Literature Analysis #4 (Extra Credit)

Invisble Man by Ralph Ellison

1. The story is written in first person. The narrator is an African American man who thinks of himself as invisible. He reflects on his past and describes to the audience why he is living underground stealing electricity. He lives during the Great Depression so there is still segregation. He goes to Harlem where he finds a job at a paint company. On the job, he passes out and loses his memory. Once it is regained, he is offered to be a spokesman for the Brotherhood and quickly moves up and becomes in charge of all Brotherhood interests. The Brotherhood members send out people to beat him up and soon after all his running the threaten to have him lynched. While running from these men he falls down a manhole. He has been there ever since and is telling the story from that very spot. He then talks about how he wants to come out of the hole and back into the real world.

2. The theme is not to let racism hold you down.

3. The tone is up and down. It can go from very depressing to extremely optimistic.
"I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me"


"I am not ashamed of my grandparents for having been slaves. I am only ashamed of myself for having at one time been ashamed"


"That invisibility to which I refer occurs because of a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those with whom I come in contact. A matter of the construction of their inner eyes, those eyes with which they look through their physical eyes upon reality."


4. 
Point of View: The story is written in first person told by the narrator.
Symbols: The Sambo doll represents degrading black stereotypes.
Tone: Up and down; positive then negative
Theme: Don't let racism hold you down.
Metaphor: Live with your head in the lion's mouth.

Self Search

When searching my name, I found my Facebook and Myspace were the easiest to come across. Those and my Maxpreps stats from when I played basketball were the only sites that actually were referring to me. I found plenty other Nathan Seidenbergs which was suprising because that is not a very common name. I found a police officer, a history teacher, and many Nathan Seidenbergs who have already passed away.

Thinking Outside the Box

In Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" and in Sartre's "No Exit" they explain the limitations of the human mind. They have different ways of showing it, but both demonstrate that being closed-minded can limit you in ways you don't realize. (Because you're closed-minded)

In Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" he decribes people being chained up in a cave. He compares those people to people in his own culture. They are close minded, but it's not their fault because they don't know any better. They don't know whats out there. I think the only solution to this is to spread the word that there is always more out there that we don't know of.

In Sartre's "No Exit" there are 3 people in there own little hell together. They realize they're dead. but they lie to eachother as to why they are in hell. We are limited to what we know about other people because other people aren't always honest. The hell they are in doesn't cause physical pain and torture, just mental. The only solution is to open up their minds and be honest with eachother.

In both stories, their inability to think outside the box and get away from personal limitations keeps them trapped in there own ways. In order for them to be free from these limitations they must realize and accept their flaws, (No Exit) or think outside the box and expand your mind to what else is out there. (Allegory of the Cave)

Ap Term

Irony

Irony is the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, usually for a humorous effect.
Earlier today I was playing basketball with my friend and he slips and falls. I start laughing at him and making fun of him. 5 seconds later I drive to the basket and slip in the same spot. That's irony.

Literature Analysis #3

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

1. Lord of the Flies begins with a plane full of young boys crashing on an uninhabited island. Only the kids survived and they are forced to live on the island until they can figure out how to get home. They select Ralph as the chief and everything seems fine to start out. The boys start to separate and Jack becomes the chief of his own tribe called “the pig hunters.” After a while Ralph and Piggy realize more and more boys are going to Jack’s side and they are becoming the hunted rather than the hunters. The boys start acting more and more like animals and even Piggy is killed. Ralph becomes the pig hunters’ only target and just as they are going to kill him, they are rescued by a naval officer.

2. The main theme in this novel is a loss of innocence. At the beginning of the story, the boys play games and have fun because they don't have any parents to tell them what to do or how to live. Eventually, they start developing a savage lifestyle. They begin to plot and kill each other and almost become animals. The fact that they put a pig head on a stick and worshipped it like a “God” showed their transformation. It shows their change in attitude and their loss of innocence.

3. Golding’s tone is very dark. He has a very negative view on the plot. He is also very violent describing the actions between the boys.

- "Kill the pig! Cut his throat! Kill the pig! Bash him in!"
- "Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!"
- “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the Beast. . . . Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill!


4.  Symbolism
- "The conch glimmered … a white blob against the place where the sun would rise. He pushed back his mop."

Foreshadowing
- "There was no light left save that of the stars."

Diction
- "The crowd surged after it, poured down the rock, leapt onto the beast, screamed, struck, bit, tore. There were no words … but the tearing of teeth and claws."

Imagery
- "The water rose farther and dressed Simon's coarse hair with brightness. The line of his cheek silvered and the turn of his shoulder became sculptured marble."

