PLATO STUDY QUESTIONS (AP English)

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?
the concept of reality and knowledge
2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?
prisoners= humans
shadows=appearances (what we think is right/real)
the outside: new ideas/knowledge
prisoner that escapes= teacher
3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
it's a struggle and that if you have completely different views on something, people might be react in a negative way to you.
4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?
the cave suggests that people are cut of from knowledge and the shackles are what's keeping them restrained.
5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
laziness and the fear of the unknown
6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
the freed prisoner is enlightened and the cave prisoners are reluctant to go outside because they are used to being in there
7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?
when they are enclosed and can't know the truth or when they don't want to know
8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?
by going outside and learning the truth. Intellectual freedom is as essential as physical freedom
9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
yes because what you may perceive as real might be something else.
10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?
that people just assume is real if they can see it even though it might not be true.

CONNECTING THE DOTS (Expository)

Based on my thoughts from zero period, I am considering the topic "racism against minority groups who don't speak the regional language." I am thinking on focusing not only in the U.S but in other countries as well.

WE HANG TOGETHER (AP English)

RESEARCH PAPER (Expository)

Xenophobia = Racism

In the United States, it is estimated that 58.5% of hate crimes are based on race or ethnicity (fbi.com).  The reason behind the “hate” that triggers these crimes can be say that is fear. “Scientists believe the discovery can be explained by the fact that implicit racism is fundamentally founded on fear, and the drug acts both on nerve circuits that govern automatic functions, such as heart rate, and the part of the brain involved in emotional responses.” (M. Rooks)

HAMLET REMIX---in progress--(AP ENGLISH)

I havent quite figured out where I'm going with this so its not perfect yet

http://prezi.com/_tiz7wsjunhq/hamlet/

SONNET ANALYSIS #1

This are my notes on sonnets

A POETIC INQUIRY (AP ENGLISH)

big question: Why is world peace sooooo hard to obtain? I mean, if EVERYONE took in consideration other people and stopped being selfish, world peace would not be so hard to obtain!
Why can't ALL humans cooperate with each other and make the Earth a better planet to live in? without any violence, corruption, or misery? How can languge help reach world peace?

I have not changed my question. But now I am a bit more focused on the linguistics concept of it because I would like to be a translator.

Finding a sonnet was difficult. Were we supposed to choose a sonnet by Shakespeare or Petrarchan? or it didn't matter who the author was?

The sonnet that I found doesn't have a big relationship with the language component of my question but it does talk about peace.

"Lasting Peace on Earth"

The peace that’s found on earth lasts not for long, 

As leaders break their promises often; 

The peace that wars bring serves to just prolong

The rivalries, when differences soften.

Man needs the peace of mind, of heart and soul, 

Apart from peace surrounding his earth’s space; 

Progress in fields occurs when peace is goal, 

And keeps the health and wealth of human race.

The peace that wars unleash is quite futile; 

The peace that dialogues bring, much better; 

The peace that world bodies give is fragile; 

The Maker is the final peace-setter! 

The peace that man bestows on earth is short; 

The peace that God ushers, none can abort! 

7 TIMES (Expos)

1. tone? The tone in Erica's essay is one of disbelieve and personal while Javier's tone was neutral.
2. facts? Even though both of them said the same thing, I feel that Erica's facts were affected by her personal feelings and that might have a stronger impact on the audience. (Pathos)
3. conclusions? Erica comes to the conclusion that shooting a teenager 7 times is 7 times too many while Javier sees a way to justify the police's actions.
4. writing techniques (figurative language, punctuation/capitalization, etc.)? Erica uses the word "I" throughout the essay while Javier keeps a distance. This shows the use of syntax(?)  and punctuation. (?)

"bullet 1. and he was probably down or even dead
bullet 2. definitely dead
bullet 3. still dead
bullet 4. still dead
bullet 5. still dead
bullet 6. still dead
bullet 7. still dead

WHY 7?"

Personally, I can see why the police did what they did. If you take a minute to put yourself on their shoes, what else could they do?  They saw someone that had an appearance to be a gangster with a toy gun looked like a real one. However, I am not saying that the 14-year-old should of died. 

