Semester 1

This semester my favorite thing was definitely the first essay we wrote on Hamlet. That essay was one of the best I've written because I enjoyed the subject and the story itself. I loved being able to analyze the speech of each character and how it related to the story and connected their relationships. Because of this essay, I will read stories much differently because I can analyze the way they speak and how it effects the overall story.

Best Performance Choices

When acting out Act 1, Scene 2, my group chose to use Derek Jacobi's version as our inspiration. Anthony and I, who played the King and Queen, chose to stay close together. This position choice separated us from Hamlet (Marcel) and exaggerated his hatred for us. Anthony also had to ask me where Hamlet goes to school, also representing our separation. Marcel's responses towards us were incredibly sarcastic as I showed no sign of care of comfort for my son and just stayed by my husbands side. I feel these performances choices really helped our scene as we reflected a diverse version of Hamlet.

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

"Do I dare 
Disturb the universe? 
In a minute there is time 
For decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse."

 In T.S Elliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the narrator speaks of his life experiences and how they have helped him learn. I specifically love the quote above as Elliot speaks of the essence of time and the importance of making good decisions. But at the same time, the narrator debates "disturbing the universe" with his actions and choses to let be a bystander rather than a leader. He also recognizes that the world can change in a minute, but it only takes your decisions to change the next minute. I feel this idea is incredibly profound as the world is constantly changing and that its the people who recognize the importance of time that will succeed in life and make a difference. More importantly, these people will take every opportunity in life and live it to the fullest- similar to the narrator and his experiences. 

Analysis of "To be or not to be"

In Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy, Hamlet's language distinctly identifies his feeling towards the betrayal of his kingdom. If I were to direct this scene, there would definitely be certain words and phrases that I would be sure to resonate throughout my audience. Through the words "heart-ache," "suffer," "troubles," "die," and "dreams," Hamlet emphasizes his pain for losing his dad, the betrayal of his mother, and the current king who murdered his brother without consequence. Hamlet is forced to hide this pain and choses to act like a madman in his plan to overtake the kingdom and find the king guilty. Through the use of the word "dreams," Shakespeare reveals Hamlet's crushed dreams of kingship and the "suffering" that he now must face.

Figurative Language

Figurative language is a way to analyze language. When authors use figurative language, they take a word or concept and compare it to another concept that exaggerates its meaning. Through this comparison, the writer can put better emphasis on a concept by creating a clearer and more distinct definition for the reader. Similar to imagery, the author elaborates on a concept or even a scene through language by creating a visual aspect throughout their story that engages the reader and allows them to picture the story through the details given. Although Hamlet lacks a narrator, stopping the reader from visualising a given scene, Shakespeare uses figurative language to create a setting through the language of his characters. In Hamlet's soliloquy, Shakespeare uses Hamlet's language to create an image of the current problems in Hamlet's head and kingdom: "The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks, that flesh is heir to: 'tis a consummation" (3.1). Through the "thousand natural shocks" and "flesh," the reader can further understand the true pain and heartbreak of Hamlet through the image given by Shakespeare.

King Claudius and Laertes

After Hamlet kills Polonius, Laertes' father, Laertes goes to the Kingdom in attempts to gain the thrown. Instead, Claudius uses Laertes' pain against him, convincing him to carry out a duty he doesn't want the blame for while also pleasing his personal agenda. Similar to the death of Hamlet's father, Claudius questions Laertes' love for his father: "Laertes was your father dear to you? Or are you like a painting of sorrow, a face without a heart?" (Act 4, Scene 7). This appears directly as an insult to Laertes, as Claudius assumes that he pretends to love his father since he has done nothing to rectify his death. By questioning his love for his father, Claudius guilts Laertes into this action as a sense of pride and duty to his father: "To show yourself your father's son in deed more than in words?" (Act 4, Scene 7). Claudius wants Laertes to go after Hamlet for killing his father, and manipulates him to do so by guilting him and his self pride. By murdering Hamlet, Laertes will fulfill his duty to his father in action rather than words.

