For my AP Composition book, I read the full 236 pages of Lucy Grealy's Autobiography of a Face (along with an Afterword by Ann Patchett). Lucy Grealy takes her readers on a sad but fulfilling adventure through her suffering, joy, and realizations throughout her struggle with cancer, acceptance, and life in general. The book actually begins in the middle of her battle with cancer allowing us to be introduced to the life-changing disease immediately. Then, after the prologue, Lucy Grealy goes back to fourth grade and explains just how the cancer was discovered, and she continues on with her memory of one-third of her jaw being removed and explains with pain-staking details about how she was treated by others during and after cancer. Grealy also describes the various treatments that she encountered in order to fight off her early death sentence and reveals exactly what she went through in attempt to look "normal" again. Grealy truly expresses the battle within oneself on whether being loved for being yourself is more or less important than being loved for being a perfect somebody else.
It was an unbelievable book in both the account of what happened and the way in which it was written. I can't even describe how many times I stopped reading in awe of how she had worded simple sentences. For example, she said, "Sweat rolled down the side of my rib cage, a rib cage so skinny I could feel the drops momentarily rest above the ridge of each bone." She was able to create poetic sentences like these because of the perfect details that she added to her story. She didn't leave anything out, which allowed me to sometimes imagine or even feel exactly what was going on.
I have to say that one of my favorite parts of this book was not the story itself; it was the little ideas of life and the ways/rules that people live by. Grealy had numerous statements throughout the book that completely blew my mind because not only did she come up with them, but she also described them in impeccable detail. For example, she presented her ideas about the correlation between the past and future by explaining, "Sometimes it is as difficult to know what the past holds as it is to know the future, and just as an answer to a riddle seems so obvious once it is revealed, it seems curious to me now that I passed through all those early moments with no idea of their weight." There were so many other ideas that she expressed through her writing; however, this post would never end if I even attempted to point them all out.
Before I discuss what the Afterword was about, I want to just touch on one of the main themes throughout this outstanding book. Lucy Grealy constantly brought up the idea that one should be grateful for what he/she has. As a sixth grader, Grealy showed her early maturity when talking about the foolish boys that made fun of her. She questioned, "Didn't they know they could lose everything at any moment, that you couldn't take anything good or worthwhile for granted, because pain and cruelty could and would arrive sooner or later?" Grealy even admitted that what she lost (her jaw) wasn't the worst case scenerio. She met a young man named Michael who became paralyzed from doing something stupid. Grealy was able to realize that Michael would never get back what he lost, where as, Grealy's face had only been changed. She was able to be grateful for what she had because she knew that, at any point, something could change her life forever.
The Afterword was probably another one of my favorite parts of the book; however, it was written by Ann Patchett, not by Lucy Grealy. Ann Patchett was one of Lucy Grealy's best friends, and she was able to reveal to readers yet another side of Grealy. She explained that Grealy did not write the book for sympathy or to be an inspiration. She wrote the book simply to create a work of art that was meant to be judged solely on a literary basis. Patchett also explained how Grealy chose to write her book. Grealy did not write about everything that happened to her because she knew it would be to hard for the reader to handle, and she could only guess that readers would not have the bravery that she had to have in order to read about the entire truth. Patchett was also able to show readers Grealy's personality even further, which really enhanced the book as a whole.
I REALLY enjoyed reading this book. There were so many ideas that intrigued me; in fact, I would have to say that Grealy's writing itself intrigued me as well. I don't have any words that could describe how great this book was as a whole. Grealy's account of her life was heart-breaking but also thought provoking. Patchett did an excellent job of ending her late friend's story by revealing everything behind Grealy's writing. This book alone will change how I look at people, live life, and cherish what I have.
READ THIS BOOK!!!!!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
The Prevailing Opinion of a Sexual Character Discussed
As I started to read Mary Wollstonecraft's thoughts on the rights of women, I realized that I was in for more than I had anticipated. Yes, I knew it would be a lengthy and informative account, but I was not able to foresee how intelligent her opinions and arguments against the famous thoughts of yet even more famous people would be. Wollstonecraft showed immense passion for the fight for equality, which really made me realize how much of an influence people like her had on the nation.
