Lit Analysis #6

The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn General: 1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is not only considered its own text, but also the sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom being one of Huckleberry's dear friends. Huckleberry Finn continues where he and his friend Tom left off in St. Petersburg, Missouri, where they found a fortune of gold. Huck knew that due to his unstable lifestyle, he couldn't carry his fortune with him, so he placed it in a bank. This novel takes place before the civil war, around the years 1835-1834. "Huck" is a young boy from the lower castes of society. His background has proven to be unfortunate as his biological father is a drunk who didn't develop a healthy relationship with his son. Not only that, he left Huck for long periods at a time, often times homeless. By the beginning of this novel, Huck had been adopted by Widow Douglas, a nice woman who attempted to fix Huck. Widow Douglas tried to give Huck the stability that he never knew. She enrolled him in school, and took him to church. He wasn't willful, however. Unfortunately, the stability was short-lived, as Huck waskidnapped by his natural father, Pap. Pap was in search of the fortune that Huck had found, and went to greats lengths to try to get it. Pap locked his son in a cabin and beat him often throughout his drunken tangents. Not after too long, Huck escaped by faking his own death. He ended up on an island in the middle of the Mississippi River, where he met Jim, a runaway slave whose award is out for his capture. Jim and Huck became allies, helping each other escape from their terrible pasts. They soon meet two con artists, men who claimed to be a duke and a dauphin. Together, they made scams down the Mississippi River, some successful, and others that threatened their lives. The worst crime they committed, however, was selling Jim. These two con-artists, however, sold Jim to Tom Sawyer's aunt and uncle. Huck pretended to be Tom, and Tom pretended to be his own brother Sid, and the two derived a plan to free Jim. After a plan that nearly got everyone killed, the author revealed that since Miss Watson had passed away, Jim was a free man. Also, Huck realized that his father was dead, and was last seen floating in the Mississippi River. The novel ends with Tom and Huck being revealed for who they were and continuing their lives as Huck set out West. 2. Based on my interpretation of the novel, I feel that the theme is that friendship has no boundaries. In the era of this novel, race was at the center of social standing and societal perceptions. It was frowned upon for white society to make friendships with the African American society, especially if they were slaves. Huck and Jim forgot what society expected of them, and built a friendship. They didn't see one another as white, black, inferior, or superior. They saw one another as Jim and Huck, two runaways that found each other on their journey away from their ugly pasts. 3. On many occasions in this novel, I would describe the tone as depressing, and saddening. The following quotes demonstrate my point: •"Alright then, I'll go to hell." •"Human beings can be awful cruel to one another." •"Well, if I ever struck anything like it, I'm a nigger. It was enough to make my body ashamed of the human race." 4. •Diction: "Whatsoever ye ask for, that shall ye get." (14.39) This quote, as well as others, showed me the style of conversation during this era of history. This showed me the way the spoke, and thought, which allowed me to understand the characters and history better. •Stereotype: "-do you reckon a nigger can run across money and not borrow some of it?" (26.97) This quote proves the racism that took place and ignorance that occupied peoples' minds. The characters assumed that if one was black, they must have been a thief, and that skin color effects one's actions. •Simile: "He ain't no slave; he's as free as any cretur that walks this earth!" (42.45) In this quote, the characters were defending Jim as he was a free man, since the woman that owned him had died. They compared him to every creature on Earth to prove that he was as free as someone who had never been a slave. •Indirect Characterization: "Dah you goes, de ole true Huck; de on'y white genlmen dat ever kep' his promise to ole Jim". (16.16) Indirectly, Jim is stating that Huck is a good person for treating Jim better than any other "white folk" would. Huck kept his promises to Jim, and didn't let his skin color effect anything. •Syntax: "I hain't got no money." (5.19) This grammatical arrangement of words shows the lack of education that existed during this time. Knowing this, I was able to understand the characters