Nathaniel Burns-Sarno
Advanced Placement English/Mr. George
September 29, 2009
Mr. Collins’ Proposal Analysis
Mr. Collins’ proposal is ineffective because he fails to use pathos, he focuses on logos when the situation calls for him to focus on pathos, and he belittles the one his speech is addressed to.
Mr. Collins starts his proposal by complimenting Elizabeth and explaining to her the reason why he has asked her hand in marriage. What he forgets to include in his proposal is an explanation of the qualities he has(if any) that make him worthy enough to fill the position of her husband. In failing to do so, he loses a lot of credibility and it becomes difficult to take him seriously. The next mistake Mr. Collins makes is appealing to logos when he should have been appealing to pathos. Rather than making his proposal romantic and exciting, he simply tells Elizabeth:
“My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it is a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish. Secondly, that I am convinced it will add very greatly to my happiness; and thirdly—which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honor of calling patroness”(Austen).
While it would technically be acceptable to appeal to logos in this situation, Mr. Collins appeals to the wrong kind of logos. If he was going to use logic, he should have used the logic of why he wants to be with her, rather than the logic of why marrying him would be convenient. The third mistake Mr. Collins makes is belittling Elizabeth. If you want someone to see your point of view, it makes little sense to talk down to them(particularly when the subject is marriage). Each time Elizabeth refused Mr. Collins, he outwardly dismisses her refusals as natural behavior for her gender. This greatly weakens his argument, as no one would be inclined to accept a proposal from someone who was insulting them. What Mr. Collins should have done was keep his thoughts about her refusal to himself and back down. That way, he would appear more respectable and Elizabeth would be more likely to consider his future proposals.
Throughout his proposal, Mr. Collins’ lack of attention to diction and syntax make him appear unprofessional. He chooses words that do not compliment the situation, such as when he promises Elizabeth that he will speak highly of her “economy”. What makes his error in diction even more blaring is that he places the word “economy” between the terms “modesty” and “amiable qualifications”, which were both proper diction on his part. The sentence structure of his list of reasons that he want to marry Elizabeth(see above) seems to be all over the place, causing one to question the preparedness of his proposal. Rather than sounding organized in his speech, he sounds as if he had rehearsed it to a mirror without bothering to listen for errors. Thus, his proposal was doomed to fail from the start.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
HuckFinn Society
Nathaniel Burns-Sarno
Advanced Placement English/Mr.George
September 15, 2009
Social Critique in Huckleberry Finn
“Well,” says Buck, “a feud is this way. A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him; then that other man’s brother kills him; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the cousins chip in---and by-and-by everybody’s killed off, and there ain’t no more feud. But it’s kind of slow, and takes a long time.”(Twain 126)
“Oh, yes, pa knows, I reckon, and some of the other old folks; but they don’t know, now, what the row was about in the first place.”(126)
Twain illustrates in the novel that the society in which Huck lives is not only separated by color, but also by feuding families. The critique here is that the feud is described so nonchalantly, as if Buck sees no problem with killing another human being. It is also shown that the feud between the Grangerfords and Shepardsons has been going on for so long that none of them even remember what started it in the first place. Even without this knowledge, the two families still feel hatred towards each other. This appears to be a critique of how tradition holds society back, and society allows itself to be held back by tradition.
“Hold on! Just a word, gentlemen.” They stopped to listen. “We are sold—mighty badly sold. But we don’t want to be the laughing stock of this whole town, I reckon, and never hear the last of this thing as long as we live. No. What we want is to go out of here quiet, and talk this show up, and sell the rest of the town! Then we’ll all be in the same boat. Ain’t that sensible?...All right, then—not a word about any sell. Go along home, and advise everybody to come and see the tragedy.”(177)
Twain’s critique in this quote is over a person’s willingness to go against their fellow man in order to feel better about themselves. In this case, it involves making sure others are cheated out of their money to cover up their own shame of being conned. This appears to be a critique of how no on in a “society” looks out for one another, which causes the society as a whole to be petty and spiteful.
