Masterpiece Academy Question

                                                                                                                                                   Kestler 1

Haley Kestler

Dr. Preston

AP English Literature and Composition

9 June 2015

                                     Masterpiece Academy Question

Having been assigned to read Montaigne's Essays, all 1,000 pages, over summer along with
other literary works literally scared the crap out of me. I was not challenged very much in my prior
English course so you can imagine my fear of not being able to handle all of the assignments Dr.
Preston would require. I'm sitting here now laughing at my early senior year self because I had
absolutely no idea what kind of class I was actually enrolled in. In the school year's inception, I
believe that we did earn the great deal of choice that we were dealt because everyone's summer
homework was quality work. However, as the weeks went on we failed to honor this privilege that was given to us because other AP courses became more rigorous and everyone caught a bad case of
senioritis. Eventually we learned that we could get away with completing assignments in any medium and opted for those that required less effort. By the time it was second semester, I personally feel as if we didn't deserve the privilege anymore but Dr. Preston was incredibly generous and understanding of everyone's spiraling stress and ascending anxiety. I'm not saying that every assignment was poorly executed, but we definitely slacked off at times.

       A few months in to the school year, Dr. Preston began describing this huge passion project, known as a Masterpiece, that was expected of us at the end of the school year. When he explained what it was, he was extremely vague and all I could really interpret was that we would present it to the class right before we graduated and it had to involve something that we loved. Having a type A personality and never being exposed to Open Source Learning before, I was a little frustrated that there was no structure for the Masterpiece project because I had no idea what was expected or even where to begin.
                                         
                                                                                   Kestler 2

        It was a bit difficult trying to think of something I cared enough about to do an entire project on, but then it hit me. I have always enjoyed interior design (I've been addicted to HGTV since junior high) but have never really pursued my passion as much as I wanted to. My father was an architect and I practically grew up in his office, so his career highly influenced my passion. My original Masterpiece agenda didn't work out, so I switched it up and educated the class on the importance of comfy dorm room design along with a few inexpensive hacks to truly live the college experience.  I was admitted to San Diego State University as an undergraduate in their Interior Design program, but have been encouraged by my parents to pursue a career in Business Administration as it is more economical and sensible. I actually enjoyed studying Microeconomics, but I hope to incorporate interior design somehow in my future and without this course, I would have never considered it. The Masterpiece Academy was a very unique and enlightening experience as I was able to see in to the futures of my class mates. It was exciting to watch them present with passion because you knew they didn't see it as just a project that needed to be completed by the dead line. One thing I did notice that was shocking in the best way possible was that it appeared as if a lot of people genuinely wanted to help others. For instance, Megan seemed so determined to write nothing but the truth when she pursued a career in journalism, Val wanted to be able to teach children about the history of our country in the most exciting way possible, Connor knew exactly what his customers wanted and was willing to produce the clothing necessary to satisfy them, Chrystal and Tia wanted to reveal both sides when it comes to our personal education system, and I just want to create spaces for people to enjoy and make coming home a little bit sweeter. We were given complete freedom with this assignment and I was astonished at the amount of work carried out that benefited others besides the Masterpiecer. Others were centered around personal interests or even comedy, which was clearly displayed in Lukas and Eric's Masterpiece. Their video actually made me laugh out loud because of my ability to relate, it was a pretty great moment and feeling knowing that I wasn't the only awkward person on this planet.

I am aware that for MLA format, everything needs to be double spaced along with my last name and the page number at the top right-hand corner of every page, but my computer is acting up and won't allow that :) Also, I cannot fix the format of the first paragraph for some reason.

Masterpiecin' the Puzzle Together

Prezi: https://prezi.com/8ex9i8komeas/edit/#8_13415665

Houzz Ideabook: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/48171983/thumbs/college-dorms

Pinterest Dorms: https://www.pinterest.com/kaybear20/dorms/

Pinterest Dorm DIYs: https://www.pinterest.com/kaybear20/dorm-diys/

Macbeth Notes #1

-The "great chain of being" influences everyone's actions in plays, right and wrong, etc.

-"fair is foul and foul is fair" many people think that this is the theme of Macbeth (example of chiasmus, paradox, contrast, etc) and this quote was spoken by witches who were actual things and taken seriously back then 

-produced and published in 1606 and two years prior any for of witch craft was a criminal offense

-the devil was very real during this time and taken very seriously 

-witches serve as indirect characterization of Macbeth and considered evil in this play and drives himself crazy because of his reflection on his actions and such and condemned by others as well

- at the inception of the play, Macbeth is described with gore as he tears through the battlefield and those who stood in his way

-the evil character in this play is lady Macbeth because she manipulates Macbeth without remorse whereas Macbeth at least feels bad about his actions 

- Banquo is jealous about Macbeth receiving his prophecy without anything for Banquo

- "come what come may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day."

