Independent Reading Blog Requirements
Sophomore World Literature Students,
Once a marking you will post a response to the novel you have selected for independent reading. This response is called an Annotated Bibliography, and it should be a well detailed, extended paragraph. Follow the instructions outlined below to complete your comment:
1) Compose a clear topic sentence that includes the author and title of the novel you are reading and the point you wish to make about the novel. Do not use an “I” phrase.
2) Compose 6-8 sentences that:
a) Detail the main plot events (remember the paragraph should not be entirely plot summary).
b) Detail how the author uses one literary device to develop the plot (characterization, theme, conflict, setting, point of view, etc.)
c) Include transitions between your details of the main plot events and your detail of the literary device.
3) Finish your paragraph with a summation sentence that restates the topic sentence by explaining why you liked or disliked the novel.
DO NOT USE "I"PHRASES ANY WHERE IN YOUR PARAGRAPH AND REMEMBER TO ITALICIZE BOOK TITLES AND THE TITLES OF PLAYS.
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81 comments:
Divina Wiley FBlock September 24, 2008
In Memoirs of a Geisha, written by Arthur Golden and translated by Jakob Haarhuis, a paradox is used to lead into the story of Chiyo (later named Sayuri), the main character of the novel. “…the afternoon when I met Mr. Tanaka Ichiro really was the best and the worst of my life” (Golden 1). This one afternoon had a significant impact on Sayuri’s life, her world view, and her destiny. What made the afternoon she met Mr. Tanaka the worst in her life was that she was required to become a maid and later a geisha- a geisha unafraid to tell her story. Although taken away from her family, he allowed her the opportunity to enter the real world. The broadening of her horizons made the afternoon she met Mr. Tanaka the best in her life. In this biography, Sayuri tells of her struggle to become successful during World War II and the Japanese Great Depression. From beginning to end, one will become intrigued by her story and will be able to easily identify the paradox used to portray such an account.
Breanna Pizzolo F Block October 1, 2008
Walter Dean Myers uses many literary devices to develop the plot in Fallen Angels. One of these literary devices Myers uses is setting. In the beginning of the novel, young Perry joins the army, and is shipped off to Vietnam for the Vietnam War. Perry and his new partner are waiting around Nam to see where they are being sent next. Myers uses setting in this plot to show how much the environment that Perry is living in, effects him in many different ways. Vietnam is a dry and extremely hot place. Perry realizes then that most of his time in Vietnam will be waiting around in the hot sun, and it is hard to survive in the battlefields. “…Once I had figured that of the seven months I had spent in the army, four of them had been standing around waiting for something to happen.” (Myers 8) Another hardship Perry faces is when he is shipped off from place to place and in the jungle, anything can happen and his life is at risk. Walter Dean Myers uses setting as well to develop the plot topic and his writing helps visualize everything as it’s being read.
Isaiah Jenkins
F Block
October 1, 2008.
In Memoirs of a Geisha, written by Arthur Golden and translated by Jakob Haarhuis, point of view is used to grab the attention of the reader. The book is written in 1st person and by using 1st person point of view the main character Chiyo really explains her emotions and feelings about the places and people in the story. "I cannot tell you what it is that guides us in this life; but for me, I fell toward the Chairman just as a stone must fall towards the earth. . . .". This quote is a message to the reader as well as a clever simily to describe Chiyo's interaction with the Chairman.
(My quote is towards the end of the book and I did not finish the book, I just poked around for quotes.)
DerrickT. F-Block October 1, 2008
In Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, he uses a lot of literary elements. One element that is used is setting. Perry at the beginning of the book is at Vietnam fighting the war. Since the story takes place in Vietnam, the setting plays an important role. From reading the book you can see how much the environment affects Perry. One quote that caught my eye was "Take your pills. Once a week for malaria, twice a week if you're too stupid to remember the day you last took them"(Myers 21) Throughout the book Walter Dean Myers gives very precise details about the war and it gives you an idea about the war. The way he uses his words he gives you a vivid picture.
Vanessa Kreytak
English F Block
In Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, the author uses a series of details to portray the conflict throughout the story, pulling the reader through the book to discover what happens next. This novel is based on the real life of one of Japan’s most important geishas, as well as the many struggles she had to overcome to receive such fame. This story is about a young girl’s hardships in a completely new world for her to face all on her own. The novel first takes place in the poor village of Yoroido, where the inability of Chiyo’s parents lead to the separation of her and her sister, Satsu, into two far away places in Kyoto. Here, in Chiyo’s new home, she is treated worse than a maid, and even though she is also put to work with her studies in ‘geisha school’, Chiyo is still determined to be reunited with her sister. “If I’d felt any doubts whether she really had spoken to my sister as she claimed, I felt them no longer. There were other geisha districts in Kyoto, though I didn’t know much about them. Satsu was somewhere in one of them and I was determined to find her.” (Chiyo 61). From this quote, it is known how desperate Chiyo is to return to her old way of life with her beloved sister, and is even willing to bring dishonor upon to herself, so long as she knows she tried. From the beginning of this novel, the author draws his reader into Chiyo’s story and makes them realize her conflicts as if it were their own. This conflict was Chiyo’s desperate desire to see the last of her family, while still managing to survive the harsh conditions of becoming a geisha.
Fannie He
F-Block
Ms. Prevosti
World Literature
Blog Due Date: October 1, 2008
The book, Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini used foreshadowing as one of its literary elements. The main design of the story consisted of two “friends” who live in Afghanistan and are separated by class. Amir was a rich upper class boy and Hassan was the lower class servant. The author uses foreshadowing in order to hint what will happen in future text. At the end of chapter two, Amir says the first words that Hassan had ever spoken, was Amir’s name. “And, under the same roof, we spoke our first words. Mine was Baba. His was Amir. My name.” (Hosseini 10) By the end of the book, the foreshadowing implies that since the beginning of their lives together, Hassan is dedicated to Amir and would do anything for him. The book, Kite Runner, uses foreshadowing to create suspense about the important event that will occur in the future after seeing how necessary Amir is to Hassan.
Sarai Wanyonyi October 1, 2008
F Block
In Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples, the author uses major conflict maintain the readers interest. There are many conflicts that intervene with Shabanu and her life which all lead to the one major dilemma of the book. " My heart quickens with the realization i have disobeyed and left Phulan alone. I lean back against Xhush Dil's shoulder as if he'll protect me. Another man with hard eyes younger and slimmer than the first, steps out from behind a tree. He also has a gun."(Fisher 1). The detail and rhetoric used to describe the event that is occurring bringing more suspense to the reader.
Leila Rauner
F Block
10-1-08
Maus by Art Spiegelman, uses allegory to describe his father’s journey during World War Two. The graphic novel uses illustration, to express allegory. The illustration used in Maus are people, depicted as animals. The Nazis are cats and the Jews are mice. On a farm, cats are usually bought into a house to exterminate mice. In World War Two more than six million Jews were exterminated. The allegory used in Maus shows that cats are more powerful than mice or Nazis are more powerful than Jews. The graphic novel is not only about World War Two, but it is also about a struggling relationship between father and son. “ I went to see my father in Rego park. I haven’t seen him in a long time, we weren’t that close” (Spiegelman 11). This story is a novel, a documentary, and a comic book all at the same time. Maus is a brilliant story about a holocaust survivor and a broken relationship between father and son.
Jessica Chan
F- Block
Ms.Prevosti
October 1. 2008
In First They Killed my Father by Loung Ung, the use of figurative language grabs the reader’s attention instantaneously, due to its intricate and precise details. The novel signifies a strong, spirited five-year old girl whose family is shaken and scattered. However courage and love help Loung Ung face the unspeakable adversity. The novel jump-starts with a description about Phnom Penh and an introduction to Ung’s family. “Ma says I stomp around like a cow dying of thirst.” (Ung 3) “They taste like salty burnt nuts.” (Ung 6)The reader can envision Ung’s walking posture and taste of the food, in their mind. From the language, visual sense is used, giving the reader an enhanced picture. This technique gives the text three-dimensions and realism by providing exact details from the scene. Ung’s feeling and thoughts comes to existence, which illustrates her strength to survive.
Paulina Plata
World Literature
F-Block
October 1, 2008
When reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the use of setting is used to set the mood and feeling for the whole story which is used as a hook to grab the reader's attention.“He was clambering heavily among the creepers and broken trunks when a bird, a vision of red and yellow, flashed upwards with a witch-like cry; and this cry was echoed by another.” (Golding 1). One can almost envision themselves being in this situation and vividly seeing everything that is going around them including the fear and isolated silence that looms through the pages of the book. The novel starts off with two little boys Ralph and Piggy being deserted on a tropical island and realizing they are by themselves with no adult supervision. Whilst having two very distinct personalities, the boys make friends and embark on their journey of trying to find other survivors and get rescued. Throughout the story, the setting of the island is used as a prime factor for the many conflicts there are among the boys and their lives. It is an important detail that helps with the outcome of the story and the authors precise detail towards this literary element makes it all the more interesting.
This novel The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto “Che” Guevara is a story about a South American journey and all the obstacles he and his long time friend Alberto Granado must overcome. Since this is a journal, one of the major literary is point of view. Point of view is the way a story is told either through first person, third person, third omniscient, or limited view. Since the start of the journey in Argentina, Che describes everything that has happened to Alberto and him. He describes the area around him with intricate detail. Such as, “The road snakes in between the low foothills of the great cordillera of the Andes, then descends steeply until it reaches an unattractive, miserable town, surrounded in sharp contrast by magnificent, densely wooded mountains.” Che uses point of view also to educate the reader not only about the hardships they faced, but the hardships ordinary people face.
