Movie Pt. 1

November 22, 2016

The movie started out with all these bright colors and you were able to see the amount of love the mother and father shared between each other. Then when the father woke up in the middle of the night to the fire and power out, it was like all love was lost in a matter of minutes. I didn't realize that the boy was actually born during the time that the world ending began, I thought he was possibly a toddler who wouldn't remember a time of pre-world ending atmosphere. Once the fire started it was as though all color was lost, everything became gray and run down, even things that used to have color were lacking. The amount of despair that was on the son and father's faces when they awoke to the fire surrounding their came was unfathomable. So far I think that the movie is going along with the book pretty well, there are few variations, but if they followed the book completely it would be too long of a movie. I enjoy listening to the father's narration, you are able to tell that he is a very protective figure throughout the movie. He was very protective of his wife and cared for her in every way that he could. Then with the son he makes sure to protect his son no matter what the cost is. I think the saddest part so far in the movie is, is when the boy sees the people who hung themselves in the barn. His first reaction was that they were killed, but when the father told him that it was suicide it was like he knew that his father was right.

2 Scholarly Sources

November 21, 2016

My first scholarly source that I found is a book writing by Erik J. Wielenberg. He talks about each aspect of the story and what the importance was for each different character that came up throughout the story. I agree with him when he talks about the importance of the father and son relationship. My understanding of the father and son relationship is that the father is the protector of his son, while the carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. Wielenberg also discusses how the father is the son's teacher and that he teaches the son the correct morals to get him through life. I totally agree with this idea, not only does the father teach his son the basics of education, but he also teachers the importance of mortality. The man isn't just the boy's father, but he is also his protector, teacher, and conscious.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/42909407?seq=12#page_scan_tab_contents

My second scholarly source I found discussed the overall atmosphere that is the setting of the novel. It talks about the destruction the fire created and amount of isolation that has occurred because of this apocalyptic lifestyle. I agree with the statement of desolation that Cormac McCarthy portrays when he wrote his novel, I believe he did this because it makes us realize that in a matter of minutes what we have could all be lost. 

http://search.proquest.com/pqrl/docview/892989295/F416B96DA7545DCPQ/4?accountid=40957

Final Thoughts of The Road

November 17, 2016

Something that I have been contemplating since the end of the book, "The Road", was that if the mother was truly the woman at the end of the story. It very well could have been since they only hinted towards the mother going off into the woods to kill herself, but like the father came across several times when thinking about suicide, would she really be able to do it? I don't believe that the mother would be able to commit suicide, especially during that time period, first she would have to find something to be able to commit suicide, but then she would also have to have the mindset of actually being able to leave her son and husband in this world.

The reason I believe that it could be the mother at the end of the story is that it never clearly stated that she went through with killing herself. Also, when the woman spoke she talked like she knew the boy more than just meeting him. I feel as though the mother is going to love the boy as though he was her own, even if he may not be.

There was also question about if the family that rescued the boy at the end of the novel were bad people. I don't think that they would be bad people, instead I think they were also 'carrying the fire' because they also had children with them. I realize this is little to go off of, but if they were cannibals they would have eaten the father and also took the boy captive instantly.

The Road Pt. 2

November 13, 2016

The end of the book was sort of a happy ending, besides the fact that the father had passed away. What I don't understand is why the family did not come save the father and the son. Instead, they waited until the father has passed away to invite the little boy to travel with them. My question main question for the final pages of the book is, was the little boy that ran away earlier in the book the same boy that is in 'good guy' group? If it is, why would the group have waited until the father had died? Did the father know that they were being followed by a group of good people? What if the group saw evil in the father which was why they didn't want him to join the group?

Overall this was an excellent book that played with emotions and made you question yourself about what you would do in a life or death situation. The activity we did in class on Thursday, which judged the morals of each character that was in the book so far was very challenging. Obviously, the bad guys in our mind were those that chose cannibalism rather than searching for food. When it came to those that chose to die, the mother, or those that are just trying to live one more day, the old man and the three men in the road, it was hard to determine where there morals truly laid. When I put the little boy who was possibly imaginary on the continuum of morals, I put him up there with the son, because when I think little boy I think of innocence. Also the interaction between the two boys makes you think that the son is able to tell who is good and who is bad.

The Road Pt. 1

November 5, 2016

This week we began reading the novel, "The Road", which is about a father and son duo on the journey of their lives. The father and son live in the land that has been ruined by fire and impossible to survive on a daily basis without difficulties. The boy was born into this horrid land and has never known any different than the desolate land he has come to know as home. The father on the other hand is extremely intelligent, I believe that he has some sort of ex-military or in the medical field. The reason I believe that he could be ex-military is because of his impeccable survival skills. Every time they walk and find a place to stay, the father listens to their surroundings and determines if they are safe or not. Also, what he has packed in each of their knapsacks are logical and for are their basic necessities. Why I believe he possibly has a medical background is because he has knowledge of the body. Before he shot the man he explained to him that he would not be able to hear the firing of the gun because the bullet would already be in his brain killing him. Also, he knows how long each of them can last without having food, but only having water. The man is very protective of his son and will not let anything happen to him no matter how dangerous of situations they face.

