Becky jogged over to her friends. She is comforted to know that Allyson, Brenna, Miki, Rachel, and Melissa all look basically the same since the last time she saw them. It's almost like high school again; well except for the fact that a person's life may be at stake. Things are a little bit awkward. No one said anything for a few seconds until Melissa finally spoke. She announced that she and Rachel had gotten everyone together to search for Lindsey. She also explained that the trail would be long and grueling (Miki groaned at this remark) but that they owed it to Lindsey to get back together and do whatever they could to find her. Hearing Lindsey's name was painful. Becky wanted to believe that she was alive but her life experiences had given her a somewhat realistic, pessimistic view of life and she couldn't help but imagine the worst.
Allyson suggested that they should probably start hiking so they could find a decent place to sleep before nighttime. Melissa had been talking about hiking this famous trail since high school so naturally she led the way. Becky kept a fast pace and walked with Melissa, taking everything in around her. Allyson and Brenna followed closely behind. Becky couldn't help but find Brenna's cynical comments quite amusing, even considering the dire situation. Allyson seemed as good-natured as she had always been, never complaining and full of sympathy. Rachel and Miki brought up the end of the line; Rachel by choice, and Miki due to the fact that she tripped over something every other minute. Rachel seemed to find this quite hilarious. Seeing everyone was definitely nice but it was hard to ignore what had brought them all together. Every memory they discussed, every update on someones life somehow made everyone think of Lindsey and it put a depressing mood on the group.
They hiked for about an hour, talking about how everyone had been doing since high school. It was basic, polite conversation, nothing too deep. Things still felt a little awkward. About an hour into the hike, the women heard obnoxious laughter coming from somewhere. As they rounded the corner, the discovered the cause of the noise.Three men were standing there, laughing and joking around but when they saw the women, they stopped talking. One of them walked over in a confident manner.
"Hey there, I'm Javaris Jamar Javarison-Lamar" said the black man who held out his hand. Miki laughed at this ridiculous name. Rachel stepped forward and shook his hand. Becky shot Rachel a glare. She didn't trust him, but then again, Becky didn't really trust anyone. Rachel was about to say something when one of other three men walked up.
"Are you looking for the reward?" said the other black man who Javaris had introduced as Quatro Quatro. He spoke with a roughness to his voice and had a tough appearance but Brenna could have swore she saw him flinch in terror when an insect buzzed by him.
"We're not looking for a reward, we're looking for our friend." Brenna said in a condescending tone. The third man then stepped forward. He was a smaller white guy and he just looked and sounded annoying the way he introduced himself as Dan Smith with a sense of false masculinity..
"Well it's not worth it you'd better give it up" Dan said. "We've been out here for weeks now, and I've made a fair assessment that the girl will not be found, it's too dangerous anyways out here. There's creatures you wouldn't believe that roam everywhere and poisonous plants at every corner."
"You can't forget about the bugs either!" Quatro Quatro chimed in. None of the women spoke. They were confused as to why these men were trying to convince them to leave the trail.
"We're leaving pretty soon", said Javaris "it's just too dangerous out here."
"Well, I think we'll be fine." Melissa replied shortly.
"You should really turn back!" called out Javaris, but Allyson had already started walking away and the rest of the group followed. Becky knew that something was up with those men. She had a pretty good judge of character and she knew that those men were lying about something, she just wasn't sure what. Plus, that Dan Smith dude totally creeped her out.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
CHARACTER STUDY II
Becky still isn't sure exactly what this journey will entail but she's ready for anything. The short note she found earlier in her mailbox was vague. Meet at Pacific Crest Trail, Saturday at 9:00 am was written in artsy handwriting. Becky had immediately recognized the handwriting as her friend Rachel's, from high school. She also immediately knew that it had to do with Lindsey, another friend from the ancient realm of high school. It had been all over the news; Lindsey had gone missing while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and no rescue teams are able to find her.
As Becky walks through town, she speculates about the journey. Rachel must be getting together the old group of friends to search for Lindsey. They had a close group of friends in high school but things had changed after graduation. Becky hasn't seen her high school friends in years. Surely everyone must have changed; Becky knew that she definitely had. Though Becky hadn't seen Lindsey in years, she was determined to find her and obviously Rachel was too.
Eventually Becky makes it to the gas station where she hangs out until she finds a person willing to give her a ride down to the trail. The start of the trail is about four hours from where Becky lives. A pale man with fire red hair offers to give Becky a ride. He seems pretty creepy but Becky accepts. She feels confident in her self-defense skills and she wants to get to the trail as soon as possible. Part of her is excited to see old friends and the other part is ready to begin the adventure of locating Lindsey.
The red haired man gets Becky to the trail early in the morning. She sees Miki, Allyson, Brenna and Rachel already there. Becky wonders for a second if her friends will judge her for hitchhiking but then she decides that she doesn't really care. She thanks the red haired man, grabs her backpack, and walks towards her friends. She is ready for the journey.
As Becky walks through town, she speculates about the journey. Rachel must be getting together the old group of friends to search for Lindsey. They had a close group of friends in high school but things had changed after graduation. Becky hasn't seen her high school friends in years. Surely everyone must have changed; Becky knew that she definitely had. Though Becky hadn't seen Lindsey in years, she was determined to find her and obviously Rachel was too.
Eventually Becky makes it to the gas station where she hangs out until she finds a person willing to give her a ride down to the trail. The start of the trail is about four hours from where Becky lives. A pale man with fire red hair offers to give Becky a ride. He seems pretty creepy but Becky accepts. She feels confident in her self-defense skills and she wants to get to the trail as soon as possible. Part of her is excited to see old friends and the other part is ready to begin the adventure of locating Lindsey.
The red haired man gets Becky to the trail early in the morning. She sees Miki, Allyson, Brenna and Rachel already there. Becky wonders for a second if her friends will judge her for hitchhiking but then she decides that she doesn't really care. She thanks the red haired man, grabs her backpack, and walks towards her friends. She is ready for the journey.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
CHARACTER STUDY (I)
The ability to be ready at a moment's notice was one of Becky's invaluable attributes. Luckily, when Becky received the call she was ready to go with little preparation. This sort of lifestyle of constant seizing adventure didn't bother Becky, on the contrary, she found it exhilarating. She couldn't stand the bromide day-to-day schedule of school, homework, sleep, repeat. She needed more. She needed to change things and take extreme measures to do so. She reveled in the precarious nature of her lifestyle and didn't let anyone stop her from doing what she thought was right, even if it was controversial.
She didn't know much about this journey she was about to embark upon but this didn't cause any trepidation. Becky grabs her old backpack that had accompanied her through multiple journeys. Her bag already contained the basics like her pocketknife, rope, basic first aid supplies, water and Aqua Mira, a scarf, and some food. She carries the most valuable things with her like her common sense, skills, and wide range of experiences that have taught her how to survive.
She quickly laces up her shoes and grabs her backpack. She steals a quick glance at ring on her finger that belonged to her grandmother. That ring never left her finger and would accompany her on this journey as well. She hops out through the window without looking back at the bedroom that houses her body, but not her spirit, sure that no one will notice her absence.
She didn't know much about this journey she was about to embark upon but this didn't cause any trepidation. Becky grabs her old backpack that had accompanied her through multiple journeys. Her bag already contained the basics like her pocketknife, rope, basic first aid supplies, water and Aqua Mira, a scarf, and some food. She carries the most valuable things with her like her common sense, skills, and wide range of experiences that have taught her how to survive.
She quickly laces up her shoes and grabs her backpack. She steals a quick glance at ring on her finger that belonged to her grandmother. That ring never left her finger and would accompany her on this journey as well. She hops out through the window without looking back at the bedroom that houses her body, but not her spirit, sure that no one will notice her absence.
CANTERBURY TALES (I)
As I was reading the Prologue, I immediately noticed that the characters had ironic traits. The Friar seemed a little bit corrupt in the way he charged people to give them absolution, often at unfair prices. The merchant who is supposed to be shrewd and smart with money is secretly in debt. The cook is described as one who has an ulcer on his knee, which is probably not someone you want dealing with your food. The woman in the group has had 5 husbands which was pretty unusual and ironic for the time. In fact, I find it a little ironic that Chaucer chose women to be characters at all because most authors didn't place women as main characters at the time. The characters are all very different and I predict that their strong or defining traits will end up hurting them at some point during the story.
I wonder why a dinner was the prize for having the most compelling story? I speculate that it's because food wasn't as accessible as it is now so people prized it more. I know sure though and I'm not sure if that will have significance later. Chaucer has developed a diverse array of characters and I wonder how their stories will intertwine and how they will all interact.
