Frankenstein

When reading Frankenstein, many things went through my mind. How could a simple college student who had nothing else to do, write this novel? I cannot even fathom how difficult this must have been or how intelligent Mary Shelley must have been. Whose writing skills are far superior to mine, I hope that I can gain a minute speck of her intelligence and talent.
When looking at Frankenstein’s monster, he seemed very different from what I had initially expected. Peaceful, serene, and kind- Are these the characteristics of a monster? He was forced to release his anger only due to the carelessness of his master, Victor Frankenstein. How can one live with no one to hold or to depend on? Even the very beasts and scum of this world have family. The monster here does not. How else can he react to all the attacks he has endured and horrified faces he has seen. He said that he was similar to Adam in that there was no one before him like him; afterwards he also said that he believed he resembles more of the devil. I do not believe that he resembles the devil what so ever. Maybe physically he was made in the image of a monster but was touched by God. This oxymoron is extremely significant in that as an innocent being, he was corrupted into conforming into a monster; he was not born as one.
Furthermore, I could not help but feel sympathetic towards the monster. His creator, Victor Frankenstein, made him and abandoned him to rot. After years of isolation, the monster finally brought up the courage to face society one last time. After being rejected by his idols, the De Lacey family, the monster was again in isolation. Even when he saved a little girl, her father shot him with a gun due the monster physical deformation. If I were born into this world only to live in isolation with no compassion or love, I would have turned all my power into hatred and revenge as well. Additionally, when the monster asks his creator for one request, his hopes are shot down when Frankenstein decides to never fulfill it. Imagine having had asked only one request in the world and being utterly rejected. The pain in my heart would have burst. I can only imagine what the monster was going through.
Mary Shelley truly made this novel into a masterpiece by using romantic characteristics of imagination and dreams. Most importantly, it reaches into the dark depths of reality: one cannot always receive what one most desires, even if it is a natural right.

Frankenstein- Monster or Human?

Today the class had a seminar on the famous novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Many questions and arguments arose during our discussion, many of which were never answered. What boggles my mind even more is the fact that this novel was made in accident. A group of college girls had nothing else better to do and decided to write something for fun. Although the book was shut down multiple times by many publishers, Frankenstein nonetheless received the fame that it deserved.
Now back to the novel. A question I had when reading the book was “Who is the monster? Victor or his creation? Additionally, who acts more human or is more human?” Victor had been obsessed with his creation and his new knowledge that he gained. However, once he put that knowledge into use in creating his monster, he is abhorred at what he has created. He even says that he only passionately loves inanimate things such as the sky. Knowledge no longer gives Victor these “sensations” he used to feel. In result, I believe that Victor is the monster. He decides to play GOD and his actions result in the death of two people. Additionally, he abandons his creation in fear and disgust of what it was. This is why the monster became a monster in the first place. He says that ‘I was born good, but you my creator abhor me.’ Because his lonesomeness and isolation, he cannot fit into society, and if he cannot turn to his creator for aid, who is there to turn to? Mary Shelley makes the readers feel sorry for the monster, so can only sympathize with it. Imagine you saying this to your parents or even GOD, or your children saying this to you. What would be running in your mind? I have abandoned my child and only caused torment in this world. I took responsibility in creating it, but took no responsibility in maturing and loving it. Such an event could possibly make me commit suicide. I do not think I could live with myself. Furthermore, Victor begins to take characteristics of the monster more and more after time. For example, “But I, the true murderer, felt the never-dying worm alive in my bosom, which allowed of no hope of consolation.” This is a theme of the monster. Here Victor describes that he feels like he is being eaten like decayed matter, because he feels as if he were the monster in this case. He feels extremely guilty for creating the monster that destroys Justine. This also connects back to what the Creation was made of (decayed matter that had worms eating it).
When reading this book, the quote “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” really comes into play. It is possible that a being with such horrific physical characteristics could have a kind and loving heart. This book ultimately brings us back to our 4 year old selves.

Grendel, my own deeper understanding...

