Masterpiece Bildungsroman

       My growth in this course has been nearly nonexistent. My closed mind kept me longing for this open source learning environment to turn into a traditional classroom. It was very difficult for me to  express my opinion in the classroom because I was intimidated by the amount of knowledge that all of my classmates had. Almost everyone seemed so confident in what they were talking about. A large aspect of open source learning is trust, without it the whole system would fail. In the beginning everyone deserved the amount of trust they got. As the year went on, however, the majority of the students, including myself, forfeited a lot of that trust due to the lack of consistency in our work. A lot of students found it hard to stay motivated especially when the instructor is not always there; understanding that the absences were for good reason. 

       On a lighter side of the course, there was one moment that stands out when I think about good laughs. While doing review multiple choice questions as a class, Dr. Preston said, "Omar is going to do great on the AP test. If you're not planning on studying with him, you should rethink your plan." (I think it was something like that) Omar then immediately looked at our table group and with a straight face said, "I'm not taking the AP test." I'm not exactly sure why, but Daniel, Jordan, Miles, Emilio and I all thought that it was hysterical. That moment has stuck with me because for that one moment we were all on the same wavelength which I think is pretty cool. 

       Through this course and the completion of my masterpiece, I was able to remember why I love the outdoors and spending time alone. I've always enjoyed hiking and just being in nature, but with sports and school recently I've been too busy to experience it as much as I would have liked to. These past six month or so I have spent a lot more time joking and finding new places to explore and it has been wonderful. I am very thankful for this course because of it has helped me to find my love of nature again and remember how soothing it is to be alone. 

       A hero's journey is a hard one to complete because a hero is a highly praised character with high expectations. Many people would think that I haven't exactly overcome anything this year and that I just flew under the radar. What people don't know is that on March I began suffering from anxiety and an overload of stress which actually affected me physically. I started having trouble just sitting in class because my heart rate would suddenly rise and unwound get a shortness of breath. The stress got to the point where my hair actually started falling out and I do have a bald spot because of it. It took some time and medication but I am now at the point of getting better. My hair has almost completely stopped falling out and the loss of breath has become minimal. This is something that only my family knew about and I was mostly dealing with alone. Being able to overcome this is something that I am very proud of because it was very scary to deal with. 

       I found a mentor in each of my classmates. Every person enjoys and knows about at least one thing that they could talk about for hours. I enjoyed learning about what everyone was passionate about throughout the last few weeks. A reoccurring theme that I noticed in a few presentation was altruism: feelings and behavior that show a desire to help other people and a lack of selfishness. I saw this in Siera Betts, Stevie Wisz, Michael Hall, Hannah Hurd, Judith Lee, Sierra Sanchez, Victoria Tonascia and Melissa Sobzack's masterpieces. Siera Betts was very selfless while feeding the people who live at the Good Samaritan shelter. Stevie Wisz, when she made the goodie-bags for the ill children in the hospital as well as her plan to do something similar on a larger scale. Hannah Hurd, Judith Lee and Sierra Sanchez volunteered their time at the boys and girls club over spring break to spend time with the children and teach them some sports and games. Michael Hall took his love for riddles and brain teasers and brought the class together to see why he enjoys them so much. Melissa Sobzack and Victoria Tonascia talked to homeless people to hear what they enjoy and are in to. They listened to people who regularly wouldn't even be looked at by most people. I think all of these are awesome and inspirational. 

       It may seem as though my growth in this course was minimal but I have learned a lot in untraditional and unexpected ways. I surprised myself in how much I learned in this course by just listening to what everyone has to say. It's unusual for teens and students to be able to just state their opinion, but in this course we were even heard which is even better. 

Macbeth act 1 study questions

I-1

1) Beginning the play with a dialogue between the witches sets the mood to be dark, evil, and mysterious. This foreshadows the plot, theme, and mood for the future of the story in the same manner. In comparison of Shakespeare's other plays, Macbeth requires more ambiguity and the syntax and diction used needs to be more bleak. For example, Hamlet highlighted the themes of betrayal and complexity of relationships and power. Even though, the theme falls in the same ballpark with Macbeth, the gloominess of the plot of Macbeth overpowers that of Hamlet. In the beginning of the play, the witches were going to meet Macbeth at the "ere of sunset." Line 10 was "Paddock calls" and line 11 was "Anon." The phrase paddock class means a toad, which symbolizes transformation. The word anon means soon or shortly. The "toad" and it's transformation could metaphorically be compared to Macbeth and his evolving and transforming to be a completely different person or even having a transformation in his status and power. The witch's response as anon signifies how Macbeth will shortly have a transformation - to be declared a thane. 

