The Last Reponse to Course Material

Well, this is it, the final stretch! As soon as spring break ended, the pressure, anxiety and all the other wonderful (extremely sarcastic) things that come along with AP's and ending the year, quickly set in. Although I am not looking forward to these next few weeks and the work and stress that will come with them, I am looking forward to them being over and overall nearing the end. As of this class, I feel the extra practice we have been doing lately has been very helpful and I am no longer very intimidated by the essays. I think doing so many practices, although they have been a bit of a drag, have also been extremely helpful to me in the fact that we are able to go over them afterwards and thoroughly compare our previous work so we know what to focus on next time. We have also recently finished reading and discussing Ceremony, our discussions seemed a bit rushed which of course is understandable due to the snow days and what not, however even with the lacking of time, I still feel I am able to confidently say I understand the overall ideas of Ceremony and could potentially use it in a essay. As soon as we were done reading Ceremony we moved right on to the Weebly assignment. I think this assignment was fairly beneficial to do because as I went into further depth of the masculinity in Death of a Salesman, I connected some things that I hadn't the first time around. I also think the creation of the website overall will be helpful to study other students essays for the exam. To wrap it up, we have just began 5th Business. I am excited to read this book because I have heard good things, I hope we are able to discuss it a lot. Anyways, that's all I have for now, I will now be hibernating for the next few weeks studying my brains out...! Good luck on this and any other AP's to whomever that may apply!

Open Prompts. Part Two

Prompt:
  In Kate Chopin's The Awakening (1899), protagonist Edna Ponteiller is said to possess "
That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions." In a novel or play that you have studied, identify a character who outwardly conforms while questioning inwardly. Then write an essay in which you analyze how this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid mere plot summary.

   In Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Guildenstern carries on the role expected of him by the court yet he has a longing to understand his true purpose and asks many philosophical questions. This tension strains Guildenstern throughout the novel and contributes greatly to the overall meaning by displaying one's struggle to have control over their life and touches on the differences between life and art. Stoppard clearly demonstrates outward conformity and inner struggles by exaggerating the character's confusion differentiating between their acting roles and their true purposes contributing to the theme of life versus art.
  Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were summoned by the court to complete a mission uncovering the cause of Hamlet's madness, however along their journey the characters often question what their true purpose and meaning in life is. Guildenstern is the main leader along this journey and although he seems to be more aware of what is going on than Rosencrantz, it's clear he is still lost when it comes to his understanding of life. Guildenstern knows it is important to obey the court and finish the task at hand, however he can't help but wonder about his destiny and who controls it. This questioning doesn't stop Guildenstern from guiding Rosencrantz and for the most part keeping them on track but he often proposes philosophical life questions that demonstrates he has feelings of uneasiness. He often gets confused and becomes unsure of the world around him, yet he still knows that he is an actor and must fulfill his role. Guildenstern asks questions of life and death and who has control of one's fate. These questions not only confuse Guildenstern but also invoke the reader's minds.
   Throughout the novel, it is clear to the readers that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's fate is set and they have no chance of avoiding it, however, Guildenstern's struggle with this concept demonstrates the idea of life and art. In life people are able to control and choose their fate, whereas in art one's fate is predetermined and one is not able to control and change what happens. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are an example of being a part of a piece of art, their destiny was chosen for them and not they are just along for the ride. The character's do not taken action but instead many things tend to just happen to them. Guildenstern represents people in general having a need and desire to know their true meaning of life and what their purpose is. In reality their is not a way to conclude what life and art each mean, however Stoppard does a good job of presenting this question and greatly his intrigues his audience with his use of confused and pondering characters to hint at his opinions.

Ceremony Summary & Anaylsis

Ceremony
Published May, 1977

Author: Leslie Marmon Silko

  Leslie was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and is part Laguna Pueblo, Anglo American, and Mexican American. She grew up in a Laguna preservation and as a result learned much about the culture. Her grandmother, aunt, and grandfather shared with her many stories of the Laguna tribe. She went to a Catholic School in Albuquerque, University of New Mexico, and eventually Law School until she decided to pursue her literary career.

