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MArilyn Monroe
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love and the pursuit of
happiness
Star Centeno
AP English Language
and Composition – 1A
My Writing Portfolio
Table of Contents
I don’t mind living in a man’s world, as long
as I can be a woman in it. – M. Monroe
Ch
ap
te
r O
ne
: M
y H
isto
ry
As A
Wr
ite
r
Ch
ap
te
r T
wo
: J
ou
rn
al
an
d
Qu
ote
s
T
ru
st
T
he
Mo
on
Cr
ie
d W
ith
Me
M
y G
ir
ls
R
ig
ht D
ec
isio
n?
Ch
ap
te
r T
hre
e: S
am
ple
of M
y
AP
Essa
ys
F
in
al
Dra
ft o
f E
ssa
y 5
F
in
al
Dra
ft o
f E
ssa
y 9
S
yn
th
esis: M
an
go
Stre
et
A
rg
um
en
t.: A
me
r. L
it.
Ch
ap
te
r F
ou
r: S
am
ple
of
Fo
rm
al
Essa
ys
S
eb
rin
g’s H
ea
rt &
So
ul
Ch
ap
te
r F
iv
e: S
am
ple
of
Cre
ativ
e R
esp
on
se
s
L
ette
r t
o V
ie
tn
am
Ch
ap
te
r S
ix
: M
y C
ho
ic
e
M
ar
ily
n M
on
ro
e
Ch
ap
te
r S
ev
en
: M
y
Co
nc
lusio
n
Chapter One M
y H
isto
ry
As
A W
rit
er
`
My
mot
her
alw
ays
sa
id I
use
d t
o d
raw
all
the
tim
e, f
or
hour
s. S
he w
ould
sa
y th
at
wa
s a
sig
n of
how
wel
l I
wou
ld d
o w
ell i
n sc
hool
; I
gue
ss s
he w
as
rig
ht,
caus
e lo
ok w
here
I a
m n
ow.
How
ever
she
sa
id I
love
d t
o re
ad
a
ll t
he t
ime,
boo
k a
fter
boo
k. I
ca
n’t
rem
emb
er a
tim
e w
hen
I co
uld
n’t
wri
te,
it’s
ha
rd im
ag
inin
g n
ot b
eing
a
ble
to.
The
fir
st m
emor
y I
have
of
bei
ng a
ble
to
wri
te
how
ever
wou
ld b
e in
Kin
der
ga
rten
, w
hen
my
tea
cher
M
s. H
oove
r ca
lled
in s
omeo
ne t
o w
atc
h th
e w
ay
I he
ld
a p
enci
l bec
aus
e sh
e d
id n
ot t
hink
it w
as
norm
al.
A
nyw
ay
I le
arn
ed t
o w
rite
fro
m a
n ea
rly
ag
e a
nd h
ave
a
lwa
ys lo
ved
it e
ver
sinc
e.
I actually love to write research papers. I enjoy proving a point with sufficient evidence and strong diction. My freshman year I was in speech class, so I also liked to write speeches and then deliver them. Throughout my writing career I have wrote plenty of short stories and I would share them with friends to get critique back. I never had a favorite place to write or preferred one place over another. I have written anywhere and at anytime. However if I had to pick a place it would be air conditioned or cool. It would be quiet and I would be able to listen to music. It would be stocked with ice cream (Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy to be exact).
How
do
I fe
el a
bou
t m
ysel
f a
s a
wri
ter?
I k
now
tha
t I
am
no
t th
e b
est,
but
I a
m a
con
fid
ent
wri
ter.
I k
now
my
wor
ds
and
arg
umen
ts c
an
be
stro
ng.
I lo
ve t
o p
ain
t p
ictu
res
wit
h w
ord
s. W
riti
ng is
an
art
for
m f
or m
e, i
t a
llow
s on
e to
rel
ease
and
exp
ress
. C
hoos
ing
the
rig
ht
wor
ds
to d
o th
is is
ha
rd a
nd c
hall
eng
ing
. I
enjo
y w
riti
ng
and
I w
ant
to
cont
inue
to
gro
w m
y p
ortf
olio
as
a w
rite
r. I
w
ant
to
bec
ome
bet
ter
tha
n I
am
now
jus
t a
s I
know
tha
t I
am
a s
tron
ger
wri
ter
tha
n I
wa
s a
t th
e b
egin
ning
of
the
yea
r. E
ach
cla
ss in
trod
uces
me
to a
new
for
m o
f w
riti
ng.
