Friday, October 30, 2009
Inherit the Wind
1. Bertram Cates, 24 years old, high school teacher, defendant (accused) . He believe in evolution vs. creationism
2. Matthew Harrison Brady, politician, ran to be president & lost 3 times, leads the prosecution, strong christian beliefs, is loved by everybody. Colonel
3. Henry Drummond, defense attorney, uses humour, for evelutionism. city guy
4. E.K. Hornbeck, journalist and critic, covers the trial for the Baltimore Herald, despises Bardy's religious fundamentalism
5. Reverend Jeremiah Brown, representative of fundamentalist Christian belief. preacher. '' Fire and brimstone''
6. Rachel Brown, 22 year old daughter of the reverend. Cates' girlfriend, also a teacher.
7. The Judge. unfair to Cates
8. The Townspeople, rural small town life people with deep christian beliefs. ''bunch of people full of colours''
QUESTIONS :
2. It tells us that the offence is not serious and not a physical threat to the town's people.
3. It seems to be very religious and proud to show it by displaying banners and by singing christian songs.
4. It shows that Brady is dependant and submissive.
5. It tells us that Brady could be untrustworthy, conniving and manipulative.
6. Drummond is depicted as the devil or evil incarnate because he had previously defended hardcore criminals, however we find him to be free thinking and a man of principle.
7. Hornbeck shows another point of view that is seemingly open-minded but isn't. He was more articulate, but he was not superior although he thought he was.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Hills like White Elephants
Thesis statement:
The story uses setting and symbolism to discuss ''abortion''.
Paragraph 1: Setting introduces a tense atmosphere.
: Spain, 1920's, quote about hills and station
P2: Hard decision about ''it''
Compared to the railroad
P3 : Hills are compared to white elephants ( white elephant = baby & hills = pregnant woman )
''unique'' and ''uncommon'' & white color may mean innocence and purety
or white elephant = something big, useless and expensive. Could be the man's opinion of a child... = a burden
P4: Field +trees = fertility + fruitfulness. No quotation marks. Indented. (...)
Friday, October 9, 2009
Mid-term writing test
Part A. Short-answer questions. 40%
1. What is Louise Mallard’s opinion of marriage? Indicate the paragraph that suggests it?
2. Why does Louise Mallard suddenly stop crying? Indicate the place in the text?
After going up to her room alone and sitting in the comfy armchair in front of the window, Louise finally starts to realise that living without her husband will not be that bad. At that point, she had started thinking of the rest of her life without her husband and started feeling free of him, free to live her own life. Unfortunately, this new thought was so overwhelming that '' She did not stop to ask if it were or were not a monstruous joy that held her. '' (This information is related in the paragrpahs 10 to 12)
3. How does she feel about her future as a widow? Cite the line in the text, using just the first few words, then a series of dots …?
Louise feels her future as a widow will be quite nice since she will be free of her husband. She even says how she feels aloud, to herself ; ''free, free, free!''. '' There would be no one to live for during those coming years; she would live for herself, '' is what she thought.
7. Explain how Louise can feel joy and sadness at the same time?
Part B. Development question. 60%
In Kate Chopin’s "The Story of an Hour," irony is used to great effect. Kate Chopin was a critic of some sort. For example, in this story, she criticizes marriage. Wikipedia says that "Kate Chopin experienced differentiated lifestyles throughout her time, which lent to her wide realm of societal understanding and analysis. " Therefore, criticizing marriage would make perfect sense, for it would simply be another understanding she had of society. Of course, most authors, while criticizing one of the many flaws of the society in which they live in, will use irony to send a more subtle message. Authors, like Chopin, usually do not look to offend anybody in particular. They simply want to make as many people as possible understand how horrible or hypocritical some situations are. In this case, the horrible situation would be marriage between two people no longer in love or who never loved each other, which Chopin represents through the marriage of Brently and Louise Mallard.
Right from the beginning of the story, something is not quite right between the Mallard couple when Chopin says that Louise did not take the news of her husband’s death the way most wives do: "with a paralyzed inability to accept its significance. " Instead, " She wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment, in her sister's arms...''
Afterwards, poor Louise starts to see the bright side of things. She realizes that maybe her life won’t be that bad after all. She might even be happier than she was while she was still married to a live man. She finally feels free and knows she can live for herself and that nothing will hold her back. Unfortunately, a part of the irony in the Chopin’s story, is that when Louise is finally getting used to the idea of being a widow and living alone, her husband comes back and causes her such a surprise that she dies.
A larger view of the irony in the story goes from the start all the way to the end. At first. we learn that Louise Mallard has a heart disease; therefore, her sister Josephine and her friend Richards are so very careful when telling her the bad news about her deceased husband. They want to avoid any dangerous health problems that may occur. It is sad, yet ironic to learn that no matter how hard they tried to break such news to her in a soft and calm manner, Louise Mallard died that day, of a heart attack.
Basically, Kate Chopin who must be in love with everything ironic, made sure that the irony in the story does not end until the very last word.
(442 words)
Friday, October 2, 2009
Poetry analysis
Simile: His hair is dark as the hyacinth blossom.
Metaphor: Flame-coloured are his wings
Personnification: The oaktree shook its head.
Alliteration (repetition of initial conssonants) : She sat silently. / 'tis true, 'tis true
Assonance (repetition of voyel sounds) : As the shadow of the rose.
Consonance (repetition of consonants within words) : __________________________
Other forms :
Apostrophe = Talking directly to a person (dead or alive).
Hyperbole = Exaggeration.
Oxymoron = Contrasting elements. example: Sounds of Silence
Symbolism, Imagery (senses like hearing, seeing, smelling, touching, tasting) , Level of Language (from slang to informal to formal), Irony, Pun.
Combining sentences
1.
CA . She went to bed early; however, it took hours for her to fall asleep.
CC. She went to bed early, but it took hours for her to fall asleep.
2.
CC. She wants to lose weight, so she has gone on a strict diet.
CA. She wants to lose weight; therefore, she has gone on a strict diet.
3.
CC. The night air was very still, and a light rain had begun to fall.
CA. The night air was very still; moreover, a light rain had begun to fall.
4.
CC. Her friend did her best to learn to cook, but nothing she prepared came out right.
CA. Her friend did her best to learn to cook; however, nothing she prepared came out right.
5.
CC. Our team learned that the train would be very late, so we decided to take the plane.
CA. Our team learned that the train would be very late; therefore, we decided to take the plane.
6.
CC. The girl can sing very well, and she is also a very talented actess.
CA. The girl can sing very well; moreover, she is also a very talented actress.
7.
CC. Their basement was damaged by the flood, and they can't afford to fix it now.
CA. Their basement was damaged by the flood; moreover, they can't afford to fix it now.
8.
CC. My boss wants to live like a millionaire, so he bought an expensive house in an exclusive area.
CA. My boss wants to live like a millionaire; therefore, he bought an expensive house in an exclusive area.
9.
CC. Their army lost few battles, but they kept on fighting.
CA. Their army lost few battles; however, they kept on fighting.
10.
CC. Capital punishment is often applied unfairly, and a mistake is sometimes also made
CA. Capital punishment is often applied unfairly; furthermore, a mistake is sometimes also made.
11.
CC. The boy has been absent from class many times, so the principal called him to his office for an explanation.
CA. The boy has been absent from class many times; therefore, the principal called him to his office for an explanation.