PROPAGANDA: The Wand of Tempests Synopsis

Their demons are coming. 

Three months have passed since the Persdels attacked Elcalore. The Sword of Flame remains safe in Kentrel hands. As the team finds ways to preoccupy themselves in the stagnancy, the game just seems to have reached a standstill. Until that careful peace comes crashing down once more.

Unopposed towards his throne of godhood, Leith Resinine draws closer to Zale by his impending marriage to Aquarius and a mysterious, ancient connection between the two of them. Alvara and Bryke work from the shadows of the war, their goals unknown, their presence both feared and wanted. And amid this darkness, Teeter meets the people that begin to show her the truth behind what is right and wrong, what is black and white, and the origins of it all.

Faced with a melting city, journals of the past, and the greatest of ultimatums,  the team must decide where they stand before everything they know disappears. And hell swallows them whole.

PROPAGANDA: The Sword of Flame Synopsis

Lost to the shadows, lost to the darkness. 

The Orb of Tides is gone, along with the girl that held everything together. But contrary to it all, things are far from frozen. The pieces are starting to gather. The game is beginning to move once more. And with the disappearance of Alvara, there is nothing to stop the turbulence from sweeping everyone away.

A meeting of the Five Families has been called--the first in centuries--forcing choices on those that cannot make them. Zale struggles with his sudden responsibilities as the new Kentrel heir. Dan fights to accept Clarity as his sister, all the while searching for a way to free Aquarius from their mother. Teeter continues her search for Seth and an answer to the voices in her head. And Aquarius works to unravel the secrets and sins of the flawless, unaware of the growing danger she is getting herself in.

The more secrets, the more questions. But as they search for the answers, they must take care to watch their backs. Before they get lost to the darkness as well.

Blog Post #20: Food and Identity

Access the Glog here.

Rebecca Horton states, “By participating in a meal, we participate in a moment, an experience, a sliver of life.”

When my family walks into a Chinese restaurant, we’re always handed a menu where General Tso’s chicken and egg rolls aren’t even listed as items. Instead we can order cow tripe, jellyfish, and pork kidneys. This is known as the authentic menu. I prefer calling it the “secret” menu.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like a race-activated sort of deal. You don’t need a special password. But while for others it might just be an interesting change in taste, for me it’s a reminder of my cultural heritage and of course, my own family’s secret menu.

Kao fu—or “baked spongy gluten”—has been a trademark dish of our dinner table for as long as I can remember. I grew up eating it, a mixture of the above food, various fungi, and bamboo shoots. It’s also incredibly Shanghainese, where my mom grew up as a child. So Shanghainese that most of my Chinese friends have never heard of it and I rarely find it in Chinese restaurants that aren’t labeled as such. In fact, almost one-hundred percent of the time, I eat it on my own dinner table.

I did find it one time in a Wal-Mart in the Xinjiekou of Nanjing. About eight years old at the time, I was shopping with my grandparents. I exclaimed in delight upon seeing one of my favorite dishes, all freshly cooked and steaming hot. My mouth was already watering.

We bought a gigantic batch to take home. Walking down the busy streets, getting on the bus—all I could think of was that beautiful plastic bag of goodies just waiting for me. Come dinner, and I was digging in already, shoving chopsticks-fuls into my mouth but taking the time to chew and savor the taste.

It was delicious—but something was off. Was it too salty? Maybe too sweet? Or too chewy? It wasn’t like I didn’t enjoy it or anything; it just felt different. Then I realized—it wasn’t the same as my family’s version. It was like putting a generic piece of chocolate in a Hershey’s wrapper.

Looking back on it, I think food’s an integral part of growing up. It tells a lot about where you lived as a kid, what kind of family you were raised in, and maybe even what kind of person you were then. For me, kao fu is a story of my grandparents, my mother’s side of the family, and on a broader scale, my identity as a Chinese American. Even the preparation process strays from normal recipes; it’s devoid of measured amounts and serving sizes as the authentic Chinese cooking style isn’t dependent upon that.

