Literary Analysis #4 Great Expectations

1.       A quick summary of  Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is that it is a story about a young boy named Pip. His parents are deceased and is living with his sister and her husband. At the beginning of the story his attacked by a convict; but soon after the convict is picked up. Then Pip is taken by his uncle to Lady Havisham who is quite her own character. There he meets a young girl named Estella. There Pip falls in love with her but she treats him horribly. He still continues to love her in hops that he will become a gentleman that will be able to marry her. Miss Havisham has a different plan for him to become a common laborer. Pip then works for his brother-in-law who is a blacksmith.  Then he hears great news that there is someone in London who wants to help him become a gentlemen and send him to school. In London he continues to go to school and befriends Herbert Pocket where the run up a lot of debts while in London. When he reached 21 he finally began to receive his fortune. Then his sister dies so he returns home for the funeral. Where the convict returns and tells him that he has been the supplyer of his money. Later on he finds outs that the convicts name is Magwitch and that his daughter is Estella and she has been raised to hate young men and break their hearts.  As time goes buy Pip find outs that Estella is to get married and that Miss Havisham has set herself on fire.  Then Pip tries to help Magwitch escape but he fails in the attempt and sentenced to death.  Soon after he discovers that Estella’s husband has died and when they meet and talk about the past they end up walking away hand and hand.

2.       I believe the theme of the story has to do with social class. Throughout this whole story it had always been a basis of a social class. Pip was a commoner who wanted to become a gentlemen to show that he was worth something in order to marry Estella. Miss Havishman was of a higher class. Although she despised men she still did not care about what Pip wanted but helped him stay a common laborer.

3.       The author’s tone is a bit hopeful. Though out the story Pip hopes that he can become a gentleman is order to be worthy of Estella. Miss Havishim hopes that she can raise Estella to hate men and break their hearts as she got her heart broken.  Magwitch hopes that he can finally escape.

4.       Metaphor-"... think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day."

Setting- "As I was looking out at the iron gate of Bartholomew Close into Little Britain, I saw Miss Jaggers coming across the road towards me."

Point of view-"I looked all around for the horrible young man, and could see no signs of him."

 

1.       An example  of direct characterization is “ a man in all coarse gray” and an example of indirect characterization is when Miss Havishim is describing Pip it reveals that she is a very sour lady.

2.       I think he changes his syntax when he focuses on other characters.

3.        Pip is a round and dynamic character because he changed from becoming a hard worker to a gentlemen.

4.       After reading this novel and basing it on my final presentation I think I felt connected to Pip.  Pip is genuine guy. He is very nice and caring especially when he forgives Estella.  

Lit Analysis #3 No Exit

1.  A summary for this would be about people who are totured with limits and the concept of people' hell.

2. I believe the theme is that people can put limits on us and we need to be able to comtol our own limits.

3. The author's tone is mean. He sets three people in a room together with no way out. When you are in a room with the same thing for days it is hard to not be in hell. He is seems a bit harsh when writing this.
4. One element is dialogue. The charcters speak to eachother to show what each of them is thinking. Another element is symblosim for example the place that they are set is a hell to the audience or the readers. But to the characters it is the time, people, place, and mindset that create their hell.



1. Two exampls of indirect characterization is the room itself. It is never directly told to being hell. Another belongs to all characters. You can see the annoyance they have with eachother in the way that they speak. An example of direct characterization is that Inez admitting that she is cruel and Garcin admits that he is disgusted by the two girls.

2. The diction changes when Estelle talks to Garcin because she likes him. She is a lot nicer to him and not as mean.

3. The protagonists are static because they never change. They completey stay in the same mindset.

4. I felt like I had them because it shows that the longer you know someone you begin to see their true colors.

Thinking Outside the Box

Plato and Sarte each described a place that can be considered hell. While Plato intended it more to be stuck in one place knowing only one thing without any education at all. Sarte made each charcter to have a corrupt sense of truth and what was realiable. They each showed the ignorance that people have. Although the characters from No Exit expirenced a sense or reality unlike the prisoners they each witnessed it different in the way they interpreted what they thought.This goes back to what Plato also conveyed is that we are stuck in our mindset and that even if we are led into the light we have to change  our mindset in order to contiue and not return to the cave. I believe both authors are right when diplsying their allegorys. Each has a differemt point of view. It is up to every reader to determine what point they will bring out of it. Each person will read and comprehend it differently but many will come out with the same sense.

