Anecdotes that relates wisdom - Essay Example

?Topic Journal A Separate Peace 3 PREVIEW In this lesson, you’ll write an anecdote that relates some kind of wisdom. Your anecdote should share some insight or wisdom drawn from the experience. You can choose any writing style that’s comfortable for you. This will be similar to some of the anecdotes you read in Lesson 5. (See pages 932-934 in your textbook.) Journal entry A mother with her 3-year-old daughter rode a bus. They were going to watch a movie. An obese woman entered the bus and occupied two seats. The bus conductor looked at her and smirked. He mentioned something to a nearby passenger and they laughed. The girl saw this and asked her mother: “Mom, why are they laughing at that woman?” Her mom answered: “They are laughing at her, because she is fat.” Her daughter looked confused and said: “I would not laugh at anyone just because they are bigger than me. That would be rude.” At the theater, they watched the movie “Shrek.” When the scene showed Shrek being introduced to the public and people either laughed at him or looked disgusted, her child asked her: “Mom, why are they laughing at Shrek?” Her mom replied: “Because he is ugly my dear. They are laughing at him for being ugly.” Her daughter looked puzzled again and stressed: “But mom, Shrek is not ugly at all. He just looks different, but he sure is not ugly.” At home, the daughter seemed sad. Her mom asked her what was bothering her. She said that at school, some of her classmates said that she did not look like her mom, because her mom looked “ugly.” She told her mom: “I told them that you’re the most beautiful face in my universe. And you know mom, I wanted to hurt them. I wanted to push them away. But I stopped myself. Because if I did that, then I would be the ugly one.” The mother couldn’t help but cry. Lesson 6 Journal Entry # 1 of 10 Journal Exercise 6.1: Prewriting - Anecdote With Wisdom Brainstorm a list of possible topics. To begin, you'll need to think of an experience that taught someone a lesson. Like John Knowles, you can draw from the experiences of your own life or you can write pure fiction. Either way, your anecdote should share some insight or wisdom drawn from the experience. You can choose any writing style that's comfortable for you. For example, you may want to go with a personal, first-person narrator like Gene. You may want to write in an omniscient voice to show what all of the characters are thinking. Read back through some of the selections in Collection 13 to see if anything strikes you. Your list can be a mini-version of a writer's notebook. Jot down as many different anecdote ideas as you can to give yourself a lot of choices later. Your list might be just a phrase or two to remind you of the characters and maybe the lesson, or it might include more detail about some ideas, like a description of a setting. You should list at least three possible anecdote ideas and the lessons that go with them. Journal entry 1) The anecdote is about a woman who learns the value of simplicity from her own daughter. Her daughter shows her that brands and money do not matter to her. Expensive trips do not matter to her. It only matters that her mom gives her time and attention, because time and attention meant that her mom loved her more than anything in this world. 2) The anecdote is about a workaholic man. He has bought his own house and two automobiles already. Aside from that, he has enough savings that can last him two years or more. But somehow, he is not happy. He learns from an old man with memories of his family that material things are nothing with no one to share them with. 3) The anecdote narrates the life of a scientist looking for the fountain of youth. He already tested several animal and plant enzymes, but he could not find anything that could maintain one’s youth. Depressed, he left his life and became a nomad living in the forest, where he meets his future wife. They have a family together. The lesson is not about being young forever, but growing old with people one loves. 4) The anecdote depicts the life of a shopaholic. Margie shopped like the world will end tomorrow. Soon, just two years of having a job as a receptionist, she accumulated $15,000 worth of debts that she could no longer pay. She realized that she could go to jail, and drastically changed her view of her life. She cut all her cards and lived by cash. She ate healthy and cooked for herself. She also walked or did other physical activities instead of shopping. She lost weight, become healthier, and felt happier. She had fewer clothes and shoes, and the rest of her accessories. Somehow, she felt freer and lighter. The lesson is that material things are heavy burdens to the soul. Lesson 6 Journal Entry # 2 of 10 Journal Exercise 6.2: Your Own Blitzball Write a description of a game that would suit your talents (athletic, intellectual, logical, musical, etc.) perfectly. Be sure that you capture some of the effervescence Finny shows about Blitzball. Make the game up so it's fun for other people to play as well (even if you'll wind up the champion…). In your description, be sure to include a list of equipment and three or four "rules." You might also want to describe a sample game or draw a picture to accompany your ideas. Your game should include a brief description of the game, an equipment list, and three to four rules for the game. Journal entry The game that I have in mind is intellectual in nature. I will choose several words and put them on a piece of paper. They are called the “secret words.” They can refer to places or food, or anything at all, such as “fried chicken” or “squid” or “Oklahoma.” There will be two players: Player 1 and Player 2. I will put one of the words on the forehead of Player 1. I will tape it to some kind of a headband, so that I would not have to directly put this paper on the forehead skin itself. Player 1 will guess what that word on his forehead is. The other player will help Player 1 by saying “yes” or “no.” The rules of the game are: 1) Player 2 can only say “yes” or “no.” 2) Player one can organize his guessing into “places,” “people”, “events,” “food,” “parts of the house,” and other categories. 