It has gone too fast

Senior year has ran by without even stopping to say "hello".  While my last literature analysis might not seem like much, it is an accurate representation of how I have arrived at the last days of my high school career.  I am beyond excited to move on to a new life and new opportunities. 

Literature Analysis: Moby Dick

All that needs to be known about the famed novel Moby Dick can be seen here and here.

Literature Analysis: The Poisonwood Bible

General

1. The Poisonwood Bible is a novel about an American family that travels deep into the Congo based on a blinded belief that they would maintain their sanity.  The Price family consists of three very different daughters, a concerned mother and a misguided father.  By the end of the novel each family member, besides the father, comes to a distinct conclusion of just how powerful the Congo was in changing their lives.
2. The theme of The Poisonwood Bible develops from the idea that one cannot change something unless they change themselves first.  This theme is immediately noticed when the family first steps foot into the Congo.  Each family member believes that they can change the Congo when in actuality the Congo changes them.
3. "Orleanna Price, Southern Baptist by marriage, mother of children living and dead."  The author's tone is almost that of distress towards each character.  This quote is a perfect example of how the author is filled with near sadness for each character.  "When Noah woke up he got to hear the whole story from the tattletale brothers.  So Noah cursed all Ham's children to be slaves for ever and ever.  That's how come them to turn out dark."  Here the author again is describing a story through the eyes of the youngest daughter, Ruth Price.  Yet rather than that of a positive story Ruth talks of a dark tale of slaves.  "I could just feel the grit in my hair, which is so extremely fair it is prone to get stained.  Boy, what a place...For the flush commodes and the machine-washed clothes and other simple things in life I have took for granite."  Once again the author mentions the hardships that the characters had to endure.  In this case Rachel describes her physical features immediately affected by the new environment.
4.  Imagery-  "Just wet clumps stuffed in my mouth that I would have to chew into glue."  The family decides that in order to be respect they must eat the food that was laid out before them.  Rachel describes the experience in graphic detail.

• Diction-  "Silence had many advantages."  Adah was diagnosed with hemiplegia, yet instead of constant complaint she believed this.
• Direct Characterization- "He's handsome, sandy-haired type that people presume to be Scottish and energetic, though possibly fiery-tempered."  Here Leah describes her father in great detail.
• Indirect Characterization- "Color coordination is not a strong point.  Grown men and women seem to think a red plaid and a pink floral print are complementary colors."  This quote from Rachel adds to the idea that she is only concerned with material things, similiar to that of most modern teens.
• Repetition-  "Anything that ever was white is not white here.  That is not a color you see.  Even white flower opening up on a bush just looks doomed for this world."  The word "white" is used in this sentence numerous times because the author wants the reader to understand that color has no meaning in the Congo.
• Metaphor- "Sending a girl to college is like pouring water in your shoes, it's hard to say which is worse, seeing it run out and waste the water, or seeing it hold in and wreck the shoes."  Reverand Price's idea of school can be easily understood through this quote.
• Parable- "Feed the belly and the soul will come."  In this quote the Reverand wants the reader to understand that nutrition is required for spiritual guidance.
• Flashback/Foreshadowing- "I could have been a different mother, you'll say.  Could have straightened up and seen what was coming, for it was thick in the air all around us."  Orleanna has a flashback here and foreshadows future events to come.
• Comedic Relief- "Reverand, missionary work is a great bargain for Belgium but it is a hell of a way to deliver the social services."  The Doctor does not believe what the Reverand is doing is right however he expresses it through a light comment rather than through a rage.

Characterization

1.  Direct Characterization- "He's handsome, sandy-haired type that people presume to be Scottish and energetic, though possibly fiery-tempered."  Here Leah describes her father in great detail.

• Direct Characterization- "I inspected Anatole's special kind of face scarring instead...Around here the people seem content to settle for whatever scars life whangs them with as a decoration."  Anatole's scars are directly described in this quote.
• Indirect Characterization- "Color coordination is not a strong point.  Grown men and women seem to think a red plaid and a pink floral print are complementary colors."  This quote from Rachel adds to the idea that she is only concerned with material things, similar to that of most modern teens.
•  Indirect Characterization- "Maturing into a Christian lady."  When Leah reaches the age of fifteen she is described as "Maturing into a Christian Lady" which in reality means that she is becoming an honest and forthright woman.

