American Literature (G) Portfolio

In The Road by Cormac McCarthy, the boy undergoes several changes from the beginning to section 6. He loses his innocence, signifying the passage of time and how the awful things they see affect the boy and the man.

The boy shows the loss of innocence when he tells his father that he threw away the flute he made him, “He stopped. What happened to your flute? / I threw it away. / You threw it away? / Yes. / Okay.” (McCarthy 159). The flute signified his child-like qualities and naiveté in the fact that he stays light-hearted in this time that he is starving and freezing. The fact that he threw away the flute shows how he fully grasped the weight of the situation they are in.

Another example of the boy losing his innocence is when he thanks the people who owned the bunker for the food: “Dear people, thank you for all this food and stuff. We know that you saved it for yourself and if you were here we wouldn’t eat it no matter how hungry we were.” (McCarthy 146). Here he is not only showing maturity in the fact that he thanked people for the things he received, but he also states it as if he was saying grace to God, showing maturity in recognizing a blessing given to him.

The boy in the book The Road by Cormac McCarthy grows significantly from the beginning of the book, with purity and innocence, to section 6, where he matures and realizes his place in the world.

Somewhere along your life, if you haven’t already, you will experience a situation in which you work hard for something you desire but in return gain what you need instead. This theme of getting what you need instead of what you want is explored in both The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, and the song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones. In The Sun Also Rises, After Jake’s return from the war, he fights to get Brett’s love back, only to discover after spending time with Bill that he is better off on his own without her. In “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” the singer meets a woman and instantly falls in love with her as he begins to run errands for her. By interacting with a man at the pharmacy, the singer realizes that the woman in manipulative and not worth is, so he learns he’d be happier without having her her. In comparison, both The Sun Also Rises and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” apply the theme of getting what you needed instead of what you wanted by using a woman and how the relationship with the women would negatively affect the man.

In both literary works, the male protagonist meets a woman who is at the time both drinking and dancing with another man. In The Sun Also Rises, when Jake arrives at the bar, he sees Brett drinking and dancing around with gay men. Once Jake sees Brett he instantly resumes to have feeling for her as he begins the battle for her love again. In search of what he wanted, Jake has set his mind on winning Brett back throughout the novel. Like Jake, the singer in “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” meets a woman at a reception who is also drinking and dancing with other men. The singer described the woman by saying, “wine in her hand,” and “At her feet was footloose men” (The Rolling Stones 1969). Indicating that the singer was attracted to the woman he said, “I went down to the demonstration to get my fair share of abuse” (The Rolling Stones 1969). By using the language ‘my fair share,’ The Rolling Stones are able to show how the singer has instantly gained interest in this woman after seeing her. Referring to her drinking, The Rolling Stones use the language ‘wine’ to suggest that she like the other men dancing are drunk and happy. Using imagery, The Rolling Stones paint the picture of dancing men around this “woman” by using the language ‘footloose men.’ By describing what the woman in doing in detail, the singer is portrayed to have set his sights on having a relationship with this woman. In both these literary works, the male protagonist has gained a personal interest in a female of his setting and has decided that he wants an emotional connection with that female, as he begins his pursuit of something he wants as opposed to knowing that it’s not something he needs.

Throughout both literary works, the male protagonist interacts with another male character who helps him shift his thoughts about having a relationship with the female of his setting. In The Sun Also Rises, Jake meets up with Bill as they go on a fishing trip they had planned in advance. During this fishing trip, Jakes time spent with Bill helps him discover that their friendship trumps his feelings for Brett, causing only a slight shift in how Jake’s thinks about Brett. Now Jakes is aware that Brett is something he wants and not something he need, as he comprehends the consequences of them having a relationship. Alike Jake, the singer in “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” goes to the Chelsea Drugstore and meets a man named Mr. Jimmy. Consumed by his interest in the woman, the singer tells Mr. Jimmy about the woman he meet, to which Mr. Jimmy replys, “dead” (The Rolling Stones 1969). The singer, interpreting Mr. Jimmy’s response as his opinion towards the outcome of his relationship with the woman, was shocked in a way that slightly pointed him towards the truth behind the possible relationship. After interacting with Mr. Jimmy, the singer learns that his desire for an emotional connection with the woman is only something he wants instead of something that he needs. In resemblance, the male protagonist for both literary works, though the interaction with another male character, have learned that; although their desire for the female protagonist is still strong, she is only something of desire and not somesing of need.