Continued…
Imperfection
is beauty,
madness is
genius and
it's better to
be absolutely
ridiculous
than
absolutely
boring.
- M.Monroe
Chapter Two Jo
ur
na
ls a
nd
Qu
ote
s (4)
Trust. Journal #127 Tr
ust.
Tha
t w
as
the
pro
ble
m.
Tha
t w
as
alw
ays
th
e p
rob
lem
, ye
t th
e on
ly p
rob
lem
bet
wee
n th
em.
They
wa
nted
trus
t so
ba
dly
, b
ut t
hey
wer
e a
fra
id to
giv
e it
to
each
oth
er.
Afr
aid
of
bei
ng
hurt
ag
ain
, li
ke t
hey
wer
e in
the
pa
st.
“I
wou
ldn’
t hur
t yo
u li
ke t
hat;
I…
ca
re a
bou
t yo
u to
o m
uch.
” S
he a
lmos
t le
t it
sli
p.
Tha
t’s
the
firs
t ti
me
she’
s ev
er d
one
tha
t. H
ow c
ould
she
be
so
stup
id?
Stup
id e
noug
h no
t to
tell
him
, th
at’
s ho
w.
The
sam
e w
ord
s st
uck
in h
is t
hroa
t a
nd
cam
e ou
t a
s a
sig
h in
resp
onse
to h
er.
He
coul
dn’
t und
erst
and
why
he
fea
red
tell
ing
her
. N
o, h
e d
id k
now
why
… b
eca
use
soon
he
wou
ld
have
to le
ave
and
he
did
n’t w
ant
to m
ake
tha
t co
nnec
tion
, a
fra
id o
f th
e p
ain
he
wou
ld f
eel
whe
n w
alk
ing
aw
ay.
He
did
n’t w
ant
to
hurt
her
a
nd h
e d
idn’
t wa
nt t
o hu
rt h
imse
lf –
eve
n th
oug
h it
wa
s hu
rtin
g h
im to
not
sa
y it
all
the
sa
me.
Th
en,
ther
e w
as
the
que
stio
n of
“W
hat
if s
he
did
n’t f
eel t
he s
am
e w
ay?
” W
hat
if h
e p
ut t
hat
out t
here
and
it c
hang
ed th
ing
s? N
o, h
e d
idn’
t w
ant
any
thin
g to
cha
nge,
he
wa
s b
ad
at
cha
nge.
It n
ever
wen
t hi
s w
ay.
He
wa
sn’t
rea
dy
to tr
ust
her w
ith
his
wor
ds…
not
yet
. N
eith
er w
as
she.
Oscar Wilde once said, “Always forgive your enemies. Nothing annoys them so much.” I picked this quote because it is true. When you act kindly to someone you hate it aggravates them so much and you get the satisfaction of knowing you got to them. You get farther with sugar than with vinegar and in this case you get farther into messing with their minds with your kindness than revenge.
Quote VVV
The Moon Cried With Me. Jo
ur
na
l T
op
ic #
11
W
hen
I st
epp
ed o
ut o
nto
the
ba
ck p
orch
, th
e m
oon
crie
d w
ith
me.
The
tea
rs j
ust
stre
am
ed d
own
my
face
and
col
lect
ed a
t th
e b
otto
m o
f m
y ch
in a
nd
then
fel
l to
soa
k m
y je
ans
. I
had
slu
mp
ed d
own
to
the
wet
cem
ent
outs
ide
in K
imm
ie’s
ba
ckya
rd –
it
had
jus
t g
ot d
one
pou
ring
not
too
long
ag
o.
It
wa
s 1
1:1
1. I
alw
ays
wa
tche
d t
he m
oon
and
the
sta
rs a
nd t
he s
ky a
t th
is t
ime.
