SUPER 5

My SUPER 5 are...

1. Mrs. Byrne
2. Stanford
3. Dalai Lama
4. My dad
5. Miranda Nillo

I am in the process of contacting these people and letting them know what I am up to with my masterpiece.

MY TEAM

My masterpiece revolves around Compassion and how people view it and practice it. As I went around the room I found myself making connections very quickly with my peers. 

Nakesha is doing her masterpiece on living but not existing. I found this to fit in perfectly into Compassion. As David Foster Wallace mentioned in his speech "This Is Water" we are the fish in the water not knowing what water is. We are so caught up in our world, we are so worried about living that we do not remember to actually exist. We do not remember to actually practice compassion. 

Kendall is working with Rachel and Becky for her masterpiece on Body Image. I find this topic can also be easily tied into compassion, because it relates to learning how to love yourself just the way you are and your body. I believe that we as a society need to be more understanding and compassionate about how we portray body image. If the world were more understanding about this pressing issue maybe we would have less girls with eating disorders!

Kylie and many others are working on their living scrapbook masterpiece. Their goal is to have fun, do things that they might have missed out on in the past, and make great memories with each other. I think this project captures a bit about what compassion is about because each week one person is going to teach the group how to do something for example surfing...etc. Kylie also mentioned that on their blog/website they will be posting quotes, pictures, and motivational things. These uplifting acts are certainly part of being a compassionate person. 

Lindsey and others are working on blowing stuff up! That sounds a little dangerous and totally irrelevant to compassion, but it is not to quite off. In fact Lindsey and her group will be practicing compassion.  Her group and her know and understand how tough and stressful this year has been. By acknowledging this fact they are practicing compassion. Together they want to feel better and get rid of their stress by blowing watermelons up and just having a good time together. Compassion...it is in there. 

The path toward my Masterpiece (Resources)

1. Stanford University's
CCARE (The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education)

http://ccare.stanford.edu/tag/ccare/

http://neuroscience.stanford.edu/research/programs/nsccare.html


2. CCARE Blog:
http://ccare.stanford.edu/blog/


3. The Center Of Engaged Compassion-Claremont Lincoln University

http://cec.claremontlincoln.org/

All of the websites above are absolutely amazing! I have taken some of my time to browse around on them and I am very impressed and exited that people are taking notice that compassion is needed and should be practiced. Stanford has done an incredible job because they go deeper into compassion than just the surface. They study the science and psychology of compassion. It is very interesting and can be very surprising. Something I really enjoyed about Claremont Lincoln University's website is the fact that they have articles based on events of compassion. Their consistent articles really make you think about the question or topic that is being adressed. These websites can help me on my masterpiece, because I can become educated not only on compassion on the surface, but at a deeper level. The constant flow of information in these websites is great! There is always something to learn! I want to gain a better understanding of compassion so that I may be able to give the best possible representation of what compassion is and how to practice it through my masterpiece.

Website Coming soon: 
http://yolo_compassion.wix.com

LAUNCH

What I have been working on:

Thank you to my table group for helping me and giving me ideas! Miranda Gomez, Maria Luna, Izamar Diaz, Nakesha Willis! 

1. What am I passionate about?  What do I want to do?

Something that I have always found very fulfilling and I enjoy doing is helping others, motivating others or making people laugh, and smile. I want to do that for the rest of my life. I know this is will be easy because we are interdependent, and we need each other. I want to tie my passion for helping others with my growing  curiosity of how compassion works and how people practice it. I want to remind people of how we live our daily lives wrapped up in our own world that we forget to be kind and compassionate.



2. How can I use the tools from last semester (and the Internet in general)?

In many ways I use the Internet to communicate and collaborate with others. Through media I was able to add a video to my compassion project. Through the Internet I was able to share my ideas and my peers’ ideas and thoughts on compassion. The blog for this course has allowed me to become comfortable and familiar to the Internet and sharing my ideas and work on it than I ever was before. This semester I plan to collaborate with Miranda Nillo on my project and get more ideas and thoughts from different people, from different ages, and from different places.