RACIAL PROFILING LIVES ON (EXPOS)

• "The ruling by Judge Scheindlin, of the Federal District Court in Manhattan, does nothing to disrupt the authority the Supreme Court has given police officers to target African-Americans and Latinos with little or no basis."
• legalized/institutional racism 
• The hypothetical scenarios show the loopholes in the 4 amendment. 
• 4th amendment: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."   
• If a female African-American/Latina were to be stopped and frisked, and they feel like they were sexually harrased, would they win if they went to court? 

VOCABULARY 9 (EXPOS)

ultimate: being or happening at the end of a process; final.
The ultimate showdown happened when the smartest students had a debate against each other.

interactive: (of two people or things) influencing or having an effect on each other; to come into contact
Two year-old are very interactive when they play among each other.

principle: a fundamental source or basis of something.
A principle in physics is that an object in motion will stay in motion unless acted by an outside force.

guidance: advice or information aimed at resolving a problem or difficulty, esp. as given by someone in authority.
I go to the career center to get guidance in my college applications and scholarships.

collaboration: the action of working with someone to produce or create something.
The doctors were collaborating in a case that was difficult to diagnose.

formative: serving to form something, esp. having a profound and lasting influence on a person's development.
In a pregnancy, the first 6-8 weeks are formative.

summative:  additive, cumulative
The grades for this semester are summative to my total GPA.

racism:  poor treatment of or violence against people because of their race; the belief that some races of people are better than others.
Even though people would like to think racism doesn't exist, it still does.

intelligence: the ability to learn or understand things or to deal with new or difficult situations
I wish I had Issac Newton's intelligence.

PERFORMATIVE UTTERANCE + HAMLET---ESSAY (AP ENGLISH)

     Throughout the play, Hamlet gives a few soliloquies that allow the reader know what Hamlet thinks and feels. Throughout the play, the impact of performative utterance on Hamlet and his sense of self was seen by his actions and the way he spoke to other characters. By using locutionary force, illocutionary force, and perlocutionary force through out the play, Shakespear shows how when Hamlet speaks, his words constitute actions in their self.
     The importance of performative utterance on Hamlet is shown when he says his soliloquies. For example, when Hamlet gives his first soliloquy during act 1 scene 2, the audience knows how he feels about his mother marring his uncle. In act 1 scene 5, Hamlet learns that his father was poisoned and he uses illocutionary force to order himself to kill hi uncle to avenge his father's death. By Hamlet commanding himself to "remember and obey" his father's ghost, he is condemning his uncle to his death. When Hamlet says that he will remember his father, his speech constitutes actions because that means that he will kill Claudius.
     Austin's idea is that languae describes and does. This idea can be backed up by Hamlet's actions. For example, when Hamlet gives his soliloquies, he is describing the way he feels and he is also describing how he is going to avenge his father's death. In other words, Hamlet uses his soliloquies to give himself a push in killing Claudious. By Hamlet "motivating" himself to kill his uncle, he shows that even though he doesn't know how to kill his uncle, he is sure that he needs to kill his uncle.
     In my opinion, "self overhearing" means that someone says their feelings, what and how they feel out loud in order to help them self make decisions or to clarify their ideas and feelings.  Another use of self overhearing is that it helps to memorize. When I was memorizing To Be Or Not To Be, I read the lines out loud and after a few repetitions, I had memorized that line.
     In conclusion,  Austin's idea of language can be seen through out the play by Hamlet's actions. In the play, self-overhearing has a big impact on the plot and the characters because by over hearing himself, Hamlet was able to decide what to do in order to take revenge against his uncle.
     

vocab 9

aficionado: (noun) fan, enthusiast.
- My cousin, who often spends her time painting, is an aficionado of art.

browbeat: (verb) to intimidate by overbearing words or looks; bully.

commensurate: (adjective) having the same measure; of equal extent, proportionate; having a common measure.

diaphanous: (adjective) very sheer and light; almost completely transparent.
emolument: (noun) profit, salary, or fees from office or employment.

foray: (noun) a quick, sudden attack; a quick raid.

genre: (noun) a class or category of art, music or literature.

homily: (noun) a religious sermon or speech that is intended to provide spiritual education, or any moral lessons that are being imparted, especially when being imparted or taught in a tedious way.

immure: (verb) to enclose within walls; to seclude or confine; to imprison.

