In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening (1899), protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess “That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions.” In a novel or play that you have studied, identify a character who outwardly conforms 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.
George Orwell's 1984 follows a thirty year old man named Winston Smith who has been living the majority of his adult life in a harsh, oppressive society. This dystopian novel deals with many ideas and raises questions about what it means to be a civilized human. One important part the novel deals with is illustrating the dangers of questioning society due to extensive surveillance and the inability to trust other people.
The heavy surveillance in Winston's society makes him very paranoid about letting his rebellious thoughts seep into his outer appearance. One of Winston's biggest fears is being caught by the Thought Police-- watch for citizens that are "different" and "vaporize" them. To avoid being vaporized, Winston demonstrates a lot of self-control to mimic behavior of his submissive comrades while in public, knowing the Police were watching his every move. One day Winston ventures to a district near his apartment where the Police have little control and the people remember a time before Big Brother. He finds an old antique shop run by an elderly man named Mr. Charrington and finds what he thinks to be his own safe haven away from the government's watchful eye. In the antique shop, Winston and his lover Julia are swept up in subversive activities such as learning about the past, wearing make-up, and intercourse. However, toward the end of the novel, the Thought Police invades the antique shop and they discover they were being watched the whole time. The novel suggests that in a powerful government, alternative thinkers have nowhere to hide but inside themselves--which is nearly impossible to do.
In Winston's society, citizens are groomed to look homogeneous making it very difficult for Winston to differentiate between fellow free-thinkers from government spies. Winston must behave like a law abiding citizen, but he is desperately looking from someone he can share his subversive desires with. When he meets O'Brien, Winston believes his prayers have been answered and looks to him as a mentor. Despite this, O'Brien turns out to be a spy for the government and betrays him. O'Brien is one example of how it is impossible as an alternative thinker to find solace in an oppressive government because everyone is concerned with their own self-interest.
In 1984, Winston is constantly trying to conceal the fact that his is different and questions the government. The novel suggests that once one is part of a controlling government, they can never resist it or get out. This is mainly due the majority fear of being labeled an outsider. Winston thought he had found a partner in law breaking with Julia, but in the face of the government, she abandoned him. Orwell makes the point that it is impossible to conform outwardly and harbor alternative ideas while functioning like a normal human. If one tries to "look" the part, either their personal ideologies will conform, or their differences will reveal themselves. Either way, it will end tragically.
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Friday, January 31, 2014
Hamlet Summary and Analysis
Author
William Shakespeare
Setting
Inside Elsinore castle located in mountainous Denmark during the Middle Ages.
Characters
Hamlet- Prince of Denmark, son to Gertrude and Old Hamlet, nephew to Claudius, and "boyfriend" to Ophelia. He struggles throughout most of the play with deciding if he is meant to be his father's son, or pursue his own destiny. He frequently contemplates suicide as it is one of the few ways he can control his life. He kills Polonious and Claudius. There is controversy among readers concerning Hamlet's madness, relationship with his mother, and with Ophelia.
Claudius- Uncle to Hamlet, recent husband to Gertrude, and King of Denmark. He killed his brother, Old Hamlet, for the throne and is keeping a close eye on Hamlet to make sure he does not try to overthrow him. He plots to kill Hamlet by sending two messengers to kill him in England and later by poisoning him. He is killed by Hamlet.
Gertrude- Hamlet's mother, recent wife to Claudius, Queen of Denmark. She appears to be very close with Hamlet and by marrying her brother-in-law, she seriously injures Hamlet's trust. She is caught between siding with her new husband and her erratic son. She dies by drinking the poisoined drink that Claudius had planted for Hamlet during his duel against Laertes.
Ophelia- Polonious' daughter and Hamlet's lover. She is seen by her peers as young and chaste, which are also the most definitive qualities of her self-worth. However, through her discussions with Laertes and the suggestions that she was pregnant, it is implied that their was a "darker" side to the young girl. It is believed that she drowned herself in a river.
Polonious-The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court and the father of Ophelia and Laertes. He is a "helicopter" parent because he is very concerned with maintaining his public reputation. The obsession to maintain a perfect image causes him to be furtive and conniving.
Horatio- Hamlet's closest friend and is the only character the audience can trust. He is the only survivor who survives the final battle.
Laertes- Polonious' son and Ophelia's older brother. He leaves early in the play for Paris, but returns to avenge his father's death by dueling Hamlet.
Fortinbras- The Prince of Norway and Hamlet's foil. He is the son of Old Fortinbras, who was slayed by Old Hamlet. He wishes to seek revenge on Denmark, but listens to his Uncle and does not try to overthrow Claudius.
The Ghost-The characters believe it is the disturbed spirit of Old Hamlet. He only speaks to Hamlet and sends him on a mission to avenge his untimely death by killing his brother, Hamlet's Uncle, the murder. It is debated among readers if the ghost is from Heaven or Hell and if it knows what would happen if Hamlet killed Claudius.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern- Possible hostages of war that Hamlet grew up with. Now as adults, Claudius sends them to spy on Hamlet in England where he is secretly supposed to be killed.
Plot
Act I
Horatio and the night guards encounter a ghost which they believe is the tortured spirit of Old Hamlet. The ghost does not speak to any of the men and the audience learn that prior to his death, Old Hamlet had killed Old Fortinbras of Norway. In Scene ii, Claudius and Gertrude are having their wedding ceremony inside the castle. The audience learns that tensions are building between Denmark and Norway when Claudius sends messengers to prevent a young Fortinbras from attacking. Claudius reaches out to Hamlet during the public ceremony by recognizing him as his own son.Hamlet, however, is disgusted by his uncle and mother's hasty wedding and not allowing enough time (in his opinion) to morn the recent death of his father. On top of his annoyance with their lack of grief, Claudius says Hamlet's sulking makes him "unmanly" and forbids him to go back to school in Wittenberg, Germany.