"Young Goodman Brown" Essay

The world we live in allows no time for us to waste on useless matters that are irrelevant to our lifestyles. Humans have a strong tendency to participate in activities they think will provide them with a great future or those that are purely entertaining. Humans are also a nosy species; curiosity seems to influence an abundance of their decisions. However, this curiosity is selective as people don't exert their valuable time and effort on frivolous matters. The objects or ideas that one is eager to learn about can expose their raw character, even the parts they buried. Goodman Brown does a fabulous job at illustrating just how much his inquiries revealed more about him than the answers he was searching for.

In the inception, Young Goodman Brown wanted to believe in the goodness of the people surrounding him because he thought he knew their authentic personality. He grew up with everyone he would eventually find in the forest and was not expecting to confront them at the devil's playground. For instance, he believed that the minister, Goody Cloyse and Deacon Gookin held impenetrable religious values before the devil revealed that Goody Cloyse was in fact a witch and Deacon Gookin was a follower of his.  This devil that he encountered also informed Young Goodman Brown that he knew both his grandfather and father, which shocked Goodman Brown beyond belief. As if the name of his wife, Faith, didn't explicate her nature and purity enough, Goodman Brown still questioned her righteousness once the old man explained the details of the ceremony. Even a lifetime spent with his loved ones wasn't enough for Goodman Brown to disregard one possible fictitious night.

Young Goodman Brown was forever changed after he fell asleep that night in the forest. Of course he wasn't entirely sure if it was all just a dream or the sick, twisted reality of his little Salem village, but that didn't matter to him. He still pretended to believe in the decency of his fellow villagers but continued to debate their morality.This constant internal dispute of which character he saw as he looked into the eyes of those he recognized that one night destroyed him. People started to slowly gravitate away from him and wonder what had changed. Goodman Brown could have easily forgotten his sightings that contradicted his entire life, but he continued to let his curiosity get the best of him. His intense inquisitiveness exposed what he was actually concerned about. The devil had so much of an impact on Young Goodman Brown, that he allowed him to virtually control the rest of his life. Goodman Brown was obsessed with judging those specific people in his village that he lost the man he was before the dreaded illusion. Clearly, his religion and ideals were easily corruptible if one night with the devil was able to completely transform Goodman Brown from the man he was previously. All of this questioning disclosed Goodman Brown's top priorities that contravened his portrayal of a man he wanted everyone to believe in.

Bells for John Whiteside's Daughter (John Crowe Ransom)

Prompt: In a brief essay, identify at least two of the implications implicit in the society reflected in the poem. Support your statements by specific references to the poem.



Death takes place on a daily basis and is one of the few inevitable occurrences for humans, yet it is still difficult to comprehend and handle. It forces us to realize the most blatant characteristics about humanity that we never actually think about.

Life is a precious thing that we take for granted everyday because of our sense of entitlement. Of course we all have our own lives to build and live, but there are so many diversions that can unexpectedly alter or even cease our path along the way. The first four stanzas of this poem describe the little girl and how her energetic actions amused all who observed her. The cheerful diction allows the reader to understand that those who watched her play outdoors were thoroughly entertained and filled with joy when she would wake the geese. These animated stanzas were juxtaposed with the last stanza of this poem detailing everyone's anguish as the little girl was "primly propped". Ransom describes this little girl as having a superfluous amount of energy through the lines, "There was such speed in her little body,..." and "For the tireless heart within the little Lady..." suggesting that she would be the least likely to be permanently laid to rest. She took part in various juvenile activities such as "...she took arms against her shadow..." and "The lazy geese... Tricking and stopping, sleepy and proud...For the tireless heart within the little Lady with rod that made them rise..." that an occurrence associated with seniority seemed entirely impossible. The society in which the little girl belonged to didn't know how to manage the death of a beloved youthful child as they never thought twice about how fragile life is. They took that for granted everyday and failed to realize that they were all only mortals, destined to the same fate.

This society appeared to have the same relationships that family members share. Even though the author didn't know the little girl personally or on a first name basis, since she was described as "John Whiteside's Daughter" in the title and "little Lady" in the poem, the reader could still feel his sorrow as the bells rang. This society was so captivated and accustomed to the numerous children enjoying their adolescence and the orchards blooming with animals roaming freely that they had forgotten to appreciate it. They failed to remember that no one is granted immortality, especially with the death of the little girl, but what hit them the hardest was that they couldn't escape death either.