I d
id it
b
eca
use
I kn
ew h
e w
as,
too
. O
r at
lea
st t
hat
is
wha
t he
tol
d m
e, “
Whe
n yo
u lo
ok u
p a
t th
e sk
y I
am
look
ing
at
the
sam
e sk
y.”
It
hurt
so
muc
h to
be
aw
ay
from
him
. Li
tera
l phy
sica
l p
ain
res
ted
in m
y ch
est
and
wou
ldn’
t g
o a
wa
y un
til h
e w
as
hom
e a
ga
in.
Him
bei
ng a
wa
y fo
r so
long
wa
s a
rea
l co
mp
rom
ise
to m
y ha
pp
ines
s, b
ut it
wa
s g
oing
to
be
bea
utif
ul in
the
end
… o
r a
t le
ast
tha
t is
wha
t he
tol
d m
e. “
I d
on’t
wa
nt t
he s
am
e th
ing
to
hap
pen
to
us…
”
It
wa
s ou
r ti
me.
We
sta
rted
goi
ng o
ut o
n Ja
nua
ry 1
st 2
011
so n
atu
rall
y ou
r sp
ecia
l and
m
ag
ica
l tim
e w
as
11
:11
esp
ecia
lly
at
nig
ht,
for
som
e re
aso
n. I
ma
de
it m
y d
uty
to b
e ou
tsid
e or
lo
okin
g t
hrou
gh
win
dow
at
the
moo
n a
t th
at
tim
e ev
ery
da
y.
Th
at
nig
ht it
wa
s re
all
y ha
rd t
o st
op t
he
tea
rs…
the
moo
n cr
ied
wit
h m
e.
(“Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, and touch that never hurts.” – Charles Dickens) There is this person who always strives to be the bigger person and befriend everyone no matter what they do to hurt him. I believe he truly tries to abide by this quote. However I myself do believe there is a boundary on who you let into your life and you should be able to say when enough is enough. I wish I could teach him that and he could teach me how to live by this quote more often…
Quote UU
My Girls. Jo
ur
na
l T
op
ic #
51
I met
her
on
the
firs
t da
y of
eig
hth
gra
de.
In
per
spec
tive
to h
igh
scho
ol y
ears
it w
as
so lo
ng
ag
o b
ut in
per
spec
tive
to
life
tim
e ye
ars
it
coul
d h
ave
bee
n ju
st y
este
rda
y. I
wis
h no
w it
w
as
just
yes
terd
ay
bec
aus
e th
en I
wou
ld s
till
ha
ve t
hree
yea
rs b
efor
e sh
e le
ft a
ga
in.
She
fit
in w
ith
our
gro
up s
o w
ell a
nd t
hen
whe
n w
e a
ll b
roke
out
in h
igh
scho
ol a
nd o
ur g
roup
a
lter
ed to
incl
ude
Kim
mie
Ka
t a
nd n
ot s
ome
othe
rs w
e b
eca
me
even
tig
hter
. W
e w
ere
the
ma
in fo
ur g
irls
at
the
“Th
e Ta
ble
” w
hich
fo
reve
r wil
l be
“Th
e Ta
ble
,” n
am
ed f
resh
ma
n ye
ar.
I’v
e cr
ied
on
her s
houl
der
and
she
’s
crie
d o
n m
ine.
We
laug
hed
tog
ethe
r and
sh
are
d in
sid
e jo
kes.
We
bec
am
e si
ster
s.
Sara
hbug
gg
, K
imm
ieK
at,
me,
and
Ste
pha
nie
Mor
an
or b
ette
r kno
wn
as
just
Ste
phi
e. E
very
ti
me
we
can
get
tog
ethe
r – e
very
few
mon
ths
or s
o –
it’s
like
she
nev
er le
ft.
Then
the
g
ood
bye
s co
me.
Onc
e a
ga
in w
e a
re re
min
ded
th
at o
ur s
iste
r is
mis
sing
. O
ne d
ay
she
wil
l be
hom
e b
ut f
or n
ow w
e ju
st h
old
her
in o
ur
hea
rts.
