Essay 4/30/13

     "Thou Blind Man's Mark" by Sir Philip Sidney serves as a stand against desire. Sidney uses literary devices, such as imagery, structure, and diction, to convey to his audience his attitude and views on desire. Through imagery he showed the foolish nature of longing, through structure the fight against it, and through diction the end of desire. Sidney conveys that desire is an evil thing that must be fought against and conquered.
     Sidney begins with several metaphor that helps to illustrate his negative view of desire. Sidney feels that to follow longings are a fool's errand, in fact he even says so, "...thou fool's self-chosen snare...". Not only is one foolish to pursue desire but desire is the "Band of all evils...". Sidney appears to believe that desire is foolish and even evil, and he shows that using imagery and multiple metaphors throughout the poem. 
     The structure of the poem also lends a hand to the show the attitude and views of the author. The poem experiences a shift nearly two-thirds the way through from condemning those who trust in desire to encouraging resistance to it. The poem purposed to convince those who would argue otherwise. Sidney uses the poem to turn others to his way of thinking by presenting an idea in a conflicting light then the poem shifts to rouse action in others.
     The diction of the poem is one of definites. Sidney encourages the people to "kill" desire and the ultimate destruction of longings. The diction is lead to be one that is serious that is definite that would stir action in others. Sidney shows no humor nor hint of light-heartedness, the diction is what is used throughout the poem to create such a somber mood as to bring about the seriousness of the matter. Diction is shows Sidney's attitude through the mood it creates, Sidney wishes to show that this is no joking matter.
      Sidney uses literary elements to show this attitude towards the poem's subject, somber and grim. Sidney wishes to convey the attitude that the subject of desire is a matter that must be taken seriously and something that should be prevented. 

Essay 4/29/13

     In the Death of a Salesman, the morals and psychological well being of the main character comes as a result of his cultural surroundings. The character's value of money, life, and family are shaped by the culture of Suburban America. These values, or lack there of, contribute to the theme of the flaws in the American dream and to the ultimate demise of the main character.
     The first moral value to b effected by the culture of Suburban America is the character's value of money. Money is valued above all else and money is what drives life in Suburban America. The main character finds that he lacks the money to fore fill his cultural necessity. Without money you are nothing. This monetary downfall is used by the author to highlight the enormous value that Suburban American culture lives by: the money is always right.
     The next moral value also brings the main character's psychological health into question, the lack of value of human life. In the novel the main character is willing to killing himself for the life insurance money. Not only is he willing to die but he spends nearly all of his life devoted to everything else other than a life worth living. The American dream is that if one works hard enough and gets enough money then you will achieve happiness. The main character is a perfect example of how this cultural idea falls flat, he worked all of his life and in the end it brought him nothing but sorrow and suffering.
     The final cultural value bestowed upon the main character is the lack of value on family. Throughout the novel the characters forgo family and relations in favor of their occupations or advancement in the world. Family is forgotten when jobs are concerned. People lie and pretend to their own family to demand respect in their professional lives. One of what is considered the most misplaced value of the American dream. The value of occupation as opposed to family and relationships.
      Death of a Salesman is a perfect example of the morals of a culture resulting in the morals and psychologic being of a character. This culture shows the flaws of the American dream, the misplaced values of money, life, and family. The culture of Suburban America eventually results in the demise of the character.

1999 Open Essay Question

     From a novel or play choose a character (not necessarily the protagonist) whose mind is pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling desires, ambitions, obligations, or influences. Then, in a well-organized essay, identify each of the two conflicting forces and explain how this conflict within one character illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole. You may used one of the novels or plays listed below or another novel or play of similar literary quality.

