Jaeyong Cho's AP English: 2011

2011년 3월 28일 월요일

Core Concept Final

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We have discussed the poem, “The Hollow Men” by T. S. Elliot

Unlike Dante, who escaped from Purgatory, the Hollow Men are stuck in there.
There are lots of biblical allusion such as “5 o’clock.”, typical time when Jesus wakes up from the dead.
Three Kingdoms: Three stations (Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradiso) from Dante?
“The eyes” seem to be the eyes of God, who watch people to judge
Allusion to “Mistah Kurtz”, from Heart of Darkness. Any significance?
Another Allusion to a penny for the Old guy. Again, Any significance?

In addition to that, we have discussed the poem, “The Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Elliot(1919)

What is the “overwhelming question” that Prufrock speaks about?
In the beginning, it speaks about hell, an exempt from Dante. Any significance?
“Yellow fog” might represent Elliot’s hometown, where it has some factories.
Sexual (body parts of women such as the “peach”)
Allusion to Hamlet’s indecision, maybe commenting about narrator’s indecision of this poem.

We have also discussed the different times of literature:

Modernism: Disillusionment following WWI

New narrative techniques
“Make it New”-> what young generations in that time thought. To break away from old rules.
New Form of narrative: (unreliable narrator, multiple narrators, minor character as 1^st person narrators, stream of consciousness)

Connections: “Tell tale heart” by Edgar Allen Poe has an unreliable narrator. Even though it was not written in Modernism period, it still has characteristics of Modernism

Superimposition: One point of view is layered with another one
Universal Truth

Connections: I read the book called The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald in American Literature when I was a junior. This book is an example of Modernism.

Post Modernism: Just after World War one. United States started Post Modernism ahead of United Kingdom for it had Televisions before

United Kingdom

did.

· Post Modernism= Modernism- universal truth= irony

Connections: For those who had Ms.Dockus for American Literature, remember this equation? I wrote down that equation when I was in her class!

· Blending of high and low cultures

· Self-reference (No boundaries between mediated worlds. Fictional characters can talk about other fictional characters.

· The simulacrum (the fake ones are so real to us that they become our realities

We have watched a great movie called Bride and Prejudice, directed by Gurinder Chadha

· It is based of a novel called “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen.

Like a book ,it is mainly about two characters: Darcy and Elizabeth (in this movie, she is called Lalita Bakshi)

· It is extremely hilarious

· The setting is in India

Connections: Like the mom in Bride and Prejudice, my mom always want to display me in front of others. That is the reason why whenever people come to my house as guests, I play either piano or alto saxophone to them. Of course, I desperately try not to embarrass myself in front of others, unlike the “cobra dancer” in the movie.

Homework:

Core Concepts/Outside Reading Journals Due 3/21/11
The Stranger annotations due 3/21/11

Core Concept #6 (2/21/11-3/7/11)

We have disccused Pride and Prejudice/Huckleberry Finn

My group read “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austin. We stated that this book is a form of high comedy for most of the use of comedy is appealed to intellectual. We stated that this book is a confused love between Elizabeth and Darcy. In addition, it is a form of comedy for it uses many irony. We have stated that Austin is clearly making fun of Miss Bennett, who tries desparately to make all of her daughters as soon as possible.

The other group read “Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain and it stated that the book is a form of low comedy for it does not appeal to intellectual. There are lots of satire in this book, as well as irony. The group stated that this books is about a boy and an african slave traveling south on the river. Some things that Twain satires about are racism and the society.

We have also discussed about comedies.

Types of Comedy:

· Low Comedy: Lacks seriousness of purpose or subtlety of manner. Little intellectual appeal.

· High Comedy: Appeals to the intellect, “thoughtful laughter”. Pure or serious

· Burlesque: Ridiculous exaggeration and distortion

· Farce: Light dramatic work with highly improbable plot, exaggerated character

· Lampoon: A broad satirical piece that uses ridicule to attack a person or group

· Parody: A work imitating another serious piece of work. What the caricature and cartoon are in art.

