Getting to Know Me

Here is the link to Postcards from Georgia, telling you how awesome I am. Enjoy.


Postcards from Georgia

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Assignment Six

Sameness. This is a term that the majority of my class knows, due to the fact that we have all had to read The Giver and Brave New World. Both books present a society that is Utopian, however while trying to create "sameness" in their perfect little world, they are actually destroying themselves. Also, there is also that one rebellious character who fights to be different.

Harry Potter is one of those particular characters that was born different. The lightning shaped scar on his forehead may seem like just a physical imperfection, but it symbolically means much more.

His scar represents the fact that he is different. It tells the story of how he was the only one who survived Voldemort, and how he lived to tell the tale. Being different makes people look at you with different eyes, as if something is unappealing. Harry was one of those characters who actually wanted to be normal. He did not want to be the "chosen one" but his fate was chosen for him so he finally ended up accepting it.

His scar sets him apart from everyone else in the story. Physical imperfections often mark the hero, and they foreshadow the events yet to come that will definitely relate to this person in some way. These particular character markings mark the way of the damage that life inflicts.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Assignment Six

Archtype. At first glance, I most certainly thought that this word meant a particular type of ark. Maybe Noah's perhaps? Anyway, after some reading in that good ole book of mine and some further research, I realized that an archtype simply means a copy. It is the term used to describe the representations that form from other pieces of work. In short, THERE IS ONLY ONE ORIGINAL STORY.

I began to scroll through my mental brain files, and soon realized that there are quite a few instances in which similarities in basic stories started to arise. My first thought started with Disney. The prince charming, an evil stepmother, a prince in hiding, and of course the basis for all of it, an orphaned child. So many of those "original" stories have the same main plot line, but by changing up the scenery and characters the author creates thousands of different worlds.

The characters from these Disney movies and stories are archtypes. Most of these characters can be related back to even 19th century literature, and probably even further. For example, the story of Cinderella can most likely be compared to the novel, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Can't it?

Both novels have a seemingly normal girl who wants to be swept away by Prince Charming. However, getting them to meet and have the proper events fall into place seems nearly impossible. It all seems like an intense game of tag, where one chases the other in the game of love.

Though it may not seem this way, most stories and literary works can be categorized as archtypes. They all are like a color wheel; Different colors and different shades mix together to create tons of wonderful combinations.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Assignment Five

The Holiday is one of my all time favorite movies. My mom and I love to put on our comfiest pj's, brew up a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate, sit in our favorite living room spots and enjoy the comfort of this movie. It has everything that a good chick flick needs. Comedy. Romance. But coming with romance there is always one factor that has to be included. Sex.

How can a writer of an amazing movie, such as this, illustrate intimacy without showing the characters "doing the deed?" Well, this particular writer manages to do so in a very artistically sound way. The main characters of this particular novel start out as complete strangers. One of them shows up drunk on the other's doorstep and convinces her to let him stay on the couch so that he will not have to drive home drunk. One thing leads to another and the author begins paving the road to the bedroom.

But instead of showing the dirty details he just ends the scene at an open conversation with a little bit of flirting thrown in there. By not going into further visual detail, the writer actually makes more of an impact on the growth and development in characterization. Without showing the "sex scene" he leaves it open and keeps you guessing. It made me want to know if their relationship was more than just a physical one. I wanted them to blossom and to learn more about the characters themselves and why the writer chose to have them jump into things.

This particular scene in The Holiday suggests that their is more to the romantic relationship than just sex. It also foreshadows more scenes like this to come that will further describe how the characters grow and change throughout the story.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Assignment Four

Thinking back to grades five and six, I remember one of my favorite teachers setting aside a time to read to us everyday. Normally, it is expected that no one would pay attention to this so-called "story time." However, the novel, Maximum Ride had everyone sitting straight up staring intently at the teacher, listening to the words easily roll off her tongue and out of her mouth.

James Patterson's novel is a story about a "flock" of humans that have been held captive for the majority of their lives, and are held subject to a series of experiments in a secret lab called, The School. However the twist is that they all have been genetically mutated and now possess wings, along with their other human features.

With the help of their father figure, Jeb, the flock escapes from being in cages and fly off in search of a brighter future. This extended metaphor involving their literal flight from the prison illustrates the freedom they now have. I made the connection that the genetic mutations that they have are not curses, but blessings. It gives the family a freedom and openness that no one else has. The flock soon find themselves facing a whole new world on their own and no longer have to be experimented on and trapped by their adversaries.

Max and her family must go on a rescue mission to save their little sister, Angel, without completely showing the world their genetic mutations. However, Max is a strong, open-minded, and highly intelligent girl. She soars throughout the novel in search of her little sister in hopes of saving her and setting her family free for good.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Assignment Three

When an author begins to paint a wonderful or dismal scene in a story, weather becomes a main factor in bringing across a point or foreshadowing. The author uses artistically detailed adjectives and verbs to describe what the main character is about to endure without just flat out saying it.

In the novel, Holes, the main character, Stanley Yelnats is sent to Camp Green Lake after "stealing" a pair of shoes from charity. From simply judging by the name, being forced to go to this camp instead of jail sounds like a walk in the park, but after arriving he soon realizes that it was a LIE.

Louis Sachar introduces Stanley, driving down a dusty road toward a scorching desert and 120 degree weather. A total wasteland. After reading this novel I began to realize the significance of the weather in this particular scene. The author is trying to foreshadow what the main character is about to have to experience. The dry, deserted location represents how alone Stanley feels and how out of place he is. The desert camp not only crushes his hope of getting off easy and escaping, but can also metaphorically describe the other members of the camp. All of them are scarred and dismal, but in the end they all want a fresh start.

On the other hand, the dry, open desert can simulate a new beginning. It is so wide, free, and dangerous. It offers up a new start, with more options than any of them ever expected.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: Assignment Two

Intertexuality. The stated relationship between a literary work and the other texts from different places that go into creating this particular piece. Examples of this can be seen all the time in literature through characters that are similar.

Two characters from two completely different works can possess similar qualities. For example,