synthesis 5 ( critical lenses and litarary periods)

Critical lenses http://www.teachingliterature.org/teachingliterature/criticism.htm

1.       Formalist

2.       New criticism

3.       Reader-response criticism

4.       Deconstruction

5.       Poststructuralist

6.       Postmodernism

7.       Feminist

8.       Dialogic/Bakhtin

9.       Critical discourse analysis

 Literature eras http://englishliterature99.wordpress.com/periods-of-english-literature/

1.       1066-1500 Middle English Period

2.       1500-1600 The Renaissance (Early Modern) Period

3.        1558-1603 Elizabethan Age

4.        1603-1625 Jacobean Age

5.        1625-1649 Caroline Age

6.        1649-1660 Commonwealth Period

7.        1600-1785 The Neo-classical Period

8.        1660-1700 Restoration Period

9.        1700-1745 The Augustan Age

10.    1745-1783 The Age Of Sensibility

11.    1785-1830 The Romantic Period

12.    1832-1901 The Victorian Period

13.    1848-1860 The Pre-Raphaelites

14.    1880-1901 Aestheticism and Decadence

15.    1901-1910 The Edwardian Period

16.    1910-1914 The Georgian Period

17.    1914- The Modern Period

18.    1945- Post Modernism

fourth synthesis ( essays and how to write them)

Kinds of essays and how to write them

1.       The open prompt- the open prompt is an essay that asks you to recall books you have read and analyze the meanings. A few pointers- know a few novels really well. Holmes suggests American Dream and Hamlet. Also use plan text. Do not have run on sentences, or be too wordy. The prompt will remind you of this but do not analyze the story.

2.       The closed prompt- here you have to analyze a piece of work that the AP board will provide. Make sure that you remember DIDLS and use them to answer this question. While in the open prompt you should do that as well it is even more critical here because you have the text right in front of you.  A mistake that I made at the beginning of the year was ignoring some of the text. Do not do this even if it does not for your argument.  When you get the prompt go through whatever they give you and come up with as many examples  of DIDLS as you  can so you have lots of examples.

third class synthesis (plays we have read)

Plays we have read:

The American Dream by Edward Albee: This play is about a married couple. Over time their marriage has deteriorated. At the point in their lives where the play is set both the women and the man have gone completely insane.  Only the girl’s mother has the only hope of being sane. The woman argues with her friends over simple things such as whether a hat is beige or wheat colored. Albee wrote this abstract play in order to show the problems of middle class life.

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Salesman: This play is about a man named Will Lowman. He is a salesman. We are never sure what he sales or if he is even a good salesman. He is always trying to live up to a certain standard. We find this standard to be unachievable. Willy has two sons Biff and Happy. Happy tries to live the same way as his father and Biff has realized that it is not worth it. Willy also has a wife who he treats more as a mother figure than a wife.  In the end Willy’s inability to connect with Biff and Linda, and his inability to “succeed” drive him insane and drive him to commit suicide.

Hamlet by Shakespeare: Hamlet is a young man who is returning to Elsinore from college in Germany. He is returning because his father has died and his mother has gotten married. She has married Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle. Hamlet of course feels betrayed by this action.  Hamlet learns, from his father’s ghost that Claudius murdered him and Hamlet is instructed to murder Claudius. Hamlet does not fulfill this filial duty until the very end of the play. Throughout the entire play we question who Hamlet really is. We also question who is really on Hamlet’s side and who is against him. I am not really sure about the meaning of this play.

second class synthesis ( books we have read)

