Discussions: Feast or Famine

            Can everyone in a single class receive full discussion points for a given period? I think not. There simply are not enough minutes for each person to get in his or her minimum number of points across. To further compound the problem, some students take it upon themselves to talk an obnoxious amount during discussions. This leads to very unbalanced discussions with some students talking seven or eight times while others talking maybe once or twice, a situation that I know frustrates many. The main problem I have with the current discussion setup revolves around the fact that the people who are more talkative outside of class talk the most in class. I think this favors them considerably and makes it harder for quiet and shy students to get a word in. I consider myself somewhat quiet and reserved as a person and I feel forced to go out of my comfort zone at times to get discussion points. I feel very confident that many other students can relate to this.

            I prefer when the class is divided into two discussion groups. This creates a relaxing and noncompetitive discussion experience. With such a small group, students can discuss without competition from twenty other students. I believe that by having more small discussion sessions, the stress level in class will drop. It would be a favorable situation for everyone.

McMurphy the Martyr

            Although we have criticized McMurphy continuously throughout our reading of the One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest, we should do nothing but appreciate him now. He may have stolen a little money from the patients and conned them a bit but in the end, he gave his life for them. His upbeat and adventurous attitude inspired the patients to imagine a happy life outside the ward while his heroic actions against the Nurse Ratched provided incentive for the patients to leave the ward and seek the life he showed them. He managed to do all of this directly against the will of Nurse Ratched. She explains to her companions on the staff that she does not want McMurphy to “‘be a martyr to [the other patients]’” (157). Through the use of the inspiring diction “martyr,” Kesey indirectly characterizes McMurphy as a saintly figure to the other patients. His ability to overcome the nurse and achieve this saintly status highlights his perseverance. In addition, on many occasions during class discussions, we have criticized McMurphy for his apparent selfishness. But after Billy’s suicide, he displayed the opposite; he displayed total selflessness. Just before McMurphy attacks Nurse Ratched, Chief Bromden explains, “it was our need that was making him push himself slowly up from sitting” (318). Kesey juxtaposes the diction “our need” with the diction “making him” to show that McMurphy stood up to the nurse for the benefit of the men, thus indirectly characterizing him as selfless. McMurphy became the martyr that Nurse Ratched so badly wanted to prevent. He gave his life showing a bunch of men with poor social skills and low self-esteem how to live life to the fullest and stand up to the authority that puts them down. Randle McMurphy is the epitome of a selfless hero.                   

So When Does This Whole Senioritis Thing Set In?

 

            I thought that I would feel the effects of senioritis immediately after learning of my acceptance to college. But my actions and decisions tonight show that the disease has yet to reveal itself in me. The weekend before the last week before winter break almost always requires extensive studying time. This weekend turned out no different for me. With a bio test, usual English work, calculus homework and a computer science test coming up I felt swamped yet not worried at the beginning of the weekend. On Saturday, I distinctly remember thinking to myself, “I can take it easy this weekend, school really doesn’t matter any more.” But currently as I type this blog at 9:07 on Sunday night with a large snowstorm ready to cancel school tomorrow, I find myself prepared to stay up late studying. After my indoor soccer game earlier tonight, everyone on the team went out to dinner, except me. I thought it would do me better if I stayed home and worked on homework even with a snowday looming on the horizon. But seriously, shouldn’t I be out enjoying dinner with my friends instead of studying for grades that do not really matter a day before a probable snowday?

            I think that after a year and half of AP English, I feel very accustomed to working hard and striving to do my best in school. AP English has taught me that not trying to reach my full potential leaves me feeling empty and upset with myself. I know that I would love to go to sleep right after I finish this blog but something inside me pushes me to want to stay up another hour and a half to study for my tough bio test tomorrow. In most of my classes, but especially in AP English, I feel good if I do well on something I studied really hard for and I feel like an idiot if I do poorly on something I could have studied more for. So I guess I just answered my question to why I chose to study by myself on the eve of a probable snowday while my buddies have a fun dinner out. The answer lies in the fact that I will hopefully feel good about myself in the future as a result of my hard work now. At least for now, I have not felt the slightest bit of senioritis.

