Whenever I have the chance,
Although I'm stressed for time,
After the school bell rings,
Until the sun goes down,
I ride horses at the barn.
Although I am reluctant,
When the sun has said goodbye,
Before it gets too late,
Because of my responsibilities,
I go home and prepare for tomorrow.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Things Fall Apart Book Review
"His whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness." Okonkwo, a strong man living in an Ibo village in Nigeria, has only ever known hard labor and turmoil for the whole length of his existence. He is finally conquering over his struggles and fears but perhaps as they seem to get better, actually things fall apart. Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart captivated me with its strong, diverse characters, excellent theme, and connections to other works of literature.
This book is full of realistic characters and contains a wide array of diverse personalities. The author did a great job at making the people very believable and encouraging readers to make connections with the characters. Many of them, such as Okonkwo, who was "afraid of being thought weak," can make the readers relate to them. I, personally, do not like Okonkwo very much, which I do think affects how I feel about the book. He "ruled his household with a heavy hand" and cause his wives and children to "live in perpetual fear of his fiery temper."(page 13) He was willing to kill the boy who viewed him as a father all because "he was afraid of being thought weak."(page 61) All of this dampens my view of him, which affects the level of enjoyment that I get from reading the book. I have trouble reading a book in which I do not like or agree with the main character, but that is strictly a personal preference and I do think that others would feel different about it.
However, Achebe's theme that he incorporated into the novel makes up somewhat for the dislike that I have for the main character. The moral that I came to interpret is that one shouldn't let their pride rule their life and control their actions because one day they may come to regret it. This theme, I feel, is directed mainly at Okonkwo. He let his pride rule his life when the story said that "Okonkwo drew his machete and cut [Ikemefuna] down. He was afraid of being thought weak." He let his fear and pride control him and because of that he killed one of the few people that thought the world of him. The theme seemed to kick in after he became depressed and began to regret killing Ikemefuna. He "did not taste any food for two days after the death" and "he drank palm wine from morning to night." However, it seems to me that the message really hit home when he realized that everything he had done in order to make people see him as strong had really been for nothing. "He had all but achieved [his dreams]. Then everything had been broken" and "he had been cast out of his clan like a fish onto a dry, sandy beach." The strong, inspiring theme makes the book much more pleasant to read in my opinion.
Another thing that increased my willingness to read the book was that I could form connections to the people and other personalities as well as link the book to another that I have read. Okonkwo reminds me of a majority of people in today's world, doing horrid things in the name of pride and constantly living in fear of what other people will think of them. I, myself, sometimes find myself fearing what others think of me and letting that rule over how I act so I feel that, even though I do not like Okonkwo,I can somewhat relate to him. This book reminds me of The Odyssey because the character Odysseus is very similar to Okonkwo. Both were very proud, strong, and stubborn. They let their pride get them into some very sticky situations and won't let anything change their minds once they decide on something. Also, both end up finding their whole worlds crashed down around them and eventually realizing that they have no one to blame but themselves.
Overall, I believe that Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a fairly interesting book that offers a wide variety of character personas and possible themes, in addition to having characters that can easily be linked to other, more common pieces of literature and the actions of modern-day people as well. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about different cultures around the world and how the different societies run. I believe that certain people could get a lot of enjoyment out of this book.
This book is full of realistic characters and contains a wide array of diverse personalities. The author did a great job at making the people very believable and encouraging readers to make connections with the characters. Many of them, such as Okonkwo, who was "afraid of being thought weak," can make the readers relate to them. I, personally, do not like Okonkwo very much, which I do think affects how I feel about the book. He "ruled his household with a heavy hand" and cause his wives and children to "live in perpetual fear of his fiery temper."(page 13) He was willing to kill the boy who viewed him as a father all because "he was afraid of being thought weak."(page 61) All of this dampens my view of him, which affects the level of enjoyment that I get from reading the book. I have trouble reading a book in which I do not like or agree with the main character, but that is strictly a personal preference and I do think that others would feel different about it.
However, Achebe's theme that he incorporated into the novel makes up somewhat for the dislike that I have for the main character. The moral that I came to interpret is that one shouldn't let their pride rule their life and control their actions because one day they may come to regret it. This theme, I feel, is directed mainly at Okonkwo. He let his pride rule his life when the story said that "Okonkwo drew his machete and cut [Ikemefuna] down. He was afraid of being thought weak." He let his fear and pride control him and because of that he killed one of the few people that thought the world of him. The theme seemed to kick in after he became depressed and began to regret killing Ikemefuna. He "did not taste any food for two days after the death" and "he drank palm wine from morning to night." However, it seems to me that the message really hit home when he realized that everything he had done in order to make people see him as strong had really been for nothing. "He had all but achieved [his dreams]. Then everything had been broken" and "he had been cast out of his clan like a fish onto a dry, sandy beach." The strong, inspiring theme makes the book much more pleasant to read in my opinion.
