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Index Pages 2 – 3 Pages 4 – 5 Pages 6 – 8 Pages 9 – 10 Pages 11-12 Pages 13-14 Pages 15-16 Pages 17 Pages 18-20 Pages 21-22 Pages 23-24 Pages 25-26
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Forward Essay 1 – Compare and Contrast - Things They Carried and Slaughter-House Five Essay 2 – Position Paper Short Stories Essay 3 – Frankenstein Essay4 – Poetry Response- Small Group Essay 5 – Compare and Contrast – Whitman and Hughes Essay 6 – Position Paper – Drama Elements – Helen Essay 7 – Othello Literary Criticism Essay 08 – The Pawnbroker – Group Essay 09 – Prose Response Essay 10 – Open Ended Question Essay 11 – College Essay
Forward This is a collection of my literary works through the course of the 2008 and 2009 school year. Although, they may seem to be written by a child in middles school, I feel like I have much more potential. It’s safe to say that I crack under pressure. While reading these said ‘literary works’ I stumbled across a few words I frequently use. This should be easily taken care of, considering a majority of the time, they don’t actually fit into the context. Although I have included better vocabulary and began using those favorite words, when acceptable, I still could use some improving. There were a few areas I was able to improve in, including; taking a stance, focusing, and clearer diction. Being the indecisive person I am, developing a stance on paper becomes a true internal struggle. Majority of the time during the multiple timed writings was devoted to prepping. Prep time, simply included deciding my opinion on the subject. Eventually I was able to minimize the time I wasted and develop my stance as I wrote. It became much easier to write what I knew, in an organized manner, and then conclude with my personal beliefs and opinions. It became clear to me that my papers could not be right or wrong, but was judged by the use of confidence and evidence. Through the course of the year, I was able to devote my time elsewhere, and better my writing technique. Through the course of the year, my technique remained the same. Begin with the prompt, support in the middle three paragraphs, and conclude with wise words of wisdom. Although this may seem to be an organized technique, it never turned out that way. In my earlier works, it is clear that I lacked the focus necessary to write a decent paper. My thought process jumped from one subject to the next, making it difficult to write and keep up with my ideas. I sometimes thought it would be easier if I could just spill all the words out and make sense of it all. As the year progressed I learned to take it slow, make every word essential to the paragraph, and ensure that it fits within the context.
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This eventually led to better diction. As a beginner, I tried terribly to sound intelligent, and wise. My far fetched word choice branched from using synonyms that seemed brilliant at the time from a thick thesaurus. As I read over these earlier works, I see that not only were they not brilliant, but I appeared to be uneducated. The in-class vocabulary aided in my improvement immensely. Rather than simply memorizing and reiterating the words, I took the time to learn them, and use them in daily conversation. Similar to Holden Caulfield, I prefer to read and write in a conversational style, rather than formal. This presents a problem, because, once again, my writings appear to be written by a fool. At this point, I can only improve my writing. The only way to do so, is to continue writing. Bringing patience, tranquility, and caution, to the table when I write will only improve my writing ability. My potential to write surpasses these works, yet I take pride in even my most foolish essays and timed writings.
