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.

Closed prompt 12/11/2011

The conflict between North and South Korea has reached a new low. Now even religious life is considered warfare. Christmas lights are psychological warfare for the Koreans.

South Korea would not have allowed Christians to light a tree if the North had not torpedoed them. The article says “In 2004, the two Koreas reached a deal to halt official-level cross-border propaganda and the South stopped its annual Christmas illumination ceremony.” It then goes on to say that the north had allegedly torpedoed the south. After this incident the south allowed its people to light Christmas trees again. Thus the south would have not have lighten its lights had they not been attacked. The south used this act as a way to get back at the north.

Next, the south lights its Christmas trees to convert Northerners. This is bad for the North because religion is banned. The article uses details such as South Koreans will light three Christmas trees strategically placed in the east west and in the middle. And the author says  “Last year's tree, which was illuminated by thousands of small light bulbs, could be seen from as far as the North's major city of Kaesong”. This shows that Christmas is warfare because of the trees magnitude. South Korea has gone to great extent to have Christmas trees.

Next,    the author clearly thinks Christmas is propaganda. They write “Christmas as propaganda”. This is bolded and separated from the rest of the text. This is clearly supposed to draw attention to it. It is clearly supposed to show the Authors support of North Korea.

The meaning of this article is that Christmas is propaganda. The effect is that it makes you support North Korea because it demonstrates a specific incident of warfare.

                 In conclusion Christmas trees on the 38^th parallel of Korea are psychological warfare.

Response to course materials

I Enjoy Ceremony a lot more than I thought I would.  It is interesting to me to learn about other cultures. I enjoy learning about different cultures religion. I have been very impressed with Ms. Holmes’ knowledge of Native American culture and religion. We have been looking at the meanings of colors in Native American culture. It is interesting how the meaning of colors vary so widely from the western culture. We have learned that yellow is a very good and happy color to Laguna Pueblos.

In Ceremony There is a lot of racism. There is racism from the whites to the Lagunas and vice versa. It is just as racist to be anti-white as it is to be anti-Native American. The book has really made me see some differences and similarities in booth Whites and native Americans.  

open prompt 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 crate 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 way that this relates to the other characters is that Mary Shelly argues that humans are all created from evil and they all create 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 yet another 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 from 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 bite us in the butt.

Closed prompt November 20 2011

Another Barrier to Maternity Leave for Those Most in Need: Knowing About It, By

Nanette Fondas . published on November 18 2011. found November 20 2011. published by Ms. Magazine. http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/11/18/another-barrier-to-maternity-leave-for-those-most-in-need-knowing-about-it/ 

Language-“On Wednesday a new poll was released that shows that people who are most likely to need paid family leave are least likely to be aware of programs that provide it.” This shows anger. It also explains the main problem addressed in the article. 2. “Two other states, New Jersey and Washington, offer paid family leave and someday the U.S. may join the rest of the developed world with a national program.” This is saying that there is a problem with the US’ paid family leave system. The rest of the world has the ability to have paid family leave and so why don’t we? This statement really drives home the point that we need to mobilize to support moms. 3. “Friend to friend, doctors to mothers, agency to clients: whether we shout from the rooftop or send texts to our sisters, we all need to make those Americans entitled to paid leave aware that they have it–and we need to support family-friendly programs like paid family leave for all Americans.” Finally she gets to her point. Occupy wall street needs to include maternity leave awareness because the poorest people are less likely to know about maternity leave options.

Details-1.“ Specifically, California registered voters were surveyed to assess their awareness of the state’s groundbreaking Paid Family Leave Act, passed nearly 10 years ago.” Explains a specific program in a specific place. 2. “Fewer than 43 percent had “seen, read or heard” of the law allowing them to take paid leave to care for a new child or seriously ill family member.” This Explains how a very specific but very few number of women know about the PFLA. 3. “Two-thirds of college graduate mothers took paid maternity leave but only 18 percent of mothers with no high school diploma could do so.”  This shows specific numbers to prove that moms with degrees take maternity leave while moms without cannot.

Diction- 1. “People who were less educated and had lower household incomes were least likely to be aware of the program, though having a union member in the family helped boost awareness.” Awareness is a very strong word. She could have said knowledge. Awareness really drives home the problem.  2. “The headlines heralded that a “majority” of U.S. moms now get paid maternity leave because 50.8 percent of working women receive some paid time off following the birth of a child.” Heralded is a very strong word.  She could have said announced or reported. Heralded shows her dismay in the media.

Meaning: We should mobilize to help new moms learn about maternity leave, because the women who need it most do not know about it.

Effect: Hopefully to mobilize and bring awareness about this problem.

Response to course material November 20

We have recently started Leslie Silko's Ceremony. It is ok but I am just not really into historical fiction. On Friday We also viewed presentations about important Eras. It was a good review of things that we have learned in the past.  Also recently we learned about how to a multiple choice. I am greatful that we have finally started to learn about this. My anxious self was worried it would be a long time before we actually learned about multiple choice(hahaha).
Happy Thanksgiving!
Go Lions!
Go Blue!

open blog post Novemeber 13 2011

2006, Form B. In many works of literature, a physical journey - the literal movement from one place to another - plays a central role. Choose a novel, play, or epic poem in which a physical journey is an important element and discuss how the journey adds to the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

Often in Greek Mythology the author or authors will have a reoccurring theme to make a point.  In Homers “The Odyssey” Odysseus takes a very long Journey.  The Journey symbolizes hope,.  It also symbolizes Penelope’s commitment to Odysseus.

                Odysseus’ journey symbolizes hope. Odysseus always dreams about coming home to his family.  This symbolizes hope because he always keeps the hope of coming home alive.  Also the Journey is about hope because Penelope and Telemachus also hope that Odysseus will come home. They keep hope that he is alive.  Odysseus’ ten year journey symbolizes hope. Odysseus men, Odysseus and Penelope and Telemachus keep hope that Odysseus will return to Ithaca.

                And Odysseus’ journey represents Penelope’s commitment.  Penelope has many suitors and could easily have betrayed Odysseus. However she remains loyal to him. She weaves a tapestry telling them when she is done she will marry one of them, and then at night she unweaves it so that she will never finish it.    Odysseus journey symbolizes this because the longer he was away the harder it was for her to remain loyal but she always does. 

                 The message of “The Odyssey” by Homer  is that you should never give up hope, He says this by showing Odysseus never giving up hope, and that you should remain loyal to those you love, by having Penelope remain loyal  to Odysseus.