CHARACTER STUDY (III)

As Saith and the mute, unknown man continued to proceed in their journey, a large ship was visible in the distance. After a few minutes, the two arrived at the ship, where several other individuals were boarding. Confused, Saith followed her partner's lead and kept quiet. It took quite some time to board the populous shipped, filled with individuals of all races, ages, and sizes. The two got settled on two seats that were adjacent to one another and still did not communicate at all. Saith, dressed in jeans, a shirt, and tennis shoes, and only containing a backpack with a water bottle, her makeup back, and books, began to feel cold and sick. She excused herself to look for a bathroom on the ship but was surprised when she turned around to see her partner following her. "Why are you following me?" she exclaimed. He did not respond. She gave up any hope of a response and told herself she would not ask anymore questions to save her energy. She finds a bathroom, small, filthy, covered in used dirty toilet paper, and wet with unknown substances, and was disgusted. She was to the verge of puking but after seeing the restrooms she went back to her seat, dealing with the unpleasant feeling in her stomach. It wasn't until almost three or four hours later, she thinks, that the man finally answered her questions. "Sir, can you please at least introduce yourself?" He finally replied, " My name is Peter, and I was once like you, ungrateful for everything in my life, a disrespectful little brat, and then I went on this journey that you are just about to be starting and am now a totally different person with a new perspective on life." Saith took in all of his information and began to feel guilty of all of the wrong doings she had performed in her life. She then asked," One last question if you don't mind, where are we exactly going?" "We're going to Kenya, the location at which the Father who you will confess and apologize to is. The duration of the trip is 10 days, one day for the trip there, one day for the way back, and eight days to confess and make up for your misdoings in life. The two continued on with their conversation, covering a diverse, large amount of topics. After a long day on the ship, they had arrived at Kenya. Unloading the ship took longer than it did boarding it, and contained more complications. Anxious, the individuals awaited their turn onto the land. When it was their turn, Saith and Peter hopped off the ship with their belongings when they were suddenly approached by two other females. The females, sweaty, tired, and lost, introduced themselves and asked if they could tag along. Startled, Saith and Peter hesitated but after a few seconds and said yes. Awkwardly, the two girls introduced themselves as Ashlyn and Courtney, who were on a journey to obtain extra school credits at the main school in Kenya. The four of them reached the shelter to which they were designed to stay the nine days, and introduced themselves a little more vividly. They all explained why they were on the journey and what they are going to gain from it. Starting with Saith who said she was here to confess her wrong doings she had completed in her life to The Father so she can be forgiven and return home with a new perspective and attitude towards life, they four created a special bond and agreement in which they agreed to help each other accomplish their mission. Saith and Peter were going to contribute to the gaining of extra school credits for Ashlyn and Courtney, while in return, Ashlyn and Courtney were going to help Saith's confessions easier and more beneficial. Exhausted, the four individuals all fell asleep and woke up in the morning to bells ringing and the host of the journey screaming," It's time to get going, people. Wake up and start doing your jobs!" They got up, prepared themselves for the long day ahead of them, and made their way to their destinations as a group.

CANTERBURY TALES (II): WHAT A CHARACTER!

CHARACTER STUDY (I)

I wake up, frantic, my alarm ringing, dreading the horrendous taste of morning breath. The clock says 7:32, I have twenty eight minutes to get to class which is all the way across campus. I do my make up, brush my hair and put it into a braid, put on a UCLA t-shirt, some running shorts, and my brand new Nike's and head down to the dining hall. Quickly I scarf down a bowl of oatmeal and a banana, jump on my bike and ride to class. Terrified, intimidated, alone, I walk into the huge, populous classroom, observing all of the other colleagues who are all here for the same reason; education.  Awkwardly, I ask a girl with short blonde hair  wearing a UCLA sweatshirt with running shorts and sandals, if the seat next to her was vacant, she responded yes. I took a seat, took a deep breath and acknowledged the fact that I was officially a student at the University of California Los Angeles. Surrounded by other students of all ethnicities, I begin to feel that I am an outlier of the group. They were all comfortable, suitable, and excited while I on the other hand was nervous, lonely, and intimidated. After a few minutes of me frantically observing my surroundings and preparing myself physically and mentally for the first college lecture I would ever receive, the girl who I was sitting next to with the cute, short blonde hair said, "I'm glad to see that I am not the only one that feels like they're going to throw up." I responded, "Phew, I thought I was the only one! Glad to meet someone who feels the same way I do and someone who loves to dress simply and comfortably just like me!" We both giggled, introducing ourselves to each other, sharing our life stories like we had known each other forever. It was that moment that I knew I had just met an individual who would be someone I could talk to and reach out to with anything, someone who would be a great friend for many, many years.

