1. obsequious- (adj.) attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
Her obsequious way of winning people over is a bit over the top with overwhelming compliments and flattery.
2. beatitude- (n.) a state of supreme happiness
In heaven, you will be in absolute beatitude.
3. bete noire- (n.) a person or thing that one particularly dislikes
My bete noir is racism.
4. bode- (v.) indicate by signs
Bode the way to your destination.
5. dank- (adj.) unpleasantly cool and humid
The dank weather was horrible for my frizzy hair.
6. ecumenical- (adj.) of worldwide scope or applicability; concerned with promoting unity among churches or religions
The church confederations were known for being ecumenical.
7. fervid- (adj.) extremely hot; characterized by intense emotion
The candidate made a fervid speech that held the audience's attention.
8. fetid- (adj.) offensively malodorous
The fetid water of the marsh made me sick.
9. gargantuan- (adj.) of great mass; huge and bulky
Big foot was a gargantuan monster.
10. heyday- (n.) the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
The paper has lost millions of readers since its heyday in 1972.
11. incubus- (n.) someone who depresses or worries others; a situation resembling a terrifying dream
Don't be such an incubus to others. Contrarily, make others happy!
12. infrastructure- (n.) the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; the basic structure or features of a system or organization
Access what damage you can and rebuild the critical infrastructure system.
13. inveigle- (v.) influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
The girl was able to inveigle her father into letting her buy an expensive dress.
14. kudos- (n.) an expression of approval and commendation
Kudos to everyone that put the event together.
15. lagniappe- (n.) a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)
The store owner gave me a lagniappe for being such a loyal customer.
16. prolix- (adj.) tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
He found the speech too prolix and repetitive.
17. protégé- (n.) a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protégé's career
Michael Jordan made a starting basketball player his protégé.
18. prototype- (n.) a standard or typical example
Mean Girls is a prototype of high school life.
19. sycophant- (n.) a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
Sycophant friends only look for you when they need something from you.
20. tautology- (n.) useless repetition; (logic) a statement that is necessarily true
My English teacher told me to avoid tautology in my essay.
21. truckle- (v.) yield to out of weakness; try to gain favor by cringing or flattering
The boy truckled to the bully who would constantly push him around.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
MY BIG QUESTION
My big question is, what is the purpose of life? While this is a very common and general question, it is a question that regularly crosses my mind. Why do we spend so much time worrying about what others think of us, stressing about school and our futures, and working on our self image? One day, we will all be gone and none of it will matter. So, what's the point of it all?
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
LITERATURE ANALYSIS #1
1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.). Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.
4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.
1. This novel, "Push" by Sapphire , takes place in Harlem, New York in 1987. Our main character is a sixteen-year-old, named Claireece Jones, who goes by her middle name Precious. She is an illiterate, overweight, African-American welfare child. She is constantly emotionally and physically abused by her mother and sexually abused by her father. She is pregnant with her second child, both children fathered by her biological father, who has continually raped her since she was a child. Her infant daughter, Mongo, who has Down Syndrome, lives with Precious' grandmother. Precious lives with her abusive mother, Mary. Mary does nothing but smoke, watch television, and collect welfare through fraud. She believes that education does nothing for Precious, who she would rather also collect welfare to bring money into the household. To escape her life, Precious often daydreams of herself in glamorous situations. She often imagines herself as a white pretty blonde with a white boyfriend to escape the horror of her life. Because of her current pregnancy, Precious' principal transfers her into an alternative school. In dealing with the school's sympathetic and encouraging teacher, Ms. Blu Rain, Precious begins to believe that she can have a future by learning how to read and write. Precious begins to believe she can escape the grips of her abusive mother, who, up to this point, was Precious' only real support. After getting into a horrible argument with her mother, Precious is abandoned and left to begin life on her own. But, with the help of Ms. Rain, she is able to stay in a halfway house. Although this may not be the most ideal living space, it gives her the opportunity to start over and have independence from her dark past. After learning that her father passed away from aids, Precious tests positive for HIV and is left to join support groups and continue on with her journey. The reader is then left to imagine Precious' whereabouts and future as the novel ends with Precious' writings about her life.