Dylan Luke
F-block
October 1st
Samantha Furman
F Block
October 1, 2008
In Animal Farm by George Orwell, point of view is clearly used to grab the reader instantly. The novel is written from the animals' of the farm's perspective and how they view the situations they travel through. Animal Farm is the story of a group of farm animals, who under the dream of one pig, make plans to take over their owner's farm. The novel expresses the struggles for power and political influence within the farm life. "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." (Orwell,112). Point of view immediatley pulled me into the novel by showing me the different sides to what each animal was thinking at different times. Within the first few chapters, I was able to figure out that the animals took over Manor farm to gain power over the humans who originally ran it.
WELL HI INTERNET! I read Maus by Art Speigelman. He uses the point of view in a very creative way. The narrator switches between him and his father. For instance Art asks his father, "I want to hear it. Start with mom... tell me how you met."(Speigleman 12) Then the narrator switches to his father telling the story. This happens numerous times throughout the book. This was very entertaining because there were really two story lines to follow.
Now... in true internet fashion I must include a link. If you click it or not it doesn't matter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0
Daelina
Ms. Prevosti
Block-F
oct. 1st
In the book Animal Farm, the author, George Orwell, uses the literary element of symbolism. George Orwell uses the different farm animals to symbolize politicians throughout his whole story. A hog in the book named Major, delivers a powerful speech that causes the animals to realize that they are being mistreated and that they have a choice of being ruled over or to rule themselves. George Orwell uses Major to symbolize a powerful leader among the animals, whose speech about his dream has had an impact on their life. Major dies shortly after giving his powerful speech. The animals decide to rebel and fight back against the farm owner and his wife for making them work as slaves. Animal Farm is really about a struggle that the animals go through for power and to have a political authority over the farm itself.
For some reason, I could relate Major’s hog character to a leader named Martin Luther King Jr. who has nothing to do with Animal farm. I feel like I can relate the story to Martin Luther King Jr. because he to also had an “I had a dream” speech. My books quotation is "Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself." I really like this quotation.
Kenya Williams
F-Block
Ms. Prevosti
The novel I am currently reading is Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini used characterization to grab my attention. From the beginning of the story, he described the characters in such great detail it seemed as if you knew them personally. The main character, Amir, used characterization to describe his friend, Hassan."I can still see Hassan up on that tree, sunlight flickering through the leaves on his almost perfectly round face, a face like a Chinese doll chiseled from hardwood: his flat, brood nose and slanting, narrow eyes like bamboo leaves, eyes that looked, depending on the light, gold, green, even sapphire." I feel that that quote was a great example of of the characterization that the author uses.
Sarai Wanyonyi October 1, 2008
F Block
In Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples, the author uses major conflict to maintain the readers interest. There are many conflicts that intervene with Shabanu and her life which all lead to the one major dilemma of the book. " My heart quickens with the realization i have disobeyed and left Phulan alone. I lean back against Xhush Dil's shoulder as if he'll protect me. Another man with hard eyes younger and slimmer than the first, steps out from behind a tree. He also has a gun."(Fisher 1). This quote represents the beginning of the end for her. The detail and rhetoric used to describe the event that is occurring brings more suspense to the reader and captures their attention. Having multiple series of struggle in Shabanu's and her story also gives the reader a sense of connection to the story.
Talon Turner
f-block
October 1st
The book I am reading is Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane. Mathabane uses suspense to engage the reader into his autobiography. In his novel, he tells how he was beaten by peri-urban (like police, except they're alot worse) when he was a child."suddenly a crushing viselike grip clutched my left armpit and jerked me up as i screamed:"mama!"
"SHUT UP!"The policeman hissed,...."he shook me violently the glare of his flash light trained into my eyes searing them"(Mathabane 3).As i read through this chapter i was couldn't stop mi self. Mathabane is like a person that plays with peoples minds.He is just so great at luring the reader into his life story. though i am not done reading this book it has been very suspenseful and i hope that it continues to be this way.
Adam Levine
Ms. Prevosti
F-Block
10.1.2008
Colors of the Mountain by Da Chen is a heartfelt biography about a young boy that is growing up during communist China. Da Chen has shown that he has a great determination to succeed and to strive in life. He idolizes his Grandfather who passed away due to the constant humiliation meetings because he was a landlord. The author uses point of view in order to help the reader sympathize with the main character and also uses it to help the reader connect and make him/her feel like she is actually experiencing the events that are happening in the book. “…Grandpa asked Dad to write an excuse; I ran with it to the cadre’s office. The cadre glanced at it and asked me how serious it was. I said grandpa could die. The cadre pounded his desk, which startled me, and said that maybe I could go in his place. I said I would be happy. So that was the deal” (Chen 9). This portion of the book is very commendable on the part of Da Chen. Its admirable on his part because he decided to put his own needs aside to help his grandfather. This quote help you to understand the impact of the point of view in the book because you are able to see the emotions as they are happening instead of seeing them through third person or third person omniscient. Meanwhile, he is only a child. I think this book is an extremely good book so far because you can relate to the main character whether it is through good times and bad.
Lisa Borzi
F Block
October 1, 2008
In Walter Dean Myers‘, Fallen Angels, he uses various literary elements to deepen the connection from the characters to the reader. Walter Dean Myers uses the element of conflict (and resolution) in his novel, which helps to identify some of the character’s personal issues from the past and the present. Richie, a major character in this book, was injured before he was stationed in Vietnam, which was suppose to enable him from fighting in the war. This caused tension in Richie’s life because knowing that he would not be able to fight as well as he really could, frightened him. Another conflict that Myers identified early on in the book, was that another character, Peewee, did not have a good childhood. He makes it known that Peewee was never cared for as much as the other children, which in the end, impacted his life greatly. “Back home when everybody got new sneakers, I didn’t get none,’ (Myers 15). Peewee was beginning to feel welcomed in war because he was being treated the same as everyone else. This was Myers way of resolving Peewee’s previous conflicts, before he started fighting in war.
Christina Tsang
F Block
10/1/08
Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner presents a lesson to teach from its motif, redemption. This novel takes place in Afghanistan in the early 1970's, about the time when Russia invaded the country. The main character, Amir, narrates the story telling of his privileged childhood and how he lost his friend, which was actually his fault. "There is a way to be good again" (Hosseini 2), which was said by one of Amir's old friends, Rahim Khan. This quote was repeated several times throughout the story, which Hosseini did intentionally. He wants his readers to learn that at some point they must atone for their sins, no matter how far it was in the past. Amir watches his friend Hassan being beat up by a group of racist bullies, and all he can do is stand there. Now, he must redeem himself by taking Hassan's son into custody to keep him safe from the Russians. The pain and racism that Afghanistan experiences to this day would explain why Amir had to repent for his sins.
Danielle Ianazzi
F Block
October 1, 2008
Suzanne Fisher Staples uses many literary elements to establish the plot in Shabanu. An example of the literary elements Staples uses is Motifs and Symbolism. One motif/symbol in the book are storms. Every time a storm occurs in the book there is a turning point. The first storm brought them happiness, and the second brought depression. After her older sisters wedding (the first storm) her grandfather died (second storm). So far, the most recent storm was right after Hamir died (older sisters fiancé). She was hoping after this, that there would become peace and happiness in her life. "Phulan looks regal with the red chadr over her shiny black hair. She looks like a flower blooming in the desert sunset, the wind whipping her clothes around her in sheets of color" (p. 92) This is an example of a simile and personification. The narrator compared Phulan to a flower blooming in a desert and also "..The wind whipping her clothes around her.." is personification, which is giving items human qualities. These few literary elements help the book be more interesting and make the reader want to read more.
(I am not finished reading the book.)
Clarisse Concpecion
F-Block
Ms. Prevosti
World Literature
Blog Due Date: October 1, 2008
In Fallen Angels Walter Dean Myers portrays internal conflicts so well with Perry because it is read in first person, "My plans, maybe just my dreams really, had been to go to college, and to write. . . . the army was the place I was going to get away from all the questions." (Myers 2) These are personal thoughts the main character has already panned out for his future which he solves during his time in war. Perry's thought on war isn't so vast when he first arrives in Vietnam with a new recruit like himself named Peewee. Peewee is eager to kill Vietnamese; Perry is relaxed that both of them haven't been involved in serious activity. All changes when both soldiers are transferred base to base performing more tasks within the war. Perry's first run in battle drove him to realize how grave war an be, wanting nothing more then just to return alive. As the reader internal conflict paints a picture how horrifying war truly can be, it's not what's shown in movies.
Talisa R.
F-block
10/1/08
In the book "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens, the author uses a lot of figurative language to capture the readers attention. For example, one type of figureative language is metaphors. Through out the whole first book and part of the second book that's one type of figurative language that would keep catching the readers eye. An example of the many metaphors that Charles Dickens use is "It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." (Dickens 1) Another type of figurative language is sensory detail. The way Charles Dickens describes things is amazing. He uses so much detail that while reading, a reader could picture what he was saying perfectly. For example, "The wine was red, and had stained the gorund of narrow street in the suburb of Saint Antoine. in Paris, where it was spilled. It had stained many hands too, and many faces, and many naked feet, and many wooden shoes." (Dickens 25) The red wine Charles Dickens is describing is obviously, blood. These literary elements along with others would make the reader more intrested in the book and make them want to keep reading.
( not done w. the book yet )
Kevin Conroy
Block F
October 2nd, 2008
In the beginning of the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the author uses the literary element of setting to keep the reader engaged. Lord of the Flies begins with two young boys, Ralph and Piggy, that are located on a deserted island. Golding does not inform the reader about previous events before the novel begins, urging the reader to continue reading for answers. The author uses the setting to isolate the characters from modern society. Ralph and Piggy are forced to become dependent on each other in order to survive in this harsh new society. “No grownups!” (Golding 8). This quote represents dependence on grownups in people’s daily life. The setting will affect the characters lifestyles, compelling the reader to finish the novel and determine how the setting has changed these characters.
