masterpiece essay

Curious, Nervous and Confused

     I don't remember much about the first day of school, but I know the first few weeks were really chaotic. There was so much work, and not to mention this new "open source learning" thing that none of us had heard of before or experienced. And now we're all expected to adapt to it? Yeah, okay.
     But it happened. I now understand what this course is meant to show us. First of all, we were each made to have blogs and post regularly on them, and--get this--we could post whatever we wanted. Whatever I wanted. As students, we are nearly never given the freedom to do something like that for school, at least not until college. I feel that no one abused this freedom, but wholly took advantage of it when given the opportunity.
     One thing that was different from this course as opposed to other courses was the (somewhat) lack of literature. Whether that is good or bad is open to anyone's interpretation; it was an adjustment for me, still struggling with the concept of how to use a blog. My favorite book this year would have to be Great Expectations. While it didn't necessarily have a cookie-cutter happy ending, I felt satisfied with the resolution. Pip had overcome obstacles and was comfortable with himself and his decisions at the end of it all, which is basically how I feel about the course now. Brave New World, while I strongly disliked it, made some good points that can't be ignored. I believe that what Huxley did was over-exaggerate some of society's characteristics in order to create an unpleasant future image. While this book may not have helped me develop through this course, it has allowed me to see what the future could be and motivated me to stop that from happening. When we had to write about an essay about Beowulf , I chose to write mine from a feminist point of view. It forced me to see Beowulf in a different light and, as a result, I could not say that he was a hero. This has made me more open minded because no matter what one believes, there is always another side.
     For the longest time, I would tell people that English was my favorite subject. But the more I've thought about it, the only things I'm good at are grammar and creative writing. The more I thought about how I hated writing essays about books, the more I realized that English had never been my favorite subject. It was history. I've always loved history, and always just thought I loved English. When it came time to think about a Masterpiece topic, I struggled, but then decided to do it based on something that I loved and was passionate about. I missed having to take a history class this year, and being able to go to a super cool museum for English made up for it. While I would love to be a museum curator, I'm just not sure if it's the career path for me, and I don't know where I'll go from here, but it definitely remains an interest.
     I wouldn't say that there was something about the course that made me laugh out loud, but sitting next to Anaya generated some pretty good laughs, and I'll remember that.
      Every presentation was unique and engaging in its own way. One thing that stood out to me was the level of passion that everyone had. We all chose something that we loved because it made us feel a certain way, or because we'd been working on  it for a long time. Some people's Masterpieces started a few years ago, and they didn't even know it then. Everyone did a great job of communicating why they felt their topic is important and meaningful, and they all are.
     Did I complete the hero's journey? I guess. I mean, I completed the course, and I feel like I got a lot out of it I responded to the "call of adventure", but not so much that I was completely out of my comfort zone, as far as using technology and my blog. I'm happy that I took this course because it was a really different experience. I do feel like I've learned more about myself and grown, and I'm looking forward to bigger and better things.

today's journal topic

Macbeth won't be king, his wife will most likely control him when he's on the throne just like she does when he's off. He'll probably be known as a tyrant because she'll be having him behead people left and right. Shakespeare shows, again, how impressionable Macbeth is, when the three witches are making some stew thing and conjuring apparitions. One of them basically tells Macbeth that he shouldn't fear any mortal man, so Macbeth gets all this bravado and is like, "So I don't need to be afraid of anyone? Sweet." and he says that he'll spare Macduff. I could see that backfiring.

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should have put this up earlier... oops
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what about my masterpiece?

I haven't done any work on my masterpiece this week. I have thought a lot about it, though. I'm going to be going to the Getty Museum on (hopefully) April 25th. Anyone who wants to go can contact me at lillieedmondson17@gmail.com for more information. I think I have a really cool idea for how I want to present my masterpiece (no technology involved, which means less headaches for me). Yes, Shakespeare had all the time in the world to write, and we only have so much time to work on our masterpieces. But it was his job to write, and ours right now is to go to school and have lives.

love is blind

For those of you that haven't seen the movie Chicken Run, Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy are two of the main characters and they have striking similarities to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth (in personalities). Mr. Tweedy is afraid of Mrs. Tweedy and therefore does whatever she wants him to, not out of love, but out of fear. So does Macbeth. He views her as a superior, in a way, and the audience views her as a parasite that the world would be much better without. The audience can't comprehend why Macbeth would listen to her, and I don't think he does because "love is blind"; I think he might think he loves her, but in reality he's just scared shitless. Much like Mr. Tweedy.

meet macbeth

Macbeth is introduced indirectly by what others say about him when he is not in the room. They talk of what they have seen him do when he is in battle, which is why the opening feeling about him is that he has a heroic demeanor. Macbeth is easily deceived, and readily believes what the witches say to him. I don't know what direct characterization there is. I don't think that, yet, anyone has called him names or anything.