In Culture, Food, and Identity, Sidney Mintz states, “Food habits […] are normally learned early”, meaning a strong part of our childhoods stems from the food we eat.  Food creates that hidden background, that family story—it’s a home you can always go back to, and anything different from it, even if it’s the same dish, is like living in someone else’s house.  As Horton states, “Share a home-cooked meal with a friend, and in the process you may learn a thing or two about who they are and what makes them tick – something that words alone might never articulate.”

Everyone has their own tale to tell.

Everyone has their own secret menu.

Works Cited

Claxton, Mervyn. Culture, Food, and Identity. n.d. Web. 9 December 2013. <http://www.normangirvan.info/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/culturefood-and-identity-6.pdf>.

Horton, Rebecca. Food and Identity: The Stories Behind the Foods We Crave. 16 October 2009. Web. 9 December 2013. <http://www.curatormagazine.com/rebeccahorton/food-and-identity-the-stories-behind-the-foods-we-crave/>.

Reichl, Ruth. Tender at the Bone. Random House, 1998. Web. 9 December 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/books/first/r/reichl-tender.html>.

Blog Post #19: The Rainbow Timed Essay

PART I: Essay

A soft bed, a full stomach - even with these, at times people are never happy with what they have. In The Rainbow, D. H. Lawrence pictorializes the life of a Brangwen woman in the rural countryside; through contrasting diction, repetition, and parallelism that captures the woman's inner desires, and through the idea of the vicar as a symbol of knowledge, Lawrence expresses the woman's wish to live and know beyond what she already has, even if her current life is a good one.

The paradox created in describing life on the farm sets the tone for a separation between the men and the woman. The split is immediate from the beginning, when Lawrence specifically notes that the farm was "enough for the men". This shows the difference in opinions between the men and the woman, even if what the woman thinks is not explicitly stated. Also, the work on the farm is "warmth and generating" but also "pain and death", nouns that would normally not go together when describing a fruitful life, "full and surcharged". This contrast creates a split between what the readers expects and what is true in the passage, foreshadowing the split between what the woman has versus what she wants. This is further emphasized through the repetition in the imagery leading up to the second paragraph. Despite having "senses full fed" and "faces always turned [...] into the sun", which seems like an ideal life, the woman "wanted another form of life". This shows that even though she had much, probably more than most, she wanted something new, something fresh.

The woman's desires continue to be emphasized through parallelism that describes her viewpoint on life, which again separates her from the men. "She stood...she faced..." - this buildup of what she wants shows her inner desires of a "magic land" beyond "the scope of man". Parallelism also serves as a compare and contrast method in which her looking "outwards" is matched with the men looking "inwards", showing that she could see and want things that the others in her family don't. This is again shown when she looks for "the activity of man in the world" while her husband looks for the "sky and harvest and beast and land", exemplifying their different views on what life should bring. Through this, Lawrence continues to express that woman's woeful desires to what she does not have despite her normally fulfilling life.

Through the symbol of the elusive and mysterious vicar, the woman's desire for knowledge is expressed - her true desire in a life of bliss and ignorance. The magic of the vicar is shown at the beginning of the third paragraph, moving "in worlds beyond" and speaking a language of "finer bearing". This is followed by the woman's realization that she could "perceive, but could never attain" what the vicar had. All of these descriptions serve to create the vicar as a symbol of what the woman wants. Lawrence continues to build upon this symbol through the comparing of the vicar to the woman's husband. The vicar had "a quickness and a range of being" that made her husband seem "dull and local". The use of "range" and "local" here shows her desire to escape the confines of the comfortable life she knew and explore the unknown. By doing so, the woman strives for knowledge, shown when the vicar is described as having "power over her husband". In a time where the male head was the dominant figure in the household, it would be strange for something else to be above him. Such is the power of the vicar, which was "not money, nor power, nor position" that placed him above the woman's husband. So the woman wonders why, and decides it "a question of knowledge", which now shows that the vicar is a symbol for knowledge and the woman's quest for knowledge. This is ultimately what she wants in order to see beyond her family life.

