pg 77

Allusion/Foreshadow- The title itself is the absolute best example I could think of for allusions. One of William Shakespeare's darkest tragedy was "Macbeth", which I read last semester and it inspired me to read "The Sound and the Fury" by Faulkner. The title quote I usually do from the book, I replaced with that quote from "Macbeth", "And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury Signifying nothing." This play on words and allusion is also a great use of foreshadowing by Faulkner. In "Macbeth" the title character's world eventually spins into demise and literally all hell breaks loose. And as a title it give us a great idea of what to expect early on. Which in fact is the demise of a family, "a tale told by an idiot" Benjy, "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." the utter demise of the family and how death trivial life can be.

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)?

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?
Syntax and diction do change but only with point of view and narrative. Benjy provides the most accurate impression of the family's individual character and motivations, because Benjy himself has no ulterior motives. In fact it is Benjy who first notices/senses Caddy's growing promiscuity, he sees Quentin's emotional state, experiences Jason's cynicism, and the failure of Caroline Compson to love her children, rather allowing Dilsey, their servant, to raise them.

3. Is the protagonist Are the Characters static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.
-These characters are very round and very dynamic and readers easily see that because we experience their first person thoughts and feelings about certain reactions as they do.

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. 
-I definitely felt as if I had met an actual person rather than just an image that someone created. And it is all due to Faulkner's narrative style. He put his readers into the minds of his characters and created a new way of telling stories through narrative. 

Super 5

1. Professor Wai Chee Dimock- the one that started it all. I somewhat enjoy watching lectures for whatever reason and "The Sound and the Fury" by Faulkner is the most confusing thing I have ever read, and while looking for some help I found an Open Course Yale Class on the works of Faulkner, Hemming Way, and Francis Scott Fitzgerald.


2.-5. I honestly don't know yet. There are hundreds upon hundreds of English and Literature Professors out on the web and once I figure out what I'm going to read next I'm going to find them.

My Team

Well, still trying to move forward with my launch project and see where I can go from here. Right now I still feel as if I am in the development phase and I really would love to get out of there and hit the ground running. As far as team members go I don't know who among my peers I will turn to yet, but if anyone has any experience in Faulkner (whether in Preston's class or not, I am more than willing to receive some help and hopefully even collaborate).

Launch

Launch

What am I passionate about?  What do I want to do?
-I am very passionate about reading (well in fact, I just love literature in general). So my plan is to incorporate my love of reading into something a bit more exciting and pertinent to my life and what I want to study in college. Which, as of right now, incorporates me building a blog to keep myself accountable for my reading.
How can I use the tools from last semester (and the Internet in general)?
-Last semester was getting our feet wet simply building blogs, connections, and skill sets. This semester I want to polish things up a little bit. And thankfully I have already found one credible resource and I'm starting my project there and I want to see where things go. Hopefully I can build some connections and find even more resources.
Main Plan and why:
When I was looking for help on "The Sound and the Fury" by Faulkner, I found an open online Yale course about Hemmingway, Francis Scott Fitzgerald, and Faulkner by Professor Wai Chee Dimock. And one of the covered texts was "The Sound and the Fury" by Faulkner. So when I finish the book I plan on going through the lectures. And I think it would be cool to find other courses like this (hopefully after I complete this one) and go through them and blog about my experience. While at the same time keeping the blog from the overall blandness of Scholastic Literature.
What will I need to do in order to "feel the awesomeness with no regrets" by June?
-To really "feel the awesomeness with no regrets" I simply want to get things done this semester and stave off senioritis.
What will impress/convince others (both in my life and in my field)?
-I'm not actually trying to go out and convince and or impress others for this project. I'm simply reading, if someone tries reading over my shoulder things are going to get awkward. Rather, if I feel good about my work and my effort by the time I grace the stage on June 6th then I'll have succeeded.
How will I move beyond 'What If' and take this from idea --> reality?
-Right now I'm taking my idea of being a serial reader and college course free rider and turning it into a blog and internet experience.
Who will be the peers, public, and experts in my personal learning network?
-Anyone who stumbles across will be rounded up and brought into the group, hopefully in reality it will sound less creepy.

