In the novel Maybe A Miracle by Brian Strause, Monroe Anderson is as quiet on the outside as he is on the inside. Monroe has spent most of his life trying to keep himself beneath the radar and if possible, invisible. If he becomes invisible he believes his older brother, a rising golf star, might not torment him, his workaholic father might not notice him to be disappointed, or his mother might not have to struggle to find a hopeful word. The only people who see the real Monroe are his girlfriend, Emily and his eleven-year-old sister, Annika. Monroe becomes the hero of the book by saving Annika’s life; on the night of his senior prom he finds Annika floating facedown in the family pool. He dives in and rescues her, but he is not quick enough
Hutch, the main character of The Big Field, has played baseball all of his life. He has always played shortstop, the same position that his father dreamed of playing as a professional. “Hutch, had always thought of himself as the captain of any infield he’d ever been a part of” (Lupica 1). Hutch finds himself being demoted to second base because there is another player, Darryl, on his new team that is expected to go pro and also plays shortstop. Hutch struggles because he does not want to play second base and his father does not support him because he does not want baseball to break Hutch’s dreams like it did his own. Hutch is betrayed by his father and Darryl when he finds them practicing together. Hutch has to learn to adjust and eventually becomes friends with Darryl, the up and coming shortstop. He understands that if he wants to win, then he needs to work together with Darryl. His father also comes around and finally gives Hutch his approval. Students should read this book in a high school English classroom because it demonstrates how relationships can be difficult, but teamwork can help to solve many issues.
Brian Turner's "The Hurt Locker" captures his personal and painful experiences during his time spent in war and furthermore, express the tragic events he witnessed. Brian Turner's poem is miraculously able to gather multiple first hand accounts of tragic, gory, and devastating moments inside a war zone and project them on to a piece of paper for all to read. He allows the audience of his work to partially understand what hell he himself and all combat veterans have endured. Although heartbreaking, it is a privilege to be taken inside "The Hurt Locker" of a man who saw too many things that should not ever be witnessed by anybody. Turner's words bring to life what many have buried deep inside them which subsequently is one of the major underlying problems facing combat veterans today. Reading this poem, I could not help but wonder what the long term effects of war are on a human being, if it is worth the pain, and how does a combat veteran function properly in a society that is unfamiliar with their experiences?
The climax of the story is when Miles is shot by the Bonewoman. The reader comes to realize that Miles’ choice to live life on the safe side was a mistake:
In his book, An Imperfect God, Henry Wiencek argues in favor of Washington being the first true president to set the precedent for the emancipation of African-American slaves. Wiencek delves into the evil paradox of how a nation conceived on the principles of liberty and dedicated to the statement that all men are created equal was in a state that still preserved slavery for over seven decades following the construction of the nation. Washington’s grandeur estate at Mount Vernon at its peak had the upkeep of over 300 slaves 126 of which were owned by Washington. First, it must be understood that Washington was raised on slavery receiving ownership of 10 slaves at the age of 11 years old and that Washington was a man of his time. However, it must also be understood that Washington’s business with slavery was in the context of a constrained social and political environment. Weincek maintains that this does not exonerate the fact that Washington maintained slavery however; it does help to quantify the moral shortcoming by which Washington carried until his last year of life.
The sympathy of loss is persuaded as a devastating way on how a person is in a state of mind of losing. A person deals with loss as an impact on life and a way of changing their life at the particular moment. In the book My Losing Season by Pat Conroy he deals with the type of loss every time he plays basketball due to the fact, when something is going right for him life finds a way to make him lose in a matter of being in the way of Pat’s concentration to be successful.
David Malter was part of the Jewish sect that took on a more modern approach. He is very understanding, and he cares very deeply for his son Reuven. Reuven and his father's relationship would be considered healthy by most people. They love each other very much, and they have a very open communication with each other.
