Character Study 2-3

Zach is now off to the airport to meet his friends, restless in the backseat, his mind is racing with all sorts of thoughts. Nervous and not knowing what to think Zach just had to sit there until he got to the airport where hi friends would be waiting to tell him where they were going. He had never been on a trip with just his friends, so he was excited, but also unsure how things were going to go. Finally the cab pulls up to the airport and Zach steps out anxious to begin his journey.

As Zach enters the airport his friends approach smiling from ear to ear. They hand him his ticket, but one of his friends says,"we have three extra tickets if you know of anyone else that would like to come along." After a couple of minutes Zach thought for a moment, then realized he should invite his friends from his baseball team. Ibrahim Moisus, Dan Smith, and Tyrolle Smoochie Wallace. Ibrahim is a tough guy that doesn't put up with anything. While Dan is quite the opposite, very laid back, tends to go with the flow of things. Tyrolle is the energetic one in the group, he rarely ever sits still.

Character Study

Without any warning he was called and told he must be ready in a couple of hours. Not having a clue where he is going, Zach is packing as much as he can into his blue suitcase. Not knowing where he is being taken or what to expect, he packs everything from shorts and t-shirts, to pants and heavy jackets. The phone rings just as he finishes packing and the person on the other side says, "there is a taxi waiting in your drive way". Excited and nervous in the same instant, Zach jumps in the taxi and is now off on his journey.

Canterbury Tales

The Canterbury Tales is a fictional story set in a historical setting and is about pilgrims who tell stories on their way to a cathedral shrine. It is one story that is made up of many other stories. The pilgrims tell their tales to pass the time while journeying to Canterbury to visit the shrine. Each character is very different, but they all have one thing that ties them all together.

Netvibes

This website seems like it could be very helpful. It allows you to see all the sites you visit frequently on one single page, which could save a lot of time. I have been looking through it and messing around with it for the last half hour and it seems like it could be a pretty useful resource. 

Vocabulary #6

Obsequious: Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
- They were served by obsequious waiter.

Beatitude: Supreme blessedness.
- The richest person in the world couldn't buy beatitude.

Bete noire: A person or thing that one particularly dislikes or dreads.
- The principal was his bete noire.

Bode: To announce beforehand, or predict.
- These rain clouds don't bode well for our picnic.

Dank: Disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold.
- We are transforming our dark, dank basement into a bright new room.

Ecumenical: Representing a number of different Christian churches; nondenominational.
- The bible is a ecumenical symbol of religion.

Fervid: Intensely enthusiastic or passionate, to an excessive degree.
- The fervid auctioneer made the otherwise boring event quite entertaining.

Fetid: Smelling extremely unpleasant.
- The boys' locker room was so fetid that no one wanted to go in it.

Gargantuan: Enormous.
- The player on the other football team was gargantuan.

Heyday: The period of a person's or thing's greatness success, popularity, or vigor.
- He is a little over weight, but in his heyday he was really fit.

Incubus: Something that weighs upon or oppresses someone like a nightmare.
- Her guilt attacked her like a relentless incubus.

Infrastructure: The basic structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.
- Roads and bridges are considered as infrastructure in the United States.

Inveigle: Persuade to do something by means of flattery or deception.
- Her son tried to inveigle her into giving him the money for a car.

Kudos: Praise and honor received for an achievement.
- He deserves kudos for his well written essay.

Lagniappe: Something given as a bonus or extra gift.
- I bought two drinks and got the third one as a lagniappe.

Prolix: Using or containing too many words, tediously lengthy.
-His prolix essay was really boring.

Protege: A person who is guided by an older more experienced person.
- The back up quarterback was a protege of the starter.

Prototype: A first model of something.
- Before they announced the new corvette they had to make many prototypes.

Sycophant: A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain an advantage.
- The rich and the famous often find sycophantic people by their side.

Tautology: The saying of the same thing twice in different words.
- He uses tautology when his mom says no the first time he asks her a question.

Truckle: To submit or behave obediently.
- He truckled after being yelled at by his parents.

Accolade: An award or privilege granted for special honor.
- You can receive an accolade for a GPA above a 3.0.

