Cameron Bates

PreAP English 1

5-6-15

Poem Comparison Essay

“Richard Cory” and “The Unknown Citizen” are both intelligent and creative examples of how a man’s happiness is not shown through objects or everyday actions.  Auden’s poem shows that even through a life of living how the government wants and staying within the status quo does not give one’s life a sense of meaning or happiness, while Robinson’s “Richard Cory” shows that a life of riches and wildest dreams fulfilled does not make up for the deprivation of friends and family.  The theme of a “perfect” person may be compared by actions the men have, the thoughts people had about them, and the ironic ending.

The importance of appearance is portrayed in these two poems by the actions the two men took.  For example, in “Richard Cory”, the man “was a gentleman from sole to crown” and “he glittered when he walked.” Richard Cory made his outward self show people what he wanted them to see, know, and feel about him, but not what he was actually going through.  Similarly, in “The Unknown Citizen” the government wanted its citizens to follow a status quo and not be original and he followed this.  “He worked in a factory and never got fired” and “added five children to the population…our Eugenists says that’s the right number for a parent of his generation.” The man wants to be perfect and have everyone see him as a perfect man just like Richard Cory was seen  Thus, both men showed the importance of appearance through their actions.

The citizens in “Richard Cory” and the government in “The Unknown Citizen” are similar through their admiration of the men.  For example, the citizens in “RIchard Cory” see him as a “human when he talked, but was richer than a king” and “[we] thought that he was everything.” The citizens admired him and wanted to be like him and have all that he had.  Similarly, the government in “Unknown Citizen” saw him as the perfect role model for the other citizens.  “He was fully sensible to the advantages of the Installment Plan” and “that he held the proper opinions for the time of year.” He was the citizen the government wanted him to be.  He did what he was supposed to and when being the perfect man to the government as RIchard Cory was to the citizens.  Thus, the importance of appearance towards these groups of people is similar through the thoughts and explanations of how the two men acted.

The ironic endings in both poems show how the importance of appearance towards these two men meant nothing because of their lack of happiness.  To illustrate, in “Richard Cory,” he was a rich, noble man who seemed fine, but “went home and put a bullet through his head.” Everyone believed that he had a perfect life based on his appearance and objects, but he was sad and lonely.  Similarly, in “Unknown Citizen,” he did everything he was supposed to do, but he didn’t enjoy life.  “Was he free? Was he happy? …had anything been wrong, we should certainly have heard.” The government thought he had a perfect life, but, in reality, he was unsatisfied with his life. Thus, both men had an outward appearance of a king, but inwardly hated life.

Therefore, both poems show how appearances mean nothing towards a person’s life, in that it doesn’t affect a person’s actions or the thoughts other people have of them.   While both authors depict a man respected and envied, they also describe a man unhappy and without a desire to continue on in life.  Many people wear masks to hide their true feelings and many times these are the very objects that are meaningless to having a good, fun, and fulfilled life.

Cameron Bates

Pre-AP English I – 5

November 4, 2014

Even though I am only a freshman in highschool I have been thinking of the type of job I  want to have when I graduate high school and move to college. The types of jobs I wanted were  jobs that involved animals, computers, or any type of electrical devices. For these reasons I have selected these jobs: electrical engineer, veterinarian, and computer hardware engineer.

After examining these possible career choices based on salary, versatility, abilities needed, the colleges, and the drawbacks of the jobs. I chose computer hardware engineer because I have always been interested with how the computer parts worked together and what their purpose was for the computer.

Source: http://www.bls.gov/k12/content/students/careers/career-exploration.htm. October 20, 2014

By examining the chart  above and considering the income with the versatility I have removed being a veterinarian because it has the lowest pay of $84,460 with the most working hours of ten hours. Also the college choices for a veterinarian are not the prime colleges I would like to attend. Even though I am extremely fond of animals, I would enjoy having more time with my family.

