Rainy Sundays: Eatonville Food Glog

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Rainy Sundays: Eatonville Food Memoir

Analysis of "The Rainbow"

          In D.H. Lawrence’s novel, The Rainbow, Lawrence utilizes repetition and imagery in order to reveal the fundamental differences in ideology between the Brangwen men and women to show how women, unlike men, are curious and are on a constant hunt for greater knowledge, as well as rhetorical questions to question common Brangwen ideology.

          Lawrence uses repetition in order to depict the woman’s deep curiosity for the world outside of her farming society. As the woman is standing in front of her house, peering in the distance, Lawrence says, “she strained her eyes to see what men had done in fighting outwards to knowledge, she strained to hear how he uttered himself in his conquest.”(Lawrence 33-36). The repetition of the word “strained” clearly shows how the woman is struggling and trying hard “to see… to hear” of what men in this far-off society are like in their conquest. The use of “strained” also reveals an air of intensity around the woman because she did not simply want to look out into the distance, hoping to catch a glimpse of this outward society, but rather, she wanted to put all of her efforts in trying to get an understanding of this other society. Also, after describing a Brangwen man, the Vicar, who had connections with the outside world and seemed to be dominant over the other Brangwen men, Lawrence says, “She craved to know. She craved to achieve this higher being, if not in herself, than in her children.”(Lawrence 56-57). The repetition of the word “craved” emphasizes the large degree to which the woman intensely wanted to be enlightened by what aspects of the outside world were dominant.

          In addition to repetition, Lawrence utilizes imagery in order to describe the differences between the Brangwen men and women in their quest for higher knowledge, as well as rhetorical questions to reveal the mysterious power of outward society.  In the beginning, Lawrence says, “It was enough for the men, that… the young ears of corn [were] wheeling freshly about, [and that they] broke the back of a rabbit with a sharp knock of the hand.”(Lawrence 1-7). The imagery used describes the activities of men that keep them content in their own society. The great detail used in describing these activities reveals the extent to which the men were involved in their own way of life. The men were content with all of the aspects of farming society to which they invested all of their attention. In addition, Lawrence describes the Brangwen men to be “fresh, slow, full-built men, masterful enough, but easy, native to earth, lacking outwardness and range of motion.”(Lawrence 45-47). This imagery clearly shows the nature of Brangwen men as simple, yet strong men that lived in union with the earth and were in a constant routine which they were content with. On the other hand, she described the vicar, a man who had experience the outward society, as a man who was, “dark and dry and small, yet had a quickness and a range of being.”(Lawrence 48-49). This use of imagery clearly establishes the contrasting image of the vicar who was less masculine than the Brangwen men and seemed to be less physically dominant. The woman eventually questioned, “What was it in the vicar that raised him above the common man as man is raised above the beast?”(Lawrence 54-56). The use of this rhetorical question establishes two very important ideas. First, it shows the ideology of Brangwen society and the fact that they base their dominance over much more primal characteristics such as masculinity. Also, it shows the woman’s lack of understanding of the outside world, yet her deep-seated want to know, which is not present in the Brangwen men. From the woman’s perspective, this question reveals a hole within Brangwen ideology.

          In conclusion, Lawrence, through the use of imagery, repetition, and rhetorical questions, shows how Brangwen men are content with their own simple life styles and knowledge, while the Brangwen women are more mentally sophisticated and are very curious to find a higher understanding of far-off societies. Lawrence goes further in her use of imagery and rhetorical questions to, through the perspective of a Brangwen woman, show differences between Brangwen men and outward men and the dominance of the outward men as a result of their knowledge.

Analysis of my Performance:

My table partner gave me a score of 7-8 after reading my essay. One of the reasons that my partner gave me this score is my use of quotations. I used a substantial amount of text directly from the passage in order to support my argument; however, the method in which I embedded the quotes into the essay was not very efficient. I used a lot of big, block quotes, and then afterwards, I explained the quotation and its deeper meaning. I agree with this critique because as I looked through my essay again, it became quite clear that my use of quotations reflected a poor analysis and digestion of the text. Also, my table partner said that I showed a better than adequate understanding of the passage. Much of the focus of my essay revolved around the differences between the quest for knowledge between men and women. A lot of my quotations supported this argument as well. However, I lacked a fluency in my writing because I began to repeat a lot of my points rather than just substantially stating it and moving on. I agree with this criticism because as I looked at my essay again, I have realized that I would often times say the same exact information, except in many different sentence structures. Also, another reason for my score is my emphasis on the complexity of the piece. After understanding the true complexity of this piece, as I looked at my essay again, I have realized that I talked about some of the complexity within the piece, but I discussed some aspects less than I should have and some aspects a lot more than I should have. With my lack of discussing all of the complexity, I was not able to precisely and explicitly establish all of the connections within this piece, especially that between the man and the woman. All in all, I believe that I deserved the score I have received because I believe that I have succeeded in demonstrating my understanding of some of the complexity of the piece, but I had many issues with writing style as well as the complete complexity of the piece.

One thing that I could do in order to improve my essay is to improve the fluency in my writing style. One aspect of this fluency comes from the use of quotations. Rather than using block quotations, I need to seamlessly embed these quotations within my essay so that everything flows together very well. I can achieve this improvement by first choosing the block quotation that I want to use, but then dissecting that quotation further in order to find key parts of the quote that I can use in junction with my own paraphrase. Another aspect of fluency that I really want to improve is that I want to cut down on the repetition of ideas. After I stated many of the block quotations, I would go on to analyze the quotation. Within this analysis I would say the same thing, except in several different sentences. In order to fix the unnecessary repetition of ideas, I can merge all of my analysis of a quotation into a couple of sentences so that I can exhibit a clear and concise analysis, rather than rambling on. In addition, something that I feel will help me tremendously in both the aspects of quotation use and writing efficiency, is to take one minute before I start to write my essay to actually write a small outline. Within this outline, I can just write my thesis, my main points of argument, possible quotations to use, and then a quick note of how the quotations connect to the main point being argued. If I can first create an organized outline of my thoughts, I strongly believe that I will slowly begin to become much more of an efficient writer because I will have an idea of what I am going to write about before I even start the essay so I will subconsciously form my thoughts into an organized manner. This method should definitely help me cut down on unnecessary repetition, as well as the use of block quotations.