MY DASHBOARD

My personal dashboard contains Dr. Preston's course blog so I do not have to type in the URL every time I would like to visit the course blog, it contains the weather for Santa Maria, my twitter account instagram, and Gmail accounts so I can refer to those sites quickly, a calculator, and my dashboard also contains my list of to do's that aren't necessarily required to b completed very soon, but somewhat near in the future (personal statements, SAT practice, etc.) I am definitely going to be utilizing this opportunity and dashboard every single day, now that I have an easy directed site that has all that I need on one page! The dashboard is very convenient and beneficial and will become very handy here in the next few, busy months!

MASTERPIECE 1

To be honest, my masterpiece is still under construction and consideration. I have not yet decided what it is I will be presenting. I am an extremely busy individual who has a lot on her plate. I juggle so many awesome things in my life, it's hard to choose some over the other. Whether my masterpiece be based on my softball career, the medical career I want to pursue in my future, the camp I attended for kids with heart disease like me, or about all of these together, I can promise you that it will be good. I am aiming to present you my life in the best way I can. When I am done completing my presentation, I want you to be able to say that you know so much more about me, my family, and my life. As time progresses, I hope for clarity as which of the topics or what topics I would like to present to you guys. In the mean time, I am going to continue to be me, do well in and outside of school, and do my best to prepare my masterpiece. I will not let you down, so be prepared! :)

Notes pages 90-115

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343?-1400)
-son of a merchant, soldier, diplomat, royal clerk
-author of The Canterbury Tales which provides the best contemporary picture we have of fourteenth century England, he takes the reader on a journey through medieval society
-sent in his early teens to work as page to the wife of Lionel of Antwerp where he was introduced to the aristocratic society of England
-while serving in the army in France, he was captured and held as a prisoner; Kind Edward paid 16 pound ransom for his release
-his early poems were based on the works of European poets
-first major book was The Book of Duchess
-wrote The Canterbury Tales in his later years for reasons no one knows why
-believed he may have been influenced by his own pilgrimage to Canterbury where he observed many pilgrims who were starting their own journey
-in the story each character tells a tale on the way to Canterbury; it encompasses medieval literature- from romance to comedy, from rhyme to prose, from crude humor to religious mysteries
-he was considered the greatest English poet, a shrewd storyteller, and an influence to many


-his story begins with a prologue in which the narrator (presumably him) meets 29 other pilgrims at a Inn in a suburb in London
-to make the journey a challenge for the pilgrims, the host of the Inn suggests that each pilgrim tell two stories o the way to Canterbury and two stories on the way back
-each section of the story consists of one of the pilgrim's stories, 24 tales in the entire story
-in the prologue, Chaucer sketches a brief but vivid picture of each pilgrim, creating a sense of medieval life
-the characters are classified by their rank/orders
-each pilgrim tells a tale that is consistent with his or her character which privides the reader with the major forms of medieval literature

 

-traveling w/ the pilgrims may give the reader a sense that the world is a huge place

 

 

-the story begins with the narrator describing spring along with its showers and flowers

-he states that around this time of year, people like to go on pilgrimages and that he, himself is also considering going on one

-he decided to go on a pilgrimage; while on it he was accompanied by many other pilgrims

-the narrator goes into detail about the knight, as if it symbolizes the best of the pilgrims, the one that is the strongest and smartest

-the knights son, resembling the mighty characteristics of his father, is admired by the narrator

-narrator continues to introduce pilgrims he is surrounded with; Yeoman, the Nun, The Monk,  Friar, the poor merchant, Oxford Cleric, the Sergeant at the Law, Franklin, a Haberdasher, Dyer, Carpenter, Weaver, Carpet-maker, the Cook, Skipper, Doctor, worthy wife of Bath, Parson, Plowman, Reeve, Manciple, Pardoner, Summoner, Miller,  and the Host

-each and every character he introduced was supported by appearances, such as clothing, style, class, characteristics, personalities, etc.

-after he is finished introducing all of the pilgrims, the narrator apologizes to his reader if he has offended anyone (referring to the reader); "But first I beg of you, in courtesy, Not to condemn me as unmannerly If I speak plainly with no concealing's And give account of all their words and dealings Using their very phrases as they fell."