     In Macbeth, Macbeth struggles between ambition and morals. Macbeth is shown the opportunity to achieve great power but finds that it comes at the cost of his morals and friendships. Throughout the play, Macbeth experiences a constant conflict between his quest for power and his internal moral compass, between evil and good, corruption and loyalty, and this conflict is used by the author, Shakespeare, to highlight the constant conflict in human nature and it's corruption.
     One side of this conflict is the morals of Macbeth. Macbeth has a very established moral character, one that is quickly tested over the course of the play. His morals represent the "good" side of his character, questioning his actions and himself throughout the play. Shakespeare uses Macbeth as an archetype for the human character and human nature. Like humanity, the morals of Macbeth are easily corrupted and twisted when power is the prize but only to a point. Macbeth begins to questions his actions before the murder of the king and and even stops himself from killing witnesses. While the morals of humans maybe easily twisted, morals prevent temptation and offer the better side of human nature.
      The other side of the conflict that troubles Macbeth is ambition. Macbeth's ambition leads him to take his chance at power once the opportunity arises. The witches present him his opportunity and he acts on it, killing the king and those who he feels poses a threat to his kingship. Morality acts as the opposition to his quest for power and ambition and morals find themselves in conflict over the duration of the play. Macbeth's ambition and mad quest for power acts as humanities darker side. Shakespeare, again using Macbeth as the archetype for human nature, shows the darker, evil side of humanity that will kill for the slightest chance at power. Macbeth shows the dark side of human nature and our violent quest to out do each other.
       Morality and ambition for the basis of the conflict that wages inside of Macbeth. Ambition lead to murder and death for the slightest bits of power while morality prevents temptation and hold back humans from horrific deeds. The old conflict between good and evil. Macbeth's character, his morals and his ambition, are the means in which the author reflects human nature.

AT LEAST TWO ESSAYS

[1994] Poems: “To Helen” (Edgar Allan Poe) and “Helen” (H.D.)

Prompt: The following two poems are about Helen of Troy. Renowned in the ancient world for her beauty, Helen was the wife of Menelaus, a Greek King. She was carried off to Troy by the Trojan prince Paris, and her abduction was the immediate cause of the Trojan War. Read the two poems carefully. Considering such elements as speaker, diction, imagery, form, and tone, write a well-organized essay in which you contrast the speakers’ views of Helen.

     Literary elements are key to identifying an author's view of a subject. The most prominent of these elements, diction, imagery, and tone, can be used to compare the work to other works of literature in a cohesive manner. Diction conveys the speaker of the work and in what manner the author wanted the work to be viewed, in what frame of mind the audience should be in. Imagery is a direct communication between author and audience of exactly how the author feels about the subjects of the work, how the author feels about his work. Tone acts much like diction but also has a more persuasive element to it, this is where the author attempts to pass their views onto the audience.

     Diction creates both the speaker of the work and the projects the author's attitude towards the subject. In "To Helen" by Edgar Allan Poe, the diction is reminiscent of old English literature and the nobility of Europe. Words such as "thy" and "yon" makes it seem as if the speaker is a noble gentleman from fifteen hundreds addressing Helen. With references of the "grandeur that was Rome" it would appear that the speaker has a very positive outlook on Helen and therefore Poe has a positive outlook as well. "Helen" by H.D. on the other hand has a very different diction and speaker when it comes to Helen of Troy. H.D. has a more modern wording than Poe, using a less direct method. H.D. creates a speaker that works more as a third-person narrator, pulling away from direct contact with the subject, Helen, of the poem. Instead the speaker is observing Greece as a whole and comments on Helen's affects on it, in this case negative effects. Both speakers appear knowledgeable in ancient history and the legend of Helen of Troy, each holding references to ancient lore. The diction creates speakers that would appear to hold opposite views of Helen of Troy.

     Imagery is a powerful element of literature and is used to directly convey the authors' attitude to their audience. In "To Helen", Poe equates Helen to the beauties of nature, "That gently, o'er a perfumed sea...". Essentially here Poe is telling the audience his views of Helen. It would seem that Poe holds Helen in very high regard with his metaphors and similes being compliments to the beauty of Helen. H.D.'s direct communication with the audience conveys something quite different than Poe's reverence in beauty. H.D. seems cold towards Helen, even maybe to the point of hatred, even suggesting at a point that Helen would have been better off dead. H.D. shows no love for Helen but like Poe she uses imagery to reflect the beauty of Helen as well as her feelings about Helen to the audience.