Characterization
- "He was shorter than the fair boy and very fat…looked up through thick spectacles."

The Big Question

What are the qualities of nonmainstream art that fail to resonate with a wide audience?

Performative Utterance in Hamlet

Hamlet is a man of indecision; he can’t make out what is going on in his thoughts. His problem is thinking too much. If he said everything he thought he would be considered mad, which he is. He has good ideas he just can’t put the proper thoughts to words, instead he just goes on and on about stupid things going on in his head. The way Hamlet speaks influences the reader as well as all the characters in the story. He comes across as a crazy man that really has no plan and just acts off of his emotion. He just makes it seem that way. His performative utterance is what makes him so smart. By rambling on and acting like he is stressing over little things he makes his opponents under estimate him when really he has a plan all along.

Hamlet has some anxiety, I can relate to how Hamlet is because I have similar thoughts. Not that I want to kill my uncle, just that I over think things. The only difference is my thoughts actually stay in my head. I don’t actually say them out loud like Hamlet does. When I reflect on my thoughts, I try not dwell on what came to mind. I usually realize it was irrational and it wasn’t important. If I get excited about something in my thoughts, I give it huge expectations and if whatever I was excited about doesn’t end up happening, I’ll be devastated.

One example of performative utterance in my life is memorizing Hamlets soliloquy. That was a huge struggle mentally. It was very hard to stay confident that I could do it, because as I was memorizing I caught my self thinking, “this will never work, I’ll never be able to memorize this.” Obviously those are not good thoughts to have when you are trying to memorize a soliloquy like “To be or not to be.”

I think it’s ironic that I experienced performative utterance while reading an article about performative utterance. It was a very long article and I had just gotten out of surgery, so I was tired and every part of me was telling me to stop reading and go to sleep, but I couldn’t let my self do that. I was fighting my thoughts just so I could finish the article and catch up with the rest of the class.

I don’t think Hamlet and I share much in common, but I know we share the traits of anxiety and over thinking. I’m just glad I can handle my sanity better than he can. He is very dramatic with his thoughts and it causes him to get in a lot of trouble. I just hope I never end up plotting to kill my uncle, he’s quite a nice man.

Hamlet and Beowulf Essay

There are many differences between Hamlet and Beowulf. Some people may say physical strength is the main difference, but their uses of language stick out as the major difference to me. Hamlet tends to talk to himself rather than other people. He just goes over things in his head again and again and then recites them in a ridiculous speech. He thinks about both the good and bad sides of his actions. Beowulf doesn't think through his actions or his thoughts out loud. He just tells us what he is going to do without any delay. He doesn’t debate on what to do he just goes out and does it.

                                              

Hamlet uses language mainly to think about, well just about everything, out loud.  Hamlet overhears himself giving him a better understanding of his own thoughts. He has a little debate with himself as if he has multiple personalities talking to one another. I think of him as a walking panic attack. "To sleep--perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause." This is an example of self overhearing. Hamlet uses this tool to gain a deeper understanding of how he is thinking. This information also helps us readers understand Hamlet better because we get to take a trip into his (extremely) active mind. 

On the other hand, Beowulf uses his language to tell us what he is going to do. He describes his plans briefly, but doesn't use his language to talk things through. "This fiend is a bold and famous fighter, but his claws and teeth... beating at my sword blade, would be helpless. I will meet him with my hands empty--unless his heart fails him, seeing a soldier waiting weaponless, unafraid. Let God in His wisdom extend His hand where He wills, reward whom he chooses!" Unlike Hamlet, Beowulf uses his language for the benefit of others rather then his own. He uses his words to motivate others and encourage them. Beowulf is also very wise and inspirational with his words "Often, for undaunted courage fate spares the man it has not already marked." Hamlet would just use words to beat him self up or debate about his own thoughts.
 

Hamlet and Beowulf are characters that use language in very different ways.  Hamlet uses language to deeply think things through and analyze them. Beowulf uses language to encourage others and state his plan without hesitation or fear. Language is the reason that two heroically similar characters are so drastically different.

Procrastination

I had the hardest time with procrastination. If I had multiple days to complete an assignment, I would wait until 10 PM the night before it's due, to start it. I had a serious problem and it was affecting my grades. This class really helped me get over my procrastinating ways. In this class, there's no way to procrastinate because if you do, you are already very far behind. This class is perfect for me in the long run because it has broken my habit of procrastinating just in time. Now I can go to college, and manage my time better since I have this practice.

Roy Christopher Notes

- Christopher said he got into all this by accident basically. He just wanted to write and didn’t really expect this.