-after all of the pilgrim get settled, the host announces that this group of pilgrims was the best he has ever been accompanied by and that the journey will be free of cost for them all

-he declares that each of the pilgrims are required to tell two stories on the journey to Canterbury and two different stories on the journey back from Canterbury

-he then states the author of the story that is most popular, best told, and most meaningful will receive a supper paid by all of the other pilgrims on the journey 

-the pilgrims settle the dispute of the price of the supper and return to enjoying their journey, sipping on wine

-the story ends by the men awaking and then each draw a straw to see when their turn will be for presenting their stories; the person who draws the shortest straw is the first to go and so on

-the host says that whoever disagrees with his ideas/requirements will have to pay for their pilgrimage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes pages 74-82

MY DECLARATION OF LEARNING INDEPENDENCE

As societies begin to evolve, so do the individuals inhabiting these societies. Each and every individual in the world has their own ways of learning and obtaining knowledge. Whether it be by studying for hours or just ten minutes, doing all the work or doing none, or being motivated to educate oneself or to not, its all different. A Declaration of Learning Independence should be issued to each and every student throughout the world. No one should be required to learn and study a specific way, they should be given the opportunity to educate freely and share their methods with others. My Personal Declaration of Learning Independence is to obtain the material presented by the teacher, read over the text a few times, take notes on the context, and then study the notes in order to get full absorption of the material I am provided with. I am not one who can see something and then remember it, I have to accommodate myself with the material for quite sometime and then I feel confident that I know it. Although this method of learning may seem ridiculous to some, others may find this extremely beneficial, like me. Like I stated earlier, everyone has the right to educate themselves the way they want, with no consequences. A teacher should never expect an individual to absorb material in ways that aren't beneficial or familiar to the student. What's neat about this class is that Dr. Preston allows us to learn in our own ways and even lets us share with our fellow classmates our methods and how it is beneficial to our own lifestyle. I believe if more teachers were to acknowledge how much this helps us improve as students and adapt to the new methods of teaching, they would see a big increase in the quality of work produced by their students.

VOCABULARY #4

obsequious - adj. attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
-One must demonstrate obsequious manner while attending formal events.

beatitude - noun supreme blessedness 
-I am an individual who trys to demonstrate a beatitude attitude because I am blessed with the best in life.

bete noire- noun a person or thing that one particularly dislikes.
-The cull of a story or event can also possible be the bete noire of the situation.

bode - verb indicate by signs; be an omen of a particular outcome.
-The teens decision to skip class did not bode well for his future.

dank - adj. unpleasantly cool and humid
-The couple, lost in the middle of nowhere with no method of communication to others, were intimidated by the dank, mysterious atmosphere surrounding them.

ecumenical - adj. of worldwide scope or applicability; concerned with promoting unity among churches or religions
-Many of previous literature periods attempted an ecumenical approach towards their literary pieces.

fervid - adj. extremely hot; characterized by intense emotion
-In  The Color Purple, Harpo is portrayed as fervid throughout the entire piece.

fetid - adj. offensively malodorous; smelling very unpleasant
-Commonly, if one doesn't not obtain correct hygiene, they will gradually become fetid.

gargantuan - adj. of great mass; huge and bulky
-Last year, in AP English, the teacher gave us a gargantuan amount of home and busy work, but never gave us feedback after we completed it.

heyday - noun the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
-I believe I will reach my heyday once I become a physician of some sort.

incubus - noun a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; someone who depresses or worries others; a situation resembling a terrifying dream
-My whole life, because I have heart disease, I have been considered an incubus to my family and friends.

infrastructure - noun the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; the basic structure or features of a system or organization
-Ever since this year, I have used a common infrastructure when writing, but now I am going to attempt to alter that approach and form to something a little more complex and more rigorous.

inveigle - verb influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
-When inveigled by the teacher, the student gained the confidence it took to reveal his work to the rest of the class.

kudos - noun an expression of approval and commendation
-After completing my personal statements, I had my peers revise and edit them and then was given kudos to be proud of and confident in them.

lagniappe - noun a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)
-Often, after reading a book, I feel that the author has given me a lagniappe, because of the knowledge and/or the morals/themes it provided me with.

prolix - adj. tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
-The Essays of Michel de Montaigne can be considered very prolix because of the complex text he inserts into the story.

protege - noun a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career
-I believe that Dr. Preston will be a protégé to not only me, but to all of my fellow classmates.

prototype - noun a standard or typical example
-As an individual, it is critical to be considered a prototype by others.

sycophant - noun a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
-A teachers pet (aka KISS ASS) is usually classified as a sycophant.

tautology - noun useless repetition; (logic) a statement that is necessarily true
-Sometimes, authors use tautology to prove a point in their writing.

truckle - verb yield to out of weakness; try to gain favor by cringing or flattering
-After the student had disrespected the teacher, the student attempted to truckle the teacher, but the teacher did not buy it for one second.

Stress&exhaustion, AKA SCHOOL

LITERATURE ANALYSIS #1

LITERATURE ANALYSIS

1.      Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid clichés.
3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)

CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.
4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction. 

