Fall Semester Reflection

This is in response to this post.

1.  Yes, I read my colleagues' work online.  I would say I do it at least once a week, but it varies.  Generally, the more open-ended an assignment is, the more likely I am to check other blogs.  It's interesting seeing what other people think of the same topic, especially if it's a creative work like the Allegory of the Cave sonnets.  There is a huge variety of styles, and it's a good way of seeing what a good approach to the assignment is.  Reading peoples' literature analysis has helped me decide on what books I want to read myself.  That said, I don't typically check my classmates' blogs before doing my own post, unless I am totally stumped on what to write.  I like to get my ideas down as the occur "naturally".  Working together is important, but so is individualism.  The merit of collaboration comes from the summation of many individuals' own thoughts.

Literature Analysis: Slaughterhouse-Five

Unfortunately, my plot summary does not make much sense.  Due to the book's extremely non-linear nature, a straightforward summary that encompasses the book's themes is difficult.  I did my best to explain the gist of it, though.

GENERAL
1.  The plot of Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut is centered around Billy Pilgrim's time-traveling escapades.  The story, told from Billy's perspective (and sometimes Vonnegut, who has placed himself in the story), skips around between short anecdotal snippets from different points in Billy's life.  These parts include his survival of the bombing of Dresden during World War II, his later years after a plane crash, and his abduction by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore.  Billy's life in the war is the the focal point of the story, but certainly not the only significant part.  Through Billy's time-bending journeys, Vonnegut shares his views on a variety of subjects (ranging from antiwar sentiments to what it means to have free will).  Told linearly, Slaughterhouse-Five is about a young man who survives a war.  He is abducted by aliens from Tralfamador, who place him in a zoo.  Tralfamadorians can see the fourth dimension, which means that they view all of time at once--rather than a single instant at a time.  When Billy returns to Earth, he tries to share the Tralfamadorian philosophy.  He is killed by somebody who swore revenge on him during the war.

A Christmas Carol (Literature Analysis Questions)

GENERAL
1.  For those unfamiliar with A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (but honestly, who isn't?), the novel revolves around Ebenezer Scrooge, a stingy and unpleasant man.  Scrooge is cynical and lonely, shunning anybody who attempts to show kindness to him and lashing out at others by default.  One Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley, his equally stingy business partner who had died seven years earlier.  Marley warns Scrooge that the life he is living will lead to suffering after death (in the form of chains he must carry as a spirit).  In order to help Scrooge escape the same fate, Marley informs him that three ghosts will haunt him over the next few days.  These ghosts are the Ghost of Christmas Past, Ghost of Christmas Present, and Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.  Each ghost shows Scrooge a vision (of the past, present and future Christmases, respectively) in order to teach him some lesson.  Over the course of these visions, Scrooge is reminded of the human spirit that forms Christmas spirit.  The audience also learns of Scrooge's past and the reasons for his bitterness.  After these visions, Scrooge awakens to find that virtually no time has passed and it is Christmas morning.  He immediately goes about trying to change his ways, being kinder to others and generously offering up his wealth to those less fortunate.

Thinking Outside the Box

Jean Paul Sartre's "No Exit" and Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" are both allegories that describe the limits of the mind.  Parallels can be drawn between the two in regards to both their ideas of torture and the methods for liberation.

Although Plato's cave no doubt seems far harsher than Sartre's drawing room, the idea behind both locations is the same.  The prisoners are not explicitly being physically harmed.  Their torture is purely psychological.  It is also significant that neither the cave prisoners nor the occupants of the drawing room are initially aware of their own suffering.  In "Allegory of the Cave", the prisoners are not aware of any world beyond the shadows cast on the walls, which leaves them without anything to compare their existence to.  While the characters in "No Exit" certainly know a world outside the room, the fact that it is so apparently mundane causes them to ignore the threat at first.

Plato proposes that mental imprisonment is a product of our own cowardice, while Sartre rather bluntly states that "Hell is other people".  This creates an interesting dynamic when the allegories' characters discover the way out.  In "Allegory of the Cave", the focus is on an individual who breaks free from the imprisonment and reaches enlightenment.  However, he is not able to convince his fellow prisoners to strive for freedom as well.  His enlightenment is as personal as the torture he endured.  The characters of "No Exit", on the other hand, are never shown escaping.  Garcin reaches the open door, but turns back, presumably because he is afraid of the unknown (a theme shared with Plato).  In a way, what follows reveals what might have happened in Plato's cave had the prisoner not escaped.  Much as the prisoners would become delirious with only their own minds, the drawing room occupants turn on each other when left to themselves.  It gets to the point where (another) murder is attempted, but given that they are already dead, it does not work.

Literature Analysis: Animal Farm

I'm continuing my streak of re-reads following up my classmate's choices.  Justin Thompson's analysis is the cause of this one.  This was one of my favorite novels from freshman year (the other being Lord of the Flies).  However, I was not taking a history class that year.  I thought it would be interesting to re-read after two years of history to see if I missed any references.

Allegory of the Cave Sonnet

The world dances in a shadowy sway
And I know nothing but this wall's dark face
Freedom is simply a few steps away
But I will not break the shackle's embrace
Suddenly I am dragged into the light
It burns and it blinds but after some time
My vision resolves and I see my plight:
Our complacency; the prisoner's crime
I rush back to that decrepit cavern
My mind filled with wondrous enlightenment
But despite my joy they could not discern
What the words that they heard truthfully meant
The comfort of ignorance is a curse
Those who dwell in it are all for the worse

(I attempted iambic pentameter, but could not really figure out the stressed/unstressed structure, so I simply did 10-syllable lines.  Any tips on iambic pentameter would be much appreciated!)

Plato's Allegory of the Cave

The following are in response to these questions.

1.  According to Socrates, the Allegory of the Cave represents the process of becoming a philosopher.  He details how it is akin to realizing that the world you have always known is the shadows of reality.  A philosopher, like the prisoner emerging from the cave, finds that there is an entire world that he knew only hints of before.

2.  The key elements in the allegory's imagery are the cave, the prisoner, the shadows, and the outside world (the sun, specifically).  The cave is the prison in which the prisoner (potential philosophers and scholars, or just humans in general) is trapped.  The shadows are a twisted version of the outside world.  These shadows represent the narrow view of the prisoners.  They have some idea of reality, but only a small slice of it.

