Masterpiece Academy Question

Looking back on all of my years of schooling, I have espoused learning. You learn something everyday that benefits you and to me that is really special. There is nothing quite like learning and becoming familiar with something and being able to expand and have a great discussion on it. Learning makes you great at what you're passionate about. It helps you take the next step towards what you love and your bright future. I took this course very seriously we were given a lot of freedom, which I felt I deserved and earned. I was up-to-date on my work and never missed an assignment. School and learning is what you make of it. You are going to have to want to get good grades and pay attention to be where you want to be.

Plato's Allegory of the Cave really says something about my journey. I have a comfort zone well, where I am comfortable. The shackles in the Allegory of the Cave represent how far we let our thoughts go while the cave represents our imagination and the reality we want to believe. I think many of us do this and stay put where we think it is safe instead of letting ourselves and imaginations run free and give ourselves more of an opportunity. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is another one that spoke to me. It was about a pilgrimage and whoever told the best tale on the way there got a better treatment. I think it made them work harder and it was like me. I worked harder not to "get" anything but to get farther in life. Lastly, Sartre's No Exit, spoke to me as being "stuck". It reminds me of being in a place no one wants to be. It's like being stuck somewhere for the rest of your life knowing the only way to escape is to just do what you were meant to do.

A passion that drives me is makeup and how you can show artistic ability through eyeshadow. You can do so much with so little. Creating a whole theme with eyeshadow, lipstick, and eyeliner to me is mind-blowing! I will continue my learning by continuing research and go to a cosmetology school. It is insanely important to me because I know I will go somewhere because of what I can do. Switching gears a little bit reminds me of how we never actually spent time on poetry. I laugh when I think about it because I remember how important it was my sophomore year. 

A constant theme I noticed while watching the masterpiece presentations was a sense of pride. Everyone was pleased with what they had accomplished. No one was happy to be done they were happy to show what they had done and many including my group are continuing with our masterpieces because it is something we are proud of. It is a great feeling to show something that you can look at and say "yeah I did that and I'm proud of it".  I noticed pride in of course my groups masterpiece and a couple people in my group wanted to go into business and I wanted to go in cosmetology so I was able to incorporate what I was passionate about in the masterpiece. Allyson Brown was very proud to show everyone her pictures from her summer program in Michigan where they learned all about genetics and got a hands on experience with a professor. Jose showed us about his football career and how he wants to motivate people to do better. Ashley and Bianca are really into comics and showed us some of their work. Edmond wants to be a writer and he was able to show us a little bit of the book he has been writing.

I would say that I am a hero I stepped out of my comfort zone a lot and did more than I expected I would which was a good step for me. Basically everything that the project called for my group and I accomplished one way or another. Micaela and Sarah found a mentor while they were in Long Beach. We talked about it and we felt pretty good with the results of everything. This final project was one of the best ones we could have done, it completely challenged us to push ourselves and get to know people, offer assistance, and get our word out there. Every student seemed to have avoided clichés when creating their masterpiece which made them all very unique.

Masterpiece Update

My masterpiece is going very well. My group and I are very confident with the work we have done. In class we discussed everyone's project and offered our assistance. We are just not sure how we will present our masterpiece. There are many ways to go about the project presentation. 

At Least Two Poetry Essays

Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing by Margaret Atwood

Helen of Troy, a woman whose beauty ultimately caused the Trojan War, is a figure many people know of. These two poems seem to take this single woman and change her into two by the very way they describe her. One poem is full of admiration for her, and the other despises the person she is. Diction, imagery, form, and tone help create a completely different picture of Helen of Troy in the eyes of the spearers.

In the poem To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe, it begins with such a love and admiration of her beauty, comparing her to the "Nicean barks of yore." Poe goes on to use more imagery to describe her beauty, such as "hyacinth hair" and "statue-like." The tone and form of the poem also convey his sense of admiration of Helen. The poem is written in the way a love letter is written to a loved one. His tone shows how in awe Poe is of Helen's beauty, how her beauty has brought him to her. Even the title itself "To Helen" shows how he's writing this poem not only about her, but to her, as he would want her to see how he thinks of her.

The other poem is completely different when it comes to Helen. Strictly titled Helen, this author speaks in a very solemn tone, with a slight hint of disgust and hate for her. The author uses imagery to describe the way she looks, with "still eyes in the white face," "the wan face when she smiles." This changes the description of Helen of Troy as to someone with a pale, sickly unattractive look about them. The author even goes on to explicitly saw how Greece hated this woman, is reviled by her, and would only love her if "she were laid, white ash amid funereal cypresses." The tone and imagery show how strongly Helen is disliked by not only by Greece, but by the author.

These two poems are examples of how literary elements such as tone and imagery can make such a difference. Helen of Troy, one woman, went from being a most beautiful woman who a man adored, to being a woman most hated by an entire country. A single person can be drastically changed by a few words, for words are more powerful than one thinks.

Blackberrying By Sylvia Plath

The poem commences with a somewhat content and peaceful attitude as the poet ambles through the winding  'hooks' of rows upon rows of blackberries. She describes the rows of berries as  'blue-red' with  'ebon,' suggesting ripeness and perfection.
The blackberries are accommodating and  'squander' on her fingers like  'sisterhood', which gives the feeling of bonding, bringing together and fitting in. This proves to be quite ironic as the tone of the poem is one of solitude and loneliness.

The first stanza conveys to the reader a message of ambition and hope, as she talks about the sea,  'somewhere at the end of it'. This stanza could have a double meaning, either in describing the berries, as they appear to cluster together or could symbolize a finishing stage or a checkpoint in her life following her long journey. With knowledge of her suicide, which followed later after she wrote the poem, I believe that the poem could provide a harsh metaphor for her life. The three stanzas contribute to her journey of solitude and loneliness, but, when she arrives at the sea, after a seemingly endless walk, there is  'nothing but a great space.' Her journey, which appears aimless could also symbolize her attitude to life because she must have had nothing to live for, with no objectives in life, as we see her hopes of desire raised, then thwarted, as her viewing of the sea disillusions her.

