Wednesday, December 12, 2012
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?
Yes, I read colleague's work online, about once a week. I often only go to those blogs I know well, or those of my friends. If anything, this approach makes me put a slight bit more effort into creativity, for anyone to read and enjoy, and not directly for a grade.
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?
When it's visible to everyone, the first thing I think of is not to bust through for points, but to offer something valuable, or evocative for everyone else, and it would lose this slight edge.
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?
I would most likely be working more out of a points formula. Involve all points off of a checklist, and continue.
Has your experience of the physical classroom changed because of the open & online aspects? Where does your learning actually happen?
A majority of my learning comes through free flow thinking. Beginning with one aspect of a subject and allowing interest to continue the education, followed by reflection and work onto these interests.
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)?
This experience is not for everyone. It's not. Then again, no one approach will be able to fit a hundred AP students. It does allow for innovation that other courses can not, and we try to promote innovation as much as we can.
How do they respond when you describe the brave new world in which you’re working?
Generally they are very interested in the whole process and how it works.
What do their responses mean to you? What effect(s) (if any) do they have on you?
It has an interesting effect on perspective on me. There is no way to actually understand the process without participating in my own opinion.
Monday, December 10, 2012
Links from final presentation
http://drprestonsrhsenglitcomp12.blogspot.com/2012/11/watching-brain-with-200-er-300-legs.html
http://drprestonsrhsenglitcomp12.blogspot.com/2012/08/decision-making-fatigue-fact-or.html
http://drprestonsrhsenglitcomp12.blogspot.com/2012/10/cory-doctorow.html
http://www.netvibes.com/privatepage/1#my_life_news
http://paper.li/f-1355187725#
http://rhsglobalperspective.blogspot.com/
http://drprestonsrhsenglitcomp12.blogspot.com/2012/08/decision-making-fatigue-fact-or.html
http://drprestonsrhsenglitcomp12.blogspot.com/2012/10/cory-doctorow.html
http://www.netvibes.com/privatepage/1#my_life_news
http://paper.li/f-1355187725#
http://rhsglobalperspective.blogspot.com/
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Slaughterhouse-Five Literature Analysis
Slaughterhouse Five Analysis Questions
Version: Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade A Duty-Dance with Death (A Dial Press Trade Paperback) (E-Book)
GENERAL
1. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut is told from a third person perspective looking onto Billy Pilgrim's life. Billy is looking to write a book on his experience in the fire bombing of Dresden during the second world war. He travels back (and forward) in time and re-experiences the war, his marriage, his trip to the planet Trulfamadore, an airplane crash, and his death. Before going through these things it is important to note Vonnegut gestured many times that these "trips" are a symptom of the war, and some of the instances are real and some are not. On the real side of things Billy was in the war as a soldier, very cowardly and clumsy, and gets captured by the Germans. He gets sent to an prisoner of war camp, then to a holding place in Dresden, Germany. The holding place is the fifth house at the slaughterhouse, which ends up saving him from the bombing. He is married to a girl named Valencia, and has a son and a daughter. He gets in a plane crash, and his wife dies trying to get to the hospital to see him. On the fake side of things, he gets abducted by Trulfamadorians, and put into a zoo for display, as well as sees his own death in the future.
2. Why? That is the question that the novel incites. Why do things happen. Its answer, is that things indeed happen, and they will continue to happen. So it goes.
3. This book is filled with dark humor. It utilizes short sentences to tell the story, and many short witty comments or side stories to fill the book. ""Why me?" he asked the guard. The guard shoved him back into ranks. "Vy you? Vy anybody?" he said."
"Billy got off his lounge chair now, went into the bathroom and took a leak. The crowd went wild."
"Why don't you go f*** your yourself?
Don't think I haven't tried," the Blue Fairy Godmother answered."
4. Literary Elements:
1. Motif: The repeated phrase which signifies the theme of the story is "So it goes." "Now, when I myself hear that somebody is dead, I simply shrug and say what the Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is 'So it goes." Page 23
2. Metonymy: The third bullet was for the filthy flamingo, who stopped dead center in the road when the lethal bee buzzed past his ear. Page 27
3. Allusion: "Weary looked like Tweedledum or Tweedledee, all bundled up for battle. He was short and thick." Page 30-31
4. Illustrations: Vonnuget actually provided three or four small illustrations to add to the writing. (Page 79)
5. Dark Humor: "Billy coughed when the door was opened, and when he coughed he shit thin gruel. This was in accordance with the Third Law of Motion according to Sir Isaac Newton...This can be useful in rocketry."
