Something I thought was funny and relevant to our Fahrenheit 451 discussion

Look at the YouTube video that accompanies this article.  It's funny and relevant to our discussion.  http://www.urlesque.com/2010/09/30/facebook-love-story/?icid=main%7Cmain%7Cdl5%7Csec3_lnk2%7C174645

AP extra practice

If you routinely score a 6 or below on your essays and you plan to take the AP exam in May, you need to attend extra practice times!!  Please see me so that we can work out your schedule.  You have already invested $86 into taking the exam; be prepared!!!

Next week, I'll offer extra practice for the multiple choice section and for the synthesis essay.  If you routinely choose less than half correct, you need extra practice!  Again, take advantage of the practice offered.  There is no reason to take an $86 test that you aren't prepared for!

Red herrings and purple patches--definitions for AP Lang

Red herring--it's a fallacy in which the speaker attempts to divert the audience's attention by introducing a new unrelated argument.  Here's a good website: http://www.fallacyfiles.org/redherrf.html

Purple patch--(noun) A period of excellent performance, where nearly everything seems to go right, work properly, and contrasting with a more general lower level of performance.

(ex.  The England team hit a just after half-time, where they scored 3 goals in 10 minutes, but in the end they were lucky to escape with a 3-3 draw.)

2.  An ornate or elaborate section of a written work, a patch of purple prose

Atonement Part One...well mostly chapters 7 and 8

So, I'm not going to summarize--you read it.  That was your assignment.  I am going to respond to these two chapters. 

Chapter 7
Briony.  Oh Briony.  I kinda hate her.  But this beautiful chapter is so filled with important imagery, symbolism.  I hope you notice how Briony can't resist the urge for story to impose itself and how the "story" she imposes on the poor nettles is so violent and destructive.  Her anger toward Lola and the twins is never really articulated but completely understood.  She's angry about the destruction of her art, and the whole scene is cathartic, a rite of passage.  She is in that awkward place where anyone who has attempted to create art through writing realizes that her fiction is immature.  It's uncomfortable.  and she feels young and insignificant.  I like that she is determined to "dispell" her insignificance. 
       I also LOVE the following sentences:  "Her reverie, once rich in plausible details, had become a passing silliness before the hard mass of the actual.  It was difficult to come back.  Come back, her sister used to whisper when she woke her from a bad dream."  This is an image that will return later!  Look for it.  I missed it in this chapter the first time I read the book, and I love that it's here, reading it the second time. 
       Another important sentence:  "Briony had lost her godly power of creation, but it was only at this moment of return that the loss became evident; part of a daydream's enticement was the illusion that she was helpless before its logic..."  This idea of the writer as god is a motif to look for.  It's more subtle than the motifs in Heart of Darkness. but it's there.  Look for it!
Chapter 8
Robbie Turner.  I love his complexity.  I love the way McEwan develops his love for Cecilia in this chapter.  It's so realistic.  To fall in love literally with the girl next door.  And she's out of his social sphere.  Nice romantic obstacle.  This chapter makes you forget that this book is a bit of tragedy.  It is.  I forgot, thought it was a romance, but the title indicates a wrong that must be righted.  Right?  Atonement.  Atonement: –noun


1.satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends.

2.(sometimes initial capital letter) Theology. the doctrine concerning the reconciliation of God and humankind, esp. as accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ.

3.Christian Science. the experience of humankind's unity with God exemplified by Jesus Christ.

4.Archaic. reconciliation; agreement.
 
Well, I guess the element of redemption could change the story from a tragic one to a more uplifting one.  I don't want to give anything away, but we're reading a tragedy....I'm a writer and I like what McEwan is saying about his craft through his novel.  but I'll wait till after part three to discuss further discuss that point. 
I really do love Robbie, though.  I love that he's real.   Mr. Darcy is an ideal, and an unattainable one, at that.  I know Robbie.

Cynthia Ozrick bio

My seniors read "The Shawl" by Cynthia Ozrick today in class.  Her bio is not like Ruth McBride's, but she is a Jewish American, so I see some similarities.  If you're interested, look at the site.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Ozick.html

Links for Literary Criticisms of Death of a Salesman

Here is a website with several pages that might more adequately explain the schools of literary criticism:
http://mesastate.edu/~blaga/theoryindex/theoryhomex.html

Here are some links where you can find literary criticisms of Death of a Salesman. http://www.helium.com/items/1119619-character-analysis-for-death-of-a-salesman

http://www.helium.com/items/1018605-literary-analysis-the-american-dream-as-portrayed-in-death-salesman-arthur

http://jco.usfca.edu/arthurmiller.html

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cjas/june_miller.html

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cjas/june_miller.html

To all you seniors who are slackers

POETRY blogs!  That's what you need to do!  Not Pride and Prejudice blogs; the time has come and LONG gone for that! Summaries on major work files took the place of those blog grades (you can't make higher than a 70 on those assignments now, anyway).  Again, those were due in JANUARY!  February is now almost over and 5 poetry blogs, analyzing a total of 10 poems, was due TWO WEEKS AGO!  I hope my frustration/annoyance is adequately transferring in the use of all caps!

Sophistic philosophy in Hamlet

Here's a sort of summary of the history of philosophy you might find interesting: http://www.blupete.com/Literature/Essays/BluePete/Phil.htm

I'm also following a blog called the Craft of Living, which is written by a doctoral candidate.  His "Dramatis Personae" entry goes far to explain the various sophists and their beliefs.

Here's a website that offers a whole annotated bibliography of articles that discuss philosophy in Hamlet: http://www.hamlethaven.com/philosophical.html#levynor

Just a reminder to my seniors

5-10 poetry blogs due today!!!  Most of you girls have been vigilent and successful in your poetry analyses.  I want to reccommend a fun website to look at or to listen to poetry and poetry commentary:  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/.  I LOVE it!  I used it a lot last summer when I was taking a contemporary poetry class. 

Working during the faux inclement weather

So obviously I'm on blogger, and I was going to add some of you who are following me, and I realized that I left those lovely slips of paper containing your URL's on my desk! Text me your URL so I can add your blog to those I'm following. I keep trying to piggyback and it's just not working. I can see that Randi is following Vanessa's blog (and mine) but I can't seem to add her from Vanessa's blog. VERY ANNOYING. VERY. Just sayin'....

Seniors' first blog

I realize there are only two or three of you following my blog right now. and I realize that the rest of you are probably waiting till Thursday to even attempt to create a blog, but your first Pride and Prejudice entry is due Sunday, January 10th. You must post by 6:00 pm. I'll check the postings around 9:00pm. You are to write a brief summary of the first 34 chapters (I've read the book at least ten times, so I can smell BS a mile away!) and response. I realize this in not the most masculine read for the guys, but you MUST be positive in your response. You can be honest and write about what you don't like, but also included what you think Miss Austen does well. Thursday is just four days away! I look forward to seeing you guys!