1. Write a brief descriptive paragraph that summarizes your IOP. Be sure to include the topic, your thesis, and the hook and any visual aids you used.

The aim of my IOP presentation was to investigate David Lurie's fall from grace; How and why did he fall from grace to disgrace?and IF he returns back to grace. I started my presentation with a song called I'm in Disgrace for The Kinks(I was able to relate the song to David's character and state after he fell from grace.) I then continued by giving brief definitions for the words grace and disgrace and the I started presenting my topic. I tackled my topic from two points : Political Disgrace and Personal Disgrace. I included quotations from the novel to support my interpretations and anaylsis.

2. In a well-developed paragraph reflect upon the lessons you learned as a result of the IOP process. This process includes the preparation of your presentation, its delivery, and the subsequent reflection you engaged in following the presentation itself.

The IOP presentation consists of three stages: planning, preparing, and delivering. Working on the IOP was a very fruitful experience. I learnt how to interpret a particular aspect from a story(in my case-thematic focus) and present it to the class in a formal yet entertaining way. I learnt to be ponctuel and present for less than 10 minutes and this helped me focus on the important things and exclude details and useless information (Its the quality not the quantity). After watching myself present the IOP presentation, I realized that it could have been much better. I should’ve practiced more reading the information and not reading from index notes. I should’ve concentrated more on the PowerPoint rather than on the index cards. I was a bit nervous, towards the end of the presentation I read the quotations fast. At some points I was hesitant, and I stopped at the end of every slide as if each is separate. I was supposed to link them. The song at the beginning was a good hook but I should’ve related it to my topic and spent some time talking about how it is relevant to my presentation and why I chose to put it. All in all, the IOP presentation was a great experience and its the start to the many presentations I will have to present in the future.

Oracle Night

1. What is your reaction to the novel as a whole? If you liked it, what did you enjoy most about it? If you didn't, what about the story did you find lacking?

I really enjoyed reading Paul Auster’s novel, Oracle Night. Even though the novel consists of a novel within a novel the plot was clear and I was able to keep track of the events. What I enjoyed most about the novel was the author’s writing style, footnotes and stories within stories. Auster uses simple language and through his characters he skillfully describes their exterior and interior worlds. The novel is enjoyable and its writing style grasps the readers attention.

Reflection on The Rock of Tanios

#1 : Most of the events depicted in the novel The Rock of Tanios by Amin Maalouf take place in a small village in the mountains of Lebanon called Kfaryabda. The author uses alot of Arabic terms and phrases. He also mentions several Lebanese customs which I am familiar with since I am Lebanese., for example the "kishk" meal they refer to on p.66, the uniform that the sheikh's wear p.10 " black baggy trousers(seroual), white striped shirt, terracotta colored cap...". The obligation for the citizens of Kfaryabda to kiss the Sheikhs hand at least once per month wasnt suprising to me becuause this is an old arabic custom that is still applied till now in certain arab countries. The act of kissing the hand shows respect and in many arab countries nowadays the children are obliged to kiss their fathers hand. Even the appelations that were used such as "Sheikh, Khoureeye.." sounded familiar. I really enjoyed reading the novel, the writing of this novel is admirable.

DON JUAN

1. The mock epic poem Don Juan is considered by many scholars to be Lord Byron's greatest work. What are your thoughts as to the literary worth of the first two cantos that we have read? Are they good poetry?

The mock epic poem Don Juan by Lord Byron is definitely good poetry. The poem is based on the life of the seducer Don Juan. Although the first two canto's were very long but its amazing how Lord Byron was able write a long story using poetic devices followed by a consistent rhyme scheme for each stanza(ottava rima stanza form) abababcc. Throughout his poem, Don Juan Lord Byron is poking fun at other poets, critics, and society. The speaker of the poem is Lord Byron himself and he speaks directly to the reader. Byron's Don Juan blends drama with humor, and sharp mockery of Western societies. Although many modern critics consider the self-proclaimed epic to be his masterpiece, however since I'm not very familiar with Byron's other works thereforeI'm in no position to judge his talent according to only one work.

