Blog prompt

Why is it necessary to understand the historical and cultural context of the novel?

I find it necessary to understand this because it helps you understand more on why the author chooses to write this story. Let me give an example: Animal Farm. This book is written by George Orwell during the time of the Russian Revolution, so if we understand that, we can see that he is writing a satire, which means that he wrote that book to represent the Russian Revolution.

How does it help to understand the author's background? Is it necessary to learn about the author's background?

To me, I find that it is a must to learn about the authors background because there could be certain things that made an impact on the author that inspired him to write the particular book. In addition, their writing style could be derived from other poets that they admire.

Is it possible to appreciate the text without pre-reading about the historical and cultural context of the novel / background of the novel?

Well, it depends. If the author wrote such a good story, it is possible. However, it would still not be as good as compared to having read the historical and cultural context of the novel. As stated in question 1, if we did not read the cultural context of Animal Farm, we would take it as a well written, nicely done story. However, if we knew the cultural context, we would take the same story as a well written satire.

Prejudice.. What does it mean to me

Prejudice

What do I know about prejudice?

I know that it is an adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts.

This is usually created or formed by a general opinion or the result of being influenced by other people. This causes hurt and suffering to the targeted person, and in a wider perspective, can cause a brain drain to a country as these targeted people would leave the country.



( Please take note that the following examples is not intended criticism to any particular country, it is just for stating facts)

For example, in Malaysia, Malays get special rights, they hold all important posts. All other races are prejudged as not part of Malaysia. While in South America, blacks are being prejudged. I am sure that there are many more examples, too many to name them all.

What I want to know about prejudice?

1) Well... why is the government not doing anything about it? They have all the authority and all the power to change this..

2) We all do have a heart.. why don't we just accept everyone for who they are?

A really special poem!

Basically, last year I chose this poem for my poem recital.


In case you never read the poem before, here it is:

The Flower by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Once in a golden hour
I cast to earth a seed.
Up there came a flower,
The people said, a weed.

To and fro they went
Thro' my garden-bower,
And muttering discontent
Cursed me and my flower.

Then it grew so tall
It wore a crown of light,
But thieves from o'er the wall
Stole the seed by night.

Sow'd it far and wide
By every town and tower,
Till all the people cried
`Splendid is the flower.'

Read my little fable:
He that runs may read.
Most can raise the flowers now,
For all have got the seed.

And some are pretty enough,
And some are poor indeed;
And now again the people
Call it but a weed.

Important Points of the poem:

Essentially, the poet gives us an idea of how we view things that are new.

First stanza:

The poet introduces a seed, which symbolizes the birth of something new, or (to me) can be referred to as an invention. He describes it as a rare invention (once in a golden hour) and says that it had succeeded (up there came a flower). At first, people did not believe him and still thought his new invention was useless, sarcastic that the invention was good(the people said, a weed) .

Second stanza:

People were angry and unhappy that the persona had discovered something they did not. They wandered around the invention, finally seeing how great it was for themselves, now becoming jealous that it was him instead of them that found out this new invention (To and fro they went Thro' my garden-bower And muttering discontent Cursed me and my flower).

Third stanza:

However, the poet proved that the invention was so good that it could not be given the slightest of doubts. (Then it grew so tall It wore a crown of light), but at last, people managed to steal the secret in making it (But thieves from o'er the wall Stole the seed by night).

Fourth stanza:

Later, the people who copied it mass produced it to the public (Sow'd it far and wide By every town and tower). As everybody tried the new invention, they realized how good it was (Till all the people cried`Splendid is the flower.'). Soon, the time came when the secret of the invention leaked out, and many people knew how to produce the same invention (Most can raise the flowers now, For all have got the seed.).

Fifth stanza:

Everybody had and could make the invention now, until it became so common everybody now took them for granted. (And now again the people Call it but a weed.)

Why did I choose this poem, and what did I learn from it?

