Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Kimo's essay Number 5
10.24.08
Hamilton Salsich
English 9
Essentials of Life: Appreciation
An essay on an essay
To take a classic quote by quoting from Webster’s Dictionary, appreciation is “Understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something.” Stepping back and looking at my life, I ask myself, do I really appreciate my life? I have so much to give thanks for, such as my family, my friends, my ancestors, my country. Zora Neale Hurston, and her essay, “How it feels to be Colored Me,” present a new kind of appreciation, which tells that before one can appreciate everything around them, they must first appreciate themselves.
Zora Neale Hurston, whose childhood could be described as just ordinary, began her life colorless. Zora Neale Hurston was able to appreciate from an early age that skin color didn’t mean as much as attitude and demeanor, and that possessions didn’t mean nearly as much as happiness. From even an early age, this colored girl was able to find that sense of deep appreciation that so many of us quest for in our lives. She saw the person within, not just the judgmental skin-deep layer. Zora Neale Hurston was able to do something that is not to common nowadays-she loved herself. She loved her personality, she loved her dancing, and she loved her songs. She loved her skin, and she loved her life, however hard it may have been. Her biggest question was how even though she gave so much love and happiness to the people around her, that not everybody appreciated her the same way. It is hard, when you work so hard to enjoy life, only to have someone else kick at your walls of happiness, but Zora was able to rebuild it. Because she appreciated life and everything to do with it, be it music, art, or just making the world a little bit better, this was a voluble woman who even though she saw colorless, still saw the color that shines within a person.
More often than not, I find myself lacking the appreciation that I desperately need for myself; I have never been able to love myself as much as Zora Neale Hurston. Though I have led a relatively comfortable life, I realize that I don’t appreciate it as much as I should. Like I have said, I have anything I person could want, I have friends, I have family, I have a good education, I have life. But the one thing that I do not have is harmony with me. Let me step back and look at my jumbled life and see what Ms. Hurston would have seen. She would have seen that I have a knack for math, I like to run, I’m not the best when it comes to organization, and my mind is always a little random. But I hope that she would also see a kind person, an expeditious person, who even though can be confused from time to time, always tries to help his friends and family, always tried to help the world in some small way, always trying to love what is most important. I think the time I appreciate myself and my life most is when I am with my friends. When we are all together, laughing away at some dumb joke or having serious conversations about theoretical death matches (between Chuck Norris and Optimus Prime); they just bring out the life in me. I believe that the key to a long life is to stay happy, do what you love, and always keep some good friends. Though I may not always have the compliance I need with myself, looking back, I know that I am good person, one that will always do the right thing at the right time.
To once again quote from Webster’s dictionary, to be colored, “Is the act of defined by one or more attributes.” When I see myself in the mirror, I ask myself, what is my color? Am I a vivid orange, sparkling like the sun, or perhaps a mysterious blue, that shades behind everything else; maybe I’m a polka-dotted stripedy purple, or maybe I’m just shades of gray. Unlike Ms. Hurston, I don’t know my color, but when I finally do, I’m going to let it shine as bright as I can.
Purposeful Repetition: Underlined
F.A.S.T. Words: Bold
Scarlet
Scarlet Caruso
English 9
Mr. Salsich
October 21, 2008
Have you ever looked at your self in the mirror and said, “Wow I appreciate who I am!”? Zora Neale Hurston loved almost everything about her self, and she tells us that through her essay, “How It Feels To Be Colored Me”. She looks at the positive things in life instead of the negative. She shows us a rule that maybe we should all live by; appreciate who you are!
In Zora Neale Hurtson’s essay she writes about how she appreciates who she is. She loves being herself and really does not care what other people think. She is not a quiet person and loves expressing herself. Hurston relished the way she was, and tells us that a lot. Also, she really didn’t mind being a colored person back when African Americans were discriminated against. She knew that white people didn’t like her very much but that didn’t stop her from being herself. She never got angry when people were mean to her. She acknowledged her abilities to see things in a different way than others did. She loved music and the fact that she could enjoy it in the way she did. She loved performing for the white people who came through her town, loving the fact that she had the courage to do it. Zora Neale Hurstson loved her body, loved her mind and loved her life.