I would like to read the woman's story. She seems like a strong woman who is independent and that was uncommon for the time period. I am interested to see how Chaucer viewed women and what lens he decides to write about her through. The life of a woman was obviously quite different than that of a man and I wonder what attributes she will bring to the group.
Netvibes Dashboard
Netvibes definitely seems like it has a lot of cool features, I just need to learn how to use them all. I really like how I can have my email displayed on the dashboard for easy access. I was also excited to see that Netvibes had a widget for one of my favorite blogs, Environmental Graffiti. Being able to have all of my online interests in one place will be helpful, especially in situations where I don't have a ton of time, when I'm just looking to read some interesting headlines. So far, my dashboard is fairly simple but I'm eager to explore the site more and make improvements to my dashboard. I like how the site allows me to have all of my information in one, organized place because it works well with my borderline OCD personality. I will continue to use Netvides and if it doesn't work out for me, I will try something else like Symbaloo as Brenna suggested.
Monday, September 23, 2013
VOCABULARY #6
obsequious: (adj.) obedient, dutiful; characterized by showing servile complaisance or deference.
The obsequious student was often called a teacher's pet by her peers.
beatitude: (noun) a state of perfect happiness or blessedness; a blessing.
I experience true beatitude when I'm on stage performing.
bete noire: (noun) someone or something than one especially dislikes, dreads, or avoids.
After everyone had paired up, he was left alone and you could tell that he was the bete noire of the group.
bode: (verb) to be an omen of; to indicate by signs.
The teacher walked into the room with a smile that bode good news.
dank: (adj.) unpleasantly damp or wet.
I hated going into his room because it had such a dank atmosphere.
ecumenical: (adj.) worldwide or universal in influence or application.
Congress was finally able to make an ecumenical decision that mitigated the situation.
fervid: (adj.) burning with enthusiasm or zeal; extremely heated.
The fervid way that she spoke made her speech interesting even though it was about a boring topic.
fetid: (adj.) having an unpleasant or offensive odor.
I walked into the abandoned house and the fetid air confirmed my suspicions that no one had been in there for years.
gargantuan: (adj.) of immense size, volume, or capacity; enormous, prodigious.
I was astonished by the gargantuan supply of paintings in the artist's studio.
heyday: (noun) the period of greatest power, vigor, success, or influence; the prime years.
It's clear that she's in the heyday of her career, and she is loving every second of it.
incubus: (noun) a demon or evil spirit supposed to haunt human beings in their bedrooms at night; anything that oppresses or weighs upon one, like a nightmare.
I felt an incubus like presence in my room after we moved into a new house.
infrastructure: (noun) a basic foundation or framework; a system of public works; the resources and facilities required for an activity; permanent military installations.
The infrastructure of the city was falling apart so the townspeople called the city council to action.
inveigle: (verb) to entice, lure, or snare by flattery or artful inducements; to obtain or acquire by artifice.
She inveigled me to come to lunch with her after she offered to buy.
kudos: (noun) the acclaim, prestige, or renown that comes as a result of some action or achievement.
He deserved all the kudos he got after scoring the winning goal of the CIF game.
lagniappe: (noun) an extra or unexpected gift or gratuity.
The store gave all of its customers a lagniappe to encourage their loyalty.
prolix: (adj.) long-winded and wordy; tending to speak or write in such a way.
She has given me a prolix description of her life so many times that I might go crazy if I have to hear it one more time.
protege: (noun) someone whose welfare, training, or career is under the patronage of an influential person; someone under the jurisdiction of a foreign country or government.
She got a sports scholarship and became a protege of one of the school's top players.
prototype: (noun) an original pattern or model; a primitive or ancestral form.
The prototype of pointe shoes was created in France hundreds of years ago.
sycophant: (noun) someone who attempts to win favors or advance him or herself by flattery or servile behavior; a slanderer, defamer.
The sycophant annoyed everyone around her and seemed very fake.
tautology: (noun) needless repetition of an idea by using different but equivalent words; a redundancy.
The teacher's lecture was filled with endless tautology and I fell asleep.
truckle: (verb) to yield or submit tamely or submissively.
She eventually truckled to the will of her parents and chose a college close to home.
accolade: (noun) praise or approval; a ceremonial embrace or greeting.
The critics rewarded her with accolade after her stunning performance.
acerbity: (noun) sourness or bitterness of taste; harshness or severity of manner or expression.
Having conversations filled with acerbity will not make you any friends.
attrition: (noun) the process of wearing down by friction or gradual impairment.
Attrition caused the army to finally surrender once and for all.
bromide: (noun) a trite or commonplace remark; a tiresome or boring person; a sedative.
He is such a bromide that I can't even recall one comment he made today.
chauvinist: (adj.) extravagantly patriotic; blindly devoted to a cause; or (noun) a person like that.
He is an extreme chauvinist and nothing you say will sway his opinion.
chronic: (adj.) continuing over a long period of time or recurring often.
The chronic pain in my leg is getting hard to deal with.
expound: (verb) to explain in detail.
I listened to him expound upon details of a game that I didn't really care about.
factionalism: (noun) party strife and intrigue.
Factionalism in the company made workdays very unpleasant and unproductive.
immaculate: (adj.) spotless; without blemish or fault.
What I thought was immaculate my mom thought was filthy.
imprecation: (noun) a curse; the act of cursing.
I try to keep my imprecations to myself while driving but sometimes it's hard to keep it contained when people drive with distractions.
ineluctable: (adj.) not able to be avoided, changed, or overcome.
Death is an ineluctable part of life, so why fear it?
mercurial: (adj.) characterized by rapid and unpredictable changes of mood; fickle or inconstant.
Her mercurial attitude was so annoying; one second she was happy and the next she was extremely angry.
palliate: (verb) to make less serious or severe by glossing over; to relieve without actually curing, mitigate.
Merely palliating the problem will not make it go away for ever.
protocol: (noun) customs and regulations dealing with official behavior and etiquette; a type of international agreement; an official account or record.
The protocol stated a very low tolerance for being late to rehearsal.
resplendent: (adj.) shining or gleaming brilliantly; splendid or magnificent.
When I imagine knights, I imagine men riding on horses, clad in resplendent armor.
stigmatize: (verb) to brand or mark as in some way discreditable, disgraceful, or ignominious.
We should all make an effort not to stigmatize others, that way high school will be a much better place.
sub rosa: (adv.) in secret; confidentially; privately.
The party was supposed to kept sub rosa but word somehow got out to the entire school.
vainglory: (noun) excessive pride in and boastfulness about one's own accomplishments or qualities; a vain show or display.
She was no doubt a good player but her vainglory was definitely a turn off.
vestige: (noun) a trace or visible evidence of something that once existed but is now lost or vanished.
The temple ruins are the last vestiges of a once prosperous empire.
volition: (noun) the power to choose, will, or decide; the act of choosing, willing, or deciding.
I decided to choose my own path in life and pursue a career of my own volition.
The obsequious student was often called a teacher's pet by her peers.
beatitude: (noun) a state of perfect happiness or blessedness; a blessing.
I experience true beatitude when I'm on stage performing.
bete noire: (noun) someone or something than one especially dislikes, dreads, or avoids.
After everyone had paired up, he was left alone and you could tell that he was the bete noire of the group.
bode: (verb) to be an omen of; to indicate by signs.
The teacher walked into the room with a smile that bode good news.
dank: (adj.) unpleasantly damp or wet.
I hated going into his room because it had such a dank atmosphere.
ecumenical: (adj.) worldwide or universal in influence or application.
Congress was finally able to make an ecumenical decision that mitigated the situation.
fervid: (adj.) burning with enthusiasm or zeal; extremely heated.
The fervid way that she spoke made her speech interesting even though it was about a boring topic.
fetid: (adj.) having an unpleasant or offensive odor.
I walked into the abandoned house and the fetid air confirmed my suspicions that no one had been in there for years.
gargantuan: (adj.) of immense size, volume, or capacity; enormous, prodigious.
I was astonished by the gargantuan supply of paintings in the artist's studio.
heyday: (noun) the period of greatest power, vigor, success, or influence; the prime years.
It's clear that she's in the heyday of her career, and she is loving every second of it.
incubus: (noun) a demon or evil spirit supposed to haunt human beings in their bedrooms at night; anything that oppresses or weighs upon one, like a nightmare.
I felt an incubus like presence in my room after we moved into a new house.
infrastructure: (noun) a basic foundation or framework; a system of public works; the resources and facilities required for an activity; permanent military installations.
