Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Jane Eyre - Vocab Chapters 21-22

Presentiments:

  • -noun
  1. A feeling or impression that something is about to happen, especially somethkng evil, foreboding 

Ascetic:

  • -adj. 
  1. rigorously abstinent
  2. Exceedingly strict or severe in religious exercises or self-mortification

Augment:

  • -verb
  1. Become larger 

Eradicated:

  • -verb
  1. To remove or destroy utterly

Industrious:

  • -adj. 
  1. working energetically or devotedly; hard-working, diligent. 

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Jane Eyre - Vocab Chapters 19-20

Propitious:

  • -adj.
  1. pressing favorable conditions; favorable
  2. indictable of favor; auspicious
  3. favorably inclined; disposed to bestow favors or forgive
Impetuous:
  • -adj.
  1. of, or pertaining to, or characterized by sudden or rash action, emotion, etc.
  2. having great impetus; moving with great force; violent

Monday, February 24, 2014

Jane Eyre - Vocab Chapters 17-18

Anathema:

  • -noun
  1. a person or thing detested or loathed
  2. a person or thing accursed or consigned to damnation or destruction
  3. a formal ecclesiastical curse involving excommunication
  4. any imprecation of divine punishment
  5. a curse; execration

Traverse:

  • -verb
  1. to pass or move over, along, or through
  2. to go to and fro over or along
  3. to extend across or over
  4. to go up, down, or across

Sagacity:

  • -noun
  1. acuteness of mental discernment and soundness of judgment

Meretricious:

  • -adj.
  1. alluring by a show of flashy or vulgar attractions; tawdry
  2. based on pretense, deception, or insincerity
  3. pertaining to or characteristic of a prostitute

Supercilious:

  • -adj.
  1. haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression

Physiognomy:

  • -noun
  1. the face or countenance, especially when considered as an index to the character
  2. the outward appearance of anything, taken as offering some insight into its character

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Jane Eyre Ch. 9-12 Questions

1. Is the music accurate with the book?

  • Yes, I think the music is very accurate with the book. It compliments the emotions and feelings going on in each of the scenes and the dialogue flows with it tastefully. 

2. Comparisons:

  • There were a lot of comparisons between the book and the dialogue that accompanied the music. It mentions the doll she gives her affection to as a child. It also explains the kindness that she wishes to get from Mrs. Reed but is unable to attain despite her efforts. Jane wishes to be free from the suffering she has at the hands of Mrs. Reed. The music also talked about Mr. Brocklehurst's views of Jane as  a naughty girl who can't be saved. He also says that Jane is prone to deceit and people should be cautioned around her because she tells lies. It mentions that Mrs. Scatcherd as demanding and that "she will show them the strap." The schools girls express their desire for better food. Helen says that Jane mustn't be revengeful. She must be strong and repay evil for good. Helen tells Jane not to lose faith or heart because God will restore her trust. 

3. On page 107-08, Bronte tells how glad Mrs. Fairfax is to have Jane for company now. She explains that there are others at Thornfield Hall, but they are servants, and "...one can't converse with them on terms of equality: one must keep them at due distance, for fear of losing one's authority." Do you agree with this? Should your parents, boss, teachers, youth leaders, etc. not be your "best friend" for authority's sake?

  • I do agree with this statement. I don't think that parents, bosses, teachers, youth leaders, etc. should be that close to me to be considered my "best friend." If they are I think that their authority would be undermined and the seriousness of the relationship that should be there would dissipate. Anyone who is in a higher authority shouldn't become best friends with those who are under them. There needs to be a certain level of hierarchy and respect. If bosses and employees treated each other like "best friends" and were essentially on the same level then there's no point in being the boss. I think that if someone doesn't exercise their authority (in a productive way) and just lets the relationship become a friendship, they will no longer be able to effectively enforce things. 

4. On page 123, Bronte writes, "It is in vain to say human beings ought to be satisfied with tranquility: they must have action; and thy will make it if they cannot find it." What do you think this means? Why?

  • I think Bronte is saying that human beings need action in their lives. They cannot sit idly by the side for their whole entirety and if they cannot find any sort of action they will find some way to make it happen themselves. I think that human beings do need some sort of action in their lives. We were not made to be docile and shy away from action. I think that many people strive after adventure; people are curious and want to discover and learn new things. This does not come through a life of tranquility. If someone is surrounded by tranquility they may as Bronte put it, "make it [action] if they cannot find it." In this part of the book Jane is seeking after more excitement, after something new that she can discover. She is tired of the mundane and monotonous life that has become the norm, not that she isn't grateful of the job as governess. I think that many people are like this; they want to experience action of some kind even if they must make it happen themselves.

5. Do you agree with the following statement taken from page 123: "...millions in silent revolt against their lot"? Why or why not? Give examples.