Lauren Dente
October 9th, 2008
G block
In the Kite Runner, Hosseini uses metaphors to illustrate the story to the reader. The story opens with the main character, Amir, thinking, ”I knew it wasn’t just Rahim Khan on the line. It was my past of unatoned sins” (Hosseini 1) This is used to give the reader a vague hint that the main character has gone through some rough situations in his childhood. When the story begins, the reader will realize that Amir is a very self-criticizing person. The beginning of the story is basically the summarization of Amir’s childhood. Later on the reader will be shocked and horrified to realize that Hassan was raped as a young child, while Amir stood and watched. After that day, Amir had blamed himself for not trying to help Hassan, knowing full well that if the situation had been reversed, Hassan would have done anything in his power to save Amir. The author then wrote about an event in which the main character and his father are kept in a truck for a few days. He describes the interior of the truck as a pathetically dark, and desolate place. This situation to give the reader a pang of sympathy for the character, as they would take it as a metaphor for Amir, as being a trapped and helpless child. By using all these metaphors and flashbacks, Hosseini is pulling the reader directly into the story of the Kite Runner, and all the events that flash through Amir’s head.
In Animal farm, George Orwell bases the novel on conflict. Throughout the novel, many conflicts seem to arise. Old major has a dream that nobody would be able to control animals. He tells the animals of his dream, and teaches them a song that describes this dream. In order to make Old Majors dream come true, the animals defeat Mr. Jones and take his farm, this is only one of the major conflicts. The pig, Napoleon is the leader of Animal Farm, he also stands to symbolize dictator Stalin, and the other pig, Snowball wants to be the leader of Animal farm, and he symbolizes dictator Leon Trotsky. This leads to another conflict, because they both want to be leader but only one person can be leader. When the animals take over the farm, Snowball teaches them all how to read, and Napoleon teaches the puppies about animalism. Throughout the novel, a great amount of symbolization is being used. The whole story symbolizes the Russian revolution, and the animals symbolize certain leaders that took part in this revolution. “Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished forever. Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself. (Orwell 5-6). By describing the way humans work, it feels as if humans are selfish. We give as little as possible, and take as much as possible. George Orwell used this phrase in order to grab the reader’s attention, and explain the feelings of the animals, in order to get the reader to know the characters better. The abuse of power is also shown in this novel when the milk is taken, and the cow disappears. Napoleon is the only person who had the power, as the leader, to take the milk. This symbolizes the abuse of power in the Russian revolution. Animal farm is based on conflict, and corruption.
Francesca Caruso g block October,10 2008
Michael Grigoli World Literature
10.9.2008 G Block
Annotated Bibliography
The book I am reading is The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. In the book Bradley uses indirect characterization to tell the reader about the character as they read on. The book tells a story about the rise and fall of King Arthur. When the book begins it is well before the time of King Arthur, but in the time of when his parents had just met. Arthur’s mother Igraine, is one of the daughters of the Holy Isle, received news that her sister Viviane, who is the lady of the lake and the new face of the goddess, that she is to give birth to a high king and will get rid of the enemies of Britain. The only problem with this plan is that Igraine is already married and does not wish to be disloyal to her husband Gorlois. Using indirect characterization lets the readers make his/her interpretation of the characters based upon what the author tells you about them and their traits. “And then, suddenly, she was afraid, felt ice pouring down her back, as the merlin and the priestess turned to look at her, their eyes seeming to hole her motionless as a small bird under the shadow of a great hawk, and she understood why the messenger-prophet of the Druids was called the Merlin. But when Viviane spoke to her was very soft. She said, ‘You Igraine. You shall bear this Great King’” (Bradley 15). From what I’ve read so far it is a very interesting book and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone who likes books on Camelot and King Arthur’s court.
In the book, In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, the story uses point of view to describe the characters role. This author uses Limited Point of Omniscient. Each of the three sisters has a part in the book, where the narrator is telling the story, but in the characters perspectives. In the beginning of the book, Minerva and Patria go to boarding school at Immaculate Concepción. Maria Teresa recieves a diary. Then, Maria Teresa buries her diary so the police will not find it. Patria loses her religious faith. Then she regains her faith, when she hears the Virgin Mary speak to her through a church congregation gathered for worship. After Minerva graduated from Immaculate Conception, she decided to go to law school and earn her law degree. This book tells us so much about each of the sister’s life, as when they were a child, until they died. This book uses a lot of specific details, like when they were married, who they were married to, how they fell in love with the one they love, how many children they had, and the name of their children. This book is very descriptive. They use a lot of details to describe the character, and what kind of character they are. At first I was thinking this book uses First Person Point of View, but as the further I read, I relized this book uses Omniscient Point of View, because the narrator tells the story as she was one of the characters. “Yes, so different. Minerva was always into her wrongs and rights” (Alvarez 6). This quote is about how Dede thinks, about one of her sisters, Minerva. The narrator is saying this, but in Dede’s view. By describing how the narrator tells the story, In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez uses Omniscient Point of View.
Kolesnikov Gregory ABlock
October 11 2008
“One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich” by Alexander Solzhenistsin caught my attention from thefirst pages of novel, due to the author’s description of the environment. The novel shows real situations during repressions in USSR in concentration camps. The story begins with a description of Shukov, who is main character, begins his day. Right from that
description the author lets us know of the sorrowful situation. Shukov has some free time before work. He can spend it working for food or preparing for the hard day. On this day he decides to do nothing. All the prisoners hope for low temperatures because, in this case, they will not work.
In the novel Solzenistsin uses third point of view what gives to the reader better understand
problem. Description goes from the person who always follow Shukov, know everything about
him but, author never shows these character. Also he uses dramatic irony. He uses metaphor when describes Gopchik, he tries to show how cruel repressions was. Gopchik is just sixteen years old, and already in jail. But he did nothing illegal to gets there. Many times author uses sensory details. Low temperature is like antagonist in the story. A lot of prisoners are freezing and in danger of death. Author’s writting lets the reader understand feelings of
man who is prisoner already eight years.
“Shukov never overslept. He was always up at the call. That way he had hour and a half
all to himself before work parade- time for a man who knew his way around to earn a bit
on side” (Solzhenystsyn 1). This example greatly show hard situation. This is only one little
part from the whole novel. Prisoners had only few hours to eat and sleep the rest of time
they worked at any weather and conditions in country. In case if they have a little free time
they work for food, because during day they have some soup and only two hundred grams
of bread one a long way to servitude. At the day when is novel taking place was about
minus forty degrees Celsius. All these make understand and some kind feel the Ivan’s and
other prisoner’s feelings.
Alessandra Asperti G Block
In First They Killed My Father, Loung Ung uses setting to establish the conflict as well as the plot of the story. Loung and her family have been living a wonderful middle class life up until Loung reached the age of six. Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge army stormed into the city, forcing Ung’s family to evacuate and, eventually, disperse. Loung was trained as a child soldier in a work camp for orphans, after she separated from her family. Her siblings had been sent to labor camps. Loung’s mother, father, older sister, and youngest brother all eventually died due to sickness, brutal beatings, or shootings from the Khmer Rouge soldiers. Those who survived the horrors will not be reunited until the Khmer Rouge is destroyed. In the quote that follows, Ung uses setting to remind the reader how long it has been since the most memorable events have occurred. In Loung’s reminiscing moment, it is easy to tell that she is going to remember the tragic events of the Khmer Rouge invasion throughout the rest of her life. “Geak is six now. She is a year older then I was when the Khmer Rouge took over the country three years ago. It has been six months since I visited Ro Leap when Ma showed me her bruises. Nine months since I pulled my hands out of Chou’s grasps. Twelve months since I said good-bye to Kim, seventeen months since the soldiers took Pa away, twenty-one months since Keave—“(Ung 152). The civilians of the country, including the Ung family, did not deserve the severe mistreatment, agony, and even the act of sexual assaults, caused by the Khmer Rouge army as well as the Youn army. By describing the exact time and how long it has been since each unforgettable moment took place, Ung concludes that months are turning into years and this Khmer Rouge invasion nightmare is still continuing.
David Innamorato
10/5/08 Anitated bibliography
In the book Animal Farm, George Orwell uses allegory to describe his story. This story takes place on Mr. Jonas’ farm in England. It all started one night Old Major had set up a meeting for all the animals in the barn, he had spoken about how they can enjoy peace on the farm. By overthrowing Mr. Jonas and running the farm all by themselves. The book expresses the feeling of the animals in the farm. "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others". Animal Farm is about a struggle that the animals on the farm go through for power and to have a political authority over the farm itself. Napoleon and snowball wouldn’t stop fighting on who would take over the farm and then Napoleon got his vicious dogs on snowball. Napoleon basically took over the farm in the middle of the story then everything got out of hand. Animal farm is based on conflict, and corruption.
Adetola Adeosun G-block
October 11th, 2008
Kaffir Boy is like a diary that captures every moment of Mark Mathabane’s life. Mathabane uses his empathetic writing style to magnify and stretch situations until he is sure the reader understands. This an example:” The last thing I ever dreamed of when I was daily battling for survival and for an identity other than that of inferiority and fourth-class citizen, which apartheid foisted on me, was that someday I would attend an American college”( Mathabane ix). The novel is an autobiography that beginning from his poverty-stricken childhood in Alexandra, South Africa and continuing all the way to his victorious adulthood. When he was a little boy his family was so poor that they had to search through dumps to get food. The police would come to where they lived in Alexandra and ransack their houses destroying everything in their paths, looking for opportunities to arrest black people. Mathabane’s father has his mind so set on his son going tribal school that he refused to allow him to go to a regular school when his mother brings up the topic. His father believed that tribal school would make him a real man, but Mathabane believes otherwise and follows his dreams. Later on in the novel Mathabane meets the Smith’s, a white family his granny works for. From there comes a turning point in his life, because this family is like no other white family he has ever met. They introduce Mathabane to new things, including tennis and make him realize things he could never imagine, like not all whites in South Africa are racist. Henceforth, Mathabane’s mindset changes and he believes again that the apartheid he is living under and be put to end. Mathabane again empathetically draws the rear in and makes the reader feel like they’re right next to him and on every page of this ‘diary’.