 

1)      EXPOSTION: The story begins with Celie, the protagonist of the story, writing letters to God explaining her poor life. Growing up, her stepfather, Alphonso, rapes and beats her. The twisted man had impregnated Celie once before, and forced her to give the baby away. As the story progresses, the more letters Celie writes to the man above. Nettie, Celie’s sister, and Celie continue to bump heads and conflict with Alphonso. A man known only by “Mr.” claims that he would be enchanted to marry Nettie, but Alphonso, her father, refuses and tells the man that he can take the hideous and ugly child, Celie. Mr. agrees and Celie was then submerged into a dull, unhappy marriage of hell. Fed up with her father’s horrible decision making and actions, Nettie flees from the family which causes Celie to believe Nettie died because they lost communication. Shug Avery, a well-known woman, comes into town, exciting the individuals of their town. When the news spreads that Shug is extremely ill with a disease, Mr. accepts him into his house to take care of her. Eventually, Mr. assigns Celie to take care of the ill woman, and the two girls started on a rough patch. After quite some time, Celie and Shug become good friends and form a sexual relationship. Although, Celie finds out that Shug is sleeping with Mr. which cause Celie to question both her relationships with Mr. and Shug. Conflict between Mr.’s son Harpo, Harpo’s ex-girlfriend Sofia, and new girlfriend Squeak occur which results in Sofia being put in jail for quite some time. RISING ACTION: One night, after and intimate time in bed, Shug asks Celie about her sister and why she doesn’t speak to her any longer. Celie informs her of the event and Shugs admits that she saw a ton of letters hidden by Mr. in the trunk of his car. The two retrieve the letters and after reading the huge amount, Celie finds out that Nettie was in Africa with a family, experiencing Africa and its diverse culture. Nettie finds out from the family she is stationed with, is the family that Celie’s children were given to. Hearing all of the devastating news, Celie begins to lose faith in God but is reimbursed with this faith by the help of Shug. CLIMAX: One night at dinner, Celie finally had the confidence and stood up to the abusive Mr. and exclaimed that she and Shug were moving to Tennessee together. RESOLTION: On a visit back to Georgia after moving to Tennessee, Celie finds out that her stepfather, Alphonso, had died and that she was able to inherit all of his property. Celie takes the offer, and is lucky enough to reunite with her sister Nettie. Satisfied, relieved, and exhausted, the sisters are extremely thankful for their company. In her last letter Celie, although old and elderly, states that she has never felt so young in her life.

2)      Although the story contains a variety of different themes, there is one specific one that is portrayed throughout the entire plot. That theme is when attempting to create yourself, it is crucial to contain the ability to convey your thoughts, beliefs, and opinions without any fear. In The Color Purple, Celie is surrounded by dysfunctional, abusive, lost people. No matter how she tried to avoid them, it ends up biting her in the bum. Fearful of the possibilities that could harm her; she is terrified of standing up to those individuals. The only source she has to vent to and/or express her feelings is the letters she writes to God. God is the only one who listens, understands, and helps her escape reality. She contains no self-confidence, which restricts her from standing up to the negativity surrounding her. She continues to act as the punching bag of the relationships she has with her peers. After Shug suggests Celie to stand up for herself to others, Celie is able to defend herself and ends up living a satisfying, independent, self-reliable life with the ones she loves.

3)      The narrator of the story, Celie, demonstrates a tone that is fearful, anxious, and somewhat self-loving. The excerpts from the story that depicts her tone include “All my life I had to fight. I had to fight my daddy. I had to fight my brothers. I had to fight my cousins and my uncles. A girl child ain't safe in a family of men. But I never thought I'd have to fight in my own house.” This quote depicts the fear that almost all of the characters in the story faced. There was no one in the story that avoided arguments and conflicts with another character, they all struggled and we affected by the disagreements between themselves and others. Another quote from the book is one that represents the self-loving tone, “I'm pore, I'm black, I may be ugly and can't cook, a voice say to everything listening. But I'm here.” This specific quote demonstrates how Celie and her sister were so self reliable and loving, even though they were black and treated like trash by others, they loved themselves for who they were, and were proud of who they were. One last quote that represents the common tone used throughout the story is “I feel a little peculiar round the children. For one thing they grown. And I see they think me and Nettie and Shug and Albert and Samuel and Harpo and Sofia and Jack and Odessa real old and don't know much what going on. But I don't think us feel old at all. And us so happy. Matter of fact, I think this the youngest us ever felt.” This specific quote demonstrates the extreme level of anxiousness that not only Celie encounters, but also Nettie. Both girls were so anxious to reunite and to be happy like they were once before. Being separated for such a large amount of time really had an impact on their relationship and made it stronger than it was before.