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Essay 1 Tim O’Brien, the author of The Things They Carried wrote a book based true history, but nothing was true, more or less. On the other hand, Vonnegut wrote a book about a man, possibly a crazy one. Billy Pilgrim, in Slaughter-House Five is an easy going man with nothing to gain or lose. The authors of these two novels create mind boggling stipulations between truth and lies. The way truth is portrayed defines each book uniquely, and emphasizes a difference between reality and synecdoches. Both novels dance with the idea of fiction within non-fiction. Vonnegut portrays the truth more credibly than O’Brien. In Slaughter-House five, the story telling is so out of touch with reality, which makes differentiating between real and surreal a simpler task. There is a distinct line between what is true and what is not. Vonnegut’s style is simple, and unexaggerated. Billy Pilgrim, a flat or static character, lives an easy going life. This nonchalant attitude is relatable, making it realistic. While on the other hand, he cannot truly become unstuck in time, Billy Pilgrim was not abducted by Tralfamdorians, and that is easy grasped as a synecdoche. The surrealism makes the novel interesting and is necessary in defining Billy Pilgrim. Without the imagery and explanation of Tralfamadore Vonnegut would not have clearly been able to express Billy Pilgrim’s abstract views on life. Without both, story truths and happening truths about Billy, Slaughter –House Five would have been an empty novel. Unlike Vonnegut, O’Brien leaves no space between fiction and non-fiction. The story truth and happening truth mingle and become indefinable. However, what remains true throughout the entire novel is the emotion. Whether Kiowa actually died or O’Brien, the narrator, actually killed a man does not make a difference. The emotions of Vietnam were expressed through the stories that O’Brien wrote. All in all, O’Brien’s novel is simply a synecdoche on a larger scale. 5|Page
The importance of story truth and happening truth are equivalent. To express the truth, the author needs to evoke an emotion and that is where telling stories comes into play. Tweaking the truth to tell a storing brings appeal to a novel. When, eventually, the truth is revealed, the true emotion will remain. When O’Brien admits that none of the story is true, the related emotion remains the same. Vonnegut and O’Brien appeal to history, fiction, and emotion. Just as O’Brien the narrator said, “A good war story is never true.” In the end, he understood truth is what is important.
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Essay 2 Authors create literary works based on themes and motives. The theme conveys meaning and essence to simple words and phrases. Without theme a story remains merely a series of events, and nothing more. Creativity and freedom in literature allows for multiple themes. However, the short stories; “Eveline” by James Joyce, in “The Secret to Not Getting Stuck” by Jay Woodruff, and “The Metmamorphosis” by Kafka hold the same thematic base of a character bounded by duty. Eveline, Joyce’s main character, is considered a heroine that failed due to her hubris. Her duty simply entails of caring for her family and abusive father. Realistically this degrading duty would not restrict a person from their true desires. Her search for freedom neared with such welcoming arms however her extensive bind to her small town disregarded any escaping. Eveline’s weekness or hubris lies in her past. An abusive widowed father tore Eveline apart piece by piece. Nothing left to lose defines freedom. While losing or giving up defines sacrifice. In this story, if Eveline would have simply sacrificed her duty as her father’s care taker she would have nothing left to lose, hence, she would be free. She would be free to ber her own person, live her own life, make her own decision, and finally cut the ties to her home and broken family. A little sacrifice goes a long way, and in Eveline’s case, Buenos Aires. Del, in “The Secret To Not Getting Stuck” sacrificed more than the average seventeen year old. His duty was to sacrifice. His father expected him to be the best wrestler he could be, and that entailed of sacrificing mornings of sleep, food, and a normal social life. After Del’s father died the ties to duty were broken. He never loved the sport, and only participated and strived because he had to. Exceeding was an expectation, and there was no other way. In giving up of everything he had, Del had total 7|Page
freedom. He literally had nothing left to lose, except for his matches. When Del finally lost, in the end, it is apparent that his father was the only binding factor to Del and Wrestling. Without the support and persistence of his father, Del would not have cared. The vision of his father during his last match, after his father died, exuberates the fact that, his father was the only important factor. Del had a duty and a requirement to succeed. After that bind was broken, and that duty was lost, there was no purpose left in Del’s strict and rigorous way of life. Del’s life was a life of repetition and order, any interruption could lead do his overall demise. Without his solemn duty of exceeding and sacrifice, he had nothing to win or lose. Kafka’s writing in “The Metamorphosis” conveys a surreal sense of existence. Gregor sacrificed himself due to the demands of his duty. He sacrificed his whole life in order to support and stabilize his, ungrateful, family. Years of sacrifice led to his metamorphosis. However the change from his human form, to the bug form, was not alerting. The most atrocious aspect of the story was predicament of Gregor and his inability of arriving to work on time. After the family and Gregor became aware that he was incapable of fulfilling his duty, he was no longer valuable to the family, and was left to die. Dying as a bug is a symbol of Gregor’s life. He was born to fulfill the duties of the lowest of specimen. As a travel sales man, he accepted all of his directions and orders, with ease. Gregor never took a stand against the authorities above him. With no opinion, no love, and no desires, Gregor was living the life of a bug within a human body. His duties of a person were those of a bug, a low specimen. Gregor was free at last to do as he pleases, as a bug, but it was not fulfilling. The will to accept and perform the duties at hand is a gift of freedom. However the power to withstand the binding of these duties is a gift of human existence. Eveline never took a stand against her father, against her duty, and she was left in a sullen existence. Without each individual voice, and separate duties, the world would resemble that of a controlled society such as in The Giver, solitary and
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sullen. Del never experience the joy and life outside of wrestling and was a lost soul without his bind to duty. Duty without out love and emotion is merely actions and nothing more.