No Exit

 

 

I think that hell can be a really place. Growing up and being involved in the Catholic church I have always been taugh to fear hell. In movies and shows where are shown a firey place that is a horrible place to be. I think hell is a place of mind that can be anything that you fear the most. My hell would be in room of spiders. Another persons can be in a room of snakes. I think it reallt depends on the person who is imagining it.

 

 

Satre uses detailed descpritions and its hard to imagine to be an area like that for a long time. I still think that it won't matter if you are confined to one area for so long as to what is in the room with you. There can be nothing in the room and that could drive you insane. The insantity will cause you to creat your own hell inside that space. 

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

In the cave only shadows were envisioned
They were unaware there was light somewhere
The people in the cave were imprisoned
They had no sense of reality and what was fair
The prisoners in the cave were afraid of the unknown
They knew nothing about the outside reality
The shadows were the only things they were shown
They could not escape their own ignorant mentality
The freed prisoners were forgotten
They were able to find answers
To all the questions they had gotten
And live the life of a happy prancer
We cannot be a small fish in a big pond without any knowledge
But a small fish in a big pond with the education of college

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?
The allegory of the cave talks about ignorance and enlightement and different paths. One path is to become a philosopher who is knowledgeable about the world around him. With the other is to be a prisoner who remains clueless excpet for the familar world around him.

2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?
The cave itself, prisoners, light/darkness, and the shadows.

3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
The process to enlightment or greater education can be hard. Being a prisoner or stuck in the school system you are always taught that someone is here to hold your hand and that you will be given a treat for something that you have done right. When are hands are let go we just want to stay in our comfort zone until we learn to step out of our cave and be accostumed to the light.

4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?
The shackles and cave could represent people who are stuck in a ceratin way fo life. Through this they become ignoarnt and once they are let go they can become lost.

5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
The shackles in my own life I feel can be parents. Parents tend to try to keep you in a small world that nothing bad will happen. As you grow older your parents tend to realize that they need to let go. Once we are given that freedom we have to choose whether to stay in the comfort of our parents or to continue your own journey.

6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
The freed prisoner is able to pick up a new sense of reality and learns to keep an open mind of what he did not know before. The cave prisoners have not had been freed so they are still kept close minded only knowing the shawdows on the walls.

7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?
The prisoners what able to make of the shawdows on the wall so they did not really know what they are looking at. While this is happening another context could be that by not being to make clear of the reality around them they are not able to recieve an open mind and learn new things.

8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?

The prisoners are lead out the outside world. This sugests that no matter where you are it is up to you where you find the knowldge that you want to gain. There is so much that can be learned.

9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
There is no distinction between appearance and reality becuase you are never really sure what you are looking at. You can look at something different than the person next to you. 

10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?
I think alternatives is our level of education and our minset. Dependind on our level of education we can see reality different that to a 6 year old. As a 17 I think of what college to go to and that is my reality at the moment while a 6 year old is passing the multplication table test. Also our mindset can determine what we wan to accept as reality and what we want to think is real.

Sonnet Recital

Snow White Sonnet

The Big Question

What came first the chicken or the egg?

Snow White Sonnet

The mirror never lies? How damned delicious!

The fairest one of all was little Snow...

Well, wicked witches knew how to be vicious,

this Snowy-Whitey rival had to go!

The axe man had instructions that he dreaded,

the Queen was quite specific: Kill her, dead!

He couldn't see this lovely girl beheaded,

so left her in the deepest woods, instead.



A bunch of miners found her in their chalet,

they let her stay to cook and wash and sew,

she acted like a kind of female valet,

and waited every evening for "Hi Ho."

They all lived happily amongst the pines,

what next occurred's another fourteen lines...



The mirror told the witch: "Snow White's still fairer!"

The Queen went into deep psychotic gloom,

then turned into a poisoned apple-bearer,

and headed for the forest on her broom.

One bite, and Snow White turned into a sleeper,

the dwarves came home and saw her on the ground,

they took a vote - decided they should keep her,

so locked her in their cabin, safe and sound.



Well, there was just one magic item missing,

to break the spell and foil the witch's plan,

she needed someone who was fond of kissing,

was tall, and dark, and handsome - and a man!

The Prince showed up, and answered true love's call,

they both lived happy ever, after all!