  • I agree with this statement. I think that there are many people who are not satisfied with their job or their station in life. There are so many people who go into a certain career because of monetary reasons or because their family members want them to. Because of this they are not truly happy with their job. The job becomes just a way to get money not an avenue for doing something they love. If you love your job then you really never have to work a day in your life. My dad wanted me to be a nurse but I have no interest in being a nurse at all. If I went to college to be a nurse I'm pretty sure I'd have a horrible time because I have no interest in it and working would become something that I would dread doing every day. There are millions of people who are unhappy or unsatisfied with their job or career because they are not doing something that best utilizes their talents. God gives everyone a different talent and calls us each to do different things. 

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Jane Eyre - Vocab Chapters 15-16

Assuage:

  • -verb
  1. to make milder or less sever; relieve; ease; mitigate
  2. to appease; satisfy; allay; relieve
  3. to soothe, calm, or mollify

Lugubrious:

  • -adj.
  1. mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially in an affected, exaggerated, or unrelieved manner

Stupefy:

  • -verb
  1. to put in a state of little or no sensibility; benumb the faculties of; put into a stupor
  2. to stun, as with a narcotic, a shock, or a strong emotion
  3. to overwhelm with amazement; astound; astonish

Harangue:

  • -noun
  1. a scolding or a long or intense verbal attack; diatribe
  2. a long, passionate, and vehement speech, especially one delivered before a public gathering
  3. any long, pompous speech or writing of a tedious hortatory or didactic nature; sermonizing lecture or discourse


Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Jane Eyre - Vocab Chapters 13-14

Conjecture:

  • -noun
  1. the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof
  2. an opinion or theory so formed or expressed; guess; speculation
  3. the interpretation of signs or omens

Affability:

  • -adj.
  1. pleasantly easy to approach and talk to; friendly; cordial; warmly polite
  2. showing warmth and friendliness; benign; pleasant

Gregarious:

  • -adj.
  1. fond of the company of others; sociable
  2. living in flocks or herds, as animals
  3. Growing in open clusters or colonies; not matted together
  4. pertaining to a flock or crowd

Salubrious:

  • -adj.
  1. favorable to or promoting health; healthful

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Jane Eyre - Vocab Chapters 11-12

Effaced:

  • -verb
  1. to wipe out; do away with; expunge
  2. to rub out, erase, or obliterate
  3. to make (oneself) inconspicuous; withdraw (oneself) modestly or shyly

Docile:

  • -adj.
  1. easily managed or handled; tractable
  2. readily trained or taught; teachable

Injudicious:

  • -adj.
  1. showing lack of judgment; unwise; imprudent; indiscreet

Fastidious:

  • -adj.
  1. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please
  2. requiring or characterized by excessive care of delicacy; painstaking

Stile:

  • -noun
  1. a series of steps or rungs by means of which a person may pass over a wall or fence that remains a barrier to sheep or cattle
  2. a turnstile

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Discussion Questions Chapters I-X

1. Write a summary of any chapter you've read this week. Please title it with the chapter number.

  • In Chapter VII, Jane has adjusted herself to life at Lowood Institution. She notes that she has difficulty getting used to the new rules and mundane tasks. The meals continue to be barely filling and hardly nutritious. Going to church on Sunday proved to be a dreary task as the girls were required to walk two miles to Brocklebridge church and back. Jane had been fearing a visit of Mr. Brocklehurst to Lowood Institute as he would very well make her "devious" nature known to everyone. She mentioned a nickname for him as the "Coming Man." He arrived one afternoon as Jane was preoccupied with completing long division on a slate. Jane overheard him speaking with Miss Temple on the discrepancies of the institution. He made comments on the upkeep of clothing and washing. Also giving a long lecture to Miss Temple on the grave mistake she had made in feeding the girls a meal of bread and cheese when the meals were far less than adequate. His reasoning was that the institution is supposed to shape girls to be "hardy, patient, and self-denying." To him there is no use in giving the body the "luxuries" of a good meal; the only thing that matters is the feeding of the soul. Mr. Brocklehurst then, noticing a girl with natural curls, decides that no girl should have curly hair even if it is natural. He states that even though her hair is natural, "we are not to conform to nature." His goal is to, "mortify in these girls the lusts of the flesh; to teach them to clothe themselves with shame-facedness and sobriety." However, right after he makes this statement his wife and daughters enter dressed in the fashions of the day and curls. Jane, still trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, drops her slate on the ground and cracks it in half. Mr. Brocklehurst notices her and calls her to be put on a stool. He then proceed to make a public embarrassment of her, degrading her every ability and proclaiming that she is a liar and one to be wary of. He commands her to stay on the stool for half an hour more and forbids anyone to speak to her for the remainder of the day. As the girls were dismissed to their other activities, one girl passed her and gave her a look that conveyed a common understanding. When Helen Burns passed she looked at Jane with a smile that lit up her whole face. 