“It warn’t the grounding—that didn’t keep us back but a little. We blowed out a cylinder-head.”
“Good gracious! Anybody hurt?”
“No’m. Killed a nigger.”
“Well, it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt.”
Racism comes up many times in the novel, and never quietly. However, this quote clearly shows how much the life of a black person is worth to a white person within the text. This appears to be a critique of how those at the top of a society have no regard for those at the bottom.
Advanced Placement English/Mr.George
September 15, 2009
Social Critique in Huckleberry Finn
“Well,” says Buck, “a feud is this way. A man has a quarrel with another man, and kills him; then that other man’s brother kills him; then the other brothers, on both sides, goes for one another; then the cousins chip in---and by-and-by everybody’s killed off, and there ain’t no more feud. But it’s kind of slow, and takes a long time.”(Twain 126)
“Oh, yes, pa knows, I reckon, and some of the other old folks; but they don’t know, now, what the row was about in the first place.”(126)
Twain illustrates in the novel that the society in which Huck lives is not only separated by color, but also by feuding families. The critique here is that the feud is described so nonchalantly, as if Buck sees no problem with killing another human being. It is also shown that the feud between the Grangerfords and Shepardsons has been going on for so long that none of them even remember what started it in the first place. Even without this knowledge, the two families still feel hatred towards each other. This appears to be a critique of how tradition holds society back, and society allows itself to be held back by tradition.
“Hold on! Just a word, gentlemen.” They stopped to listen. “We are sold—mighty badly sold. But we don’t want to be the laughing stock of this whole town, I reckon, and never hear the last of this thing as long as we live. No. What we want is to go out of here quiet, and talk this show up, and sell the rest of the town! Then we’ll all be in the same boat. Ain’t that sensible?...All right, then—not a word about any sell. Go along home, and advise everybody to come and see the tragedy.”(177)
Twain’s critique in this quote is over a person’s willingness to go against their fellow man in order to feel better about themselves. In this case, it involves making sure others are cheated out of their money to cover up their own shame of being conned. This appears to be a critique of how no on in a “society” looks out for one another, which causes the society as a whole to be petty and spiteful.
“It warn’t the grounding—that didn’t keep us back but a little. We blowed out a cylinder-head.”
“Good gracious! Anybody hurt?”
“No’m. Killed a nigger.”
“Well, it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt.”
Racism comes up many times in the novel, and never quietly. However, this quote clearly shows how much the life of a black person is worth to a white person within the text. This appears to be a critique of how those at the top of a society have no regard for those at the bottom.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Count of Monte Cristo notes: Honor
Nathaniel Burns-Sarno
Advanced Placement English 11/Mr.George
September 11, 2009
The Count of Monte Cristo Notes
Honor in Suicide and Albert’s
“’Hear me, Maximilian,’ said his father. ‘Suppose I was a soldier like you, and ordered to carry a certain redoubt, and you knew I must be killed in the assault, would you not say to me as you said just now, ‘Go, father, for you are dishonored by delay, and death is preferable to shame!’” (The Fifth of September)
This quote is spoken by Morrel while he is still planning suicide, for he believes it is better to be dead than to live in dishonor. The interesting thing about Morrel’s situation is that his “honor” is partly to blame for the position that he is in. Since his honor prevented him from not paying his workers as they had requested, it forced him into an even deeper debt. Also, his honor is the very reason that he contemplates suicide. His honorable behavior can be admired, but it is clear that it can also be harmful in certain situations.
“He darted to his bedroom to see once more all he had loved in the world; but the hackney-coach drove on without the head of either Mercedes or her son appearing at the window to take a last look at the house or the deserted father or husband. And at that very moment when the wheels of the coach crossed the gateway a report was heard, and a thick smoke escaped through one of the panes of the window, which was broken by the explosion.”(Dumas The Suicide)
This passage implies that upon seeing his wife and son leave never to return, Fernand committed suicide. It was the last straw for Fernand after he had received so much misfortune in a short amount of time. Recent revealing of Fernand’s actions(such as his deserting on the eve of the battle of Waterloo, his serving as a spy to the French army in Spain, and his betrayal of Ali Pacha) had turned him into a public disgrace. So much so that his own wife and child depart in order to sever any ties that they had with him. Fernand had suffered so many dishonors that his suicide could be seen as in act of ending his life in order to hang on to what little honor he had remaining.