Another very important thing that I could do in order to improve my essay is to make sure that all of the points I am stating and supporting are ultimately and effectively supporting the argument I make in my thesis. For example, within my thesis, I had explicitly stated, "to reveal the fundamental differences in ideology between the Brangwen men and women". However, throughout my essay, the differences were always an implication, but I never explicitly contrasted them both. For example, in the paragraph about repetition, I talked about how the repetition of the word "strained" showed how the woman had a deep desire in order to gain knowledge of the outside world. Then in the next paragraph about imagery, I talk about how men were content with their farming lives. The issue is that I talk about both men and women, and it can be inferred from my support that they are different, but I needed to actually focus more on a juxtaposition between men and women in which I contrast them together, rather then describing them as two separate entities that are different. In addition, I also needed to focus less on the comparison and contrast between the Brangwen men and the vicar. I believe that the differences between the men and the vicar are definitely notable in order to show the power of the outside knowledge that the women are trying to attain, but my large focus on this contrast was unnecessary because the true complexity of the piece lied in the juxtaposition between the men and the women. On strategy that I can use to improve this aspect of my writing for future essays is to be constantly looking back at my thesis to make sure that a majority of things that I am writing are both going back to support my actual thesis and targets the true complexity of the text.

Also, another aspect that I would definitely improve upon in this essay is to tackle the theme of "blood-knowledge" and the structure of the text. After doing some research on D.H. Lawrence, I found a quotation on Blurtit by him that follows: "We can go wrong in our minds, but what our blood feels and believes and says, is always true." This is a a major part of his personal philosophy, and this concept of "blood-knowledge" was clearly reflected in the piece because the women, although they were within their own community, their "blood", which exhibited their true desires, showed the large degree to which the woman wanted to attain a higher knowledge about the outside society. I believe that the use of the concept of "blood-knowledge" will improve my essay for two reasons. First of all, it reveals the deep desire of woman to attain higher knowledge, and this evidence can be contrasted by evidence of the complacency of men to show how there are differences in desire between a bender line. Second of all, it truly shows my understanding of not only the passage, but also of the author. If I mentioned in the essay of D.H. Lawrence's specific use of "blood-knowledge", it would show the reader that I am somewhat well-educated in the subject, and through this, I can clearly demonstrate "an understanding of the passage" and identify "sides of the author's attitude toward the subject". Doing so, will help boost my score out of the 6-7 range. In addition, in order to improve my essay, I could have also explained the structure of the passage within my own essay.I could have briefly elaborated about her the women's deep desire in the beginning and "recognition" in the ending and connect this to the complexity of the piece which lies in the juxtapositions of the woman's desire for outside knowledge, and the men's complacency. All in all, I believe that through the analysis of "blood-knowledge" and structure, I would show to the reader that I have some knowledge not only in the aspects of the text, but also through knowledge of the author's beliefs and meaning behind organizational structure. 

Final Portfolio Reflection #19

The first assignment that I am really proud of is the comparison and contrast between the novel and movie, Namesake. This is one of my favorite pieces that I wrote because I believe that I put in a lot of unique analytical thought and perspective into this paper. Aside from the obvious differences between both the movie and the novel, I delved into more subtle details of the movie, and how it had a larger meaning as a whole. I analyzed the funeral procession for Ashoke’s death, and one of my favorite focuses for the paper was how Ashima’s friend, Sally, actually provided a concession to the debate that Americans in general do not conform to foreign culture. However, in the movie, Sally, based on her dress and interaction with the other Bengali guests, assimilated with their culture perfectly. Therefore, in the movie, a concession was made to not generalize all Americans as non-conforming to other cultures that was not present in the book. However, there were still weaknesses present in the paper that I must continue to work on. The most prevalent problem is my thesis writing. My thesis was quite wordy and tried to encompass more detail than a good thesis statement should. Also, in some cases, I was repetitive, so I should work on making my writing more concise. Nevertheless, I felt that this paper was the most rewarding. I devoted a lot of my time to the deep analysis of both the movie and the novel, and I felt that my efforts have been rewarded through both the attainment of a good grade, as well as the self-satisfaction I have received knowing that I have learned a lot more than I used to know about Mis En Scene. Through the process of completing this paper, I truly felt that my analytical abilities and writing abilities have improved.

The second assignment that I am really proud of is the creative project for the independent reading novel. My novel was Life of Pi, and my main focus for the project was how Pi Patel’s literal physical journey from his “life in Pondicherry to his life while stranded on the sea shows his shift away from religious values to his animal-like primal instincts that help him adapt for the sake of survival. In essence, this reflects the fact that the desire to survive overpowers the will to upkeep all morals and beliefs.”(Blog Post 9). Although this was a very important theme, I had fun creating a game that reflects the essence of this novel. The creation of this game was no easy task because it requires much thought in order to make it meaningful and unique. The part of my game that I believe was the strongest was how each player goes through these decision cards in which they have to make moral decisions. Based on their decisions, they will either have to pick a facial piece of Pi Patel or Richard Parker. As they continued with the game, they would accumulate enough pieces to form a final portrait. Each Richard Parker piece represents the use of primal instincts to make decisions, while each Pi Patel piece represents the use of morality to make decisions. At the end, you have created a visual of what your situation might look like-whether you would have been more primal or moral. Some weaknesses of this game were the board layout and function. I wish that I had made the actual game board more dynamic in which they could move their pieces, however, I felt that have focused solely on the self-reflection part of the game. After completing this project, I have understood what critical thinking in English is like. It isn’t only about forming a good argument, but it’s about forming a strong interpretation in which you can creatively reveal the meaning of the work as a whole through another symbolic object.

