Close Reading

i neeed to do this one too!

Response to Course Material

i neeeed to do this

Close Reading

http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/2003/09/brooks.htm

Here is the link to the Article I read. It is called People Like Us by David Brooks.

If you were asked the question, "Do you consider America diverse?" I guarantee most would have answered yes. Many have heard that America is considered "The Melting Pot", but are you sure that is fact? Brooks does an amazing job of showing how culturally universe America is. Brooks write with great persuasion and uses details, diction and syntax effectively to prove his point.

When the main purpose of an article is to persuade someone that what they have believe most of their lives is wrong, the author is going to need to pretty strong evidence. However, for this evidence to be affective, it must be relatable. Brooks accomplishes this by specifically naming states and cities that many of the readers might live in. For example, Boulder, Colorado, Burnsville, Minnesota, and Bensalem, Pennslyvania. Brooks also doesn't use vague estimations, he uses specific percentages and dollar amounts. Did you know that faculties reflected by the general population 32 percent are democratic? That seems pretty normal, but later in the paragraph we learn that elite schools are highly undiverse and 90 percent are registered Democrats. surprising right?

Brook's word choice is this article is amazing, and excuse my pun, very diverse. He describes a group of people as "similar" but then can later describe them as "homogeneous". His word choice adds sophistication to his writing and makes the reader feel more secure with Brook's knowledge. His writing relates to all ages because he also corporates more modernistic language like "uncool" and "mainstream". With out this diction the article would lose its flow and flair.

The setup of this article really optimizes Brook's use of syntax, but it also incorporates imagery.  Never does he repeat a point that has already been mentioned. He is able to illustrate his point by having each paragraph focus on a certain area or type of people. This way with each fact he adds, the reader is able to build to the mental picture they are forming. Also, the paragraphs seem to alternate length, first with a longer paragraph then followed by a shorter paragraph. The shorter paragraph is almost to emphasize the ideals Brooks states in the paragraph form. His writing style appeals to many readers this way; short and concise or detail oriented.

This is a great piece to read; its interesting and possibly adds a little perspective. So now i beg to question, actually how diverse is the town you are living in? The place you go to school? Your friend group? This article really makes you question is diversity becoming extinct?

~Dana Page

Response to Course Material

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

Open Prompt

2010, Form B. “You can leave home all you want, but home will never leave you.” —Sonsyrea Tate

Sonsyrea Tate’s statement suggests that “home” may be conceived of as a dwelling, a place, or a state of mind. It may have positive or negative associations, but in either case, it may have a considerable influence on an individual. Choose a novel or play in which a central character leaves home yet finds that home remains significant. Write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the importance of “home” to this character and the reasons for its continuing influence. Explain how the character’s idea of home illuminates the larger meaning of the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

It has always been said that "Home is where the heart is". No matter how far you physically travel, the quote tells us that there will always be a special place for you at home. A home is defined as a place where the people you love and care about congregate. This quote provides hope that, your home will always mean something special to you, and the same of it for you. Both Willy and Biff exemplify the true meaning of this quote in the play "Death of A Salesman" by Aurthur Miller.

Biff returns home after drolling on and on with his life of doing nothing to quite literally find himself. Before returning home, Biff wandered around aimlessly from job to job, not enjoying a minute of it. His return to home added some well needed clarity to his mind. His home and the people in it, gave Biff the push to try and pursue his "Dreams", when really that what was he needed to realize that is not what he wanted. Biff was able to find out the true meaning of success and happiness thanks to his home. With out this the book would lose one of the most valuable dimensions of the the plot. Not only did Biff benefit from his return home, but so did his entire family. The value of bringing back Biffs heart and spirit to the home, caused quite a reality shock to the family. This placed many people back on thier right track.

Biff was not the only one to leave the home and family, just to return. Like many say "Like father, like son."  Biff's father Willy also had to come back home to truly find himself. Willy is a traveling salesman and was rarely home. The trips quite literally caused Willy to lose his mind, almost death. The return home, with all his loving family there caused Willy several emotional roller coasters. After many ups and downs, both returning family members were at peace. So even though Willy did pass away, it was almost and ending of satisfaction that wouldn't have occurred with out their return home.

The value of home majorly adds the to themes and plot of this book. With out the significance of home, the characters would have never been able to find success, satisfaction or happiness.

~Dana

Close Reading #3

Poorest Poor

http://news.yahoo.com/poorest-poor-us-hits-record-1-15-people-040233161.html

When you look at the people we interact with everyday its hard to believe that many are suffering from poverty. Poverty discriminates against no one and shows no mercy. Now with poverty and a new high, you never know who it could affect next: your neighbor, your best friend, even you. This article written by Hope Yen and Laura Wides-Munoz shows us the extreme realities of poverty through affective detials, language, and Imagery.