Another thing that increased my willingness to read the book was that I could form connections to the people and other personalities as well as link the book to another that I have read. Okonkwo reminds me of a majority of people in today's world, doing horrid things in the name of pride and constantly living in fear of what other people will think of them. I, myself, sometimes find myself fearing what others think of me and letting that rule over how I act so I feel that, even though I do not like Okonkwo,I can somewhat relate to him. This book reminds me of The Odyssey because the character Odysseus is very similar to Okonkwo. Both were very proud, strong, and stubborn. They let their pride get them into some very sticky situations and won't let anything change their minds once they decide on something. Also, both end up finding their whole worlds crashed down around them and eventually realizing that they have no one to blame but themselves.
Overall, I believe that Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a fairly interesting book that offers a wide variety of character personas and possible themes, in addition to having characters that can easily be linked to other, more common pieces of literature and the actions of modern-day people as well. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading about different cultures around the world and how the different societies run. I believe that certain people could get a lot of enjoyment out of this book.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Henry vs. Forrest
In intense situations, a person's instinctual reaction causes him/her to react for self-preservation whether that means fighting or taking flight. Henry for The Red Badge of Courage and Forrest from .
Forrest Gump may not seem to have anything in common with each other but, in fact, they do. Both Henry and Forrest were being driven by their fear while they were running.
Henry ran out of fear for himself without once caring about the welfare of others. He got scared that he would get hurt of die, so he decided to run away. He ran "like a blind man" or a "proverbial chicken," not knowing where he was going and at the same time, not caring. He was fleeing the battle to save himself, letting fear get the best of him.
Though Forrest too ran out of fear, his fear was for someone other than himself. At first, he ran just because he was ordered to by his superiors, but when he realized that his best friend Bubba was unaccounted for, he ran to try to find him. He was not thinking about himself at all. He ran into the war instead of out of it; risking his life even though he knew that the chances of finding Bubba and saving him were slim. Uncaring of his own self-preservation, he ran, and because of it, a lot of people were saved.
Both Henry and Forrest ran because of fear but Forrest's self-less fear was much different than Henry's selfish flight mentality.
Forrest Gump may not seem to have anything in common with each other but, in fact, they do. Both Henry and Forrest were being driven by their fear while they were running.
Henry ran out of fear for himself without once caring about the welfare of others. He got scared that he would get hurt of die, so he decided to run away. He ran "like a blind man" or a "proverbial chicken," not knowing where he was going and at the same time, not caring. He was fleeing the battle to save himself, letting fear get the best of him.
Though Forrest too ran out of fear, his fear was for someone other than himself. At first, he ran just because he was ordered to by his superiors, but when he realized that his best friend Bubba was unaccounted for, he ran to try to find him. He was not thinking about himself at all. He ran into the war instead of out of it; risking his life even though he knew that the chances of finding Bubba and saving him were slim. Uncaring of his own self-preservation, he ran, and because of it, a lot of people were saved.
Both Henry and Forrest ran because of fear but Forrest's self-less fear was much different than Henry's selfish flight mentality.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wounded Warrior Project
I feel that the Wounded Warrior Project is a very honorable organization. It helps to build the confidence of the people that are part of the program and helps them feel loved. Many people who have been wounded in war come back and have PTSD and in turn, that can lead to them feeling depressed and unappreciated. WWP can help veterans realize that they are not being forgotten and that they did in fact make a difference. To me, this is one of the greatest aspects of the program. Not only does it help the people in the program, but it helps raise awareness in the general population too. It seems that some people believe that soldiers go off to war, fight, come back, and everything is all hunky-dory. WWP shows them that the people who died serving our country are not the only ones who sacrificed their whole lives. The survivors have given up a major part of themselves also because they will never be the same. They are forced to live with the memories of what they saw and experienced and nothing will ever be able to completely make that go away. After all, there are things that a person can't unsee that are utterly life-changing. The Wounded Warrior Project is an amazing organization that benefits not only our admirable and intrepid soldiers, but also ordinary civilians. What the WWP is doing is showing everyone the sacrifices made and giving honor to those who deserve it. I would like to say a big THANK YOU to whoever thought of and created this idea for what they have done, are doing, and will do in the future. :)
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
War Is...