Hamlet and Gertrude

In Hamlet, Hamlet faces the uncomfortable situation between his mother and uncle (now father). Although he has let this situation make him almost mad as he must call the man who killed his real father "father" now, Hamlet chooses to confront his mother and alert her of her wrong doings. Through this emotional scene, Hamlet opens up to his mother about the conflicts that have bothered him, but the only outcome of this scene is Gertrude's faith in his craziness strengthened: "A bloody deed! almost as bad, good mother,
As kill a king, and marry with his brother" (Act 4). Hamlet accuses his mother of doing a deed as bloody as murder, marrying the person who killed her true love. By pointing out her marriage and complete betrayal of his real father, Hamlet belittles not only his mother, but her choices as well. Unfortunately, Gertrude fails to acknowledge her betrayal in full, but forces Hamlet to calm down: "O Hamlet, speak no more:
Thou turn'st mine eyes into my very soul"(Act 4). She refuses to look into her soul and her wrongdoings, allowing the readers to fully see the truth in Hamlet's accusations as her soul tells her she is truly wrong. Although there is a shimmer of hope at the end of the scene as Hamlet and his mom rekindle their love, Gertrude leaves her room to King Claudius, only to tell him of Hamlet's craziness and have him sent away.

Sound

Sound is created through rhyme, enjambment, and caesura. Through these devices, a muscial sound is released while reading poetry, adding to its meaning and the way the poem flows. In "Out, Out," Frost uses sound to personify his objects and give the reader a visual perspective of its actions. "Buzz-snaw snarled and rattled" uses consonance to enforce the constonants of the sentence and personify the saw's actions. The "s" sound lets the reader flow through the sentence and draws the attention to the way the saw moved. Similarly in Pope's poem, "A bid alternate passions fall and rise!" also uses consonance to exaggerate the forcefullness and power of the sentence. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses a different kind of sound device to illuminate the language of his characters.  Ophelia often uses onomonopeia to reveal her feelings of sadness after the loss of her father: " At his heels a stone. O ho!" By using "O ho!" instead of a sentence, the phrase reveals her pain and resonantes with her feelings of regret and sadness. Sounds contribute greatly to the attitudes and language of each character as it gives insight into their feelings while creating a rhythm throughout the words.

Body Paragraph 2

Although Ophelia and Hamlet’s relationship creates conflict throughout their peers, the true conflict rests among themselves. Shakespeare presents two characters with an incredibly complex relationship, manipulated by their families, as exemplified through their distinctive language. As Hamlet pretends to become a madman, his language towards Ophelia reveals incredibly verbose, filled with long and expressive language. In contrast, Ophelia’s appears short with reserved emotions as manipulation by her family changes her mind. The reader can infer that Hamlet and Ophelia are madly in love, but the way they show their love leaves the reader unsure, as their language proves unequal; “ Soft you now! The fair Ophelia!—Nymph, in thy orisons be all my sins remember’d” (3.1.88-89). Based on his language, Hamlet’s love for Ophelia reveals immense and powerful. After his soliloquy expressing his agony for the loss of his father and kingdom, his language becomes softer once Ophelia appears in the court. His ability to diminish all his painful feelings and become peaceful upon Ophelia’s presence reveals his admiration for her, another symbol of their relationship. But his language proves the complete opposite of Ophelia’s as she reveals unsure of their relationship while hiding her emotions behind her words; “My honour’d lord, you know right well you did; and, with them, words of so sweet breath compos’d as made the things more rich: their perfume lost, take these again; for to the noble mind rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind” (2.1.98-101). Ophelia hides her love for Hamlet, manipulated by her father and his disapproving opinion of their relationship. Although her cynical words prove harsh as she returns her undesired gifs, her language hints at her true feelings. “So sweet breath compos’d” reveals Ophelia’s struggle for love as she is forced to neglect her feelings for Hamlet, but also must obey her father’s orders and reject Hamlet’s offerings. Although Shakespeare presents both characters’ speech as widely different, their language allows the readers to discover their love beneath their shallow and manipulated words. 