While he is resenting his uncle, Horatio appears to inform the sulking Hamlet about the wandering ghost and agrees to meet it. Laertes and Ophelia are enjoying the wedding festivities while Laertes warns Ophelia to not fall in love with Hamlet because he can not possibly requite it because he has nothing to lose. Polonious enters soon and begins to lecture them before his son goes off to Paris soon, and orders Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet. Horatio takes Hamlet to where he last spotted the ghost and it appears to want to speak with Hamlet. The ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius murdered him and set him on a duty to avenge his father's death.
Act II
Polonious is wary of his son going off to Paris and damaging his own name, so he sends a spy to keep tabs on him during his trip. Meanwhile, Hamlet sneaks into Ophelia's closet and she tells Polonious that she thinks her "ex-lover" is crazy. Polonious believes Hamlet is crazy and is afraid of the potential consequences of the royal prince falling in love with his daughter. This raises curiosity in the castle making Gertrude and Claudius send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet, but the prince knows all along about their plan. To get back at his deceptive uncle, Hamlet arranges the castle actors to stage a play that reveals Claudius' big secret--he killed his brother for power.
Act III
Polonious and Claudius are determined to find out why Hamlet is acting so oddly and set him up. They convince Ophelia to meet with him "secretly" while the two men eavesdrop on their conversation. When Hamlet meets up with Ophelia, he becomes enraged with her when she returns his love letters and tells her that he never loved her. This proved to Claudius that love was not the source of his nephew/son's madness. In the play that Hamlet arranged, he is convinced that the ghost was correct when he see how startled Claudius is by the performance. Claudius plans to have Hamlet escorted to England by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet almost kills Claudius while he praying, but to ensure he goes to Hell, Hamlet backs out. After the play, Hamlet goes to his mother's room and accidentally kills Polonious , who was eavesdropping on their conversation, believing it was Claudius. Gertrude promises to keep the murder a secret.
Act IV
Gertrude informs Claudius that Polonious is dead, and he demands that when Hamlet goes to England that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern kill him there.
Act V
In the graveyard, Hamlet comes across Yorrick's skull. Hamlet had his "Fall of a Sparrow" speech and begins to accept providence as he heads off to fight Laertes. Hamlet slays Laertes, but is seriously injured and manages to kill Claudius before he dies. In the remaining moments of live, Hamlet relinquishes control to Fortinbras.
Theme Statement
Shakespeare’s Hamlet suggests that you should be cautious of whom you allow yourself to be influenced by, because a lack of identity leads to immoral decisions.
In the beginning of the play, the audience is quickly introduced to the notion of immorality in the family when Hamlet detests the marriage of his mother and uncle. There is a sarcastic tone in how Hamlet talks about his family and he often uses words that relate to decaying. As the play goes on and Hamlet is behaving outrageously, there is evidence of moral decay. In Hamlet's case, he can not decide if he is meant to avenge his father's death or follow his own path. His lacking ability to think for himself causes him to be volatile and behaving out of character to please the Ghost's wishes. The climax of the story is when Hamlet finds Yorick's skull and realizes that the Jester was greater father figure to him than Old Hamlet. He decides with the theory of providence in that his path is already written for him and his ultimate destiny is to die.
Tone
Hamlet has a dark tone. Through language and syntax the reader is forced to recognize how dreary and morbid it is to live in Elsinore and the wild state of confusion that Hamlet is suffering from.
Point of View
Hamlet is a play so there is no narrator who is guiding us through the story. The audience is made aware of plots and schemes when certain characters are not and they only know the characters by what is spoken about them.
Imagery
The quote 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," is an example of the picturesque language in Hamlet that evoke images of decay. The toxic environment in Elsinore is created through important word choice such as, "rotten", "worms", "poison", and frequent discussion of death.
Symbolism
Yorick's Skull- in Act V, Hamlet discovers Yorick's skull in a graveyard and becomes fascinated with death. He realizes while thinking of Yorrick's decayed body that once we die, regardless of the valor we had when alive, we all rot and are eaten by worms.
Ophelia's Flowers- In her final scene, Ophelia passes out flowers that hold symbolic meaning as a closing statement and last goodbye before she kills herself. The flowers include: rosemary (remembrance), Fennel (strength and worthiness), columbine (folly), daisies (innocence), and violets (modesty).
Quotes
“One may smile, and smile, and be a villain. ”
This deals with the motif of duality, more specifically one's public image contrasting with their true self. To outsiders, Hamlet is an agreeable young man, Claudius is a fair ruler, and Polonious is loyal and confident. Throughout the play, the audience realizes that these personas assumed by the public are not accurate.
“Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.”
This quote pairs nicely with the motif of surveillance. These words of advice are a caution to listen to those around you, but do not make your opinions known. This is done to avoid confrontation or being framed because you never know who is listening.
Motifs
William Shakespeare
Setting
Inside Elsinore castle located in mountainous Denmark during the Middle Ages.
Characters
Hamlet- Prince of Denmark, son to Gertrude and Old Hamlet, nephew to Claudius, and "boyfriend" to Ophelia. He struggles throughout most of the play with deciding if he is meant to be his father's son, or pursue his own destiny. He frequently contemplates suicide as it is one of the few ways he can control his life. He kills Polonious and Claudius. There is controversy among readers concerning Hamlet's madness, relationship with his mother, and with Ophelia.
Claudius- Uncle to Hamlet, recent husband to Gertrude, and King of Denmark. He killed his brother, Old Hamlet, for the throne and is keeping a close eye on Hamlet to make sure he does not try to overthrow him. He plots to kill Hamlet by sending two messengers to kill him in England and later by poisoning him. He is killed by Hamlet.
