Sunday, September 30, 2012

Hamlet--Learning Communities

http://mrduncanaplit.blogspot.com/2011/02/writing-essay-on-hamletmessages-from-ap.html
  • This link provides student prompts on writing essays for Hamlet.  Very similar to what we are doing with our blog.
http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/hamlet/
  • This link provides the entire play, quizzes, and even discussions.   
http://www.pathguy.com/hamlet.htm#contemporaryissues
  • This link has the hosts the entire play.  Goes into greater detail about aspects of the play such as how the Lion King incorporates similar ideas and even a discussion on why Hamlet can be considered crazy. 
 http://absoluteshakespeare.com/guides/hamlet/hamlet.htm
  • Complete study guide on Hamlet, including essays!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Pre-Will Questions

a) Sadly I must admit I know little about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane."  However after brief research (on Wikipedia) I discovered that Hamlet was a tragedy written by William Shakespeare.  The play exaggerates the revenge Prince Hamlet takes on the character Claudius who murders King Hamlet.
b) I know that Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright who truly defined the word drama.  I also know that the extent of his writing has baffled historians and literature lovers alike because of the limited amount of words in the English language during his time period.
c) I believe we (and I am talking about my generation) have been handed down by past generations an ugly reputation of Shakespeare himself.  Every time his name is mentioned in a crowd of teenagers a shriek of horror is bound to emerge.  This is not our fault however because we have merely been bequeathed this terrible reputation.
d) The only way to have people excited about anything is getting them involved.  This play should be no different.  By simply acting out the multiple characters, students experience a whole new aspect of the play rather then reading the text off of dare I say, a boring school book. 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Character study #2

It was the night before the big game, and everyone knew who would lead the tigers to victory.  Carly Koertge was known as the best middle in the game, but some of the girls on the other team wanted to make sure she would be the last.
It was a couple hours before the game that I started to receive small shivers running down my lower spine.  I thought nothing of them since they occurred often.  However as the game approached, my senses started to spike viciously throughout my entire body.  Something had to be done.
Since I had only lived a few blocks from the stadium I decided to investigate the environment around all the action that was taking place.  Nothing seemed out of the ordinary however I still felt chills running up and down my spine.  I then decided to enter the fray of the game just to completely diminish my anguish.
When I arrived at the stadium I was quickly able to enter the halls where most fans and other personal were not allowed to be.  After a few minutes of avoiding the consistent inspection by the somewhat useless security, I felt a rush of tingling run through my body like never before.  Suddenly out of the corner of my eye I noticed Carly Koertge being approached by players of the opposite team.  They had outnumbered her seven to one, an obvious assault to any onlooker.  When they started to close in I made my move.  I decided to break through the wall of athletes with Carly at my side knowing that any confrontation would be nearly impossible to overcome.
Finally Carly and I had made it far enough from the other girls that I was able to be of no other assistance to her.  However as I was making my escape from her, she vigorously grabbed my arm and demanded the knowledge of my true identity...

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Vocabulary: Fall List #7

aberration - (noun) an optical phenomenon resulting from the failure of a lens or mirror to produce a good image; a disorder in one's mental state; a state or condition markedly different from the norm

Ad hoc- (adverb) for the special purpose or end presently under consideration

bane - (noun) something causes misery or death

bathos - (noun) triteness or triviality of style; a change from a serious subject to a disappointing one; insincere pathos

cantankerous - (adj.) having a difficult and contrary disposition; stubbornly obstructive and unwilling to cooperate

casuistry - (noun) the application of general principles of ethics to specific problems of right and wrong in conduct, in order to solve or clarify them

de facto - (noun) in fact; in reality

depredation - (noun) an act of plundering and pillaging and marauding; (usually plural) a destructive action

empathy - (noun) understanding and entering into another's feelings

harbinger - (noun) a person or thing that comes before to announce or give an indication of what follows; verb foreshadow or presage

hedonism - (noun) an ethical system that evaluates the pursuit of pleasure as the highest good; the pursuit of pleasure as a matter of ethical principle