Acerbity: A sharp bitterness.
- The acerbity in her speech can put off almost anyone

Attrition: The action of weakening by attack or pressure.
- When both sides were unable to advance, the war became a matter of attrition.

Bromide: An unoriginal idea or remark.
- He always comes up with bromide ideas.

Chauvinist: A person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism.
- American chauvinists usually own a lot of American flags.

Chronic: Persisting for a long time or constantly recurring.
- The elderly woman suffered from the chronic osteoporosis.

Expound: Present and explain systematically and in detail.
- He began to expound in great detail his plans for the nation.

Factionalism: The splitting of a group into factions; Conflict between factions
- Some kids have to deal with factionalism within their family.

Immaculate: Perfectly clean and tidy.
- My room is never immaculate.

Imprecation: A spoken curse.
- The witch muttered imprecations as she worked.

Ineluctable: Unable to be resisted or avoided.
- Dessert is very ineluctable.

Mercurial: Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.
- Everyone stayed away from him because hi temper was mercurial.

Palliate: To make less severe or unpleasant.
- The medical staff used strong narcotics to palliate the terminally ill patients pain.

Protocol: The official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions.
-When filing a complaint at work you must us the protocol.

Resplendent: Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.
- The tiny hummingbird was resplendent.

Stigmatize: Describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval.
- She was afraid she would be stigmatized if people found out she smokes cigarettes.

Sub rosa: Happening or done in secret.
- The meeting was held sub rosa.

Vainglory: Inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessively vain.
- He has such vainglory when talking about himself.

Vestige: A trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.
- There was a vestige about these footprints.

Volition: The faculty or power of using one's will.
- He decided to work out under his own volition.

What A Character

A fictional character that made a big impression on me is, Winston from "1984". Even though everyone around him was being brain washed into thinking they should have to think a certain way, he fought it for as long as he could because he knew it was the right thing to do. I believe in the quote that says, "stand up for what you believe in even if you're standing alone". This is exactly what Winston did in the story.

Declaration of Learning Independence

In this class I'm looking to become a better writer and I felt like this class was my best chance at accomplishing that goal. I liked the idea of collaborating with my classmates as a system of feeding off each other and learning as much as I can my senior year. I think this class will teach me to use my resources to help me accomplish my main goal, which is to walk across the stage on that last day of high school with a big smile on my face. After high school I plan on attending Sacramento State University and majoring in Kinesiology. After graduating from college I am going to be come a physical therapist. All goals are attainable if you put your mind to it and that's what I plan on doing with the goals listed above.

Vocabulary #5

Obsequious: Obedient or attentive to an excessive or servile degree.
- They were served by obsequious waiter.

Beatitude: Supreme blessedness.
- The richest person in the world couldn't buy beatitude.

Bete noire: A person or thing that one particularly dislikes or dreads.
- The principal was his bete noire.

Bode: To announce beforehand, or predict.
- These rain clouds don't bode well for our picnic.

Dank: Disagreeably damp, musty, and typically cold.
- We are transforming our dark, dank basement into a bright new room.

Ecumenical: Representing a number of different Christian churches; nondenominational.
- The bible is a ecumenical symbol of religion.

Fervid: Intensely enthusiastic or passionate, to an excessive degree.
- The fervid auctioneer made the otherwise boring event quite entertaining.

Fetid: Smelling extremely unpleasant.
- The boys' locker room was so fetid that no one wanted to go in it.

Gargantuan: Enormous.
- The player on the other football team was gargantuan.

Heyday: The period of a person's or thing's greatness success, popularity, or vigor.
- He is a little over weight, but in his heyday he was really fit.

Incubus: Something that weighs upon or oppresses someone like a nightmare.
- Her guilt attacked her like a relentless incubus.

Infrastructure: The basic structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.
- Roads and bridges are considered as infrastructure in the United States.

Inveigle: Persuade to do something by means of flattery or deception.
- Her son tried to inveigle her into giving him the money for a car.

Kudos: Praise and honor received for an achievement.
- He deserves kudos for his well written essay.

