Our Previous Samples

Marcus Tullius Cicero once said, “A room without books is like a body without a soul.” This is true to Liesel, the main character in The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak, because her body is as if it does not have a soul since she does not know how to read… for long. Liesel’s character growth is noticeably different from the beginning until the end of the book, and many outside forces impact and shape her into who she becomes.

Being that Liesel grows up in Nazi Germany, she has never been fully educated. Books and literature are foreign to her, and she does not understand its real value. This is only until she steals a handbook from her brother’s funeral and is later taught how to read by Hans, her foster father after she is taken to live with him and his wife. Reading leads to writing, which gives her the power to change the world with her literature. When Liesel didn’t know how to read, it separated her from the world in ways she never even imagined. Now that she has learned from Hans, she learns to appreciate its value and become a part of the world. Liesel knows that words can be used in bad ways as well. She sees this in Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf, and is disturbed by the power Hitler’s words have over his followers. Sometimes Liesel resents words and wishes they never existed since they are the reason her parents died. Words become of great power to Liesel, who uses it as a verbal weapon. “Blood leaked from her nose and licked at her lips. Her eyes had blackened. Cuts had opened up and a series of wounds were rising to the surface of her skin. All from the words. From Liesel’s words.” Liesel goes from being a vulnerable child at first to a confident and brave adult. Her growth in appreciation of literature and words is highly significant because, without it, she never would have written The Book Thief, which has made an impact on others too.

Apart from objects, such as books, some characters make an important impact on Liesel as well. For example, Hans creates a dynamic for her where she feels safe and comfortable around him. He teaches her how to read and write, staying up with her until very late at night. They enjoy each other’s company and Hans gifts her with valuable knowledge that she hadn’t known before. “After three weeks, he held her. Trust was accumulated quickly, due primarily to the brute strength of the man’s gentleness, his thereness. The girl knew from the outset that Hans Huberman would always appear midscream, and he would not leave…. Each morning, he was a few feet away from her, crumpled, almost halved, in the chair.” Hans demonstrates paternal love to Liesel and acts as her father figure. Hans is caring, patient, kind, and gentle, and remains that way throughout the book. He is even strict with her sometimes. Not out of irritation, but solely because he wants to protect her and for her to learn from her mistakes. Hans is a great role model for Liesel because he allows Liesel to think for herself. Liesel looks up to Hans and sees his self-determination. She wants to be like him because he helps her how to think for herself. Unlike other leaders in that time, like Hitler for example, Hans never degrades Liesel’s abilities, which turns her into a strong, capable and wise woman by the end of the book.

The last thing that impacts Liesel’s character is a library. Frau Ilsa Hermann, the wife of the mayor, allows Liesel to use her library whenever she wants because Ilsa knows how much Liesel loves reading. The library becomes a sentimental place in Liesel’s heart. She is appreciative of Ilsa for giving her this gift because it allows Liesel to have access to countless books. Ilsa also leaves her other small gifts like cookies and a dictionary. Liesel’s love for the library makes her passion for books even stronger. “ She ran the back of her hand along the first shelf, listening to the shuffle of her fingernails gliding across the spinal cord of each book. It sounded like an instrument or the notes of running feet. She used both hands. She raced them. One shelf against the other. And she laughed…She walked over and did it again, this time much slower, with her hand facing forward, allowing the dough of her palm to feel the small hurdle of each book. It felt like magic, like beauty, as bright lines of light shone down from a chandelier. Several times, she almost pulled a title from its place but didn’t dare disturb them. They were too perfect.” The library shapes her into her intelligent, passionate character that we see by the end of the book. The library gives Liesel a warm feeling and always leaves her longing for more time there.

From the beginning until the end of the book, Liesel shows a significant change in her character. Reading leads her to write, enabling her to create her novel, which was said to be The Book Thief about her life. Death, the narrator takes the book from her when she dies. Hans acted as Liesel’s outer force of impact because without him she wouldn’t know how to read, let alone write. One can see that Liesel’s distrusting 9-year-old character transforms into a caring and brave woman who values and loves her family and friends. 

Works Cited

1. Zusak, M. (2006). The Book Thief. Knopf Books for Young Readers.
2. Cicero, M. T. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/marcus_tullius_cicero_100011
3. Johnson, C. (2012). The Book Thief: Novel Study Guide. Total Class Notes.
4. Zipfel, F. (2014). The Book Thief: Analyzing the Power of Words. Bright Hub Education.
5. Mergen, B. (2016). The Book Thief: A Reader's Guide to the Markus Zusak Novel. Progeny Press.
6. Zusak, M. (2018). Words and Power in Markus Zusak's The Book Thief. Literary Hub.
7. Peacock, S. (2017). The Book Thief: Unlocking the Power of Literature. Eureka Study Aids.
8. Peters, J. L. (2014). Understanding Markus Zusak's The Book Thief: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Greenwood.
9. Evans, M. (2011). Stealing Words: The Book Thief and the Power of Language. The Reading Teacher, 64(1), 70-73.
10. Zusak, M. (2013). Markus Zusak on The Book Thief. Random House Teachers & Librarians.

In Jonathan Safran Foer’s essay, “Against Meat”, Foer constantly displays the important role that nostalgia plays in his life. Foer fondly reflects on the time that he spent with his grandmother throughout the essay, and the positive impact that she had on his life. Looking back to the memories of the past with his grandmother, Foer realizes that the stories and experiences that his grandmother shared with him were what crucial in his development as a family man. The nostalgia that Foer feels for his grandmother and the time they shared prove to have had a huge positive influence on Foer’s life.

Nostalgia has gone through major developmental phases throughout it’s history, it first was thought of as a “neurological disease of essentially demonic cause” (Hoffer qtd. in Tierney). It was then thought of as “immigrant psychosis,” “melancholia”, and a “mentally repressive compulsive disorder” (Tierney). In recent years it has taken on a more positive connotation, simply meaning something along the lines of, a positive, or bittersweet remembrance from the past. Nostalgia proves to have evolutionary benefits, in some instances, people experience rising body temperature when thinking about the past (Zhou qtd. In Tierney). This is thought to have been used as motivation to keep going until food or shelter was found in the past (Wildschut qtd. In Tierney). Arguably one of the most important aspects of nostalgia proves to be its ability to aid people when dealing with change. Doctors and researchers look to young adults frequently dealing with the changes of college, adulthood, etc. to find their information. Usually what they discover is that these young adults look back on positive memories such as holidays, family pets, and other good times to get through the stress that they face (Hepper qtd. In Tierney).

