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Wednesday, April 15, 2015
In class on April 16 or April 17
Which two characters, two themes/topics, two lessons from this semester's literature speak the most to you? Which two do you relate closest to? In what ways do you relate?
89 comments:
Choudek 3
said...
McMurphy was a a character that spoke to me through his actions. He seemed as a bad guy that only gambles and tricks, but he really cared for the patients at the hospital. He sacrificed himself so the others could live, and live outside the hospital. He acted as Jesus and that is a cool connection for me. I know a lot about the Bible and McMurphy is an interesting allusion to Jesus. He is nothing like Jesus, as in he drinks, has sex with prostitutes, gambles, and talks smooth. And yet, he still "died for the sins of the ward" if we relate it to the Bible.
Another character I can relate to is Ralph from Lord of the Flies. He is soft spoken--which is not like me--but he wants to lead. I want to lead people too. He goes through some tough times trying to maintain control of the "tribes." A difference between us is how he is not a hunter. In that respect, I am more like Jack Merridew. He can hunt and kill, like me. But he is swallowed by evil and consumed with awful plans of murder and cannibalism.
I would say that Lord of the Flies was a very good lesson. It was interesting to say that everybody has the potential to become savage in them. It spoke to the psychology-loving side of me because it discusses the evil in everyone. Another topic that spoke to me was Pi's take on religion. I am not religious so his religious take on things was probably good to see.
There are two important lessons that I have learned from the literature that we have read. In Lord of the Flies, I believe that I learned a very important lesson that was also the main theme of the book: All humans have an inner savage, even the nicest ones. I believe that this is an important thing to know throughout life to prepare you for all of the Jacks of the world. Another lesson that I learned within our literature is that our society is a giant combine. We are encouraged to conform to a specific way of life and in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, McMurphy does the exact opposite. I learned from this that we should be our own person and go against what society is trying to force upon us.
The two lessons that spoke the most to me this year after reading all of our literature works would have to be from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and from Life of Pi. The first lesson I learned and found spoke to me was that society plays a huge role on who you want to be in society. I showed me that just because society wants you to act and not be who you really want to be. I found that in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest it taught me to be who I want and break free from society's chains. The second lesson I found that spoke to me was from Life of Pi and that is that sometimes things do not end up the way you want and you have to choose the path you go. Like with the end of the book where you must choose the story you want and you are not 100% sure which one is true or not.
I relate to Simon from Lord of the Flies, and to Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Simon and I are similar due to our need to be different, and the idea of finding something new in something feared. One way I am different, is that I am in love with mathematics. Math is often feared by other students my age. I also like to find a new side of things, like he did with the dead pig head. I like to think that a character's motive is something totally different than what someone else may think. I also relate to Nurse Ratched because of her need to follow rules and her leadership. I try to find a balance between the chaos around me and the rules in front of me. I have thoroughly enjoyed relating to these characters, because other people find them as questionable characters. I absolutely adore them.
The two characters that spoke the most to me were Pi and Piggy. Pi spoke to me most when he was discussing religion. Pi has a very interesting take on religion, and I was fascinated by his opinion of atheists and agnostics. I didn't grow up in a religious household and unfortunately had some adults and kids treat my brothers and I like bad people because of it. Therefore, for a religious person to say that he holds more respect for atheists than for agnostics was an interesting idea. I related to Piggy because he seems to be sort of outcast because of his social awkwardness and physical inabilities. I can relate to being socially awkward, and being short and hating everything athletic kind of held me back especially in gym class.
I relate the most to Chief Bromden and Pi Patel the most. I am a relatively intelligent individual and I perceive the world from a backseat perspective rather than becoming dominant like MacMurphy. Bromden observes his world from behind his broom and uses different devices to describe how he sees society. Pi is aboard a lifeboat abandoned from the world besides the aid of a Tiger and loves the experiences that are provided through zoology.
One character that has spoken the most to me is Desdemona. Through miscommunication and lack of trust she is killed by her own husband. Her own husband would not believe what she was telling him, and had what he believed to be her forbidden lover killed; he requested Cassio’s murder before he spoke to Desdemona about it. A second character that spoke to me was Piggy, in _Lord of the Flies_. Throughout the novel he wanted to keep the peace and go home. From an outside perspective, I believe that is all I would want as well. But the other boys taunt him, and eventually kill him. A tragic end for someone with fairly noble ideas.
The theme I like the most from this semester is from Lord of the Flies. I like the theme of challenged leadership and how it relates to me. Jack challenges Ralph’s ability several times just as people in today’s society challenge my ability to be a leader as a high school senior. I like Ralph especially because in that position I would have done a lot of the same things and made similar choices. Ralph acts very experienced and cheerful only to better the other boys. I respect him for this and thats why this topic and him specifically relate to me so well. I believe the lesson that coincides with this is that a challenged leader makes the best decisions for the group and is less selfish towards themselves. McMurphy was another great challenged leader that we read about this semester. I think that the other men turning away from him challenged him to be less selfish and make decisions for the group. Although he did end up being killed in the end, he made the people in the ward better off and changed their lives.
Justified savagery is another topic I really enjoyed this semester, specifically Pi Patel. Pi is an interesting character and I specifically like him for what he does and how he acts. He uses his story to justify his actions like killing the cook. I enjoy this because in certain times leaving friends and being a savage is needed in order to better oneself or survive. Being a savage can be taken very loosely and can be something simple like leaving a friend. This is very relatable because sometimes it is necessary to be a savage in order to benefit myself. I respect Pi because he does it in such a huge way.
I relate to the theme of Cuckoos Nest. I relate to this because I can relate to the characters in that life should not be run by normality. People should be unique and be go against the norm. A character I relate to is Nurse Ratched. Not because I like giving lobotomies and electro shock therapy. I feel I relate to her because she is sometimes misunderstood. She may seem bossy, but to her, she may be performing her job in the best way that she knows.
One theme that really spoke to me was Pi’s practicing three religions. I am a religious person and consider myself to be accepting of all religions. However, I would never think about practicing three religions at the same time, so this really opened my eyes to a different way of viewing religion in the world. Another theme that spoke to me was the importance of society in Cuckoo’s Nest. In the world today, people are more accepting of others, particularly gays, like Harding who did not fit into society in the 1960s. This theme really opened my eyes to how large of role society plays in people’s lives who may be slightly different than the average person.
One of the most significant themes for me was the theme of religion from Life of Pi . Religion is an important aspect of my everyday life. I am very close to my faith, and I can relate to Pi’s desire to be close to and worship God. However, I learned from Pi’s practice of three religions at once that we need to be more accepting of other religions. The theme of jealousy from “Othello” was also relatable, not just for me, but also for society in general. People today seem to often act out of jealousy. Even in high school, one can see drama evolve because of someone’s jealousy over another person. Just as it led to Othello’s regretful decisions, I have seen friendships ruined by jealousy in high school.
One theme that spoke the most to me is from "The Hammock" by Li-Young Lee. I think it does a good job of showing the emotions of people, and the transition of wishes for yourself into hopes and dreams for your children. Another idea that spoke to me is the savageness from Lord of the Flies. Sometimes people forget or hide parts of themselves, and I think Golding showed in his book that people don't get rid of those parts just because they don't show them everyday, they still lurk beneath the surface.
I believe that the topic of religion within the stories we have read so far is relatable to my life. I am a christian so I understand the struggles that the characters (mostly Pi) face with religion. In Life of Pi, I was given an outside perspective of what it's like to be introduced to my religion. I got a chance to see how weird others find Christianity. Another topic that I can relate to in the stories we've read is sacrifice. Being in marching band for four years I have sacrificed a lot of time to be involved in the program. It is a little different from the sacrifices that the characters in the story must make, but I don't think I will be trapped on a boat any time soon.
Lord of the Flies really spoke to me. The idea that everyone has some sort of savagery in them is perplexing. We live in a civilized society, so this theme just seems to not make sense. I'm sure none of our class would say that they could be reduced to killing or acting that barbaric. However, after reading LOTF, I would say that any one of our peers could easily be reduced to villainy if they were exposed to the same obstacles as the boys in LOTF.
Finally, the idea of religion from Life of Pi was interesting. Seeing another take on religion was insightful, and the fact that Pi practices 3 religions at the same time helped me see that everyone needs to be more open minded and accepting of everyone's religion since it is such a personal thing.
I would say that the theme of religion is one of the most important themes throughout life of Pi. As a religious person, we all want to be closely related to God. We do what we have to to make this happen. Yet, we also judge others religion because they are not ours. The theme in Pi shows us that we need to encourage and support other religions. Do not judge them even if you do not agree. I relate to the character of McMurphy because he is not with the norm. He stands out and is influential in changing the society views on other topics such as gays. Normal life is not what it should be. He gave up his life to improve the life of others and this turns back to the theme of religion. He is a Jesus figure. He looked to his followers before himself.
McMurphy Randle Patrick McMurphy was a character that moved me incredibly. A wise man once said I may have a little McMurphy in me :). I am inspired by RPM's desire to go against what he believes to be wrong. He helped the patients find their voices even though the Big Nurse tried to mute them. I will remember McMurphy, although he is fictional, often in the future because I hope to stand up for what I feel is right every chance I get.
Piggy I respect and appreciate the character named Piggy in Golding's "Lord of the Flies." He was a wise young man who had a hard time being heard. I heed warning from Golding... I must do my best to hear all individuals, no matter whom they may be. Finding myself often in the shoes of Ralph, I have my own ideas that contrast those around me. Listening and understanding to others opinions may be more valuable than expressing my own opinions, no matter if I accept the opinions or not.
I have taken much inspiration and learned important lessons from the works studied this year. For this opportunity I am grateful.
"The Hammock" by Li-Young Lee spoke to me because it was talking about dreams and wishes of your children. It also talks about how the mother and child are continuing thinking about each other because I often forget others have feelings and to think about them. I also relate to Nurse Ratched because she has a severe case of OCD and I can have one as well very often. I also feel for her trying to keep control in a ward and having no one listen to her; it is hard to keep order.
From this semester I think that the girl from Hills like White Elephants speaks to me the most. The story is incredibly well written and though it does lack details they are hinted at in incredible ways. It speaks to me because I love the way it is written, cryptically almost, and I like the story line. I think that the girl could almost make her own choices and in my head I like to envision her denying the abortion and basically blowing off the jerk that she's in Spain with. I'd like to think that she loses her co-dependence and becomes an independent mother. I'm all about independence.
The second character that speaks to me most is Pi because of the immense struggle he goes through. This is because I see his faith as holding fairly well for such strenuous circumstances.
I relate the closest to Desdemona from Othello, first. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is totally faithful to her husband and I'd like to think that i am a very loyal and faithful friend to all of my best friends. I think that Desdemona has a very good and pure heart, which I cannot say that I do have, however goodness is something that I strive for. The second character I relate closely to is Nurse Ratched. She's independent, kind of OCD about her place and she doesn't like to be disobeyed. When it comes to important things such as work or projects, I am absolutely the same way. Not as harsh or cold as her, and the disobey thing isn't something I'm too proud of, but we are similar in these ways.
One of the most significat lessons that I have learned over this semester is that everyone can become a savage given the time and place. Pi endured many tough situations and it was interesting to see how he acted in the beginning of the book versus the end of his journey. Pi used the animal story to justify the many savage things he did while on the lifeboat. Lord of the Flies goes hand in hand with this as well. The boys, after killing each other, realized that the "beast" was within each other. I find it quite interesting how a characters actions and feelings can change throughout a book.
One specific character that I can relate to is McMurphy from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. McMurphy was intellctual, humorous, and loved the attention from the rest of the ward. I can relate to this because I used to act this way in middle school. McMurphy is my favorite character we have studied this semester.
From this semester in class I have learned that everyone has an underlying personality. Everyone has their own superego, ego, and id. What it really takes to overcome this is each person them self. Only you can keep you inner beast from coming out. From each book this semester they all show symbols of an inner beast. Pi Patel, had his own inner beast. At the end of the book, if you believe the story of people versus animals, you realize that Pi has committed murder, and done what ever it takes to stay alive, even going against everything he believes in. This is called savagery.
I think that we all along with myself can relate to each character like Pi, and the boys from "Lord of the Flies", and McMurphy. Some people have an overlying beast. The beast is seen in everything they do and this is more like McMurphy. He is foul in the book, and beast-like. Pi has an underlying beast along with the boys that came out when faced with a difficult challenge. Pi and the boys were both trying anything to be rescued. I think most people have an inner killer instinct inside of us all. Each of us take a different amount of chaos to unleash the beast.