1. "On the day of the hunt I came to know in the slick center of my bones this one thing: all animals kill   to survive, and we are animals."  When the character of Adah takes over as the author, the diction and syntax become simple and elementary yet they often deliver powerful meanings.  In the quote above Adah does not use any complicated diction or a complicated syntax yet she is able to portray the meaning of the sentence with ease.
2. There is not a single protagonist yet all the main characters are without a doubt dynamic.  They change drastically throughout the entire novel.  The main characters are also flat because they simply do not return to their original selves and therefore cannot be considered round.
3. After reading the novel I felt that I met each and every character.  The main reason for this was that each character had a distinct personality and I felt that even for a second I could relate to them.  Whether through their positive traits or their cynical beliefs, at one point or another I could somehow relate to each character.

Literature Analysis: Life of Pi

General

1.  Plot Summary:

2.  Themes:

3.  Yann Martel, the author of Life of Pi, creates quite an amazing novel simply by his use of tone.  “It is true that those we meet can change us, sometimes so profoundly that we are not the same afterwards, even unto our names.”  From this quote the reader is able to grasp the idea that the main character encounters some very important relationships.  “It's important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise you are left with words you should have said but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse."  Once again the reader is left with a sense that the author truly wants to make a difference in the way the reader perceives certain things in her/his own life. “You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it.”  Probably one of the most general cliches, however it does the job!

4.

• Rhetorical Question- “The world isn't just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it, no?  Doesn't that make life a story?"  The reader is meant to discover the answer in their minds.
• Allusion- “I challenge anyone to understand Islam, its spirit, and not to love it. It is a beautiful religion of brotherhood and devotion."  The author expects the reader to somehow be familiar with Islam.
• Metaphor-“The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity; it's envy. Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can.”  Life and death are said to have a close relationship.
• Symbol- “Life will defend itself no matter how small it is.”  Life seen as a being rather than a thought
• Comedic Relief- “I love Canada...It is a great country much too cold for good sense, inhabited by compassionate, intelligent people with bad hairdos.”  The author is trying to make a valid point but ends the sentence with comedy instead.

Characterization

1. Indirect Characterization: "Just beyond the ticket booth Father had painted on a wall in bright red letters the question: DO YOU KNOW WHICH IS THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL IN THE ZOO? An arrow pointed to a small curtain. There were so many eager, curious hands that pulled at the curtain that we had to replace it regularly. Behind it was a mirror."  Here the author is able to express the father's wit without making a direct description.

• Indirect Characterization: "Most likely the worst would happen: the simple passage of time, in which his animal toughness would easily outlast my human frailty."  Here the author reveals that Pi is completely conscience of his surroundings.

• Direct Characterization: "Richard Parker was tougher than I was in the face of these fish, and far more efficient. He raised himself and went about blocking, swiping and biting all the fish he could."  Here the author gives a direct description of Richard Parker as an expert hunter.
• Direct Characterization: "It came as an unmistakable indication to me of how low I had sunk the day I noticed, with a pinching of the heart, that I ate like an animal, that this noisy, frantic unchewing wolfing-down of mine was exactly the way Richard Parker ate."  In this quote the main character comes to a direct conclusion that he himself has become an animal.

1. The author's syntax and diction does not change when he decides to focus on the the description of a main character.  In fact for the most part it stays exactly the same.  "Suddenly his brute strength meant only moral weakness. It was nothing compared to the strength in my mind."  Here the author is portraying the different strengths of two characters, yet without changing the diction or syntax he is conveying the same message.
2. The protagonist is dynamic and round in his experiences yet he seems to be spiritually static.  Pi experiences incredible obstacles during his youth, however he remains constant in his faith towards a higher being.  This is what makes Pi such a special character.  Most characters drastically change when they go through something physically and mentally demanding.  Yet Pi remains humble throughout the entire novel which is why he is such a enjoyable character to view as a reader.
3. After reading the novel I certainly feel that I have met a person rather than read a character.  The reason for this is because Pi is someone that I would love to have a relationship with.  I feel as though he would be honest and sincere in every moment and there would be no dull moments with him.  Pi is without a doubt a very special character which is why I felt as if I had become close friends with him by the denouement of the novel. 

