Forward by the Author

Included in this publication is sampling of my writings from my senior year in high

school. Several of these pieces incorporate many skills that I have garnered from my senior

English class. A few examples of these skills would be annotating and citing text appropriately,

using good support for those citations, and the use of sentence structure to create a certain mood,

such as suspense. While I have far from mastered these skills, I have improved by leaps and

bounds in their proper use.

Additionally, many of the works including here are in need of some form of tweaking or

fine-tuning. These are the works in their original state, unrefined, as they were turned in. I have

not refined them so that I and others could gain a greater appreciation of how far my studies have

progressed. I believe that my writing has far improved by the last essay. For instance, I no

longer cite works clumsily and without support. I am always sure to back up any citation with a

supporting statement or paragraph.

As is evidenced in the “May 30” essay, I have learned the use of sentence structure.

Before this essay, a short sentence was simply a lack of thought or subject matter. However, in

that essay, I started using short sentences to create an idea of urgency and suspense. I wanted my

readers to feel the emotions that were running through me during the whole experience. It is

often difficult to express emotions through words, but I have come at least a few steps closer.

Overall, I have found great improvement in my writing. I no longer write like a

freshman, but have begun to write as a college-bound senior. This is just the stepping stone to

greater writing ability, an ability that I hope to continue to grow. Included here are some of the

first steps of my lifelong journey of improved writing.

- 2 -

Table of Contents

Chaucer Character Essay …………………………………………………………………. P. 4

Beowulf Compare and Contrast Essay …………………………………………………….P. 5

Gawain Critical Essay ……………………………………………………………………...P.7

Diary Essay………………………………………………………………………………....P. 8

Modest Proposal Essay……………………………………………………………………..P. 9

Frankenstein Essay………………………………………………………………………….P. 11

Prose Piece………………………………………………………………………………….P. 13

Literary Analysis……………………………………………………………………………P. 15

- 3 -

Healing Without Faith

Hello all. My name is Garret von Stein, and I have been asked to accompany my patron,

the Lord of the Land, Duke Marquette on this journey. You see, my chosen profession is that of

a healing doctor, and my lord is quite a sickly man. He has a case of the shakes and jaunts, and

cannot stand for long without my healing prowess. I do believe that he has chosen to undergo

this pilgrimage of sorts in the hopes that he may be cured through miracle healing. I personally

am hoping that this journey will not end as such, for then I would be without a job. And, as I’m

sure you are all aware, it is not a good thing for a person to be without a job in today’s fast-paced

city environment.

However, I hope that each and every one of you shall receive the benefits that you are

wishing this trip brings to you. I have never been a man of great faith myself so this whole trip

strikes me as a bit silly. Why on earth would all of you undergo such a trip for no monetary

gain? I just cannot fathom it. Personally, I am only here because Duke Marquette has deep

pockets and sees that I am well taken care of. Do not mistake me, he is a great man, but more

importantly he is a great, wealthy man, you see. While most have a perception of doctors being

wealthy and highly sought, of late I have found demand for my craft waning. But the Duke has

been a constant patron of my art, so I have decided to accompany him for this trek.

That being said, I hope to get to know all of you throughout this journey. Perhaps you

may even be in need of the benefits of having a doctor nearby. I promise you that I am among

the best doctors in the kingdom and I will do my best for all of you, for a price. Stop that

snickering, miller, just because no one will be in need of freshly ground grain on this journey

doesn’t give you the right to snicker at my attempt to make a living. Well, you all have listen to

me babble on about nothing for a goodly amount of time now, so let us begin this journey.

- 4 -

To Be Known

In the ancient world, a reputation was all most people were remembered by. This placed

a very great importance on a person’s legacy and caused many losing their lives to remain known

as the brave warrior, as is evident in the epic poem Beowulf. In the epic Beowulf, the Beowulf’s

actions are often dictated by his desire to keep a legendary public reputation. He boasts that he is

a great hero, fights the monster Grendel without any weapons or armor and, in the end of the

epic, fights a dragon.

Beowulf has done much in his life that, by itself, would cause him much fame and

notoriety. But, in the fashion of the age, he wishes to be sure that his reputation precedes him.