I believe the two characters that related to me the most were Pi, and McMurphy. I related to McMurphy because in the book he stands up for he believes in. He sticks up for not only himself but for his friends as well. He did not let people just push him around. At the beginning of the book the reader believes McMurphy just is a hell raiser and isn't good for anything. Throughout the book we learn that he cares for everyone in the ward and wants the best for himself and the others as well. I put others before me and I stand up for what I think is right. Another character I related to is Pi. Throughout the book Pi stayed positive and never dwelled on the situation he was in or the complained about anything. Pi kept fighting and fighting to live. I can related to that with football. Even when you're losing you cannot give up. You have to keep fighting and stay positive
There are two important lessons I have learned from the literature we have read throughout this semester. One lesson I learned is our society is like a combine discussed in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. People who are different are looked at as weird. We conform to a certain way of life so we aren’t different from others. I learned that it is okay to be different and to be yourself. People who have gone against societies conformity have been inspirations to those that are scared to show their real selves. Another lesson I learned was from the Lord of the Flies. Everyone has an inner savagery that may come out. There is good and evil that exists in every human, This is an important theme in the novel and in life. The literature we have read will help me throughout my life.
The entirety of Cuckoo's Nest resonated with me, but especially McMurphy's character. We, as members of society, find it more comfortable to conform by subscribing to popular ways-of-being, trends, and absent-minded dogmas that do not require critical thinking of the subscribee. This is why the message of Cuckoo's Nest is important. McMurphy showed the patients, and us, that blindly accepted the system in which you live is not always healthy. Broken structures must be met with battering rams of productive rebellion.
I found many lessons within the literature works we have read this semester. Within Lord of the Flies, it taught the valuable lesson of hidden savagery. Jack found himself in a position of power and completely abused it. He turned from an innocent choir boy into a blood-thirsty savage. The main idea jumps out to me that there will be people who commit acts of violence or whatever the action may be. Yet, this inner savagery is within all humans, yet it is only brought out by certain situations. The boys found themselves afraid of the “beast” the whole journey, but the beast happened to be themselves.
Also, I feel as though I can relate to McMurphy in some ways. He is outspoken, confident, and will sacrifice his own well-being for the sake of his opinionated ways. This could be looked upon as an admirable and/or difficult trait for a person to have. There are obvious times when McMurphy takes this trait to new heights where as in certain situations I would likely keep quiet based as it is detrimental to himself such as his lobotomy. Nurse Ratched parallels a difficult boss to an extreme where sometimes in life, it is more beneficial to just keep quiet!
Darrington 7 This semester I have been introduced to a wide range of literature. Nearly every poem has had some level of meaning associated for me personally, but a few were more influential than others. First off, One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest recurring theme of questioning society struck me greatly. I am not an entirely rebellious person, but it was interesting to think about the constructs of the society we live in. Religion, Government, and schools, all have some level of structure that holds back the individual. It was interesting to consider the function of society and how it affects the way we as humans interact. I also enjoyed the ideas of conformity versus going against the norm. The last major theme I liked in this novel was the concept of reality. Chief Bromden had wild schizophrenic dreams, which are considered not real by most. If a person feels as though something is real, can it be considered worthwhile and true, even to them alone?
The other story I related closest to was The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas. The themes of morality in a modern country induced deeper thought. This is something I think about frequently and have been unable to reach any conclusions. Is it moral to party and have enjoyment with friends while millions of people in the world suffer. Why am I so privileged? This story also brought up thoughts about the way our society is set up. Some people blindly go about their days and rarely consider the life they are living. Some try to challenge the norm and are condemned. Some people attempt to leave the society altogether. I’m not sure what the best option is really. This was an incredibly thought provoking story, that has left more questions than answers, as most stories tend to do.
This semester gave me the wonderful opportunity to read some of the most famous literature in the world. I was able to relate to several of the characters throughout the semester. I would say the character that I best relate to is Chief Bromden, for he is a very reserved, soft-spoken individual. However, Chief Bromden is also extremely intelligent and brave, for he fakes being deaf for his satisfaction while in the ward and he also suffers from schizophrenia. I relate to Chief Bromden from the standpoint of being reserved and somewhat shy, but I also admire the bravery he exhibits throughout One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Another character that I feel I can relate to is Piggy in Lord of the Flies. Piggy struggled for his voice to be heard throughout the novel, which I can relate to. I think we have all had a time when we try to speak up and solve a problem, and we are simply ignored. It makes us feel unimportant. Piggy does show great persistence throughout Lord of the Flies, which I think teaches us a valuable life lesson. To achieve your goals, big or small, you must be persistent to get what you want. If you want your voice to be heard, you must speak louder and speak frequently. Though it seems unlikely, Piggy is an inspiring character that I feel I closely resemble.
I have enjoyed all of the literature that we have read this semester. The experiences and characters within the novel have moved me and taught me some valuable life lessons.
Jeremiah Burkman P2 Two lessons that spoke most to me would have to be from the Lord of the Flies and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I really enjoyed reading Lord of the Flies and analyzing it. The idea of lack of government seems scary and this novel shows it is. Without a working government, humans turn savage and harm each other. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has a very interesting lesson withheld in it. The novel makes being different outrageous at first but as the story progressed, patients saw that difference was not so bad.
A character I think i can relate to is Piggy from Lord of the Flies. Our physical characteristics are similar. Piggy was also a supporter of his leader; I think I am more of a supporter as well. Another character I can relate to is Pi Patel. Besides surviving on a lifeboat, I am open to ideas like Pi. His acceptance of multiple religions was an extreme openness to some people.
One theme/lesson that I learned from and found important was the theme of choice in Life of Pi. The story made the reader, without a doubt, believe that what they were reading was the truth, but later gave them the option to be a realist or a spiritualist regarding the lesson. This made me think deeper into my beliefs and I thank Martel for that unique opportunity.
One character I can relate myself to from list of works we read and analyzed is Randall McMurphy. He takes on a leadership role in the ward and tries to create change in the midst of corruption. Also, his personality is very bold and complex. So for these reasons I feel that I best relate to him.
I learned some important lessons throughout the Literature class this semester. The first lesson I learned was from Lord of the Flies, this lesson being that everyone, no matter who they are, has a dark and animalistic side to them. As hard as someone may try to keep this side hidden, at some point in their life it will come back. I can relate to this because I have had experiences where I, or someone else, acts on their instincts. The other lesson I learned was from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Everyone has their own interpretations of the world, what may seem crazy to one person may be totally normal to other people. This point should be taken into consideration everyday. I can relate to this because it has actually helped me to be more considerate of what others are experiencing.
There have been an abundance of lessons, themes, and characters that we have come across during this semester. I chose to pick out a lesson from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. I really enjoyed this novel, in fact it was my favorite. I thought that there were lots of meaningful lessons that one could pull from that novel and one I pulled from it was that society has a large part on who you decide to be. There are so many expectations put up by society that if one doesn’t follow the norms you may get looked at weird, judged, become an outcast, or even be put to death. No one wants to live how someone else wants you to live.
Another significant lesson from Lord of the Flies is that everyone, no matter how nice or how pretty or how popular, has savage in them. I think beings we are going off to college we should know that by now and prepare ourselves the best we can for future savages we may come across.
The first character that I instantly found relationship is Murphy. He is that one guy who is different from everyone else, but he still manages to eventually fit in. A few people still had some hatred for him, like Ratched. I am also different from most people because I come from a different background that is a minority, so I have had to adapt in order to fit in.
Another theme that I also related to was the fog that surrounded Chief Bromden. He sometimes could not see or interpret things that were right in front of him. Sometimes I feel like I zone people out a lot, so I forget what they told me and I just completely forget. Its not a good characteristic, but I work to overcome it just like Bromden did.
One character I relate to is Pi. His take on religion is fascinating. Although I do not practice three different religions, religion is still very interesting to me. It is neat to see what different religions believe in and do for worship. Another character I relate to is Chief Bromden. He never spoke out during group meetings and always kept to himself. I often keep to myself when we are discussing a topic with the whole class.
The character I most feel like I relate with is Ralph. Ralph is a quieter character who internally wants to lead. This is how I feel a lot of the time because I am also quiet, however, in sports I want to lead. The other character I felt like I sort of related with was Chief Bromden. Although not having much in common, Bromden takes a back seat and sees things that other may not. I also have this trait as I see or hear things that most of my friends do not. A topic that interested me was in Lord of the Flies. The civilization/barbarism changes in the boys is very intriguing to me. Another topic I found interesting was the religion difference in Life of Pi. I am doing my essay over the various religions Pi practices and this is something that is very interesting to me because I have grown up religious.
I felt drawn to Pi from Life of Pi. I was intrigued by the fact that he practiced three religions, and he followed what he thought was right from each of them. Reading that novel wants me to be more definite with where I stand in my faith. Pi made the comment that he likes atheists more than agnostics because atheists at least know where they stand unlike agnostics--I might believe I may not. I was intrigued by the confessional poets unit. That poetry really spoke to me and was unlike any other poetry I had ever read before. I liked how it focused on the person and the experiences of darker things like suicide and mental illness not happy things like flowers and unicorns.
The two lessons that spoke most to me were shown in Lord of the Flies and Othello. In Lord of the Flies, the main lesson I took away was that we should always remain true to our morals and ideals, even in tough circumstances. If we do not, human/barbaric nature will be released over social norm. In Othello, I learned it is most important to trust the one you love before making judgments, or else there could be dire consequences.
I think that the short story “Hills like White Elephants” spoke the most to me. The story was very powerful in the ideas it tried to portray. It’s very interesting in how the characters beat around the bush of the idea. Neither one comes out and says she is going to get an abortion but it is insinuated. The book could not even be about getting an abortion but something else entirely because we do not have confirmation of the topic of the book. The second thing that spoke to me was the character Billy Bibbit in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This spoke to me because of his relationship with his mother. The relationship was so powerful that he would rather die than be cast in a bad light to his mother and is only repentful of what he had done after Nurse had mentioned his mother.
One character that I would relate to the most would have to be McMurphy. I am not one to conform to the popular idea. I do not conform even when it would be safer to. The way McMurphy saved his friends is something I would do. I am always attempting to help others and it has gotten me into handfuls of trouble. Another character that I could relate to would be the prince in “The Lady or the Tiger?”. I would truly trust a lover to save me. He goes right to the door that the princess says to. I also would go after someone I love despite who they were related to. I really enjoyed “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” because it was about going against the grain and being yourself. The lesson of being yourself and that there is nothing wrong with the guys in the ward. Everyone has a beast within them from “Lord of the Flies,” spoke to me because I do believe that is true. I believe everyone has the potential to do bad but mostly everyone does not. When someone is angered, that causes some true colors to come through. I have seen that.
This semester, our class has read about a plethora of interesting characters, some of them more relatable than others. I found that one of the characters I could relate to the most was Ralph from Lord of the Flies. I like to think that I have common sense and remain level headed most of the time. Hopefully these traits won't almost lead to my death as they do with Ralph.
Another character that I identified with was the son in "Signs and Symbols". I don't believe that I am insane, but it is easy to feel crazy when trying to find meaning in a piece of literature.
Out of all the novels we have read so far, _Lord of the Flies_ and _One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest_ has the two lessons that have stuck most to me. In _Lord of the Flies_ the lesson is that without structure or a higher power, society will deteriorate into anarchy and chaos. Also, it shows that, if you are not careful, fear will over come you and lead you to act irrationally. I find this interesting because this can be seen in modern society as well! Especially in wars over sees like when dictatorships take over and the subjects are unhappy and chaos and civil war ensues. In _One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest_ the opposite is quite true. The moral of this story is that if you control the world too much each person will end up being the exact same as everyone else and that is an act of evil. This is seen by how Nurse Ratched is described as a devilish figure throughout the novel and when the men get to break out of the mold of the insane asylum they are much happier and better off. I like this moral because I truly believe in individuality and each person being true to themselves. Furthermore, I do think people are evil for not letting people be who they want to be.
A person I related with would be Nurse Ratched. I am not mean like her but I am self willed and do not need a man to make me feel complete. I didn't like the way she treated the patients but I related to her in that way.
A lesson I learned this semester is to be more open about religions and about how people feel. Sometimes I am so Ethnocentric and don't think about other people cultures and howl they feel. From reading Life Of Pi I relized that other people have ways of thinking and it is amazing to learn things like that!
Out of this semester I relate most to Ralph because he tried his hardest to stay true to who he was throughout all of the novel and the obstacles he was faced with. He listened to the ideas of others while taking everyone's interests at hand when making decisions. Some of the best leaders are those who not try to be. On the same hand I can also relate to Piggy. I would not just sit at home while the others go off and hunt like he does, I like to hold my own. I would however relate to his "grandmother" side. From day one I have always been very motherly and caring to others, it has just been a maternal instinct to me. In the end he was still trying to voice his opinions and keep everyone safe
One of the two lessons that I learned in the books that we read this semester came from Life of Pi. That lesson is life is what you make of it. Pi could have given up on life at any point in the life boat or even after he landed and was back in civilization. But he did not give up-- he worked hard and chose to look past those 227 days, and in the end he had a normal, happy life with children and a wife. The second lesson I pull from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This one is nobody can change you. During the whole book society, and nurse Ratchet attempt to change McMurphy’s personality and his actions. But through it all he chooses to remain the same and inspires and saves some of the other patients from a sad life they were doomed to before he arrived.
