Throughout this first semester, I have slowly but surely switched my brain from a focus in rhetoric to a focus in binary opposites in complexity. We have looked at prose and poetry alike, identifying complexities within the author's portrayal of characters that creates a unique perspective that makes the writing interesting and worthwhile. Though I have yet to improve my writing from my benchmark scores, I am confident that next semester I will be able to use my acquired skills to do so.
Likewise, the most important skill I have gained through the first semester is the ability to identify binary opposites, both concrete and abstract, to create meaning. This has helped me understand the goal of literature and our analysis of the meaning created by the author's decisions in composition. Another skill that has assisted this skill is my broader knowledge of literary devices and the hero's journey that help me better understand the stages of development that occur within the piece.
Overall, I have gained a greater understanding of the literature exam and am more comfortable with the skills I need to do well and the skills I have yet to learn. In the future, this means practicing identifying the meaning of the work as a whole and how the complexities the author creates contribute to this.
Monday, December 19, 2016
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
BLOG #12A: SELFIE EXTRA CREDIT BLOG POST
BLOG #12: HAMLET SOCIAL MEDIA BLOG POST
"Why did you come here?"
"To bring those who have wronged me to justice."
This is the mission of the honorable Prince Oberyn Martell in
Season 4 Episode 8 of Game of Thrones, and in many ways the same mission has
bestowed itself upon thine own prince. You see, the Viper, as Prince Martell is
known, didn't make the long journey from Dorne to King's Landing without
reason, no. He was seeking out the Mountain, responsible for the death of his sister,
Princess Elia Martell, as well as the murder of her children.
Likewise, I seek to appease my lord father’s soul in “his foul and most
unnatural murder,”(1.5.25). Aye, to avenge the unjust deaths of one's pure kin is
a noble quest indeed.
You see, like the Mountain, the inadequate Claudius is no true
nobleman and has no place upon the court. They each hath no honorable bone in
their bodies. They are the seeds of corruption, the roots of the reason for why
“something is rotten in the state[s] of [their nations],” (1.4.90). Though King's Landing is admittedly in a state of greater disrepair. While the
rest of the royal court carries on with their lives with what appears to be
grace and virtuosity, these beasts walk among them, presenting only false
facades to hide their transgressions. In passing they are called “knight” and “king”,
but in reality they are no more than knaves. And Elia's children, oh, the
children. Such purity and innocence has been lost. Though King Hamlet was no child,
he was a pious and noble ruler, most fit to be king. Compared to their victims,
Claudius and the Mountain are “like a mildewed ear blasting [their] wholesome [victims],”(3.4.65-66). And not to mention the brutish means of their murders! King Hamlet was merely “sleeping
in [his] orchard [when] the serpent stung [him]”(1.5.35-36). The Mountain,
after slaughtering Elia’s darling babes, did rape her with their blood upon his
hands. Like mine father, their murders be most “foul and unnatural,” (1.5.25),
too. Such cowardice, striking the innocent in their defenseless states!
Thus, I must conclude, to slay a beast like the Mountain who can commit such
heinous crimes is a privilege and honor for Prince Oberyn. But what of I then? What of the false king,
Claudius, who sits upon the throne, that which is rightfully mine? "What
would [Prince Oberyn] do, had he the motive and the cue for passion that I
have?" (2.2.481-483).
Friday, November 18, 2016
Thursday, November 3, 2016
BLOG #8: PARADOX OF POISON PARTY
For my dish, I brought a pineapple upside-down cake. While baking, there was a brown sugar glaze that bubbled and boiled, seeping into the sponginess of the cake. You can't really tell that it is there, but you can feel the tanginess of the pineapple. Similarly, poison as a method of murder is subtle - you don't realize it is there until you feel its effects. Pineapple is a rather ironic fruit as it contains enzymes that digest you, while you are digesting it, so an additional complexity lies there, that something we eat is eating us back, unbeknownst to us. Overall, the cake was surprisingly simple to make, and you can find the recipe here.
