Literary Term: Setting

Setting:

•  the surroundings or environment of anything 
• the locale or period in which the action of a novel, play, film, etc. takes place

Ex. The garden was a perfect setting for the house.

Ex. The novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck takes place during the 1930's in the South of Soledad, California.

Video:

Video explains why a setting is so important to films and novels and how much the settings can tell us about the characters.

Picture Examples of Settings:

Setting-Dark Alley

 Setting- Rome/Italy?

Self-Research

I did a search on Google for myself and I discovered that I am not internet known.The name I looked up was Maria Alvarado because it's the one I use the most online but nothing on me came up.

Social networking sites were the first to show up as results on Google but that yet that didn't take me to anything on me. 

Personal Reaction: I felt like I am not as known online and it was a good and bad feeling all at once. I knew that I should be known for doing good things. For example, this blog full of academic material others can use. But I felt like my name/identity is safe because no one knows who I am online and people won't find information on me online either.

 

Thinking Outside The Box

Topic: Compare how Plato and Sartre describe the limitations of our thinking and imply solutions to the problem. Be sure to analyze their literary techniques, especially their use of allegory and extended metaphor.

Plato and Sartre both used extended metaphors to explain the way human's thoughts process and the way we see things. The "Allegory of the Cave" describes the difference belief and reality and "No Exit" describes the same thing but in different words. It explains the difference between reality and the state of mind.

In "Allegory of the Cave" Plato uses extended metaphor to show how humans see only shadows or reflections of what is real. Humans think they see a circle when it is drawn on a white board but there is no such thing as a perfect circle to us in what we perceive as real life, it is only a reflection of a real/perfect circle. Plato explains the difference between belief and reality with the cave man who sees figures in the cave wall and thinks that is only form of them there are but in reality it's shadows he is seeing made by people outside of the cave.

In "No Exit" by Sartre the extended metaphor demonstrates how we can create a place such as hell within our minds. Garcin, Inez and Estelle are all in hell but by the way the place is described it doesn't sound like the hell humans imagine today. Humans create their own individual hell whether it's in tangible form or just a mind set we create. Garcin didn't want to be alone with himself because he felt that would create a hell itself. He would eventually get tired of being alone and only listening to his thoughts. 

"No Exit" also showed us how seeing how one is through others can also create a "hell". Inez, Estelle and Garcin were all in hell for a reason, they betrayed loved ones and did things in life they are now realizing through each other were wrong and hurtful. In other words, it's like seeing reflections of themselves in each other. That is were both articles come together.

"Allegory of the Cave" and "No Exit" both show the incapability of the human mind to tell between what is real and was just belief or a reflection of reality. To fix this problem the article by Plato suggests that we try to be more knowledgeable about what is around us and to realize that we all need to be more educated academically and about life itself. "No Exit" does not really offer a solution to the problem but suggests to see through others eyes and also be able to recognize when we make mistakes so that we don't repeatedly make those same mistakes again.

Lit. Analysis #3

1. Plot:
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is about two best friends, that are travelling and trying to work at a place where they will be able to raise enough money for their dream farm. George and Lennie are complete opposite; George is short and strong-minded and Lennie is big and tall with a mental disability. They both make plenty of friends along their adventure and hopes of getting enough money, including Slim and Candy. Since Lennie is so huge, he often ends up destroying the most precious things to him and getting himself and George into much trouble. Due to all of the trouble Lennie causes they both always flee from towns. After fleeing their last town because Lennie felt a ladies hair and became too rough they go ut into the woods to hide and eventually end up at their next job. They arrive to a farm and immediately begin working there. After working at the farm for a while, Lennie is left alone with a flirtatious woman (which is the boss' son's wife) and accidentally chokes her to death. Lennie who doesn't know what to do but hide, flees to their "meet up place" out int he woods and waits for George there. When George arrives he tells Lennie their dream farm story and then shoots him in the back of the head. George kills him before the boss's son finds them and tortures Lennie to death. All George wanted was to prevent his companion from a painful and slow death and overall just end his suffering due to his mental illness.

 

2.Themes:

-The first theme of Of Mice and Men is friendship. George and Lennie are considered life companions and they try to always do things that in the end will benefit the both of them. When George kills Lennie he kills him to prevent worse pains to be inflicted on him. Their friendship demonstrated that not all friendships are rainbows and smiles, sometimes as a friend one has to make sacrifices and cause pain to them.

-The second theme of Of Mice and Men is the unattainable American Dream. George and Lennie always had a dream of having their own land to build on it and one day have a farm to call their own. On that farm they'd raise animals, make their own butter and be their own bosses. This dream comes to an end when Lennie doesn't control his strength and kills the boss's son's wife and once again they're on the run. Another example would be Curly's wife's dream of becoming an actress but instead she ended up in an unhappy marriage stopping her from fulfilling her dream.




