Literary Analysis # 5 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

1. "They're still out there." So says Chief Bromden, a member of the asylum under the tyrannical rule of Nurse Ratched. The Combine, the Illuminati, everyone. But above all else, Nurse Ratched. She who rules with an iron fist. She who beats and humiliates every patient into submission until they're nothing more than dogs asking for permission. Chief, Billy, Harding, Cheswick, Martini, everyone. But that all changes when Randle P. McMurphy (otherwise known as R.P.) comes in. Here's a man with "swag". Here's a man who won't take sh*t from anyone. Right off the bat, R.P and Nurse Ratched don't get along. R.P refuses to succumb to Ratched, and Ratched refuses to give up power. However, what Ratched doesn't count on is the influence that R.P. has over the patients. The patients look up to Randle. They see a man who is willing to go against the grain, a man who wants them to act as they would and not as Ratched would. With R.P. handling events like protesting against Ratched not showing the World Series, organizing basketball games, gambling with cigarettes, and having the patients fishing, Ratched can feel control slipping from her grasp. However that's not the only problem in the asylum. R.P. McMurphy is a slacker, first and foremost. The only reason he is in the asylum is because he believed he would live in a life of relative comfort compared to prison. Couple that with a relatively small sentence, and you have a man who faked insanity so as to avoid the dirty work. However, in the asylum Nurse Ratched determines when he can leave. As this realization dawns upon McMurphy, he starts to succumb to her will. However, this also coincides with him taking an unofficial role as the leader of the patients and as an inspiration for rebellion. This leads the patients to become confused, as a man who was once rebellious is now passive. Cheswick attempts to rebel against Ratched, but because McMurphy didn't stand up for him, he drowns himself in the pool. McMurphy, under pressure from both Ratched and the patients, starts losing his will, sanity and strength. However, he is still able to organize Billy to lose his virginity with the prostitute Candy while also simultaneously escaping the asylum. As luck would have it, McMurphy becomes too wasted to escape and collapses. Nurse Ratched, in a fit of rage over Billy sleeping with a prostitute, threatens to tell him off to his mother. Billy becomes hysterical and slits his own throat with glass. McMurphy, enraged over Ratched's refusal to own up to her mistakes, strangles her and rips open her dress,. However, he is knocked unconscious before he can kill her. Ratched has him lobotomized but the damage is done. No longer able to maintain control of the ward, the patients are either transferred or checked out. The only ones left are Chief, Martini and Scanlon. McMurphy returns, but is a shell of his former self. Lobotomized into a vegetative state, Ratched hoped to use him as a symbol for what happens when you f*ck with Nurse Ratched. Wishing to have McMurphy die with dignity, Chief suffocates McMurphy with a pillow. He then picks up a shower room control panel and throws it out the window, allowing him to escape.
2.The main theme for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is individualism vs. conformity. With Nurse Ratched, and the asylum as a whole, we have a society demanding conformity. Anyone who asks questions or is in any way a nuisance is immediately perceived as a threat and must be exterminated immediately. With R.P. McMurphy, we have a man who promotes individualism and non-conformity. Anything that conforms to society is inherently weak. As such, there is a power struggle between individualism and conformity.  And while the catalyst for individualism may have died, that spirit lived on in the rest of the patients, so much so that Ratched was powerless to stop them.
3. The best I could describe Kesey's tone is sympathetic and critical. Considering that Kesey himself was a volunteer for Project MKUltra, it would make sense that he would have sympathy for the patients in the asylum. As such, the patients, despite their flaws/disabilities, are shown into a positive light while the nurses and aides in the asylum are shown as control freaks who will do anything to have order. R.P. McMurphy, despite the fact that he is a petty criminal who is accused of statutory rape, is portrayed as the hero of the story. This also leads to Kesey's critical tone. He is critical of the asylums, he is critical of the working conditions, and he is critical of society as a whole. He is critical of their suppression of sex (as evidenced by Billy) and he is critical of their suppression of the people.
4. Setting - By setting this story in an asylum, Kesey is able to explore his critique of society in a much more creative manner than he normally could. By setting it in an asylum, Kesey is able to create an effective allegory about the concepts of individualism vs. conformity using characters who are not your every-day heroes.
Symbolism - Throughout the novel, Chief continually comments on how there is always green seepage wherever the staff have a meeting. While there isn't any physical seepage to be found, it symbolizes the poison and harm that the staff are causing the patients as opposed to aiding and healing.
Metaphor - Harding, when describing the patients and their relationship, alludes them as rabbits versus a wolf. The patients are rabbits because they are afraid of the wolf, Nurse Ratched. And the reason they won't oppose her is because they are rabbits internally because they don't want to show it externally.
Play on words - Ratched is a play-on-words of the word "ratchet", which is a device that only allows motion in one direction. Fittingly, Nurse Ratched will only allow the patients to go into one direction (submission) and try to stop any attempts of individualism.


1. Direct characterization: "...other than me, the Chronics don't move around much, and the Acutes just say they'd just as leave stay over on their side, give reasons like the Chronic side smells worse than a dirty diaper." (pg. 18) or "She sounded like a teacher bawling out a student." (pg. 96).
Indirect: "You gripe, you bitch for weeks on end about how you can't stand this place, can't stand the nurse or anything about her, and all the time you ain't committed." (pg. 195) "But they can't do that look. There's nothin' in the face. Just one of those store dummies, ain't that right, Scanlon?"
2. When Kesey focuses on Chief and Chief alone, the thinking becomes much more... schizophrenic. While Chief himself isn't what we would call clinically insane, it definitely seems he's either on some drugs or has some social disorder. He becomes obsessed with the idea that the world is controlled by the Combine, and that most people are nothing more than machines. To many people, he is insane. To others, he simply thinks things in a different perspective.
3. Chief is a dynamic, round character. At the beginning, he is a man who is afraid to stand up for himself. His whole goal is simply to be unnoticed. He refuses to talk, and believes that the strength in him is gone. However, as the story progresses Chief becomes more confident in himself. Eventually, he discovers the strength inside him and leaves the asylum forever.
4. Concerning Chief, I feel like I met a character. Since he took on a more passive role as a main character, I couldn't really connect to him as I could with R.P. McMurphy. Chief just came across as a passive, observant fellow, much like Nick Carraway in the Great Gatsby.

Thinking Outside of the Box

"Everything has been figured, except how to live." - Jean-Paul Sartre
"We do not know yet what we want and yet we are responsible for what we are - that is a fact." Jean-Paul Sartre.

 Think about the place you have chosen as your hell. Does it look ordinary and bourgeois, like Sartre’s drawing room, or is it equipped with literal instruments of torture like Dante’s Inferno? Can the mind be in the hell in beautiful place? Is there a way to find peace in a hellish physical environment? Enter Sartre’s space more fully and imagine how it would feel to live there endlessly, night and day.

This is my hell. A place wher I am relegated to continue my existence as one character, one face, while the Others continue to milk me for all I'm worth while I suffer the fallout of said milking. In all seriousness, though, my hell is a place that is indistinguishable from reality. Everything looks the same, everything feels the same, everything smells the same. However, there is a subtle rift about this place. No one cares about you. No one. They will ignore you no matter what you do. Talk to them, and they will simply go about their lives as if you never existed. You can do anything you want, but it has no consequences. No one will react, no one will notice. And the best part: this goes about every day. You don't age. The concept of time has been eradicated. Kinda reminds me of this. Except no happy ending. Meaning, you are stuck forever with your thoughts, but no one to share them with. Have fun staying sane.

Could hell be described as too much of anything without a break? Are variety,moderation and balance instruments we use to keep us from boiling in any inferno of excess,' whether it be cheesecake or ravenous sex?

While hell could be described that way, I lean more towards the notion that hell is a whole lot of nothing. That it presents the illusion of anything while, in reality, it's nothing. Much like BioWare and choices. They present the illusion that choice is present, but in reality that choice is irrelevant. It doesn't matter what you choose, because the story is still going to advance anyways as if that choice were never made. That's hell. You're given the illusion that there's too much of anything and everything when it's nothing. An illusion to act as a catalyst for insanity. An illusion, forcing you to abandon all sense of moderation so that desperation and insanity start hastening into your bloodstream. Moderation, the sign of sanity, gone forever.

How does Sartre create a sense of place through dialogue? Can you imagine what it feels like to stay awake all the time with the lights on with no hope of leaving a specific place?How does GARCIN react to this hell? How could you twist your daily activities around so that everyday habits become hell? Is there a pattern of circumstances that reinforces the experience of hell?

