Literary analysis is now something I am very comfortable with. I even find myself picking apart books I read for fun and going, "Oh, I think _____ might be a theme/motif/symbol/other literary device." Could that mean I have done too much of it? Can you ever do too much literary analysis? Yes. But now I can write an essay with more confidence and know it won't sound elementary level. I know what needs to be in each part of the essay and can do that with ease. Thanks to Mrs. Gilman and the 9th grade Honors English curriculum, essay writing and critiquing had become like a 6th sense.
Yet I also think that it is impossible to be a perfect essay writer. There's always something you can improve on and make better. For me that is not making my commentary too repetative. I sometimes feel like I am just reiterating what I already said instead of introducing new ideas. Maybe that's because I always choose such hard topics to write on that I have issues coming up with things to say. Who knows? But hopefully I'll fix that in 10th grade Honors English next year and become an even better essayist.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Summer Classics
"Les Miserables", the daring tale of a past convict trying to start and honest life as he is being pursued by the one man that knows who he is, the prostitute just trying to let her daughter have the life she lost, and the ever-greedy inn-keeper man and his wife. In his book, Victor Hugo mocks the French judicial and political system, but still captures the hearts of readers. It is a book that will be a favorite for generations to come.
"Oliver Twist", the tragic story of an orphan boy turned out on the streets and finds his way to London, where he gets mixed up with a gang of pick-pocketers, and eventually, the notorious Bill Sikes himself. Can Oliver save himself?
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I want to read both these books because 1) they're classics and 2) I've seen the movie/musical for both. I always like to see how different a book is from it's screen remake and I love the thrill of watching words I've read come to life not only in my imagination, but before my eyes.
"Oliver Twist", the tragic story of an orphan boy turned out on the streets and finds his way to London, where he gets mixed up with a gang of pick-pocketers, and eventually, the notorious Bill Sikes himself. Can Oliver save himself?
~
I want to read both these books because 1) they're classics and 2) I've seen the movie/musical for both. I always like to see how different a book is from it's screen remake and I love the thrill of watching words I've read come to life not only in my imagination, but before my eyes.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Fate: Scorpio
Scorpio; determined and forceful, powerful and passionate, emotional and intuitive, exciting and magnetic. All these things describe the zodiac sign of the Scorpio. Scorpios harness aggression, yet "are pleasant to be with, thoughtful in conversation, dignified, and reserved." (www.astrology-online.com/scorpio.htm) They relate to their fellow peers as leaders but can be critical to the point of cruelty to people they dislike. Scorpios like the feeling of being persuasive, hidden causes, and being told the truth.
I think that this is very much like me. As I was reading all the websites that described the zodiac signs, I was shocked and amazed at how most everything sounded exactly like the way I am. I am very determined, especially with the little things. I have to get them done and done in a certain way, which therefore makes me forceful in order to get it done the way I want it. Often I feel like a very emotional person, and I most definitely feel passionate about many things. I often guess things people are going to tell me, even when it's something completely out there.
I do not, however, feel like I am powerful. I'm not a huge fan of feeling like I hold something above other people, probably because I so often put everyone else's needs before my own. Yet at the same time, I do like the feeling of being persuasive. I, like most people, like to see things go my way, but more often than not I will succumb and let the other person have their way. If I get annoyed at someone, I will hold back that aggression and let it build to the point of exploding. I hardly tell people what's wrong until that point of explosion because I don't want to bother people with my problems. But if you do make me extremely mad at you, I can be very mean.
I think astrology does have something to do with your character, but not so much with fate. I have rarely found my horoscope to be true for that day, but every description of a Scorpio I read sounds exactly like me. In Romeo and Juliet, I believe that the reason they rely so much on the stars is because they do not have the science that we have now. We have computers and doctors educated enough to tell you when you are going to die, but in the time this play was written, there was no such thing.
Also, I think that fate is not predetermined, but it is rather what you chose to make it. I do not think that there is a plan for your life set in stone somewhere. If Tybalt hadn't returned to Mercutio's death place, he never would have died. It's all about the choices you make. If Romeo had not tried to come between the fight, then neither would have died, at least not how they did.
Astrology can be true to an extent, but in the end it all comes down to you and the things you do.
I think that this is very much like me. As I was reading all the websites that described the zodiac signs, I was shocked and amazed at how most everything sounded exactly like the way I am. I am very determined, especially with the little things. I have to get them done and done in a certain way, which therefore makes me forceful in order to get it done the way I want it. Often I feel like a very emotional person, and I most definitely feel passionate about many things. I often guess things people are going to tell me, even when it's something completely out there.
I do not, however, feel like I am powerful. I'm not a huge fan of feeling like I hold something above other people, probably because I so often put everyone else's needs before my own. Yet at the same time, I do like the feeling of being persuasive. I, like most people, like to see things go my way, but more often than not I will succumb and let the other person have their way. If I get annoyed at someone, I will hold back that aggression and let it build to the point of exploding. I hardly tell people what's wrong until that point of explosion because I don't want to bother people with my problems. But if you do make me extremely mad at you, I can be very mean.
I think astrology does have something to do with your character, but not so much with fate. I have rarely found my horoscope to be true for that day, but every description of a Scorpio I read sounds exactly like me. In Romeo and Juliet, I believe that the reason they rely so much on the stars is because they do not have the science that we have now. We have computers and doctors educated enough to tell you when you are going to die, but in the time this play was written, there was no such thing.
Also, I think that fate is not predetermined, but it is rather what you chose to make it. I do not think that there is a plan for your life set in stone somewhere. If Tybalt hadn't returned to Mercutio's death place, he never would have died. It's all about the choices you make. If Romeo had not tried to come between the fight, then neither would have died, at least not how they did.
Astrology can be true to an extent, but in the end it all comes down to you and the things you do.
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