Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Realism - Definition

Realism is a form of writing and literature that was created in response to Romanticism. People during the Romanticism time period were getting bored of Romanticism, and they began to crave a type of writing with more of a scientific feel (Campbell). Those who supported Realism often were more geared towards philosophizing rather than idealizing like Romanticists (Campbell). Realism writers focused on what was happening right that moment. Realism writers also considered consequences for actions (Campbell). Realism is often compared to both Naturalism and Romanticism. Realism writers focused less on describing everything, like Naturalism writers, and they focused more on choosing specific details. Realism authors also focused more on the characters than on the actions or scenery. Romanticism writers also focused on broad details and idealism much more than Realism authors (Campbell). They often told stories that did not have an obvious moral to them, because they would write about average situations and try to draw their morals from that (Campbell). The Hero to most Realists was a normal person that could draw morals from everything and knew how to grow from past experiences. The American Dream was to learn from every experience that they had and to constantly be improving their morals. Realism authors wrote from the viewpoint of the middle class, so they could see society from a different perspective than they had in the past (Campbell). The authors wanted to show the upper class as rude and unappreciative, but they also saw how poor the lower classes were, and they may have felt pity. Realists concentrated a lot on ethical choices. Some Realism stories were focused solely on making ethical choices(Campbell). Events and actions in Realism novels and stories could be seen as real, unlike previous authors who had written more poetically (Campbell). Realists were very different than Romanticists because they were not concerned with ideals, and they were different from Naturalists in that they focused more on scientific and realistic actions.

Campbell, Donna M. "Realism in American Literature." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. .

Monday, January 24, 2011

Journal #34

In this blog, I am going to tell you how to write an argumentative ACT essay! First off, you need to have a clear understanding of what it is you are writing about. Always choose the argumentative side that you have more support for. Make sure that your opinion on the issue is clear, and do not switch sides in the middle of the argument. Always make sure that the points in your argumentative essay make sense, and they are clear and to the point. Your word choice should also be clear, just like your points.
You should also include a counterargument in your argumentative essay. Without a counterargument, your essay will automatically only be able to achieve at the highest a 2 out of 6. Your counterargument should be clear, and it should show many different perspectives on the topic. Any counterarguments that there are, you should be able to back up your side of the argument.
Transitions are also very important in argumentative essays. Your transitions should not include things like, "First, then, next, second, also" or anything of that matter. Transitions should be seamless and fluent. Try to avoid using simple transitions, or else the score of your argumentative essay could be brought down to a 4.
Using correct grammar in your argumentative essay is also important, of course. In order to score a 6, your grammar needs to be near perfect. Try to use complex but clear words. Also, remember not to stray from the main topic. Keep your essay organized, and make your different points go in the correct order- from least strongest to strongest.
Do not forget to proofread your essay before you submit it! Proofreading can save you from many stupid mistakes, such as grammar mishaps. There is always a chance that you could catch a mistake that you did not notice while you were writing the essay. Proofreading your essay is one of the most important final steps to writing an argumentative ACT essay.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Journal #33

Today, my blog is going to be about the Hoogland Center for the Arts. I think that's something that is particular to this area? Oh well. If it's not, I'm sorry. Anyway, The Hoogland! I love the Hoogland. It is basically a huge building with a ton of different galleries and stages. There is one big stage right when you walk in, and it has two levels, I think. There is also a really neato little sitting area right when you walk in. There are huge windows with some lil' tables so you can observe Springfieldians as the stroll along. There is also a smaller stage on the third floor, right across from the little gallery. My mom displays her artwork in that tiny gallery on the third floor across from a small stage! That is mostly why I chose the Hoogland. My mom is a member of the Watercolor Society (ridiculous, I know), and they always have these little shows at the Hoogland. Because of those shows, I am at the Hoogland very often, and it has grown on me.
Sadly, the Hoogland is in a lot of debt, sad face. They're not really making enough of a profit on much of anything to keep the poor place open. I do not recall how far itno debt they are, but I'm pretty sure it's in the millions. It's a shame because the Hoogland really is one of the only places in Springfield that is used for theatrical productions and art galleries. Without the Hoogland, where would my mother's little Watercolor Society hang their paintings? Where would my friend Connor O'Brian host his Improv shows? The Sangamon Prairie Art Alliance?! Springfield needs the Hoogland! It could just be because I enjoy the arts, but I think the Hoogland is an awesome place to go to when you are in Springfield!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Journal #32

This journal is about a memoir! Well, I am going to write about my trip back from Chicago with Abby. I chose this part of my winter break because it made me grow emotionally! And now I will tell the story.

