Bucket List

When I was younger, I created a list of things I wanted to do before I die, and many of them are still some of my priorities.  A few of my favorites are:

1. Skydiving

2. Coal walking

3. World Travel

And most notably:

Being Knighted

I'm not kidding.  Ask my parents.  I've researched it.  Turns out, if you want to be a knight it's not good enough to do a great service to Great Britain.  No.  You have to be British.  The best I could do is become an "Honorary Knight."  That's just dumb. It is difficult to explain the soul-crushing, handicap-rendering effect this has had on me.  My dream has been ruined.  Talk about depression.  Luckily, however, one of the first steps towards being healed is learning to laugh, and this his book is the perfect treatment.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court makes my dream seem a little silly.  It blatantly mocks the common adventure story, poking holes in the accepted archetypes.  Now that I think about it, armor wouldn't be all that comfortable.  Maps sure would be nice for quests.  I like soap.  Although being knighted is still a distant goal of mine (Would marrying a Scottish or English guy grant me citizenship somehow?), this book has already made me reconsider the romantic time I used to dream about.  Ogres, hundreds of strange women locked in towers, and a missing cup hardly seem like my business.  Maybe I should think more like Mark Twain - why would I want to go back to a time where everyone believed everything and talked like someone straight out of Monty Python?  No thanks.  I'll stick to this century for now, at least until I figure out how to either a) travel through time and space whenever I want  b) be knighted in my own time or c) marry David Tennant or Ewan McGregor.  Honestly, I find all three of these options acceptable.

Close Reading Bingo

Mistakes in Other Classes:

1."Needly are of shine," "adding long glassy highlights," and " Towering volumes of marble and glass."
- Rule Five, The World is Ours

2. The narrator briefly discusses his “lousy childhood” and “all that David Copperfield kind of crap” before exclaiming to the reader that he will not tell his “whole goddam autobiography.”
- Rule 4, Keep it Classy

3. On the subject of his parents, he says "they're touchy as hell."
- Rule 1, Laughapalooza

4. This gives the impression of a fancy an intimidating lobby.
- Rule 9, To Kill a Mockingjay

MY FAVORITE!!!

J.D. Salinger masters the voice of his protagonist, Holden Caulfield, in the first page of his novel Catcher in the Rye, using direct, colloquial, and bluntly offensive diction. Holden starts by saying that while he knows the reader would like to know about his background, he is not going to provide any information on his origins. His gruff, devil-may-care attitude exudes from the page, as he says he can’t be bothered with “all that David Copperfield kind of crap.” Holden’s trademark sense of superiority reverberates within the passage. While Holden’s language is neither profound nor particularly beautiful, it is representative of how a disenchanted teenager speaks. Holden complains that he won’t give his “whole goddam autobiography” and that his prother is far away from “this crummy place.” He has no objection to cursing, a sign of rebellion against the norm through language. Salinger breathes life into Holden by rambling and cussing, providing literature’s favorite teenage antihero with an identifiably meandering and rude voice.

- ZENGERINE

Observation and Inference

    In the first chapter of The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger's blunt, low level of formality and discordant diction express the disillusioned personality of the main character, Holden.  Words like "crumby," and "crap," are colloquial and common, making the narrator seem ordinary, and the use of the first person makes him seem more personal and less formal.  The phrase"if you really want to hear about it," makes the very first sentence seem straightforward and easy to understand.  Holden skips over the normal introductions that books usually contain and jumps into speaking of his angst and dislike of the world around him.  This opinion of the world naturally leads to a sound that is harsh.  There is no rhythm to the first paragraphs - merely blunt statements that pull the reader in.  "Touchy as hell," and "he's my brother and all," are examples of harsh words and a disjointed style that help display the personality of the speaker.  Through his use of diction, Salinger brings Holden to life - he is an opinionated, dramatic, and blunt character who is best understood through the words he uses to express himself.

Currently

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Mark Twain

Pages Read this Week: 104

Pages Read this Semester: 989

1. In Neil's excerpt he writes in a style that is dull and archaic as he describes that stony features of the town of Wall. -Kim's Corner

2. It is written like an infuriated tirade, with no hint of class. - A Scrap of Parchment

3.   The narrator of Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian demonstrates a thorough understanding of picturesque and formally sophisticated diction - So many books, so little time

4. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley writes with an intricate language, descriptively figurative language and a harshly melodic sound - The Written Word

5.  Yet, unlike Brooks and Sheff, Kamler has a figurative, metaphoric, and connotative language when describing the areas he's traveled to and the way he explains how he managed to stay alive in the most hazardous situations. - The TRUTH

So Many Eclipses!!!

