Author: Abdulrazzaq

Spend time writing a plan for at least three of the questions below.  I would suggest using mind maps and then sharing them with a partner.  You can also take pictures of them and upload them to your blog.

For part A of each question – which specific quotations from the piece will you use – why?  How does the language device help to enhance the meaning and have an effect on the reader?

For part B, you must refer to specific instances and evidence taken from the novel and then relate this to your contextual knowledge.

(b) How does Lee present Mayella Ewell in the novel as a whole?

(24a)

The details Lee uses in this passage I believe present the position of the Ewells in Maycomb society of a family that are filthy, have a low status in society, they’re very poor and the children never go to school.

My reasons can be supported by these following quotations: “lived behind the town garbage dump in what was once a Negro cabin” and “no public health officer could free them from congenital defects, various worms, and the diseases indigenous to filthy surroundings”. These quotations gives the impression that the Ewells don’t care about their living conditions, as they lived behind a garbage dump, or their personal hygiene as they’re surrounded by filth and they harbour so many diseases that they can’t even be cured from.

Quotations that presents the Ewells low status in society are: “no economic fluctuations changed their status” and “people like the Ewells lived as guests of the county in prosperity as well as in the depths of a depression”.

No truant officers could keep their numerous offspring in school

(24b)

Harper Lee presents Mayella Ewell in the novel as a vulnerable, lonely woman who has been forced to grow up fast, someone who was unfortunate in the environment she had to be brought up in and was mistreated by her father.

Love and hate are presented in Julius Caesar by the characters: Calpurnia, Cassius, Brutus and Antony. I also believe the theme of love in Julius Caesar is honourable love and that In Julius Caesar ‘there is a thin line between love and hate’. There are similarities between love and hate as I feel Cassius’s jealousy for Caesar led him to hate him, Brutus’s love towards Caesar led him to hate him and Antony’s love for Caesar led him to hate the conspirators. There is also a theme of hamartia i.e. Cassius was a megalomaniacal, Caesar had too much humorous and so did Brutus. In Julius Caesar I believe there is a ‘wheel of fortune’ in play as throughout the play we see characters in various different stages of their career i.e. the highest and lowest point. At the beginning we see Caesar at the highest point of the wheel but by his death he’s at the lowest point, I feel Brutus then takes his place at highest point of the wheel but also by his death he’s at the lowest point of the wheel and finally Octavius Caesar takes his place at highest point of the wheel and in some way replace Julius Caesar.

Here dramatic monologue is shown as Cassius feels Caesar is portrayed as a god and he and the others are slaves to his will “And this man has now become a god, and Cassius is a wretched creature and must bend his back If Caesar carelessly but nod on him”. He doesn’t believe Caesar should be as powerful as he is or that Caesar name shouldn’t be more loved, respected or talked about than his or Brutus’ “Why should that name be more sounded more than yours”. These quotations show Cassius jealousy towards Caesar which leads him to hate Caesar as Cassius is envious and resentful of Caesar position in Rome to his “Like a colossus, and we petty men walk under his huge legs and peep about to find ourselves dishonourable graves”.

These quotations show Brutus’s love towards Caesar which led him to hate him that he killed him “not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more”. These quotations also show Brutus’s motive for killing Caesar as he feels he was ambitious “As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but, as he was ambitious, I slew him” and if allowed to be crowned king he would become too powerful, evil and go mad with power “think him as a serpent’s egg (which, hatch’d, would as his kind grow mischievous) and kill him in his shell”.

Brutus’s humorous is shown when he lets Antony live as he feels Antony won’t be a threat to him or conspirator and that will be weak without Caesar “for Antony is but a limb of Caesar” and “and for Mark Antony, think not of him, for he can do no more than Caesar’s arm when Caesar’s head is off”. However the literary device Irony is shown as it’s no coincidence that Antony is the one who stirs up the citizens to start the rebellion which leads to the civil war “we’ll mutiny”, “we’ll burn the house of Brutus and “now let it work. Mischief, thou art afoot, take thou what course thou wilt!”