In the end of both literary works, the male protagonist discovers the truth behind the future of his possible relationship with the female of their setting and decide that the relationship is not worth the fight. In The Sun Also Rises, Jake observes how Brett’s relationship with Pedro Romero ruined Pedro and how she only brings negative outcomes to the men in her life. In the final scene of the novel when Brett proposes the idea of them having a relationship, Jake’s response shows that he does not want her and will be better off without her. Satisfied about getting over having Brett, Jake realizes that she was only something he wanted and what he needed was to not have her. Like Jake, the singer in “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” learns the truth behind his possible relationship with the woman when he comes back to the reception: “I saw her today at the reception, In her glass was a bleeding man, She was practiced at the art of deception” (The Rolling Stones 1969). By using the language ‘in her glass, ‘bleeding man,’ and ‘art of deception,’ The Rolling Stones are able to show how the is possessive, manipulative and careless about the men’s feelings that surround her. In the end the tune of the song becomes more upbeat and positive suggesting a feeling of relief and understanding. Happy that he’s learned the truth, the singer repeats the lines, “You can’t always get what you want, But if you try sometimes well you just might find, You just might find” (The Rolling Stones 1969), celebrating that he discovered the consequences of the possible relationship just in time to not commit to being with her. Content with not being with the woman, the singer realizes that she was only something he wanted and not something he needed.

In comparison, both literary works explore the idea of desire and need by using a persuasive woman and the consequences of being with her. Through the interaction with a male character, both male protagonists are able to be pointed in the right direction and save themselves just in time before committing to something they didn’t need. As a result its always good to understand the consequences and outcomes of getting something you want, so you are able to know if it’s something you actually need.

“You can’t always get what you want”

Dear new Atwood residents,
Atwood has a very special place in my heart, and I don’t want you to screw it up. So here are some things that you should do to keep Atwood running strong. First and foremost, always give your opinion to Ms. G-L after she tells you to do something. You may end up getting in trouble, but the fact that you stood up for what you believed in is way more important than having your dorm parent be mad at you. Another thing about Ms. G-L, she LOVES shoes. She especially loves when you leave them outside your room. She may tell you that she is going to take them and that colleges will just throw away your shoes, but don’t mind her. If anything, it gets her to notice you and give you attention. Every teenager craves that, right?
Next up is Mr. Jennings. He lives on the third floor. Be careful of playing your music too loudly because Mr. Jennings is always into what’s hip. He will go to extremes like taking your phone and speaker away just to figure out what song you’re playing. It is a little weird that he doesn’t give them back right away and tells you to turn the volume down afterwards…
The last of the Atwood Faculty consists of Mr. and Mrs. Griggs. They have a dog named Reega. Feel free to steal her at any point and hold her hostage in your room. Reega doesn’t mind staying if you have treats, but Mr. Griggs seems to care. So if you’re going to feed Reega something that isn’t her food, just make sure Mr. and Mrs. Griggs don’t find out.
Finally, do not worry about being an underclassman. The upperclassmen don’t even know who lives in Atwood, so you can pull pranks and get away with them fairly easily. One thing you definitely don’t need to be weary about is doing something that will earn you a nickname. No matter what happens over the years, it will not go away. It’s like a leech that just does not go away.

Well, I hope this helps a little bit because Atwood is a nutty place.
Ben

12:00 A.M. October 14, 2013. As my dad and I filed out of the stadium in the mob of cheering fans, my mind was cluttered like New York City during rush hour. Just a few hours ago it seemed like a normal night in New England. The streets of Boston were buzzing with tourists, locals, and Sox fans getting ready for another playoff game, but it ended up being the exact opposite. A legend added to his resume with a play that will be forever immortalized in Boston sports history. Little did I know just a couple hours ago, I witnessed one of the greatest moments in the history of the sport. You never know when a day is going to be special, and my experience on October 13, 2013 proves just that.

April 23, 7:30 P.M. As I sat down to write this, I wanted to show how nutty this night was. The craziness of this night could not be well represented if I told this story in order. The suspense and excitement were also very present on October 13, so I wanted this narrative to reflect that. Making this story jump from time to time was necessary to make the reader feel how I felt. That night, it did not feel real. My mind was racing everywhere, and so is this story.

At 8:00 A.M. on October 13, 2013, I woke up with a little bit of extra excitement. My dad and I were at my grandparents’ house in Braintree, Massachusetts, and we were planning on heading to Gillette Stadium to watch the Patriots take on the New Orleans Saints. It was going to be my first Patriots game. It was also supposed to be my first opportunity to see the greatest quarterback of all time work his magic. I eagerly pulled my Tom Brady jersey over my head and flew down the stairs to breakfast. I strolled into the kitchen and my dad looks up from watching SportsCenter to say, “Hey bud, I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?” As I always do when I hear this, I told him to give me the bad news.

