In Class Essay

In Class Essay

In Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the main character, Pip, goes through dynamic changes throughout the novel. When, Pip arrives in London to become a gentleman, his moral and psychological traits develop through his cultural and physical surroundings.

While, Pip stays in London to become a gentleman, the culture of Victorian England sucks him in, only to change his life. Dickens uses formal diction when describing the culture in Victorian England which helps contribute to the change in Pip's moral traits. Mr. Jaggers as well as Victorian England corrupts Pip and makes him develop some cynical, moral traits. On the other hand, back home Joe provides Pip with a good influence because of his non-sadistic, moral traits. Overall, the culture from Pip's childhood and Victorian England coincide in helping develop Pip as a character.

Pip's physical surroundings are the main factor in developing his moral and psychological traits because of characters like Magwitch, Estella, Joe, Mr. Jaggers, and Ms. Havisham. The characterization of the previously listed characters help the author develop good and bad influences for Pip which help contribute to the development of his moral and psychological traits. Estella is a bad influence for Pip because she is a tease to him and his journey to become a gentleman is mainly to impress Estella and himself so he could prove that he is worthy enough for her. Joe is probably the only positive influence that Pip experiences in his life because he is the only one who truly cares for Pip and wants the best for him. Overall, Pip's physical surroundings greatly contribute to his psychological and moral traits.

When, Pip arrives in London to become a gentleman, his moral and psychological traits develop through his cultural and physical surroundings. The culture of Victorian England and his childhood are the main contributors to his moral traits. Pip's physical surroundings are the main factor in developing his moral and psychological traits because the characters in the novel play a huge role in Pip's decisions throughout the novel. Overall, the author's diction and characterization greatly contribute to the development of Pip's psychological and moral traits.

Poetry Essay #1

There are 2 distinct and very different view of Helen of Troy in these 2 poems. Poe reveres Helen and compliments her on her timeless beauty and gracefulness while H.D. expresses the hate she has received from the citizens of Greece for her betrayal to them. The speakers’ view of Helen can be contrasted through their use of tone, imagery, and diction.

            The tone in Poe’s poem is elation and gratification towards Helen of Troy, however, H.D.’s tone throughout his poem is melancholy and gloomy. “Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, thy naiad airs have brought me home to the glory that was Greece, and the grandeur that was Rome.” This excerpt from Poe’s poem supports my claim of Poe’s fondness of Helen. “All Greece hates the still eyes in the white face, the lustre as of olives where she stands, and the white hands.” This excerpt from H.D’s poem supports my claim of his dark and gloomy tone when referencing Helen.

            The imagery in the poems is flabbergasting because of the speakers’ abilities to describe their feelings of Helen of Troy. “Helen, thy beauty is to me like those nicean barks of yore that gently, o’er a perfumed sea, the weary, way-worn wanderer bore to his own native shore.” This excerpt from Poe’s poem represents his stunning, positive imagery of Helen of Troy. “Greece sees unmoved God’s daughter, born of love, the beauty of cool feet and slenderest knees, could love indeed the maid, only if she were laid, white ash amid funeral cypresses.” This excerpt from H.D.’s poem represents his magical, negative view of Helen of Troy.

            The diction that the speakers’ uses are not completely different but it is noticeable to capture their differences. “Lo, in yon brilliant window-niche how statue-like I see thee stand, the agate lamp within thy hand.” This excerpt from Poe’s poem shows that he used old English when describing Helen. “All Greece reviles the wan face when she smiles, hating it deeper still when it grows wan and white, remembering past enchantments and past ills.” This excerpt from H.D.’s poem shows that he used a more formal and up-to-date use of the English language.

            The speakers’ view of Helen can be contrasted through their use of tone, imagery, and diction. Poe’s tone and H.D.’s tone of Helen of Troy differ greatly because Poe has a more reverence to Helen when mentioning her in the poem, while H.D.’s tone is more melancholy when speaking of her. The imagery in both poems is breathtaking; however, they are significantly different because Poe has a more positive description when describing Helen than H.D. The diction in Poe’s poem of Helen uses old English, while H.D.’s poem uses more modern English. Overall, the main difference is that Poe has a positive view of Helen while H.D. has a more negative view of her.

