Open Prompt - in light of holloween a dracula post.

1983. From a novel or play of literary merit, select an important character who is a villain. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze the nature of the character's villainy and show how it enhances meaning in the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

Was it Batman or the joker that made Batman Gotham's dark knight? Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, would probably argue that the Joker made Batman a hero, not the other way around. Similarly, in Bram Stoker's Dracula, it was the evil character Dracula who not only sends the plot rolling and enhances character development,  but also allows the text to surpass a fictional novel and be readily applicable to early 20th century Europe.

Count Dracula bears the essence of all that is evil. He is often even said to be the devil. However, Dracula's greatest evil is far more symbolic than physical. It is his general persona. He is the destroyer of innocence, particularly in females. Had Stoker created a villain that tormented men, the evilness of Dracula would be lost. Though Stoker creates this pure evil villain, there is a certain fondness he conveys with Dracula. Towards the beginning of the novel, Dracula slowly kills Lucy and then turns her into a vampire. The conversion of Lucy by blood is far more symbolic. The loss of innocence through blood transfusion alludes to sex and loss of virginity (often a parallel to innocence).  Again, Dracula doesn't just kill Lucy in the physical world, but also the spiritual and religious world. Dracula is the complete villain: he is foreign (from Transylvania), he attacks females (pure and innocent ones) and he not only kills their bodies, but ruins their souls so they can no longer go to heaven.

Why create an absolutely evil entity?  The idea of an absolutely evil entity is contrary to most ideologies that stress balance or Yin and Yang. However, Dracula is a very symbolic character so making him an absolutely evil entity is a very bold statement. The first conclusion that arises when looking at Dracula is that he is the manifestation of all things foreign in Britain during the early 20th century. Dracula is not only from Transylvania, but he is also anti-christian in the sense that any holy relic will burn him. Alone, this piece of evidence is insignificant, but in the grand scheme of early 20th Britain, Xenophobia was as big of a topic as it is in the sunbelt states in present-day United States. The greater implications that associate Dracula and the whole Anglo-Saxon superiority novel in general is what makes Dracula a must-read when studying British history.

Dracula in Stoker's famous novel is not just any villain used to create a conflict, he is the central key to the novel. His pure evil essence makes him a unique villain whose implications stem far past the details of the plot.

Close Read #too many!

What Your Supermarket knows about You by Martin Lindstrom, is an interesting article describing the intricate world of consumer advertising. Advertising isn't just limited to the television or a newspaper article. It's everywhere, even in the tiling of your local supermarket.

Details: Lindstrom made sure to add many details in describing his experience. Why? Details in Lindstrom's piece adds to the gravity of his message about details! If he didn't provide specific examples, his points on consumer advertising would be less meaningful. In other words, providing a specific example makes Lindstrom's experience more believable, thus making his point on subliminal messaging more persuasive. Lindstrom's first example of subliminal messaging is the supermarket's use of "different floor tiles- a type of parquetry imparting a sense of quality". By using details to describe the tiling, it gives beef to the idea that floor tiling actually play a bigger role than just a floor to step on. His ideas of subliminal messaging wouldn't be relate able to the common consumer, it if wasn't for his specific examples: his details.

Diction: Lindstrom doesn't want this to be a formal essay. He wants it to appeal to the common shopper. He wants to take the idea of consumer advertising out of its normal scientific realm and show its affect on everyday people like you and me. How does Lindstrom accomplish this? Diction! Lindstrom uses colloquial language to make his essay informal though his topic is essentially a research topic. Lindstrom uses words like "Bingo!" and "zone of seduction" to ease the formality of the piece. If Lindstrom were writing a research abstract, these words would be inappropriate, so instead he wrote a creative piece to act like a research abstract for the common consumer.

Imagery: This piece surprisingly also has imagery within it. Lindstrom paints a picture of a the Consumer Factory in Chicago as being like "NASA’s operations area". Lindstrom does this so that his readers associate consumer psychology as a hard science operation, not a pseudo scientific horoscope. Lindstrom understands that the line between psychology and pseudo science is awfully thin, which is why he felt the need to emphasize the current research that is taking place in labs. Lindstrom also paints a picture of what the lab is, "row upon row of people staring intently at hundreds of screens". Again Lindstrom, tries to emphasize the gravity of this science. Lindstrom's piece is meant to be eye-opening, "The more attention you pay to the details, the more aware you’ll become of how you’re being manipulated".

Response to coursework #3

The American Dream is always changing. With each new generation, there is a new idea of perfection and utopianism. In class we have been annotating The American Dream. While annotating the book, we have been practicing close reads.

