Mike Fries

AP English Portfolio

Table of Contents

Page 3,4-The Things They Carried

Page 4,5,and 6-The Metamorphosis

Page 6,7,and 8-Frankenstein Essay

Page 8,9,and 10-Helen Essay

Page 10 and 11-Othello Literary Criticism

Page 11 and 12-The Pawnbroker

Page 12 and 13-College Essay

Page 13,14,and 15-Prose Response

Page 15 and 16-Forward

TTC and SH5 Comparison

Throughout the history of literature countless nonfiction stories have been brought

forth to us and have caught our attention. However, in these two novels, the authors

manage to tie fictional stories into nonfiction events that actually occurred in the history

of our great nation. The Things They Carried focuses more on multiple events and

accounts during the Vietnam War. Slaughterhouse-Five focuses on one specific event

which happened to be the famous bombing of Dresden. Both of these novels contain

some aspect of truth whether it is a factual or emotional experience.

The Things They Carried gives the audience a deeper meaning than just simply

reading entertaining stories about a company in the Vietnam War. Even though O’Brien

tells us that the accounts were not real and never took place, he comes back and

immediately states about how the experiences and feelings were real. The deeper

meaning is that young men did put their lives on the line for us and went through

countless physical and emotional challenges along the way. The truth portrayed in

Slaughterhouse-Five becomes much simpler. Vonnegut’s story was completely made up.

All of the characters did not exist in his novel. However, Vonnegut gives his audience

the knowledge and feeling that war brings about pointless deaths and many losses to all.

The audience then discovers for a fact that their was a beautiful town that went by the

name of Dresden and that it was the setting for a bombing by the Allies that took

thousands of lives.

The two novels seem to contain two types of truth. They have “story truth” and

“happening truth”. Both of these do not hold a great amount of story truth to them. The

authors inform us that all accounts have been completely made up. The more important

part of the novels is the accounts that actually happened. Happening truth tends to appear

more frequently than story truth. As stated before, the audience does become more aware

about the fire bombings that took place in Dresden. In O’Brien’s novel, the audience

does experience and notice the difficulties and feelings that the soldiers of Vietnam had

to go through. The truth that The Things They Carried and Slaughterhouse-Five contain

tends to differ. They are different because each author chose to focus on different topics.

Even though they are both about war, the author’s take two completely different styles of

writing when making these novels. O’Brien focused on the more emotional aspects of

war. None of his events actually happened. Vonnegut on the other hand gives his

audience facts and descriptions on an event that changed the course of World War II.

All in all, interpreting fact from fiction becomes a crucial element to the reader

when looking at these two novels. The author comes in contact with what is true and

what is not however, understanding the real truth behind these novels is what makes them

factual. The reader must discover the deeper meaning to know that some of these events

and experiences did take place during some period of time.

Short Story Position Paper

In “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, one can argue that the main conflict and

dilemma in the novel deals with change. The fact that the different characters in the

novel could not accept change results in the tragic and fatal ending to Gregor’s life. “One

morning, as Gregor Samsa was waking up from anxious dreams, he discovered that in

bed he had been changed into a monstrous verminous bug.” The transformation in “The

Metamorphosis” was very sudden not only for Gregor, but for all of the characters that

have interaction with Gregor in the story. The main principle the author tries to establish

to the audience in this short story is how a simple occurrence of change can have a

considerable amount of impact on the main person and the individuals around them.

The initial strategy Kafka applies to “The Metamorphosis” is the point of view

that he presents to his audience. Franz Kafka gives his readers a third person omniscient

point of view. Through this, the readers are able to witness the different actions that the

characters take, but they are not able to become involved in any thoughts that they may

possess. The family of Gregor tends to ignore him throughout his whole life. When they

are exposed to his dramatic transformation, they continue to ignore him, but they also feel

embarrassed by his presence. The family starts out being fine with his initial presence,

but then towards the conclusion of the story the family feels that all of their lives would

be better if Gregor were not around.

The second strategy used to show the author’s principle is the different characters

that Franz Kafka displays. As stated before, Gregor’s family has been noticed of

ignoring Gregor even through the times when he was in the shape of a normal human

being. The family does indeed continue to do this when he is a monstrous bug.

However, the feelings the family have for Gregor in each parts of the story are quite

diverse. The family has no problem with Gregor while he is in human form because he

works hard and brings in money to the family. While he is a bug, the family is greatly

troubled by what has happened and they all incline that they do not want him around due

to the fact that it is causing the family great pain and putting them all through an

immense amount of hardship. Sadly, the overall conversion of the family’s attitude

results in the unfortunate end to Gregor.

