Natalie Lopaowski
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Literature
12 December 2008
“Another of his sources of fearful pleasure was to pass long winter evenings with the
old Dutch wives as they sat spinning by the fire, with a row of apples roasting and
spluttering along the hearth, and listen to their marvelous tales of ghosts and goblins,
and haunted fields, and haunted brooks, and haunted bridges, and haunted houses,
and particularly of the headless horseman, or galloping Hessian of the Hollow, as they
sometimes called him. He would delight them equally by his anecdotes of witchcraft,
and of the direful omens and portentous sights and sounds in the air, which prevailed
in the earlier times of Connecticut; and would frighten them woefully with speculations
upon comets and shooting stars, and with the alarming fact that the world did absolutely
turn around, and that they were half the time topsy-turvy!”
I chose this passage because the author uses alliteration, repetition, symbols, and oxymoron’s to convey a folklore and superstition story. The alliteration “ghosts and goblins” and “time topsy-turvy” and “sights and sounds” create a fiction story that is not to be complex. Also this appeal to a folklore story is shown through the oxymoron “fearful pleasure.” The diction of this passage and syntax is somewhat flowing and soft even though he the author writes of witchcraft and is also somewhat poetic.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Blog
Natalie Lopatowski
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Literature
16 October 2008
"The one big surprise is that as it turns out, God is the sun. It makes sense, if you think about it. Why didn't we see it
sooner I can not say. Every day the sun was right there burning, our and other planets hovering around it, always apologizing, and we didn't think it was God. Why would there be a God and also a sun? Of course God is the sun. Everyone in the life before was cranky, I think, because they just wanted to know."
This short story appeals to the mood and tone of the words. The diction and tone are energetic, joyful and sweet. But then the dog dies. Just like that. The feeling of the sound and speed of the words are concocted for the voice of the dog, in the first person perspective, but also manages to convey what it might feel like to be a dog through diction and imagery. At the end, Eggers chose to have the dog give the last words to his book and on the meaning of life.
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Literature
16 October 2008
"The one big surprise is that as it turns out, God is the sun. It makes sense, if you think about it. Why didn't we see it
sooner I can not say. Every day the sun was right there burning, our and other planets hovering around it, always apologizing, and we didn't think it was God. Why would there be a God and also a sun? Of course God is the sun. Everyone in the life before was cranky, I think, because they just wanted to know."
This short story appeals to the mood and tone of the words. The diction and tone are energetic, joyful and sweet. But then the dog dies. Just like that. The feeling of the sound and speed of the words are concocted for the voice of the dog, in the first person perspective, but also manages to convey what it might feel like to be a dog through diction and imagery. At the end, Eggers chose to have the dog give the last words to his book and on the meaning of life.
Blog
Natalie Lopatowski
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Literature
23 October 2008
"Morning comes like a scream through a pinhole. Rita is staring at the concentric circles of bamboo that comprise the hut's round conical roof. She is lying still, hands crossed on her chest — she woke up that way — and through the mosquito net, too tight, terrifying, suffocating in a small way when she thinks too much about it, she can see the concentric circles of the roof above and the circles are twenty-two in number, because she has counted and recounted."
This short story was the first that went from start to finish, it had a believable character and a normal conflict of man vs. nature narrative. It had a beginning, a middle and an end. This short story uses imagery, syntax, and diction to reveal her superhuman triumph which only is brief because she basically come tumbling back down to earth which is ironic because the title leads you to believe the opposite. The mountain was a symbol of her struggle, syntax changed when describing personal things about Rita, for example, "Her name is Rita. Her hair is red like a Romanian's and her hands are large. Eyes large and mouth lipless and she hates, has always hated, her lipless mouth. Her father had been a pastor." The sentences become shorter. Tone is also used throughout the short story as to try and make you symapthize for Rita. At the end of the story the author does not bash her or call her a failure but takes into her account for her effort and this tone is portrayed throughout.
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Literature
23 October 2008
"Morning comes like a scream through a pinhole. Rita is staring at the concentric circles of bamboo that comprise the hut's round conical roof. She is lying still, hands crossed on her chest — she woke up that way — and through the mosquito net, too tight, terrifying, suffocating in a small way when she thinks too much about it, she can see the concentric circles of the roof above and the circles are twenty-two in number, because she has counted and recounted."
This short story was the first that went from start to finish, it had a believable character and a normal conflict of man vs. nature narrative. It had a beginning, a middle and an end. This short story uses imagery, syntax, and diction to reveal her superhuman triumph which only is brief because she basically come tumbling back down to earth which is ironic because the title leads you to believe the opposite. The mountain was a symbol of her struggle, syntax changed when describing personal things about Rita, for example, "Her name is Rita. Her hair is red like a Romanian's and her hands are large. Eyes large and mouth lipless and she hates, has always hated, her lipless mouth. Her father had been a pastor." The sentences become shorter. Tone is also used throughout the short story as to try and make you symapthize for Rita. At the end of the story the author does not bash her or call her a failure but takes into her account for her effort and this tone is portrayed throughout.
