Close Reading - (12/17/2012)

The Total Agony of Family Time

By: Ethan Hauser 

  In this is article, Ethan Hauser sheds light on his dissatisfaction of routine family holiday reunion. His feelings during the holiday season and family time is represented through his pessimistic imagery, diction and syntax. 

  Usually articles during the holiday bring pleasant thought and images to mind. However, Hauser decides to take a different route. I found his following comment to bring out his true feelings as he describes what he sees, "At Penn Station everyone gets on with too many bags, all those meticulously wrapped presents, all the desperate sons- and daughters-in-law trying to impress intractable, tribal New England parents" (Hauser). This is a typically holiday event as families rush to the airports and train stations to pick up their loved one. He description of hustle and bustle of the holiday season supports his negative outlook for family time. 

  The reader is able to pick up on his frustration right from the start when he use "agony" in the title. But there are many examples throughout the article, the one I found to stand out the most was when he said "Once home, I honor a different kind of tradition: regressing into a petulant teenager, coughing up monosyllabic answers to innocent parental questions…" (Hauser). In this, the word petulant stood out as it described the immature, unpleasant characteristics of a teenager. 

  His whole article reflects the frustration that he is feeling about this time of year and family get togethers. He states his yearly family routine with the various by saying how "You can take the dog for more and longer walks. You can explore the many pharmaceutical choices modern medicine provides. Or you can just lie wedged in a bed that’s lumpy and too small and stare at the ceiling…" (Hauser). Hauser's use of short sentences ultimately shows his irritation as well as giving the reader a feel for how he truly feels about getting together with the family. It adds some personal quality to what he says even though it may not be in the most meaningful way. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/opinion/sunday/the-total-agony-of-family-time.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

Open Prompt - (12/09/12)

2007. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present activities, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character's relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

In Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller depicts the daily challenges that Willy Loman faces as his past haunts him. He struggles to find his place in the present since his past becomes so involved in his life. Evidently, his past causes some turbulence with his family and even himself which may have lead him to his death. 

  Throughout the novel, the laughter and background conversation of Willy and some Woman can be observed. The guilt of cheating on his wife, Linda and being caught by his, Biff added to a lot of weight on his shoulders. A constant reminder from Linda was were stockings that she was repairing. The guilt become so much for Willy to handle that his temper began to rise every time he laid eyes on those stockings. The stockings took him back to that night in Boston when he gave the Woman a pair of stockings. Incidentally, his actions took a significant toll on Biff's attitude for his education and future. The consequences of Biff's actions led Willy to suffer with fear of an unstable future. Biff always showed some hostility towards Willy that was a price Willy had to pay for his insensitive actions. Willy's past seemed to be a hinderance in his life leading him to life of disappoint and uncertainty. 

  Constant reminder of his past led to Willy taking his own life. His adamant behavior to move on from the past and live in the future cost him his life. Everyday, his past caught up to him and affected his mental state and decision making skills. His previous actions had an important role of who Willy was and impact they had on life and family. 

Summary and Analysis of Death of a Salesman - (12/03/12)

Summary: 

  In Arthur Miller's, Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman returns home after a failed trip to his wife Linda. After some loud conversation between Linda and Willy, their songs, Biff and Happy got up. Biff's life has become a total mess with no direction. Although Happy is successful, he is still lacking something in life. It's ironic that he is named Happy but his life does not reflect that. Biff offers Happy a chance to move out west with him. However chooses to decline. 

Willy taught his songs that in life, it is very important to be liked and not just "well liked". Willy always looked down upon Charley and how he was raising his son, Bernard. Many times throughout the play, Willy talked to Ben for advice about life and becomes rich. Willy has long been carrying the burden of money, cheating on Linda and the question of what Biff and Happy will do. In essence, all the facts drove Willy to his own death. 

Author:

  Arthur Miller grew up in New York with a well respected family. Miller uses his life story to explain Death of a Salesman. He is well-known American play and essay writer. One of the most well known play is The Crucible. 

Setting: 

  This play takes place in Willy Loman's house New York about the 1930s-1940s. It is important to note that their house is surrounded by tall apartments which blocks the light from entering the backyard. 

Characters:

  Willy Loman- Linda's husband who struggles in society to be liked by all that he encounters. He sadly fails to reach his desired destination because of the lack of knowing who he is in combination with Linda's directions. He seems to live his life in the past leading to an unstable mindset. 

