Tuesday, October 27, 2009
How I Met the Standard in Unit 4
I met the standard regarding the contemporary context of a piece of literature in my post "Reflection on the Third Chapter of the Great Gatsby". One example is "The third chapter of the Great Gatsby demonstrates aspects of the Jazz Age very well. One would be the bootlegging and illegal drinking." Now that I have done this, I am done with Lit. 11!
"Incident" Reflection
Incident by Countee Cullen is a piece of Harlem Renaissance. The poem deals with an instance when he experienced racial discrimination. While he was visiting Baltimore a boy yelled a racial slur at him. Because of this he says that “I saw the whole of Baltimore, from May to December: Of all the things that happened there, that’s all that I remember”. I think that this is not only meant to show the harm that racism can cause someone, but also how a bigot can taint a whole community.
"The Negro Speaks of Rivers" Reflection
Langston Hughes “The Negro Speaks of Rivers" is a piece of Harlem Renaissance. In the poem he talks about different rivers he has been to over the course of history. He says that he has “known rivers ancient as the world and older that the flow of human blood in human veins”. He also says that he “looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it”. Considering the fact that he talks about things that he wouldn’t have known because of his age, and that all of the rivers that he talks about, except the Mississippi Africa
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
"A Dream Deferred" Reflection
I would consider Langston Hughes’ “A Dream Deferred” to be a piece of psychoanalysis. He asks the question, “What happens to a dream deferred?” Asking the reader a question is a common trait of psychoanalysis. I think that this is a pretty relevant poem. People commonly put off their dreams because there is something that seems more important. Essentially, this is long term procrastination.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
"Mending Wall" Reflection
“Mending Wall” by Robert Frost is a piece of disillusionment. The neighbor in the story simply accepts the philosophy that “Good fences make good neighbors.” The narrator on the other hand knows that there is really no reason to maintain a wall. Since him and his neighbor both grow trees and don’t have any livestock to keep on their property. Even though the neighbor knows this he continues to follow his philosophy that “Good fences make good neighbors.”
"Richard Corey" Reflection
“Richard Corey” by Edwin Arlington Robinson is definitely a piece of disillusionment. The way that I saw it was that Richard Corey was no longer disillusioned about his own status. He was regarded as “a gentleman from sole to crown”. He was also very wealthy, even “richer than a king”. But he apparently came out of his disillusionment with his status in life and his life in general, so he decided to end it.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Reflection on the Third Chapter of the Great Gatsby
One thing I found interesting was how Gatsby seemed to prefer to watch the party, rather than be a part of it. The narrator talks about how he was “looking from one group to another with approving eyes”. It also mentions “the fact that he was not drinking”. This gives him a pretty mysterious image. Why would someone who throws such large parties want no real participation in the partying?
Another thing I found interesting was how the drunken man in the library was so interested in Gatsby’s books. Fist of all, he is impressed that “They’re real”. He is sure that no one believes him. To convince them he shows them how they “have pages”. The intoxicated are so easily entertained.
The third chapter of the Great Gatsby demonstrates aspects of the Jazz Age very well. One would be the bootlegging and illegal drinking. Gatsby had a bar in his house. When referring to it the narrator says “The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden”. It also talks about the serving of champagne on a few occasions. It says that “champagne was served in glasses the size of finger bowls”.
One thing that could be considered an aspect of the Jazz Age is materialism. People come to Gatsby’s parties because they know that he has great things. He has excessive amounts of alcohol, which was something that most people in this period craved. He also had great food and an orchestra that would perform at his parties.
Another thing I found interesting was how the drunken man in the library was so interested in Gatsby’s books. Fist of all, he is impressed that “They’re real”. He is sure that no one believes him. To convince them he shows them how they “have pages”. The intoxicated are so easily entertained.
The third chapter of the Great Gatsby demonstrates aspects of the Jazz Age very well. One would be the bootlegging and illegal drinking. Gatsby had a bar in his house. When referring to it the narrator says “The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden”. It also talks about the serving of champagne on a few occasions. It says that “champagne was served in glasses the size of finger bowls”.
One thing that could be considered an aspect of the Jazz Age is materialism. People come to Gatsby’s parties because they know that he has great things. He has excessive amounts of alcohol, which was something that most people in this period craved. He also had great food and an orchestra that would perform at his parties.
The Jazz Age
When the choice was between the Jazz Age, disillusionment, the Harlem Renaissance and psychoanalysis, I decided to to go with the Jazz Age. One reason for this is because I figure that it should have some action that will keep me entertained. Another reason that I chose this is because I don't like some some of the other choices. The main one being disillusionment. I don't like disillusionment because it seems to just be a lot of whining by people who happen to have been dealt a few bad hands over the course of their lives.
Unit 4
I'm not sure which standard I've had the most trouble with. For this reason I'll talk about which standard I viewed to be the easiest. The one I thought was the easiest was the standard about relating literary works to their contemporary context and to other works of literature. Being someone who would consider themselves a history person, I really liked trying to meet this standard. In my post called When You Arise in the Morning, I compared Tecumseh's poem with the Psalms of the Old Testament.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Meeting Standards Unit 3, part 2.
I discussed the themes of Realism in my post Realism in the Battle with Mr. Covey, when I say "Descriptions are very important to Realism. When reading a piece of Realism you should not have to paint a picture in your head". I used evidence just now.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Alarm Clock
Born and raised I was, in a very organized home, in a very organized family. I lived my life on a schedule, whether it be that of my parents, or of myself. A family right of passage ceremony took place on each child’s sixth birthday; the day in which they would receive their first alarm clock.
I was a boy that always wanted to be included. I was also the youngest, which meant that I was often not included. On my sixth birthday, I was bursting with excitement for my alarm clock, for this was something that every other member of the family had. After the traditional song, candles, and cake, it was presented to me. It was a gold painted, old fashioned, wind-up clock, and I would have picked it, if I could have picked from all the clocks in the world.