6. Aphorism: "There is no why."
7. Juxtaposition of attitudes: When Billy was stuck on a boxcar to be sent off to a German camp, he had a hobo is his car who stated, "I been hungrier than this. I been in worse places than this. This ain't so bad."
8. Symbolism: "But, lying on the black ice there, Billy stared into the patina of the corporal's boots, saw Adam and Eve in the golden depths. They were naked. They were so innocent, so vulnerable, so eager to behave decently. Billy Pilgrim loved them"
9. Irony: "The dog, who had sounded so ferocious in the winter distances, was a female German shepherd. She was shivering. Her tail was between her legs.She had been borrowed that morning form a farmer. She had never been to war before. She had no idea what game was being played. Her name was Princess." Page 39.
10. Perspective: "The soldiers' eyes were filled with a bleary civilian curiosity as to why one American would try to murder another one so far from home, and why the victim should laugh." Page 38
11. Repetition: "The congregation had been theoretically spotted from the air by a theoretical enemy. They were all theoretically dead now. The theoretical corpses laughed and ate a hearty noontime meal."
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct Characterization:
"He had been unpopular because he was stupid and fat and mean, and smelled like bacon no matter how much he washed." Page 28
"All this responsibility at such an early age made her a bitchy flibbertigibbet." Page 24
"Bill didn't want to marry ugly Valencia. She was on of the symptoms of his disease. He knew he was going crazy when he heard himself proposing marriage to her, when he begged her to take the diamond ring and be his companion for life." Page 71
Indirect Characterization:
"They supposed that he was a splendid specimen. This had a pleasant effect on Billy, who began to enjoy his body for the first time." Page 74
""Anybody ever asks you what the sweetest thing in life is-" said Lazzaro, "it's revenge."" Page 88
2. Yes the authors diction changes from character to character. Billy overall is fairly plain. The Englishmen are very proud. The American prisoners are very vulgar. Valencia is very apologetic about her appearance.
3. The protagonist is static. The only reason for this being that he seems to have already lived his life before the story had begun. The whole story is his memories of things before, and therefore he does not change his mind.
4. No. Although the whole story was based on Billy, the story was not told from his perspective. It was third person looking into his life. It mainly described the actions around him, rather than the character himself.
Note: I recommend this book highly
Version: Slaughterhouse-Five or The Children's Crusade A Duty-Dance with Death (A Dial Press Trade Paperback) (E-Book)
GENERAL
1. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut is told from a third person perspective looking onto Billy Pilgrim's life. Billy is looking to write a book on his experience in the fire bombing of Dresden during the second world war. He travels back (and forward) in time and re-experiences the war, his marriage, his trip to the planet Trulfamadore, an airplane crash, and his death. Before going through these things it is important to note Vonnegut gestured many times that these "trips" are a symptom of the war, and some of the instances are real and some are not. On the real side of things Billy was in the war as a soldier, very cowardly and clumsy, and gets captured by the Germans. He gets sent to an prisoner of war camp, then to a holding place in Dresden, Germany. The holding place is the fifth house at the slaughterhouse, which ends up saving him from the bombing. He is married to a girl named Valencia, and has a son and a daughter. He gets in a plane crash, and his wife dies trying to get to the hospital to see him. On the fake side of things, he gets abducted by Trulfamadorians, and put into a zoo for display, as well as sees his own death in the future.
2. Why? That is the question that the novel incites. Why do things happen. Its answer, is that things indeed happen, and they will continue to happen. So it goes.
3. This book is filled with dark humor. It utilizes short sentences to tell the story, and many short witty comments or side stories to fill the book. ""Why me?" he asked the guard. The guard shoved him back into ranks. "Vy you? Vy anybody?" he said."
"Billy got off his lounge chair now, went into the bathroom and took a leak. The crowd went wild."
"Why don't you go f*** your yourself?
Don't think I haven't tried," the Blue Fairy Godmother answered."
