Pride Goes Before a Fall

We’ve been writing a timed writing for homework every day this week so far, in my English class…This essay was on losing one’s pride before failure, once again using Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness. While I thought the topic was the hardest one so far, this paper was the easiest to write so far. O.o

Installed in each person, resides a quality that gives purpose to life and motivation to actions. Pride is the very reason people continue to live their lives each day and attempt to overcome obstacles. Without pride, people are merely hollowed shells with no heart, no mind, and no soul. Without these essentials, mankind loses its passion and vigor in life and becomes empty and useless, falling from the great peak it has risen to. Joseph Conrad, a believer that “pride goes before fall” clearly demonstrates this human weakness through his novel, Heart of Darkness. From first hearing of the inspiring character, Mr. Kurtz, near the beginning of the novel, Conrad’s readers are instantly charmed into discovering more about the powerful man, but as the story continues, Mr. Kurtz becomes tarnished and his pride is stripped from him, leaving him to fall from his pedestal, eventually leading to his death. By witnessing Mr. Kurtz’s failure, the reader witnesses the relationship between pride and success.

Gloom, Brooding Thames

This is the second timed writing kind of essay that I wrote for Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness for my English IV AP class.

Flowing continuously with Marlow’s life and constantly reminding him of the great river deep in the heart of Africa, the Thames River plays an important role in Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness. Opening the story along its calm tide, it presents Marlow with the perfect situation to begin his reminiscence, and ending the book, it ties the two tales together, exposing the theme and adding literary value.

Dictating Civilization

After reading Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness over Thanksgiving Break, I was to write a short essay for my English class explaining how the author used selection of detail, diction, and syntax to present his views on the march of civilization. Once again, I am dead tired, I was really unable to get into writing this piece, and it’s terribly written. I am quite frustrated at the moment, and I wish I had time to write something more interesting and fictional…

On a side note, I received a few comments on my last post. I cannot tell you how happy that made me. Receiving even one comment now…that just gives me hope, a lot of hope. Oui, I just feel better just thinking about that…people reading my blog. Thank you so much, guys! It really really means a great deal to me…See, I’m already ranting…

With each new step, society marches forward, progressing, imposing, and overcoming. Marching through the heart of Africa, European society encroached upon the Natives and changed the continent for marketing and cultural purposes. From the pages of his novel, Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad expresses his own personal views on the march of civilization, carefully selecting details and meticulously constructing his diction to clearly illustrate his thoughts.

Sailing to a New Future

I know that this essay is extremely lame and poorly written, but I am dead tired, it’s 11:00PM, I didn’t get home late because of 2-hour band practice, and I ate chili for dinner. I hate chili. This is just an essay for my World Geography class, which is a freshaman class, and although I’m a senior, I need the credit. It’s supposed to be a practice-AP test kind of essay, but I really didn’t put too much effort into it. :\ I just want sleep.

Resting along the western shoreline of Europe, Spain and Portugal sit, staring out across the enormous blue of the Atlantic Ocean. Prior to 1521, the massive body of water was a mystery, a hope, and an opportunity to explore and expand. At first, the countries were unsure of what they would discover once venturing into the unknown. Wishing for trade, riches, and new lands, they paid explorers to set sail and follow the ocean currents. Fortunately, Spain and Portugal were among the first countries to benefit from overseas exploration.

Artistic Voice

I applied for college last night after finishing up these two essays…I’m going to Texas State! Hopefully, at least xD, I’ll be attending Texas State University in San Marcos next fall to study Studio Art and earn a teacher’s degree. My whole life I wanted to be an English teacher, but this past year or two of writing essay after essay non-stop kind of beat the love out of me. :\ But I love art just as much, so it’s all good. This was the essay about myself that I wrote for my application.

Expression is everything. A person is who he is because he expresses himself to be that way. Without expression, thoughts would remain with their owners, ideas would never leave their creators’ minds, inventions would cease to be created, and art would not exist. Language would serve no purpose and would, therefore, become extinct. Without expression, people would be forced into isolation, unable to retrieve or accept information, feelings, or ideas from another person.

