Our World to be Detroyed.

Author's Note: The novel, Fahrenheit 451, had a big effect on me. I thought that it was so true that our society today is so sucked into technology, me included. We really need to take a step back and see that technology isn't everything and that we'd be able to make it through life without it. We need to realize the rawness of those moments we love and we need to see that if we let technology take us over those moments and those feelings will be lost. I didn't really make this essay about the biggest thing in the novel, how knowledge was lost with the books, because this aspect of the book really spoke to me and made me realize a lot more about life and how we do kind of take advantage of it. I really like this essay and I'm very passionate about and I hope I kind of show you guys the importance of our emotions. Well, enjoy!


War is usually seen as something horrible and torturous but when a war destroys a world that needs to be destroyed, it only seems necessary. In the novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, the dystopic world he creates gets so bad and hopeless that only destruction could fix it. The war that started actually ended up helping this emotionless, technology-dependent world by letting them completely restart. Sometimes destruction is not only bad, but good can come out of it, especially when we need it most.

Humans need emotions to live and technology is only separating them from it. The allure of technology is where humans get lost. They think that technology will solve everything but it won’t; technology can only help us do tasks, it cannot be emotion, it cannot be love, it cannot be life. Nothing can replace what we really need in life and humans get the ridiculous idea that it can. We should be smart enough to see that we can’t advance technology to a point that it becomes stronger than the strongest, most dominant race on earth. Emotions are what separate us on Earth; grass can’t feel agony and stones can’t know the feeling of the wind against its gray, petrified skin. We know our emotions and our feelings and we let them get to our bones, we let them move us. If technology replaces these, we will become numb, we will not feel anything and that is where we will fall.

In a world where technology is the ruler and humanity is put on the back burner, there is a point where the world can’t function like that anymore; it gets to a point where it needs to be destroyed and rebuilt again. A phoenix is a mythical firebird that burns itself when it dies and is reborn from its own ashes. The bird is a symbol of immortality and resurrection. At the end of the novel, the world that Montag lives in had gotten to a point where being human was becoming impossible. People in Montag’s world have tried to reach eternal bliss which is impossible in reality. People in this world are numb; they feel nothing and think nothing. They risk their lives, by speeding and crashing cars, just so they can feel something, even if it’s only for a second. They want to feel that adrenaline and that panic inside of them because they hadn’t felt anything in so long. They are told that they are happy and they have believed that they are but deep down in their subconscious, they know that they are missing something. They are missing the emotions humans need; love, sadness, loneliness, pure happiness, all of these things humans need in life to prevent them from becoming robots themselves. When our world gets like this we need to find a way to be reborn because our world will end if we don’t start fresh.

There are a lot of things in this world that get humans lost. Technology is one but laziness, cruelty and carelessness are things that we bring upon ourselves. There are people out there who are selfish and conceited and think that their happiness is all that matters; in fact most humans are like that. In the novel, people have forgotten about others, they have forgotten that being caring is something important in life and the world around them has begun to fall apart because of it. We have to stop thinking that our happiness is the only thing in the world that matters, we have to start thinking about other people and about what really makes us happy. Video games and cell phones shouldn’t bring happiness to us, the people who are texting us or talking to us face-to-face is what should make us happy. Helping other people should make us happy; caring for other people should make us happy. The Internet and other technology shouldn’t be what matters most, it should be the people who make us laugh and who make us cry; it should be those people and moments that matter most. We should notice the leaves changing in the fall and we should notice the way the person we love smiles, the way our friends sit with us and be with us, just because we need each other. Our world should be filled with beautiful moments and people but we are letting ourselves forget these things. Sooner or later our world will only become what we fear most.

In the novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, he paints us a picture of a world that deserves to be in nightmares and shows us that the way our society is heading, this is the world we will end up living in. He has helped some people realize that the way we handle technology is irrational. The other people who have not realized this need to before things get to out of hand. People need to comprehend that technology can’t replace the most important things in life and that it can only temporarily stop the need. The way our society is heading, we will probably be in the same situation as in the novel and the only way to help us is to destroy everything and rebuild. Destruction is evil, yes, but it is also very helpful when our society is evil as well; destruction will help us restart because there is no other way we can get back to normal.

Pain is Necessary!

Author's notes: This is a response to pages 110-125 of the novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, about how pain is a necessary thing in life.  The acts that Montag goes through in this section of the book have a big impact on his mental status and he does some crazy things.  At the end of the reading, Montag gets stronger from his pain and that's what I'm writing about in this response. Enjoy.