Details- Did you know that "1 in every 15 people" are affected by poverty?  This shocking fact adds detail to the article that really tugs at the heart strings. This allows people to visualize that in our normal high school classes of 30, two people are being affected and struggling. Not only does the article talk about the common racial and class groups that are affected by poverty, they go into detail talking about specific families and people. This seemingly small detail makes the article come alive and feel very real to its readers.

Language- The vioce of this article is serious and somber. This helps relay the devastation taking place in our very own towns and cities.  The article almost presents a tone of despair rather than hope that the situation will imporve. For example, "extreme-poverty neighborhoods emerge in more places" and
"the plummeting housing market wiped out home values and dried up construction jobs." I believe the authors used this language in order to finally relay that this is a serious problem and wont be resolved on its own.

Imagery- The imagery is strong in this article, draw on the reader's sentiment. With emotionally evoking words like "crash" and "cry" "crisis" and "powerless." With out this thought provoking imagery the article would lose much of  its effectiveness .

~Dana

Open Prompt

1990. Choose a novel or play that depicts a conflict between a parent (or a parental figure) and a son or daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the sources of the conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid plot summary.

The definition of perfection is based on each unique individuals perception of the term. So it can be very hard to achieve something that no one is certain what it actually is. This issue cause many conflicts between parents and son in "The American Dream" as they are trying to achieve their definition of perfect.

Perfect can often times be described by social standards and is often something that a person does not have but yearns to acquire.  Mommy and Daddy, the parental characters in TAD, are constantly trying to achieve perfection through their American dream. The standard of the American dream is married with children, well off, and well liked. Although what they don't realize is that perfection does not always guarantee happiness. So when they achieve their goal of having a child, everything seems well, but they are not satisfied. Just like any other baby, he cried and needed love and care, which Mommy and Daddy did not consider perfection. Their unhappiness and lack of satisfaction from the get go is the source of many of the future conflicts.

These conflicts led to Mommy and Daddy trying to solve them in the most drastic of ways; harm. Not only did Mommy and Daddy mentally harm the child, but the physically harmed him as well. They harmed him so much, that he ended up dying. His death, showed us that these conflicts that came from imperfection, cause Mommy and Daddy to ruin their own dream. Reader can evidently see that the parental characters values were scewed so much to achieve this dream they ended up cause the most extreme of conflicts. With out these conflicts, Mommy and Daddy's characters wouldn't be as well understand. The readers wouldnt be allowed as much insight to the shallowness of the new values of Americans. This conflict allows us to see the major themes in the book, like satisfaction and superficiality. 

Although usually unpleasant to read about, conflict can be the most important factor to develop a story. With out it, the work would have no meaning. 

~Dana

Close Reading

To Much Sitting Raises Odds for Cancer

http://gma.yahoo.com/too-much-sitting-raises-odds-cancer-study-162607756.html

We have always been told that exercise is key to maintain good health, but did we ever consider the time we spend sitting down to be unhealthy? It is a relatively abstract thought, especially to many high school students  who spend most of the 8 or 9 hours a day of school sitting. This article written by Steven Reinberg shows this scary possibility by the effective uses of details, diction and syntax.

Details- This article has many details which help support the well educated voice. For an medical and shocking article to be believable, it must contain an ample amount of statistics and factual evidence. For example how does exercise reduce the risk of cancer? Many have learned that inflammation is variable that affects cancer, but the article goes into detail to put evidence behind the claim. The article uses modern experimenting to explain. "In her most recent work, Friedenreich and her colleagues have found an association between exercise and the reduction of markers of inflammation, such as one called C-reactive protein, which might explain how exercise reduces the risk of breast cancer." With out these specific details of the processes of cancer and the experimental work that scientists are conducting, the article would lose a lot of its credibility.

Diction- Word choice is a huge part of what makes an article excellent. Again with an educational article, an air of knowledge must be presented. Reinberg used sophisticated vocabulary at a level where both common readers and the highly educated could easily understand. For example, "Epidemiologist" "sedentary" "Inflammation" and "Mechanisms." These specific word choices help the reader better understand the greater risks being presented.

Syntax- Reinburg is constantly varying sentence structure and length within this article.Many sentances are short and consice and to get a piont across, "Office workers may spend 75 percent of their time sitting." The lack of filler in this sentence makes it a bolder statement, and very shocking. Other sentences are elongated to elaborate on a point.

So remember next time you sit down in front of your computer to do your blog homework, maybe you should reconsider. It could be hazardous to your health.

