DH timed writing blog

I would like to blog about the last timed writing I did on the play Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen. It was successfully written and surprisingly earned a high grade. I found the grade deserving and learned a lot from my teachers’ comments. She stated concerns about my connections, transitions, tense of verbs, and support.

First, I need to work on connections because I would draw in characters relevant to my quote, but I realize now that I got off topic several times. Having read the play thoroughly it was hard not to draw in facts from other areas of the play, but I need to work on my focus. Due to the fact that this time I had a strong thesis I was able to control my argument and lead it to the quotes that expressed my interpretation of Ibsen’s theme “the entrapment of woman and the need for individual freedom is exemplified through the symbolism of doors”.

Next, this also shows my trouble with support for my claim. In a few areas she noted where I had the quote, but needed more support. The main contributor to the absence of a conclusion and the lack of support is time. Focusing on the essay I would lose track of time and have to make up for it by leaving support out. I think this is a simple mistake that overtime will get more natural because I would have done over six timed writings by the end of the year. I truly believe you get with a lot of practice.

Then, my teacher circled my errors in the verb tense criteria. I tend to write in present tense because I am currently doing the writing rather than past tense forgetting that I have read the book already and need to reflect on it. It is hard to relate the time relationships among my ideas. Also the passive tense is very common and I tend to move from tense to tense when writing during this rush. I have to work on the style of my writing just as Ibsen did. By shaping it up my teacher will be able to understand my personality and voice; it also shows how I view my audience. My writing shows my goal whether it is to entertain, impress, or persuade, so it is vital that I enhance me style.

Lastly, I falter in transitions. This time not all my transitions lacked originality and didn't blend, but I still struggle on how to make it more engrossing for the reader. I didn't use the standard first, second, third way, but tried to direct it back to the play; however, it often sounded too broad and redundant. I need to focus on the texts and not say what should have happened, but only what did happen.

In conclusion, I can only get better at writing and I appreciate the instructions and support of my teacher as I strive to do so. The time frame is the only hindrance to my full potential, but with her guidance I believe I will be better prepared for the AP Exam and further classes in life.

Ch 8 analysis blog

All The Kings Men Ch. 8 Blog

As I was finishing up the novel “All the Kings Men”, I saw several important quotes that helped tie the novel up as a whole.  The first quote I would like to discuss is, “I had often envied people. People I had seen driving along straight furrow across a black field in April, or Adam Stanton. I had, at moments, envied the people who seemed to have knowledge” is found on 471. This quote is used to show how Jack thinks. As a reader we see that Jack is not simply a lazy man, but instead he is a jealous man. It is not the tangible things he envies, but the facts that others close to him or that he works for actually have goals they wish to attain. Even Anne his life-long love sees his lack of true pure ambition. Though the Work of Willie has been to win over the ignorant country people at least he had determination and built one good thing, the Willie Stark Hospital. The fact that he envies people who know their purpose in life shows that he truly wishes he had one as so this explains his need for a Great Sleep. Knowledge is power is repeated as well that explains the desperation that we as a people feel towards needing to be all knowing. The world is seen as a place where man cannot truly be blamed for their wrong doings because they make it up as they go along; therefore, “If there was a debt, it was, perhaps due to me, from me…My only crime was being a man and living in the world of men, and you don’t have to do special penance for that. That crime and the penance, in that case, coincide perfectly. They are identical.” (500). This shows that Jack’s character, like so many people in today’s society, will not acknowledge the fact that they are wrong in committing any crime; moreover, believing the world has done crimes against them in how it functions day to day that it is inevitable that man become corrupt. We as a people owe ourselves a lot because we allow society to dictate how we operate and have turned us against one another. That is the true crime. This novel warns against the ideals of collectivism and how easily even the purest of characters such as Adam can turn into something evil. When we establish these two ideas of good and bad this novel forces us to then readjust the definitions we may have gathered in the past. Due to the fact that everyone in the novel is connected somehow the evil that one man does affects al the other characters. By the ignorant townspeople praising Willie as a god he becomes conceited and evil, he poisoned his colleagues and Jack, Jacks change from innocence to corrupt repels Anne. Anne falls for Willie he seems to be everything Jack isn’t and this affair is what angers Adam to kill him. All are affected by politics consciously and unconsciously and that is the downfall of this town. 

Significant Quotes in ATKM

Significant Quotes In ATKM

The chapter I would love to discuss is chapter 7. The topic knowledge vs. ignorance is demonstrated in several quotes throughout this novel. It is apparent that Jack is knowledgeable, but wants to be in this sea of ignorance, “They say the drowning man relives his life as he drowns. Well, I was not drowning in water, but brass days and black velvet nights. It took me seventy-eight hours to drown. For my body to sink down to the very bottom of West and lie in the motionless ooze of History, naked on a hotel bed in Long Beach, California (Warren 408).” This is significant because it shows that not only does he escape from reality to through sleep, but also wants to go through water. The drowning and arises acts as a rebirth of a new person. He goes west after becoming knowledgeable of Anne’s’ discretions and is reared “motionless”. It is a state of lifelessness and this connects to 226 where life is described as motion toward knowledge. The fact that Jack only wakes up in order to have the chance to go asleep shows, the non-motion or ignorance he wishes to live his life through. I do  not  understand  why he does not stop living in this lie. He in fact is very knowing of the evil and wrong doings that his boss commits. This could be what is leading to his “black velvet nights”. I believe he knows it’s his fault why Anne was driven to Willie and wants to drown away in regret. This novel constantly makes you fight with if the characters innate characteristics are what is leading to their downfall or if the relationships they maintain are the reasons they fail in attempts to have secure relations.

