DIDLS, Prompts, and Other Concepts of the Like

So these past weeks have all been about DIDLS, or Diction, Imagery, Details, Language, and Syntax. I had always known that there were specific ways to analyze literature, but I had never heard of this nemonic device before! Definitely quite interesting. However useful DIDLS is,there are still of it that irk me, mainly the language and syntax. I understand that there are differences between language and syntax, and I do understand what the differences are, but I don't quite think that the differences are enough to classify them as two techniques. Wouldn't it be much easier to combine them into one larger group? Nonetheless, I find DIDLS to be extremely useful when trying to write an essay for this class. It's a great way to organize essays, and I find it to be extremely analytical. However, the free response for each AP class is different, and it will definitely take some time for me to adjust to using DIDLS on a free response.
Close and open prompts. The concept isn't hard to understand; for close prompts, we write about literature that is given, and for open prompts, we write about well known works. Personally, the open prompts seem more terrifying than the close prompts, mainly because we have such a wide range of literature to choose from, and it's difficult to decide on which one to use! Close prompts seem to be easier because there are specific works of literature that we are supposed to write about, although I am a bit worried about it. What if I do not understand these works of literature at all? How would I right about them at that point? That really would be a problem. I guess practice is the only way to ensure that does not happen. In fact, we also wrote our first essay on Friday. Oh, how fun. In all seriousness, I felt that it wasn't too difficult, but time management and writing speed are some aspects I need to work on. I felt that it took me too long to start writing, and once I did, I wrote slowly. It's not exactly a bad thing that I took my time to think things out, but it might have taken me a bit too long... The prompt itself wasn't too difficult, even though I felt like I may have left out some important aspects of the essay.

Just a final note... I've got to say, I quite enjoyed reading "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazurus. I visited the Statue of Liberty near the end of the summer, so I actually got to see it. I even bought a plaque with part of the poem engraved on it! It's always fun when you recognize something in a different context, isn't it?

Open Prompt

2002. Morally ambiguous characters—characters whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good—are at the heart of many works of literature. Choose a novel or play in which the morally ambiguous character plays a pivotal role. Then write an essay in which you explain how the character can be viewed as morally ambiguous and why his or her moral ambiguity is significant to the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

Moral ambiguity is commonplace in literature, not just with minor characters, but with main characters as well. George Milton from Of Mice and Men is a morally ambiguous character that contributes significantly to the plotline of the novel when he does certain acts that can make readers question his motives. Through these many acts, George can be seen either as morally good or morally evil, and his questionable morality can ultimately be seen through the death of Lennie Smalls.

During the heart of the Great Depression, George and Lennie arrive on a ranch to find work. When they first arrive near the ranch, it is shown that George is a morally sound man, shown as a caretaker for Lennie, warning him against drinking dirty water. Even though it seems to be this way, there are points in the novel in which readers can question George’s true morality. Such a moment occurs when George prompts Lennie to punch Curly. Had George not prompted Lennie to do such a deed, many of their problems would not have occurred, which can make George a morally ambiguous character. George also forces readers to question his morality when he kills Lennie near the end of the novel. Although some may say that this is an act of love, like Slim believed, it is also arguable whether or not it actually was out of love. Although George loves Lennie very much, due to the moral ambiguity of his actions, it can be seen that at times, George is slightly annoyed and impatient, which can leads to the moral ambiguity in this novel.

Moral ambiguity is significant to many works of literature, and in George’s case, is no different. George, arguably one of the most important characters in Of Mice and Men, creates many problems due to his moral ambiguity, with the outcome being the death of Lennie. George’s moral ambiguity caused many questions to arise from the novel, such as his true affections for Lennie; sometimes, it seems that George is only taking care of Lennie due to his prior commitment to Lennie’s aunt, while at other times, it seems as if George genuinely cares about Lennie. This inner banter, shown through moral ambiguity, is essential, creating part of the conflict in this novel.

Although George and Lennie appear to be friends on the surface, many of George’s morally ambiguous actions make readers question the truth, causing part of the conflict. Had George not been so morally ambiguous, the novel would be missing an essential plotline, making George, the morally ambiguous character, all the more important to the plotline and to the novel as a whole.

Closed Reading: "[Review] 'Roman' by Teen Top"

[Review] 'Roman' by Teen Top

http://www.allkpop.com/2011/08/review-roman-teen-top

Although this article pertains to the entire album, I'll mostly be referring to part of this review, as it is the most opinionated. The song "No More Perfume on You" was a hit among teens and adults alike, evident through this cheerful and overly positive review.

On a personal level, this song really wasn't that energetic or adrenaline boosting. Truthfully, I thought it was a bit of a downer. Really, a group of young boys singing about how to cheat on their girlfriends isn't a great influence to anyone, but apparently, this reviewer at allkpop.com certainly believed it was quite an astounding song!

Most convincingly, the diction of this review brings a positive vibe to everything said in this review. For example, the reviewer states, "By the time the chorus ends, TEEN TOP have already plowed through two tanks of adrenaline and they’re halfway through their third." The diction is clearly very positive, using metaphors to compare the high energy upbeat song to "plowed through two tanks of adrenaline" instead of just saying something along the lines of “this song was very high in adrenaline”. This shows a positive, cheerful, and fond view of this song.

Not only does the language convince me that this reviewer is quite fond of this album, but the syntax of the writing is also quite a big hint. The reviewer says of the singing: “What’s most surprising is that the other three vocalists aside from Neil – Changjo, Chunji, and Ricky– are, low and behold, not as inferior as we may have thought”. The way that this sentence is worded gives an overtone of surprise in the voice, but with a positive connotation. Due to the placing of the “low and behold” phrase, this sentence also has a sarcastic voice. In a way, it feels like the reviewer is saying “Woah! These singers can actually sing!” in a slightly brusque tone, which gives readers quite a chuckle. This syntax definitely shows the reviewer’s fondness of the vocals in this album in a humorous way.

More than that, the language also shows the viewpoint of the reviewer, as he states that this song is a "strong pop song next to its predecessors". The use of the word ‘strong’ shows fervent approval of the song “No More Perfume on You”. The reviewer also favors a particular singer’s voice, saying that “Chunji in particular really shines here, and his timbre is probably my favorite. It’s insurmountably smooth and all the tiny melismas he throws in gives me the shivers”. Well, if that language isn’t considered to be positive, I don’t know what would be! The review uses language with an extremely positive connotation, such as ‘favorite’ or ‘shines’, and even ‘insurmountable smooth’. The overall upbeat and positive language that is used gives readers the sense that the reviewer really does enjoy this album.