Literary Analysis #3

Our Town by Thornton Wilder

The play takes place in the fictional town of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire and tells the story of the blossoming love between two young residents, George and Emily. The two have known each other since childhood; being neighbors, it is easy for them to converse through their windows on the second floor. As they grow older, George becomes condescending and full of pride as Emily defends his behavior when other children choose to make comments on it. George is touched by her actions and vows to try to be a better man who is worthy of her kindness. Despite some anxiety, the two eventually get married and live happily together. Sadly, this happiness does not last long as Emily dies during childbirth later on. Emily’s ghost watches her funeral alongside the other ghosts of residents who have passed away. While speaking to them, she makes the discovery that she is able to go back in time and view memories of happier times. Although she was advised against it, Emily chooses to go back to see her 12th birthday. She returns to the present day sadden by  the fact she could never be as happy as she was on her ninth birthday ever again. As she laments on this thought, George appears at her grave and kisses the headstone. Emily then remarks that the living just don’t understand.

The theme of the story is the inevitability of death. Over the course of the play we are informed of the deaths of some of the residents in the town. The residents are both young and old, male and female, minor and major characters. They include Joe Crowell, young and smart, who was to become an engineer but died in the war, George’s parents, and Emily. All of them were good people and yet they could not avoid death.

The tone is best describe as morbid but cheerful as well. We are informed by the narrator of the impending death of the characters, we know how they will die and when. At the same time we are given a love story to uplift our spirits and give us hope of a happy ending. This hope is crushed by the death of Emily and the sad tone continues on in her afterlife. She regrets not cherishing life enough and can only watch as George cries himself to sleep next to her grave.

The play serves as an allegory for life. It begins and ends but can also be a continuous cycle through reproduction. Emily dies during the birth of her second child but the circle of life continues with her children.
The narrator often breaks the fourth wall by addressing the audience directly and informing them of the events that occurred which resulted in the death of so many of the characters.
If viewed on stage, the play makes use of spare props. That is, having as little props as possible so that the audience can focus more on the characters and plot rather than the environment or space that they are in.
As readers, we read the play in third person point of view. We know the actions of the characters but are not given specific insight into a certain character’s thoughts or opinions.
Foreshadowing is present in the story as well. Although we are told of many of the deaths of the characters, we are not told of Emily’s. Instead on the day of the wedding, George goes to visit Emily’s family where they tell him it is bad luck to see the bride on before the ceremony. George does not see Emily but he sees her father instead. After George leaves, Emily’s father exclaims to his wife that it is also bad luck to see the future father-in-law before the ceremony as well. This implies that something terrible will happen to either George or Emily.
The watch of the narrator symbolizes the passing of time and the certainty of death(time running out) while the blooming flowers and birth of Emily’s child represent the life cycle and beauty of nature in spite of death.
         The author makes use of direct characterization rather than indirect to get the plot moving in such a short amount of time. He flat out describes George as an honest, young man who is mindful of the opinions of other while also describing Emily as a pretty and smart girl.

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

(Poetry is not my area of expertise)

A confusing piece of work it was
To read more than once I must
Eyes do not equal truth
The meaning hidden beneath its words

Chained we are by own minds
Freedom gained only through thought
The suns rays burn us
But do not illuminate our worlds

The reflection of ourselves
 Is not what we should scearch for
But of our actions
And experiences of life

Only then may our minds surpass the space of the universe
No longer confined to what we see

Brain with 10 legs

I chose to read A Tale of Two Cities because I already had the book in my collection and have always intended to read it. Luckily for me, my friends also chose to read the book alongside me. According to them we will one half of the book before Thanksgiving break and the other half during the break. Apparently I have also chosen to be the illustrator for our group although I do not know what sort of illustration I shall be doing.

Hamlet Essay Remix

Hamlet Essay

The term "performative utterances" refers to when a character's words correlate with their actions, a direct relationship between the two exists. In one of Shakespeare's many plays, Hamlet, the characters' actions and motives are portrayed through their utterances.  Because of the connection between actions and words, the reader is able to gain a grasp of what is to come more easily.

At the beginning of the play, Hamlet has no goal other than to avenge the death of his father. His plan seemed simply enough, to have his revenge by killing his uncle, Claudius, his father's murderer. The plot was justified in his mind, but as soon as it was spoken aloud and upon realizing it would be a difficult task to perform, Hamlet began to mull over different strategies to achieve his goal. This is an example of self-overhearing, a reaction to one's thought after it has been said aloud. Other characters, such as Gertrude and Ophelia, also display acts of self-overhearing. Ophelia with her feelings towards Hamlet and Gertrude when she becomes conscious of the sin she had committed by remarrying to her late husband's brother.

Like in Hamlet, performative utterances occur in real life everyday and once a person claims they will do an action, they are committed to it. When I tell my mother that I will depose of our garbage then I will do it, it may not happen at that current moment but I will get to it eventually like Hamlet eventually killed his uncle. I speak my actions aloud because now I have gained a sense of responsibility. Performative utterances also work in the negative, people will often tell themselves they cannot perform a certain, like a mathematics question, so they will not bother to try at all.

Self-overhaearing is present in life more often than one might believe. For me, my inner thoughts sound better in my head than when spoken aloud. I often regret the words that come out of my mouth after I utter them, they are not as attractive as they were in my mind. My own personal experience with self-overhearing is when I constantly believe that I am not skilled at anything, I think I have no outstanding qualities or skills. When I said this aloud once, I realized that while there is some truth to that statement, it is not all true. I have decent abilities in some areas, but because I have this mindset that I am useless, I do not apply myself to anything.

Because Hamlet is a play it is crucial for characters to display their motives/actions through their thoughts. There is no direct characterization, we as readers much infer as much as we can about these character's through their performative utterances and how they respond to self-overhearing. Aspects such as these, are key factors in the plot of a story as they provide insight into how a character thinks and adapts to the event happening around them.

Vocab #9

Aficionado: A person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity; an expert or connoisseur.
Browbeat: To intimidate someone into doing something, using abusive words; to bully or force.
Commensurate: In proportion; equivalent or correspondent.
Diaphanous: Light, delicate, and translucent; gossamer.
Emolument: A salary, fee, or profit from employment.
Foray: A sudden attack into enemy territory; a raid; a venture outside one’s usual area.
Genre: A category of artistic composition characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject; a classification.
Homily:  A discourse on or of a moral theme; a sermon or lecture.
Immure: To enclose or confine someone against their will; to imprison.
Insouciant: Showing a lack of concern; nonchalant; indifferent.
Matrix: An environment or material in which something develops; a situation within which something else originates.
Obsequies: Funeral rites or services
Panache: Flamboyant confidence of style or manner; flair or zest.
Persona: The aspect of someone’s character that is perceived by others; a voice or character representing the speaker.
Philippic: A bitter attack or denunciation; criticism.
Prurient: Having an excessive interest in lustful thoughts and desires.
Sacrosanct: Regarded as too valuable to be interfered with; sacred; untouchable.
Systemic: Of or relating to a system, as opposed to a particular part.
Tendentious: Favoring a particular cause or point of view that is controversial or may cause argument.
Vicissitude: A change of prevailing situations or fortune.