4. Literary Elements:
1. Motif: The repeated phrase which signifies the theme of the story is "So it goes." "Now, when I myself hear that somebody is dead, I simply shrug and say what the Tralfamadorians say about dead people, which is 'So it goes." Page 23
2. Metonymy: The third bullet was for the filthy flamingo, who stopped dead center in the road when the lethal bee buzzed past his ear. Page 27
3. Allusion: "Weary looked like Tweedledum or Tweedledee, all bundled up for battle. He was short and thick." Page 30-31
4. Illustrations: Vonnuget actually provided three or four small illustrations to add to the writing. (Page 79)
5. Dark Humor: "Billy coughed when the door was opened, and when he coughed he shit thin gruel. This was in accordance with the Third Law of Motion according to Sir Isaac Newton...This can be useful in rocketry."
6. Aphorism: "There is no why."
7. Juxtaposition of attitudes: When Billy was stuck on a boxcar to be sent off to a German camp, he had a hobo is his car who stated, "I been hungrier than this. I been in worse places than this. This ain't so bad."
8. Symbolism: "But, lying on the black ice there, Billy stared into the patina of the corporal's boots, saw Adam and Eve in the golden depths. They were naked. They were so innocent, so vulnerable, so eager to behave decently. Billy Pilgrim loved them"
9. Irony: "The dog, who had sounded so ferocious in the winter distances, was a female German shepherd. She was shivering. Her tail was between her legs.She had been borrowed that morning form a farmer. She had never been to war before. She had no idea what game was being played. Her name was Princess." Page 39.
10. Perspective: "The soldiers' eyes were filled with a bleary civilian curiosity as to why one American would try to murder another one so far from home, and why the victim should laugh." Page 38
11. Repetition: "The congregation had been theoretically spotted from the air by a theoretical enemy. They were all theoretically dead now. The theoretical corpses laughed and ate a hearty noontime meal."
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct Characterization:
"He had been unpopular because he was stupid and fat and mean, and smelled like bacon no matter how much he washed." Page 28
"All this responsibility at such an early age made her a bitchy flibbertigibbet." Page 24
"Bill didn't want to marry ugly Valencia. She was on of the symptoms of his disease. He knew he was going crazy when he heard himself proposing marriage to her, when he begged her to take the diamond ring and be his companion for life." Page 71
Indirect Characterization:
"They supposed that he was a splendid specimen. This had a pleasant effect on Billy, who began to enjoy his body for the first time." Page 74
""Anybody ever asks you what the sweetest thing in life is-" said Lazzaro, "it's revenge."" Page 88
2. Yes the authors diction changes from character to character. Billy overall is fairly plain. The Englishmen are very proud. The American prisoners are very vulgar. Valencia is very apologetic about her appearance.
3. The protagonist is static. The only reason for this being that he seems to have already lived his life before the story had begun. The whole story is his memories of things before, and therefore he does not change his mind.
4. No. Although the whole story was based on Billy, the story was not told from his perspective. It was third person looking into his life. It mainly described the actions around him, rather than the character himself.
Note: I recommend this book highly
Saturday, December 8, 2012
No Exit Literary Analysis
No Exit, by Jean Paul Sartre, Analysis Questions
Version: http://vtheatre.net/script/doc/sartre.html
GENERAL
1. The play is about three people stuck in hell, in an unconventional manner. They are simply put into a room together, and forced to be like that for all eternity. Inez, Garcin, and Estelle have individually created hell for one another. Each one with a character flaw which the others exploit. Inez is cruel and jealous, and envies Estelle's beauty. Estelle is lustful and desires only the attention of Garcin. Garcin is cowardly, and only wants the respect of Inez. At first they don't find the pain or torture in the situation. Then slowly they tell why they were sent to hell. They try to ignore one another, but eventually the inevitable happens, and they slowly start tearing each other apart. Garcin finds a way out of the room, but is stuck there in an effort to change his flaw, which will never happen. The three are trapped, forever.
2. As Sartre is famously quoted for, "Hell is other people."
3. The author has a dark tone in his writing. It grows progressively throughout the story as the hell unfolds itself and shows the terror of human company later in the story. "Estelle: Oh, leave me in peace. You haven't any eyes. Oh, damn it, isn't there anything I can do to get rid of you? I've an idea. (Spits in Garcin's face.) There! Inez: Garcin, you shall pay for this."
