Reflections on Week 1

1. I believe that this year I do have some factors that may affect my participation in the class or the course itself as a whole. First off, I feel like my biggest set back at this point is not having access to my blog on a daily basis. Right now, my computer has decided to crash and therefore I am constantly having to borrow my brothers or use a family members which can sometimes be difficult because they need access to the equipment as well. However, I am in the process of getting a reliable laptop and hope to have this problem fixed rather quickly. With that said, I also do not have access to the internet through my phone and therefore I cannot participate in class circumstances where we shall need the internet. Also, this hinders my experience because I will not be able to constantly check the blog for updates nor will I receive updates if anything should change after my class period. Because I am licensed, transportation should never be an issue but again, my schedule is going to be hectic. With the course load I took on while also trying to balance softball and volunteering as well as 4-H into my schedule its not going to be easy. On the other hand, I did put myself into this position and will always keep my academics my number one priority.

2. My best and by far most memorable learning experience was sophomore year when I had asked my best friend whom was graduating from another high school what it was like knowing that everything we've been used to and the routine of a daily school life was changing and she responded saying that it was scary but because it was scary she knew that she was taking a risk. She said that if something doesn't scare you than your not doing something right and your don't have anything worth losing. Even to this day we remain best friends and as our application process comes up I always keep what she said in the back of my mind. If what I'm doing doesn't scare me, than what I'm doing isn't worth it. Unless there is a risk there isn't satisfaction.

3. This year, I am really excited that I am learning a new way to learn. I love that I am being exposed to different formats of learning and that I am also getting used to the constant reliance on technology in place of a pencil and paper. With that said, this class also concerns me because I am in unfamiliar territory and because of that, I'm not necessarily in my comfort zone. Open Source Learning, when you think about it, is very practical in comparison to the real word, especially in a college atmosphere. In many cases were going to be given assignments and there not going to be 'due' or 'mandatory' yet its on ourselves to follow through with our course work and do what needs to be done in order to succeed.

My Opinion Isn't (A) Right.

     After continuously reading this article over and over again trying to find something that I agree with from it, I have come to a conclusion that this article was simply stupid and personally it was all bull shit. There is no way that people do not have a right to their own opinion. If that's what they think and its what they truly believe in then they have to the right to voice whatever they feel and someone can like it or not but they have the right to their opinion and the right to believe what they do. Its not hard for someone to think that they don't have the right to do something but as we discussed in class during the socratic seminar, that is an ACTION not an OPINION!! We have the right to think and believe whatever we want but once an action is made and something is physically done that is when we are limited to our rights. I totally 100% disagree with this article and I still believe that I am entitled to my own opinion!

Vocabulary List #1: Sentences

1. Montaigne's essays adumbrate his thought process.
2. Her award winning movie was the apotheosis to her career.
3. He lives in a very aesthetic life of diet and exercise.  
4. Many tourists have baubles from every place they've been too.
5. Liars beguile people to make them believe what they are saying to be true.
6. The plant burgeoned when exposed to sunlight.
7. Her shoes complemented her whole outfit.
8. The contumacious child was in detention often.
9. Her grandma is very curmudgeon.
10. He was so didactic that his intentions became unclear.
11. As a disingenuous girl, she had trouble making friends.
12. The evidence exculpated him of all charges.
13. His faux pas in the conversation caused awkward silence.
14. The beaker became fulminated in organic chemistry class.
15. Authority figures often talk with fustian.
16. Students with hauteur attitudes often lose their friends.
17. The students felt inhibited by their teacher to put more effort into their work.
18. The jeremiad controversy of same sex marriage will always be evident.
19. Those who are opportunists often get the best chances.
20. Basing a grade on two tests for a years worth of hard work and effort is unconscionable. 