Symbols and Themes in Yeats'

Symbols and themes are objects or people that reoccur throughout a story to make the reader think. As the symbols reoccur throughout the story, the readers make connections from those symbols and relate them to the actions and personalities of each character. In William Butler Yeats' poem "The Second Coming," the use of symbolism helps to extend the meaning of the story, drawing the reader in. For example, the "falcon" and its flight represents the spiraling down of human society, "The falcon cannot hear the falconer; things fall apart; the center cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world."By explaining that this "falcon" is falling down, the Second Coming gains its purpose for the survival of the world and mankind. Also the "Spiritus Mundi" represents the "soul of the world," as Yeats reveals it as desperate for the Second Coming.

Body Paragraph 1: Hamlet

Shakespeare’s use of language in Hamlet gives the readers the opportunity to look beyond the actions of each character and explore the story through text. As Ophelia and Hamlet are never put on stage together until Act 3, Shakespeare creates a relationship never acted out, but solely through the use of language and conflict. The language of both characters clearly implies their love for each other, but the language of their peers reveals their disapproval for this relationship, thus causing an inner conflict between each character. In Act I, Ophelia faces her brother, Laertes, as he gives her advice about her secret relationship with Hamlet; “ Perhaps he loves you now, and now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch the virtue of his will: but you must fear, His greatness weigh’d, his will is not his own; for he himself is subject to his birth” (Hamlet Act 1). Laertes strongly disapproves of their relationship, as he believes that Hamlet will solely choose a wife based on his royalty and not for love. Although Laertes attempts to protect his sister, this conversation instigates conflict through his threatening and strict language, warning Ophelia of the consequences. Now, Ophelia must choose between her heart and the opinions of her family. Similarly, Hamlet’s love for Ophelia instigates conflict between himself and Ophelia’s father, Polonius. As the secret of their relationship spreads, Polonius becomes protective of his daughter and views Hamlet as a madman; “How say you by that? Still harping on my daughter: yet he knew me not at first; ‘a said I was a fishmonger: ‘a is far gone: and truly in my youth I suffered much extremity for love; very near this” (Hamlet Act 2). Polonius views Hamlet’s love as overly intense, disapproving of their love and Hamlet himself. Although their relationship instigates conflict between characters, their love itself is defined through these conflicts as there is never true interaction between Hamlet and Ophelia. 

Figurative Language in Hamlet

Figurative language is when a literary devise used to compare two things together but in an incredibly exaggerated way. Different than metaphors and similes, this comparison ultimately exaggerates the compared object, changing the way the object effects the reader. One example of figurative language in Hamlet is during Hamlet's speech when he reveals the pain he has been through since the loss of his father, along with the pain he must now endure that his mother and uncle have been married and his uncle is now King. 


"My fate cries out, 
and makes each petty artery in this body 
as hardy as the Nemean lion's nerve" (Act 1 Scene 4)


As Hamlet compares his pain to that of Nemean lion's nerve, he deepens the extent of his pain, although this amount of pain truly can't be real. After researching, I found that the Nemean lion was one of Hercules's labors. The lion was unharmed by any of Hercules's sharp objects, but could only be harmed by his own claws. Hamlet's self destructive nature and pain is portrayed through this exaggerated comparison. 

Setting in Pride and Prejudice

Authors use literary setting to draw their readers in. By elaborating on an envionrment that surrounds each character, the reader can further understand the circumstances and actions that occur in a story. Whether the details are elaborate or vague, any information about the characters surroundings can give the reader more depth and understanding while envisioning a character and his/her life. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen gives the readers a sense of the Bennet family by describing the way they live. By comparing their house at Longborn to Netherfield and other places in England, Austen gives readers the information needed to understand the poverty of the Bennets in comparison to others. These homes also give the readers a pastoral setting, taking them back to old England and describing a contrast to our world today. By also describing the way each character uses a carriage, Austen can illuminate on the 1800's as this mode of travel was a social class distinction.