The infrastructure of the city was falling apart so the townspeople called the city council to action.
inveigle: (verb) to entice, lure, or snare by flattery or artful inducements; to obtain or acquire by artifice.
She inveigled me to come to lunch with her after she offered to buy.
kudos: (noun) the acclaim, prestige, or renown that comes as a result of some action or achievement.
He deserved all the kudos he got after scoring the winning goal of the CIF game.
lagniappe: (noun) an extra or unexpected gift or gratuity.
The store gave all of its customers a lagniappe to encourage their loyalty.
prolix: (adj.) long-winded and wordy; tending to speak or write in such a way.
She has given me a prolix description of her life so many times that I might go crazy if I have to hear it one more time.
protege: (noun) someone whose welfare, training, or career is under the patronage of an influential person; someone under the jurisdiction of a foreign country or government.
She got a sports scholarship and became a protege of one of the school's top players.
prototype: (noun) an original pattern or model; a primitive or ancestral form.
The prototype of pointe shoes was created in France hundreds of years ago.
sycophant: (noun) someone who attempts to win favors or advance him or herself by flattery or servile behavior; a slanderer, defamer.
The sycophant annoyed everyone around her and seemed very fake.
tautology: (noun) needless repetition of an idea by using different but equivalent words; a redundancy.
The teacher's lecture was filled with endless tautology and I fell asleep.
truckle: (verb) to yield or submit tamely or submissively.
She eventually truckled to the will of her parents and chose a college close to home.
The critics rewarded her with accolade after her stunning performance.
acerbity: (noun) sourness or bitterness of taste; harshness or severity of manner or expression.
Having conversations filled with acerbity will not make you any friends.
attrition: (noun) the process of wearing down by friction or gradual impairment.
Attrition caused the army to finally surrender once and for all.
bromide: (noun) a trite or commonplace remark; a tiresome or boring person; a sedative.
He is such a bromide that I can't even recall one comment he made today.
chauvinist: (adj.) extravagantly patriotic; blindly devoted to a cause; or (noun) a person like that.
He is an extreme chauvinist and nothing you say will sway his opinion.
chronic: (adj.) continuing over a long period of time or recurring often.
The chronic pain in my leg is getting hard to deal with.
expound: (verb) to explain in detail.
I listened to him expound upon details of a game that I didn't really care about.
factionalism: (noun) party strife and intrigue.
Factionalism in the company made workdays very unpleasant and unproductive.
immaculate: (adj.) spotless; without blemish or fault.
What I thought was immaculate my mom thought was filthy.
imprecation: (noun) a curse; the act of cursing.
I try to keep my imprecations to myself while driving but sometimes it's hard to keep it contained when people drive with distractions.
ineluctable: (adj.) not able to be avoided, changed, or overcome.
Death is an ineluctable part of life, so why fear it?
mercurial: (adj.) characterized by rapid and unpredictable changes of mood; fickle or inconstant.
Her mercurial attitude was so annoying; one second she was happy and the next she was extremely angry.
palliate: (verb) to make less serious or severe by glossing over; to relieve without actually curing, mitigate.
Merely palliating the problem will not make it go away for ever.
protocol: (noun) customs and regulations dealing with official behavior and etiquette; a type of international agreement; an official account or record.
The protocol stated a very low tolerance for being late to rehearsal.
resplendent: (adj.) shining or gleaming brilliantly; splendid or magnificent.
When I imagine knights, I imagine men riding on horses, clad in resplendent armor.
stigmatize: (verb) to brand or mark as in some way discreditable, disgraceful, or ignominious.
We should all make an effort not to stigmatize others, that way high school will be a much better place.
sub rosa: (adv.) in secret; confidentially; privately.
The party was supposed to kept sub rosa but word somehow got out to the entire school.
vainglory: (noun) excessive pride in and boastfulness about one's own accomplishments or qualities; a vain show or display.
She was no doubt a good player but her vainglory was definitely a turn off.
vestige: (noun) a trace or visible evidence of something that once existed but is now lost or vanished.
The temple ruins are the last vestiges of a once prosperous empire.
volition: (noun) the power to choose, will, or decide; the act of choosing, willing, or deciding.
I decided to choose my own path in life and pursue a career of my own volition.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
WHAT A CHARACTER
Francie Nolan is the protagonist in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, which is one of my favorite novels. I've read this story a couple times in the past few years and each time I read it, Francie continues to amaze me. Francie isn't some amazing "save the day" protagonist. She doesn't undertake any dramatic tasks that really change the world but she is able to change her own world.
That is why I'm so intrigued by her. She is ordinary. She lives a standard life for a lower class citizen in early 1900s Brooklyn. She has the typical struggles of living in inner city poverty including not having enough food, having an alcoholic father, and struggling to get an education. She doesn't achieve any milestones that today would be considered "great". She doesn't have an amazing love story, or beat cancer, or travel to another country. She simple lives in her own world and deals with the struggles presented to her. Her character is like a shout out to all of the people who make huge achievements that go unnoticed. Francie loved going to school and she went through such ordeals to do it. To you or me, getting an education isn't really something we worry about extensively. It's pretty much provided for us. I admire Francie for being a hero in her own light. Taking care of her brother, working through school, coping with her father's death, and growing up in near penury are achievements that Francie was never recognized for.
Betty Smith (the author) is very honest in the way that she characterizes Francie. She doesn't try to make her great or perfect. She exposes her flaws and characterizes her in a direct way. Francie continues to leave an impression on me because for her and many others sometimes, just getting through the day is worthy of achievement.
That is why I'm so intrigued by her. She is ordinary. She lives a standard life for a lower class citizen in early 1900s Brooklyn. She has the typical struggles of living in inner city poverty including not having enough food, having an alcoholic father, and struggling to get an education. She doesn't achieve any milestones that today would be considered "great". She doesn't have an amazing love story, or beat cancer, or travel to another country. She simple lives in her own world and deals with the struggles presented to her. Her character is like a shout out to all of the people who make huge achievements that go unnoticed. Francie loved going to school and she went through such ordeals to do it. To you or me, getting an education isn't really something we worry about extensively. It's pretty much provided for us. I admire Francie for being a hero in her own light. Taking care of her brother, working through school, coping with her father's death, and growing up in near penury are achievements that Francie was never recognized for.
Betty Smith (the author) is very honest in the way that she characterizes Francie. She doesn't try to make her great or perfect. She exposes her flaws and characterizes her in a direct way. Francie continues to leave an impression on me because for her and many others sometimes, just getting through the day is worthy of achievement.
Monday, September 16, 2013
DECLARATION OF LEARNING INDEPENDENCE
This class is giving me the rare opportunity to design my own learning experience. I'm a very independent person so being able to create my own path for this year is exhilarating. My Big Question is a question that honestly, I don't know if I will ever be able to find the answer to. Why some people have so much while others have so little and why we allow some parts of the world to get so left behind while we move foreword is a very complicated question that does not have a simple answer. To work through the complexities of my big question, I will set goals that will allow me to have a future in which I am working directly with this big question. I don't expect to solve the social injustices of the world but I do expect to make differences and improvements in any ways that I can. I plan to use Smart goals to achieve this. A definite goal of mine is to attend Stanford or Berkeley in the fall. Those goals may not end up being attainable for me but I definitely plan to attempt! Even if the goal doesn't work out exactly the way I planned, the preparation for that goal will allow me to attend a different 4-year university. I am realizing that everything I do is in preparation for the bigger career that I want to have after college that will give me the opportunity to change aspects of the world that I'm uncomfortable with. The straight A's that I work hard to get will help me get into a good college that will offer me the education that I want. The hours I spend for my internship are giving me leadership skills that will help me later on in my career. Thinking in this way makes everything I'm doing this year seem more meaningful.
I will use this course to help me get to the next step in my life. I will focus the curriculum this year on my big question and use all of the various sources available to help myself achieve my short and long term goals.
I will use this course to help me get to the next step in my life. I will focus the curriculum this year on my big question and use all of the various sources available to help myself achieve my short and long term goals.
VOCABULARY #5
obsequious: (adj.) obedient, dutiful; characterized by showing servile complaisance or deference.
When he's around me, he is noisy and rude but when he's with his parents, he is quite obsequious.
beatitude: (noun) a state of perfect happiness or blessedness; a blessing.
She was in beatitude after she got her acceptance letter to Berkeley.
bete noire: (noun) someone or something than one especially dislikes, dreads, or avoids.
You could tell that he was obviously the bete noire of the group by the way everyone else avoided him.
bode: (verb) to be an omen of; to indicate by signs.
