Sentimental Sentiments

     After reading over all of my blogs from this year, my first thought is "Why didn't I figure out how to monetize this thing sooner." (I encourage you to click on the ads placed on the right side bar for your convenience. The more you click, the more I make) From what I can tell, in the majority of my posts I make an attempt to answer the prompt in a manner that is unusual or somehow out of the ordinary. However, most of my attempts at finding deeper levels of meaning in the material discussed in the posts just come across as pretentious.
     As I went over all of my old posts, a couple clear themes emerged. First of all, I noticed that my blog is saturated with deep thought provoking answers, as well as clever insights, and unique perspectives. That's when I realized I was reading Sherwin's blog. I knew something wasn't right. In all seriousness, my blog follows two major trends. There are the posts that are somewhat intelligent, and look at the topic being discussed in a new light. Then there are the posts that I did just for the sake of doing them. It's like aestheticism, except for the sake of a couple points, not art. To insert a quote that may or may not be present just for the sake of a grade, I would like to quote H.R. from the Bad Brains and say "Just another damn song."


        Although this song is about commercialism in music, and is saying that at some point, themes become cliches, and your just writing another damn song, and that often music is written for the sake of money, not the themes that are discussed in the lyrics. I feel that that it can also apply to the blogs, and school in general. It is very possible that I am just cynical, but I look at my classmates and sometimes it seems that they are so focused on points that they overlook the meaning in what they are doing. However this is somewhat hypocritical, as I am guilty of doing the same thing. I have done posts this year that have been insightful (my favorite was the Lobsters post), but there are also posts that I just did for the points without touching on any deeper level of meaning.  This whole thing seems to be a paradox: for teachers you can't evaluate your students performance without points, but there is such a big hype over grades that many people do their assignments just for the grade, without ever really understanding. Or maybe, I'm just ranting to fill space. (Think about it: go on a rant about how people do their work just for the sake of their grades without understanding any of it, and no ones going to notice that you're doing the same thing)
     To conclude, my blog is pretty much what anyone would expect. Some of the posts are intelligent and insightful,  others are pointless and unenlightened., and some are just boring. Some parts are much better than others, but as a whole I believe it isn't bad. Not amazing, but also not bad. I would like to close with a reminder to click on the conveniently placed advertisement before you grade me down for deliberately wasting space.

Poetry Experiences

     Since I can't think of an example of how poetry has affected or made a difference in my life, for the purpose of the assignment I am going to assume that a song is a poem set to music. After all, many songs have some sort of rhyming scheme and even those that don't still have have rhythm in how they are sung, similar to a poem.
     One song that is important to me is Dramamine, by Modest Mouse. I can listen to this song on repeat for hours, and unlike many songs, it doesn't cater to any specific mood the reader is in; it is just as good as when your happy, sad, or anywhere in between. There have been many times when it has either cheered me up, or added to a good mood.
     Additionally, I love to play the song. I have spent many hours playing along to the recording, as well as playing dubstyle versions with different friends on drums. As a result, the opening has some level of sentimental value, and whenever I hear it I think of all the times I have played it.
     One of the great things about songs is that the music, as well as the words can have connotation. In some ways music can influence people in ways that poetry can't for this very reason. In addition to the composition of the riffs, different keys and scale patterns can be used in a song to create feeling without ever using words. An artist can evoke darker emotions by using minor, and blues scales among others.
     Poetry has never been something I have gone out of my way for, but I have always had some level of appreciation. However, I do spend probably too much time listening to music, which I say should count for something. I tend to enjoy songs more than poems for the reasons I mentioned earlier. The lyrics hold value and create emotions, and often the accompanying music adds meaning and emotional value to the song.

 

Conflict In Romeo And Juliet

     One of the main conflicts in the play that stood out to me was the internal conflict both that both Romeo and Juliet face. Both of the protagonists have internal conflict as they are faced with choosing between each other and their families, and the proceedings in act III serve to complicate matters. In acts I and II there was conflict in the story, but it comes to a climax after the deaths of Tybalt and Mercutio. Before this point, despite the longstanding feud between the two families, neither Romeo or Juliet had been been directly harmed as a result of the rivalry. After Tybalt and Mercutio died, the feud became more personal for both parties as they were forced to choose between each other and their families. Although the internal conflict in both characters is very similar, it shows up more in Juliet, for her husband killed her cousin, whereas the connection between Tybalt, who killed Mercutio, and Romeo is much less personal, creating less internal conflict (or at least the conflict within Romeo doesn't get as well developed within the story). The scene that best illustrates the conflict within Juliet is when Nurse first breaks the news of Tybalt's death to her. Her first reaction is to verbally lash out at Romeo, but after all, the play is a romance, and so she soon changes her mind and decides that she is just as devoted to him as ever.
     It is very easy for me to relate this type of internal conflict to my own life, because as it happens, I am a 13 year old girl, and just last week, my husband killed my cousin, and I was forced to choose between him, and my family, all while being as melodramatic as possible of course. But really, this type of conflict shows up in everyones life, granted not to the extremes of the play. I don't have a specific example, but it is relatively common common for someone we love to do something that makes us angry or sad, and we have to make a choice between forgiving them, or letting ourselves stay mad. The choice we make depends on what they do, and our relation to the person