There are 2 characters affected me in a substantial way. The first being Bromden, and the second being Pi. I connect to Bromden from Cuckoo’s nest in that we are both watchers and observers rather than talkers. We would rather listen and find out about someone before we consider revealing anything about ourselves. Bromden takes this to an extreme, and I can respect that. He dedicatedly remains silent for years, which is a feat. I also connect to Pi in Life of Pi. Pi is a wise, open minded, accepting boy. I like to believe that I am accepting and open minded, quite less than Pi, but wise none the less. Pi accepts all religions, all culture, and live his life as he wants to. He goes through a traumatic experience, which would break most of us, yet he is made whole by this experience. I have a lot of respect for these characters, and I connect to them more than the others.
I have two important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The first lesson, is from the poem, "The Hammock". I learned that there is a lot more to my life. I have my entire life ahead of me, but I need to cherish all of my childhood memories. I need to appreciate my parents and learn valuable lessons from them for when I am a parent.
The other inspiring lesson I learned was from Pi. He taught me to look at the good, even in the worst situations possible. I will carry this with me for the rest of my life and I will try to remind myself to look at situations in the best way possible.
The two most important lessons I learned this year were from reading Lord of the Flies and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. From reading Lord of the Flies I learned that everyone has savagery in them. This theme relates to our society now, because we live in a civilized society. People may portray that they are calm and civilized, but really everyone has a little bit of savagery in them. One lesson I learned from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is that even though we live in a free country we are not necessarily free. There is always someone in charge; the president is in charge of the US just like Nurse Ratched was in charge of the ward. We will always have rules we need to follow and people we need to listen to.
The character that I relate to most is Ralph. Ralph is the character that tries his hardest to remain sane and keep order on the island. I believe I relate to Ralph because I prefer to have things planned out. I do not like just rolling with things. I appreciate order in doing things. I also relate to Harrison Bergeron. Harrison Bergeron wants freedom and does not want to succumb to the equality of America. I enjoy freedom and individuality as well. It's one of the basis of America.
Me and McMurhpy are very relatable. I am quite rebellious and not a huge fan of rules. Though I know some rules need to be in place, moments such as when the group had voted and wanted to watch baseball but were shot down really bothered me. I personally am able to coexist with many different people just like McMurphy. The other character I am most able to relate to was Cassio. Personally I am very trusting of people so it would be very easy to fool me just like Iago had fooled Cassio. I am entirely loyal to the US just like Cassio is to Venice and am loyal to my friends.
One theme I thought was prominent throughout the coursework of this year was the internal conflict between a human's savagery and human's societal standards. This was seen in Life of Pi and Lord of the Flies. This speaks to me because it describes the complexity of the human mind. One lesson I learned from a lot of the literature we studied, was how you don't have to believe in one religion, and also you don't have to conform to society to be successful or happy in life.
I relate most with both the protagonist and theme of "'Repent Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman". The story gives one of the most truthful accounts of societal rebellion (disregarding the setting) that I have ever read.
The Harlequin is an archetypal loner: a character who rebels when all others conform. However, he does not wear the garb of the traditional hero. He wears the motley of a fool, and it is worth mentioning that he most certainty is. Irrefutable folly is his quest; there is no way his journey can have a pleasant resolution, and he knows this. The Harlequin rebels with full knowledge of the eventual consequences. This, I believe, is the mark of true heroism.
The story's theme, however, seems to sully the otherwise stark purity of its hero. As readers, we can see that while The Harlequin's antics interrupt time as a whole, the system always finds a way to compensate. The other individuals living in this society might become distracted by The Harlequin's actions, but none ever join him. The resolution of this story is also open to interpretation; with no direct endorsement of a particular end.
It is in the theme I relate to most. The rebellion of The Harlequin was personal, like all rebellions ultimately are, and he was not able "to change the world" as the reader would expect. Despite how much we (as westerners) romanticize the individual, it is not possible for a single person to change an entire society. However, the does not diminish the importance of what is done through rebellion.
I related the most to Pi in Life of Pi. The theme of religion throughout the whole book spoke to me the most. I am a christian and believe in God but sometimes I question God and religion. I found it very interesting how Pi questions God. I also find it very interesting that Pi studies 3 religions at the same time and talks about atheists. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest also spoke to me. One lesson I learned from this novel is that society is like a combine. Society tells us to conform to a certain thing. When we don’t conform to the “combine” we feel not in place. McMurphy reminds us that it is okay to not conform to society sometimes. All in all,I learned many lessons from this semester’s literature.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest had many lessons. I thought the biggest one was too not conform to society but instead be the different person. Different can be good. Society would suck if everyone was the same. I also really enjoyed Lord of the Flies. It goes to show that maybe in the back of our minds is an inner evil. Little kids possessed this evil even at the age of 12. It also shows how much kids have to mature before they finally can work together on problems.
One theme that I found to resonate with me is found within "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest." I think society is fairly interesting in that it appears they it tries to control people. However, I also think that society is much better, and continues to improve. Society appears to be far more accepting of people, and I believe the next generation will be even better.
The other theme I find interesting, or important to me, is found in "Lord of the Flies." I think it is important for us to understand that everyone has the capacity to be greedy, or savage.
One character that really spoke to me was Ralph from Lord of the flies. I liked him because he teaches a very important lesson. No one is perfect, and can be led into temptation by others. I think that one of the themes that he plays a huge role in is the theme of how animalistic humans actually are. I think that he really personifies the struggle against our basic animal instincts. Throughout the book he tries to listen to Piggy but gets sucked up into Jack's idea of becoming savages.
Another character is Pi. For one, Pi's story makes the reader think and analyze so much of what they've read. It throws the reader for a loop. Throughout the book they truly believe everything Pi says, but when the twist at the end hits, it leaves you questioning everything. I think the lesson Pi teaches us is that you cannot completely control your id, but you can coexist with it. To completely destroy your id is to destroy a part of you. To let your id take over completely leaves you less human and more animal. The trick is finding the balance, and once that is found, you can survive in life. The theme in Pi's life, I like to think one theme that is overlooked is his faith. Throughout the book he might question or turn from his faith, but he always returns to it. As a Lutheran I like to believe that a strong enough faith can help you through any storm. That's why Pi speaks to me, he has such overwhelming faith even in the midst of turmoil. I think that says a lot about Pi, and really speaks to me.
I identify most with McMurphy. I often feel like the defacto, bumbled into it type of leader. McMurphy also didn't realize that the other inmates where using him until it was too late. I often feel the same way, over extending myself to the point at which I am consumed by my work. I also identify with Pi in that I live in an increasingly secular world, yet I cling to my religion like a life raft. I hope I never abandon my religion because of peer pressure.
A theme that spoke most to me was in "The Lady and the Tiger" That one does not always know who to trust or not. It emphasizes that blind faith in a person might be more naive faith than anything. Looking forward into college I will keep this in mind as a meet and trust more people. A character I felt I connected with was Pi. His decisions about religion kept his mind open. His view of the world is what I relate to.
One of themes that spoke to me most this year was the main theme in Lord of the Flies. The theme is basically that anyone can become a savage. In Lord of the Flies even the boys who are trying to be civilized, like Ralph and Piggy, eventually turn savage without proper structure. Theoretically this situation of everyone turning into savages could actually occur. This theme in Lord of the Flies made me think so therefore I enjoyed the book a lot.
The character of McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest was my favorite character by far. He was the classic rebellious character against society. I enjoyed how he was very likable and humorous individual. I was truly rooting for him until the end of the novel. I have never felt so connected to a character in a book before. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest is literary masterpiece.
The two characters that I found the most interest in this year were Pi and McMurphy. I enjoyed Pi a lot for his extensive thought processes, and his view on religion. The idea of dedicating himself to three different religions was a neat idea to me. I enjoyed McMurphy for his way of offering a different and unique kind of wisdom. He was brash and bold but still offered much wits.
Two Characters that spoke to me were Pi, and McMurphy. One reason Pi spoke to me is because I am religious as well. Although I have struggled here and there with my faith, I try to be as faithful as possible. Pi was very strong with his faith and this made me realize how powerful religion can be. He keeps faith through the entire ordeal and this spoke to me greatly in the sense that one should always have faith. McMurphy spoke to me in a way that he strays from normal. I like the whole counter-culture movement and I think it is very interesting. Being a younger person, I feel that I connect with McMurphy more than Nurse Ratched. Not wanting to go with the ways of not as youthful humans, is natural for younger people to feel.
One character that spoke to me was Pi. Pi was very wise and strong. He represented both animalistic and humanistic sides.
One theme I like was the stories that discussed human emotions and how they affect what humans do like jealously. One of my favorite short story was "The Lady of the Tiger" because of this very theme. I also think stories like these.
The character I feel that I related most with was Randle McMurphy. While he was a trickster, and loved to create chaos. To the extremity of this, I can not relate. But beneath the jester facade of McMurphy, he really cared about the other patients in the ward. I also tend to have this hard, sarcastic disguise on in many occasions, but truly care about the people around me. McMurphy sacrificed himself for his ward-mates, and I would like to think that I would do the same in the situation.
Another character I felt connection was Harrison Burgeuron. The ways in which I relate to him is that I am smarter and stronger than everyone else in our society, and the government is after me. Only kidding. I don't agree with the conformity of the society, similarly to him. If I were burdened with impairments, I would also try to break out. Conformity scares me, and would not like to be held down from potential.
In Ken Kesey’s story there is an underlying theme of things/people not always being as they seem. I have always been interested in learning more than what is just on the surface of people, and what exactly makes up a person’s character. This theme was one that spoke to me a lot, and overall this novel is one of my all-time favorites. Another theme that spoke out to me was the theme of independence and finding yourself, that was found especially at the beginning of Yann Martel’s novel. Especially now that I am graduating high school and moving onto being an adult I have found myself focusing on becoming more independent and finding who I truly am.
I think that Lord of the Flies is the book that has taught me the most in terms of lessons. Life on a island would be hard and the fight to survive can lead people to do horrible things even if they are just kids. Keeping order and trying to be civilized would be a hard task when food is scarce and fear of being killed by a beast is ever present. My favorite book that we read was One Flew over the Cuckoo Nest. The story at times is kind of hard to understand, but that brings out a lot of fun during Forums because it was interesting what other people thought the chapters meant.
I relate the most to one of the themes of Life of Pi: fear is our worst enemy. Before last year, fear prevented me from doing a lot of things I would have normally done, and I know firsthand the negative effects unwarranted fear can have on one's life. Now that I've, for the most part, conquered that, I've been a lot happier with my life.
I also vibed with Harrison Bergeron and its main theme. Sure, some people may be better than others at something, and others at a different thing, but individuality is one of the things that helps society works as it does. If you take that away, what do you have?
The two characters that have spoken to me the most this year have been Pi Patel and Jack. Pi has spoken to me the most for the fact that he has the most understanding of the world of any character I have read about. Pi embodies 3 different religions and is embodies each perfectly. I have enjoyed and was able to relate with every action he performed. Speaking of connection, I have felt the most connected to Pi out of all of the characters from the novel. Jack spoke to me because of how he has tried control the chaos of the island. This is not going well, and I can relate to attempting to control chaos.
One lesson I learned from this semester was from Cuckoos Nest. I learned that not everyone is built to be the same, and not everyone can be and should be controlled. We all have our flaws and there is nothing wrong with that. Another lesson I learned was surprisingly from Lord of the Flies. When reading the book at first, you would not think that there are lessons to be learned. After discussing and thinking more about what is being talked about, one of the lessons to be learned is that even the nicest people can turn into gruesome killers. Everyone has their demons and sometimes they are unleashed.
Two characters that spoke most to be this semester were the lady from "The Lady and the Tiger" and Pi Patel. The lady is extremely jealous and in the predicament I feel everyone find themselves in to an extent. Maybe not always of another person, but I know jealousy is an issue I struggle with and so I relate to her inner conflict. Pi Patel speaks to me on a more spiritual level. His three religions and the way he embraces everyone is really incredible. I strive to be as peaceful and full of openness and like to think I have some of that in me currently.
