Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Hamlet Analysis
Hamlet
Author: William Shakespear
Setting: Elsinore, Denmark
Plot: Hemlet seeks revenge for his fathers death, although many seemingly innocent people get killed along the way. In the end, pretty much everyone dies. The play leaves people to question, was it worth it?
Main Characters: Hamlet, Old King Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Horatio, Laertes, Fortinbras, Rosentcrantz, and Guildenstern.
Sumamry: Hamlet struggles with the morality of seeking revenge for his fathers murder, by his uncle. Hamlet return to his house to find his mother married to his uncle and barely mourning the death of his father. Throughout the story the ghost of the old King Hamlet makes several appearances. Begging the people around hamlet, and the readers to question Hamlet's mental stability. The story is full of deceit and secrets, leading to many accidental deaths and unfortunate betrayals.
In Hamlet, there wasn't a strong presence of narrative voice. I would say the strongest voice in the play was the multitude of Hamlet's inner monologues. I believe that these allow the reader the most insight on the story and allows them to create their own view point on hamlets sanity. One thing that Shakespeare is known for is his choice of words; diction. In this play Shakespeare carefully chooses each word to imply a certain meaning or relate to a theme. It is very important to the understanding of the book to notice these.Although there is little symbolism in the play, i did notice one that stuck out at me; Yorick's skull.
Quotes:
"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." This quote was said by Marcellus, in Act 1, scene 4 and I believe that this is the most important quote in the entire piece. This quote embodies the relationship between morality and corruption of the leader and the health of the state as a whole. It truly shows the rottenness caused by Claudius's crime.
"To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?—To die,—to sleep,—
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to,—’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die,—to sleep;—
To sleep: perchance to dream:—ay, there’s the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,"
This probably the most famous quote from the play. It is one of Hamlet's soliloquies said in the 3rd Act. Here Hamlet is questioning the act and morality of committing suicide. He compares death to something peaceful like sleep and the talks about the end as if it is a huge struggle.
Theme: It is impossible to be certain about anything, and actions will always come with doubts and second guesses, but when it comes to death; death is final and unable to be fixed. It is the only reliable thing in this play. The amount of death shows the corruptness of the state.
Author: William Shakespear
Setting: Elsinore, Denmark
Plot: Hemlet seeks revenge for his fathers death, although many seemingly innocent people get killed along the way. In the end, pretty much everyone dies. The play leaves people to question, was it worth it?
Main Characters: Hamlet, Old King Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Horatio, Laertes, Fortinbras, Rosentcrantz, and Guildenstern.
Sumamry: Hamlet struggles with the morality of seeking revenge for his fathers murder, by his uncle. Hamlet return to his house to find his mother married to his uncle and barely mourning the death of his father. Throughout the story the ghost of the old King Hamlet makes several appearances. Begging the people around hamlet, and the readers to question Hamlet's mental stability. The story is full of deceit and secrets, leading to many accidental deaths and unfortunate betrayals.
In Hamlet, there wasn't a strong presence of narrative voice. I would say the strongest voice in the play was the multitude of Hamlet's inner monologues. I believe that these allow the reader the most insight on the story and allows them to create their own view point on hamlets sanity. One thing that Shakespeare is known for is his choice of words; diction. In this play Shakespeare carefully chooses each word to imply a certain meaning or relate to a theme. It is very important to the understanding of the book to notice these.Although there is little symbolism in the play, i did notice one that stuck out at me; Yorick's skull.
Quotes:
"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark." This quote was said by Marcellus, in Act 1, scene 4 and I believe that this is the most important quote in the entire piece. This quote embodies the relationship between morality and corruption of the leader and the health of the state as a whole. It truly shows the rottenness caused by Claudius's crime.
"To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?—To die,—to sleep,—
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to,—’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die,—to sleep;—
To sleep: perchance to dream:—ay, there’s the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,"
This probably the most famous quote from the play. It is one of Hamlet's soliloquies said in the 3rd Act. Here Hamlet is questioning the act and morality of committing suicide. He compares death to something peaceful like sleep and the talks about the end as if it is a huge struggle.
