Literature Analysis #3

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Literature Analysis #3

1. Summary: The exposition begins with Hazel Grace. She is a mature seventeen year old with cancer that affects her breathing. Her parents are very supportive and encourage Hazel Grace to take community classes and go to a support group for those who suffer medical conditions. Hazel Grace is comfortable with the fact that she will die soon, but goes to the support group to please her mother. There, she meets Augustus Waters who suffers from osteosarcoma causing him to have a prosthetic leg. Immediately, the two teenagers are attracted to one another and begin spending more time together. In the rising action, the reader goes through the friendship that surely grows into a beautiful relationship that Hazel Grace calls it, “their little infinity.” Hazel Grace recommends Augustus Waters to read her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten. It’s a novel about a girl with cancer and her life journey that Hazel automatically relates to. Waters loves the book as well as Hazel Grace. He stands by her through her medical roller-coaster and she does the same. Waters receives an email from Peter Van Houten’s assistant inviting them to consult with Van Housten himself and answer some questions they have about the ending. Augustus Waters spends him cancer “wish” on a trip to Amsterdam to visit Van Houten and vacation together, along with Hazel Grace’s parents. The meeting with Van Housten is very disappointing due to his drunk, indolent, and angry character. Grace and Waters try to enjoy the rest of their time in Amsterdam and become intimate on a new level. To put a slight damper on the trip, Waters announces his cancer has returned and will die in a couple months. The falling action is consumed in Hazel Grace’s attentiveness towards Augustus Waters. They plan his funeral and she writes him a final letter and they reenact his funeral. The resolution concludes the story with Augustus Waters dying and Hazel Grace attending his funeral. She is surprised to see Van Housten there as a surprise from Waters and sends him away. Before he leaves, Housten confesses his true motif for writing the story; his daughter died from cancer.

2. Theme: There are many themes within this novel, yet the one that stood out to me the most was identity. Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters struggle with their identify. When Augustus Waters asked Hazel Grace what her story is, then she replied with her medical story of her suffering from cancer and having terrible lungs. She never saw herself as beautiful, but only as a teenage girl with poor lungs who would eventually die soon. Augustus Waters brought significance into her life and showed her how incredible and unique she was. Augustus Waters, also, struggled with his identity. He wanted to be remembered and leave the Earth with a name of importance. He saw himself as insignificant and that brought him insecurity. Grace taught him to value the people who he loves the most and find importance in being everything to someone. This struggle was significant and interesting because the audience is reading about the struggle for identity before death for teenagers; an internal struggle that normally is reserved for a mature, elder person nearing the inevitable.

3. The author’s tone, I would describe as being very genuine and honest. Hazel Grace’s narration is very open and sincere to the reader. We learn about Hazel’s respect towards her parents through her thought process of whether or not to attend the support group. She relates the circumstance to her experience in the hospital, getting injected with poison from medical staff with only eighteen months of training. Her desire to make her parents happy is inevitable and never-ending. Another example is when Augustus says, “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.” This is pure passion and demonstrates the romantic, genuine, raw tone that is displayed throughout the novel. Van Houten is honest in his remark to Hazel and Augustus, “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.” Although this is absolutely harsh, it is honest of his feelings and, as a reader, I respect the opportunity to get to know each character through these honest remarks.

4. Ten literary elements/techniques that I observed that strengthened my understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or my sense of the tone includes allusions, Bildungsroman, characterization, point of view, euphemisms, tragedy, Epiphanies, and pathos.

Irony: It is ironic that Augustus Waters ends up dying first because, throughout the entire story, the audience is lead to believe that Hazel Grace’s terminal cancer will end her life first. However, Waters dies before Hazel. Augustus’s positive personality and masculine role of taking care of Hazel makes him seem stronger and healthier, but ironically, he is more unhealthy and ends up dying first. “Augustus Waters died eight days after his prefuneral, at Memorial, in the UCU, when the cancer, which was made of him, finally stopped his heart, which was also, made of him.” (p.261)

Personification: hazel Grace’s cancer is seen as a person instead of a disease. It is seen as a murderer instead of some evil mutation without a soul. “It demands to be felt,” on page 63 describes how the cancer is such a significant part of their lives and that demands attentive care or it will act out in rage just like a person would.

Allusion: Hazel Grace alludes to a lot of things throughout the story. For example, “Everyone in this tale has a rock-solid hamartia: hers, that she is so sick; yous, 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 the 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.’” Normally Hazel alludes to the bible, but she also alludes to several books because of her love for reading. She is a very education girl for her age so all these references and relationships that she ties her everyday experiences demonstrates this educational character of hers.

Bildungsroman: This talks about Hazel Grace’s development as a character educationally and spiritually. The entire narrative revolves around Hazel’s character development with her and Augustus, her identity before death, and her relationship spiritually that gives her strength and hope through it all. “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.” (p.260) Hazel was a completely different person when she said this at Augustus’s prefuneral. At this time she was confident, strong, special, and felt important.

Characterization: Other characters try to be nice and understand, but never truly understand Augustus and Hazel like they do for each other. It only took a couple of days before they connected on such a personal level. “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.” (p.103) Hazel’s parents are depicted as caring and love their daughter to pieces, but don’t understand Hazel like Augustus does.

Point of View: This is probably the most important literary element of the novel because, without this, we would never understand Hazel or Augustus on such a personal level which makes the whole novel so significant, interesting, inspiring, and beautiful. “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 hew as not in his, but instead we were together in some invisible and tenuous third space.” (p.72) The audience understands Hazel through her thoughts, stream of conscious, and point of view.

Euphemisms: Hazel likes to be perceived as simple and nothing exaggerated, but the reader catches her exaggerations from time to time. For example, Hazel and Augustus are tiered of life and cannot stand their circumstances. “It was unbearable. The whole thing. Every second worse than the last.” (p.262) This is when Augustus dies and Hazel was devastated, but she was able to make it through even though she said it was “unbearable.”

Tragedy: The story is tragic because Augustus and Hazel and so young and suffer cancer. They find every reason to live with their extreme maturity granting them such strength spiritually. It’s tragic that such intelligent, spirited, mature, beautiful people who found a love so rare have to part due to cancer.. especially at such a young age.

Epiphanies: Hazel’s epiphany in Amsterdam changes the way she views the world after meeting Van Houten. “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.” (p.193-194) She built her life off of his book and meeting him in person made her realize that everything she admired and everything she answered to had been a lie. That’s when she understood that life could disappoint and that she was the strength that made it through, not the author that gave her strength. She also realized that there isn’t an answer to everything.

Pathos: This novel’s tragedy of cancer and death appealed to pathos, the emotional side of the audience. “I wrapped my arms all the way around my mom’ smiddle and they held on to me for house while the tide rolled in.” (p.267) This was after Augustus died and Hazel was complexly shattered. Her situation created for an empathetic feel from the reader through pathos. 