I felt that a lot of my participation and collaboration in this class came from the power point presentations that we had to make. For each and every single powerpoint presentation, I actively worked on my designated portions while looking at other sections to ensure that I know the overall meaning of the work as a whole. I love to participate in the form of presentations because it allows for me to share what I think to the entire class. I was able to do this through the power point presentations, as well as the Creative Project presentation, which I really enjoyed. In addition, I felt that for our M. Butterfly video, our group was very self-motivated to participate because we wanted to truly make a good video. We sacrificed a lot of time to take into account all of the factors such as lighting and setting in order to create a meaningful video. This required a lot of participation because for each scene, there was always a task for a group member to do, whether it was off-screen or on-screen.

Although I would not have been able to predict this in the beginning of the trimester, a lot of my participation for this class would be outside the realm of school. Whenever we were given a piece or novel to analyze and we had to write an individual paper on it, I along with a group of my friends would put the paper aside and just focus on the text for the sake of understanding the text and the meaning of the work as a whole. Therefore, we would form study groups in which we would bounce interpretations off of each other, as well as ask questions. I believe that this form of participation really helped me because I would be able to see a single situation in many different lights, and that would help my own understanding of the meaning of the work as a whole. This was definitely a tactic that my friend and I employed in order to actively participate in the class as well as be successful in it. We all had the motivation the truly understand what the pieces were saying, and we would ask questions, answer questions, and discuss topics ranging from things like the use of literary terms to the understanding of the plot development. After the first week in this class, I quickly learned that in order to be successful, you have to put in the time to truly learn how to analyze pieces effectively. In the beginning of the trimester, I would struggle a lot with tapping into the deeper meaning of the piece of literature as a whole. However, through the repetitive, positive discussion about literary device usage, major themes, and complexity, I was able to slowly be able to analyze pieces at a faster speed and to a much greater depth than I was able to before.

The first time stamped goal that I would like to discuss is the learning of literary devices. After taking the first practice AP Lit exam, I had realized that the knowledge of literary devices was vital. Therefore, I had adhered to a study plan that I had created in which I would progressively study the definitions of these literary terms and I would see an example or two of them. In the beginning, I felt that this was the right course of action because I was able to memorize a vast majority of the literary devices present on the Edline page. I even looked at a few examples. However, after going through class, I started to struggle to choose which literary device is being used from an example. The problem was that I focused too much on the memorization of the literary terms, and less on the actual application. Therefore, I slightly adjusted my study plan. The change was that whenever I got a piece in class that I had to read, as I would read, I would try to keep an active eye out for literary devices that were being used. I felt that if I could read a piece and start to pick out different literary devices that were being utilized, than I would have more practice with the application of these literary terms. The main benefit of this method is that the ability to identify literary devices becomes much more universal because if you are given a new piece, you will still be able to read it and understand the different devices employed. Therefore, one of my initial goals was to learn and apply literary devices throughout the progression of the first two months of first trimester. However, as I began to do so, I realized that I needed to course correct myself and slightly adjust my method in order to increase my ability to apply literary devices. I believe that this method worked because as I eventually began to read more pieces of literature in class, I was able to identify the usage of more literary devices that I was able to at the beginning of the trimester.

Another part of my time stamped goals, which I believe was very important, was learning how to effectively analyze poems and prose. Initially, I decided that I wanted to read a lot of poetry outside of class, but I soon altered my goal to just focusing on the poetry that we would read in class. Therefore, whenever we would get a piece of poetry in class, I would try to make an organized database of all of the poems. Then, apart from only analyzing these pieces at school, whenever I got home, I would analyze the piece that we focused on in school again at home. I felt that the more time I spend carrying out an in-depth analysis of the pieces, then I would be able to start seeing patterns in regards to universal themes and forms of complexity such as irony and paradox. This was a progressive goal in which I would constantly do through the progression of the first trimester. The indicator of which I would measure whether I had improved my skill came from the differences between my beginning of the trimester AP test performance and my final AP test performance. I thought that the results were quite interesting. I actually scored the exact same things the first time through on both tests - a 65 percent. This made me really question whether I had improved at all this trimester. However, after test corrections, I understood the state of my progression. In the beginning of the trimester, after I had taken that initial practice AP test, I got a 65 percent, but there was a catch-for every question I missed on that test, I had no idea what the right answer was. I was not able to narrow my answer choices to only two, rather I would end up picking from a group of 3 or 4 answer choices. Although my initial recent test performance also resulted in a 65 percent, after taking the retake and getting an 88 percent, I had realized that this time, I was able to successfully narrow down my answer choices to two. When I initially took the final test, nearly each question I missed was because I picked the wrong one out of two choices. When I went through the test and picked the other choices that I narrowed it down to, I got 12 of the questions right. This shows that I did in fact achieve some progress. However, I want to solidify this progress and make it stronger by getting to a level where I can get the right answers the first time through.

Hamlet Literary Analysis: Justice #18

And The Beat Goes On...#17

Hamlet's Response to Peter Seng's Criticism #16

It is so sad to see what has happened to Ophelia. She was the love of my life, but now she has transformed into a deranged lady singing songs all day long. Who has done this to you Ophelia? A man by the name of Peter Seng dare say that I was the cause of you madness. He said that "For Ophelia, as for Hamlet, Denmark has become a prison, and she is all alone at Elsinore."(Seng 218). But Ophelia was not alone you see. My love for her must have kept her hope for I have shown a great deal of love towards her. I have even written a letter for you in which I explicitly stated,"Doubt thou the stars are fire;  / Doubt that the sun doth move;  / Doubt truth to be a liar;  / But never doubt I love.  / I love thee best, O most best, believe it."(2.2.122-126).

But one thing is for sure Ophelia, in regards to your father's death, he had received what he had deserved for he is a very treacherous man. Seng says, "Her father has been killed-by her mad lover as she believes."(Seng 218). That fact is true Ophelia, but that is not the whole truth, not at all. As I was talking to my weak mother about not continuing her sins, I saw a rat behind the curtains, listening to our conversation. I had no idea who it was for I even exclaimed,"How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!" at the moment I killed him.(3.4.24). However once I removed the curtain, only then did I see who it was. However, he deserved this fate for he was a "wretched, rash, intruding fool."(3.4.32). Let me tell you one thing Ophelia, I did not purposely try to kill your father so do not believe that I have a major problem with your family. However, he still deserved it.

