Theme: The Fault in Our Stars

                The title is derived from a line of Shakespeare's play, Julius Ceasar: "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings."   Growing up, I have always heard the saying "the stars are well aligned for you!" or something of that sense.  The truth is the stars do not matter.  It is not our fate that is a fault.  It instead is ourselves.  Our own weakness, pain, impatience.  I believe John Green would change the wording of this because the book shows us the fault in Hazel’s fate.  Hazel did nothing to deserve her fate and yet, the “stars” were not aligned in her favor.  In Hazel’s case, the fault was in the stars and John Green is simply writing in the book just why the fault is in the stars, contrary to the line from the play.  I believe he picked the title of this book for Esther, which as shown in the video, means “star.”  He wrote the book based on the life of the late Esther Earl, a beautiful young lady with cancer.  The book is based on the faults of Esther and how she faced those faults with a brave, open heart.  For the story, this means that fate can control our lives but what we chose to do with that is up to us.  

Thanatopsis Questions

After reading the poem, consider the following questions.

1. What Greek words were combined to make the title?  How do the meanings of these words contribute to the meaning of the poem?

Thanatos (meaning “death”) and opsis (meaning “sight”) combine to make the title Thanatopsis.  The combination of the words contributes to the meaning of the poem because the meaning of the poem is how the speaker views death.

2. Define the following words; consider the context of the poem:  shroud, pall, narrow house, and sepulcher.  How do these words and their meanings impact the meaning of the poem?

Shroud: A cloth which protects or covers an object.

Pall: A cloth covering a coffin or tomb.

Narrow House: The grave

Sepulcher: A small room usually made of stone where the dead is laid.

These words in the poem were used for you to perceive death as most people would; a dark, gloomy thing. However, the poem as a whole is defending the nature of death and how it does have a bright side to it. The author used these words as a basis in the beginning of his poem to which he would counteract its sinister meaning as you continue to read through the poem.

3. Is this a poem about life or is this a poem about death?  Explain your answer.

At first glance, you would assume this poem is just about death; however, death is a part of life. Like an ending to a book, the ending is part of the book as a whole. In a way, the poem is about both life and death. Its main focus is death, but death is an aspect of life so it’s a part of life as well.

4. The tone of this poem shifts.  What is the tone in the first part of the poem?  When does the tone shift?  What is the tone after the shift?

The tone of the first part of the poem is forbidding because it explains the harshness of death.  It uses nature surrounding you in death to show that you will die in the land and it cannot save you. The tone shifts at line 30 where nature is no longer a major part of the poem.  It shifts to comfort because even if you are alone in death, everyone on the earth will soon join you because death is inevitable.  You do not need nature because you will be dead with “kings… the wise, the good.”

5. Thanatopsis is an ELEGY.  What is an elegy?  What are the conventions of an elegy? What elements of Thanatopsis meet those conventions?

An elegy is a mournful or melancholy poem.   It's conventions are that it shifts from grief to comfort.  The beginning full of grievances and describes this feeling by mournful words such as “stern agony, and shroud, and pall.”  It changes to comforting when it the speaker explains that you will not be alone and you should lay down to a nice pleasant eternal dream.  

6. This poem was written early in the nineteenth century.  The type of landscape art during this time period favored sweeping panoramas, wild vistas, untamed landscapes, and views of the sky.  Look at Thanatopsis as a visual description of a painting.  What elements of the poem are like a painting?  What images are created in the poem?  What landscape is created?

The imagery, personification, and metaphors used in this poem collaborates to paint a picture within the reader’s mind. Its collaboration creates a spiritual world of death and nature and its combination is one gateway to God. It paints a landscape of a hilly forest which is dark on one side and bright on the other side of the painting.

7. Thanatopsis is a poem that can be interpreted in several ways.  How is this poem an example of a historical piece?  How is this a Romantic poem?  How is this a Calvinist poem?

This poem is historical because it shows the thinking process of the time period and is a good example of the Romantic style.  The style of writing in this poem is similar to transcendentalism which found its beginning in late 19th century. It exemplifies the thinking of the people during this time period. It’s a Romantic poem by its content which expands on the idea of death being a good thing.  Romantics took the Naturalist works and changed their ideals completely to show emotion and passion.  In Thanatopsis, the writer shows that death is not bad, the complete opposite of the Naturalists.  He also showed emotion and passion throughout the poem by using extreme detail and explanation such as “Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed,  By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave…”  It is Calvinist because it says God has a path for you which will end in death and death is inevitable.  It also says there is a connection with God through nature.  It explains that through God and through nature, death is not a bad thing.  