To start, I just love the irony of the quote because a pig is supposed to be one of the smartest animals. Another reason why I like this quote is because it is just so out there and comical. I agree partially. I agree because if a person does not want to learn then they will not learn no matter what. I disagree because sometimes people need to be pushed to learn, like children. If children had the choice they would not go to school and it doesn’t seem logical just to say okay we are not going to teach you anymore because you don’t like school. (“Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and just annoys the pig.” – Anonymous)
Quote HHH
Right Decision? Jo
ur
na
l T
op
ic #
10
2
Why
are
som
e p
eop
le s
o cr
uel?
Why
are
som
e p
eop
le s
o d
estr
ucti
ve?
Why
do
I le
t so
me
peo
ple
be
so c
ruel
and
des
truc
tive
? It
ma
kes
you
sit a
nd c
onte
mp
late
wha
t g
oes
thro
ugh
thei
r min
d a
s th
ey a
re d
oing
the
he
inou
s a
ct.
Sort
of
like
how
you
wou
ld s
ay
“If
I w
ere
keys
whe
re w
ould
I b
e?”
How
doe
s th
eir m
ind
wor
k a
t th
at
pa
rtic
ula
r mom
ent?
W
hy d
o th
ey d
o w
hat
they
do?
D
o th
ey j
usti
fy it
to
them
selv
es?
Shut
off
the
b
rain
com
ple
tely
? O
r a
ctua
lly
take
ple
asu
re
in th
inki
ng a
bou
t th
e p
ain
and
aft
erm
ath
to
com
e?
Rid
icul
ous
as
it m
ay
seem
I b
elie
ve I
wou
ld
rath
er h
ave
the
m t
ake
ple
asu
re in
stea
d o
f sh
utti
ng d
own
or j
usti
fyin
g.
At
lea
st th
en y
ou
do
not
get
ap
olog
ies
or a
n a
rgum
ent a
bou
t m
ora
ls.
You
know
wha
t th
ey d
id a
nd t
hey
know
wha
t th
ey d
id.
Com
mon
gro
und
… e
ven
if it
dro
ps
off
into
not
hing
ness
like
a c
liff
aft
er th
at.
(“Money costs too much – Ralph Emerson Waldo). At this very moment I am thinking the same thing. Balancing a job and schoolwork and clubs and family and a boyfriend is all too stressful. Especially the schoolwork part because I have to decide which is more important which the schoolwork is obviously the right choice. Money cost too much. It takes to much work at times and not worth the trouble.
Quote TTTT
Chapter Three S
am
ple
of A
P E
ss
ay
s (4)
Final Draft Essay #5 The heart is an organ in the body. It can be shot and yet still be surgically repaired and continue to live on. The soul is an individual person, a group of people, and at times the force of a minority that allows them to refute an unjust majority. Is there any surgeon that can repair a soul when shot through? The virtuous spirit and soul can overpower the unrighteous superiority through discipline and theology. As a tiny unorganized nation the United States defeated the most powerful force in the world, and Margaret Fuller served as the poster child to the individualistic women throughout history. In the 1700s Great Britain had the strongest military force throughout all the leading nations, however today America is said to be the one with the “hard as nails” military by experts across the board. At the time of changing hands, America was the minority in all aspects – economically, socially, and politically. The American people had no guns, no organized army, no militia skills, but instead a virtuous theology of freedom and a will to create a separation from their oppressor. They banded together and fought a complicated, guerilla warfare war.
I a
m g
oo
d, b
ut n
ot a
n a
ng
el.
I d
o s
in
,
bu
t I
am
no
t t
he
de
vil.
I a
m j
ust a
sm
all
gir
l in
a b
ig
wo
rld
tr
yin
g t
o f
in
d
so
me
on
e t
o l
ov
e. –
M. M
on
ro
e
Margaret Fuller was also a Women’s Rights Activist believing that the role of a woman was a prison not a privilege. She was a sensational writer, using her skills to write for a newsletter, where she then was asked by a group of men to become the editor of their transcendalist newspaper. Fuller held “talks” with young girls leading them in the direction of education and higher status. Margaret Fuller did not live to see the total equality of her sex but she inspired others to follow their soul. When minorities become inspired and full of motivation they essentially become the majority. It may not be in numbers but certainly in resilience to conform. Whether nations are oppressed in their own country, or women in their own home the will and reason to fight can overpower any unjust majority.