· Satire; Ridiculing the follies and vices of a people or time.

· Slapstick: Comedy marked by chases, collision, and crude practical jokes (boisterous form)

· Travesty: Presents a serious subject frivolously, often reduce everything to its lowest level

Connections: “Weird Al Yankovic”, the artist, often makes parodies of famous songs such as “Riding dirty”. I used to like all of his songs!

Connections: Remember “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” back in American Literature? That is an example of Low Comedy.

Connections: I have read “Pride and Prejudice” In AP English class. That is an example of High Comedy

We have also discussed the “Comedy Ladder”

Comedy of Ideas:

Characters debate about ideas (marriage, sex)
Characters use their wit and clever language to make fun of their opponents
Subtle way to satire governments, institutions, people

Comedy of Manner:

Amorous intrigues among the upper classes
Focus is on witty language
Society made up cliques

Connection: “Pride and Prejudice”, which we have read in class, is an example of Comedy of Manners!

Farce:

Plot fill of coincidences
Characters are subject to fate
Loss of identity (birth, fate)
Characters are sometimes twins separated unaware of their double.

Low Comedy

Dirty jokes, gestures, sex
Exaggeration or understatement
Slapstick, pratfalls, loud noise

For difference between tragedy ad comedy, look at the handout that Mrs. Holmes has given us.

Homework:

The Stranger annotation due 3/21/11
Core concept for (2/21/11-3/7/11) due 3//7/11
Huck./Pride annotations due 2/28/11
Peer Evaluations due 3/1/11
Comedy Prompt revision due 3/3/11

Book Review Final

Battle-zone absurdity and adrenaline-fueled folly

By Michiko Kakutani

Published on 3/14/11

Book: The Taliban Shuffle by Kim Barker

Battle-zone absurdity and adrenaline-fueled folly by Michiko Kakutani is about commenting on the book, “The Taliban Shuffle” by Kim Barker, states how it manages to describe

Afghanistan

situation as hilarious by using literary techniques such as diction, language, and Syntax. Kakutani describes the book as “oxymoron”, which states that the book is eccentric for its humor rather than seriousness about the topic: war in Afghanistan. In addition, she states that in 2003, Taliban used “recalcitrant donkeys as a suicide bombers”, which seems hilarious. By using diction, Kakutani was able to make the serious topic such as

Afghanistan

one into the funny one.
Syntax is among the literary techniques “Black humor…is a perfect tool for capturing the sad-awful-frequently-insane incongruities of war”. By using “-“frequently, she was able to make negative words sound like hilarious ones by putting them all together, making it less serious.
At last, language is used by Kakutani to make Afghanistan war sound funnier than it should be. She also stated that the war “ke[pt] hopping”, making readers think war as a some kind of animal, like a bunny. By doing personification, she was able to make war sound like a bunny, thus making it less serious and more entertaining.
The critical perspective of this work seems to be Formalism for it only focuses on the book that Kakutani wrote, not author’s background or the history of the world. I have discovered the connection between this and other course material or readings that I have had in the past. When I was a Freshman, I was in the

U.S.

history class. In there, I learned about the Vietnam War. I learned that rarely solders were held accountable for anything and that there were no rules. In addition, I remember learning that the South Vietnam government was corrupt. In current Afghanistan, exact same thing is happening: corrupt government, no rules, no justice. I want to praise Kakutani for writing a very critical yet funny book review. I enjoyed it very much. Good job!

