A Spoken Dish: The Haiti Diaries

Somewhere over "The Rainbow"

Part I
In The Rainbow, D.H. Lawrence employs artful diction, vivid imagery and the central symbol of the home as a place of security the woman desires to flee from to characterize the woman as curious and longing for opportunity while trying to find her place in the chain of being.

The woman is initially envious of the engagement the men are able to have with the world around them. Vivid imagery describes the "wet wheat" and "young ears of corn" that the men are able to explore and experience in their daily lives (3). While she speaks positively about this, the woman sees the home and area around the home as something only "enough for the men," while she desires to see beyond the confines of her own home and comfort zone (1). She expresses her curiosity about the world and affairs not of "blood-intimacy" (16).

The woman remarks of seeing the "menfolk" as she "looks outward" from her house (45). "She strains to see" and hear the accomplishments of man in his domination (33), illustrating the tension created within this passage. She desires to witness events outside of her place in the home which parallels the historical time period as in America, women were fighting for suffrage. She expresses that the men lack a "range of motion" although "native to the earth" (46-47). And perhaps in her womanhood she will be able to see further if she can be removed from her domestic affairs.

Furthermore, the woman's increasing "craving" to explore the world and make "better use" of it is evident. Lawrence employs parallel structure in stating, "She craved to know. She craved to achieve..." in order to emphasize the importance and the constancy of the woman's desires (56-57). She is certain of the power of the vicar and of her knowledge of her husband in relation. She asks herself what makes a man strong and powerful, and with the repetition of the word "power" to make her conclusion. She finds herself analyzing the power of dominance of the man and why she cannot leave her confines to satisfy her cravings, in turn questioning where she fits in this chain of being.

As the woman begins to reflect of her own curiosity and desire to see beyond domestic affairs, she also begins to come to terms with her place in relation to man and beast on the chain. She concludes simply that what separates beings of this chain is a mere "question of knowledge" (65).

Part II

1.
The initial score this essay received was a 7. Megan Than Win gave me this score because I did analyze how the literary devices help lend meaning and clarify the woman's situation. I exemplified clarity and control but perhaps did not develop the argument as well as I could have, missing many critical literary devices. Overall, I presented a developed analysis with command of the prose, but did not address the complexity as clearly as I could have. I agree with this scoring because looking at the rubric, I would have graded myself the same way.

2.
I would further analyze the contrast between the men and the woman and the differences clearly exemplified in the passage of the men looking inward and the affairs of the working class being enough for them while the woman looks outward and towards the city in desire. Furthering this contrast would also address the complexity of this passage more clearly. I would probably discard the portion of my essay with the historical context with the women's suffrage because this movement was in America and is really not significant to what was happening in England at the time.

I would also address more literary devices and explain them in greater detail than I had originally done. I forgot to mention the specific effect of the parallelism, that it mirrors the complacency and monotonous tone of events in the men's lives. I should have mentioned "anaphora" as a literary device. I should have dug more deeply into the significance behind the words "knowledge" and "blood" and how they relate to D.H. Lawrence. I could have mentioned the tone of the passage as that was very important in characterization.

Furthermore, I should have addressed the juxtaposition evident in the passage, and the significance of the order of events.The woman is at first, dissatisfied with her situation but as she ponders and considers her place in relation to the vicar, the man, and beast, she comes to recognize that knowledge sets these beings apart. Now knowing D.H. Lawrence's view on women and their relation to men in life and affairs, I can more effectively analyze the woman's situation.

#18: Final Portfolio Reflection

1.
     Out of all the enriching yet sometimes stressful assignments we have been directed to post on this blog, two favorites do stand out. I really loved writing the piece comparing myself to a fairy tale character and assessing my strengths and weaknesses within a group. It is not often that we sit down and take a second to analyze what we lack and how we can learn that from those around us. I enjoyed writing this piece specifically, because I was able to utilize one of my favorite quotes from Timothy Leary and apply that to my own way of thinking. After writing this piece, I was better able to work in a group dynamic, and when I realized that I was holding in an idea or not contributing to my fullest extent, I was able to control that.
     Another assignment I thoroughly enjoyed was the American Drama Project. I am happy to say that the people in my group for that project are now good friends of mine! Not only was this a great experience to apply what we have been learning about successful group work in class, but also a chance to fully realize our potential as actors. Through different techniques we utilized in our video, we were able to recognize how meaning is created in works of literature, through the different aspects of mise en scene. We were able to get and stay in character, and when my character achieved victory, it made me feel as if I did too. We worked very hard on this project and despite some technological problems and some other scary things the night before it was due, we somehow pulled it off seamlessly, and managed to make some people laugh in the process.

