Lit Terms: #3

exposition - noun an account that sets forth the meaning or intent of a writing or discourse; a systematic interpretation or explanation (usually written) of a specific topic

expressionism - noun an art movement early in the 20th century; the artist's subjective expression of inner experiences was emphasized; an inner feeling was expressed through a distorted rendition of reality

fable - noun a short moral story (often with animal characters); a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events

fallacy - noun a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning

falling action – part of literary plot after climax and resolution

farce - noun a comedy characterized by broad satire and improbable situations

figurative language – imaginative language characterized by figures of speech like simile and metaphor

flashback - noun a transition (in literary or theatrical works or films) to an earlier event or scene that interrupts the normal chronological development of the story

foil - noun  anything that serves by contrast to call attention to another thing's good qualities; verb cover or back with foil; enhance by contrast

folk tale – tale or legend passed down as part of oral tradition

foreshadowing - noun the act of providing vague advance indications; representing beforehand

free verse – poetry that does not rhyme or have a regular meter

genre - noun a class of art (or artistic endeavor) having a characteristic form or technique; a kind of literary or artistic work;

gothic tale – style of literature characterized by gloomy settings, mood of decay/decadence, violent/grotesque action

hyperbole - noun extravagant exaggeration

imagery - noun the ability to form mental images of things or events; vivid descriptions

implication - noun meaning/understanding derived by readers but not explicitly stated by authors

incongruity - noun the quality of disagreeing; being unsuitable and inappropriate

inference - noun the reasoning involved in drawing a conclusion or making a logical judgment on the basis of circumstantial evidence and prior conclusions rather than on the basis of direct observation

EQUALITY AMONG HUMANITY

spread the word!

we want YOUR stories

we want AWARENESS

we want diversity

we want culture

we want acceptance 

equalityamonghumanity.tumblr.com (UNDER CONSTRUCTION) 

twitter.com/EAHumanity (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

equalityamonghumanity@gmail.com

Masterpiece Progress #2

making posters = fun and frustrating 

(the two F's)

WE NEED EXPOSURE. WE NEED YOUR STORIES. COMMENT. EMAIL.

Danielle and I need exposure from you guys, we need your stories, and best of all, we need you guys as our connections (our networks).

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: #equalityamonghumanity

tumblr: equalityamonghumanity.tumblr.com  

facebook: (coming soon)

blogger: (coming soon)

email: equalityamonghumanity@gmail.com (CONTACT US)

 

Lit Terms #2: Remix

Circumlocution - noun an indirect way of expressing something

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

• embodies typical childhood fantasies
• Pip counts on fantasies to happen (expects them)
• Pip - protagonist
• orphan; feels unwanted as a result
• reacts more intelligently and more sensitively than others might feel his age
• aware of being taken advantage of
• questions himself
• vulnerable; needs father figure
• wants someone to identify with; is looking for someone to embody
• Magwitch - “boogeyman” or “stranger”
• embodiment of a stranger; first encounter is at the graveyard (he is an escape convict)
• wickedness driven by the need to eat; “animal”
• threat of abandonment
• represents what Pip might become
• Miss Havisham - “sham” → fraud; double personality
• symbolizes: horrible decay and promise
• decadence of her home → memorialized by failed wedding (she was left at the altar by her fiancee)
• has kept everything in her house the way it was left during her failed wedding day
• decay represents lost
• wedding dress/wedding represents promise, family, future
• “Beggar your neighbor” - game Pip and Estella play
• Estella - adopted by Miss Havisham
• used as a revenge ploy; to scorn men
• “cold heart” to men, but Pip still becomes smitten
• echoes Cinderella
• Pip doesn’t describe Havisham and Estella as truthful to who they really are
• Father figure (two opposite sides of the pole): Joe and Jagger
• both similar - have power they hold, but don’t use
• Joe has strength - big guy, blacksmith, powerful (doesn’t ever use his strength to others)
• Jagger has knowledge - he has knowledge (blackmail); doesn’t tell
• “J” (both their names start with letter “j”) which is interchangeable with “I”
• Joe = all around nice guy; married Mrs. Joe (even though it wasn’t very economically safe) with Pip as a baggage
• took in Pip as an orphan
• even without monetary allowance, he is still happy with his life (which Pip sees as success because Joe is happy)
• Jagger = does everything for money

ALL THAT DAVID COPPERFIELD KIND OF CRAP

David Copperfield is one of Charles Dickens's most revered work. It's the most autobiographical (if any) book Dickens's wrote, starting from Copperfield's childhood ending with his adulthood. Similar to Dickens's Great Expectations, this particular work embodies that simply of a point "A" to point "B" type novel. The author uses a lot of descriptive words, mentioning every minuscule detail about Copperfield's life. He essentially plots someone's life into a novel thus resulting in a very "a to b" like journey, meant to inform (hence autobiography).