better when it came to their thoughts and actions. •Direct characterization: "It's a dead man. Yes indeedy; naked, too. He's been shot in de back. I reck'n he's ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan' look at his face- it's too gashly." (9.18) The character directly stated how the body looked, which showed his honesty and concern for Huck. He wanted to warn Huck of the brutal sight, so that Huck could mentally prepare himself. This showed how much people cared about Huck, as they would look out for him and have his best interests at heart. •Pathos: Yes, he's got a father, but you can't never find him these days. He used to lay drunk with the hogs in the tenyard, nut he hain't seen in these parts for a year or more." (2.13) Reading this made me feel terrible for Huck. I couldn't imagine such a person as my parent, and it allowed me to understand Huck as a person better, since I now knew where he came from. •Metaphor: "I don't want no beter book than what your face is." (29.16) In this quote, Jim was referring to the fact that Hucks face tells a story. Huck's tears, scars, and wounds tell his life story. Jim didn't need a book to tell him where Huck came from, because his appearance said it all, at times. •Aphorism: "You can't pray a lie." (13.13) This quote tells an ugly truth that people in this novel didn't want to believe. One could pray all that they wanted to, with all of their might. However, if their prayers were lies, or were coming form an ugly place, they were useless. •Mood: "It's lovely to live on a raft. We had the sky, up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our back and look up at them.." (23.17) Through all of the unfortunate events that had happened to Huck, this quote made me feel better. It made me feel better that Huck finally found some sort of peace, which totally changed the mood around for this novel. 1. Direct Characterization: •"You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." •That book was made by Mark Twain, and he told the truth, mainly. There was things which he stressed, but mainly told the truth." Directly, Huck is stating that if we want to get to know him, we must read, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." If we hadn’t then we wouldn't be able to understand him. Also, Huck articulated clearly that he felt Twain exaggerated the truth when it came to writing these novels. Indirect Characterization: •"I got out my old rags and my sugar hogshed again, and was free and satisfied." •"I don't take no stock in dead people." Indirectly, Huck was stating that he would run away, and enjoy life as it used to be. When he was on the run, he used to sugar hogshed to make his bed. Also, Huck wants to articulate that he doesn't care much for dead people, as they are now no use to him. I feel that Twain uses both approaches to give a variety of descriptions to his audience. Being so creative keeps the reader engaged and entertained, and allows them to see each character through a different light. As a result, I understood the characters better and got to read their thoughts and feelings through different literary elements. 2. Mark Twain's diction/syntax didn't change as he focused on character as he had Huck as the narrator. Everything was in Huck's words through his point of view. For example, "Worked me middling hard for about an hour, and then the widow made her ease up. I couldn't stood it much longer. Then for an hour it was deadly dull, an I was fidgety. Miss Watson would say, "Don't put your feet up there, Huckleberry;", and, "Don' scrunch up like that Huckleberry--set up straight." 3. I would describe Huck as a dynamic and round character. Throughout the novel, he grew to make decisions for himself, and to not let the thoughts of others effect him. He had grown to distinguish right from wrong and good from bad. Whether it was running away, or making decisions concerning the con artists, Huck learned how to make the right decisions for himself. Lastly, Huck grew to rebel against society in a way that would improve the quality of lives. He admitted that he would rather go to hell than see Jim become a slaved man. This alone shows how Huck grew emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. 4. After reading this novel, I felt that I had met a person. Eventually, Huck allowed his vulnerability to show, and showed his true colors to the audience and characters. For example, Huck said he would rather, "Go to hell", than see Jim become a slave again. This showed that Huck loved Jim, even though it was socially unacceptable. He didn't care about that portion of society's expectations, and continued his friendship with Jim. This made me feel like I met a strong-willed and tough person.