In Class AP Essay #4

In the novel The Kite Runner it is clear that the main character is profoundly affected by the traits of another character.  Amir, the main character of the novel constantly seeks the love of his father while his best friend, Hassan, seemingly receives love from Amir's father without doing anything special.  It is within the first chapters that an event occurs that changes the perspectives of all the characters in the novel.

Hassan is a perfect example of a trusted and loved character that actually becomes a foil to a main character.  Amir and Hassan are incredibly close however it seems to never hide the jealousy that Amir constantly holds for Hassan.  Amir's father is always distant in the life of Amir yet when the times that he is around Hassan he becomes very emotionally attached to him.  Yet the reader does not understand why Hassan is considered a foil of Amir until latter in the novel when it is relieved that Hassan is actually half-brothers with Amir.  This is the unique factor which makes Hassan such a powerful foil of Amir.  Although the author does not give Hassan specific traits to exemplify his foil abilities as a character, it is by this single event that Hassan has made such an impact in the life of Amir.

One of the most devastating events occurs when Hassan is rapped brutally by other kids.  Amir finds Hassan being rapped yet does nothing but watch.  This event once again develops the character of Hassan as a very distinct foil.  However this scene not only illuminates the character of Hassan an an even greater foil but it illuminates the theme of the novel as well.  After Hassan is banished for things he did not do, Amir spends the majority of the rest of his life on the road to redemption to recover the friend that he so dearly lost.  Due to this singular event the author illustrates that in order to live a full life free of regrets one must stay true to the love shared in a friendship.

Through both dramatic events the foil character of Hassan is revealed.  By experiencing both events Amir acknowledges the fact that the love created through friendship can never be broken.

It's getting close

I am going to be completely honest and say that this is the least amount of time I have studied outside of the classroom for an upcoming AP test.  However this is due to the fact that I feel actually confident about the test.  Over the past week I feel that my writing has gotten progressively better.  If I do not pass the exam it will not be because I was not prepared in the classroom but because I did not prepare outside of it.  It's getting close and I believe I am ready...

In Class AP Essay #3

In Class AP Essay #2

In Class AP Essay

The United States and the continent of Africa are nothing short of two completely different worlds.  Yet the magnitude at which these two societies differ increases as one forces their own beliefs and morals on another.  In the novel The Poisonwood Bible, a traditional "white-bread" American family moves to a small African village and begins a quest to not only force the villagers to seek God but begin on a journey to find themselves.

In one of the most violent and surreal moments of the novel, Adah one of the main characters, experiences a sense of abandonment like never before.  Adah is a character who is seen as an outcast from the beginning of the novel.  Due to her mental illness she is physically and emotionally slower than the rest of her sisters.  During a night like any other, a wave of giant ants suddenly sweeps through the village eating everything in their path.  As Nathan and Orleanna try to gather their daughters and run for the river, Adah is the only sister left behind until a villager finally rescues her.  Adah in her previous life in the United States was always cared for and looked after by her parents, never being let out of their sight.  Since moving to their new home in a foreign land, Adah has been somewhat forgotten due to the new responsibilities of the entire family.  The realization that she is truly alone develops after the wave of ants.  Because of the new environment Adah has been thrown into she becomes more independent than ever.

Nathan Price, the father of Adah knew he was on a religious pilgrimage of good intentions.  Yet because of his strict moral values, he not only pushed the villagers away but his family as well, Adah in particular.  Adah did make a special contact with religion while she lived in the states yet she felt no hatred towards it also.  However as her life in the Congo continued as well as the seemingly endless raid of her father's beliefs, she began to make a strong opposition towards any kind of religion.  This was due in part because of her father's new found insanity as well as the loneliness she encountered in such an unknown environment.  It is through her perspective on religion that the overriding theme can be found: one must find their own beliefs rather than have them forced by another.