insouciant: (adjective) free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant.

matrix: (noun) an environment in which something is created.

obsequies: (noun) funeral rite or ceremony.

panache: (noun) a grand or flamboyant manner; style; flair.

persona: (noun) a person; the characters in a play or novel; a person's personality.

philippic: (noun) a cruel attack of words.

prurient: (adjective) having or expressing lustful ideas or desires.

sacrosanct: (adjective) extremely sacred or inviolable.

systematic: (adjective) having, showing, or involving a system, method, or plan.

tendentious: (adjective) Marked by a strong implicit point of view; having or showing a definite tendency, bias, or purpose.

vicissitude: (noun) a change or variation.

TOOLS THAT CHANGE THE WAY WE THINK (AP English & Expos)

"Back in 2004, I asked [Google founders] Page and Brin what they saw as the future of Google search. 'It will be included in people's brains,' said Page. 'When you think about something and don't really know much about it, you will automatically get information.'

'That's true,' said Brin. 'Ultimately I view Google as a way to augment your brain with the knowledge of the world. Right now you go into your computer and type a phrase, but you can imagine that it could be easier in the future, that you can have just devices you talk into, or you can have computers that pay attention to what's going on around them and suggest useful information.'

'Somebody introduces themselves to you, and your watch goes to your web page,' said Page. 'Or if you met this person two years ago, this is what they said to you... Eventually you'll have the implant, where if you think about a fact, it will just tell you the answer."

-From In the Plex by Steven Levy (p.67)

 How does use of the Internet, media, and/or technology change the way you think? Focus on your memory, your ability to concentrate, your sense of time and priorities, and the subjects/topics that interest you most. If you find "thinking about your thinking" difficult to assess, try the following strategies: compare yourself with older people who did most of their formal learning before smart phones and 2.0 existed; compare yourself with contemporaries who don't use those tools much today; read up on what education leaders and thinkers have to say about generational differences in thinking (and remember to cite your sources).

I think that the Internet has changed the way I think by enabling me to get information that I would probably never know. (even with filter bubbles) However, I think that in a way, it has made me less responsible and kind of unorganized. For example, if I have a homework assignment that I can use the Internet to help me with it, I would do that assignment last because I have Internet in my phone so I can do it during school. Also, I think that in a way I took a step forward and two steps back ever since I started to rely on the Internet so much.

FILTER BUBBLES (AP English & Expos)

a)What new information did you learn from the video?
-everyone sees something different when they search for the same thing and that the Internet doesn't really open doors for you, it just leads you to a place you will feel comfortable.
b)How does this information make you think differently about what you see online?
-there is more to what is being presented to me
c)What questions does this video raise about the Internet in general?
-how can I get all the different points of view that are out there?
d)How can you improve the effectiveness of your searches?
-by focusing on a different point of view

THOUGHTS ON HAMLET (IN PROGRESS) (AP English)

-I think that the reason why Gertrude can't see the ghost is because the ghost represents Hamlet conscience. But if that were true, how come the guards were able to see it? I'm still working in that.
-Dr. Preston said that he interpreted as the ghost only presenting himself to people who are pure(?)...that kind of makes sense because Gertrude has little/no morals.
-I think that since Hamlet didn't care that he killed Polonious, he is not going to care who he has to kill in order to get revenge.

The Performative Utterance in William Shakespeare's Hamlet (AP English)

performative: relating to or denoting an utterance by means of which the speaker performs a particular act.
utterance: spoken word, statement or vocal sound; the action of saying or expressing something aloud.

Hamet's struggle is in doing what his brain is telling him to do. And not in whether or not he should kill himself.

WHAT I THINK WHEN I THINK OF ACT ||| (AP English)

SCENE |
-I think it's kind of funny that nobody knows why Hamlet is so upset...gee, I wonder why, it's not like anybody he loved was murdered by his uncle (Claudius) and his mom (Gertrude) get married as soon as she could. Oh wait! that's what's going on.
-I understand why Rosencrantz and Guildenstern would want to tell Hamlet's uncle and mom about his emotional state but couldn't they just say "Your mom and uncle are worried about you. What's going on?"
-Why does Claudius want to spy on Hamlet and Ophelia? creepy. There's a thing called privacy.
-When Hamlet says, "and thus conscience makes cowards of us all", is he talking about the way Claudius reacted?
-Hamlet was an a**hole telling Ophelia to go to a convent so she could give birth to sinner.
-Polonius is kind of annoying because he is dumb

SCENE ||
- I'm impressed with Hamlet's intelligence in creating a play that shows whats going on in his life.
-If I were Claudius I would get the hint that Hamlet knows the truth.
-Does Horatio know about Claudius killing Hamlet Sn? How does he know? What does he think?

