Relation to Fahrenheit 451

In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, these firemen that are for creating fires rather than eliminating them are against the usage of any books in any household. Their job is to get rid of any book that enters their sight and burn them to ashes, and then burn the ashes so that the book is nonexistent. They think books are made to change the way people think, act, and communicate. This is true, but for the better of the people; books bring you to another world, another point in time, another way of life. It is seen more as a cleansing resource rather than one that brings fear and harm to you. Just like books, texting is changing the way kids think, act, and communicate, and this is bringing danger into their lives when teens least expect it. By burning the books they thought they were creating safety for society. If we get rid of texting, that will create safety for our society as well.

Scenario

I am not a licensed therapist. Nor do I have any degree in psychology. I am a hard working stay at home mom. I am dedicated to giving everything up for my kids. This past week has been very stressful though because my child was hit by a car while he was walking home from his girlfriend's house. He has broken 3 ribs, has permanent brain damage, and has fractured his spinal cord. It almost came to the point to him being paralyzed. This could have been prevented if it weren't for my sons addiction to his cell phone. He had just left her house and was already texting the girl. Not only was my son texting, but the driver in the car that hit him was as well. He walked right into the road without doing what he was taught-- look left, then right, then left again--instead he just kept walking while looking at his phone. You would think it would be common sense to stop before crossing, but research shows that each generation, kids are becoming more attached to their phones, and each year kids younger and younger are receiving cell phones from their parents. Should I scold my child for texting and not paying attention, or should I give him all the love I can so he makes it through his injuries? Should texting be excommunicated from the country because it is creating more harm than anything? How can we handle this situation in a properly manner without making our society angry with our decisions?

Teen Addiction to Texting

Above the Influence Foundation,

I am here today to inform you about a crisis that is happening all throughout the United States for many years. That being said, I am becoming convinced that this generation of teens faces a new addiction of texting. I see kids who text during movies, in class, and even during worship services and Bible Study. Although teens get told many times that texting is a problem and it needs to be cut back, I don't think they will stop this nonsense. Why? Because much of their actions and the way they take in this advice resembles that most of them don’t care and they all are considered addicts. "I honestly don’t think there's anything that can make me stop texting." or "I don’t think anything will happen to me when I text and drive because I feel like I'm a good enough texter." (anonymous) These are quotes from teens that were questioned about their texting addiction. As a mother, I often talk to my kids about addiction-drugs and alcohol, but how many of us have conversations with our kids about an addiction to cell phones? I understand that kids text each other because they are relational and they want to stay connected with others. Don’t get me wrong, I am human too. I have been guilty of texting when I should have been paying attention in a meeting. I understand that this is the way they communicate. Somewhere, somehow, responsible adults like me need to draw a line and say, "enough is enough." We need to recognize that texting can cause more harm than good in some situations. While the popularity of mobile phones has grown enormously in the past two decades, it's still unclear how greatly cell phone calls and texting contribute to car crashes. What is clear is that talking on the phone and texting behind the wheel both lead to distraction, and driver inattention is the leading cause of accidents.

I did some research and found that in 2008, at any given moment, over 800,000 Americans were texting, making calls, or using a handheld cell phone while driving during the daytime. With distracted driving killing nearly 6,000 Americans in the same year, it's no mystery that cell phone use is risky for drivers. Despite the risks, the majority of teen drivers ignore the cell phone driving rules. Did you know that 56% of teenagers admit to talking on their cell phones behind the wheel, while 13% admit to texting while driving? As you can see, this number is extremely high, and it doesn’t seem to be decreasing any bit. 48% of young Americans from 12-17 say they've been in a car while the driver was texting, and each year, 21% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were the result of cell phone usage. This result has been expected to grow as much as 4% every year. Four out of a hundred doesn’t seem like many, but if you compare it to how many people live in the United States, 4% of humans is an immense amount and it should not be this way.

