“For a long time, I tried to figure out how I was going to get started as a writer. I knew that a writer was what I wanted to be—though it wasn’t clear exactly why.” (Page 25) This quote is said by Mark Edmundson, who is a well known writer and author who published “Why Write.” I picked Mark Edmundson's chapter "To Catch a Dream," which explores the nature of dreams and the value of following one's passions in life. This chapter is speaking to people who want to start writing and also extends to people who want to catch a dream. He pinpoints this audience through anecdotes, counterclaims, and assumptions. Throughout this chapter, Mark Edmundson uses a lot of anecdotes relating to his personal life. According to Edmundson, dreams are essential …show more content…
According to Edmundson, the American Dream has always been associated with the concept of hard work. The 1960s saw the emergence of a new counterculture, which rejected these ideals and embraced different ways to express themselves. The widespread use of drugs like cocaine and LSD was one feature of this counterculture. Many people at the time, according to Edmundson, thought that using drugs could help them reach more advanced levels of awareness and gain a better understanding of both the self and the outside world. He also claims that this viewpoint was flawed and that drug use frequently had detrimental effects on both people and the community. He points out that many of those who experimented with drugs in the 1960s developed addictions or other problems, which continue to have an impact on American society …show more content…
As such, his argument is built through a mix of personal narrative, cultural criticism, and philosophical evaluation. I believe that "To Catch a Dream" is a thoughtful and motivational essay that inspires not only readers but people who want to achieve a dream to pursue their goals and rise to the challenges they present. The takeaway from Edmundson's book is simple: we can accomplish great things and lead genuinely fulfilling lives if we remain true to our goals and persevere in the face of challenges. Depending on the reader's interests, some might or might not find Edmundson's observations on the value of reading and critical thinking, as well as his conviction that literature can foster empathy, curiosity, and a deeper understanding of the world around us, to be insightful. His thoughts on how education shapes one's identity and values, as well as his advice to students to follow their passions and dreams, may pique the interest of
Rusty Crowder Period 2 Quarter 2 Commentary #1 The Long Walk by Stephen King Pages 1-25 (Chapter 1) The story starts off with the main character, Raymond Davis Garraty. He is a 16-year-old boy from Maine. The only one competing from Maine, where the long walk takes place, and is supported by big crowds of people.
Dana Giola believes literature is a crucial part of life, especially for young adults. In her passage “Why Literature Matters” she describes that young Americans' interests have diminished for literature. She persuades her audience using ethos, logos, and cause-and-effect reasoning. Giola starts off her passage by describing the interest young Americans showed in arts which “actually diminished”(Giola 1) because of how they “taught reading comprehension”(Giola 2).
He recalls reading in middle-school about the potential knowledge could have on his personal growth and understanding of the world, but he lacked the motivation. Graff’s farther recommended books to him which he believed would encourage his son to read. It was all in vain. Graff knowing that, for him at least, college was next the venue, after eliminating other fields of study, he decided to major in what he believed to be non-career-specific, English. Graff, no longer preoccupied by malice from his peers, was stimulated to do well in college by sheer desire to pass his courses; however, he still found serious reading difficult and foreign regardless of the material.
He continues this theory by stating that if students were to begin with subjects that interest them they could more easily evolve into intellectuals who read challenging writing (245). I agree with this idea because if students begin reading about things that interest them they may realize that reading is not such a ghastly thing contrary to what they may have originally thought. Graff believes that students will produce higher quality material if they write about their interests. By stating his own personal anecdote, he gives even more insight on how students can become intellectuals by practicing his ideas (245). After reading his anecdote, I became more of a believer in the idea Graff presents in his essay.
This quote means that yes dreams are important but
Throughout history, many people have achieved the dream, and many people continue to do so
The Dream is considered to be a guiding light that will motivate people to be their best selves, but it ends up “internalizing [ing]” the thought that people are “exactly where [they] deserve to be” (article) because they fail to achieve their goal. Even though the American Dream is supposed to be a motivator and leading idea, it ends up destroying one’s life or changing their ideology. The Great Gatsby should not be banned because it shows themes of the truth behind the American Dream and how it is not how it seems. With this new sense of knowledge, students will apply this
She believes the syllabus provided to students do not include any challenging books, and her belief toward high school teachers becoming too lazy to examine thoroughly if the book the education system provides them with represent any true and significant value is a recurring concern of hers’- therefore ineffective to students. All in all, Prose used ethos, pathos, logos and the usage of specific words to help her argument. She successfully persuades her point of view and makes it clear that if schools want their curriculum to improve, they must change their way of teaching and push their students to view literature in a new
In the 60’s, marijuana and heroin can be strongly connected to Timothy Leary, a radical Harvard professor, urging the world to try LSD. The 60’s were the heyday of illegal drug usage. The 60’s were a time of discrimination, extreme drug usage and violence. Although, many people today would argue that the 60’s were a safer time of unification.
Showing the reader positives of reading in a factual way can be very persuasive. He then goes on to use strong and persuasive diction to support his claim, stating “The decline of literary reading foreshadows serious long-term social and economic problems, and it is time to bring literature and the other arts into discussions of public policy.” Using a slight guilt technique can persuade the reader. This strong diction continues to support his claim. And finally he ends his essay saying that the qualities gained from reading are not skills that “society can afford to
In “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?”, Brandon King boldly decides to redefine the concept of “the American Dream” and claims that it is “the key to climbing out of the Great Recession, overcoming inequality, and achieving true prosperity.” (573) In his essay, his new definition of the American Dream is “the potential to work for an honest, secure way of life and save for the future,” (573) which contrasts against the original idea that it “is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability and achievement, regardless of social class or circumstances of birth,” as proposed by James Truslow Adams. While this is an impressive redefinition of the
The reader is also able to see another shift in tone as well as it goes from friendly to a more serious approach. When Edmundson refers to, “education having one salient enemy and that enemy is education”, we are able to realize the seriousness in his voice. (Edmundson 2) For example, when Edmundson mentions “people leave school as servants” and, “back breaking loans” and lastly “to be poor in America is to be a failure”; the reader can recognized these statements as degrading assumptions that are attached to education. The tone displayed here helps also helps the reader
The idea of what the American dream is has been extremely convoluted throughout history, as massive turns in events have affected how and why to strive to achieve it. From what the author of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald,has stated regarding at-the-time interpretations to the newest generation having very abstract and concrete visions. To what extent are Fitzgerald’s interpretation and those of Americans today different and to what extent are they similar, are what many look into. Fitzgerald’s idea of the American Dream and numerous modern interpretations of it are although not exactly the same, they are very similar.
Dreaming is a huge part of people’s lives. Dreams happen to everybody and are different to everybody. They tell a lot about a person’s life. Dreams are viewed differently by so many people. People have opinions on what makes dreams happen, what dreams are, and what they mean.
"Why I Write" is an essay by Joan Didion that was first published in 1976. Throughout the text, Didion explores the motivation behind her writing, and why she feels compelled to put her thoughts and ideas down on paper. Additionally, the essay delves into the personal, social, and cultural reasons why writers write, and why writing is a powerful tool for making sense of the world and creating a sense of meaning and order. Didion opens the essay with a statement that she writes because she feels anxious. She explains that writing is a way for her to work through her own thoughts and emotions, and to understand the world around her while she dives deeper into finding out her own identity.