lackluster - (adj.) lacking luster or shine; lacking brilliance or vitality

malcontent - (adj.) discontented as toward authority; noun a person who is discontented or disgusted

mellifluous - (adj.) pleasing to the ear

nepotism - (noun) favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)

pander - (noun) someone who procures customers for whores (in England they call a pimp a ponce); verb arrange for sexual partners for others; yield (to); give satisfaction to

peccadillo - (noun) a petty misdeed

piece de resistance - (noun) the most noteworthy or prized feature, aspect, event, article, etc., of a series or group; special item or attraction.

remand - (noun) the act of sending an accused person back into custody to await trial (or the continuation of the trial); verb refer (a matter or legal case) to another committee or authority or court for decision; lock up or confine, in or as in a jail

syndrome - (noun) a complex of concurrent things; a pattern of symptoms indicative of some disease

Character Study #1

They say his hair was lite by the torch of the gods.  They say his eyes are as blue as the wings of a jaybird.  His presence shadows all others who try to defy him.  Yet this man is no man, but a mere teenager.
Few have ever witnessed his deeds, but many have been affected by them.  Some say he was born with a gift, others believe he was genetically mutated.  Whatever the case may be, whenever a chill runs down his spine, those causing chaos and destruction cease to exist.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Literature Analysis #1: Heart of Darkness



  1. The plot of the novel Heart of Darkness is quite simple in context.  The main character, Marlow, believes he is destined to travel the waterways of Africa.  His aunt offers him a connection he cannot pass up.  Marlow visits the office of a Belgian ivory company and is made captain of one of their ships.  When he arrives in Africa he is overwhelmed by the life yet finds it contradictory to the darkness of the continent.  Whenever mentioning the natives in the text, Marlow regards them as machines rather than humans, only present to perform the duties of the white man.  Marlow overhears stories of a man by the name Kurtz who is said to be deathly ill yet holds great information concerning the secrets of the Congo.  On his venture to find this mystifying figure, Marlow and his crew encounter posts that have been overran by the natives.  These foreboding scenes suppress the excitement of Marlow and his crew however they decide to push on.  Finally they reach the village where Kurtz is only to find that he has become deeply engulfed in the native culture.  Marlow and Kurtz become close acquaintances until the steamboat leaves the next day and Kurtz dies onboard.   


  1. To understand the most basic theme of the novel Heart of Darkness, the reader needs only to analyze the actions made by the main character, Marlow.  The character of Marlow views native Africans as pieces of equipment rather than actual human beings.  The most dismal part of his beliefs is that he finds no regret when disintegrating the moral character of these natives.  Instead of being blind by his ignorant views, it is as if he embraces them.  For this the reason the theme of Heart of Darkness is the idea that self-interest often degrades the lives of the people who are connected to the person driven by


  1. “And as I looked at the map of it in a shop-window, it fascinated me as a snake would a bird—a silly little bird.”
This quote is referring to the author’s flashback when he was a child that loved to observe the maps of the world.  From this quote the reader is able to understand that the author is creating a metaphor.  In this case he is considering himself as the snake, while the country of Africa is the “silly little bird.”  Obviously the author decides to use this literary device in order to support his tone of simple mockery.  He sees Africa as something he can reap the benefits from without exerting much force or intuitiveness.

“He gave me a searching glance, and made another note.  ‘Ever any madness in your family?’  he asked, in a matter-of-fact tone.”

As Marlow is trying to gain permission for his venture into the Congo, he runs upon a doctor who incorporates Marlow into his research project.  The author decides to include this quote in order to create a different perspective of why Marlow has decided to go to the Congo.  At this certain point in the novel the author once again portrays a tone of mockery, however this time deriving from a more educated source.  The doctor finds it odd that a healthy and functioning human being would ever visit the Congo unless that person had acquired some kind of illness. 

“They wanted no excuse for being there.  They were a great comfort to look at.  For a time I would feel I belonged still to a world of straightforward facts; but the feeling would not last long.”