I am excited to read the rest of the book and find out what happens to the father son duo.

Soap Opera

October 26, 2016

This past week we have been looking at plays and the different types of plays that are in there literary world. This week we are looking at the play, Soap Opera, by David Ives. This poem is about a repairman who has a girlfriend, Mabel, who is never perfect and will never be. This repairman, Manny, believed that he needed perfection in his life and that if he could find the perfect woman and the perfect relationship he would live happily ever after. So Manny grew up to be a repair man for the company of Maypole. This company produced the perfect washing machine imaginable, it never broke down nor had any repairs needed. This was Manny's dream come true when he found the washing machine. As Manny and Mabel were bickering one day, the washing machine came to life and soon Manny was hooked on all of her perfectionism. Soon Mabel and Manny's relationship came to an end and the washing machine soon became Manny's significant other. Mabel came back into Manny's life a few years later, and Manny realized maybe life isn't all that great being with a perfectionist. Manny and Mabel found their love for each other again, but the presence of the Washing Machine were still there in their daily lives. Although it never really states what the ending is, as of this point the Washing Machine is still part of Mabel and Manny's relationship. The end voice makes you feel like there will be a part two of the play when it says, "Stay tuned" (Ives 680).

Click

October 21, 2016

The play "Click" by Brighde Mullins is a strange play that only has two characters. It is hard to decide wether the Man or the Woman is the protagonist, but if I had to choose it would be the woman as the protagonist. I would say this because you have the woman telling the story with the man two thousand miles away from her. The rising action would be when the Man was asking the Woman what the clicking sound he was hearing while on the phone with her. The Man knew that the Woman wasn't going to tell him the truth when she was listing all the different things that the clicking noise could be. The falling action would be when the Man figured out that the Woman was drinking a beer while on the phone with him.

I believe that the Man was being sent to rehab for alcohol related purposes that also could have led to bigger problems such as domestic violence. The Woman could have been the Man's safe haven, so when he heard her cracking open a beer while he is in rehab for drinking he was let down. The Woman let down the Man when he needed her the most. What I took from this play is that if you know that someone is relying on you to better themselves, then you must make yourself be the best person you can be. Also, that you may never know who is looking up to you as a role model, so putting you best foot forward is always most important. Not only for yourself, but also those around you.

Trifles

October 14, 2016

Why didn't Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale tell the Sheriff and County Attorney about the dead canary?

I believe that the women didn't speak of the dead canary because they pieced together what was actually happening in the household. The women were looking for small hints that would make Mrs. Wright guilty, while the men were looking for the typical evidence such as a break in or left behind rope. The women were able to relate to Mrs. Wright, they knew something was wrong when they saw that Mrs. Wright's stitches on her quilt were askew. Also, Mrs. Hale knew that John Wright was not always a kind man and may have enemies, including his own wife. The women's point of view was more realistic because they were looking at all the different possibilities, when the men just believed that Mrs. Wright killed her husband because no one would be able to sleep through someone next to them being strangled. I don't think the women told the authorities about the bird because the men didn't find it to begin with. Also because the men were very disrespectful to Mrs. Wright and very sexist towards women because they believed that no house should look as dirty as the Wright household. The women knew that Mrs. Wright was a good woman and that she would never hurt anyone, unless someone did something disrespectful towards her, also she hit her breaking point with Mr. Wright when he killed her canary. The men would have never found the bird anyways, so Mrs. Wright would have never been convicted of murdering her husband.

The Minefield

October 8, 2016

I absolutely love the poem "The Minefield" by Diane Thiel. It is a three stanza poem; the first stanza is made up nine lines, the second stanza is made up one sentence in two lines, and the third stanza is made up of twelve lines. Diane wrote "The Minefield" in 1967, in which I believe the poem symbolizes her father telling them stories of when he was a little boy during a significant war, such as World War I, that occurred during his childhood.

The first stanza talks about the father telling the story of him and his best friend running from town to town and they were in need of getting somewhere quick, which was why they were going to take the short cut his friend suggested. The father was slower than the friend, so as they entered the field the friend was way ahead of the father. When the friend looked back to see if his friend was following a land mine went off and scatted his limbs all across the field.

The second stanza is extremely short, but also very important because it speaks of a time in the father's life where he had lost his best friend due to uncontrollable outside forces. In this sentence you can sense the sorrow the father feels towards the loss of his best friend. Also, this tells you the conversation is casual memory.

