Vocab Webs

Oryx and Crake - Science

Science plays a very important role in Oryx and Crake. It helps the author create the feeling of a futuristic world. This is done by emphasizing the evolution of science from the stage that it is at today. There are many examples of this, but the best examples are the schooling that follows high school. After kids graduate from high school, they are able to choose what “post-secondary” they want to go to. Crake chooses a place called Watson-Crick. When Jimmy takes a vacation there to visit Crake, we learn about the different classes that are available.

The first is Décor Botanicals, where the kids are developing a wallpaper that can change colours to match the mood you are in. To do this, they are using a highly developed and further modified form of algae. The second class that we hear about is NeoAgriculturals, in which they are modifying chickens so that the growth-rate is high and you can get the most meat out of a single chicken.

The third class they go to is BioDefences, where there are a lot of cages, each with dogs that are all different breeds and sciences. Jimmy says that they look friendly, but Crake then explains that they are not friendly at all. In fact, if you were to  put your hand in the cage, they would bite it off. Crake says that these animals are being developed as a commission for the CorpSeCorps, as a kind of alarm system. These are all perfect examples of science being used to create a futuristic world, because all of these ideas are things that we would never think of today, but to Crake seem like just an everyday regular thing.

This picture represents the idea of the science of the future. It is a picture of a group of cloned babies, each identical in every way possible. Although we are already able to clone people, the idea of cloning people in the novel is a whole new idea, and one that also represents a perfect, idealistic society, where everyone is alike, which is essentially the society that Crake and Oryx tried to create.

The Veldt Literature Web

Oryx and Crake 1

Morality vs. Science

In Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel, Oryx and Crake, she discusses the topic of morality versus science. Jimmy’s father works at two different pigoon research center’s. Some people think that these research and development centers are moral because the research is being done for the advancing of humanity. Others think that they are not moral because the research is altering the way human’s develop, and therefore changing the natural course of nature.

Jimmy’s parents are a perfect example of the struggle between morality and science. Jimmy’s mother believes that the research that Jimmy’s father is doing is not moral because she believes that humans should progress naturally and not be genetically engineered. Jimmy’s father believes that the research that him and his colleagues are doing is very important, and working towards a utopia, or a perfect society. In this perfect society, humans would not have physical disabilities or mental disabilities because science could fix all of their problems. This doesn’t mean that every human would be the same, everyone would remain unique, but no one would have any issues. 

In the world that Margaret Atwood creates in Jimmy’s story, most of society has the same general belief as Jimmy’s father. It seems like people who have the same moral beliefs as Jimmy’s mother are outcasts and viewed as people who do not want society to progress the way that it is. Most of the population is dedicated to furthering humanity in an un-natural way, and creating their idea of a utopia.

My picture represents the closest that you can get to a utopia in our current society. It is a drawing of Dubai which is a massive city, with low crime, low homeless rate, a good climate, no natural disasters, and a lot of wealth to be shared.  

Notes

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/2566816/Untitled

Response

http://systwo-english20.blogspot.com/

Billy Budd Chapter 22 - 30

1.Describe what you think happened in the compartment as Captain Vere told Billy of the court’s decision.  Base your response as accurately as possible on the characterizations of the two so far.

Based on what we know about Billy’s personality, and how he has reacted to this situation so far I think that nothing much happened when Captain Vere told Billy of the courts decision. It is quite possible that Billy is so innocent and naive that he just is unable to register the fact that he is being sentenced to death. Also, judging by the way everyone and Captain Vere viewed Billy, Captain Vere probably felt very torn. He knew that Billy was guilty, but it was very hard for him to accept the fact that this perfect, innocent boy was capable of murder.

4. What is the significance of Billy’s last words? How does it connect to themes and symbolism in the text?

The major significance of Billy’s last words, “God Bless Captain Vere” is the fact that his last words emphasize his personality. This once again goes back to Billy’s inability to be truly upset with somebody for a long period of time. This is unique to Billy because Vere is essentially the person that caused Billy to be killed. He testified against him, told everyone what he did, and informed Billy of his fate. Because Captain Vere has always been so kind to Billy, he has an easier time forgiving him for everything that he has done to Billy. Billy’s last words connect to the theme of his innocence throughout the story. His last words connect to innocence through his relationship with Captain Vere. As said before, despite Vere’s actions against Billy, he still remains kind and friendly towards Vere, even with death lurking.

http://jiveturkey.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/cheers-jeers-i-am-actually-relieved-its-monday-edition/

Reason For Choosing Picture:
I believe this picture represents why Billy was hung because if you were to see someone that looked evil you would stay away from them. In this case he did something that was evil and in turn he was hung because the people around him could not understand his innocent inside. 

