the alchemist discussion questions. part 1

I think that this statement is true. As she got older you become more focused on what is realistic, and actually liable to happen. I think the force is at least in part, pressure by society. People believe less and less as they get older that anything is possible. They think that in order to become successful they have to conform to society. “in the long run, what people think about bakers and shepherds becomes more important for them then their personal legends” -23. Another reason people abandon their personal legends is because they think what they have is plenty. Like Mechizedek says, “I can’t help you if you feel you’ve got enough sheep”. To be completely successful, you have to keep pushing for more and more. Santiago helped the shop keeper understand that. The shop keeper kept on pushing to make his business better and better and it expanded once he did that. You can’t achieve your personal legend when you settle for mediocrity. “The crystal merchant awoke with the day, and felt the same anxiety that he felt every morning” -44. The crystal merchant had not achieved his personal legend, and was therefore, unfulfilled.

The language of the world is how you can communicate with someone. It is different from spoken language because it can cross language boundaries. Omens and sensing things are definitely involved you have to be able to spot them. Like the boy was able to spot that the crystal merchant had to make a decision, so he began to clean his glasses without waiting for a response. You cannot question it while you are speaking it, you might not even notice it is happening, like the boy and the candy seller. A fascination with words and pictures can make you forget the universal language because you cannot notice when you are speaking it. The boy had been speaking it to his sheep all along but once he was in a different situation, still doing the same thing, he was shocked by it. “He was learning a lot of new things. Some of them were things he had already experienced, and weren’t new, but that he had never perceived before” -43. He hadn’t realized he was speaking the universal language until he did it with the candy seller.  If you cannot understand the universal language, you cannot understand the world. 

Vocabulary 3 Exercise 1- match

1. The werewolf tried to  conceal  the truth about himself from his human girlfriend, but she found out the truth anyway.-obfuscate

2. His  daily  workload in the kitchen consisted of some very  banal  chores, such as peeling 50 pounds of potatoes for dinner.- quotidian

3. Victoria’s last boyfriend was so overly  attentive  that he made her feel suffocated.

4. The results from our scientific experiment surprised us because they were so different from what we expected, but then we realized the  abnormality was caused by our faulty equipment.-aberration

5. Carl had schemed to keep Georgia out of the house until it was time to go to her surprise party by taking her to a movie, but his plan was  ruined when Georgia said she had already seen all of the movies in the local movie theater.-foiled

6. It was rather  bold  of that gentleman to interrupt the wedding and object to the marriage, especially because he wasn’t even invited.-presumptous

7. Yes, he seems like an especially  antagonistic  fellow; I saw him get out of the car and yell at another wedding guest who was pulling into the same parking spot.-pugnacious

8. Amanda was an  ebullient  woman who was always the life of the party and the center of attention.-solicitous

9. Elizabeth Smart is a girl who was  kidnapped  as a fourteen year-old and was kept in captivity for nine months.-abducted

10. Gertrude did not trust Charlie after she found out that he had started such   untrue  rumors about her.-mendacious

11. In the days after the hurricane there was a  lack  of gasoline, and we could not fill up our gas tank because they were rationing it.-dearth

12. The doctor made a such a  convincing  argument to the other doctors at the hospital that they decided to follow his advice.- cogent

13. Google is one of the  giants  of the technology industry. - behemoth

14. The conference schedule gave us a  break  at noon which gave me enough time to have a quick lunch with my friend across the street. haitus

15. Corbin did not like that this new boy had  stolen  his girlfriend’s attentions.

16. Belinda was  totally unaware  of the fact that the teacher was waiting for her to stop texting because she was absorbed in the fight she was having with her mother via text.-oblivious

17. Billy, with his reckless and rebellious attitude,  highlights  the submissive and innocent Anne.- foils

18. In the movie The Lion King, Simba  revels in  his freedom away from his pride (a group of lions that sticks together) but realizes his responsibility is to return to save his family from his uncle’s evil tyranny.-relish

19. It is only through the  generosity  of the Bluth family that T.B.A., an illness that affects millions of people, will finally be vanquished.-largess

20. Eddie felt like he was giving  perfect  answers to the questions in his job interview and was feeling very confident-- maybe, in fact, too confident, because he tried to make a joke that he did not pull off well.-impeccable

