Synthesis of Course Material #4

One thing that has been a huge part of this class and its work outside of the classroom is annotating and close readings. For every book or play we have read in class, we have to annotate and reread the piece again. This is something that was rather new to me, but helpful to get practice in because I'm sure this will be something I will have to do in future classes. The second time through reading, once we have discussed some ideas as a class, it is so much easier to find deeper meanings behind sentences and speeches given by the characters. I can look for DIDLS examples in the text, and themes as well. We were told to stop and ask questions as we go through a close read, and to question the way you feel as you are reading along. Why am I bored? Why am I angry? We learned to make notes on this, and really get into the conversations between characters. I have also found myself connecting events in the novels to events from my life. Annotations and Close Readings are some skills that I have found to be a large part of this course.

Synthesis of Course Material #3

We have also learned an incredible amount of information on how to write an essay for the AP Exam that will get the highest amount of points possible. We have gone over good and bad examples of Open Prompt essays, and know what it takes to get an 8 or 9 on an essay. Now it is a matter of applying the information we learned and making the 8 or 9 happen in reality. A superior paper includes specific quotes and references to the text you are writing about. you should also use as many terms you can remember as possible. We learned countless terms for the first semester final. These are the terms you must refer to and use successfully to support your ideas. One thing that I personally need to watch out for when writing essays is avoiding plot summaries. This can be hard because you want to explain and give some background on what you are talking about, but the way that the reader understands the plot is more through your examples than a summary in general. In an 8 or 9 essay, you also can not have errors that will interfere with the readers understanding. Most of all, your ideas must be deeply thought about and show that you have true insight and understanding of the piece.

We also learned how to write an effective introduction. This starts with in introduction to the subject matter of your essay that is rather broad. It can not be some obvious fact, but something interesting but kind of broad about your topic of discussion. You then must provide almost a link from your first sentence to the piece you chose to write about in your essay. This is called background information, and it includes key elements you are arguing for in your piece. Finally, you state your thesis statement, and the entire point of your essay.

Synthesis of Course Material #2

One subject we have learned in this class that will stay with me for the rest of the years I take lit classes is DIDLS. We learned about this very early in the year, so that we could effectively use them in the practice of writing AP Exam Essays. They help you find a baseline and a place to start when writing essays, and also serve as wonderful support in your work.

 Diction is the first letter in DIDLS, and the first one we learned. Diction is the choice of words by the author that give the piece a specific tone and voice. Ideas included in this are elevation vs. colloquialism, regionalism and dialect, connotation and denotation, and concrete vs. abstract. Imagery is the next letter. This is pretty self explanatory. It means that the word choice creates an image and appeals vividly to the senses. This includes things like alliteration, assonance, similes, and metaphors. The second D is Details. This is basically the specific facts that an author chooses to include to make a point. It is not general facts, but more opinion based and things that did not have to be added to make the story complete. L stands for Language. when looking for language, you are looking for words that describe a full text as a whole, and not just small sections of diction. S is for Syntax. This one is all about sentence structure and patterns. Short sentences, long sentences, imperatives, declatatives, present tense, conjunctions, these are all terms that refer to sentences and structure and pattern that can be used to give a certain feel and idea to a piece. Overall, DIDLS are extremely important in this course, and will be an important thing to keep in mind in my future classes.

Synthesis of Course Material #1

Looking back through my notes and handouts from the past year, I realized that I have truly learned so much vital information not only for the upcoming AP test, but also for all of my future literature classes. To start at the beginning, I would like to start with out Allusions test. We had to learn so much information on the Bible and Greek Mythology. At first when we were learning this information I questioned if we would ever truly need this information. Now looking back, I am so glad we were forced to go over this information and take a test on it. We have found so many references in pieces we read to greek mythology and stories from the bible it is incredible. One aspect that is seen most often in references to Jesus.