The Unspoken Relationship of Ophelia and Hamlet

In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses literary speech and expressionism to deepen his characters while subtly revealing their inner personas. Through this use of language, Shakespeare can strongly present conflict or relationships between characters without fully presenting or stating them to his audience. As each character encounters personal and sometimes controversial struggles, Shakespeare hints at the readers to discover these issues through the way characters interact with each other. Although Hamlet’s speech reveals harsh and sinister after hearing about his father’s murderer, another speech fills the side of his mind that still lies in another relationship not physically presented. Ophelia, a woman refused the right to be with Hamlet by her father, faces the transformation of her lover, Hamlet, as he becomes an emotionally unstable man. As she tries to betray him and tell the court of his insanity, she proves incapable, revealing her love for Hamlet through the way she speaks. Hamlet’s tone as he speaks of Ophelia also gives away their romance as he speaks briefly but with strong emotion of her to her father. Although these two characters have not been put on stage together at this point, Shakespeare uses their language and emotions to imply their relationship and true feelings for each other, giving the reader insight through their language and not their actions.

Character Speech: Hamlet vs. Claudius

In Hamlet, each character's speech reveals the inner workings of their personalities and struggles. As Hamlet has just lost his father, his speech always appears somber and reserved as he struggles with his changing life and the new marriage of his mother and uncle. As the court has moved past this death in their lives, Hamlet still remains in mourning and is constantly put down by his family for his reasonings. Because of this, much of his speech also appears filled with sarcasm and slightly rude comments towards his opposers. As much of his speech revolves around death, especially in his soliloquy, Hamlet's tone in his voice is always one of emotional conflict. Contrastingly, Claudius' speech is quite shallow. His undeserved newfound power is one that is strongly reflected through his speech as he constantly asserts his power. Although, sometimes these assertions reveal themselves as an act of insecurity as he is now the ruler of Denmark when he is not supposed to be. When also speaking to Hamlet about his father, he fails to recognize Hamlet's true sadness for the loss of his father, showing that he is a man of little emotion.

Hamlet vs. Elizabeth Bennet

In both Hamlet and Pride and Prejudice, two characters lead the story through their individualism that strays away from the expectations of their "normal lives." In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet is thrown into the social world of finding a husband who will give her a wealthy life. Instead, she choses to find a husband who she is truly in love with, going against the wishes of her mother and the social standard of her time; "I am perfectly serious in my refusal. You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who could make you so" (Austen). Elizabeth's individuality compares directly to that of Hamlet; both characters focus on their true emotions rather than appeal to the common crowd. In Hamlet, Hamlet faces the hardships of losing his father and watches him be replaced by his uncle in all aspects of his life. Although most of Denmark has moved past the passing of his father 2 months ago, Hamlet still mourns the loss, despite peoples' belief that he is only serving his "filial obligations;" "Seems, madam! Nay, it is I know not "seems." 'T is not alone my inky cloak, good mother, nor customary suits of solemn black" (Shakespeare). Hamlet reveals that his appearance is more than just a duty to his father, but a sadness that he feels as he has just lost his father, straying away and presenting himself as an outsider to his own Kingdom. Both of these characters go against the social norm and chose to not lose themselves to societal customs, but rather follow their instincts and emotions.

Act 1: Claudius vs. Hamlet

In Act 1 of Hamlet, King Claudius is introduced as the new king of Denmark with his new queen, the widowed wife of his deceased brother, Gertrude. As Hamlet is introduced after Claudius, the difference in their personalities is strongly emphasized. After just losing his father, Hamlet is in a state of depression; wearing black robes and constantly crying. Through Hamlet's reaction to his father's death, the readers can see that Hamlet is a compassionate and sympathetic character, caring for the things that matter most to him. Unfortunately, King Claudius is not this way. As the man who has taken his father's position, King Claudius reveals no sympathy for Hamlet, telling him that his emotions rule unacceptable and questions why "the clouds still hang." Urging him to take off his "nightly colour," both parents view his mourning as an obligation and not as true emotions for the loss of his father, further illuminating the moral differences between both characters.