~Dana

Response to course material #3

We have most recently completed a lot of annotating of The American Dream, not only as a group but alone as well. At first i thought it was quite challenging but soon i realized it was pretty easy and helped me understand the material a lot more. Our class discussions have been quite interesting, they brought up many points that i never noticed or considered. Hopefully future annotating will continue to get easier!

~Dana

Open Prompt- Oct 14th

2007. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present activities, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character's relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

 The play "The American Dream" written by Edward Albee, is a classic of the theater of absurd. Albee draws on several elements to illuminate the oddity of this play. One includes eluding to the family's unbelievable past. As readers learn more about the bumble, we are able to understand the plot and story line much better.

 Every single member of the family has a past that involves the bumble. Due to the arrival of Mrs Barker and later the Young Man, they are forced to contend with that past. While most charecters facing thier past would normally recollect on what happened, none of the family does. The readers are left in the dark, forced to piece together the story line of their past that no one seems to remember. This unknown past is literally the basis of the entire story. That is why everyone is here that day.  The past events add a creepy undertone to what would otherwise seem like a pretty normal story line. It also lets readers gather a deeper understanding of who mommy and daddy really are and the theme of the story. We can see that they closely relate to the theme, which is the American dream.  Many would assume that they achieved that dream in the past when the bumble was present, but mommy and daddy thought otherwise. They were never satisfied and will only ever achieve false satisfaction. 

Albee's lack of details in this story adds to the mysterious ambiance of both the past and the present. His use of Diction and language make up for the lack of details. For example, Albee uses a lot of repetition of certain words to emphasize a point. Also, he uses very bland language to symbolize the family and the life they live. Many times the tone is hard to receive, as a reader you are not sure whether they are being condescending or admiring. Albee also switches the roles back and forth, as it seems like either mommy or daddy are always playing the child, due to their lack there of.

"The American Dream" would not be the play it is without the aspect of their past.This personal elements adds to the character's relationships and the works meaning as a whole.

~Dana

Response to Course Material #2

We seem to have covered a lot in the last few weeks. We finished up DIDLS and did some more work with syntax. Although, syntax seemed daunting and intimidating when we first started to learn about it, i know feel confident. The numerous work sheets have beaten the concept into my memory. Also, the class read Edward Albee's 'The American Dream". I really enjoyed being able to play the part of Mrs. Barker in class. I felt like it gave me a deeper understanding of the reading, although i am still thoroughly confused with all of the elements of this play. It seems like there is so much to digest in the play, i just cant take it all in. I feel like i am missing a lot of very important elements, which hopefully i can discover when we annotate it.  The play itself is very odd, and it made me wonder what kind of abnormal person would think of that. But then i watched the brief interview with him and he seemed quite normal. Also the purpose of the play seemed quite normal as well for an abstract play. It is almost like a reality check, compare yourself to these people and make sure you're not living this way. I'm interested to learn more about it. Also, i need more work/practice with where to start on the broader prompts. I'm having trouble with that.

~Dana

Open Prompt- Oct 2

1998. In his essay "Walking," Henry David Thoreau offers the following assessment of literature:

    In literature it is only the wild that attracts us. Dullness is but another name for tameness. It is the uncivilized free and wild thinking in Hamlet and The Iliad, in all scriptures and mythologies, not learned in schools, that delights us.

From the works that you have studied in school, choose a novel, play, or epic poem that you may initially have thought was conventional and tame but that you now value for its "uncivilized free and wild thinking." Write an essay in which you explain what constitutes its "uncivilized free and wild thinking" and how that thinking is central to the value of the work as a whole. Support your ideas with specific references to the work you choose.

            Most students would prefer to read their own choice of literature rather than the literature assigned in class. Why is this? School literature is considered dull and boring, many just assume that it will be pointless, and unrelated to their lives. This was the case, when my class was told that we were going to begin reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I must admit that even i fell victim to the groans of despair upon receiving this announcement. Although, once we started reading the book i found it exciting, scandalous, and even relatable to modern day life.

            This book was set in the puritan era of the 17th century. When most think of the puritan era, excitement is not the first word that comes to mind. Puritans had their values set in stone alone with morals and a code of conduct. This air of strictness and rules that is perceived in the book is what makes it exciting. This setting allows the event of a scandal be made into that much greater of an ordeal. The great scandal that arises in this book, to make it so interesting, is Hester Pyrnne bearing a child out of wedlock. To the community, this is a most haneous crime. So while many thought this was just an old romance story, it has already taken a wild turn.  But Hester does the community one worse, she does not hang her head in shame and hide. She proudly embroiders her A on her breast and parades her child. The towns people are shocked. This is where many start to relate to the book. Hester is a rebellious main character who represents free will and thinking. She doesn't care what people think or say about her, and the readers respect her for that. It is so pivotal for teens to see that this power struggle and rebellion was going on long before they experienced it for themselves.

