Thesis statement: Setting and symbolism are used to discuss abortion.
The setting introduces the tense atmosphere.
Spain, 1920's, The landscape contains imagery that evoke the characters' perspectives, Railstation / Rails in the sun, Important decision, Girl talks about the hills, White elephants (unique and uncommon)
Friday, October 23, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Mid-Term Writing Test
1. What is Louise Mallard’s opinion of marriage? Indicate the paragraph that suggests it?
Mrs. Mallard feels like she cannot live her life to the fullest because of marriage. She thinks her husband is controlling, and that being married means having to follow his will. It is clearly expressed in the text when the woman thinks, "there would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and woman believe they have right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination."
3. How does she feel about her future as a widow? Cite the line in the text, using just the first few words, then a series of dots …?
She realized that "she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers (...)", and that makes her extremely happy. She is impatient of starting her new life; a life in which she is free of living her own way. In other words, she welcomes the idea of this future.
6. Why did the author make the story so short?
The story is short because all the psychological evolution of the main character happens within one hour. From the moment she is told by her sister about her husband's death until she sees the latter enter the room, her feelings go gradually from deep sorrow to "the joy that kills". The fact that the story is so short shows that her psychological state evolves rapidly.
7. Explain how Louise can feel joy and sadness at the same time?
She feels joy in prevision of her new life as a free woman, but she is sad because of her husband's death. "She had loved him--sometimes", and it is always hard when someone you love dies; but she sees beyond that a great new life that will make her happy. "She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death. (...) But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely.
Irony in the story
In The Story of An Hour, Kate Chopin shows the readers how marriage and relationships can be ironic. First, there is irony in the fact that the woman who is told about her husband's death, after weeping in her sister's arms, actually starts feeling happy about the matter. When she goes away to her room, refusing to see anyone, she is feeling grief and "a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul". That is usually a normal reaction for a wife who loses her husband; however, she ends up welcoming her fate. These are two completely opposite reactions, and they both happen simultaneously. Being sad and happy at the same time, even if it is fairly possible, is very ironic; and being happy about the death of someone you love is even more ironic.
Then, another irony that is present in the story is the special kind of love between Mr. and Mrs. Mallard. They love each other, but she feels imprisoned in their relation. Kate Chopin even wrote: "And yet she had loved him--sometimes. Often she had not (...)", which expresses a certain irony. Mrs. Mallard is married to a man she doesn't always love, and she would prefer being alone and free. She obviously doesn't understand why she loves her husband, because she doesn't really like being with him. Yet, despite everything, the fact that she dies of "the joy that kills" means that she loved him; and even if she thought her new life would be great, she felt even happier when she saw him alive then when she realised she was free. In fact, love itself is a quite ironic phenomenon: people who are in love don't actually understand how they feel; and if one thinks he understand it, then it means he is not really in love.
Finally, the last irony I can find in The Story of An Hour is Mrs. Mallard's death. Her heart could not bear the prompt evolution of her feelings during this fatal hour, and it decided to give up. It is ironic that she died at the moment when her longing for life was the strongest. She felt alive, she had a hundred projects in mind, she was impatient to begin her new life as a widow. She had even just "breathed a quick prayer that life might be long". Unfortunately, her wish did not come true. As her joy was growing, it became so important that it ended up killing her. People usually die of intense sorrow, but not her: she died of extreme happiness. The irony of fate made her die of the most wonderful feeling in the world.
Mrs. Mallard feels like she cannot live her life to the fullest because of marriage. She thinks her husband is controlling, and that being married means having to follow his will. It is clearly expressed in the text when the woman thinks, "there would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and woman believe they have right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination."
3. How does she feel about her future as a widow? Cite the line in the text, using just the first few words, then a series of dots …?
She realized that "she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers (...)", and that makes her extremely happy. She is impatient of starting her new life; a life in which she is free of living her own way. In other words, she welcomes the idea of this future.