The final chapters of Grendel… a finally ending novel or one to remember? Most students, if not most people, enjoy books and stories that they choose to read casually or for fun. Because most of the books that I have read were school assignments, I cannot say that I have ever had any favorite books except Calvin and Hobbs and maybe Captain Underpants. Despite my lack of passion in reading novels, Grendel has become one that has influenced me in a larger way than any other.
Throughout the novel, Grendel becomes more “mature” through his experiences and observations. Initially, Grendel fears man because he discovers another ‘thing’ that can think rationally and act based off its thoughts. Such a similar trait with Grendel could only take him by surprise. However, later on, Grendel becomes “cursed” with the dragon’s charm. Grendel is invulnerable to any weapon and no longer fears man’s power. Although he still is intimidated by Hrothgar and the Shaper, Grendel calls himself the “Wrecker of Hrothgar” and begins to torture the people. This stage is where Grendel finally understands his purpose in life and what he can commit to the world. Before, he was only an infant mentally, calling for his mother when he was being tortured by Hrothgar’s men. After this rebirth Grendel can no longer depend on any one else shown even through the conversation with the dragon. Even though he went to the dragon for knowledge, he ended up not gaining anything except the fact that the dragon is extremely protective over his belongings. To this point in the novel, Grendel reminded me of my own life.
I was confused, not knowing my purpose in the world. When I entered middle school and high school, I was tortured by other students due to my Korean ethnicity. Ranging from communism in North Korea to the Virginia Tech attack, I was continually made fun of my race. Eventually, I received my own charm and their comments could no longer cut through my skin; I was immortal. When I was trying to understand my place in the world, I also observed life with great intensity trying to learn from others and their actions. Many whom I went to for a deeper understanding or knowledge of life acted similar to the dragon, only obsessed with their own problems or treasures in life. In the end, I felt as I had died, lost to the world still looking for an answer.
Mrs. Clinch, I hope this is not too off topic, but this my response to Grendel and how I was affected by it. I could not help but compare myself and see the similarities between us. I believe that there is a monster in all of us and we mature (still as a monster) just to either hide the monster side or be consumed by it.

Grendel

In Mrs. Clinch class, the students have begun to read a semi-sequel to Beowulf called Grendel, named after the monster that appeared in Beowulf. Even though I was quite dubious on the insight available or the insight possible, I moved with the flow, reading my first reading assignment with no rebellious attitude. As a read, I found something entirely different.
Grendel potentially allows as much insight as its older brother. This novel is a narrative in Grendel’s point of view. Through this, the reader is able to take a much more different approach toward this novel. For example, when told in terms of Grendel, Man, not Grendel, is depicted as evil and Grendel, a somewhat innocent bystander. Man kills his own kin for power, glory, and justice, thus, had someone from another tribe killed a fellow tribe member, it was the duty for the victim’s tribe to honor him through revenge or payment. Because payment did not occur as much, more blood was sacrificed. Additionally, this novel provides an entirely different prospective for Beowulf. In Grendel, Grendel is mortal and easily injurable. How was a beast that could not be penetrated by human spears, bleed from things such as getting stuck in branches? In the novel, it clearly states that Grendel loses a lot of blood. This confused me so much, because I could not see how such a weak tactic could damage a god-like monster so easily. Grendel had more to provide that I thought.
There are also some parts of the novel that are somewhat confusing. Now on the 5th chapter of the novel, I could not understand why Grendel was so fearful of snakes and serpents when he even picked one up the chapter before. Was it because serpents physically resembled the dragon or is there some other answer? Additionally, why did John Gardener go through the trouble of making the dragon a philosophy major? When I attempted to read the 5th chapter, I could not make out what the dragon was trying to say. Was that the purpose of Gardener or am I just too ignorant? Well, then again, Grendel could not understand either, so I guess we are on the same ground. Although a tad bit strange, Grendel is proving to be a novel of success. Relating to multiple scenes in Beowulf, Grendel is accurately and subtly referring to Beowulf that provides the reader with a small adrenaline rush. Sometimes I can actually make out what is happening within the story. (Amazing!)
From Grendel, I have begun to see the monster as a child who whines and complains too much for his own good and has an uncontrollable curiosity. Before, Beowulf’s Grendel was a beast, crazy for blood and life; however, in Grendel, Grendel desires friendship and a purpose in life that is separate from the one ordained by GOD (to live alone). Unfortunately, Grendel so far is unable to do so, but with hope, he may possibly turn the tables.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Today the class did its literature circles for about half the class period. Unfortunately, one member was absent, and as a result, our discussion could not be full-proof. The point of the roles in each lit. circle is to have the widest arrange of discussion possible, but since a vital role was absent, we could not take part in that area of discussion. However, our group continued on, even though it was only for about 15 minutes.
The group had multiple things to talk about and questions that we had. Some were answered, but some could not be answered due to time restraints. For example, I extremely desired to ask why the chapter titles exchanged between Mariam and Laila every other chapter. I saw that the perspective of each chapter changed, but is that all that it is significant for? I am quite sure that there is a higher meaning for this. One topic that our group was able to go a little deeper into was the gender roles with this novel. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini, in many instances, had strange examples depicting the male dominance or superiority over women. We all see the beatings that Mariam and Laila take, but these examples are not the type that I am discussing about. On p. 280, when Aziza is being left at an orphanage, Zalmai does something very strange. “When Aziza was led away, Zalmai began wailing, crying, Ziza! Ziza! He squirmed and kicked in his father’s arms, called for his sister, until his attention was diverted by an organ-grinder’s monkey across the street.” Who would believe that a crying brother who is about to lose his sister would become distracted by a random monkey? Furthermore, why is Rasheed so overly obsessive over his wives? He does not seem to care much for them, yet when they have committed a wrong, Rasheed pulls a belt on them. On p. 271, Rasheed has lost business, and as a result, they are selling everything. “Rasheed’s watch too was sold, his old transistor radio, his pair of neckties, his shoes, and his wedding ring.” To include the “wedding ring” in this list of insignificant items makes it seem as though the marriage is also unimportant. This act shows that Rasheed cannot truly care about his marriage with Laila or Mariam.
Another subject that our lit. circle discussed was the parallel between the Titanic and the characters in this novel. I believe that Mariam accurately represents Jack, because she sacrifices herself to save Laila and the rest of her family just as Jack had with Rose. Also, the ship itself could have been seen through the marriage that it was bound to sink the way it was heading. Rose, on the other hand, is seen through multiple characters, because more than one need saving. This included Laila and her whole family and possibly even Mariam through her redemption. Mariam is her own Jack.

Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini, the writer of The Kite Runner, wrote an amazing book called A Thousand Splendid Suns. When I was first assigned this seemingly mediocre novel, my exhaustion and boredom exposed themselves through my unhappy face. "Why do we have to read another novel?" I asked myself. Although the last book assigned was decent, I was dubious about this one. The clay houses on the cover and background of the war in Afghanistan could only prove to be a novel that would drag its feet through the pages. By the end of the week, I knew if I had not yet torn the novel to pieces, someone else would do it for me. Strangely enough, as I reading, one page had not managed to tear itself apart.
Ironically, this novel, indeed, fulfills its reputation for being “splendid.” Little did I know that this novel would boggle my mind, presenting a vision of how the world really expresses life. I always thought that Afghanistan and Iraq were all melodramatic about their horrors, their sufferings. Until I read this novel, I had no idea that life in Afghanistan was very real and similar to how the media presented its war. Mariam, an impoverished young virgin girl, loses her mother to suicide and her father from shame. Laila has her home blown up by a stray RPG missile and even more, her love, Tariq, has left to keep his father in health. Both of these women have nothing coming for them. They have no hope or future; they only have their own hands to desperately grasp onto life.

Doll's house or Doll House & A Thousand Splendid Suns

Today in AP Literature, the class read “The Doll’s House” or “The Doll House”. The play begins with the characters Nora, her husband (Torvald), Christine, Krogstad, and a few other minor characters. When I first heard these two titles, I did not see any difference between them. Little did I know that this slight possessive form completely changes the purpose of the title. After the first few chapters, I began to comprehend the complexity of each title.
The first title, “The Doll’s House,” technically states that the house belongs to the doll. As a result, a larger emphasize is put on house, giving an impression of importance. We see in multiple parts of the book that this title is supported. For example, when Nora calls her children doll babies, this examples provides ample evidence that the “Doll” in the title refers to Nora. Additionally, there are scenes where Nora actually looks like a doll. In Act 3, Nora is dressed in clothing that seems almost perfect (like a doll’s). As a result, the reader begins to read the play in terms of Nora. Due to all these events, the reader believes that the doll IS Nora.
On the other hand, when the play is titled “The Doll House”, more emphasis is put on the word “house,” demanding the reader to ask, “Why is the house so important?” When one sees this title, the play explains that the house could represent the relationship between Nora and Torvald. It is fake and artificial. Even in other events in the play, fake items are exhibited. For instance, Nora is known to have committed forgery. As a result, one must question, which title best suits the play and which title gives the most in-depth interpretation?
On another note, I continued to read A Thousand Splendid Suns. The key descriptions caught my imagination by surprise. Although fictional, the intense imagery and factual background, the author brings this story to life. About a young girl whose mother has committed suicide and her father, ashamed of her daughter, A Thousand Splendid Suns brings a realization of Afghanistan to other countries around the world and especially the Unites States of America. Due to media and other sources, we are driven to believe the horrors in Afghanistan; however, we never fully comprehend the situation because we never actually see the horrors that occur. This novel brings out those horrors that are part of an amazing story and most of all, an amazing history. Even though we wish that these melodramatic events would never or have never occurred, they actually have. Despite our prayers for world peace and tranquility, events such as those shown in this magnificent novel are true stories to thousands in this country. A Thousand Splendid Suns is real.