What I think about when thinking about Act III of Hamlet

Like many others, the first thing that comes to mind is the "To be or not to be" speech. Hamlet is seriously considering suicide and vents out his thoughts. I find it humorous that near the end he noticed Ophelia's presence and quickly attempts to change the meaning of the speech.

Hamlet also had the chance to kill his uncle but he didn't. He confronts his mother about the sin she has committed and tells her about his father's ghost. Polonius gets stabbed through the curtain and Hamlet calmly drags his body out after speaking with his mother.

Dear Ophelia

"My name is O, and I'm trapped in this weird sort of dating thing-- a prince says he loves me, but my father & brother hate him and tell me to stay away. What should I do?"

    Your family clearly has their reasons for wanting you to stay away from this prince. Respect their wishes, they are only looking out for your safety. This boy may love you now but he can always change his mind later. Your family, on the other hand, will always love you. Romantic love is a dangerous thing that fluctuates constantly, it's not something worth losing your head over.

Vocab #8

Abase: to reduce or lower; degrade
Abdicate: to renounce or relinquish a throne, right, power, responsibility
Abomination: something greatly disliked or abhorred
Brusque: abrupt in manner
Saboteur: a person who commits or practices sabotage
Debauchery: excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures; intemperance
Proliferate: to grow or produce by multiplication of parts
Anachronism: something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time
Nomenclature: a set of system of names or terms, as those used in a particular science or art, by an individual or community.
Expurgate: to amend by removing words or passages
Bellicose: inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile
Gauche: lacking social grace; awkward; crude
Rapacious: giving to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed
Paradox: a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth
Conundrum: a riddle
Anomaly: a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form
Ephemeral: lasting a very short time
Rancorous: full of or showing malicious resentfulness or hostility
Churlish: rude
Precipitous: happening in a very quick and sudden way

To be or not to be

I'm going to delete this later as I don't really want this on YouTube for the rest of my life. My mother walked in on me during my one perfect take and thought I was a weirdo so I had to make do with this semi-perfect recording.

Green Eggs and Hamlet

a.) Last year, my friends who were seniors would often talk about Hamlet around me during the time they were studying it. Being the indifferent junior that I was, I drowned them out.The most I know about Hamlet is that he the Prince of Denmark seeking revenge on his Uncle who killed his father(also named Hamlet) and married his mother. It is a story of revenge and involves Hamlet's father returning to guide Hamlet in the form of a ghost.

b) Shakespeare is the author of many great tragedies such as Hamlet, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England and was a large contributor to the modern English language.

c) I believe people do not enjoy reading Shakespeare because we are often told that they are some of the hardest works of literature to understand. As teenagers, it is not uncommon to be resentful of tasks that prove to be difficult and most give up before starting. Also, while influencing modern English, the Shakespearean language is very different from our own; words are spelled differently and some have change meaning all together.

d) The only thing that would probably make this experience unforgettable for me is acting out some of the scenes involving King Hamlet and making the actor wear a white sheet over themselves with eye holes cut out while speaking in an ominous tone.

Vocab #7

Shenanigans: mischief; prankishness
Ricochet: the motion of an object or a projectile in rebounding or defecting one or more times from the surface over which it is passing or against which it hits a glancing blow
Schism: division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties
Eschew: to abstain or keep away from
Plethora: overabundance
Ebullient: overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement
Garrulous: excessively talkative in rambling
Harangue: a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack
Interdependence: the quality or condition of being mutually reliant on each other
Capricious: suspectible to sudden change
Loquacious: talking or tending to talk much or freely; talkative
Ephemeral: lasting a very short time
Inchoate: not yet completed or fully developed; rudimentary
Juxtapose: to place close together or side by side, especially for comparison or contrast
Perspicacious: having keen mental perception and understanding
Codswallop: nonsense; rubbish
Mungo: a low-grade wool from felted rags or waste
Sesquipedelian:  tending to use long words
Wonky: shaky, groggy; crooked
Diphthong: an unsegmentable, gliding speech sound varying continuously in phonetic quality but held to be a single sound or phoneme and identified by its apparent beginning and ending sound.

Continuation of our story:\

Continuation of Story:

On arrival in the port of New York, Bianca  immediately created a schism. She announced, “Hey look guys! I have the keys to a yacht!”. Most of us eschewed from asking where she got the keys to a yacht, so we boarded the boat on our way to Lithuania. Lisa was being garrulous because of her nervousness on being on the high seas, and was quickly sent to the brig for her blabbering. We could hear her harangue through the night and realized it would be no good to keep her locked away, so we let her out for the remainder of our voyage. On the trip, we noticed Daniel had a heavy
interdependence on each part of his classy wardrobe, and in exchange we decided to lock a suit away to get on his nerves. I wouldn’t say his foul mood was capricious and we soon relinquished his prized outfit so he would stop complaining. Land was in sight sooner than we expected. the journey through Lithuania was surprisingly quiet. It lacked loquaciousness I would have expected from our group. oddly though, one night we found Daniel had wandered off due to cabin fever and was neigh to be found. After a while we found Daniel around a campfire with many strange figures. Daniel’s interest in Germanic paganism was ephemeral to say the least. Their chants ricocheted off the surrounding trees as there was a plethora of pagans. "Daniel, stop your pagan shenanigans.” Said Ashley as she approached the fire. Everyone thought this situation was wonky and decided promptly to leave. However we haven’t decided where. “Egypt has a nice ring to it.” stated Daniel as He used his observations of paganism and his own religious beliefs and juxtaposed them together in a long, sesquipedelian talk on the way to his car. Our experience with Egypt was inchoate, but we headed off ebulliently none the less.

So My Main Point Was

I do not remember my thesis statement word for word, but I do remember it included that Chaucer's main purpose was to show that humans may come from different social backgrounds but they can also have the same goal in mind.

Now for a more thought out version :

Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales provides insight into what was considered to be important to society during the medieval time period. It depicts a group of 29 people of various social backgrounds coming together for a common goal: to make the pilgrimage to Canterbury. In the story, Chaucer often satirizes social norms and breaks stereotypes certain professions may have while invoking others(Monk with worldly desires vs. strict Man of Law). The purpose behind the tales was to prove that despite what opinions society imposes on a person it does not define who they are, they are defined by their actions.

If I Just Had More Time

If I just had more time to take the test then I feel as if I would have done better. The fact that we had to write an essay on top of writing vocabulary words put a lot of pressure on me. In the back of my mind I was thinking that I would not finish or get enough vocab words. It was also difficult to remember the vocabulary words because I only studied to know the definition not memorize the word.