3.  The allegory suggests that the process of enlightenment or education is potentially painful, but ultimately beneficial ("And if he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away to take and take in the objects of vision which he can see, and which he will conceive to be in reality clearer than the things which are now being shown to him?).  However, after growing used to enlightenment, one feels compelled to return and share knowledge with those still in the dark.

Hamlet Essay: Performative Utterance

Despite Hamlet being the namesake of the play, as well as the perspective through which the audience views the story, he remains a remarkably cryptic character.  At times, it may seem that he is indecisive, but at others, he is evidently ready to kill at a moment’s notice.  This has sometimes been attributed to madness, or even inconsistency on Shakespeare’s part.  In truth, it is simply a matter of performative utterance, a theory developed by J. L. Austin, and applied directly to Hamlet by Fredrik deBoer in his paper “The Performative Utterance in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet”.  On a very basic level, performative utterance is the antithesis of the classic playground chant, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  It holds that words have a physical effect on people, circumstances, and intention.  This theory has a profound impact not only on Hamlet, but also on virtually anybody’s life.

Literature Analysis: Of Mice and Men

I decided to read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck after reading Matt Patel's Cannery Row Literature Analysis.  It made me want to re-read a book, but I didn't want to just copy his choice, so I chose Of Mice and Men instead.  I read it the summer before freshman year and vaguely remembered liking it.  Re-reading was interesting, especially knowing how the story ends.

Sonnet Analysis Part I

• A sonnet is a form of poem that typically has 14 lines
• The most common type of sonnet is a "Shakespearean" sonnet
• 14 lines
• 10 syllables per line
• iambic pentameter
• usually deals with the juxtaposition of two ideas by either showing tension or resolving it
• Rhyme scheme:

a b a b
c d c d
e f e f
g g

• 3 quatrains of alternating rhyme and a couplet 
• Other sonnet types:
• Italian/Petrarchan Sonnet:
• First eight lines:

a b b a a b b a

• Remaining six lines 

c d c d c d
c d d c d c
c d e c d e
c d e c e d
c d c e d c 

Sources:
 http://www.sonnets.org/basicforms.htm
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/English+sonnet
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/sonnetstyle.html

Big Question

My big question(s):
What causes preferences?  Is it genetically inherent, or acquired?  Do they serve a practical purpose?

I've always found preferences fascinating.  More than anything else, they are what separates people from one another (or brings them together, in some cases).  I suppose in the end it really boils down to a nature versus nurture type of discussion, but there are a lot of sides to the question.  I'm interested to see if there is any factual answer to be found.

Growing My Personal Learning Network: Follow Up

I contacted Dr. Delahoyde from Washington State University (found through this resource).  To my pleasant surprise, I got a prompt response.  I took the opportunity to ask about some of the oddities surrounding Ophelia's death, which was a source of contention within our small group discussions.  You can check out the full conversation below:

Vocabulary: Fall List #11

Justin Thompson made another vocab Prezi.  Check it out!

affinity: a natural liking for or attraction to a person, thing, idea, etc.
His affinity for the outrageous gave him a reputation as class clown.

bilious: peevish, irritable, cranky; or extremely distasteful
The bilious decor put him into a bilious mood.

cognate: allied or similar in nature or quality
To him, apples and oranges were cognates -- both fruit, after all.

cul-de-sac: any situation in which further progress is impossible
After a lifetime of hard work, he finally reached a cul-de-sac in his chosen field.

derring-do: daring deeds; heroic daring
Through a mixture of fool-hardiness and derring-do, he emerged the victor.

Sonnet

Admittedly, I did not even know Edgar Allen Poe wrote sonnets until I saw the one Ubi Kim posted (which I saw while checking his blog to reference him in the previous post).  I thought Poe would be a welcome break from all the Shakespeare we've been doing recently.  I chose this particular one of his because while I enjoyed the imagery, there are plenty of allusions in there worthy of discussion.

"Sonnet - To Science"

Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art!

Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes.

Why preyest thou thus upon the poet's heart,

Vulture, whose wings are dull realities?

How should he love thee? or how deem thee wise,

Who wouldst not leave him in his wandering

To seek for treasure in the jewelled skies,

Albeit he soared with an undaunted wing?

Hast thou not dragged Diana from her car?

And driven the Hamadryad from the wood

To seek a shelter in some happier star?

Hast thou not torn the Naiad from her flood,

The Elfin from the green grass, and from me

The summer dream beneath the tamarind tree?

Growing My Personal Learning Network

I ran into an awkward problem while attempting to contact the learning communities I listed.  I could not find a way to get into contact with any of them.  Granted, most of them are old, so getting a reply was doubtful any way.  I had stupidly forgotten that a learning network would actually require communication.  I had a pretty good set of Hamlet resources, but an actual network was nonexistent.

So, to solve the problem, I went with what has been a classic solution for this class -- collaboration.  I went through several of my peers' blogs.  While many had the same problem I did, I eventually found a contactable and current resource on Ubi Kim's blog.  He gave me permission to use his resource (thanks!) and I sent out my email:

I blurred out the name for good measure.  If I get a reply, I'll make sure to ask if I can post the entire conversation.  Updates will come in the future!

Update: I got a response; you can see it here.

AP Hamlet Personal Learning Network

Here's the top five courses with online presence that I found studying Hamlet.  The top five are in no particular order.  I had trouble finding communities that were still active, so I chose based on the assumption that I could still contact these courses.

Vocabulary: Fall List #10

No list/sentences from me this week.  Instead, take a look at Justin Thompson's excellent vocab Prezi.  It's got plenty of humorous pictures to associate with the words, and is far more effective than anything I've done for vocab.

Literature Analysis: All the Pretty Horses

GENERAL
Apologies for the long summary.  The story is fairly complex, and anything shorter would not have made much sense.  For those who don't want to read the whole summary (or don't want the entire story spoiled), it's basically about a trio of teenagers who go to Mexico in search of work as ranchers.  A horse gets stolen, and a snowballing series of events leads to prison, heartbreak, violence, and eventually death--a modern day Western indeed.

Tools That Change the Way We Think

"Back in 2004, I asked [Google founders] Page and Brin what they saw as the future of Google search. 'It will be included in people's brains,' said Page. 'When you think about something and don't really know much about it, you will automatically get information.'