Gertrude- Hamlet's mother, recent wife to Claudius, Queen of Denmark. She appears to be very close with Hamlet and by marrying her brother-in-law, she seriously injures Hamlet's trust. She is caught between siding with her new husband and her erratic son. She dies by drinking the poisoined drink that Claudius had planted for Hamlet during his duel against Laertes.
Ophelia- Polonious' daughter and Hamlet's lover. She is seen by her peers as young and chaste, which are also the most definitive qualities of her self-worth. However, through her discussions with Laertes and the suggestions that she was pregnant, it is implied that their was a "darker" side to the young girl. It is believed that she drowned herself in a river.
Polonious-The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court and the father of Ophelia and Laertes. He is a "helicopter" parent because he is very concerned with maintaining his public reputation. The obsession to maintain a perfect image causes him to be furtive and conniving.
Horatio- Hamlet's closest friend and is the only character the audience can trust. He is the only survivor who survives the final battle.
Laertes- Polonious' son and Ophelia's older brother. He leaves early in the play for Paris, but returns to avenge his father's death by dueling Hamlet.
Fortinbras- The Prince of Norway and Hamlet's foil. He is the son of Old Fortinbras, who was slayed by Old Hamlet. He wishes to seek revenge on Denmark, but listens to his Uncle and does not try to overthrow Claudius.
The Ghost-The characters believe it is the disturbed spirit of Old Hamlet. He only speaks to Hamlet and sends him on a mission to avenge his untimely death by killing his brother, Hamlet's Uncle, the murder. It is debated among readers if the ghost is from Heaven or Hell and if it knows what would happen if Hamlet killed Claudius.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern- Possible hostages of war that Hamlet grew up with. Now as adults, Claudius sends them to spy on Hamlet in England where he is secretly supposed to be killed.
Plot
Act I
Horatio and the night guards encounter a ghost which they believe is the tortured spirit of Old Hamlet. The ghost does not speak to any of the men and the audience learn that prior to his death, Old Hamlet had killed Old Fortinbras of Norway. In Scene ii, Claudius and Gertrude are having their wedding ceremony inside the castle. The audience learns that tensions are building between Denmark and Norway when Claudius sends messengers to prevent a young Fortinbras from attacking. Claudius reaches out to Hamlet during the public ceremony by recognizing him as his own son.Hamlet, however, is disgusted by his uncle and mother's hasty wedding and not allowing enough time (in his opinion) to morn the recent death of his father. On top of his annoyance with their lack of grief, Claudius says Hamlet's sulking makes him "unmanly" and forbids him to go back to school in Wittenberg, Germany.
While he is resenting his uncle, Horatio appears to inform the sulking Hamlet about the wandering ghost and agrees to meet it. Laertes and Ophelia are enjoying the wedding festivities while Laertes warns Ophelia to not fall in love with Hamlet because he can not possibly requite it because he has nothing to lose. Polonious enters soon and begins to lecture them before his son goes off to Paris soon, and orders Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet. Horatio takes Hamlet to where he last spotted the ghost and it appears to want to speak with Hamlet. The ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius murdered him and set him on a duty to avenge his father's death.
Act II
Polonious is wary of his son going off to Paris and damaging his own name, so he sends a spy to keep tabs on him during his trip. Meanwhile, Hamlet sneaks into Ophelia's closet and she tells Polonious that she thinks her "ex-lover" is crazy. Polonious believes Hamlet is crazy and is afraid of the potential consequences of the royal prince falling in love with his daughter. This raises curiosity in the castle making Gertrude and Claudius send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet, but the prince knows all along about their plan. To get back at his deceptive uncle, Hamlet arranges the castle actors to stage a play that reveals Claudius' big secret--he killed his brother for power.
Act III
Polonious and Claudius are determined to find out why Hamlet is acting so oddly and set him up. They convince Ophelia to meet with him "secretly" while the two men eavesdrop on their conversation. When Hamlet meets up with Ophelia, he becomes enraged with her when she returns his love letters and tells her that he never loved her. This proved to Claudius that love was not the source of his nephew/son's madness. In the play that Hamlet arranged, he is convinced that the ghost was correct when he see how startled Claudius is by the performance. Claudius plans to have Hamlet escorted to England by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet almost kills Claudius while he praying, but to ensure he goes to Hell, Hamlet backs out. After the play, Hamlet goes to his mother's room and accidentally kills Polonious , who was eavesdropping on their conversation, believing it was Claudius. Gertrude promises to keep the murder a secret.
Act IV
Gertrude informs Claudius that Polonious is dead, and he demands that when Hamlet goes to England that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern kill him there.
Act V
In the graveyard, Hamlet comes across Yorrick's skull. Hamlet had his "Fall of a Sparrow" speech and begins to accept providence as he heads off to fight Laertes. Hamlet slays Laertes, but is seriously injured and manages to kill Claudius before he dies. In the remaining moments of live, Hamlet relinquishes control to Fortinbras.
Theme Statement
Shakespeare’s Hamlet suggests that you should be cautious of whom you allow yourself to be influenced by, because a lack of identity leads to immoral decisions.
In the beginning of the play, the audience is quickly introduced to the notion of immorality in the family when Hamlet detests the marriage of his mother and uncle. There is a sarcastic tone in how Hamlet talks about his family and he often uses words that relate to decaying. As the play goes on and Hamlet is behaving outrageously, there is evidence of moral decay. In Hamlet's case, he can not decide if he is meant to avenge his father's death or follow his own path. His lacking ability to think for himself causes him to be volatile and behaving out of character to please the Ghost's wishes. The climax of the story is when Hamlet finds Yorick's skull and realizes that the Jester was greater father figure to him than Old Hamlet. He decides with the theory of providence in that his path is already written for him and his ultimate destiny is to die.