Theme: It is impossible to be certain about anything, and actions will always come with doubts and second guesses, but when it comes to death; death is final and unable to be fixed. It is the only reliable thing in this play. The amount of death shows the corruptness of the state.
Pride and Prejudice Analysis
Author: Jane Austen
Setting: London, Hertfordshire, and Lonbourne, England.
Plot: This is more of an atypical love story, with some conflicts thrown in. Mrs. Bennett is all about getting her 5 daughters married, especially when a new young Bachelor comes to town. Although Marriage is not simply based upon love, it is a matter of status, wealth and appearance.
Main Characters: Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, their daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Wickham, Mr. Bingley, Charlotte Lucas, and Mr. Collins.
Summary: The book is organized by a series of balls and romantic encounter events. At the first ball the Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley attend they are quickly introduced to the 5 available sisters. Immediately readers can see the connection between Mr. Bingley and Jane. We are also able to see a growing curiosity between Mr. Dacry and Elizabeth which neither of them allow to show yet. While both relationships have their ups and downs, the story is about overlooking one's pride and judgment and accepting a person for who they truly are. Jane Austen shows readers that true love really will overpower anything and shouldn't be based on materialistic items or social standards.
I think the narrative voice in this story is strong. It embodies the vivid and independent souls of the sisters and of women in general. I loved reading this book, because i really think that Jane Austen has an amazing flow of writing. She uniquely mixes her short and long sentences, and always keeps you on your toes. I would say that the imagery in this story is strong. It allows for the reader to create a stronger mental picture and to almost feel as if they are there experiencing it. This allows readers to feel more attached to the story and read it on a deeper level.
Quotes:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." This is the first senctance of the novel and i think it really illustrates the social ideals the community is conforming to and opposing upon others, only for means of social status. This quote says that every woman must be desperate for a husband. That is absurd.
“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” This is Darcy's Marriage proposal to Elizabeth! I think it really shows how much he has changed through out the novel. In fact, i think this marks a turning point in the entire novel, where Elizabeth begins to see Darcy in a new light as well.
Theme: True love should not be based upon and social standards or pressure. True love will overcome.
Setting: London, Hertfordshire, and Lonbourne, England.
Plot: This is more of an atypical love story, with some conflicts thrown in. Mrs. Bennett is all about getting her 5 daughters married, especially when a new young Bachelor comes to town. Although Marriage is not simply based upon love, it is a matter of status, wealth and appearance.
Main Characters: Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, their daughters: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Wickham, Mr. Bingley, Charlotte Lucas, and Mr. Collins.
Summary: The book is organized by a series of balls and romantic encounter events. At the first ball the Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley attend they are quickly introduced to the 5 available sisters. Immediately readers can see the connection between Mr. Bingley and Jane. We are also able to see a growing curiosity between Mr. Dacry and Elizabeth which neither of them allow to show yet. While both relationships have their ups and downs, the story is about overlooking one's pride and judgment and accepting a person for who they truly are. Jane Austen shows readers that true love really will overpower anything and shouldn't be based on materialistic items or social standards.
I think the narrative voice in this story is strong. It embodies the vivid and independent souls of the sisters and of women in general. I loved reading this book, because i really think that Jane Austen has an amazing flow of writing. She uniquely mixes her short and long sentences, and always keeps you on your toes. I would say that the imagery in this story is strong. It allows for the reader to create a stronger mental picture and to almost feel as if they are there experiencing it. This allows readers to feel more attached to the story and read it on a deeper level.
Quotes:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." This is the first senctance of the novel and i think it really illustrates the social ideals the community is conforming to and opposing upon others, only for means of social status. This quote says that every woman must be desperate for a husband. That is absurd.