4. Literary devices
1. Symbolism: The room is symbolic as hell, and is treated as such. "In hell! Damned souls-- that's us, all three"
2. Dialogue: Since this is a play, dialogue reigns. The interactions between the characters makes the plot what it is. "GARCIN: To help ME. It only needs a little effort, Inez; just a spark of human feeling.
INEZ: Human feeling. That's beyond my range. I'm rotten to the core."
3. Theme: The story reveals that the true torture that we must face is the company of one another. "Hell is other people."
4. Setting: "Then it's by chance this room is furnished as we see it. It's an accident that the sofa on the right is a livid green, and that one on the left's wine-red. Mere chance? Well, just try to shift the sofas and you'll see the difference quick enough. And that statue on the mantelpiece, do you think it's there by accident? And what about the heat here? How about that? I tell you they've thought it all out. Down to the last detail. Nothing was left to chance. This room was all set for us"
5. Allegory: The whole story is an allegory, as it can be seen on different levels of understanding. The room itself is understood to stand for hell itself, and each of the characters stand for a different trait. The whole situation also signifies how humans torture one another.
6. Metaphor: "Of course, I used to spend my nights in the newspaper office, and it was a regular Black Hole, so we never kept our coats on."
7. Mood: The mood in the story drastically shifts from a light one, to an incredibly tense, hateful mood as they delve into each others faults.
8. Foreshadowing: The story from the beginning gives slight indications of what the room is going to be all about. "GARCIN: Quite so. But I say, where are the instruments of torture?
VALET: The what?
GARCIN: The racks and red-hot pincers and all the other paraphernalia?"
9. Conflict: The three main characters create conflict for one another. "ESTELLE: Kiss me, darling---then you'll hear her squeal.
GARCIN: That's true, Inez. I'm at your mercy, but you're at mine as well.
INEZ: Oh, you coward, you weakling, running to women to console you!"
10. Diction: The diction is fairly straightforward, switching slightly from character to character slightly, as explained in part two of the analysis. "ESTELLE: You looked so--so far away. Sorry I disturbed you.
GARCIN: I was setting my life in order. You may laugh but you'd do better to follow my example.
INEZ: No need. My life's in perfect order. It tidied itself up nicely of its own accord. So I needn't bother about it now."
CHARACTERIZATION
1.Direct Characterization:
"I'm Joseph Garcin, journalist and man of letters by profession."
"You're lucky. I'm always conscious of myself-- in my mind. Painfully conscious."
Indirect Characterization:
"But really! Everything here's so hideous; all in angles, so uncomfortable. I always loathed angles"
" So it's you whom I have to convince; you are of my kind. Did you suppose I meant to go? No, I couldn't leave you here, gloating over my defeat, with all those thoughts about me running in your head."
The author uses direct characterization to explain the basics of the characters backgrounds, and how each views the other, and indirect characterization to show their fatal flaws.
2. Yes, the author's diction changes from character to character. Inez has a very strict tone, with lots of harsh words. "If you could see his big paw splayed out on your back, rucking up your skin and creasing the silk." Estelle tries to act innocent, and often apologizes, or asks for others attention. "You looked so--so far away. Sorry I disturbed you". Lastly Garcin progressively grows weary about himself, and asks questions. " What do you want of me?"
3.The three protagonists are all flat characters. They do not change in the story, just the way that the audience views each one of them.
4. No, I did not feel as if I had met a particular person, as the play was fairly short, and the inner thoughts of the characters were not put on display for the audience.
Version: http://vtheatre.net/script/doc/sartre.html
GENERAL
1. The play is about three people stuck in hell, in an unconventional manner. They are simply put into a room together, and forced to be like that for all eternity. Inez, Garcin, and Estelle have individually created hell for one another. Each one with a character flaw which the others exploit. Inez is cruel and jealous, and envies Estelle's beauty. Estelle is lustful and desires only the attention of Garcin. Garcin is cowardly, and only wants the respect of Inez. At first they don't find the pain or torture in the situation. Then slowly they tell why they were sent to hell. They try to ignore one another, but eventually the inevitable happens, and they slowly start tearing each other apart. Garcin finds a way out of the room, but is stuck there in an effort to change his flaw, which will never happen. The three are trapped, forever.
