Lord of the Flies #1

· One of the first occurrences concerning the younger children involves their feat of the beast.

· The beast seems to be an undefined evil that is created in the imaginations of the young children.

· The older children provide them with food and shelter.

· They look to the older kids for protection, especially Ralph.

· They are seen playing games, and they seem to be unaware of the intensity of the situation.

· They are symbolic of innocence.

· The bigger children having authority over the smaller children, and sometimes they are treated unfairly.

· There is a growing division between Jack’s group of hunters and Ralph’s group.

· Ralph’s group focuses on keeping the signal fire burning, and Ralph and Piggy constantly think about being rescued.

· Since Jack was appointed as the leader of the hunter’s it makes him feel even more powerful.

· This eventually leads him into breaking the rules of the established society.

Essential Question #10

Jane was a discord in Gateshead Hall; she was a nobody there; she had nothing in common with Mrs. Reed or her children, or her chosen vassalage. Since they did love Jane, Jane could not love them. They were not bound to regard with affection a thing opposed to them in temperament ;in capacity; in propensities; a useless thing. A thing which was incapable of serving their interest or adding to their pleasure. Jane knew that if she had been a a brilliant, handsome, careless, and sanguine child, then Mrs. Reed and her children would have endured her presence more complacently.

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Changing the point of view from first to third person has greatly effected this passage. It is no longer the window into Jane's emotions that it once was. It has lost the strength and intensity that it had in the fist person. Simply with the use of the word "I" in any passage, the emotion is drastically emphasized and adapted to the reader. A third person novel is still effective in conveying emotion, but when a first person passage is changed to third, the true power of the first person is clearly seen.

Jane is not telling us her emotions, but rather they are being dictated to us by an omniscient narrator. Although this seems to be the same thing, it lacks the personally interaction between Jane and the reader. The true contempt for the Reeds that she is feeling is not the same when it is described by a voice other than her own. Individuals are best at describing what occurs in their own minds through their words and actions. This is the purpose of a first person novel. The author assumes the role of a character, which makes the story seem more realistic. A third person view of Jane's story can be misleading, and make her seem more at fault. When reading in the first person we are inclined to take Jane's side in all disagreements. This is bias, but it is still a positive thing because it is the author's intention to make us sympathize with Jane.

Essential Question #9

Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein are both scholars and scientists that wish to find a greater meaning beyond conventional things. The main goal of science is to help us better understand the world around us, and that is just what these men intend to do. However, they each take interests in different aspects of the world. Walton is interested in journeys and quests for adventure that lead to new land and unseen cultures. Frankenstein, on the other hand, is interested in the secret of death. These differences in their interests may originate in their differences in education. Walton was educated by reading the journals of various adventurers, while Frankenstein received a formal education. This is because of their differences in social class. Walton was raised in a middle class environment, but Frankenstein was raised by a wealthy Italian family. This results in the differences in their education. Also the ways in which Walton learned may have influenced him towards a more adventurous pursuit of knowledge. Also, his middle class upbringing makes the fame and riches that come along with discovery seem more enticing.

Essential Question #8

Petruchio and Katherine have no semblance of love between them in their relationship. Petruchio did not have noble movies in his attempt to pursue Katherine. He was not drawn to her because of her beauty of mind or body. He only desires the riches that will ensue after marrying her. In comparison to Lucentio, who pursues Bianca because she is beautiful, Petruchio seems shallow and heartless. The only other factor that has placed Petruchio and Katherine together is the plan created by Hortensio and Gremio. They want Katherine out of the way so that they may marry Bianca. These circumstances are not those of a loving relationship. As a result of being with a woman that he does not truly love, Petruchio must tame Katherine’s fiery attitude. He does this by not allowing her to eat and making her submit to his will. Petruchio’s practices make it appear as though he is taming a wild animal. This is not love. Should any other characters consider these two to be in love, it is in an extremely twisted condition. It may be possible for true love to form between them, however it is unlikely.

Essential Question #7

Do you think that Hamlet has created his own insanity, or has he lost his sense of reality completely?

Hamlet has created his own insanity by handling the death of his father poorly, and thus he has lost a sense of reality. Hamlet’s insanity is understandable given the extremely traumatic circumstances. Hamlet suffers with the question of existence: “to be or not to be” (3.1.64). He cannot distinguish his purpose in life, and it is for this reason that he loses his sanity. Hamlet considers that the trials and tribulations of life may be too much to endure. As a result, he deduces that death would bring him peace and an escape from the hardships of life. Hamlet even confides his insanity in his friends: “I have of late—but wherefore I know not—lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exercises […] the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory” (2.2.318-322). There a are numerous instances in Acts 2 and 3 where Hamlet either directly states his crazed state or he indirectly portrays this demeanor, such as his paranoid attitude that leads to the death of Polonius. When Hamlet was lost to find the meaning of his existence he was also losing his sense of reality. No one can live normally when they do not see the point of living. Considering that this is a Shakespearian Tragedy, I am certain that Hamlet’s depressed attitude will ultimately lead to either his death or the death of many others.

Essential Question #6

Between the Pardoner's Tale and his Prologue a connection of the theme of morality can be drawn. In both, he describes vices and tells of their consequences. In the prologue the Pardoner is straightforward about sins and their consequences. However, in the story he uses the moral of the story to teach a lesson in an indirect way. The Pardoner speaks generally about sins, while his tale seem to focus on greed and envy. The Pardoner even seems hypocritical because he tells a story in which there is a moral that teaches other to live in the opposite way that he lives. He takes money from people seeking repentance in exchange for a fraud of a pardon.

The Pardoner's Tale quite different from that of the Miller and Knight. The Miller and Knight seem to try to live by the morals presented in their tales. However, the Pardoner is just the opposite. He is similar to the three young men in that they share similar desires of greed. Also, the Knight shared similar qualities with characters in his tale because he told a tale about Knights. The Miller was very humorous, and so was his tale. All of the characters have similar connections to their tale. The major difference so far is that the Pardoner is the first one to not live by the moral he teaches, unlike the Knight or Miller.

Love, War, and Chastity

There can be many similarities drawn between Arcita and the temple built to the god of war, Mars. Mar’s temple is described as a place filled with horrors. It shows people who are suffering from violence. It has a lot to do with battles, and especially victory in battle. This is where connections can be drawn to Arcita. Arcita is the one who decides to fight over Emily with Palamon even though Palamon saw Emily first. This shows Arcita’s violent side. His love for Emily seems to lead him towards violence and deception. This is demonstrated when he changes his name and fools Theseus to become closer to her. He exhibits characteristics similar to those shown in the temple because he is driven crazy with his love for Emily. Arcita prays to win the battle for Emily, but he does not pray to win Emily. This shows that he is more focused on battle, or war, than love. Arcita did win the war but not his woman. He suffered a death similar to the ones shown on the portraits in the temple. This seems suiting because he lived by the principles of war, thus he also died by them.

Love and war constantly coexist in literature. In fact, they seem to be almost reliant on one another. This is because one is always intensified with the presence of the other. Love can exist without war, but when wars are fought for love, it makes the love more complete and significant. On the other hand, war can exist without love. However, it is also true that when a war is fought with the fiery passion of love, it is a much more satisfying war. Love often creates wars. It is an inspiring and driving factor that causes many characters to do illogical things. Soldiers in war are often driven by the women they love. Love gives hope to men, and it gives them a reason to fight and live. Most love makes people be willing to die for one another, and this connects with war. Love can end wars, and love can end in a war. Love and war are connected: one can lead to another, one intensifies the other, and one can destroy the other.