The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

1. Generally, The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards is about a 1964 couple who are pregnant with twins. While stuck in a blizzard, Dr. David Henry has no choice but to deliver his own babies. While his wife, Norah, was in labor he called upon his nurse Caroline for help. Norah first gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Paul, but when the baby girl came into the world, it was apparent that something was wrong. The baby girl was born with Down Syndrome, and Dr. Henry made a split decision that would change their lives forever. He had the baby taken immediately away and proclaimed dead before Norah found out that there was different problem. Caroline was put in charge of taking the baby, Phoebe, to the correct facility, but can't bare to leave the baby to grow up in a place with such horrible living conditions. So, she decided to keep her and ultimately start a new life she has always wished for with his baby. Ultimately, life with Phoebe turns out well. On the other hand, as life goes on for the Henry family, it isn't as fortunate. Norah is forever haunted from the daughter she lost, and finds comfort in burying herself in her job. David looks to photography and being the "memory keeper", with the secret weighing heavy on his heart. He keeps track of Phoebe and her where abouts, keeping photos from Caroline, as she grows up. Paul, the son, feels to be a disappointment to his father and looks to music for comfort. Norah and David's marriage ultimately leads to a divorce.As the secret unravels, hearts are hurt, anger lingers in the air, and a sweet reunion of mother and daughter, brother and sister brings a greater love that could ever be experienced. But after David's sudden heart attack leaving him dead, Norah discovered his memory keeping photos of Phoebe growing up which leaves her to see a side of her husband she never knew.
2. A theme discovered in The Memory Keeper's Daughter would have to be deception. Kim Edwards does a great job of showing how lies and deception can be destructive within a family. Somewhere under that decision it was for a good cause, but ultimately pulled this family apart.
3. The overall tone in the novel was very solemn, grave, and melancholy. This was an issue weighing heavy on everyone. A father deceiving his wife into believing their child is dead, and a mother going through life believing her baby girl is dead.

• "This was her life. Not the life she had once dreamed of, not a life her younger self would ever have imagined or desired, but the life she was living, with all its complexities. This was her life, built with care and attention, and it was good." (page 254)

• "Lately, the world felt fragile, like a blown egg, as if it might shatter beneath a careless touch." (page 375)

• "You can't stop time. You can't capture light. You can only turn your face up and let it rain down." (page 319)

4. Kim Edwards used literary elements and techniques that helped me to understand the theme. Edwards did an excellent job using imagery, figurative language, syntax, and symbolism. Imagery and figurative language is used throughout the book, especially in describing people and objects. When the thoughts of David and Norah were evident, being descriptive let the reader be exposed to their pain.
The author's syntax includes speaking in the first person, which allows you to see all the pain behind the characters and what they are experiencing.

•  "You missed a lot of heartache, sure. But David, you missed a lot of joy." (page 249)

• "Either things grow and change or they die." (page 376)

Tools That Change The Way We Think

I have noticed that by using extensive internet, media,and technology it has really impacted the way I think. I'm more interested in getting the quick facts rather the whole background information. In a matter of seconds, I have the information I need, and I don't feel the need to look any further or dig deeper to confirm if the facts are true. I am willing to admit that my concentration is repeatedly broken. I am focused on a researching task, but then a new tab is opened, and suddenly I find my attention focused else where. Whether it be Facebook, Tumblr, or Youtube, my attention is there rather getting the information. With these daily distractions, researching is getting harder for people to do. It is becoming a bothersome thing, and something they aren't willing to spend time on. It's unfortunate that it had come to this, but its something we all struggle with.

Notes on Hamlet

Taking notes in general is a difficult thing for me. It's picking out the certain things that are important which is difficult and not writing down useless things. I felt Hamlet was a hard task to take notes on this, because to take notes, I feel you have to have a full understanding of the characters and the situations. That was something I didn't have. I though Hamlet was some psycho youngster who was getting crazier by the second, but ultimately he is smarter and wittier than I expected, than anyone expected. I don't know what lies ahead for Hamlet in the future, but I'm guessing it will be good.

Who was Shakespeare?

There is only a limited amount of strong background information on William Shakespeare. It is agreed that he was born in 1564 and lived in England.  His parents were John Shakespeare who was a landowner and glovemaker, and his mom was Mary Arden.  He was married at 18 to Anne Hathaway, and they had a daughter and another girl who was once a twin.  He died in 1616 and had collaborated 32 total plays.  I essentially googled "Who was Shakespeare?" And I was sent to this website http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/merchant/shakespeare.html 

Shakespeare was a complex writer, that leads people to different translations and  understandings of his writings. I found the material hard to understand as it was without the iambic pentameter, and Old English writing. Once I read it slowly, studied it I found it easier to understand. Of course, it is still quite difficult to understand, and most likely always will, but I'm getting the hang of it.