As my birthday crept to a happy close, I wound my clock, setting it to go off at 6:15 (a cautiously early time for my for my 8 o’clock school start). I lay in bed that night with a smile on my face. I welcomed, with great anticipation, the new organizational responsibility. At 6:15 the next morning, I awoke to the pleasant sound of ringing bells.
Ten years later; I am a high school student. I no longer find the ringing bells a pleasant sound to my ears. I now associate them with stress and anxiety. The moment I hear them ring, at exactly 6:15, I want them to stop and let me sleep for another 24 hours, when they will ring again. I don’t know why I continue to wind the clock every night. My mother would wake me whenever I asked her to. But routine is routine.
Four years later; intense issues with insomnia, which came about in my freshman year, have turned me into a college dropout. I have moved back in with my parents, and work a graveyard shift at a large chain store located a few mile from my parents’ house. My shift ends at 4 a.m., and I’m in bed by 4:30. Same as every morning, an hour and forty five minutes later my clock sounds its alarm. 6:15. It is still dark. Same as every night, I swear I set it for 11.
Two years later; I still live at my parents’. I still work the night shift, and have gained no greater rank or pay since the start of my employment. I am entirely to blame, because I give least amount of effort of all the employees. I barely have any within me to give.
The next night; my nocturnal employment is terminated at 2:30 a.m. At 2:45 I collapse into my bed and weep. Not solely for the loss of my job, but for my complete lack of happiness in my life. At 3 a.m. I get the one thing I desire most. Sleep.
6:15 a.m.; I am awoken by the awful sound of the ringing bells of my clock. Rage which I was unaware I had, roars within me! I thrashed from my bed, grabbed the gilded clock and with a shout of anger, hurled it into the wall! The ringing continued. I began to yell and weep uncontrollably. My mother rushed into the room and pleaded with me to tell her what was the matter. In between sobs I told her to listen to the awful ringing of the clock. “What ringing?’ she asked. “That clock hasn’t worked for years”.
Evil and insanity are a large part of Dark Romanticism. Anger is a large part of evil the characters issues with anger is shown when he states that “. Rage which I was unaware I had, roars within me!” More importantly this deals with the insanity side of Dark Romanticism. As you see when the main character’s mother tells him that “That clock hasn’t worked for years”, he has been waking up at 6:15 to ringing in his head that had become accustomed to hearing for the early years of his life. He was so set in his routine that it took control of him and drove him insane.
I was a boy that always wanted to be included. I was also the youngest, which meant that I was often not included. On my sixth birthday, I was bursting with excitement for my alarm clock, for this was something that every other member of the family had. After the traditional song, candles, and cake, it was presented to me. It was a gold painted, old fashioned, wind-up clock, and I would have picked it, if I could have picked from all the clocks in the world.
As my birthday crept to a happy close, I wound my clock, setting it to go off at 6:15 (a cautiously early time for my for my 8 o’clock school start). I lay in bed that night with a smile on my face. I welcomed, with great anticipation, the new organizational responsibility. At 6:15 the next morning, I awoke to the pleasant sound of ringing bells.
Ten years later; I am a high school student. I no longer find the ringing bells a pleasant sound to my ears. I now associate them with stress and anxiety. The moment I hear them ring, at exactly 6:15, I want them to stop and let me sleep for another 24 hours, when they will ring again. I don’t know why I continue to wind the clock every night. My mother would wake me whenever I asked her to. But routine is routine.
Four years later; intense issues with insomnia, which came about in my freshman year, have turned me into a college dropout. I have moved back in with my parents, and work a graveyard shift at a large chain store located a few mile from my parents’ house. My shift ends at 4 a.m., and I’m in bed by 4:30. Same as every morning, an hour and forty five minutes later my clock sounds its alarm. 6:15. It is still dark. Same as every night, I swear I set it for 11.
Two years later; I still live at my parents’. I still work the night shift, and have gained no greater rank or pay since the start of my employment. I am entirely to blame, because I give least amount of effort of all the employees. I barely have any within me to give.
The next night; my nocturnal employment is terminated at 2:30 a.m. At 2:45 I collapse into my bed and weep. Not solely for the loss of my job, but for my complete lack of happiness in my life. At 3 a.m. I get the one thing I desire most. Sleep.
6:15 a.m.; I am awoken by the awful sound of the ringing bells of my clock. Rage which I was unaware I had, roars within me! I thrashed from my bed, grabbed the gilded clock and with a shout of anger, hurled it into the wall! The ringing continued. I began to yell and weep uncontrollably. My mother rushed into the room and pleaded with me to tell her what was the matter. In between sobs I told her to listen to the awful ringing of the clock. “What ringing?’ she asked. “That clock hasn’t worked for years”.
Evil and insanity are a large part of Dark Romanticism. Anger is a large part of evil the characters issues with anger is shown when he states that “. Rage which I was unaware I had, roars within me!” More importantly this deals with the insanity side of Dark Romanticism. As you see when the main character’s mother tells him that “That clock hasn’t worked for years”, he has been waking up at 6:15 to ringing in his head that had become accustomed to hearing for the early years of his life. He was so set in his routine that it took control of him and drove him insane.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Realism in Blood Diamond
I think that the movie Blood Diamond is a good modern example of Realism. One social issue being addresses is diamond smuggling from war zones, and financing revolutionary war efforts through the profits. This is a relatively common thing to happen in Africa. Another one of the social issues being addressed, which is also not that uncommon in Africa, is the subject of child soldiers. The children are kidnapped during village raids and seduced into fighting through drugs and brainwashing.
Blood Diamond shows many thing that would be considered very graphic by some. In one scene you see how the Revolutionary United Front coerces children they have kidnapped to fight for them. It starts with all of the children being lined up and told that their parents, family and neighbors are all weak and useless. Then, they are told that only through joining the RUF will they be able to escape a fate similar to that of the weak. They are then shown how to do multiple forms of drugs, and told that through the drugs they are invincible.
