ELA responce

What did you do this semester in ELA that was most meaningful to you, and why was it meaningful?
What was the most challenging thing about ELA this semester, and why?
What would you like to change about ELA, and why?
What would you like to stay the same in ELA, and why?
If you have any further comments about the class, please include them.

 The most meaningful thing I did in ELA this semester was reading the alchemist. It was a deeply symbolic and spiritual book and i enjoyed reading it. the most challenging thing was keeping up with blog post, because they felt separated from the class itself and the only time that they were mentioned was when we were reminded to write them. I fell like if we discussed blog post in class they would feel more significant. The books we read in ELA are much more interesting than what I've had to read in past english classes; keep that.

violence in books 22-24

1. Analyze the purpose of all of the violence in books 22-24. Do you think that this is necessary for Odysseus' successful nostos? Why or why not?

i believe that Odysseus was justified killing the suiters because they didn't respect his home, they tied to steal his wife away, and they plotted to kill him and his son. killing the maids was maybe a bit far though. while they didn't defend Odysseus' honor, they also didn't really have much of a choice in any of this so hanging them was unjust. Odysseus' advantage over others is his wit which to me seemed surprisingly lacking while he was busy murdering people. while killing the suiters was necessary for his nostos, i think that the violence was a low point for odysseus.

A new definition of ODYSSEY?

an odyssey is a trip you take with other people according to a wise philosopher from many many ages ago.  With this definition, is this what the entire book of the odyssey will be about? From what I heard, the main character is alone for most of the book, so how is this an odyssey if there is not other people with him? I think the odyssey will be interesting and may even change the meaning of the word odyssey to me. I am interested as to where the plot might take me and what the new definition to this word will be. I think that an odyssey is just an adventure with challenges (i.e. academic, physical, and social), but does not have to include other people because you can face challenges without people being there. For example you can face a physical challenge of climbing a mountain with or without people. The book of the odyssey may just prove this wise definition to be very very wrong. ODYSSEY!

Conflict perspective in Maus

The conflict theory says that groups of people (based on gender, race, etc...) will compete against each other for limited resources (i.e. political power, natural resources). Groups who have disproportionally more power will defend their resources and oppress those with less power. Conflict perspective is looking at things based on conflict theory, such as answering what groups are in conflict and what they are competing for. A common subset of conflict perspective that most people are aware of is feminist perspective.  Looking at the holocaust through conflict perspective, it is somewhat obvious to know that the Nazi's are the group that is in power. The oppressed group in the book Maus would be the Jews since the Nazi's are in power. The Jews and the Nazi the groups in conflict since the Nazis saw the Jews as a threat politically and economically.

limitations of words

1. Art Spiegelman has chosen to tell a very sad and serious story in a form that is not often associated with this kind of story telling (illustration). Do you think the use of illustration as opposed to just written text is an effective way of delivering this story? Why or why not?

I believe that illustration is a good way to tell a story of any kind. there is no amount of words adequate to properly describe an image. not only does it convey more information, the information is also much more compressed. words are limited, because they are given meaning by associating them with real things, thoughts, and feelings. images are much more meaningful and concrete.

Santiago's journey

For your final blog post for The Alchemist, you may write about anything that you want regarding the book. You should write at least one well-developed paragraph and use textual references to support your point(s). You should choose any element of the book that was interesting to you and that you have not yet had a chance to write about. 

I found it interesting learning about the hero's journey monomyth and how closely the book fit into it. the book starts in Spain being the ordinary world. Then Santiago receives a call to action when melchizedek tells him to follow his personal legend and go to the pyramids. Santiago then crosses into the unknown world, Africa. he then undergoes a series of trials: losing his money then working for the crystal merchant and going trough the desert. There is a sacred marriage between him and fatima. the ultimate ordeal is when he is almost killed in the desert. He undergoes a transformation when he turns into the wind. He later gains his reward and returns back to the ordinary world, when he goes back to Spain and digs up the treasure.

The world in the eyes of a cynic

On page 24, the king of Salem tells Santiago, "When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you achieve it." Do you believe that this is true? Why or why not?

Wile I'm sure many wishful thinking people would like to believe that there is some outside force helping people achieve their dreams, I believe that that is neither realistic nor a correct interpretation of how this quote can be applied to life. If you want something you're simply more likely to notice or create opportunity and work to achieve what it is you want. While there is an element of chance in everything it is nothing more than that. If you want something the only variable you can control in if you get it or not is you.