Linda Loman- Willy's wife who can seen as a hinderance to Willy dreams. At times, she almost seems like a mother to Willy instead of wife as she caters to all his needs. She blames Willy's suicidal thoughts on Biff since he always fights with Willy. 

Biff Loman- The oldest son of Willy and Linda. He realizes that his whole life and has been a failure however he attempts to find himself and turn his life around. He is favored by Willy over Happy. In a way, Willy's false advice lead him down a path of failure. 

Happy Loman- The younger son always tries to get his parents attention especially Willy's. He tries to please his father but doesn't seem to be happy himself. 

Charley- Willy's neighbor and true friend. Charley is a successful businessman who earned his way with hard work. He has always been ridiculed by Willy in the way he raised Bernard. 

Bernard: He is Biff's foil. He showed a great amount of concern in his future and Biff's. However he was often teased and made fun because of how studious he was. 

Ben- This is Willy's dead brother. Willy always looked to memories of Ben for advice on what Willy should do to become rich and successful. 

Author's Style/ Point of View

I found this play to have a very somber tone. The scenes help deep meanings with important themes to consider. The tone also added to how I felt about development of the characters in this play. It shows Willy to have a weak personality. 

Symbols/ Motifs 

  Directions- North and East: Success and fortune, South: the unknown and self discovery, West: place of opportunity 

Seeds- The respect that Willy wants for the work that he has done

Money- Willy's point of view about the American dream. 

Stockings- Dishonesty in Willy's family and societal class that is       represented with silk stockings. 

Important Quotes

"Don't be so modest. You always started too low. Walk in with a big laugh. Don't look worried. Start off with a couple of your good stories to lighten things up. It's not what you say, it's how you say it- because personality always wins the day" (Miller 65).

I think this quote really represents Willy and what his purpose in life is. Even through all that has happened, he does not realize what is important in his life. After all the years that have passed, Willy still guides Biff down the wrong path and seems like he just sets him up for failure. This also shows the faults in Willy that holds him back from achieving success. 

"But you didn't rest your mind. Your mind is over active, and the mind is what counts, dear" (Miller 13).

This shows Linda motherly side towards Willy. She always tries to defend him and make him feel better. Since she has made such a contribution into Willy's life, it seems like she was a reason that Willy was not able to reach his own potential. In a way, she hindered in ability to move forward. 

Theme

Through honesty and hard work, one must work to earn a place in society. 

This is supported by Willy's lack of importance that is given to honesty and ethics. He believe that being liked and popularity will give him the spot at the top. However, Charley and Bernard earned their way to the top with hard work and morals. This is something Willy should have considered changing his ways of life and teaching his sons to be the right thing. 

Response to Course Material - (12/02/2012)

          Over the course of the past few weeks, we discussed the various motifs, symbols and the deeper meaning hidden in Arthur Millers, "Death of a Salesman". We then moved on to talking about tragedies which "Death of a Salesman" put a modern twist on. At first I was not whether I felt bad for Willy or resented him because of his outlook on life. But in the end I realized that the things Willy valued was something that almost lead to his death. He failed to see the good life he had made with Linda. The relationship that Willy had with Biff and Happy was the complete opposite of Bernard and Charley. I think Willy's focus on life was not in the right place. 

          Since then, we started to read "Hamlet" by Shakespeare. "Hamlet" is also a tragedy so I wonder how it will compare to "Death of a Salesman". I got assigned the part of Marcellus, which at first I was a bit hesitant about since I am not a fan of reading out loud. But to my surprise, it was not as bad as I thought. Personally, I find Shakespearean English to be a bit challenging so reading out loud as a class really helps me understand what is going on in the play. I find it especially helpful when Ms. Holmes explains the scenes or even adds some background details. I hope to keep up with the annotation for Hamlet so that way I won't have to worry about them when it gets close to the due date. 

Close Reading - (11/18/2012)

Goodbye to My Twinkie Days

By: Bich Minh Nguyen

        Bich Minh Nguyen, writes about the impact the Twinkie has had on America. Nguyen captures the nostalgia that most Americans are beginning to face. He analyzes the path that American is headed toward using the Hostess cake company. His use of diction, detail and imagery makes this a very memorable article. 