3. Tone:

The tone for the novel was hope, sadness and loneliness. Hope because majority of the characters had a dream they wanted to make a reality or they never had the chance to do it. An example would be George and Lennie's dream farm. The tone also showed a sense of sadness because both men knew they were so far of attaining their farm and George also felt sad that Lennie had a mental illness and couldn't help him much other than watch over him like he had promised Lennie's aunt he would. Loneliness is a tone seen from the start of the novel to the very last page. Lennie and George are alone to roam the world and at the end when George kills Lennie he is left completely alone to roam and continue his life. Other characters that suffer from loneliness are Curly's wife because she says she has no one to talk to, Crooks who lived alone in the horse stable because he was black and Candy was left alone in deep melancholy when his dog died.

Ex." A shot sounded in the distance. The men looked quickly at the old man. Every head turned toward him. For a moment he continued to stare at the ceiling. Then he rolled slowly over and faced the wall and lay silent." (death of Candy's dog)
Ex. "'Yeah. Tha's how.' George's voice was almost a whisper. He looked steadily at his right hand that had held then gun." (George killed Lennie)


4. Literary Terms:

• Similes:

•  “ … drank with long gulps, snorting into the water like a horse.” The comparison of Lennie to a horse stresses his lack of manners, the animal behaviour within him and his sense of obedience to George, just as a horse is controlled by its rider.
• “Slowly, like a terrier who doesn’t want to bring a ball to its master, Lennie approached …” The comparison shows how Lennie is a child within and how much control George has over him.
• “On the sand banks the rabbits sat as quietly as little gray, sculptured stones.” The comparison of the rabbits to stones shows the idea of stillness: George and Lennie are in an environment where everything is lifeless, and reflects their own lives.

Imagery:

•  "...dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws." This phrase describes how Lennie is walking as he enters the forest behind George and once again that George is Lennie's guidance in life. 
•  "...snorting into the water like a horse." This describes how Lennie drinks from the green pool of water thirstily and doesn't think about his actions, he acts like an animal at times and obviously does not see a wrong with it.
•  "Slowly, like a terrier who doesn't want to bring a ball back to its master..." describes how Lennie has retrieved his dead mouse, and doesn't want to give it back to George. Lennie can't measure his own strength but does have the full capability of realizing when he has done something bad.

Foreshadowing:

• The gun used to shoot Candy's decrepit dog is later used by George to shoot Lennie
• The many small animals that Lennie crushes out of love foreshadow his panicked killings of his puppy and, moments later, Curley's wife
• The event that drove George and Lennie out of Weed (Lennie's false accusation of rape) corresponds to the scene in the barn between him and Curley's wife
• When Lennie gets them into trouble. George asks him, "An you ain't gonna do no bad things like you done in Weed." This makes the reader wonder what happened in Weed and whether it will happen again further on in the novel. Also expect Lennie to act rebellious and misbehave later on in the novel.

Symbolism:

• Rabbits-showed Lennie's dreams and goals which were impossible to fulfill; they also help demonstrate how simple his thinking is compared to George's.
• Mice-shows how Lennie wanted to be comforted all the time, death was the last thing on his mind. The dead mice Lennie held at the beginning od the novel showed how he killed it without wanting too and it hurt him, he wanted to be gentle. That event symbolized the way George killed Lennie trying to kill his friend gently in his hands.
• Dream Farm-keeps Lennie and George together because it is dream they have in common and are willing to work for together. It is symbolic to their friendship. When Lennie killed Curly's wife their dream farm went down the gutter and so did their friendship.
• Pool by the river-place where Lennie and George can get away from society and be themselves; their sanctuary and the place where the novel begins and ends.

Metaphors:

• “… he walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws.”
• “Lennie dabbled his big paw in the water …” both show Lennie is not well mannered adn can be a threat to other without knowing it himself.

Setting:

• Took place during 1930's-Helped me get a better understanding of the Depression going on at the time
• Farms/Airy Land-Most jobs could only be found in agriculture and in the country separating loved ones
• Pool by River-helped give a better understanding of what the two friends were like when they were alone and in the open, it was their "safe spot" and Lennie's place of tranquility 

The BIG Question (refined)

I actually would like to completely like to change my question after the talk we had in class.
 New Question: How does a child's brain learn their first language(s)? For example, me who learned Spanish and English as my first languages at the same time.

The BIG Question

Where did the human really come from and when? What evidence was found and recorded? How reliable is the evidence found? I have always wanted to know the answer to this question and I'm sure I will find many different answers but I'd like to find the truth.