 The theme that humans are made to be a part of collectivism in order to succeed is presented. Jacks satirical character is a good example, “So maybe she was up in the room trying to discover what her new self was, for when you get in love you are made all over again. The person who loves you has picked you out of a great mass of uncreated clay…and the poor lumpish clay which is you wants to find out what it has been made into…” (423-24).This is significant because it shows how everyone as a whole has to be created by someone else. When you are apart the world grinds, which shows that it does not even make sense to you when you are alone. This can be seen as dependencies not even truly love. I believe that is why Anne attaches herself to the boss. She desperately wants to be attached to a man that does good for the sick not Jack a man with no aspirations. It is almost more of a fantasy and ignorant statement that Jack uses here. This chapter explained that Jack wants to be loved, but his innate ways repulse even Anne. I now can understand Jacks character and can pity him. Similar to Willie I believe he wants to do good, but something is in him prevents this.

ap lit hairball rough draft blog

A.P. Lit Rough Draft Blog

For my rough draft I wrote about the short story “Hairball”. I was instantly attracted to this one in particular because it was written by a strong feminist. Honestly I was confident in which quotes to use because they were the strongest in capturing the essence of “Hairball”. To me it was used to show how symbolism portrays warnings to individuals. I thought my thesis was strong enough, but after reading the comments I can see where I got off topic due to the vagueness of it. Having a stronger thesis would have made it easier to form more logical topic sentences and form connections back to the bigger picture, the “so-what.” It’s hard to make transitions between the paragraphs because I do not want to be repetitive, but simply achieve clarity. The transitions taught to me in my past were the basic ones “first, second, third, in conclusion..”. In order to change my outlook on this I need to research better ways of blending and unifying my ideas. If I had a strong grasp of the basic grammatical structures then that would to a more thorough development of my writing. I do have a lot of corrections to make, so I can’t wait to sit down with you and discuss some concerns.

As I read the comments on my rough draft I simply nodded my head. I feel as though I am constantly in the 5- range because I lack a stronger thesis. I agree that I have insightful observations, but I cannot seem to be consistent in evaluating them. The fact that I start off with a vague thesis throws me off for the direction of my essay. To make it strong it needs to be an effective one that answers the “so what”, evokes argument, and leads to the organization of my paper. I do not understand how to make this thesis more specific, that it what I need help on the most. The next aspect that I learned I could get help in is the unification of my paper. I find it difficult to blend the quotes properly. When I attempted this it was seen as awkward, so I realize that it is a weak area for me. In order for it to blend properly the quote has to fit “naturally” into the paragraph. Lastly, I struggled with rudimentary spelling errors and grammatical infractions. It did not seem to be slowing me down as I sat down to prepare this essay, but I would have thought some of these errors would have been caught by a peer-facilitator. For this very reason I do not particularly like them. I need to focus on the paper itself through striving to avoid passive voice, the use of slang, and watch for the use of “I”. Overall my writing is somewhat of a skeleton, but I understand and will strive to achieve a more clear and in depth analytically developed essay for the final draft.

knowledge vs ignorance blog

In the novel “All The Kings Men” by Robert Penn Warren, he uses the contrast between knowledge and ignorance to highlight the inner turmoil of the main characters Jack and Willie.

Ironically knowledge is seen as a bad thing to have. Jack is often in the shadows not wanting to be a part of politics like Dumonde says he is. He even advises Willie on how to win over the ignorant townspeople, “they don’t believe in God, so it’s up to you to give ‘em something to stir ‘em up and make ‘em feel alive again. Just for half and hour. That’s what they come for. Tell ‘em anything. But for sweet Jesus sake don’t try to improve their minds” (108). It is ironic that in order to run smoothly over the country townspeople the leader must withhold knowledge from them. Looking at why they don’t respond to the facts, shows that they need a sense of connection to the leader rather than simply spewing facts. It should be of interest that Willie takes the initiative to find out how to correctly help people of all classes, but Jacks wisdom allows him to see through to the core of the individuals. Having everyone generalized as needing to feel alive through the lies told to them presents this contrast of whether knowledge is then good or evil. The fact that Willie becomes reminiscent shows that though seen as ignorant, by being used by Saddie and others, he is truly intellectual and knows how to win an election. Politicians should be informing the public through taking the knowledge of the the government and simplifying it for everyone, but instead he has to focus on simply winning an election. Also, with the knowledge that he has been used he then uses everyone in his sight, even black mailing a judge. Knowledge in this novel leads to hurt therefore making it a bad thing.