SCENE |||
-Claudius is right in being worried about Hamlet's actions.
-Claudius is an evil step dad, he just sends Hamlet to England...
-Does Claudius love Gertrude?
-Hamlet shows his trust for revenge when he is willing to wait to kill his uncle

SCENE IV
-Gertrude is a bad mother in agreeing with Polonius (I think)
-what is wrong with Gertrude that she didn't react to Hamlet killing Polonius?
-Did Gertrude helped Claudius Kill Hamlet sn? Does she suspect anything?

LITERATURE ANALYSIS #3 (AP English)

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
The protagonist of this book is Antonio Marez. The setting is Guadalupe, New Mexico. His father, Gabriel Marez, a "vaquero" (cowboy), would like to see his son grow up and follow in the same path that he did, but Antonio's mother, Maria Luna (a devout catholic and daughter of farmers), would like Antonio to become a priest. When Ultima, comes to stay with the family, she teaches Antonio about the earth around him and the basics of her craft.  After watching Tenorio shoot Ultima's owl, her spiritual guardian, Ultima herself begins to die. She asks Antonio to bury her owl, and he does so in honor of Ultima. In the end we see how Antonio looses his innocence and becomes a grown up.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
A theme can be to be yourself and not let other people decide for you. (self-discovery?)

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
The tone is one of comprehension.
 "I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through her (Ultima) I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things"

"I could not lie. I knew he would find the lie in my eyes if I did. But maybe there were other gods? Why had the power God failed to cure my uncle?"

"The sun was good. The men of the llano were men of the sun. The men of the farms along the river were men of the moon. But we were all children of the white sun."

"There are so many dreams to be fulfilled, but Ultima says a mans destiny must unfold itself like a flower, with only the sun and the earth and water making it blossom, and no one else meddling in it."

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)
Symbolism: Golden carp, Ultimas owl, Virgen de Guadalupe, the last name "Luna"
Diction: Anaya uses phrases and sayings that have spanaish words on it.
Direct Characterization: the way that Ultima is described
Indirect Characterization: the actions that Ultima does and the way people react to her.
Metaphor: the way Anaya says that the Lunas are people of the land and the Marez come from the sun.
Synesthesia: They way Antonio described the way the soil felt.
Aphorism: The way that Antonio's brothers acted when they come back from the earth.
motif: loss of innocence

Literature Analysis #3 (Expository)

A CHILD CALLED IT 

TOPIC(S) and/or EVENT(S)

1.     As we have discussed in class, a book is said to be nonfiction if its content is based on facts or events.  What is your book about?  [a]. Try writing a paragraph first to capture your thoughts.  

This book is about a boy who's mother abused him. In this book all the horrific things his mom did to David are exposed. 

[b]. Then see if you can boil it down to one clear statement.  (Even if you feel like you can just skip to [b], please do both; remember that your reader doesn’t know what you know.

This book is about the live of David Pelzer. In this book (the first of the trilogy), he relates the torment he lived up until he was 7/8 years of age.

2.     Why did your author choose to write about this topic, person or event?

To help people see the horrible things an abused kid went through. 

3.     Why did you choose this book?  What about the book appealed to you the first time it came to your attention (and how did it come to your attention)?  What about the book made you want to keep reading once you began?

I choose this book because I read the second book and I wanted to have all the details from the first book present while I read the second part. I decided to read this book because my friend recommended it to me. This book made me keep reading because I could imagine the suffering David was going through and it made me feel  sympathy.

4.     Did you find the book realistic?  Did you make any connections between people/events you read about and people/events in your own life?  Why or (if you didn’t) why not?

I found this book to be realistic because the sad truth is that many kids are abused. Fortunately, I could not relate any of the events and people in this book because that I know of, no one I know suffers from abuse. 