4)      In the story, Alice Walker uses many literary devices to depict her purpose and to help her distribute her tone to her audience. On page 74, she utilizes simile in which she inserts the quote, “Sometime I look down on the path from our house and it look like a swarm of lightening bugs all in and through Sofia house.” On page 153, the author inserts an example of personification by stating, “For six months the heavens and the winds abused the people of Olinka. Rain came down in spears, stabbing away the mud of their walls.” On page 59, an example of a metaphor is provided; ”They swing through every now and then, drunk from eating and enjoying the heat, buzz enough to make me drowsy.” Hyperbole is depicted on page 286, when Celie says “When Nettie’s foot come down on the porch I almost die.” Another literary device that is portrayed several times throughout the story is imagery. Two examples that she includes in the text are on page 37 and 195. On page 37, Celie is describing the room she slept in at Mr.’shouse and states, “The looking glass hang crooked, the curtains torn. The bed look like the stuffing pulled out.” On page 195, the example of imagery she provides the reader with is , “He big and old and tall and graybearded and white. He wear white robes and go barefooted.” Alice Walker, in her story, also includes a good amount of symbolism. The letters the characters use to communicate with one another represent communication during the time period. It also serves as an outlet to which Celie can vent to and express all of the feelings she is forced to bottle up inside. Walker also utilizes colors of the rainbow to represent different personalities and characteristics of individuals. She names the story The Color Purple to portray Celi’s transformation of a reserved, mute girl to a confident, independent woman. Walker utilizes God as an outlet for Celie to look up to as a reliable authority figure that will help her dish out her feelings. The sewing of quilts in the story symbolizes women’s ability to transform their creativeness into something productive and challenging. The quilts also have their own purpose in which it is to show the diversity among all citizens and the aspects that bring all the differences together and unify them all. One that can be considered controversial to others, but is a obvious symbolism to me is that Walker uses the sexual relationship between Shug and Celie to portray the idea that it is okay to be gay, bisexual, etc. All of these literary techniques contribute to the purpose of the story which is to have the ability to stand up for oneself when faced with conflict and/or trouble. One should contain the self confidence it takes to defend their self when attacked mentally and/or physically by another person. Each of the examples listed above has its own, unique way of representing the theme and purpose of the story. *I would have included the page numbers of these examples, but I gathered all of the examples before I realized in the directions that I was required to include page numbers. I am sorry for the inconvenience, but you can trust me, I wouldn’t lie to you ;)

 

CHARACTERIZATION

1)      In The Color Purple, Alice Walker includes many examples of both indirect and direct characterization. Her very first example of direct characterization is on page 1 of the book where she performs direct characterization while introducing the main character, Celie. “Dear God, I am fourteen years old. I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me.” In this sentence, Alice Walker is providing the reader with characteristics and the personality type of Celie. One can obtain from that sentence that Celie is an innocent, lost, desperate, confused, fourteen year old girl who is reaching out for help. If you were to complete the rest of the book, you would recognize that the characterization Alice Walker provided you with on the very first page of the book is exactly who Celie portrays herself as throughout the entire novel. Another example of direct characterization in the story is when Alice Walker introduces the family who welcomes Nettie into their family with open arms. “The lady you met in town is name Corrine. The little girl’s name is Olivia. The husband’s name is Samuel. The little boy’s name is Adam. They are sanctified religious and very good to me. They live in a nice house next to the church where Samuel preaches, and we spend a lot of time on church business. I say “we” because they always try to include me in everything they do, so I don’t feel so left out and alone.” This passage from the book gives specific, discrete detail of the family who is now taking care of Nettie. Walker provides the audience with direct characteristics, lifestyles, names, and even religion in just one paragraph. Like Celie’s characterization, the initial introduction to these characters reveals the characteristics they portray throughout the entire story. Another example of direct characterization is on page 133, when Samuel’s true physical and mental identity is demonstrated. “Samuel is a big man. He dresses in black almost all the time, except for his white clerical collar. And he is black. Until you see his eyes you think he is somber, even mean, but he has the most thoughtful and gentle brown eyes. When he says something, it settles you…. And he’s never out to dampen your spirit or to hurt. Corrine is a lucky woman to have him as her husband.” Filled with discrete, specific, logical detail and imagery, one is able to form a picture and idea of Samuel in their head just by reading those few lines. An example of indirect characterization that is portrayed in the book is Walker’s comparison between the worn down, cheap clothing that the characters wear to their lifestyle and ethic. An instance where Walker portrayed this was when Mr.’s sister came into town to visit and complained how poor Celie’s clothes were which persuaded her brother into purchasing new clothes for Celie. This reference implies that because Celie wears poor, worn clothes, she is possibly from a poor background. Another example of this indirect characterization is when Walker states that Shug contains sexy glamorous clothing to imply that she is an independent, black woman, who really doesn’t give a damn about what others think of her, and that she is a strong individual. Another form of indirect characterization that Walker uses is the insertion of the style of dialogue the characters share with one another. The vocabulary and speech of these characters is very Southern, inferring the Southern, uneducated background Celie and her family evolved from. In comparison to Celie’s dialogue, Nettie’s on the other hand is much easier for the audience to gather and make sense of. She displays a much more complex vocabulary than Celie which implies that she has experienced more in life and has obtained more, better education than Celie has. Along with many other examples of the characterization Walker uses, the implications that are made of the characterizations really have an effect on how the reader feels and thinks about the characters. Walker uses both to provide the reader with a more personal introduction of a character and also a not so personal, direct approach so that the readers can make their own opinions and assumptions of the characters as the story progresses. The use of both of these devices gives the story more diversity and depth, meaning that each characterization provides the reader and the plot with more aspects of its characters as it did before.