There is only one thing that I do agree with Seng and that is the role that Polonius and Laertes have played in eventually degrading your perspective of me. I am a virtuous and honorable man, Ophelia, while your father is not. Your father must have told you "Do you believe in his tenders as you call them?"(1.3.103). He planted a seed of suspicion in your mind which may have developed with my act of madness, but you have to realize Ophelia that I am the one that loves you. Seng summarizes what your treacherous brother and father have done to me when he says, "His remarks bear the same implications as his son's: No one is to be trusted or taken at face value"(Seng 220). But do you know what the true tragedy in your situation is Ophelia. Polonius and Laertes have been feeding you ideas about how my affection for you is a lie, but they are the true liars for I love you greatly Ophelia. Your madness can not be justly attached to me, but it can be attached to you brother and father.

Analysis of "To be or not to be" Soliloquy and Mis En Scene Interpretations #15

Imagery that refers to the uncertainty of death:

“ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil”(3.1.66-68).

“Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought”(3.1.84-86).

Imagery that refers to the negative experiences of life:

Hamlet says that some of the negative experiences in life consists of, ““Th' oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th' unworthy takes.”(3.1.72-75). In addition, I argue that an important negative experience in life comes to light when Hamlet compares “something after death” to “The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns”(3.1.79-81). He is saying how the uncertainty of life after death creates a sense of despair for people because they can never be sure enough to make a decision whether to take their life or live through life. I believe that this reflects that a negative experience from life is the uncertainty of life after death.

Appeals that Hamlet uses to convince and/or motivate his audience:

Logos

“Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death.”(3.1.77-79). He is logically asking a rhetorical question of why someone would want to suffer so much and work so hard to make it through the problems in life if they did not believe that some greater punishment or despair may be in store for them after life.

Significance of Literary Devices:

Paradox

The main point of this soliloquy revolves around discussing the difference between life and death. A main paradox present in the soliloquy was the fact that there may actually be a life after death in which the horrors of true life come back to haunt you.

Parallelism

Hamlet runs a parallel between things such as life after death and dreaming in order to show the similarities and differences between them and how, especially the similarities, are very important in the development of the human fear of death.

The Infinitive

This made many of the themes that Hamlet was talking about more universal to encompass each and every person and how they all face the question: To be or not to be?

 Synecdoche

This helped to add a lot of imagery within the soliloquy which resulted in a greater amount of intensity because of the detail that was being described.

Tone

Hamlet created a very gloomy tone because as he was pondering the benefits of death, he soon stumbles across the idea that even with Death, a stage of eternity that is supposed to take you away from the hardships of life, you may still be haunted by the problems of life. He goes through his inner debates, and each conclusion to his debate adds to the gloomy tone.

Diction

The vivid diction he uses helps to distinguish various tones he wants to generate. For example, when he uses words such as “grunt” and “sweat”, the tone of the piece intensifies because he isn’t saying to be merely “tired” but a more descriptive and intense synonym to generate a slightly gloomy tone.

Metaphor

Hamlet draws comparisons between two similar things to show the complex nature of something that seems quite simple. It helps him to paint a much more defined picture of what he is trying to express to the audience.

Two primary metaphors Hamlet uses in speech:

The comparison of Dying to Sleeping/ Dreaming to Life after Death

The truth about an after-life to an undiscovered country

Evidence of established comparisons:

Life on earth

“the whips and scorns of time, Th' oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th' unworthy takes.”(3.1.71-75).

Afterlife

“something after death, The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns”(3.1.79-81).

Death

“To die, to sleep— No more—and by a sleep to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished!”(3.1.61-65).

Humans

“Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action.”(3.1.84-89).

Thinking

“That is the question— Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them?”(3.1.57-61).

Three oppositions present in the arguments Hamlet makes:

Life vs. Death

Believing vs. Non-believing

Thinking less/Doing more vs. Thinking more/ Doing less

Eternal Philosophical Questions that Hamlet Ponders:

Hamlet asks the key question: “To be, or not to be?”(3.1.57). This question is encompassing his inner conflict of deciding whether it is better to be alive and face the horrors and struggles of life, or whether it is better to take your life and accept death as a way to escape these problems with life. Hamlet also wonders, “Who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death,  The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of?”(3.1.77-83). He goes deeper into his thinking to wonder why people who are not preoccupied by any situation after death are afraid to die. This brings up the theme of religion because this choice of wanting to die to escape troubles ultimately circles back to whether you believe that there is some type of life after death that may be just as, if not more, punishing as life.

Hamlet’s Conclusions:

Initially, when Hamlet ponders the benefits of death, he says that with death, “we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks.”(3.1.62-63). His initial thought process is more simplistic because he just takes into account the fact that dying will result in being taken out of a world and life that has many horrors. However, he goes on and adds complexity to his thought when he says, “ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil”(3.1.66-68). This clearly shows us that he thinks that through an eternal sleep, one may dream, and there is a possibility that these eternal dreams focus on the unresolved problems that were faced in life. So, he realizes that death may not simply be an end to someone’s sorrows. Then after he questions the possibility of some type of life after death, he says that “conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought.”(3.1.84-86). This clearly shows us how he believes that no matter ones belief’s, no one can be certain of the one’s situation after death because no one who has died has returned to tell the tale. Therefore, due to this uncertainty, people overthink the presence of life after death, and the small thought in their minds of this possibility instills a fear in them that makes them too cowardice to take their own lives.