3. What will I need to do in order to "feel the awesomeness with no regrets" by June?

By June I will have finished the Compassion Project with input from various age groups, a better understanding of compassion, and a eye-opening video that will make people jump out of their seats and want to practice being compassionate. I am still gathering my thoughts on how I am going to do this, but I am very exited and I can’t wait to get back on the job.



4. What will impress/convince others (both in my life and in my field)?

If this video project could actually get people to practice being more compassionate would be wonderful and very impressive. I am not quite sure what else would be impressive. I mean maybe if it could become a commercial or something of that sort.



5. How will I move beyond 'What If' and take this from idea --> reality?

I honestly have no idea. All I want is for this project to be seen by people and to make a tiny difference in them, to influence compassion, to trigger a feeling of kindness, or to make someone smile. Once I have the final hard copy of the project I will probably put it up on the Social Media like my blog, Facebook, and You Tube.



6. Who will be the peers, public, and experts in my personal learning network?

Everyone that I ask for their opinions and thoughts will be in my learning network. I am learning from everybody. I am learning that compassion means very different things to many different people. I am learning from adults, teenagers, and children, from all ages and all ethnicities. Miranda Nillo and I will be collaborating to make this project happen.

Literature Analysis #2/Sem.2

The Color Purple by Alice Walker



1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

The novel takes place in rural Georgia during the early twenties, when race and sexism was very much alive, especially among the African American Community. The novel consist of Celie’s letters addressed to God. The reader finds out about everyone and everything mostly through Celie’s eyes. A women who is hopeless and conformed with her way of living. Through Celie the reader is able to view how women were treated during this time period, and how the African American race struggled as well. We are taken on this journey from Celie’s childhood to her adulthood and how she is living in present day. The reader meets characters like Albert mostly identified as Mr._ Celie’s husband/partner, Nettie her younger sister, Shug a friend/singer/ Albert’s love, Harpo Albert’s older son, Sofia, and others. Throughout the novel the reader is able to see African American women with distinct personalities such as hopeless and desperate women like Celie, strong and feisty women like Sofia, educated women like Nettie, and famous woman like Shug. The men treat the women as if they were the lowest thing on earth, yet the man are treated the same by the Whites if they are African American. The novel enhances life in these difficult times.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

The theme of the novel is sexism and racism toward the African American community.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

The tone in the novel is very sincere and honest. Everything that is being said is stream of consciousness. Celie, the narrator is brutally honest.

Ex1) Pg.106 “Just a slap now and then when he ain’t got nothing else to do.”

Ex2) Pg.116 “Shug laugh and laugh when he got anything to say. Show teef and tits aplenty. Me and Grady try to carry on like us civilize. But it hard. When I hear Shug laugh I want to choke her, slap Mr._ face. All this week I suffer. Grady and me feel so down he turn to reefer, I turn to prayer.”

Ex3) Pg.109 “She say, I love you, Miss Celie. And then she ahul off and kiss me on the mouth. Um she say, like she surprise. I kiss her back, say, um, too. Us kiss and kiss till us can’t hardly kiss no more. Then us touch each other.”

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.) 

Ex1) pg.1-Foreshadowing: “She went to visit her sister doctor over Macon. Left me to see after the others. He never had a kine word to say to me. Just say you gonna do what your mammy wuldn’t. First he put his thing against my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then grab he grab hold my titties. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying you better shut up and git used to it.”

Though this excerpt can be considered I say it also foreshadows misfortune, danger, and wrong, because it is presented to the reader on the very first page of the novel.

Ex2) pg.10-Point of view: “I feel bad sometimes Nettie done pass me in learnin. But look like nothing she say can git in my brain and stay. She try to tell me something bout the ground not being flat. I just say, yeah, like I know it. I never tell her how flat it look to me.

Ex3) Pg.99-Exposition: “Well, say Sofia, I was so use to sitting up there next to her teaching her how to drive, that I just naturally clammed into the front seat. She stood outside on her side the car clearing her throat. Finally she say, Sofia with a little laugh, This is the south. Yes ma’am, I say. She clear her throat, laugh some more. Look where you sitting, she say. I’m sitting where I always sit, is say. That’s the problem, she say. Have you ever seen a white person and a colored sitting side by side in a car, when one of ‘em wasn’t showing the other one how to drive it or clean it?”

