Masterpiece Academy Essay

Trust was given, so was respect but usually it was not reciprocated within the class or for the class. Did we deserve it? This question seems invalid since at the beginning of this course we had all merely chosen this class as part of our schedule and truly had no idea what to expect. Did we earn it? Not in all instances, there were times where we created excuses for not completing work; there were also times were we were very truthful and actually had jam packed schedules and were busy 24/7. I think most of the time we took advantage of the trust, as a class, to avoid doing work and simply laze around. But I also feel that it allowed people to realize the type of student they were, whether they chose to be lazy and complain later, or simply get the work done. I feel as though Preston's trust in us took a lot of hits, that he had many reasons not to believe in us. We never really earned Preston's trust, but somehow he managed to let us do our own thing anyway. That was the entire point of the class though, to find out if we could lead ourselves, to see who would go ahead and take advantage of the opportunity and to see who would take advantage of Preston leading a class set up in this way.

 

A couple of works that I enjoyed and that I can connect to my own personal journey are "The Kite Runner," "Hamlet," and "Brave New World." All three of these had a battle against their inner selves, or in a sense had to struggle with making big decisions, decisions that affected them and those around them. I feel like this year was the year we were all forced to make HUGE decisions, not only college/school wise, but family and personally as well. Some of us had to decide if we wanted to move to a different state, whether we wanted to major in this or that, or whether we even wanted to go to college. All these things affected our family as well, emotionally and maybe even physically(moving). 

   

One of my passions is people, in a more specified manner, helping people. My masterpiece aided me in getting to know those around me, to know the people that I may one day attend to in a hospital, or a doctor's office, etc. My passion for helping people has lead me to my future career and job. My passion for helping those in need have led me to enroll as a pre-nursing student. My masterpiece fueled my need to work around people, and to constantly want to have people around me. 

A unifying theme that ran through almost all the presentations was the presence of the future. Most, if not all of the projects spoke and depicted a glimpse at the future for the student presenting. The presentations ran a full circle around majors, careers, and life goals. Five separate examples are Sean, Megan, Taylor, Connor, and Val. Sean spoke eloquently about his already sprouting plans, he talked about what he hopes to change in the world, and about his future job as a politician. Megan spoke about the hardships of being a journalist and of writing in general. Megan mentioned how the hardest thing about this is maintaining your credibility, she also mentioned how she hopes to maintain that truthfulness in her own writing, and how she hopes to remain true to the story and the facts not purposefully exaggerating a story for money.Taylor, who was the first to present, talked about her future job dealing with marine animals. She also mentioned how she hoped to compare the animals she learned about on our coast to those that will be around her school in Hawaii. Connor was a full on business man, he learned about starting up and managing a business. All in practice for his schooling and future career. Val gave us all a little lesson in history, and showed off his teaching skills. Most of the presentations in our class always related back to our future careers, or something we hope to work with/on in the future.

In a sense we are all our own and each other's hero in this journey we call life. My mentors have been the people, things, and situations that I interact with on my way to the "end." The call to adventure is having the guts to face this life day after day, and making the best of every waking moment. The call to adventure is the path each of us, as individuals, take. The obstacles or the challenges we conquer are things from completing every day tasks to getting a degree, to overcoming sadness/depression, to proving stereotypes wrong, and most importantly to changing the world. Because even if we simply take part or start a small revolution, that in itself is already working towards change. And even if we change and completely revolutionize the life of just one person in our life time, we have conquered one of the biggest challenges on this journey. 

Masterpiece Presentation Notes

06/03/2015

Eric, Lukas, Miles, & Emilio:
- "Inglorious Greetings"
- film made to be easy to relate to + humor
- continue film making throughout summer
- parody and satire

Jisu & Naiomi:
- Jisu > always had music in her life, plays piano, clarinet
- Naiomi > to get out of her comfort zone, stop being so reserved
- Korean & Indian culture showcased in two different music videos
- focused on the feelings the music and the accompanying video gave off

06/04/2015

Megan:
- journaling > future major/job
- "every day write about something new"
- biggest lesson = CREDIBILITY
- follow your passion
- interview video of a friend > formatted like the "60 minutes" show > never give up, triumpth over every challenge

06/05/2015

Chase:
- The Search For Stoke
- interview video; people's stoke
- love + passion = stoke

Terry:
- love for nature and connecting it his life
- focus on sustainability & independence

My Masterpiece

Prezi Presentation

RHS Class of 2015 BLOG > http://rhsclassof2015.blogspot.com

Masterpiece Presentation Notes

06/01/2015

Sophia:
- gender roles
- rape, focused on the male perspective & statistics, geared to show that it happens to men more often than we think
- double standards concerning gender

Yesenia:
- embracing diversity YET finding the common theme that intertwines humanity
- human learning process > lived experiences
- wisdom through living

Millie:
- family tree & NBA history
- correlations
- mixing two things she loves

06/02/2015

Chrystal & Tia:
- education system, students opinions on school, the environment, and the teachers
- talking about disrespectful students in a classroom environment
- * also provided teacher's perspective
- formulated solutions to the problems students mentioned

Jhaicelle:
- woman leadership
- survival kit
- team building and leadership game

Masterpiece Presentation Notes

5/20/2015

Taylor:
- Internship at aquarium
- learned about animals on our coast, will be able to compare them with Hawaiian animals
- has to do with her major
- developed new intern program for younger students, Taylor was the first

5/21/2015

Laike:
- art & expressive media
- all works have different messages, different thought processes, themes, etc.

5/26/2015

Tyler:
- concept > collective input
- combination of music, photography, photo shop/editing, and clothing
- connected his first theme to our generation, the 1st to always and constantly have computers in our life > led to it being called "WINDOWS"

Jeff:
- coded a game > process over four weeks
- "Donuts & Dragons" > able to play in class

5/28/2015

Connor:
- 3.0 > overall a business theme
- company connection to school > be above average, above 3.0
- trail runs > RHS athletic shirts
- mentor through Preston > lean start up (polls)
- was able to get 3.0 company a booth in One Way
- social media + personalized hashtag
- got a sense for the business and start up

Yun Soo:
- culture & lifestyle of Korea
- trip to Korea moved to the summer
- adjust his culture to the American culture

Val:
-history lesson
- connected to his passion and future major

Eating Healthy on a Tight Budget -- College Edition

It seems difficult enough to eat on a budget, but is healthy eating even possible? 