The cloudy sky did not bode well for our trip to the beach.
dank: (adj.) unpleasantly damp or wet.
They were afraid of what might be living in the dank cave.
ecumenical: (adj.) worldwide or universal in influence or application.
The ecumenical news station quickly became very popular.
fervid: (adj.) burning with enthusiasm or zeal; extremely heated.
She gave a very fervid speech to her team before the CIF game.
fetid: (adj.) having an unpleasant or offensive odor.
I walked into the fetid office and immediately searched for a window to open.
gargantuan: (adj.) of immense size, volume, or capacity; enormous, prodigious.
Tackling college applications all at once can seem like a gargantuan task at first, but by breaking it down into a little bit each day, the task becomes more do-able.
heyday: (noun) the period of greatest power, vigor, success, or influence; the prime years.
Freshmen year was definitely not the heyday of my high school career.
incubus: (noun) a demon or evil spirit supposed to haunt human beings in their bedrooms at night; anything that oppresses or weighs upon one, like a nightmare.
After watching The Conjuring I was convinced that there an incubus hiding in my room.
infrastructure: (noun) a basic foundation or framework; a system of public works; the resources and facilities required for an activity; permanent military installations.
The candidate promised to fix the city's infrastructure on certain buildings if he was elected as mayor.
inveigle: (verb) to entice, lure, or snare by flattery or artful inducements; to obtain or acquire by artifice.
She finally inveigled me to come to her performance after she told me how much my opinion mattered to her.
kudos: (noun) the acclaim, prestige, or renown that comes as a result of some action or achievement.
She received kudos from her teacher for setting a high curve on the test but not so much from her classmates.
lagniappe: (noun) an extra or unexpected gift or gratuity.
During the holiday season, the boss of the company gave all of his employees lagniappe to show his appreciation.
prolix: (adj.) long-winded and wordy; tending to speak or write in such a way.
People often tried to avoid him because he was known to give prolix stories if you stopped to talk with him.
protege: (noun) someone whose welfare, training, or career is under the patronage of an influential person; someone under the jurisdiction of a foreign country or government.
The protege of the once famous dancer may soon become world renowned herself.
prototype: (noun) an original pattern or model; a primitive or ancestral form.
The prototype for the new phone is currently being developed and the final product will be released sometime next year.
sycophant: (noun) someone who attempts to win favors or advance him or herself by flattery or servile behavior; a slanderer, defamer.
A sycophant probably doesn't have any real friends.
tautology: (noun) needless repetition of an idea by using different but equivalent words; a redundancy.
His essay had good ideas and points, but was filled with too much tautology.
truckle: (verb) to yield or submit tamely or submissively.
She refused to truckle to anyone and was determined to make her own path in life.
When he's around me, he is noisy and rude but when he's with his parents, he is quite obsequious.
beatitude: (noun) a state of perfect happiness or blessedness; a blessing.
She was in beatitude after she got her acceptance letter to Berkeley.
bete noire: (noun) someone or something than one especially dislikes, dreads, or avoids.
You could tell that he was obviously the bete noire of the group by the way everyone else avoided him.
bode: (verb) to be an omen of; to indicate by signs.
The cloudy sky did not bode well for our trip to the beach.
dank: (adj.) unpleasantly damp or wet.
They were afraid of what might be living in the dank cave.
ecumenical: (adj.) worldwide or universal in influence or application.
The ecumenical news station quickly became very popular.
fervid: (adj.) burning with enthusiasm or zeal; extremely heated.
She gave a very fervid speech to her team before the CIF game.
fetid: (adj.) having an unpleasant or offensive odor.
I walked into the fetid office and immediately searched for a window to open.
gargantuan: (adj.) of immense size, volume, or capacity; enormous, prodigious.
Tackling college applications all at once can seem like a gargantuan task at first, but by breaking it down into a little bit each day, the task becomes more do-able.
heyday: (noun) the period of greatest power, vigor, success, or influence; the prime years.
Freshmen year was definitely not the heyday of my high school career.
incubus: (noun) a demon or evil spirit supposed to haunt human beings in their bedrooms at night; anything that oppresses or weighs upon one, like a nightmare.
After watching The Conjuring I was convinced that there an incubus hiding in my room.
infrastructure: (noun) a basic foundation or framework; a system of public works; the resources and facilities required for an activity; permanent military installations.
The candidate promised to fix the city's infrastructure on certain buildings if he was elected as mayor.
inveigle: (verb) to entice, lure, or snare by flattery or artful inducements; to obtain or acquire by artifice.
She finally inveigled me to come to her performance after she told me how much my opinion mattered to her.
kudos: (noun) the acclaim, prestige, or renown that comes as a result of some action or achievement.
She received kudos from her teacher for setting a high curve on the test but not so much from her classmates.
lagniappe: (noun) an extra or unexpected gift or gratuity.
During the holiday season, the boss of the company gave all of his employees lagniappe to show his appreciation.
prolix: (adj.) long-winded and wordy; tending to speak or write in such a way.
People often tried to avoid him because he was known to give prolix stories if you stopped to talk with him.
protege: (noun) someone whose welfare, training, or career is under the patronage of an influential person; someone under the jurisdiction of a foreign country or government.
The protege of the once famous dancer may soon become world renowned herself.
prototype: (noun) an original pattern or model; a primitive or ancestral form.
The prototype for the new phone is currently being developed and the final product will be released sometime next year.
sycophant: (noun) someone who attempts to win favors or advance him or herself by flattery or servile behavior; a slanderer, defamer.
A sycophant probably doesn't have any real friends.
tautology: (noun) needless repetition of an idea by using different but equivalent words; a redundancy.
His essay had good ideas and points, but was filled with too much tautology.
truckle: (verb) to yield or submit tamely or submissively.
She refused to truckle to anyone and was determined to make her own path in life.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
LITERATURE ANALYSIS #1
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
First of all, I really enjoyed this book! It may not be on the AP list, it is definitely worth the read. But, be prepared to spend your Friday night curled up in bed crying for hours while you read this book. (Well, that's what happened to me at least.)
1. Exposition: The story begins with Hazel Grace. She is a seventeen-year old with cancer that makes it very difficult for her to breathe. The audience gets to know Hazel by learning about her day to day life. We see that Hazel is accepting of her cancer. She goes along with life accepting the fact that she will die sooner than most. She doesn’t go to school but her mother makes her take classes at the community college. She has her oxygen that she must carry around everywhere and she loves reality TV, especially America’s Next Top Model. Her mom makes her go to this support group that Hazel doesn’t really find beneficial. At support group, she meets Augustus Waters. She is immediately intrigued by this boy who had osteosarcoma and now has a prosthetic leg. In the introduction, we also learn that Hazel’s favorite book that she has read multiple times is An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten. It’s about a girl with cancer and Hazel feels like that author understands her.
Rising Action: In this stage of the story, Augustus and Hazel spend a great deal of time together. They watch movies, bond over each other’s favorite books, and talk about being “cancer kids”. They have their late at night phone calls and for the first time, Hazel begins to see more to her life than cancer. Augustus reads An Imperial Affliction and loves it and they bond over how the open-ended ending is intriguing and they speculate about what should have happened in the book. Augustus starts writing to Peter Van Houten about what happens after the book ended and he gets a response so Hazel writes to him as well. Eventually, Van Houten’s assistant offers them an invitation to come visit Peter in Amsterdam.
Climax: The climax of the story happens when Augustus uses his cancer “wish” to take Hazel and her mother to Amsterdam to meet Van Houten. The trip is going very well until they have their meeting with Van Houten. He a cantankerous, rude, unfriendly man and makes no efforts to be nice to Hazel and Augustus. He refuses to talk about his book and acts very uppity around them. He makes a comment about cancer children being a “failed experiment in mutation” and his insensitive comments cause Lidewij, his assistant, to resign, and hazel to throw his scotch at his face. Hazel had built up Van Houten to be an amazing man but after meeting him, that hope was shattered. Augustus and Hazel try to enjoy the rest of their time in Amsterdam. They become intimate and at the end of the trip, Augustus confesses that his cancer has come back all over his body and he doesn’t have much longer to live.
Falling Action: Hazel’s life now becomes consumed with watching Augustus live his last days. He has good days and bad, mostly bad and he gets weaker every day. Hazel reads him a eulogy that she wrote. Hazel spends her days waiting for him to die but when it happens, it’s still a shock.
Resolution: Hazel is devastated when Augustus dies. At the funeral, she is surprised to see Peter Van Houten. Augustus had been corresponding with him before he died. Van Houten confesses to Hazel that An Imperial Affliction had been about his young daughter who died of cancer. Hazel also gets the letters that Augustus wrote Peter about her.