I JURY

Yay for 100th blog post!
As for essays the biggest struggles (myself included) was effectively using literary devices. And I think the problem is that as soon as we see the essays we get so excited and then go straight for the prompt and attack it without an effective prewrite.
But overall as a class there is big improvement all around. In the beginning of last semester, our essays would occasionally go off topic or were just irreverent to the prompt but I didn't see any of that in the essays I read. All the essays had something to say about the book and made valid, well supported points.

Brave New Essay

Brave New Essay Topic

Prompt: Courtesy of Allyson Brown

-And a special thank you to College Board AP Lit Exam 2012

 

“Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect this character and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.  Do not merely summarize the plot.”

 

            We are direct products of our environment. A small, yet still significant part of who we are and what we do as people is determined by our surroundings. Writers and authors often use this same approach in writing. Over and over again throughout literature we see characters molded and shaped by their surroundings. These surroundings are often literal such as geographical and physical, but they can also be cultural and psychological. “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley, is an excellent example of such a work.

            The light the walls, and highly technological based society of “Brave New World” by Huxley is an excellent scene, setting, and environment in which to mold and develop a character. Even before the readers are introduced to the protagonists who drive the novel forward, Huxley introduces the readers into the world under the New World Order. Under the New World Order people are so highly influenced and molded by their society even before they are born. Sleep conditioning, somma, shock therapy, and even a plethora of conditioning that occurs before the fetus/child leaves the uterus. In fact birth has become a situation that is no longer used within the world of Brave New World. Rather the world functions under the pretenses of clones in the lower castes and leveled conditioning within the upper castes.

            Cultural and psychological surroundings; less obvious than physical surroundings but yet are much more prevalent in the shaping of a person, mainly because you never see it coming. Within the society of the New World State people are put into castes and taught how to think before they are even old enough to form words. But as they grow older even more forms of cultural conditioning and cultural surroundings began to shape and form the citizens. (this was the 50 min mark for this essay, I am going to try and revisit this essay when we finish the book.)

Brave New Essay Topic

I found one! The 2005 AP English Literature and Composition Exam asked for an essay that "Brave New World" (Huxley) easily answers. But sadly the College Board won't let me replicate the question on here, and so I don't get sued I'm going to simply reword and remold the question as to gear it more for "Brave New World" (Huxley).


Many times in societies there are individuals who don't quite fit the norm. They go against social norms and cues, both inwardly and outwardly, and whether these "outcasts" mean to or not they create a unique foil in which to view the world around them. Write an essay which describes a character that fits these parameters. What makes them outcasts or different in their own society. How does this conflict add to the overarching theme and design behind the book.

I AM HERE

I'm in a paper mood tonight.

BOB I

I feel this contradicts Huxley. But I have it on paper.

Lit Terms #6

Lit Terms #6

Simile:a figure of speech comparing two essentially unlike things through the use of a specific word of comparison.
Soliloquy:an extended speech, usually in a drama, delivered by a character alone on stage.
Spiritual: a folk song, usually on a religious theme.
Speaker: a narrator, the one speaking. 
Stereotype: cliché; a simplified, standardized conception with a special meaning and appeal for members of a group; a formula story.
Stream of Consciousness: the style of writing that attempts to imitate the natural flow of a character's thoughts, feelings, reflections, memories, and mental images, as the character experiences them
Structure: the planned framework of a literary selection; its apparent organization.
Style: the manner of putting thoughts into words; a characteristic way of writing or speaking.
Subordination: the couching of less important ideas in less important structures of language.
Surrealism: a style in literature and painting that stresses the subconscious or the irrational aspects of man's existence characterized by the juxtaposition of the bizarre and the banal.
Suspension of Disbelief: suspend disbelief in order to enjoy something.
Symbol: something which stands for something else, yet has a meaning of its own.
Synesthesia: the use of one sense to convey the experience of another sense.
Synecdoche:   another form of name changing, in which a part stands for the whole.
Syntax: the arrangement and grammatical relations of words in a sentence.
Theme: main idea of the story; its message(s).
Thesis: a proposition for consideration, especially one to be discussed and proved or disproved; the main idea
Tone:  the devices used to create the mood and atmosphere of a literary work; the author's perceived point of view. 
Tongue in Cheek: a type of humor in which the speaker feigns seriousness; also called "dry" or "dead pan"
Tragedy: in literature: any composition with a somber theme carried to a disastrous conclusion; a fatal event; protagonist usually is heroic but tragically (fatally) flawed
Understatement: opposite of hyperbole; saying less than you mean for emphasis
Vernacular: everyday speech
Voice: The textual features, such as diction and sentence structures, that convey a writer's or speaker's pesona.
Zeitgeist: the feeling of a particular era in history