Gridlock #2

TPCASTT:  Poem Analysis Method:   title, paraphrase, connotation, diction,  attitude, tone, shift(s), title revisited and  theme
Title of poem means	The author will rise no matter the obstacle.
Paraphrase parts of the Poem	First the narrator listed how he was tortured and hated by everyone, and then he rose. Eventually he triumphed by rising yet again.
Connotation of some of the words – changing literal meaning to implied or associated values	"I am the dream and the hope of the slave." This line in the poem basically says that every slave should live like him, unwavering and unfrightened when confronted by hatred.
Attitude What is the attitude of the author, characters or yourself?	The author's attitude is dark and gloomy in the beginning but shift to a joyous and triumphant tone in the last stanza of the poem.
Shift At first we think or feel one way – then there is a shift:  identify the shifts and explain them	The poem refers to the narrator's life as a slave and the poem's tone doesn't shift into a positive direction until the last stanza of the poem.
Title revisited Any new insights on meaning or significance of title?	The title speaks for itself. The narrator will "rise." Theme: No matter the obstacles you face in your life, you must always rise.
Theme

Gridlock #1

Vendler Grid

Meaning	No matter the obstacles that the person faces in his life, he will always rise.
Antecedent Scenario	I think before the poem was written the narrator was made fun of and hated by others.
Structural Parts	The poem is split into two parts. The first half of the poem is very dark because of the narrator lists how he has been hated by everyone. The second half of the poem starts with the beginning of the last stanza which shifts the tone to a more joyous and triumphant one.
Climax	The climax starts in the beginning of the last stanza which shifts the dark and gloomy tone to a more joyous and triumphant one.
Other Parts	Like I listed above in the structural parts section this poem is split into two parts.

Skeleton	The poem refers to the narrator's life as a slave and the poem's tone doesn't shift into a positive direction until the last stanza.
Content Genre- games	The poem is an autobiography/hero poem.
Tone	The tone in the beginning is dark and gloomy but shifts in the last stanza to a joyous and triumphant tone.
Agency	The main agent in the poem is "I Rise."
Roads Not Taken	The poem's message is so inspirational that I believe any other road taken would have been idiotic. The poem is perfect and can be related to anyone's life.
Speech Acts	First the narrator listed how he was tortured and hated by everyone, and then he rose. Eventually he triumphed by rising yet again.
Outer and Inner Structural Forms	The major speech shift is in the last stanza.
Imagination	The imagination runs free throughout the poem by emotionally touching the reader. The author succeeds in inspiring the reader with his harsh life but never-ending will.

Seventh Reading

Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
'Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops.
Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
'Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin' in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I'll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I've got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history's shame
I rise
Up from a past that's rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that's wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

-Maya Angelou

Literary Circles: Life of Pi
My group consists of Ryland, John, Justice, Laura, and Landon.