After trying out all the fun foods creations, we shared our "Darkly Gothic" poems that we created using a generator. This was mine:
Alone in Darkness
the night falls with a silent sigh, cold and alone are we.
the light for which you pine
flares once, then dies,
smothered by the all‐encompassing dark.all hope must surely perish.
your soul thrives no more.
how could you fail to believe?
shadows surround us, crying,
save us from ourselves.
Scary stuff, huh?
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
BLOG #6: MAN BOOKER PRIZE PROMPTED WRITING
1986. Some works of literature use the element of time in a distinct way. The chronological sequence of events may be altered, or time may be suspended or accelerated. Choose a novel, an epic, or a play of recognized literary merit and show how the author’s manipulation of time contributes to the effectiveness of the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
“Long day today?” One might be asked this on a busy day, or a day filled with troubles and conflict, but how can one day be longer than another? Are there not always twenty four hours? It is used to show how our perception of the day and how quickly it passes can be changed by our own feelings. In A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, the themes of time are ever-present, from young Nao’s musings on life and existence, to the title of the novel itself. Through Seattle-located Ruth’s discoveries and Western-style speech and Japan-located Nao’s reflective writing, Ozeki is able to change the pace of the book to distinguish the experiences of the two women, and conveys the persistence of time in writing, as well as the timelessness of Nao’s life experiences.
The novel begins with Nao’s introduction of herself. Peppy, charming, and deceptively innocent, her candid description of life in Electric Town conveys a rather mundane existence. The imagery in Ozeki’s description of the cafe Nao is sitting in suggests the constancy and normalcy of life in a small town, with the occasional creepy “otaku salaryman” glancing at Nao. Ozeki stirs up this slow-pacing with the exposal of Nao’s troubles and family difficulties. Nao writes, “Recently, some nasty stuff has been happening in my life… ” (20). This sets up the rising action of the story and initiates the disturbance in Electric Town’s sleepiness. Nao’s journal serves as both a record of old grandma Jiko’s life experiences as well as a suicide note. Nao’s difficult family life, mostly due to her father’s depression and attempted suicide, has drained her and though her twelve years on Earth seem short, they have been stretched out longer than she can handle. Ozeki demonstrates this throughout the novel by intermixing Nao’s thoughts, which are fluid and span larger periods of time, with more specific experiences that use more detail. In these specific experiences, time seems to slow. When Nao’s father quits his job (72) and when grandma Jiko visits to take Nao to her temple (220), the pace of the writing speeds up, packed with action and event, but time itself slows; these passages often cover just ten minutes of Nao’s life, but say just as much as passages covering hours or even years. These experiences are grounded in reality, but Nao’s ponderings about life as a whole and people as time-beings are timeless, and traverse centuries at a time.
Nao’s perspective in the novel is woven with Ruth’s experiences. Ruth’s experiences are largely in the present, but her discovery of Nao’s journal washed up on a beach (9) draws her into the lost past-life of Nao’s time in Japan. Ozeki uses her investigation of Nao’s journal with her husband, cat and neighbor, to more closely match “now”. In these scenes, time is neither sped up, nor slowed down. This contrasts with the manipulation of time in Nao’s perspective, but in Ruth’s perspective, she reflects on Nao’s experiences contained in the journal and the centuries’ old tales of Jiko’s life, and how so much time is contained within Nao’s writing.
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Saturday, October 8, 2016
BLOG #4: MULTIPLE CHOICE REFLECTION
Prior to revising the multiple choice, I'd scored 47/55. Personally, I was pretty satisfied with my score, thought it was slightly lower than my scores in AP Comp, but then again, Lit and Comp are very different courses. After the revision, I scored a 54/55. Between the two takes, I improved on my understanding of what each question was asking, since I often miscontrued the meaning of the question.One of the things I struggled with was knowing literary devices. During the first time we took the MC, I did a good job of guessing and using process of elimination. On the other hand, I would like to study commonly asked literary devices and terms. After the second run, I understood my weaknesses better and will continue to work on those area, specifically tone and devices.