At this point in the novel the author is observing captured slaves who are completing a physical labor task.  Yet, instead of the protagonist or another character developing a tone of mockery, the author himself is creating a sense of mockery aimed at the entire situation.  It is as if the author is poking fun at the fact that an individual would find it “comfortable” to view the enslavement of fellow human beings.


  1. "The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much." (pg. 70)
Foreshadow- The reader from this singular moment is able to grasp the idea that the protagonist is not only making a general statement, but foreshadowing future actions taken in the novel.   The reader is able to understand that when the protagonist ventures into the unknown, he intends to use brute force without even a second thought.

“She talked about ‘weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways’, till upon my word, she made me quite uncomfortable.” (pg. 77)

Personification- The protagonist encounters a woman who makes this incredibly cruel statement.  The reader is able to understand that this woman is categorizing the entire population of Africa into a single group (“ignorant millions”).  She believes that all actions made by Africans are “horrid”, supporting the overarching ignorance by most foreigners.

“…We passed various places-trading places-with names like Gran’ Bassam, Little Popo; names that seemed to belong to some sordid farce acted in front of a sinister back-cloth.” (Pg. 78)

Metaphor- The author describes the various trading places as a metaphor to humorous plays.  However, to add more depth to his description he mentions how these places seem almost menacing.  By incorporating this quote, the author engulfs the reader’s attention and makes them understand the true mystery behind why these foreigners decided to conquer the continent of Africa.

“They were called criminals, and the outraged law, like the bursting shells, had come to them, an insoluble mystery from the sea.” (pg. 81)

Simile- By portraying the Africans as criminals and comparing their punishment by the law to “the bursting shells”, once again the author discovers a way to include a relevant connection to his main purpose.  He describes the Africans being mystified by these new set of laws which had put them under the ever so watchful eye of the “white man”.  Again the author is able to accomplish the task of presenting the true events that occurred during this time period.  

“A continuous noise of the rapids above hovered over this scene of inhabited devastation.  A lot of people, mostly black and naked, moved about like ants.” (pg. 80)

Simile- Again the protagonist is referring to the Africans as if they are not even human beings.  He finds them merely to be ants which fulfill the needs of the overlords.  By this the author is able to again symbolize the cruelty of the foreigners towards the Africans.

“While I stood horror-struck, one of these creatures rose to his hands and knees, and went off on all-fours towards the river to drink.”

Imagery- Instead of directly noting that the Africans were significantly similar to that of everyday animals, the protagonist uses imagery to indirectly describe the animal-like actions by the Africans.  It is as if the African slave had suddenly before his eyes transformed from a human form to that of an ape or monkey.  This portrays the discrimination the protagonist exerted towards these helpless Africans.

“Afterwards he arose and went out-and the wilderness without a sound took him into its bosom again.” (pg. 92)

Personification-The protagonist creates the sense that after an African man was nearly beaten to death, he enters the “chest” of the wilderness and disappears forever.  By including this event the author gives a concise example of the many Africans during this period of time that were consumed by the wilderness because of the foreigners.

…”Who will see Mr. Kurtz long before I can have that pleasure.  I wouldn’t like him to get a false idea of my disposition.” (pg. 95)

Diction- While the author tends to use elementary diction, at times like this one he uses an increased level of diction to make it clear of the urgency that certain character feels towards the subject at hand.

“Some fifty miles below the Inner Station we came upon a hut of reeds, an inclined and melancholy pole, with the unrecognizable tatters of what had been a flag of some sort flying from it, and a neatly stacked wood pile.” (Pg. 10)

Syntax- At this point the author uses a lengthy syntax, however in order for the audience to grasp what the village presents itself; the author feels the need to go into greater detail.

