Today I made some progress. I was able to get some of the
literary term definitions cleared for me. I plan to study them more tonight. My
plan for the week is to have all of them completely down by Friday. It’s going
to take me some time because I continue to confuse some, especially analogy,
allegory, and aphorism. I need to come up with a way not to get the words and
definitions mixed up.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
"A Reflection on Unstructured Learning"
The text could be said to have a number of different themes, both universal and specifically for that situation. I personally believe the theme is universal and can apply to anyone in any type of situation. I think the essay is to take advantage of your surroundings and go forth. This text applies to our AP course and the students in it. I personally see a lot of symbolism in the text. The costume symbolizes the AP test, and the other police officer symbolizes other students and the teacher.
The teacher has provided just about all the sources needed not just to prepare us for the AP test, but to help us pass it with a satisfying grade. We should stop underestimating our abilities and minds. We need to take it upon ourselves to suck it up and use all the sources provided and just start studying. The sources are already there, but they aren’t any good without us doing anything with them.
The teacher has provided just about all the sources needed not just to prepare us for the AP test, but to help us pass it with a satisfying grade. We should stop underestimating our abilities and minds. We need to take it upon ourselves to suck it up and use all the sources provided and just start studying. The sources are already there, but they aren’t any good without us doing anything with them.
Progress
I must admit that my progress this week has been pretty bad.
I have been studying the literary terms, but that is it. I know I have to push
myself and stop procrastinating. I plan to start studying with the example test
posted on the blog. I have also been sleeping very little so I plan to try and
change that.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Essay Topic Ideas
1977 No prose selection (instead, had the following prompt: A character’s attempt to recapture or reject the past is important in many plays, novels, and poems. Choose a work in which a character views the past with such feelings as reverence, bitterness, or longing. Show with clear evidence how the character’s view of the past is used to develop a theme in the work.)
1983 Thomas Carlyle’s “Work”: Examine how he uses language to convince the reader of the rightness of his position.
1995 Sandra Cisneros’ “Eleven”: Show how the author uses literary techniques to characterize Rachel.
2004 Henry James’s “The Pupil” (1891): Analyze the author’s depiction of the three characters and the relationships among them. Pay particular attention to tone and point of view.
1983 Thomas Carlyle’s “Work”: Examine how he uses language to convince the reader of the rightness of his position.
1995 Sandra Cisneros’ “Eleven”: Show how the author uses literary techniques to characterize Rachel.
2004 Henry James’s “The Pupil” (1891): Analyze the author’s depiction of the three characters and the relationships among them. Pay particular attention to tone and point of view.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Preparing for the AP test
In order to prepare for the AP test, I plan to take as many practice test as possible. I also plan to read various essay topics in order to get an idea of what will come up. The thing I will work on the most is memorizing the literary terms.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Lecture notes part 2: Cold Blooded!!
Cold Blooded:
•Macbeth--- He doesn’t care about others!
He takes things to the exxxtreme and only wants to satisfy himself and bring himself happiness.
He hasn’t fully lost morals, but is pretty close.
•His bond is slowly disintegrating. Ex: his reaction to wife’s death; no connection and no denial either.
Witches:
•Malicious, evil intentions; symbolize temptations, sin…
•Macbeth only beliefs their prophecies after one of them comes true. (picks and chooses little parts that benefit him)
•The witches are always around. Never actually threaten or force Macbeth to do things, so it’s not their fault?
•Macbeth--- He doesn’t care about others!
He takes things to the exxxtreme and only wants to satisfy himself and bring himself happiness.
He hasn’t fully lost morals, but is pretty close.
•His bond is slowly disintegrating. Ex: his reaction to wife’s death; no connection and no denial either.
Witches:
•Malicious, evil intentions; symbolize temptations, sin…
•Macbeth only beliefs their prophecies after one of them comes true. (picks and chooses little parts that benefit him)
•The witches are always around. Never actually threaten or force Macbeth to do things, so it’s not their fault?
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Macbeth Lecture Notes
Storyline:
•Hamlet=> theme driven and Macbeth=>character driven
•Rise and fall of a great man!
***TRAGEDY
•Macbeth has flaws and at the end he is alone and falls
***Symbolism: Everything that made him who he was disintegrated at the end. (He is the architect of his own destruction!)
Duncan’s Murder: Question---Why does Macbeth kill him??
