At the beggining of the year i stated that all i wanted for my future was a decent post high school education from the University of Kentucky. Even though my demand for a great education in engineering my overall thought about this has changed. Instead of just focusing on the degree my senior year has made me crave a greater experience from college.
From visiting several different colleges over my senior year, i have discovered that class is just half of the overall experience of college and that there is a social presence that can be found in all students. However, the sense of dependency is what I'm really looking forward to, and as such i have set new goals for myself.
I want to obtain a great deal for myself after college and my senior year has set those standards even higher then they were at the beginning of the year. I want to earn a job were I'm my own boss and can run my business the way i see fit. To become the boss in a field of engineering is not a small task and will require a lot more then just a bachelors degree on one's belt. The road that i have paved for myself is not a smooth one, but the prize at the very end of my journey is one that will bring me self satisfaction and a feeling of personal worth.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Ap Literature
The AP Literature exam consists of a multiple choice section and a free response section. It is designed to test one's knowledge in identifying the structural importance of paragraphs. The multiple choice section consists of approximately forty-six questions in sixty minutes and is 45 per cent of the exam score. One-hundred twenty minutes is allowed for the free response section which accounts for 55 per cent of the score.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Life changing
Duane Robbins
Mr. Roberts
AP Literature
04/09/2012
Reading in my life
During my life I have read a number of different novels hat have projected me into wild and wonderful stories both of fiction and non-fiction. Sadly, I can honestly say that few have ever changed my view of the world or even a certain subject. However, the novel Frankenstein gave me a greater understanding and overall view of regret and sadness.
Throughout Frankenstein the reader continually hears about regret through the eyes of the monster and of doctor Frankenstein. Regret for his creation and for the death of his friends and family haunted the young doctor until he became deathly ill and in the end, led to his death. Regret has never been a concept that I had top deal with in the few years I have lived, so reading about the trouble that regret causes these characters and allowed me to learn a lesson, without having to live it. Regret ruled the life of Frankenstein and gave me a wake up call before I made a grave mistake and lived with regret for the rest of my life.
Throughout this story sadness from a cruel society, destroys the kindness that the monster once felt and replaced it with violent revenge towards his master/creator. Carroll county has never been a school system ruled by bullying so I never seen or experienced the cruelty of society. The life that the monster was exposed to, opened my eyes to the cruelty that society can show when they are scared or don’t understand. This shows the narrow mindedness that todays world shows and the anger that a otherwise peaceful society can unleash in a blink of an eye.
Throughout all 5 novels, death seems to be a recurring theme and can actually be described as a main theme in a fraction of the stories. Death has never been a big thing in my life, because almost all my family is alive, and I was an infant when one of my great uncles had passed away. So these novels gave me a great insight to the overall theme of death. The sorrow, despair, anger, hatred, joy, and forgiveness that is the novel Frankenstein truly gave me the greatest view.
Overall not to many novels have changed my views that I had already based an option on, but there are a selected few that have left an impact. Some lessons will help me in life and will better me overall and some will make me more aware of my surrounding environment. Great American literature is not meant for just a pleasant read, but have hiding messages and lessons sewn into the paragraphs to help the reader become a better individual.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Reflection
As the end of the year draws near, the road to college seems to be just a few steps away. During my senior year i was fortunate enough to have a very successful football career and as such, had the opportunity to move on to play in college. However, this meant that i would have to go to a smaller college that did not offer me as good of an education in my particular field of study. Thus the decision of a continued football career or promising education came into play. After a great deal of thought, i decided to go to UK where i would not be able to play football (Due not to my lack of skill, but to my lack of size and weight), but where I would gain a great education in civil engineering. This decision was made upon my choice to put education over self enjoyment. I am no were good or big enough to play football professionally, so after college i have to depend upon my degree and education. Therefore i have to have the best education possible and a degree from a University that has a "Bigger" name then others.
Over the next year i see the biggest challenge being change. Over the next year my entire way of living will be changed and for the first time i will be completely independent. Even though i will still be at school and under the control of teachers and school officials, there will be no one there to make sure I succeed. I will be in charge of making sure i am up every morning and to take care of my body so i wont become sick. Even though my family has prepared me over the years to become more dependent upon myself, they have still been behind me to help me up when i fell.
