My Mistress Sonnet

This sonnet is a Shakespearean sonnet. The shift happens at the start of the line "I love..." This is the shift because before this it was describing everything bad about the mistres and after the author describes everything good about the mistress. At this line it describes what he likes about her and it changes the whole tone. It takes it from criticismto almost a admiration.

Change In Belief

     Childhood is a time for dreams. We have all heard people quote the cliches "chase your dreams" and "don't let go of your dreams." Childhood dreams lead to great expectations in life. In Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, Pip believed that success came from fame and fortune because this was the standard that society set for him. However, Pip experienced a shift in belief of his future because he realized that in order to be successful he needed to be himself.

     Dickens used a plethora of symbols that gave Pip examples of what he could become. By showing Pip what he could become it changed his mindset on his expectations. The first symbolization the author utilized was Magwitch. Magwitch symbolized the worst that Pip could turn into. Magwitch was wicked, selfish, and unwanted. Dickens introduced the reader to the worst potentially future Pip in the beginning of the novel because at this time Pip's expectafions were at his worst as well. Miss Havisham is wealthy and has a family. Pip sees this as his idealistic future because of the dreams society taught him. Pip doesn't honestly tell other characters in the book about Miss Havisham because he is insecure about his relationship with her. This suggests that he doesn't truly believe Miss Havisham should should be the person that represents himself in the future.
     The characterization of male figures in his life forced him to realize the potential he had in himself rather than others. Dickens uses direct characterization when describing Joe Gargery. He was a nice, genuine man who is strong. Pip doesn't idolize Joe because he is not wealthy. Joe's kindness assists Pip in envisioning his new self. The father like figure, Jaggers is a wealthy man, but he takes advantage of others and doesn't create an intimate relationship with Pip. Jaggers is the man that pushed Pip into believing that in order to become successful he needed to be himself.
     Pip endured a human version of a chrysalis. His mindset was ugly like a caterpillar. Then, he changed and his beliefs were as beautiful as a butterfly. Pip realized that without hardships or suffering there can be no success. Pip changed from embodying himself as others to believing in himself because he had potential to become greater than anyone else.

Socratic Notes - Brave New World

In this book society is not totally perfect. There are humans who still want to go back to the way things were before. Even if you want to keep the composure it still will creep back in. This book is more applicable to this day in age than when it was published. We're starting to rely too much on medicine and technology. If you're head hurts you take a pill, if your stomach hurts you take a pill. We don't look at the ingredients we just take it anyways. Such as soma in Brave New World, they take it not even thinking about it. They rely on things like this when they do not need to. It can be helpful, but when you rely on it too much it can hurt you.

Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley was a British writer most well know for his novels. His most impacted novel was Brave New World. Huxley also wrote some short stories and some poems. At age 14, he lost his mother and became ill with a terrible disease that left him blind. Before he became I'll he was heavily interested in science, but now because he was blind it was hard for him to follow up with that. So he turned to writing literature. In 1918 his father stopped funding him for schooling which left him on his own. In order to make a living he turned to writing. At Oxford University he became good friends with the famous writer D.H. Lawrence. Brave New World he wrote in only 4 months. His early works were more centered on forms of humanism, but as time went on he became more interested in spirtual questions.

Masterpiece Questions

Masterpiece questions 

What do I need? 

Time. Opportunities. People. Resources and Materials. 

What do I want?

Great Expectations Notes

Bildungsroman is a novel of education. - a human version of chrysalis.

Great expectations is a Bildungsroman designed around a fantasy. 

Protagonist has his life given to him because of things he expected. The fantasy is even more for Pip because he is an orphan. He acts more intelligently than characters his age might. Pip sees himself above the regular family. He is focused on fame and fortune. He is aware of being taken advantaged of, so he is concerned if he is worthy of what he is about to experience. Pip having a hard time with his identity and is trying on other characters personality to see if they fit. 

Magwitch is the boogie man. Because he is a stranger. He eats like an animal. It implies selfishness, capacity for wickedness. When Pip meets Magwitch he represents what Pip might become. He could end up guilty, and unwanted, and not worthy to be born. 

Miss habbasham is two faced. Her name could be shown an having shame. Her house is full of dust and gloomy. After she was left at the alter she left everything in her house the way it was. The dinner from that night is still on the table. She is a monster. 

Pip plays a game with Estella called beg a your neighbor. Estella's purpose is to destroy men. To pip miss habbasham symbolizes his future. She is wealthy. She represents a family because she adopted Estella. Pip doesn't describe these characters honestly to others. He's insecure that these people are in his life. When pip goes to London habbasham and Estella go away. When he gets there we meet father characters. When pip sees joe and Jagger's he incisions himself. He questions if he should embody them in his life. Joe is a strong man but doesn't bully people. Jaggers can blackmail people but he doesn't. When pip sees Joe he doesn't see success because he isn't wealthy. Jagger's doesn't trust people, he trusts facts. Jagger's life is compartmentalized. Jaggers is wealthy. Jaggers takes advantage of people. Jaggers is only there because of business. He doesn't let Pip create a personal relationship.     

Whemick is more like Joe at home and Jagger's at work. At work he is practical and focused on money and advantage all the time. He acknowledges being one person at work and one person at home. Magwitch is different over time. At first he looks like Pip but under worse circumstances. 

The resolution comes from Pip realizes his expectations. Miss Habbasham is not his godmother. Estella is not his future loved one  in his fantasy. 

Without suffering you don't get to the good stuff. Pip wants the good stuff but he doesn't want to half to endure the hardships and consequences of life. Pip cuts people off when he wants the benefit and not the hardships. Pip reminds himself who he is so he doesn't forget him. Pip is an unrealized potential it's a seed. 

AP PREP POST 1: SIDDHARTHA

1. What was Siddhartha's purpose for staying with the Samanas?
a) to become empty
b) to learn meditation
c) to become enlightened
d) to deprive himself of food
e) to be reincarnated
 The answer is A.

2. Why is Siddhartha ultimately disappointed with the meditative techniques he learned from the Samanas?
a) Siddhartha was always uncomfortable.
b) He could have learned these things from his father.
c) They lead to too much physical and mental sufferings.
d) Siddhartha always returned to himself
e) Govinda is progressing at a faster pace.
The answer is D.

3. Siddhartha eventually realizes that the techniques used by the Samanas to achieve their goals are
a) insufficient
b) abusive
c) too efficient
d) necessary
e) disciplined
The answer is A.

4. In the passage, Siddhartha's primary attitude toward normal human life was that it appeared
a) out of reach
b) too cerebral
c) commonplace
d) commercial
e) illusory
The answer is E.

5. In order to experience the entirety of birth, life, death, and decay, one technique that Siddhartha uses is
a) starvation
b) astral projection
c) meditation
d) studying
e) concentration
The answer is C.

All of these questions are from: http://www.learnerator.com/ap-english-literature/q/1041/siddharthas-techniques

Siddhartha Notes

The author used repetition with the word "awakened" to emphasize the importance of the word. He used a simile to give the audience something to relate to in the text. The author used rhetorical questions to specifically give the audience something to ponder about. This way the audience would think about what he wanted them to think about. 

Theme: Loneliness can be bitter, but it brings you closer to yourself. 

When you are by yourself for periods of time your thoughts truly become your own. It sounds like are thoughts should always be our own, but not neccessarily. With other people around you they influence what you think and affect your thought process. It's just like the way you speak. Your speech is affected by your peers and how they talk.