Thinking Outside the Box

Plato with  "Allegory of the Cave" and Satre with "No Exit" both write about the limitations of human thinking. However, they do this is distinct ways. They both use metaphors and extended metaphor to essentially convey the same message.

 In " Allegory of the Cave" the people were limited to what surrounded them. They were hidebound to anything that they were not familiar with and therefore did not believe what the man who had left the cave told them. They purposely limited their thinking to what they knew and was familiar with them. They didn't want to bother with what was outside their comfort zone.They never searched for more than what was available to them. They simply relied on what was at reach to them.The shackles represented what was holding the prisoners back. A cave is usually thought of as a dark, dank place. The cave represents how they were "in the dark" with their knowledge. It is important that we do not wait for knowledge to come to us but that we go out and look for it and be open minded about things that may be new to us.


 In "No Exit" the characters are limited with their thinking because of isolation and also limited by what the people they are with tell them. In the play, people in hell is used instead of prisoners in a cave. Instead of being limited to the people that surround you,  listen to others' opinions and thinking instead of being limited to those that surround you. Garcin, Inez, and Estelle only have each other to listen. This is especially visible with Estelle. She validates her existence based on what Garcin and Inez tell her. She, in a sense, depends on the thinking of others instead of also trusting her own thinking. She is open to the thinking of others but is perhaps too dependent on it. Also, Garcin not leaving the room when he was given the chance shows that many people do not venture out in search of knowledge when they are given the opportunity. Again, we need to seek knowledge rather than being limited to what is already at grasp

Plato and Satre both express about the limitations of our thinking through "Allegory of the Cave" and "No Exit." Both show that many are not willing to accept new concepts or ideas that they are no used to. That is one way in which our thinking is limited. Our thinking is also limited if we are dependent on the thinking of others, as it is seen in "No Exit."

AP Literary Term: Simile

Definition: A simile is a figure of speech that compares two different things by linking them together with words such as "like" or "as."

• Similes have a more profound impact when trying to explain something, rather than just stating it.

Example:
 -Sally runs really fast.
-Sally runs as fast as a cheetah.

*Similes can be mean, serious, funny, etc.

The following video and picture provide further examples of similes.








Difference Between Metaphors and Similes: 
A metaphor is an analogy that compares two different things in an imaginative way. It states what something is rather than what it is like.

Example:
-It is raining cats and dogs.
-The homework was a breeze.

Literature Analysis #3: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.

• This story is narrated by the protagonist of the novel Scout Finch. She lives in the small town of Maycomb  with her older brother Jem and her father,a lawyer, Atticus Finch. During this particular summer a boy named Dill comes to stay in the neighborhood for the summer. Together they become fascinated with Bo Radley, and together they try to make him come out of the house he has been in his entire life. They are unsuccessful and never get to see him. Boo Radley , meanwhile, watches them from his house leaving them gifts in a hole on the tree in front of  his house. During this time, most of the people in the city of Maycomb are still racist towards blacks. Alexandra, Jem and Scout's aunt, comes to stay with the kids and tries to impose more womanly ways on Scout. Atticus Finch is then asked to defend Tom Robinson, a black man accused of raping a white woman. It is the Ewell's who have raised these charges. The Ewell's are the poorest white family in Maycomb and are frowned upon by the rest of the community. As the trial begins, it becomes more obvious that Tom Robinson was not responsible for raping Mayella Ewell, it was her father. Despite this, Tom Robinson is still found guilt. He later attempts to escape prison but is killed.  Even though Mr. Ewell won the case he still vows to take revenge on Atticus. One day when the kids are walking home from a festival, Mr. Ewell follows Jem and Scout home and attempts to kill them. Boo Radley shows up and saves Jem and Scout. Scout gets to see Boo Radley, Jem doesn't because he's sleeping while Boo is at his home. Scout then walks him home and never sees him again.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

• The major theme in this novel is the inequality in society. This is seen in throughout various characters in the novel: Boo Radley, the Ewell family, Cunninghams, Tom Robinson, etc. Each of them represent a different levels of society. 

3. Describe the author's tone. Include three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

At some points in the novel, the tone can be very humorous. There were times where I found myself laughing in certain scenes. One in particular is when Scout is rolls into the Radley house inside of a wheel.