Blog
Natalie Lopatowski
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Literature
30 October 2008
"What It Means When a Crowd in a Faraway Nation Takes a Soldier Representing Your Own Nation, Shoots Him, Drags Him from His Vehicle and Then Mutilates Him in the Dust"
I chose to use the title of the short story as my quote because I feel that the title is used as a question and is connected with the rest of the short story because it responds to the title.
The diction is very vague and not much detail, the passage’s main character is referred to as "he" because it seems like the character is seeking for something but is maybe confused about what exactly he is looking for. In the paragraph "he" says, "in another part of the world, this soldier dragged from his car, this soldier alone, this dead unbloody body in the dust under the truck—why does it set the man on edge, why does it feel so personal? The length of the title and body paragraph are also significant to the short story because considering there lengths the title is really long and the story quite short, this is so because the body paragraph relates on the way a horrific event going on from across the world can reach down to the T.V. and stab you in the chest. So basically the title says it all.
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Literature
30 October 2008
"What It Means When a Crowd in a Faraway Nation Takes a Soldier Representing Your Own Nation, Shoots Him, Drags Him from His Vehicle and Then Mutilates Him in the Dust"
I chose to use the title of the short story as my quote because I feel that the title is used as a question and is connected with the rest of the short story because it responds to the title.
The diction is very vague and not much detail, the passage’s main character is referred to as "he" because it seems like the character is seeking for something but is maybe confused about what exactly he is looking for. In the paragraph "he" says, "in another part of the world, this soldier dragged from his car, this soldier alone, this dead unbloody body in the dust under the truck—why does it set the man on edge, why does it feel so personal? The length of the title and body paragraph are also significant to the short story because considering there lengths the title is really long and the story quite short, this is so because the body paragraph relates on the way a horrific event going on from across the world can reach down to the T.V. and stab you in the chest. So basically the title says it all.
Friday, September 26, 2008
OR week 3
Natalie Lopatowski
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Lit
25 September 2008
She Waits, Seething, Blooming
“And now, waiting for her son and knowing how righteous will be her indignation, how richly justified will be anything she yells into his irresponsible face, she finds herself awaiting his arrival in the way the ravenous might await a meal.”
A single mother is waiting up for her 15 year old son to come home and this passage shows her angst and maybe somewhat irrational solutions that she comes up with to calm her feelings. By the end of the short story she is so hyped up and excited to basically rip her son into shreds that she exclaims, “This will be superb…she runs to the door. She can’t wait for it to begin.”
The author’s choice of title for this short story “She Waits, Seething, Blooming” sets a tone and mood for the short story through diction. The mother uses the word blooming to describe the amount of pain she will inflict on her son because he is not home yet. The word blooming is normally not a word you would compare those two actions with because blooming reminds me of flowers and sunny, happy days, or blooming into something beautiful like a caterpillar into a butterfly which obviously is not how the mother is using it. But because punishing her son is something that apparently makes her happy, fun and even like a game to her, she compares herself with something or somebody blooming.
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Lit
25 September 2008
She Waits, Seething, Blooming
“And now, waiting for her son and knowing how righteous will be her indignation, how richly justified will be anything she yells into his irresponsible face, she finds herself awaiting his arrival in the way the ravenous might await a meal.”
A single mother is waiting up for her 15 year old son to come home and this passage shows her angst and maybe somewhat irrational solutions that she comes up with to calm her feelings. By the end of the short story she is so hyped up and excited to basically rip her son into shreds that she exclaims, “This will be superb…she runs to the door. She can’t wait for it to begin.”
The author’s choice of title for this short story “She Waits, Seething, Blooming” sets a tone and mood for the short story through diction. The mother uses the word blooming to describe the amount of pain she will inflict on her son because he is not home yet. The word blooming is normally not a word you would compare those two actions with because blooming reminds me of flowers and sunny, happy days, or blooming into something beautiful like a caterpillar into a butterfly which obviously is not how the mother is using it. But because punishing her son is something that apparently makes her happy, fun and even like a game to her, she compares herself with something or somebody blooming.
Friday, September 19, 2008
OR Week 2
Natalie Lopatowski
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Literature
September 2008
How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers: Quiet
"It is messy I guess."
"It looks awfully messy. It looks almost impossible to survive, to tell you the truth. The pain of it all."
"Its not that painful," I said.
"But tom," it said, ‘the swinging of your pendulums! Everyone’s pendulums swinging, to and fro, and always you’re
getting hit by someone else’s swinging pendulum. You’re minding your business, but someone else’s pendulum is swinging around, and pow! You get hit in the head."
