Big Question

My big question is still, "What would happen if there was no school, would people find new ways to educate themselves or would they never want to learn again?". So far I've done some research on what other people think would happen. Many people have different opinions on what would happen. Some say the world would slowly get worse and worse since people wouldn't have the education to qualify for certain jobs which are important for the world. Overall, there are many things that can happen and nobody knows for sure what the people would do.

We Eat Social Media for Breakfast

     Diction, syntax, tone, and rhetorical strategies can be used in a variety of ways to develop and support an argument. The author's main goal is to help the readers better understand what they are talking about and let them know how they feel about a certain situation. The writing has to be engaging so that the readers keep reading which is why authors use strategies. If you think about it, readers will get bored reading if they don't understand what is being said and what is trying to be proven. In the essay the author writes in an informal way, he has a friendly and serious tone at certain times, and uses rhetorical strategies to support his argument and help the readers understand. 

     The author's diction isn't very sophisticated and he chooses words that most people will understand with ease. His diction supports his main argument in a way which the readers will better understand what is trying to be said. When reading the essay it is clear what the author is trying to say and what he is trying to convey. You can put yourself in his situation. You can tell the author's writing is informal when he says," Thanks for reading". Clearly this is informal and it makes it seem like he is writing to a friend or family. The essay is supposed to make you keep reading to find out what his argument is. 

     Throughout the essay the author's tone changes depending on the situation. There are times when he is acting friendly towards something and other times when he is serious about something. When he says,"I'm a wannabe Millennial" it is meant to be funny and friendly. He isn't really trying to be a Millennial it just comes off that way. Readers better understand what he is feeling when he says this and it supports his main argument about how technology, internet, and the social media have changed people's lives. There are other times when he is serious such as when he says,"I missed someone. I wish I could've shared the meal with her.". This should be taken as something serious and it lets the readers know that the author is upset about not being able to share his meal with someone he loves." Overall the authors tone lets the readers know how he feels about certain things that happened to him.

     The rhetorical strategies used in the essay are great at persuading the readers towards seeing things in a different way. He explains about how the meaning of pictures have changed over time and how social media is like a tool. After reading this essay the readers begin to think differently about technology and the internet. He talks about how technology brings people together like never before and it keeps them connected. His use of syntax furthermore supports his argument in a way which makes the readers think differently about technology. At one point in the essay the author talks about the Greek term Techne which means,"systematic treatment of an art, craft, or technique. In a way he wants to let readers know that technology and the internet represent a belief system.

     Overall the author's use of diction, syntax, tone, and rhetorical devices help the reader understand what is trying to be said. Diction is somewhat informal so that people feel like the author is talking to them, rhetorical strategies persuade the reader to think differently and the tone changes throughout the essay to show how the author feels about something. The author's main goal was to tell people how he felt about the internet and social media being used as tools and how they are a belief system. He tried to open up people'e eyes to how technology is evolving and changing our way of life. 

Essay

Question: Read the paragraph for E.M Forster's 1936 essay, "My Wood". Define Foster's attitude toward the experience of owning property and analyze that attitude; consider Foster's word choice, manipulation of sentences, and use of biblical allusions.

Prewrite:
- E.M Forster has property and wants to know its effects on him.
- He believes that owning property changes someone's behavior.
- It becomes harder to move when you have such a big place with many items.
- You have to dust, which means you need a duster, which leads to having servants, which need        insurance.
- The "Wood" represents his land.
- Owning property is not as good as it seems.
- He feels like he always has to do something to make his property better.
- He uses biblical allusions to convey a feeling and help the readers understand.
- His word choice is advanced and his readers are most likely well educated people who will truly undersand his metaphors and biblical allusions.
- He says property creates men of weight, which could mean that men get more selfish when they acquire more and more things.

Essay:

     E.M Forster wrote the essay, "My Wood" after his recent purchase of a house and land. He believed that owning more property and having more things would bring joy to his life. However after his experience with all this new property, his perception of owning property quickly changed. Throughout his essay he repeats, "My wood makes me feel heavy", a few times to let the readers know that he is not happy with having so much property and that it was dragging him down. Overall, Forster has a negative attitude towards owning property and conveys this feeling through the manipulation of words, word choice, and use of biblical allusions.

     E.M Forster's goal was to find out what owning property does to someone and its psychological effects on people. He talks about how it becomes harder to move when you have property because you have so many things to take with you. Maintenance becomes more difficult since there are more things you need to clean. Clearly, these things would change somebody's behavior and view on owning property. Increasing maintenance could lead to hiring servants which could lead to the person becoming lazy and expecting others to do their work all the time. In Forster's experience he was never satisfied with his property. Even though he owned it there were public paths that went through his land. He felt like the land wasn't fully his. You can tell Forster has changed because now he wants the property all to himself. He feels like he deserves to have it all to himself.