•Complex answer: not only just ambition
•Macbeth isn’t a hypocrite: He knows there is going to be consequences and faces them like a “man.” (kills Duncan knowing it’s wrong)
•Another connection to Hamlet!=> He goes back and forth and questions decisions.
•Lady Macbeth: Puuuuure evil! She is the tools of destruction and pushes Macbeth to do wrong.
***Irony: doesn’t seem like a mother figure at all!! She is all animus and makes Macbeth look anima.
•Macbeth hallucinates a dagger: he knows what he doing is wrong.
Tragic Part:
*** Admiration: Macbeth is on a killing streak. He is completely determined and loses his conscious.
•Heroic quality: he suffering but won’t crack.
***Irony: He eventually becomes terrified of himself.
•Lady Macbeth suddenly gains a conscious and completely falls apart. (ex: commits suicide)
•She feels a sense of quilt after the first death. (All talk no action maybe??)
•Their relationship is ruined. Less communication and more tension between the Macbeths.
•Hamlet=> theme driven and Macbeth=>character driven
•Rise and fall of a great man!
***TRAGEDY
•Macbeth has flaws and at the end he is alone and falls
***Symbolism: Everything that made him who he was disintegrated at the end. (He is the architect of his own destruction!)
Duncan’s Murder: Question---Why does Macbeth kill him??
•Complex answer: not only just ambition
•Macbeth isn’t a hypocrite: He knows there is going to be consequences and faces them like a “man.” (kills Duncan knowing it’s wrong)
•Another connection to Hamlet!=> He goes back and forth and questions decisions.
•Lady Macbeth: Puuuuure evil! She is the tools of destruction and pushes Macbeth to do wrong.
***Irony: doesn’t seem like a mother figure at all!! She is all animus and makes Macbeth look anima.
•Macbeth hallucinates a dagger: he knows what he doing is wrong.
Tragic Part:
*** Admiration: Macbeth is on a killing streak. He is completely determined and loses his conscious.
•Heroic quality: he suffering but won’t crack.
***Irony: He eventually becomes terrified of himself.
•Lady Macbeth suddenly gains a conscious and completely falls apart. (ex: commits suicide)
•She feels a sense of quilt after the first death. (All talk no action maybe??)
•Their relationship is ruined. Less communication and more tension between the Macbeths.
FEATS OF WISDOM!® #8
Epic Rap Battles of History: Shakespeare vs. Dr. Seuss
Taylor Swift- Love Story
CSI Las Vegas: Blood Drops (Lady Macbeth, Shakespeare Quote)
Reference to various quotes
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Macbeth Notes: 1st Read Through
Act One:
•There are 3 creepy/ugly witches and they plan to meet up with Macbeth.
***The witches= foreshadowing
•A “sneak peek” of Macbeth’s character and personality is given through others’ opinions. Macbeth is courageous and isn’t afraid to kill someone very gruesomely.
•Macbeth and Banquo have an encounter with the witches. They tell him that he will be king. (but of course they don’t believe them)
•Then Ross and Angus come and tell Macbeth that the king has made him thane of Cawdor, as the former thane is to be executed for treason.
•Conflicts arise (foreshadow). Duncan wants his son Malcolm to be the heir to the throne, but Macbeth stands in between Malcolm and the crown.
***Lady Macbeth comes into the story. 1st impression- she’s crazy and greedy! She wants to do WHATEVER it takes to get Macbeth that crown. (Foreshadows more deaths to come)
•Duncan arrives to Macbeth’s castle and Lady Macbeth is being fake.
•Macbeth has a moment to himself and questions himself on the murder of Duncan. He is somewhat reasonable because he knows there will be consequences.
•Once again we see Lady Macbeth’s crazy side. After Macbeth decides not to kill Duncan, she is cunning/sly and convinces him to murder Duncan. (She’s the master mind with the idea)
Act Two:
•We see Macbeth’s mind going crazy. He has weird hallucinations and continues worrying about his soon to come bloody work. (He ends up killing Duncan)
•Lady Macbeth continually calls Macbeth a coward and gets angry.
•Macduff comes (still late in the night) to see the king; from there everyone sees what happened to the king.
***Lady Macbeth- was scandalous in order to seem appalled by what happened under her roof.
•Macduff tells Ross that Macbeth has been made king by the other lords. Then suspicions fall on Malcolm and Donalbain because they fled the scene (which was only for their own safety).
