Lit Analysis #3

   In life, every person’s behavior is different depending on who is in their presence.  This is inescapable, even if it is a simple difference of thought when associating with different types of people.  In the case for some Chinese-Americans, the conflict of having to choose between the characteristics of the heritage and the characteristics of their illustration of a normal American in order to fit in can be a difficult conflict to overcome and deal with. 
           Genuineness is one of the greatest attributes one can possess.  The ability to remain consistently authentic is something that can only be mastered through confidence and being comfortable with whom you are.  In the perspective of a Chinese-American, one of the most difficult tasks possible is to keep their pride with also trying to fit in. American society can give the impression some people who appear different that they are aliens and can only be accepted if they change to become less different from them.  A shallow or insecure person would try to transform and be accepted. Others who are stronger would rather value who they are even if it means having a low quantity of associates.

            Individuals will never be able to be able to approach situations in life in the potentially best way possible when the have to deceive themselves and others in order to create a mental artificial comfort that shuns reality.  Being real with oneself is always necessary in the pursuit of becoming the best version of yourself.  Without confidence and an open mind, one can never accomplish anything of significance in the same quality as if they would if they possessed that mentality.  In the perspective of a Chinese-American, although acceptance might feel satisfying to some degree, they would never be exempted of the grotesque weights of insecurity and low self-esteem and self-confidence because they would only be receiving an artificial experience that is untrue to oneself.

            Perspective is everything in life.  It is our reception of things and determines how we interpret and apply them into our own lives to make us intellectually wiser.   Several things can alter the clarity of our outlook such as ignorance and interpersonal conflicts such as the inability to comfortable with who we are and using that to relay a positive and confident outlook on life in order to remain genuine and restrain ourselves from deceiving ourselves which can be proven to be one of the most dangerous yet common blindfolds placed over our eyes by society.

Diction Worksheets

1. An example of low or informal diction is, "...I only climbed on the spare spar and leaned over the rail as far as I could, to bring my eyes nearer to that mystery floating alongside."

2. Words & Definitions
-Opaque: not able to be seen through
-Elongated: unusually long in relation to its width.
-Phosphorescent: something glows with light without becoming hot to the touch
-Elusive: difficult to find, catch, or achieve.
-Immersed: dip or submerge in a liquid
-Cadaverous: resembling a corpse in being very pale, thin, or bony
-Ghastly: causing great horror or fear; frightful or macabre

Paraphrasing the paragraph:

The side of the ship made a hazy belt of shadow on the darkling glassy shimmer of the sea. I saw at once something extended and pale floating very close to the ladder. Before i could form a guess a faint flash of shimmering light, which seemed to issue suddenly from the naked body of a man, flickered in the sleeping water with the intangible, silent play of summer lighting in a night sky. With a gasp I saw revealed to my stare a pair of feet, the long legs, a broad livid back shot right up to my neck in a greenish cadaverous glow. As he hung by the ladder, like a resting swimmer, the sea lighting played about his limbs at every stir, and he appeared in it terrible, silvery, fishlike.

3. The elevated language contributes to the tone to make it sound more formal and more mysterious. Paraphrasing the passage affects the tone in a casual way. It sounds less formal and when reading the passage, it's not as intriguing as reading elevated words since it makes it sound better.

4. 4 examples of concrete diction in the passage are:
- phosphorescent light
-opaque belt of shadow
- a board livid back immersed right up to the neck in a greenish cadaverous glow.
- a headless corpse

5. The author chose to leave the captain, the ship, and the crew nameless in the story because he wanted the readers to still keep thinking and being in a way clueless as to who was being described. The elevated words are the ones which unveil what the objects are and how they look like.

6. The denotative meaning of the title The Secret Sharer is of a person who talks about their side that other people don't see, which is dark.

Word

Denotation

Connotation

Cadaverous

resembling a corpse in being very pale, thin, or bony

Body

Darkling

of or relating to growing darkness.

Darkness

Pale

light in color or having little color.