2. One theme that stood out to me in this novel was the theme of identity. Hazel experiences a lot of self-discovery throughout the novel. She allows her cancer to be her identity but throughout the novel, she learns to become more than that. Cancer is such a huge part of her life that she allows it to consume her, and she sees herself as nothing more than a person, destined die sooner than most, with some awful lungs. She thinks this way until she meets Augustus. Throughout their relationship, Hazel learns to live as more than her cancer. She travels to Amsterdam and lives her life rather than sitting around and thinking about when she will inevitably die.
3. I think that the tone of the novel is best described as candid and sincere. The author writes honestly and doesn’t hold back anything that Hazel or any of the other characters are thinking. One quote that displays this tone from the first edition, pages 7-8 is “I went to Support Group for the same reason that I’d once allowed nurses with a mere eighteen months of graduate education to poison me with exotically named chemicals: I wanted to make my parents happy.” Hazel is very open about her experiences and doesn’t hold back anything. She will admit that she thinks Support Group is terrible and she is honest with herself. Another quote is from page 153, “I’m in love with you, and I’m not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you.”. Augustus says this to Hazel and it is pure honestly. He isn’t afraid to say what he feels and this is tone for most characters throughout the novel. Another candid quote is from Peter Van Houten from pages 192/193 “Sick children inevitably become arrested: You are fated to live out your days as the child you were when diagnosed, the adults, we pity this, so we pay for your treatments, for your oxygen machines. We give you food and water though you are unlikely to live long enough--You are a side effect, of an evolutionary process that cares little for individual lives. You are a failed experiment in mutation.” Though this is a very insensitive thing to say, especially to two teenagers with cancer, it is Peter being honest. The tone is always honest, even if it is uncomfortable.
4. One textual device that is crucial to this story is irony. The entire story, the audience is led to believe that Hazel’s terminal cancer will end her life by the end of the novel. Augustus is the stronger one who beat his cancer. He takes care of Hazel in some ways and is seen as the “healthy” one. The irony is prevalent when Augustus takes a turn for the worst and dies. “Augustus Waters died eight days after his prefuneral, at Memorial, in the ICU, when the cancer, which was made of him, finally stopped his heart, which was also made of him.” Page 261. Augustus’s death was unexpected and showed that we never really know where life will lead.
Another device used is personification. Hazel often refers to her cancer as if it is a person, or a tangible thing. “That's the thing about pain," Augustus said, and then glanced back at me. "It demands to be felt” page 63. The cancer is such a big part of their lives that they associate with it in a different way. They accept it for what it is.
Allusions are used throughout the story. “Everyone in this tale has a rock-solid hamartia: hers, that she is so sick; yours, that you are so well. Were she better or you sicker, then the stars would not be so terribly crossed, but it is the nature of stars to cross, and never was Shakespeare more wrong than when he had Cassius note, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / but in ourselves.” Easy enough to say when you’re a Roman nobleman (or Shakespeare!), but there is no shortage of fault to be found amid our stars.” Page 111-112. This quote from Peter Van Houten alludes to Julius Caesar and shows how unfair our modern world can be. This allusion connects to the title of the novel as well.
Bildungsroman is another element used. The entire novel is about Hazel developing as a character and becoming a stronger person. We see her grow and learn to live her life as she loves Augustus. “I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.” Page 260. By the end of the novel, Hazel was such a different person. She learned to love someone and she learned to be thankful. In the beginning of the novel, she wouldn’t have had the chance to feel these emotions, but by the end she had experienced so much more and it transformed her.
The characterization of the novel really develops the relationship between Hazel and Augustus. The way those two are characterized is different than how the rest of the characters are characterized. These two are the only two that understand each other. Other characters try to be nice and understand but the will never understand like Augustus and Hazel understand each other. “You are not a grenade, not to us. Thinking about you dying makes us sad, Hazel, but you are not a grenade. You are amazing. You can't know, sweetie, because you've never had a baby become a brilliant young reader with a side interest in horrible television shows" page 103. Hazel’s parents are characterized as supportive and loving but they will never understand her the way that Augustus does and this makes their relationship even more intense.
The point of view in the novel helps the audience connect with Hazel. The first person narration by Hazel gives the audience an inside look into her relationship with Augustus. We are able to see growth as a character as well. “I almost felt like he was there in my room with me, but in a way it was better, like I was not in my room and he was not in his, but instead we were together in some invisible and tenuous third space.” Page 72. The audience always knows exactly how Hazel feels about everything.
Since this is essentially a book about cancer, there are a fair amount of euphemisms. Hazel tries to avoid these euphemisms as much as possible because she likes honesty. While other characters say things like “passed away” and “cancer perks” Hazel isn’t afraid to say dying. “I mean, I would just die—" and then stopped short, looking at me as if to say I'm sorry, as if it were a crime to mention death to the dying.” Page 44. Kaitlyn feels the need to walk on eggshells about what she says around Hazel, but Hazel wishes people wouldn’t use these euphemisms.
This novel is definitely a tragedy. At many points in the story, Hazel and Augustus are tired of life and cannot stand where life has brought them. “It was unbearable. The whole thing. Every second worse than the last.” Page 262. When Augustus dies, Hazel is devastated. She had never experienced anything this painful before (which says a lot considering her cancer). Augustus was her first love and he was taken away from her way too soon.
Epiphanies are very important in the novel. Hazel’s epiphany in Amsterdam changes the way that she views the world. “Something inside me welled up and I reached down and smacked the swollen hand that held the glass of Scotch. What remained of the Scotch splashed across the vast expanse of his face, the glass bouncing off his nose then spinning balletically through the air” Page 193-194. Hazel had built up such high expectations of Peter Van Houten that when he turned out to be a jerk, she couldn’t handle it. This experience made her realize that people don’t up to your expectations, and there isn’t always an answer to everything.
Pathos is used in this novel. Most of this story appeals to the emotional side of the audience. Many of have lost a loved one and can relate to Hazel losing Augustus and this connects us with the protagonist on a more personal level. “I wrapped my arms all the way around my mom’s middle and they held on to me for hours while the tide rolled in” Page 267. After Augustus dies, Hazel is emotionally in shambles and it’s so sad to watch her experience this because if you’ve experienced something similar, you that nothing can stop the hurt. Her situation appeals so much to the reader’s emotions.
Rising Action: In this stage of the story, Augustus and Hazel spend a great deal of time together. They watch movies, bond over each other’s favorite books, and talk about being “cancer kids”. They have their late at night phone calls and for the first time, Hazel begins to see more to her life than cancer. Augustus reads An Imperial Affliction and loves it and they bond over how the open-ended ending is intriguing and they speculate about what should have happened in the book. Augustus starts writing to Peter Van Houten about what happens after the book ended and he gets a response so Hazel writes to him as well. Eventually, Van Houten’s assistant offers them an invitation to come visit Peter in Amsterdam.
Climax: The climax of the story happens when Augustus uses his cancer “wish” to take Hazel and her mother to Amsterdam to meet Van Houten. The trip is going very well until they have their meeting with Van Houten. He a cantankerous, rude, unfriendly man and makes no efforts to be nice to Hazel and Augustus. He refuses to talk about his book and acts very uppity around them. He makes a comment about cancer children being a “failed experiment in mutation” and his insensitive comments cause Lidewij, his assistant, to resign, and hazel to throw his scotch at his face. Hazel had built up Van Houten to be an amazing man but after meeting him, that hope was shattered. Augustus and Hazel try to enjoy the rest of their time in Amsterdam. They become intimate and at the end of the trip, Augustus confesses that his cancer has come back all over his body and he doesn’t have much longer to live.
Falling Action: Hazel’s life now becomes consumed with watching Augustus live his last days. He has good days and bad, mostly bad and he gets weaker every day. Hazel reads him a eulogy that she wrote. Hazel spends her days waiting for him to die but when it happens, it’s still a shock.
Resolution: Hazel is devastated when Augustus dies. At the funeral, she is surprised to see Peter Van Houten. Augustus had been corresponding with him before he died. Van Houten confesses to Hazel that An Imperial Affliction had been about his young daughter who died of cancer. Hazel also gets the letters that Augustus wrote Peter about her.
2. One theme that stood out to me in this novel was the theme of identity. Hazel experiences a lot of self-discovery throughout the novel. She allows her cancer to be her identity but throughout the novel, she learns to become more than that. Cancer is such a huge part of her life that she allows it to consume her, and she sees herself as nothing more than a person, destined die sooner than most, with some awful lungs. She thinks this way until she meets Augustus. Throughout their relationship, Hazel learns to live as more than her cancer. She travels to Amsterdam and lives her life rather than sitting around and thinking about when she will inevitably die.