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

1. The sermon contains historical context relating to the bible as well as the puritan times when the frontier just arrived in America. Edward, being a Puritan minister, hoped to persuade the puritans in Massachusetts on the correct path to becoming a true and devout Christian.

2.  When Edwards refers to “natural men” he is referring to the people who are sinners by nature.  He is saying that without trying to be Godly like people, they are “natural” and those people are wrong.  The “natural men” are his audience in the congregation.

3.  The meaning of “abate” is the same as the meaning of “appease” which is “to pacify.”  We know this because he stated “neither in the least to appease or abate that anger.”   This means that they are in similar meaning.

4. This structure is very effective in speech which is used to magnify the effect of the visual of how the Puritan’s fate will become. He includes imagery of the horrors and depths of hell to amplify his use of fear in his sermon.

5. The clause serves as a further description of the subject in the sentence. In this case, the subject would be “That world of misery” which then after has the following clause of “That lake of burning brimstone” which gives you further imagery on the subject. Another appositive within the text would be “When you look forward, you shall see a long for ever, a boundless duration before you, which will swallow up your thoughts,” because the the phrase “long for ever” is further described as “a boundless duration.”

6. Edward wanted to exemplify the helplessness of the puritans power against God’s planned fate for them. Using this polysyndeton aids in his use of Pathos within his speech which has a greater effect of driving fear into his audience.

7.  Edwards uses semicolons in order to connect his sentences as if they are one thought.  He repeats not willingly in order to make the audience feel guilt towards their selfishness.

8. The simile in paragraph 5 is “The wrath of God is like the great waters that are dammed for the present.”  He develops this text by describing to us that as God’s wrath builds up and as more sins take place, the water continues to rise and become stronger and stronger.  When He has had enough, he releases the floodgate and His wrath “would rush forward with inconceivable fury.”  Edwards then continues with saying that even if you were ten thousand times stronger than it, you would not be able to withstand it. Imagery has a high power within this text and most texts everywhere.  This sermon is to persuade the audience and to do that, it is necessary to keep them interested. The imagery provides an easy way to stay interested in what is being said as well as understand exactly what the reader is portraying.  In this case, he is using imagery to paint a picture of God’s wrath in the audience’s head by connecting it to something they are all familiar with.

9. Edward uses personification, similes, and metaphors within his speech as well as imagery to make his point of God’s hold on the puritans fate clear. The figurative language and imagery are very graphical with the intent to inject fear within the Puritans listening to his sermon. He uses the progression of the puritan’s fate, their sins, and their salvation through the paragraphs. He wants to inform his listeners of  the horrors the afterlife can contain, which they will undoubtedly face if they do not change and strictly live their lives repenting their sins.

10.  Edwards employs pathos throughout the whole sermon.  He plays with the audience’s emotions by giving similes and metaphors to terrible things they all know.  He makes the audience feel scared, nervous, terrified, and angry with God.  He also employs ethos by repeatedly reminding his audience of the power of God and how his absolute power reigns all within his grasp. The nature of his method is to use ethics within the bible to induce fear of God’s wrath into his listener so they would change their perspective on life and follow a more pure path in order to have a slight chance against their final judgement.

11. Edwards tone of voice was said to be much different than the tone of the writing.  In reading, it could be conceived that his tone was harsh and cruel because he uses words such as “fury,, “harsh,” and “fiery.”   Despite the harsh tone within the text, in class we learned that his tone of voice was calm and almost emotionless to let the words shine through.  I do not think there is much change throughout the sermon because in almost every paragraph, he refers to the wrath of God.

12. The text is overflowing with excessive uses of semicolons and commas which would be regularly and effectively used within speech. Normal text has more condensed ideas which are clearly separated and stated without continuous ramblings on the subject.

13. The sermon is persuasive because he is persuading the audience to not sin and only do what is right in God’s eyes so they do not go to hell. I do think it is effective because the it was said that the audience stood up and yelled on many occasions and he had to make them be quiet so that he could continue.  I would define a persuasive text to be one that convinces the audience of something or at least attempts to.

14.  There are many aspects of the sermon that evoked a terrified response from the congregation.  On major part of the sermon that would evoke such a response is the paragraph (paragraph 7) that tells the congregation that God is holding them over a pit of fire like we would hold a spider over the fire.  The idea of God holding you over a fire makes the congregation feel uncomfortable that their savior would torment them if they did something wrong. Another part of the sermon that many would be terrifying of is the part that mentions that God will shoot an arrow through their head (paragraph 7).  In general, Edwards evoked the emotions by turning the congregation afraid of the Lord and scare them into becoming pure and not sinners.  

