accoutrements: clothing; equipment
The soccer player needed the correct accoutrements for the referee to let him play the game.
apogee: the highest or most distant point; climax
Her career reached its apogee last year when she was promoted to Chief Executive Officer of the business.
apropos: fitting; at the right time; opportune; pertinent
He comment on dinosaurs was not apropos to the ongoing discussion regarding United States history.
bicker: to engage in petulant argument; wrangle; to move quickly; to glitter
The mother was tired of listening to her sons' constant bickering in the backseat of the car so she pulled over.
coalesce: to blend or come together; to cause to unite into one body
Their suggestions were so similar that the group coalesced them into one brilliant idea.
contretemps: an inopportune occurrence; an embarrassing mischance
The high school student thought it a major contretemps when she tripped going up the stairs in front of everyone in the hall.
convolution: a rolled up condition; a coiled together
The writer had a hard time phrasing the convolution of words in his mind into understandable sentences.
cull: to choose; to gather the choice things; to collect
The scientist culled additional observations in hopes of finding better results.
disparate: distinct in kind; dissimilar; essentially different
Kingsolver and Montaigne have disparate styles when their novels are compared.
dogmatic: doctrinal; asserting opinions in an arrogant manner; opinionated
His dogmatic assertions were proved to be correct, no matter how unsatisfactory.
licentious: lewd; immoral; disregarding rules
Her lewd behavior over the years was scorned by all of her family.
mete: to distribute by measure; allot; dole out
For the Beowulf questions, each group member was meted a certain section of the questions to answer.
noxious: injurious to health; morally harmful; corrupting; pernicious
Their decision to steal a car was extremely noxious.
polemic: a controversial argument; a person who argues opposite to another; controversial
She decided not to assign her class to read the book because of its possibly polemic political theme.
populous: full of inhabitants; crowded with people; comprising of a large quantity
New York City and Los Angeles are two of the most populous cities in the United States.
probity: integrity and uprightness; honesty
His parents were proud of his probity in every question of theirs he answered.
repartee: a quick, witty reply; a conversation full of such replies
The two characters witty repartee in the play impressed the audience.
supervene: to take place as something additional; to occur as something extraneous; to ensue
Her enormous homework load supervened upon the free time she expected to have that weekend.
truncate: to shorten by cutting off a part; to shorten
Her friend truncated her lengthy description of what had happened to tell her to get to the point.
unimpeachable: above suspicion; impossible to discredit; impeccable
The psychologist was an unimpeachable witness during the trial.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Responses to Beowulf Questions
Answering Process
To answer the fifty Beowulf questions, Melissa Steller texted me to ask about forming a group for it to split up the answers. I texted some of the friends that we thought might want to join, and soon we had a group of six after we took in Rebecca, who was looking for a group too. We each originally decided to sections of either 10 or 11 questions. Once Rebecca joined, she did the first two of each of our sections, making it a lot easier for all of us, except for Brenna who had already answered her questions, because that left us with 8 or 9 questions each. This was all organized through texts. Then, we gathered up everyone's emails, and once each of us completed the answers to our assigned questions we emailed them to everyone in the group as an attached document or in the message itself. The collaboration was very effective and efficient for everyone in the group.
Prologue
1. It was unusual how Shield became ruler of the Danes because he was orphan, found as an infant who rose to extreme power and became a praised leader. At his funeral, he was very much honored and mourned. He is carried to shore and put on a ship by his companions, like he had requested. He was cast off into the ocean along with his many treasures. Hrothgar is Shield’s great great grandson (Shield’s son is Beow, Beow’s son is Halfdane, Halfdane’s son is Hrothgar). (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)
Heorot is Attacked
1. Hrothgar’s magnificent work was the creation of a grand hall called the Heorot where parties and feasts were held. Heorot was attacked by a fierce monster named Grendel. Grendel attacked the hall at night and killed 30 men. For 12 years no one went in Heorot because every night Grendel would kill anyone he saw so the people stayed as far away as possible. The Danes lived in great fear of this monster. (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)
The Hero Comes to Heorot
1. When Beowulf hears of Hrothgar's problems with Grendel, he and his fellow Geats set sail to Denmark to promise Hrothgar that he will slay Grendel once and for all. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
2. When the Geats first arrive in Denmark they meet a Danish watcher patrolling along the cliffs. He happens to be Hrothgar's lieutenant who demands to know who they are and what they are doing there. The Geats respond that they have come to meet with Hrothgar and they they intended to rid the Danes of their beast, Grendel. The lieutenant believes them and takes them to Herot. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
3. Hrothgar's herald is Wulfgar of the Wendla tribe. When he first sees the Geats he stops them and asks them why they carry so much armor. He them implies that they are there for adventure rather self gain because they seem brave. Wulfgar goes to Hrothgar and tells him not to refuse their help because their leader Beowulf seems strong and worthy. Hrothgar speaks of knowing Beowulf's father and encourages Wulfgar to go get the Geats right away. I'm not surprised that Beowulf and Hrothgar know each other so well because Beowulf wouldn't otherwise risk his life and the life of others for someone he didn't know. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
4. Beowulf tells Hrothgar that he is basically very experienced and planned to take Grendel on with no weapons. He also told Hrothgar not to refuse him. Hrothgar paid off Beowulf's father's feuds during a waring period for the Geats. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
Feast at Heorot
1. Unferth jealously claims that Beowulf couldn't beat Grendel and brings up a time in the past when Beowulf lost in a swimming competition to Breca. Beowulf tells Unferth that he is drunk and claims the true story that he was separated from Breca and pulled underwater by a sea monster that he later killed. This shows how confident and competitive Beowulf is throughout the story. Beowulf then accuses Unferth that if he was really as brave as he said he was, Grendel would have never come to Herlot. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
