Demons By Imagine Dragons

In "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, symbolism plays a key roll in the over all meaning of the story. In the passage, there are several symbols including the serpent staff, the familiar people, and the mysterious pink ribbon. The serpent staff represents the temptation of choices. In the Bible, Eve is tempted by the snake to eat from The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; which God told her very plainly not to do, but she gave into temptation. In the story, Brown can either go back to his wife or continue on down the path, and he chooses to carry on which turns out badly for him just like it did for Eve. The next symbol in the story is the familiar face that he runs into on the dark forest path. The lady he meets, Goody Cloyse, is the Devil in disguise coming to him in a form he will recognize and trust. In short, it is the Devil that is trying to make him doubt God. The last symbol in the passage is the pink ribbon which represents a message from God saying he made the wrong choice. The ribbon represents what he should have chose and is also a foreshadowing saying that Faith, his wife, is pregnant with his daughter. The entire story symbolizes the choices we each have to make in life. We can do what we know is right or we can choose what maybe wrong but more enticing. One can stay and enjoy what they have or believe that the grass is always greener on the other side. In the story it says, " On the Sabbath Day, when the congregation were singing a holy psalm, he could not listen because an anthem of sin rushed loudly upon his ear and drowned all the blessed strain." At the end of the passage, it turns out Brown was dreaming and now see's everyone in a new light; like he saw who they really are.

In "Popular Mechanics" by Raymond Carver, the theme of the short story is evident throughout the entire passage. Early in the passage, the author says, "Cars slushed by on the street outside, where it was getting dark. But it was getting dark on the inside too." This foreshadows that something very bad is about to happen. Towards the middle of the passage, the parents are fighting over the baby in the kitchen and accidentally knock over a flowerpot. This also foreshadows not only the death of the baby but the end of their relationship. At the end of the passage, the parents selfishly fight over who gets the baby. This shows that neither one of them really loves the baby but only wants it so the other can not have it. In their selfishness, they violently rip the baby apart because neither really loves it enough to let it go. It is evident from the beginning of the story that the parents had a fight and the husband is leaving (though it never indicates they are married). The setting of the story adds to the theme by supporting the idea that the characters in the story are not very good parents and will not stay together under any circumstances; even to raise their own child. This theme is also found in the Bible in the book of 1st Kings 3:16-28; two women are fighting over a baby and King Solomon offers to split it between them, but one of the women gives up the baby because she loves it enough to let it go if it will be safe. Neither of the parents in "Popular Mechanics" obviously do not care enough about the baby to mend their broken relationship even for the sake of their child.

August 25th, 2014

1) In the short story, Johnson is given the chance to change his life and turn it around but he just throws it all away. He reminds me of my uncle Jamie because of those things. My uncle joined the army young and developed a bad habit with alcohol and was soon released because of his inability to control his drinking. When he came home, the whole family was supportive of his recovery; all we wanted was for him to get better and fight his addiction. We gave him a roof over his head, clothes on his back, and food on the table but no matter what we did, he never gave up alcohol, not even for us. When my uncle was sober he was one of the most caring and kind-hearted people that someone could ever meet. Eventually, we gave up on him; we had all given him everything we had to offer. We had gone through hell and high water to make sure he got better but no matter what we did, he would never change. It was as if the alcohol was more important than his own blood, that’s what hurt the most.

 

2) In middle school, I played sports; that is what I was known for. When I got to high school, I realized that I was good at other things that did not involve balls. They put me in honors classes and I wanted to get it changed but I was not allowed to change into classes that where easier. So I grit my teeth and stuck out the first nine weeks and was surprised to find that I made all A’s. I honestly did not plan on taking anymore higher level classes but with the extra push from my friends and teachers I continued on to honors in 10^th grade. That is the year that I truly found my ambition to be the best that I can be. I found my thirst for knowledge that I still carry with me today. I am a dynamic character because throughout high school I have grown as a person and realized my true potential to make a difference in the world.

