Spring Break Prompt

Apart as One

In the novel Fortunate Son, by Walter Mosley, the lives of two boys-one extremely privileged and the other greatly deprived- are explored. Eric Nolan, a causasian boy blessed with nearly every advantage in life that one could dream of. Tommy Beerman, who is African American, is plagued with sundry health problems and a life of struggle. The two boys are brought together as children when their parents fall in love, but when Tommy's mother, Branwyn, dies, Tommy is taken away by his mother's family, where he struggles through life in south central L.A. Eric, on the other hand, grows up in Bel-Air and gets everything anyone could wish for with no effort at all. The boys love eachother and have a deep connection that cannot be broken, the the extreme differences between these two "brothers" cannot be denied.; even after years of separation, the two meet and share their experiences. Mosley utilizes the dichotomy of the lives of Tommy Beerman and Eric Nolan to illuminate themes of race and happiness.

The fact that Tommy is black and Eric is white seems to have everything to do with the differences between these brothers. Eric is looked up to and has everything- money, brains, atheleticism. In fact, he is so fortunate that he feels he must be careful around the ones he loves, because it often seems that he benefits from others' misfortunes. Tommy on the other hand, is forced to struggle through the stereotypical South Central L.A. life where he lives on the street for several years. When he does enter the society that Eric lives is, many seem to look down on him because of both his race and his circumstances. For example, in a New York watch shop, the owner looks down on Tommy and makes a face. When Eric makes it known that Tommy is with him, though, the owner smiles and disregards his previous gesture. The dichotomy of Eric and Tommy's lives suggest the major differences in the lives and opportunies of blacks and whites.

In addition, Mosley explores themes of fate and what it really means to be happy. Eric is blessed with a plethora of opportunities and a luck that never fails him, yet he is constantly worries that his luck will come at another's expense, and so he feels he must walk on eggshells. Eric doesn't understand why he has such good fortune, and this effects his ability to be content and happy. In fact the only time Eric is truly happy is when he is with Tommy, who has the capacity to both understand and comfort him. Contrarily, Tommy is happy no matter his circumstances. He can see the beauty in everything around him, and so even when Tommy is living on the streets with no friends or family, he is still content and happy. No matter how different Tommy and Eric's lives are or no matter how happy they are, they still end up in the same places. Tommy is still more likely to be plagued with misfortune and Eric couldn't shake off his luck if he tried. Mosley seems to suggest that even though you may be stuck in the circumstances of your fate, it does affect our ability to find happiness.

Despite Eric and Tommy's extreme differences, all of these differences can be reconciled, since they understand each other and love each other so deeply. Ultimately, Mosley illustrates several ideas about both race and people's fate. First, Mosley demonstrates the advantages that whites have in comparison to blacks, ultimately concluding that these differences can be recognized by understanding and compassion. Secondly, Mosley explores the idea of fate and happiness to show that no matter what the circumstance, peace can be made and happiness can be attained.

Character in Conflict

In the novel, Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy, the main character, Anna Karenina, is pitted against the rest of Russian high society, contributing to her path of self-destruction. When Anna, the wife of a prominent and high-ranking government official, begins a scandalous affair with the young and handsome Vronsky, the rest of high society looks down on Anna's impetuous behavior and she is excluded from the people whom she was once so popular among. The rest of Russian society is relatively conservative and rigid- quite the opposite of Anna, who gives into her passionate side by succumbing to her desires for Vronsky. By giving into this imulsiveness, Anna consequently must give up everything she once prided- her family, her son, her social stature. Anna and Vronsky's ill-fated and turbulent relationship expels Anna from the rest of society, which in part serves as the impetus for her committing suicide by throwing herself in front of the train- thus ending the conflict that had arisen from the troubles of her affair with Vronsky.

