Literary Analysis: Brave New World

This was done with a whole lot of help from my friend Beka

GENERAL 

1. Brave New World by Huxley is about a dystopian society where there are no parents, no morals, and a very strict cast system. The alphas keep the lesser castes in check by drugging them with a hallucinagen called “Soma.” The book also illustrates a society that exists outside of this world, and then demonstrates what happens when the worlds collide.

2. One of the themes of this novel is that humanity is frail and subject to fall. It can also be said that the government can control the masses through a combination of drugging and brainwashing. Also, it displays how beautiful chaos is and how if we try to control every aspect of our humanity we will lose it.

3. The tone of the novel tends to be trying for shock value. Huxley describes second grade aged children experimenting sexually, and then goes on to have characters react to it as if it is not an unusual thing. It is, in fact, expected. Also, many things, including the title of the book are references to Shakespeare.

CHARACTERIZATION

1. Whilst getting to know the different caste systems, Huxley will use flashback to show why the character is the way it is. An example of this is Lenina, and when Huxley describes her inner thoughts and her remembering things that have happened in her life. Another direct example is when they talk about how the factory workers are taught that books are bad from a young age so they are never educated. Once the savage is introduced, his character is mostly expressed through small quotes he says throughout visiting the “Brave new world” such as “I want to be myself. Myself and nasty.”

2. When focusing on setting Huxley focuses more on inner monologues in characters. To describe characterization it is mostly dialogue based.

3. The savage is a dynamic character in the sense that once he is introduced to the world outside of the reservation he will never be the same. Whatever innocence he retained growing up away from the assembly line life has been turned into resentment for what humanity has become.

4. After reading this book I felt very similarly to when I had finished reading Animal Farm. These characters represent a real problem, but at the same time they are so separated from our reality that it is hard to find them feasible.

Literary Analysis: The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

This was done with a little help from my friend Troy.

GENERAL 
1. Robin Hood is a man that helps out whoever he finds that needs help the most. It takes place in the medieval era. Story starts with Robin Hood being declared an outlaw for hunting the King's deer. He meets Little John, wrestles him, wins, Little John joins Robin. Robin wins the shooting match, wins the Golden Arrow, then rubs it in the Sheriff's face. Robin's band grows as he meets more merry men. They all go to church and meet Friar Tuck. King Richard comes to Sherwoood. Robin Hood goes to his Cousin, a prioress, with a fever. She cut his arm then ran and locked the door behind her leaving Robin to bleed to death. Eventually Little John comes and rams the door down but Robin is too weak and with his last ounce of strength he shoots an arrow out the window and tells Little John to bury him where it lands.

2. The essential theme of the adventures of Robin Hood is good versus evil. Robin and his men are always pictured as good-hearted, even to those from whom they rob. As he gathers men to be part of his merry band, they vow not to harm women or children, and, "when the people began to find that no harm was meant to them, but that money or food came in time of want to many a poor family, they came to praise Robin and his merry men, and to tell many tales of him and of his doings in Sherwood Forest, for they felt him to be one of themselves."

3.His narrative delivery has a gentle tone that contrasts well with the rough characters, reminding the reader that Robin Hood's story is a legend. There's lots of fighting, but the emphasis on Robin's cleverness and his code make it a classic.

4. Rhetorical Question-"Now how about we get some ale into the hands of these Merry Men?"
Oxymoron- Little John.
Hyperbole-"Those that stood around saw the bravest display of fighting with a staff ever seen in Nottingham."
Simile-"He Fell like an angel from the sky."
Alliteration- "All Hail our Hooded Hero"
Flashback- "I am sorry i killed that forester as a youth, but I am not sorry i killed you Guy of Gisbourne."
Irony-"I believe you draw a better bow than that coward Robin Hood, who dared not come today." The Sheriff talking to Robin Hood in disguise.
Symbolism- Robin Hood winning the Golden Arrow was symbolic in that it showed no matter how many obstacles the sheriff would throw at him Robin would always come out on top.
Symbolism- Shooting the arrow out the window = Robin wanting to be one with the force that guides his arrows true.
CHARACTERIZATION 
1. Direct: Robin Hood- "No one who went to jolly Robin for help ever left empty handed." Jumps out and tells you Robin is generous and jolly.
Little John-"The large man stood a head taller than Robin and boasted Robin couldn't best him." Tells the reader Little John is large in stature and likes a challenge.

