Sunday, September 28, 2014
Character Study 1
I step onto the campus for the first time as an official Bruin. I look all around me and I'm surrounded by a sea of baby blue and yellow. I'm anxious and excited as I pass by the John Wooden Memorial building to my first class. To rewind back to a year ago when it was the start of my Senior year and I was overwhelmed and stressed practically everyday of my first semester. I remember not feeling like a "Senior," not looking like a, "Senior," or acting like a Senior. Then again, who am I to judge who I look like, feel like, or act like. I guess I'm allowed to feel the way I feel or act the way I act, but how other people see me and characterize me is different from what I think my reputation is and what people see it as. I was trying to hold my life together between school, volleyball, college stuff, friends, and family, sometimes I felt like shutting out the world and wishing I could freeze time to make everything stop or at least slow down. Even though the beginning of Senior year was stressful, I didn't want high school to go by so fast. I remember going to every home football game, dancing in the Decades Day rally, and feeling a slight moment or relief when I finally pressed the send button on my college applications. I applied to 5 colleges, CSULB, SFSU, Point Loma, Cal Poly, and UCLA. Directly following that very moment as I submitted my applications, I felt as if the rest of the school year zoomed by. There went volleyball and football season, basketball season came and gone, then Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Then before I knew it I was in 2015 and I was 18 years old. Then came around college acceptance letters season. It was pretty exciting to get accepted to 4 out of the 5 colleges I applied to thus far, but I was still waiting on that one, my dream school. I remember waiting by my door every day at 4 o'clock to see the mailman put the mail into my mailbox and every day that passed I felt like it was a day longer that I didn't get in. Then the letter that would determine my future came into the mail on a Friday, I was planning on going to the Drive-In later with Hannah, Haley, and Juidth. When I finally held that letter in my hands, I wasn't excited, nervous, anxious, overwhelmed, or sad, I was completely numb. I sat down and stared at that envelope for a solid 60 minutes. I just looked at it thinking over and over again in my mind, how I would feel or react if I didn't get in. Then finally I found the courage to rip open that envelope and read the words, "Congratulations Sierra you have been accepted." I'm not an emotional person, I don't cry at sad movies, when I get hurt, or even at funerals. At that very moment I was so relieved, proud, excited, and happy, that tears of joy came gushing out and I couldn't believe what I just read. I called my mom, sisters, and told my best friends when I saw them later that I got in, and they all were happy but a little shocked at the same time. Then it was graduation time, the one part of high school that in a way I was dreading and sad about. Hannah Hurd, my best friend, said her Valedictorian speech and that's when it really got me, the realization that high school was over and everything that was a part of me at Righetti was going to be somewhere else now. I cried like a little baby that night, knowing that, that day was the last time I would ever see some of the faces I grew so used to passing in the hallways or the "friends" I made that I only spoke to at school. High school flew by like everyone told me it would and now I was onto a new adventure. The Summer as always seemed to go by even faster as it did before, even though I had an extra month. I spent it hanging out with my closet friends, going on spontaneous adventures, going to Italy, and making memories. Now the time was here to get back to reality and face what lies ahead. I chose UCLA, obviously, and every moment leading up to this exact time and place, where I'm officially recognized as a Bruin, has been only a small pebble in an everlasting road, that is my future.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Vocabulary #4
obsequious - adj. attentive in an ingratiating or servile manner; attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery
Ex- The obsequious worker bought Starbucks for his boss to move up the ladder
beatitude - a state of supreme happiness
Ex- The obsequious worker bought Starbucks for his boss to move up the ladder
beatitude - a state of supreme happiness
Ex- The beatitude of June was shown through the love in her eyes
bete noire - somebody or something that is particularly disliked
Ex- Spider-mans bĂȘte noire is the Green Goblin
bode - verb indicate by signs
bode - verb indicate by signs
Ex- The green light boded to go
dank - adj. unpleasantly cool and humid
dank - adj. unpleasantly cool and humid
Ex- "don't let it be clubbed into dank submission."
ecumenical - adj. of worldwide scope or applicability; concerned with promoting unity among churches or religions
ecumenical - adj. of worldwide scope or applicability; concerned with promoting unity among churches or religions
Ex- The youth ministers ecumenically brought the Christian students to the mission.
fervid - adj. extremely hot; characterized by intense emotion
fervid - adj. extremely hot; characterized by intense emotion
Ex- 50 Shades of Gray has fervid scenes
fetid - adj. offensively malodorous
fetid - adj. offensively malodorous
Ex- The fetid football player ran off the field
gargantuan - adj. of great mass; huge and bulky
gargantuan - adj. of great mass; huge and bulky
Ex- The gargantuan oger stomped down the forest.
heyday - noun the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
heyday - noun the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
Ex- Some people say that the 80's were the heyday of their lifetime
incubus - noun a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; someone who depresses or worries others; a situation resembling a terrifying dream
incubus - noun a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; someone who depresses or worries others; a situation resembling a terrifying dream
Ex- The incubus man had to go to therapy.
infrastructure - noun the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; the basic structure or features of a system or organization
infrastructure - noun the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; the basic structure or features of a system or organization
Ex- The infrastructure of the club made it easier for members to stay involved.
inveigle - verb influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
inveigle - verb influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
Ex- The inveigle wife asked her husband to guy her a new car.
kudos - noun an expression of approval and commendation
kudos - noun an expression of approval and commendation
Ex- The teacher gave kudos to the student for speaking to the class.