McMurphy's Sad Realization

 

            McMurphy acts extremely rebellious and uncooperative throughout most of the section we read for tonight. But towards the end of the section, he gets the ominous feeling that he could spend more time than he had bargained for inside the ward. During the staff meeting immediately following the patients standoff with the Big Nurse about the World Series, the Big Nurse states that “‘the length of time [McMurphy] spends in this hospital is entirely up to us’” (158). Kesey foreshadows that McMurphy will stay a long time in the ward through the use of the Big Nurse’s controlling diction “entirely up to us.” The Big Nurse’s chilling assertion further reiterates her absolute power over the patients in the ward. Although they stood up to her, she still remains calm and confident of her power over them. After many days of insubordination, McMurphy has a talk with the pool lifeguard who tells him that “being committed ain’t like being sentenced [jail time]” and further implies that one does not know when they will get out of a mental hospital like one does in jail (170). After this conversation with the lifeguard, McMurphy realizes that his rampant disobedience has only made the ward staff more likely to keep on the word for a longer period of time. After his epiphany, McMurphy starts acting very unlike himself. He begins to act introverted, disinterested with the patient’s problems, and obedient to the Big Nurse. The narrator describes that “he was giving in because it was the smartest thing to do” in order in cut down his potentially lengthy stay at the ward (174). Through the use of the hopeless diction “giving in,” Kesey indirectly characterizes McMurphy as now obedient to the Big Nurse. It would appear that even though McMurphy galvanized and inspired the other patients to stand up against the Big Nurse, the Big Nurse still has total power over them because she controls how long they will stay on the ward. I find it very chilling that despite McMurphy’s best efforts, it seems he cannot do anything to diminish the Big Nurse’s power over the ward.

The Rapper Cage: A Former "Maniac"

            After listening to my favorite artist Kid Cudi’s album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager recently, I noticed that one of the songs sort of connected to One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest. The song, titled “Maniac,” has a very dark and lonesome feel. In addition to sounding different and dark, I noticed that it also featured Cage, an artist I had never heard of before. I thought maybe he could have had a hand in the dark feel of the song so I did some research on him. I was shocked by what I learned.

Chris Palko (aka. Cage) had an indescribably turbulent childhood and adolescence. His father served in the army and got dishonorably discharged for using heroine. After the discharge, his father would force the young Palko to help him inject his heroine. Also, his father held up his family with a shotgun before being arrested when Palko was only eight years old. Palko soon turned to drugs like cocaine, PCP, LSD and marijuana during his adolescence. After multiple arrests, a judge sent him to a psychiatric hospital for a two-week evaluation. He stayed for eighteen months. Palko found himself in a test group for the anti-depressant drug fluoxetine. The hospital misdiagnosed Palko and he attempted suicide several times as a result. Additionally, he was illegally restrained over twenty times for up to thirteen-hour periods by straitjacket. Palko left the hospital at age eighteen and began to start his rap career using the name Cage.

            I find it totally unacceptable that a psychiatric institution could misdiagnose such an untested and powerful drug in modern times. Also the fact that the hospital illegally restrained Cage makes me wonder how often other institutions do the same kind of thing. The plight of the rapper Cage goes to show that certain aspects of mental hospitals portrayed in One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest still exist today.

JeBron Lames: The "English God"

            So there once was a student named JeBron Lames. He had quite the passion for English. Since eighth grade, Miss Serensky had her eye on him, thinking that one day he would be the next great AP English star.

As he walked into AP English class on the first day of junior year, everyone thought he could be the next Lynn Vandendriessche or Thomas Donley. At first he showed much potential, receiving an unheard-of 5 rubric score on his first in-class essay. Immediately he crowned himself the “English God.” Although he could write like no one before him, he struggled with the little things like spelling Miss Serensky’s name and not doodling in his journals. At the end of his first quarter in AP English, Lames received at 91.997 percent, a B. The grade upset him but he soon stated, “I guarantee I bring an A to my report card in English before I leave AP English.” Unfortunately, he did have such good fortune. His second, third and fourth quarter grades all ended up as B’s. In his last essay, after he knew he could not possibly get an A, Lames wrote, “I am the AP English God and I should get an A” and turned in the paper, promptly receiving a -1 on the AP Rubric.

In the summer, Lames had trouble deciding whether to take AP English or not so he decided to announce his decision on the first day’s morning announcements. He titled his appearance, “The English God’s Decision.” In his decision, he announced, “I’m going to take my talents to Honors English.”  Immediately, one could hear vast amounts of shouting and yelling coming from Miss Serensky’s room. And in about ten minutes this letter circled around the school:

Dear AP English Students and All AP English Supporters Wherever You May Be This Morning;

As you now know, our former hero, who learned in the very classroom that he deserted this morning, is no longer an AP English student.

This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a morning announcement special of his “English decision” unlike anything ever witnessed in the history of AP English and probably the history of education.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

I have not betrayed you and NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, I will be teaching you all that you will need to know.

You simply don’t deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you this morning:

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE ALL OF MY AP ENGLISH STUDENTS WILL ACHIEVE AN A BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘ENGLISH GOD’ EARNS ONE”

You can take it to Dr. Koons.