Literature Analysis #2 Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, 1998 Edition

The tale of Siddhartha focuses on a young and handsome man named Siddhartha. He lives in a small village with his best friend, Govinda, and his father, who is a spiritual leader in the town. Siddhartha is expected to become a great Brahmin like his father but he questions the teachings taught to him. He does not understand why those in his village have not found enlightenment yet and concludes that their path is not the correct way.
One day, a group of traveling monks, the Samanas, passes through the village and Siddhartha chooses to go with them. And so, dragging Govinda along, he renounces all worldly desires and joins them, hoping that is the way towards enlightenment. However, Siddhartha soon realizes that many of the Samana elders have not reached enlightenment despite years and years of training and discipline. While with the Samanas, Siddhartha hears a rumor about a holy man named Gotama who had been said to have attained spiritual enlightenment. Siddhartha and Govinda leave the Samanas to seek Gotama.
Siddhartha and Govinda eventually find Gotama and are accepted as his students. Govinda is immediately impressed and captivated by Gotama’s method of teaching while Siddhartha is less than pleased. Siddhartha notices contradictions in Gotama’s words and chooses to leave while Govinda stays behind to learn from Gotama.
Abandoning his quest for enlightenment, Siddhartha chooses to cross the river by ferry. He eventually meets a woman named Kamala who teaches him the way of love but will not accept him unless he can fit into the material world. When making the choice between love and enlightenment, Siddhartha picks love and abandons his spiritual path. He becomes an incredibly wealthy merchant, but he is not content with life. After months of being dissatisfied, Siddhartha leaves Kamala and his new life behind.
Siddhartha falls asleep by the river and wakes up to find a monk watching over him. The monk makes note of how much Siddhartha has change and Siddhartha immediately recognizes him as Govinda. Siddhartha tells Govinda that he wishes to renew himself. Govinda soon leaves and Siddhartha seeks out the ferryman, Vasudeva. The ferryman had acquired an aura of peace that Siddhartha wishes to attain to which the ferryman states he learned from the river. Thus, Siddhartha decides to study the river and its ways.
Years pass, Kamala and her son come to take the ferry across the river while on their pilgrimage to see Gotama who is dying. Along the way Kalama is bitten by a snake and on her deathbed she tells Siddhartha that the boy is his son. Siddhartha wishes to care for his son but the lavish lifestyle has made him spoiled. Siddhartha is appalled by his son’s attitude, but attempts to provide him. Regardless of his efforts, Siddhartha’s son runs away. Vasudeva tells Siddhartha to listen to the river to soothe his aching heart.
Many more years come and go and Siddhartha realizes the lesson the river has been trying to teach him; that all things, dead or alive, are intertwined and connected to one another in an endless cycle. That all aspects of life and the emotions that come with it are necessary to understand it. Believing that he has done all he can to teach Siddhartha, Vasudeva leaves and Siddhartha becomes the new ferryman.
Govinda comes to the river to seek out a wise ferryman whom he believes is the key to his enlightenment. Not realizing it is Siddhartha at first, Govinda pleads with him to teach him the wisdom, but Siddhartha refuses saying that is not something that can be taught but something that has to be learned. Siddhartha then tells Govinda to kiss him on the forehead and when he does Siddhartha’s vision is transferred to Govinda. The two friends have now both reached enlightenment.

While the central theme of Siddhartha is clearly the quest for spiritual enlightenment, I find myself more drawn to the reoccurring theme of abandonment. Over the course of the novel, Siddhartha constantly chooses to abandon beliefs that have been instilled upon him by spiritual leaders. He chooses to leave these ideas behind in order to search  for the answers he seeks himself. Not only is this theme reflected in his spiritual actions, but also in his family. Tired of his luxurious life, Siddhartha leaves Kamala to live with Vasudeva. Later on, his son ironically also chooses to abandon Siddhartha after Kamala dies. In a sense Vasudeva abandons Siddhartha after the river teaches him everything there is to know. The theme of abandonment is crucial to the story’s plot as it transitions each event to the next and provides incentive for Siddhartha to continue on his journey.

The overall tone of Siddhartha is best described as formal. The characters respectfully address each other and are polite to one another. This is shown when Siddhartha first meets Gotama, “Siddhartha said: ‘Yesterday, O Sublime One, I was privileged to hear your marvelous teachings.’”(Page 18) Upon meeting Kamala, the tone of the novel shift to a more joyful tone before becoming sullen and full of despair as Siddhartha tires with his new life, “Then Siddhartha knew that the game was over, that he could not play it anymore. He shuddered all over his body, and inside him, and he felt that something had died.” (Page 45) As the novel begins to conclude, Siddhartha’s words and thoughts have become much more philosophical compared to those at the beginning, “’When someone seeks,’ Siddhartha said, ‘it is all too easy for his eyes to see nothing but the thing he seeks, so that he is unable to find anything or absorb anything because he is always thinking exclusively about what he seeks, because he has a goal, because he is obsessed by that goal. Seeking means having a goal.  But finding means being free, remaining accessible, having no goal. You, venerable one, are perhaps really one who seeks, because, pressing after your goal, you fail to see many a thing that is  right before your eyes.’”(Page 75) 

Hesse uses many different literary devices in Siddhartha, symbolism being one of them, the most important symbol in the story being the river. The river represents unity and eternal life as its water cycle is never ending, ultimately allowing Siddhartha to reached salvation.
The river is also a metaphor for time and existence. It is immortal like everything else in the universe and, having no end, is a representation of that immortality.
Hesse uses personification to portray the river as a teacher to Siddhartha. He must watch and listen to the water, wait for it to divulge its secrets. Vasudeva describes the river as being alive and will only teach to those willing to listen.
Imagery is a major component in the story. Hesse describes the water of the river in various different ways depending on the stages of spiritual enlightenment Siddhartha has achieved. At first, the water is merely water but later it becomes alive, swirling and flowing through the land. As Siddhartha recognizes its life, he begins to understand its lessons.
Siddhartha is considered to be an allegory. Over the course of the story, characters face spiritual and moral challenges, gaining knowledge after each conflict is resolved. The journey reflects the internal struggle many face within themselves; to do what society believes is right or what they believe is right for them?
Irony is subtlety present in the novel as well. At the start of the novel, Siddhartha chooses to leave his father in order to go on his quest. Later on, Siddhartha meets his own son and believes the two will live together for the rest of their lives. This dream is shattered as Siddhartha’s son leaves him just like Siddhartha left his father.
In the beginning of the novel, Siddhartha states that he is able to accomplish anything he sets his mind on, including love and reaching salvation . This foreshadows the ending of the book as Siddhartha has reached his goal of enlightenment and became Kamala’s lover before her death.
The author uses third person omniscient point of view to tell the story. While Siddhartha is the main protagonist of the novel, secondary characters such as Govinda and Vasudeva are crucial to the plot. The author provides us with insight into their thoughts and actions to give us a better understanding of their motives.
Hesse also compares and contrasts the two very different live Siddhartha lead. One was very religious with no worldly connections while the other was one full of sins and luxuries. Both were completely on different spectrums with little in common besides Siddhartha not finding happiness with either of them.
Siddhartha is a clear example of a dynamic character. At the end of the novel, he comes to a major realization; the answer he has been seeking was not one had can be taught but has to be learned by oneself. This realization changes his view and opinion of  the world, ultimately changing his character and morphing into a completely new one.
 

Character Study (III)

1.)   Eeeee Eeeeeeeee didn't have much time left, the powers bestowed upon him by Lord Aquaman were diminishing. His throat was parched and his lips were beginning to chap. He was tired, but he had made it. A large zoo in California was what the ransom note said, clearly this Sea World was the place.
       "Excuse me," He stopped an employee who walked by, "Where is the dolphin exhibit."
        The worker frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry, but we shipped all the dolphins to the Santa Barbara Zoo a week ago."
       Eeeee cursed. His brothers were being shipped like cargo and he was too late to do anything about it. In a rage he jumped into the nearest pool, morphing back into his true state.
      A bottlenose dolphin.