'That's true,' said Brin. 'Ultimately I view Google as a way to augment your brain with the knowledge of the world. Right now you go into your computer and type a phrase, but you can imagine that it could be easier in the future, that you can have just devices you talk into, or you can have computers that pay attention to what's going on around them and suggest useful information.'

'Somebody introduces themselves to you, and your watch goes to your web page,' said Page. 'Or if you met this person two years ago, this is what they said to you... Eventually you'll have the implant, where if you think about a fact, it will just tell you the answer."

 -From In the Plex by Steven Levy (p. 67)

Notes on Hamlet: Particularly Polonius

Of all the elements of Hamlet, I would say that my view of Polonius as a character has changed the most.  Over the course of the play read so far, he has become my favorite character.  He is by far not the most likable character, but he is the closest thing to comic relief in the play.  While he initially just seems like a prolix old man, he is eventually revealed to be a fool.  Almost with no exception, scenes involving both Polonius and Hamlet result in outrageous dialogue, usually ending in Polonius's befuddlement.

Polonius has a deceptively complex character.  He is a humorous character, but also villainous and obsequious.  The audience loves to hate Polonius, but enjoys what he contributes to the plot.  When Hamlet kills him the audience is glad for his death (he's a "bad guy" after all).  However, even in his humiliating death he is able to make people laugh.  His unfortunate comedy makes him some kind of bizarre villainous butt monkey.  Despite his generally deplorable role in the play, the variety of different sentiments he brings makes him my favorite character, if only on the merit of design.

"Where do you see things going from here?"
Pulling from what I already know about the end of plot, as well as Shakespeare's typical idea of an ending, I would guess that things are going toward a massacre.  Tension has been building the entire play.  With the killing of Polonius, blood has been spilled, and it should not be too long before swords start swinging.

Who was Shakespeare?

A surprising amount of Shakespeare's life is unknown.  Everything that is known about him is found either through the influences on his writing, or official records from important points of his life.  From these records we know that he was born around April 23, 1564.  Interestingly, there is little record of his education, leading to some wild speculation about the credibility of Shakespeare's authorship.  Shakespeare married, then had a daughter and twins.  After the twins were born, seven years pass with no record of Shakespeare.

Shakespeare is generally received poorly among students.  It is most commonly associated with difficult to understand text.  His reputation is further tarnished by the fact that Romeo and Juliet is used by many to sarcastically describe a cliche romantic situation.  This establishes the idea that Shakespeare's work is outdated, with all its value being academic.

If I'm honest, as far as Shakespearean reading comprehension goes, I've progressed slowly.  I'm certainly better than I was freshman year, but I'm far from seamless understanding of the text.  The biggest part I struggle with is the extended sentences.  The dialogue tends to wander between several different topics in a single sentence, making it difficult at times to relate everything back to the original statement.  However, I definitely get the comical aspect of Shakespeare's work much more.  When it was first explained to me while reading Romeo and Juliet freshman year, part of me guessed that the teacher was making it up the help the play appeal to us as a modern audience.  Doubtlessly that was part of the purpose, but I didn't realize how deliberate the humor was.  Additionally, I'm enjoying the cultural benefits of reading the classic plays.  A lot of previously esoteric references ("Et tu Brute?) make much more sense now.

Source:
http://www.biography.com/people/william-shakespeare-9480323
Found via DuckDuckGo, in accordance to our "filter bubble" discussion.

To Facebook or Not to Facebook?

I can still remember pretty clearly when I was introduced to Facebook; it was just a few years ago, after all.  My friends had been trying to convince me to join for a while, but their arguments weren't very strong.  Their description of it came down to something like "you have a wall, and people can write on it or post pictures and stuff", to which I made a sarcastic (and unoriginal) joke about graffiti.  At the time, I found it pretty pointless.  If somebody really wanted to talk to me, why couldn't they just call or text?  Or even better, actually talk in person?

However, once I finally gave into the friendly peer pressure, I found it amazing.  The idea of having a singular hub to connect to my peers easily was pretty cool.  Throughout the end of junior high and early high school, I used Facebook moderately.  I wrote a status update from time to time, and made an effort to like and comment when I felt another status was worthy.  I wasn't on it nearly as much as some people, but I definitely checked at least once a day.

Vocabulary: Fall List #9 (Tentatively "remixed")

abortive: failing to succeed; unsuccessful
bruit: to voice abroad; rumor
contumelious: describing a humiliating insult
dictum: a saying; maxim; judicial assertion
ensconce: to settle securely or snugly
iconoclastic: attacking or ignoring cherished beliefs and long-held traditions
in medias res: in the middle of things
internecine: of or pertaining to conflict or struggle within a group; mutually descructive
maladroit: unskillful; awkward; bungling; tactless
maudlin: tearfully or weakly emotional, foolishly sentimental
modulate: to regulate or adjust to a cettain measure or proportion; soften; tone down
portentous: ominously significant or indicative
prescience: knowledge of things before they happen; foresight
quid pro quo: one thing in return for another
salubrious: favorable to or promoting health; healthful
saturnalian: unrestrained revelry; orgy
touchstone: a test or criterion for the qualities of a thing
traumatic: of, pertaining to, or produced by a trauma or wound; psychologically painful
vitiate: to impair the qualitiy of; make faulty; spoil
waggish: roguish in merriment and good humor

Hamlet Act III: Remix

My initial idea was a remix of Hamlet set in a junior high.  The setting seemed like a reasonable premise for "modernizing" the text.  However, to differentiate it from a number of other similar parodies, I decided to only change the dialogue and leave Hamlet's brutal situation as it was.  The entire thing is incredibly contrived, so I made little attempt to justify it logically.  I added in some short bits that fit with the theme (nothing that changes the story) and cut down the length, but did my best to keep  it within the spirit of Shakespeare.  Besides that, I didn't tone down the plot at all.  At the time, I thought it would be a good opportunity for some dark humor, but it turned out a lot more disturbing than I anticipated.  It was written with a sarcastic tone in mind--I'm not psychopathic, I promise!  Apparently, pairing a mild setting with a violent story makes the whole thing a bit more messed up.  Regardless of how it turned out, it's an interesting look at how important context is to plot.  Obviously, take it all with a grain of salt.

