TS What would Lucie Manette, Mr. Lorry, and Dr. Manette think when they looked in a mirror? Each would see something different because each character is unique in their own way. SD Lucie Manette would probably see someone who has endured the impossible. CM For her entire life she was under the belief that her father had died many years ago. CM Having made it through this hard time in her life; Lucie Manette is probably at a very happy place in her life right now. SD Mr. Lorry would probably see someone very happy with himself and his life. CM He is successful and has become all that he can be so far in his life. CM He has gotten to a good place in his life and is happy. SD Dr. Manette would probably see a person with a mixture of emotions, but ultimately someone who is happy. CM He would not be completely sure of the person he was looking at, not sure if he was good or bad. CM However, the mirror would also tell a story of someone who has been saved by someone he loves. CS For the most part, Lucie Manette, Mr. Lorry, and Dr. Manette are happy with the faces they see in the mirror. They approve of the people they have become and are ready to move on from the past.
TS When I look in the mirror, I am quite often insecure of what I see, but at the same time, I have accepted who I am. SD There are times that I am uncertain of what I will become, not wanting to make mistakes along the way. CM The path that I am on now is extremely unstable, twisting and turning at the slightest sign, giving me a moments notice or less to re-adjust. CM I have to have faith, however, that life will keep me on my feet as long as I try to keep moving forward. SD There is also times that I don't like the person staring back at me when I look in the mirror. CM I have to remind myself that no one is perfect, and that obsessing about the traits I cannot change will not help me what so ever. CM By accepting my faults and reminding myself of these things, I am able to move on and try to become a better person. SD I am also content knowing that the person on the other side of the mirror is strong, just like me. CM I know that I can handle almost anything, from change to drastic occurrences. CM I have the luxury of knowing that I can support myself as well as others. CS By taking a step back from the mirror and looking at everything I can do, I know I will be able to continue to move forward, taking everything I do to another level.Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Essay #6
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Martha's Vineyard
Day 1
My mind is revolving around these four catastrophes, save the fourth, while I watch the minutes go by on the clock.
Every once and a while I am unwillingly snapped back to reality, becoming more impatient and more unhappy.
How can I break this spiteful circle?
How can I rid myself of this pain?
Calm
Green fields and clear skies,
Blue water and sandy shores,
Not a person in sight.
It is calm here.
It's not because of the sights,
And it's not because of the reputation,
The smell, the air, the feel of the Earth,
Everything here breathes "calm".
No traces of war or hate,
Just peace and calm.
Is there any other place like this?
Anywhere closer to home so I can spend my stressful days there?
Probably not.
Places like this are far and few between,
Usually packed with wishful people.
But somehow this little island is empty.
The streets are full and the stores are occupied,
but this field, this beautiful wonderful field, is somehow empty.
Where are the people?
How can they not see what is so obviously here?
This land is clean, innocent,
Calm.
Day 2
This Island of Mine
They say this place is wonderful.
They say this place has beauty.
But to me it's just an island.
What's so special about this place?
The grass is green, the sky is blue.
These are all things we have back home.
Beaches with white powder sand and two ton boulders like polka dots on a velvet blanket.
Forests with a thousand shades of green and brown.
Air so pure you head is wiped clean of any infectious thought it might hold.
Maybe they were right about this place and it's secret beauty.
Maybe this little island of mine is something more, something that has the power to make us stop and stare.
They say this place is wonderful.
They say this place has beauty.
But to me it has so much more.
Man Hunt
The darkness presses on me, suffocating me.
The cold makes me numb, makes me slow.
The occasional screams unnerve me, gives everything a new edge.
Why we play this game, I have no idea.
Hiding and searching for people in the dark, never knowing if someone is going to jump out and grab you.
Intentional fear, that's why we do this.
A prescribed dose of adrenaline for our hearts.
All of us need a good dose of fear every once and a while.
But even with this being said and understood,
I can't help but be scared.
Day 3
I just got the perfect shot, and I owe it all to Aquinah. With it's spectacular beaches and magnificent sunsets it has provided me with the perfect photo opportunity. I can't give all the credit to Aquinah, however. There were a few people who participated with this amazing shot. Placing the rocks precariously on top of each other, trying time and time again until... Ah! Perfection! The timing couldn't have been better either. The sun, bright and fiery orange was directly behind the stones, casting an orb of light around it. The sea was dark and the sky blue. I couldn't have asked for more. And I owe it all t0 Aquinah.
Day 4
As much as I hate to admit it, I am home sick.
I remember when I was younger, and leaving home was something to fear, something to dread.