lagniappe - noun a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)
lagniappe - noun a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)
Ex- the store owner gave a lagniappe to the customer for a cheap price.
prolix - adj. tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
prolix - adj. tediously prolonged or tending to speak or write at great length
Ex- The prolixed teacher gave speech on drug abuse
protege - noun a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career
protege - noun a person who receives support and protection from an influential patron who furthers the protege's career
Ex- Sierra's volleyball protege is now an All-American at UCLA.
prototype - noun a standard or typical example
prototype - noun a standard or typical example
Ex- The car prototype was reconstructed after consumer input.
sycophant - noun a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
sycophant - noun a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage
Ex- The sycophant driver have their instructor compliments throughout the test in order to pass.
tautology - noun useless repetition; (logic) a statement that is necessarily true
tautology - noun useless repetition; (logic) a statement that is necessarily true
Ex- Some speakers use tautology to emphasize their purpose.
truckle - noun a low bed to be slid under a higher bed; verb yield to out of weakness; try to gain favor by cringing or flattering
truckle - noun a low bed to be slid under a higher bed; verb yield to out of weakness; try to gain favor by cringing or flattering
Ex- The truckle dog was obeying his owner to get a treat.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Literature Analysis #1
1. Celie is the protagonist of the Color Purple, she is uneducated, poor and has gone through many traumatizing events in her life. As the story proceeds she finds her voice and her sense of worth in her life. The story takes place in the early to almost mid 1900's in rural Georgia where racism and abuse are key aspects in the plot. The major conflict within the story is primarily focused on Celie and all the abuse she endured throughout her life leading her to believe that she's worthless and weak, because of what she's been put though and told by the people who have hurt her. The rising action occurs when Celie starts have sexual sensations towards Shug an Celie and Shug start spending more time with each other and both start to have feelings for one another. Shug helps Celie open up about some of her past experiences that have made her feel undesired. When Shug starts to talk to Celie about love and sex, Celie comes to find out what real passion is supposed to be like. During this time with the help of Shug, Celie finds Nettie's letters that have been kept from her by Mr.___. By opening up with the help of Shug, Celie starts to find her voice. The Climax of the story is when Celie lashes out at Mr.___ for keeping the letters from Nettie from her, while she believed her sister to be dead. After Shug and Celie announce that they are moving to Memphis, Tennessee where Celie opens up her own business, "Folkspants Unlimited," Celie was able to speak out about the hidden letters and say that she was moving away to Mr.___. Celie was able to do this because she has grown more confident with herself with the help of Shug. Celie stops writing to God and loses faith because of everything she's gone through, that makes her believe writing letters is pointless. Shug helps Celie view god as a symbol and not as a person.. The falling action occurs when Celie is able to endure the heartache she goes through with Shug having sexual relations with a younger man and she gets over it by her being able to be dependent on herself financially and emotionally. After some time Celie returns to Georgia to find that Alphonso has died and Mr.___ has gone through a personal transformation. The story's resolution happens when Nettie and Samuel return to Georgia with Adam, Olivia, and Tashi and Celie inherits her family's home and lives the rest of her life there. The story helps reveal that a person can undergo many breaking points but still find the strength through God, faith, and hope to come out of any tragedy stronger than before. The author primarily focuses on Celie's personal transformation that she goes through with the help of all the other characters that are connected in her life, Each other supporting character helps Celie become the strong, confident, independent woman she grows into, because whether the character abused her or guided her, each struggle or enlightenment she encountered made her the woman she was meant to be.
2. The major theme of the story is the strength of a woman's voice. Throughout the story many woman characters undergo social, emotional, and mental transformations that help them find their voice. at the beginning of the story Celie is seen as less superior than all the men that have inflicted pain in her life. She was believed to be weak and worthless because that's what she was told. As the story progresses Celie along with Shug, Sophia, Squeak, and Nettie all go through obstacles that make them stand up for themselves. Even though there might of been consequences for their actions because they were supposed to act inferior to the men who abused them, they found the strength within themselves with the help of each other to rise above the standards of the time period and show that they could be confident and strong without a man. They showed that each one of them had a voice that was not anybody else's and with the strength of God and each other could surpass any obstacle that was thrown their way.
3. The tone of the story is serious and honest. There are many aspects of the story that are seen and described in a more vulgar way but seem so sincere and truthful because of the seriousness behind the honest truth of them. For most of the story the tone is portrayed as serious and honest because every word that is said is meant to felt in an emotional way. In some way it either caused pain, confusion or happiness upon the characters. "I lay there quiet. listening to Shug breathe. It hurt me you know, I say. I was just going on fourteen. I never even though bout men having nothing down there so big. It scare me just to see it. And the way it poke itself and grow." This excerpt reveals the pain behind the rape Celie endured with her stepdad. As she speaks she talks in an innocent way because she didn't know any better at the time and she didn't understand what was happening and why she felt pain." Well I started to fight him, and with God's help, I hurt him bad enough to make him let me alone. But he was some mad. He said because of what I'd done I'd never hear from you again, and you would never hear from me." Hearing somebody say that you'll never hear from somebody yo love so much ever again has to be one of the biggest and most heartbreaking threats. Mr.___ for a long time made sure Nettie and Celie never had contact with one another. It was harsh and cruel to make Celie think her sister was dead and Nettie being so helpless to not do anything about it. "No ma'am say Sofia. I do not love Reynolds Stanley Earl. Now. That's what you been trying to find out ever since he was born. And now you know." Sofia remarked in this way because she was hurt by the pain she was forced into for eleven years if being a maid. She felt that she could never love anybody in the Mayor's family because of what they did to her. The Mayor's daughter was only trying to make things right and show that she wasn't like her parents. Sofia was stubborn and said how she felt and dint feel remorse about it.
