Wednesday, October 30, 2013

tools that change the way we think

Technology and Internet has changed the way this generation thinks, learns, and acts. We all hide behind the Internet for tough assignments, avoiding confrontation, and many other things in life. In my opinion technology has greatly improved the knowledge we want to seek. If we are unsure about something we simply pull out our smart phones and look up anything we want. On the other hand this may be toying with our ability to memorize or remember things, this is because we rely on technology and or smart phones for remembering things. I think it is a toss up whether or not relying on technology is a good or bad thing. There is pros and cons to both. I think it is interesting to look back at old times and think about how they didn't have the ability to search things on the Internet, this seems so strange since if I am confused even slightly I usually google search and figure out my question. I think it must have been very different back then. Using the Internet opens up many more opportunities that we are just now gaining.

Vocab #9

1. Aficionado (noun): a person who likes, knows about and apreciates a persued interests or activity.
- I am and aficionado, because I want to be teacher and I volunteer at alicshaw. 
2. Browbeat (verb): to intimidate or disconcert by a stern manner or arrogant speech. 
- If you browbeat then you need the bully button pressed on you.
3. Commensurate (adjective): equal in measure or extent.
- Most of the speeches are commensurate. 
4. Diaphanous (adjective): vague, insubstantial. 
- The speech was very diaphanous. 
5. Emolument (noun): the returns arising from office or employment in the form of compensation. 
-The actor gets emoluments for working. 
6. Foray (verb): to ravage in search of spoils. 
-During the war the soldiers foray. 
7. Genre: a category of music, art, or literary work that is based on style or form.
- Country music is my favorite genre. 
8. Homily (noun): a usually short sermon. 
-Church is a homily. 
9. Immure (verb): to imprison. 
- When you lie you feel immure in your own words. 
10. Insouciant (adjective): lighthearted unconcern. 
-My mom is insouciant when I ask her to do things. 
11. Matrix (noun): something that something else originates from. 
-you make history matrixes off of the work in class. 
12. Obsequies (noun): a funeral of burial rite. 
- Familes always cry at obsequies. 
13. Panache (noun): dash in style and action. 
- We ware panache things everyday. 
14. Persona (noun): the personality that a person projects. 
-Stephanie has a bad persona and you see it through her adittude. 
15. Philippic (noun): a discourse or declamation full of bitter condemnation. 
- We got into a philippic after the game. 
16. Prurient (adjective): marked by arousing an unwholesome interests or desire. 
-We prurient things when we are sad. 
17. Sacrosanct (adjective): most sacrad or holy. 
-Things in church or sacrosanct. 
18. Systemic (adjective): of relating to or common to a system. 
- In class we are systemic everyday with routine. 
19. Tendentious (adjective): marked by a tendency in favor of a particular point of view. 
- during speeches politicans are alway tendentious. 
20. Vicissitude (noun): the state of being changeable. 
- Open source learning alows vicissitude in the classroom. 

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

The Performative Utterance in Hamlet

-Locutionary force, illocutionary force, perlocutionary force.
-Hamlet is trapped by his own actions and thoughts maybe even going a little crazy because of it.
-Hamlet is a great schemer who can make everyone around him obvilious to his crazy thought out plans.
-The play is meant to be acted which is why there is a couple soliloquies throughout.
-Talks about Hamlet having fake madness and the ways he expresses it in the certain acts.
-Hamlet becomes the man of actions instead of the man of words.

THOUGHTS ON HAMLET (IN PROGRESS)

When we began reading Hamlet I wasn't sure how I felt about Hamlet as a character. I felt as we began reading the first couple of scenes that we all thought Hamlet was insane and crazy. We now know that Hamlet is a very complex character who is very thoughtful with the things he does. We have seen him plot many schemes that aren't something a crazy person would be able to uphold. We also have been seeing Hamlet shows us his many different sides, which he has been getting away with because he is tricky and intelligent.

Filter Bubbles

1) I learned that even though I searching my own things, the things I am searching are filtered based on certain things. I had an idea that something like this was happening, but this now confirmed my thoughts. 2)This makes me think that when I find things on Google there might be so many better sites that just arent available to me. I aslo think that It is weird to think that we can google search on two computers and come up with many different options.
3)This makes me wonder why there is filters. I also feel like it might be a helpful tool, since it might filter out the sites you would otherwise waste your time on.
4)I think that making certain accounts for certain searches would allow me to go around these filters, keeping the school searches on the school account, and the personal ones on a personal account.