With electrical engineering the salary of $89,630 with the amount of hours of 5 and ½ and the colleges, Texas A&M or UCLA, are amazing. The downside is that I would have to work for a big company with few prime jobs available and I would have to work in a big city because there are not many engineering firms in small cities around where I would like to live. Also I would have to know literally all the math subjects: Geometry, Algebra, Calculus, and Trigonometry.

With the increased salary and the interest in computers I have chosen computer hardware engineering.

The first reason in my choice of hardware engineering is the salary which is $100,920. I would enjoy the fact in having money to pay bills and have extra for fun and food. I want my family to have a comfortable life, not one of stress of not having enough money.

The only cons to being a computer hardware engineer is that it would get really repetitive. The only way not to make it repetitive would be to find a way to make it somehow fun which would be easy because I get to work with a team. I have played sports all my life so making this fun would be extremely easy because I like having a team.

All three careers I have looked at involve either animals, computers, or any type of technological device. Being a vet would put me around all different types of animals and I have loved animals since the first one I cared for. Engineering allows me to use my hands and learn how different things work, but computer hardware engineering allows me to help others with their computer problems and I would learn what all the parts are for and how to fix them if needed. This is why computer hardware engineering is the career I chose.

Cameron Bates

5th period

Pre Ap English 1

4-24-15

                                                                      What am I

You might think I’m just

a fourteen-year-old boy

with brown hair

and blue eyes

But I know that I am more

way more than that

not an airplane or kite

not a rollercoaster or fish

A ball

a non bouncy flat ball

when I’m down in shame

or failure

when i go home and yell in frustration

watching funny videos to calm myself down

I am a flat ball

no fun to use

disappointing those who want to play with me

adding sorrow and cries in children

But when I perk up my ball airs up again

people become excited

and I start bouncing

flying through the air showing everyone how enjoyable I am

I begin to be thrown around

constantly used

until I become tired

and my air leaks out

and thats where my fun ends

I take a breath and air up again

and again

and again

The brown-haired, blue-eyed boy

is a ball,

a flat, aired up, fun ball all in one game

Cameron Bates

Pre-Ap English – 5

Assignment: Stylistic Analysis of Elie Wiesel’s memoir, Night

November 21, 2014

In The Presence of Night

In his Holocaust memoir Night, Elie Wiesel narrates his transformation from a God loving child to a skeleton – like figure not knowing what to believe. In this memoir Wiesel demonstrates the physical and emotional toll a tragedy such as the Holocaust can have on someone. Through the use of destructive diction and anaphora/repetition syntax, Weisel compares the death by humans hands in chapters one through five and the death by nature in chapters six through nine.

In the opening chapters Wiesel employs destructive diction to show the Jew’s deaths and torture by humans. For example, when Wiesel first came to the concentration camp at Auschwitz he witnessed “ Babies! Yes, I did see this with my own eyes… children thrown into the flames.” (32) and “The gypsy stared at him for a long time, from head to toe. As if he wished to ascertain the person addressing him was actually a creature of flesh and bone, a human being with a body and a belly. Then, as if waking from a deep sleep, he slapped my father with such force that he fell down and crawled back to his place on all fours.”(39) Elie has seen worse in just a couple of days than in his whole life time and this has changed him as a person seeing the world as a dark and destructive place rather than a peaceful loving place. When Wiesel was transferred to Buna there was a hanging of a boy “ Then the entire camp, block after block, filed past hanged boy…” (62) and another boy was hung. “ But the boy was silent… Total silence in the camp.”(64) The Germans are not just destroying the Jews body but are also destroying the body of the living. The emphasis on silence magnified the emptiness experienced through the hangings of the children. The destructive diction used in this memoir shows the effects these inhumane acts have towards the Jews souls.