Tone
Hamlet has a dark tone. Through language and syntax the reader is forced to recognize how dreary and morbid it is to live in Elsinore and the wild state of confusion that Hamlet is suffering from.
Point of View
Hamlet is a play so there is no narrator who is guiding us through the story. The audience is made aware of plots and schemes when certain characters are not and they only know the characters by what is spoken about them.
Imagery
The quote 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," is an example of the picturesque language in Hamlet that evoke images of decay. The toxic environment in Elsinore is created through important word choice such as, "rotten", "worms", "poison", and frequent discussion of death.
Symbolism
Yorick's Skull- in Act V, Hamlet discovers Yorick's skull in a graveyard and becomes fascinated with death. He realizes while thinking of Yorrick's decayed body that once we die, regardless of the valor we had when alive, we all rot and are eaten by worms.
Ophelia's Flowers- In her final scene, Ophelia passes out flowers that hold symbolic meaning as a closing statement and last goodbye before she kills herself. The flowers include: rosemary (remembrance), Fennel (strength and worthiness), columbine (folly), daisies (innocence), and violets (modesty).
Quotes
“One may smile, and smile, and be a villain. ”
This deals with the motif of duality, more specifically one's public image contrasting with their true self. To outsiders, Hamlet is an agreeable young man, Claudius is a fair ruler, and Polonious is loyal and confident. Throughout the play, the audience realizes that these personas assumed by the public are not accurate.
“Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.”
This quote pairs nicely with the motif of surveillance. These words of advice are a caution to listen to those around you, but do not make your opinions known. This is done to avoid confrontation or being framed because you never know who is listening.
Motifs
- Ambiguity
- Insularity
- Incest
- Identity
- Providence
- Revenge
- Control
- Religion
- Duality (Natural vs. Unnatural, identity vs. public appearance, father & son, light vs. day, pure vs. impure)
- Death
- Surveillance
- Misogyny
- Ears & hearing
- Synecdoche
- Fortune/luck
- Lack of trust
- Mystery of death- afterlife
- Nation as a poisoned body
- Putting on persons- inner vs. outer self
- Lies
- Groups of 3
- Madness
Sunday, January 19, 2014
Response To Course Material 1/19
Hamlet Discussions
When the 2nd Hour AP Lit team returned from our self-indulgent break to discuss Hamlet, it was clear that few of us were willing to revert back to our "school minds". Our discussion was just as groggy and slow moving as we were. With that said I can not remember what we discussed that day in great detail. I recall discussing the Ophelia Complex and and asking the group if they witnessed any Hamlet references over their break. The reference I shared was from Anchorman 2, when Ron Burgundy hits rock-bottom (five minutes into the movie) and before he hangs himself, he quotes Horatio with the line "Goodnight sweet prince/And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."
The next activity we did was list the major events of the play and identify the turning point. The class agreed that the graveyard scene was a significant moment for Hamlet. I think our final decision for the turning point was when Hamlet is holding Yorick's skull because he realizes that Old Hamlet's death is not worth avenging.
The following week, the class tried to formulate a thesis statement. We agreed that the thematic question of the play was "Will Hamlet relinquish control?" However, we had a difficult time constructing an appropriate sentence. What I learned from this activity was that a theme should function like a question. Ms. Holmes explained what a central theme should be like using a spider web metaphor which helped me grasp the concept.
A highlight of this discussion was when the class was trying to decide how identity connected to control. Some students could not see the connection, while others argued that Hamlet's ultimate struggle for control was mostly the battle of who he wanted to be. We discussed if one's identity is created by their choices and if having control of your identity is having control of who influences your choices. There were a lot of ideas swirling around and I found it difficult to settle on one coherent idea.
Motifs, Motifs, Motifs
As we realized when reading Hamlet, the lengthy play has many motifs. The class organized the motifs into three categories: Control, Religion, and Duality. This exercise was fun because it was a chance for everyone to share their ideas and it helped me remember important parts of the play. We discussed the power struggle between Father and Son found in the play, as well as the following: The repetition of 3, true self vs. appearance to others, roman mythology, ears, madness, and many others.
The only other activity we did as a class was create our study guide and quizzes. This provided a way to help our classmates and a hint of review for the final. I personally will devote most of my time reviewing the myriad AP Lit vocabulary words this weekend. Good luck AP teammates!
When the 2nd Hour AP Lit team returned from our self-indulgent break to discuss Hamlet, it was clear that few of us were willing to revert back to our "school minds". Our discussion was just as groggy and slow moving as we were. With that said I can not remember what we discussed that day in great detail. I recall discussing the Ophelia Complex and and asking the group if they witnessed any Hamlet references over their break. The reference I shared was from Anchorman 2, when Ron Burgundy hits rock-bottom (five minutes into the movie) and before he hangs himself, he quotes Horatio with the line "Goodnight sweet prince/And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."
The next activity we did was list the major events of the play and identify the turning point. The class agreed that the graveyard scene was a significant moment for Hamlet. I think our final decision for the turning point was when Hamlet is holding Yorick's skull because he realizes that Old Hamlet's death is not worth avenging.
The following week, the class tried to formulate a thesis statement. We agreed that the thematic question of the play was "Will Hamlet relinquish control?" However, we had a difficult time constructing an appropriate sentence. What I learned from this activity was that a theme should function like a question. Ms. Holmes explained what a central theme should be like using a spider web metaphor which helped me grasp the concept.
A highlight of this discussion was when the class was trying to decide how identity connected to control. Some students could not see the connection, while others argued that Hamlet's ultimate struggle for control was mostly the battle of who he wanted to be. We discussed if one's identity is created by their choices and if having control of your identity is having control of who influences your choices. There were a lot of ideas swirling around and I found it difficult to settle on one coherent idea.
