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Both Joan Didion in “on How to keep a notebook,” and Scott Silver in 8 mile create works that provide a blueprint on how writing can build one’s self. In ON how to keep a notebook, Didion explains how writing helps to organize her thought and have something to look back upon at a later time in life. In 8 mile the protagonist Rabbit, also writes to express his thoughts, allowing writing to be an escape from the stressors that constantly surround him in his daily life. In both stores, writing helps shape the characters, allowing one to get in touch with one’s self, as well as provide a sense of clarity and calm in lives, lives that at time can range anywhere from busy to unthinkably stressful.
In the movie 8 mile, Rabbit is shown writing at several points throughout the film. Rabbit is an amateur rapper simply trying to become a successful artist in the music industry. However, as a white man, he is often said to be on the wrong side of the “8 mile”. Being a white man in an industry completely dominated by blacks is a struggle all in its own. But besides being at a major disadvantage because of the color of his skin, Rabbit is also very poor, unable to hold down a decently paying job or a steady relationship. Due to this fact, Rabbit is even forced to move back home with his mother. However, through all of this, Rabbit finds an outlet for both expression and personality in writing.
At many times throughout the movie, Rabbit is shown either writing lyrics in his mind or physically writing them down by hand in a notebook. This habit isn’t just an impulsive urge succumbs to, either. The lyrics that Rabbit create are thought provoking and impactful. While seemingly every other rapper has lyrics that are harsh, meaningless and unintelligent, Rabbit raps lyrics that come from his mind, not just impulsive, juvenile thoughts. Through finding calm in writing, Rabbit finds a way to intelligently relay how he feels to others. Rabbit was blessed with the gift of having an extremely creative mind when it comes to verbally expressing himself.
(Teachers opinion- Explain why they’re deeper. Give proof)
A key element Rabbit includes in many of his lyrics is turning the circumstances in life perceived to be negative, such as being poor, broke, white, and having a promiscuous girlfriend, into positives in his writing. Rabbit embraces his stereotype and makes it nearly impossible for his opponents to say anything negative about him, as he willingly brings up essentially everything negative about himself already. For example, Rabbit says in his lyrics, “ I am white. I am a fucking bum. I do live in a trailer with my mom.. I’m a piece of fucking white trash, I say it proudly,” (Silver) In this, Rabbit defines himself through his writing, showing that he embraces who he is as a man, and he accepts the challenges vigorously thrown at him on a daily basis. Rabbit turned a countless number of terrible cuircumstaces and crude stereotypes into advantages, as his willingness to accept who he is wins over the crowds, allowing them to forget the fact that he is a white man in the rapping industry and allows them to focus on who he

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