Showing posts with label Week 4. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Week 4. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Post #7 Form A
“The rebel province was overcome by the imperial army’s attack. The King of Qi was brought to the Capital in chains. A decree from the sovereign stripped him of his position, his title, and his nobility. Now deposed, reduced to the state of a commoner and imprisoned, he received the order to commit suicide.” (73) This is a major cultural difference for a ton of reasons. First, we don’t really chain people up anymore. People are handcuffed but the way it’s phrased in this sentence it sounds like more than just handcuffs. Secondly, in the US at least, we don’t really have ‘nobility’ nor do we give orders to commit suicide. And even if the order to commit suicide was given to someone, it is very unlikely that they would carry it out unlike in ancient China.
Post #8 Form B
‘“My little cousin, I have heard stories of you,” she said, pronouncing each word carefully. Her lips were two petals of red grenadine. “I shall take care of your instruction, my little, wild one.”’ (52) This is the beginning of a very very very very bad relationship for Heavenlight. She falls in love with her cousin, the Gracious Wife. “In fact my longing to see her again supplanted every other agony. Freed from the anguish of mourning, I was now enslaved by a new torment. I did not know this was the being of love: Taut as an archer’s bow, my soul distended with expectation, my desire tightly coiled, my stomach tensed.”(54) So, she falls in love with her. She thinks about her constantly and is anguished to be apart from her. Finally, she meets the Gracious Wife again. They sleep together. Yes, the intimate kind of sleeping together. They sleep together, the Gracious Wife beats her. They sleep together, the Gracious Wife beats her. The Gracious Wife even makes her sleep with other girls. “She forced strangers on me, girls I did not desire. In that accumulation of mouths and breasts, above the mirror that multiplied the gaping orifices further, she would beat me until I bled. The other women would fondle on another as they watched me. They were naked, with their heads between on another’s thighs, their bodies writhing in the blaze of sunlight, shrieking with pleasure; and I felt only loathing.” (62) Like I said, a very very very very bad relationship for Heavenlight.
(Do you pity me yet for having to read this Ms. Burgess?)
(Do you pity me yet for having to read this Ms. Burgess?)
Monday, March 3, 2008
Post #8 Form B
I am constantly impressed by the wisdom shown by Jeannette’s parents. Though some of their ideas about things aren’t what society would consider appropriate nowadays they often have excellent pearls of wisdom. An example of this is when Jeannette tells her mom that they should get a “No-Pest Strip like Carla’s family” but her mother refuses saying, “If it kills the flies it can’t be very good for us.” (65) However, some of Jeannette’s parents’ approaches are no longer considered good parenting. One example of this is when Jeannette goes out to play with her friends and gets a large gash. When she show’s her mother the cut her mother says, “Nothing but a minor flesh wound” (59) despite the mother of the girl Jeannette was playing with saying that Jeannette’s mother should take her in to get stitches. Jeannette’s parent’s ‘hands off’ approach to parenting works both ways for the children. Though they grow up in an environment where they learn from their mistakes it also means that when they make mistakes they must deal with all that accompanies those mistakes without the help of an adult. Though her parent’s are more than capable of giving great advice and thinking of things in a way which is beneficial to their children they often choose not to ‘on behalf of their children learning from mistakes’.
Post #7 Form A
Vocab
barite (54): a common mineral, barium sulfate, BaSO4, occurring in white, yellow, or colorless tabular crystals: the principal ore of barium.
tobogganing (54): the noun form of the word is toboggan: A long, narrow, runnerless sled constructed of thin boards curled upward at the front end.
Figurative Language
"Dad said you could read my face like a traffic light." (54)
This is a simile because it is comparing her face to a traffic light using the word 'like'.
"Off to one side was a room with rows of slot machines that were constantly clinking and ticking and flashing lights." (55)
This uses onomatopoeia through the words 'clinking' and 'ticking' which are words that represent a sound.
"Where I tossed in the match, a cone of flame shot up with a whoosh like a jet after burner." (61)
This sentence uses both onomatopoeia with the word 'whoosh' and simile when comparing the 'flame shooting up' to 'a jet after burner' using the word 'like'.
Quote
" I thought Dad would be furious, but he wasn't. He was sort of quiet. We stood on the street watching the flames devour the shack. Dad had an arm around each of us." (61)
This quote is significant because it shows how even her dad, the father she looked up to, could be shaken up.
Theme
It's good to get out in the world, to live in it, but it's also good to be wary of it.
barite (54): a common mineral, barium sulfate, BaSO4, occurring in white, yellow, or colorless tabular crystals: the principal ore of barium.
tobogganing (54): the noun form of the word is toboggan: A long, narrow, runnerless sled constructed of thin boards curled upward at the front end.
Figurative Language
"Dad said you could read my face like a traffic light." (54)
This is a simile because it is comparing her face to a traffic light using the word 'like'.