Hamlet Vs Epics

Topic: Post an AP Exam-worthy essay to your blog in which you describe how Hamlet's use of language differentiates him from epic heroes such as Beowulf. Support your analysis with three textual examples (you may use your textbook and/or Hamlet; even though you already know it by heart I'm including the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy below)

Language can be used for many reasons. For example , to have a conversation with someone, express a thought out loud or maybe even for control over something or someone. Hamlet is a character that used language to explain what his thought process was and to let his reader know what was going on around him. He also used language to control what occurred throughout the play. Epic heroes use language for dialogue and that is it, it does not go past that. Their language was mainly to provide detail and make the epics entertaining. 

Hamlet knew exactly wanted he wanted and that was to get revenge over his uncle for killing his father. His plan of putting on the play-with-in-a-play was processed in his mind and through language he expressed his thought process out loud to the audience. Another example of how Hamlet used language to show his thought process was in his "To be or not to..." soliloquy. He had made the decision to not commit suicide but as far as the audience knew, while he giving his soliloquy he was deliberating between the two choices he had. Hamlet used language to narrate as well as the epic heroes but compared to them Hamlet only narrated his thoughts and everyday life.

The heroes seen in the epics used language to talk with other characters in the epic and to provide detail for the readers. For example, Beowulf talks to let the Danes know that him and his men were Geats and to assure them that they came in peace to help them only. There no reflection in the language used epics. Most of the language and writing in epics is to altar the heroes being talked about. The focus is on how brave, strong, full of care and protective the heroes are. Hamlet on the other hand used language to describe situations he was going to control with language.

Hamlet was very precise and careful about what he said and when he said it. His form of language was very sarcastic and mysterious. When he talked to his two "best friends" he talked with little to no detail and was overly sarcastic to give them the hint that he knew they were spying on him. Hamlet also used language to escape death. He knew when to do things at the right time and how to say things in such a way that only the right people would understand. 

In conclusion, the language used in Hamlet is precise and different than the language used in epics. Epics used language to make their heroes seem important and to fill their stories with detail. Hamlet showed self-reflection and a way with language that only a character with his mind would be able to use. He knew how to use words and language to control events occurring in his surroundings. The language used in epics and Hamlet also seems to have been from different periods in time which also have an effect on the way language is read and seen on paper. 

Hamlet Essay

 Topic: Using what you've learned about Hamlet the character and Hamlet the play, evaluate the impact of performative utterance on Hamlet and your own sense of self. How does the way Hamlet speaks constitute action in itself? How does it impact the characters and the plot? How does this compare with your own "self-overhearing"? How does the way you reflect on your experience create a sense of memory, expectation, and real-world results? Use the text, your reading/lecture notes, the experience of memorizing the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy, de Boer's paper (and Bloom's/Austin's theoretical frameworks), and the many online and offline discussions we've had.

Essay Re-Do

     J.L Austin, philosopher of language, said that performative utterance is a statement that creates something in the world, for example, an action, rather than describe something. With J.L Austin's paper and the memorization of "To be, or not to be" soliloquy I have concluded that performative utterance allowed Hamlet, the character, to go forth and act upon things that started as only thoughts. In comparison, performative utterance allows me to reflect on experiences and creates a schemata to hold memories, certain expectations and real-world results.  