Modern Parallels To Romeo And Juliet

     After deciding to not write about the most obvious parallels (Avatar, Twilight, West Side Story) I was going through my bookshelf looking for something that I might be able to relate to Romeo And Juliet, not matter how stretched that comparison is. What I came up with is one of my favorite books, People Of The Deer, by one of my favorite authors, Farley Mowat. The book, which takes place in the 1940's is about the remaining few people from a group of people indigenous to one of the harshest and most remote parts of the Canadian interior. Known as the Ihalmiut, first came into contact with settlers in the last years of the 19th century. In many ways, it was love at first sight for these two profoundly different cultures. The trappers realized that they could convince the Ihalmiut to hunt small game for their pelts, instead of their traditional food source, caribou. The Ihalmiut traded furs for guns, ammunition and western food staples, like flour and sugar. For several decades, both sides benefited from this arrangement, but inevitably, a problem arose: the fur market crashed. By this time, the art of making traditional weapons had been lost, and the Ihalmiut were left without ammunition, no way to hunt the animals they needed to survive, and were plagued with smallpox. By the 1950's the tragic story was practically over. A combination of disease and starvation reduced what had once been several thousand people to less than a dozen survivors. People Of The Deer is a fascinating insight into the dark side western-indigenous relations, and holds several (very, very faint) parallels to Romeo And Juliet.

Relating To Romeo And Juliet

     It is somewhat difficult for me to connect to any of the characters in Romeo and Juliet. I would assume that most people would choose one of the two protagonists, simply because they have been developed more than any of the other characters and are therefore the easiest to write about. However, I feel that I have nothing in common with either Romeo or Juliet. I am very decisive and do my best not to keep wavering back and forth when I make decisions in my life, be they significant or otherwise. I don't see anything wrong with changing my mind for a good reason, but I am unlike Romeo in that when I make a decision I am careful to make sure that it is what I really want and I never change my mind without good reason. Additionally, I feel that I can not relate to Juliet, for if I would start an all out war if I felt that my future was out of my control, and instead in the hands of my family. As a result, I feel like I can relate the most to Mercutio, even though he has only been present in one small section of the play so far. Like Mercutio, I have the capacity for critical thought, and I use it often. I have very little patience for the romantics in life, and dealing with people who tend to be more whimsical just exasperates me. I also feel like I can relate to how Mercutio handles people like this. When he makes fun of Romeo for setting so much store by is dreams he does a good job of using satire. Instead of telling someonw "you're wrong, and here's why" I like to use satire and sarcasm to get my point across.
     I feel that reading in class, as well as at home is beneficial. Personally, I don't have a lot of trouble understanding what is going on because most of the unusual words and phrasings make sense in context. Even though the meanings of some of the words have changed, they still make sense in the sentences. I think the biggest thing reading in class does for me is make the jokes more obvious. At home, I notice most of the jokes, but there is something about reading aloud that really makes them stand out. Often, when we are reading in class simply hearing the words spoken aloud helps me to notice passages that are intended to be funny. Additionally, reading everything for a second time helps to convey meaning, and I always pick up on things that I didn't the night before.

Great Expectations Theme

     There are many themes and messages in Great Expectations, but the one message that was emphasized over and over throughout the whole book was that happiness can not be attained by means of material possessions. Instead, satisfaction in life stems from the simpler aspects of our existence. At the time, it seems that Dickens used the novel as a way to tell his readers that as a society they were becoming increasingly out of touch and materialistic. His message is that contrary to popular belief, money does not equal happiness, and if you spend your life pursuing portable property then you will become increasingly unhappy as you lose touch with the simpler parts of life. Through the contrasts between his characters Dickens says that if you want to be happy you should surround yourself with friends and family, as well as live an honest and noble life, instead of surrounding yourself with nobility, and alienating those individuals who love you. Although the book is over a hundred and fifty years old, sadly the message has lost none of its potency, as people have changed very little over time. Our culture is different but people still act in much the same way as when the book was written.