War is pointless, destroying the free
War is baneful, making innocents flee
War is reckless, heeding nobody's pleas
War is bloody, achieving no peace
War is desperate, uncaring of the fallout
War is murder, deadly to all who are called out
War is betrayal, turning our backs on the once faithful
War is disaster, turning days, once peaceful, fatal
War is monstrous, making small children cry
War is hopeless, making all people die
War is baneful, making innocents flee
War is reckless, heeding nobody's pleas
War is bloody, achieving no peace
War is desperate, uncaring of the fallout
War is murder, deadly to all who are called out
War is betrayal, turning our backs on the once faithful
War is disaster, turning days, once peaceful, fatal
War is monstrous, making small children cry
War is hopeless, making all people die
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Book Review: Uglies
Scott Westerfeld's futuristic novel Uglies was kind of interesting to me but at the same time, left much to be desired. It is written in third person limited point of view, only showing the point to view of one character; Tally. I enjoyed the basic storyline that was expressed in the book. It was not near as fast-paced as I prefer, but it was still pretty good. There was even a little 'side story' type of plot added in there; a little love triangle-esque relationship between Shay, David, and Tally. I read the book at more of a relaxed pace due to slight lack of interest at points but a lot of people would probably find it more interesting than I did. I have my own specific, odd taste in book types and this just wasn't one ot them for me. Though I liked the overall plot of the book but also got a little confused at times due to the fact that there really was not any explanation as to what things were. They would start using equipment and I had no idea what it was, such as the interface ring, and hoverboards. I could definitely infer what the general use of them was but had no clue at all when the book started talking about how to use them. On the bright side, Westerfeld writing style was very clear and easy to understand and if I am not mistaken, I think I even caught on to a moral. The story seemed to me to be subtly hinting at the fact that people are not perfect and we should not expect perfection from somebody. We, as humans, tend to subconsiously hold everything up to an unwritten, idealistic standard that nobody will ever truly be able to meet. Tally lives in a world where eveyone at the age of 16 get major reconstructive surgery in order to become perfect, or "pretty." She is extremely excited for her birthday but when she meets Shay, who does not seem to want to become pretty, she may start to see things differently. Ultimately, she get put in a position where she must choose her friends or her dreams. Though some aspects of the book kind of confused and sometimes frustrated me, I would definitely recommend it for someone else to read. I would probably say that teenage girls would get the most enjoyment out of this book but I believe that guys might would like to read it too.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Remembering 9/11
People all over the U.S. were traumatized by what happened to the World Trade Centers on 9/11. Everyone was affected, whether personally or secondhand. After that day, nobody who was old enough to understand what was happening will ever be able to forget what we all had the misfortune of experiencing.
On September 11th, Al Qaeda operatives hijacked 4 passenger jets. Two hit the twin towers; One hit the Pentagon; One crashed in a field. Approximately 3000 people died as a result of their actions. Thinking of a loss of life at that magnitude makes me sick. It was, in my opinion, one of the most horrific and tragic days in history.
The cleanup at the site of the World Trade Centers, dubbed Ground Zero, was completed in May 2002. Memorials have been and are still being constructed, such as the One World Trade Center, which is estimated for completion sometime in 2013. However, there is much controversey as to whether or not it is right to build a new Trade Center. I, personally, believe that creating something new at the site is a good thing. It shows that we can move on from what has happened but at the same time not forget it. To me, it is a great thing to be able to show to the terrorist groups that we are not weak and that whatever they throw at us, we can handle.
After that day, many things changed in the U.S. Our economy rapidly fell. Billions of dollars had to be used to aid in the recovery of New York, stock values plummeted, and over 18,000 small businesses were destroyed or displaced. Also, the government came up with much stricter guidlines in airport passage and in terrorism policies. Even other places, such as Germany, Canada, Great Britian, and New Zealand put into effect new anti-terrorism safety acts.
Though we should never forget 9/11 and the people who lost their lives that day, I think that we should stand up, dust ourselves off, and show the world that we will not be taken advantage of. We need to move on and just make sure that nothing like this happens again. I'm not saying we should forget those brave souls that were taken that day, I just think that we could honor them the most by preventing others from having to go through the same thing.
On September 11th, Al Qaeda operatives hijacked 4 passenger jets. Two hit the twin towers; One hit the Pentagon; One crashed in a field. Approximately 3000 people died as a result of their actions. Thinking of a loss of life at that magnitude makes me sick. It was, in my opinion, one of the most horrific and tragic days in history.
The cleanup at the site of the World Trade Centers, dubbed Ground Zero, was completed in May 2002. Memorials have been and are still being constructed, such as the One World Trade Center, which is estimated for completion sometime in 2013. However, there is much controversey as to whether or not it is right to build a new Trade Center. I, personally, believe that creating something new at the site is a good thing. It shows that we can move on from what has happened but at the same time not forget it. To me, it is a great thing to be able to show to the terrorist groups that we are not weak and that whatever they throw at us, we can handle.
After that day, many things changed in the U.S. Our economy rapidly fell. Billions of dollars had to be used to aid in the recovery of New York, stock values plummeted, and over 18,000 small businesses were destroyed or displaced. Also, the government came up with much stricter guidlines in airport passage and in terrorism policies. Even other places, such as Germany, Canada, Great Britian, and New Zealand put into effect new anti-terrorism safety acts.
Though we should never forget 9/11 and the people who lost their lives that day, I think that we should stand up, dust ourselves off, and show the world that we will not be taken advantage of. We need to move on and just make sure that nothing like this happens again. I'm not saying we should forget those brave souls that were taken that day, I just think that we could honor them the most by preventing others from having to go through the same thing.
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