When I was in the
8th grade, I was extremely bored in my English class. I would finish my
work in the first 20 minutes of class and sit there for the next 40
minutes, bored to tears. My teacher, Mr. Bradshaw, noticed that I was
bored and he handed me a copy of The Scarlet Letter. "Read
this," he said, "I think you will enjoy it and we can talk about it when
you are finished." At first I didn't want to read a book I wasn't going
to have to write a report on or take a test about, but then I started
reading it. It was the most amazing story, filled with inspiration and
thought-provoking passages. The book helped me to see the value of being
responsible, of being an individual, and of doing good with your life.
That book made a difference in my life. What is a book that you have
read that taught you something? made you think? or made a lasting
impression? How? (The deadline to post a comment on this blog is midnight Wednesday, January 9, 2013.)
Expressing our views
Friday, January 4, 2013
Between the pages...
When I was in the
8th grade, I was extremely bored in my English class. I would finish my
work in the first 20 minutes of class and sit there for the next 40
minutes, bored to tears. My teacher, Mr. Bradshaw, noticed that I was
bored and he handed me a copy of The Scarlet Letter. "Read
this," he said, "I think you will enjoy it and we can talk about it when
you are finished." At first I didn't want to read a book I wasn't going
to have to write a report on or take a test about, but then I started
reading it. It was the most amazing story, filled with inspiration and
thought-provoking passages. The book helped me to see the value of being
responsible, of being an individual, and of doing good with your life.
That book made a difference in my life. What is a book that you have
read that taught you something? made you think? or made a lasting
impression? How? (The deadline to post a comment on this blog is midnight Wednesday, January 9, 2013.)
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3 comments:
In my life, I have read many books, all of which have influenced me in one way or another. However, the one book that really made me stop and think is Fahrenheit 451. In the book, Bradbury portrays a futuristic society plagued with violent and mindless pleasures, all of which are aimed at keeping people focused on themselves and their immediate satisfaction. Bradbury demonstrates the side of human nature that desires easy questions and answers and ignores the consequences of its actions in favor of easy escapes from guilt and empathy. The main character, Guy Montag, recognizes that his society has been gilded with simplistic, vicious pleasures intended to disguise the cruelty and deceit that pervades everyday life. In his attempts to understand his unhappiness, he disturbs the "peace" and the police and firemen attempt to keep him from destroying the fragile balance of things. This book made me stop and contemplate my own desires for simple answers. It made me realize that it is inherent to human nature to desire easy avenues to "happiness" and that it is incredibly important to take a closer look at the flowers on the side of the road, instead of zooming past them at 100 miles an hour. It made me realize that ignoring my own pain and the suffering of others by gilding my life with a false layer of meaningless satisfaction instead of creating a life full of empathy, compassion, and understanding is like trying to stitch a wound with a thread that is too short. SW
I have also read many books that I have thoroughly enjoyed, but when you ask which has inspired me the most I would have to answer with To Kill a Mockingbird. When I was first assigned this book in the eighth grade I was a little apprehensive but soon enough I found that I loved it. It allowed me to explore my imagination that was slowly fading as I got older. It raised questions such as racism and human goodness. Many times I found myself imagining me in the shoes of the charachters and asking myself what I would do in their situations. This book that was set in the depression era was challenging my mind to think about situations that are still thought of today. This book really touched me in a way that no others have.
All throughout my life I have read many books, ones I chose to read and ones I was forced to read. I did not always understand what the book I was reading was trying to tell me, but one book that hit home was The Giving Tree. I did not think at first I would enjoy this book because this was a time in my life I hated to read. Once I got into the book it caught my attention. This book inspired me because it showed me to use my imagination again, and not give up hope. It also thought me to appreciate the things that you already have instead of always asking and wanting more. At the end of the book, I cried because it gave me a whole new perspective on things. I learned to not take what I already have for granted. -casey diez
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