By having Garcin and the Valet engage in dialogue, with Garcin playing a round of 20 Questions. By having Garcin continually ask questions concerning his existence and the perception of hell, we get the idea that this hell is never ending. We also get the idea that Garcin cannot accept the fact that he is in hell. He is still in denial and wants to re-live back in Earth. And who wouldn't blame him? I'd go insane if I was stuck in the same place for the rest of my life. Heck, I might try to deny it even existed, and pulled one of those cliched movie tricks where the character says "It's all a dream. If I go to sleep, I'll wake up in my bed..." but everyone in the world knows that the dream is reality. And that could also affect my activities. Playing the same video game at the same spot the whole time would make anyone want to eliminate their existence. Playing the same song over and over (like this one or this one) would drive anyone to the point of insanity where men like Jeffrey Dahmer, Ottis Toole and Henry Lee Lucas seem reasonable. As evidenced by Groundhog Day, if I had to relive the same day over and over again, I would start losing my wits and my sanity. 

Compare how Plato and Sartre describe the limitations of our thinking and imply solutions to the problem. Be sure to analyze their literary techniques, especially their use of allegory and extended metaphor.

Plato regards thinking as a burden that rests on the individual. Each person is very well capable of thinking for themselves and figuring out that shadows are irrelevant: it's what causes the shadows that is important. All it requires... is a little *push*. Sartre is much more complex. As evidenced by his portrayal of Garcin and Estelle, it's not enough to simply break the chains of ignorance. Rather, you acknowledge your existence and refuse to allow others to create a reflection of you. You are determined by you. Your perception is a direct result of what you've experienced in your life. Everything else is just someone's refection of you. For those who cannot cope with this, life is tough. They cannot create a meaning of their "self" and resort to relying on others to form an opinion of themselves. 

Literature Analysis #4: A Christmas Carol

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” - Dalai Lama XIV

1. The story begins on a "cold, bleak, biting" Christmas Eve. It has been seven years since the death of Scrooge's business partner, Jacob Marley, yet Scrooge is still as miserly and despicable as before. He refuses to donate any money to the poor, he refuses to visit his cousin Fred, and the only reason he allows Bob Cratchit the day off with pay is because it's customary. However, that all changes when he is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley. Jacob tries to warn Scrooge that if he doesn't change his ways, he will be stuck in misery and torment in the afterlife. As such, Scrooge will be visited by three ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows just how happy Scrooge was in his younger years, and how his increasing love for money caused him to alienate his love, Belle,  and to become more and more coldhearted, to the point where he's a shell of his former self. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge many different people celebrating Christmas, such as the marketplace, but most importantly, of Bob Cratchit and his family. Scrooge also takes note of Tiny Tim, and how he's sick, but can't be cured because Bob's pay is so low. Finally, he is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The Ghost shows Scrooge the death of Tiny Tim, and how, when Scrooge dies, no one attends to his funeral, and how his house woman has stolen some of his belongings so as to sell them. Scrooge is also shown how his grave is the only one left unattended. This prompts Scrooge to vow to change his ways, which he does. He donates a turkey to the Cratchits, he visits his nephew Fred, and he donates money to the poor. The story ends with Scrooge completely changed as a person, one who is now the epitome of the spirit of Christmas.
2. The theme of the novel is simple: redemption and kindness. As is shown with Scrooge, it doesn't matter how much of jerk you are. If you can set your mind straight, and put your heart to it, you can redeem yourself. And that redemption will bring more happiness than money ever will. Which also leads to kindness: Scrooge was at his happiest when he was helping others, and enjoying life. He was at his worst when his focus was on money, and nothing else. Thus, money is the root of all evil.
3. The author's tone changes based on which ghost is present. From the beginning all the way up to the Ghost of Christmas Past, the tone is very somber, very melancholy. The Ghost of Christmas Past is much more sorrowful, much more nostalgic. The Ghost of Christmas Present is jovial, happy. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is foreboding, ominous. The ending is very happy, very light.
4. Pathos - Tiny Tim is the embodiment of pathos. We have a small, innocent, happy kid who preaches forgiveness, yet is sick and dying. Simply put, if you aren't moved by Tiny Tim, then you have no soul. And as we saw with Scrooge, he still has a soul. Tiny Tim is what allows him to break away from his shell.
Symbolism - For Jacob Marley, we have a man who is held together with "cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel". In short, we have a man who is chained together. This is supposed to signify what happens to those in the afterlife who do not do good deeds. That those who do bad deeds will be chained by them in the afterlife. Another example is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. He is foreboding, dark, and we don't see his face. He is like a shadow. This symbolizes how the future is a dark and mysterious place. However, as evidenced by his lack of face, it doesn't have to be that way. We can change the future.
Foreshadow - First, we have the mention of Marley, and how it's been seven years since his death. Coincidentally, Marley shows up to pay Scrooge a visit. Then we have the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, a man who portends to Scrooge what will happen if he doesn't change his ways.
Allegory - This novel, to put it succinctly, is an allegory of the Golden Rule "Treat others the way you want to be treated." and all about giving rather than receiving. It demonstrates the power that love and kindness can have on an individual and the community as a whole.
Irony - The Ghost of Christmas Present, by using Scrooges words against him, demonstrates to him how wrong and ignorant they are. By using "Are there no workhouses?" and "If they would rather die, they better do it..." as verbal irony, he shows Scrooge how wrong he is, and allows for Scrooge to start changing as a person.

Characterization
1. Direct characterization: Scrooge is "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner..." (pg. 1) and "Marley's face...had a dismal light about it..."
Indirect characterization "'If they would rather die,' said Scrooge, 'they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.'" and "'The Founder of the Feast indeed!' cried Mrs Cratchit, reddening. 'I wish I had [Scrooge] here. I'd give him a piece of my mind to feast upon, and I hope he'd have a good appetite for it.'"
Part of the reason Dickens switches between direct and indirect is based on the situation at hand. For example, there is a much larger impact when Scrooge says "If they would rather die, they better do it..." as opposed to Dickens simply writing "And Scrooge found the poor undesirable and useless..." Another example is Mrs. Cratchit. What she says has a much larger impact on Scrooge and the audience as opposed to Dickens simply stating "Mrs. Cratchit had a strong dislike of Scrooge." This also allows for a greater showing when it comes to the evolution of Scrooge, as now what he says directly contradicts his earlier statements, which supports the concept that Scrooge has indeed changed as a person.
2. The author's syntax does not change. It's constant. Dickens, at least with A Christmas Carol, writes succinctly. The novel itself is very short, so there isn't much room for Dickens to start changing things up. Also, the focus of the story is its message, how it's an allegory to the "spirit of Christmas". As such, changing syntax or diction based on whether or not he is focusing on Scrooge is irrelevant to Dickens.
3. Scrooge is, for obvious reasons, is a round, dynamic character. At the beginning of his life, he is an innocent, carefree man who tries to enjoy himself. However, as he gets older, his love of money triumphs over his love of life. He becomes more despicable, more miserly. He becomes a "Scrooge". At the twilight of his life, though, things change. Because Jacob Marley and the three Ghosts visit Scrooge, he is able to change his ways. Now he is kind. Now he is giving. Now he is the embodiment of the spirit of Christmas.
4. I would say I came off reading a character. Now, that's not bad or anything, but it is what it is. Scrooge seems like a tool, a means to an end. His change is so quick that it almost seems unreal. In the span of eight hours, he transforms from a "Scrooge" to the embodiment of Christmas. As such, he seems less human, and more of a character in a novel. Someone you might mention, yet never really talk about.

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

There was this man, who whence came-forth
Who so told us an idea that was most intriguing
That these shadows, and all their worth
Were nothing more than false believing

That our attribution
Of words to their shadows
Was nothing more than dilution
And of it, very shallow

The meaning is lost within
Rather the focus should be
On what causes the shadows wherein
One can spread his knowledge to thee

We laughed, and bid the poor bastard good-bye
For who can trust a man who's mind has gone awry?

