Ms. Bridges' AP English

Of Superstition by Francis Bacon: Plutarch: Greek philosopher who lived around 46 – 120 CE under the rule of the Roman Empire. He was one of two priests of Apollo at Delphi. He wrote PARALLEL LIVES, comparing the lives of two exemplary men, one Greek, one Roman, and revealing the character of each as a lesson to the living. Saturn: the Roman name for the Greek titan Chronos, who was one of the gods before the arrival of the more commonly known Greek gods such as Zeus. Zeus was the son of Chronos, or Saturn, who tricked his father from devouring him and his other siblings as they were being born from Chronos’s head. Chronos existed before there was time. He was the creator of time and his name forms the root of many of our English words which deal with time or sequence of events: chronological, chronicle. Intransitive Verbs: Action verbs that do not take a direct object; they may be followed by a preposition. Example: During the midday, the cats lie under our cars to escape the heat...

A VINDICATION OF THE RIGHTS OF WOMAN Mary Wollstonecraft Keep these questions in mind as you read: What argument is brought forward to explain why women cannot achieve true virtue? (What is true virtue anyway? What does Wollstonecraft mean when she uses the term virtue?) Could virtue mean having a moral code? Being able to think for oneself? Being able to determine one’s own moral codes? Vocabulary: Ephemeron: short-lived; from the word ephemeral which means short-lived; not long lasting; mortal; lasting but for a short while only; Trifler: a person who does little or engages in stupid, pointless, silly things or activities. Specious: seemingly correct and logical but upon closer examination to be revealed as false, misleading and illogical. Innocence: honest; without sin; without guilt Keenly: sharply Satirizes: to criticize or to poke fun at Caprices: whims, arbitrary decisions based on whim, on one’s fleeting desires of the moment. Groveling: to roll on the ground in servile submi...

A MODEST PROPOSAL by Jonathan Swift Divert: verb meaning to divert one’s attention from one’s care; to amuse oneself; to entertain oneself Diversion: amusements; entertainment Satire: a literary form which exaggerates aspects of society, usually in a humorous or scathing way, in order to reveal the problems of that society. Dam: animal mother; a colt and its dam (mother); a puppy or a kitten and its dam (mother) Sire: animal father Solar: counted by the sun Salable: able to be sold Commodity: something of value or of tangible monetary worth that can be bought or sold; Flay: to remove the skin of; to skin it; as to skin an animal Carcass: dead animal body Page 340; Left column; 3rd paragraph Shambles: slaughter house Wanting: lacking Discoursing: discussing; talking Deference: in respect to Sentiments: feelings Censure: to criticize Maimed: disfigured by disease or by accident or injury Encumbrance: burdensome; extra weight; Desponding: despairing; (des = going down) despondent Vermin:...

Mary Wollstonecraft (mother of Mary Shelley, author of FRANKENSTEIN) The Age of Reason Outline 1. Age of Reason (1660 – 1780) A. 17th European intellectual and literary movement 1. Enlightenment defined rationalism B. Intellectual freedom and relative freedom from religious prejudices/superstitions. 1. Behavior did not always match ideals.