Vocab #11

Affinity- relationship by marriage
Bilious- of or indicative of a peevish ill nature disposition
Cognate- of the same nature
Corollary- A proposition inferred Immediately from a proved proposition with little or no additional proof
Cul-de-sac - a pouch
Derring-do- a daring action
Divination- The art or practice that seeks to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge due to the interpretation of omens
Elixir- A substance capable of prolonging life indefinitely
Folderol- a useless accessory
Gamut- an entire range or series
Hoi polloi- the General populace
Ineffable- incapable of being expressed in words
Lucubration- to study by night
Mnemonic- intended to assist memory
Obloquy- abusive language
Parameter- an independent variable used to express the coordinates of variable point and functions of them
Pundit- a learned man
Risible- provoking laughter
Symptomatic- having the characteristics of a certain disease but arising of a different cause
Volte-face- a reversal in policy

Literary analysis: The Crucible

1. The Crucible is a playwright that is based on the Salem Witch trials. A bunch of nonsensical girls in Danforth try a few spells and other forbidden things with a black servant. They soon get found out, but deny it all. They then proceed to act like they've been cursed and possessed by witches, all in order to stay out of trouble and to also gain things they wanted. The Puritan community is scared by the girls' actions, and many innocent women accused of being witches are sent to jail. The proctors are targeted by the lead girl, Abigail Williams, because she wanted to be with John Proctor. Ultimately John himself is sent to the gallows, and a year later the witch trials had caused lots of trouble, and came to an end.

2. I picked up two themes from this book. One big one is how quickly people can succumb to fear. When a few people started becoming afraid of the Devil and witches in their community, all the citizens began to panic, and started to think irrationally. The effect of this widespread panic was the death sentence of many innocent women accused of being witches. Another theme would have to be the way they treated the people they charged. Many of the women sent to death by the trials were women (and a few men) who didn't really fit into the community that well. They were known for odd things here and there, but not something that would've made them a witch before the girls started with the accusations.

3. Since this was originally a playwright, the author provided different tones for each person that was talking in different situations, since 85% of the book was dialogue. Yet a common thing between all character's voices and the bit of narration was how solemn it sounded, and sometimes even fearful. The story took place in a time of panic and fear.
"Mrs. Putnam, softly:Aye. Her voice breaks; she looks up at him. Silence." - Act One, pg. 39
"Hale: Believe me, Mr. Nurse, if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothing's left to stop the whole green world from burning." - Act Two, pg. 71
"Mary Warren, hysterically, pointing at Proctor, fearful of him: My name, he want my name. 'I'll murder you,' he says, 'if my wife hangs! We must go and overthrow the court he says!'" - Act Three, pg. 119

4. There is dramatic irony used in this story. Most of the time I knew what the girls were really up to, while the other characters did not. Arthur Miller is also very descriptive with some of his character's dialogue. The dialogue itself can be considered a literary element, since he uses it to provide indirect characterization of his characters. There is conflict between the innocent accused (Proctors, others) and the "possessed" girls and the juries and judges of the trials.

1. Direct Characterization:
“Proctor was a farmer in his middle thirties. He need not have been a partisan of any faction in the town, but there is evidence to suggest that he had a sharp and biting way with hypocrites.”
“He was the kind of man- powerful of body, even-tempered, and not easily led- who cannot refuse support to partisans without drawing their deepest resentment.”
Indirect Characterization:
“In Proctor’s presence, a fool felt his foolishness instantly- and proctor is always marked for calumny therefore. But as we shall see, the steady manner he displays does not spring from an untroubled soul.”
All of the dialogue between the characters can be used as indirect characterization of all the characters, e.g. how evil Abigail really is.
Miller uses both to show his character’s true colors, in a way that is obvious and a way that you have to really listen/read closely to figure out. This really helped me in order to see what the characters were really up to, like Abigail and her reasons for her acting possessed.

2. Since Miller is writing with dialogue for 85% of the story, each character has their own unique diction. Most characters share the same kind of Puritan-style speaking, while there are some uneducated characters speaking differently, like Tituba. She speaks with words such as “git” and “goin,” showing she can speak English, but not properly.
3. John Proctor is a dynamic and round character. He changes completely through the book. He starts out as a kind of quiet, farmer man who was having marriage troubles after he was fooling around with Abigail Williams. But towards the end he gives his own life for his wife and to make a statement about the wrongdoings of the girls accusing people of witchcraft.
4. To me, I felt like I was reading a part of a history book, and not in the bad way. This is very close as to what really happened in the Salem Witch Trials, with a few exaggerations to make the story more interesting. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, even though I did sympathize toward John Proctor and his wife.