     Tone represents an author's chance to convince the audience of their view point. The author creates the tone and the audience absorbs it as they read making tone the author's persuasive literary element. For "Helen" the tone is somber, even while describing the beauty of Helen, the tone retains a dark, even resentful, aspect. The tone of "Helen" easily shows no love for Helen, here H.D. is attempting to turn the audience to her view of resentment towards Helen. Similarly Poe uses a positive, awe struck tone to win over his audience. Poe's tone mostly consists of a reverence for the beauty of Helen and little more. The tone was used in similar manners by the authors but to convey two very different views of Helen.

      Authors use many literature elements to convey their views in literature. For Poe he used a praising tone, beauty imagery, and intellectual diction to show his beauty-sruck view of Helen. H.D. used a similar resentful tone, deathly imagery, and modern diction to show her view of a Helen that Greece might have been better off without. The two views of the authors contrast sharply, nearly taking opposite views of Helen of Troy but the way that they conveyed said views were quite similar.

Prompt #2

1974 Poem: “I wonder whether one expects...” (No poet given)

 Prompt: Write a unified essay in which you relate the imagery of the last stanza to the speaker’s view of himself earlier in the poem and to his view of how others see poets.

     Imagery is direct communication between an author and their audience, generally conveying the author's views and values through similes and metaphors. The author sets an early view of poets and himself but offers a deeper insight in the final stanza. The imagery in the final stanza is used to convey views early in the poem but on a deeper more direct manner with his audience. Through the images described by an author the audience is able to view the perspective of the author without the other bits of literature to cloud the message. In the final stanza of the given poem seven characteristics are given as the characteristics of poets and the author himself. 

    The seven characteristics given are as follows: Energy, Laziness, Discipline, "Jaws-of-Death", Error, Routine, and Futility. Each of these are represented as a person. Energy is only half there and struggling to bring itself to full force. Laziness does its best to foul Energy. Discipline is wounded but carries on. Death laughs from afar and is accompanied by Error. And finally Routine and Futility carry a steady beat. These "characters" represent the struggle held by the author to get through life. Characteristics that get in the way of our potential and allow us to fall behind. By offering these characteristics as "characters" the author is able to make a more direct connection to his audience and his view about his true self becomes apparent.

      The "characters" given are the underlying qualities of the author. Combined with the previous stanzas the authors proposes that people live in an illusion of sorts, that we go through the motions of living life day after day. The "characters" are partly at fault and partly the result of the monotony of everyday life. The qualities that are the subject of the final stanza are cause and the effect of the previous stanzas.

      Imagery allows views and ideas to be communicated directly with the audience of a work of literature. In this case imagery is used to show the underlying characteristics that cause the behaviors expressed in the poem. Imagery was used as a deeper direct connection to the audience to ensure that the authors view get across.

Groupthink

To me the greatest advantage of group conversations are other's opposing views. Nothing makes you rethink your position like a collage's criticism. For me in this instance I heard no strong criticism of my analysis of the sonnets I chose, so the real value in my group discussion was not in the actual discussion. Rather it was the fact that I knew my work was to be discussed, so I got it right the first time and put time into my notes. 

Gridlock #3

II

We fear the silent darkness of the night,
Afraid the stars that slowly roll about
Might suddenly grow dim, and flicker out.
And so we hold each other ’til the light;
Asleep, or rocking madly in delight
Of one another’s moans and shrieks and shouts,
That fill the silence, blocking most our doubts
About eternal love, or guiding light.

Our music roars and echoes through the dark,
Like wine-dark viol, silver cymbal spark.
We exhale love songs in each other’s souls,
A manic chorus easing worldly roles,
Love’s noise explodes, then blazes in our eyes,
And hides the deathly silence of the skies.

TPCASTT: 

Title

of poem means

   Sonnets from Space, this is a collection of sonnets. The individual sonnets don't have titles, but the name of the collection seems quite obvious...these sonnets are from space.