In a study done by Xinyue Zhou at the Sun Yat-Sen University, they hypothesized that emotions, more importantly, nostalgia, can affect a person's body temperature and make them warmer. This becomes important when looking from an evolutionary standpoint, if people can use nostalgia and have it trigger a physical outcome, this means that it could have developed over time to help sustain human beings. Having this thesis the researchers did several studies to prove whether or not triggering nostalgia would actually affect a person's body temperature. They found that most people who were in a cold room, and “nostalgized” actually had a rise in their body temperatures (Zhou). This proved that feeling nostalgic has the potential to be considered an evolutionary trait, and if this were the case, it could help to explain how people can continue to survive even in the most difficult and harsh conditions.

Relating back to Foer’s essay, these studies help explain his actions from his life, as well as his grandmother’s. Foer mentions several times that he struggles with vegetarianism and how he usually did it to “fit in”. He ultimately makes the decision to raise his family as vegetarian and the motivation can be traced back to his grandmother. For example, when Foer experienced the huge change of having a family, he looked back to a time when he would spend afternoons with his grandmother to get some clarity on how to raise his children, thus relating back to Hepper’s ideas. His grandmother is a great example of Zhou’s study and Wildschut’s hypothesis, both relating to the evolutionary importance of nostalgia. She lived through the Holocaust and had an instance when she was on the brink of death, when a farmer offered her some pork, she refused it because of her beliefs. She looked back on her religious past and its importance to her, using the evidence from Zhou and Wildschut it is possible to see real life ties to the evolutionary argument in her story. His grandmother was able to keep going because she looked upon the past and it helped her get through an extremely tough situation. Regardless of the context, nostalgia proves to be a very crucial factor in the existence of humans, on a mental, emotional, and physical level.

John Wayne Gacy, also known as the Killer Clown, is a rapist and serial killer who is known to have committed over 33 murders of male young adults over a 10 year period. He was born in 1942 in a low-income neighborhood of Chicago to parents who were abusive and violent as he was beaten and taunted by his father to a great degree, even for the smallest infractions in behaviours and was brought done with the slightest academic failures as a child. He fed into trying to make his father happy from his performance in school but failed to please him ever. As he grew older, he was being beaten and often molested by his father – sometimes resulting in him losing consciousness – and by family friends for which his father would turn a blind eye to. This influenced behaviour in him as well, as when he was 7 years of age, he was caught fondling another little girl, for which he received a large beating. 

Through traumatic childhood experiences and previous conditions, Gacy was diagnosed with heart and appendix problems, as well as had numerous seizures throughout his time in high school. Because of this and his inability to be involved in sports, he was often beat and bullied in his school too. When he became 18 years old, he worked for a Democratic candidate in Chicago, aiding the campaign. Through this position, his father kept pestering him from the smallest of reasons. John Gacy worked his way to being largely involved in his community and eventually ran for Democratic party representative for his home district in Chicago, for which he did not win. In 1968, Gacy married Marlynn Myers, and moved to Iowa to work in her father’s KFC restaurant, at which time he also started a family. During his time at the restaurant, they hired numerous young male employees, and in the same year, he was arrested for sodomizing one of them. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, for which he was released in 1971, on good behaviour. Due to this, his wife Myers had left him, with their children, whom he never saw again. 

John Wayne Gacy returned to Chicago after being serving his time, and started a construction business, as well as ran for and became elected as a Democratic precinct Captain. In 1972, Gacy married his second wife, Carole Hoff. He had large philanthropic efforts, and was even once photographed with Rosalynn Carter. On the side, Gacy also dressed up as a clown and entertained children at birthday parties and such events. This would later be a source for some of his victims. He committed his first murder in the same year of 1972, when he brought a boy home he had met at a bus stop, after offering him a place to sleep for the night. The boy, Tim McCoy -15 years old – had woken up mid-night and started to make something to eat in the kitchen. He was going to go wake Gacy to see if he wanted to eat, but appeared with a knife in his hand. Gacy, startled as he had just woken, wrangled the knife out of the boy’s hand and had subdued him and proceeded to stab him twice in the stomach, effectively killing him. This was the only time when Gacy used a knife, as his modus operandi was getting victims to wear handcuffs, when he took the chance to rape, and then kill them. 

John Gacy stored most of his bodies in the attic and walls of his home in Chicago in a strategic manner, in efforts to maximize the bodies he could store. After his first murder, Gacy later admitted he had felt sexual pleasure while killing the boy, which triggered him to understand how he gained lust from his murders. After this, Gacy explored his homosexual pleasure and eventually told his wife we will stop engaging in sexual intercourse with her. Hoff later claimed she had found homosexual pornography in their garage, hidden away. In 1976, Carole divorced Gacy and left him, with their children. John Gacy then devoted more and more of his time to attracting, assaulting and killing young men. Through 1978, he kept going with his killing spree, killing boys he met through his construction company, those he picked up around the city, and children from parties he entertained at. Gacy was caught by the police when one victim’s mother called the cops after her son didn’t come home from an interview with Gacy at his construction company. Police easily obtained a warrant and found the collection of bodies in his home after being lead to it by the prominent deceased-body scent throughout the home. He was arrested in late 1978, at which point he admitted to over 33 encounters of rape and torture, leading to murder. He even revealed more encounters where he assaulted boys, but did not kill them. Some of these homicide and assault cases remain unsolved, and some victims remain unidentified.

During trial in mid 1980, John Wayne Gacy was sentenced to death and life in prison on 33 total counts of murder, sexual assault, sodomy and indecent liberties with a minor. Gacy attempted to appeal, but was executed on May 10, 1994.  