Motifs, Motifs, Motifs
As we realized when reading Hamlet, the lengthy play has many motifs. The class organized the motifs into three categories: Control, Religion, and Duality. This exercise was fun because it was a chance for everyone to share their ideas and it helped me remember important parts of the play. We discussed the power struggle between Father and Son found in the play, as well as the following: The repetition of 3, true self vs. appearance to others, roman mythology, ears, madness, and many others.
The only other activity we did as a class was create our study guide and quizzes. This provided a way to help our classmates and a hint of review for the final. I personally will devote most of my time reviewing the myriad AP Lit vocabulary words this weekend. Good luck AP teammates!
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Open Prompt II: 2006
Question
Many writers use a country setting to establish values within a work of literature. For example, the country may be a place of virtue and peace or one of primitivism and ignorance. Choose a novel or play in which such a setting plays a significant role. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the country setting functions in the work as a whole.
Response
Willa Cather's O'Pioneers! plays off the stark differences of living in an urban city and the natural prairies. The main character Alexandra Bergson migrated with her family from Eastern Europe to Hanover, Nebraska in search of prosperity and the American Dream. The country setting is used to illustrate how people are rewarded for their hard work, and the freedom of the fields allow people to be their best selves.
When Alexandra was a young girl, Hanover was suffering from a brutal drought during the time of the depression in the mid 1800s. Before her father died, he bequeathed their land to Alexandra and she made a promise to herself to never leave the land her father worked so hard for. Alexandra's neighbor and good friend, Carl Linstrum and his family left Nebraska for the city because of the devastating conditions of the country. Sixteen years later, the prairies have been rejuvenated and the Bergsons are very successful thanks to Alexandra's persistence. Alexandra's determination and other virtuous morals where not left unrewarded in the country. However, in the city, Carl Linstrum's intelligence and hard work did not give him the satisfaction in his job comparable to Alexandra's. With this contrast, Cather is suggesting that only in the country are good morals valuable and will lead you to success.
The vast open space of Hanover's prairies offers the visual sense of unlimited freedom to explore and grow. This visual freedom is materialized through the demeanor and self-sufficiency found in the main character. Had Alexandra left the farm for the city, there is no certainty that she would be nearly as successful and satisfied. In fact, it is almost definite that she would not have been due to Carl Linstrum's poor luck working in the city. As a women in the 1800s, the country offered her freedom and opportunities that the city could not. When Carl did return to Hanover as an adult, he is very insecure and meek. However, during his duration in the country he began to show traits of the vivacious boy Alexandra used to know. The freedom of the country allowed him to disown the insecurities he picked up living in the aggressive city and becomes a respectable man.
Cather makes an example out of the strong-willed, optimistic Alexandra and the gloomy Linstrum to comment on the stark differences in the habitats they spent the past sixteen years in. Alexandra persevered and remained in the then, unfertile Nebraska and was rewarded with lush crops, dignity, and a lucrative cash flow. Linstrum's family showed unfaithfulness to the country and deserted it the moment things got difficult. As a result, Carl Linstrum's intelligence and good work ethic goes unnoticed in the city and his good qualities begin to fade. It is until his return to the free lands of Hanover, Nebraska. that the vigor of his youth is restored. This shows that the city is a facade of success. Cather offers to her readers that true success comes from people seeing the results of their efforts and staying true to their roots.
Many writers use a country setting to establish values within a work of literature. For example, the country may be a place of virtue and peace or one of primitivism and ignorance. Choose a novel or play in which such a setting plays a significant role. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the country setting functions in the work as a whole.
Response
Willa Cather's O'Pioneers! plays off the stark differences of living in an urban city and the natural prairies. The main character Alexandra Bergson migrated with her family from Eastern Europe to Hanover, Nebraska in search of prosperity and the American Dream. The country setting is used to illustrate how people are rewarded for their hard work, and the freedom of the fields allow people to be their best selves.
When Alexandra was a young girl, Hanover was suffering from a brutal drought during the time of the depression in the mid 1800s. Before her father died, he bequeathed their land to Alexandra and she made a promise to herself to never leave the land her father worked so hard for. Alexandra's neighbor and good friend, Carl Linstrum and his family left Nebraska for the city because of the devastating conditions of the country. Sixteen years later, the prairies have been rejuvenated and the Bergsons are very successful thanks to Alexandra's persistence. Alexandra's determination and other virtuous morals where not left unrewarded in the country. However, in the city, Carl Linstrum's intelligence and hard work did not give him the satisfaction in his job comparable to Alexandra's. With this contrast, Cather is suggesting that only in the country are good morals valuable and will lead you to success.
The vast open space of Hanover's prairies offers the visual sense of unlimited freedom to explore and grow. This visual freedom is materialized through the demeanor and self-sufficiency found in the main character. Had Alexandra left the farm for the city, there is no certainty that she would be nearly as successful and satisfied. In fact, it is almost definite that she would not have been due to Carl Linstrum's poor luck working in the city. As a women in the 1800s, the country offered her freedom and opportunities that the city could not. When Carl did return to Hanover as an adult, he is very insecure and meek. However, during his duration in the country he began to show traits of the vivacious boy Alexandra used to know. The freedom of the country allowed him to disown the insecurities he picked up living in the aggressive city and becomes a respectable man.