Blood Diamond shows many thing that would be considered very graphic by some. In one scene you see how the Revolutionary United Front coerces children they have kidnapped to fight for them. It starts with all of the children being lined up and told that their parents, family and neighbors are all weak and useless. Then, they are told that only through joining the RUF will they be able to escape a fate similar to that of the weak. They are then shown how to do multiple forms of drugs, and told that through the drugs they are invincible.
Realism in the Battle with Mr. Covey
Descriptions are very important to Realism. When reading a piece of Realism you should not have to paint a picture in your head. The picture should be shown to you. Douglass demonstrates this when he says, "From the crown of my head to my feet, I was covered in blood. My hair was all clotted with dust and blood; my shirt was stiff with blood. My legs and feet were torn in sundry places with briers and thorns, and were also covered with blood".
I think that the social issue that Douglass was trying to address was; how although he and other African-Americans were slaves in practice that they did not have to be slaves in spirit. That although they had to work for their masters, they did not have to humble themselves before them. He illustrates this when he says "However long I might remain a slave in form, the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact".
I think that the reason that Douglass wrote this was to try and empower slaves throughout the country. To raise their spirits and make them believe that they belonged to no one but themselves. To help them understand that just because they were legally the property of their masters, didn't mean that they had to bend entirely to their wills. That each slave did not have to be "a slave in fact".
I think that the social issue that Douglass was trying to address was; how although he and other African-Americans were slaves in practice that they did not have to be slaves in spirit. That although they had to work for their masters, they did not have to humble themselves before them. He illustrates this when he says "However long I might remain a slave in form, the day had passed forever when I could be a slave in fact".
I think that the reason that Douglass wrote this was to try and empower slaves throughout the country. To raise their spirits and make them believe that they belonged to no one but themselves. To help them understand that just because they were legally the property of their masters, didn't mean that they had to bend entirely to their wills. That each slave did not have to be "a slave in fact".
Realism in the Story of an Hour
A big part of Realism is being descriptive. leaving nothing for the imagination, and creating a complete picture for the reader. Kate Chopin does this in the Story of an Hour, when she says, "She sat with her head thrown back upon the cushion of the chair, quite motionless, except when a sob came up into her throat and shook her, as a child who has cried itself to sleep continues to sob in its dreams". You don't have to create a picture in your mind. The picture presents itself to you.
I think that the social issue that Chopin is trying to address is; how spouses try to dictate each other's lives. How sometimes, people try to mold the lives of their partners into what they want it to be and disregard what their spouse wants for their own life. Chopin addresses this when she says, "There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature". In the story, the unhealthy Mrs. Mallard, seems to gain a new sense of appreciation for her life upon hearing that her husband is dead and that she can now live for herself.
I think that the social issue that Chopin is trying to address is; how spouses try to dictate each other's lives. How sometimes, people try to mold the lives of their partners into what they want it to be and disregard what their spouse wants for their own life. Chopin addresses this when she says, "There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature". In the story, the unhealthy Mrs. Mallard, seems to gain a new sense of appreciation for her life upon hearing that her husband is dead and that she can now live for herself.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
How I Met the Standards in Unit 3
I use evidence in my post Dark Romanticism in the Black Cat, when I say: At one point in the story the main character, upon being bitten by his cat after he had grabbed it violently, proceeded to “deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket!”. I Identify one of the theme of Transcendentalism in my post Dark Romanticism in the Black Cat, when I say “The Transcendentalists don’t believe in evil or insanity.” I Compare pieces of literature throughout that the same post.
Reflection on "The Raven"
I read this poem about a year ago, and I remember thinking that the poem was very strange. I thought it strange that in this poem a man goes insane because of an encounter with a raven that can say the word “nevermore”. What I didn’t realize until I read the poem again was that the man is already insane. He is so paranoid that he has to reassure himself "'Tis some visitor," that is knocking and not “the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore”.
Another thing that I found interesting is the raven itself. The man in the poem can’t decide if it is a “bird or devil!”. That is the same thing that I am wondering. Many different kinds of bird can be trained to say a few words. Then again, one of the scariest things thinkable is an evil that cannot be distracted from its cruel goal. So, is the raven simply a trained bird flown astray from its owner? Or is it truly a “Wretch” that’s purpose is to torment a disturbed man farther into his own insanity? Or is it simply a symbol of the man's own insanity?
The Raven demonstrates Anti-Transcendentalism very well. The Ant- Transcendentalists believe that evil is a very real thing. They also believe that people can be insane. In the poem, the man refers to the raven as “thing of evil!” and “Wretch”, as it haunts him. This would give the appearance that the raven is evil. There is also the possibility that the man is insane. As I stated earlier, the man is very paranoid, and believes in a spirit that is haunting him. That make him seem relatively insane.
Another thing that I found interesting is the raven itself. The man in the poem can’t decide if it is a “bird or devil!”. That is the same thing that I am wondering. Many different kinds of bird can be trained to say a few words. Then again, one of the scariest things thinkable is an evil that cannot be distracted from its cruel goal. So, is the raven simply a trained bird flown astray from its owner? Or is it truly a “Wretch” that’s purpose is to torment a disturbed man farther into his own insanity? Or is it simply a symbol of the man's own insanity?
The Raven demonstrates Anti-Transcendentalism very well. The Ant- Transcendentalists believe that evil is a very real thing. They also believe that people can be insane. In the poem, the man refers to the raven as “thing of evil!” and “Wretch”, as it haunts him. This would give the appearance that the raven is evil. There is also the possibility that the man is insane. As I stated earlier, the man is very paranoid, and believes in a spirit that is haunting him. That make him seem relatively insane.
Breaking Down Anti-Semitism
Anti-Semitism is most likely the oldest form of racism in existence. It is also, in my opinion, the most ridiculous form of racism in existence. Followers of Judaism and ethnic Jews have contributed to society in great ways. They have been great scientists like Albert Einstein, and successful politicians like Ben Stein and Joe Lieberman. They have been great musicians such as Bob Dylan, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Joel, and one of my favorite singers, Adam Duritz (lead singer of Counting Crows). They have also been very influential in things that are a bit less serious, like comic books. Some great comic book creators that are three of my favorites are Jack Kirby, Art Spiegelman, and Peter David. Although some would consider it stereotyping, they are also known today for being successful business men and women.
