Jaeyong Cho's AP English: 3월 2011

2011년 3월 28일 월요일

Core Concept Final

P.S: SINCE I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO CHANGE MY LANGUAGE SETTING FROM KOREAN TO ENGLISH, I WILL TELL YOU WHAT TO CLICK. IN ORDER TO POST COMMENT, CLICK "0개의 답글" . (Notice the number "0". It can change to any numbers such as 1 or 2. AFTER YOU WRITE YOUR COMMENT, CLICK "답글 달기

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