Cather makes an example out of the strong-willed, optimistic Alexandra and the gloomy Linstrum to comment on the stark differences in the habitats they spent the past sixteen years in. Alexandra persevered and remained in the then, unfertile Nebraska and was rewarded with lush crops, dignity, and a lucrative cash flow. Linstrum's family showed unfaithfulness to the country and deserted it the moment things got difficult. As a result, Carl Linstrum's intelligence and good work ethic goes unnoticed in the city and his good qualities begin to fade. It is until his return to the free lands of Hanover, Nebraska. that the vigor of his youth is restored. This shows that the city is a facade of success. Cather offers to her readers that true success comes from people seeing the results of their efforts and staying true to their roots.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Response to Course Material 12/22
Hamlet On Screen
Like many other great pieces of literature, several visual adaptations of Hamlet have taken the liberty of bending and polishing the original story line set by William Shakespeare. The class watched scenes from five films focusing on the following: Claudius and Gertrude's wedding, The sightings of the Ghost, Hamlet and Ophelia's break-up, Hamlet in his mother's closet, Ophelia's slip from reality/innocence, and the final battle scene.
Kevin Branaugh's 1996 adaptation was the first of the five Hamlet movies we watched. The relationship between Claudius and Gertrude was depicted as something romantic, instead of a political move that I drew from the text. Having been the first visual representation many of us had watched, the class was pretty shocked by the bold acting choices the actors made. Specifically, by Hamlet in his interactions with Ophelia and his mother. I do not think anyone read/listened Hamlet's part and envisioned him throwing Ophelia to the ground and pinning his mother to a bed. This film showed the class right away the different motives of a playwright and a director. Branaugh's film was set in a more recent period, which brought up a discussion in the class if it is appropriate to put Shakespearean plays in modern time.
Ms. Holmes showed the class two versions of Hamlet set in modern time. My favorite was Micheal Almereyda's version starring Ethan Hawke as Hamlet. I liked this version for the following selfish reasons: it reminded me of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo+Juliet, I like late 90's to early 2000's fashion, it took place in New York City, and I enjoy looking at Ethan Hawke. Ethan Hawke's performance was very different from past Hamlets. He was seen more as a deep thinking misfit, and less of a frustrated momma's boy with a chemical imbalance. His love for Ophelia seemed genuine and he acted more like an expected thirty-something man would if confronted by the ghost of his father.
Compared to the 2009 BBC version starring David Tennant, I am not sure which modern portrayal did the original story the most justice and honestly, I am starting to think that it doesn't matter. When so many movies have been made trying to recapture the tragic tale, I think it is more logical for recent versions to be more "creative" with the original storyline. Many people are bothered when movies stray from the the text they are based off of. However books serve as inspiration to filmmakers--not guidelines. I mean, that is what art is all about. Taking inspiration from another artist and making it work using your preferred mediums and exercising your creative mind. I could dedicate an entire blog post to what I thought about each movie and what new perspectives they offered me, but I will save my fingers and your eyeballs the extra effort.
Forum Post
Listening to the prisoners discuss how reading Hamlet impacted their lives and hearing their personal connection to the main character was exceptional. I hope we will do more activities like this in the future where we can be exposed to real people's perceptions on literature. However, I was most fascinated by the responses my fellow classmates had about Arthur Rimbaud's poem "Ophelia." This was a great example of when you get many people to read the same thing, many opinions and solutions will result. To me, the style of Rimbaud's poem matched the innocence and beauty that the characters in Hamlet saw Ophelia. Many classmates said this lofty language did not do Ophelia justice because Rimbaud depicted her as a child. I agree that Ophelia is not an angel, but she is a child nonetheless. She is a a teenage girl and does not have the means to live on her own. She has the dilemma of having the appearance of purity while having occasional "adult" desires. When I read some critiques students made saying she was "dark" and "impure" it was pretty shocking considering the times (and social climate) we live in. In the hallways we hear the latest "hook-ups" and often they are about people we know and call our friends. Good people. There is a difference between having impure thoughts and acting on them, but in medieval times, it was expected for young girls to marry (that means eventual conception) and start a family before they were 21. So I agree with Rimbaud when he says something in the river drowned Ophelia against her will. Ophelia was just trying to do what she had been assigned to do since birth. The insecurities and judgements of others were what ruined her.
Shakespeare Uncovered Video: David Tennant
I appreciated this video for the insight it provided on the actor's journey to "becoming" Hamlet. What this video really did for me was emphasize, once again, how people see the play in different ways and appreciate it for different reasons. When Tennant interviewed Jude Law about his experience playing the "Prince of Denmark", Law caught himself talking more about his own emotions during certain scenes and how he personally related to Hamlet. Think about it, an uneducated convict of murder and a noteworthy (undeniably good looking) actor can see themselves in the same character.
Tragic Balance in Hamlet
This essay was long. As I was reading it with half of my brain already logged off for the night, I wondered what kind of discussions we would have about it the following day. To my surprise, it drew up quite the stir. A lot of our discussion focused on the elevated diction used by the author and how it hindered the audience from understanding his intended message. Reading the essay was a challenge for me, but I think I understood the broad message that there is evidence in the text for extreme, contradicting views throughout Hamlet. An respectable argument can be made the Hamlet is crazy and the Ghost is an illusion, but so can one that Hamlet saved Denmark and the Ghost is a message from God. The essay is organized sort of oddly, but the author argues for both sides for each argument he proposes in his essay. For some of the classmates, this was saw this as him being an inadequate writer, and others found him hypocritical. I sided more with people who said he was not necessarily contradicting himself, but showing different perspectives. The idea of "balance", was for readers to appreciate all interpretations of Hamlet because casting an idea aside weakens your understanding and richness of the reading.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
OPEN PROMPT
2006 Prompt Question # 3: 2006. Many writers use a country setting to establish values within a work of literature. For example, the country may be a place of virtue and peace or one of primitivism and ignorance. Choose a novel or play in which such a setting plays a significant role. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the country setting functions in the work as a whole.