11:19 P.M. The stage was set for a hollywood ending. Bases loaded with two outs for the heartbeat of the Red Sox organization stepping up to the plate with the song, “F**k with me you know I got it” blaring through the speakers. And my oh my, David Ortiz definitely had it. The music faded out and was replaced by the roar of of over 35,000 Red Sox fans on their feet chanting one man’s famous nickname: “PAPI, PAPI, PAPI, PAPI.” Joaquin Benoit had no clue Red Sox history would be changed forever after his next pitch. He took the sign from the catcher and went to his set.

8:02 A.M. The bad news ripped my heart apart. “We’re not going to the Pats game. I got outbid and the price is ridiculous now.”
“What? Now what are we going to do today? We drove all the way down here last night just to go back tonight?”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
“Huh?”
“You know how Mike has Sox season tickets?”
“Uh-huh”
“He has two seats to tonight’s ALCS game that he’s not using. You in?”
“Of course! It’s a good thing i have a Sox shirt in my duffel bag!”

11:20 P.M. A double with one out put WIll Middlebrooks on second base. “Hey maybe the can scratch for a run or two this inning.” Jacoby Ellsbury draws a walk. “Now there’s potential for a big inning.” Next up, Dustin Pedroia. He singled and loaded the bases for Big Papi, David Ortiz. It didn’t seem real. “This kind of stuff happens in video games and movies. There is no way that this could actually have a Hollywood ending.”

8:05 P.M. There was an anxious feeling in Fenway Park that night. After being one-hit by Anibal Sanchez the night before, the Red Sox faithful did not want their team to go into Detroit down two games to none. This feeling only escalated as the game progressed. Rick Porcello was dealing. He shut down the Red Sox batters one by one through seven innings. The hope of the fans, myself included, was hanging in the balance after the top of the eighth inning. Down 5-1 heading into the home half of inning number eight, the Sox needed to get some runs back to ease the potential pressure of a nearly impossible ninth inning comeback. They did just that in a BIG way.

11:30 P.M. In the set, Benoit took a breath, lifted his leg, stretched his arm back, followed through. The crowd silenced and the ball hurtled towards the catcher’s glove like an asteroid. Even with the lights on him in one of the most important at bats of his career, Boston’s biggest star was not fazed. He took his customary timing step and swung his bat at the middle-away changeup. CRACK! The ball turned into a rocket heading to the moon. My hands subconsciously went into the air in anticipation of something special. It was high. It was deep. IT WAS GONE. David Ortiz hit a grand slam to tie the game! As soon as the ball went over the wall, Fenway Park turned into an uncontrollable frenzy. A deafening roar of cheers filled the air as our hero rounded the bases. The stadium was so loud you could probably hear the cheering from my house back in Maine. My feet left the ground as I started to jump and celebrate with my dad and the other 35,000 Red Sox fans in attendance. I high fived everybody within my reach with a huge grin on my face. My heart raced as I tried to process what had happened. As Ortiz took his well deserved curtain call, I realized how fortunate I was to be a part of this historic moment. I kept on cheering on the Sox for the rest of the night, but I did it with a humble feeling, knowing how many people would have loved to experience this too.

11:45 P.M. Even after such a pivotal moment, the show had to go on. The next batter got out, and the Tigers were up for the top of the ninth inning. Koji Uehara shut the door on any Tiger chances to score, and set up the red sox to finish this hollywood movie the way it should. With a win. With Jonny Gomes on third the Jarrod Saltalamacchia at the plate, it was about to happen. Salty hit a hard grounder through the infield. Gomes crossed the plate, sending Boston fans into chaos again. A walk-off win for the Red Sox was the most fitting ending for this historic night.

“Goodnight, I love you so much Smootchie,” she whispered across the hall.

You see, this never came as a surprise to me as my sister is the most outwardly loving person in my family. The rest of us tend to keep it quieter, saying those three words only when the situation truly deems it necessary. Rachel on the other hand will greet you in the morning with the mushiest kiss on the cheek and raves of what an amazing human being you are, never forgetting to remind you, even though she just informed you less than twelve hours ago that to your surprise, she loves you so so much. As for the rest of us, it is something we have all just become accustomed to. It’s nothing new when she smothers us in her morning breath, or won’t let go in a tight squeeze, because to her it means everything to constantly remind us that we are her center of gravity. As you read this you’re probably thinking, “oh how cute her little sister always says I love you”. Well you’re wrong. Rachel Hadley Jurek is twenty years old.

The three years that separate us make quite the difference when it comes to the content of our characters. She is and has always been the emotional one, and I on the other hand, despise emotions of any kind. However, what I seem to have missed throughout all of her “I love you’s” and giving no response, is a very simple concept that as a human race we constantly seem to forget. There is a question you should ask yourself when you are in a situation that feels uncomfortable, and that is “What if?”. What if that person with the coupons in front of you in line at Walmart, is really a father of several kids who is struggling with money? What if the traffic you’re stuck in is the result of an awful accident that took someone’s wife and daughter away from them? What if your dad is in a bad mood and taking it out on you because he had the scariest day of his life dealing with something awful at work? What if your mom is acting weird not because she has better things to do, but because she found out she has cancer and is afraid to tell you because if will hurt? What if?