Wollstonecraft truely had some remarkable points that she brought forward that, to me, ended all disagreements on the spot. One such point that she brought up had to do with the difference between soldiers of war and women, which according to her, wasn't very significant. She explained how "military men, who are, like [women], sent into the world before their minds have been stored with knowledge or fortified by principles." In fact, Wollstonecraft claims, "All the difference that I can discern, arises from the superior advantage of liberty, which enables the former to see more of life." Wollstonecraft was able to point out specific men who were still ranked above women in superiority and distinction even though they showed the same characteristics as the inferior sex. This alone showcases how strong her argument for equality of women was.
One of the recurring themes in her essay was the idea that men believed women were put on this earth to obey and please men while maintaining an innocent personality. In return, they claimed women would receive protection and stability. She even came up with the probable roots of the "prevailing opinion, that woman was created for man." Wollstonecraft reminded readers of Moses's story of Eve being one of Adam's ribs. Wollstonecraft clearly was not going to accept this stupid (sorry if this offends anyone) idea that women are here to serve men. She presented numerous theories and arguments against the usual beliefs of men. In my eyes, her thoughts make the ideas opposite of hers seem ridiculous, immature, childless, and foolish. Then again, I am probably just a tad bit biased considering that I, myself, am a female.
The last thing I would like to address was another idea that Wollstonecraft repeated throughout the article. She consistently pointed out that women just needed to be given a chance. If women were given a chance to strengthen virtues and characteristics, one could determine whether women were really meant to be inferior to men. We could then see where women would fall on the scale of intelligence. I liked this because obviously it has worked throughout the years. I would have to say that women have been given more chances and have received better equality compared to back then.
Overall, there were definitely some parts of this long essay that probably went right over my head, even when I tried to re-read paragraphs to enhance my understandings. I found that as I read on, I understood and liked more and more of what I read. I actually enjoyed this article. Even though it was difficult at times to get through, I found that I didn't exactly want to stop reading. I wanted to finish, so I could figure out where she would end her argument. When she did end her argument, I was generally pleased with what I had read. I feel as if I now have a better understandment towards what women had to do to achieve equality. I would even go as far to say that my being able to understand this is all thanks to people like Mary Wollstonecraft.
Wollstonecraft truely had some remarkable points that she brought forward that, to me, ended all disagreements on the spot. One such point that she brought up had to do with the difference between soldiers of war and women, which according to her, wasn't very significant. She explained how "military men, who are, like [women], sent into the world before their minds have been stored with knowledge or fortified by principles." In fact, Wollstonecraft claims, "All the difference that I can discern, arises from the superior advantage of liberty, which enables the former to see more of life." Wollstonecraft was able to point out specific men who were still ranked above women in superiority and distinction even though they showed the same characteristics as the inferior sex. This alone showcases how strong her argument for equality of women was.
One of the recurring themes in her essay was the idea that men believed women were put on this earth to obey and please men while maintaining an innocent personality. In return, they claimed women would receive protection and stability. She even came up with the probable roots of the "prevailing opinion, that woman was created for man." Wollstonecraft reminded readers of Moses's story of Eve being one of Adam's ribs. Wollstonecraft clearly was not going to accept this stupid (sorry if this offends anyone) idea that women are here to serve men. She presented numerous theories and arguments against the usual beliefs of men. In my eyes, her thoughts make the ideas opposite of hers seem ridiculous, immature, childless, and foolish. Then again, I am probably just a tad bit biased considering that I, myself, am a female.
The last thing I would like to address was another idea that Wollstonecraft repeated throughout the article. She consistently pointed out that women just needed to be given a chance. If women were given a chance to strengthen virtues and characteristics, one could determine whether women were really meant to be inferior to men. We could then see where women would fall on the scale of intelligence. I liked this because obviously it has worked throughout the years. I would have to say that women have been given more chances and have received better equality compared to back then.