Proud Solution

I applied for college last night after finishing up these two essays…I’m going to Texas State! Hopefully, at least xD, I’ll be attending Texas State University in San Marcos next fall to study Studio Art and earn a teacher’s degree. My whole life I wanted to be an English teacher, but this past year or two of writing essay after essay non-stop kind of beat the love out of me. :\ But I love art just as much, so it’s all good. This was the essay about an issue I feel strongly about that I wrote for my application.

With the gentle rocking motion of the school bus persuading me from side to side, I began to visualize my schedule in my mind. Staring into the cloudless blue sky lit by the late afternoon sun, I planned to complete my homework the moment I got home, finish my remaining chores, and continue to work on my college applications. The slight clanking of the two flute cases clutched in my arms reminded me to leave some time to practice my instrument. After thanking the bus driver for the ride as I always did, I stepped out and began to walk home thinking that I had a busy night ahead of me and I needed to manage my time well. Continuing along the sidewalk and around the corner, I began to receive the beauty of the day. There was a clear sky above allowing the trees to gently sway in full color and inviting the birds to share their vocal talents. Gentle, warm whiffs of air brushed past my face and played with my long hair a bit as I continued my trek.

Opening Innocent Eyes

I applied for scholarships about a month ago, but I need to write a personal narrative to go with my applications. I believe it was supposed to be around 400 words long and was supposed to describe my educational goals, my aspiration, and my plans after high school/college.

Through a child’s untouched eyes, life is a different view. Colors are splattered all about, bright, vibrant, unique, and colorful. Lines run in every direction leading the eye from one interesting object to the next. To children, our planet is a wondrous sight, never a bore, and intricately beautiful, but as they grow, they gradually begin to lose this sensitive awareness. As my years have passed, my appreciation for the beauty of the world around me has developed and grown, not perished. I continue to view life through the eyes of a child, innocent, creative, and filled with wonder. With a vivid imagination, I have learned to take in my observations and add to them with my own creative style. Over the years I have relied on creativity to express my interpretation of life and to express myself. My skills have improved, my knowledge has expanded, and I have allowed my talent to shine. Art is a gift not only to the artist, but also to anyone who takes in the artist’s work, viewing his gift to the world.

Feminist Reading of “Barbie Doll”

On October 18, 2009, I was assigned to find a poem in our English textbook and analyze it using feminist criticism. I was then to read my analysis in front of the class as a presentation to help teach gender criticism.

“Barbie Doll,” a poem written by Marge Piercy in 1936, clearly delivers strong feminist views about the pressures and standards women are forced to live with. With a depressing tone, the poem describes a young girl’s life beginning with her birth and ending with her ironic death. The poem progresses and tells how the pressures of being a woman affect the girl’s life and influence her actions.

Military Difficulties

On September 19, 2009, I was assigned to write an essay as if I was applying to college. My topic was to write about a hardship in my life.

Although I do not notice or think of it often, there is something in my life, a seemingly invisible force, which is constantly affecting and changing my life, sometimes without my knowledge or without my acceptance. This force has been at work my entire life, even before I was born, and has resulted in my existence here on Earth. An active-duty member of the United States Air Force, my mother makes my life what it is, naming the government and the Armed Forces as fathers of mine. I follow orders from the Air Force just as she does.

Controlled Insanity

This was another essay I was to write about George Orwell’s novel, 1984 at the beginning of school, August 29, 2009.

“Throughout recorded time, and probably since the end of the Neolithic Age, there have been three kinds of people in the world, the High, the Middle, and the Low,” writes George Orwell in his book, 1984. From within the pages of his book, Orwell clearly demonstrates this trend by creating three distinct social classes following the upper, middle, and lower class system, the Inner Party, the Outer Party, and the proletarians, respectively. By granting each class different benefits and privileges, Oceania fosters inequality among its citizens to keep the society frozen in a moment in time, a moment they see as beneficial and progressive in their eyes. With the Inner Party cautiously defending its position, the Outer Party will forever work under its control, and the proles will always retreat to the bottom of the social pyramid.