Response to Course Materials #4

    So. Much. Hamlet. That is about all we have done since the last course materials response post. The first exercise was read the play aloud in class. At times, I really struggled to understand what was going on, but it helped when we would have a mini discussion right after each scene. After taking a week or so to get through the play, we began watching it. The first version we viewed was the Tennent version. This was a more modern take on the antiquated play. Watching the film made me dislike Polonius even more than I did when just reading it. He is so nosey and is interested in everyone's business all the time. I enjoyed the symbolism of the bare feet, as well as seeing some of the key scenes. At first I was not a fan of Ophelia in the Tennent version, but I think she did a great job in the scene where she goes crazy. The next film we watched was the Branagh version. The first scene we viewed was the ghost scene, and the ghost was creepy. His piercing blue eyes gave me chills. It was interesting to compare the two films. In the fencing scene, there are many people observing the fight in the Branagh version. In the Tennent version there is just a select group of people. Unfortunately, I missed the last two clips, but I did hear from classmates that Hamlet and Horatio had a special relationship. I did not pick up on this from reading, but there are many ways to interpret it. This week we will be wrapping up our discussion and then it is winter break!

Response to Course Materials #3

        I can hardly believe November is nearly half over.  Most of these last few weeks were filled with discussion of Death of a Salesman. I enjoy that we discuss the book for a few days because I, unfortunately, am prone to missing minor details. At the end of the week, we practiced multiple choice questions. The vocabulary has been quite intimidating, and I am hoping I will be better at it by the time the real questions roll around. On another day, we took the class period to work on a mood and atmosphere activity. It was welcomed to mix it up from our typical tone and syntax activities. The most valuable thing I have learned these last few weeks has been the intro/essay practice. We learned that thesis answers the prompt. Everything in our introduction paragraph should answer the prompt completely. The essay then explains the key points used in the introduction. We used our new tools on a practice essay. Practice essays are still proving to be a challenge for me. Hopefully, with diligence, I will get better at them. This past week we began the play, Hamlet. I am challenged by the language, but it is very helpful that we discuss the content after we read each scene. 

Death of a Salesman Analysis

Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, was another unique and compelling play. The main character, Willy Loman, is, without a doubt, mentally unstable. The play begins with Willy arriving home from a work trip exhausted and depleted. His two sons are visiting, Happy and Biff, and they hear Willy yelling at his wife, Linda. They come downstairs to the main floor of their house that does not have corners, or a roof. Willy then has a flashback to when his boys were younger and it is apparent that he is jealous of his neighbor, Charley. He then remembers when he and his mistress were together in his hotel room. He gave her stockings. The present day appears again and Linda is sewing her stockings, because they are unable to afford new ones. Later, Willy is playing cards with Charley, and a memory of his brother appears. He then continues a conversation with both Charley and Ben. The flashback of Ben is when he left to go to Alaska, and Willy asking him not to go. During the night, Linda and Biff notice that Willy is outside conversing with himself. Biff tells his dad his plan to go and talk to an old friend the following day to ask for a loan to start a business, the “Florida deal”. The following day, with convincing from Linda, Willy decides to go and converse with his boss, Howard, about working more local so he does not have to travel as much. When he arrives at the office, Howard is playing with a recording device that he just bought. Willy requests to have a lower paying job, but still working in the area. When Howard rejects this, he does not understand why. Willy believes that if you are well-liked you should be able to get what you want. Howard then fires him and Willy has a flashback involving his brother, Ben. Ben asks Willy to go to Alaska with him, and Willy objects. The next scene is a conversation between Biff and Happy. Happy is talking to a prostitute, and Biff mentions that he waited for many hours to talk to the businessman, who does not even remember him. Happy does not think it would be good to tell Willy that, so he convinces Biff to lie to him saying that he is reviewing the proposal. Willy goes to meet his sons for dinner and Biff tries to explain the whole story to him. Willy then flips out and has a flashback to when Biff caught Willy cheating on him in a hotel room years ago. Later, Biff and Happy come home bringing flowers to their mom. Linda yells at them for leaving their father at the restaurant and tells them to leave the house. Willy is outside plating a garden. There is an argument between Biff, Willy, and Linda. Willy then gets in his car, crashes, and then dies. The last scene is at Willy’s funeral with only his immediate family, Charley, and Bernard present.

Motifs

Regret

Dreams

Entitlement

Weath

Significance of Names

Loman- low-man symbolizing low class

Singleman- salesman, a single-man

Biff- punch

Happy- ironically, he is not happy

Linda- housewive’s name, soft, tender, type of tree= strength of family

The affair woman, did not even have a name

Willy- child’s version of William

Miscellaneous Points
The milk = cheese = Linda being motherly
Linda acts like a mother to Willy, because his was absent.
Howard = flashback Willy

Overall Theme

The sense of entitlement for the idealized American Dream of financial and social prosperity can lead to tragedy.

