Word Pair Essay

Since the first humans inhabited the planet, we have always had someone who pushed the envelope and thought outside the box. While some see these people as geniuses others see them as crazy. The question must be asked if these people who changed our lives time and time again were imaginative...or fanciful? The answer to this question and the distinction between the words lies in what those ‘geniuses’ gave us or what they tried to, as well as their thoughts.


Just what do imaginative and fanciful mean? Not surprisingly, their definitions are very similar. However, there is one key difference. While both deal with one’s imagination, imaginative is characterized by or bearing evidence of imagination (dictionary.com). It expresses a person’s imagination and creativity whereas fanciful, marked by fancy or unrestrained imagination rather than by reason and experience (Webster Dictionary), takes it too far, to the point where the thought or idea will usually never be real.

Imaginative and fanciful are both adjectives. Fanciful is rarely used and is elevated English while imaginative is used a lot and is considered standard English. Imaginative, which came from french in late 14c., has been around for a while with its meaning staying the same, which is having or showing creativity and imagination, and fanciful, which came from the combination of fancy + -ful in the 1620s.


The connotation of the words, much like their definitions, are similar. Both have the connotation of imaginary or have imaginary characteristics, with imaginative having a more positive connotation and fanciful having a more negative one. The words show inventiveness and creativeness, but with imaginative, the ideas are also productive and be put to good use. Both words are more abstract because they refer to ideas and thoughts rather than objects.  However, when it comes to being specific or general, you can clearly see imaginative as general and fanciful as specific. For example, in the quote: “Children are so creative and imaginative that they just bring you to life all over again.”(Moira Kelly), fanciful couldn’t work due to its negative connotation. Another example would be to take a simple animal, like a horse, and giving it wings or the ability to speak to show imaginative. However, giving it too much, like laser eyes, robotic wings, and a magical horn would make it become fanciful.

The distinction between the words imaginative and fanciful lies on the the question “Can it become a reality?” Anyone can see the distinction.  Although both words express creativity and imagination, the underlying difference is the respect that comes from the words. Imaginative has more respect than fanciful. This cause those who are imaginative to be seen as geniuses and those who are fanciful to be seen as crazy.

Journal Entry 8 (Pg.169-185)

A. Life seems good for Alice now. She's not ignored now and things go back to the way they were. She makes new friends and ha never been closer to her family. After that, it's just regular, everyday problems for Alice. As school starts, she decides that there's no need to keep a diary and writes one final entry. She died three weeks later from an overdose.

B. "I used to think I would get another diary after you are filled, or even that i would keep a diary or journal... with another part of herself as you have been to me. "(Pg.183-184)

This passage show how Alice has matured a lot since the first entry. She realized that now she should talk to others about her problems and decides to stop with the diary.

C. I believe that Alice's biggest accomplishment was going through all of this and not ending up as a statistic. She became stronger and wiser due to the experience and it gave her a dream. I do feel bad she couldn't do what she planned.

D. I happy for Alice that she still had her family even after going through what she did. If it wasn't for them, she may have not been able to come back from the dark.

Journal Entry 7 (Pg.145-168)

A. After the hallucinations, Alice is put in an asylum because of Jan and Marie. While in the asylum, she breaks down a little and wants nothing more than to leave. She meets several people in her ward, including a lecherous alcoholic and a 14 year old drug user and BP (read the bottom of Pg. 156 to find out what it means).After some time in the asylum, Alice's dad manages to get her out.

B. "I guess people can adjust to anything, even to being locked up in an institution."(Pg.159)

C. In a sense, I have been put in a place where i didn't want to be. With several problems I've caused in the house, I've been put in the proverbial doghouse and didn't like it.

D. Alice, while not trying to break down, slowly follows the routine in the asylum and stays out of trouble. It seems that's all can do until her parents get her out.

Journal Entry 6 (Pg.122-144)

A. Alice is being messed with the drug users at school and being ignored by the normal kids, but is able to meet someone who was kind to her. During this period, her grandma becomes sick and dies. Joel helps her through it. Just as things seem to return to normal, she ends up being hospitalized because someone puts some drugs into the peanuts she was eating. which caused her to hallucinate and cause harm to herself.

B. "Jan sidled up to me as I was walking down the ramp and whispered, 'You better tell your little tail-wagging sister not to accept candy from strangers or even from friends, especially your friends.'"(Pg. 129)

This passage shows how Jan tries to get even with Alice for calling her parents but takes it too far. Many people do this and involve someone's family in a personal discretion.

