Month: November 2020

Analyzing the Text

Prior to the railroad, crossing the country was dangerous and could take up to six months. The Gold Rush in California, as well as Americans’ belief in Manifest Destiny fostered a strong desire to create a safer, quicker means of reaching the West Coast. In addition, lawmakers in our nation’s capitol were eager to create a safe means of allowing citizens to travel to, and settle, lands west of Omaha so that those citizens could mine for precious metals and provide an even greater tax base for the United States.

The Central Pacific had a difficult time initially recruiting enough workers for the project. In addition, once the workers began the job, it was difficult to clear the earth and lay the tracks through the Sierra Nevada. Also, the deserts in Nevada and Utah reached temperatures up to 120 degrees, making the work dangerous for the railroad workers.

The author’s purpose is to highlight the accomplishments and contributions of Chinese workers, as well as to point out the challenges, harsh conditions, and discrimination the faced while doing so. She includes examples of the Chinese workers’ idea of making and lowering baskets over the mountains, their knowledge of explosives, detailed descriptions of their work ethic under harsh physical conditions. She shows the discrimination they faced because they were paid less than white workers, white workers’ violence toward them, and their lack of recognition at the railroad completion ceremonies.

The author’s tone toward Chinese workers is symp>
Her tone is also disgusted with regard to the bosses who exploited the Chinese workers and the white workers who treated them badly. For example, she notes that the Chinese workers “out measured” white workers, and they “excelled” at working on the railroad. She quotes the bosses alternately admitting that the Chinese workers were “industrious” and “worked harder for less reward,” but then would call them a “degraded” people who were the “dregs” of Asia. She also noted that bosses “roared” that they would not work with Chinese people, and that the railroad owners were swift and ruthless in their treatment of Chinese workers who asked for better conditions.

She states it was an “unpredictable explosive,” and that others were afraid of working with it. She also notes that many workers died in accidents using it, and that the purpose of this explosive was to “speed up” the process, implying a certain recklessness.

The quotes of the owners and bosses serves to shock the reader a bit and emphasize the discriminatory way these people treated the Chinese. It also shows the hypocrisy of this discrimination when, by their own words, they admit that the Chinese were superior workers.

Homeric suggests a gigantic, historic feat against enormous obstacles. This relates to the general idea of the narrative that the Chinese workers persevered and succeeded despite horrible conditions and degrading discrimination in an almost super heroic manner.

The strike connects with the rest of the narrative by highlighting that the Chinese comported themselves in an admirable way with dignity in a reasonable effort to improve their intolerable conditions. It also hits on the idea that their behavior was better than how white workers would have conducted themselves. It reiterates a central premise that the Chinese workers outperformed white workers, but were treated much worse.

Vocabulary Strategy: The Latin Root ject

reject

eject

subject

project

inject

Critical Vocabulary

She claims this because at no point in the history of the US had women been treated equally to men.

It reveals that men have treated women as second-class citizens.

Major crimes, since women’s rights have been denied to them.

They have no freedom to seek out employment, education, or a high position within their place of worship.

Analyzing the Text

Her claim is that when a group of people feels they have not received equal treatment, they should explain their reasons for desiring change. In this instance, Stanton references the Declaration of Independence to support her argument.

This is an appeal to historical precedent, as well as logos. If men accept the views put forth by the original Declaration, she reasons, they will accept the Declaration of Sentiments since it is modeled after the original’s ideas of liberty and justice for all.

It reveals her argument to be that women are not treated equally in America and therefore must demand that wrongs be righted.

She’s talking about women’s right to vote. She sees this right as an essential part of the “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” that the Declaration of Independence grants to men.

She uses repetition to create a sense of rhythm and drive home her point. Through this repetition, her arguments are stated clearly and are impossible to forget or misinterpret.

One theme is that women’s inability to vote has deprived them from having a say in the day-to-day decisions made by their own country’s government. Another theme is that women are considered to essentially belong to their husbands or fathers. Furthermore, women have limited opportunities with regard to employment, education, and religious communities.

Through repetition, she wraps up her argument and addresses any concerns that may be had – for instance, how women will use “the pulpit and the press” to defend their cause.

Critical Vocabulary

When my dog chewed up my brother’s shoes, my mom described it as a reproach.

