Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Progress of Scrapbooking

I have mostly been looking up meaningful quotes, that others can relate to. My friend told me about a scrapbooking website. I have checked it out and I plan on using it. I have picked out some pictures. In two weeks I plan to have the pictures posted to the website with a quote with each one. There is still much to be done and I plan to finish most of it this weekend. I think this will benefit me afterwards, because I can look back at it and see how much I have grown. For others they can compare and contrast how much they have changed or developed. 

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Macbeth Notes from class

•Shakespeare wrote Macbeth in 1606
•Play was dark and evil 
•The central characters are evil. (Wicked witches and the supernatural influence)
•Very Cynical
•King Jame I
•Tone is Sinister
•Holinshed's "Choronicles." Source for story
•Macbeth means "Son of Life."
•Story has three witches
•Shakespeare never let historical fact get in the way of a good story
•new king was fascinated by witchcraft
•Malcom III Duncan's son
•"Macbeth" was one of Shakespeare more simple plays
•The real Macbeth reigned in Scotland from 1040 to 1057
•Macbeth ruled wisely and well for seventeen years
•Shakespeare changed several key aspects of the original story, either to intensify his drama or to ensure political correctness

Plans for Exam

Plans for exam

•I will study with ALL the practice exams posted on the blog
•I will go over literary terms and study the ones I do not know
•Will check all the essay prompts and practice them.
•I will work with my writing skills, to help with the open essay question.
•Take better notes on anything said in class that may help me in the exam.
•Will use the weeks given for studying.

I know the key thing for me is that I need to study! I always do a little studying to none. This semester I have been slacking and I need to prepare for this and get a decent grade.

With all the helpful study material on Dr. Preston's blog, if I stick to it and actually go over everything. I should do fine.

Monday, April 2, 2012

AP Open Exam Question

Bad actions usually will have you dislike a character, but lately authors use those actions in a way to have readers like the character. There are many books I have read that have that plot. 

A story I remember that has a similar plot is "Pride and Prejudice." Darcy is a man like that. He might not do bad deeds, but his manners are not liked by the society. In the story he is said he has to much pride and that he thinks he is better than everyone else.

Now, I believe, the author tying to get everyone to hate Darcy. Even the main character Elizabeth, dislikes him. Right off the back I thought he was a little odd. He also was rude, like how he explain Elizabeth as "plain." 

Some reason, throughout the book I wanted Elizabeth to like Darcy. Darcy slowly even starts to tries to make small talk with Elizabeth. Then I didn't like her so much because she still disliked him. I believe her opinion was mostly influenced by other characters and how they disliked him and spook badly if them.

In the beginning his actions at a party might have you disliking him. But for me barely into the story I was thinking he was an okay character. Then you get to see a totally different side of him, near the end if the story. Which was an eye opener for Elizabeth.

I guess in a sense I felt bad for Darcy, since everyone else hated him. He was an interesting character and misjudged. So I believe Darcy is a character set out to be disliked but is only misunderstood.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Lecture Notes

•The is a third city called Manchester
•Dickens life influenced his work
•His marriage didn't work out and he got a divorce from his wife Catherine. This may explain how some of his work is somewhat cynical.
•London is one of the cities. Dickens knew London very well.
•Paris is the second city, which he loved to go to. He had visited 15 times.
•"A Tale of Two City," was not published all at once.
•Dickens says "A Tale of Two City," is his favorite book that he has made.
 

Monday, February 6, 2012

Poem: Lost Generation by Jonathan Reed

I am part of a lost generation
and I refuse to believe that
I can change the world
I realize this may be a shock but
“Happiness comes from within.”
is a lie, and
“Money will make me happy.”
So in 30 years I will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
work
is more important than
family
I tell you this
Once upon a time
Families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era
This is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
30 years from now, I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making
In the future
Environmental destruction will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this earth
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.

And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it .

(Read the message, then read it again in reverse.)

Which generation do you belong in?

--------------------

The reason why I chose this poem is because it was interesting how the poem you could read in reverse, and it had a totally different meaning. I found it to be a great poem show casing two different generations.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Big Question Abstract

Is going to college really worth it? Many may say going to college means getting a better job. Though do they have proof that is true. There are many people who have gotten a degree with a major and then they work at Walmart.

The URL below is an article that shows great example of students graduating from college and then not having the future they had planned out: wsj.com/article/SB124181970915002009.html

After reading that would you still want to go to college? Well here's another URL that leads to am article that is another eye opener: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/aug/15/opinion/la-oe-looney-greenstone-is-college-wo20110815

With these two articles contradicting each other you might wonder which one is true. Then there are other things to think about. College usnt just for the better job. It is an opportunity to get out in the world and know you can survive in it. You don't have your parents with you, your the adult and must make decisions for your life that can make you or break you. College helps you learn to be independent, it's an experience like no other. College can prepare you to become an adult. It will all be hard work and show you can survive in the real world. Life is not determine by the knowledge you know, but what you do with that knowledge.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Great Expectation- Charles Dickens first 10 pages

After reading the first ten pages and listening to today's earlier lecture. I see a common thread of how the mood of the story is dark. Reading a bit about Charles Dickins I have read how he lived in poverty, during a time which they had little food. Right away in his book, you begin to read about a young boy named Pip. He had hid bread in his pants already and even complained how he was hungry. Which tells you he is poor, relating to Charles Dickens life. Charles Dickens had a hard childhood, and probably puts his own experience in his characters because he can relate to them and gave a better connection with his character. I found another connection was how Pip didn't have a father. Charles Dickens' father had been in prison and it was probably tough not being with him.