In this excerpt of the novel we are exposed to the way the time period regulated what certain people could and could not do.

Ex4) Pg.106-Mood: “He ain’t beat me much since you made him quit, I say. Just a slap now and then when he ain’t got nothing else to do.”

The mood of the novel is hopeless, conformist, and desperate.

Ex5) Pg.108-Imagery: “But one time when mama not at home, he come. Told me he want me to trim his hair. He bring the scissors and comb and brush and a stool. While I trim his hair he look at me funny. He a little nervous too, but I don’t know why, till he grab hold of me and cram me up tween his legs…After he through, I say, he make me finish trimming his hair.”

Ex6) Pg.108-Flashback: “It hurt me, you know, I say. I was just going on fourteen. I never even thought bout men having nothing down there so big. It scare me just to see it. And the way it poke itself and grow.”
Celie is having a flashback of the time she was raped at fourteen years old.

Ex7) Pg.87-Stream of consciousness: “Dear God, Us all sit round the table after supper. Me, Shug, Mr._, Squeak, the prizefighter, Odessa and two more of Sofia sisters. Sofia not gon last, say Mr._.
The whole book is under stream of consciousness because Celie is writing to God.

Ex8) Pg.93-Lyric: Squeak sings,
“They calls me yellow
Like yellow be my name
They call me yellow
Like yellow be my name
But if yellow is a name
Why ain’t black the same
Well, if I say hey black girl
Lord, she try to ruin my game.”

Ex9) Pg.22-Pathos: “Harpo ast his daddy why he beat me. Mr._ say, cause she my wife. Plus, she stubborn. All women good for-he don’t finish. He just tuck his chin over the paper like he do. Remind me of Pa. Harpo ast me, How come you stubborn? He don’t ast how come you his wife? Nobody ast that.”

Ex10) Pg.1-Speaker: “DEAR GOD, I am fourteen years old. I am I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me.”

CHARACTERIZATION 
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?

Indirect:

Celie-Pg.22: “I say, just born that way, I reckon. He beat me like he beat the children. Cept he don’t never hardly beat them. He say, Celie git the belt. The children be outside the room peeking through the cracks. It all I can do not to cry. I make myself wood. I say to myself, Celie, you a tree. That’s how come I know trees fear man.”

From Celie’s speech the reader knows that she has conformed to her way of living. She has accepted the beatings and racism because that is all she knows.

Shug-Pg.20-21: “Buy Celie some clothes. She say to Mr._ .
She say. It’s all right, Celie. You deserve more than this.”

In this excerpt of the novel we are presented with how sweet and tender Shug can be. She believes Celie is mistreated and she only wants the best for her.

Direct:

Celie-Pg.20: “He look at me. It like he looking at the earth. It need something? His eyes say.”
The reader automatically know that by the way Mr._ treats Celie and how she conforms to everything she is a total rag doll. Her clothes is used, and very old. In fact she goes on to say how she has never had a dress made just for her ever before. Celie is described as poor and underdressed.

Shug- Pg.19: “Then she start having babies. And she young and pretty. Not so pretty, say Carrie, looking in the looking glass. Just a head of hair. She too black…say she wearing dresses all up her leg and headpieces with little balls and tassles hanging down, look like window dressing.”

We know that despite Shug’s nice moments in the novel, she is very different to what the women in the town are used to. She is different, therefore she is judged.

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?

For the most part the syntax and diction is consistent throughout the novel and the characters. The only unusual thing is that the language is African Slang so it can be difficult to decipher some words. The biggest difference is diction is probably between Shug, Sofia, and Celie. Shug and Sofia have a much stronger and aggressive way of speaking rather than Celie’s soft voice and calm word choice.

Ex1) Pg.30-Sofia: “She say, Naw, Harpo, you stay here. When you free, me and the baby be waiting.”

Ex2) Pg.108-Celie: “Soon talk about making love. Shug don’t actually say making love. She say something nasty. She say fuck.”

Ex3) Pg.111-Celie: “Wake up sugar, I say. They back. And SHug roll over, hug me, and git out of bed.”