"Please silence all cell phones" pops up on the screen in every movie theater. Teens are always trying to find their way around things. Most kids listen to this statement when they get into the theater, they turn the volume on their phones to SILENT! Sure, they are following what the screen told them, but they know that’s not what the theater was trying to get across. We all know what "doing the right thing" means, but many of us think it is okay if we don’t always follow the rules. What's the worst that could happen? Lifestyle has changed in the past generation for children. I see parents with their kids, and instead of the parent being the boss, the child is telling the adult what to do. How can parents and adults allow such behavior? It has come to a point where we are too afraid to punish our kids because we feel bad if we do so. I will admit that yes I do threaten to punish my kids, but do I ever follow through with it? Of course not, because I love my children and I never want to see them cry or get hurt, and I believe that each and every other mother would back me up on this statement. The real question though is who is the blame for the obsession? Part of it is their own, having to do with responsibility, but some of this blame falls on us as parents. Parents are roll models to children and we have to set good examples for them to follow. When my kids see me texting they think it is okay for them to as well, but when I see my children texting I am always telling them to stop, yet I keep doing it. My kids always try to tell me that it isn't fair when I do this, but the truth is, I never have realized it before. Our society is to blame for this craze of technology, and it seems we are not able to operate a normal life without any electronical device.

Now, I am not for or against this issue that I bring up. I am simply stating the problem and giving a few solutions in creating a better society. I have put a lot of thought and dedication into making my decisions clear and understandable so that all citizens can manage my choices. Getting rid of texting in general, is that a reasonable option? Many may disagree. It is an efficient, quick, and easy way to communicate with others, yet it is a distraction. Like I said before, it is doing more bad than good to us all. This may be a probable and a quick fix to the situation, but it is not going to go ever well with the people that live in this country. Another option consists of just banning texting while driving. This can prevent many deaths and crashes to form a safer public living space for everyone. A few states have passed this law already, but I believe it should become a world wide law that everyone should follow or serious consequences will follow. This law doesn’t necessarily have to be permanent, but it could be more of an experiment to see if it works. With that being said, we could also experiment with having your child get a cell phone at a certain age and no earlier. I am not sure if this would work because people of every age text. This would be just like driving and getting your license. You have to be a certain age where people believe that you are responsible enough to handle a phone, because, from what I spoke of earlier about young children getting phones, responsibility is a major action when it comes to receiving a phone. All of my solutions are clear and I believe there are many more, but what I am trying to say is that texting is supposedly changing how we act, think, and communicate but not for the better and it is our job to change the dark road our society is heading on.

Sincerely,

Emma Jansen

Great Expectations

“I was always treated as I had insisted on being born in opposition to the dictates of reason, religion, and morality, and against the dissuading of my best friend.” (page 20) In the beginning, Pip—an orphaned boy raised by his domineering sister and her kind husband—was his own best friend. He had no one there to support and comfort him, no one to give him encouragement, no one to love him and tell him his purpose in life. Pip is living in innocence, the stage of life where situations stumble upon you and you become flustered and afraid. The fact of the matter is in these situations you can’t expect anything and you have to know who to trust. Pip’s life and expectations make for the drama of this novel, Great Expectations, on his journey to rediscovering himself where mishaps happen from day one and secrets start to take place where Pip begins to ponder about his decision to keep his first secret to himself.

“ It felt very sorrowful and strange that this first night of my bright fortunes should be the loneliest I had ever known.” Have you ever thought what it might be like to be alone all the time with no direction in life, fighting for yourself just so you can make it to the next day, but for what? Just to do the same thing again tomorrow. Many of us wonder if life is even worth living. Every morning of my life when I wake up I have a list going through my head of things I have to get done. That is something to live for. Pip, on the other hand, is much like the person I described first, but this is because he is an innocent and deprived child. “I looked all around for the horrible young man, and could see no signs of him. But now I was frightened again, and ran home without stopping.” (page 5) Pip was encountered with something unexpected as he wandered though the marshes near the churchyard one morning. He approaches an unpleasant man—all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, broken shoes, and an old rag tied around his head. A man who limped, and shivered and glared, and growled. He demanded Pip to answer many unnecessary questions, and the young boy had no other option that to answer him. Threats were made towards him if Pip didn’t get what the convict wanted—a file. Shaking the poor boy vigorously up and down, Pip was terrified. What had he gotten himself into? He definitely was not prepared for an event like this. At this moment, Pip woke up from his mindset of there being no excitement, no purpose. Although he was scared, he now had an adventure ahead of him.