"Off to one side was a room with rows of slot machines that were constantly clinking and ticking and flashing lights." (55)
This uses onomatopoeia through the words 'clinking' and 'ticking' which are words that represent a sound.
"Where I tossed in the match, a cone of flame shot up with a whoosh like a jet after burner." (61)
This sentence uses both onomatopoeia with the word 'whoosh' and simile when comparing the 'flame shooting up' to 'a jet after burner' using the word 'like'.
Quote
" I thought Dad would be furious, but he wasn't. He was sort of quiet. We stood on the street watching the flames devour the shack. Dad had an arm around each of us." (61)
This quote is significant because it shows how even her dad, the father she looked up to, could be shaken up.
Theme
It's good to get out in the world, to live in it, but it's also good to be wary of it.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Post #8 Form B
Dear Joe Abercrombie author of the book The Blade Itself,
Having started reading your book it occurred to me that you use a lot of description for certain aspects of the story such as the fencing matches. Do you fence? If not, did you do a lot of research in order to learn enough about the topic to write about it in such detail? In fact, all of you fighting scenes are quite thoroughly written. Did you just kind of make it up as to how you envisioned it or did you do research? I ask this because I really like the practicality of your fight scenes. They aren’t embellished or made too simple. They are how one would think a fight would be in the real world. If we still fought with swords that is…
Also, much of this story seems to be modeled off of medieval times. (as many fantasy stories are) Was this something you studied as well? Or was it based off of prior knowledge? I don’t really know why but it seems to me, from reading the book, that you must have researched these topics. They seem too precise to just be made up or based off of prior knowledge. Anyway, I hope the book continues to impress me with it’s quality.
A content reader,
Virginia
Having started reading your book it occurred to me that you use a lot of description for certain aspects of the story such as the fencing matches. Do you fence? If not, did you do a lot of research in order to learn enough about the topic to write about it in such detail? In fact, all of you fighting scenes are quite thoroughly written. Did you just kind of make it up as to how you envisioned it or did you do research? I ask this because I really like the practicality of your fight scenes. They aren’t embellished or made too simple. They are how one would think a fight would be in the real world. If we still fought with swords that is…
Also, much of this story seems to be modeled off of medieval times. (as many fantasy stories are) Was this something you studied as well? Or was it based off of prior knowledge? I don’t really know why but it seems to me, from reading the book, that you must have researched these topics. They seem too precise to just be made up or based off of prior knowledge. Anyway, I hope the book continues to impress me with it’s quality.
A content reader,
Virginia
Post #7 Form A
Vocab (all definitions are from dictionary.com)
Gorse (59): any spiny shrub of the genus Ulex, of the legume family, native to the Old World, esp. U. europaeus, having rudimentary leaves and yellow flowers and growing in waste places and sandy soil.
Bout (65): a contest or trial of strength; period; session; spell; a going and returning across a field, as in mowing or reaping.
Figurative Language
"ooof" (64) is onomatopoeia because it represents the sound it stands for.
"They say Bremer dan Gorst has a back leg like a pillar of steel." (65) is a simile when they compare the leg to a pillar of steel using the world like.
'squeak' on page 73 is onomatopoeia because it represents the sound it stands for.
Quote
"Mildly offensive to my brother, which is good. Somewhat amusing, which is also good. Honest, which is refreshing, and wildly complimentary to me, which, of course, is excellent. A little late, but on the whole worth waiting for." (71)
This is kind of random for the book to put in but I thought it was significant because it adds a little humor which breaks up the bloody gory parts of the book well. It makes The Blade Itself at least bearable to read if you aren't used to this type of story.
Theme
I'm sorry if I seem unimaginative however, I still prefer my original theme-Life is hard; deal with it.
Gorse (59): any spiny shrub of the genus Ulex, of the legume family, native to the Old World, esp. U. europaeus, having rudimentary leaves and yellow flowers and growing in waste places and sandy soil.
Bout (65): a contest or trial of strength; period; session; spell; a going and returning across a field, as in mowing or reaping.
Figurative Language
"ooof" (64) is onomatopoeia because it represents the sound it stands for.
"They say Bremer dan Gorst has a back leg like a pillar of steel." (65) is a simile when they compare the leg to a pillar of steel using the world like.
'squeak' on page 73 is onomatopoeia because it represents the sound it stands for.
Quote
"Mildly offensive to my brother, which is good. Somewhat amusing, which is also good. Honest, which is refreshing, and wildly complimentary to me, which, of course, is excellent. A little late, but on the whole worth waiting for." (71)
This is kind of random for the book to put in but I thought it was significant because it adds a little humor which breaks up the bloody gory parts of the book well. It makes The Blade Itself at least bearable to read if you aren't used to this type of story.