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the A’s to AP English, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.

Some people think they should go to English heaven but NOT have to work hard to get there.

Sorry, but that’s simply not how it works.

This shocking act of disloyalty from our homegrown English prodigy sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And “who” we would want them to grow-up to become.

But the good news is that this heartless and callous action can only serve as the antidote to the so-called “difficulty” of AP English.

The self-declared former “English God” will be taking the “difficulty” with him down in Honors English. And until he does “right” by AP English, Lames (and the class where he learns) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.

Just watch.

Sleep well, AP English Students.

Tomorrow is a new and much brighter day….

I PROMISE you that my energy, focus, teaching skills, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU the A’s you have long deserved and is long overdue….

Bobbie Jo Serensky

AP English

Chagrin Falls High School

            Miss Serensky’s letter soon inspired all of her students to achieve A’s. That’s every single student. Her guarantee proved correct as Lames got a B in the first quarter of Honor’s English. He thought he could breeze through honors and get an A. He was wrong.

"The Namesake" Movie, Almost as Terrible as Michigan's Football Team

            As many people know, I am a diehard (University of) Michigan football fan. Ever since my childhood, I have sported maize and blue and despised everything pertaining to Ohio State. Every November, Michigan and Ohio State meet on the gridiron, playing in arguably the biggest rivalry game in the county. In this year’s Michigan Ohio State game, like the previous six, Michigan lost. But this game left me particularly hopeless and upset. I thought a less talented yet exciting Michigan team would put up a respectable fight against Ohio State and maybe even pull off an unlikely win. But it was not the case, at all. They lost by 30 and utterly embarrassed everyone associated with the university.

            As I watched the Michigan football team pathetically crumble before my eyes on TV, I noticed many similarities between the game and “The Namesake” movie. I had very high expectations for the game and the movie. Both started out very well. Michigan’s defense stopped Ohio State early and marched down the field on offense with ease while “The Namesake” seemed like it would turn out into an intelligent, powerful movie based on the opening few scenes. But then things began to go awry, Denard Robinson, Michigan’s quarterback and best player, fumbled on the Ohio State nine-yard line and Gogol saw the wonderfully attractive (…not) Moushumi for the first time. Both moments foreshadowed very bad things to come. Michigan quickly lost their momentum as Ohio State started scoring while “The Namesake” began to get extremely cheesy, especially with Maxine present. A glimmer of hope appeared in both amid the mediocrity. Michigan scored to pull within three points of OSU, filling me with all sorts of optimism and cheer. Similarly, I thought the scenes involving Asoke’s death in “The Namesake” were very well done and made me start to believe that the movie could turn itself around. But these glimmers of hope did not last long. Ohio State returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown while Maxine decided to make the movie unrealistic and cheesy by getting angry at her grieving boyfriend for not going on a trip with her. From there, both went from bad to inconceivably and outrageously worse. Ohio State started piling on the points while Michigan could not muster any kind of consistent attack. Once Gogol, met Moushumi, “The Namesake” lost all hope. The second half of the game opened with Michigan throwing an interception while losing 24-7. I lost all hope at that point, throwing my Michigan hat in disgust at the TV (making a louder sound than I had anticipated). The interception reminded me a lot of Moushumi and Gogol’s weird and kind of creepy dance in their bedroom following their wedding. I think all of us realized then that the movie could not get any worse. I never watched the end of the game and we still have not finished the movie but I do not have a problem with either. Michigan football, the winningest program in NCAA history, now cannot stay within thirty points of their hated archrival. I feel very ashamed to support Michigan. In addition, “The Namesake” had probably equal entertainment value to Michigan’s football team (and that’s zero). In my mind, both the game and the movie are examples of how people call fall miles short of achieving an important goal.

Where Did All This Humor Come From?

            I could not stop laughing while watching that movie. I don’t know if the makers of the film wanted it to be hilarious but if they did, they certainly succeeded thus far. I especially enjoyed the film’s portrayal of Mr. Lawson’s class. I found that scene very unrealistic yet extremely funny. In addition, the filmmaker’s decision to have Kal Penn (who, like Gogol, changed his name) play Gogol’s role was interesting to me. When I think of Penn, I think of the “Harold and Kumar” film in which Penn played a dysfunctional stoner looking to grab some mini cheeseburgers at a White Castle restaurant. Thus far in “The Namesake,” he has not drifted very far from that role. I find it interesting that a primarily comedic actor took the role as Gogol. I never got the impression that the character Gogol had any sense of humor. He seemed depressed, overly reliant on others, and dismissive throughout the book, not humorous. So far, I really like how the movie has slightly drifted away from the book. I think if the movie stayed exactly like the book, it would not have as much entertainment value as the slightly changed version. I did not foresee myself enjoying the book but after watching the first forty minutes, I cannot wait until sixth period tomorrow. The filmmakers successfully spiced up the book enough to make into an entertaining movie in my opinion.