My best friend has recently started a healthy lifestyle, no junk, no high sugars, etc. etc. As we will be living together as of next year (roommates!) I wanted to check out if it was even possible to accomplish/continue this healthy eating in college, especially as freshman. Below I will share some tips I found..

• focus on the veggies, they offer more nutrients at a low cost; remember that in-season veggies are cheaper
• stock up on staple foods such as rice, oats, pasta, beans, and veggies; it may cost more up front, but it will be worth it in the long-run 
• you really don't need that much meat, eat "cheap" protein such as eggs, fish, beans/lentils
• you really shouldn't care about the brand or company, the name may only be costing you more; opt for the cheaper of the two
• shop the sales, or look for any markdowns
• don't drink away your calories or budget, get a Brita Water Filter and drink clean tap water instead
• Planning out your meals beforehand can relieve stress and will ultimately help you save money. Create a list with the ingredients you need for the following week, this will create a goal and you will most likely stick to what you really need and not just grab items at random. 
• remember that leftovers can be used; ex: stock from boiling chicken is useful for creating soups, sauces, etc. 

How to Write the Perfect College Essay

1. Pick your question, unless one is assigned.
2. Make a schedule, minimize stress. 
3. Find reputable sources, contact professors for aid.
4. Read upon the subject, take notes.
5. Create an outline.
6. Write the darn thing, remember to refer to past feedback (fix errors) & use correct citation.
7. Edit the essay.

Final tips:

1. Engage the subject.
2. Stay clear in writing.
3. Do not over-quote.

Sarah Laughed Article - she also has other great articles on organization, how to get the best grades, etc. 

39 Ways To Cut College Costs

http://collegeinfogeek.com/cut-college-costs/


4. Embrace minimalism.
5. Pay for dorm monthly instead of all in one payment.
10. Keep applying for scholarships in college.

19. Get a credit card, be a deadbeat. (read article for deadbeat definition.)

23. 30-Day impulse buy list. If you don't want it after 30 days, don't buy it.

30. Become passionate about something.

32. Practice mindfulness. 

34. Beware of peer pressure spending.

5 Ways to Take Notes in Class

http://collegeinfogeek.com/lecture-notetaking-systems/

From now on...

From now on posts on this blog will consist of college related things, especially since at this point the course is geared toward our masterpieces and learning experiences. I want to maintain this blog as somewhat useful for others so things such as hacks, saving tips, major related information, and things I might personally need for future reference will be posted.

Basketball + adventures

Yesterday, on a bit of adventurous whim, three friends and I decided to go play basketball. Well, as I always do, I got a minor injury, a sprained finger. And only now have I realized how useful the thumb is. Last night I could barely move it, making it quite difficult to shower, dress, BRUSH MY TEETH, and all of that daily useful crap. This morning I could barely even write, attempting to finish a last minute group project. (Haha, who assigns something like that this late in the year) Anyway, wish me luck on the 3 essays in 2 hours portion of the AP test tomorrow. What a wonderful time to have a semi-working thumb. Just my luck.

Quote

I never lose. I either win or I learn.

Sonnet Practice

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

Determine whether it's Petrarchan or Shakespearean.  Explain where the shift is and how it influences the overall theme and tone of the work.  

1.  Petrarchan Sonnet: "a sonnet form popularized by Petrarch, consisting of an octave with the rhyme scheme abbaabba and of a sestet with one of several rhyme schemes, as cdecde or cdcdcd."
2. Shakespearean Sonnet: "a sonnet form used by Shakespeare and having the rhyme scheme  abab, cdcd, efef, gg." 

By the rhyming scheme it is easy to see that this is a Shakespearean Sonnet, it follows the rhyming pattern, as stated in the definition, directly and exactly. The shift in the sonnet begins at "And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare" and ends with "As any she belied with false compare." At this point in the sonnet the narrator ceases to describe the person as regular, or as nothing special, because at first it was as though everything in the world was better than her. At this point, although it is the end, the narrator ceases to critique the woman and her looks and instead focuses on his love for her. It changes the theme to something of romantic aspirations, the tone changes to a more loving one, one that forgives flaws, or comparisons to other people, and instead focuses on the one person they (the narrator) truly loves.

Macbeth Essay ~ Afterthoughts

After doing the essay, I felt a little more confident, not going to lie. I wrote and okay essay, similar to my other essays, in under the 30 minutes. And yes, I am sure it was 30 minutes because I actually timed myself. Does the time necessarily mean I will do well on the AP test next Wednesday? Of course not, but I wrote a mediocre essay in the time given. To be quite honest, I would have written this essay sooner if I had understood the prompt, but I didn't. At least not until Preston explained it to 5th period today. The huge ass quote before the actual prompt seemed to throw me off, but I was able to incorporate slivers of it here and there in my actual essay. Like always, I seem to reiterate things I say within my essay, definitely something I need to work on for the test, and for college essays. I also chose to not write the essay on Macbeth, I chose Lady Macbeth because I felt like I, specifically, could argue it a lot better. I may have done this essay "wrong" or "incorrectly," but Preston also said that this essay was meant to show us the constraints we will have on the real test, a sort of simulation. Overall, my writing needs major improvements, and it always will (there's always room for improvement).

Masterpiece Progress.

Currently looking for people willing to help with interviewing this year's senior class. Harder/longer process than I expected.

So far people have been extremely honest, and  I have learned multiple new things about even my best/closest friends. This process has shown me that questions are very important, even if your asking them to people you thought you knew everything about. I hope this project does give a little bit of insight to the lives of others. And that people realize that we have different backgrounds, different primary languages, different skin color, yet we face similar struggles, we face similar situations. But we must also realize that people react differently to similar situations. This is an eye opening experience, and it really drives home the message of appearance vs reality.

If anyone wishes to help out, email me at l25pliego@gmail.com (lowecase L, not a one), or leave a comment with your email and I will add you to the "RHS Seniors" BLOG.

Mabeth Act V ~ Study Questions

5.11. The gentlewoman has witnessed Lady Macbeth doing things in her sleep, like getting up and writing a letter. She doesn't want to reveal what Lady Macbeth says, and isn't sure if the Doctor will believe her.

