Essay #19- Final Project

Jade 

Mr. Salsich

English 9

4/25/11

Introduction

Dear reader,

This is a multi genre essay based on my thoughts on strength of spirit. Whether displayed in literature or found in real life, strength of spirit is omnipresent. In the book A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, Sydney Carton displays strength of spirit throughout the entire novel. As we learned of what Carton believed in and cared about, his strength of spirit was revealed to us. In the end, Carton died for what he believed in, showing how much strength he really had. On the other hand, in the book Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare, Caesar contradicts his strength of spirit. He made a point of remaining firm with his decision to stay home with his wife, much to her consolation. However, as soon as he heard news that appeased his power hungry thoughts, he changed his mind, regardless of his wife's dream. To me, however, strength of spirit depends on both what you believe in and what you do. Our spirit is what we stand for, what makes us unique. When I believe in something, I try to support it as much as I can. It is these beliefs and our involvement in them that make strength of spirit what it is, as well as how important it is to our development.

                                                                                                          Sincerely,

                                                                                                              Jade

~~~

I have eyes,

that can see the wrong you have done.

I have ears,

that can hear the sickness in your tone when you shout.

I have a voice, 

that has stayed silent until today.

Forgive me if I falter,

if my words are weak from disuse.

But believe me,

they are just as strong as your shouts.

I have a brain,

that is smarter than yours.

I have a mind,

that is more intellectual than yours. 

I have a spirit,

that is stronger than yours,

but hasn't been able to speak until today.

Every crushing blow to the heart,

every degrading name,

has only made me stronger,

has only made my spirit flare with anger.

And here you stand,

yelling like a banshee,

saying I have changed,

and I have.

And finally I stand,

having heard enough of your nonsense,

and speak quietly but clearly.

I tell you that I've had enough,

that I'm stronger than you seem to think.

And I give you one chance,

to change your ways,

but like the stubborn mule you are,

you tell me how wrong I am.

As if I am a child,

who doesn't know better.

And I smile sadly,

and turn my back,

and never look back.

~~~

Advertisement I am selling strength of spirit to the highest bidder! That's right, you heard me, the highest bidder. This has never been done before and it's a once and a life time chance. Before today strength of spirit was hard to acquire and hard to maintain, but now it's easy and virtually painless! Just drink a bottle of my potion and you'll be feeling integrity and courage rushing through your veins in no time. So come on down and buy a bottle of my strength of spirit today!

~~~

Recipe for Strength of Spirit Cake

Ingredients:

Two cups of integrity

One cup of courage

Two honesty eggs

One teaspoon of dignity (not too much!)

A pinch of anger

A dash of passion

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Take a large bowl and mix together your integrity and courage first. Make sure you mix these evenly, for they need to be in balance to work well together. Next, add your two honesty eggs and mix well. This will be the glue that holds your cake together. Without honesty,  courage and integrity cannot hold themselves together. Now you can add a teaspoon of dignity. Though this is important to your cake, too much will spoil it. Your last two ingredients are the most important, but the most dangerous. Your passion will come first, you can choose how much you want, but the more passion you have the more anger you will have too. Once all of your ingredients are well mixed take a baking pan and poor your strength of spirit batter inside. Place this into the oven and let it bake for about half an hour. Once this is done cooking set it aside to cool. However remember this: the fresher your strength of spirit cake is, the more strong it will be. Each ingredient will be much more potent when fresh, especially the passion. On the other hand, if left out for too long your cake will be stale and weak flavored. Once your cake is the perfect temperature cut and enjoy with friends.

~~~

Short Story

This is the story of one family that lives in one house, in one neighborhood, in one city, in one state, in one county on this one Earth. Every day the mother of this family goes to work, and every day the son and daughter of this family go to school, and every day the cat and dog of this family roam the streets. And while these members of this family are busy with their suburban days, the last member is out fighting for their county. Every night the mother comes home with a smile on her face, though it is not true, and every night the children do the same. With lonely eyes and false laughter they talk over diner, talk about things they did and people they saw. And every night in bed they talk of the one who is not there. A lonely wife goes to work, lonely children play at school, lonely pets drag their feet, all waiting for the arrival for the one person who is missing. Half way across the world a lonely father fights for his family. Oh but how it makes them stronger, to know the extent of their love. For when the plane lands and the front door opens, this family is whole again. And the wife sings again, and the children dance again, and the dog wags his tale while the cat meows in glee again. And the wounds are healed until next time. This is the story of one family, like so many others, that live in one house, in one neighborhood, in one city, in one state, in one county, on this one Earth, who, like so many others, have strength beyond measure in their spirits.