The third stanza hints toward a 'He' who brought this upon the land. I believe the 'He' is more than likely a country that has invaded the father's country. The poem discusses how powerful the country is and how it is able to destroy anything in their path, including innocent people's lives. In the last sentence when it talks about how he would have never have guessed that he would have to run back alone with the memory of ice best friend scattered across the field in front of him.

Importance of Looking Deeper Into Poetry

October 1, 2016

This week in the classroom we learned about the types of poetry along with the different structures you are able to create within the poems. When analyzing poetry the first step is to determine what type of writing it is between the four choices of; lyric, narrative, didactic or dramatic monologue. After you determine this you are able to start picking apart the text from the diction to the rhymes. The diction inside of a text can range from a conversational text, to writing a formal essay, all the way to Formal English writing. Also, diction can either tell the emotions occurring, concrete diction, or they will show  the emotion a character is feeling, abstract diction.

The sounds from a poem are also extremely important because it conveys feelings from the writer to the reader without having to be blunt about it. There are two categories of sounds that determine how a reader reacts to certain words. If the word is read as harsh or discordant it is a cacophony word, if the word is pleasing to read, it is a euphony word. Euphony and cacophony are determined by sonorants and obstruents which are two different groups of letter sounds. The sonorants are the much softer and don't obstruct our airflow allowing us to hold the sound. Obstruents are very harsh and short sounds, such as the sound of /t/. Words that reflect sounds such as, yakety-yak or ding-dong, are called onomatopeia.

Along with the sound of each word, you have the sounds of combined phrases that may have special names. Alliterations consist of a phrase that has repeating consonants at the beginning of each word. Consonance is repeating consonants within the words, while assonance is repeating vowel sounds within words.

Lastly you have the four types of rhymes; end rhyme, internal rhyme, full rhyme, or rhyme royal. In the poem, "My Mistress' Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun" by William Shakespeare, contains end rhyme because if you notice every other line ends with a rhyming word. Also, rhyming can be separated into masculine and feminine by examining which syllable is stressed or unstressed. Masculine rhyme consists of stressed syllables, where feminine has two or more unstressed syllables.

Poetry 101

September 22, 2016

This unit we are working on reading poetry and making sure we have an understanding of how to be able to understand what we are reading. This first helpful hint to be able to fully understand the poem that you just read, you first must read the story through with no pauses or questioning of what the author means by a phrase. The second time you read you attempt to make a more thorough connection with what the author means by the words used or where they are located in the poem. After having an understanding of what the author means by each line in the poem, you then paraphrase what you just read. When you paraphrase, you put everything into your own words. It is much like summarizing, but you are able to add your own perception of what is happening in the story instead of just the facts.
There are four types of poetry; Lyric, narrative, dramatic monologue, and didactic. Lyric poetry is a poem written in first person and expresses their thoughts and feelings. Also lyric poetry is written in a song-like form that has the same emotional impact as music. Narrative poetry tells the story, it is much like a fictional story. Narrative poetry creates the setting and characters while also keeping the reader engaged. Dramatic monologue is a poem that is written as a speech made by a character at a very important point in the story. This is when the main character, or the one giving the speech, addresses those in the story who are silent. Lastly is didactic poetry is written as a statement or to teach knowledge to the audience. Didactic poetry teaches the readers life lessons along with moral lessons.

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant

September 17, 2016

The story of 'The Necklace' by Guy de Maupassant is about a woman, Mathilde, who belongs to the lower social class level, when she believes that she should be in a higher class. Mathilde's husband, who is a clerk at the Ministry of Education was invited to an event at the Ministry and to bring his wife along with him. When Mathilde was given the envelope that contains the invitation she began to cry because she knew that they would look out of place if they attended. Her husband was so concerned about making his wife happy that he gave her money so she was able to purchase a new dress for the important event. A few days before the ball Mathilde was back to believing that she is unable to attend because she didn't own any jewelry, and if she wasn't wearing any they would look poor. Mathilde's husband had the idea of borrowing a necklace from a higher class friend and returning it after the ball. The night of the ball came, Mathilde was the star of the shoe in her dazzling dress with her diamond necklace. When Mathilde and her husband got home from the ball, she noticed that the diamond necklace was missing. For weeks the couple searched for the necklace with no appearance of it. Mathilde and her husband decided that they would replace the necklace to give back to the friend. The couple picked up extra jobs to be able to pay for the necklace and loans they had to take out. A few weeks after Mathilde returned her friend’s replaced necklace, she ran into her friend down town. Her friend recognized the struggle that Mathilde and her husband have been faced with lately, and Mathilde explained the whole story of losing the necklace to her friend and how they replaced it with a new diamond necklace. Later on in the conversation, Mathilde was told that the necklace was a fake diamond, and cost only one tenth of the price of a real diamond.