2.
     I do not consider myself a shy person. I do not consider myself a quiet person. However, as I have assessed in my group work post, I tend to hold knowledge back. Sometimes a large boulder seems to hinder my mouth from opening even though I may know the answer, simply out of fear of being incorrect. It's not my best quality, but I have definitely been working through it in the process of this class. I participate in group work and when the class in split in smaller sections. However, I could use a bit of a push when it comes to speaking out during a class discussion where an opinion-based question has been proposed. I'm afraid to say the wrong thing, and afraid that people might not understand me if I was to express something. I wish this didn't stop me, but I'm doing what I can to try and break that hindrance.
     That being said, I do participate in every way that I can, which includes reading the assigned readings, helping those around me, and paying attention during class. Although I do not raise my hand to tell everyone what Shakespeare means, I do understand and appreciate his writing in my own head, and if someone were to ask me the question one-on-one, I do answer it fully. If I have a question or I need some extra help understanding something, I usually come to Ms. Wilson and ask her directly or ask my classmates for help. I stay updated with the work in this class. In group presentations, I am learning to be a proactive leader, especially in the American Drama Project. I helped set time stamped goals for my group and took action when technology was causing problems.

3.
     I can honestly say that the goals I set at the beginning of the trimester have to be reassessed. Although I do try to review literary terms and vocabulary every week as I indicated in my first reflection post, it is unrealistic to devote  that much time to just that one activity in a AP-crammed schedule. I decided that I needed a strategy to "get the most for my buck." I made a set of flashcards that I review every couple days whenever I get a couple free moments and each Sunday, I add two more words to the list. These flashcards include the different kinds of sonnets, literary devices, and some sentence exercises and identifying the technique. This has been more helpful that setting an unrealistic goal that I could not meet. The new strategy allows me to review literary terms on my own time and work that into my busy schedule. I will often make extra time before tests and finals to review these so they will be fresh in my mind before I am tested on them.
     Even on the final multiple choice that we took today, I felt much stronger about my abilities as an AP Lit multiple choice test taker. I believe that it is due to my new strategy that I have been using. Moreover, I want to take this a step further and devise another technique I can use in my everyday life. Just like junior year when I realized I was too quiet and implemented a self goal in which I would talk to one new person a day, I have decided to complete one AP style multiple choice question a day. I found a couple practice tests online and I will complete one question a day from those. Or, if get that one question incorrect, I will keep answering questions until I get one correct. I think this is a stress-free and maintainable goal. By the AP test, I will have had a lot of practice and experience with what these questions look like and how the test makers seek to trick us with the wording of the questions.

#17 Hamlet Open Question

Extra Credit Blog Post

This song by Sugarcult is the the perfect manifestation of all the characteristics of Gertrude. Throughout the play she is shown as a vapid, go-with-the-flow kind of woman who seems to be nothing without a man.

Lyrics:
pretty girl is suffering while he confesses everything.
pretty soon she'll figure out what his intentions were about.
and that's what you get for falling again;
you can never get him out of your head.
and that's what you get for falling again;
you can never get him out of your head.

it's the way that he makes you feel.
it's the way that he kisses you.
it's the way that he makes you fall in love.

she's beautiful as usual with bruises on her ego and
the killer instinct tells her to be aware of evil men.
and that's what you get for falling again;
you can never get him out of your head.
and that's what you get for falling again;
you can never get him out of your head.

it's the way that he makes you feel.
it's the way that he kisses you.
it's the way that he makes you fall in love. [2x]

pretty girl... pretty girl...

pretty girl is suffering while he confesses everything.
pretty soon she'll figure out: you can never get him out of your head.

it's the way that he makes you cry.
it's the way that he's in your mind.
it's the way that he makes you fall in love.
it's the way that he makes you feel.
it's the way that he kisses you.
it's the way that he makes you fall in love...

