Open Prompt #4

2007, Form B. Works of literature often depict acts of betrayal. Friends and even family may betray a protagonist; main characters may likewise be guilty of treachery or may betray their own values. Select a novel or play that includes such acts of betrayal. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the nature of the betrayal and show how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

    The reason why someone betrays us can sometimes never be clear, but authors leave their readers with the ability to analyze why a character did something with the help of context clues. In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, betrayal plays a huge role in the ending of the novel. Through analyzing the novel we are able to understand that the murder of Lenny was based off of protection and love.

     George and Lenny begin the novel on the run looking for a new life. Lenny has once again caused problems where they were, and George decides that they should be relocated. At first it seems as if George is stuck with a dim witted friend who is constantly reeking havoc, but as the novel continues we see that George actually cares for Lenny.  Because of these emotions, most readers are in pure disgust when they read about George killing Lenny for doing something he has no control over. 

     This act of betrayal was out of love and protection. By killing Lenny himself, Geoge spared Lenny from being tortured by the people who didn't know the truth about Lenny. However, the first time reading this novel, many people are caught up in how vile and repulsive George's actions are until they look through his eyes and see what he saw. George knew that he had to kill his best friend, to spare him the pain and torture that was coming, even though it would cause himself pain as well. George's act of betrayal was not driven by hatred or disgust, but by love and fear. George wanted Lenny to go peacefully, so he betrayed his own best friend to spare his feelings.

Response to Course Material # 3

      These past few weeks have been reinforcing the idea of  even more with our reading of Albee's  "American Dream" and our class discussions. When I found out that I would  have to annotate every single page, I was immediately overwhelmed. I was never forced to read into the text like this. I have always been guided in what passages to look at why I should be looking at them. This close reading of the "The American Dream" was basically the cutting of the rope of teacher-guided    reading and set me to wander through this book on my own. 
      I feel that by analyzing "The American Dream" I am going to be able to analyze both "Death of a Salesman" and prompts on the AP test with confidence. 

Closed Reading #3

The 'Let Women Die' Bill - Ross Becht


      In this article, Ross Becht discusses the bill in women would be potentially forced to die, rather than abort their babies in the case of complications. In this article, Becht uses diction, syntax, and imagery to express his opinion on this bill.
      As soon as you begin the article, you can sense the tension and complete disgust in the idea of this bill by his choice of words. By using words such as refusing, unfortunately, and ridiculous to describe how he feels about thisbill Becht, is automatically setting the tone of the article.
     Another way we can understand Becht's point of view was his syntax. He easily got his point across by asking the readers questions and using phrases to express his view. Another way he uses syntax to make his point clear to the readers is by using long sentences with the most powerful piece of information at the end to shock his readers and influence them to have the same opinion that he does.
      Finally, the most effective thing that Becht uses to express his opinion is the strong and vivid images. Becht begins the article talking about his own personal experience with his wife and the hardships all women face either during or after pregnancy. This really allows the reader to embody the physical pain that these women go through leaving the reader feeling sympathetic. The strongest use of imagery is at the end of the article he starts three sentences with "As a ..." and follows each phrase with a reason why he is appalled when he is this certain type of person. By doing this we can see how different readers may react to this bill, based on their background.
     By chooisng what he put into his sentences and carefully picking his words and memories, Becht is able to influence his readers and make them see the error in this bill.

Open Prompt #3

1995. Writers often highlight the values of a culture or a society by using characters who are alienated from that culture or society because of gender, race, class, or creed. Choose a novel or a play in which such a character plays a significant role and show how that character's alienation reveals the surrounding society's assumptions or moral values.

      In the popular TV show Glee, the main characters constantly step out of their comfort zone to highlight the other boring high-schoolers that attend their high school. People who are different often contrast how others are the same and are percieved. In "The American Dream" by Edward Albee, the Grandmother is an older and wiser character used to juxtapose the younger characters to show Albee's opinion of the old and new american dream. 

      Many times in the play, we see that Grandma was raised in a different environment and age period in comparison to the younger characters like her daughter and her daughters husband, their son, and one of their friends. The Grandma in this play is contrasted to the younger characters such as Mommy and Daddy by having conversations full of substance and truth instead of talking about the color of a bag. Grandma's monologues are constitent in the way that she is always pointing out the truth and being honest. By doing this, Albee represents the old American dream as truthful and full of substance. 

      One major comparison of characters in this play is the comparison between Grandma - the old american dream, and the young man - the new american dream. Grandma is old and worn down and is always complaining about how old she feels. The young man appears handsome and both full of energy and life. This comparison between the two dreams represents how Grandma was once like the young man both promising and full of hope.

     Albee's comparison of these two types of characters, the young generation and the old generation highlight the differences of the two types of dreams and the way they are used. 

