Litterary Essay

Litterary Essay : An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

War is a an atrocity and the biggest tragedy of mankind; however, people tend to forget that such conflicts have horrible consequences on each side implicated, no matter how right or wrong its cause is. In An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, American author Ambrose Pierce tells the story of a Southern family man and saboteur who gets caught by the Federates, during the American Civil War. At first, it may seem illogical to sympathise with a Confederate’s fate, but in this short story, the plot and the descriptions strongly reflect the fact that war is a horrible thing for everybody.

For what concerns the plot, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge criticizes the atrocities of war for both parties because it tells the story of a man that strives for his own life. Even though the hero (Peyton Farquhar) is a slave owner and probably made the life of his slaves rather harsh, his fight for his life throughout the real-time sequences of the story gives the reader a feeling of sympathy towards this man who is so close to death. As stated in the text, before his execution, Farquhar thinks : ‘’ If I could free my hands, I might throw off the noose and spring into the stream. By diving I could evade the bullets and, swimming vigorously, reach the bank, take to the woods and get away home.’’ This said, the man hopes to survive to his execution. Against all odds, he does survive and manages to dodge the bullets fired at him. At this point, the emphasis is put so much on the man’s efforts to survive that it puts aside the fact that he supports the Confederate army. In the end, this slave owner dies without being able to get back to his family, but Pierce developped the plot in a way that did not focus on politics, but on the horrible thing that is trying powerlessly to survive to the consequences of war, especially death. As a matter of fact, what kind of human being would watch someone else dying without feeling a least bit of compassion.

Furthermore, the descriptions used in the story also help to bring out the horrible side of war for both sides because they help to reflect the hero’s pain before his execution. In fact, Ambrose Pierce takes a lot of time to describe how the soldiers prepare his execution by tying a rope around his neck and his wrists and how the soldiers place the wooden planks on the bridge in the proper way for the execution. Not only it gives a sense of realism to the story, but it also helps the reader to feel Peyton Farquhar’s anxiety that is caused by his apprehension of death. When the execution finally takes place, Ambrose Pierce puts the emphasis on the hero’s physical pain. For example, the author writes : ‘’Keen, poignant agonies seemed to shoot from his neck downward through every fiber of his body and limbs’’. The descriptions then keep going on, and -as mentionned about the plot- let the reader forget Farquhar’s military stance to show that war can harm anyone who is implicated in it.

In conclusion, the plot and the descriptions used in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge portray war as a horrible thing, even for the ones who fight for the wrong reasons. Indeed, those two elements bring out the human side in the hero, thus making his troubles credible for any human, of any political opinion, and a statement for peace.

600 words

LEL 3: Fundamentals of Writing 1: Prewriting

1. Interest Level
For someone like me, who often has the ''blank page syndrome'', I found this course to be very resourceful. For most of the course, I was very captivated by the content. However, I had already seen some elements of the program, but it still refreshed my memory.

2. Difficulty
In general, the course was pretty easy to follow, but some parts were way too simple. For example, I had already been force-fed with some notions about the introduction of topics, in high school. On the other hand, I found rather difficult the fourth part of the second section with the charts. As a matter of fact, I had to try twice to be able to organize my ideas properly in the chart.

3. What I Learned
-I learned that by writing down my chains of thought all at once could effectively help to unleash my inspiration. By doing so, it clears the mind of off-topic ideas and leaves the place for a more visual organization of the ideas into a topic statement.
-I found that, when introducing a topics statement, it is primordial to quickly link the elements together. When you go from a vague idea to a precise statement, linking the elements closely and concisely prevents redundancy and unclearness.
-This course taught me that dividing a topic with several questions - such as where, when, why, etc. - helps to establish a basis for an introduction. Even if we already know the answers to those questions, it lets us gather them all together to put them in relation in an introduction. By doing so, it gives a richer introduction to the topic statement.

4. My Score
I did not get a score for this course.

5. Course Rating: 7, 5/10
Compared to the two previous LEL courses that I took, this one had much less technical flaws. Moreover, the content offered different possibilities to start writing a text the right way; therefore, it gave me many different methods to cope with a lack of ideas for a text. The only problem with the course was that some of the parts were way too easy compared to what I expected. However, there were many eye-openers that compensated for this lack of difficulty.

LEL 4: Basic Written Communication Skills

1. Interest level
I found this course to be very interesting because if taught to write in a very down to earth way. Thus, this course really showed how to improve our way to communicate. Being concise and neutral is the best way to prove your point.

2. Difficulty
In general, this course was fairly easy to understand. The presentation helped a lot because I did not have to always go back a few pages to confirm what I learned. As a matter of fact, the information flowed constantly and clearly; moreover, the use of tables was very useful for teaching to a visual person like me. For the exercises, they were challenging enough and resumed the theory efficiently.

