The beat generation had a great revolutionary impact on modern society, especially concerning freedom. An entire generation demanded peace and was careless about the consequences, they were free spirits. Jack Kerouack was one of the pioneers in that movement. His novel On the Road, published in 1957, reflects the ideals of this generation. The author shows the importance of freedom through the eyes of his characters.He tempts to change the vision of America towards the black people, he uses Sal, the narrator who discovers the road, to get the readers to live through his eyes. Dean also characterizes freedom by his liberal thinking and freedom is expressed through him and Sal.
First, the rights of the African-American people are ignored by the Americans in that period, still considering them as slaves. However, the characters in the book have no prejudice against them and they want to hang around them, knowing they will have a good time. At one point, Sal is tortured by his existence and wishes he could be a black man, because he thinks it's quite dull to be a white man. A white man saying that is pretty much ironic, since they are the ones with the most respect. However, Sal being a child of the revolution, he doesn't care about respect and notoriety and only wants to have fun. The irony is espacially noticeable in this quotation; ''(...) wishing I were a Negro, feeling that the best the white world had offered was not enough ecstacy for me, not enough life, joy, kicks, darkness, music, not enough night.'' p.179. Clearly, the author wants to criticize and mock the american way of thinking by picking the opposite side of conventional ideas. Therefore, Kerouak uses Sal to break prejudice and racism of the era.
Secondly, Dean is described as a free spirit who does anything he wants to do. Being an ex-convict, freedom is priceless to him and is probably the most important value for him. He refuses to be held back by rules. He steals cars, have mistresses, takes drugs and drinks. He is the one that influences Sal in being careless about life and only enjoy the present. At one point in the novel, he starts using the expression IT to qualify freedom and wisdom. When he talks about perseverance and liberty, there is an imagery to express the importance of freedom to Sal's mind; ''(...) I also had a vision of myself on a white horse riding alongside over every possible obstacle that presented itself(...)'' p.209. This vision is from his childhood and proves that he had always wanted to be free. The imagery implies that he is a kind of knight defending his pride and freedom. Then again, Kerouak puts emphasis on freedom, as for the characters visions.
To conclude, Jack kerouak uses the liberal spirit of his characters and the condition of Arican-American to expose the importance of freedom. The book was really controversial when it first got published because it involved shocking themes and situations. Even if the book is less shocking these days, it still approaches a modern identity to relate to. Let's never forget the beat generation.
527 words
vendredi 14 mai 2010
Final writing test-Part A
The tell-tale heart
2. I can only think of one movie; Misery, from Stephen King. A woman tortures her favorite author because of her obsession for his novels. She kidnaps him, and at some point, breaks his leags with a hammer. Throughout the end, she get more and more disturbed. It is a must-see film.
An occurence et Owl Creek Bridge
5. The author tricks the reader into thinking the main character is still alive and that he tries to escape. He makes us think that the character has returned to his wife and kid and that everything will be fine.Surely, at the end of the story, we realize that he was dead from the point he got hanged.
The comedy of Errors
9. Some themes as family and couple relationships are universal and timeless subjects that will probably always be relevant. The director wanted to show, by actualizing the story in a modern environment, that some themes are timeless.
10. The actors were great, and went on a more realistic side despite the fact that Shakespeare's plays are written to be more of a declamation style then a psychiological torture. The sets were poly-fonctional and really captured the essence of the city. To put it in a modern context was a heavy decision and I thought it changed all the meaning of the play, I would have prefered to see it old style.
2. I can only think of one movie; Misery, from Stephen King. A woman tortures her favorite author because of her obsession for his novels. She kidnaps him, and at some point, breaks his leags with a hammer. Throughout the end, she get more and more disturbed. It is a must-see film.
An occurence et Owl Creek Bridge
5. The author tricks the reader into thinking the main character is still alive and that he tries to escape. He makes us think that the character has returned to his wife and kid and that everything will be fine.Surely, at the end of the story, we realize that he was dead from the point he got hanged.
The comedy of Errors
9. Some themes as family and couple relationships are universal and timeless subjects that will probably always be relevant. The director wanted to show, by actualizing the story in a modern environment, that some themes are timeless.