Response to Course Material #2

     After the 25th of September, we did multiple things such as continue to learn about the aspects of DIDLS,  continuing to practice how to write an introduction for our essays, and learn about types of comedy by reading "The American Dream" by Edward Albee.
    One thing I really enjoyed about these past few weeks was being able to fully understand how to use syntax. Before this class I understood that syntax is about the structure of sentences, but in the packet we reviewed in class I was able to actually look at specific examples of how it is used and the affect it has. By learning about how syntax can be used in pieces, I was able to use syntax for my closed reading response. By using it I felt that I was able to go more into depth of how the author was portraying his point.  
    The constant repetition of dissecting prompts and creating introduction paragraphs seems very tedious to me, but I know that in the long run that this will be a very good skill to have practiced multiple times before the AP exam this may.
     Finally, another thing that has really stuck with me is the reading of Edward Albee's "The American Dream". I enjoyed reading this play because of how absurd it was. I thought it was a very clever way to get his point across. While I was reading this I thought about how parents can make up absurd stories to get children to learn life lessons. Also, another reason I enjoyed this reading was because I took an active part in the play by reading the part of Mrs. Baker Barker. Overall I think that these past few weeks have expanded my knowledge of both tactics to approach literature as well as the AP exam.

Close Reading #2

"Up From Ugliness" - Ross Douthat


     When I first looked at this article, I expected it to be about the late Steve Jobs and every one of his accomplishments. However, as I continued to read the article I was mesmerized by how Jobs had affected not just the products we use, but how they are perceived. By the careful use of diction, imagery, and syntax Douthat convinces his readers that Jobs was more than just a successful business man, but a man who shaped the modern world into something beautiful.
     In this article, Douthat uses positive words to emphasize his opinion of Jobs. Words such as glories, allure, grace, style and beautiful all create a positive and innovative impression of the work Jobs has done. The sentence ". . . Jobs revived the romance of modernity — the assumption, shared by Victorian science-fiction writers and space-age dreamers alike, that the world of the future should be more glamorous than the present" is loaded with words that appeal to the reader making Jobs sound like a glorified  inventor. The positive words sway the reader to listen to Douthat's perspective of Jobs and begin to see the impact that Jobs really had.
     While reading this essay, I was constantly comparing both fantasies and realities of the world and what it was envisioned to be. Most people had an ideal image of what the future would be when they were younger; in this essay I was able to compare what I had expected to what Steve Jobs had created.  The author evokes this thought process by comparing strong images. Douthat describes a less innovative and ugly world as "Our cities had crime-ridden towers and white elephant shopping centers where the neighborhoods used to be. . ." and then switches to describing the current world by saying  ". . . a return to walkable neighborhoods, human-scale housing, and pleasant public spaces. . . our cars more curvaceous, our civic architecture less offensive." The contrast of these different images followed by a description of the type of work Jobs did causes the reader to imagine the two types of lifestyles and the impact Jobs had on it.
     Another reason this piece causes a strong sense of admiration for Steve Jobs is the use of syntax in the article. A common tactic used in this piece is the pairing of short sentences followed by a long sentence. This allows the reader to learn some quick information about Jobs and then go onto hear how this affected the world. Syntax, imagery, and diction are all used in this piece to highlight the contributions that Steve Jobs has left this world with. 

Open Prompt #2

1977. In some novels and plays certain parallel or recurring events prove to be significant. In an essay, describe the major similarities and differences in a sequence of parallel or recurring events in a novel or play and discuss the significance of such events. Do not merely summarize the plot.

     Each time we revisit a familiar place, new memories are created; no two visits are exactly the same. In our minds, we view these revisits as normal experiences, but in literature, these occurrences are almost always symbolic. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester's visits to the scaffold represent both the progression of the novel and the unraveling of the novel's biggest secret. 
     There are three instances in which Hester stands on the scaffold. Each time she stands there Hawthorn is emphasizing a major event. In the beginning of the novel, Hester stands before the town with her baby Prim in her arms. She is stoic as she stands alone and refuses to say the name of the father of her child. This visit to the scaffold emphasizes how brave Hester is and how cowardly Dimmesdale is. 
      In the middle of the novel, Hester, Prim and Dimmesdale meet on the scaffold in the middle of the night by chance. In this scene, Dimmesdale is acknowledging the fact that he is Prim's father and also a sinner. In comparison to the first scene on the scaffold, this scene has both Hester and Prim again with the addition of Dimmesdale, except the towns people are missing. This scene represents the start of Dimmesdale's acceptance, but because this meeting is in the  dark of night with no witnesses besides Hester and Prim we can see that he has not fully forgiven himself.
     In the final visit to the scaffold, both Hester and Prim are present once again, as well as the towns people and Dimmesdale. Here, Dimmesdale reveals his secret to the entire town and then shortly dies afterwords. While the three are standing on the scaffold, they are all free of their secrets as they are displayed in front of the entire town. This scene is free of secrecy as compared to the first encounter on the scaffold where Dimmesdale remained hidden from the public. By having Dimmesdale stand on the scaffold in front of the town, Hawthorne is emphasizing the fact that Dimmesdale has come clean and accepted his sin.  
     These three visits to the scaffold are emphasizing the beginning, middle and the end of the novel by comparing who is on the scaffold and who they are in front of. These scenes cause the novel to tie itself together and creates a better sense of what is going on in the novel.