In these three examples alone we know that Sofia is a tough women and she is very brave, Shug can be vulgar at times and very liberal, and as for old Miss Celie she is blindly ignorant, sweet and like a child.


3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.

The protagonist Miss Celie is definitely a round character because she begins as this shy and uneducated women and ends up to be more independent and confident with her thoughts. As the novel progresses the reader is able to tell that not only is Celie letting her past go, but also growing as a strong African women. Shug is very helpful when it comes to helping Miss Celie find her identity and that freedom that she needed for so long.


4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction. 

The fact that almost each page in this novel begins with Dear God, makes me feel like I am reading a diary, something very personal of whom it pertains to. In this case this novel is all about Celie and her life experiences. Every single page in this novel is an example of Celie’s reality. As the reader I was introduced to Celie’s innermost thoughts and actions, some of which I felt uncomfortable with and did not want to read of. Through Celie’s actions and words I got to know what she really is all about. What made me feel like Celie was alive and not just a character was actually the first page, because right of the bat I was introduced to her life and her struggle and it made me want to go back and time and help her…

Ex1) “DEAR GOD,
I am fourteen years old. I am I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me. Last spring after little Lucious come I heard them fussing. He was pulling on her arm. She say It too soon, Fonso, I ain't well. Finally he leave her alone. A week go by, he pulling on her arm again. She say Naw, I ain't gonna. Can't you see I'm already half dead, an all of these chilren.

She went to visit her sister doctor over Macon. Left me to see after the others. He never had a kine word to say to me. Just say You gonna do what your mammy wouldn't. First he put his thing up gainst my hip and sort of wiggle it around. Then he grab hold my titties. Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it.

But I don't never git used to it. And now I feels sick every time I be the one to cook. My mama she fuss at me an look at me. She happy, cause he good to her now. But too sick to last long.”

FREE money...Kinda

I, JURY

After reading six essay I have come to the conclusion that there are things I do well and others that I can work to better. As I read over some of my peers essays I noticed that some of them got lost in thought and started to summarize just like I tend to do sometimes. I also learned that I need to use more of my vocabulary words and literary terms. I was very glad to see that we all answered the prompt, and had a point to prove in the essay.


Lindsey- Wow! What an essay! I often found myself thinking, “why didn’t I do that?” or “oh that’s really good.” The prompt was not only addressed but also present in the whole essay. It was very clear and the use of vocabulary was good. I was most impressed with the easy flow of the essay and the comparisons between their world and ours, and also between Bernard and us. (I had no idea how to post this on your Tumblr)

Jacob- I really enjoyed reading your essay because though our topics were similar you approached this essay in a different way. First of all nice work! The introduction that you created for Bernard really set the atmosphere of the essay and that is always good to have. Solid intro. Your thesis is very straightforward and to the point…something I find very troubling. Something I can also work on that you did great on is incorporating literary terms. Nice Job!

Java- Nice Job! Your essay was very informative. I enjoyed that you brought up the similarities of Bernard’s character and people in our world today. Connections like these are vital in AP essays. That is definitely something I will keep practicing in my own writing. I am not sure if it is just me, but I feel like there is a lot of summarizing going on. Other than that it was good. ☺

Marisol- Good Job! I enjoyed reading your approach to the essay. Kudos to you for mentioning that Bernard truly is the closest the reader gets to a real human person. I feel like I knew where you were going, but got a little lost in the process, maybe less summarizing and more of your ideas… Anyhow you did a good job on comparing humans of our world with Bernard and the other characters.

Amara- Nice Job! The fact that your essay prompt was different than all the other essay’s I have read made me very happy! In your essay you dive right into what you are going to talk about, no fluff, just facts. I have trouble doing that sometimes so kudos to you! I also liked how you added examples from the text to support your essay. Very well written, and I know you stopped at 50 minutes, but reading more of it would be very interesting! ☺

Lesther- You have very good ideas and great thoughts that tie into your prompt very well. One thing I would suggest is to get to your main idea a little quicker. No worries that is something I myself have to work on. The structure of the essay was a little shaky, but I honestly think this is a great and interesting topic that you can tackle! I wish you luck! Nice job so far.

