Synthesis of Course Material - Post 4

Near the beginning of the year we also talked about comedy and tragedy novels. Since we began the year reading Albee’s The American Dream we first had to learn about theater of the absurd. In a handout we read how Esslin, the man who invented theater of the absurd, used it as a device to draw attention to the traits of the playwright and have people focus on what he is trying to say through his work. Through his characters and situations he is almost always commented on today’s society and its values and gives his hidden opinion of these matters. It was interesting to learn how theater of the absurd began and how much it has influenced dramas and theater.

On another handout we looked at the theories of humor and comedy. We looked at the six elements for something to be funny and many examples of correctly written comedy. Learning about humor more than finding jokes in a work was very fun and gave me a whole new look at things as we read, annotated and discussed The American Dream, a prime novel of the absurd.

In other handouts in class we turned to the opposite of comedy; tragedy. While talking about tragedy and how something can become tragic, I found that many tragedies were Dystopian and were set in a place less than perfect. Tragedy had many characteristics; the hero is involved and starts from the top and ends at the bottom, rational, sensible and many times ending in mass death. Many of Shakespeare’s tragedies (i.e Hamlet, The Tempest, etc) are good examples to show how a story doesn’t have to have a happy ending.   

Synthesis of Course Material - Post 3

Moving from the basics to annotation/discussion, it was time to learn more about the five "Eras of Literature"; Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Romantic/Victorian, Realist/Naturalist and Modern/Post Modern. My group presented on the Classical Antiquity and the Middle Ages, taking us back to the times of famous authors Plato, Aristotle and Homer and famous novels Oedipus Rex, Beowulf and The Odyssey.I not only got the chance to work with Prezi for the first time, I got to see presentations on all the other times and how literature has grown from the beginning to where it is today.

For a month or two we also focused on many literary terms that every AP student should know. It was TONS to memorize but it wasn't so hard because of the many games on the Spruz site that gave me multiple practice at matching terms to their definitions. After we had learned and tested over  the terms, we began to look for them in passages. It was hard at first to pick out "synecdoche" from part of a play or novel, but after practice it was easy! Like everything we've done in AP Lit, constant repetition has been one of the most helpful things throughout the year.     

Synthesis of Course Material - Post 2

After learning about DIDLS and how to attack literature with a critical eye, it came time to learn how to annotate. It seemed a crime to write in books but to annotate them correctly and effectively it had to be done. With annotating we learned about what  we should write in the margins, underline, circle and pay special attention to as well as how to apply and look for concepts we learned about; DIDLS, T+E=M (technique+effect=meaning) and how to find mood/tone from them. By finding the techniques we could delve deeper into each novel and focus on the question of "what is its meaning?"

After learning what these techniques were and how to find them, we began reading books/plays to begin applying our new skills. So far we have read four very different novels:

1.      The American Dream - Albee 

• Characters: Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Mrs. Barker, Young Man 
• Type of Drama: Theater of the Absurd
• Plot: Mommy and Daddy talk discuss putting Grandma in a nursing home while she has already piled up boxes of her belongings by the door. When Mrs. Barker comes to their home, Grandma tells her a story of a child who Mommy and Daddy had addopted and killed. When the Young Man enters Mommy and Daddy are thrilled and talk about how he is everything they wish he could be: The American Dream. Grandma comes  up with a plan to fool Mommy and Daddy leaving them all alone with what they believe is the true "American Dream"

2.      Ceremony – Silko

• Characters: Tayo, Auntie, Emo, Grandma, Harley, Josiah, Rocky, Robert and others
• Plot: Tayo has just returned from fighting in an American war. Being away from his reservation has made him an outsider to his own culture, language and people that he grew up with and loved. Tayo now drinks, swears, sleeps with many white and Native women and has flashbacks to his days in the war. He must learn about his culture again and remember all the stories of his people and the ceremonies that go with them.

3.    Pride  and Prejudice – Jane Austin

• Characters: Lizzy, Mr. Darcy, Mrs. Bennett, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Collins, Wickham, Jane, Mr. Bingly, Lydia, Charlotte, Mary, Kitty and others
• Plot: Mrs. Bennett is determined to marry off as many of her daughters to wealthy men as she can, and Mr. Bennett agrees. Many balls and gatherings are held, one where the newly single and rich Mr. Bingly dotes upon Jane and where Lizzy meets the much too proud Mr. Darcy. Shortly after this ball the girls are introduced to Mr. Collins who is next in line for their estate. Mr. Collins quickly falls for Lizzy after learning that Jane is almost already engaged and after a few weeks proposes. Lizzy refuses and vows to her mother and father that who she marries will be because of love rather than money or title.