Through the Olive Branch Petition and finally the Declaration of Independence they declared their independence from such wrongdoings, showing that morality was an important factor in their decision making. The empire of England no longer dominated the newly born United States and because of this America hit a growth spurt in numbers, money, and foreign relations of over 50 percent. The minority that was most resilient, the most long-lasting, and the most patient were the individualistic women. Advocate Margaret Fuller demonstrates this group well. As a young woman Margaret Fuller was not married, was not a mother, and to everyone’s horror stayed with men. However, it was the men she stayed with that created the transcendalist influence she based her work on. Ralph Waldo Emerson, like Thoreau, turned Fuller into a transcendalist.
Final Draft Essay #9 Two types of memories exist: those that are nostalgic while the other embraces the experience and moves on. Two people enjoyed a summer vacation and yet both walked away with different emotions. E.B. White yearns for his childhood and Virginia Woolf reminisces about her favorite memories. The similarity in both vignettes however is they recreate their memories for their readers to vicariously live in them. As a boy White was introduced to the realm of camping and fell head over heels in love with the sport. He states that he has become a salt water man, but at times “there are days when the restlessness of the tides and the fearful cold of the sea water…make me with for the placidity of the lake in the woods.” White’s use of diction in describing the fearful water and placid lake shows his favoritism for the certain type of water. When White takes his son to the lake, he imagines being a boy again and experiencing it for the first time through him. As he watched the boy, “who was silently watching his fly, and it was my hand that held his rod, my eyes watching.” White was experiencing a nostalgic memory in which he turned back the clock.
Sh
e w
as a
gir
l w
ho
kn
ew
ho
w
to
be
ha
pp
y e
ve
n w
he
n s
he
wa
s s
ad
. –
M. M
on
ro
e
When White’s son his swimming in the placid lake, White cal feel the water around him and the “chill of death” just as he would have experienced it when he was a boy. Virginia Woolf’s memory is about sailing. During the summer she would go out sailing almost every two weeks, but one particular boat outing has stuck with her. Woolf’s experience does not evoke a feeling or sorrow but instead one of passion. Woolf’s memory is based on her love for fishing and the feelings it provokes for her. Woolf was not forced into giving it up her passion when her father stated his dislike for fishing. Even though children usually conform to what their parents feel, Woolf’s love for fishing was so tremendous that as a young child she fished even when her father showed his dislike for it. Although not remorseful she wishes to return to fishing and often “cast[s] into basements when I walk in London streets” her eyes, just as she would do a fishing line. Even though both authors convey their love for summer and their childhood experiences, the tones and auras are different from each. White expresses sorrow and nostalgia while Woolf shows enlightenment.
Continued…
Final Draft of Synthesis Essay on
House on Mango Street AP Test
The United States is known for its mixture of ethnic groups and races. People from all over the world come for the opportunities and freedom that America is known for. However, now congress wants to tell big ‘ole America what to speak. Bilingual speaking is what actually unifies the United States, allows equal learning, and would go against what America practices everywhere, everyday. A bilingual speaker allows two people who cannot speak the same language to communicate more effectively and efficiently through a medium. Everyday employers hire bilingual speakers over only English speakers because it makes a company able to sell to a larger crowd. According to the 2000 US Census, over twenty-eight million people speak Spanish or Spanish Creole. When the US conducts foreign affairs it trades with anyone who is able to make the best deal, not only English speaking countries. The US conducts business and negotiations with every country of every language. The Pro-English movement states themselves that, “segregation by language and ethnicity… often result in social isolation.” T
he
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Exactly, so if the US segregated itself from the rest of the world by language, would we not be in isolation? Languages and have to mix and translations have to occur. Students should be encouraged to speak multiple languages including English, but not only English. Data between 2003 and 2006 found that “38 percent of the district’s [Boston] 56,000 students” are nonnative English speakers. It is now 2012, the numbers have most certainly have grown significantly. Another study found that high school dropout rate doubled for students still learning to speak English (Source A). Congress and Pro-English advocates believe that just by throwing students into an English speaking classroom and not speaking to them in their native tongue, they will magically learn another language. This is terrible false, it leaves “them even further behind.” Doesn’t this law violate No Student Left Behind? The 2002 law, quoted in Source B, says “limited English-speaking students shall be assessed in a valid and reliable manner for purposes of federal accountability.” So the California School Board of Education gave extra time and a dictionary to students who could not read English. Justice Timothy Reardon backed by the California SBE by saying “testing students in their primary language could send confusing messages throughout California’s education system.” What about the confused students? I am sure if the Education System was made to read and communicate in another language they do not understand then, and only then, they would be confused. Focus on the students.
