Young adult fiction note week 13: Continue Oates

Education in the United States:

• Education in the United States is provided by public schools and private schools.
• Education is compulsory over an age range starting between five and eight and ending somewhere between ages sixteen and eighteen, depending on the state.

Oates's sign is Gemini:

Gemini is one of the constellations of the zodiac. It was one of the 48 constellations described by the 2nd century AD astronomer Ptolemy and it remains one of the 88 modern constellations today. 

The Internet Movie Database (abbreviated IMDb) is an online database of information related to films, television programs andvideo games, including cast, production crew, fictional characters, biographies, plot summaries, trivia and reviews.

A decrepit car is a car that is often old and damaged and is in a barely functional state. Numerous slang terms are used to describe such cars, which vary by country and region, including hoopty, jalopy, shed, clunker,lemon, banger, bomb, beater, rust bucket, voodoo, wreck, or rattletrap.

Young adult fiction note week 12: Joyce Carol Oates’"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

Joyce Carol Oates (born June 16, 1938) is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over 40 novels, as well as a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction.
From wikipedia



"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is a frequently anthologized short story written by Joyce Carol Oates. The story first appeared in the Fall 1966 edition of Epoch Magazine.  From wikipedia



First published in Epoch, Fall 1966. Included in Prize Stories: O Henry Award Winners (1968), and The Best American Short Stories (1967).
From: https://celestialtimepiece.com/2015/01/21/where-are-you-going-where-have-you-been/

Part of the text:

Connie spent around the house—it was summer
vacation—getting in her mother s way and thinking,
dreaming about the boys she met. But all the boys fell
back and dissolved into a single face that was not
even a face but an idea, a feeling, mixed up with the
urgent insistent pounding of the music and the humid
night air of July.




Syracuse University, commonly referred to as Syracuse, 'Cuse, orSU,^[7] is a private research university in Syracuse, New York.
From wikipedia



Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, artist and writer. He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when his songs chronicled social unrest, although Dylan repudiated suggestions from journalists that he was a spokesman for his generation.



"Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962 and released as a single and on his album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylanin 1963.

Young adult fiction note week 11: continue D. H. Lawrence’s

The term Oedipus complex explains the emotions and ideas that the mind keeps in the unconscious, via dynamic repression, that concentrates upon a child's desire to have sexual relations with the parent of the opposite sex (i.e. males attracted to their mothers, and females attracted to their fathers).
From wikepedia



The Electra complex, as proposed by Carl Gustav Jung, is a girl's psychosexual competition with her mother for possession of her father.
From wikipedia



Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician, most noted for creating the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and writing stories about him which are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction.
From wikipedia

You can say:

• Sir Arthur Conan
• Doyle

instead of Conan Doyle (x)

Franz Kafka was a German-language writer of novels and short stories who is widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His work has been interpreted as exploring themes of alienation,existential anxiety, guilt, and absurdity.

The Metamorphosis is a novella by Franz Kafka, first published in 1915. It has been called one of the seminal works of fiction of the 20th century and is studied in colleges and universities across the Western world.

PIANO

By D.H. Lawrence

Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me; 
Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see 
A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings 
And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.In spite of myself, the insidious mastery of song
Betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong
To the old Sunday evenings at home, with winter outside
And hymns in the cosy parlour, the tinkling piano our guide.
So now it is vain for the singer to burst into clamour
With the great black piano appassionato. The glamour
Of childish days is upon me, my manhood is cast
Down in the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.
1918
From https://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~keith/poems/piano.html

Young adult fiction note week 10: D. H. Lawrence’s "The Rocking-Horse Winner"

D. H. Lawrence
Born	David Herbert Richards Lawrence 11 September 1885 Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom
Died	2 March 1930 (aged 44) Vence, France
Occupation	Novelist, poet
Nationality	British
Alma mater	University of Nottingham
Period	1907–1930
Genre	Modernism
Notable works	Novel: Sons and Lovers The Rainbow Women in Love John Thomas and Lady Jane Lady Chatterley's Lover Short Story: Odour of Chrysanthemums The Virgin and the Gypsy The Rocking-Horse Winner

    D. H. Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter. His collected works, among other things, represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialization. In them, some of the issues Lawrence explores are emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct.  From Wikipedia

    "The Rocking-Horse Winner" is a short story by D. H. Lawrence. It was first published in July 1926, in Harper's Bazaar and subsequently appeared in the first volume of Lawrence's collected short stories.
From Wikipedia

• find fault with 找碴
• pornography 色情
• rack her brains 絞盡腦汁 (rack 架構)
• frenzy: wild, mad

...非得有很多的錢，多得滿了出來，才肯花在女儿的學費上——女儿的大學文憑原是最狂妄的奢侈品。...引用自張愛玲的作品《花凋》 



    Harper's Bazaar is an American women's fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper's Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for "women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture."  From Wikipedia



How to take great notes:
1. write conclusions, not facts
2. use color pens: Question in blue Answer in red Conclusion in green
3. review in 10 minutes: teach others

Young adult fiction note week 9: Midterm

Young adult fiction, or young adult literature, often abbreviated as YA, is a fiction written, published, or marketed to adolescents or young adults. Authors and readers of young teen novels often define the category as literature traditionally written for ages from 15 to early 20s. An example in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.

Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in the community or signifying a transformation of reborn into a new role. An example is the graduation from college, which means you become a freshman in the society.

Bildungsroman has different names, novel of formation, novel of education, or coming-of-age story. It is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood, in which character change is extremely important. An example of bildungsroman is James Joyce's "Araby".