I answered a few questions at the end of the reading of ‘The Necklace’ this week:

1)      Why does Mathilde borrow her friend’s diamond necklace for the ball? What do her motivations reveal about her character?

Mathilde borrows her friend’s necklace for the ball, because she believes that if she doesn’t wear something that makes her look like she’s from the upper class than she is a failure in her mind. Her motivations prove that she is a very selfish person that didn’t work hard to be the best that she can be, and get the best outcome in her life.

2)      Why does the protagonist not admit to her friend that she has lost the necklace?

I think that Mathilde does not admit to her friend that she lost her necklace, because she would have had to let her know that her and her husband would not be able to afford to repay her. If Mathilde would have told her friend that they lost the necklace, they wouldn’t have had to go through the financial struggle they faced when attempting to pay for the real diamond necklace.

3)      What is ironic about the story’s conclusion?

The conclusion is ironic because Mathilde’s friend tells Mathilde that she the necklace is not a real diamond that she lost the night of the ball. It is ironic also because Mathilde thought that her friend was so rich that everything she owns would be real.

Bullet in the Brain Under the Microscope

September 11, 2016

Today I am going to break down the characters in the story, "Bullet in the Brain", by Tobias Wolff. This is a story about a lonely, ill-tempered book critic who makes it to the bank just in time of closing. Anders, the book critic, then has to stand in line behind two chatty women who believe that they should be helped right this minute. The bank is robbed just seconds after the closing of the bank, and Anders cannot help himself from laughing at the two fugitives as they repeat lines from movie and books. Anders ended up being threatened multiple times by the two robbers and ended up being shot through the skull.

One of the chapters we read in our class book was about characters and how we distinguish what type of character they are throughout the story. Anders, the main character, had the stereotype of being a cranky, lonely book critic. With falling into the stereotype, Anders becomes a stock character to this story. He is also falls into the category of being a round character, because your perspective of him changes throughout the story. Once the bullet enters Anders' skull, you are then taken to the time where he thought speaking incorrectly was an alright thing to do. This shows a side of Anders that makes you believe that maybe he isn't all bad and he doesn't like being the critic that he has become.

Other characters in the story are the fillers of the story. The robber who was in charge of the lobby and the customers would be considered a flat character because Anders describes the fugitive's eyes as he stares at him while being threatened. Anders only stated one major characteristics from this robber, making him a flat character. The two women who were standing in front of Anders would be considered a static character, because neither woman truly change  their attitude towards the whole situation. They were continuously mad at something when they would be brought back into the story. First they were upset at the tellers for closing down their counter, but then they became upset at Anders for talking back to the robbers and putting their lives in danger.

Deeper into The Lottery

September 1, 2016

 In class today we learned how to dig deeper into the story by picking apart a paragraph from the short story, "The Lottery", by Shirley Jackson. To begin our analysis, we first began with Jackson's biography. As a class we picked out two major events that occurred in her lifetime that may have influenced the writing of "The Lottery." Shirley Jackson's adolescent years came during the Great Depression, but also she experienced the horrors of WWII. I believe that the biography of Jackson helped me realize that she lived in a time period where there was no extreme emotion and no one felt remorseful if something was done for the good of the people.

After learning about the different types of analyzes that you can do, the class was then able to look at "The Lottery" a lot closer. As a class, we used Formalism as a way to dig deep into the meaning of a certain paragraph from the story. The closer we looked at the paragraph the more you realized how much emotion took place inside of three sentences.

For fun then, I picked out my own paragraph from "The Lottery" and decided to analyze it using Formalism. I used paragraph 77, beginning with "Tessie Hutchinson...", in the first sentence there were multiple words that had a deeper meaning than just their face value. The phrase "...was in the center of a cleared space by now..." gives you the eerie feeling of the crowd before the drawing, and afterward when Tessie Hutchinson revealed she was holding the black dot. Also the clearing of the area really adds to the scene because you then realize that everyone was there for the show and Mrs. Hutchinson was the main act. Later on in the sentence it says, "...she held her hands out desperately as the villagers moved in on her..." I feel like the villagers at this point are in autopilot, Jackson never states that the villagers ever interfere with the process of the lottery, nor did they have any emotion towards Mrs. Hutchinson as she was trying to reach out for their help. The final sentence of the paragraph, "A stone hit her on the side of the head.", is extremely powerful. The sentence made you feel some sort of relief that Mrs. Hutchinson was put out of her misery, but again Jackson states no true emotion from the villagers.

Thanks for reading my analysis of "The Lottery", written by Shirley Jackson.

Madison Mason