Nick Beck

A Tale of Two Cites Entry 1:
Charles Dickins starts off this story by first explaining the setting, “it was the best of times it, it was the worst of times”. France was extremely bloody, the revolution would start in about 10 years, America was about to break away from Britain, and Britain had their own problems. Mr. Lorry when he is riding in a carriage gets a message telling him to wait for a woman and he replies with “Recalled to Life”. Later we find out that this is what he has been called to do to a man named Manette, who has been locked away for a number of years with the help of Manette`s daughter Lucie, who had thought he was dead. Why do you think that they are going to recall this man to life? Is he important? I mean he obviously must be if all of this is done in secret and he has been locked away all of this time. Why do you think that when Manette was asked what his name was he replied, “One hundred and five, North Tower? I think that he must have been locked away in prison or something even before he was locked up in the wine shop. Speaking of the wine what do you think was the deal with the man who when the wine was spilled dipped his finger in and wrote “blood” on the wall of a building? The only answer I could think of was that it had to do with the revolution that was about to start in France, only a few years in the future. I only say that because of the three revolutionaries all referred to as Jacques in the wine shop looking at Manette. Do you think that Manette will have anything to do with the revolution?

Jaden Stevenson

Mrs. Disher

AP Literature pd. 3

2/8/18

Reader-Response: Death of a Salesman

            Arthur Miller’s play titled Death of a Salesman follows the life of a man named Willy along with his two sons Biff and Happy and also his wife Linda. Willy is and has been a salesman for most of his life, he chose this life because he believed it would bring him closer to obtaining the “American Dream” type of life. However, after all this time, Willy has finally realized that this path he chose to go down has brought him no closer to his dream. As explained by Willy, “After all the highways, and the appointments, and the years, you end up worth more dead than alive” (act 2). I believe that the point Arthur wants to make to his audience when they read this story is that the “American Dream” that so many people fantasizes about and strive for is not all that great. Through this story Miller demonstrates that even with years of hard work spent on making a better life for yourself can leave you unsatisfied and empty. It is in this state that we originally find Willy in at the start of the play and it is this state of mind that eventually leads Willy to take his own life.

            We see this hopelessness manifest in not only Willy, but also in his son Biff. Biff exclaims to his father, “I realized what a ridiculous lie my whole life has been” (act 2). Another quote to ponder, “Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be…when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am” (act 2). Both of these statements cause me to wonder, does Miller believe that there is any hope in pursuing the American Dream? A quick glance through the novel might lead one to believe that there is no actual hope, however I see it as you must find what you hope for. In other words the American Dream cannot be a universal ideal. The American Dream must become YOUR American Dream, set goals and work hard to accomplish them. If the path you have chosen to achieve these goals fails to meet your expectations, then forge a new path!

Quote: "Willy (slapping her bottom): Right, Well, bottoms up! The Woman:(He suddenly grabs her and kisses her roughly.) You kill me. And thanks for the stockings. I love a lot of stockings. Well, good night. Willy: Good night. And keep your pores open! The Woman: Oh, Willy!"(26).
Response: This encounter definitely caught me off guard. I understand that this play is set back in a different time but I honestly wasn't ready, and in the quotes that follow it appears that Linda is close by or at least close enough to know what is going on. This was all a little unsettling and it seemed unnecessary. I do not feel as though Willy had to do what he did and he especially did not have to do it in front of his wife! Makes me question what he does when she is not around. 

Julius Caesar entry 1) 

The play Julius Caesar, written by William Shakespeare, begins with two tribunes named Flavius and Murellus are walking through the city and happen to see many citizens wandering around and not working. They soon discover that the reason the people are wandering around rather than working is because they all wish to see Julius Caesar’s parade through the streets after his latest victory over the sons of the deceased Roman general Pompey, who is a rival of Caesar’s. Upon hearing this from one citizen Murellus becomes angered by the citizens not wanting to return to work. Next the two men begin to down-play Caesar’s victory by making it sound like it really isn’t anything that special. “What conquest brings he home? What tributaries follow him to Rome? To grace in captive bonds his chariot wheels?” (scene 1 act 1 lines 31-33). My first question is why do you think that Flavius and Murellus are trying to make it sound like Caesar’s victory really isn’t that great? Why would they not agree with the cobbler and want to join in the celebration? Also why do you think that Flavius and Murellus are so angry with everyone wanting to see Julius Caesar? Next Flavius instructs Murellus to go to a temple and remove any crowns that people have placed on statues of Ceasar saying, “these growing feathers plucked from Caesar’s wing will make him fly an ordinary pitch” (1.1.71-72). So are they basically saying that they should show the people that Caesar is not someone special or someone that should be looked up to? Why are they so against Caesar and his accomplishments? They may not like the guy, but it sounds like the people do and it sounds like he has done pretty well for Rome. Do you think that the people like Caesar so much because they only see the great things he has done and do not really know the kind of person that he is and it is only the people close to Caesar or higher up in status that know who he is? Or do you think that Flavius and Murellus are just very jealous of the attention that Caesar is getting from these people? 

