Growth Mindset W17: 11. Beyond School

Growth Mindset: 11. Explore Growth Mindset Beyond School

Outside of school work I like to read articles/books or watch movies/documentaries on history. I'm often looking into things such as civilizations, space, extinct species, world leaders, and even past wars that have occurred in human history. I do this mostly because I enjoy getting an understanding of the past for it's always better to look back to get a understanding for a better future. Most of the time I look at these type of things just out of the blue because I take a sudden interest in it. Or I may have heard something about it in a class or talking with someone and it peaks my interest. I think this could benefit me in school because it could lead to more research on the subject so that I could do better in a class. It's something that would mostly benefit history and anthropology classes in my opinion because other than those type of classes I couldn't see myself using this approach in things such as math. Overall, growth mindset would best apply to my free time because it's when I'm usually watching or reading something that eyes my interest to do research on it.

Reading Notes W17: Swift, Part X

Jonathan Swift (1667-1745): Born in Dublin to English parents, His writing was known as satrical and was very populard during his time.

(315-320)

"A Modest Proposal"

- Women with children in rags begging on the streets in Dublin.

- Children often turn into thieves or mercenaries.

- He thinks it's terrible that children and others are on the streets having to beg.

- He wants this to be prevented so they grow up with regular lives.

- He wants woman to stop abortions.

- He has a plan to not really aid the children but instead feed them to the rich and other families so that the parents won't have the children as a burden.


Swift, Jonathan. "A Modest Proposal." The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume D. Ed. Puchner, Martin, Suzanne Akbari, Wiebke Denecke, Vinay Dharwadker, Barbara Fuchs, Caroline Levine, Pericles Lewis, Emily Wilson. W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 315-320

Literary Analysis "Philosophical Satire"

For the final of week of class I'm doing a literary analysis on the poem, "Philosophical Satire" By: Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz. From the collage of poems that I read for the reading assignment I noticed that De La Cruz's poems had a resemblance. The poems all had a deep and passionate feeling that it seemed she wanted to get out about love, understanding, or even anger. The poem, "Philosophical Satire" I think uses all three of these elements. The poem in all is the author voicing why she is upset with men and scolding men because she feels men do not take responsibility, which she thinks men throw the blame on women. Her strong emotion on the topic of men can be seen right at the get go when she says, "You foolish and unreasoning men who cast all blame on women, not seeing you yourselves are cause of the same faults you accuse: if, with eagerness unequaled you plead against women's disdain, why require them to do well when you inspire them to fall?" (263). Here the quote is showing her immediately getting straight to the point about why she is angered at men because he thinks they throw the blame at women. I thought this was a funny way of starting a poem and I'm not sure the author meant for it to be funny but in my opinion it was a great way to get a reader's attention. Another quote which shows her concentration on the subject of being angry at men is when she continues on to say, "Why then are you so alarmed by the fault that is your own? Wish women to be what you make them, or make them what you wish they were. Leave off soliciting her fall and then indeed, more justified, that eagerness you might accuse of the woman who besieges you" (264). It seems as if she is saying that men don't like how certain women turn out and she is trying to make it clear that's the man who is making her that way. It's an interesting quote because she doesn't understand why men are still quick to blame or question those women who basically act a certain way because of men's behaviour. I think that is what she means by the quote but that's what I get from reading it. This was an interesting poem to me mostly because I'm curious as to what motivated her to write this poem. Again, I also thought the way she started the poem off in a sense of anger made me more interested in why she started off so aggressive. Overall, I enjoyed the poem and even though I think it has a few different elements I would say the main element is anger because she feels very strongly about the subject and wants her opinion to be heard through her poem.

De La Cruz, Sor Juana Ines. "De La Cruz Poems." The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume D. Ed. Puchner, Martin, Suzanne Akbari, Wiebke Denecke, Vinay Dharwadker, Barbara Fuchs, Caroline Levine, Pericles Lewis, Emily Wilson. W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 262-264

Reading W17: Behn/De La Cruz Poems, Part B

Aphra Behn (1640-1689): Behn is known as giving women a voice to be able to speak their minds. Her work has much to do with slavery along with Africa and the New World.

(225-246)

"Oroonoko"

(225-246)

- Caesar took Clemene as his wife.

- Explains Romans and their slaves.

- Caesar kills a tiger by piercing it in the heart with his sword.

- The narrator describes another time Caesar killed a tiger in the woods.

- Caesar tells the people that they had suffered like animals who enjoyed being beaten.

- He separated the men from the women and children.

- Caesar makes a speech to the men before they leave.

- Now arriving at the plantation they see an upset Caesar.

Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz (1648-1695): De La Cruz was a nun from New Spain and a very famous writer of her time. She is best known for standing up for women's intellectual rights.

(262-264)

"Poem 145"

- I think this poem is describing how there is a lot to be seen from the object which she is describing because it represents all the conflict that had been going on over the years.

"Poem 164"

- Possible conversation between loved ones who had a disagreement on a matter and one just wants to see their spouse notice the love they still have for them no matter what.

"Philosophical satire"

- De La Cruz shows a bit of anger in this poem explaining that she is mad that men don't give enough apretaition or respect to woman as she explains they do for men.


