The Escape Of Alexei goes into an incredible amount of detail in many things. It discusses, in detail, the graphic murder of the Romanov family. It has 3 different sources for the burial of the family. This book seems to not leave out a single aspect of the events of the Romanov execution, the chaos that ensued, the mindset of the government, the mindset of the family themselves…until you take a closer look into the story line this group historians and scientists tell. I noticed one view point that was severely lacking, the mindset of the peasants of Russia during this time period- which might be the one of the most important. The authors point out the possibility that Alexei Romanov, heir to the throne, might of in fact escaped the famous execution of his family. They then said that if he indeed escaped, he likely ran off to a nearby village where he could receive treatment for his blood condition, and an unsuspected hideout. The revolutionists that followed through with the murder made their mission and thoughts on the subject clear through documents found after the USSR fell, but the authors did not show us how the peasants felt about the Romanov family. These revolutionists were supposed to be representing the proletariat, yet why, would the small village risk their lives to save a Romanov child? Why would they endanger themselves for a person they supposedly despised? To me, the theory of the authors depends on those villagers, and to not clearly portray their feelings at this point in history is a mistake. I enjoyed how the authors used an incredible amount of documentation to back up their theory. They did not make wild accusations, and simply stuck to the facts that they found. A good example of this is when they provided the documents that discussed the burying of the Romanov family. The executioners included intense detail about what they found on each of the bodies- for the family had jewels sewn into their clothing, and the girls had diamond brassieres on to act as body armor, but they barely mentioned any detail about Alexei’s body, which led the researchers to believe that they didn’t have the body at the time. We know now, that Alexei, did in fact die with the family, and the man who claimed to be Alexei was either a fraud or had a case of dementia. Still, they made a very believable argument for the case of Alexei being alive.
A theme that has been repeated in this story is resilience of humanity. They show Alexei’s extreme bravery when he battled hemophilia as a child, experiencing excruciating pain for long periods of time. They show how strong the Romanov family was as they were being passed to different prisons, not knowing their fate. The family made do with what they were given, and what they could get their hands on. They had jewels sewn into their clothing, and the mother fashioned make-shift body armor out of the diamonds she kept, in case her children were shot at. This book also shows the resilience of Russia itself, as it went through the chaos of revolution, and the severity of Soviet Russia’s government. These people still managed t make a life for their selves, even when situations were dire. The tone of the authors in this book is very stark, not steering away from gruesome facts, but it is also very biased. The Romanov family is often romanticized in today’s society. A prime example of this is Disney’s Anastasia. These authors seem desperate to believe that Alexei did in fact live, perhaps to add more of the romantic and enigmatic feeling back to the story after it was discovered several years ago that Anastasia had died with her family. I respected the closing of the book, which allowed for the possibility of another fate for Alexei, merely stating that their documents and evidence seemed to overwhelmingly agree with their theory. The book’s flow managed to weave together facts and emotions in a graceful manner, and I enjoyed it very much
1.2 What does Iago say in this scene that lets us know that he is deceptive? He warns Othello that Desdemona’s father might come after him if he is not careful, but Iago was the one that informed the father of Othello and Desdemona’s love in the first place.
What metaphor does Iago use to describe Othello and Desdemona’s marriage? “ he tonight hath boarded a land carack. If it prove lawful prize, he’s made forever.”
Why does Iago describe their marriage in that way?
Iago compares Othllo’s marriage to one boarding a ship with treasure on it because Desdemona comes from a wealthy family and Othello loves her very much- if her father cannot negate the marriage, then Othello has won that treasure.
According to Brabantio, how did Othello win Desdemona’s adulation?
Brabantio says Othello must have enchanted or drugged Desdemona for her to love him. According to Othello, why is he so brutish and tough?
He has seen the world and many tragedies, and survived. This danger has hardened him.
Due Tuesday, April 19:
1. Read Act 1, Scene 3, lines 50-169. According to Othello, how did Desdemona fall in love with him?
When Desdemona’s father would invite Othello to speak of his travels and adventures, Desdemona would listen intently. When he told of when he had felt distress as a child, she felt empathy. She loves him for the things he has made it through.
2. Read Act 2, Scene 1, lines 209-308. According to Iago, why will Desdemona fall out of love with Othello and in love with Cassio?
He says that Desdemon will soon grow bored of Othello and stray. Othello will no longer have great adventures and will become mundane and tiresome.
Read all of Act 2, Scene 3, pages 66-80
1. What is Iago trying to get Cassio to do? Why?
Iago is trying to get Cassio to love Desdemona, and to make a move on her so that Othello has substance behind any planted suspicions concerning Desdemona’s fidelity.