C. I see Alice as strong. She was able to try and live a normal life after all that happened to her.

D. Alice shows that there is a chance for people like her to quit. I believe others should follow her example.

Journal Entry 5 (Pg.98-121)

A. Alice calls her parents and life seems to return to normal for her. She has stayed away from drugs, her grades are up and her parents are happy. Some time later, Alice is somewhat outcasted because of what she did and those who use drugs try to pressure her to go back to using drugs. Her granddad had a stroke and died, leaving Alice and her family in a funk they slowly pull themselves out of.

B. "I have to force myself to concentrate in school. I didn't know that death took so much out of people. I feel completely drained still and have to force myself into everything i do."(Pg.120)

This passage show the effect death has on everyone. Just like Alice, some people have to force themselves to do things and the feel so drained. Everyone is affected but one person's death.

C. I see Alice as determined. Since she got back home, she has done everything to make sure she doesn't slip up and that her family is happy. Even with people messing with her at school, she does her best not to give in and to go through this.

D. Alice has gotten a lot better at this point. She seems stronger, more appreciative, and more willing to comply with her parents. She shows a lot of strength in giving up drugs and moving forward. She might weaken alittle but she will remain strong.

Journal Entry 4 (Pg. 74-97)

A. When Alice come home, everything is good. She feels loved, happy, and safe. As school starts back, Alice and Chris end up smoking and getting caught. Alice leaves and goes to a shelter and meets Doris. After some time, she's completely addicted and now does whatever she can just to get high. Even as she realizes whats she doing, she just gives up.

B. "Adolescents have a very rocky insecure time. Grown-ups treat them like children and yet expect them to act like adults. They give them orders like little animals, then expect them to react like mature, and always rational, self-assured persons of legal stature."(pg.76)

This passage show how Alice feels when it comes to parents. Everyone ends up feeling this at one point, especially when they're disagreeing with their parents.

C. If I met Alice, I'd ask her why she seemed to give up and give into drugs. She said she wouldn't let this happen again and I believe she should try to accept her parents help.

D. Alice has given up quickly. It's like she didn't even try to fight it. I can honestly say that i do and don't feel sorry for her and others like her. They seem to ignore everyone who doesn't agree with them and continue to ruin their lives just for a high.

Journal Entry 3 (Pg.49-73)

A. Alice and Chris become really close and Alice tries pot. She falls in love with Richie and begins selling drug for him to other users. When she find out he's gay, she gets him sent to jail and her and Chris leave to San Francisco. After getting a cheap apartment, both manage to find good jobs and become close with their bosses. At one of Shelia's, Chris's boss, they all take drugs and Shelia and he 'boyfriend' raped and abused Alice and Chris. After that, they look for a new place and try to open their own store. While doing so, some kids come and hang out there while talking about getting high. As Christmas comes around, Alice want to go see her family again.

B. "Guess i was just a stupid, dumb kid asking to be taken, and I was! Man, was I ever! But next time I won't be so stupid, except there won't be any next time! I will never ever, ever, under any circumstances use drugs again. They are the root and cause of this whole rotten, stinking mess I am in, and I wish with all my heart and soul that I never had heard of them."(Pg.60)

This passage shows Alice realizing what she has done and promises to herself not to fall in the same situation ever again. It's at this point that things seem to look up for her. As long she keep this promise, things will get better for her.

C. What challenges did the main character face?
Alice tries to get clean and get away before she gets back into drugs. It's hard for her to do this but she does. However, when she uses drugs and Shelia's parties, she repeated the process and left  so she couldn't be near drugs again, which became harder for her.

D. Alice is getting better. After realizing her mistakes, she does her best to try and correct them. Now she is trying to stay away from drugs and now trying to stay positive.

Journal Entry 2 (Pg.25-48)

A. Alice is at her grandparents' house and is very bored. while looking for a present for Alex, she meets Jill and they talk and hang out. When they go to a party, Alice drinks a coke with LSD in it and experiences her first high. After that, she thinks about trying other drugs. She later meets Bill and does a few more drugs. Later, her granddad had a heart attack and she tries to stop doing drugs.  She goes to Bill's house and decides to take some acid for her 'last' trip and ends up having sex with Bill, which causes her to stress about Roger and he family finding out and getting pregnant. As Alice gets more stressed out, she takes some sleeping pills and becomes addicted to them and tranquilizers. She meets a girl named Chris that understand her and gave another drug. She now takes drugs to get through the day and begins to dislike her parents.