Setting: A Laguna Reservation that lies between Albuquerque and Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Characters:

•  Tayo - the protagonist that struggles with finding where he belongs. He believes in the Laguna culture but is concerned about the influence of Whites. He does not have strong family relationships, his mother and father left him at a young age so he was taken in by his Grandma and Auntie. 
• Night Swan - the mysterious woman Josiah falls in love with. One of the first Mexican woman to appear in the novel, she symbolizes the relation of whites and the Laguna culture.
• A Hunter - assists Tayo in two different forms (hunter and animal) to help capture the cattle.
• The Woman - incarnated as Ts'eh, appears a few times throughout Tayo's ceremony to guide and warn him. 
• Descheeny - Betonie's grandfather who created a ceremony to collaborate Mexican and Native American cultures in hopes of fixing the damage created by the whites. 
• Auntie - Tayo's aunt and oldest of her siblings, and therefore has a responsibility of running the family and keepings things in order. However, she has gone out of her way to exclude Tayo and although she took him after the disappearance of his mother, she doesn't treat him anything like how she treats her own children. 
• Grandma - Tayo's grandma and head of the family. She gives support to Tayo by bringing him to the medicine men or advising him when needed. 
• Betonie - the medicine man that guides Tayo through his ceremony.
• Josiah - Tayo's uncle and reasoning behind Tayo's journey. Josiah acts somewhat as a mentor to Tayo by teaching him of the Laguna traditions, he also acts as father like figure and includes Tayo in the family. Josiah also strays from tradition when he falls in love with Night Swan, who convinces him to raise a herd of Mexican cattle. 
• Harley - Tayo's long time friend. Harley is not as affected by the war as Tayo is but becomes an alcoholic and often times tries to influence Tayo to drink with him.
• Rocky- Tayo's cousin and new brother. Rocky signed up for war with Tayo but unfortunately dies during the war. 
• Emo - grew up with Tayo but has always criticized him for being mixed race. Emo has always had a short temper but it only grows worse after the war, he becomes an alcoholic and eventually gains a hatred so large for Tayo that he begins to hunt him.
• Pinkie - old friend of Tayo but is also a big drinker. He eventually is betrayed by Emo and is killed. 

Plot:

•    3 poems start off the story, one of the women Ts'its'tsi'nako declaring this is a retelling of her story. The second is called "Ceremony" which elaborates on the rituals of the ceremony. The third is "What she said" which states the only good cure is a ceremony.
• Tayo has a flashback of the Japanese soldiers that he was ordered to murder during WWII and imagines Josiah's face on one of them. 
• Tayo has returned to the war after 6 years, he has no immediate family left and now lives with her aunt. There is a severe drought that Tayo believes was brought when he prayed for the rain to stop while Rocky was dying in the Philippines.
• When Tayo returns to New Laguna from the hospital, he can't escape his trauma of the war, especially because Auntie still changes Rocky and Josiah's beds and when shed does Tayo sleeps in Rocky's bed. 
• Tayo is upset from the war and has many feelings of guilt so grandma advises he goes to a medicine man.
• Ku'oosh, the medicine man, tells Tayo can be helped if he performs a ceremony or else he will forever be haunted. However these ritual haven't always worked since the whites have prevailed. 
• Tayo has a flashback of a moment by the river with Josiah and he mentioned to him that droughts only occur when people "forget."
• He has another flashback with Rocky when he was gutting a deer. Tayo was practicing the old ways and covered the deers eyes, while Rocky was not as considerate and less concerned with the old ways because he and grandma believe the only way to succeed now is by the way of the whites. 
• Most of Tayo's friends who went to war have become alcoholics and one of them, Harley kept giving drinks to Tayo. Meanwhile the others were teasing him, Tayo became furious and broke a bottle and stabbed Emo. (Emo = witch, Tayo = sun-father)
• Drinking at the bar another night, Emo again infuriates Tayo causing him to lunge at him and be taken away by cops. 
• Tayo signed up for the army because Rocky did, hoping to further bond and have brother-like relationship.
• Tayo has a flashback regarding Josiah's cattle (represent clouds); Josiah believed they were a good investment because they were a mixed breed and could survive well in the desert. However they eventually escaped and headed south (captured by the gambler). 
• Josiah fell in love with Night Swan who Auntie believed was a disgrace.
• Tayo goes on a ride in the morning and performs concocting rituals and prays for the rain. It rains the following day.  
• Tayo visits another medicine man, Betonie, who encourages Tayo to perform the ceremony but warns that he must alter it so that it fits the new and coming ways. 
• Betonie performs a ceremony on Tayo which erases the memories of the Japanese.  
• Betonie tells a story of his grandfather Descheeny and his discovery with a Mexican women that they must create a ceremony to save people from the white's destruction. 
• Tayo meets a women and becomes the happiest he has been. He then takes off again to find the cattle; taking Betonie's advice and following the stars to the woman and now up the mountain.
• Finally Tayo finds the cattle in a white mans corral. Tayo breaks but can't find the cattle. A mountain lion appears and leaves behind helpful tracks. 
• Tayo leads the cattle out of the corral but is captured by the patrol but ditch him when they see the mountain lion tracks. 
• Tayo meets a hunter and head to the woman's house who has captured the cattle.
• Tayo comes back to the house with Robert but the women and hunter are gone but the cattle well taken care of. 
• The woman tells Tayo she is the Monta-o (mountain/part of the land)
• The woman also warns him that Emo and police are after him and that he should hide but be wary of Emo's determination. 
• Tayo hides but eventually hitches a ride with Laroy and Harley who are actually taking him to Emo. Tayo escapes again to a Uranium mine and understands this is the last part of the ceremony.
• Tayo watches Emo, Pinkie, and Leroy torcher Harley but resists saving him when a strong wind comesand alerts him. 
• Tayo gathers the final plants that the woman requested.
• Sitting in the kiva Tayo speaks to Ku'oosh and some elders discussing the ceremony. They then chant and perform the ending of the ceremony. 
• Harley and Leroy were found dead but honored for their military duties, Emo runs away to California, and Pinkie was killed by Emo.
• Auntie begins to treat Tayo like family. 
• A concluding poem states that the witchery is gone for now but has a tone of warning. 