She is completely aware of the reasons for her son's gloom, no other than his father's death, and our o'er hasty marriage" (2.2.56-57). And when told that Hamlet is having trouble sleeping and wanders at night in the lobby, she simply replies, "so he does indeed" (2.2.160). Gertrude allows herself to submit to her biological and mental desires for a man in her life at the risk of losing her son. Gertrude surrenders all logic without even know what Claudius's "intentions were about," like the "pretty girl" in the song. Further, Gertrude responds to King Claudius's requests with, "I shall obey you" (3.1.37) and indicates an inflated respect for him by announcing, "the king rises" (3.2.226). Although a queen and a woman with great power, she is more concerned with pleasing her new husband and being a good, obedient wife, perhaps blinded by the security that Claudius brings to the relationship. Further, she reprimands her own son on behalf of Claudius, "Hamlet, thous hast thy father much offended" (3.4.9). This is another example of Gertrude surrendering her relationship with Hamlet and taking Claudius's side. It is a common occurrence that Claudius commands Gertrude to do something or go somewhere, usually with a simple, "come, Gertrude, we'll call up our wisest friends" (4.1.37). This illustrates Claudius's inclination to order Gertrude around and take charge of what the couple does, and what kind of front they put on. Gertrude has simply no say in pressing matters. As Claudius and Laertes have secret conversations, for example when Claudius promises, "we shall jointly labour with your soul/ to give it due content" (5.1.201-202), Gertrude is left out of the loop. And as Claudius's plans become increasingly darker, Gertrude finds herself suffering as a cause of his doing. Even as her and Hamlet reconcile and she lovingly, "rubs [his] brows," (5.2.252) she is unaware of Claudius's plot to kill her own son. They are beginning to be on better terms and Claudius is plotting something that will ruin their relationship once again. The one time that Gertrude responds to Claudius with, "I will, my lord; I pray you, pardon me" (5.2.255), she drinks from the cup of poison. It is quite interesting that Claudius does not do more to stop his "beloved" wife from meeting her death. And as she figures out, "what his intentions were about," she finds that, "[she is] poision'd" (5.2.274). Gertrude was just a figurehead, a pretty girl with no real power. A pretty girl latched onto a man whose intentions were as poisoned as her drink. And "that's what [she gets] for falling again."

#16: Let's Talk, Seng

Oh Mr. Seng, what do you think of yourself? The accusations you make, the sad opinions you express. I have discovered your piece analyzing dear Ophelia. One shouldn't speak of the dead as you do and insinuate such madness. I was especially offended when you wrote, "it is easy to imagine the Queen's guilt start, her sudden dread..." I am saddened that I could not be with Ophelia in her mental decline, but I assure you that I carry none of the blame. Let's get real, Seng. Ophelia's mental instability was caused by my own son's wavering attitude, and Ophelia's great investment in the relationship, driven mad by her own love. 

Even my own son told his dear Ophelia "to a nunnery go" (3.1.140). As he continued to belittle her and reject her advances, she began to break down little by little. And as a woman, I can relate with her situation. Throughout their relationship, Hamlet continued to blame Ophelia for her womanly ways, saying that he knows "well enough what monster [women] make of men" (3.1.131). And therefore, when Mr. Seng suggests that Ophelia's home has "become a prison" for her. And who is the cause for this? Hamlet. And Laertes himself. "Let her come in" (4.5.15) I spoke when Ophelia came to us for help. I exclaimed it in hope that Ophelia would come on her own and seek my help, which was offered to her. I wish that Ophelia would have been able to see me as the mother figure she never really had in her life. Her father was clearly not able to provide the comfort she needed in that situation. 

He provides her with some form of comfort characteristic of a stoic father by saying, 

“I do know, when the blood burns, how prodigal the soul lends the tongue vows” (1.3.117). It is this advice that eventually led to Polonius's spying on Hamlet on my behalf. We simply were in search of the truth, and we were on the side of justice for Ophelia. He even says "I will find where truth is hid, though it were his indeed within the centre,” (2.2.156) which clearly proves Polonius's good intentions. This is where we truly differ, Mr. Seng. Polonius's flaw was that he cared too much that he spied on Hamlet and his daughter. This does not lead to his demise.

I encourage you Mr. Seng, visit this website they call Google. Fact check yourself. Because I was actually there. I know what happened.

#15: Do they have soft pillows in the afterlife?

1. 

     In the famous soliloquy, Hamlet makes many references to dark times and the quiet approach of death. 

Whether he should live or leave his "mind to suffer" (3.1.57). He repeatedly questions whether he should take up arms and defend himself or whether it may be easier, more worthwhile simply to "to die, to sleep" (3.1.60). He thinks that life after death may be more sound, and generally a better place, as he ponders, "for in that sleep of death, what dreams may come" (3.1.66). He does not know what the afterlife brings but the thought of having a more positive experience makes him ponder. He describes the more negative feelings in life, "pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay" (3.1.72). For him, the sweaty, arduous life can simply wear a person out. Dark moments when "no traveller returns" makes Hamlet believe that a deep sleep may be just what he needs.