2. As Sartre is famously quoted for, "Hell is other people."
3. The author has a dark tone in his writing. It grows progressively throughout the story as the hell unfolds itself and shows the terror of human company later in the story. "Estelle: Oh, leave me in peace. You haven't any eyes. Oh, damn it, isn't there anything I can do to get rid of you? I've an idea. (Spits in Garcin's face.) There! Inez: Garcin, you shall pay for this."
4. Literary devices
1. Symbolism: The room is symbolic as hell, and is treated as such. "In hell! Damned souls-- that's us, all three"
2. Dialogue: Since this is a play, dialogue reigns. The interactions between the characters makes the plot what it is. "GARCIN: To help ME. It only needs a little effort, Inez; just a spark of human feeling.
INEZ: Human feeling. That's beyond my range. I'm rotten to the core."
3. Theme: The story reveals that the true torture that we must face is the company of one another. "Hell is other people."
4. Setting: "Then it's by chance this room is furnished as we see it. It's an accident that the sofa on the right is a livid green, and that one on the left's wine-red. Mere chance? Well, just try to shift the sofas and you'll see the difference quick enough. And that statue on the mantelpiece, do you think it's there by accident? And what about the heat here? How about that? I tell you they've thought it all out. Down to the last detail. Nothing was left to chance. This room was all set for us"
5. Allegory: The whole story is an allegory, as it can be seen on different levels of understanding. The room itself is understood to stand for hell itself, and each of the characters stand for a different trait. The whole situation also signifies how humans torture one another.
6. Metaphor: "Of course, I used to spend my nights in the newspaper office, and it was a regular Black Hole, so we never kept our coats on."
7. Mood: The mood in the story drastically shifts from a light one, to an incredibly tense, hateful mood as they delve into each others faults.
8. Foreshadowing: The story from the beginning gives slight indications of what the room is going to be all about. "GARCIN: Quite so. But I say, where are the instruments of torture?
VALET: The what?
GARCIN: The racks and red-hot pincers and all the other paraphernalia?"
9. Conflict: The three main characters create conflict for one another. "ESTELLE: Kiss me, darling---then you'll hear her squeal.
GARCIN: That's true, Inez. I'm at your mercy, but you're at mine as well.
INEZ: Oh, you coward, you weakling, running to women to console you!"
10. Diction: The diction is fairly straightforward, switching slightly from character to character slightly, as explained in part two of the analysis. "ESTELLE: You looked so--so far away. Sorry I disturbed you.
GARCIN: I was setting my life in order. You may laugh but you'd do better to follow my example.
INEZ: No need. My life's in perfect order. It tidied itself up nicely of its own accord. So I needn't bother about it now."
CHARACTERIZATION
1.Direct Characterization:
"I'm Joseph Garcin, journalist and man of letters by profession."
"You're lucky. I'm always conscious of myself-- in my mind. Painfully conscious."
Indirect Characterization:
"But really! Everything here's so hideous; all in angles, so uncomfortable. I always loathed angles"
" So it's you whom I have to convince; you are of my kind. Did you suppose I meant to go? No, I couldn't leave you here, gloating over my defeat, with all those thoughts about me running in your head."
The author uses direct characterization to explain the basics of the characters backgrounds, and how each views the other, and indirect characterization to show their fatal flaws.
2. Yes, the author's diction changes from character to character. Inez has a very strict tone, with lots of harsh words. "If you could see his big paw splayed out on your back, rucking up your skin and creasing the silk." Estelle tries to act innocent, and often apologizes, or asks for others attention. "You looked so--so far away. Sorry I disturbed you". Lastly Garcin progressively grows weary about himself, and asks questions. " What do you want of me?"
3.The three protagonists are all flat characters. They do not change in the story, just the way that the audience views each one of them.
4. No, I did not feel as if I had met a particular person, as the play was fairly short, and the inner thoughts of the characters were not put on display for the audience.
Our Town Literature Analysis
Our Town Literature Questions:
Version: Our Town by Thornton Wilder Harper Perennial Modern Classics
GENERAL
1. Our Town is a play split into three parts that takes place in New Hampshire during a period of about twenty years. The play actually includes the stage manager which in a way directs and control the characters in the town itself. The book includes stage actions, as well as having the setting on an actual stage. The town represented on stage is fairly typical with a standard set of characters, in a way perfectly ordinary. Everything is slightly shaken up with the marriage of two members of the town, George and Emily, three years after the start of the play. They doubt themselves and if they are truly ready for commitment or not, but go through with it. Nine years later the play cuts to a cemetery where the characters who have died in the last nine years preside. Among the characters is Emily who still feels attached to the living. However, on looking back on life via stage manager, she sees how much she and those around her had not fully appreciated life. Emily can't stand this and returns among the dead, where her final line about the living is, "They don't understand, do they?".