J.D. Salinger alludes to Dickens's work in the very beginning of The Catcher in the Rye, mentioning the phrase "and all the David Copperfield crap." Salinger's work goes beyond that of just a simple autobiography. The style of work in which he embodied on The Catcher in the Rye is similar to a "stream of consciousness" type of work. His work isn't meant to be immaculate, no point "A" to "B." He wrote in a way that allowed the audience to understand the protagonist; the diction is crass and the tone is cynical. The protagonist is that of a young boy on the edge of adulthood. It's a coming of age story written in a way that allowed the audience to sympathize, to pity, and to connect to the protagonist.      

Great Expectations - awkward doodle(s)

a rough two minute sketch of a younger Pip, envisioned by yours truly

 (I am obviously not an artist, so bare with me here)  

Creative Writing: #2 (unfinished drabble)

prompt: two characters from any book are stuck in an air-hot balloon. one has to jump out.

“Romeo, I love thee, so much so that my heart bursts at the mere thought of your name. I love you more than an artist loves his work. You are my muse, my inspiration, my only love. But god forbid if you don’t stop being such a coward, and actually start acting like a man, I will push you out of this balloon myself.”

Juliet’s eye twitched in agitation, arms flinging all around, as she pointedly glared at him. Romeo Montague, the sometimes dim-witted boy she (unfortunately; star-crossed lovers, really?) loved, was mortified, very much so.

Taking half a step back, Romeo’s back hit the edge of the balloon. He felt like a caged animal, cornered with absolutely no hope for survival. He whimpered as she inched closer, his arms thrown up in self defense, adams apple quivering.  

“J-j-juliet, let us think this through. I assure you, we will get through this together my love. No dying.” Tears threatened to fall as he tried to reason with the love of his life. Fate was truly cruel.

Juliet let a strangled laugh (sounding very much like a Siren), “You are the man Romeo. You are the one that must sacrifice yourself so that I, your fair maiden, would survive this tragic event.”

His whimpering momentarily ceased as he replied, “Isn’t that sexist?”

“No”

“Yes, Juliet. I’m pretty sure that’s you being sexist.”

“Definitely not, it is your duty to protect me from any danger. You said yourself when we made our vows.”

“You know what, we aren’t getting anywhere with these petty arguments. We should just jump together. For better or for worse, we need to do this together.”

She sighed, then began murmuring to herself. “If I had just picked Paris. I mean, Romeo is good looking, but that’s pretty much it. Why do I always get myself into trouble?”

Unbeknownst to the young couple, the hot-air balloon had been slowly descending unto the shark infested water.  


(yes, i am disappointed by the ending)

AP Prep Post 1: Siddhartha

1. A bildungsroman, or coming-of-age novel, recounts the psychological or moral development of its protagonist from youth to maturity, when this character recognizes his or her place in the world. Select a single pivotal moment in the psychological or moral development of the protagonist of a bildungsroman. Then write a well-organized essay that analyzes how that single moment shapes the meaning of the work as a whole. (x)
1. Passage wasn’t sufficient enough. It stated that the narrator went through an evolution, from following the footsteps that were paved for him by class/reputation to turning around and paving his own road, but didn’t explain how the change occurred or what challenges he faced or will face.   

2. Discuss the ways Siddhartha attempts to attain spiritual enlightenment. Which approaches are successful? Which ones are not successful, and which ones have limited effectiveness? How does Siddhartha progress from one approach to the other? (x)
1. Passage gave no specific details on how he attained spiritual enlightenment, giving only his mental distress over his lonesome life.

3. Consider Siddhartha’s relationship with Govinda. How are they similar, and how are they different? What are the narrative functions of Govinda’s reappearance throughout the novel? How does their relationship impact the novel’s ending? (x)
1. No mention of any character aside from Siddhartha therefore unable to answer the question.

4. Siddhartha and Buddha both eventually attain Nirvana. However, the way that each achieves it is different. Explain the difference, relating this to the reason for Siddhartha’s not following the Buddha. (x)
1. Refer to answers 1a, 2a, and 3a

5. Siddhartha is a love story in addition to the story of a spiritual quest. How do Siddhartha’s romantic love for Kamala and his love for his son impact his spirituality? How does Siddhartha’s spirituality, in turn, impact Kamala and his son? (x)
1. Refer to answers 1a, 2a, and 3a

6. It is clear to say that in order for students to do well in the exam later this year, they will need to get both the literal and figurative meaning of passages. Incorporating literary terms will also be needed when writing analysis so as to explain and give further evidence and examples needed to answer a certain question.