“What doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.” – Fredrick Nietzsche; Most people follow this quote when things in their lives have gotten so harsh and tormenting that it’s difficult for them to be strong.  Strength is something we need in life, whether it is physical or mental strength.  We need physical strength to help defend ourselves but having mental strength is the hardest thing to achieve.  When we live in a world where people are cruel and conscienceless, it’s the mental strength that helps you get through it, not the physical.  In the novel, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, he shows us how a man can go from the lowest point in his life to someone that has so much determination and so much drive to get where he’s going that he emerges from his pain with so much concentration and poise that he seems a new man.  Pain is something we need in life to get stronger and mental strength is something we need to get stronger from our pain.

Guy Montag is a victim of physical and mental distress.  He is constantly beat up by himself and others and he’s getting lost in all the confusion of it.  There is a scene in the novel where Montag lights his boss, Captain Beatty, on fire, killing him.  Montag had been stretched to his limits; he has finally hit the wall and goes insane, if only for a second.  Montag has had a hard time controlling his thoughts and organizing them so he let all of this confusion and rage come out in a single moment.  Montag was so brutally in pain, mentally, that he lost all strength, mentally.

Pain is necessary but Montag lives in a world where there isn't supposed to be pain but Montag also lives in a world where a person’s thoughts are so confined and confusing that they are forgotten all together, people were made to believe that thoughts are forbidden and that they must listen to what the power says, not to listen to their own thoughts and feelings.  Montag is different, he has finally let his thoughts come out of his sub-conscious and become real.  He has tried to rebel but he let his thoughts get the best of him.  These intense thoughts were beating at his mind so much, it made his mind overflow.  These explosive actions have caused Montag much more pain but he has learned from them.  The pain he went through made him smarter and more careful, or stronger, and he has become a better and more understanding person from them.

Pain is something necessary in life and we all have to live with it, no matter who we are.  Pain is something that helps us even though it may not seem like it.  In the novel, Montag goes through such excruciating pain that it is rare that we go through the same thing but it is still pain and it is still necessary because Montag grows from his pain, just as we do. Pain is something that will always come with life and avoiding it will only make things worse; pain is necessary so never run away from it.

Acts of Patriotism

Author's Note: I wrote this essay for the Veteran's Essay Competition. I thought that it was a good idea to introduce that patriotism is not only in the military but also in other occupations and acts. I think that it is important that we see that fighting is not the only way to be patriotic. Well, enjoy.

Patriotism is not fear; we do not cower away when we are attacked; it is not hate; we do not retaliate on the innocent; and it is not evil; our actions do not have immoral thoughts behind them; but it is love. It is such strong love and passion for a country and its people that soldiers are willing to put their lives on the line. When they sign up, they are signing a contract that says they could possibly die for their country and, even under those circumstances, they still sign their name. They leave their family and their friends so they can protect them, so they can make sure no one will ever hurt them. Patriotism is everything because we would have nothing if those people didn’t sign their names.

Patriotism, our love for our country, can be shown through many actions and ideas other than fighting. Actions like teaching and paying our taxes are considered patriotic acts. Teachers choose to become the role models and educators for the children of our country and they should be thanked because we wouldn’t have a country if we didn’t have education. These people do something important and difficult in their lives, they show us they care enough to make a difference and we should be grateful for that.

Teaching may be one alternative way to show patriotism but another important way is paying taxes. Paying your taxes is very important because it is very easy to get away with not paying them, but those people that do pay their taxes are only making our country a better place to live. When we pay our taxes we are paying for all the extra expenses our country has, like the military, health-care benefits, interest on the national debt and Social Security. If everyone in the country paid their taxes then our country would be even more advanced than it is now but we should just be grateful that a majority of our population does pay their taxes.

Our strong love for our country is our strong acts of patriotism. We can show people how important patriotism is by doing all these things and showing them the positive results we would get. The future of our country depends on our actions today whether it is in teaching, military or paying taxes; just doing these things can only make our home a better place. If those people don’t keep showing us they care, our country will keep cascading down onto itself and it will take even harder and more determined work to dig us back up. If we keep remembering that patriotism does not mean we fear and cower away from our enemies and that we don’t do these things from hate but that we appreciate and cherish what we have and that we will do anything for our country then we will truly be the best country we can be.

Power: Then and Now

Essay response to Animal Farm by George Orwell

Literature throughout the ages seems to always question people of power--the people that messed up; the people who let the power drive them to insanity. In the novel, Animal Farm, the author, George Orwell, writes about exactly that; how people of power should never be trusted. Power is practically a lethal weapon and when strong enough, can not be stopped. Great power is the most dangerous power when that power and control is not shared. Power comes in many forms, from controlling and demanding to praising and loved, but they all have potential to turn into a spiraling downfall.

