The King Without A Kingdom

Once upon a time there was a king without a kingdom. He traveled to far lands and across the seas, but he couldn't find a kingdom. In one of his adventures, he met a gorgeous queen, and he inmediately fell in love. Unfortunately, the queen didn't seem to like him, so the king decided to prove her he was a brave man.
The kings went to England nad asked Merlin how could he prove his manhood. Merlin told him to go to the woods and kill a Blue Dragon, take his eye and present it to the Gods of the Olympus. After doing this, the Gods will intervene and the Queen will love him.
The king rushed to the woods. He found a firendly elf who told him that Blue Dragons came out from their vaces at night, and that he could find them at the fairy pit. The elf rapidly disappeared and the king started searchng for the fairy pit. He walked through the trees following a path of glowing blue flowers. After some time, the flower's path disappeared. The king felt lost, but he inmediately climbed up a tree. From the top, he could see the magnifisent fairy pit at some distance. The pit was a big circle made of colourful glowing flowers, with a huge round rock in the middle. the king waited in the tree to be safe of the coming dragons. as the night fell, he saw how a tremendous and scary dragon entered the pit. it was a blue dragon. at that momenmt, a group of fairies approached him and picked him up. the king was taken to the fairy pit.
the brave king took his great sword and prepared for the battle. the dragon attacked him with his fire breath, but the king managed to avoid it and ran towards the dragon. The king jumped andstabbed the dragon in the neck. The dragon screamed for hisdeath and the king proceded to take its eye. Once he did this, the kingwalked to the middle of the pit and got on his knees. raising the eye towards the sky. The night was interrupted by thunders and the king knew the Gods had accepted his offerings.
The king went out of the wood and to the queen's castle. He entered and she was waiting for him. They decided to marry and have a happy life together. Finally, the king had a kingdom.

Fatelessness Book Trailer

Written Task

Differentness is a matter of perspective

By Imre Kertész

Many times people feel excluded, different and do not really know what they are doing in a certain situation. Sometimes people just feel left apart and do not really know why. So, why do people feel like this? Does everyone else feel the same? No, feeling different is a matter of perspective, it only depends on your own interpretation of the facts.

This is a very important aspect of our lives worth analyzing. Everyone is different. Everything is different. There are not two people or two things that are completely the same; they differentiate in at least one aspect. However, if everyone is different, why do people sometimes feel different and feel bad about it? What is the real essence of being different?

First, I would like to explain what “different” means to me. As I said before, everyone is different but not completely different, we are all humans, live in the same world and most of the time we speak the same language as the people near us. We are still different if we see it from this perspective. On the other hand, we are all the same(or very similar, it depends on how you look at it), think fairly similar due to the way we are educated, we do almost the same things people in the past did, and live pretty much       with the same needs.

Because of the example above, we can say that it depends on the perspective you look at things how you interpret them. In addition, by being different we can say it is good or bad. It is good if we want to highlight from the rest. People through history that have thought being different is good, have made the changes that have marked our society. Nonetheless, when we are kids, and sometimes as adults, we think that being different is bad and we try to follow the crowd just so that we do not get excluded.

If we look at our past and search for different points of view about people being different, we can find many examples about people that have invented things or have changed things, and one of the most important examples is the Second World War. During this period in history, Jewish people felt different. Up to then, Jewish people had been living in the world like any other person from any other religion. When the Second World War began, these Jewish people started being persecuted and oppressed by others. They started to feel different because they were different for the Nazi people, but remained the same for almost everyone else.

Let’s take an example from my book “Fatelessness”. Annemarie’s sister starts feeling different because “people’s attitudes toward her have altered, and she can see from their looks that they hate her.” (p.35). At this point in the story, the yellow star is affecting her in a special way, but every Jew is wearing the star and do not really feel excluded as Annemarie’s sister feels. She feels psychologically oppressed and started feeling that being Jewish had started singling her out from that group of people. She thinks she belongs to another category. In the same context, we find Georg Coves who tries to convince Annemarie’s sister that it is not her fault to wear the yellow star and she is only being stereotyped because of the star. With this example, we find two points of view towards “being different” or “differentness”. Georg tries to explain the meaning and the essence of “differentness” so that Annemarie’s sister does not feel different in a bad way. He tries to make her think that in this case, and in many others, being different is something good. Sometimes you feel pride but other times you feel more a shame because of being “different”. 

Georg uses an example of a beggar and a prince, taken from a book he had recently read. In this story, there is a beggar and a prince who look exactly the same, and at the end of the story, the beggar turned into a prince and the prince became a beggar. With this example, we understand that “differentness” is a matter of perspective because, as Georg explains, the beggar had perceived the differentness whereas the prince had not until they swap places. Both look exactly the same and when they change places they see differentness from another perspective. The difference is the same as before but it depends on their point of view how they interpret it.

That is why I wanted to share this opinion about differentness to you. It all depends on your perspective, no matter what everyone else thinks, if you think it is good, it is good for you and no one can take that opinion from you and make you think different. Some people think being different is good, others thinks it is bad. Always remember all that matters is your perspective and if you want to follow the crowd or not is your decision. Everyone is different and if you want to make that differentiation more obvious and think it is good, then do it because that is what our society needs. Remember, “differentness is a matter of perspective”.

Rationale

I decided to write a column for the book “Fatelessness” because with these kinds of texts I can write my own opinion and be creative at the same time. The column was supposedly written by Imre Kertész, the author of Fatelessness, to explain, in my opinion, a very important part of the book: “differentness is a matter of perspective”.

The word choice is crucial in my text. As it is a column, I must only use simple words so that everyone can understand the message. I intentionally repeated some points and counter argued some other points so that the reader gets totally convinced with my message.