Response To Self Respect Article

I agree with what this article is saying. The author has some good ideas and concepts. Like the author, I think that self-respect is an essential thing to have. There are two specific examples of statements that I find very important. First of all, in the article, the author mentions that self-respect has nothing to do with the approval of others. I think this is a good point because self-respect is all about your own confidence in yourself (hence the word ‘self’, meaning you) not getting approval from others, and turning it into confidence in yourself. It is all about you believing in yourself and not caring about what other people say about you. If we were just talking about respect, then it would only matter what other people thought.

The author also mentions that self-respect is a discipline. I also think that this statement is quite true. I strongly believe that self-respect must be developed. In order to do this, you must develop a belief in yourself and your capabilities. To do those things, you must have discipline, much like any type sport or activity. To have self-respect, you have to work at it, develop it, and stick with it. I think that you must have self-respect, so therefore you must stick with it and have discipline in order to gain it. 

Blog Comment

http://oztodaman.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-post-3-chapters-15-21.html#comments

Billy Budd 15 -21

4. What elements of the story help to increase the suspense up until the end of Chapter 18? How does Billy respond to these events? What reaction do you have to his responses?

One element that builds suspense is when Billy has the encounter with the other sailor suggesting that Billy help plan and join a munity. This builds suspense because the author does not go into very much detail during Billy and the sailor’s conversation, which makes the reader think that there may actually be a plan for a mutiny. Another aspect that builds suspense during this event is that it shows the reader what Billy is like when is nervous and unsure. Later in the chapter, Danskter suggests that Claggart actually set the situation up to see what Billy would say. This combined with the reaction that Billy gives, makes you suspicious of what is about to come.  The other element is when Claggart is talking to the Captain and says that he has many other claims against Billy that he can prove, but does not provide specific examples. This creates suspense because you are curious as to what the other claims against Billy are, and what actions the Captain will take to either punish Billy, or Claggart.

8. While Billy waits for his fate to be decided, we do not get to know his thoughts. What might change if we were able to know Billy Budd’s thoughts and feelings? Why do you think Melville chose not to represent them? What is the effect of this?

Not knowing what Billy’s thoughts are creates a lot of suspense and curiosity for the reader. It leaves the reader speculating about what Billy may be thinking. If you were to know what Billy was thinking, the novel wouldn’t be as interesting, because you would know what he was thinking, and you would know what was going to happen. You wouldn’t have any room for creative thinking, which would make the novel not interesting. Melville chose not to include Billy’s thoughts and feelings into the story because he did not want to spoil the suspense leading up to the ending of the story. 

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgezyEN0ZUcj116LtruMXmOhw0QFgSTCM-NJsnr7nnXwiRvn9W5TIXLHNcCvWHyw2GkVwgfOWPvm-aBeM_uU8DwABVP7UxowKV6v2iYYhMt9toqtZ-ReY2HiqCQMuHAYJc8wr_WOa85c5s/s1600/curious_cat.jpg

Reason For Picture Choice:
The cat in this picture represents the reader in the story. In the story the author forces us to stay interested in the story by using the technique of suspense. The cat doesn't know what is in the bag, which keeps him curious. "Curiosity killed the cat"

Response To Nic's Questions

http://spacedogsinspace.tumblr.com/

Overall your answers to the questions are accurate. Good analogies, I like the comparison of Claggart to a snake, and Claggart to yourself. I Laughed at your support picture as well, good choice, straight to the point. Good job in space Nic.

Billy Budd Chapters 8-14

2.     How are the tensions between Billy and Claggart developed?  What are they symbolic of?

The tensions between Billy and Claggart are developed because of their extremely different personalities, and because of Claggart’s envy of Billy. Billy is a very handsome, kind, perfect sailor, while Claggart is old, mean, and battered from his years at sea. Billy is symbolic of the good, while Claggart is symbolic of the evil. Claggart is envious of Billy because of Billy’s perfection. Claggart wants to be nice like Billy, but like the narrator speculates, Claggart is actually physically unable to be nice. Despite how nice Claggart wants to be, he just can’t be anything but evil. When explaining the relationship between Claggart and Billy, the narrator says “In view of the marked contrast between the persons of the twain, it is more than probably that when the master-at-arms in the scene last given applied to the sailor the proverb ‘Handsome is as handsome does,’ he there let escape an ironic inkling, not caught by the young sailors who hear it, as to what it was that had first moved him against Billy, namely his significant personal beauty” (pg 327). This shows exactly how their tensions are developed – because of Billy’s perfectness.
http://globaldebateblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/bahrain-students-debate-good-and-evil.html

Explanation For Photo:
I Thought This Photo Showed Billy (Left) And Claggart (Right) Because Of Their Personality Difference. Billy Is More Of A Nice Person Where As Claggart Is A Bit More Evil And Mean. I Also Thought The Use Of Rubber Ducks Worked Well With The Whole Sailor Theme (:

7.     Discuss the incident of the spilled soup as a revelation into Claggart’s character and motivations.

In Chapter 10, Billy accidentally spills his soup at lunch, onto the freshly cleaned mess hall floor. Claggart is walking by after this happens and says “Handsomely done, my lad! And handsome is as handsome did it, too!” (pg 322). Because Billy is sitting and cannot see Claggart’s expression, it seems to Billy that this comment from Claggart is a compliment. But Claggart is actually grimacing as he says this, revealing part of his character and his dislike of Billy. This is the first incident where you actually know that Claggart does not like Billy. It shows us that his motivations are bad, and everything “nice” he says to Billy is really mean intended to be evil.  