B. "Last night was the bitter end. Mom and Dad flowed tears and flowers about how much they love me and how worried they've been about my attitude since I got back from Gran's. They hate my hair, which they still want me to wear in a flip like the kiddies, and they talked and talked and talked, but never once did they even hear one thing I was trying to say to them. In fact at the beginning, when they were telling me about their deep concern, I had the overwhelming desire to break down and tell them everything. I wanted to tell them! I wanted more than anything in the world to know that they understood, but naturally they just kept on talking and talking because they are incapable of really understanding anything. If only parents would listen! If only they would let us talk instead of forever and eternally and continuously harping and preaching and nagging and correcting and yacking, yacking, yacking! But they won't listen! They simply won't or can't or don't want to listen, and we kids keep winding up back in the same old frustrating, lost, lonely corner with no one to relate to either verbally or physically."(Pg.44-45)

This passage shows how not only Alice, but many kids see their parents. They feel as thou they have no say and their parents don't care about their opinions and eventually end up with so much bottled inside since they can't seem to find someone to relate to. And this could cause and inevitable distance between the two.

C. What are the traits you see in the main character?
Alice is curious and at the same time scared. When she first takes LSD, she thought of trying other drugs but at the same tried to convince herself that drugs are bad. After that, she tries different kinds of drugs.

D. Now that Alice has tried drugs, she now is thorn on whether to continue or not. As more days go by, she seems to try and stop fight and just continue taking drugs, even going as far as going to a doctor and lying to get some. Alice's life is slowly spiraling down and if she doesn't act quickly, things will only get worse.

Journal Entry 1 (Pg.1-24)

A. Alice, in the beginning, seems happy until something happened between her and Roger. A week and a half later her family is moving because her dad got a new job and life seem to be good for Alice. When they move and Alice goes to her new school, she is ignored by everyone until she make one friend, Gerta. Later on, she makes another friend, Beth, and they seem to bond. During their break from school, Alice finds out Beth is going to a summer camp and they spend their last few days together.

B. "A whole week has gone by and no one has done more than stare at me in a kind of curious, hostile, 'what are you doing here?' kind of way. I've tried to bury myself in books and my studies and my music and pretend I don't care. I guess I don't really care, and besides what difference could it make if I did?"(Pg. 16)

This passage shows Alice in a situation that some of us have been in many times. Her reaction to being the new kid at school is the norm. No matter how many time you go through this, you realize there no point caring and just ignore those who just stare at you like some weird creature.

C. What challenges is the main character facing?
Alice is feeling out of place and like she doesn't belongs. She seeks others approval, especially her peers. This may cause her to do something to be liked that she wouldn't have done.


D. Alice is nothing more than just a simple teen. She's willing to do whatever she can to be like. One shouldn't have to do things to be liked. In the end, it won't really matter, and you find out they really didn't like you at all and you were making a fool of yourself.

Imaginative...Fanciful

The beast drawing is very imaginative with out taking it too far. The unicorn painting is fanciful, meaning that while it is imaginative, it went too far and became unreal.

Connotation/Denotation

1:
a. natural- I do not like that natural the guy has.
b. old- He is very old for his age.
c. committed- They're not very committed to this, are they?
d. free- It's never good to be free and wild.
e. chemical- it's said that the chemical is actually good for you.
f. lazy- She's not lazy when it come to work.

2:
a. brittle, hard, fragile
Those glass figurines are very fragile.

In he sentence, hard can not be used because its connotation is the opposite of fragile's and brittle's connotation. Brittle has too strong a connotation compared to fragile.

b. quiet, withdrawn, glum
His withdrawn personality kept him from making any friends or being noticed.

In this sentence, the word glum can't be substituted because it does not have the same connotation  of shyness as that is needed for the sentence to work. Quiet, while closer to the connotation, doesn't connote the idea strongly compared to withdrawn.

c. shrewd, clever, cunning
Be careful when your'e with her; she's very shrewd.

In the sentence, clever and cunning can be used. However, they do not strongly express the connotation as shrewd does.
d. strange, bizarre, remarkable
The worker seems to have a bizarre way of doing things.

In the sentence, remarkable can't be used because it doesn't have the connotation of weird. Strange could work, but it doesn't connote strongly compared to bizarre.

e. thrifty, miserly, economical
Since he is always miserly, he doesn't have a lot of things.

In this sentence, economical can't be used because it doesn't have the connotation of being cheap. Thrifty does have the connotation, but isn't strong enough to connote the idea.

3:
Artist
When you hear the word artist, most people would think of those who paint. To me, it's more that that. An artist is anyone who show exceptional and professional skill in what they do. For example, a dancer can be seen as an artist if they show excellent skill in how and what they dance. Even a fighter or soldier can be seen like that depending on their skill set.

Wordle

G.A.A Reading Schedule

Reading Schedule

Monday: 1-37

Tuesday:38-74

Wednesday:75-111

Thursday:112-148

Friday:149-185