Sunday, September 21, 2008

The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

What is the primary purpose for the Custom House introduction?
The primary purpose for the Custom House introduction is to explain how Hawthorne came upon this journal by Surveyor Pue. It gives support to the reason for why he was where he was at that point during his life. He was the new Surveyor because he did not have a great background in politics; he was mostly known for being an author. It's interesting how a different lifestyle choice led him right back to his destiny of being a writer. Although he was contemplating on rather he should publish the journal entries and turn them into a story, it's quite clear that he made the choice of following his love interest of writing.

What significant change does Hawthorne admit to making in telling the story contained in the diary?
Hawthorne admits to changing the story a bit. He believes it will add a dramatic effect and help his writing career. He helps the story by adding intense interesting fictional parts. He feels the fictional parts will keep the audience's attention. In keeping the audience's attention it may just bring his writing fame to a whole new level.

What potential impact will this change have on the story?
This change's potential impact could change the way the reader sees the character in the original setting. In one chapter Hawthorne may switch the details of Hester's clothing just to add a dramatic effect and that could change the overall view that the reader has. That one detail may have been the only thing that links the reader with the first half of the book. Or in another sense that detail that Hawthorne switches may be the detail needed to keep the reader's attention and interest.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Cabeze De Vaca Picture



This picture relates to the Alvar Nunez Cabeza De Vaca story because it is a picture of observing people the way he observed the Native American tribe that held him as prisoner. Cabeze De Vaca studied and learned the behavior of the tribe from the structure of the family tree to the way they reacted when they lost a family member. In his letter to Emperor Charles V, he stated that when a person dies the family grieves all day and night for a year, not doing any hard labor. The rest of the tribe provides the family with food during their time of grief. At the end of the year, a ceremony is held for that person. This picture symbolizes people's behavior in a certain environment being observed as De Vaca did with the Native Americans.

Biography of Anne Bradstreet

Anne Dudley was born in Northampton, England, in the year 1612 to Dorothy Yorke and Thomas Dudley. At the age of 16, Anne was married to Simon Bradstreet, a 25 year old assistant in the Massachusetts Bay Company. Anne and her family immigrated to America in 1630 on the Arabella, one of the first ships to bring Puritans to New England in hopes of setting up plantation colonies. It was hard for Anne to adapt to the colony life. Her paralysis did not limit her passion for life and she and her husband still managed to make a home for themselves, and raise a family. Simon’s job kept him traveling a lot and to keep herself busy, Anne would educate herself as well as her kids with her father’s collection of books. From these books, she learned a lot about religion, science, history, and poetry. She secretly began to write poetry for herself as well as a close circle of family and friends. Her brother-in-law, John Woodbridge, had secretly copied Anne's work, and would later bring it to England to have it published in 1650. Her poetry was habitually based on her life experience, and her love for her husband and family. She died on September 16, 1672, in Andover, Massachusetts, at the age 60.


URL Link: http://www.annebradstreet.com/anne_bradstreet_bio_002.htm

To My Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet

Siarra Williams
September 15, 2008
AP English III Period 11
To My Dear and Loving Husband by Anne Bradstreet

Anne Bradstreet is well known for being the first colonial poet to be published back around the 17th century. Her poetry consisted mostly of family, home, and religion. One of her poems that captured my mind and soul was To My Dear and Loving Husband. This poem uses such vivid imagery and emotions when explaining the love for her husband. Throughout reading this poem it is clear that her audience is people who are in love and that they are the type of person to cherish their partner’s love.
“If ever man were loved by wife, then thee.” (Line 2) The diction and the structure of this sentence are used to add more emotion to the word “loved.” She wants to get across to the reader her love for her husband. She wants them to understand that if any man’s wife had love for their husbands it could never be as deep and significant as hers for her husband. The word “ever” used in this sentence also stands out. The poet uses this word to include all times, i.e. past, present, and future tenses to show that any woman who were to love their husband, it is her husband with the most love because she adores him more than anything and especially more than any other woman’s love for their husband. Why does Mrs. Bradstreet starts off this statement with a question? “If ever man were loved…” (Line 2) She does this to show that there is only one answer to this question; her husband is the man that is loved. She asks the question so that she may answer with the answer that she sees fit and that she believes is right.
“I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold or all the riches that the East doth hold.” (Lines 5, 6) The author uses figurative language to give you an idea about how much she cherishes her husband’s love. She values his love more than gold and more than all the riches in the East. She compares his love to objects that most Americans consider to be rare treasures. She really believes that his love is the rare treasure. She also uses figurative language to clarify how much she appreciates and take pleasures in her husband’s love. The poet uses diction when she says “I prize.” She uses the word prize to show how much she takes pride in and is grateful for his love. She wants the reader to understand that a love like his is a rare treasure and it is something to be thankful for.
“Then while we live, in love let’s so preserve that when we live no more, we may live forever.” (Lines 11, 12) The poet uses this sentence to bring her poem to a close. She wants to end the poem by saying that even when they die, their love will live on. She wants to preserve the love they share so that when they die their love still exists and they are still connected to each other through it. By saying that she wants their love to live on, the author wants the reader to understand that she cherishes the love her and her husband share. The way she structures the sentence puts emphasizes on how she the love to live on. “…In love let’s so preserve that when we live no more, we may live forever.” I like the way she constructs the last half of this sentence to get across to the reader that even when they die, their love will live on. Almost as though she is saying that is how powerful their love is.
Ann Bradstreet uses pathos to get across to her reader the power behind the love her and her spouse shared. She plays on the reader’s emotions so that they may identify with her opinion on love and understand how a husband’s love is so potent and gratifying. The word “love” strikes me as important because she uses it repeatedly throughout her poem. Every time in describing the emotions she felt for her husband she used the word “love.” Love is a strong emotion that two people feel for each other and is a word used to describe how much someone means to you. This word also strikes me as important because it is a word with meaning that is not used to describe every emotion of the heart. When writing this poem you could tell that Mrs. Bradstreet’s husband means a lot to her. Her tone is one of adoration. She really adored her husband and you were able to see that in lines 5 and 6.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Picture Relates To Christopher Columbus Essay