In "The Lame Shall Enter First" by Flannery O'Connor, there are many characters who's personalities greatly vary and change throughout the story. The most interesting character though is Rufus Johnson. Johnson grew up in a rough background and is a trouble maker; that tells one that he is a stock character. Typically, children who grow up in bad situations want attention and often do horrible things to seek it out. It is obvious that Johnson is also a round character because through out the story the reader often sees glimpses of a not so hardened side of the boy. In the story, Johnson says , "You Don't want to steal and smash up things when you've got everything you want already." In the story, Johnson, is also a dynamic character because in the beginning of the story he never showed Shepperd how appreciative he was of his gratitude but near the middle of the story, Johnson actually thanks him in his own way. Shepperd and Johnson are also foil characters, Shepperd is a kind man who volunteers in a reformatory on Saturdays and works five days a week. Johnson is a young boy who is four-teen years of age and steals, lies, and takes advantage of people who try to take care of him. Shepperd does not believe in God; when Johnson asks where his wife is he responds saying that she is nowhere. This makes it very clear that he does not believe in Heaven, Hell, or Satan either. Johnson, on the other hand, reads the Bible and truly believes that God, Satan , Heaven, and Hell actually exist even though he is a trouble maker. Throughout the story, Johnson seems to be developing into a seemingly better person but quickly reverts to his old ways and proves to Shepperd that he can not change.

In "The Paring Knife" by Michael Oppenheimer; the paring knife that the speaker finds under his refrigerator while cleaning is a symbol of the past marital problems that the characters in the story experienced. In the story, the speaker says, " I showed the knife to the woman I love and she said, "Oh. Where did you find it?" After I told her, she put the knife on the table and then went into the next room and continued to clean." This shows that the authors' wife is reluctant to talk about the argument they had and they are both once again avoiding the issue between them, just like they did on the night of the incident. When the speakers' wife enters the kitchen again, she immediately grabs the knife and slides it back under the refrigerator where her husband happened upon it in the first place. This symbolizes the problems the characters were having in the past and the fact that the wife wants to leave them there. The speakers' wife believes that there is no need to bring up long forgotten events when it is obvious that it is a mile-stone that they have long surpassed together. She does not throw the knife away because even though it is remembered from a bad experience, she does not want to forget a challenge that they over-come together and keeps it as a symbol of their past and a token of what only made their relationship stronger. The knife also symbolizes a old wound in their relationship that may be forgotten but not quite healed. By placing it back under the fridge, the characters are unconsciously saying that that wound will not be re-opened and the knife, which represents the argument they had, has to remain under the fridge so that they do not remember the pain the wound caused.

Chapters 25-27

Chapter 25 -- Don’t Read with Your Eyes
After reading Chapter 25, choose a scene or episode from a novel, play or epic written before the twentieth century. Contrast how it could be viewed by a reader from the twenty-first century with how it might be viewed by a contemporary reader. Focus on specific assumptions that the author makes, assumptions that would not make it in this century.

In, On Being brought from Africa to America, Wheatley says that if she had never been brought to America then she would not know who God is. This was quite common back then because African Americans where still thought of as heathens and were not introduced to Christianity or allowed to go to church because of their color. In this day and age, this poem would be found quite heart-breaking and moving because having to think about what African Americans dealt with is sad. A contemporary reader, would view this poem as sincere and moving because it is the harsh truth that African Americans where treated badly and where fortunate to luck upon a nice owner.

Chapter 26 -- Is He Serious? And Other Ironies

Select an ironic literary work and explain the multivocal nature of the irony in the work.

The Bible itself is an ironic literary work, One of the ten commandments is though shalt not kill. In the Bible when God parts the Red Sea to let his people pass, he brings the sea down on the Pharaohs' army killing all of them. It is ironic that he wants us to follow his commandment about not killing anyone yet he himself kills many people through out the Bible.

Chapter 27 -- A Test Case

Read “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield, the short story starting on page 245. Complete the exercise on pages 265-266, following the directions exactly. Then compare your writing with the three examples. How did you do? What does the essay that follows comparing Laura with Persephone add to your appreciation of Mansfield’s story?

