Vocab list 10

aficionado - noun a serious devotee of some particular music genre or musical performer; a fan of bull fighting
browbeat - verb discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate; be bossy towards
commensurate - adj. corresponding in size or degree or extent
diaphanous - adj. so thin as to transmit light
emolument - noun compensation received by virtue of holding an office or having employment (usually in the form of wages or fees)
foray - noun an initial attempt (especially outside your usual areas of competence); a sudden short attack; verb briefly enter enemy territory; steal goods; take as spoils
genre - noun a class of art (or artistic endeavor) having a characteristic form or technique; a kind of literary or artistic work; an expressive style of music; a style of expressing yourself in writing
homily - noun a sermon on a moral or religious topic
immure - verb lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
insouciant - adj. marked by blithe unconcern
matrix - noun mold used in the production of phonograph records, type, or other relief surface; the formative tissue at the base of a nail; the body substance in which tissue cells are embedded; a rectangular array of elements (or entries) set out by rows and columns; an enclosure within which something originates or develops (from the Latin for womb)
obsequies - noun a funeral rite or ceremony
panache - noun a feathered plume on a helmet; distinctive and stylish elegance
persona - noun (Jungian psychology) a personal facade that one presents to the world; an actor's portrayal of someone in a play
philippic - noun a speech of violent denunciation
prurient - adj. characterized by lust
sacrosanct - adj. must be kept sacred
systemic - adj. affecting an entire system
tendentious - adj. having or marked by a strong tendency especially a controversial one
vicissitude - noun mutability in life or nature (especially successive alternation from one condition to another); a variation in circumstances or fortune at different times in your life or in the development of something

Literary Analysis #2: 1984 by George Orwell

1.       Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read.

George Orwell’s 1984 is a novel about Winston Smith living in a country with a totalitarian government. The totalitarian government is known as The Party throughout the novel. Every measure is taken so that no one will be able to rebel or go against The Party. The party has put laws into place forbidding any rebellious thoughts or actions and therefore takes away each of its citizens individuality. Every citizen is carefully observed through cameras and other means to make sure no laws are broken. Many are scared to start or even think about an insurrection due the possibilities of spies. Winston Smith is an average citizen except for the fact that he hates The Party. He writes many of his thoughts in his diary so that he won’t be punished for speaking out. One day he is passed a letter from a woman named Julia that says “I love you.” Winston thinks this is a trap because love is forbidden and that The Party is setting him up. Eventually he learns that it is not a trap and the two have an affair. The two frequently rent a room above a store. Winston becomes interested with an organization known as The Brotherhood. The Brotherhood works in secret to go against The Party. Winston is contacted by O’Brien who is the leader of The Brotherhood. Winston and Julia meet up with O’Brien who gives them an introduction The Brotherhood and indoctrinates them. Winston and Julia meet up in the rented room where they are seized by The Party. They are taken to the Ministry of Love where Winston is tortured through his worst fear in turning against his rebellious views and his love, Julia. He is “taught” to love The Party and to be loyal.

2.       Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

1984 has a pretty clear theme. That the government given enough power can censor and control its citizens. In short the government could to some extent influence a citizen’s thoughts and actions. Of course it won’t be as extreme as that in 1984 but is in many ways the same. Even in modern societies throughout the world a nation’s government tries to censor its citizens by censoring the internet. In countries such as China it does not allow a person to type “independence” into a search site. The USA is also facing many censorship bills that hope to limit what people can write on the internet. It is evident that modern society is heading down a path of limited free speech just like in 1984.

3.       Describe the author's tone.  Include three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

The author’s tone throughout the novel is paranoid, dark, and frustration.

·         “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.” I think this shows the dark tone of George Orwell. It tells of a scary and dark future.

·         “If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.” This quote shows the paranoid tone of George Orwell. It is saying how The Party will find out your secrets if you aren’t careful.

·         “Big Brother is Watching You.” This quote in itself explains the paranoid tone of George Orwell.

4.       Describe five literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthen your understanding of the theme and/or your sense of the tone.  Include three excerpts (for each element) that will help your reader understand each one.

·         One of the biggest literary techniques used by George Orwell was the point of view. The story was told from the point of view of Winston Smith. This had a huge impact on the tone throughout the novel and that it is obvious why.  Winston was often paranoid that he will be found out and that has gives the novel a paranoid tone.