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I felt a funeral in my brain: TPCASTT Analysis

TITLE: This poem actually lacks a title, like all of Emily Dickinson's poems. Readers refer to the first line of this poem when giving it a name. The funeral that Dickinson seems to be discussing is her "death"; she is losing herself.
PARAPHRASE: This poem describes Dickinson's downfall. She can feel her initial plunge into darkness and outlines how the "mourners" bring her down past return.
CONNOTATION: As detailed previously, Dickinson refers to the "funeral" as the death of her character. She associates herself with "some strange Race" meaning that she has alienated herself from the rest of society. She talks about the "Plank in Reason" that broke and she fell to her demise; when I think of planks, I think of old wooden boards that aren't very sturdy and are the bridge to one's end once jumped off of.
ATTITUDE: It initially appeared to me that the author was pitying herself and then began losing her mind more and more as the poem continued. The character appeared a bit confused and helpless throughout the transition while as the reader, I was become more and more afraid about what was going to unveil.
SHIFT: A shift occurs during the line that states, "And then I heard them lift a Box..." as before this line, things continued to intensify and this line provided a shift towards her ultimate downfall.
TITLE REVISITED: I now think that the title is referring to the funeral of her sanity. Things in her mind keep escalating beyond her control until she "...Finished knowing..." and the Mourners finished invading her brain.
THEME: The theme of this poem is that your inner demons will consume you if you allow them to. She gave the Mourners the power to tread through her brain, which ultimately caused her downward spiral into insanity.

TOBERMORY EXPLAINED

TONE: The last line of this short story seemed very sarcastic to me, but obviously Clovis felt that it was the truth on some levels. It appeared a very odd way to end the story as everything else was incredibly serious, but this line had a taste of humor. It made me realize how funny it was that I had taken a short story about a cat that spoke bluntly so seriously and it reminded me of the way I should have been feeling during my read.

THEME: In some situations, ignorance is not always bliss. If Appin would have learned the first time that his experiment had essentially failed, he would not have attempted to correct his errors and try again. Eliciting the English language from a cat's mouth was considered a success to him, but he failed to see the big picture. Animals do not have emotions or any cognitive sense like humans do, thus eliminating any type of filter when speaking. The harsh realities exposed through Tobermony's words were too much for the people of his time to handle, thus making his removal necessary. They were satisfied with the discovery of the cat's corpse and did not think twice about empathizing with Appin's later dilemma with the elephant. His failure to recognize his social surroundings resulted in the last line of this short story. He ignored everything that had nothing to do with his attempts at finding another pupil, ultimately causing a death seemingly deserving and accepted by society. 

SEEKING MENTOR

When selecting a mentor, I have a lot of questions because it could be a potential lifetime friendship. I would ask them what kind of connections they had and the amount of experience they had in their area of expertise. It would also be important if they were successful, but have a great personality as well. I would want someone who is caring and invested in my professional growth, but able to give me criticism or a pat on the back when the time comes. I want them to be able to tell me the truth and share a similar value system in both leadership and management. It would be great if they were in the same business area as well as creative, honest, empathetic, and authentic. Business people are very intimidating to me, so approaching one and asking this type of favor and these types of questions kind of scares me. 

Brave New World Essay

Everybody likes to blame society for the cruelness in the world, but the harsh reality is that we are society. Without our opinions and biases, there would be no standard of perfection. The sad part is that all of us crave, on some level, to be accepted by the society we have all created and deeply resent. What's even worse is that people will go to any extent to receive this admission of the societal elites. Brave New World is centered around society and the fact that it is easier to be a part of society and sacrifice your individuality in the pursuit of social acceptance, instead of being labeled as an outcast. Aldous Huxley was very successful in demonstrating this through Bernard Marx's outward conformity while questioning himself inwardly, in order to maintain some of his original characteristics that made him who he was. 

In order to be an outcast, one must first identify the social perfections they should be striving for. The World State has attempted to take the human out of all their citizens, especially their emotions. Bernard Marx actually represented everything that they tried to remove when creating the humans, as seen through his relationship with Lenina as well as his encounters with jealousy and lovesickness. Even though he is an alpha plus, he does not act like one because he was essentially a mistake. As a result of his smaller frame, he is extremely shy and suffers from the fact that he is seen as less than ideal by society simply because of his height. He lacks self-esteem because he cannot get women as easy as the other alphas and their mockery of his failures make him feel like a complete outsider. Bernard was granted a gift through his status as an alpha plus, but his lack of height compared to those with an identical status, paved a path full of obstacles for him. He accepted the fact that he was not created the same as the other alphas, but always seemed to question why. As a result of his individuality, jokes were generated about him and he was socially exiled, making life much more difficult for him.