2. Central themes to this novel include independence, self-confidence, and determination. Precious uses these characteristics to become independent from her dark past and to create a better future. She never gave up on herself. She began to stop imagining herself as an appealing white girl and began to accept herself for the person she really is, making herself someone to be proud of. Rather than being controlled by circumstance, Precious chose her future: one where her self-image depends wholly on her own decisions, rather than by the oppressive surroundings she grew up in. Because of her decision to part from those oppressive surroundings, Precious ultimately discovers from her newfound confidence and her self-respect that her identity is only what she makes of it. Together, these all tie in the central themes to this novel.
3. Precious begins the novel functionally illiterate. She spells words phonetically. She uses words such as "nuffin'" for nothing, "git" for get, "borned" for born, etc. She also uses an array of four-letter words and harsh details that reflect the life she has experienced. The following is an example of the poor grammar she uses in the novel: "Last week we went to the museum. A whole whale is hanging from the ceiling. Bigger than big! OK, have you seen a Volkswagen car that's like a bug? Um huh, you know what I'm talking about. That's how big the heart of a blue whale is. I know it's not possible, but if that heart in me could I love more? Ms Rain, Rita, Abdul?" (p. 138). This lack of education contributes to the tone's ignorance. Also, throughout the novel, Precious describes traumatizing events as if they were a mild crime-like running a red light. But, her childish tone up brings the emotions of sadness brought on by a lack of understanding. The following is an example of her childish tone: “I'm alive inside. A bird is my heart. Mama and Daddy is not win. I'm winning. I'm drinking hot chocolate in the Village wif girls--all kind who love me. How that is so I don't know. How Mama and Daddy know me sixteen years and hate me, how a stranger meet me and love me. Must be what they already had in they pocket” (p. 152). A self- destructive tone is used by Precious as the struggles in her life have caused her to have such low confidence and self-esteem. This brings a somber tone to the entire course of the novel as you feel sympathy those someone who look at themselves so harshly. This is portrayed as she states, “I know I’m stupid. I know I’m worthless, but I coulda been a star-a stupid worthless star. What I can't be I kill” (p. 143).
4. The following are 10 literary elements/techniques I observed that strengthened my understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or my sense of the tone:
1) Illeism is used as it conveys the understanding of a child stuck in a 16-year-old's body.
Example: "Precious wandered what the file said..." (pg. 30).
2) Epithets are used to allow the reader to understand how Precious first categorizes people based on the first impression.
Example: "...the cornrow head said smiling" (pg. 32).
3) Flashbacks are used to help the reader understand the events that played out in Precious's entire life in "sneek peaks".
Example: "She is 12 no was 12? She is 16 now" (pg. 23).
4) Problematic dialect is used by Sapphire.
Example: “I bite my fingernails till they look like disease, pull strips of my skin away. Get Daddy's razor out cabinet. Cut cut cut arm wrist, not trying to die, trying to plug myself back in” (p. 111).
5) Tragedy is a main device seen by the audience from the series of rapes, to the Down Syndrome child, to the revealing of HIV positive in the family.
Example: "I'm not happy to be HIV positive" (pg. 141).
6) Precious is presented as being illiterate, representing her poor upbringing and lack of education and childhood.
Example: “Last week we went to the museum. A whole whale is hanging from the ceiling. Bigger than big! OK, have you seen a Volkswagon car that's like a bug? Um huh, you know what I'm talking about. That's how big the heart of a blue whale is. I know it's not possible, but if that heart was in me, could I love more?...I would like to” (p. 138).
7) Imagery is brought upon by Precious' daydreaming and imaginings of a "better" life as she imagines herself to be a white blonde with a white boyfriend. She does this to block out her dark past and dream of a better future.
Example: "My name is Claireece "Precious" Jones. I wish I had a light-skinned boyfriend with real nice hair. And I wanna be on the cover of a magazine. But first I wanna be in one of them BET videos. Momma said I can't dance. Plus, she said who wants to see my big ass dancing, anyhow?"
8) The tragic and somber mood simulated in this novel contributes to the overall tone by creating a sympathetic aura for the readers.
Example: "I'm walking across the lobby room real real slow. Full of chicken, bread; usually that make me not want to cry remember, but I feel like crying now" (pg. 40).
9) Another literary device used is Stream of Consciousness. The novel itself is basically a diary of Precious's life events and thoughts on every aspect of her life from her beatings to her fantasies.
