Hello,
So far, I feel that the semester in English 210 is going well. This class has been the most challenging class that I have ever taken. When growing up, I always said that I enjoyed reading; but all the same, I was never good at it. Just this morning, I thought about how if I would not of come to college I would never of grasped the thought of pushing myself to read and understand the literature that I read. Also, if you remember from my first post, I might be going to Minnesota next year. By taking this class and doing my best to push myself, I feel that I well have a very good base to be able to do my best there.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
"Fall of the House of Usher"-setting and point of view
Hello,
Setting - the context in which the action of the story occurs using time, place, and social environment
The opening line of the short story, "dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year" (3). Poe does a very nice job of setting up the setting in "The Fall of the House of Usher." The story takes place, with great detail, in the House of Usher, the apartments upstairs where Roderick and the narrator live, the vault where Roderick's sister is laid rest, and finally out side when the narrator is running away from the house because the house is being according to the text, "rushed asunder" (25).
Point of View
The story has to be written in objective point of view. The reader is told in the story not what is being thought and/or felt; rather, is supplied the story through actions and dialogue so that the reader can think and feel for his/her self. In the story, the moon is blood red and the house falls apart. The reader is not told how the narrator feels about this event, this feeling is left to the reader.
Setting - the context in which the action of the story occurs using time, place, and social environment
The opening line of the short story, "dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year" (3). Poe does a very nice job of setting up the setting in "The Fall of the House of Usher." The story takes place, with great detail, in the House of Usher, the apartments upstairs where Roderick and the narrator live, the vault where Roderick's sister is laid rest, and finally out side when the narrator is running away from the house because the house is being according to the text, "rushed asunder" (25).
Point of View
The story has to be written in objective point of view. The reader is told in the story not what is being thought and/or felt; rather, is supplied the story through actions and dialogue so that the reader can think and feel for his/her self. In the story, the moon is blood red and the house falls apart. The reader is not told how the narrator feels about this event, this feeling is left to the reader.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Compare and Contrast
Hello,
Both "The Birthmark" and "Bartleby" use in medias res, starting in the middle of the story; this helps the reader jump into the story. Also, in class flashback was used to compare how the story would of been different. With the use of flashback the stories would not of had such a dramatic ending. As for characters, the husband in "The Birthmark" and Bartleby in "Bartleby" did not change, static characters, throughout the stories. The husband always wanted the birthmark gone, and Bartleby never wanted to work. Also, the wife in "The Birthmark" and the lawyer in "Bartleby" were dynamic characters. Both characters under went a change within the stories.
To contrast, "The Birthmark" told the importance of leaving nature as nature intended. For characters, the character were very motivated. The wife was motivated to keep her husband happy, and the husband was motivated to have his wife's birthmark go away. As for "Bartleby" the reader is never told as to why the characters are not motivated in their actions.
I learned that all stories are somewhat the same. In the text book, I learned that all writing is a similar process with plot, setting, characters, theme, etc. Yet, stories differ by how the author uses these items of literature, and stories also differ from how each different reader interpret the story that is read.
Both "The Birthmark" and "Bartleby" use in medias res, starting in the middle of the story; this helps the reader jump into the story. Also, in class flashback was used to compare how the story would of been different. With the use of flashback the stories would not of had such a dramatic ending. As for characters, the husband in "The Birthmark" and Bartleby in "Bartleby" did not change, static characters, throughout the stories. The husband always wanted the birthmark gone, and Bartleby never wanted to work. Also, the wife in "The Birthmark" and the lawyer in "Bartleby" were dynamic characters. Both characters under went a change within the stories.
To contrast, "The Birthmark" told the importance of leaving nature as nature intended. For characters, the character were very motivated. The wife was motivated to keep her husband happy, and the husband was motivated to have his wife's birthmark go away. As for "Bartleby" the reader is never told as to why the characters are not motivated in their actions.
I learned that all stories are somewhat the same. In the text book, I learned that all writing is a similar process with plot, setting, characters, theme, etc. Yet, stories differ by how the author uses these items of literature, and stories also differ from how each different reader interpret the story that is read.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Class dicussion Feb. 16, 2011
Hello,
Racism. Respectful. I see myself as not racists and respectful. These view were before I read the Peggy McIntosh article. However, now I feel very racist. This is not because of how I see the world and the people in it, it because of these privileges that me, a white person, never takes the time to realize. I had a conversation with a guy that I live next to a while ago about affirmative action. He said, "They, not white, have had enough time to change things and they, not white, have had more than enough opportunities to change their situation." How is this though? The system has stayed the same. The nation is still predominately run by white men. Along with that fact though, it seems that if a person of color wants to be accepted in today's society that person has to change to be more like the white man. Like the TV show Scrubs, Turk, an African American man receives respect only because he is a surgeon, but where does the non surgeon African American man stand? With no respect. This fact makes me sad.
Racism. Respectful. I see myself as not racists and respectful. These view were before I read the Peggy McIntosh article. However, now I feel very racist. This is not because of how I see the world and the people in it, it because of these privileges that me, a white person, never takes the time to realize. I had a conversation with a guy that I live next to a while ago about affirmative action. He said, "They, not white, have had enough time to change things and they, not white, have had more than enough opportunities to change their situation." How is this though? The system has stayed the same. The nation is still predominately run by white men. Along with that fact though, it seems that if a person of color wants to be accepted in today's society that person has to change to be more like the white man. Like the TV show Scrubs, Turk, an African American man receives respect only because he is a surgeon, but where does the non surgeon African American man stand? With no respect. This fact makes me sad.