4.- "Dear God, I am fourteen years old. I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me." Celie starts off the story by writing her first letter to God with this introduction. It uses ethos to express the innocence of a young girl who is asking for help, because she doesn't understand what is gong on in her life.
- "...you could have knocked me over with a feather." A hyperbole is used here to exxagerate the shock and overwhelming sensation as she gave birth to her first child. (Page 2)
- " I look at women tho, cause I'm not scared of them." There is foreshadowing displayed here when Celie states that she looks at women. Celie felt that could be more close and intimate with a woman because she didn't feel safe with men. (Page 5)
- "Shug Avery as black as my shoe." A simile is used to describe how dark Shug Avery is, when Mr.___ sisters and Celie are talking about her. They are trying to figure out why he is so infatuated with her. (page 21)
- " You sure is ugly.." Shug says this to Celie when she first meets her, which is ironic because Shug and Celie end up loving each other.
- Symbolism is used when referencing to the color purple. When Celie realizes the color purple as she has a religious awakening. She finds such beauty in the color that she never knew existed.
- Foils is used throughout the story when Sofia foils Celie because Sofia is strong and independent while Celie is innocent and doesn't understand her rights.
- Style is used throughout the structure of the book, the book is made up of short chapters and letters to God. The letters express Celie's struggles and questions that she has at the time.
- Motif is a reoccurring structure in the book, and God is used to display the confessional tone Celie uses to write her letters to him and confide in him about all that's she's going through.
- Imagery is used when Kate takes Celie out to buy a new dress and all the colors are drab symbolizing her beginning of her life. Also when Alphonso paints his house white, representing his new beginning.
Characterization
1. Celie is an example of direct characterization because she is molded into a person that was very highly influenced by what other people told and taught her. She was told she was ugly so that's what she thought she was. When she started to understand certain aspects of her life she started growing into a woman who could defend herself
Shug is an example of direct characterization because people labeled her as a whore. She was a singer who was very pretty and glamorous. Even though she would always seemed to be judged by other people, Celie opened up to her and Shug helped her overcome mental and emotional barriers. She was still very popular and sultry as described by Celie.
Alphonso is also an example of indirect characterization because he was shaped by the actions he did that hurt other people. By raping and abusing Celie he was seen as an evil man, which he was. By him selling Celie's kids and having her marry at such a young age, he wasn't a father figure he was a man who caused pain in people's lives for unnecessary reasons. He stayed this way throughout the majority of the story, until he told the truth about not being Nettie and Celie's biological father.
Nettie is an example of indirect characterization because she was seen as the smart one of the two sisters and that was always something that came up throughout the story that differentiated her and Celie. Nettie was seen as the more desired and better sister because she had a future. Nettie would always show that she was smart and could understand situations she was in. When she wrote letters to Celie and knew she wouldn't get them and when she figured out that Adam and Olivia were Celies's children.
2."I don't have nothing to offer and I feels poor. She look up and don the street. He ain't here. He ain't here. She say like she gon cry. Who ain't I ast." Celie's diction shows that she's uneducated and doesn't know how to speak properly. Her syntax is very choppy and just by reading this excerpt, it is confusing to understand. Throughput the story Celie's diction always has some grammatically incorrect words and her syntax doesn't flow into a complete sentence structure
"Oh Celie! Will I ever be able to tell you all? I dare not ask, I know. But leave it all to God. Your everloving sister, Nettie." Nettie's syntax is clear and understandable she knows how to structure her sentences better than Celie and even though her sentences are short they are easier to understand than Celie's. Her diction shows that she has had more education and that she's smarter than Celie.
3. The protagonist, which is Celie, is a dynamic and round character. Celie shows growth as the story progresses. In the beginning she was seen as young, innocent, and abused. She doesn't understand certain things that are happening to her and she's very confused. When she meets Shug that all changes because Shug helps Celie find her voice. Shug has Celie open up to her about her life and all the painful events she's gone through to help her learn from what has happened to her. Celie grows more comfortable with herself and her body and reflects that through her actions when she speaks up for herself aginst Mr.___. Being able to have someone that truly cares for her and someone to guide her, really influences the strong and independent woman she turns into. Later on in the story Celie is all together less dependent on Shug and can do things on her own that she would of never been able to do before. Celie turns into a woman that has her own business her own home and her own family and in the end seems to finally be getting her life together.