I understood that the story signifies the significant difference between the upper and lower class. I did not really understand how it does it.

It makes me appreciate Mansfield's story more because it shows the drastic difference between the upper and lower class. Persephone lived on Olympus with her mother but when she married Hades she had to live in the under world. That was a drastic change in life style and scenery. It was the same for Laura, she was used to garden parties and fancy hats but when she descended into the world of lower class people she noticed the big differences in scenery and gloominess.

Chapters 22-24

Chapter 22 -- He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know

Chapter 23 -- It’s Never Just Heart Disease...

Chapter 24 -- ...And Rarely Just Illness
Recall two characters who died of a disease in a literary work. Consider how these deaths reflect the “principles governing the use of disease in literature” (215-217). Discuss the effectiveness of the death as related to plot, theme, or symbolism

In A Walk to Remember, Jaime who is only a teenager, dies of leukemia. Her death makes the love between her and Landon all the more tragic. In the book, when Jaime tells Landon about her disease, it adds to the plot of the movie because she says, " I'm dying Landon.". Which puts him into immediate shock because he thinks that she is absolutely perfect in every way. 

In The Last Song, Ronnie does not know why she and her brother have to stay with their father for a whole summer. Her parents divorced three years earlier and she had been resenting him ever sense. Only when Ronnie discovers that her father is slowly dying does she learn to reconnect with him through their love of music. When her father dies, it changed her outlook on life because she had been reminded just how much she loved music and the whole reason she started playing; because of her father, Steve.

Chapter 20-21

Chapter 20 -- ...So Does Season
Find a poem that mentions a specific season. Then discuss how the poet uses the season in a meaningful, traditional, or unusual way. (Submit a copy of the poem with your analysis.)

The Road Not Taken

BY ROBERT FROST

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the different.

In The Road Not Taken, Frost mentions a yellow wood and leaves on the ground which means that it is Fall. He uses it in a traditional way because when one steps on leaves they begin to rot into the ground. He says in his poem, "In leaves no step had trodden black" which means that no one had stepped on them, thus it being the road less taken.

Interlude -- One Story
Write your own definition for archetype. Then identify an archetypal story and apply it to a literary work with which you are familiar.

Definition: a theme that is repeated over and over again in a different context. An archetypal story is the story of Romeo and Juliet. They loved each other but there was conflict that kept them from being together. In A Walk to Remember, Landon and Jaime love each other but she  has cancer whic in the end kills her. In this story, cancer is the conflict that keeps them apart.

Chapter 21 -- Marked for Greatness

Figure out Harry Potter’s scar. If you aren’t familiar with Harry Potter, select another character with a physical imperfection and analyze its implications for characterization.

Harry Potter is only famous because of his scar. Voldemort killed Harry's' parents and then proceeded on to kill him but failed in the attempt; that is where Harry acquired his scar. Had Harry not obtained the scar in the first place, he would not evolve into the courageous young man that ruthlessly chased after Voldemort because he wanted revenge for the death of his parents and many other loved ones. When Voldemort gave Harry the scar, he instilled in him a sense of hostility that in the end led Harry to killing him with no regrets.

Chapters 18-19

Chapter 18 -- If She Comes Up, It’s Baptism
Think of a “baptism scene” from a significant literary work. How was the character different after the experience? Discuss.

In the Bible, John is baptizing people in the Jordan for repentance. Although, according to the gospel, Jesus is the only one without sin; he allows John to baptize him anyway. Afterwards, he begins his ministry career and his work as the savior of the world.

Chapter 19 -- Geography Matters...
Discuss at least four different aspects of a specific literary work that Foster would classify under “geography.”

In the Bible, Jesus's people are being held captive by the Egyptians. They are held in a desolate area that is dry and sandy. They lived in close quarters and where not allowed the space they needed. The Red Sea held them captive so to speak in the land of Egypt. After they are rescued by Moses they are brought to the promised land that is spacious, lush and fertile. The promise land is geographically north of Egypt; this is significant because Jesus tells Moses, "So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that..." in Exodus 3:8.