Who was Shakespeare?

Shakespeare is perceived by many students as some boring writer who writes in weird language. Many teachers and philosophers see him as a great mind and thinker. Many see him as one of the greatest play writers ever. When don't know to mug about him. For example we don't know his birthday or what he looked like we just know him for the things he wrote.what seems weird to me is that website seem to know his personal life and when he was baptized and who he married. But they are quite sure if he even wrote those plays or if it was someone else under a fake name. There is still a lot of mystery whether Shakespeare did really exsist or not but the works are really what counts.

Tools that change the way we think

How does extensive Internet/media/technology use change the way we think?

Internet/media/technology definitely changes the way we think. We don't have to memorize information as much anymore because it is now on the palm of our hands with the smartphones that we have. We can always go back and find something that we need the answer to. Our minds are becoming trianed to search something and the first thing that comes up is the answer to our question.technology has become easy for everyone now. You don't have to go and find an encyclopedia to get an answer. I think that technology defintly makes us more lazy especially more and more when the Internet choses what comes up. This has made so much more information available to people but I do think technology has its good and it's bad moments.

To Facebook or not to Facebook

Everyone has their different views on Facebook. I think that Facebook can me good in ways to network with other people. We can also keep in contact with long lost family members or old friends. Our English group is super helpful when we have questions on the homework or we need comments for our blog. We are able to help eachother on one website that we all know how to use. The bad things about Facebook is no matter is your settings are private people can still look at the pictures you post or the comments and statuses that you make. Employers are now looking at face books to see if you would be a good employee. But employers can also see things you have done/ accomplished and may see you as a good employee. With anything on the Internet you have I be careful what you put and what people can see.

Voacb #9 Remix

These are the defintions to the vocab list:

 

Abortive: failing to produce the intended result

Bruit: spread a report or rumor widely

Contumelious: scornful and insulting behavior

Dictum: a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source; a short statement that expresses a general truth or principle

Ensconce: establish or settle

Iconoclastic: characterized by attack on established beliefs or institutions

In medias res: a narrative that begins somewhere in the middle of a story rather than the beginning

Internecine: destructive to both sides in a conflict

Maladroit: ineffective or bungling; clumsy

Maudlin: self-pitying or tearfully sentimental, often through drunkenness

 

Modulate: exert a modifying or controlling influence on

Portentous: of or like a portent; done in a pompously or overly solemn manner

Prescience: the power to foresee the future

Quid pro quo: a favor or advantage granted in return for something

Salubrious: health-giving, healthy; pleasant, not run-down

Saturnalia: the ancient Roman festival of Saturn in December; an occasion of wild revelry

Touchstone: a standard or criterion by which something is judged or recognized

Traumatic: emotionally disturbing or distressing; relating to or causing psychological trauma

Vitiate: spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of; destroy or impair the legal validity of.

Waggish: humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner

Vocab Midterm

I recieved a 64 out of 81 on my vocab midterm. I am somewhat content with how I did. I though I did worse but I know I could have done way better. I did not study as much as I should have. I only stuided a few of the lists and not all of them. What I want to do for the midterm is study my words more ahead of time. I also want to have a study buddy, because if I do not I will probably do a half ass job of studying like I did last time.

A Remix on Hamelt

I chose to do a remix on Hamlet Act 3 Scene 1

What is going on in the scene is the King and Queen are trying to find out what is driving Hamlet crazy. The two spies that they sent on him are Rosencratz and Guildenstern. What they tell the King and Queen is that he was cool when they met up with him. He wasn't excited to see them but he wasn't mad.  He was acting stranger than what he would be normally acting like.

The next thing they want to do is have Ophelia act as bait. They are hoping that Ophelia is the cause of his craziness and the love is what the cause is. The queen is desperatly hoping that she is the true cause of this. She wants her to bring him back to normal. Ophelia does agree to this and she acts as bait.

Hamlet comes in and starts talking about death and how he should kill himself but he is not quit sure what is on the other side when he dies. In his to be or to be speech I feel as if he is depressed. He is not sure wether to sit back and take all the terrible things that are happening to him or to end all of his troubles. He realizes that like everyone else he is a coward and this is why many people do not kill themselves. After this whole speech he tell Ophelia to remember all the horrible things he has done which are his sins.