Overall, there were definitely some parts of this long essay that probably went right over my head, even when I tried to re-read paragraphs to enhance my understandings. I found that as I read on, I understood and liked more and more of what I read. I actually enjoyed this article. Even though it was difficult at times to get through, I found that I didn't exactly want to stop reading. I wanted to finish, so I could figure out where she would end her argument. When she did end her argument, I was generally pleased with what I had read. I feel as if I now have a better understandment towards what women had to do to achieve equality. I would even go as far to say that my being able to understand this is all thanks to people like Mary Wollstonecraft.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Technology and Brains
After reading "Is Google Making Us Stupid?," I had mixed feelings about technology, human brains, and even the way I learn myself. Nicholas Carr did an excellent job of summing up exactly what most people either don't want to admit or are too foolish to admit. Personally, I absolutely loved Carr's writing style, word choice, metaphors, etc. One line that really stuck out to me in that sense was "Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski." I just really thought that Carr managed to explain his thoughts with the perfect words, and he definitely got the point that he was trying to make across to his readers. By reading this article, one could clearly realize how much technology affects everyday life, our brains, the way we think and do things, and so much more.
As much as I hate to admit it, I had to agree with basically everything Carr tried to etch into my brain. I couldn't help but realize that technology has affected the way that I read, learn, research, etc. When I really thought about it, my researching basically consists of using the internet. The reason I do this is because I want all of the information that I need in the shortest and most efficient amount of time. The only time in which I use something else is when teachers require more than one type of source. Just as Carr wrote about, I switch from one website as I skim through paragraphs and paragraphs of information. Even then, I rarely return to most of those websites. I also find myself catching up on top news stories by reading the articles that pop up on Yahoo! news that manage to capture my attention. The realization of all of this has really made me wish that technology didn't play such a big role in my life.
I do think, however, that technology is not as big in my life compared to a lot of my peers. I do not use Facebook very often. I don't text every minute of the day. Surprisingly, one of my favorite things to do is to sit down and read a nice long book. I find that I like to read books for fun; however, I don't completely enjoy using books for researching. Because of this, I like to believe that my brain still has the ability to stay focused; however, I feel as if I have trouble making the deep connections that are sometimes required in class.
Overall, this is all very frustrating to me. I am completely unsure of whether or not my brain is changing due to technology. I feel as if it is in some ways, but at the same time, my brain is not yet completely taken over by technology. I do not completely look forward to the day that information goes directly to our brains or when they start to create artificial brains. I think that technology is extremely important to us in some ways, but in others, we need to slow down a little and actually do the work to learn. Shouldn't we worry a little more about keeping our brains working well, rather than creating technology to do everything for us? In a way, this is kind of embarassing to me. I think about how in the past, people got through life using their real knowledge, and now, we rely almost solely on technology. I want to use my own intelligence to live life, not the artificial kind.
As much as I hate to admit it, I had to agree with basically everything Carr tried to etch into my brain. I couldn't help but realize that technology has affected the way that I read, learn, research, etc. When I really thought about it, my researching basically consists of using the internet. The reason I do this is because I want all of the information that I need in the shortest and most efficient amount of time. The only time in which I use something else is when teachers require more than one type of source. Just as Carr wrote about, I switch from one website as I skim through paragraphs and paragraphs of information. Even then, I rarely return to most of those websites. I also find myself catching up on top news stories by reading the articles that pop up on Yahoo! news that manage to capture my attention. The realization of all of this has really made me wish that technology didn't play such a big role in my life.
I do think, however, that technology is not as big in my life compared to a lot of my peers. I do not use Facebook very often. I don't text every minute of the day. Surprisingly, one of my favorite things to do is to sit down and read a nice long book. I find that I like to read books for fun; however, I don't completely enjoy using books for researching. Because of this, I like to believe that my brain still has the ability to stay focused; however, I feel as if I have trouble making the deep connections that are sometimes required in class.
Overall, this is all very frustrating to me. I am completely unsure of whether or not my brain is changing due to technology. I feel as if it is in some ways, but at the same time, my brain is not yet completely taken over by technology. I do not completely look forward to the day that information goes directly to our brains or when they start to create artificial brains. I think that technology is extremely important to us in some ways, but in others, we need to slow down a little and actually do the work to learn. Shouldn't we worry a little more about keeping our brains working well, rather than creating technology to do everything for us? In a way, this is kind of embarassing to me. I think about how in the past, people got through life using their real knowledge, and now, we rely almost solely on technology. I want to use my own intelligence to live life, not the artificial kind.
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