Author's Note: This is my response to the second prompt which included the quote: "What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger." In the response, I added in a few of my vocabulary words that I have. I also experimented with using some repetition. Please let me know what you think:
"What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger." This is a famous and well known quote by Friedrich Nietzsche. It is pretty self explanatory, meaning that even if you have had hard times, it will make you stronger in the end. This can be applied to any difficult situation, including the hardships Guy Montag has faced in Fahrenheit 451. Although it is true that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, it is not valid to say that this will always help the situation we are in, but sometimes that makes all the difference.
When someone fights for what is right, it will almost never go as intended, and may just backfire on them. This was the case for Montag. In this past section of the novel, Mildred has sent out the call for the firemen to come and burn their house, because they own books. Guy is forced to burn the house down by himself, because it is his. After this point, he would have been put under arrest. This shows the difficult part of the situation. Guy does as he was told, and burns the entire house down, sort of getting sucked back into the feeling of who he once was. Then, just when it seemed as though he would fail under the pressure and fear, Montag does the unthinkable -- killing Beatty, killing firemen, killing the hound, killing the evil he saw. He was given a burst of strength because of what did not kill him, what did not change him. Be that as it may, this completely backfired on Montag. Just within mere seconds of the murder itself, Guy had become a wanted criminal. This made him stronger, and it was motivated by what he believed in, but it certainly did not go the way it was expected to.
A world without pain is a world without strength. Montag would have never been able to triumph if he didn't have something to knock him down. Before, he was just like everyone else,and when awakened by Clarisse McClellan, he began to see and feel pain. Then, by experiencing the attributes of pain, of life, he turned that into the power to break free of the chains that bound him to the wall. Guy's mind and thoughts would be identical to every other human being on Earth if he did not have these kinds of reactions, and sometimes that does come with a price, whether it helps or not. Montag may have lost his old world that left behind a job, a wife and coworkers because of this. If it were not for that though, he wouldn't have gained a new one in the process.
It can be a complicated thing when dealing with the rough circumstances in life. Sometimes it can turn out to be better than we ever excepted it to be, and other times it completely blows up in our faces. The latter was the case for Montag, but that doesn't mean he did not gain from it. Even though Guy is wanted for murder, he is unworried, and is absolutely focused on trying to change the world. He has achieved more than he ever would have by living a corrupted life like Mildred or Beatty. Strength is a key part of life, and for that to happen, pain has to happen as well. The situations we get into aren't always easy, but they are worth it in the end.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Patriotism to Remember
Author's note: This is my veteran's essay. Since I don't have anyone in my family in the service, I tried to just relate this to how I feel about patriotism. This is what it means to me, and how important I think it is:
Throughout America's history, servicemen and women have helped to shape this country. These patriots make the United States stronger, safer, and better. Without them, who knows where anyone would be? It's unthinkable to even question if Patriotism still matters, yet there are some people out there who still don't understand their importance. We should all recognize the necessities of Patriotism, because that is what keeps us out of harm's way.
People in the service have shown tremendous amounts of this for us, and we need to do the same for them. There are too many of us who misunderstand all that these soldiers stand for, and part of that is because they have never been taught it.
Thousands of families have had someone they love go to war, and sometimes have even lost them in the process. But the fact is, there are so many others that don't know anything about this. Sure, on veteran's day and Memorial Day people talk about it a little bit, but that just doesn't seem like enough. There should be an alternative to understand patriotism better. Patriotism is so important, and we forget that sometimes. Perhaps if it was associated with something everyone can relate to, some way to make them understand all the love and devotion fellow servicemen and woman put into this country. These kinds of things happen all around us, and instead of just forgetting about it, we could set aside time to do something for them.
When the words "veteran" or "soldier" are said, most people automatically think "war." Instead of that, we should be thinking "love," "help," and "honor." In order to make anything work in America, everyone needs to stick together. Whether it's family, friends, or someone we have never even met before, we have to care about one another. Why does it matter if we know the people that fight for us or not? The same amount of love should be shown back to those who do show it, because that is what patriotism is all about. When it comes to patriotism, the people that are true patriots absolutely matter, and that is something that can never be forgotten.
Throughout America's history, servicemen and women have helped to shape this country. These patriots make the United States stronger, safer, and better. Without them, who knows where anyone would be? It's unthinkable to even question if Patriotism still matters, yet there are some people out there who still don't understand their importance. We should all recognize the necessities of Patriotism, because that is what keeps us out of harm's way.
People in the service have shown tremendous amounts of this for us, and we need to do the same for them. There are too many of us who misunderstand all that these soldiers stand for, and part of that is because they have never been taught it.
Thousands of families have had someone they love go to war, and sometimes have even lost them in the process. But the fact is, there are so many others that don't know anything about this. Sure, on veteran's day and Memorial Day people talk about it a little bit, but that just doesn't seem like enough. There should be an alternative to understand patriotism better. Patriotism is so important, and we forget that sometimes. Perhaps if it was associated with something everyone can relate to, some way to make them understand all the love and devotion fellow servicemen and woman put into this country. These kinds of things happen all around us, and instead of just forgetting about it, we could set aside time to do something for them.
When the words "veteran" or "soldier" are said, most people automatically think "war." Instead of that, we should be thinking "love," "help," and "honor." In order to make anything work in America, everyone needs to stick together. Whether it's family, friends, or someone we have never even met before, we have to care about one another. Why does it matter if we know the people that fight for us or not? The same amount of love should be shown back to those who do show it, because that is what patriotism is all about. When it comes to patriotism, the people that are true patriots absolutely matter, and that is something that can never be forgotten.
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