Motifs:

• Wind
• Eyes
• Stomach
• Cattle
• Direction
• Colors - esp. yellow

Author's Style:

    Perspective:
 - This story is mostly told in the perspective of Tayo's reactions and emotions.
 - There are some times when the paralleled story is mentioned and emphasizes the outcome of the ceremony.
    Tone:
 - Changes several times. At times it was hopeful because Tayo was trying to save himself and complete the ceremony to better things.
 - Other times it was dreary because Tayo was depressed from the war and things would continually go against him.
    Imagery:
 - The land was often times described in great detail, adding to its significance.
 - The character's appearances were usually described in great detail, usually focusing on the eyes and skin color. This drew a further separation between the different races.
 - The spots on the cattle were necessary to show they represent the clouds.

Quotes:

1) "They are afraid...they think that if their children have the same color of skin, the same color of eyes, that nothing is changing...they are fools. they blame us, the ones who look different. That way they don't have to think about what has happened inside themselves" (92). Night Swan --> Tayo
  I think this quote is significant because not only does it show the separation of whites and the Laguna people but it is also a way of Silko digging at whites and their inability to accept other cultures.
 
2) "He trampled the ants with his boots, and he kicked dirt over the seeds and pulp" (57).
   The significance of Emo squashing the melon and then the ants goes to prove he was evil before the war and supports he is a witch. He is not caring and does not follow the Laguna traditions.

Theme:

   In Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony, it is suggested that adopting and blending cultures is the best way to avoid destruction and promote human unity.
  Silko supports this statement many times throughout the book by providing examples such as the cattle that go to prove that hybrids essentially survive better than pure breeds. Tayo, also being a hybrid also goes to prove this because he performs the ceremony and is ultimately the sun father, having many more powers than others to do so. Silko demonstrates that it is necessary to not only live at peace with other cultures but to accept and adapt aspects of it but still valuing one's original culture. 

Response to Course Material

I have to say this month has been one of the most productive of the year! We have finished Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead which indeed was confusing, however after many days of discussing it in class and reading several articles on it, I think I can finally say I have a good grasp of it and all that happened. Throughout the novel Stoppard used many double meanings and modern techniques that contributed to the overall confusion of the play, however, once we worked through these obstacles it was easier to see what it all meant. Overall modern art is usually difficult to determine an exact meaning of the work, although all art can be interpreted differently, modern art tends to have a  unique challenge to it. The prezi we watched of Fountain by Marcel Duchamp was very interesting. The different opinions of the many spectators was very intriguing for just one simple piece of so called "art." Similar to Duchamp, Stoppard also brought up the question, what is art after all? Can anything be art? After watching this video and thinking back on my experiences at modern art museums, I'm not sure after all we've learned that I would look at the art work the same way. In the past when I have gone to these exhibits I have criticized and rolled my eyes at many simple pieces of "art" that didn't reach my expectations, however now I look back and rethink many of the things I originally dismissed for being uncreative. I think most of the time when I didn't like the art it was because I didn't see the social issue/subject it was applying to overall. I think that was Duchamp's and Stoppard's goal from the beginning, I think although both of their pieces are so simple they meant for their messages and deeper meanings to reach to the people...kinda crazy to think about.
   Anyways, Ros & Guild was a good time and I'm glad I got to experience that, I think we could've discussed it for the rest of the year, however we have to move on...and so on to the next great thing, Ceremony. We haven't done too much with this yet and still have a bit to go, I think this is interesting so far, but I am looking forward to reading on so it'll be more of a complete picture. It's pretty confusing right now too but I think the subject and time era of it is a very important and interesting time of American History. I'm excited to finish it and further discuss it in class! We have also done so more close reading practice, this has been helpful but as always, more practice is always helpful but I think slowly but surely I am getting the hang of it. We also spent some time applying different critical lenses to the previous works we have read. I found this super interesting, especially when we applied it to outside works. There were so many movies and books that I once believed to be romances or tradgedies but after further analyzing them turned out mostly to be ironies.
   That's all for now! Enjoy your the rest of your day! And get pumped for Spring Break!!!! IT'S SO CLOSE!!!!! YAY!!!!