Medea (entry #1)

The play begins with a nurse, who we soon find out is Medea’s old nurse, walk outside of the house she is employed at and begins to open up the background of the play to the audience. In this brief background the nurse explains that she wishes that Jason and his ships had never come to them by saying, “How I wish the Argo's sails had never swept through the dark blue Clashing Rocks into the land of the Colchians” (1-2). She says that if Jason had never come to them then her mistress, which is Medea, would have never gone off with Jason and fallen in love with him. It is explained later on that Jason and Medea worked together to accomplish many feats, for example Jason with the help of Medea was able to acquire the Golden Fleece and Medea tricked the daughters of a rival king named Pelias to kill him with poison. Then the nurse says that Medea and Jason started a family together and had two sons. Soon after it is said that Medea and Jason had two sons, the nurse explains, “Jason has cast aside his children and my mistress, and now goes to bed in a royal marriage with the daughter of Creon who governs this land” (16-18). My first question has to be why do you think that Jason was so quick to abandon his family? Especially after Medea had help Jason throughout his adventures and has now given him two sons? The story the nurse is telling quickly becomes a bitter and angry one, in that it started out with Medea falling in love with Jason and having a family with him to now according to the nurse Medea cannot even stand the sight of her own children. “And she hates her children, takes no pleasure in seeing them” (35). Soon after the nurses soliloquy she is met by Pedagogue who enters with the two sons of Jason and Medea. These two characters converse and the nurse tells Pedagogue that she worries about Medea and her mental state. Soon after a cry out from Medea is heard in which she says that she “hates her life” and wonders how she can end it. My next question is why had Medea now so quickly turned on her own children? Taking Jason out of the picture the children have done no wrong to Medea and in my opinion do not deserve any of this, what are your thoughts on that thought? The conversation then evolves into one between the nurse, Medea and the chorus; in which Medea more or less rants about how she hates her family and her life. After hearing the conversation the nurse wonders nervously whether or not Medea will act upon these emotions. I hope that she will leave the children alone, however Jason may deserve whatever Medea’s wrath can conjure up. What do you think? 

Fahrenheit 451 entry #1

The story opens up on a man named Guy Montag. Guy lives in a bleak and grim futuristic United States and works as a fireman. In this future instead of putting out fires, the firemen start fires. They burn any and all printed books that they can find, and then they proceed to burn down the houses that the books were found in. Guy wears a helmet with the number 451 placed on the side. 451 is the temperature in Fahrenheit at which paper will burn. The story begins with Guy Montag burning down a house and finding a “special pleasure” in doing so. What “special pleasure” is there to find in burning down another person’s home?  Why must they burn down these homes that they find the books in? Why does this futuristic America, no less, want all printed books and the houses they are found in burned down and destroyed? Is America now beginning to start to reach this point of censorship, with people being much more easily offended by what other people have to say? How are there still books to burn at this point in the story? On his way home Guy encounters a curious girl, which he later makes the discovery that she is his new neighbor. She introduces herself as Clarisse McClellan, in their first conversation she explains that she is “seventeen and crazy.” Guy fills the initial conversation that he has with Clarisse with nervous laughter, due to how uneasy she makes him. She jumps back and forth between subjects and speaks of things like reading and being a pedestrian and such that are against the law and Guy knows this. Their conversation comes to an end and the reader is then introduced to Guy’s wife, Mildred. Why do you think Guy is so interested in Clarisse and why is she so different from everyone else in the future? 

Creon: “My mind is made ‘twas I imprisoned her, and I will set her free. Now I believe it is by the laws of heaven that man must live.” (156)
Why is Creon able to make this fast of a switch with his own decree. He spent all this time believing that he was in the right and that his will was the will of the gods and that he was chosen by them. And now he finally understands that he was in the wrong and believes that he can fix everything just like that? What does this say about his ability to lead?