2. "Life appears to me too short to be spent in nursing animosity, or registering wrongs." Read the last paragraph on page 62 for the context. What do you think of this quote?

  • I think that this quote means that there is so much time wasted in harboring ill feelings towards other people and thinking of ways to act our revenge. Tomorrow is not guaranteed for everyone and the time here on earth is likened to a vapor. It is very short and does not last long. Helen Burns is saying that there are so many other things in life to think about. Things that happened in the past cannot be changed and revenge will ultimately do a person no good. Time can be much better spent doing productive things than in storing up anger and plotting revenge.

3. Do you agree with Helen when she says "...it is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what it is your fate to be required to bear"?

  • I do agree with Helen when she says this. God places trials in our life and He does not give us more than we can handle. So for one to say that they cannot bear what it is happening to them is foolish. Although trials and tribulations may seem to come "out of the blue" in some cases, God has a specific reason for them. Hardships help give us perseverance, character, and hope. Everyone has the ability to bear what is required of them to bear. 

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Jane Eyre - Vocab Chapters 9-10

Ameliorated:

  • -verb
  1. to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve; meliorate

Effluvia:

  • -noun
  1. a slight or invisible exhalation or vapor, especially one that is disagreeable or noxious

Scourge:

  • -noun
  1. a whip or lash, especially for the infliction of punishment or torture
  2. a person or thing that applies or administers punishment or severe criticism
  3. a cause of affliction or calamity

Ostensible:

  • -adj.
  1. outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended
  2. apparent, evident, or conspicuous

Soporific:

  • -adj.
  1. causing or tending to cause sleep
  2. pertaining to or characterized by sleep or sleepiness; sleepy; drowsy

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Jane Eyre - Vocab Chapters 7-8

Penurious:

  • -adj.
  1. extremely stingy; parsimonious; miserly
  2. extremely poor; destitute; indigent 
  3. poorly or inadequately supplied; lacking in means or resources

Solace:

  • -noun
  1. comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or trouble; alleviation of distress or discomfort
  2. something that gives comfort, consolation, or relief

Perfidious:

  • -adj.
  1. deliberately faithless; treacherous; deceitful

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Jane Eyre - Vocab Chapters 3-6

Cadence:

  • -noun
  1. rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words
  2. (in free verse) a rhythmic pattern that is nonmetrically structured
  3. the beat, rate, or measure of any rhythmic movement

Insuperable:

  • -adj.
  1. incapable of being passed over, overcome, or surmounted

Aversion:

  • -noun
  1. strong feeling of dislike, opposition, repugnance, or antipathy 
  2. a cause or object of dislike; person or thing that causes antipathy

Audacious:

  • -adj.
  1. extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave; fearless
  2. recklessly bold in defiance of convention, propriety, law, or the like; insolent; brazen

Capricious:

  • -adj.
  1. subject to, led by, or indicative of a sudden, odd notion or unpredictable change; erratic

Usurious:

  • -adj.
  1. practicing usury; charging illegal or exorbitant rates of interest for the use of money; 

Preternatural:

  • -adj.
  1. out of the ordinary course of nature; exceptional or abnormal
  2. outside of nature; supernatural

Cessation:

  • -noun
  1. a temporary or complete stopping; discontinuance

Indefatigable:

  • -adj.
  1. incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring

Refectory:

  • -noun
  1. a dining hall in a religious house, college, or other institution

Ravenous:

  • -adj.
  1. extremely hungry; famished; voracious
  2. extremely rapacious
  3. intensely eager for gratification or satisfaction

Ewer:

  • -noun
  1. a pitcher with a wide spout
  2. a vessel having a spout and a handle, especially a tall, slender vessel with a base

Assiduity:

  • -noun
  1. constant or close application or effort; diligence; industry
  2. devoted or solicitous attentions

Truculent:

  • -adj.
  1. fierce; cruel; savagely brutal
  2. brutally harsh; vitriolic; scathing
  3. aggressively hostile; belligerent 

Monday, February 10, 2014

Jane Eyre - Vocab Chapters 1-2

Lamentable:
  • -adj.
  1. wretched, deplorable, or distressing
  2. an archaic word for mournful
Torpid:
  • -adj.
  1. inactive or sluggish
  2. slow; dull; apathetic; lethargic
  3. dormant, as a hibernating or estivating animal
Bilious:

  • -adj.
  1. peevish; irritable; cranky
  2. extremely unpleasant or distasteful

Antipathy:

  • -noun, plural
  1. a natural, basic, or habitual repugnance; aversion
  2. an instinctive contrariety or opposition in feeling
  3. an object of natural aversion or habitual dislike