Indirect:The Tinker- "..came at Robin with more furry then Robin had ever seen.." Tells of how furious the Tinker was when Robin stole from him, yet the Tinker sings lovely ballads and is a very kind individual.
The Prioress- She is cousins with Robin Hood and was said to be  nice throughout the book, but at the end she cuts Robin and he bleeds to death. very dynamic and indirect.

2. The diction and syntax change with the different personalities that are presented in this novel. Robin who is smaller and better with the bow displays his skills when necessary. Little John is boastful and his diction and syntax have a hint of cockiness to them. A lot of his emotions are actually expressed through challenges, and his arrogance is shown as he worries how others view him (which we see degrades as the novel progresses).

3. Robin Hood is very static. He is known as the good guy throughout the whole story. Always very clever in the way he thinks and plans things out. Never changes as the story progresses. However he does have tons of great traits which are displayed throughout the book. He is round in the fact that he steals and resists authority.

4. No, Robin Hood in my mind will always be a legend. Almost a fairy tale. Although with the movie that came out not too long ago I did get a more realistic view on what Robin Hood could have resembled if he were real.

Literary Analysis: The Bomb, by Theodore Taylor

General
1. The story is about a boy Sorry that lives on an island in the Bikini Atoll at the end of WWII. His island is occupied at first by Japanese, then by Americans. The Japanese are eventually pushed out and the war is over for America, but not Sorry and his friends and family. Scientists want to test out their new bomb technology on the island. Eventually everyone leaves except Sorry, who rides out into the fleet of sips being used as a test target in order to draw attention to him and stop the destruction of his home. His plan fails and he dies.

2. Sometimes, if the world is against you, and you fight alone, the world wins.

3. The author's tone seems kind of confused, which adds to the story because the main character doesn't seem to know what is actually going on, and is constantly wanting to learn more.

"He did not know how long he could contain his anger, He did know that if any soldier raped (his sister) he would use the ax, no matter what might happen to him."

"From that plane trip to Rongerik, Sorry knew it was easy to see things from the air. He'd seen the schools of tuna. The men in the bomber would be able to see him down on the lagoon."

"Three mornings after the U.S. planes flew over the island, Sorry, who had gotten up to go fishing while it was still dark, broke the silence with a shout: 'Ships! Ships!'"

4. Symbolism:
-Protagonist's NAME= Sorry
-Atoll= paradise/sanctuary
-American soldiers= war propaganda
- Bomb= uncontrollable, unstoppable danger people deal with
-scars on shark and Abram= problems people live with after confrontation
-second encounter with shark= everyone is hurt by conflict, even when there is a clear winner and clear loser
-target fleet= power of American government
-love of little sister= extension of self into other people
-journey back to island= powerlessness of one person
Simile- Azakel compares island people to children of Israel (pg 80)

Characterization
1.  The author uses indirect characterization to describe characters. "The living reef and all life around it would be there tomorrow, as it had been for more years than a man could count, Sorry knew. Tiny animals made the coral from seawater lime, then died, leaving their empty dwellings to be filled with hidden food." This shows that Sorry is in tune with nature and knows how nature works. He also uses indirect characterization to describe unimportant characters, like how he describes the small children in the very beginning of the book.

2. The pace slows down when the author talks about character. When talking about action, everything seems to happen quickly.

3. The protagonist is static and flat. He doesn't change much throughout the story, he gains new knowledge, but that doesn't change his personality as much as his actions. He doesn't have any fatal flaws other than underestimating the power of the atom bomb.

4. I feel like I met a person, because the author did a great job in describing the characters and making their thought processes make sense.

Literature Analysis 2 (really, just #2): Call of the Wild

So here it goes, super late, I've got a lot of catching up to do.

General
1. This is a story of a dog that gets taken from his home and put to work on a sled dog team. He goes through a few owners, becomes stronger and stronger, then an owner he actually liked and respected gets killed by natives, so he kills all the natives and ascends into a more legendary status.

2. Sometimes, the best resources can be found where you wouldn't think to look.

3. I would describe the authors tone as being wise, yet powerful.
"He saw, once for all, that he stood no chance against a man with a club. He had learned the lesson, and in all his afterlife he never forgot it. That club was a revelation."

"Here was neither peace, nor rest, nor a moment's safety. All was confusion and action, and every moment life and limb were in peril. There was imperative need to be constantly alert, for these dogs and men were not town dogs and men. They were savages, all of them, who knew no law but the law of club and fang." 

"His muscles had wasted away to knotty strings, and the flesh pads had disappeared, so that each rib and every bone in his frame were outlined cleanly through the loose hide that was wrinkled in folds of emptiness. It was heartbreaking, only Buck's heart was unbreakable. The man in the red sweater had proved that." 