15.

This image is a picture of God’s wrath when it is let out of the floodgate.  The waves are about to crash on the sinner and he does not stand a chance of remaining standing after the waves crash.  I believe it is the most powerful part of the text because it is very clear to the reader exactly what God’s wrath will do if there continues to be sin in a life.  

1. a)  Yes, this speech would persuade me to join the Confederation.  During this time, Colonists were overtaking the land on which the Native Americans were living.  I feel that if the tribes joined together, it would be more difficult for the Colonists to overthrow the Indians.

2. a) The lords plant the Tree of Great Peace to commemorate their meeting.

b) The roots of this plant symbolize peace, strength, and the unity of the nations.

3. a) To open a council meeting, the lords will express gratitude to their cousin lords and thank the earth, the things of the earth, and the creator.

b) The decree suggests that the Iroquois appreciate all that their creator has given to them. Not only this, but they have a deep respect and appreciation of one another.

4. a) Dekanawidah uses the images of deer antlers, a tree, and an eagle.

b) The Iroquois are are in touch with nature and they use rich symbolism to make their constitution. The detailed references to nature all provide further evidence of the Iroquois’ intimate relationship to their surroundings.

5. a)  A lord must be deliberate in his actions and guard himself against anger, giving offensive, or being overly critical. a lord must be honorable, be filled with peace, and yearn for the welfare of the people he leads.

b) The qualities mentioned by the Iroquois constitution would be positive traits for leaders of any time period. Unfortunately, leaders in the modern world do not always possess patience, calmness, tenderness, or selflessness. Many modern leaders are motivated by greed and narcissism and tend to place their concerns and agendas above those of the people they should be serving.     

6. a) I do agree with and support the ideas presented in the Iroquois constitution.  I agree that the constitution should be focused on the people of the confederacy. In order for a society to prosper, it must have leaders who are determined to promote the welfare of their people. The constitution encourages respect of one another and appreciation of the earth and the things that fill it.  I believe that if today’s society were to take on the basic fundamentals of the Iroquois Constitution, we too could prosper. We would have a new respect for one another and for our planet. This is why I support the Iroquois constitution.

The Yellow Wallpaper Symbolism

            The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gillman is oozing with symbolism.  A main form of symbolism begins in the title.  The YELLOW Wallpaper.  The word “yellow” symbolizes oppression.  Merriam-Webster dictionary states that oppression is an “unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power”.  The definition also seems fitting for John, the narrator’s wife.  Coincidence?  I think not.  The color of the wallpaper symbolizes John.  Yellow, for the way John treats her:  He keeps her locked in the room because she cannot do anything about it.  The more she asks to see her cousins, the less he allows her to leave the room.  This is a very unjust exercise of authority.  John is the patria

rch in the house; therefore, even if the narrator was sane, she would be expected to follow John’s rule.   Another form of symbolism in the paper is the women she sees in a dim lighting inside the wallpaper.  This is a symbol for the narrator herself.  As the woman begins to be freed by the peeling of the wallpaper, the narrator becomes freer to be insane.  The woman is trapped in the wallpaper such as the narrator is trapped by John. 

            It is also not a coincidence that part of what makes the wall paper so dreadful is the pattern.  The pattern in the wallpaper symbolizes the pattern of everyday life.  The pattern of “the norm” restricts what is acceptable in society.  The Yellow Wallpaper was written in the late 1800s when feminism was at a relative high point.  The pattern in society was that men are the true leaders and women were there to cook, clean, and make babies.  The narrator was disgusted by the pattern because she did not believe John had the right to hold her back.  She tried to break free from John and break free from the pattern, but he continued to shower over her and out rule her word.  She decided that the pattern is made up of a woman behind bars.  The bars of the pattern symbolize the bars of society and how the narrator is trying to break free from the bars of society that hold her back.  Charlotte Gillman’s use of symbolism in the story effectively demonstrates the hardships of a women in the late 1800s.  

Introduction to Amy

Hey, I'm Amy Bandy.  I am a swimmer at NCHS.  My favorite stroke is freestyle, long distance. I also love the breast stroke because I have a frozen shoulder and it is the only stroke I can do.

 I'm also in the band. I play the oboe and I'm drum major in the marching band with Sam Abernethy.

Other than NCHS, I am a student at North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics.  I want to be a biomedical engineer and attend NC State university.

I love to travel and even though I have been all over the world, one of my very favorite places is Asheville, NC.  I have lots of friends in Asheville and I visit them in the city a lot!