Lit Terms 31-60

Dialect: the language of a particular district, class, or group of persons; the sounds , grammar, and diction employed by people distinguished from others. Dialectics: formal debates usually over the nature of truth. Dichotomy: split or break between two opposing things. Diction: the style of speaking or writing as reflected in the choice and use of words. Didactic: having to do with the transmission of information; education. Dogmatic: rigid beliefs and principles. Elegy: a mournful, melancholy poem, especially a funeral song or lament for the dead, sometimes contains general reflections on death, often with a rural or pastoral setting. Epic: a long narrative poem unified be a hero who reflects the customs, morals, and aspirations of his nation of race as he makes his way through legendary and historic exploits, usually over a long period of time (definition bordering on circumlocution). Epigram: witty aphorism. Epitaph: any brief inscription in prose or verse on a tombstone; a short formal poem of commemoration often a credo written by the person who wishes it to be on his tombstone. Epithet: a short, descriptive name or phrase that may insult someone's character, characteristics. Euphemism: the use of indirect, mild or vague word or expression for one though to be coarse, offensive, or blunt. Evocative (evocation): a calling forth of memories and sensation; the suggestion or production through artistry and imagination of a sense of reality. Exposition: the beginning of a story that sets forth facts, ideas and/or characters, in a detailed explanation. Expressionism: movement in art, literature, and music consisting of unrealistic representation of an inner idea or feeling. Fable: a short, simple story, usually with animals as characters, designed to teach a moral truth. Fallacy: a false or misleading notion, belief, or argument; any kind of erroneous reasoning that makes arguments unsound. Falling Action: part of the narrative or drama after the climax. Farce: a boisterous comedy involving ludicrous action and dialogue. Figurative Language: apt and imaginative language characterized by figures of speech. Flashback: a narrative device that flashes back to prior events. Foil: a person that, by contrast, makes another seem better or more prominent. Folk Tale: a story passed on by word of mouth. Foreshadowing: in fiction and drama, a device to prepare the reader for the outcome of the action; "planning" to make the outcome convincing, though not to give it away. Free Verse: verse without conventional metrical pattern, with irregular pattern or no rhyme.

Engineer Joke Of The Week

The Fridge A Engineer gets home from work and sees a note on the fridge from his wife. "This isn't working, I'm at my moms". he opens the fridge and checks the light, then grabs a beer and feels it cold. The engineer thinks to himself. "The fridge works fine" —Guest Guest Engineer

What's The Story

I think he wrote the story the way he did (a bildungsroman about a poor boy with "Dickens-style" characters and themes) to portray how life was like in the time. He showed his opinions on social status by showing the wealthy as unhappy and the poor as satisfied, the women as tyrranical and the men as practical, and the analytical as successful. He indirectly characterized his characters through their actions and motives for their actions, for example Joe takes on Mrs Joe and Pip out of pity and love for the young woman and her infant brother, showing his compassion and good nature.

Engineer Joke Of The Week

Engineers are like Slinky's Both aren't good for much but they are sure fun to push down the stairs. —Guest Mark

Lit Terms 6-20

Analogy: a comparison made between two things to show the similarities. Analysis: a method in which a worker or idea is separated into its parts, and those parts are given rigorous and detailed scrutiny. Anaphora: a device or repetition in which a word or words are repeated at the beginning of two or more lines, phrases, clauses, or sentences. Anecdote: a short story used to illustrate a point. Antagonist: a person or force opposing the protagonist in a drama or narrative. Antithesis: a balancing of one term against another for emphasis or stylistic effectiveness. Aphorism: a terse, pointed statement expressing some wise or clever observation about life. Apologia: a defense or justification for some doctrine , piece of writing, or action; also apology. Apostrophe: a figure of speech in which an absent or dead person, an abstract quality, or something inanimate or nonhuman is addressed directly. Argument(ation): the process of convincing a reader by either the truth or falsity of an idea or proposition; also, the thesis or proposition itself. Assumption: the act of supposing, or taking for granted a thing one does. Audience: the intended listener or listeners. Characterization: the means by which a writer reveals a character's personality. Chiasmus: a reversal in the order of words so that the second half or the statement balances the first half in reverse order. Circumlocution: a roundabout or evasive speech or writing, in which many words are used but a few would have sufficed. Classicism: art, literature, and music reflecting the principles of ancient Greece and Rome; tradition, reason, clarity, order, and balance. Cliche: a phrase or situation overused within society. Climax: the decisive point in a narrative or drama; the point of greatest intensity or interest at which plot question is answered or resolved. Colloquialism: folksy speech, slang words, or phrases usually used in informal conversation. Comedy: originally a nondramatic literary piece of work that was marked by a happy ending now a term to describe a ludicrous, farcical, or amusing event designed to provide enjoyment or produce smiles and laughter. Conflict: struggle or problem in a story causing tension. Connotation: implicit meaning, going beyond dictionary definition. Contrast: a rhetorical device by which one element (idea or object) is thrown into opposition to another for the sake of emphasis or clarity. Denotation: plain dictionary definition. Denouement (day-new-mahn): loose ends tied up in the story after the climax, closure, conclusion.