4. Whitman Classics unabridged
Personification: "The hoarse shriek of a locomotive"
Symbols: Club in the beginning= power that man has over beast.
-Lead position= honor
-Yeehats= limitations from men.
-valley in the end= paradise
-wilderness= new places
-men in tavern= naysayers in life
John Thornton= Buck's trust in obedience
Judge Miller= comfort and convenience
Spitz= challenge of power

Characterization
1. The author uses direct characterization to tell the reader that Buck was 140 pounds, and the son of a Scotch Shepherd and a St. Bernard and other trivial information like that, but later, the author uses indirect characterization to show the changes Buck goes through. He also uses indirect to describe Buck's love for John.

2. Most of the time, when discussing characters, the author seems much more excited. The environment is kind of dull to read about in this book.

3.The protagonist is dynamic and round. He changes throughout the story by becoming more savage and brave. He is round in that he is wild and kills people as well as brave and courageous and strong.

4. Read a character. these dogs seem much more intelligent than real dogs. But in the end Buck's pertinacity was rewarded, for the wolf, finding that no harm was intended, finally sniffed noses with him."

Plato's Allegory of the Cave.

1. It represents the ignorant lives that people in most institutions live.
2. Symbolism is used often in the form of extended metaphor. He refers to the institution of education as a cave with shackles and an instructor telling you what to believe. The sun being true enlightenment.
3. If you want true enlightenment, you have to ask your own questions. You must personally take charge in figuring the world out yourself.
4. They weren't there by their own will. Somebody else forced them in there and don't want them to leave.
5. School in that in order to succeed, a student has to mindlessly follow whatever the teacher tells them, rather than a person being in charge of their own personalized education.
6. The freed prisoner is excited and curious while the trapped prisoners are subtly content with where they are, even though, it's not the true world.
7. Leaving the cave at first, when you become "blinded by the sun," and when you go back into the cave, when "your eyes need to adjust to the darkness."
8. The prisoners simply need to be curious enough to break their shackles by asking questions, and observing what is really happening.
9. I don't think there is too large of a distinction, the distinction comes when trying to recreate a reality in the form of words for somebody else, or when you try to remember what reality used to be.
10. The world is better understood through the physical makeup of things. Thoughts cannot influence reality.

Big Question

My big question has been one I've been thinking of for a while. It's more of a theory than a question, but it follows the formula that Dr. Preston laid out for us about these questions, so here it is:

On the topic of dimensional theory, I can think in a way that nobody else can. Everybody's thoughts are unique, and cannot be measured directly. According to my theory, this is because thoughts are a fourth dimensional object that humans cannot directly perceive because we are third dimensional beings. If thoughts are fourth dimensional, then it is very possible that all thinking forms of life are controlled by the same fourth dimensional being.

The basis of my theory is speculation on the fourth dimension, through comparison of the third and second dimension. Since we exist in the third dimension, we can perceive the first three dimensions. Imagine the second dimension as a piece of paper. You can touch the paper at separate points with one hand, and wiggle your fingers around the paper separately. In the same way, we could be controlled by a fourth dimensional being by being the "fingertips" of a being touching a third dimensional "paper."

In order for this to be efficient, this means that each our world would need to be equidistant to this fourth dimensional being, as to waste less energy (if that even exists in the fourth dimension). This means that our space is fourth dimensionally round. What does that mean? Well, imagine a circle. That's a two dimensional figure. The circumference of that circle is a first dimensional line, coiled in a way so that every point on that line is equidistant to a point in the center of the circle. In the same way the points on the surface of a sphere are equidistant to the point in the center of a sphere. So our "space" is fourth dimensionally wrapped around a center fourth dimensional point.

Comment with any questions or loopholes you find in my theory and I'll look into it.

Notes on Hamlet

This one is a little late, I kinda forgot about this one. This is for Hamlet Act 3, even though we've already gotten more than half way through act 4. Not much has changed about the characters since they were first introduced in my opinion. Every character wants to take the blame for anything that goes wrong, then tries to correct it making things get worse. All the characters are very self-centered, and it does get a little annoying to hear each character talk about how bad everything is.

I see a lot of death in the near future. As soon as one character dies, there will be a chain reaction and a lot more deaths. This will be bloody and violent.

Oh, and in case you didn't see the video, Here it is. The Collaborative Hamlet Remix that I was involved in.

Who was Shakespeare?