Essay #18

Jade
Mr. Salsich
English 9
4/19/11

Opening Paragraph
TS- Different kinds of strength
     CM- Physical, mental, etc.
     CM- Depends on the person
CS- Comes from experience

Body Paragraph
TS- In book, different characters have different strengths
     SD- Cassius is mentally strong
          CM- While talking with Casca, made clear that he was not phased by the storm
          CM- Did not show fear when he presented himself to the Gods
     SD- Brutus is morally strong
         CM- Even though he was convinced to conspire against  Caesar, he still holds his beliefs strong.
         CM- He accepts that they must kill Caesar, but he refuses to kill him savagely
     SD- Portia is strong in her heart
          CM- She is continuously hurt by her husbands lack of trust in her
          CM- The pain she has from her husbands lack of faith in her has made her strong enough to face him
CS- The characters have unique strengths because they are unique people


Closing Paragraph
TS- Strength comes in different forms
     CM- What we endure in day to day life makes us stronger in different ways
     CM- For some, sticking to what they believe in makes them stronger, for others surviving pain makes them stronger.

There are many different kinds of strength in our world that one can attain, all having one thing in common. Whether it be physical, mental, or otherwise, strength is something we earn. With this being said, the strengths that one can have depends solely on that person and what they have endured during their life. Their experiences and hardships shape and mold them to have their own strengths, ones that will help them survive throughout their lifetime. 

In the book Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare, different characters display their strengths in a number of ways. For example, Cassius is mentally strong. While talking with Casca, he made it clear that he was not phased by the onslaught of the storm, however brutal and catastrophic, meaning he was not afraid of the wraith of the Gods. Because of this he did not show fear when he presented himself to the Gods. Brutus, on the other hand, is morally strong. Even though he was convinced to conspire against Caesar, he refuses to loose his beliefs in the violence that is ahead. Although he wishes he could remove Caesars spirit, but leave him be, he accepts that he must be killed. However, he refuses to kill him savagely, for that would make him no better. Finally, Portia is strong in her heart. She is continuously hurt by her husbands lack of trust in her, and feels as if she is no more than his trophy wife. The pain she has endured has made her stronger, giving her the courage to finally face him. It is these unique strengths that make all the characters memorable, as the strengths we have make us incomparable to each other.

Strength comes in many different forms. What we must endure in our day to day lives makes us all stronger in unrivaled ways. For some, it is their dedication to what they believe in makes them stronger. For others it is their survival of pain that keeps them going. There are a thousand different ways to interpret strength, and a thousand different ways to be strong, but all lead back to the individual person, and what they have had to endure.


Self Assessment
One thing I am trying to work on in my writing is the clarity of some of the sentences. I find that if one sentence is unclear, then the ones that follow will also be unclear. One strong point I see in this piece of writing is how specific my examples of strong characters are in the body paragraph. However, I feel that a weak point would be my opening and closing paragraphs, for they are very vague. For this essay I would give myself a B.

Essay #17

Jade Gilman

English 9

Mr. Salsich

4/6/11

Opening Paragraph

TS- Are we masters of fate?

            CM- What we do affects not only ourselves, but others around us

            CM- Need to learn to realize the aftermath of decisions we make

CS- However, can’t control outside world, things happen

First Body Paragraph

TS- Whether we can control fate is controversial subject, depends on the situation we are in.

            SD- To say we are masters of our fate is to say we can control the world

                        CM- Something we can’t do

                        CM- Always trying

            SD- Some say we are masters of our fate,

                        CM- Can’t cope with the thought that someone else is controlling them

                        CM- However makes you responsible.