2. She hands out mead goblets first to Hrothgar and then to the rest of the men. She thanks God for Beowulf and then takes her seat next to Hrothgar. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
The Fight with Grendel
1. The difference with Beowulf is that he is getting rid of his armor. He plans to take care of Grendel with his bare hands. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
2. When Grendel enters Herot he immediately goes to his business of eating sleeping soldiers. When he gets to Beowulf, he isn't asleep and Beowulf immediately latches onto him. Grendel tries to flee but Beowulf's grip is too strong. Grendel barely escapes and leaves behind his arm. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
Celebration at Heorot
1. "A Danish scop recites the story of Sigemund, a great hero who slays a horrible dragon. The dragon is a keeper of a treasure chest that Sigemund wins by slaying the dragon. The treasure won by Sigemund resembles the gold rewards earned by Beowulf from the ring-giver, King Hrothgar. This Norse myth is obviously recited at Beowulf’s celebration to compare both Sigemund’s and Beowulf's heroic acts. (...) Heremod is known as an evil Danish king who turns against his own people. This is clearly a symbol of the reverse of Beowulf’s characteristics. By comparing and contrasting Beowulf to two different kings, the narrator is indicating that Beowulf will be king later in the epic."(http://csis.pace.edu/gr
2. Hrothgar responds to Beowulf’s deed by celebrating him. He announces Beowulf as his son and says that he will never be forgotten. He gives Beowulf numerous gifts including a sword. Unferth doesn’t have much to say to Beowulf unlike the first time they spoke. He is more humbled now that Beowulf has saved the Danes. (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)
3. The singer sings the story of Finn during the feast. Basically, in the story Finn, Lord of the Frisians, marries Hildeburgh, a Dane, to end a feud between the two tribes. The idea was to use the bride to ensure that the families wouldn’t feud anymore but obviously this was a bad idea. The Frisians killed Hildeburgh’s brother when he came to visit her. Finn was also eventually killed out of revenge. (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)
Another Attack
Beowulf Returns Home
5. Beowulf gives all the treasure to his leader, Hygelac. Hygelac in return gave Beowulf Hrethel's sword, which was very special to the Gaets, as well as 7,000 hides of land, his own throne, and a house. (Courtesy of Rachel Shedd)
The Dragon Awakes
8. Hygelac’s oldest brother, Herebeald, was accidentally killed with an arrow by Haethcyn while they were hunting. His father, King Hrethel, knew this was was an accident but died of grief (Herebeald was his eldest son). After Hrethel’s death, the Swedes and the Geats continued fighting which led to deaths of Haethcyn and Hygelac. Beowful avenged the death of Hygelac by killing the great Frankish warrior, Dayraven. (Courtesy of Brenna McNamara)
Beowulf Attacks the Dragon
1. Beowulf tells his companions to wait on the hill because he wants to fight the dragon and retrieve its gold alone.
2. The first time that Beowulf and the dragon fight, Beowulf feels very confident going into the fight but that quickly changes. The shield that is protecting Beowulf begins to melt. His sword breaks before it is able to do any real damage to the dragon. All of Beowulf’s companions abandon him when he is losing the fight, except Wiglaf. Wiglaf tries to make the other warriors stay and he attempts to make them feel ashamed for deserting because they all promised to be loyal to Beowulf. Wiglaf joins Beowulf in battle. (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)
3. Wiglaf and Beowulf work together as a team to defeat the dragon. Wiglaf fights bravely and is able to stab the dragon. Beowulf is bitten in the neck by the dragon but is able to deliver one last vital wound to the dragon. The killed the dragon together but Beowulf will die from his wound. (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)
4. Dying Beowulf asks Wiglaf to bring the gold to him before he dies. When Beowulf sees the gold, he thanks God for allowing him to get rid of the dragon. Finally, Beowulf wanted his body to be burned at the coastal headland and named it, Beowulf’s Barrow. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
Beowulf's Funeral
1. When the companions return, Wiglaf tries to bring Beowulf back to life, but it was already too late. Wiglaf yells at the companions for leaving Beowulf behind and letting him fight by himself. He expects that in the future that the Geat’s empire will be destroyed. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
2. The messenger tells the city that Beowulf has died. At the Ravenswood, the Gaets were threatened by Ongetheow and his men, but Hygelac saved the Geats from Ongentheow the next morning. Although, Ongentheow and his men retreated, Hygelac still killed Ongentheow. The messenger says the gold is cursed and those who tried to steal it will also be cursed. The final image of the messenger’s speech was the dragon. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
3. Wiglaf tells the crowd that Beowulf would have been alive if he had listened to the people, but since he was a military hero they decided to give him a burial. Also, Wiglaf mentions what a brave and honorable warrior Beowulf was. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
4. Wiglaf’s men pushed the dragon off the cliff and fell in to the ocean. Everyone was rejoiced after the death of the dragon. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
5. During the ten days of the funeral celebration, everyone mourns for Beowulf and place rings and jewelries around this grave. They talk about his war achievements and praised him. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
6. The Geats said that Beowulf was the “kindest of kings”, the friendliest, and most honorable man. The words kindest and friendliest would not be used to describe a military hero because Beowulf killed his enemies with no regrets. Although, he was honorable which is a characteristic used for a military hero. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
To answer the fifty Beowulf questions, Melissa Steller texted me to ask about forming a group for it to split up the answers. I texted some of the friends that we thought might want to join, and soon we had a group of six after we took in Rebecca, who was looking for a group too. We each originally decided to sections of either 10 or 11 questions. Once Rebecca joined, she did the first two of each of our sections, making it a lot easier for all of us, except for Brenna who had already answered her questions, because that left us with 8 or 9 questions each. This was all organized through texts. Then, we gathered up everyone's emails, and once each of us completed the answers to our assigned questions we emailed them to everyone in the group as an attached document or in the message itself. The collaboration was very effective and efficient for everyone in the group.