I chose this poem because of the deep textual meanings coupled with the beautiful way in which it is written. Tennyson could really capture the essence of what happens to new things, and be able to paraphrase it into such a concise language. This poem was so perfectly written that his poem is even relevant today!

Many of our modern inventions are prime examples of this -- for example, the aeroplane, the phone, the computer, etc. Let us talk more about the aeroplane. At first, when the idea of being above the ground came out, people treated it with sarcasm and scrutiny. The Wright brothers who believed that their idea would work could not get the motor for their plane as people were reluctant to sell them as they saw their plan as a failure and would only bring bad reputation to their motor.

Next, Jealousy arouses when they finally come to see how great it is for themselves. The plane finally takes off and makes a successful journey in the air. After that, the truth is finally out - People finally accepts that the brother had just made a miraculous invention .

Imitators, for example, China companies try to copy the idea and manufactures them on a wide scale. Everybody scrambles to claim that the plane and flying was done by them. Later, enough planes are created, prices drops, people take flying for granted.

This can be used to explain what happened for the other inventions too!

From this poem, I not only learnt new techniques on writing a poem, I also understand how life is like for inventors and anybody pioneering something new for that matter. I can really empathise with them how harsh and cruel life must be -- forever being worried that someone would copy you etc.

Now, I hope that you understand how great this poem is. It really captures everything and that is what makes it so realistic and fascinating to me.

Camera Angles

Uniquely Singapore Advertisement

 

advertisement source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQhpyUtUG0A

 

 

In this advertisement, there is the following shots:

 

•  Close up shot:
• Timing: 11 seconds. This shot magnifies the orchid and shows the importance of our national flower
• Timing: 26 seconds. This shot magnifies the lucky cat and shows the details of it.

• Extreme long shot:
• Timing: 17 seconds. Shows the surrounding of Singapore and lets the viewer understand the big picture of Singapore. 

• Low angle shot:
• Timing: 33 secs. Shows the mosque as a very grand and important place
• Timing: 5:41sec. Shows that it is a good feeling standing on the tip of the boat.

• Extreme close up shot
• Timing: 1:03sec. Shows the fine details of the red colour in her eyes and her earrings
• Timing: 3:57sec. Shows the small details on the food

• Close up shot
• Timing: 1:10sec. Shows the expression on the woman's f ace clearly.
• Timing: 3:06sec. Shows the details of the fish.
• Timing: 3:13sec. Shows how the monkey swings on a chain clearly.
• Timing: 3:25sec. Shows the carvings on the merlion.

• Point of view shot
• Timing: 1:23sec. Makes the viewer feel as if he is in the car.

• Medium shot
• Timing: 3:03sec.  To show the huge amount of flamingoes in 1 picture'

• Aeriel shot
• Timing: 3:16sec. To show how the sentosa resort looks like from  a high angle.

• Swish pan shot
• Timing: 3:32sec. To show the likeness between the durian and the esplanade

The lottery

For those who have not read the story, you might want to go to: http://www.answers.com/topic/the-lottery-story-2 for the plot summary.

THEMES and important points of the story:

• Following the crowd can have disastrous consequences. Although some townspeople raise questions about the lottery, they all go along with it in the end. Thus, they become unthinking members of a herd, forfeiting their individuality and sending Tessie to her death.
• This shows how some religious practices that people belief in can indirectly lead to their own death, and still be considered as an ordinary thing.
• 
  People are reluctant to change outdated and irrelevant rituals. Although the lottery is a babaric ritual, people continue it because they say:"We always had a lottery as far back as I can remember. I see no reason to end it.”  In that manner, the author is trying to say that that the government and the people of the nation do not change their laws in that matter simply beause they have been doing it all their lives however irrelevant it may be.