Act Three:
•Banquo he ponders about the witches prophecies and questions if the second is going to come true. Also they fear that the brothers are plotting against him and Macbeth, who is now king. (a lot of self questioning is seen throughout the characters)
•After everyone leave, Macbeth begins a soliloquy. He also wonders if the prophecy of Banquo’s son will come true. So what does Macbeth do to solve his problem?? He hires murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance. ***Killing streak has began!
•Their plan failed because the murders let Fleance escape. More foreshadowing when Banquo tells his son to get revenge.
***Macbeth’s conscious causes him to see Banquo’s ghost and he basically goes crazy and ruins the feast?
•Hecate The goddess of witchcraft scolds the witches for meddling. (she has different plans for Macbeth)
•Lennox and Macduff have an idea that Macbeth killed Banquo and Duncan!!
Act Four:
•Macbeth has a crazy encounter with the witches. This leads him to order Macduff’s capture and his family’s murder.
•The wife and son are killed after being told that Macduff fled. (they died thinking they were abandoned)
•We see Malcolm question Macduff’s loyalty, but then believes him. (smart kid?)
•After Ross tells Macduff the news of his children, Malcolm makes Macduff change his sadness to anger. With an army, they plan to go to war with Macbeth and kill him!! (Teams are building up)
Act Five:
•Lady Macbeth’s madness is seen once againillusions
•Macbeth prepares for the battle while trying to have his wife cured of her madness.
•After knowing his wife is dead, Macbeth remembers the prophecy and realizes he will die fighting. this symbolizes his pride!
•Techniques are being discussed and Macbeth murders Lord Siward’s son!! Another murder!!
•Macduff is crazy looking for Macbeth to seek revenge! (all during the battle) The prophecy about Macduff was wrong so Macbeth freaks out?
•Macduff is found holding Macbeth’s head by Malcolm and Siward!!!
***So Malcolm didn’t kill Macbeth?!?!
•There are 3 creepy/ugly witches and they plan to meet up with Macbeth.
***The witches= foreshadowing
•A “sneak peek” of Macbeth’s character and personality is given through others’ opinions. Macbeth is courageous and isn’t afraid to kill someone very gruesomely.
•Macbeth and Banquo have an encounter with the witches. They tell him that he will be king. (but of course they don’t believe them)
•Then Ross and Angus come and tell Macbeth that the king has made him thane of Cawdor, as the former thane is to be executed for treason.
•Conflicts arise (foreshadow). Duncan wants his son Malcolm to be the heir to the throne, but Macbeth stands in between Malcolm and the crown.
***Lady Macbeth comes into the story. 1st impression- she’s crazy and greedy! She wants to do WHATEVER it takes to get Macbeth that crown. (Foreshadows more deaths to come)
•Duncan arrives to Macbeth’s castle and Lady Macbeth is being fake.
•Macbeth has a moment to himself and questions himself on the murder of Duncan. He is somewhat reasonable because he knows there will be consequences.
•Once again we see Lady Macbeth’s crazy side. After Macbeth decides not to kill Duncan, she is cunning/sly and convinces him to murder Duncan. (She’s the master mind with the idea)
Act Two:
•We see Macbeth’s mind going crazy. He has weird hallucinations and continues worrying about his soon to come bloody work. (He ends up killing Duncan)
•Lady Macbeth continually calls Macbeth a coward and gets angry.
•Macduff comes (still late in the night) to see the king; from there everyone sees what happened to the king.
***Lady Macbeth- was scandalous in order to seem appalled by what happened under her roof.
•Macduff tells Ross that Macbeth has been made king by the other lords. Then suspicions fall on Malcolm and Donalbain because they fled the scene (which was only for their own safety).
Act Three:
•Banquo he ponders about the witches prophecies and questions if the second is going to come true. Also they fear that the brothers are plotting against him and Macbeth, who is now king. (a lot of self questioning is seen throughout the characters)
•After everyone leave, Macbeth begins a soliloquy. He also wonders if the prophecy of Banquo’s son will come true. So what does Macbeth do to solve his problem?? He hires murderers to kill Banquo and Fleance. ***Killing streak has began!
•Their plan failed because the murders let Fleance escape. More foreshadowing when Banquo tells his son to get revenge.