            SD- Sometimes easier to say fate controls us

                        CM- Some take comfort in knowing it's not all their fault

                        CM- Can help you to stop stressing over what you should done

CS- Whether we can control fate depends not only on the situation, but what we believe in.

Second Body Paragraph

TS- I have conflicting views on whether I am master of my own fate.

            SD- Times when I find it hard to choose

                        CM- So many different things going on, hard to make decision.

                        CM- Only makes me more confused.

           

            SD- Easy to switch around beliefs

                        CM- When things are going good, I praise myself

                        CM- When things go bad, blame fate.

            SD- Currently trying to figure out what I believe in

                        CM- Very difficult thing to do

                        CM- Find myself confused most of the time.

CS- Even though I don't know what I believe in, I take trying to find out seriously.

Closing Paragraph

TS- Question, are we masters of our fate? Very controversial.

            CM- Many different parts

            CM- Many different ways to interpret it

CS- Ultimately depends on the person, no two people are alike.

Are masters of our own fate? What we do in life not only affects ourselves, but those around us. It is important to realize the aftermath of the decisions we make in life, for they could change how we, and those around us, live our ever day lives. However, confusion arises when we argue the fact that we can’t always control what happens in the outside world.

Whether we can control our fate is a very controversial subject, mainly because it depends on not only the person, but the situation they are in. To say we are masters of our fate is to say we can control not only ourselves, but the world around us. This is obviously something we can’t do. However, it is inevitable that at one point or another, we will try. There are those who say we are, indeed, masters of our fate. It is often hard for those who truly believe this to be able to grasp the concept that there might be something, or someone, else controlling how we live our day to day lives. However, with this being said, those who believe this also must take full responsibility when problems arise. On the other side of things, there are those who find it easier to believe that something, whether fate or not, is controlling them. The comfort they feel is based on the fact that they can't control every aspect of their lives, and choose to blame it on fate. By doing this, it is often much easier to accept the pains that accompany us in life, giving them the ability to move forward. Whether we can control fate not only depends on the situation, but the person as well.

When I direct the question towards myself, however, I find that I have very conflicting views. There are many times in my life when it is more that difficult to choose whether I believe in fate. There are so many different things going on every day that choosing a definite answer is almost impossible. Unfortunately for me, this only makes me more confused. Even with this being said, it is more than easy to switch around my beliefs as the days go by. When things are going good, I praise myself rather than fate. On the other hand, when things are going bad, I find it comforting to think it's not entirely my fault. Currently, I find myself stuck between two beliefs. Choosing one has proven itself almost impossible. I find myself accepting the fact that I might never really be able choose between the two, taking what I feel into consideration and just trying to get through life.

The question, "Are we masters of our own fates?" has proven itself more than controversial. There are so many different parts strung together, making is near impossible to sort through. Even if you do find your way through the tangled mess, there can be a thousand different ways for others to interpret your findings. Ultimately, it depends on the person, for no two people are alike. 

Essay #16

Jade

English 9

Mr. Salsich

3/30/11

A Rebels World:

An Essay on Rebellion’s Part in Our Lives

To be a rebel is what it means to be human. If you look at both our past and present, you can see that there is always a rebel to a leader, a resister to a dictator. Disagreeing with others, defying their way, rising up and fighting back, these are all essential to the development of our society. Without those who revolt against what they think is wrong, there would never be change, leaving us in a world ruled by anti revolutionaries. However, complications arise when those who rise up, must take control.

Throughout our history, there have been thousands of rebellions, all caused for different reasons. One reason for rebellion is anger. Where there is anger, there is is violence. Enough anger can fuel a person or persons to rebel against the source, and in most cases, they overcome. Another reason for rebellion is inequality over a large percentage of a population. If we look at how life was for the people during the French Revolution, we can see just how powerful people can become when forced to live a life filled with poverty and inequality. This power is based from anger, anger at those who have more, anger at those who control what they have, anger at those in control. I remember times in my past when I passionately rebelled against authority, mainly my mother's. I would, and still do, test what limits she gave me and see just how far I could push. However the proverbial slingshot I was riding on would eventually snap, and I would fine myself reprimanded and sent to my room. Of course this was a much less severe punishment than most rebels have in the past received, but at the time, it felt like the end of the world. Rebellion has been a part of our past and present, and will continue on in our future solely for the reason that humans will always fight for what they believe in. 