Connections To Great Expectations

     This post is especially difficult for me because most of what I read is non-fiction, and hold no similarity to Great Expectations. The best example I can think of is the book Mixed Emotions, by Greg Child.

     Mixed Emotions is a compilation of short stories from Child's life, starting out when he first started climbing as a teenager in Australia, to his time on El Capitan, and in the Karakorum. Aside from the hard to follow timelines of both stories, the biggest similarity between the two books is the theme that fame (Mixed Emotions), and money/power (Great Expectations) aren't everything they're made out to be. 

     Through his perseverance, Child managed to become a world renowned climber, but instead of spending the whole book telling himself how great he is, he spends a lot of time asking himself "Is it worth it?" After losing most of his toes to frostbite, shattering numerous bones in a fall, and watching powerlessly as his best friend died of HAPE (high altitude pulmonary edema) he begins to realize that although he is world famous, it isn't worth watching his friends die for.

     Even if he didn't have to work for it, Pip becomes a Gentleman, which in the eyes of those in his hometown is akin to being world famous. Although he tells himself he has everything he ever wanted, in the back of his mind he knows that he isn't truly happy, even though he has everything he thought he wanted. After being in London for some time, he starts to realize how his expectations have changed him, and that his dream life isn't as perfect as he thought it would be. Although not as dramatic as Child's story, Pip is also paying a price for his dream when he alienates all those who had ever loved him.

   Both of these books tell the stories of two characters who managed to achieve their lifelong dreams, but eventually realize that fame, money, and power aren't everything they're made out to be. 

     Additionally, both books deal with mysteries, although of two different kinds. The mysteries in Great Expectations center around characters, and the details about their lives that are intentionally omitted. Mixed Emotions is also filled with mysteries, but they all have to do with the human psyche instead of the characters. For example, Child spends time describing the unexplained phenomenon of ghostly companions experienced by high altitude climbers. When climbing above about 7,000 people sometimes report feeling another presence following them. Some people become so convinced that this presence is real that they report trying to give it food, only to discover that there is no one there. People who have become lost in blizzards have reported being guided back to their companions by an unknown presence. Depending on who you ask, this mysterious presence is god guiding those who have lost their way, a ghost of a dead climber, or most probably, a combination of oxygen deprivation, exhaustion, and dehydration playing tricks on peoples minds.

Second Stage Of Great Expectations

     Although the second stage of Great Expectations is rather dull and tedious, several very important things happen.One of the most significant events is when Herbert explains to Pip Miss Havishams back story. (179-180). Dickens explains that Miss Havisham wears a faded wedding dress, and stopped all her clocks at twenty till nine because her fiancée left her on the alter at that precise time. Since that day Miss Havisham has left everything in the house the way it was at 8:40 on the morning of her wedding, essentially frozen in time. Dickens also reveals that Estella was adopted by Miss Havisham, and is used as a tool to exact vengeance on the men of the world.
     This passage relates mainly to the continuous mystery motif, and is significant because it is the first of the books many mysteries to be solved. Dickens gives his readers more background information on Miss Havisham and Estella, but intentionally withholds key part of the story, like who Estella's birth parents are, and the identity of Miss Havisham's mysterious fiancée. Miss Havisham also ties into the prison/prisoners motif of the first section, for although there are no physical bars restraining her, she remains a prisoner to her own grief, and her house has the air of a disused prison.

Pip's Quote

     I would interpret this quote to mean that aspects of your life in the future by what happens to you in the present. I assume that he is comparing events in the present to the first links of a long chain. On the day he first meets Estella, his views on the world are altered. Before this, he had a childlike view on the world; he had never known hunger, and all the suffering in his life was caused by his sister, so naturally he thought that he had all a person could ever want. After meeting Estella, he suddenly became mush more aware of the gap between the classes, and started viewing himself as common, and dirty. The Pip before and after this quotation are two similar, but different people, the first Pip has never known anything but the small world of the blacksmiths house, and so he wants nothing more, but the second Pip has had his eyes opened to the world of the economic elite, and comes to view himself as inferior, simply because of the harsh nature of one cruel child. In addition to feeling inferior, the second Pip seems more mature and aware of the world. It seems unrealistic, but as the result of one day of torment at the hands of Estella, Pip seems to have matured greatly, into an almost different person.

     Because I can't think of anything else, I would say that one of the first links in my "chain" was the day I decided to sign up for honors English. A decision that has left me doomed to sit at a computer writing blog posts at 11:30 on Friday nights for the rest of the year.

