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. 

Close Reading December 11

http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/movies/the-girl-with-dragon-tattoo-movie-review.html?scp=7&sq=reviews&st=cse&pagewanted=1

Tattooed Heroine Metes Out Slick, Punitive Violence

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a famous book that has intrigued millions. Recently a newly filmed version of the novel has made headlines as a compelling, and well done film. In A. O. Scott's review of the film, he uses imagery, details and diction to describe the film and the actors wonderful portrayal of 

the characters in the novel. 

Scott starts out his review with great imagery, saying, "Tiny as a sparrow, fierce as an eagle, Lisbeth Salander is one of the great Scandinavian avengers of our time, an angry bird catapulting into the fortresses of power and wiping smiles off the faces of smug, predatory pigs." This strong comparison gives the reader a good idea of what the main character is like right from the start. The reader has a basic idea of the characteristics of Lisbeth, and are able to snowball their ideas off of this description. He later describes her black bangs as sharp and severe as a blade and her eyebrows as downy and pale as a baby's. This gives the reader the feeling that yes Lisbeth is a strong and ruthless character, but she is also vulnerable and lost. The great imagery used creates a better picture of the main character and engages the reader in the storyline. 

Scott also uses detail to help the reader better understand the storyline and the characters involved. He adds an idea that, "She is a marvelous pop-culture character, stranger and more complex than the average superhero and more intriguing than the usual boy wizards and vampire brides." This idea brings in other popular films the reader most likely can relate to and compare characters with. The Author also mentions other movies or shows including "Cold Case" and "Criminal Minds", which surely the reader is familiar with and can compare the film with. The author does a wonderful job of adding in details to help the reader better understand the storyline and characters involved.

Throughout the review, Scott also chooses to add in some diction that give off a tone of discomfort. He uses words like, unnerving, and describes the soundtrack as creating an "ambience of political menace and moral despair." He also uses the words monstrous, gruesome, cruel, and misogynist to describe the storyline of the family Lisbeth and the reporter are hired to investigate for a decade-old crime. These words do a wonderful job of creating a tone of anxiety and eeriness. 

Overall, Scott does a terrific job of describing the characters and storyline. He gives off the correct tone to match the film, and includes many of his own ideas and comparisons. A. O. Scott uses imagery, diction, and details in a great way to give off a tone and allow the reader to better understand the film. 

Response to Course Material- December 11

Recently in AP English, we have been working on our second read of Ceremony. This book is rather hard to get through and understand for me, because it seems there are so many different parts and ideas to look at and it's difficult to remember to look for them all. I think that going through this book as a class and discussing the ideas and intentions of Silko has really helped me better understand the book. It is interesting getting all the different views of people in the class, and how they each work in their own way. I think that all the annotating as a class will help me finish annotating the book on my own and give me more ideas and things to look for as I get through the piece. Since this book is so complex, I also feel that having this book under my belt will help me with essays and things on the exam and also later on in college as well.

Open Prompt December 4

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 in one way or another to your surroundings. The way in which you react depends solely on whether you enjoy being in that surrounding or not. 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 awfully intrusive government by quietly rebelling, and breaking the laws because he does not think the way they are treated is fair and just. 

Throughout this novel, Orwell uses many details to add to the idea of the party in control being cruel and  ruthless towards its people. The children are often times forced into learning to be a spy, and these kids attempt to find people breaking laws and accuse people of "thoughtcrimes." Thoughtcrimes are when someone thinks something against the government and it's considered illegal. These thoughtcrimes are yet another example of detail added in to the work that support the idea of an oppressive government. 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 support and exhibit the government as an all powerful force that is over-controlling and oppressive. 

Because Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth, he knows that the history he rewrites is not true, and things have not always been as they seem with this government in control. 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 something that is very illegal in this society. Winston responds to the standards placed by the party by breaking them, because he does not believe in them and feels a hatred for Big Brother. 

Throughout the novel, 1984, Orwell uses many specific details to enforce the idea of the government being oppressive, and cruel. 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. 