Example: "I want to tell her what I always want to tell someone, that the pages, 'cept for the ones with pictures, look all the same to me.." (pg. 50).
10) Biblical/ religious references used:
-“...something like that make me feel what Rhonda, what Farrakhan, say - there is a god. But me when I think of it I'm more inclined to go with Shug in The Colour Purple. God ain' white, he ain' no Jew or Muslim, maybe he ain' even black, maybe he ain' even a 'he.' Even now I go downtown and see .. I see those men in vacant lot share one hot dog and they homeless, that's good as Jesus with his fish. I remember when I had my daughter, nurse nice to me too - all that is god."
-“If God made anything better than Coffee and Chocolate, he kept it to himself.”
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct characterization of Precious:
"I should be in the eleventh grade, getting ready to go into the twelf' grade so I can gone 'n graduate. But I'm not. I'm in the ninfe grade" (pg. 1).
“I know I’m stupid. I know I’m worthless, but I coulda been a star-a stupid worthless star. What I can't be I kill” (p. 143).
Indirect characterization of Precious:
"My father don't see me really. If he did he would know I was like a white girl, a real person, inside" (pg. 14).
“I changed the past by walking back into it” (p. 163).
Sapphire uses both approaches of direct characterization and indirect characterization to give you a broad sense of what the character is like and to then give eventful support and reason. As a result to both of these approaches, I see Precious as a strong girl who has been through a lot of hardship at such young age. I see her as having a lot of potential for a great future if she remains determined to stay completely independent from her dark past.
2. The author's syntax and diction alternate between each page break. Precious speaks of herself in an illeism stance, or in first person, while another section could be told by an outside third person perspective. When the story is told from Precious' perspective, the style of writing is not as literate and educated as that of the author's. Example: "'Precious!' That's my mother calling me'" (pg. 9). "This time she knew Mama knew. Umm hmm, she knew. She brought him to me. I ain' crazy, that stinky hoe gave me to him" (pg. 25).
3. The protagonist, Precious, is a dynamic and round character. She changes dramatically over the course of the novel. In the beginning, she lives life in fear and in hatred of herself and the realities of her troubled life. She lives in fear of her abusive mother and father and in hatred of her worth and self-image. But, once she joins the Each One Teach One alternative school, she realizes that there is opportunity for her out there. As long as she set her mind to it, she could make a difference for herself and change her life for the better. She goes from hopeless to independent and optimistic over the course of the novel.
4. After reading "Push" by Sapphire, I came away with feeling like I really got to know and feel for Precious. After reading about all her life struggles, how she dealt with them, and her thoughts along the way, she was a character I didn't want to let go of. When Precious says, "I'm alive inside. A bird is my heart. Mama and Daddy is not win. I'm winning. I'm drinking hot chocolate in the Village wif girls--all kind who love me. How that is so I don't know. How Mama and Daddy know me sixteen years and hate me, how a stranger meet me and love me. Must be what they already had in they pocket," you realize that Precious is just an innocent girl who seeks love just like anyone else. Sadly, she does not recieve this from the ones she should be closest to. This caused me to feel sorry for her and want to help her find the life she deserves. Ultimately, I respect her for looking past all her life struggles and seeking to create a better future for herself. Many people, including myself, may not have been as strong enough to triumph over her situation.
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.
4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.
1. This novel, "Push" by Sapphire , takes place in Harlem, New York in 1987. Our main character is a sixteen-year-old, named Claireece Jones, who goes by her middle name Precious. She is an illiterate, overweight, African-American welfare child. She is constantly emotionally and physically abused by her mother and sexually abused by her father. She is pregnant with her second child, both children fathered by her biological father, who has continually raped her since she was a child. Her infant daughter, Mongo, who has Down Syndrome, lives with Precious' grandmother. Precious lives with her abusive mother, Mary. Mary does nothing but smoke, watch television, and collect welfare through fraud. She believes that education does nothing for Precious, who she would rather also collect welfare to bring money into the household. To escape her life, Precious often daydreams of herself in glamorous situations. She often imagines herself as a white pretty blonde with a white boyfriend to escape the horror of her life. Because of her current pregnancy, Precious' principal transfers her into an alternative school. In dealing with the school's sympathetic and encouraging teacher, Ms. Blu Rain, Precious begins to believe that she can have a future by learning how to read and write. Precious begins to believe she can escape the grips of her abusive mother, who, up to this point, was Precious' only real support. After getting into a horrible argument with her mother, Precious is abandoned and left to begin life on her own. But, with the help of Ms. Rain, she is able to stay in a halfway house. Although this may not be the most ideal living space, it gives her the opportunity to start over and have independence from her dark past. After learning that her father passed away from aids, Precious tests positive for HIV and is left to join support groups and continue on with her journey. The reader is then left to imagine Precious' whereabouts and future as the novel ends with Precious' writings about her life.