2. Lady Macbeth reveals that she has murderous blood on her hands, and she feels as though she cannot rid herself of the blood and its smell. In a way she reveals that she and Macbeth planned Banquo's death or that they have been highly affected by his death and fear his ghost. The Doctor seems to be relating this to the unnatural, maybe to the witches.
 
5.21. The soldiers are heading near Birnam Wood to meet Malcolm, Siward, and Macduff. The mentions of Birnam Wood and Dunsinane remind us of one of the apparitions from the witches, the third one that told Macbeth no danger would come to him until both of these areas come against him.

5.31. The servants bring reports that Malcolm has organized an army and an attack against Macbeth. Macbeth says he is not afraid because the spirits told him that no man born from a woman would have power over him. He thinks of himself as fearless and powerful.

2. The Doctor says Lady Macbeth is troubled and is unable to sleep. Macbeth wishes the Doctor could remove those agonizing memories from her bosom, remove anything that is harming her or give her some type of anecdote to forget what makes her restless and troubled.

5.41. Malcolm tells the soldiers to bring before Macbeth a bough, to pretend as though they are the woods moving towards Macbeth. This will confuse Macbeth greatly and give him the idea that he is going mad.
5.51. "The cry of women" signifies that something has gone terribly wrong. In his famous speech Macbeth is saying that life is useless, you live an unfruitful life only to die, life goes at an irrelevant pace, full of insignificant details. He truly believes life is useless, that we are given the chance to prance about for an hour on the glorious stage, and then it is all taken from us. Life is a shadow, far from the appearance it gives. At this point he feels life is not worth living without his wife, without her he has no sense of direction for life.
2. The messenger brings the news that the woods are moving, slowly creeping towards Macbeth. Macbeth is angered by this' foolish' piece of news, and believes the witches have lied and deceived him. His mood at the end of the scene is ready to fight, armed and in a sense prepared. He will not go out with a whimper, he wants to put on a fight.
 
5.61. In this scene we learn that the men were being the tree branches. Siward and his son are in the first line of battle, Macduff and Malcolm are taking up what other thing is left to do. 

5.71. At the beginning of the scene Macbeth's attitude can be classified as hopeless, yet prepared to defend himself. In his encounter with Young Siward Macbeth is once again called a tyrant, a battle follows and Young Siward is killed.

5.8 
1. Macduff is looking for Macbeth, he wants to slay him himself in order to rid himself of the guilt of having left his family defenseless.
5.9 
1. Malcolm and Siward are able to enter the castle so easily because it is not very protected, most of the men are out fighting. 

5.10 
1. Macduff delivers the information that he was born by "c-section" and technically not "from a woman." Macbeth responds by saying he will not fight. He fights because he does not want to become a servant to Malcolm, he does not want to kiss the dirt at his feet, and in this instance rather die than be showcased as a tyrant. 

5.11 
1. Siward is not very upset, instead he sees it as a great honor to die during battle defending a cause. He even says "he's worth no more" sorrow.
2. Malcolm promises his followers titles, and the return of exiled friends. He also says Lady Macbeth took her own life. Should we believe him? It is possible, the pressure and the secrets seemed to be getting to her, but it was also a fight for power and she might have been offed. 

Macbeth's Way of Ruling ~ Today's Journal Topic

Revisit today's journal topic on your blog through the eyes of the author. What literary/characterization techniques does Shakespeare use to suggest how Macbeth will rule?  Use textual examples to illustrate your claims.  

I feel as though Shakespeare is trying to transmit the message that Macbeth is a controllable yet tyrannical leader. The reader is easily able to see he is controllable or easily persuaded through multiple instances/people. For example, the only reason he killed Duncan was because his wife basically forced him to; the only reason he deeply desired to be thane and king was because the witches mentioned it to him. Macbeth is really good at following orders, even if his conscience warns him against future actions. Shakespeare seems to be calling Macbeth a tyrant in very simple terms. In two conversations within the first four acts, Macbeth has been referred to as a tyrant. This may just be how people portray him, but his actions don't necessarily speak otherwise. An honest, rightful, and essentially "good" King would not murder for power, he would not murder people out of fear of being overthrown, he would not murder the family & servants of a man thought to be a traitor. 

Macbeth Act IV ~ Active Reading Notes

Scene 1:

• Setting/surroundings: similar to those of when the witches first appeared, creates a dark/ominous tone 
• "Double, double toil and trouble./Fire burn, and cauldron bubble." > this simple song has been used in so many other forms in current culture; what came to mind as soon as I read the line was Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, it has also been used in popular shows like Supernatural and such
• Witches are creating some sort of potion(may be for Macbeth), they are being instructed by Hecate
• Macbeth enters and asks what they are doing; witches do not reply directly and instead ask if he wants to speak to their masters
• First apparition > armed head  > warns Macbeth of Macduff, the thane of Fife
• Second apparition > bloody child > says that none will do harm to Macbeth
• Third apparition > crowned child > says he will not be vanquished until "Great Birnam wood to high Dunsinane hill/Shall come against him."
• show of 8 kings, the last being Banquo, appears > showing the line of kings, Banquo's children being included(?)
• witches vanish, Lennox says he did not see them go; notice that Macduff has fled to England reaches Macbeth's ears
• Macbeth planning to attack Macduff's castle in Fife, orders all family and people found to be killed

Scene 2:

• Lady Macduff angry/worried at her husband having left, noting that this suspicious travel will make them look like traitors
• direct characterization of Macduff: "He is noble, wise, judicious"
• simile: live as the birds do - off what is given to them > Son to Lady Macduff
• indirect characterization of Lady Macduff: "Why, I can buy me twenty at any market." (speaking of husbands) as well as "If he were dead, you'ld weep for/him: if you would not, it were a good sign/that I should quickly have a new father.
• Lady Macduff reveals to her Son that his father was a traitor
• Messenger comes in and warns Lady Macduff to take her kids and leave
• Murderers enter and kill the Son while Lady Macduff runs off

Scene 3:

• Malcolm and Macduff speaking, Malcolm calls Macduff a tyrant
• Malcolm seems to want to murder Macbeth
• Malcolm is testing Macduff's loyalty and trustworthiness
• Doctor mentions a disease of some sort, called "the evil"
• Ross appears telling the men that people have been slaughtered, but that Macduff's family is fine (as last seen by Ross) > then Ross reveals that they too have been killed
• Macduff then agrees to join in the fighting and to take personal revenge on Macbeth> urged on by Malcolm

mactwist

Imagine how the plot, theme, and tone of Macbeth would be different if Macbeth could gain more power by becoming good at something or learning something, rather than benefiting through another's loss.