Brenda Gonzalez
A- Block
Mrs. Kaplan
Dute Date: 10/11
In "First They Killed My Father" by Lounge Ung, Lounge desribes her past and struggles she has gone through with her older brother Meng. When she was five years old in 1975, her hometown Phnom Penh had been invaded by Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge Army. Lounge was sent to a work camp while her siblings went to labor camps, and at the work camp she was trained as a child solider. She witnessed her father's death by a group of rebel army, rebeling agaisnt the Khmer Rouge. On June 5th, 1980 her older brother Meng tells Lounge that they will finally go to America. At the airport in America, Lounge reunites with her anuts, uncles, and siblings from whom she has been seperated since she was five. As she tells her story from her point of view, Ung uses soliloquy to talk to herself in her mind. Rembering her father would give her courage at times when she is scared or to be hopeful when times are rough. "Pa i miss you I whisper Pa grins at me, his round face wrinkles around his mouth and eyes. Pa I'm leaving for america tomorrow. Eldest brother said America is very far from Cambodia, very far away from you... the words linger in the air. So afraid of what his answer may be that even in my dream I cannot tell Pa my fear."(Ung page 233) The author would use this literary device to remember and/or to think how her father would react to the sitution she was currently in. As many people often wonder how a person would feel or react knowing that their homeland has been invaded, this novel "First They Killed My Father" would uncover the reader's answers to their questions and also captivate the reader's mind.
Amanda Aasen
a block
october 11 2008
My book, Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples is about Shabanu and her family. Shabanu's family is getting ready for Phulan's wedding (Shabanu's older sister). Shabanu also finds a camel dying, but giving birth at the same time. shabanu manages to save the baby camel before it dies. The camel that died was supposed to be for Phulan's wedding. Soon something bad happens, and shabanu has to give up on some scarifices for her sisters wedding, but she doesn't know if she wants to or not yet. " I name the baby camel Mithoo for the sweetness of his nature" (chapter Kalu, pg 20). It's not fair that Shabanu has to give up some scarifices for her sisters wedding, when the parent's should be worrying about that, not Shabanu. Well , we have to wait and see what happes now.
John Schiavone G-Block 10-11-08
In chapter 9 of The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane uses indirect characterization to tell how war changes a boy to be a better and a stronger man. Basically, the main character, Henry Fleming, has been fighting in the civil war but has been doing more running than fighting. One example is when, Fleming was in the front lines. All he had to do was to stand his ground, but when he saw the enemy he ran as fast as he could. After hearing what happened, how the troops that stood their ground defeated the enemy. Henry’s response to war clearly shows the fears he has of death, and that he wants to live to tell great stories. This is a natural part for anyone who is so naïve and wants to go to war. When Henry heard this, he felt like he had been cheated. He feels as though he has been cheated out of his victory. Later he discovers a hospital with his friend Jim Conklin, wounded inside. He also sees all of the other wounded men in the hospital. “At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. He conceived persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage.” (Crane 55), This shows that he is tired of what little fighting he has done. The body he has also seen in the woods also has made him even more afraid of the front lines. Through this fear of war, Henry learns what true courage is.
In Persepolis One, Marjane Satrapi uses Irony and Sarcasm to show her
true feelings about a matter. In the beginning of the chapter, The Letter,
Marjane tells how her favorite author caused her to feel shame. As the story
goes on Marjane remembers how close she was to Mehri. Marjane remembers
how close she was to Mehri. Marjane would write letters to Mehri’s admirer
for Mehri since she was illiterate. Marjane Satropi uses Irony to show that
even though people have close relationships, social classes make the relationships
impossible. In the story, Marjane’s father eventually finds out about the letters
that Marjane wrote. Marjane’s father tells Marjane that the love between Mehri
and her admirer was impossible because of the social class. Marjane being
confused and upset says “ But is it her fault that she was born where she
was born?” “When I went back to her room she was crying. We were not in
the same social class but at least we were in the same bed” (Satrapi pg 37).
By showing Irony, it is clear that the author was trying to explain the
differences of social class in a humorous way. Mehri knew that her and
her admirer will never be able to be together, yet the author puts Marjane
to show her true feelings about Mehri. By showing Irony throughout the
book, it shows Marjanes true feelings about either the law or society.
Amna Baig
A Block
In the novel The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley uses atmosphere to convey the conflict in the novel. The Mists of Avalon spans through many generations of women during a time where Christianity was taking over. The protagonist, Morgaine was a pagan and a priestess of Avalon who later becomes Queen of Avalon. Morgaine’s half brother Arthur is High King of Britain and although he was sworn to Avalon by his sword he still managed to betray it. All the little squabbles in the book led up to the main conflict of the world changing. The book is set in a time period when everything about nature and paganism is suddenly being frowned upon and Christianity was taking over everything. The atmosphere or vibe of the novel is one of frustration and some sort of fear and dread of what’s going to happen next. All the characters that hailed from Avalon were frustrated and hurt that their religion was suddenly being shunned and that their festivals and rituals were now being considered barbaric. Some of the Christian characters were very condescending about the idea of a religion other than their own, such as Gwenhywfer and the priests. “But in sober truth I thank it is the Christians who will tell the last tale.” (Bradley ix). This quote is a summary of basically the feeling of many of the characters in the book. It is said by Morgaine, who being a priestess and Queen of Avalon was deeply affected and hurt at the idea of the Christians taking out all other religions being practiced at the time. It also shows the dread of the Christians “winning”, a prospect that scared those from Avalon. The pagans and Christians had a competition going on about which will survive till the end in the book. They had constant idea clashes and that created tension in the novel. By showing the atmosphere of the novel (using the quote) in the very beginning gives the reader a feel for the mood of the story, as well as what is expected later on in the novel.
martin sanchez
g-block
10/11/08
In the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding symbolism is used to represent different ideas in the book. The objects Golding used to show symbolism are a conch shell, a signal fire, and Piggy’s glasses. In the middle of world war two a plane is shot down causing it to make an emergency drop of a group of boys it was transporting. Two of the boys find each and start to realize other quickly their predicament. They walk around the island seeing what they could find and stumble upon a conch shell they believe can be used as a horn. They continue walking, calling for the others using the conch shell. Once the group of boys gathered, they elect each individual a position, putting them in charge of certain things. After exploring the forest, Ralph, the leader, suggested they make a fire to signal passing ships. The boys become more interested of the fact that there were no rules and adults. The group of boys let the fire burn half the forest down. One of the boys disappears, making the rest of them think he died in the fire. Golding uses symbolism to enrich the idea of the theme, which is civil versus savage. Early on in the book, Ralph and Piggy stumble upon a conch shell which is used to call the boys to meetings. The conch shell is used to represent civilization, as to be it keeps the boys in touch and assembles them for meetings. Another example of symbolism used is the glasses of the character Piggy. Golding uses the glasses to represent the intelligence of the group. Golding shows this by having Piggy use them to focus the suns rays on the dead wood and spark a fire. Finally, Golding uses the signal fire as another symbol in the book. How the fire is kept during the book measures the boys civil instincts compared to their savage one. “We got to find the others. We got to do something” (Golding 14). This shows that at the beginning of the boy’s quest for survival they were worried about finding the others and being rescued. The quote is a good example that the boys were still using their civil instincts and using this to make decisions. William Golding uses symbolism to enrich the understanding of his book Lord of the Flies.
glenn kugelman
a block
In Maus I and Maus II by Art Spiegelman, the point of view is very important. In the beginning Artie goes over to his father’s house. Artie talks to Mala, his father’s wife, and Vladek, his father who are both survivors of the Holocaust. He asks his father questions about the Holocaust. Vladek states he lived in Poland before it started. In addition to living there, he lived with his wife Anja and her family, who later on in their marriage commits suicide. Consequently, the whole family is sent to Auschwitz, a concentration camp in Poland, and their fate is decided whether they will “shower” or do wearisome work. Vladek and his wife are sent to do work and their son dies. Throughout the Holocaust, the two stay in contact, causing them to find each other at the end. In the second book Vladek becomes sick while staying in the Catskills. Artie and his wife visit him, leading to them staying there with him. In between all these events, Art Spiegelman uses point of view to tell the primary story about the Holocaust. Artie is constantly interviewing his father about the Holocaust. The story is basically several flashbacks from Vladeks life throughout this tragic period of history in Europe. “We were maybe 200 people together waiting… Each Wednesday went vans to Auschwitz. When we were caught, it was maybe a Thursday” (Spiegelman 114). Not only does this detail inform the reader about going to Auschwitz but, it also felt more life-like due to the bad grammar. With the third person limited point of view the reader only hear Vladek’s side of the store. Overall, Maus I and Maus I, by Art Spiegelman, were good books and I was drawn into the story immediately due to point of view.
In Maus 1&2 Art Spiegelmen uses indirect characterization to show how the characters deal with the conflicts of the Holocaust. Maus 1 begins with Artie (the main character/ Protagonist) asking his father about his life during the holocaust. In the holocaust so many people were captured and forced to work for the Nazi’s. In these stories Vladek (Artie’s father, another protagonist) retells his personal experiences during the Holocaust. During this time Vladek and his wife Anja had their first son, named Richieu. Richieu was drafted into the war at an early age and died. Also, Vladek once made plans with a smuggler to take he and his wife to Hungary where they were caught, captured, and taken to a concentration camp. They suffered hard times there, but they eventually escaped. Vladek dies in Maus 2 due to an illness and old age. His death causes Artie to feel guilt and misery at the same time. He is therefore unable to focus his mind on work. Artie survived through his mother’s and father’s death. Just like Vladek and Anja survived through the holocaust. This book taught me that in life you will face many problems, but everyone has the strength to overcome it. Spiegelmen uses indirect characterization to let the readers draw their own conclusions about the characters. He shows how the characters act, and talk, and threw that the reader could decide for themselves what the characters are like. “ It was many, many such stories-synagogues burned, Jews beaten with no reason, whole towns pushing out all Jews-each story worse than the other.” (Spiegelmen 33). By describing the characters indirectly, Spiegelmen leaves you to decide what these characters are like and how they handle the problems they face.