A new culture or environment can cause extreme changes in characters which is why Adah is no different.  The moment she stepped foot in the unfamiliar world of Africa she knew something was different and that something would change.  Ultimately through the raid of giant ants and her fathers uncontrollable persistence of religion, Adah became something she never even expected.  


 

Poetry Essay #2

May Swenson utilizes powerful and unique imagery while also expressing two different point of views throughout her entire poem known as "The Centaur".

During the beginning of the poem the reader finds that the author is looking back at her childhood.  She is specifically reminiscing on when she used to ride her favorite horse.  The author then makes the transition from adulthood to childhood.  By making such a swift change in point of views the reader must take into consideration that the author most likely did this on purpose to relay the idea of just how important her childhood was to her.  By the end of the poem the author is reminded by the powerful presence of her mother.  The emotion of the author as a little girl is completely changed when she come in contact with her mother.  Her words and actions become more restricted, "Go tie your hair, said my mother, and Why is your mouth all green?"  From this quote the reader understands that the author had to completely change her point of view in the poem to correlate towards the treatment she received from her mother.

Swenson's use of imagery only adds another dimension to her vivid poem.  "My head and my neck were mine, yet they were shaped like a horse."  This quote represents Swenson's most unique imagery in that she expresses to the reader that she herself has become the horse or that the horse and her have become one.  The reader is left with the only one idea and that is the belief in just how connected the author is with her horse.  "I had cut me a long limber horse with a good thick knob for a head, and pealed him slick and clean."  Here the author is describing her creation of a wooden horse with the use of her brother's knife.  Yet the reader gets a sense that the author is also describing the outer appearance of her own horse through the creation of her wooden one.  Through her animated imagery Swenson truly captures the reader in a world where anything and everything can happen.

"The Centaur" accurately represents the passion that Swenson had for her horse through colorful imagery and a dynamic point of view.  Without these core literary techniques the poem would not have been able to richly define the thoughts and beliefs of May Swenson.

Poetry Essay #1

Within both poems the ancient beauty Helen is described in two very distinct ways.  In Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “To Helen”, Poe reveres Helen for her beauty and grace.  Poe however is alone in his love for Helen.  The author H.D. on the other hand finds a way to criticize Helen’s beauty in her poem “Helen”.  She immediately disregards her beauty and sees it as her downfall and as a source of her own hatred as well as Greece’s hatred.

Poe’s poem can be seen as a shallow apostrophe towards a woman whose beauty is regarded by Poe and Poe alone.  Rather than explaining to the reader that her beauty is renowned by great societies, Poe only mentions the singular love he has for Helen.  By discounting all other perspectives, the reader is left with only the petty beliefs of one man.  H.D.’s attitude toward Helen is quite different from that of Poe’s.  She mentions that Greece in its entirety, “All Greece hates/ All Greece reviles”, is engulfed with detestation towards Helen.  By referring to a whole society that loathes even at the name of Helen, H.D. gives the reader a deeper sense of her own hatred towards the woman.  H.D.’s abhorrence towards Helen is actually quite dynamic when compared to the static love of Poe.  She mentions Helen as a woman at the beginning of the poem yet as the work progresses so does the hate which ultimately leaves H.D. referring to Helen as a statue by the end of the poem.

Concerning the structure of both poems, each consist of three stanzas yet when deeper examination is made it is simple to see that each structure reflects the author’s attitude toward Helen in a different way.  Poe follows a strict pattern, the first stanza consists of the rhyming scheme ABABB, the second ABABA, and the third being ABBAB.  Each stanza also consists of five lines.  The poem’s structure as a whole once again imitates Poe’s unchanging love for Helen.  H.D. creates a very different structure in order to reproduce her own sense of Helen.  There is no immediate pattern that emerges and the length of the stanzas increase as the poem goes on.  This therefore indicates once again that H.D. wants to reader to feel not only troubled when reading about Helen but when reading the poem itself.