Vocabulary List #1: Definitions

1. adumbrate - verb give to understand; describe roughly or briefly or give the main points or summary of
2. apotheosis - noun the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god); model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal
3. ascetic - adj. practicing great self-denial; pertaining to or characteristic of an ascetic or the practice of rigorous self-discipline; noun someone who practices self denial as a spiritual discipline
4. bauble - noun a mock scepter carried by a court jester; cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
5. beguile - verb attract; cause to be enamored; influence by slyness
6. burgeon - verb grow and flourish
7. complement - noun something added to complete or make perfect; either of two parts that mutually complete each other; a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction;number needed to make up a whole force; a complete number or quantity; one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response; verb make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to
8. contumacious - adj. wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
9. curmudgeon - noun a crusty irascible cantankerous old person full of stubborn ideas
10. didactic - adj. instructive (especially excessively)
11. disingenuous - adj. not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness
12. exculpate - verb pronounce not guilty of criminal charges
13. faux - adj. not genuine or real; being an imitation of the genuine article
14. pas - noun (ballet) a step in dancing (especially in classical ballet)
15. fulminate - noun a salt or ester of fulminic acid; verb cause to explode violently and with loud noise; come on suddenly and intensely; criticize severely
16. fustian - noun a strong cotton and linen fabric with a slight nap;pompous or pretentious talk or writing
17. hauteur - noun overbearing pride evidenced by a superior manner toward inferiors
18. inhibit - verb limit the range or extent of; to put down by force or authority
19. jeremiad - noun a long and mournful complaint
20. opportunist - adj. taking immediate advantage, often unethically, of any circumstance of possible benefit; noun a person who places expediency above principle
21. unconscionable - adj. greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation; lacking a conscience

The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojX_F8NcQeY&index=1&list=UULBcKqTcnZZeVVPBnBI-EGQ

1987 AP Exam

     The questions that were easy were: 3,4,15,20,31,58. I found theses questions easy because they were primarily vocabulary questions or comprehension questions. The questions that were hard were: 9,10,16,23,32,48,58,61. These questions were hard because I felt they had multiple answers or I simply did not know what the question was asking in the first place. My answers were as followed:

1.c
2.a
3.c
4.c    
5.d
6.c-d
7.d
8.a
9.b
10.e-c
11.d
12.b
13.c
14.b-c
15.a
16.b
17.c
18.e
19.b
20.e
21.a-e
22.a
23.a
24.b-c
25.e
26.e
27.a-b
28.c
29.b-a
30.b
31.b
32.b
47.b
48.a
49.b-c
50.c
51.a-e
52.e
53.c-e
54.e
55.e
56.c
57.c
58.d
59.e
60.b
61.a

Montaigne/Austen Essay

     "What goes on inside is just too fast and huge and all interconnected for words to do more than barely sketch the outlines of at most one tiny little part of it at any given instant." This excerpt from David Foster Wallace's story "Good Old Neon," contradicts Montaigne's essay in multiple aspects of their writings.
     Montaigne has a very hidden talent in which he can connect his own intricate sayings yet make it very relatable to each individual reader. With his style of writing, Montaigne had to ability to present a window in which one could see his inner thoughts. In one of his chapters of his book, Montaigne elaborates on how his memory is faulty and that no one could have a memory worse than his own. Most authors try their hardest to convey every inner thought and every action that is happening yet Montaigne is the only one whom truly can depict his thoughts clearly through his words. The way Montaigne writes "where memory is concerned, I am most singular and rare..." gives you just a taste of how intelligent his mind worked and how great his essays spoke his inner thoughts.
     Although Montaigne has his own unique ways of writing, so does Jane Austen as the author of Pride and Prejudice. Austen is able to convey her feelings and inner workings just as well as Montaigne and to some readers may even better than Montaigne himself. Austen's sense of diction and syntax makes the reader truly feel as though you are saying the words themselves as one is reading the story. Only a true accomplished writer is capable of making their works come to life with full meaning as Austen and Montaigne.
     Both Austen and Montaigne contradict David Foster Wallace's statement for many reasons. Both authors portray literature pieces that create images to behold the readers. However, only certain authors have the ability to share that meaning on paper as Austen and Montaigne are capable of.

I Can Read

So maybe I can't read as well as I thought I could... The video is just under 5 minutes long and I counted 10 mistakes.

http://youtu.be/OLDpUO2ylzA

What lys behind the Wall?

