Response to Material, 1

      This year has gotten off to a great start. Going into this class I was very intimidated and nervous, mostly due to seniors last year saying the work load is a lot. However, starting off this year I have found the work load to be very reasonable, I think this is mainly because whatever the homework is over I feel we do a good job covering in class.
       The first week I was a little confused about the class however. When we did the analysis of the two paintings, I was unsure of what I was supposed to get out of that activity. However, as we began to discover deeper meanings I realized it was necessary to spend that much time observing. The deep meanings we got out of those pictures was amazing, like the fact the people were standing in order of their classes, who would've guessed! If there's anything I can say about this class, it is that it has definitely blown my mind far more times than any other lit class I have had before! This is something I've really enjoyed. In previous years when I know there is going to be a discussion day in lit class, I have always dreaded it, but this year I have enjoyed it so much more, especially since it has exposed me to so many new ideas.
        Before this class, when I would try to look for any of the DIDLS elements I would usually struggle and become frustrated with myself. This was mainly because when I would try to find something such as the theme or hidden symbols, mine wouldn't always match what the teacher or other students would say and therefore, I would always think I was wrong. Luckily, this class has taught me that in literature, there is not one true meaning or perfect answer, but instead there are several. Of course some may be a little more far fetched than others, but that still doesn't mean they are wrong. I think I really started to appreciate this realization when we started to discuss the American Dream. Our discussions at first consisted of ideas that were more generic and seemed to be what you would find on Spark notes under Symbols/Themes. However, after a few days, ideas began to start flowing and new ideas came from all different angles. I think this was such a great experience to be able to hear everyone's ideas, for they would often connect some of mine. I have taken a lot out of the group discussions so far and am looking forward to more in the future.
      Another reason why I feel more comfortable with identifying DIDLS elements in literature is because of all the practice we have done. At first I thought this practice was unnecessary and repetitive, however, I began to realize it was actually helping once I found it easier to successfully identify theses items. Another helpful activity was when we analyzed previous years students essay responses. This was helpful to see how students similar to myself have grown so far in this class and are capable of pulling so much out of a reading, this gives me hope that one day I will get to a higher level and be able to score highly on the essay.
       I am really look forward to this class and have already gotten so much out of it, I hope by the end I am an expert at finding themes and symbols, which once a upon a time used to be nearly impossible for me!

Open Prompts, Part One

2005 Student Answer's to Question #2

Sample 2A:
      This essay is very impressive, the student thoroughly answers the prompt by using many detailed examples of how the author, Katharine Brush, uses literary devices to make her point. It is made clear that Brush's objective is to show how a "man's lack of interest in every-day ordinary people" is a common and depressing issue, for Brush addresses this idea in the introduction and conclusion. The student goes on to describe how the reader is placed "in a state of increasing dismay and depressing curiosity" due to Brush's repetitive use of the word "you." The student is very insightful and does a very good job of showing how Brush's diction choices played a large role in setting the mood of this short story. Also, a good explanation of Brush's imagery helps to show how symbolic some things are such as the woman's hat and the birthday cake. The student did a good job of picking out these symbols and how Brush's descriptions have deeper meanings. Overall, this student does a good job of showing their understanding of this short story through their descriptions of literary devices as well as their observations that demonstrate deep interpretations. This essay does a good job of maintaining focus and directly answering the prompt, it is well written and deserves to be scored highly.

Sample 2B:
       This student starts out very strongly when describing some of the authors use of literary devices, however, as the essay goes on, the student struggles to keep this strong point and is not as as persuasive. The student goes into detail about the irony present in the short story and describes how this irony allows the reader to pick up on the wife's unhappiness and sadness in her relationship. The student also does a good job of explaining how the change in point of view in the second paragraph played a role on the reader's feelings. However, I think when describing this change, they used a good example but then were a little repetitive with their point. The student just rephrased their idea in many different ways, this was good at emphasizing the point, but is it was also unnecessary. For instance, the student stated twice that the reader felt like "a spectator at this event." I think instead of restating a few ideas several times, the student should have touched on some of the other elements of the story to show they have a deeper understanding of the story. Overall, this was a good essay, but my main critique is to focus a little more on their interpretations.

Sample 2C:
        This student does a good job of explaining the author's purpose and the feelings that are developed among the reader, however, many other points are not highlighted and therefor offers a narrow analysis. This student did not emphasize enough any other literary devices other than the author creating emotion for the reader by using "a sympathetic outside narrator and touching details to evoke this sympathy from the reader." This point is stated in a similar manner several times throughout the essay which is not necessary. The student's observations and comments stayed primary on the surface of the short story and failed to show that they had a deep understanding. This student touched a little on the diction choice and uses some examples but again ties them back to the sympathetic feeling from the reader. The sympathy and feelings the reader felt throughout the story were well emphasized but did not describe any other literary devices used by the author in good detail. 

A Close Reading of Parents Left Behind

Article from: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/low_concept/2013/09/school_jargon_for_parents_i_can_t_understand_what_my_child_s_teacher_is.html

        In Dahlia Lithwick's article Confession: I Have no Idea What My Child's School is Even Talking About, she discusses her fear of not knowing what is going on her fifth graders school system. School systems have changed a lot over the years, and unfortunately, not all parents are caught up with the new ways. Through her use of diction, syntax, and language she explains her fear of being a "failing parent."
        Lithwick's word choice helps create an edge to her argument and emphasizes her point that parents are failing to keep up with their children's education. She gets to the point when mentions her son's open house, "if last night's open house at my son's middle school was any indication of the inexorable decline of the American parent, we are truly doomed." Rather than just saying decline, her use of "inexorable" adds a more dramatic effect. Lithwick goes on to describe her concern and describes her "lost-ness." Her use of this word shows that she felt very unfamiliar and uncomfortable at her son's school. "Lost-ness" doesn't seem to be a word that is often used in a more formal writing, however in this article it does a good job of portraying Lithwick's confusion. Lithwick chooses words that clearly show her sense of frustration and disappointment in herself due to the fact she thinks she is a "failing parent."
         Lithwick also uses syntax to help show her fear. Several times Lithwick uses shorter sentences: ""Un-levelling." We do that now. And "fitnessgram testing?" Possibly the new un-leveling" and "A pen." These fragmented sentences add a more sarcastic tone and show her irritation in a forceful manner. Lithwick also uses conjunctions at the beginning of sentences sometimes to help make connections of ideas clear. For example, "As a parent you'd strive to show your child's teachers that they were inheriting your charming young scion and listen attentively to their plans for the year. But at this year's back to school night for my fifth-grader, I think it's fair to say that I failed on every single testable metric." Lithwick's use of "but" connects the idea of what she expected to happen at the open house, and what really happened. Lithwick's use of syntax played a large role in showing her frustration and irritation with the new ways of her son's school system.
        Lastly, Lithwick's language helps generates feelings that would've otherwise been absent. For example, she discusses how she was unprepared for the open house and then goes on to say "all of these minor failings were soon swallowed up by a completely and total inability to show mastery of either curriculum or academic goals." Obviously she does not mean they were literally "swallowed up" but instead she means they were outweighed the other issues. Her use of figurative language helps demonstrate her hopelessness that may not have been as obvious before.
       Lithwick uses rhetoric to help explain the problems modern day parents face with their child's education. Lithwick thinks this is a fixable problem but it will take some time. She uses diction, syntax, and language to emphasize her points and get her concern across to the readers.