One character that spoke and I could relate to the most was McMurphy. He was one of the main character in the book, One Who Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Though I do not agree with many things he does in the story, I do admire his determination and leadership (not to forgot his refusal to allow society dictate his life). I liked him so much as a character because he reminded me that one can or sometimes should stand up against society and its expectations. Not only did he remind me of this, but he also shows how can not only stand up against society, but be victorious in the process. Just because society supports it does it really mean that it is the right thing to do?? McMurphy would say no and I would agree. Another character that I enjoyed was Ralph. Once again he was not perfect as a character, but overall I truly that he performed well for the difficult situation he was put into. What I enjoyed the most about him was his leadership abilities. Even when his followers converted to the evil tribe (Jack’s), he still held firm in his believes and would not give in. Even when he very own life was in the balance. With this said, I was disappointed in how Ralph treated Piggy at the beginning and throughout the story. A true leader needs to care of his followers and respect them. A leader should not just assume his powers but rather, demand them through being unselfish, respectful, and caring of his followers.
A character I relate to is Ralph because I can be a leader and I believe in doing the best thing for the group. He is a charismatic person who has the ability to have people follow his words. He know what he was doing and there were often people who did not like to follow him or got mad at him for being too passive.
Another character that I can relate to Othello. I feel that I am easily angered especially when it comes to people that I care about. I also tend to believe the people I trust even though I know that they can lie still. I fell that I am a good leader and that I have some good accomplishments. However they are not militarily accomplishments.
I have learned so much this semester in literature. Not only have I been able to dive into the literary works we have read but I have been able to relate my own life to some of the works. The things we have read have taught me lessons that I look to take and apply to my life.
One lesson is from Life of Pi and that is to do with what you have. Not all of us are privileged to have everything we want and we shouldn’t take what we do have for granted. Pi has to live of off what the life boat and sea offer to him, he doesn’t have the choice to go to the grocery store and pick out his favorite meal, he has to eat things that he finds or catches. He even has to eat meat that he usually wouldn’t eat just to survive. Pi as well shows us to conserve what we have as well and not to waste it all at once. We need to make things last.
Another lesson I found in Life of Pi is to cherish the time you have with your family because you don’t know when something is going to happen. Pi and his family are together and happy one day but that night a sudden storm comes and he losses his family as the ship sinks and only Pi survives. Any of us could lose our family at any time, we to take in everything in the moment and cherish the time we spend with them.
I enjoyed reading during the semester very much and will remember the lessons I have learned from the literature and apply them to my own life.
The literature we have studied this semester has all been extremely complex and interesting. The novel that stood out to me was Life of Pi. Life of Pi taught many lessons, such as things may not always be as they seem. Depending on who you ask you will get a different summary of Pi’s experience, but Pi also taught us something else: to never give up. Many times throughout Pi’s 227 day struggle he was close to dieing. Pi continually found ways to survive, even if it meant doing the most uncommon of things. To me, Pi is the most complex character that we studied this semester.
I do not relate, per say, to Iago, but I like his character. I think that he does some pretty cool things to get ahead, and embodies the grit required to get ahead in this world when the cards have been dealt against you. While he doesn’t explicitly have a “rags to riches” story, I think that it may be implied.
I also think that the theme of a counter feminism, shown off in “Cuckoo’s Nest”, is a theme that, while not being without faults, deserves, like all themes, more time and discussion in the future.
One theme that spoke to me is from Life of Pi. Taking a leap of faith or sticking with the believable. Since I was recently confirmed this a topic that comes up a lot. After being confirmed in the Catholic church you are considered an adult in the church. This means having to decide what you believe and taking your own leap of faith. One character I relate with is Ralph. He likes to take charge and became the leader of the group of boys. Similarly, I took charge of the cheer team this year as a senior and was captain.
A theme that was prevalent in Life of Pi is the will to live. Right now, almost to the point of graduation, I am feeling this way about school. I am trying to find the will to continue in the journey of high school.
Another theme that resonates with me comes from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It is the idea of women in power. In our time, this idea is very well recognized and I, going into a powerful college education major, find that this relates to me dramatically.
The first character that I could relate to was Piggy. Piggy was more shy and less well spoken then he ought to have been. He was more of the voice of reason and logic. Piggy could have been a good leader but did not have the outward voices to speak and be heard. In the end, it did not end well for him, being killed by Jack. I also relate to Chief Bromden, a character from the “Cuckoos Nest”. He is quiet and listens rather than being loud and boisterous. Tends to let everyone do what they wish and not intervene. A theme I agreed with was the “Cuckoos Nest”. How you should not be another part of the machine and be your own person. “The Lord of the Flies”, was also another one I thought to be interesting. How humans may try to act civilized and orderly, but in the end we tend to go back towards our more savage roots were instinct and survival lies.
The first character that I could relate to was Piggy. Piggy was more shy and less well spoken then he ought to have been. He was more of the voice of reason and logic. Piggy could have been a good leader but did not have the outward voices to speak and be heard. In the end, it did not end well for him, being killed by Jack. I also relate to Chief Bromden, a character from the “Cuckoos Nest”. He is quiet and listens rather than being loud and boisterous. Tends to let everyone do what they wish and not intervene. A theme I agreed with was the “Cuckoos Nest”. How you should not be another part of the machine and be your own person. “The Lord of the Flies”, was also another one I thought to be interesting. How humans may try to act civilized and orderly, but in the end we tend to go back towards our more savage roots were instinct and survival lies.
Hillestad Pd. 7 I think one the most important lessons came from Lord of the Flies. I think William Golding wanted to show the reader that humans are not perfect and innocent. The fact that Golding uses children makes the message even more powerful. Golding’s message to the reader is that, in times of need, humans will refer back to inhumane instincts. Another important lesson came from Life of Pi. It’s a lesson that we have heard through our entire lives. Never give up. Pi Patel was on a lifeboat in the middle of the pacific ocean with a tiger. He thought of many ways to give up and thought multiple times that he was going to die. But he made it through and I think that it is an important lesson.
After reading Lord of the Flies, I believe that it proved to be a wonderful lesson of what humanity is capable of doing, especially as children. At the beginning, I never imagined that children would be so readily, able to kill other children. Of course, when working with children, you see a lot of emotion go through them in short amounts of time. One kid accidently hits another kid and then, the kid who got hit, is now planning his revenge and the only revenge is a revenge called death. Children are messed up, bro.
I really connected with Jack Merridew because I was always an angry little child who always needed to be the leader because I was the best choice, obviously. If things didn’t go my way, I’d kick and fight and scream my way to the top.*Thank god, I’m not completely that way now, but at one point I probably would have been okay with murdering a couple classmates for the sanity of everyone else.
*I have not ever killed, nor planned to kill, anyone as long as I have lived **This is inserted for protection only. I am not a bloodthirsty child, I just had a lot of anger.
One theme that I rather liked was one from Harrison Bergeron, the idea that the human spirit cannot be restrained, that we cannot possibly all be the same. We weren't meant to be - we are all uniquely different, all have certain skills and talents and characteristics that make us ourselves.
Another theme I totally love is one I've pulled from Emily Dickinson's "There is another sky" for my manifesto - the idea that there is beauty in not only the world, but in people, and we only have to look for it to find it.
Of all the pieces of literature read this semester, The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas stirred me greatly. Nobody enjoys examining himself for faults, and being unbiased towards yourself is nearly impossible. However, some great literature can aid in allowing us to see ourselves in a more clear light and it can prompt a desire for deeper self-reflection. After reading The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, I was left pondering the many selfish choices I deliberately make every day and I was brought to a conclusion: I am a selfish human being that only truly cares about my own comfort and satisfaction. But guess what? I attempt to trick everyone. I sponsor Suraya, a young girl in Ghana, and pay for her food, clothing and education. I pick up after my siblings when they make a mess because I’d rather they not get in trouble. I hold open doors for others, I offer to run an errand or two for my mom, I am polite, and I enjoy serving others. However, I choose only to do what is convenient for me and that means that I am selfish because as always, I put my schedule, my lifestyle, and my ease ahead of anyone else’s needs. The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas sparked self-reflection and a desire to change for me and therefore I consider it a great piece of literature.
Lastly, I feel like I relate to Nurse Ratched a tad bit. In her desire for routine and control, she became tense and unyielding. I have the tendency to desire control and routine as well, but I took note of Nurse Ratched’s mistake. The two lessons I learned from Nurse Ratched: 1. Always Remain Calm and Joyful and 2. Be Flexible.
Huizenga 7 One topic of Literature 210 that related to me the most was that society is an interwoven force within every aspect of life. No matter what a person wants to do, even in the most trivial of instances, societal influences can be found. Described as a combine in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, society’s influences take over every decision in a person’s life. Another topic that spoke to me was the savagery in Lord of the Flies. The fact that without society a person whose life is taken over by it could fall into complete chaos is quite unnerving. These two cautionary tales show both possible evils of of society’s existence.
Out of all the pieces of literature I have felt most connected to Pi Patel and Chief Bromden.
The reason I feel so close to Pi is because he questions everything and leaves everything up to question. However, he knows what must be true. He is driven but does not attempt to drive others in his direction. Such as, I have my own opinions on many things but I will not attempt to get anyone to agree with me. They can believe what they want--as long as I know what is right. They can choose to believe me or not. Pi taught me to keep your faith in what to believe in and something great will come out of it in the end.
However, I believe I am more alike and connected to Chief Bromden. I feel like he and I have the same personalities and situations. We are both flies on the wall that get to know far too much about everything going on. People think we are shy, awkward, and stupid. When in reality we just don't like to deal with peoples shit. Yep. So we keep low key until we meet someone that is actually willing to listen. I saw myself in Chief and have never felt more connected to any other character in my literature life.
Chief taught my that there will be a time when people will come around and I will be comfortable. He also taught me to go out and shoot for my dreams--even if they make you look crazy.
When looking back on all the lessons we learned from this semester, I feel i can most closely relate to two of which we learned while studying our poetry unit and Othello unit. The first lesson that I felt I could relate to was the lesson that one decision affects multiple people (we learned this in the "Hammock" by Li-Young Lee). I've thought about this multiple times throughout my high school career and in the planning of my future. The second lesson that hit home for me was what I believe to be the overall lesson in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." This lesson states that no matter how hard you try, society will always find a way to make you feel unaccepted or like an outcast. With these two lessons affecting my life, I felt that my learning opportunities were enhanced this semester.
3 Palmer In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, the overall lesson or theme of the book really stood out to me. In a world of conformity, McMurphy found a way to break the barriors and be his own person. Even though he did not have the most desirable traits, he really showed who he really was, and I find that more admirable than anything. The story teaches us to break free of confining rules and set standards. Another story which really spoke to me was The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. It was completely disturbing, and disgusted me the first time I read it. However, that is what I liked about it. It was shocking and horrifying, but it made me step back and think to how it can relate to my life. People ignored the child, and we were disgusted with these people, yet we often do the very same thing in real life. When there is a natural disaster or a terrorism attack, many people will feel bad for the victims, but overall they do nothing to help the problem. This short story has helped me to become a less selfish person, and I am thankful for it.
I would say our first novel, Lord of the Flies, was a very good lesson. It was interesting to mention that everybody has potential to become savage as these kids did. Another topic that spoke to me was Pi's take on hope and religion. I am a huge sucker for hope and if someone can do something I can, accomplish many religions, I become fond of them. Everything we have read has impacted me in some way after reading them.
The two themes that really stand out to me are live life to the fullest and never lose faith. I learned these two themes from the novel Life of Pi. Live life to the fullest stands out to me because Pi teaches us that every moment is precious no matter what situation you are in. It is easy to let life slip away and pass from your grip. If you live life to the fullest everyday, however, you will have no regrets in a near death encounter. The second major theme is never lose faith. This theme is portrayed through Life of Pi and Othello. In Life of Pi, Pi always talks to Jesus and never loses faith in his plan for him. Even when times are tough, Pi continues to keep faith in God and in turn he is saved. In Othello, we see what happens when a person loses faith. Othello loses faith in Desdemona and in turn, they both lose their lives and they go down in a sad way.
I felt the biggest connection to Pi. He was a boy about my age who was smart and felt strongly about many things in his life. I also found the lessons he taught to be the best of all of our stories. His experience with religion was a good lesson. Pi realized that by following three religions he was doing something that most people would disapprove of. However, he was a better and more faithful follower of all three religions than most people are of one single religion. My second favorite character was Chief Bromden. He constantly felt oppressed and it was extremely satisfying to see him become free from his place in society at the ward. His lessons involving the bad parts about conformity were excellent. I also really enjoyed the Lord of the Flies theme that said that every person has the capability to do evil in them. The other great theme I saw was the theme from Othello that women should not be controlled by men so much. Desdemona was wronged by Othello and Iago's wife was used by him. The men in the story were selfish and didn't deserve the women.