Student #1 Essay-Score:8
Student 1 uses Jane Austen's novel Persuasion to explain how a country setting was used as a "backdrop to Anne [protagonists]'s character development." Anne is fed up with her simple father and older sister in Bath (city) and decides to be with her sister in Uppercross (countryside). The student states that it is common for writers to attribute "primitivism and ignorance" to the country, but Austen challenges this stereotype by sticking Anne in the "nurturing, virtuous, and peaceful Uppercross. The student supports her argument through evidence supported by the novel. First, the student provides a little background information to explain how Anne's morals/ideas do not those of her father and older sister living in the city. However, it is in Uppercross where the people admire " her intelligence, kindness, and modesty" ; thus making Uppercross a virtuous place. Second, the student explains how in the Bath "Anne is constantly surrounded by others and has little time to reflect." In the peaceful woods of Uppercross, Anne discovers her own sanctuary where she is able to meditate and think clearly. Lastly, the student points out how Anne makes many friends in Uppercross, and is not bothered by her past or unpleasant family members. This student received an 8 because their essay flows so nicely and the examples provided were very clear cut.
Student #2 Essay-Score: 6
Student 2 uses the play The Importance of Being Earnest as an example of how setting can be used to heighten a character's internal complications in a comedic way. In the first body paragraph, Student 2 explains how the protagonists lives a double life; In the city he goes by Earnest, and in the countryside he is Jack. The student says in the country Jack finds tranquility, but "the drama of his urban-life [also] serves to develop the confusion of the play which makes it a successful comedy." This is as analytical as the their essay gets on how the country setting affects the play. The Student frequently refers to how the country is "an agent of confusion" that furthers the comedy in the play. However, instead of providing concrete evidence for how the natural setting perpetuates the hilarity, they simply summarize how Earnest/Jack's dishonest lifestyle unravels while he is in the country. The student offers no insight for why that might be. Had the student not mentioned in the opening paragraph how the solitude of Jack's country home contrasts with the chaos of Earnest's urban life, they would have received a lower score (and perhaps a more deserving one).
Student #3 Essay-Score: 4
As the commentator observed, the main problem with this student's essay is that they have an "oversimplified understanding of the work." Student #3 selected William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying as an example work where a rural setting plays a significant role in a novel. The student explains that the characters act irrationally and are ignorant. They state that it was Faulkner's intention to make the reader realize that the characters' lack of intellect is a result of "the backward ways of the [S]outh." The student just repeats this line over and over again, followed by poorly written examples of the character's peculiar actions. Student #3's essay is not much different than Student #2's as far as structure goes, but what makes this essay worse are the convoluted sentences and distracting wit.
Student #1 Essay-Score:8
Student 1 uses Jane Austen's novel Persuasion to explain how a country setting was used as a "backdrop to Anne [protagonists]'s character development." Anne is fed up with her simple father and older sister in Bath (city) and decides to be with her sister in Uppercross (countryside). The student states that it is common for writers to attribute "primitivism and ignorance" to the country, but Austen challenges this stereotype by sticking Anne in the "nurturing, virtuous, and peaceful Uppercross. The student supports her argument through evidence supported by the novel. First, the student provides a little background information to explain how Anne's morals/ideas do not those of her father and older sister living in the city. However, it is in Uppercross where the people admire " her intelligence, kindness, and modesty" ; thus making Uppercross a virtuous place. Second, the student explains how in the Bath "Anne is constantly surrounded by others and has little time to reflect." In the peaceful woods of Uppercross, Anne discovers her own sanctuary where she is able to meditate and think clearly. Lastly, the student points out how Anne makes many friends in Uppercross, and is not bothered by her past or unpleasant family members. This student received an 8 because their essay flows so nicely and the examples provided were very clear cut.
Student #2 Essay-Score: 6
Student 2 uses the play The Importance of Being Earnest as an example of how setting can be used to heighten a character's internal complications in a comedic way. In the first body paragraph, Student 2 explains how the protagonists lives a double life; In the city he goes by Earnest, and in the countryside he is Jack. The student says in the country Jack finds tranquility, but "the drama of his urban-life [also] serves to develop the confusion of the play which makes it a successful comedy." This is as analytical as the their essay gets on how the country setting affects the play. The Student frequently refers to how the country is "an agent of confusion" that furthers the comedy in the play. However, instead of providing concrete evidence for how the natural setting perpetuates the hilarity, they simply summarize how Earnest/Jack's dishonest lifestyle unravels while he is in the country. The student offers no insight for why that might be. Had the student not mentioned in the opening paragraph how the solitude of Jack's country home contrasts with the chaos of Earnest's urban life, they would have received a lower score (and perhaps a more deserving one).
Student #3 Essay-Score: 4
As the commentator observed, the main problem with this student's essay is that they have an "oversimplified understanding of the work." Student #3 selected William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying as an example work where a rural setting plays a significant role in a novel. The student explains that the characters act irrationally and are ignorant. They state that it was Faulkner's intention to make the reader realize that the characters' lack of intellect is a result of "the backward ways of the [S]outh." The student just repeats this line over and over again, followed by poorly written examples of the character's peculiar actions. Student #3's essay is not much different than Student #2's as far as structure goes, but what makes this essay worse are the convoluted sentences and distracting wit.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Social Media: A Heatbroken Creeper's Paradise
Amanda Hess covers the cyber journey of a 25-year-old New Zealand man, Reese McKee, in her editorial Man Asks Internet to Hunt Down His Lost Crush. Social Media is often viewed as an ever expanding beast that never seems to leave us alone. It is the ultimate stalker. Which is why it should not come as a surprise that the lonely hearts of the planet flock to it for company. Hess uses diction, details, and language to convey the creepiness of this one man's tale that has been cloaked by the Internet in heroic romance.
