Dickens- A Tale of Two Cities

Dickens is known for having self descriptive book titles. You can usually assume what the main character or situation is by simply reading the title. When it comes to A Tale of Two Cities you can guess that it will have something to do with two cities. The stories are about London, England and Paris, France. Dickens decided to write a comparative study between the two of these cities that involve the French Revolution. He wanted to figure out how England contrasted from France. Thus, the tale of two cities.

A Poem Worth Loving

Homework, Oh Homework! -Jack Prelutsky

Homework! Oh, Homework!
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you away in the sink,
if only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
Homework! Oh, homework!
You're giving me fits.
I'd rather take baths
with a man-eating shark,
or wrestle a lion
alone in the dark,
eat spinach and liver,
pet ten porcupines,
than tackle the homework,
my teacher assigns.
Homework! Oh, homework!
you're last on my list,
I simple can't see
why you even exist,
if you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.
Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!


I've grown up loving this poem. When I was in second grade my parents bought me a book of Jack Prelutsky poems and this one has been my favorite poem of all time ever since.

AP Practice Exam/ Q.1

Authors have a way with words that can make a reader fall in love with a serial killer, or hate a saint. Writers use an array of literary techniques to make readers admire amoral characters such as Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye by J. D Salinger. Insight into the character's mind through silliloquies or personal thoughts, making the character relatable, and a good theme, can all make the reader sympathetic or admire the the depraved character.

Holden Caulfield participated in underage drinking, fornication, he fought, he lied, he flunked out of school, and he called people degrading names, yet he is one of the most beloved characters in American literature. But the author gives us insight into Holden's mind, the way he thinks, and the way he grew up, which offers Holden a chance to explain his actions and help the reader understand why he does the things he does. John Steinbeck said, "In every bit of honest writing in the world there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. Try to understand each other." When a reader can understand the character it becomes hard to dislike him, there's nothing but compassion and sympathy. The author produces this level of emotion in the reader through characterization, J.D Salinger has Holden be completely honest with the audience about his thoughts and feelings.

Because he is so blunt about his feelings Holden Caulfield is loved around the world by anyone who has experienced their teenage years, his rebellion and his angst are all relatable which allows readers to sympathize even further with him. Throughout the story Holden seems to be excluded from and victimized everyone surrounding him. As he says he feels trapped on “the other side” of life, and he tries to find his way in a world in which he feels he doesn’t belong.
But perhaps the fact that the story is only being told from Holden's point of view is the biggest reason he becomes admirable. Holden portrays his actions the way he wants them to be portrayed, and from his perspective his actions are acceptable, making the reader feel the same way. If Holden see's his actions as admirable, that's how they will come off to the reader.

The theme is another major role player in how an audience views a character. If the overall theme of the book is glorified or valued then the unethical character "doesn't seem so bad after all." If the character represents something good, then his actions and personality can also be seen as good. One of the themes of The Catcher in the Rye is the hardships of growing up. It's a theme anyone the world over can understand and relate to by being put into the shoes of someone experiencing it and seeing the world through their eyes it becomes easy for the audience to identify with and approve of the character.

Big Question Abstract

The struggle with famous Americans these days seems to be the lack of privacy. They aren't able to raise their own children or mature their family without constantly having to disguise who they actually are in simple places like the super market. Over time media coverage has become more and more in depth. Why is it that so many reporters a paparazzi are so desperate to take candid embarassing pictures and videos of our nation's celebrities?