Works Cited

1. Sullivan, T. (2014). Killer Clown: The John Wayne Gacy Murders. Pinnacle.

Living life as a student-athlete is no easy feat by any definition of the world. You’re constantly trying to balance your social life, your athletics, and your grades. The training sessions are a killer and trying to do any academic work after that feels like a herculean task. You typically practice every day and if you’re into athletics like say swimming, then it’s not something you can escape from with an iPod. Your lungs scream, your tissues burn, not to mention the trainers on the side yelling. Your stress levels are multiplied because you want to excel in both sports and school. If you’re very competitive by nature, then you won’t want to settle for just a passing grade just as you won’t be satisfied with coming 3rd or even 2nd place. Swimmers also have it harder than most as a lot of people don’t consider them student-athletes, they think swimming is a leisure activity.

Some parent may wonder and want to ask how swimming endless laps regularly will help their child, or how putting in countless hours shooting hoops would do any good. The answer is everything. It is easy to figure out competencies required in employment. In a case where a student does not comprehend classroom lessons immediately, tutors, the internet, and extra effort hitting the textbooks could remedy it. Self-coincidence, on the other hand, isn’t something you can learn from a textbook. You acquire it through painful struggles and victories. Here, the teacher is your own undaunted spirit that tells you never be ready to accept defeat easily and life comes with many failures that’ll need to be conquered.

In a contest between two players or two teams with equal talent, what is the deciding factor that determines who wins? What separates the victors from the losers, chumps from champions? The main difference between winner and loser is the amount of personal motivation, your drive, your spirit. How badly do you want to succeed as a student-athlete? Success in any sports endeavor isn’t the consequence of random chance or good luck. You don’t become a champion because you’re lucky. As an athlete, you make your own fortune. Long lasting successes and victories come from deep and powerful motivation. Winners are those who hold the motivation that pushes them to greatness and keeps them focused on entering the winner’s circle.

Your level of motivation can determine your level of greatness. How much you desire success can determine the limit of your potential. If you have a high drive, your potential will be equally as high. However, if you don’t have enough determination or level of drive, you won’t be able to achieve much. Motivation is what stokes the fire that pushes athletes to aim for glory, that drives them to train longer, and that gives them the will and strength to move from behind in the clutch situations.

Desire will push you in the direction of the best and keep you there. It is the secret behind every winner in sports. There is not a single sports champion – whether swimmer, footballer, or basketballer – who was not badly motivated to succeed and become a winner.

Works Cited

1. Coakley, J. J. (2018). Sports in Society: Issues and Controversies (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
2. Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books.
3. Elliot, A. J., & Dweck, C. S. (Eds.). (2005). Handbook of Competence and Motivation. The Guilford Press.
4. Faull, A., Cropley, B., & Gorman, A. (2015). Managing Stress in Academic Life: Personal, Social and Institutional Resources. Palgrave Macmillan.
5. Gould, D., & Weinberg, R. (2013). Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology (6th ed.). Human Kinetics.
6. Harwood, C., Keegan, R., & Smith, J. (2015). Sport Psychology: Theory, Applications and Issues. Wiley-Blackwell.
7. Mageau, G. A., & Vallerand, R. J. (2003). The Coach-Athlete Relationship: A Motivational Model. Journal of Sports Sciences, 21(11), 883-904.
8. Orlick, T., & Partington, J. (1988). Mental Links to Excellence. Sports Dynamics.
9. Papageorgiou, A., & Goudas, M. (2011). The Coach-Athlete Relationship in Youth Sport: Coach and Parent Perceptions. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 23(2), 213-227.
10. Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2018). Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology (7th ed.). Human Kinetics.

In today’s society, the advancement of technology is due to the creation of artificial intelligence in the workplace along with the rise of many tech companies. The progression of technology has led to what many considered to be technological utopianism, a term describing how technological advancements can bring about change in a society believing that these changes will lead to a Utopia; a lifetime of prosperity, the relief of hunger, a solution to poverty, and combating diseases. However, have these technological innovations lead to what Marx and Engel believed to be the destruction of capitalism or have it led us toward a life of higher prosperity and equality? In Marx and Engel’s Chapter II “Proletarians and Communists” from the Manifesto of the Communist Party, Marx and Engel criticize the rising power held by the bourgeoisie due to wealth accumulate within a capitalist society stating that a communist system will benefit the working class as a whole. Although many consider a communist system would bring about a Utopia, with the evolution of technology on the rise, a capitalist system will allow technology to grow as small businesses and companies are able to flourish and humans are given the freedom to make a living for themselves.

During the Industrial Revolution, technological progression paved way for capitalists turning them into people of high power and wealth. Marx and Engels' Manifesto of the Communist Party recognizes the class struggles between the proletariats and the bourgeoisie. They believe that under a capitalist society, the working class is being exploited because those “who work acquire nothing and those who acquire anything do not work”. The proletariats would become dependent on the capitalists (bourgeoisie) for survival as wealth and any means of productions are controlled by them. In other words, while the working class is being exploited to work in such conditions, the bourgeoisie are profiting off of their labor. Though Marx and Engels predicted that a proletariat revolution would eventually rise, thus outlining the course for “advanced countries,' communist systems have succeeded in impoverished countries that have low technologically progressed such as China and Russia.

When considering The American Dream, capitalism is regarded as the American way of living as businesses are able to grow and benefit from it. The idea that prosperity can only exist in a society with limited inequality and the abolishment of class structure is entirely false as “prosperity depends upon freedom”. When individuals are given the freedom they so crave, they are able to improve their lives. In addition, now more globalized than ever due to technology advancements, a capitalist society will lead us to a good place as businesses and individuals can flourish without any government interventions. Technologies cannot drive itself. It is through capitalist individuals that allow technology to advance this far. Who would have thought that the progression of technology would lead to new jobs such as data analysts, influencers, youtubers, and app developers.

Though utopian visions help us imagine a desirable way of living, it is an attainable place rooted in socialist ideologies. With the advancement of technology still on the rise, these technological innovations such as artificial intelligence and the rise of tech companies are considered to be of protopia nature in a capitalist society. As Shermer states in his article, protopia is “a state that is better today than yesterday”. Utopia and dystopia are viewed as a destination, a place of happiness or suffering, whereas protopia should be seen as a journey that will eventually lead us to a good place though hard to visualize. Considered transportations. Since the 19th century, cars, airplanes, and other transportation methods have evolved slowly with decades of improvements leading to the production of electric cars and high-powered jets today. Therefore, the advancement of technology should be viewed as a state of protopia through its progression.