Friday, October 7, 2016
BLOG #3: THE POETRY PASSAGE BENCHMARK ESSAY
Draft 1:
The poem opens with the narrator and mother deliberating over whether to sell the black walnut tree. They offer reasons as to ways the tree is making their lives hard, but avoid talking about their consciences. “Some storm anyway will churn down its dark boughs, smashing the house” (Ll. 6-8) they say to make it seem that the tree’s demise is inevitable. “Roots in the cellar drains” (L. 11) the narrator offers. The tone is tense, like two kids trying to justify an action for which they already feel guilt. This changes, however, when the topic changes to why they keep debating and why they haven't cut down the tree yet. The voice that keeps telling the “no”. It is not what their brains think, but what their hearts feel that prevails. They feelin in their blood “something brighter than money” (ll. 16-17) and their insignificant problems and desires. The shift from thought to emotion implies that the black walnut tree is more than a plant waiting for an end and greater than the present.
The “something” that the narrator and their mother feel is more real than their own realities. “Sharp and quick” (l. 18) it is like steel: hard, concrete. The comparison to a “trovel” (l. 18) and the mention of “dig[ging] and sow[ing] ( l. 19) allude that the relationship between the black walnut tree and the two women is related to the earth, and is so piercing it makes them feel their emotions more clearly than the feeling of their problems in real life.
When they make up excuses and reasons the tune is tumultuous, almost guilty, but as they dream it is peaceful. The descriptions of the “blue fields of fresh and generous Ohio with leaves and wines and orchards” (ll. 23-25) illicit a serene and optimistic feeling, in contrast with the darkness and guilt of reality. The polysyndeton creates a sense of fullness and content. To remove the black walnut tree, the narrator and their mother would feel “shame in the emptiness” (ll. 27-28). For this reason, they are content with the overbearing mortgage, for the sake of their fathers’....
Draft 2:
In the Black Walnut Tree, Mary Oliver reveals the tension between surviving in the present and maintaining a connection to your ancestral ties. As the narrator and her mother face the decision between practicality and sentimentality in cutting down the black walnut tree, the differences in what they say to each other and what they both understand to be true about their about their past ultimately lead their desire to fulfill their gender expectations to win over their immediate needs, leaving the tree to see another year.
The author begins with the word “debate”, describing the narrator and her mother’s exchange about the black walnut tree. They know they could pay off their mortgage if they cut down the tree, but they also know that they can’t do it. They list off reasons for why they should get rid of the tree - petty reasons: the tree will tear it down “anyway” (L. 6), the roots have found their way “in the cellar drains” (L. 11). Their voices are desperate, aware of the weakness of their rationalizations. They scrabble like mice drowning in a puddle, aware of what fate has in store. Try as they may to convince each other and themselves that they should cut down the tree, they both know “that [they]’d both crawl with shame in the emptiness we’d made in our own and our fathers’ backyard”(Ll. 27-29). Even though practicality and the need to pay off the mortgage call for the black walnut tree’s demise, their obligations to sentimentality and respect for their forefathers’ labor drown out their justifications, letting it “[swing] through another year” (L. 31)
Another factor of their desire to let this tree live another year falls in the time period this poem was written. Because this poem was written in 1979, at a time when familial roles were still very much present, the tree is worth much more than its monetary value, its so much “brighter than money” (l. 16) because women are the bearers of their culture. Since this discussion when on between the mother and her daughter, there was this understanding that it’s the women who teach children the values and stories of their past. It was this ability to shape their children’s understanding of the past, that they deemed “Republican Motherhood”. Republican motherhood is the power the mother has to carry on the values (whether it be politically) or in this case (culturally) to the children. The tree represents the work ethic of their forefathers who came “out of Bohemia” (l. 22) to fill “the blue fields of...Ohio with vines and orchards” (l. 23-25). Thus their obligation to sell things in order to carry on the day to day necessities is made more arduous by the societal pressures for women to carry their pasts into their present to shape their children’s future.