2. How does Iago manipulate Montano to dislike Cassio?
He says he worries about how much Othello trusts Cassion, because Iago feels that Cassio is not an honourable man.
3. What does Cassio do to Roderigo and Montano?
Cassio fights Roderigo and Montano
4. How does Othello react to Cassio?
Othello fires Cassio from the military.
5. In Iago's explanation of his revenge plot in lines 333-- 359 what are his new motives for his behavior?
He thinks Othello is too in love with Desdemona and she will use that love to manipulate Othello.
Choose a book from the school's library. After reading the first 20 pages of your book, answer these questions: 1. Setting is the time and place of a text. In 5 sentences, describe the setting of the book so far. 2. How would the book change if the setting were different? Explain in 5 sentences. In 7 sentences, describe one of the main characters seen so far. Describe the person’s appearance, age, gender, race, education level, personality, what other characters think of him/her, and what you think of him/her. How would the book change if the character were a different age, gender, or race? Explain in 5 sentences
From the early 1900’s, Russia was a place of political and social turmoil. You found that in the main cities, especially St.Petersburg and Moscow, the established middle class was ready to overthrow the oppressive monarchy that was the rule of Czar Nicholas. While history might often make the Bolshevik revolutionaries (led by Lenin) seem like a unified and organized front, which is not actually the case. The Escape of Alexei shows the utter chaos that followed the royal family’s over-powering, and how a small group of extremists, not Lenin himself, decided to end the family’s life. Amongst the bedlam and disinformation that was the Romanov execution- moving bodies to different locations, not being able to see in he execution room, etc- it is very possible that at least of the Romanovs escaped.
Were Alexei to be in any other time or place, the execution of his family is likely never to have happened. Although the Czar of Russia could be oppressive, czars were generally beloved and it was only the disorder of the government which allowed a small group of men to kill his family as well as him. The middle class would not have had such power ten years before this. Were it in a different location they were likely to have lived as well. Russia is such a cast country that their escaping was almost impossible, but had they been nearer to a sea port they would have been able to escape to other, willing, countries. Alexei’s possible escape would not have been very likely after his family’s execution were it to have happened in modern day because or weapons are far more deadly and our means of transportation are better; both of which were problems that experts believe helped him escape.
Were Alexei to have been older, a family might not have been willing to take him in to their house. As it were, he was barely a preteen, and some believe that a peasant family adopted him. Were he a different class, he would not be in such a grave situation because the middle class wouldn’t feel that he was a symbol of oppression and wouldn’t want to destroy that beacon. His gender did not play a role in determining his execution because we know that some of the Ural Bolshevik revolutionaries murdered the women in the Romanov family as well. Were Alexei Romanov of another race, he would front have been part of the royal family of Russia, because they all claim direct lineage to he founders of Russia. If he hadn’t been part of that family, he never would have had to face and execution squad.
I chose to satirize our country’s priorities when it comes to the news because, I feel there are many social, economical, and political problems that our world should change and pay attention to, but we seem to be obsessed with trivial matters. Many people are more concerned about celebrities and gossip then they are with making a difference in the world. I attempted to show how wrapped up our generation is with things that won’t have a huge impact on us later in life. We need to be focusing on larger issues than celebrities and their personal lives.
My satirical argument is that the girl in my video is overwhelmed by pop culture news and underwhelmed by things like endangered species- showing how petty we can seem. I made this for the teen population because, it has many references that we would understand and depicts situations (in a humorous light) that we can relate to. I chose to do this in a video because I wanted to show the stark contrast between reality and the problems we create.
I use satire by having a girl obsess over what she seems to think is tragic- a unsuccessful award show, celebrities cutting their hair, etc and show how there are so many worse things that she is ignoring. Her speech is exaggerated and filled with things like “lol” so as to emphasize how petty the world she has created is.
For my literary devices I used irony.
At the beginning some might assume that both the news reporter and the girl on the phone were talking about the same bomb- they did use almost identical wording afterall. As it turns out, one was talking about the Oscars and the other spoke of an actual bombing.
One of the most prominent devices was the hyperbole. In most of the girl’s sentences she exaggerated the importance of her worries. She said that Justin Bieber getting his hair cut was “the worst thing ever.”
I used a certain amount of Juxtaposition with the two different characters. One- the girl on the phone- had on fangirl clothing and was very made up, whilst the more rational reporter was dressed professionally.
When there was confusion between the words “beaver” and “Bieber” there was a pun.