     Forster's choice of words is advanced and he uses objects to symbolize other things, such as his land which he refers to as his "wood". He says his wood makes him feel heavy. This could mean many things such as not being able to move around easily with all his stuff, becoming a selfish person, or even feeling like owning all this property is completely changing him. He believes that as he acquires more things he becomes heavier and heavier. He is becoming a man of weight. Instead of writing that he is a man who is buying more and more things, he writes that he is becoming a man of weight. He uses these words to symbolize that all his property makes him heavier.

      Forster's intended audience is for more mature people who will understand his vocabulary and use of biblical allusions. In one part of his essay when he talks about wanting more and more land he says, "Happier Alexander" which he could be referring to Alexander the Great who conquered a lot of land when he was a king. He could also be implying that people who own a lot of land feel like they are kings and that they should be respected. This could lead to people becoming arrogant and an increase in ego. Clearly these allusions help the readers understand in a deeper meaning what Forster is trying to say. Forster's allusions support his opinion on owning property.

     Forster's essay is informative and his purpose is to let people know that they should really think about what they're going to buy. He talks about his experience and how he felt himself changing. His manipulation of sentences help the reader get a better understanding of what he is trying to say. He mentions a bird that is on his property yet it is not his. He uses this to prove that he is not satisfied with his property and that it is not enough for him. Overall, Forster has a negative attitude towards owning land and doesn't want his readers to become the  men of weight which he describes in his essay. He supports his argument with allusions and personal experience.

   

Fahrenheit 451 Essay

Option 1

     Ray Bradbury's tone towards Clarisse is somewhat opposite to his tone towards Beatty, he wants to make Clarisse seem more affectionate and like someone who steered Montag's life into a better direction while Beatty wanted to stop Montag from heading in the wrong direction by reading books. Bradbury makes Beatty seem like someone who wanted to prevent Montag from changing. In this novel, conformity is one of the main issues in society. Everyone does the same things and they don't really pay attention or question why they are doing what they are doing. They sort of just follow the crowd and go on with their lives.

     Bradbury makes Clarisse seem like the outcast, however she impacts Montag's life greatly and shows him that not everything is as it seems. Clarisse's main role was to change Montag's perception of society and show him how much the world has changed. When Montag meets Clarisse, he realizes that she is not like everyone else and that she thinks for herself. Bradbury's tone is supportive and shows us that Montag's life may change for the better because of Clarisse. As Montag's life goes on he realizes that he has not seen Clarisse in a while. He asks Mildred if she has seen Clarisse recently and she says that Clarisse got ran over. Montag gets sad and wonders why things happen. Clarisse's death makes him want to read books in order to find the answers to his questions.

     On the other hand, Bradbury's tone towards Beatty shows us that Beatty isn't someone great and that he was doing the opposite of what Clarisse had done to Montag. Clarisse had changed Montag's perception however Beatty was trying to show Montag that it is not worth risking his life just to read books and think differently. During this time, it is considered illegal to read books. When people were caught with books, their books were burned and the person was arrested. Although it seems like Beatty was trying to help Montag not get arrested, he wasn't doing him a favor either by preventing him from thinking for himself. However, it's a bit weird that Beatty knows so much about books, maybe he used to read them secretly in the past and doesn't want Montag to waste his time. Clearly Bradbury wants the readers to know that Beatty is both good and bad towards Montag, depending on how you view the situation.

     Overall, it can be argued that Bradbury's tone towards Clarisse is much more supportive and helpful than his tone towards Beatty, the person who tried to stop Montag from thinking for himself and burned his books. His use of diction and syntax allows the readers to interpret what he writes in certain ways. He makes Clarisse seem like a sweet young girl who lit a spark in Montag's mind while he makes Beatty look like the mean antagonist.