Prologue
1. It was unusual how Shield became ruler of the Danes because he was orphan, found as an infant who rose to extreme power and became a praised leader. At his funeral, he was very much honored and mourned. He is carried to shore and put on a ship by his companions, like he had requested. He was cast off into the ocean along with his many treasures. Hrothgar is Shield’s great great grandson (Shield’s son is Beow, Beow’s son is Halfdane, Halfdane’s son is Hrothgar). (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)
Heorot is Attacked
1. Hrothgar’s magnificent work was the creation of a grand hall called the Heorot where parties and feasts were held. Heorot was attacked by a fierce monster named Grendel. Grendel attacked the hall at night and killed 30 men. For 12 years no one went in Heorot because every night Grendel would kill anyone he saw so the people stayed as far away as possible. The Danes lived in great fear of this monster. (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)
The Hero Comes to Heorot
1. When Beowulf hears of Hrothgar's problems with Grendel, he and his fellow Geats set sail to Denmark to promise Hrothgar that he will slay Grendel once and for all. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
2. When the Geats first arrive in Denmark they meet a Danish watcher patrolling along the cliffs. He happens to be Hrothgar's lieutenant who demands to know who they are and what they are doing there. The Geats respond that they have come to meet with Hrothgar and they they intended to rid the Danes of their beast, Grendel. The lieutenant believes them and takes them to Herot. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
3. Hrothgar's herald is Wulfgar of the Wendla tribe. When he first sees the Geats he stops them and asks them why they carry so much armor. He them implies that they are there for adventure rather self gain because they seem brave. Wulfgar goes to Hrothgar and tells him not to refuse their help because their leader Beowulf seems strong and worthy. Hrothgar speaks of knowing Beowulf's father and encourages Wulfgar to go get the Geats right away. I'm not surprised that Beowulf and Hrothgar know each other so well because Beowulf wouldn't otherwise risk his life and the life of others for someone he didn't know. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
4. Beowulf tells Hrothgar that he is basically very experienced and planned to take Grendel on with no weapons. He also told Hrothgar not to refuse him. Hrothgar paid off Beowulf's father's feuds during a waring period for the Geats. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
Feast at Heorot
1. Unferth jealously claims that Beowulf couldn't beat Grendel and brings up a time in the past when Beowulf lost in a swimming competition to Breca. Beowulf tells Unferth that he is drunk and claims the true story that he was separated from Breca and pulled underwater by a sea monster that he later killed. This shows how confident and competitive Beowulf is throughout the story. Beowulf then accuses Unferth that if he was really as brave as he said he was, Grendel would have never come to Herlot. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
2. She hands out mead goblets first to Hrothgar and then to the rest of the men. She thanks God for Beowulf and then takes her seat next to Hrothgar. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
The Fight with Grendel
1. The difference with Beowulf is that he is getting rid of his armor. He plans to take care of Grendel with his bare hands. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
2. When Grendel enters Herot he immediately goes to his business of eating sleeping soldiers. When he gets to Beowulf, he isn't asleep and Beowulf immediately latches onto him. Grendel tries to flee but Beowulf's grip is too strong. Grendel barely escapes and leaves behind his arm. (Courtesy of Melissa Steller)
Celebration at Heorot
1. "A Danish scop recites the story of Sigemund, a great hero who slays a horrible dragon. The dragon is a keeper of a treasure chest that Sigemund wins by slaying the dragon. The treasure won by Sigemund resembles the gold rewards earned by Beowulf from the ring-giver, King Hrothgar. This Norse myth is obviously recited at Beowulf’s celebration to compare both Sigemund’s and Beowulf's heroic acts. (...) Heremod is known as an evil Danish king who turns against his own people. This is clearly a symbol of the reverse of Beowulf’s characteristics. By comparing and contrasting Beowulf to two different kings, the narrator is indicating that Beowulf will be king later in the epic."(http://csis.pace.edu/gr
2. Hrothgar responds to Beowulf’s deed by celebrating him. He announces Beowulf as his son and says that he will never be forgotten. He gives Beowulf numerous gifts including a sword. Unferth doesn’t have much to say to Beowulf unlike the first time they spoke. He is more humbled now that Beowulf has saved the Danes. (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)
3. The singer sings the story of Finn during the feast. Basically, in the story Finn, Lord of the Frisians, marries Hildeburgh, a Dane, to end a feud between the two tribes. The idea was to use the bride to ensure that the families wouldn’t feud anymore but obviously this was a bad idea. The Frisians killed Hildeburgh’s brother when he came to visit her. Finn was also eventually killed out of revenge. (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)
4. Wealhtheow asks Hrothgar
not to give the throne to Beowulf, but to trust in his biological son’s
abilities to rule as king. She believes
that the throne should stay in the bloodline.
5. It is foreshadowed
that Beowulf gives the necklace to his uncle Hygelac, who wears it until he
dies in battle. She also asks Beowulf to
guide and protect her children, but not to take the throne from them when
Hrothgar dies.
6. So many men remain in the beer hall to sleep because they believe it is as safe as it once was now that Grendel is dead. This is a mistake because Grendel's mother comes to the hall that night for revenge for her son. She takes one of Hrothgar's esteemed men and the arm of Grendel back to her cave.
Another Attack
1. Grendel’s mother
has come to Heorot to revenge the death of her son. She is melancholy and wants the men to pay
for what they did. This motive for
coming to Heorot is different from Grendel’s because Grendel only terrorized Heorot
for the thrill of killing men and to stop the constant merrymaking in the hall
he kept hearing about. He wasn’t seeking
revenge for anything.
2. Hrothgar’s
response is to go to Beowulf for help.
Grendel’s mother killed one of his dearest friends and advisers,
Aeschere. He wants Beowulf to kill
Grendel’s mother as he killed Grendel.
3. The mere is a lake
surrounded by a dark forest where Grendel and Grendel’s mother supposedly live
in an underwater cave. It is described
as a place where a hunted animal would rather die next to the water than go
into to it to survive.
Beowulf Fights Grendel's Mother
1. Beowulf tells
Hrothgar to respond as though a blood feud has been started; he should not feel
sorrow, but he should be revengeful.
Killing Grendel’s mother is the only way, Beowulf says, to truly avenge
Aeschere.
2. Before Beowulf
enters the mere, he and his men kill a sea monster in the water, and then
Hrothgar and his men find Aeschere’s severed head on the shore. This solidifies Hrothgar’s motive for Beowulf
to kill Grendel’s mother.
3. Beowulf prepares
for battle with Grendel’s mother by putting on his new armor from
Hrothgar. During the process, Unferth,
the man who originally doubted Beowulf’s abilities, gives Beowulf his sword,
Hrunting, to fight with.
4. When Beowulf enters the mere, Grendel’s mother grabs him and pulls him down as other monsters are trying to attack him; however, he is unharmed because of his armor. It’s surprising where Grendel and his mother live because it takes half a day to arrive there. (Courtesy of Brenna McNamara)
5. The sword Beowulf borrowed from Unferth breaks as he strikes Grendel’s mother. (Courtesy of Brenna McNamara)
6. Beowulf’s armor saves him from the knife wound Grendel’s mother was trying to inflict on him; he then was able to use his strength to throw Grendel’s mother off of himself. (Courtesy of Brenna McNamara)
7. Beowulf uses the sword of Eotens (forged by giants long ago) and cuts the mother’s throat. Seeking vengeance for those killed by Grendel, Beowulf brings his decapitated head home. But, his sword melts from the mother’s acidic blood; only the hilt is left. (Courtesy of Brenna McNamara)
8. Beowulf safely swims back to the surface and none of his men are there because they doubted his ability to beat Grendel’s mother. (Courtesy of Brenna McNamara)
Further Celebration at Heorot
1. Beowulf gives Hrothgar the hilt of his sword, as well as
Grendel’s mother’s head. (Courtesy of Brenna McNamara)
2. Hrothgar praises Beowulf but also warms him of how to be
a fair ruler; the consequence of not being fair was told by Hrothgar in the
context of a story. Heremod (the worst king because of his betrayals and
murders) was banished and exiled; eventually the tables turned and he was
betrayed and killed. (Courtesy of Brenna McNamara)
3. Beowulf gives Unferth his sword, Hrunting,
back. (Courtesy of Brenna McNamara)Beowulf Returns Home
1. Hrothgar predicts a future in which Beowulf will come
back to protect the Danes once again. (Courtesy of Brenna McNamara)
2. Hyd is the Queen of the Geatlands (young and wise),
however, unlike Modthryth, she won’t kill and torture her people for simply
looking at her. (Courtesy of Brenna McNamara)
3. Hrothgar is hoping that by having his daughter, Freawaru,
marry Ingeld, he can thus create peace between the Danes and Heathobards.