2.)   Saying this awkward was an understatement. First he had woken up, then ate breakfast, and then someone burst into his house telling him that he had just inherited a Zoo.
       "You are T.J R.J A.J Backslashinfourth V Duke of the Santa Babara County, correct?" The strange person asked.
       "Actually, it's T.J A.J R.J and I ain't no Duke." He suddenly remembered he was wearing his My Little Pony pajamas today.
       "Oh, but you are," Creepy Man insisted. "Here, take this and go visited your zoo." He handed T.J A.J R.J a plane ticket.
        "I said I was no Duke!" T.J A.J R.J yelled but Creepy Man was no longer there.

3.)   "THIS JELLY IS NOT UP TO PAR!" The sound of the glass jar smashing against the floor caused the workers to flinch. "YOU DARE DEFILE THE NAME OF McCRINGLEBERRY WITH THIS?"
        He was at the end of his rope. The jam and jelly company passed down from generation to generation was failing and it was all Hingle McCringleberry's fault. He lacked the great qualities of a leader and the mind of an entrepreneur. Worst of all, he was blaming his failure on his workers.
        Hingle sighed and sat back down in his office. Surely, they would have to go out of business and that meant he had brought dishonor on his family. His gran-gran would be so disappointed.
        Suddenly, just as he was about to drown his sorrows in a drink, a pigeon flew through his window. Tied to its skinny leg was a note.
         "Come to the Santa Barbara Zoo if you want to get out of this jam."
         What other choice did he have?

Character Study (II)

      I banged on the door, pleading for my mother to let me back inside but I received no answer. There was movement in my room, I could heard it through the walls. Suddenly, without any warning my mother opened the door and threw a dufflebag at my face.
     "There. Have fun," she said before slamming the door once again.
      Opening the bag revealed extra clothing, some food, a little money, and a map with Lithuania circled in red. Could this be it? What I have been searching for? Or maybe it's just some sick joke played by my parents...
    Oh well. Might as well go anyways, seeing as I have nothing better to do.

      I walked all the way to the local Chevron, completely unexcited about having to do something resembling exercise. I figured that if I could just "borrow" someone's car then maybe I could drive to the airport and catch a plane to Lithuania. It was a solid plan.
      At the final gas pump a '67 Chevrolet Impala was parked; Black as the night sky and utterly badass. That car spoke to me.
      Using the knowledge I learned at the School of Ninja Arts, I made my way over to the driver's side door undetected. With the skills I acquired from the thuglife (it was a phase), I picked the lock and opened it. Just as my butt made contact with the seat, which was a glorious sensation, a voice called out.
     "What are you doing with my car?" I looked up to see an Asian girl holding a doughnut staring at me questionably.
      I sighed in annoyance. "I'm stealing your car so I can go to LAX."  And then I shut the door.
      She knocked on the window and began to talk. Couldn't she see that I needed to focus on hotwiring the car? Whatever, I opened the door. "What?"
      "You can't take my car," She told me.
      "Yeah, yeah. It's against the law, I know that," I replied in a mocking tone.
      "No, I don't care about that. This is my Supernatural car!" She gestured to the entire vehicle as if I should have prior knowledge of whatever that means.  "Listen, I'll take you to the LA. I'm already going down there. Just don't take the only connection I have to Dean and Sam."
      Who?
      I groaned. "Fine, whatever." Hotwiring took too long anyways. I slid over to the passenger's seat and threw my dufflebag in the back, the girl then took her spot at the driving wheel.
      "I'm Ashley by the way," She said as she started the engine.
      "I'm Bianca."
       Ashley paused for a moment, as if she was focusing intently on something. "Bianca, huh?" She murmured before saying, "Well, Bianca. I'm going to the Santa Barbara Zoo first before heading to the airport. Care to join?"
       The zoo? I've never been to a zoo. I needed to hide my excitement, I can't ruin my cool person image. "Whatever."
       "Great!" She turned on the radio and it blasted out a song by Escape The Fate.
       "Ashley, baby. You make me feel so alive! I found purpose once again. Yeah, yeah!"
        You have got to be kidding me... at least this won't last long if I have anything to say about it.

Character Study (I)

My room was paradise. It had everything I ever needed; computer, T.V, video games, mini fridge, and it was completely and utterly shut off from the outside world. I lived there in solitude and bliss, that is until my parental units attacked. They told me to leave, to go outside for once.

It sounded like a death sentence. Something I would never do willingly.

Although, seeing as they confiscated all the items that gave me happiness, I had little choice but to brave the exterior of my home. I chose to wear my least revealing clothing, pants and a long-sleeved shirt with a jacket on top. I wore a beanie over my dark brown hair and applied loads of sunscreen to my pale face and hands.

I opened the front door, sunlight shown through the threshold, my eyes burned because of its brightness. I was regretting this already. Before I knew it somebody pushed me out, slamming the door behind me. I desperately attempted to open it, but it was locked.

The world was laid out before me and I had no idea what to do.

Canterbury Tales (I)

The prologue to the Canterbury Tales is pretty straightforward and I don't have many, if not any, questions regarding it.

It sets up the story by introducing the characters, the goal, and the main character's motivation for joining the 29 travelers on the pilgrimage. The part that made the most impact on me was the very beginning when the author was describing the setting. He speaks about the season and the smell of the breeze without indicating which point of view he was using until the main character begins to think. In my opinion, this was an effective use of this certain literary device and peaked my interest.

Netvibes

Creating a Netvibes dashboard was very interesting, but it's not something I would like to use daily. Everything is cluttered together on the screen and I found myself just scrolling pass things because they were too small to see. Some people might find it useful, but to me, it was more of an inconvenience.

Vocab #6

Obsequious: obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
Beatitude: supreme blessedness.
Bete noire:  a detested person
Bode: to be an omen of a particular outcome
Dank: disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold
Ecumenical: worldwide or general in extent, influence, or application
Fervid: intensely enthusiastic or passionate, esp. to an excessive degree
Fetid: smelling extremely unpleasant
Gargantuan: enormous
Heyday: The period of greatest popularity, success, or power; prime
Incubus: a nightmare
Infrastructure: is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise
Inveigle: persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery
Kudos: fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement
Lagniappe: something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure
Prolix: (of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
Protégé: a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person
Prototype: an early sample, model or release of a product built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from
Sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
Tautology: needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word
Truckle: To be servile or submissive.
Accolade: An award or privilege granted for special honor.
Acerbity: Sharp bitterness.
Attrition: The action of weakening by attack or pressure.
Bromide:  An unoriginal idea or remark.
Chauvinist: A person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism.
Chronic: On going.
Expound:  Present and explain systematically and in detail.
Factionalism: Relating or belonging to a faction.
Immaculate: Perfectly clean and tidy.
Imprecation: A spoken curse.
Ineluctable: Unable to be resisted or avoided.
Mercurial: Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.
Palliate: To make less severe or unpleasant.
Protocol: The official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic
occasions.
Resplendent: Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.
Stigmatize: Describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval.
Sub rosa: Happening or done in secret.
Vainglory: Inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessively vain.
Vestige: A trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.
Volition: The faculty or power of using one's will

What A Character

There are thousands upon thousands of fictional characters in literature, and choosing only one single character proves to be difficult. In the end, I chose a girl named Willow.