*Disclaimer*  If you don't want to hear about the marching band, don't read this post.

So hows this for a connection!!  I just stared reading A Connecticut Yankee in King  Arthur's Court and within fifty pages I've made a relevant, if cheesy, parallel to my life!  This book, like Frankenstein, is a bracket book - the plot takes place inside a fictional book that a character is reading.  The story begins with a man visiting a museum with artifacts from King Arthur's Court.  While he is there, he meets this stranger who claims to have been there for real!  This mysterious gentleman gives him a copy of the diary he kept while living in the days of the knights, and the first man begins to read of the second man's adventures.  In this book within a book, the main character is accidentally sent back in time to the insane period of the Middle Ages.  There, almost immediately he is taken captive due to his strange appearance and held prisoner.  Because of some outrageous claims concerning his apparently ferocious nature, he is sentenced to burn at the stake (Monty Python anyone?)  To escape this fate, he uses his knowledge of the past.  Somehow, he realizes that the only recorded eclipse during that century occurred within a few days of his arrival.  He uses this knowledge to his advantage, telling the mob trying to burn him that he will stop the sun from shining if they continue.  There are a few misunderstandings about dates, but luckily, the timing ends up perfect.  Right as they start to light the brush at his feet, the sun begins to disappear.  TAHDAH!!! Suddenly, he is a great magician and the kings right hand man.

Now, here is the connection.

If only the Homestead band could have that effect on the crowd when we do OUR eclipse.  This year's show is entitled "Children of the Sun" (I don't get it either), and during the climax of our show, we flip a giant tarp in the center of the field that represents the sun over so it becomes dark, then dramatically flip it again during some epic music.  Its actually really fun.  However, this year our show has been much less inspiring than the display of "magic" in the first few chapters of The Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.  We are known for being an amazing band, but for the first time in years, we didn't receive the highest score at regionals.  Tragic.  With semi-state and state remaining, we all hope that somehow we can improve our performance so that we can be at the top again.  We haven't been too optimistic this week.  Honestly, practice has sucked.  We have been outside in forty degree weather, wind, and rain.  Hardly ideal conditions for improvement.  Tonight, however, during practice I was actually inspired.  Once in a while, the music, energy, and crowd reaction combine in just the right way and create this weird, complete sensation in the pit of your stomach (cheesy, but true) and for the first time in months the show actually got the students, directors, and crowd excited.  The band had an fantastic run and, like the eclipse in my book, I hope that kind of energy will change our current situation.  Metaphorically, we could go from being burned at the stake to being in control of the whole kingdom.

I'M ON THE FIFTY!!! Dancing on the Practice Tarp (Our Sun)

Book Three? Check

I just finished Frankenstein and I really enjoyed it.  The ending was obviously sad, but it managed to wrap up the story very well.  As I approached the end, I realized that in my rush to begin reading I had skipped the essential prologue.  I went back, read it, then finshed the book.  The entire story of Victor Frankenstein is contained within a small bracket story about a captain discovering Victor and recording his tale.  Needless to say, the ending made much more sense once I went back.  Overall, I thought it was a great book and would recommend it to anyone (unless you're impatient and simply cannot manage to finish a classic and will therefore insist that I recommend bad books . . . cough . . . cough)  The fact that I liked it has encouraged me to continue reading classics. Next up is A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and, hopefully, it will be just as good.  I don't know much about it except that its a satire about knights.  I like stories about King Arthur and sarcasm, so it should be good.  I read The Once and Future King my freshman year and liked it, despite the opinions of my classmates, and since the premise is similiar, I hope I enjoy this as well.  I've got a lot of reading to do this week!  I have to finish Crime and Punishment by Friday and The Things They Carried by Monday.  Talk about stressful.  But hey, better than science - I wouldn't want to end up like Victor Frankenstein.