The poem's somewhat harsh tone is not the only used by Plath. Firstly, natural beauty and serenity is the theme whilst a strongly contrasting third stanza strikes a definite bitterness and pathos.
The poet uses figurative language as the medium to convey her thoughts to the reader. There are a few similes used, for example  'dumb as eyes' and 'din like silversmiths'.

Groupthink

As much as talking with others is supposed to help, it doesn't. I enjoy figuring the poems out on my own, and even though their grids helped explain their poems a bit better, I'm sure I didn't understand it on the same level as they did, since they spent more time reading it. But I did see some interesting types of poems, and some familiar ones as well from my group. We also agreed on how the poetry part will probably be the most difficult on the AP exam, but using the grids helped organize the poem into parts so we can understand it better.

Gridlock

TPCASTT:  Poem Analysis Method:  title, paraphrase, connotation, diction, attitude, tone, shift(s), title revisited and theme
Titleof poem means	Blackberrying: the act of picking blackberries, as the speaker of Sylvia's poem is doing
Paraphraseparts of the Poem	The first stanza the speaker (maybe Sylvia) is walking alone through blackberry fields, and she talks about the berries and how they look. The next stanza the speaker notices choughs that looks like bits of paper in the sky, and realizes she won't see the sea. She goes up to another blackberry bush and describes it. The last stanza she doesn't mention blackberries at all. She walks between two hills, calling them green and sweet. She turns and sees a huge orange rock, and hears metal clanging against metal.
Connotationof some of the words – changing literal meaning to implied or associated values	Blackberry alley - a single path surrounded by blackberry fields on both sides; dumb as eyes - the color of the blackberries are dark?; blood sisterhood - could mean like blood brothers, where you cut your thumb and press it against another person's thumb, squeezing blackberries would show something like that; bits of burnt paper wheeling in the sky - the choughs? are being referred to as bits of paper fluttering in the sky
AttitudeWhat is the attitude of the author, characters or yourself?	The attitude of the author is very solemn and observant. The author has a strong emotional tie to the blackberries at the beginning of the poem. But as it progresses, we don't see that attitude again. The rest of the poem seems to be more somber, and the blackberries aren't even mentioned in the last part.
ShiftAt first we think or feel one way – then there is a shift:  identify the shifts and explain them	The first shift happens between the first and second stanzas. The speaker ends the first stanza with "I had not asked for such a blood sisterhood; they must love me/They accommodate themselves to my milkbottle, flattening their sides." Very simple description of the blackberries. Then it shifts to "Overhead go the choughs in black, cacophonous flocks-/Bits of burnt paper wheeling in a blown sky/Theirs is only the voice protesting, protesting./I do not think the sea will appear at all." It is quite a change from the last two verses of the first stanza.
Title revisitedAny new insights on meaning or significance of title?	There is some deeper meaning of the title. "Blackberrying" isn't really about the literal action that the speaker is doing. Blackberrying means something more. But I'm just not sure what.
Theme	Nature?

Three Poems

BlackBerrying By Sylvia Plath

Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing By Margaret Atwood

Digging by Seamus Heany

Seventh Reading

Blackberrying by Sylvia Plath

At first, this poem confused me. The first stanza I seemed to understand a little, since it seemed to be referencing the title. But then the next two stanzas had nothing to do with it. After reading it for the seventh time, I was able to pick out the difference between the first and the last two stanzas. The first is so happy, and the last two have such a somber tone. Ordinarily I wouldn't have been able to find something like that reading a poem once. But reading it over and over again actually helps the comprehension of the poem!

Macbeth Presentation

I worked on the prezi with Micaela Hellman and Michaila Bohard it should be located on Micaela's Blog.

Act 5 Notes

• A dr. observes Lady MacBeth and her nocturnal walking
• They think she feels guilt for the murders of Banquo and Duncan
• Tyrants are protecting Dunsinane
• ten thousand soldiers approaching
• men are ready to fight and die
• MacBeth makes it knows that he is not afraid of death
• Lady MacBeth's illness is within her heart therefor it can not be cured
• Soldiers disguise themselves in the woods in other words they hide out
• Once told that Lady MacBeth has died MacBeth suddenly fears death once again
• Malcolm and his army finally reach the castle
• MacBeth is Macduffs only target

The Crossroads Between Should and Must

Looking at my life I always choose must. People constantly tell me what I should do but I don't like having things decided for me. It's no way to live life being told what to do all the time. I think that making your own desicions is what sets you apart from other people. I like to take risks which is very useful because you never know what could happen most of the time if you do it right you end up exactly where you want to be. Nothing is better than having exactly what you want in life in the palm of your hands. As Ella Luna said "Must is who we are, what we believe, and what we do when we are alone with our truest, most authentic self. It’s our instincts, our cravings and longings, the things and places and ideas we burn for, the intuition that swells up from somewhere deep inside of us. Must is what happens when we stop conforming to other people’s ideals and start connecting to our own." 

Should is just an excuse for putting off your dreams. I think that must is always the way to go. Must means you are finally making your dream a reality and no one can stop you. It's because you set your mind to it that it's actually happening. For me, I take must seriously. It's not always easy and a simple process but it's worth it. Everyone has always tried to tell me what to do with my life and where to go and what to be. I never wanted any of the options people laid out for me. I was always thinking of something different something that I would enjoy. I see myself headed the right direction. I am headed to a cosmetology school because I want to be a makeup artist. I've also done makeup tutorials on YouTube and taken steps to get my work out there. 

In conclusion, must is always a better option that should. Taking a step toward must means you are doing what you want. You are doing what you know is right instead of listening to what other people are saying. It's scary but it's right. 