After this Ophelia kinda brushes what he says off and asks how his day was. He say it was ok and she wants to repeat something that he has told her. Hamelt really doesn't want her to and claims that he never said that. Then Hamelt goes on to say that her honesty should not measure up to her beauty and that she is just a pretty face. Soon everyone will just care about looks. Hamlet tells her that he never loved her. He tells her to become a nun so that she could never marry anyone. If she does choose to marry than he wants them to be cursed. Hamelt does not want them to married becuase them their children will be like sinners. In his mind she is better off a nun.

After he leaves Ophelia is left shocked and knowing that his is not the same man that she knew. The king now believes it is something else that is driving Hamelt crazy but Polonius still thinks that it is love. They do not want to leave him without someone watching him.

In this scene I think Hamlet is telling himself if I can't be happy then no one else can. If he can't have his love then Ophelia can't love either. If the king and queen can't be content then by acting as if he is crazy then he will drive them crazy. He wants to drive Polonious crazy because he did not approve of his love life. If I can't be happy and content in my life then no one around me can.

Vocab #8

Abeyance-(N.) A state of temporary disuse or suspension.

Ambivalent- (Adj.) Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone.

Beleaguer- (V.) Beset with difficulties

Carte blanche- (N.) Complete freedom to act as one wishes or thinks best.

Cataclysm- (N.) A sudden violent upheaval, esp. in a political or social context

Debauch- (V.) Destroy or debase the moral purity of; corrupt.

(N.) A bout of excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures, esp. eating and drinking

éclat- (N.) brilliant or conspicuous success

Fastidious- (Adj.) Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail

Gambol- (V.) Run or jump about playfully

Imbue- (V.) Inspire or permeate with a feeling or quality: "imbued with deep piety".

Inchoate- (Adj.) Just begun and so not fully formed or developed

Lampoon- (V.) Publicly criticize (someone or something) by using ridicule or sarcasm.

(N.) A speech or text criticizing someone or something in this way 

Malleable- (Adj.) Easily influenced; pliable

Nemesis- (N.) The inescapable or implacable agent of someone's or something's downfall

Opt- (V.) Make a choice from a range of 

possibilities

Philistine- (N.) A person who is hostile or indifferent to culture and the arts, or who has no understanding of them

Picaresque- (Adj.) Of or relating to an episodic style of fiction dealing with the adventures of a rough and dishonest but appealing hero

Queasy- (Adj.) Nauseated; feeling sick

Refractory- (Adj.) Stubborn or unmanageable

Savoir-faire- (N.) The ability to act or speak appropriately in social situations.

Literary Analysis

E’Ana Bordon

Period Zero

Literary Analysis

Frankenstein

Mary Shelly

 

1.       A man named Walton is a sailor who gets trapped in ice while going to the North Pole. He meets a man who travels by dog-drawn sled named Victor Frankenstein and recounts to his sister through letters about the story of the creature he created.  As he grows up he attends and university where he consumed about the secret of life.  He makes a monster out of old body parts and brings him to life. He runs into and brings his friend back to his apartment to find that the monster had escaped.  He hears from home that his youngest brother was murdered but on his was home he finds the monster in the woods where the murder happens and is convinced that the monster killed his brother. He vacations to the woods and the monster finds him and tells him that he did kill his brother and to ask for forgiveness and make him a mate.  He ends up destroying the second creation and enraging the monster. He is the trialed for the murder of his friend but acquitted.  Then he goes back home to marry Elizabeth scared the monster will come back for him he sends her off. Later the monster killed Elizabeth and the soon after his father dies.  He vows to kill the creature he has created.  Victor then falls ill and dies.  Walton walks into the room to see the creature weeping over him and asks for forgiveness. He says that now his creator has died he can go die to and leaves to the northernmost ice to die.

 

2.       I think the theme of the story is about having dangerous knowledge, secrecy and betrayal.  When victor created the monster he was completely frightened by what he had done. Is he did not have this knowledge life for him would have continued on as normal. The secrecy aspect of it I think comes from the creature. He does have feelings although Victor thinks he doesn’t. The betrayal I believe comes from both Victor and the creature because throughout the whole story they continued to cause revenge on each other.