  Nguyen use of diction to describe the decision is represented when uses "demise". It shows the Hostess cake company has slowly been losing business. I found that the work demise tends to have a negative connotation. Especially since this is talking about a company which going out of business. This word almost makes it seem like the Hostess cake company has turned out as a failure. 

  The imagery used in this articles adds some depth to it. Nguyen describes the Twinkies to be "...sugary, fake, buttery-ish vanilla…". This builds up the image of a fatty, sweet treat that many people used to indulge in. The imagery of the Twinkies takes the reader back in time to when they were young where they enveloped in the memories of their childhood. 

  Nostalgia is a major point that Nguyen hits on through the use of details. One thing I found to hold a lot of meaning was how Nguyen transports the reader to their childhood. When he shared the memory of finding a Hostess treat in his lunch box, he mentioned he "...traded them, saved bites of frosting and cream for last...". To me, this is something that many kids do which makes it very connectable to the reader. Nguyen seems to show that the Twinkie has becomes a common symbol that Americans have identified with for many years. Now, through his writing, his readers are able to rekindle those memories. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/17/opinion/goodbye-to-my-twinkie-days.html?_r=1&

Open Prompt - (11/11/2012)

2006, Form B. In many works of literature, a physical journey - the literal movement from one place to another - plays a central role. Choose a novel, play, or epic poem in which a physical journey is an important element and discuss how the journey adds to the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.  

  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain observes the growth of the characters through their journey on the Mississippi River. For Huck and Jim, their adventure on the river symbolizes freedom, each escaping the struggles in their life. Huck begins to understand the society for himself as he comes in contact with various obstacles throughout the journey. He unveils the corruption in society and realizes the truth for himself. Jim wants to escape a life of slavery and reunite with his family. 

  Originally, due to Huck's old fashioned upbringing, he tried to not interact with Jim. However, he soon began to realize that Jim is an actual person whose feelings should not be hurt. This allows Huck to grow as a person and accepts people based on their personality, not color. Together, Huck and Jim try their best to overcome the obstacles thrown at them. 

  The river they travel on represents more than just a traveling method. It holds a deeper meaning for Huck and Jim which symbolizes the responsibilities and challenges that accompany a life of freedom. Their journey shows the development of the character turning into a more well rounded human being as opposed to the one viewed person they were. 

Response to Course Material - (11/04/2012)

         Since my last blog post, we have made some progress. One thing that we did was analyze The Century Quilt by Marilyn Nelson. Upon analyzing the poem we learned how to the writing portion of the AP exam is scored. I think it was really helpful to look at the sample essays because it gave me a better idea on what I need to do to improve my writing in time for the exam. In addition to the writing component of the test, we also covered a couple of strategies for getting through the multiple choice questions. Some of the common structures that we looked were rhetorical function, context, antecedent, style and the tone. This really informed me about how I need to approach each type of question on the exam. Especially since we formulated our own questions for the Marriage by Gregory Corso. 

  Then this past week we partnered up and performed a skit that included a poem we read from the chapter four in combination with The American Dream. Finally, after spending a few weeks on The American Dream, we finished all our annotations and in class discussions. To wrap it up, we finished it off with a blog post that touched on the important topics in The American Dream. The next play we will be annotating is The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller since we have finished watching the movie it will give some guideline. In class we started to talk about the deeper meaning that is in the play. I found that the discussions in class are very helpful in shaping my understanding of the play/novel. 

Summary and Analysis of The American Dream - 10/24/12

        The American Dream by Edward Albee by is an allegory that embodies various hidden meaning throughout it. Comedy plays a major role in The American Dream. There are various comedic techniques that have been used to develop deeper meanings throughout the play. From the "theater of the absurd, Albee incorporates a range of techniques such as break down of communication, civilized people acting in barbaric ways (killing the "bumble") and lack of progression (repetition). This play was Albee's second big success that satirically examined American's new artificial values that took the place of real values. He emphasizes that importance of the original fundamental values that America was built on. Albee show how the new values of satisfaction, wealth and materialistic desires are beginning to dominate. 

This play takes place in the dysfunctional apartment of Mommy, Daddy and Grandma. It is centered around Mommy's dominating personality who emasculates Daddy; together they plan to have the van man take Grandma away. It is obvious from the reading that the Young Man is the American Dream. However the deeper meaning behind the Young Man is the representation of the materialistic American Dream. He stands for the new generation which has artificial values. Grandma is complex character who also represents the American Dream. The difference is that Grandma symbolizes the old American Dream which follows the path of values and ideals that handwork pays off. Since Grandma is the old American Dream, she the only character that is always present. Grandma leaving is representative of the old American Dream ending and the Young Man entering is representative of the new American Dream. 