When power is compared, it has its many similarities but it also has its differences. For instance, when power of rulers before are compared to the celebrities now, the power is completely different. Power then, to people, means kings and queens and dictators and, in our eyes, most of them used their power to do evil but when we look at celebrities today, we love them and praise them for their abilities. Think of Oprah, think of how she has this huge show that millions of people watch, think of when she has a product or service advertised on that show, by Oprah herself, the first thing the watchers do is go out and buy it, thinking that it will work. The power the woman has is massive, she could say anything and people would believe her. Now, her power isn’t that bad though, only a few lies here and there but that’s just human weakness; we can’t help it, but the powers of rulers then was much worse. First, the time was much stricter and laws were less strict about what a ruler could or couldn’t do. They could get away with lies and cruel discipline, that normally no one would be able to get away with now. Power then was horrific and scaring when compared to most people of power now; power before was only fueled by one thing, fear.

Napoleon is a perfect example of a ruler that is cruel and merciless. Napoleon, who the animal version of Stalin, seems to think that harsh consequences are earned with every act of disobedience. He forces fear to pulse through his supposed comrades veins while he murders their kind if front of their eyes. He makes his own rules and is too ignorant to notice that the some animals are on to him. That Clover, who can not read, can still see past these bogus lies he’s put out. This is one flaw in Napoleon’s plan for power, that one little crack that has the potential to burst, the potential the rebel against his evil ways. Yet, Clover only suspects and does not take advantage of it when she had the chance. Same with Benjamin, an old donkey meant to play the role of the Jewish community during the Russian Revolution, who knows the stealthy ways Napoleon runs things and just lays back and watches his friends suffer. To this, I disagree, people should always speak out even if it means consequence to them or if too scared to, make a plan to slowly make the power deteriorate. Sometimes, keeping what you know inside can not only hurt you but the people around you when the time comes, when things get too bad to handle.

Even now, we, as humans, still dream of major power; it is what most people crave. We can’t help but to take advantage of it, to do what we want when we finally have it. In Animal Farm, Napoleon is overwhelmed by this new power he has and is controlled by it, causing cruelty and chaos at his will. A good ruler has to share his power and share their ideas, otherwise we might never know what’s going through their heads as they watch us from their high thrones of power. It is things like power that, in fact, keep our world together but it is also what can crush our world to pieces.

I Promise.

A scene from A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks. This book is told by the main character, Landon Carter, who is older, and is revisiting the past. I rewrote the scene from Jamie Sullivan's view. Jamie is the Reverends daughter so she has a huge faith in God and thinks that helping people is the only way to get by. It may seem slightly confusing but I want you to read it carefully because this scene, as I later learned, means a lot more than just a boy asking a girl to the dance. Also, Landon is reflecting on when he and Jamie were seventeen which was in 1958 so some of the dialog might sound kind of weird.

The evening sun setting low to the horizon but still hot against our faces, sending a gentle glow to the air. He came to tell me something, to ask me something important. I stare at him for a while, at his deep, rich brown hair and those sky blue eyes, before he actually starts to talk.

"So why weren't you at school?" which is not exactly what I was expecting but I play along, waiting for him to build up his courage.

"My father and I had to stop by the hospital," she smiles, hoping he won't ask her what's really wrong, I couldn't bare to lie about it like I have so many times before.

"Is the Reverend okay?" he asks with mocked concern, which is not surprising since they haven't liked each other much since Landon could talk.

"Oh, he's fine just a little tired," I say, that's not a lie, right? I mean my father has been tired a lot lately.

"Well, that's good.... It's nice out, isn't it? A lovely day, just lovely...," he trails off, knowing he has to eventually get to the point of his unexpected visit.

I flash him an encouraging smile, "Landon, you didn't come over to talk about weather, did you?" I try to laugh lightly to release some pressure on him, urge him to just spit it out.

"No," he takes a deep breath, preparing himself, "Truthfully, Jamie, I came to ask whether you would want to go to the homecoming dance with me?" He finishes quickly as if he were embarrassed to ask that, embarrassed to be sitting here with me.

"Well, I'd have to ask my father to go but I suppose, yes," I smile. I can tell I'm his only option since all the other girls in school probably have already been asked. I wouldn't want to ruin his homecoming by saying no, would I? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. I look at him and remember looking at him in Drama, I can tell this is going to be more than a date to homecoming, I could see it then and I can see it now even if he might not see it yet. He smiles at me but only in relief, it's not like he likes me, well at least not yet anyway. He will fall in love with me but I will only break his heart in the end.