I just went to Google, typed in William Shakespeare, clicked on the first site, and I got THIS. William Shakespeare was a poet, an author, an actor,and most importantly, a real person. We know he wrote a lot of poems, sonnets, and plays. The site acknowledges the fact that a lot of people don't believe in Shakespeare, it points out a lot of different conspiracies, and shrugs them off. This site is a great source for Shakespeare, and to post everything I learned from this site would be a waste of time to write down, because there is a lot of information there. Check it out.

To Facebook or not to Facebook?

Privacy is the main issue given in this article, but what I think is misunderstood is what the information is used for: advertising. I could be completely wrong, in which case I would feel quite stupid, but Facebook isn't selling your 11-year-old's information to serial killers that enjoy killing children simply because they know where the child lives and likes Snickers candy bars. People need to calm down and realize what the term "personal information" actually means. I understand that building a brand name into a child's mind may be considered morally wrong, but it's just advertising.

One of the other huge issues about Facebook is bullying. Cyber bullying can cause a lot of problems in the development of a child as a human being. Hold on, so does NON-cyber bullying. Only difference? Online. This has some upsides and some downsides to it. Bullying done online has a larger audience, so it may be more embarrassing for the victim. On the plus side, the evidence is always there, an authority can catch a bully much quicker, and they can be punished and stopped. On the playground, bullies are sometimes never caught, because the victims fear what will happen if the bully finds out.

When I started Facebook, I thought it would be a fun way to be with friends in a way and never be out of touch. I don't get on often enough to make full use of this, but I do use Facebook to plan social events, where I can interact with my friends. I think people in general are just too quick to overreact to the "evils" of Facebook.

Lit Analysis: Tale of Two Cities

1. The book opens with a lengthy description of the era: The French Revolution. An English woman named Lucie Manette goes to Paris in search of her father who she had thought was dead until recently. She finds her father who is now not his normal self for being imprisoned for a long time. Back in England, a man named Darnay is accused of a crime, and is acquitted because of a drunk lawyer named Carton. They both end up having feelings for Lucie, and Darnay even marries her, but both get executed because of the craze of the French Revolution.

2. I would say that the main theme is that sometimes, circumstance will lead to tragedy regardless of what you do.

3. The author uses an emotional and poetic tone to better connect with the reader's emotions.

"Waste forces within him, and a desert all around, this man stood still on his way across a silent terrace, and saw for a moment, lying in the wilderness before him, a mirage of honorable ambition, self-denial, and perseverance."

"The barrister was keen enough to divine that the banker would not have gone so far in his expression of opinion on any less solid ground than the moral certainty. Unprepared as he was for the large pill he had to swallow, he got it down."

"He bent over the golden head, and put  the rosy lips to his, and folded her in his arms. If one forlorn wanderer then pacing the dark streets, could have heard her indecent disclosure, and could have seen the drops of pity kissed away by her husband from the soft blue eyes so loving of that husband, he might have cried to the night-and the words would not have parted from his lips for the first time."

4. The author uses a lot of comparison and parallelism especially in the opening. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" I really should complete that quote, but I'm tired, and you should be able to find it online quickly. The author uses setting to put the characters in a place where their world is falling apart around them in a very unique way. I don't think this story would be that similar in another setting. The author uses metaphor such as in the quotes above, with the "large pill" and "drops" of pity being "kissed away." The author also uses characterization so you can develop a connection with the characters so their downfall is that much more meaningful.

Link's Journey

Another late assignment. Here it is, as fitted upon Link in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Departure: This is when Link finally gets his fairy, Navi, who is his guide and mentor and knows pretty much everything about the world around her. Among the children living in the forest, Link had always been teased because he had been the only boy without a fairy, and as we all know, you can't be a real man without having a fairy. So he gets his fairy who tells him he needs to go see the tree spirit that brought him into the forest in the first place to learn about his past. He starts his adventure by proving he can kill a monster living inside this tree spirit. Where he learns why his skills are needed by the rest of the kingdom.

Initiation: This includes the 2 more dungeons filled with puzzles traps and monsters that Link must get through in order to save the kingdom. After these dungeons, he is granted the sacred sword blessed by the gods to fight against the forces of evil many times throughout history. This sword may only be used by certain heroes that have the courage and strength to fight evil. There is a very obvious problem with Link being a hero at this moment: he is a 10-YEAR-OLD-BOY! One of the sages seals him away in the sacred realm for him to grow into the hero the land needs. By this time, Link realizes it is his responsibility to save the world from the darkness brought about by the King of Thieves, Ganondorf. After 5 more temples conquered to awaken the sages, Link kills Ganondorf, purging the world of his evil.