Acting Analysis

Kenneth Branagh

For the entire scene, the camera is angled over Hamlet’s shoulder and it is focused on a mirror that reflects Hamlet as he slowly walks towards it. Although he is in a big hall, the camera angle consolidates the space to focus on a single mirror in the room over Hamlet’s shoulder. This consolidation of the surroundings shows the intensity of the speech. This soliloquy revolves around Hamlet pondering the question of whether it is better to live in a world with many horrors or die to escape from it. This camera angle shows him looking him to his reflection which signifies how Hamlet is delving into the depths of his soul in order to answer the question, “To be or not to be?” Also, Hamlet is slowly walking towards the mirror and his reflection slowly gets larger, this shows his growing intensity as he finds the complex nature of his debate. The diegetic sound is the primary type of sound used in this scene, and it consists of Hamlet’s voice as he is giving the soliloquy as well as the moment he pulls his dagger out of his sheath and it makes a grinding metallic noise that is associated with the wielding of a weapon. This sound of his dagger emphasizes the part of the speech when he says bodkin. The non-diegetic sound consists of quiet, but high pitched screeching. This sound starts when he is talking about the hardships of life and is helps to create a mood of despair. Also, the moment he pulls out his dagger, an editing cut quickly shows a close up of Claudius’s surprised face. This edit is very meaningful because as Hamlet unveils a tool of murder, it quickly shows Claudius who is the man that Hamlets wants to kill for revenge. The fact that Claudius jumps back a little bit when Hamlet brings out his sword shows the apprehension that Claudius has over Hamlet’s actions. In addition, Hamlet is in all black clothes to represent two things: his grievance over his father, as well as the gloom revolving the subject matter of wanting to take one’s life to escape the horrors of life. The make-up used was mainly for camera purposes to make sure that sufficient light reflected off of his face so that the audience could clearly see the Hamlet’s emotions.

Laurence Oliver

The scene begins at the bottom of a castle or dungeon. It is very dark and gloomy, as the camera starts to spiral and move upwards the spiral staircase. Soon, the camera sees daylight, and it shows Hamlet as he walks to the edge of the cliff. The sound during this beginning part of the scene is all non-diegetic. The sound for this portion consists of very loud and assertive background music that generates a very intense atmosphere to serve as a build up for when Hamlet begins his soliloquy. When Hamlet begins to speak, the background music dissipates and the diegetic sounds of Hamlet’s voice and the ocean waves breaking against the rocks take over. A very important editing cut that was made was that when Hamlet began to talk about death, the camera angle would change to a long distance, bird-eye view of the ocean. This use of editing and camera angles established the connection between the setting of crashing waves and death. Also a medium angle shot is used when Hamlet gives his speech in order to encompass all of the intense emotion that he displays, not only through facial expression, but also body language. In addition, he never makes eye contact with the camera; rather, he is peering out into the sea which signifies his peering out into an abyss that is strongly connected with death. Also, Hamlet pulls out his dagger very early in the soliloquy and his use of this prop was very important. As he would speak about how death is a way to escape the horrors of life, he would point the dagger to his own throat in order to symbolize the very realistic option of taking his own life. Also, when he starts to talk about humans being cowards, the medium angle shot capture his sudden shift in body language. All of a sudden, he closes his body off to the audience and looks away from the ocean. This signifies how he is still a coward and how he does not wish to be a part of the ocean abyss which represents death. The costume just reinforces the overall setting of the play which consists of a castle in Elsinore, with Hamlet being a prince. In addition, the make-up reflects the sunlight which helps the audience to see Hamlet’s facial expressions.

Mel Gibson

The scene begins by Hamlet walking down the stairs into a dark cellar. When he reaches the bottom of the cellar, his face appears very dark and serious. He is in a black costume which signifies the grievance over his father as well as the gloomy mood surrounding the soliloquy. The darkness of the setting signifies a very serious, and gloomy subject matter. The camera angles were often times closed up on Hamlet’s face in order to show his dynamic emotion throughout the scene. Also, all of the sound is diegetic because it all comes from Hamlet’s voice as he speaks, as well as sounds from objects he interacts around him. Lighting is very key in this scene because whenever he talks about death, or any gloomy subject matter, he is in an area of the room where is covered by darkness. However, when he starts to make realization and connections, there is light that shines on his face. The seclusion of this setting is very representative of the soliloquy because this soliloquy consists of Hamlet entering into his own deep thoughts. Just as the actual speech reveals Hamlet entering his inner dark thoughts, you see Hamlet entering a dark room, contemplating the difference between life and death, and then leaving the room after some general conclusion had been made. Make-up for this scene was probably used to ensure that Hamlet’s face had a darker shade when the lighting decreased.

Ethan Hawke

From the start of the scene, there is some non-diegetic background music that is playing and it sound very somber and gloomy. In addition, the diegetic sound consists of the narration and the actual voice  of the main characters thoughts as he walks through the movie store, it also consists of an action movie that is playing on the wall in which it seems like people are dying. He is wearing a black suit with black pants and a black shirt. This presence of black signifies that this Hamlet may have gone through some grieving process or is very distraught. The main camera angle consists of a close-up and moves with him as he is walking. The setting is very important because he is walking through the Action aisle which creates an intense mood for the viewer from the beginning. In addition, based on his walk down the aisle, it becomes apparent that he is not really on a hunt for a movie because he does not seem to be paying much attention to the specific titles. It just seems as if he is strolling through, thinking to himself. This reveals his contemplative nature. The setting is also interesting because it is a modern-day setting or a video store. However, his dialogue still consists of the dialogue within the actual Shakespearian play, so the dialogue has not been interpreted to a modern time period. Close up camera angles are also used to show the emotion on his face as he contemplates the nature of life and death. In addition, he never makes direct eye contact with the camera because he wants do develop a mood that shows him secluded in his own thoughts.

I believe that Kenneth Baranagh most skillfully depicts my situation. The setting in which he said the soliloquy was crucial because it reflected his contemplative nature. As I saw this actor Hamlet give his speech into a mirror as he stared at his reflection, I could feel the true intense inner contemplation that he was undergoing. Not only that, but the intensity in his eyes and the expression of his face overwhelmed me with a sensation of seriousness. His clothing was also very appropriate. The dark black clothing showed the grievance that he had toward his father as well as the dark nature of the revenge that he is seeking. In addition, his use of the bodkin was astounding. When he pulled the dagger out of his sheath and he held it onto his face, I could feel the intensity of the though-process that he was going through as he debated life and death. In addition, the camera angles were very effective because they showed him closing up on the mirror. He begins very far away, which shows that he is just at the beginning of this contemplative journey. However, as he approaches the mirror, his reflection get bigger, and as the camera close up more, it becomes evident that he progressively is delving farther in to the depths of his soul. Also, his speaking style blew me away. What enthusiasm he had! This Hamlet would put the perfect amount of each type of emotion into every word that he said. All in all, I believe that his actor Hamlet was the best at representing the true, intense contemplative nature of the debate between life and death.

In regards to the Ethan Hawke version, I would have adapted the script more towards a modern speaking style while still maintain a comparable level of sophistication and complexity in order to make sure that all areas of mis en scene are consistent with each other. In addition, for the Kenneth Baranagh, I believe that his use of the prop was good but it could have been more powerful like the Laurence Oliver version. In the Laurence Oliver version, the sharp point of the dagger is directly pointed towards him, which depicts the contemplation of taking his own life with much more intensity. Also, in the Laurence Oliver, I believe that there were positives and negatives to the setting used. I believe that the use of the ocean as a symbol for death was good, but I believe that it didn’t reflect his true inner contemplative nature as much because he was out in the open. I believe that the perfect location would be in a cave carved out in the middle of the cliff that still peers out into the ocean, but also creates the sense of seclusion and inner thinking. Also, I believe that the Laurence Oliver version needed more varied camera angles in order to capture the dynamic emotion of Hamlet. The primary camera angle used was a medium angle, so it was hard for the audience to connect with Hamlet at a deeper emotional level since they were not able to witness the subtle changes in facial expression and emotion.

  

Act 2 - Hamlet's Revenge and Law Abiding Citizen- Blog Post #14

"Well, justice should be harsh Nick... especially for those who denied it to others."

             Clyde Shelton has a happy life with his wife and young daughter. One evening, two thugs invade Shelton’s house and they kill his wife and kidnap his daughter. They pinned him down and made him watch it all unfold. Clyde is out for revenge. He first wanted to obtain some justice for his dead family through the legal court system, but after being denied by lawyer Nick Rice due to corrupt politics, Clyde has another plan for revenge, a more unforgiving plan. However, this time, he has two targets: the men who killed his family and the “diseased” judicial court system. On his journey to gain justice for his family, he is fueled by revenge and brutally murders the thugs that killed his family, members of the judicial system that don’t do their job properly, as well as a couple innocent people to add to the torment of Nick Rice. He is on a mission to get justice, not only for his family, but also for many other victims of crimes that are cheated in the judicial court system.

          The ghost of my father, the true King of Denmark, has given me clear directions to follow through with the murder of my uncle in power, Claudius. It is quite clear what I must do, but it is so hard for me to do it. “Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words and fall a-cursing like a very drab, a scullion.”(2.2.547-550). However, at least my plan is unfolding nicely: everyone is beginning to think I am going insane. Polonius must be thinking that I have gone insane the most, especially after my encounter with Ophelia. She must have told Polonious that Hamlet had “a look so piteous in purport as if he had been loosèd out of hell to speak of horrors.”(2.1.82-84). It is to my advantage to have people think that I am insane, as it will make me seem like I am more delusional and less threatening. Clyde Shelton, while in jail also wanted to make himself look insane, which was a part of his plan. Shelton told Rice to get him a steak and bring it at exactly 1pm to the jail cell in return for coordinates to a dead body, but Rice was 8 minutes late. This led him to brutally murder his cell mate by slitting his throat. Covered in blood, Shelton says “I need a shower, Warden.”

          My uncle will pay for the murder of my father and I will see to it that I get my revenge. I will have to summon up the courage and kill that "Bloody, bawdy villain! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!"(2.2.541-543). However, in order to do so, I need more evidence, apart from the words Ghost of my father, which may just be a devil creating a plan for my downfall and destruction.. Therefore, I will organize the players to "play something like the murder of my father before mine uncle", and then as the play goes on, "I’ll observe his looks."(2.2.559-560). If he begins to cringe and feel nervous, I will know that he is guilty of the murder of my father, and I will gain the confidence to follow through with my revenge. The presence of evidence is crucial before going to get revenge. Clyde Shelton clearly represents this when he tells Nick Rice, in regards to his own crimes, "It's not what you know. It's what you can prove in court." Clyde said this line to Nick to show him that all the clues may point to an answer, but without cold-hard evidence, you can't pursue justice in court.

          Simply put, "The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king."(2.2.566-567). If I can be for sure of the king's guilt, then I can confirm the ghost I have witnessed as actually the ghost of my father, and I can also confirm that my uncle deserves to die.

Act I - Hamlet's Perspective - Blog Assignment #13

Due to my respect and loyalty towards my father, his death has made me filled with grief. Although my outward attire serve as an indication of my grief, which many men can imitate, “I have that within which passeth show,” in addition to my “trappings and the suits of woe.”(1.2.85-86). Unfortunately, the grief that I possess over my father seems to be a scarce among the nobility at Elsinore. My father had treated my mother so well with true affection and protection. He was “so loving to my mother that he might not beteem the winds of heaven visit her face too roughly.” (1.2.140-142). However, all of this love that my father had expressed to my mother throughout his life had made no impact on her. “Why, she would hang on him…yet, within a month”, she seems to have forgotten the important role that my father had played in her life, and she doesn’t even show any grief over the matter. (1.2.143-145). Not only did my mother not grieve over the passing of my father, “within a month…she married” my treacherous uncle. How a person can do such a thing, you may ask. (1.2.153-155). The weakness of my mother, a woman, led her to cling to my uncle immediately after my father’s death and never wince about the decision made. “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (1.2.146).  Also, it infuriates me how my father was further disrespected on his funeral day. In an attempt to save money, the funeral and the wedding between my uncle and my mother was arranged on the same day. My treacherous uncle, Claudius, was content because “The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.” (1.2.180-181). Did my father not deserve on having a day to grieve over him? Not only that, but was he also deserving of having an incestuous betrayal such as the wedding between his widowed wife and his own brother on the same day of his funeral? Good God, I say. However, more than anyone, I truly despise my uncle Claudius. He is an evil man on the search for power. When I met my father in Ghost form, I learned of all of the suffering my father has to go through in purgatory due to his inability to pray for forgiveness for his venial sins. His suffering is a result of Claudius’ betrayal. Claudius murdered my father by pouring a “juice of cursed Hebona” into my father’s ear as he was sleeping. (1.5.63). What an adulterous coward. I will not let my father die in vain, and I will make it certain that his “commandment all alone shall live within the book and volume of my brain.” (1.5.102-103). I will obey my father and kill my Uncle Claudius for the sake of revenge and justice!

