Week 3 R&R 11/27/11

The first in the "Series of Disasters" was was Elizabeth's mother dying. That lead to her having to go move with her aunt.

Elizabeth chose not to leave Richard because she didn't know what would happen when he was by himself.  I don't agree with her decision because I don't feel that she should have put herself in such a negative position just to protect him.

I feel that Elizabeth has not really changed since Richards death and since she met Gabriel. She is living a very Christian life now, but I think that she would go back to her sinful ways at any moment.

Read and Response 11/20/11

1. Monday (151-160) - Elizabeth calls her aunt the "second" in a "series of disasters". What was the first? And how did the first disaster lead to the second? 

Deborah was Gabriel's first wife who died.  While she was alive he cheated on her with his current wife.

2. Tuesday (161-171) Elizabeth goes with Richard to New York- Although Elizabeth doesn't agree with Richards risky and anti- Christian lifestyle, why doesn't Elizabeth leave Richard? Do you agree with her decision? 

Gabriel chose to raise his own family very religiously, because he was not brought up that way.

3. Wednesday (172-183) - Identify a metaphor (NOT simile) in this section. How does this metaphor help you understand or feel as if you are in the story? 

"That weren't no reverend looking at me them morning in the yard."  "I don't know what we I going to do."  "Don't you know I'm a grown woman and I aint fixing to change."

4. Thursday (184- 192) - Florence and Elizabeth have an interesting conversation about people's ability to change. From Elizabeth's prayer, do you feel she genuinely changes after Richard dies and meeting Gabriel? Why or why not? 

In Gabriel's dream, he pictured his mom watching down on his sinful ways.  After that, he came to the realization that he needed to change his ways.  He started preaching and married his old wife. 

Read and Response 11/13/11

Chapter 1 of Go Tell it on the Mountain
Part 1 "The Seventh Day" 
Pages 1-15
Who is John Grimms? Describe his character (age, behavior, friends, and family)
John Grimms is the 14 year old son of Elisabeth and Gabriel Grimmes. He is a very smart boy who everyone expects to become a preacher like his father. He doesn't go outside that much and doesn't have any friends John hates his father for all the things he puts him and his family through.
 

Pages 15-31
Where does this novel take place? Consider location and time. How does this affect the plot of the story? If it took place in 2011, would the story be different? How? Discuss a detail from the section.
The story takes place in New York.  It is 1935 in the story so they were still highly racial. Like when he was walking he knew that no one who looked like him was allowed to live in the neighborhood he was in. If it were 2011, I feel like he wouldn't feel so uncomfortable, because everyone would be treated for the most part the same. He would not have had to enter through the back doors; he could just walk right through the front.

Pages 32 - 65 (Rest of Chapter 1)
Religion plays a crucial role in John's life.  How did America's Puritan history affect John's father. (Consider the Puritan texts we've read in class.) 
I think puritan history affected Johns father, how he went about his everyday life. He had very strong religious beliefs as did the Puritans.  John's Father is the pastor at the church they attend. He does everything in his life around religion, for example the after work bible studies.  In the Puritan readings they were also very strong religious people.

Part 2 "The Prayer's of the Saints" - Florence's Prayer
Pages 61-75 
in this section we read from Florence's perspective. She does not often share her opinions with her family. What does she think of the Northern church, as opposed to her church in the south? Use one quote to support your answer.

Florence thinks that churches in the north are different and “indecent” because of the way people acted when they prayed such as screaming, shouting, and cry out loud, in the south they were quiet. In the book it says ‘It was indecent, to cry out loud at the foot of the alter..."

Read and Response 11/6/11

Act. 5 Scene 1

When Hamlet finds out about Ophelia's death he  lashes out after seeing Laerte's jump into the grave saying he wanted to be buried with her which he felt was ovr doing it. He feels he is competing with Laerte's about the love he has for his own sister.

Act. 5 Scene 2

Claudius deserved to die because first off he'd already killed too many people out of jealousy. In the end everyone who died, diedbecause of what he did earlier. If anyone was going to die, it should have been him, Even his wife died because of the plan he made to kill her son. The most innocent death I think was Gertrude in my opinion. She died trying to make sure Hamlet was ok, and she just happened to pick up the cup that poisoned Hamlet

Final Project

William Shakespeare wrote 3 different types of play writes. He wrote history themed, tragedy themed, and comedy themed plays. Hamlet, I think should be in the comedy themed. I feel it could sometimes pass as a comedy I mean in the ending everyone died how ironic. 

Read and Response 10/30/11

Act 3 Scene 3 
      Why doesn't Hamlet kill Claudius while he's praying?

He didn’t kill Claudius while he was praying because he thinks he will go to heaven if he does, but he wanted him to go to hell, for killing his father.

Act 4 Scene 3
Practice the Reading Strategy from class and paraphrase Act 4 Scene 3 in only three sentences. Identify the most important details! 

Well Claudius wanted to know what happened to Polonius so he started to interrogate Hamlet. He finds out that Polonius is dead and Claudius sends Hamlet away. When he left Claudius wrote a letter telling someone to kill Hamlet.

Act 4 Scene 5
How do Ophelia and Laertes react to the death of their father? How do you think you would react in such a situation? Whose reaction would you be most like, Laertes or Ophelia?

Laertes was ready to fight and Ophelia went crazy. This actually happened to me and I acted like Laertes and was ready to fight.

Act 4 Scenes 6-7
Laertes and Claudius come up with a plot to kill Hamlet. What is this murder plan?

The plan was in the fencing match they would put poison on the end of the sword and when they stabbed him it would kill him.

Read and Response 10/23/11

Act 2 Scenes 1

- What is Polonius's relationship with Reynaldo?
- What is Polonius's relationship with Laertes?
- What is Laertes relationship with Reynaldo?               

1.  Reynaldo  is Polonius’ servant

2  Polonius is Laertes’ father

3.  Reynaldo spies on Laertes for Polonius

Act 2 Scenes 2

-       How does the father of Ophelia, Polonius, interpret Hamlet's madness? Why is he wrong? What is Hamlet really going crazy over?

He interpreted the situation like this   “Your son is crazy. “Crazy” I’m calling it, since how can you say what craziness is except to say that its craziness? But that’s another story”.

He is right about him being mad over Ophelia but not for the reason of rejection

 The reason is he is testing his theory or plan rather to express his love for her. So basically he is madly in love with her.

Act 3 Scenes 1

-       In this scene we run into the popular phrase "To be or not to be" (Original Text) How does the modern text interpret this? Why is Hamlet thinking about this question?

 "To be or not to be"- “The question is: is it better to be alive or dead”

He is asking this question to him self because he wonders is it better to be alive and go through the troubles of everyday life or “die” and be done with it.

Act 3 Scenes 2

I would ask questions like:

In modern text:

-What has been up with you lately, why are you so hyper?

-How do you feel about the whole situation about your parents?

-Why do you love Ophelia so much?

Old time text:

-My lord, why are ye not acting in the usual fashion, but instead much like a clown?

-Sir, are ye thinking about the story behind thy parents?

-Why is thy lord so much as in love with Polonius’ female offspring?