Return: Link goes back in time to return to his friends that celebrate his return. He realizes that as a hero, he must continue doing heroic things. He gets on the back of his horse and rides off in the distance, to be remembered in the stories past down from generation to generation.

Beowulf (Finally!)

Ugh I know this is late, but here it is. Thank you Sarah Gutierrez (here's her blog, which anybody reading this should go to because she is a much better writer/student than I am) being so generous with her answers. Just to be clear, I copied this off her blog with her permission. She has really been helpful in helping me catch up with the rest of the class. I'm not yet there, but I really am trying to work on that without getting much farther behind. [Prologue: The Rise of the Danish Nation] (lines 1-85, pp. 33-34)

1.Realize that this prologue introduces the Danes, not Beowulf or his people the Geats. What was unusual about the way Shield came to be ruler of the Danes? What was his funeral like? What relation is Hrothgar to Shield? 
It was unusual for Shield to become king of the Danes because he was an orphan. He came as a child from the sea alone and in rags; his funeral was held at sea on a boat of his own where he was adorned with treasure and loved by all his people. Shield was the  great-great grandpa of Hrothgar.

[Heorot is Attacked] (lines 86-188, pp. 34-36)

1.What magnificent work did Hrothgar undertake? Who attacked it, and with what result? How long did the attacks last? What was the response of the Danes?
Hrothgar built a mead hall for drinking and dancing. It was attacked by a giant named Grendel who terrorized the people in the hall. After the second night of Grendel’s rampage, no more soldiers were found sleeping inside the hall. Greatly afeared were them who had survived the 1st 2 attacks. 12 years passed and poets wrote sad songs 
of the kings desperation. Everyone wept and called on the Devil for help.

[The Hero Comes to Heorot] (lines 189-490, pp. 36-42)

What does Beowulf do when he hears of Hrothgar's problems with Grendel?
Beowulf assembles 14 of the bravest warriors Geatland has to offer and sails to Herot.

Whom do the Geats first meet when they arrive in Denmark? What does he do, and what do they do?
Hrothgar’s sea-guard sees them and meets them with his spear. He asks why they come ready for war. He demands to hear their lineage so as to know they are friends. Beowulf tells him and then goes on to say that he comes in peace to help slay Grendel.

They next meet Hrothgar's herald. Who is he? What does he tell them? What does he tell Hrothgar? What does Hrothgar respond? Are you surprised that Hrothgar knows Beowulf so well?
Wulfgar, a messenger and officer to Hrothgar who asks them their business, but then guesses they are set on adventure. He then goes to Hrothgar and tells him not to turn the Geats away, for they look strong and worthy of a warrior’s esteem. Hrothgar says he knew Beowulf as a child and is overjoyed that the Geat warriors have come to his aid. I’m not surprised he knows Beowulf because if you were of any notability in that time, then people would talk about you and your name would be all over the place. Also, Hrothgar had helped Beowulf’s father settle a feud.

4.What does Beowulf tell Hrothgar when he enters? What did Hrothgar do for Beowulf's father? 
Beowulf says that he has heard of what has happened to his hall. He talks about all his accomplishments and then goes on to say that he will fight Grendel with his bare hands or be ever ashamed he did not, for the beast fights with no weapon but himself. If Grendel wins Beowulf says to not give him a funeral, but bring his armor back to Geatland. Hrothgar help his father settle a feud.

[Feast at Heorot] (lines 491-661, pp. 42-46)

What does Unferth accuse Beowulf of? How does Beowulf answer him? How is this episode relevant to the poem as a whole? What does Beowulf accuse Unferth of?
Since he lost the swimming race with Brecca, Unferth thinks that Beowulf won’t be able to defeat Grendel. Beowulf acknowledges his defeat, but goes on to say he was harried by 9 sea monsters, all of which he slayed. He asks if Unferth has done anything like that and mocks his cowardice by saying,
“I say to you truly,
son of Ecglaf, that wretch
Grendel would never have done
such horrors, such humiliations
on you chief, if you were so
fierce as you suppose.”
Beowulf then goes on to accuse Unferth of killing his own brother. This shows that Beowulf will not stand any opposition to his honor or his courage.

What is Queen Wealhtheow doing during the feasting?
She is greeting the Geats and passing around a cup full of bear. She then gives it to Beowulf and thanks him for coming.