Daddy is characterized as feminine. Daddy becomes the woman of the family with his timid personality and womanly characteristics. For the majority of the play, he is the one of sticks up for Grandma and shows that he cares. He listens to Mommy and does everything she asks him to do. Daddy is shown to be inferior compared to Mommy. He needs Mommy to assure himself of his masculinity. She tantalizes Daddy about his masculinity to make him feel important for a short period of time until she takes that away from him. However, Mommy is the one "man" of the house. She is the one that lays down the rules and enforces them making sure that nobody strays off. She uses her power to take as much control as possible without being considerate of others. When Mrs. Barker comes to their apartment, Mommy makes it clear that her house is controlled by her and no one else. Mrs. Barker represents a prostitute and is referred to as a professional woman provides satisfaction for others. However on some level she makes herself somewhat relatable. 

The point of view of this play is from someone that sees the negative sides of the American society to possibly initiate a change. One aspect of the corruption that Albee focuses on is consumerism. Mommy expresses who she can't get any satisfaction anymore earlier in the play. However by the end, can claims that she can. 

The narrative voice in The American Dream is not centered around one person but rather the combination of all the characters. The tone of Mommy is demanding and controlling especially towards Daddy and Grandma. She gives off the vibe like she knows everything. Daddy is the obedient one who follows Mommy's orders. On the other hand, Grandma is pushed to a point where she will snap give it right back to Mommy. She shows more depth to herself compared to the Young Man, who represents the American Dream. The Young Man comes of as shallow and doesn't seem to have much substance to him with represents what the American society is becoming. 

Imagery is created in this play when Granmda tells the story about how Mommy and Daddy mutilated their child. It describes that the hands and tongue where cut off. They showed no affection toward the baby and don't mind that they can just go an buy another one. Mommy and Daddy are wealthy so most of their thoughts and actions are centered around money and how to use it to get satisfaction. The new American Dream or the Young Man, represents the shallow and materialist ideal of Americans. He was no deeper feelings or values which is what Albee is trying to convey. The Young Man's depth is shown when he says, “I no longer have the capacity to feel anything. I have no emotions… I have, now, only my person…my body… my face… I let people love me… I accept the syntax around me, for while I know I cannot relate…I know I must be related to” (115). This relates to the American values that are becoming prevalent in society. Americans are only concerned about how they can get satisfaction and there is no acknowledgment.

Grandma, representing the old American Dream and values, has a lot of depth and intensity to her. She displays the values of hard- work and integrity; all which has been replaced by the need of pleasure, money and lack of emotions. Mommy and Daddy have become to blinded to the old values, it keeps them from seeing anything that belongs to Grandma. She embodies deeper meaning which Mommy and Daddy are no longer able to relate. For example, when Grandma brought in the nicely wrapped boxes, Mommy and Daddy were only attracted to them because of how good they look on the outside but showed no interest as to what is on the inside. The inside hold substance that is close to Grandma and her values which Mommy and Daddy show now interest in. 

One quote I found to be important is Grandma's line when she says “You got to have a sense of dignity…if you don’t…civilization is doomed” (64). I feel like this represents Grandma's outlook on society. She is implying that American don't have a sense of dignity in themselves anymore and only care about the materialist things in life. When Grandma says something, there are values of the old American Dream which influences her thought/actions giving her some depth. When the Young Man says something it is not very insightful and sounds rather shallow like when he says. “It's that I have no talents at all, except what you see ... my person; my body, my face. In every other way I am incomplete, and I must therefore ... compensate” (113). This in no way reflects any values of the old American Dream. He has no deeper feelings and doesn't seem to have an pride in himself considering he is willing to do anything for money. 

Close Reading - 10/21/2012

Testing My Twins

By: Clair Needell Hollander

This article focuses on the decrease of test scores and the strange relationship between of test scores between the identical twins. The identical twins in this article have previously displayed identical scores including the subsections. But a recent identical drop in test scores has been brought to attention. 