Hurston appreciated herself so much, so I wonder, what do I appreciate about myself? One thing I appreciate about my self is the fact that I can make people laugh. When one of my friends needs cheering up and I can get them to laugh, it’s wonderful. I like that I can make other people happy. Secondly, I don’t really care what other people think about me, which is nice. I love being who I am and expressing my self. I appreciate that I don’t mind being me! Lastly, I think that I am good to my friends. When I’m nice to my friends both of us are happy. When I’m a good friend they appreciate me as a good pal. I love making others laugh, I love being myself and I love being a good friend.
bold= purposeful repetition
italics= FAST word
Monday, October 20, 2008
9th Grade English
Mr. Salsich
October 21 2008
An Analysis of An Essay by Zora Neale Hurston, and My Own Life
Appreciation is found in all walks of life. It is most surely found in Zora Neale Hurston's essay, "How It Feels to Be Colored Me", but I would like to think that it is found in my own life as well. Hurston explains that appreciating yourself is one of the greatest values you can have. Everyone should appreciate themselves no matter what situation you're currently in; if Hurston can so can you!
Hurston has been through tougher times then we will ever be in, and she still managed to keep her composure. She was often discriminated against horribly, and viciously. Even though she has been through all of this, she still manages to write,"How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company! It's beyond me." How anyone could still think that in times of struggle is beyond me! In addition, she was often discriminated against due to the color of her skin. She still pulled through, she was still able to make the best of a tainted society. She exclaims, "I am not tragically colored. There is no great sorrow dammed up in my soul, nor lurking behind my eyes.", because she's saying she's not mad that she's African American , she does not have any grudges towards anybody. Hurston thinks in the present, she lets go of the past and appreciates herself for who she is. Hurston explains further;"Slavery was sixty years in the past. [...] Slavery was the price i paid for civilization, and the choice was not with me.", she said this because of what i said before; she lets go of the past and appreciates herself for who she is. These values that she holds dear, should be carried out by everyone more often. Zora Neale Hurston has an incredible appreciation for herself and life in general, which is an exceptional attribute to have.
I would like to think I appreciate myself as much as Hurston appreciates herself. However, I don't have the exact same tenacity to do so, that Hurston had. I'm involved with so many things right now (e.g. school, sports and secondary school) that I haven't taken time out of my day to just appreciate me! I need to start appreciating myself for who I am. As I said before, if Hurston can do it through her struggles, than surely I can. It's not anywhere near as hard for me to have the same appreciation that Hurston did in the late 1920's. I know now that appreciation for one's self is one of the most important values to have, so I will work on it more often. Though, I do appreciate myself in a few aspects of my life. I can play lacrosse, participate in the Pine Point cross country team, start thinking about what I'm going to do next year, have a social life and still maintain decent grades in school . This is crucial to do, because I want to be the best I can be right now, so it can help me in the future. In the long run, I am going to work on this very important attribute, and hopefully improve on it over time.
This art of appreciation is an extraordinary thing to master. Zora Neale Hurston, no doubt, had done this and I hope that I eventually will too. Appreciating yourself is a wonderful thing to do no matter where or who you are.
Kate's Essay!
Mr. Salsich
October 21, 2008
Appreciation:
An Essay on Appreciation shown in the Essay
“How It Feels to Be Colored Me” and My Life
TP: Do you have things about your self that you really appreciate? Zora Neale Hurston has a lot of things she likes and appreciates about her self. Hurston is a confident and outgoing colored person. 4 In her essay, “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” she talks about what she loves and appreciates about her self.