Today's world is filled with both great tragedy and abundant joy. In a densely populated metropolis like New York City, on a quick walk down a street you encounter homeless people walking among the most prosperous. Unfortunately, nine times out of ten the prosperous person will trudge straight past the one in need without a second thought. A serious problem arises when this happens continually. The problem worsens when you enter a different neighborhood and the well-to-do are far from sight. Many neighborhoods are inhabited only by the most hopeless of poverty - ridden people while others downtown or across the park do not care, or are glad to be separated from them. Such is the problem in New York City today and in Mott Haven in Jonathan Kozol's Amazing Grace. I have lived in New York City all my life and I had no idea that these problems were going on so close to home. If I live about three miles away from Mott Haven and I am not aware of the situation there, then who is?
In the book The Chosen, by Chaim Potok, Reuven Malter is shaped by everyone around him. During this interaction his character becomes more developed and engaging. Through the interactions, it becomes apparent that Reuven’s father is always teaching his child how to improve himself. The conversations between Reuven and his father help prepare Reuven develop the mentality and the personal qualities, such as wisdom, compassion, and tolerance, necessary to become a rabbi.
John Dower's "Embracing Defeat" truly conveys the Japanese experience of American occupation from within by focusing on the social, cultural, and philosophical aspects of a country devastated by World War II. His capturing of the Japanese peoples' voice let us, as readers, empathize with those who had to start over in a "new nation."
In my book there are two main characters. The first is Stevie. He is 14 years old and a writer for The Washington post. When He was 12 he won a writing contest with Susan Carol Anderson (the other main character in my book) to go to the final four and write sports articles. From then they were sent to other major sporting events. This one being the world series. Stevie is very outgoing but he is is jealous of his girl friend susan carol. “well,” stevie said “I may be good enough, but not as good as you.” This is saying that Stevie is good at some sports writing and smart. But Susan Carol is amazing at sports writing and she is very smart. Susan Carol is a very sweet girl. She is a southern belle from north carolina. She can charm anyone with her smile and accent. She is very well spoken and she has a way to always sound like she knows what she is talking about.
who were there but learn them in such a way that we are allowed to
Nikki Giovanni is an American writer, commentator, activist, and educator. One of the worlds most well known African American poets during the late 60’s and early 70’s. Still, few readers seem to have realized that two of Giovanni’s poems “Patience,” and “I Wrote a Good Omelet” share the same topic and develop similar themes. In fact, Giovanni illustrates her common topic between the two poems through the two characters that are portrayed as lovers in her poems. Both women are madly in love and enslaved to their companions by the love they feel. In this way, Giovanni’s “Patience” and “I Wrote a Good Omelet” share the same topic and theme. In order to evoke loves beautiful ways on these enslaved and insane women Giovanni styles her work in unique
What should our goals be in life? Bill Strickland makes the point that no matter who you are you can do anything you put your mind too. In his book “Making the impossible possible” he explains his own struggle and how he made it through life to be able to help others. He explains his young childhood. He talks about how he had to live through riots and the racism. He talks about how he wanted to help people make their lives better. He explains his struggles with trying to maintain these buildings and how he made great connections. He tells about his love for pottery and his want to help others. His book was truly an inspiration and turned out to be more than I took his book for in the first few pages. His book made me think about my life and how I can relate to him.
‘Miracle on St David’s Day’, written by Gillian Clarke in 1975, is a personal account of the author’s experiences as she visited a mental hospital. A calm peaceful mood is set at the beginning of the poem, as Gillian Clarke describes the countryside and country house. However, the poem leads straight from this gentle nature to the harsh reality of life.
The Dice Man written by Luke Rhinehart is an incredibly thought challenging and intentionally provocative piece that knows no bounds and sought to cover every aspect of the human psyche. The exploratory nature of this book transverse across subjects that most novels and authors would dare not touch. Rape, murder, sexual experimentation, racism, drug use, adultery and senseless blasphemy. The Dice Man covers them all, and when presented with the title quote “This book will change your life” I would plainly agree and contend that it will not only change your life in some way but severely change your perspective on things.