2. Central themes to this novel include independence, self-confidence, and determination. Precious uses these characteristics to become independent from her dark past and to create a better future. She never gave up on herself. She began to stop imagining herself as an appealing white girl and began to accept herself for the person she really is, making herself someone to be proud of. Rather than being controlled by circumstance, Precious chose her future: one where her self-image depends wholly on her own decisions, rather than by the oppressive surroundings she grew up in. Because of her decision to part from those oppressive surroundings, Precious ultimately discovers from her newfound confidence and her self-respect that her identity is only what she makes of it. Together, these all tie in the central themes to this novel.
3. Precious begins the novel functionally illiterate. She spells words phonetically. She uses words such as "nuffin'" for nothing, "git" for get, "borned" for born, etc. She also uses an array of four-letter words and harsh details that reflect the life she has experienced. The following is an example of the poor grammar she uses in the novel: "Last week we went to the museum. A whole whale is hanging from the ceiling. Bigger than big! OK, have you seen a Volkswagen car that's like a bug? Um huh, you know what I'm talking about. That's how big the heart of a blue whale is. I know it's not possible, but if that heart in me could I love more? Ms Rain, Rita, Abdul?" (p. 138). This lack of education contributes to the tone's ignorance. Also, throughout the novel, Precious describes traumatizing events as if they were a mild crime-like running a red light. But, her childish tone up brings the emotions of sadness brought on by a lack of understanding. The following is an example of her childish tone: “I'm alive inside. A bird is my heart. Mama and Daddy is not win. I'm winning. I'm drinking hot chocolate in the Village wif girls--all kind who love me. How that is so I don't know. How Mama and Daddy know me sixteen years and hate me, how a stranger meet me and love me. Must be what they already had in they pocket” (p. 152). A self- destructive tone is used by Precious as the struggles in her life have caused her to have such low confidence and self-esteem. This brings a somber tone to the entire course of the novel as you feel sympathy those someone who look at themselves so harshly. This is portrayed as she states, “I know I’m stupid. I know I’m worthless, but I coulda been a star-a stupid worthless star. What I can't be I kill” (p. 143).
4. The following are 10 literary elements/techniques I observed that strengthened my understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or my sense of the tone:
1) Illeism is used as it conveys the understanding of a child stuck in a 16-year-old's body.
Example: "Precious wandered what the file said..." (pg. 30).
2) Epithets are used to allow the reader to understand how Precious first categorizes people based on the first impression.
Example: "...the cornrow head said smiling" (pg. 32).
3) Flashbacks are used to help the reader understand the events that played out in Precious's entire life in "sneek peaks".
Example: "She is 12 no was 12? She is 16 now" (pg. 23).
4) Problematic dialect is used by Sapphire.
Example: “I bite my fingernails till they look like disease, pull strips of my skin away. Get Daddy's razor out cabinet. Cut cut cut arm wrist, not trying to die, trying to plug myself back in” (p. 111).
5) Tragedy is a main device seen by the audience from the series of rapes, to the Down Syndrome child, to the revealing of HIV positive in the family.
Example: "I'm not happy to be HIV positive" (pg. 141).
6) Precious is presented as being illiterate, representing her poor upbringing and lack of education and childhood.
Example: “Last week we went to the museum. A whole whale is hanging from the ceiling. Bigger than big! OK, have you seen a Volkswagon car that's like a bug? Um huh, you know what I'm talking about. That's how big the heart of a blue whale is. I know it's not possible, but if that heart was in me, could I love more?...I would like to” (p. 138).
7) Imagery is brought upon by Precious' daydreaming and imaginings of a "better" life as she imagines herself to be a white blonde with a white boyfriend. She does this to block out her dark past and dream of a better future.