21. In his book The Magus, John Fowles gives a rich picture of the island of Mycenae, complete with Greece-blue skies,  breezes  carrying the smell of salt over the hills, and mysterious green foliage recalling ancient history.- zephyr

22. Mala suffered terrible  exclusion  from the social scene in high school because kids were cruel and her timidness made her an easy target for mockery.- ostracism

23. Bridget resented Heather because she was such a  brown-noser  and was always sucking up to Ms. Flannery.-toady

24. Her parents wanted her to settle down with a nice boy, but she preferred the  migratory  and decentralized life of a bohemian.- nomadic

25. The home-made candy had overboiled and was now too  syrupy  to be handled properly.- viscous

alchemist discussion questions- part 1

I know that this is a Greek myth about a very handsome man called narcissus who was very vain. He was so vain that he stared at his refection all day long in a lake just looking at himself. Over time he fell deeply in love with himself. One day, when he couldn't stand to just look at his beauty anymore, he dove into the lake, and drowned to death.

The traditional interpretation is that narcissus deserved to die because of his vanity. He was self-centered was only able to be happy when thinking about himself.  This story is meant to be a warning to other people, to not be vain like narcissus, because it only leads to trouble.

I think that the relationship between the re-telling of narcissus  and the alchemist is about finding people to help you. The lake and narcissus made each other happy. They may have been vain and imperfect things but they brought each other joy. They saw their own beauty reflected on other surface and only then were able to see themselves. I think it also has to do with the soul of the world. When you stare into the soul of the world, it stares right back at you. And if you hurt yourself you hurt the soul of the world with you. Everything is connected and your decisions have an impact on every other thing. As the king said “there is a force that wants you to realize your personal legend” (29). The reason that that force is around, is because when you achieve your personal legend you help yourself, also help the soul of the world. Many people help the shepherded along in his story and help to direct his quest, the king, the gypsy, the store keeper.  Even the thief steals from him helps him to be stronger because only after being stolen from he realized that he could “”choose between thinking of himself as the poor victim of a thief and as an adventurer looking for treasure.” (42)  

The boy comes from Spain but most of the book takes place in Egypt. I think one of the reasons that the author did this was to help signal a big change. He had to re-learn everything he knew and adapt to the new place. Egypt is also a romanticized land. Of impossible feats, the pyramids, of erratic floods that can destroy everything you have, the Nile, and of great, long lost, treasures. Spain is viewed as a more plushy country. It has fantastic weather and beautiful women. The contrast between Spain and Egypt also highlights just how much he gave up for his personal legend.

            Her introduction brings up his role in society. “if you know how to read, why are you just a shepherd” (6) the words “just a shepherd” show a lot. It shows that he is low on the totem pole in society. It also shows about how if he really wanted to, he could have done something others would have labeled as “more important” or gain him more respect or money. He is a shepherd because he loves to travel. It shows that he is already in touch with his personal legend a lot more than many other people are. He has already begun to do things just for the sake of making himself happy. Which, as the king points out, is very rare.

The boy’s original motive was to become rich. He finds the treasure. The story would most likely feel a little incomplete without it. I think the fact that he travels all the way too Egypt then all the way back helps you to understand that it isn't about the money, it’s about the journey you take. Of course the money doesn't hurt, but I think that if the boy had come to the end of his travels, only to find nothing, I don’t think he would be very disappointed.

vocab sentences #3

abduct- to take someone
aberration- an anomaly, something or someone that is different or suprising
behemoth- gigantic
cogent- something that is obviously right. and makes sense.
dearth- a differencicy of a necessity
foil-to ruin someones plans
hiatus- a pause in something
impeccable- very good, perfect
largess- a present
mendacious- being untruthful
nomadic- moving around and not living in the same place
obfuscate- to complicate things so that they become unclear.
oblivious-  being out of it and  not in the moment.
ostacism- being exiled from society or a group
presumtous- assuming something about someone
pugnacious- easily angered
quotidian- something that happens regualarly
relish- to get pleasure out of something
solicitous- ardent
toady- brown noser
usurp-take power
viscous-gelatinous
vivacious- a lot of energy, happy
zephyr- a gentle breeze

