Lit terms #3

exposition
expressionism
fable
fallacy
falling action
farce
figurative language
flashback
foil
folk tale
foreshadowing
free verse
genre
gothic tale
hyperbole
imagery
implication
incongruity
inference
irony

AP PREP POST1: SIDDHARTHA

1. Siddhartha has appeared in collections of Hesse’s writing under the title The Way Within. Why is this
appropriate? How is the novel a psychological journey? (Think beyond religion or spirituality.)

2. What does the novel ultimately suggest about the quest for knowledge?

3. Is this a novel about activity/experience/striving or about passivity/acceptance?

4. There are many Western elements in Siddhartha. Which ones do you see?

5. How can the presence of both Western and Eastern elements be a strength of the novel? How could
the presence of both be absolutely appropriate?

Courtesy of this website

I found the excerpt we read in class of Siddhartha to be quite intruguing. In fact, I have chosen to read the book for my literature analysis assignment. However, I am currerntly in no position to answer any of the above questions having only read a short excerpt of the novel. That would be like coming back from summer and writing an essay on a book I pretended to read but only googled the summary of. No one wants to read that word vomit.

Big Project Update

         Per Dr.Preston's end of the semester kum-ba-ya party in lieu of a final where we all pushed the desks in a circle and shared our ideas in a peculiar heartfelt, and almost somber manner, I proposed the idea of a swing set that generated electricity. I thouhgt this pretty good. There would be a cross over from my AP Physics class and I would make a cool thing.

         But recently it's come to my attention that good isn't good enough. So I build this swing set, swing on it, charge my iphone and blog about it. It's shallow, there is so much loss of potential, and most of all it isn't sustainable.

          I'm not sure what I am going ot do about this yet but I know I am going to do something. Why waste an entire semester working on something that doesn't take me outside the classroom?

Poety Remix

We (Sierra Sanchez, Hannah Hurd, Shaiylnn Joseph, Judith Lee, Alec McFarland, Matthew Hollinger, Courtney Reyburn) chose "Working Together" as our poem to remix. 

We decided to do what Dr.Preston referred to as 'low tech' and build a tangible remix of the peom by creating individual puzzle pieces that represented various parts of the poem. These puzzle pieces fit snugly together creating a whole circle much like the poem itself was composed of small lessons to create  a master piece of a poem. 

Here was the process: 

Hamlet Essay 1&2 (slightly remixed)

Throughout this Shakespearean play it is obvious to the reader that they are observing a boy, unlike most, develop into a man, who again stands out amongst the crowd. There are certain qualities Hamlet holds that renders him undeniably relatable, and frankly agreeable. 

Given the time period and values at the time it would be fair to say Hamlet exerts genius like qualities in his careful scheming. Though killing for honor was not unfamiliar at this time, it was more often done in a rash and animalistic way through war and gory bloodshed rather than plotting the death. The manner in which Hamlet goes about avenging his father is much more calculated and careful, than a typical revenge murder may be.  As his heated anger for other unfortunate things in his life comes to a boil, like his uncle becoming his stepfather, hamlet is guided to not only avenge his father but to also fulfill his personal desires of revenge. 

In modern times this type of killing would be done by someone of unstable mental health, and even in the play the famous words "though this be madness, yet there is method in't"  were said, speaking to the strange manner in which Hamlet tries to murder his uncle. Though he is mad, there is method in it. Though he is crazy, there is a reason for it. Though he is psychotic, there is motive behind it. 

Hamlet's deeper desire to kill other than for 'honor' in avenging his father, notions to a strange and almost erotic state Hamlet wants to achieve throughout the play by killing. He cannot be seen as a mentally stable individual.  

Act 4 Notes

Act 4 

-Gertrude tells Claudius what hamlet did 

-Claudius wants to a) send hamlet away and b) sweep the murder under the rug. 

-Hamlet doesn't trust Rosencrantz and Guild. He gives them the riddles "the body is with the king but the king is not with the body, the king is but a thing" 

-Claudius paints a picture of Hamlet being like a politician that does bad things but gets away with it because he's a good politician 

-Claudius tells Hamlet he can go to England, where Claudius plans to have him assassinated 

-We see a different Hamlet, he is now a man. 

College and Cake Wednesday

Due to quality issues I had to upload the video in separate segments on to youtube.
In collaboration with Sierra Sanchez, Judith Lee, Courtney Reyburn, Hannah Hurd, and Shailynn Joseph.