• " The tire bumped on the gravel, skeetered across the road, crashed into the barrier and popped me like a cork onto pavement. Dizzy, nauseated, I lay on the cement and shook my head still, punded my ears to silence, and heard Jem's voice....I raised my head and stared at the Radley Place steps in front of me. I froze."

There are also many points in the novel than in which the tone can get very dark and serious. The tone is usually serious when Atticus is talking to his children and trying to give them advice. 

• "Atticus crossed his knees and folded his arms. 'I'm trying to tell you the facts of life'.......Atticus suddenly grew serious. In his lawyer's voice, without a shade of inflection of inflecion, he said...."

The scene that I found to have the darkest tone was when the kids are getting attacked by Mr. Ewell. It takes place at night while the kids are alone, this contributes to the dark tone. 

• "Maybe it was the wind rustling the trees. But there wasn't any wind and there weren't any trees...Our company shuffled and dragged his feet, as if wearing heavy shoes...I felt the sand go cold under my feet...We stopped and listened."

4. Describe five literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone. Include three excerpts that will help your reader understand each one.

• The author uses a lot symbolism in this novel. The most prominent symbolism in this novel is the one found in the title: the mockingbird. The mockingbird represents those that are innocent and do nothing but to help others. Atticus Finch tells Scout that it is a sin to kill one, Miss Maudie further expands on this.

-"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy...That's why it's a sin to kill a                           mockingbird."

• Another literary technique in that I found in the novel is indirect characterization. I found this technique especially used towards characterizing Atticus Finch. We get to see what kind of a person he his through the advice he gives his kids. 

        -" You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb                                      
           into his skin and walk around in it."

• The point of view that the novel is told in is also very important. It is told in first person point of view, by Scout. We are able to see her maturity and therefore get different perspectives. Sometimes we get the point of view of a child, sometimes that of an adult. 
• The setting is also very important in developing the theme of the novel. This novel takes place in the 1930's where there is a lot of racial inequality towards blacks. Also, women at this point are still thought of as inferior. They are not even allowed to serve in the jury at the time. 
• The author also uses a but of foreshadowing in the novel. The threats that the Mr. Ewell tells Atticus after the trial is over, foreshadow his attack on Jem and Scout. 

        -"...Mr. Bob Ewell stopped Atticus on the post office corner, spat on his face, and told him he'd get him      
           if it took the rest of his life."

     
     

The Big Question

How do investigators collect evidence and apply the scientific method to topics outside the mainstream such as paranormal activity?

Performative Utterance: Hamlet Essay

Hamlet is often thought as an indecisive man spoke a lot rather than acting on what he said. There is even a moment in the play where Hamlet reflects his inability to carry out his revenge and in doing so, he is unable to continue on with his revenge. When he is reflecting on this, he is speaking out loud to himself- self-overhearing.The fact that he is outwardly expressing his thought process allows him to make certain choices. His performative utterance comes to have a strong impact on the plot and the rest of the characters in the play. Unlike Hamlet, my own experiences with self-overhearing never directly effects the people that surround me, only myself.

To begin with, in the play the audience is given the impression that Hamlet only talks about what he is going to do but never does anything about it and that he can be indecisive. According to deBoer, Hamlet's speech is performative utterance. This means that Hamlet is not just describing what is happening within and around him, he is changing it. It's in this way that he able to impact the plot and the characters in the play. The most prominent example is that he is able to convince everyone that he has gone crazy or mad. In reality, he is only pretending to be mad. Polonious then because a bit more involved in the plot because he believes he knows the source for Hamlet's madness. Everyone becomes preoccupied with trying to figure out why Hamlet has gone mad, including Rosencratz and Guildstern. The king himself states, “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.” His madness later serves as a sort of justification for him killing Polonious and not earning immediate punishment.

When I talk to myself, it is usually when I have to make difficult decisions. I wont usually talk to myself about the weather or what I'm going to wear the next day. I ask myself questions and try to predict how others will react to my choices. I then imagine how it will effect me immediately and in the future. I do this to ensure that I am doing the right/correct thing., much like Hamlet in his “to be or not to be” soliloquy. I am always to talk myself into doing something or not doing something, For a more recent example, I was debating whether I should attend a university or go to Hancock College. This was the question that I kept asking myself. I then though about how my family wold react. I talked to myself and knew they would be filled with bitter disappointment and that it would effect me negatively in the future. Another experience with self-overhearing is the memorization of the “to be or not to be” soliloquy. The more I said the soliloquy out loud the better that I was able to memorize and understand the soliloquy. Ding this brings a bit of awkwardness but with practice I am able to ignore this.