These quotations show Antony’s love towards Caesar which led him to hate the conspirators “my heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, and I must pause till it come back to me” and Caesar’s spirit, ranging for revenge. Antony also feels the conspirators didn’t kill Caesar for a noble cause but believes they did it out of jealousy that Caesar could become king and were in fear of his power “cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war, that his foul deed shall smell above the earth with carrion” and “That I am meek and gentle with these butchers!”.

Love is also shown in act two scene two of Julius Caesar when Calpurnia; Caesar wife is persuading Caesar not to go to the senate as she has been having nightmares which she feels relates to Caesar and feels something bad is going to happen to him. These quotations show Calpurnia not wanting Caesar to leave the house, her nightmares/fears for Caesar and her trying persuade him to stay at home “You shall not stir out of your house today”, “besides the things that we have heard and seen, recounts most horrid sights seen by the watch. A lioness hath whelped in the streets, and graves have yawn’d and yielded up their dead; fierce fiery warriors fight upon the clouds in ranks and squadrons and right form of war, which drizzl’d blood upon the capitol; the noise of battle hurtled in the air, horses did neigh and ding men did groan, O Caesar, these things are beyond all use, and I do fear them”, “when beggars die there are no comets seen, the heavens blaze forth the death of princes” and “your wisdom is consum’d in confidence. Do not go forth today. Call it my fear that keeps you in the house, and not your own”.

At first Calpurnia was successful in persuading Caesar to stay at home however Decius Brutus then manipulated Caesar by playing on his humorous; Caesar allowed himself to be blinded by his arrogance to not see the danger ahead, in this instance Caesar humorous was his hamartia. These quotations show Caesar’s humorous “Caesar shall forth. The things that threaten’d me Ne’er look but on my back; when they shall see the face of Caesar they are vanished”, “cowards die many times before their deaths, the valiant never taste of death but once” and “but I am constant as the northern star, of whose true- fix’d and resting quality there is no fellow in the firmament”.

Shakespeare uses literary techniques when Antony is at Caesar funeral where he is using repetition, irony and sarcasm to show his hate for the conspirators and also to turn the crowd against the conspirators to start a rebellion. Antony doesn’t believe in the conspirator’s reason to kill Caesar as they claim he was ambitious but from Antony’s speech he clearly contradicts this and uses all three of those literary devices i.e. repetition and sarcasm is shown when Antony keeps referring to the conspirators as “honourable”. He doesn’t believe they’re honourable as he feels there reason to kill Caesar wasn’t a noble one and it was done out of jealousy not because he was ambitious.

Irony and sarcasm are used when Antony is telling us stories about Caesar which clearly shows he wasn’t ambitious and contradicts the conspirators “He hath brought many captives home to Rome, whose ransoms did the general coffers fill”, “when that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept: ambition should be made of sterner stuff”, you did all see that on Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, which he did thrice refuse. Was this ambition? Yet Brutus says he was ambitious and sure he is an honourable man”.

Honour and honourable love are shown in act 1, scene 2 in Julius Cesar by Brutus when speaking to Cassius “Set honour in one eye and death I’th’ other and I will look on both indifferently for let the gods so speed me as I love the name of honour more than I fear death” and “Rome, thou hast lost the breed of noble bloods”.

Honourable love is also shown in act 5, scene 3 when Brutus has found Cassius dead and says a few words over his body “are yet two Romans living such as thee? The last of all the Romans, fare thee well! It is impossible that ever Rome should breed thy fellow. Friends, I owe mo tears to this dead man than you shall see me pay. I shall find time, Cassius, I shall find time”.

How the authors’ ideas and characters respond to forces in the world about which they have no control other in Julius Caesar is shown in act 1, scene 3. Casca is speaking to Cicero overwhelmed with the sudden changes to Rome there is thunder, lighting, clouds, thunderbolts and lions in the capitol “threatening clouds”, “tempest dropping fire” and “against the capitol I met a lion”.

Robert browning presents that love can make you commit violent acts as in the laboratory and Porphyria’s lover both portray more of a darker side to love and I feel they both have similar themes of love within them which is toxic love and obsession. In both poems we see similarities of how strong feelings of love can make you commit hateful and violent acts towards your lover.