However, in the second portion of the book, chapters six through nine, Wiesels use of diction is through the Jews death by nature. The Jews are being sent to Gleiwitz and are walking through a snowstorm and at this point the Jews have lost their fight and will to survive “ “I can’t go on” Zalman groaned, He lowered his pants and fell to the ground.” (86) also when they took a break from running, “Beneath our feet while there lay men,  trampled underfoot dying.”(89). While the Jews are running they lose hope to survive and leave each other to die. Chapters one through five differ from chapters six through nine by the fact that the Jews are being tortured by human hands physically and emotionally by the Germans in chapters one through five and are killed by nature, snow, and the new bound killer-instinct burden.

In the opening chapters Wiesel also employs syntax through anaphora denying that there is any danger. For example, in the opening scene Elie questions, “ Why did I pray? Strange question. Why did I live? Why did I breathe?” (4) This points out to Wiesel that danger is not really there because when death comes everything will be better. Later on While still at home the Jews were told to wear a yellow star and Wiesel’s father said “The yellow star? So what? It’s not lethal.” Wiesel’s father has hope that this will not kill him. The anaphora in these chapters shows the hope the Jews have that they are holding on to safety which is the cause of their deaths.

However, in chapters six through nine Wiesel uses syntax through personification showing how nature is the Jews captive in chapters six through nine. For example, when Wiesel stopped running he almost “let [himself] be overcome by sleep.”(88) . In addition, while lying in the snow his dad “ had aged since last night.” (88) Wiesel and his father have been through everything together and unlike most have stuck together through it all, but they can see that even with one another they are starting to slowly fade away and die. In chapters one through five the Jews are are hoping for no torture or pain and Wiesel shows this through anaphora. In chapters six through nine however the syntax is through personification in that the Jews are being engulfed by the lack of rest and food and are being killed by nature.

By the use of destructive diction and anaphora/personification syntax Wiesel demonstrates how the Germans and the nature of killing changes his opinion on man-kind. He shows how he changes religiously and physically in that he loses his faith in God and loses his love and kindness towards humans.

Cameron Bates

English 5th Period Pre-Ap English I

10/8/14

Mrs. Wiersig

Frederick Douglass’ Actions to Erase His Conflicts

In the autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the author writes about  the many major conflicts he faces as a slave in the south, as a child and as a grown man, where it is difficult for a man of his race to overcome the boundaries that have been placed around him. Douglass shows himself changing from a brute into a man by taking these actions; learning to read, fighting Mr. Covey, and escaping slavery.

While learning to read Douglass encounters some conflicts from his masters, but overcomes them with his cleverness and determination. For example, when Douglass first moves to Baltimore his mistress “very kindly commenced to teach me the A.B.C’s.”(48) Her husband told her to stop and “this kind tender heart had but a short time to remain such.”(47) Mrs. Auld  becomes abusive and, more so than her husband, and Douglass now has an immense curiosity about reading and now wants to learn to read even more. The way he overcomes this conflict is by “making friends with all the little white boys whom he met in the street.” Out of his curiosity to read Douglass would get the kids to teach him to read by giving them all bread. Using his cleverness and determination helps Douglass learn to read and this gives him confidence to face the challenges ahead and to find out how he can learn more.

This new found confidence increases Douglass’ longing for freedom which helps him overcome his conflicts with Mr. Covey. For example, Douglass has been transferred to Mr. Covey to be better disciplined and to be trained as a field slave. When he becomes sick and weak, Mr. Covey tells him to get up, but Douglass defies him “Mr Covey then gave him a savage kick and told him to get up.” (77) Mr. Covey doesn’t care that Douglass is sick and can barely stand, but Douglass will not give into his cruelty. Furthermore, Douglass is continuously defying Mr. Covey and Covey gets mad at Douglass and this scares Douglass so “he asks his master to let him get a new home that Covey would surely kill him.”(79) Douglass even makes a seven mile walk so that he can try to get a new home. In addition, Douglass gets tired of Mr. Covey whipping him so he fights Mr. Covey and “he feels Mr. Covey has gotten the worst of the fight… This fight with Mr. Covey was the turning point in his life.”(85) Douglass has scared Mr. Covey, and has gained a little respect from him, Douglass also has realized that he wants out of slavery even more so now than ever. This changes Douglass’ point of view on the slave holders so he is no longer fearful and timid of them as he used to be.