As I attempt to scribe my thoughts as Anirudh Sundararaghavan (Spelling his name correctly should be extra points... just kidding of course) does, I shall with utmost perseverance try my best to imitate my scholarly peer.
On Friday afternoon, I took an expedition to the book store, "Read It Again". I pondered at the thought, "Why read a novel again, when one has already read it once?" Of course, many peers would object with my opinion; however, it does not mean that I am entirely incorrect. In coming to a conclusion on the store title, I finally saw that it made no matter. I arrived to purchase a novel, nothing else. When i strutted into the store, confident that my novel dwelled deep within one of these shelves, I somehow connected with the store clerk. He somehow knew today's destiny, my purchasing A Thousand Splendid Suns. How did he adumbrate the novel I desired to purchase? Now, I return to my original oriental voice. FREAKAYYYY isn't it?? Well, I hope that Mrs. Clinch and Anirudh enjoys my blog today on my attempt to copy Anirudh writing style. Probably utter failure.

Class, Test, my hope

Last week, interestingly enough, the class met in the computer lab to work on our rough drafts. As I was tediously typing up my first draft, I began to hear a woman yelling. It was Mrs. Clinch. She began to convincingly order the students not to speak while doing their work. Obviously many were not. Despite her warnings, the class continued to converse, which is when Mrs. Clinch gave her second warning. You could see the exasperation in her eyes and conviction in her voice. Had we not fell silent, surely our computer lab privileges would have been canceled. I have seen Mrs. Clinch slighty annoyed, but I have never witnessed her being angry. Hopefully, it will not occur again.
On Thursday, I felt as if I were experiencing a male’s menstrual cycle, not to be disrespectful in any way. After finishing my internship at Sapient, I drove home through the thundering rain. Even though I hydro-planed three times, I made it home by 6 o’clock. I imagined to myself, I have a few hours to study for Calculus, AP Spanish, and the Winesburg Ohio Test. How was I supposed to study for all these in a few hours. Unfortunately, I could not. After studying for Calculus and Spanish until one o’clock in the morning, I had just begun studying for Winesburg. My mind was racing with the consequences if I fail this test. AP Literature was my lowest grade, yet my favorite class. I was determined to get an A on this test. As a result, I stayed up until 4:30 studying as efficiently I could, ironically. When I entered the AP Literature class, I tried to get slight hints how the test was for the previous class. I saw that many students were staying after the bell, an extremely bad situation in my case. “Hopefully, this test would not take as long for me,” I thought. Unfortunately, it did. As I was rushing in panic-mode, I managed to finish. But before I started the test, I noticed that the test was a little strange. It hardly included material from the novel! The test was all about reading a chapter from the book, and responding to questions about it. Although a few had to do with the novel as a whole, it seemed insignificant compared to the amount of time I studied for it. I was sad.
Despite the depressing week, I have to continue. The final draft is due on Wednesday, and I cannot be hindered by minute obstacles. I hope that my work will pay off in the future so that I may enter a college that will bring me to a brighter future. Until then, I will endure.