Literature Analysis #2

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

1.       The exposition introduces the setting and characters. The story takes place during the Great Depression in Lorain, Ohio and two African American sisters, Claudia and Freida Macteer, ages nine and ten, are introduced. They have a great desire to be Caucasian. Their parents are focused on maintaining a comfortable lifestyle and not let the Great Depression get the best of their family financially. They take in a couple of boarders, one of which is Pecola Breedlove. She is a young girl who comes from a distressed home life financially with abusive and alcoholic parents. The author continues to the rising action of the story where we get to know Pecola and her parents on a deeper level. The Macteers offer Pecola to live with them and we find out Pecola’s insecurities and self-degradation of being African American. Her dream is to have blue eyes and be white. She feels invisible and insignificant throughout her daily life as she is at the check-out stand getting groceries, in the classroom, or getting verbally abused by white mothers. Pecola gets physically abused by bother her parents which later turns into sexual abuse by her father leading to pregnancy and the loss of her infant. Pecola’s mother, Pauline, suffers a low self-confidence. She believes she is ugly due to her nationality and takes pride in cleaning a white woman’s home because she wants to be Caucasian. As for Pecola’s father, Cholly; he suffered a harsh childhood. He was abandoned by his parents and forced to live with his aunt. When he was having sexual relations with his girlfriend at the time, then he was caught and humiliated by some white men who forced them to continue making love while they watched. He drowned his sorrows in alcohol and never looks at love the same. He often beats his wife and, towards the end of the story, physically and sexually abuses Pecola to the point of unconsciousness, then abandons his family. The climax of the story is when Cholly rapes Pecola. Pecola’s mother doesn’t believe Pecola when she awakes from her unconsciousness and beats her. Pecola was impregnated by her father, Cholly, and believes in keeping the child because it is the moral things to do. She doesn’t blame the child for what happened like most do when they abort children. The child is born premature and dies. This is emotional for Pecola and the falling action results in a breakdown over the death of her child.

2.       Ultimately, the author produces themes of racism that demonstrate the underlying effects of such brutality and immorality. Through characterization, we are provided a clear insight into the worthlessness felt by such minorities. Throughout the novel, the characters allow mistreatment due to their born identifier as African American, otherwise known as worthless to the rest of society during that time period.

3.       The author’s tone, I would describe as being morose and hopeless. The whole story, although powerful and moving, is very depressing and sad. Every incident demonstrates the oppression and hopelessness of these African Americans and how hopeless their struggle is. For example, “It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held the pictures, and knew the sights- if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different.” (p.46) This demonstrates Pecola’s insecurities as she battles her identity of being African American in a world where Caucasians are the superior race. “The Breedloves did not live in a storefront because they were having temporary difficulty adjusting to the cutbacks at the plant. They lived there because they were poor and black, and they stayed there because they believed they were ugly.” (p.38) Ultimately, if Pecola had one thing to wish for, it would be to have blue eyes. She would probably have picked blue eyes over taking away continued abuse from her parents. This desire of blue eyes, what the white people normally are born with, signifies her idea that she is ugly and worthless. “Here was an ugly little girl asking for beauty… A little black girl who wanted to rise up out of the pit of her blackness and see the world with blue eyes. His outrage grew and felt like power. For the first time he honestly wished he could work miracles.” (p.174) This described the time when Pecola visited a mystic in hopes that he could change her eye color and how the man, although he took advantage of her, truly felt bad that he couldn’t help little Pecola.

4.       Ten literary elements/techniques I observed that strengthened my understanding of the author’s purpose, the text’s theme and/or my sense of the tone includes symbolism, repetition, contrast, tragedy, flashbacks, imagery, metaphors, parallelism, allusions, and irony.

Symbolism: The blue eyes were the ultimate symbol of white desire and purification from all racism. “I, I have caused a miracle. I gave her the eyes. I have her the blue, blue, two blue eyes. Cobalt blue. A streak of it right out of your own blue heaven. No one else will see her blue eyes. But she will. And she will live happily ever after.” (p.182)

Repetition: The chapters are titled with a short repetition, “MOTHERLAUGHSLAUGHMOTHERLAUGHLA.” (P.110) This introduces the chapter where Pauline’s character is described in full detail. The reason for saying “mother laugh” is because Pauline never laughs or smiles. Happiness just doesn’t exist in this story because the characters are going through suffering.

Contrast: The repetition at the beginning of each chapter contrasts with the content of the next chapter. So, these strange words like, “HERISTHEHOUSEITISGREENANDWHITEITHASAREDDOORITISVERYPRETTYVERYPRETTY,” on page 33 goes into talking about the pretty house, in fact, it was about the Breedlovers torn up, poor looking house. This contrast allows for the differences between the lives of the African Americans versus the typical Caucasian families.

Tragedy: Tragedy is abundant in this novel as racism goes to the extremes. We see the unfairness and bitterness of the lives of the minorities in society following segregation. “Following the disintegration—the falling away—of sexual desire, he was conscious of her wet, soapy hands on his wrists, the fingers clenching, but whether her grip was from a hopeless but stubborn struggle to be free, or from some other emotion, he could not tell.” (p.163) Pecola was impregnated by her father which was disgraceful and resulted in a tragic ending with her infant dying.

Flashbacks: Flashbacks are a significant literary tool throughout the entire novel. This offers a deeper insight into Pecola’s indirect characterization. The reader learns about Pecola’s parents and the disasters of Pauline and Cholly’s childhood and adolescence. “abandoned in a junk heap by his mother, rejected for a crap game by his father, there was nothing more to lose. He was alone with his own perceptions and appetites, and they alone interest him.” (p.160)

Imagery: There is very detailed imagery that describes the character’s lives and appearances. “Keep but cooked noses, with insolent nostrils. They had high cheekbones, and their ears turned forward. Shapely lips which called attention not to themselves but to the rest of the face. You looked at them and wondered why they were so ugly.” (p.39)

Metaphor: The death of Pecola’s baby is metaphorically comparing Claudia and Freida’s attempt to plant marigold seeds. If the plant grows and lives, then Pecola’s baby will live. “And now I see her searching the garbage—for what? The thing we assassinated? I talk about how I did not plant the seeds too deeply, how it was the fault of the earth, the land, of our town.” (p.206)

Parallelism: Parallelism makes it easier to read the story and provides for a more engaged reader due to such strong writing skills. It illustrates the author’s points, as well. “Her simplicity decorated us, her guilt sanctified us, her pain made us glow with health, her awkwardness made us think we had a sense of humor. Her inarticulateness made us believe we were eloquent.” (p.205)

Allusion: During Pecola’s rape performed by her father, Cholly, the author alludes to the Bible. “What makes one name more a person than another? Is the name the real thing, then? And the person only what his name says? Is that why to the simplest and friendliest of questions: What is your name? Put to you by Moses.” (p.180)

Irony: Irony is commonly used throughout the novel regarding the blue eyes. Pecola thinks that blue eyes will give her a beauty that the white people possess. This beauty, she believes, will grant her happiness, but in the end when she believes she has her blue eyes, then she actually goes mad. “So, it was. A little black girl yearns for the blue eyes of a little white girl, and the horror at the heart of her yearning is exceeded only by the evil of fulfillment.” (p.204)

Characterization

1.       Direct characterization was present when describing Maureen Peal. “a high-yellow dream child with long brown har braided into two lynch ropes that hung down her back. She was rich, at least by our standards, as rich as the richest of the white girls, swaddled in comfort and care.” (p.62) Another example is pauline’s description of her first impression of Cholly, her father. “Cholly was thin, then with real light eyes. He used to whistle, and when I heard him, shivers come on my skin.” (p.115) An example of indirect characterization is, “We could hear Mrs. Breedlove hushing and soothing the tears of the little pink-and-yellow girl.” This demonstrates Mrs. Breedlove as being compassionate and loving without saying it directly in the text and instead providing it through an example. Another example is Cholly’s reaction to Pauline’s pregnancy. “When she told Cholly, he surprised her y being pleased. He began to drink less and come home more often.” (p.121) This demonstrates Cholly wasn't always a disturbed man and actually loved his family in temporary time periods that were important to him, such as when Pauline was pregnant with Pecola. The author uses both direct and indirect characterization to provide a well-rounded variety of characterization. I feel like I understand the characters more because of this diverse use of characterization. I learn more through direct characterization, in this novel, because of the longer descriptions and the actions make it easier to relate it to real life versus direct characterization where you just have to trust the author that his views are similar to you own.