If Macbeth could achieve value through obtaining an ability, becoming an expert at something, simply becoming a better human being, the entire plot, theme, and tone would change drastically. Macbeth would achieve a higher standing in society without having to drench his hands in the blood of the innocent, he would have no need to murder whether it be to get a higher standing or to remove a "threat." Macbeth would have no need to create a loss for someone, he would have no need to benefit from any negative situations. Themes would also change because things like "foul is fair, fair is foul," and appearance vs reality no longer truly fit. It would instead seem to turn to a moral lesson-type story, or something along the lines of achieving one's true purpose, or about making oneself the best one can become, etc. The tone would go from dark, ambiguous, and cruel to something a bit more cheerful, powerful, honest or enlightening. If the entire plot of Macbeth changed, their would be no conflict among the characters, external conflict would be nonexistent, instead internal conflict would come into play. Internal conflict would occur in a very distinct way as it currently does in the story, Macbeth would not be paranoid and pondering whether he should murder his best friend, instead he would be weighing pros and cons of situations, where to go in a situations, etc. 

Macbeth Act III ~ Active Reading Notes

Scene 1:

• Banquo seems to believe foul play was involved in Macbeth's "fate"
• Macbeth seems to be spreading the rumor that Duncan's sons are the true murderers that have run away from justice
• Macbeth's lunacy has begun; he seems to believe Banquo wants to replace him
• Allusion: Macbeth = Caesar, Banquo = Mark Anthony
• Macbeth has hired to murderers to deal with Banquo and his son Fleance
• Repetition: when mentioning the death of a characters hell and heaven are always mentioned, bidding farewell to the soul and saying "hopefully you can find yourself in heaven"

Scene 2:

• Metaphor: "Full of scorpions is my mind" - head full of cruel/evil thoughts
• Macbeth tells his wife that others are trouble and they must be murdered, he tells her to at innocent of the knowledge

Scene 3:

• The three murders complete half their job, Fleance gets away

Scene 4:

• Setting: Macbeth's dinner/party
• motif: the image of a snake keeps appearing
• Murders tell Macbeth that Banquo's son has escaped
• Banquo appears at the dinner and takes Macbeth's seat
• Macbeth releases his guest as his wife sees him acting bizarre
• Macbeth will go visit the witches tomorrow to know what remains of his story, he will do all in his power to remain king

Scene 5:

• Hecate reprimands the three witches for meddling with Macbeth and something as huge as death
• Hecate is "the mistress of their charms"
• Hecate tells the witches that Macbeth will hear fake prophecies, bringing him false security and plenty confusion
• "security /Is mortals' chiefest enemy"

Scene 6: 

• in a conversation between Lennox and a Lord we find out that Fleance is blamed for the death of his father (Banquo); they also reveal that Macbeth is rendered a tyrant
• from the conversation we also learn that Macduff has asked the English King for aid in waging a war against the tyrant

Act II Study Questions

2.1
1. The purpose of the 9 first opening lines are to give a clue that Banquo is suspicious and may have an idea of what Macbeth is hoping to accomplish. The discussion of the witches, brought up by Banquo, is to let audience and character Macbeth know that he has not forgotten the prophecy. It is further proof that Banquo is thinking or wondering about what Macbeth is going to do. 

2. In Macbeth's soliloquy he seems to speak of a weapon that may be created by his imagination, he is unsure if it is truly there, or if he should kill the King. Macbeth explains what is happening by saying his mind is overworked and stressed out, and that his sight is failing him. He still plans on murdering the King.

2.2
1. She is drunk with angst. Lady Macbeth did her part of the plan, she drugged the King's men and laid out their daggers for Macbeth to see. She assumes Macbeth is completing the deed at the very moment.

2. Macbeth has killed the King. Macbeth is worried that the two men woke up and saw him with the blood of the King on his hands; he is also worried about his moral condition. Lady Macbeth remnds him not to worry about it, and to not think so much upon it. The issue that arises in line 46 is that Macbeth carried back the daggers with him. The problem is solved by Lady Macbeth, she delivers the daggers to the sleeping attendants of the King and says she will smear blood on them if necessary. 

2.3
1. The porter pretends to be porter for the gates of hell.

What does the porter pretend to be doing? Notice the emphasis on equivocation in this speech and in the following dialogue with Macduff. Equivocation was a doctrine espoused by Jesuits living secretly in England (and in danger of arrest, torture, and death) that allowed them to swear oaths with double meanings in order to preserve their lives while also maintaining their faith but that looked to their opponents very much like lying under oath. Equivocation had recently been much discussed because of the trials surrounding the Gunpowder Plot of November 1605, a Catholic attempt to blow up Parliament while the members and the King were present. 

2. The thematic function of the conversation between Lenox and Macbeth is that it shows others noticed an oddness about the night, as if someone had committed a murder. The theatrical function of the scene is to showcase Macbeth's ability to hide the face of murderer, and to allow the audience to understand that nobody yet knows about the King's death. The conversation is necessary for the reasons stated before.

3. Macduff reports that the King has been murdered. Macbeth and his Lady respond by acting like it is a tragedy.  Lady Macbeth seems more concerned that it occurred in her house than of the actual murder. Macbeth reports that he killed the men. Malcolm and Donalbain decide to leave before someone tries to seize and murder them, too. The two sons of the past King will go away, Malcom to England, Donalbain to Ireland. 

2.4
1. The function of the dialogue between Old Man and Ross is to show that people are noticing odd things about the night, even something like the behavior of Duncan's horses. From Macduff we learn that Macolm and Donalbain have fled, this fact makes them suspicious of committing the crime. We also learn that Macbeth killed the two men who were servants to Duncan, we also learn that Macbeth has already been named King. Macbeth is already gone to Scone. Macduff will go to Fife. 