The American Dream like all other literary texts uses DIDLS to convey a deeper meaning. By examining those techniques you can better understand a text.  However, to convey your findings you have to be knowledgeable in terminology. Thus, throughout the week we have been studying terms that will allow us to convey our close reads better to an educated audience.

Personally, I have never read a book or play as close as we have in class with the American Dream. So this whole second read has been a new and learning experience for me. A tool I hope to use on the AP exam come May.

Open Prompt #3

1970. Choose a character from a novel or play of recognized literary merit and write an essay in which you (a) briefly describe the standards of the fictional society in which the character exists and (b) show how the character is affected by and responds to those standards. In your essay do not merely summarize the plot.

Almost every American is familiar with the famous love triangle, spurred by rigid societal norms, in the Hollywood classic Titanic. In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Hermia, like Kate Winslet in Titanic, faces the momentous battle between society and true love. In A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Shakespeare uses the rigid Ancient Greco society to create a comedic twist on Hermia and her love interests through the use of supernatural powers, just like in Ancient Greco epics.

The opening act in A Midsummer's Night Dream displays the rigid societal norms of the Greco Society. While Theseus is portrayed as a lawful and just leader, in modern terms his ruling would be highly controversial. The suppression of Hermia's voice in the ruling is the first huge piece of evidence that shows how rigid the society illustrated in the play is. On top of that, Theseus states that the ruling is a "gift" to Hermia, who is furious that her voice is neglected. Forced to obey her father, Hermia is twisted by society and her longing to be with Lysander, thus the first and main conflict in the play. Though Hermia chooses to take matters into her own hands by running away, it is important to note that none of this would have happened if the societal norms weren't so strict. 

Due to these strict norms, Shakespeare creates a comedic play, while using supernatural powers to emphasize the Greco society. A Midsummer's Night Dream could very easily be a Homeric epic. In ancient Greece, the Gods were not perfect, selfless, deities, often they mirrored the humans. Gods were just as selfish and arrogant as the humans. In Shakespeare's comedy, the Gods are no different than the humans. In fact, the main supernatural conflict is so closely intertwined with the human conflict that the Gods use the humans as pawns in their overbearing battle, just like in an Homeric epic. A key example of such is when Oberon makes his own wife Titania fall in love with a beast, but in doing so he begins to intertwine with Hermia's love affair as well. Thus causing the foundation of any good Shakespearean comedy, love triangles. Another aspect of Shakespearean plays is the use of a vivid setting. Since plays are primarily visual, having this supernatural experience happen in a forest seems almost too perfect. Nature is often associated supernatural Gods. Whether it be Buddhism and the Bo Tree, or in the Old Testament when Moses seeks God on a mountain, nature is always closely related to supernatural spirits. Thus by using the setting, Shakespeare adds to the idea of Ancient Greek Gods on Mount Olympus interfering with mankind and love.

The rigid Greco society in A Midsummer's Night Dream has many implications, primarily the use of supernatural powers to mirror those of the ancient Greek Gods. By doing so, Shakespeare creates a hilarious mortal comedy filled with love triangles and plot twists.

Close Read #2

Steve Jobs: the Magician

The Economist paid a tribute to Steve Jobs, a business and technology genius.

Diction: It is evident that the author holds Steve Jobs in great respect. He/she opens the paper with "nobody else in the computer industry, or any other industry for that matter, could match Steve Jobs". The author almost speaks with a sense of elevation and formality when referring to Steve Jobs. It's almost ironic because it is a tribute because of his mortality(death), but the actual tribute describes his immortality. The journalist strives to propagate the point that Steve Jobs above all else was passionate, "his obsessively high standards". Why use the word obsessively? Obsessively paints an image of Jobs spending long nights toiling away with the ipod prototype. Any other word wouldn't resonate with the audience because we all know that Apple has high standards, but what the author did was make it personal. Often we associate tycoons, like Jobs and Bill Gates, as being machines rather than people. We also like to think that these people are just the lucky figureheads that don't get their hands dirty. However, what the author did was use diction to state that Jobs was central figure behind Apple's success.

Details: Apple wasn't always a computing giant. In fact, it only became a household name in the last decade. How so? Steve Jobs, according to this journalist. This author wants to highlight Jobs's importance, but in doing so he/she is implicitly stating that without Jobs, apple will fall (thus gravity). Whether this is true or not is unknown, but  it is hard to think of a generation where the ipod is unheard of. The author hints at this with stating the trends of companies like Amazon coming out with a popular Kindle. He also states that the on going battle between Microsoft and Apple was only won by Apple because of Job's ingenuity. One of the influential statements in this tribute is "With Mr Jobs gone, Apple is just one of many technology firms". Just another technology firm? It is almost scary to think that one individual can influence a company and the whole world in such a drastic sense.