Paraphrase

parts of the Poem

It is dark out in the world and we are afraid of it.

Our fears block the best of the world and love and hope fade into the dark.

We can fill the silence, however.

Music, love, art, all hide and fill the darkness.

Connotation

of some of the words – changing literal meaning to implied or associated values

Light, spark, these are meant to illustrate the joys of life.

Attitude

What is the attitude of the author, characters or yourself?

The attitude is nearly switches. It at first seems dismal and depressed but then turns into a hope-filled, positive outlook on life.

Shift

At first we think or feel one way – then there is a shift:  identify the shifts and explain them

The shift comes about in the verse break. Shifting from a dark and dismal attitude to one of joy and hope. Dark to light. A sort of cons and pros if you will.

Title revisited

Any new insights on meaning or significance of title?

Space, for this sonnet means a darkness that can only be filled with the joys of life. We make it what we chose to.

Theme

I like to think that the theme of the sonnet is that we make life what we put into it. If we choose to put nothing into it then it will give nothing but sorrow. If we fill it with joys then our lives will be "full".

Gridlock #2

III

Between the galaxies so far apart,
Among the stars and planets of the night,
There’s emptiness to give our souls a fright,
To leave us with a vacuum of the heart.
Although we call in space with words and art,
We try to beam our thoughts to cast a light,
And send our love to make the blackness bright;
The unmapped darkness still leers from our chart.

There’s so much emptiness, it goes beyond
Our dreams, our hopes, our hearts so overfull;
Few lights reflect across the endless pond
Of space, so infinite, and past our pull.
Though love, I’ve heard, can last eternally,

Can it fill up a bleak infinity?

TPCASTT: 

Title

of poem means

   Sonnets from Space, this is a collection of sonnets. The individual sonnets don't have titles, but the name of the collection seems quite obvious...these sonnets are from space.

Paraphrase

parts of the Poem

The universe is so big, and we are so small. Can we really make a difference?

Connotation

of some of the words – changing literal meaning to implied or associated values

Pond, love, words that generally are used to convey large concepts are reduced to little bits.

Attitude

What is the attitude of the author, characters or yourself?

The attitude is almost sad. That no matter what we do, who we are, or where we've been we are still tiny in comparison to the rest of the universe.

Shift

At first we think or feel one way – then there is a shift:  identify the shifts and explain them

The shift comes close to the end of the sonnet. The somber tone is still present but the is a hint of hope. Can we, just maybe make a difference?

Title revisited

Any new insights on meaning or significance of title?

Space, for this sonnet means infinite darkens. A cold and unforgiving foreign territory.

Theme

I like to think that the theme of the sonnet is that the universe might be large and you might be small, and that is why you must do what you can and not think that you don't matter.

Gridlock #1

V

Where is heaven, is it out beyond
The cosmos that we view and we explore,
With paltry instruments and little more
Than zealous theory, rapt religious bond?
I think sometimes that we are overfond
Of Ptolemeic notions, and a core
Belief that all our motions truly soar,
That magic circles us; we wave the wand.

Perhaps there is no heaven out past space;
That love is only in this earthly place,
And we should live like flowers on a rise,
And let the breezes sweep us to the skies;
That maybe heaven’s love’s not from afar,

Past distant stars; but just from where we are.

TPCASTT: 

Title

of poem means

   Sonnets from Space, this is a collection of sonnets. The individual sonnets don't have titles, but the name of the collection seems quite obvious...these sonnets are from space.

Paraphrase

parts of the Poem

On Earth we seek the arts

Out in space there is a mystery beyond parallel that has yet to be solved

Science and religion have often been at odds yet they are intertwined.

As long as there are mysteries in space, there will be life in the universe.

Connotation

of some of the words – changing literal meaning to implied or associated values

Arts, music, chord, peace, implying life and beauty in the universe. 

Attitude

What is the attitude of the author, characters or yourself?

The attitude is hopeful. That even with the troubles of the world, there will always be hope and life.