To be or not to be... here it is

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Literature Analysis #3 Heart of Darkness

" Heart of Darkness" by: Joseph Conrad
1.This novel is about Marlow who is a sailor, the story begins in the Congo and he is on his way to meet a man name Kurtz. Marlow begins to see a variety of horrors such as torture and near-slavery within the African culture. Marlows boat has something unfortunate happen to it and the trip is delayed by a couple months, Marlow still is anxious to speak to Kurtz. Finally they get the boat fixed and continue their journey. Marlow soon realizes that Kurtz left his European thoughts and ways behind for human kind. Later on in the novel we find out that Kurtz ordered the Natives to attack the boat when they first arrived. Kurtz is very ill and entrusts his thoughts and legacies to Marlow. Shortly after that Kurtz dies, this causes Marlows already ill state to keep getting worse. The whole point of this short novel is to show how people were losing their humanity and how Marlow wanted to achieve a better lifestyle through Kurtz ways.

2. The major theme of this novel is the absurdity of evil. We see this throughout the novel by the crazy things Marlow sees the workers doing. We can conclude that none of this is actually necessary.

3. The tone of the author is wondering.
-"he kept on looking out past me with fiery, longing eyes, with a mingled expression of wistfulness and hate. He made no answer, but I saw a smile, a smile of indefinable meaning, appear on his colorless lips in that moment." page 151
-" I declare it looked as though he would presently put to us some question in an understandable language." page 123
-"Then I began to look for a ship- I should think the hardest work on earth." page 71

4. Imagery: " the Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a  flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The flood had made, the wind was nearly calm, and being bound down the river."
Similes: " The sea-reach if the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway." page 65
Descriptive setting: " The sun set; the dusk fell on the stream, and lights began to appear along the shore." page 67
Biblical references: are throughout the whole entire book.
Symbolism: " But there was in it one river especially, a mighty big river, that you could see on the map, resembling an immense Snake uncoiled, with its head in the sea.." page 70
Tone: Marlow has many scenes where he is admiring Kurtz throughout the novel.
Rhetorical  questions:" Do you see him? Do you see the story? Do you see anything?" page 97
Flashback:" Going up the river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world,when the revegitation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings." page 105
Personification: "death sulking in the air, in the water, in the bush." page 69
Metaphor:" I flew around like mad to get ready, and before forty-eight hours I was crossing the channel to show my employers." page 73


Characterization
1. Direct: In the novel Marlow is described in detail that he is very skeptical of everything around him. In the novel we know that Kurtz is a man of many talents and aspirations.
indirect: In the novel readers can conclude that marlow feels sorrow for the people around him when he sees them in danger or in harms way. Another example is how we can conclude that Kurtz is a very successful man that had a lot of power.

2. This novel is told mainly in dialogue so the syntax and diction doesn't change a lot throughout the novel. The only times where we can see a little change in the syntax and diction is when Marlow and Kurtz are in a conversation, but other then that not much.

3. Marlow the main character (also the protagonist) is a dynamic character. He changes his views and feelings throughout the novel. We see him grow as a character from the beginning and change into someone a little different then from the beginning of the novel. He is considered round because he ultimately changes his views.

4. I felt that I didn't connect with this book to well. I never felt like I wanted to actually meet Marlow or Kurtz or any of the characters presented in this novel. I just feel that I would of liked this book better if it was wrote in a different way, because I personally liked the meaning behind the book. " Marlow ceased and sat apart insisting on silence. The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under the overcast sky- seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness." This is the last quote of the novel and I feel it really shows the kind of man Marlow is, respectful and mindful.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Vocabulary #8