Willow is the main character of a teen fiction novel written by Julia Hoban that shares her namesake. As a sixteen year old girl, Willow is reminded everyday that she is the cause of the car accident that took her parent's lives. The guilt consumes her until the point where she begins inflicting harm upon herself.

To be honest, when I read this book over three years ago, I didn't enjoy it very much. In fact, I detested it. I thought it overly dramatic and ridiculous that a person could push themselves to the brink of death because of something that was beyond their control. That the author knew nothing of the mindset of humans who happened to be suicidal and simply wrote the book on a whim.

I now see that I was wrong.

Hoban uses third person point of view to depict Willow's inner turmoil, hopelessness, and lonesomeness as how it appears to another person in the novel. The reader is not meant to understand the situation completely because we are not inside her mind, we do not have all the details. Just as in real life where you can judge a person by how they appear to be on the outside, but not know what's going on the inside.

Declaration of Learning Independence

Throughout my entire life people have always told me that I would never reach the goals that I had set for myself; I intend to prove them wrong. My goals to graduate highschool, be accepted into University of Southern California, receive a master's degree in Game and Interactive Media and eventually become employed at my favorite video game company.   

My big question was influenced by my interests in video games. "Why are humans so arrogant to believe that they are the only beings in the universe to possess intelligence?" Animals and mythical creatures are often portrayed in games to hold some sort of wisdom that animals lack, and still the human characters see themselves as better than these "beasts" and sometimes enslave these races. What gives them the right? Where does this superior delusion come from? 

As far as collaborative working groups go, I must admit I am a bit skeptical. I have never been the type of person to work in groups, mostly because it was not something we did often in my elementary school. If an interesting idea captures my interest I would be absolutely willing to assist all I can.

Vocab #5

obsequious: obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree
beatitude: supreme blessedness.
bete noire:  a detested person
bode: to be an omen of a particular outcome
dank: disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold
ecumenical: worldwide or general in extent, influence, or application
fervid: intensely enthusiastic or passionate, esp. to an excessive degree
fetid: smelling extremely unpleasant
gargantuan: enormous
heyday: The period of greatest popularity, success, or power; prime
incubus: a nightmare
infrastructure: is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise
inveigle: persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery
kudos: fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement
lagniappe: something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure
prolix: (of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy
protégé: a person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person
prototype: an early sample, model or release of a product built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from
sycophant: a person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain advantage.
tautology: needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word
truckle: To be servile or submissive.

Literary Analysis #1: Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift, 1735 Edition.

Plot Summary: 

The story begins with a letter written by Lemuel Gulliver, the novel’s protagonist. Having just gotten a book of his own published, Gulliver is angered by the mistakes he noticed in the mass produced versions. He feels insulted by the publisher categorizing his novel as fiction and sends them a corrected version of the book. The book in question is, in fact, the journal he wrote filled with tales of his travels to places previously unknown. And so, Gulliver’s Travels begins.
His travels begin as he awakens on the island of Lilliput after being shipwrecked.  Here he is captured by a race of minuscule people, and although they are in awe of him, they are also weary of his presence. It is not long before Gulliver gains the adoration of the Lilliputians, they even go as far as feeding him which runs the risk of causing a famine. He provides the people with entertainment but is soon used as weapon by the royals against their enemy, the people of Blefuscu. An incident occurs and Gulliver is accused of treason and sentenced to death. He manages to escape to Blefuscu and sets sail back to England on an abandoned boat that he repaired.
After a short time spent in England, Gulliver begins on another journey. It is during this set of travels when Gulliver finds himself in a land filled with giants, Brobdingnag. Gulliver is quickly discovered by an oversized farmer who sees  him as little more than a pet and is soon given to the queen. Gulliver is seen as a source of entertainment by the Brobdingnags and is disgusted by their appearance.  They come across as senseless and dim-witted and is irritated by the amount of time his life has been put in jeopardy. An example of which is when his cage was swept up by a bird and tossed into the ocean.
During his next trek, following a pirate attack, Gulliver ends up on Luputa, a floating island above the land of Balnibarbi. Luputa is filled with intellectual and philosophical citizens who persecute the residents of Balnibarbi below. Gulliver is put off by the population of both lands as they seem too out of touch with reality. Gulliver soon leaves and travels to more place and encounters more people, eventually returning home.
The next part of the novel takes place while Gulliver is on his fourth and final trip. Gulliver faces the betrayal of his crew and soon arrives in an unidentified land. The occupants of this territory are a ratiocinative species of horses called the Houyhnhnms who rule over the brutish Yahoos. Gulliver teaches them aspects of the English culture, and in return, he is taught some of their. He enjoys his time with the Houyhnhnms much more than he would have expected but is soon forced out because he bared more resemblance to the Yahoos. Affected by his time with the Houyhnhnms, Gulliver now sees all humans as Yahoo-like and returns home, claiming all the places he has visited as property of England.

Theme:

In my opinion, the primary theme of Gulliver’s Travels is understanding of different societies and their cultures and ideals. As Gulliver visits various lands, he comes across many societies far different than his own and each of which are distinct from one another. Gulliver faces some with skepticism while others he embraces. His adventures influence his opinions on his own cultures and is unable to view English society as he once did before.


Tone:

Told from his perspective, Gulliver begins his travel as ambitious and full of zest. He is far too trusting and  does not consider the consequences of his actions. This is proven in the first part of the novel with his interactions with the Lilliputians, "Besides, I now considered myself as bound by the law of hospitality to a people who had treated me with so much expense and magnificence. However, in my thoughts I could not sufficiently wonder at the intrepidity of these diminutive mortals, who durst venture to mount and walk on my body, while one of my hands was at liberty, without trembling at the very sight of so prodigious a creatures as I must appear to them."(Part one: Chapter one, Pages 30-31) As the story progress, Gulliver becomes more cynical and acerbated as showed during his time with the Brobdingnags, "This made me reflect how vain an attempt it is for a man to endeavor doing himself honor among those who are out of all degree of equality or comparison with him. And yet I have seen the moral of my own behavior very frequent in England since my return, where a little contemptible varlet, without the least title to birth, person, wit, or common sense, shall presume to look with importance, and put himself upon a foot with the greatest persons of the kingdom." (Part two: Chapter five, Pages 127-128) By the end of the novel, Gulliver has learned much from his journeys and is now much more philosophical than before. He questions human nature and the English culture, becoming unsure of himself in the process. "But the Houyhnhnms, who live under the government of Reason, are no more proud of the good qualities they posses, than I should be for not wanting a leg or an arm, which no man in this wits would boast of, although he must be miserable without them. I dwell the longer upon this subject from the desire I have to make the society of an English Yahoo by any means not insupportable, and therefore I here entreat those who have any tincture of this absurd vice, that they will not presume to appear in my sight." (Part 4: Chapter 12, Pages 294-295)

Literary Devices:

Jonathan Swift uses a large amount of literary devices throughout his novel. The most prominent one being satire. Swift satirizes subjects he viewed as trivial such as petty politics(Lilliput), religious differences(Luputa/Balnibarbi), and Western culture (Brobdingnags/Houyhnhnms). He depicts all the issues with the society he lived in and his opinions are still feasible today.
It is quite obvious that Gulliver’s Travel is an allegory. Swift channeled his options on war and human nature through Gulliver. He often remarks humans as foolish and war unnecessary. In fact, Gulliver often excretes his waste and fluids during such serious moments showing that Swift had thought these subjects as ridiculous.
Another device is point of view. The novel is told in first person perspective by Gulliver himself. It is a retelling of his adventures throughout the lands as written in his personal journal. The reader is able to know what exactly Gulliver was feeling and thinking during the course of the novel.
Going along with first person point of view is breaking the fourth wall. The novel reveals in the beginning that it is written for the publisher, the reader happens to take place of the publisher, reading the book in their place. Gulliver often addresses the reader, explaining to them various things that may otherwise be incomprehensible and difficult to understand.
Accompanying the novel are images to help the reader see the world that Gulliver is in. Imagery provides great assistance when describing aspects of the books that people at the time might have difficulty imagining; things such as rational horses and tiny people,.
Swift uses allusions to people, places, stories, and things to assist the reader in creating a clearer picture of what Gulliver is seeing and experiencing. Using comparisons, Swift is able to provide the reader with an understanding of the places Gulliver travels to.
Gulliver’s Travels was written in 1726. At that time, the French and English had a strained relationship. The war between Luputa and Balnibarbi symbolizes this; a tension caused by “the breaking of eggs” which is a reference to when the Protestants broke away from the Christians.
Irony is present somewhat in the novel. Gulliver often remarks that he had never heard of any of the places he visits or the type of people he’s met. This is considered to ironic because they are works of fiction created by Jonathan Swift, and yet Swift still includes Gulliver intensely pondering them.
Swift uses metaphors and similes to compare and contrast the sort of people Gulliver meets to civilized human being. By doing this, Swift is able to point out the flaws of our arrogant society and how we are no better than savages roaming the wild.
To illustrate his idea of human being as equally wild as animal, Swift personifies the Houyhnhnms, the horse race, giving them intelligence and making them capable of rational thought. He also takes away the qualities that makes us believe that humans are so great by depicting the Yahoos, the human brutes, as inferior to the Houhnhnms; depersonifying them.

All of the Above

I certainly did meet my expectations when grading the 1987 AP Exam. Having never taken an AP Exam before, I was a bit overwhelmed by it all. I did miss quite a few questions, but overall I did better than I thought I would. It was the in-depth questions that confused me the most as I am the type of person to take things literally.

An Unpopular Opinion: 9/11, Is it Time to Move On?

The following was posted by user The Unpopular Opinion on tumblr.  As an American citizen, she expresses her belief of how it would be in America's best interest in moving on from the tragedy that took place on 9/11. The post has received some negative feedback, but surprisingly most of it is positive . Some users argued that bombings happen everywhere in the world, but America is the only nation to make such a big deal over this. Is it wrong to move on? Or would it be beneficial? 

"I think that the USA needs to move on from September 11th.

Now before all you pseudo-patriots come attempting to sway my opinion with your “unwavering loyalty to the country”, let me just take a minute to explain things. I am an American. I’m a female. And I was a young girl when the events took place.

The events are tragic. I’m not saying that they aren’t. But the US government and the media make it out to be some worldwide catastrophe that claimed the lives of millions of people around the world, when really, the event only killed about 2,600 people, which in the grand scheme of things for a large country like the United States isn’t a huge number.

Also, we’re Americans. Not only are we extremely self-absorbed with our ignorance, fueled by the liberally biased media, we’re hardly sympathetic for our victims. We forced unspeakable violence upon the natives when we came here, we killed almost 150,000 people in dropping the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and we’ve pointlessly murdered innocent people in the Middle East.

I understand that a lot of people died, and I should be respecting them. But while we honor the dead, we can’t have these extravagant 2-hour TV specials reading the names of all these people who died 12 years after the disaster. You don’t see Japan having these insane specials reading off the names of people who died in their terrorist attacks. Yes, that qualifies as a terrorist attack.

I honestly don’t care anymore. Terrorist attacks happen all the time in other countries every day. Just because this one happened in America doesn’t make it any different. It was a terrible thing that happened, but it’s been 12 years. We killed Osama. Why we are still in Iraq, I will never know, but that’s a story for another time. The USA is comparable to a person who still clings to their ex-spouse or significant other years after they broke up.

We have to move on with our lives. Not forget about it completely, but just move on and keep in it the back of our thoughts."

Vocab #4

Accolade(n.) An award or privilege granted for special honor.
Acerbity(n.) Sharp bitterness.
Attrition(n.) The action of weakening by attack or pressure.
Bromide(n.)  An unoriginal idea or remark.
Chauvinist(n.) A person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism.
Chronic(adj.) On going.
Expound(v.)  Present and explain systematically and in detail.
Factionalism(n.) Relating or belonging to a faction.
Immaculate(adj.) Perfectly clean and tidy.
Imprecation(n.) A spoken curse.
Ineluctable(adj.) Unable to be resisted or avoided.
Mercurial(adj.) Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.
Palliate(v.) To make less severe or unpleasant.
Protocol(n.) The official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic
occasions.
Resplendent(adj.) Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.
Stigmatize(v.) Describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval.
Sub rosa(adv.) Happening or done in secret.
Vainglory(n.) Inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessively vain.
Vestige(n.) A trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.
Volition(n.) The faculty or power of using one's will.

Vocab #3

Apostate(n.) A person who abandons, rejects, or renounces a religious or political belief or principle.
Effusive(adj.) Expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in a heartfelt manner.
Impasse(n.) A situation in which no progress is able to be made because of a disagreement; a deadlock.
Euphoria(n.) A feeling or state of intense excitement or happiness.
Lugubrious(adj.) Looking or sounding sad and dismal.
Bravado(n.) A bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate. 
Consensus(n.) General agreement.
Dichotomy(n.) A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.
Constrict(v.) Make narrower by applying and encircling pressure.
Gothic(adj./n.) Of or in the style of architecture prevalent in western Europe in the 12th–16th centuries, characterized by pointed arches, rib vaults, and flying buttresses, together with large windows and elaborate tracery. (adj./n.) Relating to the Goths or their language.
Punctilio(n.) A fine or petty point of conduct or procedure.
Metamorphosis(n.) The process of transformation from an immature form to an adult form in two or more distinct stages.
Raconteur(n.) A person who tells anecdotes in a skillful and amusing way.
Sine qua non(n.) An essential condition; a thing that is absolutely necessary
Quixotic(adj.) Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
Vendetta(n.) A blood feud in which the family of a murdered person seeks vengeance on the murderer or the murderer's family; revenge.
Non sequitur(n.) A conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement.
Mystique(n.) A fascinating aura of mystery, awe, and power surrounding someone or something.
Quagmire(n.) A soft boggy area of land that gives way underfoot.
Parlous(adj.) Full of danger or uncertainty; precarious. (adv.) Greatly or excessively.