TP: “How It Feels To Be Colored Me” is about Zora Neale Hurston, a woman who is very sure of herself. SD: Ms. Hurston doesn’t really care what people think about her, about her skin color, about her personality, or about how she acts [purposeful repetition]. CM: When she was younger she used to stand out on her porch and dance and talk to the people who walked by. CM: She didn’t mind what other people thought of her while dancing on the porch. SD: Hurston also didn’t let thing get to her. CM: When she was 13 she went to a new school and stood out from a lot of white kids. CM: When they said things to her about the color of her skin she just let it go, because they were the one missing out. They were missing out on her exciting personality, and they were also missing out on a new friendship. [purposeful repetition] SD: Zora Hurston is a very confident person. CM: I felt like the essay could have been summarized with, “this is who I am, take it or leave it”. CM: She is comfortable with who she is, and if some one doesn’t like her, or doesn’t like the color of her skin, it’s their loss. CS: Zora Neale Hurston doesn’t care what people think, because she appreciates her self.
TP: Thinking about what Hurston likes about her self made me wonder what I appreciate and like about myself. SD: The first thing that came to mind was my family. CM: My family has shaped me in to a strong caring person. CM: They have pushed me into the right direction. SD: The second thing I appreciate is my love for sports. CM: Practice is the tedious [FAST] part of playing a sport but knowing that I will become a better player for the sport I love keeps me going. CM: I may not be the best player, but I don’t mind, because I’m doing some thing I love to do. SD: I also appreciate that I can play the piano. CM: I'm not that great of a player, but when I finally master a song, it makes me feel exhilarated [FAST]. CM: Like playing sports, practicing can be boring, but I know if I don’t, I wont be about to play the song. CS: Whether I’m sitting behind a piano, running on a sports field or at dinner with my family I realize I can always find something to appreciate.
TP: No matter what you’re going through, or what you’re doing, you can always find something to appreciate. It could be your family and friends, sports, or music. But you always have to remember the aspects of your life you appreciate, like Ms. Hurston.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Kimo's revised essay
10.10.08
Hamilton Salsich
English 9
Love, Loss, Gain, and Music
A comparative essay
Is there truly any way for us not to lose this game of life? It seems like the more we gain every day, the more that we have to lose, the more for us to be hurt, the more for us to just succumb to the tortures of daily life. Life will always be difficult, but two characters who fought this storm of life are Dexter Green (“Winter Dreams”), a young successful man who was able to have anything he ever wanted- except happiness, and Sonny (“Sonny’s Blues”) , a poor Harlem man whose fight with drugs cost him more than he could ever imagine. Their own personal struggles each raise personal questions which will cause even the wisest of men to question their existence.
It may be hard to see a silver lining through the dark clouds of daily struggles, but you have to believe it’s there. Sonny’s story starts way back in high school, when he started doing drugs. He carried on this addiction for years, until it finally brought him to jail, where he lost the love and respect of his brother. Once released from jail, Sonny went through his own personal cleansing, so that the drugs would never take anything away from him again. Trying desperately to understand what Sonny was going through, Sonny’s brother invited him into his home, where Sonny gained a new love-the piano. Sonny would play that piano for every hour, every day, every waking moment he had. It was a way to pour out his soul- all the conflicting emotions raging a fiery battle within him, so that he could finally enjoy the music that now commanded his life. Because his brother was still unable to recognize the pain that Sonny endured every day, Sonny had to leave, and escaped life through the military. When he returned, he and his brother tried many times to reconcile, but it seemed do to their conflicting views they were not able to develop a brotherly relationship. In a last attempt, Sonny invited his brother to hear him play at a club, and there, with the cool jazz and mild blues playing in the background, his brother had an epiphany; Sonny had lost so much, all he needed was to do what he loved so that he could heal. The story stops there, but with the brothers reconciliation, a new foundation had been gained in Sonny’s life, so that he may never topple down again.