Despite this, Marx and Engels’ prediction of a communist society is unlikely to happen. They did not account for the adaptability of capitalism as “anticommunism is the refusal to throw out the water. The next step is to figure out to clean”. Though the gap between the upper and working class continues to widen due to wages and jobs inequalities, it has also welcomed many new jobs. Furthermore, Marx and Engels did not account the need for productivity for technology to advance. A capitalist society depends on workers’ productivity to increase the means of production that would in the end benefit the economy as a whole. While technology continues to evolve, new problems regarding employment and the staggering gap between social classes will be the future of capitalism. However, we should view these problems as a state of protopia.  

Introduction

Life begins the minute one egg and one sperm unite at conception. Over the past century technological advancements in science have allowed humanity to take a closer look into our younger selves; specifically, the process of our development well before birth. During sexual intercourse, millions upon millions of sperm are ejaculated into the vagina, a few will enter the cervix, less will pass through the cervix, even less will find the fallopian tubes, only a bit will reach the egg, and ultimately, only one will fertilize the ovum (Parker). Once the window of fertilization is over and the egg and the sperm have successfully fused, the developing human begins its embryotic development, where it will spend the next eight weeks forming its major organs as well as other structures needed in order to sustain life. As beautiful and exciting as this process may be, unfortunately it can result in a number of complications once the baby is born. For example, Trisomy 21 may occur due to nondisjunction, an error in cell division, resulting in an extra copy of chromosome 21, which will affect the baby for the rest of its life (Ambreen).

Process of Fertilization

The fertilization process begins with a male sperm and a female ovum. The male sperm is made up of male sex cells, it is stored in the testes as it needs to be kept cool in order to avoid higher temperatures resulting in infertility and its structure consists of a head, a body, and a tail. The head includes a cap and a nucleus, where the genetic material, commonly known as DNA, is stored, the body contains the mitochondria, where the sperms energy comes from, and the tail provides swim-like mobility as it contracts and relaxes (Rice). On the other hand, the ovum is the female sex cells. A female is born with all the ova she will have in her lifetime, the ova is stored in the ovarian follicles located in the ovaries, and around age 12-15 her ova will begin maturing and releasing once a month, developing the corpus luteum which thickens the uterus wall, preparing it for an egg (Rice).

The ovum itself is a large cell, containing an external cell membrane full of protein as well as a nucleus which stores the female’s genetic material. Once the sperm and the ovum meet they will fuse, this is known as fertilization; this may only occur during ovulation, a very short window of opportunity of approximately 2-3 days where an egg is released, and the sperm must rapidly reach the vagina or else it will die (Irving). Following ovulation, the egg will be scooped up by the fallopian tube from which it was released from, and the sperm will have to swim through the cervix, past the uterus, finally meeting the ovum in the fallopian tube (Parker). To complete the fertilization process, the sperm will have to enter the ovum’s cell membrane and deposit its DNA, resulting in a now fertilized ovum, otherwise known as a zygote (Rice), containing 23 pairs of chromosomes, equally distributed from the mother and father.

The short period from fertilization till the eight weeks of pregnancy is where the developing human is considered an embryo. During the beginning phases of embryotic development, the process of cell division occurs, the zygote continues dividing in order to form the morula, a solid ball of cells, that will eventually become the blastocyst (Vitiella). About a week following fertilization implantation occurs, during this period a pregnancy hormone called hCG is released in the woman’s body, this is the hormone detected by pregnancy tests, taking approximately three to four weeks to identify (Parker).

Eventually, the blastocyst will become the embryo itself and embryonic discs will begin to form. In the first month, these discs are formed by the floor of the amniotic cavity which ultimately develop into the amniotic sac, and the placenta, a fluid filled sac around the embryo, its main purpose being the transport of nutrients to the embryo and the development of the three primary germ layers – the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm, which will set the blueprint for the rest of the bodies structure (Vitiella). As the embryo’s development progresses, tissues and organs begin to form, starting with the brain and head, moving on to the body and arms, and ending at the legs, including the rest of the lower body (Irving). Eight weeks after fertilization (the end of the embryonic stage), all major body parts and organs will have formed, and facial features continue developing (Salamonsen).

Caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, trisomy 21 is commonly referred to as Down Syndrome. This genetic disorder is caused by an error in cell division. A normal baby will have a complete set of 46 chromosomes, 23 from the mother and 23 from the father; Trisomy 21 will occur when an egg or sperm cell makes an extra copy of chromosome number 21, resulting in the fertilized egg passing on three copies of chromosome 21 (Ambreen). Occasionally, the extra chromosome 21 may attach to either the egg or the sperm, causing “translocation Down Syndrome”, the only form of Down Syndrome that can be inherited from a parent. Rarely, an error in cell division may occur after fertilization, with some cells being affected while others remain unharmed, this is known as “mosaic Down Syndrome” (Ambreen).

Overall, those affected by Trisomy 21 collectively share similar intellectual and physical traits; they suffer from learning and development delays which may affect their speech, intelligence, and social skills (Starbuck). In addition, those inflicted by Down Syndrome possess distinct facial features such as slanted eyes, flattened noses, poor muscle stone, short necks, and an overall small head including the eyes, mouth, and ears (Starbuck). Not to mention, the numerous health complications that come with Down Syndrome, for instance, respiratory, cardiovascular, and hearing issues may arise and while those conditions may be treated, there is no cure or prevention for down syndrome. On the upside, with today’s technological advancements Trisomy 21 can be detected before birth by analyzing the cells in the mother amniotic fluid or placenta through a noninvasive procedure (Ambreen).

The Pursuit of Happyness is a biographical movie that is based on Chris Gardner ‘s life in his dark time. This story tells about when he is a homeless and a single parent. The film was published in December 15th 2006 under Columbia Pictures associating with Relativity Media. The movie was directed by an Italian film director, Gabriele Muccino. The film was produced by Devon Franklin, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, James Lassiter, Steve Tisch, and also the main actor in this movie Will Smith. Will Smith, one of the producers, also plays as Chris Gardner. In this film, Jaden Smith made his first debut as the Gardner ‘s son named Christoper. This film is also featuring Thandy Newton, Brian Howe, James Karen, Dan Castellaneta, and Kurt Fuller. The screenplay is written by Steven Conrad and based on Chris Gardner ‘s book with the same title. It is adapted into a narrational autobiography film.