Editorial Review Final

Pay teachers more

Written by Nicholas D. Kristof

Published on 3/12/11

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/opinion/13kristof.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=pay%20teachers%20more&st=cse

This written piece is about why teachers are important and that they should get paid more. He uses literary techniques such as diction, language, and imagery to craft his narrative persona and a “voice”. Diction is among the choices that Kristof uses to craft his narrative persona and a voce. He states that the many teachers are “brilliant”, which generates the positive feeling toward the teachers. In addition, Kristof calls people who think that teachers are overpaid “avaricious, incompetents”. This word clearly makes readers think negative things about those people. For he used convincing diction, he was able to create persuasive persona and a strong voice about raising salaries for teachers. “
Not throwing darts at them” is what Kristof suggests that American should not do to teachers. Obviously, it is figurative language. However, by using imagery, he was able to make readers feel sympathy toward the teachers, definitely not making them feel like throwing darts at them by lowering teachers’ salaries. For he uses strong imagery, he was able to create persuasive persona and a strong voice about raising salaries for teachers. Kristof uses the term “nibble away” to describe the government’s attempt to lower teachers’ salaries in order to stable the economy. By using personification, people can imagine government actually being the animals and eating the salaries of teachers, thus generating the negative feelings toward the government.
By using language, Kristof was able to create persuasive narrative persona and a strong voice for not lowering salaries for teachers. Because he uses some of the literary techniques effectively and voice effectively, I buy his opinion; He convinced me that teachers are important in our society, and that teachers have a huge role in determining generations’ future. To aid teachers, I too believe that we have to pay teachers more.
This written piece would not be appropriate for AP English essay for it uses 2nd person point of view such as “you” and “we”, which is considered informal. Beside this, I laud Kristof for using literary techniques effectively to persuade readers to support teachers.

2011년 3월 27일 일요일

Reflective Essay (Final)

Memories, washed away

By Marie Mutsuki Mockett

Published on 3/14/11

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/opinion/15marie.html?scp=1&sq=memories%20washed%20away&st=cse

This reflective essay is about a woman comparing her memories of World War 2, when her grandfather told her that he was spared from the atomic bomb that the United States dropped on Nagasaki to recent tsunami that devastated Japan. She seems to create a moody and sad tone for this subject. She does this by using literary techniques such as diction, language, and syntax. She stated that the tsunami “eviscerated” the Japan. The term “eviscerated” creates negative and powerful feeling, thus emphasizing the fear the power of tsunami. In addition, she stated that the tsunami “crash[ed]” the Japan. The term “crash” is active and effective at creating powerful feeling. The word “Catastrophic” is also used to describe potential nuclear meltdown crisis in Japan. Mockett used the diction well to create scary aspect of nuclear meltdown, thus creating moody and sorry feeling toward the tsunami. Language is used by Mockett to construct her tone in this essay. For example, she described to her worried mom that she would know when the tsunami come by observing when “ocean starts to disappear”. By using personification, she gave life to the ocean, thus let people feel how ocean will strike Japan once “it starts to disappear.” By doing this, Mockett was able to make her tone moody and sad. At last, imagery is used to create the moody and sad tone. For instance, She described the event of tsunami by stating that the tsunami “rag[ed] over the farmland and crushed ferries”, which creates vivid imagery. By reading this, readers can feel the impact of the powerful wave and feel sympathy toward the people who were hit by this terrible wave.

Because she used some literary techniques effectively to create her moody and sad tone, I felt sad about Japan being devastated by the powerful and enormous tsunami. I also feel sympathy for those who lived in Japan on 1945 when the atomic bomb struck Nagasaki. This essay’s tone is appropriate for AP essay for it is formal and that it conveys speaker’s attitude toward the subject effectively, which is tsunami, by using literary techniques such as diction, language, and imagery. Good job, Mockett.

2011년 3월 7일 월요일

We have also discussed the different times of literature:

Modernism: Disillusionment following WWI

New narrative techniques
“Make it New”-> what young generations in that time thought. To break away from old rules.
New Form of narrative: (unreliable narrator, multiple narrators, minor character as 1^st person narrators, stream of consciousness)

Connections: “Tell tale heart” by Edgar Allen Poe has an unreliable narrator. Even though it was not written in Modernism period, it still has characteristics of Modernism

Superimposition: One point of view is layered with another one
Universal Truth

Connections: I read the book called The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald in American Literature when I was a junior. This book is an example of Modernism.