There are three main categories in modern society that Anti-Semites tend to fall into. Since this is a very historical subject, I will address them in chronological order. The earliest would be the Islamic extremist group. It all started in the Old Testament, when Abraham dismissed Ishmael, his eldest son of a handmaiden, Hagar, who was also dismissed. This was done after Abraham’s wife, Sarah witnessed Ishmael tormenting their son Isaac. Ishmael and his mother were not given any part of the promised land of Abraham and his descendents, while Isaac (who is one of the main patriarchs of Judaism) did. From ancient times to today, the descendents of Ishmael, who now make up a large amount of the Islamic extremists, fight the Jews for the promised land of Israel.
The next group would be the “Christian vengeance” group (skinheads, klu klux klan, whatever you prefer). Christ was put to death by the Roman appointed Governor, Pontius Pilot, after a crowd of Jews who considered Christ a false messiah, urged him to. This group came to be at some point after the death of Christ. Because Christ was put to death at a crowd of Jews’ urging, theses people consider Jews to be the murderers of their lord, and they desire vengeance for it.
The final group, whether it be Nazis themselves or the Neo-Nazis, are those who wish to purify the Human race, until there is one master race (Aryan). The race they consider to be the most inferior are the Jews. In fact, they consider them to be vermin. They rounded up and eventually killed over six-million Jews in work, and death camps. This event is infamously known as the Holocaust.
I will now explain why the grudges of the three main Anti-Semitic groups are so bewildering to me. The Islamic extremists still to this day hate and fight Jews for the simple reason that Jews are the descendents of the favored son of their great, great, great …. Grandfather Abraham. So essentially these Islamic extremists have been responsible for the deaths of millions because of their ancestor Ishmael’s sibling rivalry and abandonment issues connected to his father. And for some reason, they believe it is their responsibility to get for themselves, what they think Ishmael deserved.
The Christian “vengeance” group hates Jews because a group of Jews helped put Christ to death. They seem to just ignore a few very important things; one would be the fact that Christ himself was a Jew! Another would be that in Christianity, the main purpose of Christ’s life was to die! So they hate the very people that their lord and savior came from, and they hate them for helping him fulfill his destiny.
What makes the Nazi and Neo-Nazi group different from the previous groups, is that they aren’t religious, they’re “scientific”. They hate the Jews because they believe that they are the most inferior of all races. So since they believe that their race is superior, those that are they believe to be inferior deserve to die. When you look in history books and read about Jews during WWII, all you see is people in ghettos and concentration camps. You don’t see the way they were before the Holocaust. Something that I think most people tend to overlook is that the supposed inferior Jews were not a bunch of homeless, gypsy like vagabonds, living in slums and ghettos. They were bankers, and factory owners. They were musicians and artists. They were restaurant and shop owners.
My main issue with Anti-Semitism is this; Jews aren’t a bunch of un-motivated people. They aren’t a group of uneducated and unintelligent people. They aren’t a cultureless annoyance to the world. They were, and to this day are, contributors to society.
There are three main categories in modern society that Anti-Semites tend to fall into. Since this is a very historical subject, I will address them in chronological order. The earliest would be the Islamic extremist group. It all started in the Old Testament, when Abraham dismissed Ishmael, his eldest son of a handmaiden, Hagar, who was also dismissed. This was done after Abraham’s wife, Sarah witnessed Ishmael tormenting their son Isaac. Ishmael and his mother were not given any part of the promised land of Abraham and his descendents, while Isaac (who is one of the main patriarchs of Judaism) did. From ancient times to today, the descendents of Ishmael, who now make up a large amount of the Islamic extremists, fight the Jews for the promised land of Israel.
The next group would be the “Christian vengeance” group (skinheads, klu klux klan, whatever you prefer). Christ was put to death by the Roman appointed Governor, Pontius Pilot, after a crowd of Jews who considered Christ a false messiah, urged him to. This group came to be at some point after the death of Christ. Because Christ was put to death at a crowd of Jews’ urging, theses people consider Jews to be the murderers of their lord, and they desire vengeance for it.
The final group, whether it be Nazis themselves or the Neo-Nazis, are those who wish to purify the Human race, until there is one master race (Aryan). The race they consider to be the most inferior are the Jews. In fact, they consider them to be vermin. They rounded up and eventually killed over six-million Jews in work, and death camps. This event is infamously known as the Holocaust.
I will now explain why the grudges of the three main Anti-Semitic groups are so bewildering to me. The Islamic extremists still to this day hate and fight Jews for the simple reason that Jews are the descendents of the favored son of their great, great, great …. Grandfather Abraham. So essentially these Islamic extremists have been responsible for the deaths of millions because of their ancestor Ishmael’s sibling rivalry and abandonment issues connected to his father. And for some reason, they believe it is their responsibility to get for themselves, what they think Ishmael deserved.
The Christian “vengeance” group hates Jews because a group of Jews helped put Christ to death. They seem to just ignore a few very important things; one would be the fact that Christ himself was a Jew! Another would be that in Christianity, the main purpose of Christ’s life was to die! So they hate the very people that their lord and savior came from, and they hate them for helping him fulfill his destiny.
What makes the Nazi and Neo-Nazi group different from the previous groups, is that they aren’t religious, they’re “scientific”. They hate the Jews because they believe that they are the most inferior of all races. So since they believe that their race is superior, those that are they believe to be inferior deserve to die. When you look in history books and read about Jews during WWII, all you see is people in ghettos and concentration camps. You don’t see the way they were before the Holocaust. Something that I think most people tend to overlook is that the supposed inferior Jews were not a bunch of homeless, gypsy like vagabonds, living in slums and ghettos. They were bankers, and factory owners. They were musicians and artists. They were restaurant and shop owners.