2. The theme of the novel is to not take life for granted. Enjoy the pleasures of which you come upon, and just because things may be common, and monotonous, doesn't mean that they are not to be appreciated any less.
3. The characters in the play seem very ordinary for the time period, but there is always a sense of uncertainly and passiveness about them. They lack conviction and passion for life, which shows in Emily's comments at the end of the play.
"Ye-e-s. I never thought of that."
"Well, Mr. Webb...I don't think I could...""Uncle Luke's never been much interested, but I thought-"
"Ma, I don't want to grow old. Why's everybody pushing me so?" "Listen, Ma, -for the last time I ask you...All I want to do is to be a fella-"
4. 1. Point of View: The stage manager presents a completely different point of view than the other characters, and points out different actions in an objective way. "Here comes Howie Newsome, deliverin' the milk." Page. 10
2. Foreshadowing: The all knowing stage manager knows the character's fates beforehand, and shares some with the audience. "But the war broke out and he died in France.-All that education for nothing." Page 9
3. Flashbacks: Along with looking forward into time, the stage manager allows Emily to look back in time onto her old life. "Yes, it's 1899. This is fourteen years ago." Page 101
4. Allusion: "What was it about?" "The Louisiana Purchase. It was like silk off a spool."
5. Dialect: The characters have distinct accents, all similar. "Life's awful funny! How could I have known that? Why, I thought-" Page 31
6. Symbolism: The town itself can be seen as a character. It's very standard, but enjoyable, look, and feel signify how the characters acted in life, and regretted in death. "Good-by to clocks ticking...and Mama's sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths...and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you." Page 108
7. Dialogue. Very little of the book is characters thinking to themselves, or long speeches. A vast majority of it is simply characters talking to one another. Even stage direction simply explains the actions of the characters. "She breaks down sobbing. The lights dim on the left half of the stage. Mrs. Webb disappears." Page 108
8. Plot twist. During the third act, the play goes from being very standard, to opening up into a new world, a world of the deceased. "Live people don't understand, do they?" Page 96
9. Setting. The setting of each scene is described by the stage manager before the scene begins. "This is certainly an important part of Grover's Corners. It's on a hilltop- a windy hilltop- lots of sky, lots of clouds, -often lots of sun and moon and stars." Page. 86
10. Resolution. It comes with Emily's realization of waste in life. As the story ends it cuts off to the stage manager which neatly wraps up the play with the line, "Hm...Eleven o'clock in Grover's Corners. -You get a good rest, too. Good Night." Page 112
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct Characterization:
"Mrs. Webb, a thin, serious, crisp woman, has entered her kitchen, left, tying on an apron." Page 6
"Howie Newsome, about thrity, in overalls, comes along Main Street..." Page 10
Indirect Characterization:
"I'll come and slap the both of you, -that's what I'll do." Page 14
"Gee, it's funny, Emily. From my window up there I can just see your head nights when you're doing your homework over in your room." Page 28
The author uses direct characterization to introduce the characters in the play briefly, and their actions are really what define them throughout the book.
2. The author's diction does not change too significantly between characters. Since they live in a small town, that is fairly flat as a whole, all of them think, and talk alike. Some are more positive, and others negative, but as a whole they are significantly similar.
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain. The protagonist is dynamic and round. Through the majority of the book, Emily stays quite the same, until the revelation in the third act. Through her death and looking back on her life, she realizes what she could've enjoyed more, and what she took for granted, changing her view on life.
4. I did not feel as if I had really got into a character's heart and soul. There was not a significant look into any one of the character's personal feelings on a consistent basis throughout the book, so it was hard to truly relate.