In this case, I resolve to attending a university. This gives me real results because it is something that effects my entire future as well as my parents' future. Self-overhearing helps me to develop better memorization and understanding of something. This was the case with Hamlet's soliloquy but also the case with anything else that I have to memorize.

In conclusion, Hamlet's perfomative utterance has a big impact on the characters and thus the entire plot. As with my own self-overhearing, it doesn't have an effect right away or directly effect those that surround me. In many ways my self-overhearing creates a sense of memory, expectation, and real-world.

Language: Hamlet vs. Epic Heroes Essay

Hamlet is well-known for his long soliloquies and strong use of language. Unlike many other epic heroes, Hamlets use of language serves other vital purposes. Three purposes that Hamlets language shows his though process, displays his feelings, and provides insight on what will happen next in the plot. With other epics, such as Beowulf, the characters language does not have as much of an impact and seems more like straight-forward dialogue.

One of the thing that differentiates Hamlet's language from that of other epic heroes is that he shows his thought process in his language. A short example would be "To be, or not to be..." This short excerpt from his soliloquy shows what he was thinking at the time. In this case, he was debating whether he should continue to live or not. In Beowulf, the reader doesn't see much of his thought process develop throughout the course of the epic poem. This is neither perceived through Beowulf's own language or that of others in the epic poem.

Furthermore, another thing that separates Hamlet's use of language from other epic heroes is that he openly displays what he feels. Throughout the course of the play, the reader isn't left guessing what Hamlet is feeling. An example of this would be when he says, "A little more than kin, and less than kind!" In one line he is able to state how he feels towards Claudius and explain their relationship. Much like the reader doesn't pick up on what Beowulf thought process, we don't pick up on what Beowulf is thinking. The reader is only able to pick up what kind of character is through his actions and how others react to him, not through his language.

Also, through Hamlet's speeches and language he is able to show insight on what is happening and what will happen in the play. Through him we learn his plan for revenge and what happened in the past with Fortinbras and such. When Hamlet says, " That ever was I born to set it right!" The reader then knows that he plans to take on revenge. He is letting us know what is going to take place in the rest of the play. With Beowulf, he doesn't do much of this. His actions, not language, play a more important role.

In conclusion, Hamlet's use of language greatly differentiates him from other epic heroes such as Beowulf. Three main reasons why his language differentiates him is that it shows his thought process, what he is feeling, and what is going on or will happen later on in the plot. Beowulf makes a stronger impact through his actions and not his language.

Major Concept

One major concept that I have learned in this class is how to take efficient notes. I had always been a terrible note taker and always wrote too much or too little. Last year, all my notes were given to me so not much thinking was involved. When this school year started and we were required to take notes, I knew that I lacked the basic fundamentals to taking good notes. After having lessons on taking notes, retaking notes, and then having quizzes to test our note taking abilities, I feel more confident about the way I take notes.

In the video below, the girl wearing the black sweater reflects how my notes were before. The girl on the green and white shirt reflects how my notes are now. The part that you should focus on is up to 1:20. Up until that point in the video, it shows a kind of before and after comparison of my notes.

Roy Christopher Conference

During our talk with Roy Christopher, there were some key points that really caught my attention:

•  I think that all the things that were mentioned were important points. The one thing that caught my attention the most was Roy said, "Multitasking is a myth." I remember Dr. Preston telling us this sophomore year. Since were working with more with technology this year, I have been "multitasking" more than I normally would.It was nice to have the idea of multitasking not existing reinforced again.
• There was a point in the conversation in which someone asked if we would ever reach the point where we would become tourists instead of being that digital natives. Roy responded in a reassuring way, stating that we are smart and will be able to keep up with the pace of technology. We will not fall behind and should not fear this. 
• We were asked if we should be embarrassed by our behavior.. I agreed with Hannah Hosking's answer stating that we should only be embarrassed that adults do not trust us. Roy also agreed with this answer saying that we should be trusted with technology. I do think that we deserve it and that their mistrust is based on  negative stereotypes of teenagers.

