...It was the week leading up to the summer solstice and everyone was in high spirits. At this time of year the nights were short and the days were long and the knights often had a bit of time off. This week they would rarely be on duty as a gift from Prince Arthur to his loyal knights. King Uther was still struggling in the aftermath of Morgana's betrayal but most people in the kingdom were happy for Arthur to run things. Gwaine was cheerful and he'd had an idea. In the tavern he met up with his fellow knights and Merlin with a proposal. 'I want to play a game,' he said receiving doubting looks from the others. 'It'll be fun, I promise. We just need to go back to my room.' His enthusiasm was evident and the other knights decided to at least see what...
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...Vindication of the Rights of Woman, portrays the exact feelings of Offred, the main character in Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Taking place in a dystopian future, The Handmaid’s Tale depicts a totalitarian government under which women are harshly subjugated. Instead of accepting her current position as a handmaid. Offred longs to return to her previous life; however, in the Republic of Gilead, gender-based oppression is commonplace and often prevents Offred from achieving both her short and long-term aspirations. Similar to the painting Fair Rosamund by Arthur Hughes, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale examines how sexual oppression leads to the loss of identity, shaming of...
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...The most memorable night of my teenage years was when I snuck out of the house. I remember stuffing pillows under a blanket in the shape of a person and quietly climbing out my first-story bedroom window, thoughts rushing through my head, What if I get caught? But, my reasoning was right, my parents had been fighting all day, and I just wanted some comfort from my neighbor, Sophia. Individuals may rebel for different reasons and in different ways, but everyone who rebels does so to stray away from corruption. Offred, a handmaid, and her friend Moira from Margaret Atwood’s novel The Handmaid’s Tale, and Harrison, along with his family, George and Hazel, from Kurt Vonnegut’s short story “Harrison Bergeron,” are stuck in dystopian societies where...
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...Context: Right now, at this precise moment, Offred is fulfilling her duties of getting the groceries for the Commander’s household, but with an addition of having to go with another assigned handmaid, Ofglen. Long story short, because the handmaids can cause trouble to those in power, they are subjected to have “watchers”; watchers, whom are hidden as other handmaids. This constant intimidation spooks Offred into being extremely wary of Ofglen’s true intentions, so much as that she decides in the end, that she will play the part of being a “true believer”. This troll becomes the first of many, where they venture out to different food markets and catch the attention of desperate untouched men. Context: During one of the many walks Ofglen...
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...spaces at the edges of print…We lived in the gaps between the stories.” Discuss the writers’ exploration of female passivity. William Shakespeare, Margaret Atwood and Alfred Tennyson all present female passivity as a deep-rooted, normalised concept that is engrained into the framework of relationships, society and government. Whilst this is seen to remain from the 1600s all the way to the 1980s, there are subtle differences in the portrayal of, attempted reasoning behind and methods used to enforce this passivity, highlighted through analysis of language, structure and context. The writers symbolically use setting to explore links between different aspects of female passivity. Tennyson links public and private spaces and their promotion of female passivity to illustrate societal as well as psychological and domestic examples of passivity. In Mariana, the “rusted” and “crusted” atmosphere of decay is representative of Mariana’s psychological deterioration and the stagnant “blacken’d waters” and “moated grange” act as an obstruction to her integration with the outside patriarchal world. This reflects the wider Victorian attitude regarding the home as “the centre of virtue and the proper life for women” and brings to light the impact that passivity in the greater context of society has on the role she plays in her private relationship. This idea of external influences is echoed much less figuratively in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ where “decreased birth rates” stimulated a change in the...
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...What is literature? * Creative writing of recognised artistic value. * Written works of fiction and non-fiction in which compositional excellence and advancement in the art of writing are higher priorities than are considerations of profit or commercial appeal. * Literature is literally "an acquaintance with letters" as in the first sense given in the Oxford English Dictionary (from the Latin littera meaning "an individual written character (letter)"). The term has generally come to identify a collection of texts. The word literature as a common noun can refer to any form of writing, such as essays or poetry; Literature as a proper noun refers to a whole body of literary work, world-wide or relating to a specific culture... * lit·er·a·ture n. 1. The body of written works of a language, period, or culture. 2. Imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value:"Literature must be an analysis of experience and a synthesis of the findings into a unity" 3. The art or occupation of a literary writer. 4. The body of written work produced by scholars or researchers in a given field: medical literature. 5. Printed material: All the available collected literature on the subject. 6. Music: All the compositions of a certain kind or for a specific instrument or ensemble: the symphonic literature. Good literature has something important to say about life. If we take the time to read and understand the literature...