     Hamlet relies largely upon pathos to persuade his audience. This can be seen most clearly in his diction, which utilizes tone to evoke feeling. For example, he wallows, "the pangs of despis'd love," and the "grunt and sweat under a weary life"(3.1.72-75). Words like "pangs" and "grunt and sweat" are rich and evoke pathos. He does further utilize logos to increase this speech's effect. Though not his major technique, he does reference some inarguable truths about human nature such as when he says, "conscience does make cowards of us all" (3.1.83).
     The tone used as Hamlet talks is contemplative, curious, and solemn, as Hamlet tries to weight the advantages and disadvantages of death. Does the uncertainty of death outweigh the pains of life itself? The diction is casual at least for that time period, as Hamlet is literally discussing with himself and does not need to be formal to indicate respect or otherwise. These are his thoughts simply spoken out loud.

     The main metaphor in this speech is the comparison of death to a deep sleep and dreaming. Also life is compared to a battle many times. Hamlet wonders about the end to suffering and hardship that death can provide by stating, “[t]he heartache, and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to" (3.1.62-63). He keeps asking himself and the universe why people can stand to suffer through the grunt and sweat of life when the promise of something better may lie ahead. What he concludes from this long questioning of life is that, death is uncertain and the afterlife will or won't be what you expect. It is this uncertainty that prevents everyone from committing suicide in order to simply get to the side with seemingly greener grass.

2. 
Kenneth Branagh. This scene begins and ends with an over the shoulder camera angle. The entirety of the speech is shown through the mirror as Hamlet inspects himself from the inside. This is a revealing of Hamlet's self-image to himself and the audience. The scene proceeds and the camera zooms closer and closer to Hamlet's face until that is the only thing within the screen. As the scene progresses, the zooming in reflects the viewers' greater understanding of who Hamlet is and what in life concerns him. He is wearing his dark attire that his mother and Claudius are often ashamed of, which traditionally symbolizes death and gloom, which parallels the content of Hamlet's speech. As Hamlet approaches the part of his speech about time as an oppressor, daunting music plays and as he reveals the blade, the music increases in pitch and therefore in suspense. The camera ultimately remains zoomed in on Hamlet's face which symbolizes his and therefore the audience's decreased visibility.

Laurence Olivier. This is the most dramatic of the four scenes, and bridges on unrealistic. At the beginning, suspenseful music plays, which seems slightly out of context. It foreshadows the troubles ahead, but does little more than add a cheesy touch. The shot pans out to the clouds and stormy skies, and then back down to the foaming seas below. This version also utilizes a shot of the back of Hamlet's head before he begins his initial speech, as if to literally provide the audience with Hamlet's point of view. Before he begins speaking, the camera zooms up on Hamlet's scalp and unrecognizable images start to encompass the screen and we see an image of a brain. This underscores the internal conflict that Hamlet is dealing with as well as his growing craziness, as well as foreshadows the contents of Hamlet's speech.  When Hamlet says “to die” in his speech, there’s a non-diegetic voice over until he reaches, “to sleep”, which is basically taking us inside of Hamlet's head, as if the soliloquy was part thought versus an actual speech. The techniques used in this scene highlight the fact that Hamlet's struggle is mainly internal.

Mel Gibson. The scene begins with Hamlet descending some dark stairs alone, immediately underscoring his the struggle within himself that he is dealing with.  The audience eventually picks up that he is inside a tomb, and the camera zooms in and out onto tombstones and skeletons, leaving nothing to the interpretation. As Hamlet ponders life and death, the camera shots increasingly become more obvious, relating directly to his words. His voice echoes slightly inside the tomb, which is important as his own words are almost replayed back to him. Most of the time, the camera is zoomed in a medium shot upon his face and other times, panned out to a wide shot when Hamlet is doing some significant body movement, except for when he reaches, “the undiscovered country,” the shot suddenly zooms in on the tombs.His face is often in and out of the shadows, and when making an important realization, he looks upwards and his face suddenly finds the light. 

