Self Evaluation of Writing

      What I like most about my text was how I could easily link the character of Mrs. Mallard to irony. My ideas where clear and precise and when I look over my work, i feel good about explaining Chopin's use of the figure of speech.

      What I liked least about my text were the grammar mistakes I had made. When I read look at them and compare to the Writing Correction Code, I feel awful thinking "I should have know". My mistakes are proof that I did not look over my work when I was finished like I should always do. It is very important to read a second time and revise before handing (or in this case publishing) in a test. It permits us to identify those foolish mistakes.

       Here are my very own suggestions in order to correct myself for the final writing test :

Introduction: I should have made my thesis statement more clear. It got a little confusing because I added a few more words than necessary. Keep it simple!

Thesis statement: Automatically linked to the concept of the introduction, I should have read my thesis statement a second time in order to notice my syntax error. Simple to correct yet so important. It's good to keep things simple so our ideas don't get mixed up.

Topic sentence of each paragraph: Although I find that my topics were well chosen and put into good phrases, once again, it would have been neat to look over my Midterm Writing test and notice the subtle preposition that was incorrect. I could have also added a few ideas to my text.

Content of the text: In order to improve the content of my text, I should maybe use more distinct ideas.

Organization of the text: It was very simple to organize our text because Mr. B told us to do an introduction, two development paragraphs and to finish off with a conclusion. If I want to keep doing a good gob on organizing my texts, the formula is simple, listen to the directions!

Development of the text: I liked how i developed my text. Although to make a good job a great one, I think that it would be better to directly link an idea to another one as if one idea was the consequence of another. It would insist on developing further points of views.

Sentence style of the text: In such a text, I have learned that it it important to not add personal opinions and the pronoun "I".

Vocabulary: A good text is often noticeable by its enriched vocabulary. The use of a dictionary (synonyms i this case) can often bring improvement to a simple idea. It is important to look up words that can give a more precise idea to the reader about what the author is attempting to describe.

Grammar: Similar to the vocabulary, I can make my grammar skills better by revising and using all the grammatical help at my disposal. Such punctuation errors (present in my conclusion) could have easily been spot ten and removed.

Spelling: To avoid the idiotic errors I often do (such as writing "rly" instead of "really" i a test, yes I have done that once in high school), I should take advantage of the time that has been given to me in class. Rushing is never a good idea. Using a dictionary is always an excellent way to avoid doing these types of mistakes. Also, I should look up the words I am not sure of, that way, there are no chances of mistakes!

Conclusion: In the conclusion, I should be careful to only repeat my thesis statement and not get confused by my text's main idea. It is important to have an idea and stick with it.

Talk About Irony!

″The Story of an Hour″

Question: Discuss how Chopin uses irony effectively throughout the story.

People don’t always react the way we expect them to. Knowing we sometimes enjoy this fact, authors often use techniques of language usage that leave us speechless during a story. In the short story ″The Story of an Hour″, Kate Chopin effectively uses irony in order to express the main character, Mrs. Mallard’s feelings.

Firstly, we will discover why Mrs. Mallard’s attitude may seem ironic. When a close family member passes away, let alone our own husband, people often go into a period of grief that may sometimes lead to depression. Well get ready for this. When Brently Mallard dies, all his wife seems to feel is joy for the new life that awaits her. Throughout paragraphs 11 to 20, the author uses many unexpected ways to describe Mrs. Mallard’s emotions. In paragraph 11, the protagonist mutters the words ″free, free, free! ″ over and over. She quickly starts processing the idea of years to come that would be hers absolutely in paragraph 12. Her reactions go so on and so forth during the main part of the story. Even if in the nineteen hundreds, women were not expected to question or express any concern about the quality of their lives, this attitude is much unintended.

Secondly, we will find out how irony is used once again at the resolution of the story. Knowing that a loved one is safe and alive should be great news, right? Wrong! According to Mrs. Mallard, the fact that her husband did not die in a railroad crash is awful news. It is written in the story that she had loved him at times, if so then why would she be horribly upset about his ″resurrection″? Of course, this is not based on a true story and once again, Kate Chopin uses the literary technique of irony in order to emphasise the opposite of what Mrs. Mallard should truthfully be going through.  In the 21^st paragraph, Josephine, Richards and Mrs. Mallard discover that Brently Mallard is in fact alive. By consequence, Mrs. Mallard dies from the shock that she will not go through her life on her very own and that she would not be able to live for herself.