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1. The Allegory of the Cave represents knowledge, and how the majority of people, like the inhabitants of the cave, think they are knowledgeable, but in reality aren't. They are under the illusion that they are knowledgeable. And they will continue to live under that illusion unless they free themselves from their ignorance. As Johnson C. said "All truth goes through three steps: First it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident." Only until the people realize that their ascribing of words to shadows is wrong will they reach divination.
2. The key elements are the entire cave and its descriptions. For example, painting the prisoners in shackles who are unable to turn their heads reinforces the mindset that Plato is trying to teach Glaucon. That the people themselves aren't stupid. It's just that they wrongly prescribe a word to a shadow when they actually are referring to the "idea" of the shadow. That when someone mentions a "book", they are talking about the physical "shadow" of the book. However, a philosopher, when he mentions a "book", is talking about what causes the book, the idea behind the book, as opposed to the physical object at hand. This is shown through the usage of shadows. The prisoners attribute the shadows to the real thing because they don't know any better. However, those that turn their head eventually figure it out. That the shadow isn't reality as believed before. It's what causes the shadows that matters. Unless you turn your head, you will be in a sea of ignorance.
3. That it's difficult. It's very difficult. Simply put, everything you once knew, gone. Just like that. You have to forget everything you taught yourself. You're going to have to acknowledge you were wrong the whole time. Not many people can. And you, and you alone, are going to have to bring about that change. You are going to have to turn your head (and suffer the pain and consequences) if you wish to unshackle yourself from ignorance. However, the reward is great. Now, you are no longer ignorant. Now, you are strong. Now, you are enlightened.
4. That the cave dwellers are in their small hole of ignorance. That these dwellers, by the means of shackles, cannot see what is the cause of the shadows. As such, they attribute the shadows for reality. They do not focus on the "how" and "why" but only on the physical objects themselves.
5. The focus on wealth and fame as a measure of success. The attempt to accrue and cram as much information as possible without focusing on its importance and relevance. The shortsightedness of most people, such as investors in Wall Street. Politics in the U.S. The concept of school and forcing students into a "standardized environment." The attempt to censor information, whether in the Internet, books, etc.
6. The freed prisoner is enlightened. He is ecstatic. He has information that others do not. He knows things others do not. He can see things others cannot. He can hear things others can't. Above all else, he can comprehend things others cannot. The prisoners, however, can't say the same. They are still ignorant. They cannot comprehend what they cannot see. They are short-sighted.
7. One way is simply through communication. It is hard to explain new information to people without them either getting confused. DICE tried that with Frostbite 2. They explained that most gamers simply wouldn't understand the complexity of said engine, and so wouldn't release any mod and dev kits. There was a huge uproar because, let's be honest, who wants to be called stupid? However, people who used the engine acknowledged that it was indeed difficult. Which leads to my second point. Ignorance. People hate being proven wrong. So what do they do? Simply ignore the information at hand. Pretend it doesn't exist, or believe the other is wrong.
8. There are two ways to free oneself: Either one goes through the pain and suffering to turn their head and removing the shackles, and succeeds, or one listens to the said freed prisoner and is assisted in removing the collar. Either one requires sheer will and determination on the end user though. Simply put, YOU, and only YOU, are the determinate of your own success.
9. I would agree that reality and appearances are different. Look no further than here or here as examples. What we perceive as reality could very well be a figment of our imagination. People see what they want to see, so appearances will be different compared to reality. But above all else, we have no proof that this is reality. This could all be some complex simulation, and we'd have no way of knowing.
10. If Socrates is wrong, then I have two things:
Reality is appearances. There are no differences whatsoever. Those that claim otherwise are liars who want to seem smarter than they are. Or...

IT'S ALL A DREAM! DUN-DUN-DUN.

Literature Analysis: Fahrenheit 451

It is not when truth is dirty, but when it is shallow, that the lover of knowledge is reluctant to step into its waters. - Friedrich Nietzsche


1. "We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out." (pg. 37)
"Fahrenheit 451"
Day 1 - 18:00:00
Guy Montag
Firemen
Dystopian Future

Guy Montag is your typical citizen in Fahrenheit 451. He's concerned only about pleasure. He hates books (after all, he burns them), in fact, he hates anything that makes him think. He indulges in shallow entertainment, hence his many parlor walls. He is apathetic about the outside world and anyone around him, concerned only about being "happy". He does not care about the "why", but about the "how". But that all changes when Guy meets Clarisse McClellan. Clarisse: an intellect, one who cared more about the "why" than the "how", one who did not care for the shallow entertainment rampant in society, one who constantly asks questions. At first, Guy is perturbed, even annoyed by her attitude and actions. She's weird, she has no friends, she won't conform to society, etc. However, after she asks him a simple question "Are you happy?", that begins to turn the cogs in his head. He starts questioning the purpose of his life, and whether the pursuit of happiness through cheap entertainment is the way to go. He starts meditating on his marriage, and quickly realizes that if his wife, Mildred, were to die he wouldn't care one bit. Things really start to go haywire when, before burning down a house, Guy reads a snippet of a book and steals it. He becomes frustrated because the words have no meaning to him. Trained all along with parlor rooms and three-dimensional porn "novels", he is not prepared for the multifaced nature of a novel. As such, it is a struggle for him. However, he does not give up. Rather, it makes him more determined. Now, he starts seeing through the smoke and mirrors of society. He attempts to convince Mildred of the flaws and decay of society, but to no avail. She is too addicted to pain killers and parlor rooms, too willing to conform to society's wills, to be of use. She simply shrugs it off. Of course, this leaves Guy at a crossroads. On one hand, he is starting to think for himself, and starting to realize that there's more to life than mindless entertainment. On the other, he is a firemen. All his life, he has been tasked with destroying knowledge, and yet here is his hoarding books. And his boss, his captain, Beatty, knows this. In fact, Beatty explains to Guy the "evolution" of firemen:
 According to Beatty, the structure of society changed after the Civil War. Populations boomed, and with it can a demand for entertainment. However, people didn't want "complex" entertainment. They wanted "watered-down", simple entertainment. "Once, books appealed to a few people, here, there, everywhere. They could afford to be different.... Films and radios, magazines, books leveled down to a sort of paste pudding norm, do you follow me?... Everything boils down to the gag, the snap ending.... Classics cut to fit fifteen minute radio shows, then cut again to fill a two- minute book column..." (pg. 50) As such, books became more and more abridged to fit the increasingly short attention spans of society. However, that wasn't enough. Soon, interest groups began lambasting books for their controversial content. Books became more and more homogenized and bland due to censorship. "The bigger your market, Montag, the less you handle controversy, remember that!" (pg. 52) Eventually, books became banned, because someone would inevitably be "hurt" by it. This would lead to the evolution of the fireman. Since homes were becoming more and more fire-proof, the goal of the fireman was to preserve "happiness". Since people aren't obviously happy when they feel insulted, destroy what makes them unhappy. In short, burn and ban all books.
Which leads us back to Guy Montag. Becoming more and more concerned about the preservation of society and of knowledge as a whole. As such, he visits Faber, an old English professor, in the hopes that Faber can better explain the meaning behind books. Faber begins teaching Montag about the importance of knowledge, and assigns Guy an earpiece so he can better instruct Montag throughout his daily life. However, Guy oversteps his boundaries when he attempts to convince Mildred, Mrs. Phelps and Mrs. Bowles about the importance of knowledge and how society is an outcry of what it once was. However, it is of no use, as the three ladies are beyond help at this point. Attempting to scare them with literature, Montag instead causes them to become emotional. This leads Mildred to betray Montag and report all of his books to the other fireman. As such, Guy and Beatty are tasked with burning his house. Eventually, Guy and Beatty are at a crossroads, with Beatty too disillusioned to believe anything can be improved, while Guy still optimistic of the future ahead. Beatty threatens to hunt down Faber, which leads to Guy burning him alive with a flamethrower. Forced to be on the run, Guy heads over to Faber, where he discovers that the media has made a giant spectacle of this "cat-and-mouse" chase. Faber convinces Guy to head to the countryside, there he'll meet exiles who tasked themselves with memorizing literature for when society is ready to embrace it again. Eventually Guy reaches the exiles and discovers that the media, frustrated over his apparent escape, killed a man walking the street in an attempt to cover up his escape. However, at that moment, the world ends. Jets fly overhead and drop nuclear bombs over the city, effectively leveling it. The story ends with Guy and Co. walking towards the city, ready to repopulate and rebuild society.

"Fahrenheit 451"
Day 7 - 06:00:00
Guy Montag
Exile
Dystopian Future

2. The theme of the novel is very simple, even though Ray has attempted to change it as of late. It's the power of knowledge, and the observation of the degradation of society as a whole. Concerned with constant entertainment and being politically correct, society has attempted to create a "safe haven", one free from anyone being slighted or insulted. However, by attempting to do it, society has stifled creativity and knowledge itself. As such, novels like Fahrenheit 451 are tossed out due to their "insulting nature" and replaced with porn. Concerned about nothing more than being entertained at every second of every minute of every day, society in turn ruins the purpose of schools. Schools become shorter, the curriculum less intensive.The focus becomes sports, games.  Eventually, English isn't even a required class. Students graduate without knowing how to read or write or do math. Instead, it's all about shallow entertainment. It's all about TVs, short books and comics. Anything that is remotely erudite is thrown away because people feel stupid when they try to read it. People become apathetic about the outside world, because it's not entertaining. In an attempt to create uniformity, society acts like a dictatorship, stripping away information because it might be harmful to others. People, by living the fast life, become nothing more than shallow sheep, constantly bawing for new, condensed entertainment that has no real purpose because their attention spans are too small to actually enjoy something.