·         George Orwell also uses a little foreshadowing. These give the novel a dark and eerie feel to it. For example the St. Clements Church theme song is, “Here comes a chopper to chop off your head.” That is creepy and most certainly dark.

·         Suspense is a technique used by George Orwell to set the mood and setting. The constant thought of Winston and Julia getting caught or not keeps the reader in suspense, therefore, creates a feeling of uncertainty.

·         The use of symbolism is a way for George Orwell to give The Party a face. The posters of Big Brother and monitors are symbols that let the citizens know that The Party is watching them.

·         George Orwell uses both direct and indirect characterizations in his novel. Direct characterization is used to describe the character’s physical appearance and their jobs. For example it says Winston works in the Ministry of Truth and that Julia is a dark haired woman. Indirect characterization is used to find out the character’s personality and motives. For example Winston writing in his diary shows he harbors some rebellious thoughts against The Party and that shows he is rebellious himself. Julia is shown to be optimistic when she believes that her affair with Winston will never be found out.

Characterization

1. George Orwell uses direct characterization to describe the characters appearance and their traits such as being intelligent. When Winston sees Julia for the first time it directly describes her appearance. The author also describes Winston as being intelligent due to his job. Orwell uses indirect characterization through the characters actions and thoughts. He reveals Winston's revolutionary thoughts through Winston's journal telling the reader he was rebellious.
2. Orwell does not change diction or syntax when focusing on a character.
3. Winston is dynamic because he changes throughout the novel due to outside influence. He becomes more courageous and daring due to Julia and the Brotherhood. Winston is also a round character because at first he's a coward but then he becomes brave then back to a coward.
4. I felt like I came away from meeting a character. I wasn't able to relate to the character or his situation so it didn't feel as real to me.

Tools That Change the Way We Think

There is usually an upside and a downside when it comes to new innovative inventions. Technology and Internet are no exception as they have both positively and negatively changed and impacted the way I think. An average human's daily routine has greatly been changed just in these past five to ten years. It used to be you would wake up read the morning newspaper but now it's pick up your smartphone or turn on your laptop and walah!

I'm sure this has happened to you as it has to happened me. You have a question and you ask a friend or peer and they reply "Google it". This phrase also comes up during trivial arguments when it is necessary to solve a conflict. All this information stored on the internet, and quickly accessible and pinpointed through search engines has caused us to use it as our own personal answer genie. This of course is great but at the same time bad. Because we rely on the internet for most our answers, we don't really take the effort to learn. What I mean by this is we see the information on the web as something that will always be there so instead of learning it and committing it to memory we just come back to or bookmark the site. This heavy reliance on the internet makes it so we digest so much information in such a short period of time that our brain is unable to commit it to long term memory and instead it becomes information we forget in the next few days. Either that or it makes us lazy because we know we can come back and find the same information again. I have also become accustomed to this way of thinking also. I learn a bunch of information on a particular subject through Wiklapedia and the next day I won't remember a thing.

The upside is pretty obvious. We have a near infinite amount of knowledge of information at our fingertips, literally. Who needs a doctor when we can diagnose our illness through the internet. Even better it tells us how to remedy these illnesses. Whatever you need to know it is usually found on the internet.

Technology has pretty much ruined my concentration. I find myself constantly watching funny youtube videos. I am constantly distracted by all the technology around me.

Who Was Shakespeare?

Shakespeare was an English poet who wrote 38 plays and 154 sonnets. He was born in Stratford and at the age of 18 marries Anne Hathaway. He had three children with Anne Hathaway. Along with being a poet he was an actor and part owner of a playing company called King's Men. He retired to Stratford at the age of 49 and died years later.

There are still many unknown facts about Shakespeare. For instance where he went to school and what inspired him to be a writer/poet. His private life is a huge mystery and in my opinion might be pretty interesting.

Shakespeare to most students is a horrible experience. They mainly look at his work with disgust with the exception of few. This is mostly due to his intricate writing style and unfamiliar language. Over the years my stance on Shakespeare still stands and that is I don't really like his works. What I get now is that many modern plays and movies are derived from Shakespeare. I struggle with Shakespeare because I am horrible with reading and understanding poems and plays and Shakespeare puts those two together.

