In class we have been focusing on tearing apart a text, AKA close readings. We used Diction, Imagery, Details, Language and Syntax to find effects in texts. These effects are used as evidence to formulate a hypothesis(or meaning) for the piece. In essence, a close read is an experiment. A question is posed, the prompt, and you must use your observations, techniques, to formulate and thesis, hypothesis. Within each technique, there are specific subcategories. These subcategories are essentially how you go about analyzing a text. For instance in diction, you look at the elevation of speech, regionalism, and connotations of certain phrases. These sub categories are what you look through during your second read, when you mark up your text.
The introduction and thesis was another spot that we, as a class, spent a lot of time on. We looked at the three sentence intro format as well as the thesis statement. The thesis must include every aspect of the prompt in order to obtain a high score on the AP exam. The thesis statement is the end product of a string of arguments. These arguments are stated in the topic sentence of each body paragraph and thus elaborated on in the respective body paragraph. Together it forms a cohesive and high scoring essay.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Open Prompt 1
1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character's actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary.
Gru, in the animated hit Despicable Me, is revered and loved among kids, despite his evil intentions. How so? A simple response is that it is not black and white, as Shakespeare loves to show us in his famous MacBeth tragedy. MacBeth is a crazy murderous king, but is nevertheless sympathized by audiences. Shakespeare uses language, imagery and details to create a complex and twisted character, MacBeth, who has committed evil deeds, but at his core is just a weak and scared leader who is twisted by prophetic witches and his own wife, which causes readers to sympathize rather than hate MacBeth.
The prophesies of the three witches propagated by Lady MacBeth incites greed into the mind of MacBeth. In the beginning of the play, MacBeth is a war hero, instantly commanding the respect of the audience. Also, MacBeth is just a common man; he is neither royalty, nor a thane. These details paint a picture of a selfless war hero looking not for money and wealth, but rather a safe home. The introduction of the three witches upon first glance seems to be insignificant in the mind of MacBeth. Greed seems to be the farthest thing from MacBeth's innocent mind. However, as Shakespeare introduces Lady MacBeth, it is evident that Lady MacBeth is far from innocent. She begins to push MacBeth into longing greed and royalty. Using condescending language and questioning MacBeth's manhood, Lady MacBeth is able to turn MacBeth into a power thirsty king. However, is this change the act of MacBeth or Lady MacBeth and the three witches?
Lady MacBeth and the Three Witches are the primary reason for the MacBeth's downward spiral into insanity. Despite your personal view on fate versus freewill, it is evident that had the witches not disclosed MacBeth's prophesy, MacBeth would come home a war hero and the play would cease to have any conflict. Simply put, the witches set up MacBeth up for failure. Notice how the witches never said that if you don't kill king Duncan you will live a prosperous life filled with happiness rather than death. While the witches do warn MacBeth about MacDuff, they leave out details about his own wife committing suicide. These witches are not impartial fortune tellers, they are diabolical supernaturals seeking chaos. Lady MacBeth is their kerosene to this flame of destruction. Lady MacBeth is the main reason for audience's sympathy in the character MacBeth. MacBeth is twisted and mentally insane because of Lady MacBeth. Lady MacBeth pushes MacBeth into killing King Duncan. Lady MacBeth criticizes MacBeth and questions his manhood using condescending and disgusted language. only trying to gain the respect of his wife, does MacBeth kill Duncan. Though MacBeth may be morally weak, it is Lady MacBeth who, inspired by the three witches, tosses MacBeth off the deep end.
Insanity causes audiences to sympathize with MacBeth. It is agreed upon by most literary analysts that MacBeth is indeed insane by the end of the play. His moral conscious begins to pick away at his once sane mind. Eventually coming to the point where happiness is a foreign emotion to MacBeth. He begins to enter into a state of depression. "Out, out brief candle" describes MacBeth's newly found views on life. Shakespeare uses imagery to describe MacBeth's belief that life is but a play "signifying nothing". MacBeth has not only given up on himself, but also God. MacBeth begins to hallucinate and his wife commits suicide after seeing the monster she created. Audiences respond deeply to idea of any mental illness, such as mental retardation in Of Mice and Men. MacBeth's mental illness is pitied by any who understands the gravity the feeling guilt carries. It is in our human nature to sympathize, not hate MacBeth.
In Shakespeare's MacBeth, the once great war hero MacBeth is corrupted upon the influence to the three evil witches and his own wife causing audiences to sympathize with the now insane, depressed and broken MacBeth. Why would Shakespeare want you to sympathize with MacBeth? While Shakespeare could be making a political statement, I think the more relevant topic is that of female corruption. Shakespeare could very well be making a statement on female corruption in England. After living through Bloody Mary and the power feud between Queen Elizabeth and Mary, Shakespeare's play would resonate deeply with the crowd of men questioning the changing roles between men and women in Elizabethan England.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
"Secret Skin" by Michael Chabon- Close Reading 1
"Secret Skin" discusses the truth behind super hero costumes. According to Michael Chabon, a Superhero costume is not a disguise, but rather a "secret skin".