The laboratory is about a woman whose wants revenge on her lover as he left her. However she still loves him, but her love for her ex-partner has turned her evil, so evil that she wants to kill her lover’s lover and have her lover witness it to cause him enormous emotional pain “he is sure to remember her dying face!”. She is in a Lab making a poison and chanting a spell while she prepares the ‘potion’ which will kill the women who took her lover away from her. Her love has turned into a revengeful and bitter hatred for her ex-lover. She is not in a hurry to create the poison as she is trying to make it perfect “I am not in haste…I am here…to carry pure death”.

In the laboratory there is a sibilance in the poem; a repetition of s sounds which I feel fastens the tempo of the poem and helps show anxiety from the character and shows the reader that the character is doing her task quicker “grind away, moisten and mush up thy paste, pound at thy powder, — I am not in haste! Better sit thus, and observe thy strange things, than go where men wait me and dance at the King’s”.There is also a theme of violent verbs in the laboratory such as “poison”, “grind”, “mash” and “pound”

In the laboratory I feel there are themes of hate, jealousy, paranoia, revengeful love and toxic love. This quotation show jealousy and also paranoia “he is with her, and they know that I know where they are, what they do: they believe my tears flow while they laugh, laugh at me, at me fled to the drear empty church, to pray god in, for them! — I am here”.

Hate and toxic love are shown by these quotations “and Pauline should have just thirty minutes to live! But to light a pastille, and Elise with her head and her breast and her arms and her hands, should drop dead!” and “not that I bid you spare her the pain: let death be felt and the proof remain: brand, burn up, bite into its grace— he is sure to remember her dying face!”

In Porphyria’s lover I believe the man is mentally ill and that the love shown in Porphyia has manesfested into something evil, an obsession that leads him to strangling his lover with her own hair that ends up killing her by strangling her with her own hair. In porphyria’s lover we can tell something bad is going to happen as when the lover walks into the room the atmosphere changes, “she shut the cold out and the storm”. She tells him she loves him, “she too weak for all her heart’s endeavour. The man then realises she is deeply in love with him “at last I knew Porphyria worshipped me” and that she is dependent on him and gives her life to him “that moment she was mine, mine”, this shows he wants to control her and doesn’t want her to experience this deep love about anybody else or be obsessed with another man and so decides to kill her. He feels like he has given her a wish to be with him forever ‘and thus we sit here together’ and now because she is dead she cannot love anyone else making him her last lover.

Text response coursework

Dear John Humphrey’s,

You wrote an article in 2007 titled “I h8 txt msgs” and you argued “how texting is wrecking our language”. It’s been nine years since this article was published and now as I look back at your arguments and critics for texting I can finally say you were wrong. Texting hasn’t ruined our language, in fact in many ways it has saved it.

You stated that you find looking a word up in a dictionary “infinitely more satisfying than looking something up on the internet.” Well I disagree as I know looking up a word on internet can be just as satisfying as looking up a word in the dictionary, it saves people countless minutes not having to struggle to find words in the dictionary as not everyone is as efficient or fast when looking up words. I mean why would you waste time flicking through pages of words when the internet can do it in a split second. Surely you don’t think your self above the wonders of modern technology and the advantages it gives us. In conclusion it’s a lot less tedious.

Thanks to the internet we can easily and instantly find words, definitions, synonyms, emotive language; basically anything and everything in the English language you want you can get your hands and somewhat teach yourself and learn new things. Can the Oxford English Dictionary do that? I am not the only one who feels that texting is good for our language as a man named David Crystal a British author argued that “texting has added a new dimension to language use”, and that “It is not a disaster. I would also like to point out that research has now made it clear that the dangers of text messaging were misplaced.

I hope you haven’t forgotten that the English has had abbreviated words ever since it began to be written down. Words such as exam, vet, fridge, cox and bud are so familiar that they have effectively become new words, and that one of the most enjoyable things you can do with language is to play with its sounds, words, grammar – and spelling. This idea was expressed by David crystal, he highlights the creativity and intellectual skill it takes to play on the English language. I completely agree and that’s why texting is such an epidemic because it is fun, it allows people who may usually struggle with the English language to communicate and express themselves freely. Texting allows you to create your own style of English language not destroy it which I believe this is a highly intellectual thing to be able to do.