What matters to us matters to the media. “The Media” covers the plethora of means by which we receive our news. The media refers to newspapers, television, magazines, and one of the fastest growing forms of communication- the internet. Media has been seen for many centuries. In the 1700’s pamphlets such as Thomas Paine’s “Book of Common Sense” were ways of spreading information to the masses. Although cartoons were sometimes used to depict political and social happening, “mass media”- the type we have today- essentially became more popular as literacy rates amongst the general population increased. Literacy rates increased in turn due to the availability of print after the introduction of movable type on a printing press in the late 1500’s. The media has been used to influence many generations and to provide them with information on the happenings of their world.
A very popular form of mass media today is the magazine. Within this method of communication there are different approaches to how the news should be handled and prioritized. If you look at a website from Times Magazine, you will see that the top stories focus on global affairs that are likely to have an effect on nations in the areas of government, economy, and social well being.This is a stark contrast from the approach People Magazine takes. The top news in this magazine is mostly in the genre of public interest and the latest social trends.
Another widely accessed form of media is news via the internet. Here you can find a huge range of pieces, but the more people interested in a topic, the more arcticles written about this subject. If you visit CNN.com you will find that when searching for the Oscars, there are 3,446 results
When you search for for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, there are only 1,178 results
It is apparent from this example as well as others listed below that America’s focus when it comes to news is mainly on public interest and not global affairs.
Dear Diary, I feel like a faded painting on this ranch. I once held every colour of the rainbow with such definition. I was elated to find myself a caring husband, dutiful enough to always do a Mami Elena wished, loving enough to patiently wait for Tita to get over her crush; I was the perfect daughter. I have done all this, but still I get no love from Pedro in return. Pedro is still in love with my hateful sister, and I am left to stand in the background of their indiscreet love. It is embarrassing, hurtful, and can never be; a mar on our family's reputation and yet, he continues to dote on her. How dare he be so blind as to ignore me? Hoe dare she be so shameless as to accept his love? Mami Elena ought to through her off this ranch, and reveal what a promiscuous witch she really is. She thinks she is better then all of us because of her cooking: better than Mami Elena then to address her properly, better then our wedding guests then to serve descebt, and better than me than to respect my marriage with Pedro. I can't stand to be in the same room with her. Thank God she stays in the wretched kitchen; any more time with Tita would be unbearable... Still, I must remain the dutiful daughter, even if I get no respect for my efforts. Maybe one day, all of this-- being my sister and my husband-- will pay off, and things will change...
Imagine, it is 1940, Nazi bombs are raining from the sky in what seems like a never-ending hailstorm, not only smashing your city, but crushing your countrymen’s hope for survival as well. You are filled with a sense of trepidation and can hardly see through the rubble and smoke that has become the normality of your weary home, but as this acrid smoke clears you see a figure. A man who, until recently, had a tarnished reputation that seemed beyond repair, a man that inspires hope and faith into your heart: Churchill.”Churchill the Unexpected Hero” shows that Winston Churchill was by no means always considered the perfect hero that he can be made out to be in today’s history books; he had huge political and social setbacks that could have made him quit, however, he persevered. We see a similar situation in the news article “Wes Moore and Barbie”, a story of two men who were both named Wes Moore and who were raised in difficult situations. One man turned his life around, refusing to give up, pursuing his dreams, and became a Rhode scholar, and an adept author. The other man was not as successful and ended up in prison for a “botched robbery” in which a policeman was gunned down. “Churchill the Unexpected Hero” by Paul Addison, is very much an analytical book about the life of Winston Churchill. It’s chapters take you through the chapters of Churchill’s life, from the very beginning to the end. All along it show the differing opinions of Churchill. A clear example of this would be when the poet Sitell, a popular artist of the time wrote in a mock voice of Churchill’s, “Only 3 years ago/ I was allowed to waste/ a million lives in Gallipoli”(Addison 105). This shows the country’s view of him several years after what is considered to be his most famous military fiasco. It gives us an idea as to the negative opinions of him, and the general agreement that he had squandered lives in a carless manner. This harsh judgment shows how difficult his obtaining popularity would be in the future. While this book quotes many sources of clear opinions like the one above, the author himself lacks zeal when recounting the life of Churchill. He seems to be more a historian then a raconteur. This is a stark contrast to the new article about the two Wes Moore men. The author, the successful Wes Moore, writes about his past with a passion and intensity that is almost palpable. From both of these stories, I learned about the importance of never giving up, even when situations seem hopeless.
We see many times when Churchill failed: in school and at a point, the military, but, these failures did not discourage him to continue his career; they only encouraged him to try harder. When he was informed of the attack on Pearl Harbor and of America’s sub sequential decision to join the war effort he said, “So we have won after all.” This quote shows that he might have felt disheartened about the way the war was going, but he never let it show to the British people. He never let these feelings affect his leading or his determination to win. The same can be said for the Wes Moore that was a Rhode Scholar. He may have grown up without a father, and he may have been arrested before he was even a teenager, still he did not allow these past problems to influence his future.
