Category Archives: English 11

English 11 – Year End Review

     This year in English I learnt about a variety of subjects. I learnt a lot about psychology and different forms of allegory, forms of poetry and MLA format. Learning the background information like the operation behind Lord of the Flies or understanding how our brains work was interesting. I liked reading The Lottery the most. It was the first time I had read a story with such a twist, and I still remember the activity clearly. I was so scared of being picked in the lottery, yet it was so thrilling. I liked the Death of a Salesman unit the best. It was fun watching classmates act out their roles and really brought the play to life. I believe my ability to make my ideas transition and flow from sentence to sentence has improved. I have also improved my ability to write clearly and straight to the point without having too many unnecessary words or sentences. I want to improve my spoken word skills. I love to present and have always wanted to go in front of the school, but I cannot write spoken word poems well. If my poem was good enough and I had a strong topic I was passionate about, I would not hesitate to enter the finals.

 

Character Monologues – “Death of a Salesman”

I am Linda Loman. I am proud to be the wife of Willy Loman, as well as the mother of my two wonderful boys, Happy and Biff. It is tough caring for a family, especially when I am often over shadowed by those around me. I have to do all the housework every day, while maintaining my image of a lady-like, proper woman. Despite this, I will never slack on my duty as a wife and mother, as my family deserves unconditional love and care. My hair is graying and I am becoming old; but my spirit will never fail to lose its childlike innocence, so that I can brighten up the days of my loved ones. There is always so much conflict between my children and their father, but I hope they will learn to accept one another. I try my best as a mediator between them, always offering positive support and peaceful solutions to their issues.

 

“Lord of the Flies” – Human Nature

Here are five quotes  that show  a loss of morality within the characters from Lord of the Flies:

“‘Here – let me go!’ His voice rose to a shriek of terror as Jack snatched the glasses off his face” (Golding 55).

“Roger stooped, picked up a stone, aimed, and threw it at Henry – threw it to miss” (Golding 86).

“‘Kill the pig. Cut her throat. Spill her blood'” (Golding 96).

“All at once, Robert was screaming and struggling with the strength of frenzy. Jack had him by the  hair and was brandishing his knife” (Golding  164).

“‘We’ll raid them and take fire. There must be four of you; Henry and you, Robert and Maurice. We’ll put on paint and sneak up; Roger can snatch a branch while I say what I want'” (Golding 195-196).

“Lord of the Flies” – Island Description

Edge of the Jungle

“The ground beneath them was a bank covered with coarse grass, torn everywhere by the upheavals of fallen trees, scattered with decaying coconuts and palm saplings” (Golding 10).

The Beach

“The beach between the palm terrace and the water was a thin stick, endless apparently, for to Ralph’s left the perspectives of palm and beach and water drew to a point at infinity; and always, almost visible, was the heat” (Golding 10).

“The subsoil beneath the palm trees was a raised beach, and generations of palms had worked loose in this the stones that had lain on the sands of another shore” (Golding 86).

The Platform

“Here the beach was interrupted abruptly by the square motif of the landscape; a great platform of pink granite thrust up uncompromisingly through forest and terrace and sand and lagoon to make a raised jetty four get high” (Golding 13).

The Island

“It was roughly boat-shaped: humped near this end with behind them the jumbled descent to the shore” (Golding 38).

The Mountain 

“They were on the lip of a circular hollow in the side of the mountain. This was filled with a blue flower, a rock plant of some sort” (Golding 37).

The Jungle 

“Overflow hung down the vent and spilled lavishly among the canopy of the forest. The air was thick with butterflies, lifting, fluttering, settling” (Golding 37).

The Lagoon

“Within the irregular arc of coral the lagoon was still as a mountain lake—blue of all shades and shadowy green and purple” (Golding 10).

Fruit Trees

“Flower and fruit grew together on the same tree and everywhere was the scent of ripeness and the booming of a million bees at pasture” (Golding 77).

The Coral Reef

“The coral was scribbled in the sea as though a giant had bent down to reproduce the shape of the island in a flowing chalk line but tired before he had finished” (Golding 38).

 

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

The world turned pitch black, as the sound of a gunshot bounced off the hard, concrete wall. An ice-cold sensation pierced Walter’s shoulder, and –

“Walter!” Walter opened his eyes to see his wife standing right in front of him, her cold nails digging into his shoulder.

“I’m finished. What are you doing? It is lunch time and I am starving. Let’s go.” He obliged, feeling famished himself. They strolled down through the parking lot, cars glistening with raindrops. There was no need for an umbrella, since the rain had just stopped. Children were running about, splashing around through puddles. They reached a crosswalk. It was safe to cross, and just as Walter stepped onto the damp concrete, a child leaped into a pothole full of water. Water flew up and soaked Walter’s clothing. As it seeped into his socks and his coat, a burning sensation heated his cheeks and forehead. Suddenly, the ground started to steam and sizzle. A loud explosion exploded his eardrums and the sound of screaming tourists echoed through the air.

“The volcano is erupting!” The tour guide, Mr. Akamu, exclaimed. “Hurry everyone, we must return to the city!” He ushered Walter down the volcano, as ash and dust turned the sky into charcoal. A loud boom sounded once again, and lava dripped down past Walter’s feet, separating him and Mr. Akamu.

“Help!” A dark-haired local Hawaiian woman screamed, stranded on a lone rock that was slowly being eroded with lava. Walter leaped swiftly from rock to rock, dodging the lava which threatened to eat the hem of his pants. With one last, mighty jump, he landed next to the woman. She greeted him with a huge, relieved smile.