3. What I Learned
- I learned some subtle changes in expressions could make a statement more formal. For example, it is more appropriate to use ''as if'' than ''like'', in a more serious context.
-Writing in a concisely speaks straight to the reader. In fact, even if some words give a poetic feeling to a text, it is always better to stick to the facts when trying to convince someone in an essay.
-Some ways of writing can be slightly sexist even though we use them frequently. This can actually give a certain stance to the text. For example, calling a character a waitress infers that this job is usually done by women. By using terms such as server instead of waitress, it gives a neutral tone to the text.

4. My Score
I did not get a score for this course.

5. Course Rating: 8/10
I found the course not only to be interesting and easy to follow, but also very useful. During real-life situations, clarity and logic are the two best elements to use to convince people. However, the main negative aspect is that the general idea of the course focused too much on shortening texts, while the use of jargon and abstract sentences are useful in many situations as well.

11 Sexy Ways to Introduce a Literary Essay

Background:

-A thesis statement is necessary.
-A TS is an interpretation.
-A TS is based on literary elements (setting, plot, narration, etc.)
-A TS is not a fact.
-A TS never uses ''I Think''
-A TS needs proof based on quotations.

1. Biographical Information: In A. Bierce's ''Occurence at ... ,'' he takes the view point of his enemy, a confederate, - even though he was a federal soldier - to show the horrors of war.

2. Quotation: ''I'm not mad. No, I'm not.'' Why did the narrator say this? Was he really sane? E.A. Poe's ''Tell...'' explores the fine line between madness and sanity.

3. Denifition: According to the dictionary, the word ''lottery'' means random draw with money as the prize. In S.Jackson's ''The Lottery,'' the prize is very macabre indeed: death by stoning.

4. A literary element: Imagery is a powerful way to express feelings and emotion. In John Keats's ode to psyche,'' there is stunning visual imagery to depictthe environment surrounding psyche.

5. Life experience (author):E.Hemingway had major problems dealing with women in his life.This is reflected in ''Hills...,'' where Jig and the American never really communicate.

6. Plot: At the beginning of Oscar Wilde's ''Nightingale...,'' the bird is heart-broken because the student is in emotional pain. At the end , the bird's heart is literally broken by a thorn of a rose tree.

7. Philosophical or sociological concept: Racism has always existed and will always exist, particularly towards black people. In A.Meeropol's ''Strange Fruits,'' the savagry of racism is clearly exposed.

8. Historical background: Romanticism and gothicism were in vogue in the early ninetenth century. In E.A. Poe's ''The Tell...,'' there are many gothic elements, such as the dark side of human nature.

9. Claim to fame/ notoriety: J.D. Salinger's ''Catcher in the Rye'', is still read in classrooms across North America because of its relevance to young people.

10. Using imagery: ''A painting for the painter is what the novel is for the writer. The authors of whole genres face endless possibilities when shaping the canvas of their work.''

11. Allusion: Many classic works are based on trials: Lee's ''To Kill a...,'' Rose's ''Twelve Angry Men,'' and H.Miller's ''The Crucible.'' Lee and Lawrence's ''Inherit the Wind'' uses the context of a trial to pit freedom of thought versus fondamentalism.

Book Report: Watchmen

Graphic novels are often underestimated because of their appeal towards more impressionable readers. However, it is possible to find that, in most cases, there is a deep analysis of the society in which we live. The graphic novel Watchmen, written by Alan Moore, and taking place in 1985, is an example of a great work of literature in this field. The novel’s approach towards and alternate historical timeline and its critic of modern society are in fact the two main points that support this thesis.

First of all, for what concerns the alternate historical timeline in Watchmen, it adds a lot of interest to the story because it gives the reader a whole new perspective on what could have been 1985 if the normal course of preceding events was changed. In the novel, some important historical elements were modified. The peak of fear of a nuclear war is in 1985, not in 1962; furthermore, many elements of the cold war took a different course. For example, the Watergate scandal involving Richard Nixon was covered up, and the war in Vietnam was won by the U.S. troops. This said, it takes the fearful, yet patriotic, climate of the United States before the social shift of the 60’s, and it transposes it to 1985. Because of this, the novel gives a whole new perspective of what would the world have looked like if some other factors came to influence the course of time; it lets the reader wonder about the importance of every event that occurs in our society. As a matter of fact, in Watchmen, the average citizen has a lot of trust towards the government and abides easily to the highly controlling attitude of the authorities; moreover, the U.S. the government has a strong opposition towards the Watchmen because of their free-thinking and independent nature, and leads easily the public on its side. Knowing that in reality people were more suspicious of their government at this period of time, what would our society look like if past events did not occur as they did? In my opinion, those interrogations help a lot for the novel’s quality because a book should not be only used to entertain, but also to stimulate the mind. Taking this depiction of society in context, Watchmen is also worth reading because it lifts questions upon thrust towards the authorities and what we take for granted. The Watchmen, who were once working with the authorities, are now being threatened by the authorities, who have doubts towards them. Nevertheless, the Watchmen really want a stable and peaceful world; therefore, there is a blur between good and evil, something that we also see in our society.