Over the summer, we also had to read How to Read Literature Like A Professor. The information from this book has been found in literally every novel we have read and many pieces of poetry. I have found references to seasons and what they mean, colors, and many other ideas that were found in the book. The summer work and subjects we were tested on at the beginning of the year are vital for being successful in this class, and fully understanding the texts we have read.

Open Prompt October 14 Revised

1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.

Society and they way in which one is raised makes drastic effects on a person and the way they deal with situations. In Shakespeares tragedy Romeo and Juliet, the two characters must deal with the standards of society and how their families raised them. In this famous play, Romeo and Juliet respond to society's standards and their families rules by going completely against the grain and disobeying because of their love for one another. 

Romeo and Juliet takes place in Italy, in a city called Verona. In Verona, there are two wealthy families; the Montagues and the Capulets. Ever since anyone in the city can remember, the Montagues and Capulets have had a history of bickering and dispute. The two main characters, Romeo and Juliet, are members of opposing families. In Romeo's household, he was raised with less rules to follow, with his parents allowing him to walk the streets and choose whom he should marry. In contrast, Juliet is barely allowed to leave her home, and her parents help her decide whom she will be marrying. Because their families historically are rivals and are opposites, they do not want their children interacting with one another.  Romeo and Juliet must deal with the fact that their society and families greatly oppose the idea of them being together. 

In the play, Romeo uses his freedom to his advantage. He decides to attend a party at the Capulets home, where he meets and falls in love with Juliet. On the other hand, Juliet is forced to disobey her parents to be with Romeo by attempting to get away from her parent's forced engagement. Even though both Romeo and Juliet are aware of their bickering families, they are still in love. Their deep love for each other is shown through diction and imagery. Romeo and Juliet have long speeches that use diction to show their love for one another. Imagery is also used in the speeches, when Romeo says "But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!" (2.2.3-4) He thinks so highly of Juliet the moment he sees her on the balcony, which is shown through imagery. They disobey their families and hide their love as best they can to stop their parents from keeping them apart. 

Romeo and Juliet live in a society that automatically forces them apart. The two of them decide to go against society's and their families expectations and be together because of the strong love between them which is shown through diction and imagery. 

Open Prompt October 28 Revised

1980. A recurring theme in literature is the classic war between a passion and responsibility. For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty. Choose a literary work in which a character confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work.

Love is a strong emotion most people face and struggle with throughout their life times. It is so strong, it can often cause one to lose their path, and move away from making moral decisions. In the book Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the main character, Pip, must struggle and decide between attempting to please the one he loves, and making a moral decision. Decision-making and internal moral conflict are important themes shown through examples and details in the novel. 

Pip lives in a small, poor community with his older sister and her sisters husband Joe, whom he works with and loves dearly. Once he meets a wealthy girl named Estella in a mansion he is asked to work in, all Pip wants to do is become a gentlemen and win her heart. He receives money from a secret benefactor and moves to London to learn to be a gentlemen. The diction used by Estella towards Pip shows that Estella is rude to Pip, yet he still loves her and wants to please her. Joe tries to keep in touch with Pip while he is in London, and through Pip's diction, you can see he is is disrespectful and feels he is superior to Joe because of his recently increased status. Pip must face the conflict of trying to please a girl who doesn't love him, or doing the moral thing and keeping in touch with his old friend Joe, which is supported by the diction uses. 

This conflict has a large effect on Pip throughout the novel. He sees how cold and rude Estella is towards him, and this continuously upsets him. But when she shows an ounce of kindness towards him, he notices it and becomes hopeful again. Pip also notices his new behavior towards Joe. Deep inside, he feels bad for being so disrespectful to Joe, but it is difficult for him to face the idea of being good friends with someone of that low social status. Pip is constantly thinking about this internal conflict: please Estella, or move back home and have a close relationship with his old friend Joe. 