People say that texting “Linguistically it’s all pig’s ear … it masks dyslexia, poor spelling and mental laziness. Texting is penmanship for illiterates.” To these people I say you’re stupid and ignorant. Have you forgotten Shakespeare was the innovator of slang, who was always making up new words for his plays like ‘addiction’ which was first used in Othello, ‘assassination’ which was first used in Macbeth and ‘disheartened’ which was first used in Henry V. He was probably criticised and ridiculed for this back then but now those same words are what we use in everyday life and is seen as ‘proper English’. Shakespeare is a great writer, whose work has been studied, adapted and idolised for nearly four hundred years. So I ask you Mr Humphrey, have you  ever enjoyed a Shakespeare play? I think Stephen Fry Said it best “Anyone who expresses themselves with originality, delight and verbal freshness is more likely to be mocked, distrusted or disliked than welcomed.” This is what you are doing to the texting society, and it is wrong

Many people like to say texting is ugly well to them I say It’s only ugly because it’s new and you don’t like it.John Humphry’s I think you should remember there is no right or wrong language however there is always a time and a place for a certain type of language.

Texting is In short is fun. So get on board. Send a text you might surprise yourself and you might just like it.

I was high up in the stands when I heard the announcement coming from the tannoy asking for all Year 9 hundred metre finalists to head towards the track. I felt the adrenaline rushing through my blood; my heart began to beat at an accelerated rate and my legs began to tremble beneath me. The descent from the stands to the track was a long one as each step I took required a heftier exhale than the last.

When I arrived Mr Taylor began assigning us to our chosen lanes. I felt the atmosphere of the crowd build up in volume as they began to cheer for their favourites. The vibe around the contestants also changed as some of them began to talk to each other about if they thought they could win or who they thought could win. I remember a conversation in particular involving Kaine Doyley and Tobi Adaje when Kaine said to Tobi, ‘I’m scared of Razzaq’, ‘I think he might win’. Soon after I began to motivate myself with encouraging words like ‘Come on Razzaq’. ‘You can do it’. ‘No one is better than you. And you’re the best’.

It was time; we made our movements towards the starting line and were told to ‘Get set’. Those were the final words we heard before the race.  The starting pistol was triggered and the race began. My legs and feet were moving rapidly and my arms were pumping ferociously. I was looking from the corner of my eye to see if I was in the lead and to see who was next to me but I saw no one. An early lead was becoming apparent. I began to motivate myself again during the race as I knew I could win this. I heard the cheers from the crowd urging me to win and to run faster. The end was near. All I had to do now was maintain it and I would secure a gold medal, but I could feel myself slowing down now and getting tired. My chest was the first to go, with the amount of pressure on my lungs it felt as if I had the whole world sitting on my torso. Next was my legs as they began to hurt it felt as if they were bleeding. With both my chest and legs on the verge of crashing I told myself ‘hang in there’, ‘the race is almost over’. However I then saw Montel Williams coming through and closing the gap between me and him so I knew I needed to push myself to the very end. The race had now ended and I had won.

After the announcement I saw Abdulrazzaq get up from his seat in the stands. I could tell he was really nervous because of the way he was leaving the stands to head down to the track, tackling the stairs step by step as if to make sure he didn’t fall over. Razzaq finally arrived, it seemed to take him ages. I could see the nerves of the contestants especially in Razzaq as Mr Taylor was assigning the contestants to their lanes. I could see conversations taking place between Razzaq, Kaine and Tobi but as I was too far away I couldn’t hear what they were saying.

The race was about to begin, they were being told to get set in their starting position and then Mr Taylor raised his hand in the air holding the starting pistol, he waited about three seconds for them to get settled and to calm the atmosphere around the track, then he fired it. Razzaq reacts the fastest and is already taking an early lead, he is working his body hard. He continues to control the race and extends his lead. The positions of the races is now beginning to take shape as contestants are becoming tired and more spaced out within the track. Razzaq seems to have the race and the gold medal in the bag however another contestant Montel Williams is making a last ditch attempt to win it and is closing serious space between him and Razzaq. I can see Razzaq now knows that he is going to need to kick it up a gear and push himself just one last time to secure the win. He does, he wins.