To rise up against an unjust leader, to fight for what you believe in, to change history are all reasons why people have and always will rebel. It is human nature to argue, to be stubborn, and to rise up against what you feel is wrong. All these things make up our past, and will make up our future. It is the rebellion that makes us strong, this rebellion that makes us human.

Essay #15

Jade 

English 9

Mr. Salsich

2/16/11

What Makes Us Remember:

An Essay on What I Will Remember From A Tale of Two Cities

Over time, I have noticed that certain books have a greater influence over me than others. Most have at least one thing that will make me remember the story for some time. However, there are the rare few that stay with me for years, their words remaining in my errant thoughts as time goes by. With endless power and grace laced throughout the pages, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is, by far, one of the most influential books I have read in my life and will surely stay with me for many years to come.

There are many different aspects of the writing style in Dickens novel that I feel will stay with me for a length of time. The first being his use of repetition. Throughout the book, Dickens introduces us to many different themes, some physical, some emotional. The recurrence of these themes keeps the story unified by reminding you of important events from earlier in the book. Another reason I am sure I will remember this novel is the clever use of different writing techniques that keep the pages fresh and interesting. To me, one of the most influential of them would be antithesis. The repeated use of naming opposites really stressed the importance of the words being read, many of them being the themes that Dickens brought up so often. It is the sheer perfection in which Dickens blends these techniques into his writing that will make me remember this story for a very long time. 

While Dickens writing style will make me remember the words, it is his characters that will make me remember the meaning. To me, Lucie Manette is a static character, but one that is utterly important to the story. She never changes, always keeping her thoughts and beliefs the same, but somehow has an enormous impact on the other characters in the story. She changes the people around her, making them better people who strive to protect the ones they care about. Sydney Carton is one of those characters. When we first met Carton, he was a lonely and depressed and drunk man with no one he cared for and no one who cared for him. By the end of the story, he had devoted his life and sole to Lucie and her family, doing everything in his power to protect and ensure they stay together. These extraordinary characters are the backbone of the novel. Without them, the story would have a more than large hole in the middle. With them, however, the story has the power to have a lasting effect on the reader, making them remember just how strong both men and women can be when forced to protect the ones they love. 

There are books in our world that refuse to fade away, becoming more respected as the years go by. Even with this being said, the individual person may like or dislike a book for a thousand reasons. I find that a book's style and meaning are what make, or break, a story. It's what's in between the lines of the pages that force me to remember the words, the characters, the meaning. For me, A Tale of Two Cities is a story that will stay with me for many years because of its ability to make me see human nature and just how much power we can have.

Self Assessment
One of the things I am continuing to work on is the unity through out the entire essay. As I progress through an essay, I find that I get lost in my wording, resulting in a confusion of the topic.

A weak point I see in this essay is the closing paragraph. I feel that I strayed slightly off topic and I could have done a better job of relating it to my opening paragraph.

A strong point I see in this essay is the clarity of the body paragraphs. I feel that my wording was elegant and flowing, but still easy to comprehend.

I would give myself a B+ for this essay.

Essay #13

The Fight for Integrity:
An Essay on Integrity in A Tale of Two Cities and My Life

Integrity is something that keeps a person true to both what they say and what they do. To have integrity is to stay consistent in your actions and words. It also means you stay not only true to others but true to yourself as well. By maintaining integrity you develop a certain balance in your life, one that helps you become a better person. 

There is an abundance of integrity in the characters of A Tale of Two Cites, by Charles Dickens. One of them being Charles Darnay. Throughout the book he has both remained true to what he says and what he believes in. He has shows that he knows what the right thing to do is and how to go about doing it. Another character with integrity is Sydney Carton. Though he may not have acted so with other people, Carton always kept his word to Lucie. At the end of the novel, he does what he believes is the right thing and switches places with Darnay, saving his life. Finally, Dr. Manette has integrity. He has loved his daughter everyday since he was reunited with her. He has never left her or intentionally hurt her since they have been together. It is this integrity that makes these characters who they are and what they choose to do. 