An artist might cleave together newspaper, photographs, and the tiny slips of paper inside fortune cookies.

In Lord of the Rings, Frodo was quickened to take action when he learned that the One Ring must be destroyed in order to stop Middle-earth from utter ruin.

Officials might control a crowd’s license by providing security guards at the event where the crowd is expected to gather.

These places include a schoolyard, a prison, and a football stadium.

Analyzing the Text

He is clearly passionate about the subject. His fury at and scorn for America’s hypocrisy are shown through his word choices and his credibility as a prominent abolitionist.

His reputation as a former slave and now as an abolitionist influences the urgency and anger of his speech.

Virginia laws punish disobedient slaves, therefore acknowledging that slaves are “moral, intellectual, and responsible” – that is, they assume black people are just as human as white people are. And if slaves are people and all people are entitled to liberty, than slavery is morally wrong. This is an appeal to logos.

One example is his reference to the Jewish people under Babylonian captivity. This is a powerful use of figurative language because, firstly, most of his listeners would have been familiar with the reference and secondly, it establishes a historical/cultural precedent for his argument that slavery is inhumane. Another example is found toward the end of his speech, when Douglass urges listeners to “go where you may, search where you will, roam though all the monarchies and despotisms of the old world…” Here, his elegant use of figurative language reminds the audience to, once again, look to history for proof, but says so in a more descriptive way than if he’d just said, “Read a history book.”

His literary references not only demonstrate how well-read and educated he is, but provide a frame of reference for the audience that helps him to prove his point. His vocabulary also demonstrates his intelligence, as well as the fact that he has obviously spent a great deal of time thinking and discussing this subject!

Douglass believes his invitation to speak was intended to make the audience of white abolitionists feel good about themselves for including a black person in their celebrations. He questions why he should care about this holiday, since neither liberty nor justice have been extended to him and his fellow African-Americans.

The line “bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy” is a good example of strong connotative language. They describe white Americans’ self-congratulatory feelings toward their own country and serve to make the listener begin to think about the country’s guilt and violence.

Douglass quotes and references concepts from the Declaration to show that, although Americans claim that their country stands for liberty and justice for all, such freedoms have not been extended to all people. For instance, toward the end of the speech he says that (white) Americans claim to denounce tyrants, but themselves behave tyrannically toward those of other races.

Vocabulary Strategy: Pronunciation

clee-shay

seg-way

suh-tull

ker-null

in-dight

ep-it-oh-mee

eye-uhl

sir-kit

sil-oo-ett

ress-pit

Critical Vocabulary

Reading engrosses me because it is my favorite way to spend my free time.

I ventured a controversial opinion in class when I asked the teacher if she could give us more homework. The rest of the class hated me for it!

I deprecated the dinner I attempted to cook, saying that it tasted burnt and salty.

Wringing the last bit of motivation from my soul, I forced myself to work on the dreaded homework assignment because there was a deadline hanging over my head.

Analyzing the Text

The party that “would make war” is the South/Confederacy, while the party that “would accept war” is the North/Union. This sentence sets the tone of the rest of Lincoln’s speech by pointing out that both parties are in some way responsible for this war.

Both sides read the Bible, p>
Ap>
Lincoln highlights similarities in order to make Americans realize the common ground they share. He highlights their differences in order to show the work that must be done if peace is to be finally achieved.

The Emancipation Proclamation, which he signed, officially freed all the slaves in 1863. However, the Civil War unexpectedly continued to rage on, even though the problem that caused it had been solved.

Lincoln is saying that, if it is now time for slavery to end, it must be supposed that God will make both the North and South pay for their role in it through violence and millions of dollars in resources. The violence and wealth echo the violence inflicted on the slaves and the wealth acquired by slaveowners due to the slaves’ work.

Here, Lincoln is telling the country to trust in God. He says that what happens is God’s will and surely there must be a reason for everything.

He uses religious references not only to give a sense of authority to his message, but because his listeners would have been very familiar with the Bible. These references would help them to understand the point he was trying to make.

Here, Lincoln uses repetition and very clearly states what he sees as the country’s goals for the next four years. Through repetition, he drives home the point he is trying to make. The theme, or point he is trying to make, is that everyone must work together if the country is to “bind up its wounds” and achieve lasting peace not only within its own borders but with other countries as well.