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Essay 3 Mary Shelley, the author of a whimsical novel, remains well known for her great works. In this novel, Frankenstein, Shelley introduces each character, and later depicts the perceptions of the main roles. The novel involves conflict between an anti hero and a tragic hero. In the end, the victor remains vague. Whether the doctor’s name was Shelley playing into irony or just coincidence it makes no difference. Frankenstein elucidates the fact that a bad relationship between a creator and creature, will end miserably. In Frankenstein multiple persons pay the price for the bad relationship between the doctor; the townspeople, Victor’s family, and the passerby, Walton. The death of one man, William, develops into an elaborately woven web of guilt and issues within the town. “Oh, God! I have murdered my darling child!” insisted Elizabeth after viewing her son’s corpse. (43) However the monster created by Victor was the true murderer, but for some reason or another, he never took the heat for his actions. “But I, the true murderer, felt the never-dying worm alive in my bosom, which allowed no of no hope or consolation.” (59) Arguably Victor remains at fault for the death of William; however he takes the blame, too, for the death of Justine. Her death was the in turn the reaction of William’s murder. Justine’s execution could have easily have been diverted by the towns people, but without a convicted offender, there would be a murderer on the loose, against their best wishes. The tangles in this web, certainly link back to Victor’s monster, however Victor had no control of his creature. The creature’s actions were of pure disobedience. When acting out against a creator there is nothing to be gained but despair. Victor, at this point resembles a tragic hero in the regards the he has no control over the situation, yet feels extreme guilt. While Victor contemplated in prison, after falsely being accused of the death of his long time friend Henry Clerval, he remembers the letter from the monster. This letter read “I will be with you on 10 | P a g e
your wedding night” (139). The monster had killed William, Henry, Justine, and Victor would not allow the monster to taunt the best night of his life. Elizabeth was the source of Victor’s joy. On the night of the wedding, Victor had no control of the outcome. He suspected the monster was after the revenge of his creator; however, the monster killed Elizabeth. Once again, Victor was without control of the situation. He played so well into his tragic hero character. Checking the premises left his new bride exposed. Once again, Victor blamed himself for the wretched acts of his creature. After failing miserably multiple times, Victor left the quest of finding this monster in the hands of Walton. Walton’s crew become weary and homesick and desired nothing more but to be home. Walton paid the price when Victor, his newfound friend died. After all the grief and anguish, Victor had nothing left to lose besides the life that he lived. This tragic hero was killed slowly, from the inside out by the creature that he created, abandoned, and hated. The monster was left to wonder the lands in a life of loneliness. All in all, Victor suffered the most out of the whole situation. He was stripped of his pride, efforts, and loved ones. His heart was left full of guilt, revenge, and tragedy. “Human beings, their feelings and passions, would indeed be degraded, if such a wretch as I felt pride…I am the cause of this- I murdered her. William, Justine, and Henry- they all died by my hands.” (136) Victor’s tragedy rested in his inability to control any situation, yet he was guilty for every situation. With his own hands and efforts, Victor incidentally created a killing machine. Every death encountered by Victor symbolizes a greater vengeance. His efforts of creating life from death were masked by deaths of his loved ones.