1. Abase (verb): to lower in rank.
- When the employee did something wrong he was abased in his job responsibilities.
2. Abdicate (verb): to relinquish (especially power) formally.
- The King abdicated the thrown to the new Prince.
3. Abomination (noun): Anything greatly disliked, disgust.
- The monster is an abomination to the whole entire town, it destroys everything.
4. Brusque (adjective): blunt in speech, Abrupt in manner.
- Sally was being very brusque at the dinner party because her parents forced her to go.
5. Saboteur (noun): one who commits sabotage.
- The ghosts in horror movies are always the saboteurs.
6. Debauchery (noun): extreme indulgence in sensual pleasures.
- Getting into the hot tub after a long day can be a great debauchery.
7. Proliferate (Verb): to cause to grow or develop rapidly.
- Going to preschool allows children to proliferate, at early stages in education.
8. Anachronism (noun): The representation of someone as existing or something as happening in other than chronological, proper, or historical order.
- Many brands use anachronism in their names.
9. Nomenclature (Noun): name designation.
- At birth your mother is asked to give you a name, which is nomenclature.
10. Expurgate (verb): To remove erroneous, vulgar, obscene, or otherwise objectionable material.
- Editors expurgate books before they allow authors to publish their work.
11. Bellicose (adjective): Hostile, or warlike manner.
- People with anger issues are very bellicose.
12. Gauche (Adjective): lacking social grace.
- People become uncomfortable when they are gauche at places they aren't familiar with.
13. Rapacious (adjective): greedy, taking by force.
- On Christmas, some children become very rapacious.
14. Paradox (noun): A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true.
- Paradox's are used by many authors to create a more unique style to their writing.
15. Conundrum (noun): a puzzle or difficult riddle, a dilemma.
- Figuring out the Chemistry equation was quite a conundrum for the students.
16. Anomaly (noun): One that is peculiar, irregular, abnormal, or difficult to classify.
- Hamlet is an anomaly, he acts very differently with certain people, which is difficult to classify.
17. Ephemeral (noun): Marked by a brief amount of time.
- The sunset only lasts for an ephemeral amount of time at night.
18. Rancorous (adjective): full of rancor, unforgiveness, bitterness.
- The old lady was rancorous towards her sister, after they had a falling out years before.
19. Churlish (Adjective): difficult to work with.
- Some people can be considered churlish, because they never get along with anyone.
20. Precipitous (adjective): impassably steep.
- When backpacking there is no way to avoid the precipitous mountains in front of your path.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

DEAR OPHELIA

Dear O,

You have found yourself quite a big predicament with this situation. I may even call this problem a conundrum. I think that you should go with what ever you feel personally is the right thing to do. In this situation someone is going to get hurt, and the decision you must make is who is it that is going to be hurt. Your brother and father must be very important to you because they are family, but your love must also be very strong if you have to think so strongly about this subject. Go with your gut decision in this situation, I feel that is the only way you are going to be happy. You may also want to contemplate whether or not you are okay leaving your family for a lover, they may never trust you again if you do a thing like that. The best advice that can be given for this situation, is just to go with your intuition, and only do the thing that will make you the happiest in life. Good luck O!

Sincerely,
Kristen

Thursday, October 10, 2013

LITERARY FICTION & EMPATHY

 How can reading fiction help you understand others?

     Fiction novels allow imagination, and creativity to run through the brain. I really found this article intriguing because I know that when I read some books I feel that I have a major connection to the characters as if I know them face to face. Reading fiction allows people to be more open minded about others and their reasonings for doing certain things, almost as if you can see inside their minds as you read it. Some people may be characterized as "fake" but maybe they are just trying to resemble a character they are currently reading about. I feel that reading fiction allows one to imagine themselves in different situations, and I dont find that at all a bad thing.

Use Hamlet as an example to explore your own thinking process and reactions to a character's innermost thoughts/struggles?

     Characters thoughts allow you to have direct insight to what the character is feeling, and you dont have to try and figure it out on your own. In Hamlets silioque you could imediately tell that Hamlet was upset and confused at his mothers actions and his fathers death. Personally I like to be told how the character is feeling, that way I am not confused later on if I imagined the wrong feeling. You get a totally better insight when told directly how that character is feeling, even if it is a little difficult to comprehend.

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

EXPERIENCE: The Art of Hosting Good Conversations Online

Finding a blog post that was current was pretty difficult, and by difficult I mean I was not successful. I found a lot of blogs that were posted back in 2010 and I checked and the bloggers were not active, so I did not post a comment to their blogs. I did however like seeing the different assignments that each student I visited had, made me wonder if we will be doing some of the same assignments or not! I think I need to improve my google searching skills in order to find active blogs I could of posted to!