After Pip hurries home, the next day he has to awake bright and early fore he had a job to take care of. He searches to find the file in the kitchen and soon finds it and heads off into the misty mashes where he hopes to find the convict. This was Pip’s first step in unfolding his life before him. “…think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.” (page 24) This event was the first link of Pip’s chain. It built his character, changing him into a young man. He learned for his mistake of listening to the convict, trusting him, and hiding it from his family. As a child, or even an adult, we make mistakes that we regret, but the best thing to do is learn from them and become a stronger person on the inside and out. Life does have a purpose, life can be filled with excitement, but it doesn’t just appear in front of you. You can’t expect it to happen for you, pursue it and make it happen.

Pip has expectations that are far too great for him to comprehend, yet he still learns to understand what life is truly about. It only took one moment, in the churchyard with the unattractive man, to realize that he can only trust himself. By the end of his road he did find comfort, encouragement, and love. All it takes is one person and one opportunity to change your way of life. There may be moments when you are afraid or scared of what could happen because you are expecting a bad ending to a bad beginning, but it’s all up to you and how you look at things and you can expect something greater. In the novel, Great Expectations, Pip’s journey in rediscovering himself is a success due to his first decision with the convict.

Veterans Essay

Once every year on the eleventh of November we honor our veterans—some still living and others that have passed-- who fought at war for our country. They risk everything—their family, friends, and even their own lives—to make sure that all citizens of the United States are safe and secure wherever they go. Brave men and women step foot on that battlefield everyday fighting not only for their own freedom, but the entire country's freedom as well. These people are dedicated to what they do because they know they are making a difference for this country. Some of these soldiers are family members or friends who we know; for them to take such an immense responsibility like fighting at war is astounding. Now, as we think and look back at all the soldiers and times they have had to jeopardize themselves and everything they have for us, is one day enough to honor all of these diverse men and women? Your answer to this may be different to how others answer it, but the real answer is no. Every day you should appreciate and admire the courage and strength each and every man and woman give to create safety, freedom, and rights for us.

Many of us take for granted how fortunate we are to live in a country like the United States of America. “I am proud to be am American where at least I know I’m free, and I won’t forget the men who died who gave that right to me.”~Lee Greenwood. Have you ever thought how we got to this point in time right now? How did we get this freedom and independence? All of the answers to these questions are because of the veterans. Too few of us take the day, November 11, as a joke and don’t realize the importance of that day. Without these kinds of authoritative and enduring soldiers we may not be here today. Don’t take things for granted especially when it comes to your own freedom, because it is others brave enough to put their life on the line to get us to the liberty that we are able to experience today. Honor our veterans, honor our soldiers, honor those who have made a difference for this country.

The Good Earth Essay

The Good Earth

" This he did for the sheer joy he had in it, and not for any necessity, and when he was weary he lay down upon his land and he slept, and the health of the earth spread into his flesh and he was healed of his sickness." ( page 214) Buck described this scene to show how fortunate Wang was to have land like he did. Wang became rich enough to have others do work for him. He had no interest in his life anymore and he became bored with his days of nothing to do. He began to work in the fields again for the pleasure of himself not because he needed to. His land was all that he had left that was good to him, and when Buck said, "the health of the earth spread into his flesh..." it represented how nature was a cure to all of Wang's problems that he has been facing. When he set his head on a piece of land that he could call his own, it brought back the feeling of happiness and joy he used to have in his life. He was beginning to realize that the life he had before was better for the health and bonding of his family other than the life he ended up in. Throughout this epic novel, The Good Earth, Wang Lung starts off as a poor innocent farmer not knowing what was coming in his life ahead of him--no guidance in his life, yet he had no fear--until the one thing he loves the most, the one thing he pleasures the most, and the one thing that makes him realize the real meaning of life, throws him a curveball that changes him as a person and how he looks at life.