My main issue with Anti-Semitism is this; Jews aren’t a bunch of un-motivated people. They aren’t a group of uneducated and unintelligent people. They aren’t a cultureless annoyance to the world. They were, and to this day are, contributors to society.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Unit 3
the students use many different kinds of writing to show they understand the themes in liturature. The student writes different kinds of pieces of writing.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Dark Romanticism in the Black Cat
I thought that the story was disgusting, while at the same time interesting. In the story the main character gives in to his the darkest urges within him. By doing this he essentially makes himself seem insane. At one point he says the he went “into a rage more than demoniacal”, at which point he slammed an axe into his wife’s head.
The Black cat shows how Dark Romanticism disagrees with Transcendentalism throughout the story. The story tells the tail of a man giving into the evil inside him and going insane. The Transcendentalists don’t believe in evil or insanity. They believe that people are pure and without fault. At one point in the story the main character, upon being bitten by his cat after he had grabbed it violently, proceeded to “deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket!” I’d say that that would be pretty evil and possibly insane, thus illustrating how Dark Romantics disagree with Transcendentalists.
The Black cat shows how Dark Romanticism disagrees with Transcendentalism throughout the story. The story tells the tail of a man giving into the evil inside him and going insane. The Transcendentalists don’t believe in evil or insanity. They believe that people are pure and without fault. At one point in the story the main character, upon being bitten by his cat after he had grabbed it violently, proceeded to “deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket!” I’d say that that would be pretty evil and possibly insane, thus illustrating how Dark Romantics disagree with Transcendentalists.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Transcendentalist or Dark Romantic
When Trying to figure out if you are more like a Transcendentalist or a Dark Romantic, one of the main things you should think about is, do you think that people can be evil. When I tried to think of an evil person, the first thing that came to my mind was Charles Manson and his followers. Charles Manson and his followers were widely publicized murderers in the late sixties. They brutally butchered numerous people because they believed the the music from the Beatles album, "the Beatles" (also known as the White Album), had spoken to them and told them to do those things. In my opinion it's safe to say that these people are evil and insane. Coming to that conclusion brings me to another conclusion, which is that I fall under the category of a Dark Romantic.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Transcendentalism in the Wilderness
There are a lot of things that reflect Transcendentalism in the Wilderness. One large part of Transcendentalism is being separate from society. Emerson talks about going into the woods to get away from society. This is essentially what Proenneke does, when he goes to Twin Lakes, Alaska to be alone for a year. He is completely alone with just the mountains, plants, and animals.
Another part of Transcendentalism is working hard, and that God also spoke through man's hard work. When speaking on this subject, Emerson says that "no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till". Proenneke works incredibly hard when he is at Twin Lakes. He built a house for himself out of logs from trees he cut down completely himself. He fished and farmed for food, and chopped down his own firewood. He work completely alone, and was able to sustain himself for the entire year, and later came back and did the same thing for thirty years.
Another part of Transcendentalism is working hard, and that God also spoke through man's hard work. When speaking on this subject, Emerson says that "no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till". Proenneke works incredibly hard when he is at Twin Lakes. He built a house for himself out of logs from trees he cut down completely himself. He fished and farmed for food, and chopped down his own firewood. He work completely alone, and was able to sustain himself for the entire year, and later came back and did the same thing for thirty years.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Transcendentalism in the Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson has many aspects of Transcendentalism in it. The title alone; Nature is a big part of Transcendentalism. Being "in touch" with nature is talked about in much of this piece of literature. At one point Emerson says "In the woods is perpetual youth". Another aspect of Transcendentalism is being able to get out of the physical realm and make a connection with God. Emerson talks about this when he says "I am nothing: I see all" and "I am part or parcel of God".
The thing that I found most interesting was, when Emerson talked about the stars, and how people take them for granted. He said that “If the stars should appear but one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore” and “But every night comes out these envoys of beauty”.
Self- Reliance by Emerson also has aspects of transcendentalism in it. A very important part of transcendentalism is that people are pure and that God speaks through them. One of the main things that is talked about in Self-Reliance is basically being true to yourself, and not trying to be like others. This is illustrated when Emerson says "Accept the place the divine Providence has found for you" as well as "imitation is suicide". They belief that they are pure, and therefore pure enough for God to speak through them would make trying to be different from the way they naturally are about the worst sin possible.
The thing that I found most interesting about Self-Reliance was in the last paragraph. Emerson talks about being misunderstood for saying what he believes even when it contradicts things that he had previously said. Hes say's "Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther", "and Newton". He say that it is not bad to be misunderstood, because great people are often mistunderstood.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Why Just Diet?
I am sure that just about everyone at Classic City High School is aware that we are privileged to have our very own Jittery Joe’s. It is a great perk that everyone enjoys and appreciates about school… but, I have an issue with Jittery Joe’s that I feel needs to be addressed. Jittery Joe’s offers a large amount of items for the students and faculty to purchase. Customers can buy anything from a standard coffee to an iced coffee, from a pack of Pop Tarts to a granola bar, and from Capri Sun to diet sodas. My issue with Jittery Joe’s is that they don’t sell regular, non-diet sodas, and there is not one good reason as to why.
I have wondered for a while what the reasons would be for this. First I thought of the basic
reasons why people drink diet drinks: because they are dieting, or because they are attempting to not be put into a position where they might need to start dieting. If the school was going by this kind of logic, they are essentially saying that the student body needs to be dieting, or are pretty much at the point where they would need to do something preventative. If that is true, then in my opinion the school is wrong, and insulting both the student body and their judgment.
Not everyone needs to diet. There are alternatives, such as exercising, portioning and I’m sure the list goes on. There are other reasons why people don’t need to diet. One of which would be that many people, me included, can maintain fine physical fitness without the help of diet drinks. Another one (although probably the strangest one), as weird as it might sound, is that people have the right to be unfit! People even have the right to be obese! I am not at all recommending that anyone make use of this right, but I am saying that it is theirs to use, or not, as they please.