Example: "My name is Claireece "Precious" Jones. I wish I had a light-skinned boyfriend with real nice hair. And I wanna be on the cover of a magazine. But first I wanna be in one of them BET videos. Momma said I can't dance. Plus, she said who wants to see my big ass dancing, anyhow?"
8) The tragic and somber mood simulated in this novel contributes to the overall tone by creating a sympathetic aura for the readers.
Example: "I'm walking across the lobby room real real slow. Full of chicken, bread; usually that make me not want to cry remember, but I feel like crying now" (pg. 40).
9) Another literary device used is Stream of Consciousness. The novel itself is basically a diary of Precious's life events and thoughts on every aspect of her life from her beatings to her fantasies.
Example: "I want to tell her what I always want to tell someone, that the pages, 'cept for the ones with pictures, look all the same to me.." (pg. 50).
10) Biblical/ religious references used:
-“...something like that make me feel what Rhonda, what Farrakhan, say - there is a god. But me when I think of it I'm more inclined to go with Shug in The Colour Purple. God ain' white, he ain' no Jew or Muslim, maybe he ain' even black, maybe he ain' even a 'he.' Even now I go downtown and see .. I see those men in vacant lot share one hot dog and they homeless, that's good as Jesus with his fish. I remember when I had my daughter, nurse nice to me too - all that is god."
-“If God made anything better than Coffee and Chocolate, he kept it to himself.”
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct characterization of Precious:
"I should be in the eleventh grade, getting ready to go into the twelf' grade so I can gone 'n graduate. But I'm not. I'm in the ninfe grade" (pg. 1).
“I know I’m stupid. I know I’m worthless, but I coulda been a star-a stupid worthless star. What I can't be I kill” (p. 143).
Indirect characterization of Precious:
"My father don't see me really. If he did he would know I was like a white girl, a real person, inside" (pg. 14).
“I changed the past by walking back into it” (p. 163).
Sapphire uses both approaches of direct characterization and indirect characterization to give you a broad sense of what the character is like and to then give eventful support and reason. As a result to both of these approaches, I see Precious as a strong girl who has been through a lot of hardship at such young age. I see her as having a lot of potential for a great future if she remains determined to stay completely independent from her dark past.
2. The author's syntax and diction alternate between each page break. Precious speaks of herself in an illeism stance, or in first person, while another section could be told by an outside third person perspective. When the story is told from Precious' perspective, the style of writing is not as literate and educated as that of the author's. Example: "'Precious!' That's my mother calling me'" (pg. 9). "This time she knew Mama knew. Umm hmm, she knew. She brought him to me. I ain' crazy, that stinky hoe gave me to him" (pg. 25).
3. The protagonist, Precious, is a dynamic and round character. She changes dramatically over the course of the novel. In the beginning, she lives life in fear and in hatred of herself and the realities of her troubled life. She lives in fear of her abusive mother and father and in hatred of her worth and self-image. But, once she joins the Each One Teach One alternative school, she realizes that there is opportunity for her out there. As long as she set her mind to it, she could make a difference for herself and change her life for the better. She goes from hopeless to independent and optimistic over the course of the novel.
4. After reading "Push" by Sapphire, I came away with feeling like I really got to know and feel for Precious. After reading about all her life struggles, how she dealt with them, and her thoughts along the way, she was a character I didn't want to let go of. When Precious says, "I'm alive inside. A bird is my heart. Mama and Daddy is not win. I'm winning. I'm drinking hot chocolate in the Village wif girls--all kind who love me. How that is so I don't know. How Mama and Daddy know me sixteen years and hate me, how a stranger meet me and love me. Must be what they already had in they pocket," you realize that Precious is just an innocent girl who seeks love just like anyone else. Sadly, she does not recieve this from the ones she should be closest to. This caused me to feel sorry for her and want to help her find the life she deserves. Ultimately, I respect her for looking past all her life struggles and seeking to create a better future for herself. Many people, including myself, may not have been as strong enough to triumph over her situation.
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
VOCABULARY #3
1. accolade- (n.) a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
My student athlete award was an accolade of my dedication to sports and my studies.
2. acerbity- (n.) a sharp sour taste; a sharp bitterness; a rough and bitter manner
The Lemon Head candy has an acerbity.