In the column, I first explain from a personal perspective what differentness is and how it affects people. I then write some examples for the reader to understand my point in a better way. One of these examples is the exact same part of the discussion between Georg Coves and Annemarie’s sister about differentness. In the context of the book, and the setting of the story, people in general are greatly affected by differentness and in this case, Annemarie’s sister feels discriminated for being Jewish. The problem no only affects characters in the story but also people who actually lived during this period of the Holocaust in Europe. People felt discriminated, just like Annemarie’s sister felt, but it only depends on the perspective you look at things: Georg coves did not feel discriminated or left apart although he lived in almost the same situation as Annemarie’s sister and both belong to the Jewish community.

Image Analysis

In this image, there is a group of people and an imposing figure of what might e Hitler. The rest of them is just standing there. there are some guns near them. The image represents power.
By looking at this image, I can infer that guns were used to kill people as the is a red mark that seems to be blood. It is also possible to infer that the imposing figure is a very important and powerful person because of the cape, and that many people followed the leader.
When admiring this image, you think and ask yourself why did this group of people did what they did and if it was useful or not.
The mood of the image is sadness, because of the guns and innocent people that died in this period of our history.

Fatelessness: Chapter 3

The third chapter of Fatelessness is about Georg being taken to what seems to be a concentration camp along with some other Jews.For this chapter I'll analyze some important quotes that state the main ideas of the chapter.
1. At the beginning of the chapter, Georg tells us that he had an "odd experience" that day and all began when Jewish people had to get off the bus in which Georg was going:
"I heard from outside snatches of a voice issuing orders, which the conductor and several passengers relayed on down to me, to the effect that any Jewish passenger who happened to be on the bus should get off"
In this quote, the policeman tells every Jew to get off the bus and after everyone was down the bus continued its way. By knowing the context of the book, we might think they are being taken to a concentration camp. This might be the beginning of the real story the author wants to tell us, but no one, not even Georg, notices what is really going to happen.
2. "I also heard him repeatedly trying the telephone, and every no and then he would even announce the outcome: 'still nothing', but with an almost plainly visible expression of dissatisfaction on his face."
Now Georg tells us that no one knew what was happening and even the policeman was uncertain. Sometimes, the policeman, when asked why they were just waiting, answered they were waiting orders from above.
3."They led us on into a maze of gray buildings, before we suddenly debouched onto a huge open space strewn with a white gravel - some sort of barracks parade ground, as I saw it." With this information, we finally confirm our initial assumption about what was going on: Georg and some other Jewish people were being taken to a concentration camp.  The reader might also deduce that it is a new place for Georg. He has never been there before. This makes us think and doubt on what the story is leading us to and the uncertainty continues.

Fatelessness Chapter 2

Title of selection: Fatelessness, Chapter 2

Author: Imre Kertész

Genre: Autobiographical Novel

Setting: Budapest 1940s, in Georg's neighbourhood

Historical context: WWII. Persecution of Jews. Air raids in Hungary. Antisemitism.

The author wrote this piece to: (author’s purpose): 
Give account of the first days of Georg's new life without his father living with them. There are lots of historical references regarding the way Jewish people were forced to live

The main idea of this piece is: 
Show Georg's transition from being a boy to a working young man

The message (or theme) of this selection which the author would like us to “take away” is: 
The author would like us to take the idea that "differentnesss" is a matter of perspective and feeling different should not bring us down.

Characters: (Major)
Protagonist(s): Georg Koves

Antagonist(s): As a symbolic antagonist, we could say it's the Nazi Regime.

Static characters: older Steiner daughter, because she doesn't understand nor changes her way of thinking. Mr. Sütô also would be a good example, as he maintains his promise of providing money and food to the family, no matter what. Georg's mom as she didn't change her point of view about going out alone.

Dynamic characters: Both Annemarie and Georg can me considered as dynamic characters as both have changes throughout this chapter.

Did the author use any special literary devices in this selection such as: personification, metaphor, simile, foreshadowing, suspense, flashback, imagery, irony, humor, poetic sound devices such as rhyme, etc... List and give specific examples:
There is an example of an allusion: the story of a prince and a beggar that looked very similar, and once they changed their places and nobody noticed, being transformed finally into the other one. Georg tells this when they are discussing about being Jewish and all the, apparently, disadvantages it has. He tries to explain that life is almost just luck. "She had somehow been swapped or got mixed up with a child from another family(...) it would now be the other girl who would perceive the difference and of course wear the yellow star" (Page 37). In the quote, we can appreciate clearly that he's putting the Steiner's older daughter into an hypotetical case, so with this, he can demonstrate that the superficiality of people is such, that they wouldn't care as they do now, if she was Jewish (by blood), but has been swapped and raised by a, lets say, Aryan family.

What was the author’s “tone” toward the subject/person/idea he wrote about? 
The author's tone is a Matter of fact and Straight forward.

What “point of view” was this piece told from? List word clues that indicate this. 
As the whole text, from Georg's perspective. It's a quite unusual boy that doesn't appear to be able to feel. He describes what he is passing through with a peculiar tone that makes this novel unique. There's no need to quote, as the entire book is in first person, and the narrator is the same as the protagonist (Georg).

List the conflicts in this selection (internal and/or external):
As for external conflict we have Georg v/s his mother about belonging and attachment, Georg v/s Annemarie's older sister about "differentness" and a major external conflict between the whole Jewish community and the Nazi Party/Aryan race.

The internal conflict that may be found in this chapter is the dilemma that Georg has after speaking with his mother. He doesn't really know what to do, but as a good teenager, he'll probably go on what he wants and reject what his mother is telling him.

The Mackay School: School Week

Last week it was the School's week. 155 years of tradition have already passed and we celebrated with a variety of activities.

On Monday we had the General Knowledge Inter house Competition where Mr. Barriga and I participated for the Mackay house. We had to answer several questions regarding many different subjects and, in my opinion, we did well overall. We had about 11 right answers out of 13, although I'm completely sure here was an answer that was not correct but we all had it wrong so it didn't affect our final position. After all these tense 2 hours, the final score was Mackay in first place, followed by Somerscales, third place for Sutherland and in last place Robertson.