Why This Book?

     For the first literary analysis of the year, I chose Gulliver's Travels by Johnathan Swift. My choice was influenced by the commercials for the movie featuring Jack Black. Although I've never seen it and the reviews for the film weren't great, its silly qualities attracted me to the novel.

Vocabulary #2

Accoutrements (n.) Addition clothing or equipment; items worn by a person to be used for a specific purpose.
Apogee (n.) The point of orbit most distant from the body that is being orbited; the farthest or highest point; the apex.
Apropos (adv.) Used to state that a speaker's beliefs or opinion are unrelated to any previous conversations. (adj.) Very appropriate to a situation.  (prop.) with reference to; concerning.
Bicker (v.) To argue about petty and trivial matters; to fall or flow with a repetitive noise, patter. [as in water against a window]
Coalesce (v.) To come together and form one mass as a whole.
Contretemps (n.) An unexpected and unfortunate event.
Convolution (n.) A form or part that is folded or coiled; one of the corvex folds of the surface of the brain.
Cull (v.) To select from a large quantity; obtain from a variety of sources. (n.) a selective slaughter of animals
Disparate (adj.) Essentially different in kind, not allowing for comparison. (n.) things so unlike that is difficult to compare them.
Dogmatic (adj.) Incline to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true.
Licentious (adj.) Unprincipled in sexual matters; disregarding rules or conventions (in literature or grammar)
Mete (v.) Dispense or allot justice, a punishment, or harsh treatment.
Noxious (adj.) Harmful, poisonous, or unpleasant.
Polemic (n.) A strongly written or verbal attack on someone.
Populous (adj.) A densely populated area, large in population.
Probity (n.) The quality of having good principles ; honesty and decency.
Repartee (n.) Conversation or speech characterized by quick, witty comments or replies.
Supervene (v.) To occur later than a specified or implied event or action, usually to try and change a situation.
Truncate (v.) To shorten by cutting off something; To replace the side of a crystal with a plane face. (adj.) Appearing to end early or suddenly.
Unimpeachable (adj.) Unable to be doubted, criticized, or questioned. Entirely trustworthy.

Beowulf Comprehension Questions

[Prologue: The Rise of the Danish Nation] (lines 1-85, pp. 33-34)
1. Scyld was abandoned as a baby, but he became a successful leader- that’s what was unusual. Scyld’s body was sailed away on a boat, like the way he had come as an infant. Hrothgar is Scyld’s grandson.

[Heorot is Attacked] (lines 86-188, pp. 34-36)1.Hrothgar built Heorot, a mead hall. Grendel attacks Heorot and kills Hrothgar’s men, making Hrothgar sad.  Grendel attacked the next night and a war started. It lasted over twelve years. The Danes leave their Christian beliefs and go back to paganism. 

[The Hero Comes to Heorot] (lines 189-490, pp. 36-42)
1. What Beowulf hears of Grendel attacking Heorot, he, along with fourteen men, goes to Heorot in order to kill Grendel.
2. The Geats first meet a warden who asks them stated their business. Beowulf introduces himself and tells the guard that they came to help Hrothgar get rid of Grendel
3. Hrothgar’s herald’s name is Wulfgar. He also asks for an introduction and the reason that they came, and he encourages Hrothgar to meet the men. Hrothgar says that he knows Beowulf. No, it does not surprise me that Hrothgar knew who Beowulf was because if news of Grendel reached the Geats, then news of the Geats might have reached Heorot.
4. Beowulf assures Hrothgar that he will get rid of Grendel. Hrothgar gave treasures to Beowulf’s father’s enemies so that he could avoid conflict.

[Feast at Heorot] (lines 491-661, pp. 42-46)
1. Unferth accuses Beowulf of loses a swimming competition with another warrior. Beowulf first blames Unferth for being drunk before he states that there were many sea monsters that he had to kill and that they were both young when it had happened. This excerpt is relevant to the poem because Beowulf is the main character, and readers can know more about him. Beowulf accuses Unferth of killing his own brothers.
2. Queen Wealhtheow handed everyone mead.

[The Fight with Grendel] (lines 662-835, pp. 46-49)
1. Unlike many other heroes, Beowulf relinquishes his weapons and armor, putting his fate in God’s hand.
2. When Grendel enters Heorot, he takes and eats one of the Geats. Beowulf grabs Grendel’s arm, and Grendel becomes afraid due to Beowulf’s strength. Grendel tries to leave, and Beowulf’s warriors try to help. However, their swords don’t affect Grendel. Grendel does leave, but his arm gets torn off. After he leaves, Grendel goes to die.

[Celebration at Heorot] (lines 836-1250, pp. 49-60)
1. Beowulf is like Sigemund because he is “war-like”, but he is not like Heremond who planned out his wars.
2. Hrothgar is terribly excited and says that he thinks of Beowulf as a son. Hrothgar says that he will give Beowulf anything that he desired. Unferth was proven wrong by Beowulf successfully killing Grendel.
3. The story is about Finn, who was a Frisian king. Many of his followers were killed, including Hnaef. Finn’s wife pressures him to end the conflict due to the many deaths. This suggests that a woman’s wisdom is much needed in a marriage that might end enmity.

4.When the feasting resumes Wealhtheow reminds Hrothgar that he has his own sons, so she asks him not to put Beowulf on the  throne.
5. Beowulf gives the necklace to Queen Hygd. Wealhtheow asks Beowulf to look after her daughters and protect them if needed.
6. Many men sleep in the beer hall because there is no more room in the sleeping quarters. This is a mistake because Grendel’s mother comes to retrieve Grendel’s torn arm and proceeds to take Hrothgar’s closest companion.

[Another Attack] (lines 1251-1382, pp. 60-62)
1. Grendel’s mother came to Heorot for a different reason than Grendel. She came to take back her son’s torn arm and get revenge by taking Hrothgar’s friend.
2. Hrothgar is immensely saddened because Grendel’s mother had killed his closest friend.
3. The mere is like a lake.

[Beowulf Fights Grendel’s Mother] (lines 1383-1650, pp. 63-68)
1. Beowulf tells Hrothgar that if he should die in battle with Grendel’s mother, Hrothgar should give his treasure to Hygelac.
2. Beowulf and his men find the bloody remains of the men that Grendel’s mother had taken.
3. Beowulf puts on some armor, and he takes the sword Hrunting.
4. Grendel’s Mother tries to crush Beowulf, but his armor prevents it from happening. The mere is filled with other sea monsters.
5. The sword that Beowulf borrowed from Unferth doesn’t harm Grendel’s mother.
6. Beowulf sees a sword hanging in the lair and uses it to kill her.
7. Beowulf uses a big sword to to cut her throat. When Grendel’s mother dies, the sword melts, so Beowulf takes the hilt of the sword to Hrothgar.
8. All of the other men had left after they lost hope that Beowulf would return alive.

Answers above courtesy of the amazing Ashley Hong

Further Celebration at Heorot.

1. Beowulf gives Hrothgar the hilt of the sword he used to kill Grendel and his mother as their blood had melted away the blade.
2. Hrothgar tells Beowulf the story of Heremod who ruled by using fear and an iron-fist. He was selfish and lost the support of his people. Hrothgar tells Beowulf to learn from this as God gives the power to rule and gain wealth, but an unguarded-soul is required to go beyond that power.
3. To Unferth, Beowulf leaves Hrunthing, the sword that had accompanied him for so long and served him well.

