Blog Assignment #4 - Due Tuesday, May 25th

Select a meaningful (and blog appropriate) quote from A Prayer for Owen Meany. Explain why this quote is important to the story, theme, characters, etc. (10 points)

Guest Blogger - Melissa D.

Today in class we did a discussion about one of the many themes of Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. The theme we began discussing was about the power of knowledge and how when put in the wrong hands it can be abused. We discussed how Victor’s power-hungry attitude for seeing how much he could accomplish actually ended up hurting him and driving him to become physically ill and have extreme feelings of guilt and sorrow as his creation began murdering those who he loved. One of the things I noticed in the book was how Victor seemed to have all these “book smarts” but didn’t have enough knowledge to realize that what he was doing wasn’t moral. “When I found so astonishing a power placed within my hands, I hesitated a long time concerning the manner in which I should employ it” (Shelly 54). This quote shows that his power of him succeeding in the creation of life over powered his consciousness and common sense. This very observation led our class discussion to a modern controversy that was sparked by this book which is the question of whether man should be able to gain the knowledge and power in order to actually create another human being. After reading Frankenstein, I realize that it may not be as good of an idea to put that kind of power into the hands of such a flawed creature. We see in this story how Victor’s success actually scares him and causes him to abandon this new being causing it to be alone and eventually seek vengeance. Victor’s actions are somewhat of how I would imagine real life scientist to react. If man was to create a man, just to see if they could do it, what would then happen to this new person? Would it be killed to be used for parts? We would have created a HUMAN BEING, not a car or a lawn mower. Even if the human was simply created in a test tube, it was still born with feelings, a brain and a conscious, right? An argument that could be put forth disputing my comment could be something like what a mother would say to a misbehaving child, “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!” The only difference is, a child has an actual family, who is there to raise it for the good and to love and care for it, where as a clone lacks that part of his/her life. But does that make it right to abandon or kill it? That is basically what happened to the creature. It lacked a family, someone to care and nurture him for the good of the community. He was abandoned and therefore acted out because he didn’t exactly know better, at first. Like a real human, he learned and developed exactly how a clone created today would eventually do. Frankenstein defiantly sparked a whole new train of thought for me, in class and even after the bell rang. New opinions where defiantly formed, much like a lot of readers experience after reading such an intense story.

Guest Blogger - Katie H.

Well, I have to say, now that we have finished As I Lay Dying, I really like the book. It wasn’t very much fun to read, but the more we talk about it in class the more I like it. One of the characters that I find particularly interesting is Cash Bundren. Cash does not have very many chapters and he is often just a background character, but now that I look back, there is a lot more to Cash than I first realized.

First of all, Cash is very logical making him different from the rest of the family. While the other family members talk about their feelings and emotions, Cash is straightforward and he simply tells us what is happening. Cash’s first chapter in the book is a numbered list about the coffin. The way Cash builds the coffin also shows us that Cash likes things to be neat and in order. This is very different from the other children who tend to ramble in their chapters and stray far from the topic. Cash’s logic is most obviously seen when the family is crossing the river. Cash suggests that part of the family crosses ahead of the wagon. He says, “Dewey Dell and Vardaman and pa better walk across on the bridge” (pg. 126). This proves to be a very good idea because the wagon does not make it across the river very easily. Cash is also the one to point out that the coffin is not balanced on the wagon. However, the family does not pay attention to him and the coffin ends up falling into the river.

Another think about Cash is that he bears a lot and he does not complain. Throughout the family’s journey to Jefferson, Cash is the one that suffers the most. He breaks his leg while crossing the river, but he never complains. He always puts the family’s needs ahead of his own. Even after they have reached Jefferson Cash tells the family to bury Addie before taking him to the doctor. Cash also quietly bears the problems within the family. When he finds out about Jewel’s horse, he does not tell anyone and he seems to understand Jewel. Darl notices Cash looking at Jewel and he says, “…it was not a worried look; it was the kind of look I would see on him when I would find him doing some of Jewel’s work around the house” (pg. 133). Then when Addie becomes upset, Cash shows love for his mother instead of jealousy because of her love for Jewel.

One thing, though, that surprised me about Cash was the he let Darl be taken away at the end of the story. Cash seemed to be the one who cared the most about the family and I did not expect him to let Darl go so easily.

Overall, I have found Cash to be a very interesting character even though he has a small role in the book.

Guest Blogger - Katie H.

