Monday, September 28, 2015
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Blog #4: AP English Literature Benchmark Open Question Essay & Reflection/ 3x3, Revisions & Reflection
Essay:
In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, lawyer Atticus Finch is put in the difficult situation of trying to defend a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman. What makes Finch's challenge even harder is the predominantly white society of the Deep South taking any means necessary to convict the defendant.
Atticus and his family are faced with cruelty in its meanest form. Rocks are thrown at them, insults are hurled, and threats are made. Atticus has to not only look out for himself, but also for his family as well as the man whose name he is trying to clear. All of these factors serve as influences on Atticus' character.
When the Finch's house is targeted and a rock is hurled through the window, Atticus refuses to give up his battle in the courtroom. When faced with cruelty and hatred, Atticus still is wiling to stand up for justice. He continues his work to free an innocent man. He fights back against society itself to protect the liberties of one man. The cruelty that Atticus Finch experiences shapes him not by breaking him down, but by pushing him forward.
From his young daughter's perspective, Atticus Finch is the epitome of justice and righteousness. He fights back against the evil ignorance of the world and saves innocent lives from being scape-goated. Scout's perception of Atticus builds on the contrast between him and the cruel society. Because of the book's point of view, Atticus' heroism in spite of cruelty is even more readily apparent.
As what may be shown in Harper Lee's long-awaited sequel to To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is not a perfect being, a scepter of truth and loving. However, because of the environment that he faces, Atticus is forced to take a stand on his beliefs. As a result, the cruelty Atticus Finch faces morphs him into the hero of Harper Lee's story and the leader that is needed in his society.
Reflection:
Clearly, there is much that could be improved. First off, I think one of the main things I could work on when it comes to the free response essay is preparation. I was not completely sure what the plot of To Kill A Mockingbird was, much less the deep analysis that would stem from it. With some time to prepare and become more familiar with several pieces of literature, my essay would have been much more effective. As a result of my lack of preparation, my analysis with regards to the prompt was brief and extremely superficial. I did not really go into very much depth in analyzing cruelty in the plot of the book. I think my essay did contain decent elements relating to the prompt, but not nearly enough to warrant a high level score. Thus, I think my essay deserves the score of a 4. I think more familiarity with the actual text could significantly increase my score.
Comments:
http://zhanandrewapenglish2015.blogspot.com/
This essay contains many very effective pieces of evidence that convey the author's demonstration of cruelty in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". The essay does, however, rely on mainly plot summary for its analysis and as a result is not as convincing as it could have been. Generally rather superficial in its analysis, this essay comes within several sentences of being a mid to higher level essay. As it is, the score of a 4 is quite fair. As expressed, a deeper understanding of the nuances of the literature would be beneficial in raising this essay to the next level.
Essay Revision
Scout plays with Dill - ordinary world
Scout offers friendship - approach to innermost cave
Boo saves Scout - resurrection
In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, lawyer Atticus Finch is put in the difficult situation of trying to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman, Myella Ewell. What makes Finch's challenge even harder is the predominantly white society of the Deep South taking any means necessary to convict the defendant. Finch's experience has an immense impact on his daughter Scout and how she lives her own life. Originally, she was a cheeky, rebellious tomboy. She loved playing with her brother and her friend Dill. She was carefree and had very little responsibilities. Cruelty transformed her into a new person who understood what it's like to be rejected by the world.
Atticus and his family are faced with cruelty in its meanest form. Rocks are thrown at them, insults are hurled, and threats are made. Atticus has to not only look out for himself, but also for his family as well as the man whose name he is trying to clear. Scout also has a unique response to cruelty. Instead of letting it make her bitter or vengeful, she instead looks towards others who have been outcast from society and attempts to befriend them. In articular, she tries to meet the mysterious Boo Radley.
When the Finch's house is targeted and a rock is hurled through the window, Atticus refuses to give up his battle in the courtroom. When faced with cruelty and hatred, Atticus still is wiling to stand up for justice. He continues his work to free an innocent man. He fights back against society itself to protect the liberties of one man. The cruelty that Atticus Finch experiences shapes him not by breaking him down, but by pushing him forward. Because of her father's beliefs, Scout is rediculed and eventually attacked by Bob Ewell. When the situation becomes desperate and Scout's life is at stake, it is no other than Boo Radley, the man Scout attempted to befriend, who saves Scout. Scout endures cruelty by learning to offer friendship to someone she was previously afraid of. Her heroic actions repaid her in the end and spared her life.
From Scout's perspective, Atticus Finch is the epitome of justice and righteousness. He fights back against the evil ignorance of the world and saves innocent lives from being scape-goated. Scout's perception of Atticus builds on the contrast between him and the cruel society. Because of the book's point of view, Atticus' heroism in spite of cruelty is even more readily apparent.
Atticus Finch is not a perfect human. However, because of the environment that he faces, Atticus is forced to take a stand on his beliefs. As a result, the cruelty Atticus Finch faces morphs him into the hero of Harper Lee's story and the leader that is needed in his society. Likewise, Scout's experiences transformed her into a more empathetic, caring person who understands how to overcome the cruelty of the world.
In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, lawyer Atticus Finch is put in the difficult situation of trying to defend a black man who has been accused of raping a white woman. What makes Finch's challenge even harder is the predominantly white society of the Deep South taking any means necessary to convict the defendant.