I-2

1. The bloody seargent indirectly characterizes Macbeth by glorifying his actions towards Macdonwald. Macdonwald is a rebel who was executed. He tried to attack them. Macbeth executed macdonwald with his sword. This did not end the fight with the rebels, the Norwegians are still attacking.
2. The traitor was the Thane of Cawdor, as we learn from Ross. Duncan says that its a relief the thane of cawdor was executed and that Macbeth now owns his previous title.

I-3

1. The witches speech gives a first look at Macbeth and his wife without saying who they are. Indirect characterization of the two. Similar to Hamlet where he gives a mini synopsis early in the story. "Weird" in Shakespeare's day meant future seers not weird as we know it, prophecy and destiny. Shakespeare means that Macbeth's wife has him by the balls. They  cast a spell to control his destiny. 
2. Macbeth says something very similar to what the witches said at the beginning of the play. This could be him falling into the destiny the witches set up. Dried, chapped fingers, gender ambiguity, hairy, old, they have literal beards. The witches tell Macbeth that he will thane of Candor and eventually King, right then he finds out he is thane of Cawdor. Banquo asked the witch why they had nothing for him, they told him he is lesser but greater than Macbeth. We knew he was thane before he was thane.
3. Banquo says the witches were a figment of their imagination that they lie or that they are hallucinating. Macbeth learns that he is thane of Cawdor from Ross and Angus. During lines 114-156 he was going over his plan in his head and how everything had just happened to him. He acts very happy and shows no incredulity at being thane. Macbeth's aside shows him rationalizing what happened to him and he begins to think that he is going to be King soon. Macbeth tells Banquo that he is happy and excited and nothing more he explains his behavior by saying he is confused.

I-4

1.Cawdor was executed after openly confessing his treason and pleading for mercy. Malcolm tried to stick up for the thane, but the king responds by basically saying that you can't trust a man according to his face. He doesn't believe the thane was truly repentant.

2.The king greets them by saying that he can never repay them enough for their good deeds, but announces he will leave all his estate and names his son, Malcolm, prince of Cumberland. He then proposes that they go to Macbeth's castle at Inverness. Macbeth tells himself that the only way to be king is to get rid of Malcolm, and even though he'll be appalled at his action, he must do it.

I-5

1. Macbeth was honest with his wife when he informs her of his new title as "Thane of Cawdor." He refers to the witches as "weird sisters" probably because he doesn't want her know that he is associated with the "evil servants."

Lady Macbeth responds by saying that she thinks Macbeth is playng things off as if everything is fine. By saying "but be the serpent under't", she describes him as someone that lies to make everything appear under control. This doesn't really match the characterization of Macbeth so far in the story which implies that there is something the audience doesn't know about him. 

2. The wife was confident about the guests visit. She also seemed prepared and a little cocky about the way her and her husband would handle it.

3. Lady Macbeth. Yes she wants to kill Duncan. No, he isn't sure whether he wants to follow through with Lady Macbeths orders or not. She tells him not to let Duncan see tomorrow. 

4. The question appears to answer itself. 

I-6

1. The opening speeches (1.6.1-10) describe how the surroundings of the castle are "pleasant" and the air is sweet-maybe even too sweet. From the outside, the castle appears to be paradise.
Lady Macbeth's welcome is formal. Her language is totally different from her language in the previous scene which shows how fake and dishonest her welcome was.

I-7

1. "If it were done when 'tis done then 'twere well." If it were done when it was done it was done well. (Meaning if he completed the death quickly and efficiently and with no complications then he did the job well.) Macbeth is determined to kill the king and be done with him but in lines 1-12 he is fearful of how the "inventor" will judge his actions. He's violating the hospitality of his kinship and responsibilities as a host towards his guest by trying to kill his guest instead of protecting them. The motivation that Macbeth attributes to himself in lines 25-28 is the attribute of an Arabic heaven-like God. He will be seen as a "God" and that is his source of motivation to get the job done. 

2. In lines 28-30 she is complaining about him leaving the chamber because it was  almost time for dinner. Macbeth responds to her complaining by saying did he ask for me? And lady Macbeth says don't you know he did? The positions are lady Macbeth is ready for the King to be killed while Macbeth is still hesitant and on the fence about it. Macbeth convinced Lady Macbeth by explaining that he is an respected person and doesn't want to lose his honor while Lady Macbeth convinces Macbeth by convincing him to gain the power and kill the king. The stronger person in the scene is Lady Macbeth because  she's more verbally confident in her argument while convincing Macbeth to kill the King. 