To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

When I first started Facebook I thought it was pretty neat. There was a way for you to connect with friends and share your thoughts in such a simple way. I did not see many problems with it at all. Facebook allowed for one to be more socially aware of what is going on with the people around him or her. These of course were my initial thoughts and have changed to some extent. I did not think there were to many risks to using Facebook. It was just a simple social website like Myspace but better. The only risk I thought of was maybe people posting weird pictures of you.

Personally I don't use Facebook that much but by reading the article and the discussions in class I realized that really doesn't matter. Facebook is still able to get my personal information and use it as a marketing tool or whatever. I have turned on my privacy settings to the highest but that still doesn't make me feel secured. Even though random people will not be able to view my personal information Facebook is still able to do so and uses that information for its own purpose. I still think Facebook is a good social site but it seems like now they have other motives besides being a simple social site.

Vocab 9

abortive: failing to succeed; unsuccessful
bruit: to voice abroad; rumor
contumelious: describing a humiliating insult
dictum: a saying; maxim; judicial assertioin
ensconce: to settle securely or snugly
iconoclastic: attacking or ignoring cherished beliefs and long-held traditions
in medias res: in the middle of things
internecine: of or pertaining to conflict or struggle within a group; mutually descructive
maladroit: unskillful; awkward; bungling; tactless
maudlin: tearfully or weakly emotional, foolishly sentimental
modulate: to regulate or adjust to a cettain measure or proportion; soften; tone down
portentous: ominously significant or indicative
prescience: knowledge of things before they happen; foresight
quid pro quo: one thing in return for another
salubrious: favorable to or promoting health; healthful
saturnalian: unrestrained revelry; orgy
touchstone: a test or criterion for the qualities of a thing
traumatic: of, pertaining to, or produced by a trauma or wound; psychologically painful
vitiate: to impair the qualitiy of; make faulty; spoil
waggish: roguish in merriment and good humor

Vocab Midterm Autopsy

 I did better than I expected on the Vocab Midterm. Reviewing vocab not everyday but once in awhile greatly attributed to the score on my midterm. I will keep reviewing vocab regularly so that I can do just as well on the Vocab Final.

Vocab List #8

abeyance - noun temporary cessation or suspension
ambivalent - adj. uncertain or unable to decide about what course to follow
beleaguer - verb surround so as to force to give up; annoy persistently
carte blanche - noun complete freedom or authority to act
cataclysm - noun an event resulting in great loss and misfortune; a sudden violent change in the earth's surface
debauch - noun a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity; verb corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality
eclat - noun brilliant or conspicuous success or effect; ceremonial elegance and splendor; enthusiastic approval
fastidious - adj. giving careful attention to detail; hard to please; excessively concerned with cleanliness; having complicated nutritional requirements; especially growing only in special artificial cultures
gambol - noun gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement; verb play boisterously
imbue - verb suffuse with color; fill, soak, or imbue totally; spread or diffuse through
inchoate - adj. only partly in existence; imperfectly formed
lampoon - noun a composition that imitates somebody's style in a humorous way; verb ridicule with satire
malleable - adj. capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out;easily influenced
nemesis - noun (Greek mythology) the goddess of divine retribution and vengeance; something causes misery or death
opt - verb select as an alternative; choose instead; prefer as an alternative
philistine - adj. of or relating to ancient Philistia or the culture of the Philistines; smug and ignorant and indifferent or hostile to artistic and cultural values; noun a member of an Aegean people who settled ancient Philistia around the 12th century BC; a person who is uninterested in intellectual pursuits
picaresque - adj. involving clever rogues or adventurers especially as in a type of fiction
queasy - adj. causing or fraught with or showing anxiety; feeling nausea; feeling about to vomit; causing or able to cause nausea
refractory - adj. temporarily unresponsive or not fully responsive to nervous or sexual stimuli; not responding to treatment; stubbornly resistant to authority or control; noun lining consisting of material with a high melting point; used to line the inside walls of a furnace
savoir-faire - noun social skill

Vocab Midterm Studying Strategy

My strategy is to study alone and use flashcards.

Used Quizlet to prepare.