On Tuesday it was the Sports Day, in which we had to participate in many competitions like long jump, 100m and more.

Wednesday was the 12's grade day and many activities were arranged but the most important and entertaining was the match "Cuartos v/s Restos" (12 grade v/s any other grade) in which, unfortunately, 12 grade won 30-18.

On Friday we celebrated the Teacher's Day and the most exciting activity was the match between teachers and students in which the teachers won.

Seven Pillars to Judaism

Mezuzah:
Thus, a mezuzah has come to refer also to the parchment, or klaf, on which the verses of the Torah are inscribed (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21). Mezuzah refers as well to the case or container in which the parchment is enclosed. A mezuzah serves two functions: every time you enter or leave, the mezuzah reminds you that you have a covenant with God; second, the mezuzah serves as a symbol to everyone else that this particular dwelling is constituted as a Jewish household, operating by a special set of rules, rituals, and beliefs. (http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Stages/Building_a_Jewish_Home/Home_and_Community/Mezuzah.shtml)

Mezuzah

Tefillin:a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah, which are worn by observant Jews during weekday morning prayers. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tefillin)

 Shofar: a horn, traditionally that of a ram, used for Jewish religious purposes. Shofar-blowing is incorporated in synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Shofar come in a variety of sizes. /http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shofar)

Hanukkah: an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah)

Kosher: The laws of “Kashrus” include a comprehensive legislation concerning permitted and forbidden foods. Among the numerous laws that form part of kashrut are the prohibitions on the consumption of unclean animals (such as pork, shellfish (both Mollusca and Crustacea) and most insects, with the exception of crickets and locusts), mixtures of meat and milk, and the commandment to slaughter mammals and birds according to a process known as shechita (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashrut)

Tefillin

Tzedakah: In Judaism, tzedakah refers to the religious obligation to do what is right and just, which Judaism emphasises are important parts of living a spiritual life. Maimonides says that, while the second highest form of tzedakah is to anonymously give donations to unknown recipients, the highest form is to give a gift, loan, or partnership that will result in the recipient supporting himself instead of living upon others. Unlike philanthropy or charity, which are completely voluntary, tzedakah is seen as a religious obligation, which must be performed regardless of financial standing, and must even be performed by poor people. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzedakah)
  
Sabbath: weekly day of rest or time of worship observed in Abrahamic religions and other practices. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbath)

Literary Terms

Many people (including me) get confused between Tone and Mood:

• TONE is the author’s attitude towards the writing (his characters, the situation) and the readers. A work of writing can have more than one tone. An example of tone could be both serious and humorous. Tone is set by the setting, choice of vocabulary and other details. WORDS TO DEFINE TONE: Amused, Humorous, Pessimistic, Angry, Informal, Playful, Cheerful, Ironic, Pompous, Horror, Light, Sad, Clear, Matter-of-fact, Serious, Formal, Resigned, Suspicious, Gloomy, Optimistic, Witty.
• MOOD is the general atmosphere created by the author’s words. It is the feeling the reader gets from reading those words. It may be the same, or it may change from situation to situation. WORDS TO DEFINE MOOD: Fanciful, Melancholy, Frightening, Mysterious, Frustrating, Romantic, Gloomy, Sentimental, Happy, Sorrowful, Joyful, Suspenseful.

And as it is always good to remember things, here is a list of literary terms everyone should know:

1. allegory: story or poem in which the characters, setting, and events stand for other people or events or for abstract ideas or qualities. Can be read for a literal meaning and on a second, symbolic meaning.

2. alliteration: repetition of the same sound in a sequence of words, usually at the beginning of a word.

3. allusion: a brief reference to a person,place, thing, event, or idea in history or literature

4. climax: The point in the plot that creates the greatest intensity, suspense, or interest. After this point, nothing can remain the same; greatest turning point in the story.

5. connotation: Associations and implications that go beyond the written word

6. denotation: dictionary definition of a word

7. flashback: scene that interrupts the normal chronological flow of events in a story to depict something that happened at an earlier time

8. foreshadowing: use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in the story, often used to build suspense or tension in a story

9. gothic: use of primitive, medieval, or mysterious elements in literature. Gothic writing often features dark and gloomy places and horrifying, supernatural events

10. hero: a character whose actions are inspiring or noble. Tragic heroes are noble and inspiring but have a fault or make a mistake which leads to their downfall.

11. hyperbole: exaggerated statement that adds emphasis without intending to be literally true.

12. lyric poem: a melodic poem which describe an object or emotion.

13. metaphor: a lterary device in which a direct comparison is made between two things essentially unlike

14. narrative poem: a narrative poem tells a story in verse.

15. onomatopoeia: use of words that imitate sounds.

16. personification: a literary device in which human attributes are given to a non-human such as an animal, object, or concept

17. plot: sequence of events in a story, usually involves characters and a conflict

18. point of view: the perspective or vantage point from which a story or poem is told. Three common points of view include: first-person, omniscient, and third person limited.

19. setting: the time and place of the story or poem’s action, it helps to create the mood of the story

20. simile: a literary device in which a direct comparison is made between two things essentially unlike using the words “like” or “as.”

21. soliloquy: A long speech made by a character who is onstage alone and who reveals his/her private thoughts and feelings to the audience.

22. stanza: a group of lines in a poem that are considered to be a unit. They function like paragraphs do in prose writing.

23. symbol: something that means more than what it is; an object, person, situation, or action that in addition to its literal meaning suggests other meanings as well.

24. theme: an insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work

25. thesis: the organizing thought of an entire essay or piece of writing and which contains a subject and an opinion

26. understatement/litote: literary device that says less than intended. Opposite of hyperbole. Usually has an ironic effect, and sometimes may be used for comic purposes.
So next time you see any of these terms you should already know them, if not, check for their definition here.
And remember, when writing something, it is always good to use some devices like the ones used above to make the text more eye-catching.