Although both poems share various formal structuring and a common title, the beliefs of both authors could not be any different.  The distinction in tone begs the question of how attraction of the opposite sex can truly blind the morals of those who have become seemingly sightless.  The sharp division in the structure of the two poems also conveys the distinct feelings of the authors.  It is with great confidence therefore that a reader can admit just how different these poems truly are.

GROUPTHINK

My group and I mainly focused on discussing our senior project.  We felt like this was the most important subject to review because we are intertwining the junior orientation with our project and knew that this had to be finished soon.  We were able to split up the work in a fair manner without anyone having too demanding of a workload.  Once we have completed the junior orientation I believe my group will then be able to move on to other necessary events coming up such as the AP exam.

GRIDLOCK #2

Vendler Grid

Meaning	Hughes I believe wanted his readers to understand that without dreams we as humans cease to exist.
Antecedent Scenario	I have a feeling that due to Hughes race he wanted people to understand that we are all human as long as we dream.
Structural Parts	The poem starts off with the sentence, "Hold fast to dreams."  Halfway through the poem, Hughes refers back to this message revealing just how much he wants to stress this idea.
Climax	There is no singular climax.  I feel as if the entire poem itself is a climax.
Other Parts	The greatest change in the poem develops from the authors use of imagery.  In the first part of the poem Hughes refers to life with no dream as a, "Broken-winged bird."  When the transition to the second part of the poem is made Hughes refers to life not filled with dreams as a, "Barren field frozen with snow."

Skeleton	The skeleton throughout the entire poem is actually very static.  There is no change in how the author or the reader reacts to the poem itself.
Content Genre- games	This poem is without a doubt a dream poem.  The author does not stray from his belief of just how truly important dreams are for a full and lasting life.
Tone	Hughes wanted his audience to feel as if there was something to strive for, something to live for.  He pronounced this message through his poem
Agency	I believe the agent is the reader and throughout the poem the agent does not change.
Roads Not Taken	Another author who had to experience great adversity probably could have written about a similar theme, however because Langston Hughes wrote this piece he was able to add his own personal touch.  Similar poems have probably been created yet Hughes adds a dimension specific to his own life and his own experiences.
Speech Acts	Langston Hughes throughout the poem is giving strictly advice to those that read the poem.
Outer and Inner Structural Forms	There are only two sentences in the entire poem and they both share a very common structure.  The poem is written in third person.  The agent is the reader.  The poem is written in the present tense.  There are two main images including that of an injured bird and a field that is completely frozen due to snow.
Imagination	Honestly I find that Hughes most memorable use of his imagination is through his imagery that he creates.  It has certainly left an imprint on my own mind and my own imagination.

GRIDLOCK #1

Dreams  by Langston Hughes
Hughes main points reflect his beliefs of holding on to dreams in any situation.
In the first sentence Hughes says to, "Hold fast to dreams."  By "fast" I believe the connotation Hughes intends to stress is the strength at which one should hold on to their dreams.
Hughes is passionate about dreams and his passion carries over to the reader.  With vivid imagery he is able to truly capture the reader.Honestly there is no shift in the poem.  It simply relays the same message throughout the entire work.Simply dream is what I believe Hughes wanted the reader to understand.

TPCASTT:  Poem Analysis Method:   title, paraphrase, connotation, diction,  attitude, tone, shift(s), title revisited and  theme
Title of poem means
Paraphrase parts of the Poem
Connotation of some of the words – changing literal meaning to implied or associated values
Attitude What is the attitude of the author, characters or yourself?
Shift At first we think or feel one way – then there is a shift:  identify the shifts and explain them
Title revisited Any new insights on meaning or significance of title?
Theme

SEVENTH READING

Dreams

Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.