Their understanding of societal expectations ultimately shapes the way Mary Oliver writes their discussion. It results in the shift of tone and focus between what they understand they should do and what is understood that they must do. Ultimately society asks two things from them: to get-by in the day to day things, and to pass on your pass as bearers of your culture, and the women know the choice lies where their hearts lie- with their forefathers who worked their souls out in the field of Bohemia.
Reflection:
The first time I wrote the poetry passage benchmark essay, I scored a 5/9. As I was writing, I felt that I'd done a better job of identifying binary opposites within the passage than I did in the prose essay, although I scored lower on this essay. I think this was because I lacked depth in my analysis, only identifying these binary opposites, and not actually showing their impact on the MOTWAAW. On the second draft, which I worked on with Jenny, we scored a 6.5/9. In this essay, I improved in the fluidity of my thoughts as well as depth of analysis, but still lacked the impact of the author's choices on the work as a whole. In the future, I plan on improving in this area by finding devices and choices on the author's part and connecting it to the MOTWAAW.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
BLOG #2: THE PROSE PASSAGE BENCHMARK ESSAY
Draft #1:
In the passage from The Known World by Edward P Jones, Moses is characterized as an outlier, embroiled in his own thoughts. Jones does this from the perspective of a narrator, who isolates moses from those around him and uses the minutia of Moses’ actions to reveal his emotions and disposition. Jones also uses the setting to echo Moses’ feelings and enhance the mood of the passage.
In the passage from The Known World by Edward P Jones, Moses is characterized as an outlier, embroiled in his own thoughts. Jones does this from the perspective of a narrator, who isolates moses from those around him and uses the minutia of Moses’ actions to reveal his emotions and disposition. Jones also uses the setting to echo Moses’ feelings and enhance the mood of the passage.
The broadest and most evident element of Moses’ character - that his is an outlier - is revealed through the actions of others, and how his differ. This is defined by the use of the words “other” (Line 2), meaning what everyone else did, and the word “only” (Line 23), meaning what Moses did. Such word choice highlights the idea that Moses is an anomaly. They create separation between Moses’ surrounding and himself, which is the result of other aspects, and are revealed in a more subtle manner, though details and imagery.
The use of a third-person point of view limits the reader’s understanding and knowledge of the character to what the narrator offers. The reader cannot see the character’s thoughts or emotion as the character would have them, thus the reader must extrapolate information about the character from what the narrator procides. The narrator characterizes Moses using descriptions of small, seemingly insignificant actions. When Moses reaches down to “[take] a pinch of soil” (Line 18), Jones also includes that Moses “closed his eyes” (Lines 17-18). This indications that Moses is taking in his surroundings, the feeling of the soil, how it tastes, and is reminiscing on his experiences. This inclusion of a mundane action reveals a major aspect of Moses’ character - his thoughtfulness.
Moses is also characterized by his surroundings. When the mule “quivers, wanting home and rest” (Line 17), Moses is distanced even from the very animal he had been connected to the last 15 hours (Lines 10-15). This further enhances the characterization of Moses’ isolation and offers support for more overtly revealed aspects.