3. Ray's tone is fairly gloomy and pessimistic. Society has become nothing more than animals fighting for the last scrap, desperate to find any form of entertainment. For example: "I'm afraid of children my own age. They kill each other. Did it always use to be that way?" (pg. 27) Sounds almost exactly like Lord of the Flies, the difference being that in LOTF, the kids began to degrade away from society while in Fahrenheit 451, kids are degrading because of society. Another example is society's general view of books, that they are a waste of time and unimportant. "Well, Montag, take my word for it, I've had to read a few in my time, to know what I was about, and the books say nothing! Nothing you can teach or believe. They're about nonexistent people, figments of imagination, if they're fiction. And if they're nonfiction, it's worse, one professor calling another an idiot, one philosopher screaming down another's gullet. All of them running about, putting out the stars and extinguishing the sun. You come away lost." (pg. 57) Or the attitude of Faber, one of the few intellectuals left in the city? "What? Men quoting Milton? Saying, I remember Sophocles? Reminding survivors that man has his good side, too? They will only gather up their stones to hurl at each other... Why waste your final hours racing about your cage denying you're a squirrel?" (pg. 78) People are pessimistic about the future, which in turn leads them to do nothing about improving society. This is reflected in his tone.

4. One literary element Ray Bradbury uses is tone. This is a dystopian novel, and one important characteristic of a dystopian novel is the tone. Fahrenheit 451 is no different. By creating a somber, pessimistic mood, we readers are pulled into the novel and get a better sense of the message that Ray was trying to portray.
Another literary element Ray uses is symbolism. For example, the exiles characterize human behavior as a phoenix. A creature that destroys itself in a fire, but rises again from its ashes. Humans destroy each other with fire. However, the head of the exiles, Granger, believes that if books are to be preserved, humans can learn from their mistakes and not go through a perpetual cycle of destroy and then create. This provides a sense of hope, that all is not lost.
Another literary element used is paradoxes, most notably in describing Mildred and society as a whole. For example, Mildred's bedroom is both "not empty" and "indeed empty". That is a symbol that signifies the problems of society. Physically, Mildred is there. But mentally, her mind is somewhere else, in some distant land where she ponders about entertainment, ignorant about the world around her.
Another literary element used is imagery. Fire is used constantly throughout the novel. Whether it be Montag burning in rage and humility over Clarisse, the firemen using it to destroy, Montag using it to warm himself, the bombs blowing up the city, the phoenix burning then rising from its ashes or Mrs. Blake using it as a martyr, it is everywhere.
A final literary element used is setting. This is a dystopian future. As such, we get a place where children kill each other frequently, where death is but an afterthought, where knowledge is prohibited, where entertainment has replaced family, and where no-one cares that a giant war is going on. Montag is an important cog for the government, and yet he earns a whopping six thousand a year. Society is unhappy but does not know it. They are ignorant, but can not see it. They are blind, but can not feel it.

Characterization
1. An example of indirect characterization is when Ray says that the room is both "not empty" and "indeed empty". He is indirectly saying that Mildred, mentally, is simply not there. The painkillers, the parlor rooms, have clearly impaired her ability to think. Another example is the beginning quote "It was a pleasure to burn." We get a sense that Montag, for all intents and purposes, enjoys his job, and enjoys burning things. We don't need to know why, but we know he does.
An example of direct characterization is "Her face was slender and milk-white, and in it was a kind of gentle hunger that touched over everything with tireless curiousity." (pg. 5) Or "Her face was like a snow-covered island upon which rain might fall, but it felt no rain; over which clouds might pass their moving shadows, but she felt no shadow." (pg. 12) I would argue that from an impact standpoint, his usage of direct characterization was more effective than his usage of indirect characterization.

2. Ray's tone is constant. There is no need for him to change his tone based on his characters (after all, this is a gloomy dystopia) so why bother? It would be like Spielberg changing the camera lens for Saving Private Ryan to be less grainy in certain scenes when Miller is talking to his battalion. It makes no sense. Or Deus Ex: Human Revolutions removing the gold filter in certain scenes when Adam Jensen is present.

3. Guy is a dynamic, round character. In the beginning, he is simply another member of society, one who believes everything he is told without question. He enjoys the destruction of books, and hates knowledge. He believes he is happy. However, as the story progresses, so does he. He starts asking more questions, starts doubting what he is being told. He acknowledges the flaws of society and wishes to correct them. In the end, he is a defender of books, becoming one who has tasked himself of remembering certain books so that the knowledge can be passed down to future generations.

4. In the end, I felt that I had met a real character. I could see the world as Guy could see it, smell the world as he would, and hear the world as he would. As opposed to The Jungle, he feels less like a tool to achieve a means, but more as a real person. A misguided person who found his way. Where society believed what it was told, he learned that nothing is true. And where he was restrained by law or morality, he learned that everything is permitted.

Sonnet Analysis: Part 1

I believe that the sonnet "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden is a metaphor about the things parents do out of the love for their children, and yet their children are unappreciative of it. How parents continually do what they deem is best for their children, and yet all they get are complaints and/or no appreciation for it. Above all else, it concerns how fathers do their duty no matter what even though they receive no thanks in return. And how, when you look back as a child, you realize just how ungrateful you are. However, rather than simply wallow in self-guilt, it ends with "What did I know..?" signaling that had the author known ahead of time all the things his father did for him, he would have been more appreciative and shown his thanks.

The Big Question

If we all are to become worm food, then what is the purpose of our life? What about our life matters if, in the end, we all die?

Vocab #11

affinity - a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, idea, etc.
Psychologically, you develop an affinity for an object even if you think otherwise (see: commercials).
bilious - peevish, irritable, crank; extremely unpleasant or distasteful
Bobby Kotick and John Ricticiello are bilious, yet successful CEOs of their respective companies.
cognate - allied or similar in nature or quality
Some people believe that video game PR and video game journalism is cognate.
corollary - an immediate consequence or easily drawn conclusion; a natural consequence or result.
Rab Florence's article and the subsequent fallout with Lauren Wainwright was corollary considering the damning evidence.
cul-de-sac - any situation in which further progress is impossible.
Lauren Wainwright's subsequent Fallout after Florence's article has left her at a cul-de-sac, with no legitimate way out.
derring-do - daring deeds; heroic daring.
Some people consider Robert's article a derring-do.
divination - the practice of attempting to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge by occult or supernatural means.
Some people attempt divination in the hopes that they can better predict the games industry (Michael Pachter) but more often than not, they are wrong.
elixir - the quintessence or absolute embodiment of anything.
Some people hold Half-Life as the elixir of first-person shooters, but I tend to disagree.
folderol - a showy but worthless trifle
The Collector's Edition of games are, at the end, folderol; no one really cares one way or another.
gamut - the entire scale or range
The gamut of Nintendo games range from pure classics (Mario 64) to downright disgraces (Wii Music).
hoi polloi - the common people; the masses
Rob Florence's article on the corruption of the journalistic integrity in the video game industry created an uproar among the hoi polloi.
ineffable - incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible
The amount of vitriol and hatred that spews out of the Internet is simply ineffable.
lucubration - to work, write, or study laboriously,
Some people believe one of the problems of the video game industry is the lack of lucubration among game journalists.
mnemonic - assisting or intended to assist the memory.
Video game companies send gifts to reviewers as a mnemonic device for when they inevitably review the game.
obloquy - censure, blame, or abusive language aimed at a person or thing, especially by numerous persons or by the general public.
EA has been the subject of obloquy due to the rushed Mass Effect 3 ending, and Medal of Honor: Warfighter.
parameter - characteristic or factor; aspect; element
Metacritic has influenced game reviews so much that any game under the parameters of 80-100 is automatically considered garbage.
pundit - a  learned person, expert, or authority
Geoff Keighley was considered the pundit for journalistic integrity, but after Robert Florence's article, that has been questioned more frequently.
risible - causing or capable of causing laughter; laughable; ludicrous.
The movie The Hangover is known for its risible events.
symptomatic - having the characteristics of a particular disease but arising from another cause
Some people believe that EA's buyout of BioWare has corrupted the company, but I believe it's much more symptomatic than they make it out to be.
volte-face - a turnabout, especially a reversal of opinion or policy.
Stephen Totilo had a volte-face, originally he wasn't going to post about Florence's article, but he had a change of heart over Kotaku backlash.

