about my blog

I have 37 post, 10 comments, 705 page views, and 0 followers

Lit Analysis #3: The Last Lecture

GENERAL

1. The plot of the novel The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, is about a man who is battling pancreatic cancer, and talks about how he spends the last months of his life preparing his last lecture and the way to live a happy life. He explains scenes from his past that have made his life they way it is, whether it be good or bad, it made him the man he was.  

2. I believe the theme of the book is that no dream is too big. Pausch's dream was to work in Disney Land as an imagineer, and he followed Walt Disney's motto of "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." Following your dream is probably the biggest message of the novel, Pausch explains how he made a list of the main goals he wished to accomplish, and in one way or another he found a way to conquer his dreams

3. The authors tone throughout the novel is hopeful, and basically alive. Even though he only has months to live, he wants to acknowledge that he's still alive in the moment, and live each second to the fullest.  He explains in the first couple pages, "I lecture about the joy of life about how much I appreciate life, even with so little of my own left." He points out that even though he knows his time will come sooner than planned, he wants people to know that his life so far had been a miracle for him.

4. 

CHARACTERIZATION

1. An example of indirect characterization would be when Pausch describes his wife Jai. He explains how she has always been his cheerleader, motivating him every step of the way, and loving him every second of the day. He doesn't really explain her physically, but he describes her personality as a supportive, educated, strong woman, and mom. 

Other than his wife, he doesn't really explain any characters, because he mainly talks about his life and what he has done, rather that others. 

2. The syntax or diction doesn't change at all through the novel, because he's pretty much explaining to the reader about him self. The way he write the novel though is very casual, and easy to read, although it's obvious to see that he is a well-educated man, with his detailed explanation of things. 

3.  The protagonist is dynamic through the story, always explaining how he has change due to things he has experienced growing up. At one point in the story he explains how when he was in college he wasn't the type of person who enjoyed working in groups because he like working his own way. Then one day his teacher told him that some students didn't want to work with him because they thought he was a jerk. From that point on he realized that he had to change the way he worked with groups because he was going to be working with others for the rest of his life.

4. After reading this book, I definitely felt that I had learned a new life lesson from someone who knew the answer to living a happy life. Of course, no life is perfect, especially for him being diagnose with cancer, but he felt that for the life that he had lived that it came pretty close to perfect. By reading this book I feel that I have gotten to know Randy Pausch on a new level, because he shared so many precious parts of his life that it put the reader in the seat to see where they have take their own life. Have we wasted it on money, material things, wasted dreams? It lets the reader know that tomorrow isn't promised, and we have to live in the moment we have.

Lit. Analysis #2

GENERAL
1.  The play Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller, is about a family who struggle on money, the past, and living the American Dream. Willy, the father of two now adult men, complains about how his older son Biff never made anything of himself, and wasted his life. Willy was all about success, being well liked, and making money. However, Willy also never made a career in being a sale man, and wasn't liked by anyone, not even his family.
2.  I believe the theme of the play is following through with your own life, and living in reality. Willy always made his kids believe that if you were well liked, and had people to back you up then you wouldn't have any problem having a successful life. Making his sons live in a fantasy that life could come easy to you, if you were popular. Yet, the dad him self wasn't even well liked, and ended up living in debt, and eventually loosing his job.
3. Throughout the story the tone would be depressing, and frustration, because Willy is so miserable with how his life turned out, and the life of his son, and feels as if he has failed in life. His family is frustrated with Will because he seems crazy now, living in the past, and not accepting the life of his sons.
4. Flash back were used repeatedly through out the story like on pages 16-20, when Willy imagines Biff and Happy as young boys again, when Biff was popular, athletic, and believed to have a bright future. The scene where Willy has a flash back of him the women with her stockings was an example of foreshadowing, leading to the assumption that he had an affair.

CHARACTERIZATION
1. Direct characterization wasn't really used in the story since it was a play, but indirect was used to describe Willy's son Biff. When Biff was younger was described as the popular kid in school who had his way with the girls, and many scholarships to play football. However, he wasn't very smart, or dedicated to school, and basically flushed down his career for football. I think Miller described Biff in this way to show that success isn't promised to anyone, and you really have to work and put the effort in to have a successful career.
2. I don't think the authors syntax changes that much in the story, except the diction between the characters. I think that for Willy, his choice of words seemed rambled, and didn't make sense to show how delusional he is.
3. To determine the protagonist in the story would probably be Willy. Willy tried to prepare his sons for the real world, and to have a successful life, yet he didn't have the right way how.

BQ: First Steps

Since my big question is, "what is my purpose" Im not sure where to start looking for an answer. Im not sure if the internet can lead me to any solution, but I feel like talking to the people who mean most to me can give me the first step. I think by talking to the people who make up my life, could help me see myself in a different way, and give me new perspectives I've never seen. By getting their view on life, or how they feel about my presence in their life, maybe this could give me clues on what Im meant for. However, I did look up online of web sites that help people to see what some purposes could be, and how others have found their purpose.

MY BIG QUESTION :D

My big question is: What is my purpose? ......Other questions I'm just curious about is why are people so entertained by violence? Why is it that we get so interested when something dramatic happens, or we see a fight, and instead of trying to stop it, we encourage it? Also What is at the bottom of the ocean?

The Medium is the Message

By watching the video is gave me a better understanding of the story, helped me compare it to how I envisioned the story. By watching the movie it shows the emotion, and actions in a more understandable and connectable way. Having a representation of the characters and their behaviors its makes it easier to grasp how they make up the story.

vocab #10 remix

Pedagogue: a strict teacher

Cavernous : vast in shape or atmosphere, cave

Coquettish: flirtatious women

Tête-à-tête: confidential   

Suffice: sufficient 

Amorous: in love