Fortunately for Bernard, everything changed for him after he visited the Reservation and discovered John. After this, he took advantage of his newly attained status to indulge in the activities previously impossible for him. He publicly criticized things such as sex, but craved them personally, which is apparent after his new found fame. It was easier for him to despise such activities because they were unachievable to him and this view was expected of him because of his outsider status, but he longed for them inwardly. He essentially wanted to be the very thing that he criticized. Hemoltz and John pity him because they know that Bernard is trapped in a body inadequate for their society but reject giving him respect as he refuses to recognize his own errors. It is just more simple for Bernard to go along with the new and perfect lifestyle he now lives than to question his participation in the very activities he once castigated. He plainly exhibits that he is in fact a hypocrite by maintaining his harsh critiques of the World State while being an active participant in its optimal society. Once Bernard was finally accepted by others, his life simplified as he became one of them. His days of being an outsider disappeared, along with his unique identity, but his judgments remained.

Bernard's exclusive position allowed him to both criticize and acknowledge the blemishes of the World State's supposed perfect complexion. He was able to learn that human emotions only allotted space for tragedy in the world he was living in, which is why they tried to suppress them and Bernard was dealt a difficult life because he was able to access them. Growing up as an outcast only made the elitists appear more despicable to Bernard, but when granted an invitation to their lavish lifestyle, he did not refuse because it was the clearest thing to do. While living in their own world, Bernard was able to maintain his negative thoughts about them while engaging in their activities because his originality separated him from the majority and he was not going to risk exile again. Even though Bernard was able to conform to the society he was living in, he still questioned his actions because it was simpler for him to be a part of their world than embrace his individuality if he wished to be granted social acceptance. 

Huxley Interview Essay

According to Aldous Huxley, we are indeed living in the Brave New World. The standard of living in third world countries has slowly been increasing thanks to technological advances, which is causing overpopulation. In Brave New World, they were able to synthetically create 96 humans where only one would have been biologically produced in nature, suggesting a high chance for overpopulation to take place. Another result of technological advances includes "overorganization", which is quite apparent and essential to this book that we are reading. Humans are able to be more efficient in every aspect of their lives because everything is assigned and organized so specifically. We have developed the television, which is as neurologically engaging as staring at a blank wall, and it distracts people too much, according to Huxley.. This could be suggesting that they are distracted from thinking outside of the box since all of the information is given to them without any effort on their part, much like the setting in Huxley's book. Aldous Huxley proclaims that technological devices are our enemies because of all the negative by-products associated with their consumption. He also stated that modern technology is misused since previous technology was neutral and could be used variably. All of these statements voiced by Huxley in his interview strongly suggest that we are in fact, living in the Brave New World as all of these real-life occurrences mirror what happens in his novel.

Today's Lecture

-Utopia didn't originally mean a perfect society but was supposed to connotate that perfection doesn't actually exist (supposed to associate with perfection in a good way because of dystopia)

-Dystopia wasn't coined until 350 years later by John Stewart Mill to contrast with utopia and be an imaginary bad place

-BOTH ARE IMAGINARY

-reification: every culture has it and is used to make an abstract idea something concrete 

- what does it mean for a human to mature?

- Huxley creates social classes so that possibly they know their place in this utopian society to promote order 

- Henry Ford invented assembly line, which is what they use in the factories and thus highly respect him and his philosophies  and don't tell them American history before him

Lit terms: list 6

I1. Simile: a figure of speech comparing two essentially unlike things through the use of a specific word of comparison

2. Soliloquy: an extended speech, usually in drama, delivered by a character alone on stage

3. Spiritual: a folk song, usually on a religious theme

4. Speaker: a narrator, the one speaking

5. Stereotype: cliche, a simplified, standardized conception with a special meaning and appeal for members of a group; a formula story

6. Stream of consciousness: the style of writing that attempts to imitate the natural flow of a character's thoughts, feelings, reflections, memories, and mental images as the character experiences them

7. Structure: the planned framework of a literary selection; its apparent organization

8. Style: the manner of putting thoughts into words; a characteristic way of writing or speaking

9. Subordination: the couching of less important ideas in less important structures of language

10. Surrealism: style in literature and painting that stresses the subconscious or irrational aspects of man's existence characterized by the juxtaposition of the bizarre 