Detective fiction is a crime fiction, or a mystery fiction. In detective fiction, there will be an investigator or a detective- either professional or amateur- investigates a crime, often murder. An example is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.

An antihero is a protagonist who lacks conventional heroic qualities such as idealism, courage, and morality. These individuals often possess dark personality traits, including disagreeableness, dishonest, and aggressiveness. An example is ''Man with No Name'' in A Fistful of Dollars.


What is the significance of the carousel in Chapter 25?

Holden’s release at the end of his story comes as he watches Phoebe ride the carousel. Why Holden feel release and even cry out beside the carousel? What makes the carousel important for Holden Caulfield?

Holden mentions that Phoebe protests, arguing that she is too big to ride the carousel, but Holden knows that she wants to do it and he buys her a ticket. Holden, on the other hand, declines to ride, which shows him recognizing his status as an adult.

The carousel continues to move in circles and always stays in the same pace. It stays the same while the children who ride it continue to grow older. The carousel acts as a role of memory, making everyone think of the past and the present.

In this place, Holden does show some signs of growth. Some of Holden's comments like: ''if they want to grab the gold ring, you have to let them do it . . . If they fall off, they fall off'' references his emendation of his “catcher in the rye” fantasy and shows the change of the idea that every child will eventually “fall” out of innocence and into adulthood. 

In summary, the carousel is a significant place marking the psychological and mental growth of Holden as well as the initiation into a new role.

Please paraphrase (retell the meanings in your own words) the following citations:

a.       Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.

If you get close to somebody, having real connection and rely on them, you will miss that person. Because they can leave you, and they are not dependable. I may not rely on someone totally as a result of not wanting to miss him or her after leaving in the future.

b.      Why does Forrester warn Jamal that "Bitterly disappointed teachers [of writing like Robert Crawford] are either very good or very dangerous"?

Bitterly disappointed teachers are dangerous because they might risk a students standing at school such as negatively affecting a student's grade. In contrary, they may make student study more effectively. I have met this kind of teacher before, I feel appreciated for the teacher for making me change attitude in study from casual to hard-working.

c.       When Jamal asks Forrester why he is a legend at school, why does Forrester shout at him, "The purpose of a question is to obtain information that matters to you"?

F    Forrester can't accept that Jamal ask a question about the status of him instead of asking for information on learning. I think Forrester is right, and Jamal is lucky to meet this kind of friend who reminds him not to waste any energy on the fame instead of the growth of learning.

3. When Jamal first knocks on Forrester’s door, why does he take up the challenge to write 5000 words on why he should stay away?

After seeing the question, the first thought that comes to my mind is that Jamal wants to make a relationship with the old man. But, do the reason truly matter and important enough for Jamal to take the challenge of 5000 words composition?

At first, Jamal needs to write his words secretly in the personal locker. Nobody has the chance to see his notes before Jamal sneaking into the strange man's house, leaving his bag and his notes carelessly in the room, which creates the chance of writing relationship between Jamal and Forrester.

Furthermore, after taking back his bag from the old man's house, Jamal wants to prove himself that he is not a qure bad guy who broke into Forrester's place. He wants to confirm that he can write well and not all his works are not useful.

Last but not least, in spite of reading a lot, Jamal don't have friends to share his thoughts, only peer pressure will Jamal get from his friends in writing. After having the old man who takes a look at his notes and even make some feedbacks, I think Jamal may take it valuable and cherish the opportunity.

In summary, Jamal will take this chance to meet the strange old man, either someone who cares about his writing or just wanting to prove himself.

  

Young adult fiction note week 8: James Joyce’s "Araby" (short story)

James Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde, and is regarded as one of the most influential and important authors of the twentieth century.

 (The Love of Zero, a 1927 film by Robert Florey)

• The avant-garde are people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics.

• "Araby" is a short story by James Joyce published in his 1914 collection Dubliners.
• Dubliners is a collection of fifteen short stories by James Joyce, first published in 1914. They form a naturalistic depiction of Irish middle class life in and around Dublin in the early years of the 20th century.

    I watched my master’s face pass from amiability to sternness; he hoped I was not beginning to idle. I could not call my wandering thoughts together. I had hardly any patience with the serious work of life which, now that it stood between me and my desire, seemed to me child’s play, ugly monotonous child’s play. 
    —“Araby”

    In this quote, the young boy of “Araby” has just spoken with Mangan’s sister, and now finds himself entirely uninterested and bored by the demands of the classroom. Instead, he thinks of Mangan’s sister, of the upcoming bazaar, and of anything but what rests before him. This scene forecasts the boy’s future frustration with the tedious details that foil his desires, and it also illustrates the boy’s struggle to define himself as an adult, even in the space of the classroom structured as a hierarchy between master and student. Just as mundane lessons obstruct the boy’s thoughts, by the end of the story everyday delays undermine his hopes to purchase something for Mangan’s sister at the bazaar. In both cases, monotony prevents the boy from fulfilling his desires.
From SparkNotes 

Young adult fiction note week 7: Edgar Allan Poe’s "The Tell-Tale Heart"

• Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre.

• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American police procedural drama television series that premiered on CBS October 6, 2000. 

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States, which simultaneously serves as the nation's prime federal law enforcement organization.

amateur: not have enough ability to become professional

• A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency.

• The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical sports drama film. It was written and directed by John Lee Hancock.
• based on the 2006 book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis.

• Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

• "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe.

• King Arthur was a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, 
• led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD.