Tale of Two Cities Lecture Notes

WHAT'S THE STORY?

Why did Charles Dickens write the novel you're reading/reviewing? What in your analysis of literary techniques led you to this conclusion? (Make sure to include textual support illustrating Dickens' use of at least three techniques we've studied/discussed this year.)

St. Crispin Notes

Lit Terms III

exposition
expressionism
fable
fallacy
falling action
farce
figurative language
flashback
foil
folk tale
foreshadowing
free verse
genre
gothic tale
hyperbole
imagery
implication
incongruity
inference
irony

Dickens & Great Expectations Notes

ALL THAT DAVID COPPERFIELD KIND OF CRAP

Like anybody else I always thought that David Copperfield was the one and only, famous magician or illusionist or whatever else he did.. Apparently it is also the title of a novel by Charles Dickens.

The first line of J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye is this:

"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth." 

"Now that you've read some Dickens, what do you think Salinger means by "all that David Copperfield kind of crap"?  (If it helps, look up David Copperfield and compare with what you already know about Great Expectations.)  What distinguishes Dickens' style, and what statement is Salinger trying to make by distancing his protagonist from Dickens?

Lit Terms II

circumlocution: a roundabout, indirect or lengthy way of expressing something; periphrases

classicism: the aesthetic principles or qualities regarded as characteristic of ancient Greece and Rome; objectivity, formality, balance, simplicity, restraint, etc .., generally contrasted with

romanticism. Knowledge of the art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome, classical scholarship

cliche: an expression or idea that has been trite, overused by society

climax: the final, culminating element or event in a series; highest point, as of interest, excitement, etc ..

colloquialism: colloquial style, quality or usage (informal speech)

comedy: a drama or narrative with a happy ending or non tragic theme

conflict: to be antagonistic, incompatible, or contradictory; be in opposition, clash

connotation: the act or process of connoting (to suggest or convey in addition to the explicit or denoted meaning

contrast: a striking difference between things being compared

denotation: the direct, explicit meaning or reference of a word or term

denouement: the outcome, solution, unraveling or clarification of a plot in a drama, story, etc ..

dialect: any form of speech considered as deviating from a real or imagery standard speech

dialectics: art or practice of examining opinions or ideas logically, often by the method of question and answer as to determine the validity; logical argumentation

dichotomy: division into two parts, groups or classes especially when these are sharply distinguished or opposed. The phase of the moon or planet in which just half of its surface facing earth seems illuminated

diction: manner or expression in words; choice of words; wording

didactic: morally instructive or intending to be so; too much inclined to teach other; boringly pedantic or moralistic

dogmatic: like dogma; doctrinal; stating opinion in a positive or arrogant manner

elegy: a poem or song of lament and praise for the dead, as Shelly's "Adonais"; any poem, song, etc .. in a mournfully contemplative tone

epic: a long narrative poem in a dignified style about the deeds of a traditional or historical hero or heroes (Ex: Odyssey, Iliad)

epigram: a short poem with a witty or satirical point

SMART Goals

S: Graduate from a 4-year university with all requirements met to transfer to a medical school.

M: 

A:

R:

T: It takes between 4 to 6 years (hopefully I only take 4 years) to finish all courses necessary to graduate.

Help writing smart goals:
http://www.hr.virginia.edu/uploads/documents/media/Writing_SMART_Goals.pdf

AP PREP POST I: SIDDHARTHA

1. Siddhartha features substantial activity and narrative action. At the same time, it is about one man’s largely internal spiritual quest. What is the relationship between the internal and exterior worlds of Siddhartha? How does Siddhartha negotiate these worlds?

2. Herman Hesse’s novels before Siddharthafocused on alienated young men who rejected the cultures of their upbringings. However, these other novels did not feature the spiritual elements of Siddhartha. How do the spiritual elements ofSiddhartha make it different from any other story of an alienated youth?

3. Most literary scholars agree that Siddharthawas prompted by Herman Hesse’s fixation on Eastern spirituality. Is there a case to be made that Siddhartha is designed to celebrate Eastern religion? Is Hesse’s treatment of spirituality as relevant today as it was when he wrote the novel?

4. Siddhartha concerns the quest for spiritual enlightenment, and by the end of it four characters have achieved this goal: Govinda, Gotama, Vasudeva, and Siddhartha. Is the enlightenment achieved by each of these characters the same? Why or why not? What distinctions and similarities exist between the paths these characters use to reach their final goal?

5. Consider Siddhartha’s relationship with Govinda. How are they similar, and how are they different? What are the narrative functions of Govinda’s reappearance throughout the novel? How does their relationship impact the novel’s ending?

These questions tell me that the test is in depth and covers a wide range of topics and concepts.  

Lit Terms I

Allegory- a story in which people, things, and happenings have a hidden or symbolic meaning; allegories are used for teaching or explaining ideas, moral principles, etc ..

the presenting of ideas by means of such stories; symbolical narration or description

Alliteration- repetition of an initial sound, usually of a consonant or cluster in two or more words of a phrase, line of poetry, etc ..

Allusion- an indirect reference; casual mention 

Ambiguity- state of being ambiguous - having two or more possible meanings; not clear; indefinite; uncertain; vague 

Anachronism- the representation of something as existing or occurring at other than its proper time especially earlier; anything that is or seems to be out of its proper time in history

Analogy- similarity in some respects between things otherwise unlike; partial resemblance

the process by which new or less familiar words, constructions, or pronunciations conform to the pattern of older or more familiar (and often unrelated) ones

Analysis- a separating or breaking up of any whole into parts especially with an examination of these parts to find out their nature, proportion, function, interrelationship, etc ..

the use of word order and uninflected function words rather than inflection to express syntactic relationships

Anaphora- the rhetorical device of repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses or sentences

Anecdote- a short, entertaining account of some happening, usually personal or biographical

Antagonist- a person who opposes or competes with another; adversary. opponent

Antithesis- a contrast or opposition of thoughts, usually in two phrases, clauses, or sentences

the exact opposite

Aphorism- a short concise statement of a principle

a short, pointed sentence expressing a wise or clever observation or a general truth; maxim; adage

Apologia- an apology especially a formal defense of an idea, religion, etc ..

Apostrophe- words addressed to a person or thing, whether absent or, generally in an exclamatory  digression in a speech or literary writing

to show the omission of a letter or letters from a word

Argument- a reason or reasons offered for or against something

a short statement of subject matter, or a brief synopsis of a plot; summary

Assumption- the act of assuming, a taking upon oneself, taking over, or taking for granted

supposition 

Audience- a group of persons assembled to hear or see a speaker, a play, a concert, etc ..

Characterization- the act of characterizing, description of characterics

the delineation of character or creation of characters in a play, story, etc ..

Chiasmus- rhetoric inversion of the second of two parallel clauses, phrases, etc ..

Masterpiece in progress...

Just talking out loud during our final got some of my creative juices flowing...

I recently got a piano that was built in the 1930s. The brand (Gulbransen) was the first company

to make upright pianos and player pianos starting at the turn of the 19th century.

Not only does this piano come with dust and wear but it also comes with character.

Having this piano that was so old made me realize that music has been around for such a long time.

Its something that brings people together. It is shared among families, friends, and classrooms.

It got me wondering how to more powerfully integrate music in peoples lives. Not only is music used to help young children learn basic things like numbers, letters, or words but it is also used to pass the time and dance. 

I have have always been involved in working with children. I have two younger brothers and about a million cousins (that might be a slight exaggeration), and my dad is an elementary school teacher. That being said, I grew up being taught and also teaching music. 

Now that my youngest brother is in kindergarden I really want to find a way to not only help him but hopefully many other students how valuable music can be, whether it be playing an instrument or singing along. It becomes so much harder for people to dedicate time and energy to learn music when they are older. That's why I see the value and importance in teaching children, they are young and full of energy. Their minds are eager to learn new things. 

As I am late starting to plan my masterpiece, I figured it would at least start to put some of my ideas down and then start to branch out from there.