When the story begins, Anna is the perfect example of the prided Russian woman- she is beautiful, conservative, married to a prominent government official. By the end, however, she has lost it all. Although her marriage to her husband, Karenin, was never filled with overwhelming love or passion, it was bearable, and their son, Seryhoza, was her pride and joy. When she meets Vronsky though, and their scandalous affair becomes serious- Anna herself knows that she will not be able to keep her son and that Karenin will have complete control over what happens with the family. After much struggle, Karenin decides he will keep Seryhoza and Anna is excluded from their family. Therefore, the one thing that Anna loved more than Vronsky- her son- is taken away from her due to the conflict that arises from her affair with Vronsky.

Another result of their doomed relationship is her fall from her previously high social stature. Once is extremely popular and well-liked among conservative high society, once Anna begins to get serious with Vronsky, the people who were once her friends begin to look down on her. Because her scandalous behavior is not acceptable to the rest of society, Anna is excluded from her social circle, and has only few family members and friends who welcome her. Anna continues wanting to go out on the social scene and is devastated to discover that her peers no longer will accept her because of her reputation after Vronsky. The conflict caused by this is partly what leads to Anna's eventual downfall.

Anna's eventual suicide indirectly burgeons from the conflicts that rose from her relationship with Vronsky. The devastating results of their affair, particularly the loss of nearly everything that Anna once found important and her essential loss of identity pit her against the rest of society, who generally do not succumb to the same impulses that Anna had. Her exclusion and loss of her son wear Anna down so thin that she feels compelled to throw herself in front of a train- a symbolic gesture, since this is where Anna and Vronsky met in the beginning of the novel.

When Anna's passionate side overrides her reasonable, conservative side- the side that the rest of society has always accepted socially- Anna is pitted against the people who once looked up to and respected her, and her social conflicts with the rest of society lead directly to her eventual suicide.

22 min

And Still We Rise. Assignment 2

I haven't had a hard life. Sure, I've had some upsets and struggled through rough times, but haven't we all. I am an average teenager that comes from an average family. Even though I can't say I've had an usually hard life, I know it could have been better; and I want to create an atmosphere one day for my family that is more like the one I wished I had. With this goal in mind, when I set my mind to something, I put my mind into it. I believe this is my talent: an unfaltering work ethic. Whether it is school, sports, or any other obligations, I will pour all of myself into that effort.

During my first season of high school lacrosse, I started off slow. I made the varsity team but was one the weakest players and rarely played in the games in the beginning of the season. Practices and games were discouraging and at first, it just made me want to quit the team. Instead of quitting, though, I set my mind on getting better. I worked my hardest at practice everyday and took time out even after practice (which usually ran until 8 or 9 every night) for extra practice. By the middle of the season, I was one of the stronger players and started every game. The same goes for academics- I constantly strive for A's in all my classes because I know that I can do better than anything less. I will continue to use this talent in college and eventually in my career to perservere and become the best I can be at everything I try.

Although Meisha had a much more difficult life than me (she rarely sees her mom, she works a lot of hours at her job, all while keeping up with her school work) I feel that our talents tie into one another. Even though things may be tough at certain times, she pushes through all her rough times and utilizes her talent of perserverence to shine and succeed. Although Meisha has had a lot more of these rough times, both work-ethic and perserverence are essential to making it through these experiences as stronger and more successful individuals.




I think that Jesus' point in his Parable of the Talents essentially means that we must not waste our talents; we are given raw talents and so we must put them to use. On the surface, the story expresses that if you bury treasure (or a talent) it doesn't do any good because you can't use it. On a deeper level, the lesson illustrates that you should use your talent in some way, whether it benefits you or others. If you hide your talents away where they cannot be reached, they are of no use and cannot benefit you or anyone else. This connects to my talent of work-ethic and Meisha's perserverence because if we did not use our talents when times got rough, if we buried them away in some hole, our talents would have never been utilized and it is likely that we couldn't make it through struggles as stronger people. If we do not bury our talents, but use and make the most of them, it will be easier to perservere and stride through life successfully.