Post Modernism: Just after World War one. United States started Post Modernism ahead of United Kingdom for it had Televisions before

United Kingdom

did.

· Post Modernism= Modernism- universal truth= irony

Connections: For those who had Ms.Dockus for American Literature, remember this equation? I wrote down that equation when I was in her class!

· Blending of high and low cultures

· Self-reference (No boundaries between mediated worlds. Fictional characters can talk about other fictional characters.

· The simulacrum (the fake ones are so real to us that they become our realities)

Homework:

The Stranger annotation due 3/21/11
Core concept for (2/21/11-3/7/11) due 3//7/11
Huck./Pride annotations due 2/28/11
Peer Evaluations due 3/1/11
Comedy Prompt revision due 3/3/11

2011년 2월 21일 월요일

Reflective essay #4 (2.19.10)

Reflective Essay

Bob Payne: A traveler man

By Derek Alger

Published on Feb. 1^st, 2011

http://www.pifmagazine.com/2011/02/bob-payne-a-traveling-man

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“Bob Payne: A traveler man” by Derek Alger is about author's encounter with Bob Payne, and how he changes the view about traveling. The author created trustworthy tone by using diction, syntax, and irony.

“Specializes”, that is one of the diction that Alger uses to describe Payne. By using that word, he generates the feeling of comfortable and reliable. In addition, he states that Payne’s traveling was “simply astounded”, thus showing his personal feelings without hiding it, thus making audiences feel relaxed.

Syntax is another technique that Alger used to create trustworthy tone. He alled his home “safe”, which creates warm feelings toward the audiences since they will be thinking about their own homes, also. In addition, he states that while he did not travel much, he still was “curious”, Thus reassuring audiences of his position. This further makes audiences comfortable

“He pulled out his pistol and put the barrel to his head”, that is one of the examples of imagery that Alger used. By saying like that, Alger was able to create “awe” feelings for him, making him both brave and trustworthy.

Because Alger constructed this tone, I support Alger’s decision of traveling around. In addition, since this essay generates positive feelings, I feel that the narrator is trust worthy.

This essay’s tone would be appropriate for AP essay for it is formal and that it generates comfortable and reliable feelings for the readers. The tone stays throughout the whole story, thus creating more stable.

Editoral #4 (2.14.10)

Could she reach the top in 2012? You betcha

By Frank Rich

Published: November 20, 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/opinion/21rich.html

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This story, which is about Sarah Palin’s chance for being a president of the United States of America, starts up with one of her quotes, which states that she can be on the top of the world. Then he goes on by saying that she has the potential to become a president of the United States of America on 2012. Author crafts his narrative persona and a “voice” here by using these literary techniques: diction, syntax, and imagery.

Rich describes Palin’s life as “a perilous rock climb”, which is a vivid imagery. This imagery seems to generate sympathy feelings for Palin. In addition, he states that Palin’s popularity will “keep floating above the pack indefinitely”, pack representing the people who dislike her, which means that Palin will be invincible. The use of imagery seems to be the one of piece’s strengths since the author uses powerful imagery to describe her.

“Enshrined”, that is the word that Rich used to describe Palin and her husband, Todd. Rich also uses the word “vanquish” to describe how her new book is going to be popular than George W. Bush’s one. Instead of using the “more popular”, the author decided to use the word “vanquish”, thus creating negative and cruel feelings toward Bush’s new book. In addition, the author describes Palin’s G.O.P favorable rating as an “awesome 80 percent”. This clearly shows that author supports Palin. At last, Rich describes some republicans’ attempt to criticize Palin as “spitballs”. The word “spitballs” seem to generate feelings of pathetic, thus author is trying to show that it is hopeless to criticize Palin. The choice of diction is also one of the strengths of this piece. Readers can clearly see author’s position toward Palin.

