Responses to Course Material #1

     For the first week of learning about DIDLS, I learned more about how to find the diction, imagery, detail, and language of a text. With all the practice we did at class, it really helped me to develop the skill. And I was about to find the "DIDL" of "DIDLS" more in depth, not just the brief meaning anymore. I was able to explain what I find and put them to use in the first few essays we did. Even though those essay are very poorly written, but I have put in what I learned to use. Although what we learned in class was helpful. But I have not master how to find the syntax, I would have to work on that a lot more. 

     Analyzing poems and literature are much easier now after the many worksheets we done in class. Diction can be found anywhere, almost every word can be counted as diction. Of course it has to be words that have a meaning. But even words like "life" can mean more than just its basic meaning.

     I thought for a long time that imagery are just a text that makes you think of something, but what I learned in the class is that imagery will create a image. Text like "this cookie is hard like diamond, and rough like sand paper". Thing that create a image in your head is a imagery.

     Detail was easy to find. At least that's what I thought until I was trying to find detail in the text in class. It took me a really long time to figure out what the little detail was. And it is easy to find the detail of a big text. but reading sentence by sentence finding the detail is really hard.

     Language was not that hard to learn. We have been learning figurative language since 8th grade. It was just a matter of putting them into writing. But I think with more practice in the class, I can do a even better job at putting figurative language to use.

Open Prompt #1

2002. Morally ambiguous characters -- characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good — are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which a morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

       Ambiguous characters are often the key to the entire story. Without them the main character cannot succeed in their quest. Ambiguous characters are neither entirely good or bad so without them there won’t be such an entertaining conflict between good and evil. All Harry Potter fans would tell you that Snape is an ambiguous character, J.K. Rowling uses diction to show that Snape often seems evil but does all the good things that helps Harry to succeed.

       Like in the first book, during the Quidditch game with Slytherin, everyone thought it was Snape that was making Harry’s nimbus 2000 go crazy. And everyone though that Snape was the one that wanted the Sorcerer’s Stone. But in the end we find out that Snape was the good character that was saving Harry Potter, and trying to protect the Sorcerer’s Stone.

      J.K. Rowling was careful with her diction, causing Snape to “seem like the type” that would do evil things. And therefore no one expected to see that Quirrell was actually the one that wanted to get Harry killed. The way Rowling characterize her characters made no one to “suspect p-p-poor, st-stuttering P-Professor Quirrell.”

      Ambiguous characters are very important. They make the story more interesting by confusing the readers. Making readers to think one way at the beginning but conclude in another way. In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series Snape always seem like he is the evil character. But in the very last book we found out that Snape has been helping Harry Potter all along.

Close Reading #1

9/11 Recalled — Kabul

By SHARIFULLAH SAHAK

http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/911-recalled-kabul/?scp=1&sq=911&st=cse

      

     In this passage, I feel a strong sense, that Sharifullah wants "peace and   prosperity" for the citizens of Afghanistan. The love toward her country, the liking toward the "new and democratic" government, and the hate towards all the "killings and bloodshed" was attributed by the author. As an outside viewer and someone that was not within the country when 9/11 happened. I felt a strong motive from the author, a thirst for wanting to know more in depth with the tragedy. Wanting to understand more of what had happened that could have made Afghanistan a democratic country. And how the incidence "changed" her life, and gave the refugee "hope and wishes", creating a "comfortable" feeling for them. 

     Things I have noticed. 

Diction: 

   The author used "weapons" as to explain that back then before the 9/11 Afghanistan uses firearms to solve everything. Not so much a "democratic" government.

   The hoping and wishing to live a "normal" life. There could be many interpretation of the word "normal". But right here, the author mean to say, a life where they can get electricity, water, money for food, and mostly no killing.

   The author said "Where you have peace you have human life". "Peace" is such a beautiful word that sounds like everything is in harmony. But really the author said where "peace" is, is where you have "life". The kind of life that most people want. Especially when wars are surrounding us.

Language:

   She said "bad", as in horrible, awful, condition not fit for human being. She saw senior governors working in hotels and clean stuff.

     Sharifullah Sahak is a very talented journalist who lives in Afghanistan. She really pulled me into the passage. I have a very brief knowledge on what happened after the 9/11 attack. The attack itself was pretty well known though. Hearing stories from American is intriguing, but it doesn't bring the  perceive of reality. 

     Her Diction and Language use can really grab readers and making readers want to know more of what is going on.