Fatelessness: The beginning

Last week I started reading Fatelessness by Imre Kertesz and I hope the book is as enjoyable as it seems to be. Of what I know, it is a story about a 14-year-old Hungarian Jew's experiences in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps during the Holocaust. The author won the Nobel Prize in 2002 so I think the book will be a good picture of what was happening during the Holocaust.

After reading a book review we answered some questions:
1. Which perspective (positive or negative) does the author of the review have towards FATELESSNESS? Provide evidence.
The author of the review has a negative view of the events, worried sometimes of what could happen to him in that kind of situation. As he says, while reading "one is confronted to a question". We ask ourselves and reflect on the situation: "Would I have done the same as this ultimately trusting, suffering lad?" The author also mentions that the story represents an inexplicable and unrationalisable camp experience.

2. According to the review, in which ways does FATELESSNESS make readers empathize with the main character of the story?

While reading, we are "constantly confronted with an empathetic version of ourselves by asking and questioning if we would have acted, reacted and rebelled the same way and have the guts to stand up. Would we be strong enough to see ourselves in such situation, like watching friends die or ourselves starve to death?".

3. In the second paragraph of this review, we are presented the plot of the story. Is this enough information to engage you as a reader? Does it provide an effective invitation to read "FATELESSNESS"? Justify

Probably the information presented of the plot is enough to catch a reader but in my specific case, the urge to read the book is indescribable. I have always wanted to read a book like this one about the Second World War. I already had the opportunity to read Anne Frank's Diary about five years ago in Spanish and I really enjoyed it.

We then watched a video of an interview to Imre Kertesz who was born in Budapest in a Jewish family. In 1944 he was sent to Auschwitz at the age of fourteen. He survived the German concentration camps and returned back to his native Budapest where he has been living since. During communism, Kertész worked as a journalist, playwright and translator. Fatelessness (Sorstalanság) was first published in Hungary in 1975.
It was consequently translated into German, French and Swedish.In 1992 Fateless was published in English and in 2002, Imre Kertész received the Nobel Prize for literature.

After watching the video we answered some questions:
1. Before the interview, the presenter visits a monument to the Holocaust created by the American artist Peter Eiserman. Considering the shapes, architecture and general design, in what ways do you think he represents the reality in the concentration camps?
The monument represents the vulnerability people felt in real concentration camps during WWII. While visiting the monument, you also feel lonely and vulnerable because of all the passages around you. The stone structures may represent the power of the Nazis.

2. Which is the paradox the presenter mentions regarding Imre Kertész and the place where he lives?
Paradoxically, Imre feels more free in Germany than in any other place in Europe. Germany was the place where all of the antisemmitist ideas began and Imre was part of the Jewish community and concentration camps. He feels free in the country that once wanted to kill him.

3. Refer to antisemitism before and after Auschwitz according to Kertész.
Antisemitists after Auschwitz want another Auschwitz. They will not make the same errors of the past. Later in the video, it is mentioned that now it is not antisemitism but rather totalitarianism.

4. In what way do reminders of the past in historical books make us "much richer"?
We learn and know what happened from a different perspective. You probably didn't live during those times but you still know what happened due to books and recounts from another perspective than the ones who lived.

5. Which metaphor does Imre use to exemplify the effect of FATELESSNESS on its readers?

Although Imre was told that nobody cared about the topic he was writing about, he said that "it continued to worry our souls and now knocked out of the cabinet". That's how people feel when reading the book.

So far I have read the first two chapters of the book so here are some analysis questions about chapter one:

1. What characters are introduced in this chapter?

First, Georg ( or Gyuri as it is called in the book) is introduced and seems to be the main character. His father, stepmother and mother then take place in the story, although Gyuri didn't live with his mother and she is just mentioned by phone. Mr Suto who was the one in charge of the family properties due to the proximity of the father's departure. Annemarie who is a girl about the same age as Gyuri. Then, several relatives of the family get to the house to say good-bye to Gyuri's father. Relative like Uncle Wille (a journalist), Uncle Lajos (who seems very religious), Uncle Steiner, Uncle Fleischmann, Gyuri's stepmother older sister and mother, Gyuri's father parents and the baker of a local shop.
2. Choose two characters and select a quote to describe them physically or psychologically.

Baker: "He did not bother returning my greetin as it is well known in the neighbourhood that he could not abide Jews" (p. 12)

Annemarie: "She is fourteen years old, or thereabouts. She has a long neck and is already starting to round out under her yellow star" (p.13)
3. What is the narrative technique? Provide evidence

Point of View: First Person. ("I didn't go to school today", P.3)
Narration: Indirect ("We were already on the upper floor when it occurred to my stepmother that she had forgotten to redeem the bread coupon. I had to go back to the baker's." P.12. The narrator talks about others and about himself, but he is not intentionally talking to the reader.)
Speech: There is a combination of direct and reported speech. Direct (""No, I haven't" "Come with me", he said" P.21. The characters talk to themselves, in this case, Gyuri tells his Uncle Lajos that he hasn't prayede for his father so Uncle Lajos answers him.) Reported ("We were already on the upper floor when it occurred to my stepmother that she had forgotten to redeem the bread coupon. I had to go back to the baker's." P.12. The narrator tells the main events that happened by summarizing them.)
Tense: Past tense. ("I didn't go to school today", P.3)
4. Describe the setting of this chapter

 The setting of the story is about 1940 during WWII in Budapest, Hungary. Jews had to use a Yellow Star during the Holocaust. Gyuri's dad is about to go to labor camps (concentration camps).

Narrative Technique

When reading a story or book, sometimes we notice there are some elements in the story that we relate to some authors. Sometimes, we even know who wrote the book or story without reading the author of it. This is because every person has a narrative technique, but there are some general narrative techniques:

Point of view: 
Who is telling the story? This question can only really have one of three answers:
The narrator of the story - This corresponds to the first-person point of view.
The reader of the story - This is known as second-person point of view.
Someone else, an outsider looking in - This is what we call third-person narration or point of view.