BRAVE NEW ESSAY

In Kate Chopin's The Awakening (1899), protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to process "that outward existence which conforms, the inward life which questions." In a novel or play that you have studied, identify a character who conforms outwardly while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid mere plot summary. 

      According to our world’s morals today, Bernard Marx is a character that serves as possibly the only sane person in the novel “Brave New World.” Unlike in our world, in the World State Bernard is seen as an outcast. Though people view Bernard in different ways he has the most trouble dealing with his own self. He is surrounded by the World State rules, but tormented by his own mind and beliefs. This battle between Bernard himself contributes to the meaning of the work, because it makes it relatable to the reader.

      Although Bernard is an Alpha, he is very distinct from the pack. He is considered, short, abnormal, and an outcast. He believes sex is something intimate that should not be discussed with others, and believes in monogamous relationships, something the D.H.C is against of. The first to notice that something is different about him is Bernard himself. The reader later learns through indirect characterization that he very different. A good example of this is when Bernard is grounding his teeth while hearing Foster talk about Lenina as if she were a piece of meat. He is evidently angered and annoyed by Foster’s talking of Lenina in sexual/graphic terms. This behavior is abnormal in the World State and that is exactly why Bernard observes and keeps quiet throughout the conversation. He keeps to himself because his inward feelings do not match those of the outward world.

      Bernard is different and the people around him notice these differences quickly. Unlike all of the inhabitants of the World State, Bernard focuses on one woman, Lenina. Some of the first observations the reader sees from Bernard are through direct characterization. When Fanny and Lenina speak of Bernard, they bring up how he is an Alpha plus, but does not have such a good reputation, and spends his time alone. An example of direct characterization would be when Lenina approaches Bernard about their relationship and intimacy. Everyone around the two characters freezes and stares. They are waiting for a response. This moment is a getaway for Bernard. It is the moment in which he can prove himself a bit “normal” to the men, but quickly looses the opportunity by trying to change the subject on Lenina. Bernard is trying very hard not to be a part of the World State, but cannot help but participate in some of its practices.

      No matter how hard Bernard tries to fight the World State he will always be a part of it. His inward feelings are not as strong or as big as the World State pressures.  Though we see Bernard battling inwardly we also see him slightly conforming to this world. An example of this is his participation in the Fordson Community Singery. He is a part of it yet he fakes his feelings of “wonderfulness” to please the people there. Bernard is not conformed with his world, but is unsure of how to battle it out just like many of us human beings want to be a part of society, but do not want to be dragged in to peer pressure. There are many things in our world that I agree and disagree on, but one thing I fight against as a teenager is peer pressure. I have to inwardly fight with myself and not conform with something if I know it is not right. Bernard is one of us, confused and fighting.

BRAVE NEW ESSAY TOPIC

Find an AP essay prompt that is related to Brave New World.  Post it to your course blog along with your strategy for answering it.

AP English Literature and Composition
2005 Free-Response Questions
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/_ap05_frq_englishlit_45549.pdf

In Kate Chopin's The Awakening (1899), protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to process "that outward existence which conforms, the inward life which questions." In a novel or play that you have studied, identify a character who conforms outwardly while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid mere plot summary. 

You may select a work from the list below or another appropriate novel or play of comparable literary merit.... (list)

Outline:

Bernard Marx or Hemholtz

• Outcast
• short 
• disagrees with Foster
• Believes sex should not be talked about in the way everyone else talks about it
• Alpha
• abnormal

Inward:

• He does a lot of inword thinking though he is more of an outword thinker because he expresses jealousy, fear, and romanticism.
• He thinks to himself a lot.
• Ex: when Foster is talking about Lenina as a piece of meat
• Ex: When Lenina approaches him about intimacy in front of all of the males he wants to speak of it in a more private area. 

Conformity:

• Bernard conforms because he has nothing else to do. Everyone around him is doing it so why not do it also. 
• He tells himself he does not care, but the more he does the more he is involved. 
• He is part of the society whether he likes it or not. 
• He fights with his demons about it, but in the end he forms as part of them and practices their rituals. 
• Ex: Ch.5 part 2

* I'm thinking Helmholtz would probably be a better candidate for this essay prompt since he is more of any inward thinker but I do not know much about him yet from what I have read so far in the novel. 