In brief, one can propose that the nature of “The Metamorphosis” was to teach all

who read it the effects a simple process of change can impose on individuals. Franz

Kafka presents this through the different strategies and methods in his initial point of

view and the characters that he preferred to utilize in his short story. Different concepts

of change occur in our world a vast number of times each day. How we answer to these

changes can greatly determine some of the more important outcomes that take place in

our lives.

Frankenstein Essay

It can be said that the actions one may take in life can have great consequences in

the future. These consequences may appear sooner or later however, they will indeed

come into view. A vast majority of the problems or dilemmas that we encounter in our

lives come from mistakes that we have made ourselves. Most of this pain and frustration

could have been avoided if we had simply chosen another alternative. In Mary Shelly’s

Frankenstein, the two main characters, Victor and the creature, inflict great deals of pain

upon not only themselves, but the people who become associated with them throughout

the course of the story.

Throughout the course of the story, the character that brings about the greatest

amount of pain to the world has to be Victor Frankenstein himself. This pain becomes

quite obvious after he has created the monster that ultimately results in the gradual

decline of Victor’s life. Victor is portrayed as having a blissful childhood where he had a

desire for knowledge. Unfortunately, this also became the Achilles heel of Victor. Due

to the fact that he desired to learn so much about the sciences of nature and what can be

considered “life”, Victor felt inclined to perform experiments until he created the monster

that destructed everything in his life that had meaning to him.

Countless examples of suffering take place in the story of Frankenstein. The

most common example of suffering usually takes place throughout the event of when

someone is murdered in the story. The creature, which Victor created, brings about

suffering by killing poor William. The suffering here revolves around Victor because he

is the only one who knows deep down the truth behind the murder of William. This

indeed results in more pain because Justine, a good friend of Victor, ends up taking the

blame and losing her life simply because the monster had been created and is now set on

inflicting pain and suffering upon Victor and everyone that he is associated with.

The tragic vision of this story is that one simple action in the course of one’s life

can have great consequences and therefore alter the remainder of that person’s life and

the people that are connected with them. Victor causes suffering mainly to his family

because the monster chose to come back and seek revenge through the act of murder. It

becomes quite obvious that the life of Victor and his relatives drastically change because

of the creation of the monster.

All in all, the figure of Victor has brought about suffering not only on himself, but

everyone who he knew and introduced in the novel. Sadly, a majority of these people

end up losing their lives because of the actions of Victor. All of the suffering and misery

comes from the simple fact that Victor became selfish with his knowledge and wisdom of

the world of science. If Victor never became obsessed with giving movement to lifeless

matter, then obviously the story would be much more different then how we know it

today. None of the pain or suffering would have taken place. The lives of the relatives of

Victor and Victor himself would have never been put into jeopardy like they were with

the monster present. As previously stated, the actions and choices that we make in life

greatly affect other events and problems that we are called to face. Victor could have

easily prevented these dilemmas and would have not had to go through the amount of

suffering if he would have not pursued his dreams of acquiring knowledge.

Helen Position Paper

In the translation of Helen by Rachel Hadas, one can argue that this work strongly

resembles all that Aristotle stood for and believed in when one should choose to write a

play with this magnitude of drama. Helen provides each person with a sense of wonder

at how fate can play such a vital role in the lives of everyone who was put on this earth.

In order to reveal this scheme, Hadas has utilized Aristotle’s different elements of drama

through the development of character and the plot.

The initial element that becomes quite apparent even through the first few scenes

of Helen is the personality of Helen that Hadas has provided. Hadas uses different

scenarios to describe the character of Helen immediately in the play so that the reader

may become capable of relating to her. The sorrow that Helen feels for herself becomes

evident when she states, “My beauty was the bait- a pretty word for what gave rise to

hate” (line 31). The spectators become informed here that Helen has initially portrayed

herself as one who does not settle for accepting faults and failures. Helen blames her

own beauty in order to give herself a sense of reassurance to inform her that she is not the

one who is at fault for all of the catastrophic events that had occurred at Troy. The

character development of Helen is set up in this fashion all throughout the play to give a

background and an emotional relation with the main character. The whole concept of

Helen’s uncontrollable beauty becomes the primary motive that drives the play and the

events that take place within it.

Each and every play must have some sort of plot that can be followed to keep the

audience involved and interested. This was one of the principal themes that Aristotle

demonstrated when working with a drama or a dramatic piece of literature. Hadas has

fulfilled the wants of Aristotle by putting together a translation of the well known story of

Helen that also builds on the previous stories of the Iliad and the Aeniad. Hadas chose to

continue these classic tales by furthering the story of Helen and trying to lighten the

amount of blame that she has been known to have received ever since this tale has been

told. The plot comes into play when Helen faces the conflict of having to marry Teucer

when her original husband Menelaus has just recently returned home from his voyage

from Troy. The plot becomes complete through the events that occur in the rising action,

the climax, and the falling action. Menelaus and Helen excite the play by preparing a

plan to bring them back into one another’s arms once again. They truly believed that fate

brought them back together and that fate would leave them with each other for the

remainder of their lives. The plot takes this path due to their faithfulness with each other

and that they would see each other again someday.