Comparing "Out, Out" and "To an Athlete Dying Young"

In Robert Frost's "Out, Out," a young man's life is cut short when he saws off his hand while working. Similarly, a young champion athlete's life is also taken before he can reach his true potential. As both of these poems deal with death, the tone and situation of each poem is incredibly similar as the reader experiences the initially excitement of two promising boys' lives are taken away . In "Out, Out," the story begins with the daily life of a boy who works for his family and ends with the sudden reaction of death to the people around him. By giving the saw alive verbs like "buzzing" and "rattling" and "leaping,"  Frost gives the reader the idea of life being much more valuable as it can be taken away by the smallest things. In "To an Athlete Dying Young," Housman also shows the reaction of the town to a young death as he starts with such hopeful beginning. Similar to "Out, Out," the author shows that life is something taken for granted as people will remember him shortly for his accomplishments but will soon forget him once someone does them better.

Plot: Pride and Prejudice vs. Outside Example

Plot is represented in any type of narrative through 5 stages: the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, denouement. The plot is what helps move the story along and draw the reader into the main conflict of the story. The plot tells the reader what is happening throughout the story, while the characters show us through their actions and dialogue. In Pride and Prejudice, the exposition stars with the foreground of the characters; the societal pressures that push the girls towards marriage and the high class attitudes of their suiters. The rising action presents itself as Jane and Mr. Bingley start to fall in love as well as a conflicting spark between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. In my opinion, I feel the climax of the story is Lydia's eloping with Mr. Wickham. After this event, the family slowly falls apart but is later put together when Lydia returns home and Jane and Elizabeth are married.
For an outside example, The Scarlett Letter uses plot to draw the reader to the final climax of Dimmesdale's final confession. Until that point, the author leads up to this final climax through small hints leaving the reader with a dying desire to hear his confession. After the confession, the story winds down with his death and Hester's disappearance from Boston.

Kumin vs. Stafford

Woodchucks: In Maxine Kumin's "Woodchucks", Kumin parallels his anger and frustration towards the woodchucks in his garden to the cynical and violent actions of Nazi's in World War II. "I dream a sight along the barrel in my sleep. If only they'd all consent to die unseen gassed underground the quiet Nazi way" (Kumin 28-30). Through Kumin's frustration towards the animals that eat in his garden, he channels his inner "murdered" and inner Nazi, killing the woodchucks maliciously with no mercy or care for nature, similar to the actions of Nazi Germany.

Traveling Through the Dark: In William Stafford's "Traveling through the Dark,' Stafford explains the story of a man who comes upon a dead deer and is faced with the decision of saving an unborn life or saving a person's life. Stafford's somber tone reveals the man and his crossroads, knowing that his decision will be watched by all of nature. Similar to Kumin's, both characters are influenced by modern ideals as one choses to kill because of annoying and the other knows that killing the baby and deer will save another human life. Both poems stray away from the idea of nature and more towards the benefits of their actions.

D.W Harding

Disagree: In D.W Harding's work, I strongly disagree with the idea he imposes that Austen wrote this piece for a certain group of people. In his work, he states that because this book was based on making fun a certain class of people that it was Austen's "way out." "And yet she was sensitive to their crudenesses and complacencies and knew that her real existence depended on resisting many of the values they implied. The novels gave her a way out of this dilemma" (Harding 297). I feel that Harding has taken his viewpoint too far in assuming that this was Austen's true intention and sole reason for writing the book. I feel that Austen wrote this story to tell about a way of life and a flawed society.

Agree: I agree with D.W Harding's thoughts on societies reaction to this novel. I love how he states that they are able to laugh at this story while being completely oblivious to the fact it could be about them. "She found, of course, that one of the most useful peculiarities of her society was its willingness to remain blind to the implications of a caricature" (Harding 297). He also says that these are characters that Austen is able to laugh at through her story but she meanwhile "fears and detests." I agree with this idea as Austen created a story in which she could portray her deepest fears and concerns for society while making the readers and herself laugh at the characters without knowing their true intentions.