Important Quotes
"He's liked, but not well liked."
"He has the wrong dreams. All, all wrong."
"Willy Loman never made a lot of money. His name was never in the paper. He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him"

Close Reading: Brittany Maynard was courageous and right

My last close reading post was about Brittany Maynard and the plan to end her life. The article reflects on her decision to end her life on November 1, 2014. The author, Ronald M. Green, uses diction, syntax, and language to argue that physician-assisted is okay.

The author is explicit that he supports Brittany’s choice. His first sentences states, “I strongly support Brittany Maynard’s impassioned efforts…” By using the word strongly, we know that he feels robustly about Ms. Maynard’s life changing choice. Using the word impassioned shows that we often feel empathetically for those who cope with stressfully horrendous issues.  I believe the author is trying to persuading us to understand why doctor-assisted suicide is acceptance.

Ronald Green writes this article using long, technically written sentences. They are used to examine ideas meticulously. He utilizes these by packing them with opinion and idea. Some of these include, “It may seem strange to say this, but the reason that you and I as free individuals cannot access life-ending drugs is because governments have imposed rules that require prescription approval by physicians for such drugs.” This is a strongly stated sentence used by Green. Another example includes, “But mutual respect here also requires that we allow others who who believe differently to end their lives in the way they see fit, as Brittany Maynard has now courageously done.” This sentence is used to be reflective, really allowing us to think about our own lives. A short sentence would not be as powerful if used here.

Lastly, Green uses language to effectively develop his message. In his second paragraph, he discusses that he does not believe that physicians should be involved in death. When reading phrases such as, “mass killing” and “corps of people”, I visualize death and horrific acts. The writer is communicating that physician-assisted suicide is not comparable to other instances of dying. Another example of this is, “grievous and irreversible pain.” Not only is this useful diction, it creates a feeling and understand of what the person is experiencing.

I believe that Ronald M. Green did a thorough job of explaining his opinion of physician-assisted suicide. He made this possible by using diction, syntax, and language.

Response to Course Materials #2

     These past few weeks I have been able to acquire a great deal of information. I have learned that this class is a ton of work and to not leave annotations for the night before.
     Going back a few weeks ago we continued to discuss The American Dream. We read two different essays that gave me a new outlook on this bizarre play. These opinionated pieces assisted me in annotating the play and furthered my understanding of Theater of the Absurd. Our class discussions opened my eyes to all the hidden details I missed the first two times reading. Just about everything in the play has a significant role. The next text we examined was How to Read Literature Like a Professor. This book was filled to the brim with repetitive information, but nonetheless useful. We learned that Foster is a large fan of Machiavelli as he was referenced in just about every chapter.
     We have also been doing various activities together as a class to expand our knowledge of diction, imagery, and syntax. These have stretched and forced me to think beyond what I have done in the past. Creating examples and then immediately discussing them with the whole class helps me directly apply what I have just learned. When we began to examine AP strategies, I was a little intimidated. Those multiple choice questions are close to impossible. The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing was helpful in revising my essay. The style the book was written in makes it an easy reference when writing. Recently, we have watched Death of a Salesman which is proving to being another unique literary work. I am eager to see what this play brings to the table.

The American Dream Analysis

Wow. The American Dream was the oddest and most interesting piece of literature I have read. This was also my first time reading a Theater of the Absurd piece.

The author, Edward Albee was adopted at a young age by two parents who did not always except him for him. Conflict was something that he had to deal with and it also made a difference in his writing.

This play begins with Mommy and Daddy sitting in their New York city apartment living room which we have come to believe it takes place at some point in the 1950's. Grandma lives with Mommy and Daddy and is ridiculed mostly by Mommy throughout the whole play. Mommy and Daddy continuously converse about how the person is late, "Why are they so late? Why can't they get here on time?" (16). We find out this mystery person is Mrs. Barker of Bye-Bye Adoption Service. Grandma tells a story to Mrs. Barker about a couple "similar" to Mommy and Daddy. They previously mutilated their adopted son which resulted in death. Another knock on the door occurs and it is the Young Man. This Young Man is very attractive but has been wounded deeply inside. The ironic part is this boy is their previous son's twin. Mommy and Daddy are drawn to his outer features, as this is what they find important. The play concludes with Grandma hiding off to the side and Mommy and Daddy clinging to this new Young Man. The Young Man is perceived as the "American Dream."

Motifs:

• Emasculation, gender roles, sexuality, control: Right from the start, the in masculinity of Daddy was quite obvious. He is constantly being thrown under the bus by Mommy, was forced to forego a sex change, and was unable to remember simple things such as Mrs. Barker's name. For example, "... that name again?" (23).

• Boxes, new versus old: The boxes play a large role in this play. Grandma is very persistent on making sure the boxes look nice and it is a mystery until the end with what is in them. Grandma is "packing up the old" into the boxes. Mommy and Daddy only chose to comment on the surface of the boxes, which is very important to them. Daddy says, "They're wrapped so nicely" (14). It can also be interpreted as Grandma representing the old American Dream, and Mommy and Daddy representing the new one. Grandma is a hard wo

• Social status, manners, artificiality: Mommy and Daddy care a great deal about where they fit on the social ladder. Mommy is very persistent on getting the wheat colored hat when she originally received the beige hat. But, the crazy thing is... they are the same hat! Mommy says, "They have artificial light, Daddy." (10 ) Mommy was upset about the artificial or fake light, but fake is all she is too. 