Cesar Chavez Movie

If he were still alive would he be satisfied with the way the farm workers are treated today? Would he enjoy the sight of no tables or chairs to rest on? The conditions have been improved, but there is still work to do.

Such a great Movie trailer. It gives me the chills every time I watch it. Hope the movie turns out to be a good representation of what Chavez did for his people.

I AM HERE

 I AM HERE please explain your progress in this course during the first grading period.  Have you begun thinking/working on your senior project, big question, collaborative working group, or other endeavor/venture that shows how you're putting this course to work for you? Document and explain your performance.

Coming fully back this semester with as much as enthusiasm as the first was and continues to be very difficult. Aside from this I have kept up with this course and the rest of my classes. I feel more comfortable in the course, I know what is expected of me and I know what I expect out of myself. I have completed all of the course assignments to best of my ability and I am constantly up to date on blog post, reading, and assignments.

My senior project is going to be a continuation of my compassion project from first semester. Since I know I am not the best video editor so I plan to collaborate with Miranda Nillo this time around. My project's theme will be compassion, but I am planning on expanding and adding people's thoughts on love, failure, acceptance etc. I am not quite sure that I will embed all of these different threads into compassion, but the ideas are flowing. I have not started to film any new footage yet, but will do this coming week.

WELCOME TO THE INTERDISCIPLINARITY

Launch/Draft:  Compassion Project

• Sympathy and Kindness
• Etiquette/Manners
• Science of how it works
• Ethnic Studies
• Humanity as a whole
• Interdependence
• Awareness
• Connections
• Collaboration
• Research
• Education
• Neuroeconomics
• Neuroscience 
• Society

My Resource

Stanford University's
CCARE (The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education)

http://ccare.stanford.edu/tag/ccare/

http://neuroscience.stanford.edu/research/programs/nsccare.html


CCARE Blog:

http://ccare.stanford.edu/blog/

Lit. Terms #6 Remix

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

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

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

Speaker:  a narrator, the one speaking.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Suspension of Disbelief:  suspend disbelief in order to enjoy something.

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

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

Synecdoche:   another form of name changing, in which a part stands for the whole.

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

Theme: main idea of the story; its message(s).

Thesis: a proposition for consideration, especially one to be discussed and proved or disproved; the main idea

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

Tongue in Cheek: a type of humor in which the speaker feigns seriousness; also called
"dry" or "dead pan"

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

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

Vernacular: everyday speech

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

Zeitgeist: the feeling of a particular era in history

HAFTA/WANNA

One of the questions I have been constantly asked this year is “How does it feel to be a senior?” I simply respond good, and stressful. The real response should be…not much different. There were some changes this year that I most certainly label as “life-changing” and “learning experiences” but when I think about it I am in the same environment I was in for the last three years. The transition from high school to college will be different in the way that I will have more freedom with my education and my life in general. For the most part I will have control over an aspect of my life. In fact, it is probably the most control and freedom I am going to have in my 17 years of life. When I go off to college the Erica that I “left” after high school graduation will come with me. There will certainly be aspects of my life that I will work on changing, but I will not completely transform into another person. There are things that I am going to have to do to mold myself into my college life, but molding is different from changing. And even  “self-molding” will take some time. I have no rush and I am pretty good at balancing my time. For the most part I do what I have to do first and then I do what I want. It is very rare when that is reversed. I see what I have to do as a “must” and what I want to do as a reward. I am also very good about taking breaks and slowing down if I feel like I am burning my self out. I have very high expectations for myself and at times can be very hard on my self for the same reason. Throughout the years I have learned to give myself credit and reward myself once in a while. I know that my high expectations and work ethic will allow me to conquer my goals one step at a time.

The Nose by Nikolai Gogol

QUIZ

1. What does Ivan Yakovlevich do for a living? 
-He is a barber.

2. What does Ivan find in a loaf of bread? 
-A nose.

3. How does his wife respond to Ivan's discovery? 
-She was surprised and asked him Ivan whose nose he had cut off. She began to blame him and said that it was one of his customer’s nose.