Abby and I went to Chicago for a day over winter break, as I previously stated. We left on some day that I can't remember and stayed the night in The Knickerbocker hotel. It was very nice. We went shopping all over the place. As we were leaving Chicago, it started to snow really bad. I mean atrociously bad. For more than half of the trip, we had to go under 45 miles per hour, ON THE INTERSTATE. We were slipping and sliding around, and you could not even tell if the road had two lanes or three! It was super bad. We decided to start counting how many people we saw that had slid off the road from Chicago to Springfield. We counted eighteen! That is a lot of people. I think they were all okay. Well, I HOPE they were all okay. This caused me to have an epiphany. Or at least what I like to think is an epiphany. I realized that I should value my safety and should never take it for granted. I was lucky enough to not be one of those people that was stranded on the side of the road, or one of those people that had collided with another person AND THEN slid off the road. It makes me very thankful that I have a car that (usually) gets traction, and I am thankful that Abby's mom did not drive off of the road on the way home! It was funny because Abby was yelling at her mom for not getting four-wheel drive on their Honda Element, and her mom was yelling, "IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVEEE". We turned that horrible driving weather situation into one of joy by singing Christmas carols. It was probably mildly annoying for her mom. Well that was the epiphany that I had.

Monday, January 17, 2011

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce is a realistic fantasy story that accurately depicts the Realism period. In Abby Werlock's criticism, she says, "Although set during the Civil War, it is notable not for the combat scenes that other Bierce stories portray but for the ingenious blending of realism and fantasy that inevitably leads to the Surprise Ending." (Werlock). Realism is sometimes seen as similar to Romanticism, but I found that to be somewhat untrue. Many writers of the Realism period wrote quite opposite of the writers from the Romanticist period. Romanticism literature is more focused on the setting and personification, when Realism is more focused on the characters and conflict. Ambrose Bierce does a great job of writing Realism literature that is distinctly Realism, not Romanticism.

In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, one of the most notable characteristics of Realism is the detail put into Peyton Farquhar, the main character. Bierce describes every action and characteristic of Peyton in a very detailed way. He spends much more time focusing on describing Peyton and his emotions than he does actually telling the story and describing the conflict, which is once of the characteristics of Realism.

Another characteristic of Realism in this story is how Peyton is just a normal, middle class man. Bierce describes him as a normal man of that time period. Peyton was a planter who had a wife and children. He was very average and normal, which makes the story realistic. He did not fight in the war, but refers to himself as a "civilian soldier" (Bierce). This literary work was also written during the aftermath of the Civil War, therefore Farquhar entitles himself as a Confederate, though he does not actually fight in the war (Bierce). In Romanticism, the uncommon, genius type person was very valued. In Realism, the writers focus their characters around the middle class and Bierce displays this well in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge.

Another important characteristic of Realism in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is the focus on the details of the characters. This is one of the most important characteristics of Realism because of course, it makes the story seem more realistic! One example of the extreme detail that Bierce uses in his story is,
A sentinel at each end of the bridge stood with his rifle in the position known as "support," that is to say, vertical in front of the left shoulder, the hammer resting on the forearm thrown straight across the chest -- a formal and unnatural position, enforcing an erect carriage of the body." (Bierce). This quote is a great example of the detail that Bierce put into his characters. Bierce describes exactly how the men were holding their weapons, which is unnecessary, but this is what Realism is all about! Using all these extreme details makes the story seem more real.