Literature Analysis #2: The Cherry Orchard

1.) Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.

• The protagonist of the novel is Lyuba Ranevsky. After five years of being away from her home, she and her daughter Anya have finally returned due to her financial crisis. Everyone is rejoiced at their arrival, including  Lopakhin (family friend), Dunyasha (maid), Fiers (servant),  and Varya (adoptive daughter). Anya states that their poverty is partially due to her mothers excessive spending. Gayev, Ranevsky's brother, and Lopakhin brainstorm ideas as to what they should do with Ranevsky's cherry orchard. Lopakhin believes that the best thing to do is to cut down the trees, build cottages, and rent them out. Ranevsky rejects this idea because she cannot stand the idea of having to part with her trees. Throughout the course of the play, the characters each remember some sort of painful memory in their past.There are several love subplots intertwined throughout the play such as Lopakhin and Varya. In order to solve the financial crisis, the cherry orchard is auctioned off. Lopakhin is the one to buy it and precedes with his idea to build cottages on the land. Everyone then leaves the house. Rovenvsky leaves her home weeping. Everyone has forgotten Fier and he is left alone in the house. The last sound heard is the sound of the cherry trees being cut down.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

• The main theme is attachment to memories/the past. Ranevsky doesn't seem to take action against her financial issues but continues to contribute to them with her excessive spending. She refuses to adapt to her new life , she stays glued to her past and doesn't strive to make a better future for herself. 

3.)Describe the author's tone.  Include three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).


Towards the beginning of the play each of the characters sets off a different tone. Lubov's  character at the beginning creates a reminiscent and nostalgic tone. She walks around her home remembering what it was like when she lived there five years ago. For the most part Act 1 is set in this tone.

•  Lubov: My dear nursery, oh, you beautiful room. . . . I used to sleep here when I was a baby. [Weeps] And here I am like a little girl again. [Kisses her brother, VARYA, then her brother again] And Varya is just as she used to be, just like a nun. And I knew Dunyasha. [Kisses her.]
• Gaev: Right into the pocket! Once upon a time you and I used both to sleep in this room, and now I'm fifty-one; it does seem strange.

Anya later on begins talking to Varya, recalling why her mom  had left their home five years ago. This sets up a serious tone for the rest of the scene.

•  Anya: Father died six years ago, and a month later my brother Grisha was drowned in the river-- such a dear little boy of seven! Mother couldn't bear it; she went away, away, without looking round. . . . [Shudders] How I understand her; if only she knew!

 Each of the characters struggles with some unpleasant memory in their past. When they recall whatever unpleasant memory, there is a melancholy tone.

• Charlotte: I haven't a real passport. I don't know how old I am, and I think I'm young. When I was a little girl my father and mother used to go round fairs and give very good performances and I used to do the salto mortale and various little things. And when papa and mamma died a German lady took me to her and began to teach me... And where I came from and who I am, I don't know. . . . Who my parents were--perhaps they weren't married--I don't know. [Takes a cucumber out of her pocket and eats] I don't know anything. [Pause] I do want to talk, but I haven't anybody to talk to . . . I haven't anybody at all.

4.)4. Describe five literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone.  Include three excerpts that will help your reader understand each one.


Since it is a play, one literature technique the author heavily relies on is imagery. The opening scene is a strong example of this technique. It creates the image of warmth contrasting with the cold.

• "It is close on sunrise. It is May. The cherry-trees are in flower but it is chilly in the garden. There is an early frost."

This same quote also sets for the use of irony. The cherry-trees are beautiful and blooming and it is expected that there is warm weather. On the contrary, there is a frost. This reflects the ambivalent feelings of each of the characters upon their return home. Also how they struggle to balance their pleasant memories of the past and the not so pleasant memories of the present.

• Epikhodov: There's a frost this morning--three degrees, and the cherry-trees are all in flower. I can't approve of our climate.

Another literary technique used is indirect/direct characterization. A few of the characters are described directly by other characters. This can also be thought of as indirect characterization because it is how other characters react to them. 

• (Lopakhin to Dunyasha) You're too sensitive, Dunyasha. You dress just like a lady, and you do your hair like one too. You oughtn't. You should know your place.