Growing my PLN

So, I commented to this website in the hopes that they would reply. Granted, I still have to wait for their admin to approve my comment, so it's still up in the air whether or not they will reply, but I remain hopeful. Their website has a lot of promise, so perhaps through facilitation, both of us can emerge victorious. I will update if/when I get a reply, and what my comment was.

AP Hamlet PLN

This site got chosen because it was the most comprehensive website I could find when it came to quizzing for Hamlet. Not only that, but the questions aren't some easy "Who is the main character?" type of deal. We are talking about some legitimate questions that require actual reading of the text. such as "Why do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern come to Denmark?" Questions that are easy if you have read/discussed the material, but are trouble to those who haven't.

Here is another site that should help those who wish to study Hamlet using the tried-and-true flash card method. There are 16 different sets of flashcards, which allows for more unique perspectives on Hamlet, and is a more comprehensive learning base than just one set.

This is another site I found, except it contains reading comprehension questions for those who prefer to study by answering questions. There are many, and they are fairly detailed, meaning that if you can answer them all, you definitely have a good understanding of the play.

This is an AP Web site where the students are studying Hamlet, Oedipus Rex, and Death of a Salesman. It contains links to various websites to help students better understand the play for their knowledge, and more importantly, for the inevitable quiz that's coming up.

This is an AP Forum where students discussed whether or not Hamlet is truly insane and to give evidence to support their claim. I figure it would be interesting to see how other students interpreted Hamlet's behavior as opposed to this one class.

Sonnet

Those Winter Sundays
by Robert Hayden

Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?

Vocab #10

aficionado - a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime.
Roger Ebert is considered the epitome of a cinema aficionado.
browbeat - intimidate (someone), typically into doing something, with stern or abusive words
Cladius usually tries to browbeat others to his will, often to no avail.
commensurate - corresponding in size or degree; in proportion
The size of the Battleifield patches seem to commensurate over time.
diaphanous - characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through; extreme delicacy
Ophelia is a diaphanous character.
emolument - the returns arising from office or employment usually in the form of compensation or perquisites
The CEO refused to return until the company set aside some great emoluments.
foray - to make a raid or brief invasion
Deciding that he hadn't had enough, Fortinbras entered the foray to take over Denmark.
genre - a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form, or content

There are millions of different genres in the literary world.

homily - a usually short sermon;  a lecture or discourse on or of a moral theme
Priests nowadays rely on homilies; very rarely do you see 3 hour sermons.
immure - to enclose within or as if within walls, to entomb
Politicians try to immure themselves with yes men, that way they can never be wrong.
insouciant - lighthearted unconcern
Cladius was filled with insouciant over the apparent insanity of Hamlet.
matrix - something within or from which something else originates, develops, or takes form
Everyone is born in the Matrix. Everyone.
obsequies - a  funeral or burial rite
Geatland prepared a great obsequies for Beowulf.
panache - an ornamental tuft (as of feathers) especially on a helmet
"Yankee Doodle went to town ariding on a pony, stuck a panache up his hat and called it macaroni..."
persona - a character assumed by an author in a written work
The author hoped to create an alternate persona so others could not tell he was reviewing his own work.
philippic - a discourse or declamation full of bitter condemnation
Hamlet is konwn for his philippic soliloquys.
prurient - marked by or arousing an immoderate or unwholesome interest or desire; especially : marked by, arousing, or appealing to sexual desire
Ophelia tried to take pruriently take advantage of Hamlet so as to have him confess he loved her.
sacrosanct - treated as if holy : immune from criticism or violation
Claudius believes that a kings' commands are sacrosanct.
systemic - of, relating to, or common to a system
One of the flaws of big businesses is how systemic they become over time, too much beauracracy.
tendentious - marked by a tendency in favor of a particular point of view
America has become polarized by tendentious vorters.
vicissitude - the quality or state of being changeable

Literature Analysis #2: The Jungle

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” - Upton Sinclair.

The year - 1900. Jurgis Rudkus is but a poor Lithuanian, a man whose knowledge is mediocre but whose strength is vast and work ethic mighty. A man who was inspired by "the American Dream", an idea that was almost too good to be true. A land where those who worked were paid their fair share, where the world was rich with milk and honey, where you could be anyone and anything. 'Tis a consumation devoutly to be wished. And who else but dear Jurgis, a man whose strength and work ethic are the envy of the world, would be fit for the "American Dream"? Lead by this fantasy, this idea, Jurgis and his newlywed Ona bring along all their family members, so certain are they that Jurgis can support them. Alas, that would not be the case.  Due to their lack of English, they quickly fall prey to con men, most notably when, in their attempts to buy a house, a real estate agent "conveniently" forgot to mention that they had to pay interest along with rent every month, thereby crippling the family financially, and make it easy to evict them should they fail to pay rent. This leaves the family to start having others, such as Marija and Dede Antanas, working. As the family soon discovers, all is not as it seems in Packington. The owners of the packing industry overwork their employees to the point of burnout, if not death. There is little to no worker support for unions, due to the companies having complete control over the Packington. The only way to move up the ladder is to engage in treachery, swindling, and betrayal. Immigrants are constantly taken advantage of, and nothing is done. Politics are corrupt at their core. The meat is old, diseased, rotted, and filled with lard, feces and human flesh as it is sold to the American public. Crime is more profitable than hard work. Workers are forced to work twice as hard for half the wage, and will be fired if they are so much as twenty minutes late. As such, life sucks for everyone but the 1% and Jurgis and Co. are no different. Injuries, sickness and death plague the family, forcing them closer and closer to ruination. Jurgis develops an addiction to alcohol and becomes injured, further eating away income. This forces the family to have all the children work to compensate for the lost income. However, as the family discovers, jobs are especially easy to lose during the off-season, which only adds even more worry than need be. And as the family discovers, it's not a measure of what you know, but who you know that makes the difference. This is evidenced by the fact that Jurgis attacked Phil Connors, a man who had raped Ona, and Jurgis was the one sentenced to thirty days in jail. However, the coup de grace comes when Ona and their second child die. Jurgis, devastated at the loss, leaves the rest of the family to fend for themselves and heads out to the countryside. There, he makes a short living as a hobo, but discovers that the outside world is no different compared to Packington and decides to head back. There, he obtains a multitude of jobs yet continually loses them, due to a mixture of both stupidity and luck. However, he finally discovers his calling when he attends a Socialist party meeting. Inspired by their message, Jurgis commits himself fully to the party, and invites the remainder of his family to join. Some do join, however, Marija can't due to the fact that she is now a prostitute, and the only thing keeping her from being arrested is the brothel. The story ends with the Socialist Party proclaiming that "Chicago will be ours! CHICAGO WILL BE OURS!" (pg. 396)