Text response coursework

Dear John Humphrey’s,

You wrote an article in 2007 titled “I h8 txt msgs” and you argued “how texting is wrecking our language”. Well it has now been nine years since and I can finally say you were wrong. Texting hasn’t ruined our language; in fact I believe it has saved it in many ways.

you believed it was much more satisfying looking up a word on a dictionary than looking something up on the Internet well I refute that as I know looking up a word on internet can be just as satisfying as looking up a word in the dictionary. Thanks to the internet we can easily and instantly look up words, definitions, synonyms, emotive language basically anything about the English language; you could essentially teach yourself, can the Oxford English Dictionary do that? I am not the only one who feels that texting is good for our language David Crystal argued that “texting has added a new dimension to language use”, and that “It is not a disaster. “Research has made it clear that the dangers of text messaging were misplaced.

I also hope you haven’t forgotten that the English has had abbreviated words ever since it began to be written down. Words such as exam, vet, fridge, cox and bud are so familiar that they have effectively become new words, and that one of the most enjoyable things you can do with language is to play with its sounds, words, grammar – and spelling.” Said by David crystal and I completely agree and that’s why texting is probably the best thing that could’ve happened to the English as I feel it gives it extended life and a whole new dimension to it. Younger generations don’t have to conform to the old and rigid ways of talking and writing, they can become unique. I think you should remember there is no right language or wrong language just like there isn’t right or wrong clothes. It’s just about context, convention and circumstances are all.

People say that texting “Linguistically it’s all pig’s ear … it masks dyslexia, poor spelling and mental laziness. Texting is penmanship for illiterates.” I think Stephen Fry Said it best “Anyone who expresses themselves with originality, delight and verbal freshness is more likely to be mocked, distrusted or disliked than welcomed. The free and happy use of words appears to be considered elitist or pretentious.” People who say this are stupid, ignorant and naive as these people have never given texting a chance and only say this because its new and they find it ugly. Texting doesn’t create poor spelling as all phones now have the option for instant spell check, I feel people just like you are confused between the difference of ‘slang’ and texting as texting does not mean every word will be an abbreviation, anagram or a completely made up word as most people just like myself hardly use abbreviations of words I try to keep it ‘normal English’ as possible. Texting is just a quick and efficient way of conversing with someone.

Texting In short is fun.

Let me start this off by saying that this is a love story; but this isn’t your typical sappy romantic love story. This is a love story of which someone has to go to great lengths to prove their love for their love; this is a love story with life and death consequences, this is my love story.

So how do you know when you’re in love? What is love? A wise woman once said “it’s just chilling, you know? Chilling with somebody and talking, making mad stupid jokes. And, like, not even wanting to go to sleep, ’cause then you might be without them for a minute. And you don’t want that”. This is exactly how I felt for Samantha White, the most attractive girl in the whole school and neighbourhood. She was perfect; crystal White teeth, caramel skin, long dark thick hair with one half of the hair braided and the sweetest personality, so caring, so down to earth. Everyone knew this, everyone wanted her, but none of them loved her like I did; if only she knew that.

I know what you’re probably thinking that I was a nerd, a boy head over heels for a girl he had no chance with in a million years. Well you would only be half right; I didn’t have a chance with her, but I wasn’t your typical lover’s boy who usually just hopelessly stares and admires at his dream girl from a far. I was the ‘guy’ in my area, meaning I was the most popular and most respected. You don’t believe me? Let me prove it, I even had my own nickname, Rambo, given to me because I resembled the film character named Rambo who was a savage fighter, that could take on anybody and feared no one, which I resembled a lot. I would love to prove myself to anyone who thought they could challenge me, to prove that I was the alpha male, in school and out. Especially in school as I didn’t get along with most of the pupils, especially the boys, why? You ask well we just didn’t mix they were too arrogant and ‘fake’ for me.

So now you’re probably wondering if I was the ‘guy’ how come I wasn’t able to get the girl of my dreams? Well maybe it’s because in life I was heading nowhere fast; I was involved with the wrong people and involved in the wrong things. We had known each other since nursery and we had been friends since then and she didn’t want to ruin anything or quite simply I never truly told her how I felt, which is my fault I know I was too concerned about getting rejected and my silly reputation; stressing too much over what other people would think of me, what others would say, instead of just listening to my heart and doing what I wanted to do. So now you know me, you know who I am let’s finally begin my love story.