Draft #2:
Moses finds his true identity in the sun and soil of the fields. In The Known World, Edward P. Jones uses contrasting symbolism to build Moses’ characterization; he conveys the irony that the earth which brings Moses chains also grants him freedom. It is through this contrast that readers discover that Moses is not only an experienced, hardworking farmer but is also an introvert who finds pure serenity in the earth. Jones purposely delays the introduction of Moses’ significance and character and instead relies on the third person omniscient point of view to open the passage with a palpable distance. Throughout the first eight lines, Jones opens the passage using the subjunctive third person to introduce all of the other characters. Jones describes “his own wife” (l.2-3) and “his son” (l.4), and he describes how “he worked again well after he ended the day for the other adults” (ll.1-2) yet he never defines who ‘he’ actually is. This creates a secretive tone as Jones connects the outer pieces of the puzzle without ever filling in the last piece: the subject. Finally, Jones directly addresses the character when he says, “When he, Moses, finally freed himself” (ll.8-9), giving us a name. By choosing to explain his surroundings before he really addresses the actual character of Moses, Jones is creating a mysterious tone that is reflective of Moses himself. As the audience will come to learn, Moses is an introverted man who puts nature and the land that surrounds him over nearly everything in his life, including his family. Therefore, it makes sense that Jones would choose to focus on the surroundings before directing the focus on Moses and switching from passive verbs to active, more descriptive ones. Moses’ character continues to develop through a shift in focus within the passage. Instead of continuing to describe Moses’ freedom from his responsibilities at work, Jones uses imagery to describe Moses in his element, connected to the earth around him. The reader experiences an intimate moment as Moses kneels down to be closer to the earth and “worked the dirt around in his mouth” (l.19). While this moment shows his deep love the world around him, Jones choses to contrast that while Moses tastes the dirt to further his connection with` the earth, the taste itself resembles a “sour moldiness...associated with the coming of fall and winter” (ll. 37-38). Moses is able to feel both connected and repulsed by the earth. As Moses descends into the forest and delves into his isolation, his senses are met with sounds of his distant family and children, and greeted with the welcoming sounds of nature. When Moses leaves the fields and the mule to which he had been chained, weary and worn, he is reinvigorated by the smell of rain and as he ventured down the path in the woods, “to the right… [he] made out what he thought was the sound of playing children, but when he turned his head back, he could hear far more clearly the last bird of the day as is evening-chirped in the small forest far off to the left” (Ll. 60-64). The children represent the family he is neglecting, and the bird symbolizes the welcoming arms of Mother Nature. The decision to place the sound of the children to the right reflects what is the generally accepted priority of a man, and what is conventional. Putting the call of the wild to the left represents his desires and what his heart really feels. The bird’s “chirping” (L. 64) is also louder to Moses’ ears than the “sounds of playing children” (Ll. 61-62). These show the desire and welcoming feeling that isolation and nature evoke in Moses, as well as the irony that the earth which oppresses him gives him liberty. Moses seeks solitude and finds comfort in being alone on a piece of land deemed unsuitable for planting crops. A real turning point the passage occurs when Moses “undressed to his nakedness and lay down” (l. 81). The ingenuity required to find joy through nakedness in the rain is yet another previously undiscovered personality trait, but the effect is lessened coming after a reveal so grand as Moses eating dirt. This simple diction and short structure, placed in a paragraph of long graphic descriptions, is a syntactically smart choice designed to create contrast between this sentence and the rest of the paragraph. The audience is, therefore, forced into realizing that Moses is no ordinary man. Given that Moses is a slave, and his life therefore belongs to the land, it is ironic that he would choose to spend his time alone among the land rather than with his family. The concluding metaphor of how “rheumatism chained up his body” (l. 86), adds final perspective to the discussion of freedom and oppression, given that the land which was meant to chain him mentally set him free- and with that freedom Moses chose to partake in activities that caused him to be physically “chained.” Within each of us there is controversy, and in no one is that more clear than Moses. Jones uses irony to display these differences and discuss the true meaning of freedom. In The Known World, Edward P. Jones explores the differences between Moses as a husband, as a father, as a slave, and as a man who makes choices for no one but himself.
Reflection:
On my first draft I scored a 4/9. Between the first and second drafts, I think that my overall understanding of what the AP Literature exam is looking for improved. Initially, I focused on insignificant details that were relevant to the points I was making, but less relevant to the abstract themes of the passage, which is what the exam is looking for. In the second draft, there was a major improvement in strength of evidence and clarity of thought as it relates to the characterization of Moses. I think that this is largely due to the use of the shifts paper to organize major themes and ideas that occur within the excerpt.
