Tuesday, May 22, 2012
A Mistake: Poem Explanation
The poem I wrote below is about Gatsby's distorted view on life and love. We learned while reading the book though that Gatsby did not even love Daisy, but just the idea of her. She was a "nice" girl. He loved her title, presence, looks, and money she had. When he left to make himself a man that could be with her without being embarrassed, he did not realize they could not start back up where they left off. Gatsby felt lost, disappointed, but determined. He would take Daisy back to the past and make her relive it with him--the way that it was supposed to be if Gatsby was from old money. It is obvious to readers though that Gatsby was strange in this way. I wanted to write about how Gatsby did not understand that learning from the past is beneficial, but to relive it is a mistake.
Just Out of Reach
Five years next November.
Can't repeat
the past?
Why of course you can!
I'm going to fix everything
just the way it was before.
He looked around wildly,
as if the past were lurking
in the shadow,
just out of reach of his hand.
Oh, you want too much!
I can't help what's
past.
She vanished into her rich house,
into her rich, full life,
leavving Gatby--
nothing
just out of reach of his hand.
(87), (110), (132), (149)
Monday, May 7, 2012
Just Another Teenager
What comes to mind when thinking of what goes on in the teenage brain?
How did the word teenager have such a negative connotation? Writer Debra Bradley Ruder says, "teens are easily influenced by their environment and more prone to impulive behavior?" Is it true? Are teenager just unwired, careless beings? Physician at Harvard Medical School Frances E. Jensen agrees saying, "[Teens] are people with very sharp brains, but they’re not quite sure what to do with them.”
What shaped me to be the teenager I am as I stand before the world today?
Sure, money is corrupt. It will break down your morals. Money is equivalent to greed: the more you have, the more you will want. But what is money ultimately?
Money is the tour guide that will lead you through life if you wish. It is hard to follow dreams without thinkning of a price. This is true even more so in my case because I have always wanted to be a teacher. It was a career choice my parents treated as if it were a joke or an atrocity. My parenthe ts recommended other job choices to me, "Be a lawyer, you're so good with words." Or, "Pharmacy is so easy to do! Why don't you try to be a pharmicist?" They warned me, "You know, by the time you become a teacher, there will probably be no more jobs left for you." And they tried to persuade me, "You'll be so much happier if you have money!"
This is when I found out, career paths have price tags on them. Everything does.
I began convincing myself that maybe my life would be easier if I earned more money. Maybe money was better than a passion for my job. Therefore, I took a Medical Technology class even though I did not care for the medical field. I convinced myself, maybe I would be lifeless, upset forever. But maybe not. I might be satisfied with my life as a pharmicist. It was going to be an easy life filled with things I wanted. It would be better than a life filled with wanting. I realized, yes, love, family, happiness is important, but money is success, and success without money is not recognized.
American essayist, poet, and transcendentalist, Ralph Waldo Emerson writes in his essay "Self-Reliance", "A man is to carry himself in the presence of all opposition." I do not think I can agree with Emerson's idea because I believe he is being too idealistic, and in some aspects, impractical. Of course, many people will rebel against authority figures. Students and teenagers may resist against teachers and parents, but not everyone can stand up for their beliefs. The people that stand up from their beliefs are brave. What are the people who are not brave supposed to do? I am not brave; I lack courage. I do not have the courage to know what I am thinking is always "right" or "good" enough to fight for. I do not have the assurance.
But ever since I was younger, I was taught to stick up for what I believe in. I should not have to be afraid. I was not to be a part of the mass, I was to be an individual for "right" or "wrong". As writer and professor at Purdue University Louis Rene Beres says, "submission to multitudes has become our state religion."I agree with Beres. I am a conformer, a part of the mass. I dislike standing out and being different, an individual. I am not interested in sharing my thoughts and feelings unless called upon to: I am not brave enough. ravery is one intangible thing that is missing from my daily life. I am not brave. I think brave people have a wider range of experience than me. For example, brave people are quick to accept challenges; they do not care if they fail or succeed. Sadly, a big part of me does not only do a strenuous activity unless it is required of me because I am afraid of what people will think of me if I fail or succeed. Similarly, brave people will share their opinions without being concerned about what people will think of what they say. Instead, brave people will only be concerned with sharing their idea. I, on the other hand, will not share my opinions unless necessary. And once I do share my opinions, in my head, I am always secretly analyzing what people think of what I just said. Of course my fears and some habits have gotten better with time—especially since grades are also based on participation—but I still do not think I will ever be naturally brave. It’s difficult to be a part of the “mass” and have very little bravery in my life, but I’d rather be a coward than be an individual.