Where to begin? There are so many places to start of my love story: the day I actually started to have feelings for Samantha, when she stayed the whole week at my house or when we kissed for the first time. However I feel the best place to start is the day when the whole world ended when not just my story begun but everybody’s story, and that’s the day war broke out.

 It was on a Friday, the last day of school before summer holidays. It seemed to be heading as the best day of the year; beautiful weather, everybody on good terms, even me with the boys, there was even a whole year 10 water fight! I was having a pleasant conversation with Samantha; even some flirting was going on. But something had to come and ruin it… it hit the main road of Brixton high street and somehow managed to hit my school located all the way in Kennington it must’ve been a very powerful bomb because we were able to feel its full force as the whole ground began to shake and crumble beneath us. The school began to self destruct, classrooms becoming rubble killing anyone still inside. Time had passed and any lucky survivors were greeted with a still silence, a still life-less silence. We were still feeling the aftermath of the explosion, people groggily getting to their feet. All of a sudden a swat team arrived at the scene shooting any survivors in sight and capturing people as their hostages, Including Samantha. But before she was completely taken away from me she looked directly at me stared straight into my eyes and said “I love you”. And that’s when I knew my story had just begun. I knew I was going to have to prove my love for this girl, and that I was going to have to travel the ends of the world and fight for this girl.

Hypocrisy is shown in Ch24 by Miss Merriweather as she shows sympathy for the Mrunas; a black African tribe but has no respect or sympathy for the black people in her own town “Oh child, those poor Mrunas.” , “Living in that jungle with nobody but J. Grimes Everett.” And “Not a white person’ll go near ‘em but that saintly J. Grimes Everett.”, but when talking about her own black community in Maycomb she discriminates them and refers to them as “Darky’s” and can’t even remember their name that darky’s wife. Tom’s wife, Tom” “There’s nothing more distracting than a sulky darky.” And “It’s never entered that wool of hers.”

I believe she shows sympathy towards the Mrunas in Africa as they’re not under any type of control from the ‘white man’ as they’re free and can live their life how they see fit which according to Miss Merriweather and J. Grimes Everett  is filled with “sin and squalor”.  J.Grimes Everett and  Miss Merriweather feel that  they have to go over there and ‘help them’ as J. Grimes Everett is using subjugation on them and forcing Christianity, his religious views and morals to them.  So the reason I believe she’s shows no sympathy for black people in Maycomb is because even though there is still white supremacy in America  they’re no longer under the control of the ‘white man’ i.e. the slaves have now been free.

And finally another instance of hypocrisy in Ch24 is again from Miss Merriweather  as she is supossedly the moust devout lady in Maycomb, a woman, a proper lady, someone who knows all the proper etiquette and how to act but in Ch24 she is disrespecting Atticus, gossiping  behind his back  in his own house whilst eating his food  “I tell you there are some good but misguided people in this town. Good, but misguided. Folks in this town who think they’re doing right, I mean. Now far be it from me to say who, but some of ‘em in this town thought they were doing the right thing a while back, but all they did was stir ‘em up. That’s all they did. Might’ve looked like the right thing to do at the time, I’m sure I don’t know, I’m not read in that field, but sulky… Dissatisfied”.  Miss Maudie then said “His food doesn’t stick going down, does it?” as she felt the need of reminding her of where she is and to put her in her place.

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” A quote from Atticus.  We learn that Atticus is somewhat older than most of the other fathers in Maycomb. His relatively advanced age often embarrasses his children—he wears glasses and reads, for instance, instead of hunting and fishing like the other men in town. One day, however, a mad dog appears, wandering down the main street toward the Finches’ house. Calpurnia calls Atticus, who returns home with Heck Tate, the sheriff of Maycomb. Heck brings a rifle and asks Atticus to shoot the animal. To Jem and Scout’s amazement, Atticus does so, hitting the dog with his first shot despite his considerable distance from the dog. Later, Miss Maudie tells Jem and Scout that, as a young man, Atticus was the best shot in the county—“One-shot Finch.” Scout is eager to brag about this, but Jem tells her to keep it a secret, because if Atticus wanted them to know, he would have told them.