Friday, August 26, 2016
BLOG #1: THE OPEN QUESTION BENCHMARK ESSAY
As a child, much of one's values and morals are shaped by one's parents. This can lead to differing opinions of what is right and what is wrong in adulthood. It is for this reason laws and law enforcement exist. They set the bottom line of ethics and the fair treatment of others, and are generally accepted as correct and proper. Those who obey are "good", while those who defect are "evil." In Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, the primary antagonist, Inspector Javert's morals are heavily influenced by his position as an officer. Being a part of the government, he takes the values he is enforcing to heart, which conflicts with the morals and behaviors of Jean Valjean, a convict.
As a police officer, Inspectors Javert's duty is to combat behaviors such as thievery, murder, arson, and the like. This creates a stereotype within his mind that a criminals are inherently bad people and should be punished. It is for this reason Javert pursues Valjean for decades after his escape, even though he has made an honest life for himself. Javert himself feels superior to the criminals he interacts with because he has not broken the law and wronged another, while the criminal hypothetically has. This reduces the criminal to only one dimension, one title: a criminal, a law-breaker. This is especially evident throughout the work when Javert repeatedly refers to Valjean as 24601, his number while he was in prison. Calling Valjean this name is meant to be derogatory, insinuating that Valjean is always going to be a criminal and always going to be impure, simply because he stole a loaf of bread. Within Javert's mind, the name "24601" reinforces that those who break the law and defect are inherently bad people.
In the years following Valjean's escape, Javert continually tries to recapture Valjean, dismissing his actions and the positive change he has created because in Javert's book, Valjean is just a criminal. This prints to the idea that people are more than just one label. While Javert first interactions with Valjean and other "convicts" in the context of being in prison, that is not the only characteristic of who they are. They are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and wives. They are merchants, and laborers, and farmers, and bakers. To Javert, however, they are only thieves and rapists, because they broke the law.
Hugo's intent in writing Les Miserables was to encourage open-mindedness and to see others as more than just how you know them. Javert failed to recognize that though Valjean broke the law, he is not just a law-breaker, and though he acted immorally towards the baker from whom he stole, he is not immoral.
Revision:
What one believes to be their place in society can develop one's sense of ethics. In Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, the primary antagonist, Inspector Javert's morals are heavily influenced by his role as an officer. As a part of the government, he is honor-bound to enforce the law, on which he builds his moral code. The law is the end all be all of what is right and what is wrong. On the other hand, his interactions with Jean Valjean, a convict, while he is on duty, lead him to question and ultimately reject the values on which the law stands, and on which his beliefs stand.
As a police officer, Inspectors Javert's duty is punish rapists, thieves, and murderers, and bring those wronged to justice. This entails physical and psychological abuse of the inmates in the form of hard labor and verbal abuse. In Javert's mind, his actions are justified because the inmates are criminals; they deserve it. Meanwhile, he is the hand of justice. This leads him to believe that criminals are inherently bad people and deserve to be punished. It is for this reason Javert pursues Valjean for decades after he escapes parole, even though Valjean has made an honest life for himself. The time Javert has spent representing the law has led him to reduce the criminals to being just that: criminals. Javert himself feels superior to the inmates he interacts with because he not wronged another or caused anyone injustice, while the prisoners he is punishing hypothetically have. Javert's one-dimensionalization of the prisoners is especially evident throughout the work when Javert repeatedly refers to Valjean as "24601", his number while he was in prison. Calling Valjean this name is meant to be derogatory, insinuating that Valjean is always going to be a criminal and always going to be impure, simply because he stole a loaf of bread. Within Javert's mind, the name "24601" reinforces the idea that Valjean is merely a criminal and nothing more. It also boosts his sense of authority and power over Valjean. In Javert's mind, he is the predator and Valjean is the prey.
In the years following Valjean's escape, Javert continually tries to recapture Valjean, dismissing his actions and the positive change he has created. In Javert's book, Valjean is just a criminal and nothing more. This points to the idea that people are more than just one label. While Javert first interactions with Valjean and other "convicts" in the context of being in prison, that is not the only characteristic of who they are. They are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers. They are merchants, and laborers, and farmers, and bakers. To Javert, however, they are only thieves and rapists, because they broke the law. This is a microcosm of what happens in the real world. We meet many people in very specific contexts, but mentally, we think that's who they are all the time, which isn't true. It is like the inevitable and uncomfortable experience of seeing a teacher at Kroger. In your world, they exist only in the context of their classroom. Yet somehow they are also here are Kroger. This creates cognitive dissonance, to which Javert responds with denial.