- "The medium is the message.” The "medium" is within the message that we embrace that makes a relationship that allows the medium to influence how the message is viewed.

- This new online community spreads around the world and creates a mash up of all cultures. It creates different views and ideas from different cultures.

- Christopher’s generation had the TV and that was basically it for technology, but at the time it was advanced. We have the web and all these new technological items, but in the future what we have will be out of date and there will be something new.

 - By becoming aware of the technology we are using, we can help to not let it take us over. "Program or be programmed." In this case ignorance is definitely not bliss.

- Multi tasking was a subject that was talked about a lot. There are mixed views about multi tasking, but I think in the long run it is good to get used to multi tasking because it helps train our brain. This ties in with the whole “decision fatigue” conversation as well.

Literature Analysis #2

Death of a Salesman


1. Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, is a story about the Loman's.  The main character, Willy, is always travelling because of his job as a salesman. He and his son Biff were very close when they were younger, but Biff began to slack and was really struggling at school and refused to try and do better. This really upset Willy. Willy eventually loses his job. He is so devastated about losing his job, because being a salesman has been such a huge part of his life.  He starts thinking about death and tries to kill himself a couple times.  Willy is also constantly day dreaming and this is how the reader learns more about him and his family.  The story ends with Willy dying in a car crash and few people mourning at his funeral.
 
2. Death of a Salesman is full of betrayal. Willy betrays Linda’s love and Biff’s trust with his affair. As the chief betrayer himself, Willy is preoccupied by the fear of betrayal. His frequent accusations that Biff is spiteful reflect his understanding that Biff’s failure in business is a rejection of Willy’s own dreams of success, and that Biff’s inability to keep a job is related to Willy’s love affair. Even outside of his family, Willy feels that his boss is betraying him by firing him, but Howard says that there’s no room for feelings of betrayal in the business world.

3. The tone in the play is mostly serious and sad. Willy reminisces about when Biff and Happy were younger and they had a closer relationship. No one was ever happy, and Linda seemed to always be worried about Willy.

4.Symbolism was displayed by the seeds that Willy would plant in his garden.  If Willy can suceed in making the seed grow and become something, maybe he will suceed as a dad and as a salesman.  Another form of symbolism is the rubber hose, which Willy uses to try and attempt suicide.  This is also ironic because the thing that he tried to kill himself with is also what he used in his home for his family's health and comfort.  A different element the author uses is hyperbole and Willy exagerates "the american dream."  His whole life is based on this idea and it overtakes his existence. Flashbacks are also used so the audience can get important background information.

Tools That Change the Way We Think

"Back in 2004, I asked [Google founders] Page and Brin what they saw as the future of Google search. 'It will be included in people's brains,' said Page. 'When you think about something and don't really know much about it, you will automatically get information.'

'That's true,' said Brin. 'Ultimately I view Google as a way to augment your brain with the knowledge of the world. Right now you go into your computer and type a phrase, but you can imagine that it could be easier in the future, that you can have just devices you talk into, or you can have computers that pay attention to what's going on around them and suggest useful information.'

'Somebody introduces themselves to you, and your watch goes to your web page,' said Page. 'Or if you met this person two years ago, this is what they said to you... Eventually you'll have the implant, where if you think about a fact, it will just tell you the answer."

-From In the Plex by Steven Levy (p.67)


Answer this not-so-simple question: How does extensive Internet/media/technology use change the way you think? Focus on your memory, your ability to concentrate, your sense of time and priorities, and the subjects/topics that interest you most. If you find "thinking about your thinking" difficult to assess, try the following strategies: compare yourself with older people who did most of their formal learning before smart phones and 2.0 existed; compare yourself with contemporaries who don't use those tools much today; read up on what education leaders and thinkers have to say about generational differences in thinking (and remember to cite your sources).


I've found that extensive use of internet, media and technology have made me lazy and distracted. Not only am I distracted by text messages and facebook, but also music. I personal have Itunes running at all times and tend to put on music which is very distracting. I zone out very easily. For example, right now I am on my laptop playing music with facebook on the next tab and a muted tv right in front of me. This is where I start getting lazy. With all these distractions it makes it hard for me to do my work because I know I can be doing so many other things which are more fun. I start rushing my work because of the amount of other things I could be doing. My parents always say I have it easy because if I need an answer it's always a click away and they didn't have that advantage when they were kids. I think it's a disadvantage because yes we have all the answers to our homework available on the internet, but we also have to deal with all the distractions that technology brings.