[The Fight with Grendel] (lines 662-835, pp. 46-49)

1.Heroic poetry normally has a scene in which the hero arms for battle. What is different about Beowulf's preparations for his fight with Grendel?
He takes OFF his armor to meet Grendel just as a man.

2.What happens when Grendel enters Heorot? How does Beowulf fight with him? What happens when Grendel tries to leave? Does Grendel escape? What does he leave behind?
He easily breaks through the door to the hall. He immediately ate a man and then went for Beowulf who then grabbed his arm. Grendel had never known a man to have as much strength as Beowulf and he became afraid. Beowulf breaks all the bones in Grendel’s fingers and when he tries to flee Beowulf pulls his arm off. He escapes mortally wounded back to his marsh land.

[Celebration at Heorot] (lines 836-1250, pp. 49-60)

1.When the Danes and Geats return from following Grendel's tracks to the mere, someone sings in Beowulf's presence, comparing him to Sigemund and saying that he was not like Heremod (lines 883-914). How is Beowulf like Sigemund? How is he not like Heremod? (Be alert for inserted stories such as this one. Beowulf contains many of them, most much more complex that this one.)
Sigemund was great king who slew a dragon and gained all its treasure, like Beowulf they had both slain impossible foes (also, Beowulf slays a dragon and gains all its richest, but that’s for later) Beowulf is not like Heremod because he doesn’t turn against his own people.

2.How does Hrothgar respond to Beowulf's deed? What does he offer to do for him? What does Unferth have to say now?
Hrothgar and all his people go to the mead hall to celebrate. People sing songs and Hrothgar asks Beowulf to be his son. He also give him a bunch of armor and some horses. Unferth? What does he have to say now? Nothing.

3.The singer sings of Finn during the feasting (lines 1070-1158). The exact details of the Finn story are not clear, but in general, what happens? What does it suggest about the wisdom of using a woman as bride to heal enmity between tribes?
Finn defeats the Danes and is give a Danish wife named Hildeburh, but then they over take him later on. It shows that marrying a princess promotes peace, however it doesn’t always work out that way.

4.When the feasting resumes, what does Wealhtheow ask Hrothgar not to 
5.Wealhtheow gives Beowulf a large, broad necklace. What later happens to it? What does Wealhtheow ask Beowulf to do?
Beowulf gives it the Hygd the Geat queen and she asks him not the try and take Hrothgar’s kingdom when he dies.

6.Why do so many men remain in the beer hall to sleep? Why is it a mistake?
They are drunk and it is a mistake because Grendel’s mother Hulk Smashes the gohrammin’ building.

BEOWULF AND GRENDEL'S MOTHER (lines 1251-2199, pp. 60-79) 
[Another Attack] (lines 1251-1382, pp. 60-62)

1.Why has Grendel's mother come to Heorot? Is it the same reason Grendel had?
She is upset that they killed her son and wants revenge.

2.What is Hrothgar's response? Whom has Grendel's mother killed?
3.What sort of place is the mere?
Aeschere was killed and Hrothgar is very sorrowful. Her mere is an inlet of the sea full of bones and rotting flesh. The place is magical The water burns and the bottom of the mere, has never been reached.
[Beowulf Fights Grendel's Mother] (lines 1383-1650, pp. 63-68)

1.) How does Beowulf tell Hrothgar to respond?
??? Doesn’t Hrothgar tell Beowulf to seek out Grendel’s mother and slay her.

2.What happens at the mere before Beowulf enters it?
He tells his men to stay behind and Unferth bequeathes a magic sword to Beowulf. 

3.How does Beowulf prepare for the battle? What sword does he take with him?
He takes Hrunting a magical sword that has never failed in battle

4.What happens when Beowulf enters the mere? What is surprising about where Grendel and his mother live in the mere?
He has to fight off sea monsters and then Grendel’s Mum seizes him and starts throwing him about. His magic sword doesn’t work, but there is a sword in the mere that was forged by giants and that does. He slices her neck and she dies. He then notices Grendel’s corpse and he decapitates it out of rage, but when he does that the giant sword begins to melt! When he swims back up with Grendel’s head, he notices that all of the sea monsters are gone.

5.What happens when Beowulf returns to the surface? Did his men expect him to return? 
When he got to the surface his men were waiting for him and they receive him with joyous hearts.

[Further Celebration at Heorot] (lines 1651-1798, pp. 68-71)

1.What does Beowulf give to Hrothgar?
He gives him Grendel’s head and the sword hilt.