               Many readers begin to sympathize with Hester as the plot thickens. This plays on many of the readers morals. How can you sympathize with a 'criminal'; someone who has committed an unforgivable deed and has been deemed not even worth of respect by the entire community. readers begin to question can their entire community and way of life be unjust an wrong. Many readers feel a sense of thrill with supporting the 'Evil' side, which adds thrill to the read.This give the book a deeper value, because it can relate to all ages. Everyone has gone through a rebellious stage at one point.

               This novel once thought of as drab and unexciting gains new emotional value when you truly read it. This book takes a walk on the wild side, and pushes the boundaries. This is why this book has so long been kept as a part of scholastic literature.

~Dana Page

Response to Course Material Sept. 22

The first few weeks in AP lit have been interesting. I feel that all of my lit classes thus far have really been a joke, an easy A, and not serious. Last year my class completely skipped annotation because people said they were having a hard time with it. So, it is refreshing to have a class that will actually challenge me, and has already. I like how we have several different elements of  different classes at play here. We are doing note taking on our own time, group discussions, and blog work. This class appeals to a lot of different learning styles which is good. My learning style is more of a "see it, learn it." So i like that we have the AP to refer back too and add to our notes in class.
In class we have spent our time learning about DIDLS. At first, i wondered how much time we could spend on what seemed like a topic of little importance. Then, However, I realized that this is the basis of Literature. You must be able to understand work to analyze it, and this is what DIDLS is all about. DIDLS is about looking at what might be considered the minuscule elements of the authors writing, and interpreting them to use toward a greater understanding of meaning. After learning how to properly start to use these techniques, i wonder how much i have missed in passed readings. I have started to pull the information we learned in class, not only for assignments but for pleasure reading as well. I now feel that i am understanding literature at a much deeper level than i was before.
This is the first year i have taken AP classes, so i was unfamiliar to the timed essay writing. I was very nervous when i heard we had our first in class essay and did not think i would do well. And while that was somewhat true, i realized that i did do something things well, like finishing. Grading my own essay was also very helpful, because i got a better understanding of what i need to write. I was able to see what i did well, and what i needed to work on and how i could improve it. I am now looking forward to our next essay, to see if i can implement those improvements.
Im looking forward to see what else this class has to offer, cant wait! :)
~Dana Page

Prompt-Septemeber 16, 2011

Prompt – September 16, 2011

1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character's actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.

The Character Huck Finn, In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is a complex one.  On the surface of the story the readers see a rebellious young child being mischievous and misbehaved.  However, when we put in the context of the story, we tend to sympathize for Huck.

                Most often societal views determine the definition of right and wrong, so therefore if you are disobeying society it is considered immoral or wrong. That is exactly what Huck does in Huckleberry Finn. This book is about throwing societies views out the window and developing one’s own free style of thinking. Back in the pre civil war era when the story takes place, assisting a runaway slaves was an especially heinous crime.  For Huck to commit this crime at such a young age is almost unthinkable.  But that is not the only way Huck defies society, he also disagrees with the ideals of Christianity. Huck dislikes church and G-d. For many adults in the time period, this risk was much too large. Most did not have the courage to stand up to society and promote their conflicting point of view.

                Throughout Huck’s dangerous journey, he did not remain completely honest. In fact, Huck told a lot of lies. For example, Huck lied and pretended to be a girl in order to gain information and he also lied and said he was tom sawyer , in order to stay with Tom’s Aunt and Uncle.  Lying is a characteristic that automatically gives the reader of sense of mistrust and weariness about the character.  Although, this may be true, the reader can understand that  Huck only lied in order to help Jim, it was not to benefit himself. Lying is immoral when it is used in a selfish, malicious way, but Huck was not harming anyone else with his lies.

                Huck and Jim were on a raft floating down the Mississippi river for several days at a time, of course they would need supplies like food for the trip. The only way to get these necessities was stealing them, because they had no actually money to pay for them themselves. Stealing is frowned upon and punishable by law, but when it depends on life or death stealing a piece of fruit here or there doesn’t seem like such a big deal. Huck did what he had to do to survive and in order to complete his overall goal of freeing Jim. 

                Even though Huck exemplifies several immoral or evil characteristics in this story, the readers come to see that in the context they are understandable actions. As a reader one even begins to sympathize with Huck, and many wonder how he did not commit more wrong doings on such a journey. We commend he for his bravery and independence from society because it is something that many of us, even now, could not achieve.

~Dana Page