Tom loves Erin. She has only one arm but he loves her for it. Tom feels that his life is inadequate, that you can even fail in grabbing your desires so you better find meaning or at least beauty in the simple existence of the natural world. For example, in my quote he happens to be having a conversation with the moon which he bases this theory off of. But his behavior towards Erin leads to romantic tension and what was once an innocent romance becomes something more brutal. This relates to the general meaning of the story that Tom’s behavior is determined by hunger for intimacy and connection.
First, it baffled me that Tom was having a conversation with the moon and the moon was criticizing and harassing him but Tom just listened like he was talking with one of his buddies and carried on with the conversation. I didn’t know if this took place in his mind or verbally but I believed that the moon was somewhat of a conscience for Tom or like the angel and the devil sitting on his shoulder telling him what to do but he was listening to the angel. Tom seems to be in denial and his boring responses may imply that he knows he has a problem with his behavior.
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Literature
September 2008
How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers: Quiet
"It is messy I guess."
"It looks awfully messy. It looks almost impossible to survive, to tell you the truth. The pain of it all."
"Its not that painful," I said.
"But tom," it said, ‘the swinging of your pendulums! Everyone’s pendulums swinging, to and fro, and always you’re
getting hit by someone else’s swinging pendulum. You’re minding your business, but someone else’s pendulum is swinging around, and pow! You get hit in the head."
Tom loves Erin. She has only one arm but he loves her for it. Tom feels that his life is inadequate, that you can even fail in grabbing your desires so you better find meaning or at least beauty in the simple existence of the natural world. For example, in my quote he happens to be having a conversation with the moon which he bases this theory off of. But his behavior towards Erin leads to romantic tension and what was once an innocent romance becomes something more brutal. This relates to the general meaning of the story that Tom’s behavior is determined by hunger for intimacy and connection.
First, it baffled me that Tom was having a conversation with the moon and the moon was criticizing and harassing him but Tom just listened like he was talking with one of his buddies and carried on with the conversation. I didn’t know if this took place in his mind or verbally but I believed that the moon was somewhat of a conscience for Tom or like the angel and the devil sitting on his shoulder telling him what to do but he was listening to the angel. Tom seems to be in denial and his boring responses may imply that he knows he has a problem with his behavior.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
OR Blog Week 1
Natalie Lopatowski
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Literature
September 2008
How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers
Story #3: The Only Meaning of the Oil-Wet Water
"Pilar and Hand had woken up facing opposite walls but their ankles entwined. They smiled at each other and he reached over and grabbed her nose, as if to pluck it off. She knew that they would continue to sleep together because the night before had been good, and nothing wrong had happened. It would be this way: at night they would brush their teeth and sit on the bed and pull their legs around and under the thin blanket. They would scoot towards each other, their hands searching like those of children pretending to be blind."
The importance of this chapter in relation to the work as a whole is that throughout this short story Pilar and Hand seem to be stuck between the line of friendship and romance. This passage shows the more passionate side of their relationship which typically occurred in the bedroom at night but during the day their conversations were short and meaningless. Also the first sentence of this passage illustrates how they drifted apart even after sleeping together but remained at a level of comfort and feeling together.
Eggers mostly uses the setting and tone to set the mood for this story. Pilar and Hand are in Costa Rica, a foreign place to both of them, being in this setting gives the sense that anything can happen, especially referring to their friendship/dating. In relation, Pilar and Hand’s conversations are no longer then a few words showing that there might be an awkwardness for the two but the mood changes when the sun goes down. Eggers characterization of Pilar is what she says and thinks about herself. But Pilar obviously didn’t see the flaws that hand did which could have led to their uncomfortable situation.
Mrs. Baione-Doda
AP Literature
September 2008
How We Are Hungry by Dave Eggers
Story #3: The Only Meaning of the Oil-Wet Water
"Pilar and Hand had woken up facing opposite walls but their ankles entwined. They smiled at each other and he reached over and grabbed her nose, as if to pluck it off. She knew that they would continue to sleep together because the night before had been good, and nothing wrong had happened. It would be this way: at night they would brush their teeth and sit on the bed and pull their legs around and under the thin blanket. They would scoot towards each other, their hands searching like those of children pretending to be blind."
The importance of this chapter in relation to the work as a whole is that throughout this short story Pilar and Hand seem to be stuck between the line of friendship and romance. This passage shows the more passionate side of their relationship which typically occurred in the bedroom at night but during the day their conversations were short and meaningless. Also the first sentence of this passage illustrates how they drifted apart even after sleeping together but remained at a level of comfort and feeling together.
Eggers mostly uses the setting and tone to set the mood for this story. Pilar and Hand are in Costa Rica, a foreign place to both of them, being in this setting gives the sense that anything can happen, especially referring to their friendship/dating. In relation, Pilar and Hand’s conversations are no longer then a few words showing that there might be an awkwardness for the two but the mood changes when the sun goes down. Eggers characterization of Pilar is what she says and thinks about herself. But Pilar obviously didn’t see the flaws that hand did which could have led to their uncomfortable situation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)