11. Suspension of disbelief: suspend not believing in order to enjoy it

12. Symbol: something which stands for something else, yet has its own meaning

13. Synesthesia: the use of one sense to convey the experience of another sense

14. Synecdoche: another form of name changing where a part stands for the whole

15. Syntax: the arrangement and grammatical relations of words in a sentence 

16. Theme: main idea of the story; its message

17. Thesis: proposition for consideration, especially one to be discussed or (dis)proved; the main idea 

18. Tone: devices used to create the mood and atmosphere of a literary work; the author's perceived point of view

19. Tongue in cheek: type of humor where the speaker feigns seriousness; aka "dry"

20. Tragedy: in literature: any composition with a somber theme carried to a disastrous conclusion; a fatal event; protagonist usually is heroic but tragically flawed 

21. Understatement: the opposite of hyperbole; saying less than what you mean for emphasis 

22. Vernacular: everyday speech

23. Voice: textual features, such as diction and sentence structures, that convey a writer's or speaker's persona

24. Zeitgeist: the feeling of a particular era in history

Passionate Learning & the Future

Learning and the future are directly related. We all have the ability to shape the future, but those who are wise are usually in charge of this. People who look to the future tend to be the most practical ones and the ones who are most concerned about it. The love of learning can inspire one's vision of the future by helping them see what they want in the world. Passion is a very strong thing and once it is set free, there is no stopping it. 

Everyone has a different perception of the future and they are all molded by what they have received from life so far. Optimists tend to have a bright vision of the future while those who don't enjoy life as much tend to think negatively of it. When you love something, you are completely passionate about it. This world would be such a different place if everyone was determined to love learning. The great part is that everyone could love learning about something different since we all have varied interests and this would improve the entire process as there would be experts in every category. Interest, passion, and love are all very powerful and when they are geared towards learning, the unthinkable can happen. People will take their passion as far as it will let them and let their minds explore the creative side to what they are studying. Once people are knowledgeable, they start to put their own spin on things and thus create the future. Their love of learning can inspire innovative ways of thinking and once they start applying their visions to reality, magic happens. The love of learning can inspire such a bright and positive vision of the future. This rarely happens, however, because everyone is expected to learn the same thing at identical paces without room to explore what they are truly passionate about and let their love for it blossom. 

Side note: sorry for the lack of content, I just felt as if I was repeating myself throughout the entire thing and felt it was time to stop. 

Lit terms list 5

1. Parallelism: the principle in sentence structure that states elements of equal function should have equal form

2. Parody: an imitation of mimicking of a composition or the style of a well-known artist

3. Pathos: the ability in literature to call forth feelings of pity, compassion, and/or sadness

4. Pedantry: a display of learning for its own sake

5. Personification: a figure of speech attributing human qualities to inanimate objects objects or abstract ideas

6. Plot: a plan or scheme to accomplish a purpose 

7. Poignant: eliciting sorrow or sentiment

8. Point of view: the attitude or sentiment oral or written argumentation; in description, the physical point from which the observer views what he is describing

9. Postmodernism: literature characterized by experimentation, irony, nontrafitional forms, multiple meanings, playfulness, and a blurred boundary between real and imaginary 

10. Prose: the ordinary form of spoken and written language; language that does not have a regular rhyme pattern

11. Protagonist: the central character in a work of fiction; opposes the antagonist

12. Pun: play on words, the humorous use of a word emphasizing different meanings or applications

13. Purpose: the intended result wished by an author

14. Realism: writing about the ordinary aspects of life in a straightforward manner to reflect life as it actually is

15. Refrain: a phrase or verse recurring at intervals in a poem or song; chorus

16. Requiem: any chant, dirge, hymn, or musical service for the dead

17. Resolution: point in literary work where the chief dramatic complication is resolved (denoument) 

18. Restatement: idea treated for emphasis

19. Rhetoric: use language in order to persuade

20. Rhetorical question: question suggesting its own answer or not requiring an answer; used in argument or persuasion 

21. Rising action: plot build up, caused by conflict; advancement towards climax

22. Romanticism: movement in western culture beginning in the 18th century and peaking in the 19th century as revolt against Classicism; imagination was valued over reason and fact

23. Satire: ridicules the weakness/wrong doings of individuals, groups, or humanity in general

24. Scansion: analysis of verse in terms of meter 

25. Setting: time and place in which events in a short story, novel, play, or narrative poem occur

Lit Terms #4

1. interior monologue: a form of writing which represents the inner thoughts of a character; the recording of the internal, emotional experience(s) of an individual; generally the reader is given the impression of overhearing the interior monologue.