Continued…
Final Draft of Argumentation Essay
for Early American Lit. AP Test
The Founding Fathers envisioned a life where people could be free of tyranny, free to make their own decisions, free to be free. I do not believe that everything in this country is how it should be. The Founding Fathers did not envision everything that is here today, but they will still see their basic fundamentals and dreams in work. Everyday a men and women, white, Hispanic, Asian, Black or anything in between is free to get up every morning and practice free speech, free religion, and free to start a business and achieve the American dream. They are free to pursue happiness. The first attempt at securing our rights was the Articles of Confederation and then the Constitution was ratified, but not before the anti-federalists could secure a compromise. These men remembered the phrase “that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights,” from the Declaration of Independence. It was left up to these men to make sure this survived the Revolution and we now have this in the Bill of Rights. Everyday these rights from the constitution are exercised – right to free speech, religion, press, and right to bear arms.
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More examples are the protests displaying the right to assemble. Atheism, displaying the right for religion or not to have a religious affiliation, is also expressed in America. A supreme court has even been erected to protect these rights. These courts are unbiased, not discriminatory, and fair. One today, goes to the bank, takes out a loan, rents a building, and opens a business. It could be that easy. Steve Jobs was the epiphany of successful business man. He dropped out of college and begun making computer gadgets in his garage. He rose to the American dream, he pursued happiness. Everyday men wake up and make their way to work to try and pursue their own happiness because they have that right to. For a man to pursue his happiness however protection of his rights are needed and by giving up his executive powers to the government he is guaranteed that right to pursue happiness in peace in safety. The Declaration of Independence has always been a document for civil rights activists to go for the phrase “that all men are created equal.” Even though it has taken two hundred years to finally get here, all mean are considered equal in America. Women have also made it into that category as well. Faces of all color, gender, and size work side by side, go to school together, and marry. The road was hard and filled with cases and movements, nut I go to school with all cultures, and all types of people. The Founding Fathers would be proud of their daughter – America.
Continued…
Chapter Four S
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Sebring’s Heart and Soul
Daniel Jose Salinas
The Story of Daniel Jose Salinas by Star Centeno Family means the most to me. I’ve grown up with a dad and without one; it has only made me stronger. Unfortunately I still look for his approval though and he’s not there most times. So I was left to take care of my mom, brother and sister, by myself. It breaks my heart to see my little brother cry because my dad cancelled yet again for the 3rd or 4th week in a row. I try to protect him from most things but this is the one thing I wish I had control over… I wish someone had protected me from it, so I try my best. Every kid in Sebring wants to get out of this little town, out of the suffocating box around us, yet most don’t leave, most get stuck here at SFCC or with family. I didn’t. I left, I got out and probably won’t come back unless I’m recruiting for the army and visiting friends. I want to make a life for myself, a life better than most. I don’t know exactly where I’m going but I do know it is in the opposite direction.
Sebring’s Heart and Soul
Continued…
The army was my only out. As a student I screwed up, I didn’t do my work, I didn’t care. I failed the first half of English three twice and just barely got my credit to graduate on time. I mostly graduated for the army, partly for the people around me. I didn’t have the GPA for college and if I would have went straight to work well I would have ended up doing hard labor for the rest of my life making minimum wage. I wasn’t going to let that happen. How was I supposed to support my mom and siblings on that? Army it was. And that is where I am. I don’t find myself a hero just a man that did what he needed to do to protect his family even if that meant leaving them by themselves for months. It was hard and I questioned if I made the right decision most nights, but it has to be the right decision. There is no other option.