3) Player 2 can use gestures and facial expressions to help Player 1 make the right guess. 4) The audience should not say anything that will reveal the secret word, or else, the game will start over. 5) Players who can guess the most words in 5 minutes will win the game. 6) In cases of a tie, the tie-breaker is that the team that can guess the secret word the fastest will win. The list of equipment consists of: 1) Pentel pen 2) Tape 3) Head gear Lesson 6 Journal Entry # 3 of 10 Journal Exercise 6.3: Pre-writing: Symbolic Details Write an anecdote that relates some kind of wisdom. Describe a symbol that you might include in your anecdote. It should be an element that will be important to the action of the anecdote but that will also hold a greater meaning for your readers. For example, if you were going to write about the lessons learned from a fall, as John Knowles did, you might think about where the fall would take place. The physical characteristics would be the same if the fall happened from a tree, a cliff, a bedroom window, or a building site. But the symbolic meaning would be different. You may decide to change things when you write your anecdote but an exercise like this can get your creativity flowing and focus your thinking on the meaning of your anecdote even more clearly. You should describe at least one symbolic element you might include in your anecdote, including an explanation of why it is in the anecdote and what symbolism might be attached to it. Journal entry The anecdote is about a man who has committed adultery. He seemed to be unhappy with his marriage, because he felt bored with his family life. He wanted something new, some excitement in his life. He picked up a pretty and young prostitute and had sex with her in a cheap motel. After the one-night stand, however, he felt contaminated. When he came home, he saw his wife by the window dancing with their four-year old daughter. It was already 1 am. Her daughter must have had one of her bad dreams again, where she saw snakes coming after her. She had those dreams often when she was nervous about something. His wife would calm her with some songs and dancing. He could hear them laughing. They were happy and he felt ashamed of what he had done. I am going to use the symbol of water to symbolize life and cleansing. Snakes are also symbols for evil and sin. The husband committed a sin against himself, his wife, and his family because of his adultery. When the husband arrived, he washed himself. He scrubbed every part of his body that his “lover” kissed and touched. He felt so dirty. He felt so guilty. The next morning, he decided to call in sick and said that he would be absent for two days. He looked at his wife. She had eye bags and looked much plumper than she used to be. Still, he could see happiness twinkling in her eyes. He felt tears falling from his eyes. It watered his face and his wife noticed them. She asked what the problem was. He hugged her tight and said he wanted to make love to her. She laughed, thinking it was a joke. But he took to their bathroom and gave her a bathtub bath. He was so gentle and loving. The water bubbled and reflected a couple renewing their love. Lesson 6 Journal Entry # 4 of 10 Journal Exercise 6.4: Milestones Write a short personal essay describing your experience on a particular birthday. Your essay should be at least two paragraphs long. A Separate Peace: 6-7 Journal entry One of the happiest birthdays of all was when I turned 9 years old. My parents had been busy with their careers, because they wanted to give their children a good and comfortable life. Most of the time, during birthdays, we just eat out and go home by the evening. My parents worked long and hard hours at night too. For me, our house was their extended office. My siblings and I called our parents, “slave workers.” They worked all the time. It was expected for us to grow up with different nannies. Some of them loved us very dearly like we were their own children. So every birthday was the same- eat out, go home, go to sleep. Nothing special. We also eat out other times of the week. I learned to envy other children who had birthday parties at home. We called these parties “cheesy,” but deep down, I knew that we all detested these children who had parents that made time for them. These were parents who baked cakes and decorated their houses for their children. They were parents who actually did the parenting and did not outsource them to nannies. So I was expecting another dine-out event for my ninth birthday. I never cared so much for my birthdays. Though the toys mattered for a short time. A month before my birthday, my mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said flippantly: “I just want you and dad here with me for