Overall i always like to think of the novel Jane Eyre. In this story the main character, Jane Eyre, has a horrible childhood, but overcame everything and found a job were she could make a living doing something respectful. This is what i want for my future, a job were i can provide for my family doing something honest that benefits the individuals around me.
Over the next year i see the biggest challenge being change. Over the next year my entire way of living will be changed and for the first time i will be completely independent. Even though i will still be at school and under the control of teachers and school officials, there will be no one there to make sure I succeed. I will be in charge of making sure i am up every morning and to take care of my body so i wont become sick. Even though my family has prepared me over the years to become more dependent upon myself, they have still been behind me to help me up when i fell.
Overall i always like to think of the novel Jane Eyre. In this story the main character, Jane Eyre, has a horrible childhood, but overcame everything and found a job were she could make a living doing something respectful. This is what i want for my future, a job were i can provide for my family doing something honest that benefits the individuals around me.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
19th Century & Victorian Novels
1. Proper etiquette was by far the most important quality in the Victorian era, for both men and women. Women were taught from a very young age the proper way to behave like a lady, which included attending to one's family, showing loyalty to one's husband, and always showing one's self off as a proper lady. Men were raised to be providers and masters of their household. Women were seen as an overall weaker individual to a man and therefore men were the rulers of everything. Gentlemen controlled who they married and who their mistresses were, but if a women was seen as a mistress then she would be cut from society. http://www.atuttascuola.it/risorse/inglese/the_victorian_age.htm
2. One of the most popular authors of the Victorian era was Charles Dickens. With his amazing classics A Tale of Two Cities and Oliver Twist Dickens is stilling keeping readers of today's century entertained. Lewis Carrol and Rudyard Kipling were two prominent Children’s authors. Reading became more popular towards younger generations during this era. http://www.enotes.com/topics/victorian-literature
3. Darwin’s theory of natural selection significantly challenged the Victorian world views. The established conservatives were unwilling to change any beliefs that challenged the natural order. Another idea was socialism, this changed the way in which individuals interacted with one another.
http://courses.wcupa.edu/fletcher/britlitweb/cklinb.htm
4. Jane Eyre was a fantastic novel from its birth, but the reviews were mixed. The critics stated they believed the book went to far, and stressed the boundaries to much. The radical use of feminism in the novel was a gigantic leap forward and caused some scuffle. http://www.enotes.com/charlotte-bronte-criticism/bronte-charlotte-1816-1855
5. A women's role was based around the household and to her family. The wife was in charge of keeping the household a place of peace and happiness, that way the husband could come home to a stress free environment. Children's education was also a responsibility of the wife. A women was also required to always look professional, that way her family could look more higher classed.
http://ajnev.wordpress.com/the-victorian-era-the-status-of-women/
6. The Victorian era was known for its strict social structure. The upper class had been defined for years as those who had aristocrat titles, the middle class was small and in its infant stages, and the lower class was infamous for its near complete lack of mobility.
2. One of the most popular authors of the Victorian era was Charles Dickens. With his amazing classics A Tale of Two Cities and Oliver Twist Dickens is stilling keeping readers of today's century entertained. Lewis Carrol and Rudyard Kipling were two prominent Children’s authors. Reading became more popular towards younger generations during this era. http://www.enotes.com/topics/victorian-literature
3. Darwin’s theory of natural selection significantly challenged the Victorian world views. The established conservatives were unwilling to change any beliefs that challenged the natural order. Another idea was socialism, this changed the way in which individuals interacted with one another.
http://courses.wcupa.edu/fletcher/britlitweb/cklinb.htm
4. Jane Eyre was a fantastic novel from its birth, but the reviews were mixed. The critics stated they believed the book went to far, and stressed the boundaries to much. The radical use of feminism in the novel was a gigantic leap forward and caused some scuffle. http://www.enotes.com/charlotte-bronte-criticism/bronte-charlotte-1816-1855
5. A women's role was based around the household and to her family. The wife was in charge of keeping the household a place of peace and happiness, that way the husband could come home to a stress free environment. Children's education was also a responsibility of the wife. A women was also required to always look professional, that way her family could look more higher classed.