Another reason why the school may be choosing to not buy non-diet sodas is that diet is healthier… well, isn’t it? Not necessarily. Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D said that “some studies suggest that drinking soda of any type leads to obesity and other health problems”. One of the most widely used artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas is aspartame. Editor-in-chief David Zinczenko of Men’s Health magazine has stated that “The FDA maintains that the sweetener is safe, but reported side effects include dizziness, headaches, diarrhea, memory loss, and mood changes. Bottom line: Diet soda does you no good, and it might just be doing you wrong”. Even when it is with good intentions, is it right to sell just diet sodas in an attempt to give a healthier alternative to the regular sodas? Is the School actually helping improve the general health of the student body? Or are they just making themselves feel better about a matter which is solely the business of the students, while at the same time making it more difficult for the students to get what they want?
How is the school making it more difficult for the students to get what they want? Well, take me for example. Many times when on the way to school I feel the need for a little caffeine, so I pull into the Golden Pantry that’s on the way and grab a nice Coca-Cola. On certain occasions, the combination of both the stop and bad traffic, have caused me to be late and receive a tardy. A tardy is not just bad for me, it’s bad for the whole school, because it goes on record for the yearly attendance. The thing is that every tardy that has taken place for this reason, in the entire school, could have been prevented by Jittery Joe’s simply selling Coca-Cola, and or other non-diet sodas. I or any other student could just come to school, then get a Jittery Joe’s pass, get the bottled caffeine that we crave, and do it without getting a single tardy.
Putting aside the issue of diet sodas being unhealthy, let’s think about if the school was right, and diet was healthier. Also take into mind that the average age of Classic City students is eighteen and a half. Which essentially means, that the average student is considered old enough to buy cigarettes outside of school, is old enough to vote, and is old enough to fight for our country in the military. In spite of this, they are not considered to be able to make the choice to buy a drink that the school doesn’t consider very healthy, at school. In a School where the majority of students rush to the edge of campus to smoke cigarettes during breaks, the students are making the choice to not care about their own health. I am not asking the school to sell cigarettes (something that is known to cause throat and lung cancer, as well as emphysema); I am just asking them to sell non-diet sodas. Is that so bad? Why just diet?
I have wondered for a while what the reasons would be for this. First I thought of the basic
reasons why people drink diet drinks: because they are dieting, or because they are attempting to not be put into a position where they might need to start dieting. If the school was going by this kind of logic, they are essentially saying that the student body needs to be dieting, or are pretty much at the point where they would need to do something preventative. If that is true, then in my opinion the school is wrong, and insulting both the student body and their judgment.
Not everyone needs to diet. There are alternatives, such as exercising, portioning and I’m sure the list goes on. There are other reasons why people don’t need to diet. One of which would be that many people, me included, can maintain fine physical fitness without the help of diet drinks. Another one (although probably the strangest one), as weird as it might sound, is that people have the right to be unfit! People even have the right to be obese! I am not at all recommending that anyone make use of this right, but I am saying that it is theirs to use, or not, as they please.
Another reason why the school may be choosing to not buy non-diet sodas is that diet is healthier… well, isn’t it? Not necessarily. Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D said that “some studies suggest that drinking soda of any type leads to obesity and other health problems”. One of the most widely used artificial sweeteners used in diet sodas is aspartame. Editor-in-chief David Zinczenko of Men’s Health magazine has stated that “The FDA maintains that the sweetener is safe, but reported side effects include dizziness, headaches, diarrhea, memory loss, and mood changes. Bottom line: Diet soda does you no good, and it might just be doing you wrong”. Even when it is with good intentions, is it right to sell just diet sodas in an attempt to give a healthier alternative to the regular sodas? Is the School actually helping improve the general health of the student body? Or are they just making themselves feel better about a matter which is solely the business of the students, while at the same time making it more difficult for the students to get what they want?
How is the school making it more difficult for the students to get what they want? Well, take me for example. Many times when on the way to school I feel the need for a little caffeine, so I pull into the Golden Pantry that’s on the way and grab a nice Coca-Cola. On certain occasions, the combination of both the stop and bad traffic, have caused me to be late and receive a tardy. A tardy is not just bad for me, it’s bad for the whole school, because it goes on record for the yearly attendance. The thing is that every tardy that has taken place for this reason, in the entire school, could have been prevented by Jittery Joe’s simply selling Coca-Cola, and or other non-diet sodas. I or any other student could just come to school, then get a Jittery Joe’s pass, get the bottled caffeine that we crave, and do it without getting a single tardy.
Putting aside the issue of diet sodas being unhealthy, let’s think about if the school was right, and diet was healthier. Also take into mind that the average age of Classic City students is eighteen and a half. Which essentially means, that the average student is considered old enough to buy cigarettes outside of school, is old enough to vote, and is old enough to fight for our country in the military. In spite of this, they are not considered to be able to make the choice to buy a drink that the school doesn’t consider very healthy, at school. In a School where the majority of students rush to the edge of campus to smoke cigarettes during breaks, the students are making the choice to not care about their own health. I am not asking the school to sell cigarettes (something that is known to cause throat and lung cancer, as well as emphysema); I am just asking them to sell non-diet sodas. Is that so bad? Why just diet?
How I Met the Standards in Unit Two
I met ELAALRL1 by giving evidence in my earlier post Romanticism in Rip Van Winkle. Then I met ELAALRL2 in my posts Romanticism in Rip Van Winkle, and Romanticism in Thanatopsis.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Romanticism in Thanatopsis
Elements of Romanticism can be seen throughout Bryant's Thanatopsis. One of the elements of Romanticism is imagination. One of the main ways imagination is illustrated is simply in the concept of Mother Nature, and that she speaks to people. Another would be, when referring to Earth, it mentions "the tribes that slumber in its bosom", talking about all the people who have ever died and saying that they now sleep bellow us.
Nature is another important element of Romanticism. Mother Nature is referred to first when it mentions “nature” and “her visible form”. Mother Nature actually speaks the majority of the poem. Other times where nature is referred to are when it talks about going “forth, under the open sky”, as well as “Earth and her waters”.