EC post - 45% of Student Don't Learn Much In College
Hello,
This article was fascinating to me. In the article, "universities are being run more like corporations than educational institutions" (2). Why is this? Just like anything else that goes on in the world today, everything is run and based off of numbers. According to the text, "others argue that the U.S. must produce more college graduates to remain competitive globally, but if students aren't learning much that calls into question whether boosting graduation rates will provide that edge" (1). This back up the point that the world is all about numbers. Personally, I don't care how the United States looks globally. There are problems here that need to be taking care of; therefore, they should be taken care of. As a nation we always try to do two things at one time: improve and match that improvement to the rest of the world. Yet, if we do not split our time between two things and just focus on one thing, won't the other thing, how we stack up globally, fall into place? As long as the system runs efficiently, the U.S. will look great.
Lastly, in the text, "[s]ocial engagement generally does not help student performance"(2). I like to do things on my own and only ask for help when I am lost or need feedback. It is nice to know that I am helping myself gain knowledge by doing so.
This article was fascinating to me. In the article, "universities are being run more like corporations than educational institutions" (2). Why is this? Just like anything else that goes on in the world today, everything is run and based off of numbers. According to the text, "others argue that the U.S. must produce more college graduates to remain competitive globally, but if students aren't learning much that calls into question whether boosting graduation rates will provide that edge" (1). This back up the point that the world is all about numbers. Personally, I don't care how the United States looks globally. There are problems here that need to be taking care of; therefore, they should be taken care of. As a nation we always try to do two things at one time: improve and match that improvement to the rest of the world. Yet, if we do not split our time between two things and just focus on one thing, won't the other thing, how we stack up globally, fall into place? As long as the system runs efficiently, the U.S. will look great.
Lastly, in the text, "[s]ocial engagement generally does not help student performance"(2). I like to do things on my own and only ask for help when I am lost or need feedback. It is nice to know that I am helping myself gain knowledge by doing so.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Fake Twitter Accounts
Hello,
The text simply states that people have fake twitter accounts that make the people that are posting seem like important figures in society: Sarah Palin, Chuck Norris, and Hosni Mubarak. Yet, I believe that the text is trying to say something more then is actually said. The text is saying, without saying, that people in today's society take things at face value, people do not question things, people receive information form unreliable sources and accept that information. In the text, "Several of my followers still don't understand that I'm a parody." At times it seems, even for me, that as a society we all can find ourselves so far detached from society that it is often time easier to just believe something then to research what is read or said to find the credibility within it.
The text simply states that people have fake twitter accounts that make the people that are posting seem like important figures in society: Sarah Palin, Chuck Norris, and Hosni Mubarak. Yet, I believe that the text is trying to say something more then is actually said. The text is saying, without saying, that people in today's society take things at face value, people do not question things, people receive information form unreliable sources and accept that information. In the text, "Several of my followers still don't understand that I'm a parody." At times it seems, even for me, that as a society we all can find ourselves so far detached from society that it is often time easier to just believe something then to research what is read or said to find the credibility within it.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Review of Paper Writing Process
Hello,
Overall, I feel that my first research paper for ENGL 210 went fairly well. I felt confident in my topic choice and my presentation. However after the meeting, I knew there was still work to be done. The meeting really helped me bring corrections to the surface that need to be addressed. I just feel that the meeting needed to be later. I will just have to come in for help more on the next paper. Also, I feel that I am still not understand the why and how of the thesis. I thought that I did it correct, but was then told that I was too specific. Though this is not a bad thing, I am just not sure how to explain the how properly.
Overall, I feel that my first research paper for ENGL 210 went fairly well. I felt confident in my topic choice and my presentation. However after the meeting, I knew there was still work to be done. The meeting really helped me bring corrections to the surface that need to be addressed. I just feel that the meeting needed to be later. I will just have to come in for help more on the next paper. Also, I feel that I am still not understand the why and how of the thesis. I thought that I did it correct, but was then told that I was too specific. Though this is not a bad thing, I am just not sure how to explain the how properly.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Metamorphosis
Hello Everyone,
Why is Gregor so concerned about going to work and not at all concerned about being morphed into a bug?
In the text, Gregor's father's business runs out of money. I feel that because of his father's business failing, Gregor does something stupid. Gregor goes to his boss for money to cover that debt; he then barrows or gambles that money. With this action, Gregor realizes that he has shamed the family name and it is then his responsibility to pay off the debt. In the story, that is why the sister and mother want to take care of Gregor; because, they have forgiven him. The same holds true for the father, he wants to harm Gregor because he has not forgiven Gregor.
Why is Gregor so concerned about going to work and not at all concerned about being morphed into a bug?
In the text, Gregor's father's business runs out of money. I feel that because of his father's business failing, Gregor does something stupid. Gregor goes to his boss for money to cover that debt; he then barrows or gambles that money. With this action, Gregor realizes that he has shamed the family name and it is then his responsibility to pay off the debt. In the story, that is why the sister and mother want to take care of Gregor; because, they have forgiven him. The same holds true for the father, he wants to harm Gregor because he has not forgiven Gregor.
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