WELCOME TO THE INTERDISCIPLINARITY

What: I'm basically going to become an expert in William Faulkner's books.


How: Read the books: "Sound and the Fury", "As I Lay Dying", "Light in August", "Absalom, Absalom!" -William Faulkner. Or at least as many as I can while still trying to tackle other books on the list. Then blog about them. Not seriously, just blog my reactions and thoughts.


Why: I still have no idea why I'm doing this, maybe it just sound interesting!


Interdisciplinary:
-Reading
-English
-Computer Skills
-Composition
-Exposition
-Creative Writing
-Journalism

HAFTA/WANNA

Hopefully I don't change in too many aspects after high school. In fact I don't know if I can. When we leave Righetti for the last time on June 6, 2014 we may no longer be high school students, but we are still the same people that started out the morning. And next year we are just changing our venue. Our character, or who we truly are as people will stick with us and slowly evolve as we grow as it has been doing since birth. So no, people, nor I will magically change as we grab our diplomas.


But maybe our outlook will change. I do know that for me, my outlook will change significantly. No longer am I required to trudge through required classes and subjects that I may or may not have significant interest in. Instead I have my own choice of whether or not to actually be in school since no one is requiring it of me. I'll go to school because I want to and for the first time in my life not because I have to. And finally my interests will come first. Between majors and elective classes (mixed in with the dreaded general education classes) I can find my passion and join a group of intellectual peers.


Balancing activities is something I started learning my freshman year, and I'm still honing my skills in it. Next year I want to explore, dream, discover, (thank you Mark Twain) and learn. I don't know how I'll manage it quite yet, but it's a work in progress.


And right now its ok to make a few small mistakes, because that is the only way to learn.

The Nose

1. What does Ivan Yakovlevich do for a living? 
Ivan is a Barber, he cuts hair in St. Petersburg, Russia, to make a living.  

2. What does Ivan find in a loaf of bread? 
So for his breakfast on March 25, in his hot roll, Ivan finds a nose, quite interestingly the nose of his colleague or better worded customer Assessor Kovalev.   


3. How does his wife respond to Ivan's discovery? 
Incredulous. To be honest, I don't think that Ivan's wife likes him very much just by the hot roll, onion, and coffee example but to be honest the evidence she hates him just keeps piling on. She calls him a great big brute and claims she will call the police to report him.


4. What does Ivan set out to accomplish? 
To get rid of the nose.
5. When Ivan tosses the "package" in the river, for a brief moment he is happy; then he is arrested. What does this scene suggest about the role of happiness in Ivan's life/community/society? 
It seems to suggest that happiness is a brief and trifling object. Here for a moment then gone the next.
6. Where does the title object belong, and how does it finally get there?
On the face of Major Kovalev, and the police return it.

Lit Terms #5

Lit Terms #5

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 argumentation; in description, the physical point from which the observer views what he is describing. 
Postmodemism: 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 does not 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; denouement.
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 complications, advancement towards climax.
Romanticism: movement in western culture beginning in the eighteenth and peaking in the nineteenth century as a revolt against Classicism; imagination was valued over reason and fact.
Satire: ridicules or condemns the weakness and wrong doings of individuals, groups, institutions, or humanity in general.
Scansion: the analysis of verse in terms of meter.
Setting:  the time and place in which events in a short story, novel, play, or narrative poem occur.

THE TIME OF MY LIFE

Well, I was absent today so I really didn't get to utilize my 35 or so in class minutes about note taking strategy and so forth. But thankfully I have a big group so I will ask them about what I missed.