4. The story as a whole had a lot of shocking moments that I couldn't ever believe to actually happen. Even though the story is a work of fiction, a lot of these events happened during slavery or when racism was very high. The author was very descriptive when she talked about the abuse that the characters endured, which made me stop reading for a moment to really take what was just said all in. I would have to say that the character I sympathized and grew to admire the most would be, Celie. Not only was Celie the main character which made her stand out, it was her narration of the story that spoke to me. She spoke in an illiterate way but showed that growing up in what might seem like an evil world, might not be so bad with the belief in God and love. Celie said the quote, "By now my heart is in my mouth and I can't move." This quote was said by Celie when she was about to see her sister and kids for the first time, which was a very emotional moment for them all. I thought this was a pretty good quote to pick for my reaction to not only the story as a whole but more importantly Celie as a character. Celie underwent some pretty life changing experiences throughout her life to being abused and raped, to having her children taken away from her, to losing her mother and being kept from her sister, to finding love with a woman, to being independent, to having a family again. It was a bit of a roller coaster ride for her which caused me to feel as if I couldn't believe what I just heard at certain moments. "My heart is in my mouth," is a statement I've never heard before but to me it means to have a feeling of numbness that for s few seconds it feels as if the world has stooped spinning because you can't feel see or hear anything that is happening around you. Some of the scenes that were illustrated in the story were very vivid which made that part of the story come to life and really connect to me on an emotional level. I could never even imagine going through all the hardships and obstacles that seemed like it should've broke Celie, but didn't. She is characterized as an inspiration to all the woman who have ever gone through anything terrible in their lives and has found the strength to overcome their past.
2. The major theme of the story is the strength of a woman's voice. Throughout the story many woman characters undergo social, emotional, and mental transformations that help them find their voice. at the beginning of the story Celie is seen as less superior than all the men that have inflicted pain in her life. She was believed to be weak and worthless because that's what she was told. As the story progresses Celie along with Shug, Sophia, Squeak, and Nettie all go through obstacles that make them stand up for themselves. Even though there might of been consequences for their actions because they were supposed to act inferior to the men who abused them, they found the strength within themselves with the help of each other to rise above the standards of the time period and show that they could be confident and strong without a man. They showed that each one of them had a voice that was not anybody else's and with the strength of God and each other could surpass any obstacle that was thrown their way.
3. The tone of the story is serious and honest. There are many aspects of the story that are seen and described in a more vulgar way but seem so sincere and truthful because of the seriousness behind the honest truth of them. For most of the story the tone is portrayed as serious and honest because every word that is said is meant to felt in an emotional way. In some way it either caused pain, confusion or happiness upon the characters. "I lay there quiet. listening to Shug breathe. It hurt me you know, I say. I was just going on fourteen. I never even though bout men having nothing down there so big. It scare me just to see it. And the way it poke itself and grow." This excerpt reveals the pain behind the rape Celie endured with her stepdad. As she speaks she talks in an innocent way because she didn't know any better at the time and she didn't understand what was happening and why she felt pain." Well I started to fight him, and with God's help, I hurt him bad enough to make him let me alone. But he was some mad. He said because of what I'd done I'd never hear from you again, and you would never hear from me." Hearing somebody say that you'll never hear from somebody yo love so much ever again has to be one of the biggest and most heartbreaking threats. Mr.___ for a long time made sure Nettie and Celie never had contact with one another. It was harsh and cruel to make Celie think her sister was dead and Nettie being so helpless to not do anything about it. "No ma'am say Sofia. I do not love Reynolds Stanley Earl. Now. That's what you been trying to find out ever since he was born. And now you know." Sofia remarked in this way because she was hurt by the pain she was forced into for eleven years if being a maid. She felt that she could never love anybody in the Mayor's family because of what they did to her. The Mayor's daughter was only trying to make things right and show that she wasn't like her parents. Sofia was stubborn and said how she felt and dint feel remorse about it.
4.- "Dear God, I am fourteen years old. I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me." Celie starts off the story by writing her first letter to God with this introduction. It uses ethos to express the innocence of a young girl who is asking for help, because she doesn't understand what is gong on in her life.
- "...you could have knocked me over with a feather." A hyperbole is used here to exxagerate the shock and overwhelming sensation as she gave birth to her first child. (Page 2)
- " I look at women tho, cause I'm not scared of them." There is foreshadowing displayed here when Celie states that she looks at women. Celie felt that could be more close and intimate with a woman because she didn't feel safe with men. (Page 5)
- "Shug Avery as black as my shoe." A simile is used to describe how dark Shug Avery is, when Mr.___ sisters and Celie are talking about her. They are trying to figure out why he is so infatuated with her. (page 21)
- " You sure is ugly.." Shug says this to Celie when she first meets her, which is ironic because Shug and Celie end up loving each other.
- Symbolism is used when referencing to the color purple. When Celie realizes the color purple as she has a religious awakening. She finds such beauty in the color that she never knew existed.
- Foils is used throughout the story when Sofia foils Celie because Sofia is strong and independent while Celie is innocent and doesn't understand her rights.
- Style is used throughout the structure of the book, the book is made up of short chapters and letters to God. The letters express Celie's struggles and questions that she has at the time.
- Motif is a reoccurring structure in the book, and God is used to display the confessional tone Celie uses to write her letters to him and confide in him about all that's she's going through.
- Imagery is used when Kate takes Celie out to buy a new dress and all the colors are drab symbolizing her beginning of her life. Also when Alphonso paints his house white, representing his new beginning.
Characterization
1. Celie is an example of direct characterization because she is molded into a person that was very highly influenced by what other people told and taught her. She was told she was ugly so that's what she thought she was. When she started to understand certain aspects of her life she started growing into a woman who could defend herself
Shug is an example of direct characterization because people labeled her as a whore. She was a singer who was very pretty and glamorous. Even though she would always seemed to be judged by other people, Celie opened up to her and Shug helped her overcome mental and emotional barriers. She was still very popular and sultry as described by Celie.