-Langston Hughes

Macbeth Act 2

• Macbeth has a dream/vision of  dagger that points him toward room where Duncan is. The dagger turns bloody
• Macbeth says that he has killed Duncan
• Feels somewhat guilty, Lady Macbeth does not
• Lady Macbeth tries to cover up the murder
• Lennox said that some scary things occurred during the night
• Since Lady Macbeth got the guards drunk Lennox believes they have committed the murder
• Macbeth says he killed the guards for the sake of the king

Open Essay Questions for Life of Pi

1. Write an essay about a novel (Life of Pi) that reveals a sense of self identity through a momentous plot of hardships and obstacles.  Identify the self awareness, and explain its significance to the work as a whole. 
2. Frequently a work of literature will revolve around a major transformation in a character.  This transformation can often be taken as literal or figurative.  Choose a novel (Life of Pi) and write a well-organized essay in which you discuss the complexion of the transformation and its relationship to the character and the theme.
3. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the attitude of a character.  Choose a novel or play in which a character must battle with some aspect of the past.  Then write an essay in which you show how the character's relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work (Life of Pi) as a whole. 

Pre-write

Brave New World Essay (Draft)

                The novel Brave New World reveals through the main character of Bernard that the utopian society portrayed in the novel is not what it seems.  Through Bernard’s alienation from the rest of society the reader is given insight into a world that might become a reality sooner than we think.

                Bernard is constantly troubled by society’s belief of immediate satisfaction.  Most satisfaction in the novel is derived from the use of a hallucinogenic drug known as “Soma”.  For most as it seems the drug provides happiness, pleasure, and even relief from their lives that include no obvious hardships.  However without a second thought to what their lives could be without “Soma” they indulge in the artificial bliss, with the exception of Bernard.  When Bernard is first confronted by sexual relations with Lenina he is very hesitant to use “Soma”.  Yet after what seems like modern peer pressure he gives in and takes an extremely larger dose.  The next day Bernard admits to the fact that he is disappointed with taking the “Soma” and that therefore led him to speed up the relationship with Lenina, adhering once again to the idea of immediate satisfaction.

                When Bernard visits the Savage Reservation he is somewhat at ease and nearly feels at home even among a foreign setting.  Although quickly disgusted by Bernard’s attitude as Lenina is, the reader understands that Bernard knows how much different he is from the world he came from and how the world he has just entered could seem more welcoming.  Lenina serves as a counterexample to the idea of Bernard’s alienation from the rest of society.  She immediately begins to make crude comments about the Savages, disregarding the fact that they are just as human as she.  Lenina also represents a being who feels stronger within her own caste than as a separate individual.  This is where Lenina and Bernard/Savages greatly differ.  The intended utopian society makes individuals need the stability and comfort of a caste in order to prosper in the new world.  Bernard and the Savages obviously contradict this idea in that the Savages have no apparent social structure and Bernard, in part because of rumors and in part because of his own beliefs, seems to be always on a path to find his true self.

                Earlier in the novel the reader is introduced to the experience of an “Orgy Porgy”, an event that does the job to adequately summarize Bernard’s quest to fit in.  When Bernard attends the “Orgy Porgy” he finds himself lost among all of the sexual emotions.  He wants to believe that he feels the power of “Ford” rushing through him, yet instead he feels a great emptiness by the time the event is finished.  Moving to the near end of the novel after Bernard introduces John to his own world the reader finds that Bernard has made a grand effort to find his place among society, or so he thinks.  When comparing the time of the “Orgy Porgy” and the time after Bernard introduces John to the world, it merely seems like the time after the introduction is just an extended “Orgy Porgy”.  Bernard feels as if he is finally among the rest of society but in reality he is not.  Most people still talk badly about him behind is back and his new found fame is only due to his finding of John.  While the time after John seemed promising, in the end it was a cruel reminder that Bernard’s alienation was not ending anytime soon.

                Sadly Bernard is a character used to reveal the evils of a society that depends too much on the belief that every aspect of life can be controlled.  Bernard’s isolation is spawned by his disgust with immediate satisfaction, his acception of the Savages, and finally his quest to simply fit in.  Through Bernard’s struggles it is hoped that future societies might learn from this insightful yet looming path of a Brave New World.