The Pursuit of Happyness covers the story of the darkest time is Chris Gardner ‘s life of being a homeless and a single parent. The story begins with the scenery of busy crowds in San Francisco in 1981. Gardner ‘s narration begins with introduction of himself and a part of story of his life. In that story, Chris Gardner is a salesman of bone-dense scanner machines. He believes, selling those machines will bring fortunes to his family. However, since he could not sell the leftover machines, he has a bitter life which his wife acts cold toward him. It is because he could not fulfill the family financial needs. Being in the financial instability, Gardner ‘s wife leaves to another town to find a better job. That is the beginning of his single-parent days. He always tries to be strong as he has one and only dearest person to him, his son Christoper. After his wife left him, he is accepted in Dean Witter Reynolds internship program without any salary. He has to survive in the six months internship program to become the best and to get the job at Dean Witter Reynold. Gardner is kicked out from his apartment as he could not pay the rent, making him as a homeless. Being a homeless is the darkest time of his life, but he tries not to show his sadness in front of his son. In his busy day as an intern, he never forgets his role as a father and his priority to sell the leftover machines so they could survive days.

The Pursuit of Happyness has showed that one ‘s determination and hard work could help one to overcome problems in life. This is showed by Gardner who never gives up selling machines from one hospital to others. Being bankrupt and homeless never make him lose hope in life, even though he nearly to lose that hope.

This film tells conflicts in the poverty and financial instability that are still happen in society nowadays. However, the problems could be solved by determination and motivation. Determination could help one to overcome with the darkest time in life. Gardner ‘s motivation is his son. It is showed when he wants his children to know who his father was. To make the dreams come true, a hard work also plays a significant role in determining one’s future. Gardner ‘s determination and his motivation could make audiences who are depressed to life, especially to financial problem. The movie teaches that financial problem could be solved with a big determination even though obstacles could lie in every effort. The movie also teaches that the biggest motivation and dream in life could be one ‘s purpose of life. Thus, one ‘s life in not in a vain.

The financial problem in that film also becomes the beginning of family conflict. Linda, Chris Gardner ‘s wife, leaves Gardner because financial instability. It is true that poverty could be the source of problem in a family, and ironically, it still happens today in our society. However, leaving a family to live a better economy is not the best choice to solve the problem. Instead of solving the problem, new problems will come. For example, children ‘s neglect because lacks of the perfect parents’ role in their life. However, as the movie is based on a real story, unfortunately the scene where Linda is leaving could not be avoided as it affects the emotion and the whole story.

A first impression causing a mistreated behavior is portrayed in the film, but Gardner faces it patiently. The depiction of being underrated and unappreciated because the first impressions are depicted clearly with Gardner ‘s office manager always asks him to do unnecessary things for example buy a coffee or doughnut. First impression is important in socializing but that does not make people have any right to mistreat anyone.

The Pursuit of Happyness is a movie that could motivate people. This move is recommended for people who thinks life is unfair or someone who is ungrateful with life. The show tells how unlucky man, Chris Gardner, could survive in poverty and get his light, the opportunity to turn a new page in life with his son. Yet, even though he meets obstacles in is life and loses his wife, he never gives up for his son. He believes, happiness is what we can only pursuit. The film that based on Gardner ‘s life also teaches: with happiness, determination, hard work, people could overcome their problem and get up from their darkest time. Happiness may come in any form. Happiness is what one believes and what one must pursuit. 

Works Cited

1. Conrad, S. (2006). The pursuit of happyness. New York: HarperCollins.
2. Franklin, D. (Producer), Black, T. (Producer), Blumenthal, J. (Producer), Lassiter, J. (Producer), Tisch, S. (Producer), & Smith, W. (Producer/Actor). (2006). The pursuit of happyness [Motion picture]. Columbia Pictures; Relativity Media.
3. Gardner, C. (2006). The pursuit of happyness: Chris Gardner. HarperCollins.
4. Gardner, C. (2009). Start where you are: Life lessons in getting from where you are to where you want to be. Amistad.
5. Keltner, D. (2009). Born to be good: The science of a meaningful life. WW Norton & Company.
6. Kubzansky, L. D., & Thurston, R. C. (2007). Emotional vitality and incident coronary heart disease: benefits of healthy psychological functioning. Archives of general psychiatry, 64(12), 1393-1401.
7. Lopez, S. J. (Ed.). (2008). Positive psychology: Exploring the best in people: Vol. 1. Discovering human strengths. Praeger.
8. Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. Penguin.
9. Seligman, M. E. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Simon and Schuster.
10. Sheldon, K. M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2006). How to increase and sustain positive emotion: The effects of expressing gratitude and visualizing best possible selves. Journal of Positive Psychology, 1(2), 73-82.

In Trevor Noah’s 2016 book Born a Crime, he relates his youth in South Africa under the politically-sanctioned racial segregation government known as the Apartheid, and the first couple of long periods of a fair standard by the country's dark greater part. The story is based on a mischievous young man, who battles to end up in reality as we know it is where he was never expected to exist. It is additionally the narrative of Noah’s association with his daring, defiant, and intensely religious mother--his partner, a lady resolved to spare her child from the cycle of neediness, brutality, and misuse that would eventually undermine her own life. Born in 1984 to a Black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss father, Noah isn't just an abnormality in the politically-sanctioned racial segregation of South Africa, but his reality is really illegal in the light of the fact that the system prohibited connections between individuals of various races. In my essay, I will be explaining how comedian Trevor Noah dealt with the issues of language, race and ethnicity in South Africa growing up under the Apartheid and the different sociological concepts that can be related. As well as, explaining how Noah was able to live in a society where being biracial was not accepted.