For me, integrity is something I try very hard to have. One of the biggest things I try to avoid being is hypocritical. If I say that I do or do not believe in something, I make an effort not to turn around and go do it. Staying true to my word can be difficult at times, but it is something I try very hard to do. I also try to stay truthful to not only myself, but to others as well. Keeping myself out of situations that might tempt me to lie for whatever reason helps me retain my integrity. However, I also try not to lie to myself or ignore something that is going on in my life, for that would be counter productive. Finally, I make an enormous effort not to judge people the first time I see them. By listening to what they have to say, I can make my decision on how I feel about them based on their personality rather than appearance. This is a better way to see people, mainly because you should never judge a book by its cover. 

Integrity keeps your mind open and your head level. Even with this being said, it can be more than hard to to maintain such an important quality. Often, integrity comes and goes like the tides; sometimes you have an abundance of it, sometimes you don't. It is the fight for integrity, however, that makes us a better person inside. 

Essay #13 Outline

Opening Paragraph
TS- Integrity keeps person true to what they say/do
     CM- Having integrity means you stay consistent in actions/words
     CM- Also means you stay true to yourself
CS-Keeps balance in your life

First Body Paragraph
TS- There is integrity in TOTC characters

     SD- Charles Darnay has integrity
          CM- True to what he says
          CM- Knows what the right thing to do is
  
     SD- Sydney Carton has integrity
          CM- Has always kept his word to Lucie
          CM- Realizes what the right thing to do is, switches places with Darney

     SD- Dr. Manette has integrity
          CM- Has loved his daughter since he was reunited with her
          CM- He never left her/ hurt her on purpose

CS- Integrity makes these characters who they are and what they chose to do

Second Body Paragraph
TS- Integrity something I try to have
     SD- I try to not be hypocritical
          CM- Try not to say don't do something, then go do it
          CM- Try to stay true to my point
  
     SD- Try to stay truthful with others as well as with myself
          CM- Try not take myself out of situations that make me feel like lying
          CM- Try not to lie to myself to ignore something thats going on in my life
  
     SD- Try not to judge on first sight
          CM- By listening to what person has to say, can choose how I feel about them based on their personality
          CM- Better way to see people, not judging a book by its cover
CS- Having a balance of integrity in my life important

Closing Paragraph
TS- Integrity keeps your mind open and head level
     CM- Can be hard to hold onto
     CM- Can come and go like tides
CS- Fighting for it makes us a better person

Essay # 12

The Circles in Life:
An Essay on the Concept that Everything Comes in a Circle in A Tale of Two Cities and my Life

In our world, all things come in a circle. While the sun must rise in the morning, it also must set at night. Similar to this, our thoughts and ideas come and flow like the tides. As aspects of our lives seem to end they tend to relive their beginning, completing the circle. 

In the book A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, different aspects of the story are coming to a full circle as the book nears its end. For example, Sydney Carton is becoming a more active character. He is expressing his affection for Lucie more and more, sometimes with out even realizing it. This behavior links him back to the beginning of the story, when he was first experiencing his feelings for Lucie. Another example would be Dickens use of recurring themes through out the book. The theme of opposites and the use of antithesis makes numerous appearances as the novel progresses. This effectively  keeps the whole story connected and brings all the themes to a full circle. Finally, death is becoming a more dominant part of the story once again. In the beginning of the novel, we heard of many people being killed. Now that the story is coming to an end, we find out a character that we know more personally might be killed. It is these recurring themes in Dickens' novel that keeps the reader connected to all aspects throughout the entire story. 

In my life, I also find many things coming back in a full circle. Every once and a while old friends make new appearances. With their arrival they bring back old memories, bring back another life long forgotten. Even as they take their departure, I know that somehow the circle will repeat, whether by an old friend or memory. I have also come to know that life has many ups and downs. There are times when I might be having a good time, and things are going well. However, out of no where something bad might happen, bringing me down. Even with this being said, nothing can stay bad forever, and the circle continues. If I stay on the topic of good and bad, I can say that in my life, laughter always finds its way back to me. No matter how down I may feel, there is always something somewhere that can make  me laugh and bring my spirits back up. This is a constant  circle that I can always rely on, no matter what's going on in my life. 