However, Beowulf assumes that Hrothgar is only bringing back the feud and it’s
inevitable that more conflict will arise because it’s difficult to simply to
forget history. This is a different side to Beowulf because he previously wouldn’t
put much thought theoretically and would result to acting on impulse rather
than reason. (Courtesy of Brenna McNamara)
4. Beowulf reports that he earned glory. He doesn’t add any false details to his stories but he does report them in a way that makes him sound very brave and glorified. (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)5. Beowulf gives all the treasure to his leader, Hygelac. Hygelac in return gave Beowulf Hrethel's sword, which was very special to the Gaets, as well as 7,000 hides of land, his own throne, and a house. (Courtesy of Rachel Shedd)
The Dragon Awakes
1. Fifty years later, Hygelac and Heardred have died since Beowulf received his treasure which makes Beowulf himself become the king. A dragon has awoken since then, however, and has become very angry. (Courtesy of Rachel Shedd)
2. A man stole a golden goblet from the dragon guarding the treasure, which made the dragon very angry. The dragon was to guard the treasure for an ancient civilization since they all died out. The man took the cup because he wanted to take the cup to his master in return for his freedom.
3. The dragon burns all the houses of the Geats to avenge his losing the treasure. (Courtesy of Rachel Shedd)
4. Beowulf thinks that his house was burned down because the dragon burned all of his kingdom. He calls for an iron shield to be made for the battle against the dragon because he knows that a wooden shield would do nothing against a fire breathing dragon. He planned on fighting the dragon with a sword, too, due to its poisonous breath. He doesn't plan on being a hero but rather accepting his death and not calling for any assistance. (Courtesy of Rachel Shedd)
5. Hygelec died in battle! Beowulf escapes and is offered to run the kingdom but he turns it down because he thinks that Headred should run the kingdom. (Courtesy of Rachel Shedd)
6. Headred lets exiled Swedes into his kingdom. These Swedes are Orneala's brothers, which Orneala wants to kill... And he does! He kills Headred and Eanmund in battle and Beowulf vows to avenge their deaths by killing Orneala. (Courtesy of Rachel Shedd)
7. Beowulf brings eleven men and the man who stole the goblet to confront the dragon, even though he vows to fight the dragon alone. (Courtesy of Rachel Shedd)
Beowulf Attacks the Dragon
1. Beowulf tells his companions to wait on the hill because he wants to fight the dragon and retrieve its gold alone.
2. The first time that Beowulf and the dragon fight, Beowulf feels very confident going into the fight but that quickly changes. The shield that is protecting Beowulf begins to melt. His sword breaks before it is able to do any real damage to the dragon. All of Beowulf’s companions abandon him when he is losing the fight, except Wiglaf. Wiglaf tries to make the other warriors stay and he attempts to make them feel ashamed for deserting because they all promised to be loyal to Beowulf. Wiglaf joins Beowulf in battle. (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)
3. Wiglaf and Beowulf work together as a team to defeat the dragon. Wiglaf fights bravely and is able to stab the dragon. Beowulf is bitten in the neck by the dragon but is able to deliver one last vital wound to the dragon. The killed the dragon together but Beowulf will die from his wound. (Courtesy of Rebecca Aldrich)
4. Dying Beowulf asks Wiglaf to bring the gold to him before he dies. When Beowulf sees the gold, he thanks God for allowing him to get rid of the dragon. Finally, Beowulf wanted his body to be burned at the coastal headland and named it, Beowulf’s Barrow. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
Beowulf's Funeral
1. When the companions return, Wiglaf tries to bring Beowulf back to life, but it was already too late. Wiglaf yells at the companions for leaving Beowulf behind and letting him fight by himself. He expects that in the future that the Geat’s empire will be destroyed. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
2. The messenger tells the city that Beowulf has died. At the Ravenswood, the Gaets were threatened by Ongetheow and his men, but Hygelac saved the Geats from Ongentheow the next morning. Although, Ongentheow and his men retreated, Hygelac still killed Ongentheow. The messenger says the gold is cursed and those who tried to steal it will also be cursed. The final image of the messenger’s speech was the dragon. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
3. Wiglaf tells the crowd that Beowulf would have been alive if he had listened to the people, but since he was a military hero they decided to give him a burial. Also, Wiglaf mentions what a brave and honorable warrior Beowulf was. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
4. Wiglaf’s men pushed the dragon off the cliff and fell in to the ocean. Everyone was rejoiced after the death of the dragon. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
5. During the ten days of the funeral celebration, everyone mourns for Beowulf and place rings and jewelries around this grave. They talk about his war achievements and praised him. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
6. The Geats said that Beowulf was the “kindest of kings”, the friendliest, and most honorable man. The words kindest and friendliest would not be used to describe a military hero because Beowulf killed his enemies with no regrets. Although, he was honorable which is a characteristic used for a military hero. (Courtesy of Miki Kagawa)
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
REFLECTIONS ON WEEK 1
1.) Yes, my schedule may affect my performance in this class because all of my other classes are either AP or honors so they all require time commitments after school. Access to a computer and a smart phone is not an issue for me.
2.) This past summer, I attended a math and science summer program at the University of Michigan. Although I gained academic experience through the class and experiments I completed there, I also learned how to be more independent from living in the residence halls with other participants in the programs. We had to be responsible for going to the dining hall when it was open to eat our meals and attending our classes on time. It definitely gave me a glimpse into college life that will help me adjust to living like that somewhere for four years.
3.) I am most excited about improving my writing skills for college, but I am concerned about adjusting to this new way of learning on a blog. However, this class will most likely make me more comfortable sharing what I write with other people.
