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Assignment #3: Post-Modernist Literature

*Hansen, R. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. 
*Chatwin, B. The Songlines. 

Compare and contrast the 2 Post-modern works with 2 of the other 4 works you have read

Both books are a  good example because  represent the problems and the culture of the time. but  the songlines it's more original than The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. there are distinctions between travel writing and novel. that it's my opinion. 
the contrast with other books could be the hearth of the darkness. I think that book it's very interesting also tell real problem of that time, both time tell real problem but in different ways
and differences, Victorian literature is known for its attempts to combine imagination and emotion with the neoclassical ideal of the accessibility of art for the common person, So it's better the Victorian culture. 






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Assignment #2: Modernist Literature

01. Which 2 readings did you choose?
Eliot, T.S. The Wasteland
Chandler, R. The Simple Art of Murder

02. Compare (3) and contrast (3) the reading you completed with the ppts. on Modernist culture and literature.
Well, these books got a interesting obscurity, Symbols are  similar in both and have a narrative very particular, clear but discontinous. The satiric doesn't appear in these books, less the irony. Fiction in any form has always intended to be realistic.

03. In your opinion, do you feel the readings you completed are very good or excellent examples of Modernist literature?
These books are  itself representation of modernist literature because they achieve to demonstrate the vision in that times. but it's difficult to understand, I think that could be how wrote the authors.

4. Would you recommend the readings to friends or family? Why/Why Not?
I don't recommend these books because are very difficult to understand and my family and friends don't like these sort of books


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Blog Assignment #1: Victorian Literature

01. Which 2 readings did you select from the list?
I read The red-headed league and Heart of Darkness

02. Using these readings, compare (3 examples) and contrast (3 examples) the works with the ppt presentations on Victorian Literature and Culture given in class.

the books are based in poverty and war. about PPT. I think that the culture had horrible consecuences caused by war, an example was the poverty. also main characters seek the power and so, get a place in the history
In contrast woman was very important at Victorian Culture and there are not any book are she mencioned like must be.


03. Do you feel that the readings you completed are very good or excellent examples of Victorian Literature? Why/Why not?
I think these books are good representations for that time. also they could not write with a lot of clarity. that times were very censored. these books are the reflex of waht happened with the illness, money and power.


04. Would you recommend these readings to your friends and family? Why/Why not?
I recommend these books because is part of human history. the books are very interesting and so, people can know about history.


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Literature : Shakespeare and Early Modern English

1. Define and explain, The Great Vowel Shift.
It was a major change in the pronunciation of the English language that took place in the south of England between 1450 and 1750.

2. Name 5 dialects of Modern English.
-Cameroon English, -Australian English,-Guyanese English,-Jamaican English,-Canadian English.

3. One of the problems with Early Modern English was a lack of uniformity in spelling. Which 2 people (1-English, 1-American) helped establish standardized spelling?
Early Modern English lacked uniformity in spelling, but Samuel Johnson's dictionary, published in 1755 in England, was influential in establishing a standard form of spelling. Noah Webster did the same in America, publishing his dictionary in 1828; see American and British English spelling differences.

4. How many countries in the world have given Modern English official status?
The Sovereign states that have given to Modern English official status are: 56 aprox.

5. The most recent statistics show that approximately how many people speak Modern English as a:I. First language? II. Second Language?
As a First Language: 309 – 380 million
As a Second Language: 199 – 600 million aprox.

6. When was Early Modern English spoken?
Since the latter half of the 15th century to 1650.

7. How are the use of Pronouns different between Early Modern & Modern English?
In Early Modern English, there were two second person personal pronouns: thou, the informal singular pronoun, and ye, which was both the plural pronoun and the formal singular pronoun, (like modern French tu and vous and modern German du and ihr). (Thou was already falling out of use in the Early Modern English period, but remained customary for addressing God and certain other solemn occasions and sometimes for addressing inferiors.)
In modern English, we can see the disuse of the T-V distinction (thou, ye). The use of auxiliary verbs becomes mandatory in interrogative sentences and the rise and fall of prescriptive grammarians.

8. Which language families does Modern English belong in?
Indo-European, Germanic, West Germanic, Anglo–Frisian, Anglic.

9. Name 4 worldwide uses for modern english.
United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, United States of America between others.

10. In your opinion, what was the greatest influence on the spread of modern english around the world? Why?


11. There has been a lot of controversy over the true authorship of Shakespeare’s writings. Which 3 people are also candidates as the possible authors of Shakespeare’s plays?.
The 3 candidates as the possible authors of Shakespeare’s plays are Francis Bacon,Christopher Marlowe and Edward de Vere.

12. Briefly explain The Oxfordian Theory.
The case for Oxford's authorship is based on perceived similarities between Oxford's biography and events in Shakespeare's plays and sonnets; parallels of language, idiom, and thought between Oxford's letters and the Shakespearean canon; and underlined passages in Oxford's Bible that may correspond to quotations in Shakespeare's plays.