Version: Our Town by Thornton Wilder Harper Perennial Modern Classics
GENERAL
1. Our Town is a play split into three parts that takes place in New Hampshire during a period of about twenty years. The play actually includes the stage manager which in a way directs and control the characters in the town itself. The book includes stage actions, as well as having the setting on an actual stage. The town represented on stage is fairly typical with a standard set of characters, in a way perfectly ordinary. Everything is slightly shaken up with the marriage of two members of the town, George and Emily, three years after the start of the play. They doubt themselves and if they are truly ready for commitment or not, but go through with it. Nine years later the play cuts to a cemetery where the characters who have died in the last nine years preside. Among the characters is Emily who still feels attached to the living. However, on looking back on life via stage manager, she sees how much she and those around her had not fully appreciated life. Emily can't stand this and returns among the dead, where her final line about the living is, "They don't understand, do they?".
2. The theme of the novel is to not take life for granted. Enjoy the pleasures of which you come upon, and just because things may be common, and monotonous, doesn't mean that they are not to be appreciated any less.
3. The characters in the play seem very ordinary for the time period, but there is always a sense of uncertainly and passiveness about them. They lack conviction and passion for life, which shows in Emily's comments at the end of the play.
"Ye-e-s. I never thought of that."
"Well, Mr. Webb...I don't think I could...""Uncle Luke's never been much interested, but I thought-"
"Ma, I don't want to grow old. Why's everybody pushing me so?" "Listen, Ma, -for the last time I ask you...All I want to do is to be a fella-"
4. 1. Point of View: The stage manager presents a completely different point of view than the other characters, and points out different actions in an objective way. "Here comes Howie Newsome, deliverin' the milk." Page. 10
2. Foreshadowing: The all knowing stage manager knows the character's fates beforehand, and shares some with the audience. "But the war broke out and he died in France.-All that education for nothing." Page 9
3. Flashbacks: Along with looking forward into time, the stage manager allows Emily to look back in time onto her old life. "Yes, it's 1899. This is fourteen years ago." Page 101
4. Allusion: "What was it about?" "The Louisiana Purchase. It was like silk off a spool."
5. Dialect: The characters have distinct accents, all similar. "Life's awful funny! How could I have known that? Why, I thought-" Page 31
6. Symbolism: The town itself can be seen as a character. It's very standard, but enjoyable, look, and feel signify how the characters acted in life, and regretted in death. "Good-by to clocks ticking...and Mama's sunflowers. And food and coffee. And new-ironed dresses and hot baths...and sleeping and waking up. Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you." Page 108
7. Dialogue. Very little of the book is characters thinking to themselves, or long speeches. A vast majority of it is simply characters talking to one another. Even stage direction simply explains the actions of the characters. "She breaks down sobbing. The lights dim on the left half of the stage. Mrs. Webb disappears." Page 108
8. Plot twist. During the third act, the play goes from being very standard, to opening up into a new world, a world of the deceased. "Live people don't understand, do they?" Page 96
9. Setting. The setting of each scene is described by the stage manager before the scene begins. "This is certainly an important part of Grover's Corners. It's on a hilltop- a windy hilltop- lots of sky, lots of clouds, -often lots of sun and moon and stars." Page. 86
10. Resolution. It comes with Emily's realization of waste in life. As the story ends it cuts off to the stage manager which neatly wraps up the play with the line, "Hm...Eleven o'clock in Grover's Corners. -You get a good rest, too. Good Night." Page 112
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct Characterization:
"Mrs. Webb, a thin, serious, crisp woman, has entered her kitchen, left, tying on an apron." Page 6
"Howie Newsome, about thrity, in overalls, comes along Main Street..." Page 10
Indirect Characterization:
"I'll come and slap the both of you, -that's what I'll do." Page 14
"Gee, it's funny, Emily. From my window up there I can just see your head nights when you're doing your homework over in your room." Page 28
The author uses direct characterization to introduce the characters in the play briefly, and their actions are really what define them throughout the book.
2. The author's diction does not change too significantly between characters. Since they live in a small town, that is fairly flat as a whole, all of them think, and talk alike. Some are more positive, and others negative, but as a whole they are significantly similar.
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain. The protagonist is dynamic and round. Through the majority of the book, Emily stays quite the same, until the revelation in the third act. Through her death and looking back on her life, she realizes what she could've enjoyed more, and what she took for granted, changing her view on life.
4. I did not feel as if I had really got into a character's heart and soul. There was not a significant look into any one of the character's personal feelings on a consistent basis throughout the book, so it was hard to truly relate.
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