Personal Response 1

Personal Response

Dylan Pinter

Literary techniques are used in stories to enhance the quality, depth and effectiveness of the writing. There are a multitude of different techniques that are used, depending on what meaning or emotion the author is trying to convey. In I Stand Here Ironing many literary techniques are used to enhance the story. The three most prominent and important techniques that are used are stream of consciousness, anaphora and flashback.

The first literary technique, stream of consciousness, is used in I Stand Here Ironing to give the reader more details and background information to do with the story. The author uses this technique to enhance the emotion that the mother shows towards her daughter. An example of this in the story is when the mother and narrator says “The old man living in the back once said in his gentle way: "You should smile at Emily more when you look at her." What was in my face when I looked at her? I loved her. There were all the acts of love.”  This quote demonstrates emotion because it shows the audience that the mother really does love her daughter, and that she tries, but it is hard for her to show her love to anyone.

Much like stream of consciousness, the author uses anaphora to exaggerate a point and to make sure the reader understands what is trying to be said by the narrator of the story. A perfect example of anaphora in I Stand Here Ironing is when the narrator repeats the words “She was a beautiful baby.” This particular anaphora shows the mothers love towards her baby, and puts emphasis on how much she still loves her daughter, despite how much she has changed throughout the years.

The third and final literary technique, flashback, enhances I Stand Here Ironing by giving the reader insight into the characters past. Through flashback, the narrator is able to tell the audience about certain events that have occurred in the past, which helps the audience develop opinions and knowledge of the characters personalities. This entire story is essentially a flashback. The mother is reflecting upon her previous regrets and shortcomings as a parent to her first daughter. There are times during the story where the mother does however talk about certain past events, such as when she says “They persuaded me at the clinic to send her away to a convalescent home in the country where "she can have the kind of food and care you can't manage for her, and you'll be free to concentrate on the new baby."“ These flashbacks helps to move the story forward by ensuring that the reader has a solid understanding of the past and present emotions that the characters are experiencing.

 In I Stand Here Ironing, the author effectively uses literary techniques to help create emotion and understanding. Stream of consciousness, anaphora, and flashback are all used in different ways to accomplish the same general goal. This goal is to have the reader respond and appreciate the emotion felt by the narrator and mother throughout the story. The author essentially wants the readers to understand the overall moral of the story – that you don’t always have to conform to societies stereotypes and ideals in order to be loved. 

Blog Comment

http://pigzkanfly.blogspot.com/2010/09/billy-budd-questions.html
Daniel Lin's Blog

Billy Budd: Chapters 1 - 7

1.     What is the effect of having a third person narration in this story? Suggest why Melville chose this particular narrative stance and its value with reference to the novel.

There are many effects of having a third person narrate this story. The first is that it allows the author to share background information with the reader about the characters in the story, as well as the history that has to do with the time period and the characters. An example of why this is valuable to the story is shown in chapters 3 – 5 when the narrator deviates from Billy’s story to tell the reader about various historical events that relate to the story itself. These chapters, and the historical events explained in them, are valuable because they give the reader a better understanding of the time period in which the story takes place.

6.     Why do you think people are so drawn to Billy?  How important is his handsome exterior?  How important is his innocent interior? 

People are drawn to Billy because of his handsome exterior and innocent interior. Initially, people are drawn to Billy because of his good looks. Once they get to know him, they become more and more drawn to not only his good looks, but his personality as well. However, Billy is a perfect example of the “don’t judge a book by its cover” cliché. Usually Billy is a very calm and cool individual, but when it is needed, he can be very forceful and quick. An example of this is when the sailor “Red Whiskers” bullies Billy. In one particular incident, Red Whiskers punches Billy. To everyone’s surprise, Billy responds with a fast blow, right back at him. This creates instant respect for Billy, and actually turns Red Whiskers hatred for Billy around. Overall, neither Billy’s handsome exterior, or innocent interior are more important to his character.

http://ryanstudio.blogspot.com/2009/12/powdered-jelly-donut.html 

Reason For Choosing Photo:
This this photo may not seem fitting to begin with but it was well thought out. As stated above Billy not only looks good on the out side but he also has an innocent side to him as well. This jelly filled donut is displays this in the following ways. When you the the donut you think to yourself "yum this looks good", when you bite in to it it gets better because the fresh fruit filling it quite refreshing. But this can also be very deceiving once finish the donut you realized you are covered in icing sugar and have fruit filling all over you face, not to mention the extra two pounds you put on. (:

My goals for English 20

1. I would like to get better at writing effective, good essays.

2. I would like to get better at reading books faster.