“Good God!” (pg. 123)

Hyperbole- After being fired upon by a wave of arrows, a pilgrim expresses his emotions by screaming out this small yet powerful quote.  The author wanted to create a simple interpretation of just how chaotic the previous scene was to all of the characters.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Vocabulary: Fall List #6

beatitude- Supreme blessedness

bete noire- a detested person (disliked or avoided)

bode- Be an omen of a particular outcome

dank- Disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold

ecumenical- promoting or fostering Christian unity throughout the world.

fervid- Intensely enthusiastic or passionate

fetid- Smelling extremely unpleasant

gargantuan- of great mass

heyday- The period of a person's or thing's greatest success or popularity

incubus- A cause of distress or anxiety like a nightmare

infrastructure- The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation

inveigle- Persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery

kudos- Praise and honor received for an achievement

lagniappe- Something given as a bonus or extra gift

prolix- Using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy

protege- a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career

prototype- A first or preliminary model of something, esp. a machine, from which other forms are developed or copied

sycophant- A person who acts obsequiously toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer

tautology- The saying of the same thing twice in different words

truckle- Submit or behave obsequiously

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

AP Essay Rubric/Active Reading Notes

 Question 1
(Li-Young Lee’s “A Story”)


  • Score reflects the quality of the essay as a whole — its content, style, and mechanics. 
  • The score for an exceptionally well-written essay may be raised by 1 point
  • No poorly written essay be scored higher than a 3. 
9–8
  • Essays offer a persuasive analysis of Lee’s use of literary devices to develop the complex relationship of the father and son.
  • Provide convincing readings of both the complex relationship and Lee’s use of literary devices. 
  • Consistent and effective control over the elements of composition .  
  • Not error-free
  • Clear and sophisticated
7–6
  • Essays offer a reasonable analysis of Lee’s use of literary devices to develop the complex relationship of the father and son. 
  • Less thorough or less precise in their discussion of the relationship and Lee’s use of literary devices 
  • These essays demonstrate the student’s ability to express ideas clearly, making references to the text 
5
  • Essays respond to the assigned task with a plausible reading of Lee’s use of literary devices to develop the relationship of the father and son 
  • Tend to be superficial in their analysis of the relationship. 
  • Paraphrase, which may contain some analysis, implicit or explicit. 
  • Their analysis of the relationship of the father and son or of Lee’s use of literary devices may be vague
  •  There may be minor misinterpretations of the poem
4–3
  •   These lower-half essays fail to offer an adequate analysis of the poem. 
  • The analysis may be partial or ignore the complexity of the relationship of the father and son or Lee’s use of literary devices. 
  • Evidence from the poem may be slight. 
  • The writing often demonstrates a lack of control over the conventions of composition: inadequate development of ideas, accumulation of errors
2–1
  •   These essays compound the weaknesses of those in the 4–3 range. Although some attempt has been made to respond to the prompt. 
  • These essays may contain serious errors in grammar and mechanics. They may offer a complete misreading or be unacceptably brief.  
0
  •   These essays do no more than make a reference to the task. 

  •   These essays are either left blank or are completely off topic.  

Question 2
(George Eliot’s Middlemarch)


 9–8
  •  Essays offer a persuasive analysis of Eliot’s portrayal of the two characters and their complex relationship as husband and wife
  • They consider literary devices such as narrative perspective and selection of detail, and they engage  the text through apt and specific references.
7–6
  •  These essays offer a reasonable analysis of Eliot’s portrayal of the two characters and their complex relationship as husband and wife as Eliot develops these through literary devices. 
  • They provide a sustained, competent reading of the passage, with attention to devices such as narrative perspective and selection of detail.
5
  •  These essays respond to the assigned task with a plausible reading of the passage but tend to be superficial or thinly developed in their treatment of Eliot’s portrayal of the two characters .
4–3
  • These lower-half essays fail to offer an adequate analysis of the passage. 
  • The analysis may be partial, unconvincing, or irrelevant; the responses may ignore the complex relationship 
  • These essays may be characterized by an unfocused or repetitive presentation of ideas, an absence of textual support, or an accumulation of errors.
2–1
  • They may persistently misread the passage or be unacceptably brief. 
  • They may contain pervasive errors that interfere with understanding.