2.) This past summer, I attended a math and science summer program at the University of Michigan. Although I gained academic experience through the class and experiments I completed there, I also learned how to be more independent from living in the residence halls with other participants in the programs. We had to be responsible for going to the dining hall when it was open to eat our meals and attending our classes on time. It definitely gave me a glimpse into college life that will help me adjust to living like that somewhere for four years.
3.) I am most excited about improving my writing skills for college, but I am concerned about adjusting to this new way of learning on a blog. However, this class will most likely make me more comfortable sharing what I write with other people.
Vocabulary #1
adumbrate: to represent in outline; to indicate faintly
The teacher adumbrated the math principle to the class.
apotheosis: exaltation of a person to rank of god; ideal example; epitome
She was the apotheosis of a senior in high school, working diligently on her college applications every day.
ascetic: rigorously abstinent; austere
The Puritans had a very ascetic lifestyle, strictly conforming to their religion and a plain way of life.
bauble: a showy, usually cheap, ornament; trinket
The peddler had many baubles for sale in his wagon.
beguile: mislead; delude; charm; take away by cheating or flattery
The evil queen beguiled Snow White into eating the poisoned apple.
burgeon: sprout; grow quickly; flourish
The village burgeoned into a large city of thousands of people and businesses.
complement: to complete; to make perfect; full quantity
Their personalities complemented each other; everything she lacked, he had.
contumacious: stubbornly rebellious; willfully disobedient
It was innate for the teenager to be contumacious towards her parents.
curmudgeon: a bad-tempered; cantankerous person
The town's librarian was such a curmudgeon that nobody wanted to ask him where anything was.
didactic: instructive; inclined to teach
The didactic approach he took in answering bored his friend.
disingenuous: insincere; lacking in candor
Instead of being candid with me, he was disingenuous when he explained his actions.
exculpate: to free from blame; vindicate
The prisoner was exculpated and released from jail after new evidence for his case surfaced.
faux pas: a blunder in conduct; an embarrassing indiscretion
Asking the overweight woman when her due date is, was an awful faux pas.
fulminate: to issue denunciations; to pronounce with condemnation
Abraham Lincoln fulminated against slavery.
fustian: inflated language in writing; worthless; cheap
The authors fustian hid the gaps in the plot.
hauteur: arrogance; haughty manner
In the beginning of the novel, Elizabeth disliked the hauteur with which Mr. Darcy regarded everything and everyone.
inhibit: to hinder; to forbid; to restrain
The loud music coming from her brother's room inhibited Jill from concentrating on her homework.
jeremiad: prolonged lamentation; mournful complaint
The students' loud jeremiads did nothing to change the teacher's mind about the pop quiz.
opportunist: the policy of adapting actions and decisions; someone who practices opportunism
She is an opportunist who takes advantage of other people to get what she wants from them.
unconscionable: unscrupulous; excessive; extortionate; not guided by conscience
Stealing from a child is an unconscionable act.
The teacher adumbrated the math principle to the class.
apotheosis: exaltation of a person to rank of god; ideal example; epitome
She was the apotheosis of a senior in high school, working diligently on her college applications every day.
ascetic: rigorously abstinent; austere
The Puritans had a very ascetic lifestyle, strictly conforming to their religion and a plain way of life.
bauble: a showy, usually cheap, ornament; trinket
The peddler had many baubles for sale in his wagon.
beguile: mislead; delude; charm; take away by cheating or flattery
The evil queen beguiled Snow White into eating the poisoned apple.
burgeon: sprout; grow quickly; flourish
The village burgeoned into a large city of thousands of people and businesses.
complement: to complete; to make perfect; full quantity
Their personalities complemented each other; everything she lacked, he had.
contumacious: stubbornly rebellious; willfully disobedient
It was innate for the teenager to be contumacious towards her parents.
curmudgeon: a bad-tempered; cantankerous person
The town's librarian was such a curmudgeon that nobody wanted to ask him where anything was.
didactic: instructive; inclined to teach
The didactic approach he took in answering bored his friend.
disingenuous: insincere; lacking in candor
Instead of being candid with me, he was disingenuous when he explained his actions.
exculpate: to free from blame; vindicate
The prisoner was exculpated and released from jail after new evidence for his case surfaced.
faux pas: a blunder in conduct; an embarrassing indiscretion
Asking the overweight woman when her due date is, was an awful faux pas.
fulminate: to issue denunciations; to pronounce with condemnation
Abraham Lincoln fulminated against slavery.
fustian: inflated language in writing; worthless; cheap
The authors fustian hid the gaps in the plot.
hauteur: arrogance; haughty manner
In the beginning of the novel, Elizabeth disliked the hauteur with which Mr. Darcy regarded everything and everyone.
inhibit: to hinder; to forbid; to restrain
The loud music coming from her brother's room inhibited Jill from concentrating on her homework.
jeremiad: prolonged lamentation; mournful complaint
The students' loud jeremiads did nothing to change the teacher's mind about the pop quiz.
opportunist: the policy of adapting actions and decisions; someone who practices opportunism
She is an opportunist who takes advantage of other people to get what she wants from them.
unconscionable: unscrupulous; excessive; extortionate; not guided by conscience
Stealing from a child is an unconscionable act.
1987 AP Exam Essay Responses
Question 1
In Adam Bede, George Eliot eloquently discusses
the difference between what she calls the “old leisure” and the leisure of the
society of her own time. She implies
that the cause of the change from the old to the present was the new
technological advances and a new yearning for philosophy and religion. To illustrate this change, Eliot uses
personification and imagery.
Eliot
uses personification when she begins to describe Old Leisure as a “rather stout
gentleman of excellent digestion.” She
then goes on to discuss his habits and what aspects he has that the
contemporary form of leisure does not, such as knowing “nothing of weekday
services” in the church and not “being made squeamish by doubts and qualms and
lofty aspirations.” All of these examples portray the effectiveness of Eliot’s
use of personification to describe the qualities of Old Leisure.
Eliot
also uses imagery to convey her thoughts on the past and present forms of
leisure. In the beginning of the
passage, she describes how the steam engine “only creates a vacuum for eager
thought to rush in.” In addition, she
employs the technique of imagery when she describes Old Leisure “scenting the
apricots when they are warmed by the morning sunshine.” Both of these sensory phrases provide a
better explanation of Eliot’s interpretation of the two separate types of
leisure.
Through
the inclusion of the techniques of personification and imagery, George Eliot
portrays how a rediscovery of religion, philosophy, and technology developed a
distinct contrast between the leisure of the past and of the present.