All in all, the elements of drama that Aristotle brought forth to the world of

literature become displayed in the play of Helen through the utilization of

characterization and plot. One can safely say with the evidence given that Helen tends to

feel sorry for her due to the fact that she was born with natural beauty and that it was her

own beauty that caused the destruction upon Troy and its people. The play was produced

on this idea and the conflict of how Menelaus must stop Helen from marrying Teucer and

bring her back home to Greece with him. The different types of play structure also

become utilized in this masterpiece by Rachel Hadas. Helen has become a high-quality

example when one would discuss the different elements of drama that Aristotle himself

bestowed upon the world.

Othello Literary Criticism

1) Arthur M. Eastman, "Othello as Ironist." In In Honor of Austin Wright, edited by Joseph Baim, Ann L. Hayes, and Robert J. Gangewere, pp. 18-29. Carnegie Series in English, no. 12. Pittsburgh: Carnegie-Mellon University, 1972.

I used this literary analysis to look at different situations in the story to see how Othello is actually portrayed as an ironist. The piece goes into great detail in comparing Iago and Othello. Some key points include how Iago discovers Othello’s weaknesses and uses them against him in order to carry out his plan. The article explains how Othello has an incredible amount of power but is yet still put into a stage of ignorance by Iago. The power that he holds is put to the test.

2) Estelle W. Taylor, "The Ironic Equation in Shakespeare's Othello: Appearances Equal Reality." CLA Journal 21, no. 2 (December 1977): 202-11.

This literary device goes into great depth explaining the pattern of irony that seems to be portrayed in Shakespeare’s plays. The main focus of the analysis circles around the character of Iago. Iago appears to be honest in front of Othello but in reality is the leader in the plan to separate Othello and Desdemona. The ironic part comes into play when Othello’s power is turned against him when Iago puts him in a stage of ignorance that leads to his ultimate downfall in the play. Nobody in the play holds a true identity throughout the course of this piece.

The Pawnbroker

In Joy Kogawa’s “Obasan”, a portrayal of hardship and sadness are conveyed in the

short passage regarding the experiences of the Japanese Canadians during the Second

World War. Kogawa utilizes a short memory of the past to portray an idea of how much

of a struggle these people had gone through during this period of time. The attitude of

hardship and struggle becomes quite apparent from the point of view, the structure of the

passage, and the objects that Kogawa utilizes in the story.

The primary way that Kogawa makes her idea familiar is by the point of view that

is contained within the story. Kogawa helps relate to others by presenting a first hand

experience of the topic and idea that is trying to be brought across. When one speaks in

the first person, people have an easier time of believing that person because they were

actual witnesses and saw with their own eyes what they were talking about.

The second literary strategy that Kogawa uses to make her point is the structure in

which the passage is presented to everyone. In the first part that is presented, Kogawa

portrays more of a descriptive idea of her own people during that time. They are

descriptions of the Japanese Canadians. Kogawa uses strong words for her own people

saying that they are “the despised, rendered voiceless”. Kogawa presents the actual

feelings of these people before her actual memory is encountered. The transition from

the description to the memory is quite apparent because they are the only two paragraphs

in the passage that contain a relatively large space between them. Kogawa does this to

separate her personal ideas from the actual memory she has of the Second World War.

The final strategy that Kogawa presents to get her idea across are the different

objects that come into play in the passage. Two main ones come to mind when thinking

about the experiences of the Japanese Canadians. The first one has to be the kitten in the

box on the train. The kitten can represent the Japanese people because they feel like

prisoners themselves. The cat is in a box which represents the people being confined.

The second idea is presented when Kogawa gives the fruit to the Japanese mother. This

presents the idea that the Japanese Canadian people are on their own and that nobody is

going to help them during this time. In order to receive help, they must look to one

another for it.

The message that Kogawa portrays in “Obasan” becomes quite clear through the

literary devices of the point of view, structure of the passage, and the different symbols

and objects that are used to present different ideas. Kogawa utilized this piece to make

people more aware of the struggle and toll that the Second World War had on her people.

Her memory reflects on different experiences that portray both of these ideas.

College Essay

Their have been a countless number of people who have somehow impacted my

life. I am grateful for having the opportunity of being able to interact and learn from

them. However, I do not personally know and I have never interacted with the individual

that I will mention. Even though I have never personally been able to meet them, I have

still learned a great deal from this individual. The man goes by the name of Lance

Armstrong. He lived his life to the fullest and has taken advantage of every minute he

has been alive.