13. Shakespeare wrote 38 plays, which according to the Folio Classification, fall into 3 categories. Name the 3 categories.
Comedies, Histories and Tragedies.

14. In which town was Shakespeare born?
He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.

15. Which famous London theatre (built by actors, for actors) is connected with Shakespeare's plays?
The Globe Theatre

16. Even though Richard III is the most performed play, Hamlet is Shakespeare's most famous play. In your opinion, what does this portion of Hamlet's famous soliloquy mean:
To be or not to be, that is the question;(…)
In my opinion basically Hamlet’s dilemma was the pains of living v/s what could happen after death. In this soliloquy, he wonders if it is nobler to stand his misery, or to take action. That’s why we found Hamlet’s wondering if worth faces the “Sling and Arrows” or is better to die.

17. Name 5 post-Shakespearean artists whose work was heavily influenced by the writings of William Shakespeare.
George Steiner, Thomas Hardy, William Faulkner, Charles Dickens and Herman Melville’s.

18. Which of Shakespeare's plays are included in The Wars of the Roses series?
Richard II; Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; Henry V; Henry VI, Part 1; Henry VI, Part 2; Henry VI, Part 3; and Richard III.

19. Shakespeare wrote most of his works in blank verse composed in iambic pentameter. What is blank verse & iambic pentameter?
Blank verse was Shakespeare's standard poetic form, and this is composed in iambic pentameter. This meant that his verse was usually unrhymed and consisted of ten syllables to a line, spoken with a stress on every second syllable

20. Name 4 actors from Shakepeare's original company.
Richard Burbage, William Kempe, Henry Condell and John Heminges.

21. What were the Wars of the Roses (1377-1485)?
The War of The Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England, fought between supporters of two rival branches of the Royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York (the "red" and the "white" rose, respectively).

22. - Why was this war called the Wars of the Roses?
The Wars of the Roses had got its name because the house of York and the house of Lancaster. Both had a rose in their royal badges. The White rose for the house of York and the red one for the house of Lancaster.

23. - What were the names of the 2 houses which fought in this war?
The house of Lancaster
The house of York
(The "red" and the "white" rose)

24. - What prompted this civil war of the houses of rose to begin?
Following the early death of Edward III's heir apparent, there was a series of wars between the descendants of two of Edward III's younger sons: the Duke of Lancaster and the Duke of York because they wanted the throne of England.

25. - How did the war end?
After many battles a period of comparative peace followed, but Edward died unexpectedly in 1483. His surviving brother Richard of Gloucester first moved to prevent the unpopular Woodville family of Edward's widow from participating in government during the minority of Edward's son, Edward V, and then seized the throne for himself, using the suspect legitimacy of Edward IV's marriage as pretext. Henry Tudor, a distant relative of the Lancastrian kings who had inherited their claim, overcame and defeated Richard at Bosworth in 1485. He was crowned Henry VII, and married Elizabeth of York, daughter of Edward IV, to unite and reconcile the two houses.

26. - Which Kings of England were participants in the wars of the Roses?
House of York
Henry IV (1399 - 1413)
House of Lancaster
Edward IV (1461 - 1483)


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Assignment: Middle English

1. Approximately when was Middle English spoken?
Between the late 11th century and about 1470

2. What were the major factors which led to the development and the spread of Middle English?
By that time the variant of the Northumbrian dialect (prevalent in Northern England) spoken in southeast Scotland was developing into the Scots language. The language of England as used after this time, up to 1650, is known as Early Modern English.

3. Match the following Old English words with their Anglo-Norman equivalent:
A. Pig Pork
B. Cow Beef
C. Wood Forest
D. Sheep Mutton
E. House Mansion
F. Worthy Honourable
G. Bold Courageous

4. Compare & contrast the structure of nouns, pronouns and verbs, between Middle English & Modern English.
The contrast of these kinds of words is that they are simplified , the grammar of Middle English is much closer to that of modern English than that of Old English. Compared to other Germanic languages, it is probably most similar to that of modern Dutch.

5. How is pronunciation different between Middle English and Modern English?
all letters in Middle English words were pronounced. (Silent letters in Modern English come from pronunciation shifts, which means that pronunciation is no longer closely reflected by the written form because of fixed spelling constraints imposed by the invention of dictionaries and printing.) Therefore 'knight' was pronounced [kniçt] (with a pronounced and the as the in German 'Knecht'), not [naɪt] as in Modern English.

6. What is the Chancery Standard, and how did it come into effect?
Chancery Standard was a written form of English used by government bureaucracy and for other official purposes from the late 15th century. It is believed to have contributed in a significant way to the development of the English language as spoken and written today. Because of the differing dialects of English spoken and written across the country at the time, the government needed a clear and unambiguous form for use in its official documents. Chancery Standard was developed to meet this need.