PEOPLE

1.     Since this book is nonfiction, the theory goes that the author didn’t create characters.  But that’s not entirely true, is it?  Doesn’t the author report his/her own interpretations based on personal observations?  If we met his/her subjects for ourselves we might see them completely differently.   What do the author’s choices say to you?  Why did s/he choose to write about this book?  What is the author’s tone, and what (if anything) does it say about the author and his/her subjects?

David presents the characters in this book the way he saw them when he was a child. If I were to meet the "Mother", I hope I could see her for what she truly is. An abuser. Since the story is told from a kid's point of view, it's understandable that David put some characters personalities different from what a grown up would see them. 

2.     Describe two or three people from the book.  What do they look like?  How do they act?  How would you write them as fictional characters (would you use direct or indirect characterization?

-Father: alcoholic and submissive to mother

-Mother: alcoholic, abusive, emotionally unstable, controlling 

I would make Father resemble a guy who has a nice face but looks like a homeless person. I would make Mother resemble an old women who has bushy hair. kind of like a witch.

3.     What about these people makes them interesting enough to write about?

Their ability to hurt an innocent child and not be tormented by it. 

1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)? 

direct:

-when the author gives a physical description of how he looks like

-when the author tells the reader how his mom looked before she began to drink.

indirect:

-the way the author describes the "games" Mother played with him reveal that she was psychologically sick.

-the description of Father just looking away from David reveals that looking at David is something his dad can't deal with because he is not able to do anything to help David but he doesn't even try. 

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?

The author's diction goes from saying his dad is his hero to calling his mom "The Bitch" and calling his mother "momie" when she didn't abusive him to "Mother" whenever he talked about the "games" she played.

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.

dynamic and round. Throughout the book David is forced to grow up and anticipate his mom's next move so that he can be prepared.

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.

I feel like I know David and that I would like to follow up with his life at the present moment. 

STYLE

1.     Did the author use any tools from fiction writing (such as foreshadowing or symbolism), or did the author use a journalistic style? Example(s)?
I think he uses both tools, fiction and nonfiction like interviews at the end of the book and direct & indirect characterisation.

2.     Does the author use lengthy descriptions of places and people,or does s/he focus more on action or dialogue?  What overall effect do these choices have on the book?

He uses the descriptions of places to make an association of the way he felt. It's used to make a connection.

3.     What tools does the author use to demonstrate tone and create a mood?
he uses diction and syntax.

4.     What do you think the author’s attitude was toward the subject, or the characters, or the audience (i.e., you)?  Why?
I think he wants to create awareness of a problem through his memoir.

5.     What resources (newspaper articles, interviews, historical documents, e.g.) does the author offer?  Did it matter in your thinking?  Why/why not?

He uses dates and places I sort of know. I think this affects me because it makes it feel like is more realistic. 

ENDURING MEMORY

Write a paragraph in which you describe the one or two ideas from this book that you expect to remember for a long time.  Explain your choices and their importance.  Share a passage or two that give your reader a taste of the same effect..

Something I think I will remember for a long time is all the suffering that David went through and now he is a well-known author.

In your book, what do the key people learn?  How do they do it?  How do you know?

David learns how to cope with his pain and he does it by withdrawing within himself. I know this because he says that he didn't have friends and since he couldn't talk to anyone, one can assume he withdrew within himself. 

Vocab 8

cursory- not thorough or detailed

impetus- force with which a body moves.

pinnacle- a high pointed piece of rock.

contumely- insulting language or treatment.

bereavement- mourning

cache- a collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place.

consummation- the point at which something is complete.

calamity- a disaster

avarice- extreme greed for wealth or material gain.

fortify- strengthen with defensive works so as to protect it against attack.

erratic- irregular in pattern or movement

ubiquitous- seeming to be everywhere.

fortitude- courage in pain or adversity

nonchalant- appearing casually calm and relaxed.

affect- make a difference to

effect- a change that is a result or consequence of an action of other cause.
misappropriate- unfairly take for one's own use.

pragmatic- dealing with things in a realistic way that is based on practical considerations.

metacognition- awareness and understanding of one's own thought process.

devoutly- showing deep religious feeling or commitment