     J.L Austin's most prominent work titled, "How To Do Things With Words" divides the performative ability into three, locutionary, perlocutionary and illocutionary. Locutionary is "the ability of language to deliver a message". Hamlet makes use of this ability through his famous 'To be or not to be' soliloquy. He reflects between two thoughts he has and he must choose which one to follow through with action. His thinking out loud gives him the opportunity to listen to himself talk about the advantages and disadvantages that each of his choices will bring. Hamlet can either commit suicide and go into a world not known of or keep living and make the best of the life he has. An everyday example of when I talk out loud is when I go about my everyday choices and I basically narrate to myself.
     By talking out loud Hamlet reflects to himself. Hamlet was able to give orders to others and make things work out in his favor through the perlocutionary ability. Perlocutionary is "what is achieved by being said" For example, giving an order. Hamlet leads all of his actors in the play-with-in-a-play to act out the crime his uncle has committed. Through treachery and his ability of giving orders he also escaped death when his Uncle Cladius had sent him to get killed. An example of how I use perlocutionary everyday is when I wake up and tell myself , "I will go to school today." and as a result I attend school. It's an order have given myself and obeyed.
     In his paper  J.L Austin states that illocutionary is the way things are said. For example, tone, posture or gestures that are made. Hamlet uses a lot of sarcasm when speaking to his supposedly so called "friends", Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. He knows the King has put up them on his side and convinced them to spy on Hamlet. Hamlet makes uses of the illocutionary ability when the King questions him about the whereabouts of Polonius body after he has killed him. Hamlet is sarcastic, uses humor and rhetorical language. An example of when I put to use the illocutionary part of performative utterance is when I am having a conversation with my friends. I can say something in a very hype tone and they will get the point that I am content.
     DeBoer in his essay "The Performative Utterance in William Shakespear's Hamlet" he states that Hamlet's performative utterance affected his development of thought when planning how and when to get revenge on his Uncle Cladius, the King. Hamlet is confused about how it will end up affecting him in the end and speaking out loud gives them the opportunity to reconsider his options.
      My own performative utterance affects my life everyday because it's like a screen that helps me sort out my thoughts out better and think before I act. it affects my learning because it causes me to question myself but this only helps me expand on my learning. The simplest questions lead me into a search full of learning to do along the way. Talking out loud to myself is not always a positive though, it makes me increase my decision making process and being an indecisive person already doesn't help either.
     In conclusion, DeBoer and J.L Austin helped me understand into depth the affects that performative utterance had on Hamlet. He had a hard time making up his mind but with great intelligence and a way with language. My own out loud talking affects me everyday but I believe that it's for the better because it gives me numerous moments to reflect on on-going things.

Major Concept

One major concept that I have learned was that we need to take control of our lives. We all have brains to think for ourselves. The Levi's commercial left me in awe because the way it put its ideas through was strong & impacted me. Until this day I still have the poem memorized & watch the video on YouTube. Such a strong poem being used for a jean advertisement was odd but I don't even think about the advertising, I think about the poem itself. It spoke to me. I am young and have a whole life in front of me that I plan on doing great things with. "Your life is your life, don't let it be clubbed into dank submission."

Roy Christopher Conference Notes

Background:

• back in the 80's doing bicycling and skateboarding 
• made little hand-made magazines and photo copied them to hand out at shows/gigs
• current age: 40

Getting involved with cultures/experience:

• slippery slope at beginning
• did not want to get sucked into computer/media stuff; wanted to write 

"Once you get into it (media world), it's not something you can half way do" -Roy Christopher

Balancing Time:

• it's a complex mix of both; being online and offline is about equal in time devotion
• went from skateboarding to media/science

Books:

• instead of having everything online Roy wanted everything in a book

    -Why: wanted a "token" to put in his book shelf and look at as an accomplishment


Responses to book:

• Roy surprised by late response he got from book sales
• this year sold same amount of books that were sold the first year book came out

Book About- Cross pollination
"If you like a rapper, you'll like authors" -Roy Christopher

• feels that the web/media allows people to take pieces of different cultures and , put them together
• hip-hop culture is the blue print for the 21st century culture = new book idea Roy is working on
• Book in progress: The Me-diam Picture 

Technology Thoughts:

• Roy talked about when teaching in college, teachers start to teach with the basics which are pen/pencil and paper and work their way into teaching with 2.0 technology

"Beware of the water." -Roy Christopher

"What you put on mobile technology is going to be more important than the fact that we have mobile technology." -Roy Christopher

• the more we know about how things work (like technology), the more prepared we are to use them

"Program or be programmed' -Roy Christopher

• we are sometimes victims of media and sometimes we are not, it all depends-Roy's belief 
• Roy doe not want an academic job in the future after he is done with schooling 
• no smart phone because he likes coming home to see he has new things to respond to (popular) and also not enough money to play for data plans required

Future?:

• in future there will always be "big screens" (large pieces of technology); for example home desktops, televisions etc., and technology that is not to go because we can't do everything off small screens like iPods, smart phones, iPads etc.
• technology that that can't be taken everywhere with us, will NOT move and always be there at home 

My Question: Why so much need for the "to-go" technology when we can have plenty of technology at home?

Old Generation to New Generation:

• older generations should trust new generations

Explanation: Roy grew up with video games, media full of violence, movies and other technologies but he is perfectly fine as an adult today 

• youth should be allowed to explore and figure things out on their own

"Youth may be moving faster than previous generations because of technology" -Ted Newcom

• Roy believes we should not be embarrassed by our own behavior 

Final Questions:

• Is multitasking normal to us? Why or why not?

-Multitasking is a myth. When doing something he has to be fully devoted to that one thing. (Roy's response)

• How do we, new generations, feel about the fact that older generations don't trust us?

Last Comments from Roy:

• "Don't look at the future as bleak"
• there is no end to technology
• people don't have to adapt to today's technologies or modern things, it's a choice