Shift

At first we think or feel one way – then there is a shift:  identify the shifts and explain them

The shift is between the first and second stanza. Switching from the mystery of space to the unity of the world.

Title revisited

Any new insights on meaning or significance of title?

Space, for this sonnet means unity. Mystery is the grand unifying factor.

Theme

I like to think that the theme of the sonnet is that space, and the mystery of it, unifies us as a people.

SEVENTH READING

From Sonnets from Space

V

Where are those strings that hold us in our place?
Are they dimensions of our seeking heart,
The twanging notes of some canonic art?
An unexplained arpeggio out in space
Might be what brings a cadence to the race.
Vibrations change, have changed right from the start,
And can’t be placed by writings of Decartes
Or Heisenberg; the measures move apace.

“There are no Gods,” some physisists have mused;
Still, with religion, science is infused.
As long as mystery surrounds the stars,
We all pontificate, debate in bars,
And hope for music of eternal peace,
A universal chord that will not cease.

     By the seventh go through with this sonnet I began to get a little tired of it. It is one of my favorites but anything can get a little dry after the fifth or sixth time. By the seventh time I began to think more about how many people fight over these very topics. Science, art, religion...they all contradict each other. Order and logic verses the soul and imagination. Think about the conflicts these subjects have caused.

     Seven run throughs. It makes you read into the words more than you originally would have, and maybe at times more than you should have. 

Responses to Lit Circles (Multiple choice)

Slaughterhouse Five

1. Slaughterhouse Five focuses on the bombing of
    d) Dresden

2. Vonnegut tracks down Bernard O'Hare to
    c) try to remember things that happened in the war, to help Vonnegut write his book on Dresden
    
3. In a hotel room in Boston, Vonnegut reads which Bible story?
    a) the story of Adam and Eve and the expulstion from Paradise

4. In that same hotel room, Vonnegut feels like something very strange is happening to
    c) all of the clocks and watches

5. Billy Pilgrim is from the town of
    a) Ilium, New York
   
6. The name of Billy's hometown is an allusion to
    d) the golden age of Greece

7. Billy believes he has been abducted by aliens from
    b) Trafalmadore

8. Billy travels through time because
    b) he has become "unstuck in time"

9. Billy's physicality could best be described as
    c) tall and weak
   
10. Billy was trained to be a/an
    c) chaplain's assistant
  
11. Billy first gets shipped to Europe in the middle of
    c) the Battle of the Bulge

12. Wandering behind enemy lines, Billy falls in with
   c) three scouts called the "Three Musketeers"
13. Roland Weary could best be described as
    c) fat, stupid, and mean