2.       The syntax and diction changes when the author focuses on the different characters and their circumstances. The author uses a common vernacular of the everyday during that time period. It is very informal and easy to read which sets the tone for the play and provides a stronger relationship and understanding between the reader and characters. “Nasty white folks is about the nastiest things they is. But I would have stayed on ‘cepting for Cholly come over by where I was working and cup up so.” (p.120)

3.       Pecola Breedlove is a dynamic and round character. In the beginning, she has the ultimate desire of wanting blue eyes, symbolically meaning much more than just the color, but in the end this changes as the reader watches her go mad. She experiences a variety of hardships that transforms her character and taints her innocence.

4.       I felt like I knew the characters. I felt like I was Pecola and had lost my child. It was heart-wrenching, yet a powerful story. I couldn’t stop reading and would highly suggest this to be read by mature readers. Throughout the novel I felt I had suffered as Pecola had suffered due to the incredible detail and characterization techniques used by the author. At the end of the novel, I was completely disoriented just as Pecola was. “Don’t go. Don’t leave me. Will you come back if I get them?” I couldn’t help, but feel depressed and completely moved. 

"Where the Sidewalk Ends" and "Tainted Innocence" Remix

This displays my performance in Dimensions in Dance 2014. 

http://vimeo.com/112625651

     Tainted Innocence by Elvis Barrera reflects the struggle of rediscovering one’s innate innocence. I am the girl in white symbolizing a pure soul who is surrounded by the dark demons of my past. In the end, I find the light that leads me to where “the sidewalk ends,” just like in Shel Silverstein’s poem. Silverstein identifies children as those who possess such innocence and, therefore, can direct us to “Where the Sidewalk Ends” commonly known as Heaven. I believe this to be true; however, I don’t believe that children are the only light capable of leading us to eternity with pure souls. Everyone was pure at one time since everyone was once a child. This gift of purity in our early years can be retrieved and renew our tainted innocence. Once we find that innocence that once existed within us, we can be directed to a new destination beyond this Earth.

“There is a place where the sidewalk ends

And before the street begins,

And there the grass grows soft and white,

And there the sun burns crimson bright,

And there the moon-bird rests from his flight

To cool in the peppermint wind.”

     This picture displays the “peppermint wind” provided by the “place where the sidewalk ends.” This is significant because it demonstrates the peace and renewal Heaven possesses. It sweeps away the worries and troubles, renewing the soul in an act of purification.

“Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow”

     These pictures represent the struggle towards battling my sin that makes me imperfect. In the poem, Silverstein’s idea of the impurities as black smoke that leads us down dark, winding roads, away from where the sidewalk ends. Symbolically, the dancers wearing black represent that “black smoke” as I represent purity in my white costume. Through this constant battle in overcoming the demons that give me a “Tainted Innocence,” I find the innocence that I once possessed and am able to find peace that exists “past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow.”

 “We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And watch where the chalk-white arrows go

To the place where the sidewalk ends.”

     With each step, leap, turn, and fall, I am progressing further toward finding my innocence that directs me toward the light. When Silverstein says “we shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,” he is communicating the step-by-step process of self-evaluation that will help find our center where our innocence once existed untouched.

“Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,

For the children, they mark, and the children, they know

The place where the sidewalk ends.”

     I was able to battle the demons surrounding my soul and was able to find the light inside myself, directing me towards my final destination. 

Literature Analysis #1

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

Literature Analysis #1

1.       A Separate Peace by John Knowles is about two best friends who are in a sort of athletic competition with one another. Gene is jealous of Finny’s incredible athletic ability and assumes Finny is jealous of his academic achievements. In the efforts to be greater than Finny, Gene purposefully tried to make Finny fall off a tree branch which resulted in Finny breaking his leg; therefore, preventing him to do athletics. Gene eventually confesses to Finny that Finny’s fall wasn’t an accident. World War II just began and Gene wants to enlist, but Finny, instead, insists he stay to train in fulfilling Finny’s athletic dreams as an athlete in the 1944 Olympics. As the war continues, Leper escapes the war and suffers post-war hallucinations. Brinker is suspicious of Gene’s actions concerning Finny’s accident and summons him. Gene avoids confessing and lies about his intentions to hurt Finny. Gene confesses to Finny once more, but explains that his actions were not out of hatred, but out of jealousy. Finny and Gene reconcile. Finny goes to have surgery on his leg, which was broken a second time, resulting in death. The story ends with Gene at peace with the death of his friend due to his perspective that Finny will always be apart of him and will never be forgotten. The rest of the characters graduate and enlist in the military.

2.       A major theme of the novel would be friendship because the entire story revolves around Gene and Finny’s friendship. With friendship, comes a battle of identity which is another theme. Due to Gene and Finny’s adolescent age, they are in a time in their lives where they are trying to build a reputation and identity for themselves. Oftentimes, teenagers are trying to find themselves which is the time in Gene and Finny’s life that is the hardest struggle.

3.       I would describe the author’s tone as deeply reflective. Since the story is told by Gene, who is well educated, then the story is told in a mature voice with a loaded critical analysis that revolves around guilt for hurting Finny. Here are three excerpts that demonstrate Gene’s reflective tone:

·         “Isn't the bone supposed to be stronger when it grows together over a place where it's been broken once?" Although this was towards the end of the story and could be taken as a medical evaluation. The reader is able to understand Gene’s thought process at that point in the story and understands that he is metaphorically referring to his friendship with Gene. He believes that going through suffering in a relationship is supposed to heal the friendship and create a stronger compatibility and understanding of one another. Gene was obviously perplexed when he understood that the leg injury didn’t make their friendship stronger, but made it so he lost his friend forever since Finny died.

·         “I never killed anybody and I never developed an intense level of hatred for the enemy. Because my war ended before I ever put on a uniform; I was on active duty all my time at school; I killed my enemy there. Only Phineas never was afraid, only Phineas never hated anyone.” Gene’s tone is very mature and provides a deep analysis of his position as a soldier and friend. It possesses a sort of guilt and sadness that overwhelms Gene.

·         “For if Leper was psycho it was the army which had done it to him, and I and all of us were on the brink of the army.” Gene’s quote reflects on his own self-analysis by comparing Leper’s transformation from innocent to a psycho. This scares Gene because he now understands the effect war has on a person. He relates this war metaphorically to his friendship with Finny. He sees that the war created Leper to become mentally ill which serves as somewhat of a foreshadowing to the ending of the story; the war between Gene and Finny creates Finny to become physically ill and die.

4.       Ten literary elements I observed that strengthened my understanding of the author’s purpose, the text’s theme and/or my sense of tone include: metaphors, similes, foreshadowing, flashback, conflict, irony, allusion, characterization, hyperbole, and rhetorical question.

*Metaphors- used excessively throughout the entire story to, oftentimes, gives a new perspective to his (Gene’s) feelings since they are so complex.

Ex) Gene-

*Similes- used to describe unforgettable moments that most others wouldn’t understand such as the event of losing one of his friends and looking at the tree in a new way.

Ex) “The tree loomed in my memory as a hughe lone spike . . . forbidding as an artillery piece, high as the beanstalk."- Gene

*Foreshadowing- there are a lot of hints to how the story would end. The most significant use of foreshadowing was using Leper’s mental illness of war and having Gene compare that to his friendship with Finny. We saw that hard times don’t always make you or your friendship stronger, but can lead to horrifying circumstances like Finny’s death or Leper’s mental illness filled with hallucinations.

Ex) “Isn't the bone supposed to be stronger when it grows together over a place where it's been broken once?"- Gene

*Flashback- since the entire story is a narration concerning Gene’s past lived events, then there are a lot of flashbacks throughout the story. A lot of flashbacks are haunting memories to the event when Finny fell from the tree. Gene’s flashbacks are due to guilt and not forgiving himself for the loss of his best friend.