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge is a great Realism story by Ambrose Bierce. He really makes the story feel real, even though for the majority of the story, the man is actually just imagining everything as he is being hung. Werlock says at the very end of her criticism, "In fact, the escape occurs in Farquhar's imagination as he resists death, which, finally, is the inevitable reality common to us all." (Werlock). Werlock is very right. Death is something that everyone can relate to, and it is something that everybody knows is very much real.

Works Cited

Bierce, Ambrose. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge." Page by Page Books. 2004. Web. 17 Jan. 2011.

Werlock, Abby H. P. "'Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge'." The Facts On File Companion to the American Short Story, Second Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CASS629&SingleRecord=True (accessed January 17, 2011).

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Journal #31

Well, this blog is about how a day dream helped me to get out of a bad situation. I think I am going to have to write another story for this blog. Don't get me wrong, I day dream! Oh, I day dream so much. Anyway. Whenever I day dream, I am usually just thinking of things that I wish would happen. Like, I will daydream about going to New Zealand for the summer, and in that daydream I would be swimming in crystal clear water with a bunch of tropical fish. I'm sure it is obvious why that would not help me to get out of a bad situation. So here we go, it's storytime. I'm tired. Let's do this.

Once upon a time there was a rock named Geoff. Geoff had a lot of serious problems. Geoff's favorite way of solving those problems was to day dream, and somehow those day dreams would miraculously give him an answer to his issues. Anywho, Geoff really likes this piece of coral named Nancy. The only problem is, Geoff is really, really bad at approaching women. I mean really bad. Atrocious. Geoff did not know how to tell Nancy that he liked her. He had thought of everything! He could not just straight up tell her because that would make him seem like a creep, but he could not tell her over text or the internet because that is just awkward. One day, Geoff was in class and he started to day dream. He dreamt that he went to Holland. He was frolicking through endless fields of tulips, laughing and singing without a care in the world. (Geoff is not gay) Suddenly, Geoff came to a realization. "Flowers!" he thought to himself. Geoff quickly shuffled to the nearest flower shop and bought a dozen tulips. He then wrote a love song for Nancy. He approached Nancy the next day and gave them to her.

Nancy and Geoff then lived happily ever after and had thousands of babies the end.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Journal #30

This blog is about whether or not school uniforms should be used in our school. Well, obviously I am going to pick no uniforms because I am a student. There are many, many reasons why uniforms do not belong in this school. I will list them below!

Well my first point is that if you try to force kids to wear uniforms, there are going to be a bunch of them that will rebel against the rules and wear their normal clothing anyway. This would just create a mountain of problems. It would result in many more detentions and referrals, which if I recall correctly, Mr. Ward did not like. He was trying to make those referrals and detentions go down. If tons of kids are not wearing their uniforms, those numbers will basically explode, and we will have no movie day. Sad face.

Another reason that Pleasant Plains High School should not wear uniforms is because kids have a right to wear what they want. Simple dress codes will suffice! Uniforms are unnecessary. I can understand how it would be tempting to make kids wear them, though, especially when kids drastically break the dress code. However, kids should be able to express themselves. I think it would actually corrupt the child to make them wear a uniform because the uniform is basically making them conform to everybody else. I find that kids who go to SHG or other places that wear uniforms tend to be more involved in drugs and drinking and other bad things because they can not really be wild in school to let out some of their TEENAGE RAGE.

My last reason for why kids at Pleasant Plains High School should not wear uniforms is the simple fact that it will make the students sad and/or angry. Nobody likes to be around angry teenagers. Teachers will have to listen to students complain ALL THE TIME about why they hate their uniforms. Students already complain about the dress code, just think about how much they will complain if we have UNIFORMS. That would be a nightmare.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Journal #29