2) The theme of the novel is two-fold: on one hand it is to expose the rampart corruption found in the meat packing industry as a whole, and the exploitation of immigrants along with the general xenophobia of the American public. It also exposes the horrendous working conditions associated with low-skill jobs, and the ingredients that went into American beef as a whole. However, Upton Sinclair used his novel as a criticism of capitalism, and to expose its every flaw: most notably the pursuit of profit above all else, the lack of morals and ethics, the corruption, the dismissive attitude of the rich towards everyone else, the disparity of "haves vs have-nots", and how it is used to force workers to work under unbearable conditions because the moment they slack off is the moment they get fired. Above all else, it exposes how you earn more through cheating, stealing, lying and betraying in capitalism than you do through honest, hard work. It exposes the naivety of the "American dream" and how unscrupulous men take advantage of unsuspecting immigrants so as to better themselves, and yet no one cares. It is a criticism of American, and to a larger extent Western, society that embraces all the benefits that came about because of immigrant labor, yet refuses to do anything to aid immigrants because they are the scum of the Earth. However, all that meaning was lost to the audiences, as they were instead captivated by the grotesque descriptions of what went into their meat, how it was processed, and the overall working conditions of the meat-packaging industry, leading Sinclair to lament "I aimed at the public's heart, and by accident I hit it in the stomach."
3) The tone of Upton is sparse, disgusting, and depressing yet uplifting (if not manipulatively). Upton Sinclair, being a journalist, was not one to write prolix. He wrote what he needed to write no more, no less. For example:
“They had chains which they fastened about the leg of the nearest hog, and the other end of the chain they hooked into one of the rings upon the wheel. So, as the wheel turned, a hog was suddenly jerked off his feet and borne aloft. At the same instant the ear was assailed by a most terrifying shriek; the visitors started in alarm, the women turned pale and shrank back. The shriek was followed by another, louder and yet more agonizing--for once started upon that journey, the hog never came back; at the top of the wheel he was shunted off upon a trolley and went sailing down the room. And meantime another was swung up, and then another, and another, until there was a double line of them, each dangling by a foot and kicking in frenzy--and squealing. The uproar was appalling, perilous to the ear-drums; one feared there was too much sound for the room to hold--that the walls must give way or the ceiling crack. There were high squeals and low squeals, grunts, and wails of agony; there would come a momentary lull, and then a fresh outburst, louder than ever, surging up to a deafening climax. It was too much for some of the visitors--the men would look at each other, laughing nervously, and the women would stand with hands clenched, and the blood rushing to their faces, and the tears starting in their eyes. Meantime, heedless of all these things, the men upon the floor were going about their work. Neither squeals of hogs nor tears of visitors made any difference to them; one by one they hooked up the hogs, and one by one with a swift stroke they slit their throats. There was a long line of hogs, with squeals and life-blood ebbing away together; until at last each started again, and vanished with a splash into a huge vat of boiling water. It was all so very businesslike that one watched it fascinated. It was pork-making by machinery, pork-making by applied mathematics. And yet somehow the most matter-of-fact person could not help thinking of the hogs; they were so innocent, they came so very trustingly; and they were so very human in their protests--and so perfectly within their rights! They had done nothing to deserve it; and it was adding insult to injury, as the thing was done here, swinging them up in this cold-blooded, impersonal way, without a pretence at apology, without the homage of a tear. Now and then a visitor wept, to be sure; but this slaughtering-machine ran on, visitors or no visitors. It was like some horrible crime committed in a dungeon, all unseen and unheeded, buried out of sight and of memory.” (pg. 39-40) While it may seem long, it conveys so much meaning in what is relatively such short word usage. Here, we see the working conditions of the factories, and how fast-paced and workmanlike the workers are. Here, we see how the job has hardened the men, to the point where not even the squeal of a pig dying even causes them to flinch or abandon their work. And it is here where we begin to see that all is not as it seems for Packington. For example: "The floor was filty, yet [Packington] sent Antanas with his mop slopping the "pickle" into the hole that connected the sink, where it was caught and used over again forever; and if that were not enough, there was a trap in the pipe, where all the scraps of meat and odds and ends of refuse were caught , and every few days it was [Antanas]'s task to clean these out, and shovel their contents into one of the trucks with the rest of the meat!" (pg. 69) or "...the man who told told tales and spied upon his fellows would rise; but the man who minded his own business and did his own work-why they would "speed him up" till they had worn him out, and then they would throw him in the gutter." (pg. 68)  Upton certainly could've gone into a lot more detail, but his point has already been made. There's no need to add fluff to the story when the bare-bones is disgusting enough. And it creates a depressing mood, such as "[Jurgis] was condemned and sentenced, without trial and without appeal; he could never work for the packers again-he could not even clean cattle-pens or drive a truck in any place where they controlled." all because he defended his wife from a rapist. Towards the middle/end of the novel, things just keep getting more and more depressing, with more and more people close to Jurgis dying, and Jurgis continually suffering from discrimination. However, things (surprise, surprise) coincidentally turn around once Jurgis comes in contact with the Socialist Party. Now life gets better. Now Jurgis can finally get his life together. And now his family has hope, a hope to live, a hope to succeed, a hope to thrive. Now "Chicago is ours! CHICAGO IS OURS!" (pg. 396)

4) One key literary element Upton Sinclair relies on for story is pathos. Because without pathos, change cannot be brought. As he himself put it "I aimed for the public's heart..." As susch, Jurgis is constantly put into situations that are meant to tear at our heartstrings, or attract disgust at the amount of corruption found in Packington, or have us sympathize with the lowly immigrants.

Another literary element Upton Sinclair uses is a variant of "deus ex machina". Jurgis is downtrodden. He can't keep a job, his body is giving out on him, most of his family is dead. In short, it looks like Jurigs is just #@$% out of luck with no way out. An then comes the Socialist party, ready to help cure the ills of Jurgis and Co. Yay! It feels forced, and this is when Upton's political views start to distort and corrupt the actual story. In short, a story that tells the tale of the exploitation of the immigrants instead turns into near propoganda for the Socialist Party, which sucks in my opinion.

Another literary element Upton Sinclair uses is allegory/symbolism. All the different characters reflect in one way or another different aspects of American society as Upton saw it. Jurgis was the naive immigrant who bought into the American dream. Ona is the shattered realization that the dream is a lie. Phil Connors is the symbol of former immigrants who turn on the new ones. Phil Connors is Irish, meaning his family went through the same horrors as Jurgis did. Yet instead of sympathizing with them, he rapes Ona and blacklists Jurgis. Packington is your typical slum owned by the corporation, for the corporation to exploit innocent immigrants. The judges and policemen are symbols of the corruption of politics and law, and how those with the money and know-how can rig the cards in their favor. Jack Duane is the symbol of crime, and how it pays better to steal than to work honestly. Mike Scully is your typical scumbag politician, one who does not care about corruption so long as he's compensated. Freddie Jones symbolizes the lavishness and the carefree attitude of the rich, one who tosses around $100 like pennies and how spends money on however he sees fit. Stanislovas is your typical child worker who suffers from overuse nad poor working conditions. And Marija symbolizes the immigrant who must sacrifice all sense of shame so as to support the family. 

Another literary element Upton uses is tone. By creating a depressing story with depressing outcomes using depressing words, Upton is able to enhance the pathos in the story to an extent where he can manipulate the hearts of the readers to understand the plight of immigrants and bring about change. By creating a somber mood, the reader is now that much more engaged into the story.

Speaking of a story with a somber mood...

The final literary element that Upton uses is irony so that we can understand why change can't be brought about by the immigrants. For example, immigrants want change, yet for the most part buy into a system that actually prevents any form of change from happening, and support politicians like Scully who won't do a damn thing. Jurgis tries to recruit others to the Socialist party, yet finds them as stubborn as he once was. And the biggest irony of them all is poor Upton, a man who worked so hard to bring about change for immigration protection, only to see it squandered by the American public's fear of what was actually inside their food and drink. 

Characterization

1) For the most part Upton Sinclair, due to him being a journalist at heart, relies on direct characterization to describe Jurgis. Another reason for this is because he wants the reader to understand Jurgis, to sympathize with him. By telling us every single detail, we in an essence become Jurgis. And we come to understand his plight and, hopefully, try to bring about change because of it. For example, he tells us how sad Jurgis is when Ona dies, how despondent he is over his current situation, etc.  However, that isn't to say there isn't indirect characterization because there is. It's just sparsely located, and in general not very obvious. For example, when Jurgis is question by other immigrants about America, he simply sneers at them and tells them "I will work harder." This defines his naivety, as he is under the illusion that hard work defines success in America. And, through indirect uses such as him flexing his muscles and threatening others that get in his way, we are under the impression that he is one imposing, strong character that you do not mess with. 

2) Upton Sinclair does not change his syntax based on the situation at hand. It is always sparse, it is not going to change based on if he is focusing on Jurgis or not. Since he is a journalist at heart, he will always focus on trying to get the most meaning out of the least amount of words. After all, why waste so much time and effort through over usage of adjectives when the bare minimum have the same effect? As Hemingway said, "Poor Faulkner. Does he believe big emotions come from big words?"

3) Jurgis is a dynamic round character. At the beginning, he is a naive immigrant who foolishly believes in the American Dream, no questions asked. He is willing to overlook the flaws of Packington because he believes that, through hard work, he can become successful and obtain that illusive freedom he so longed for. He didn't understand where the other immigrants are coming from when they tell him he's naive and is foolishly chasing a dream he has no hopes of obtaining. He didn't understand the concept of a worker's union and found others lazy. However, as the story progresses, he becomes much more cynical, much more hardened. Once the glitz and glam of America wore off, he realizes he is in no better position than he was before. In fact, he is probably worse off. He, a man who had sworn off drinking, began to drink heavily. He, a man who had criticized workers unions, began to try to recruit others, only to find them as naive as he once was. He, a man who once praised America, began to curse it. He, a man who had preached about honest work, went into the field of crime and political graft to make ends meet. And he, a man who had once praised capitalism, joined the Socialist Party in the hopes of bringing about change. Here we have Jurgis Rudkus: a man who once was an immigrant dreaming of greater things, now trying to bring about change in the system. A man who realized, almost too late, the corruption and narcissism that plagued the American society. A man who figured out that America was a giant postcard of lies, lies that would unfortunately find their ways into other aspiring immigrants.