http://ajnev.wordpress.com/the-victorian-era-the-status-of-women/
6. The Victorian era was known for its strict social structure. The upper class had been defined for years as those who had aristocrat titles, the middle class was small and in its infant stages, and the lower class was infamous for its near complete lack of mobility.
http://www.english.uwosh.edu/roth/VictorianEngland.htm
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Heart of darkness vs Things fall apart (Second draft)
Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness shows how differently two cultures can perceive greed, corruption, and power. The authors experience two complete different views due to their particular scenario. Conrad, the author of Heart of Darkness, focuses on the European side of the African story and the way he experienced slavery. Achebe, writer of Things Fall Apart, describes the simple, modern life of the African’s while comparing it to the unreasonable Europeans.
In Heart of Darkness, Conrad tells the story of Marlow, the captain of a steamboat on a journey down the Congo River in the middle of Africa. Throughout his journey, he unravels the truth behind the ivory trades. Ivory is almost made out as wild gold and the colonists work the slaves to death so they can maximize their production. On page 91, a description of the importance of Ivory is given: “The word ‘ivory’ rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it.” Ivory had replaced every thought of the colonist’s minds. They longed for the wealth and the riches that would be waiting for them back home, that every action they made, they thought was justified.
This book shows how the Europeans conquered and ruled over their colonies. The region of the Congo had been taken over not as a colony for the Dutch, but for King Leopold himself. He believed that this colony would bring him an enormous amount of wealth. A biography site stated the following about King Leopold II’s reign on the Congo:
Over the next 23 years Léopold will amass a huge personal fortune by exploiting the Congo directly and by leasing concessions to private companies prepared to pay him 50% of their profits. The period will witness some of the worst atrocities ever committed on the African continent. However, Léopold will never visit the region, ruling instead by decree from Belgium.
Heart of Darkness also shows how the European colonialists wanted power over the land just like the Dutch. They ruled the people, made their own laws, and ignored their own corruption or the inhuman treatment of the slaves. On page 83 of Heart of Darkness the following is stated: “Brought from all the recesses of the coast in all the legality of time contracts, lost in uncongenial surroundings, fed on unfamiliar food, they sickened, became inefficient, and were then allowed to crawl away and rest.” This is a description of what Marlow notices along the river of the Congo. It is shown to the reader how colonialism not only enslaved the natives, but drove them into hard labor onto the point in which they started dying off from sickness and starvation.
Conrad described power as that of humiliation from another group. For the Europeans to have their power, the Africans had to suffer and be ruled over. The Greed that they showed was completely selfish and in know way benefited the African way of life. Overall Conrad depicted the action of Colonists as something of pure self-centeredness, and they ruled with an iron fist that was stained with the shine of ivory and blood of thousands of workers.
While Conrad shows the side of European greed and power, Achebe displays the view of an Africans and their own greed and power. These two forms of greed and power differ in the purpose, the outcome, and the deliverance of the ones in charge differs greatly.
Achebe shows that while the Africans still had a form of greed, they used it to benefit the tribe and the balance of peace. The tribe had “titles”, similar to the social statuses in America, which were ranked. The higher ranked title you had, the better you looked to others and the more of a “man” you were seen as. If man of the village wanted or needed to obtain a good status within his village (power) then he would try to obtain as many titles as he possibly could. What is different from the Europeans is that instead of just taking what they wanted, they had to earn it, and it was performed in a way that did not hinder another’s way of life. On page 6 Achebe states the following: “And now he was going to take the Idemili title, the third highest in the land. It was a very expensive ceremony and he was gathering all his resources together.” In this quote, it is explained how a man wanted to take a title, yet he was not going to take what he wanted, instead he was going to pull his resources that way he could earn it. In this way, more money was going toward the tribe by the prices of titles and if a person wanted a title they would have to be a productive farmer to earn the money, also benefitting the tribe.