The distructors- discususion questions

1.i think that the protagonist is Trevor. i think this is because he is the one who develops most during the story  and they the most into detail about his personality and his past. also because this story seams to take place in a major change in his life.  i think the antagonist is something more abstract, like society or something. conflicts- not being able to keep the gang organized, old misery coming home early, keeping the gang under his leadership,
2. i think suspense is created by the visible change that occurs in Trevor  him changing from a quiet sullen type to a leader with a direct purpose. you can feel that nothing good will come from his leadership "as though he were absorbed in some dream he was not willing, or not ready to share."- pg 4.
3. I think the story has a happy ending  for some of the characters. the gang gets away free, after completing their mission. they seam to get some satisfaction out of burning the house down, and i assume that the older gangs would be impressed by them. the story most defiantly does not have a happy ending for old misery. his house gets burned down and it takes his entire life with him. he is clearly heartbroken over the loss.""he gave a sobbing cry. "my house", he said""
4. taking something from the more wealthy.
5. The setting is important, because it shows what the gang has gone through, one of the reasons they may have grown up so fast. i think it is also important because of the irony. old misery house still standing tall after the entire war, with other houses blown up around him. only to lose it to a bunch of teenage kids with no real power once the war was over.
6. i think the delinquency could be in part because they clearly have very little money. By the gangs reaction to the chocolate it  shows that they have been given very little in life, and had to be self-sufficient for most of their childhoods. They are from a lower class in society and have a lot of hatred and anger for things refined and perfect. The war was a very devastating time, they cold have lost parents or family members, or even their own houses. weakness is not tolerated.
7. well they are loyal to each other, they stick together, they can all work together for a common goal.  in fact they are extreamly hardworking when they want to make something happen. they are very determined. They are resourceful. and very polite. they are able to make something from nothing, entertain themselves simply by throwing a ball against a wall all day.
8. i think it says that humans are destructive and jealous. they show no signs if selfishness because they don't take his money. they want to bring old misery down to their level and show him what it is like to have so much less.

quotes about the distructors

quotes supporting materialism-
"old misery was too mean to spend money on the property"
"not enough to go around i suppose, there never is"
"there wouldn't be anything to pinch after we finished"
:i kept these for you and me- a celebration"
"all this hate and love, he said, its soft, its hooey. there is only things, blackie"

quotes supporting loss of innocence
"even the grown up gangs"
"now in his 15th year crystallized with the pain of puberty"
"very different from the happy-go-lucky days under his leadership"
"they gray ash floated above them and fell on their heads like age"
"there is no time, a boy said"

sentences- vocab #2

Even after profusely apologizing, Tim could tell that his dad's anger was begging to abate.

The king abdicated his throne after the peasant uprising.

I balked at the thought of the test tomorrow.

The cadence of the clapping sent a member of the audience into a spiritual fervor.

Starting a new AP psych chapter just seamed so daunting i put it off and put it off until the day before the test.

Her eclectic personality scared away possible friends.

His excuse was so perfectly fabricated he got completely out of trouble.

Her garish shoes made me want to puke in my mouth.

The "my dog ate my homework" excuse is so hackneyed that no teacher in their right mind would believe it

Her idiosyncratic behavior was deemed unacceptable by her teachers.

The fall created massive lacerations from ice burns all down her back.

I could feel a maelstrom of hate about to come raining down on me. 

The nadir of her life was her ex-best friend who had decided to make her life a living hell.

The obdurate donkey refused to move even after being whipped.

Some days i may seam pacific but under the surface im about to strangle someone.

She had gotten herself into such a quagmire she couldn't see any out.

He railed against gay rights.

Her ice cream seemed so saccharine she could barely choke it down.

The evil eye is a very tacit message.

His drunkenness caused him to vacillate back and forth.

The bees seamed to be ubiquitous, surrounding her all at once.

A shiny vener of gold made the earing look much more expensive then it really was

The hippo happily wallowed in the watering hole

The oxen both struggled against the oppressive yoke.

i admit, i may have been a little overzealous with the birthday party. i probably should have stopped after the second bouncy house or maybe the exotic animals petting zoo.