Alphonso is also an example of indirect characterization because he was shaped by the actions he did that hurt other people. By raping and abusing Celie he was seen as an evil man, which he was. By him selling Celie's kids and having her marry at such a young age, he wasn't a father figure he was a man who caused pain in people's lives for unnecessary reasons. He stayed this way throughout the majority of the story, until he told the truth about not being Nettie and Celie's biological father.
Nettie is an example of indirect characterization because she was seen as the smart one of the two sisters and that was always something that came up throughout the story that differentiated her and Celie. Nettie was seen as the more desired and better sister because she had a future. Nettie would always show that she was smart and could understand situations she was in. When she wrote letters to Celie and knew she wouldn't get them and when she figured out that Adam and Olivia were Celies's children.
2."I don't have nothing to offer and I feels poor. She look up and don the street. He ain't here. He ain't here. She say like she gon cry. Who ain't I ast." Celie's diction shows that she's uneducated and doesn't know how to speak properly. Her syntax is very choppy and just by reading this excerpt, it is confusing to understand. Throughput the story Celie's diction always has some grammatically incorrect words and her syntax doesn't flow into a complete sentence structure
"Oh Celie! Will I ever be able to tell you all? I dare not ask, I know. But leave it all to God. Your everloving sister, Nettie." Nettie's syntax is clear and understandable she knows how to structure her sentences better than Celie and even though her sentences are short they are easier to understand than Celie's. Her diction shows that she has had more education and that she's smarter than Celie.
3. The protagonist, which is Celie, is a dynamic and round character. Celie shows growth as the story progresses. In the beginning she was seen as young, innocent, and abused. She doesn't understand certain things that are happening to her and she's very confused. When she meets Shug that all changes because Shug helps Celie find her voice. Shug has Celie open up to her about her life and all the painful events she's gone through to help her learn from what has happened to her. Celie grows more comfortable with herself and her body and reflects that through her actions when she speaks up for herself aginst Mr.___. Being able to have someone that truly cares for her and someone to guide her, really influences the strong and independent woman she turns into. Later on in the story Celie is all together less dependent on Shug and can do things on her own that she would of never been able to do before. Celie turns into a woman that has her own business her own home and her own family and in the end seems to finally be getting her life together.
4. The story as a whole had a lot of shocking moments that I couldn't ever believe to actually happen. Even though the story is a work of fiction, a lot of these events happened during slavery or when racism was very high. The author was very descriptive when she talked about the abuse that the characters endured, which made me stop reading for a moment to really take what was just said all in. I would have to say that the character I sympathized and grew to admire the most would be, Celie. Not only was Celie the main character which made her stand out, it was her narration of the story that spoke to me. She spoke in an illiterate way but showed that growing up in what might seem like an evil world, might not be so bad with the belief in God and love. Celie said the quote, "By now my heart is in my mouth and I can't move." This quote was said by Celie when she was about to see her sister and kids for the first time, which was a very emotional moment for them all. I thought this was a pretty good quote to pick for my reaction to not only the story as a whole but more importantly Celie as a character. Celie underwent some pretty life changing experiences throughout her life to being abused and raped, to having her children taken away from her, to losing her mother and being kept from her sister, to finding love with a woman, to being independent, to having a family again. It was a bit of a roller coaster ride for her which caused me to feel as if I couldn't believe what I just heard at certain moments. "My heart is in my mouth," is a statement I've never heard before but to me it means to have a feeling of numbness that for s few seconds it feels as if the world has stooped spinning because you can't feel see or hear anything that is happening around you. Some of the scenes that were illustrated in the story were very vivid which made that part of the story come to life and really connect to me on an emotional level. I could never even imagine going through all the hardships and obstacles that seemed like it should've broke Celie, but didn't. She is characterized as an inspiration to all the woman who have ever gone through anything terrible in their lives and has found the strength to overcome their past.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Vocabulary #3
accolade - noun a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
Lewis accolade Denise when she finished singing her solo in the school play
acerbity - noun a sharp sour taste; a sharp bitterness; a rough and bitter manner
War heads have an acerbity to them when first eaten
attrition - noun the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction; a wearing down to weaken or destroy; sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation; the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice; erosion by friction
The attrition of the car tires after a long period of time make them go bald
bromide - noun any of the salts of hydrobromic acid; formerly used as a sedative but now generally replaced by safer drugs; a trite or obvious remark
Bromide was used in an experiment for our chemistry lab
chauvinist - noun an extreme bellicose nationalist; a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind
Martha is a chauvinist for her native country of India
chronic - adj. being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering
Linda has had chronic back pains for the past five years.
expound - verb add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; state
The English teacher expounded on Beowulf in a group discussion
factionalism - self-interested
In dictatorships factionalism is seen as the a way of life for the ruler.