“Thank you! Let’s go!” Walter picked up the woman and continued his epic trek down the volcano’s side. But just then, a huge ball of fire flew right past the pair.

“Meteors!” The woman yelled. A huge one hurdled straight for Walter.

“Watch out!” Mr. Akamu’s distant voice warned them. Walter was about to prepare to jump when-

“WALTER!” The sound of multiple honking cars greeted his ears. He opened his eyes to find a large truck skidding to a stop, about to hit him. Walter jumped onto the sidewalk as the truck just missed him. The truck driver shouted at him before heading off, and traffic resumed as normal.

“What are you thinking dear?” His wife scolded him, as they continued on their way to the restaurant. Her hand found a way to his forehead.

“Oh look! You have a fever as well! We should take you home then.” Now tired and extremely famished, Walter followed his wife back to the car, the dull rain starting to fall once again.

“Father and Son” Photo Compilation Story

For English 11, I had to create a graphic novel or comic based on  “Father and Son” by  Bernard MacLaverty.  A father and son  struggle to maintain their  unstable relationship, broken with  distrust and  miscommunication.  But as a parent, the father ‘s love and care persists throughout to the end.

1) Exposition

“This is my son who let me down” (165)

This quote introduces the father and son’s relationship with each other, as well as builds the emotional setting of the story. The father is disappointed and heartbroken over his son. These important details that this quote reveals is fit for the exposition because it establishes who the main characters are and provides insight on how the story will unfold.

2) Rising Action

“I want you to talk to me the way I hear you talk to people at the door” (166)

This quote dives deeper into the unstable relationship between the father and son. It reflects how the son does not treat his father with respect, and that they are both hurt by each other.  This is part of the rising action because the conflict between the characters is building up, and the anticipation for the climax is growing in the story.

3) Rising Action

“I pulled you away from death once and now you will not talk to me” (166)

The father’s thoughts in this passage reveal that the son has had a near death experience. This adds some complexity and depth to the entire situation the characters are in, which further contributes to the growing conflict. Despite the fact that the son is not talking to him, his father still deeply cares and tries to resolve their issue. This is part of the rising action as it develops background information to the story and elevates the main complication.

4) Rising Action

“My mother is dead but I have another one in her place” (167)

This quote gives some insight as to why the son is so angry at his dad most of the time. He feels that with his mother gone, his father has changed and no longer cares for him. This is part of the rising action because the anticipation is again rising, and it gives more background knowledge to the reader.

5) Climax

“My son is lying on the floor, his head on the bottom stair, his feet on the threshold” (169)

The son has been shot, and his father rushed over to see what happened. All the foreshadowing and growing suspense has lead up to this major incident. His son has had a near death experience in the past, a gun is kept under his pillow, and both family members rely on drugs while dealing with depression. The son’s death is the final main event that uses all the built up suspense to create a powerful impact on the reader. This quote demonstrates the climax of the story, as it is the part with the highest anticipation, the point in which the whole story has led up to.

6) Falling Action

“I take my son’s limp head in my hands and see a hole in his nose that should not be there” (169)

After the climax, the story begins to wrap up some details and the conflict slowly reaches a conclusion. Here, the author utilizes imagery to show the reader what has happened to the son. It is the aftermath of the big conflict, after the gunshot.

7) Falling Action

“The news has come to my door” (169)

This quote ties in with the rising action that built up the conflict. The dad always worried that the news reporters were speaking about his son, believing that he was dead if he did not return home for a few days. Now, the news has come to his door, meaning that the news of his son’s death has finally arrived.

8) Denouement

“My son, let me put my arms around you” (169)

The author resolves this story by ending with the father sorrowfully embracing his dead son. As tragic as this ending is, the father putting his arms around his son creates that image of parental love and care that indicates that their story has reached a final conclusion.

“Character Sketch” based on Michael Foster from “Two Fishermen”

Michael Foster is a tall, Caucasian news reporter who dreams of working in the city. He is currently working for the town newspaper, The Examiner. He is always eager to have a friendly conversation and is quite sociable. However, his pale skin and long legs can make him seem to be a very shady individual. Being extremely ambitious, Michael works hard to achieve his goals, and will even go as far as manipulation in order to do so. Hence, he is also very unstable with his moral standards. He is easily influenced by others around him, and is willing to sacrifice his own opinion on what is right to fit in with the crowd. Despite this weakness, Michael is a focused, clever young man who has the potential to go far.

Capital Punishment within the short story, ‘Two Fishermen’

Image result for capital punishment electric chair

(The electric chair is one form of capital punishment).

1865 is the year Canada began to put capital punishment into practice. Anyone who committed murder, treason or rape would be given the death sentence. However, in 1962 was the last execution performed in Canada. The law was changed in 1966 and only those who murdered prison guards and police officers could be sentenced to death. In 1976 capital punishment was removed and replaced with 25 years in jail with no chance of parole instead.

The “Two Fishermen” would have taken place in between 1865 – 1962 if it was based in Canada, since that was the timeframe in which capital punishment was still in use. Thomas Delaney should not have been killed. Although I do not believe killing was the right action for him to take, his intentions were just. He was not mindlessly killing another human being for enjoyment, but was trying to protect his loved one. Another reason Thomas Delaney should not have been killed is that it simply is not right to take a life for a life. As someone who strongly believes in giving second chances, I do not think it is a fair solution to any problem. Moreover, Thomas could have realized his wrongdoings later in life, and perhaps could have changed another’s life in the future, for the better. He committed murder for his wife, so he is not a deranged serial killer that will have a negative impact on society. In fact, his town was standing up for him, and he was much loved by everyone. Therefore, Thomas should not have been killed.