Circles are an omnipresent part of life. They bring recurring themes, whether in the form of memories or occurrences. This is an important part of life, for without this we would have nothing to remind us of our past. No matter how small or large it may be, all things come in a circle. 

Outline for Essay #12


Opening Paragraph

TS- All things come in a circle
     CM-Sun rises/sets
     CM- Thoughts/ ideas come/flow like tide
CS- Things tend to come full circle when close to end

First Body Paragraph 
TS- In TOTC, things are coming to full circle near end of story

     SD- Carton appearing more near end of story
          CM- He expresses his affection for Lucie more
          CM- Goes back to beginning of story

     SD- Dickens uses recurring themes through out story
          CM- The theme of opposites shows up through out book
          CM- Keeps the whole story connected

     SD- Death becoming more dominant as story comes to end
          CM- In beginning, heard of people being killed
          CM- Now character that we know personally might be killed

CS- Keeping things connected important, makes reader remember different parts of story

Second Body Paragraph
TS- My life comes back around in circles
     SD- Old friends show up
          CM- Talk about old memories, another life
          CM- Repeats

     SD- Live with constant up/down
          CM- Might be going through good time
          CM- Something bad happens, but will always go back to good

     SD- Laughter always comes back
         CM- No matter how down I am, something makes me laugh
         CM- Can count on that circle in my life

Essay # 9

Jade

English 9

Mr. Salsich

11/30/10

Main Point/Thesis of Essay- Sydney Carton knows what he is, doesn't try to change it. However, is still changing.

Bell Word- Change

Paragraph 1 -- Opening

TS- Kind of person who thinks cant be changed

     CM- Doesn't know how to live any other way

     CM- Changing, not realizing

CS- Becoming someone better

Paragraph 2 -- First Body

TS- Does not think he can/will ever change.

     SD- Thinks he is a bad person 

          CM- Repeatedly tells people this (Lucie, Darnay etc)

          CM- Does not think too much of it, almost accepts it

     SD- Inside he wants to change

          CM- Doesn't know how

          CM- Subconsciously reaches out to people

     SD- Doesn't realize he's changing

          CM- Loves Lucie, started to change when he realized this

          CM- Becoming different person, Lucie might like more

CS- Starting to change because of one person

Paragraph 3 -- Second Body

TS- I would tell Carton to stop fighting what's happening

     SD- Though he doesn't realize completely, he is changing

          CM- Needs to learn to let go, stop trying to be the recluse

          CM- Go with whats naturally happening

     SD- Acting like a martyr, needs to stop

          CM- Behavior not good, drawing neg. attention from everyone 

          CM- Everyone except Lucie, who cares for him 

     SD- Lucie is making him a more sensitive person

          CM- Needs to use that, become that person fully

          CM- Stop pushing feelings away (for Lucie) try to get her by being better

CS- Need to accept what's going on, denial not good

Paragraph 4 -- Closing

TS- Everything always changing

     CM- Even if same pattern still changes

     CM- Learn to embrace change, part of everything

CS- Make him (and us) find new us

TS There are people in our world, both fictional and non fictional, who believe they will never change. In the book A Tale of Two Cites, by Charles Dickens, Sydney Carton is one of those characters. SD He is forever seeing himself as a bad person, and on more than one occasion has not refrained from expressing these thoughts. CM Both Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette have witnessed first hand his rants on how he is a  "self-flung away, wasted, drunken, poor creature of miss use" (Dickens, 156). CM With this being said, most would strive to become something else, something better. However, Carton is different. He acts with indifference, almost acceptance when this subject is brought up. SD Even with this being said, deep down inside he craves to be a better person. CM The only thing prohibiting him from doing do is his lack of information regarding how to make connections with people. CM However, since his conscience is not strong enough to pull him out of his dark little hole, his sub conscience still reaches out the only way it knows how, by spending time with Lucie. SD This small action is one that proves he is changing. CM Lucie has been the key since he realized he loved her. CM It is this love that is changing Carton into a different person, whether he struggles against it or not. CS And it is because of this one person, a seemingly boring character in Dickens entire plot, that is provoking such large reactions out of some of the more regular characters in the novel.