“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” This is Darcy's Marriage proposal to Elizabeth! I think it really shows how much he has changed through out the novel. In fact, i think this marks a turning point in the entire novel, where Elizabeth begins to see Darcy in a new light as well.
Theme: True love should not be based upon and social standards or pressure. True love will overcome.
Ceremony Analysis
Ceremony
Author: Leslie Marmon Silko
Setting: During and right after WW2
Plot: A war vet tries to deal with and accept the past while trying to create his own future. He must deal with the horrors or wore and the discrimination of race. The book is an intertwining web of time lines and thoughts.
Main characters: Tayo, Emo, Auntie, Rocky, Betonie, Josiah, Harley, Night Swan, and Pinky
Summary: Tayo is a lost solider coming back from the war with out his brother Rocky. Devasted and feeling worthless, he often becomes invisible, slowly winding through the thoughts and events from his past. Tayo goes through the process of completing a ceremony in order to cure himself of anguish but to also reunite the people of his culture. Tayo does this by riding his town of the evil, which is represented by Emo.
The narrative voice in this piece starts out unconfident and lost, longing for direction and help. This voice embodies Tayo’s character in the beginning, which is what makes this book so powerful. Throughout the story, the reader sees a shift in narrative voice and tone of the overall piece. The reader can actually sense the independence from the writing style as Tayo is slowly growing closer to completing his ceremony. The tone and voice shifts allow the book to illuminate the full journey that Tayo had to take to reach the end of his ceremony and the book. Another interesting thing about this piece is the chronologically to it, there is absolutely none. The book seems to be writing on a constant web, any emotion or thought can cause a jump in the time web, either backwards or forwards and into a new memory and event. That is such a great aspect about the book because it keeps the reader on their toes and guessing. The book was never predictable, which allowed for it to be a quick read. Overall it is my favorite book thus far!
Quotes:
"How did you know I'd be here?" He said, still watching the cattle. She laughed and shook her head, "the way you talk!" she said. "I was here almost a week before you came. How did you know I'd be here? Tell me that first." – shows Tayo’s true love and it gives Tayo a sign that there are greater forces working out there that are helping him. She gives Tayo strength to carry on, because now he knows he is not alone.
Old Grandma shook her head slowly, and closed her cloudy eyes again. "I guess I must be getting old, " she said, "because these goings-on around Laguna don't get me excited any more." She sighed, and laid her head back on the chair. "It seems like I already heard these stories before—only thing is, the names sound different." - Everything in Laguna culture seems to be cyclic. The world seems to change, but really just ends up repeating itself. New connects to old and present connects to past. This is a huge theme throughout the book and something that Tayo struggles with a lot
Theme: It is important for whole cultures to learn from their past and use that to progress to their future. Therefore completing the cycle.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Death of a Salesman Analysis
Death of a Salesman
Author: Arthur Miller
Setting: Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Boston. Late 1940’s
Plot: The final days of a failing salesman and his family.
Main Characters: Willy Loman, Linda Loman, Biff Loman, Happy Loman, Charley, Bernard, and Uncle Ben
Summary: This is a story much about achieving happiness and the American dream. Willy Loman is a man who is disappointed in the future so he chooses to live in the past. Willy spent his whole life trying to achieve the status quo to therefore receive happiness, but he ended up dying alone. This piece is about his struggle with the realization of that fact. Although he does not face that struggle alone, his family goes through equally as much pain with him.
I liked this book a lot, and I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that it was extremely vivid and emotional. Miller really throws the reader right into the struggles that the Loman family is trying to overcome. Miller wants you to sympathize with Willy, but I did quite the opposite. Any man that cant realize that happiness is based upon your own interpretation and not social standard does not deserve my pity. I believe that Miller wanted the reader to feel the conflicting emotions of sympathy and anger at Willy, which is what makes this book such a good read. There are many symbols in this book as well. Seeds represent an opportunity for Willy to prove his worth. Diamond represent material wealth. The stockings represent betrayal and the rubber hose represents suicide and giving up.