Hugo's intent in writing Les Miserables was to encourage open-mindedness and to see others as more than just how you know them. Javert failed to recognize that though Valjean broke the law, he is not just a law-breaker, and though he acted immorally towards the baker from whom he stole, he is not immoral.
Reflection:
My first draft received a 5-6/9 on its first reading. Where my writing lacked was depth and flow. Some parts were long-winded and irrelevant, while other sections that were important to a quality analysis were lacking. I also think my logic was foggy. On my second draft, I scored a 6/9. Between my first and second drafts, I improved the phrasing of my ideas and increased the depth and cohesiveness of my analysis. I improved the phrasing of my ideas by not using the passive voice and avoiding circumlocution. To improve the flow and logic of my essay, I used more examples in my analysis, notably the teacher-at-Kroger example. I also tried to use better transitions.
As a police officer, Inspectors Javert's duty is to combat behaviors such as thievery, murder, arson, and the like. This creates a stereotype within his mind that a criminals are inherently bad people and should be punished. It is for this reason Javert pursues Valjean for decades after his escape, even though he has made an honest life for himself. Javert himself feels superior to the criminals he interacts with because he has not broken the law and wronged another, while the criminal hypothetically has. This reduces the criminal to only one dimension, one title: a criminal, a law-breaker. This is especially evident throughout the work when Javert repeatedly refers to Valjean as 24601, his number while he was in prison. Calling Valjean this name is meant to be derogatory, insinuating that Valjean is always going to be a criminal and always going to be impure, simply because he stole a loaf of bread. Within Javert's mind, the name "24601" reinforces that those who break the law and defect are inherently bad people.
In the years following Valjean's escape, Javert continually tries to recapture Valjean, dismissing his actions and the positive change he has created because in Javert's book, Valjean is just a criminal. This prints to the idea that people are more than just one label. While Javert first interactions with Valjean and other "convicts" in the context of being in prison, that is not the only characteristic of who they are. They are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and wives. They are merchants, and laborers, and farmers, and bakers. To Javert, however, they are only thieves and rapists, because they broke the law.
Hugo's intent in writing Les Miserables was to encourage open-mindedness and to see others as more than just how you know them. Javert failed to recognize that though Valjean broke the law, he is not just a law-breaker, and though he acted immorally towards the baker from whom he stole, he is not immoral.
Revision:
What one believes to be their place in society can develop one's sense of ethics. In Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, the primary antagonist, Inspector Javert's morals are heavily influenced by his role as an officer. As a part of the government, he is honor-bound to enforce the law, on which he builds his moral code. The law is the end all be all of what is right and what is wrong. On the other hand, his interactions with Jean Valjean, a convict, while he is on duty, lead him to question and ultimately reject the values on which the law stands, and on which his beliefs stand.
As a police officer, Inspectors Javert's duty is punish rapists, thieves, and murderers, and bring those wronged to justice. This entails physical and psychological abuse of the inmates in the form of hard labor and verbal abuse. In Javert's mind, his actions are justified because the inmates are criminals; they deserve it. Meanwhile, he is the hand of justice. This leads him to believe that criminals are inherently bad people and deserve to be punished. It is for this reason Javert pursues Valjean for decades after he escapes parole, even though Valjean has made an honest life for himself. The time Javert has spent representing the law has led him to reduce the criminals to being just that: criminals. Javert himself feels superior to the inmates he interacts with because he not wronged another or caused anyone injustice, while the prisoners he is punishing hypothetically have. Javert's one-dimensionalization of the prisoners is especially evident throughout the work when Javert repeatedly refers to Valjean as "24601", his number while he was in prison. Calling Valjean this name is meant to be derogatory, insinuating that Valjean is always going to be a criminal and always going to be impure, simply because he stole a loaf of bread. Within Javert's mind, the name "24601" reinforces the idea that Valjean is merely a criminal and nothing more. It also boosts his sense of authority and power over Valjean. In Javert's mind, he is the predator and Valjean is the prey.