The author also uses foreshadowing to show what will happen to the orchard towards the end of the novel. In this case, foreshadowing is used to show that the orchard will be sold. Lopakhin says that selling the orchard is the best way for the family to get out of their financial crisis;he ends up being the one that purchases the orchard. 

• LOPAKHIN. [Looks at his watch] If we can't think of anything and don't make up our minds to anything, then on August 22, both the cherry orchard and the whole estate will be up for auction. Make up your mind! I swear there's no other way out, I'll swear it again.

In the play there is also some symbolism. The most prominent symbol that I found was the character Fiers. He always mentions how it was "back then" much like elderly people stereo-typically do. He symbolizes the past, something that the characters of the novel struggle to let go of. At the end of the novel he is forgotten by everyone  and is left behind while everyone departs Ranevsky's home. He lies alone on a couch. This symbolizes each of the characters moving on and perhaps letting go of whatever was preventing them from going on with their lives.

• Fiers: " In the old days, forty or fifty years back, they dried the cherries, soaked them and pickled them, and made jam of them, and it used to happen that . . ."

Tools That Change the Way We Think

"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)

• I believe that the extensive use of technology has changed my thinking in a positive manner. Because it is much easier to research something, I want to learn more because it is much faster to do so. I admit that there are plenty of distractions when using the internet but I think that with time it will be easier for us to control ourselves from being distracted. It will only take time and practice to keep ourselves from getting distracted. If we set priorities of whatever it is that we want to accomplish, it is more difficult to get distracted. I do this and it works for me. However, there are times when I do get distracted and start looking up random stuff on the web. Even then I think it's a somewhat positive thing to get distracted. I am still learning, it may not be what I am supposed to be focusing on at the moment but it's still valid. Learning knew information has been made easier/faster but I don't necessarily think that easier/faster means that we are getting lazier.It just means that we are getting the ability to accomplish more in a less amount of time. Not only that, but to access more information in general. Before smart phones and 2.0 existed, learning and doing research was perhaps a more tedious task because it required more effort and time. Now it's much easier to do this, so I think that it motivates others to strive to learn more rather then make them lazy. It only makes information more available to us. It can turn into something that may potentially make us lazy but as long as we have control, technology can only contribute to our learning in a positive manner.

In Search Of

-I almost feel a little uncomfortable using the internet. I also feel a little cheated because I'm not getting the entire spectrum of an idea or subject when I look it up.


I started off by opening up three different tabs, each with a different search engine (Dogpile, Ask, duckduckgo). On each tab I typed in "Who was William Shakespeare?" I looked at each tab and saw that each one gave me different results. They had some similar articles so I looked at the ones they had in common and then to the ones that they didn't have in common. The one page that they did share in common was Shakespeare's Wikipedia page. I then picked one of the results from each search engine and use that to piece my information together. Each bullet point represents the main points of the three sources that I used. This is what I found:

• Each of the sources that I used stated that there is not much information on him.  He attended grammar school in Stratford. He married Anne Hathaway and had three children with her. He lived a comfortable life money-wise, but was never wealthy. He is not only known for his plays but for his poetry (sonnets). Also,  that his authorship has always been questioned. He is highly recognized for his use of language. He had a tremendous vocabulary and is also known for his usage of puns.Something I did not know was that he collaborated with John Fletcher and together they wrote two plays.                                                                 -http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Shakespeare,+William
• He is thought to be the greatest dramatist of all time. This source gave an extensive critique on how all of his works have no "meaning." Many of his plays hint at things that happened to him or other throughout his life. For example, the death of Ophelia. It's never actually stated how she died, this reflects what happened to a women that lived in his village. This source mostly states where all of his inspirations came from.  Another small piece of information that I found was that he was a teacher for the Roman Catholic Houghton family.                                                                                                       -http://kirjasto.sci.fi/shakespe.htm
• Shakespeare was born 1564 and died 1616. He was a poet, playwright, and an actor. He had seven siblings although only four of them survived to adulthood. His father was a prominent man in Stratford and was part of the town council. His mom inherited a lot of land from her father. Anne Hathaway, his wife, was eight years older than him. He made a great deal of money by purchasing leases of real estate near Stratford. He went to grammar school but never actually attended a university.                                         -http://absoluteshakespeare.com/trivia/biography/shakespeare_biography.htm

*Combining these three sources, I was able to gather information on his work, inspirations, and his personal life.