Therefore upon landing in Denmark Beowulf promptly introduces himself as the one who

“chased all of [the giants] from the earth” (L. 233 – L. 234). He goes on to tell of how he

“[hunted] monsters out of the ocean” and killed them “one by one” (L. 235 – L. 237). All of

these boasts serve the purpose of letting the Danes know of how great a warrior Beowulf is. His

hope is that they will pass on his legend to future generations so that his legacy will live on. To

Beowulf and his contemporaries, one’s legacy is the only thing that is truly important in life and

they must do anything to insure that their legacy lives on long after they die.

In an effort to add to his own legacy Beowulf also proclaims that he will fight the

monster Grendel without weapons or armor because that is how the monster fights. Beowulf is

afraid that, if he were to use a weapon or armor, “lord Higlac might think less of” him because he

“let [his] sword go where [his] feet were afraid to” (L.248 – L. 250). What Beowulf is saying is

that should he use a weapon or armor, there would be an imaginary asterisk next to his name

stating that he did not defeat Grendel in a fair fight. This would damage Beowulf’s legacy,

- 5 -

which, as stated before, is unacceptable. Beowulf will do anything to consolidate his own fame

and glory so that his legacy will continue to grow and he may be remembered as a great hero.

His effort to continue to consolidate his legacy does not end once he is well past his

prime years. In his old age, Beowulf boasts that no one else could slay the dragon but him,

evident in lines 755 – 760. Beowulf then set off to the dragon’s lair and he “strode calmly,

confidently” (L. 763). Even now, facing his greatest opponent at an age which, for the time, he

is lucky to even be alive, Beowulf is still confident and collected. This persona which he emits is

all part of his greater desire to be remembered by future generations as a great warrior. He

believes that if he were to allow others to go battle the dragon, he would be seen as weak. So

instead of backing down and letting the next generation’s best warrior take the reins, Beowulf

believes that he has one final battle in him. In the end, it turns out that his desire for further

glory and fame is his downfall.

With 21st century minds, it is often hard for people of today to understand the desire for a

lasting legacy that the men of that time often sought. It is very easy for people of today to

wonder why a man like Beowulf would lose his life so that no one would believe that he is too

cowardly to fight an opponent he has no right beating. Today’s world often values one’s own life

far above one’s legacy, and the common attitude is one of lackluster enthusiasm for true heroics.

Back in the days of Beowulf, a man’s heroic actions were something to be celebrated and were

often turned into poems and stories. More often than not, these stories and poems are often

misunderstood and misinterpreted because today’s people lack the mindset and ability to easily

comprehend another time’s beliefs and values.

- 6 -

Gawain Critical Essay

In the article written by Manish Sharma, the ideas and themes of Sir Gawain and the

Green Knight are reviewed and criticized. Sharma discusses, in depth, when and where

Gawain’s first test occurred. According the Weiss, who is cited by Sharma, “the testing of

Gawain begins with his first act” (169). She is telling us that Gawain’s first test was, in fact, the

very challenge itself. She goes on to explain how Gawain had the option of using or not using

the axe and has the ability to strike a softer blow. By choosing to decapitate the Green Knight,

Gawain broke the chivalric code, and thereby his code of ethics.

This article brings several good points to the forefront. It opens the mind of the reader to

a whole new area and depth of thought. A casual reader, and perhaps an ardent student of

Arthurian stories, could easily fail to recognize the test that lies within the Green Knight’s

challenge to the Round Table. The test is one of both ethical and chivalric fortitude. The Green

Knight knew, suggest Sharma, that only the most honorable and pure knight could resist striking

a fatal blow to an unarmed and unarmored opponent.

This also falls into Morgan’s grander plan of killing off Arthur’s wife, Guinevere.

Sharma states that “it is not only the case that Morgan sent the Green Knight to Camelot to test

the mettle of the assembled knights…[but] it is also the case that she planned to kill Guinevere

by terrifying her” (170). Sharma is explaining to her readers that perhaps Morgan and the Green

Knight assume that no knight in the Round Table can resist dealing a fatal blow to the unarmored

Green Knight. By this strategy, the Green Knight could terrify Guinevere by speaking through

his decapitated head as Morgan planned.