     It's truly amazing how much you think you know a person yet there's always something new to be learned or discovered. Think about it. In life everyone claims they have that one best friend who they tell everything to and trust with everything yet we still cannot know everything. We may know about what ticks them off and how they react to certain situations but there's always secrets that are held in and never known therefore separating a friendship by a gap of what we are allowed to know an what we aren't.

     Why is it that every person puts up a wall between there most intimate and heartfelt secrets if they truly trust someone with everything? Why as humans can we not allow one person to truly know everything about us? I can personally say that I am apart of this group of people. As much as I try to let someone get as close to me as possible they never really will because of the wall I've put upe and the 'secrets' that ly behind it. It's hard to trust people in a world that's full of such people that care all about everyone else. Maybe if life wasn't full of gossip we as people could really let someone know the true us behind the wall. A defense mechanism I suppose, the wall simply represents our comfort zone. Where we can be comfortable in our own skin and present it to the public where as behind the walls were still raw and shaping ourselves. We can only let people see what the world has molded and polished in order to fit into the image everyone else wants to see and not who we truly are. 

     Can anyone else agree to this or do humans really have the ability to become an open book to the world and everyone in it?

Essay Assignment #1

     Although in this specific context, the two words have very different meanings,alienation and enrichment both have the power to describe ones life time during a specific event or many built up over time. In Rachel Price's situation from The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, she is put into both situations. As the drastic move to the Congo from her hometown Georgia begins, Rachel it totally against the idea and wants to go home right from the start. Yet as she seems to settle in and build relationships with the locals, Rachel realizes that Africa truly isn't a bad place to be in. However she is still set on the fact that she wanted to go home and go back to how things used to be and what was normal to her very basic life style. In this situation, Rachel was feeling lost and alienated because she wasn't just in a new place, but in an entirely new country where it wasn't just her surrounding that had changed but the form of communication and the culture as well.
     For the beginning months of her stay in Africa, Rachel had made no effort to try and fit into the culture. She felt uncomfortable when all the children began to pull on her hair because it was of a different color when she had been used to her hair being admired in a normal American society. Rachel felt completely lonely in the world without her friends and hoped for her return back home every day. Rachel was more concerned about her materialistic items to bring while packing and thinking about how her sweet sixteenth birthday was going to be at home that she passed up the opportunities to mingle with the locals and refused to even go outside of the house. Growing up in an American society, Rachel was expecting a very elaborate party for her sweet sixteen and was very upset and 'alienated' when she realized that she couldn't blow out any candles or simply have a cake for her birthday and what she had hoped for her party was everything but.
     After Rachel had realized that her situation wasn't going to change anytime soon, she had made an effort to change and thus starting kingmaker her stay in Africa a very memorable one. However, Rachel gained a lot of responsibility when her mother and youngest sister got sick and she was now being looked at to put food on the table for herself as well as provide for the family as well. This was the biggest step in opening Rachel's eyes to a new society in that she gained a form a respect and appreciation for what she was lucky enough to have in America. As time elapsed, Rachel was afraid to go home because of what the others may say to her or now perceive her as after she had come back from such a poor area and thus remains in Africa. Although she had relocated to a new area, Rachel was making her own contributions to Africa and was running a very prestigious hotel in which she was very welcoming and thoughtful towards her customers.
     As we had learned from Edward Said's quote, alienation can bring enrichment and in Rachel's case it truly did. After she had "dared to begin," Rachel had turned her experience into a very different one than she was exposing herself to when she first arrived. It wasn't until she truly put herself into the culture did she realize that she was the one whom was alienating herself. She was making herself seem different and therefore she was. After she put herself into the culture and realized that it wasn't so bad, Rachel not only was enriched herself, but was beginning to enrich the lives of others as well. Edward Said was simply saying what no one else would. Putting the world into our hands and blaming oneself for the feelings that we may feel.

Poetry Assignment #1

#1. From what poem/author does this commercial borrow (without credit)? 

~ The Laughing Heart by Charles Bukowski 

#2. Why might the use of this poem by a corporation be considered ironic?