In the years following Valjean's escape, Javert continually tries to recapture Valjean, dismissing his actions and the positive change he has created. In Javert's book, Valjean is just a criminal and nothing more. This points to the idea that people are more than just one label. While Javert first interactions with Valjean and other "convicts" in the context of being in prison, that is not the only characteristic of who they are. They are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers. They are merchants, and laborers, and farmers, and bakers. To Javert, however, they are only thieves and rapists, because they broke the law. This is a microcosm of what happens in the real world. We meet many people in very specific contexts, but mentally, we think that's who they are all the time, which isn't true. It is like the inevitable and uncomfortable experience of seeing a teacher at Kroger. In your world, they exist only in the context of their classroom. Yet somehow they are also here are Kroger. This creates cognitive dissonance, to which Javert responds with denial.
Hugo's intent in writing Les Miserables was to encourage open-mindedness and to see others as more than just how you know them. Javert failed to recognize that though Valjean broke the law, he is not just a law-breaker, and though he acted immorally towards the baker from whom he stole, he is not immoral.
Reflection:
My first draft received a 5-6/9 on its first reading. Where my writing lacked was depth and flow. Some parts were long-winded and irrelevant, while other sections that were important to a quality analysis were lacking. I also think my logic was foggy. On my second draft, I scored a 6/9. Between my first and second drafts, I improved the phrasing of my ideas and increased the depth and cohesiveness of my analysis. I improved the phrasing of my ideas by not using the passive voice and avoiding circumlocution. To improve the flow and logic of my essay, I used more examples in my analysis, notably the teacher-at-Kroger example. I also tried to use better transitions.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
STAR WARS/ARCHETYPAL HERO PARTY
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| Naturally, I had to put this on my Snapchat story. |
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| Notice the icing on the side falling off the cake. |
My cake was pretty awesome, if I haven't made that clear already. Maybe I'm biased. Maybe cake is just always awesome. I think the latter. Anywho, the yummy fluffiness that goes on the inside of the cake was Pillsbury Super Moist French Vanilla mix. Yes, I admit it, I used cake mix. I didn't want to risk accidentally poisoning my Lit class on the 8th day of school. That would not be the way to make a good first impression. After baking it for half an hour, I let it cool and cut out two circles from the cake. I trimmed off some excess, then iced it. I used Pillsbury Funfetti Icing in Vibrant Red. I promise this post is not sponsored by Pillsbury... It's just what Walmart had. Anywho, the icing was a struggle because the cake was so yummy and fluffy. Notice that I bought the "Super Moist" mix. That was poor judgement on my part, since the icing would tear the cake everywhere I put it. The yumminess was a problem because of the amount of self control it took to not eat the entire thing. Hence the name Resist(ance) the Temptation.
After battling the crumbling conundrum, I got to the decorating part. Originally, I was going to cut the actual cake in the shape of the Resistance logo, but after seeing the lack of structural integrity in the cake, I opted for plan B. Plan B did not exist until this point. By a happy accident, I bought red sprinkles to decorate the top of the Resistance-logo-shaped cake. Since the cake was no longer Resistance-logo-shaped, I decided to use the glitter and glue technique to making shapes in preschool and apply it to cake and icing. I cut the shape of the Resistance logo out of a sheet of wax paper, and put the larger sheet with the logo-shaped hole in it on the top of the cake. Then I went to town and put sprinkles everywhere on that sheet and on the icing that showed through the cutout. I blew off the excess sprinkles and removed the wax paper. Ta-da! A Resistance Cake is born.
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| You can see my uncostumed right arm in the bottom left corner enjoying cake. |
At that point I was honestly dead tired and had a fair amount of AP Bio homework left, so I totally forgot about wearing a costume... Whoops. Oh well, I still got to eat cake so life is good.
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