Close Reading November 25

http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2011/02/28/110228sh_shouts_martin

"Who Am I?"

Many times, authors write to amuse and humor their audience. In Demetri Martin's piece "Who Am I?",  he successfully achieves his goal of amusement. In "Who Am I?", Martin uses syntax, diction, and details to entertain his audience, while also telling the audience about himself.

Martin successfully uses syntax throughout his piece to entertain and keep the reader interested and involved. The repetition of "I am..." throughout the piece emphasizes the ideas that follow, and keep the piece moving at a good pace. It keeps the reader thinking about what Martin is identifying himself as and comparing himself to. Another use of syntax within Martin's work is when he has one sentence separate from the rest of the paragraph, for example, "I am a man." "I am the silent majority." "I am the loud minority." When Martin chooses to separate these sentences from the rest of the ideas, he is emphasizing those points specifically, and making them stand out in the work. Throughout "Who Am I?", Martin uses syntax in a creative way.

The diction used in this piece written by Demetri Martin greatly supports the humor and entertainment part of this work. The words chosen and used throughout this piece give this piece a humorous tone that is exciting and interesting to read. He starts off this work by saying he is not something that lies around, like a pen, toaster, or housewife. The use of these words in the introduction bring the reader in because they are interested in what he will talk about next. Martin also uses slang in his piece. "I am friend. I am foe. I am fo’ sho’. What up, y’all?" This use of slang is very informal, and allows the reader to feel comfortable laughing with or at Martin. The use of diction in this piece successfully gives off a humorous, informal tone.  

Details are also used in Martin's "Who Am I?". Not only does he choose to include specific details that are relatable to his life, but he also chooses them because they are entertaining and funny for the reader. "I am Batman, but only on Halloween. And then I am not invited to many parties. But I am fine with that, because that just makes me an even more accurate Batman (because Batman does not go to parties as Batman but only as Bruce Wayne). I am right about this." This small paragraph presents a joke that relates to Batman, a superhero most readers know and enjoy. It also shows the reader a piece of Martin's life, being that he is not invited to many parties. The details that are chosen to put in this piece give information on the author, and also bring humor into the picture. 

Throughout his witty and humorous piece, Demetri Martin successfully utilizes features including syntax, diction, and details to entertain the reader and also let them know a little bit about himself.

Response to Course Material- November 25

Recently in AP English, we have been learning about and reviewing the different eras of literature. We have only gotten through a couple of the slideshows, but so far they have been interesting and helpful for me. I knew of the different eras but I never really knew a lot of the details and ideas involved with them. My group had Victorian, Realism and Naturalism. I specifically looked up the details on Naturalism, and I found a lot of interesting information on it. I think it is so interesting to look at the different ways in which people looked at life and the world around them, and learning about the eras has been quite interesting. We are also supposed to be finishing up our first read of Ceremony. I still have to read kind of a lot, but I think I will get through it. I expected it to be very very difficult to read because Ms. Holmes said it was hard and to just try to get through it, but it hasn't been awful for me. I mean I have gotten a little lost at points but overall I think I am understanding everything. At least I hope I am... Overall the class is going alright right now.

Open Prompt November 11

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 is something that is inevitable in human nature. Whether it is in a work of literature, or in real life, violence happens for a reason. 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 theme of tyranny versus kingship. 

The first scene in which MacBeth is introduced is shortly after the fighting and killing of invaders, which quickly 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. 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.  

Because MacBeth is power hungry and wants all of the power to himself, he has to make sure that he is only person alive that has the power to be king. To ensure that this happens, MacBeth has everyone who could take it away from him killed. He violently murders friends, women, and children, and does not care much 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, is not seen in this manner. He is insane, violent, and selfish, and is seen as a tyrant throughout the work. His major killings and acts of violence contribute to his reputation of a tyrannical leader. 

Throughout Shakespeare's famous play, Macbeth, the character MacBeth displays insanity and violence towards others. These violent acts and murders 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 tyrannical rule versus kingship.