White

Phosphorescence

something glows with light without becoming hot to the touch

Flashy

Ghastly

causing great horror or fear; frightful or macabre

Scared

Headless

having no head

No mind

Fishlike

a characteristic of a fish

Literature Analysis 2

Part 1: The climax of this novel is when Gatsby takes on Thomas. Another possibility for the climax could be at the dinner. Also, it could be when Daisy rejects Gatsby. The exposition of this novel is when Nick rents a house in West Egg and meets Gatsby.

Part 2: The main theme of this novel has to do with wealth. Fitzgerald addresses this by portraying the newly rich as being vulgar. He wrote about this to show differences of the wealth classes. He did this because at the time their was a decline in the american dream.

Part 3: The protagonist was Gatsby. He was not a dynamic character because he remained the same throughout the novel. Another major character is Nick Carraway. He is important to this novel because he is the narrator, so the story is told through him.

Part 4: A significant motif from this novel would be the geography. This symbol functions to show that it took place in a wealthy area and it also showed various aspects of the 1920's. This reveals that the characters were wealthy and connects with the theme.

Part 5: I chose this book because it was suggested to me by a friend. It came to my attention because my friend summarized the novel and make it sound interesting. The fascinating aspects of aristocracy in the 1920's kept me intrigued and want to continue reading. Also, Gatsby's character kept the book interesting to keep up with him and the events that occurred.

Part 6: I'm not sure I can make much connections to this novel because I'm not familiar with much aristocracy. One of the aspects that I can connect between the novel and my life is seeing rejection based on the social class that one is in.

Part 7: One idea that i expect to remember for a long time from this book is that wealth doesn't always get you what you want. This was my choice because it is important to realize that wealth doesn't necessarily mean happiness and to be happy with what you have. This book teaches multiple things like aristocracy in the 1920's, different wealth classes, and how life was in rich areas.

Antigone quick write

First of all, I would attempt to take my parents back to the machine and try to fix them to how they were before. If this was able to happen I would have my parents arrange a dinner and invite our uncle over and poison his food so my parents could regain control. This event would most likely not occur but it is worth a shot. Secondly, I would try to convince my sister and tell her to stand up for what she believes in and lie and say that since our uncle is the king he wouldn’t sentence us to the death penalty. In order to start convincing her I would tell her to do small crimes that she could get away with first to build her confidence and not be as scared.

Jonathan Safran Foer Webinar Reaction Assignment

Category: Persuasive, informative

Name of the presenter: Jonathan Safran Foer

Title of the Video: Jonathan Safran Foer Webinar

Date Accessed: October 28, 2014

Descriptions of three stand-out moments from the video, and why you chose them.

One of the standout moments that I found important and educational was when Safran Foer addressed the fact that there are 50 billion animals factory farmed each year. This is a sad case but informs what most people aren’t aware of. This extremely large number should be taken into perspective because of the amount of animals being affected.

A standout moment from his book that I found to be intriguing was that three to four million dogs and cats are euthanized annually. I am against this, but he makes a strong case about all the meat that is being thrown away from these animals. It is important to note that millions of pounds of meat are put to waste because it is socially unacceptable to eat these household pets with emotional attachment.

The final moment was his statement that there is no chance that half of Americans will be vegetarians in 10 years. I believe this is important because it shows that most of the people in America are unaware of the negative factors that are caused by the meat industry and the harm it has been doing. This is a serious topic that more people should be informed about.

Latin Roots #5

Roots and Derivatives

1. cent(i)- hundred
2. cid(e)- cut, kill
3. clam, claim- cry out, declare
4. cord, cour- heart

Word List

1. bicentennial- A celebration of a 200th anniversary; a happening once in a period of 200 years or lasting 200 years
2. centenarian-  a person who has lived to be 100 years old
   
3. centurion- a Roman officer commanding one hundred men; related to the military mind, especially as it favors military solutions for handling social prpblems
4. clamorous- characterized by continuous loud and complaining voices; noisily complaining; insistent
5. concise- covering much in few words; brief and to the point
6. concordance- a condition of harmony or agreement; an alphabetical index indicating reference passages, as form a writers works
7. cordial- of the heart; warm and friendly; amiable
8. discordant- sounding harsh or inharmonious; clashing
9. genocide- the systematic extermination of an ethnic group
10. incisive- keenly penetrating; cutting into
11. proclamation- an official statement or announcement that informs or honors 
12. reclaim- to claim again; to restore to former importance or usefulness