Macbeth Character Map

Another resource I found was THIS website. It gives a detailed description of all the characters (to my knowledge) and also has links to quotes from them.

A student made Prezi can be found HERE. It has small, quick descriptions of characters, and also shows the relationship between each character.

Act I Study Questions

1.1
1. Beginning the play with the witches allows the reader to envision that the story is cruel, dark, and ambiguous. It also gives the reader a sense of an existing theme "Fair is foul, and foul is fair." The witches are going to meet Macbeth, which is seen later in the play as a scene. The witches also mention that they will meet him when the war has been won and lost, and when the sun sets. 

1.2
1. From the "bloody Captain" we learn about Macbeth's killing spree during the war. It is also easy to take notice that his actions are glorified and that he is seen as a brave hero. Macdonwald is a man "worthy to be a rebel," he also made an attack on them. Macbeth killed Macdonwald, cutting him with his sword and putting his head on a stake in their battlements. This did not end the problem with the rebels, they regrouped, fresh men joined, and "began a fresh assault."

2. Ross and Angus let Duncan know that Norweyan flags fill the sky, and that the traitor is the Thane of Cawdor himself. Duncan is glad that the Thane of Cawdor was dealt with and executed, he explains "Great Happiness" after hearing that they are victorious. Duncan also gladly tells his men to give the title of Thane of Cawdor to Macbeth. 

1.3
1. The witches provide the reader with a glimpse into the life of Macbeth. The specifics mention how Lady Macbeth ultimately controls her husband, she has total power over him, and this detail is very important to the plot. The witches prepare for Macbeth's arrival by singing a chant all together. They say at the very end that the chant is a charm and has been completed. 

2. Macbeth's first line reminds me of a phrase the witches said at the beginning, "fair is foul, and foul is fair." The witches look as though they are not from this world, they wear a withered, old, and wild attire. Banquo is unable to decipher their gender, they look somewhat like woman but presence of a beard on all of their faces throws him off. The witches call Macbeth Thane of Glaims and of Cawdor. Macbeth gains interest in their words, we can tell by the way he asks them to say more. Banquo asks for his own prophecy, but he receives the response of "Hail!,"
as well as being told that he is greater/lesser than Macbeth. We know that Macbeth really is going to be Thane of Cawdor before he himself knows it.

3. Banquo believes that the witches are a figment of their imagination, or that they have only hallucinated. From Ross and Angus Macbeth learns that he now holds the title of Thane of Cawdor. In lines 114-156 Macbeth is rationalizing with himself, pondering whether he should be incredulous, yet he begins to think he will be king soon.

4. He doesn't want to share any of his plan with Banquo. Macbeth simply tells his friend that he is confused, and that his brain is filled with other things. 

1.4
1. Cawdor was executed for his crime of treason. The King responds by saying that Cawdor had his full trust, and that one cannot base a man's feelings by the look on the man's face.

2. Duncan greets Macbeth and Banquo with the greeting "O worthiest cousin." Duncan also mentions that he is forever grateful to them. Duncan announces that he will leave everything to Malcom, Prince of Cumberland. King Duncan then intends to go to Macbeth's castle. Macbeth reacts to the announcement by commenting in his aside that this is a big dent in his plan, he must now also get rid of Malcom if he desires to be King. Macbeth is thinking of how to accomplish this task.

1.5
1. Macbeth reports everything that has occurred accurately to his wife, he leaves nothing of significance out. She responds by saying that he must do what needs to be done.

2. She asks whether Macbeth arrives with him, and knows that he brings great news. Lady Macbeth intends to make Macbeth follow through with the plan. In order for this to happen she calls upon the spirits to make her cruel and to stop any remorse that may occur.

3. Lady Macbeth is in charge when Macbeth arrives. His wife has definitely decided what to do, and she is aware that she might have to convince Macbeth of the plan. Macbeth still seems to be unsure, he questions the plan and all the details. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth that she must not let King Duncan see light of another day. 

4. Lady Macbeth's name is Gruoch. She had a son by a previous marriage, named Lulach. 

1.6
1. Lady Macbeth's welcome is fake and not meant to be trusted by the reader/audience. Lady Macbeth's form of speech has taken on a softer tone, one that says "I am at your service," which is very dishonest. Her welcome is done with reason behind it though.

1.7
1. Macbeth is as prepared as he is going to get. It seems as though he will always have that worry, that bit of guilt and remorse in the back of his mind. In lines 1-12 he is worried about people finding out, about people knowing the King was murdered under his home, and of the consequences his actions may have. The special rule of hospitality that he is violating twice, for being kinsman and subject, is that of shutting the doors against people who want to cause harm to the King, and brandishing the killing arm himself. 

2. Lady Macbeth complains about Macbeth leaving Duncan alone, for leaving the chambers so near to the time of supper.  Macbeth wonders whether the King has asked for him, Lady Macbeth replies that he should have known so. Macbeth wishes to stop the murder of Duncan, he says that the King has honored him recently, Macbeth is hesitant. The stronger character in this scene is Lady Macbeth.

"False face must hide what the false heart doth know."

appearance vs. reality

LOVE IS BLIND

Macbeth seems to think that his wife is only attempting to aid him, to turn things to his favor, and to make him a great and known man. He never once considers the idea that his lady is controlling him; he believes that she is really only attempting to bring him his well deserved honor more rapidly. Macbeth is a weak man. He constantly attempts to forget this crazy plan wondering what will happen if they fail, or how the people will react, or if people will assume it was he who committed the crime, but he is soon coaxed to forget these "irrational" and "cowardly" ideas. Lady Macbeth is quite crazy, irrational, and controlling; she forces her beloved husband to continue with the plan of murder. When he tries to chicken-out she begins to call him names, saying he is not a man, that he is a coward, and that she herself could do it. The audience and reader see Lady Macbeth as immoral and cruel because she is encouraging her husband to murder an innocent man in order to receive power. Lady Macbeth is a harm to Macbeth and those around her. Her murder plan, made to frame Duncan's officers, may also harm her own husband's reputation. In a sense she is also selfish, her husband will have the power, but she has the power to control him.

WHAT ABOUT MY MASTERPIECE?