Overall Theme:
Consumerism is corrupting American societal structure and values.

Close Reading: The Last Right

     In The Last Right: Why America Is Moving Slowly on Assisted Suicide, by Ross Douthat, the issue of committing doctor assisted suicide is examined. This topic has resurfaced in the news most recently with the Brittany Maynard story. This New York Times columnist uses diction, syntax, and details to effectively communicate his message to his readers. 
     Douthat uses diction throughout the article to establish a strong retort to this timely news. In paragraph one we read, "lethal prescription and die by suicide" (Douthat). The next section consists of the descriptive words such as suffering, terminal, pain, and suicide. In the third paragraph, Douthat writes, "The tragedy... a striking fact." The use of these words creates a sense of fear. In paragraph six, the word "fiercely" is used. These are a handful of Douthat's conscious word choices in his piece. 
     Another exceptional technique used by Douthat is the skillful use of syntax. From the beginning, we are educated on Brittany Maynard's story. This makes the article extremely  personable and relative to many. In paragraph three we are asked questions such as, "Why, in a society where individualism seems to be carrying the day, is the right that Maynard intends to exercise still confined to just a handful of states?" or "Why has assisted suicide’s advance been slow, when on other social issues the landscape has shifted dramatically in a libertarian direction?" These questions are thought-provoking and allow the reader an opportunity to contemplate what they will read in the upcoming paragraphs. The second half of the article presents legislative and political influences around assisted suicide.
    Douthat includes a multitude of details to inform us as readers on the history of doctor assisted suicide. He references that the "Supreme Court, which in 1997 ruled 9 to 0 that the Constitution does not include a right to suicide. (Douthat). We are additionally given the opportunity to reference an article posted that advocates for doctor assisted suicide.  Conservatives and liberal viewpoints are shared as well. Douthat writes that, 
"Many liberals seem considerably more uncomfortable with the idea of physician-assisted suicide than with other causes, from abortion to homosexuality, where claims about personal autonomy and liberty are at stake." to illustrate their side. For the opposition he states, "Conservatives oppose assisted suicide more fiercely." With these perspectives, we are able to make our own conclusions. 
     Throught this piece we are given an abundance of information on euthanasia. Ross Douthat provides us as readers with an abundance of evidence, allowing us to make our own choice. He effectively uses different types of rhetoric to convey the issue of doctor assisted suicide. 

Response to Course Material #1

     These first few weeks we have learned a great deal of things. Right from the start we delved into the idea of first reads and DIDLS. DIDLS stands for diction, images, details, language, and syntax. This was a way of reading that I had never thought about using before. Before learning about DIDLS I typically would just read through fast and I now know how to dig deep into the text. Reading the text "Immigrants" and "The New Colossus" helped me to work on my new two new ways of reading. Two of the DIDLS terms that we looked into closely are diction and syntax. I was never really aware of what these two words meant. I learned that diction is the choice of words and syntax is how sentences are written. This helped me further understand how to use the DIDLS effectively.

     This past week we read The American Dream play. We also read text to educate us on Theater of the Absurd and Existentialism. These ideas were two I had never heard of before. The American Dream was an interesting and unique read. But, after reading the informational pieces I understood why this writing is the way it is. Theater of the Absurd is a different type of writing that will take some time for me to get used to. This type of writing has hidden meaning deep below the surface that takes some digging to figure out. Existentialism is also an odd view that believes that men should be able to make all their own choices and not have to follow rules and laws. Personally, I do not believe this type of living would ever be possible, it is a very abstract idea. I have enjoyed the start of this class and am looking forward for what is to come!

Close Reading: The Giver Movie Review

In this article, John Defore takes a closer look at the movie, The Giver. Defore uses diction, language, and syntax to throughly review the recent movie The Giver based on Lois Lowry's 1993 young-adult fiction novel read by thousands of middle schoolers including those of us that went to Chippewa.

From the introduction, the writer uses impeccable diction. He states, "topped with the kind of magic-transformative baloney that passes for an ending in too many otherwise-fine Hollywood adventures." Defore effectively describes the movie by writing, "teenage fantasies set in restrictive futuristic worlds." His word choice draws in the reader and tantalizes the mind to read further. 

Defore also includes purposeful use of language. His figurative language consists of metaphors such as, "sand edges off a tale." He also includes similes like, "An atrium-like library." Including these writing techniques add voice and color. If these were absent, this article would not be as interesting to read. Metaphors and smilies enhance the review, making readers want to view the movie. 

Lastly, there is apparent use of syntax to structure this piece. The author has a definite structure he follows. He begins with the setting, then discusses the plot, and lastly the characters. His long sentences are packed full with details and description of images from the movie. This review has a light-hearted critique as its tone, with humorous comments added such as, "old enough to make tween viewers swoon."

Examining this article causes readers to go more in depth in their studying of literature. The author includes several examples of rhetoric in his piece. He uses these skillfully in this article to review the movie The Giver.