DJS.
Chapter Five Sample of Creative Responses
Dear America: Letters Home From Vietnam
If I'd observed all the rules I'd never h
ave got an
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M. Monroe
Quotes & Reasons
“This morning I brushed my teeth with a special fluoride tooth paste which is supposed to retard tooth decay for six months.” (Pg. 38) I found this really interesting and somewhat humorous. It’s was intriguing that this actually existed or worked. “Of course it really tears me up to lose a man, especially like that, but I must not show any emotion over it. I’ve got to press on, keep doing my job. Even among my men this is universal.” I loved this quote because it shows the bravery the young soldiers had to have to survive.
Quotes & Reasons
“We’re not supermen or anything like that, and we’re not about to walk into bars, where the music automatically stops at our entrance, and proceed to demolish anybody and everybody in the place. But as far as being soldiers, we’re proud of our outfit and its history, and are definitely among the best troops over here.” This quote showed the honor these men felt to fight for their country and with their men in the United States Marine and Army uniforms. “How can we ever ‘know we’re right,’ Lost in this dark, primeval Night? Must we kill them, as beasts must fight, Until the Earth is torn?” I liked this excerpt from a poem because it showed the diversity of ways the soldiers used to let our their emotions and tensions about the war.
Quotes & Reasons
“I often wonder if what we’re fighting for is worth a human life.” This quote touched me because the men went through phases and times when they felt like they didn’t know what they were fighting for and if it was a good cause or not to die for. “That’s about all there is to say right now. The next time you hear from me, it’ll probably be in person. I’ve got less than two months left in Vietnam.” The soldiers were so optimistic and tragedy struck them so much. George who wrote the letter died just a month later.
Quotes & Reasons
“It was a pretty exciting day. Someone up there knows I have a beautiful wife and two wonderful children to go home to.” I liked this quote because I loved to read about their families back at home waiting for them. “The whole thing was morbidly fascinating, and during the whole exchange I was never scared, which scares me now.” Again the bravery of the soldiers is profound. Afterwards however they would be shaken up by their actions and what they had just experienced. The soldiers were well trained.
Quotes & Reasons
“The reason I want you to tell everyone to help them is because I feel I may have killed some of their parents and it makes me feel sick to know they have to go on with nothing.” It was very touching to read about soldiers who helped the Vietnamese people around them. They would write home requesting items be sent to the orphanages and they would also teach some of the people to read and write English. “Success in fighting this war doesn’t come from years of naval service, or age, or intelligence. It comes from a sense of survival and the ability to profit from one’s experience. The more experiences you accumulate, the better able you are to handle the next situation that develops, for no two incidents are exactly the same, and you have to play it by ear.” This was my absolute favorite quote. The wisdom that came out of this letter was astounding.
Chapter Six M
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Norma Jeane Mortenson M
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For most Americans perception is reality; what they see is what they believe to be true and only true. For those who break that traditional barrier of ignorance, Marilyn Monroe is known as a foster child, a pistol, and most importantly a woman. She was a woman who survived in a world of men with her high heels attached. She did not subservient herself to the wants of men, she played on their weaknesses and raised herself slowly to fame. Marilyn was shaped by her past and the people around her, just as she shaped the people in America. Her popularity is an obvious sign of her impact and authority. As a model, an actress, and a singer, Marilyn was an eye catcher and those whose attention she managed to grasp were mesmerized by her personality and exquisite good looks. She gave quite a show of her life and left with, no doubt, a dramatic exit causing the cry of an encore. June 1, 1926 Norma Jeane Mortenson was born; she was then christened Norma Jeane Baker when she was sent to live with a family friend after her mother, Gladys, was diagnosed as mentally ill. It was in this home of Grace and Doc Goddard that she picked up the dream of becoming a superstar.