“’Sir,’ said Albert, at first with tremulous voice, but which gradually became firmer, ‘I reproach you with exposing the conduct of M. de Morcerf in Epirus; for, guilty as I knew he was, I thought you had no right to punish him; but I have since learned that you have that right. It is not Fernand Mondego’s treachery towards Ali Pacha which induces me so readily to excuse you, but the treachery of the fisherman Fernand towards you, and the almost unheard-of miseries which were its consequences; and I say, and proclaim it publicly, that you were justified in revenging yourself on my father, and I, his son, thank you for not using greater severity.’”(The Meeting)
This passage is significant because it shows the transition of Albert focusing on the honor of his father to focusing on his own honor. Before Albert spoke these words, he seemed intent on gaining his revenge on Dantes for dishonoring his father. However, after realizing that Fernand deserved his fate(if not a worse one), Albert does the honorable thing and apologizes to Dantes for having considered him the one at fault. Albert did not actually have to apologize. He could have much more easily dropped his anger towards Dantes and gone on with his life without a single glance back. However, he found honor to be so important that he felt it necessary to clear his name and repent for his actions. This is one of the few instances in the Count of Monte Cristo in which having a large feeling of honor lead to something favorable.
Advanced Placement English 11/Mr.George
September 11, 2009
The Count of Monte Cristo Notes
Honor in Suicide and Albert’s
“’Hear me, Maximilian,’ said his father. ‘Suppose I was a soldier like you, and ordered to carry a certain redoubt, and you knew I must be killed in the assault, would you not say to me as you said just now, ‘Go, father, for you are dishonored by delay, and death is preferable to shame!’” (The Fifth of September)
This quote is spoken by Morrel while he is still planning suicide, for he believes it is better to be dead than to live in dishonor. The interesting thing about Morrel’s situation is that his “honor” is partly to blame for the position that he is in. Since his honor prevented him from not paying his workers as they had requested, it forced him into an even deeper debt. Also, his honor is the very reason that he contemplates suicide. His honorable behavior can be admired, but it is clear that it can also be harmful in certain situations.
“He darted to his bedroom to see once more all he had loved in the world; but the hackney-coach drove on without the head of either Mercedes or her son appearing at the window to take a last look at the house or the deserted father or husband. And at that very moment when the wheels of the coach crossed the gateway a report was heard, and a thick smoke escaped through one of the panes of the window, which was broken by the explosion.”(Dumas The Suicide)
This passage implies that upon seeing his wife and son leave never to return, Fernand committed suicide. It was the last straw for Fernand after he had received so much misfortune in a short amount of time. Recent revealing of Fernand’s actions(such as his deserting on the eve of the battle of Waterloo, his serving as a spy to the French army in Spain, and his betrayal of Ali Pacha) had turned him into a public disgrace. So much so that his own wife and child depart in order to sever any ties that they had with him. Fernand had suffered so many dishonors that his suicide could be seen as in act of ending his life in order to hang on to what little honor he had remaining.