Atticus and his family are faced with cruelty in its meanest form. Rocks are thrown at them, insults are hurled, and threats are made. Atticus has to not only look out for himself, but also for his family as well as the man whose name he is trying to clear. All of these factors serve as influences on Atticus' character.
When the Finch's house is targeted and a rock is hurled through the window, Atticus refuses to give up his battle in the courtroom. When faced with cruelty and hatred, Atticus still is wiling to stand up for justice. He continues his work to free an innocent man. He fights back against society itself to protect the liberties of one man. The cruelty that Atticus Finch experiences shapes him not by breaking him down, but by pushing him forward.
From his young daughter's perspective, Atticus Finch is the epitome of justice and righteousness. He fights back against the evil ignorance of the world and saves innocent lives from being scape-goated. Scout's perception of Atticus builds on the contrast between him and the cruel society. Because of the book's point of view, Atticus' heroism in spite of cruelty is even more readily apparent.
As what may be shown in Harper Lee's long-awaited sequel to To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch is not a perfect being, a scepter of truth and loving. However, because of the environment that he faces, Atticus is forced to take a stand on his beliefs. As a result, the cruelty Atticus Finch faces morphs him into the hero of Harper Lee's story and the leader that is needed in his society.
Reflection:
Clearly, there is much that could be improved. First off, I think one of the main things I could work on when it comes to the free response essay is preparation. I was not completely sure what the plot of To Kill A Mockingbird was, much less the deep analysis that would stem from it. With some time to prepare and become more familiar with several pieces of literature, my essay would have been much more effective. As a result of my lack of preparation, my analysis with regards to the prompt was brief and extremely superficial. I did not really go into very much depth in analyzing cruelty in the plot of the book. I think my essay did contain decent elements relating to the prompt, but not nearly enough to warrant a high level score. Thus, I think my essay deserves the score of a 4. I think more familiarity with the actual text could significantly increase my score.
Comments:
http://zhanandrewapenglish2015.blogspot.com/
This essay contains many very effective pieces of evidence that convey the author's demonstration of cruelty in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible". The essay does, however, rely on mainly plot summary for its analysis and as a result is not as convincing as it could have been. Generally rather superficial in its analysis, this essay comes within several sentences of being a mid to higher level essay. As it is, the score of a 4 is quite fair. As expressed, a deeper understanding of the nuances of the literature would be beneficial in raising this essay to the next level.
Essay Revision
Scout plays with Dill - ordinary world
Scout offers friendship - approach to innermost cave
Boo saves Scout - resurrection
In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, lawyer Atticus Finch is put in the difficult situation of trying to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white woman, Myella Ewell. What makes Finch's challenge even harder is the predominantly white society of the Deep South taking any means necessary to convict the defendant. Finch's experience has an immense impact on his daughter Scout and how she lives her own life. Originally, she was a cheeky, rebellious tomboy. She loved playing with her brother and her friend Dill. She was carefree and had very little responsibilities. Cruelty transformed her into a new person who understood what it's like to be rejected by the world.
Atticus and his family are faced with cruelty in its meanest form. Rocks are thrown at them, insults are hurled, and threats are made. Atticus has to not only look out for himself, but also for his family as well as the man whose name he is trying to clear. Scout also has a unique response to cruelty. Instead of letting it make her bitter or vengeful, she instead looks towards others who have been outcast from society and attempts to befriend them. In articular, she tries to meet the mysterious Boo Radley.
When the Finch's house is targeted and a rock is hurled through the window, Atticus refuses to give up his battle in the courtroom. When faced with cruelty and hatred, Atticus still is wiling to stand up for justice. He continues his work to free an innocent man. He fights back against society itself to protect the liberties of one man. The cruelty that Atticus Finch experiences shapes him not by breaking him down, but by pushing him forward. Because of her father's beliefs, Scout is rediculed and eventually attacked by Bob Ewell. When the situation becomes desperate and Scout's life is at stake, it is no other than Boo Radley, the man Scout attempted to befriend, who saves Scout. Scout endures cruelty by learning to offer friendship to someone she was previously afraid of. Her heroic actions repaid her in the end and spared her life.
From Scout's perspective, Atticus Finch is the epitome of justice and righteousness. He fights back against the evil ignorance of the world and saves innocent lives from being scape-goated. Scout's perception of Atticus builds on the contrast between him and the cruel society. Because of the book's point of view, Atticus' heroism in spite of cruelty is even more readily apparent.
Atticus Finch is not a perfect human. However, because of the environment that he faces, Atticus is forced to take a stand on his beliefs. As a result, the cruelty Atticus Finch faces morphs him into the hero of Harper Lee's story and the leader that is needed in his society. Likewise, Scout's experiences transformed her into a more empathetic, caring person who understands how to overcome the cruelty of the world.
I think my 3x3 analysis of the Hero's Journey helped me greatly in my revisions in analyzing how cruelty shaped Scout as a character. In my original essay, I was not comfortable in looking at how Scout evolved as the book progressed. The plot points I analyzed were vague at best and didn't explain the character's reactions to cruelty. After the Hero's Journey activity, I think I was more able to demonstrate the transformation that Scout went through after her experience with cruelty. My essay used purposeful plot points to highlight an experience the character went through.
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