one whole day, without your office work.” My mom looked pale after that. Her eyes looked glassy, so I took it back. I said: “No mom, I mean, let’s just eat out. I know you and dad have lots to do, I mean. Work is very important for all of you.” And she cried. I did not know what to do. I hugged her and she cried even more. For my 9th birthday, my parents were there. They prepared two days for it. Mom did not know how to bake, but she cooked roasted chicken and pork, which tasted like heaven. My father roasted some fresh fish too. And for the first time, after five years, I blew a cake with nine candles- at home. Lesson 6 Journal Entry # 5 of 10 Journal Exercise 6.5: Pre-writing: Dialogue Write an anecdote that relates some kind of wisdom. Write four or five lines of dialogue. Journal entry Jerry wanted to be a successful man. After graduating from a business management course, he worked hard at a retail clothing company. It was easy for him to work hard, because his parents were dead and all his relatives were in China. He could concentrate fully on his job. He got easily promoted because of his skills and positive attitude at work. After five years, he had bought his own house and two automobiles already. Aside from that, he had enough savings that can last him two years or more. But somehow, he was not happy. This feeling that he is not happy bothered him. He could no longer concentrate at work. He felt empty. He was walking at the park when he saw empty snail shells. The shells must have moved on to larger shells. Then, some boys were hurling stones at empty Coke bottles. As he neared home, a storm brewed. The clouds swirled with darkness and it soon rained heavily. They dropped like needles on his jacket and head. He was soaking wet and decided to stop by a tree. An old man, the owner of the house with that tree, called him. He said: “I’m Antonio, come in. The rain won’t stop for hours.” He graciously offered him coffee and dry clothes. Then, to kill time, Jerry opened some family albums. They were full of old and new pictures of him and his family. There were sweet and wacky poses. There were stolen shots of them working or making fools of themselves. They were happy. Jerry asked Antonio: “I do not want to be intrusive Sir. But I am so curious. Why are you so happy?” Antonio smiled and said: “Why shouldn’t I? I am alive.” Jerry laughed: “Yes, that is something to be thankful for. But…I am not happy, just because I exist.” Antonio looked at him curiously: “Why? Where’s your family?” Jerry felt sadder: “I have no family here Sir.’ Antonio said: “Ahh. So that is the reason of your unhappiness. You only live for yourself. There is no joy in that. You have to live with loved ones. They will help you find the path of happiness.” Lesson 6 Journal Entry # 6 of 10 Journal Exercise 6.6: Life During Wartime Write a short essay to explain your findings on things that are different about America because of World War II according to Gene on pages 40-42. It should be at least two paragraphs long. A Separate Peace: 8-9 Journal entry Genes’ experience shows that after World War II, boys are disillusioned about the war and they focused more on their individual development instead. First, boys no longer believed that war is an ideal rite of passage to be men. Leper became insane because of the war, so it means that it showed him something that scared him. Finny also thought that wars are used by old men to control younger men. World War II then inserted feelings of anger and dissatisfaction with life among its citizens. For the boys, they felt patriotic before, but after it, they felt used and misused. Second, because of the war, boys learned to focus on their individual developments, since the war did not offer them anything tangible to believe in. Gene focused on his physical development. He becomes the new Finny, after the latter’s accident. Other boys also realized their own potential. Though later on, they enlisted in safer branches of the army, many of them knew that the war is not important to them in a personal manner. What is more important are their personal wars, or their personal struggles, which helped them develop who they are and what their values would be. Lesson 6 Journal Entry # 7 of 10 Journal Exercise 6.7: Pre-writing: Settings Write an anecdote that relates some kind of wisdom. If you're thinking of writing in the spare, less detailed style you saw in some of the anecdotes in your textbook, you might not be planning to include a lot of setting details. But you'll still need something to place your anecdote for your audience. Even if you decide not to include a lot of description in your finished piece, it never hurts to have a clear picture of "where and when" in your mind as you write. You might find that doing this exercise triggers some creative thoughts about your anecdote that aren't even related to the setting. Answer the following questions. What is the landscape in which your anecdote takes place? (This might be a country or a particular area or even an interior setting.) The landscape of my anecdote is the modern 21st century. The place is New York. People are always busy with their lives and preoccupied with their career or business goals. I am going to use the anecdote of the mother and her daughter. The buildings have glasses that shine. Everything is metallic or glass. They look modern. They look professional. They look cold. This setting is differentiated from the house of the mother that is