Impudence:

  • -noun
  1. the quality or state of being impudent; effrontery; insolence
  2. impudent conduct or language
  3. obsolete. lack of modesty; shamelessness

Pungent:

  • -adj.
  1. acutely distressing to the feelings or mind; poignant
  2. caustic, biting, or sharply excessive

Trifle:

  • -noun
  1. a small quantity or amount of anything; a little

Benefactress:

  • -noun
  1. a woman who confers a benefit, bequest, endowment, or the like

Ignominy:

  • -noun
  1. disgrace; dishonor; public contempt
  2. shameful or dishonorable quality or conduct or an instance of this

Consecration:

  • -noun
  1. dedication to the service and worship of a deity

Reviled:

  • -verb
  1. to assail with contemptuous or opprobrious language; address or speak abusively
  2. to speak abusively

Opprobrium:

  • -noun
  1. The disgrace or the reproach incurred by conduct considered outrageously shameful; infamy
  2. a cause or object of such disgrace or reproach

Consternation:

  • -noun
  1. a sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion; dismay

Tumult:

  • -noun
  1. highly distressing agitation of mind or feeling; turbulent mental or emotional disturbance

Propensity:

  • -noun
  1. favorable disposition or partiality

Noxious:

  • -adj.
  1. harmful or injurious to health or physical well-being
  2. morally harmful; corrupting; pernicious

Sanguine:

  • -adj.
  1. cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident

Interloper:

  • -noun
  1. a person who interferes or meddles in the affairs of others

Abhor:

  • -verb
  1. to regard with extreme repugnance or aversion; detest utterly; loathe; abominate

Artifice:

  • -noun
  1. a clever trick or stratagem; a cunning, crafty device or expedient; wile
  2. trickery; guile; craftiness
  3. cunning; ingenuity; inventiveness

Precocious:

  • -adj.
  1. unusually advanced or mature in development

Parley:

  • -noun
  1. to speak, talk, confer

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Modeling Burns


A Shining, Shining Candle
O, my love is like a shining, shining candle,
Never giving up it's light;
O, my love is like a morning glory
Renewed at the sun's sight.

As handsome as you are, my dear,
My love for you I'll shout;
And I will love you, with all my heart,
Until the sun burns out.

Until the sun burns out, my love,
And everything is still;
I will love you for all that time, my love,
As the clouds pass over hills.

Long may your life be, my one true love!
And full of pleasantries!
And I will be there with you, my love,
Forever and for eternities!


Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Cowper and Mental Illness

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that has affected people all throughout history. People who have this disorder commonly hear voices which can make them very paranoid. There are treatments today that help people deal with this disorder but most people have to live with symptoms. Genes and environment can cause schizophrenia. The illness occurs in just one percent of the population but is more common among those who have relatives with schizophrenia. Another cause involves different brain chemistry and structure. Chemical reactions in the brain involving dopamine, glutamate, and other possible chemicals play a role in the development of schizophrenia. The brains of people with this disorder are different from a typical "healthy" brain. Some of the problems with the brain can be traced back to the time in the womb. Schizophrenia affects both men and women equally. Symptoms of the disorder usually occur between the ages of sixteen an thirty. It can be difficult to diagnose schizophrenia properly with teens as many of the symptoms are already related with normal teenage behavior (i.e., change in friends, drop in grades, sleep problems, and irritability). Symptoms of schizophrenia are either positive, negative, or cognitive. Positive symptoms are the psychotic behaviors not seen in "healthy" people. These include hallucinations, delusions, thought disorders, and movement disorders. Negative symptoms are related to a disruption regarding normal emotions and behaviors. These include the "flat effect" (a person's face does not move or the person speaks in a dull voice), lack of pleasure in everyday life, inability to begin and keep up with planned activities, speaking very little even when forced to. Cognitive symptoms are very subtle. These include having a hard time understanding information and using it to make decisions, problems focusing or paying attention, and not being able to effectively use information right after learning it. Treatments for schizophrenia involve antipsychotic medications and various psychosocial treatments. Some people have side-effects when taking these medications. Most of these go away within a few days and can be managed successfully. Antipsychotics are usually in a pill or liquid form but can be taken by shots once or twice a month. They can produce dangerous side effects when taken with other medications so it is important that the doctor knows exactly what the patient is taking in regards to other medications or herbal substances. Patients who receive psychosocial treatment are more likely to keep taking their antipsychotic medications. Oftentimes people with schizophrenia resist treatment because they believe their hallucinations are real. It is difficult for family members and friends to get a loved one help. Those who have schizophrenia need the help of their loved ones to make sure they are taken medications and are not falling into substance abuse.

http://www.webmd.com/schizophrenia/default.htm?names-dropdown=OR
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/36942.php