2)      I do not, personally, feel that the author’s syntax/diction changes when referring to one character or another. Celie is a well rounded character that views people as they are; she sees everything as it is. She doesn’t try to make people out to be something they are not, she goes off of what she is presented with by each of the characters and reacts to it. An example of this is when at the beginning of her and Shugs relationship, she is treated badly and basically shunned by Shug even though she was taking close, sincere care of Shug. Instead of reacting like the rest of the characters would and got upset, Celie accepted it for how it was and moved on. Not once did she react in such a way that would start a conflict between her and the other character, she just remained calm and went with the flow of things.

3)      I would say that Celie is a dynamic character but it was only one incident in the entire story that made her a dynamic. If it weren’t for that one specific event, she would be classified as a static character. The event that enabled one to classify her as a dynamic character is when she finally gained the confidence to change her ways and stand up to her abusive “husband.” Other than that, Celie remained the same throughout the entire novel. Yes, she did gain new feelings towards people such as Shug and Mr., but she did not transform into a different type of character. She is a round character also because she portrays many characteristic that make her innocent, young, uneducated, inexperienced, lost, a push-over, and many more.

4)      After reading the book I feel that I have made a friendship with Celie. In ways, she somewhat represents me. We both became lost in one point in our lives, are influenced by our peers/family, and we both eventually gained the self confidence to stand up for ourselves. I loved reading all of her internal thoughts as the story progressed, and how these thoughts and the events she experienced transformed her into her independent, confident woman she resulted in. One event that finally finalized the feeling of a bond created between Celie and me, was when she finally had the guts to stand up to her husband, Mr. I loved that, even know she was fearful of the consequences she would face after the approach, she still pursued her fight back at the abusive, inconsiderate, low-life man. Even better, she gained from the experience, she caused Mr. to rethink his life and how he treats others and also became a successful, independent woman from it. I was in complete admiration of Celie and was so proud of her when she stood up to him!

Vocabulary #3

accolade - noun a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
-The theory introduced by the two scientists was accolade by everyone involved with the experiment.
acerbity - noun a sharp sour taste; a sharp bitterness; a rough and bitter manner
-The author specialized in completing stories that were known for their outrageous acerbity.
attrition - noun the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction; a wearing down to weaken or destroy; sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation; the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice; erosion by friction
-The congress is attempting to weaken the opposition by attrition.
bromide - noun a trite or obvious remark
-We, citizens of present day society are often told the bromide that attending school and pursuing a good education will be beneficial for your future
chauvinhist - noun an extreme bellicose nationalist; a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind
-Hitler, the chauvinist he is, performed many wrong-doings to the Germans throughout his lifetime.
chronic - adj. being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering
-The period of The Great Depression was extremely chronic for its victims.
expound - verb add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; state
-True, dedicated athletes, will utilize any opportunity to expound the love for their game.
Factionalism- the state or quality of being partisan or self-interested
-In politics today and even in the past, a great deal of factionalism.
immaculate - adj. completely neat and clean; free from stain or blemish; without fault or error
-The immaculate literary piece was admired by many.
imprecation - noun the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult); a slanderous accusation
-When approached with an imprecation, individuals tend to become offensive and upset.
ineluctable - adj. impossible to avoid or evade:"inescapable conclusion"
-Failure, no matter in what context, shape, or form, is ineluctable.
mercurial - adj. relating to or containing or caused by mercury; relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury; liable to sudden unpredictable change
-I am an extremely mercurial girl, quick to portray emotion, while my sister is the total opposite.
palliate - verb provide physical relief, as from pain; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
-Chemotherapy works by palliating the breast cancer.
protocol - noun code of correct conduct; forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state; (computer science) rules determining the format and transmission of data
-When one arrives late to Mr. Nesper's class, the protocol is to stand by the door without entering and disturbing the class until he acknowledges you and your reasons for the tardy.
resplendent - adj. having great beauty and splendor
-When an individual portrays a selfless personality and puts others before themselves, to me, they are looked up to as resplendent individuals.
stigmatize - verb mark with a stigma or stigmata; to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful
-What students who do not complete their work don't realize is that their slacking off is just going to stigmatize them in the future.
sub rosa - in confidence
-The bullied, tortured individual approached the bully in sub rosa.
vainglory - noun outspoken conceit; inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements;
-If I were to be accepted into UCLA I would be in vainglory because of the fact that I had doubted my acceptance in future scenarios.
vestige - noun an indication that something has been present; a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists; the smallest amount
-The two conflicting girls revealed no vestige of argumentation.
volition - noun the act of making a choice; the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
-Even with being peer pressured by her friends, the girl performed a volition, in which she thought was the best decision for herself.