If I had to choose one artist to persuade someone to buy music off of, I would have to go with Fareed Z Musabayov. Fareed is a foreign exchange student at my school from Azerbaijan. You can listen to his song, "Fairytale", on Youtube. Although he did not write it himself, he still sang it very well. Fareed's voice sounds like thousands of beautiful song birds and angels with an accent. Okay, I may have exaggerated a little bit, but his voice is actually pretty good. He is very good at holding long notes without his voice cracking. He is also good at singing the short notes. Okay I lied. His voice is not the best, but he can still be my favorite artist! He is just so nice.
You should purchase songs from Fareed for many other reasons besides JUST his beautiful voice. Fareed also dresses classy! You can not resist listening to the music of a classy man. His closet is full of endless sweaters. He wears a sweater every day, and they are all different! He also wears some sweater vests. Anyway, my point is, Fareed is a respectable man. Respectable men deserve to have their music discovered!
Another reason that you should purchase music from Fareed is that back in his home country, he is apparently famous! He needs to be supported so his music fan base can grow! His country is pretty small, so I think when he says that he is "famous" he is not really "famous" because it is really just in his tiny country. He deserves to be famous though, because not only can he sing, but he is singing in a language that is not his native one! He sings "Fairytale" is English! That is a commendable feat in my opinion. He does not butcher the song, either! He got all the lyrics right! His accent makes some of the words sound a little weird, but it's still good.
So yeah. Buy Fareed's music because the music is good, AND he is a nice fellow.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Journal #28

This journal is about a time that I had to convince someone to do something that I wanted them to do. I do not usually have to persuade people to do things. I just ask politely, like "Hey, Brandon, could you grab me that pencil over there?" or "Hey Abby, would you mind driving me to Taco Bell?". I cannot really recall a time when I really had to convince someone to do something I wanted, so I am going to write a story about a bunny and a pig that involves convincing. Here we go.

Once upon a time there was a little blue bunny. His name was Steven. Steven was such a nice little bunny, but he also had a habit of being incredibly stubborn. Steven had a friend named Will. Will was a pig, and he was almost even nicer than Steven.
One day, Will waddled over to Steven's house and knocked on the door with his fat little hoof. Steven opened the door and happily greeted Will.
"Oh, hello Will! What brings you to my humble abode?"
"Oh, Steven. I am stuck in a pickle, and I have a huge favor to ask of you. You see, my grandma wants me to visit her, but she lives so far away! I was wondering if maybe you would go with me...?"
"Will, don't you think this is something that you should do by yourself?" said the bunny skeptically.
"But Steven! There are so many reasons that you should go!" the pig said persuasively. "My grandma LOVES bunnies, and her favorite color is blue! You must go!"
The bunny raised his eyebrow. "Will, I don't think that's a very good reason."
"But wait! There's more! My grandma is always claiming that I have no friends. Please come with me! I need to prove to her that I'm not a failure!"
Steven sighed. "Do you really want me to go?"
"Yes, please Steven please!" the pig pleaded.
"Oh, alright."
"Oh, THANK YOU blue bunny, THANK YOU!"
The end.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Journal #27

This journal is about persistence. This is a really broad topic. Some people are persistent, which could either be a good or bad thing. Persistence could be really annoying, such as people who bother you about one thing over and over again. Persistence could also be a good trait, though. For example, when you're trying to get a job, it would be good to be persistent, or if you really need someone to get something done, you need to be persistent.
Here's a quote that I just found off of dictionary.com about persistence: "Persistence can grind an iron beam down into a needle." That is persistence in a sentence, literally. Persistence is continuing to do something even if the action is not necessary. That quote shows persistence because you have to continue with your actions and be devoted to getting it done, which is basically persistence. I suppose persistence could also be seen as ambition. Such as the conversation going on right now about citing Romanticism characteristics. This conversation is showing heavy persistence coming from both sides. The students are persistent that they were not well enough informed and that the guidelines were not set for the teacher's expectations, but the teacher is persistent that his expectations were made clear, the students just were not listening. I am not taking part in this persistent conversation. It has been going on for a good fifteen or twenty minutes though, so I think it is very, very persistent. I think there are just many persistent people in this classroom. They continue to bring up the subject repeatedly, which is persistence!
I think persistence annoys me. I do not like to be bothered by other people, so of course persistence would annoy me. Of course I do not mind persistence if there is something I need to do and they are just reminding me, but if it's just someone talking to me every day about going to see a movie or something, that will annoy me.