Style Mapping

Authors choose words.  Words define language.  Language shapes literature.  In Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Crime and Punishment by Fydor Dostoevsky, and The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, the authors use different forms of the English language to prove their points.  In the passage from Stardust, Gaiman is denotative, has a middle elevation of diction, and a sound that is neither harsh nor musical.  His description of the town of Wall is straightforward and literal - it isn't until later in the book that a more poetic language is developed.  The words are simple and easy to understand, but still manage to explain the location perfectly.  They are not assuming or overly colloquial - they are merely middle-of-the-road words that get the point across.  There isn't a large amount of musicality to the words in this passage, but the story speaks for itself.  I read it a few years back and I think of it as a mix between a fairy tale and an adventure story.  Even though the language is not  elegant or coarse, it has a style of its own that works for the novel.  Crime and Punishment is almost the complete opposite.  In this book, the author uses language that is connotative.  It is poetic, lyrical, and metaphoric, causing implied feelings rather than definite understanding.  The elevation of the diction is high and often complicated.   I have found many vocabulary words from this class by reading it.  They are elegant, scholarly, and intricate.  Finally, the sound of the piece is musical.  The sentences flow together and create harmonies that are sweet and melodious.  The Things They Carried is different still.  It is both connotative and denotative at different times.  When O'Brien is describing definite details, the words are exact and journalistic.  However, quite often he uses figurative language that is much more suggestive and metaphoric.  The elevation of his diction is pretty average - not rude or flowery - and the sound can be described as both grating and melodious as he switches between describing the horrors and beauties of war.  Clearly, the three authors have very different styles that all suit their piece of literature.

Quarterly

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

Pages Read this Week: 103

Pages Read this Semester: 988

(Including Other Classes: 3,076)

I am now halfway through this class.  I don't like that.  This and novels are my two favorite classes because I love to read, but they will each end at the semester while I must continue to suffer through my A.P. classes.  Doesn't sound like fun.  The books I've read in this class have been fantastic!  I started with A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and I absolutely loved it.  It was different than what I normally read, so it was very challenging for me to get though, but I thought it was brilliant.  Profound, insightful, thought-provoking - What more could you want in a book?  After I finished that book, I moved on to something more like what I normally read - The Magicians and Mrs. Quent.  That was a new twist on some old classics that I enjoyed, so I thought it was worth the time it took to get through this gigantic book.  I found it slightly repetitive since I basically knew the plots, but the addition of magic and mystery made it something different.  I didn't like it as much as my first project, but I definitely enjoyed it and look forward to the sequel.  The book I am on now is different than my first two, but I have had just as much fun reading it.  In fact, Frankenstein may end up being my favorite.  Its dark and brooding, but for some reason I am drawn to the language and the morbid story.  I saw the musical a few years ago, so I know the basic plot, but it a way, that makes it better.  I anticipate the events, so when I know they are approaching I feel like I can't put the book down.  I only have a few more chapters left, so I will finish next week.  Then, I will have to choose a new book.  I realize that the works of literary fiction have been better for me - with my busy schedule, setting a goal of 100 pages a week is more realistic that 150.  So, I'm considering A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.  I've had it sitting on my bookshelf for a while and I figure its about time I get a start on it.  I have had a good time with my reading this semester, so I have no reason to believe I will hate it.  Reading is  time consuming and a little stressful (I'm trying to get through Crime and Punishment and Frankenstein right now) since I average about 50-75 pages of reading a night.  Usually, I do this reading pretty late.  After band practice and other homework is when I generally find the time, so I've been up as late as 1:30 trying to finish a book in bed.  Despite this, I am glad to be in so many English classes when faced with the alternative -  I'd rather be up late reading than doing math or science homework.  Because I prefer reading, my goal for the rest of the semester is to accomplish the reading requirements every week in all of my English classes.  I often lose track of how many pages I've read (I had to do a quick tally for today's post), but I can honestly say I have read every one.  No skipping, lying, or sparknoting.  It may seem like an obvious goal, but when I look at how much I have accomplished this nine weeks, I hope to do all of the required reading, in every class, during the coming quarter.