- 7 -

May 30, 2004

Heading home after the race today was probably the scariest thing that has ever happened

to me. As we were walking out of the speedway, a man came over the PA system and told all of

the spectators to find cover fast as possible because of a tornado in the area. So we hurried to

our car. I know it wasn’t the smartest move, but we were scared and wanted to get home as fast

as possible. So as we were driving through the side streets and neighborhoods around the

speedway, we started seeing a lot of debris and destruction around us. We stopped. There was a

family emerging from their storm cellar so we asked them what happened. They told us that a

tornado had passed not a minute before we arrived. We knew then that we had to keep moving.

We turned on the radio. The weather man started listing off the location of spotted tornadoes. As

it turned out, there was one not 2 miles to the west and one about 3 miles to the east. On top of

all of that, there was another one about 5 miles behind us. I looked over at my friend. He was

just staring out the window with a look of shock on his face. It was then that it truly hit me. We

were in a very dangerous place. As we continued driving home, we heard a loud noise. With a

flash, a power line came crashing down. We all jumped. We realized that we had just had a near

miss with death. We continued driving south. As we neared Greenwood, we all agreed that we

were most likely in the clear. As my friend started coming out of shock, he looked at me with a

face full of relief. We got back to my grandparents house, where my parents were waiting to

pick me and my friend up. They asked us about our day. We told them the whole story and they

agreed that we were lucky. By the time we got my friend home, he looked like he was ready for

bed. Now that I think about it, I am sure that I also looked dead tired. Well, I know that I had a

very stressful day. I think that I am going to bed.

- 8 -

A Modest Proposal

It is a horrid thing when people of our fair generation look upon the diseased who suffer

from obesity. These people, instead of living a productive life, are forced to frequent all-you-

can-eat buffets in search of the constant nourishment they need. Whether they use the food as a

means of comfort, or have an inability to refuse additional servings, these people are constantly

offending God by committing the deadly sin of gluttony.

We believe that it is agreeable by all that something must be done about these gluttonous

people. Whoever could find a way to transform these people into productive units for society

would be deserving of the full adoration of the nation. Our proposal will also benefit those who

are currently unemployed by creating a whole new industry, requiring no prior experience.

Our idea, formulated after many hours of thought on this matter, is that the fat of these

obese people be used as an alternative source of fuel. Whole homes, cars, and even entire cities

could be powered by this “blubber” of sorts. Just as whale blubber was used as a fuel in the past

centuries, we propose a modern-day version of this practice. As has been shown by the

experiments of Dr. Craig Bittner, this fat can be turned into biodiesel to power biodiesel-

compatible cars. We believe that it is also within the realm of possibility to power objects of a

larger scale using this resource.

In addition to providing energy, this new industry will provide jobs for thousands of

unemployed men and women. These jobs will include the harvesting parties, the workers needed

for the refining of the fat, and the wholesalers of the new fuel. The harvesting parties will be

dispersed to all-you-can-eat buffets around the country, to lie in wait for the obese that will

surely be attracted to the plethora of food available at these locations. We find it necessary that a

harpoon be used to capture these giants of sorts, being as they contain unpredictable strength.

- 9 -

Nets may be used as a secondary means of capture, but they lack the initial strength to confine

the enraged creatures.

In addition to professions based on the fat of these creatures, the fashion industry can

obtain a whole new style. By using the tanned hides of the obese, fashion designers will have a

new medium upon which they may create high fashion. In addition, the organs of the obese

would be perfect for those in need of a donor. This means that the majority of the carcass would

be used, resulting in little waste from the entire process. What little waste would remain is easily

biodegradable, thus leaving no impact on the environment.

With the flood of new jobs and consumer products, the wretched economy will be

reenergized and we will no longer face the recession which plagues our country. There will, in

fact, be an economic boon surrounding the new industry as men and women alike delight in their

new fat-powered cars and high fashion tanned hides. With the additional purchasing power of

the new professionals and the relatively low production costs, this may stand to be the biggest

economic boon of our generation. It is up to us, as Americans, to set a strong foundation for the

generations to come and to ensure that our children will have the resources that they need to

continue to flourish.

So, the time has come to ask ourselves, can we afford to let such a golden-opportunity go?

The short and simple answer is no. This is a boon industry just waiting for the right people to

help it take off, and, with the help of our generation, we stand ready to do just that. Consider

deeply the proposal we have laid out here.

