Self Search

When I search "Patrick Fraire" the first things that come up are profiles of other Patrick Fraires on websites such as Reunion.com and mylife.com. When I scroll through the first couple of links I find my Myspace and Facebook profiles. I also found a couple Youtube videos of me. Besides Facebook, Myspace, and Youtube I didn't find anything else that applied to me.

Thinking Outside the Box

Both Sartre and Plato provide an interseting perspective on human thinking. Its obvious that both philosophers know how to "think outside the box."

In Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," he expresses that we, as humans, are like chained up prisoners confined to a cave. We are completely oblivious to the world outside our cave. So anything that is real, in our minds, is in the cave. Nothing else exists. Plato is suggesting that the reality we are subject to is false. There is a better, more accurate reality out there that we cannot acquire due to the chains of the human mind. A solution to the problem would be avoiding the conventional thinking that society so easily accepts. Critical and abstract thinking can break through the chains that are confining us to society's modern day cave.

AP Term

Monologue

A monologue is an extended speech in which a single person speaks alone. Monologues can be found in plays, short stories, novels, or narrative poems. When I hear this term, I immediately think of the play Hamlet. Hamlet delivered many soliloquies throughout the play, but they can also be interpreted as monologues.
Almost all of his genuine thoughts and emotions are contained in his speeches. Therefore, the characterization of Hamlet is dependent on monologues.

The Grapes of Wrath

1. A drought hits Oklahoma and forces many of its natives to migrate to California in order to find work. The dust bowl destroyed families crops and homes. Tom Joad is traveling to his families home in Oklahoma. When he arrives, the land is abandoned. His family left in search of work. Tom meets up with them and joins them in their expedition. The Joad family quickly realizes this isn't going to be easy. Many families are in their same situation and desperate for work. With all the migrants, there is little work available by the time the family arrives in california. Some of the family members find work on a peach orchard and work for low wages.

The Big Question

How is emerging technology enabling us to use all of our senses to experience and think about concepts and objects in remote locations?

Performative Utterance and Self-Over hearing In Hamlet

“Certain language does not merely describe action but acts in being spoken.” Performative utterance obtains a huge impact in the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. It means to not only state something, but to alter reality through the statement. Hamlet's performative utterance keeps his intentions consistent.
As a character in the play, Hamlet not only participates in performative utterance and self-overhearing, he influences the plot and other characters through them. The recitation of Hamlet’s several soliloquies constitutes action. His speech actually creates action and changes reality. There is not always an immediate product. Through self-overhearing, Hamlet kept his plans for revenge alive. The impact of self-overhearing is displayed through Hamlet’s ability to remain consistent in his intentions of killing Claudius. Every time he discussed his emotions and intent for revenge, he made those feelings more and more permanent in his memory. He made the hatred for his uncle impossible to forget. Hamlet’s language therefore altered reality through his soliloquies. Despite behind with-held from the other characters, his speeches affected the lives of the others. While seeking revenge on Claudius, Hamlet unintentionally killed Ophelia’s father Polonius. If his own self-overhearing didn’t constantly remind him of his hatred towards Claudius, this tragedy wouldn’t have occurred.
By swearing to avenge his father’s death, Hamlet actually created a fact. He didn’t just describe how he wants to kill his uncle, he swore that he will. This is performative utterance; the alteration of reality through speech. The play within the play that was intended to be the host of Claudius’s death was achieved had Hamlet not made the oath to the ghost. Almost every action Hamlet executed can be derived from his promise to kill Claudius.
The self-overhearing displayed in Hamlet varies with my own version of self-overhearing. Memorizing the “to be or not to be” soliloquy was a difficult task. Remembering this challenging task, makes me reflect on the things that did and did not work. Whenever I rethink the experience, I am self-overhearing. I am reminded of good study techniques and I gain confidence in my schoolwork. In Hamlet, self-overhearing led to the tragic ending of the play. In my personal experience, it has assisted me in my studies and confidence toward my schoolwork. Whether in modern society or a famous Shakespeare play, neither performative utterance nor self-overhearing seize to stop changing reality.

Language

Hamlet and Beowulf are two very different pieces of literature. Epics such as Beowulf consist of violence and battles among its characters. Hamlet contains more emotional conflicts compared to the many physical ones in Beowulf. While language plays a huge role Hamlet, it is less significant in epics such as Beowulf. Hamlet’s use of language invites the audience into his thoughts. He delivers several soliloquies throughout the play which let the audience know his feelings that the other characters are oblivious to. In epics, language is mainly used in dialogue between characters. The language used in Hamlet is much more in depth and provides more information.

Hamlet uses language to express his feelings. This is one example of how his use of language differs with that of epic heroes. Hamlet gives the audience a clear view into his emotions. We receive an in depth perspective while in epics we only see what’s on the outside. Epics often focus on external conflicts which restrict the use of language to that external domain. Starting with “To be or not to be”, Hamlet doesn’t withhold any information. The words in the soliloquy express his deepest emotions.

Language, in Hamlet the play, tends to foreshadow events that may occur later. Hamlet speaks to the ghost and promises to take revenge on Claudius. His use of language provides the audience with knowledge that no one else in the play knows. Epic heroes are often so involved with the present, all language regarding future actions are withheld. This is just another display of how the language in Hamlet and epics such as Beowulf differentiate.

It is impossible to ignore the many differences in the use of language between these two pieces of literature. Language used in Hamlet provides an in-depth perspective on his thoughts and emotions. Epics use language in a more shallow way. The language expressed in epics does not give the audience any extra information as It does in Hamlet. The differences shared by Hamlet and an epic show how language can be used in many different ways.

The Internet Generation

If I had to pick the most important thing I have learned from this class, it would have to how the internet is an amazing academic tool, if used wisely. Through the class's student blogs, we are proving that our generation can effectively use the internet as a tool to learn and spread ideas about literature. Students read each others comments and posts which give them a wider understanding of the piece of literature we are focusing on. This is shutting down older generations claims that we can't handle the power of the internet responsibly. They think it is just a source of entertainment for students. Most older people who think this way don't use the internet themselves, thus missing out on the efficient benefits the internet offers.
Roy Christopher, one of the most influential people to the internet, video chatted with our class. He acknowledged our progress and told us a little about himself. This is yet another benefit that the internet provides students. For every assignment in this class, I have used to the internet. I have learned that blogs makes it easier for the class to communicate. If there is a problem it is usually addressed and resolved within a few hours. The internet is our generations most important tool for success. 

Roy Christopher Video Notes

Roy was introduced to working with the internet by a friend of his who had begun taking programming classes. He originally focused on BMX but he swithced his focus to web design.

Roy was named one of the 50 most influential people to the internet.
He refuses to have a smart phone because he saves money and like the exitement of having something to look forward to when he gets home. Such as checking Facebook or Email.
We are not obligated to use the latest technologies. Roy Christopher uses his bike as transportation instead an automobile. He prefers simple phones over smartphones, books over kindles.

The internet slowly started in the 1980's but really picked up during the 90's when he became involved.

Generations have always struggled with trusting the youth with new technology.
When he was our age the tv was the technology that the older generation was tourist to while he was native.

Is the medium no longer the message, just the medium?
Is there ever going to be an end? Or are we going to continue advancing to new technologies.
Roy Christopher felt that the internet and the current new technology will stay the "new thing" for a while.
He said he didn't think we will be around to see the end.