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...been my own personal form of therapy. There’s nothing like grabbing a book when I’m having a bad day to turn the day completely around. It doesn’t matter where I literally am; if I am reading then I am where I belong. It’s when I started reading that I started seeing the world differently. I learned that everyone around me has a story to tell, including myself. Reading has made me more observant and helped me to become the person I am today. For instance, after reading The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, I realized what feminism really is and am now a proud feminist. I recognize that reading can change who someone is and I embrace that. It’s with the help of reading that I realized that I want to major in English. I love literature in all its aspects, and I want to study it in college. I want to study symbolism and satire, imagery and characterization. I want to take classes on literature, both broad and specific. I want to take classes on how to be a better writer too because through reading I realized I actually enjoy writing as well. In eighth grade I started writing short stories on my computer for my own enjoyment. I’ve watched my stories progress as my reading continued. I know that my reading is what makes my writing even better. Reading is my world, and I want to delve even deeper into my world at college. ...
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...‘Dystopian fiction is less about the powerful and more about the powerless’ To what extent is this true in The Handmaid’s Tale and 1984? Dystopian fiction usually revolves over a power struggle between an oppressor and the oppressed, alternatively this can be given the label of powerful and powerless. However, the exposure given to one of these groups is often inclined to be imbalanced. For example, The Giver by Lois Lowry has biased exposure towards the powerless due to the simple fact of the third person limited narrator perspective from Jonas, a member of the aforementioned sector of respective society. This is similar to the 1984 narrator where Winston is never truly aware of what goes on when he wasn’t physically present. But, it could be for this exact reason that in 1984 the dystopian genre inclines towards the powerful, highlighting the hold over the powerless. Contrary to this, The Handmaid's Tale (THT) has blurred lines as to whether the dystopian fiction prevalent in the novels are more or less about the powerful. This is majorly due to conflicting plotlines and enigmatic characters, significant in both of the books. For example, the character of Nick could be characterized for the powerful and powerless. Nick behaves with Offred in a manner which confuses the reader about his loyalties. Ultimately, this essay will aim to prove an option that is a fusion between the two rivals of dystopian fiction offering the complex concept of the powerful powerless. The powerful...
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...1. "1984" by George Orwell 2. "A Brief History of Time" by Stephen Hawking 3. "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers 4. "A Long Way Gone" by Ishmael Beah 5. "A Series of Unfortunate Events #1: The Bad Beginning: The Short-Lived Edition" by Lemony Snicket 6. "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle 7. "Alice Munro: Selected Stories" by Alice Munro 8. "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll 9. "All the President's Men" by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein 10. "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt 11. "Are You There, God? It's me, Margaret" by Judy Blume 12. "Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett 13. "Beloved" by Toni Morrison 14. "Born To Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen" by Christopher McDougall 15. "Breath, Eyes, Memory" by Edwidge Danticat 16. "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller 17. "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl 18. "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White 19. "Cutting For Stone" by Abraham Verghese 20. "Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead" by Brene Brown 21. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Book 1" by Jeff Kinney 22. "Dune" by Frank Herbert 23. "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury 24. "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream" by Hunter S. Thompson 25. "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn 26. "Goodnight...
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...Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 i RTNA01 1 13/6/05, 5:28 PM READING THE NOVEL General Editor: Daniel R. Schwarz The aim of this series is to provide practical introductions to reading the novel in both the British and Irish, and the American traditions. Published Reading the Modern British and Irish Novel 1890–1930 Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 Daniel R. Schwarz Brian W. Shaffer Forthcoming Reading the Eighteenth-Century Novel Paula R. Backscheider Reading the Nineteenth-Century Novel Harry E. Shaw and Alison Case Reading the American Novel 1780–1865 Shirley Samuels Reading the American Novel 1865–1914 G. R. Thompson Reading the Twentieth-Century American Novel James Phelan ii RTNA01 2 13/6/05, 5:28 PM Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 Brian W. Shaffer iii RTNA01 3 13/6/05, 5:28 PM © 2006 by Brian W. Shaffer BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Brian W. Shaffer to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and...
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...“Canada is an unknown territory for the people who live in it, and I’m not talking about the fact that you may not have taken a trip to the Arctic or to Newfoundland, you may not have explored as the travel folders have it – This Great Land of Ours. I’m talking about Canada as a state of mind, as the space you inhabit not just with your body but with your head. It’s that kind of space in which we find ourselves lost. What a lost person needs is a map of the territory, with his own position marked on it so he can see where he is in relation to everything else. Literature is not only a mirror; it is also a map, a geography of the mid. Our literature is one such map, if we can learn to read it as our literature, as the product of who and where we have been. We need such a map desperately; we need to know about here, because here is where we live. For the members of a country or culture, shared knowledge of their place, their here, is not a luxury but a necessity. Without that knowledge we will not survive.” Margaret Atwood, Survival As Atwood’s statement demonstrates, Canadian literature is concerned with place and displacement, and with the development of an effective identifying relationship between self and environs. Canada’s literature whether written in English or French reflects three main parts of Canadian experience. First, Canadian writers often emphasize the effects of climate and geography on the life and work of their people. Second, frontier’s...