If you can't figure it out, here's the characters and their changed names.
Hammond = Hamlet
Clive = Claudius
Paul = Polonius
Gary = Guildenstern
Ralph = Rosencrantz
Harry = Horatio
Georgina = Gertrude
Olivia = Ophelia

Background
Hammond is a young student attending Denmark Preparatory School, a private institution for Denmark's finest (or richest) students.  Hammond's father, the extremely high paid principal of the school, was recently murdered.  Hammond suspects that his uncle/stepfather (Clive, scandalously married to his mother shortly after his father's death) committed the murder by pouring Clorox into the ear of Hammond Sr. in order to gain the principal position through some archaic hereditary system of succession.  Hammond plans to show the murder of his father at the school's talent show in order to gauge Principal Clive's reaction. If he can confirm his suspicious, he will carry out his bloody revenge.  The scene begins as Hammond instructs the actors.

Vocab Midterm Autopsy

The vocab midterm went well for me.  I got 81/81, so I definitely did as well as I hoped.  I expected to do fairly well, as I typically don't have a lot of trouble with vocabulary.  The outcome can't be rightfully attributed to any one thing.  My study strategy was extremely rudimentary, essentially boiling down to reading over the words on this blog.  The fact that the midterm was matching made it much easier.  There were only a handful of words that I was not completely comfortable with going into the test, and I was able to figure them out through process of elimination.

That said, there is still room for improvement.  Ideally I would be comfortable with all the words and be able to score well even if the test was in a harder format.  Given that my study strategy was so simplistic in the first place, improving upon it will be equally easy.  Simply spending more time with the words should do the trick.  Additionally, since the word number should theoretically double for the final, I'll need to step up my use of mnemonics, particularly regarding similar words.

Vocabulary: Fall List #8

abeyance: a state of temporary disuse or suspension
ambivalent: having mixed feelings about someone or something; being unable to choose between two
beleaguer: to surround or beset, as with troubles
carte blanche: unconditional authority
cataclysm: any violent upheaval, particularly politically
debauch: to corrupt by sensuality, intemperance, etc.
eclat: brilliance of success, reputation
fastidious: excessively particular, critical, or demanding
gambol: to skip about, as in dancing or playing
imbue: to impregnate or inspire, as with feelings, opinions, etc.
inchoate: not yet completed or fully developed
lampoon: a sharp satire directed against an individual or institution
malleable: adapted or tractable
nemesis: something that a person cannot conquer
opt: to make a choice; choose
philistine: a person who is lacking in or hostile to cultural values, intellectual pursuits, aesthetic refinement, etc.
picaresque: pertaining to a form of prose fictional (originally Spanish) involving the adventures of an engagingly roguish hero; often humorous or satiric, dealing with the common people
queasy: inclined to or feeling nausea
refractory: hard or impossible to manage, stubbornly disobedient
savoir-faire: knowledge of just what to do in any situation; tact

Dear Ophelia

"My name is O. and I'm trapped in this weird sort of dating thing--a prince says he loves me, but my family and brother hate him and tell me to stay away.  What should I do?"

Dear O,

I will do my best to impart what acumen I have on the subject.  I can understand why this situation may be somewhat of a quagmire for you--you want to make your family happy, but you cannot deny the euphoria you feel.  Indeed, the beatitude of youthful love is wondrous.  Perhaps there is a way to palliate your family while still maintaining sub rosa liaison with your "prince" (is this a literal prince, or some quixotic idealism?).  While secrecy may be parlous, it could be the only solution that appeases your family without stigmatizing your prince.  However, be wary of the mercurial nature of young lovers.  Maintain your own volition, and you should be fine.

Midterm Study Strategy

Our Vocabulary Midterm study strategy is fairly conventional (if unexciting).  I'll be collaborating with a group of 2-4 other people through Skype.  For the next three days, we will be going through two vocab lists, then on Thursday we will go over the last one and do a quick review of the whole thing.

Monday: Lists 1-2
Tuesday: 3-4
Wednesday: 5-6
Thursday: 7, review

As for the review methods themselves, we will be using mostly the vocabulary posts on this blog or Kris Green's flashcards.  I've found that using verbal quizzing is the most effective way to memorize vocab, especially when switching up the roles of being quizzed or doing the quizzing.  With simply reading a list of words or using flashcards by themselves, the vocabulary tends to blend together.  Verbal practice provides more distinction between words, as well as flexibility when providing definitions.

[Credit to Will Boerger for this one]
Mnemonic devices are also useful.  Even if you associate a vocabulary word with something silly or personal,  they do wonders for making sure you have that half dozen difficult word down.

Contacting Hamlet Learning Communities

I wasn't quite sure what would be the best way to approach this.  I was hesitant to send out mass messages contacting other learning communities for fear of being construed as a spammer, so I split the work with Justin Thompson (admittedly, it also made the work easier).  Once I had decided on this, I figured Twitter would be a decent place to start.  I searched for the people tweeting things about Hamlet.  Not being exactly sure what I was asking for, I started with a general statement asking for their experiences with Hamlet.  Twitter presented the unique challenge of 140 characters, which may have hindered the effectiveness of communication.  Neither of the people I contacted have replied, but I will update this post if there is a change.  However, I have my doubts that two random people on twitter will care enough to reply,especially if it means extending the conversation.  

"Pre-Will" Questions

What do you know about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane"?

I don't know too much about Hamlet, either as a character or a play.  I know that it is a tragedy that centers around revenge and a couple famous quotes ("Alas! Poor Yorick.") but that's really about it.

What do you know about Shakespeare?

Again, my knowledge of Shakespeare is limited.  I've only ever learned about him in school, and probably forgot a majority of what was taught.  I know he was an English playwright who wrote primarily tragedies and comedies, and that he is widely regarded as the founder of "modern English".  Besides that, I can only vaguely recall random tidbits of information (there was something about his theater burning down?).

Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare"?

To start with, a lot of it is not voluntary.  Through older siblings or friends, most people begin reading Shakespeare with the expectation that it is going to be an unpleasant experience.  It has become the school norm to dislike Shakespeare.  To some, it may even be somewhat of a social stigma to enjoy his work.  Granted, the fact that it is difficult to read does a lot to back up peoples' expectations.  Students (myself included) tend to dislike what things they do not understand.  While Shakespeare's stories may be appealing to most people, the "archaic" way in which they are written turns many away.