Lagniappe: Something given as a bonus or extra gift.
- I bought two drinks and got the third one as a lagniappe.

Prolix: Using or containing too many words, tediously lengthy.
-His prolix essay was really boring.

Protégé: A person who is guided by an older more experienced person.
- The back up quarterback was a protege of the starter.

Prototype: A first model of something.
- Before they announced the new corvette they had to make many prototypes.

Sycophant: A person who acts obsequiously toward someone important in order to gain an advantage.
- The rich and the famous often find sycophantic people by their side.

Tautology: The saying of the same thing twice in different words.
- He uses tautology when his mom says no the first time he asks her a question.

Truckle: To submit or behave obediently.
- He truckled after being yelled at by his parents.

Literature Analysis #1

1.) In 1984, Winston Smith lives in London which is part of the country Oceania. The world is divided into three countries, Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Oceania is a totalitarian society led by Big Brother, which censors everyone’s behavior, even their thoughts. Winston does not like living in under the Party. Winston hears rumors of a group called Brotherhood, that is composed of a group of underground rebels intent on overthrowing the government. Winston meets Julia and they secretly fall in love and have an affair, which is considered a crime in Oceania. While walking home one day, Winston runs into O’Brien, an inner Party member, who gives Winston his address. O'Brien is supposed to be part of the Brotherhood and Winston would like to join. Since Julia hated the party as much as Winston did, they went to O’Brien’s house together where they were introduced into the Brotherhood. O’Brien is actually a faithful member of the Inner-Party and this is actually a trap for Winston. The owner of the store below Winston and Julia's apartment was also a spy for the Party. Winston and Julia are sent to the Ministry of Love which is a sort of rehabilitation center for criminals accused of a thought crime. There, Winston was separated from Julia, and tortured until his beliefs coincided with those of the Party. Winston eventually cracks and denounces everything he believed him, even his love for Julia, and was released back into the public where he wastes his days at the Chestnut Tree drinking gin.

2.)Totalitarianism:
George Orwell uses this story to portray how dangerous a totalitarian government can actually be. Under this government people no longer have any rights and nothing can happen privately. In this book, Orwell sets up a perfect totalitarian state and used Winston as an example that even the most independent thinkers can be broken by this type of government. This story shows that  once this type of government takes over it is nearly impossible to get rid of it.

3.)Pessimistic:
I sensed a very pessimistic tone throughout this book. Winston quickly expresses his hate for Big Brother, by writing it in big bold letters in his diary. "His pen had slid voluptuously over the smooth paper, printing in large neat capitals - DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER over and over again, filling half a page."
Winston doesn't even try to make himself heard because he knows he will be punished as soon as he does and early on in the story you can feel him sort of giving up, as shown by this quote. "Curiously, the chiming of the hour seemed to have put new heart into him. He was a lonely ghost uttering a truth that nobody would ever hear. But so long as he uttered it, in some obscure way, the continuity was not broken. It was not by making yourself heard but by staying sane that you carried on the human heritage." 
Winston realizes that the proles are the countries last hope because they make up eighty five percent of the population. "If there is hope, it must lie in the proles, because only there, in those swarming disregarded masses, eighty-five percent of the population of Oceania, could the force to destroy the Party ever be granted."

4.)
Foreshadow: In the beginning of the story Winston says, "people who go into the Ministry of Love come out, but disappear soon afterward." At the end of the story Winston is sent to the Ministry of Love and comes out, but as a totally changed person. (7)

Metaphor:  "If there is hope, it must lie in the proles, because only there, in those swarming disregarded masses, eighty-five percent of the population of Oceania, could the force to destroy the Party ever be granted."(60)
-The Proles represent the lowest working classes of society (the proletariat) and they also serve as a metaphor for hopelessness.

Personification: "If the Party could thrust its hand into the past and say this or that even, it never happened that, surely, was more terrifying than mere torture and death,"
 (126).
- It was scary how much control the Party had.

Allusion: “Big Brother is watching you”(5)
- Allusion to the idea of Stalin looking over the people of the Soviet Union.

Foreshadowing: "It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen." (5)
- Hinting that something is wrong.