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Essay 4 Repentance begins with the burden of sin and leads to an acceptance, forgiveness and finally ends with a hopeful future. John Donne, the author of “A Hymn to God the Father” breaks repentance down into three stanzas. Each stage of repentance that he encounters is a new stanza. Donne’s writing is efficacious due to his choice of form, tone, and symbolism. The first stanza Donne accepts his guilt of sin. Not only does he ask forgiveness of his sins, but he begins the entire poem with original sin. “Will thou forgive that sin where I begin.” The first sin of Adam and Eve led to sins of the world, just as they lead to Donne’s sins throughout his life. Stanza two embraces Donne’s acceptance once again, but for those who have sinned by his temptation. This shows genuine care and concern. Feeling guilty and remorseful for another’s sins is a sacrifice that Donne made willingly. Finally, in stanza three Donne continues his benevolent attitude by acknowledging a greater world than his sole existence. “At my death thy sun shall shine as it shines now.” The world goes on, and his sins will remain if not for repentance, as will the sins at the hands of his temptation. As his life hears an end he takes the blame, the guilt, and they burden, just as Jesus did. This brings attention back to the title, “A Hymn to God the Father.” Donne is not repenting to a priest in confession, rather straight to his almighty father, who will forgive him. The whole concept of sin and Repentance brings on three tones. In Stanza 1 Donne writes “forgive those sins through which I run, and do them still,” The fact that he knows he will continue sinning after he attains forgiveness is somber and would lead most people to dismiss the idea of repentance all together. Donne also writes with benevolence in stanza 2, where he takes on the sins of others. “Wilt thou forgive the sin by which I won”. He was the tempter and was victorious. A somber victory is a victory of Satan; however, Donne takes full responsibility and repents, showing his true
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benevolent nature. He elaborates on his somber victory when he states that he “wallowed in the score”. Finally stanza three holds hope for the future, for him as well for others. “Thy sun shall shine as it now and heretofore”. After sin, after repentance, and after death, the world goes on. The sun will continue to bear the same light, to others, that lead him to seek forgiveness. Donne ambiguously incorporates symbolism into stanzas. “That sin where I begun” symbolizes the original sin; the sin that every person begins with. The final stanza symbolizes God the light, in the worlds dark sin, for “Thy sun shall sine… and heretofore” God’s light will always remain. The title “A Hymn to God the Father also ties into the last stanza. Donne incorporates two puns in his writing. The first being sun, meaning the son of God the Father. For God’s son, too will shine as it does now and eternally. Also, Donne’s play on words parallels his name. “When thou hast done thou hast not done.” Finally he ends with “Having done that, thou hast done.” He is done with sin. Repentance is key to a healthy relationship with God. Ironically, repentance is only necessary with sin. Because Donne acknowledges original sin, he repents with reverence and true concern. In the side holes it is said that in writing this poem Donne was ill. His closing in life and sin was repentance through “A Hymn to God the Father” When the end is near, a true understanding and necessity of repentance is clear. In closing, the sun will always shine and repentance can clear a sinful heart, body, and mind, in order to see the light.
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Essay 5 In America the roles of men and women continuously change. Men contained the power in years passed, the equality came through the civil rights movement. Today it is safe to say that women are equal to men and could possibly gain superiority. These opposing roles of men and women are vivid in “Eve names the Animals” and “Adams task” through language, tone and syntax. Eve as the speaker, in “Eve Names the Animals” speaks with eloquence, her language reigns superior to that of the speaker of “Adam’s Task”. Both poems contain the same subject but approach it differently. Eve describes a dove as “a burrowing, blind creature” (1.3) while “Adam’s Task” describes this animal generally, “Every burrower each flyer” (1.5). Eve’s description appeals more to the senses, while Adam simply makes a statement. Eve includes multiple syllable words including; according, underbrush and accompanied. Adam on the other hand, sticks to simple words and phrases. The simplicity of Adams trick reveals insights about Adam’s view. The tone of the poem is angst. Adam rushes to complete his task for the sole purpose of being done. “Naming’s over. Day is done” (1.25) Adams task was only to amen the animals, nothing more was expected and he had no intentions of working anymore. Eve on the other hand treated her duties with genuine pleasure. The tone of “Eve Names the Animals” is playful. “It’s said that man never knew Animals” (1.4/5) is a sarcastic comment. Eve pokes fun of Adam for his insincerity and lackadaisical attitude toward the animals. Adams lackadaisical approach to his naming task is apparent through the syntax of “Adams Task”. He never stops naming to observe each arrival or get a better understanding. He rapidly points and names each animal. He repeats the process. “Thou paw-paw-paw; thou’ ground; thou, spotted ground (1.1/2) While ever considered her name giving duties to be something of pride “wore them as garlands on my long walks” (1.31/32) this would allow everyone to see her accomplishments. 14 | P a g e
Both poems, “Adam’s Task” and “Eve Names the Animals” describe the task of naming animals for the future generations as a not so serious task. Although it may be an important task, they both take light of the situation. Viewing the contrasting roles of Adam and Eve reveals the opposing traits of men and women since the beginning of time. Although they contrast in their approaches, they are equal because they both were given the same task. It is important to separate inequality from different characteristics of men and women. To ensure equality in America, people need to recognize that every individual is equally different. Adam and Eve exemplify this perfectly. America’s attitude toward men and women’s equality is ever changing with society but it is important to remember the beginning of roles and equality.