***Macbeth’s conscious causes him to see Banquo’s ghost and he basically goes crazy and ruins the feast?
•Hecate The goddess of witchcraft scolds the witches for meddling. (she has different plans for Macbeth)
•Lennox and Macduff have an idea that Macbeth killed Banquo and Duncan!!
Act Four:
•Macbeth has a crazy encounter with the witches. This leads him to order Macduff’s capture and his family’s murder.
•The wife and son are killed after being told that Macduff fled. (they died thinking they were abandoned)
•We see Malcolm question Macduff’s loyalty, but then believes him. (smart kid?)
•After Ross tells Macduff the news of his children, Malcolm makes Macduff change his sadness to anger. With an army, they plan to go to war with Macbeth and kill him!! (Teams are building up)
Act Five:
•Lady Macbeth’s madness is seen once againillusions
•Macbeth prepares for the battle while trying to have his wife cured of her madness.
•After knowing his wife is dead, Macbeth remembers the prophecy and realizes he will die fighting. this symbolizes his pride!
•Techniques are being discussed and Macbeth murders Lord Siward’s son!! Another murder!!
•Macduff is crazy looking for Macbeth to seek revenge! (all during the battle) The prophecy about Macduff was wrong so Macbeth freaks out?
•Macduff is found holding Macbeth’s head by Malcolm and Siward!!!
***So Malcolm didn’t kill Macbeth?!?!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Lit. Anal. #3 Of Mice and Men
**Section One:
Setting: California. Goes from a beautiful riverbed to working at a ranch.
Characters: George- small, feisty, and caring. Lennie- large and awkward. Has mental disability.
Friendship: This is seen a lot throughout the book. George cares a lot for Lennie and protects him. (tough love)
George: he sometimes gets frustrated with Lennie because he’s so slow and just doesn’t get things fast.
Foreshadowing!! ---George tells Lennie to come back to the riverbed if any problems come up.
**Section Two:
Candy: An old handyman who they now work with. He owns a very old dog who the other men want to kill.
First impressions: Most of the first impressions in the novel aren’t good. The boss is intimidating and threatens George not to try to pull anything.
Curley: Boss’ son; very aggressive, ex-boxer. He already starts picking on Lennie.
Slim: Another worker; very important and respected man
**Section Three:
Friendships: Once again it is seen with George and Lennie. George started taking care of Lennie after Lennie’s Aunt Clara died.
Ups and Downs: They finally convinced Candy to kill his dog, meanwhile Lennie gets a puppy from Slim.
Foreshadowing: Curley’s wife symbolizes trouble soon to come.
Innocence: After Curley and Lennie fight and Lennie breaks Curley’s hand, all Lennie worries about is not being able to pet the rabbits.
**Section Four:
Crooks: a new friend that Lennie makes; he too works on the ranch. They begin to talk about life and their dream land.
Trouble: Curley’s wife enters and begins complaining about her husband and life. Crooks tells her to leave and she threatens to have him lynched. (racism)
**Section Five:
Puppy: Lennie forgets his strength once again and kills the puppy. He tries hiding it in the hay.
Softness: Lennie loves touching soft things. When Curley’s wife enters, he begins touching her hair. He grabs it to hard and she begins to panic. Suddenly he realizes he broke her neck.
George: He finds out and freaks out. Realizes that the idea of having his own land was a lie, but he started believe it himself. (A mob forms to kill Lennie)
**Section Six:
Proud: Lennie is proud of himself for remembering to go to the riverbed.
Depressing: George shows up first and finds Lennie. He tricks him into thinking they leaving to their beautiful land. Once Lennie turns around, George shoots him in the back of the head Everyone else comes and George sadly says that Lennie began fighting so he had to shoot him.
Setting: California. Goes from a beautiful riverbed to working at a ranch.
Characters: George- small, feisty, and caring. Lennie- large and awkward. Has mental disability.
Friendship: This is seen a lot throughout the book. George cares a lot for Lennie and protects him. (tough love)
George: he sometimes gets frustrated with Lennie because he’s so slow and just doesn’t get things fast.
Foreshadowing!! ---George tells Lennie to come back to the riverbed if any problems come up.
**Section Two:
Candy: An old handyman who they now work with. He owns a very old dog who the other men want to kill.
First impressions: Most of the first impressions in the novel aren’t good. The boss is intimidating and threatens George not to try to pull anything.
Curley: Boss’ son; very aggressive, ex-boxer. He already starts picking on Lennie.