Irony: “War is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength,” (17).
- The three slogans of the Party.

Repetition: “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the future controls the past,” ( 248).
- He uses repetition to keep readers interested.

Flashback: "It was no use, he could not remember: nothing remained of his childhood except a series of brightly-lit tableaux, occurring against no background and mostly unintelligible."
-The reader learns that Winston is constantly struggling to remember his past, and that he often fails.

Climax: "Stand out in the middle of the room. Stand back to back.Clasp your hands behind your heads. Do not touch each other." (183)
-Winston and Julia getting caught by the thought Police.

Vocabulary 4

Accolade: An award or privilege granted for special honor.
- You can receive an accolade for a GPA above a 3.0.

Acerbity: A sharp bitterness.
- The acerbity in her speech can put off almost anyone

Attrition: The action of weakening by attack or pressure.
- When both sides were unable to advance, the war became a matter of attrition.

Bromide: An unoriginal idea or remark.
- He always comes up with bromide ideas.

Chauvinist: A person displaying aggressive or exaggerated patriotism.
- American chauvinists usually own a lot of American flags.

Chronic: Persisting for a long time or constantly recurring.
- The elderly woman suffered from the chronic osteoporosis.

Expound: Present and explain systematically and in detail.
- He began to expound in great detail his plans for the nation.

Factionalism: The splitting of a group into factions; Conflict between factions
- Some kids have to deal with factionalism within their family.

Immaculate: Perfectly clean and tidy.
- My room is never immaculate.

Imprecation: A spoken curse.
- The witch muttered imprecations as she worked.

Ineluctable: Unable to be resisted or avoided.
- Dessert is very ineluctable.

Mercurial: Subject to sudden or unpredictable changes of mood or mind.
- Everyone stayed away from him because hi temper was mercurial.

Palliate: To make less severe or unpleasant.
- The medical staff used strong narcotics to palliate the terminally ill patients pain.

Protocol: The official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions.
-When filing a complaint at work you must us the protocol.

Resplendent: Attractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous.
- The tiny hummingbird was resplendent.

Stigmatize: Describe or regard as worthy of disgrace or great disapproval.
- She was afraid she would be stigmatized if people found out she smokes cigarettes.

Sub rosa: Happening or done in secret.
- The meeting was held sub rosa.

Vainglory: Inordinate pride in oneself or one's achievements; excessively vain.
- He has such vainglory when talking about himself.

Vestige: A trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists.
- There was a vestige about these footprints.

Volition: The faculty or power of using one's will.
- He decided to work out under his own volition.

Beowulf Essay

From Beowulf to Superman our cultures have always created heroes. They help define who we are and what we want to be. They give us hope and inspire us to head in the right direction. They show us that good will always triumph over evil and that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Heroes give us the inspiration we need to overcome problems in our own lives and that is why we create them. Beowulf perfectly embodies the idea of a hero. He defeats the evil Grendel and his mother, slays the dragon, and saves his people. Beowulf is strong, brave, moral, and inspiring. All of these traits fit perfectly with the traits of a hero. In a way, one could say Beowulf was the hero of hero’s not only inspiring the people of his time, but inspiring the heroes who would later be created in his image.

Superman must travel to other planets and other galaxies to help those that need him. Superman, as a child, is sent away from the planet of Krypton, where he is powerless, to the town of Smallville. While he is there, he realizes all his powers. He would not have superpowers if not for his relocation, and a super man would not have existed. Superman defends Metropolis against disaster but also flies into outer space to fight off the crazy Brainiac and save a city from his own planet. Many times, he makes the trip to other universes to aid those in distress. He is able to use his remarkable abilities to better the lives of others. Strength and physical attributes are the characteristics that men praise in both Beowulf and Superman.

Beowulf begins as many epic tales do, by introducing the hero. The author tells the reader of how Beowulf has trekked oceans and slain monsters; right from the beginning it is made obvious that Beowulf is no ordinary man. However, with any tale, the hero must face some type of adversity, an evil that must be overcome. In Beowulf’s case, he has three, the hideous monster Grendel, Grendel’s mother and the foreboding Dragon. So while there may be three physical antagonists, one can argue that they metaphorically represent one thing, societies shortcomings. In John Gardner’s “Grendel”, the monster is said to harbor feelings of lust or jealousy of the inhabitants of Hrothgar’s mead-hall and attacks them due to his feeling of exclusion.