After writing the in class essay, and finally reading volume one of Mary Shelley’s Frankestein, I realized what really made the novel a horror story. Its not just the fact that Victor Frankenstein stole pieces of dead bodies, put them together, and used electricity to make a “person” its also the way that Shelley uses vivid imagery to paint a picture for the reader. I expected the book to be a monster that was running around killing people and nothing could stop it. I was wrong. I had the Hollywood version of this novel in my head, but I surprisingly like Mary Shelley’s novel better. I always thought that the movies were cheesy. Anyways, back to the book. “Sometimes my pulse beat so quickly and hardly that I felt the palpitation of every artery” (Shelley 59). The imagery of Victor Frankenstein’s heart reacting to the adrenaline conveys to the reader his fear of his own creation. The reader can also relate, because we have all been in a frightening situation where there is nothing we can do. Victor also experiences the opposite of fear, “at others, I nearly sank to the ground through languor and extreme weakness” (Shelley 59). Instead of being afraid, Victor chooses not to deal with his troubles, instead he tries to ignore them by giving in to his exhaustion and sleeping. Shelly portrays an image of Victor collapsing and staying there for hours. At least thats how I pictured what happened to him. I saw it as Victor being as tired as if he stayed awake for three days straight and his body could not go on any longer, and finally forced him to sleep. “...a cold shivering came over me. I threw the door forcibly open, as children are accustomed to do when they expect a spectre to stand in waiting for them on the other side; but nothing appeared I stepped fearfully in: the apartment was empty; and my bedroom was also freed from its hideous guest” (Shelley 62). When Henry Clerval, Victor’s friend, comes to visit him, Victor realizes that he has not addressed the problem of his creation. His panic is not only shown through his thoughts but his actions this time. He compares himself to a child, like when you hear your first ghost-story as a kid and for the next week or so you freak out at every little noise.
So far, I’m really enjoying Frankenstein, it is slightly confusing but after we discuss a few of the things I start to understand it more.

Blog Assignment #3 - Due Tuesday, May 4th

Practice for the AP Lit Exam! Follow the link below and take the 20 question practice AP Lit Exam. DO NOT post your score on the blog. E-mail Ms. Arko your score (miarko@rochester.k12.mn.us) or print off your score and turn it in. Credit will not be based on the score you receive on the practice exam, just that you completed it.
Good Luck! (10 points)

http://www.shmoop.com/ap-english-literature/

Guest Blogger - Zack J.

We've just finished reading As I Lay Dying. We've really been looking in depth at perspective, which this book has a whole lot of. I thought that the story was really difficult to keep together while reading through all the different character's chapters. The character's feelings about their mother's death vary dramatically throughout all the children. As I Lay Dying is about the death of Addie. However, we only see the story from her perspective during only one chapter. During this chapter we learn a lot about the background of the family and the feelings of Addie and her reasoning for being buried in Jefferson. Addie really doesn't like her life which is kind of sad because she has all those kids, whom most of them hate her, with the exception of a couple. Addie believed that we live to get ready for death. This story was boring to me because there was no action. I thought the plot was plain and had very little interesting aspects of it. It seemed to me as if Addie was the only thing holding the family together. None of the kids liked their father Anse, who brought a new wife to Addie's funeral which is not very classy. I think that this story is about a family that did not get along with each other; they were a family because they had to be. Addie believed that words were just words, and actions said everything. I thought it was funny how Addie got revenge on her family by making them bury her in Jefferson which would cause the family conflicts. This followed her belief of actions say everything, because she knew that making her family take her to Jefferson would be a major struggle for the family.

Guest Blogger - Sophie H.

So what the heck is with all these dead people? William Faulkner seems to be obsessed. I mean seriously, from As I Lay Dying to A Rose for Emily? It is quite creepy. But if you look closely the stories are very similar. Obviously they both have dead people who are around for much longer then they needed to be. Addie, who was carted around in a coffin for a week and Emily’s lover, who laid in her bed and she slept next to for years? Also they both have odd smells coming from Addie’s coffin and the smell from the dead person in Ms. Emily’s house. Both stories play with point of view, but if you look deeper into the stories, there is more. Both stories have to do with a deeply misunderstood woman. Ms. Emily we finally realize is psycho. But obviously something happened along the line that made her snap. We realize something is wrong when she won’t let her father’s dead body leave the house for three days. By the end Ms. Emily has killed her lover and has slept with his dead body for years. Addie is less obviously misunderstood. We only see what she thinks through her chapter. Addie hates her life and only loves Jewel. And she believes that we live our life to die. Although Addie didn’t kill anyone, do you believe there is a reason they both act strangely? What could have happened to Ms. Emily to cause her to kill?