Graff, charactoerization

At the begging of th chapter Graff is talking about Ender with another officer. As you can see he is showing a sense of compassion towards ender.

Graff



  "I've watched through his eyes, I've listened through his ears, and tell you he's the one. 
Or at least as close as we're going to get." 
  "That's what you said about the brother." 
  "The brother tested out impossible. For other reasons. Nothing to do with his ability." 
  "Same with the sister. And there are doubts about him. He's too malleable. Too willing 
to submerge himself in someone else's will." 
  "Not if the other person is his enemy." 
  "So what do we do? Surround him with enemies all the time?" 
  "If we have to." 
  "I thought you said you liked this kid." 
  "If the buggers get him, they'll make me look like his favorite uncle." 
  "All right. We're saving the world, after all. Take him." 


 You do not learn much about Graff though until the end of chapter 3.
In chapter 2 Graff is again being simperthatic to Ender


"All right, it's off. How's he doing?"   "You live inside somebody's body for a few years, you get used to it. I look at his face
now, I can't tell what's going on. I'm not used to seeing his facial expressions. I'm used to
feeling them."
 
  "Come on, we're not talking about psychoanalysis here. We're soldiers, not witch
doctors. You just saw him beat the guts out of the leader of a gang."
  "He was thorough. He didn't just beat him, he beat him deep. Like Mazer Rackham at
the--"
  "Spare me. So in the judgment of the committee, he passes.
  "Mostly. Let's see what he does with his brother, now that the monitor's off."
  "His brother. Aren't you afraid of what his brother will do to him?"
  "You were the one who told me that this wasn't a no-risk business."
  "I went back through some of the tapes. I can't help it. I like the kid. I think were going
to screw him up."
  "Of course we are. It's our job. We're the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, but
we eat the little bastards alive." 

1. 3rd person
2. A third is the third child that is born in a family, because of the govermenments laws, it is frowned upon to have more than 2 children
3.  Buggers an Austrunoughts
4. He doesn't want to leave valentine, ans also he wont be able to see his family for a long time
5. Dramatic irony
6. He praises him in front of the other kids his age, making them bully him
7.
8. When ender goes to the games room for the first time, he gets challenged by an older kid, and beats him 2 out of 3 games they play\
9.  He is voted into a sort of 'bridge' between the two groups of launchies
10. Ender Gets shot in the leg, which gives him recognition as he was then apart of the game and gave him a shooting accuracy of perfect aqs he didn't shoot even once.

Why is characterization important

Literal

-  Create connection of characters
-  Add interest to story
-  Insight into why things happen
-  Make it 'real'

Questions

What are the important elements of characterization?

There are three main elements of characterization, how a character looks (physical description), how a character acts and how other characters in the story react to this character

Why is characterization important?


Characterization is important as it gives the reader, or the audience an idea of the character and lets them understand the story better. Characterization can tell us what the characters personality is like, which can give us an insight into why things occur.

Chapter 2

1. (9) Who are speaking at the beginning of the chapter again?
   
   -   The military people whom are speaking at the beginning of the first chapter 
   
2. From what these voices say what can we speculate the ‘monitor’ allowed these people to do with Ender?
   
   -   From what these people are saying about the monitor and Ender, we can speculate that the monitor allowed them to see into enders life, and monitor his behavior and everything he does and thinks.
   
   

1. How do the soldiers react to Ender attacking the bully?
   
   -   They were concerned at first but they were also pleased that he had strategical advantages for the such thorough beating  
   
2. What effect do the soldiers admit that they had on Ender’s brother Peter?
   
   -    They rejected peter which has made him jealous and angry 
   
3. What voice do we switch into when the soldiers section of the text is through?
   
   -   Valentines voice (Enders sister)
   
   
4. (10) What is Ender’s sister’s name and what is implied by her name?
   
   -   Valentine, that she is a kind and loving person
   
5. What are the two sides of Peter?
   
    -   He is both angry and violent, but he does have a weaker side to him, a forgiving and soft side, having both these sides torments peter inside.
   
   
6. (11) What do we learn about the greater world from the description of the game that Peter forces Ender to play called Buggers vs. Astronauts?
   
   -   That there are no rules, it is a game that can cause pain, and Ender doesn't have any say or control in it. It is a way for Peter to take his anger out on Ender and there's nothing that he can do once the verbal contract is excepted by ender.
   

1. (13) What informatioin does Valentine have that she uses to keep Peter under control?
   
   -   She tells Peter that if he was to ever hurt, or kill anybody, it would go down on his record, and what he is striving for so hard which is to be in government when he is older, and that would cloud whatever opportunity he may get later on.
   