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Essay 6 The translation of Helen, by Rachel Hadas’ holds focus on the dramatic irony within the original work. Hadas shows the good and bad qualities of each character through their individual struggles, intertwined with the struggles of one another. Hadas’ translation brings great honor and mockery to the tragedy of Helen. Hadas takes great strides in differentiating between perception and reality. Because the characters maintain virtuous faith in gods and acquaintances, they are easily deceived. In opening, Helen relies solely on stories; her origins remain unclear, because she accepts what ‘’they say.’’ The importance of her knowing her origins is that she accepts it, regardless, in saying ‘’at any rate, I’m Helen’’ (1.23). Hadas expresses Helen’s realistic characteristics through her acceptance, which leads to trouble in her future. Hadas stresses the importance of what is seen and what is perceived. As one of Aristotle’s dramatic tragedy elements, the theme focuses on the disagreement in the play among reality and fantasy. When Teucer and Helen met, Teucer’s sight revealed Helen, the beautiful woman who destroyed Troy; however he was persuaded to see a different woman. The woman Teucer conversed with, so he thought, know of Helen, and damned her. However, in reality, he was talking to Helen, not the Helen that caused the war, but the Helen that was blamed for the war. The characters show great faith in the unknown. Hadas uses Aristotle’s dramatic elements to convey a sense of imbalance among each character. T hey trust mere acquaintances with vital issues concerning, life, death, and survival. Helen accepted the news of Menelaus’ death without question, but with sincere concern. Naturally matters of death would be accepted without question. Helen did not seek answers, for there was no question about the matter. Word of mouth in Hadas’ translation serves little beneficial purpose. The majority of characters are living their lives based on a phantom, making
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the deceptions not lies but ignorance. There is a fine line between dishonesty and miscommunication. With clear intentions and a well balanced understanding of the situation, each character intends to share their knowledge. However what they know, or what they saw is incorrect. Deus ex machine relieves the characters of discretion. Hera’s intervention and creation of the phantom Helen causes extreme disruption. Hadas’ music and rhythm, according to Aristotle’s elements of tragedy adds to the work as a whole. Hadas uses a loosely rhymed pentameter within the dialogue. The lines are short to stress the brevity of Greek influences. With brief lines and loose rhymes, the work seems mocking or satiric. With such serious matters regarding life and death, Hadas makes light of the situations through her rhythm. Helen’s speech seems sarcastic. In Helen’s conversation with Teucer, she damns herself to hell. This ridiculous statement mimics those who fought such a great war for a mere image. The elements Hadas uses in her work are the traditional elements of tragic drama, based on Aristotle’s teachings. They include but, are not limited to; theme, character, and music. Without her genuine effort in adhering to, and emphasizing the traditional elements, her work and translation of Helen would have distorted the view of the Trojan War.
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Essay 7 Thomas, Aeronwy. "Dylan Thomas." Dylan Thomas. 16 Nov. 2008. 16 Nov. 2008 <http://www.dylanthomas.com>.