7. Who wrote the Canterbury Tales?
Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century.

8. Describe the medieval pilgrims who journeyed from Canterbury to London.
The pilgrimage was a very prominent feature of medieval society. Pilgrims would frequently journey to cathedrals that preserved relics of saints. They believed that such relics had miraculous powers. Pilgrimages also represented the mortal journey to heaven through the struggles of mortal life.

9. Why did the pilgrims take this journey?
They wend their way to Canterbury from every shire of England to seek the holy blessed martyr, Thomas Becket, who has helped them when they were sick.
10. It is thought that some of the stories in The Canterbury Tales originated in Italy. What was the name of the Italian book and who wrote it?
The Canterbury Tales were written in Middle English, specifically in a dialect associated with London and spellings associated with the then emergent chancery standard. Although no manuscript of the Tales exists in Chaucer's own hand, two were copied around the time of his death by Adam Pinkhurst.

11. The Canterbury Tales is considered an extremely important book, both in terms of English Literature & in the history of English writing. In your opinion, why is this book so important?
This is a very important book because it is one of the first to be written in the English language.

12. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is:
c. A detailed explanation of the proper etiquette & behaviour for all knights in Medieval Europe.

13. Who is Sir Gawain?
He was a knight of King Arthur´s round table.

14. What is the challenge that The Green Knight proposes to the Knights of the Round Table?
The Green Knight offers to allow anyone to strike him with his axe if the challenger will take a return blow in a year and a day.

15. What is the similarity between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and the Irish tale of Cúchulainn?
In this Irish tale of Cúchulainn parallels Gawain in that, like The Green Knight Cú Chulainn´s antagonist feints three blows with the axe before letting his target depart without injury.

16. What is the importance of the pentagram/pentangle in the poem?
The pentagle symbolizes the virtues to which Gawain aspires such as to be faultless in his five senses; never to fail in his five fingers; to be faithful to the five wounds that Christ received on the cross; to be strengthened by five joys that the Virgin Mary had in Jesus; and to possess brotherly love, courtesy, piety, and chastity.

17. How are numbers used to symbolize events in the poem?
The poet highlights number symbolism to add symmetry and meaning to the poem.

18. What is the significance of Sir Gawain's neck wound?
Gawain´s wound is an outward sign of an internal wound.

19. Which actor played The Green Knight in the film adaptation, Sword of the Valiant?
Sean Connery
20. In many ways this poem is, in the modern sense, a soap opera. Compare Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with a modern Chilean teleseries.


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Assignment 1 Writers on Writing/ Composition I

1. What are some of the fears these highly successful writers have about writing?
When they start writing the book, they don't know if the book will be or not successful and sometimes they don't know how to express some ideas.

2. What are some of the difficulties they have when they are writing?
Some difficulties are that they don't have enough money or spend enough time with their families.

3. What are some of the positive aspects to writing?
They can be celebrities, but being a celebrity requires a lot of things: investigation, to know how to entertain to the reader. If manages to gather all these requirements, he can be a great writer.

4. Do you feel these authors enjoy being writers? Why?
Of course! They always need write something, it's their passion, and they can transmit emotions through their lines

5. Is reading an important facet of writing? Why?
Yes, because you can get a new style if you want to write something and help to get more vocabulary and help to be an open- minded person

6. In your opinion, what are the 3 most important things which will make your writing successful?
Patience, Clear Ideas and Creativity.


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Biography

Life is a rainbow that includes the black ...
When a religious family knows that a child does not believe in God tend to deny the hand. But over time I could untie of them sentimentally.

From the day I religiously away from them and God, I felt an inner peace and a happiness never felt before.

To believe in my abilities and not believe that "something or someone" to help you get.


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Literature : Old English/Beowulf: Assignment 1b

1. When was Old English spoken?
Between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century
2. Name 4 language groups which influenced the development of Old English.
Angles, Saxon, Jutes and Frisians

3. In the Phonology section, name 5 phonetical differences between Old English & Modern English.
4. Are there any similarites between Old English and Modern English? Name them.
Well, there are some similarites like words, similar pronunciation and the ortography
5. In the Orthography section, enlarge the picture of the runic alphabet. How many letters (runes) are there in this alphabet?
49
6. Which epic poem was originally written in Old English?
Beowulf
7. In the See Also section, click on: Beowulf. Appoximately when was Beowulf written? 
Between the 8th and the early 11th century.
8. Even though Beowulf was written in England, the story takes place in which countries?
North Germany and Scandinavia
9. In the poem, which 3 antagonists does Beowulf battle or fight against?
The Dragon, Grendel's mother and Grendel.
10. What happens to Beowulf at the end of the story?
Beowulf finally slays the dragon, but is mortally wounded. He is buried in a tumules by the sea.
11. Who was the author of Beowulf?
The Autor It’s unknown
12. What were the titles and the dates of the two film versions of Beowulf
Beowulf & Grendel (2005 film) - Beowulf (2007 film).


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