Power was a completely different concept to the Africans than to the Europeans as described by Achebe. According to Achebe, Africans seen power as something everyone could earn within their lifetime. The following was stated in Things Fall Apart about how the Europeans and Africans sources of power were different:
They asked who the king of the village was, but the villagers told them that there was no king. ‘We have men of high title and the chief priests and the elders,’ they said.
While the Europeans had a monarchy for power, such as King Leopold II, the Africans had many people for power who were respected in the tribe similar to the democracy that American government is based upon in today’s society. Power was not something of complete authority, but based on the tribe, its beliefs, its customs, and its religion. Power was not something that ruled based upon a view, but something that kept tradition alive and kept the peace within the tribe.
Achebe also displayed that Africans did not believe in taking land that did not rightfully belong to them. When a neighboring tribe is wiped out in Things Fall Apart it is seen as an abomination and truly baffles many. The following is stated on page 176 about that tribe: “They would go to Umuru and bring the soldiers, and we would be like Abame.” The village, Abame, had been destroyed when the Africans had killed a white man and tied his horse to a tree in their village. While the Europeans found they had the power to colonize other people’s land, Achebe showed that the Africans respected their land and territories while also respecting other people’s land.
Achebe describes the African way of life as one that is ruled by religious power. He describes that the Africans base their rules, customs, attitudes, and their overall lives around their gods. To this extent greed for them was something simple and can even be respected. During an individuals life period they tried to earn titles and personal achievements, which was their driving force and could be seen as greed. However, this was a form of greed that had no direct affect on another individual. This is a main difference between the views of the authors.
In his critique of Heart of Darkness, Achebe showed how he felt about what Conrad said about Africa. The following is stated in the critique: “The point of my observations should be quite clear by now, namely that Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist.” He believed that Conrad made people believe that Africa was a dark place with no civilization. He also believed that Conrad did not give a voice to the African’s, making them seem like heathens.
However, this was not the true purpose of Conrad’s book. In reality Conrad was simply providing the reader with his real life experience of the Congo and how slavery turned these people into savages. He meant to show how greed and power affected the European colonial system in the Congo. In fact, throughout the book, Conrad was saying worse about the Europeans than the Africans and felt pity toward the Africans. What Achebe saw was simply Conrad’s perception of his environment during this time. Because the two men were raised differently, in different cultures the beliefs of both men are bound to differ. Which is brought out in the differences of their novels.
The truth of way things really are cannot be brought out in just one story or book. Just because one person may believe something, does not mean it is true for another group of people. Both Achebe and Conrad display this in their works. Throughout the novels, greed and power are displayed in the two different types of people. While the Europeans were cold and controlling, the Africans had a more subtle approach. The views of both authors have to be balanced by their personal experiences, beliefs, and willingness to dismiss personal beliefs for the facts. The difference of the men is what truly leads to the difference of the two novels.
Works cited
Achebe, Chinua. “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’”. Massachusetts Review. 18. 1997. Rpt. In Heart of Darkness, An Authoritative Text, background and Sources Criticism. 1961. 3rd ed. Ed. Robert Kimbrough, London: W. W Norton and Co. 1988, pp. 251-261.
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor books, 1994. Print.
Boyd, Clark. “’Blood Cell Phones’ Fuel War, Crime and Human Rights Abuses”. 30 July 2010. Discovery News. Web. 13 February 2012.
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Signet Classics, 1997. Print
Harris, Bruce. “King Leopold II” More or Less. 19 August 2003. Web. 15 February 2012.
Hutcheon, Stephen. “Out of Africa: the blood tantalum in your mobile phone”. 8 May 2009 The Sydney Morning Herald. Web. 13 February 2012
Liukkonen, Petri. "Chinua Achebe." Www.kirjasto.sci.fi. Kirjasto.sci.fi, 2008. Web. 21 Feb. 2012. <http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/achebe.htm>.
Wyer, Conor. "Two Readings of Heart of Darkness." Qub.ac.uk. Queen's University of Belfast, 13 May 2001. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEnglish/imperial/africa/Conrad-readings.htm>.
<http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEnglish/imperial/africa/Conrad-readings.htm>.
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