Fahrenheit Questions Part 2

1. In this scene, Montag wants to continue reading books and believes that the answers to everything are in them, while Mildred wants to stop reading and watch tv. Mildred isn't interested in discovering something new.
2. The bombers flying over show how the people of the city don't pay much attention to them like if it happens regularly. It also creates a feeling of suspense and mystery.
3. Professor Faber used to be an old English Professor. Eventually most people stopped reading books and he didn't have a job anymore. Montag came to him for advice on books.
4. After watching the commercial Montag begins to question whether he should read books or stop reading and be like everyone else. This is a turning point because whatever he does will affect his life and view of the world. The commercial was distracting him from reading the Bible.
5. Faber believes that the books have answers to problems in your life. You can learn a lot from reading books and apply it to your life.
6. The "small green metal object" is an earpiece which Faber and Montag can communicate through. Faber gives it to Montag so that he can hear and tell him what to say.
7. The White Clown show leads me to believe that society is very childlike. Clowns are meant to be funny and  playful to kids however here there are adults like Mildred watching this show.
8. Mrs. Phelps cries because of the poetry. She hasn't heard anything like that in a long time and doesn't know how to react other than to cry.
9. His destination is his home because they are going to burn his books. Beatty drives there after the fire alarm rang.

Fahrenheit 451 Questions 1-15

1. I think Bradbury begins the book this way to show how Montag enjoys burning books instead of reading them. In this period of time it is rare for people to be reading books and it might even be seen as something bad. Montag believes he is doing something good by burning those books.
2. I believe the books are compared to birds because birds are living things and he wants to give life to the books. As the books burn they turn grey and eventually into ashes which can fly up into the air just like a bird.
3. Montag is a firefighter and his job is to burn down things instead of stopping the fire. His live is gloomy and dull compared to Clarisse's. His relationship with his wife isn't so great either. Clarisse is more energetic and happy. She likes to laugh and see everything different. Her home is full of laughter and conversations. Compared to Montag's life, there is definitely more excitement going on in Clarisse's life.
4. I would say technology is affecting Montag and Mildred's relationship in a bad way. Since Mildred is always watching television, she never really talks with Montag. They don't really show how much they love each other.
5. I believe the narrator introduces us to this point in Montag's life because it is the turning point of his life or maybe something big will happen and change his life. Clarisse has changed his views on life and how he feels about himself. The previous years of his life may have been a routine and boring but now some action is going on.
6. The author may have introduced Clarisse before Mildred because Clarisse is different than everyone else and likes to be happy, while Mildred is just as boring as all the other people around.
7. All the houses are fireproof so that when the firefighters burn some books, it won't spread to other houses. It will keep the fire from spreading throughout  the whole city.
8. Mildred requires emergency service because she overdosed on sleeping pills. She tried to kill herself but Montag was able to find her in time and save her. Some technicians saved her with a machine.
9. The mechanical hound is sort of like a robotic dog that kills people who disobey the law. Montag feels like it is staring at him in a bad way like it wants to hurt him.
10. The people consider Clarisse antisocial because she is so different than everyone and likes to talk with others. She also doesn't use technology as much as the others
11. The woman with the books lights the match because she would rather die with her books than go on living without them. She believes she can't live without her books, it's like they're a part of her.
12. Montag and Mildred's relationship isn't so good, they can't even remember when they met. Being married for ten years may have become boring for them and now they aren't so much in love rather just living together because they're married.
13. Beatty visits Montag to make sure that he is still focused on his job and isn't thinking about quitting.
15. Montag feels fat because he is hiding books. He is keeping something which is seen as bad in this society. His job used to be burning books and now here he is hiding them instead. He feels guilty for what he is doing.

Fahrenheit 451 Reflection so far

As we read through some of the first pages in Fahrenheit 451, I realized some things I hadn't seen the first time. One part ties in with the short story, "The Pedestrian". As Clarissa walks with Montag she says her uncle was arrested for simply being a pedestrian. This is so similar to what happened in the short story. I also noticed that Bradbury wrote about things that didn't exist at the time, such as headphones and flat screen TVs. It appears that Clarrise and Montag are almost the opposite of each other. Clarisse lives in a house full of light, laughter, and love while Montag lives in a gloomy, dark house. She brings happiness to Montag's life.

What I See in Literature

One of the main themes in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock is time. He talks about how he is growing old. He says, "Time to turn back and descend the stair, with a bald spot in the middle of my hair.". He wants to approach the women he loves but he begins to question himself. He worries about being rejected and doesn't have the nerves to talk to her. His chance of talking to her has passed and now he is just an old man. Time changes all throughout the poem, at the beginning he is a young man who is in love while at the end he is a lonely old man.

Gatsby essay thesis

The American Dream is that every person should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity. Gatsby's desire for success is clearly evidence of the American Dream and obsession. Gatsby is determined to rekindle his love with Daisy no matter what or who gets in between them. He believes that his money can get him anything he wants. I do believe Gatsby symbolizes our culture and desires because all of us want something but sometimes we just can't have it. Even though some people may have money they still can't get all they want. It's like the old saying, "Money can't buy you happiness."