What can we do to make studying this play an amazing experience we'll never forget?

While it may not go as far as making the play amazingly unforgettable, simply explaining some of the more difficult terms used helps a lot.  Having a solid understanding of what Shakespeare is writing about goes a long way towards making his work more enjoyable.  I am also not a huge fan of the ever popular high school Shakespeare role playing.  To me, having people acting out the roles detracts from the story, as it affects my perception of the characters.  It's a bit like watching a book-movie before reading the book--the book will never be quite the same.

Literature Analysis: Brave New World Characterization

1.  There are examples of direct and indirect characterization for both the protagonists in Brave New World.  Bernard is initially directly characterized as being of unimpressive stature and a little bizarre when it came to social norms.  This is indirectly backed up later in the story as Bernard becomes irrationally angry at the fact that he is of similar height to those of lower castes.  A majority of Bernard's characterization comes from the reactions of others.  For example, among Bernard's colleagues there is a reoccurring rumor that alcohol was added to Bernard's vial while decanting, accounting for his diminutive size.  This rumor indirectly characterizes both his physical figure and his interactions (or lack of) with his peers.  John, the Savage, is described directly at first, mostly due to the fact that he stands out from the other Native Americans in his "village".  Later, more is learned about his character during his interactions with Lenina and his own reactions to what Lenina considers normal.

Vocabulary: Fall List #7

aberration: the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual
His extended trips away from civilization made him somewhat of a social aberration.

ad hoc: for the specific purpose or end presently under consideration
The ad hoc council sought to solve the bizarre crisis of grilled cheese shortage.

bane: a person or thing that ruins or spoils; a deadly poison
Procrastination will be the bane of my academic existence.

bathos: a ludicrous descent from the exalted or lofty to the commonplace; anticlimax
After years living the glamorous city life, moving the dull suburbs was more a bathos than reprieve.

Literature Analysis: Brave New World

1.      Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, is a dystopian novel.  It details a world in the future where the government (centered in London) has complete control over the willing population, allowing the creation of a “perfect” society.  People are no longer born; they are cloned.  During the decanting process, a variety of chemicals and procedures are applied to the developing clone vials that influence the social role they are “predestined” to have in society.  From most the least intelligent, clones can be Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, or Epsilons, with a plus or minus further indicating intelligence gradation.  Each of these social classes have different jobs to do, and are conditioned to enjoy it.  The key aspect of the dystopia in Brave New World is that the inhabitants are not oppressed.  They very willingly abide by what they perceive as the social norm.  The core of the plot surrounds Bernard, an Alpha plus who, due to some defect in decanting, has the physique and looks of a lower class.  Eventually, he befriends John, the Savage, while visiting the “savages” (lands deemed useless for development, and so given to Native Americans).  Bringing the Savage back to London, he sparks a craze.  Over time, John’s upbringing in a more traditional family environment as well as Shakespearean education make him disgusted with the abject hedonism of this “brave new world” (used sarcastically).  By the end of the novel, John leaves civilization, living as an ascetic in an abandoned lighthouse.  However, his isolation only serves to pique the public’s interest, and he once again becomes the subject of mass-marketed entertainment.  Sickened after a moment of personal failure, John hangs himself.

Vocabulary: Fall List #6

beatitude: supreme blessedness; exalted happiness
Unfortunately, the beatitude of Christmas morning fades with age.

bete noire: a person or thing strongly detested or avoided
Although the accusations were disproved, he became a bete noire.

bode: to be an omen of; portend
The dark clouds did not bode well for the coming day.

dank: unpleasantly moist or humid; damp and often chilly
As a cough racked his body, he cursed the dank dungeon he inhabited.

Notes: 2011 AP Essay Rubric

In General

• quality of writing is as important as content
• good quality can be bumped up a score
• poor quality cannot receive higher than a 3
• Keep in mind both literary devices used by the author, as well as the complexity of characters and their relationships
• a good essay includes both of these, as well as provides specific support

Scoring Breakdown

• 9-8: persuasive analysis, variety of interpretations, references insight on both literary devices and character relationships
• specific examples with clear writing; a 9 should be especially persuasive
• 7-6: reasonable analysis with an understanding of both literary devices and character relationships, but lacking the precision and clarity of 8-9
• 5: plausible analysis, but superficial; lacking specific support or has mild misinterpretations of the poem
• 4-3: inadequate analysis due to lack of support, ignorance of character complexity, poor control over language, or significant misreading
• 2-1: lacking analysis; the student made an attempt at responding to the prompt, but the essay had no support or contained serious mechanical errors; incoherent or extremely brief
• 0: No analysis, only reference to the task
• --: Left blank or completely off topic

Vocabulary: Fall List #5

acumen: keen insight; shrewdness
During the zombie apocalypse, having acumen is paramount to survival.

adjudicate: to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence
Their opinions colored by bribes, they adjudicated that the freedom of speech should be made illegal.

anachronism: something that is in the wrong time
The adventurers were admiring the lush Jurassic landscape when suddenly a nuclear explosion sounded in the distance.

apocryphal: of doubtful authorship or authenticity
Over the passage of time, the famed story became apocryphal.

Textbook Notes: Epics and the History of English (pg. 64-82)

The Epic

• long narrative poems that celebrated the adventures of legendary heroes
• Heroes: role models of their times, represented the society's ideal values
• provided examples of how to behave properly in a variety of circumstances

Gilgamesh

• Gilgamesh prologue establishes the heroic (or even legendary) history of Gilgamesh and his accomplishments
• the excerpt from the Iliad is very characteristic of an epic
• heroic characters clashing in a realistic scenario, but with the supernatural involvement of the gods
• About Sumerian king who lived between 2700-2500 B.C.
• stories of Gilgamesh handed down by Sumerians for hundreds of years after his death
• pg 66 "two-thirds a god, one-third a man"
• emphasizes building the city of Uruk

Beowulf ond Godsylla Translation

Beowulf ond Godsylla

Meanehwæl, baccat meaddehæle, monstær lurccen;
Fulle few too many drincce, hie luccen for fyht.
Ðen Hreorfneorhtðhwr, son of Hrwærowþheororthwl,
Æsccen æwful jeork to steop outsyd. Þhud! Bashe! Crasch! Beoom! Ðe bigge gye
Eallum his bon brak, byt his nose offe;
Wicced Godsylla wæld on his asse.
Monstær moppe fleor wyþ eallum men in hælle.
Beowulf in bacceroome fonecall bamaccen wæs;
Hearen sond of ruccus sæd, "Hwæt ðe helle?"
Graben sheold strang ond swich-blæd scharp
Stond feorth to fyht ðe grimlic foe. "Me," Godsylla sæd, "mac ðe minsemete."
Heoro cwyc geten heold wiþ fæmed half-nelson
Ond flyng him lic frisbe bac to fen
Beowulf belly up to meaddehæle bar,
Sæd, "Ne foe beaten mie færsom cung-fu."
Eorderen cocca-cohla yce-coeld, ðe reol þyng.