- Priscilla Torres A Block -
Haynes Yatco
G-Block
In The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, conflict occurred throughout the novel. The novel is about the experiences of Henry Fleming, a soldier fighting for the Union Army in the American Civil War. He suffers through hard truths about experiences at war. He’s worried whether he should toughen up and accept the fact that he is fighting for his country and for his manhood. He meets Jim Conklin, and Wilson, and they become friends. Conflict occurs, when Henry approaches his first battle. He is with his regiment, and comes to a problem with running away from combat. Then, he sees Jim Conklin wounded badly, and Jim Conklin was found lying dead in the woods. “He suddenly lost concern for himself, and forgot to look at a menacing fate. He became not a man, but a member. He felt that something of which he was a part- a regiment, an army, a cause, or a country- was in a crisis”(Crane 84). Henry realizes that he has to toughen up, and states that running away was not the right thing to do. In memory of Jim Conklin, he is in combat, fighting like a lion, along with Wilson. The Union wins the war, and Henry reflects on his experiences. Throughout the book, the tone was realistic and violent. During combat, many soldiers obtain the feeling of risking their lives and facing blood and wounds. Stephen Crane uses conflict in a way a soldier joining the army experiences. He depicts the characters problems with what our soldiers go through before, during, and after a war. .The author’s message was to depict the realistic meaning of courage, honor and one’s manhood. In the novel conflict was clear that courage, honor and one’s manhood is what brings a man to realize their actions and emotions.
The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley is an epic tale of love, loyalty, and betrayal. The author uses conflict to capture the readers attention. Igraine was brought up in Avalon and was forced to marry Gorlois, a Duke of Cornwall, at the age of fifteen. Igraine appears to feel serenity about her marriage to Gorlois. Igraine discovers that she is to bear a son that will save the old religion and the country of Avalon. Igraine becomes upset when Viviane (her sister) and Merlin tell her that the father of her son will not be Gorlois but, Uther Pendragon. One day when Igraine is sick Merlin sends her a dream about Uther. The dream explains to Igraine how her and Uther are bound to each other. At a party Uther and Igraine encounter each other. As they talk, they realize that they have both had the same dream. Igraine realizes that herself and Uther are destined for each other. Igraine becomes upset because she realizes that she and Uther can't be together because, she is married to Gorlois. Gorlois shows up at the party and is outraged with jealousy. Thinking that Igraine is cheating Gorlois drags her home. "Be silent you evil-minded scold" Gorlois shouts at Igraine while hitting her so hard that she fell to the ground. From that detail it is evident that the conflict in the novel is Igraine's marriage to Gorlois. The cental conflict in The Mists of Avalon grabed my attention and pulled me into the novel.
Arthur Golden Memoirs of a Geisha illustrates, using irony, the amount of power a woman has as a geisha. The main character, Chiyo, was taken from her home with her sister and thrust into a different environment. Chiyo worked as a maid, and her low status in the okiya meant that those superior to her could blame their troubles on her. The last straw is when Chiyo tries to run away to join her sister. Mother, a woman with an eye for money, decides that Chiyo costs the okiya too much money and puts the younger girl's geisha career to a halt. A year and a half later, just when it seems that Chiyo is doomed to spend her life as a maid, an elite geisha named Mameha comes into the picture and persuades Mother to keep Chiyo under her care. Mameha helps Chiyo, who is later called Sayuri, become a successful geisha, but as she continues on her quest, she learns that she has limitations to what she can and can't do. "Perhaps what you mean is that you want something more than kindness. And that is something you're in no position to ask (Golden 294)." With this quote, Mameha effectively destroys Sayuri's dreams. The ironic part of the story is that in the end, Sayuri does end up with the main that she loves - a Chairman. Irony is used in other parts of the story to tell about the aftermath of World War II. Those who were relatively well-off and expected to survive didn't - Raiha and Matsumiya had died in the bombing of Kyoto. Pumpkin manages to stay alive, even with the fact that the factory in Osaka was bombed six times. Perhaps the most pivotal point of the story uses irony as well - Sayuri's plan to rid herself of Nobu by having Pumpkin bring him to witness an affair with another man is nearly ruined when Pumpkin brings the Chairman instead. This book shows you the trials of a young girl in Japanese society, and it is a great book for fans of historical fiction and people studying Japanese culture.
So far, in In The Time Of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, the theme stands
out greatly. The story starts when Minerva, Dede, and Patria are sent to school. There, Minerva is the first to realize that the dictator of their country, Trujillo, is not the “saint” many Dominicans think he is. A small crowd starts meeting in secret,to gossip about their dictator. As time passes, the small group meets other people who have already been working against the dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, in addition to overthrow Trujillo. The author uses the theme to develop the plot and all the events that take place. The message of the story is freedom and justice and
many Dominicans, specially the main characters, are willing to do anything to obtain a free country. “Condemn me, it does not matter. History will absolve me!” (Alvarez
123). Minerva and many others end up risking their lives to end the dictatorship controlling the Dominican Republic. The message of freedom and justice in In The Time Of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, is the stem of the plot and everything else, which makes the story one of a kind.
Jessica Mallozzi
10/11/08
Block G
In Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, the setting of the novel is what drags the reader in. The story takes place in Vietnam in 1967, letting the reader know war was going to be the main topic. Seventeen-year-old Richie Perry couldn’t afford college, so, as a way out he signed up to go to Vietnam. Perry was assured he would be doing light work, nothing too dangerous, but he was wrong. While there he realizes the true terrors of life and tries to figure out the true meaning of war. To spare his brother and mother the worry, Richie hesitates in writing what is really happening in Vietnam. Perry saw one of his friends, Jenkins, die in Vietnam during the squads first patrol. As life there toughens, Perry soon writes a truthful letter home. “My father used to call all soldiers angel warriors, because usually they get boys to fight wars” (Myers 44). Guys that go to war normally are young, and it shouldn’t be that way. “Angel warriors” is the perfect title to give them because soldiers are warriors, and they are angels for risking their lives to protect others. Perry’s squad goes on a deadly mission that breaks out into a firefight. He had already been injured once, and had a bad knee to begin with so he shouldn’t have been sent on this mission. Richie and his friend Peewee are left with serious injuries and have to be hospitalized. Due to these major injuries, Perry and Peewee’s time in Vietnam had come to an end and they were sent home. As the novel Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers continues, each boy matured immense amounts. War is a frightening place, and that alone can change someone’s life.
Carolina Jimenez
A-Block
Mrs. Kaplan
In The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, the theme of the novel exemplifies the true knowledge of courage. The novel begins with a young naive recruit named Henry Fleming. Henry joins the army during the Civil War because he is drawn to the fantasies of the traditional military model of courage and honor. Throughout the war, as a soldier,Henry encounters the realistic experiences of the harsh and brutal battles. He becomes scared and flees the first battle. Ashamed of his cowardice, he finally faces combat and becomes a true hero of courage. In the end, he learns the real meaning of what it means to be a man of courage. "He felt a quiet manhood,
nonassertive but of sturdy and strong blood. He knew that he would no more quail before his guides wherever they point. He had been to touch to the great death, and found that, after all, it was but the great death. He was a man" (Crane 130). The theme illustrates how Henry learned from his truculent experiences as a soldier that led him become a man. Crane's theme uses great death in the novel to suggest how true hardship can bring out the courage in oneself. Crane explains and describes Henry's transition from an in inexperienced soldier to a man of honor and courage. Henry reflected on his experiences, realizing how he no longer feels the desire of a "red badge of courage" to prove his bravery in combat. Henry proves what it takes for a person to achieve courage. By demonstrating Henry's courage through the theme in The Red Badge of Courage, Crane clarifies the difficulty of a soldier and captivates the reader attention of the real meaning of courage.
Gina Ianniello A Block
Colors of the Mountain by Da Chen tells vividly, the conflicts that Da Chen experienced growing up in China during the Year of Great Starvation in the late 1990’s. Da Chen draws in her readers with her life story. Da Chen grew up in a low class family that was treated terribly because of their ranking in society. Da Chen, being a driven individual, strives to obtain an education by doing everything she is supposed to and doing no wrong in school. Unfortunately for her, numerous amounts of obstacles made her goal difficult to reach. However, she still tries. Da Chen went underwent being falsely accused at one school, to having to go into hiding, to taking part in physical fights in a different school. Da Chen underwent both physical and emotional abuse while trying to reach her goal of being successful. Da Chen as the main character encountered both internal and external conflict. Da Chen had to struggle internally with the fact that she was born into a time where circumstances in China were not in favor of low class citizens like her family. Da Chen also had to strive physically against how people treated her. There was nothing Da Chen could do to stop the horrible treatment that she dealt with. “Ours was a big family, and I was at the bottom”(Chen page 3). Da Chen clearly had no choice regarding what family she was born into. Unfortunately, Da Chen was not fortunate enough to be a part of a socially accepted family during her time in China. Da Chen describes the struggles she encountered growing up in such a magnificent and unbelievable way in Colors of the Mountain that leaves a feeling of simply, “wow”.