Narration:
Who is the narrator talking to? This question really has three answers:
Direct narration - The narrator can talk directly to the reader.
Frame narration - A form of direct narration, this is where the narrator tells us someone else's story. Although the story is technically told in the first person, we see more of the third person.
Indirect narration - The narrator may not be talking to us. The narrator may be talking to a nebulous, or absent audience, telling for the sake of telling a story.

Speech:

How does the narrator speak? How does the narrator have character's speak? There are several ways speech is handled in narratives.
Direct speech - The characters speak for themselves. Direct speech includes the use of dialogue and quotations. We hear the character's speak directly. Nothing is summarized for us.
Reported speech - Opposite of direct speech. Here the narrator summarizes what others have said and done. We are retold a story.
Free indirect speech - This is a clever device typical of third person limited narration, where the narrator slips from telling us about the character's thoughts to simple writing the character's thoughts.

Tense:

When does the story take place? Really there are only three answers to this question:
Past - The story is told in the past tense. Since events are already over, the narrator can decide in which order to tell them and which events are most important.
Present - In the present tense, event unfold before the reader's eyes. The narrator is just as surprised by the events as the reader and has no knowledge of where the story is going. Sometimes the story really took place in the past but is told in the present for dramatic effect. This is called the historical present tense.
Future - Sometimes entire narratives are about events that will happen in the future. These take the form of predictions or instructions.

All of these techniques have an impact on how the reader will understand the story. By using a distinctive narrative technique, an author may become unique and attract the reader. There are also other devices such as Flashback, Foreshadowing, Third person omniscient or Dual-narrative. These devices help the author to make the story more entertaining and express himself in a better way.

Holocaust Timeline

Atonement

We spent last week watching some clips from the film "Atonement" which is an adaptation from the book of the same name by Ian McEwan. The film is about the love between Cecilia and Robbie and Briony telling us the story from her own perspective. Briony creates her own vision of the actions and these visions are not always the correct ones.

While watching the film, we were expected to answer some questions:

1. What sort of social and cultural setting does the Tallis House create? What emotions and impulses are being acted upon or repressed by its inhabitants?

The Tallis's house seems to be an old, mysterious place owned by a high-class family. These features of the house are backed up by the mysterious people arriving (the owner of the chocolate factory) and its inhabitants (Briony for example) who isn't presented as a normal kid ( she writes plays while the other children just want to play).

2. A passion for order, a lively imagination, and a desire for attention seem to be Briony's strongest traits. In what ways is she still a child? Is her narcissism - her inability to see things from any point of view but her own - unusual in a thirteen-year-old?

Briony doesn't understand what is really happening and misunderstands almost everything she sees. She acts by impulses and just with her own vision of the actions. It is unusual for a 13-year-old to act like that and don't ask first, but this might be due to her lack of experience in the world.

3. Why does Briony stick to her "version of the story" with such unwavering commitment? Does she act entirely in error in a situation she is not old enough to understand, or does she act, in part, on an impulse of malice, revenge, or self-importance?

AT first, it seems that Briony acted in an impulse and in a childish way, but as the story goes on, we get to know that Briony was in love with Robbie and that's why she did that. That's the real reason why she stack to her vision of the story. Briony acts in error without measuring the consequences. 

4. As she grows older, Briony develops the empathy to realise what she has done to Cecilia and Robbie. How and why do you think she does this?

As Briony grows older, she understand the real repercussions of her acts and tries to repair them by writing the book. She feels sorry and guilty of her acts and of what she has done.

In the film "Atonement", we get to know that Robbie died in the evacuation from Dunkirk during WWII. This evacuation shapes the destiny of the characters, as I said before, Robbie died during the evacuation (He was in the army) and later on, Cecilia dies in London.

Here's a video of the Dunkirk Evacuation:

 

Then we read an extract from the book, in which we get to know that there are people, probably in the middle of a battle field, waiting to be evacuated and go back home. During this episode, anxiousness takes an important role as well as fear and uncertainty of what was happening. Briony is the narrator who tells us about Robbie, who is the one in that place. We later get to know that the setting is the evacuation from Dunkirk during WWII.
In my opinion, McEwan's vision of the war is the one represented, although, he tells us his vision through Briony and Robbie's acts.

ASSIGNMENT
Find examples (at least two) of men writing as women, and women writing as men.

In first place I have J.K. Rowling, author of the famous series of Harry Potter. She is an English writer who, in the Harry Potter series, writes as a man.

Another example is Sophocles, one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. In his book "Antigone", the main character is a woman.

With this examples, I can say that the benefits of writing as if you were from the opposite sex, is that you write from another perspective than the usual one. For example, if you are a man and write as a woman, you'll probably write about woman issues but from your own perspective (man). By doing this, women that have this issue will understand it from another perspective and think of it in another way. On the other hand, the limitations of doing this is that you don't know what and how it really happens.

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of early 19th-century England. Elizabeth is the second of five daughters of a country gentleman living near the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, near London.

MOVIE TRAILER:  http://youtu.be/fJA27Jujzq4

During our last class, we talked about using books as primary sources. Taking the example of Pride and prejudice, we watched 4 trailers about different versions of the book. One of them included zombies, something catchy for a young audience.
Based on the trailers we answered some questions:

1. Why do you think "Pride and Prejudice" continues to be a referent for modern tales?

       Because it tells us a romantic story from the perspective of an author from the XIX century. Many things have changed and that's why we still enjoy watching and reading Pride and Prejudice. It's something easily adaptable to our context and society because these are topics and themes still present in our society, like pride and prejudice.

2. What do you think is the effect that these different authors (film directors, producers, modern writers) want to achieve in today's audiences?

     They all basically portrait the story in the XIX century and take the main features adding their own style. They all tell us about a romantic story and want to make us think about these issues from our perspective now days. The film from 2001, Bridget Jones' Diary, takes the complete story into our society and helps us to understand the story better.