“Churchill the Unexpected Hero” is a detailed account of the great British politician’s life. “Wes Moore and Barbie” is a story showing the incredibly different paths a life can take based on your decisions. The former of these two stories is and inspiring and informative onethat I would recommend to my friends, but the latter is one that seems to have more emotion within its short pages. They help show that people from any background can have an amazing future. You could be born into a family with a horrible reputation, or a family of meager means; that does not have to affect what you do with your life. Both of these show the importance of not letting obstacles, as big as they might seem to you at the time, get in the way of your future. As Churchill once said, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” As this statement so accurately points out, you may have many failures in your lifetime, but to be truly successful, you must not let them negatively affect your future. You, not these past events, decide what is in store for you.
Winston Churchill was a man with many challenges to overcome, starting as early as his birth. He was born into a family with a tarnished reputation, and to parents that were extremely critical of him; later in life he struggled with school and politics. Despite the many forces working against him, he managed to become a man who is considered by many to be England’s most infamous and great political figure of the 20th century.
Winston Churchill, one of England’s most motivating and beloved public figure, was not always considered to be such a victorious individual He failed many times in both his academic and political career. Despite his many critics that would often publicly abase him, he continued to persevere. Churchill once said, “Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” This is a concept he seemed to live by. Ultimately, this attitude led him to be such an inspiring political leader. Churchill, a simple name that stands for much more: victory, freedom, strength, and definitely achievement. . In the book “Churchill: the Unexpected Hero,” much is revealed about this leader whose role in World War Two was vital to England’s victory an mental stability. With the reverence that surrounds his name, it surprised me that Churchill was unsuccessful at achieving many goals in his past. He was less then average at many subjects in school, his poorest subject being math. He received all kinds of behavioral warnings. This man who is idolized by millions has a track record that made him out to seem like a child delinquent. Still, while all of these obstacles would discourage some, he fought on and became a brilliant war hero and Prime Minister. It’s inspiring for me to know that one doesn’t have to excel in everything; it can take only one success to put you in the history books.
After having watched “The Postman”- a movie centered around Mario, a lower class working man and Pablo Naruda, the infamous poet- I was awestricken by how many hidden messages and life truths this movie was able to reveal. The film didn’t portray just one aspect or event in someone’s life. There were stages and moments that were built upon to form and intricate web of actions and lessons to be learned from them. It was beautifully done, with great class and style. Some people said that the pace of the plot was too slow for them, but such is often the case with older movies, movies that I love. To me, the slow nature allows for the moods, the beautiful settings, and the characters to make a lasting impression in my head. It helps me grow attached to what’s being depicted and perhaps feel some of the emotion that the people on screen felt.
In this film, love is a common theme. One of the movie’s many points about love is that patriotism can inspire the most beautiful and passionate actions and ideas. It can encourage art and unify groups of people. We see patriotism bring Mario hope and purpose as he decides to take a more active role in his community’s government. He stood up to the politician that was traveling around his village, making empty promises about getting running water to them. His first real poet is written when he is over come by patriotism, when he wants to show the world, especially Naruda, just how beautiful “his sea” and his people are. It is for patriotism that Mario dies, when he went to a protest to support a cause that he believed would better his country.
This movie exemplified that people of higher class often only are nice to people of lower class when they need the less titled person for something. This was obviously shown when the politician promised the village running water and even started the building process, in order to get their vote. Once he had it, he no longer had use of the villagers so he left them and the project. We see another case of this in a more personal area. Mario may not think that Pablo had much use for him, but in fact Mario served as an ego booster for Naruda. Pablo loved attention, and we see that as he reads his fan mail and later as he travels throughout the world. When he was exiled, he wasn’t noticed as much but he has Mario. Mario always complimented Pablo and looked up to him with adoration. I feel that Naruda used those feelings to make himself feel superior and make himself feel like he was being self-sacrificing person for giving such attention to a lower class person. Once Naruda was no longer exiled, he left and didn’t seem to spare much thought for Mario because he had plenty of adoring people surrounding him.
“The Postman” illustrates how poetry is not just for the brilliant or well off, but how it can be used in everyday life to enhance your emotions and amplify your feelings. Narudo made poetry his career, but Mario wrote many metaphors just to capture and reveal his feelings and thoughts. Similes and metaphors were used in common speech simply to add to their feelings. The mother of Beatrice used metaphors even as she cursed the wicked nature of poetry and Mario. She later said them as she expressed her anger at people who use others and then discard them saying,“the birds have eaten all the seeds and flown away.”
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