 

3.       The author’s tone is emotional and dark. It is emotional because it shows that the creature was able to love.   “You must create a female for me, with whom I can live…” It was also dark with all the murders that were involved. Especially when the creature decided to kill himself, “I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt….” Also when the creature expressed him feelings towards his creator, “Cursed, cursed creator!...my feeling of those of rage and revenge.”

 

4.       The point of view changes from Walton to Victor to the creature to show the feelings of all three characters.  The prologue set the tone and the setting of where the story is being told. The setting is mainly set on a boat in the Pacific Ocean from a point of where the story is being told. Throughout the story the setting talks place in various places but remains in the same time period. The story is also told from the past to the present.

Vocab List 6

Beatitude: (noun) supreme blessedness or happiness
 He believed the beatitudes would bring him happiness if he followed them.

 

Bête noire: (noun) something that is particularly disliked
The bête noire is disliked by almost everyone.

 

 Bode: (verb) to be an omen of, predict or foretell
The psychic was able to bode the man’s future.

 

Dank: (adj.) unpleasantly damp and chilly
 He was clubbed into dank submission.

 

Ecumenical: (adj.) universal
 The water of the oceans seem to ecumenical not owned my anyone.

 

Fervid: (adj.) intensely passionate
The fervid boy was so happy when he got his dog.

 

Fetid: (adj.) having a stale nauseating smell, as of decay

The fake fetid corpse had an immense effect on the party.

 

 Gargantuan: (adj.) sometimes capital huge; enormous
The gargantuan tree towered over everything.

 

Heyday: (noun) the time of most power, popularity, vigor, etc; prime
The heyday is celebrated every year.

 

Incubus: (noun) something that oppresses, worries, or disturbs greatly, esp a nightmare or obsession

The incubus came to him in a form of nightmare.

 

Infrastructure: (noun) the basic structure of an organization, system, etc

The infrastructure had to be followed correctly for everything to work.

 

 Inveigle: (verb) often fall by into or an infinitive to lead (someone into a situation) or persuade (to do something) by cleverness or trickery

 

 kudos: (noun) functioning as singular acclaim, glory, or prestige

 lagniappe: (noun) something given or obtained as a gratuity or bonus, small trinket
 

prolix: (adj.) so long as to be boring; verbose
 

protégé: (noun) a person who is protected and aided by the patronage of another person

 prototype: (noun) one of the first units manufactured of a product, which is tested so that the design can be changed if necessary before the product is manufactured commercially

 sycophant: (noun) a person who uses flattery to win favor from individuals wielding influence; toady

 tautology: (noun) the use of words that merely repeat elements of the meaning already conveyed

 

 truckle: (verb) to yield weakly; give in

Vocab List 5

Acumen-(noun) keen insight; shrewdness                                                                                               The acumen of the project was not clear.

 

Adjudicate- (verb) to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence
He was adjudicated to three years in prison by the Supreme Court.

 

Anachronism- (noun) something/ someone who is not correct in historical or chronological time
The anachronism was dated to be from 200 B.C. but it was not; it was a fake.

 

Apocryphal- (adjective) of doubtful authorship or authenticity
The apocryphal book was said to be signed by George Washington.

 

Disparity- (noun) lack of similarity or equality 
The disparity of the two objects were so similar that you needed a microscope to see the difference.

 

Dissimulate- (verb) to conceal or disguise in false appearance
The police dissimulated the victim to keep him private.

 

Empirical- (adjective) derived from or guided from experience
She made empirical choices that was affected by her past.

 

Flamboyant- (adjective) strikingly bold or brilliant; showy
Their house was so flamboyant that you felt you weren’t able to touch anything.

 

Fulsome- (adjective) offensive to good taste, especially as being excessive; overdone or gross The hostess was wearing such a fulsome dress that she looked like she tried to hard.

 

Immolate- (verb) to sacrifice                                                                                                                  We had to immolate the newborn calf because he was born with a horrible disease.

Imperceptible- (adjective) very slight, gradual, or subtle
When donating blood I felt an imperceptible stick of the needle.

 

Lackey- (noun) a servile follower; toady
The lackey followed the golf players as they played.

 

Liaison- (noun) the contact or connection maintained by communications between units of the armed forces or of any other organization in order to ensure concerted action, cooperation, etc
The liaison was a plan that needed to be enforced by everyone to ensure security.