Chapters 16-17

Chapter 16 -- It’s All About Sex...


Chapter 17 -- ...Except the Sex
OK ..the sex chapters. The key idea from this chapter is that “scenes in which sex is coded rather than explicit can work at multiple levels and sometimes be more intense that literal depictions” (141). In other words, sex is often suggested with much more art and effort than it is described, and, if the author is doing his job, it reflects and creates theme or character. Choose a novel or movie in which sex is suggested, but not described, and discuss how the relationship is suggested and how this implication affects the theme or develops characterization.

In the movie Gone with the Wind, Rhett Butler is mad that Scarlett can not see what is in front of her; instead shes pinning over Ashley Wilkes. He becomes drunk and forcefully kisses her then packs her up the steps to her bedroom presumably to have sex but the scene ends there. The relationship is suggested by what happens before he dramatically packs her off. He says that even though she is pinning over Ashley that she still manages to turn him on while she claims that he is jealous, Which he admits to at once. This develops characterization by showing a not so pleasant side of Rhett Butler.

Chapters 11-15

Chapter 11 --...More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence
Present examples of the two kinds of violence found in literature. Show how the effects are different. 

The first type of violence is when an author causes a character to hurt him/her self or another character. An example of this type of violence would be when Lord Voldemort kills Harry Potters' parents, Lily and James. That attack was intentional and was physical.

The second type of violence is when something bad happens to a character but its no ones fault. An example of this would be in The Last Song when Ronnie's father dies of cancer. This type of violence is emotional, not physical like the first type.

Chapter 12 -- Is That a Symbol?
Use the process described on page 106 and investigate the symbolism in something we have read this year (short story or novel).

Symbolism in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - 

1)Harry's' scar symbolizes everything about him that is famous even though he did not know it until he attended Hogwarts.

2) Quidditch is not a only a sport in the wizard world but it also symbolizes that magic has a real world application by being hands on.

3) The Mirror of Erised is a magic mirror that shows people what they truly desire. In the book, the mirror symbolizes all the things that Harry did not know he was missing out on such as the importance of family. 

Chapter 13 -- It’s All Political
Assume that Foster is right and “it is all political.” Use his criteria to show that one of the major works assigned to you this year is political.

Animal Farm is a major literary work that uses a barnyard and some pigs to represent communism.

Chapter 14 -- Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too
Apply the criteria on page 119 to a major character in a significant literary work. Try to choose a character that will have many matches. This is a particularly apt tool for analyzing film -- for example, Star Wars, Cool Hand Luke, Excalibur, Malcolm X, Braveheart, Spartacus, Gladiator and Ben-Hur.

In the Iliad, written by Homer, Achilles was hurt by a wound in the foot that caused him to not escape which ultimately caused his death. He was also a wine drinker which are two of the things that make him a Christ like figure.

Chapter 15 -- Flights of Fancy

Select a literary work in which flight signifies escape or freedom. Explain in detail.

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry is rescued from his abusive aunt and uncles house by his best friend, Ron Weasley, and his two brothers. They rescue Harry using their fathers' flying car. After retrieving his personnel belongings from his bedroom, Harry jumps out the window when his uncle suddenly grabs his foot. Harry eventually jerks it away and is driven off into the night escaping then for the rest of the summer.

Chapters 6-10

Chapter 6 -- When in Doubt, It’s from Shakespeare...
Discuss a work that you are familiar with that alludes to or reflects Shakespeare. Show how the author uses this connection thematically. Read pages 44-46 carefully. In these pages, Foster shows how Fugard reflects Shakespeare through both plot and theme. In your discussion, focus on theme.

In the Hunger Games books, Peeta and Katniss are referred to as star-crossed lovers just like Romeo and Juliet. The theme of the book concentrates on them surviving the hunger games just like Romeo and Juliet had to survive their parents. At the end, Juliet kills herself because she thinks Romeo is dead then after finding out about Juliets death, Romeo follows suit. At the end of the hunger games, Peeta and Katniss tried to kill themselves because only one person could be the winner.