Books we have read

Ceremony By Silko:  Ceremony is about a young World War 2 veteran Tayo. Tayo has lost almost everything. His brother/cousin has died from Malaria, his favorite uncle has died likely of overwork and dehydration.  Tayo has lost most of his identity. He struggles to find who he is and his place in post-World War 2 America. Also Tayo struggles because he feels responsible for the drought that is happening to the Pueblo people. He struggles with Alcoholism and his lost friends.  Eventually he goes to a healer who tells him that he has to create his own ceremony and forgive himself.  Soon he meets Lazo and she teaches him about the old ways.  And the world begins to be restored to order. In the end his he watches his friends destroy themselves and each other.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin: Pride and Prejudice is about four sisters in Victorian England. Jane the eldest meets her true love, Mr. Bingley at a Dance. They fall deeply in love. Eventually Mr. Darcy questions Jane’s love for Mr. Bingley and he breaks it off with her. Later Mr. Bingley and Jane reunite and get married. While all of this is going on Elizabeth the second child meets Mr. Darcy.  She decides that he is rude because he refuses to dance with her or anyone else for that matter. Overtime Darcy and Elizabeth become closer and closer. At the end of the novel Darcy and Elizabeth get married. The third child Lydia lives with Mr. Wickham. In disgrace she runs off with him. It is a big disgrace for her to run off with him without being married. Soon Darcy pays Wickham off and he marries Lydia.

first class synthesis (Important things to know)

Important things to know:

Diction: The words the author uses

Imagery: anything that appeals to any of your senses

Details:  Specific details that the author uses

Language: unlike diction language is important sentences and phrases.

Syntax: syntax is the way sentences are structured

Voice: The way the author speaks to the reader

Symbolism: among other vocab words this is one of the most important vocab words. Symbols are something that stands in for something else.

Allusions: an allusion is something that alludes to something else. For example the beginning of Hamlet has denial three times and then a rooster crowing. This is an allusion to Peter from the bible denying that he knew Jesus.

open prompt revision 12/4/2011

1978. Choose an implausible or strikingly unrealistic incident or character in a work of fiction or drama of recognized literary merit. Write an essay that explains how the incident or character is related to the more realistic of plausible elements in the rest of the work. Avoid plot summary.

             In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein there is booth an implausible event and an implausible character.  The character of Frankenstein’s monster is the most implausible character. Mary Shelly uses Frankenstein‘s monster to show that humans ultimately destroy the world.

               First the monster relates to the other characters by being a symbol of evil.  In a moment of Distraught Dr. Frankenstein tries to create new human life but ends up creating a great foe.  Later the monster kills Dr. Frankenstein’s brother. This shows that even when the intention is good the things humans create are destructive. In the end of the novel the Monster asks Frankenstein to make him a wife. Frankenstein refuses and the monster kills Frankenstein’s friend. The more plausible events are the birth and life of humans.  The way that this relates to the other events is when humans play God and create life our creations end up being evil.

                Next the monster relates to other characters by because he is the antagonist. He prevents his creator from of having a clear conscious. This is a symbol of everything Humans create is destructive. Frankenstein cannot shake the feeling that he has done something wrong. He is to blame for his brother’s death and the other deaths caused by the monster. Mary Shelly uses this quilt to create a sense of guilt in the reader.

                Mary Shelly uses the relationship between Frankenstein and his monster to prove that humans are to blame for all destruction. She shows that we as a race should feel guilty and that everything we do will eventually come back to haunt us.

revised 3 10/16/2011 open prompt post

Sunday, October 16, 2011Open Prompt 3 10/16/2011

1973. An effective literary work does not merely stop or cease; it concludes. In the view of some critics, a work that does not provide the pleasure of significant closure has terminated with an artistic fault. A satisfactory ending is not, however, always conclusive in every sense; significant closure may require the reader to abide with or adjust to ambiguity and uncertainty. In an essay, discuss the ending of a novel or play of acknowledged literary merit. Explain precisely how and why the ending appropriately or inappropriately concludes the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

                Some endings are beautiful while other endings are not.  In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet the ending is the pinnacle of the plot. It is the most crucial part of the entire play. This creates a beautiful perfect ending to show what true love is.

 Shakespeare does a beautiful job of concluding Romeo and Juliet. One sign of a good ending is that all of your questions have been answered. In the end of Romeo and Juliet you know exactly what happens. Also it is a true tragic ending because both the main characters end lower than where they started. They booth die.