Lance Armstrong has taught one of the most important actions that one person

can receive throughout the time of their life. He taught us that no matter what they odds

and what hand you are dealt, you must absolutely never give up. Mr. Armstrong was not

given much of a chance during one of the most important times of his life. During his

prime when he was in the best shape of his life, Lance got the news that he had been

diagnosed with brain, lung, and testicular cancer all at the same time. All of the doctors

that he saw told him that is was likely that he was not going to survive. Instead of giving

up, Lance decided to get back on the bike and continue on with his career. This

eventually led to the making of history. Lance eventually won seven Tour de Frances in a

row.

Lance has shown me that no matter how bad things are, you should never mail

it in and give up. I have continued to watch Lance for years and he continues to amaze

me. He has set a great example for me because he gives his best effort in every single

aspect of his life. Whenever I take the field, I have tried to mimic the doings of Lance by

giving my best effort whenever I enter a competition. I have had the great privilege of

being able to watch Lance for seven years now. I have watched him be outmatched and

against all odds and yet still he continued to fight. Lance has been against the ropes and

face to face with death. He is happily alive today and has confidently beaten cancer. To

me, that is a true warrior and a hero.

All in all, Lance has continued to not only set an example for me, but for all

people who are going through struggles either physically or mentally. People can look at

Lance and know that by not giving up and continuing to fight, good results are very likely

to occur. It is sad to know that Lance is not competing anymore. I have greatly enjoyed

watching him take every challenge he has ever had by the horns. This man gives hope to

people everywhere. It shows the simple concept of how if you put your mind to it, you

can accomplish anything.

Prose Response

In the literary works of William Shakespeare, a sense of revenge and self-

satisfaction seems to be the key components that drive each of his plays. A concrete

example of these two elements appear quite obviously in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The

primary driving force of Hamlet’s actions in the play come from a character who does not

appear a great amount, but does indeed influence Hamlet to seek revenge upon his new

father. This character would be known as the ghost of Hamlet’s original father. The

affects actions in the play through his motives, his status, and the information that he

reveals to his son.

The initial way that the ghost begins the entire reason behind the play is his

motive. The ghost appears to Hamlet because he wants to inform Hamlet that his father

was actually murdered by the king and that his entire family was betrayed. The entire

play is based on Hamlet’s plan of seeking revenge upon his father’s death. One of the

main reasons why Hamlet feels that he should seek revenge is because the ghost asks him

to do so. Hamlet feels content to do so because the ghost is his father and he must honor

him.

The status of the ghost becomes crucial in the part of the play where Hamlet is

indecisive on whether or not he should take action on what he has just been told. The

ghost appears as the father of Hamlet who was betrayed by his brother so that he could be

king. Hamlet concludes that he will avenge his father’s death because he cared a great

deal about his father. If it were anybody else asking for this favor, Hamlet would not

have been up for the task. Hamlet becomes both sad and angry when he receives news

that his father was betrayed. Hamlet was informed about certain issues that he had no

realization that they actually took place. The ghost of his father made Hamlet aware that

he was betrayed and told him to act upon it and avenge his death. One could say that this

moment started the entire play and gave Hamlet the initial suspicion of the king. The

entire play thrives off of this initial meeting between Hamlet and the ghost.

All in all, the ghost does not appear much but does contain a great deal of

importance throughout Hamlet. The ghost gives Hamlet the initial idea and reason of

why he should partake in the act of avenging the death of his father. Without the ghost,

Hamlet would have never become aware that his father was betrayed and he would have

never carried out his brilliant plan.

Forward

From looking at my collection of writings, I have noticed that there are many

different things I need to improve on in order to become a better writer at the next level.

I need to have a better choice of words with my vocabulary and I need to stop

summarizing when the prompt asks me for a specific thing to touch base on. I have

tended to not state my opinion clearly and summarization can hurt me in the long run if I

do not avoid it in the future. Not being able to expand my vocabulary will also take a big

toll on my writing in the future. I tend to use more simple words instead of finding

synonyms for them in order to make my paper better. I also need to become a better

writer when I only have a short amount of time to write. It is important that I organize

my thoughts and ideas when I am under a time limit and that I must tie them into what I

am trying to say.

I have also noticed many positive things that I do when I have written my papers

over the course of this year. I have noticed that I am good at organizing my ideas and

tying them together when transitioning from paragraph to paragraph. I am able to give a

smooth word transition to the reader so that they will not feel lost and they will be able to

clearly see what the next topic is.

Over all, I have greatly improved on my writing this year. I hope to keep up the

improvement throughout my life as I know that it will help me in the future. I would like

to thank you Mrs. Reel for all of your time and effort during the school year. I give my

credit to you for the great improvement on my pieces of work.