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Green eggs and Hamlet

1. What do you know about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane"? 
- I know pretty much nothing about Hamlet, I know that English teachers constantly reference it so it must have a very good meaning behind it. I know that Dr. Preston had to memorize it as a student and he is going to make us as well.
2. What do you know about Shakespeare?
- I know that Shakespeare is famously known for Romeo and Juliet, I read Romeo and Juliet  my freshman year and also watched many movies and videos that related to it. I don't know a ton about Shakespeare at all other then the fact that high school students are required to read a couple of this novels.
3. Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare"?
- Many students frown upon the work he has created because it is wrote in a way that is difficult to understand or comprehend. This year us AP students know that we are going to be memorizing, so that is another reason as to why we would frown upon the name.
4.What can we do to make studying this play an amazing experience we'll never forget?
- If we could make the play into some sort of game then I think it would be more memorable. Maybe if we each got a scene and then had to make it into a satire of some sort we may remember it because it would be humorous. I  think there are many ways and with all our brain power we can find a way to make it memorable.

Vocabulary #7 / group tale

     We all began to realize Quatro's shenanigans, so we all confronted him as to why he was acting so strange and  taking us in circles over and over. He became enraged with us and he became garrulous in his harangue about what he did to Xmus. We could barely understand his codswallop,  but then all of a sudden we hear a shriek and realized Kendall was standing wonkily at the trunk of the taxi cab. Jacob being super perspicacious realized something was wrong. We all rushed to the back of the cab and found Xmus's body in the trunk.
   The time between then and the time we woke up in Egypt seemed ephemeral. Quatro is very capricious, and so we try to ask him in a sly way why we are in Egypt and why he killed Xmus. He became ebullient and didn't try to eschew the the subject at all. Quatro went on about how he couldn't let us stay at the University because he refuses to go to jail for what he did. He flew us on a private plane of his so he knew we had no way of getting home. He became very loquacious and told us that if we ever tried to leave Egypt he would kill all of us as well.
     When he was done telling us the consequences of leaving Egypt, he hopped on his plane and flew off back to the place we were forbidden to go. We were all in shock and just stood in place not knowing what to do next, we knew we couldn't have a schism because we needed to stick together to keep safe. We didn't have a plethora of anything, all we had was the clothes on our backs, and here we are, in Egypt all alone.   

VOCABULARY #7

1. Shenanigans (noun): mischief, trickery, deceitful trick.
-The class clowns are always doing shenanigans, we can never get anything done in class.
2. Ricochet (verb): to rebound at least once from a surface.
- The basket ball ricochets when it is thrown.
3. Schism: to spilt into two mutually opposing groups.
- The 4H group had so much drama that the parents decided that a schism was necessary.
4. Eschew (verb) : to avoid, or shun.
- We decided to eschew sally because she never participates within the group.
5. Plethora (noun): a super abundance of, excess.
- The man has a plethora of energy in the morning, he must drink a lot of coffee.
6. Ebullient (adjective): zestfully enthusiastic.
- During the interview the man was completely ebullient, the interviewer was captivated by his energy.
7. Garrulous ( adjective): a trivial rambling talk.
- The woman got nervous during her speech, so her well thought out words became garrulous.
8. Harangue (noun) : a speech characterized with strong expressions and feelings.
- The advocate for breast cancer awareness gave a harangue, this was because she was a survivor and had strong feelings about the matter.
9. Interdependence: every member is dependent on each other.
- In Dr. Preston's class we are interdependent and need each others thoughts and advice to get through tough assignments.
10. Capricious (adjective): impulsive, and unpredictable.
- You never know what Johny may do next, he is very capricious.
11. Loquacious (adjective): very talkative.
- I am very quiet in class, but when I am with my friends I am loquacious.
12. Ephemeral (adjective): lasting for only a brief time.
- When you get a scratch on you leg it is only there for an ephemeral amount of time.
13. Inchoate (adjective): Imperfectly formed or developed.
- Children with dwarfism can be considered to be inchoate.
14. Juxtapose (adjective): to place near or next to each other, for comparison or contrast.
- Authors constantly juxtapose phrases for emphasis on something.
15. Perspicacious (adjective): someone who is very observant.
- Teachers are very perspicacious when it comes to mischievous students.
16. Codswallop (noun): Nonsense.
- Sometimes I feel that my essays are just completely codswallop.
17. Mungo (noun): low quality wool.
-Some sheep at the fair would produce mungo.
18. Sesquipedalian (noun): a long word.
- sesquipedalian is a long word itself, which is ironic.
19. Wonky (adjective): unsteady, or shaky.
- Kendall is very wonk when trying to accomplish something under pressure.
20. Dipthong (noun): a complex speech sound or glide that begins with one vowel and gradually changes to another vowel within the same syllable
- The man  gave a dipthong as a response.