Thomas Aeronwy, the son of Dylan Thomas, instituted this website in order to honor and remember his father. The site provides a list of his entire collection and minor details like the year published; along with a link to a more elaborate description of each. Aeronwy included a chronology of Dylan’s life, beginning with his wife’s birth in 1913, and ending with the death of his oldest son in 2000. The site provides a more personal view of Dylan’s life, considering the author is his son. However, it too serves as an advertisement, with a link to an online shop to purchase works about, by, and unrelated to Dylan Thomas
Deese, Patrick. "The Biography Project." Pop Sub Culture. 11 Dec. 2001. An Independent Reference Resource. 16 Nov. 2008 <http://www.popsubculture.com>. This site developed as a voluntary effort to provide information on “culturally influential individuals.” Two men, Bonsey Jones, and Patrick Deese, collaborated and developed this site solely on their spare time, as a fun little project. However, not being modified since 2003, the information on Dylan Thomas is accurate, considering he died in 1952. The site provides links relating to Dylan Thomas. Patrick provides a summary of Dylan’s life, but begins with a breakdown of Dylan’s name which is from a medieval welsh tale.
Thomas, Dylan. Dylan Thomas Selected Poems 1934-1952. New York: Direct Corporation, 20036. 1-207. This book contains the majority of Dylan Thomas’ works from 1934-1952. The poems range from pages, to just a few lines. However, he notes that he has revised or edited a few of the poems in the book, but would never have time to re edit every single one. He also notes that his poems “are written for the love of Man and in praise of God.” Knowing his religious affiliation to some extent will most certainly clear the confusion with the interpretation.
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Essay 8 In “The Pawnbroker” by Maxin Kumin, the speaker reflects on her outside and inside worlds and how they affect her life and emotions. Kumin’s outside and inside worlds intertwine to create a loving relationship between her and her father. For Maxin Kumin, the harsh outside world contributes to the pain and love she feels in her inside world, which is made evident through diction, imagery and symbolism. The connections between the outside and inside worlds of the speaker are depicted through vivid diction. Kumin’s father’s occupation is connected with her own feelings of grief and love at his death because of how closely connected her father was to his occupation. With words like “hurt”, repeated in stanzas 1, 4, 5, Kumin defines the pain her father experienced in his occupation which weighed down on her as well. Similarly, “secondhand”, in stanza 3, connects her father’s occupation as a pawnbroker to how he provided for the family and their outside world. In addition to “secondhand” and “hurt” Kumin uses words like “sharp”, “beat”, and “stains”, to display the burden of the job on her father and the weight of his hard work. However, the inside world of Kumin is greatly influenced by her outside world. In stanza 6, she shifts from “secondhand” to “firsthand” to show her transition to her inside world. Kumin uses words like “love” and “grace” to describe her father as well as “prince” in stanza 8. Kumin highly regards her father and her grief is evident in stanza 1 where words like “tender”, “smooth”, and “white” describe her father in death; making a stark contrast to the sharp word choice in describing her outside world. Lastly, Kumin refers to the “sacrament” of taking over her father’s job and “closing down”; thus, the speaker connects her father’s occupation to who he was and closing down his shop is like him dying again to Kumin. Imagery plays a predominant role in portraying both the pain of the outside world and conflicted feelings of Kumin’s inside world. Life as a pawnbroker is not always fulfilling and Kumin said
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her father was “standing behind the counter waiting on trade,” (Stanza 1) which gives the idea of business being slow and weighing him down. Kumin also discusses the outside world pain her father felt due to not being able to provide sufficiently for her family; this feeling “gave him a pain – part anger, part wonder; as sharp as gravel inside his lisle socks” (Stanza 2). The imagery of sharp gravel portrays the intensity of his feelings and makes the comparison more alive. The pain and dedication of Kumin’s father intensified her love for him which made her grieve his death even more. Kumin described her relationship to her father as “a love ingrown tight as an oyster” (Stanza 6); this oyster imagery conveys a relationship which is secret but still very tight and close. The death of Kumin’s father affected her significantly; “my first prince whom death unhorsed lay soberly dressed and barefoot to be burned” (Stanza 8). The image of her father’s body laying dead conveys her true affection and love of her father which she will always grieve even though he is dead. Diverse imagery is used by Kumin to portray the pain and emotions caused by her father’s occupation which contribute to