- "The tree was tremendous, an irate, steely black steeple beside the river."- Gene

*Conflict- there were several conflicts throughout the novel. Gene often struggled an internal conflict concerning his identity and self-a-steam. Then there were outward conflicts concerning his friendship with Finny and the tree accident. Finny struggled with his disability and inability to pursue his dreams as an athlete in the Olympics, etc.

Ex) “What was I doing up here anyway? Why did I let Finny talk me into stupid things like this? Was he getting some kind of hold over me?”

*Irony- It was ironic that Finny, who was the most athletically talented ended up disabled and died in the end from one of his surgeries. It was also ironic that Gene, who was known in high school as the most academically successful, to perform stupid actions that result in several consequences such as Finny’s disability and a corrupted friendship.

Ex) “Finny "practically saves" Gene's life when he grabs Gene's arm when he loses his balance on the limb. This is ironic because Gene later jounces the limb, resulting in Finny's death.”

*Allusion- WWII was used as an allusion to Gene and Finny’s friendship. As the war progressed and became more horrifying, so did their friendship. As people were battling one another at war due to hatred, Gene was battling his guilt, self-a-steam, and how to confess to Finny.

Ex) “The class above, seniors, draft-bait, practically soldiers, rushed ahead of us toward the war. They were caught up in accelerated courses and first-aid programs and a physical hardening regimen, which included jumping from this tree.”

*Characterization- Gene was a dynamic character and, through indirect characterization, the reader became more aware to Gene’s identity.

-“I found it. I found a single sustaining thought. The thought was, You and Phineas are even already. You are even in enmity. You are both coldly driving ahead for yourselves alone. . . . I felt better. Yes, I sensed it like the sweat of relief when nausea passes away; I felt better. We were even after all, even in enmity. The deadly rivalry was on both sides after all.”

*Hyperbole- Gene uses hyperboles in his jokes. He goes into deep thought a lot and overanalyzes situations and describes them to be more than what the average person would identify the situation as.

Ex) “…took in the lofty complex they held high above, branches and branches of branches, a world of branches with an infinity of leaves”- Gene

*Rhetorical Question- Gene is very descriptive and analyzes everything. He contradicts himself a lot, too, during in his reflections.  

Ex) “Was he trying to impress me or something? Not tell anybody? When he had broken a school record without a day of practice?”

Characterization:

1.       Finny's good looks are one of the basic elements of his persona in A Separate Peace. His physicality embodies his athleticism; the "cool blue-green fire" of his eyes reflects certain vitality; even his weight – ten pounds more than Gene – reminds us that he is superior to his friend described in Gene’s insecure self. In the quote from Gene, “Finny had deliberately set out to wreck my studies,” the reader can assume Gene is insecure and struggles with confidence and jealousy of his athletic friend, Finny. “It was all cold trickery; it was

calculated; it was all enmity,” is another example of indirect characterization demonstrating Gene’s negative personality and distrust towards his best friend. I believe the author uses both direct characterization to introduce characters and then uses indirect characterization to understand the characters individually and more in depth with real life instances that the reader can relate and create a sense of reality to through personal experiences. I don’t like Gene because he is very depressing and has a low self-confidence. I admire Finny’s strength and positive vibe. He turned his disability into an active role as a coach and found other ways to be happy. He was very forgiving towards Gene which is an admirable trait.

2.       The protagonist was Gene and his syntax varies throughout the story. In the beginning, he is narrates in a jealous tone and creates Finny to look like a cocky, pompous jock. Instead, as the plot progresses, the syntax and diction becomes less vivid on Finny’s actions and more on Gene’s thoughts.

3.       The protagonist is dynamic and a round character because he matures as the story progresses. At first, Gene doesn’t like Finny that much due to his jealousy towards him. As the story progresses, Gene becomes more aware and mature to more significant worries and matters such as war, friendship, life, and death.

4.       After reading the book, I felt like I knew the characters inside and out. I definitely didn’t like Gene, but I tried to understand him the best I could. I walked away with a sort of depressed, strange feeling. I feel like Gene should’ve been more upset and hard on himself after Finny’s death since he was his friend and he was the instigator that put Finny into that position. I don’t agree with Gene’s morals and I thought the book was disturbing.  

Hamlet Essay

                “To Be or Not to Be that is the question.” Or maybe this is a bold statement. Maybe this is the turning point in the entire play that has created for a dramatic change of events resulting in a deadly, mysterious theme that continues through the rest of the play. Hamlet’s soliloquy resembles perfect performative utterance; philosophy of speech describing a given reality, but also changing the social reality they are describing. It sets a mysterious, contemplative, and contradicting tone that results in a theme of revenge and death. Hamlet’s soliloquy demonstrates his characteristics as a young adult struggling with the idea of right from wrong, moral from immoral, true life from unconscious life, and the importance of respect towards ones family while staying true to his moral biblical codes. The audience becomes aware of Hamlet’s critical thinking and rational as we watch him conclude his final decision to murder Claudius in a creative revenge plot.

                Hamlet’s “To Be or Not To Be” soliloquy offers a new tone to the rest of the play. We watch as Hamlet contradicts his decision to “Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer, The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them.” From the very beginning, Hamlet is introducing the audience to his stream of consciousness which battles the worth of living as a coward when it’s not truly living at all. Hamlet feels he can seek nobility through revenge towards Claudius and finally find peace ending the “The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks, That flesh is heir to.” These words offer pathos towards Hamlet; a sympathy that makes the immoral act of revenge seem so moral due to such suffering. Shakespeare’s literary element of stream of consciousness offers a sort of chaos that creates a weighing, serious, dark tone. This continues throughout the play.

                This soliloquy creates for a continuous theme of mysterious death. Hamlet set a dark tone that centers around a revenge plot towards Claudius after his last line, “be all my sins remembered.” From this point on, Hamlet concluded his plan towards resolving his misery and staying genuine to his father’s orders. While it is easy to overlook Hamlet’s last lines towards Ophelia as mentally crazy and easily distracted, his actions offer a sort of foreshadowing; Hamlet’s plan to act insane to find information significant to killing Claudius. A religious theme is also relevant in his line, “Nymph, in thy orisons.” Hamlet’s faith stands significant in his contradicting throughout the soliloquy as he listens to the words of the bible with love as its principle and weighing it to his respect towards his father.

                Shakespeare introduces Hamlet as a young teenager suffering from the death of his father and infidelity of his mother all caused by the antagonist, Claudius. Hamlet’s cry for clarity in his soliloquy “To Be or Not To Be” offers a new characterization of Hamlet as more than the average, immature teenage boy. Hamlet’s critical thinking and deeper insight into the meaning of life and all its tragedies creates a heavy, dark tone. As Hamlet goes back and forth trying to find “the rub,” he finally finds a solution to the dilemma through deep, conscious thought. He finds it is “nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” This is the climax in the play as we watch the falling action unfold as the common theme of death plays out through extraneous measures. “To Be or Not To Be” is the most significant line and speech in the entire play because it offers a deeper insight to Hamlet’s character that calls for a plot twist resulting in a breathtaking ending. 

Hamlet (The Madman?) Essay

                “Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide.” John Dryden never said this in direct regards to Hamlet; however, the analysis seems appropriate in regards to the debate regarding Hamlet’s sanity. Dryden states that there’s a thin line between genius and madness which makes it difficult to classify Hamlet as one of the two. Through careful analysis, I have come to a conclusion. Hamlet is sane in every aspect of the play. In all the available instances where Hamlet could easily lose sophistication and integrity, Hamlet consistently reserves himself appropriately and intelligently. Whether it be his soliloquy “To Be Or Not To Be,” his hallucinations and conversations with his deceased father, or his murderous revenge act towards Claudius, Hamlet uses rational, logic, critical thinking that classifies him as a genius.