Spring Semester Lit Analysis #1-Macbeth

sorry about the timing, the flu is not my friend
Spring Semester

Lit Analysis #1

"Macbeth" William Shakespeare

Book Edition: Barnes & Noble Shakespeare

"And oftentimes, to win us to our harm,

The instruments of darkness tell us truths,

Win us with honest trifles, to betray's

In deepest consequence."

-Macbeth (ACT I, scene iii)

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

"Macbeth" by William Shakespeare is a play contained within five comprehensive acts (further divided into scenes). Each act goes in sequential order to tell the story of Macbeth's, the title character and protagonist, downward spiral. As the last and darkest of Shakespeare's great tragedies, "Macbeth" (occasionally called the Scottish Play), is the only one to have a villain as its protagonist and goes deep into its examination of the human character, ambition, and guilt.

Act 1 first introduces the three witches (sometimes called the three weird sisters), and despite their brief introduction and deprived background (as in nothing about them is known) they become incredibly important to the play itself and serve as a mode of foreshadowing for the crowd creating a sense of dramatic irony. Also in Act 1, we are introduced to Duncan King of Scotland who is waiting for news of a battle led by Macbeth-Thane of Glamis  against the Thane of Cawdor and a rebel group. As the battle ends the three witches come to Macbeth calling him the Thane of Cawdor  and King of the Scots. Their interaction soon ends and King Duncan greets Macbeth giving him the title; Thane of Cawdor, which interestingly fulfills the weird sisters' prophecy.  Eventually Lady Macbeth hears the news and urges Macbeth to kill King Duncan to take the throne which would make her Queen. Duncan arrives that night at Macbeth's estate giving Lady Macbeth and Lord Macbeth the opportunity for murder.


Act 2 moves much quicker than the first and in it we see our murder.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.


The Power of Corruption: Ambition, power, and corruption are definitely among the biggest symbols within this play. This whole play simply struggles with that universal idea of corruption through power. And it starts quickly in Act one with the three weird sisters/witches. Their words and predictions for Lord Macbeth's future as first the Thane of Cawdor and then King of Scotland begin the corruption. When the first of these predictions rings true Lord Macbeth, spurred onwards by his Wife, dives deep into a spiral of deceit, and murder as he tries to not only take but hold on to the throne. As a reader it is interesting to see how quickly this spiral consumes not only Macbeth but his relationships. Even before the deed is done Macbeth, much like Hamlet, struggles with the deed and wonders about his soul in the afterlife. These struggles continue within the play, and drive it forwards.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).


The tone of Macbeth is definitely more ominous and dark than anything else, which is expected due to the intense and serious nature of the play itself.

 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.)


This section of the lit analysis has always bugged me. I don't mark my books or fold the edges of the pages or even break the binding (for me its like a crime). So this time I'm just going to write a nice paragraph and use the following words and explain quickly how they each explain plot and help the narrative of the play move along: point of view, protagonist,
metaphor, dramatic irony, foreshadowing, climax, epitaph, audience, motif.
-It seems so cliché to say this over and over again that Shakespeare wrote plays, and "Macbeth" is one these plays but I'm saying it again. As for point of view, "Macbeth" offers an interesting one. Playgoers and now readers (aka audience) have more of a unique perspective on the surroundings of the play. In fact, it almost gives the plays the playgoers an omniscient point of view except for the fact that they aren't getting insight to the characters uttermost thoughts and feelings unless one of the characters has a quick soliloquy, which Macbeth does on a number of occasions. Macbeth, the title character, is obviously the protagonist and his presence and actions within the play can definitely be seen as a metaphor for this idea of greed and ambition. In terms of dramatic irony, the witches find their purpose. Though they serve the purpose of foreshadowing events and things to come for both the characters and the audience their prophecies and predictions create for an interesting twist. For example both Lord and Lady Macbeth understand what the prophecy means for King Duncan, (hint...climax!) who in turn himself fulfills part of Macbeth's prophecy by simply naming him the new Thane of Cawdor. When it comes to motif, for me the most obvious was weather. Although not exactly an inanimate object, weather plays a huge role within the play. As a background the changing weather first appears as Macbeth is about to kill King Duncan and begins to signify how out of balance with nature murder is and when things are about to go wrong in the play, weather typically precedes it.