Open Prompts, part Two

2004. Critic Roland Barthes has said, “Literature is the question minus the answer.” Choose a novel, or play, and, considering Barthes’ observation, write an essay in which you analyze a central question the work raises and the extent to which it offers answers. Explain how the author’s treatment of this question affects your understanding of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

   In Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, the question of life vs. art is raised yet not completely answered. Stoppard often hints at the question of people's fate in general, and debates how much control one really has over their life. In one sense, people are able to choose their destiny, however in the other light, people's fate is already written for them and they must do what is planned. Throughout the play, Stoppard differentiates between life and art and the difference in control each permits upon people. 

   Throughout the play, the Player and Guildenstern debate over the ideas of life and art. The Player claims he is well aware of all that is going on around him and doesn't understand why Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are always questioning the order of things and why they are the way they are. The Player claims to be a full time actor and knows his role in life. The Player is also much more aware of the events that are going to occur in the play and has a better understanding of the things happening around him. The Player than demonstrates that if one is aware of their role and their purpose in life, they are much more aware of what is going on around them and are able to make sense of things. The Player then dedicates his life to acting and lives by a philosophy of understanding your role, playing the part well, and pleasing the audience. On the other hand, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern clearly demonstrate that when stuck between two parts it is impossible to truly identify yourself. 

   Several times throughout the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern forget their name and end up switching. Although somewhat different, these characters are very similar and are both extremely confused throughout the duration of the play. They are unaware of their purpose and goal throughout the play and at times even forget who they are and how they came to be. Unlike the Player, they have no idea what is going on and are even unable to foresee their deaths which is so obvious to others. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern represent the idea of having a predestined fate and having no control over what is going to happen. Whereas, the Player also has a predestined fate, however he is aware of it and because of this he is able to continue as an actor and know of all that's going on. His character brings the point and question to mind of the audience, that if we are all actors, are we just doing things in our life to please others. just going through the actions without realizing it?

   The compelling question wondering who is in truly control of our fate is reinforced several times in the play and causes the audience to reevaluate their own lives. Rosencrantz and Guildentstern's constant misunderstanding of their lives intrigues the readers and audience to question how much they are in control their own lives and how of an understanding they have of the world around them. Stoppard doesn't spell out a clear reasoning as to why or how one has control of his or her lives, but he does portray the significance of it and emphasizes the importance of evaluating oneself every now and then.

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Summary & Analysis

Author: Tom Stoppard
   Born in Czechoslovakia, Stoppard is a playwright, in which his themes usually involve human rights, censorship, and political freedom. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern became his first well-known piece and created the term "Stoppardian" referring to the wit and comedy he used while addressing philosophical issues. His use of existentialism, word-playing, and allusion to Hamlet gained him acknowledgement.
   Written in 1964, published in 1967 and won Tony Award for best play in 1968 after being performed on Broadway.

Setting: The entire play takes place on and off of a plain stage, throughout the play this stage represents different locations. Firstly it is a open space in the wilderness, then Elsinore, and then lastly the boat on the way to England. This occurs during the Elizabethan Era which can be concluded from the clothing worn and some of the depictions.