BEOWULF ESSAY

     "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacle." These wise words told by Christopher Reeve depict the true meaning of a hero. A hero is one that is courageous, strong, brave, and looked up to by its peers. He is one who would risk his own life to save another, one who doesn't demonstrate the cliche characteristics shown in the majority of the individuals on Earth; selfish and cowardly. In Beowulf, Beowulf portrays these godlike qualities. Thoughout the story, he never fails to embody the ideal "hero" of his time period. From fighting with his very own mother, to battling with the mighty dragon explained in the text, Beowulf not once looses faith in himself and his personal abilities. Beowulfs dedication to his people, passion for success, and heroic qualities characterize him as an epic symbol of his time period whose success story as a hero is portrayed through a monomyth, a hero's journey in which "A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man." 

    In Beowulf, Beowulf demonstrates his bravery and strength when he assigns himself to defeat the mighty dragon. This fearless, fire breathing beast, in the story, serves as a symbolism for fate and how it can always be tried but never defeated.  Beowulf is able to defeat the beast and encompasses his heroic qualities admired by most. A contemporary hero of modern times who's success as a hero resembles Beowulf's is Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Both Katniss and Beowulf were looked up to as a godlike figure to their peers, they both embodied an ideal hero, and both experienced a great deal of success. Although they both resemble an unimpeachable, heroic character, their success stories are different. Instead of having to defeat a fierce beast, Katniss, a young woman who had been referred to as a cull most of her life, volunteered to risk her life, demonstrating her strength and courage in battling in the games in which is purposed to result in one hero standing. Katniss' story depicts a monomyth if modern day, which differs quite a bit. One, the monomyth represents a feminist hero, which back in Beowulf's time period would be absolutely unacceptable and bogus. As society continues to evolve, so does the perception of heroes and the qualities it takes to become such a hero. Whether it be a superhero such as Batman and/or Spider-Man, or Katniss from The Hunger Games, the ideal qualities of a hero remains similar. A hero does not have to be an individual who performs a magnificent action, it can be an individual who simply puts others before himself, makes others' lives better, one who is intent on making a better life for all people and/or finds the strength to overcome obstacles in life. They are individuals who prefer to life a successful, courageous, and fearless life, with the aim to not only better themselves, but their peers. 

     One may ask why the story of Beowulf still lingers today. Well the answer to that is quite simple. Beowulf is a traditional monomyth that contains educational, life-changing, and meaningful, morals and lessons. It is admired for it's diversity, it's uniqueness, it set the basis for the heroes to come after itself. Just like we look up to our role models, it acted as a role model for all it's future generations to admire and appreciate. Beowulf, just as it is to this day, will continue to be exposed to the citizens of all society because of it's excelling purpose of depicting what an ideal hero should be. Keep in mind, not all heroes wear capes,they're everywhere, you could be one yourself, like Mary McCarthy stated,"Each and every one of us live in suspense from day to day; in other words, you are the hero of your own story." 

MASTERPIECE IN PROGRESS

Well, to be honest I haven't really done a lot of thinking about my masterpiece and big question because of the fact that senior year is already kicking my ass. :) although, in my eyes, my overall masterpiece in life is achieving my goal of becoming a physician of some sort. With determination, dedication, faith, and hope I will achieve that goal, work as hard as I can to get to where I need to be to become one, and to do everything in my power to make the road easier. I am going to continue my rigorous education at a four year university, major in public health, and then transfer out to a medical school. :) I will start thinking about my other masterpiece in my free time, when I'm not crammed with homework and sports, but until then I'm going to continue doing what I've been doing, being successful, and being who I was born to be. 