Chamika Wanigatujnga
Due: 10.10.08
2nd DRAFT
The Book Fallen Angels was a masterpiece by author Walter Dean Myers, which reflected back to the late 1960's during the heat of the military disaster that was the Vietnam War. Which combined playful Exposition, that also let us make more conclusions about characters (ex: Lobel), detailed (sometimes too detailed) Imagery, and a strange sense of Irony which doesn’t start to kick in until you notice the differences in the letters home from Perry. The story starts off with 17 year old Richard Perry enlists in the Army as a result of dwindling funds for his family. The change in Pvt. Perry’s mood about the war is most apparent in his letter back home to his Mother, and brother, which at first were naive depictions of the war as nothing but a stressless, almost meaningless experience. This can be observed from this quote: “We sent another day lying around. It seemed to be what the war was about” A very naive first impression that was said very early in the novel, and Perry had yet not had a taste of full combat yet. As time passes by, he begins to realize the harsh realities of war, and the tragedies, and sadness it brings, as it is able to be realized how much Pvt. Perry matures during his time serving his country, and what his idea of war is, and is not. One literary device that stood out the most in the book is the imagery that was depicted, and what these sights represented. The descriptive imagery first starts out with a bang(literally) in which a claymore explodes near a patrol, and Perry gets one of his first sights of death when he sees “the blood bubbling out of Jenkins’s chest as he takes his final peaceful breath”. This event hits Perry like a brick, for Jenkins was a young soldier, whom Perry had just been talking, and relating to about 10 minutes earlier, and how quickly, and unexpectedly life can be clawed away. After a certain time in the novel, Myers describes how every little place in Vietnam was as moody and creepy looking as the last, with the greens, and the small glimpses of wildlife amongst the constant artillery, small arms sounds, and A-4 Skyhawks screeching across the sky at mach speeds. The book contained many ideas of the constant mosquito bites, moody silence, and the explosions, and gunfire that were mixed to provide a terrifying experience. Fallen Angels was an incredible accomplishment by Walter Dean Myers with proved to what long term effects in combat can do to a seemingly normal person, and have their innocence torn from them, before they know it.
Nicole Margolies, A Block
due 10/11
Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Mists of Avalon uses the traditional tenets of Arthurian legend as supporting elements in telling its rich saga of oft-ignored women – characters who are human, flawed, caring, violent, struggling for peace. The crux of the story is summarily revealed by the narrator Morgaine; “…that by what men think, we create the world around us…. And now the priests, thinking that this infringed upon the power of their god, who created the world once and for all to be unchanging, have closed those doors” (Bradley, xi). Christianity is an agent of dystopia, settling into fifth century England and facing off against its Druidic predecessor. Ignorant priests claim that theirs is the only absolute truth, and as men believe it so, the island of the priestesses of Avalon drifts from public consciousness – and threatens to physically recede into mists and legend. A great, sprawling epic, Mists is fraught with cross-pollinating plots, power schemes and court intrigue that read at face value like a soap opera. Yet there are deeper threads of painful irony, as Bradley’s reinvention of Arthurian legend twists into an ultimately devastating web of events: through struggling against an inexorable fate, they actually created it.
Samantha DiMarco
English
A Block
In the novel Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi uses atmosphere to show the feeling of the novel. In the novel two of the people named, Siamak and Mohsen were let out of the prison. Marji’s family was friends with them. They came over and told stories about what happened in the prison cells and how they were being tortured. In the novel, Marjane Satrapi uses atmosphere to show how depressing and suspenseful it would be for some of the families’ during the Islamic Revolution. In creating the mood, Satrapi details of suspense having to wait to see if your husband is alive or not and waiting for him to come home. To have to hear that someone you cared about was being tortured, that must have been depressing. “They whipped me with thick electric cables so much that this looks like anything but a foot.” (Satrapi51). By showing that the story is tragic, instead of just saying the story is going to be tragic, Satrapi makes the reader want to continue. Mohsen has been tortured, but yet he still makes a joke about it. By using atmosphere to show the feeling of the story, Marjane Satrapi reveals in Persepolis that the people during the Islamic Revolution suffered.
Conrad Mallien 10/6/08
Block G
The Once and Future King, by T.H. White, is a great book, whose plot advances through the use of its theme of learning through experience. This story is about a boy named Arthur, but is called Wart by others, who goes on an adventure as a result of losing one of Sir Ector’s, owner of the estate, prized hawks. Wart ends up finding Merlin, a comedic wizard who lives backwards in time (meaning he gets younger not older), who comes back with him to be his tutor. Merlin, then, starts his lessons by changing Wart into a fish and letting Wart swim in the moat to learn how the world of fish works. Merlin later changes Wart into a hawk where Wart learns about the duty of being a hunter. Wart then goes out on an adventure with Kay, Sir Ector’s son, and hangs out with Robin Wood (we know him as Robin Hood). Later, Wart is changed into a goose where he learns about working together without civil war. Every time Merlin changes Wart into something new Merlin lets Wart explore how that creature’s society works. In doing this, the author advances the plot, and every time the plot advances, Wart learns something new through his experiences. Not only does Wart learn something, but also the reader starts to wonder about things and thinks to him/herself if it’s true, just as Wart does. This book lets the reader look through the eyes of not only another person, but through another creature as well. “He thought to himself: I will explore a little, before going in.” (T.H. White 121). This book is a great book, because of the theme of learning through experience, which advances the plot.
In the first chapter in The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane uses internal, and external conflict to develop the plot in the novel. In the beginning of the novel, the main character Henry Fleming, who considers himself a martyr, has enlisted in a company in the town where he lives. His mother isn't happy about his choice, but instead of convincing him to change his mind, she lends him some advice. His mother tries to hide her hurt, but Henry quickly notices due to the tear drops that run down her face. Henry only enlisted because he, as well as others, believes that battle may be the only way for true men to identify themselves in this world. His passion to be apart of a battle are the internal challenges Henry finds himself struggling with the most. Surviving the war is the external conflict in which Henry and the rest of his comrades must now deal with throughout the novel.“ He had, of course, dreamed of battles all his life--of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire"(Crane 10). Stephen Crane uses conflict to describe the day to day life of a soldier in battle. However, Crane doesn't tell the story through the lives of well-fitted, honoring men. Instead, he pulls his readers into the mind of an amateur soldier at war, and the struggles he faces while entering adulthood. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane is an exciting book about the truth about courage, loyalty, and coming of age while attacking the complications in life.
KristineMunoz
A-Block
Jake Goldie
9-23-08
In The Red Badge Of Courage Stephen Crane uses Figurative language to grasp the
reader. This book is about a man Henry Fleming who has low self confidence and doesn’t feel
like he has enough courage. Henry who was attracted to the army because he wanted to be a
hero. When it hits him that he is going to have to fight he gets afraid and questions his courage,
because he feels if there is a battle he will run. In the beginning of the book when he was in his
first battle there was a quote that stood out to me, “He suddenly lost concern for himself, and
forgot to look at a menacing fate. He became not a man but a member. He felt that something of
which he was a part a regiment, an army, a cause, or a country was in a crisis. He was welded
into a common personality which was dominated by a single desire. For some moments he could
not flee, no more than a little finger can commit a revolution from a hand”(Crane 32).At this
point in the book Henry had to face his fears and fight against the Confederate army, and they
won. I felt this book was a hard read that really painted a picture in my mind helping me see
what war was all about. When Henry saw the wounded men he thought of the wound of like a,
“Red Badge of Courage” showing how Crane uses Figurative Language. I felt that this book
made me very sad at times. For instance when he watched his friend Jim die. In this book. When
Henry gets shot he meets another solider named Wilson who cares for Henry and they become
good friends. After his friend Jim dies Henry uses he goes crazy and takes it out on the battle
field and “fights like a lion” also showing how Stephen uses Figurative Language. At the end
the book he has realized that he has overcome “the red sickness” of battle and became one of the
best soldiers in his regiment. In this book Stephen uses Figurative Language throughout the
whole book really helping you get a feel for how it was like fighting in the civil war.
Jake Goldie
9-23-08
In The Red Badge Of Courage Stephen Crane uses Figurative language to grasp the
reader. This book is about a man Henry Fleming who has low self confidence and doesn’t feel
like he has enough courage. Henry who was attracted to the army because he wanted to be a
hero. When it hits him that he is going to have to fight he gets afraid and questions his courage,
because he feels if there is a battle he will run. In the beginning of the book when he was in his
first battle there was a quote that stood out to me, “He suddenly lost concern for himself, and
forgot to look at a menacing fate. He became not a man but a member. He felt that something of
which he was a part a regiment, an army, a cause, or a country was in a crisis. He was welded
into a common personality which was dominated by a single desire. For some moments he could
not flee, no more than a little finger can commit a revolution from a hand”(Crane 32).At this
point in the book Henry had to face his fears and fight against the Confederate army, and they
won. I felt this book was a hard read that really painted a picture in my mind helping me see
what war was all about. When Henry saw the wounded men he thought of the wound of like a,
“Red Badge of Courage” showing how Crane uses Figurative Language. I felt that this book
made me very sad at times. For instance when he watched his friend Jim die. In this book. When
Henry gets shot he meets another solider named Wilson who cares for Henry and they become
good friends. After his friend Jim dies Henry uses he goes crazy and takes it out on the battle
field and “fights like a lion” also showing how Stephen uses Figurative Language. At the end
the book he has realized that he has overcome “the red sickness” of battle and became one of the
best soldiers in his regiment. In this book Stephen uses Figurative Language throughout the
whole book really helping you get a feel for how it was like fighting in the civil war.
Kenya Williams
F-bolck
11-30-08
The book Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane is about a young boy named Johnnas that lives in a bad neighborhood in Africa. Mathabane uses setting to create the mood of the book. Johnnas has to live in place where the police constantly invade their homes and their privacy. " Are they here? I didn't hear anything." (Mathabane 131). The grown-ups of this neighborhood are constantly harassed by the police about their black books (they consist of passes that they need). It's hard for the people to survive with very little money and food. Johnnas has to come up with a plan to survive long enough to get out of the hood.