Ethan Hawke. Is this even real? This is one of the more unrealistic versions of this scene as Hamlet has the biggest realization of the entire play within a BlockBuster video store. The camera shot follows Hamlet around the store as he gazes at various video displays and often at the television screens that show dark images like things being set on fire. Hamlet is still clothed in black but he is wearing a winter hat, perhaps indicating that it is cold outside, symbolizing the death and demise and freeze that comes with winter. Peacefully suspenseful and at times of real discovery, triumphant, music plays the entire time that Hamlet is speaking. This was the one scene that kept me completely engaged, though it was unrealistic. It is a modern version of the play, I assume, and thus this weird scene somehow works.

The Most Effective. I found Ethan Hawke's version of this scene to be the most effective because I could actually see it happening today. It kept me visually engaged because in a Blockbuster store, there is an awful lot to look at. His gloomy colored apparel stayed true to the original portrayal of Hamlet. I enjoyed that as dramatic moments took place in the speech, the television was burning something down or making other noises that paralleled Hamlet's realizations without being completely in the scene. I enjoyed that as he spoke "action" in his speech, he walked through the action section of the video store. It was a subtle way to highlight the significance of the video store, as it is a place where many different stories and perspectives are told.

What I would change. The version I would change would be Lawrence Olivier's scene as I found it to be way too dramatic for my taste. I would have more subtle music play at the beginning and skip the part where the camera zooms unreasonably close into Hamlet's head. I do not like having him out at sea pondering the question, as it is too unsurprising and unoriginal. Instead of having random blobs take over the screen before Hamlet actually starts speaking, I would pan out completely, showing Hamlet as simply a little speck sitting outside the castle or some place of more significance than the sea, and then zoom in to him as he begins talking.

#14: Welcome to the Girl World

Watch your back: They're your friends.

Who do you trust when your own friends are sneakily making you gain weight and stealing your boyfriend?

 In the movie Mean Girls, themes of revenge and distrust are taken to a whole new stage, your average high school. As the new girl, Cady, moves to town and begins to attend high school, she befriends Janice and Damien, who convince her to seek revenge on Regina George, in the form of weight-gaining bars, clothing malfunctions, and lies told over the phone. The revenge gives Cady awesome satisfaction at the beginning of the plan, but as the story unfolds, she finds herself becoming a plastic. Revenge backfires on Cady, as I predict it will with my dear Hamlet, should he seek it in some abrupt form. 

Who knows what he is up to these days? I did hear him speaking to himself after our hasty yet true wedding. He talks of things that worry me lately. "My father's brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules" (1.2.154). I fear that he believes Claudius as a replacement for his own father, which is not my intention. Perhaps guilt and jealousy is propelling him forward in his endeavors, just as the jealousy of Regina's power and popularity in Mean Girls ignites Cady's plot for revenge. Later, I did hear my dear son murmur to himself, "But break, my heart; for I must hold my tongue" (1.2.161). What is Hamlet holding back? He must have someone that he can discuss the weighty matters of the world with. Who shall be that person? I hath found that in times of revenge, even in Cady's case, it is hard to discuss truly pressing matters with those close to you. And I doubt that what is bothering my Hamlet is "no other but the main; / his father's death, and our o'erhasty marriage" (2.1.56-57). This must be the stressor for Hamlet, as plots of revenge often require one, as I have seen in Mean Girls.

I sometimes think that only Ophelia's love may bring my dear son out of his present gloom. Polonius hath showed me his letters to Ophelia, accompanied by his misgivings. He loves her, however, "so he does indeed" (2.2.160). Just as Cady's love for Aaron who eventually recognized her transformation into a Plastic and brought her back down to Earth, perhaps Hamlet may have a similar realization. I hath heard Hamlet mumbling just earlier today about his "players" who will "play something like the murder of [his] father" (2.2.523). Oh why must I concern myself with these deadly thoughts? A woman must only charm and bathe, and smell like flowers after all. Perhaps I shall just continue watching my Sunday afternoon chick flicks.

#13: My Heart Aches for Thee, My Son

Please, dearest Hamlet, please understandeth that your Father-Uncle and I only want the best for thee. Understand I am that thou hath lost a father.A prince such as yourself shall not grumble and mope wearing the darkest of colours in our grand castle. After all, son, understand I do that thou hath lost a father but "Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die," (1.2.72). And yet, if it seemeth so common, "Why seems it so particular with thee?" (1.2.76). The greatest man was thy father, true be it, yet "I pray thee, stay with us" (1.2.119). We hath only beseeched Guildenstern and Rosencrantz to view your depression and informeth us about thou. As ye Queen, I plead thee, be he who is of man. Holdeth in tears of thee and be a man, Hamlet. For your mother am I, and "What have I done that thou dar'st wag thy tongue/In noise so rude against me?" (2.2. 40-41). Thou mustn't act out of haste in any instance, especially towards thine own mother. I do not doubt that the reason for thee gloom is "no other than...[thine] father's death and [my] o'erhasty marriage" (2.2.56-57). Yet, dearest Hamlet, remember thy morals, respect thy elders, if thou art to be King one day. Or not to be. These quotes highlight how Gertrude is dealing with Hamlet's sudden gloomy aura and her new husband. The quotes prove her general cluelessness and attempts at trying to understand what her son is going through, but disregard to actually communicate with him.