Even in the most diverse people and lifestyle, the simplicity of sadness can be found. Dexter Greene is a man who could not be more opposite of Sonny- He is rich, he is successful, he is the epitome of fulfillment through all his lovely possessions and accomplishments. Except Dexter has a tiny little black hole in his heart, that will never truly allow him to be happy. That hole’s name is Judy Jones, the woman who broke his heart again and again, until all that was left were shards of a man who once was. Even from boyhood, Dexter loved Judy; he quit his job as a caddy, which he was quite good at, simply so that he would not have to interact with her. In his adult years, that love intensified, leading to a relationship that would become an on and off adventure that always kept him hanging. Ultimately, he convinced himself that she would never truly love him back, and that there was nothing to gain by chasing after her, so he left, escaping to the army much like Sonny did. Years later, as he was talking with a friend, the subject of Judy Jones came up- or rather, Mrs. Lud Simms. With the new description of Judy Jones thrust upon him, now an ordinary, plain, housewife, Dexter was thrown into an ineluctable spiral that served as the final proof that his life with Judy Jones was over. His undying love for the now imaginary Judy Jones was lost and turned his life into “the story of a man who gets nearly everything he wants at the cost of nearly everything that made it worth wanting.” (Burhans Jr.) Though the end of Dexter’s story isn’t nearly as fulfilling as Sonny’s, it still serves as a horrific example of loss and gain in our lives.
Loss can be a hard thing to cope with; I recently lost a beloved grandparent, and his passing hurt me in more ways than I could have imagined. However, with every loss there is a flipside of gain; I know that I will always be able to love my Poppop, no matter what. Though Sonny and Dexter’s experiences were less than ideal, it shows how even the most untouchable people can be burned, and that music can function as a window to the soul, and that no matter what, there is no reason to ever stop on living your life. As Winston Churchill once said, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm;” without loss, one can never truly appreciate what the life one has.
Purposeful Repetition: Underlined
FAST Words: Bold
Burhans , Clinton S., Jr.. "Winter Dreams: ‘‘Magnificently Attune to Life’’: The Value of ‘‘Winter Dreams’’" Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 7 October 2008.
http://www.enotes.com/winter-dreams/magnificently-attune-life-value-winter-dreams
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Kimo Confused???
P.S., If it is the older one, please read and comment on my older essay.
Scarlet Caruso
Mr. Salsich
English
October 17, 2008
Have you ever wondered what you have lost and gained from experiences that have happened to you in your life? In these two books, Sonny’s Blues and Winter Dreams, the main characters lose something special and gain something special. In Sonny’s Blues the thing that he won were better than what he lost but in Winter Dreams it is quite the opposite. They both have great gains and sad losses.
In the book Sonny’s Blues, the main character of the story, Sonny, loses a lot of things and gains some too. In the story, he gains a closer bond to his brother once Sonny plays his blues for him. They bonded through the music Sonny played for him and then his brother understood how he could get himself wrapped up in all those bad things. His family was upset that he took the path most kids growing up in Harlem did and decided to do drugs. I think that the things the he obtained were much greater than the loss. In the end he won back some of that respect from his brother. Finally getting someone to understand your problems is a wonderful thing, and having it comprehended through music is even more amazing. The protagonist, Sonny, lost many things but getting to know his brother more, made up for them all.
In the short story Winter Dreams, Dexter, the story’s protagonist, also gains and loses important things. One thing that Dexter forfeited was the love of his life, Judy Jones. He had a choice between the woman the public wanted him to marry and the woman he loved, but ended up with a woman he could never truly love. One small thing that Dexter learned was that, you can’t always get what you want. It’s a gain he will carry with himself for the rest of his life. It’s something everyone must learn. Even though he learned a precious lesson, he could have had the love of his life, therefore I believe that what he gained does not make up for what he lost. He could have the only woman he had ever loved. Like Clinton Burhans says in the essay Winter Dreams, ‘Magnificently Attune to Life’, “all his winter dreams, except for Judy Jones, have come true.” The main character Dexter lost something greater than anything he could have gained.