In Part 1 of Born a Crime, Noah explained the Apartheid in South Africa as a social isolation arrangement of race, language, and ethnicity. “The genius of Apartheid was convincing people who were the overwhelming majority to turn on each other.” “Apart hate is what it is. You separate people into groups and make them hate one another so you can run them all”. This allowed the separation of South Africans into different tribes by different languages such as Zulu, Xhosa, Tswana, Sotho, Tsonga, etc. Different tribes had different levels of rights and privileges, turning the tribes against one another. This separation allowed for whites to have the majority of the power and control over South Africa’s population. With Noah learning different languages it definitely had its good and bad moments at the age of nine years old, Noah, his mom, and his newborn sibling was riding in a minibus in South Africa when the driver starts driving insane. The driver has made sense of the fact that Noah’s mother was from an alternate tribe due to her speaking in Xhosa, and starts making dangers comments. Noah’s mother comes to a realization that if she doesn’t take action her then her children's lives were at jeopardy. Suddenly, as Noah is falling asleep, his mom throws him out of the minibus, and at that point hops out with the infant wrapped in her arms: 'What was that?! Why are we running?!' 'What do you mean? “Why are we running?' “Those men were trying to kill us.' 'You never told me that! You just threw me out of the car! “I did tell you”. “Why didn't you jump?' 'Jump?! I was sleep!' 'So I should have left you there for them to kill you?' 'At least they would have woken me up before they killed me'. With Noah only be nine at the time he didn’t understand the circumstances and dangers he was in if his mother wouldn't have tossed him out the minibus. As Noah continues to grow he is able to investigate his initial acknowledge about his differences and battles to characterize himself in connection to South Africa's different local ethnic gatherings. By learning various diverse languages, Noah acknowledged, he could interface with nearly anybody and fit himself into circumstances where it is hazardous to be an outcast. Noah saw it as a way to navigate, cross boundaries, and handle situations. There was an incident where Noah was walking down the street in South Africa, when a group of Zulu guys was walking behind him, closing in on him. The Zulu guys speaking in Zulu said, “Let's get this white guy. You go to the left, and I’ll come up from behind”. In fear Noah spun around and responded in Zulu, “Yo guys, why don’t we just mug someone together? I’m ready. Let's do it”. The Zulu boys were shocked at the fact Noah was one of them and began to apologize because all they wanted to do is steal from white individuals. Noah did not allow his social identity such as race or ethnicity to define who he was. Noah faced a daily reality that he self-recognized as black yet was viewed by others as mixed race. Noah went against the norms of being identified as a colored South African and used his diverse language to his advantage. Noah having such a diverse vocabulary allowed him to be accepted into different social groups within South Africa, which would usually be frowned upon for going against the social norm.

When Noah was born in 1984 during the Apartheid era, he was born into a racialized society. His mother was a black woman and father was a white man and since miscegenation laws condemned sexual relations between races, the introduction of a biracial kid violated the law and Noah was known as “born a crime”. To illuminate any interracial couples who had a child they would threaten to execute them. In particular, blacks and whites. As Noah was growing up he faced the struggles and dangers with being a biracial child, but he did not allow that to change who was. As a child, Noah’s mother had to constantly hide him because of his complexion. He was considered colored, known as having a mixed race which was independent and separate from both blacks and whites. During the Apartheid a few families had their dads run away to different nations or urban areas to get away from the destiny, to protect themselves and their families. Noah’s father was one of them, Noah and his mother had to sneak around to see his father. The only time Noah could see his father was indoors and if they walked outside, his father would walk across the street because it would raise many questions. As a child, Noah couldn't leave the yard like the other kids because his family was too frightened he’d get grabbed and removed by the police. Noah felt oddly segregated from his cousins and neighbors, however not yet understanding why he was considered so unique. If children were in the wrong colored area, children could be taken by the police and stripped from their parents' custody and sent to an orphanage. When Noah was three years old, he was fed up with the fact he was kept inside the fence while everyone else got to go play. So he dug a hole under the fence and managed his way out. His family panicked and a search team went out and found him. Not knowing he had put his family in danger, they could have been deported, grandma could have been arrested, mom sent to prison, and Noah could have been sent away. For many years Noah had to navigate and learn the ways of society with consciousness to protect himself and his family. Growing up as a biracial child I can relate to Noah in terms of similar aspects. People used to frown or look at my mother funny for having mixed kids. My grandparents did not accept the fact my mother was with a black man at first. As well as my friends and family would tease me for being mixed race. They would make comments such as “Oh so I see your acting white today” or “Oh so I see your acting black today” or “So who you acting like today?.” Growing up mixed helped shape who I am today, I did not allow others to identify who I was. The negative comments allowed me to become wiser in different aspects of life, not allowing anyone judgments to perceive who I am just like Noah.

However, the United States is a multi-racial and multi-ethnic nation, individuals from around the globe have been moving to the United States for hundreds of years. While the primary influx of foreigners originated from Western Europe, the greater part of individuals entering North America was from Northern Europe, at that point, Eastern Europe, trailed by Latin America and Asia. There was likewise the constrained movement of African Americans, which brought upon slavery for hundreds of years. Since its initial history, Native Americans, African Americans, and European Americans were considered as various races in the United States. The distinctions credited to each gathering, in any case, particularly the differences used to assign European Americans as the unrivaled race. Rather, these racial assignments were a way to think, influence, riches, land, and benefit in the hands of European Americans. Which is very similar when compared to the Apartheid era of South Africa. The Apartheid allowed for South Africans to separate and go against one another allowing the whites to become the superior race. Stripping blacks from their rights and keeping them under total control. The whites were seen as the capitalist, those who controlled the laws of the land and created conflict and inequality amongst society. While blacks were seen as proletarians, working to be able to survive in an injustice society. In the United States today, individuals are still facing the inequalities of language, race, and ethnicity. Through the criminal justice system, workplace, immigration, and from an economic stance. As well as in South Africa, even after the Apartheid black individuals today are still facing inequalities amongst whites, with the economy at a downfall being one of the major issues within the nation.

Keep in mind:
This is only a sample.

Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.