This was the question I was faced with one night when my sister finally exploded, “What if I died and you never told me you loved me back because you were too “weirded out” by our emotional connectivity?” I had never thought of it that way until that moment. How hard is it to remind someone in three simple words, that only total out to eight letters, that you do in fact love them back? It isn’t hard, and that is what so many of us are missing. I know the feeling when saying those words feels more like someone is squeezing your soul through the small opening of a wine bottle and corking it in there forever, but what if you thought about it a little differently? The same way my sister taught me through her feelings of sadness and neglect, that taking time away from your own personal conflict to remind those who are most important to you that the difference between their beating, and not beating, heart really does mean something to you, is more important than life itself.

In Maggie, A Girl of the Streets, by Stephen Crane, Jimmie realizes that his actions, that for him were just routine, might have caused those he was involved with distress. He realizes in discovering that Pete has “ruined” his sister Maggie, that maybe the brothers of women he had been with in the past felt the same. It took this kind of thinking for Jimmie to look beyond himself and his personal feelings to acknowledge that he may have been the reason several other women out there were “ruined” too. Just as it took my sister having had enough of not getting the response she hoped for, for me to realize it really isn’t that difficult to think beyond your personal feelings for those around you. We often forget how quickly the people we care about can be taken away from us, and how in an instant our lives can be flipped upside down. Therefore, when I am in a situation that provides even the slightest discomfort, I remember my sister, the lover in the family, who reminded me that it is never too uncomfortable, or too awkward, or even too late, to say “I love you too”. Just as simply, “goodnight” is never enough.

Throughout the course of a novel, specific characters have a greater effect than others on how they shape the environment around them. These types of characters affect the way other characters unravel throughout the story, and without them the reader wouldn’t be able to discover some of the truth behind the affected characters in the story.  In both The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the female protagonists serves as the “specific character,” or so called throughout the novel. In The Great Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan is seen to be in love with money, luxury, and easy, as she is not loyal and very careless throughout the novel. In The Sun Also Rises, Lady Brett Ashley is seen to be a liberated independent woman who ruins the values and ethics of men with her pressens, as well as to be in search of lost love that is never to be found again. In comparison, both characters are used to shape the environment into an accurate representation of their generation at the time.

In both novels, Daisy and Brett are characterized in a way that brings out the true values and ethics in the characters around them. Their purpose in their corresponding texts is to serve as an accurate representation of their generation at the time with respect to their values and ethics. Throughout The Great Gatsby, Daisy lives an easy careless life, as she believes all her problems can be fixed with money. For example, as Daisy and Gatsby drove back from the penthouse in the city, she ran over Jordan, didn’t stop, and continued to drive on. Choosing to continue to drive on after running Jordan over shows how Daisy is careless with her actions and blinded by its effects because of how she’s lived most of her life in riches with no consequences. Affected by her inherited money from her marriage to Tom, Daisy is used to represent the roaring twenties, and how the values and ethics of both men and women were ruined by their money and the ultimate pursuit of the so called “American dream.” Unlike Daisy, Brett is more of a literary foil, as she brings out the true values and ethics hidden among the men in the novel. Bretts presence among the men ruins their values and brings forth their true character. After Jake introduced Brett to Cohn, Cohn said to Jake, “There’s a certain quality about her, a certain fineness. She seems to be absolutely fine and straight” (Hemingway 46). As readers we see that Cohn has already been captured by Brett’s beauty. By using the language ‘certain fineness,’ it’s suggested that Brett has this ‘certain’ way of using her beauty to lure men into falling in love with her. Being that Cohn and Jake had been friends since the start of the novel up until this point, Brett ruined the values of their friendship by ‘finessing’ Cohn away from Jake. Dazzled by Brett’s beauty, Cohn’s true values and ethics are revealed with the presence of Brett in the novel. Throughout the story, Brett is used to represent the theme of the lost generation and how the war brought back ruined values and ethics from the effects of the war. In coralation, both Daisy and Brett are portrayed to be the embodiment of the morality that founded the generation of their time.