As you now know, both of these story’s protagonists have lost and gained something. They both have something that has perished, whether it was a big loss, a miniature loss or a loss they didn’t even notice. The things that they gained from their experiences were small and big as well. Overall these main characters had things that they loosed and gained
Works Cited:
Clinton S. Burhans, Jr.. "Winter Dreams: ‘‘Magnificently Attune to Life’’: The Value of ‘‘Winter Dreams’’." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 9 October 2008.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
10.10.08
Hamilton Salsich
English 9
Love, Loss, Gain, and Music
A comparative essay
Is there truly any way for us not to lose this game of life? It seems like the more we gain every day, the more that we have to lose, the more for us to be hurt, the more for us to just succumb to the tortures of daily life. Life will always be difficult, but two characters who fought this storm of life are Dexter Green (Winter Dreams), a young successful man who was able to have anything he ever wanted- except happiness, and Sonny (Sonny’s Blues) , a poor Harlem man whose fight with drugs cost him more than he could ever imagine. Their own personal struggles each bring thoughts to one’s self that raise personal questions that can cause even the wisest of men to question their existence.
It may be hard to see a silver lining through the dark clouds of daily turpentine, but you have to believe it’s there. Sonny’s story starts way back in high school, when he started doing drugs. He carried on this addiction for years, until it finally brought him to jail, where he lost the love and respect of his brother. Once released from jail, Sonny went through his own personal retreat, so that the drugs would never take anything away from him again. Trying desperately to understand what Sonny was going through, Sonny’s brother invited him into his home, where Sonny found a new love-the piano. Sonny would play that piano for every hour, every day, every waking moment he had. It was a way to pour out his soul; all the conflicting emotions raging a fiery battle within him, so that he could finally enjoy the music that now commanded his life. Because his brother was still unable to recognize the pain that Sonny endured every day, Sonny had to leave, and escaped life through the military. When he returned, he and his brother tried many times to reconcile, but it seemed with their conflicting views they were not able to gain a brotherly relationship. In a last attempt, Sonny invited his brother to hear him play at a club, and there, with the cool jazz and mild blues playing in the background, his brother had an epiphany; Sonny had lost so much, all he needed was to do what he loved so that he could heal. The story stops there, but with the brothers reconciliation, a new foundation had been secured in Sonny’s life, so that he may never topple down again.
Even in the most diverse people and lifestyle, the simplicity of sadness can be found. Dexter Greene is a man who could not be more opposite of Sonny- He is rich, he is successful, he has the epitome of fulfillment through all his lovely possessions and accomplishes. Except Dexter has a tiny little black hole in his heart, that will never truly allow him to be happy. That hole’s name is Judy Jones, the woman who broke his heart again and again, until all that was left were shards of a man who once was. Even from boyhood, Dexter loved Judy; he quit his job as a caddy, which he was quite good at, simply so that he would not have to interact with her. In his adult years, that love intensified, with them starting a relationship that would become an on and off adventure that always kept him hanging. Ultimately, he convinced himself that she would never truly love him back, and he left, escaping to the army much like Sonny did. Years later, as he was talking with a friend, the subject of Judy Jones came up- or rather, Mrs. Lud Simms. With the new description of Judy Jones thrust upon him, now an ordinary, plain, housewife, Dexter was thrown in an ineluctable spiral that served as the final proof that his life with Judy Jones was over. His undying love for the now imaginary Judy Jones turned his life into “the story of a man who gets nearly everything he wants at the cost of nearly everything that made it worth wanting.” (Burhans Jr.) Though the end of Dexter’s story isn’t nearly as fulfilling as Sonny’s, it still serves as a horrific example of loss and gain in our lives.
Loss can be a hard thing to cope with; I recently lost a beloved grandparent, and his passing hurt me in more ways than I could have imagined. But all that means is with every loss, there is a flipside of gain; I know that I will always be able to love my Poppop, no matter what. Though Sonny and Dexter’s experiences were less than ideal, it shows how even the most untouchable people can be burned, and that music can function as a window to the soul, and that no matter what, there is no reason to ever stop on living your life. As Winston Churchill once said, “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm.”