Hamlet Character Study Choice #12

I chose to do my case study on the character, Hamlet. I had decided to chose Hamlet because I felt that he is going to be the type of tragic hero that faces many types of moral dilemmas in which he has to internally solve. Hamlet seems to easily be the most interesting character because he is out on a quest for revenge, and with revenge comes many implications such as justice, as well as the possibility of the revenge back-firing. In addition, I believe that Hamlet will  be the most dynamic character because I feel that as his initial views on the revenge he is trying to attain will be quite different from his view of revenge towards the end of the play. Also, an interesting aspect of Hamlet is that it seems that he is in conflict with his mother which reveals an overarching conflict with women in general. I have never read a piece while consciously looking for a conflict between gender, and I feel that this conflict will add a lot the the over all dramatic effect of the play. In addition, one of the main reasons that I want to study Hamlet is because of the respect of his father. He has a very deep love for his father and he respects him as if he was Half God/ Half Human. And since he is avenging his father's death, I wonder what his internal conflicts will be when he is in the heat of the moment and he can either commit murder and seek vengeance for his father, or not and not be considered a murderer. All in all, I believe that Hamlet will be the most interesting and dynamic character, and that is why I want to study his progression throughout the play.

M. Butterfly Video #11

M. Butterfly Project #10

Comparison and Contrast Namesake Paper and Life of Pi Creative Project #8 - #9

Rapunzel and The Lady of Shallot #7

Sylvia Plath's "Medusa" Powerpoint Presentation #6

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? Archetypal Approach Powerpoint Presentation #5

Neoclassical Powerpoint Presentation #4

Introductory Powerpoint Presentation #4A

Why the third little pig survived #3

“One night the big bad wolf, who dearly loved to eat fat little piggies, came along and saw the first little pig in his house of straw. He said ‘Let me in, Let me in, little pig or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!’ ‘Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin’, said the little pig.” Unfortunately, things did not end well for the first pig due to the fact that he was eaten. The next pig brother, who had the bright idea to make his house out of sticks also shared the same fate. However, the third pig was a little more careful. As an aspiring scientist/engineer, I believe that all problems in the world have solutions, and it is our responsibility to not only find a solution, but the best solution to the problems. For example, if there is a task to complete, there will be many ways to complete that task. However, it is important that extensive reasoning is used to support the best possible course of action to complete a task well.  The first two pigs did not use enough reasoning to find the best course of action, and that was the reason for their demise. In contrast, the third little pig reasoned that in order to be protected from the wolf, a sturdy house made out of solid bricks is essential. Like the third little pig, I am an elaborator/clarifier because I use my reasoning to see how a possible suggestion or idea may develop to benefit the group. In addition, I like to listen to other people’s ideas and build on top of them to make them more complex and elaborate which results in an improved idea.

Setting goals and reflecting on your progress in achieving those goals is also one of my strong suits. In the humorous, but meaningful story “The Boy who Wanted the Willies”, Hans would never get frightened, and because of that, he went on a journey with the goal to get the willies. Hans set himself a goal of getting the willies and possibly even a chest of treasure, and then he tried to achieve it by going through the haunted house. Like Hans, I also like to set goals for myself to achieve because then I have an end that I am trying to reach. With a goal in mind, I am able to effectively plan a course of action that will lead us to solving that goal. Within the haunted house, Hans ended up claiming the treasure, but he did not get the willies. Soon after he grew up, he had triplets with the king’s daughter, and he named them all Willy, so that he could have willies. Although in an unconventional manner, Hans goes through the process of setting goals, and achieving them. In addition, I like to reflect on the progress that has been made en route of accomplishing a task. When I reflect on the journey of reaching a goal, I both take into account the smaller accomplishments that have been made on the way and the areas in which little progress has been made. In this perspective, I am an evaluator/critic because I prefer to study the progress that has been made, and then find different strategies/tactics that can be used in the future in order to push a little bit further and achieve more.

Getting along with people is very necessary when there is some form of group collaboration that is taking place. I do not like to enter into many confrontations, and I just like to avoid them in order to maintain respect among people, and group members. The Conciliator position fits me very well because in the realm of group work I drop my ego completely and I am openly willing to admit any mistakes I have made. If I admit my mistake when I am truly wrong, then we are able to maintain respect among the group members which is vital in group collaboration. In a broader sense, if anybody makes a mistake and it leads to a conflict, I am effective in resolving those conflicts by creating a common goal to fix the mistake.

All in all, I have some characteristics that are beneficial in a group environment, and I would like to exploit them to the fullest in order to generate a positive work environment. Others also have complementing characteristics that will help the group, as well as me. In a group, if each member can give more than they take, then work will be done, and progress will be made.

Performance Analysis of Initial Practice AP Exam #2

Before I analyze my performance on the practice AP Literature exam that we took in class today, I would first like to discuss my impressions about the test. Before I started the test, I had the mindset that this test was going to be extremely difficult, making it impossible to do well on it. As I worked through the multiple choice section of the test, I realized that some passages were easier to handle than others. I realized that certain question types were harder than other types. But the most important realization that I came across was that this test is not impossible. To clarify, by no means am I saying that this test is easy, because it’s not. However, I am saying that this test is doable, and with the right type of preparation, this exam will slowly shift to another, hopefully better, frame of reference. Nonetheless, it is important, at this moment, to analyze my strengths and weaknesses so that I can establish a plan to improve my skills.