Throughout both stories, Daisy and Brett are confronted with love and how it was affected by the war. Both Daisy and Brett are shown to be a representation of their generation and its search for love during their time period. Throughout The Great Gatsby, Daisy’s interpretation of love is skewed by riches and the idea of the new love created by all the money from the war and industrial revolution. Shielded from true love, Daisy is hypnotized to love those who have money and luxuries. For example, Daisy first falls in love with Gatsby before he leaves for the war, but her love for Gatsby is then overthrown by Tom’s money and possessions. Choosing to forget Gatsby and his love, shows how Daisy is blinded by luxury and easily manipulated by money. In search of money and riches, Daisy is used to represent the roaring twenties, with regards to how men and women believed that love was based on wealth and possessions, as well as the ultimate pursuit of the “American Dream.” Opposite to Daisy, Brett’s search of love seems to be a constant failure as she can not conform to love any of the men she meets. Throughout the novel Brett ‘finesses’ many men, but does not end up truly loving any of them. When Brett and Jake were dancing at the bar after Brett had rejected Cohn form dancing with her, Jake said, “You’ve made a new one there,” to which Brett said, “Don’t talk about it. Poor Chap. I never knew it till just now,” and in response Jake said, “Oh, well. I suppose you like to add them up” (Hemingway 30). Jake showing notice to how yet another ‘new’ man has been ‘finessed’ by Brett’s beauty, suggests that this has and will continue to happen to Brett with most of the men she meets. Bretts response to Jake is calm as if this happens a lot and she doesn’t need to worry about it. In reply to Brett, Hemingway uses the language ‘add them up,’ to suggesting that Brett has many men she’s ‘finesses,’ almost as if she’s collecting them to find something among them. Unlike the other men, jake had a relationship with Brett before the war, emphasizing how all love prior to the war was lost along with their generation. In the end of the novel as Brett and Jake drove away, Brett said, “Oh, Jake. We could have had such a damned good time together,” to which Jake replies, “Yes. Isn’t it pretty to think so?” (Hemingway 250). In acknowledging that she and Jake could have had a ‘damned good time together,’ Brett realizes that she has lost her opportunities for true love with Jake. By using a question mark in Jake’s response, Hemingway is able to suggest that their love was only memories from before the war, and that after the war, their was no more love to be found. Throughout the novel, Brett is in search of a past love and only comes to find out that the war ruined the only true love she could have had with Jake. Hemingway uses Brett to represent the “lost generation” and their perpetual search for the love that was lost in the war. In both novels the theme of a constant search for “new love,” as well as “past love” is explored by both writers. In comparison, both Daisy and Brett are characterized to be and accurate representation of their generation’s search for love after the war.

In both novels, the female protagonist is used to represent the morals and beliefs such as love and values in their respective generations, as well as how that generation was affected by the war. While F. Scott Fitzgerald uses Daisy to represent how americans in the 1920’s were in search of a new love only to be acquired by money from the war, as well as the ultimate pursuit of the “American dream,” she also represents how this search brought greediness and carelessness among their generation. On the other hand, Hemingway uses Brett to show a different side to the post war generation. Brett is used to represent the lost generation and their continual search for the love lost in the war. Brett, representing the lost generation, tears apart the values and ethics of the people around her with her continual search for love. Therefore, Hemingway’s use of Brett in showing how her search for love ruins the people around her, emphasizes how the generation of her time were affected by the loss of love and values due to the war. As a result, the role of both female protagonist is to represent their generation and how it was affected by the war.

The Sun Also Rises Critical Essay

“Relentless”

        A word that best represents my greatest transgression is being relentless. Being relentless has gotten me into many bad situations that I could have prevented if I knew when to stop. I love to push limits and test boundaries whenever given the opportunity because I find joy in the reactions I get. From time to time those reaction are anger and rage towards me. If I find someone is easily angered by something I will do the best I can to do whatever it may be to the point where that person has to get up and do something about it. I do all of this because sometimes I walk away some great stories.

        Finding joy in people’s reactions often comes well after it occurred. This means either they punched me or I am still around that person and can’t laugh. One time a kid named Rick walked into my room and I said something about him being fat. He let it go the first time, but after saying it again he said something to me. Usually it’s the occasional sister joke, maybe even a dumb joke, but nine times of of ten it’s something to do with my height. So as he said something along those lines I quickly fired back with another fat joke being well aware that he could fold me like a pretzel at any given moment. He then proceeds to get up out of his chair and a sense of satisfaction goes through my head. As he comes closer I usually take back what I said and say I was just joking around. This has a fifty- fifty chance of him laughing to but when he doesn’t it results in me getting punched. I always take the punch like a champ because I always deserve it and I always give them reason. I never know when to stop.

        When I was in sixth grade I never did any math homework. It started one day when I actually did forget my homework at home. It was an honest mistake, but on that day if you didn’t do the homework you couldn’t go to recess. I was not about to miss recess. I quickly went to the pile of homework and erased this girls name and wrote my own. I felt really bad when the girl was sitting at her desk with a confused and sad look while I was in line to go outside for recess. It was so simple, it went on for a month. I kept stealing people’s homework each day being a different person. One day I came in ready to sign my name and I chose this girl who was adopted from China. It was suppose to be a story about your family so hers was very sad and personal. I had no idea what the homework was so I signed anyways. I went to recess as she stayed in the classroom crying because she knew she handed it in. It didn’t take long for the teacher to catch me when she read the essay. I felt really bad and didn’t have recess for a month, but it was my relentlessness that caused all this. If I had known to stop after getting away with it the first time I would have been much better off.