Use of syntax is another way for Rich to support Palin. For example, he describes the opposition of Sarah Palin as “so-called Republican establishment”. By using “-“, or as known as dash, Rich was able to make fun of critics of Sarah Palin. Since Rich managed to write this short essay with excellent literary techniques, there is no weakness in this piece.

By using these literary techniques, the author managed to craft a narrative persona and a “voice”, which is that he supports Sarah Palin by using optimism voice and harshly criticizing Sarah Palin’s opposition. Because he used techniques effectively, I find this piece very influential and interesting. I laud him for using such techniques. This story is not appropriate for AP Essay for its speaker use 2^nd point of view such as “we’re” and “you are kept guessing”, which is informal.

Book Review #4 (2.13.11)

Book Review

In his own words, a singular man’s double life

By Dwight Garner

Book: Under the sun” by Bruce Chartwin.

Published on February 17, 2011.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/books/18book.html

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“In his own words, a singular man’s double life” by Dwight Garner seems to criticize the book called “Under the sun”, whose book is by Bruce Chartwin. He uses some of literary techniques to show this.

Garner describes Chartwin as “not thoroughly likable”, which is a harsh diction choice. It shows disapproval toward him. Garner also describes Chartwin as “wicked”, which seems to suggest that Chartin is not kind. This seems to be one of the strengths of this piece. The use of diction clearly shows the author’s position.

Imagery is one of the techniques that Garner used. He states that reading Under the sun is like “watching an angry gecko seize a passing trouser leg.”, which clearly creates negative feeling toward the book itself since gecko on trouser leg tends to create negative feeling. This also seems to be one of the strengths of this piece since imagery contains strong vivid images about certain things and can contain vital information regarding the subject.

Garner uses syntax as well to criticize the book. For instance, he states that Chartwin “restlessness- he need to be “perpetuum mobile”…-made him one of the least conventional men on the planet.” The use of “-“, or also known as dash, creates extra redundant and boring sentence, thus creating negative feelings toward Chartwin. Because Garner uses literary techniques well and that book review is well constructed, I have unable to find any weakness in this piece. The critical perspective of this particular book review seems to be New Historicism. Not only Garner focuses on the book, but also author’s background.

There seems to be a connection between this piece and Anne Frank’s diary, in which I read in freshman year. Dwight Garner states on Under the sun, the voice “grows lovelier, grainier, more confident, more wicked.” Anne Frank’s diary’s voice seems to do that, too. In the beginning, the voice seems to be weak. For example, it seems to have less confident. However, as the story progress, it becomes stronger and more confident more than ever.

Core Concept #5 (2/7/11-2/21/11)

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In the class, we have discussed explicitly on Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

-The women: We discussed that there were different types of women in this book. For example, the witch (the spiritual one?) and the weak one (Mr.Kurtz’s fiancé)

-Racism: There are lots of examples of racism in this book. However, does that make Conrad racist?

Connections: I read “Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain on American Literature. There are LOTS of racism. Does that make Twain racist?

-Theme: Does Conrad support colonialism? Does he oppose racism?

Connections: In the beginning of school year, we have agreed that the literature is like the forest that is up to the people to explore the forest. Thus it is up to readers to interpret the theme of this book.

We have also watched “Apocalypse now”, which is based of “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad.

-Similarities between two:

The protagonists are on a mission to find Mr. Kurtz
The protagonists dislike their sailors/soldiers
Their sailors/soldiers get injured
“Heart of Darkness” and “Apocalypse Now” both shows the heads of savages, which are on sticks.
The protagonists both travel by boats on river.
The protagonists both got attacked by savages.

-Differences between two:

“Apocalypse Now” takes place in Vietnam while “Heart of Darkness” takes place in Congo
“Apocalypse Now” shows girls dancing on the state while “Heart of Darkness” doesn’t.
In “Heart of Darkness”, the protagonist’s aunt gave him the job. In “Apocalypse Now”, the soldiers gave protagonist the job.