To sum it up, if found that Watchmen was a very interesting piece of literature because Alan Moore really knew how to stimulate the reader’s mind with subliminal questions about an alternate view of history and a nuanced perception of the authorities. Perhaps, we could find some similar views in other graphic novels.

''Hills'' Literary Analysis

Thesis statement: The story uses setting and symbolism to hint at ''abortion''.

1. The setting introduces a tense atmosphere (Spain, 1920's, uses a quote about ''Hills'', station)

2. Hard decision about ''it'' (Railroad)

3. The hills are compared to ''White Elephants'' = Baby (''Unique'' and ''uncommon'')

4. Field + trees = Fertility + fruitfullness

Mid-term test

103A Mid-Term Test

Part A. Short-answer questions. 40%

- Answer four questions only of the following seven questions. 10 points each.

- Answer in three to five sentences.

- Use a variety of sentence patterns.

1. What is Louis Mallard’s opinion of marriage? Indicate the paragraph that suggests it? Louise sees marriage as a very restricting thing. As written in the 12th paragraph (''There would be no one...''), Louise feels that marriage is a way to impose private will on someone else's; moreover, she compares it to a crime, and she thinks that no creature should have such rights on an other creature. Also, Louise thkins that marriage does not let you live for yourself; it forces you to live for someone, without thinking about your own desires.

2. Why does Louise Mallard suddenly stop crying? Indicate the place in the text?

3. How does she feel about her future as a widow? Cite the line in the text, using just the first few words, then a series of dots …?

Louise feels that her future will be very bright, that she will be free, and that no other person will be above her to control was she does. She has a very optimistic view of what is going to come for her. As a matter of fact, in the text, Kate Chopin wrote about Louise: ''There would be no one to live for...''

4. How does Louise’s sister and her friend, Richards, feel about the Mallard’s marriage.

5. Why is there so much description of what is outside the window when Louise is alone in her room?

6. Why did the author make the story so short? In my opinion, the author, Kate Chopin, made the story very short to emphasize on the intensity of the emotions shown in it; in fact, the author creates many moods in a short time. At first, Louise if affected by her husband's death; however, she realizes that this event might be good for her, but she ends up dying in her excitement. Thus, by making the story so short, Kate Chopin made the contrasts of moods much clearer and intense.

7. Explain how Louise can feel joy and sadness at the same time? In the first place, Louise was afflicted by her husband's death; she loved him sometimes, and she at least had to feel something for him if she married him. Nevertheless, this marriage did not let her be free; at the time ''The Story of an Hour'' was written, women were very submitted to their husband. This said, Louise was facing a very important internal conflict between affection and freedom.

Part B. Development question. 60%

Instructions:

- Write a text of three paragraphs writing about the use of irony in the story. The author uses it to great effect. Think about the message of the story, how the author uses irony to establish it, and what the author is telling us about marriage, relationships, and the way we judge people and ourselves.

- Include the thesis statement in the first paragraph.

- Paragraphs should have topic sentence as well.

- Use supporting details and textual evidence to defend your thesis statement.

- Include some of the sentence patterns (1/1a/1b/2/3) we discussed in class to give your writing variety.

- Write a maximum of 450 words and a minimum of 425 words. (Use the “statistics” feature in Word to check the number of words.)

Evaluation Criteria:

- Contents 20

- Coherence 20

- Style 20

- Vocabulary 20

- Spelling 10

- Grammar 10

In ''The Story of an Hour'', by Kate Chopin, irony takes a fundamental place. Actually, it is used throughout the story to tell us how life can take quick, unexpected turns. Furthermore, this is shown in two ways: the cause of Louise’s death, and the Mallard couple’s actual faith.

First of all, irony tells us the unpredictable nature of life: it shows that Louise died from her own will to live. As opposed to many cases where unfortunate events lead to death, the main character’s death is cause by happiness. When Louise learns that her husband passed away, she comes to a point where she realizes that this event will actually bring her freedom: her husband had a lot of control over her. However, already having a heart condition, the woman ends up getting a heart attack caused by her excitement. Ironically, Mr. Mallard’s death gave hope of a better future for Mrs. Mallard; she looked at her new life with optimism, and a strong desire to live to the fullest. To put it in Kate Chopin’s words, Louise ''breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long.'' Sadly for the main character, all this thirst for life is what got her overexcited to the point of death; thus, life took a much unexpected course for Louise, and this is one way how irony is used to show the uncertainty of life.