EDUCATION HACK

Interestingly enough, I read something about the word "hacker" over break and where the term cultivated from. The term was coined by a group of programmers and networking-computer geniuses as early as the first minicomputers came to be. There is a misconception about that term. When people think of the word "hacker" they immediately point them out as people that breach security, breaking into computer systems and such. These people aren't hackers, they are crackers. Hackers are the ones that face challenges by building things from the ground up, they were the ones that transcended the idea of computers by making it their own and making it public. Hackers build, crackers destroy.


So, in my quest, hacking my education is going to be both brutal and donkey-kicking. Yes, it is going to be through my own guidelines and my own rules, but even then, things will still be brutal. I'll have to keep my mindset clear, keep myself from seeing the benefits of making it as my own. I'll go out with a bang. By doing that, I'm going to have to think smart, think differently. I'm going to start prodding holes and looking at passages and poems and literature like an art critique looks at an abstract art for the very first time. This means that I have to think outside of the box, look at things sideways or even upside down, to get different meanings out of one work. I'm going to become more active in my blogs, writing about anything and everything, and going to start to get more involve in school and outside of school.          

Siddhartha Note #1

• awakened; newly born 
• doesn't know where he belongs (feels alone)
• on a journey to find himself 
• we see an evolution occur; things are becoming clear to him
• he compares himself to every one, and then finds himself stepping away from what is expected of him 
• Brahman to self-journey 
• tone: depends on who is interpreting it; might be seen as bold and adventurous OR can be seen as terrified and confused 
• symbol: snake (might symbolize a terrible occurrence because snakes are poisonous and often interpreted as bad omen; snakes are able to paralyze and cause fear) 

Creative Writing: #1

prompt: In a world where water is used as a global currency it rains again for the first time in thousands of years.

the woman felt it first, a foreign drop of water on her cheek, then another, and another, until the droplets dropped faster and faster still. the feeling of cool water upon her skin made her gasp. tears threatened to fall, and her lips, oh, how they quivered. she looked up, saw the beauty of rain for the very first time. she was drenched now, from head to toe, her clothes clung to her, but she had no care. this was it, it was unheard of, to actually see it, feel it, experience rain for the very first time. she crumpled to the ground and looked up at the sky, laid on the mud with her eyes wide open, staring, just staring. she was a dreamer, but this, this was something even she didn’t think, dream, would ever occur. she first heard about “rain” when she was in her history class. she had been doodling on her notebook instead of taking notes, eyes glazed over, figure slumped against her chair. she had only been half listening until her teacher, an old grouch, started talking about rain, actual water falling from the sky. her interest had peaked when she heard the words “water” and “falling” and “sky” in the same sentence. money falling from the sky? that’s even more crazy than money growing on trees! arms raised all over the classroom, she remembers it like it was yesterday, how everyones minds had been sparked by the topic of rain and how her own had been buzzing in wonderment. a flurry of questions were asked.

“so what happened? why did it suddenly stop raining?”

“was it global warming? i heard from my parents that thousands of years ago people didn’t have to wear mask, or not all of them anyway, to breathe”

“was it some crazy scientist? government plan gone wrong?”

         

(totally incomplete, continuing later, i’m planning for this to be at least 800-1,000 words so i still have need about 400-600 words lol ; yes i will edit and capitalize things later, i just got lazy)

Network and Our Topics

Jayce: dance and medicine → dream job and hobby (main interest) ; make videos to represent medical terms (a “spoof” video of sorts, use humour and dance to explain complicated medical terms; think “crashcourse”) OR how dancing changes the body, medically (tense muscles, which muscles and joints are working), and how dancing helps improve health

→ subtopics: time travel ; sociology

Lupe: literacy (reading) and communications, might include animal cruelty → start a reading program for kids (collaboration work with the public library plus community involvement) → students can sign up to help kids read (read to them or essentially teach them reading skills, pronunciation, book recommendations, etc) ; implement a video to show how the program started and progressed, while also showing the world that kids ARE reading and ARE interested in learning how to become more literate

Yesi (collaborating with): language, history, and community involvement (topics) → she volunteers at the Dune Center (museum-ish) ; the community wants a translated version of a published book on the history of Guadalupe (English to Spanish version) which she wants to undertake (but will need permission from the author first ; communication underway) → doesn’t want monetary payment (if she receives money from the book, the money will go towards the community, as donation, for future projects) ; if the book translation doesn’t go through, then the project will take a more community involvement turn aka hiking trails → community outreach

→ collaboration with me: HONY portion of the project as translator  

Danielle (collaborating with): we are working together for the cultural awareness and unity project → incorporating social media to the project (#spreadthelove15)