                Hamlet’s speech of “To Be Or Not To Be,” demonstrates Hamlet’s sanity in his stream of consciousness contemplating whether to live actively or die passively. He provides a deeper understanding to just living through life unaware and uninterested. Hamlet brings awareness that just going through the motions of everyday life in a state of mind that is asleep to reality is cowardly and not truly living at all. Hamlet’s idea of death is living cowardly and not killing Claudius like his father, the Ghost, instructed. This goes on to say that Hamlet’s rational of the importance of nobility, honoring family, and the true meaning of life poses Hamlet as a contemplative character with a greater insight into society’s ways. Shakespeare also uses Hamlet’s haunting Ghost as a symbol of Hamlet’s conscience. While the audience sees Hamlet as a lost teenager who is blabbing on and on about life and death and talking to Ghosts, they immediately characterize Hamlet as suicidal and crazy. On a deeper note, Hamlet is providing a greater idea of what life truly is and is able to conclude that idea of living cowardly is not living at all so he decides to live nobly by respecting his father’s orders.

                Death is an occurring theme in Hamlet. Hamlet’s father is killed from the beginning, Polonius is killed in Act Three, and the rest of the play revolves around a revenge murder plot towards Claudius. In no way is murder genius, but in every way does Hamlet go about his murder plot as a genius. Hamlet introduced his intelligent act of murder in his statement to Claudius, “The tim is out of joint: O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right.” Hamlet’s decision to act as a sociopath in order to obtain information, pragmatic for his murder plot towards Claudius, is genius. Hamlet reserves himself from lashing out at Claudius several times. Take Act IV Scene II for example, when Claudius’s back is turned from Hamlet in prayer. After Claudius’s murder towards Hamlet’s father, act of infidelity with Hamlet’s mother, and unjust authority as King, the normal reaction would be to take advantage of the opportunity of revenge. Hamlet appropriately reserves himself and reflects on the idea of Claudius attending Heaven due to getting murdered during prayer. This demonstrates Hamlet’s integrity and critical thinking skills. Hamlet’s analysis of society serves useful in his revenge plot. He outwits society in a humble manner.

                Society may see Hamlet as a madman, but the audience is able to see Hamlet insight and out and understand that he is actually a genius. Hamlet’s soliloquy of To Be or Not To Be provides a critical analysis of Hamlet’s idea of genuine living and serves as a rational deciding whether to take part in right from wrong. The death of Hamlet’s father and infidelity between Claudius and Hamlet’s father gives Hamlet every reason to be irrational and lash out in anger. However, Hamlet, after continuous thought, decides to take advantage of acting crazy in the effort to reveal Claudius’s murder of Hamlet’s father and send him to his death in revenge. In no way is Hamlet’s idea of murder sane. If it was, the world would a bloody mess. However, in every way is Hamlet’s act in the murder genius. 

Canterbury Tales Transmedia Remix

Geoffrey Chaucer incorporated several themes into his Canterbury Tales work; the two most exemplary include the imperfection of prevalent, courtly love and standards of society the characters must achieve for acceptance. Courtly love is omnipresent through this framed narration of varying interpreters of this journey society explores and the many routes one takes to become satisfied with the socially accepted “norm.” The narrators explore the series of paths one takes to be accepted by society’s standards of marriage which exists in Canterbury Tales as a legal, obligation to loyal companionship rather than the voluntary union from both individuals who share a passionate romance. The irony in all of this is society created these standards in hopes of accomplishing happiness on this journey through life. In the end, it appears that the knight who wins society’s acceptance, loses the goal of life and every short story; to live happily ever after.

This picture represents the beauty of creating an individual journey and how there will be a light, an opportunity that will lead to happiness. 

           Courtly love and its flaws to a “happily ever after”

-arranged marriage between Emelye and the knight who wins social acceptance by winning the battle

-fighting for love physically instead of emotionally winning Emelye’s heart resulting in her desire to want to be single and independent

-Palamon wins the battle, but is thrown off his horse and dies resembling the flaw of gaining happiness by following society’s standards to acceptance.

I chose this picture from The Wedding Planner because Jennifer Lopez is having a marriage, prearranged by her father. You can tell that she is unhappy which demonstrates courtly love may have been traditional and up to par with society’s standards/”social norm,” but it doesn’t live to the individual’s happiness.

Standards of Society:

-Money defines an individual’s worth in the story rather than one’s soul.

-The importance of individuality shown by the varying stories told in hopes to impress.

-The characters are trying to become unique by being accepted in society when being unique is following an individual path versus everyone else’s.

-social ladder and popularity defining one’s worth and happiness

I chose the movie Easy A because it resembles how following your own path in life and going outside of society’s acceptance can ultimately lead you to your soul mate, helping to create your individual happily ever after.

                Canterbury Tales explores the strengths and flaws through characterization in their journey to find their individual happily ever after. In the end, it is clear that society’s idol is doomed to fail because individuality cannot be achieved by following the standards of social acceptance. Love cannot be called forth by trumping death, but by trumping one’s heart. As we explore human nature in Canterbury Tales, we learn the ironic truth to be told; happiness comes from the individual, not society.

The Point of Canterbury Tales is...

Geoffrey Chaucer incorporated several themes into his Canterbury Tales work; the most exemplary of all being the imperfection of prevalent, courtly love as well and social acceptance.

GREEN EGGS & HAMLET

a) All that I know about Hamlet is that he is a well known writer from back in the day and that's about it. His works, I'm guessing are pretty traditional and might be full of puns and traditional, old English.
b) I know that Shakespeare is a famous writer whose most famous works include Julius Ceasar and Romeo and Juliet. I really don't know that much about Shakespeare, but I know he uses old English and that his works are often humorous and they use a lot of literary devices which calls for the reader to review his works several times to understand the literal meaning.
c) So many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare" because his works, although admirable, are hard to understand due to his use of old English and complicated syntax and diction. Today, students like short, fast pace, modern styles of writing that are straight forward and easier to understand and relate to whereas Shakespeare brings his audience back to hundreds of years ago which forces us, indolent students, to use our creativity to image life that seems so foreign and relate these ancient characters to ourselves and their actions to our daily lives.
d) We can make this learning experience of Shakespearean plays more interesting and fun by learning interactively through skits and maybe that will help us to create a more modern approach to this ancient, traditional work of literature. By taking steps to help relate and understand the culture of the Shakespearean time period, it will grow more of a connection to Shakespeare's characters and build a greater respect and connection to his literature. It's always more fun when the reader can relate to fictional characters.

Character Study (III)

Today is Saturday and something miraculous happened. After I wrote my last homesick letter, I fell asleep and was woken up by my roommate’s brother. He asked where his sister went and I couldn't speak of course due to my limitation of dancing and the fact that he looked like Ken, Barbie’s boyfriend. He must have thought I was paralyzed, which I was from not dancing, and so he pitied me with a cookie. I shook my head in rejection to the cookie. I refuse to participate in the “Freshman Fifteen” that seems popular for most students. I found out he was a teacher’s assistant/ demonstrator for one of the dance professors at UCLA.

 “Well,” he began, “I was just hoping to give my sister some dance posters to hang up for the show that’s coming up.” I was in heaven. Finally, someone who loved dance! I was absolutely speechless and I began to cry. He looked at me with confusion and handed me a ticket saying, “I don’t know if you’re interested, but sometimes dance has a way of curing everything. Sometimes I hurt because I dance, other times I dance because I’m hurt, but either way, dance fixes it all.” He handed me a ticket to the dance show. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. The ticket showed her name, the greatest choreographer in all of America, Sonya Tayeh! My eyes doubled and I looked up like he was the Savior of Dance. “Want to come with me?” he asked. I nodded my head and smiled. “Alright so I’ll pick you up at five. Sonya needs help with casting her next show so there will be an audition for the spring performance, yeah?” I nodded my head with a smile once again and he departed.