Theme
I'm sorry if I seem unimaginative however, I still prefer my original theme-Life is hard; deal with it.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Post # 8 Form B
I have to wonder what Jung’s mother was thinking about the Communist Party as it changed over the time she was serving in it. At first it seemed so much more liberating than anything Manchuria had experienced thus far, but throughout this portion of the book it becomes clear that the Communist Party isn’t what the people had dreamed. There were people who were devout to the system, like Jung’s father, but there were also people who found it restrictive. On page 171 Jung’s mother is glared at by her peers and comrades just because she wears some color under her work clothes. The conformity of the Communist society was really quite suffocating to some people and one must wonder just how much more ‘liberating’ this new government was. Jung’s mother is constantly feeling slighted by the always increasing rules instated by the Communist Party. She nearly dies multiple times and if she had even tried to do better for herself the society would have ridiculed her and called on her for such violations of the rules. Even after she has a miscarriage people around her still blame her for being weak and bourgeois. To her it always seems as though people are out to prove her disloyal and unfit to be a member of the party. She constantly refers to her doubts about the Party and always seems torn between her own beliefs of what the Party was supposed to be and what it has become.
Post #7 Form A
Vocab (all definitions are from http://www.dictionary.com/)
rococo (141): a style of architecture and decoration, originating in France about 1720, evolved from Baroque types and distinguished by its elegant refinement in using different materials for a delicate overall effect and by its ornament of shellwork, foliage, etc.
rattan (149): any of various climbing palms of the genus Calamus or allied genera.
Appeals
Everyone feels as though they are not understood sometimes. Jung draws from this in an emotional appeal on page 141 when she writes about the mother's desire to be more understood by her husband. She feels like he doesn't put her well being above his work.
"She walked all the way back to the barracks in excruciating pain. [...] Everybody except the guards had gone to the opera. She managed to drag herself to her bed, and by the light of the lamp she saw that her trousers were soaked with blood. She fainted as soon as her head hit the bed. She had lost her first child. An there was nobody near her." (145-146)
This appeals to the reader emotionally through sympathy. You feel bad for her because she is alone, in a LOT of pain, and going through a terrible experience. It really pulls at your heartstrings.
"My mother was staggered, almost awestruck, at this defiance. As expected, there were plenty of disapproving glances. But Mrs. Ting held her chin up: 'Who cares?' she said to my mother. My mother was tremendously relieved; with the sanction of her boss, she could ignore any criticisms, verbal or wordless." (171)
It's always easier to get by in life if someone is on your side. Especially if you are going against the 'norm'. This passage appeals to the reader emotionally because you can really understand how she feels and have most likely been in a similar situation.
Quote
"My mother understood the theory, but that did not stop her thinking about the fact that my father was giving her no sympathy while she was sick and exhausted the whole time, trudging along, carrying her bedroll, sweating, vomiting, her legs like lead." (143)
This quote shows how difficult her life was and the resentment she felt. It is significant because a similar theme reappears multiple times after this. She is always feeling as though her husband doesn't care enough for her and always seems to be forced to endure extreme hardships.
Themes
The theme of this portion of the book seems to lean more towards the importance of pulling through hardships and enjoying the little things as much as possible.
rococo (141): a style of architecture and decoration, originating in France about 1720, evolved from Baroque types and distinguished by its elegant refinement in using different materials for a delicate overall effect and by its ornament of shellwork, foliage, etc.
rattan (149): any of various climbing palms of the genus Calamus or allied genera.
Appeals
Everyone feels as though they are not understood sometimes. Jung draws from this in an emotional appeal on page 141 when she writes about the mother's desire to be more understood by her husband. She feels like he doesn't put her well being above his work.
"She walked all the way back to the barracks in excruciating pain. [...] Everybody except the guards had gone to the opera. She managed to drag herself to her bed, and by the light of the lamp she saw that her trousers were soaked with blood. She fainted as soon as her head hit the bed. She had lost her first child. An there was nobody near her." (145-146)
This appeals to the reader emotionally through sympathy. You feel bad for her because she is alone, in a LOT of pain, and going through a terrible experience. It really pulls at your heartstrings.
"My mother was staggered, almost awestruck, at this defiance. As expected, there were plenty of disapproving glances. But Mrs. Ting held her chin up: 'Who cares?' she said to my mother. My mother was tremendously relieved; with the sanction of her boss, she could ignore any criticisms, verbal or wordless." (171)
It's always easier to get by in life if someone is on your side. Especially if you are going against the 'norm'. This passage appeals to the reader emotionally because you can really understand how she feels and have most likely been in a similar situation.
Quote
"My mother understood the theory, but that did not stop her thinking about the fact that my father was giving her no sympathy while she was sick and exhausted the whole time, trudging along, carrying her bedroll, sweating, vomiting, her legs like lead." (143)
This quote shows how difficult her life was and the resentment she felt. It is significant because a similar theme reappears multiple times after this. She is always feeling as though her husband doesn't care enough for her and always seems to be forced to endure extreme hardships.
Themes
The theme of this portion of the book seems to lean more towards the importance of pulling through hardships and enjoying the little things as much as possible.
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