immaculate - adj. completely neat and clean; free from stain or blemish; without fault or error
My bedroom looked immaculate, after I spent 4 hours cleaning it
imprecation - noun the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult); a slanderous accusation
An imprecation was yelled onto the man by a witch
ineluctable - adj. impossible to avoid or evade:"inescapable conclusion"
the ineluctable death of the prince brought sadness upon the kingdom
mercurial - adj. relating to or containing or caused by mercury; relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury; liable to sudden unpredictable change
The mercurial gazelle danced across the lake
palliate - verb provide physical relief, as from pain; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
The Advil palliated her headache
protocol - noun code of correct conduct; forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state; (computer science) rules determining the format and transmission of data
The mission protocol was observed by the CIA
resplendent - adj. having great beauty and splendor
The sound of the violin had an resplendent tune
stigmatize - verb mark with a stigma or stigmata; to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful
The audition Julie stigmatized Amanda for her horrible singing
sub - noun a submersible warship usually armed with torpedoes; a large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States; verb be a substitute
The sub went underwater to surprise attack the enemy ships
rosa - noun large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs including roses
The rosa was difficult to pass on the way to the top of the hill
vainglory - noun outspoken conceit
The vainglory of the quarterback was displeasing to everyone who was around him
vestige - noun an indication that something has been present
The vestige of the note left Lucy questioning her faith
volition - noun the act of making a choice; the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
The volition between going to the party and staying home was a tough call for Penny
Lewis accolade Denise when she finished singing her solo in the school play
acerbity - noun a sharp sour taste; a sharp bitterness; a rough and bitter manner
War heads have an acerbity to them when first eaten
attrition - noun the act of rubbing together; wearing something down by friction; a wearing down to weaken or destroy; sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation; the wearing down of rock particles by friction due to water or wind or ice; erosion by friction
The attrition of the car tires after a long period of time make them go bald
bromide - noun any of the salts of hydrobromic acid; formerly used as a sedative but now generally replaced by safer drugs; a trite or obvious remark
Bromide was used in an experiment for our chemistry lab
chauvinist - noun an extreme bellicose nationalist; a person with a prejudiced belief in the superiority of his or her own kind
Martha is a chauvinist for her native country of India
chronic - adj. being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering
Linda has had chronic back pains for the past five years.
expound - verb add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing; state
The English teacher expounded on Beowulf in a group discussion
factionalism - self-interested
In dictatorships factionalism is seen as the a way of life for the ruler.
immaculate - adj. completely neat and clean; free from stain or blemish; without fault or error
My bedroom looked immaculate, after I spent 4 hours cleaning it
imprecation - noun the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult); a slanderous accusation
An imprecation was yelled onto the man by a witch
ineluctable - adj. impossible to avoid or evade:"inescapable conclusion"
the ineluctable death of the prince brought sadness upon the kingdom
mercurial - adj. relating to or containing or caused by mercury; relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, shrewdness, swiftness, thievishness) attributed to the god Mercury; relating to or under the (astrological) influence of the planet Mercury; liable to sudden unpredictable change
The mercurial gazelle danced across the lake
palliate - verb provide physical relief, as from pain; lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of
The Advil palliated her headache
protocol - noun code of correct conduct; forms of ceremony and etiquette observed by diplomats and heads of state; (computer science) rules determining the format and transmission of data
The mission protocol was observed by the CIA
resplendent - adj. having great beauty and splendor
The sound of the violin had an resplendent tune
stigmatize - verb mark with a stigma or stigmata; to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful
The audition Julie stigmatized Amanda for her horrible singing
sub - noun a submersible warship usually armed with torpedoes; a large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States; verb be a substitute
The sub went underwater to surprise attack the enemy ships
rosa - noun large genus of erect or climbing prickly shrubs including roses
The rosa was difficult to pass on the way to the top of the hill
vainglory - noun outspoken conceit
The vainglory of the quarterback was displeasing to everyone who was around him
vestige - noun an indication that something has been present
The vestige of the note left Lucy questioning her faith
volition - noun the act of making a choice; the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
The volition between going to the party and staying home was a tough call for Penny
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Beowulf Essay
Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, and Iron Man all have one thing in common. Besides from all of their titles ending in "man" they are all stories told about superheroes. As in Beowulf, he was seen as the superhero of that time. He was the original hero. Although many heroic tales aren't all the same and some coalesce different aspects of heroic qualities together. All heroic tales have one thing in common, they are all a monomyth. The story of a certain hero has evolved over time along with the etymology of words, but certain qualities seen in heroes have been stagnant such as bravery, confidence, and honor, strongly displayed in Beowulf.
Today, if a piece such as Beowulf was displayed as a tale of our time, it might seem a little out of place. What was seen as a heroic epic back then, isn't exactly portrayed in the same type of way as today. Epics are unique in that way because each heroic story told may be summed up as the same but when analyzed very closely they are all extremely different. Beowulf was an artifact of its time, where it wouldn't be able to exist in a different setting. Beowulf embodied his character with confidence, he knew he could beat Grendel without a doubt in his mind. He talked big when it came to his blunt, direct, fierce, and confident style. By being seen as an unimpeachable man he was able to show all those heroic traits, such as honor, strength, and bravery along with revealing the chaos that was attached to his demeanor. Which might at first glance be seen as arrogance, wouldn't be correct to say because everything Beowulf said he would do, he did. When heroes are talked about today a majority of people's minds go directly to superheroes. All heroes don't have to have an elaborate costume or special powers, a hero has to be a person who embodies a persona that people admire and aspire to be like. With time people have grown to see heroes in a different light and have come to recognize an average person who has the qualities of honor, strength, and bravery, as a hero. For example Katniss in the Hunger Games is one of the most recognized heroes in our present time. Plus she is a woman, which goes to show how far literature of the past has come, to being seen in a feminist point of view. Katniss comes from being culled out in her society to someone who supervenes in an affair where she shows bravery, honor, and strength, all the qualities that represent a true hero. All heroes are made to be seen as different from a populous group because they have many probities, which they stand by throughout their journey.