   
2. (15) Who tells the Enders to have 3 children? What does this tell us about the power of the government?
   
   -  The Government tell Enders parents to have another child, after they find that the first two children were either too strong, or too soft, they needed an in between such as Ender. It tells us that the Government have powers to do almost anything.
   
   
3. What does Ender do at the end of the chapter? What emotional state is he in? Why?
   
   -  Ender thinks about Yelling at his father saying "I know I'm a Third, I know it, if you want I'll go away so you don't have to be embarrassed in front of everybody, I'm sorry I lost the monitor and now you have three kids and no obvious explanation, so inconvenient for you, I'm sorry sorry sorry" This shows that Ender is in a very hard spot with his emotions right now, what Peter says to him may attribute to this, but the main factor would be leaving his Family and losing the Monitor.

Chapter One

1. (pg1) Strange that the first chapter is called ‘Third’
   
   -  First chapter called 'Third'
   -  Ironic title
   
2. What can you tell about the story through the use of two different fonts?
   
   -   The first that is in bold is duologue, it's in speach marks
   -   There is no narration
   -   In the second font their is narration and lets you have a better idea of whats happening
   
3. What person is the narrative told in?
   
   -   It is told in 3rd person-   It uses 'Ender did this' not 'I did this'
   
4. We learn about a ‘special’ family.
   
   -  We learn that enders family have three children, where having more than two children is frowned upon.
   
   
5. What is the goal of the speakers at the start of the book?
   
   -   The goal of the speakers at the begging of the book is to surround Ender with enemies so that he will be like neither his brother or sister whom possessed personalities so opposite, and they wished for Ender to be in between.
   
6. What are they watching and what do they decide about their subject? What type of irony is used by the audience having more information than the main character?
   
   -  They are watching Ender and they decide that Ender is to be submerged in what ever they believe will effect them in a way that will give him advantages to what he has to accomplish
   
   
7. What is interesting about the surname of the title character? What does it say about his role in the story?
   
   -  His sir name is Wiggin.  Captain Thomas Wiggin is a significant man whom has had this as their last name and could be an almost inspiration for the characters surname. Captain Thomas Wiggin first ventured to New England in 1630 when he sailed with John Winthrop to Boston on the Winthrop Fleet. Thomas Wiggin was also the first governor of the Upper Plantation of New Hampshire which eventually became the Royal Province of New Hampshire in 1741. He has similar leadership characteristics as Ender which could of lead to the naming of Enders character. 
    
   
   
8. What perspective is the narration for the other section of the opening chapter (not the starting bit)?
   
   -   It is a third person perspective. It shows that the narrator can see and hear everything that ender can but from an observers perspective of the scene, the author also show that she knows Enders thoughts 
   
   
9. “Sometimes lies were more dependable than the truth.” (2) What is a possible central theme of the book?
   
   -   Deception and mistrust are being enveloped into the book even at these early stages
   
   
10. What does the title ‘Monitor’ represent to the other boys?
    
    -  So far it seems as if the monitor is a good thing to have possession of, the longer you have it the better, as it causes jealousy. 
    
    
11. (5) What connotations does Ender being a ‘third’ have ?
    
    -  It seems to bring about torment, as if it is a bad thing, although it may cause jealousy also as alot of psychologists have stated that bullying and torment of others can be caused from jealousy 
    
12. What does Ender know about his intelligence in regards to the other boys?
    
    -  Ender seems to know that he is a lot smarter and more advanced then kids his age.
    
    
13. (7) What does Ender do to the bullies?
    
    -  Ender develops a strategy to fight the bullies and brutal attack the one whom is seen as the 'leader' so that he not only wins this fight but all the others to come.
    
    
14. The narrator is sympathetic to Ender: ‘This would not have a happy ending. So Ender decided that he would not be the unhappiest at the end.’
    
15. (8) While Ender seems emotionally stable on the exterior how would you describe his emotional state on the inside?
    
    -  Ender is a mix between his brother and his sister as stated at the begging of the chapter. He is strong on the outside like his brother, but soft and emotional on the inside like his sister.
    
    
16. How has the perspective of the narration changed in this statement: ‘I am just like Peter. Take my monitor away; and I am just like Peter.’ What does this imply about Peter?
    
    -   It implies that peter is someone that Ender doesn't want to be like. He sees Peter as being a bad person, and having this monitor makes him more like the person he strives so hard not to be like. 
    