Friday, October 4, 2013

IF I JUST HAD MORE TIME

   I think that the placement for this midterm was nice, but also unfortunate. I have been trying to find time to study for the SAT which is tomorrow and with the literature analysis and the midterm I didn't achieve the amount of studying I wanted to get accomplished. On the other  hand I feel that if any of the words we studied popped up on the SAT I would know them ! I think that it would have been better if the literature analysis would of been due next week to make more time for studying for the SAT. Plus this week has been so stressful! Midterms, tests, the analysis, and then to top it all off the SAT. If I had more time I would be so happy. I never have enough time throughout each day to get everything I need to get done accomplished. I learned a couple of weeks ago from a stress relief doctor that focusing on the things you didn't get done doesn't change the fact that they still aren't done, so therefore stressing about it as you sleep doesn't change the obvious. She also taught us that watching a short funny video right before taking a test is provent to increase your score about 30% because it allows the test taker to calm down. (I will be using this technique tomorrow before the SAT!!)

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Literature analysis #2 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

1. This novel is about two men (Lennie and George) who are starting a new job. They had to flee from the previous job they had because Lennie assaulted a lady and they were wanted for rape. George is the adult in the novel and he is always telling Lennie what is right from wrong. Once they get to the new work place Lennie and George meet Candy who they eventually make plans to own a dream house with. Lennie gets himself into some trouble because he kills his puppy, and a women. Lennie goes back to the "safe" spot George made for him, if any trouble ever came about. George finds Lennie at the spot by the river and retells him the story about the dream house they are going to have as George makes the decision to do something tragic. (I don't want to give away the ending of the book!)
2. One theme of the novel would be trust and another one would be acceptance. Throughout the novel Lennie trusts George with his life and keeping him safe. George has less trust in Lennie but that doesn't stop him from taking care of him for so many years, without a thing in return. Acceptance would  be another theme because Lennie just wants to be accepted by George and the people he is around. Lennie has some sort of learning disability and doesn't comprehend things the way the other characters do and he knows this, he feels that because he does things that are bad he will not be accepted by George to raise the rabbits of their future house.
3. The authors tone is serious. "so you wasn't gonna say a word. You was just gonna leave your big flapper shut and leave me do the talkin'. Damn near lost us the job."  (pg 25).This is a serious tone because their lives depend on getting the job, this is because they only have $10 from their previous job. Another example is " you George you stick with us so we don't think you got nothin to do with this" (pg 98) this is an example because in this part of the novel Lennie had just killed the mans wife and George has to decide who he is going to be loyal to. " you hadda, George. I swear you hadda. Come on with me now." (pg107). This is another example of a serious tone because George did something that he didn't really think through and at this point the reader can conclude that he is feeling sorrow and remorse for his actions.
4. Foreshadowing- The author foreshadows events when the gun is missing from Curleys room.
"Some one stole my gun, whata bastard. It aint in my room no more." pg 97"

Irony- The author uses irony because the man who is so strong wants to always handle the smallest of animals and always winds up killing them." You aint so little like a mouse, I didn't bounce you hard." pg85

Rhetorical questions- Lennie says many rhetorical questions to himself and the animals he kills, this is because he is mentally ill. " why do you go get killed? Why weren't you big enough for me?" pg86

Symbolism- The plan for their future house is the symbol of success and being well off. This is referenced to many times through out the novel.

similes-" A far rush of wind sounded and a gust drove through the tops of the trees like a wave." pg 99

setting- the setting is around a farm where the two men are hoping to be handy men. The setting is in a time period when working is essential for a person to be able to eat or support themselves in any way.