To Facebook or not to Facebook?

With teens waiting and wanting to be wrapped up in the next big thing, it was nothing different when Myspace was dropped for Facebook. I was always careful of what I put on Myspace, due to stories and situations linked to exposure on Myspace. I found myself having the same want of security and privacy.

You can find both benefits and not so many fortunate things involved with Facebook. Little did I know, slowly and deceitfully my privacy was being taken from me. My information, I though was being kept private was slowly being leaked to the public. Reading an article on Facebook, made me realize the real issues going on with Facebook and those who are head of it. CEO of Facebook knew the problems with privacy and he was told to quiet up and ultimately left the company. These people are looking to make money and invading children's privacy is something they are willing to take advantage of.

Facebook is very beneficial and convenient to reunite old friends, stay in contact with long distant friends. You are able to see your friends and event going on at your finger tips. You stay in contact whether you talk to your friend constantly or not.

Facebook has good and bad things going for it. I don't think people should boycott it because there are certain things on Facebook that are enjoyable, but I feel you should be careful. Be careful what you put, click on, and say on Facebook, or any website.

(Don't) be Hamlet

To continue to exist or end it all, is the dilemma, Hamlet struggles with. To commit suicide or go on with the struggles one ill be forced to bare is something he can't seem to make a firm decision on. It isn't necessarily his personal decision to commit suicide, but a general thought of the process whether to or not. He contemplates it all.    

Hamlet is struggling with his father's death, his mother's marriage to his uncle, appearances from a ghost, and the murder of his father coming from his uncle. This would drive anyone to insanity and for Hamlet is not much different. He contemplates suicide in general, in a way of sorting all these issues out. What needs to be known is that it won't solve the problems that are still left on earth, you are merely removing yourself from the equation.

By Hamlet coming suicide, it would not show a good example to those who look up to him. He has been given a privilege at birth, and with that privilege comes responsibility. He will not only be hurting himself but all who love him. He will hurt his mother, his friends, and the girl, Ophelia, he has formed a bond with. With suicide he would be put into the category of might I say, coward. He would rather take himself away from the equation rather himself figuring it out. Suicide is not an option for Hamlet. He has too much ahead of him, and struggles to deal with. n the end he will come out victorious.

Literature Analysis

 Emma ~ Jane Austen

1. The novel Emma, is set in the early 19th century, amongst England. The novel is centered around a privileged young woman named Emma Woodhouse, her dearest friends, and those she comes into counter with. Though she vows never to marry, she takes pleasure in trying to match her friends and acquaintances up with who she believes to be a perfect match. While going through her charade of match making, she finds her good intentions to back fire and ultimately hurt her good friend, Harriet. Throughout the novel, it is seen those who find marriage to be something less than important, those who find marriage sacred, a way of tradition, and a fortunate way to build up your social status. In the end as predicted, everyone ends up happily in love with the one they were ultimately, "meant to be" with. Emma breaks her vow of never marrying, and finds herself in a fortunate marriage, with the foundation of love.
2. The theme of Emma would have to be marriage and social status issues. Throughout the whole novel it is made known of those who are married, engaged, or the blossoming of engagement. Marriage was absolutely a big deal in society at this time. The men who had land and a good income were in look and want of a wife, and it wasn't only a man in want but also a woman. Woman didn't have much say in the matter of land and building up a home, and they looked to marriage as a sense of security. Most abused this notion, only looking to this as a way to build up their status in society.  Those who were privileged married privileged people. Emma was a prime example of resiting this notion of tradition.
3. Jane Austen's tone throughout the novel was satirical and also sympathetic. Austen made it known how things ran for a woman in society. On the satirical side came to be known while Emma was match making and trying to set up people for marriage. It did not matter if they were really in love, marriage was seen as something different in this era. And that's also where the sympathetic tone came about, for some people, it wasn't about love, but merely looking to get that security and follow tradition.

•  " A woman is not to marry a man merely because she is asked, or because he is attached to her, and can write a tolerable letter." (7.31)

• "It is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage. A man always imagines a woman to be ready for any body who asks her." (8.34)

• "It is fit that the fortune should be on his side, for I think the merit will be all on hers." (48.13)

4. The literary devices that helped me to understand the themes would be foreshadowing. It was hinted of certain events within conversations to happens, and ultimately the did end up coming true. Also, her tone, diction, and syntax had proved and brought forth her intention in the themes.

• "It was foolish, it was wrong, to take so active a part in bringing any two people together. It was adventuring too far, assuming too much, making light of what ought to be serious, a trick of what ought to be simple." (16.10)

• "Emma's very good opinion of Frank Churchill was a little shaken the following day, by hearing that he was gone off to London, merely to have his hair cut." (25.1)

• "Can you trust me with such flatterers?—Does my vain spirit ever tell me I am wrong?" (38.47)