the great love and grief she experiences due to his death. Kumin connects the aspects from both, the outside world of hard work, and the inside world of great love and grief, through symbolism. Her father’s journey is symbolized by his feet. In the first stanza his “tender and smooth feet” symbolize a long peaceful journey through the outside world. Although he put in much work, with great effort, he worked with ease and pride. In the second stanza, Kumin uses her father’s pain felt from his children’s bare feet to symbolize his agony within his inside world. To him, bare feet mean his family lives deficiently. Deficient living conditions suggest that he is incapable of providing for his family, which in fact is untrue. In stanza four Kumin states that his feet ‘were graceful and clean’ better illustrating his peaceful journey. However, this too is symbolic of her father’s pure heart. No matter how much he hurt, he continues to work so that he may provide for his family. Kumin realized this strong love from her father, and uses an oyster as the ultimate symbol of their love for one another. The oyster a strong and protective yet simple creature brings a deeper 20 | P a g e
meaning to the love between this father and daughter. The oyster shell compares to the work of the father, not beautiful but protects and gives strength to the family. The real gift is hidden beneath the hurt of the outside world and is shown through the pearl of the inside world, that is the love between Kumin and her father. In order to maintain a healthy balance, Kumin realizes she must keep her inside and outside worlds in equilibrium. Kumin focuses on a good, loving relationship with her father which she nourishes by acknowledging by her father’s provisions and love on her outside world. As beings of a complex universe, all aspects of life must be accounted for in all aspects of relationships. The inside and outside worlds of people contribute to the wholeness of a person. Pain and grief are essential to understanding love and grace.
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Essay 9 The excerpt from Middlemarch by George Eliot vividly contrasts the Brooke Sisters. Eliot expresses their different views on marriage, but clearly favors Dorothea. Eliot’s favoritism is apparent through his imagery and diction. Eliot compares Dorothea’s dress to that of the ‘’Blessed Virgin’’ in line 4. This simplified style reflects Dorothea’s view on life and marriage. Eliot continues to explain that Dorothea ‘’gained the more dignity from her plain garments’’ in line 6. Simply enough, a woman can be beautiful regardless of attire or outward appearance because without dignity and intelligence, beauty is irrelevant. Eliot’s use of ‘’Bedlam’’ to describe Dorothea’s attitude toward the ‘’solicitudes of feminine fashion’’ reveals her interest, or lack there of, in fashion (l.19). Never does Eliot criticize Dorothea for her views; he simply states them with a positive connotation. However, when describing Celia, Eliot refers to her as ‘’innocent-looking’’. (l.47) clearly, good appearance holds little significance to Eliot, and he is not being fooled. Eliot’s diction plays a role in his expressions as well. He begins by referring to Dorothea by ‘’Miss Brooke’’ in line 1. This illustrates his respect for her, that she is unwed and a woman of young age. Her age, later revealed as ‘’not yet twenty’’ in line 35. Eliot’s allusions including the Blessed Virgin, Bedlam, Pascal, and Milton prove that he is a well rounded and unbiased individual, in aspects of culture, religion and the secular world. However, his bias in this passage is revealed on line 46 when he exalts ‘’poor Dorothea!’’ His attitude now reveals sympathy for Dorothea Brooks. Eliot breaks down Dorothea until line 50, simply stating what she knew and wore. Eliot makes a point to reveal the god qualities at the end, so as to complete Dorothea with nothing but positive remarks. In line 60, Eliot describes Dorothea as ‘’open, ardent, and not the leas self-admiring.’’ This reveals the ultimate contrast
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bewtween Dorothea and her sister Celia. This method of opening with Dorothea’s mediocre characteristics and ending with pure optimism allows Dorothea’s true self to be revealed. Eliot reveals a righteous yet selfless Dorothea, while illustrating an ‘’innocent-looking Celia’’. It is Evident that Eliot respects, adores, and favors Dorothea. How ever wrong it may be to compare individual sisters, he did a fine job of acknowledging the good qualities of both Miss Brookes