Flashback- " And he jus grabbed her red dress cuz he liked it and he didn't mean no harm. Then we had to spend the whole day in the ditch cuz she say he rape her." pg 74

Imagery- "The deep green pool of the Salinas River was still in the late afternoon." pg99

Conflict- the conflict in the novel is what causes Lennie and George to get into the sticky situation. " Come on ya big bastard. Get up on your feet. No bi son-of-a-bitch is gonna laugh at me. Ill show you who's yella" pg 62

Characterization- the characters are developed in a short amount of time, yet still seem to be strong and relevant to the point the author is trying to get across through the novel, which is trust and acceptance.

CHARACTERIZATION:
1.Lennie is described a big bulky man because he is much larger then all the other men on the farm.
Lennie is described as nuts because he isn't fully aware of everything that is going on around him all the time.
George is respectful and kind, you can get this because he is like a father to Lennie and is always teaching him right from wrong and never treating him wrong.
George is also one to get the job done, this is showed at the end of the novel when he knows he must take care of the wrong doing of Lennie and fix the problems Lennie has caused.
2. I think that Steinbeck uses mainly diction throughout this novel. The novel is mainly in dialogue so therefore there isn't much of a narrator describing the way the characters are its just what the reader takes from the conversations the characters have with each other. From pages 98-105 the author uses a lot of diction while George is talking to Lennie before the tragic event happens at the end.
3. The protagonist is George, He is a dynamic character in the story. He starts off this man who is trying to keep himself and his friend Lennie safe and on track to owning land. Eventually things occur within the story that allow him to realize that Lennie is never going to be able to stop doing harmful things to people. George comes to the realization that the plan they came up with will never happen because they are not meant for it to go through, he also realizes that Lennie is dangerous and something needs to be done before he causes more harm.
4. The end of the book made me cry. Although Lennie was a grown man he acted like a child which allowed me to feel sorrow for him. I feel that the book does a great job of creating characters that are easy to latch onto and follow them through out the novel. One example of Lennie's character that made me feel the most sorrow for him is on the last page when George is telling him the plan for the future for the very last time. " No Lennie, I ain't mad. I never been mad, an i ain't now. That's the thing I want you to know right now." The end of the book is depressing and I wasn't expecting the book to end the way it did.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

The comparison's tale

Chaucer uses irony in almost all of the tales, this was apparent as each group presented. The tales presented were the Miller, and the Monk. The Miller is ironic because he does crazy things and is a tricky man. The Monk seemed ironic in the prologue because he hunts and is adventurous unlike the way we portray monks today. My group read the Cook, and he was ironic because he is gross, and makes gross tasting food that no one wants to eat which is the opposite of a normal cook. I think that Chaucer also likes to have humorous situations, and events happen in each tale. In the presentations I learned that the Miller made a man kiss his butt and then got branded, and the Monk is made fun of and then states that everyone will get whats coming to them.  I think that Chaucer's characters all have similar styles since he is the author and that is the way he wants to portray the characters in each tale.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Tale of a Canterbury Tale (The Cook)

The Cook:
Summary- The tale describes the way the cook feels about his apprentice, and the shop he uses. The cook is passionate about his work, but it is ironic because he doesn't keep a clean kitchen. The cook is very passionate about the shop/kitchen he works in, but his apprentice is more involved in having a good time at the tavern or party. The cook decides it is better to get rid of the apprentice because he may spoil all the other good workers in the shop. In the very last line of the tale it states that his wife is for the public view, but his shop is his true passion and love.

Characterization:
- In line 4405 he quotes the proverb, which makes him seem like a sensible, and logical man. It also gives reasoning to letting the apprentice go.
- In line 4365-4380 you can get a sense of hatred towards people who are free-willed and like to party. He must like people who are dedicated to work, and not play.
- In line 4421 you get the understanding that he is extremely dedicated to his work, he loves the shop more then his own wife.
-Throughout there is references to God or religion, which allows the reader to know the cook is religious.
-You can determine that the cook is confused, I believe this because he keeps a dirty shop, but dedicates his life to the shop. Another reason he can be confused is because he wants a shop more then he wants a wife or family.

Chaucer's purpose:
I think the purpose of this tale is to show how dedicated someone can be to their work. I think that Chaucer definitely uses satirical techniques in this tale! The flies in the kitchen, and the conditions of the kitchen are all very concerning, since we all want food from a clean kitchen. I think he is also showing how a simple man can have power over someone who he may not entirely like. (on a side note now-a-days this isn't very satirical because fast food restaurants are gross behind the scenes as well)