Prompt Revision - (03/17/2013)

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.

Revision of 10/14/2012

        In The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, Veronica “Ronnie” is a rebellious teenager who is forced to deal with the pain her divorced parents. Once her father moved out, the passion for the piano was also lost. The distance created between her father and her caused her to reject all of her father's attempts to reach out to her when she moves in with him for the summer. 

        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. Ronnie, let the pain of her father leaving get to her so much it lead her to make bad decisions. 

        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. To make up for her unacceptable behavior, she spends every waking moment being with her father. She tries to make up for all the years that they both missed out on. 

        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.

Summary and Analysis of Hamlet - (03/11/2013)

Summary: 

       Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are in the wilderness traveling. To pass time, they flip coin and and each time it lands on heads. Guildenstern decides to analyze the situation as he questions the law of probability. They meet a group of actors traveling who are known as the Tragedians. Then the scene changes to Elsinore where Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are watching scenes that we have already read in Hamlet. 

        After Hamlet kills Polonius, he is put on a ship to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. They are supposed to be turning in Hamlet however while they are sleeping Hamlet switches the letters. The switched letter says that they will be turning themselves over instead of Hamlet. Once the pirates attacked, Hamlet flees. The Tragedians reappear to act out different types of death, and then Rosencrantz and Guildenstern realize they are going to die soon.

Author: 

        Tom Stoppard is a British playwright who was born in Zlin, Czechoslovakia in 1937. Stoppard and his family fled Czechoslovakia as refugees and he went on to become successful. He co-wrote the screen plays for Brazil and Shakepeare in Love. 

Setting: 

        This play has the same setting in Hamlet since these stories are intertwined. It takes place in the forest and soon they make their way into Elsinore. And lastly, they end up in England. 

Characters: 

• Rosencrantz: Hamlet's childhood friend who is summoned to find the reason for Hamlet's lunacy along with Guildenstern. He is the dumber of the two. 
• Guildenstern: Hamlet's childhood friend who is summoned to find the reason for Hamlet's lunacy along with Rosencrantz. He is the "smarter" of the two. 
• The Player: Leader of the Tragedians. He acts like he knows more than he actually does and he travels in group with his actors.           

Author's Style: 

        Each character has their own style of talking. Many of the actions are given in the stage directions.

Important Quotes:

"Audiences know what to expect, and that is all they are prepared to believe in."

        Serves as a parallel to real life and acting. This suggests the different view about our relationship to both the theater as well as our own lives. When we are introduced to a new idea that doesn't conform to out beliefs or expectations we tend to question or reject those ideas. 

 “Life is a gamble, at terrible odds—if it was a bet you wouldn’t take it.”

         This quote is from The Player. He says that life is a risk and that there isn't a big chance that you will win. It basically talks about the reality of the world that everyone must come to accept. 

Themes:

Life will be unexpected and understanding it completely is impossible. 

        The unexpected things in life are symbolized in the coin tosses and when the pirates take control of the ship. Trying to make sense of some things can create confusion. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were always caught up in the middle of something. They even forgot their names sometimes. 

Response to Course Material - (03/10/2013)

        Over the course of the last few weeks, we have finished reading the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and watched the movie. I actually found this book to be quite entertaining as it kept my attention. Although, I can't really say the same about Hamlet. I began to see the hidden meanings that Tom Stoppard wanted us to see like the idea of a “play within a play within a play”. This play actually held many complex meanings which was easier to understand once there was a group discussion in class. In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, there was a question about identity which can be seen in the confusion since Rosencrantz and Guildenstern forget their own names. Although there was a question about identity, Hamlet knew who he was. 

  In addition, we have been working on AP essay practice which I am finding very helpful. I'm not a fan of writing essays but if it will help me on AP exam I will definitely do it. I found that these essay are much harder to write since they have to be to the point. I was so used teachers telling me to be creative with my writing, this is quite the opposite.  We have now started to read Ceremony. I am actually every interested in what this novel has to bring ever since Ms. Holmes went over the history and background for this book. It brought to my attention how the interpretation made by the reader can influence the understanding of a whole piece.