“’Sir,’ said Albert, at first with tremulous voice, but which gradually became firmer, ‘I reproach you with exposing the conduct of M. de Morcerf in Epirus; for, guilty as I knew he was, I thought you had no right to punish him; but I have since learned that you have that right. It is not Fernand Mondego’s treachery towards Ali Pacha which induces me so readily to excuse you, but the treachery of the fisherman Fernand towards you, and the almost unheard-of miseries which were its consequences; and I say, and proclaim it publicly, that you were justified in revenging yourself on my father, and I, his son, thank you for not using greater severity.’”(The Meeting)
This passage is significant because it shows the transition of Albert focusing on the honor of his father to focusing on his own honor. Before Albert spoke these words, he seemed intent on gaining his revenge on Dantes for dishonoring his father. However, after realizing that Fernand deserved his fate(if not a worse one), Albert does the honorable thing and apologizes to Dantes for having considered him the one at fault. Albert did not actually have to apologize. He could have much more easily dropped his anger towards Dantes and gone on with his life without a single glance back. However, he found honor to be so important that he felt it necessary to clear his name and repent for his actions. This is one of the few instances in the Count of Monte Cristo in which having a large feeling of honor lead to something favorable.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Dantes' Role as God
Nathaniel Burns-Sarno
Advanced Placement English/Mr. George
September 9, 2009
The Count of Monte Cristo Notes
Dantes’ Role as God
“’You are my son, Dantes,’ exclaimed the old man. You are the child of my captivity. My profession condemns me to celibacy. God has sent you to me to console, at one and the same time, the man who could not be a father and the prisoner who could not get free’”. (Dumas 201)
“’And now, my dear friend,’ said Faria, “sole consolation of my wretched existence-you whom heaven gave me somewhat late, but still gave me, a priceless gift, and for which I am most grateful…”.(206)
This quote, spoken by Faria, is the first time in the novel that Dantes is compared to a servant of God. This perhaps lead to Dantes making his own assumptions about his relationship with God. If that is true, Faria would be to blame for putting such an idea into Dantes head. Also, since Faria was responsible for Dantes obtaining his wealth, it could be assumed that Faria in a sense created the Count of Monte Cristo.
“’And now,’ said the unknown, “farewell kindness, humanity, and gratitude! Farewell to all the feelings that expand the heart! I have been Heaven’s substitute to recompense the good; now the God of vengeance yields to me his power to punish the wicked!”(329)
This is the defining quote in Dantes’ taking on the role of God. He has found his mission and purpose and intends to see it through to the end. He now seeks to punish those who do wrong in the world, possibly so that no one else will have to share the fate he was given. His humility seems to have disappeared, but he still retains his attitude toward justice, going so far as to cast off his own innocence so that he may defend the innocence of others.
It should be noted that Dantes takes on the persona of a vengeful God, rather than a loving one. He does not so much care for the meek as he does vanquish the proud. While there may be some form of love for the meek expressed his actions, it never sees any light through the cloud of vengeance he creates.
Advanced Placement English/Mr. George
September 9, 2009
The Count of Monte Cristo Notes
Dantes’ Role as God
“’You are my son, Dantes,’ exclaimed the old man. You are the child of my captivity. My profession condemns me to celibacy. God has sent you to me to console, at one and the same time, the man who could not be a father and the prisoner who could not get free’”. (Dumas 201)
“’And now, my dear friend,’ said Faria, “sole consolation of my wretched existence-you whom heaven gave me somewhat late, but still gave me, a priceless gift, and for which I am most grateful…”.(206)
This quote, spoken by Faria, is the first time in the novel that Dantes is compared to a servant of God. This perhaps lead to Dantes making his own assumptions about his relationship with God. If that is true, Faria would be to blame for putting such an idea into Dantes head. Also, since Faria was responsible for Dantes obtaining his wealth, it could be assumed that Faria in a sense created the Count of Monte Cristo.
“’And now,’ said the unknown, “farewell kindness, humanity, and gratitude! Farewell to all the feelings that expand the heart! I have been Heaven’s substitute to recompense the good; now the God of vengeance yields to me his power to punish the wicked!”(329)
This is the defining quote in Dantes’ taking on the role of God. He has found his mission and purpose and intends to see it through to the end. He now seeks to punish those who do wrong in the world, possibly so that no one else will have to share the fate he was given. His humility seems to have disappeared, but he still retains his attitude toward justice, going so far as to cast off his own innocence so that he may defend the innocence of others.
It should be noted that Dantes takes on the persona of a vengeful God, rather than a loving one. He does not so much care for the meek as he does vanquish the proud. While there may be some form of love for the meek expressed his actions, it never sees any light through the cloud of vengeance he creates.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