Latin Roots #4

Roots and Derivatives

bon, boun (good): bonus, bounty, bountiful, bonify, boon, bon voyage, bonhomie
capit, capt(head, chief, leader):capital, captain, capitalize, decapitate, per capita, capitol
carn(i) (flesh): carnal, carnality, carnival, carnation, carnify
ced(e), ceed, cess (go, yield, surrender): recede, proceed, success, concede, exceed, procession, unprecedented

Word List

accession- the attainment of a certain rank or dignity; an increase by means of something added; the act of becoming joined.

Sentence: In Buddhism, the accession was to reach enlightenment.

bona fide- In good faith: genuine.

Sentence: The painting was bona fide

bonanza- a sudden and unexpected source of money or riches: a windfall

Sentence: Winning the lottery gets you a bonanza.

bounteous-inclined to be generous; plentiful and abundant

Sentence: Our water supply is not bounteous at the moment.

capitulation-a surrendering, usually upon prearranged terms or conditions: a final giving up

Sentence: Japan made a capitulation after being bombed.

carnage- a great slaughter, as in battle

Sentence: The war left behind a carnage.

carnivorous- flesh eating, as an animal

Sentence: A lot of dinosaurs were carnivorous animals

incarnate-literally, in the flesh: in bodily form: personified: flesh-colored

Sentence: The girl looked naked because she had an incarnate dress on.

intercede- to act on another's behalf: to mediate

Sentence: The boy's mother interceded when her son was falsely accused.

precedent-a previous act or decision taken as a valid model; having gone before

Sentence:  The father was a precedent to his son.

recapitulation- a brief repetition; a summary, as of what has already been said

Sentence: College students need a recapitulation of every class lesson.

reincarnation- a thing that is reborn, or comes back into being, although perhaps in a different (bodily) form.

Sentence: Buddhists believed in reincarnation.

Literature Analysis #1

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Plot: Billy (protagonist) is transported in a crowded railway boxcar to a POW camp in Germany. One night, Allied forces bomb the city, then drop bombs to create a firestorm that sucks most of the oxygen into the fire killing about 130,000 people.

Theme: The theme of this story would probably be that war isn't the answer. The bombing of Dresden during World War || destroyed the whole city and killed around 130,000 people.

I chose this book because I like reading about events that happened during wars. This book made me enjoy it because of the action and events that took place all throughout the novel.

This novel was somewhat realistic because it was based on the authors own experience from World War ||. I couldn't find anything to relate to from this novel because I haven't experienced a war in my lifetime.

Latin Roots #3

Roots and Derivatives
1) aud(it) (hear): audience, auditorium, audition, audiovisual
2) avi (bird): aviation, aviculture, aviatrix, avifauna
3) bell(i) (war): rebellion, rebel, belligerent, postbellum
4)ben(e) (good,well): benefit, benevolent, benediction, benefice, bension

Word List:

1) antebellum- before the war, especially the American Civil War, typical of how things were before any war.

Sentence: He's plagued by events from his past and has traces of insanity in his antebellum lineage.

2) Audit- to attend a class as a listener, not for credit; to check or examine a company's financial records; the process of making such an examination.

Sentence:The best way to catch corrupt trusted insiders is through audit.


3) auditory- related to the sense of hearing.

Sentence: Auditory hallucinations have long been understood as a sign of severe mental illness.


4) avian- characteristic of or pertaining to birds.

Sentence :Bird feeders will attract avian visitors to the park.


5)aviary- an elaborate structure for housing birds.

Sentence: I am at home a lot, but am planning a brand new aviary.

6)avionics- the technology of using electronic  equipment in aviation, missilery, and space flight.
Sentence: There is a possibility of interfering with the aircraft avionics.

7) bellicose- eager to fight or quarrel; hostile

Sentence: The gang members were bellicose when they saw a rival gang.

8) belligerency- the condition of warlike hostility; a hostile action

9)benefactor- a person who gives another (financial) help; a patron insurance policy

Sentence: My dad was a benefactor when helping my sister with college.