Jessica Chan
f-block
Ms.Prevosti
november 30, 2008
blog post due: Dec 1. 2008
In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, an internal conflict between the main character and his pride forced two boys, as close as brothers to separate. The Kite Runner tells a story about Amir, a boy from Kabul who struggled to maintain a stable relationship with his childhood friend Hassan, who was a Hazara. In Amir’s society, the Hazaras were classified as a group of servants who were a shunned ethic minority. The pressure of the wealthy class created an illusion of fear inside of Amir. Thus blocking Amir’s strength to protect Hassan from the harm caused by Assef, who believed an inferior race, should be abolished from the community. Amir witnessed how Hassan was physically tortured by a rape from Assef but was too scared to help. “I ran because I was a coward. I was afraid of Assef and what he might do to me. I was afraid of getting hurt. That’s what I told myself as I turned my back to the alley, to Hassan. (Hosseini 68)” From the quote, Amir is being portrayed as a pathetic boy whose only weakness was to overcome his cowardice. Amir responds differently in front of Hassan because he is ashamed of himself. Amir and Hassan’s relationship lightened as Amir is frustrated with Hassan’s loyal behavior. Amir lives in the shadow of betrayal and guilt as Hassan is forced to leave Amir. Internal conflict shaped Amir’s life because he regretted the day, that he made the decision that haunted him till adulthood.
Vanessa Kreytak
English F- Blog #2
Due: Dec. 1, 2008
In the novel, “One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich”, the author, Alexander Solzhentisyn uses setting in order to portray the struggle the characters were going through. Solzhenitsyn’s main character, Shukhov, is a Russian soldier during World War II, sentenced to prison in a Siberian work camp. Everyday life is a challenge and the prisoners there experience below-freezing weather conditions, little food, multiple illnesses, and cruel work sergeants. “Just at that blissful moment he heard a shout: ’They’re stripping our undershirts off us.’ Such was a prisoners’ life. Shukhov had grown accustomed to it. All you could do was to look out they didn’t leap at your throat.” (Solzhenitsyn, 26)The author uses these of Shukhov’s experiences to help illustrate the terrible living conditions of Siberian camp laborers, where their only life’s peace rests with them in the warmth of their barracks before a new day’s work out in the cold. Shukhov, unfortunately, was wrongfully convinced of treason, leading him to this life by mistake. However, he did slowly adapt and learn how to survive his harsh surroundings by remaining a strong individual. The author uses Siberia’s horrible environment to show Shukhov’s courage and to further portray the hardships millions of people had to overcome in similar camps around the world.
Paulina Plata
World Literature
F-Block
November 30,2008
In the novel “Salughter-House-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut, point of view is used by the author to portray the first-hand account of what he witnessed during World War II as a soldier in Dresden, Germany. By speaking to us as an audience directly, we are able to see and feel the strife with what he went through each moment he vividly described to us in his book. The novel opens up with Kurt himself wanting to write a book based on his experiences during his younger days as a soldier. “When I got home from the Second World War twenty-three years ago, I thought it would be easy for me to write about the destruction of Dresden, since all I would have to do would be to report what I had seen” (Vonnegut 2). Through Vonnegut's witty manner and use of language we are soon introduced to the man who started the book in the first place and all that he went through to publish it. It is his point of view that we begin to understand the experiences he went through during the war as well as his great annoyance at trying to remember it all, down to the very last detail.
Derrick Tam F-Block December 1, 2008
In First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung a conflict in Cambodia creates the main story line. As the Khmer Rouge controls Cambodia Loung Ung fights for her very survival. The author Loung Ung uses first person narrative to describe her experiences in Cambodia for the five years of horror she endured. The Khmer Rouge under the control of Pol Pot seized all of Cambodia forcing all Cambodians to work in labor camps. The Khmer Rouge would not take weaklings. Those who are weak were executed. Loung Ung survived through the death of more than half of her family over the five years under the Khmer Rouge. Now Loung Ung is a spokes person for a Landmine Free World.
Talon Turner
12/1/08
F-block
Blog post due 12/1/08
In The Lord of The Flies William Golding uses direct characterization to describe the characters. In the beginning of the 1stchapter he describes the first character as being a” fair haired” boy named Ralph. The other character is a rather chubby boy with glasses named Piggy. In the first chapter he clearly states this. However Golding gives a very vague description of the 2 characters as he fails to tell if the character are tall, short, smart, black, white or athletic. Characterization plays a key role in the novel because without the desciption of the characters it’s hard to make a play in your head so you can have a better understanding of the novel.
In The Motorcycle Diaries, Ernesto “Che” Guevara uses setting to show the emotional and mental journey that he is on. The setting in the journal is a trail in South America, where Che is free to do as he pleases. Since Che is free, he develops a mindset that will eventually make him become a liberal revolutionary. On the journey Che experiences many different obstacles physical, and mental. He must overcome weather and rough terrain, but at the same time, discover who he actually is and what he is planning to do with his life. With the free, open areas, it is easy for the reader to see that the environment allows free thought and unlimited potential. During his journey he also stays at a leper colony allowing him to experience new things and gain valuable knowledge. Setting is very important in Che’s life, it allows him to gain his ideals and values.
Dylan Luke
F-Block 12/1/08
Fannie He
F-Block
December 1, 2008
Ms. Prevosti
The book, Memoirs of a Geisha, by Arthur Golden is a novel which used numerous metaphors to illustrate his story. This novel takes place in Japan, detailing the life of a young girl when she was trained to become a geisha. The name of the geisha trainee is Sayuri; she speaks in a very meticulous way. The author composes her lines by using a variety of metaphors in order to enhance the atmosphere when the novel is being read. “But now after Mameha’s words I felt myself wading through an ocean of sorrow.” (Golden 212) Golden compares the ocean to an idea of sorrow. By the end of the book, Golden has applied many metaphors into the novel so that the readers may grasp what it was like to be a geisha. The book Memoirs of a Geisha utilized metaphors very well because by using metaphors, Golden makes the reader feels as though they have experienced what Sayuri has been through.
In First They Killed My Father, Loung Ung uses the setting of the story to establish the conflict as well as the plot of the story. This account is set in Cambodia of 1975, which is in the midst of a civil war over the forces of government. “Cambodia is fighting a war that I do not understand.” (Ung 11) This statement, said by Sem Im Ung to his questioning five year old daughter, proves that Cambodians did not support the war; therefore, they were against those who participated in it. Being that Cambodia is in the middle of war, those who hold any form of political power are in grave danger. Loung Ung’s (main character) father, a military police captain, was forced to flee from home along with his family of nine in order to escape the wrath of the Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge army. Posing as a poor farming family, the Ung family was placed out of there natural element of fortune. Without the chief impact the setting plays on the events and actions that make up the story, the message sent out by Loung Ung would become misinterpreted. If the story was not set in the time of war, there would have been no major conflict. The setting of this autobiography is key in the central message. From the start of such a journey, one can easily identify the setting and how it is used to represent this narrative.
♥Divina Wiley♥
F~Block
December 1, 2008
Breanna Pizzolo
F Block
Ms. Prevosti
Blog #2 Due Date: 12/1/08
Khaled Hosseini uses many literary elements to launch the plot in The Kite Runner. One example of literary devices Hosseini uses is foreshadowing. The Kite Runner is about a young man named Amir and his “best” friend Hassan who live in Afghanistan. Amir and Hassan loose a great friendship over the actions of Amir. In the novel, there is a defining moment in Amir’s life when he sees Hassan getting beat up by kids who are racist towards him. Instead of doing the likely and brotherly action, Amir just ran away like a coward, leaving his friend by himself. Khaled Hosseini uses foreshadowing by giving hints to the reader that Amir will redeem his conscience and make things right again. “Come. There is a way to be good again, Rahim Khan had said on the phone just before hanging up.” (Hosseini 192) This is an example of foreshadow because this quote is repeated throughout the story in a way that makes the reader think that Amir will face and overcome his sins. Throughout the novel, foreshadowing is being used to develop the plot in The Kite Runner in many ways.
Ariel leiva
F-block
12/1/08
Blog post
In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the authors use of 1st person kept me connected to the book. This book is about the life of the author, whose name is Amir, from growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan, to adjusting to a new life in America. The author uses 1st person to get a sense of his emotions and surroundings. The author has a great memory and is very detailed in explaining his life. His use of 1st person enables you to smell what he smells, see what he sees, and feel what he feels. The author uses 1st person to share his thoughts of what is happening to him. “Because when he was around, the oxygen seeped out of the room. My chest tightened and I couldn’t draw enough air; I’d stand there, gasping in my own little airless bubble of atmosphere”( Hosseini 89). This quote expresses the author’ s feelings in his own personal situation. The author’s use of 1st person along with a rich memory, captures the reader’s attention from beginning to end.
Leila Rauner
F Block
The novel “Animal Farm” by George Orwell uses allegory to describe the events of the Stalin era before World War 2. “Animal Farm is about the transformation of the Manor Farm to the Animal Farm. The pigs who now rule the animal farm power becomes corrupt. They change all the rules so that it only benefited the pigs. The dogs, horses, and sheep become the pig’s slave following every rule without question. The pigs eventually become like the humans, something they wanted to get rid of. “ The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again but already it was impossible to say which was which” ( Orwell 124). This book is an excellent to see how Orwell uses allegory to show that power to one person is not healthy in a society.