4.      Hamlet – Shakespeare

• Characters: Hamlet, King, Queen, Ophelia, Horatio, Laertes, Polonius, Old Hamlet (Ghost), Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Player, Fortinbraus, Osric, Clown One, Clown Two and others
•  Plot: The old King of Denmark is dead and his brother has taken the throne and married his queen. One night outside the palace, watchmen are confronted by the Ghost of the dead King and they know that it will speak to Young Hamlet. While his father and mother are content with their marriage and life, Hamlet is disgusted and makes his feelings about it known to all. When he is told that his father ghost has been seen, he goes to see it himself and speak with it. When this happens, the ghost tells him of how he was murdered by his brother who has now taken his throne and his queen. Hamlet vows to revenge his death and sets on a journey to fulfill this deed by any means possible, even if it means losing sight of himself and his mind on the way.    

After reading these books and annotating in small groups and on our own, we moved to the next step; discussion.Class discussions have always been a riot. Fifth hour has never had trouble discussing these novels and their many possible meanings. I love class discussions because they can get very heated and bring up a lot of good points that I didn't pick up on while reading. Class discussions give me the chance to see what other people find in the text and give my opinion/elaboration on their points.

Synthesis of Course Material - Post 1

I didn't know what to expect walking into AP Lit in September. I knew we would be reading a lot of books...and not much else. I was surprised and glad to know that we would be doing much more than "just reading" to help us prepare for the big test in May.

We first learned about DIDLS:

• Diction  - How an authors choice of words sounds
• Imagery - Use of words to create pictures and images in the head of a reader while reading
• Detail - Specific features of a character or plot line in a novel
• Language - A group of text
• Syntax - The structure of a sentence

We learned how we could look at any authors use of diction, imagery, details, language and syntax to get a sense of the mood and tone of a essay, passage or novel. I had never learned anything like this in my other English classes and continue to find DIDLS extremely helpful when attacking a passage.
From day one we also learned about the Open and Close Prompt, three essays that are a huge part of the AP test.

Open & Closed Prompt: 

• Open Prompt: Use any novel/drama of literary merit to answer prompt 
• Closed Prompt: MUST use poem or novel to answer prompt
• Introduction should be short and to the point 
• Make sure the thesis answers all parts of the question 
• Use examples (if possible) from the text to support your thesis
• T+E = M (Technique + Effect = Meaning) 
• Answer the hidden "So what?" question
• TAP 

After learning these techniques we began to do practice essays that would be graded on the official AP test scale. Scores go from 1 to 9 and can be varied by minor things:

•   9-8: Focused on the prompt, answer all parts of the prompt, excellent use of evidence, show understanding of the text 
• 7-6: Less maturity, show limited understanding of work 
• 5: Mostly focuses on the prompt with some effort to comment on the analysis of the work 
•  4-3: Essay is underdeveloped and summarizes more plot than examples and comments on analysis
• 2-1: Poorly written in several areas and do not address parts of the prompt

Open Promt Essay 6 - REVISION (In Plain Style!)

1994. In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant presence. Choose a novel or play of literary merit and write an essay in which you show how such a character functions in the work. You may wish to discuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of other characters. Avoid plot summary.

Characters that only appear briefly or are just mentioned give a novel or play a much bigger purpose than a reader might expect. These minor characters can cause many problems and sometimes provide solutions for the main characters. In Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesmen, "the woman", who only appears twice, tears the Loemen family apart by bringing out the truth about Willie.

First seeing the women, she has no real purpose and is in the play for no reason. It is her actions and feelings toward Willie show us that Willie is more connected physically and emotionally to her because of her perfection, youth and beauty, things that his wife Linda doesn't have. The woman's qualities that Willie falls in love with sets him in a spiral. Because of the woman Willie for the first time shows that he has flaws and imperfection . When he loses control he doesn't think that his affair with the woman effected his personality, ideals and family life. 

Later in the play, it can be argued that the woman is one of the most important characters. Biff enters the scene discovering that everything his father has told him is a lie and because of this woman his family is destroyed. He is pushed over the edge when he sees that "[Willie] gave her mama's stockings". Willie's gift of Linda's stockings is complete betrayal to Biff, showing the woman's real importance and an example of how one person can be the difference between a functional and dis-functional family.  

The overall theme of the play is greatly shaped by the woman and her actions. While she is not in the play very long, her actions and feelings shape the other characters, their roles and their overall outcomes.

Open Promt Essay 5 - REVISION (In Plain Style!)

2005, Form B. One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss how a character in a novel or a drama struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.

What would you do if your personal power and individualism was taken away? Some find ways to regain this lost freedom while others give up on life completely and feel it's better to be dead than alive. Offred, the protagonist of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, finds herself in this constant struggle to break free of power over her and regain those freedoms and individuality she has lost.