- 10 -

Frankenstein Essay

The novel Frankenstein contains many underlying themes including the theme of good

versus evil. Shelley uses certain characters to epitomize good and evil. The monster is often

seen as pure evil, but this is not always the case. Often times, a character is seen as on one side,

but they are, in fact, vacillating personalities.

The creature is often seen as inherently evil, but this just is not so. The monster tells us

that, in an attempt to befriend the DeLacy family, he “brought home firing sufficient for the

consumption of several days” (78). This gesture shoes tha the monster is capable of goodness.

However, he is irreparably changed from good by the events following his revelation of himself.

He showed himself to the father, Felix returned and “with supernatural force tore [the monster]

from his father… he dashed [the monster] to the ground and struck [it] violently with a stick”

(97). After this episode, the monster “declared ever-lasting war against the species” (97). This

means that the monster is now evil.

Consequently, these changes in the monster lead to the death of the truly “good”

character Elizabeth. She is good because despite overwhelming belief and evidence, “Elizabeth

[would] not be convinced” of Justine’s guilt in Williams murder (52). She refuses to jump to the

opposing side and even at the trial, when character witnesses fail Justine, it is Elizabeth who

stands up for her. Elizabeth attempts to reject speculation that Justine killed for the locket by

stating, “if she had earnestly desired it, I should have willingly given it to her; so much do I

esteem and value her” (57). By being able to defend the suspected murderer of her brother,

Elizabeth shows us the good in her.

Therefore, the monster is bound to hunt her down. Because of his “Paradise Lost”-esque

claim of war against man, the monster, now being evil, will kill the good Elizabeth. This is the

- 11 -

traditional clash of good versus evil. After the murder of Elizabeth, “a grin was on the face of

the monster” (145). This furthers the example of good fighting evil because, upon victory, joy is

brought to evil. There was no need for the murder of Elizabeth, she was harmless to the monster,

yet he killed her anyway. It is now the monster epitomizing evil.

Good versus evil, the eternal struggle. A struggle recorded in the fictional works of

“Paradise Lost” and “Frankenstein”. A struggle that happens here and now, and involves us all.

It is truly a terrifying subject. There is an invisible war being waged that we are all on the front

lines of, yet we are unaware of this war. It takes books like “Frankenstein” to make us realize

that we are all connected by an overall sense of good versus evil.

- 12 -

The Lady of Shalott

On the banks of the river lie farm fields full of barley and rye. These fields seem to

clothe the entire world, the only disruptions of the fields being the river and the road running to

the nearby castle of Camelot. A nearby island, Shalott, draped in beautiful willows, aspens, and

lilies, holds a gray building with four towers; this is the prison of the Lady of Shalott. Upon the

river is much boat traffic, including heavy barges and light open boats, all headed for Camelot.

All these people move about, with the island so close to them, yet has anyone seen or heard of

the Lady of Shalott? Only the field hands, who rise early in the morning to harvest the barely,

hear her singing and they whisper, “Tis the fairy Lady of Shalott.”

Upon Shalott, the Lady works night and day, weaving a colorful tapestry. She has heard a

voice whisper to her that she will be cursed should she look upon Camelot. So she continues her

weaving, never daring to gaze upon the castle of Camelot. She is not deprived of gazing upon

the world however. She looks through a mirror to view the fields of barley and rye, and all of the

townspeople as they move up and down the roads. Occasionally she sees the knights as the

move into and out of Camelot, and she wishes that she had a loyal knight of her own to court her.

Never the less, she enjoys her solitude and continues to weave the scenes she sees through her

mirror, although she despairs at a funeral or wedding.

One day, Sir Lancelot, a noble knight of nearby Camelot, rides through the fields next to

Shalott. He wears dazzling armor and his horse’s bridle is studded with gems. As he rides, his

armor rings, and the bridle bells jingle. He sings with the jingling and ringing, “Tirra lira.” The

Lady, attracted by Sir Lancelot’s voice, leaps from her loom. As she does, the tapestry flies off

the loom and the mirror cracks. She acknowledges her actions by shouting, “The curse is come

upon me!”