Act 4 Notes

• the third apparition says Duncan and Malcolm may be able to harm MacBeth
• there were 8 kings
• the witches disappear
• Macduff abandoned his family and fled to England
•  a messenger tells Macduffs wife and son to leave because "danger is near"
• They don't leave and they are killed
• Malcolm doesn't trust Macduff
• One dr. can cure patients just by touching them
• Ross reports that Macduffs whole family is killed
• Malcolm and Macduff are going to fight back

Act 3 Notes

• witches prophecy's come true
• MacBeth doesn't want Fleance to become king
• MacBeth views Banquo as a threat
• Lady MacBeth and MacBeth become King and Queen
• Banquo is killed
• Fleance fled
• MacBeth worries about Fleance revenge
• MacBeth saw Banquo's ghost
• King Edward and Duncan's son are preparing for war against MacBeth

Essay prompts

Writing Prompt: Discuss the relationship between Macbeth and Banquo. Is it based on genuine respect and friendship at the beginning of the play? How is it affected by the prophecies of the witches? Does Banquo ever doubt Macbeth’s loyalty to his country, king, and fellow soldiers? What other factors contribute to their increasing distrust of one another? Find evidence in the text to support your answers.

Writing Prompt: In this scene, Macbeth is discussing hiding his true self. This same idea is expressed several times in the play as wearing “masks.” Describe a time when you weren’t yourself. What was the result? Is there ever a situation where it’s good to be a little deceptive or hide your true self/intentions?

Writing Prompt: How do you see the Porter’s role in the play? Does he provide comic relief? Is he a messenger of sorts? Does his character serve some other function? In some productions, the Porter’s part is omitted from the play. What effect do you think leaving the Porter out has on the play?

 

Act 2 Notes

• MacBeth decided to kill Duncan
• Lady MacBeth drugged the Chaimberlains of kings
• Macduff tells everyone of kings murder
• Donalbalin goes to Ireland and Malcolm goes to England
• MacBeth is ready to be officially crowned king
• MacBeth's soliloquy
• He feels like he's in a dream or nightmare
• Feels uneasy about his actions and the consequences that follow
• Other people are framed for the murder
• MacBeth and his wife act it out almost perfectly
• No one suspects the Macbeths at this point
• People begin to suspect the MacBeths
• Macduff and Ross accuse Macbeth
• MacBeth is to become King
• MacBeth will start plunging into evil
• according to witches plans

Look At My Brain

My masterpiece and work in general to me is going well. I am really getting in touch with my creative side and thinking of more makeup looks and ideas to contribute to the masterpiece. My work in general is pretty good to me at least. I am really putting in a lot of hard work into my blog and work. 

What About My Masterpiece?

I think our progress is good. I have had some new ideas to contribute to the blog which I will be posting very soon. We are discussing making a social media site for our masterpiece to help get the word out there and make it easier for students to access the information from their smartphones or tablets. Shakespeare had all day to write and perfect his work but we have so many hours to make our work perfect or at least up to our standards and none of us are Shakespeare.

Love is Blind

Macbeth sees Lady Macbeth as his devoted queen. He will do what he needs to make her happy because he loves her. Although the audience gets a different vibe from her like she's evil. They are right. Lady Macbeth is the reason the king ended up dead. She drives Macbeth to think evil thoughts.

Macbeth Act 1 Notes

• the 3 witches are introduced
• the bloody battle occurs
• a wounded captain tells about the battle and of MacBeths bravery
• witches are dark and evil
• MacBeth asks the witches about his future
• his child will be king
• the witches say no more and vanish
• Duncans oldest son is now in line to be king
• Lady MacBeth has planned to kill the king
• Lady MacBeth makes her plan obvious
• MacBeth is hesitant to follow her plan

Meet Macbeth

How is Macbeth introduced through in/direct characterization?

The first time that Macbeth is mentioned in the play is through indirect characterization by the witches and later the Captain, who praises him as a brave warrior. This is shortly followed by Duncan referring to the tragic hero as ‘noble Macbeth’. However, when we meet Macbeth ‘in person’ for the first time in the third scene of Act 1, he almost immediately notices the presence of the three witches and based on his reactions to them and the message that they uncover about him becoming Thane of Cawdor and King, more is revealed about who he is. This occurs repeatedly throughout the script.

What elements of foreshadowing do the witches provide?

In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the three witches as main sources foreshadowing. In the play they are conveyed as prophecies. The audience experiences a little of these prophecies almost immediately in the opening scene and act of the play. When they talk about meeting Macbeth they say they will greet him, "when the battle's lost and won." (Shakespeare, pgage1) And then they yell together, "fair is foul, and foul is fair."(Shakespeare, page1) These two examples foreshadow that some sort of evil will be coming and that there will also be a victory of sorts, but the audience doesn't know specifically what yet. These also suggest a great battle is to be fought against good and evil and the events that follow will unfold at a rapid pace. This foreshadowing can be detected by the audience because they can feel the emotion of doom and evil rising.

How does Shakespeare's approach to exposition give the reader background information about the setting and characters and a sense of what's to come without spoiling the play?

Shakespeare is good at providing a sense of what is going to happen without exactly telling you what is going to happen. He goes around the subject to give you more of a sense of the next big thing that is going to happen.

How does Shakespeare's characterization of Macbeth reflect a sense of tone (i.e., the author's attitude toward the character/s, audience, and/or subject matter)?

The attitude Shakespeare has toward the audience and characters is more somber or sinister. This play is not a happy play and always has something that will definitely go wrong.

What themes appear evident in Macbeth's character and conduct?  To what extent do you think these themes will drive the rest of the play? 

A theme is between cruelty and masculinity. I am sure everyone will end up hurt or dead or wishing they were dead. I am sure something will happen whereas everyone will regret it.