3. attrition- (n.) the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction; a wearing down to weaken or destroy; sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation; the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice; erosion by friction
The attrition of the two rocks caused them to become very smooth and flat.
4. bromide- (n.) any of the salts of hydrobromic acid; formerly used as a sedative but now generally replaced by safer drugs; a trite or obvious remark
"I am entitled to my own opinion" is a bromide.
5. chauvinist- (n.) an extreme bellicose nationalist; a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind
England's monarchy is generally made up of chauvinists.
6. chronic- (adj.) being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering
Her chronic headaches caused her to have to see a doctor.
7. expound- (v.) add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; state
We expound on many literary topics in this class.
8. factionalism- (n.) existence of factions: the existence of or conflict between groups within a larger group
Factionalism within a state can destroy its government.
9. immaculate- (adj.) completely neat and clean; free from stain or blemish; without fault or error
My mom wants the house to be immaculate for when the guests come over.
10. imprecation- (n.) the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult); a slanderous accusation
The witches recited imprecations upon innocent people.
11. ineluctable- (adj.) impossible to avoid or evade: "inescapable conclusion"
The love Blair felt for Chuck Bass seemed ineluctable to her, no matter how much she tried to hide it.
12. mercurial- (adj.) relating to or containing or caused by mercury; relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury; liable to sudden unpredictable change
Everyone tried to stay away from him because his temper was mercurial.
13. palliate- (v.) provide physical relief, as from pain; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
The ice palliated the pain of my sprained ankle.
14. protocol- (n.) code of correct conduct; forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state; (computer science) rules determining the format and transmission of data
Our government and the military uses protocol.
15. resplendent- (adj.) having great beauty and splendor
The view from the top of Mount Everest is resplendent.
16. stigmatize- (v.) mark with a stigma or stigmata; to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful
Criminals are universally stigmatized.
17. sub- (n.) a submersible warship usually armed with torpedoes; different names are used in different sections of the United States; (v.) be a substitute
The sub was so lenient and clueless to what the children were doing.
18. rosa- (n.) large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs, including roses
The rosa sharply poked my skin.
19. vainglory- (n.) outspoken conceit
Don't come off sounding to boastful or vainglorious.
20. vestige- (n.) an indication that something has been present
The trace, or vestige, of the dinosaur proved its existence.
21. volition- (n.) the act of making a choice; the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
Choosing the right college is a volition that I must do myself.
My student athlete award was an accolade of my dedication to sports and my studies.
2. acerbity- (n.) a sharp sour taste; a sharp bitterness; a rough and bitter manner
The Lemon Head candy has an acerbity.
3. attrition- (n.) the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction; a wearing down to weaken or destroy; sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation; the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice; erosion by friction
The attrition of the two rocks caused them to become very smooth and flat.
4. bromide- (n.) any of the salts of hydrobromic acid; formerly used as a sedative but now generally replaced by safer drugs; a trite or obvious remark
"I am entitled to my own opinion" is a bromide.
5. chauvinist- (n.) an extreme bellicose nationalist; a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind
England's monarchy is generally made up of chauvinists.
6. chronic- (adj.) being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering
Her chronic headaches caused her to have to see a doctor.
7. expound- (v.) add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; state
We expound on many literary topics in this class.
8. factionalism- (n.) existence of factions: the existence of or conflict between groups within a larger group
Factionalism within a state can destroy its government.
9. immaculate- (adj.) completely neat and clean; free from stain or blemish; without fault or error
My mom wants the house to be immaculate for when the guests come over.
10. imprecation- (n.) the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult); a slanderous accusation
The witches recited imprecations upon innocent people.
11. ineluctable- (adj.) impossible to avoid or evade: "inescapable conclusion"
The love Blair felt for Chuck Bass seemed ineluctable to her, no matter how much she tried to hide it.
12. mercurial- (adj.) relating to or containing or caused by mercury; relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury; liable to sudden unpredictable change
Everyone tried to stay away from him because his temper was mercurial.
13. palliate- (v.) provide physical relief, as from pain; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
The ice palliated the pain of my sprained ankle.
14. protocol- (n.) code of correct conduct; forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state; (computer science) rules determining the format and transmission of data
Our government and the military uses protocol.