Behn, Aphra. "Oroonoko; The Royal Slave." The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume D. Ed. Puchner, Martin, Suzanne Akbari, Wiebke Denecke, Vinay Dharwadker, Barbara Fuchs, Caroline Levine, Pericles Lewis, Emily Wilson. W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 225-246

De La Cruz, Sor Juana Ines. "De La Cruz Poems." The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume D. Ed. Puchner, Martin, Suzanne Akbari, Wiebke Denecke, Vinay Dharwadker, Barbara Fuchs, Caroline Levine, Pericles Lewis, Emily Wilson. W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 262-264

Reading W17: Behn, Part A

Aphra Behn (1640-1689): Behn is known as giving women a voice to be able to speak their minds. Her work has much to do with slavery along with Africa and the New World.

(200-224)

"Oroonoko; or The Royal Slave"

(200-210)

- The narrator says they're an eye witness to the royal slave (former prince).

- Narrator explains the reason the slaves are being brought to the New World. The Narrator also mention the Indians and that instead of the Indians being enslaved they use blacks from Africa.

- Describes the Indians traditions and clothing.

- Narrator is fascinated with their culture and makes it sound as if the narrator feels the Indians and slaves share something.

- Working on sugar plantations.

- People who wanted slaves needed to get a hold of a captain of a ship or a Master.

(210-224)

- The king took the woman Oroonoko loved making him feel the consequences of love.

- The prince no longer wanted her and let the king have her.

- The woman ended up meeting her death in front of the King which he immediately ordered the Prince to come to him. If the Prince declined he would be put to death.

- The death was faked.

- A few battles and conflictions begin taking place.

Behn, Aphra. "Oroonoko; The Royal Slave." The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume D. Ed. Puchner, Martin, Suzanne Akbari, Wiebke Denecke, Vinay Dharwadker, Barbara Fuchs, Caroline Levine, Pericles Lewis, Emily Wilson. W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 198-224

Literary Analysis Week 16 "Couplets"

For week sixteen I'm doing a close reading on a poem called, "Couplets" By: Ghalib. The poem is one of many poems by Ghalib in the assigned reading but this one stood out more to me because this poem was a bit easier to see what Ghalib was saying. The poem is Ghalib writing to himself asking god questions about love. While he's asking questions he also begins answering the questions himself because his god isn't answering the questions he lays forth. Ghalib starts the poem by describing his thoughts about love which seemed like an interesting way of wording it when he says, "Ghalib, it's no use forcing your way with love: it's a form of fire that doesn't catch when lit and doesn't die when doused" (594). I like the way he worded this quote which basically is saying that love for someone whether their already with them or not always fades away but the love for them never diminishes. This quote could probably relate to a lot of people who keep loving someone they were once with. He again begins to ask his god about love and again he chooses a different way of describing the emotion, "I've been set free from the prison of love a hundred times-but what can I do if the heart itself proves to be an enemy of freedom?" (596). Here again is a quote where he seems conflicted over an emotion, love. I think this is another quote similar to the first but this time he is looking for an answer for a complex question. I thought it was a nice approach that he added himself asking a higher up about an emotion that is clearly having him putting a lot of thought into it. I enjoyed this poem more than the others he wrote because it was fascinating how he worded this poem. I liked how Ghalib used these quotes to express his opinion, curiosity, and concerns of the emotion love. Overall, I think this poem's element was curiosity because the poem itself is him speaking to his god about what's on his mind about love.

Ghalib. "Couplets." The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E. Ed. Puchner, Martin, Suzanne Akbari, Wiebke Denecke, Vinay Dharwadker, Barbara Fuchs, Caroline Levine, Pericles Lewis, Emily Wilson. W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 587-601

Reading W16: Ghalib, Part B

Ghalib (1797-1869): Ghalib was a poet who's fame has grown extensively since his death. He is also one of the most quoted poets around.

(587-601)

"Now go and live in a place"

(591-601)

- Living somewhere isolated where no one would hear from or about you.

"Be merciful and send for me)

-Someone wanting there loved one to get a hold of them again after being apart.

"Where's the foothold"

- Questioning whether earth is the first step to get to heaven or if there is a middle ground after life on earth.

"I've made my home next door to you"

- One's stubbornness from expressing their feelings/words to another who they had moved next to without permission sounding as if they already know each other.

"Couplets"

- Ghalib is writing to himself telling himself to not get caught up on things that are not meant to be. He then begins asking his god why he's listening to him when he's listening to another at the same time. Blames his god for his madness.

"It was essential"

- He writes about him and his adopted son visiting his dead wife whom they were visiting her tombstone.

"My tongue begs for the power of speech"

- Once again I think this poem is describing his wife and how he describes her leaving(passing away) as being hard for him to cope with him

"Petition: My Salary"

- Ghalib directs this to the last Mughal emperor telling him that he is basically a slave and has been getting nothing but debt from the emperor.

Ghalib. "Now Go and Live in a Place." The Norton Anthology World Literature Volume E. Ed. Puchner, Martin, Suzanne Akbari, Wiebke Denecke, Vinay Dharwadker, Barbara Fuchs, Caroline Levine, Pericles Lewis, Emily Wilson. W. W. Norton & Company, pp. 587-601