The witches sort of predict things that might happen. In putting ideas into Macbeth's mind, he probably makes things happen, whereas if the witches hadn't suggested anything, they wouldn't. They say something good will happen, it might. They say something bad will happen, it might. It depends on how Macbeth reacts to what they've said, but what they've said is what provides the foreshadowing.

He sets the play in the most prominent place where the play takes place. He says that there is bad weather, which is foreshadowing. The characters he introduces are usually smaller characters, talking about what's happened in the past. That gives the reader to know about the main characters and who they are, and then the smaller characters give a little bit about current events. Basically, Shakespeare brings the audience up to date about past and present events, but doesn't go into what will happen.

my macbeth resources

(I have no idea how to copy stuff as a link. I'm not technologically gifted.)

This is a link to the Wikipedia page about Elizabethan England. Not only is it super interesting, but it could provide some helpful background to what Macbeth pulls from.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabethan_era

This is also a link to a Wikipedia page, this one about James I. Preston was talking about him in class and how the play takes a lot from the king's life, so I thought this might be good to read about. (Also, for anyone else who's a history buff, James I is the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, who was the cousin of Elizabeth I, daughter of the infamous Henry VIII. You know, the one with six wives? Just fyi)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_VI_and_I

This site calls itself a "Macbeth study guide." Just good for clearing any confusion up.

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/macbethresources.html

Schmoop

http://www.shmoop.com/macbeth/

poetry essay (i felt a funeral, in my brain)

Prompt: Write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how the poem's organization, diction, and figurative language prepare the reader for the speaker's concluding response.

This prompt fits the poem I chose because the poem is organized in the order of a funeral and the whole poem is figurative.

"And then a Plank in Reason, broke,

And I dropped down, and down -

And hit a World, at every plunge,

And Finished knowing - then -"

Prewrite: dickinson's poem revolves around an imaginary funeral. the entire thing is figurative. it explains the feelings of the author as she feels that she's losing her sanity. Diction--the way she capitalizes words like Sense, used to mean "rational" and talks about capitalized words like they are names of something, almost like people

     Dickinson writes the poem in the order of a funeral, using figurative language to allow the reader to see the events as they unfold. Certain words are chosen, aware that they will have an effect on how the reader perceives the poem--in this case, that the poem will not have a happy ending. While the last stanza is very abrupt, sounding almost unfinished, it is not wholly unexpected.
     A funeral inside the mind of the author that involves Dickinson's sanity is the setting of the poem. "I felt a funeral, in my Brain" is the title of the poem, as well as the first line. This, right away, affects the mood of the poem. The use of figurative language is evident throughout the work, as the entire poem is figurative. The author says that "then a Plank in Reason, broke" and the reader then knows that she has, in her own opinion, lost her sanity. There are Mourners treading. Dickinson chooses this word perhaps because it sounds like "dreading", a word used when unhappy events are about to unfold. The last stanza is not the typical ending to a funeral, and there was nothing Dickinson did to prepare the reader for this. However, given the earlier content, it makes sense to the reader, and it can be inferred that the author has lost her sanity.
     Dickinson's uses of organization, diction and figurative language are, as usual, constructed to form something rather ambiguous. Her poetry, though intriguing, does require an analysis to gain its full meaning. In the case of "I felt a funeral, in my Brain" the author's use of literary techniques is central to understanding what is being said. 

Tobermory Explained

Everyone in the story is really shallow. The entire piece has a sort of irony, because they make a big deal out of something that's not that important (the cat knowing about their private affairs) and they make light out of something serious (the last line).  The last line means that if he was trying to teach "the poor beast" German irregular verbs (German is considered a harsh language, irregular verbs in any language are a pain in the ass) then he deserved the death that the elephant inflicted on him.

TPCASST analysis poetry thing

I chose Out, Out

Title means: When I think of the title with the content, I think of the boy wanting the pain to get out of his hand. People don't always think rationally when they're in a lot of pain. Or, it could be that he wants the pain to get out, or that the life is coming out of him.
Paraphrasing:
Connotation: Doctor--someone who could provide hope, fixing a situation where someone is sick/injured and helping them get better.
Attitude: The attitude of the author is very.. not there. he doesn't care, just like the rest of the other characters don't care. the author is not emotionally involved, e is simply an unconcerned spectator. And the attitude of the kid who cuts his hand off is almost the same. He just doesn't want his hand cut off, but he gives a "rueful laugh" when he first cuts it.
Shift: At first it's a peaceful setting with a violent buzzsaw. The kid just wants to stop working, but he doesn't see concerned about something happening before he gets to quit. Then, when he cuts his hand, it shocks the reader, especially when the other characters just go about their business after he dies.
Title Revisited: Unfortunately, I haven't been enlightened.
Theme: Life goes on when we die

Chapter 4 analysis

So what we regard as morals today are the complete opposite of what they believe in. I think it must be a very lonely life if you don't have someone to spend it with, and just have sex with everyone. I noticed that the word "pneumatic" is used a lot, and this is what it means: containing or operated by air or gas under pressure; of or relating to the spirit. I don't know which one is being used when describing people, as it can be used to say that someone is "air-headed". And it's also used to describe a sofa.  It seems like Bernard's inferiority complex somehow relates to his having more morals than anyone else, as does Helmholtz's. There are "stereotypes" ? for each class, meaning that Alphas should be bigger and everyone is smaller as the social class gets lower. Because Bernard is small, some people automatically assume he isn't in the class that he is. This could be connected to today, where stereotypes are (but are becoming less) prevalent within our society.