2. inversion: words out of order for emphasis
3. juxtaposition: the intentional placement of a word, phrase, sentences of a paragraph to contrast with another nearby
4. lyric: a poem having musical form and quality; a short outburst of the author's innermost thoughts and feelings
5. magic(al) realism: a genre developed in Latin America which juxtaposes the everyday with the marvelous or magical
6. metaphor: an analogy that compares two different things imaginatively
- extended: a metaphor that is as extended or developed as far as the writer wants to take it
- controlling: a metaphor that runs throughout the piece of work
- mixed: a metaphor that ineffectively blends two or more analogies
7. metonymy: literally "name changing" a device of figurative language in which the name of an attribute or associated thing is substituted for the usual name of a thing
8. mode of discourse: argument (persuasion), narration, description, and exposition
9. modernism: literary movement characterized by stylistic experimentation, rejection of tradition, interest in symbolism and psychology
10. monologue: an extended speech by a character in a play, short story, novel, or narrative poem
11. mood: the predominating atmosphere evoked by a literary piece
12. motif: a recurring feature (name, image, or phrase) in a piece of literature
13. myth: a story, often about immortals, and sometimes connected with religious rituals, that attempts to give meaning to the mysteries of the world
14. narrative: a story or description of events
15. narrator: one who narrates, or tells, a story
16. naturalism: extreme form of realism
17. novellete/novella: short story; short prose narrative, often satirical
18. omniscient point of view: knowing all things, usually the third person
19. onomatopoeia: use of a word whose sound in some degree imitates or suggests its meaning
20. oxymoron: a figure of speech in which two contradicting words or phrases are combined to produce a rhetorical effect by means of a concise paradox
21. pacing: rate of movement; tempo
22. parable: a story designed to convey some religious principle, moral lesson, or general truth
23. paradox: a statement apparently self-contradictory or absurd but really containing a possible truth; an opinion contrary to generally accepted ideas

Literature Analysis #1 Tuesday with Morrie

1. This story takes place in the early 1990’s, mainly in Morrie’s cozy home located in Massachusetts. Mitch Albom allows most of the conversations between him and Morrie take place in his home, but shares his life in the midst of his career giving us a perspective of his daily routine. Along with this, he also reminisces in the past conversations he had with Morrie during his college days. The inciting incident of this story was the diagnosing of Morrie with his disease. Without knowing Morrie’s days were numbered, Mitch would have never gone to his professor’s home and reconnected with one of the most influential people of his life. Mitch also would have never learned to appreciate the people he was surrounded with and their true importance in his life. Morrie knew that he only had a couple of months to live and his struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) would be over as soon as the disease reached his lungs. With this in mind, his death was certain and known to take place rather shortly.

2. This book’s central message is clear because it is easily conveyed through the regrets and thoughts of Mitch and Morrie. Slow down, and enjoy the short time given to us on this planet by ignoring the popular distractions influenced on people every day. People should reevaluate their lives and prioritize the things that truly matter to them at the end of the day.

3. Albom’s casual tone made the reader feel as if they were friends with both Mitch and Morrie because they were illustrated in such a realistic way. His tone was also light to function as a symbol of everybody’s acceptance of Morrie’s death. These tones combined make the reader fall in even more love with Morrie and sympathize for all of his loved ones who lost an amazing man. 

4. It was ironic that Mitch was able to exploit and teach Morrie that his friendship had such an outstanding influence on the lives of so many who conversed with him. This is an example of when the student becomes the teacher. Morrie’s prevailing death represented the end of his life, but also ironically symbolized the beginning of Mitch’s new life in which he became enlightened with Morrie’s words of wisdom. There is a great abundance of dialogue, which was key to this book. Morrie’s advice that changed Mitch’s life makes the reader respect him more. In order to understand the character’s thoughts, the reader must interpret their discussions and get a sense of how they really view the world. 

CHARACTERIZATION

1. Albom’s syntax is short and straightforward to emphasize the simplicity of Morrie. His participation in an uncomplicated life is apparent because of this easily comprehendible syntax. Albom also uses an explicit diction to complement the direct syntax accentuated throughout the story. The information presented was understandable through Albom’s reader friendly syntax and diction.

2. Morrie Schwartz is an elderly man who was the author’s favorite college professor. He was never a normal person and preached philosophical outlooks on life to Mitch a majority of their time spent together. Mitch Albom, one of Morrie’s students, was especially attached to Morrie and his quirkiness. They often enjoyed eating lunch together and talking about life in general, where Mitch would saturate Morrie with his problems and Morrie would gladly give him advice and the time of day. Mitch referred to Morrie as “Coach” and Morrie referred to Mitch as his “player”, which stressed the intimacy of their friendship. Mitch reveals himself and Morrie through indirect characterization because he includes their conversations and outings with one another.