~ The irony of this situation is that the poem was written to be a very personalized and intimate feeling, spoken to an audience that has lost all hope. Yet the commercial adds pictures and moments of excitement and true happiness making it seem as if everything was perfect. This is ironic because the intended audience of the poem would truly care less about their jeans or let alone have the money to afford a pair of Levi Brand jeans.

#3.  Does the poem reflect the reputation of the author? Why/why not?

~ The poem does not reflect the reputation of the author. Charles Bukowski was known to write about his home town of Los Angeles and the more prominent topics of economic and cultural issues yet the poem describes a more low class setting speaking to a group of people rather than specific individuals. 

#4. How did you find the answers to #1 & #3? Describe your research process and your sources in detail.

~ In order to answer question #1, I typed the first line of the poem into a Google search bar and went to the site that showed up: http://thebestamericanpoetry.typepad.com/the_best_american_poetry/2008/11/the-laughing-he.html. 

~ After I knew the poem name and author, I could find out the information needed in order to answer #3 about Bukowski through the website below:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Bukowski 

 

 

Big Question

     When we think about all the world has to offer and all that we do to try and achieve, we as human beings simply seem to go by day by day focused on making that goal. Yet, we watch and we listen to everything that goes on around us without a care in the world nor a hint of curiosity to stop and wonder. If we truly open our minds to allow in what our eyes see, multiple question come rushing in, and these are mine:

     1. Why must people change themselves in order to benefit others? What is the true purpose other than making yourself look 'cool' in their eyes? And why does personal image matter some much in a society that is supposed to be free of Judgment?
     2. How are my generation and ones to come supposed to survive in a world full of turmoil is the people who represent us in the world and in political debates hide the true facts in order to appease the public eye?
   

Will this blog see tomorrow?

     When I first went to our orientation meeting and heard what the seniors at the time had to say about the class and how fun it was and how the class was a different aspect on learning, I truthfully thought it was going to be a fluke. As my first day in class, I was expecting a traditional classroom surrounding with assignments to test our knowledge on the summer work to then come to a test later on down the road. Yet, it was almost the exact opposite of what I thought.
     The classroom itself isn't a room with plain walls and chairs all facing the front of the room, but is full of graffiti and quotes from amazing people that I as well as many have yet to learn about. Dr.Preston's class has a different vibe when you walk in his room and it leaves a very relaxing feeling when you step out of the room. With that said, the course itself and the needs in which we prepare for the AP Exam all fit what a 'normal course' would be just simply with a twist. The fact that the course is outlined with room for each student to make it a desirable learning experience is one in which most high school teachers try to avoid and keep out of the mind of each student. Most teachers like to teach what they know and stay to strict planning and standardized testing.
     With the Open Source Learning this year, I truly hope to take full advantage of the opportunity to turn a classroom full of high school seniors into my own project. Some may call it a 'senior project' but I am very convinced that this source of learning is far more helpful in comparison to the traditional textbook and paper method and thus hope to carry it on passed my last year in high school. This format of learning not only allows for my work to always be in my finger tips with the help of technology and the ability to use the internet on a mobile device, but it also gives my word some evidence to back up what I say. It gives colleges a chance to see what I am capable of and it lets scholarship committees know that I have put forth my work effort and by the end of the year I hope that I wont need words to describe myself anymore... i'll simply need a URL address.
     I am very excited to see what this years course has to offer me and hope that from the first opportunity to my last, I will be able to show exactly through I am on a resource that I will be proud to show others.

Pride and Prejudice by: Jane Austen

Volume I:

• With the news circulating around Netherfield Park, Mrs. Bennet is excited to hear about a Mr.Charles Bingley, whom is a wealthy bachelor, arrival in hopes to set up one of her five daughters with him.
• Mrs. Bennet is a gossip that sees wealth as happiness and in which life must surround.
• Mr. Bennet is quite the opposite to Mrs. Bennet as he is sarcastic and has a witty sense of humor. He invites Mr. Bingley to have a talk with him and thus exciting Mrs. Bennet for the sake of her daughters.
• At the ball in Meryton, eldest daughter Jane Bennet is seen twice dancing with Mr. Bingley.
• Darcy is first seen at the ball and to a surprise considers himself above everyone else except Mr. Bingley as he himself is of wealth and upper class as Darcy saw it.
•  A close friend to the Bennet family, Charlotte Lucas, discusses the arrogant and pompous Darcy to Elizabeth at the ball.
• Jane Bennet gets a visit from Mr.Bingley's sisters in order to see if she is worth marrying Charles. They too are similar to Darcy in that they believe themselves to be better than everyone else.
• Jane feels that she is "in love" with Bingley.
• Darcy soon feels something different towards Elizabeth. He is starting to admire her beauty and grace which is different than he saw every other girl.
• Mr. Bennet runs into complications when he realizes that his property must be inherited to a male because he has no son to take on the inheritance.
• Jane falls ill after she rides a horse to Netherfield instead of riding in a carriage and is forced to stay until she is fully recovered.
• Miss Bingley gets jealous of Elizabeth because of Darcy's infatuation with her and as revenge puts the Bennet name to shame and hopes to attract Darcy.
• Mr. Collins is the man whom is to inherit Mr. Bennet's property. Collins is a very haughty man and is very involved in Lady Catherine de Bourgh's life and generosity.
• Mr. Wickman is introduced into the story line as a part of the militia whom seems to despise Darcy. 
• Wickman tells Elizabeth the story of the horrid Darcy and Lady Catherine insolence which Elizabeth believes full-heartedly. 
• Mr. Collins proposed to Elizabeth thinking she would say yes however she sadly denied his marriage proposal.
• A weeks time from Elizabeth's proposal, the family receives a letter in which states Bingley's engagement to Darcy's sister Georgiana. The news truly broke Jane's heart.
• Mr. Collins is now engaged to Elizabeth's good friend Charlotte.

Volume II:

• Mr. Gardier invites Jane with his family to London and Jane accepts the offer in hopes to see Mr. Bingley.
• Mrs. Gardiner talks to Elizabeth about Wickman as she sees him to be unfit for her due to his lack of money
• Elizabeth and Charlotte's father visit Charlotte and Mr.Collins and because of their visit are invited to dinner at the Rosings with Lady de Bourgh and her daughter.
• Colonel Fitzwilliam was very intrigued with Elizabeth and pays close attention to her 
• Charlotte tells Elizabeth that Darcy is in love with her
• Darcy proposes to Elizabeth and she declines the offer. Elizabeth then confronts Darcy asking if he was at fault with the fall out between Bingley and Jane and Darcy admits the question to be true.
• Elizabeth ran into Darcy one day and Darcy handed her a letter and walked away. As Elizabeth read the letter, it informed her of why he had interrupted the love between Bingley and Jane.

Volume III:

• Elizabeth is on tour of the Pemberely estate along with her aunt and uncle and thought about what her life would have been like if she had married Darcy. Darcy later joined them on their tour. 
• Elizabeth received two letters from Jane. One stating that Lydia had eloped with Wickman, and the other informing Elizabeth that the couple have yet to meet and that the wedding may not happen after all.
• Mrs. Bennet is frantic about the news of the elopement and blames Colonel Forster for the actions that were taken.
• Mrs. Bennet is joined by Mr. Gardiner in London to search for Lydia, but they did not find her. 
• Mr. Bennet returned home to find a letter from Mr. Gardiner telling them that they have found Lydia and she is to marry Wickman for a sizable amount of money.
• Mrs. Bennet is attentive to Mr. Bingley when he visits with Darcy yet she cares very little for Darcy himself.
• Mr. Bingley asks Mr. Bennet for Jane's hand in marriage and he gladly agrees to the proposal.
• Elizabeth and Darcy end up together and newly wed. 

The Outcome and Moral:

     Within the novel by Austen, she makes it very clear that social status of this time era was very prominent and very alive. The story line revolves around the social status of both the male and the female and how one of a higher class cannot mingle with one below his or her status. The novel also puts the female identity into question as the women were written as the protagonist of the story displaying the "modern woman" of the eighteenth century. Above all else however the story of love is the true moral. Although it may be cliche, the saying that Love is always the answer is truly shown in the piece of literature. The love between Darcy and Elizabeth overcame all the obstacles and triumphed against all the odds. 