Life is blown at us like a gust of wind, fast and all at once. We each only have one life to live and it comparison to how long the earth has lived we are only given a second of that time scale. People choose their own fate because everyone has a choice in life, it's just a matter of whether or not somebody makes the right one. Heroes no matter if they existed a hundred years ago or a few years ago, they all are people who choose to lead a certain lifestyle. They choose to purse in being someone with the courage, bravery, and strength that each regular person wishes to possess. Those are all qualities that have stranded the test of time in heroic epics. Beowulf will continue to be admired for all his heroic traits not only because he's the original hero, but because he is the hero who was a leading example for all other heroes to come.
Today, if a piece such as Beowulf was displayed as a tale of our time, it might seem a little out of place. What was seen as a heroic epic back then, isn't exactly portrayed in the same type of way as today. Epics are unique in that way because each heroic story told may be summed up as the same but when analyzed very closely they are all extremely different. Beowulf was an artifact of its time, where it wouldn't be able to exist in a different setting. Beowulf embodied his character with confidence, he knew he could beat Grendel without a doubt in his mind. He talked big when it came to his blunt, direct, fierce, and confident style. By being seen as an unimpeachable man he was able to show all those heroic traits, such as honor, strength, and bravery along with revealing the chaos that was attached to his demeanor. Which might at first glance be seen as arrogance, wouldn't be correct to say because everything Beowulf said he would do, he did. When heroes are talked about today a majority of people's minds go directly to superheroes. All heroes don't have to have an elaborate costume or special powers, a hero has to be a person who embodies a persona that people admire and aspire to be like. With time people have grown to see heroes in a different light and have come to recognize an average person who has the qualities of honor, strength, and bravery, as a hero. For example Katniss in the Hunger Games is one of the most recognized heroes in our present time. Plus she is a woman, which goes to show how far literature of the past has come, to being seen in a feminist point of view. Katniss comes from being culled out in her society to someone who supervenes in an affair where she shows bravery, honor, and strength, all the qualities that represent a true hero. All heroes are made to be seen as different from a populous group because they have many probities, which they stand by throughout their journey.
Life is blown at us like a gust of wind, fast and all at once. We each only have one life to live and it comparison to how long the earth has lived we are only given a second of that time scale. People choose their own fate because everyone has a choice in life, it's just a matter of whether or not somebody makes the right one. Heroes no matter if they existed a hundred years ago or a few years ago, they all are people who choose to lead a certain lifestyle. They choose to purse in being someone with the courage, bravery, and strength that each regular person wishes to possess. Those are all qualities that have stranded the test of time in heroic epics. Beowulf will continue to be admired for all his heroic traits not only because he's the original hero, but because he is the hero who was a leading example for all other heroes to come.
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Will Study for Food
Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year (SAMMY) Award- This $7,500 scholarship, free trip to Disney World and spot in a Milk Mustache ad are available to 25 student-athlete high school seniors with 3.20 GPAs who participate in school or club sports.
I found this scholarship by just searching lists of scholarships and one of the posts was title the "45 weirdest college scholarships." I took a look at it and this scholarship was the second one on the list, and to me it actually seemed pretty interesting and different. Not only does the people who earn this scholarship get $7,500 but also a trip to Disney World and a spot in the Milk Mustache ad which is unusual but still two additional perks that a lot of scholarships don't offer. Plus any athlete who applies for this scholarship has a good chance of earning it because not every high school student plays a sport, therefore it enlarges the chances to gain the scholarship and still not every athlete has at least a 3.2 G.P.A which increases a person's chances who meet all the criteria pertaining to the scholarship.
I need scholarship money because I was raised in a household with a single parent and two other sisters so even though my mom has a college savings for me it's not going to cover my 4 year tuition or all the extra essentials that come along with college life. College is expensive and any and all the money that I can earn will help me in some way. I honestly don't know how much money I can earn or the amount of different scholarships offered yet. I woud hope to earn anywhere from $1,000 and above. One of the schools I am looking at, FIDM, costs around $45,000 a year and anoher school CSULB is around $25,000 whuch is kind of a wide range. FIDM is primarily more expensive because it is a fahion speciality school and Long Beach is a Cal State. Both are still expensive even though FIDM would be more difficult to come up with the money, Long Beach will still add up to $100,000 and above over the four years. Really any scholarhsp I can find and apply too, I will so I can have the chance to earn some money to further my education.
I found this scholarship by just searching lists of scholarships and one of the posts was title the "45 weirdest college scholarships." I took a look at it and this scholarship was the second one on the list, and to me it actually seemed pretty interesting and different. Not only does the people who earn this scholarship get $7,500 but also a trip to Disney World and a spot in the Milk Mustache ad which is unusual but still two additional perks that a lot of scholarships don't offer. Plus any athlete who applies for this scholarship has a good chance of earning it because not every high school student plays a sport, therefore it enlarges the chances to gain the scholarship and still not every athlete has at least a 3.2 G.P.A which increases a person's chances who meet all the criteria pertaining to the scholarship.