3. After reading this book I felt like I had met a person because these characters are extremely realistic. They are not perfect and are actual people in real life. Morrie is the ideal teacher and Mitch tries to act as a sponge absorbing all of his advice, like most teachers attempt to do. Death is the harsh reality of life and Morrie’s graceful way of coming to terms with it stresses his strong moral beliefs and his existence on this planet. Mitch wrote Morrie as the gentle old man he was because he knew his true personality would capture the hearts of everybody. This makes me feel like I knew him because I was able to get insight to his thoughts and see his genuineness shine through. 

Lit Terms List 3

1. exposition: beginning of a story that sets forth facts, ideas, and/or characters, in a detailed explanation
2. expressionism: movement in art, literature, and music consisting of unrealistic representation of an inner idea or feeling
3. fable: a short, simple story, usually with animals as characters, designed to teach a moral truth
4. fallacy: from the Latin word "to deceive", a false or misleading notion, belief, or argument; any kind of erroneous reasoning that makes arguments unsound
5. falling action: part of the narrative or drama after the climax
6. farce: boisterous comedy with ludicrous comedy and dialogue
7. figurative language: imaginative language characterized by figures of speech (such as a simile or metaphor)
8. flashback: narrative device that flashes back to prior events
9. foil: person or thing that, by contrast, makes another seem better or more prominent
10. folk tale: story passed on by word of mouth
11. foreshadowing: in fiction and drama, a device to prepare the reader for the outcome of the action; "planning" to make the outcome convincing though not to give it away
12. free verse: verse without a conventional metrical pattern, with irregular pattern or no rhyme
13. genre: category or class of artistic endeavor having a particular form, technique, content
14. Gothic tale: style in literature characterized by gloomy settings, violet or grotesque action, and a mood of decay, degeneration, decadence
15. hyperbole: exaggerated statement often used as a figure of speech or to prove a point
16. imagery: figures of or vivid description, conveying images through any use of the senses
17. implication: meaning or understanding that is to be arrived at by the reader but that is not fully and explicitly stated by the author
18. incongruity: deliberate joining of opposites or of elements that aren't appropriate to each other
19. inference: judgement or conclusion based on evidence presented; the forming of  an opinion which possesses some degree of probability according to the facts already available
20. irony: contrast or incongruity between what is said and what is meant, or what is thought to happen and what actually happens.

Today's Lecture

-when Dickens wrote, his neighbors frequently called the cops because he would start talking in the voices of his characters (yelling, screaming, jump on top of a piano, etc.) 

-creative genius looks nuts to people who don't have it

-Jim Morrison: "I'm just taking notes at this great concert inside my head." on how people ask him how he writes his great poetry

-most artists have internal visions that guide them in their creative processes

-AP analysis usually not what the authors intended 

Masterpiece Conversations

-"What do I need?" 

•how much time for the purpose

•what opportunities do I need

•who do I need to meet?

•resources: materials, people,money, etc.

•space: dedicated work space? 

-"What do I want?"

•to make social impact?

•master something always been curious about?

•something that will benefit your future goals?

•need to make it personally relevant, not what Preston wants, so that it really is our masterpiece

Lit Terms List 2

1. circumlocution - noun an indirect way of expressing something; a style that involves indirect ways of expressing things

2. classicism - noun a movement in literature and art during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe that favored rationality and restraint and strict forms

3. cliche - noun a trite or obvious remark

4. climax - noun the decisive moment in a novel or play; arrangement of clauses in ascending order of forcefulness; the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding

5. colloquialism - noun a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech

6. comedy - noun light and humorous drama with a happy ending; a comic incident or series of incidents

7. conflict - noun opposition in a work of drama or fiction between characters or forces (especially an opposition that motivates the development of the plot)

8. connotation - noun an idea that is implied or suggested; what you must know in order to determine the reference of an expression

9. contrast - noun the act of distinguishing by comparing differences the perceptual effect of the juxtaposition of very different colors; the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared; verb put in opposition to show or emphasize differences; to show differences when compare

10 denotation - noun the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression; the class of objects that an expression refers to; the act of indicating or pointing out by name

11.denouement - noun the final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work; the outcome of a complex sequence of events

12. dialect - noun the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people

13. dialectics - noun a rationale for dialectical materialism based on change through the conflict of opposing forces

14. dichotomy - noun being twofold; a classification into two opposed parts or subclasses

15. diction - noun the manner in which something is expressed in words; the articulation of speech regarded from the point of view of its intelligibility to the audience

16. didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)

17. dogmatic - adj. characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles; relating to or involving dogma; of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative

18. elegy - noun a mournful poem; a lament for the dead

19. epic - adj. very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale); constituting or having to do with or suggestive of a literary epic; noun a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds

20. epigram - noun a witty saying

Great Expectations notes

-Pip's transformation of thinking he gets what he wants without working to learning he needs to make sacrifices

- adulthood: cynical loss of belief

-Pip imagines ideal adults because he didn't have parents 

-strong sense of feeling unwanted

-believes he's above family and marriage, but then again not too sure of himself

-feels family void but allowing himself to be influenced by those he surrounds himself with

-Magwitch: bogey man, eats like a dog "animal", implied selfish brutality, potential for violence, represents Pip's potential to be alone again, Pip sees himself in Magwitch and the contact magnifies along with his fear

-Havasham: "have shame" sham: fraud; adopted Estella, woman of means, symbolizes horrible decay, house stuck in the moment she was left at the alter, sacrifices her life to one of memory and betrayal; she is essentially a monster

-"beggar your neighbor" Pip realizes Havasham hasn't nurtured Estella, she brought her up to plot revenge against men, but Pip fell in love with her even  though he wasn't supposed to and was used in the revenge process, Pip likes that she adopted Estella but he lacks description when talking to other characters about them because of who they truly are 

-fairy tale interpretation is interrupted as Havasham and Magwitch disappear but return by the end

-Pip sees characters of J as himself because it is interchangeable with the letter "I"

-Joe/Jagger's poets lie in their potential rather than their use

-Joe lives by feeling and how intuition tells him to

-Jaggers lives by the letter of the law, similarized by Estella, Molly, Havasham, and only trusts the facts

-"Pip" is a seed or something that hasn't become yet

Lit Terms: List 1

1. Allegory: uses fictional characters or events to describe something by resemblances; and extended metaphor; a short moral story that usually uses animals as characters

2. Alliteration: use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in the line of a verse

3. Allusion: passing reference or indirect mention

4. Ambiguity: unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning; an expression whose meaning can't be determined by its context

5. Anachronism: artifact that belongs to another time; person who seems displaced in time; something located at a time when it couldn't have existed

6. Analogy: drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity without using like or as

7. Analysis: the structure of a piece of writing is analyzed (form of literary criticism)

8. Anaphora: using a pronoun or similar word instead of repeating a word used earlier; repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses

9. Anecdote: short account of an incident (usually at the beginning)

10. Antagonist: someone who offers opposition

11. Antithesis: the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance; exact opposite

12. Aphorism: short pithy instructive saying

13. Apologia: formal written defense of something you believe strongly in 

14. Apostrophe: indicates the omission of one or more letters from a printed word

15. Argument: summary of the subject or plot of a literary work

16. Assumption: statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn

17. Audience: gathering of spectators or listeners at a performance

18. Characterization: graphic or vivid description

19. Chiasmus: inversion in the second of two parallel phrases

Big Question: Update

I have actually changed my big question as my previous one about why happiness varies from person to person; species to species; etc. was too broad and was provoked out of pure curiosity. I was conversing with my father a couple days ago and he made me question what this world would be like if humans didn't need to sleep. To start off with the obvious, our lives would essentially be thirty percent longer, but is that necessarily a good thing? Would we use those extra hours for greatness or evil? Would life feel rather similar to today as we learned to adapt? Clearly we would have more time to accomplish tasks without feeling exhausted, but with more time would we be assigned more so time allotment would feel identical? This also makes me wonder if food and water would play such a huge role in our lives if it didn't need to be provided as an energy source? Also would we ever feel tired or energized or simply remain in a state of neither? This particular topic sparked so much interest in me because I for one, LOVE my sleep and actually look forward to it at the end of the night. However, it seems to consume too much of my time when I need to complete tasks or it distracts me when I need to be focusing. I feel like it is extremely relevant to today as the majority of people rely on it so much after a long day of working hard, playing sports, taking advanced classes in school, and/or eating unhealthy foods that only provide comfort and temporary satisfaction without really energizing one's body properly. I personally need to sleep excessively on the weekends to catch up on the hours I missed throughout the week, which really irritates me when I wake up and lunch is ready because I have slept through half the day and missed half the opportunities that could have potentially been presented to me. Learning about what life would be like without sleep (assuming it would be more than fantastic) will hopefully inspire me to lead a healthier lifestyle so that I will need less of it because ceasing it entirely from my life would be impossible and crazy! In order to really understand what life would be like, I will first need to uncover the true beauty of sleep and the science behind it all. I will need to read articles as to why we need sleep in the first place. Then I will be able to determine what would need to happen in order for our bodies to maintain homeostasis without the slumber and from there it would most like be predictions and the studies from scientists.