This moral conflict Pip faces makes up a majority of the novel. It adds to the reoccurring theme of social class. Would he rather be unhappy with Estella and a have a high social status, or be happy with Joe and have a lower status? This conflict greatly adds to the theme of social status. In the novel, Dickens makes it very clear through diction that Pip must struggle between attempting to please the one he loves, or making a moral decision to stay close with Joe. 

Open Prompt November 11 Revised

1982. In great literature, no scene of violence exists for its own sake. Choose a work of literary merit that confronts the reader or audience with a scene or scenes of violence. In a well-organized essay, explain how the scene or scenes contribute to the meaning of the complete work. Avoid plot summary.

Violence has been an unavoidable cause of conflict in the world of royalty. These acts of violence are not erratic, but happen for numerous reasons. In literature specifically, violence adds and contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. In Shakespeare's famous work, MacBeth, the violence greatly adds to the overall idea that for those in power, the temptation of evil overpowers the sense of duty to do good. 

The first scene in which MacBeth is introduced is shortly after the fighting and killing of invaders, which brings the reader into the idea of violence as a typical occurrence. MacBeth and Lady MacBeth also start to work on a plan to kill the current king, in order to obtain the throne themselves. At this point in the play, the reader sees MacBeth as a tragic hero. The diction and details used to describe their plan gives the reader an uneasy feeling, because it is somewhat dark and gruesome. MacBeth also constantly hallucinates about a bloody knife, reinforcing the violent aspect of the play.  

MacBeth eventually becomes power hungry as time goes on and he becomes more and more powerful. He has everyone who could take away his kingship killed. He violently murders friends, women, and children, and does not care about how it affects their families. Kings are usually seen as firm but fair human beings who serve the best interest of their people. MacBeth, although a king, now is not seen in this manner. He is selfish and tyrannical. His major killings and acts of violence contribute to his reputation as a tyrant. 

Throughout Shakespeare's famous play, Macbeth, the character MacBeth displays violence and evil over the sense to do good as a king. These violent acts and murders throughout are specifically directed at those who test his power. The killing of multiple people in order for MacBeth to keep his power greatly supports the theme of evil overpowering the duty to do good. 

Open Prompt December 4 Revised

1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.

It is human nature to react to your surroundings based on dynamics. If one is in a situation that is not comfortable, one will respond in a negative way. In the book 1984 by George Orwell, the main character Winston Smith lives in a society run by an oppressive, controlling government. Winston reacts to this intrusive government by rebelling in secret, and breaking the laws because he does not think the way they are treated is fair and just. This supports the theme of psychological manipulation that is shown throughout the text.

Throughout this novel, Orwell uses many details to add to the idea of the controlling party's cruelty and manipulation towards it's people. The children are often forced into being spies, and these kids attempt to find people breaking laws and accuse people of "thoughtcrimes." Thoughtcrimes are when someone thinks something against the government that is considered illegal. These thoughtcrimes are yet another example of detail added in to the work that support the idea of an oppressive government by trying to control the people's thoughts. The Ministry of Truth is a department of the government that basically brainwashes the population into thinking that specific historical events did not occur and others did in order to keep the party in power. The Ministry of Truth adds to and gives the government virtually all power in society. These details included by Orwell exhibit the idea that government is an all powerful force that shape what the population thinks about the government. 

Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth, so he knows that the history he rewrites is not true, and is formed to increase the governments image and change the publics opinion on them. He constantly thinks about how terrible the party is, and is afraid of being caught for thoughtcrime. Winston feels such a strong hate for the party, that he keeps a journal and has written in it "DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER." Big brother is what the head of the party is referred to as. Winston also has an affair with a character named Julie, which is illegal in this society. Winston responds to the standards placed by the party by breaking them, because he does not believe in them and hates Big Brother for taking actions that manipulate the populations thoughts. 

Throughout the novel, 1984, Orwell uses many specific details to enforce the idea of the government being oppressive and manipulative. The main character, Winston Smith reacts to this society by rebelling and breaking the laws, because he knows the truth and wants to be free from Big Brother's power.