 Irony of the story

•  The word lottery suggests that the villagers are going to draw for a prize.
• When Old Man Warner hears that the north village is considering ending the lottery, he says, "Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves." (The lottery is as savage and barbaric a ritual as any practiced by cave dwellers. He is criticising themselves without knowing it) 

The Scarlet Ibis

Summary of The Scarlet Ibis

Basically, yesterday we did a tableau for the scarlet ibis. (Scarlet ibis is a name of a book) In case you never read the book before, here is the summary:

The scarlet ibis opens with the narrator reminiscing about the past. He remembered his brother, doodle, as a baby, where nobody expected him to live. Doodle was diagnosed with many health conditions, and according to the narrator's recount, his parents never really showed much affection to him, they only tried to shield him off from the outside world. It was the narrator who took him out all the time after his parents kept telling him to do so. Much of their time was spent at Old Woman's swamp, where the narrator succeeds in teaching doodle how to stand up. After his first feat, the narrator believed that Doodle could be like any ordinary child who could run and swim, despite the warnings given by the mother and the doctor. One day, while they were eating lunch, a scarlet ibis landed in their yard, dead. Doodle felt sorry for the beautiful bird, and decided to bury it. Later that day, they went to the swamp again, and suddenly, a storm broke out and the narrator rushes to get home. He walks faster, and faster, soon leaving his little brother way behind. He hears his brother cry:"'Brother, Brother, don't leave me! Don't leave me!" The narrator however felt a sense of cruelty in his heart and abandoned him. Later, however, he slowed down, peering back, expecting to see Doodle amidst the rain. To his surprise, no Doodle came. He decides to go back, only to see his brother lying dead on the floor...


To read more about the details of the story, visit http://www.answers.com/topic/the-scarlet-ibis-story-1


Tableau- unfortunately I can't get the pictures for the tableau.


What is a Tableau?

A tableau is a group of people attractively arranged. It is just like mime without movement as explained by our LA teacher. It is just a still scene (like pictures) without sound and movement.

These are the important snapshots of the story: (acted out)


• Doodle as a baby - Narrator feels that doodle was not all there and found him a burden.

• Doodle at two - The narrator feels doodle is a part of the family. Doodle begins to crawl and talk constantly.

• Doodle and the go-cart - The narrator feels that doodle is a nuisance and drags him roughly.

• Doodle at five - The narrator is embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn't walk.

• Doodle's sixth birthday - The narrator was very proud to show his family that he taught his brother how to stand.

• Doodle during the storm - The narrator was having a feeling of cruelty and abandoned doodle.


Point of the story:


Besides pure entertainment, the author, James Hurst was also trying to reveal and ugly part of reality. Love is to a certain extent bonded by cruelty. We all know that love means having a mutual understanding and appreciation to who and what we are. However, inside that love, is cruelty. This is unintentional, but the thing is that we love that person so much that we want them to do better, and by achieving that, pushes the person even harder, and sometimes, this might result to cruelty. By pushing them so hard, you might think that you are just doing it for their benefit, not realizing that they reached their limits and are unable to do any better, and even then, you continue to push them, ignoring how they feel or what they say. This depicts the scenario of what happened to the narrator and Doodle during the storm..

Why did the author write the title as The Sarlet Ibis instead of something else?

Interestingly, the author chose to use the title "the scarlet ibis" instead of something else like "My little brother" or something like that. Why? The scarlet ibis is like a symbol of Doodle, it makes the reader remember it better instead of reading it once, feel sorry about it, and move on. This title that he chose provokes the emotions of the reader, and it makes the story more rememberable. It makes the reader really think and reflect on what he just read.

elearning:who would you be friends with? Explain your choice. (Flowers for algernon.

I would be friends with Miss kinnian. I think that she is very stressed with Charlie Gordon's failed operation and cries outside his door. It is quite obvious that she is genuinly very worried about Charlie and she cares about him so much to her own extent. She neglects herself and creates her own unhappiness. I think she should have friends to comfort her, or she will feel really bad. She might get sick beause of this and I think I might be able to comfort her and help her get on with life so that she won't feel so bad and realise that failures do happen.