Translation:
Meanwhile, back at the mead-hall, the monster lurks;
Full of a few too many drinks, he's lookin' for a fight.
Then Hreorfneorhtðhwr, son of Hrwærowþheororthwl,

Hero Deconstruction: Frodo

I couldn't rightfully decide on an overall favorite hero to write about, so instead I chose one that fits the "Hero's Journey" model closely (Frodo actually isn't even my favorite Lord of the Rings character).  By nature, Tolkien's hobbits dislike change and excitement.  Because of this, even though Frodo had a somewhat more adventurous background than many of the other Shire denizens, he was hardly going out looking for what he got.  The receiving of the Ring and subsequent realization of its power (and perils) is what ultimately calls Frodo to his adventure.

Along the way, he acquires a plethora of companions who act as mentors, Gandalf being the most iconic.  Gandalf himself embodies many themes of the Hero's Journey, particularly his apparent death then return as a more powerful character.  Nearly every opponent Frodo and the Fellowship face down seems to be insurmountable.  However, every time it seems Middle Earth is coming to an end, some unexpected help appears from any number of the land's ancient races.  After the grueling trials at Mount Doom, he returns to the Shire alive, but utterly changed.  Further evidence of Frodo's post adventure transcendence is in his departure to Valinor at the story's end.

Vocabulary: Fall List #4

apostate: a person who forsakes his religion, cause, party, etc.
The apostate was forever shunned.

effusive: unduly demonstrative; lacking reserve; pouring out
For such a trivial matter, the effusion of emotion was quite off putting.

impasse: a position or situation from which there is no escape
"Ah, it seems we have reached an impasse," said the conniving evil mastermind.

euphoria: a state of intense happiness and self-confidence
Victory flooded him with euphoria.

lugubrious: mournful, dismal, or gloomy
The dreary Monday morning was lugubrious at best.

Literary Analysis Choice: Brave New World

For the first literary analysis, I've chosen to reader Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley.  Interestingly, I had this book in mind since my first blog post, before I knew we would be selecting from AP readings.  1984 was my favorite book read for school, and the dystopian ties between them are obvious.  I really enjoy  dystopian settings.  There is an inherent tension in them that seems to be unique to the genre.  It's not quite the same as horror (although Room 101 was rather horrifying), and it's not "ordinary" science fiction.  The frightening parts of a dystopia are what lies beneath the surface--whispered inferences and veiled threats.  The structure of creating a precariously ordered environment, then usurping it in a single character's rebellion (all while building towards a theme of humanity, normality, and individualism) makes for a compelling story.  I'm hoping for a similar experience in Brave New World.  If not, I'll at least have a broader sampling of the genre.

Vocabulary: Fall List #3

accolade: any award, honor, or laudatory notice
No amount of accolades could compare to self satisfaction.

acerbity: sourness, with roughness or astringency of taste
The acerbity of the medicine made him gag.

attrition: a wearing down or weakening of resistance, esp. as a result of continuous pressure
The war of attrition left both sides weary.

bromide: a platitude or trite saying, a person who is platitudinous and boring
The bromide laden speech put students to sleep.

chauvinist: a person who is aggressively and blindly patriotic or sexist
In most civilized places, chauvinism is among the most despicable of qualities.

Vocabulary: Fall List #2

[added after lists 3-7 for the midterm]

accouterments: personal clothing or equipment
apogee: highest or most distant point; climax
apropos: fitting; appropriate
bicker: to engage in petulant or peevish argument
coalesce: to unite or grow together into one
contretemps: an inopportune occurrence

Beowulf Questions

I worked on these questions in a group.  Due to some planning issues, I actually contributed to two groups.  These particular answers are from a group with Kris Green, Justin Thompson, Jason Reinwald, Will Veroski, Ryland Towne, and myself.  From start to end, my questions took me about two hours to complete, but that was while working with group members on other questions as well.  The total time I actually spent working on my own problems was probably close to forty-five minutes.  None of it was done in person.  Text messages were used throughout the day to coordinate efforts, and we ended up meeting on Skype to solve some of the more difficult problems and get everybody's work organized.

[Prologue: The Rise of the Danish Nation] (lines 1-85, pp. 33-34)

1. The way Shield became ruler of the Danes was unusual because he was an orphan that was adopted by the king of the Danes. Shield’s funeral was one of the most magnificent and noteworthy for a king because he was laid to rest on a ship covered in gold and treasure. Shield is Hrothgar’s great grandfather.

Vocabulary: Fall List #1

[added after lists 3-7 for the midterm]

adumbrate: to produce a feint image of, or to foreshadow
apotheosis: elevation of a person to the rank of a god; epitome
ascetic: a person who leads an austerely simple life, abstains from normal pleasures
bauble: a showy, usually cheap ornament
beguile: to influence by trickery or flattery
burgeon: to grow or develop quickly; flourish

Peer Feedback #1

The 1987 AP Exam essays I wrote can be found here and here.

Feedback from anybody is much appreciated, just leave a comment on this post.  Don't pull your punches either, criticism is what leads to improvement!  Thanks.

Notes: Beowulf Textbook Excerpts

The Wrath of Grendel

• Contrast of merriment inside the hall and evil lurking outside
• Twelve years of torment by Grendel
• Grendel is described as "mankind's enemy"
• interesting way of emphasizing Grendel's monstrosity

The Coming of Beowulf

• quality over quantity: Beowulf picks out the best men, which only amounts to fourteen
• especially small when considering Grendel killed thirty on his first attack
• the watchman is quick to grant entrance to the Geats after learning of their objective; testament to the terror Grendel caused
• "My lord Higlac might think less of me if I let my sword go where my feet were afraid to,if I hid behind some broad linden shield."
• classical heroic ideal of courage and honor

Notes: Beowulf Prologue-Chapter X

Prologue

• "Famed was this Beowulf: far flew the boast of him..."
• Beowulf's introduction
• "weeds of battle"
• what is this referring to?