10. The actors were great, and went on a more realistic side despite the fact that Shakespeare's plays are written to be more of a declamation style then a psychiological torture. The sets were poly-fonctional and really captured the essence of the city. To put it in a modern context was a heavy decision and I thought it changed all the meaning of the play, I would have prefered to see it old style.
vendredi 19 mars 2010
The comedy of Errors
-Author
-Context
-Characters
Shakespeare, 16th century
Plays: Tragedy, Historical, Comedy
Syracuse ( Sicily) Ephesus ( Turkey)
S. Antipholus (not maried) and E. Antipholus (Andriana) (twin brother)
S. Dromio and E. Dromio (the twin servants of the twin brothers)
Egeon (Father) and Emilia (Mother) (Abess, head of the monastery)
Angelo ( Jeweller)
Solinus (Duke)
-Context
-Characters
Shakespeare, 16th century
Plays: Tragedy, Historical, Comedy
Syracuse ( Sicily) Ephesus ( Turkey)
S. Antipholus (not maried) and E. Antipholus (Andriana) (twin brother)
S. Dromio and E. Dromio (the twin servants of the twin brothers)
Egeon (Father) and Emilia (Mother) (Abess, head of the monastery)
Angelo ( Jeweller)
Solinus (Duke)
vendredi 5 mars 2010
Midterm Writing test Part B
Wrap-up activities
10.
First, The author puts the reader in a simple regular everyday situation for him to identify to the story. She wants to capture his attention for the eventual dramatic turn out. She associates bread with a pleasure of life, describing clearly the fact that you ate it with appetite. She starts out the story with the word ''imagine'' that will be repeated each time she changes the circumstances. She insists on the fact that making bread is for you a relaxing thing you often enjoy. She describes a simple action we do mostly everyday that doesn't mean anything to us. She wants to make us remember the pleasure of eating peanut butter honey bread.
Then, she transports you into the dramatic context of famine, keeping the bread as the main stake. She defines you as a poor person living in a slum with a younger sister starving to death. The author clearly defines that you are sleeping on a thin mattress and that the walls are made out of dried earth to make you empathize with the situation. After, she imposes you an ultimatum; give the bread to your starving sister, or keep it to yourself. Here again, the bread is the main element that will make all the difference. She wants you to think about the banality of the bread for you and the importance of it for the starving poor people. She starts of the paragraph with the word believe to really make you imagine it could happen to you.
To conclude, we clearly see that Margaret Atwood uses the bread as an introspection tool. She makes you identify, then she confronts you with a situation you usually want to avoid and forget. She denounces our capitalist and our self-minded thinking compared to the distressed starving people living in poor conditions that as nothing but bread. Then she makes you believe that the bread might be an hallucination to give it importance it deserves.The story is wrote as if the author is personally speaking to you. This makes you imagine yourself beeing confronted to these situation.
10.
First, The author puts the reader in a simple regular everyday situation for him to identify to the story. She wants to capture his attention for the eventual dramatic turn out. She associates bread with a pleasure of life, describing clearly the fact that you ate it with appetite. She starts out the story with the word ''imagine'' that will be repeated each time she changes the circumstances. She insists on the fact that making bread is for you a relaxing thing you often enjoy. She describes a simple action we do mostly everyday that doesn't mean anything to us. She wants to make us remember the pleasure of eating peanut butter honey bread.
Then, she transports you into the dramatic context of famine, keeping the bread as the main stake. She defines you as a poor person living in a slum with a younger sister starving to death. The author clearly defines that you are sleeping on a thin mattress and that the walls are made out of dried earth to make you empathize with the situation. After, she imposes you an ultimatum; give the bread to your starving sister, or keep it to yourself. Here again, the bread is the main element that will make all the difference. She wants you to think about the banality of the bread for you and the importance of it for the starving poor people. She starts of the paragraph with the word believe to really make you imagine it could happen to you.
To conclude, we clearly see that Margaret Atwood uses the bread as an introspection tool. She makes you identify, then she confronts you with a situation you usually want to avoid and forget. She denounces our capitalist and our self-minded thinking compared to the distressed starving people living in poor conditions that as nothing but bread. Then she makes you believe that the bread might be an hallucination to give it importance it deserves.The story is wrote as if the author is personally speaking to you. This makes you imagine yourself beeing confronted to these situation.
Midterm Writing test: Part A
Part A: Writer's Craft
Figurative Devices:
1.The ''new food'' is a metaphore, because we associate this type of food with the astronaut, which is synonym of technology. Also, there is a parallel to do with the obsession of man to simplify everything, even things that souldn't be.
2.a) ''Bread'' is the link between the situations given by the author and it is defined differently for each of these situations. Imagery is important, because it lets imagine and identify yourself with the main action.
b) I found the famine imagery really powerful, because it makes us realize how lucky we are to have everything we need. It makes you see throught the eyes of a poor person beeing confronted to a difficult choice.
4.a) The first time the author uses this metaphor, it's right before the old man dies; ''Night is a black sheet.''. It is repeated at the end of the story when the the old woman lies down; '' black sheet of night.''.
b) For me, the first time it appears, the metaphor involves the death of the old man, because the following sentence says that he passes away.
c) When the metaphor is repeated at the end of the story, we can conclude that she fell asleep, or that she also died. It depends on the readers imagination.
Rhythm:
1. ''Old Habits Die Hard'' uses a rhythmical language.