Analyzing the Text

“The Minister’s Black Veil” is set in a village as stated by the line, “The old people of the village” (2). The story also takes place in a church/meetinghouse, as demonstrated by the line “A rumor of some unaccountable phenomenon had preceded Mr. Hooper into the meetinghouse” (47-8). The setting of this story relates to the ideas of the writer as they characterize the small town mentality as well as the religious fears of sins. “The Pit and Pendulum” takes place predominantly in a Toledo dungeon as demonstrated by the lines 131-5. The dungeon setting emphasizes the terror of the story.

We discover the character of Poe’s narrator through his reaction to the things happening to him. This technique of slow discovery helps maintain the mystery of the story. Hawthorne uses a similar technique. We discover Mr. Hooper’s personality through his interactions with other people, slowly throughout the story. This uncertainty and slow development sustains the mystery of the Veil. However, Poe’s use of perspective gives us a one sided glimpse at the narrator while Hawthorne’s perspective allows the reader to see Mr. Hooper through the eyes of other people.

“Pit and Pendulum:” (p>“Minister’s Black Veil:” (passage 456-462), the dark and ominous tone is evident in the great fear of the characters present, “in mutual affright” (456). The reader is invited into this fear with the vivid description of Father Hooper’s corpse. The “faint smile” (457-8) is alarming and terrifying because it is paradoxical. The repetition of ‘veiled’ throughout the passage enhances the dark mood, as the secrecy around the veil drastically increases. The passage (and the short story) ends on this word, thereby demonstrating its significance.

Hawthorne uses ambiguity in the ending of the short story, when Mr. Hooper is saying his last words, “On every visage a Black Veil” (455). Yet again, Mr. Hooper discusses the Veil but refuses to directly identify what it is. In such, the story ends with this residual ambiguity which increases the horrified, but curious, feeling of the reader. Poe uses ambiguity to enhance interest in the beginning of his story when the narrator cannot remember what happened to him (64-80). This passage engages the reader, as the narrator’s lack of memory enables the reader’s imagination to take over (helped of course by Poe). It also increases the sense of horror.

Critical Vocabulary

Antonyms

Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Antonyms

Antonyms

Analyzing the Text

The story is meant to incite terror at gratuitous violence. The beginning shows this as even the awaiting of the sentence is full of unnecessary terror (foreshadowing what is to come later). The narrator finds terror in the visual aspects of things: the “black-robbed judges” (17), the whiteness of their faces (17) and their grotesque thinness (18). We are warned against relying on our senses when the narrator swoons while waiting, and “the figures of the judges vanishes, as if magically,” (36-7). All this builds into a fear of what can be seen and the horror of unnecessary terror.

The uncertainty suggests that the narrator has been drugged (222) but it also tells us that he is greatly frightened and confused by what is happening to him.

We know he is a sensible person because he thinks to count and trace the distance of his cage (168-9). We also know he is sensible in the appropriate fear and acknowledgment of his fear, “now I was the veriest of cowards” (215-6). We know he can read (217). We see further proof of his intelligence (which helps him survive his ordeal) when he thinks of plan to get out of the surcingle (407-435).

Oppression: “The intensity of the darkness seemed to oppress and stifle me”(103-4); “They pressed — they swarmed upon me in ever accumulating heaps… I was half stifled by their thronging pressure” (428-30); “could I withstand its pressure?” (505); “the closing walls pressed me resistlessly onward” (509). The strong feeling of oppression enhances the terror felt by both the character and the reader. All these moments of oppression make the story feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable. It enhances the sensation of freedom when he is pulled out of the room, like a breath of fresh air. This feeling of oppression is important to the story’s central idea of visual perception, as the oppression felt by the narrator is a visual oppression that translates into the physical.

Critical Vocabulary

The painting evoked pathos in the viewer because it showed a dead child.

The obstinacy of her response was made clear by her stubborn tone.

The runner treasured his race number as an emblem of victory.

The ostentatious display of wealth made visitors uncomfortable because it they were used to elegance, not vulgarity.

Proponents of the new law sought to mitigate opposition by compromising on certain policies.

The plausibility of her statement was supported by the evidence she offered.

Analyzing the Text

Line 83, 161, 281. The ambiguity makes the meaning unclear. Just as the characters within the story do not truly know what the Black Veil means, the reader is not allowed to know completely either. In such, the Black Veil comes to mean what the reader feels, and so takes on various meanings.

Their conversation tells us that Mr. Hooper is a somber/solemn man. His lack of fear about the possibility of scandal tells us he is a confident man, certain in his action, “gentle but unconquerable obstinacy”( 282). But he is also frightened, as shown by his outburst when Elizabeth gets up to leave.

The veil symbolizes the secret sin, the ones you do not speak out loud. This is first mentioned in the sermon Mr. Hooper gives, “those sad mysteries which we hide from our nearest and dearest” (83-4). All people have these as Mr Hooper suggests when he says, “If I cover it for secret sin, what mortal might not do the same?” (280-1). The discomfort his veil gives all of his congregation indicates that they in some way know this and are forced, through his wearing of the veil, to face their own flaws.

His last words suggest that all people wear a Black Veil upon their face, hiding their sins beneath a facade. It suggests that people believe openness to be true if they can see it, but that this is not so. We see this in the line “the mystery… has made this piece of crape so awful” (450). As Mr. Hooper covered his face in mystery, others are unable to read it and so distrust it — but he argues that everyone has a Black Veil which hides their identity and sins. The final image, of his face decomposing beneath the Black Veil, suggests that even in Death, we cannot know everything about a person.

Critical Vocabulary

I have wanted autonomy in setting my own bedtime because I believe that I know how much sleep I need.

The Emancipation Proclamation has resonance because it is filled with meaning and still has an impact on all f our lives.

I see leaves falling to the ground as a harbinger of winter.

So that I would not let my team down, I played the entire set of volleyball even though I had broken my wrist during the first play.

I evidently enjoy learning new things and spending time alone based on my love of reading.

When my mother asked if I left the gate open, I pointed out that I had mowed the lawn and walked the dog and was very tired.

Analyzing the Text

The list characterizes nature as uncaring, unsentimental, ascribed meaning only by man (9). The degree of man’s influence on the portrait of nature grows according to the development of the list. The list structures the argument because it is a point by point path of how her argument will develop in the essay.

Oates uses this narrative to introduce the topic and to take the reader, along with the narrator, “out of time” (26). She therefore opens up the text for an analysis of nature.

She realizes that the earth is “hard, emphatic…a genuine force”(48-9) and that the sky is “blank…empty” (70-71) and infinite (75). Together, these two forces make the narrator feel very small and insignificant.

The idea is that Thoreau attempts to depersonalize himself by depersonalizing Nature. He finds the beauty in the impersonal death/violence of Nature but then is incredibly human himself through the death of his brother. Oates’ tone, which is aggressive and to the point, echoes the highly personal note — proving her argument that men are not impersonal, unlike nature which is “coolly detached” (199-200).

Writers and artists perpetuate “nature-as-experience” rather than “nature-as-itself” by filtering nature “through our optical nerves…our fiercely romantic expectations. Nature that pleases us because it mirrors our souls” (141-3). Poets and writers glamorize, “exaggerate the significance of anything we focus the white heat of our creativity upon” (150-1). This helps them feel more important.

The ants represent words about nature, or the tools for Oates to write her poem about Spring. It bookends the narrative at the beginning by putting the narrator back in time, instead of out of time — and so bringing the reader back to the present reality, after having engaged in abstracted thought brought on by the first narrative.

It is effective as literary criticism because it pulls in examples from other recognized literary authorities to both prove and disprove her argument about nature. She shows, through the use of literary sources, how poets/writers talk about nature in a self-reflecting way. The structure follows the list placed in the beginning (in a type of road-map) and the two narratives open and close the philosophical discussion of the middle with some real experiences in nature.

Critical Vocabulary

It is deep because unfathomed means we don’t know where it ends. If it was shallow, we would know how deep it was easily.

It makes them upset because it tells them of many negative and upsetting events.

He was content because he did not see solitude as a bad thing or his enemy.

It was always there. Being perennial, it was of a long duration.

He would criticize the position. It doesn’t make sense to ascribe morality to nature.

They are more likely to party too hard. They tend to be extravagant and wasteful.