Characters:
   Rosentcrantz- Childhood friend of Hamlet, summoned by the court to find the reasoning of Hamlet's madness. Known as the more oblivious and happier of the two, he is carefree and his aloof attitude essentially represents his fear of his fate.
   Guildenstern- Childhood friend of Hamlet, summoned by the court to find the reasoning of Hamlet's madness. Known to be more analytic, he questions everything but is still not able to easily come to conclusions. He seeks for the meaning of his life and thinks that he has a fairly good grasp and understanding.
   The Player- Leads the Tragedian actors. He's known for his wit, and his awareness of the setting and plot, throughout the play he subtly drops hints of Ros and Guild's fate.
    Tragedians- traveling actors that specialize at dramatic and emotional plays, will perform sexual performances if for the right price and are good at fake dying.
   Hamlet- Prince of Denmark, childhood friend of Ros and Guild. Recently gone mad and others are unaware of the cause. True reasoning is due to his father's recent death (seeks to avenge) and his mother's quick recovery and marriage to his father's brother, Claudius.
   Claudius- Brother to the old Hamlet, now new King of Denmark. Summons Ros and Guild to uncover what is wrong with Hamlet.

Plot:

• Ros and Guild are wandering throughout the woods playing a game of flipping coins. The coin always lands on heads so Ros continues to win, all while Guild considers the rule of probability and the reasoning to this phenomenon. They are on a journey however they cannot remember their task.
• They come across a group of Tragedians. The Player offers to allow Ros and Guild participate in a sexual play, involving the young boy, Alfred, however Ros and Guild are unaware of the Player's intent. Guild invites the Player to play a game of flipping coins and the Player loses and claims he cannot play because the Tragedians don't like the odds. As the Tragedians are leaving Ros grabs the coin and it is tails, saying it was lucky.
• Ros and Guild go to Elsinore where they first witness Ophelia and Hamlet have an argument. They are then welcomed by Claudius. Claudius clarifies that they were sent for to undercover what is wrong with Hamlet and to report it back to him.
• To prepare for meeting Hamlet, Ros and Guild play a game of question and answer, which eventually just confuses them more. They are able to come to the conclusion that Hamlet is upset because his father was murdered and the throne was taken over by his father's brother by marrying Hamlet's mother.
• Ros and Guild meet up with Hamlet, he confuses them with a speech and is interrupted by Polonius announcing the arrival of the Tragedians. Hamlet requests that the players part perform the play the Murder of Gonzago; will portray the situatiom at court. Hamlet then leaves and Ros, Guild, and the Player discuss the reasoning of Hamlet's madness.

• Ros and Guild are alone and Ros brings up the idea of life after death. 
• Ros and Guild overhear Hamlet's soliloquy debating suicide until Ophelia enters, they both exit.
• Hamlet kills polonius and Claudius and Gertrude ask ros and guild to go find the body.
• Ros and guild escort Hamlet on the boat to take him to England. They contemplate what life is and afterlife and afterwards find a letter to be delivered to the king of England that requests the execution of Hamlet. 
• While ros and guild are asleep Hamlet finds the letter and edits it to request the murder of ros and guild instead.
• When ros and guild wake they find the tragedians hiding in barrels running away because Claudius did not like their play. Pirates attack the ship and everyone hides in the barrels.
• The lights go out and the barrel Hamlet was in disappears. Ros and guild reread the letter and are shocked to find what it now says. 
• Ros and guild and the tragedians exit from the barrels and discuss their expertise of dying. Guil stabs the player and he falls to the ground,dead
• A moment later the player rises and everyone is impressed. 
• Ros thinks about why they are condemned to death but eventually gives up and exits. Guild thinks of the messenger who gave the message but then dismisses the thought and claims he'll know better next time and exits.
• The stage is lit and the king of England is announcing the deaths of ros and guild. Dead bodies lie all around the stage and Horatio orders that they are taken care of.

Motifs:

• Lack of identity
• Extientilism
• Death
• Luck/probability
• Games
• Religion

Author's Style:

• Point of View - Told from the view of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two confused men on a mission for the court. Due to their lack of understanding of what is happening around them, this forces the reader to draw conclusions from the characters interactions and subliminal hints from the dialogue and minimum stage directions. 
• Tone - The tone is somewhat dreary and unfortunate. The reader is away that the character's are destined to die but have to suffer through the character's obliviousness to their set fate. The character's often discuss death and the unknown giving a dismal feeling.  
• Imagery - There is not much to say about the imagery. The stage decorations and directions are minimal and bare for the most part, there's only enough to get the basics of what is occurring.
• Symbolism - Several objects and things play an important role as a symbol in this play. Many of the things described by Stoppard may be interpreted in many different ways, each time concluding a different meaning. Some of the symbols that most stood out to me include;
• Money and Coins - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern compare their fate to the probability of the coin game they play. Guild is often scared due to understanding the chances when playing the game and applies it to his own life, hence worrying that their is something unfortunate coming for him. 
• The Boat - Ros and Guild compare death to being like a boat, this is ironic because the readers know that the boat is ultimately going to bring Ros and Guild to their deaths. 
• Wind - The wind, especially in the movie is symbolic for direction and lack of a sense of it. When Ros and Guild are trying to determine which way they came to court they try to use the wind direction to figure it out. Later on the Player claims he knows which way the wind is blowing, therefore also meaning he knows what everything means and what is going on. This shows specifically that Ros and Guild are clueless to what is happening.  

Quotes:

1. In that case, the origin. Trace it so its course and it might give us a rough idea of the way we came in--which might give us a rough idea of south, for further reference (59). This clearly displays that Ros and Guild have no sense of direction or a clear understanding of what is going on. I have an urge to conclude something about the mentioning of the direction South using How to Read Lit...however, I don't think in this case the true meaning would apply.
2. Death followed by eternity...the worst of both worlds. It is a terrible thought. (72). Ros and Guild are completely unaware of their fate, they know they will die eventually but not when. They demonstrate the idea that it is better to live at all and be confused then to face the ultimate worst thing, death. 

Theme Statement: 

    Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead differentiates between life and art and states that in life every person has the power to take control of their life and choose their fate, whereas in art one's fate is already determined and one has no control or ability to choose what happens. 

    Stoppard emphasizes this point many times throughout the play by exaggerating Ros and Guild's confusion and unawareness of what is occurring in their lives and in the world around them. The contrast between 

Ros and Guild and the Player is significant and emphasizes theory of life vs art. The characters are aware they are actor's but when they discuss it they are still confused and not exactly sure what their purposes are. The Player shows how a character acts different when he actually knows what is going to occur. The Character's overall represent people in general having a need and desire to know the meaning of life and what their ultimate purpose is. This a compelling topic, life vs. art, and one is not truly able to come to a conclusion on what each of them mean but Stoppard does a good job of using the confused characters to emphasize his opinion. 

Response to Course Material, (Feb 16th)

    Breaks...breaks...and more breaks! We've had so many breaks and this year is just flying by it's crazy! The last month of so we finally began and finished Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and let me just say...wow. This play is rather humorous but it is also very confusing to peg what the actual meaning is as well as to understand what is just going on in general. I am relieved we finished reading the play before I left for 7th grade camp, because otherwise I am not quite sure I would've been able to unravel and clarify what was actually going on. however, I did find it difficult when returning to 7th grade camp, to understand and be able to contribute to discussion due to being absent as well as missing the film so I was still unclear on many points. Although, luckily as the discussions went on and after we discussed in detail about the article, "The Lecture on Stoppard" I was able to put more things together. It also became evident to me during discussion that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is a much lighter piece than Hamlet and doesn't have as complex of a plot. Also, as some people mentioned, the purpose of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern may have even been to poke fun at Hamlet and prove a point rather than provide to context of the plot. Overall I have enjoyed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and I am somewhat looking forward to doing my close reading on it because I will then be able to further put all the pieces together.
   Recently we have also been working on open prompts as well as w have also done two open prompts 2 now, in which we write the actual essay. And...well..I must say these have been quite a struggle for me. When I do the open prompts as home it seems like a much more causal atmosphere and therefore seems much easier to write the essay. However, I know this is not a realistic scenario for the actual AP and should not get used to it. So far writing the essays hasn't seemed too bad, however now that we have gone in depth about what a good intro consists of I have now realized how awful mine have been thus far. It is quite embarrassing to be frank. When we did the intro paragraph practice in class I found this to be extremely stressful and probably my most awful work. I don't know exactly why, but when we did this I completely just froze up and wasn't able to think of how a intro should be structured or how to even create a good prompt. Like Ms. Holmes mentioned though, that is how much pressure there will be on the actual exam day so i know doing exercises like that will help me in the long run. I hope next time though I  feel better and more prepared, it was a bit overwhelming the first time. I need much more practice on intro's but I know by exam time I am going to feel much more prepared with my peers and Ms. Holmes help.
  Well, that's all for now! I hope everyone has a wonderful President's Day Weekend and I will see you all back on Wednesday! Only a few more weeks till Spring Break...yeaaa...just let that sink in. :)