Diction:

  Since this article focuses on the poor performance on test scores, Hollander uses a lot of pejorative diction like "disturbing" and "diminished". When I hear disturbing it creates the feeling of shock and surprise especially in this article. It leads me to believe the case of low test scores is out of the ordinary. Diminished tends to have a negative connotation describing the fading away something and in this situation, it is the high achieving test scores. The majority of the article uses pejorative diction to describe the possible external situation which could have contributed to the poor test scores.   

Imagery: 

  The twin are highly performing kids who have a tendency to be reading all the time going again their house rules. There are a lot places throughout this article that brought images in my head. For example, when Hollander said the "...teenage sister, who routinely pounds on the door yelling…" brings the image of sibling fights that take place. I think Hollander's technique of focusing on issues that tend to happen in the daily lives of people helps the reader connect with the article. Since many household have sibling rivalry this makes the article more relatable which brings an image into the readers mind. Another image brought into my head was the description that said, "...wilted lettuce and bruised fruit...". Again, Hollander sticks to common things that typically families are used. 

Syntax:

  At points in this article, I felt like I always almost getting preached. How sentence are formed and their length impacts the readers feelings toward a given topic or about the article. For example, "We need to always be striving. We need to be energized by thoughtful analysis of our successes and failures". I feeling these sentence sounds like I am being lectured to do something. I think the structure contributes of the tone of the these sentences which in my opinion comes off too forceful. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/21/opinion/sunday/testing-my-twins.html?ref=opinion&_r=0&pagewanted=print

Open Prompt - 10/14/2012

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

  In The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, Veronica “Ronnie”, a rebellious teenager is forced to deal with the pain her divorced parents. The distance between her father and her causes her to reject all of her father's attempts to reach out to her when she moves in with him. 

  She alienates herself from her parents especially her father and stops playing music. Through music, Ronnie and her father had developed a special bond which was soon broken after the divorce. Ronnie's resentment causes her to open up to the wrong people which leads to more trouble. Her rebellious attitude landed her in a difficult situation when she was caught stealing.

  As the story goes on, Ronnie slowly beings to open herself up to her father about the guy she's falling for, Will. As things being to fall into place, a surprise leaves Ronnie feeling betrayed and alone. She learns that her father has cancer which leads her to develop a barrier to get through the pain. Her pain was not only caused by finding out he has cancer but also her insensitive behavior toward him which she only came to when there was bigger problem. 

  Initially, the problem for Ronnie was not the divorce but the outcome of it. It caused her to lose her relationship with her dad as well as loosing the passion of music they cared about. The bond she had with father become a part of her being and losing that closeness ultimately become her downfall. The conflict in this novel shows the importance between the love parents and children share. 

Response to Course Material - 10/07/2012

  Over the course of the past few weeks, we have covered various topics in preparation for our AP exam. From the textbook, Literature and Composition, I was able to get a better understanding of DIDLS. The application of DIDLS to writing was very beneficial. In class, when we were given an excerpt from a novel or play, breaking down the writing to identify the six parts helped me be more alert for future readings.

  In class, we also learned about the different literary movements and the meanings they carry. Each of the movements had a particular focus. For example, Renaissance literature primarily focuses on science, logic and individualism. Each literary movement reflects on the period of time it takes place which defines those literary works. I particularly found our lessons on mythology to be very interesting. Since Classical literature alludes to Greek and Roman Gods, most of the novels are centered around those stories. I was not very familiar with these myths until it was covered in class. I think that since I have a better foundation on this that I can better analyze Classical literature.

  After reading The American Dream, I initially thought there was no point to it. It almost seemed like it was pointless to read such a play. However, after we got the handouts that closely analyzed the play, I then understood that this play is an allegory of the American Dream. On the surface it seems like a strange play but after reading the purpose and ideas behind it makes a lot of sense. For example, we were directly told in the play that the Young Man is the American Dream. After reading the analysis, I realized that the Young Man was not the only person that represented the American Dream. Grandma was representation of the old American Dream which was slowly being forgotten; the Young Man was the new American Dream that revolved around society's focus on materialistic goods. Grandma's age was the end of the old American Dream and a new beginning for the new one. This play really opened my eyes and made me understand that I should not just jump to the conclusions. I realized that I need to understand the deeper meaning by reading  in between the lines. 

Close Reading - 09/23/2012

Eating for Health, Not Weight

By DEAN ORNISH

This article focuses on the wright epidemic that our nation is currently going through. Over half of our population is either overweight or obese and has brought up an important concern to out for.