Chapter I

• "Then, one after one, there woke to him, to the chieftain of clansmen, children four: Heorogar, then Hrothgar, then Halga brave..."
• setting the stage: Hrothgar is constructing "a master mead-house"
• "...til one began to fashion evils, that field of hell.  Grendel this monster grim was called."
• antagonist's origins

Chapter II

• atheling: a prince or lord in Anglo-Saxon England
• wassail: a salutation wishing health to a person
• Basically, Grendel is terrorizing Hrothgar and his people over the course of several years
• still more of background information than the core of the story

The Right to Your Opinion Socratic Seminar: Thoughts

After today's Socratic seminar, I was thinking about some topics that warranted further discussion.  One was regarding the nature of an opinion.  Since defining words and phrases was so popular during the discussion, it seems odd in hindsight that nobody broached the topic.  The most memorable example of not having a right to your opinion was stopping a friend from crossing the road who was "of the opinion" that there were no cars coming.  That seems like less of an opinion and more of a perspective.  Should an opinion be purely subjective?  But then again, what is really subjective?

For example, imagine a discussion between friends about whether chocolate or vanilla is the superior ice cream flavor.  Assuming the ultimate goal of ice cream is to provide enjoyment, it's impossible to come to an accurate conclusion.  To one friend, chocolate is the best flavor, and to him that is an undeniable truth.  In a side by side comparison of chocolate vs vanilla of equal caliber, chocolate provides him more enjoyment.  Nobody can know this but him, so nobody can deny it.  I don't think this necessarily gives him a right to the opinion (in the sense that he is entitled to it), but it certainly doesn't excuse the other friend imposing his vanilla-favoring opinion on others.

I'm sure there's some faults in my points, but it would have at least made for interesting discussion.

Reflections on Week 1

Assuming Week 1 was an accurate representation of what the rest of the year will look like, there should not be any factors that will severely limit (or aid) my participation in the class.  The only thing that comes to mind is my unreliable internet, which seems to cut out every fifteen minutes or so.  Still, it generally only stays down for a minute or two, so it's more of an annoyance than anything else.

I wish I had some awe-inspiring story about enlightenment, but my "awesome" learning experience was a mundane classroom occurrence.  The summer before junior year, I took Basic Computer Imagery as part of Hancock's free "College Now" program.  As an interesting side note, this was a direct consequence of sophomore year's career project, which got me really interested in graphic design.  There wasn't any single thing I learned that sticks out, but I was just surprised be the sheer amount of information I absorbed during such a short course.  It almost seemed overnight that I went from having no experience to knowing the fundamentals of design (and then some!).  I don't mean to say that I became exceptional--I'm still pretty mediocre--but the before and after comparison of my work was surprising.  The other people taking the course were in a similar situation as me.  There were one or two other high school students, several college students, and a handful of adults, but everyone was there primarily for the sake of learning a new skill.  During the class I discovered that I learn much more effectively through action.  No matter how well I think I comprehend text instructions, I've found it impossible to actually understand material until I've tried it myself. Now whenever I start something new (learning a new program, for example) I play around for a few minutes before diving into tutorials.

There is one aspect of this year's AP English that concerns me.  Admittedly, I'm used to not trying very hard in English.  I put in effort, but it's always been an easier subject (compared to something like math, for example).  Last year was particularly relaxed.  During the first week, this class made up a majority of my workload, which was something I'm definitely not used to--its impact showed on my sleep schedule.  Project Infinity and the entire open source aspect of the class is something I'm both excited and concerned about.  I love the idea, but I feel like I'm being pulled in too many directions.  I suspect this has a lot to do with me still be off balance from starting school again, so I'll reevaluate my position at the end of this week.  That said, I'm looking forward to the collaborative working groups.  Seeing a variety of skill sets working together toward a single goal is always exciting.  Additionally, I'm not very good at sticking with long term projects.  Hopefully this will be a good opportunity to fix that.

1987 AP English Exam: Wrap Up

Predictably, the most trouble I had with the multiple choice section was the readability of the later passages.  Many took some time to interpret; probably more time than would have been possible on the actual AP exam.  The only specific questions I found difficult were regarding styles of poetry, which I have almost no knowledge of.  Besides that, a combination of common sense of and educated guesses served me decently well.

The most difficult part with the essays was how similar to the prompts were.  I had to make an effort to avoid ideas spilling over between the two that would muddle my writing.  For the second essay, Grapes of Wrath, Catch-22, and Nineteen Eighty Four were the only books I was familiar with.  I decided on Nineteen Eighty Four mostly because it's my favorite of the three (there are actually quite a few quotes from it in this blog's background) and I thought it had a variety of elements I could easily write about.  My conclusions were weak on both essays, as I couldn't find a way to effectively restate my ideas without seeming redundant.

For the essays, I attempted to keep to a time limit (hence the four paragraphs) but still ended up going over the recommended 35 minutes by 10-15 minutes.

1987 AP English Exam: Essay Question 2

1987 AP English Exam:
http://drprestonsrhsenglitcomp12.blogspot.com/2012/03/1987-ap-exam.html

Like all great novels, Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell has an important message wrapped in its plot.  It simultaneously espoused independence and warned against the dangers of authority.  The novel proposed a (then futuristic) world in which a government sought to create the perfect society through absolute control.  While the idea is appropriately other-worldly, Orwell saw its applicability to the society he lived in.  As technology progressed, the government would have increasingly greater options to exert authority.  Where should the line be drawn?  How much should freedom be restricted in the name of societal perfection?  These are the questions Orwell challenged his readers to think about, with the ultimate goal of inspiring free thought in a society that seemed to be increasingly subservient.  He communicates these ideas by personifying his speculations in the setting as well as focusing on a single character.