These accomplishments over his conflicts have increased his confidence even more and he decides to try to escape slavery. For example, Frederick Douglass has been hired to Mr. Freeland and he had started a school there to teach the other slaves how to read and about the bible. He then realized his desire to want to escape and “he was no longer content, therefore, to live with him or any other slaveholder. I began, with the commencement of the year, to prepare myself for a final struggle,which should decide my fate one way or another.”(91) Douglass starts to devise a plan to escape slavery and he ends up getting caught and thrown in to jail. Furthermore, Douglass starts to devise another plan to escape and he goes and gets himself employed again so his master would not have to do so for him and while doing this his master “had no suspicion of his intent to run away.”(111) Douglass has tricked his master into thinking he was content with the privileges he has and during this time he has gotten money from free black men and went on with his escape. In addition, Douglass has now run off to New York and in order not to be sent back into slavery he “ saw in every white man an enemy, and in almost every colored man cause for distrust.” (113) He does not trust anyone after he escapes and he stays a free slave because of this. He goes on to be free and helps the end of slavery to happen because he had a determination of being free.

Douglass has conquered his conflicts by taking these actions: learning to read, fighting Mr. Covey, and escaping slavery. He started out a scared timid slave who knew nothing and ended up a wise, free man who helps end slavery. He became courageous and brilliant and was able to help our country by ending slavery through abolition speeches. He learned to read by using his brain and asking kids for help. He gained courage by fighting Covey which in turn helped him to escape slavery.

Cameron Bates

PreAp English 1

Period 5

2-15-15

The Effects of Fear

“Come on, James, let’s do it,” Connor encouraged his friend who was afraid to go skydiving. Reluctantly, James agreed and experienced the thrilling adrenaline rush of a new experience. Since James listened to his friend instead of his fear, he enjoyed a new adventure as well as gained strength of mind. Fear can affect people’s lives by not only bringing paranoia, but also developing courage.

Fear can affect people by allowing the paralyzing grip of paranoia to weigh them down. For example, several years ago I decided to try out for the Little Necks football team. I was excited to make the team as backup to the older quarterback. Practices were fun as I learned the plays and helped direct the team. Game days were another story as I watched the quarterback get tackled play after play. When the time came for me to go in, after the quarterback was injured, I played tentatively because I was paranoid that I would be injured as well. Later on in the game, the coaches called for me to go into the game again. I was paralyzed on the bench; I couldn’t move. In addition to this example, a boy moving to a new school for the first time can experience paranoia in what may happen to him at school. For example, he could dread going through the whole school year without gaining any new friends, he could fear getting bullied or beat up, or he could experience trepidation at the thought of being lost in his new campus. The adversity of the unknown can affect the way he looks at the new possibility of fun and excitement. No matter the situation, fear intimidates people and keeps them from the abundant life that is waiting for them.

However, people do not have to remain paralyzed in the paranoia. I was blessed to have someone in my life that spoke truth and helped me view my football experience honestly. Coaches were teaching me how to take a tackle. The linemen were strong and working hard to protect me. Also, one of my favorite books tells me that angels have charge over me to keep me safe. Saturating my mind with these truths fought the fear inside by developing the courage necessary to defeat it. In the same way, Frederick Douglass became tired of his time in slavery so he decided to allow courage to build inside himself as he ran from his owner not fearing the punishment of his capture. Fear helped Douglass grow courage and gain the life of the free man. Therefore, taking proactive steps to confront fear will allow strength to develop into courage.

Just as James found exhilaration, I found strength, and Douglass found freedom; everyone can find an escape from the paranoia of fear as they develop courage. Although fear seems to be a natural response to new situations and the unknown, it should not be allowed to permeate every area of our being. Friends, parents, authors and the wisdom they all share can help us end the negative effects of fear and bask in the strength of the courage we find.