made of wood. They have a small herb garden outside. Their house is small, but filled with plants. There is a contrast between natural and modern. Does the setting influence the outcome of your anecdote? How? Yes, the setting will affect the outcome of the anecdote. It will show the difference between appearance and reality. The modern world has a beautiful appearance. It looks clean and shiny. But it is flat and artificial. It is the opposite of the warm and natural home of the mother. The setting shows that real beauty is not always in the modern, but sometimes, it is better found inside the hearts of innocent children. What is the time period in which your anecdote is set? (This might be a historical period or certain hours in a day.) The time period is 2011. It includes the afternoon and the evening. Even in the darkness of the evening, it is clear how much love there is in the daughter’s heart. Lesson 6 Journal Entry # 8 of 10 Journal Exercise 6.8: Anecdote Now you can take some time out from thinking about Gene's troubles to write your wise anecdote. Maybe your lesson will keep some other person out of a difficulty in the future. Your anecdote should not only tell a story, but also contain a lesson. The lesson doesn't have to be clearly stated, in fact, it's usually more effective to prod your audience into thinking their own original thoughts. It should be at least three paragraphs long. A Separate Peace: 10-11 Journal entry There were two teenagers in two sides of the world. One lived in Asia. She woke up 4 am to cook breakfast for her family. They live in a small nipa hut with clay mud for floor. By 6 am, she left to walk to school. They lived in the mountains, so she walked a total of two hours to and from school. She went home after school. She went to a well, which was thirty minutes away, and brought water into the house and washed the dishes. She helped her father cook their meal. Her mother took care of her baby boy. While eating, they talked about their day. Her father caught two large fish and sold one in the market for a good price. He brought home the other fish. He made stew out of it and put some leafy vegetables that could be found in their backyard. After eating, they talked more about their day. It was soon very dark. The night was filled with stars and the moon was fully round. The daughter fired her lamp and did her homework. Grade-four mathematics was her favorite. After an hour, she went to sleep. It was 9 PM. Another teenager lived in Manhattan. He came home from school. He drove his Honda CRV. He played rock music while driving. He went home late after watching a band with his friends. Their house had two floors. It was white and modern-looking. They had trees around the house and had a large iron gate. He went straight to his room, after waving to his parents who were working on their computers. After an hour, his mom knocked at his door. He had his headset on. He was listening to rock music, while watching YouTube videos. His mom opened the door and asked him if he ate already. He motioned with his fingers that he could not hear her because he had his headset on. The mother looked tired and brought him two slices of greasy pizza on a plate and a can of Coke. After two hours of Internet, he slept. It was 3 AM. Lesson 6 Journal Entry # 9 of 10 Journal Exercise 6.10: Set Design for the Courtroom Pretend that you are writing a play based on A Separate Peace. In your journal, write down the set design for the courtroom scene. Pay attention to the details provided in the text and then fill in the rest as you imagine it to be. Remember that your description should focus on both the physical facts of the setting and the mood you're trying to evoke in this scene. A Separate Peace: 12-13 Journal entry The courtroom scene. They are in the classroom. Outside, it is getting dark. It is almost 6 pm. Brinker sets the chair for him as the judge. He asks Gene to sit in front of the table. There are two sets of chairs. The right side is for the prosecutor. The victim sits near his attorney. The prosecutor calls Leper as the primary witness. He promises on the bible that he will tell the truth and nothing but the truth. Gene also makes an oath of honesty. Brinker uses all the legal terms he can remember to accuse Gene of causing Finny’s fall. Lesson 6 Journal Entry # 10 of 10 Journal Exercise 6.12: What Happened to the Others? I'm always curious about what comes next, even when a novel has ended. In this case, we have an idea about Gene, but no one else. In your journal, write a brief description of what happens to Brinker and Leper during the 15 years between the end of the novel and Gene's return to Devon. Stick with what you know from the novel, but definitely imagine any kind of future that fits with those facts. You should write at least one paragraph about each character. Submit your complete journal to your instructor. During these fifteen years, Brinker became a football athlete. He finishes a business administration degree from a famous university. He marries his college girlfriend. They have two kids. Leper is cured from his insanity by photography. His doctor noticed that he brought his albums everywhere he went and that he was more peaceful with them. Leper is enlisted for a photography class. Soon, he finds photography as his therapy against the physical and emotional damages of the war. A few years after, he becomes more “normal” and marries a fellow photographer. They have one son. Read More