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McMurphy was a a character that spoke to me through his actions. He seemed as a bad guy that only gambles and tricks, but he really cared for the patients at the hospital. He sacrificed himself so the others could live, and live outside the hospital. He acted as Jesus and that is a cool connection for me. I know a lot about the Bible and McMurphy is an interesting allusion to Jesus. He is nothing like Jesus, as in he drinks, has sex with prostitutes, gambles, and talks smooth. And yet, he still "died for the sins of the ward" if we relate it to the Bible.
Another character I can relate to is Ralph from Lord of the Flies. He is soft spoken--which is not like me--but he wants to lead. I want to lead people too. He goes through some tough times trying to maintain control of the "tribes." A difference between us is how he is not a hunter. In that respect, I am more like Jack Merridew. He can hunt and kill, like me. But he is swallowed by evil and consumed with awful plans of murder and cannibalism.
I would say that Lord of the Flies was a very good lesson. It was interesting to say that everybody has the potential to become savage in them. It spoke to the psychology-loving side of me because it discusses the evil in everyone. Another topic that spoke to me was Pi's take on religion. I am not religious so his religious take on things was probably good to see.
There are two important lessons that I have learned from the literature that we have read. In Lord of the Flies, I believe that I learned a very important lesson that was also the main theme of the book: All humans have an inner savage, even the nicest ones. I believe that this is an important thing to know throughout life to prepare you for all of the Jacks of the world.
Another lesson that I learned within our literature is that our society is a giant combine. We are encouraged to conform to a specific way of life and in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, McMurphy does the exact opposite. I learned from this that we should be our own person and go against what society is trying to force upon us.
The two lessons that spoke the most to me this year after reading all of our literature works would have to be from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and from Life of Pi. The first lesson I learned and found spoke to me was that society plays a huge role on who you want to be in society. I showed me that just because society wants you to act and not be who you really want to be. I found that in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s nest it taught me to be who I want and break free from society's chains. The second lesson I found that spoke to me was from Life of Pi and that is that sometimes things do not end up the way you want and you have to choose the path you go. Like with the end of the book where you must choose the story you want and you are not 100% sure which one is true or not.
I relate to Simon from Lord of the Flies, and to Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Simon and I are similar due to our need to be different, and the idea of finding something new in something feared. One way I am different, is that I am in love with mathematics. Math is often feared by other students my age. I also like to find a new side of things, like he did with the dead pig head. I like to think that a character's motive is something totally different than what someone else may think. I also relate to Nurse Ratched because of her need to follow rules and her leadership. I try to find a balance between the chaos around me and the rules in front of me. I have thoroughly enjoyed relating to these characters, because other people find them as questionable characters. I absolutely adore them.
The two characters that spoke the most to me were Pi and Piggy. Pi spoke to me most when he was discussing religion. Pi has a very interesting take on religion, and I was fascinated by his opinion of atheists and agnostics. I didn't grow up in a religious household and unfortunately had some adults and kids treat my brothers and I like bad people because of it. Therefore, for a religious person to say that he holds more respect for atheists than for agnostics was an interesting idea.
I related to Piggy because he seems to be sort of outcast because of his social awkwardness and physical inabilities. I can relate to being socially awkward, and being short and hating everything athletic kind of held me back especially in gym class.
I relate the most to Chief Bromden and Pi Patel the most. I am a relatively intelligent individual and I perceive the world from a backseat perspective rather than becoming dominant like MacMurphy. Bromden observes his world from behind his broom and uses different devices to describe how he sees society. Pi is aboard a lifeboat abandoned from the world besides the aid of a Tiger and loves the experiences that are provided through zoology.
One character that has spoken the most to me is Desdemona. Through miscommunication and lack of trust she is killed by her own husband. Her own husband would not believe what she was telling him, and had what he believed to be her forbidden lover killed; he requested Cassio’s murder before he spoke to Desdemona about it.
A second character that spoke to me was Piggy, in _Lord of the Flies_. Throughout the novel he wanted to keep the peace and go home. From an outside perspective, I believe that is all I would want as well. But the other boys taunt him, and eventually kill him. A tragic end for someone with fairly noble ideas.
Chmela 2
The theme I like the most from this semester is from Lord of the Flies. I like the theme of challenged leadership and how it relates to me. Jack challenges Ralph’s ability several times just as people in today’s society challenge my ability to be a leader as a high school senior. I like Ralph especially because in that position I would have done a lot of the same things and made similar choices. Ralph acts very experienced and cheerful only to better the other boys. I respect him for this and thats why this topic and him specifically relate to me so well. I believe the lesson that coincides with this is that a challenged leader makes the best decisions for the group and is less selfish towards themselves. McMurphy was another great challenged leader that we read about this semester. I think that the other men turning away from him challenged him to be less selfish and make decisions for the group. Although he did end up being killed in the end, he made the people in the ward better off and changed their lives.
Justified savagery is another topic I really enjoyed this semester, specifically Pi Patel. Pi is an interesting character and I specifically like him for what he does and how he acts. He uses his story to justify his actions like killing the cook. I enjoy this because in certain times leaving friends and being a savage is needed in order to better oneself or survive. Being a savage can be taken very loosely and can be something simple like leaving a friend. This is very relatable because sometimes it is necessary to be a savage in order to benefit myself. I respect Pi because he does it in such a huge way.
I relate to the theme of Cuckoos Nest. I relate to this because I can relate to the characters in that life should not be run by normality. People should be unique and be go against the norm. A character I relate to is Nurse Ratched. Not because I like giving lobotomies and electro shock therapy. I feel I relate to her because she is sometimes misunderstood. She may seem bossy, but to her, she may be performing her job in the best way that she knows.
One theme that really spoke to me was Pi’s practicing three religions. I am a religious person and consider myself to be accepting of all religions. However, I would never think about practicing three religions at the same time, so this really opened my eyes to a different way of viewing religion in the world. Another theme that spoke to me was the importance of society in Cuckoo’s Nest. In the world today, people are more accepting of others, particularly gays, like Harding who did not fit into society in the 1960s. This theme really opened my eyes to how large of role society plays in people’s lives who may be slightly different than the average person.
One of the most significant themes for me was the theme of religion from Life of Pi . Religion is an important aspect of my everyday life. I am very close to my faith, and I can relate to Pi’s desire to be close to and worship God. However, I learned from Pi’s practice of three religions at once that we need to be more accepting of other religions. The theme of jealousy from “Othello” was also relatable, not just for me, but also for society in general. People today seem to often act out of jealousy. Even in high school, one can see drama evolve because of someone’s jealousy over another person. Just as it led to Othello’s regretful decisions, I have seen friendships ruined by jealousy in high school.
Kuehn 2
One theme that spoke the most to me is from "The Hammock" by Li-Young Lee. I think it does a good job of showing the emotions of people, and the transition of wishes for yourself into hopes and dreams for your children. Another idea that spoke to me is the savageness from Lord of the Flies. Sometimes people forget or hide parts of themselves, and I think Golding showed in his book that people don't get rid of those parts just because they don't show them everyday, they still lurk beneath the surface.
I believe that the topic of religion within the stories we have read so far is relatable to my life. I am a christian so I understand the struggles that the characters (mostly Pi) face with religion. In Life of Pi, I was given an outside perspective of what it's like to be introduced to my religion. I got a chance to see how weird others find Christianity. Another topic that I can relate to in the stories we've read is sacrifice. Being in marching band for four years I have sacrificed a lot of time to be involved in the program. It is a little different from the sacrifices that the characters in the story must make, but I don't think I will be trapped on a boat any time soon.
Lord of the Flies really spoke to me. The idea that everyone has some sort of savagery in them is perplexing. We live in a civilized society, so this theme just seems to not make sense. I'm sure none of our class would say that they could be reduced to killing or acting that barbaric. However, after reading LOTF, I would say that any one of our peers could easily be reduced to villainy if they were exposed to the same obstacles as the boys in LOTF.
Finally, the idea of religion from Life of Pi was interesting. Seeing another take on religion was insightful, and the fact that Pi practices 3 religions at the same time helped me see that everyone needs to be more open minded and accepting of everyone's religion since it is such a personal thing.
I would say that the theme of religion is one of the most important themes throughout life of Pi. As a religious person, we all want to be closely related to God. We do what we have to to make this happen. Yet, we also judge others religion because they are not ours. The theme in Pi shows us that we need to encourage and support other religions. Do not judge them even if you do not agree. I relate to the character of McMurphy because he is not with the norm. He stands out and is influential in changing the society views on other topics such as gays. Normal life is not what it should be. He gave up his life to improve the life of others and this turns back to the theme of religion. He is a Jesus figure. He looked to his followers before himself.
McMurphy
Randle Patrick McMurphy was a character that moved me incredibly. A wise man once said I may have a little McMurphy in me :). I am inspired by RPM's desire to go against what he believes to be wrong. He helped the patients find their voices even though the Big Nurse tried to mute them. I will remember McMurphy, although he is fictional, often in the future because I hope to stand up for what I feel is right every chance I get.
Piggy
I respect and appreciate the character named Piggy in Golding's "Lord of the Flies." He was a wise young man who had a hard time being heard. I heed warning from Golding... I must do my best to hear all individuals, no matter whom they may be. Finding myself often in the shoes of Ralph, I have my own ideas that contrast those around me. Listening and understanding to others opinions may be more valuable than expressing my own opinions, no matter if I accept the opinions or not.
I have taken much inspiration and learned important lessons from the works studied this year. For this opportunity I am grateful.
"The Hammock" by Li-Young Lee spoke to me because it was talking about dreams and wishes of your children. It also talks about how the mother and child are continuing thinking about each other because I often forget others have feelings and to think about them. I also relate to Nurse Ratched because she has a severe case of OCD and I can have one as well very often. I also feel for her trying to keep control in a ward and having no one listen to her; it is hard to keep order.
From this semester I think that the girl from Hills like White Elephants speaks to me the most. The story is incredibly well written and though it does lack details they are hinted at in incredible ways. It speaks to me because I love the way it is written, cryptically almost, and I like the story line. I think that the girl could almost make her own choices and in my head I like to envision her denying the abortion and basically blowing off the jerk that she's in Spain with. I'd like to think that she loses her co-dependence and becomes an independent mother. I'm all about independence.
The second character that speaks to me most is Pi because of the immense struggle he goes through. This is because I see his faith as holding fairly well for such strenuous circumstances.
I relate the closest to Desdemona from Othello, first. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is totally faithful to her husband and I'd like to think that i am a very loyal and faithful friend to all of my best friends. I think that Desdemona has a very good and pure heart, which I cannot say that I do have, however goodness is something that I strive for.
The second character I relate closely to is Nurse Ratched. She's independent, kind of OCD about her place and she doesn't like to be disobeyed. When it comes to important things such as work or projects, I am absolutely the same way. Not as harsh or cold as her, and the disobey thing isn't something I'm too proud of, but we are similar in these ways.
One of the most significat lessons that I have learned over this semester is that everyone can become a savage given the time and place. Pi endured many tough situations and it was interesting to see how he acted in the beginning of the book versus the end of his journey. Pi used the animal story to justify the many savage things he did while on the lifeboat. Lord of the Flies goes hand in hand with this as well. The boys, after killing each other, realized that the "beast" was within each other. I find it quite interesting how a characters actions and feelings can change throughout a book.
One specific character that I can relate to is McMurphy from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. McMurphy was intellctual, humorous, and loved the attention from the rest of the ward. I can relate to this because I used to act this way in middle school. McMurphy is my favorite character we have studied this semester.
From this semester in class I have learned that everyone has an underlying personality. Everyone has their own superego, ego, and id. What it really takes to overcome this is each person them self. Only you can keep you inner beast from coming out. From each book this semester they all show symbols of an inner beast. Pi Patel, had his own inner beast. At the end of the book, if you believe the story of people versus animals, you realize that Pi has committed murder, and done what ever it takes to stay alive, even going against everything he believes in. This is called savagery.
I think that we all along with myself can relate to each character like Pi, and the boys from "Lord of the Flies", and McMurphy. Some people have an overlying beast. The beast is seen in everything they do and this is more like McMurphy. He is foul in the book, and beast-like. Pi has an underlying beast along with the boys that came out when faced with a difficult challenge. Pi and the boys were both trying anything to be rescued. I think most people have an inner killer instinct inside of us all. Each of us take a different amount of chaos to unleash the beast.
I believe the two characters that related to me the most were Pi, and McMurphy. I related to McMurphy because in the book he stands up for he believes in. He sticks up for not only himself but for his friends as well. He did not let people just push him around. At the beginning of the book the reader believes McMurphy just is a hell raiser and isn't good for anything. Throughout the book we learn that he cares for everyone in the ward and wants the best for himself and the others as well. I put others before me and I stand up for what I think is right.