My progress is slow but I have begun to interview people. I currently have taken down the blog until I have a good number of posts. The blog will go back up when I feel it has enough content, and once it includes people from diverse backgrounds and stories. Progress is slow with this project because the people who said they would help me and I have busy schedules. Classes, extracurricular activities, AP prep, has taken up a grand portion of our time. I'm hoping to knock out multiple interviews this week though. Gotta speed up this process, yet have quality and personable work.

If anyone is interested in this project and wants to help, please let me know. (:

Meet Macbeth

Macbeth is introduced first through the eyes of Sergeant, who uses both indirect and direct characterization. Sergeant describes Macbeth as brave, while Duncan calls him 'valiant' and 'worthy.' Macbeth's described actions provide us with more insight into who he is, and what kind of character/person he is. His inhumane actions, the brutal murder he committed, and the way he treats the dead man's body shows who he is. Macbeth, through indirect characterization, seems cruel and out only to help himself. He also seems easy to control and in a sense gullible, he eats up the witches words without questioning, quickly accepting them as true. The witches provide the idea that an event will happen to Macbeth, and Macbeth believing he is worthy makes it occur. Shakespeare gives enough detail and background information for the reader to be informed of the entire plot. He does this through his characters, some scenes of the play, even up to this point, are purely two characters speaking about another character's background, or events that have occurred, etc. Dialogue is the main source of information, it is what allows us to know what the characters plan to do next. The witches are a large source for telling about the plot without giving away too much.

Macbeth is described in a gory sense, yet he is also described as valiant, brave, and in a sense, worthy. The tone mostly seems to be as seeing characters and such as worthy, honorable, respectable. Themes such as "fair is foul, and foul is fair," will be main sources to drive the rest of the play. Macbeth does not play fair, he murders to gain his position and to keep moving up the ranks. His actions aren't necessarily "fair," they are foul, yet he manages to get what he wants, and what his prophecy from the witches said. 

2014 Most Challenged Books

http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-challenged-banned-books-2014-20150413-story.html

A ridiculous list with a bunch of bull shit reasons behind the attempted bans. Things such as violence, rape, masturbation, foul language, homosexuality. We are exposed to these things anyway, they occur on a daily basis. Honestly? How can a book be banned for things that occur constantly. Parents want to "protect" their children, so they don't want their kids to read a memoir from a kidnap and rape survivor? They don't want their Kid learnig about bullying, and not to do it?

My Macbeth Resources

1. Macbeth Study Guide - includes summaries, annotations, commentary. It includes things such as character introductions, explanations for figurative language, and explanation for each soliloquy.

2. YouTube Macbeth summary, courtesy of benben8it.

3. Macbeth I Index - provides background of Shakespeare himself,  historical background of the story, explanation of themes, literary devices, and characters, as well as providing assessment tasks. 

4. Macbeth Theme Page - a page full of links to resources, including synopses, explanations, translations, character analysis.

5. Macbeth Introduction

Macbeth - Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow Soliloquy

She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Prose Essay ~ Young Goodman Brown

"Young Goodman Brown"

From the start of the story we see Goodman Brown's unmistakable regret at having to run this errand, we see his mind struggling to leave his wife, named Faith, and complete the meeting and task. We see him question why he must leave, and if indeed he should, but he still finds himself baring farewell and walking off into the woods to meet his companion. From the start Goodman Brown question his actions, yet his conformity on the outside shows that he has no control, no other choice, or no sense of helping himself.

Goodman Brown's inability to help himself by questioning outwardly causes him harm, confusion, doubt, and even guilt in the end. Faith, whether speaking of his wife or his actual belief, was the only thing that "kept him back awhile." But it did not hold him for long, he continued to follow his path, to do as he was told, even while the voice in his head questioned. Throughout the story the reader is able to note Brown's indecisiveness, his being unsure, as his voice "tremors." In the middle of the story we see how Brown hopes to break the chain and path that his ancestors have taken. He yells at his companion telling him that it is "too far, too far." At one point he goes on to shout that his "mind is made up. Not another step will I budge on this errand." But his expression of outward conformity is soon squashed as the companion, the devil, leaves him alone and creates the sound of Faith,whether the person or his belief, being harmed. At this point Brown gives in, seeing as there is no option, his faith has been destroyed, and he sees no point in resisting the sin of this world, therefore he calls upon the devil, and continues his errand. At the point where Goodman Brown clearly associates himself with forms of evil by saying "Come witch, come wizard, come Indian powwow, come devil himself, and here comes Goodman Brown," he has become one with them, his resistance is up, and he has conformed outwardly and inwardly.

The reader is also able to detect that many in the town, even those thought to be holy and goodhearted, those that often go by "Good ----" are those who have encountered and treated with the "snake-staffed" man the most. The name Good, used to refer to more than just our main character is one of the biggest ironies in the story. Under no circumstance would these townsfolk nor their actions be classified as good. Most have walked with the pure form of the devil and of control itself,  outward conformity leading internal questioning to disperse. The companion in the woods is the epitome of overall power, "he of the serpent." The snake is a symbol often used to represent the enticing leader, the controller. All the town folk had conformed, they did not experience, or no longer experienced, any inward questioning, "It was strange to see that the good shrank not from the wicked, nor were the sinners abashed by the saints," they were all the same, they all behaved similarly, under someone else's control.

"But where is Faith?" This simple phrase holds a double meaning. Where is the faith when faith itself has abandoned one, when faith itself is seen at the celebration of sin, where is faith? Goodman Brown, once failing to question his errand, fails for the rest of his life to question outwardly the blasphemy and lies of the entire village.

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PS. Continue to leave your constructive criticism for my blog here. Thank you. (:

Poetry Essay

Prompt: Write an essay in which you relate the imagery of the last stanza to the speaker’s view of himself and his situation earlier in the poem.

Poem: "The Weary Blues" by Langston Hughes

Why I chose the prompt with this poem: I felt the prompt fit quite well, the last stanza of Hughes poem provides imagery comparing the character to a rock or a dead man, and the entire poem depicts a man in complete depression/loneliness. 

Langston Hughes depicts everything his character is, and everything his character is feeling in the last stanza of his poem "The Weary Blues." Hughes clearly shows how the immense sadness and grief found throughout the whole poem, as well as the loneliness experienced by the piano-playing character will lead him to a profound, if not eternal, sleep. But the emotions experienced at the end may have an even deeper meaning than first meets the eye. 