WILL STUDY FOR FOOD

One of the many scholarships I will be applying to is called the Coalition Againts Breast Cancer Scholarship. This scholarship is provided for students who have either lost a relative to breast cancer or have a relative who have beat the cancer or are getting treated for the cancer. It will be given to students who portray that the drastic disease has made a positive impact on their life and has caused them to grow positively. Multiple $1000 scholarships will be awarded to students demonstrating positive growth from a difficult life experience. The number of awards given out will be determined based on the amount of funds available at the time of selection.

REQUIREMENTS: 

The students selected for this scholarship will be chosen based on a personal essay, a letter of recommendation, financial need, and academic achievement. The application may be submitted either online or through the mail, and is available here. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 and the letter of recommendation must be written by someone other then a parent or relative. The essay must address the impact that having a family member with breast cancer has had on the applicant’s life, as well as the challenges and opportunities that have been presented to the applicant by this experience. 

Having my mom just recently be diagnosed with the devastating cancer, my life was flipped upside down. I lived everyday fearful of the thought of her losing the battle. With the support of my family, myself, and friends, she overcame the obstacle and BEAT BREAST CANCERS ASS. This experience has impacted my life in so many positive ways I couldn't even begin to explain. It has taught me to live everyday like it's your last, to appreciate the life you have, and to just enjoy life while too have it, and many more! 

Vocab #2

accoutrement- additional items of dress or equipment, or other items carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity.
-The Navy men board the ship carrying their weapons and accoutrements.
apogee - noun apoapsis in Earth orbit; the point in its orbit where a satellite is at the greatest distance from the Earth; a final climactic stage; the highest point in the development of something; the climax or culmination.
-We, Americans, hope that the U.S. debt is arriving at its apogee, or else we will be in some serious trouble.
apropos - adj. of an appropriate or pertinent nature; adv. by the way; at an opportune time
-The writer's reference to ancient history in his book is apropos.
bicker - noun a quarrel about petty points; verb argue over petty things
-Our very own US politicians continue to bicker over the extraneous in life rather than dealing with and taking care of the complications that have existed for several years.
coalesce - verb fuse or cause to grow together; mix together different elements
-As individuals continue to spend more and more time with one another, they eventually coalesce.
contretemps - noun an awkward clash
-The contretemps with the two students has been firmly addressed by their authority figures.
convolution - noun the action of coiling or twisting or winding together; a convex fold or elevation in the surface of the brain; the shape of something rotating rapidly
-The convolution of the ideas and theories of the colleagues initiated what was to be one of the best partnerships to take place in present day America.
cull - noun the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior in quality; verb remove something that has been rejected; look for and gather
-Mr. Price, from The Poisenwood Bible, occured to be the cull throughout the course of the story,
disparate - adj. including markedly dissimilar elements; fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
-The disparate beliefs of Beowulf and Grendel result in a physical dispute between the two.
dogmatic - adj. characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles; relating to or involving dogma; of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
-The creation of humans and life on earth is dogmatic.
licentious - adj. lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained
-One who does not contain manners or good behavior is believed to be licentious.
mete - noun a line that indicates a boundary
-The criminal will receive a mete assigned by the judge that could possibly direct him to the rest of his life in prison.
noxious - adj. injurious to physical or mental health
-The drugs individuals are consuming and producing today are extremely noxious.
polemic - adj. of or involving dispute or controversy; noun a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma); a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in theology)
-The document "The Right to Your Own Opinion" is one that is overly polemic and has the ability to cause big disputes between individuals who have opposing views on the topic.
populous - adj. densely populated
-America is one of the few populous and diverse countries in the world.
probity - noun complete and confirmed integrity; having strong moral principles
-In our society, a majority of the individuals are ones who lack probity.
repartee - noun adroitness and cleverness in reply
-When concerning your teachers, do not be intimidated or fearful, but also do not expect to be disrespectful or repartee either.
supervene - verb take place as an additional or unexpected development
-After the heart surgery was completed, doctors noticed a supervene valve blockage that forced them to perform yet another procedure on their patient.
truncate - adj. terminating abruptly by having or as if having an end or point cut off; verb make shorter as if by cutting off; approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one; replace a corner by a plane
-If you wanted to truncate a lengthy, drawn-out story, all you would have to do is omit certain aspects that do not have such a big impact on the story itself.
unimpeachable - adj. beyond doubt or reproach; completely acceptable; not open to exception or reproach; free of guilt; not subject to blame
-Some citizens may believe Obama is extremely impeachable, while others may believe he is unimpeachable.