Purposeful Repetition: Underlined
FAST Words: Bold
Burhans , Clinton S., Jr.. "Winter Dreams: ‘‘Magnificently Attune to Life’’: The Value of ‘‘Winter Dreams’’" Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 7 October 2008.
http://www.enotes.com/winter-dreams/magnificently-attune-life-value-winter-dreams
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
KIMO SPEAKING
Same Here!
-Scarlet=)
Hey!
Hey Scarlet, Parker and Kimo!
Just wanted to let you know if there were any mistakes in my essay, feel free to go and change it in another color. Thanks!
-Kate
I've come to realize that my essay wasn't nearly polished enough, so I've decided to rewrite it about the same topic. Please feel free to comment on my first essay, but I would also appreciate it if you read and responded to my newer, more improved one, which should be up on Wednesday. Thank you.
-Kimo Gray
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
10.07.08
Hamilton Salsich
English 9
Love, Loss, Gain, and Music
A comparative Essay
Have you ever heard the saying, “You don’t know what you have in life until it is gone?” Life can be hard, and we all know this, we all face our personal losses and gains every day. But two people who know how to live life’s hard times are Dexter Greene, a very successful young man who invested his heart in a woman who was almost as untouchable as a ghost, and Sonny, a run-of-the-mil man from Harlem, whose life was messed up by drugs. Those these two characters never met, if they had, there would have been a lot of talk about the losses and gains in both “Winters Dreams” and “Sonny’s Blues.”
Winters dreams is a story of a man who wasted two years of his life chasing after the same woman who hurt him again and again, Judy Jones. It seems like all love stories involve tragic loss and devastating heartbreak, but this story had that except about 5 dozen times. It seems like every time Dexter wanted to be with Judy, a pretty girl who was often with many different men, she would keep on hurting him. Their destructive relationship lasted on and on, but eventually the repetitive loss became too much for Dexter, and he tried to move on. Ironically, after letting go of Judy, he became engaged to another woman, but with his new fiancé he did not gain the passion and fire that Judy carried about with her. Suddenly Judy reenters the picture, and destroys Dexter’s life once again, splitting him up with his fiancé. In an effort to hide from his pain, Dexter flees to the military. Years later, having finally moved on, his friend starts telling him about the new, less fiery, now tamed housewife version of Judy Jones, much to Dexter’s chagrin. In that moment his picture of Judy Jones is destroyed, and he realizes that all his winter de=reams had come true, but in leading himself to live an imaginary vision of Judy Jones prevented him from enjoying his dreams, turning his life into “the story of a man who gets nearly everything he wants at the cost of nearly everything that made it worth wanting.” (Burhans Jr.) Dexter is no longer at peace with his dreams, as there was always one that could never been fulfilled.
Another soul who has been damaged in more ways than one is Sunny, a poor Harlem man whose life was once destroyed by drugs. On his return from Jail, his brother, who narrates the story, grudgingly decides to take him in, so that he can help Sunny to be normal. But Sonny gains a new love, music. He fills his brother’s house with the sounds of his pain, his suffering, but the brother won’t listen to Sonny. Eventually Sonny leaves, as he feels he has lost his brothers love. Multiple times they try to reconcile, but Sonny’s brother doesn’t understand that living without suffering is impossible. Sonny is similar to Dexter in the sense that they both lost loved ones; Dexter lost Judy, while Sonny lost his brother. Finally, in a desperate reach out to his brother, Sonny invites him to listen to him play at the club. There, through the cool jazz and smooth tunes Sonny’s brother is able to feel that intense appreciation, and feels Sonny’s Blues. The story ends there, but that does not mean that this inspiring story ends without one more gift- a gift of friendship and understanding between the two brothers.