3. If you had to choose one of the previous versions to analyse, which would be the one and why?

      I would choose the original one (the one from the video above) as it is almost the same as the book and has more features from the XIX century than the others. These features are more difficult to understand so it would be a better analysis. 

PEE: Point, Evidence and Information

When writing a text, you don't just write incoherent words and sentences, you need to have a structure and PEE is the solution!
This technique is really easy to understand and use:
1. Point: Express and write your point/idea, just like an argument.
2. Evidence: Provide evidence from the text or book. It can be a quote or you can paraphrase what it says in the text, just remember that this is your evidence and you can't just write what you want.
3. Explanation: Explain the evidence, the choice of words and what it means, relating it to your point.

REMEMBER:
Short, well-chosen quotations are better than long, vague ones.

Always try to use this technique to support your ideas, as the evidence gives the idea the back up it needs.

EXAMPLE

Stanley and his parents had tried to pretend that he was just going away to camp for a while, just like rich kids do. When Stanley was younger he used to play with stuffed animals, and pretend the animals were at camp. Camp Fun and Games he called it. Sometimes he'd have them play soccer with a marble. Other times they'd run an obstacle course, or go bungee jumping off a table, tied to broken rubber bands. Now Stanley tried to pretend he was going to Camp Fun and Games. Maybe he'd make some friends, he thought. At least he'd get to swim in the lake.

'Holes' - Louis Sachar

POINT: Stanley has a great imagination.

EVIDENCE:  he used to play with stuffed animals, and pretend the animals were at camp.

EXPLANATION: Stanley was very creative and he created new games and ways to spend his time with what he had.

The Secret Diary of Arthur "Boo" Radley

Day 333
Next week is the Tom Robinson's trial, and everybody is getting prepared for it. Atticus went out last night to read in front of Maycom's Jail. Jem, Scout and Dill followed him. Four cars arrived and parked near. I was afraid something could happen to the children. It is a dangerous place. The men told Atticus to send his children home. Scout told something I couldn't hear to a man, I believe it's Mr. Cunningham. The children never left the place when told so. They were finally safe and went home with Mr Finch. 
Day 335
Tom Robinson's trial began today. People from all over the county were present. It came to my attention that Mr Raymond was there: he's too wealthy and eccentric to be part of a trial. Most of the assistants are against Tom Robinson, but Scout, as a young and innocent girl, believes in him as all the black people do. The children didn't have a place to sit and Reverend Sykes offered them to sit in the black balcony. They are safe now. Nobody's going to hurt them. Black people are very friendly. Mr Tate was called to declare.
Day 345
 Jem and Scout are on their way to school. Today is the Halloween event. Scout is dressed as a ham. Atticus is not with them and they're going through a shortcut by the bushes. I better hurry up to catch them... I knew it! Bob Ewell attacked them. They were alone in the bushes and Bob attacked them! Luckily I was in time to save them. Took them home but there was not much I could do. They finally found me. Scout was so excited to see me! I really like that girl...

The Help

"The Help" is one of the most thought-provoking and touching portraits of African-American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi during the early 1960s. In this movie we find a very important phrase: "separate but equal" which means that Black and White people have the same rights and obligations but they don't have it at the same time and place. They can't live together. Jim Crow Laws were present at the time and many times mentioned. Everything is appreciated in the movie, for example, different toilets, movilization and neighborhoods. In the movie, Skeeter wants to write a book with the testimonies of maids. The maids in The Help took a risk by telling their stories. Even though they knew they could be shot to death in their front yards, they went ahead with the project. If people are not willing to take risks then they are not going to achieve what they want. Everyone wants something, but to achieve it we have go through a difficult way. By going over the obstacles we know that we really want something and no matter what we do, we will get there one day. In the case of the movie, Black people's final goal was equality and to achieve it they had an extremely difficult road, full of holes and dangers. By writing the book, they were getting closer and jumping over the first big hole.

Chapter 12-17 Analysis Questions.

Ch. 12
1. Comment on Jem's and Scout's visit to First Purchase Church. What does Scout learn about how black people live?

The First Purchase Church is called like that because it was bought by the first free slaves with their first earning. The children learn that Black people are very poor, close to each other and most of them didn't know how to read and write.
2. Explain why Calpurnia speaks differently in the Finch household, and among her neighbours at church.
Because Black people might get offended because of the lack of education. She adapts to the circumstances.

Ch. 13
3. Aunt Alexandra thinks Scout is "dull" (not clever). Why does she think this, and is she right? 

She thinks that because Scout doesn't act like a lady. Alexandra is completely wrong.
4. How does Aunt Alexandra involve herself in Macomb's social life?

She meets with neighbors and gossips about everything, specially the Finch family, their richness. Alexandra want to be a feminist influence the the children.

5. Comment on Aunt Alexandra's ideas about breeding and family, in contrast to Atticus' visions. Who's right, do you think? Why?

Aunt Alexandra thinks that values must go from one generation to another, whereas Atticus thinks that everyone should express their feelings and differences from their parents. I think Atticus is kind of a "modern father".

Ch. 14.
6. Comment on Atticus' definition of rape. How suitable is this definition as an answer to Scout?

I think it is a proper definition in contrast with Calpurnia's.

Ch. 15
1. What is the Ku Klux Klan? What do you think of Atticus' comment about it?

It is a gang that scares and kills Catholics. Atticus tells that it is not a gang, it is a political organization but there's no one to scare in Maycomb.
2. How does Jem react when Atticus tells him to go home, and why?

He shakes his head and refuses to go. Atticus and the children finally go back together.
3. What persuades the lynching-party to give up their attempt on Tom's life?
The interruption from Scout.

Ch. 16
4. What sort of person is Dolphus Raymond and what is your opinion of him?

