Last Reflection

• What was your favorite lesson this year and why?

My favorite lesson this year was the perks of being a wallflower unit simply because I love that book and the reasoning behind it. One lesson in particular is the personal mix tape we had to create.

• What was your least favorite lesson this year? Why?

My least favorite lesson this year was the essays that we had to do. I hated them but I am so thankful we did them because it helped me so much. I needed so much help with my essays.

• Academically, what have you learned from this class?

I have learned how to deeper my analysis of a literary piece, and understand the deeper and more important meaning of the story by using literary devices. I have also learned how to comprehend poetry on a figurative level.

• What life lessons have you learned from this class?

I have learned not to be afraid of doing what I want to do, because, ultimately, all we want is happiness, so why not give ourselves that by doing what we love no matter how many people disapprove. I also learned that if you are determined, you can do anything.

• What can I change and improve upon as an educator to make this class more beneficial for future classes?

Do more timed writings, and do more reconstructive essay assignments, where you help us comprehend how to write each paragraph. With timed writings it will help better the students for the AP exam even more.

• Final thoughts and opinions

I believe you have did a wonderful job at teaching AP Literature for the first time. You are a major step up from the teacher last year, and you go above and beyond to help us comprehend what we did to. Personally, I wouldn't change much of anything in your lessons that you have taught us this year and going to use for next year because I believe that they are more than good enough to prepare one for the AP exam. This is your calling Mrs. Endicott, you are so good at what you do! and I am so grateful to have learned from you! and I believe I will pass the AP exam lol with a three hopefully!

LRB #4- Novel Project

6. an analysis of the effect of setting -- time, place, circumstances

In the famous short story "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin, one woman refuses to conform with society by expressing her own feelings for the one she truly loves.  Edna, the main character, experiences such events within herself that is normal for everyday life today, but setting plays a huge role in this novel to express Edna's overall change. Her story would not make much sense in a society where divorce is acceptable, and becoming a supported artist regardless of gender; therefore, the story is set back where neither of those are possible, making Edna's awakening more forbidden. As for the importance of setting the story in the Bayou State, the Creole lifestyle plays a key part in awakening Edna to the joys of being open and passionate. Even more importantly, Edna’s vacation at Grand Isle is also a key part of her awakening.

LRB #3- Novel Project

9. a discussion of the title’s significance

The title of the 1801 novel "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin has a in depth and more thoughtful meaning to the plot of the story to represent the overall meaning. The passage tells of a young woman named Edna who experiences life changes within herself while being on vacation with her husband and children. While on vacation, Edna meets a young man named Robert who she begins to develop feelings for. After spending acquainting time together, Robert leaves for Mexico, and Edna is too afraid to express her feelings to Robert; therefore, leaving the island where she is vacationing, and where Robert lives, to go back home with her family.
When Edna resides back at her home, that is when the true "awakening" sets in. She begins to think for herself, and fall more in love with Robert, as if abstinence makes the heart grow fonder. Edna is tired of living the slave like life by being bound to a husband that she had no connection with, and only staying with him truly because of the children. Before, Edna was an absent mother. She cared for her children, but was not a "motherly-woman" as Chopin referred to in the novel. Therefore, after her awakening of viewing life and being her true self, Edna conforms to a more caring mother. She is becoming more eccentric. 
When Robert returns, Edna truly awakens within herself because, now that Robert has confessed his love for her, she now fully refuses to conform with society and choose her own path in her life. She confesses to Robert her love for him, and how she is no longer listening to her husband or anyone, and will not do anything she wishes not to do. Edna has become independent, and that is what the story was about along. She begins to feel emotions such as confidence and love within her soul, and that is how she awakens from her robotic routine she was immune to for so long. 
Edna also expresses the significance of the title through the ending of her life; suicide. By realizing all the situations that appealed to her and her lifestyle, Edna chooses not to deal with the consequences of her awakening actions. She decides to commit suicide.