Seeking Mentor

Well my mentor is not exactly identified yet. Although I do have questions prepared for them. Some questions would be is my blog and work appropriate for how my masterpiece going? How did you get to where you are today? What steps did you take to achieve your goals? 

Resource of the Day #8

My resource of the day for my masterpiece is Pinterest. Pinterest is so helpful especially for our project and it allows us to look up and create new things to bring to the table. 

My Macbeth Resources

The five resources I think that would be useful in our study of Macbeth are:

1. Getting in touch with people who teach Shakespeare and constantly think about this. 

2. A book that translates Macbeth so it is more understandable. 

3. Playing a useful game to help understand certain tricky parts of the play. 

4. Acting out the play is also a very useful technique. 

5. Also letting us discuss the play ourselves is pretty helpful and a lecture where we take notes is also a useful resource. 

Resource of the Day #7

My resource of the day would be twitter. Twitter has so many useful tools to help reach out to people and get our project out there. I love twitter and what it's capable of doing by helping us connect to people. 

Is there an expert in the house?

       For the masterpiece our expert would be someone who is in marketing, fashion, and makeup. It would make them an expert because what they are qualified for.

       An expert in my career field would be a makeup artist and they would be able to guide me in my makeup skills and teach me other tricks and ideas to create and learn. 

This is only a test

My field of study is cosmetology I have been challenging myself and working on a YouTube channel to get my work out there. Also I started a makeup Instagram and made it strictly for makeup. I have some work I will post below:

The Test

My test is focusing on my career field. 

There are so many ways to create a test avoiding multiple choice questions and essays. My career field is makeup artistry/cosmetology. I think it's very helpful to create looks based on what the instructor may want. 

1. Create a natural day makeup look. 

2. Turn that natural makeup into a night look. 

3. Create a fun everyday up-do. 

4. Create fun beach waves. 

5. Create a smokey eye using glitter. 

All of these are very good ways to test what you know and how you can do it. 

Huxley's Brave New World

-Haunted by a vision of hell on earth

-Someday the entire world would live under a dictatorship

-enemies of freedom in United States/forces and devices (impersonal)

•   Overpopulation

-birth of Christ and landing of Mayflower population doubled

-under developed countries will cause social unrest with gain in intervention of central gov't

-catholic church is pushing us into hands of communism because of their disbelief in birth control

-we practice death control in most intensive matter without balancing control of births

•  Over organization

-more technology causes more organization

-advance in technology has caused advance in organization

-devices: propaganda linked to Hitler who used radio and impose his will on a mass of people

-methods available that could be used in bad situation

-our own advancing technology should not catch us by surprise in a situation we didn't foresee

-technology is distracting people all the time

-communist countries rely on TV and that's where it's at

-potential misuse of instrument

-soma: versatile drug

-drugs will profoundly change our mental states without doing any harm: pharmaceutical revolution

-need the consent of the ruled through drugs, new techniques of propaganda, by bypassing rational side of man appealing to subconscious and deeper emotions, making him love his slavery

-BNW could come to our shores

-start thinking about these problems i.e.. advances in technology & drugs
-think about/foresee the outcome of these new devices
-attacks advertising agencies
-democracy depends on individual voter making rational decision
-propagandists try to bypass rational decisions of these voters

-children are television and radio fathered
-children are susceptible/"brainwashing" used by communists
-fears the right people will not use devices and wrong people will use these devices in the wrong ways
-instruments for obtaining power
-power is dangerous in democracies
-devices limit power
-insist in education and individual values
-group morality/ethic contradicts genetic make up of people
-decentralization is important to give back to the voter for the power that comes with it
-Jefferson suggested break up units into smaller unites for democracy
-freedom is necessary for productive society
-need considerable measure of individual freedom
-scientists are given more freedom (Soviet regime)
-drones work for queen bees above
-Huxley supports democracy

Lit Analysis #3 Wuthering Heights

  Wuthering Heights By: Emily Bronte

 GENERAL

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read, and explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

Anna Karenina is a tragic love story in which the protagonist (Anna) is trapped in a false, loveless marriage when she is truly in love with another man. She commits adultery and becomes pregnant and the rest of the story is her dealing with the repercussions from social society (in the end she commits suicide). I believe the author fulfills his purpose of the pressures of social society by making Anna the protagonist. It makes us root for her even though she was not being faithful, and also causes the reader to resent society for being so harsh on a woman for trying to stop living a lie and be with the one she loves. Are we not entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

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

In this novel there is a theme of love – and not just the “mushy” kind. Yes there is Anna’s adulterous love affair with Vronsky, but there is also the love within a family (for example Anna’s love for her son). It is actually these two loves that come in conflict with each other and lead to Anna’s inability to love. In contrast to Anna’s love triangle, there is another example of love within this novel: that of between Kitty and Levin who obtain happiness through a wholesome marriage.

3. Describe the author's tone.

Although the novel centers around a protagonist that commits adultery, we still come to pity and feel
sorry for her. Yet the author drops hints of disapproval and makes his tone seem that of a moralist. He does not approve of all the actions made by Anna Karenina. He also criticizes others for their hypocrisy and judgmental behaviors.

“[Anna] felt herself so criminal and guilty that the only thing left for her was to humble herself and beg forgiveness; but as she had no one else in her life now except [Vronsky], it was also to him that she addressed her plea for forgiveness.”

“Looking at him, she physically felt her humiliation and could say nothing more.”

“And [Vronsky] felt what a murderer must feel when he looks at the body he has deprived of life.”

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.
Analysis- Tolstoy was very analytical of how people felt for example he uses about 4 chapters just to describe a single feeling. I found this to be over analyzed, but you really understood what the character was going through.

Imagery- Somewhat going along with analysis, Tolstoy was always very descriptive of everything in the novel including how Anna felt and what was perceived around her.

Contrast- The author contrasts the negative results of Anna’s love (adultery and suicide) with the happy ending that results from the marriage of Kitty and Levin.