Imagery: Yes the economist has imagery in it! Through out the article the author is painting a picture of Steve Jobs because the sad reality of the nation is death is the most publicity an individual will receive in his or her lifetime. So while the author has to mourn the death of Steve Jobs, he/she must also describe Jobs to the audience. Who is he? What did he do? Why does that matter? The author must implicitly answer all these questions and imagery is the best way to do such. The author paints a picture of Jobs being a magician, "channelling the magic of computing into products". "Without Mr Jobs to sprinkle his star dust on the event", the event wouldn't be the same. When it comes down to it, this article is trying to say that Steve Jobs made a difference and his death should be honored. Jobs is a modern Henry Ford and his death is like the fall of an enlightened titan. Rest in Peace Steve.

Response to Classwork #2

Practice. Practice. Practice. In the last couple weeks, we have been working on practicing the skills that we learned in the beginning of the year. Syntax has been a big topic that we have been trying to perfect. Syntax is how the writer conveys the other 4 techniques, consciously or subconsciously.  Whether that be through long, complex sentences filled with subordinate clauses and lists or short, concise sentences, syntax always has a deeper meaning. It most often is used to describe an effect, like sentence fluency or tone. These effects are used to formulate a thesis (deeper meaning).

In class, we read the "American Dream" by Edward Albee. The American Dream is a satirical play that criticizes the idea of the american dream. Unlike most other novels or plays about the american dream, the main characters, apart from the grandma, remain clueless on the unattainability of the american dream.

Overall, the class has been a lot of practice. We have been outlining possible essays and writing a lot of intros. In the textbook we read about poetic techniques as well as literary components, like character development, plot, climax and themes. 

Open Prompt #2

 1976. The conflict created when the will of an individual opposes the will of the majority is the recurring theme of many novels, plays, and essays. Select the work of an essayist who is in opposition to his or her society; or from a work of recognized literary merit, select a fictional character who is in opposition to his or her society. In a critical essay, analyze the conflict and discuss the moral and ethical implications for both the individual and the society. Do not summarize the plot or action of the work you choose.




The will of the common man rising against the power majority strikes a patriotic chord in the hearts of all Americans and Englishmen. Thus, it is no surprise that this theme of opposition has transcended into the field of literature, in particular 1984 by George Orwell. In 1984, Orwell creates a character, Winston Smith, who fights the Big Brother government by breaking moral codes and attempting to destroy ethical barriers resulting in a novel that criticizes a centralized government.

Winston Smith's first signs of protest can be seen in his moral disobedience in standards of the Big Brother government. For instance, Winston's first "sin" is obtaining a diary, knowing full well that the punishment for owning such is death. Why choose this detail in the novel? Why a diary? George Orwell wants to not only show rebellion in Winston's heart, but also describe the Big Brother regime. The Big Brother government is a centralized power that through the use of the media chooses to propagate and manipulate its upper class into supporting the regime. Therefore Orwell chose a diary to illustrate Winston's desires to become an individual in a society of groups. Instantly, Orwell makes a connection to Winston's diary and democracy, rule of the individuals. 

The next big moral "sin" Winston partakes in is sex, which is an attempt by Winston to completely detach himself from ethical barriers of the Big Brother regime. Sex is biologically a natural part of life. However in the Big Brother government, it is banned. Again, you see that Orwell is, through Winston's rebellion, trying to paint a picture of how unnatural the big brother regime is. Orwell, like English philosopher John Locke, is arguing that a government is built for the people and must promote individuality, not conformity.Why is this such an important point? Though the novel's title is 1984, it was written in the late 40's right after the devastating world wars. Thus the idea of "unnatural" government held a lot more weight because it alluded to the idea of regimes like Hitler's Third Reich and Mussolini's Italy, but also warns it audience about the new centralized Soviet Union. 

The final "sin" Winston is guilty for is love, which in itself describes the foreignness of the Big Brother Regime because love is seen as an innocent treasure in most societies. Winston falls in love with Julia and finally he is able to experience life outside the Big brother regime. He experiences true freedom for the first time and craves it. Never does Winston fully recover from this drug of wanting to be free. Thus by breaking moral codes, he grows to crave a free government, not a centralized regime.

By defining the protagonist as a good and regular guy who breaks all the moral codes in this overbearing centralized society, George Orwell is implicitly criticizing all centralized government, primarily relating to the centralized Soviet Union, which was the main centralized regime of the 1950's.