4) For the most part, I felt that I was reading a character. I was feeling empathy for Jurgis and the predicaments that he had to go through. I could understand his feeling of betrayal, his feelings of sadness as Ona died, his excitement as his first-born spoke, etc. However, as the story progressed, I started feeling like Jurgis was becoming less a character, and more a tool for a means. The amount of situations he was put in to cause grief were just way too numerous for it to feel real at the end, and the usage of the Socialist party by Sinclair seemed like a cop-out excuse at the end to shove his agenda down the readers' throats. In the end, it just seemed like Sinclair, in an attempt to go for our hearts, overdid the pathos so much it became bathos.

Tools that Change the way we Think

Thanks to the wonders of the Internet, I have now become a beacon of instant information. I want information, and I want it now. No longer am I content with waiting even a day to learn something. Heck, even waiting minutes for the Internet to load up gets me agitated and don't even mention things like cookies or ads. However, it also has expanded my circle of things I'm interested in. Business and how it operates, global events, economics, those are things I never would've gotten into had it not been for the Internet, as books and magazines aren't nearly as in-depth nor as interesting as articles on the Internet. As for my memory, things have not really changed. Back in the 3rd grade, I was obsessed with baseball. Even now, I'm obsessed with baseball. And I'm obsessed with data and number crunching. I can still tell you how many home runs (660) Willie Mays has along with his career batting average (.302). I can tell you how many wins Cy Young has (511) as well as Walter Johnson (417) followed by Christy Mathewson and Grover Cleveland Alexander (373). As my parents put it, I remember the most useless information possible. And I still do. I remember quotes and who said them ("'Tis great we have this horrible war less people should grow fond of it' - Robert E Lee), and certain Latin phrases (Veni, Vidi, Vici or Qui Audet Adisicipitur). Are any of them really practical? No, but I remember them, and I will continue to remember them thanks to the Internet. However, that also has an impact in my ability to concentrate. I am very easily distracted. I am also very easily intrigued. Not a great combination for someone who uses the Internet. I also want to learn new things, which also doesn't and hasn't boded well with me, as the Internet has almost unlimited information available to be digested and read. So, this leads to me sleeping later than I would like to, but also learning much more information than I would normally.

Who Was Shakespeare?

Shakespeare is a fairly mysterious figure. We know him, yet we don't. We know he exists, yet we do not know his birthdate. We know he was a brilliant playwright, yet no information of his education persists. Even his will is mysterious, most notably how it leaves very little to his wife, Anne Hathaway. Past the age of 40, his prominence seemingly diminished due to the decline in the amount of plays he wrote with no real indication why, as full-on retirement was not a prominent thing in medieval England. What we do know is that Shakespeare was baptized the 26th of April, the year 1564, and that he died 23 April, 1616. We also know that, barring some out-of-left-field conspiracy theories, Shakespeare wrote every play he is credited to. However, that is all we really know. The rest is mystery.This is partially why students are so vehement against Shakespeare. We fear what we do not know. And we do not know Shakespeare, at all. We don't understand his language, his archaic writing style, etc. And we flat out don't know anything about Shakespeare except that he wrote plays. My understanding of Shakespeare is progressing, but it's fairly slow, which can be frustrating to many. And then there's the inherent complexity of a Shakespearean play, which only adds more fuel to the fire. Hopefully, though, I'm getting there.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Shakespeare,  http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/, and http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/biography/shakespeare_biography.htm.

Notes on Hamlet

I'm not lying when I say that at the beginning I wasn't very enthused for Hamlet. The plot didn't seem that interesting, the characters didn't really flesh themselves out until the second Act, Shakespeare overall is an absolute pain to understand, and the story starts off fairly slowly compared to the likes of Romeo and Juliet. There is a lot of exposition to cover, which makes for a fairly boring first and second act. As such, I was starting to wander. My interest was waning. Hamlet just seemed like a whiny teenager who talked and talked  because he had nothing better to do, Horatio just seemed like another Robin, Ophelia seemed as silly as Lydia Bennet, and Getrude is completely unawares of the amount of trouble she has caused Hamlet. Overall, this seemed like a poorly-produced soap opera and not something considered a masterpiece by no one else than "the Bard". However, things started picking up pace at around Act 3. You start seeing betrayals and spying. Hamlet is finally smarting up and showing off his intelligence. Horatio finally seems like a legitimate character and not some lowly sidekick, Claudius gets his just desserts, etc. The pacing picked up, the famous soliloquy "To be or not to be" finally arrived, Polonius died, all in all my interest in Hamlet was perked up at least two notches than what it was before. Hopefully, the pacing stays this way and hopefully we get more deaths because what isn't a good Shakespearean tragedy but with everyone dying?
One thing though, I also wonder if Hamlet was worried his attempted murder of Claudius would go something like this?

To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

That is the question
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to
Suffer the likes and notifications of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing, end them? To die, to log off;
No more; And by logging off to say we end the heartache
And the thousand natural shocks
That Facebook is heir to, 'tis a consumation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to log off,
To log off perchance to dream: ay there's the rub;
For in logging off what dreams may come
When we have abandoned Facebook
Must give us pause; there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of posts
The oppressing privacy, the proud man's narcissism
The pangs of despised love, the delay of ads
The insolence of Zuckerberg and the likes
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his life be taken
Like Amanda Todd? Who would people bear
To be bullied under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after Facebook
The undiscovered country from whose born
No Myspace returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to Google + that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all
And thus the native hue of Facebook
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of ads
And enterprises of many likes and news feeds
With this regard the consumers turns awry
And lose their sense of privacy.

Vocab #9

abortive - failing to produce the intended result
The distribution of Android as an Open Source OS has been abortive to Google as a source of revenue.
bruit - to spread the news of; repeat, an abnormal sound heard during auscultation
Yahoo has become the king of bruiting information.
contumelious - rudeness or contempt arising from arogance, an insolent or arrogant remark or act
When asked about privacy on Facebook, Mark Zuckerburg replied contumeliously.
dictum - an authoritative, often formal pronouncement
John Ricticiello released a dictum, declaring that Battlefield 3 would overtake Modern Warfare 3.
ensconce- to settle (oneself) securely or comfortably, to place or conceal in a secure place
Larry Page has ensconced Google as the de facto search engine on the Internet.
iconoclastic - one who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions.
Larry Page's motto for Google "Don't be evil" is iconoclastic due to its nature of opposing what many people view corporations as.
in medias res - in or into the middle of a sequence of events, as in a literary narrative.
The Civil War in Skyrim was in media res of the Main Quest.
internecine - of or relating to struggle within a nation, organization, or group; mutually destructive; ruinous or fatal to both sides
The constant suits and court actions taken by Samsung and Apple on the other have been internecine.
maladroit - marked by a lack of adroitness; inept
Reed Hastings as of late has been fairly maladroit as a CEO for Netflix.
maudlin - effusively or tearfully sentimental
The world was in a state of maudlin after the death of Steve Jobs.
modulate - to adjust or adapt to a certain proportion; regulate or temper
Larry Page has attempted to modulate Google from creating anything (such as Google Labs) to focusing on only core projects (like Android or YouTube).
portentous - of the nature of or constituting a portent; foreboding
Portentous Stout - And no surprise to you, it's stout.
prescience - knowledge of actions or events before they occur; foresight.
According to Dr. Preston, Howard Rheingold had the prescience about an online community at least ten years before it came to fruitation.
quid pro quo - a  reciprocal exchange
The relationship between Facebook and advertisement companies is quid pro quo; Facebook gives them information, companies give Facebook revenue.
salubrious - conducive or favorable to health or well-being
The latest scientific studies has salubriously linked coffee to a decrease in heart-related problems.
saturnalian - of unrestrained and intemperate jollity; riotously merry; dissolute
The San Francisco Giants fans were full of saturnalian  after they came back from being down 3 games to 1 and won the NLCS.
touchstone - an excellent quality or example that is used to test the excellence or genuineness of others
People use Apple as the touchstone for mobile devices.
traumatic - a serious injury or shock to the body, as from violence or an accident
PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
vitiate - to reduce the value or impair the quality of, to corrupt morally; debase
Marc Pincus has been accused to vitiating the stock price of Zynga.
waggish - characteristic of or resembling a wag; jocular or witty
Sherlock Holmes is a waggish character.

Hamlet Act 3 Rap Battle

Hamlet: Why look who's here

Our dear King Claudius

Finally had the balls

To act so meritorious?

Or is it something else?

