First semester of AP English

So far this class has been a lot more work than I expected it to be. When I talked to my senior friends from last year they all said that it was an easy class and worth taking for an easy A. Well, it hasn't been all that easy for me. I know that my knowledge of the English subject has grown tremendously. I now know the difference between literary and commercial fiction. I enjoy reading for pleasure so much more because it is a nice break from the literary stories. I've learned about topics that I didn't want to explore like the philosophical thinking. I believe that I now view life with a more open mind. A few moments this year I've been very frustrated. I didn't like how 13 short stories were crammed in to a test. I didn't like how most of the work has been done outside of class with little discussion in class. I don't like how we were given an AP essay to write the first few days of class. Overall, it seems like there was never enough time to talk about the work we did, and it all seemed rushed. At times during the semester I wished that time would slow down so that I could just breathe. I think that three books per semester for outside reading in addition to all the in class reading was too much. I realize this is an AP class, but it would help the work load was a little less. I hope that next semester things will slow down so that I have time to enjoy school and this class. Due to the heavy work load, I've learned a lot of information that I did not know before. I'm glad I took this class and I hope it pays off in the end in preparing me for college English.

The Rover Play

I enjoyed watching the play during this class time. A few things stuck out to me during the play. The language was pretty hard to understand and it didn't really help that a few of the actors didn't know their lines. It was hard to process their lines as they were saying them, it was kind of like reading subtitles. The topic that the play was on was kind of strange to be acted out in high school. I thought the plot was predictable and I expected for all of the couples to end up together. The costumes were very cool and I thought that they resembled the time period very well. I also thought that the set was executed well. It was cool how the two different platforms could be wheeled around to switch the rooms. I thought that the actors played out their roles very realistically. The subject of wanting a relationship that a person cannot have has been done before. Yes, the play was written in the 1800s so or was probably a new story during that time. The sword fighting really added a nice element to the play. It was kind of too staged because it didn't look realistic. Overall I was really happy to eat out of class and see my fellow classmates preform.

Satire

I thought the class period that we discussed satire was very interesting. I didn't realize that it had a deeper meaning. Satire can be used to bring an issue to the table. In the speech that we read, I had a hard time telling which type of satire was which. It was full of statements that were sarcastic and ironic. It was effective in evoking a clear message. It was interesting that such a message of freedom and growing up could be displayed through satire. I think that satire is used more often than expected. I really enjoyed coming up with the headlines in class because it showed the practical use if satire. It can be used in the wrong way though. If specific names are mentioned or hurtful subjects discussed, satire can cause a lot if damage. Just like in writing, when using satire it is important to keep in mind the audience. It was a nice change from the normal literature that this class focuses on and I really enjoyed the headline that Mr. Mullins came up with. I thought it was interesting how The Clockwork Orange uses satire but in a completely different way. It is very serious and it is used to make the reader challenge their thoughts. From what I've heard, satire is effective in that novel. I enjoyed this lesson a lot!

The Dark White Tiger

The main character in The White Tiger is Balram. He grew up in a village of darkness. There was no escaping the darkness, those born into darkness and those born into the light pretty much stayed there. The dark side of India consists of the poverty stricken and slum villages where government regulations and codes are thrown out the window. Then there is the lightness, where the rich are served by members of the dark and money is the least of their worries. Balram made his way to the light by cheating, lying, killing, and stealing. I wonder if it is even worth it to live in the light. Is it worth sacrificing family, your morals, your dignity, or your life to live like those in the light? I don't think so. In the novel, it seemed that those people living in the light were full of darkness. They could not see happiness in any situation and they consumed themselves with material things to numb the pain of their sad lives. In this story, I believe that everyone lived in darkness. And I believe that to be true for most people today. The poor strive to be rich and the rich strive to be content. It is a constant struggle that is just exhausting. What is the point of it all? I really love that Balram made a change in his life. I believe that hard work and dedication can defeat anything. The only problem with his success story is how he got there.

Hamlet

Freshman year I read Romeo and Juliet and I really enjoyed it. Sophomore year I read Julius Caesar and I also really enjoyed it. I'm surprised that I liked these because it is Shakespeare. Most students and people in general turn away from Shakespeare because of the specific language he used. I’ll admit it, I have no idea what he is talking about half the time, but I get the jist of it. Spark notes helps a ton in the general understanding of the plot so I am very fortunate that I have that resource. To be honest, I don't really know anything going into reading Hamlet, besides that Shakespeare wrote it and "To be or not to be" is a famous quote from it. I have loved the story lines that Shakespeare presented in the past two plays that I have read, so I'm hoping that this is another interesting one. I hope that I can understand what is going on and that I get used to reading in this unique language. I was interested in the fact that this is in Mr. Mullin's top five list of important literature, so it must be very good. I know that it is a tragedy and someone dies, but I hope that the other details are kept a secret until I read them. I'm excited to learn about Hamlet and hopefully it is all, and more than what it is hyped up to be.

Salem Play

My first impression of the Salem play was that it was great. It was an interesting take on the story line of the Salem trials. It brought many social issues to the surface dealing with prejudices and discrimination. I feel like these issues need to be discussed and they are not exposed in the way they should be. The whole aspect of the puppets was very confusing. It allowed the characters to do certain scenes that they normally wouldn't be able to do. I was so interested in how the puppet costumes matched the actor's costumes so well! After the play was over, a student asked how they managed to work the puppets. I was surprised how difficult it was to control the mouths and keep them raised away from their bodies. I think the play may have been better without the puppets just because I found them very distracting. The whole story line was cliche and it has been done before, although it was interesting how there was a flashback in time. It was humorous at times and I really enjoyed those moments. I wish that it could have been longer and that way the end wouldn't end so abruptly. It felt rushed in a way. The set props were really cool and unique. The lights were supreme (good job Kim!!!!). Overall, I really enjoyed the play and I cannot wait to see what else the drama department produces this upcoming year!

Oedipus Rex: Fate v. Free Will

 

 

In the group discussions today in class, I saw a lot of new perspectives on certain topics that I didn't see beforehand. A large issue that my group discussed was whether Oedipus was driven by fate or free will. Oedipus met his father at a three way street and killed him and a few others. I believe this was driven by free will. He was angry and his frustration led him to murder by choice. That is something that humans have control of. We consciously decide to kill someone or not. I do believe that it was fate that brought the two of them together at that specific time and place. They were each Kings of cities and it would have been difficult for them to run into each other by free will. I think today that people are driven by both fate and free will. We consciously make decisions but I believe that sometimes fate leads us to those decisions. Oedipus was lead to his father, but makes the choice out of free will to kill him. I think that it was fates that lead him to solve the riddle and become the new King. But, it was free will that he slept with his mother. That is a choice one person makes and has control over. Ultimately, fates lead him to the specific destinations, but it was free will that created the end results.