Details:

Food is an outlet that many people resort to. Healthy alternatives were given in order to show that meals can taste good without having the unhealthy side affects. Ornish gave the reader examples of different, healthy options like "black bean vegetarian chili and whole wheat penne pasta with roasted vegetables". It's always easy to just say that unhealthy food is bad for your body but the impact it can have on the body only makes sense to people when there is an example. The details of how food has the potential to change your health for the worse is shown in the example of common health problems that people live through such as diabetes. 

Syntax:

This article is an influential piece that has potential to change the reader's outlook on food. Influential writing pieces tend to have longer sentences so it doesn't come off as a harsh tone. Longer sentences flow better and make it easier to read. Short sentences usually make for a choppy piece and comes off too strong. Ornish accomplished a happy medium. He incorporated common problem that many Americans think with out coming off as "you're doing the wrong" thing type of voice. He engages the reader by giving advice and keep a warm attitude through his writing. 

Diction:

This influential article, like others, does not contains hidden messages through the word choice. However diction in this piece plays a major role since a message was being put out. The thing that caught my attention was the repetition of the word "disease". Over the years, disease has a negative connotation which catches the reader's eyes. By using the word disease, I feel like it makes people consider what they are doing to their body and think about if they are on the wrong path.


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/opinion/sunday/the-optimal-diet.html?ref=opinion&_r=0moc.semityn.www

Open Prompt - 09/16/2012

2009. A symbol is an object, action, or event that represents something or that creates a range of associations beyond itself. In literary works a symbol can express an idea, clarify meaning, or enlarge literal meaning. Select a novel or play and, focusing on one symbol, write an essay analyzing how that symbol functions in the work and what it reveals about the characters or themes of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

  Symbols are major part of any literary works; it enhances the overall meaning of piece extending the work to a new level. When an author chooses any aspect of literary work, whether it is the setting, names, accessories of room or names of characters there is always a motive behind. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an American classic which embodies various symbols through the novel. Fitzgerald's use of color symbolism is prominent throughout The Great Gatsby. Each color from the color of a cab to the flowers in Gatsby's house. The colors reflect deeper meanings about a situation or personality of a character. 

Gatsby's love, Daisy, means the world to him. He spent every waking moment of his life living in the past and tried to find a way to win her back. Daisy was always described to be wearing the color white. The color white is generally associated with innocence and pureness. However, under that top coat, Daisy was neither innocent nor pure; she shed light into her greediness and importance for wealth. She was more interested in the material goods than the intangible aspects. 

Fitzgerald displays the lifestyles and mannerism of the upperclass and middle class. When Daisy's husband, Tom escapes away into the city, he meets up with his cheap, classless mistress Myrtle. She is always trying to live the high life that Daisy has. One night in the city, Myrtle is adamant about riding in a purple taxi. Purple is often associated with royalty and richness and Myrtle isn't royalty nor does she have wealth. Since Myrtle and her husband George  live in the Valley of Ashes, Fitzgerald uses this opportunity to get cross the message that where they live is like dull and dirty. The word ashes seems to have the feeling of dark and dirty. Dark and dirty is just how Myrtle's life is until she has the chance to escape into the city with Tom. Sadly her efforts to live like Daisy leads her to have her life taken away. 

Fitzgerald has carefully chosen every aspect of his book to have a meaning. Color symbolism is just one technique used to showcase his hidden meanings. 

Response to Course Material - 09/09/12

          The AP Diagnostic Test was a lot of help and helped set the foundation for the things I need to work on this year. One of the things I immediately figured out was that I needed to work on taking time with reading poems and understanding as well as learning a more effective way to read them. When it came time to reading poems for our forum posts I made sure to not rush through them and over look the little things. I wanted to really understand the message that was trying to voiced. When I was analyzing Sonnet 20  by Pablo Neruda, my goal of doing this was to understand the underlying message that Neruda was trying to convey. I noticed the anaphora and verbal irony Neruda used to add to the structure as well as tone of the poem. Starting from the first line Neruda uses verbal irony "My ugly love, you’re a messy chestnut/My beauty, you are pretty as the wind" (Line 1-2). Ugly and beauty are word that addresses a different feeling so using them to describe his love wasn't something you would expect. I was able to interpret the meaning of the poem to be that there's always to sides to a person and both sides are just as important. 