 Question 3
(Justice) 



9–8
  •  These essays offer a well-focused and persuasive analysis of a literary character’s understanding of justice 
  • Using apt and specific textual support.
7–6
  •  These essays offer a reasonable analysis of a literary character’s understanding of justice
  • They analyze how the character responds in a significant way to justice or injustice. Although these responses have insight and understanding, their analysis is less thorough
5
  •  These essays respond to the assigned task with a plausible reading, but they tend to be superficial or thinly developed in analysis. 
  • They often rely upon plot summary that contains some analysis, implicit or explicit. 
  • Simplistic understanding of the character or the idea of justice in the work, and support from the text may be too general.
4–3
  •  These lower-half essays fail to offer an adequate analysis of a character’s understanding of and search for justice in a novel or play. 
  • The analysis may be partial, unsupported, or irrelevant
  • They may not develop an analysis of the significance of the search for justice for the work as a whole, or they may rely on plot summary alone.
2–1
  • Although these essays make some attempt to respond to the prompt, they compound the weaknesses of those in the 4–3 range.
  •  Often, they are unacceptably brief or are incoherent in presenting their ideas. They may be poorly written on several counts and contain distracting errors in grammar and mechanics.












Monday, September 10, 2012

Vocabulary: Fall List #5

acumen (noun)- keen insight
"The monk had great acumen in the world beyond what humans can see."

adjudicate (verb)- to settle or determine
"The Supreme Court adjudicated that stealing a gumball would be punishable by death."

anachronism (noun)- something or someone that is not correct in its historical time
"The anachronism had transported from the future and for some reason felt out of place."

apocryphal (adj)- of doubtful authorship or authenticity
"The apocryphal rumors spread around the school faster than wildfire."

disparity (noun)- inequality or difference, as in rank, amount, quality, etc
"I find it interesting that the disparity of the level of intelligence from one human to the next can be so dramatic."

dissimulate (verb)- to disguise or conceal under a false appearance.
"The ruler tried to dissimulate the awful taxes which he had bestowed upon his people."

empirical (adj)- derived from or guided by experience or experiment
"The man felt superior to his peers because of his past empirical actions."

flamboyant (adj)- strikingly bold or brilliant; showy
"When someone takes part in a play it helps if they have a flamboyant personality."

fulsome (adj)- offensive to good taste, especially as being excessive;overdone or gross
"The hotel became too fulsome for the tourists, which is why they decided to leave quickly."

immolate (verb)- to sacrifice
"The small child immolated his Twinkies so that he could attract young girls."

imperceptible (adj)- very slight, gradual, or subtle.
"It seemed very imperceptible that the student would past the test."

lackey (noun)- a servile follower
"The lackey was devoted to the incredible athlete who traveled around the world."

liaison (noun)- a person who initiates and maintains such a contact or connection.
"The liaison between the two countries deteriorated the once significant connection they had."

monolithic (adj)- consisting of one piece; solid or unbroken
"Without the monolithic castle, the barbarians of Europe would have overcome the nobles of that modern world.

mot juste (noun)- the exact, appropriate word
"The mot juste for this certain situation turned out to be a word most adults would frown upon."

nihilism (noun)- total rejection of established laws and institutions.
"If it were not for nihilism's, this world would certainly be a very different place."
 
patrician (noun)- a person of noble or high rank; aristocrat.
"It is often said that only patricians make the decisions that impact the greater population.
 
propitiate (verb)- to make favorably inclined; appease; conciliate.
"I decided to propitiate when I realized I was not going to win the argument with my mom."

sic (verb)-to incite to attack/indicates that the quote has been transcribed exactly as found in the original source.
"The politician sicced the democratic politician who did not share similar views on the philosophy of going to the bathroom."

sublimate(adj)-to make nobler or purer
"After understanding the true power of the young man, the monk decided to sublimate the boy to make him even more powerful."