4. What does Ivan set out to accomplish?
-He want to get rid of the nose as soon as possible.

5. When Ivan tosses the "package" in the river, for a brief moment he is happy; then he is arrested. What does this scene suggest about the role of happiness in Ivan's life/community/society? 
-The moment of happiness represents the relief in Ivan. It lets the reader know that like any other human being Ivan is preoccupied on what other people would think of him if he did something wrong (like having someone else’s nose). The nose is a conflict, and getting rid of the conflict is what Ivan wanted.


6. Where does the title object belong, and how does it finally get there?   
-The nose belongs on the Majors face, and it finally gets there when the police finds it and returns it to him.                                                                                                                                                

LAUNCH/DRAFT

1. What am I passionate about?  What do I want to do?

Something that I have always found very fulfilling and I enjoy doing is helping others, motivating others or making people laugh, and smile. I want to do that for the rest of my life. As of for now I am going to keep working on my compassion project, because I want to keep learning about the topic.

As for the future I am unsure of how I am going to fit that into my career, but I think I can make it work. I have applied as a Public Health Sciences major or something along those lines to all the universities I have applied to, but I am not exactly sure what my profession is going to be. I can head in many directions, but I am unsure of which would lead me to what I love to do daily. 

2. How can I use the tools from last semester (and the Internet in general)?

In many ways I use the Internet to communicate and collaborate with others. Through media I was able to add a video to my compassion project. Through the Internet I was able to share my ideas and my peers’ ideas and thoughts on compassion. The blog for this course has allowed me to become comfortable and familiar to the Internet and sharing my ideas and work on it than I ever was before. This semester I plan to collaborate with Miranda Nillo on my project and get more ideas and thoughts from different people, from different ages, and from different places.

3. What will I need to do in order to "feel the awesomeness with no regrets" by June?

By June I will have finished the Compassion Project with input from various age groups, a better understanding of compassion, and a eye-opening video that will make people jump out of their seats and want to practice being compassionate. I am still gathering my thoughts on how I am going to do this, but I am very exited and I can’t wait to get back on the job.

4. What will impress/convince others (both in my life and in my field)?

If this video project could actually get people to practice being more compassionate would be wonderful and very impressive. I am not quite sure what else would be impressive. I mean maybe if it could become a commercial or something of that sort.

5. How will I move beyond 'What If' and take this from idea --> reality?

I honestly have no idea. All I want is for this project to be seen by people and to make a tiny difference in them, to influence compassion, to trigger a feeling of kindness, or to make someone smile. Once I have the final hard copy of the project I will probably put it up on the Social Media like my blog, Facebook, and You Tube.

6. Who will be the peers, public, and experts in my personal learning network?

Everyone that I ask for their opinions and thoughts will be in my learning network. I am learning from everybody. I am learning that compassion means very different things to many different people. I am learning from adults, teenagers, and children, from all ages and all ethnicities. Miranda Nillo and I will be collaborating to make this project happen. 

Lit. Terms #5 REMIX

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

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

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

Pedantry:  a display of learning for its own sake.

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

Plot:  a plan or scheme to accomplish a purpose.

Poignant:  eliciting sorrow or sentiment.

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

Postmodemism: literature characterized by experimentation, irony, nontraditional forms, multiple  meanings, playfulness and a blurred boundary between real and imaginary

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

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

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

Purpose:  the intended result wished by an author.

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

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

"Just move on up
Move on up
What move on up
Oh child but just a move on up
Just move on up
Move on up"

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

Resolution: point in a literary work at which the chief dramatic complication is worked out; denouement.

Restatement:  idea repeated for emphasis.

Rhetoric: use of language, both written and verbal in order to persuade.

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

Rising Action: plot build up, caused by conflict and complications, advancement towards climax.

Romanticism:  movement in western culture beginning in the eighteenth and peaking in the nineteenth century as a revolt against Classicism; imagination was valued over reason and fact.

Satire: ridicules or condemns the weakness and wrong doings of individuals, groups,
institutions, or humanity in general.

Scansion: the analysis of verse in terms of meter.



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