 

Monolithic- (adjective) made of one piece; solid or unbroken
Many people believe the monolithic statue was built by aliens.

 

Mot juste- (noun) the right word or expression
He has the mot juste that I was thinking of!

 

Nihilism- (noun) total rejection of established laws and institutions
The nihilism was denounced by all the employees.

 

Patrician- (noun) a person or noble or high rank; aristocrat
The patrician was known as Sir Francis Drake but he was also a pirate.

 

Propitiate- (verb) to make favorably inclined; appease; conciliate
Two coaches propitiated after having an argument so that they would be able to cooperate together for the game.

 

Sic- (verb) to attack
In the movie Stand By Me the boys believed that the owner of the dump was telling his dog “sic balls chopper” when in reality he was saying ‘sic’em boy”.

 

Sublimate- (adjective/ verb with object) to divert the energy of (a sexual or other biological impulse) from its immediate goal to one of a more acceptable social, moral, or aesthetic nature or use                                                                                                                                                             He had a sublimate urge to do one thing but instead he decided to clean the house.

Vocab List #4

Apostate- a person who forsakes his religion, cause or party (noun)

The apostate grew up from his a religious life to hate all religion when becoming an adult.

 

Effusive-overflow of emotion, lacking reserve (adj)

The new Santa Claus had effusive greetings toward everyone; he was kind but annoying.

Impasse- a position or situation that you cannot escape from (noun)

The house was an impasse for all the people trapped inside.

Euphoria- a state of intense happiness or self-confidence (adj)

After having her baby she was in a euphoric state.

Lugubrious- excessively mournful (noun)

After losing both of his parents the lugubrious boy fell into a depression.

Bravado- a pretentious display or courage (noun)

The bravados were hated by everyone in school because they believed that they were better than everyone.

Consensus- majority of opinion (noun)

The consensus of the group was to eat lunch at 1:30 instead of 12:30.

Dichotomy- division into two parts (noun)

The dichotomy caused the liver to be cut in half.

Constrict- to draw or press in, contract (verb)

The snaked constricted the bait so that is could not breath.

Gothic- pertaining to the Middle Ages; medieval (adj)

He his home had a gothic style that was full of history.

Punctilio- a fine point or detail as of conduct or procedure (noun)

He missed the punctilio of the event that he was fired by his over controlling boss.

Metamorphosis- change of form or appearance (verb)

The caterpillar went from a metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly.

Raconteur- a person who can relate anecdotes and stories (noun)

Teachers can be raconteurs when they bring in own life experiences to a lesson plan.  

Sine qua non- an essential condition, element, or factor (noun)

 The sine qua non of a healthy life style is water and oxygen.

Quixotic- extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable (adj)

It is a quixotic but honorable event.

Vendetta-a private feud in which members of a victim’s family wants to murder the slayer (noun)

The Vendetta was unsuccessful after getting caught.

Non sequitur- a statement containing an illogical conclusion (noun)

Mystique- a framework of doctrines, ideas, beliefs, or the like, constructed around a person or object, endowing the person or object with enhanced value or profound meaning (noun)

The mystique of Charles Darwin is the basis of a lot of biology theories.

Quagmire- an area of miry or boggy ground whose surface yields under the tread; a bog (noun)

The quagmire was like quicksand it was hard to get out of it.

Parlous- dangerous (adj)

The parlous dragon was no match for Beowulf.

A Hero's Journey

Deconstruct your favorite hero's journey:


The hero I chose was Hercules from the Disney moive Hercules. I chose him because he is a typical hero story. He starts off by being taken away from his parents who are gods and taken to live with mortals. He grows up to be weak and scrawny. He grows up being bullied and an outcast. Then he decides to take a journey to find out who he real is. He goes to the temple of Zeus where he realizes that he is the son of a god. Realizing this he thinks he has to be just like that. As a common hero when they realize they are meant to do something greater they try to take that opportunity. His life now revovles around training to make people proud and to hopefully become a god. He thinks that he is on top of the world after he defeats all these villians and mythical creatures. Although all heros have a weakness, his was love. He gives up all his powers to save the one he loves. Then when he does the most honorable thing by saving her without his powers; he is granted godship.

This hero had a horrible childhood, grew up to see that he had a greater purpose in life, and made it come true. But as a common hero he had his villian (Hades) and his weakness of love. In the end he was able to overcome it and be with his true love and he to become a god.