Both Beowulf and Superman give people a sense of hope. Beowulf possesses extreme amounts of physical strength. Despite the probability of death against Grendel and the fact that many men have failed, he insists on attacking him and defeating him. Beowulf's unusual and courageous method of killing Grendel demonstrates his bravery and physical strength because he kills him with his own two hands. Just like Beowulf, Superman also holds an unbelievable amount of strength. Neither of these heroes shy away from adversity or evil. Beowulf was faced with a choice to run and hide or be courageous, even when the odds were against him he went and fought. In the end he came out victorious and showed that if you believe in yourself anything is possible.

Beowulf and Superman both use what they are given to protect and give others a sense of security. They also inspire others to be courageous and to believe in themselves. In theses stories the people know as long as these guys are around they will be safe and protected. Even though Beowulf was written a long time ago and Superman is a modern story. both of these characters are perfect representations of heroes.

Will Study For Food

I recently found out about a scholarship offered by Elks National Foundation. The name of this scholarship is "The Most Valuable Student". This scholarship is offered to any high school senior who is a citizen of the United States, but applicants need not be related to a member of the Elks. Male and female students compete separately. People that apply will be judged on scholarship, leadership, and financial need. The scholarship deadline is December 6, 2013. Applications must be submitted to the Elks Lodge closest to the student's permanent U.S. address.

I need scholarship money for tuition, books, and living expenses. I haven't really looked into scholarships as much as I would like at this point in time, so I don't really have an amount of money I intend to earn from them.

Vocabulary #3

Apostate: Abandoning a religious or political belief or principle.
-He was tired of people judging him so he just decided to apostate his religion.

Effusive: Expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval.
-The review on the new movie were mostly effusive.

Impasse: A situation in which no progress is possible.
-The peace talks reached an impasse, so the parties left to assess their position.

Euphoria: A feeling of great happiness.
-He was filled with euphoria when he heard the news of the birth of his son

Lugubrious: Looking or sounding sad or dismal.
-They were very lugubrious after loosing the championship.

Bravado: A bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate.
-His show of bravado as he climbed into the boxing ring was undermined by his shaking knees.

Consensus: A general agreement.
-When the class was asked to vote on the homework assignments they hated most, the consensus was that math assignments were the worst.

Dichotomy: A division or contrast between two things.
-I like the dichotomy of going from the freezing outdoors to the hot sauna.

Constrict: Make narrower.
-The economy can slow or constrict when consumer demand is lower.

Gothic: Characterized by or emphasizing a gloomy setting and grotesque or violent events.
-They were reading a story by Poe that had a dark and Gothic tone

Punctilio: A fine or petty point of conduct.
-The clerk was so punctilious in obeying the court rules that I had to remind him why I was there.

Metamorphosis: A complete transformation.
-I underwent a real metamorphosis in my junior high and early high school years from a weak boy to a strong young man.

Raconteur: A person who tells anecdotes in a skill and amusing way.
-When the raconteur began his story, everyone stopped to listen.

Sine qua non: An essential or indispensable element or condition.
-Sugar is a sine qua non to make a cake.

Quixotic: Exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
-The villain's plan of world domination was obviously quixotic.

Vendetta: A prolonged feud, typically between two families.
-The evil group of business owners had a vendetta against the bank.

Non sequitur: An argument in which the conclusion does not follow the premises.
-The speaker's logic contained a non sequitur and was thereby flawed.

Mystique: An aura or attitude of mystery.
-There is a certain mystique about py

Quagmire: A difficult, precarious or entrapping position.
-She was put in a quagmire when her sister and friend asked her to hangout at the same time.

Parlous: Full of danger.
-Iraq is a very parlous place.

Why This Book

I chose to read "1984" by George Orwell for my first literature analysis. I chose this book because I have heard from multiple people within the last couple of weeks that it is a very good book.