Beowulf Returns Home

1. Hrothgar approves of Beowulf, believing he would make a wise and worthy king .
2. Hygd is the wife of Hyegelac. She is very kind unlike Modthryth who was a ruthless ruler and would have men killed if they looked her way.
3. Beowulf wishes to marry off Freawaru in order to buy time by creating peace with the Heathobards. He knows that fighting will resume, but hopes that some agreement will be able to made before then. This shows that Beowulf has tactical skills as well as his strength.
4. He casually refers to his defeat of Grendel, not to be arrogant, but to remind himself and others to have faith in his decisions. 
5. He is given Hygelac's boar standard, suit of armor, and a sword from Hrothgar. He is told to use it well, showing that Hygelac has respect for him and believes in his greatness.

Beowulf and The Dragon

The Dragon Wakes

1. This section takes place 50 years after the events of the first. In that time, both Hygelac and Heardred have died.
2. The dragon was angry because a tribe of people had stolen some of his treasure. The tribe had followed the lone man who stole the cup to where the treasure was hidden.
3. The dragon attacked the countryside of the Geats, burning everything down and killing many people.
4. He believes the dragon is looking for him and has an iron shield crafted to withstand the dragon's fire. Beowulf once again says he will fight barehanded, but he will die fighting.
5. Hygelac died during an invasion from another tribe. Beowulf vowed to avenge his death and is offered the chance to rule Hygelac's kingdom but refuses.
6. It is unclear as to how Heardred died, but his death was most likely caused by the dragon. Beowulf is determined to kill the dragon, far more than he was when he had to battle Grendel.
7. He takes 13 men to with him to fight the dragon.
8. Heardred is killed by the men of the Swedish King. Beowulf then kills all who were responsible for hsi death causing tension between the Geats and the Swedish.

Beowulf Attacks the Dragon

1. Beowulf orders his men to wait outside and to only help if he is in a dire situation.
2. He fails to severely injure the dragon and gets burned by its flames. Beowulf's companions abandon him and flee into the forest, Wiglaf condemns them for leaving their king to death and goes to assist Beowulf.
3. Once again, Beowulf cannot harm the dragon and is fatally injured himself. Wiglaf, fueled by anger, manages to kill the beast.
4. Wiglaf is instructed to retrieve the dragon's treasure. Upon his return, Beowulf is pleased by the amount of gold, happy that he will not die poor. Beowulf then make Wiglaf king and asks to be buried in a tower.

Beowulf's Funeral

1. Wiglaf is furious at the companions for leaving their King behind and worries that the Geats will become targets of neighboring clans.
2. The city is informed of Beowulf's death. The Geats are harassed by Ongentheow's army and Hygelac brings reinforcements. Ongetheow is killed by Eofor who was avenging his brother's death. The Geats are told by the messenger to place the gold on Beowulf's pyre so it will melt with him. The dragon is the final image in the messenger's speech.
3. Wiglaf tells the crowd that the death and sacrifice of one person can caused so much pain to those around them and to do it so hastily.
4. The dragon's body is left untouched, but its treasure is used in the Beowulf's pyre.
5. Beowulf's body burns, a widow sings about the dangers to come, and a tower is built on the site of the funeral pyre.
6. "Thus made their mourning the men of Geatland,
   for their hero's passing his hearth-companions:
   quoth that of all the kings of earth,
   of men he was mildest and most beloved,
   to his kin the kindest, keenest for praise." 
   These are not  words that describe a warrior, they are words that describe a King. Fearless and selfless, beloved by his people because everything he did was for his people.

Beowulf Notes

• Beowulf can not be identified as either fact or fiction. No clear distinction between what is history and what is myth.
•  Great king was given a large amount of gold from his people. Had a son, Beowulf(not the hero) who repeated the process. King Scyld died and subjects gave him a burial at sea.
• Beowulf handed over kingdom to Healfdene who had three heirs: Heorogar, Hrothgar, and Halga. Middle child was great in battle and was generous to the people. Heorot was built in his honor. The Giant, Grendel, heard the celebration of the people.
• Grendel kidnapped 30 of Hrothgar's thanes. Thanes were frighten by the giants and decided to leave. The giant continued to bother Hrothgar for years to come and attacked anyone who came close to Heorot and the moor. Hrothgar forced to leave his throne.
• Hygelac of the Geats became aware of the situation between Hrothgar and Grendel. Sent his mightiest warrior with backup to the Danes. Arrived safely; were confronted by a stranger demanding to know why they were there.
• Leader says he is Son of Ecgtheow and explains that they are there to kill the giant. The stranger agrees to guard the boat from enemies and takes them to Heorot.
• The leader introduces himself to Wulfgar to be Beowulf and wishes to go see Hrothgar. He seems to be a very strong warrior.
• Hrothgar has heard of Beowulf's strength and welcomes them to his land. Wulfgar grants them entrance, but they must leave their weapons. Beowulf boasts that he had already killed five giants and will do it again without armor or weapons.
• Hrothgar explains the conflict between the Geats and the Wylfings and reveals his older brother was killed when he was younger. Grendel has killed many men at night.
•  Beowulf is challenged by Unferth for the right to the quest. Unferth asks if was Beowulf who had had a contest with Breca, son of Beanstan, at sea for seven days. Beowulf confirms that it was him and he killed a sea monster with only his sword.
• Hrothgar and Wealhtheow are pleased by Beowulf's eagerness to complete the task.
• Beowulf challenges Grendel without armor and weapons like he stated he would earlier. He believes this will make the fight even and God will choose the right winner. A shadow-walker sneaks through the hall.

Vocabulary #1

Adumbrate (v.) to represent in outline.
Apotheosis (n.) an exalted or glorified example.
Ascetic (adj.) strict, spiritual discipline.
Bauble (n.) a small, showy ornament of little value; a trinket.
Beguile (v.) to charm or enchant someone, sometimes in a deceptive manner. To trick someone into doing something.
Burgeon (v.) to grow or increase rapidly; to flourish. 
Complement (n.) a thing that completes or brings to perfection. (v.) to add to something to improve it or make better.
Contumacious (adj.) stubbornly or willfully disobedient to authority 
Curmudgeon (n.) a bad-tempered or surly person.
Didactic (adj.) intended to teach and convey information or instructions.
Disingenuous (adj.) not candid or sincere, typically by pretending to know less than what is actually known.
Exculpate (v.) to show or declare that someone is innocent of wrongdoings.
Faux pas (n.) a social blunder or indiscretion.
Fulminate (v.) express vehement protest; to develop a disease suddenly and severely.
Fustian (n.) a strong cotton and linen fabric; high flown or affected writing or speech .
Hauteur (n.) haughty manner or spirit; arrogance.
Inhibit (v.) hinder, restrain, or prevent. To prevent or prohibit someone from doing something.
Jeremiad (n.) a prolonged lamentation or complain (a work of literature)
Opportunist (n.) One who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve an end, often with no regard to for principle or consequences.
Unconscionable (adj) not right or reasonable; unreasonably excessive