2. Bedbug. Bedridden. Bedlam. Bedpan. Bedraggled. Bedfast.
Level of Language:
1. ''The New Food''
2. ''Bread''
3. ''The New Food''
Syntax:
1. '' Old Habits Die Hard''
2. First, it is mentionned that the old man can't talk and can't remember most of his memories. Using a short form of sentence, involves the fact that the old man is tired and doesn't have the energy to formulate complete thoughts.
3. We can deduce that the old woman was the old man's wife and that she was taking care of him.
4.a) It's a quite long sentence that uses repetition of words in each preceding sentences.
b) There are two question marks in the last sentence, probably to impose an introspection from the reader. It finishes with the word ''imagine'', which introduced most of the paragraphs.
Tone:
1.'' The new Food''
2. It dramatises the the saddening effect of the invention.
3. Sadness: ''Bread''
Uneasiness: ''Old Habits Die Hard''
Attitude:
1. '' Bread''
2. The author wants to influence a refexion from the reader, since she uses strong imagery and vocabulary to denounce sad situations.
Figurative Devices:
1.The ''new food'' is a metaphore, because we associate this type of food with the astronaut, which is synonym of technology. Also, there is a parallel to do with the obsession of man to simplify everything, even things that souldn't be.
2.a) ''Bread'' is the link between the situations given by the author and it is defined differently for each of these situations. Imagery is important, because it lets imagine and identify yourself with the main action.
b) I found the famine imagery really powerful, because it makes us realize how lucky we are to have everything we need. It makes you see throught the eyes of a poor person beeing confronted to a difficult choice.
4.a) The first time the author uses this metaphor, it's right before the old man dies; ''Night is a black sheet.''. It is repeated at the end of the story when the the old woman lies down; '' black sheet of night.''.
b) For me, the first time it appears, the metaphor involves the death of the old man, because the following sentence says that he passes away.
c) When the metaphor is repeated at the end of the story, we can conclude that she fell asleep, or that she also died. It depends on the readers imagination.
Rhythm:
1. ''Old Habits Die Hard'' uses a rhythmical language.
2. Bedbug. Bedridden. Bedlam. Bedpan. Bedraggled. Bedfast.
Level of Language:
1. ''The New Food''
2. ''Bread''
3. ''The New Food''
Syntax:
1. '' Old Habits Die Hard''
2. First, it is mentionned that the old man can't talk and can't remember most of his memories. Using a short form of sentence, involves the fact that the old man is tired and doesn't have the energy to formulate complete thoughts.
3. We can deduce that the old woman was the old man's wife and that she was taking care of him.
4.a) It's a quite long sentence that uses repetition of words in each preceding sentences.
b) There are two question marks in the last sentence, probably to impose an introspection from the reader. It finishes with the word ''imagine'', which introduced most of the paragraphs.
Tone:
1.'' The new Food''
2. It dramatises the the saddening effect of the invention.
3. Sadness: ''Bread''
Uneasiness: ''Old Habits Die Hard''
Attitude:
1. '' Bread''
2. The author wants to influence a refexion from the reader, since she uses strong imagery and vocabulary to denounce sad situations.
vendredi 26 février 2010
Poetry
Pre 15th century: Period-Medieval, Type of poetry-epics romances, Themes-great deeds
14th: Type-tales and stories, Themes-comedy,satiric, ironic, love
15th: Types-ballads, folk, Themes-religion, history
16th: Period-Golden age, Types-sonnets, Themes-love,passion,beauty
17th: Period-late Renaissance, Types-nature, epic, metaphysical, Themes-love, passion
18th: Period-age of Inlightment, Types-elegy, Themes- satire, ponderings, self analysis
19th: Period-1.age of romanticism 2.victorian, Types: lyrical, Themes-1.occult, supernatural, satanic.2.social issues, economic ills, god.
14th: Type-tales and stories, Themes-comedy,satiric, ironic, love
15th: Types-ballads, folk, Themes-religion, history
16th: Period-Golden age, Types-sonnets, Themes-love,passion,beauty
17th: Period-late Renaissance, Types-nature, epic, metaphysical, Themes-love, passion
18th: Period-age of Inlightment, Types-elegy, Themes- satire, ponderings, self analysis
19th: Period-1.age of romanticism 2.victorian, Types: lyrical, Themes-1.occult, supernatural, satanic.2.social issues, economic ills, god.
vendredi 19 février 2010
Writing paragraphs
1. Contains 1 main idea = Topic sentence ( TS)
2. Has supporting details = That relate to the TS
3. Details include facts, examples using quotes, interpretations
4. Sometimes has a conclusion
5. 100-150 words
6. Should be interesting and have an impact
2. Has supporting details = That relate to the TS
3. Details include facts, examples using quotes, interpretations
4. Sometimes has a conclusion
5. 100-150 words
6. Should be interesting and have an impact
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