#12: I am Getrude, Hear me Roar

I have chosen to write in the perspective of Gertrude throughout the reading of Hamlet because frankly, she seems interesting and comical. She is shallow and only finds pleasure in the luxuries of life (although I do understand her love of "warm baths" and "trinkets"). She is beautiful yet morally and emotionally unstable, which makes her more complex than one may realize. Although as a modern woman and almost the antithesis of Gertrude, I do disapprove of Gertrude's wavering nature and her lack of critical thinking, there are some qualities to be admired about her. She admirably utilizes her charm and beauty to work a room and considers self-preservation a priority in all situations. She gravitates towards "safe" decisions in her life, which many people can definitely relate to. She is significant in that there are so many unanswered questions about whom she truly loves and her involvement in the murder. It will be interesting to follow her throughout this journey and witness her growth or demise.

Blog Post #11: Dr. Phil: The Odd Couple

Blog Post #10: Independent American Drama Acting Project

We chose the AP 1975 prompt because the focus of the prompt is on the characters and the audience’s response to those characters. The prompt specifically references the use of characters, setting, and the interaction of the characters. The setting plays a key role in the play, as it mirrors the relationships between the characters and the growth of the characters. In the beginning, the apartment is a mess, then it is immaculately clean, and finally it reaches a happy medium. This follows the central relationship of Flora and Brooke as Brooke starts out as irresponsible and sloppy. Then, when the apartment is overly clean, it causes a break in the relationship. Only when the characters have reconciled and grown into mature individuals does the apartment reach a healthy middle.The plot of the play is driven by characterization and the interaction of the characters as Flora and Brooke’s personalities clash. As Flora’s life falls apart, the audience feels sympathy for her, but when Brooke gets annoyed with her and points out her flaws, the audience loses sympathy for her. When Flora declares that she is moving into an apartment on her own, and Brooke decides she will save her money and pay her bills, the audience gains an new-found respect for the pair as they grow into mature women....

Click on me to read the full length project.