While reading How to Read Literature like a Professor and working on Foster's Presentation I learned that I need to be more aware of techniques that are used in literature and in movies. While I was watching the movie, She's the Man it occurred to me that it was a spin off of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. I feel like after reading How to Read Literature, it has made me identify the little things like the books characters read and their message in the situation. Since college essays are something that I am working on, Harvey's The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing has many important tips that I need to incorporate. I had always thought having an impressive sounding essay is better than having simple voice. However I was quite wrong and realized that Harvey actually stressed that concision will help "...cut the fat.." (Harvey 9). I think making my essays more concise it will also make them flow better. While we discussed the Rhetorical Situation in class, I realized that the elements that make up a Rhetorical Situation in combination with the techniques from Nuts and Bolts will help me improve my writing in time for the AP test and especially college essays. 

"Me Talk Pretty One Day" Analysis

          "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris incorporates many aspects of the guidelines set in Michael Harvey's, The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing. Sedaris describes the reflections of a middle aged man with hopes of learning French in Paris. He applies many techniques from Nuts and Bolts allowing his literary work to be the best it can be. 

Concision is a major point that Harvey stresses. He emphasizes the importance of getting straight to the point instead of beating around the bush. Sedaris has definitely made sure to be straight forward when he wrote, "I've moved to paris with hope of learning the language" (11) or "Her English was flawless" (13). Sentences that use less words to make a point are easier to read and create less confusion. Reducing excess wordiness helps create a more coherent piece of writing.

Word choice, structure and transition are key ingredients that writers need in order to create flow. Nuts and Bolts mentions a few tips to create flow in your writing. When a work of literature begins to introduce character it's best when your "showing characters doing thinks or being described" (Harvey 23). Often times when introducing characters, the flow of the writing gets disrupted. I personally feel like Sedaris has done a pretty good job with his introduction of characters. For example, he states, "The teacher licked her lips, revealing a hint of the saucebox…" (Sedaris 12). The flow of the writing has been maintained without becoming choppy. 

Another aspect that Sedaris followed in his writing is the use introductory phrases. Nuts and Bolts shows the impact introductory phrases can have by saying,  "introductory phrases may provide other kinds of contextual information…" ( Harvey 29). Some examples of introductory phrases used in Me Talk Pretty are, "Call me sensitive,…" (Sedaris 13) or "The World opened up,…" (Sedaris 15). These phrase help the futher reader understand a given situation without over burdening them with too much information. It gives the writer a chance to add some detail with over informing the reader. Sedaris incorporated many of the tips that Harvey used to define a good essay. 

Introductions and conclusions are just as important as body itself. Since the "length for a beginning varies by discipline, assignment, and topic…" (Harvey 78), there is never a given limit for how long or short and introduction can be. Sedaris chose to have a shorter introduction and even shorter conclusion. However Nuts and Bolts states that "a skilled writer doesn't merely repeat what he said at the beginning" (Harvey 84). 

Sedaris made an effort to "Me Talk Pretty One Day" include many of the tips which Harvey used to make anyone's writing better. Many of the suggested techniques from The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing have made "Me Talk Pretty One Day" a better piece of work. 

Poetry Study Goals

• Read through the poem carefully and multiple times 
• Dedicate time for poetry because a lot more thought will go into it compared to reading a novel
• Be able give an summary of the poem and describe what happened, why it happened and things like that. 
• Become familiar with the poetry terms again so answering the question will be easier
• Remembering to read the poem in sentences instead of reading it through line by line.

Often times I find myself reading through the poem and getting to the end but not knowing exactly what I have read. This year I want to focus on understanding the poem first which will help me answer the questions more accurately. If I spend more time understanding the poem it will definitely help me in the long run. I especially need to brush up on the poetry terms which is also beneficial for me to achieve my goals.  

Diagnostic Test

Before I started this diagnostic test I did not expect to do amazing. However, I did end up doing better than what I expected but not as good as I would have liked. I think the most frustrating part for me was the poetry section because I clearly don't know know the different types of poetry and it's not something that I'm good at. Having said that, the selection from Pride and Prejudice was actually my area of strength. I noticed that a majority of the answers from that section were correct. Towards the end of the test, the number of incorrect answer added up. Hopefully before the school year starts I get a better understanding over the material that I missed on the test.