A Biblical Monster

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

Genesis 2:18-25

After hearing the monster's story of suffering, Frankenstein is given an ultimatum.  If he does not create a female version of his creation, the monster will wreak havoc on his life and the lives of those he loves.  In a twisted way, this seems almost biblical.  The parallels the monster shares with Adam are pretty impressive - he is the single creation that is more advanced than anything else on Earth, but all he wants is someone to keep him company.  At this point in the book, Frankenstein has agreed to create the monster's "Eve" on the condition that, once satisfied, the monsters will flee from humanity and keep to themselves.  It seems like a fair deal, but Frankenstein's fears about the project are valid.  His last creation went horribly wrong, so what are the odds of it being any better a second time around?  Now, he is stewing over what he must do.  He does not want to work around his family, polluting his childhood home, so he is leaving for England to begin.  The future seems miserable, but if he accomplishes his goal and sends the monsters packing, Frankenstein will be rewarded once he returns.  Finally, he will be able to marry his childhood sweetheart, Elizabeth.  They seem to be meant for each other, but judging by the morbid tendencies of this story, I have a feeling this union will not come to pass.  This book is still very captivating, so I can't wait to read further.

Killing People Makes Them Dead

"You think killing people will make them like you, but it doesn't.  It just makes them dead."

Wise words from another musical of something that wasn't intended to be sung - A Very Potter Musical.  Voldemort is right in this theatrical version of the popular book - killing people indeed makes them dead.  In both the book and musical version of Frankenstein, however, the monster does not understand this concept.  All he wants is to be loved by his creator and to be accepted by the other creatures in the world, but his uglyness and extreme strength do not allow this.  Because his creator hates him and leaves him on his own, he goes on a killing spree to take his revenge.  And, though I haven't read this far in the book, in the musical when someone finally accepts him, he squashes them when he tries to hug them.  Tragic.  For something that just wants a little love, the monster is having some serious trouble.  When he enters a village, he is chased away by angry mobs.  When he goes to find his "father" he is cursed with the words,"Begone, vile insect! or rather, stay, that I may trample you to dust."  Ouch.  Bad day.  Even though the monster is evil and scary, you can't help feeling a little sorry for him.  He didn't ask to be created and its not his fault he is so ugly.  I'm still enjoying the book, and its weird how many different emotions this bad guy can make you experience.  I'm looking forward to reading more.

Currently Part 2

I jumped ahead of myself last week!  I did the Currently post before it was actually assigned, and I did it wrong.  Instead of the normal quotes, this week I am to choose my favorite for the quarter.  So here they are - my favorite sentences from the first nine weeks of school.


1. "I have no idea how people function without near-constant internal chaos." A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

2. "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

3. "I'm sure people would be far gladder if they simply stopped searching for all the causes of their unhappiness." The Magicians and Mrs. Quent
 
 
I like this first sentence because, as I've said in earlier posts, it is both profound and fitting.  I'm very busy, so the idea that someone else shares my constant internal chaos is comforting.  As the band season is drawing to a close I'm beginning to wonder how I will function without that super busy schedule.  I often find that once I have more free time my grades ironically fall, so maybe that near-constant pressure is something that keeps me going.  The second sentence is from one of my favorite books ever!  It's a great thought, especially since I consider myself about average in everything I do.  I enjoy many things and I am decent at most of them, but I have no one great ability.  It's nice to think, therefore, that even though I'm not the best at anything, my good choices can still act to define me in a more positive light.  Finally, the last sentence is interesting because it is true.  As I was looking for sentences for my A.P. Comp extra credit, I realized that there is a very similar quote in Jane Eyre (which The Magicians and Mrs. Quent was partially based on), but I almost feel like this version of the sentiment is better expressed.  Its simple and profound and should therefore be taken to heart.

Currently

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

Pages Read this Week: 100

Pages Read this Semester: 885

Sentences of the Week:

1. "The merit of all things lies in their difficulty." The Three Musketeers

2. "It's the job that's never started that takes longest to finish.” The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