In the the heading of the article, Hess uses denotative diction to make the point that there is nothing romantic about this "Man." When Hess uses the word "hunt," she uses the exact definition to show the unrequited passion of the McKee's M.I.A. crush, Katie. McKee can easily be likened to a bloodthirsty hunter thrashing through a forest of profiles and photos and Katie as the innocent doe that did not sign up for this lime light. The author uses colloquial diction for this article, which fits the content perfectly. The subject matter of this article is not very serious and does not require the analysis of intellects to understand.
Reese McKee sounds like a lonely guy who is genuinely looking for his "soul mate," but Hess adds details that make him seem a little too desperate for companionship. McKee has used Facebook as the main tool to track down his disconnected love and recruit the cupids and fellow romantics of the world to assist him in his search. Hess includes some of McKee's bizarre Facebook posts to give readers a better idea of who he is.One post McKee wrote was, "Somewhere along the line my romantic soul went silent, and this is a step towards putting that right." With this detail, Hess does not need to mention that McKee is a hopeless romantic that might have watched too many of Richard Curtis' films. It sounds like he quoted a line straight out of a romantic comedy. It becomes clear that McKee sees his adventure as a noble conquest when he writes, "If she isn't taken, i'll need to duel someone/something to take insult of her honour." The bits of McKee's voice were essential details to persuade the reader to think of his "noble deed" is more of a fool's jest.
Language is a tool used skillfully by the author to make her article sound similar to a storybook fairy tale, which adds to the irony of the situation. Hess uses whimsical language like "traipsing", "mystery woman", and "fateful" to dissolve the reality of McKee's experience and make it sound like the plot of an over dramatized love story. Hess uses this language when recalling the night that the two star-crossed lovers met for readers to see the events through the eyes of McKee. Hess later points out the irony of this flowery portrayal when she analysis the event through the perspective of a young woman from the 21st Century. "when a woman hangs out with a dude for an evening, coughs up fragments of her email address, then tells him, “find me,” what she often means is: “Do not find me.” Hess' detached language highlights the greatest irony of the article. Katie does not love McKee. The author makes it clear that this is not a romantic story. It anything it is a romanticized view of the they-could-be-the-one hysteria sweeping over the Internet.
Hess uses diction, details, and language to not only tell the story of a man in search of love, but to share with readers how the Internet is being used to misinterpret what defines romance. When she uses words such as "womanhunt," she is not trying to be clever. This is denotative diction and she wants the reader to see McKee more as a predator than a knight set on a quest. The use of McKee's actual love thirsty Facebook quotes make all the difference in this article by allowing the reader to hear his actual foolish voice. Language makes the article more fun to read and sheds the light on the irony of the situation. There is a much bigger picture here that Hess is hinting at when she writes this article. Not only are people too infatuated with fantasy romance, but with the expansion of social media, we have created a disillusioned view on what is considered an invasion of privacy.
In the the heading of the article, Hess uses denotative diction to make the point that there is nothing romantic about this "Man." When Hess uses the word "hunt," she uses the exact definition to show the unrequited passion of the McKee's M.I.A. crush, Katie. McKee can easily be likened to a bloodthirsty hunter thrashing through a forest of profiles and photos and Katie as the innocent doe that did not sign up for this lime light. The author uses colloquial diction for this article, which fits the content perfectly. The subject matter of this article is not very serious and does not require the analysis of intellects to understand.
Reese McKee sounds like a lonely guy who is genuinely looking for his "soul mate," but Hess adds details that make him seem a little too desperate for companionship. McKee has used Facebook as the main tool to track down his disconnected love and recruit the cupids and fellow romantics of the world to assist him in his search. Hess includes some of McKee's bizarre Facebook posts to give readers a better idea of who he is.One post McKee wrote was, "Somewhere along the line my romantic soul went silent, and this is a step towards putting that right." With this detail, Hess does not need to mention that McKee is a hopeless romantic that might have watched too many of Richard Curtis' films. It sounds like he quoted a line straight out of a romantic comedy. It becomes clear that McKee sees his adventure as a noble conquest when he writes, "If she isn't taken, i'll need to duel someone/something to take insult of her honour." The bits of McKee's voice were essential details to persuade the reader to think of his "noble deed" is more of a fool's jest.
Language is a tool used skillfully by the author to make her article sound similar to a storybook fairy tale, which adds to the irony of the situation. Hess uses whimsical language like "traipsing", "mystery woman", and "fateful" to dissolve the reality of McKee's experience and make it sound like the plot of an over dramatized love story. Hess uses this language when recalling the night that the two star-crossed lovers met for readers to see the events through the eyes of McKee. Hess later points out the irony of this flowery portrayal when she analysis the event through the perspective of a young woman from the 21st Century. "when a woman hangs out with a dude for an evening, coughs up fragments of her email address, then tells him, “find me,” what she often means is: “Do not find me.” Hess' detached language highlights the greatest irony of the article. Katie does not love McKee. The author makes it clear that this is not a romantic story. It anything it is a romanticized view of the they-could-be-the-one hysteria sweeping over the Internet.
Hess uses diction, details, and language to not only tell the story of a man in search of love, but to share with readers how the Internet is being used to misinterpret what defines romance. When she uses words such as "womanhunt," she is not trying to be clever. This is denotative diction and she wants the reader to see McKee more as a predator than a knight set on a quest. The use of McKee's actual love thirsty Facebook quotes make all the difference in this article by allowing the reader to hear his actual foolish voice. Language makes the article more fun to read and sheds the light on the irony of the situation. There is a much bigger picture here that Hess is hinting at when she writes this article. Not only are people too infatuated with fantasy romance, but with the expansion of social media, we have created a disillusioned view on what is considered an invasion of privacy.
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