15. resplendent- (adj.) having great beauty and splendor
The view from the top of Mount Everest is resplendent.
16. stigmatize- (v.) mark with a stigma or stigmata; to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful
Criminals are universally stigmatized.
17. sub- (n.) a submersible warship usually armed with torpedoes; different names are used in different sections of the United States; (v.) be a substitute
The sub was so lenient and clueless to what the children were doing.
18. rosa- (n.) large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs, including roses
The rosa sharply poked my skin.
19. vainglory- (n.) outspoken conceit
Don't come off sounding to boastful or vainglorious.
20. vestige- (n.) an indication that something has been present
The trace, or vestige, of the dinosaur proved its existence.
21. volition- (n.) the act of making a choice; the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
Choosing the right college is a volition that I must do myself.
BEOWULF ESSAY
What makes a hero the epic icon it is brought up to be? According to a dictionary definition, a hero is a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. A hero also withholds the outstanding qualities of bravery, determination, loyalty, selflessness, and sacrifice. Two heroes that truly embody these heroic characteristics are an Anglo-Saxon hero, Beowulf, and a political hero, Martin Luther King Jr. While the remarkable stories of these two heroes remain very different in plot and general theme, they both remain very similar in other aspects.
In the story of Beowulf, he courageously saves King of Hrothgar and his kingdom from the terror they received from Grendel, a horrible and bloody demon, along with his vengeful mother. Beowulf vigorously fought Grendel without armor and finished him by ripping his arm off. This embodies the heroic qualities of bravery, selflessness, and sacrifice. Beowulf put the safety of his kingdom before his own. In comparison, just as Beowulf fought against a legendary flesh and blood monster, Martin Luther King Jr. selflessly fought against the insidious and more subtle monster of racism. During the Civil Rights Era, standing up against racism took a lot of courage and sacrifice, considering the possible harsh consequences of doing so. Although, King willingly took the biggest stand in history against slavery and segregation, changing the fate our nation forever.
As said before, heroes obtain many qualities. Although, bravery is the quality that has to be the most profound and most common. In Beowulf, he displays countless actions of bravery. One that really stands out in the text is when he has to face the monster that is terrorizing his kingdom; “I won’t shift a foot when I meet the cave-guard: what occurs on the walls between the two of us will turn out as fate, overseer of men, decides.” Through this text, you can feel the incredible bravery withheld by Beowulf that is found throughout his story. Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr. displays bravery just as well as Beowulf does. Although, being that he was a leader of the civil rights movement, King displays bravery in a different way. King had to stand up all around the world to get his message of equality and anti-segregation out. He had to do this while knowing many people did not support him and were willing to get rid of him. His bravery was unimpeachable and something to strive for. King is described in "Marks of Modern Sainthood" as the following: “A hero, he confronted death with courage: a saint, he enriched the souls of even his bitterest enemies.”
Overall, Beowulf and Martin Luther King Jr. both embodied the characteristics of an extraordinary hero in various ways. Both strove to free an oppressed people through sacrifice and stood for what was right even though it may not have been necessarily popular or safe. They are both incredible heroes that should never be forgotten for their remarkable bravery.
In the story of Beowulf, he courageously saves King of Hrothgar and his kingdom from the terror they received from Grendel, a horrible and bloody demon, along with his vengeful mother. Beowulf vigorously fought Grendel without armor and finished him by ripping his arm off. This embodies the heroic qualities of bravery, selflessness, and sacrifice. Beowulf put the safety of his kingdom before his own. In comparison, just as Beowulf fought against a legendary flesh and blood monster, Martin Luther King Jr. selflessly fought against the insidious and more subtle monster of racism. During the Civil Rights Era, standing up against racism took a lot of courage and sacrifice, considering the possible harsh consequences of doing so. Although, King willingly took the biggest stand in history against slavery and segregation, changing the fate our nation forever.