TS I only have a few pieces of advice for Sydney Carton, for I only see a few things that I feel need improvement. He may choose to live his life as an antisocial misanthrope, ignoring those around him and the advice they give, but he must not avoid or try to put a stop to who he is changing into to. SD Even if he doesn't realize it now, Carton is changing into someone else. Who this person is, only time can reveal. CM He needs to accept the fact that change is on the way for him and not put up a fight, for it will only disfigure his personality further. CM By letting go of his grasp on his version of "control" he will be able t flow more freely down the path he is destined to take. SD Being the modern day martyr is something that Carton also needs to work on. CM Though he is opening up to people like Lucie and Charles, he is working diligently to make sure he sounds like the one suffering constantly. His behavior is drawing negative attention to all those except for Lucie, who is remarkably able to see the good in him.  

Essay #8

Jade

English 9

Mr. Salsich

11/16/10

TS What would we be without contrast and balance? CM Without contrast, we are left with gray lines. Nothing would be distinguishable anymore. CM Without balance, we would be falling into a dark pit of nothingness and chaos. CS As Charles Dickens says in his novel A Tale of Two Cities the essence of balance and contrast is one that is everywhere, but also one we cannot live without.

TS In the novel, A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, the idea that everything can seem insignificant when in contrast to something else is one that toys with the human tendency to think we are superior. SD For every one thing, there is something greater, something incomprehensible. CM As Dickens makes clear, for every hut there is a chateau, for every village there is a country, for every planet there is an immeasurable night sky. CM No matter how large or how small something is, there will always be something else to make it look almost dull in comparison. SD Even the most intelligent of us can be limited by the "mere human knowledge" (Dickens, 183) we possess. CM We often do not conceptualize what is going on around us, for we are too busy using our "mere human knowledge [to] split a ray of light and analyses the manner of its composition" (Dickens, 183). CM Because of this we miss so much, making us look so feeble in comparison to what could be out there in the night sky. SD Dickens is trying to make it clear that we shouldn't be narrow minded when it comes to anything we do, whether it be as small as a hut or as large as the vast expanse of stars that are revealed to us when the sun goes down. CM Obsessing over one thing, perhaps even a ray of light, is something that will only cause further confusion. CM Balance is something we all need -- something that can level out the bumps in the road, something that can help the burning in our eyes once we are done staring at a ray of light, something that will hold us together. CS Breaking the never ending cycle of always finding something of greater excellence is impossible. However, remembering the importance of an open mind will not only give you balance, but help you step away from your analysis and see things in a deeper light.

TS Learning to balance out your life is something of great importance, for without balance, we are left alone and discombobulated. SD When it comes to my school life, finding self control is essential. CM Spending too much time enjoying the more favorable things in life will only further disrupt the equilibrium of leisurely and proactive activities.  CM Finding the appropriate time for both aspects of my everyday life is something that I continue to work on every day, whether it be by cutting time spent on the computer to increasing time spent on studying. SD I also find that when I monopolize my thoughts around what people think of me, my life becomes unbalanced. CM Worrying about what people think of me, whether good or bad, is something that takes too much time and effort. CM Even with this being said, you need to find a place in between the two extremes that is suitable for your life style. SD Even in my everyday life I find myself struggling with balance. CM It is often difficult to be harmonious when there seems to be a war going on around myself and others. CM This is one of many setbacks that a few simple words cannot find an answer for. CS Even though balance is something of great importance in my life, there are certain things that can make it more difficult, make it more tiresome, make me work harder.

TS Balance, and all things that come with it, is something that truly is unachievable for great lengths of time. CM We are a naturally violent species, and when you as the extremes that contrast presents on a daily basis, some wonder how we will ever find peace. CM However, there is a silver lining, a tight rope we may be able to find and walk on if we are open enough to see it. CS If we can understand what our world  would be like without balance and contrast, we might be able to see the severity of the situation called life we are in.