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)

Siddhartha Notes

• theme: self-awareness, self-discovery >> past life no longer pertains, reason for slight despair >> freedom to create himself
• "snake in his path"
• repetition of ideas, phrases (awakening, shiver)
• sense of being revealed or a sense of vulnerability
• Brahmin > highest social class > leaving is a sort of betrayal to their beliefs and ideas
• tone: searching for a self of belonging, self-pity (beginning) ----> moving on (end)
• no longer looking back
• last sentence could be seen as a positive or negative

HACKING MY EDUCATION

This semester I hope to primarily focus on my masterpiece and passing the AP test. I want to create the steps, and start taking the steps, towards making my masterpiece idea a reality. My masterpiece ultimately depends on me, and it seems as though Dr. Preston could be a great resource at this point. For the AP test I hope to accomplish what Preston is saying, rather than doing multiple AP Practice Tests I want to read new texts and continue to work on my writing. This semester I hope to seriously talk to Preston or anyone that will give good feedback in order to progress in my writing.

Another thing I wish to accomplish this semester is making my blog something far more than just a course blog. I want to add more of my personality to it, far more than things other people said, far more than just vocabulary and assignments. I want to make this blog somewhat inspirational, somewhat a learning place, a blog where new ideas and concepts are brought up, etc.

This semester I also want to gear my mind towards the changes to come. I want to start becoming independent, I want to achieve the skills to be self-sustained, and I want to be able to move out and live alone in a new place.

Lit. Terms #1

allegory - noun an expressive style that uses fictional characters and events to describe some subject by suggestive resemblances; an extended metaphor; a short moral story (often with animal characters); a visible symbol representing an abstract idea
alliteration - noun use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse
allusion - noun reference or indirect mention
ambiguity - noun unclearness by virtue of having more than one meaning; an expression whose meaning cannot be determined from its context
anachronism - noun an artifact that belongs to another time; something located at a time when it could not have existed or occurred
analogy - noun drawing a comparison in order to show a similarity in some respect
analysis - noun an investigation of the component parts of a whole and their relations in making up the whole; a form of literary criticism in which the structure of a piece of writing is analyzed
anaphora - noun repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses
anecdote - noun short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)
antagonist - noun someone who offers opposition
antithesis - noun the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance; exact opposite
aphorism - noun a short pithy instructive saying
apologia - noun a formal written defense of something you believe in strongly
apostrophe - noun address to an absent or imaginary person
argument - noun a summary of the subject or plot of a literary work or play or movie; a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true;  a dispute where there is strong disagreement
assumption - noun a statement that is assumed to be true and from which a conclusion can be drawn
audience - noun a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance; the part of the general public interested in a source of information or entertainment
characterization - noun the act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features; a graphic or vivid verbal description
chiasmus - noun inversion in the second of two parallel phrases; a reversal in the order of words in two otherwise parallel phrases, as in “He went to the country, to the town went she.”

Topics in Our Network #3

Network Member: Yesenia Beas
Topic: language, history, and community involvement

• volunteers at Dunes Center > published book on Guadalupe History is requested in Spanish > contact author for permission > no monetary payment needed > 130 page book translated
• community involvement > hikes, walks, etc. > create a community outreach, present ideas for events, trips, hikes, engage students and locals (potential collab with Chrystal)
• Collaborate with Erica on "HONY" > Erica aids in hike photography
• main focus - language and communication with photos
• presentation or paper or pictures on Guadalupe history

Back up idea:

• Cook book > journey in cooking, preparation for independence and college > easy recipes for college students