Individual vs. Society Revisions

For my Individual vs. Society essay, I will continue to revise my sentences to draw the reader back to my points. In each paragraph, I make broad generalizations of each idea which is a great lead in, but should also include one final sentence summing up the paragraph as a whole. Also, to keep my paragraph consistent with my thesis I will include comparison sentences in each paragraph that compare what I'm talking about back to Pride and Prejudice. Besides the structural side of the essay, I will continue to edit my sentence structure and avoid the passive voice. I will also re-do my opening sentence and add another sentence that will serve as a stronger thesis in my intro paragraph. I feel that once I add more sentences and explain my personal opinions more in depth, I will eventually create a much stronger essay than what I have now.

Individual vs. Society Body Paragraphs

             In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters are pushed into the 1800’s social world of suitable marriages. These marriages revolved around very little, urging women to marry for social standings or economical status and not for true love. As the four Bennet sisters search for a worthy husband, their characters are put to the test as they choose between what they want and what society wants them to become. By conforming, they give in to this corrupt society, similar to the actions of their own mother, Mrs. Bennet, who influences her daughters with materialistic morals and ideals; “A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!” (Austen 1). Mrs. Bennet herself has become a model of society’s gossip and shallow principles, encouraging her family to marry “well.” When discussing her daughters’ futures, she focuses on money and how “fine” it will be for her children, and not how it affects their emotions. Unlike Mrs. Bennet, her daughter Elizabeth chooses to create her own path, denying the ideals of her own mother. As her sister Jane and even best friend Charlotte choose a path separate from hers, Elizabeth represents the “individual.” When asked by Mr. Collins to be married, she declines his offer, despite his economical status; “ I am perfectly serious in my refusal- You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who could make you so” (Austen 74). Elizabeth’s stays true to her character, she chooses to focus on herself and her desires rather than marry the selfish Mr. Collins solely for his happiness and benefits. This decision is one that will change her life- unlike our world today- she must now face the consequences of possibly never being asked to marry again and living alone, a risk she is willing to take for happiness and individuality.

            The story of Elizabeth Bennet is one that has been prominent since the 1800’s to present day. Even though we are not constantly being courted by men to marry into their social class, people today are faced with decisions that define who they are and who they will become. Although our consequences for not converting to one’s beliefs or ideals are not as severe as the Bennet’s, the pressure to be a part of the “in” group is equally as damaging. Teens are pressured into drugs, social groups, changing their clothes and even their beliefs to fit into a group. If they don’t, they are bullied and cast aside as an outsider, giving people more of an incentive to change themselves most likely for the worst. The media has been a relative influence of this idea, as movies and books have been created based on teens that struggle with this problem. In the movie “Odd Girl Out,” the lead character becomes a victim of her closest friends, bullied because of her looks and character. Because of this pressure to succeed in her social setting, the character goes crazy and looses herself to drugs and an obsession with her appearance all because she had become an outsider and lost her individuality. In a more modern movie, “Mean Girls” satirically portrays the secret life of girls and the story of one who changes her whole life to become one of the most popular girls in school. Her first year in school after being home-schooled in Africa her whole life, the lead finds herself caught up in the idea of high school and the glory of being popular and gorgeous. As she becomes a part of society, she looses not only individuality that made her special, but also her friends and dignity. The present world has used the media as a mirror of this competition between individuals and society and serves as our modern “Pride and Prejudice.” As the movies and books attempt to influence people to be themselves, the presence of this pressure is everlasting. 

Ranking Essays

A for Alfi
Thesis: Answers the prompt, but still incredibly vague
Structure: Is there really ANY structure? Completely loses focus between topics and loses its flow. Distracts the reader and didn't draw me in.
Evidence: Not strong, seems to just be put in with no connected to what he is trying to prove. Where's the analysis?
Analysis: Because quotes were so obscure, the analysis was weak and irrelevant
Sources: Needs to analyze the book more, find quotes that really prove your point and allow you to drive it home
Style: Incredibly informal, need to see more of a college written essay!