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Analysis of chapers 2 & 3 brave new world

chapter 2
There is a lot of brainwashing (the "whispering" under the pillows). Children are tested like animals, using shocks to teach them to hate nature. For some reason, the students are embarrassed about how people used to be parents. There is a shame in being a parent, and staying with someone for life, but not being promiscuous. It's the complete opposite of the world we live in today. There is, in our culture, an increase among women that we should be able to be just as sexually...free? as men are, without being criticized for it. I can see how that's something that might happen in the future, no shame for anyone where sex is concerned.

chapter 3
Children are encouraged to play "sexual games" to prepare them for when they're older. I think it's also a way to find out if any of them are gay, and then "fix" them. Contraceptives are a big deal, because if you keep women from having babies, you keep motherhood away. After all, that's something to be ashamed of.. so is seeing just one man for four months. I don't know what a Resident Controller is, but I'm guessing he's a dictator type person wo=ho makes sure that all of the brainwashing, etc. keeps going. That part in the chapter when the writing was one sentence at a time from like three or four different scenes was really aggravating to me, and it was written like that to display a kind of feeling of chaos, but I found it super difficult to read. Also, there is a type of racism, obviously, towards the Gammas and the Epilsons or whatever they're called.  and being sunburned is attractive, for some reason

Lit terms #6

simile: a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid
soliloquy: an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play.
spiritual: of, relating to, or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.
speaker: a person who speaks
stereotype: a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
stream of consciousness: a person's thoughts and conscious reactions to events, perceived as a continuous flow
structure: the relationship or organization of the component parts of a work of art or literature

style: the ways that the author uses words
subordination: The use of expressions that make one element of a sentence dependent on another

surrealism: a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind

suspension of disbelief: That willing suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith

symbol: a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

synesthesia: the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body.

synecdoche: a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa,.

syntax: the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

theme: the subject of a talk, a piece of writing, a person's thoughts, or an exhibition; a topic.
thesis: a statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved.

tone: the author's attitude toward the reader, subject, and self
tongue in cheek: without really meaning what one is saying or writing.
tragedy: A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness

understatement: describe or represent (something) as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.

vernacular: the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.

voice: The writer's voice is the individual writing style of an author, a combination of their common usage of syntax, diction, punctuation, character development, dialogue, etc., within a given body of text (or across several works

zeitgeist: the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.

Lit terms #3

exposition  the insertion of important background information within a story
expressionism an artistic and literary movement originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century, which sought to express emotions rather than to represent external reality
fable 

a short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral.

fallacy 

a mistaken belief, especially one based on unsound argument.

falling action the part of a literary plot that occurs after the climax has been reached and the conflict has been resolved
farce a light, humorous play in which the plot depends upon a skillfully exploited situation rather than upon the development of character
figurative language Figurative language is language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation
flashback 

a scene in a movie, novel, etc., set in a time earlier than the main story.

foil character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character.
folk tale a story originating in popular culture, typically passed on by word of mouth.

foreshadowing 

be a warning or indication of (a future event).

free verse poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter.

genre 

a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter.

gothic tale a genre or mode of literature that combines fiction, horror and Romanticism
hyperbole 

exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

imagery 

visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

implication 

the conclusion that can be drawn from something, although it is not explicitly stated.

incongruity 

the state of being incongruous or out of keeping.

inference 

a conclusion reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning.

irony the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

Literary terms/remix

Circumlocution: 

the use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive.

Classicism: force which is often present in post-medieval European and European influenced traditions

Cliche: a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.

Climax: turning point of a narrative work, point of highest tension or drama

Colloquialism: a word or phrase that is not formal or literary, typically one used in ordinary or familiar conversation.

Comedy: discourse or work generally intended to be humorous

Conflict:  inherent incompatibility between the objectives of two or more characters or forces

Connotation: emotional or cultural association with a word rather than its dictionary definition.

Contrast: differences between two or more entities

Denotation: the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests.

Denouement: the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained or resolved.

Dialect: a particular form of a language that is peculiar to a specific region or social group.

Dialectics: the art of investigating or discussing the truth of opinions.

Dichotomy: a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.

Diction: the choice and use of words and phrases in speech or writing.

Didactic: intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive.

Dogmatic: inclined to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.

Elegy: a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.

Epic: a long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the history of a nation.

Epigram: a pithy saying or remark expressing an idea in a clever and amusing way.