I need scholarship money because I was raised in a household with a single parent and two other sisters so even though my mom has a college savings for me it's not going to cover my 4 year tuition or all the extra essentials that come along with college life. College is expensive and any and all the money that I can earn will help me in some way. I honestly don't know how much money I can earn or the amount of different scholarships offered yet. I woud hope to earn anywhere from $1,000 and above. One of the schools I am looking at, FIDM, costs around $45,000 a year and anoher school CSULB is around $25,000 whuch is kind of a wide range. FIDM is primarily more expensive because it is a fahion speciality school and Long Beach is a Cal State. Both are still expensive even though FIDM would be more difficult to come up with the money, Long Beach will still add up to $100,000 and above over the four years. Really any scholarhsp I can find and apply too, I will so I can have the chance to earn some money to further my education.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Vocabulary #2
apogee - noun apoapsis in Earth orbit; the point in its orbit where a satellite is at the greatest distance from the Earth; a final climactic stage
Ex: When the astronauts traveled to space they saw the apogee
apropos - adj. of an appropriate or pertinent nature; adv. by the way; at an opportune time
Ex: Sally bought her dress in an apropos fashion
bicker - noun a quarrel about petty points; verb argue over petty things
Ex: John and Susan bickered over the last bite of chili cheese fries
coalesce - verb fuse or cause to grow together; mix together different elements
Ex: Carrots and lettuce coalesced in a garden
contretemps - noun an awkward clash
Ex: Tommy and Miranda had a contretemps at the football game
convolution - noun the action of coiling or twisting or winding together; a convex fold or elevation in the surface of the brain; the shape of something rotating rapidly
Ex: The windmill had a convolution motion in the wind
cull - noun the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior in quality; verb remove something that has been rejected; look for and gather
Ex: The hypothesis was culled, and therefore Lucia had to come up with new one
disparate - adj. including markedly dissimilar elements; fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
Ex: The Chapstick and mascara were disparate from one another
dogmatic - adj. characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles; relating to or involving dogma; of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
Ex: Jake can accept nothing as fact that tells against his dogma.
licentious - adj. lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained
Ex: Archie is licentious when he goes to parties
mete - noun a line that indicates a boundary
Ex: Shelly has a mete between her religious values and social morals
noxious - adj. injurious to physical or mental health
Ex: Steroids are injurious to athletes or anybody's well-being.
polemic - adj. of or involving dispute or controversy; noun a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma); a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in theology)
Ex: During Socratic seminars there are many polemics that take place between people
populous - adj. densely populated
Ex: The United States is populous
probity - noun complete and confirmed integrity; having strong moral principles
Ex: Mark has high religious porbities
repartee - noun adroitness and cleverness in reply
Ex: Sara always has a repartee when she talks to someone
supervene - verb take place as an additional or unexpected development
Ex: The party was supervened at Lisa's house when it was supposed to be at Keith's house
truncate - adj. terminating abruptly by having or as if having an end or point cut off; verb make shorter as if by cutting off; approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one; replace a corner by a plane
Ex: The meeting was truncated by it lasting mire than 10 hours
unimpeachable - adj. beyond doubt or reproach; completely acceptable; not open to exception or reproach; free of guilt; not subject to blame
Ex: Rachel in The Poisonwood Bible was unimpeachable at the end of her time in the Congo
Ex: When the astronauts traveled to space they saw the apogee
apropos - adj. of an appropriate or pertinent nature; adv. by the way; at an opportune time
Ex: Sally bought her dress in an apropos fashion
bicker - noun a quarrel about petty points; verb argue over petty things
Ex: John and Susan bickered over the last bite of chili cheese fries
coalesce - verb fuse or cause to grow together; mix together different elements
Ex: Carrots and lettuce coalesced in a garden
contretemps - noun an awkward clash
Ex: Tommy and Miranda had a contretemps at the football game
convolution - noun the action of coiling or twisting or winding together; a convex fold or elevation in the surface of the brain; the shape of something rotating rapidly
Ex: The windmill had a convolution motion in the wind
cull - noun the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior in quality; verb remove something that has been rejected; look for and gather
Ex: The hypothesis was culled, and therefore Lucia had to come up with new one
disparate - adj. including markedly dissimilar elements; fundamentally different or distinct in quality or kind
Ex: The Chapstick and mascara were disparate from one another
dogmatic - adj. characterized by assertion of unproved or unprovable principles; relating to or involving dogma; of or pertaining to or characteristic of a doctrine or code of beliefs accepted as authoritative
Ex: Jake can accept nothing as fact that tells against his dogma.
licentious - adj. lacking moral discipline; especially sexually unrestrained
Ex: Archie is licentious when he goes to parties
mete - noun a line that indicates a boundary
Ex: Shelly has a mete between her religious values and social morals
noxious - adj. injurious to physical or mental health
Ex: Steroids are injurious to athletes or anybody's well-being.
polemic - adj. of or involving dispute or controversy; noun a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma); a writer who argues in opposition to others (especially in theology)
Ex: During Socratic seminars there are many polemics that take place between people
populous - adj. densely populated
Ex: The United States is populous
probity - noun complete and confirmed integrity; having strong moral principles
Ex: Mark has high religious porbities
repartee - noun adroitness and cleverness in reply
Ex: Sara always has a repartee when she talks to someone
supervene - verb take place as an additional or unexpected development
Ex: The party was supervened at Lisa's house when it was supposed to be at Keith's house
truncate - adj. terminating abruptly by having or as if having an end or point cut off; verb make shorter as if by cutting off; approximate by ignoring all terms beyond a chosen one; replace a corner by a plane
Ex: The meeting was truncated by it lasting mire than 10 hours
unimpeachable - adj. beyond doubt or reproach; completely acceptable; not open to exception or reproach; free of guilt; not subject to blame
Ex: Rachel in The Poisonwood Bible was unimpeachable at the end of her time in the Congo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)