Poetry Analysis

1. The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Paraphrase: This long poem seems to be someone talking of approaching a lover, like a man wanting to approach a woman. Yet this man can't seem to be able to do it. He talks of life, and talks of how others are talking of "Michelangelo." This man seems to think that he is inadequate and not on the level of the woman he loves. Purpose: I believe the purpose is the man trying to air out his thoughts about whether he should approach his love or not. Structure: This poem actually seems more like a monologue, with rhyming here and there. I think that type of poetry is called free verse. Shift: The man seems to start off more hopeful sounding, but towards the end it seems like he has kind of given up. Like he realized that maybe there isn't a point in what he is saying. Speaker: Prufrock is the speaker! Spelling/Grammar/Diction: The style of writing seems to be quite modern. There are a lot of hyphenated words such as "one-night", "window-panes" and "shirt-sleeves" that you don't see used very often nowadays. Tone: Prufrock's tone is very solemn. I picture him standing there, speaking quietly to himself with a look of deep thought on his face. 2. Mending Wall by Robert Frost Paraphrase: The narrator and his neighbor spend some time mending the wall that separates their properties. The narrator questions why there is a wall there at all, while the neighbor just says that "Good fences make good neighbors." Even though the narrator doesn't seem to totally agree with it, the neighbor repeats it once again. Purpose: This seems like the kind of poem that could be interpreted in many different ways and on many different levels. Maybe Frost is using the narrator as his window to his own question of the purpose of building and mending walls between us. I can only hope to touch the surface of the purpose. Structure: A quick search seems to show that this is blank verse. Shift: Towards the beginning, the narrator talks of the process of going with his neighbor to fix the wall. It seems to be a routine thing for them. Then he goes on to talk of their conversation of the significance of the wall. He questions it's presence, while his neighbor just accepts it. Speaker: The speaker is anonymous to the audience. Spelling/Grammar/Diction: There is nothing special or out of the ordinary in the spelling or grammar, except for the strange hyphenated word "frozen-ground-swell." Tone: Frost has a very light, conversational tone. It sounds a little thoughtful, but not in a super serious way. 3. Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes Paraphrase: The speaker seems to yearn for his old America, land of equality, liberty, and dreams. When asked who is speaking, he describes himself as every kind of American that had been wronged, and begs for America to be America again. Purpose: This poem seems to be rallying for America to change, to be the America that every purpose dreams it to be. Structure: The poem has no particular structure with a few rhyming parts here and there, so I would categorize it as free verse. Shift: The speaker starts the poem by saying how America isn't what it's supposed to be. He then goes on to describe himself as the wronged Americans, then back to begging for America to change. Speaker: I would say Hughes is the speaker in this poem. Spelling/Grammar/Diction: The spelling and grammar are simple and modern. Tone: Hughes' tone is motivational, and powerful. He sounds as if he was speaking to a crowd of people who are upset with the way America has treated them. 4. The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats Paraphrase: The narrator describes a terrible scene, where anarchy is set loose and innocence is lost. It seems as if the Second Coming has arrived, and there is a terrible beast coming towards Bethlehem with a lion body and a head of a man. Sounds nightmarish. Purpose: This seems to be the painting of what Yeats might imagine the second coming of Christ is to be like. Structure: There seems to be no rhyming or structure, so it is probably free verse. Although, after a quick search, it might be very loosely considered iambic pentameter. But only barely. Shift: In the beginning, the narrator seems to be afraid of the monstrosities happening. But when he realizes that this is the second coming, he seems to be accepting of the new age that is coming, no matter how terrifying. Speaker: Anonymous. Spelling/Grammar/Diction: Modern style of writing. Tone: The tone seems to be quite calm for such a horrible description. It's as if a preacher is talking of the coming of the end of the world, passionate yet not panicky. 5. Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold Paraphrase: Arnold describes the sea, and the many things you hear and see when near it. He talks of a philosopher playwright who compared the tide's ebb and flow to human misery. He than calls for love instead of the war that goes on in the world. Purpose: I'm unclear as to what this poem's purpose truly is. After a quick search it is shown to be a poem that he wrote for his wife after they visited Dover. Structure: Free verse! :) I'm gettin' good at this. Shift: The poem starts with a simple yet beautiful description of the sea itself. Then it changes to how it's related to humans and the world itself. Speaker: Matthew Arnold himself. Spelling/Grammar/Diction: Not too difficult, modern style of writing and speech. Tone: The tone seems to be very dramatic, like a story teller spinning and weaving a tale of the ocean. The poem itself is very pretty sounding. A perfect thing to write for your significant other. Purpose: I'm unclear as to what this poem's purpose truly is. After a quick search it is shown to be a poem that he wrote for his wife after they visited Dover. Structure: Free verse! :) I'm gettin' good at this. Shift: The poem starts with a simple yet beautiful description of the sea itself. Then it changes to how it's related to humans and the world itself. Speaker: Matthew Arnold himself. Spelling/Grammar/Diction: Not too difficult, modern style of writing and speech. Tone: The tone seems to be very dramatic, like a story teller spinning and weaving a tale of the ocean. The poem itself is very pretty sounding. A perfect thing to write for your significant other.