Wake up sheeple

1. On page 9, reread the passage that begins, "The only things that concerned the sheep were the food and water," and ends with, "They trust me, and they've forgotten how to rely on their own instincts, because I lead them to nourishment." Do you think that the sheep symbolize something? If so, what? (If not, choose another prompt.)

I think that what the passage means is that people who are content with their lives aren't concerned with problems that don't directly effect them. They become blind to the world around them. They stop questioning because they have no reason to. Most of all it's that people become too trusting of providers, like the govenment.If I said Obama was really a giant lizard, would you blindly discredit me becaue he's the president?

What do you hope to get out of English Language Arts this year?

This year I will work to improve my writing skills. I hope that their will be more seminars this year. Last year I enjoyed the assigned reading and I hope that the teachers amazing taste in books will be apparent once again this year.

Green uses the poetry of Walt Whitman to be the voice of Margo’s inter self or inter voice.  When Margo leaves Quentin finds her copy of Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman and there are several passages that have been highlighted.  Q decides that if he can understand the highlighted parts he will find Margo.  Margo has highlighted Unscrew the locks from the doors!  Unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs!   After thinking about it, Q goes to Margo’s house and takes her door to her room off and looks for a clue.  He finds nothing.. He finally looks on the door to his own bedroom and finds a piece of paper with an address.  He knows Margo has left it for him and believes he will find Margo at the address.   So he plans to go there during school the next day.  By following these passages Q finds Margo and moves the plot along.

Margo Roth Spiegelman is one of the main characters in the story Paper Towns by John Green.  She is the senior “IT” girl at her Orlando high school.  She is cool and popular and a rebel.   She has been known to do things no one else would dare to do, like breaking in to Disney World and going back stage at concert.  She has lived next door to Quentin, the other main character most of their lives, but haven’t been good friends since the age of nine. She is the antagonist of the story that sets Q off on his journey of self discovery and to discover her, when she invites him to go on an all night ride with her.  She describes herself as “the paper girl in the paper town.”

 

Old Spice Swagger rhetorical appeal is pathos.  A pathetic appeal to the emotional need to be popular, wealthy, cool and confident.  Old Spice is implying that their product is used by the cool confident man, and anyone using their soap will also be cool and confident.  Old Spice basically laughs at its own logical fallacies by using the phase “we’re not saying this bar of soap will make you…”

Old Spice is paying to target men and young boys to buy their soap and buy into their brand identity.   The name of the soap is Swagger (away of walking with confidence)… they want users to feel like they will be empowered to “swagger” if they are using Old Spice.

But really??? Would a soap make you confident? Or just clean… and it might make you smell bad to some people.

I liked the book, but found it disturbing how there was no privacy in the future world.  To see how Titus and his friends just accept that companies are  reading their every thoughts.  For a book written in 2001, its scary how much has already come true in 13 years in the loss of our privacy.  The NSA violates US citizens privacy using the threat of terrorist as their reason.  But I think with Edward Snowden and Wikileaks, we can see how far reaching and “big brotherish” the NSA has actually become.  They have gone far past terrorism and national threats when phone calls of EU leaders and our allies are being recorded.  All over seas phone calls are recorded and stored by the NSA, but they say they don’t listen to them unless they have a court order, but who is watching the watchers? 

Bassanio and Antonio

Analyze the relationship between Bassanio and Antonio. What is going on between them? What is the nature of their feelings toward one another? Please provide quote(s) from the text to support your position as well as its Kindle location(s).

Antonio and Bassanio are very good friends. Antonio has to constantly lend Bassanio money. The money will probably never be paid back and this does not bother Antonio. Antonio seems to be very attached to Bassanio and there may or may not even be more than a freindship.

BASSANIO

'Tis not unknown to you, Antonio,
How much I have disabled mine estate,
By something showing a more swelling port
Than my faint means would grant continuance:
Nor do I now make moan to be abridged
From such a noble rate; but my chief care
Is to come fairly off from the great debts
Wherein my time something too prodigal
Hath left me gaged. To you, Antonio,
I owe the most, in money and in love,
And from your love I have a warranty
To unburden all my plots and purposes
How to get clear of all the debts I owe.

ANTONIO

I pray you, good Bassanio, let me know it;
And if it stand, as you yourself still do,
Within the eye of honour, be assured,
My purse, my person, my extremest means,
Lie all unlock'd to your occasions.

Renaissance

we watched a Crash Course video on if the renaissance and whether or not it was even a real thing. at first he described what the renaissance was and how it was a time of arts and trade, but then pointed out that it happened slowly over hundreds of years and really only effected an elite few people. after watching the video i am convinced it wasn't really a thing and should be called the early modern period.