Saturday, November 30, 2013

I CAN READ


I CAN READ....barely. This is me reading Dr. Suess' Fox in Socks. This was my first take so it was a little rough. I made about ten mistakes in 6 minutes and 19 seconds.

Literature Analysis *extra*

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

My literary circle group decided to collaborate on this Literature Analysis, so the rest of it is on 
Hannah, Meghan, Annette, Serena, Ian, and Bailey's blogs.

Literary Devices:

  • Metaphors- Dickens uses metaphors like, "I might have been an unfortunate little bull in a Spanish arena, I got so smartingly touched up by these moral goads." These metaphors are eyecatching and keep the readers attention. Also the are more interesting then just stating things directly.
  • First Person Narration- The story is told by a grown Pip, he is looking back on events that happened in his childhood. This is significant because the audience usually knows more than young Pip does. Also, Dickens does a good job of conveying both the all-knowing narrative side and the real-time Pip experiencing these things as a child.
  • Symbolism- Dickens uses a lot of symbolism. For example, he uses mist to symbolize situations that are hard to understand, because it is difficult to see through mist. When Pip first meets the convict it is misty, meaning that the situation is uncertain and Pip can't predict what might happen next. 
  • Imagery- Dickens use of imagery, ties into the symbolism and tone of the story. He describes most of the setting as dark and gloomy, which adds to the eery, creepy tone. For example, Pip describes the marshes as "a long black horizontal line … and the sky was just a row of long angry red lines and dense black lines intermixed."
  • Allusions- Dickens uses literary, historical, and pop culture allusions throughout this novel. For example, when Herbert mentions trade in the West Indies and refers to Miss Havisham as a Tartar. 

Friday, November 22, 2013

The Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

Blurred shadows, muffled echoes
Shackles and chains hold them down
Sights and sounds their only Truth
Prisoners to a dark world underground

The cave is escapable
The chains can be snapped
They can learn a new reality
Fear and ignorance keep them trapped

An enlightened few rise above
At first blinded by the light
They are unaccustomed to this Reality
In awe if a new world so bright

Once accepting of the sun
Which put to shame his native thoughts
He descends back to teach the others
But more shadows and echoes was all he taught

The line between light and dark, appearance and reality
Some live forever in darkness, while others rise to clarity

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

My Notes

It has taken me awhile to get these posted, but here are my notes on sonnets, The Allegory of the Cave, and Plato.

Plato Study Questions


  1. According to Socrates, the Allegory of the Cave represents the people who are chained down by ignorance and deny or do not seek an enlightened truth that exists.
  2. The key elements of imagery used are the cave and the light. The cave represents the world as it is experienced with merely our senses, what it is at face value. The light represents a higher knowledge and intellect through which to better understand the world.
  3. The allegory suggests that the process of enlightenment might be denied by some, because it is at first uncomfortable. Also, that enlightenment is attainable to those who seek it and are open.
  4. The shackles and the cave suggest that the prisoners are living in darkness, which symbolizes the lack of higher knowledge. The shackles represent the close-mindedness of the prisoners.
  5. Religion and tradition are two common "shackles" in today's society. Religion because it states what it thinks is the "truth" and renounces those who question this "truth". Tradition is similar in that something has been the same for so long that people feel uncomfortable questioning or changing it.
  6. The freed prisoner is enlightened and has realized that there is more to life and the world than he used to know. However, the other prisoners ignorantly accept that what they see is all there is, so don't reach the same enlightenment.
  7. Lack of clarity can come from refusing to search for the truth or denying the truth once you have seen it.
  8. The prisoners can be freed whenever they choose to get up and turn around. This suggests that knowledge and enlightenment are attainable for anyone who seeks them.
  9. I agree. Appearances are merely what we see or experience through our own two eyes, but there is so much more to the world than that. Reality includes emotions and thoughts and abstract things that can be physically seen. 
  10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption, then the world is a simple place with no meaning. What you see is all there is and abstract things such as love and emotion don't exist.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Sonnet Remix

Took me a while, but I put the final touches on my sonnet remix and here it is. It's titled "The Moralists", by Yvor Winters.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Project Positive

Hannah Savaso and I started a collaborative working group called Project Positive. It is still in the beginning stages so is pretty blank, but we hope to have it filled up soon. Our goal is simply to spread positivity. We plan on doing this through community service, inspiring videos, quotes, and whatever else anyone finds positive or inspirational. Here's the link to Project Positive's Blog.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

My Sonnet

This is the sonnet I chose that somewhat relates to my original Big Question. If you need help looking for a sonnet I recommend going to www.poetryfoundation.org.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Hamlet Remix

Well, I wasn't sure where to start with this remix, but I knew I wanted it to be visual. So here is a photoset I made to better explain some points in my essay. I haven't completed my remix yet, but this is my start...




Sunday, November 3, 2013

Applying Performative Utterance


Without the philosophy of performative utterance, Hamlet is just a lot of words followed by little action. However, when the idea that words themselves can be actions, Hamlet becomes much more eventful. The theory of performativity explains how words don’t merely describe the physical world, but can influence reality. All of the promises, overhearings, and declarations intertwined make up not only the majority of the plot of Hamlet, but also have the ability to influence our reality.
Hamlet’s character is revealed more by what he says, rather than what he does. First of all, this has something to do with Hamlet being a play and therefore the audience get most of what they know from the characters words and actions. Shakespeare must give light to the characters inner-selves through soliloquies or speeches. Another example of  performative utterance is Hamlet’s oath to the ghost of his father, to remember him and in turn avenge his murder. This sets the stage for the rest of the play. When Hamlet says “It is “Adieu, adieu. Remember me.” I have sworn’t.” he understands what he needs to do due to the locutionary force. Although it takes Hamlet the length of the play to actually commit this act of revenge, by swearing to do so in Act I he brings the actions to reality and makes it tangible, rather than merely a thought. A thought has no real meaning, it is just a fleeting idea. However, according to performative utterance, a word is much different than a thought. A word, for example Hamlet’s promise, can be heard by Hamlet himself and others and the actions the listeners take is what makes this word a reality. Over the course of the play Hamlet becomes more and more frustrated with himself and his inability to put action behind his promise. His promise has had locutionary force, it has been said aloud and heard. His promise has had illocutionary force, it has been understood as a oath to do something. However his promise is lacking in perlocutionary force, because nothing has been achieved and no consequences have yet to come from it. 
“Self-overhearing” is the driving concept, behind Hamlet finally giving his promise perlocutionary force. Many soliloquies, whose primary function were to give the audience insight on Hamlet’s inner-self, actually gave Hamlet insight on himself. By overhearing his own thoughts said aloud, he knew what he had to do, however grew frustrated with his inability to act and lack of emotion. In the end, after hearing himself state his duty repeatedly, it became more and more and doable. Also, because of hearing it so many times he becomes numb to the initial shock of killing his own family, and the act becomes even more realistic. In  the end, he does avenge his father’s murder and put perlocutionary force behind his promise to the ghost. 
Performative utterance is applicable beyond the literary world. People put words to action everyday, in ways like pronouncing to be married or making a promise to a friend. “Self-overhearing” is also something people do daily without even realizing it. When you are having a conversation with a friend about a decision you have to make, by putting words to your thoughts and making them understandable to your friend,  you are experiencing locutionary and illocutionary force. When you hear your own thoughts sometimes they sound different outside of your head than in and the influence this has on your final decision is perlocutionary force after “self-overhearing”. 
Hamlet struggled with making words a reality, as do real people today, the theory of performative utterance explains, that words and actions are intertwined and words have influential force on actions.