Engineer Joke Of The Week

An optimist sees the glass half full. A pessimist sees the glass half empty. An engineer sees a glass twice as big as it needs to be. —Guest Brooks P.

AP Lit Terms 1

Allegory: A tale in prose or verse in which characters, actions, or settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities; a story that uses symbols to make a point. Allusion: A reference to a person, a place, an event, or a literary work that a writer expects a reader to recognize. Alliteration: A repetition of similar initial sounds, usually consonants, in a group of words. Ambiguity: Something uncertain as to interpretation. Anachronism: Something that shows up in the wrong place or wrong time.

Fall Semester Reflection

Do you read your colleagues’ work online? How often? What is it like to read their work? How does being able to see everyone’s work online at any given time change the way you do your work? How has the publicly and always visible course blog made this course different from one without a blog? How would the course change if the course blog disappeared tomorrow? Has publishing your work for the public to see changed your approach to completing an assignment? How so? How would your feelings about the course change if you couldn’t publish your work that way? Has your experience of the physical classroom changed because of the open & online aspects? Where does your learning actually happen? You were described in the Macarthur Foundation/DML interview as “a pioneer”-- how do you describe the experience on the edge to people who haven’t been there (friends and family)? How do they respond when you describe the brave new world in which you’re working? What do their responses mean to you? What effect(s) (if any) do they have on you?

AP Prep Test 1: Siddartha

Siddhartha Study Questions: 1. How can we know who is the right teacher for us? 2. Can wisdom be taught? 3. What is the relation of words to wisdom? Do words tend to enhance or limit wisdom? 4. In Chapter 8, Siddhartha thinks of his former life as “that soft, well-upholstered hell.” What does this description reveal about the nature of “hell” for someone seeking spiritual salvation or enlightenment? 5. Why is Siddhartha’s long journey necessary before he can achieve enlightenment, and what things does this suggest about the nature of enlightenment? 6. Describe the ancient Indian society in which Siddhartha lives as it is portrayed in the book. In what ways is it different from modern American society, and in what ways is it similar? 7. One of the most distinctive characteristics of the novel’s plot is its use of coincidence. Why do you think Hesse chose to structure the story in this way, and what theme(s) does it suggest?