Noah was born in 1984 to a black mother and a white dad, considering that Noah was known to be born a crime during the Apartheid. Being a child of mixed race and not being accepted as the usual norm in society, did not stop Noah from living a normal childhood. He still managed to make his way and living in society as being biracial. Noah was able to be accepted in different social groups for knowing multiple different languages in South Africa. He did not allow others to identify him, he identified himself. In Trevor Noah's book Born a Crime, he relates his childhood in South Africa under the politically-authorized racial isolation government known as the Apartheid. The story depends on the childhood of Trevor Noah, who fights to finish up as a general rule as we are probably aware it is the place he was never expected to exist. It is furthermore the story of Noah's relationship with his strong religious mother- his accomplice, a woman who made plans to save her child from the cycle of destitution. Noah isn't only a variation from the norm in the politically-authorized racial isolation of South Africa, however, his existence is extremely illicit in the light of the way that the framework restricted associations between people of different races. Trevor Noah managed the issues of language, race, and ethnicity in South Africa growing up under the Apartheid and the diverse sociological ideas that were connected. Just as, clarifying how Noah had the capacity to live in a general public where being biracial was not acknowledged.

At the airport terminal, I waved my last good-byes and began to nervously walk toward the checkpoint, turning around twice, telling myself I was absolutely crazy! I had finally found a way to live in another country. There I was, on the next flight to Germany, with no knowledge of the language or how different it would actually be. But I was on a mission to be a part of a new culture and see if the grass is greener on the other side.

This was my first time on an airplane, a twelve-hour flight from Los Angeles, California to Dusseldorf, Germany. I was flying on a German Airline called LTU. I found my isle seat and tried to get comfortable when I noticed everyone was speaking German. It was quite a shock because five minutes before everyone was conversing in English. This is where the culture shock began.

The plane landed on time in Dusseldorf where my eight-hour layover would unfold into quite an adventure. I couldnt wait to get off the plane; I was so anxious, I found myself pushing the people ahead of me to hurry up. As I cornered around the turn to the exit, I caught my first glimpse of the place I had never set eyes on before, which was quite exhilarating. The skies were a perfect blue with not a single cloud in the sky, and surrounding the airport were fields that looked like they could go on forever. Once in the airport, after the chaotic entrance through customs, I collected my luggage and decided to check the place out. It was not as modern as the airport in Los Angeles, and it reeked of cigarettes due to no laws against it. Later, I found out that it

Maldonado 2 was allowed practically everywhere, even in hospitals. After walking around with two heavy pieces of luggage, I had to call home to report I was safe and talk to someone familiar. I found a pay phone and started to dial collect when a loud message began to shout in my ear. I slammed the phone down and reached into my backpack for my English-to-German book. I saw an elderly lady sitting on a bench near the phone, and I slowly moved in and sat next to her. She looked nice, so I turned to her and blurted out, Hello. I started to fumble through the pages of my book, and I couldnt find the right words to explain my problem fast enough. At this time, she was speaking to me in German, and I interrupted her with, Do you speak English? She began to ramble again, and I couldnt help but laugh because I didnt understand a word she had just said. As she went on, a young man about my age, 18 or so, approached me. Hi, is there anything I can help you with? Well, yea, I dont know how to use the phones here to call the US.OK, what you have to do is buy a phone card and, then, I can help you make the call.

He directed me to this little store directly across the way from us. I ran over and almost knocked over a rack of post cards. At the window there stood two ladies chit chatting back and forth. I had to interrupt because they did not notice me practically falling in front of them. Excuse me, I pointed to the phone cards. She surprised me with, How many minutes would you like?

Maldonado 3

The one with the most, please. I was thinking in the back of my head, do you have one that would last eight hours? I pulled out a wad of cash and was immediately pointed in another direction. I walked fast across the way to a bank that would convert my American dollars into Deutsche Marks. I had never been through so much to make a measly phone call. I grabbed the cash, which resembled play money. I then paid for my phone card and spotted my help. All full of excitement, I flashed him my card like I had just accomplished something great. Five minutes later, I was on the phone with my mom. I was talking about a mile a minute, trying to unload everything I was going through. We talked until the time on the card ran out. I needed some fresh air, so I sluggishly walked outside dragging along my luggage.

My eyes looked like watermelons as I looked around with amazement. I spotted differences everywhere. The taxi cabs were Mercedes-Benz, the people looked like they were on their way to a fashion shoot, and the signs had different symbols and German words covering them. It was incredible, almost like another world! For the next six hours, I explored and learned many new things about this foreign place. Then, I caught my connecting flight and was on my way to my final destination.

My final destination was Ingolstadt, Germany, where I would spend the next four months of my life as an au pair (nanny), but, most importantly, as a citizen of another culture. I arrived just in time for the citys hundred-year anniversary celebration and festivals. The city was alive and beautiful with tall buildings running along the streets, crops of wheat used in their famous wheat beer that surrounded the diamond shaped Maldonado 4 city and wrapped around the villages of Ingolstadt. Meeting people was really easy and fun because I found that everyone was quite friendly and helped me out with my German. The younger crowd had decent English because it is a mandatory class for them to take in school. They also knew how to throw great parties. I went to the best cultural festivals including the Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, which was extraordinary! During the festivals, the men and women would wear a special outfit called lederhosen. The beer and meats also played a major role in these festivals. People over the age of sixteen are permitted to drink, unlike America, where the age is twenty-one. In Germany, it is definitely a part of their life and culture. The varieties of meats were also a delicious cultural food served at the festivals and celebrations. I noticed that this society was very colorful and always celebrating their conquests or past achievements. Besides the friendly people, great food, and festivals, Germany has great recycling and transportation systems. To emphasize how important recycling is in German society, every place you go, they separate their trash into four categories, glass, plastic, paper, and other. I found it a little hard to get used to, but after a while, I knew where everything should go. It also helped me to become more aware of recycling and pollution. It is great for the environment, and I think it played an excellent role in the countrys beauty.

Transportation is also one of the countrys shining qualities. The buses and trains are an easy and reliable way of getting around. It is cheap and very convenient. While I was there, I traveled by both modes of transportation, including trips to Italy and Austria. It was neat being able to check out Maldonado 5 the scenic views and not having to focus on the road. I spent a so much time traveling, partying, and getting to know the culture that I didnt realize how fast the months flew by.

It was my last few days in my newfound country, and I visited most of my friends one last time before I would come back home to America. I took a good look around me before I got on the plane and knew I would miss this place. I had seen so many new things, learned a new language, and gained a better perspective on many things. This trip was a priceless learning experience that I will always cherish and remember. Germany is a gorgeous place and, one day, I would like to make it my home.