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Beowulf ond Godsylla

Beowulf ond Godsylla

Meanehwæl, baccat meaddehæle, monstær lurccen;
Fulle few too many drincce, hie luccen for fyht.
Ðen Hreorfneorhtðhwr, son of Hrwærowþheororthwl,
Æsccen æwful jeork to steop outsyd. Þhud! Bashe! Crasch! Beoom! Ðe bigge gye
Eallum his bon brak, byt his nose offe;
Wicced Godsylla wæld on his asse.
Monstær moppe fleor wyþ eallum men in hælle.
Beowulf in bacceroome fonecall bamaccen wæs;
Hearen sond of ruccus sæd, "Hwæt ðe helle?"
Graben sheold strang ond swich-blæd scharp
Stond feorth to fyht ðe grimlic foe. "Me," Godsylla sæd, "mac ðe minsemete."
Heoro cwyc geten heold wiþ fæmed half-nelson
Ond flyng him lic frisbe bac to fen
Beowulf belly up to meaddehæle bar,
Sæd, "Ne foe beaten mie færsom cung-fu."
Eorderen cocca-cohla yce-coeld, ðe reol þyng.

Translation:
Beowulf and Godzilla

Meanwhile, back at the Meade hall, a monster was lurking;
Full of too many drinks, he was looking for a fight.
Then Hreorfneorhtðhwr, son of Hrwærowþheororthwl,
Asked awful jerk to step outside. Thud! Bash! Crash! Boom! The big guy
His bone broke, bite his nose off;
Wicked Godzilla wailed on his ass.
Monster mopped the floor with all the men in hall.
Beowulf in the back of the room phone called bamaccen was;
Haren son of Ruccus said, "What the hell?"
Grabbing shoulder strangle and switch blade sharp
Stand forth to fight the grim foe. "Me," Godzilla said, "mac of innocent."
Hero quick getting hold whipped famed half-nelson
And flung him like a frisbee back to fen.
Beowulf bellied up to the Meade Hall bar,
Said, "No foe has beaten my fearsome kung-fu."
He ordered a coca-cola ice-cold, of real thing.

Notes on pgs. 64-82 in Textbook

The Epic
  • Epics--> Long narrative poems that celebrated adventures of legendary heroes
  • Heroes were role models for their times.
  • Gilgamesh--> An ancient Near Eastern poem about 4,000 years old
  • Iliad--> A Greek poem that is almost 3,000 old 
  • Heroes-->Role models for modern time period
  •  

Gilgamesh: The Prologue
  • Gilgamesh built the city of Uruk
  • Son of Lugalbanda/Lady Wildcow Ninsun
  • Perfect warrior
  • Two-thirds a god/one-third a man
  • Uruk-->Ancient Sumerian city
Iliad
  • Hektor (Trojan) has killed Achilleus's (Greek) best friend
  • Achilleus wishes nothing but the death of Hektor
  • Achilleus and Hektor fight
  • Hektor pleads with Achilleus--> Achilleus too consumed by anger
  • Achilleus eventually kills Hektor 
A History of the English Church and People
  • Bede gives the geographic details of Britain at beginning of work
  • Bede tells of the different seasons in Britain
  • Presently there are 5 languages and 4 nations within Britain
  • British men shared wives with the Scots--> Ruler chosen only from the female royal line, not male
  • Bede describes the island of Ireland in detail
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
  • In the year 896, Britain split between the East and North
  • Danes caused much destruction along the sea-coast
  • In the year 900, Alfred, the king of all of England passed away
  • His son Edward took the thrown
  • Peace between North and East occurred during the year of 906

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Journey of Favorite Hero: Deconstructed

My favorite hero would have to be Ender from the novel Ender's Game.

Ender is called to a greater future when he is selected to attend a battle school.  Instead of normally rising through the ranks like most of the other students, Ender becomes commander of a large army of students in no time.  Because of his incredible ability to acquire information and analyze it in seconds, he is constantly sequestered from the other boys around him.  Although the Buggers are seen as the monumental evil force against all humans, the adults that control Ender's every move become the villains of the novel.  Once Ender is finally able to defeat the Buggers, he is free from the authority that once engulfed his every action.  He vows at the end of the novel to never allow himself to develop into the adults that made his life a truly living hell.  He also wishes to renew the race he had defeated with such glory (the Buggers).  Because of his motivation, confidence, and constant struggle to release himself from the life he did not wish for, Ender is my favorite hero.