B for Beatrice
Thesis: I feel like the thesis is just kind of stuck into the paragraph. Needs more information to let the thesis flow better and give the reader a sense of exactly what you are talking about
Structure: Better structure than A, but still a little disorganized. I wish the writer found similar aspects of the authors and used those aspects as paragraphs instead of the typical Author A, Author B, Compare and Contrast format of an essay
Evidence: Good quotes, relate to the topic
Analysis: A little weak... with mildly strong quotes you definitely need to analyze them heavier to get your point across
Sources: Cited correctly and used quotes from both authors
Style: I feel that the writer used too many big words and it distracted me from the direction the sentence was going. Although the formality was nice, maybe tone it down a bit.

C for Cecelia
Thesis: Very strong thesis, worded greatly with a nice lead in to set it up
Structure: Good links between each point. Nothing came up out of the blue, everything flowed nicely
Evidence: Great quotes, relayed directly to her point
Analysis: Showed exactly how the evidence applied to her point. In depth and well thought out
Sources: Cited correctly
Style: Flowed. It was easy for me to read and not overly sophisticated

The Individual vs. Society

 Societies are complex groupings of people consisting of different races, interests, and beliefs that bring us all together.  In any form of society, people are constantly faced with the pressure to “fit in” or conform themselves to what other people want them to. Whether it’s dressing a certain way to look cool for your friends or marrying a man because of his money and status, the sense of one’s individuality is questioned and challenged in social situations. This competition between individuality and one’s role in society is nothing new, dating back to strict societies of the 1700’s and even our world today. In Pride and Prejudice, each character is faced with decisions that define them as people; women are forced to marry to ensure their prestigious and well-off futures, ignoring their true emotions and desires. Because of these decisions, they give in to societal pressures, thus loosing their individuality.  Although our present is incomparable to the times of Pride and Prejudice, there are still situations where people are faced with the same problem. As kids, even myself, grow up into adults and head off to college and the world, we will chose to change ourselves to fit into a certain crowd while others remain true to themselves. Therefore, although the times and customs of people have changed through the hundreds of years, the problem of losing oneself to society and its pressures to be “a part of the whole” have remained present and left the world with a society consisting of individuals and social conformists.  

To His Coy Mistress

"But at my back I always here time's winged chariot hurrying near." In Andrew Marvell's poem "To His Coy Mistress," Marvell's attempts to woo his lover into being with him before time runs out. Similar to Mr. Collins' proposal in Pride and Prejudice, Marvell lists reasons why the two should be together; negleting the idea of love iteself. Not only does he mock her virginity, but he also mocks her looks as he says that they will soon fade. In Stanza 1, Mavell uses the conditional to show his lover all the possibilities of their relationship and how vast his "love" for her truly is. Once declaring his love, Marvel uses the idea of Carpe Diem to persuade his lover to stay away from the "winged chariot" and choose to be with him in the "marble vault" forever. By starting his poem with all of the endless possibilities and stressing their youth, Marvel's ending highlighting the essence of time contributes greatly towards to his argument to his lover.

Extra Read

For the book that I will read outside of school I have chosen The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Set in the South, the Help tells the story of 3 African Americna women who's lives intertwine by a white familys' obsession with gossip, power, and money. This book has been on my book shelf for the past year and now that the movie has come out I have to read it!

"Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins

In "Introduction to Poetry", Collins explores the various ways a reader can experience reading a poem. Within the first 10 lines, Collins talks about ways to read a poem with feeling, " Hold it up to the light like a color slide", "Press an ear against its hive", "I want them to waterski across the surface." All of these lines reveal 1 of the 5 senses and how they can be used to engage yourself in a poem and truly feel it and draw a meaning based from that feeling. Collins ends his poem harshly as he criticizes some readers for the way they avoid the beauty of a poem and go straight for the meaning, "They begin beating it with a hose to find out what it really means." Collins advises readers to be like the reader in the beginning of the poem, one who draws meanings from the way the poem makes you feel or the various ways you can find yourself in a poem, rather than the ending example of someone who just skims and finds the meaning. I really enjoyed this poem as sometimes I even find myself just skimming the surface for the meaning and not truly enjoying the art form of poetry through its imagery.

Welcome Post

Hi I'm Olivia! My favorite movie is Almost Famous. <3