 In conclusion, we may say that Mrs. Mallard is an ironic character because she seems to feel the exact opposite of normal and expected behaviour. It was very hard, see impossible, to anticipate her character. Irony makes a great story because most people look forward to being surprised and taken off guard. 

Litterary Interpretation : Occurrence at Owl Creek

In "An Occurrence at Owl Creek", A. Bierce uses remarkable imagery and misleading shifts in setting and point of view.

11 Ways to Introduce a Text

1. Biographical information
ex. Edgar Allan Poe had many psychological problems that affected his writing. This is evident in "The Tell-Tale Heart" wich explores the insanity of the main character.

2. A Quotation from the text itslef
ex. "Why will you say I'm mad?"

3. A Definition
ex. Poetic jusctice is supposed to mean that virtue is rewarded and that evil is punished.

4.Litarary element from the text
ex. Imagery is a powerful way to express feelings and emotions.  In "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe, the gives us a different look on how the main characters feels about the old man's eye.

5. Life experience of the author
ex. Ernest Hemingway had a lot of problems communicating with women.

6. Plot
ex. At the begining of Wilde's Nightingale's story, the bird's heart is figuratively broken by the student's sorrow. By the end, the bird's heart is literally split by the rose's thorn.

7. Philosophical / Sociological concept
ex. Trials involving life and death should be based on legal facts and arguments. (See Lady and the Tiger)

8. Historical Backround
ex. Gothicism was in vogue in the early nineteeth century, delving into metaphysical issus and the meaning of death.

The Lady or The Tiger : Thesis Statement

In "The Lady or The Tiger", the princess which the protagonist (the young man) is in love with is somewhat the antagonist. Since the story does not maintain nor a climax, nor a falling action nor a denouement, this fact makes the open ending a truly mysterious and captivating aspect !

Tell-Tale Heart : Literary Interpretation

Edgar Allan Poe uses the first person narrator to truly render the emotions of the main character.

In the short story the Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, there are many literary interprations to be made by the litterary elements in the story.

1-REPETITION:
There where many repetitions in this short story:

Paragraph 2 , when the man speaks about the eye. "He had the eye of a vulture-a pale blue eye, with a film over it"

Paragraph 8, when explaining how steady he is. "So I opened it-you cannot imagine how stealthily, stealthily-until,[...]"

Paragraph17, as the noise grew louder. "[...] and now-again!-hark! louder! louder! louder! louder!"

2-METAPHOR AND SIMILE:
a) Metaphors are used in the story to engage the reader in the story.

Paragraph 8. "[...] shot from out the crevice and fell full upon the vulture eye. "

Paragraph 11. "Yes, he was a stone, stone dead"

b)Similes in the story are used to engage the readers in the story.

Paragraph 9. "-now, I say, there came to my ears a low, dull, quick sound, such as a watch makes when enveloped in cotton."

Paragraph 14. "When I had made an end of these labirs, it was four o'clock-still dark as midnight"

Wiki Quiz

Wiki Quiz

Cut and paste these questions into your blog.

1. Where is Mr. B's office?  
2. What percentage of the course is writing and speaking worth?
3. How many items are on the "Writing Correction Code"?
4. What are Mr. B's office hours?
5. What is the 48 hour rule?
6. What is the first assignment?
7. How many references are made to "thesis statement"?
8. How can I reach Mr. B?
9. How many short stories are we going to read?
10. How many pages on the site refer to "grammar"?
11. How many items are listed in the Student Agreement?
12. What are the summative writing assignments?
13. Write down two questions you have about the course?

                                                                       ----Answears----

1- His office is c-150 therefor, it is in building "c", on the first floor (not the RC).
2-Writing is worth 40% and speaking is also worth 40%.
3- 18 items are on the "Writing Correction Code".
4-Mr.B's office hours are Tuesdays from 11h30 to 2h30, Wednesdays from 1h00 to 2h00 and Thurdays from 3h00 to 4h00.
5-The 48 hour rule is put in place so we can let Mr.B know at least 48 hours after missing an exam or an evaluation by MIO.
6-Our first assignement was to read the Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe.
7- 16 references are made to "thesis statement".
8-I can reach Mr.B by MIO (or LEA), his e-mail address or we may call him at school.
9-We are going to read seven short stories.
10-29 pages on the site refer to "grammar".
11- Ten items are listed on the student agreement.
12- The summative writing assignments are litterary essays (using litterary elements).
13a-Will most of our homework be done by Internet?
    b- Is applying myself enough to get good grades?