6. Why did the author make the story so short?
The story is short because all the psychological evolution of the main character happens within one hour. From the moment she is told by her sister about her husband's death until she sees the latter enter the room, her feelings go gradually from deep sorrow to "the joy that kills". The fact that the story is so short shows that her psychological state evolves rapidly.
7. Explain how Louise can feel joy and sadness at the same time?
She feels joy in prevision of her new life as a free woman, but she is sad because of her husband's death. "She had loved him--sometimes", and it is always hard when someone you love dies; but she sees beyond that a great new life that will make her happy. "She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death. (...) But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely.
Irony in the story
In The Story of An Hour, Kate Chopin shows the readers how marriage and relationships can be ironic. First, there is irony in the fact that the woman who is told about her husband's death, after weeping in her sister's arms, actually starts feeling happy about the matter. When she goes away to her room, refusing to see anyone, she is feeling grief and "a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul". That is usually a normal reaction for a wife who loses her husband; however, she ends up welcoming her fate. These are two completely opposite reactions, and they both happen simultaneously. Being sad and happy at the same time, even if it is fairly possible, is very ironic; and being happy about the death of someone you love is even more ironic.
Then, another irony that is present in the story is the special kind of love between Mr. and Mrs. Mallard. They love each other, but she feels imprisoned in their relation. Kate Chopin even wrote: "And yet she had loved him--sometimes. Often she had not (...)", which expresses a certain irony. Mrs. Mallard is married to a man she doesn't always love, and she would prefer being alone and free. She obviously doesn't understand why she loves her husband, because she doesn't really like being with him. Yet, despite everything, the fact that she dies of "the joy that kills" means that she loved him; and even if she thought her new life would be great, she felt even happier when she saw him alive then when she realised she was free. In fact, love itself is a quite ironic phenomenon: people who are in love don't actually understand how they feel; and if one thinks he understand it, then it means he is not really in love.
Finally, the last irony I can find in The Story of An Hour is Mrs. Mallard's death. Her heart could not bear the prompt evolution of her feelings during this fatal hour, and it decided to give up. It is ironic that she died at the moment when her longing for life was the strongest. She felt alive, she had a hundred projects in mind, she was impatient to begin her new life as a widow. She had even just "breathed a quick prayer that life might be long". Unfortunately, her wish did not come true. As her joy was growing, it became so important that it ended up killing her. People usually die of intense sorrow, but not her: she died of extreme happiness. The irony of fate made her die of the most wonderful feeling in the world.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Sentence combining
1. Independant coordinate clauses
Two sentences may be connected by a coordinate conjunction or a conjunctive adverb.
- Addition: and (CC), moreover (CA)
- Result: so (CC), therefore (CA)
- Contrast: but (CC), however (CA)
2. Dependent subordinate clauses
Dependent clauses contain subjects and predicates with full verbs. These clauses function as adverbs, nouns, and adjectives.
Conjunctions:
- Cause: because, since, as
- Contrast: although, even though, though, while, whereas
- Condition: if, unless, whether, even if
- Time: before, after, when, until, since, while
Two sentences may be connected by a coordinate conjunction or a conjunctive adverb.
- Addition: and (CC), moreover (CA)
- Result: so (CC), therefore (CA)
- Contrast: but (CC), however (CA)
2. Dependent subordinate clauses
Dependent clauses contain subjects and predicates with full verbs. These clauses function as adverbs, nouns, and adjectives.
Conjunctions:
- Cause: because, since, as
- Contrast: although, even though, though, while, whereas
- Condition: if, unless, whether, even if
- Time: before, after, when, until, since, while
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
LEL 2: Vocabulary and Spelling 1: Strategies for Complex Words
1. Interest level
This course wasn't really interesting because it was only about the meaning of some vocabulary words. It was almost like reading a dictionary.
2. Difficulty
This course was really easy for me, because many of the vocabulary words were French words used in English, so I already knew their meaning. Even most of the English words were simple words.
3. What I learned
The only new word I learned is the verb "to slough", which means "to ignore".