Now, of course, that all seems ridiculous.
But I can't help but feel home sick.
I miss my room, my bed, my mother.
Even though I know I will be home tomorrow afternoon I can't help the longing I feel.
Even with this being said I will miss this beautiful place.
It seems I can't win.
An even though I hate to admit it,
I am home sick.
Essay #5
10/12/10
Jade
Mr.Salsich
English 9
What Would You Do:
An Essay on the Choices You Would Make In an Impossible Situation
Imagine a world where the impossible is possible. Where people who were thought to be dead show up. In the book A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens uses several different writing techniques that make his writing more powerful. He makes you wonder what it would feel like, what would you do if you were put in that position.
TS In the chapter, The Shoemaker, from A Tale of Two Cities, Luci Manette is reunited with her father after having spent twenty years under the belief he was dead. SD Dickens once again shows one of his more powerful techniques of expressing the characters emotions by using influential dialog in chapter six. CM Luci Manette is trying to communicate with her father in some way when she says, "If you hear in my voice -- I don't know that it is so, but I hope it is -- if you hear in my voice any resemblance to a voice that once was sweet music in your ears, weep for it, weep for it!" (Dickens, 48). CM This is a wonderful example of how intense Dickens can make a situation or conversation. You can almost feel what Manette is feeling: worry, stress, hope, and fear. SD Dickens also has a powerful way of describing his characters in such a way it leaves you begging to know more. For example, when he describes Luci Manette, he says, "... a pair of blue eyes that met [my] own with an inquiring look, and a forehead with a singular capacity (remembering how smooth it was), of lifting and knitting itself into an expression that was not quite one of perplexity, or wonder, or alarm, or merely of a bright fixed attention, though it included all the four expressions..." (Dickens, 23). CM The writing technique that Dickens displays here is one that is used perfectly. CM He describes the character in such a way that you want to know more, want to know why, want to know how. SD Finally, Dickens use of similes enhances his writing in such a way it flows elegantly. CM He writes, " His cold white head mingled with her radiant hair, which warmed and lightened it as though it were the light of Freedom shining on him." (Dickens, 48). CM Dickens describes this moment as though it were like the sun breaking through the clouds in a magnificent display, something so powerful, eager to be noticed, exited to finally make an appearance, not wasting a second of time, ready to make a difference (Coordinating Cumulative Sentence). CS Dickens uses of different, powerful writing techniques make his work unique and extraordinary.
TS If I were do discover that my father was alive, after having spent my entire life thinking he had died, I would probably be feeling a very complex mixture of emotions. SD I can relate better to this subject when compared to other hypothetical situations because I have never met my father. Ever since I can remember, I have been able to acknowledge that my father died before I was born and there was nothing I could do to change it. CM If, by some miracle, it turned out that my father had in fact not died so many years ago, the first emotion I would probably feel is disbelief. CM It would make no logical sense that my mother would be lying to me for the last fifteen years. Even if she had no idea that he was still alive, it would be hard to believe. SD Once I got over the disbelief and skepticism, I would probably feel anger and grief. CM Who would keep my father from me for so long? And if that’s not the case, why would he hide from me for fifteen years? CM I would hold on to anything that would make the impossible situation have a flaw. SD And if, after all this, I got the answers I found fitting and reasonable, I would be overcome with joy. CM Nothing would be able to sully the moment. Nothing would separate us again. CM From that point on I would work hard to keep our relationship strong, staying connected, spending time together, making up for time lost, treasuring memories as they were created, not letting things get to tense or distant, and staying honest (Coordinating Cumulative Sentence). CS Even though this particular situation would be wonderful if true, the likely hood of it is one of great insignificance. Emotions would fly, words would be said, questions asked with one final result. It would be the best thing that had ever happened to me.
What would you do if someone you thought was long dead turned out to be alive? Would you be frightened, happy, sad? Dickens asks questions like these and more that demand more than just a passing glance. His writing techniques provide you with a story that is both powerful and surprisingly easy to relate to.
Self Assessment
1. Something I Need To Work On
One thing I need to work on is making sure I re-read my essays and making sure there are no comma splices or punctuation errors.
2. One Strong Point
I think that one of my strong points is word placement. When I write, I think that I am able to place my words in an order that makes the sentence sound more clear and articulate.
3. One Possible Weak Point
I feel that one definite weak point I have when writing is getting carried away and loosing my unity.
4. The Grade I Would Give Myself
For this essay I would give myself a B+. I had difficulties writing the opening and closing paragraphs because I was unclear about the topic.