The situation in the poem depicts a man singing the Blues on Lenox Avenue. This Avenue which is located in Harlem is, for some, the most important street for African Americans and other minority groups. It was a street that managed to connect Hispanics, African Americans, West Indians, and even the British through a love of cultural food and jazz music. In the poem "The Weary Blues," Hughes depicts the emotion of loneliness and depression through the melody of displaced accents and beat of the song. The African American man is depicted as depressed through the entire poem. Hughes clearly writes that the man played a "syncopated tune," a tune where strong beats become weak, and weak beats become strong. This change in accents in beat may allude to the idea that the musician wishes things would reverse, or that at least equality would ring for all people. That the weak would no longer be suppressed by those who are "strong." The tone Hughes uses makes the reader envision a lonely man, the song he sings clearly stating that he feels as though he "Ain't got nobody in all this world." Music has always been a prime form of expression, and this Blues singer and musician expresses the true extent of his emotions through the song that is relentlessly alluded to in the poem. All of this may have to do with the context of the poem, a time when African Americans and minorities were still struggling to get a foothold on "white" society. The reason for this man's sadness may very well be the treatment he receives for being of a different culture, color, and race. 

The last stanza consists of a man laying down to a sleep, but this is a man who is ready for death. The piano player says he is not satisfied, that he will never be satisfied, and that he would much prefer to face his death. In his last stanza Hughes clearly tells the reader the emotion that has been strung throughout the length of the poem, "I ain't happy no mo'/And I wish that I had died." This unsatisfied feeling may come from not being treated as an equal, being looked down upon as an inferior, etc. Even in his slumber, the man cannot escape the injustice, as the Blues continue to play in his mind throughout the night. 

The repetition of sad emotions, the inclusion of Blues song lyrics, and the diction and style of this poem allow the reader to experience an actual Blues tone, tempo, and the state of mind of the artist. Hughes poem depicts more than just a sad man wishing to die, he reveals the injustices that minorities went and continue to go through, he creates a lyrical form of criticizing society, as well as showcasing the true form of the Blues. 

Spring Reading

Only now have I divulged into the world of Twilight. I had attempted to keep away from the series because of the over-hype and fervor it created back in 2005 when the series first came out, and then the fan fiction based on it only made me recoil even further. But yesterday I began reading it. Let me explain though. I only came upon these books because a teacher handed them to me and said "You can have them." I'm not one to turn down books so even seeing it was Twilight, I gladly took them off her hands. I must also be honest in saying I waited until I finished a book I actually wanted to read, and until the boredom was unbearable to begin to read them. But as I began to read, and as I quickly forgot the actors who had played Bell and Edward, and as I forgot the movie entirely, I was actually able to enjoy the story. 

I have finished the novel, all 498 pages. I must admit that these books are neither badly written, nor do they have a terrible story line. In one day I managed to get through half the book rather quickly, I was entrapped, engulfed by the scenes that played out in my mind. After reading the first novel I don't find it to be as terrible as I thought, it is actually a lot better than I expected. 

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"The Weary Blues" by Langston Hughes

Droning a drowsy syncopated tune,

Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon,

      I heard a Negro play.

Down on Lenox Avenue the other night

By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light

      He did a lazy sway. . . .

      He did a lazy sway. . . .

To the tune o’ those Weary Blues.

With his ebony hands on each ivory key

He made that poor piano moan with melody.

      O Blues!

Swaying to and fro on his rickety stool

He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool.

      Sweet Blues!

Coming from a black man’s soul.

      O Blues!

In a deep song voice with a melancholy tone

I heard that Negro sing, that old piano moan—

      “Ain’t got nobody in all this world,

      Ain’t got nobody but ma self.

      I’s gwine to quit ma frownin’

      And put ma troubles on the shelf.”

Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.

He played a few chords then he sang some more—

      “I got the Weary Blues

      And I can’t be satisfied.

      Got the Weary Blues

      And can’t be satisfied—

      I ain’t happy no mo’

      And I wish that I had died.”

And far into the night he crooned that tune.

The stars went out and so did the moon.

The singer stopped playing and went to bed

While the Weary Blues echoed through his head.

He slept like a rock or a man that’s dead.

"and wow reading is weird"

Poem Analysis

I Felt a Funeral, In My Brain by Emily Dickinson

TPCASTT:  Poem Analysis Method:

Title of poem means: 
The title of the poem refers to the death of one's interior which includes the intellectual and the emotional. 

Paraphrase parts of the Poem:

The character feels a funeral in their brain, they see the mourners coming, and being put into a box. The character/narrator feels completely alone, but then he begins to reason and begins to spiral out of control. And he hit a world, reality, and finished knowing. 

Connotation of some of the words – changing literal meaning to implied or associated values: 

Mourners - sadness, crying, accepting the loss of

Treading - walking without a route, not knowing what should come next

Numb - absence (of feeling or life)

Box - trapped, enclosure, or the casket, suffocating

Space - infinite, without limits, darkness, fear

Heavens - purity, angels, white, God

Solidarity - silence, despair, sadness

Finished - death

Attitude What is the attitude of the author, characters or yourself?:
The attitude of the author and the character is hopeless. They have given up on trying, they are depressed, and the story has a gloominess to it, which makes sense because of the funeral setting. The readers are also put into this mood that things are over and that nothing can be done to return to a state of happiness, or to recuperate what has been lost in intellectual or emotional matter. 

Shift At first we think or feel one way – then there is a shift:  identify the shifts and explain them: 
The shift comes in the last stanza, where the character seems to be broken out of their trance and spirals out of the little control they had left, coming face to face with reality. 

Title revisited Any new insights on meaning or significance of title?: 
The poem is not written in the present tense, either the person has given up completely, or they have removed themselves from this type of thinking. 
Theme: 
All humans eventually feel like they have reached their max, or that they have spiraled out of control, the hard part is working up the courage to help ones own self.