        Being relentless isn’t the worse thing in the world, but it definitely gets me in trouble from time to time. I never know when I’m crossing the line or doing things that people don’t like. It’s a trait that can be interpreted as annoying to some people. I don’t shut my mouth and I have a tendency to make fun of someone while they are working out the door so that it locks behind them and they have no way of coming back in and hurting me. I could go without saying it, but by not knowing when to stop, I can’t help myself. I hope I lose this trait as I grow older and mature, but it is not the end of the world if I don’t. My dad to this day walks past my door and opens it up knowing that it grinds my gears. He does this every time he walks by so if I’m anything like him I am going to have to get used to the punishments being relentless has to offer.

Writing about war can evoke many emotions in a person, and this remains true with Tim O’Brien and his novel, The Things They Carried. Throughout the story O’Brien tells the readers about stories, images, and feelings that people had while in Vietnam. Throughout the story direct as well as indirect characterization is used to formulate themes and morals. Three recurring themes in this book are guilt, superstition, and personal reputation.

Guilt plays a role in the emotions of some soldiers. One specific example of this comes when Lieutenant Jimmy Cross lets Ted Lavender die. O’Brien talk about how Cross feels afterwards: “He felt shame. He hated himself. He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead, and this was something he would have to carry like a stone in his stomach for the rest of the war” (O’Brien 16). Martha is Jimmy Cross’ college lover and he lets his grasp on the past get the most of him. The terrible consequence of this is having one of his men die because of it. This feeling was ‘like a stone in his stomach’ because he will always have that lurching feeling in his stomach. It serves as a constant reminder to the guilt he felt when Ted Lavender dies because he, the Lieutenant of the squad, was not paying attention. Another example of guilt comes in the chapter “Friends.” In this chapter Dave Jensen and Lee Strunk make a pact. They agreed that if either one got a bad injury in battle, the other would kill them to save the other from suffering. Later in the chapter, Lee sets off a mortar and loses the lower half of his right leg. When Lee gets to the helicopter, “Jensen reached out and touched the good leg. “Go on now,” he said. Later we heard that Strunk died somewhere over Chu Lai, which seemed to relieve Dave Jensen of an enormous weight” (O’Brien 63). This ‘enormous weight’ that Dave felt was the guilt of not following through with his promise. Jensen made the decision not to kill his friend, but he was relieved of this because Lee died in the helicopter, ending his suffering. If Strunk had lived, Jenson would have felt more guilty that he already did. Another common theme in the many war stories is superstition.
The men in the war use superstition as hope and a way to stay upbeat during the war, In the opening chapter, “The Things They Carried” O’Brien tells the reader some of the different objects the soldiers carry. For example, “Lieutenant Cross carried his good-luck pebble, Dave Jensen carried a rabbit’s foot, Norman Bowker, otherwise a very gentle person, carried a thumb that had been resented to him as a gift by Mitchell Sanders” (O’Brien 12). With some objects being ones that are universally perceived as lucky like a rabbit foot, to a thumb that was cut off an enemy’s hand, these objects had a profound effect on the soldiers. It was almost a church-like experience. Those objects turned the soldiers into believers, putting their faith into them hoping they would come out of the war alive. Each object gave a certain soldier hope and trust that everything would be okay. Another example of this is Henry Dobbins and his girlfriend’s panty-hose that he carries. When O’Brien describes it, he says, “They kept him safe. They gave access to a spiritual world… Like many of us in Vietnam, Dobbins felt the pull of superstition, and he believed firmly and absolutely in the protective power of the stockings. They were like body armor… Dobbins was invulnerable. Never wounded, never a scratch” (O’Brien 112). To Henry Dobbins, those pantyhose were his god. He put all his faith into the superstition of wearing them to keep him safe, and it worked. One time Dobbins tripped a Bouncing Betty, but he was wearing the stockings. It did not even detonate. Another time Dobbins was in the middle of a firefight, and yet again he had them around his neck. He came out unscathed. Dobbins and the pantyhose also united the soldiers. It made them all believe in superstition. O’Brien later says, “It turned us into a platoon of believers. You don’t dispute facts” (O’Brien 112). The pantyhose literally “rallied the troops” and made them tighter as a unit. A third theme of this story is maintaining your reputation.
In Vietnam, your reputation is more important than your actions. As a soldier, your reputation is one of the things you “carried.” O’Brien said, “They carried their reputations. They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to” (O’Brien 20). By saying ‘the fear of blushing’ O’Brien means being scared or showing weakness. Manliness is so important to these men that their greatest fear was not death. It was showing weakness. They also killed the enemy not because it was their duty, but it was because they knew they would get hell for it if they did not. Another example of reputation coming into play is later in the chapter when O’Brien describes the people who shot themselves to get out of the war. He says, “They sneered at the sick call. They spoke bitterly about they guys who had found release by shooting off their own toes or fingers. Pussies, they’d say. Candy-asses. It was fierce mocking talk, with only a trace of envy or awe” (O’Brien 21). The soldiers called whoever purposely injured themselves to get out of the war zone a ‘pussy’ or a ‘candy-ass’ to show that they could not handle the pressure of war. The men whose reputations mattered so greatly to them, ‘sneered at the sick call’ because they thought they were tougher and more manly than the ones who hurt themselves to leave. The soldiers who stayed did want to leave, but they could not show it. That is why there was only ‘a trace’ of envy towards those who got to leave. The ones who remained had their reputations to worry about.
In summary, there are many themes explored throughout the book, but three stand out. Guilt, superstition, and personal reputation. We see guilt when Jimmy Cross lets Ted Lavender die, and we see personal reputation with the soldiers’ attitude towards the ‘sick call.’ Superstition is huge to Jimmy Cross since he uses his girlfriend’s panty-hose to protect himself in battle. These three themes helped shape the novel into what it is and helped the reader feel some of the emotions that went into being a soldier in Vietnam.