Fish Bowl

Yesterday, on Friday, the class had a fishbowl discussion with Tandy, Adventure, and Death. Although my group discussed yesterday, I was not able to provide all the insight I wanted to due to lack of time. As we were discussing Winesburg, Ohio, Anirudh, Aditya, Shannon, and I talked about some of the general events that occurred in the chapter, Adventure.
First of all, I thought that it was strange when Alice Hindman talks about her step-father. She says, "His story is an odd one. It will be worth telling some day." Why does Sherwood Anderson describe him like this to us? What is the purpose? Why not just continue on with the story. This one sentence boggled my mind, because I could not figure out why Anderson had to state just a redundant sentence. It must have SOME significance. If anyone does read this post, please respond, because I have no idea why this occurred.
Additionally, this chapter almost seemed like a fairy-tale to me. Her step-father is a carriage painter, which may allude to Cinderella. Alice became a weaver of carpets. Aladdin anyone? Moreover, this entire chapter is about one girl waiting for her one true love to free her from her loneliness. There is even one sentence that exactly describes sleeping beauty. “Her imagination, .like a child awakened from long sleep, played about the room. Even Shrek relates to this. Additionally, throughout the story, Alice is always seen dreaming for a better life, better future, and in all, better everything. Unfortunately, Alice never finds her prince charming. How sad...
I also noticed another thing. Whenever Alice was on her knees, she was always in a state of embarrassment. Whenever she was praying, she prayed after the fact that she was embarrassed from some realization about herself. "It is not going to come to me. I will never find happiness. Why do I tell myself lies?" In the end, Alice is last found on her knees, when she runs outside nude embarrassed from her own actions.
Finally, I noticed that Sherwood Anderson used repetition in a superfluous manner. “…whispering words over and over… growing louder and louder…” This is another style that I did not quite understand. What was the purpose of this over-use of repetition? I first thought it was to emphasize these scenes more, but later it seemed like something more. There was something that I missed. This repetition has some deeper meaning that I cannot figure out. Hopefully, someone will reply and give me some hint that may allow me to further understand this story.
Lastly, what is the purpose of the last sentence? “…began trying to force herself to face bravely the fact that many people must live and die alone, even in Winesburg.” Why does Alice say this? She is still young and is nowhere near dying. I understand that she has come to terms to her own situation, but why does she say that people live and die alone? Even though she has been in loneliness this entire chapter, she only reaches her late twenties and has plenty of time to make acquaintances. She is not being realistic. Another interpretation I had was that she may end in committing suicide. I guess it’s up to the reader’s imagination to find out.

Winesburg and a note for future seniors

Today in Mrs. Clinch’s class, we discussed how to read literature with a deeper understanding. As practice, we read a few chapters in the novel, Winesburg, Ohio. While we discussed certain relations between characters, I continued to think of a repetition that occurred within the novel. “Up and down” was a quote that I saw frequently within the novel. Why was this? What did it represent or symbolize? I could not pull this out of my head and continued to ponder… I asked Mrs. Clinch what this could symbolize, but apparently, she had not noticed the repetition. “Strange,” I would think to myself. It is not strange that the Mrs. Clinch did not notice the repetition; It was eccentric in that I took note on something that she did not. It is almost as if this quote was meant for me.
As I came home and continued to think to myself, “What does this repetitive quote mean?,” I continued to adventure into the deeper meaning that I believe Mrs. Clinch wanted the class to dive into. The only result I could come up with is this. Up and down is redundant. By going up and coming back down, the item or person is not moving anywhere; thus the movement is superfluous. In this novel, I believe that it could represent that the characters are stuck in their own worlds and do not know what they should do. For example, George’s mother seems like a psychopath who cannot live herself. She prays that her son become nothing like her father; however, she also does not want him to turn out like her. What she desire of him? As you can see, she is stuck in her own fairy tale and cannot decide what to do.
On another note, AP Literature is not what I expected. Although AP classes are intended to be a challenge, I could never fathom what I so far experienced. It seemed as if the entire school semester was coming down on me, crushing my bones and suffocating from the workload I have to endure. Despite these struggles, I manage to continue and as my friends tell me, “Keep on truck’in.” It is actually very abnormal. Usually, the classes that were hardest for me were the classes of the teachers of whom I detested. Because I hated them so much, I refused to learn from them; coincidentally, difficulty was inescapable. On the other hand, Mrs. Clinch is, strangely enough, pleasing. Even though my grades have already plummeted, I cannot help myself but yearn to learn from her as much I possibly can. This year, Mrs. Clinch is one of two teachers who is an inspiration to me and gives me a motivation to learn for the sake of learning, not grades. Although, my personality makes it inarguably hard to learn at my maximum capacity, I will, with no doubt, try my best to learn as much as I can from her. So future SENIORS, take note that Mrs. Clinch’s class will be Hell. But it will be a hell that will make your future a paradise.