Gatsby Chapter 7 Notes

• Gatsby stopped hosting parties 
• Holding down the receiver - trying to hide who you're talking to
• Gatsby didn't really believe Daisy's daughter existed
• Tom realizes Gatsby and Daisy love each other 
• "Her voice is full of money" 
• A medium- a palm reader; fortune teller 
• Wilson realized that Myrtle was cheating on him
• Tom's life is beginning to fall apart
• A row is a fight 
• As they all drive back to Long Island they see an accident 
• A man named Michaelis tells them that it was Myrtle who had been hit by a car
• Nick believes it was Gatsby and Daisy who hit Myrtle
• Gatsby tells Nick that it was Daisy who was driving when they hit Myrtle 

Gatsby Chapter 6 Notes

• Gatsby's real name is James Gatz
• Gatsby warns Dan Cody about a storm and Gatsby becomes his personal assistant 
• Gatsby fell in love with all the wealth and luxury 
• Gatsby took care of Cody when he drank and Gatsby realized the dangers of alcohol
• When Cody died he left Gatsby $25,000 but he never ended up receiving the money 
• Tom is over at Gatsby's house one day and Gatsby tells Tom that he knows Daisy
• Tom becomes suspicious of Gatsby and Daisy
• Gatsby invites Tom and Daisy to a party but Daisy doesn't really have much fun
• Gatsby wants Daisy to leave Tom and be with him just like before 
• Gatsby believes his money can fix anything 

Gatsby Chapter 5 Notes

• Nick goes home after his talk with Jordan 
• Gatsby waits for him at his house and seems nervous.
• Nick agrees to invite Daisy over to his house so the Gatsby can reunite with her.
• Gatsby offers Nick to join him in a little business on the side to make money but Nick refuses.
• Gatsby worries that things between him and Daisy won't be the same.
• At first, the meeting is awkward but after Nick comes back Gatsby and Daisy seem really happy.
• Gatsby invites Daisy to his house and he shows her around.
• Gatsby tells Klipspringer to play a song on the piano for them.

Is Gatsby Good?

In my opinion Gatsby is good but also selfish at the same time.  At first when Nick met Gatsby, Gatsby said he remembered him from war and was kind enough to offer him a ride in his airplane the next day. He hosts a bunch of parties for people yet he is doing it in hopes of Daisy showing up to one of his parties. All Gatsby wants is to reunite with Daisy. He asks Nick to invite her over so that they can reunite and Nick accepts. Gatsby becomes excited that Nick said yes and begins to offer him things such as sending someone to cut his grass. Overall Gatsby is good and seems to have good intentions.

Gatsby Test chapters 1-4

1. Where was Nick born and where does he live now?
2. How are Nick and Daisy related?
3. What is the name of Tom's lover from New York?
4. Who does Wilson think his wife visits when she goes to New York?
5. What are some of the rumors going around about Gatsby?
6. Where does Gatsby recognize Nick from?
7. What is the truth that Jordan told Nick?
8. Why does Gatsby host a bunch of parties and why does he live just across the bay from Daisy?

Gatsby Chapter 4 Notes

• Gatsby is the son of some wealthy people in the Middle West.
• He was brought up in America and educated at Oxford because it was a family tradition. 
• He lived like a young rajah in all the capitals of Europe.
• Jordan says Gatsby and Daisy used to be lovers. 
• Daisy was drunk the day before her wedding and changed her mind about marrying Tom. 
• The next day she ended up getting married either way. 
• Gatsby bought his house so that Daisy would be just across the bay. 
• Gatsby hosts all these parties hoping that Daisy will show up. He would ask people if they knew Daisy and Jordan was the first to say yes. 
• Gatsby wants Nick to invite Daisy over to his house for tea so that Gatsby can unexpectedly pass by and reunite with Daisy. 

Gatsby Chapter 4

In this chapter, Gatsby invites Nick to have lunch together. On the way to the city Gatsby reveals who he truly is. He says he's the son of some wealthy people in the middle-west, who was brought up in America but educated at Oxford since it was a family tradition. Gatsby said he lived like a young rajah in all the capitals of Europe collecting jewels, hunting big game, painting, and trying to forget something sad that happened to him. Gatsby even showed Nick some pictures to prove what he said. In my opinion I don't think Gatsby is telling the truth because he seems very mysterious and doesn't socialize much during his parties. It's weird how he hosts a bunch of parties yet he's not really involved in them. Jordan reveals the truth to Nick about Daisy and Gatsby's past relationship. She tells him that Daisy was rich living with Gatsby until he went off to war. Daisy's parents didn't approve of the relationship so Daisy had to look elsewhere. Jordan says that Gatsby hosts all these parties to try and get Daisy to go and reunite with her. I think Jordan is telling the truth unless Gatsby offered her money to lie to Nick when he spoke with her. After all Jordan is a dishonest person just like Nick said.