Montaigne's Essays in Collaboration with Stevie Wisz

Book One- That our Deeds are Judged by the Intention:

   * Montaigne wrote this just before he died *

• His goal was to become one with his life and to accept his death as a rightful and moral one.
• Death is said to settle all obligations or issues that took place during ones path in life.
• Ex: Montaigne supports this argument by saying that the Count asked to be executed first (beheaded) because he wanted to be let free from his obligations for Count Horn.
• We cannot be held to promises beyond our power or our means.
• This statement is reiterating the fact that in life, not every promise can be fulfilled depending on specific circumstances that individuals are put under.
• Montaigne see’s some people as “Iniquitous judges”: postponing their judgment until they no longer can. This is exactly the opposite of what Montaigne wants for his death. He wants “to prevent” saying or portraying anything he hasn't already said.

Background:

• Montaigne was first attracted to Lucretius by his arguments against the fear of dying whih connected to Montaigne’s childhood.
• With the expansion of the Renaissance, Montaigne was able to open up his influences and knowledge for literature from all around the world including the Spanish and the Chinese.
• For Montaigne, the strength of Sebond’s book also lay in universality.
• Montaigne believed that Sebond’s elimination of the universal book of nature showed how all nature was in close connection to religion.
• Protagoras showed everyone that there is no universal standard of the truth.
• Montaigne was strongly influenced by Protagoras.. Hence the gradual importance of the Man throughout the Essays.
• Montaigne strove for:

~Know thyself- by  understanding yourself, you can better understand the universe and mankind.
~ By studying himself, he strives to learn Man.
~ A creature is always changing, shifting, and becoming.
~ The Natural Theology by Sebond taught each man to know himself in order to know god.
~ “Art Thou” shows god.
~ Montaigne became the forerunner of atheistic naturalism

Book One- On Idleness:

• Within this chapters essay, Montaigne used the essay as a way to deal with his depression, delusions, and illness and thus within his writing, you can tell that he wonders off topic occasionally.
• He states that souls without a goal or a purpose in life can easily get lost or lose their true selves.
• Montaigne also talked about how he is trying to branch out more because he feels he has been so self motivated and self minded. He wants to try and help others as well.

Book One- On Liars: 

• Montaigne’s belief with the concept of memory is what is a memory before it turns to lying.
• Ex: He uses Quintilian as evidence by saying that a liar often times has to have a better memory in order to remember there lies. 
• A man “has no memory” shows how stupid they are.
• Some see no difference between memory and intelligence.
• “An outstanding memory is often associated with weak or flawed judgment.
• Montaigne saw that the older one got the more he would remember and reminisce on the past instead of the present.
• Montaigne discusses how bad of a memory he has personally implying that he himself is not a liar.
• The truth about lying is mysterious. You are either creating a huge lie that you now have to deal with or are simply disguising the truth.
• Lying is seen as an accurse vice. In other words, it means that by communicating with one another, we become more human and intertwined or connected.
• The power of lying is that itself is limitless, thus it creates a more appealing feature to the eye of a human mind.
• “The Pythagorean's make good to be definite and finite; evil they make indefinite and infinite”

Book One- That we Should not be Deemed Happy till After out Death:

• Montaigne became fancied by death due to the death of La Boëtie as well as his own fathers.
• “ ‘Death’ is considered in the sense of the act of dying, not as the state of the soul in the after-life.”
• More about philosophy rather than religion.
• Stoic influence: Montaigne describes happiness as “notions of blessedness and of good fortune.” 
• He believed that one could never be happy until the last day of their life and death is upon them.
• Influenced by the intense social hierarchy during this time period, Montaigne saw good fortune as a key to happiness.
• Death reveals the reality of life and what others remember of that person after death truly shows whom that person was.
• The last day of life is seen as judgment day because they took a look back on the life that they lived regretting some decisions and praising oneself for others.