4. My score: 99/100
5. Course rating: 4/10
I think the course isn't really relevant for anyway who has a minimum of vocabulary. However, people who are not used to more complicated words and English people who don't know the meaning of French words might find it more interesting than me.
This course wasn't really interesting because it was only about the meaning of some vocabulary words. It was almost like reading a dictionary.
2. Difficulty
This course was really easy for me, because many of the vocabulary words were French words used in English, so I already knew their meaning. Even most of the English words were simple words.
3. What I learned
The only new word I learned is the verb "to slough", which means "to ignore".
4. My score: 99/100
5. Course rating: 4/10
I think the course isn't really relevant for anyway who has a minimum of vocabulary. However, people who are not used to more complicated words and English people who don't know the meaning of French words might find it more interesting than me.
Monday, October 5, 2009
LEL 1: Grammar Skills for Writing 3: Subjects/Verbs/Pronouns
1. Interest level
The course is quite interesting. It explains how to use verbs efficiently and to avoid mistakes with some confusing pronouns and plural subjects, which can be very useful when writing.
2. Difficulty
The beginning of the course was extremely easy: I would have done it at the end of elementary school. However, the part about pronouns was more tricky. When we speak, we use the pronouns "they", "their" and "them" too often. For example, we ask "Would anyone lend me their pencil?", when the pronoun should in fact be singular. I learned English mostly by listening to English people speaking, so I wasn't familiar with the proper use of pronouns.
3. What I learned
As I mentionned in the previous point, I learned the proper use of plural and singular pronouns in sentences. I also learned to make the difference between lay and lie.
4. My score: 94/100
5. Course rating: 7.5/10
I think some parts of the course were relevant, but others were too easy and were just a repetition of what we learn at the end of elementary school or in secondary school. The parts that were relevant were nevertheless very useful to help me make the difference between proper English and spoken English.
The course is quite interesting. It explains how to use verbs efficiently and to avoid mistakes with some confusing pronouns and plural subjects, which can be very useful when writing.
2. Difficulty
The beginning of the course was extremely easy: I would have done it at the end of elementary school. However, the part about pronouns was more tricky. When we speak, we use the pronouns "they", "their" and "them" too often. For example, we ask "Would anyone lend me their pencil?", when the pronoun should in fact be singular. I learned English mostly by listening to English people speaking, so I wasn't familiar with the proper use of pronouns.
3. What I learned
As I mentionned in the previous point, I learned the proper use of plural and singular pronouns in sentences. I also learned to make the difference between lay and lie.
4. My score: 94/100
5. Course rating: 7.5/10
I think some parts of the course were relevant, but others were too easy and were just a repetition of what we learn at the end of elementary school or in secondary school. The parts that were relevant were nevertheless very useful to help me make the difference between proper English and spoken English.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Poetry
Language:
- Denotation VS Connotation
- Concreteness VS Abstractness
- Figures of speech (simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, assonance, consonance, hyberbole, oxymoron (ex: sounds of silence, cruel love), apostrophe = talking to someone)
- Level of language (slang, informal, formal).
- Imagery (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling)
- Symbolism
- Irony
- Pun = fun use of words (ex: I should have been sad when my flash light died, but I was delighted. You can tune a guitar but you can't tune a fish. I couldn't remember how to throw a boomerang, but it eventually came back to me.)
- Euphony VS Cacophony
- Onomatopeia
- Rhyme pattern
- Denotation VS Connotation
- Concreteness VS Abstractness
- Figures of speech (simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, assonance, consonance, hyberbole, oxymoron (ex: sounds of silence, cruel love), apostrophe = talking to someone)
- Level of language (slang, informal, formal).
- Imagery (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling)
- Symbolism
- Irony
- Pun = fun use of words (ex: I should have been sad when my flash light died, but I was delighted. You can tune a guitar but you can't tune a fish. I couldn't remember how to throw a boomerang, but it eventually came back to me.)
- Euphony VS Cacophony
- Onomatopeia
- Rhyme pattern
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