Dialect- the author uses different dialects to disyinguish between different classes and emphasiz the pressures in social society. For example the higher classes are more articulate and educated sounding than that of the lower classes.

Elegy- after Anna commits suicide Vronsky reflects on how much he really loved Anna and mourns her suicicde.

Foreshadowing- Anna seeing someone who was ran over by a train in the beginning of the novel foreshadows her committing suicide (by throwing herself in front of a moving train) towards the end of the novel.

Soliloquy- as Anna drives to the train station to commit suicide she talks to herself and contemplates the events that have led to this decision.

Anaphora- there are a lot of repeated phrases throughout the novel such as Anna and her “dark curls” and “light step”

Metaphor- compares transportation like how people are transported by trains with the suicide of Anna and how it transported her away from her family and society.

Motif- adultery is a topic that frequently reoccurs in the novel (most of the plot is based off of Anna’s adultery) and by so doing also brings in the views of social society. It is really odd that when it comes to adultery, it is more of a social issue than that of a moral or religious one.

 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)?

The author mainly uses indirect characterization through the actions of characters and he very rarely uses direct characterization. When describing Vronsky he used direct characterization: “He not only disliked family life, but a family, and especially a husband was, in accordance with the views general in the bachelor world in which he lived, conceived as something alien, repellant, and, above all, ridiculous.” Other types of direct characterization come from characters who voice their own opinions (although their opinions seem to change sometimes throughout the novel) such as Levin and his views on farming, god, and women. By using direct characterization in this way we are able to see the values of each character. Some indirect characterization examples include that of Oblonsky who claims to feel regret for his past sexual actions yet he doesn’t stop. This characterization makes us view his character as hypocritical and unable to keep his own word. Another example of indirect characterization shows Dolly as a loyal friend to Anna who appears to be indifferent to social society with her continued visits with Anna even after she has committed adultery.

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

The authors diction changes when there are changes between different social statuses. For example the upper classes use more articulate and advanced diction because they are educated but the lower classes are not as educated and therefore their diction is inferior. I think it’s also important to point out that the subjects that they talk about are different too. For example, the upper classes that are more cautious of social status are enthralled in gossip.

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

The protagonist, Anna, is a dynamic character. After she commits adultery and is confronted with all the social repercussions she becomes so depressed and these emotions and social pressure eventually lead her to commit suicide. She is also a round character because she experiences numerous emotions for example love (for her son and Vronsky) but is also subject to negative emotions like jealousy. She feels guilty for destroying her marriage and home but she still remains admirable. She is a martyr to social society but is devoted to her son. She experiences so many different emotions that she is characterized as a round character.

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.

Some of Anna’s logic made her seem unreal to me. She is stuck in a situation where if she stays in her marriage she will be unhappy but if she pursues her true love then she feels like she will lose her son and must deal with the repercussions from social society. But if she simply divorced her first husband there would be less repercussions and she could regain some of her pride by remarrying Vronsky – her true love. I felt the adultery aspect of this story could have been avoided but perhaps the author needed it to make his point in the novel and expose hypocrisy and social society.

Resource of the Day #6

Today my resource of the day is Instagram. I have a separate account for my makeup posts so I look on Instagram for inspiration and ideas to help the average college girl look ready to take on the day! 

Resource of the Day #5

My resource of the day is Blogger. We have finally decided on a website to use for our masterpiece. Blogger is super easy to use and it is something we all know about and can all access. People around the world know about blogger and I think it is a very helpful and useful tool which will be able to help get our idea out there.

10 Questions

1. What would help make our website appeal to viewers?

2. What do you recommend we include on the website?

3. How do we get the website out there so everyone around the world can see it?

4. How do we make it look really professional?

5. Should we add pictures and/or video?

6. What steps do we take to create our website?

7. What can we do to set it apart from any pre-existing website similar to ours?

8. What will make viewers want to take our advice?

9. Is there a way for us to know how many people viewed our website?

10. Can we embed a 'like' or 'comment' section on the website?

Benchmark Project

My group members are Micaela Hellman, Sarah Stevens, and Rachel Nolan. We are working on our guide to college life website. It is going pretty well and we are just trying to get the site started and up and running. I really like our idea because it is very helpful and it will be very useful for incoming college freshman.

Our project is going to be a website for college students on how to survive basically. The site is called "classyU", the 'U' stands for university and we all that it was a cool idea. We will incorporate tabs such as dorm décor, being on time, studying, using your time wisely and more. We are going to make it very interesting. Also, we will incorporate ways to avoid the 'freshman fifteen'. This is just a guide to help people incase they are scared and don't know how to handle college life. We just need to complete the site and make it up to our standards.

Resource of the Day #4

For this resource we all got together and went out to Starbucks and brainstormed. I would say my group and I were the resources. We came up with quite a few good ideas and I think that it helped us move on up in the masterpiece.

Resource of the Day #3

This resource again is the internet and it is to look up a bunch of names for the website itself. We got stuck quite a few times because the names we chose were never available. A couple people in my group came up with the name "classyU". I thought it was great.

Learning [in a] Brave New World

In the end of the book Brave New World John the savage can't seem to live the life everyone seems to. John takes the path that cannot be used by anyone else-- death. John hangs himself and he has come to realize that even as he punishes himself or does anything to atone for what he believes are less than human or less than noble actions become co-opted by the mass culture, converting his real and meaningful angst into entertainment. He even gets caught up in the orgy through the mass pressure, his anger and frustration.

Resource of the Day #2

Today my resource would have to be my sister. She is in college and it is really helpful to get some insight on what to expect in college. It is very helpful for our masterpiece and we could definitely put some of her advice on the website.

Resource of the Day #1

My resource of the day would have to be Google. My group and I have been researching free websites that allows us to start up our own website for our masterpiece. We found a few and they ended up having to be paid for monthly so we will keep looking.