Gatsby Chapter 3 Remix

Nick gets an invitation from Gatsby's chauffeur to the party. Gatsby hosts lavish parties every week and many rich people from East Egg come to have a good time. When Nick gets to the party he doesn't see Gatsby and wonders why he isn't so involved in the party. Nick and Jordan walk around looking for Gatsby and talk to new people. Nick sits down with a man who recognizes him from the Third Division during war and soon finds out that it's Gatsby. Nick realizes that Gatsby keeps himself away from the party. After that, people start leaving the party and both Jordan and Nick leave too. As Nick goes home he sees Owl Eyes, which is a drunk man he saw in the library, who crashed his car into a ditch. Later on in the chapter it is revealed that Nick is seeing Jordan just like Daisy and Tom had hoped. Even though Nick thinks Jordan is dishonest, he finds her attractive.

Gatsby Chapter 3 Notes

• Why isn't Gatsby there?
• Mr. Mumbles says that Gatsby was a German Spy during the war while the other women think he killed a man.
• Nick is very curious about who Gatsby is.
• Gatsby invited Nick to fly in his hydroplane 
• Gatsby recognized Nick from the Third Division during the war.
• Gatsby may be shy so he throws a party to try and get to know people.  
• He wants to be thought of as a good person and wants to make the people happy.
• Superficiality- how people see each other.
• Florid- red faced
• Corpulent- obese, big
• "The Lonely Crowd" 
• Gatsby isolates himself and just watches the party. As the people get more drunk Gatsby seems more formal and responsible.
• Jordan is dishonest

Gatsby Chapter 2 Notes

• Tom Buchanan made it obvious to everyone that he has a mistress in New York.
• Tom wanted Nick to meet his girl.
• anemic- pail
• Wilson needs something from Tom but Tom doesn't need anything from Wilson.
• stout- strength, muscle, big
• Wilson believes his wife goes to New York to visit her sister. 
• Tom drinks a lot which could mean that he's not happy.
• Myrtle is Tom's lover and she occasionally lives in the apartment Tom pays for.
• Catherine is Myrtle's sister.
• proprietary- ownership

The Great Gatsby Notes 1, 2

• Supercilious- behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.
• Epigraph- a brief quote at the beginning of a chapter that is suggestive to its theme.

Characters:

• Nick (narrator)- lives in Long Island, tries not to judge people 
• Daisy- looks forward to things, misses them, is never satisfied
• Tom Buchanan- has a cruel body, is sort of like a bully
• Miss Baker- always bored / tired

Everything is a Remix

• Remix: to combine or edit existing materials to create something new; the arrangement and transformation of samples.
• Remix originally applied to music.
• Anybody can remix anything and distribute it globally instantly.
• Some remixes are better than others.
• The light bulb is a popular metaphor for creativity. 
• The truth behind most creations is not that they happen all at once, instead it is more like small ideas clump together to form something bigger.
• There are three basic elements for creating something.
• Domain Knowledge, which can be acquired through copying.
•  Transformation, which is time consuming and labor intensive but can produce better results.
•  Combinations, which is taking existing stuff and merging them together especially if they are not related.
• Basically the three steps for creating are Copy, Transform, and Combine
• Loss Aversion is when people are more focused on avoiding losses than acquiring gains.
• Ideas are not property which means you can't really steal an idea. It's more like copying.
• There would be many complications if we considered ideas property.

Music as Literature

Yes! We can consider music as literature because every song has some sort of background and central message. When you hear a song you can figure out what the artist's tone is and the mood they are trying to convey to the readers. A song is a way of telling a story, just that instead of reading it you are listening to it. Most people, if not all, listen to music occasionally whether it's to feel better or just enjoy the rhythm. In my opinion, the difference between a novel, rap, poem, song, opera, and a symphony is that way that it is told. These are all different forms of literature that are expressed differently.

Hello 2017!

At the beginning of 2016 I wasn't as worried with my classes as I am now. Sophomore year wasn't easy but it was easier than his year so far. I have become more disciplined since then because my classes now require me to pay more attention and do a lot of work out of class. I also have become more social since many of my classes require me to partner up or work in groups with other students to work on a project. Overall I would say that I have become more involved in my classes and focused in school this year more than last year.