Things we did in class:

· Discussed Heart of Darkness

· Watched “Apocalypse Now”

Homework:

Huck/Pride read and annotate due Feb. 29^th.
Psychology of Heart of Darkness Forum due Feb. 10^th.
Techniques in Heart of Darkness Forum due Feb. 17th

2011년 2월 7일 월요일

Core Concept #4 (1/10/11-2/7/11)

Core Concept # 4

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We have learned explicitly on forms of repetition.

Forms of Repetition:

l Anaphora: Emphasizing words by repeating them at the beginnings of neighboring clauses. Ex.) “We will go to beach. We will have fun. We will go to parties”

l Antistrophe (also known as epistrophe or epiphora): The repetition of the same word or words at the end of successive phrases, clauses or sentences. Ex.) “I went to party when I was a kid. I hated dinosaur when I was a kid. I hit my brother when I was a kid”.

l Anadiplosis: The repetition of a word or phrase from the end of one clause or phrase at the beginning of the next cause or phrase.

l Diacope: Repetition with only one or two words between each repeated phrase.

l Epizeuxis: Repetition of words in immediate succession. Ex) “Horror, Horror, Horror.”

Connection: When my brother was a year old, he used to call me “Bro” exactly 6 times. No matter how hard I tried to change his speech, he still insisted calling me “Bro.Bro.Bro.Bro.Bro.Bro” It really entertained me.

l Polysyndeton: The repetition of conjunctions in a series of coordinate words, phrases, or clauses.

l Alliteration: The repetition of initial sounds, usually consonants.

l Assonance: The use of smilar vowel sounds repeated in successive or proximate words containing different consonants. Ex) A city that is set on a heill cannot be hid.

l Consonance: The repetition of consonantns or consonant patterns, especially at the end of the words.

Forms of Parallelism:

Antithesis: Establishing a clear, contrasting releationshup between two ideas by joining them together or juxtaposing them often in parallel structure.

Forms of Inversion:

l Anastrophe: A figure of speech inversion of the ordinary Western order of words.

l Chiasmus: Figure of speech in which 2 or more clauses are related to each other through a reversal of structures in order to make a larger point.

l Antimetabole: The repetition of words in successive clauses, but in transposed grammatical order: Ex) I know what I like, and I like what I know”
Connections: To make my little brother mad, i often said " I hope what i love and i love what i hope". My brother always asked, "what do you love?" I just laughed and walked away

We have also talked about the values of literature. We learned that as the time goes on, the society’s values changes. For example, in medieval time, Christianity dominated the literature.

DIfferences between a novel and novella

Novel= 30,000 words or more

Novella= 30,000 words or or less

Connections: Heart of Darkness, in which we have annotated, is a novella. Harry potter #6: Half blood prince, in which i read last summer, is a novel

Things we have done in the class:

l Write Free Response regarding the “A Barred Owl” by Richard Wilbur and “The History Teacher” by Billy Collins.

l Discuss Heart of Darkness

l Studied intensively on Semester one final exam

l Psychology forum due on February 10th.

l Evaluation on peer’s Core Concepts and Outside Readings due on February 17th.

Homework:

l Annotate and finish reading Heart of Darkness by February 4th.

l Annotate and finish reading Pride and Prejudice or Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by February 28th.

l Outside Readings and Core Concepts due on February 21st.

2011년 1월 10일 월요일

Reflective Essay #3 (1/10//10)

Reflective Essay

The Value of College

Published on September 25^th 2007

Andrew Hardin

http://essay.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/24/the-value-of-college/

This essay describes why it is important for American students to attend colleges. It explains the benefits of attending colleges and consequences of dropping out of colleges. In addition, it explains why attending colleges for some people will result in a chaos.