Notes on Hamlet

As we started reading this play I was hidebound and did not want to give this play a chance because I believed that I would not understand it. As I did begin to understand what was happening I began to enjoy it a little or at least more than what I thought I would have. The ghost appearing in the beginning of the play caught my attention right away because I am highly interested in the supernatural. My initial impression of Hamlet was that he was a depressed man mourning over his father's death and mother's marriage to his uncle. Then I began to think of him as a crazy, psychotic man. Now that I understand his scheme for his revenge I think that he might actually be a genius. I was surprised at his elaborate thinking on acting out his revenge.I think that this play will end with the death of Claudius and Hamlet with the lesson being that revenge is wrong and not worth attempting. Hamlet will have gotten what he wanted but at a high price. 

Who Was Shakespeare?

• William Shakespeare is believed to be the greatest playwright ever. He was born in Stratford in 1582. He was the son of the glove-maker John Shakespeare. He had three children with his wife Anne Hathway. He lived in London for 25 years where he wrote most of his plays. He died 1616 on his 52nd birthday. He started his own association The Lord Chamberlain's Men. The highest form of education he received was grammar school in Startford. 

*(Ironically, an article on the film "Anonymous" came up when I searched for 'Who was Shakespeare' on duckduckgo.com )
I found that Shakespeare authorship has been questioned since the 1780's and that there is no proof that he ever really wrote anything. Also, that William Shakespeare is believed to be a pen name. I even found an article stating that he was actually a woman...

Bibliography:
http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/guides/showbiz/shakespeare/newsid_3539000/3539058.stm
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/doubleissue/mysteries/shakespeare.htm

• Many students, if not most, dread reading Shakespeare because of the level of difficulty of his writing. I think that this is the main reason because most of his plays and poems are interesting. This is also how I feel about Shakespeare. I still struggle interpreting Shakespeare's writing and am only able to get the gist of what is happening. I am never fully aware of what is exactly happening or being said. Now that I am to at least understand the main ideas, I enjoy the plays more than I would have if I didn't .

To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

Facebook caught my attention but then made me lose interest for the same exact reason: everyone had one (well at least everyone that I knew). It didn't want one because I knew it would probably end up like my MySpace account- never used. I avoided making an account until this past summer. I attended a leadership institute and met plenty of new people. I became convinced that making a Facebook account would be the best way to stay in touch with them. So far, it has been my main source of communication with them besides text messaging. This is the main benefit that I see to using Facebook. I do not do much with my account other than to message people. I do not post anything so I think I might face less privacy issues than the person who regularly posts. The main risk I see with Facebook is privacy. Meaning, posting things that you may not necessarily want others to know about you. After reading the article, I am now aware of the startling statistic of 7.5 million kids under 12 are now using Facebook. I knew that there was a lot of young kids using Facebook but I didn't think it was that many. I think that this is a big issue that can have a huge effect on kids, mostly negative. Most of these kids have low maturity levels and do not think twice about what they post. This is a big risk on their part.

(Don't) Be Hamlet

           Hamlet you have had a rough two months, but what is two months compared to the rest of your life? Right now you are being confronted with the decision of ending your life or " to continue to bear those ills" with which you are faced. I could understand you pondering over this idea but ultimately I think that you should continue to live  and make the most of it. Do not let two months of your life define whether you should continue to live.
         To begin with, you have expressed uncertainty at the idea of ending your life and to some extent, fear. There is fear and uncertainty because you do not know what exists after death. "But that the dread of something after death/The undiscovered country..." The fact that you are having doubts lets me know that you are perhaps not willing to kill yourself because of these doubts or you would have followed through with this a long time ago.
          At some point you state that "conscience does make cowards of us all." The only way that I would view you as a coward is if you were to end your life, not the you thinking of it. If you were to kill yourself, you would be viewed as a coward because you could not be strong enough to kill yourself. Not only this, but you will be giving your uncle more of a satisfaction for being able to kill your father but being able to get rid of you. Do not give him that satisfaction. Admiration would be what you will receive if you are able to  continue living.
                   In continuation, you have also expressed that it is against your religious practice to commit suicide. This is another reason for you not to end your life. The idea of  " the thousand natural shocks/That flesh is heir to" is very appealing. It's even more appealing and pleasurable to think how much stronger of a person you will be after you have faced and passed through all of this adversity. Change your outlook on the situation. Taking on a more positive outlook and changing your attitude may help you to better cope with what you are going through.
        In conclusion, I know that you are going through a difficult situation but have been too quick to think that you should end your life. I know that what you are going through right now may not be what you had pictured your life to be, but you must keep in mind that there are others going through situations far worse than you. Now to quote Mary Engelbreit, " If you don;t like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it."