Another character I related to is Pi. Throughout the book Pi stayed positive and never dwelled on the situation he was in or the complained about anything. Pi kept fighting and fighting to live. I can related to that with football. Even when you're losing you cannot give up. You have to keep fighting and stay positive
There are two important lessons I have learned from the literature we have read throughout this semester. One lesson I learned is our society is like a combine discussed in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. People who are different are looked at as weird. We conform to a certain way of life so we aren’t different from others. I learned that it is okay to be different and to be yourself. People who have gone against societies conformity have been inspirations to those that are scared to show their real selves.
Another lesson I learned was from the Lord of the Flies. Everyone has an inner savagery that may come out. There is good and evil that exists in every human, This is an important theme in the novel and in life. The literature we have read will help me throughout my life.
The entirety of Cuckoo's Nest resonated with me, but especially McMurphy's character. We, as members of society, find it more comfortable to conform by subscribing to popular ways-of-being, trends, and absent-minded dogmas that do not require critical thinking of the subscribee. This is why the message of Cuckoo's Nest is important. McMurphy showed the patients, and us, that blindly accepted the system in which you live is not always healthy. Broken structures must be met with battering rams of productive rebellion.
*accepting
I found many lessons within the literature works we have read this semester. Within Lord of the Flies, it taught the valuable lesson of hidden savagery. Jack found himself in a position of power and completely abused it. He turned from an innocent choir boy into a blood-thirsty savage. The main idea jumps out to me that there will be people who commit acts of violence or whatever the action may be. Yet, this inner savagery is within all humans, yet it is only brought out by certain situations. The boys found themselves afraid of the “beast” the whole journey, but the beast happened to be themselves.
Also, I feel as though I can relate to McMurphy in some ways. He is outspoken, confident, and will sacrifice his own well-being for the sake of his opinionated ways. This could be looked upon as an admirable and/or difficult trait for a person to have. There are obvious times when McMurphy takes this trait to new heights where as in certain situations I would likely keep quiet based as it is detrimental to himself such as his lobotomy. Nurse Ratched parallels a difficult boss to an extreme where sometimes in life, it is more beneficial to just keep quiet!
Darrington 7
This semester I have been introduced to a wide range of literature. Nearly every poem has had some level of meaning associated for me personally, but a few were more influential than others. First off, One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest recurring theme of questioning society struck me greatly. I am not an entirely rebellious person, but it was interesting to think about the constructs of the society we live in. Religion, Government, and schools, all have some level of structure that holds back the individual. It was interesting to consider the function of society and how it affects the way we as humans interact. I also enjoyed the ideas of conformity versus going against the norm. The last major theme I liked in this novel was the concept of reality. Chief Bromden had wild schizophrenic dreams, which are considered not real by most. If a person feels as though something is real, can it be considered worthwhile and true, even to them alone?
The other story I related closest to was The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas. The themes of morality in a modern country induced deeper thought. This is something I think about frequently and have been unable to reach any conclusions. Is it moral to party and have enjoyment with friends while millions of people in the world suffer. Why am I so privileged? This story also brought up thoughts about the way our society is set up. Some people blindly go about their days and rarely consider the life they are living. Some try to challenge the norm and are condemned. Some people attempt to leave the society altogether. I’m not sure what the best option is really. This was an incredibly thought provoking story, that has left more questions than answers, as most stories tend to do.
Breitzman 3
This semester gave me the wonderful opportunity to read some of the most famous literature in the world. I was able to relate to several of the characters throughout the semester. I would say the character that I best relate to is Chief Bromden, for he is a very reserved, soft-spoken individual. However, Chief Bromden is also extremely intelligent and brave, for he fakes being deaf for his satisfaction while in the ward and he also suffers from schizophrenia. I relate to Chief Bromden from the standpoint of being reserved and somewhat shy, but I also admire the bravery he exhibits throughout One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Another character that I feel I can relate to is Piggy in Lord of the Flies. Piggy struggled for his voice to be heard throughout the novel, which I can relate to. I think we have all had a time when we try to speak up and solve a problem, and we are simply ignored. It makes us feel unimportant. Piggy does show great persistence throughout Lord of the Flies, which I think teaches us a valuable life lesson. To achieve your goals, big or small, you must be persistent to get what you want. If you want your voice to be heard, you must speak louder and speak frequently. Though it seems unlikely, Piggy is an inspiring character that I feel I closely resemble.
I have enjoyed all of the literature that we have read this semester. The experiences and characters within the novel have moved me and taught me some valuable life lessons.
Jeremiah Burkman P2
Two lessons that spoke most to me would have to be from the Lord of the Flies and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I really enjoyed reading Lord of the Flies and analyzing it. The idea of lack of government seems scary and this novel shows it is. Without a working government, humans turn savage and harm each other. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has a very interesting lesson withheld in it. The novel makes being different outrageous at first but as the story progressed, patients saw that difference was not so bad.
A character I think i can relate to is Piggy from Lord of the Flies. Our physical characteristics are similar. Piggy was also a supporter of his leader; I think I am more of a supporter as well.
Another character I can relate to is Pi Patel. Besides surviving on a lifeboat, I am open to ideas like Pi. His acceptance of multiple religions was an extreme openness to some people.
One theme/lesson that I learned from and found important was the theme of choice in Life of Pi. The story made the reader, without a doubt, believe that what they were reading was the truth, but later gave them the option to be a realist or a spiritualist regarding the lesson. This made me think deeper into my beliefs and I thank Martel for that unique opportunity.
One character I can relate myself to from list of works we read and analyzed is Randall McMurphy. He takes on a leadership role in the ward and tries to create change in the midst of corruption. Also, his personality is very bold and complex. So for these reasons I feel that I best relate to him.
I learned some important lessons throughout the Literature class this semester. The first lesson I learned was from Lord of the Flies, this lesson being that everyone, no matter who they are, has a dark and animalistic side to them. As hard as someone may try to keep this side hidden, at some point in their life it will come back. I can relate to this because I have had experiences where I, or someone else, acts on their instincts. The other lesson I learned was from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Everyone has their own interpretations of the world, what may seem crazy to one person may be totally normal to other people. This point should be taken into consideration everyday. I can relate to this because it has actually helped me to be more considerate of what others are experiencing.
There have been an abundance of lessons, themes, and characters that we have come across during this semester. I chose to pick out a lesson from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey. I really enjoyed this novel, in fact it was my favorite. I thought that there were lots of meaningful lessons that one could pull from that novel and one I pulled from it was that society has a large part on who you decide to be. There are so many expectations put up by society that if one doesn’t follow the norms you may get looked at weird, judged, become an outcast, or even be put to death. No one wants to live how someone else wants you to live.
Another significant lesson from Lord of the Flies is that everyone, no matter how nice or how pretty or how popular, has savage in them. I think beings we are going off to college we should know that by now and prepare ourselves the best we can for future savages we may come across.
The first character that I instantly found relationship is Murphy. He is that one guy who is different from everyone else, but he still manages to eventually fit in. A few people still had some hatred for him, like Ratched. I am also different from most people because I come from a different background that is a minority, so I have had to adapt in order to fit in.
Another theme that I also related to was the fog that surrounded Chief Bromden. He sometimes could not see or interpret things that were right in front of him. Sometimes I feel like I zone people out a lot, so I forget what they told me and I just completely forget. Its not a good characteristic, but I work to overcome it just like Bromden did.
One character I relate to is Pi. His take on religion is fascinating. Although I do not practice three different religions, religion is still very interesting to me. It is neat to see what different religions believe in and do for worship.
Another character I relate to is Chief Bromden. He never spoke out during group meetings and always kept to himself. I often keep to myself when we are discussing a topic with the whole class.
The character I most feel like I relate with is Ralph. Ralph is a quieter character who internally wants to lead. This is how I feel a lot of the time because I am also quiet, however, in sports I want to lead. The other character I felt like I sort of related with was Chief Bromden. Although not having much in common, Bromden takes a back seat and sees things that other may not. I also have this trait as I see or hear things that most of my friends do not.
A topic that interested me was in Lord of the Flies. The civilization/barbarism changes in the boys is very intriguing to me. Another topic I found interesting was the religion difference in Life of Pi. I am doing my essay over the various religions Pi practices and this is something that is very interesting to me because I have grown up religious.
I felt drawn to Pi from Life of Pi. I was intrigued by the fact that he practiced three religions, and he followed what he thought was right from each of them. Reading that novel wants me to be more definite with where I stand in my faith. Pi made the comment that he likes atheists more than agnostics because atheists at least know where they stand unlike agnostics--I might believe I may not. I was intrigued by the confessional poets unit. That poetry really spoke to me and was unlike any other poetry I had ever read before. I liked how it focused on the person and the experiences of darker things like suicide and mental illness not happy things like flowers and unicorns.
The two lessons that spoke most to me were shown in Lord of the Flies and Othello. In Lord of the Flies, the main lesson I took away was that we should always remain true to our morals and ideals, even in tough circumstances. If we do not, human/barbaric nature will be released over social norm. In Othello, I learned it is most important to trust the one you love before making judgments, or else there could be dire consequences.
I think that the short story “Hills like White Elephants” spoke the most to me. The story was very powerful in the ideas it tried to portray. It’s very interesting in how the characters beat around the bush of the idea. Neither one comes out and says she is going to get an abortion but it is insinuated. The book could not even be about getting an abortion but something else entirely because we do not have confirmation of the topic of the book. The second thing that spoke to me was the character Billy Bibbit in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This spoke to me because of his relationship with his mother. The relationship was so powerful that he would rather die than be cast in a bad light to his mother and is only repentful of what he had done after Nurse had mentioned his mother.
One character that I would relate to the most would have to be McMurphy. I am not one to conform to the popular idea. I do not conform even when it would be safer to. The way McMurphy saved his friends is something I would do. I am always attempting to help others and it has gotten me into handfuls of trouble. Another character that I could relate to would be the prince in “The Lady or the Tiger?”. I would truly trust a lover to save me. He goes right to the door that the princess says to. I also would go after someone I love despite who they were related to. I really enjoyed “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” because it was about going against the grain and being yourself. The lesson of being yourself and that there is nothing wrong with the guys in the ward. Everyone has a beast within them from “Lord of the Flies,” spoke to me because I do believe that is true. I believe everyone has the potential to do bad but mostly everyone does not. When someone is angered, that causes some true colors to come through. I have seen that.
Eitreim
Period 2
This semester, our class has read about a plethora of interesting characters, some of them more relatable than others. I found that one of the characters I could relate to the most was Ralph from Lord of the Flies. I like to think that I have common sense and remain level headed most of the time. Hopefully these traits won't almost lead to my death as they do with Ralph.
Another character that I identified with was the son in "Signs and Symbols". I don't believe that I am insane, but it is easy to feel crazy when trying to find meaning in a piece of literature.
Williams 2
Out of all the novels we have read so far, _Lord of the Flies_ and _One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest_ has the two lessons that have stuck most to me.
In _Lord of the Flies_ the lesson is that without structure or a higher power, society will deteriorate into anarchy and chaos. Also, it shows that, if you are not careful, fear will over come you and lead you to act irrationally. I find this interesting because this can be seen in modern society as well! Especially in wars over sees like when dictatorships take over and the subjects are unhappy and chaos and civil war ensues.
In _One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest_ the opposite is quite true. The moral of this story is that if you control the world too much each person will end up being the exact same as everyone else and that is an act of evil. This is seen by how Nurse Ratched is described as a devilish figure throughout the novel and when the men get to break out of the mold of the insane asylum they are much happier and better off. I like this moral because I truly believe in individuality and each person being true to themselves. Furthermore, I do think people are evil for not letting people be who they want to be.
A person I related with would be Nurse Ratched. I am not mean like her but I am self willed and do not need a man to make me feel complete. I didn't like the way she treated the patients but I related to her in that way.
A lesson I learned this semester is to be more open about religions and about how people feel. Sometimes I am so Ethnocentric and don't think about other people cultures and howl they feel. From reading Life Of Pi I relized that other people have ways of thinking and it is amazing to learn things like that!
I really enjoyed this class and this semester!
Out of this semester I relate most to Ralph because he tried his hardest to stay true to who he was throughout all of the novel and the obstacles he was faced with. He listened to the ideas of others while taking everyone's interests at hand when making decisions. Some of the best leaders are those who not try to be. On the same hand I can also relate to Piggy. I would not just sit at home while the others go off and hunt like he does, I like to hold my own. I would however relate to his "grandmother" side. From day one I have always been very motherly and caring to others, it has just been a maternal instinct to me. In the end he was still trying to voice his opinions and keep everyone safe
One of the two lessons that I learned in the books that we read this semester came from Life of Pi. That lesson is life is what you make of it. Pi could have given up on life at any point in the life boat or even after he landed and was back in civilization. But he did not give up-- he worked hard and chose to look past those 227 days, and in the end he had a normal, happy life with children and a wife. The second lesson I pull from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This one is nobody can change you. During the whole book society, and nurse Ratchet attempt to change McMurphy’s personality and his actions. But through it all he chooses to remain the same and inspires and saves some of the other patients from a sad life they were doomed to before he arrived.