Secondly, irony is used in ''The Story of an Hour'' to show us how life is uncertain because of the Mallard couple’s faith. In the end, Louise dies, while Mr. Mallard survives: this is the complete opposite of what is supposed to be happening in the beginning. Like it was mentioned above, Louise died indirectly because of Mr. Mallard’s supposed death. Nevertheless, it is told in the 19^th paragraph that Mr. Mallard was not involved in the accident that was supposed to have killed him, and that he did not die. At the end of the story, the setting is thus reversed: Mr. Mallard is alive and eventually, though implied in the text, that his wife has died. In real life, the odds of facing such misunderstandings are usually very small; however, Kate Chopin pointed out the fact that unlikely does not mean impossible. Because of that, not only there is an ironic situation, but a much unexpected one too; a sharp turn in the normal course of events that someone would expect from life. As ironic as it may seem, ''The Story of an Hour'' exemplifies a situation where the tables were turned, all of this at the reader’s surprise.

Using Quotes

-With a complete idea (:)

Ex: Hemingway uses action to emphasize a character trait: ''The girl looked at the bead curtain...'' (ellipsis)



-With an incomplete idea (,)

Ex: In Hemingway's story, the girl said, '' They look like white elephants.''



-With an incomplete quotation within a sentence

Ex: Hemingway's story takes place at a railway station ''between two lines of rails in the sun.''



-Within a quote

Ex: Hemingway wrote, '' 'They're lovely hills,' she said. 'They don't really look like white elephants.' ''

LEL 2 : Grammar Skills 4: Adjectives, Adverbs, & Confusing Words

1. Interest level
Even though the course seemed easy at first, it became trickier and interesting as I went through it. It showed me that I had some difficulties with some homonyms I took for granted. Nevertheless, I found this course to be very interesting and helpful.

2. Difficulty
As I mentioned above, I underestimated the course at first. However, with time, the difficulty level became higher, and I stumbled onto a few questions. It was not as difficult as the course on puctuation, but it was challenging enough to keep me hooked all along.

3. What I learned
-The word number is used with plural nouns that can be counted; the word amount is used with singular nouns that can't be counted.
-Modifiers can really affect the meaning of a sentence by the way that they are placed.
Here is an example:

I only bought two apples.
I bought only two apples.

In the first sentence, the two apples were only bought; however, in the second one, not more than two apples were bought.

-Some words like alright and alot do not exist. We have to use all right and a lot.

4. My score
I did not get a score for this course, but, during the exercises, I usually made from one to no mistakes every time.

5. Course rating: 7,5/10
This course was very interesting, and it had a reasonable level of difficulty. Sadly, the only problem with it is that it could confuse people or learn them false elements. As a matter of fact, some of the exercises contained mistakes; they would show that some answers were wrong when they were right, and they correction keys sometimes contradicted themselves.

LEL 1: Grammar Skills 2: Fine-Tuning Your Punctuation

1. Interest level

Ponctuation is usually something that people who learn English as a second language take for granted. In fact, English punctuation is very different from French punctuation; thus, this course really caught my attention. It was very interesting because it taught rules from the English language that I did not know about.

2. Difficulty level

I would not say that the course was difficult. As long as the instructions were carefully followed, and that a lot of attention was put, the course's exercises were fairly clear. Furthermore, when mistakes were made, it was easy to go back to look at what was misunderstood. The only thing that I really found difficult was to assimilate all the rules together. There were many exceptions; sometimes, it confused me a little bit.

3. What I learned

- I learned about the use of hyphens. For example, there is a big difference when an adjective made of two words is used. If it is placed before the noun, a hyphen will be needed between the two wordsl; however, if it is placed after, the two words will not be joined by a hyphen.

- As opposed to French grammar, dashes are used like parentheses would. They are used to insert a comment in the sentence that helps to understand the meaning of it.

- When we quote someone inside an other quotation, we need to use double quotation marks for the first quotation, and single quotation marks for the second one.

4. My score

I did not get a score for the course; however, after each exercise, they showed what mistakes were done. In most cases, I did around two to no mistakes.

5.Course Rating: 9/10

The course was very complete; it explained in detail what were the grammar rules. Also, it was well divided into different parts. The only problem that I found was that the course could have been a bit more visual; I am a very visual person and charts really help me to grab concepts.