Notes from monday 23/05/2011

3rd person omniscient
                    --> narrator
                        --> (all-knowing)
Multiple perspectives
           --> dramatic irony
Duologue
 
Description
   --> 'sparce'

Notes from Friday

how you think about/analyse texts...                   How geeky English teachers think about/analyse texts             
              Literal                                                                          Figurative
                                                                                                   (theoretical)
                                                                                                 foreshadowing
                                                                                   ironic (situational) Being chosen for violence.

Notes from Thursday's class. Student speak vs. literal/teacher speak

student speak.                literature speak

bad guy        --->            antagonist

good guy       --->           protagonist - characterization 3rd person omniscient

speaks          --->            dialogue

                     --->            rounded/flat
                                         -> reality/emotional

Peter

He allows us to learn more about Enders character/personality

Sci Fi Your Life

“My guitar is not a thing. It is an extension of myself. It is who I am.” Joan Jett

Another afternoon, after a stressful seven hours of school, listening to my teacher ramble on about stuff that just seems to fly over my head… My mums nagging me to do my homework, but all I want to do is just relax for a while and play a tune on my guitar.

“What homework have you got to do tonight? You might as well get it done now rather than stress about it later”

“Don’t worry mum I’ve got it under control, it’ll be done for when it’s due.”

I picked up my guitar, strumming a simple note to check if it was in tune, to find that the highest note was slightly out by a few tones. As I waited for my tuner to turn on, I had a go at tuning it by ear. I turned the tuning peg and played the string continuously so I could hear the changes in the tones as it became tighter. As I tightened the string I found that the sound wasn't changing. So I kept tightening it, but still no change. So I continued turning the peg, and as I did I could see the tension building in this string.

“Just two more rotations” I thought

I turned it one more time, yet still no change. I turned it one last time, and as I did it snapped, whipping through the air making a crack. I closed my eyes as I knew it was going to hit my fingers, and certain enough it did. I opened my eyes in pain and yelled out. I turned back to look at the damage it had done to my finger, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. It was almost like a floating tear. As if my string had torn a hole in the air. I put my hand out to touch it, and as I did my hand got sucked in. I could feel something grabbing my hand, and as I tried to pull away I could feel my hand almost tearing off. I used my other hand to help me pull it out, but that too was pulled in. There was nothing I could do. I let my hands be pulled through, and as I did my body was pulled in as well…

Science Fiction Genre Research Assignment

1.   The origin of the Science Fiction Genre:

Science fiction is believed to have been around for a long time. It is suggested that it developed from scientists trying to explain the answers to Questions that were asked about the universe, all that it contains and different occurrences that happen. It is believed by many that it was developed during the Scientific Revelation from Galileo and Newton whilst trying to explain physics, astronomy and mathematics. Some say that the novel Frankenstein was the first science fiction book ever written, while others such as a man named Lester del Rey, have stated that the first work of science fiction was the first recorded work of literature, “The Epic of Gilgamesh”  which is dated back to about BCE ca. 2150-2000. There are many different types of genres in the world today, such as horror, westerns, and many more. I believe that these other genres have had an indirect influence on the science fiction genre. I think this is the case because the man whom wrote the first science fiction novel and people who continue to fantasise about the possibilities of space unconsciously want their stories to be different to the others that are so well known in our societies.

2.    Categories:

Science fiction can be narrowed down into many sub categories. These include the following:

Hard Science Fiction

Hard Science Fiction is usually recognised and characterized by an incredible amount of attention to accurate detail in quantitative sciences. Especially in physics, astrophysics and chemistry or on accurately imagined and displayed worlds that more advanced technology may make possible.

Soft Science Fiction

The description "soft" science fiction is usually described as being works based on social sciences such as psychology, economics, political science, sociology, and anthropology.  Soft science fiction usually is about stories focused primarily on character and emotion.

Cyberpunk Science Fiction

The Cyberpunk genre seem to come about in the early 1980s. It tied together the two aspects of both "cybernetics" and "punk.'' The term “Cyberpunk” was coined by author Bruce Bethke for his 1980 short story "Cyberpunk". The time frame of the story line is usually near-future and the settings are often dystopian.

Time Travel Science Fiction

Time travel stories have antecedents in the 18th and 19th centuries. The most famous is H. G. Wells's 1895 novel The Time Machine, which uses a vehicle that allows an operator to travel purposefully and selectively, while Twain's time traveler is struck in the head.

Military Science Fiction

Military science fiction is set in the context of conflict between national, interplanetary or interstellar armed forces; the primary viewpoint characters are usually soldiers. Stories generally include detail about military technology, procedure, ritual and history military stories may use parallels with historical events and conflicts.

Superhuman Science Fiction

Superhuman stories tend to be about the co-existence of humans who have abilities beyond the normal capability of an average man. This can stem either from natural causes such or be the result of intentional augmentation.

