Toward the Future/From the Past

1. This was the first play that I have ever written. Though, I did enjoy it more than I though. However, this style of writing is much different from the myriad of essays and other forms of writing that I have grown tired of over the years. The biggest limitation to me was the implication of stage directions/designators and how/when to use them. Some pleasent surprises I found in writing a play that it goes very quickly---which was nice. There wasn't much dabbling with the inner emotions of the characters, but rather extracting those inner emotions through body language and tone(s) of voice.

2. One main thing in my life that I could write about, similar to Ms. Tan's essay, is the relationship that I have with grandfather. He's taught me a lot of things and I try to emulate the qualities that he practices in his everyday life. The quality I have the most admiration for is his how he isn't very fickle at all. He will tell you what he thinks, but in a manner that will guide you towards achievement. One way that I could represent his influence could be from selecting from a handfull of converstations that we've had and re-create the moment in an original way.

3. Advice that I would give to a young kid would be to respect everyone's differences no how unrelated you may be. This also correllates to being who you're meant to be---not how others see you. With an open mind you'll be much more inclined and open to meeting new people without an already altered sense of judgment only because everyone shares that stereotype. I would guess that this would be a hard thing to stay focused on, but in the long run, all of the respect and compassion that you've shown for others will be so beneficial to your well being as a person.

Assignment #11

1. Besides the characters, the theme is the most important element in literature. However, the characters and the theme directly correllate to one another becasue without well developed characters, you cannot further the theme. The theme in a story is what the writer is trying to convey to the reader. I would think that it is commonplace for great works of literature to have thorough elements within the theme.

2. I think good literature lasts because it can appeal to so many people. Nowadays, people can change so quickly and personalities are complex. When a writer can reach out to so many different groups, his/her work will last forever because there is always a new group with appeal to the work.

3. One thing that I would like to leave behind me is the impression that I lived my life without any regrets and did what I wanted to do. Striving to do things that make you happy will ultimatley make someone's life much more enjoyable. I think sometimes people hold onto an idea and pursue a dream that they know isn't for them because they think people will feel different about them---that's not what I want to do. Writing can have a big role in this because it is a creative outlet for what I think needs to be done.

I am a thinker, and I think thinks

1. An issue that concerns me today is the growing abuse that we continue to put on our planet. Whether you believe in global warming or not, there is a growing problem that needs to be fixed. Our society today is fixed on getting more and more and making things bigger and bigger. However, we're not thinking about having more for the future. We're not setting up our children to have a fullfilling life. Commercial farms have ruined family farmers and have also created a lesser product while maintaining less quality. Another example is the amount of expanding that we're doing in order to create more space for organizations that really have no purpose. As a result, amazing parts of the world are being destroyed. The biggest problem though, is not the issue itself, but that no one seems to have any urgency to fix it. We, as a whole, have the power to change this, but no one steps up to the plate.

2. Alberto Granado. This guy was, and still is ahead of his time. He didn't care whether or not the people were sick and/or poor. He just wanted to help them and do all that he could. I think today, we're missing people like that---peope who would sacrifice their own well being to help others out. Thats something admirable.

3. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk. This book was pretty amazing. It was a satirical look at society and all the explanations that we need to give to everything because we are never satisfied with the true beauty of the world.