It’s true that sometimes our life can seem less than ideal, but we can always try to find some way to make the best of it. Be it a simple struggling homework assignment, or an argument worth a friend, just remember Sonny’s patience and understanding, Dexter’s determination, and channel that indefinable peace, one that only count their losses, so that more gains will come in the future. As Winston Churchill once said, Success is the ability to go from one failure to another without loss of enthusiasm.”
Burhans , Clinton S., Jr.. "Winter Dreams: ‘‘Magnificently Attune to Life’’: The Value of ‘‘Winter Dreams’’" Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 7 October 2008.
http://www.enotes.com/winter-dreams/magnificently-attune-life-value-winter-dreams
Mr. Salsich
9th grade English
October 6, 2008
Both short stories, “Sonny's Blues”, by James Baldwin and “Winter Dreams” by, F. Scott Fitzgerald's have gains and losses. I feel like sonny, a drug addict had more gains then Dexter the successful man. Sonny’s life was hard but he knew where he belonged, unlike Dexter.
I feel that when sonny has a loss, he ends up with a gain too. The loss that starts the story is when Sonny’s parents die. I think it really hurts him and he hides the pain by playing the piano. With him playing the piano, he skipped school and started using drugs. One of the gains is that Sonny got the respect of his brother. At first the narrator didn’t believe that playing the piano should be the only thing in Sonny’s life, and his job. But the narrator finally hears Sonny playing the piano he realizes that sonny belongs there. Another gain in “Sonny’s Blues” is Sonny’s appreciation for music. This gain is shown through the whole story. It starts at the beginning when his parents die and can be found through out the whole book. When the narrator stopped to listen at the end of the story it made it seem that sonny was going to stop using drugs and his life may turn in to a better life.
I feel that Dexter in the short story “Winter Dreams” has more losses then gains. One gain that he does have is success. When Dexter moved to the city and went to collage he learned a lot it helped him start his own business. The business turned him from a caddy at his golf course to a golfer. When Dexter goes back to gold he sees Judy Jones again and thinks she’s even beautiful them before. He and Judy have a thing for a few days and Judy decides to moves on and leaves Dexter. Loosing Judy was not deters biggest loss, it was that her personality faded when she got married to the man she loved. All though she had the gift of “eternal youth (Burhans)” as the essay, ‘‘Magnificently Attune to Life’’: The Value of ‘‘Winter Dreams’’ says Dexter loved her personally more and the way she got what she wanted. . But now she got what she wanted and her personality was vanishing, disappearing and evaporating. His losses are through out the book and there are only a few gains.
Both of the stories are good and different. They make you think about different things but they are also similar by both having gains and losses. They both teach you a different lesson with there gains and the same with the losses. Both stories and protagonist have gains and losses.
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Works Cited
Burhans , Clinton S., Jr.. "Winter Dreams: ‘‘Magnificently Attune to Life’’: The Value of ‘‘Winter Dreams’’." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 7 October 2008. .
http://www.enotes.com/winter-dreams/magnificently-attune-life-value-winter-dreams
Parker Verhoeff
Mr. Salsich
9th Grade English
06 October 2008
You Have to Lose Some to Gain Some:
An Analysis on Two Short Stories
In both, “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald; the main characters are very captivating. Sonny (of “Sonny’s Blues) and Dexter (of “Winter Dreams”) are affected by their losses and gains tremendously, throughout their stories. They both endured their share of hardships, and welcomed contentment. They both had completely different experiences but, like in all of life, they have to suffer before they can succeed.
Sonny had to lose a lot to gain a little. He had to lose his brother to gain his music ability. Sonny’s brother didn’t want him to play music at all, especially jazz, the music Sonny enjoyed the most. Sonny lost all contact with his brother for some time, just so he could become a skilled musician. In addition, Sonny went down the “wrong path” before he could realize what the right one was. He became addicted to heroin, and had to break the habit by realizing he wasn’t just hurting himself, he was hurting the ones around him- mostly his older brother. He originally tried heroin because of music and musicians around him, but the heroin was threatening to ruin his piano playing abilities. In turn, when he quit, he got his music and brother back. All of which, means that he had to lose his old life to gain a new one. He had to break that heroin addiction, and he had to lose his old friends that were a bad influence on him. Sonny had done this to gain his brother and his piano back from the depths of his heart, where he hadn’t looked in so long. “Sonny’s Blues” was a story about Sonny’s struggles to gain what might not seem like much, but what meant the world to him.