There are 2 characters affected me in a substantial way. The first being Bromden, and the second being Pi.
I connect to Bromden from Cuckoo’s nest in that we are both watchers and observers rather than talkers. We would rather listen and find out about someone before we consider revealing anything about ourselves. Bromden takes this to an extreme, and I can respect that. He dedicatedly remains silent for years, which is a feat.
I also connect to Pi in Life of Pi. Pi is a wise, open minded, accepting boy. I like to believe that I am accepting and open minded, quite less than Pi, but wise none the less. Pi accepts all religions, all culture, and live his life as he wants to. He goes through a traumatic experience, which would break most of us, yet he is made whole by this experience.
I have a lot of respect for these characters, and I connect to them more than the others.
I have two important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. The first lesson, is from the poem, "The Hammock". I learned that there is a lot more to my life. I have my entire life ahead of me, but I need to cherish all of my childhood memories. I need to appreciate my parents and learn valuable lessons from them for when I am a parent.
The other inspiring lesson I learned was from Pi. He taught me to look at the good, even in the worst situations possible. I will carry this with me for the rest of my life and I will try to remind myself to look at situations in the best way possible.
The two most important lessons I learned this year were from reading Lord of the Flies and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. From reading Lord of the Flies I learned that everyone has savagery in them. This theme relates to our society now, because we live in a civilized society. People may portray that they are calm and civilized, but really everyone has a little bit of savagery in them. One lesson I learned from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is that even though we live in a free country we are not necessarily free. There is always someone in charge; the president is in charge of the US just like Nurse Ratched was in charge of the ward. We will always have rules we need to follow and people we need to listen to.
The character that I relate to most is Ralph. Ralph is the character that tries his hardest to remain sane and keep order on the island. I believe I relate to Ralph because I prefer to have things planned out. I do not like just rolling with things. I appreciate order in doing things.
I also relate to Harrison Bergeron. Harrison Bergeron wants freedom and does not want to succumb to the equality of America. I enjoy freedom and individuality as well. It's one of the basis of America.
Me and McMurhpy are very relatable. I am quite rebellious and not a huge fan of rules. Though I know some rules need to be in place, moments such as when the group had voted and wanted to watch baseball but were shot down really bothered me. I personally am able to coexist with many different people just like McMurphy. The other character I am most able to relate to was Cassio. Personally I am very trusting of people so it would be very easy to fool me just like Iago had fooled Cassio. I am entirely loyal to the US just like Cassio is to Venice and am loyal to my friends.
One theme I thought was prominent throughout the coursework of this year was the internal conflict between a human's savagery and human's societal standards. This was seen in Life of Pi and Lord of the Flies. This speaks to me because it describes the complexity of the human mind.
One lesson I learned from a lot of the literature we studied, was how you don't have to believe in one religion, and also you don't have to conform to society to be successful or happy in life.
Zeke Wieser Pd.3
I relate most with both the protagonist and theme of "'Repent Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman". The story gives one of the most truthful accounts of societal rebellion (disregarding the setting) that I have ever read.
The Harlequin is an archetypal loner: a character who rebels when all others conform. However, he does not wear the garb of the traditional hero. He wears the motley of a fool, and it is worth mentioning that he most certainty is. Irrefutable folly is his quest; there is no way his journey can have a pleasant resolution, and he knows this. The Harlequin rebels with full knowledge of the eventual consequences. This, I believe, is the mark of true heroism.
The story's theme, however, seems to sully the otherwise stark purity of its hero. As readers, we can see that while The Harlequin's antics interrupt time as a whole, the system always finds a way to compensate. The other individuals living in this society might become distracted by The Harlequin's actions, but none ever join him. The resolution of this story is also open to interpretation; with no direct endorsement of a particular end.
It is in the theme I relate to most. The rebellion of The Harlequin was personal, like all rebellions ultimately are, and he was not able "to change the world" as the reader would expect. Despite how much we (as westerners) romanticize the individual, it is not possible for a single person to change an entire society. However, the does not diminish the importance of what is done through rebellion.
I related the most to Pi in Life of Pi. The theme of religion throughout the whole book spoke to me the most. I am a christian and believe in God but sometimes I question God and religion. I found it very interesting how Pi questions God. I also find it very interesting that Pi studies 3 religions at the same time and talks about atheists.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest also spoke to me. One lesson I learned from this novel is that society is like a combine. Society tells us to conform to a certain thing. When we don’t conform to the “combine” we feel not in place. McMurphy reminds us that it is okay to not conform to society sometimes.
All in all,I learned many lessons from this semester’s literature.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest had many lessons. I thought the biggest one was too not conform to society but instead be the different person. Different can be good. Society would suck if everyone was the same.
I also really enjoyed Lord of the Flies. It goes to show that maybe in the back of our minds is an inner evil. Little kids possessed this evil even at the age of 12. It also shows how much kids have to mature before they finally can work together on problems.
One theme that I found to resonate with me is found within "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest." I think society is fairly interesting in that it appears they it tries to control people. However, I also think that society is much better, and continues to improve. Society appears to be far more accepting of people, and I believe the next generation will be even better.
The other theme I find interesting, or important to me, is found in "Lord of the Flies." I think it is important for us to understand that everyone has the capacity to be greedy, or savage.
One character that really spoke to me was Ralph from Lord of the flies. I liked him because he teaches a very important lesson. No one is perfect, and can be led into temptation by others. I think that one of the themes that he plays a huge role in is the theme of how animalistic humans actually are. I think that he really personifies the struggle against our basic animal instincts. Throughout the book he tries to listen to Piggy but gets sucked up into Jack's idea of becoming savages.
Another character is Pi. For one, Pi's story makes the reader think and analyze so much of what they've read. It throws the reader for a loop. Throughout the book they truly believe everything Pi says, but when the twist at the end hits, it leaves you questioning everything. I think the lesson Pi teaches us is that you cannot completely control your id, but you can coexist with it. To completely destroy your id is to destroy a part of you. To let your id take over completely leaves you less human and more animal. The trick is finding the balance, and once that is found, you can survive in life. The theme in Pi's life, I like to think one theme that is overlooked is his faith. Throughout the book he might question or turn from his faith, but he always returns to it. As a Lutheran I like to believe that a strong enough faith can help you through any storm. That's why Pi speaks to me, he has such overwhelming faith even in the midst of turmoil. I think that says a lot about Pi, and really speaks to me.
I identify most with McMurphy. I often feel like the defacto, bumbled into it type of leader. McMurphy also didn't realize that the other inmates where using him until it was too late. I often feel the same way, over extending myself to the point at which I am consumed by my work. I also identify with Pi in that I live in an increasingly secular world, yet I cling to my religion like a life raft. I hope I never abandon my religion because of peer pressure.
A theme that spoke most to me was in "The Lady and the Tiger" That one does not always know who to trust or not. It emphasizes that blind faith in a person might be more naive faith than anything. Looking forward into college I will keep this in mind as a meet and trust more people.
A character I felt I connected with was Pi. His decisions about religion kept his mind open. His view of the world is what I relate to.
One of themes that spoke to me most this year was the main theme in Lord of the Flies. The theme is basically that anyone can become a savage. In Lord of the Flies even the boys who are trying to be civilized, like Ralph and Piggy, eventually turn savage without proper structure. Theoretically this situation of everyone turning into savages could actually occur. This theme in Lord of the Flies made me think so therefore I enjoyed the book a lot.
The character of McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest was my favorite character by far. He was the classic rebellious character against society. I enjoyed how he was very likable and humorous individual. I was truly rooting for him until the end of the novel. I have never felt so connected to a character in a book before. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest is literary masterpiece.
The two characters that I found the most interest in this year were Pi and McMurphy. I enjoyed Pi a lot for his extensive thought processes, and his view on religion. The idea of dedicating himself to three different religions was a neat idea to me. I enjoyed McMurphy for his way of offering a different and unique kind of wisdom. He was brash and bold but still offered much wits.
Two Characters that spoke to me were Pi, and McMurphy. One reason Pi spoke to me is because I am religious as well. Although I have struggled here and there with my faith, I try to be as faithful as possible. Pi was very strong with his faith and this made me realize how powerful religion can be. He keeps faith through the entire ordeal and this spoke to me greatly in the sense that one should always have faith. McMurphy spoke to me in a way that he strays from normal. I like the whole counter-culture movement and I think it is very interesting. Being a younger person, I feel that I connect with McMurphy more than Nurse Ratched. Not wanting to go with the ways of not as youthful humans, is natural for younger people to feel.
Guthmiller 6
One character that spoke to me was Pi. Pi was very wise and strong. He represented both animalistic and humanistic sides.
One theme I like was the stories that discussed human emotions and how they affect what humans do like jealously. One of my favorite short story was "The Lady of the Tiger" because of this very theme. I also think stories like these.
The character I feel that I related most with was Randle McMurphy. While he was a trickster, and loved to create chaos. To the extremity of this, I can not relate. But beneath the jester facade of McMurphy, he really cared about the other patients in the ward. I also tend to have this hard, sarcastic disguise on in many occasions, but truly care about the people around me. McMurphy sacrificed himself for his ward-mates, and I would like to think that I would do the same in the situation.
Another character I felt connection was Harrison Burgeuron. The ways in which I relate to him is that I am smarter and stronger than everyone else in our society, and the government is after me. Only kidding. I don't agree with the conformity of the society, similarly to him. If I were burdened with impairments, I would also try to break out. Conformity scares me, and would not like to be held down from potential.
In Ken Kesey’s story there is an underlying theme of things/people not always being as they seem. I have always been interested in learning more than what is just on the surface of people, and what exactly makes up a person’s character. This theme was one that spoke to me a lot, and overall this novel is one of my all-time favorites. Another theme that spoke out to me was the theme of independence and finding yourself, that was found especially at the beginning of Yann Martel’s novel. Especially now that I am graduating high school and moving onto being an adult I have found myself focusing on becoming more independent and finding who I truly am.
I think that Lord of the Flies is the book that has taught me the most in terms of lessons. Life on a island would be hard and the fight to survive can lead people to do horrible things even if they are just kids. Keeping order and trying to be civilized would be a hard task when food is scarce and fear of being killed by a beast is ever present. My favorite book that we read was One Flew over the Cuckoo Nest. The story at times is kind of hard to understand, but that brings out a lot of fun during Forums because it was interesting what other people thought the chapters meant.
I relate the most to one of the themes of Life of Pi: fear is our worst enemy. Before last year, fear prevented me from doing a lot of things I would have normally done, and I know firsthand the negative effects unwarranted fear can have on one's life. Now that I've, for the most part, conquered that, I've been a lot happier with my life.
I also vibed with Harrison Bergeron and its main theme. Sure, some people may be better than others at something, and others at a different thing, but individuality is one of the things that helps society works as it does. If you take that away, what do you have?
The two characters that have spoken to me the most this year have been Pi Patel and Jack. Pi has spoken to me the most for the fact that he has the most understanding of the world of any character I have read about. Pi embodies 3 different religions and is embodies each perfectly. I have enjoyed and was able to relate with every action he performed. Speaking of connection, I have felt the most connected to Pi out of all of the characters from the novel.
Jack spoke to me because of how he has tried control the chaos of the island. This is not going well, and I can relate to attempting to control chaos.
One lesson I learned from this semester was from Cuckoos Nest. I learned that not everyone is built to be the same, and not everyone can be and should be controlled. We all have our flaws and there is nothing wrong with that.
Another lesson I learned was surprisingly from Lord of the Flies. When reading the book at first, you would not think that there are lessons to be learned. After discussing and thinking more about what is being talked about, one of the lessons to be learned is that even the nicest people can turn into gruesome killers. Everyone has their demons and sometimes they are unleashed.
Two characters that spoke most to be this semester were the lady from "The Lady and the Tiger" and Pi Patel. The lady is extremely jealous and in the predicament I feel everyone find themselves in to an extent. Maybe not always of another person, but I know jealousy is an issue I struggle with and so I relate to her inner conflict. Pi Patel speaks to me on a more spiritual level. His three religions and the way he embraces everyone is really incredible. I strive to be as peaceful and full of openness and like to think I have some of that in me currently.