Super 5

1) My sister is in a great university and has a lot of friends also I know quite a few people in college who would be able to help us out.

2) Quite a few staff members on campus would be able to help us out if we need the help as well. Mr. Blanco I'm sure would be very helpful.

3) My mom's friend Sally, works for the city and deals with transit so it would help with the project to incorporate bus schedules.

4) We could also talk to people who work for colleges and ask them how people usually get along with the transition from high school to college.

5) Lastly, our group can definitely get the word out about our website by posting it in the career center or anywhere people often pass by.

Project Resources

Masterpiece: A Guide to College Life

1. A resource for my masterpiece would definitely be the people in class and also in my group. Since it is a guide to 'college 101' I know a lot of people who are currently in college and would be able to share their advice and experiences.

2. Googling 'college advice' would give an endless amount of resources we would be able to use and refer to if we got stuck.
- http://www.collegeadviceblog.com/
- http://www.collegetips.com/

3. We thought about doing this project online and making a cool website that people could go back and refer to when they need it. Our project is all about helping people become ready for college once they're they can be confident about college.

The people I am working with are Micaela Hellman (period 3), Rachel Nolan (p.4), and Sarah Stevens (p.4)

My Team

In my groups' project we are doing a guide to college life. My group has four people; myself, Micaela Hellman, and from period 4: Rachel Nolan, and Sarah Stevens. We have quite a lot of resources that we are able to use. We may be incorporating other fields of inquiry and maybe even marketing. 

BNW Notes Chapters 6&7

Chapter 6 

--Lenina contemplated bailing on Bernard for the trip to New Mexico for Benito who was going to the North Pole

--she chose to go with Bernard

--Lenina doesn't understand walking & talking with Bernard

--Bernard wants to be himself; he doesn't want to be a part of something else (the social body)

--Lenina is confused with all that Bernard is saying to her

--Bernard thinks of Lenina as meat

--Bernard is becoming very curious 

--he's in mourning 

Part 2

--Bernard wants to see the savages and is attempting to get the director to sign off on a permit

--first sight of confidence in Bernard

Part 3

--they are now on the savage reservation

--Ford is repeatedly used in the context of God ie. "thank Ford"

--Bernard's confidence is lost again when Helmholtz informs him the Director plans to send him to Iceland

--they have arrived for the summer festival

Chapter 7

--they're exploring the Mesa

--first encounter with the savaged at the pueblo; Lenina does not like it

--"But cleanliness is next to fordliness," she insisted

--simile 

--imagery

--syntax/diction

--the celebration has begun; singing and dancing

--snakes were brought out in the midst of the celebration

--a sacrificial ceremony takes place during the celebration

--Linda was the directors interest of the time and he got her pregnant, their son being the stranger they meet after the sacrifice

--John is the son of Thomas (the D.H.C.) and Linda

--Huxley's births/birth control theory

Launch

This is what I first had wrote when I answered the launch/draft questions:
• what am I passionate about? What do I want to do?

- I am very passionate about makeup and hair. I really want to become a makeup artist for the stars. 

• How can I use the tools from last semester (and the internet and general)?

- I can use tools from online to help create looks and also get my work out there. 

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

- I will need to do more YouTube videos and Instagram more. Also find the right cosmetology school. 

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

- I think my dedication and my skill will really impress others in my life and field. 

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

- I think I could move beyond 'what if' by just doing what I need to instead of imagining it. 

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

- The peers and public would be viewers who enjoy what I do and can see it whenever they please. The experts would be the trained and famous makeup artists who get to see the world because of what they do and who will be able to guide me in the right direction and also help me with whatever I may need. 

I will be teaming up with Micaela Hellman, Sarah Stevens, and Rachel Nolan. We are doing something along the lines of business and a guide to college for the next year. 

I, Jury

Well when I went through other peoples' blogs I noticed that people took a lot of time and wrote some really insightful essays. They were very good considering we are only on chapter five of the book. Something I can avoid on my next essay would definitely be summarizing. I don't usually summarize a book whilst writing an essay but I always need to remember that. Something that I will remember whilst writing my next essay would be to go more in depth about the topic/prompt.

Brave New Essay

Essay Prompt:  It seems undeniable that most World State members are happy, though people like John, Bernard, and Helmholtz might criticize the quality of their lives. What, then, is wrong with World State society? Discuss the relationship between truth and happiness, and the use of soma?

       In Brave New World by Aldous Huxley everyone in the World State is pretty much brainwashed. At a young age everyone is brought up the same way and are taught to think the same way. There are also classes to segregate each person in the World State. There are Alphas which are the highest class or the better people, Betas who are second best, Deltas, Gammas, and Epsilons. Now the Epsilons are the lowest class and of course no one really knows which is better or worse. Everyone is "happy" or so it seems, if they had a choice they wouldn't want to be ranked under that class. A few people of the World State that know more than they should and aren't happy with the life they have been told to lead would be Bernard, John, and Helmholtz.

      The World State society is a gloomy place, its a place where people are put in ranks and do not know which ranking is better than the other because they are all drugged up on pills they have to take that cancel out any emotion they would ever know. That drug is called soma. This is something that the people in the World State don't know that they are able to think for themselves if they didn't take soma and left the World State. Although if they try to find it the little bit of truth they know will be ripped away from them. By taking soma they know nothing more and it is just how they are programmed.

      Bernard is a complainer and never feels like he fits in. He always has to let people know it too. Bernard is short, chubby, and doesn't fit in with his friends. John and Helmholtz fit in perfectly with Bernard because they also feel like they do not belong in the World State. They feel like they know so much more than they should and every time they try to grasp it, it seems to fade away.

      Happiness is never actually there. It's a figment of their imagination and drugs. Everyone is told to believe the same thing and one of those things would be to believe they're happy. The World State is a gloomy place that a normal person would go crazy in. Everyone in the World State is actually really sad if they had the slightest ability to think for themselves.