Dolphus is a rich white man who lives with Black people and presented an an alcoholic. He later says that he acts like that because he hates white people's hypocrisy.
5. How does Reverend Sykes help the children see and hear the trial? Is he correct in doing so?
He calls them and lets them seat in the black balcony. The children can now listen and see the trial clearly. I think his attitude is correct and does so as a way to thank Atticus who is defending Tom.

Ch. 17
6. Choose three quotes from chapter 17. Explain the context of each, the characters involved, and their relevance for the story, themes and overall message of the novel.

"Did you call a doctor Sheriff? Did anybody call a doctor?"

"I just wanted to make sure judge"

"Will you write your name and show use please"

In all this quotes from Atticus, we get to know that Atticus knows something, and he is totally convinced that Tom didn't rape Mayella. Atticus want evidence that Bob hit Mayella, and later proves that Tom's left arm is "dead".

Personal Recount - Written task
"Mixing with strangers"

I've been in many places living with strangers. The US for example was a place very similar to Chile but you can clearly notice the cultural differences, specially in organization and public respect. In New Zealand happened the same. I "lived" there for three weeks and I noticed the difference in the food eaten, the way of life and education system which is very different to ours.  I have also met people from other social classes which gave me a better understanding of the world. This is very similar to what happened to Jem and Scout when visiting the Black Church. 

To Kill A Mockingbird - Part One Essay

We spent a whole week writing a formal essay about part one of To Kill a Mockingbird. I chose topic 2: What impact does setting have on your understanding of the central ideas or themes presented in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. 

My thesis was that of course, "the setting of the story helps the reader to understand the book in a better way.  We have the Walter Cunninghams issue, racial segregation and the Tom Robinson's case which can be understood in a better way if you know the context and setting.

All these aspects help the reader and that's what my essay is about.

To Kill a Mockingbird Part 1 Analysis Questions

1. What is the reason for the author's choice of a young narrator?

By choosing a young narrator, in this case a 5-9 year old girl, we get an innocent but true point of view. The description sometimes is childish but totally objective.
2. How does Jem and Scout's views of Boo Radley change during part 1 of the book?

At first, they thought Boo was a bad person, scary and crazy, but as the story goes on, they start changing their mind. After founding his trouser nice and tidy when running away from the Radley place, after finding gifts in a knothole and after Scout is helped by Boo during the fire, they start thinking of Boo as a good person, just oppressed by his family.
3. Atticus tells the children several times that they need to walk in someone else's shoes before judging the person. Describe times when Atticus, Scout or Jem walk in someone else's shoes. How does this change how they view the situations? What role does this advice play in sympathy and compassion? 

Among all of the examples we can find in the novel, strictly referring to the first part we have the Walter Cunninghams case. When Jem invited him to have lunch and Walter purred syrup all over his plate, Scout cursed him and then she was punished by Calpurnia. Scout didn't understood the position of Walter at first, but when she stood in his shoes, she knew the situation better. Her life was easy compared to Walter.
4. How do you think Atticus managed his role as a single parent? 

Atticus is a good father in the aspect of teaching values and moral education of his children, although his almost never present and Calpurnia has to take care of the children. Atticus just tries to keep the house and family up.
5. Discuss race issues in part 1 of the book.

Almost everyone in Maycomb was racist and this is represented when Atticus has to defend a Negro, Tom Robinson. People from Maycomb bother Jem and Scout. The finch family is upset too.

6. From your reading of part 1, What does To Kill a Mockingbird teach us about how people cope with issues of race and class? Do you classify people in your world as different "folks?" Do you see those sort of distinctions today? 

Racism was an important issue during the times of the author and before. Now days we still have discrimination but not as a big issue as it was before. the same happens with classes, but the difference is that  it is still an issue now days.
7. Who is your favorite character from part 1 and why?

I would say is Boo, as he is really a good person oppressed by society and misunderstood. He helps people and hopes for the best as we will see later on in part two.

ALABAMA RADIO ONE 

Tom Robinson's Trial.

Weeks 17-18-19-20-21

Language and Gender

Language is strongly related to gender. Men and women communicate in different forms and styles. Men tend to communicate facts, whereas women tend to communicate thoughts and abstract things. It's part of our nature.
With this introduction, we can differentiate between male centered views and feminism. The first one basically says that men are more than women and women are subordinated to men. The second one speaks about women in a good sense, separating them from men and  vindicating women rights.
Media greatly influences gender and communication, by using stereotypes and generalizations.
In class we had to create two ads, a feminist one and a male centered one.
For the first one, along with my group formed by Sebastian Barriga, Martin Macchiavello and me, we "created" a hammer for men, but not any one. It was a special hammer that, if a woman calibrated it, men would stop hitting their fingers. And if the man didn't have a wife, he should call an emergency service, so they send a woman to calibrate it.
For the male centered one, we "created" an energy drink so that women would have energy all day long to clean the dishes, the house, cook and still have energy for more!

Literature: Texts and Contexts

As we already saw on week 5,  Literature is "a highly developed use of language in that is the stylized manipulation of language for larger effect (purpose) and/or affect (emotional response)"
In this unit we will relate literature and contexts, but first of all, What are contexts?
Context can be defined simply as the circumstances that surround a given text and help to specify its meaning.
Context is best expressed as CONTEXTS (plural) because of the wide variety of external forces that affect the general reception or understanding of a work.While studying a text, we will separate to main contexts, context of production ( Author's life and historical issues by the time the book/text was written) and context of reception (Once approach to the text, with our own backgrounds and livings)
We read two difficult texts: The leopard and Notable American Women and to understand them better we wrote some questions about the texts: What is exactly being described? A place, person, context? What was happening in 1860 (setting of the story? Where does this story take place? Who and why is a creature? What harm has he done? What does "Father of distinction" mean? Is he being ironic?
In class we clearly understood what a context is by applying it to the book we are reading, To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee. We saw how segregation, prejudice, the dust bowl, the economic depression and the unemployment by the time the book was written and the setting of the story, greatly influenced the meaning of the book.

