Equality Among Humanity - A Masterpiece

Danielle & Erica need exposure from us, our stories and our connections (and networks).

Little explanation of their project and what they need from us, contact info is down below. PLEASE CONTACT THEM. LETS GET THIS AMAZING PROJECT GOING! Even if you just have further questions, feel free to contact them at the email provided.

 "Our masterpiece stems off of the idea that ignorance be reduced through knowledge and awareness. Seeing as this is a diversity/cultural identity and diversity project through social media, we need all the exposure that we can get. We need stories, your stories. There's so requirements whatsoever, no rubric, just you and your creation. Okay, I lied. We do have one requirement, and it is a very simple one. Your creation has to hold a piece of you, a piece of your story! Any creation is welcome (poetry, arts and crafts, photography, music, video, actual stories)."

SPREAD THE WORD THROUGH:
twitter hashtag: #equalityamonghumanity
twitter account: http://twitter.com/EAHumanity

CHECK OUT THEIR TUMBLR:
 equalityamonghumanity.tumblr.com 

CONTACT THEM:
 email: equalityamonghumanity@gmail.com 

ALSO, check out their personal blogs for other tid bits, such as poster designs (one is located below), info., and essentially watch their project grow!

"spread the word!

we want YOUR stories

we want AWARENESS

we want diversity

we want culture

we want acceptance"

 

 

Great Expectations - Thoughts so far..

100 pages in. Not enough to write my feelings on. But overall I seem to enjoy the plot and actual storyline. I enjoy the character of Pip, he is essentially a child trying to work his way through life, trying to figure out what he wants. It honestly extremely saddened me when I reached around page 100ish where Pip admitted that he was ashamed of being Joe's apprentice, of being part of the working class. Up to this point in the book he seemed to be extremely proud of Joe, even to look up to him and want to be like him, until he took Joe to meet Havisham. Pip's shame sprung from that initial meeting, and it continued whenever he would sing Joe's song, as he had sung it with Havisham and Estella. To some extent, Havisham and Estella's revenge on men seemed to have worked on Pip. Pip's admiration for Estella caused him to be ashamed of where he came from, in a sense that being the revenge. Overall, I do understand what is going on. Sometimes I have to reread, either because something did not make sense or because I seemed to understand incorrectly. Again, so far I am enjoying the story. I see Pip as an average child that makes up stories when something isn't exciting enough, or when things get uncomfortable. Especially with a child like Pip something like that should be expected since he attempts to offer what is expected of him to his sister and Pumblechook.

Lit. Terms #2

Circumlocution - noun an indirect way of expressing something

(Perfect picture at the moment)

Classicism - noun a movement in literature and art during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe that favored rationality and restraint and strict forms

Cliché - a phrase or situation overused within society

Climax - noun the decisive moment in a novel or play; the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding

Colloquialism - noun  characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech

 

Comedy - noun light and humorous drama with a happy ending; a comic incident or series of incidents
Conflict - noun an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals); struggle or problem in a story causing tension

Connotation - noun an idea that is implied or suggested

Contrast - noun the act of distinguishing by comparing differences; the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared; verb put in opposition to show or emphasize differences

Denotation - noun the most direct or specific meaning of a word or expression
Denouement - noun the final resolution of the main complication of a literary or dramatic work; the outcome of a complex sequence of events
Dialect - noun the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people
Dialectics - formal debates usually over the nature of truth

Dichotomy - noun split or break between two opposing things

Diction - noun the manner in which something is expressed in words; the articulation of speech regarded from the point of view of its intelligibility to the audience
Didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)
Dogmatic - adj. rigid in beliefs and principles
Elegy - noun a mournful poem; a lament for the dead

Epic - adj. constituting or having to do with or suggestive of a literary epic; noun a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds

Epigram - noun a witty aphorism

"Great Expectations" Lecture Notes

• bildungsroman: novel of edu. > transformation of child to adolescent to adult > no clear marker throughout all cultures, races, nations, etc.
• fantasy story/ fairy tale
• trans. for Pip: desires fulfilled (pure, hope) > work, sacrifices
• strong sense of being unwanted > sensitive to others (more mature than other kids)
• feels above an apprenticeship, wants to work for more than just a living
• feels as though he is wicked or has a wicked beginning > doesn't know what normal is
• male characters > fill void, adopts them as role models > uses the male role models to "try on" their way of being and way of life > Pip reflects his role models*
• Havisham > "Have-a-sham" (fraud) OR "Have shame" >> left at altar, memorialize dead hope and betrayals > represents LOSS > dual meaning: fairy godmother (adopts Estella) and a symbol of decay
• Estella is Ms. Havisham's revenge > man hater
• Magwitch >prisoner, "animal," represents Pip's potential in an animalistic sense > Pip fears that he is as Magwitch (guilty and evil) > contact with Magwitch intensifies his fear 
• Pip feels uncomfortable in both situations > reason his descriptions are inaccurate
• Pip allows himself to be defined by what he has instead of who he is*
• FATHER FIGURES: Joe and Jaggers are polar opposites > similarity: power lies in potential, although its not used > J = Roman letter "I"
• JOE: instinct, doesn't judge or care about social standard, happy because of the relationships he has
• JAGGERS: doesn't trust people only facts, a blackmailer
• Victorian England > all about social standing
• Joe & Jagger (personality) > infant situation > Joe adopted the child > Jaggers bid of the child (Estella), forces mom to wed
• Wemmick > diff at home than at work > HOME: gentle, dutiful son, relationships more important than $$ > WORK: facts, all about profit > 2 mental double lives
• Magwitch (Ch 42 return) > cold, less of fear, more on the lack of human company (Siddhartha) > defined by point of life > Pip influenced him, instead of Pip being influenced
• 4 REVELATIONS: 1. Ms. Havisham not a fairy godmother 2. Estella and Pip are not meant to be, he is just her practice toy to further tear apart men 3. Pip's expectations were not his own, told by Magwitch what to think 4. ideas constantly recycle, when available, we will one day all come to understand the same ideas/concepts (BIG CYCLE)
• Pip glad to hear Orlick attacks Miss Joe (evil) > lessons apply to all of us evenly
• Pip sees life not as Jaggers sees it, but rather a place where growth can occur
• Pip wants to be practical in $ and relationships > he is a fantasist (wishes to benefit without sacrifices) and not a realist until the end
• Autobio: Pip's confession
• End: middle aged man confessing the problems of his youth, so as not to repeat it
• return to the forge > Joe married Biddy > new child, new seed named Pip (**Pip is a seed, something that hasn't yet become) > cycle of life continuing

ALL THAT DAVID COPPERFIELD KIND OF CRAP

All the David Copperfield kind of crap refers to the fact that Dickens relates the entire life of Copperfield, giving a complete backstory, providing information of no value to the reader. The information is solely for the fact of recounting the man's life. As stated in the wiki article on David Copperfield, this writing was never meant to be published, rather it was only an autobiographical text meant only for Dickens' eyes.
J.D. Salinger attempts to distinguish his style from Dickens by attempting to exclude minute background information to his characters. He focuses more on building the character through his actions and words, his thoughts and excludes the background. Dickens takes time to build the plot, he goes step by step, scene by scene, almost as if writing in episodes. Salinger, and Holden Caulfield himself, want to distance the character from Dickens because he doesn't want to be about all that over-decorated, boring, and personal, crap. Holden attempts to avoid oversharing, and doesn't care to focus on the things that have already occurred.

Literature. 📚📖

AP PREP POST 1: SIDDHARTHA

A)

1. If you were the river, would you be enlightenment or would you know enlightenment? In other words, what’s up with the river? What is it’s relation to enlightenment?
2. What does enlightenment look like in Siddhartha? Is it a feeling? An attitude?
3. What purpose does self-denial serve in Siddhartha? What about self-indulgence?
4. Siddhartha features substantial activity and narrative action. At the same time, it is about one man’s largely internal spiritual quest. What is the relationship between the internal and exterior worlds of Siddhartha? How does Siddhartha negotiate these worlds?
5. What is the subject of the dream which convinces of Siddhartha that he must leave town?

B)

1. Although unable to answer this question completely or thoroughly with the small portion of text we read, I will take it into my hands to assume that water, as it often does, stands for purity or to be reborn, to be cleansed. So if I was the river, I would be enlightenment, washing away the ignorance, and the impure aspects. In order to answer this question thoroughly and *correctly,* a bigger portion of the text is necessary, or at least a part where the river is mentioned specifically, or merely Siddhartha's thoughts on the river.
2. Enlightenment takes on both a feeling and an attitude in Siddhartha. He completely changes his course of life because of this awakening/enlightenment, his attitude is now to find where he belongs and who he is. Yet he also describes it as somewhat painful, a feeling of despair at knowing that he is alone, yet he feels that it is a rebirth.
3. (Unable to answer.) In order to answer this question more of the text would be needed.
4. (Unable to answer) The internal and exterior worlds of Siddhartha parallel in a sense. If Siddhartha is in an extremely ascetic state, it means he is not self-indulging or doing things that may be against their beliefs, etc.
5. (Unable to answer.) In order to answer this question we would need to read more of the text before the excerpt that we read.

C)

Doing these questions made me realize that I must practice my writing and read more texts in order to prepare. It also made me realize that I do not have the best eyes when searching for literary elements. I need to work on quickly comprehending the message the author is trying to send, as well as being able to quickly shape and jot down my ideas. The best thing I can do at this point is practice, practice, practice. With enough practice through these kind of exercise, with reading texts, and talking over my writing, I am sure I can pass that AP test.


http://www.shmoop.com/siddhartha/questions.html (1-3)
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/siddhartha/study.html (4)
http://www.gradesaver.com/siddhartha/study-guide/quiz1/ (5)