I became overwhelmed. Not only was I invited to a show that is presenting  Sonya Tayeh’s art and voice, but an audition that could change my life forever. This was an opportunity to gain my voice back that I once had back home at Hancock. I was determined to make it happen; however, the few remained. “First,” I thought, “I need to get out of bed. Then, I need to gain back my physical endurance and physical coordination. Finally, I need to choreograph a dance for the audition and have the guts to perform in front of the global icon of dance, Sonya Tayeh.” 

Canterbury Tales (II)

The Canterbury Tales Summary:

Theseus, Duke of Athens, imprisons Arcite and Palamon, two knights from Thebes. The two knights fall in love with Theseus’s sister-in-law, Emelye. It is love at first sight. Arcite is freed from prison, but banished from Athens. He returns in disguise so that he can see Emelye and enter her chamber by being a page.. Palamon escapes from prison and the two encounter one another and fight for the love of their lives, Emelye. The two fight in a tournament for Emelye as the winner’s prize. Arcite wins, but falls off his horse and dies so Palamon marries Emelye by default.

Main Characters:

*The Knight:

-symbolizes the medieval Christian soldier

-He served in fifteen great crusades

-Characteristics: brave, experienced, prudent, etc.

-Narrator admires him

*Theseus:

-Duke of Athens/has the final say

-most powerful ruler in the story

-good listener

Palamon:

-brave, strong, sworn to everlasting friendship with Arcite

-loves Emelye

-loses the tournament against Arcite, but wins Emelye by default and marries her

Arcite:

-brother to Palamon

-falls equally in love with Emelye

-released from imprisonment by the King

-falls off his horse due to an ironic earthquake as he rides off with his prize, Emelye

Emelye :

-sister to Hippolyta (Theseus’s domesticated Amazon Queen in the Knight’s Tale)

-Fair-haired and glowing

-Doesn’t want to marry anyone or have children (unique from other women of that time)/independent/feminist in a way

-Pledges herself to Arcite/marries him after the tournament and death of Arcite

Themes:

*Romance:

-Palamon and Arcite’s battling love for Emelye

-Polamon and Emelye’s marriage

*Fabliaux: comical/grotesque

-irony of Arcite falling off his horse

-witty remarks by the characters

Declaration of Learning Independence

The Declaration of Learning Independence is a document that allows for students to learn what they want to learn. Instead of having a standardized curriculum, the students get to use their passions and direct them toward their individual learning. Open source learning helps direct students and gives them the opportunity to communicate their learning experience through technology. Every individual has their own thoughts and habits that defines our character and makes us unique. This Declaration of Learning Independence encourages uniqueness and individuality by providing the opportunity to apply our own individual interests to our academic learning voyage. America strives for leaders and this document allows individuals to excel in their passions through the opportunity of free, yet guided learning. This prevents the future leaders of America from just going through the motions and instead encourages them to take the first step into their own individual journey to success. In total, the Declaration of Learning Independence, I think, allows for the freedom to learn more about ones passions and embrace individuality and uniqueness through a guided, open source learning education. 

PHONAR14VIDEO

     The Phonar Video was very time consuming, but beneficially informational. I learned about the influence of habits and how they are passed on from some bigger source. He encourages us to strengthen the habits we have created and develop new habits that can be proven beneficial to your life and the lives of others. The lecture progressed and drew an analysis of a photographer and his pictures. A key point from that element in the video was that a photograph is an experience rather than evidence. In the past, photographs were used to prove the existence of an event that took place rather than today, where we use photographs to represent our experiences and create a reputation for ourselves. Social media is an example that demonstrates this difference between experiences versus evidence. Information has expanded and popularized through image making and photography. It is evident that our society is traveling through life looking in a rear view mirror of past experiences rather than the present and future. We are stuck on our reputation rather than our development of our character. A bold statement that spoke to me was “If you want to change the world, then describe it differently.” Several revolutionaries and powerful leaders of our time, past and present, have used this rhetorical device to help society view the world differently (aka: from the photographer’s perspective). I learned a new term called transmedia which is a story told on multiple platforms of fan-based media that characterizes someone/allows for an image or reputation. This video identifies collaboration to be beneficial and defines individuals in society as trusted collaborators and more than just suppliers. This video connected to Canterbury Tales by incorporating several stories to portray the theme and bigger picture of life. The collaboration of different lecturers and their emphasis on the importance of collaboration in our daily lives related to the collaboration of the 29 pilgrims and their voyage as a pack. Every story and was biased and only revealed that one person’s perspective just like the stories from the pilgrims. Also, the story was not linear and varied from topic, but somehow made its way to portray the theme of life and how to live it successfully and beneficially. 

My Masterpiece

     "How is dance a language of its own?" Dance is a language of movement that communicates through expression as a physical art. The vast majority defines language solely as a form of verbal communication with a written language which is not absolute. Language is communication whether it be through verbal communication, hand gestures for the mute, vibrations from music for the deaf, the physical movement of dance, etc.. My masterpiece is to open society's eyes to the ability to communicate through dance. While there are several languages that span across the globe, there are several genres and languages of dance. For example, Mexico is known for their Folklorico and Salsa dance while America is a symbol of Contemporary and Modern dance. Each country has its own style of dance to use as a language of self expression just like verbal language varies from country to country. My main focus is to depict the elements that make dance a language and prove, through written words and physical movement, that dance is a language of its own.

Canterbury Tales (I)

Canterbury Tales (I)

P. 90-115

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-14000)

*aka: “Father of English Poetry”

-Medieval world experiences (14^th century England)

-Son of a merchant, page in a royal house, soldier, diplomat, and royal clerk

-used experiences to write The Canterbury Tales

*Born into middle-class family

-page job opened his eyes to England’s aristocratic society

-captured and held prisoner in 1359 (English Army Soldier in France)

-married Philippa Pan (Princess in line for throne)

*Poet Matures

-replicated his poems on European poets/translations of French poets

-wrote: The Book of the Duchess, Troilus and Criseyde, and Canterbury Tales

Literary Analysis:

*Direct Characterization: presents direct statements about a character, such as Chaucer’s statement that the Knight “followed chivalry,/Truth, honor…”

*Indirect Characterization: uses actions, thoughts, and dialogue to reveal a character’s personality. By saying “he was not gaily dressed,” for instance, Chaucer suggests that the Knight is not vain and perhaps takes the pilgrimage seriously enough to rush to join it straight from battle

Literary Elements/Techniques:

*Social Commentary: writing that offers insight into society, its values, and its customs. In Canterbury Tales, we draw conclusions about Chaucer’s views on English society by noting the virtues and faults of each character

Vocabulary Development:

*Solicitous: showing care or concern

*Garnished: decorated; trimmed

*Absolution: act of freeing someone of a sin or criminal charge

*Commission: authorization; act of giving authority to an individual

*Sanguine: confident; cheerful

*Avouches: asserts positively; affirms

*Prevarication: evasion of truth

Prologue:

-Chaucer meets 29 pilgrims at the Tabard Inn in the suburb of London

-Harry Bailey sets a challence; to make the journey more entertaining, he suggests that each pilgrim tell two stories on the way to Canterbury and two stories on the return trip. The person with the best tale will have a feast prepared by the other pilgrims. Bailey judges the competition.

-24 different tales overarching the tale of the pilgrimage.