3. I think that the tone of the novel is best described as candid and sincere. The author writes honestly and doesn’t hold back anything that Hazel or any of the other characters are thinking. One quote that displays this tone from the first edition, pages 7-8 is “I went to Support Group for the same reason that I’d once allowed nurses with a mere eighteen months of graduate education to poison me with exotically named chemicals: I wanted to make my parents happy.” Hazel is very open about her experiences and doesn’t hold back anything. She will admit that she thinks Support Group is terrible and she is honest with herself. Another quote is from page 153, “I’m in love with you, and I’m not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you.”. Augustus says this to Hazel and it is pure honestly. He isn’t afraid to say what he feels and this is tone for most characters throughout the novel. Another candid quote is from Peter Van Houten from pages 192/193 “Sick children inevitably become arrested: You are fated to live out your days as the child you were when diagnosed, the adults, we pity this, so we pay for your treatments, for your oxygen machines. We give you food and water though you are unlikely to live long enough--You are a side effect, of an evolutionary process that cares little for individual lives. You are a failed experiment in mutation.” Though this is a very insensitive thing to say, especially to two teenagers with cancer, it is Peter being honest. The tone is always honest, even if it is uncomfortable.
4. One textual device that is crucial to this story is irony. The entire story, the audience is led to believe that Hazel’s terminal cancer will end her life by the end of the novel. Augustus is the stronger one who beat his cancer. He takes care of Hazel in some ways and is seen as the “healthy” one. The irony is prevalent when Augustus takes a turn for the worst and dies. “Augustus Waters died eight days after his prefuneral, at Memorial, in the ICU, when the cancer, which was made of him, finally stopped his heart, which was also made of him.” Page 261. Augustus’s death was unexpected and showed that we never really know where life will lead.
Another device used is personification. Hazel often refers to her cancer as if it is a person, or a tangible thing. “That's the thing about pain," Augustus said, and then glanced back at me. "It demands to be felt” page 63. The cancer is such a big part of their lives that they associate with it in a different way. They accept it for what it is.
Allusions are used throughout the story. “Everyone in this tale has a rock-solid hamartia: hers, that she is so sick; yours, that you are so well. Were she better or you sicker, then the stars would not be so terribly crossed, but it is the nature of stars to cross, and never was Shakespeare more wrong than when he had Cassius note, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / but in ourselves.” Easy enough to say when you’re a Roman nobleman (or Shakespeare!), but there is no shortage of fault to be found amid our stars.” Page 111-112. This quote from Peter Van Houten alludes to Julius Caesar and shows how unfair our modern world can be. This allusion connects to the title of the novel as well.
Bildungsroman is another element used. The entire novel is about Hazel developing as a character and becoming a stronger person. We see her grow and learn to live her life as she loves Augustus. “I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.” Page 260. By the end of the novel, Hazel was such a different person. She learned to love someone and she learned to be thankful. In the beginning of the novel, she wouldn’t have had the chance to feel these emotions, but by the end she had experienced so much more and it transformed her.
The characterization of the novel really develops the relationship between Hazel and Augustus. The way those two are characterized is different than how the rest of the characters are characterized. These two are the only two that understand each other. Other characters try to be nice and understand but the will never understand like Augustus and Hazel understand each other. “You are not a grenade, not to us. Thinking about you dying makes us sad, Hazel, but you are not a grenade. You are amazing. You can't know, sweetie, because you've never had a baby become a brilliant young reader with a side interest in horrible television shows" page 103. Hazel’s parents are characterized as supportive and loving but they will never understand her the way that Augustus does and this makes their relationship even more intense.
The point of view in the novel helps the audience connect with Hazel. The first person narration by Hazel gives the audience an inside look into her relationship with Augustus. We are able to see growth as a character as well. “I almost felt like he was there in my room with me, but in a way it was better, like I was not in my room and he was not in his, but instead we were together in some invisible and tenuous third space.” Page 72. The audience always knows exactly how Hazel feels about everything.
Since this is essentially a book about cancer, there are a fair amount of euphemisms. Hazel tries to avoid these euphemisms as much as possible because she likes honesty. While other characters say things like “passed away” and “cancer perks” Hazel isn’t afraid to say dying. “I mean, I would just die—" and then stopped short, looking at me as if to say I'm sorry, as if it were a crime to mention death to the dying.” Page 44. Kaitlyn feels the need to walk on eggshells about what she says around Hazel, but Hazel wishes people wouldn’t use these euphemisms.
This novel is definitely a tragedy. At many points in the story, Hazel and Augustus are tired of life and cannot stand where life has brought them. “It was unbearable. The whole thing. Every second worse than the last.” Page 262. When Augustus dies, Hazel is devastated. She had never experienced anything this painful before (which says a lot considering her cancer). Augustus was her first love and he was taken away from her way too soon.
Epiphanies are very important in the novel. Hazel’s epiphany in Amsterdam changes the way that she views the world. “Something inside me welled up and I reached down and smacked the swollen hand that held the glass of Scotch. What remained of the Scotch splashed across the vast expanse of his face, the glass bouncing off his nose then spinning balletically through the air” Page 193-194. Hazel had built up such high expectations of Peter Van Houten that when he turned out to be a jerk, she couldn’t handle it. This experience made her realize that people don’t up to your expectations, and there isn’t always an answer to everything.
Pathos is used in this novel. Most of this story appeals to the emotional side of the audience. Many of have lost a loved one and can relate to Hazel losing Augustus and this connects us with the protagonist on a more personal level. “I wrapped my arms all the way around my mom’s middle and they held on to me for hours while the tide rolled in” Page 267. After Augustus dies, Hazel is emotionally in shambles and it’s so sad to watch her experience this because if you’ve experienced something similar, you that nothing can stop the hurt. Her situation appeals so much to the reader’s emotions.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
ALL OF THE ABOVE
On the multiple choice portion of the 1987 AP exam, I got 33 out of 47 questions correct. This was actually a lot better than I expected to do. I expected to only get about half of the questions right so I was fairly happy with my score, but there is definitely room for improvement. Timing is definitely a challenge for me on AP Exams, especially English, where reading and deeper analysis is required. Many questions that I got wrong were because of vocabulary. There were either words in the questions or the answer choices that I did not know, therefore I answered the questions incorrectly. Also, I missed more poetry questions because poems are always harder for me to analyze as opposed to story excerpts.
Monday, September 9, 2013
VOCABULARY #4
accolade: (noun) praise or approval; a ceremonial embrace or greeting.
She received great accolade after she got a 2400 on her SAT.
acerbity: (noun) sourness or bitterness of taste; harshness or severity of manner or expression.
The teacher's acerbity made her very unpopular around the school.
attrition: (noun) the process of wearing down by friction or gradual impairment.
She had to stop dancing at age 30 due to attrition because after years of a strenuous career, her body didn't work the way that it used to.
bromide: (noun) a trite or commonplace remark; a tiresome or boring person; a sedative.
Many people consider him a bromide but if you actually talk to him, you will discover that he is quite interesting.
chauvinist: (adj.) extravagantly patriotic; blindly devoted to a cause; or (noun) a person like that.
The activists took a very chauvinistic stand on the issue and refused to listen to other opinions.
chronic: (adj.) continuing over a long period of time or recurring often.
Her disease was chronic and she simply had to learn to live with it.
expound: (verb) to explain in detail.
I grew quite bored as I listened to her expound her entire life story.
factionalism: (noun) party strife and intrigue.
Because of the deep factionalism in Congress, nothing important is ever passed.
immaculate: (adj.) spotless; without blemish or fault.
I thought that room looked immaculate but because of her OCD, she continued frantically cleaning.
imprecation: (noun) a curse; the act of cursing.
After he set the curve at 100%, I said a few imprecations towards him that I should have kept to myself.
ineluctable: (adj.) not able to be avoided, changed, or overcome.
She acted like failing the class was ineluctable and she altogether stopped trying.
mercurial: (adj.) characterized by rapid and unpredictable changes of mood; fickle or inconstant.
She was very talented, but her mercurial personality made people not want to be around her.
palliate: (verb) to make less serious or severe by glossing over; to relieve without actually curing, mitigate.
We palliated the problems that our relationship was having but the underlying issues were still present.
protocol: (noun) customs and regulations dealing with official behavior and etiquette; a type of international agreement; an official account or record.