14. Roland imagines that he is
    b) good friends with the scouts; they call themselves the "Three Musketeers"

15. Billy and Roland are captured by
    b) German irregulars

16. Roland dies of

    c] a bullet wound

17. On the train, none of the men wants to sleep next to Billy because
    c] he talks and kicks in his sleep

18. Trafalmadorians experience time
    b] all at once, with all things happening simultaneously

19. Billy's attitude toward everything that befalls him could best be described as
    b] passive and accepting

20. Billy's father dies
    a] in a hunting accident

21. Billy eventually becomes a
    a] optometrist

22. The Tralfamadorians put Billy in
    a] An alien sex zoo

23. In his habitat, Billy wears
    a] nothing

24. Billy marries
    c] Montana Wildhack

25. Paul Lazarro is
    a] a former car thief who threatens to have people killed after the war

26. Who promises to avenge Roland?
    d] Paul Lazzaro

27. What did the corpses start to smell like? 
    a] Vinegar and bleach

28. What do stars look like to Tralfamadorans? 
    c] Hexagonal specks of light


29. Where does Billy time travel to while in the showers? 
    a] He returns to the Lion's Club dinner in 1957

30. How long had the British soldiers been prisoners of war? 
    b] Two years

31. When does Billy believe that he will die? 
    b] February 13th, 1976

32. What do they find in the ruins of a building?
    d] Dozens of unmarked corpses

33. Where is Dresden located when Vonnegut goes to visit it? 
    c] East Germany

34. What is Paul Lazzaro most proud of? 
    c] He was able to fight as a boxer.

35. What do humans look like to the Tralfamadorans? 
    b] Pale worms

36. Who wrote a fan letter to Kilgore Trout? 
    d] Eliot Rosewater

37. What do the American prisoners find at the railroad station? 

    b] More prisoners 

38. Why does one of the Germans beat up an American prisoner of war? 
    d] He was mimicking one of the other guards.

39. What decision does Billy come to while he is in the hospital after surgery? 
    a] To tell the world about Tralfamadore

40. What does the Tralfamadoran compare a moment in time to? 
    b] A flickering flame

41. What response does Campbell get from most of the prisoners? 
    a] No response

42. What does Billy do when Rumfoord tells him that Dresden did need to be bombed? 
    b] He starts crying

43. What do Billy, Werner, and Edgar find instead of a kitchen?
    b] A room that holds luggage from refugees

44. Which Earthling do the Tralfamadorans find the most interesting? 
    c] Jesus Christ

45. Who was not busy in Dresden after the bombing? 
    c] Bernard O'Hare

46. What, according to Paul Lazzaro, is the sweetest thing on Earth? 
    d] Revenge

47. How does Billy help Edgar? 
    b] offers to do Edgar's work

48. Why does the Head Englishman envy the Americans? 
    d] They are going to be exchanged soon and go home

49. Who does Barbara Pilgrim say she would like to kill?
    a] Howard J. Campbell

50. What was Edgar Derby's job before he joined the army? 
    a] He was a high school teacher


Kafka on the Shore

1. Which of the following weather storms hits Kafka while he is wandering through the woods at Oshima's cottage?

c.Snow.

2. After Nakata dies, who inherits his ability to understand animals?

The ability is lost forever.

3. How does Nakata kill Johnny Walker?

a.He stabs him.

4. Which of the following words completes this phrase which Johnny Walker said to Nakata: "This is a war and you'll learn how to ___________"?

d.Kill.

5. After Nakata murders Johnny Walker, what changes about him?

a.He gets his memory back.

6. Who does Nakata remind Hoshino of?

c.His brother.

7. What is the name of Mrs. Saeki's spirit?

b.Ying.

8. Who is asked to kill evil before it can escape through the entrance stone?

d.Nakata.

9. How does Nakata react when he sees some bikers beating a man at the truck stop?

d.He is enraged.

10. How long does Kafka spend unattended at Oshima's cottage?

d.Three weeks.

11. What weather storms into the city after Hoshino steals the entrance stone?

d.Rain.

12. How old was Nakata when his mentor died, closing the shop where they both worked?

c.20.

13. Where was Mrs. Saeki's boyfriend killed?

a.At a book sale.

14. How old was Mrs. Saeki when she opened the entrance stone for the first time?

c.30.

15. Which part of the paralyzed cats' bodies does Johnny Walker eat while Nakata looks on, horrified?

d.Their hearts.

16. How does Hoshino carry the entrance stone back to his hotel room?

c.In a backpack.

17. Which of the following phrases does Mrs. Saeki use to describe herself?

a.An incomplete shadow.

18. What is pachinko?

c.A gambling game.

19. Who is the only other person that Kafka encounters as he is wandering through the woods?

a.Mrs. Saeki's spirit.

20. Which of the following is NOT something that ceases to matter in the deserted village?

a.Time.

21. What party does the political trucker align himself with?

d.Communists.

22. What is the name of the philosopher that the prostitute recites, that Hoshino meets?

b.James Boswell.

23. What is the name of the city that Nakata is trying to reach by hitchhiking?

a.Yamaguchi.

24. From where did Hoshino steal the entrance stone?

c.From a religious shrine.

25. What request does Johnny Walker make of Nakata?

c.He asks Nakata to catch cats for him.