Literature Analysis #6 ~ The Perks of Being a Wallflower

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
Exposition: Charlie is a HS freshman with no friends, his best friend Michael died and Susan no longer speaks to him. He is ultimately a loner. Charlie does have a reputation of being weird, as well as being known for the one fight he won because of the moves his brother showed him. Charlie is a smart kid and gets the attention of his English teacher, Bill. Bill gives him special books and helps Charlie improve his writing. Charlie also thinks about his Aunt Helen a lot, she passed away on his 7th Birthday, Christmas Eve.

Inciting Incident: Patrick decides to go to a football game where he recognizes a guy from shop class, Nothing otherwise known as Patrick. Patrick introduces him to his sister, Sam. They keep hanging out and create a good friendship. Charlie also has a sister who has an abusive boyfriend. 

Rising action: Patrick and Sam take Charlie to many parties, one being were he finds out Patrick is gay and fooling around with Brad. Eventually Charlie begins to date Mary Elizabeth, Sam's best friend. However, he despises that she never gives him a moment to speak. One day at a different party, when they were all drunk, Charlie is dared to kiss the prettiest girl and kisses Sam instead of his girlfriend, this did not go down well at all. Charlie is told to stay away. 

Conflict: Charlies isn't allowed to hang out with the group anymore, he returns to being a loner. This causes him to return to some dark places, he begins to get angry and gloomy, he smokes a lot of pot and cigarettes and ditches school. But one day he defends Patrick from being beat up by Brad's friends, and that gains him all his friendships back. Charlie would soon realize that his friends will be gone once again, they will all be leaving to college, Sam leaving the soonest.

Climax: Charlie is invited over to Sam's house to help her pack for college. She asks him why he doesn't try making a move on her, he is confused, she tells him to do what he feels. They begin to fool around, but when Sam reaches for Charlie's privates, Charlie begins to freak out and cry. The next day when Sam departs, Charlie still feels horrible, he can't help having dreams where his Aunt Helen attempts to touch his privates. 

Falling action: Charlie is sent to a psychiatric hospital were he realizes that his Aunt Helen abused him physically when he was younger. While in the hospital he receives letters from his friends and family, which makes him feel better. 

Resolution: He gets out of the hospital and writes one last letter to the anonymous person. He tells the person to no longer worry about him, that his letters will stop coming and he will not bother him anymore. And he ends the letter by wishing the person a nice life. 

 2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
Multiple themes can be found in this novel, most dealing with teenagers and the coming of age signified through drugs, sex, love, family issues, and realizations.

 3. Describe the author's tone.

"Then I started crying again. I really am a roller-coaster sometimes."

The tone changes with every situation. In this novel the tone changes as much as Charlie's feelings do, whenever he is with Sam and Patrick he is happy, whenever he is a loner he becomes gloomy, serious, and angry. 

 4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)

1. Motif: "We accept the love we think we deserve." 
2. Metaphor: "He's a wallflower." pg 37
3. Paradox: "First, I am very interested and fascinated by how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other." pg 56
4. Juxtaposition: "And I felt good that those were the first two words I ever typed on my old new typewriter that Sam gave me." pg 69
5. Epiphany: "I want to make sure that the first person you kiss loves you."  The information before the kiss makes Charlie sad enough to cry ~ Sam had been abused by her dad's friend and only recently had she let Patrick and Mary Elizabeth know > this also hints at one of the roots of Charlie's problems, abuse, the abuse that occurred to Aunt Helen).
6. Personification: "And my mind played hopscotch." pg 98
7. Paradox: " Or how everything was a deafening whisper, when they said that maybe I should start seeing a psychiatrist again." pg 99
8. Allusion: "I said maybe it was in This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald.... He talks about his "restless generation" and things like that. And he says something like, "This is not a time for heroes because nobody will let that happen." pg 105
9. Repetition: "Not thinking anything. Not feeling anything. Not hearing the record." pg 137
10. Irony: TITLE - The main characters constantly describe themselves as wallflowers, but we never see many perks. We only see things like Patrick being unable to be with the guy that "loves" him in public, or Sam and her extremely low self-esteem, or even Charlie.

CHARACTERIZATION

1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?

DIRECT:

1. "Incidentally, Sam had brown hair and very very pretty green eyes. The kind of green that doesn't make a big deal about itself." 
2. ""You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.""

INDIRECT:

1. "And this guy got really red-faced. And he looked at me. Then, he looked at her. And he wound up and hit her hard across the face. I mean hard. I just froze because I couldn't believe he did it. It was not like him at all to hit anybody. He was the boy that made mix tapes with themes and hand-colored covers until he hit my sister and stopped crying."
2. "When Mr. Callahan found Nothing doing this near the belt sander, he actually laughed because Nothing wasn't doing the impersonation mean or anything. I wish you could've been there because it was the hardest I've laughed since my brother left."
3. "I feel ashamed, though, because that night, I had a weird dream. I was with Sam. And we were both naked. And her legs were spread over the sides of the couch. And I woke up. And I had never felt that good in my life. But I also felt bad because I saw her naked without her permission." 

Both approaches are used in order to show physical attributes as well as internal characterization of the characters. Indirect characterization concerning actions or things said reveal more about a character, their intentions, their morals, than appearance does. My lasting impression of a character like Charlie, after seeing both forms of characterization in the book are that he is a genuine guy who needs a friend and doesn't want to harm anybody; but the book does lack a description of his looks.

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?

The authors syntax and diction do not change. The book is presented in letters written by a teenage boy who doesn't necessarily change his way of writing when describing a person. The only thing "Charlie" does is add details when writing about people. 

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.

Charlie is as dynamic as the situation he finds himself in. If his life is hectic, his mind follows suit and cannot maintain control. Throughout the book it easy to see how Charlie becomes increasingly angry, how he seems to be spiraling out of control, starting from the point where he losses all his friends. But we also see how he manages to get better, how going to a hospital helped him, and how he no longer needs to write letters because he knows he will be okay.

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  

After reading the novel I do feel like I met a real person, like I'm reading the recounting of events from a real teenage boy. In high school Charlie comes across frequently faced problems such as loneliness or a loss of friends, at home he faces problems such as physical abuse and more average problems such as having Christmas dinner at an aunts house. In life Charlie faces things like death, and he experiences the normal emotions, sadness, and questioning at if other students miss them, too. Charlie experiences multiple events that one does not wish to go through but that occur on a daily basis, like physical abuse, and he has trauma like any real person would.