In regards to my strengths, I feel that I am most effective in dealing with passages in the form of essays, stories, and personal anecdotes. A common aspect about all of these types of passages is that the complexity of word craft is limited. There is still a lot of symbolism within them, but the reading is easier to get through and digest. I am good at tackling these types of passages because I can get through the passage efficiently, and at the same time, I can understand the different symbols being used, pick up on the emotions and inner opinions of the characters, and note any implications that arise from the text development. I also believe that I possess the “many-mindedness” characteristic when I read and analyze any type of passage. When I first read a new piece of information, I refrain from labeling it to a certain, defined category because in many types of literature, interpretations can vary. As I am reading a passage with many symbols, for example, I take time to understand aspects such as the author’s perspective, tone, and mood. After taking all of this into account, I try to interpret the symbols based on my understanding of the various aspects. I don’t cling too tightly to my interpretations because I know that as I gain more information, they are subject to change. Therefore, I believe one of my strength is the fact that I don’t form closed-minded interpretations based on limited information, but rather liquid interpretations that change forms as I gain more information. Also, I believe that I am good at answering multiple choice questions that deal with factual information, as well as symbols within the text. As I am reading, I like to take note of different pieces of factual information, and this helps me successfully answer questions that relate to specific details within the text. In addition, since my interpretation is constantly changing until I get through the information, I feel that I am strong at analyzing symbols. This helps me answer questions that ask for the symbolism behind different things within the text. All in all, I believe that I am strong at reading essays, forming interpretations, and answering factual and symbolism based multiple choice questions.

When analyzing my weaknesses, I feel that I am most ineffective in handling passages in the form of poems. Many poems contain large amounts of word craft, and rather than using simple sentences to convey meaning, they seem to use more complicated phrases that have deeply imbedded meaning. These factors really hinder my ability to understand poems and digest them efficiently. Therefore, I am spending a lot more time trying to read the poems than I should. In addition, I am not very good at reading passages that are written in modern English, but have very complex syntax. Since I do not have much exposure to reading phrases and sentences with complex arrangements, I often times lose track of which characters are doing or feeling what. As I go through the complex passages, I feel that I have not absorbed much of the meaning within the poem, and that leads to trouble with the questions. Also, I feel that I lack the “Attentiveness” characteristic. It is very hard for me to fully concentrate on the text without my mind wandering off. When I begin to lose focus, I start to glaze over some hidden details and symbols, resulting in an overall decline in my quality of reading. Sometimes, I realize that I didn’t comprehend what I just read, so I have to go back and read a larger portion of the text again. Once again, this process is very time consuming and inefficient. I am also pretty weak in answering some questions about types of literature and literary devices. For example, some of the words on the test that I was not familiar with were synecdoche, ode, ballad, parable, etc. Therefore, not knowing much of the vocab resulted in guessing on many of those vocab-based questions. Another type of question that I had a difficulty with was the I, II, III question in which we had to choose the right combination of answers. In these types of questions, I always begin to lose track of the actual text, and I support the wrong answer choices with information that was not in the passage, leading to more incorrect answers. All in all, I have difficulty absorbing information in poems and passages written with complex syntax, focusing on the text to read efficiently, and answering questions about literary devices and types of literature.
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I have created a plan in order to transfer my weaknesses to strengths or at the very least move my weaknesses out of that category. First of all, I want to improve my ability to read and analyze poems, as well as text written with a lot of difficult sentence and phrase arrangements. In order to do so, I am going to follow the advice of Professor Billy Collins. Each school day, for 2.5 weeks, I will simply read a moderately sized poem, with complex syntax, two times. I will not make an attempt to analyze or study them; I will just simply read them. Then, during the next 2.5 weeks, I will re-read the poems that I have previously read, but this time I will actually try to analyze the poems. Using this method, I will gradually gain a comfort with reading difficult poems, and I will also have practice analyzing them. And as Thomas Foster said that no piece of literature is completely original, this practice I put in now will help me find patterns when analyzing different poems. In addition, I want to become familiar with the different literary terms and types of literature. In order to do this, I will need to apply a two-step procedure over a span of at least 6 weeks. First, I will need to study the definition of each of the terms, while finding an example that the term applies to. After I feel comfortable with the definitions, I will need to actually apply the definition. I will do this each time I read a piece of literature. When I read a piece, I will note what type of literature it is, and then I will continue to find examples of different literary terms within the reading. This procedure will make me very apt in picking out the literary devices used within a passage. My last goal is to improve my attentiveness as a reader. In order to do so, I will utilize both the daily poems I will be reading, as well as an independent reading book. For a two-week period, I will read my independent novel and the poems at a slow enough pace so that I do not break focus while I also make mental notes of my own reading. Slowly, throughout the two-week period, I believe that I will be able to slowly increase my reading pace while maintain a steady focus on the text. In conclusion, I want to improve my ability to read poems with complex phrasing, to understand and apply literary devices, and lastly improve my attentiveness as a reader.

Reasoning for Blog's Aesthetic Appearances - #1

The format for this blog was designed based on the true focus of this class. By observing the name alone, AP British and World Literature, it can be noted that this class steps over the boundaries of American literature at current times and reaches into all corners of the world during different eras. First of all, the blog is named “Everywhere in a Book”. The word “Everywhere” captures the vast varieties of cultures and traditions studied. However, all of this extensive observation occurs right within the classroom, from the peers sitting beside us and the books lying in front of us. Therefore, two contrasting ideas, “Everywhere” and a single “Book”, are brought together to show the true essence of this class. Also, the font of the title is very important in creating a certain type of mood. The font used for the title is called “Calligraphy” and it gives the impression of an old cursive-style writing that was used long before modern times. Behind the title is an old, parchment-like map of the world. The presence of this map reinforces the vast variety of the literature that will be studied in this class. In addition, the color of the blog is brown in order to represent the eras of the texts we study. For example, we will study literature and fairy tales from the medieval era, when the process of life wasn’t completely bright and new, but rather dark and solid.
 The layout is also pinnacle in directing different amounts of the reader’s focus to different areas of the blog. The title is located at the top of the screen, as it should be the first thing that the reader focuses on. The majority of the blog's space, located under the title, is devoted to the actual posts I make. My writing, in the forms of different discussions and posts, is the main focus of my blog, and that is why it comprises the largest area of the screen. Then the area about me is a smaller section to the right of the posts area. Since we all read from left to right, readers will first encounter the main blog space which is on the left, and then they will focus on the “about me” section, which is to the right. All components such as fonts, colors and layouts were precisely chosen to create a mood of vastness and oldness for the viewer.