AP Lit & Comp Exam: Multiple Choice Answers

Hopefully this works.  I don't have a scanner that I can access yet.  Sometime in the near future I hope!

Vocabulary: Fall List #4

apostate: describes someone who has left behind their religious or political beliefs or his principles
"My decision to not attend the apostate church was looked down upon by my community."

effusive: something or someone showing unrestrained emotion or thankfulness
"I became so effusive that most people in the room were so embarrassed that they turned their backs to me."

impasse: something from which there is no escape or solution
"I walked down the dark and daunting impasse without knowing if I would come out."

euphoria: a feeling of well-being and great happiness
"My mom was in a state of euphoria when I was finally born after 19 hours of labor."

lugubrious: someone who looks very sad, depressed or long-in-the-face.
"The student suddenly was very lugubrious after finding he had failed his English exam."

bravado: behavior by a scared person that shows courage.
"The hero showed great bravado when defeating the ginormous dragon."

consensus: an agreement made by a group
"It took nearly three years for the firm to make a consensus on the business deal."

dichotomy: a sharp division of things or ideas into two contradictory parts
"Many scientists often have a great dichotomy between their fellow scientists based on the theory of Pangaea."

constrict: to become narrower at one place, or to make something narrower or more restrictive.
"To most, politicians seem only to constrict the money that supposedly belongs to the people."

Gothic: medieval, not classical, barbarous; uncivilized
"Most see the Dark Ages as a time of great Gothic cultural representation."

punctilio: observance of petty formalities
"The parents were very punctilious when throwing a party for their daughter who had turned 18."

metamorphosis: change of form, shape, structure, or substance; transformation, as, in myths, by magic or sorcery
"It is often said that life as we know it is constantly in a state of metamorphosis."

raconteur: a person who tells stories or anecdotes in an amusing and clever way.
"When growing up I saw my mom as the perfect depiction of a raconteur."

sine qua non: an essential condition, qualification, etc.; indispensable thing; absolute prerequisite
"The sin qua non in my life is how I treat others.  I constantly find myself correcting myself before a discussion or introduction to someone I feel deserves my respect.

quixotic: romantic behavior or following beliefs even though they are foolish or unreachable goals.
"I can be very quixotic when it comes to the belief that as long as I stay true to myself, people will like who I am as a human being."

vendetta: lingering grudge or feeling of hatred for someone
"I hope to never hold a vendetta for someone because no matter what traumatic event that has occurred, everything can eventually be forgiven."

non sequitur: a statement, conclusion or reply that has nothing to do with the previous statement
"I hold my best friend that my girlfriend had just dumped me however he proceeded to continue to discuss the problems he had on his homework the following night.  Sometimes his non sequitors can be so completley obvious.

mystique: an aura of mystery or an air of secrecy surrounding something or someone that makes the person or thing seem very intriguing.
"The mystique from the woman across the room instantly grabbed my attention."

quagmire: is soft, wet ground or a complex and difficult situation with no easy solution.
"My partner and I ran upon a quagmire after he realized that he had forgotten the project at home!"

parlous: perilous; dangerous; risky
" The work was parlous for those who had absolutely no idea what was going on around them."

Monday, September 3, 2012

1st AP reading list choice/reason

I have chosen to read Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.
My first instinct in choosing this book was based on the fact that it is one of the most frequently cited books on the AP test.  However after further investigation I found that the novel seemed to spark an interest in me.  Although I read merely a brief sentence or two about the book, it grabbed my attention.  I thoroughly enjoy history, especially when portrayed through the lens of a talented writer.  I hope that I not only enjoy this novel but take in all the powerful historical aspects that it has to offer.