3. "It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

As you may have noticed, none of my sentences this week came from the books I am currently reading.  This is not due to an absence of interesting sentences in what I am reading now, but due to an extra credit project I am doing for A.P. Comp.  This "writing portfolio" includes favorite quotations, so I spent the other day scouring through books I have read to find meaningful statements.  These three stuck out to me because they come from some of my favorites.  The Three Musketeers is probably my all time favorite book.  I love the story of friendship and adventure and, even though most teens would find reading it tedious, I believe this book by Alexandre Dumas is brilliant.  In fact, I joined fencing because of its influence and even dressed up as a Musketeer for Halloween one year.  Yeah, its a bit of an obsession.  In truth, there are about five books in the musketeer series, and guess what, I've read them all.  This particular line I like because it means something.  It makes me feel better about my overstressed attitude - since band and all my advanced classes are difficult, they must mean something.  The second line is great as well! Its hobbit philosophy that sort of relates to the quote from The Three Musketeers.  Great advice for the procrastinators of the world.  The Lord of the Rings is a fantastic collection of books that I am also pretty obsessed with, but it can be rather long winded.  This particular line I found interesting partially due to its simplicity.  Finally, the last line from Harry Potter is just perfect.  Who says its only a children's book?  Quotes like that don't show up in Mother Goose.  So there are some of my favorite sentences from some of my favorite books!  I didn't read them for the first time this week, but I rediscovered them and enjoyed the process.

A Horror Story I Don't Mind

Scared Out of My Mind after Paranormal Activity

This summer I was introduced to a terrifying new genre - horror.  I absolutely HATE scary movies but by spending time with my friends I was forced into viewing some.  Paranormal Activity 1&2, Insidious, Zombieland (okay, that one was funny), and most recently Quarantine II, are just some of the movies I've had to suffer through - clinging to my friends, almost in tears.  I really hate scary movies and I dread the day Paranormal Activity 3 is released in theaters.  Almost against my will therefore, I find myself listening to Frankenstein - A New Musical while I update this post about a scary book I really don't mind.  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is actually pretty interesting.  It's the tragic story of a boy who looses the perfect life.  Young Victor Frankenstein has a loving family, a true love who he has known since childhood, and the ability to become a great influence to the scientific community.  However, due to a series of small triggers including the discovery of a book on ancient scientific theories, the death of his mother, and a professor who gets him interested in chemistry, Victor strays from his perfect path.  He becomes obsessed with creating life and therefore becoming a powerful idol who can save humanity.  His experiments go terribly wrong, however, when he creates this mutated collection of rag tag pieces from the deceased and brings it to life.  Now, the monster is loose and wreaking havoc.  Where I am now, Frankenstein's monster has already killed Victor's youngest brother.  A servant, who was almost like a mother to the boy, was blamed and put to death for the crime as well.  Victor is suffering because, due to his mistakes, the people he loves are being attacked.  If the musical I've seen follows the plot of the novel, by the end everyone will die ATLEAST once and Victor will have to live with his actions and their consequences.  Overall, its a very morbid story that is somehow attractive.  Much better than Paranormal Activity!

Finished Book Two!!!

I've finally finished The Magicians and Mrs. Quent!  It ended pretty well with most of the plot lines wrapped up, but it is clear there will be a sequel.  A nice surprise at the end of the book!

"About the Author:
What if there was a fantastical cause underlying the social constraints and limited choices confronting a heroine in a novel by Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte?  Galen Beckett began writing The Magicians and Mrs. Quent to answer that question.  The author lives in Colorado and is currently at work on the next chapter in this fabulous tale of witches, magicians, and revolutions, The House on Durrow Street."

Called it!  Basically, the story was Jane Eyre and Sense and Sensibility with a very different ending.  At the end of the book, the classic plot line changes as Ivy and Rafferdy work together to stop these evil magicians from opening what is essentially a magic door.  Through this portal to the unknown waits a group of even worse bad guys who, as far as I can gather, want to destroy the world.  By using their new found magical abilities, Ivy and Rafferdy stop the villains who are trying to open the portal as Mr. Garrit works to defeat the creepy revolutionist who had been stalking him and his sister.  Happy endings for all, but I think reading the sequel could give more closure.  I will have to look to see when the next book comes out.  Its not the next book on my list, but I wouldn't mind reading it!

First, however, I am planning on readying Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.  Its literary fiction, meaning I will only have to read 100 pages a week, and I am interested in the story.  I was first introduced to the plot in a rather odd way - I saw the musical.  It was dark and disturbing, but I really liked the tragic characters, so I don't see why I shouldn't like the book it was based on.  So here I go, third book for this class! It's getting pretty difficult now since I'm also reading The Things They Carried for A.P. Comp and Crime and Punishment for Novels.  Talk about a lot of reading.  I'm enjoying the books so far though, so I am looking forward to continuing, even if it means a lot of late nights.