Blog Post #9: Answering the Finkler Question

Summer Reading Creative Project

Text
The Finkler Question by: Howard Jacobson
Essence
No one is born knowing their destiny. Religious identity can be created and realized through significant outlets such as food.
Brief Summary of the Text
The Finkler Question, set in East London, is about a self-righteous yet quite unspectacular man named Julian Treslove, a former BBC producer who now works as a celebrity double to make a living, and his two friends, Libor and Finkler. After becoming a victim of an anti-Semitist mugging, Treslove begins his search for a Jewish identity-through food, research of his family history, and relationships with Jewish women. Jacobson also addresses Finkler's somewhat rocky relationship with his Jewish heritage and fellow Jews. Libor, meanwhile, struggles to find his way after his wife's death, the powerful love he felt towards her mirroring the kind of belonging that Treslove craves to feel.
Prompt
2004. Critic Roland Barthes has said, “Literature is the question minus the answer.” Choose a novel, or play, and, considering Barthes’ observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers answers. Explain how the author’s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.
Thesis
In The Finkler Question, Howard Jacobson addresses the question of what it means to be Jewish in England through his character, Julian Treslove, a man lost in his career and personal life, as he searches for his own identity through the ‘Jewish’ facets of everyday life; what is Jewish food, what is Jewish family, what is Jewish love?
Creative Project
Unleavened baked bread, significant to the Jewish holiday of Passover, which symbolizes Julian’s quest for a religious identity through food.
Quotations (can answer the prompt more generally)
• “Thereafter he gave up on a career in the arts and filed a succession of unsuitable vacancies and equally unsuitable women, falling in love whenever he took up a new job, and falling out of love…” • “Before he met Finkler, Treslove had never met a Jew. Not knowingly at least. He supposed a Jew would be like the word Jew — small and dark and beetling. A secret person. But Finkler was almost orange in colour and spilled out of his clothes.” • “Treslove liked that. The Jews were good at making one occasion not like another, he thought. The protocol alarmed him but he admired it.” -And so the obsession with Jewish culture begins. Treslove is creating his own identity by picking up on things that “the Jewish” all do. • “Though they complained of being without compass or purpose of their own, the three men — the two widowers and Treslove, who counted as an honorary third — enjoyed one another’s company, argued about the economy and world affairs, remembered jokes and anecdotes from the past” • “His life had been one mishap after another. So he should have been prepared for this one.”
Explanation
The Finkler Question examines the complexities of identity, loss, belonging, and love, by detailing the lives of Julian Treslove and his two Jewish friends. At the beginning of the book, Treslove is mugged and becomes convinced that his assailant targeted him thinking he was a Jew. He becomes obsessed with the Finkler question or the definition of Jewish identity. Since all of his friends are Jewish, Treslove is “envious, nonetheless…of the life,” (42) believing the Jewish religion to possess a closeness and sense of belonging that he’s never been able to find for himself. Treslove is jealous of the special Jewish connection that his friends have, finding himself jealous of their Jewishness: their closeness, grief, and mannerisms.An important motif in Treslove’s search for himself on the Jewish journey is food. Food is critical to note in literature as it engages all the senses in order to evoke strong sensory, cognitive, and emotional responses. For example, turkey represents the entire emotional response that comes with the holiday of Thanksgiving; just the thought of turkey can make you feel warm inside and appreciate the family surrounding you. Food's symbolic ability is also utilized for ethnic identity and pride, which is what makes it so easy for Treslove to feel excluded. Conversely, specific foods may be held up as distinguishing one group from another and as demonstrating that group's lesser worth. Furthermore, people can also use food to demonstrate their mastery of knowledge about a certain food or preparation needed to belong to a particular social group. For example, being able to determine different sorts of wines can highlight a person’s class status or level of sophistication. In the book, Julian attempts to prove his competence with Jewish food customs, especially dealing with food as he recites the Jewish questions: “Why on this night must we eat bitter foods? Why on this night do we dip our food twice?” (127). According to Foster Chapter 2, eating together is an act of communion and breaking bread represents peace between diners. If Julian can enjoy and be knowledgeable about the food that his Jewish friends enjoy, maybe he can enjoy the same cultural enlightenment and be part of the club. For example, at their dinner with Julian, Hephzibah is offended when Finkler jokes about “trayf” being in her food (176). The Jewish people obviously take the religious customs that come with consumption very seriously, unlike Treslove. For example at Passover, Treslove’s disregard for what it actually means to be Jewish is recognized, as when he is served chicken and potatoes, “which as far as Treslove could tell, symbolized nothing. He was pleased about that” (129). I have baked a traditional Jewish food eaten on Passover to signify the interrelation of food and religion that is prevalent in The Finkler Question. Matzo has special significance on Passover night, as when the Israelite slaves were fleeing from Egypt, they did not have time to wait for their bread to rise. The result was cracker-like, unleavened bread called matzo. Also, leaven symbolizes corruption and pride as it "puffs up,” as opposed to the “poor man’s bread” of matzo. In Julian Treslove’s search for his own Jewish identity, food provides him with a connection to Jewishness with his friends. As he is quite uninterested in the deeper religious meanings behind Jewish rituals, food provides some common ground that Treslove can actually begin to understand. For example, Julian comes to envy the specificity of Jewishness, the references that Jews seem to share among one another, and the “confidence, the certainty of right” (26). And because Julian cannot mimic the mannerisms and confidence that Jews seem to have, he can find this identity via Jewish food.

Blog Post #8: Compare and Contrast Paper

Blog Post #7: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Blog Post #6: The Fall of Icarus

Blog Post #5: The Feminist Approach

Blog Post #4: Anglo-Saxon Literature

Blog Post #4A: The Wakers of Words

Blog Post #3: Find the Others

I think differently than most people, which can be an asset and a detriment. Timothy Leary said in a piece of one of my favorite quotes of all time, "Do the unexpected, find the others." By others he is referring to the people in the world who think differently, who yearn to say, "tell me something that makes you cry" over mindless small talk. I am definitely beginning to embrace my outside-of-the-box-sometimes-confusing way of explaining my ideas, but many times, people do not understand my humor or the way my brain makes connections.

Like Frankenstein, the most misunderstood of monsters, sometimes I can appear to be something I'm not: quiet, hideous, disinterested. Sometimes it seems as though I communicate in grunts, my intentions are misperceived, and I am driven out of town. The chance of my ideas being shot down prevents me from saying anything at all.