Question 2
In The
Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Sinclair advocates for social and political reform by
writing the story of a fictional family of immigrants who move to the United
States looking for a second chance and find themselves in a place which is
worse than where they came from: Chicago in the early twentieth century.
Upton
Sinclair promotes social reform when he portray he family’s children taking up
jobs to help support the family. He
demonstrates how no government regulations allow the children to lie about
their age so they can work, instead of going to school to receive an education
that could help their family out of ignorance and into long term success. Children weren’t the only members of the
family, besides the men, who sacrificed their livelihoods for the family. One of the women had to put up with sexual
harassment from her boss because she would be fired and blamed if she resisted. Another woman of the family became a
prostitute because the family was so poor.
All of these are examples of the emotional message Sinclair sought to
express that the government needed to protect women and children, if not men,
from wasting their childhoods or their dignity on jobs that were scarce and
didn’t pay well.
Sinclair
also seeks political reform through events in the story. The courts are influenced by the bosses of
factories so they are biased against innocent workers. In addition, a lack of political involvement
results in unsanitary working conditions as well as corrupt food processing
techniques, resulting in extremely unhealthy food for the public. Lastly, during elections, the politicians
paid off the poor to vote for them, demonstrating further the corruptness of
the political system.
Throughout
his novel, The Jungle, Upton Sinclair encourages social and political changes
as a result of his detailed illustration of a family’s trials and tragedies in
industrial Chicago.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
1987 AP Exam
3.) was pretty simple; I knew all of the terms used in the possible answers.
6.) was difficult; I didn't quite understand what the question was asking when it said "depends upon;" none of the possibilities seemed to be the one I would have chosen as the answer.
12.) was also difficult; I was torn between A or B as the answer. Janie seemed to imply that she felt relieved from obligations in the passage (B), but she also stated that she preferred loneliness in the last line (A)
14.) was very challenging for me; I chose C, but for me, it was originally a toss up between C, D, or E. Once I looked at them more, I saw that D and E could be true, but neither of them was ever really implied or mentioned in the passage, so I didn't have any evidence that convinced me to chose either of them, so I chose C.
18.) was difficult; none of the options offered were what I had developed in my mind when I read those specific lines. I tried to find one of the answers that was closest to my thoughts, and I eventually came up with E.
19.) was also challenging; I had no notion of what "wear the Bays" might mean. I tried rereading it in context, but I kept coming up with nothing. For me, it could have correlated to a couple of the answers so I guessed A.
20.) I thought was easy; right away, I saw the answer that had come up in my mind when I read the question.
26.) I also believed to be easy; I knew that "poets" were the implied "Madmen" from the context of the poem, and that was one of the options, thankfully.
28.) was difficult; I chose C, but I hadn't really ruled out A or D as the answer also. Part of it was that I couldn't remember what an analogy was (D) and the other part was that A seemed like it could be a good answer, but I didn't know if it was the right one.
29.) and 32.) were both challenging because I didn't know a lot of the vocab that was included in the possible answers so I couldn't accurately determine which one was correct.
49.) was difficult; I have never been very proficient at answering this type of question with the I, II, III, IV possibilities because I will leave just one out and get the whole question wrong.
52.) was also difficult because I didn't know the vocab that I needed to in order to answer the question to the best of my abilities.
59.) was challenging; it was another case where none of the answers seemed right, and I couldn't think of the answer in my mind from the context and find a relation between it and one of the possibilities.
61.) was difficult because again, I didn't know the vocab for the types of verses of a poem.
6.) was difficult; I didn't quite understand what the question was asking when it said "depends upon;" none of the possibilities seemed to be the one I would have chosen as the answer.
12.) was also difficult; I was torn between A or B as the answer. Janie seemed to imply that she felt relieved from obligations in the passage (B), but she also stated that she preferred loneliness in the last line (A)
14.) was very challenging for me; I chose C, but for me, it was originally a toss up between C, D, or E. Once I looked at them more, I saw that D and E could be true, but neither of them was ever really implied or mentioned in the passage, so I didn't have any evidence that convinced me to chose either of them, so I chose C.
18.) was difficult; none of the options offered were what I had developed in my mind when I read those specific lines. I tried to find one of the answers that was closest to my thoughts, and I eventually came up with E.
19.) was also challenging; I had no notion of what "wear the Bays" might mean. I tried rereading it in context, but I kept coming up with nothing. For me, it could have correlated to a couple of the answers so I guessed A.
20.) I thought was easy; right away, I saw the answer that had come up in my mind when I read the question.
26.) I also believed to be easy; I knew that "poets" were the implied "Madmen" from the context of the poem, and that was one of the options, thankfully.
28.) was difficult; I chose C, but I hadn't really ruled out A or D as the answer also. Part of it was that I couldn't remember what an analogy was (D) and the other part was that A seemed like it could be a good answer, but I didn't know if it was the right one.
29.) and 32.) were both challenging because I didn't know a lot of the vocab that was included in the possible answers so I couldn't accurately determine which one was correct.
49.) was difficult; I have never been very proficient at answering this type of question with the I, II, III, IV possibilities because I will leave just one out and get the whole question wrong.
52.) was also difficult because I didn't know the vocab that I needed to in order to answer the question to the best of my abilities.
59.) was challenging; it was another case where none of the answers seemed right, and I couldn't think of the answer in my mind from the context and find a relation between it and one of the possibilities.
61.) was difficult because again, I didn't know the vocab for the types of verses of a poem.
MONTAIGNE/AUSTEN ESSAY
"What goes on inside is just too fast and huge and all interconnected for words to do more than barely sketch the outlines of at most one tiny little part of it at any given instant." David Foster Wallace was describing the workings of the human mind. In Essays, author and narrator Michel de Montaigne's style and content exemplify Wallace's idea about the intricate proceedings of the mind. In addition, despite a difference in genres, a comparison between Montaigne's style in Essays and Austen's in Pride and Prejudice, results in some surprising similarities as well as differences.
Michel de Montaigne's Essays supports different aspects of Wallace's quote. First of all, it addresses numerous subjects that include allusions to Greek and Roman tales. He eloquently portrays the relationship between the topics he explicates in the present and those tales from the past, proving Wallace's quote describing how interconnected thoughts in the mind are. In addition, Montaigne's Essays number a hundred and seven different chapters in three books, with each chapter contributing more of Montaigne's perspective on life by focusing on one subject each. This enormous number of ideas from Montaigne's own mind justifies Wallace's statement about how vast the mind is. Even after the Essays completion, it seems as if more could be added to it, as if it "barely sketch[ed] the outlines" of an infinite amount of information and opinions hidden inside Montaigne's mind. All of this was only possible to decipher because Montaigne opened a door into his thoughts by employing a stream-of-consciousness technique in which he records the cascade of thoughts that enter his mind while he is composing his essays.
