IB Course Concluding Portfolio

Daniel Arcega

Mrs. Emerick

IB English HL II

IB Course Concluding Portfolio

Over the two years of IB English, I’ve read a total of 14 works. When reviewing those works, I realized that The Things They Carried from year one and The Dew Breaker had similar themes and structures. When I investigated further, I realized the other books had similar connections. For each book in year one, there was often a similar book in year two. This portfolio will go over the connections I found between these stories and my thoughts on them.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor and Hamlet

        I’m going to start with the first book I ever read for IB, How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas Foster. I have decided to connect this book with Hamlet by William Shakespeare because of both novels’ relation to the art of literature. Unlike the rest of the novels on this list, these two do not have any overlapping themes and are not even the same type of work. What they do share is knowledge regarding the function and form of writing. Foster’s work is a collection of various literary techniques used by writers throughout history. To me, each entry helps me look for further details and meanings left by the author that I would have missed otherwise. Work found with these tropes can be used to explore how writing styles and tendencies have changed over time. As culture changes with time, so do the techniques used by authors. Hamlet, on the other hand, gives an example of the way writing used to be. Even though it is a play in form, it is still a piece of literature from one of the most revered writers in history. It is not an overstatement to say Shakespeare’s works have influenced the art of writing nearly all across the world. Reading such an influential work is useful in understanding the development of the writing art. These two works contain information on literature history and a prime example of it as well, which is why I have paired them together.

The Things They Carried and The Dew Breaker

        

        The next pair is The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat. When I was pairing the books together, this pair was one of the first to stick out to me because of their writing style. Both novels are a collection of stories that occur within the same world. Of course, the style in which the stories are delivered is different between the two. TTTC is canonically a book within the stories world with a single author writing ‌his own experiences along with those of his comrades. The Dew Breaker switches to a different narrator for each story, showing it directly from their point of view. Despite this difference, the result is the same: stories that connect in subtle ways to create a grand overall message. I really enjoyed how each story seemed different, yet still managed to include the same themes. I can not imagine how difficult it was to get them all to fit together. Besides structure, the novels also have a similar theme. Both have a focal character who tries to leave behind a place and time of their life that severely affected them. In TTTC, Tim tries to forget his time as a soldier in Vietnam. In The Dew Breaker, the titular man attempts to live a life beyond his horrid actions in Haiti. The similarities in both structure and theme is why I paired these novels together.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold and “Doubt”

        To be honest, Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and “Doubt” by John Patrick Shanley are not my favorite stories. They are both excellently written, but the plots themselves do not interest me. This is most likely because most of the focus is on dialogue, with relatively little action going on outside of flashbacks. Still, I am glad to have read them and find out my preferences. I connected these two stories because they have a similar mystery element to them. Chronicle’s mystery focuses on the character of Santiago Nasar. Numerous accounts of his character and actions on the day of his death are given. In the end, whether he committed the crime Aloysius accuses him of is never revealed. Similarly, Father Flynn’s innocence or guilt is never revealed within doubt. Both Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius give their own stories and evidence, yet the story never gives a straight answer. I also dislike these ambiguous endings, but I can respect it as a valid way to end these stories. Us not getting an answer is essential to the themes of the works. The works' similar plots and themes are why I paired them together.

The Assault and The Stranger

The Assault by Harry Mulisch and The Stranger by Albert Camus are the next pair of novels. The common factor that I found is the disconnect between the protagonist and the events of the story. In The Assault, this is a purposeful ignorance attempted by the main character, Anton. The plot of the story repeatedly returns Anton to the night his family died through various coincidences. Even though Anton actively tries to leave the past behind him, he can not escape it. In The Stranger, Meursault tries to avoid things that trouble or bother him. Despite all the interesting occurrences and people around him, like his unique neighbors or lover, he never seems to be attached to them. Even after being arrested for murder, he tries his best just to live comfortably, eventually not caring for the things he left behind. Anton and Meursault both try to avoid confronting their problems, which is why I paired these two books together. Though similar, I prefer The Assault over The Stranger. The main reason for this is that I find Meursault a tough character to like. Of course, I understand that this is intentional, but it still makes it hard for me to enjoy the book. Anton has similar characteristics to Meursault, but has more pleasant qualities as well. The mystery behind the night of the assault was an intriguing plot as well. Though I could have done without The Stranger, I am glad to have read The Assault.

Monkey Bridge and The Handmaid’s Tale

    The next pair is Monkey Bridge by Lan Cao and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. The connection I made between these two stories is that the journey that two important characters go through is similar. Both Thanh and Offred are forced into a new and unknown life. They have to adapt and leave their past to survive. This theme is clear in the Monkey Bridge, where Thanh has to go to America and has a hard time adjusting to life in unfamiliar places. Her inability to adapt to American culture and leave her past behind is her struggle in the novel. Similarly, The Handmaid’s Tale has Offred force from her old life into a new one. Throughout the story, Offred is torn between maintaining hope that the people of her past are alive and accepting her new fate. I like how each character has a similar but opposite conflict. For Thanh, her new life in America is better than her life in Vietnam. For Offred, she would much prefer her old life over her new life as a handmaid. To me, though these were quality novels, I do not care for them that much. Part of this reason is that I am a man, so it is harder for me to connect to a female protagonist. Additionally, they are both dialogue and imagery heavy works, which is not my personal cup of tea. Despite this, I enjoyed reading them and the stories they told.

                            My Brilliant Friend and Poems by Carol Ann Duffy

        

        My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante and Carol Ann Duffy’s poems were actually two of my least favorite works that I have read for IB English. Keep in mind, I only dislike them because of my personal tastes. Their relationship focused subjects do not intrigue me. Analyzing both works has revealed much quality writing, but it does not simply appeal to me. However, their similar subject matter is why I paired them together. Both MBF and a large portion of Duffy’s poems focus on being a woman and the conditions that come with it. MBF focuses on growing up as a lady, while Duffy focuses on relationships from a female perspective. Despite the different foci, both spread similar female based messages, which is ultimately why I paired them together. 

The House on Mango Street and The Scarlet Letter

            This last pair of novels contains two of my favorite books I have read for IB: The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I like THMS because I enjoyed its varied slice of life stories. MBF was tense and had a clear overall plotline, while THMS has a large multitude of stories from funny to heartbreaking. I like TSL because I loved its story as well. The premise is unique, and the novel excellently fleshes out each important character. My only problem with it is how difficult it is to read it. To be honest, these were the last novels remaining after pairing the rest of the novels. I had a hard time figuring out a solid connection between the two stories. So, I’ve decided to connect these two books with the fact that they are my favorite IB books!

I personally do not read books as a pastime. I used to, but then I found things that were more entertaining to me. As such, I was worried at the start of IB when I learned ‌I needed to read so many books. Thankfully, the selection of works was so diverse and each novel was individually well crafted that it was an enjoyable process throughout. Even with the novels I did not like as much, I still gained literature knowledge by reading them. Thanks to IB English, I have greater appreciation for different genres of books and greater writing comprehension. I know both will serve me well in my further education.