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Essay 10 When encountering the same people periodically, they tend to lose their significance. The vibrant ‘hellos!’ lose their excitement and time together becomes more non-chalant. Holden Caulfield, in The Catcher in the Rye loses interest in all of the people prevalent in his life, however he h as a fixation on Jane Gallagher. She has the most significant presence in the book, yet never makes an appearance. J.D. Salinger uses Jane’s lack of presence t illustrate Holden’s development, or his incapability to develop through tone and imagery. Holden lead an apathetic way of life, however it was clear he feared growing up. This is apparent in his memories of Jane. Salinger uses a nostalgic and Reminiscent tone when describing Jane. This clearly illustrates Holden’s desire to be back in the time with Jane. Holden’s refusal to see Jane when she is at the dorm describes Holden’s lack of development. It is apparent that he has a chance to encounter the girl he longs for, yet he wants the younger, childhood Jane. Holden’s Peter Pan Syndrome and tight grasp on his past, including Jane Gallagher, prevent him from adulthood. Memories of his childhood are all he has left. Salinger’s nostalgic tone reveals Holden’s inner feelings when describing memories of Jane. Holden claims that he loved Jane Gallagher because she never moved her kings from the back row during a game of checkers. To the majority, this image would seem meaningless. However, Salinger’s repetition of this image reveals its significance. This image illustrates the theme of Holden’s refusal to grow up and develop into a young adult. Jane’s checkers never move forward, and never develop which is all that Holden desires. Jane holds an important part in Holden’s life, although he has not seen or spoken to her in many years, even though opportunities have risen. He often picked up the phone to call her or her mother, 24 | P a g e
yet never could follow through with the phone call. Holden’s cowardice relates to his fear of encountering a changed, young adult Jane that no longer leaves her checkers in the back row. This fear of never growing up and being new begins with little Jane Gallagher, and is the main theme of the novel. This internal struggle of Holden’s is simply illustrated through Jane Gallagher who never appears in this book. People too often; take their loved ones for granted, because it’s easier to want what is lacking than to love the gifts in possession. Holden’s tight grasp on memories is reliable; because memories are sometimes all people have to get through tough times. However it is vital to acknowledge the ever changing world. Acceptance is key in growing and maturing, which every one most go through. Moving on is a part of life, in order to live a full and meaningful life.
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Essay 11 As a young maturing adult, striving to the near end of high school can be a challenging process. The almost but not quite there yet essence lingers in the halls daily, along with the “been there, done that.” attitude. Students struggle and strive to make the best of their final days. However, that is not what I want. My high school experience was not, and will not be a passenger ticket on some one else’s journey. My experience at Roncalli has led me to a life of desire. The desire to be more and do more, with humility and pride. My numerous achievements are simply effects of the desire that drives me to do my best. Though school, work, and extracurricular activities are a few of my better known accomplishments, my greatest accomplishment is my desire to live rather than survive. In general, most people spend their life surviving, rather than simply living. With desire, I strive to live each moment, embracing each second, because it will never occur again. Basically I refuse to sweat the small stuff; I easily overcome anxieties and embrace my fears. Everyone dies, inevitably, and it should not be something to fear, it should be accepted and forgotten, because life is happening right now. After the death of my grandpa this year, I realized that in the end, the good memories will remain and the world will go on. My goal is to not be forgotten. I want my name to linger on into eternity. However that is a large extraneous goal for an eighteen year old girl, living in Indiana. I want to be more and do more, and I will. Roncalli promotes opportunities which allowed me to be more and do more. Along with maintaining good grades, I participated in sports inside and outside of school. Freshman year I played soccer in the fall, and on a club team. Still wanting to be more, I continued and made varsity my sophomore year. My next little adventure to tackle was the swim team. I tried out late, with minimum skill, and eventually became the most improved. All while working at a catering company striving to be
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more. Finally, this year I was promoted, to banquet captain. I plan to continue embarking on adventures this year, to make it the best yet. My hopes are to enjoy theatre behind the scenes, on set crew. Followed by a trip down the alley on the bowling team. My accomplishments are small, but they are not limited. Little achievements and meaningful goals build the platforms of success, and good living. Scott Craig, my coach freshman year, once said “Never be satisfied.” To this day that has remained in my mind and heart. I will never be satisfied, because there is always better, always something worth working harder for. Hard work and determination will always pay off. Satisfaction is like giving in, or settling, I want to be astounded with my actions and impressed with the life I live.
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