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...a year, you will be preparing for your freshman year of college. By that time, you should be familiar with a wide range of English, American, and Global literatures. The list of masterworks on the back of this sheet offers a guide for what are considered seminal works in the English-language tradition. We will read and discuss several of the texts during next year’s Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition course. (I AM NOT ASKING YOU TO READ THEM ALL – DON’T BE SILLY!) Reading ahead and reading a work twice is always advisable. In any case, a broad background of reading will benefit you on the AP English Literature test, as well as in your college English classes. Summer Reading: Bulfinch, Thomas The Age of Fable: Stories of Gods and Heroes^^ Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature Like a Professor* Hamilton, Edith Mythology^^ Shakespeare, William MacBeth Optional: Cotterell, Arthur & Storm, Rachel The Illustrated Encyclopedia of World Mythology# These books should all be available at your local library or bookstore (you may also order online). *If you do not already own a copy of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, you should get a copy. We will be referring to it throughout the year as we dissect and discuss literary works. ^^I have provided .PDF copies of these works through Edmodo. Please do NOT print copies of these works. #This book is a great resource to have for college, particularly if you are going to be an English...
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...978-0-313- 34410-7. 4 vol. 1,604p. $375.00. Gr. 9-12. This four volume set gives students a broad and interdisciplinary overview of the many and varied aspects of pop culture across America from 1900 to the present. The volumes cover the following chronological periods: V 1. 1900-1929, V 2. 1930-1959, V 3. 1960-1989 and Vol. 4. 1990-Present. There is an Introduction for each volume focusing on the major issues during that period. There is a Timeline of events for the decade which gives extra oversight and content to the study of the period and an Overview of each dcade. Chapters focus on specific areas of pop culture (Advertising, Books, Entertainment, Fashion, Food Music and much more) supplemented with sidebars containing stories, photos, illustrations and Notable information. There are endnotes for each decade and a Resource Guide and Index. Volume 4 also contains a Cost of Products from 1900-2000, and an Appendix with Classroom Resources for teachers and students and a Cumulative Index. Students, teachers and the general reader will love sifting through the experiences of Americans as they easily follow the crazes, technological breakthroughs and the experiences of art, entertainment, sports and other cultural forces and events that influenced each generation. Reference– Popular Culture BJ Neary Anatomy and Physiology: An Illustrated Guide. New York: Marshall Cavendish Reference, 2010...
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...* Alphabetical idioms - lists A : * list A1 : abbreviated piece of nothing → (hold all the) aces * list A2 : achilles heel → alarm bells * list A3 : all along → all the rage * list A4 : all sizzle and no steak → apple of your eye * list A5 : (upset the) applecart → at all costs * list A6 : at this stage of the game → (have an) axe to grind * Alphabetical idioms - lists B : * list B1 : (leave someone holding the) baby → in bad shape * list B2 : badger someone → whole new ball game * list B3 : ballpark figure → battle lines are drawn * list B4 : battle of wills → beat a dead horse * list B5 : beat a hasty retreat → before your very eyes * list B6 : beggar can't be choosers → beside yourself * list B7 : best bet → beyond any reasonable doubt * list B8 : beyond one's wildest dreams → bite the bullet * list B9 : bite the dust → blamestorming * list B10 : blank cheque → blow away the cobwebs * list B11 : blow a fuse → above board * list B12 : in the same boat → bored to tears * list B13 : born with silver spoon in your mouth → all brawn no brain * list B14 : know which side your bread is buttered → a breeze * list B15 : bricks and mortar/bricks and clicks → pass the buck * list B16 : kick the bucket → burning question * list B17 : bury your head in the sand → by degrees ...
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...Education of Artists: Art and Story CONTENTS SECTION ONE: Marcel’s Studio Visit with Elstir……………………………………………………….. David Carrier SECTION TWO: Film and Video Narrative Brief Narrative on Film-The Case of John Updike……………………………………. Thomas P. Adler With a Pen of Light …………………………………………………………………… Michael Fink Media and the Message: Does Media Shape or Serve the Story: Visual Storytelling and New Media ……………………………………………………. June Bisantz Evans Visual Literacy: The Language of Cultural Signifiers…………………………………. Tammy Knipp SECTION THREE: Narrative and Fine Art Beyond Illustration: Visual Narrative Strategies in Picasso’s Celestina Prints………… Susan J. Baker and William Novak Narrative, Allegory, and Commentary in Emil Nolde’s Legend: St. Mary of Egypt…… William B. Sieger A Narrative of Belonging: The Art of Beauford Delaney and Glenn Ligon…………… Catherine St. John Art and Narrative Under the Third Reich ……………………………………………… Ashley Labrie 28 15 1 22 25 27 36 43 51 Hopper Stories in an Imaginary Museum……………………………………………. Joseph Stanton SECTION FOUR: Photography and Narrative Black & White: Two Worlds/Two Distinct Stories……………………………………….. Elaine A. King Relinquishing His Own Story: Abandonment and Appropriation in the Edward Weston Narrative………………………………………………………………………….. David Peeler Narrative Stretegies in the Worlds of Jean Le Gac and Sophe Calle…………………….. Stefanie Rentsch SECTION FIVE: Memory Does The History of Western Art Tell a Grand Story?…………………………………… Eugene E. Selk...
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