Notes #1

When I read a book someone is talking to me.

Paraverbal- the quality of voice but not the content

Nonverbal- not involving or using words or speech

Diction- style of speaking or writing as dependent upon choice of words

Syntax- a system or orderly arrangement.

Monomyth- a basic pattern that its proponents argue is found in many narratives from around the world

Young Goodman Brown

      When I first read this story I found it very interesting. Goodman Brown is a Christian man who just married Faith. He leaves home for the first time to meet a man who is mysteriously mischievous. Was he an ordinary old man? Or was he something far worse?  This short story shows that people can be easily manipulated by others; nowadays we call it peer pressure. (an influence when a peer group, or individual encourages another person to change their values, or behaviors to suite other peoples convenience) Additionally, I did some research on this story and found that the character Goody Cloyse is an actual person. http://womenshistory.about.com/od/salempeople/a/Sarah-Cloyce.htm

Words i didn't know: 

tarry: to remain or stay

mirth: happiness, amusement or laughter

cognizance: awareness, realization

homage: respect

 

"It does work. But, will you?"

Reflections On Week 1

        (posted this a little late)

• Are there any factors that you think are going to affect your participation or experience in this class? (Access to a computer, cell phone, transportation? Family that can help or hassle? Friends that can help or hassle? Scheduling factors that can help or hassle?) 

      - No, the only factor that would affect my participation would be if I am sick.

• Think of an awesome (or the best ever) learning experience (or an experience where you changed) What was it you learned?  Where were you? What happened? Who else was there? Did it teach you anything about how you learn (or pay attention... or think?) How did you know what was happening? 

      - This is an actual conversation/argument between me and my 22 year old sister, It wasn't a learning experience for me, but she defiantly learned something new.  Also this is the first thing that came to mind when I read this question.

Me: I can't have butter.
Amy: But, butter isn't dairy.
Me: Yes it is.
Amy: No way! I'll look it up and I'm gonna feel really smart right now 'cause you're wrong.
 *A few moments later.*
Amy: Dang it..
Me: Wow
Amy: Hey, I'm not that dumb, i know some things.
Me: Okay, say something smart.
Amy: Okay. 2+2 =4

• What are you most [excited/concerned] about in this class? What do you look forward to in learning?  How do you think it can/will make a practical difference in your life? 

      -I'm excited about my blog and writing in my journal everyday. I'm also excited to learn more about literature. This class will defiantly make a difference in my life by hopefully making me more literate and showing me how to keep track of things.

Ancient Stories

• How is the language in these texts similar to and/or different from the language you use in everyday conversation?

      -It is very spiritual and talks about what high morals we should have. The language is similar to what our parents teach us and what we learn from church. Now, we don't talk as formal or spiritual as we once did. This language was something the native American's believed, as they felt they were one with nature and today's language is learned from media and Hollywood from our experiences with new technology.

• Because it began as an oral story, "White Buffalo Calf Woman" can be found in multiple text versions.  How important is it for a story to be repeated word for word?  Is meaning embellished, distorted, lost, or enhanced in the retelling?

      -Yes, it is very important if you repeat a story word for word.  When retelling a story it can be embellished, distorted, lost, or enhanced as the story is retold. For example, in grade school we played a game called "Telephone". In this game, when one person whispers something to another then repeats to the next, by the time you get to the last player the phrase or word is always different and loses it original meaning.

 

Masks by Shel Silverstein

She had blue skin.
And so did he.
He kept it hid
And so did she.
They searched for blue
Their whole life through,
Then passed right by –
And never knew.   

(Thanks Mollee for showing me this poem, I love it!)

Vocabulary: Fall List 1

adumbrate: report or represent in outline; indicate faintly;
foreshadow or symbolize
The ending of the novel is already adumbrated [foreshadowed] in the first chapter.
apotheosis: the highest point in the development of something; culmination or climax;
the elevation of someone to divine status; deification
His apotheosis, it now seems, has led only to agony.
ascetic: characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons; a person who practices severe self-discipline and abstention
His policies had failed, but people admired his sincerity and his ascetic life. 
bauble: a small, showy trinket or decoration; a baton formerly used as an emblem by jesters
Real power for the first time in the better part of a century is no small bauble.
beguile: charm or enchant (someone), sometimes in a deceptive way; help (time) pass pleasantly
She'd used her daughter's identity to beguile the two men.
burgeon: begin to grow or increase rapidly; flourish; put forth young shoots; bud
As they wilt the bases of the flowers bulge at the stems and quickly burgeon into squash
complement: a thing that completes or brings to perfection; a number or quantity of something required to make a group complete; add to (something) in a way that enhances or improves it; make perfect
There is perhaps something missing, a complement by the addition of which the theory would be made completely satisfactory.
contumacious: (especially of a defendant's behavior) stubbornly or willfully disobedient to authority
Cases are not wanting in which contumacious offenders were actually committed to prison.
curmudgeon: a bad-tempered or surly person
Certainly our gallery visitors don't want to get into a deep philosophical discussion with a cranky curmudgeon.
didactic: intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive; in the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way
 Furthermore, Dr. Preston must have teaching experience and good didactic skills.

The First Week

     To be completely honest, I was horrified of taking this class because it was so new to me. After a while I started to figured things out and asked questions to make sure I was doing things right. Now, I am really excited to be in this class and I'm understanding how do do things more as we go along. One thing I probably need to work on is my courage. I'm a bit shy and don't enjoy having multiple eyes on me at once. Like everyone, (well not everyone) I get nervous, but I'm hoping by the end of this year I will be more outgoing and courageous.

My Big Question

     My big question is based a bit more on myself than a general question. I want to know what I will do with my life. I know this has a lot to do with my own choices, but like Dr. Preston said, "What answers are worth searching for?" I think figuring out what I want to do in my life would be a good place to start. There is so many professions to pick from and I have so many passions. But I also want to know bigger things like, will I have a family or what kind of place will I live in. This is what I'm curious about.

Assignment #1

     This year I am taking American Literature to help me understand the importance of literature and how much it affects our lives. Without literature I'm not sure where we would be in the world. I, personally, enjoy reading and writing because, i feel like it helps you express yourself through words. It also gives an insight on how others think about things and how they portray them in a literary piece, such as novels, short stories, and poems. This class will be exciting for me because it is such a different way of learning, which intrigues me. I am also a bit nervous because I am not used to such big changes but, I am trying to overcome my fears and move past them. I am hoping this course teaches me everything i will need to know.
     On another note, Richard Cory is such a beautiful, yet tragic piece of work. It shows that everything is not always what you think it is and you should not be quick to judge. It surprised me because someone, that everyone looked up to, felt so horrible that he had to commit suicide. This surprised me because everyone thought he was so amazing and they wanted to be in his place. Little did they know, Richard Cory was unhappy with his life.

Rest in Peace

We started the year off with a poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson in English to honor a great actor that inspired so many people.Rest in peace Robin Williams.

Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson

Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from sole to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.

And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But still he fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.

And he was rich – yes, richer than a king –
And admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.

So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.

Reality Bites.