When compared to Austen's techniques in Pride and Prejudice, Montaigne's style is similar to hers in some respects. A number of Montaigne's essay themes, such as "Of Ancient Customs" and "Of Sumptuary Laws" mention the society of his time. Similarly, in Pride and Prejudice, Austen depicts the customs and family hierarchies that were present in the society of her time. At the very beginning of the novel, Mrs. Bennet addresses one of these customs when she says to Mr. Bennet, "Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him if you do not," implying that civil manners require the patriarch of a family to be present at a first visit to introduce his family properly. Furthermore, both authors show the complexity of opinions in their works by illustrating the natural thought process. In Pride and Prejudice, the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, makes a remarkable transition from despising a gentleman named Mr. Darcy to falling in love with him, as Austen reveals more truths about him and shows how they gradually change Elizabeth's perspective of him. Montaigne's quantity of essays in itself demonstrates how opinions aren't black and white because there are so many elements that are taken into consideration.
Despite these distinct similarities, Montaigne and Austen do travel down different paths with their styles. For example, Montaigne's perspective in Essays is his own because he is the narrator. However, Austen indirectly includes her views and personality into her novel as she writes from the fictional perspective of Elizabeth Bennet. Also, because Montaigne's writing is in essay form, his style is much more philosophical than Austen's in Pride and Prejudice. Consequently, Austen's writing is much more descriptive and concrete since she creates detailed images of actions happening at that moment in the lives of her characters. Though Montaigne incorporates current events of his time, he mainly focuses on abstract concepts such as sorrow, fear, friendship, and solitude. This leads to another disparity between the two styles. Montaigne contemplates a large number of abstract concepts in Essays, unlike Austen, who focuses on the same themes of love and reputation in society throughout Pride and Prejudice. Montaigne, on the other hand, leaps from one theme to the next, incorporating a new theme in every chapter.
A closer examination of Montaigne's Essays demonstrates how much it verifies Wallace's quote concerning the thoughts and processes of the mind, through its length and its enormous variety of topics. Even a comparison between the styles of Montaigne and Austen in their separate works proved, from an alternate perspective, how interconnected minds can be from the similarities that existed between the two.
Michel de Montaigne's Essays supports different aspects of Wallace's quote. First of all, it addresses numerous subjects that include allusions to Greek and Roman tales. He eloquently portrays the relationship between the topics he explicates in the present and those tales from the past, proving Wallace's quote describing how interconnected thoughts in the mind are. In addition, Montaigne's Essays number a hundred and seven different chapters in three books, with each chapter contributing more of Montaigne's perspective on life by focusing on one subject each. This enormous number of ideas from Montaigne's own mind justifies Wallace's statement about how vast the mind is. Even after the Essays completion, it seems as if more could be added to it, as if it "barely sketch[ed] the outlines" of an infinite amount of information and opinions hidden inside Montaigne's mind. All of this was only possible to decipher because Montaigne opened a door into his thoughts by employing a stream-of-consciousness technique in which he records the cascade of thoughts that enter his mind while he is composing his essays.
When compared to Austen's techniques in Pride and Prejudice, Montaigne's style is similar to hers in some respects. A number of Montaigne's essay themes, such as "Of Ancient Customs" and "Of Sumptuary Laws" mention the society of his time. Similarly, in Pride and Prejudice, Austen depicts the customs and family hierarchies that were present in the society of her time. At the very beginning of the novel, Mrs. Bennet addresses one of these customs when she says to Mr. Bennet, "Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him if you do not," implying that civil manners require the patriarch of a family to be present at a first visit to introduce his family properly. Furthermore, both authors show the complexity of opinions in their works by illustrating the natural thought process. In Pride and Prejudice, the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, makes a remarkable transition from despising a gentleman named Mr. Darcy to falling in love with him, as Austen reveals more truths about him and shows how they gradually change Elizabeth's perspective of him. Montaigne's quantity of essays in itself demonstrates how opinions aren't black and white because there are so many elements that are taken into consideration.
Despite these distinct similarities, Montaigne and Austen do travel down different paths with their styles. For example, Montaigne's perspective in Essays is his own because he is the narrator. However, Austen indirectly includes her views and personality into her novel as she writes from the fictional perspective of Elizabeth Bennet. Also, because Montaigne's writing is in essay form, his style is much more philosophical than Austen's in Pride and Prejudice. Consequently, Austen's writing is much more descriptive and concrete since she creates detailed images of actions happening at that moment in the lives of her characters. Though Montaigne incorporates current events of his time, he mainly focuses on abstract concepts such as sorrow, fear, friendship, and solitude. This leads to another disparity between the two styles. Montaigne contemplates a large number of abstract concepts in Essays, unlike Austen, who focuses on the same themes of love and reputation in society throughout Pride and Prejudice. Montaigne, on the other hand, leaps from one theme to the next, incorporating a new theme in every chapter.
A closer examination of Montaigne's Essays demonstrates how much it verifies Wallace's quote concerning the thoughts and processes of the mind, through its length and its enormous variety of topics. Even a comparison between the styles of Montaigne and Austen in their separate works proved, from an alternate perspective, how interconnected minds can be from the similarities that existed between the two.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
POETRY #1
1. The poem is "The Laughing Heart" by Charles Bukowski.
2. The irony lies in the fact that the poem focuses on self expression and individuality ("don't let it be clubbed into submission"), but the commercial is trying to convince the audience to be like everybody else by buying and wearing clothes from the very popular brand of Levi's.
3. Yes, the poem does represent the author's reputation. Charles Bukowski was known for his boisterous and opinionated personality in the later years of his life. This poem encourages readers to take charge of their lives and do what they want to do with them through its repetition of the line "your life is your life." Consequently, Bukowski was doing what pleased him, without submitting to a milder personality by critics.
4. For #1, I took the first line of the poem and typed into the search bar "your life is your life" and an optional search came up as "your life is your life bukowski" so I took a chance and searched that one. The first result was labeled The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski on a website called The Best American Poetry. After loading this page, I played back the video and went back to the page with the poem to listen to the narrator of the commercial recite the first ten lines of it so I knew it was the right poem.