26. What is Kafka planning to do on his fifteenth birthday?

a.Runaway from home

27. What kind of life does Kafka lead?

a. lonely life

28. Who is “the boy named Crow”?

a. A foreign exchange student

29. Summarize the content of the classified “Top Secret document”.

b. After an “odd event” a pack of zoo animals apparently fled from their cages and now inhabit the last remaining woodlands of Japan

30. What happens to Kafka on the bus?

a. He meets a girl who he talks to during the ride.

31. Why was the boy Satoru Nakata an exception in the “accident”?

a. He did not wake up unlike the others.

32. What is Kafka’s idea of “karma”?

c. “What goes around comes around”

33. Where does Kafka decide to go after he has arrived in Takamatsu?

a. The local petting zoo

34. What does Nakata reveal about himself that is surprising to the reader?

a. That he can talk to cats.

35. What does the professor say about Nakata’s condition?

b. Nakata possesses the power of “astral projection”

36. What does he do after this discovery?

b. Runs away from home.

37. What information does Mimi get out of Kawamura?

a. That he’s a “closet Christian”

38. What does Sakura say when Kafka climbs into bed with her?

b. “When we grow up, promise me you will be my husband.”

39. What is revealed in the elementary school teacher’s letter?

b. She is being fired for “reasons I cannot and will not disclose to children”

40. What does Oshima offer to do for Kafka?

c. He offers to help Kafka run away from home.

41. Who is Johnnie Walker?

a. Johnie Walker is a supposedly “powerful” man, and kills cats to collect their souls.

42. What does he want from Nakata?

a. He wants Nakata to talk to cats for him.

43. What does Kafka feel when he is alone in the cabin?

c. both

43. Why does Johnnie Walker kill cats?  

a. He collects their souls

44. What does Oshima tell Kafka about Miss Saeki?

 a. She’s Kafka’s mother.

45. What is “Kafka on the Shore”?

b. A nursery rhyme.

46. How do the police react to Nakata’s murder confession?

c. They ignore him.

47. What is revealed about Oshima in the incident between her and women visitors?

b. Oshima is a man

48. What happens to Nakata at the Fujigawa rest area?

c. Nakata abruptly passes out due to his “condition”

49. Why does Kafka think that he might be responsible for his father’s murder?

b. He had passed out one night where he blacked out and woke up with blood all over him the next day.

50. Who is Mr Hoshino?

a. A Truck Driver

Life of Pi

Our good old nation was just seven years old as a 

    republic when it became bigger by a small territory.

    Pondicherry entered the Union of India on 

    November 1, 1954. One civic achievement called

5  for another. A portion of the grounds of the Pondicherry 

    Botanical Garden was made available rent-free for an

    exciting business opportunity and—lo and behold—

    India had a brand new zoo, designed and run according

    to the most modern, biologically sound principles.       

 10            It was a huge zoo, spread over numberless

      acres, big enough to require a train to explore it, though

       it seemed to get smaller as I grew older, train included.

      Now it’s so small it fits in my head. You must imagine a

       hot and humid place, bathed in sunshine and bright

15  colours. The riot of flowers is incessant. There are trees,

      shrubs, and climbing plants in profusion—peepuls,

      gulmohurs, flames of the forest, red silk cottons,

      jacarandas, mangoes, jackfruits and many others that 

      would remain unknown to you if they didn’t have neat

20  labels at their feet. There are benches. On these benches

     you see men sleeping, stretched out, or couples sitting,

     young couples, who steal glances at each other shyly and

     whose hands flutter in the air, happening to touch.

     Suddenly, amidst the tall and slim trees up ahead, you

25 notice two giraffes quietly observing you. The sight is not

     the last of your surprises. The next moment you are startled

     by a furious outburst coming from a great troupe of monkeys,

     only outdone in volume by the shrill cries of strange birds.

     You come to a turnstile. You distractedly pay a small sum

30 of money. You move on. You see a low wall. What can you

    expect beyond a low wall? Certainly not a shallow pit with

    two might Indian rhinoceros. But that is what you find.