The protocol outlined very specific rules, and it was clear what was expected of the company members.
resplendent: (adj.) shining or gleaming brilliantly; splendid or magnificent.
She walked onstage looking resplendent and the audience immediately quieted down.
stigmatize: (verb) to brand or mark as in some way discreditable, disgraceful, or ignominious.
It is unfair to stigmatize someone based off of something you heard about them that may or may not be true.
sub rosa: (adv.) in secret; confidentially; privately.
Someone leaked the game plans to the opponents sub rosa.
vainglory: (noun) excessive pride in and boastfulness about one's own accomplishments or qualities; a vain show or display.
He was a good player, but his vainglory made him an unpopular team member.
vestige: (noun) a trace or visible evidence of something that once existed but is now lost or vanished.
The pile of burnt items was the only vestige of my house after the fire.
volition: (noun) the power to choose, will, or decide; the act of choosing, willing, or deciding.
I ignored his warnings and acted on my own volition when deciding to get a tattoo.
She received great accolade after she got a 2400 on her SAT.
acerbity: (noun) sourness or bitterness of taste; harshness or severity of manner or expression.
The teacher's acerbity made her very unpopular around the school.
attrition: (noun) the process of wearing down by friction or gradual impairment.
She had to stop dancing at age 30 due to attrition because after years of a strenuous career, her body didn't work the way that it used to.
bromide: (noun) a trite or commonplace remark; a tiresome or boring person; a sedative.
Many people consider him a bromide but if you actually talk to him, you will discover that he is quite interesting.
chauvinist: (adj.) extravagantly patriotic; blindly devoted to a cause; or (noun) a person like that.
The activists took a very chauvinistic stand on the issue and refused to listen to other opinions.
chronic: (adj.) continuing over a long period of time or recurring often.
Her disease was chronic and she simply had to learn to live with it.
expound: (verb) to explain in detail.
I grew quite bored as I listened to her expound her entire life story.
factionalism: (noun) party strife and intrigue.
Because of the deep factionalism in Congress, nothing important is ever passed.
immaculate: (adj.) spotless; without blemish or fault.
I thought that room looked immaculate but because of her OCD, she continued frantically cleaning.
imprecation: (noun) a curse; the act of cursing.
After he set the curve at 100%, I said a few imprecations towards him that I should have kept to myself.
ineluctable: (adj.) not able to be avoided, changed, or overcome.
She acted like failing the class was ineluctable and she altogether stopped trying.
mercurial: (adj.) characterized by rapid and unpredictable changes of mood; fickle or inconstant.
She was very talented, but her mercurial personality made people not want to be around her.
palliate: (verb) to make less serious or severe by glossing over; to relieve without actually curing, mitigate.
We palliated the problems that our relationship was having but the underlying issues were still present.
protocol: (noun) customs and regulations dealing with official behavior and etiquette; a type of international agreement; an official account or record.
The protocol outlined very specific rules, and it was clear what was expected of the company members.
resplendent: (adj.) shining or gleaming brilliantly; splendid or magnificent.
She walked onstage looking resplendent and the audience immediately quieted down.
stigmatize: (verb) to brand or mark as in some way discreditable, disgraceful, or ignominious.
It is unfair to stigmatize someone based off of something you heard about them that may or may not be true.
sub rosa: (adv.) in secret; confidentially; privately.
Someone leaked the game plans to the opponents sub rosa.
vainglory: (noun) excessive pride in and boastfulness about one's own accomplishments or qualities; a vain show or display.
He was a good player, but his vainglory made him an unpopular team member.
vestige: (noun) a trace or visible evidence of something that once existed but is now lost or vanished.
The pile of burnt items was the only vestige of my house after the fire.
volition: (noun) the power to choose, will, or decide; the act of choosing, willing, or deciding.
I ignored his warnings and acted on my own volition when deciding to get a tattoo.
Sunday, September 8, 2013
BEOWULF ESSAY
Throughout history there have been terrific stories about dauntless heroes that devote their lives to fighting evil. These heroes have been rather similar throughout time. Two exemplary heroes are Beowulf and Thor. Both are heroes of a different time period yet they still have the same impact on their respective societies. These two heroes both bear extreme strength and for it, they are very apotheosized by other citizens. They are traditional heroes in the sense that they fight evil and promote the greater good and both heroes even have similar intentions but Thor is sometimes fighting more for himself than for other purposes. Beowulf comes from a great line of royalty so his heroism is upholding his position in society. Thor is trying to become King so he is working to establish himself as a strong warrior. Thor is so obsessed with using his heroism to gain a greater position and Beowulf is simply being a hero because he feels that it is his position.
The similarities between these two heroes are vast. Both are looked upon as gods. In the epic, Beowulf is greeted with an effusive welcome when he comes to kill Grendel. The people worship him because he is able to kill a monster that terrorized them for so long. Thor, as the son of the king, also has great prestige. His strength and supernatural abilities make him redoubtable and revered. This characterization of the two heroes puts them above ordinary citizens. They are aggrandized and set apart from the rest of their society and are expected to take on different, more brutal responsibilities. A hero is not a hero without an enemy. Antagonists like Grendel and Laufey present the dichotomy between right and wrong and good and evil. Beowulf fights an epic battle with Grendel and Thor takes down the Frost Giants that invade his kingdom.These conflicts demonstrate the power and strength of our heroes. A sense of pride is evident in both heroes. Beowulf admits that because Grendel fights with no weapons, he will also fight using solely his hands. Beowulf knows that he is a great hero and he enjoys it. Thor is prideful as well. He ignores his father's orders not to fight because he thinks he smarter than his father. Beowulf's pride will eventually cause him to lose his life in a fight with the dragon and Thor's pride gets him exiled from his kingdom. The irony in both stories shows that the heroes do have their flaws. Thor is a great warrior who has devoted his life to fighting evil, yet he gets so easily distracted by a girl and strays from his path. Beowulf is esteemed and loved yet in a battle with the dragon, nearly all of his men abandon him.
These heroes have some significant differences as well. The heroes obviously come from different times. Certain jargon used in the stories show the different settings. In Beowulf, there are allusions to the bible and this demonstrates to the audience the kind of society that Beowulf came from. In his time, bravery and strength were ideal characteristics. Thor's setting is outer worldly. It's completely fictional and Thor faces a much different society than Beowulf. Thor, coming from his family, was a contestant to be the next king and his life centered around achieving that goal. Thor is expected to be leader whereas Beowulf is just expected to use his blunt force to ward off evil. The conflicts presented in the stories also symbolizes differences between the two characters. In his conflict with Grendel, Beowulf uses nothing but bravado and his pure strength. In Thor's conflicts, he would be fairly powerless without his hammer. Beowulf doesn't rely on special, signature weapons like Thor does. These differences all circle back to their time periods. Thor's heroism is in pursuit of his coveted role as King. Beowulf's bravery is simply his personality that has been deemed admirable by the standards of his time.
Beowulf and Thor at first glance are very similar heroes. They fight evil, hold prominent positions in society, and are tremendously brave They also have their flaws and have purposes for their bravery, but looking closer, it is evident that they aren't as similar as they seem. Their respective time periods model those differences. Thor was using his bravery to become king. Beowulf was doing what society expected him to do in his role as hero. Our two heroes handle conflicts differently and their settings affect this. Both are heroes that fight evils but they view the world differently.
The similarities between these two heroes are vast. Both are looked upon as gods. In the epic, Beowulf is greeted with an effusive welcome when he comes to kill Grendel. The people worship him because he is able to kill a monster that terrorized them for so long. Thor, as the son of the king, also has great prestige. His strength and supernatural abilities make him redoubtable and revered. This characterization of the two heroes puts them above ordinary citizens. They are aggrandized and set apart from the rest of their society and are expected to take on different, more brutal responsibilities. A hero is not a hero without an enemy. Antagonists like Grendel and Laufey present the dichotomy between right and wrong and good and evil. Beowulf fights an epic battle with Grendel and Thor takes down the Frost Giants that invade his kingdom.These conflicts demonstrate the power and strength of our heroes. A sense of pride is evident in both heroes. Beowulf admits that because Grendel fights with no weapons, he will also fight using solely his hands. Beowulf knows that he is a great hero and he enjoys it. Thor is prideful as well. He ignores his father's orders not to fight because he thinks he smarter than his father. Beowulf's pride will eventually cause him to lose his life in a fight with the dragon and Thor's pride gets him exiled from his kingdom. The irony in both stories shows that the heroes do have their flaws. Thor is a great warrior who has devoted his life to fighting evil, yet he gets so easily distracted by a girl and strays from his path. Beowulf is esteemed and loved yet in a battle with the dragon, nearly all of his men abandon him.