Some questions about the first chapter of the book:
1. What do you learn in this chapter about Maycomb, Atticus Finch and his family?
The narrator tells us that Maycomb "was and old town","the streets turned to red slop when rainy", "grass grew on the sidewalks". It was unusually hot that year. There were not many kids in town. The family was wealthy, Atticus is a lawyer and not very close to Scout and Jem, his children. Atticus wife died when Scout was 2. Atticus ancestors were immigrants and lost everything during the civil war.
2. Describe Calpurnia as scouts describes her in chapter 1.
Calpurnia is all angles and bones, near-sighted, hard and big hands. Always ordering Scout out of the kitchen and comparing her to Jem. She is afroamerican and has a Tyrannical presence.
3. What does Dill dare Jem to do?
Dill dares Jem to get Boo Radley out of his house and he will give The Grey Ghost to Jem.
4. The townspeople of Maycomb have some fears and superstitions about the Radley place. Describe them.
They thought that the house was cursed because they didn't go to church, never crossed the street out of the house and the doors were always closed. "When the younger Radley was in his teens he became acquainted....formed the closest thing to a gang ever seen in Maycomb. They "bought cotton".
5. How important is bravery to Jem?
It is very important as he is the older brother.
6. That do you notice about the narrative voice and viewpoint of the story?
Scout is the narrator, so we have a childish and innocent point of view. She only tells us what she sees.

Literature: Text and Contexts: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Context of production

Nelle Harper Lee was born in 1926 in the town of Monroeville (Alabama, United States), her schoolmate and neighbour was Truman Capote (other important writer), she studied in the Huntingdon College and later she studied laws in the University of Alabama, but she didn’t like it, so she went to New York City to be a writer, but she had to work as ticket agent of an airline, there she receive a gift with money and a message: "You have one year, off from your job to write whatever you please. Merry Christmas".
To Kill a mockingbird was written in 1960. This period was really important for the African-American Civil Rights Movement, reflected in the story and greatly influenced by segregation: Jim Crow Laws, Scottsboro trials, prejudice, among others. Other important influence was the friendship of Lee with Truman Capote and other artist of the period. 

The setting is in Alabama during the 1930s, period influenced by the economic depression, unemployment and the dust bowl.The plot and characters are loosely based on the author's observations of her family and neighbors, as well as on an event that occurred near her hometown in 1936, when she was 10 years old.(en.wikipedia.org)

Context Of Reception: Chile, 2012, by 10th graders.

A Language Without Limits

In this text we can read about language and its variations, in this case, Arabizi, Hinglish and Chinglish in the Greater Toronto Area (first sentence). The purpose of this text is to inform everyone (extracted from the newspaper), especially English Speakers from Toronto about the dynamic changes that language suffers, in this case, English. It is said that this changes are a special and remarkable feature of English as it "has always been a sponge language" because of the "direct consequence of international scope, the fact that English has traveled so far around the world and mixed with so many cultures and has absorbed influences from all those cultures". Many of this changes in English are due to immigrants also, and that affects the way they speak at home and with friends.
At the end of the text there are some examples of these modifications of language: Shoofihada, mezeiwan? (Look at this, it's nice).
As this is a text taken from the Toronto Star of the 19th of August 2008, it is a non-fiction text with just facts expressed in an objective,academic and formal way.
The author supports the ideas in the text with quotes from experts, expressing the point of view about the "creation" of new types of  English due to the facts mentioned before about nationalism, culture and family.

Extract from the Toronto Star Online:

English has always been a sponge language. Since it was written down in the year 700, it has adopted words from Norse, French and Latin, among others. English now has up to 700,000 words – more than almost any other language, according to Chambers.

"That's a direct consequence of international scope, the fact that English has travelled so far around the world and mixed with so many other cultures and has absorbed influences from all those other cultures. It has been an amazingly tolerant language."

Week 16
Politically Correct Language is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts, and, as purported by the term, doing so to an excessive extent. This is an example in which the man could have used other words to describe the other person.


 Language and Community
Communities are created by people to produce knowledge, authority, and language. This Communities create different types of language by using slang and colloquialisms. When you are part of a community, you get used to speak in a certain way, but what happens if you belong to many different communities?

Ebonics: Black English
In the following video you'll be able to see what Black English is, how it is used and the effect it produces. This language could be considered as part of a community because of the "slang" and words used:

 Online communities: group of people with common interests who use the Internet (web sites, email, instant messaging, etc.) to communicate, work together and purse their interests over time

When being part of an online community, you start using different language that you wouldn't normally use when talking to your friends face to face.

1. What is the issue with identity on the Internet? 

When you are in the internet, you don't always use your real name so when talking to someone you don't really know who that person is.

2. Can you be anyone you want on the Internet?

Yes, you can create a name and use it as you want.

3. Can you be indentified by your use of language?
Many times your friends will know how you write and express yourself, but when you are in the internet, with any name you want, it's easy to change the way you write.

Week 12-13-14-15: NEW ZEALAND, British Week and Winter Holidays

Week 13 was the British week, but as some of us were in New Zealand, we didn't participate in activities such as the trip to Valparaiso, Public Speaking Competition, Literary Fair or Cricket.
During the two last weeks of the first term, and the 2 weeks of winter holidays, we visited New Zealand.
Starting this trip on the 24th of May, we arrived there to Auckland and stayed there for only one day. Next day we went to Wellington, place where we would spend 3 weeks of our lives, living with a host family and immersed in the Kiwi Culture.

I stayed with the Parsonson family and went to school with Will. We visited too many places, like Kapiti Island, Museums, WWII tunnels and guns, the Zoo, Bird Sanctuaries where we saw 3 kiwis, and so many other places that is difficult to name them all.
At first it was difficult to feel comfortable in another house, with another family, but the second and third weeks were the best. It was almost like my own house.
I hope to go back if possible and I hope that Will comes next year to Chile.