Common people are also an important element of Romanticism. Common people are pretty much the target crowd of the whole poem. This is evident in the part where it says “thou shalt lie down with patriarchs of the infant world—with kings, the powerful of the Earth”, basically telling the common man that when he dies, it is the same as when someone of a higher class dies.
Nature is another important element of Romanticism. Mother Nature is referred to first when it mentions “nature” and “her visible form”. Mother Nature actually speaks the majority of the poem. Other times where nature is referred to are when it talks about going “forth, under the open sky”, as well as “Earth and her waters”.
Common people are also an important element of Romanticism. Common people are pretty much the target crowd of the whole poem. This is evident in the part where it says “thou shalt lie down with patriarchs of the infant world—with kings, the powerful of the Earth”, basically telling the common man that when he dies, it is the same as when someone of a higher class dies.
ELAALRL2 in My Own Words
The students must find, analyze, and demonstrate what they know about theme in American literature, and show their understanding with evidence.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Romanticism in Rip Van Winkle
I'd say that Rip Van Winkle definitely falls into the category of Romanticism. There are many reasons why. I'd say that the biggest one to speak of would be how it's a very magical kind of story. The best example would be the idea that a man could sleep in the Catskill Mountains for twenty years without waking or dying, and believe that he had slept but one night. Also how Henry Hudson and his crew of the Half-moon dwell in the mountains and that when they play the game of nine-pins "the sound of their balls" is described as being "like distant peals of thunder". It also says about Catskill Mountains that "the Indians considered them the abode of spirits, who influenced the weather". I think all of this mixed with the very folk-lore feel of the story makes it Romantic.
How I Met All of Georgia's Standards
In my earlier post titled When You Arise in the Morning, I made connections on how the Native American poem fits into it's own time, how it can be applied to now, and I found connections to other literature. I also demonstrated use of evidence in my earlier post, which was titled Culture Clash, where I used a few direct quotes.
Monday, August 24, 2009
My Thirteen Virtues
1. Steadfast: Do not let the opinions of others sway my personal beliefs.
2. Punctual: Always be on time, or early in my day to day life.
3. Practical: Be simple and do what makes sense, without getting caught in complexity.
4. Purpose: Do things for a reason, even when doing small things.
5. Creative: Do not be dull or boring, and try to think “outside the box”.
6. Improve: Do not settle for what is easy to achieve, and strive for what is out of reach.
7. Contentment: Be happy with the things and life that I have.
8. Vigilant: Be constantly aware of the events happening around me.
9. Knowledgeable: Do not be ignorant, and try to understand as much as possible.
10. Accepting: Try to not be judgmental.
11. Positive: Do not think cynically, and give people the benefit of the doubt until there is reason to not.
12. Honest: Do not lie or mislead to make thing easier or convenient.
13. Order: Be organized and not cluttered.
Do I think that I could reach a moral perfection this way? No. I say no, not because I don’t believe in my own power of will, but because there are just some things I can’t control. What is it that I can’t control? Well, mainly my subconscious mind. I coluld for example, make myself knowledgeable by learning many things, but I couldn’t make myself truly accepting. In my actions I could treat everything and everyone the same, but in my mind I would still think differently about what is different from myself. I wouldn’t necessarily think worse of what is different, but I would think differently than I would about something more similar to myself.
Another reason that I believe that I could not reach a moral perfection, is that a human simply can’t be perfect. A human cannot draw a perfect circle or a line. We’ve all heard the phrase “life isn’t fair”, a phrase that I believe to be true. Well if life itself isn’t fair, then how is a human who lives it supposed to be perfectly fair?
2. Punctual: Always be on time, or early in my day to day life.
3. Practical: Be simple and do what makes sense, without getting caught in complexity.
4. Purpose: Do things for a reason, even when doing small things.
5. Creative: Do not be dull or boring, and try to think “outside the box”.
6. Improve: Do not settle for what is easy to achieve, and strive for what is out of reach.
7. Contentment: Be happy with the things and life that I have.
8. Vigilant: Be constantly aware of the events happening around me.
9. Knowledgeable: Do not be ignorant, and try to understand as much as possible.
10. Accepting: Try to not be judgmental.
11. Positive: Do not think cynically, and give people the benefit of the doubt until there is reason to not.
12. Honest: Do not lie or mislead to make thing easier or convenient.
13. Order: Be organized and not cluttered.
Do I think that I could reach a moral perfection this way? No. I say no, not because I don’t believe in my own power of will, but because there are just some things I can’t control. What is it that I can’t control? Well, mainly my subconscious mind. I coluld for example, make myself knowledgeable by learning many things, but I couldn’t make myself truly accepting. In my actions I could treat everything and everyone the same, but in my mind I would still think differently about what is different from myself. I wouldn’t necessarily think worse of what is different, but I would think differently than I would about something more similar to myself.
Another reason that I believe that I could not reach a moral perfection, is that a human simply can’t be perfect. A human cannot draw a perfect circle or a line. We’ve all heard the phrase “life isn’t fair”, a phrase that I believe to be true. Well if life itself isn’t fair, then how is a human who lives it supposed to be perfectly fair?
Monday, August 17, 2009
Benjamin Franklin: Rationalist
A Good example of how Benjamin Franklin was a Rationalist, is how he made a list of virtues to live his life by. He focused on things that he felt needed improvement, and improved upon them. One of his virtues was humility. A Puritan who wanted to achieve humility would probably just plead to God to help them achieve humility. He on the other hand, thought of people who he believed to be good examples of humility, and tried to be like them. His thirteenth virtue said simply "Humility: imitate Jesus and Socrates". He worked to make himself into the person he wanted to be.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Puritanism and Rationalism
There is much contrast between Puritanism and Rationalism. Some very big contrasts would be beliefs on natural events, such as lightning and personal issues, such as self improvement. If lightning struck a tree, a Puritan would say that it was struck because God wanted it to be struck. A Rationalist on the other hand, would say that although lightning exists because of God, that the tree was struck because the tree is what the lightning was scientifically drawn to. Then, there are the personal issues. If a Puritan wanted to be a better person, then they would probably beg God to make them a better person. A Rationalist, although they might pray to God to help them become a better person, would take action and try to make themselves better, by focusing on being a more moral person.