In this group of people, I am the energizer and coordinator, as I am optimistic, bright-eyed, and organized. Despite my sometimes quiet and structured side, I remain curious about the world. If someone instructs me not to do something, I immediately imagine the deliciousness of the fruit. So yes, maybe I experience the wrath of God, but I've tasted the apple, and quite frankly, you have not.

Blog Post #2: Determining Test Readiness

Disclaimer: I took the Practice Exam 1 instead of the Diagnostic test.

     Overall, the practice exam was not too difficult, but also did not come easy to me. There were a few strengths and weaknesses that were apparent while checking my answers. My strengths included answering  fact recall and summary questions quickly and accurately. For example, when asked what the phrase, "gone into mourning" describes, I was quickly able to skim that part of the passage and circle the correct answer. This strength was evident in other passages as well. Further, I was able to correctly identify all the literary terms that I had heard before. For instance, I knew right away that parallel analogy and personification were used in "The Writer." I noticed while taking the exam that interpreting poems came quite easier to me than interpreting dense prose.

     Despite these strengths, there were many weaknesses that I need to continue to practice as this year goes on. For example, it was very difficult for me to which lines were paralleled, incorrectly answering this same type of question several times on the test. When asked what lines parallel, "a smooth course for the right window," I was completely off in my answer choice, despite poems being my strength. Further, if I simply studied more literary terms and vocabulary, I would be able to score much higher. I did not know how to identify where a poem "broke" and some literary terms that we had not covered in depth in AP Language and Composition, like juxtaposition. I also had much difficulty answering the question from Jane Eyre that asked about religious imagery, as I have not studied many religious texts. And while poetry is quite fun and entertaining for me to read, dense prose like Bleak House by Charles Dickens, was difficult to understand and interpret.

     After completely analyzing my strengths and weaknesses above, it has become very easy to pinpoint my mistakes and come up with ways to improve. Studying literary terms and vocabulary is going to help me accumulate the most amount of points, as the solution is easy as skimming the definition of the word "juxtaposition." I plan to make flashcards of the words that 5 Steps to a 5 deems important for this test and quiz myself weekly on literary terms. That way, when the AP test rolls around, these terms will be etched into my brain. Moreover, I can practice reading and interpreting higher level prose like the writings of Charles Dickens. Simply becoming familiar with these texts will help me be quicker on the actual test and actually understand what I am reading.

     Finding these ways to improve my multiple choice score has really helped me measure what sorts of goals I can set for myself. The first goal I can set for myself is to make flashcards and review them at least twice a week starting as soon as possible and up until the AP test. The flashcards will have all sorts of literary vocabulary as described above (in 5 steps) and will allow me to quiz myself and effectively memorize the important terms for the AP test. I will memorized 5 new literary terms and unknown vocabulary from 5 Steps each week. Another measurable goal I have is to miss 4 less questions on each consecutive practice test I take from this point onward. For example, with the two tests remaining in this book, I will miss only 14 questions on the next test, and then only 10 questions or less on the final test. (I chose the number 4 as that was the number of silly/easily fixable questions I missed on this diagnostic test.) Organizing my thoughts and thoroughly analyzing my strengths and weaknesses has immensely assisted in setting solid goals for myself throughout this class. Measuring my progress will only push me to excel further.

Blog Post #1: Decisions, Decisions.

     "Remember that you and I made this journey together to a place where there was nowhere left to go.”   - The Namesake

     Interestingly enough, this quote from The Namesake inspired me to choose this design. The grey birds flying toward the top of the screen are a representation of my journey towards becoming a better writer and reader, doctor, and beyond.

     The essential goal of my blog is to be attractive and engaging for the average passerby. This is achieved through the dreamy tone employed by the design. Viewers are greeted by a pale khaki background with flying birds, displaying not only professionalism, but also creativity and open-mindedness. Being entirely brought up in California is a critical component of my personality, and thus "Musings of a California Girl" was created. The color of the blog titles is a bright, cheery red, but the majority of the text is black and white in order to be easily read.

     Further, much thought went into choosing the couple fonts displayed on the web page. A script, diary-like font is applied for the main headings and titles, providing an informal and relatable mood. Employing a handwriting style font is a refreshing touch in that it gives the illusion of the blog post actually being a diary entry of sorts. The rest of the blog, however, is in Arial, a traditional font to maintain professionalism and allow the reader to focus entirely on the content of the blog post versus a crazy curvy font.