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Grace was infatuated with stars such as Jean Harlow, who ironically resembles Marilyn greatly, and would allow Marilyn to curl her hair and wear makeup; they would leisurely attend the cinema together and thus began the basis of Marilyn’s fascination with theater. Norma began her career as a chance discovery model working in a factory by David Conover (“Glamoursplash…”). She at the time was married to Jimmy Dougherty: a high school sweetheart and a way out of the foster care system. While Dougherty was deployed for the Marines, Baker’s model career took off and the couple divorced in 1946 (“Marilyn Monroe Biography”). In this same year she signed a movie contract and changed her name to Marilyn Monroe. Her first movie roles were just short speaking parts as extras and earned her rarely any credit recognition (Doll). Her acting career didn’t really start to take off until the 1950s with movies such as The Asphalt Jungle and All about Eve. Monroe was let go from companies such as Colombia Pictures and Twentieth-Century Fox many times during her career. She attended plenty of screen tests to try and amp up her name. Monroe’s insistence and developing skills got her noticed in the industry. Starring as a young woman out to kill her husband with help from her lover, Marilyn began emerging as a bombshell sex symbol in Niagara.
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More movies such as How to Marry a Millionaire and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes bored Monroe and so she moved to New York to attend the Actor’s Studio with Lee Strasberg to dump her bubbly, dumb blonde roles. Monroe returned to the screen with Bus Stop and received much praise for her performance. In 1959 Marilyn won a Golden Globe for Some Like it Hot, another ‘blonde’ role. However she did receive a serious and dramatic casting in The Misfits, directed by her third husband, playwright Arthur Miller (Wolfe). Norma Baker, better known as Marilyn Monroe, was set on making a name in the show business. Monroe made a point of getting to know reporters on a first name basis and was considered a good sport. In 1948 she was even awarded the ‘Miss Press Club’. Marilyn was also affected by her past however and let her fallbacks get to her at certain points in her life. Like most celebrities Marilyn took sleeping pills to help her with her hectic life and tragically she died in 1926 at the age of 36 (“Biography Online”).
Chapter Seven P
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Chapter Seven M
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I know I sound like every senior and teenager here in Sebring, but I hate it here. When I look around I see no one that I want to one day be. In 2037, I want to be visiting family, not still living here in this H E double hockey sticks hole of a place. I want to live in a big city, I want to live in the country, I want to live in the snow, and I want to live on the beach. I want to live everywhere. I want to visit every state and collect something from there. I want to see every national park there is in the United States. Perhaps before I leave Florida however, I should go to Disney World. It’s depressing that I have lived in Florida my whole life and I never went to Disney World as a child. In 2037 I want to count on no one, but myself. I want to be able to support myself without needing anybody else’s income. Part of being a successful woman and career seeking adult is the independence you receive because of it. I think this would perhaps mean the most to me. I am not saying that I want to be alone, but I do want to be able to have that option. I would hate to rely on somebody else or be a burden to another. My independence is who I am and who I will always be – even in the year 2037. Don’t count on me being a waste to society and a disgrace to what I set forth in this paper.
Chapter Seven M
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I say that the only thing I am after is the pursuit of happiness. Happiness is the key to a successful life and not regretting anything you did in life. If what you accomplished truly makes you happy then everything about it was the right choice. I don’t know what I will accomplish 40-something years from now. I don’t even know what I am doing for lunch this afternoon, but what I do know is that I will find a way to be happy doing it. At night you don’t lay down to have everybody else tell you what to do; you lay down to your own voice, your own criticism. I will not put myself down for someone else’s happiness over my own. One can never be sure that their decisions are the right ones. 40 years from now I may not be with Daniel; I may not even be with him by the end of this summer. It’s crazy how everything can change in the blink of an eye. For now, however, we plan on being in it for the long run; sticking through the fights. I am a person who hates promises however; because once you promise something I feel you are less likely to actually do what you said you will. I’ve told him to stop promising me things, because he can’t. He’s in the army; it’s impossible to actually believe that he will always do what he promises, but that doesn’t make the let down any easier.
Chapter Seven M
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Life is funny. It’s funny in the way that when you close your eyes for five minutes and open them again everyone is not how they were; your friends have turned on you because you decided to do something different with your life. Your family will do anything they can to separate you from your pursuit of happiness. Everything you thought you wanted your ready to throw out the window. You can’t spell life with lie; I think the F stands for fun in the middle of all the lies. I don’t know what I will be in the year 2037; but what I can tell you is that I will be happy.