One character that spoke and I could relate to the most was McMurphy. He was one of the main character in the book, One Who Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Though I do not agree with many things he does in the story, I do admire his determination and leadership (not to forgot his refusal to allow society dictate his life). I liked him so much as a character because he reminded me that one can or sometimes should stand up against society and its expectations. Not only did he remind me of this, but he also shows how can not only stand up against society, but be victorious in the process. Just because society supports it does it really mean that it is the right thing to do?? McMurphy would say no and I would agree.
Another character that I enjoyed was Ralph. Once again he was not perfect as a character, but overall I truly that he performed well for the difficult situation he was put into. What I enjoyed the most about him was his leadership abilities. Even when his followers converted to the evil tribe (Jack’s), he still held firm in his believes and would not give in. Even when he very own life was in the balance. With this said, I was disappointed in how Ralph treated Piggy at the beginning and throughout the story. A true leader needs to care of his followers and respect them. A leader should not just assume his powers but rather, demand them through being unselfish, respectful, and caring of his followers.
A character I relate to is Ralph because I can be a leader and I believe in doing the best thing for the group. He is a charismatic person who has the ability to have people follow his words. He know what he was doing and there were often people who did not like to follow him or got mad at him for being too passive.
Another character that I can relate to Othello. I feel that I am easily angered especially when it comes to people that I care about. I also tend to believe the people I trust even though I know that they can lie still. I fell that I am a good leader and that I have some good accomplishments. However they are not militarily accomplishments.
I have learned so much this semester in literature. Not only have I been able to dive into the literary works we have read but I have been able to relate my own life to some of the works.
The things we have read have taught me lessons that I look to take and apply to my life.
One lesson is from Life of Pi and that is to do with what you have. Not all of us are privileged to have everything we want and we shouldn’t take what we do have for granted. Pi has to live of off what the life boat and sea offer to him, he doesn’t have the choice to go to the grocery store and pick out his favorite meal, he has to eat things that he finds or catches. He even has to eat meat that he usually wouldn’t eat just to survive. Pi as well shows us to conserve what we have as well and not to waste it all at once. We need to make things last.
Another lesson I found in Life of Pi is to cherish the time you have with your family because you don’t know when something is going to happen. Pi and his family are together and happy one day but that night a sudden storm comes and he losses his family as the ship sinks and only Pi survives. Any of us could lose our family at any time, we to take in everything in the moment and cherish the time we spend with them.
I enjoyed reading during the semester very much and will remember the lessons I have learned from the literature and apply them to my own life.
Ripperda 7
The literature we have studied this semester has all been extremely complex and interesting. The novel that stood out to me was Life of Pi. Life of Pi taught many lessons, such as things may not always be as they seem. Depending on who you ask you will get a different summary of Pi’s experience, but Pi also taught us something else: to never give up. Many times throughout Pi’s 227 day struggle he was close to dieing. Pi continually found ways to survive, even if it meant doing the most uncommon of things. To me, Pi is the most complex character that we studied this semester.
I do not relate, per say, to Iago, but I like his character. I think that he does some pretty cool things to get ahead, and embodies the grit required to get ahead in this world when the cards have been dealt against you. While he doesn’t explicitly have a “rags to riches” story, I think that it may be implied.
I also think that the theme of a counter feminism, shown off in “Cuckoo’s Nest”, is a theme that, while not being without faults, deserves, like all themes, more time and discussion in the future.
One theme that spoke to me is from Life of Pi. Taking a leap of faith or sticking with the believable. Since I was recently confirmed this a topic that comes up a lot. After being confirmed in the Catholic church you are considered an adult in the church. This means having to decide what you believe and taking your own leap of faith. One character I relate with is Ralph. He likes to take charge and became the leader of the group of boys. Similarly, I took charge of the cheer team this year as a senior and was captain.
A theme that was prevalent in Life of Pi is the will to live. Right now, almost to the point of graduation, I am feeling this way about school. I am trying to find the will to continue in the journey of high school.
Another theme that resonates with me comes from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It is the idea of women in power. In our time, this idea is very well recognized and I, going into a powerful college education major, find that this relates to me dramatically.
The first character that I could relate to was Piggy. Piggy was more shy and less well spoken then he ought to have been. He was more of the voice of reason and logic. Piggy could have been a good leader but did not have the outward voices to speak and be heard. In the end, it did not end well for him, being killed by Jack. I also relate to Chief Bromden, a character from the “Cuckoos Nest”. He is quiet and listens rather than being loud and boisterous. Tends to let everyone do what they wish and not intervene. A theme I agreed with was the “Cuckoos Nest”. How you should not be another part of the machine and be your own person. “The Lord of the Flies”, was also another one I thought to be interesting. How humans may try to act civilized and orderly, but in the end we tend to go back towards our more savage roots were instinct and survival lies.
The first character that I could relate to was Piggy. Piggy was more shy and less well spoken then he ought to have been. He was more of the voice of reason and logic. Piggy could have been a good leader but did not have the outward voices to speak and be heard. In the end, it did not end well for him, being killed by Jack. I also relate to Chief Bromden, a character from the “Cuckoos Nest”. He is quiet and listens rather than being loud and boisterous. Tends to let everyone do what they wish and not intervene. A theme I agreed with was the “Cuckoos Nest”. How you should not be another part of the machine and be your own person. “The Lord of the Flies”, was also another one I thought to be interesting. How humans may try to act civilized and orderly, but in the end we tend to go back towards our more savage roots were instinct and survival lies.
Hillestad Pd. 7
I think one the most important lessons came from Lord of the Flies. I think William Golding wanted to show the reader that humans are not perfect and innocent. The fact that Golding uses children makes the message even more powerful. Golding’s message to the reader is that, in times of need, humans will refer back to inhumane instincts. Another important lesson came from Life of Pi. It’s a lesson that we have heard through our entire lives. Never give up. Pi Patel was on a lifeboat in the middle of the pacific ocean with a tiger. He thought of many ways to give up and thought multiple times that he was going to die. But he made it through and I think that it is an important lesson.
After reading Lord of the Flies, I believe that it proved to be a wonderful lesson of what humanity is capable of doing, especially as children. At the beginning, I never imagined that children would be so readily, able to kill other children. Of course, when working with children, you see a lot of emotion go through them in short amounts of time. One kid accidently hits another kid and then, the kid who got hit, is now planning his revenge and the only revenge is a revenge called death. Children are messed up, bro.
I really connected with Jack Merridew because I was always an angry little child who always needed to be the leader because I was the best choice, obviously. If things didn’t go my way, I’d kick and fight and scream my way to the top.*Thank god, I’m not completely that way now, but at one point I probably would have been okay with murdering a couple classmates for the sanity of everyone else.
*I have not ever killed, nor planned to kill, anyone as long as I have lived
**This is inserted for protection only. I am not a bloodthirsty child, I just had a lot of anger.
One theme that I rather liked was one from Harrison Bergeron, the idea that the human spirit cannot be restrained, that we cannot possibly all be the same. We weren't meant to be - we are all uniquely different, all have certain skills and talents and characteristics that make us ourselves.
Another theme I totally love is one I've pulled from Emily Dickinson's "There is another sky" for my manifesto - the idea that there is beauty in not only the world, but in people, and we only have to look for it to find it.
Burch
Pd. 3
Of all the pieces of literature read this semester, The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas stirred me greatly. Nobody enjoys examining himself for faults, and being unbiased towards yourself is nearly impossible. However, some great literature can aid in allowing us to see ourselves in a more clear light and it can prompt a desire for deeper self-reflection. After reading The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, I was left pondering the many selfish choices I deliberately make every day and I was brought to a conclusion: I am a selfish human being that only truly cares about my own comfort and satisfaction. But guess what? I attempt to trick everyone. I sponsor Suraya, a young girl in Ghana, and pay for her food, clothing and education. I pick up after my siblings when they make a mess because I’d rather they not get in trouble. I hold open doors for others, I offer to run an errand or two for my mom, I am polite, and I enjoy serving others. However, I choose only to do what is convenient for me and that means that I am selfish because as always, I put my schedule, my lifestyle, and my ease ahead of anyone else’s needs. The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas sparked self-reflection and a desire to change for me and therefore I consider it a great piece of literature.
Lastly, I feel like I relate to Nurse Ratched a tad bit. In her desire for routine and control, she became tense and unyielding. I have the tendency to desire control and routine as well, but I took note of Nurse Ratched’s mistake. The two lessons I learned from Nurse Ratched: 1. Always Remain Calm and Joyful and 2. Be Flexible.
Huizenga 7
One topic of Literature 210 that related to me the most was that society is an interwoven force within every aspect of life. No matter what a person wants to do, even in the most trivial of instances, societal influences can be found. Described as a combine in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, society’s influences take over every decision in a person’s life. Another topic that spoke to me was the savagery in Lord of the Flies. The fact that without society a person whose life is taken over by it could fall into complete chaos is quite unnerving. These two cautionary tales show both possible evils of of society’s existence.
Out of all the pieces of literature I have felt most connected to Pi Patel and Chief Bromden.
The reason I feel so close to Pi is because he questions everything and leaves everything up to question. However, he knows what must be true. He is driven but does not attempt to drive others in his direction. Such as, I have my own opinions on many things but I will not attempt to get anyone to agree with me. They can believe what they want--as long as I know what is right. They can choose to believe me or not. Pi taught me to keep your faith in what to believe in and something great will come out of it in the end.
However, I believe I am more alike and connected to Chief Bromden. I feel like he and I have the same personalities and situations. We are both flies on the wall that get to know far too much about everything going on. People think we are shy, awkward, and stupid. When in reality we just don't like to deal with peoples shit. Yep. So we keep low key until we meet someone that is actually willing to listen. I saw myself in Chief and have never felt more connected to any other character in my literature life.
Chief taught my that there will be a time when people will come around and I will be comfortable. He also taught me to go out and shoot for my dreams--even if they make you look crazy.
When looking back on all the lessons we learned from this semester, I feel i can most closely relate to two of which we learned while studying our poetry unit and Othello unit. The first lesson that I felt I could relate to was the lesson that one decision affects multiple people (we learned this in the "Hammock" by Li-Young Lee). I've thought about this multiple times throughout my high school career and in the planning of my future. The second lesson that hit home for me was what I believe to be the overall lesson in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." This lesson states that no matter how hard you try, society will always find a way to make you feel unaccepted or like an outcast. With these two lessons affecting my life, I felt that my learning opportunities were enhanced this semester.
3 Palmer
In One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, the overall lesson or theme of the book really stood out to me. In a world of conformity, McMurphy found a way to break the barriors and be his own person. Even though he did not have the most desirable traits, he really showed who he really was, and I find that more admirable than anything. The story teaches us to break free of confining rules and set standards.
Another story which really spoke to me was The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. It was completely disturbing, and disgusted me the first time I read it. However, that is what I liked about it. It was shocking and horrifying, but it made me step back and think to how it can relate to my life. People ignored the child, and we were disgusted with these people, yet we often do the very same thing in real life. When there is a natural disaster or a terrorism attack, many people will feel bad for the victims, but overall they do nothing to help the problem. This short story has helped me to become a less selfish person, and I am thankful for it.
I would say our first novel, Lord of the Flies, was a very good lesson. It was interesting to mention that everybody has potential to become savage as these kids did. Another topic that spoke to me was Pi's take on hope and religion. I am a huge sucker for hope and if someone can do something I can, accomplish many religions, I become fond of them. Everything we have read has impacted me in some way after reading them.
The two themes that really stand out to me are live life to the fullest and never lose faith. I learned these two themes from the novel Life of Pi. Live life to the fullest stands out to me because Pi teaches us that every moment is precious no matter what situation you are in. It is easy to let life slip away and pass from your grip. If you live life to the fullest everyday, however, you will have no regrets in a near death encounter. The second major theme is never lose faith. This theme is portrayed through Life of Pi and Othello. In Life of Pi, Pi always talks to Jesus and never loses faith in his plan for him. Even when times are tough, Pi continues to keep faith in God and in turn he is saved. In Othello, we see what happens when a person loses faith. Othello loses faith in Desdemona and in turn, they both lose their lives and they go down in a sad way.
I felt the biggest connection to Pi. He was a boy about my age who was smart and felt strongly about many things in his life. I also found the lessons he taught to be the best of all of our stories. His experience with religion was a good lesson. Pi realized that by following three religions he was doing something that most people would disapprove of. However, he was a better and more faithful follower of all three religions than most people are of one single religion. My second favorite character was Chief Bromden. He constantly felt oppressed and it was extremely satisfying to see him become free from his place in society at the ward. His lessons involving the bad parts about conformity were excellent. I also really enjoyed the Lord of the Flies theme that said that every person has the capability to do evil in them. The other great theme I saw was the theme from Othello that women should not be controlled by men so much. Desdemona was wronged by Othello and Iago's wife was used by him. The men in the story were selfish and didn't deserve the women.
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