For #3, I read the biography given by the same website I found the poem on, but it seemed to do nothing but praise Bukowski and was written by someone with the initials DL. I decided to type in "bukowski reputation" in the search bar. The first result of that search was a blog by a man who did nothing but berate Bukowski for not practicing what he preached in his poems. He kept going on about how drunk Bukowski constantly was. From there, I wanted to try to find a more unbiased description of his reputation so I looked into the Wikipedia result. My conclusion was that Wikipedia is available to be edited by anyone, so anything written about his reputation could be that of the general opinion. It also mentioned the wild behavior of Charles Bukowski, though less severely than the previous source. With these two negative sources, I concluded enough about Bukowski's reputation to complete #3.
2. The irony lies in the fact that the poem focuses on self expression and individuality ("don't let it be clubbed into submission"), but the commercial is trying to convince the audience to be like everybody else by buying and wearing clothes from the very popular brand of Levi's.
3. Yes, the poem does represent the author's reputation. Charles Bukowski was known for his boisterous and opinionated personality in the later years of his life. This poem encourages readers to take charge of their lives and do what they want to do with them through its repetition of the line "your life is your life." Consequently, Bukowski was doing what pleased him, without submitting to a milder personality by critics.
4. For #1, I took the first line of the poem and typed into the search bar "your life is your life" and an optional search came up as "your life is your life bukowski" so I took a chance and searched that one. The first result was labeled The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski on a website called The Best American Poetry. After loading this page, I played back the video and went back to the page with the poem to listen to the narrator of the commercial recite the first ten lines of it so I knew it was the right poem.
For #3, I read the biography given by the same website I found the poem on, but it seemed to do nothing but praise Bukowski and was written by someone with the initials DL. I decided to type in "bukowski reputation" in the search bar. The first result of that search was a blog by a man who did nothing but berate Bukowski for not practicing what he preached in his poems. He kept going on about how drunk Bukowski constantly was. From there, I wanted to try to find a more unbiased description of his reputation so I looked into the Wikipedia result. My conclusion was that Wikipedia is available to be edited by anyone, so anything written about his reputation could be that of the general opinion. It also mentioned the wild behavior of Charles Bukowski, though less severely than the previous source. With these two negative sources, I concluded enough about Bukowski's reputation to complete #3.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
ESSAY #1
In The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, the Price family uproots themselves from their lives in Atlanta, Georgia to become missionaries in the village of Kilanga in Africa. Leah Price, one of the daughters, devotes herself to her father, a reverend, and his faith throughout most of the beginning of the novel. However, Africa brings challenges that Leah isn't accustomed to, and her character is tested and changed during her time there, away from her home in the United States.
In Africa, Leah felt estranged from the culture and the population. When she first arrived, she had no knowledge of the local village language, and she was ignorant of the customs or rules of society of the village. For example, women in the village weren't allowed to hunt because it was considered a man's duty, but Leah insisted on hunting with the men. As a result, the village priest pronounced curses upon the men who supported her, and the village was terrified for the next couple of days. From this and other occurrences, Leah was introduced to the foreign superstition and sexism of Africa. Furthermore, the religion that she was devoted to also brought skeptics because it was foreign, and the people of the village already believed in their own divine entities. In addition, the Portuguese treated the Africans harshly to get them to mine riches such as gold and diamonds from the province. The result was an uneasiness around white skin. Leah had grown up in a part of the United States where there was more prejudice toward black skin because white skin was dominant. Now, she was experiencing the opposite, a prejudice against white skin because of the black skinned majority's awful history with it. She had never felt self-conscious of her skin before she lived in Africa. In the book, Leah described how natives in the village's center gave her cold looks for the color of her skin and how relieved she was when they didn't notice her after a while. Leah also observes that there are no girls her age to become friends with because in Africa, girls her age are expected to be already married and have children.
Leah's experience in Africa enabled her to open up her mind and change her perspective on the world she thought she knew before. Her father's increasingly cold temperament and lack of success in converting natives, combined with her new friendships with a village boy named Pascal and another named Nelson, leads Leah to doubt her father and consequently, his faith as she realizes that these boys don't seem to be the devil's children like she was led to believe. In the United States, she recalls a cartoon about the people of Africa as cannibals, but she is enlightened to the truth that this is not at all representative of the natives. Her family's move to Africa showed her a different world than what the society of the United States persuaded her into thinking it was like.
Leah's adaptation to a new life in Africa shows how some people are blinded by what they think they know, and the only way they should form and opinion about an idea, a place, or a group of people is to expose themselves to first hand experience of it, even if you are thousands of miles from home. In The Poisonwood Bible, Leah Price's beliefs and her perspective on life are drastically altered after she is exiled to Africa.
In Africa, Leah felt estranged from the culture and the population. When she first arrived, she had no knowledge of the local village language, and she was ignorant of the customs or rules of society of the village. For example, women in the village weren't allowed to hunt because it was considered a man's duty, but Leah insisted on hunting with the men. As a result, the village priest pronounced curses upon the men who supported her, and the village was terrified for the next couple of days. From this and other occurrences, Leah was introduced to the foreign superstition and sexism of Africa. Furthermore, the religion that she was devoted to also brought skeptics because it was foreign, and the people of the village already believed in their own divine entities. In addition, the Portuguese treated the Africans harshly to get them to mine riches such as gold and diamonds from the province. The result was an uneasiness around white skin. Leah had grown up in a part of the United States where there was more prejudice toward black skin because white skin was dominant. Now, she was experiencing the opposite, a prejudice against white skin because of the black skinned majority's awful history with it. She had never felt self-conscious of her skin before she lived in Africa. In the book, Leah described how natives in the village's center gave her cold looks for the color of her skin and how relieved she was when they didn't notice her after a while. Leah also observes that there are no girls her age to become friends with because in Africa, girls her age are expected to be already married and have children.
Leah's experience in Africa enabled her to open up her mind and change her perspective on the world she thought she knew before. Her father's increasingly cold temperament and lack of success in converting natives, combined with her new friendships with a village boy named Pascal and another named Nelson, leads Leah to doubt her father and consequently, his faith as she realizes that these boys don't seem to be the devil's children like she was led to believe. In the United States, she recalls a cartoon about the people of Africa as cannibals, but she is enlightened to the truth that this is not at all representative of the natives. Her family's move to Africa showed her a different world than what the society of the United States persuaded her into thinking it was like.
Leah's adaptation to a new life in Africa shows how some people are blinded by what they think they know, and the only way they should form and opinion about an idea, a place, or a group of people is to expose themselves to first hand experience of it, even if you are thousands of miles from home. In The Poisonwood Bible, Leah Price's beliefs and her perspective on life are drastically altered after she is exiled to Africa.
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