"Uh, Landon, can you promise me something?" I ask casually and look at the red roses off the edge of the porch, I can feel the sudden tiredness rush through me and sweat begin to form on my temples, even in the shade it was hot but I knew I was tired because of my illness not because of the sun. Landon takes a sip of the sweet iced tea that I gave him earlier.

"Well, depends on what it is?" he smiles shyly and I laugh, he really is sweet. He runs his hand through his hand, nervously. I have no idea what he has to be nervous about but it's probably because I keep staring at him, which is, no doubt, making him uncomfortable.

"Promise me, you won't fall in love with me?" I try to make it sound as casual as possible, not wanting him to freak out and stress over it. Though, this is a serious question but my condition must be kept a secret because I want no sympathy; I want a normal life even though I won't be around long enough to live one. The thought makes me choke up but I swallow the knot in my throat and let a small smile play across my lips.

"I promise," he laughs and stiffly gets up and walks to the front steps after saying good-bye and giving his thanks. As I watch him walk back down the walkway, I can't help but think he's going to have a hard time keeping that promise.


Also, a few additional notes, I modified the scene a little so it's a little different and that Jamie has a incurable Leukemia which is why she can't fall in love with Landon but also a good question to think about; how does she know he'll fall in love with her?

The Music of His Life

This poem is based off the novel The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks in the view of the father, Steve, who died of pancreatic cancer. This is my first time writing a poem responding to a book so I struggled a bit with it and it doesn't flow as well as I want it to. I try to tell a story but I don't know if it really worked out so let me know. Also, more about the book, is that Ronnie, the daughter, was a rebel and hadn't talked to her dad for three years until the summer she visited her dad. Her dad taught at Julliard and hopes that Ronne will one day play there herself. She stopped playing after her premiere at Carnegie Hall. Jonah, the son, is a ten year old boy who is mature for his age but is underestimated in his ability. This story had multiple themes, due to the varying in point of views, the theme of Ronnie is a teenager growing into a woman and finding her true self. Jonah was a young boy who, in one summer, finally realized what life was. Steve was a father who, in the end, forgave himself for all the failures in his life. Again, after you read the poem, please comment because I really want to know what I can improve on. Also, when you look at this either zoom out to 75% or 50%

Romance to Reality

A response to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

As time passes people expect children to mature and develop into successful adults. The child should always grow up but in Tom’s world, Tom never does. He goes strolling along in life acting the same way as he did when he was a toddler and since this time and place he’s in, lets him, why should he have to change? A boy has to become a man at one point in time otherwise when he gets into the real world outside of his childhood security blanket, he will be caught off guard and get swept way in the harsh waters of life.


The novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer shows us this world of romance that people crave actually did exist and, yes, there is evil, evil that is scary but the evil is still human and still holds human weakness unlike when compared with irony, a world where evil is all powerful and merciless. Tom’s world is painted brilliantly with bright pastels that radiate happiness while our world has those colors but every one is tinted with looming and menacing shadows. The only real evil in Tom Sawyers life is Injun Joe, the murderer of Dr. Robbinson and at the end, the town ends up forgiving Injun Joe. A huge difference between reality and romance is that in a romance world people forgive easily but in real life we have a difficult time with forgiveness because we know our kind and that the evil in a person can emerge at any time, revisiting their old self and knowing they might never change back into the person we thought we once knew. The truly evil never change and people don’t just forgive the evil men and women in the world for what they’ve done because the trust is now broken between them.


Not only is there very few evil in the novel but also the evil accentuates the romance incorporated in town of St. Petersburg. Injun Joe crafts a plan in his head to get the money and to not get the noose tightened around his neck. This plan would have worked out if Tom and Huck hadn’t witnessed the murder on that night in the cemetery. The pair keeps it a secret until Tom’s one moment of weakness comes and he tells all at Muff Potter’s murder trial. Injun Joe hops out the window and escapes from being captured. The romance in this is that Tom holds this dark secret for so long. A huge human weakness is resisting your conscience and only the real cold-hearted evil can keep a secret that leads to something important.


Tom is a child of innocence and is unchanging in his adolescent actions. Tom has the possibility to be a responsible and achieving kid but he has these moments where it is easy to lose all hope for him. Tom, in the novel, shows his evil side combined with his innocent side. When the boys run off to the pirates and Tom watches people mourn over him, this is a sign that Tom really could be evil on the inside. The kid is so lost in the world inside his head that he doesn’t even comprehend the cruelty in his actions and when people call him out, he always finds a way to make it sound right and all in good fun. His obstinate behavior disallows him to see that he really is hurting people without knowing it for instance when Tom tries to get Becky back by making her jealous but almost ruining their mediocre relationship. He needs to expand his practically nonexistent corner of the universe and see what life really is like.