Attached

I sat on the doorstep waiting for you

I waited for too long

I think its about time

I search for a new direction

that would take me somewhere not far away from you

I believe you'll show up someday

I will continue my life with this hope

Endless love is what its called

I hate that I love you.

Reflection on Disgrace

The novel Disgrace is a story seen through the eyes of David Lurie. David's point of view dominates the story. This technique gives the reader an access to not only David's words but also his unspoken thoughts. The reader becomes closely familiar with Lurie's desires and passions.

I enjoyed reading the novel, however I didnt understand most of the allusions but after I researched them it made more sense and I was able to relate them to the characters in the novel. I wasnt able to understand the Latin and Italian phrases, but I know they represent David's background.

Coetzee was truly able to grasp my attention at the beginning of the novel, but later when David goes to the farm it gets a bit boring. However the contrast between the urban life and the rural life is interesting. The ending wasnt very powerful. (I'm not sure this is the proper word to use, but I just didnt like the ending I was expecting a twist in the end).I was hoping to know what happened to Soraya, however she is never mentioned again. All in all, Disgrace was worth reading , its not a hard nor obscure novel, it explores the downfall of David Lurie. I strongly recommend others to read this novel.

Is Shakespeare Overrated?

No doubt that Shakespeare is a literary legend however does that mean that his work is perfect?!? And that when one learns to read and understand his work that person attains a high level of wisdom?!? Is he worth being held up as the greatest playwright ever? I personally don’t think so! I have read three of his plays Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar along with some sonnets. The idea or message behind his work is not extraordinary however his writing style is what makes him stand out from the rest of the writers. His writing style seems ambiguous at first and difficult to comprehend however when one looks behind the figurative language a clear image is established and one eventually realizes that his ideas are very typical. His plays are held up as masterpieces of moral depth and knowledge, however I believe that there are many other plays that hold more meaning and morals that deserve to be overvalued.

With YOU

With YOU

Oh what have you done to my thoughts?

Every second I think about you
Without you I'd be distraught
People like you are special and few

Your divine smile makes my heart melt

Your green colored eyes make me go blank

True love is what I felt

Number one is your rank

I want to dance with you all night

Never let go

I love you that's right

It's hard I know

With you I want to be

Forever you and me

Reflection on Sonnets

I have never studied sonnets before, so at first it was a bit challenging for me, and Shakespearean sonnets are hard to understand because they are so deep in meaning. However, rereading the sonnet and analysing it according to the sheet that Mr.Webster gave us "How to Analyze Poetry" made it easier for me to interpret the meaning of the poem. Every word in the sonnet was placed there for a purpose and adds to the over all meaning. Shakespearean sonnet have three quatrains and a couplet, and rhymes abab cdcd efef gg. Sonnet 2 was the most challenging for me, because many of the words had double meanings which I wasnt aware of example : "Where all the treasure of thy lusty days.." The word treasure refers to sperm and thy lusty days referes to the days of the sexual activity.
example #2: "Shall sum my count and make my old excuses"at first I didnt know that hes counting the number of women he slept with. :S
In conclusion, shakespearean sonnets are reflect mainly two major themes : Love and Time.
They are challenging and obscure yet the poets myriad approaches allow the reader to feel the
sheer power of true love.

Reflection on "One Hundred Years of Solitude"

3. What is your reaction to the novel so far? Can you identify any themes that the novel is exploring?
4. What do you think about JM Coetzee's writing style. What about his style is unique? Does that affect the reading of the novel?

So far I liked the novel, unlike One Hundred Years of Solitude the language is simple , the chapters are short, and its not obscure. Although we were required to read till chapter four, I reached till chaper 8, I just couldnt put the book down!!! Disgrace is written in third person. David Lurie's thoughts and emotions dominate the text. This affects the reading of the novel and allows the reader to analyse Davids character and view his way of thinking.
I think its still early to explore the theme of the novel, but so far sex and ownership(p.2 " ..in a sense they own Soraya too..") can be considered two significant concepts. We are introduced to a character that solved the problem of sex, is fifty years old and visits a prostitute named Soraya weekly and he later starts an affair with one of his students Melanie.