With knowledge of life comes a greater understanding of the world around you. The fact that life is seen as a symbol of death is alarming. Jack’s character having his life constantly interrupted by men coming and leaving has molded him into the sarcastic character that he is. Earlier he says the townspeople don’t believe in God but here he is almost preaching, “For life is motion toward knowledge. If god is complete knowledge then he is complete Non-Motion, which is Non-Life, which is Death. Therefore, if there is such as God of Fullness of Being, we would worship Death, the Father” (226). Knowledge is supposed to give life purpose and even bring excitement to the dullest of matters. Having death worshipped is unusual because people strive to thank God for life and fear death. It’s a paradox of faith based religion as it incorporates the amalgamation of knowledge. Faith is the opposite of knowledge because one doesn’t need hard paper evidence; they simply need a supreme ignoramus lord over all. This is the character of Willie. Ignorance is needed to thrive in this community in order to function which is the reason for both Jack and Willies downfall.

Archetypal Theory

The Archetypal Theory was grounded in Carl Jung it uses symbols, images, characters, themes, and motifs of a part of an archetype reflecting the collective unconscious story.  This was seen in the original story of Cinderella. The overall goal was depict a damsel in distress. Symbols of marriage were used frequently. Cinderella is presented as a lesser than woman living in the attic and working by the ashes. The fact that the prince is arriving to find a wife that he does not even know ; moreover, the only criteria needing to be met is beauty and social class, shows the desperation being exhibited to find any semblance of love. Having Cinderella act as a certified maid and searching for her way out in a man shows how domestic women were. Before going out and attempted to pursue her dreams like a modernistic women she obeys the heinous wishes of her mean-spirited step mother. Marriage is seen as the most important thing in this time; it showed wealth and meant your name would be carried on for generations to come. Without a name you were not allowed into the finest parties and around the social prosperity of the area. With marriage everything is fixed she no longer is in this bum-like state and treated as an outcast by her family. A false sense of “happiness” can be permeated through this union and it is reflected through the whole upper class, but the sad part is that a damsel will be content as long as she has the tactile means.

The grandmother was also an archetypal symbol of knowledge. She came instantly when Cinderella was in trouble transforming her everyday items such as rats, pumpkins and clothing, into the materials needed for success. The fact that the grandmother is used to physically present a sign that she knows more simply through life experience. Cinderella is alerted to the fact that her material disguise will wear off at twelve. A time is used to show how looks are not permanent and that reality sits in as time goes on. Only the grandmother could provide her appearance and provide the sense of comfort and motherly figure that this young woman needed at this time. It also shows that though her clothes are uglier than her sisters she still offers assistance as they get ready and easily forgive them because her insides are prettier. In conclusion the archetypal theory can be found dating all the way back to the Greeks. It helps the reader connect to their lives and other stories they have heard in the past. It is an archetype because it is timeless knowledge. They come about through the readers as we interact with the world and they will continue to develop as humans do.

Expressionism Blog

Expressionism Blog:

Expressionism is a literary movement that acts as a revolutionary writing method. It goes against the views of typical realist writing and idealistic styles. The purpose is to unconventional, highly subjective writing. I chose this topic because this is what the author Sherwood Anderson used for the driving force in Winesburg, Ohio. The main characters have a distortion of reality because they believe that the serious issues shouldn't be thought of, “he did not think of anything very big or dramatic, the serious and larger aspects of his life did not come into his mind (247).” The fact that George is still in this dream like state shows he is still a child. The whole novel he is trying to get out of the young adult stage and into adulthood, but the outside influences are corrupting his mind. It is not strange that he wants to depart from home and find himself, but to me it feels as if he’s running. George won’t allow himself to think of his mom in her sickly state or the love of his life Helen because it is too real. Dr. Reefy said, “I want to fill you with hatred and contempt so that you will be a superior being” his teachings are molding Georges mind contorting his thoughts into something grotesque.

Another factor of expressionism in writing is a lack of sequence. This story has been debated as being either a novel or a short story cycle. Due to the continuity of characters repeated in each chapter I believe it is a novel. To be a short story cycle each part can stand alone, but in Winesburg, Ohio each chapter gives further analysis of George or is connected to the meaning of the story as a whole. The first book shines a line of the theme of preserving youth. The old man is a symbol of dreams passing by and the sickness/grotesqueness that becomes of your life, “The windows if the house in which he lived was high and he wanted to look at the trees when he awoke in the morning. The ideas had got into his mind that he would some time die unexpectedly and always when he got into bed he thought of that (21-22). Having the windows just out of his reach is a representation of the sort of high expectations he holds for himself. The writer simply desperately wants to be able to look at trees because they are a symbol of life, growth, and development. This reveals how his “heart condition” is more emotional than physical. Irony is displayed through Andersons’ diction, because usually a bed is a comforting place to rest your head; however, here it is used to depict a burial or coffin like state. The theme to preserve your youth is seen in many other chapters in the novel. Elizabeth resents not being able to fulfill her dreams and lives through George.

In conclusion, expressionism is changing the way I look at certain novels. Now I know that there are characters that are striving for individuality, self-reliability, and straying away from communication with others. I believe this is a very important way to write because it is more realistic.