Just Imagine if Every American Took AP English 12

  Although they amp up the daily stress level in class, discussions provide us students with valuable life skills. They encourage intelligent communication, something that all of us will need in our future endeavors, whatever they may be. The fact that we can communicate our thoughts and opinions in an intelligent manner will surely put us ahead of the curve. I cannot think of any profession that does not require intelligent communication of some sort. In addition to communication, discussions force us to deal with pressure. AP English 12 forces us “bring it” everyday in class, or else lose valuable participation points. Although I have found it nearly impossible to achieve a perfect participation score, I still think it’s a valuable incentive for actively participating in class. It makes us smarter and more accountable; things that I do not think we will fully appreciate until after we graduate. Some of my experiences in other classes, where teachers seemingly devalue accountability, have mad me fearful of what exactly the future of America holds. If one of the top 100 public schools in the country allows (I would guess) a quarter to a half of its students to get by without challenging them to reach their potential, then I think Americans should feel very pessimistic about the future. I think we Americans take for granted the fact that America has achieved the power it has today through the hard work and intelligence of its people. In all honesty, there need to be more classes like AP English (am I really saying this?) across the country, classes that encourage students to work hard and achieve their academic potential. American schools must make their students more accountable.

Gogol and Moushumi: The Definiation of a Dysfunctional Relationship

             At first, I could not believe Moushumi’s actions in chapter ten of Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake. I felt extremely upset about how Moushumi completely betrayed Gogol without even talking to him about the problems dealing with their relationship. Although after thinking about it, such a miscommunication should not come as a surprise in Gogol and Moushumi’s relationship. In order to have a healthy relationship, both parties must share their feelings and communicate effectively with each other and in Moushumi and Gogol’s dysfunctional relationship, this has not occurred. The third-person omniscient narrator illuminates their lack of communication when he/she describes Gogol’s thoughts about going to Moushumi’s friends’ parties: “In the beginning these occasions hadn’t been quite so excruciating (237). By using the painful diction “excruciating,” Lahiri indirectly characterizes Gogol as unhappy about going to Moushumi’s friends’ parties. Because Gogol unhappily attends many of Moushumi’s parties without expressing his unhappiness, Lahiri highlights the miscommunication in their relationship. In addition, the narrator describes Moushumi’s failure to communicate with Gogol after their unhappy anniversary dinner: “She shakes her head. She doesn’t feel like explaining” why she is unhappy (253). Through the use of the callous diction “doesn’t feel like,” Lahiri indirectly characterizes Moushumi as apathetic toward relating her feelings to her husband. Lahiri shows that both Gogol and Moushumi fail to communicate with each other effectively. I believe that this miscommunication has resulted in Moushumi’s affair with Dimitri and has resulted in the overall unhappiness of Gogol and Moushumi. Lahiri highlights that people in relationships need to communicate their feelings if they want happiness and longevity in their relationship.

Gogol vs. Nikhil: The Narrator's Take

            I realized after reading chapter ten of Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake that the narrator refers to Gogol as Nikhil in the sections focusing on Moushumi and as Gogol in the sections focusing on Gogol. I find this subtle discrepancy very interesting because it highlights a change in narration when the focus of the book changes. In chapter nine, a section primarily about Gogol, the narrator describes how Gogol feels about the people at Donald and Astrid’s party: “Gogol has nothing to say to these people” (237). In contrast, in chapter ten, which focuses exclusively on Moushumi, the narrator states that “[Moushumi] has ignored Nikhil perhaps more than necessary” (246). The narrator appears omniscient as a whole throughout the novel because he/she tells the thoughts of many of the characters but the narrator never reveals the thoughts of more than one character at a time. This, in addition to the different names used for Gogol, leads me to believe that the book contains numerous third-person limited narrators, one for each character whose thoughts are revealed. The narrator who reveals Gogol’s thoughts refers to him by his given name because he feels that deep down, Gogol represents his true self more than Nikhil. This further highlights the utter faultiness of Gogol’s marriage with Moushumi. Moushumi does not truly know Gogol; she only knows his façade Nikhil. The fact that Gogol refuses to open up his true self to his own wife foreshadows their divorce because Moushumi cannot fully understand him. Lahiri’s use of multiple third-person limited narrators highlights the subtle discrepancies between Gogol and Moushumi’s thoughts that will prevent them from having a long and happy marriage.