Brave New Essay Topic

Essay Topic: It seems undeniable that most World State members are happy, though people like John, Bernard, and Helmholtz might criticize the quality of their lives. What, then, is wrong with World State society? Discuss the relationship between truth and happiness, and the use of soma?

The World State society is a gloomy place. Its a place where people are put in ranks and do not know which ranking is better than  the other because they are drugged up on soma all the time. Truth is something that none of the people in World State know. If they try to find it, the little bit of truth they hold onto is ripped away from them. Happiness is caused by soma. Soma is a drug that causes them to feel no emotion so they don't get attached. Its how they are programmed.

I Am Here

Well I think I am on the right path. I've been keeping my blog up to date and it is always on time. I am not really sure what I will do my senior project on. Although I am always thinking of something I could do. I am doing pretty well in my opinion. 

BNW Notes Chapter 5

Part 1
--Lenina is sleeping with both Henry and Bernard
--social classes are very hateful towards each other
--"We can't do without anyone."
--it's your conditioning that makes you think the way you do
--a switchback occurs when someone finally and definitely disappears
--"The sexophones wailed like melodious cats under the moon..."
--repetition of "good-night, dear friends"
--taking contraceptives and precautions had become automatic for Lenina (automatic as blinking)

Part 2
--a celebration (like a party or holiday) is taking place
--"Oh, he's coming!" The Greater Being
--twelve as one
--"Orgy-porgy"
--Bernard was as miserably isolated now as he had been when the service began
--he was separate while the others were being fused into the Greater Being
--Morgana's eyebrow thought Bernard

BNW Notes Chapter 4

Part 1
 --George Edzel (allusion)
--real places mixed in with not real places (literary allusion)
--repetition with "go down go down" and clause (anaphora, parallelism)
--the liftman's job it repetitive
--obstacle golf
--Lenina wants Bernard by making sexual puns
--no conflict, just interaction amongst each other
--sexual description starts with simile
--extended/metaphor of their sexual encounter
--extended metaphor when looking into distance
--many references to nature; microbial references; subhuman, leaf-green
--Lenina was a popular girl sleeping with many Alphas
--What is "Roof"? Why do they "Roof"?
--Benito Hoover has entered the scene
--reference to taking off in flight while having sex

Part 2
--Bernard felt guiltiest and more helplessly alone than ever
--he is very distressed and dislikes talk of the alcohol said to be in his blood-surrogate
--size was a universal ideal
--mockery made him feel as an outsider so he acted like an outsider
--envied other men like Henry Foster and Benito Hoover
--Helmholtz Watson was very similar to Bernard Marx in that they were the result of a physical defect
--shared the knowledge that they were individuals
--Helmholtz has a queer feeling he can't quite describe
--it seems they are beginning to wonder about life outside of their norm
--simile: "Words can be like X-rays, if you use them properly--they'll go through anything."

Welcome to the Interdisciplinarity

Interdisciplinary (adj) means combining or involving two or more academic disciplines or fields of study: The economics and history departments are offering an interdisciplinary seminar on Asia.

After high school I will be going into cosmetology, esthetics, and manicuring. I know that for cosmetology and nails you have to be quite creative with different looks you can create. Makeup has always been a passion of mine and I enjoy so much. I've always created many different looks and looked up many ways to create something I wasn't sure how too. Something that would help will definitely be art. Art is such an amazing thing that let's you express yourself. That's what I do when I do makeup and hair. There are so many tricks to creating different looks which make it easy. I know that putting black eyeliner in your waterline will make your eyes appear smaller. Also using a lighter eyeliner in your waterline will catch the light and bounce off your eyes to make them brighter.  

BNW Notes Chapter 3

Chapter 3
--"Imagine the folly of allowing people to play elaborate games which do nothing whatever to increase consumption. It's madness," mused the Director
--trying to get the children involved in erotic play
--the controller, Mustapha Mond, enters during playtime while in the park
--one of the top ten world controllers
--straight from the mouth of Ford himself
--home was a rabbit hole hot with frictions of tightly packed life reeking with emotion
--"Manically, the mother brooded over her children...brooded over them like a cat over its kittens; but a cat that could talk, a cat that..."
--pregnancy substitutes are given to young girls
--Ford v. Freud
--his theory was the world was full of fathers, therefore the world was full of misery
--family was dangerous and full of madness and suicide
--impulse and energy
--repetition: "But every one belongs to every one else."
--Lenina Crowne has been with Henry Foster for four months
--she needs to have another man
--"Think of water under pressure in a pipe."
--meant to feel strongly, in solitude, in hopelessly individual isolation
--stability: the primal and ultimate need
--imagery: "Impulse arrested spills over,...of the barrier."
--Assistant Predestinator
--Lenina has found interest in Bernard Marx, an Alpha Plus
--he doesn't like obstacle golf
--liberty was to be miserable, freedom to be a round peg in a square hole
--introduces hearsay about religion and government and history
--adapting future demand to future industrial supply: "Ending is better than mending,"
--Fanny is trying to discourage Lenina
--introduction to Shakespeare
--multiple thoughts and conversations carried out in the end?
--no ability to get old
--"Suffer little children," said the Controller.

Hafta/Wanna

The differences I see between my life during and after high school are major. I don't see myself living at home I see myself either up north or down south. I also know I won't see the same people I see everyday. I will be making friends who are mature and know and go after what they want in life. Similarities would be talking to my family everyday and keeping in touch. I see myself still doing makeup and getting opportunities to do other peoples makeup and hair more. Well, I would like to see people change and grow up after graduation. It is important to mature and move on with your life because you cannot stay a kid forever as much as you would like to. I work ahead if something is to be done and has a due date I usually try to get it done before so I won't worry about it and then I have more time to do the things I enjoy.

Lit Terms #6

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: cliche' 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 frame work of a literary selection; its apparent organization

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

subordinate: 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 nonrational aspects of man's existence characterized by the juxtaposition of the bizarre and the banal

suspension of disbelief: suspended not believing in order to enjoy it

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: the 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; aka "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: epposite 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 persona

zeitgeist: the feeling of a particular era in history

Brave New World Notes: Foreword and Chapters 1-2

Foreword
--somewhat negative attitude towards the judgement humanity has
--one extreme to another: utopian or savage
--author wants to offer up sanity and wants to see humanity sane in the Brave New World
--Brave New World is about the future; man's Final End
--theme of BNW is the advancement of of science as it affects human individuals
--in favor of conservatives
--for the last 30 years there have been none; there have only been nationalistic radicals of the right and left
--science is the progress; the future
--very educated in our nations' history
--predictions of the future hold true ie. there are as many divorces as marriages in particular American cities

Chapter 1
--bokanovskified eggs will bud, proliferate, will divide
--"Making ninety-six human beings grow where only one grew before. Progress."
--Bokanovsky's Process leads to social stability; sanity?
--bokanovskify indefinitely would solve the problem but 96 is the limit
--Podsnap's Technique accelerated the process of ripening
--no intention of imitating nature but of human invention
--want to advance maturity time in humans/epsilons
--multiple countries in a race to produce the most...that's odd?

Chapter 2
--"pale as death"
--the Director was torturing the babies and training their instincts
--giving the babies reflexes that were unalterably conditioned
--didn't want the babies to like books or flowers: books because they could decondition one of their reflexes, the flowers: unknown
--flowers: they were once compelled to like them but their love of nature kept them out of factories & kept them from transport
--it was decided to abolish the love of nature
--"We condition the masses to hate the country but simultaneously we condition then to love all country sports," concluded the Director (pg.23)
--tried teaching the children in their sleep and it didn't work
--need to teach moral education
--they repeat what they've heard/learned in their sleep
--hypnopaedia: the greatest moralizing and socializing force of all time

Lit Analysis #2 Brave New World By: Aldous Huxley

GENERAL:
 1. The novel Brave New World begins in London in the hatchery where the Director is guiding students on a tour of the Bokanovskify process. As the Director proceeds to explain the process throughout the introduction of the novel hypnopaedia is introduced. This is the process of teaching the children in their sleep. The children are encouraged to get involved in erotic play. This erotic play is known as obstacle golf and Bernard is first introduced when he does not participate. Lenina is then introduced when she finds interest in Bernard even though she is discouraged by Fanny. Lenina pursues Bernard and yet Bernard continues to feel more hopeless than ever. As the novel continues, characters like Hemholtz are introduced, because of their differences from the others. Many of these differences are shown through the different social classes as well as events such as the alcohol that is said to have been in Bernard’s blood surrogate before he was born. Soma is also introduced as the drug that keeps them going. It is the boost to their system when in need. Bernard continues throughout the novel as curious as ever and takes a trip to the reservation with Lenina in order to humor his curiosity. There he meets Linda and John who wish to return to London with them to see the Director; John’s father. When the four of them return things begin to go south and the Director is humiliated with Linda’s return. As John carries on with life in the Brave New World he is disturbed by the assumptions accepted by the society he sees. It comes to a point where John is so ooberly in love with Lenina but yet is so confused and can no longer take it anymore that as a result he hangs himself.

2. For the theme of the novel I concluded that there is to be no happiness without truth. The people of the Brave New World are so dedicated to their willful delusion that they know no true happiness. They only know what they have been told to be true yet characters like Bernard see that there is more to life and there are truths to which they do not know than what they have been told.

3. Defining the tone of Brave New World is difficult. I would consider the tone to be informative as well as dramatic. The entire novel is about the telling of a Brave New World in which we do not know unless we continue to read the novel. Huxley repeatedly states things such as, “But every one belongs to every one else,” in order to emphasize the attitude of the society of the Brave New World. The extended metaphor used to describe the sexual affair between Lenina and Bernard support the dramatic tone of the novel. The introduction of the novel when the D.H.C. is giving the tour of the hatchery and declares, "We condition the masses to hate the country but simultaneously we condition them to love all country sports," Huxley's audience is informed of the alterations that take place while the embryos are developing.

4. -Repetition is used throughout the novel quite often to emphasize the society of the BNW. "But every one belongs to every one else."

-Puns are also used by Lenina when she is plotting to seduce Bernard.

-Similes like, "Words can be like X-rays, if you use them properly--they'll go through anything," help to not only emphasize but clarify what is going on in the minds of the characters of society.

-Parallelism is also often used to parallel with past or upcoming events that are to take place. Also
parallelism occurs as the novel has resulted in paralleling with present society.

-Imagery is a constant attribute to the novel that Huxley projects through statements made by characters like, "But cleanliness is next to fordliness." Statements like this create an image in the readers head that helps in grasping an understanding of the BNW that could not be grasped as well without the imagery.

CHARACTERIZATION:
1. Two examples of direct characterization would be Bernard and John. Two examples of indirect characterization would be Lenina and the Director. Both Bernard and John are both directly characterized through their speech and actions. Lenina and the Director are characterized through the other characters. For example, Fanny as well as Bernard characterize Lenina by passing their own judgement about her actions.

2. I didn't really notice a change in Huxley's syntax or diction when discussing one character or another. I did notice that overall throughout the novel that there was a particular speech that was universally used by the characters in the Brave New World. Things like "to-day" and "to-morrow" we're often hyphenated repeatedly when used in speech.

3. I would say the main character in Brave New World would have to be dynamic and also round. They realized that they didn't want what everyone else had.

4. After having read the novel I felt like I came away having met Bernard. He was the main character and focus from the get-go because of his differences. I felt like over time I continued to learn more about his character more so than others.