How am I supposed to "find myself", if I do not want to go back to my roots, the basics, nature? I am heavily influenced by technology to the point of addiction, to the point where I am never "alone." Emerson writes in his essay "Nature", "To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society." It seems people of the twenty-first century then, are never alone.A large majority of our society is surrounded by electronics all day. Even if the electronics are not in use, the wavelengths the devices will emit, interrupt our natural wavelengths. There are more and more medical studies saying people should unplug their electronic devices from outlets when we want to get a true good night's rest. Also, I feel I am never alone thanks to the several social networking websites. Even though I am in solitude physically, I can be having a conversation with a friend on Facebook, videochatting on Skype, or reading a celebrity's posts on Twitter. It is hard to be in true solitude when there are the many lures of the Internet.
I am just another person filled with opinions and ideas. I am a transcendentaist. I am just another teenager.
What shaped me to be the teenager I am as I stand before the world today?
For starters, what was I taught to be the key to success? What should I hungrily desire? What was I taught is good?
Money is the tour guide that will lead you through life if you wish. It is hard to follow dreams without thinkning of a price. This is true even more so in my case because I have always wanted to be a teacher. It was a career choice my parents treated as if it were a joke or an atrocity. My parenthe ts recommended other job choices to me, "Be a lawyer, you're so good with words." Or, "Pharmacy is so easy to do! Why don't you try to be a pharmicist?" They warned me, "You know, by the time you become a teacher, there will probably be no more jobs left for you." And they tried to persuade me, "You'll be so much happier if you have money!"
This is when I found out, career paths have price tags on them. Everything does.
I began convincing myself that maybe my life would be easier if I earned more money. Maybe money was better than a passion for my job. Therefore, I took a Medical Technology class even though I did not care for the medical field. I convinced myself, maybe I would be lifeless, upset forever. But maybe not. I might be satisfied with my life as a pharmicist. It was going to be an easy life filled with things I wanted. It would be better than a life filled with wanting. I realized, yes, love, family, happiness is important, but money is success, and success without money is not recognized.
American essayist, poet, and transcendentalist, Ralph Waldo Emerson writes in his essay "Self-Reliance", "A man is to carry himself in the presence of all opposition." I do not think I can agree with Emerson's idea because I believe he is being too idealistic, and in some aspects, impractical. Of course, many people will rebel against authority figures. Students and teenagers may resist against teachers and parents, but not everyone can stand up for their beliefs. The people that stand up from their beliefs are brave. What are the people who are not brave supposed to do? I am not brave; I lack courage. I do not have the courage to know what I am thinking is always "right" or "good" enough to fight for. I do not have the assurance.
But ever since I was younger, I was taught to stick up for what I believe in. I should not have to be afraid. I was not to be a part of the mass, I was to be an individual for "right" or "wrong". As writer and professor at Purdue University Louis Rene Beres says, "submission to multitudes has become our state religion."I agree with Beres. I am a conformer, a part of the mass. I dislike standing out and being different, an individual. I am not interested in sharing my thoughts and feelings unless called upon to: I am not brave enough. ravery is one intangible thing that is missing from my daily life. I am not brave. I think brave people have a wider range of experience than me. For example, brave people are quick to accept challenges; they do not care if they fail or succeed. Sadly, a big part of me does not only do a strenuous activity unless it is required of me because I am afraid of what people will think of me if I fail or succeed. Similarly, brave people will share their opinions without being concerned about what people will think of what they say. Instead, brave people will only be concerned with sharing their idea. I, on the other hand, will not share my opinions unless necessary. And once I do share my opinions, in my head, I am always secretly analyzing what people think of what I just said. Of course my fears and some habits have gotten better with time—especially since grades are also based on participation—but I still do not think I will ever be naturally brave. It’s difficult to be a part of the “mass” and have very little bravery in my life, but I’d rather be a coward than be an individual.
How am I supposed to "find myself", if I do not want to go back to my roots, the basics, nature? I am heavily influenced by technology to the point of addiction, to the point where I am never "alone." Emerson writes in his essay "Nature", "To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society." It seems people of the twenty-first century then, are never alone.A large majority of our society is surrounded by electronics all day. Even if the electronics are not in use, the wavelengths the devices will emit, interrupt our natural wavelengths. There are more and more medical studies saying people should unplug their electronic devices from outlets when we want to get a true good night's rest. Also, I feel I am never alone thanks to the several social networking websites. Even though I am in solitude physically, I can be having a conversation with a friend on Facebook, videochatting on Skype, or reading a celebrity's posts on Twitter. It is hard to be in true solitude when there are the many lures of the Internet.
I am just another person filled with opinions and ideas.
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