Chapter 7
Discuss 3 Biblical allusions that appear in a film, short story, or novel other than "The Lame Shall Enter First." Be creative and imaginative in these connections.

1) In The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Asland dies and comes back to life; this is an allusion to when Christ died on the cross and rose again the third day.

2) The stone table that Asland is killed on represents the stone tablets that Moses brought down from Mt. Sinai that contained the 10 commandments.

3) The White Witch is an allusion to Satan; she is considered evil and treacherous through out the series.

Chapter 8 -- Hanseldee and Greteldum
Think of a work of literature that reflects a fairy tale. Discuss the parallels. Does it create irony or deepen appreciation?

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson is a modern day Cinderella story. Ella has two horrible step sisters that hold her back from meeting her prince charming just like in Cinderella. It deepens the meaning of the Cinderella story because it illustrates the difficulties that she faced while living with her horrible step-mother and step-sisters.

Chapter 9 -- It’s Greek to Me
Write a free verse poem derived or inspired by characters or situations from Greek mythology. Be prepared to share your poem with the class. 

Zeus

Lightening

Order

King of Gods

Posideon

Ocean

Horses

Natural Distasters

Athena

Reason

Battle

Wisdom

 

Chapter 10 -- It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow
Discuss the importance of weather in a specific literary work, not in terms of plot.

Interlude -- Does He Mean That

Some authors use weather as a symbol for deeper meaning. Such as when a person walks through the rain and is cleansed. Rain can also be used as an restorative because it makes things grow. Rain can also be used as a renewal of hope that their is better things to come because April showers bring May flowers. When rain stops and a rainbow appears it can used as a sign of hope. Fog usually signals some sort of confusion with the main character. Snow is also a very versatile piece of weather that the author can manipulate into meaning anything.

Chapters 1-5

Chapter 1 -- Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not)

List the five aspects of the QUEST and then apply them to something you have read (or viewed) in the form used on pages 3-5.

(Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)

Quester: Harry and Dumbledore

A Place To Go: Cavern in the mountain by the sea

A Stated Reason To Go There: To find a horecrux

Challenges and Trials: They must sacrifice blood to enter the cavern then must use a small boat to ride across a lake to retrieve the horecrux. Then, Dumbledore must drink the potion that the horecrux is floating in. The potion drives Dumbledore mad and dead people rise out of the lake to attack them.

The Real Reason to Go: To show Harry that he is fully capable of discovering the horecrux's on his own. Dumbledore also wants to show Harry the way one has to think to understand Lord Voldemort's thinking when discovering and learning about the location of the horecrux's.

Chapter 2 -- Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion

Choose a meal from a literary work and apply the ideas of Chapter 2 to this literary depiction.

(206 Bones)

Dr.Brennan got a tune fish sandwhich out of a machine and she thought it might have tasted funny. It was the only thing she had eaten all day so she though it might just be her. Shortly after she finishes her sandwich and heads to her car; her stomach starts hurting from the sandwich she just ate. Suddenly, out of  no where someone kidnaps her and she wakes up in a buried grave,

Chapter 3: --Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires

What are the essentials of the Vampire story? Apply this to a literary work you have read or viewed. 

Essentials of a Vampire Story - 

- an older figure representing corrupt, worn values 

- a young preferably virgin female

- a stripping away of her energy, youth, virtue

- a continuance of the life force of the male

- the death or destruction of the young woman

Chapter 5 --Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?

Define intertextuality. Discuss three examples that have helped you in reading specific works.

Definition - The interdependent ways in which texts stand in relation to one another

1) When I was reading the chronicles of Narnia I realized that the events are a lot like the ones that happen in the Bible. 

2) In Animal Farm, the farm can be related to a communist country where the pigs are the government. 

3) The Titanic is related to Romeo and Juliet because its a tragic love story where they both die just like in Romeo and Juliet.