A Vehicle of Destruction

The novel Anna Karenina, by Leo Tolstoy, tells the story of an affair between a married woman, Anna Karenina, and Count Vronsky, and the destructive results of their relationship. Anna, who is married to a high government official, succumbs to her desire for the handsome young Vronsky; the two then proceed to have an open affair that the rest of high society looks down upon, thus putting their relations with most of their friends and family in ruin. By the end of the novel, the relationship between Anna and Vronsky has exhausted Anna to the core, which serves as the impetus for her committing suicide by throwing herself in front of a train. Tolstoy uses trains with a negative connotation throughout the novel as a vehicle to express the changes in society brought about by the new technology of the 19th century that has begun to pervade Russia. More literally, trains are symbolic of the turbulent relationship between Anna and Vronsky- a relationship that begins with a train, and ends with one as well.

During the 19th century, innovations in technology were making their way through Russia, which is symbolized by the incoming of trains as a new means of transportation. Before the technology brought about by the 19th century, Russia was primarily agricultural and more easy-going. With this technology came a thirst for hyper-efficiency and the degrading of native Russian tradition and practices, thus serving as Tolstoy's motivation to present trains with an overwhelmingly negative connotation. Anna herself complains about this new, overwhelming worklife when she complains to Vronsky that she will never see him anymore because he is working so much. This breakdown of traditional Russian life spurs Tolstoy to use trains, his symbol for technology, as a more literal symbol of Anna and Vronsky's ill-fated relationship.

The first time Vronsky sees Anna, they are at a train station. At this point, she is married and he is courting one of Anna's family friends. Vronsky is drawn to her, and she to him, which lays the groundwork for a controversial relationship. In fact, during their first meeting near the train tracks, they witness a worker get ran over by the train. Anna perceives this as a bad omen, yet pursues a relationship with Vronsky anyway. In fact the two do have a plethora of relationship problems- almost all of them burgeoning from the fact that Anna is already married to a powerful, prominent man and has a child. This confliction between her desire for a normal life with Vronsky and her desire to have a social life in which she will be accepted by her peers and be able to see her son make for an exhausting affair that wears both Vronsky and Anna down thin.

This exhaustion is what leads Anna to commit suicide- throwing herself in front of the train and dying just as the worker she and Vronsky had seen upon their first meeting. With her death, Vronsky is set free from the troubles of their relationship. Trains in this context serve as a much more literal symbol, as it is directly responsible for Anna's death. Although she jumped in front of the train with the intention to kill herself, she realizes as the train comes nearer that this is not what she wanted- she does not want to die; she wants to be with Vronsky. The train, however, which moves at fast, unfaltering speed, comes up quickly- her life is ended, her bad omen fulfilled.

Throughout the novel Tolstoy utilizes the symbol of trains as a negative image. The train symbolizes both the negative effects on Russian society brought about by technology of the 19th century and of the passionate, yet doomed relationship of Anna and Vronsky, as the train serves as both the beginning and the end of their love for one another. In any context, Tolstoy portrays the train in a bad light and therefore uses the train to symbolize a ill-fated relationship.

And Still We Rise. Assignment 2 Book Review Response

Since, I already read the whole book, I can say that my experience reading this book was both frustrating and exhilerating. I got so into the stories of each of the students, especially Olivia, and I was excited to read the next part of their story in future chapters. It gets kind of intense because you start rooting for these students- you want them to succeed but they are encountering so many obstacles that it seems almost impossible. This was a little frustrating because the students are going through so much and even though it is plausible that a solution could be found to some of these problems, like Olivia not being able to find a stable foster home, it simply just doesn't happen because of the flaws in government. The chapter about Affirmative Action also contributes to this frustration, because as if the students are not already encountering so many struggles, they cannot be helped out by affirmative action now either. The book really changed my perspective in terms of this- before, I was really insensitive to idea of affirmative action and the struggles that students like this faced because I had not been exposed to their experiences. This book though, has taken me on a ride that had broadened my perspective and has allowed me to see their struggles more clearly.