Slim: Another worker; very important and respected man
**Section Three:
Friendships: Once again it is seen with George and Lennie. George started taking care of Lennie after Lennie’s Aunt Clara died.
Ups and Downs: They finally convinced Candy to kill his dog, meanwhile Lennie gets a puppy from Slim.
Foreshadowing: Curley’s wife symbolizes trouble soon to come.
Innocence: After Curley and Lennie fight and Lennie breaks Curley’s hand, all Lennie worries about is not being able to pet the rabbits.
**Section Four:
Crooks: a new friend that Lennie makes; he too works on the ranch. They begin to talk about life and their dream land.
Trouble: Curley’s wife enters and begins complaining about her husband and life. Crooks tells her to leave and she threatens to have him lynched. (racism)
**Section Five:
Puppy: Lennie forgets his strength once again and kills the puppy. He tries hiding it in the hay.
Softness: Lennie loves touching soft things. When Curley’s wife enters, he begins touching her hair. He grabs it to hard and she begins to panic. Suddenly he realizes he broke her neck.
George: He finds out and freaks out. Realizes that the idea of having his own land was a lie, but he started believe it himself. (A mob forms to kill Lennie)
**Section Six:
Proud: Lennie is proud of himself for remembering to go to the riverbed.
Depressing: George shows up first and finds Lennie. He tricks him into thinking they leaving to their beautiful land. Once Lennie turns around, George shoots him in the back of the head Everyone else comes and George sadly says that Lennie began fighting so he had to shoot him.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Macbeth History Notes!
Site #1:
•Tone: (dark play) sinister and evil
•Written 1606 when James I was king. He symbolized the union of Scottish and English
•1st – Macbeth killed his predecessor Duncan I. 2nd – Duncan’s son, Malcolm killed Macbeth (Macbeth ruled for 17yrs.)
•Of the 14 kings, 10 were murdered.
•Shakespeare made changes to the truth to add drama.
Site #2:
•Very gruesome, “not for family entertainment.” Tons of murders, twisted minds, witches, devil, and evil.
•Shakespeare wrote remix of Macbeth to clear Banquo, King James’ reputation.
•The play takes place during the war time. (this adds to drama and kings’ strategizing)
•Lulach was killed by Malcolm who later married his wife, Margaret, and took his kid.
•Three witches= connection to Greeks and myths
•The word evil is used a lot, but to refer to bad deeds and habits.
Site #4:
•Shakespeare used “Holinshed’s Chronicle of the History of England and Scotland” for info.
Site #5:
•Sources that contributed to Shakespeare’s’ Macbeth: Holinshed’s chronicles, Scotorum Historial, Discovery of witchcraft and Daemonologic.
•Three Purposes are: dramatic purpose, thematic purpose, and political purpose.
•The changes and structure/ style that Shakespeare adds, causes the different purposes.
•Tone: (dark play) sinister and evil
•Written 1606 when James I was king. He symbolized the union of Scottish and English
•1st – Macbeth killed his predecessor Duncan I. 2nd – Duncan’s son, Malcolm killed Macbeth (Macbeth ruled for 17yrs.)
•Of the 14 kings, 10 were murdered.
•Shakespeare made changes to the truth to add drama.
Site #2:
•Very gruesome, “not for family entertainment.” Tons of murders, twisted minds, witches, devil, and evil.
•Shakespeare wrote remix of Macbeth to clear Banquo, King James’ reputation.
•The play takes place during the war time. (this adds to drama and kings’ strategizing)
•Lulach was killed by Malcolm who later married his wife, Margaret, and took his kid.
•Three witches= connection to Greeks and myths
•The word evil is used a lot, but to refer to bad deeds and habits.
Site #4:
•Shakespeare used “Holinshed’s Chronicle of the History of England and Scotland” for info.
Site #5:
•Sources that contributed to Shakespeare’s’ Macbeth: Holinshed’s chronicles, Scotorum Historial, Discovery of witchcraft and Daemonologic.
•Three Purposes are: dramatic purpose, thematic purpose, and political purpose.
•The changes and structure/ style that Shakespeare adds, causes the different purposes.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Top Three Blog Choices
My favorite three blogs are those that follow:
Jessica Parra- jpdrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com
Tatiana Alvarez- tarhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com
Jessica Manriquez- jmrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com
Jessica Parra- jpdrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com
Tatiana Alvarez- tarhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com
Jessica Manriquez- jmrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com
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