(No sources to cite, I just used personal examples)
Nathan Seidenberg
P. 3

In Search Of

I learned that search engines filter out what they "think" we don't care about and only feed us what we want to see. This creates our own little bubble of information that is unique to our own preferences. This information makes me think I'm ignorant to what else the internet has to offer. I don;t like this filtering because I don't like the idea of a computer knowing me. What else is technology capable of? It is scary to think about how many advances we've made and how much more we can do. I will try to search a bigger variety of things. The computer can't stereotype me if I am interested in everything.


When I re-did my search, I made it much more specific. I also found that a good way to get unique information is to go pages far into your search. That has information that google tried filtering to the back because it thought you didn't want to see it.

Notes on Hamlet

I have always heard that the worst part of senior year is Hamlet. So from the beginning I've been dreading it. I was pleasantly suprised by how much I actually enjoy figuring out what it all means. It reminds me of breaking down a song I like and trying to figure out all the metaphors the artist put in, and try to understand what the song means as a whole. When the book first started I was already interested, and my first impressions of most of the characters were accurate to how they turned out. I think Hamlet will finish what he started. He seems pretty set on killing the king and I think thats what will happen.

Who Was Shakespeare?

In my research I found that Shakespeare's identity is a mystery for the most part. We know minor details about him, but that's all. He was born in 1564, the third child and first son of John Shakespeare and his wife Mary Arden, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. He married Anne Hathaway in 1582 and they had 3 children. We don;t know exactly what he looks like, but we have some good guesses. When most students think of Shakespeare, they think "boring." At least that's what I always thought. Now that I have actually tried to understand his art, i appreciate it a lot more. I understand most of his slang now, but I still struggle putting it together.

To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

My initial impression of Facebook was that it was the "cool" thing to have. When I first heard about it, it was for college students only. I was into Myspace but always wished i could have a facebook. Facebook helps you connect with people you wouldn't otherwise be able to, but it also does that in a way that isnt very safe. Now that i know a thing or two about Facebook, I'm not so in love with it. I didn't realize how much Facebook invades your privacy and it just seems a little bit sneaky the way they do things.

(Don't) Be Hamlet

Hamlet’s dilemma is not one that I or anyone else I know is to familiar of. He has a huge problem ahead of him and recites a soliloquy talking about his problems. The issues he faces include suicide and murder, life and death. Hamlet has a problem with over thinking and I can see why with the problems he has.

In the speech, Hamlet considers suicide. His character is clearly shown in this speech. The speech itself shows that he thinks too much. He is wavering between the two extremes: life and death. "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them". He wonders whether he should live and suffer or die and end the suffering. He believes that life is just him suffering. The "whips and scorn of time, Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of disprized love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th'unworthy takes" are all the suffering he sees in life. He contemplates whether or not he should endure these pains of life. "To die, to sleep -no more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks...To sleep, perchance to dream". If he chooses death all his pains and heartaches would end. He would not have to worry about Claudius, Gertrude or any other aspect of his life that bothers or causes him stress.

The only thing keeping him from death is what is after it. The "dread of something after death, The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will" and keeps people from choosing death due to the fear of what lies after death. His entire monologue compares the two extremes: life and death. He analyzes both situations and thinks over it too much. This occurs not only in this speech, but also later in the play.

In the soliloquy, "To Be or Not To Be," Hamlet shows his character to be confused, unsteady, and an over thinker. He shows this by his attitude towards life and death. How he compares the two and analyzes them both shows that he over analyzes everything that he does. His character is not only shown in this monologue, but in other parts of the play too. If I were there to help him choose, I would convince him to kill his father. It is a perfect situation because commiting a deed such as killing the king would certainly be similar to suicide since he would be killed for it. He would get everything he wants. His troubles would be over and he could finally sleep (die) without worrying about his problems.

Literature Analysis Questions

1. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri describes the struggles of a man named Gogol Ganguli, dealing with his immigration and other problems he encountered being an Indian kid growing up in America.

2. The theme of this novel is finding your identity. Gogol changes his name to fight for his own identity.

3. The tone is very serious. The author is trying to compare two different lifestyles.

Ex: "Finish," his father says, glancing up from his magazine. "Don't play with food that way."

Ex: "You've never had a dog, have you?" Maxine says, observing him. "No."

Ex: "You are never at your apartment, Gogol. In the middle of the night i have called you and you are not there."

4. Personification-"the voice has begun to deepen, is slightly husky now."
Irony-"it occurs to Ashoke that he and his son probably wear the same size shoe."
Tone- "I feel a special kinship with Gogol."
Diction- "Ashoke notices a scattered down emerging on his son's upper lip."
Foreshadowing- "Apart from that. He spent most of his adult life outside his homeland. Like me."