Literature Analysis

1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.

• This story is told in a series of vignettes that follow the growth of Esperanza , the main character. Her family consists of her mom, dad, her brothers Kiki and Carlos, and her sister Nenny. The novel starts off with Esperanza and her family moving to her new home on Mango Street.  She now lives in a Latin neighborhood where she becomes friends with Lucy and Rachel. From the beginning of the novel Esperanza establishes that she wants to get out of the neighborhood that she is living in and live in a home that she is proud of. Throughout the course of the novel, the reader is introduced to various women that are examples of what Esperanza does not want to become when she is older. As time goes by Esperanza matures. She has her first crush, makes new friends, is sexually assaulted, and is by the end of the novel able to define who it is that she wants to be.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

• The main theme is self identity. This is a coming of age novel that shows Esperanza's journey to defining herself and what she will become. Throughout the novel Esperanza sees examples of what she does not want to become. At the end of the novel, she is a much stronger person and knows who she is and what she will do in the future.

3. Describe the author's tone.  Include three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

• Each different vignette in the novel conveys a different tone. 
• There are also times when the tone gets serious. In this part of the novel, Esperanza's dad has just told her that her grandfather has died.                                                                                       -"And I think if my own Papa died what I would do. I hold my Papa in my arms. I hold and hold him."
• Towards the middle of the novel when Esperanza is sexually assaulted, there is a more baffled tone to the chapter/vignette.                                                                                                      -"The one who grabbed me by the arm, he wouldn't let me go. He said I love you, Spanish girl, I love you, and pressed his sour mouth to mine...Then the colors began to  whirl. Sky tipped. Their high black gym shoes ran. Sally, you lied, you lied. He wouldn't let me go. He said I love you, I love you, Spanish girl."

• At the end of the novel, Esperanza is optimistic that she will leave Mango Street and become something better. This is a much happier tone than previously.                                                    -" One day I will pack my bags of books and paper. One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever. One day I will go away."

4. Describe five literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone.  Include three excerpts that will help your reader understand each one.

• One literary technique that I found to be the most important was personification towards Mango Street at the end of the novel. "One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever". Mango Street represents everything that was holding her back and making her feel embarrassed of who she was. She is not literally saying goodbye to the street but everything that was holding her back. 
• Another literary technique I found was the usage of imagery. One important example of imagery  I found was "Until then I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor."  This refers to how Esperanza feels as she waits to find a best friend. This suggests that she feels isolated because she has no one to talk to or someone that understands her.
• A literary element used throughout the entire novel is indirect characterization. The reader is able to pick up the type of person that Esperanza is through her thoughts. For example, " I'm about to tell her that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, but the more I think about it..." This though of hers lets the reader know what she is thinking at  the moment. This shows us how she is a person who is not afraid to speak her mind and tell others what she feels.
• Another literary element I found was the use of motif. The motif I found in this novel was the idea of women looking out their windows.  All the women are confined to their home for different reasons. Mamacita stays inside her home and only looks out her window because she is afraid of the world(she cannot speak English). Esperanza's grandmother was also confined to her window by her husband, "She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow...I have inherited her name, but I don't want to inherit her place by the window." This constant idea of women being oppressed by men helps Esperanza to realize that she does not want to be like these women.

• The novel is told in first person point of view. In other words, Esperanza is telling the different stories. This has a much stronger effect on the theme than it would have if it were told in third person point of view. "There. I had to look where she pointed-the third floor, the paint peeling, wooden bars Papa had nailed on the  windows so we wouldn't fall out. You live there? The way she said it made me feel like nothing." The fact that we get insight on what the protagonist is feeling gives a more profound impact.

AP LitComp