As said before, heroes obtain many qualities. Although, bravery is the quality that has to be the most profound and most common. In Beowulf, he displays countless actions of bravery. One that really stands out in the text is when he has to face the monster that is terrorizing his kingdom; “I won’t shift a foot when I meet the cave-guard: what occurs on the walls between the two of us will turn out as fate, overseer of men, decides.” Through this text, you can feel the incredible bravery withheld by Beowulf that is found throughout his story. Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr. displays bravery just as well as Beowulf does. Although, being that he was a leader of the civil rights movement, King displays bravery in a different way. King had to stand up all around the world to get his message of equality and anti-segregation out. He had to do this while knowing many people did not support him and were willing to get rid of him. His bravery was unimpeachable and something to strive for. King is described in "Marks of Modern Sainthood" as the following: “A hero, he confronted death with courage: a saint, he enriched the souls of even his bitterest enemies.”
Overall, Beowulf and Martin Luther King Jr. both embodied the characteristics of an extraordinary hero in various ways. Both strove to free an oppressed people through sacrifice and stood for what was right even though it may not have been necessarily popular or safe. They are both incredible heroes that should never be forgotten for their remarkable bravery.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
WILL STUDY FOR FOOD
I would like to apply for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF). They administer over 150 different types of scholarships and $470 million in scholarships. The only requirements for this scholarship fund are for you to be a U.S. citizen with a Hispanic background and a minimum GPA of a 3.0. I easily meet all of these requirements and really hope to apply myself to begin applying for scholarships like this and really take advantage of all this help offered to students like me.
VOCABULARY #2
1. apogee- (n.) apoapsis in Earth orbit; the point in its orbit where a satellite is at the greatest distance from the Earth; a final climactic stage
2. apropos- (adj.) of an appropriate or pertinent nature; (adv.) by the way; at an opportune time
3. bicker- (n.) a quarrel about petty points; (v.) argue over petty things
4. coalesce- (v.) fuse or cause to grow together; mix together different elements
5. contretemps- (n.) an awkward clash
6. convolution- (n.) the action of coiling or twisting or winding together; a convex fold or elevation in the surface of the brain; the shape of something rotating rapidly
7. cull- (n.) the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior in quality; (v.) remove something that has been rejected; look for and gather
8. disparate- (adj.) including markedly dissimilar elements; fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
9. dogmatic- (adj.) characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles; relating to or involving dogma; of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
10. licentious- (adj.) lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained
11. mete- (n.) a line that indicates a boundary
12. noxious- (adj.) injurious to physical or mental health
13. polemic- (adj.) of or involving dispute or controversy; (n.) a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma); a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in theology)
14. populous- (adj.) densely populated
15. probity- (n.) complete and confirmed integrity; having strong moral principles
16. repartee- (n.) adroitness and cleverness in reply
17. supervene- (v.) take place as an additional or unexpected development
18. truncate- (adj.) terminating abruptly by having or as if having an end or point cut off; (v.) make shorter as if by cutting off; approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one; replace a corner by a plane
19. unimpeachable- (adj.) beyond doubt or reproach; completely acceptable; not open to exception or reproach; free of guilt; not subject to blame
2. apropos- (adj.) of an appropriate or pertinent nature; (adv.) by the way; at an opportune time
3. bicker- (n.) a quarrel about petty points; (v.) argue over petty things
4. coalesce- (v.) fuse or cause to grow together; mix together different elements
5. contretemps- (n.) an awkward clash
6. convolution- (n.) the action of coiling or twisting or winding together; a convex fold or elevation in the surface of the brain; the shape of something rotating rapidly
7. cull- (n.) the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior in quality; (v.) remove something that has been rejected; look for and gather
8. disparate- (adj.) including markedly dissimilar elements; fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
9. dogmatic- (adj.) characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles; relating to or involving dogma; of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
10. licentious- (adj.) lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained
11. mete- (n.) a line that indicates a boundary
12. noxious- (adj.) injurious to physical or mental health
13. polemic- (adj.) of or involving dispute or controversy; (n.) a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma); a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in theology)
14. populous- (adj.) densely populated
15. probity- (n.) complete and confirmed integrity; having strong moral principles
16. repartee- (n.) adroitness and cleverness in reply
17. supervene- (v.) take place as an additional or unexpected development
18. truncate- (adj.) terminating abruptly by having or as if having an end or point cut off; (v.) make shorter as if by cutting off; approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one; replace a corner by a plane
19. unimpeachable- (adj.) beyond doubt or reproach; completely acceptable; not open to exception or reproach; free of guilt; not subject to blame
Thursday, September 4, 2014
The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)