-Chaucer describes each pilgrim and describes the setting (medieval society with the courtly world)

*stories were mainly romance stories (tales of chivalry), fabliaux (short, bawdy, humorous stories), the stories of saint’s lives, sermons, and allegories (narratives in which characters represent abstractions)

Bede
P.74-82

Summary:
-writing about English history
-Languages in Britain: English, British, Scots, and Picts
-God and Faith/Spirituality unites them together
-Picts aligned with the Scots
-Setting: comfortable weather and seasonal patterns
-Isle: safe, no "poison" and abundance of water good for food
-Migrants inhabited Britain and fighting/controversy between the Danes and the English broke out

Canterbury Tales (II) : What a Character

Collaborated With : Haley Stowe, Tia Jones, Taylor Williams, Megan Stevens,  & Haley Kestler 

Character Analysis: The Knight

- The author uses direct characterization but the narrator relies on indirect characterizing to reveal key aspects about the knights personality

   Ex: Indirect: the author shows that the knight is a leader when he takes on the roll to tell the first story. Direct: the narrator states that in line 86 "...with agility and strength."

- Chaucer displays a large and diverse range of attitude towards life. The tales are satirical and comical. Another tone is also very admiring towards the knight.

- Humor: As the plot continues to follow the plan, the irony between the good knight and his death after achieving the goal of his dream girl. The knight was given the chance to become free and leave his life behind yet he returns to battle in order to win over the love of another girl. The knight ultimately lead himself into his own death which was ironic because he was originally freed by the other knight.

CHARACTER STUDY (I)

Today was one of those days where home felt so foreign and distant. Here I am at UCLA, freshman class and I should be excited and inspired by all that I'm surrounded by, but I can't help, but miss home. The home I miss isn't the beautiful, Spanish-styled building I spent my adolescent years in with its blooming flower baskets and balconies perfect for watching the sunrise and sunset. No, my home is the concrete building with flickering lights, chipped paint on the walls, the bacteria-infested fungus floors, and the splotched mirrors that lined the West wall. My dance studio at Allen Hancock College was my home. Yes, UCLA's campus impresses many with its traditional architecture, carefully designed outdoor landscapes, brilliant professors, etc, but not me. It just makes home feel even further away. Today, I'm paralyzed... my body cannot create words through movement like it used to because I'm homesick. I can't help, but feel like my voice is faded from the bustling of students and busy college life. The one thing that gave me confidence back home was dance. I was able to finally exist and be heard through movement unlike today as I lay in bed, homesick. Dance was my outlet. When words couldn't describe my happiness, pain, love, stress, and conflicted stream of consciousness then my body would become my words and create a language of my own. College is supposed to make me feel independent and free, but all I feel is trapped in this college life. Dance gave me an independence like no other.. freedom to move in any direction, pace, tempo, etc. and it didn't even need to require technique if you didn't want to. Sometimes the most awkward moves or choreography geared away from technique such as those used in Modern Dance allowed for creativity and a better connection to the imperfections of life. With dance, I was able to create whatever story with movement and beauty. It was all me. No technology was needed. I didn't have to depend on anyone or anything. As I sit here in my dorm, I watch students pass in the hall looking directly at their cell phones in hopes of having a voice through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. and it makes me miss dance even more. Dance brought back the essentials; body, mind, and soul. Out of all these students at UCLA, I hope there is someone out there who can relate. While everyone is lost in a world of technology to feel somewhat connected to their families back home, I get lost in my own thoughts where my words were my spoken through the physical language of dance. Wiggling my toes triggers my muscle memory and brings me back to the one place that allowed for my voice to be heard.

Beowulf Comprehension Questions

[Prologue]

1.       Shield became ruler of the Danes which was unusual because he grew up as an abandoned orphan. Over the years he gained respect and power which made him king. His funeral was very elaborate and he was shipped off a boat with different treasures. Hrothgar is Shield’s great grandson.

[Heorot is Attacked]

1.       The magnificent work that Hrothgar undertook was Heorot which is a mead hall and was dedicated to Hrothgar and his men. Grendel, the monster, attacked the hall resulting in the death of Hrothgar’s men in a twelve-year battle. The response of the Danes was to turn to prayer and hope for Grendel’s death and defeat.

[The Hero Comes to Heorot]

1.       Beowulf hears of Hrothgar’s problems with Grendel and believes he can kill Grendel in return for the good deeds Hrothgar did for his father. He sets sail for Denmark with his army.

2.       The Geats first meet a Danish watchman in Denmark and he asks them lots of questions in suspicion. Beowulf clarifies that he is on his way to defeat Grendel with his men.

3.       Hrothgar’s herald is Wulfgar of the Wendla tribe and asks the Geats why they are carrying so much armor, but then infers they are going to help the Danish and aren’t just on vacation. Wulfgar tells Hrothgar that he should let them help because Beowulf is their leader of which Hrothgar mentions he knows Beowulf’s father and sends Wulfgar to get the Geats. I’m not surprised of Hrothgar and Beowulf knowing each other because they both have reputations of being great warriors and Beowulf wouldn’t put his life at risk or on hold if it wasn’t to repay a favor for a family friend.

4.       When Beowulf enters, he tells Hrothgar that he is very skilled and experienced, that he will battle Grendel without armor, and not to refuse his wishes. Hrothgar financially helped Beowulf’s father by paying off some debts.

[Feast at Heorot]

1.       Unferth accuses Beowulf of not being able to beat Grendel. Beowulf says that Unferth is drunk and retells the true story of his separation from Breca and the vicious sea monster that he later killed. This episode is relevant to the poem as a whole because it reveals Beowulf’s confident, courageous, and warrior-like character. Beowulf accuses Unferth of not being as brave as he claimed himself to be.

2.       Queen Wealhtheow is helping serve mead Goblets to all the men during the feast and prays to God, thanking him for Beowulf while sitting next to Hrothgar.

[The Fight with Grendel]

1.        The difference with Beowulf is that he is getting rid of his armor. He plans to take care of Grendel with his bare hands

2.       When Grendel enters Herot he immediately goes to his business of eating sleeping soldiers. When he gets to Beowulf, he isn't asleep and Beowulf immediately latches onto him. Grendel tries to flee but Beowulf's grip is too strong. Grendel barely escapes and leaves behind his arm.

[Celebration of Heorot]

1.       Sigemund was an incredible hero who slayed a terrible dragon that was hording a treasure chest that he won from his victory. Sigemund’s treasure symbolizes the gold rewards that Beowulf earned from the ring-giver, King Hrothgar. Sigemund’s story is told to celebrate Beowulf and compare both of their heroic victories. Heremod is known as an evil Danish king who turns against his own people which resembles the reverse of Beowulf’s characteristics and by comparing and contrasting Beowulf to two different kings, the narrator indicates that Beowulf will be king later in the story.

2.       Hrothgar responds to Beowulf’s deed by celebrating him. He announces Beowulf as his son and says that he will never be forgotten. He gives Beowulf numerous gifts including a sword. Unferth doesn’t have much to say to Beowulf unlike the first time they spoke. He is more humbled now that Beowulf has saved the Danes.

3.       The singer of Finn during the feasting in lines 1070-1158. The details of the Finn story aren’t really clear, but basically, the Lord of the Frisians, marries Hildeburg, a Dane, to end a feud between the two tribes. The bride was being used to ensure that families wouldn’t feud anymore, except this proved unsuccessful since the Frisians ended up killing Hildeburgh’s brother when he came to visit her. Finn ended up dying out of revenge, as well.

4.       Wealhtheow asks Hrothgar not to give the throne to Beowulf, but to trust in his biological son’s abilities to rule as king. She believes that the throne should stay in the bloodline.

5.       Wealhtheow gives Beowulf a large, broad necklace. Later, the necklace is given to his uncle, Hygelac, who wears it until he dies in battle. She asks Beowulf to guide and protect her children, but not to take the throne from them when Hrothgar dies.