2.What message does Hrothgar have for Beowulf? What and why does he tell us about Heremod? Why and how did Heremod die? What lesson does Hrothgar teach with the Heremod example?
Hrothgar contrasts beowulf with Heremod who betrayed his people. He doesn’t want Beowulf to be a bad king and tells him not to get wrapped up in earthly things. Hrothgar is basically telling Beowulf to be a just and wise king.

3.What does Beowulf give to Unferth as he leaves?
Beowulf gives him back his magical sword.

[Beowulf Returns Home] (lines 1799-2199, pp. 71-79)

1.What future does Hrothgar predict for Beowulf?
A good and noble future for a good and noble king

2.Who is Hygd and why is she not like Modthryth?
Hygelac’s wife and queen of the Geats she is kind and gentle, unlike Modthryth.

3.Beowulf reports to Hygelac that Hrothgar may marry his daughter Freawaru to Ingeld. Why does he plan to do that? What does Beowulf expect the result will be? (Remember the Finn story, lines 1070-1158.) How does Beowulf think the peace will be broken? Is this the type of report we expected from the hero Beowulf, or are we seeing a new side of him?

Hrothgar may predict peace, but Beowulf thinks that old feuds will resurface and cause more wars. This kind of came out of the blue, really. He comes home from a great adventure and oh! This marriage... not such a god idea. I suppose it shows his concerns with matters of state.

4.How does Beowulf report about his own adventures? Does he report accurately?
Yes, he does.

5.What does Beowulf do with the treasure he was given? What does Hygelac give him?
He gives all of it to the king and queen. The king then gives him treasure and land to rule over.

BEOWULF AND THE DRAGON (lines 2200-3182, pp. 79-99) 

[The Dragon Wakes] (lines 2200-2509, pp. 79-86)

1.How much later does Part 2 take place? What kings have died in the meanwhile? What danger now exists?
50 years has past. Hygelac died and so did his son, leaving Beowulf to ascend the throne. A Dragon is going on fiery rampages through out the city.

2.Why is the dragon angry? Why did the man take a cup? How did the treasure come to be there in the first place? 
A run-away slave stole his goblet which came into the Dragon’s possession because a dead thing of another race left it there when it died. The Dragon found it and claimed it as it’s own.

3.What did the dragon destroy that evening?
Beowulf’s palace

4.Why does Beowulf think his home was burnt? Why does he order a new shield? How will he fight this battle? What will happen to him?
He thinks he did something to make God angry. The sheild is to protect him from fire. He will only fight with 11 men, not an army

5.How did Hygelac die? What did Beowulf do after Hygelac's death? What happened when he returned home? Did he accept Hygd's offer to become king?
He was killed in battle and Hydg asked Beowulf to be king because her son was too young. Beowulf refused, but vowed to protect the boy. However, he soon dies and Beiwulf then, becomes king.

6. What happened to Hygelac's son Heardred? (That's the story in lines 2380-2390.) How did Beowulf plan to revenge Heardred's death (lines 2391-2396)?

7.How many men accompany Beowulf as he goes to meet the dragon?
11

8.What happened to Hygelac's oldest brother Herebeald? Who killed him? What did this do to his father King Hrethel? What happened between the Swedes and Geats after Hrethel's death? What happened to Haethcyn? 
He was killed accidentally by his brother Haethcyn. The king then retreated from public life and eventually died. After he died feuds still went on. Later Haethcyn died in battle.

[Beowulf Attacks the Dragon] (lines 2510-2820, pp. 86-92)

1.What does Beowulf tell his companions to do?
He tells them to wait outside for him. Isn’t it always the way?

2.What happens the first time Beowulf and the dragon fight? What do his companions do? How is Wiglaf different? What does he tell the others? What does he then do?
Beowulf calls the dragon out to fight and they wrestle, Beowulf’s sword doesn’t do much to help him. His fighters flee, but not WIGLAF (:D) He scorns the cowards and then rushes in to help Beowulf.

3.What happens the second time Beowulf meets the dragon? What happens to Beowulf? Who kills the dragon?
He stabs it in the flank, a fatal blow, but he soon realizes that the dragon has bit him and has poisoned him.

4.What does the dying Beowulf ask Wiglaf to do? What happens when Beowulf sees the gold? How does Beowulf want to be buried?
He tells him to bring to him some of the treasure. He thanks God that he was able to liberate the gold and jems. Beowulf wants a barrow built in his honor.

[Beowulf's Funeral] (lines 2821-3182, pp. 92-99)

1.What happens when the companions return? What does Wiglaf say to him? What does he expect will happen in the future?
they are ashamed and Wilgaf scorns them again. He predict that more wars will break out between the Geats and the Franks now that their fiercsome leader is dead.