    And when you turn your head you see the elephant that was

    there all along, so big you didn’t notice it. And in the pond

36 you realize those are hippopotamuses floating in the water.

    The more you look, the more you see. You are in Zootown!

    1.      The main purpose of the first paragraph is:

b)      To explain the origins of the zoo.

    2.      In line 16, the phrase “in profusion” most closely means:

d)      Abundant

    3.      The main purpose of this passage is:

c)      To depict the zoo itself.

   4.      In line 13, the phrase, “Now it’s so small it fits in my head,” is an example of:

e)      Metaphor

    5.      The main literary device used throughout the second paragraph is:

c)      Imagery

    6.      The narrator’s feeling toward the zoo can be best described as:

                  a)      Nostalgic

                       1. Piscine was named after a ___. 

      A. Swimming pool

2. What is the most dangerous animal in a zoo according to Piscine's father?
C. Golden Agouti

3. What was the name of the ship that sank?
C. Tsimtsum 

4. How many religions did Piscine practice out of enjoyment?
A. 2

5. How long did Piscine survive out in sea?
C. 227 days

6. What did Piscine ultimately decide to do with Richard Parker?
A. Train him and keep him alive

7. What animal is COMMONLY known as the most dangerous animal in the zoo according to the novel?
C. Tiger

8. While on an abandoned island, what did Piscine survive off of during that time?
A. Fruit off of trees

9. Who is Tomohiro Okamoto?
A. A Japanese reporter

10. What is the formed relationship between Piscine Patel and Richard Parker?
C. One of loving and protection 

Multiple Choice
1.       Piscine Molitor Patel is named after 

c.       A swimming pool

2.       Pi’s dad runs a

c.       Zoo

3.       How does Pi’s dad teach Pi a lesson about wild animals?

b.      Feeding a goat to a tiger

4.       What’s Pi’s first religion?

b.      Hindu

5.       The Tsimtsum is

c.       A ship

6.       Where’s Pi and his family headed to

b.      Canada

7.       Why do the crew members throw Pi in a boat?

a.       His family’s in the boat

8.       Whose Richard Parker?

b.      The tiger

9.       Which animal does Pi not share a boat with?

c.       a lion

10.   Orange Juice floats on a raft made of

a.       Wood planks

11.   Which animal dies on the boat first?

b.      The hyena

12.   Pi finds cans full of

c.       Soup

13.   How does Pi keep his distance from the tiger?

a.       Makes a raft to attach to the boat

14.   How does the Hyena die?

c.       The tiger kills it

15.   How does Pi train the tiger?

c.       A spear

16.   Why is it hard for Pi to hunt fish?

b.      He’s a vegetarian

17.   How does Pi react after killing a fish?

a.       Cries

18.   What kept Richard Parker from attacking Pi?

d.      Fear of Pi

19.   Which animal is Pi happy to see on the life boat?

d.      Orange Juice

20.   What almost tips the life boat over?

c.       A dolphin

21.   What does Pi find on the island?

b.      Meerkats

22.   What scares Pi a bit when being on the island?

c.       Finding a human tooth

23.   Why does nothing stay alive on the island besides meerkats?

d.      None of the above

24.   What does Pi use to try to get the ship back?

d.      Waving a paddle

25.   What does Pi load on the boat for the tiger to eat from the island?

d.      All the above

26.   Where does the boat finally land?

b.      Mexico

27.   How does Richard Parker react when landed?

b.      Goes into the jungle

28.   Why was Pi sad when landing?

d.      Wanted Richard Parker to appreciate him

29.   After the rescue, Pi is interviewed by two officials from the

a.       Japan Ministry of Transport

30.   Why does Pi tell the officials a different story?

a.       They didn’t believe his first story

31.   Who was the orangutan considered as?

c.       the mom

32.   Who was they hyena considered as?

a.       The cook

33.   Who was the zebra considered as?

b.      The sailor

34.   Who was the lion considered as?

d.      Pi

35.   How do the officials like the fake story?

a.       Like it better