Lisa Borzi
F Block
December 1, 2008
In Khaled Hosseini‘s, The Kite Runner, he uses various literary elements to deepen the connection from the characters to the reader. Hosseini uses point of view to display the distress that the main character, Amir, is dealing with after loosing such a great relationship with his best friend, Hassan. Amir and Hassan were best of friends, who lost touch with eachother because of issues they were forced to face. Hosseini uses first person point of view to grasp the readers understanding of what Amir is suffering through. Amir also reffers back to a time when him and Hassan made memories that were never forgotten, and vividly describes how he remebered his best friend. Using first person point of view, thickened the connection and importance of Hassan in Amirs line, which the reader was constantly reminded of during throughout the book. One example of Hosseini's reference to Hassan which signified his importance was written very early on in the book. "When we were children, Hassan and I used to climb the poplar trees in the driveway of my father's house and annoy our neighbors by reflecting sunlight into their homes with a shard of mirror."(page 3) By Amir remebering this childhood game so clearly, it is noticeable that he greatly misses his bestfriend, which sets the mood for the book.
The
Kevin Conroy
December 1st, 2008
Block F
In the novel, Lord of the Flies, William Golding uses man vs. nature conflict to introduce the surviving children to a new harsh environment. The children are forced to adapt basic survival skills to compete against nature. The children organize a basic society to insure the survival and safety of everyone. The society is broken into several groups allowing the civilization to run successfully. Throughout the novel, several objects are used to advance the status of man over nature. In the beginning of the novel, Ralph uses a conch shell to summon the other children from the forest. The conch shell represents ultimate power in society. Piggy’s glasses are used in several situations to produce fire for warmth and the cooking of food. The objects signify man’s victory over nature. However, the power of man will always be defeated by the power of nature! In chapter 11, Piggy is slain by Roger after his glasses are stolen by the hunters. “Piggy’s arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pig’s after it has been killed” (Golding 181). The quotation reflects the horrifying death of Piggy and the lengths men will go to succeed. The power of nature corrupted the minds of the hunters forcing them to slain anyone that stood in their way. The murder of Piggy expressed the savagery of men for the right of total control William Golding uses man vs. nature conflict in Lord of the Flies to perfection! Man vs. Nature conflict allows readers to enjoy the novel due to the consistent change of pace. If Lord of the Flies consisted of regular conflict, the novel would be similar to a one sided sports contest. Lord of the Flies was truly an excellent novel due to the use of man vs. nature conflict!
In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, he uses many literary devices. One element that it used to tell the story is symbolism. In the book, there are a few items that symbolize major things. The conch shell was a major item through out the book. It symbolizes leadership and organization. The person with the shell was allowed to talk and had all the power; this shell also brought all of the boys together. Piggy’s glasses were also symbolic. It symbolized knowledge. While Piggy had them on, he was able to give advice to the group. It was the glasses that created the fire. Another symbol was fire. It symbolized life. The fire kept them alive, and helped them survive. When the fire started to dim, they’re view on survival was close to nothing, they thought they were not going to be able to live. "Ralph...would treat the day's decisions as though he were playing chess. The only trouble was that he would never be a very good chess player." (Golding, 106) This quote is an example of irony. He is saying that his decisions relate to the game of chess, and he does not play chess very well, so his decisions will probably not turn out the way he wanted them to. The literary elements William Golding used, helped paint a clear picture about what was going on in the book.
Danielle Ianazzi
F Block ; English
Christina Tsang
F- Block
12/1/08
Blog Post
In Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens uses atmosphere in the beginning of his novel to give his readers hints about the darkness and gloominess that lies ahead. The story takes place during the time of the French Revolution, where many people are scared for their lives and secrets are all about. Dickens writes in a "gothic” style, which usually sets the atmosphere to a mysterious and fearful tone, especially during the war between the French and the British where there is plenty of bloodshed. In the beginning, a messenger named Jerry Cruncher asks a horseman if he can send a message to Jarvis Lorry, a passenger. Lorry responds to his message by simply saying, “recalled to life”. The strange message Lorry sends back makes him sound strange, and foreshadows in the novel that there are many secrets to unravel. “A solemn consideration, when I enter a great city by night, that every one of those darkly clustered houses encloses its own secret; that every room in every one of them encloses its own secret.” (Dickens 16) The mood of the book is clearly established in this line of thought, because Dickens is telling his readers that secrets are everywhere, whether one realizes it or not, and these secrets may be ominous, such as death or betrayal. However, these buried secrets will slip out throughout the novel, and the atmosphere is what gives them suspense. The atmosphere is of great importance, especially in Dickens’ novel, because it foreshadows the secrets that will lead to the climax of the book, making it more enjoyable.
kaffir boy by Mark Mathabane uses setting to portray Mark in his journey growing uop in alexandra johannesburg. This is where he had lived in poverty with his parents, sisters and brothers trying to survive. he trys to accomplish his goals by attending school and making into America
Marisch Perera :]
English F Block
Dece. 4th, 2008
In the novel, Animal Farm, George Orwell uses indirect characterization to portray the intention of Squealer, as if he were a brave survivor who bends with the wind. Squealer’s character in the novel cannot really be obtained much. However, it is assumed that he is sort of like a mouthpiece, who speaks for Napoleon. Because of Squealer’s persuasive rhetoric, it is also assumed that he helps Napoleon organize his ideas. An example of this was during the milk and apples situation, in which the animals did not receive a share of this produce. Squealer’s response was, “Comrades! You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health.” ( Orwell 52 ) This response shows the reader that Squealer has the character of a well minded individual who knows what is best for him and the other animals. Orwell's use of indirect characterization effectively portrays the intention of Squealer with the use of persuasion, the use of knowledge, and the use of maturity, to change the mid-set of this character.
To Ms. Prevosti's 10th grade class,
Those of you who posted for 2nd marking period - you all did a lovely job. I am very proud of your progress. Here are some of the wonderful improvements I see...
1. We are introducing the literary technique in the beginning of the entry, then using specific details and analysis to support our discussion of that literary technique.
2. We are quoting lines from the books using MLA format.
3. We are engaging in deep, insightful discussions about our novels.
For next time, I can suggest that we all proofread for surface errors.
Great work, 10th graders!
Ms. P
English Blog Post
12-1-08
Daelina Lockhart
Blog Post
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden were a good book so far. I am almost done I have 55 more pages to go. But from what I have read so far, the literary element that Arthur Golden uses is the Plot which is a romance novel plot. He uses the plot to tell the story and show emotion to help you feel what the character is going through, causing his book to become what I call a book you can’t put down. My quote from the book is “we can never flee the misery that is within us” and this is from chapter 9.
English Blog Post
12-1-08
Daelina Lockhart
Blog Post
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden were a good book so far. I am almost done I have 55 more pages to go. But from what I have read so far, the literary element that Arthur Golden uses is the Plot which is a romance novel plot. He uses the plot to tell the story and show emotion to help you feel what the character is going through, causing his book to become what I call a book you can’t put down. My quote from the book is “we can never flee the misery that is within us” and this is from chapter 9.
Talon Turner
f-block
2/6/09
The book I am reading is Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane. Mathabane uses suspense to engage the reader into his autobiography. In his novel, he tells how he was beaten by peri-urban (like police, except they're a lot worse) when he was a child.” suddenly a crushing viselike grip clutched my left armpit and jerked me up as i screamed:"mama!"
"SHUT UP!"The policeman hissed,...."he shook me violently the glare of his flash light trained into my eyes searing them"(Mathabane 3).As i read through this chapter i was couldn't stop mi self. Mathabane is like a person that plays with peoples minds.He is just so great at luring the reader into his life story. Though i am not done reading this book it has been very suspenseful and I hope that it continues to be this way. I really like this book. I learned about things I didn’t know before. For instance, apartheid in South Africa. Learning about new things is always interesting to me, so when mathabane tell his story i am jus hooked because I never know what’s coming next.
Gina Ianniello E Block - Ms. Prevosti.
Colors of the Mountain by Da Chen tells vividly, the conflicts that Da Chen experienced growing up in China during the Year of Great Starvation in the late 1990’s. Da Chen draws in her readers with her life story. Da Chen grew up in a low class family that was treated terribly because of their ranking in society. Da Chen, being a driven individual, strives to obtain an education by doing everything she is supposed to and doing no wrong in school. Unfortunately for her, numerous amounts of obstacles made her goal difficult to reach. However, she still tries. Da Chen went underwent being falsely accused at one school, to having to go into hiding, to taking part in physical fights in a different school. Da Chen underwent both physical and emotional abuse while trying to reach her goal of being successful. Da Chen as the main character encountered both internal and external conflict. Da Chen had to struggle internally with the fact that she was born into a time where circumstances in China were not in favor of low class citizens like her family. Da Chen also had to strive physically against how people treated her. There was nothing Da Chen could do to stop the horrible treatment that she dealt with. “Ours was a big family, and I was at the bottom”(Chen page 3). Da Chen clearly had no choice regarding what family she was born into. Unfortunately, Da Chen was not fortunate enough to be a part of a socially accepted family during her time in China. Da Chen describes the struggles she encountered growing up in such a magnificent and unbelievable way in Colors of the Mountain that leaves readers with a "jaw-dropping" reaction.
Breanna Pizzolo
E Block
January 8th 2009
Walter Dean Myers uses setting as a literary device to develop the plot in Fallen Angels. In the beginning of the novel, young Perry joins the army and is shipped off to Vietnam for the Vietnam War. Perry and his new partner are waiting around Nam to see where they are being sent to next. Myers uses setting in the story to expand the plot and show how much that the environment that Perry is living in, affects him in so many ways. Vietnam is a dry and extremely hot place. Perry realizes then that most of his time in Vietnam will be waiting around in the hot sun and it is hard to survive in the battlefields. “…Once I had figured that of the seven months I had spent in the army, four of them had been standing around waiting for something to happen.” (Myers 8) Another hardship that Perry faces is when he is shipped off from place to place. In the jungle, anything can happen and Perry’s life is at risk. Myers’ writing helps visualize everything as it is being read. In Fallen angels, the reader can just picture the scorching sun beating down on Perry as he waits in the desert, not knowing if that would be the last day of his life. Walter Dean Myers uses the literary device of setting to develop the plot and let the reader visualize everything that is happening in Fallen Angels.
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