This picture relates to the Christopher Columbus story in the fact that he experienced hardships. One way is that the picture resembles the actual shipwreck that Columbus experienced in the early 1500s on his fourth voyage. Columbus was stranded for some time in Jamaica. Another way this picture relates is that it symbolizes hard times and obstacles that someone must overcome. Columbus had some challenges on his journeys. He had to try to keep peace with the Taino Indians when he first arrived to Hispaniola and when he returned after the settlers he left behind tarnished the agreement. The ship also symbolizes to me Columbus’ honor being “turned over” or ceasing to exist. For example after being charged numerous times and sent back to Spain twice his reputation was tainted. Some of the settlers also rebelled and did not care for his authority.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Diction

Consider: A rowan like a lipsticked girl.
- Seamus Heaney, "Song," Field Work

Discuss:
1. Other than the color, what comes to mind when you think of a lipsticked girl?
Stuck-up, sidity, always beautifying themselves i.e. make-up and hottest trends in fashion, and glamorous appereance.

2. How would it change the meaning and feeling of the line if, instead of lipsticked girl, the author wrote girl with lipstick on?
I would have used the context clues to assume rowan meant a color. A sort of white and orange color. The change would also make the quote lose description.

Apply:
Write a simile comparing a tree with a domesticated animal. In your simile, use a word that is normally used as a noun (like lipstick) as an adjective (like lipsticked). Share your simile with the class.
The apple tree as diamonded as a white rabbit.

Nightly Essay: Christopher Columbus 1451-1506

Siarra Williams
September 7, 2008
AP English III Period 11
Nightly Essay: Christopher Columbus: 1451-1506

We all have heard the story numerous times. In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue and found the New World. He made it possible for new items to be traded among the countries. In the New World they found gold, silver, tobacco, corn, and beans to trade among Spain, Europe, and Asia. Although this discovery was accidental it gave people an option to more land. His discovery also made it possible for people to migrant to the New World and start life anew.
As stated before we all have heard the story numerous times. But what we have not heard were the obstacles Columbus went through on his voyages. It was not all rainbows and unicorns on his search for a shorter passage to the Indies. The first obstacle he encountered occurred with the Taino Indians on the island of Hispaniola (Present day Haiti) in 1492. “… Settlers Columbus left behind demanded gold and sexual partners from their host; on his return there in 1494, none of the Europeans were alive.” (Christopher Columbus: 1451-1506) The writer uses this example to support the idea that Columbus had to deal with complex situations. Columbus struggled to keep everything in order and to keep peace between the Native Americans and the settlers. On the third voyage he encountered Spanish settlers, who fought back against his authority. The only truce he was able to come to was at the expense of the Taino Indians. After that he was sent back to Spain, yet again, to stake his innocence.
Columbus’ fourth and last voyage was more hectic and difficult than the first three. “His last voyage, intended to recoup his tarnished reputation, resulted in a long period of suffering in Panama and shipwreck in Jamaica…” (Christopher Columbus: 1451-1506) The writer uses this event in time to show the climax from the first voyage which was bad to the fourth voyage which was worse. Not only did he suffer but he was stranded in Jamaica due to his ship breaking down. He even wrote a memorandum back to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain while he was stranded in Jamaica. “I did not sail upon this voyage to gain honor or wealth; this is certain, for already all hope of that was dead.” (Christopher Columbus: 1451-1506) Christopher Columbus says this to let the royal family know that the purpose of his last voyage was not intended for his own self- interest. He did it out of servitude for his country’s king and queen.
In conclusion Christopher Columbus made one of the world’s most wonderful discoveries in 1492. He opened so many doors for future generations and allowed for more goods to be traded amongst the nations. One of the difficult challenges he went through was being charged several times and sent back to Spain twice on those charges to clear his name. In the end Columbus wrote to the royal family about his servitude and his dishonor after all of his voyages because he did not receive any of the fruits of his labor nor did his family. In the early 1500s he returned to Europe and soon afterwards died.