2.What does the messenger tell the city? (This passage, lines 2900-3027, is the third account of the history of the Geats and the death of Hygelac. These are the enemies that will attack the Geats when they learn of Beowulf's death
.) What happened overnight in Ravenswood after Ongentheow killed Haethcyn? What happened the next morning? What happened to Ongentheow? What does the messenger say to do with the gold? What is the final image (animal) of the messenger's speech?

3. What does Wiglaf tell the crowd that comes to see the dragon and Beowulf?
he tells them to build the barrow Beowulf asked for.

4.What happens to the dragon?
It gets tossed into the ocean.

5.What happens during and after the funeral celebration?
Everyone pays their respects and a wall is built around beowulf’s spire. They also put his treasure with him.

6.What did the Geats say about Beowulf in the last three lines of the poem? Are these the terms one would expect to be used to describe a military hero?
Beowulf was the mildest, the most loved, the most kind to his own, and most worthy of praise. And no, it isn’t expected these days, but back then, this is what it meant to be a hero.

A.P. Reading choice

My reading choice from the AP reading list will be A Tale of Two Cities because it's convenient for me right now because I have my own copy at home. I also have heard decent things about this book, I'm not really that much into reading books longer than 50 pages. (no typo, seriously) Reading novels has been my least favorite part of all of my English classes. Many people believe that this is because I "simply havn't found the right book," then proceed to reccomend some to me, which I attempt to get through, but get very bored with after a few pages. I picked this novel just because I already have a copy, that's it.

Reflections on Week 1

1. There aren't really that many factors I can say will affect my participation in this class. The only thing that should slow me down is my own laziness. I'm not proud to admit that I am a very lazy person, and it should show in the quantity of my work. If I were less lazy, then I would be doing every single assignment no matter how small and seemingly insignificant, or, as Mr. Krabs from Spongebob Squarepants would say, "even the most rediculous request." I have access to a computor and the internet, so I can check that off the list. The only other thing that can set me off is cross country. That will only last until early November, so after that, I should have an empty schedule to devote to class.

2. Ugh, number two... I really don't like this question, because it makes the person answering feel like they have to remember a cool story that lead to their own decision making, when the reality of it is that how you learned whatever it was you learned does not matter. What does matter is what you do with it. If you can apply your knowledge to a real situation, then you know that you have succeeded in education. Better yet, if you can teach more people to apply these same skills and apply them to a real situation, THEN you have succeeded. I realized that I kinda dodged the question, but the truth is, I can't really remember any expeiences in my education I would give the title of "awesome" to. To clairify, I am not just thinking of only those times sitting in a class waiting to leave, although those can be important too. I just can't think of anything right now.

3. My concerns will be getting over my laziness, as stated earlier. I am excited to finally have a class that should hold excitement for me almost every day. I heard that a lot of people had problems handling the class, as I'm sure I will. If I can start using all these online tools to make my life easier, then I'll know this class was successful for me.

"Essayus Interruptus"

This essay was very challenging to write to. In my opinion, I was more worried about my grade than actually forming a full arguement. I think I should have calmed down a little bit, and shortened my intro paragraph. I was very frustrated with trying to figure out what the prompt ment, and ended up rambling on about how boring it is when authors ramble on. I never did a pre-write because I don't usually do one, because I have never found basic essay constructing that difficult, but perhaps for this one I really should have. I never even finished my first body paragraph, because I simply did not know when to stop.



I never really thought about my essay since I started writing this, and since my mind was wandering even as I was writing it, I cant remember very much of it. That is making this assignment that much harder. Not only was my essay physically interrupted by the fact that we had to go get our textbooks from the library, but also mentally distracted by a thousand other things buzzing through my mind. I usually am able to focus for my essays, but this was just one of my bad days I guess.


Enough with these crappy complaints, on to the actual details of the essay. One of the things I should have mentioned if I didn't was that all essay authors' goal is to provide the window to thought mentioned in the prompt. Montaigne's style helps him with this by including a large body of evidence from everywhere. He uses the beliefs of actual philosophers and cultures in order to compare those beliefs to his own. Pride and Prejudice on the other hand uses much more emotion than Montaigne. mainly because of the different subject matter. Although, there were some subjects that were comparable. I can't remember any off the top of my head, but the stylistic difference was that montaigne took a much more nuetral stance on most things, and lets his sources do the arguing for him.