You know, there's something in the air

That tells me you are the type of product

That screams "Buyer, beware!"

O that this too too solid flesh would melt

And make it abundantly clear

That your are the type of person

Who pours poison in your brother's ear!

Cladius: You know Hamlet

I was going to give you a second chance

But you just had to piss me off

And now I'm sending you off to France!

Or if not France, England

At least there you'll give me some solidity

That way I don't have sit down and listen

To another god-damned soliloquy!

I gave you a chance to kill me

In fact, I was almost praying you would

And instead I got a Hamlet

Who struck out with the bases loaded

Hamlet: Alas, poor Claudius

There's a reason I didn't kill you

It's so I can look into your eyes

As I bid your life "Adieu"

What's wrong Claudius

Cat got your tongue?

Or it more because

The play exposed you in the wrong

I've never seen a man looked so scared

Or retreat with such haste.

Mayhaps you were bald-faced

Or better put shamefaced? 

I bite my thumb at you sir

Or perhaps better put, a thrall

That way I can stab your life

To an end, once and for all

Claudius: When sorrows come,

they come not single spies

But rather in your case

As an eye for an eye

All I ever get from you

Is double, double toil and trouble

Perhaps you're better off acting as a Weird Sister

At least they might make your cauldron bubble

And unlike you

At least I can keep a secret

I don't go around blurting my plan

Leaving only one thing to interpret

You are dumb

Rather, you are dense

Let's just hope you're the only rotten thing in Denmark

That I have left to cleanse. 

RE: Vocab Midterm

For the vocab midterm, I did about as well as I thought I would. As expected, the second list proved to be my downfall, with all three of my mistakes occurring in that lone section. As per usual, I would attribute my success to my rather unusual method of studying, which is instead of studying by using flash cards or just attempting to memorizing every single vocab word and its every definition, I tried to use them in a story. Granted, it's not a perfect method because I obviously missed 3 in one section, but a 78 out of 81 is pretty good, at least to me. Now for improvement.... Obviously there is not much room to improve, however, one thing I could do is make sure that I know every word from every list and have them written down, that way there should be no surprises, and there shouldn't be one section that is sub par compared to the rest. Consistency is key.

Vocab #8

abeyance - temporary inacitivity, cessation or suspension
ambivalent - having "mixed feelings" about someone or something; being unable to choose between two (usually opposing) courses of action
beleaguer - to surround or beset, as with troubles
carte blanche - unconditional authority, full discretionary power
cataclysm - any violent upheaval, especially one of a social or political nature
debauch - to corrupt by sensuality, intemperance, etc.; seduce
eclat - brilliance of success, reputation, etc.
fastidious - excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please
gambol - a skipping or frisking about, frolic
imbue - to impregnate or inspire, as with feelings, opinions, etc.
inchoate - not yet completed or fully developed; rudimentary, just begun
lampoon - a  sharp, often virulent satire directed against an individual or institution; a work of literature, art, or the like, ridiculing severely the character or behavior of a person, society, etc.
malleable - capable of being extended or shaped by hammering or by pressure from rollers.
nemesis - something that a person cannot conquer, achieve; an agent or act of retribution or punishment
opt - to make a choice; choose
philistine - a person who is lacking in or hostile or smugly indifferent to cultural values, intellectual pursuits, aesthetic refinement, etc., or is contentedly commonplace in ideas and tastes.
picaresque - pertaining to, characteristic of, or characterized by a form of prose fiction, originally developed in Spain, in which the adventures of an engagingly roguish hero are described in a series of usually humorous or satiric episodes that often depict, in realistic detail, the everyday life of the common people
queasy - inclined to or feeling nausea; uneasy or uncomfortable; squemish
refractory - hard or impossible to manage, stubbornly disobedient; resisting ordinary methods of treatment
savoir-faire - knowledge of just what to do in any situation; tact

Since Dr. Preston has given me carte blanche over how to do my vocab sentences, I opted to create a story. One that speaks of my nemesis that beleaguers me at every turn. One that makes me queasy at just the mention of his name. I know you may be wondering about my abeyance but have no fear. I will reveal his name soon enough. I just don't want to cause a cataclysm. Rather savoir-faire if I say so myself. His name is.... Hamlet. *Shudders* Just the mention of his name sends waves of regurgitation through my mouth, but no matter. Onward, to the story at hand. So there was a man named Hamlet. A refractory man, much in the same vein as R.P. McMurphy, but a man none-the-less, unlike others gamboling about like Bambi in the forest. One you would more closely associate as an erudite than a philistine. He is a decisive man, ambivalent towards nothing. However, he is not fastidious to the point of being unfair or a complainer who is never satisfied. He is generally malleable, willing to change his outlook based on the evidence provided. His eclat precedes him. He imbues confidence into those who support him. However, this story is not some picaresque lampoon intended to ridicule anybody. No, this will be a drama for the ages! The only problem is that this drama is in its inchoate phase. And I refuse to have it corrupted by acts of debauchery found in most dramas today which, while putting me back, will allow me to maintain my moral sanity.

Midterm Reflection

A) What went well?
I believe that, per the midterm, my performance was very exceptional. Other than List #2, I didn't feel like I missed any of the vocab. Overall, my studying strategy was very effective, sans List #2. I knew almost all of the words thrown at me and didn't feel completely overwhelmed at any singular point.
B) What didn't go well?
Overall, I wish I could've had more time to practice studying vocab, as it showed on my performance on List #2. Other than that, there really isn't anything I can think of that didn't go well.
C) How much of the content will stick with you?
Hopefully, a good portion of the words will be ingrained in my brain for years to come. However, that is something that only time will tell.
D) What can you learn from the experience to improve for next time?
Hopefully, next time I will have more time to practice studying vocab, that way I can perform even better than I did on the mid-term.

Dear Ophelia

Considering that both your father and your brother have warned you against the love of this prince, do you not suppose their is reason in their beliefs, that perhaps your feelings for him and his towards you were but a mere aberration? That this is perhaps a harbinger of things to come and that he is disingenuous in his feelings towards you? That maybe he is a master of beguiling young girls such as yourself? I do not wish to stigmatize your affections for him, and perhaps his for you, but you seem rather dogmatic in your assertions that he has made his feelings known to you. Men especially are chronically known for being mercurial in their affections towards women. I understand that you have fervid feelings for him, but cautious optimism is key. My advice would be to quietly inquire about this prince's feelings towards you, and demand nothing but the utmost truth. If his feelings for you are honest, use it to palliate your brother and father. However, if they are not, and you used cautious optimism, you have avoided a potential quagmire and won't be so devastated as to do something like drown yourself.

Midterm strategy

For the vocab midterm, my strategy is to have a list of every vocab word we've used this year, and then try to create a story using only the vocab words. No definitions, no help, nada. Just a list of every vocab word and my brain. However, knowing me, it will probably be irrelevant due to me having chronic bad luck when it comes to definitions in vocab tests.

Hamlet Learning Communities

http://cco.cambridge.org/extract?id=ccol0521064228_CCOL0521064228A001

This is a collection of many criticisms and/or various interpretations/multimedia efforts for Hamlet. Be forewarned, it requires a subscription to access any of its data.

http://thehamletweblog.blogspot.com/

It's a collection of modern adaptions and/or anything Hamlet-related. It has quite an extensive library, to say the least. Plus, it's hosted by Blogger, meaning the transition should be easy for most of us.

http://bloggingshakespeare.com/year-of-shakespeare-hamlet

This is another blog that follows anything Shakespeare related. It also seems very insightful into many things Shakespeare related, including Hamlet. 

Pre-Shakespeare

A) For Hamlet, I know very little. I know that Mel Gibson played the titular role in the movie "Hamlet", and that at the end of the play, everyone else essentially dies. I know for a fact that Hamlet dies due to a poisoned stab wound, but other than that, I got nothing.
B) I know that Shakespeare was a poet who wrote in iambic pentameter. I know that he wrote "A Midsummer's Night Dream", "Hamlet", "Macbeth", "Julius Caesar",  and "Romeo and Juliet". I also know that he married Anne Hathaway and had three children. But that's essentially it.
C) With students, the name Shakespeare brings back memories of a childhood event they try to forget, but can't because it's always brought up. "They remember what they want to forget, but forget what they want to remember." - Cormac McCarthy. Shakespeare is that old man who speaks in a tongue that no longer exists. He constantly reminds you of how great he is, but his work is so archaic it's hard to get behind it. You know he' a legend, but you can't understand why.
D) Perhaps usage of alternate media, and maybe even acting it out might make a big difference between rolling your eyes and actually looking forward to reading "Hamlet".