6.       So many men remain in the beer hall to sleep because they believe it is as safe as it once was now that Grendel is dead which was a mistake because Grendel’s mother comes to the hall for revenge for her son. Grendel’s grandmother then takes one of Hrothgar’s esteemed men and the arm of Grendel back to her cave.

[Another Attack]

1.       Grendel’s mother came to Heorot to take her son’s claw. She was really mad, angry, and came out of vengeance, but not exactly similar to Grendel’s reason.

2.       Hrothgar’s response is asking Beowulf to go to her lair and kill her after she killed Hrothgar’s best friend.

3.       The mere is the sort of place I would describe to be kind of like an underwater lair under a lake that was very mysterious, dank, and eerie.

[Beowulf Fights Grendel’s Mother]

1.       Beowulf tells Hrothgar to respond in a compassionate way and for his army of men to leave him behind.

2.       Before Beowulf enters the mere, Beowulf sinks into the water for hours.

3.       Beowulf prepares for the battle by telling Hrothgar that the things he wants as if he is speaking his last works. He takes his rink-marked blade sword with him and then goes into battle.

4.       When Beowulf enters the mere, Grendel’s mother grabs him, but his armor saved him. It is surprising that Grendel and his mother live in the mere because it takes about 12 hours to get down to the mere.

5.       The sword Beowulf borrowed from Unferth breaks as he strikes Grendel’s mother.

6.       Beowulf’s armor saves him from the knife wound Grendel’s mother was trying to inflict on him; he then was able to use his strength to throw Grendel’s mother off of himself.

7.       Beowulf uses the sword of Eotens (forged by giants long ago) and cuts the mother’s throat. Seeking vengeance for those killed by Grendel, Beowulf brings his decapitated head home. But, his sword melts from the mother’s acidic blood; only the hilt is left.

8.       Beowulf safely swims back to the surface and none of his men are there because they doubted his ability to beat Grendel’s mother.

[Further Celebration]

1.       Beowulf gives Hrothgar Grendel’s head and sword hilt.

2.       The message Hrothgar gives to Beowulf is a story about how someone with good deeds and intentions doesn’t always mean they are/will be good people. Sometimes evil and greed can tempt them and take over to lead them to ultimate demise. Hrothgar wants Beowulf to know not to become big-headed/conceited.

3.       Beowulf gives Unferth the sword before he leaves.

[Beowulf Returns Home]

1.       Hrothgar predicts a future in which Beowulf will come back to protect the Danes once again.

2.       Hyd is the Queen of the Geatlands (young and wise), however, unlike Modthryth, she won’t kill and torture her people for simply looking at her.

3.       Hrothgar is hoping that by having his daughter, Freawaru, marry Ingeld, he can thus create peace between the Danes and Heathobards. However, Beowulf assumes that Hrothgar is only bringing back the feud and it’s inevitable that more conflict will arise because it’s difficult to simply to forget history. This is a different side to Beowulf because he previously wouldn’t put much thought theoretically and would result to acting on impulse rather than reason.

4.       Beowulf reports that he earned glory. He doesn’t add any false details to his stories but he does report them in a way that makes him sound very brave and glorified.

5.       Beowulf reports about his own adventures as “slightly exaggerated,” but pretty accurate.

[The Dragon Wakes]

1.       It takes fifty years later for Part 2 to begin. The kings that have died in the meantime include King Hygelac and King Heardred. The danger now exists due to the dragon.

2.       A man stole a golden goblet from the dragon guarding the treasure, which made the dragon very angry. The dragon was to guard the treasure for an ancient civilization since they all died out. The man took the cup because he wanted to take the cup to his master in return for his freedom.

3.       The dragon destroyed all the houses of the Geats to avenge his losing the treasure.

4.       Beowulf thinks that his house was burned down because the dragon burned all of his kingdom. He calls for an iron shield to be made for the battle against the dragon because he knows that a wooden shield would do nothing against a fire breathing dragon. He planned on fighting the dragon with a sword, too, due to its poisonous breath. He doesn't plan on being a hero but rather accepting his death and not calling for any assistance.

5.       Hygelec died in battle! Beowulf escapes and is offered to run the kingdom but he turns it down because he thinks that Headred should run the kingdom.

6.       Headred lets exiled Swedes into his kingdom. These Swedes are Orneala's brothers, which Orneala wants to kill... And he does! He kills Headred and Eanmund in battle and Beowulf vows to avenge their deaths by killing Orneala.

7.       Beowulf brings eleven men and the man who stole the goblet to confront the dragon, even though he vows to fight the dragon alone.

8.       Hygelac’s oldest brother, Herebeald, was accidentally killed with an arrow by Haethcyn while they were hunting. His father, King Hrethel, knew this was was an accident but died of grief (Herebeald was his eldest son). After Hrethel’s death, the Swedes and the Geats continued fighting which led to deaths of Haethcyn and Hygelac. Beowful avenged the death of Hygelac by killing the great Frankish warrior, Dayraven.

[Beowulf Attacks the Dragon

1.       Beowulf tells his companions to stick together and that he will provide armor and remain loyal to all of them. He tells this to Wiglaf who tells the others.

2.       The first time Beowulf and the Dragon fight, Beowulf enters the fight with confidence as he had defeated all of the major giants with just a sword and armor. When he throws his first blow with the sword, he is scared because the sword breaks. Beowulf’s companions all leave except Wiglaf who remains loyal. Beowulf gives him gifts for his loyalty and so Wiglaf couldn’t imagine going against someone who had remained so loyal to him and his family.Wiglaf talks highly of Beowulf and explains how kind Beowulf is for supplying armor and weapons. Wiflaf then goes to help Beowulf and the dragon blows fire, which makes his shield useless.

3.       Wiglaf and Beowulf work together as a team to defeat the dragon. Wiglaf fights bravely and is able to stab the dragon. Beowulf is bitten in the neck by the dragon but is able to deliver one last vital wound to the dragon. The killed the dragon together but Beowulf will die from his wound.

4.       Beowulf asks Wiglaf to find the gold they claimed from the dragon. He wants Wiglaf to bring the gold to him before he dies and when Beowulf sees the gols then he thanks God for allowing him to defeat the dragon and provide treasure for the people. Beowulf wants his body to be cremated at the coastal headland and to be renamed Beowulf’s Barrow.

[Beowulf’s Funeral]

1.       When the companions return, Wiglaf says Beowulf provided them with good armor and weapons and that if one man falls they all fall together. He explains how supportive Beowulf is and then Wiglaf calls out to Beowulf telling him that he has come to help him with the dragon who blows fire, making his shield useless.

2.       The messenger tells the city that Beowulf has died. At the Ravenswood, the Gaets were threatened by Ongetheow and his men, but Hygelac saved the Geats from Ongentheow the next morning. Although, Ongentheow and his men retreated, Hygelac still killed Ongentheow. The messenger says the gold is cursed and those who tried to steal it will also be cursed. The final image of the messenger’s speech was the dragon.

3.       Beowulf asks Wiglaf to find the gold they claimed from the dragon. He wants Wiglaf to bring the gold to him before he dies and when Beowulf sees the gols then he thanks God for allowing him to defeat the dragon and provide treasure for the people. Beowulf wants his body to be cremated at the coastal headland and to be renamed Beowulf’s Barrow.

4.       Wiglaf’s men pushed the dragon off the cliff and fell in to the ocean. Everyone was rejoiced after the death of the dragon.

5.       During the ten days of the funeral celebration, everyone mourns for Beowulf and place rings and jewelries around this grave. They talk about his war achievements and praised him.

6.       The Geats said that Beowulf was the “kindest of kings”, the friendliest, and most honorable man. The words kindest and friendliest would not be used to describe a military hero because Beowulf killed his enemies with no regrets. Although, he was honorable which is a characteristic used for a military hero.