Themes:
The American Dream – that all you need for happiness is to be well liked and personally attractive.
Abandonment- Willy has no sense of commitment, stemming from his brother and father and stemming to his own sons.
Betrayal – Biff walks out and Willy’s ambitions for him and Willy sees that as horrible betrayal because he thinks Biff is the only one who had a true shot at being successful and happy.
Quotes:
“A diamond is hard and rough to the touch.” –Compares Willy to a diamond in the ruff, and implys that his death will finally supply something concrete for his family.
“He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine . . . A salesman is got to dream, boy.” –In this quote Charley explains that Willy did just feel compelled to sell, but never realized he had any other choice in life. Which truly evokes sympathy.
The American Dream Analysis
The American Dream
Author: Edward Albee
Setting: Typical American small town and neighborhood of Mommy and Daddy
Plot: Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma are visited by Mrs. Baker and the Young Man
Main characters: Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Mrs. Baker, and the Young Man
Summary: Mrs. Baker had organized the adoption of Mommy and Daddy’s previous son years before, although no one knows this but Grandma and everyone thinks she is crazy. Mommy and Daddy ended up killing the baby because it was not following their own standards of perfection. Later in the story, the twin of the baby that Mommy and Daddy killed, shows up. He seems emotionless and empty due to all the harsh punishments of the baby, which he also suffered. Grandma then packs up her things and leaves.
Albee uses this piece to satirize the American culture and the emphasis placed on social standards and perfection. The tone and Narrative voice of this piece are supposed to seem absurd; this is used to make the reader question the characters motives and actions. This play explores the falsities and realities of the American dream. Albee also makes readers question the act of perfection, and how well people really can put on a show and a false front. This piece is truly a reality check for all of America. We can see some interesting points of view in this play. Grandma seems to be an omniscient character, while the other characters seem to know absolutely nothing at all. We discussed the meaning of this in class and decided that Grandma represented the old values, while Mommy and Daddy represented the new.
Themes:
Family life is a huge theme in this play, in fact the whole play revolves around the relationships between each of the family members.
Absence of love/emotions is another huge theme in the play. Mommy and Daddy show no compassion towards each other at all. Also, no sorrow or guilt is felt over the death of their child that they seemed to have wanted so badly.
Reality/Falsity of dreams is another huge theme. In the play we can see the absurdity of Mommy and Daddy trying to achieve perfection. That is when the reader realizes that is truly not what the American dream is all about.
Quotes:
“When you get old, you can't talk to people because people snap at you. That's why you become deaf, so you won't be able to hear people talking to you that way That's why old people die, eventually. People talk to them that way.” – saying that old people die because of the violent speech of others and her deafness is a way of protection from this violence.
“I no longer have the capacity to feel anything. I have no emotions. I have been drained, torn asunder disemboweled. I have, now, only my person, my body, my face. I use what I have I let people love me I accept the syntax around me, for while I know I cannot relate; I know I must be related to.” – This was said by the Young Man. He is an empty type, allowing him to fit into syntax and just go along with the situation. He is what Mommy and Daddy have always wanted.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Synthesis #4
Now for an exciting update in the life of AP English! We have just finished up our first read of Ceremony, which we were warned was very challenging. Overall, sorry to say, i disliked the book. It was a more challenging read than most, but not something i would pick up on my own. Although i must say the author's writing style seemed sophisticated and elaborate, but was not enough to win me over. The book did succeed at confusing me at some points, but hopefully i got the jist of it. I am looking forward to hearing how much i did not understand. The last week before break we were finishing up a quick lesson on the eras. I found all of the groups power points surprisingly entertaining. Whether that was due to the use of presi or the falsity of my preconceived knowledge of the eras i will never know. Well that's all for now. Hopefully, you can hold off on your suspense for the update on the life of AP lit. Cya!
~Dana
~Dana
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