The Rainbow is a story, a quest, for the beyond - being where one hasn't been before, knowing what one doesn't already know, and escaping what one currently exists in. Lawrence effectively captures this desire for a woman of the Brangwen family by contrasting imagery of her normal life and emphasizing what more she wanted. The ultimate conclusion he makes at the end of the passage is that without knowledge, venturing on is not possible. Without knowledge, the woman cannot fulfill her quest for the beyond.

PART II: Reflection

What was your initial essay score? Using the language of the rubric, why did your peer score your essay in this way? Do you agree or disagree? Why? 

My initial essay score was a 7. My peer, Alisa, scored it this way because while it offered a persuasive argument, it lacked the complexity that strengthened the analysis to a 8-9 score. The argument was fairly straight forward and missed some of the main ideas presented, such as the repetition of "knowledge" and the symbolism behind the earth and blood. Otherwise, the ideas were stated clearly, and the text was clearly referenced for support. Because my essay had more sophisticated language and more consistent command of the elements of effective composition, it was separated from being scored a 6. I agree with her score because I knew that I did not have the complexity it needed from the moment I finished. The essay could use a lot more improvement, especially in developing the symbols and devices I did not use to describe the woman's situation. 

After researching D. H. Lawrence, discussing his concept of "blood knowledge", reading through the "Prose Passage" chapter in 5 Steps to a 5, participating in class discussion, and norming the essays from 1-9, discuss what you would do to improve this essay.

One of the biggest things I can do to improve this essay is to support my argument with some of the missing symbols and/or devices. In class we talked about the use of the earth and blood in the passage and what they represented. We also talked the repetition of knowledge. I missed a lot of these ideas in my own essay so by including them would be a good step for improvement. I also lacked a lot of the complexity that came with these ideas and the themes in D. H. Lawrence's writing. The men's contentment versus the woman's desires, conception and creation, facing in and out, the symbolism behind the vicar - these are all of the things I could have incorporated in my discussion of the woman's situation. 

Another thing I can do to improve my essay, especially as a technique for future essays, is to delegate my time wisely. The 5 Steps to a 5 had specific times for accomplishing different things. I think that if I used more time to analyze the passage and write margin notes, I would have created a better essay in a shorter amount of time since I would have known what exactly I would be writing about. I would have also realized more of the complexity hidden in the text. Managing my time is definitely something I need to work on.

After norming the essays, I did feel much better about my own essay, as I was on the right track for a lot of it. However, I did realize that I could update my personal mind thesaurus, as well as practice having quicker access to it. Sometimes I would run out of good words at a bad moment or be unable to remember a word on the tip of my tongue. This cost me time as well as sophistication. When I read the 8-9 essays I realized so many words that I could have used but totally forgot. Learning and relearning elevated diction would be a great way to improve my essay. 

Blog Post #18: Final Portfolio Reflection

To view a compiled list of all the pieces of the portfolio, click on the "AP English Portfolio" in the navigation bar above or click here.

One of my favorite pieces from my portfolio is my comparison and contrast essay on The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri. Even though it was an exceedingly long - and perhaps slightly painful - essay to write, I can now look back on it and be proud of all that I have done for it. This was probably one of the assignments I put the most time into, as it was three essays put together into a gigantic project. It was truly the first time I analyzed one scene in such depth. Before I already knew how diction created meaning, but not syntax. Through this essay I learned that. I also continued the process of polishing my formal writing - practice does indeed make perfect - as well as how to incorporate mis en scene analysis into the deeper meaning of the moment. Some strengths of this piece are what is said above - the analysis of syntax and diction and the mis en scene analysis. I am especially proud of the introduction and conclusion paragraphs, where all the sentences flow together and create a rhythm that clicked from the first time. Some weaknesses were that I did not spend as much time as I wanted to on this piece. I believe that there is always room for improvement, and this essay is no exception. The overall argument of the essay could have been more complex and could use some reorganization.