Altruistic, unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others. A characteristic most often viewed in a positive light, turned out to be my downfall. It was the fall of my freshman year, and I had no idea what was headed my direction over the next couple of months. If I can take anything away from my experience with life so far, it’s that you should always expect the unexpected because before you know it, you’ll be a fifteen year old freshman who accidentally fell in love with a senior. Before my story begins there are a few key aspects I have to introduce. The first being, anyone, no matter how convincing, is capable of manipulating you into becoming someone you are not, and that means you have to be very cautious when choosing your crowd of people.

So my story begins, I was fifteen years old, living under the influence of my older sister and learning about life’s many trials and tribulations through her. At that point in time, she was my best friend, and from the bottom of my heart, I wish I had kept it that way. Along the socially awkward, strange, and honestly unnecessary journey that we call freshman year, I began to meet new and awesome individuals from other countries as well as my own. One of these however, became someone I called my everything. This person was not only my best friend, but someone I spent each and every day with. We would spend the least amount of time possible away from each other, until it began to grow unhealthy. The hardest part for me to look back on is that the more unhealthy it grew, the more I shared my love. This is where my altruism is introduced. Not only did I spend way too much time with this person, but I put my entire body’s energy and force into making them happy, making them feel loved, making sure they were okay, all the while forgetting, I was human too. I had feelings too. I hurt too, yet none of that mattered to me. None of it mattered because I loved that person, and when you love someone, or so I thought, you do everything in your power to ensure that they always feel that love, even if that means your own self destruction in the process. For everyone who has not yet figured it out, putting your personal happiness and health after that of the people around you, or even just one person in particular, will only steer you straight into the headlights of an oncoming car. You find yourself in danger, but not just for a second, you feel the car speeding towards you, ripping across thedark tar, coming closer and closer until it’s about to strike you and you blink. Instead of a car in front of you it’s that person, and instead of them sitting beside you in the passenger seat of the car, holding your hand, they’ve become the driver. Every second of each day you relive that moment, the car getting closer and closer, and you’re stuck there. And instead of the car hitting you and it all coming to an end, you blink again and they’restill there. Before you know it the car is coming at you again. This is the cycle I faced for the remainder of that year. A continuous revolving door of manipulation pushing me around and around, yet I could not get out of it. In fact, I chose not to get out because of my persistence to please those around me. I devoted my time and energy to becoming a mold this person had crafted for me, instead of one I should have made for myself. That is the feeling an altruistic person faces when it overcomes them. There comes a point where you can only do so much for others until it becomes your own self destruction. I know that now, and today I sit here with an “a” branded on my chest, covered in red and orange glitter that is pleasing to the eyes of others, yet still in lowercase font so the people around me still shine brighter than I do. A is for altruistic, altruistic is and has always been me.