The tone of this essay seems to be mixed with sympathy and anger. He expresses praise toward highly educated people who pursue their degrees in colleges rather than those who only go to colleges for parties and their friends. He states that those who go to colleges for educational purpose will “obtain a successful career, and live a wealthy life.” In addition, he wrote that those who pursue degrees on colleges will be “the future of our country”. The diction choices that Hardin used such as successful and future create positive feelings for readers toward people who attend colleges for their educational purposes. This seems to create sympathy tone in this reading. This seems to be the strength of this essay, by using technique such as diction support author’s position in this reading, thus makes his stand clearer to understand.

Then he uses strong diction such as using active voice to produce anger tone. For example, one of the quotes that he used, state that “[Those] people attend college because their friends or girlfriend go there” should not be attending colleges at all. He uses party as a verb, thus making reader feel negative toward the parties in colleges. He also expresses this by describing history .He states that in 1950s, most people attend colleges solely for their futures and jobs that they could get after graduation of college. Now he criticizes that most students’ priorities for going to college are for parties, not because of learning in college. He also uses static data. He declares that more than 30% of freshman in the famous school, Brown, dropped from college, thus saying that our future is not depend on them. However, this seems to be the weakness of this reading since he creates the anger in his tone by using some of static data and history rather than using diction or syntax. Those seem to create the negative feeling or anger toward those who go to colleges for parties or those who drop out of colleges.

Because of his use of tone, I feel sympathy towards people who go colleges for graduation and their educational needs and feel pity and anger toward other who drop out of colleges or go to colleges just for their friends. His use of tone makes this reading enjoyable to read since it describes them efficiently.

The tone of this essay seems to be appropriate for AP free response. He creates the tone well by using diction. In addition, it is formal and readers can relate themselves to this article. For those, I laud Hardin.

Outside Reading #3: 1/10/10

Book Review

Conversation across centuries with the father of all bloggers

Patricia Cohen.

Published on December 17^th, 2010

Book: How to live by Sarah Bakewell

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/18/books/18montaigne.html

This essay is about the Sarah Bakewell’s life and her book, “How to live”, which explains the nonfictional character, Montaigne.

Cohen lauds the book that Bakewell wrote by using several literary terms. For example, she praises the book as “a form of a delightful conversation”. She also states the book as a “superb, spirited introduction to the master”. In addition, she stated that the book got a “rare review” from Britain. Those dictions are positive, convincing readers to feel sympathy toward Bakewell’s How to live. Those dictions seem to be the strengths of this essay since it reinforces the praise that Cohen wants to make readers feel the same way as she does.

The critical perspective of this work seems to be New Historian since it Cohen focuses more on the Bakewell’s life rather than the book. For instance, Patricia discussed about Bakewell decided to write when she was living in London. Patricia rarely comments on the choices of the Bakewell had made such as syntax, diction, imagery, figurative language, and so on. This seems to be the weakness of this essay since Cohen rarely focuses on the book, thus readers have no idea why Cohen is praising the book for. Cohen should have listed the techniques that Bakewell have used such as diction and imagery in her book so that reads can have ideas of what the book looks like.

The connection between this work and other course material is the similarity between Bakewell’s nonfictional person, Montaigne and Edgar Allen Poe. I have heard about Edgar Allen Poe on 8^th grade year English class. My teacher declared him as the eccentric horror fiction writer ever lived. Edgar Allen Poe’s life was eccentric, indeed. He was orphan at young age when his mother died and that his dad abandoned him. He married his 13 years old cousin. Cohen describes Montaigne’s life as eccentric, also. His dad forced him to speak only Latin, even though his native language was French. Even though their lives were harsh and unusual, they both had been able to produce great literary works that other people look up to.

For her conclusion, Cohen states that Montane, the nonfictional person in Bakewell’s book, did not accumulate the fact that he was lonely and not exposed to other people’s works. Bakewell proposed that he should have followed other people’s works, “which was all he really wanted to do.” Maybe that is how to live people’s lives, by following at other people’s works and try to make their works interesting.