Apocalyptic Science Fiction

Apocalyptic fiction deals with basically the world as we know it. It is usually generalized with the end of civilization through war, pandemic, astronomic impact, ecological disaster, or mankind's self-destruction or some other general disaster or with a world or civilization after such a disaster.

Space Opera Science Fiction

Space opera is adventure science fiction set in outer space or on distant planets, where the emphasis is on action rather than either science or characterization. The conflict is heroic and typically on a large scale. Space opera is sometimes used pejoratively to describe improbable plots, absurd science, and cardboard characters.

Space Western Science Fiction

Space Western is a sub-genre of space opera that transposes themes of the American Western books and film to a backdrop of futuristic space frontiers. These stories typically involve "frontier" colony worlds serving as stand-ins for the backdrop of lawlessness and economic expansion that were predominant in the American west.

Feminist Science Fiction

Feminist science fiction sets questions about social issues such as how society constructs gender roles, the role reproduction plays in defining gender and the unequal political and personal power of men and women.

New Wave Science Fiction

New Wave is generalized to science fiction writing characterised by a high degree of experimentation both in form and in content, and a highbrow and self-consciously "literary" or artistic sensibility.

Steam Punk Science Fiction

Steam punk is based on the idea of futuristic technology existing in the past usually the 19th century and often set in Victorian era England. But with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells,Jules Verne or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date.

Comic Science Fiction

Comic science fiction is a sub-genre that exploits the genre's conventions for comic effect.

Anthropological science Fiction

Anthropological science fiction is a sub-genre that absorbs and discusses anthropology and the study of human kind. Examples include Hominids by Robert Sawyer and Neanderthal by John Darnton.

  

3.    Conventions:

Science Fiction is a genre with many conventions. These conventions are what make this genre interesting and what attracts people into reading, watching and learning about it to begin with. To name just a few of these conventions would be say; robots, aliens, space, time travel, super humans, super heroes, and in most of these films and books we read there is an essence of dramatization, horror and suspense that keeps you intrigued, and makes you want to see what the rest of the story has to offer, to find the resolution, or to just find out what happens to these characters placed in our imagination.

Henry V 'once more unto the breach'
1. Find and Highlight where these techniques are used:
repetition
inclusive language
alliteration
metaphor


2. Answer the following Questions (use quotes where applicable):
What characteristics does King Henry say are best for men in times of PEACE?

King henry stated that in times of peace a man should show the characteristics of modesty, stillness and humility.
"In peace there's nothing so becomes a man as modest stillness and humility"
What should men be like in war?

Men should be like a tiger in war.
"But when the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger."

What does Henry say about the English and their ancestors?

King Henry says that the English are born soldiers, and their ancestors before them have fought these same battles, and that they have the blood of warriors so they are not to dishonor their family.  
"On, on, you noblest English, whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof, fathers that like so many Alexanders have in these parts from morn till even fought and sheathed their swords for lack of argument. dishonour not your mothers; now attest that those whom you called fathers did beget you. be copy now to men of grosser blood, and teach them how to war."

What does he mean when he says 'Be copy now to men of grosser blood.'?

King Henry means by the statement of "Be copy now to men of gorosser blood" that they are to copy their blood line of ancestors whom have fought these battles and won.

What is Henry saying you have to become in order to be successful in war?

Henry is saying that to be successful in war you have to follow in the footsteps of those whom were victorious before them. 


KING HARRY:
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more,
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility,
But when the blast of war blows in our ears,
Then imitate the action of the tiger.
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage.
Then lend the eye a terrible aspect,
Let pry through the portage of the head
Like the brass cannon, let the brow o'erwhelm it
As fearfully as doth a galled rock
O'erhang and jutty his confounded base,
Swilled with the wild and wasteful ocean.
Now set the teeth and stretch the nostril wide,
Hold hard the breath, and bend up every spirit
To his full height. On, on, you noblest English,
Whose blood is fet from fathers of war-proof,
Fathers that like so many Alexanders
Have in these parts from morn till even fought
And sheathed their swords for lack of argument.
Dishonour not your mothers; now attest
That those whom you called fathers did beget you.
Be copy now to men of grosser blood,
And teach them how to war. And you, good yeomen,
Whose limbs were made in England, show us here
The mettle of your pasture; let us swear
That you are worth your breeding- which I doubt not,
For there is none of you so mean and base
That hath not noble lustre in your eyes.
I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips,
Straining upon the start. The game's afoot.
Follow your spirit, and upon this charge
Cry 'God for Harry, England, and Saint George!'
By William Shakespeare.