Maggie completely lost control. She was incapable of taking back the reins to return to the beautiful and open minded girl that she used to be. In Stephen Crane’s novella Maggie: A Girl of the Streets, Maggie Johnson goes through a dramatic transformation. Maggie’s partner, Pete, takes her on dates to three different dance halls throughout the novella. Starting with a stunningly magnificent dance hall on their first date, the dance hall hall represents Maggie very well, but as the dates continue the dance halls decay and become worse, while Maggie sadly reflects these halls. 
On Maggie and Pete’s first date at the dance hall, the dance hall accurately represents the beautiful young lady that Maggie is. The narrator introduces the hall by having an ‘orchestra of yellow silk women and bald headed men playing a popular waltz’. We also see chefs prancing up and down the aisles offering cake to others, and thin tobacco smoke gently rolled up into the beautiful chandeliers. This dance hall is a place where Maggie enjoys herself and we see Pete’s attraction towards his stunning date: “Pete did not pay much attention to the progress of events upon stage. He was drinking beer and watching Maggie. Her cheeks were blushing with excitement and her eyes glistening. She drew deep breaths of pleasure. No thoughts of the atmosphere of the collar and cuff factory came to her” (Crane 34-35). Although Maggie doesn’t realize it, Pete is trapped in a gaze and completely focused on the beauty of Maggie and could hardly care about the wonderful events on stage. The dance hall is somewhat of a safe haven for Maggie where she leaves all of the haunting thoughts of the collar and cuff factory outside and is able to enjoy herself inside. Although Maggie appears to be enjoying herself and is currently a beautiful woman, the title of the book names her inevitable downfall.
As soon as chapter twelve starts where we are introduced to the dance hall again, the tone is immediately set. The previously lively and beautiful dance hall is now ‘a hall of irregular shape’. The stunning yellow silk orchestra of women and bald headed men is now a ‘submissive orchestra dictated to by a spectacled man with frowsy hair’. The decaying changes that this dance hall has made reflects Maggie’s downfall as well. Differing from her previous self we now see Maggie as follows: “Maggie was pale. From her eyes had plucked all look of self-reliance. She leaned with a dependent air toward her companion. She was timid, as if fearing his anger or displeasure. She seemed to beseech tenderness of him” (Crane 57). Not only is Maggie physically looking worse than before, but she is now feeling and acting different. The previously independent and open minded girl now has eyes that lack ‘self-reliance’. Maggie, like an addict, is now dependent on the love and tenderness that Pete has to give. Crane uses the word ‘beseech’ to show readers that Maggie is doing what she can so that she can attempt to feel Pete’s love more thoroughly. While Maggie and Pete leave the dance hall readers are even hinted towards Maggie’s future. “As they went out Maggie perceived two women seated at a table with some men. They were painted and their cheeks had lost their roundness” (Crane 59). Maggie’s last sight as she leaves the dance hall is two prostitutes who have lost roundness to their cheeks. Their dull cheeks suggest that they are worn out and are incapable of smiling because of the unpleasant life that a prostitute has to live. As the title of the book suggests, this final sight of the dance hall foreshadows the inevitable future that Maggie has as a prostitute.
In Maggie and Pete’s final date together at the dance hall we see the extreme depths that Maggie and that the dance hall have reached. The first dance hall was a marvelous place, the second a hall of irregular shape, and now the third described, “In a hilarious hall there were twenty eight tables and twenty eight women and a crowd of smoking men. Valiant noise was made by an orchestra of men who looked as if they had just happened in. Soiled waiters ran to and from swooping down like hawks on the unwary throng” (Crane 64). This third dance hall is the polar opposite of the first. The marvelous and stunning dance hall where Maggie and Pete had their first date had a soothing orchestra on stage with organized chefs marching down aisles and offering cake to people. Now there is a prostitute at every single table and a fog of smoke covers up a crowd of men unlike the light smoke covering the fine chandeliers in the first hall. Crane uses a simile to compare the soiled waiters to hawks, showing them rapidly and violently swooping through the aisles completely unlike the chefs that Crane previously described. Maggie is a total wreck at this point as the love of her life has left her to be with another girl named Nellie. She has lost her true self at this point and Crane portrays this by writing, “The girl was still staring at the doors. After a time the mere boy began to see cobwebs just in front of his nose. He spurred himself into being agreeable and insisted upon her having a charlotte-russe and a glass of beer. ‘Shay, lil’ girl, we mightily we’ll make the bes’ of it. You ain’t such bad lookin’ girl y’know. Not half bad” (Crane 69). The third dance hall scene was the first time when Maggie was referred to as “girl”. Crane uses this language to show that Maggie has lost her identity and is no longer “Maggie”. Many people now see here as a prostitute similar to the mere boy who was left behind and now he wants to take advantage of Maggie. This final dance hall is nothing compared to the first dance hall that Maggie and Pete went to and shouldn’t even be called a “dance hall”. Just like Maggie, the innocent girl that was in a safe haven without worry at the first dance hall has now lost her name and can’t find the true girl that she used to be.
Maggie was horribly taken advantage of by many characters in the novella. From a beautiful and young girl to a prostitute without a name, Maggie’s decay was reflected through the decaying dance halls. Stephen Crane masterfully described this in his short novella where every detail and every line had a purposeful meaning.