Book One- On the Power of the Imagination:

• Imagination: evokes mental images of thoughts, concepts, ideas, opinions as well as mental pictures.
• Religion can occasionally crash with imagination and cause a disturbance.
• Montaigne’s personal view on Imagination was cloudy and controversial, but wasn't orthodox. 
• Imagination sparks new ideas and events within a persons life.
• However, although imagination ca be both good and bad, it can also take over ones mind.
• Ex: Hallucinations
• “They see what they do not see”
• Imagination may be in your mind, but its very real
• People will sometimes escape to their imagination, which can cause them to lose sight of reality.
• Ex: The priest that Celsus describes in the novel on p.111
• Miracles, random events that occur or are to occur, visions, etc… all give food for thought and fuel the mind to imagine.
• Imagination can be used as bait for a persons mind to believe it is possible or it is the “perfect” thing to do.
• In life, men often imagine women which distorts the image on women in reality.
• Montaigne sees witch craft simply as the imagination running wild.
• We (human beings) imagine negative things and react as if they were truly there. p.117
• Mind and Body are one unit which makes imaginations so powerful on both aspects.
• Magicians take advantage of the mind and the power of imagination in order to make their tricks believable and the audience to stay in tune to the show. 

Book One- On Educating Children:

• School is a mandatory program of steps and deadlines.
• Learning for the sake of learning is not of value. One must learn with a passion and an intent to use that knowledge or it cannot be of value. 

The Poisonwood Bible by: Barbara Kingsolver

Background: 

     The story line first off takes place in the 1950s where it begins in Bethlehem, Georgia however as the plot line continues we end up in a small village in the Congo named KiLanga. The basis of the story is a mission trip in which the Price Family takes upon themselves due to their father, Nathan, being a Southern Baptist Preacher. The chapter selection in this book was different then what I had imagined as well as from other books I have previously read in that the chapters were not sectioned off because of new or more recent events taking place but separated by child within the Price Family. Each chapter took on a new point of view based on the child whom was narrating that specific chapter of the book. The Price Family had a total of 6 members in the family including: Nathan as the father, Orleanna as the mother, Rachel as the eldest daughter, Adah and Leah whom were twin girls, and finally Ruth May who was the youngest in the family. As you continue to read one learned that the story line dealt with World War II and the political upsets and debated in Africa during the era. 

World War II:

     During the time, World War II was just starting to draft soldiers into the battle field in order to keep the hopes and dreams of winning the war alive, and as part of that draft, Nathan Price was one in which was called to serve his country. In part to coming back to from the war, Nathan had returned as a different man than the one whom left the family earlier. On his return back, Nathan was more stubborn and strict leaving him behind a man whom was incapable to have fun with his children. He had also felt a great amount of grievance and pain due to himself being the only survivor to come out of the war alive. With the guilt that was now embracing him, Nathan felt the need to save souls and be a better person whom gave back to those less fortunate. 

Book One- Genesis:

     As the story begins, the Price family has just arrived in the Congo from their home state of Georgia in order for their father, Nathan Price, to begin his missionary work. When they first arrive, the family realizes the differences from what their used to, to what they now have to survive in for a years’ time. Being so unprepared for what is to come, the family has to learn to change and adapt to the African way of life as soon as they possibly can in order to survive. 

   Ex: The family had brought cake mixes and various materialistic items with them to KiLanga which were both unnecessary as well as unutilized.

Ø  Adah feels very comfortable in the new environment she was submerged in and begins to connect easily with the African peoples as well as the new cultural differences.

Ø  Rachel cannot come to realize that this is her new home for a year. Being a queen of fashion and beauty, she wants nothing to do with the new culture nor does she want to put in the work effort to attain anything.

Ø  Ruth May being so young is very energetic and simply sees the Congo as a new and huge playground.

Ø  Leah is very open minded to the move into Africa and seems to pick up on their language very quickly giving herself the upper hand in communicating with the locals.

Ø  Mama Tataba had her first argument with Mr. Price about the garden and as a result, she left.

 Book Two- The Revelation:

     The political standpoint in Africa is becoming much more stabilized with the help of a new emerging leader, Patrice Lumumba. The Price Family has also began to truly understand the culture yet on a daily basis seem to come head to head with a setback not allowing the family to truly become one with the African culture and tradition.

Ø  Threats to a communist Russian takeover begin to emerge and become clear to the African peoples. 

Book Three- The Judges:

     With the Congo being an enjoyable place up until now, political chaos has turned the peaceful KiLanga Village into a death zone, simply waiting for war to break out against Patrice Lumumba.

Ø  The missionary turns against the Price Family and tries to push the family out of their village. Mr. Price refuses however unless there is another family to come in and show the “way of god.”

Ø  Ruth May and Orleanna become very ill and are in a depressed state of mind.

Ø  Following days of rain and the village becoming emerged in water, an army of ants comes about and destroys everything in the village leaving behind nothing but debris.

Book Four- The Bel and the Serpent:

     In the section of the book, the climax is revealed and the action begins to take place leaving readers in awe and wonder. As learned in the previous chapter, Ruth May had become very ill and was facing death as her conditions kept worsening with nothing helping her situation. It wasn’t until the family realized she hadn’t been taking her Malaria pills that she was able to heal and become a lesser version of the young and energetic girl she was before. As for the rest of the family, the Congo was not treating them well at all and with the Political Chaos happening before their eyes, their situation seemed to accelerate into turmoil more quickly than expected.

Ø  Reverend Price is kicked out of church.

Ø  Leah falls in love with her teacher, Anatole and after her first hunt with the African men where she successfully killed her first animal was cursed by a witch doctor because of the kill to the innocent animal.

Ø  Pascal defends Leah after another child tried to claim her kill and his own.

Ø  Ruth May is killed by a snake after Leah returned from her first hunt.

Ø  Orleanna leaves behind Mr. Price and takes her children with her.

Book Five- Exodus:

     With Mr. Price being left behind in the village of KiLanga, Orleanna and the girls travel on their own facing their own array of obstacles in which are both won and lost in certain circumstances. However, without the protection of the village and the family traveling by foot, their chances for catching Malaria increase tremendously and Leah was unfortunately ill with the disease.

Ø  Because of her Malaria, Leah is left with Anatole’s friends and family, whom soon becomes her husband.

Ø  Rachel thought of herself first and promised to marry Eeban Axelroot, a local pilot, if he would take her away.

Ø  Orleanna and Adah travel back to the states and this decision put Adah in a different perspective of her mother. Adah never saw herself being worthy to her mother and felt as if she was constantly in the shadow of her sister but was shocked after her mother made the decision to leave Leah behind and picked Adah to travel home with.

Book Six- Song of the Three Children:

     In this section of the nook, the primary focus is to tell where the girl’s lives continued to go on after their experience in the Congo. With detailed descriptions of every girl, the reader gets to see how each child’s life turned out to be as well as the growth and change from young children to grown ladies.

Ø  Rachel was the most promiscuous out of the girls and became what we would call a gold-digger marrying three different men. However, after she was widowed by her third husband, Rachel came into the ownership of a huge hotel in the Congo in which she saw as her own personal kingdom.

Ø  Leah is still living with her husband, Anatole, in Africa raising her own four children. Following their passion the couple continuously fight for Africa’s independence and this eventually lead to the imprisonment of Anatole on more than one occasion.

Ø  Adah chose to continue her education and go to a university where she studies science. More specifically, diseases in Africa in hopes to find cures for them.

Ø  Orleanna changed after the death of Ruth May and cannot get over the guilt she feels towards the situation and becomes very depressed.

Book Seven- The Eyes in the Tree’s:

     This section from the book is not only the most memorable from the entire novel but also the most emotional because it is told from Ruth May’s perspective as she watches her family from up above. Ruth can feel the love and the pain that still exists because of her death and tries her best to protect her sisters as well as her mother.

Ø  The Price family wants to put a tombstone over Ruth May’s body but cannot because the village of KiLanga no longer exists.

Ø  Ruth May end the book with a discussion on Life and Death leaving the reader and new view point and a question to remain in their heads after the story ends. What truly is life and death?