Masterpiece

I've decided to change my masterpiece idea a bit from what Dr. Preston and I talked about. At the time, I was seeking people's perception of awesomeness, but now I'm looking more to find people's "happy place"; the place people go to find their own peace. I've decided to keep all of the individuals I talk to anonymous and only share their gender and age. I hope that these are helpful to the people who have yet to find a special place to themselves or are searching for something new. 

Notes. Part 2

-when dickens wrote, his neighbors would call the cops because he would literally yell and scream and talk in the voice of his characters while creating them 

-"I'm not really writing lyrics, I'm taking notes at this great concert inside my head" 

-dickens was nuts in a good way because he was a creative genius 

-as students we don't get to see the real authors because we are reading to get the lit terms and whatever else out of it. Not the story 

-people 

-the person behind the story the characters you encounter and the people you collaborate with 

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Great expectations notes

 

-pip imagines great things will just happen for him

-children think things will happen if we just wish it 

-pip is an orphan and has a strong sense of being unwanted 

-pip questions whether he is wicked or a good person 

-he doesn't really know what normal is. He has grand expectations and many fears

-has no father 

-the names are very significant 

-the fairytale world is interrupted by the real world 

-he meets two sets of representations of fathers along the way 

-joe is about honest day's work for honest days pay 

-Jagger's knows things about people And he uses it to keep people loyal 

-Estella is not a pure person 

-magwitch has created pips expectations 

-pip comes to an understanding that so many things are recycled and if we feel open to ideas then we come back to them 

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Hamlet the madman?

As the play begins it seems as though Hamlet is very sane and just in mourning while others are going crazy because of their reactions to the death of Hamlet Sr. Hamlet and the guards seem crazier than anyone else because they can see the ghost of Hamlet while the majority of the royal class cannot see him. As the play goes on, it seems more and more evident that Hamlet is crazy in a genius way. After his talk with the ghost, Hamlet seems less upset about his father's death and more angry towards the matter.

Anger and resentment grow inside of Hamlet as Claudius keeps a close eye on him instead of allowing Hamlet to live his own life. Further into the play Claudius realizes why Hamlet is so angry at him, not just because he is being so deceiving towards Hamlet. Hamlet knows that he wants to kill Claudius but also knows that no one will understand why unless Claudius tells the truth about killing Hamlet's father. On his quest to kill Claudius is when more people begin to think Hamlet is insane because he actually wants people to believe that which is why he is so ingenious. Without his father being murdered, Hamlet probably wouldn't have gone crazy, but it is also because of how his father died and the actions of the people around him. Hamlet is able to act crazy while around Polonius, Claudius and Ophelia but when he speaks to his mother, his emotions get the best of him and he nearly reveals his scheme to her because he is so torn between wanting to love his mother as a son should and hating her for being the traitor that she is.

Once the ghost makes a presence in Hamlet's life, everything changes. The ghost changed Hamlet's perspective on Claudius and Gertrude and many of his loyal friends'. There is a lot of truth to this because with just one conversation with the ghost, Hamlet sees that Claudius isn't the great uncle that he claims to be, Gertrude is the loyal, loving mother and wife that everyone thinks she is and Polonius is with whoever can give him a better life along with many of Hamlet's so called friends. This leads to fear and anger in Hamlet and brings nothing but negative thoughts to his head. The ghost is the main reason for Hamlet being crazy or insane.

Poem Comparison

There are so many ways to view or perceive a poem and depending on what a person has been through during their life they can see a poem as dark or gloomy while someone else sees it as happy and inspiring. Whatever anyone has gone through, there is always at least one person who knows how they feel or has gone through something similar. The two poems, "Working Together" by David Whyte and "Everything is Going to be Alright" by Derek Mahon both describe life as difficult but something that is always manageable and something that can be overcome. They highlight the idea that whenever someone feels alone they are never truly alone and they can always find someone to help them through their situation because people working together is so much more strong than one person trying to do it alone. In high school, many students see the world as being against them and there is so much holding them back and very little to look forward to, however these poems insinuate that there is something wonderful to look forward to after high school. "Working Together" starts off saying that we shape ourselves to fit the world but I think what that really means is that everyone wants to fit in with some sort of group socially and they will shape themselves to fit it. This social group is usually the world to them and by them joining the group they have a chance to shape their world as they see it. The poem ends with the author saying that when we figure ourselves out we will see that we are shaped by the things we cannot see about ourselves and our lives