On the other hand, Dexter Green started out with nothing and gradually worked his way to the top. Dexter gained power in his business, but lost Judy Jones. He became very successful, but lost his one and only true love. Dexter did, indeed lose Judy, and instead had the picture of “Ms. Lud Simms” forever stained on his mind. This wasn’t for the better, but he knew that he was going to have to accept the fact that she had changed after she married. “[H]e loses not only his ability to go on loving her but […] apart of himself, […] his love for Judy and his dream of having her […] by forcing on him a new intolerable image of Judy.” (Burhans 2), he can’t even love her anymore, from the images that were embossed in his mind of “Ms. Lud Simms” instead of Judy Jones. Much like Sonny, Dexter abandoned his old life to obtain a new one. He tried to forget about the past, forget about Judy, so he finally got engaged to a new woman. He tried to look forward to his future in the east with his profitable, new business. He achieved all of this, except for the Judy Jones part. In the end, he attained all of his “Winter Dreams”, except for his single, true love.
“Sonny’s Blues” and “Winter Dreams” are exceptional stories. The main characters are completely different, but they both have to endure suffering and be able to gradually bounce back. They both need to e able to gain a moderately better life than they previously had. It’s the same in all of life; you have to lose some to gain some.
Works Cited
Burhans , Clinton S., Jr.. "Winter Dreams: ‘‘Magnificently Attune to Life’’: The Value of ‘‘Winter Dreams’’." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 15. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 7 October 2008.
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Scarlet's Essay #4
Have you ever wondered what you have lost and gained from some experience that has happened to you in your life? In these two books, Sonny’s Blues and Winter Dreams, the main characters lose something special and gain something special as well. In Sonny’s Blues the thing that he won was better than what he lost but in Winter Dreams it is quite the opposite. They both have great gains and sad losses.
In the book Sonny’s Blues the main character of the story, Sonny, loses a lot of things and gains some too. In the story he gains a closer bond from to his brother once Sonny plays his blues for him. They bonded through the music Sonny played and then his brother understood his understand how he could get himself wrapped up in all those bad things. They were upset that he took the path that most kids growing up in Harlem at the time did, de decided to do drugs. I think that the gain that he obtained was much greater that the loss. In the end he won back some of that respect from his brother. Finally getting someone to understand your problems is a wonderful thing, and having it comprehended through music is even more amazing. The protagonist, Sonny, may have lost many things but the thing that he gained made up for them all.
In the short story Winter Dreams, Dexter, the story’s protagonist, also gains and loses a lot of important things. One thing that Dexter lost was the love of his life. He lost Judy Jones. He had a choice between the woman the public wanted him to marry and the woman he loved, but he didn’t take the risk and ended up with a woman he could never truly love. One small thing that Dexter learned was a good life lesson and that is, you can’t always get what you want. It’s something he will carry with himself for the rest of his life. Maybe it’s something that he will teach to everyone he knows and he will be a little bit wiser because of it. Even though he learned a precious lesson, he could have had the love of his life, therefore I believe that what he gained does not make up for what he lost. He could have the only woman he had ever loved. Like Clinton Burhans says in the essay Winter Dreams, ‘Magnificently Attune to Life’, “all his winter dreams, except for Judy Jones, have come true.” The main character Dexter lost something greater than anything he could have gained.
As you now know both of these story’s protagonists have lost and gained something. They both lost something, whether it was a big loss, a miniature loss or a loss they didn’t even notice they lost something. The same goes for the things that they both gained. Overall these main characters had things that they lost or gained.