I have not read book reviews before I buy books. Usually I just buy books on a whim if they look good and so far I usually have good luck. However, I do think it could be beneficial to look at book reviews just to see what other people think of the book and what good and bad elements the books has- basically everything it has to offer. I honestly don't think a book review would determine whether or not I purchase a book because just because someone else doesn't like it doesn't mean that I won't like it or get something out of it. I might listen to whatever a friend recommends if the friend knows what I like or likes the same things as I do. However, I still wouldn't let this completely affect my decision whether to read a book or not because I think everyone sees different elements of books and no two people are exactly the same. Although it might tilt me one way more, it wouldn't completely affect my ultimate decision. I usually just choose books that I think I will like and usually find some kind of good in all of them.

And Still We Rise. Assignment 1 Prompt Response

Everyday I hear people around me (including me!) complain- too much homework, fights with friends, a long practice after school. After reading And Still We Rise- about what the students at Crenshaw have to overcome and the obstacles they obliterate, I realized how petty our complaints here at MHS can sometimes be. Life for students at MHS and life at Crenshaw differ immensely.

First, the community of Mililani is relatively nice- not "ghetto," but in fact fostering a good environment for families and a good education. On the other hand, Crenshaw offers no security, even to the best of students, as is illustrated by the young "John Doe Number 27" found shot in South-Central L.A. (pg. 3). At Crenshaw, the community is gang-ridden and ghetto, and the students at Crenshaw are constantly exposed to the pressures of these gangs, who dominate the streets and keep innocent people living in fear. Even students like Sadi, who although had been extrememly "gifted" since he was a child, fell victim to the pressures of the bad influences that permeate South Central as well as to the struggles innate to life in this area. Sadi "was suspended from junior high school numerous times, for shooting dice, for throwing gang signs, for fighting with rival gang members." (pg. 33) Eventually, though, Sadi came around and began to take his education more seriously and found success easy. The foundations of Sadi's story are much like those of other Crenshaw students, like Olivia, who is brilliant, but is hindered since she is in foster care and has constant struggles with her tendencies to go AWOL. The students at Crenshaw encounter major obstacles that to us at Mililani are mind blowing, but to them, it's just life. They have to take up jobs to support themselves and their families and a lot of time this infringes on their education, which has to be sacrificed.

Contrarily, for us here at MHS, those students who want to take AP classes and want to succed are provided and environment that will help foster their success and is very supportive. And generally, although there are surely exceptions, the students at MHS are surrounded by much better circumstances. That is, we have the option to succeed if we want to, whereas the students at Crenshaw have to struggle for success.

That isn't to say, though, that there are no similarities between Crenshaw and MHS because I do believe that there are some. Just like Mililani, I think there are some teachers who pour their heart and soul into teaching and want to do everything in their power for students to succeed. In the book these teachers only seem to be teachers of the gifted program. Although at MHS many of the teachers and not just AP teachers are dedicated to teaching, MHS and Crenshaw are similar in that the AP sections at MHS are much different than the regular classes, just like the gifted program at Crenshaw differs immensely from that of the regular curriculum. Despite the student's dire circumstances, Miss Little and Mama Moultrie prove to amazing teachers to engage their students in heated, progressive discussions that I have not even been exposed to here at MHS. Although it is clearly hard for students to get into the gifted program at Crenshaw, once they are, it seemed like they were exposed to a very strenuous education environment that could definitely rival MHS'.

The students at Crenshaw clearly have to contend with some major obstacles that most students at Mililani couldn't even imagine. Despite all these hardships, though, the students at Crenshaw generally deal with these problems so well that it proves to be very inspirational. They show that no matter what we go through here at MHS- no matter how much homework we have or no matter how much drama is in our lives right now- it is always possible to perservere and succeed.