Winesburg, Ohio + stuff

As I go on reading in Winesburg, Ohio, I am thinking to myself "Why?" Mrs. Clinch said, "I never assign books that I love. The students will tear it apart until there is nothing left." I see now that she was referring to students such as me. She says that this book is her child, and she cannot bear anyone being its vampire, slurping the life out of it until it is cold and dry: dead.
Before I began reading, my mind ran with doubtful thoughts. Physically, the novel seemed no thicker than a children’s book. I could trash the packet without a second thought. Visually, the novel did not seem complex from the amateur-looking crayon sketch. Could this truly be Mrs. Clinch’s favorite novel? What makes it seem so special? As I soon found out, the novel proved my dubious thoughts incorrect.
I read the first chapter. Indeed, Mrs. Clinch understands her methods of teaching. Despite all my judgmental insults, I could not help but glue my eyes to the pages. Due to our recent summer reading, How to Read Literature like a Professor, I can explore things that I could never fantasize. How could this be? Did I really learn something from an assignment that I hated? I continue to read. I try to hate it, but I cannot.
The first chapter sketches a scene in my mind. An old man can only relax in his bed and feels youngest (happiest) when he is lying in it. This one chapter relates to me to such a personal and microscopic level that none could fathom. Don’t worry. I am not talking about my bed. In my heart, I wish I were this old man. Although my bones would probably be grinding and my muscles twisted up like a twizzler, I actually think it would be worth it. Do not ask me why, but I yearn to be in a state of relaxation, a state of mirth, for I have never felt it. My heart has always been weighed down with responsibility or stained with guilt. With my heart hiding in the dark, I cannot alleviate myself of any burdens because I am walking blind; I cannot see the stains and dirt that I am covered in.
Unfortunately, I have to go off topic for this is not the place for me to empty my heart. This past week, I jumped with glee because I finished my “books on file” project. Even though I initially thought it was a waste of time, I try to say to myself, “It is for the best.” Remember where this semi-quote came from? (Candide) I realize that these projects will aid me on my AP exam and hopefully gift me with a “5.” Truthfully, I question myself if I can even pass this exam. So far with what my grades have shown, I feel as it is almost hopeless. I have never taken a class so difficult, yet so exhilarating. More difficult than BC Calculus, yet more musical than band. This class presents a lot of mysterious outcomes, and I pray that I reach my land of “milk and honey.”

How to Read Lit. Like a Professor. ish

Within in our AP Literature class with Mrs. Clinch, the class had to do multiple summer reading assignments, which, unfortunately, I could not enjoy. The books stripped me of multiple precious weeks of my summer vacation. I was wondering, “Why do we need to read so many books?” Now I understand. Mrs. Clinch wanted to reveal multiple types of literature to our class so that we may do well on our AP exam in the distant month of May. Although none of the stories interested me, there was one book out of the four that I did enjoy: “How to Read Literature like a Professor.”
When I first began reading this book, I seriously believed that this was a waste of my time. The title alone is paradoxical. How can we learn to read the book like a professor if we are reading the book like a student? In addition, we will never be able to read a book like a professor unless we pursue the career of being a professor. Also, what is the definition of reading like a professor? This definition is so vague that i do not understand how one can teach another to read like a professor. Thus, I ask myself, “How will this book be of any use to me at all?” Then I began reading…
The book taught me things I never thought about. For instance, within the first chapter, it discusses a belief that everything is “one story.” Our lives, history, and even novels are all one story. Can you believe that!? When the book stated that, it just occurred to me that it is true! Think about your personality. Where did it come from? How did it come to be? Your personality comes from your friends, family members, and how other people treat you. From that, you create a personality that suits you and that you become accustomed to. All of this came to me in one second when I read the words, “one story.” Another strange thing that happened to me after I read this book was that I could not stop thinking about sex (not in a perverted sense). In All the King’s Men and Candide, I saw sex references EVERYWHERE!! I saw it with objects, places, people, thoughts, dreams, and even scenes. I am not sure if correctly referenced them, but I read what I read. Strange right?
Although I despised my summer reading and all the effort that came with it- which ended up in failure (literally), I am glad I read this book because it made me into a better reader and writer. I can see an infinite number of allusions because everything is connected into (I say again) “one story.” Although I got some strange side-effects from reading this book, I am glad that I did. This book allows me to have greater insight in other books and even the essays I write. Without this assignment, I don’t know how I would be able to do any annotations in the future.

our mistakes

According to the Bible, man was created with free will. We were given the decision to make our own choices and live with their consequences: good and bad. Despite the stressful lives we are consumed in, wishing our lives our lives were so much easier, our mistakes make us who we are today. It is undeniable that we wish that things were easier and we knew all the answers. Unfortunately, we do not. Therefore, we have to learn from our occasional lapses to mature ourselves by growing stronger and wiser.