Wang Lung, a farmer, had a very hard life compared to the lives that we live today. Now, in the 21^st century, we find an easy way out of things by using the modern technology rather than experiencing hard physical labor. In the early 20^th century China—which is when and where this novel took place—there were no short cuts. Wang didn’t have the ability to use the powered machinery for everything to be done for them. Bare hands was the only machine that they had other than animals to plow the field and simple tools such as an axe. Wang may have been a poor man, but he had just enough money to live a mostly healthy life that he was comfortable and content with. “Now it was as if Heaven had chosen this day to wish him well. Earth would bare fruit.” (page 2) Every day Wang would go out into his field and toil from dawn to dusk. Weather, though, has not been cooperating very well, and all Wang could think about and pray about was for rain to come and bring his fields back to life. The rain was going to come and this innocent farmer knew this. Nature is what has been guiding Wang all along, but what he hasn’t realized yet is that it can also throw you curveballs. Wang is going to have to rely on fate to get him through the battles to come.

This young inexperienced farmer, now knowing what it is like to take responsibility for himself, has to deal with a new member in his family. Having a wife is important if a man needs extra hands to work around their home. The way women were treated in the Chinese culture, though, was appalling compared to the freedom opportunities the men get to experience. We have so many rights as women in the United States now, but in China women were known as slaves. The only women that got the same amount or more respect and loyalty that the men did were the women that were wealthy, but most women were not of this high ranking. The House of Whang was the only house of royalty in the town. At this house is where Wang found his “wife”, O-lan. O-lan was not treated by the Old Mistress the way young ladies should be. It was as if O-lan had no meaning or purpose to this place we call Earth. Marriage did not mean much when it came down to just a necessity for another helping hand in the house. O-lan was just given to Wang as if he had bought her. By having O-lan in his life now, he was one step closer in becoming a man of wealth and power.

“And then, almost before one could realize anything, the woman was back in the fields beside him. The harvests were past, and the grain they beat out upon harvests were past, and the grain they beat out upon the threshing floor which was also the dooryard to the house. They beat it out with fails, he and the woman together.” (page 40) At first Wang was nervous and unenthusiastic about having O-lan around, but the idea soon grew to his liking. Wang knew that it was wrong to show passion and love towards a woman such as O-lan, but deep inside Wang started to have feelings for this unattractive lady. “She worked all day and the child lay on an old torn quilt on the ground, asleep…and the sun beat down upon them both, the reluctant sun of late autumn that will not let go the warmth of summer until the cold winter forces it. The woman and the child were as brown as the soil and they sat there like figures made of earth.” (page 40-41) Buck relates many ideas in this novel to natural resources to show how united Wang and his land are. After he and O-lan had their first child together, he began to think that having O-lan around might not be too bad after all. He knew that his family would soon become larger and it would come with more responsibility, but it would lead him and his children to a healthier life. Having children gives them the opportunity to do things greater in life than how you life turned out to be. You teach them from the mistakes you made in life hoping they will learn from those mistakes. Wang is a caring man that treats his children so delicately, but when hardships hit Wang, he becomes selfish and greedy; he only thinks about himself and forgot about his family’s importance.

Once Wang finally starts getting used to his surroundings, things start to go wrong. A famine hits the entire town and everyone is dying of starvation. Wang and his family had no other choice but to leave this lifeless town and head for the city in the south hoping to find a better lifestyle for his family. Knowing it would be a struggle getting there, he still had faith. They all came to this city not knowing what to expect, but praying for good fortune. Once he and his family reached this busy city that they were not used to, Wang seemed confused and lost as to where to go. The only way for them to go was to the Wall. The Wall was a wall that stretched far across the city where all of the poor and less fortunate lived. The only way to earn money was to beg to pedestrians on the street. Wang and his family had little money and were desperate to find more, so every day he had the children, O-lan, and the grandpa do this. From living in the city, Wang’s attitude changed. He had to learn how to adapt to the lifestyle of a poor city man and this was something he was not very used to. The one thing that Wang struggled with terribly was there not being any signs or symbols of nature or earth like things. Wang loved his land he owned back at home. Labor and hardworking was what he was used to. Many people are living the life Wang is right now. You have to learn to live without something you love sometimes, because life is filled with unexpected changes. Wang had to learn how to be without his land; the land that heals him. By being away from it he is slowly dying and fading away.