LRB #2 -Novel Project

17. your opinion of the work, good or bad, supported by specific references from the work

The novel "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin is a very interesting book was written in past times, to show how one woman evolves as she develops feelings she has never felt before, for a man other than her husband. I believe this book is a very well written book that has wonderful meaning behind it, but it a bit hard to comprehend on some levels. Since written in older times, there is more elaborate vocabulary, as well as some French language scattered out through the novel.
Even though the book was just a little hard to comprehend, I managed with my own knowledge to gather up as much information from this well articulated book as I could. There are many lines in the book that could relate to anyone's situation throughout life to help. I absolutely adore one quote that says, "She was moved by a kind of commiseration... a pity for that colorless existence which never uplifted its possessor beyond the region of blind contentment, in which no moment of anguish ever visited her soul, in which she would never have the taste of life's delirium."
That quote in particular is so powerful from the vocabulary to the meaning behind it. I believe Kate Chopin did an excellent job of writing such an intellectual novel, but I would not recommend it to just any young-adult. You have to have a certain interest for books like this one, as well as the comprehension to even comprehend and acknowledge what its talking about, but overall I liked the meaning and storyline of this book.

LRB #1 -Novel Project

1. a general statement of the literary work’s content, a summary or a paraphrase (only allowed once)

 The story "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin is a very deeply interesting book as it begins with the main character, Edna Pontellier, who starts off being a curious obedient woman who obeys her husband and takes minimal car of her two children. The setting begins in Grand Isle where the Pontellier family is vacationing, and there is where the story begins its importance.
While there, Edna meets a young man named Robert who wants to attend to Edna's every need. As he practically worships her, he slowly and secretly becomes in love with her. What doesn't know is that Edna is beginning to develop mutual feelings. Before they know their care for one another, Robert decides to move to Mexico, in attempt to forget his love for Edna as he knows he could never have her. Edna gets very depressed and all emotional due to his absence, but yet she has to go on, and return to her home in New Orleans.
While home, Edna begins an awakening, as she starts to see her life in a different perspective. She becomes detached from her husband and children, leading up to her move out of her house into one of her own. Edna still goes through the stage of awakening from a slave like life she felt she had with her husband, but still wants Robert.
While in a new lifestyle, Robert visits her, and they confess their love for one another then choose to be together, but while in the moment, Edna has to leave to join her friend in her childbirth.
When Edna returns, Robert is gone, to only leave a letter saying,"I love you. Good-by—because I love you"; therefore, she is heartbroken again. She stays up all night, then decides to go to Grand Isles the next day where she visits Robert's brother, Victor, and his friend, Mariequita, declaring she wants to have lunch with them, but first wants to take a swim.
Edna walks out to the beach, all alone, strips down, walks into the water, and decides to drown herself.

Timed Writing Ranks

I chose to give myself, at most, a 6. I chose to give myself that score due to feeling that this essay was my best because I am finally understanding how to analyze, break down, and describe it to an audience in a well formatted essay. I felt as if I actually understood and comprehended the prompt, therefore making it easier for me to write it on paper.

Within my essay I have probably made more common errors than what I just see. Other people reading your paper, notice more than what I notice. I have some errors of big words misplaced, as well as spelling errors. I do believe I am good at grammar in a sense to know how to use "their" and "there", but need more help on complex word choice and how to use it.

I learned by reading the other papers that I don't need to just prance around the prompt, I need to approach it in my essay directly, so I can achieve a better score. If I could go back and change anything, I would definitely broaden my vocabulary, and go more in depth with my analyzation, and make it more clearer to the audience, as well as having a more well organized essay to get straight to the point to make it an 8 or 9.

All aspects of timed writings have helped me tremendously. Practicing it within a time limit shows my weaknesses and strengths, and how to be better. I have learned how to write faster, as well as understand the prompts more quickly. Something that has also helped me is whenever you assisted us throughout a whole essay step by step and broke it down. That truly helped me with my introduction paragraphs especially.

LRB #7

14. a discussion of the writer’s life and its relevance to the work

In The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, there are many controversial themes that carry out to show the prevalent meaning that correlates with the life of the author himself. I believe that Hosseini's life was exactly the same as he wrote Amir's life in the book. The tragic moments that occur in Afghanistan and intersect with personal life in the novel are very detailed as if it had happened to Khaled Hosseini himself. Since he was originally from Afghanistan, and his age falls in correctly with the novel, its nonsense to think that the story was a memoir. All historical events in the novel, are true, with the Hazaras and Pashtuns, as well as the Taliban.
I believe that it all correlates with the writer's personal life, and is very relevant. The story also is broken down to where it can be related to any situation in life, such as any kind of guilt or forgiveness, as well as rape and parental figures and showing emotions. The book touches base with many life lessons, to where I believe many authors do when writing a book. The author will always write about something they have personally interacted with, so they can share it with other people. I, for one, feel that is one important reason about novels and books, to not only inform people, but to help them and share with them your personal experiences, so you can help them as well.