I will bet my life that many of us do not realize how important our mistakes are to us. Yes, we yearn to live without them, but think about this. Remember that one time that you stole from your mother’s wallet and got caught? Remember when you and your friend tried to lie your way out of trouble, and no one believed you? From these experiences, we learn to not steal and lie. We understand from our punishments, the consequences of our mistakes, that we should not commit these crimes. Although these types of mistakes will be seen throughout our lives, we will continue to learn from them and ultimately, mature.

There are many instances in stories and even history that illuminates the importance of our mistakes. The story of the prodigal son explains to us how procrastination and being absent minded can create one man into a revolutionized person. The story goes as is. There was a humble and kind man who had two sons: one younger and one older. Both of these sons had a right to half their father’s inheritance, but one son, the younger, had asked for his inheritance early. As the kind man he is, the father acquiesced to his son’s request. The younger son decided to go travel and invest his inheritance so that he may become wealthier. Unfortunately, he procrastinates and before he can realize, he spends all of his money, unable to invest any of it. As a result, he goes and begs his father for his forgiveness and asks to become a servant. His father, almost ignoring the son’s mistake, embraces him with love and care. One can just imagine the son’s reaction. Although the father did not give any physical punishment, the prodigal son’s punishment was the guilt and torture that he felt as he was starving without any money. From experiences such as this, I know that if we were his shoes, we would never be wasteful for the remainder of our lives. From examples such as this, we are shown that our mistakes teach us how to be more responsible so that we may have the easier lives that we all wish for.

Even though we can live without some of our mistakes, I would not take any of my mistakes back from the past. They made who I am and still help me grow into a new mature man. In other words, mistakes in our lives are a necessity, because they are a way for us to start over. We are reborn with every lapse, boo-boo, blunder, and fault we ever make; I am content with that.

life

Life... We cannot even begin to realize what IT is. When we are conceived into this sinful world, we are but innocent souls lost in our own confusion and bewilderment. Pure, clean, dare I say it, even holy. Unfortunately, we are snatched away by this devilish world and are corrupted by the conformist society we live in. WE are no longer pure. We become drenched with blood, hate, gossip, and yet, we go on in our daily lives as if it were a small blemish. We don't care what happens to the world or what we do to other people. We don't care as long as our needs are sufficed. Why do you think there is pollution? Just because Man became too lazy to walk a few miles, we created automobiles. Then came the burning, the wasting, the littering. Why do you think there is a class system within every community around the world? Even Atlanta is split between the suburbs and downtown. North Fulton County has been trying to separate from South Fulton for years, and for what? Because the county uses majority of its funds in the southern part of the county. Why do you think there is so much pain in this world? It is because of the fact that we are told to survive. We are told to live. It's survival of the fittest. Thus, we cheat, spit on our friends, and stab the hearts of the ones we love most. I'm not saying I don't enjoy the luxuries of my life. I don't mind driving to school and eating the great food that I do eat. Of course some examples can be proven wrong. (ex. long distance travel w/ planes as not being lazy). But the point is, have you really thought about what goes on in your life that is different from others? I bet some of us have great cars such as a mercedes or BMW as a teen. I bet that some of us have a great lifestyle and don't have to worry about anything.

Try to realize this... some of us don't have a great life. Some people out there are being shot, raped, killed, and tortured. Others cry at night hoping that they can scavenge a meal the next day. And some, just give up. WHY? It's the survival of the fittest. We are instinctively greedy and desire to have all we can whenever we can. We are taught the "American Dream." YOU CAN BE WHOEVER YOU WANT TO BE. But with a prize comes its obstacles. To try to obtain this fantasy, we run down any obstacle, any wall, any "person" in the way. The ones who finish to the end, "Congradulations." The ones who don't, "I'm sorry that someone took that dream away from you." As I said, we are greedy savages living in a conformist society whose only goal is to hear the words, "Congradulations." Woopeee... Now think about when or "if" we succeed, how did we get there? Did we cheat, lie, and claw our way up? Or did we bleed and sweat with our hard work and determination. No offense to anyone, there aren't that many of "those" out there any more. That's my definition of life: It's a huge black hole, only waiting to suck you up until you're part of it.