Table of contents

1. What will life be like in the future? (essay)
Infrastructure will be faster, more efficient and undergroundTransportations are by land or by rocketSpace will become humanity’s new home
2. Conclusion
3. References

What will life be like in the future? (essay)

Introduction: In this essay, I will explore what life in the future may look like. Based on my research, it seems that by the year 2100, the world will have undergone rapid and profound changes that we could not have predicted before. In the past, we could only imagine and predict the future, but now it seems like anything is possible. Background: While the world is still struggling with the machine revolution and trying to push boundaries, we have already seen many changes in our daily lives, such as typewriters being replaced by computers and tractors replacing hoes. Thesis statement: However, I believe that life in 2100 will be vastly different from life in the early 2000s. People will still need their necessities and go to work, but the way we live and work will change. The obvious changes that will occur are in the fields of science and technology, which will lead to significant improvements in infrastructure, transportation, and quality of life. For example, transportation will be faster, more efficient, and could include rockets and space travel. Space could even become humanity's new home.

Infrastructure will be faster, more efficient and underground

Topic sentence: The first change that we might see is in infrastructure which it will be faster, more efficient and underground. Evidence & citing: We usually receive poor grades and complaining from people in this country regarding our infrastructure ability. However, the infrastructure will more modern in the future with the potential of nanotechnology. By 2100, the machines either big or small machines will work together to fixed the current problems. The process to complete an infrastructure also take less time because there might have thousands or even millions of tiny or big machines working together. Commentary: This in turn can help people to less worry if there is any damage on infrastructure such as during floods, earthquake or other disaster because those infrastructures can repair quickly.

By the end of the century, railroads and tunnels will be crisscrossing the country with high-speed transportation zipping along a maintained, privately-funded system of infrastructure. For example, the high-speed railway systems will replace the current and outdated railway. So, this probably will help us to save more time to travel or go from one place to another place. Can you imagine we might be able to go from Washington, DC to New York City in less than 30 minutes? It may be not possible at this time but it will be possible in 2100.

Transportations are by land or by rocket

Topic sentence: Have you imagined how transportation will look like in 2100? I always imagine that there will have flying cars in the future. Although we always claimed that there will be flying cars, but the aerial transportation revolution that might exist will be hands-free. Evidence & citing: Even in 2020, there also semi-autonomous systems that already exist such as in commercial craft. We also can find this auto-drive system in luxury car where the car does not need human to drive as it has been set by the programmable software. With auto-drive technology, people’s safety during driving will increase compare to drive on our own because people can do other things such as picking up calls while in the car.

Commentary: By 2100, this hands-off approach will follow the evolution and human can choose whether to use autonomous aircraft or autonomous cars. They also have the option either to control the plane by operated remotely or fully autonomously. According to Stephen Pope, autonomous aircraft is much easier to create compare to autonomous cars because there are less things to think and consider when flying in the sky. Autonomous aircraft will contribute much to human when people can save more time to travel anywhere in the world. This in turn will give benefits to human that use autonomous cars and trucks which it will lead to less traffic, less accidents and less infrastructure on the ground. The coolest thing to happen on the ground is road made with some kind of magnetism created and superconducting pavement which can make the car float and no friction applied. So that, when there is no friction, this can help to solve the energy used crisis during driving as human can save more energy, since there is almost no friction to slow us down.

Space will become humanity’s new home

Topic sentence: In the late year, there was a proposed of daring mission into outer space. Evidence & citing: Unfortunately, this mission could not be accomplished as the technology of that time was not yet ready to be implemented for such an ambitious mission. However, in 2100, such mission is possible to happen. Commentary: Today, we know that working in space is limited to a privileged few such as astronauts, astronomers, etc. But, by 2100, all humans are likely to go into space and will probably become a daily routine. 2020 and years below, we always fantasized that it might be elevators to space and this fantasy will become reality by 2100. The idea for the elevator to become realized is there will be car connected on a strong line (made of carbon nanotubes) that is made of powerful magnets or robotics which allows it to climbs thousands of miles into space. This in turn, can help to save more cost, time and easier to travel to the space as we know even to send astronauts or astronomers to space cost a lot of money and preparation.

These elevators would not be used only for space tourism, but will be used for daily commutes. In the future of 2100, this will look insane when we see people make travel pass to outer space easily but, this is the reality. This become more interesting when the affordable cost makes everyone even though not from space career can travel there and they are able to see and observe more about the outer space with their own eyes compare to just read on the book or watch on media.

Conclusion

Conclusion paragraph: In conclusion, many things that are impossible to accomplish in the days of 2020 and below will become reality in the future of 2100. Human life will change dramatically and they will be exposed to more advanced technologies and machines and their life will never outdated. Human life become easier and more modern. They can study the life of the universe and nature of science more deeply and appreciate what they have. Lastly, even though the life in 2100 is more advanced and many things will change compare to year 2020s, but all people need to appreciate and be grateful with what they have.

References

1. Blitz, M. (2018, February 16). The Future Machines of the Year 2100. Retrieved from https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/infrastructure/a18198479/future-machines-2100/
2. Post Staff Report. (2011, March 20). The World in 2100. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2011/03/20/the-world-in-2100/

Introduction

Should follow an “upside down” triangle format, meaning, the writer should start off broad and introduce the text and author or topic being discussed, and then get more specific to the thesis statement.

Background

Provides a foundational overview, outlining the historical context and introducing keyinformation that will be further explored in the essay, setting the stage for the argument to follow.

Thesis statement

Cornerstone of the essay, presenting the central argument that will be elaborated upon and supported with evidence and analysis throughout the rest of the paper.

Topic sentence

The topic sentence serves as the main point or focus of a paragraph in an essay, summarizing the key idea that will be discussed in that paragraph.

Evidence & citing

The body of each paragraph builds an argument in support of the topic sentence, citing information from sources as evidence.

Commentary

After each piece of evidence is provided, the author should explain HOW and WHY the evidence supports the claim.

Conclusion paragraph

Should follow a right side up triangle format, meaning, specifics should be mentioned first such as restating the thesis, and then get more broad aboutthe topic at hand. Lastly, leave the reader with something to think about and ponder once they are done reading.