5 Terms Defined
1. Puritanism: The denomination of Christianity practiced by Puritans, which focused on the wrath of God, and that salvation was only for those who were chosen.
2. Deism: The belief that God was the creator of the universe, but did not interfere with it's laws.
3. Abhors: Strongly dislikes, or loathes.
4. Age of Rationalism: The period in the 18th century when people started to believe that natural things happened for rational, scientific reasons.
5. Original Sin: The form of sin that all humans are born into because of the sin of Adam and Eve.
2. Deism: The belief that God was the creator of the universe, but did not interfere with it's laws.
3. Abhors: Strongly dislikes, or loathes.
4. Age of Rationalism: The period in the 18th century when people started to believe that natural things happened for rational, scientific reasons.
5. Original Sin: The form of sin that all humans are born into because of the sin of Adam and Eve.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Culture Clash
There are many ways and reasons why there was such a culture clash between the Native Americans and the Puritans. One of the main reasons would be religious differences. From Tecumseh's poem, it would seem as if his religion was a rather relaxed and thankful religion. It speaks of giving thanks for sunlight, food and "the joy of being alive". On the other hand, the Puritanism practiced by the Pilgrims was practiced to some extent out of fear, and was in the case of some of Jonathan Edward's teachings, pretty "in your face". I say that it was practiced out of fear because of the way that some of the the teachings say things such as God "abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked". Living in North America, a land that had many different snakes that were probably the cause of numerous deaths, it was most likely very offensive to be told that with the God of this new religion, "you are ten-thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful, venomous serpent is in ours". Frankly, telling people that they are evil and are despised by God, was probably not the best way to convince them to convert.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
When You Arise in the Morning
When you arise in the morning,
give thanks for the morning light,
give thanks for your food and the joy of living
If you see no reason for giving thanks,
the fault lies in yourself.
-Tecumseh
The reason that I think this poem fits into its contemporary context is, how Tecumseh is giving thanks for the simple things such as sunlight, food and life. Being a Native American that lived from 1768 - 1813, he couldn't go out to a grocery and buy a pack of light bulbs and basic food. He would have reallied on the sun for most of his light and probably would have had to hunt for his food. Living in a time when the average life was around 45 years long (as his was), life was relatively short.
How can this be applied to today? People have a tendency to get caught up in the complication of life and loose focus of the good and simple things. People have tendency to take things such as sunlight, food and life for granted. He says "If you see no reason for giving thanks,the fault lies in yourself". People tend to get angry at the world for their own problems, and he is essentially saying, that if you can't find things to be thankful for, then you are the one that has problems, not the world.
A piece of literature that I can connect this to would be from the Bible, in the book of Psalms, which was mainly written by the man who eventually became King David of Israel. Prior to becoming King, David was pursued by the army of his predecessor, who had ordered him to be killed. While being pursued by this army, David thanked God for simple things. For instance when he said "He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He Leads me beside still waters".
give thanks for the morning light,
give thanks for your food and the joy of living
If you see no reason for giving thanks,
the fault lies in yourself.
-Tecumseh
The reason that I think this poem fits into its contemporary context is, how Tecumseh is giving thanks for the simple things such as sunlight, food and life. Being a Native American that lived from 1768 - 1813, he couldn't go out to a grocery and buy a pack of light bulbs and basic food. He would have reallied on the sun for most of his light and probably would have had to hunt for his food. Living in a time when the average life was around 45 years long (as his was), life was relatively short.
How can this be applied to today? People have a tendency to get caught up in the complication of life and loose focus of the good and simple things. People have tendency to take things such as sunlight, food and life for granted. He says "If you see no reason for giving thanks,the fault lies in yourself". People tend to get angry at the world for their own problems, and he is essentially saying, that if you can't find things to be thankful for, then you are the one that has problems, not the world.
A piece of literature that I can connect this to would be from the Bible, in the book of Psalms, which was mainly written by the man who eventually became King David of Israel. Prior to becoming King, David was pursued by the army of his predecessor, who had ordered him to be killed. While being pursued by this army, David thanked God for simple things. For instance when he said "He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He Leads me beside still waters".
Unit 1
Students will gain a better understanding of pieces of literature by seeing how they apply to their original time period, how they could be applied now, and how they are connected to other pieces of literature.
Why is doing that important? Well, if you don't have a good understanding of how a piece of literature fits in to it's own time period then you won't have the best understanding of the piece itself. History also repeats itself, so it is important to see how lessons can be applied to the present and the future. It is important to try to see how pieces of literature are connected to other pieces, so that they can be put into genres, which will then help to keep order. Without genres, looking for a book in a library would be a very long search through rooms of alphabetised books.
Why is doing that important? Well, if you don't have a good understanding of how a piece of literature fits in to it's own time period then you won't have the best understanding of the piece itself. History also repeats itself, so it is important to see how lessons can be applied to the present and the future. It is important to try to see how pieces of literature are connected to other pieces, so that they can be put into genres, which will then help to keep order. Without genres, looking for a book in a library would be a very long search through rooms of alphabetised books.
Monday, August 10, 2009
ELAALRL1 Simplified
The students must show their understanding by finding examples from different types of writing and the devices that authers use.
Being able to identify devices in liturature is impotant, because if you can't identify them, then you probably can't make use of them yourself. For instance, if you can't identify a simile, then you probably can't porposely write one. If you can't give evidence of descriptive writing, then would not be able to write a good descriptive paper if you were asked to.
Being able to identify devices in liturature is impotant, because if you can't identify them, then you probably can't make use of them yourself. For instance, if you can't identify a simile, then you probably can't porposely write one. If you can't give evidence of descriptive writing, then would not be able to write a good descriptive paper if you were asked to.
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