- 13 -

As storms form in the skies, the Lady runs down from her room. Under a willow she

finds a boat, and she writes The Lady of Shalott upon the prow. She sets off down the river,

looking to Camelot and her own doom. She is clothed in a white robe and she lies in the boat,

singing her final song. She continues to sing her loud and mournful song until she dies. The

boat loyally sails into the docks of Camelot, where it is greeted by the lords and their men. They

gather about and read the name on the prow. As they read her name aloud, they cross themselves

out of fear, and none dare to gaze upon her face. It is only the brave Lancelot who finally looks,

and he remarks, “She has a lovely face; God in his mercy lend her grace, the Lady of Shalott.”

- 14 -

The Lady of Shalott, an Analysis

“The Lady of Shalott” is a classic example of the Victorian concept of love and women.

It is one of pining for a love that could never be, of giving one’s life for that love, and pined after

one’s realization of the lost love. “The Lady of Shalott” is a prime example of all of the elements

of Victorian concept.

The Lady of Shalott, who views the world through her magic mirror high in her tower,

wishes for nothing more than to be with the villagers of Camelot. She stitches into her tapestry

all of the scenes that she sees play out in the fields and on the roads. As she stitches, she

becomes more and more aware of the love that exists in the outside world, and she grows weary

of her lonely existence inside of the tower. She begins to pine for a loyal knight to court her

hand, just like all of the wedding ceremonies she has seen from her mirror. When she views Sir

Lancelot riding through the field, she wants nothing more than to be his love. She immediately

leaves her room to gain a better view of him from her window. It is this action that will prove

her undoing.

There is a great symbolism in the idea of the room and outdoors. Tennyson creates

tension “between the interior room and the exterior world…gives expression to the Victorian

preoccupation with the contrast between the exterior and the interior worlds” (Nelson). He uses

this tension to give the idea that artists operate in a different time and space. Throughout the

poem, we are constantly presented with the idea of the separatism of artists and the rest of

society. This separation is manifested in the curse that is placed on the Lady.

The curse placed on the Lady of Shalott forbids her to look upon Camelot or it

inhabitants directly. In doing so, it would be her death. When she ran to her window to gaze

upon Sir Lancelot, she fulfilled the curse, causing her mirror to break and tapestry to unravel as

- 15 -

outward signs of the curse’s power. She then flees the tower and enters a boat that she directs

toward Camelot. Upon arrival in Camelot, the Lady is dead, and none but Lancelot will gaze

upon her. The only reaction given by Lancelot is his comment on her beauty.

This comment is simply yet profound. By making this comment, Lancelot is stating that

the world has lost a person of great beauty and promise, a person that all should have known, yet

none did. This idea is a quite common theme surrounding artists and writers, a theme Tennyson

would have been quite familiar with. It is as if Tennyson is making a comment to the fact that all

artists must be shut-ins and unknown faces for no one truly can claim closeness with the great

artists. Tennyson even goes so far as to use Lancelot’s comment as a means of expressing the

knowledge of the lost love that the Lady exhibited for Lancelot from afar. Although it is

impossible for Lancelot to know anything of the love she had for him, is statement’s underlying

tone is one of great understanding of what was lost upon her death.

Yet, Tennyson’s Lady knew the effect of her actions. She “embodies the woman who

abandons social responsibility in the pursuit of love”, both probable and improbable love

(Mariotti). She chooses certain death so that she has the chance to spend just one moment close

to the one whom she loved. This idea has many medieval romantic qualities, qualities that were

idealized by the readers and members of Victorian society. The most apparent of these qualities

is the idea of unrequited love. The Lady’s love for Lancelot goes unnoticed and unreturned until

the end of the poem, when Lancelot acknowledges the loss of the Lady and her love. However,

it is to late for this love for the Lady has passed, meaning any feeling Lancelot may now harbor

shall go on unrequited.

“The Lady of Shalott” is full of concepts that differ from today’s thought processes. The

idea of laying one’s life down for love is bizarre and odd in today’s society, yet in the Victorian

- 16 -

period, it was viewed as the utmost idea of romance. As evidenced by Tennyson’s poem,

modeled after medieval romances, the Victorian period still held on to the idea of the valiant hero

and distressed damsel. Although the Lady did not survive through Tennyson’s poem, she

achieved what she set out for, the acknowledgement of Sir Lancelot.

- 17 -