1987 AP English Exam: Essay Question 1

1987 AP English Exam:
http://drprestonsrhsenglitcomp12.blogspot.com/2012/03/1987-ap-exam.html

Every year that goes by seems faster and more efficient, with even menial tasks being carried out with mechanical precision.  According to George Eliot, this efficiency is the death of leisure.  By comparing society of her time with what she calls "old Leisure", she attempts to articulate her reasons for thinking that innovation is not necessarily to be sought.  On one hand, she presents an idyllic time of life before the rush of modernity, on the other is a stark appraisal of the world around her.

1987 AP English Exam: Multiple Choice Answers

1987 AP English Exam:
http://drprestonsrhsenglitcomp12.blogspot.com/2012/03/1987-ap-exam.html
Answers with an asterisk are ones I got wrong.  Question marks indicate ones that I either had significant trouble with or made a wild guess.
1. C
2. A
3. C
4. E
5. D
6. A*
7. E
8. B
9. E
10. E*
11. D
12. B
13. C*
14. C
15. A
16. B
17. C
18. E
19. B*
20. B

Additional Thoughts: Austen/Montaigne Essay

I am not a fast writer.  Even in a limited time situation, I still find myself spending too much time trying to recall specific words.  As a general rule I've found that four paragraphs is my ideal.  Knowing that today's (yesterday's?) essay would be even faster paced, I decided to go down to three paragraphs.  In spite of this, I didn't reach my concluding paragraph.

That said, I feel like I got at least the basic structure of my ideas onto paper.  The points I really wanted to press were that communication naturally imposes restrictions upon "free thought" (meaning, what the mind would think about without direction).  Different pieces of writing have different limitations.  Pride and Prejudice's limitation is that it is a story with a very specific plot.  All of Elizabeth's thoughts are required to be related to her developing relationships, or else the plot would be diluted.  Montaigne had more freedom in that he was writing about his own mind, giving him liberty to jump between topics.  However, even the lengthier chapters only give an overview of his thoughts.  It's safe to assume that the reader does not know Montaigne as well as he knew himself simply by reading a few pages.  Given more time to write, I would have developed the difference between what I was calling "free thought" and "restricted thought", and how one more accurate shows the vastness of the mind.  As it is in my essay, the concept is vague and conceptual, lacking much concrete evidence (due in part to the fact that I was fleshing out the idea on the fly).  In the entire essay, I think I included two examples, one from each book.  With the limited time, I felt it was more important to communicate my core ideas than dig up examples.  More time to build up support for my arguments would have made them much more credible.  To be specific, I really wanted to include a sentence referencing Montaigne's thumb chapter to illustrate the greater freedom he had in writing than Austen.

After I left it occurred to me that I had all but forgotten David Foster Wallace's quote.  I made a passing mention of it in my introductory paragraph, then jumped off to my own thoughts.  I should have tied my arguments back to more clearly express my agreement with the quote.  I focused much more on comparing Montaigne and Austen.

The interruption actually helped my thought process.  Due to a less than ideal sleep the night before, I began writing without much vigor.  When we left for the library I had a little over two sentences written and no idea what direction I was going to take the essay.  During the walk down I didn't really think about the essay much, but the short time away from it was enough to clear my head.  As soon as I started writing again, I came up with a reasonable idea to base the essay on.  It should be noted that this was a very particular circumstance for me.  Most times I would hate the interruption, but I was so out of it today that the short walk went a long way in organizing my thoughts.  Of course, the time restriction was still inconvenient.

Notes: The Poisonwood Bible

Initially, these notes were written in the margins, making them much more concise than my other notes.  They also relied on color coding to cut down on having to repeat my thoughts in similar circumstances (pointing out things such as character development or family crises):

By the end of the novel I found the color coding to be counterproductive, so opted for more conventional separate paper notes for the other two books.  Hopefully this explains the brevity, even if it doesn't necessarily excuse it.  Anyway, here are the notes.

Notes: Essays of Michel de Montaigne

Chapter 1

• Introductory analogies: pushing the point that routine and custom deafens the senses; the unusual becomes commonplace
• pg 8: "'Custom,' replied Plato, 'is no little thing.'"
• pg 8: Cozen: to cheat, deceive, or trick
• pg 10:  "...he asked me, what privilege this filthy excrement had, that we must carry about us a fine handkerchief to receive it..."
• still "nauseous and offensive", but it's a good point
• pg 11-13: Are the "customs" being written of real, or made up to prove a point?
• Montaigne is opposed to novelty, but also warns of customs' danger
• Are the allusions to Greek mythology common for philosophers of the time, or a particular interest of Montaigne?

First Assignment; New School Year

The cookie-cutter rationalization for AP Courses is the college benefits.  "Just think of how much money you'll save!  It'll look great on your transcript!"  Those reasons may have been my motivation initially, but that is far from the truth now.  To be completely truthful, it's more about the environment at this point.  Nearly all of my friends are AP students.  Add to that the dullness of most College Prep classes, and the choice is pretty clear.  In AP classes, students are expected to rise to a higher level of academic excellence.  I don't believe there is anything inherently special about AP students, but the nature of the classes demands intellectual motivation.  As for this class in particular, there are a couple things I'm excited for.  I enjoyed sophomore year's Honors English, and am anticipating a similarly unorthodox experience.  A classroom that was dictated by logic and reasoning rather than regulations was a breath of fresh air, and I'm hoping this year will provide something similar.  Additionally, the technological aspect of the course is enticing.  I won't pretend to be an expert (there's still so much to learn!), but if I'm not a technology guru, I'm at least a technology lover.  Of course, on the other side of this esteemed AP environment is the grueling workloads.  An unhealthy number of homework all-nighters were pulled last year, and this upcoming semester I have both more numerous and more difficult classes.  I was told by some former seniors that this class's workload can be overwhelming at times.  Besides that, there's still the public poetry recitals.  While I like to think I've made huge improvements since "Richard Cory" two years ago, I'd be lying if I said I'm comfortable with public speaking.

With that in mind, I suppose one of my goals to become less nervous about an audience--especially if the course is going to focus on sharing content across the Internet.  Besides that, I'd like to get more recreational reading in.  Last school year, I hardly read any books that I picked out myself, and I intend to rectify that this year (starting with Brave New World, hopefully).  I cannot say with any certainty how my knowledge will be improved by the course.  Broadly speaking, I expect to improve my ability to communicate, whether through blog posts, speeches, or ordinary essays.  In a more concrete sense, more vocab is always beneficial.