Offreds struggle begins when she is captured after trying to cross the boarder out of the Republic of Giliad. She later joins a small group of women who are most valuable because they can still bear children, who will serve their country by becoming handmaids. Upon learning that a dominating power has total control over her decisions and life, Offred is suddenly stripped of personality and individual rights/freedoms.This stress on the loss of individuality gives the novel a dark tone and makes comments on the ideas of conformity in society. 

When Offred is given a job she can't complete on her part, she feels that she has regained some individual power. This first taste of freedom makes her hungry for more and begins to change her idea on following the rules. These brief moments give a small glimpse of hope to the reader and show how important individuality is to a person and how it should never be taken for granted.

When she escapes this society with the man she loves Offred gains back her personal freedoms from  supreme authority. She can now live a normal life again, while still be careful not to get caught and sent right back. Atwood's ideas to of individualism and freedom are strongly enhanced through Offred and her actions, informing readers of how important they are, because one day they might be gone.

Open Promt Essay 3 - REVISION (In Plain Style!)

1972. In retrospect, the reader often discovers that the first chapter of a novel or the opening scene of a drama introduces some of the major themes of the work. Write an essay about the opening scene of a drama or the first chapter of a novel in which you explain how it functions in this way.

The opening scene of any play sets the story and if done correctly, gives the audience a good idea of what the play will contain. In Shakespeare's first tragedy, Titus Andronicus, the opening scene introduces three major themes; control, war and the promise of revenge. By various behavior, characters through the use of imagery and detail show these and how they can effect many individuals.

Titus returns from war, bringing the Queen of the Goths and her three sons as prisoners. We can see his upheld morals, values and dedication to his country by this. Titus addresses the Roman people telling them of his years as a soldier and how war has changed his life. This monologue uses bloody images and strong language that impacts both the audience and Titus' speech emotionally. Some audiences may think that Titus is unaware of the true value of power as well as the cost of war, but others see his want and need to be in power. Titus' emotions and values in the first scene leave his character up to individual audience judgement, leaving more room for interpretation as the play goes on. 

The Roman people still call for bloodshed and the death of the remaining prisoners. Titus protests, but must comply to avoid a riot by his own people. He slays one of Tamora's sons setting a cycle of revenge in motion. His actions set all the characters to get their own revenge by slaying and harming each other. Shakespeare's attention to individual detail shows how each character has "gone wrong" after having wrong done to them. Each case of revenge gives the characters new determination and raises the question of why Shakespeare used so much violence in his play and what is its effect on the meaning.

The plays struggles of the human power vs. human emotions brings the themes of control, war and revenge to the stage in a whole new way that is clearly one of Shakespeare's own creation.  

Open Promt Essay 1 - REVISION (In Plain Style!)

1983. From a novel or play of literary merit, select an important character who is a villain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character's villainy and show how it enhances meaning in the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

A film or dramas villain has one purpose; to stop the hero. By trying to stop the hero, they show how their villainy affects the hero and how it adds to the story. Richard, from Shakespeare's Richard III, shows this use of villainy willingly and  takes us down the costly road to gaining power and becoming king at any cost. Shakespeare's use of language, and imagery help to characterize Richard as a "tainted" man who is foreign to the concepts of love and family. 

We enter the play with Richard speaking of how England has no king. He at first seems harmless, speaking about his brother in "the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this sun of York". He quickly turns on his "good" values to find Lady Anne, the recent widow of the Prince of Whales. Here Richard tells the audience that Lady Anne is beautiful and he must have her for wife.  Richards words of love are showy and have no meaning, though he talks of how her love has changed him. Richards language is precise and sounds rehearsed, giving an off an odd feeling about him as a person. He ends the scene saying "I'll have her; but I will not keep her long". These quotes give the audience a look at Richards character and give them the chance to decide if he really is a nice guy who's a little crazy or a pure villain.

As the last Act begins, the death toll is over ten. Everyone who has crossed paths with Richard is now dead and Richard, all alone, starts going mad. The night of the final battle for the throne, Richard is visited by eight ghosts of those he has killed. Appearing in his dreams they prophesy that Richard will "despair and die". This is the first time we see Richard feeling vulnerable and realize his actions. The imagery the ghost present to him gives a spooky feeling and shows how Richard is truly proud to be a villain. These doubts severely change the mood of the show and turn it from a show of murder into a the test of Richards conciseness. Before the final battle Richard exclaims, "a horse. A horse! My kingdom for a horse!!" Richard has many similar statements, short, to the point and picturesque.

  

Richard III's villainy commands Shakespeare's play. It focuses on villainy and the consequences of its actions, trying to show only what Richard has only every wanted; acceptance and love.