Michael Chabon uses many details primarily to serve as evidence to his claim that costumes are physical portrayals of your inner self. Chabon pulls from comics like: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, "Captain Marvel, Luke Cage, Wonder Woman, Valkyrie, and Supergirl"(Chabon 3). He describes that the S on superman represents the Kryptonian House of El, Superman's home. The spider logo represents Peter Parker's source of power, the spider. These emblems in the costumes describe the superhero's origins, not hide it. Chabon even pulls on details from his childhood in the beginning of the text. These details primarily serve the function of creating a meaningful and relate-able text. For instance, by recalling his Sunday teacher as "Mr. Spector"(1) it allows us, as reader, to think about our childhood and find our own "Mr. Spector"(1).
The language in "Secret Skin" is what you would expect to find in a passionate reflective essay. Chabon does however embrace the comedic aspect of analyzing a topic as hilarious as Superhero costumes. The first example of such is in the title "An essay in Unitard Theory" (1). Chabon also uses language to convey his personality, which is significant in a reflective essay. He shows his secular personality by making fun of his Sunday school, "The one time I felt my soul to be in danger"(1). In this instance he further explains that they were discussing comic books, but continues to hark on Mr. Spector and his lack of comic book knowledge. Chabon also utilizes some wordplay to again to add to the comedic tone that he is trying to convey, "To suit my purpose here, I might construct a similar etiology of the superhero costume, making due reference, say, to professional-wrestling and circus attire"(2).While at first glance, this choice of language may be funny and witty, it serves a bigger purpose, persuasion. Chabon is trying to sell his theory on the meaning of costumes in comic books. By doing so, he wants to write-off all other theories by patronizing them through humor.
Finally, we arrive at imagery. Imagery in this essay is used to show the passion and interest Chabon has in this topic. In the beginning he uses it to help the readers relate to his childhood and paint a picture of his teacher, "Spector was a gently acerbic young man with a black beard and black Roentgen-ray eyes"(1). As the paper turns from his childhood and looks at his theory on costumes, the imagery shows his passion. "Every seam, every cobweb strand of duct-tape gum, every laddered fish-net stocking or visible ridge of underpants elastic—every stray mark, pulled thread, speck of dust—acts to spoil what is instantly revealed to have been, all along, an illusion" (2). Chabon's use of imagery is an act of persuasion. By showing his passion (kind of like his "pre-requisites"), we begin to trust his opinion and theory on superhero costumes, uncreateable suits that symbolize the superhero who wears them, not an elastic cloth used to disguise one.
Michael Chabon uses many details primarily to serve as evidence to his claim that costumes are physical portrayals of your inner self. Chabon pulls from comics like: Superman, Batman, Spiderman, "Captain Marvel, Luke Cage, Wonder Woman, Valkyrie, and Supergirl"(Chabon 3). He describes that the S on superman represents the Kryptonian House of El, Superman's home. The spider logo represents Peter Parker's source of power, the spider. These emblems in the costumes describe the superhero's origins, not hide it. Chabon even pulls on details from his childhood in the beginning of the text. These details primarily serve the function of creating a meaningful and relate-able text. For instance, by recalling his Sunday teacher as "Mr. Spector"(1) it allows us, as reader, to think about our childhood and find our own "Mr. Spector"(1).
The language in "Secret Skin" is what you would expect to find in a passionate reflective essay. Chabon does however embrace the comedic aspect of analyzing a topic as hilarious as Superhero costumes. The first example of such is in the title "An essay in Unitard Theory" (1). Chabon also uses language to convey his personality, which is significant in a reflective essay. He shows his secular personality by making fun of his Sunday school, "The one time I felt my soul to be in danger"(1). In this instance he further explains that they were discussing comic books, but continues to hark on Mr. Spector and his lack of comic book knowledge. Chabon also utilizes some wordplay to again to add to the comedic tone that he is trying to convey, "To suit my purpose here, I might construct a similar etiology of the superhero costume, making due reference, say, to professional-wrestling and circus attire"(2).While at first glance, this choice of language may be funny and witty, it serves a bigger purpose, persuasion. Chabon is trying to sell his theory on the meaning of costumes in comic books. By doing so, he wants to write-off all other theories by patronizing them through humor.
Finally, we arrive at imagery. Imagery in this essay is used to show the passion and interest Chabon has in this topic. In the beginning he uses it to help the readers relate to his childhood and paint a picture of his teacher, "Spector was a gently acerbic young man with a black beard and black Roentgen-ray eyes"(1). As the paper turns from his childhood and looks at his theory on costumes, the imagery shows his passion. "Every seam, every cobweb strand of duct-tape gum, every laddered fish-net stocking or visible ridge of underpants elastic—every stray mark, pulled thread, speck of dust—acts to spoil what is instantly revealed to have been, all along, an illusion" (2). Chabon's use of imagery is an act of persuasion. By showing his passion (kind of like his "pre-requisites"), we begin to trust his opinion and theory on superhero costumes, uncreateable suits that symbolize the superhero who wears them, not an elastic cloth used to disguise one.
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