In 2010, Laura Hillenbrand released a brilliant tribute to a resilient national hero, Louis “Louie” Zamperini, whose story was not widely known at the time. Fast forward four years and this tribute, Unbroken, has been made into a major motion picture and the remarkable story of the Olympian-turned-soldier has reached the masses. In the book Unbroken, which I read shortly after it was released, Hillenbrand chronicles Zamperini’s epic and, at times, terrifying odyssey. Raised in California, he was the son of Italian immigrants.…
Helpless, by Barbara Gowdy, was a well written novel which kept the reader interested right until the final page. Gowdy used descriptive language, suspense, and flashbacks to develop the theme that unrequited love lasts longer than love that is fulfilled. Gowdy used descriptive language well.…
This chapter which introduced me to Lia’s family was interesting. I was shocked to read that in her mother’s country of Laos, Lia would have been born by her mother squatting on the floor! They also used special created remedies to solve health issues without relying on hospitals or clinics. It was also interesting to read how important the Hmong people believed in sprits and how their life decisions where decided around the sprit actions. For example, they believed that male sprit’s held up their house roof, if the male’s placenta was buried near the central pillar of the house. Lia was even blessed by the elders because her parents believed that it was a way of protecting her from ever getting sick. If anything, reading this chapter quickly gave me a quick preview of the clash that Lia’s cultural beliefs will have with the American doctors when she gets sick in the future chapters. However, I’m hoping that this book will pick up a little faster and have less history moving forward (being honest lol)…
“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what” - Harper Lee. The memoir, “The Glass Castle” by Jeannette Walls, depicts the versatility and hardship of a deeply dysfunctional and unique family. Growing up with her brilliant yet alcoholic father and free spirited mother, Jeannette had no real option except to learn at a young age to fend for herself and kin, through poverty and misery. However, in spite of the difficulties, Walls managed to display a quality of courage, as John F. Kennedy mentioned in “Profiles In Courage”, “ A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures..” . Furthermore Walls was able to…
All people in the world should show courage . In Mildred Taylor's book ROLL OF THUNDER HEAR MY CRY Stacey has to show courage when he stood up for his convictions. The book was set during the south in the (1930’s) where the black was treated bad because of their skin color .Stacey had to show courage when he stayed in the woods to keep an eye on T.j to see if they take T.j into the woods to get hung. Stacey also had to show courage when he stood up for T.j for cheating.…
The movie Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand depicts a clear description of the experiences and struggles that those who fought in it had to endured. Timely, it also shows the effect of WWII on the relationships between different ethnicities and races as people found something in common with those they once considered as outcast of their social network. However it also created the opposite effect in which it divided people and placed them to fight against each other for a cause they themselves did not hold; it teared down relationships and friendships . Unbroken shows the changes of WII on the attitudes we had towards those who surround us, whether it was to our countrymen, immigrants or international individuals. From the start of the movie, Louie…
Picture being displaced in a country you know little about except for the fact that it’s safer than yours. You and your three children have successfully escaped persecution and are subsisting off of government aid. However, you don’t understand the Native language and you differ tremendously when it comes to cultural beliefs. You do know that when anyone is ill, it is because their soul is out of balance with their body, but the Natives in this country constantly resort to temples for intimate examinations that you consider taboo. When the Natives do receive medicine though, they typically get worse, but the doctor just prescribes more medicine. Then one day, one of your beloved children attends a mandatory examination and is diagnosed with cancer.…
People are sometimes hesitant and sometimes it can be painful to be courageous, but it’s the right thing to do all the time. In “The Terror” by Junot Diaz, Junot Diaz’s story is about the narrator being an immigrant boy and going through terrible bullying and the narrator’s brother being sick. moreover how the narrator got through all the troubles and facing the narrator facing his own fear, but he was courageous.in case of how the narrator was getting bullied is when the whole school started to make the narrator feel like a freak, the narrator said, “by my third month, that school had me feeling like the poorest, ugliest immigrant freak in the universe”(Diaz 2). Demonstrating that the boy was courageous was that he faced through all the racism…
In todays world we have a surplus of trees, fresh water, and air, atleast for the most part. Although, this might not be guaranteed at all for the future generations to come, if we do not take our home into consideration. Earth, is a beautiful home formed into existence for us to realm, grow amd prosper. Now could it possibly be that man has truly forsaken this vast prosperous land and overturned it for the use of his own benefits?…
Why do we need courage? We need courage for many reasons. Without courage we wouldn’t be able to do anything. We would do the same things and not learn anything new. It would be the same thing over and over again.…
In Anne Sexton’s poem “Courage” she talks about staying strong during tough times, what courage is, and why we should have it. Courage is a very hard, but amazing trait to have. Everyone needs it, having courage teaches us what it is to be strong. You do not know you are strong until you see it for yourself. When Anne Sexton says “If your…
Sin, vengeance, evil, and redemption are all words one can associate when thinking about The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The character who takes the truest form of these negative words is Roger Chillingworth. Hester Prynne had married Chillingworth in England, however left her for many years. During those years, Chillingworth spent time with Indians learning their ways while Hester had an ill legitimate child with a beloved priest named Arthur Dimmesdale. When Hester Prynne begins her lifetime of public shame and guilt, Chillingworth makes his timely return and devotes his life to emotionally torturing Arthur Dimmsedale. Through his many years of vindictive vengeance, the reader sees his abundant physical traits, in depth visual symbols, and his theoretical view on transcendentalism that reveal his true personality.…
In this essay I intend to explore the narrative conventions and values, which Oliver Smithfield presents in the short story Victim. The short story positions the reader to have negative and sympathetic opinion on the issues presented. Such as power, identity and bullying. For example Mickey the young boy is having issues facing his identity. It could be argued that finding your identity may have the individual stuck trying to fit in with upon two groups.…
Harper Lee introduced the concept of courage through multiple characters and situations throughout the novel. The characters are challenged to face danger or pain without fear. The courage they displayed gave them strength and deepened their self-understanding as the novel progressed.…
The concept of journey exceeds beyond physically traveling, as the traveller encompasses an emotional and intellectual journey along the way. These journeys are a process in which the traveller grows and changes in response to extending themselves out of their comfort zones and overcoming the struggle with themselves, each other and with nature.…