Another one of my favorite pieces from my portfolio is the American Drama Project. This one, like the comparison and contrast essay, took hours upon hours of work and probably overloaded my stress meter. A movie project tends to do that - the scripting, the filming, the retakes, the editing...but even through the storm and stress of all of that, I think it turned out to be one of the best projects I have ever done. The play itself could have been more interesting, perhaps from a different perspective or adaptation rather than the straight text from the script, but I think me and my group members did an excellent job in analyzing the meaning behind the scenes that we chose. I also think that everyone in my group was wonderful in their acting, especially the scenes where we had to memorize the lines. I love how the Criminal Minds-themed introduction turned out; however, it could have also used more work to be just like the actual show, had time permitted. The lighting and camera shakiness could have also been fixed if we had better equipment. Some parts were confusing to viewers unless they had either had seen the play or had a detailed synopsis, so we could have cleared up some things. Truthfully though, I think the biggest thing I learned from this project was how to use Sony Vegas and how to be a better actor. Overall, while it was a lot of work on everyone's part, I think we did a fantastic job!

Participation. This may or may not be the question that shows whether a person is lying or not. Or they could be deceiving themselves. But enough of others, what about me? In terms of group participation I think I put down 100% effort. No, maybe more. For the group presentations at the beginning of the year I did almost all of the analysis work - the theses, the topic sentences, the evidence, etc. While I knew that I needed to let my group members do some of it, those attempts usually ended up in me editing much of their work. I had wonderful group members - that's no lie, but I always had the concern that we weren't doing as well as we could have. Perhaps I am also guilty for logging on at 4 o'clock to chug through the presentation, but I couldn't have waited until 8 o'clock to do it, when most people were online since I have an internet curfew at 10:30 PM (the internet turns off then, which means I have the nagging desire to finish before then in case someone forgot something, or other problems like that). However, for the other projects that required groups/a partner, I believe my workload was considerably lighter. It was nice to have someone else that had a similar work ethic as me, since I worked with people that were also taking three, four AP classes this trimester. 

In terms of class participation I will admit that I could have done better. Many times I knew the answer to a question posed but I just didn't want to raise my hand. I blame it on occasional laziness and lack of motivation, but also on the fact that I wanted other people to get a chance, especially when I had already answered the previous question. I didn't want to overwhelm the discussion either. For papers I think I put in a lot of work, effort, and participation. I asked questions when I had them. I asked for feedback on my argument. When I finished my own essay I would gladly skim through a classmate's and give my editing remarks - which may just be the result of my own fondness for writing. 

Looking back on all that I have accomplished in these 12 weeks, I know that there is still much I have to improve upon. While I did quite well on the final exam (96), which was as exact AP exam, this was only possible with the test corrections. Unfortunately, those are obviously not available on the actual test. I could definitely use more practice on analyzing texts, so I would say that by the end of second trimester I would like to aim to understand Shakespearean and more archaic forms of the English language better. To do this I would like to read at least three poems and do an in-depth analysis on each either during class or on my own (the guidance in the beginning really does help!). I would also like to continue memorizing figurative devices and their meaning as well as understanding how to identify metric lines in poetry - flashcards, flashcards, flashcards...and practice with the poems I analyze of course. 

Although I am quite confident in my writing I would like to improve upon my timed essay skills. I have always been nervous about writing a good essay in a short amount of time, especially since I do have an inkling of perfectionism inside of me that wants to make the essay as good as it can be. I think the best way for me to do this is to gradually shorten the amount of time for each essay that I write. By the end of second trimester I would like to cut it all the way down to the 40 minutes allotted during the actual AP exam. This way I can be fully prepared for the essay writing portion.

The horror stories have been cleared, the rumors about impending doom gone. This first trimester of AP English has turned out to be a lot better than I imagined and is one of the classes I look forward to everyday. It has been a lot more relaxing, especially having it 4th bell, even though analyzing poetry and writing timed essays isn't exactly my activity of choice. I think I gained a lot of insight on analyzing texts and understanding writing themes, things I didn't know how to do before. Now I am excited to hide some of these deeper meanings in my own writing (my book series, to be specific), and what will come next trimester!