After realizing that living in the city did not meet his expectations, he decides that it is time to move back to their home back in town. “Out of the land we care, and into the land we must go, for land is ones flesh and blood.” Wang could not bare without going out to visit his land every day. They had to move back hoping that the famine would end and the town would be back to life again. It was a long journey back, but they made it their safe and sound. Just looking at the land gave Wang a feeling that you can’t explain; for he was home again and things would be back to normal, or so he thought. All was well when they reached their healthy home. Wang went to bed one night and noticed that O-lan was keeping a bag of jewels by her chest; jewels that were worth a fortune. Of course these precious items were not hers, but Wand did not care. He knew he was going to be rich and he began to feel a lot better about how things have been turning out so far, except for the fact that the town was still dead and lifeless. Wang went into town to visit the House of Hwang to see if he could get more land with his new riches, but he now had a hard time talking them into giving him land because all who was left in the house was one of the old slaves and the old man. They were poor and desperate for food, but they were not easily talked into about selling land to Wang. Sooner or later he convinced them into letting him pay for the land he wanted, and before you knew it, he had owned all of The House of Hwang’s property. He could tell his wealth and power was increasing, but little did he know that his family was slipping away. As Wang starts to become more like the House of Hwang, the House of Hwang is becoming how Wang’s life was in the beginning. Paradox is resembled throughout this novel. Life is filled with paradox no matter where you are and you may not even notice it. Wang thinks his life can’t get any better, but paradox will soon come up behind him unexpectedly and make him realize his life is more miserable than how it started.

Life, on the outside seems to be at its highest point, but on the inside it is affecting Wang making him act like someone he is not. He becomes self-centered and only cares about himself because that’s all that is important to him anymore; making himself pleased and happy. O-lan and his children were treated like garbage on the side of the road waiting for someone to pick them up and take them to where they belong. Behind O-lan’s back, Wang snuck out every night to go see this young lady named Lotus, whom he said he loved her much. She was a very petite woman. O-lan soon recognized what Wang was doing and she did not appreciate it. Lotus finally moved into Wang’s house, but before she could be part of the family Wang had to make her a whole new section onto his house. Wang now had 2 wives. He didn’t get O-lan’s permission about this, Wang just went ahead and decided himself. Lotus was used for Wang’s needs such as just having someone around to comfort him. O-lan, on the other hand, was used to do all of the physical labor. “And it is not to be thought, poor fool, that one woman is enough for any man, and if it is a weary hard working woman who was worn away he flesh working for him, it is less than enough for him. His fancy runs elsewhere the more quickly, and you, poor fool, have never been fit for a man’s fancy and little better than an ox for his labor. And it is not for you to repine when he has money and buys himself another to bring her in his house, for all men are so, and would my old do-nothing also, except the poor wretch has never had enough silver in his life to feed himself even.” (page 192) The appreciation that o-lan gets for all the hard work she puts into making this family healthy is minimal. Once O-lan is diagnosed with a disease, Wang realizes he has been missing a part of him for so long. That part was O-lan. You never realize how much you love and care for someone until they are gone. After O-lan passed away from her tumor that was not able to be fixed, Wang doesn’t know where to go; he has no guidance anymore. What a rough road it took him to travel to where he is now. It is definitely not the place he had dreamed about ending up in. Everything that he had was now gone except for that one thing her could call his own; his beautiful piece of flourishing land.

Human Nature, you can't predict it and you can't change it. It will through you curveballs when you least expect it. Some for good and some for bad. Throughout the novel, Wang Lung has changed as a person and how he looks at ideas. In the beginning he was sweet and giving and money was not of his importance. His land and family came first. Now Wang has money that was not necessarily his, and he has taken that for granted. He seemed not to care for his first wife O-lan anymore and disciplined his children whenever they did the slightest thing wrong. Cruel and selfish is what you could describe his as. After welcoming his uncle into his wealthy home, Wang began to see reality and what mistakes he has made. O-lan was dying and little did he know that his father and Ching were too. Now his children are growing up, getting married, and having children. This shows that with death comes new life. Others die when there work on this Earth is done and for newcomers to make something out of themselves. This is all apart of the life cycle and paradox. Paradox fills our lives around us and we might not even know it. When Wang became more greety and self-centered, why is it that the water on the land subsided? Paradox. The tragic fall of this novel is not like a traditional tragedy. Wang is dying because he has nothing left in his life, yet he is also being risen up because he still has his number one most important thing which is his land.