These heroes have some significant differences as well. The heroes obviously come from different times. Certain jargon used in the stories show the different settings. In Beowulf, there are allusions to the bible and this demonstrates to the audience the kind of society that Beowulf came from. In his time, bravery and strength were ideal characteristics. Thor's setting is outer worldly. It's completely fictional and Thor faces a much different society than Beowulf. Thor, coming from his family, was a contestant to be the next king and his life centered around achieving that goal. Thor is expected to be leader whereas Beowulf is just expected to use his blunt force to ward off evil. The conflicts presented in the stories also symbolizes differences between the two characters. In his conflict with Grendel, Beowulf uses nothing but bravado and his pure strength. In Thor's conflicts, he would be fairly powerless without his hammer. Beowulf doesn't rely on special, signature weapons like Thor does. These differences all circle back to their time periods. Thor's heroism is in pursuit of his coveted role as King. Beowulf's bravery is simply his personality that has been deemed admirable by the standards of his time.
Beowulf and Thor at first glance are very similar heroes. They fight evil, hold prominent positions in society, and are tremendously brave They also have their flaws and have purposes for their bravery, but looking closer, it is evident that they aren't as similar as they seem. Their respective time periods model those differences. Thor was using his bravery to become king. Beowulf was doing what society expected him to do in his role as hero. Our two heroes handle conflicts differently and their settings affect this. Both are heroes that fight evils but they view the world differently.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
WILL STUDY FOR FOOD
After I graduate, I intend on going to a four-year university, most likely a UC. UCs are really expensive and my options for paying for school are scholarships or student loans. I don't have a college fund so I plan to work while I'm in school. I really don't want to take out student loans so I want to try to get as much free money as possible. UC Santa Cruz is a school that I really like and it's about $32,700 for one year. UC Berkeley is around $33,300 and UCLA is around $33,700. That is a lot of money to get, and it's stressful to think about but I need to really focus on scholarships so I can get as much money as possible.
Scholarships.com is an awesome resource that I use for scholarships. You complete a profile, and then the website produces a list a scholarships that apply to you. I also plan on applying for the monthly Elks and Chamber of Commerce scholarships. These next few months will consist of a variety of scholarship applications!
Scholarships.com is an awesome resource that I use for scholarships. You complete a profile, and then the website produces a list a scholarships that apply to you. I also plan on applying for the monthly Elks and Chamber of Commerce scholarships. These next few months will consist of a variety of scholarship applications!
Monday, September 2, 2013
VOCABULARY #3
apostate: (noun) one who forsakes his/her religion, party, or cause.
My brother converted to Islam after he got married and some call him an apostate.
bravado: (noun) a display of false or assumed courage.
We listened to him brag about how he would take down his opponent easily, but we knew it was all just bravado.
consensus: (noun) a collective or general agreement of opinion, feeling, or thinking.
My sister and I hardly ever agree but we were able to reach a consensus on what we wanted to have for dinner.
constrict: (verb) to make smaller or narrower, draw together, squeeze; to stop or cause to falter.
Even eating the smallest bit of any peanut product will constrict her airway.
dichotomy: (noun) a division into two contradictory or mutually exclusive parts; a branching or forking in an ancestral line.
It is impossible to try to understand the problems our world faces through the dichotomy of right and wrong.
effusive: (adj.) highly demonstrative; unrestrained.
They greeted me with such an effusive attitude, I felt very welcomed!
euphoria: (noun) a feeling of great happiness or well-being, often with no objective basis.
After I read the acceptance letter from my dream school, I was in a state of euphoria and nothing could bring me down.
gothic: (adj.) characterized by or emphasizing a gloomy setting and grotesque or violent events; such a literary or artistic style; a type of medieval architecture.
Her taste in gothic novels is too gloomy for me.
impasse: (noun) a dead end; a position from which there is no escape; a problem to which there is no solution.
We had reached impasse, there was no way we were going to agree on this issue.
lugubrious: (adj.) sad, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree.
My two-year old has perfected her lugubrious expression she uses when I don't let her watch TV.
metamorphosis: (noun) a complete transformation, as if by magic.
After the earthquake, our house underwent a complete metamorphosis.
mystique: (noun) an aura or attitude of mystery or veneration surrounding something or someone.
The mystique that surrounded her made her a very intriguing person.
non sequitur: (noun) an inference or conclusion that does not follow logically from the facts or premises.
He tried to end our argument with a non sequitur that didn't really have anything to do with the situation at hand.
parlous: (adj.) full of danger or risk, perilous.
Walking home alone at night can be a very parlous situation in my neighborhood.
punctilio: (noun) a minute detail of conduct or procedure; an instant of time.
Because of her OCD, she cannot leave the house without checking every punctilio several times.
quagmire: (noun) a difficult or entrapping situation; soft, soggy mud or slush.
Committing the small crime launched her into an awful quagmire that she would never get past.
quixotic: (adj.) extravagantly or romantically idealistic; visionary without regard to practical considerations.
She painted a quixotic picture of her future but she made no solid plans to accomplish her goals.
raconteur: (noun) a person who tells stories and anecdotes with great skill.
My friends often call my mom a raconteur because she always enthralls them with her stories.
sine qua non: (noun) an essential or indispensable element or condition.
She forgot the most important sine qua non for test taking, a good nights sleep.
vendetta: (noun) a prolonged feud, often between two families, characterized by retaliatory acts of revenge; any act of motivated vengeance.
The vendetta going on between my two best friends is absolutely unbearable.
My brother converted to Islam after he got married and some call him an apostate.
bravado: (noun) a display of false or assumed courage.
We listened to him brag about how he would take down his opponent easily, but we knew it was all just bravado.
consensus: (noun) a collective or general agreement of opinion, feeling, or thinking.
My sister and I hardly ever agree but we were able to reach a consensus on what we wanted to have for dinner.
constrict: (verb) to make smaller or narrower, draw together, squeeze; to stop or cause to falter.
Even eating the smallest bit of any peanut product will constrict her airway.
dichotomy: (noun) a division into two contradictory or mutually exclusive parts; a branching or forking in an ancestral line.
It is impossible to try to understand the problems our world faces through the dichotomy of right and wrong.
effusive: (adj.) highly demonstrative; unrestrained.
They greeted me with such an effusive attitude, I felt very welcomed!
euphoria: (noun) a feeling of great happiness or well-being, often with no objective basis.
After I read the acceptance letter from my dream school, I was in a state of euphoria and nothing could bring me down.
gothic: (adj.) characterized by or emphasizing a gloomy setting and grotesque or violent events; such a literary or artistic style; a type of medieval architecture.
Her taste in gothic novels is too gloomy for me.
impasse: (noun) a dead end; a position from which there is no escape; a problem to which there is no solution.
We had reached impasse, there was no way we were going to agree on this issue.
lugubrious: (adj.) sad, mournful, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree.
My two-year old has perfected her lugubrious expression she uses when I don't let her watch TV.
metamorphosis: (noun) a complete transformation, as if by magic.
After the earthquake, our house underwent a complete metamorphosis.
mystique: (noun) an aura or attitude of mystery or veneration surrounding something or someone.
The mystique that surrounded her made her a very intriguing person.
non sequitur: (noun) an inference or conclusion that does not follow logically from the facts or premises.
He tried to end our argument with a non sequitur that didn't really have anything to do with the situation at hand.
parlous: (adj.) full of danger or risk, perilous.
Walking home alone at night can be a very parlous situation in my neighborhood.
punctilio: (noun) a minute detail of conduct or procedure; an instant of time.
Because of her OCD, she cannot leave the house without checking every punctilio several times.
quagmire: (noun) a difficult or entrapping situation; soft, soggy mud or slush.
Committing the small crime launched her into an awful quagmire that she would never get past.
quixotic: (adj.) extravagantly or romantically idealistic; visionary without regard to practical considerations.
She painted a quixotic picture of her future but she made no solid plans to accomplish her goals.
raconteur: (noun) a person who tells stories and anecdotes with great skill.
My friends often call my mom a raconteur because she always enthralls them with her stories.
sine qua non: (noun) an essential or indispensable element or condition.
She forgot the most important sine qua non for test taking, a good nights sleep.
vendetta: (noun) a prolonged feud, often between two families, characterized by retaliatory acts of revenge; any act of motivated vengeance.
The vendetta going on between my two best friends is absolutely unbearable.
From Legend to History notes
These are my reading notes from pages 2-14 in the literature book. I forgot to post them earlier! 
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