10) beneficiary- one who receives a benefit (of payment), as a form of an insurance policy

Sentence: My sister was a beneficiary

11) benign- not malignant; gracious and kindly; good-natured.

Sentence: My grandma is a very benign person.

12) inaudible- unable to be heard.

Sentence: When my teacher was sick she was inaudible.

Myth Project: Pandora

main character: Pandora

Pandora: The first mortal female that was created to be beautiful, smart, and curious.

 

Setting: Pandora and Epimetheus's home

 

Main plot: Pandora is given a beautifully decorated box from papa Zeus. The box was not to be open in fact the box was locked and read " UNDER PENALTY OF LAW DO NOT REMOVE" of course being curious Pandora thought her gift was to be opened and upon opening all that makes the world miserable came out: racism, sexism, lust, old age, and etc. All but one thing came out which was hope Pandora got a grip and closed it before she left.

 

Main conflict: Pandora's curiosity and the box

The purpose of this story was to show where all the bad things in the world originated from.

Reflections on week 1

In week one I learned many things about this class. The major topic that we learned about was how school can kill one's creativity. I would agree with this because it feels like we are all just a cog in an industrial model of education. Our education system is pretty much built on how to pass a class, not to educate us. Another thing I learned about this class is that we will be using blogs to stay updated with our work. I feel like this can help us stay organized and it is a good use of modern technology.

How School Kills Creativity

School can kill creativity in many ways. Kids aren't born frightened of being wrong but once they start going to school and grow older they tend to not answer as much questions because of being scared of having the wrong answer. We all get educated out of our creativeness because everyone has to follow the same guidelines. There is always the same topics and students don't really have a choice on what they want to learn. The main purpose of our education system is pretty much to create university professors. I feel like creativity comes from different ways of seeing things but schools take away what we need the most.

Latin Roots #2

Roots and Derivatives

1. anni, annu, enni (year) - anniversary.  semiannual. biennial. bicentennial. annuity
2. aqua, aque (water)- aquatic. aqueduct. aquarium. aqualung. subaqueous. aquamarine.
3. arm (arm, weapon)- army. alarm. disarm. armaments. armory. armor 
4. art (Art. craft. skill)- artistic. artificial. inarticulate. artmobile. article. artificer 

Word List

1. aqua- the hue of the sea: bluish-green                                                                                                             Sentence: I needed to color in the ocean on my assignment but I didn't have the color aqua.
2. aquaculture- the cultivation of water plants and animals for human food                                               Sentence: Ancient civilizations used aquaculture to increase their population.
3. aqueous- like, of, or formed by water: watery.                              Sentence:
4. armada- a fleet of warships.                                                                                                                                   Sentence: The armada attacked the shoreline during the war.
5. armature- equipment or clothing for battle or any protective covering; an armlike extension            
6. armistice- a temporary suspension of hostilities by mutual agreement, as a truce preliminary to a peace treaty.                                                                                                                                                                                       
7. artifact- any object produced by the art of the human hand; simple or primitive objects from the distant past.                                                                                                                                                                                           Sentence: The artifact was kept at the museum.
8. artifice- cunning ingenuity; clever or sly trickery                                                                                                            Sentence: Greek gods used artifice to trick each other.
9. artisan- a person skilled at a craft, usually a handicraft                                                                                                  Sentence: Artisans had to do a lot of work to help upgrade weapons.
10. millennium- a period of peace and great prosperity; a thousand years                                                                      Sentence: Many events have occurred in this millennium 
11. perennial- year after year: throughout the years: a plant that blooms annually                                                       Sentence: The superbowl is a perennial event.
12. superannuated- worn out. or retired from age and years of use or hard work: obsolete or outdated                  Sentence: The old teacher was superannuated.

Journal #7

A lot of young people want to be older because they see the older kids have more privelages. Older people want to be younger because they were too worried about their future to enjoy their childhood. At my age, I feel like I should have appreciated my childhood. It went by faster than expected and now I cant go back.