 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)? &  2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?


"Macbeth" is a play and for these questions focusing on characters it makes things a bit more difficult. On one hand the work was intended to be seen on stage and the best way to really see how Shakespeare intended to display each character is on stage, where actors have room to perform and add their own insight and experience to the character. On paper it is a bit more difficult. Shakespeare wasn't trying to make the reader deeply analyze character, because frankly he had to move the play along and keep it interesting for his paying audience to guarantee their return to the theater.

 3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.


Macbeth himself as a character has to be incredibly dynamic and round. He commits murder and takes the life of another human being. And that definitely changes a person. And as the play continues he wind himself deeper and deeper in his growing lies, murders, and his own guilt.  And by the end of the play Macbeth is a completely changed character and is so far from who he was just five acts prior.

 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. 



I definitely felt as if I had met a person, although it was like getting to know a person involved in a case on Dateline or 48 Hours Mystery rather than in line at the grocery store. A little weird or gruesome, but I can't complain too much.

Update

Finally "beat" the flu. Will be back in school, make up homework will follow shortly.


-Thanks
Amara Sharp

Lit Terms #4

Lit Terms List #4



Interior Monologue: a form of writing which represents the inner thoughts of a character; the recording of the internal, emotional experience(s) of an individual; generally the reader is given the impression of overhearing the interior monologue.
Inversion: words out of order for emphasis. 
Juxtaposition: the intentional placement of a word, phrase, sentences of paragraph to contrast with another nearby. 
Lyric: a poem having musical form and quality; a short outburst of the author's innermost thoughts and feelings.
Magic(al) Realism: a genre developed in Latin America which juxtaposes the everyday with the marvelous or magical. 
Metaphor: an analogy that compare two different things imaginatively directly.
Extended: a metaphor that is 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 or associated thing is substituted for the usual name of a thing.
Mode of Discourse: argument (persuasion), 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 evoked by a literary piece.
Motif: a recurring feature (name, image, or phrase) 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: extreme form of realism
Novelette/Novella: short story; short prose narrative, often satirical.
Omniscient Point of View: knowing all things, usually the third person.
Onomatopoeia: use 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.

WHAT'S THE STORY?

Because I'm in the rogue "Catch-22" by Heller group my questions aren't in the sense or terms of Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" or "Tale of Two Cities". (Just a heads up)


"fun in the beginning... You got the feeling that there was something glorious about it." -Joseph Heller on WWII


Heller himself was a pilot during the Second World War and at 21 began the first of his 60 combat missions as a B-25 Bomber on the Italian Front. And his experiences as a pilot were most likely the source of inspiration for his famous book "Catch-22". Typically I dislike having to infer what/why the author wrote the novel they did. I typically see it as swinging in the dark for an answer that may or may not be there, but at any rate it is likely that Heller (like all writers) was going after an idea while writing his novel. Just based on theme, "the absurdity of command" Heller probably had some experiences in the war with commanding officers that were completely baffling.


Catch-22 is a satire, and its important to realize and remember that while reading. The absurd situations, and ironic encounters and characters  add to  the over arcing theme and keep the readers engaged.

Tale of Two Cities Lecture Notes

Hand written, will turn in tomorrow during class.

Lit Term #3

Lit Terms #3

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(s).
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 (such as metaphor and simile).
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.
Gothic Tale:a style in literature characterized by gloomy settings, violent or grotesque action, and a mood of decay, degeneration, and decadence.
Hyperbole:an exaggerated statement often used as a figure of speech or to prove a point.
Imagery:figures of speech or vivid description, conveying images through any of the senses.
Implication:a meaning or understanding that is to be arrive at by the reader but that is not fully and explicitly stated by the author.
Incongruity: the deliberate joining of opposites or of elements that are not appropriate to each other.
Inference:a judgment 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 or incongruity between what is said and what is meant, or what is expected to happen and what actually happens, or what is thought to be happening and what is actually happening.