Great Expectations Passage

I didn't understand the use of the word "shaver" to describe Pip on page 29.
"...'but as I have mentioned at the door to this smart young shaver'..." (29) The definitions of words change over time, and so I couldn't tell what the word meant within the sentence.

Group Essay

     Since I read the rough draft for my paragraph, I haven't changed any concrete details, or commentary, so there shouldn't be any issues with overlapping quotes.
     Would anyone in my group be interested in writing the conclusion paragraph? I've done pretty much everything else, and I've got better things to do tonight.

Themes In The Importance Of Being Earnest

     In The Importance Of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde develops on several themes, one of the most prominent being dishonesty. All of the central characters lie whenever it is convenient to them, whether it is to save them the trouble of having to explain themselves, or to allow themselves to escape social responsibilities. Most notably, Jack and Algernon are regular "Bunburyists" who have gone to the exquisite trouble of creating fictional characters that allow them to escape their responsibilities in order to pursue pleasure. Interestingly, Wilde doesn't necessarily seem to be speaking out against lying in order to pursue personal pleasure. Instead, he centers the play around what happens when his characters dishonesty is discovered. He seems to be pointing out the consequences of dishonesty, if in a rather comedic manner, all the while maintaining a neutral tone towards the subject.
    
     Several motifs that show up throughout the play are epigrams, satire of society, references to the title of the play, the name Ernest vs. the word earnest, and the pursuit of pleasure. Much of the humor in the play is centered around epigrams, short, and in this case, often satirical statements about life. Towards the end of the book, Lady Bracknell mentions that long engagements are bad thing, because in her opinion it is a bad thing for couples to get to know each other before marriage. She is saying that people should deceive their fiancé about their true natures so that neither person ends up calling off the engagement. This is ironic because marriage is supposed to be about two people who love each other. The whole concept is defeated if both people purposely don't get to know each other until after they say their vows. This whole passage is a satire on society, particularly  the attitudes towards marriage during the time the play was written. The aristocracy viewed marriage as a business deal, and an opportunity to acquire more money or land, rather than a union between two willing individuals. Part of the plays humor is also based around the name Ernest, and the word earnest. Jack and Algernon both pretend to be Ernest, Jacks fictional brother. When they are playing Ernest, they are both very earnest. The irony is that while pretending to be Ernest, a very earnest person, they are deceiving everyone around them, the exact opposite of what someone who was truly earnest would do.

Animal Farm Projects

1.  Aaron- Artwork
He did a good job conveying part of Orwell's message of the revolutionary cycle, where eventually the revolutionaries turn into what they once fought against.
2. Molly- Movie/Trailer
More work went into this project than any other I've seen. Her group did a very good job of conveying all of the required criteria, through visual images. The fact that they actually went to a pig farm to film just helps make their project even better.
3. Alena- Movie
She did a good job of recreating the animals revolutionary spirit. I liked how they portrayed the pigs hypocrisy by showing squealer changing the commandments.
4. Sara- Artwork
She did a good job of showing the elements of the book through the setup of her drawing.
5. Sean- Comic Strip
He did a very good job of illustrating irony and hypocrisy within the story, made stronger with the numerous visual aids.
6. Leah- Comic Strip
I liked her original idea of showing what the pigs say vs. what they mean. It is an effective method of showing the pigs hypocrisy in the book.
7. Melanie- Video
I liked her idea of creating a powerpoint that outlines the plot of the book and works to show the literary elements of the piece.
8. Katie- Artwork
I thought it was interesting that she chose to depict the irony in Napoleon being tricked by Frederick, when at the same time he was cheating the other animals out of food, something I didn't notice when I read the book.
9. D'Andra- Poem
As far as I can tell, she was the only person in first period to choose to do a poem. I thought the repeating ends of each line was interesting.
10. Conor- Artwork
I liked his portraits of the characters, and their historical counterparts, but I think the way he edited the commandments was inaccurate. I thought that at the end the commandments were changed to simple "All animals are equal, but some are more equal."
In conclusion, after viewing most of my classmates projects, I feel that my groups was somewhere in the top 60 or 70% of the spectrum. I don 't think that anyone could argue that our project was the best, but it also wasn't the worst. I feel that we successfully conveyed irony, and the pigs controlling nature through our song, and dialogue. It wasn't necessary, but if we had had more time we could have added more visuals, in addition to the Animal Farm Flag.

Animal Farm

This video is a radio drama featuring the banning of the song "The Beasts Of England." In the beginning, the animals sing the song with a mournful tone, a reflection on their visions for the revolution compared to how it played out in the real world. Then, the song is banned by Napoleon, while the explanation given by Squealer hides the pigs true motives for banning the song. In the background, is the flag of Animal Farm.