Thursday, April 28, 2011

Short-Story-a-thon

Alright, so I decided to utilize a post dealing with members of this blog to make a continuous story. How this works is that one person posts no less than two sentences with new vocabulary words. There is no direct theme just that you don't go off topic of the post above yours.

So here are the rules:
1) Post no less than two sentences
2) Use new vocabulary
3) Stay on topic
4) No profanity
5) Be nice
6) Keep it intellectually appropriate
7) Keep it in third person
8) Have fun

Ms. Hill will be the moderator and is free, as always, to edit, comment. etc.

The purpose of this exercise is to have you practice using vocabulary in preparation to the AP English exam and have fun.

If you would like to post in the tone and voice of one of your favorite authors, please do so.

If there are characters as well within the story, please don't change their names or roles (if their roles are evident within the story already).

Happy Posting.

-Jacob Ray

Friday, April 8, 2011

"Oh, happiness!"

If there is one thing that Brave New World makes me think about above anything else, it would be happiness. In BNW, happiness is present but at the cost of truth, science, and art. Personally I would never want to live a life that is a lie, being made happy by things that bring only momentary enjoyment. John says "I'd rather be unhappy than have the sort of false, lying happiness you were having here." I agree with him. If I must blind myself to be happy, I'd much rather be unhappy. Ofcourse that is not everyone's opinion.

"What's yours?"

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

A World of Bliss... ? Please Explain!


If there is one thing that I have learned from taking this AP English course, it is that each person has their own view on the significance of certain details within literature. Brave New World is rich with a more abstract viewpoint on society and the course it heading to. From religious cults to 'conditioning', Brave New World presents a world meant to be 'perfect', and yet is anything but. Why is this so? Why is it that the thought of acting out is coming from those whom have been conditioned the most, and not from those whom have been treated the worst?

This concept of acting out is a result of the conditioning being taken to a fine line that represents the divider between 'freethinking' and 'conditioned'. All of those in which act out have 'defects'. Characters such as Helmboltz and Bernard are unhappy with the society presented to them, and begin to act out from it. (Yet as the story goes on the reader can see Bernard giving in. Such is reflected through his increased usage of soma.)

What type of things have you guys/gals found?