BOR Research Essay

Miguel Cruz

8/26/14

Block 2

Birth Order Research Essay

            Would birth order research be accurate when describing you? I would fit into the category of the youngest child. A few of the findings that would relate to me would be that I’m absentminded and tend to be impatient. The motivating factor of youngest children of “do it now and worry later,” wouldn't fit me.

            First of all, the trait of being absentminded can be used to describe me. I always tend to forget about things and get distracted very easily. One example of me being absentminded is right now because I can’t focus on this essay. If I see or hear something I stop and then when I try to start writing again I doze off and daydream.  Another example is that I have a short attention span and can’t pay attention for long periods of time. Last year, the classes were an hour and thirty minutes long and I would lose focus multiple times throughout the class. This trait is very accurate for me.

            Also, the other trait that I can relate to is that I’m impatient. If I wait for anything for too long I tend to get aggravated or annoyed. When I’m at the doctor and they take long to attend me I start asking the nurses when they’ll take me in because I don’t want to wait any longer. Another example would be when I’m going to meet up somewhere with a friend and they take too long to get there. I always end up getting mad at them. Finally, when I get out of basketball practice and my mom takes too long to pick me up I get annoyed because I’m usually one of the last ones to leave. These are all examples of how impatient I am.

            The motivating factor of the youngest children from birth order research is “do it now and worry later,” but it is inaccurate for me. I always tend to procrastinate. If I have an assignment for one week, I’ll do it the day before it’s due. An example would be that I did the summer assignments for AP World History and English Honors 2 during the last three days of summer. I don’t think I have ever completed a long-term assignment the first day I received it. This factor could fit other people who fit in the category of youngest children but it doesn't work for me.

            In conclusion, birth order research has some accurate traits that fit me but a motivational factor that opposes to me. I feel like this has good traits that fit the youngest children. This has changed my views because I felt like not much people had the traits I do. It turns out most of the youngest children are somewhat like me and doesn't make me feel like an outcast.

            

Latin Roots #1

Words from Latin Roots #1

ROOTS AND DERIVATIVES

1. act, ag, ig: to do, to move, to drive
2. ali, alter: another, other
3. am: at/ to love
4. anim: life, spirit, soul

WORD LIST

agenda - 

               Def. A list or plan of things to be done in the future; listed items to be taken up at a meeting. 

               Sen. I use my agenda everyday to write down my homework. 

agile-

               Def. Quick and easy of movement or thought; resourceful

               Sen. My actions when i'm dribbling through defenses are agile. 

alienate-

               Def. To make someone unfriendly, withdrawn, or indifferent.

               Sen. The boy was being very alienate to the new student.

altercation-

               Def. A heated or angry argument; a noisy quarrel.

               Sen. The boys got into an altercation after one of them cut in the lunch line.

amiable-

               Def.Generally pleasant, friendly and nice to be around.

          Sen. I am amiable if I get food when i'm hungry.

amorous-

               Def. Suggestive of love, lovemaking, or sexual desire.

          Sen. The man was very amorous  but he was single.

animated-

              Def. Filled with life and spirit.

              Sen. A team is animated when they win a championship.

equanimity-

               Def. Calmness or evenness of mind or spirit; even-temperedness.

               Sen. I have to have equanimity when I have a game.

inalienable-

               Def. That which cant be taken away or transferred to someone else.

               Sen. My textbooks are inalienable because they have my name in them and are checked out to me.

inanimate-

              Def. Possessing neither life nor spirit; not alive.

              Sen. An inanimate object can't move or talk.

magnanimous-

               Def. Showing a kind of nobleness of mind and spirit; high-minded; free from pettiness.

               Sen. When i am on the court I'm magnanimous.

reactionary-

               Def. Characterized by ideas suggestion by ideas suggesting a desire to move backward, especially in matters 

                          relate

My six words

I chose these 6 words to represent my life for multiple reasons. The first three words, "What is life?" is a simple question i ask myself on a daily basis. No one truly understands the meaning of life and we all have our different perspectives on how it should be. The next three words, "Ball is life," are used to show my life revolves around the sport of basketball. I do good in school and try to get good grades so I can be able to play. Also, if there is an event going on I have to make sure it doesn't interfere with basketball. These are a few reasons why I chose these words for my six word memoir.