Multiple Choice
1.       Piscine Molitor Patel is named after

a.       A famous indian

b.      A scientific instrument

c.       A swimming pool

d.      A close family relative

2.       Pi’s dad runs a

a.       Drug store

b.      Veterinary clinic

c.       Zoo

d.      Circus

3.       How does Pi’s dad teach Pi a lesson about wild animals?

a.       Showing him a scar

b.      Feeding a goat to a tiger

c.       Telling him a story

d.      Giving mice to a snake

4.       What’s Pi’s first religion?

a.       Christianity

b.      Hindu

c.       Buddhism

d.      Islam

5.       The Tsimtsum is

a.       Religious text

b.      An animal

c.       A ship

d.      The place he lived

6.       Where’s Pi and his family headed to

a.       Mexico

b.      Canada

c.       USA

d.      Japan

7.       Why do the crew members throw Pi in a boat?

a.       His family’s in the boat

b.      Following protocol

c.       To get the boat down

d.      Get the hyena out

8.       Whose Richard Parker?

a.       Pi’s dad

b.      The tiger

c.       A hyena

d.      Pi’s grandpa

9.       Which animal does Pi not share a boat with?

a.       a tiger

b.      a hyena

c.       a lion

d.      a zebra

10.   Orange Juice floats on a raft made of

a.       Wood planks

b.      Bamboo

c.       Oars

d.      Bananas

11.   Which animal dies on the boat first?

a.       The tiger

b.      The hyena

c.       The zebra

d.      The orangutan

12.   Pi finds cans full of

a.       Water

b.      Soda

c.       Soup

d.      Juice

13.   How does Pi keep his distance from the tiger?

a.       Makes a raft to attach to the boat

b.      He trains him

c.       Hangs on the side of the boat

d.      Builds a plank wall

14.   How does the Hyena die?

a.       A storm carries it away

b.      It starves

c.       The tiger kills it

d.      Pi kills it

15.   How does Pi train the tiger?

a.       A whistle

b.      An oar

c.       A spear

d.      A whip

16.   Why is it hard for Pi to hunt fish?

a.       He loves fish

b.      He’s a vegetarian

c.       He doesn’t like to hunt

d.      None of the above

17.   How does Pi react after killing a fish?

a.       Cries

b.      Rejoices

c.       Throws it back

d.      Eats it immediately

18.   What kept Richard Parker from attacking Pi?

a.       Sleeping

b.      Sea sickness

c.       A hurt leg

d.      Fear of Pi

19.   Which animal is Pi happy to see on the life boat?

a.       Richard Parker

b.      The zebra

c.       The hyena

d.      Orange Juice

20.   What almost tips the life boat over?

a.       A tanker

b.      A shark

c.       A dolphin

d.      A submarine

21.   What does Pi find on the island?

a.       People

b.      Meerkats

c.       Another tiger

d.      Monkeys

22.   What scares Pi a bit when being on the island?

a.       Finding skulls

b.      Sharks surrounding it

c.       Finding a human tooth

d.      There’s only meerkats

23.   Why does nothing stay alive on the island besides meerkats?

a.       A vicious lion

b.      The acid that surrounds the island

c.       Not enough food

d.      None of the above

24.   What does Pi use to try to get the ship back?

a.       A whistle

b.      Yelling

c.       Red fireworks

d.      Waving a paddle

25.   What does Pi load on the boat for the tiger to eat from the island?

a.       Plants

b.      Meerkats

c.       Fish

d.      All the above

26.   Where does the boat finally land?

a.       USA

b.      Mexico

c.       Argentina

d.      Peru

27.   How does Richard Parker react when landed?

a.       Stays in the boat

b.      Goes into the jungle

c.       Stays by Pi

d.      Lays on the shore

28.   Why was Pi sad when landing?

a.       Missed his family

b.      Missed home

c.       Wanted to ear

d.      Wanted Richard Parker to appreciate him

29.   After the rescue, Pi is interviewed by two officials from the

a.       Japan Ministry of Transport

b.      Japan Department of Police

c.       Japan Shipping Association

d.      Japan Zoological Society

30.   Why does Pi tell the officials a different story?

a.       They didn’t believe his first story

b.      His story didn’t happen

c.       To make it sound more realistic

d.      He didn’t like his real story

31.   Who was the orangutan considered as?

a.       the cook

b.      the sailor

c.       the mom

d.      Pi

32.   Who was they hyena considered as?

a.       The cook

b.      The sailor

c.       The mom

d.      Pi

33.   Who was the zebra considered as?

a.       The cook

b.      The sailor

c.       The mom

d.      Pi

34.   Who was the lion considered as?

a.       The cook

b.      The sailor

c.       The mom

d.      Pi

35.   How do the officials like the fake story?

a.       Like it better

b.      Prefer the animal story

c.       Don’t like either story

            d.      Like both stories

Open Questions

1. Write an essay about a novel (Life of Pi) that reveals a sense of self identity through a momentous plot of hardships and obstacles.  Identify the self awareness, and explain its significance to the work as a whole. 
2. Frequently a work of literature will revolve around a major transformation in a character.  This transformation can often be taken as literal or figurative.  Choose a novel (Life of Pi) and write a well-organized essay in which you discuss the complexion of the transformation and its relationship to the character and the theme.
3. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the attitude of a character.  Choose a novel or play in which a character must battle with some aspect of the past.  Then write an essay in which you show how the character's relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work (Life of Pi) as a whole.

Prose Questions

1. In Life of Pi, the main character experiences adversities and challenges in the physical and the spiritual world. Use at least 2 literary techniques that the author uses to describe Pi’s adversities in both worlds. Avoid plot summary. 
2. Throughout the Life of Pi, the author uses multiple settings to describe Pi’s journey. Use at least three literary techniques shown that the author uses to develop setting throughout the novel.
 

Literary Techniques

Imagery- The author uses imagery throughout the novel to describe Pi’s journey. The imagery that I found most interesting was when he was characterizing and describing the animals that Pi was stuck on the boat with.

Allegory- It is arguable that the whole book is an allegory. For example, Richard Parker (the tiger) could be God and Pi’s time on the boat could be considered a spiritual journey. Think about it…

Setting- The setting of the book changes very often but, the main places that the story takes place is in India, a ship, a boat, an algae island, and finally when he is rescued he is brought to the mainland.

Theme- I think that the theme is apparent within the first 100 pages of the novel. The book is a spiritual journey and I believe the author wrote this book in the defense of religion because Pi’s mastery of multiple religions and his hardships represent the strength that he received through his faith in God.

Characterization- The author’s characterizations of the characters at times leaves the reader flabbergasted because his descriptions makes the reader feel like they are part of Pi’s journey by depicting the characters flawlessly.

Tone- The tone in Life of Pi seemed mostly surreal. Throughout the story Pi’s journey was incredibly hard to believe; therefore the authors tone matches the feeling of the story.

Mood- The mood in this story is adventurous and semi-religious. Pi’s journey takes him to the wildest places imaginable and gives him an experience not many people will ever get. It also sheds light on religion due to his time on the boat with Richard Parker. 

Diction-The author’s way of connecting to the reader was very easy to apply. The reader is able to understand the theme of the story as well as the inner meaning that the book is trying to imply. This is clearly shown throughout the book. 

Allusion-This book is an allusion to Joseph from the Bible. The hardships and tribulations that Pi has to go through are very similar to what Joseph had to bear, yet both of them had a certain someone watching over them. 

Personification-Personification is shown throughout the book when the author uses it to describe the natural setting, such as the ocean, around the main character.