Next the ending of Romeo and Juliet proves that they were in love. For Shakespeare True love means that you will do anything to be with that person. Even when your families hate each other, as they do in Romeo and Juliet. In the cases of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet killed herself after realizing that Romeo has killed himself for her. This is the ultimate act of love because they would rather be dead than live without one another.

Finally for Shakespeare true love is a willingness to do anything for another person.  Romeo and Juliet are good examples of what you should do or be willing to do when you love someone.  He seems to be arguing that you should go to the ends of the universe and back for the person you love. He also argues that you should do this despite your situation. In Romeo and Juliet’s case their situation was that their families hated each other. Most people would have found it hard to love each other in such a difficult situation. Romeo and Juliet loved each other despite that.  Shakespeare’s definition of true love is that you would do anything despite outside factors for that person and Romeo and Juliet made the ultimate sacrifice for each other.

                In conclusion Shakespeare creates a perfect ending to show what the meaning of true love is. He argues that love is never ending. He also argues that love should be the end all be all.  Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has a beautiful perfect ending.

revised open prompt from Sunday, October 30,2011

2008. In a literary work, a minor character, often known as a foil, possesses traits that emphasize, by contrast or comparison, the distinctive characteristics and qualities of the main character. For example, the ideas or behavior of a minor character might be used to highlight the weaknesses or strengths of the main character. Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil for the main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.

Shakespeare often employs foils to prove a point.  In Much Ado About Nothing Claudio and Don Jon are foils. Claudio is almost naïve while Don Jon is sneaky.  Shakespeare uses the relationship between Claudio and Don Jon to show that young  people should think critically about their situation.

First Don Jon and Claudio are foils. We know this because of several things. The first is that Claudio is young and Don Jon is not.  Claudio is merry and Don Jon is gloomy. Claudio is Naïve and Don Jon is manipulative. Shakespeare uses these traits in Claudio to make him easily manipulate able.

Next Shakespeare uses the fact that Claudio is easily manipulated to show that young people should think for themselves.  First Claudio falls deeply in love with Hero. When Don Jon begins spreading rumors about Hero he rejects her. This shows that young people should use common sense because Claudio loves Hero but rejects her to easily.  He does not think about his sources or reflect about the situation.  He allows others to make decisions for him and this ultimately leads to his unhappiness. Shakespeare uses Claudio as an example for other young people. 

In conclusion Shakespeare uses the relationship between Don Jon and Claudio to show that young people should think for themselves. Claudio is easily manipulated and this ultimately leads to his destruction. 

revised open prompt from September

2009, Form B. Many works of literature deal with political or social issues. Choose a novel or play that focuses on a political or social issue. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the author uses literary elements to explore this issue and explain how the issue contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.

                Poverty was a major problem for England in the late 1800s. People who lived in poverty often faced cruelties such as work houses, living on the streets and constantly not having enough to eat. In Dickens  A Christmas Carol Dickens uses the varies characters such as Tiny  Tim his partner Jacob Marley and Scrooges   treatment of Bob Cratchit as implements to prove these cruelties.  Dickens uses Tiny Tim and other various characters to convince the upper classes of 19th century England that they should help the poor.

Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol shows the danger of treating people poorly. Scrooge does not treat his employee well. Because of this Cratchet cannot buy nice things for his family. He also cannot get care for his disabled son.  Due to this the people of the town dislike Scrooge. Scrooge is treated the same way he treats other people.  Dickens uses Tiny Tim and the rest of the Cratchet family to argue what goes around comes around.

The ghosts in A Christmas Carol show that the upper class should treat the lower classes better.  The ghost of Christmas future shows Scrooge his own funeral. People are celebrating his death.  This shows that he should treat the lower class better because he will be treated better. Dickens seems to be arguing that upper class people should treat people in a lower class better because they will be treated well. It also means that they will be better respected.

                In Dickens A Christmas carol Scrooge learns about caring for others. Dickens uses Scrooge to show what will happen to people if they do not treat other people in a good way. He uses Tiny Tim to demonstrate what will happen if we the upper classes did not treat the poor the way he thought that the poor should be treated.